#penelope is his mess but he's ours and i love all of it

[dollypopup]

fuck it, gonna do it myself since the showrunners refuse to

Colin Bridgerton Background and Headcanons

+Colin was a chubby child, but became super lanky around his pre-teens, just before he went to Eton

+He would play piano with Francesca for Mum. He always wanted to play and sing for Papa, too, but Edmund was usually with Anthony and Benedict. Still, he and Fran would sit on the shorter velvet cushion so they could reach the pedals, and they would take turns singing silly made up songs, or church hymns

+Because of his age, he was always excluded from the 'Boys' club of the family. At ten years younger than his older brothers, and not an Heir OR the Spare, this is when he started getting particularly close with his sisters, El, Daph, and Fran. He and Daphne were almost inseparable growing up.

+Colin got SEVERAL makeovers from his sisters. They always said he was just as pretty as they were, and powdered him with too much blush, bribing him with extra snacks if he wore one of their dresses. He did, of course. Those Tea Parties were fancy affairs, after all. Once, Eloise tried to braid his hair for it, too, but it was just too short

+Of all his siblings, Colin is the only one Papa ever punished physically. After Colin hit Eloise and Papa saw, he horsewhipped him in the stable. Colin is a boy, soon to be a man, Papa said, he should never lay a hand on a lady, *any* lady. Colin wonders why he cannot hit a lady, but anyone can hit him. It's the start of his hero complex and his martyr streak, too. He does not matter in the scenario, others do. He can get hurt, but others cannot.

+It's not three months after Edmund dies that Colin is sent to Eton. He's the only boy in their entire family to ever go there, and the prestige of Oxford was just unnecessarily for a third son. The funds were already put aside, Colin's traveling trunk packed, and the first year paid out. He had no choice. As a lanky, scrawny, barely 5 feet tall 12 year old boy, Colin leaves everything he has ever known behind to mourn in private, on his own, far from anything familiar

+Eton has. . .to say problems would be an understatement. Colin is under the tutelage of the harshest superintendent of the century for only one year toward the end, but it is far more than enough. The treatment is horrible. (look it up, this is historically accurate!). 'Flogging Fridays' were so harrowing, the uprisings by the students ended in stalemates and fury. In that last year, Colin had long hit his growth spurt, and resented a bully deep, *deep* in his bones. In his last year at Eton, Colin broke so many windows in the uprising that for days after, he was picking glass shards out from his clothes

+His first year at Eton was hard. Colin was small and alone and had no one in his corner. He made friends with some others, but for the most part, he was an easy target for the older boys to pick on. His name couldn't shield him from that. Being so small, even when he tried to fight back, he wasn't very successful, and most times, they would report him for violence anyway, so his choices were two fold- sit down and take it, or square up

+Colin learns to box at Eton. It isn't encouraged, surely, but one of his classmates noticed how Colin was very much not having a good time and put two and two together. He was older, a bit fatherly, almost, even though he wasn't even 18, yet. It was his last year so he was less concerned with doing things as the world expected it. Colin followed him around like a little duckling. Everywhere James went, Colin went. They sat with each other to eat dinner, then would sneak off to spar and train. He was Colin's first crush. He never told anyone, but he *is* grateful

+When Colin comes home for the first time, he *knows* everything is different. There's already a rift forming. Colin becomes a haunt in the hallway, only there in the summers and for holiday breaks. Colin becomes a ghost, half seen, wandering Aubrey Hall. Mama is over the moon, of course, as over the moon she can be still deep in grief, as is Daphne, but Fran is quieter, now, and Eloise turns away from him, frustrated at his freedoms when she gets none. Anthony has no time for him, save to ask if his studies are well, and Benedict is busy taking care of the babs

+Colin's favorite place to be when he was home was with Hyacinth. He'd sneak into the nursery and gently hold her. Though there were nurses, Colin was there so often, they swore she never cried. The truth was, Hy cried often, but Colin would notice the signs and comfort her. It made him feel better, to know there was something in this world that might need him. No one else needed him. Not Mama, not his sisters, certainly not his brothers. So, he rocks the baby sister he barely knows, and he sings her lullabies, and he cries with her, sometimes, and he's just a little less alone

+He's 14 by the time he finally starts gaining height. A late bloomer, a professor or two teases. They thought it would never come, really. He'd been a been pole for as long as anyone could remember, ever since he turned 6, but all of a sudden, he looked almost skeletal. Shooting up near an entire foot was awful. For a lot of people in his life, this was the first they'd seen him be openly miserable and snappish. Sore and frustrated, Colin had the shortest fuse he'd ever had. Oh, he had a temper. Always did. But he typically knew how to reign it in. During his growing pains, it was impossible. This is the manifest of him not sharing his food- he was constantly ravenous, and lord help anyone trying to get between him and his plate

+Colin first meets Penelope when he's 16, filled out and coming into his own, an insta-crush for Penelope, but for Colin? First thing he thought after her bonnet knocked him off his horse is that she looked like a peach. All round and pink and in her yellow dress. Colin likes peaches. So Colin likes her. It was simple as that for him

+He never got into Eloise's rivalry about Penelope. Honestly, he didn't think about her very often. Penelope seemed sweet, but she was near silent. Eloise would tell him that she wasn't that way with her, as though bragging, and Colin just shrugged. He didn't have any real interest or investment in their friendship, but he did try to be polite. The one time, Penelope stood in front of him and tried to say something for an entire minute, only to squeak and thrust out a book at him, turning tail and making off. He found it surprisingly funny. She opened up to him slowly, got more comfortable in increments, but he thinks back to that moment and remembers that she's come a long way. Would be nice to see where they end up (forshadowinggggg)

+Colin doesn't like to drink. Never carried a torch for the taste, really, but other men did it, and only in drinking did they seem to have any semblance of closeness. Colin tries it for himself. It never really works out

+Charm becomes a second skin to hide himself in. Deflecting questions to other people, remembering details about them and bringing them up, asking questions and using humor. Funny how humor lands so much easier, now. At Eton, he had no protection. (No wonder he despises a bully) But now, he was grown. Now, he was a 'man'. A conventionally attractive man (he can't really deny it). He's tall and he's finally started filling out broad and big, and he uses it to his advantage. When he talks, in his mind, somewhere, he's still that 5 foot tall boy, crying in the carriage to an unfamiliar place or grinning and bearing it his first year at school. But this time, he has a cloak to wrap around himself. This time, yes, he's softhearted and tender, but he is also beautiful and knows how to focus on someone else, and he uses it to his advantage.

+Colin understands this privilege, because for a time, he knew what it was like without it. Colin sees what happens to those who do not have it, also. For Colin, charm is the sprinkle of honey over his bitter fears and concerns. For Colin, charm is the fun party hat everyone gets to see- not that he's sad, not that he's conflicted, not that he's unsure. He's pretty. That's enough for them

+But it isn't enough for HIM. Colin grapples with his purpose because the idea that he should be content to be attractive and well off and nothing else sits unpleasantly with him. Colin wants to be a self-made man, but he is denied the opportunity. So he tries to navigate the world as it is around him, having been pre-molded and determined to a certain outcome.

+So, Colin's arc is about becoming a Man, but he is not a conventional one, so he works from example. What do Men do? Colin certainly didn't have his father to inform him, so he relies on the other men around him. Well. . .Men visit brothels and have mistresses and drink whiskey and go to clubs, but Colin doesn't want to go to a brothel, and he doesn't desire a mistress, and whiskey burns when it goes down, acrid as the smoke thick and smoggy in the clubs. So. . .what else? Well, Men get married. Men take care of a family. Men are educated.

he can do THAT

+Colin attempts to marry in Season 1 not because he is fully infatuated (he likes Marina, sure, but his eagerness is not just rooted in such) but because he is attempting to find purpose. To find meaning. To be a Man, a GOOD man. And Good Men are married, so Colin will be married. Good Men take care of their family, so Colin takes care of his family, so Colin offers to BE her family. But because these are rooted in aimless endeavors (Colin wants to be A man, but not THE man he envisions for himself), they fall apart. Now, Penelope certainly has a hand in it falling to pieces, but Colin didn't really have the right motivations to start off with, so in season 2. . .

+He's depressed. It's odd to me that others would describe season 2 as an arc in which Colin is successful. The entire time, he is in a deep depression. Colin partakes in drugs, specifically to not think about the world, or to find peace and comfort. Colin claims that no one wants to hear his stories, even if he thinks he did everything right by traveling. (Remarkable. . .yes, in the sense that I have many remarks of it). Colin drinks even though he clearly hates it, gets migraines, hangovers, grimaces at the taste, because he is looking for ESCAPE

+But Colin cannot escape. Even on a different continent, even having run, there is no where to go. His escape is not from the ton, and not even necessarily from reality, but from his own insecurities. From what he feels are his inadequacies. Good Men are married, but in Colin's mind, he abandoned Marina. Good Men take care of their family, and Colin left his. Good Men are educated, and Colin is tripping on shrooms in the middle of Cyprus, looking at the stars, wondering what he's meant to do with himself. Colin's desires to escape are deeply rooted, but Colin doesn't want to escape a PLACE. He's done that for a long time. No, Colin wants to escape a PERSON. Himself. The himself he knows himself as

+So, instead, it's easier to be someone else. Himself is messy and sensitive and needs to rehearse what he says. Himself doesn't ever say the right thing (doesn't know how) and is boring to everyone else, besides. Himself is too painful, so it's easier to be Charming Colin. Helpful Colin. Colin taking down a scheme. Colin providing for others. Because he does not matter in it. They do.

+But he DOES. Season 3 sees Colin masquerading. Successfully, of course, but nonetheless. He's half settled into himself and half settled into the persona. When Penelope gives him the cold shoulder with no explanation? Persona. When Eloise avoids him? Persona. When Fran is getting trussed up like a calf for auction on the marriage mart? Persona. Colin spends so much of his life trying to be someone else

+And then he finds out Penelope is Whistledown, and the betrayal of it rips all his talent from him. He can no longer be Happy Colin, Smiling Colin, Here, I'll Help Colin- no, now he is just angry. Sad. Upset. Hurt. Conflicted. He can only be COLIN, and he does not want her to see. Does not want her to reveal it to everyone else, that the man they saw was a sham, that deep down, he is still that boy, that boy Marina said he was, that boy chasing dreams and fantasies, that boy curled up in the cupboard, sobbing about losing his dad, that empty, hollow boy, able to offer up nothing but charm

+But they will see. She will see. And he will see, too. Just who Colin really is. Just who he can be. And just how full and rich and wonderful the reality really is, mess and all

[luveline]

I love bombshell reader. Would she ever get jealous?

Your eye is most definitely twitching. The pull and cinch of your lashes and the delicate skin of your eyelid distracts you mildly from the sight in front of you, but not for long. 

You rub at your eye with a perfectly filed nail, smudging intricate makeup all over the place. You remember your mascara only after you've mussed it and groan in annoyance. "Fucking fuck," you murmur, slipping a hand into your jacket pocket. 

"You okay?" Emily asks. 

Using your phone screen as a substandard mirror, you clean up the smudge you'd made of your make up with your pinky finger carefully. "I'm great," you say breezily. 

"You sure? You sound stressed." 

"She's jealous," Morgan says. Smugness lines his face and the otherwise handsome set of his mouth. 

You roll your eyes at him, to his bemusement, and sit back in your cold, leather-backed chair. "Sure, Morgan, I'm very jealous. Of what?" 

"Of our baby boy's new friend, obviously," he says. 

You don't give him the satisfaction of looking back at Spencer where he stands at the bar, nor do you let the practised smile you're wearing falter. Your guts an aching wound and your skin flushed with heat, you reach for the cherry coasting along the surface of your drink and pull it out by the stem, twisting it between your fingers. Unbothered on the outside, and an insecure, hurt mess on the inside. 

It really looked like Spencer was flirting with her. 

You chew your cherry for much longer than you need to for want of something to do, hot tears begging to well behind your eyes. Spencer isn't your boyfriend, you've held hands a couple times and that's that. He's allowed to want someone else. Someone prettier, smaller, she'd had a head of perfect braids and a dewy, do eyed smile. Cherry swallowed, you knock back your drink. 

"Sorry," Spencer starts, sliding into the booth next to you with another cherry sour for you and what looks like an ice cold glass of coke for himself.

You hadn't asked him for a drink and he hadn't mentioned getting you one. For a moment, the ugly weight of envy lifts from your shoulders. "Oh, thank you." 

"I just met this girl at the bar and she had something very interesting to ask me," Spencer says. 

You don't want to hear it. Morgan absolutely does, and with Emily to encourage him, they're happy happy torture you both. "Why's Penelope taking so long?" you ask, trying to change the subject too late. 

"What did she want, loverboy?" Morgan asks.

"Did you think she was pretty?" Spencer asks you.

Mortified, you stare at him. Plainly hurt, to his surprise, you clasp your hands together tightly in your lap. "Why would you ask me that?" 

"Because she wants to ask you out?" Spencer's knee bumps yours. "She thinks you're, quote, intimidatingly pretty." 

Emily and Morgan laugh together gleefully. You're glad this is entertaining for them, but mostly you're relieved. You pick up your drink and take a sip, looking over Spencer's shoulder into the bar for the girl he'd been speaking with. She smiles shyly. 

"I'm assuming this is from her?" 

"What? No, that's from me." 

Your gaze flickers back to him. "Really?" 

"That's my boy," Morgan jokes, swinging his arm behind Emily's seat. She laughs approvingly. 

Firmly back on stable footing, you give Spencer your stickiest grin, looking over his pretty face greedily. He's looking at your drinks rather than you but his torso is turned your way, the backs of his fingers brushing your stocking clad thigh. "Maybe I should go let her down gently?" you murmur, shifting in your seat to turn his way too, flirting with the idea of touching his cheek. 

"You might not need to," he says. 

"How come?" you ask. 

"Well, I… I sort of implied you were taken. You know. With the drink. And I also might've said you weren't interested." 

"Yeah?" You put your hand on his shoulder, tracing a whisper of a path up the slope of it to the base of his throat. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not." 

Emily shakes the small bowl of roasted peanuts, a deviousness about her as she says, "Good for all of us. I've never seen Y/N that jealous before. For once, I thought we'd have to protect her from you." 

You could kill her. Flustered, you tilt your head to one side and look out over nothing, mumbling, "I wouldn't say I was that jealous." 

"No?" Spencer asks. "I can go tell her you've changed your mind." 

"Don't push your luck, Reid." 

[sweatervest-obsessed]

okay so i'm thinking post!prison reid and reader break up bc he's not ready to be in a relationship after everything that happened in prison. they just don't get back together bc when spence is finally ready it's been a while and they both think it's too late and no one makes a move and they remain as friends UNTIL jj's love confession brings some feelings back onto the surface - reader finds out about it and (cue jeid and their weird, longing glances🥲) has a whole it's all really over moment and then there's distance between her and spencer until there's a confrontation about it and BAM a love confession and second chances😁😁

THIS IS SUCH A MESS but i hope you get my point</33

Um yeah so, absolutely. Some angst for you indeed. I love a convoluted and angsty fight, especially whenever someone is arguing in circles with someone else because they're both just so passionate but angry, anyways, heheh, enjoy!!

WC: 1.5k

TW: Arguing, mentions of violence, mentions of prison, mentions of guns, honestly if you watched CM then that is your TW.

“I just want to know why you’ve been so distant lately. I mean, this is the first time I’m speaking with you one on one in over a week, and it’s because I manage to catch you in the office at nine fucking pm Y/n.”

"So what do you want me to say, Spence? What could I possibly have to say to you? I'm pretty sure Jennifer said everything there is to say."

This caused Spencer to lose all of the oxygen in his body. It froze up. You weren’t supposed to know what JJ had said, no one was supposed to know what JJ had said. 

You and Spencer were in the bullpen of the BAU. Luckily for both of you, since it was so late, no one else was there. Neither of you were extremely public when it came to your relationship, which meant neither of you would have chosen to have this conversation fight in a public place, but no one else was around.

I want you to say something you're afraid to say. Something you'd never tell anybody. And you better make it good. Cause if it's not, it's going to be the last thing you ever say. What's it gonna be?

“How did you know about that?” He whispered. 

“JJ asked Garcia to go through the footage, apparently she wanted to make sure no one could ever access the audio from it.”

"Y/n I--" Spencer closed his eyes, his jaw set. He didn’t even know what to say at this point. You had both clearly made up your minds about this, yet neither of you wanted to see the carnage, the outcome of it all. So, instead, you chose to stand in the middle of the bullpen, fighting against one another.

Fighting for one another.

"I just don't understand why you're so upset about this."

“Spencer–you didn’t even tell me about it, I had to find out about it from Penelope, and who knows who else she told. You were afraid to tell me, yet that giant genius brain of yours can’t, oh I don't know, comprehend just a teeny tiny little bit why this makes me upset?" For the millionth time this evening, you scoffed. 

Something you would never say aloud, not even to your partner. Your deepest, darkest secret. Impress me, or I'll kill him.

"Y/n--"

Spence, I've always loved you. I was just too scared to say it before, and now things are really just too complicated to say it now. I'm sorry, but you should know.

"Fuck Spencer I have been in love with you since I first fucking joined this team." You gasped out. The air around your head got thinner and felt dizzying like you were floating through the air now that this was off your chest. "And I loved you when you asked me on a date. I loved you through Emily's death. I loved you when you asked me to move in with you. I loved you through when Morgan left the team. I loved you through Hotch leaving. I loved you through fucking Cat Adams. I loved you even after I came home one night and you were making out with her against our fucking door. I loved you through every single case and every single flaw. I loved you when you fucking relapsed a few years ago. I even loved you when you went MIA for weeks and then found out you were in a fucking Prison. And I still fucking love you now. But, instead of being together, you asked for a break."

"That's not fair..." He whispered.

"What? Respecting you and your boundaries? Knowing that you needed time to readjust after you had been released, and believing in your promise that once you felt ready to try a relationship again you'd come to me and talk to me about it? And then watching as you fall for JJ all fucking over again? With your stupid fucking glances. This isn't a goddamn tv show Reid, I can see when you both stare at one another across the room, I can see it."

"We don't.."

"You do. You both do. And then, you tell me that Jennifer fucking Jareau is willing to make her last words the fact that she has always loved you and has always been in love with you, and you---" Your voice froze, the sound cutting out. You looked straight at Spencer, not caring about the tears running down your cheeks. You watched as his hand twitched up. When the two of you were dating, Spencer used to wipe away every single of your tears. But now he wouldn't even lift his hand.

"I--what."

You took another breath, trying to calm down, and really think through your words. "This woman who has been your best friend for over a decade just fucking confessed her love for you, in a life-or-death situation, and you're telling me, that she just fucking made it up, pulled it out of her ass, or at least is telling you that she did and now the two of you are going to act like everything is normal and okay?"

"Y/n..."

"You were in love with her for years Spencer. And now, all of a sudden she confesses her love to you, and that changes nothing?"

"No, Y/n, it doesn't. It changes nothing. Does it hurt a bit? Yes. Does it change the fact that I love you? No." Spencer was trying to keep his voice level, hoping you'll continue to match his volume since he didn't want anyone to potentially stumble by and hear your argument. His hand reached for your wrist, but you couldn't bear to feel his skin against yours.

This caused you to let out a water laugh, tears sliding into your mouth, ugly but pouring down your cheeks. A waterfall of grief in all of its rawest forms.

"You still love me."

"Why-Why is that funny."

"I have been waiting to hear those words since you walked out of that fucking prison and the first time I hear it in years, it's because you're trying to justify loving someone else."

"That's not true."

Make it a million and one, you scoffed.

"I have loved you since the moment you first walked through those doors. You were in a pale blue pair of pants, and a black sweater--I remember it because Emily complimented the pants. I spend my whole life loving you and manage to never fully give you every single piece of love I have because there's simply not enough time in the world. I would kill for you. I would go to prison all over again if it meant you would be okay in this world." Spencer ran a hand through his hair, his voice strained. But his eyes never left yours. "Last week, when that unsub had his gun against your head, I fired before he even spoke, not because I assessed it was the right time or whatever fucking excuse I gave to Emily. I fired that bullet because if you died in front of me, I'd......The only thing I was thinking about the entire fucking time JJ and I were stuck in that room was how the fuck I was going to be able to tell you I love you one last time because I wasn't fucking smart enough to take my chance and say it to you every single day."

Your chest was heaving, but you didn't move towards him. It didn't feel right, it didn't feel real.

Spencer was able to take your hand in his, enclosing it between both of his, trying to get you to look at him. "I should have told you the moment I was ready to try a relationship again, but I thought you...I thought you had moved on because I wasn't worth waiting for."

This caused you to laugh again, eyes red from crying. "Don't fucking start with that shit Spencer.''

"I'm telling the god's honest truth."

"I waited for you throughout all of Prison. I waited for you through Maeve. I am still pathetically standing right fucking in front of you, waiting for you to hopefully realize that you still love me."

He kissed your hand. "And I don't deserve you at all for it."

"Do you still love her?"

"Y/n."

"Answer the question, Spencer. Or I'm done. I-I can't do this any longer, watching you....the way she looks at you just--"

Spencer pulled you into his arms, enclosing your body in his arms and kissing the side of your head. "I have always, and will always, love you Y/n Y/l/n. And I want to spend the rest of our lives proving to you that I would choose you, I want you, over and over again."

“That’s not an answer Spencer.” You whispered, rigid in his arms.

“I-I.” He closed his eyes. “I did. And I still do love her, but not like that. I haven’t been i-in love with her since the moment you walked through those doors.”

Spencer felt the weight of your head against his shoulder as you finally conceded and hugged him back, tightly. “Let's go home.” He muttered into your head, waiting patiently for you to hum in agreement. 

Neither of you moved though. You both stood there, locked eternally in the other’s embrace, enjoying the peace you felt for the moment, even though tomorrow was a new day, where you would have to sort through how you really felt about all of this. 

But tonight, you stood with your arms around your love, forever.

[myfairstarlight]

Alright, let's talk about Colin's entrapment line and why Penelope offering an annulment was significant, shall we? Arguably the most controversial part of this season, isn't it?

I'm not going to delve too long on the entrapment line again actually, but to summarise, Colin has been traumatised by a similar situation before, and right now, he's hurt. And the thing about being angry with your best friend is that you know what to say to hurt them the most. We see it in Eloise's and Penelope's fight, as they threw each other's insecurities in the other's faces. Colin, two episodes ago, was defending Penelope against Portia, who was accusing her of entrapping him, so yes, his mind will jump to that first. But also note that the whole time he refuses to look at her, because he knows his words are cutting and will hurt and he knows his resolve would break if he looked at her, which is contrasted by Penelope directly looking at him to tell him she loves him and did not mean for this to happen like this. He does not look because he knows she loves him, this is not Marina's situation exactly who only wanted a way out and did not see him as much else than a means to an end, and that's why it's so much more difficult to deal with for him. Penelope loves him.

And he's already almost lost her once, as angry and hurt as he is, he cannot fathom the idea of letting her go, when he remembers how empty he felt without her letters, or at the idea of her with Debling. So he's still here, determined to marry her.

So now we get to e8. The marriage was not technically consummated, and the Lady Whistledown business is finally settled. So Penelope offers the annulment, to set him, and his family, free from her mess.

They never directly address Colin's entrapment comment again, but with Penelope offering the annulment, it is now implied she's been thinking about this the whole time. It is a very real possibility that by that point, Penelope already knew she was pregnant, and it's been speculated if she told Colin in that scene after Francesca's wedding or not (I personally don't think she did, to not add to his guilt at that moment, and perhaps to not influence his decision, knowing she would be offering the annulment soon) and it parallels Marina's situation again, except in this case, Penelope does not wish to trap Colin with a baby, even if it is his. She knows how much Marina impacted Colin, and does not wish to do the same thing she had prevented Marina to do. The best part about this though? Colin is stunned (Edit: I changed the adjective here as someone rightfully pointed out I was exaggerating by saying "flabbergasted" when his reaction is more on the subtle side the English language is the bane of my existence). Frankly, he probably forgot he even said that, the same way he forgot about his "I would never dream of courting Penelope Featherington" comment - those were words said in the heat of the moment he never actually believed. Not once has Colin thought of either breaking the engagement, or get an annulment even after the betrayal.

He could have still eloped with Marina even after learning the truth, but he didn't because she was not honest with him from the start. He learns Penelope has been living a double life this whole time, and yet he stays.

It is significant that Penelope listened and acknowledged Colin's point of view, the same way she asked him to simply stand by her side and support her. Also note that she never says "our family", she says "you or your family".

Despite already being married, this whole time, it did not feel like they were, and she knew that as long as there was still this barrier between them, she could never truly be part of that family, but it's alright, she could live with that, she has mended things with her own after all, and she can support herself. Whatever the outcome, she'll be alright, she believes.

Fortunately for her, she does not get to find out what that future would entail because Colin absolutely hates the idea of letting her go.

Because after all, she's a mess, but she's his mess.

[nostalgicmiscellaneous]

In today's "Are we watching the same show?" episode. There is a minority but loud voice complaining that somehow Penelope and Colin's friendship is only told and never showed to us. Say what? S1 and S2 ON SCREEN Colin and Penelope discuss trust, dreams, their aspirations, they banter, dance together and talk about love, even about love. Colin exchange letters with her ( a girl that is not his family member), this a boy and a girl in the 1800s having this connection and he takes what she says to the heart to a point where it's her who inspires him to travel because she said something to him. Colin listens to her talking about her freedom & dreams in S2 in a scene where she makes him feel important and he looks at her with pure and utter admiration and it's there, all there. At the end, as still immature boy with other men around, he denies having interest on her beyond of a friend, with poor choices of words. Then we start S3 and he's upset she is not answering to his letters anymore, when even his family ignores his letters and he used to take it well, he misses her. It happens what we know and confronted with what the hurt he caused her, he apologises and clarifies it was about his own insecurities, not her, never her because she's warm, and clever and someone he admires and wants in his life, because with her he actually feels appreciated, she hears him, knows him, and she also didn't fall for the charm facade. Colin not only says things, he acts on. He tries with actions to make it up for her to give what she wants, even if he actually is not really pleased that she's seeking a husband ( and ofc it's about his own feelings for her here, but i digress) and he goes to teach her that she's wonderful, charming, attractive to any men. As i said before, his lessons is all about Colin telling her how he sees her and OH BOY, he sees her as someone wonderful for he thinks she only needs to be herself to get any husband she wants. So don't even try to say Colin was ashamed of that woman. He seeks her, He flirts with her, he remembers exactly how they met, he never was upset to be with her everywhere. When he thought her cousin was hurting her life ( let's be real, it was for Pen that he was more worried about the Featheringtons), he confronted the man and made sure to tell her he'll always protect her because Pen is special to him. When we grow up with someone, and specially someone younger that we relate in our minds to our baby sibblings it takes some mental adjustment that we even deny and supress some feelings when things start to change, to see them as men and woman take a bit of time, change, maturing and acceptance to feel it's right. Colin breaks every social rule with her because he's so close to her and she feels so much his in a sense that he doesn't see what's wrong in the way he behaves around her - that he doesn't around other women. And when his friend asks him to kiss her, he's reticent because he's afraid of losing her when he clearly is already starting to realize how he actually loves her, and because they are so in tune usually, it messes with his mind that the kiss of realization meant nothing to her, as he perceives. It drives him nuts. Again, we are talking about 1800s young adults, not 2024. Learn what friendship between Men and Women were. If their friendship had taken any further steps, they would have to end up making out in a public fashion and get marry....oh wait....

[dootznbootz]

that WHO in no longer u oh my GOD

YESSSS

Like, yeah, Odysseus is like "Yandere" (joking but also not) because kills all who even go near Penelope and Telemachus and he's very protective of them AND jealous.

But I think this "WHO?!" is also a desperate plea as to who is this dangerous man who is near his wife? A warlord? A conquerer? A man who would not even care about Penelope for who she is and mistreats her?

Because even in the Odyssey, Odysseus asks about Penelope to his mother.

Tell me of the wife I married. What are her thoughts and plans? Is she still there with our son, keeping watch on everything? Or has she been married                            to the finest of Achaeans?

(Book 11, Johnston)

There's not even much resentment in his question. There could be but Narrator does not say. The use of "the finest of Achaeans" almost is a "Did she at least marry the best man? Did she at least marry a GOOD man?"

In "No Longer You", when he hears of this dangerous man NEAR his wife, he is SCARED. It could be jealousy but I feel it's more of concern. As it is in the Odyssey.

"I understand if she would remarry, it pains me but I did tell her that when Telemachus finally grows his beard, she could. I will love her always but is she at least happy? Is she safe?"

And she's not safe. She's not happy. He is terrified.

Psst. The reason why My Odysseus takes a long time to grow his beard is because of that line. He's hoping that his son will take after him and take forever to grow a beard like he did (as he doesn't really have one even when he first leaves for Troy) because he would try forever to get home. Penelope even teases him that he still doesn't have one so that's a silly request and that's the point. "I will never stop trying to come back to you. He and I will likely remain beardless forever." (it's a little funky for him when he finally grows one by the end of Troy. He's thinking "...Shit. Telemachus, stay baby-faced for your dad please.")

ANYWAYS.

I mean we all know that these two are obsessed with each other in the Odyssey and in Epic. They are likeminded and are so integral to who they are. They mean everything to one another. I think Odysseus genuinely does want Penelope happy. As even in the Odyssey with him simply asking for another bed, shows how much he loves and respects her. He could've been like "get in it" even though she had rejected him at first but he LISTENS BECAUSE HE LOVES HER. Only breaking down into a sobbing mess when he believes she destroyed their bed.

"Heaven made you as you are, but for sheer obstinacy you put all the rest of your sex in the shade. No other wife could have steeled herself to keep so long out of the arms of a husband she had just got back after nineteen years of misadventure. Well, nurse, make a bed for me to sleep alone in. For my wife's heart is just about as hard as iron."

(Book 23, Rieu)

Please note that this is his attempt to insult her in a way and yet he still talks about her being from Heaven 👀 SIMP

But even though he's deeply hurt by her rejection (poor guy would've probably sobbed himself to sleep) He still asks for another bed. After sleeping on the floor and in the dirt since he's been on Ithaca, refusing beds unless it's his own marriage bed, he takes her 'no' because he values her happiness and comfort over his own. He takes a lesser bed so she can still sleep in their own luxurious one.

I mean we know how fucking awful the suitors are. Hold Them Down is a disturbing song. (as it should be. As they are not good men) He does not even know how bad these men are yet. If his future self could speak with his past self, he'd probably be like "Yeah, don't worry about the guy who kills a bunch of people, they had it coming. ;) " or something.

That "WHO?!" is a mix of jealousy AND fear.

[michelle-is-writing]

Birthday Pie, Spencer Reid

I was inspired to write this while watching the earlier seasons, so I know I wrote this a very long time ago.

Word Count: 1.1k~

Waiting at Spencer's desk with the rest of the team, we all happily stand in anticipation of the celebration of a certain holiday. Today is October 12th, meaning it is officially Spencer's birthday, and because of the very special occasion, we plan on spending it the best way we can. We'll have "cake" here in the morning and let him open our gifts for him, then once we all get off of work later, we'll go to a Chinese restaurant - one that has forks for Spencer, of course.

In all of our hands, we each have a gift for Spencer, and in the middle of his desk sits a pie I made for him which I am praying he will like. It's a chocolate chess pie which I thought was very fitting since Spencer likes chess and chocolate. I also know on your birthday you're supposed to have cake and ice cream, but maybe after 27 years, he'll want something else...?

"Do you think he'll like the pie instead of a regular Birthday cake?" I ask JJ, slightly unsure.

"Oh, he'll love it, (Y/n)," She assures me with one of her perfect smiles.

"Pretty boy loves anything you do," Morgan adds with a smirk. "Trust me."

I lightly laugh at his remark before sarcastically saying a small "Sure."

"No, no," Penelope cuts me off, waving her hands frantically with a huge smile. "You could walk a straight line and Spencer could give an hour-long seminar on how perfect your movements were," Immediately, my cheeks begin to blush while the rest of the team laughs at her comment. "Just sayin'," She finishes, holding her hands out in a shrug motion.

Just as she finishes speaking, my eyes move to the main entrance hall where my handsome brunet boyfriend is currently walking through the doors. Without noticing us at first, he mindlessly heads over to the area while straightening out his brown and green harlequin-pattern sweater vest. He doesn't even realize the spot he just fixed is going to be messed up again by the inevitable Birthday pin that Penelope plans to bestow upon him.

I watch as Spencer turns the corner, his pace slowing down before coming to a stop as sees us all waiting at his desk. It only takes a short second before he realizes what's going on, causing him to break into an award-winning grin and quicken his speed over to us. "Happy Birthday!" We all yell at the same time, making his eyes light up like fireworks.

"What's this?" He asks as he stops beside me, one of his hands instantly coming up to rest against my back.

"A birthday surprise, my love," I answer him, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Pushing my gift into his hands, I smile at him as he gazes at me with what hope is a mix of love and happiness. "Happy twenty-seventh birthday, Spencer."

After opening all of our gifts, Spencer sits down in his chair while I sit on the edge of his desk and cut a slice of pie for him. "What kind is it?" He asks, his eyes matching the sweet treat in front of him. Smiling, I push the slice of pie onto a paper plate before handing it to him.

"Chocolate chess," I tell him with a nod, watching as he chuckles; I'm glad he got the joke.

"I already like it," he tells me, referring to the name. Looking over at Morgan, I see both he and Penelope mouth "Told you so."

Handing Spence a fork, I watch as he takes the first bite of the pie, a half-surprised, half-happy emotion filling his face as he begins chewing the morsel of food. "Oh my God," he says, food still in his mouth. A moment of panic fills me as I begin to think he doesn't like it. "This tastes amazing," Those three words instantly take all the fear and worry away, causing me to grin and let out a sigh of relief.

Soon enough, everyone else has a slice of pie, each having reactions like Spencer. "This is really, really good, (Y/n)," Prentiss approves.

"Yes, it is!" Penelope agrees, taking another bite of her slice.

"Mama, I am coming to your place for Thanksgiving," Derek announces, causing me to hide my grin. Even Rossi and Hotch had something good to say about the pie I made, all of the comments making me feel like I've done a good job.

Once Spencer is done with his slice, he places the empty plate on his desk before wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me from the edge and onto his lap. Meanwhile, the rest of the team heads back to their desks, all of them having so much work to do all of a sudden.

Smiling at Spencer's antics, I lean my head back against his shoulder and look up at him, his chocolate eyes meeting my own (e/c) eyes. We both know we can't do this for long as neither of us want to be written up, but we can risk it for today.

"Did you like your birthday surprise?" I ask him, watching as he nods.

"Of course I did," he assures me, reaching a hand up to cup my cheek. Leaning my head down toward his, Spencer attaches his lips to mine for a second before pulling away, trying to keep it at least a little professional at work. "You should know that I enjoy anything you do."

"Oh yeah?" I can't help but ask, leaning my head a bit further into his shoulder. Still smiling, he looks away from my eyes as a red tint spreads across his cheeks. I almost laugh at the sight, finding the irony in the situation that he's already blushing despite me not saying my next comment yet.

"Well then, I know you'll enjoy tonight," I tell him, dressing another kiss to his cheek as his eyes growing wide at the many implications behind my words. I can only giggle at his reaction, reveling in the knowledge that that's the best part - he truly has no idea what's in store for him tonight. He doesn't know about our plans to go to the Chinese restaurant and eat with the rest of the team later, nor does he know about my plans to surprise him with a new set of lingerie in his favorite color tonight. However, I think he might have some growing suspicions going by the smirk that slowly worms its way across his face.

"I can't wait," He finally murmurs to me, giving my hip a tight, yet discreet squeeze. With that, I know he definitely has an idea of what's in store for him and I can't wait either.

[rebelliousstories]

That’s My Wife

Relationship: Luke Alvez x Reader

Fandom: Criminal Minds

Request: No

Warnings: Angst, Descriptions of Violence, Fluff

Word Count: 3,662

Main Masterlist: Here

Criminal Minds Masterlist: Here

Part Two: Coming Home

Summary: When the team gets called in on a case, an interesting revelation comes out about the newbie.

Khalil Gibran once said, “If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.”

“What do we know?” Emily was in a mood today, and it was not one to mess with. Having just got off the phone with the director of the FBI, she was frantic in finding out what was going on.

“Earlier today, as in two hours ago, there were reports of a bank robbery in progress. But the M.O. is what caught our attention.” Garcia responded, clicking the remote to activate the tv in the round table room. As the other agents filed in, they were met with a horrifying sight.

Animal masked robbers were parading around the lobby. A lion, a tiger, a wolf, and a shark were present. They waved guns around without a care in the world, and kept their finger on the trigger. Shark took off and began to stuff money into his bags, while the other three kept their eyes on the groups of people they were holding hostage. Everyone was analyzing and scrutinizing every frame of the video feed.

“What bank?” Luke asked, keeping his eyes on the feed.

“Three Ring bank in downtown D.C.” Penelope responded, looking around in confusion.

Without a warning, the agent took off to the bullpen silently. He pulled out his phone and was shocked to see a voicemail in his inbox waiting for him. Luke answered the call and just listened.

“Hey baby. I know you’re probably at work, but I am finally home from tour. I was gonna keep it a secret and surprise you tonight, but I just couldn’t wait. Go catch those bad guys, baby. I’m goin’ to the bank and then goin’ to see our baby at home. I love you, sugar. Go be a superhero.”

His fist clenched as he lowered the phone from his ear. Luke turned and was surprised by Emily standing directly behind him.

“Is everything alright?” She asked, despite knowing the answer to her question. The agent took a moment before he responded.

“Our bank is Three Ring. Specifically, we go to Three Ring in downtown.” Luke whispered, rubbing his hands over his face. Emily held an understanding look on her face as she processed the information.

“Is there anything I can do?” Getting her phone out, she listened and read her text at the same time.

“Just don’t take me off of this case. I need to find her.” Prentiss nodded her head and set a hand on his shoulder.

“Go find a quiet, empty room. Clear your head and get all of your frustrations out. Then I want you back in the round table room and getting to work.” Turning on her heel, she left Luke and trusted he would do what she instructed.

“What have you got, Garcia?” Emily marched in to her lair with determined voice and step.

“Um, so I was looking in to who I could identify on the video feed. Now these guys have been staring at a woman, just one in particular. So I did my usual sleuthing into this mystery woman that seems to have their attention and-”

“Get on with it, Pen.”

“Of course,” she readjusted her glasses, and started again. “This woman is the girl behind the concert we went to last month, Amour Yen. And doing some additional digging I found out her name, address, phone you name it. Maybe we can use it?” The colorful analyst rambled.

“Bring up her driver’s license photo again, and shoot it over to my phone, please.” Emily left shortly afterwards. Everyone was tense and on edge as they tried to find out who the men in masks were, but the unit chief only had one job she needed to do. The ping came through, and she searched the sixth floor empty rooms until she found Alvez sitting in a chair, with his head in his hands. Prentiss closed the door which made the agent look up.

“This is her?” Her tone was soft, as she showed him the DMV photo on her phone. Luke nodded without a word, and bowed his head once more.

“We will get her out safely, Luke. But you need to tell them. We think she’s being targeted.” The agent lifted his head abruptly, and made his way to the round table room. Emily followed close behind, and signaled for everyone else to join them. She shot off a text to Garcia, and was met with the whole team upon entering the room. Shutting the door, Emily addressed everyone first.

“Before we continue our investigation, and get our feet on the ground at the bank, there is something that needs to be revealed as Garcia has pointed out that a specific woman seems to be targeted.” She gave way for Luke to pick up.

“I’ve kept something from the team and I can’t do it anymore. The woman in the video is my wife.” There was a pause as the secret was finally out.

“Is that why her last name is Alvez on her license?” Penelope asked, breathless from the information and fear of her team’s family being targeted. Luke nodded before he continued.

“We keep it a secret and keep it on a need to know basis because of my job. The only person who knew before this was Emily, but that was because I had to list her as my emergency contact. Even when I was in the Fugitive Task Force, we kept it close so that no one could use us against each other. If she is being targeted, it’s because of me.”

“We’ll start by digging into Luke’s background with the FTF, then with the BAU. Garcia, I need everything you can find everything you can about his wife. We need to figure out what we’re up against. Rossi, I want you, Reid, and Simmons with the mobile command center in downtown. Let’s get to it everyone.” As the team dispersed, Luke tried to follow the team going downtown only to be stopped by Emily.

“Please, I need to go make sure she’s okay, Prentiss.” Luke pleaded, watching helplessly as the three men left for the SUVs.

“I said I wouldn’t take you off of the case, even though it is protocol. But I will not have you in the field. You’re going to be more useful to us, and to her, here. Now help us figure out who these people are.” She redirected him to go back to the round table room, and begin sifting through his career.

~

“Keep your heads down!” Lion shouted, waving his pistol around as people whimpered. Huddled with another woman, determined eyes were assessing the whole situation. She twisted her wedding ring around on its chain around her neck while trying to remember what her husband taught her. There were only four men that she counted, and one entrance and exit. Sirens were already outside, which coupled with the entry and exit point predicament, it meant one thing; everyone in this building were trapped together.

Keeping her breathing in check, her hand reached into her pocket, and tried to type discreetly.

Sierra. Oscar. Sierra. Alpha - Delta.

“What the hell are you doing?” A voice startled the phone back in her pocket, and she looked up. Tiger was pointing a gun to her.

“What’s in your pocket?” Reaching her hand back in, she wrapped it around the object and pulled it out to show him.

“Candy? Really?” He asked, not convinced.

“I have blood sugar issues. I keep snacks on me to help regulate it.” She replied, holding the hard candy out for him to take. Tiger snatched it from her hand and slipped his mask up just enough to plop the candy in his mouth. What he did not see, was that she was staring intently at his face at an identifying mark. A long scar on his cheek. Tiger turned around and she hurriedly ducked her head to send another text.

Scar. Tiger.

“What are you doing?” A woman next to her asked. Mrs. Alvez saw the wedding ring on her finger.

“My husband is FBI.” She whispered. “What’s your husband’s name?”

“Frank.” They kept their voices down as they spoke.

“Mine’s is Luke. We’re going to go back to them, okay? They haven’t removed their masks which is a good sign.” A buzz rattled her hand causing her to look down.

Roger. Head down. Romeo, Romeo, Sierra responding. At King Arthur.

The wave of relief at knowing that Luke’s teammates were coming to help her made her relax just a bit. All she could hope for now was that they would get in before the team of robbers dropped their masks and started shooting.

~

“Just got a text from my wife. She says that the one in the tiger mask has a scar.” Luke walked over to where Garcia was remotely set up at the round table. “Can you search the feed for anywhere that man might have a scar?”

“Of course. Yes. I can do that.” As Garcia worked, Luke watched her efforts on the big tv screen behind them. The tape was rewinding, and rewinding before he intervened.

“Wait, wait, wait. There. Stop.” Penelope followed the order. “There. Do you see it?”

“Yeah. He takes something from her hand and slips it in his mouth.” The tech analyst was confused as she tried to think of reasons, but Luke breathed out a sigh of relief.

“She keeps candy in her pocket for her blood sugar. But I taught her, in a situation like this, she needs to try and find identifying marks on unsubs. Look for men who were put away for armed robbery with a pronounced scar on their faces. Look in neighboring states as well.” Luke turned back to the files as the woman worked beside him.

~

A big black SUV rolled up on the scene, and out popped three agents already dawning their FBI issued Kevlar vests. Rossi walked forward and went to the command center lead, while the other two trailed behind him.

“You must be captain Romanov. SSA’s Rossi, Reid and Simmons with the BAU. Have there been any demands?” He shook hands with the police captain.

“Not yet. Your guys just finished setting everything up, and helping my guys secure the area. We have access to the security cameras inside, but there has been no contact.” She explained, showing them around. Rossi assumed his position next to the phone box and casted his eyes towards the bank.

“Well, let’s see what we can make happen. Is this tapped in?” With a conformation, he pressed dial.

~

A shrill ring sounded through the bank. Everyone looked around for the source of the noise, but no one could see it clearly. That was, until, Lion stalked over to a phone that was behind the tellers booth. He yanked the phone off of its resting place, and held it against his ear.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“This is SSA David Rossi. Who am I speaking to?” the man on the other end chuckled as he looked out to the room.

“You can call me Leon.” He answered.

“Okay Leon. What do you say to letting the hostages go? You don’t have to go through with this.” David tried to reason with him.

“No. I don’t think so. There’s some pretty special ones in here that we need.” Leon looked over to the rest of the people around him. His eyes stopped briefly on a woman that his brother stopped by earlier. Shark was trying to find an alternative way out, while Wolf and Tiger were managing the people.

“Is there anything that you want? Something that I can get you?” Rossi asked, looking towards his two other agents.

“We want a way out of here. Call off the cops, call off the feds, and let us go free.” Leon was starting to get agitated the longer he was on the phone.

“I will see about what I can do, but you know that won’t be easy.” The agent was being real, and really hoped that the man with the gun would not use it.

“Tell you what, you call your buddies off, and I don’t kill everyone in here. Deal?” A dull tone rang through as the phone was hung up on Leon’s side. Rossi looked around to his teammates and suddenly had an idea.

“This doesn’t sound like he’s going to follow through. Murder is not in the M.O. but someone inside might. Matt, you and Reid try and find groups of four that commit armed bank robberies. This isn’t their first rodeo.”

~

Luke marched into Emily’s office with a file and determination. Tara was in there with the unit chief helping her sift through his career.

“Found the man in the tiger mask.” The file plopped down onto the woman’s desk.

“Theodore Jameson. Served five years for a job he did with his twin brother back in 2010. Got a nasty cut from the botched job. The clerk of the store they were trying to rob got him with some broken glass from a window. It healed over into that jagged scar that we saw on the tape. I was the one that put them away. One of the men has to be his brother, Leonard.” Luke explained, feeling accomplished.

“Good work. But who are the other two? And which one is which?” Tara complimented.

“Tiger is Theodore so Leonard has got to be the Lion. Now we need Wolf and Shark. Have Garcia see if there are any connections in or out of prison.” Emily commented, handing the file back to Luke who took off to do the work.

~

“Come on man. We need a way out of here.” Leonard commented, badgering Shark.

“I’m trying man. Give me a minute.” He replied, disappearing again. Wolf sat at a table and kept quiet as he observed the place. This entire operation had gone to hell.

“Where is the woman? Where is she?” Leonard barked looking around, scrutinizing everyone from behind his mask.

“I’m looking for a woman with the last name Alvez. Where are you?” He yelled. From his right, a woman stood up, however this was not the one he was looking for.

“I’m Sofia Alvez.” She whimpered, standing on shaking legs. But Leonard just scoffed and waved her over with the hand with the gun. Sofia walked over and was practically shaking in fear. He brought his hand up and pistol whipped the woman. It did not kill her, but rather knocked her out cold. Shaking his head, he looked around to see who else was here.

“I’m bored, Leon.” Theodore commented as he waved his gun around. Without a warning or word, the man grabbed a random man and shoved him towards the glass doors. The entire police and FBI forces were on edge as they watched what was unfurling. A bullet planted itself in between the man’s eyes and he slumped forward. Screams erupted throughout as everyone was startled by the display. Theodore laughed as he stalked around. His mask muffled some of his words but everyone he got close to understood what he was saying.

“Eeny meeny, miny moe.”

~

Garcia shuffled her way into the round table room with an excited air about her. The remaining BAU members gathered around, and patched in the three that were at the bank.

“Okay, so you asked for any connections that would be relevant and I found it.” Pulling two additional pictures up on the big screen, the colorful analyst began.

“So when the Jameson twins were serving their five in the Virginia corrections facility, they were block mates with another set of twins. This time they were serving ten for pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter after their last job ending in the store clerk being dead. I now present to you Wulfric and Samson Mitchell.” They were drawn to the tv once more.

“Yeah, I remember that case,” came Luke’s voice. “They claimed they were doing the robbing out of necessity and claimed that because they came from a trailer park that the judicial system was prejudiced.”

“So we know who they are. What’s our plan Rossi?” Emily called over the phone.

“They’ve already killed one person. Unsure about anyone else. But we’re trying to establish more contact.” He explained, keeping his eyes aware all around.

“Do we know who was killed?” Luke pleaded urgently.

“It’s not her, Luke.” Garcia confirmed, looking through her screen at the camera. He peered over her shoulder and let out a sigh of relief to see she was telling the truth.

“Rossi, get him on the phone and see if we can break them up. Penelope, give us a full blue print of the bank. I want to know every square inch of the place.” Prentiss ended the call, and delegated the rest of the team to finding out everything they could about the two sets of twins.

~

“Where are you? I know you’re in here.” Tiger sing-songed as he walked through the lobby waving his gun. When his eyes landed on her, he smiled behind his mask. Stalking forward, he grabbed Mrs. Alvez by her shirt and hauled her to her feet.

“Oh, hello pretty lady. I knew you would be here today.” The man got right in her face, and brought her over to a chair where he dropped her down without grace. “Stay.”

Watching him walk away, she realized that she was in view right in front of the window. She turned and tried to see if she could flag down the uniforms outside.

“Leo! Look at who we have here!” He called out, grabbing his brother’s attention. Leonard came around and laid his eyes on the woman in the chair.

“I think it is high time we have us a little reunion.” Leonard sneered as he neared the woman. Her nerves were going haywire as she realized that they were closing in on her.

~

Piling in to the SUVs, Luke was furious. These criminals had laid their hands on his wife, and they were going to pay for it. His vest was strapped on tightly, and his firearm was ready.

“How would they know that she was your wife if even the team didn’t know?” Tara pointed out as they drove on.

“She’s a public figure. They could’ve stalked her, or me. Or any variation of the two. Let me get Garcia on the phone.” They turned the corner and parked right as Penelope answered the call.

“Oracle is ready and willing. Whatcha need?” She answered somewhat chipper, but people could tell that it was a flimsy cover.

“Garcia, I need you to track her social media, phone calls, emails, anything. Looking for repeat offenders, text that were deleted or weird phone calls. Anything.” He stated, waiting impatiently with the rest of his team.

“Okay. Don’t know exactly what I’m looking for but…”

“But what Penelope?” Luke was getting fed up with this whole day.

“There’s an account called ‘tigerted’ and it has visited her social medias everyday for the past six months which just so happens to be the same amount of time that all four of the men inside of that bank have been released.” She whimpered.

“Garcia, look into any robberies in the last six months in surrounding states. What’s their endgame?” Matt asked, hands on his hips while they waited.

“I’m not sure,” she started, “they’ve never been around long enough to be caught. They’ve always been in and out with insanely good precision.”

“That’s not going to work, Penelope. Give us something to work with.” Luke growled, pacing back and forth with his phone in his hand.

“I’m trying to help but I have nothing in their previous jobs.” Tears of frustration were starting to build up and push over.

Before anyone else could respond, the phone rang from inside. Rossi held up a finger, and got the phone answered.

“Hello?”

“Agent Rossi, my partner has already killed one person. Who else are you going to let die before you let us go, huh?” The voice of Leon answered.

“Leon, who killed the victim? Was it Wulfric? Samson? Theodore?” There was silence over the other end of the phone.

“Leonard, you can end all of this right now if you let the hostages go, and you put down the weapons.” Rossi reasoned, but the sinking feeling in his gut was not helping.

“You know who we are?” Leonard asked, sounding out of breath.

“We know that you and your brother were put away by one of our teammates, and that you met Wulfric and Samson in prison. This is the first time you have ever been caught and cornered and you need to ask why. Somebody betrayed you, Leonard. It’s time to give it up.” There was more silence. It took a minute before someone finally spoke, after some commotion on the other end of the line.

“There’s no giving it up.” Dial tone greeted the BAU as they watched each other for a minute.

~

Theodore hung up the phone and pranced around the lobby. He removed his mask, which prompted Leonard to do the same.

“They know who we are. Including how we work. They know who we all are.” Leonard spoke, sounding like he was in disbelief.

“So what? No more hiding now bro. Now, we get to have some fun with her.” Theodore waved his gun to where the woman was sitting. She was still watching everyone with skeptical eyes as they moved about. Wulfric, who was sitting partially on a desk, removed his mask when the other two did, yet remained silent.

“You are just gorgeous. Don’t know how that man ever landed you.” As he grew closer, Theodore raised his gun with his finger on the trigger, and fired.

Bang

[alexander-arcturus-black-lupin]

Kidnapping

Spencer and the gang are called in for a case. Morgan and J.J are the last to enter Garcia’s office.

“Brief us baby girl” Morgan said as he sat down beside Reid.

“Right well, this girl was held at gunpoint” Penelope put up the girl's picture on the screen. “But then someone tried to defuse the situation when the gunman, now a kidnapper, took her, no reason as to why, and the reason we’re involved is because the kidnapper is our unsub,” Penelope finished.

“She’s pretty,” Morgan said. “Spencer what do you think” Morgan nugged Spence. Today Spencer was deep in thought; he was thinking of multiple different ideas permitting from one single thought.

How would I go about this

“Spence”

“Mmhm su-” He raised his head and looked at the screen and all colour drained from his face. Spencer took out his phone and started to dial. ”Something you’d like to share with the class Spencer?” Morgan asked but Spencer ignored him. The phone went off to voicemail.

“Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit” Spencer dialled again yet was only greeted with the same voicemail.

Hey its y/n i might be a little busy so either leave a message or call back later alright

The gang was stunned. Spencer never swore.

“Spencer, Spencer finally looked at Morgan, his eyes wide.

“That is my, that’s y/n she’s my girlfriend, I-” Spencer started to speak an entirely different language.

“Spencer we’ll find her” Hotch said, he’d never seen Reid like this.

Spencer’s phone starts ringing and it’s y/n. He immediately answers it and puts it on speaker. He sets it down on the table as he tries to calm himself down.

“Y/-” But he’s cut off by a man’s voice.

“SHUT UP I’M TALKING TO SOMEONE WHO MIGHT SAVE YOUR BITCH ASS LIFE” there’s a loud smack and someone shouts.

“UNTIE ME ASSHOLE AND LET’S SEE WHO'S THE BITCH HE-” Y/n is cut off by her kidnapper stuffing cloth in her mouth.

The team was shocked at what y/n said because most people would be a mess if they were kidnapped by y/n seemed not only agitated but in the right state of mind.

“Who is this?” Spencer demands his voice so sharp that Derek has to do a double take. “And what did you just do”

“Someone who has your wife at gunpoint” Morgan glances at Hotch. Wife? ”What I did to her, I just shut her up”

“What do you want” Spencer sounded calm but to his teammates, his erratic eye movement, how he keeps clenching and unclenching his fingers and how he briefly pulls his hair before going back to clenching his fingers.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this you know” the kidnapper completely ignored Spencer’s question. “It was a simple robbery, all she had to do was gimme her wallet, but nooo this little bitch had something to say” the kidnapper pulls y/n hair making her scream into the gag.

“AND I STILL HAVE SOMET-” another smack could be heard.

“Stop hitting her” Spencer could feel his self control slipping

“Oh don’t worry hubby she’s out cold, now I’m going to make her pay for her rudeness”

“Why did you call me,”

“To know if the contact name Hubby served what i think it does”

“And what do you think it serves”

“The person who’s going to bury this bitch” the kidnapper hangs up and Spencer all but reaches for his phone to toss it.

“What’s our game plan?” Penelope asks.

“Well,” Morgan starts. “I think Spence should start,”

Spencer looks at them, he sighs before he speaks.

“Y/n L/n is my girlfriend but technically by Las Vegas laws we're married”

Derek starts. “You had a girlfriend-wife and you never told us” Spencer keeps his eyes on the phone in front of him.

“I was going to tell you guys”

“When”

“When I got her to say yes” Spencer’s shoulders drooped.

“You were gonna re-propose?”

“Yes,” Spencer took out a black box from his coat pocket. “Tonight, I had everything planned”

“Spencer '' Morgan clasps Spencer’s shoulder. “We will find her, that’s what we do,”

They team except for Garcia go to the scene of the crime. It’s a fast food restaurant.

“She loves their burgers,” Spencer chuckles before looking at the building opposite.

“We’ll never know what she bought till we find her,”

“That’s where we start,” Aaron says as he points over to the tiny camera on its ceiling. Spencer and Derek go in as JJ calls Emily and Rossi over from interrogating a customer. Derek and Spencer meet a burly 30 something man.

“No I ayn’t geeving ya my CCTV, gyet lawst,”

“Derek, could you wait outside for a second,” Derek without question steps out. Hotch and the rest later notice.

“Why are you out here?”

“Spencer,” Derek shrugs.

“Wh-”

The door opens and Spencer is holding a tape.

“What did you do?”

“I asked him for it,” Spencer hands the tape to Derek. Derek looks at him skeptically, “I promise I didn’t hurt him,”

Find CCtv footage of the car y/n was kidnapped in

Track it down to somewhere in the middle of nowhere

Find it in front of a house

*They surround the house and get inside but the kidnapper dude already has y/n is his hands with a gun to her head.

Spencer comes from behind and shoots him in the hand holding the gun his shot being through and through

*Y/n tries to strangle the dude but Spencer grabs her from behind and pulls her away *

"LET ME GO, LET ME AT HIM," y/n yells as Reid holds her in. "LET. ME. AT. HIM."

"Calm down sunshine," Reid whispers in your ear. “He’s down,” he says as he rests hims face in your hair.

"Reid!? Reid,'' He spins you in his arms and hugs you bringing you close; he doesn't kiss you because you are surrounded by an audience.

"I thought I might have lost you" you nestle into his neck.

"You will never lose me Spence not if I have anything to say about it" You let go. “Can I atleast land one hit, I promise just one,” Spencer for the first time during this 3 day period, smiles.

"Spencer,” JJ called. "How about you do take care of this one, yeah"

Spencer nodded and took you home. Some of his clothes were at your place, so he didn’t bother stopping at his place.

He filled up your tub and undressed you. He wanted to let you be but you didn't let him. He slipped in behind you and he held you. For a long time.

"Tell me what you remember, sunshine, come on, let it out don't be all strong and brave, be weak and fragile, right here, right now,"

You leaned into him and before you knew it you were crying.

You never felt so helpless. You told him what happened. How it felt being held at gunpoint for the first time. How it felt being shoved into the car. The turns, right, left, left again.

The car stopping and him getting out and tossing her on the ground. Blacking out. Waking up in a wooden chair, tied down. Him slapping you twice for talking back at him.

Taking your phone.

Calling Spencer

His voice woke her up.

She wanted to cry then.

"Hey baby come on let it all out, studies show that the more you cry the more likely you'll recover from violent otherwise traumatic events an-"

"Sp-Spencer"

"Yeah sunshine"

"I love you okay"

"I love you more" Spencer takes the loofa and scrubs your feet, “If you want to stop we can”

“I- you- you need to know right?” I sob. “Your job”

“I don’t need to put down everything sometimes” Spencer stops what he’s doing and he comes back to you, “This is one of those times, okay?”

“O-okay” I sniff and sob. “I’m a mess,”

“I like everything about you about you even your mess”

“It’s sta-statistically proven th-that woman who show a sign of distress or a misery in a relationship tend to end up breaking the r-”

“Baby that’s rubbish, if you read that off a site it needs to be taken down” Spencer holds your head in his arms. “That’s a lie right there, this will never break, it’s actually the opposite see-” He stops when he notices the smile on my face.

“Spence”

“Yes sunshine”

“I’m joking” he rolls his eyes at you but you can see the smile tugging at his lips

He takes you out and cleans you before cleaning himself. He changes you into matching pyjamas. “Now as your doctor, I suggest bed rest with your boyfriend” you giggle.

“I like that treatment plan”

“So does your boyfriend”

Spencer stays by your side the entire night. The proposal can wait another day.

[ddejavvu]

MEIII!!!! Hope you had a good day!!!!

I was thinking 🤔🤔🤔 an ex gf of Hotch comes to work w the BAU & they hadn’t told anyone abt it but the Bau girls help R unpack find photo albums old pictures of her and their boss (hot)

You had intended to be more careful when letting your new teammates dig through boxes in your apartment, but they had each brought over bottles of wine as housewarming gifts, and the first thing you'd come across were your glasses. So now that there's a healthy buzz over your brain, making it just a little bit hard to focus, you don't notice Penelope reaching into the box that says memories.

She squeals at a baby picture of you, an album full of your childhood memories in her hands. You think nothing of it, still slightly intoxicated to where you don't forsee the next album she'll pick up. Emily and JJ flock to her side, crooning and cooing over your past self, but when they shut the album and reach for the next, and your brain finally switches on, you're not fast enough to stop them.

"Woah, that guy- holy shit," Emily laughs, her own mind clouded as she points sloppily at the man kissing your cheek in the first photo, "That guy looks like Hotch."

JJ snorts, but Penelope falls silent.

Of course, you think, of course she's seen pictures of when he was younger. You'd expect nothing less from the BAU's resident snoop.

"That is Hotch," She breathes, alcohol be damned as she puts the puzzle pieces together, "Oh my god, you dated Hotch!"

"Oh," Emily laughs, eyes wide and giddy and dazed, "You dated Hotch!"

"I- I didn't date Hotch," You huff exasperatedly, wine forgotten on the counter, "I dated a man from law school. He was not the same person."

"You mean this was before someone shoved a stick up his ass?" JJ eyes you incredulously, "I thought it was placed there at birth."

"He doesn't have a stick up his ass!" You feel the inexplicable urge to defend your boss, despite him having left you reeling in college, "He's- he's got issues. Stuff you don't even know about. Everyone does, we've all- we've all got issues."

"What happened?" Penelope asks, her voice soft and worried, "He didn't cheat on you, did he?"

"No!" You let out a huffy laugh, "No, he didn't cheat on me. We just parted ways because- well, our schedules were tight. We never saw each other, when I had a day off he was working, and vice versa. He wanted someone with a more adjustable schedule."

"That's not fair," Penelope's eyes glaze over with tears, that you're sure are only partially from the wine she's consumed, "That's not fair, to stop loving someone because they're busy. He was busy too, what- why were you the problem?"

"It wasn't like that," You gush, but it was entirely like that, "Listen, we were both stressed all the time. I don't know if you've ever tried to be lawyers, but it sucks. And- and we never saw each other, and we were young, and stupid, and we hated our jobs but we couldn't quit, and- and it was a mess! And I'm glad," You peter off your emotional speech with a soft whimper, "I'm glad he found someone who had the time to love him. Because both of us deserved that, just-" You sniffle, your eyes stinging with tears, "Only one of us got it."

"Oh, honey," JJ laments, reaching for you with both hands now that her wine glass is set aside. You dodge her hands, though, excusing yourself with a shitty excuse and a hurried walk to the bathroom.

There's no tissues. Of course there's no tissues, you haven't had a moment to live in this apartment since you'd set foot in it. Work was always getting in the way, like it had for your entire life.

You're not angry at Aaron for leaving you. You weren't a good fit for each other, not with your careers taking off as they were. In all honesty, you might have broken up with him yourself if it had gone on any longer. But you're jealous in a way, that he found someone who had the time for him while you didn't. And that's not his fault, you shouldn't be resentful that he found love just because you didn't. Your feelings for him comes from loneliness, not anger. But they read the same, and you're sure your new teammates think you're silently raging at your new unit chief.

After a quick wash of your face in the sink and a makeshift toilet paper tissue, you step back out into the living room, three pairs of eyes trained immediately on you.

"I appreciate that you're taking my side here," You hum, a knot in your throat the size of a fist, "But it's a closed matter. We haven't spoken in years, and I feel like we still haven't. He's different now, he's not the man I dated, and I would like it if you would be able to forget that this happened."

Emily is the first to speak up, "Okay. Okay, honey, we understand. But- but please don't ignore your feelings if they're starting to resurface. At the very least, you deserve closure."

"And hey," JJ smiles, trying to look eager but looking mostly sad, "If you wanna give things another shot, he's single and you work with him. At least all the time you spend working now is with him, too."

"Yeah," You let out a light chuckle, still bogged down by the ghost of the tears you'd wiped away in the bathroom. Penelope can't take it anymore, and rushes in for a squeeze.

"Oh, sweetheart," She gushes, "It'll work out! I bet you're gonna have this crazy-sweet second chance romance kind of thing, and we'll all be at your wedding!"

"Slow down," You laugh, thankful that you have her shoulder to snuggle into, "We haven't even acknowledged that we used to date yet. Let's wait until the proposal to start talking about the wedding."

A good-natured laugh is shared throughout your small apartment, and the photo album is set back in its box for safekeeping. They give you the courtesy of unpacking it yourself, just in case any stray memories come to haunt you. You're grateful for it, and it's easy to slip back into your wine-fueled giggle fest while working on your bookshelf instead.

--

Mere miles away, Aaron is sitting on the floor of his bedroom. There's a photo album in his lap, one half of a pair, the other half of which he hopes isn't in a landfill somewhere. His eyes are trained on a photo you'd taken on winter break from your sophomore year of school, skis strapped to your feet and poles in your hands as Aaron hugged you from behind. You'd done the Titanic pose on the side of the ski hill, your arms outstretched and Aaron's face twisted over your shoulder to gaze endearingly at you. It's a blurry photo, because your friends had taken it from the bottom of the slope, but the memories of it are crisp in his head.

He hears the patter of little feet down the hallway, and doesn't have the energy to close the book before Jack sees it.

"Daddy?" His son's little voice asks, "Who's that?"

"Do you recognize," He hums, flipping to a clearer picture of the two of you, and pointing to himself, "Him?"

Jack's face scrunches, nose wrinkled and eyes squinted, "Is that you, daddy?"

"It is me," Aaron chuckles, "I looked younger, huh?"

"Yeah," Jack nods emphatically, poking at his dad's cheeks, 'Now you have wrinkles."

Aaron scoffs, "Thanks, bud. What'cha need?"

"I'm just bored," Jack huffs, looking back at the picture displayed in the book, "That's not Mommy. Why are you kissing her?"

"I met her before I met your mommy," Aaron hums, ghosting his pointer finger over the page, "But we broke up. Then your mommy and I got married."

"Why did you break up?" Jack cocks his head to the side, "You didn't love her as much as Mommy?"

"I loved her," Aaron muses, "But we both had really busy jobs. And we never saw each other, so it made us sad. So we broke up so that we wouldn't be so sad anymore."

"Oh." Jack frowns, "Okay. I'm sorry you were sad."

"It's okay, buddy," Aaron slings an arm around Jack's side, kissing his chubby cheek, "I'm not sad anymore. Well- sort of. Do you know why I'm looking at these pictures?"

Jack shakes his head, "Mm-mm. Why?"

"She joined my team," Aaron informs his son, watching the gears in his brain turn. "So I'm a little bit sad now, because seeing her makes me remember how sad I was when we broke up."

"But," Jack drags out the vowel, "If she's on your team now, then you see her all the time! And you were sad because you didn't get to see her, but now you can be happy again!"

"That's- uh, kind of." Aaron shuts the book, turning to face Jack fully, "I think I might be a little bit sad forever about us breaking up."

"Forever," Jack frowns, relying heavily on the fact that he's been told he'll never be sad forever, "Why?"

"Because we can't fix it." Aaron sighs, "We can't go back in time and stay together."

"But you can date her now," Jack prods, and wow, Aaron needs to give him more credit, "Why do you have to be sad forever?"

"You'd be okay with me dating someone else?" Aaron asks carefully, "Someone who isn't your Mommy?"

"It it makes you happy again," Jack nods, "I don't want you to be sad forever, Daddy."

Aaron's struck with tears that he tries to tamp down. His nose runs, and he sniffles shakily, "Thank you, bud. You're sweet, you know that?"

"Mm-hm," Jack nods, "Penny tells me."

"Yes she does," Aaron laughs, a watery sound as he pulls Jack in for a hug, "Every time she makes you cookies, she tells you you're sweeter. You should know by now."

"So," Jack gets right to the point, "Are you gonna date her again, Daddy?"

"I don't know," Aaron hums, "Maybe. I have to ask her, first. And I don't think I should ask her right away."

"You should share your lunch with her," Jack instructs, "I gave Ellie one of my oreos at lunch, and now she's my girlfriend."

Aaron's brows raise, "Wow. Do you like having a girlfriend?"

"Yeah." Jack nods simply, "She's nice to me. We take turns pushing each other on the swings."

"Well, maybe we'll both have girlfriends soon," Aaron grins at his son, "Do you think we should go out on a double date? Like, we both take our girlfriends out to eat together?"

"Yeah!" Jack shouts, enthused by the idea, "We should go to get ice cream, though. Ellie really likes chocolate."

"Okay," Aaron chuckles, letting Jack wander off to pick through his toy box, renewed hope in his chest at the thought of sitting side-by-side with you in an ice cream parlor, "Sounds like a plan, bud!"

[pensbridge]

S3 First Reactions 🪞🐝🦋🪶

❤️ Already fangirled about the whole engagement night - the hugs, Hyacinth!!!

Colin not being able to stay away for that long after their engagement announcement and immediately excusing himself at Anthony's suggestion is exactly what I'd expect of him. ×

❤️ Colin calling out Portia. "out of love." 😢

❤️ "OUR BRIDGERTON NAME" is so important, because it's reiterating that Penelope's getting to choose her family when the one she was born into is so awful

He was so nervous when she didn't respond to their new home.

"Because I love you...Pen." 😢

"Are you sure?" PEN, no 😭😭😭

❤️ That mirror moment (i love how he said "the way your eyes shine when you look at me..." callback to her complimenting his eyes) "...And other things..."

bxtch they stuck with the thread of Colin not opening his eyes to stay in the dream and Pen checking to see if it's real when they kiss

The eye acting of Nicola and Luke! (they are being doe eyes x the intensity of his gaze or w/e it is)

The gulp <3 Nicola

"You are so beautiful."

❤️ The first time!!!

"I hope my husband.." - Fran, AND John -"I would not dream of it" 😯 asdfjgkglyl

Kate & El (got their s2 vibes)

Ahh, the "Do I look a mess?" "You are my mess" was delivered so perfectly.

cute, cute, cute riding through town in carriage (no personal space)

The hand kiss in front of portia!

Colin handing Eloise the spoon 🤣

❤️ the charades game - the cutest thing (they're holding hands)

Also, fuckin Anthony being tooo competitive 😆

Peneloise rights! The back 'n forth in the game 😬

The panic attack was high-octane; the concern in the scene was cute xxx

❤️ Fran looking at John & Violet hating this story lol.....and then, me noticing her realization to another child in love

❤️ The look & collar tug in the church (polin is so dorky & domestic already)

❤️ Soooooo....the spontaneous dance in the church is better than I thought it was gonna be...their goofy footwork, spinning in a multitude of circles "dancing with MY FUTURE WIFE in THE CHURCH WHERE WE WILL BE MARRIED" bye

Part 1, the ton jokes and bullies them and Part 2, we just see people that can't help but get happy and giddy when they see their young love. Violet and Lady Danbury awwing at polin and embracing them in the park!!!

❤️ "I am going to look at the very fine wainscoting" -John, please! 😅

"Not every attachment must be dramatic and hard-fought." - Francesca 😢 bby, you're right

I legit went from this man has the crazy eyes ppl talk about to *tired eyes Wide-Open*... Bi Benedict?! ..I'm getting Bi Benedict?! (I was like: Why?Is?He?Staring?at?him?Like?That? (i knew i sensed the vibes! The Best Surprise!!!)

"This dance does not compare to a private waltz in the church where we'll be married." She's SO cute! "Well perhaps we shall have to add some flourish." Stop. km now (that's so him! he is so dumb; they're married already and dumb as they should be! ×)

Props again with the deaf representation & the sass when Miss Cressida enters the ball

"A scandal writer for a daughter. Can you imagine?" - Portia (i'm sorry i love this whole sequence)

Polin gets more perfectly dork w/stepping on feet being included during their dance at The Mondrich Ball (that's very them)

Thank god for Bridgerton giving us hour long episodes in this 2nd part.

❤️ Eloise admitting she's wrong (and so casually) 😢 ps i think they both have faults but i just love this

❤️ "The column began because I felt powerless in my own home." - Pen (well, i'm glad she said it!)

ok, now Pen admits her faults. all is right again

❤️ Irish accent again

"You are Lady Whistledown." This reveal was everything

omg, was this the scene where he wasn't supposed to cry, but did?! What would I have done without this reaction in such an important moment?! 😢

I love how Penelope highlighted the voiceless as she said she should with Eloise in her new edition of Whistledown

Violet to Agatha - "..but I hope you know that my care for you is not contingent on your aid." 😢 (she sees her)

This whole fight outside the modiste's. 😭

"I have been careful. You have been foolish.."

❤️ "I LOVE YOU" and he was shocked (an 'ily for you' moment) [i was not expecting the follow up to his line to go like that]

❤️ They deserve a hot passionate makeout before they are married where they get completely caught up after fighting.

"What am I chopped liver?" yes Anthony in this situation you are.

❤️ Violet calling in Kanthony for Colin marital advice

❤️ Yellow

The look at each other down the aisle.

❤️ Vows. Weddings on this show are usually so unhappy, but I appreciate that Colin is still so reassuring & clearly beaming about this when there is residual upset/confusion.

❤️ Eloise cryyinng

Ben's line to El- "..The friendship you have with Penelope... As the one you have with Colin." xxx (she doesn't wanna lose them)

"OUR child will always be a Bridgerton, but I should like them to know that they are a Sharma as well." fxck 🥲

"I should like to dance with my husband.."

The disappearing people in the wedding dance. like they're the only 2 ppl in the room! (Bridgerton either has it out for me [to cry] or loves me so much)

ANTHONY 👁👁 Marcus & Violet

Colin's hand caressing on Pen's face at the end of the dance they're really coming for me (bro did he almost kiss her?!??? i freaked out; had to rewind)

The queen excusing all non-Bridgertons + "Penelope, you are a Bridgerton now."

I kind of love that "Everyone except the Bridgertons are to scatter," but Lady Danbury's just there

GOD (I knew it as soon as it was coming) Eloise hugs Pen <3 🥲

ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod bi Ben

❤️ The hair grab!

This printer's assistant is on my shit list

SCOTLAND!!! JOHNCESCA

"It is not up to you what we do." 🤭❤️🤣 Colin mad but still ready to defend his wife (as it should be)

"I know my father was a good man and you are a good friend." Violet-Agatha feels

🙀He kept the letters!

💛John's words to Mama Bridgerton (her children's traits)

She said she was a fumbling mess in front of Edmund like 5 minutes before she is fumbling in front of Marcus

"Then how am I meant to help you?" ❤️ "By loving me."

❤️ Pen's love confession

"....to be a young lady to whom no one listens." - Pen!~Eloise shared look

Philippa + her "bugs"

😲 Lady Danbury x Pen (she knew! ❤️)

❤️ Colin's love confession (them crying together x)

El traveling with Johncesca

Mi-MICHAELA Stirling ... Bridgerton I swear if you are queerbaiting

OH MY GOD! Mama Bridgerton's words -FRANCESCA is fumbling her words.

❤️ Colin focussing on the hands in bed

Pen on top!

"Your father is always trying to distract with a clever word &..." "You think my smile is beguiling?" x "I could not have written without the help of Auntie Penelope." They are so obsessed with each other

Philomena?! did i hear that rt? omg Philippa

Yay we got confirmation of Colin's book! (I can only hope they're sitting in bed reading next season).

[dollypopup]

This fandom gets more bent out of shape and upset about that entrapment line than Penelope herself does

one day peeps who get soooo mad at Colin for very easily understandable statements will finally just admit that they don't like him instead of twisting into pretzels to justify why they're so angry at him. y'all don't like him, but Penelope does. she loves him and tries to understand him, she was upset that she hurt him and she extended empathy to him in light of such, which is why her only response to it is 'I didn't mean to trap you, Colin, I love you', and YOUR response is to write fic after fic foaming at the mouth blowing a singular statement out of proportion and using a meangirl Fanon Penelope as a mouthpiece for your own bitterness

Penelope Bridgerton loves Colin. And knows she's hurt him and wants to heal that hurt. She wouldn't vibe with a fanbase who demonizes him the way we have

[em-prentiss]

Hello. Big fan of your writing. I was wondering if you could write Hotchniss from someone else’s perspective maybe the team watching them being cute and soft together and them seeing their new side?👀🤭

Heyy, thank you!! I really love this idea, so I hope you like my execution of it <3

you can see it with the lights out (you are in love)

----

“I think,” Penelope whispers, her smile evident in her voice, “this is the best thing to ever come out of the BAU.” Her eyes snag on the way Aaron buckles Emily’s seatbelt before he shuts her door. She’d been disbelieving at first, unable to imagine the two of them together. But now, looking at them, the gentleness of their love, she can’t imagine things being any different.

The car pulls away and JJ smiles at the sight of Emily’s head resting against the window. She’s already fast asleep.

“I think you’re right.”

Aaron and Emily, through different lenses.

Word count: 5.2k

Mild cw for some minor injuries, nothing graphic but a little blood mentioned

----

It starts slowly. 

At first absolutely nothing changes, Aaron and Emily going about their work as Hotch and Prentiss—last names, the occasional (and still prevalent) disputes—as if the team hadn’t caught them making out in a storage closet.

It takes a few months for them to evolve further than the generously filled cup of coffee with a gentle hand to the shoulder and the secret holding of their fingertips beneath the table, a habit of theirs they still haven’t broken.

Their armor starts crumbling on a rowdy night out. One Aaron does not want to go to. 

“Let’s just go home, Em.” It’s as close as he’s ever come to pleading in the nine months they’ve been together. It’s been a strangely quiet day and all he wants to do is go home and spend time with her and Jack, make them dinner and fall asleep on the couch to Cars with his head in Emily’s lap and her hand in his hair.

“And do what? Eat dinner and go to bed at 10 like old people?” Emily wrinkles her nose in distaste. “It’s our weekend, Aaron. The first one without a case in god knows how long.” 

She’s restless, her body humming with unspent energy, and today is exactly the kind of day where a night out at a bar actually sounds good. She perches on the edge of his desk, lets her knee touch his. “Please?” She smiles, her eyes bright and her smile brighter still.

Aaron wilts. He has yet to find a way to say no to her when she flashes those brown eyes, dark and beautiful and like a knife straight through his heart. 

He sighs. Emily’s smile widens; she knows she’s got him. 

“It’ll be fun,” she assures, the open blinds of his office only barely holding her back from kissing his downturned lips. 

“You’ll get to touch me,” she reminds him, reaching her hand out to soothe the furrow between his brows instead. “And dance with me.” Her thumb softens the creased skin, runs over it until it’s flat. Aaron feels his lips tip upward in a smile.

“And you’ll finally get to scare off any guy that tries to hit on me,” Emily grins, recalling the last time they went out with the team. She could see the tight line of Aaron’s jaw all the way from the bar, his forceful gaze searing onto her skin as he gripped his drink so hard she thought the glass would shatter in his hand.

“Okay,” he concedes.

Emily beams at him. She leans forward, her nimble fingers undoing his tie with ease. Aaron’s eyebrows shoot up. “Undressing me in the office already?” He asks mildly. “At least close the blinds.”

“Hush,” Emily laughs as she slips the tie from his neck. Tossing it carelessly on his lap, she pops his collar and undoes the first two buttons of his shirt, feeling her whole body heat under his gaze as he watches her closely. “I’m making you bar-ready.” She murmurs. 

“I see.” Aaron hums. Emily looks up at him and smiles as she meets his eyes. She brings a hand up and runs it through his hair, thoroughly messing it up. 

“Hey!” He laughs and grips her wrist lightly. “You said bar-ready, not…delinquent.” He protests.

Emily laughs and swats his hand away. It falls to her thigh as she continues messing up his hair, shaking up the leftover gel in it until it’s soft and wilting over his forehead.

“That’s better,” she murmurs, proud of her handiwork. Now he somewhat resembles the Aaron she sees at home, soft and relaxed. Only one thing left. “Take off your jacket.”

Aaron sighs and obliges. “Any other orders, Ma’am?” He looks up at her as he places his jacket on the desk, his softened gaze betraying his annoyed act.

Emily smiles coyly and takes his right hand into her lap. “Roll up your sleeves,” she says as she starts doing the task herself, popping open the button on his cuff and rolling his sleeve up to his elbow.

Through the open window, JJ, Morgan, and Reid watch with rapt attention as Emily perches on their boss’ desk and casually attacks his meticulous appearance, her fingers mussing his hair and undoing his buttons.

“Interesting,” JJ murmurs when Hotch simply shakes his head at her, his laugh visible even from the bullpen in the way his large shoulders shake. He does nothing to stop her, leaning back in his chair when she takes his hand into her lap, her head bent as she fusses with his sleeve.

“Weird is more like it,” Morgan mutters. He’s never seen Emily smile so wide at Hotch before, never seen him smile like that at all.

“He’s letting her sit on his desk,” Reid comments, mildly intrigued at their lack of interest in the open blinds.

“That, pretty boy, is one of the many advantages that come with dating the boss,” Morgan says, his voice dripping faux wisdom. 

“You seem like you know all about that,” Reid retorts snarkily. 

Morgan exclaims in surprise and JJ huffs out a laugh, “Behave, both of you,” she looks behind her to find Hotch and Emily walk out of his office. “Or else Mom and Dad will ground you both.” She winks at them, promptly shutting them up.

________

He’s tense against her, his eyes fixed on the table their friends are at. Reid ducks his head to avoid Aaron’s gaze but Rossi meets him head on, making him grimace. 

Emily turns to glare at them, her icy expression forcing Rossi to turn away. 

“Ignore them.” She loops her arms around Aaron’s neck and tilts his head down. He meets her warm eyes, feels the ruckus around them slow down to a buzz as she threads her fingers into his hair and smiles reassuringly at him. She presses closer to him and he relaxes, his shoulders slumping as she presses a lingering kiss to his jaw.

Until he hears the loud squealing and whooping of Penelope and Morgan back at their table. Aaron instinctively turns to them, his eyes leaving Emily’s. She feels him tense against her again and holds back a growl.

Emily tugs his head back to her, a little too forcefully. “Eyes on me, Aaron.”

His eyes immediately snap back to hers. Emily smiles at the darkened look in them, her words accidentally snapping into a command. He turns his back to the team and focuses solely on her. “Yes Ma’am,” he murmurs, his lips curving into a smile before he bends down and presses them against hers.

Emily grins into the kiss. She links their fingers together and tugs him deeper into the dance floor until they’re crammed between throngs of people, away from the eyes of the team. 

She starts moving against him and he’s gone, so far gone, any inhibitions disappearing as Emily moves to the beat of the music in his arms. Aaron finds himself smiling as he matches her rhythm. He suddenly realizes that they’ve never danced together before, at least not like this, with pounding music in his ears instead of her soft sighs and bitten back moans.

He voices the thought out loud to her as his hands tightly grasp her hips and pull her closer. “We’ve never done this before,” he breathes in her ear, feeling her link her fingers together behind his neck.

“Fun, isn’t it?” She smiles brightly, her eyes glittering, and he can’t help but agree. 

“Yeah,” Aaron murmurs, leaning down to kiss her. He slips a hand into her fluffed out hair, his other digging into her waist and feeling the smooth skin peeking out from the hem of her shirt.

Across the bar, two blonde women are clutching each others arms. 

“Oh my god.” Penelope squeals, just barely holding in the urge to jump up and down in glee. “Look at them, Jayje. Hotch is smiling!”

“I see them, Pen,” JJ laughs, but she can’t help but feel her friend’s reaction is just a little bit understandable—just a tiny bit.

Aaron and Emily are deep into the dance floor, lost in their own universe as they dance together, laughing and smiling, their bodies moving against each others with practiced ease. It feels almost private to see, the way Aaron smiles at Emily, how she digs her hands into his hair so casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Her shirt rises up her stomach, her jeans low enough on her hips that she sees something on her skin. Multiple somethings. Four circular marks, dark against her pale skin and peeking out from the hem of her jeans. JJ frowns, wondering if she got hurt, but she’s moving around carelessly, the bruises obviously not bothering her. She’s about to look away when Hotch’s hands trail lower, his fingers pressing directly on the bruises. They disappear beneath his fingertips, the perfect size, and—oh.

JJ flushes.

They watch as Emily turns around in his arms. She leans into him, cards her fingers through his unusually messy hair and pulls him down for a kiss. His palm slips up her shirt and JJ turns away, swallowing down her surprise.

Penelope grins next to her, officially losing her mind. “Oh my freaking god,” she slurs, throwing back her drink and gripping the glass tightly, “boss-man has moves?” She exclaims in disbelief, her eyes widening. “No wonder Em is all over him.”

JJ doesn’t like to intrude, but her eyes are drawn to them. Hotch seems so carefree, so relaxed, his body limp as if Emily had taken the weight of the world off his shoulders. She sees his face break out in another smile, a dimple dug deep in the cheek she can see—she’d bet money there’s another equally deep one carved into his other cheek—as he says something to Emily. She laughs back, her cheeks flushed, and Hotch brightens, his whole face glowing.

JJ smiles, her heart warming at the sight of them. At first she’d doubted Emily could fall for someone so serious and stoic, but she glows under his gaze, his touch. She doesn’t know how this happened, but she does know one thing; they’re in deep.

“Did you know he has a dimple?” She turns to Penelope, her eyes sparkling.

Emily turns her head slightly and laughs at the sight of JJ and Penelope gawking at them. She’s sure if she was in other situation, any less drunk, she’d have been annoyed. But right now she can’t really bring herself to care.

“They’re losing their shit,” she whispers to Aaron, her lips nipping at the warm skin of his jaw. He hums as she continues her lazy kisses and slips her hand into the back pocket of his jeans.

“Let them.” He looks down at her, breaking her contact from his skin. Aaron tenderly tucks her dark hair behind her ear, his knuckles lingering on her cheek. He shifts so his back is to their friends and leans down to kiss her, softly, gently, starkly different from the heated kisses they’ve been sharing all night.

“I’m glad we decided to come,” he squeezes her waist. 

Emily’s eyes light up. “Really?”

Aaron smiles. “Really.”

****

Penelope startles when she catches sight of her boss standing in the doorway. It’s still weird to see him like this, as simply Aaron and not Hotch. He’s dressed in casual jeans and a t-shirt, his lips turning up in a soft smile as he looks at Emily. Her friend is sprawled next to her on the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest and laughing at JJ’s story, cheeks softly flushed pink from the multiple drinks she’d had. She doesn’t notice him yet, her attention on JJ sitting cross legged on the floor.

“Sir Hotch!” Penelope may or may not yell, and Emily’s gaze slides from JJ to Aaron. Her face transforms as she beams at him, her smile spreading impossibly wider as he awkwardly scratches his hair. 

“You don’t have to call me sir outside of work, Garcia.” He insists yet again as he crosses the living room, his eyes already locked on Emily’s.

“Feels weird not to,” she says cheerfully, yelping at JJ’s pinch to her socked foot. What? She mouths at her friend. JJ mimes zipping her lips shut, her eyes wide and curious.

Her comment goes unanswered as Aaron crouches down in front of Emily. “Hi, Em.” He says softly.

Emily smiles lazily. “Hi,” she slurs. She drops the pillow and lurches forward to wrap her arms around his neck. His arms band around her back as she almost slips off the couch and halfway into his lap, her movements unsteady and clumsy. Her knees knock into his chest but he doesn’t seem to mind. She whispers something to him, her dark hair nestled beneath his chin, and he smiles.

Penelope feels something in her melt at the still unusual sight of his dimples, his smile so soft her heart aches. 

The room is too quiet to mask his reply. “I missed you too,” his voice is quiet, low as Emily leans back and gives him a sloppy kiss on the corner of his mouth. 

Aaron flushes. His eyes dart to Penelope and JJ, who hurriedly look away as Emily mumbles, “Let’s go home,” into his skin, her inhibitions lowered as she slips her fingers into his hair and nuzzles her face away from her friends, into his neck.

Penelope bites her thumb between her teeth, trying to hide a smile as Aaron clears his throat and awkwardly stands up, juggling Emily in his arms as he unsteadily gets to his feet. She feels a grin spreading wide on her face despite her best efforts, a look at JJ telling her she’s struggling, too. They hadn’t seen more of Aaron and Emily since their initial night out, case after case steering them clear of bars and dinners.

At least the alcohol is a good excuse for their unabashed interest.

Hotch—Aaron’s—cheeks are dusted pink as Emily stumbles into him, her arms wrapping around his waist. She lays her head on his shoulder and turns back to her friends. 

“Sorry guys, I hav’ta go,” she tells them, her eyes almost comically wide. “My pretty boyfriend gets lonely when I go out for too long,” she whispers loudly, breaking out into giggles as Aaron bites back a sigh.

“Right, Aaron?” Emily turns to him, her lip bitten between her teeth. Her hand slips off his hip and slides into his front pocket, the movement thoughtless, instinctual. 

Through her drunken haze, Penelope watches Aaron’s cheeks flush bright red, as if he’d been drinking along with them. Another giddy thrill goes through her at this new side of him, another chip of his armor removed and thrown to their feet. The reason for it is still moving impossibly closer to him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.

He swallows but doesn’t refuse her touch as she leans into him. “Sure, Emily,” he mutters, clearing his throat and turning to JJ. “Can we have a bottle of water for the ride?” Aaron asks, firmly wrapping his arm around Emily’s waist as she sways against him.

“Uh huh,” JJ nods and pushes herself to her feet, unsteady as she heads to the kitchen. Penelope scrambles up to follow her, socks slipping on the hardwood floors.

“Oh, Jayje, aren’t they the cutest?” She whispers as JJ opens the fridge and takes out a water bottle. “Hotch is blushing,” she sighs dreamily. “I didn’t know he could do that.” Her eyes drift to the living room wall separating them from Aaron and Emily, briefly wishing it were transparent as Emily’s voice faintly drifts toward them.

JJ giggles, “He’s like a tomato,” she agrees, promptly taking out another bottle and pressing it to Penelope’s flushed cheek. Her friend yelps as JJ takes out another bottle for herself along with Emily’s. “Now we know he’s kinda human.” She wiggles her brows.

Penelope gasps loudly. “That’s mean,” she slaps JJ’s arm. “Hotch has always been fully human with me,” she insists firmly, even as her words slur together. 

“Em is just helping him show it more. Isn’t that cute?” She sighs as they walk back to the living room again. She stumbles and JJ loops their arms together, though she’s hardly any more steady.

“’s cute,” she mumbles, resting her head against Penelope’s as they walk into the living room again. 

Emily’s face is firmly tucked into Aaron’s neck, her hands in his back pockets and his arms around her back. He abruptly stops whatever he was saying, his soft voice tailing off into a hesitant smile as he takes the bottle from JJ.

“Thank you, JJ,” he says. His cheeks are decidedly less pink than they were before, but he still doesn’t hold their gazes for long.

“Sure,” she hums in reply. 

Emily untangles herself from Aaron’s arms and gives her friends a joint hug, JJ’s arm still looped through Penelope’s. 

“Night, mes amours.” She gives them quick kisses and bounces back as suddenly as she came, her arms barely wrapping around them before she goes back to Aaron’s side. 

“Next time at my place, yeah?” Emily grabs his hand and pulls it around her shoulders as JJ and Penelope hum in affirmation.

“Good night.” Aaron tells them over his shoulder as Emily pushes him toward the door.

“Night,” the women grin back. JJ smiles at the way he submits to Emily’s will, lets her push him around even with his arm steady around her waist. Who would’ve thought, she sighs as they disappear from view, her heart unbearably warm at the sudden, unexpected happiness her friends had found. 

“Pen’s bangs are nice.” Emily’s voice floats to them from the foyer, wistful and slurry, a couple octaves louder than it usually is. “I should get some too. D’you think I’d look pretty with bangs?”

The door creaks open. Aaron’s voice is low as they walk out into the night. “You’d look pretty in anything.” He says, affection seeping through the words. “Just not tonight, hon.”

The door slams shut behind them and the two blondes wilt against each other, sighs and giggles escaping their parted lips as they see Aaron guide Emily into his car, his hands gentle on her even through the living room window.

“I think,” Penelope whispers, her smile evident in her voice, “this is the best thing to ever come out of the BAU.” Her eyes snag on the way Aaron buckles Emily’s seatbelt before he shuts her door. She’d been disbelieving at first, unable to imagine the two of them together. But now, looking at them, the gentleness of their love, she can’t imagine things being any different.

The car pulls away and JJ smiles at the sight of Emily’s head resting against the window. She’s already fast asleep.

“I think you’re right.”

****

Dave can count on his fingers the amount of times Aaron Hotchner ever lost his shit. Even when he was a quiet, overly confident agent fresh out of the academy, he barely lost his cool, always staying frustratingly in control. 

That is, of course, until Emily walks into the conference room leaning heavily on an officer, blood slowly leaking from a gash in her forehead and her left eye quickly turning sickening shades of purple. 

“Emily.” Aaron jumps up from his seat at the table. She lets go of the officer supporting her and sways on her feet, but Aaron is in front of her in an instant. 

“Woah,” she says quietly as she grips his forearms, her knuckles white and her face bloodless. Dave feels a pang in his heart as she stumbles headfirst into Aaron, her legs shaky and weak.

“What the hell happened?” Morgan demands as Aaron helps Emily into a chair, his brows tightly drawn and his jaw clenched. His hands are soft, though, his voice softer still as he quietly whispers sit down, honey, frowning when Emily slumps into the chair with a low groan.

Dave turns away from them and looks at the officer that accompanied Emily, his brows raising as he waits for an explanation. They were only supposed to interview the victim’s boyfriend. 

The officer pales when Aaron turns to him as well. 

“We saw him outside his apartment, he was already looking like he was ready to bolt. We just introduced ourselves then he kinda…slammed her into a lamppost.” He ends lamely, swallowing as Aaron’s gaze turns vaguely murderous.

Dave doesn’t blame him.

A weak scoff breaks the tense silence. “He wasn’ too happy we wen’ to visit him,” Emily mumbles. She raises her hand to block the lights, her face twisting in a grimace as she leans back into the chair.

Aaron grips the back of her seat, standing guard over her even though the damage is already done. His tone is low when he speaks, buzzing with barely controlled anger. “JJ,” he grits out, “put an APB for that asshole’s car and tell the detective we need to be on the lookout for him. Morgan, call Garcia and have her track his phone. Reid, get me a first aid kit. Now.” He barks, and they all snap into action.

“Than’ god, I really didn’ wanna go to the hospital,” Emily slurs as everyone clears out of the room. She squints at Aaron as he crouches down in front of her. “Y’re all blurry, though.”

Dave reaches for one of the cold water bottles on the table and holds it to Emily’s forehead. “Hold that there, bella,” he says quietly as Aaron works on unlocking his tight jaw. 

Emily holds the bottle without complaint. “Than’s Rossi. Tha’ bastard got me good,” she winces.

“If it’s too bad, we will go to the hospital, Emily.” Aaron says firmly. His eyes don’t leave her as he blows out a breath and gently tilts her face under the lights to see the extent of the damage. Dave can almost hear his teeth grind together as he examines her eye, nearly swollen shut.

“No, ’ron, I don’ need it.” She mumbles. Aaron ignores her as he carefully runs his finger around her eye, prodding along her cheek. He presses on the bruised skin of her nose and she flinches. 

“Ah, fuck, why’d ya do that?” Emily hisses.

He blanches and pulls away as if he’d been burnt, “Sorry, sorry,” he rushes out, dropping his hands from her face. “Just wanted to check if anything’s broken.”

“Is it?” She scowls, holding the bottle with her other hand. 

Aaron shakes his head and steadies the bottle himself. Emily lets go and closes her eyes, her throat bobbing as she swallows. She curls her fingers in the fabric of her pants, her knuckles turning white from her grip.

The sudden silence makes Dave hyper aware of his own presence. 

“Anything you need me to do?” he asks, suddenly feeling like he’s intruding on something unbearably vulnerable; Aaron crouched in front of Emily, her knees pressed against his chest as he holds the bottle to the split skin on her forehead.

“Have Garcia dig into his life,” Aaron says tightly. “We need to work him into the profile, re-interview the parents and their friends and see what their relationship was like.”

Emily opens her eyes and flinches back a little, her knuckles sharpening under her skin. “The lights hurt,” she mumbles. 

Aaron’s pained look doesn’t surprise Dave so much as Emily’s admission, quiet and slurred, clearly meant only for one person. Reid finally comes back with the medical kit and Aaron sets down the bottle, popping the kit open and grabbing a pair of alcohol wipes.

“I know, honey, just close your eyes.” He whispers, gently swiping the wipe over her skin. It grows red in seconds, and he quickly discards it to tear open another one. “You definitely have a concussion.”

“Doesn’t look like it needs stitches,” Reid murmurs, leaning forward to examine the gash as Dave leaves in search of the detective. He explains the turn of events and is halfway through re-arranging the interviews when his phone buzzes with a message from Aaron.

Taking Emily back to the hotel. I’ll coordinate with you once she’s settled.

We’ll handle it, Dave sends back, unsurprised by the message. These past few months Aaron has slowly been loosening his tight grip on work, instead shifting his focus to prioritize his son and a certain brunette whenever they needed him.

He sees them walking out of the precinct, Emily leaning heavily against Aaron with her arm around his neck, trying her best not to sway. Aaron’s grip is tight around her back, his steps small as he matches her pace.

Dave is half surprised he doesn’t carry her outright.

****

Spencer stands next to the sliding door leading to the backyard, trying to leech warmth from the living room. He stuffs his cold hands into his pockets and wonders who encouraged Dave to plan a barbecue in the midst of winter. 

“Here,” JJ walks over and hands him a mug of coffee. 

“Oh, perfect, thanks,” he sighs as he wraps his freezing fingers around the mug, tipping it back and feeling the hot coffee scorch his throat as it goes down. JJ hums in response and takes it from him to steal a sip, the cold seeping into her skin despite the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

“This really was a terrible idea, wasn’t it?” She laughs as she looks around at the backyard, Emily hissing and spitting as she rubs her arms, Penelope huddling next to the grill and effectively Morgan, her gloved hands wrapped around his bicep. 

Dave seems to be the only one enjoying himself, watching over Morgan and Aaron like a hawk, making sure they don’t burn the steaks as he leisurely sips his scotch.

“Yeah,” Spencer agrees, shivering as a gust of wind cuts through his clothes. 

JJ smiles. “Here,” she opens up the blanket so he can join her. He doesn’t hesitate, eagerly wrapping it around himself and huddling into her for warmth.

“Thanks.” He hums as the cold starts to leave his body. She hands the mug back and Spencer tries not to fuss too much over the idea of her lips touching the same area of the rim as his. He lets it warm his hands instead, his eyes catching on Aaron and Emily next to the grill.

She’s frowning, rubbing her arms as her mouth moves quickly—no doubt in complaint, Spencer thinks with some amusement; he always appreciated Emily’s bluntness. The tip of her nose is red, the sleeves of her sweater stretched over her knuckles as she rubs her palms together, her lips turned down in annoyance.

Aaron smiles at her and passes the tongs in his hands to Dave, who mildly protests as he takes them. Aaron ignores him as he steps away from the grill and in front of Emily. 

JJ’s arm presses into Spencer’s as she reaches for his coffee mug again. He hands it to her absentmindedly, his eyes on Aaron as he opens up the sides of his jacket.

“That’s weird,” he murmurs as Emily’s frown disappears. “Why’s he—oh.”

She walks into Aaron’s arms and promptly stuffs herself inside his jacket. 

He hears her laugh as Aaron tucks the sides of his jacket closed around her body, fitting her snugly against him and pressing his lips to her hair as she snuggles closer. Emily’s scowl is nowhere to be seen as she looks up at him, her lips twisting in a smile as she says something, too far away for Spencer to hear.

He feels his heart grow warm suddenly, as if he were the one tucked into someone’s jacket. Spencer smiles a little, his mind clocking the difference between this Aaron and Emily and the ones he’d known a year ago. They used to be tense and stiff, hesitant to show outward affection as if someone would scold them for it. But they’re both fully relaxed now, soft dimples in each of their cheeks as they ignore everyone else, brown eyes locked on brown.

“Wish I had that,” Spencer mumbles to himself, acutely feeling the cold sink into his bones. 

JJ turns to him in surprise, an excited sparkle in her eyes. “A relationship, you mean?” Her brows raise into her hairline.

She looks far too excited at that prospect. Spencer shudders, “God, no. The warmth,” he clarifies, looking down at JJ and giving her a wry smile. “They look awfully comfortable, don’t you think?”

JJ laughs as she looks back at Aaron and Emily, the two of them huddled close together. Her head is tucked under his chin and his lips are pressed to her hair, his hands holding the sides of the jacket closed over her back. There’s not an inch of space between them.

“They do,” she agrees.

However, not everyone enjoys the domesticity.

“Hey lovebirds!” Morgan calls out, pretending to twist his mouth into an irritated frown. “How about you make yourselves useful?” 

Penelope slaps his arm and he bites back a grin.

Emily rolls her eyes and puts her lips to Aaron’s ear, mouthing something that looks an awful lot like flip him off.

Spencer is proven right when Aaron hesitates, his hands tightening on her back. “That’s childish,” he hears him say. 

Emily heaves a huge sigh and turns her head back to meet Morgan’s gaze. “Fuck off, Morgan,” she grumbles and huddles close to Aaron, fitting her head under his chin. “You wish you were as warm as me right now.” 

“Like I want to be that close to your boyfriend,” he scoffs, setting down his tongs. “Besides, I got my own babygi—”

“He’s my fiancé, I’ll have you know.” She retorts, the way her eyes widen telling Spencer the words slipped past her lips without much thought.

It’s quiet for a few stunned seconds before Aaron breaks the silence. 

“Emily.” He laughs, the sound breaking them all from their reverie. “It hasn’t been two days,” he shakes his head, but he’s smiling at her, amused and utterly infatuated.

“Sorry,” she grins up at him, not looking sorry in the least as Penelope grabs her shoulders and pulls her out of his jacket. 

Emily yelps and stumbles backward, but the blanket flaps against Spencer’s side and suddenly JJ’s there to steady her, hands tight on her shoulders.

They squabble around her and Spencer smiles as she takes out the chain tucked beneath her sweater, the one he’d seen the outline of earlier today and asked her about. Spencer tunes out the squeals as her ring glints in the weak winter sun and raises his brows in mock surprise as he approaches Aaron along with the other guys.

“Congratulations, Hotch,” he grins, his words drowned out by Morgan’s enthusiasm and Dave’s I knew it.

And when Aaron smiles, the curve of his dimple is no longer unusual, but familiar.

[foundfam2754]

S17e5 live reactions!

Spoilers…obviously

- yeah Elias don’t murder anyone if you wanna be an informant

- lol he has a whole receiving parade

- oh my fucking god Elias is messing w our papa pasta :(

- oh I just realised it has been ages since he’s actually spoken to him not in his mind - you got this bud ❤️

- car sex is just not it man

- OH DEBBY RYAN LOOKALIKE AND DAMIAN I see

- the girl reminds me of cat adams - revenge murder and maybe the most brutal bc of so much hurt in the past - in fact this whole thing gives me dirty dozen vibes

- “you’ve been taking to to yourself” “I’ve been talking to myself for years” idk why that made me laugh hard

- AM I ONLY THE ONE WHO SEES THE SPENCER REID PLAQUE COMING UP A LOT??? Pls let mgg come back oh my god

- hehe garvez is standing together 🥰

- protective luke 🥹

- “no!” “Everyone’s a comedian” HAHAHA

-“hands-off asshole” yeah give me more protective lukey pleaseeeee; also gives vibes of ��don’t touch my girls stuff asshole’ which I LOVE

- “what’s up with you two…cause there’s a vibe” OH MY FUCKING GOD PENELOPE EVEN SICARIUS SEES IT. OPEN YOUR EYES AND LET HIM LOVE YOU

- couples who bully sicarius about his hygiene together stay together 🥺 🤝

- I kinda love how they’re filming this - they’re profiling together in the bull pen and workshopping - Elias has a weird chemistry w them

- lol pen with the handkerchief

- DONT TOUCH HER

- this is too easy; I’m so suspicious: I feel like he’s gonna do the same with Bailey - say something code-wordy to hint to him

- also why does it feel like Elias is being too helpful? like I think maybe he’s so invested bc 1) he gets to mess with Dave by being part of his team 2) Damian is a loose end and has some evidence to tie him to sicarius offficially

- I TOLD U HE WAS GONNA CODE WORD IT. I KNEW THE TIPPY TAP MEANT SOMETHING

- I love smart strategic confident Em and she and Dave plotting to fuck Elias over together

- is he finally gonna shower??

- “dave” like they’re besties

- LOVE THIS SHOT

- EW THEY HAD VOIT SAY OUR PRECIOUS PHRASE - but okay no that was so impactful

- oh my god he’s fucking with them so hard oh my god

- JJ SAID FUCK!!

- OH MY GODDDDDDD they’re talking about jealous Luke they’re talking about Penelope and Tyler they’re SAYING IT OUTRIGHT I CANT TALK I CANT TYPE I AM SCREAMING I LITERALLY GOT OFF MY COUCH AND JUMPED ACROSS MY APT

- ew tynelope is so gross greencia is so much better

- Luke you didn’t say nooo?! we all know it drives you crazy agent alvez

- so chaotic Elias is so funny man; kudos to Zach Gilford

- PAPA PASTA PROTECTING HIS FAMILY. You mess with Pen, Rossi brings the heat

- isn’t “locking you in a shipping container” a confession?? why are they not more interested in that?

- oh my god Brian’s gaslighting her - falling into the conspiracy thing again - everyone’s vulnerable and only hearing what they want too

- haha lukey doing yoga

- oh my god how do they do anything without Penelope

- hey kiddos - voit is leaving?? Pls pay attention to him

- is Rossi gonna let him run??

- oh my god they’re profiling each other

- OH MY GOD DAMIAN. I KNEW ELIAS WAS GONNA CODE WORD IT.

- “Teresa is in trouble”!??

- TYLER I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU KEEP MORE SECRETS

- oh my god the sicarius smile

- aw tebecca!

- EM :(( be vulnerable babe we’re here for you

OH MY GOD THIS EP WAS SO GOOD

[beelmons]

pretty pretty pretty please could we please have something aaron x reader x spencer, you write them so well!! I am obsessed with them, I always love when the team finds out that they are all together like the confusion ahhh, btw the last post you made was amazinggggg, thank you for your writing!!!

For future reference, I've written more Hotch x Reid x Reader here and a second one as a collab with @ihavemanyhusbands here

Ahhhhh thank you so much!!! They are really my favorite combo to write and I'm so happy you enjoy them so much <33333

1 + 1 = 3

Pairing: Hotch x Spencer x Fem!BAU!Reader (throuple) CW: mentions of cheating (that isn't cheating), slightly nsfw (mentions of nsfw words)

"We can't tell him. It's going to kill him." Morgan said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"He's our friend, Derek." Penelope pressed.

"But so is Hotch." JJ pointed out "Listen, guys, we don't know what might be going on. Maybe it's a misunderstanding."

"Really? So she was just checking his temperature with her tongue and accidentally got bent over the desk?" Garcia snarked back at her friend.

"Guys, here he comes." Tara cleared her throat to break the gossiping circle that had formed.

At some point, their trained eyes had figured out that you and Spencer were seeing each other. No one knew how serious it was, only that the both of you seemed to beam whenever you crossed paths or eyesights, and that you were clearly trying to keep it a secret.

Interestingly enough, something similar seemed to be happening with Hotch. Leaving on time, taking more days off, and shutting his phone after 8pm. The man seemed renewed, and they could only suspect of a woman being the reason behind it.

"Spencer." Penelope didn't waste any time before approaching the man that had just entered the bullpen and dropped his bag onto the chair of his corresponding desk.

Regardless of their reluctance to confront him, Morgan, Tara, and JJ followed after her, surrounding their friend without a possible escape route.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Reid asked, observing the odd positions and body languages of his partners.

"There's something we think you should know." Garcia took the lead, however, she stopped herself when it came to voicing out the actual deed, simply looking at Morgan to ask him to take the initiative.

He sighed in displeasure, but complied. "We think your girlfriend is cheating on you."

"My girl-" he stopped himself, but the expressions on the rest of group's faces were clear enough that there was no use in lying, they knew, and they also knew it was you "Why would you think that?" he tried to change the question, not denying nor confirming.

"I stayed late yesterday, and I couldn't help but notice that they were here too." JJ said.

"Everyone stays late from time to time." he tried to persuade them away from the topic.

"Kid, they were locked in his office." Morgan added.

"Third party interruptions can really mess up the work flow." Reid tried once again.

"Oh, come on, Spencer! Wake up! You know perfectly fine they were doing activities that are specifically forbbiden according to the section three, subsection one, of the FBI Ethics and Integrity Program Policy Directive and Policy Guide!"

"What's going on?" Hotch's voice from behind startled the group.

You had walked in together, since he had been kind enough to drive you to the office since your car had been getting some repairs.

A mixture of concerned and pissed-off eyes seemed to land on both of you, and you could see Aaron's eyes narrow trying to figure out why it was. To your surprise, though, Spencer was also glaring in your direction, with an anger that you had not seen much before.

"You said the office was out of limits." Spencer snarked, his arms crossing over his chest.

"That's the part you're concerned about?" Tara asked with clear disbelief in her eyes.

"Alright, clean with it, what are the three of you involved in?" Morgan asked with stern.

"I don't think this is a conversation we should have out here." you tried to disrupt the questioning.

"Sir!" Penelope almost yelled "I am sorry I was the one who started all of this ruckus, however something I've come to notice is that, whenever we have secrets, they tend to bite us in the arse, so please, please, I think if you're sleeping with Reid's girlfriend we have the right to know." her speech was a little to fast for everyone to follow, and so they seemed to be frozen in place.

You basically hid behind Aaron, your hand unconsciously reaching for his. Hotch, on his part, brought his free one upwards to rub at his forehead annoyedly.

"I am." he admitted.

"Hotch!" Morgan yelled disapprovingly.

"It's not what it looks like, guys." Spencer barged in, his initial anger now dissipated by the way he saw the two of you get roasted.

Reid dropped his arms to his side in defeat "Biologically speaking, we're not necessarily wired to be monogamous."

"Oh, God." Tara expressed.

"Please don't tell me this is a Game Of Thrones situation" Penelope said, eyes and mouth wide open in surprise.

"No!" the three of you yelled in unison, and you finally decided to face the group. "I started dating Spencer months ago, then Hotch and I were having like a fling or something, one thing led to another, and after having a thorough discussion we decided to have a realtionship." you explained "The three of us."

There was a silence that took over the room as the rest of the team processed the news. You pursed your lips and Aaron cleared his throat, trying to prompt someone else to start talking before the air got too tense to breathe.

"Are you happy in this arragement?" Tara was the one to take the lead.

"For my part, I am" Aaron clarified.

Spencer made a thoughtful face, as if he had to ponder how to answer. "Yeah." he nodded when eyes landed on him "I am."

Finally, the curious stare took their turn on you, and you couldn't help but shrug. "Two wonderful men, and most importantly, three incomes? I'm ecstatic. " you joked.

Your little jester attitude broke the tension that had grown into the room, and you could see how their bodies relaxed as they slowly accepted your explanation.

"We can give you some specifics if you're still curious, but this is not the time or place for that. We'll have you over for dinner some time. For now, let's get to work." Hotch commanded as he lot go of your hand.

You smiled in his direction and Spencer made a face at you that there was a pending discussion, and your little escapade without him wouldn't go unpunished. However, you scattered along with the rest of the team, except for Penelope who remained wide-eyed by Reid's desk.

"You okay?" Morgan asked, landing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah." she began to said "I just didn't think the day would come where Hotch was more progressive than me."

[storiesbyrhi]

Witch!Reader x Bat/Vampire!Eddie Munson Series Masterlist The Grimoire The Timeline

Warnings: canon typical violence, horror genre typical violence/some infrequent gore, swearing, animal death, no beta, warnings updated each chapter.

Synopsis: No witch has stepped foot in Hawkins since 1845, but when Vecna opens the ground and poisons the town, a voice begins to call to you. Have you been brought back to this cursed place to heal the townspeople’s wounds, to save a hexed bat that always finds its way to you, or to redefine your history with a reunion 150 years in the making?

Chapter Summary: We are our memories. 3294 words.

1836

Everything felt surreal and agonisingly heavy. It wasn’t just you. Eddie was all sharp edges, his lips parted enough that his teeth were distinct. Fern held your hand in a grip so tight you were both losing sensation. And for their part, Penelope and Gillian felt sick too.

It was Sally that most resembled a loose canon though. While the rest of you stood in place, she paced the same track around the hut that Eddie had earlier.

In the moments before the witches’ verdict was delivered, you still had hope. Then-

“This comes with warning, Amabel. What you have done is beyond comprehension and reason. You are escaping due punishment. This is mercy at best. Nepotism at worst,” Penelope said, shooting a look at your mother. “The creature will be taken now and you will not see it again,”

“Wait. No. Slow down. What do you mean taken? Where are you taking him?” The panic in your voice put everyone on edge, closer and closer to falling into chaos.

“Please,” your mother begged, walking to you and taking your hands in hers. “Let him go,”

“No. Where is he going?! What are- What will- You can’t. You can’t hurt him. You can’t practice witchfire and spells on him. He’s not like the others!” You stepped away from your coven and backed into Eddie.

Eddie had already tried to leave but the binding spell was still in effect. He’d moved with his invisible speed and none of you were the wiser. So, the look on his face was one of resignation.

“Please,” Sally repeated.

“No. No. Please. Please don’t do this.” You had started to sob, small at first but it was rapidly tumbling towards hysterics. You wrapped your arms around Eddie’s waist and held onto him like it was the only position that would allow your lungs to draw breath. “We can- We can go. I’ll go. I’ll renounce all magic. I’ll give up immortality. I’ll go. We’ll go. Please. He won’t- He won’t hurt anyone-”

As stoic as Gillian had always been, even she was shocked to silence by the depth of your love and terror. Sally had taken Fern in her arms and held her as they both cried.

Penelope tried to calm you. “Sister-”

“I am not your sister,” you hissed.

Eddie had never had someone fight for him. Not in his human life, a memory so old he could hardly bring it to mind, and certainly not in his undead life. He kept his grip on you while he whispered your name.

“No,” you yelled, looking up at him. “I know what you are going to say and I will not listen to it,”

“My little witch-”

“I said no!”

Eddie let you go only briefly; his hands cupped your face in milliseconds. “I would suffer this end in payment of our time together again and again,”

“Stop,” you whimpered, face a mess of tears and snot.

“And if it means you find a way to end us all and free yourself from an eternity of war, then that is as noble thing I could do.”

You frowned so hard it looked like you were going to turn on him too, then you took a deep breath in and faced the witches. “I have lived each of my lives in service of this violent cause.” Although it shook, there was a resolute fierceness in your voice. “I have given everything. If you do this- If you take him, I will come undone. I will leave and I will find the dark witches. I will read their grimoires. I will practice the darkness. And I will return and I will take him from you, as you dare to take him from me now.”

If secret rendezvous with a vampire warranted excommunication or even death, threatening the coven with black magic could bring a curse that imprisoned your soul in eternal hellfire until the end of time itself. It was not just heresy against the coven, but rebellion against the natural laws of magic and earth.

It meant something that you would even think it, let alone speak it into existence. It meant you were indeed young, despite your many lifetimes, and so full of righteousness that you were a dangerous thing. It also meant that you believed with every molecule and shimmer of magic in you that Eddie was redeemable, that he did not belong in a demon’s cage.

“This is your choice, Penelope,” you aimed squarely at the one calling the shots.

“I will not let that happen. You know that,”

“Yes. So, by your hand he is taken and I die on this night, or you let us go and free yourself of this burden.” Taking Eddie’s hand, you stood tall and sure of yourself, indignation coursing through your veins.

While Gillian was still in her state of shock, Penelope’s choice to talk to you was not lost on your mother. Sally knew the conversation was hesitation. It meant there was some small sliver of the witch that felt they had not made the right decision. Sally pounced on the opportunity.

“There’s another way!”

All eyes were on her. She squeezed Fern tighter in her arms, needing the warmth of another to keep her grounded. Her sister used to be that, but Gillian had lost her soft edges somewhere along the way. Sally didn’t want that for you too.

“Transformation,” Sally said, nodding to herself. “A transformation curse.”

The coven rarely completed transformations. Whenever one seemed appropriate, there were almost always better options. If they went wrong, they could be cruel. More cruel, even, than a witch’s punishment. They also wasted resources. In 1836, the things needed to practice the craft were hard to come by.

Yet, Gillian nor Penelope could think of a justification for not cursing Eddie to another form. He would become harmless, and if it got you to calm down, then the next stage of their plan would be made all the more easy.

You did not want Eddie to be hexed into beast. However, you were impressed at yourself for seeing a way forward the others had not. Let them curse him. Let things return to normal. After biding your time, you would quite simply go to him and unhex him. Although you didn’t know a lot about undoing magic, you would learn.

Before anyone had a chance to argue Sally’s suggestion, you looked at Eddie and nodded. He frowned, concerned that your desperation was blinding you to a bigger picture forming. Regardless, he nodded back.

“I accept the transformation curse,” Eddie announced to the room, eyes still on you.

“As do I. I will not fight it,” you added.

And so the magic began.

“I’ll wait for you,” Fern murmured as she hugged you tightly. She was sent back to the village, feeling both the relief of lack of punishment and an uneasiness at the same thing.

You did not want to play a role in the transformation but knew the more you learned of the curse, the easier it would be to undo it later in time. After sitting Eddie by the fire and pressing a kiss to his temple, you shadowed Penelope and Gillian as they gathered tools.

Sally was as useful as a ghost. She floated from place to place, never offering more than whispered words and sad looks. You watched as she approached the fireplace, studying Eddie’s face. Her brows came together as if she was reading a complex piece of text. She was trying to see what you saw, you figured.

“We will make for the stream,” Penelope declared, letting down the binding so you and Eddie could follow the line of witches out into the very late hour of the night.

“Will this hurt?” Eddie asked you as you stomped through grass and forest.

“We cannot know. It will not compared to the alternative,” you answered solemnly. Anger at him for not leaving the flatlands still lingered in you.

“I never meant for this, little witch. I should have left you alone after that first night,”

“Why didn’t you? Why did you seek me out?”

“You know why. The same reason you went out into the darkness over and over again until I was there,” he replied, not unkindly.

“You were watching me?”

“You knew that too.”

From the very start, the intensity you had for each other was matched in absolute. Eddie never would have left you alone after that first night and you never would have stopped wandering the flatlands by moonlight in search of him. Everything happened as it was always going to.

You couldn’t say out loud your plan, but Eddie wasn’t worried about it. In fact, it almost seemed like a good thing. It would be easier to be some sort of animal with no emotions and no sentience, than to be tortured to death or to live a life without you. He absolutely knew your coven wasn’t going to let you out of this entirely unscathed, but he saw in your mother’s eyes that she would protect you even after this transgression of the most magnificent proportions.

It was a cool night, winter certainly more than a promise but a certainty, but Eddie wasn’t going to let a little thing like a transformation curse ruin it. He had you by his side, and after all, that was his singular care and focus.

A potion of black-eyed Susan, tansy, elecampane, yellow carnation, cyclamen, and Penelope’s blood was burned up using witchfire. When all that remained was ash, you were told it was time.

“Blood of my blood,” you recited to Eddie, pressed together in an embrace you refused to think of as the last. In that moment, you needed to taste blood more than Eddie ever had in his vampire life. He kissed you and bit down, mixing saliva and gore in a scene that should have made the other witches sick.

It should have. But it didn’t.

Eddie took his shirt off and stood in front of Penelope. She held so much power over him but didn’t feel powerful. He was the only thing that could kill her but she didn’t feel afraid.

The list of dissonances was growing but none of them listened to it.

Penelope wiped her fingers through the potion, then reached a hand out to Eddie. In ash, she drew the coven’s sigil for transformation. Gillian repeated the motion, drawing the sigil on his back, then your mother drew on his left palm. Finally, it was your turn. In gentle movements, you marked his forehead.

After a beat of silence, Eddie grinned. “Is the choice of beast up for discussion?”

Despite herself, Gillian laughed.

“The spell decides,” Penelope told him.

“Of course,” he replied, a respectful nod to her. Blood. It flashed behind his eyes for only a second. An image of the witches torn down, torn apart. Their blood seeping into the stream’s muddy embankment. Would you scream? Would you fall out of love in a moment too quick for even him to see? Or would it free you from the moral prison witchcraft placed you in, leaving you to run away with him and create a new type of life?

“It’s time.”

Eddie turned from the world and waded out into the nearly still stream. He lowered himself in and floated on his back. He closed his eyes and listened.

Like the marking of the sigil, you each took your turn. Penelope began,

“A creature of blood bound by the night,

Has uncloaked itself to witch’s sight.”

Gillian next.

“Now we call upon an Ancient power,

To take this body,

And form it new.”

Your mother.

“To bind him in time,

No memory, nor day to rue.”

When it was your turn, Eddie smiled at your voice. It was the last thing he heard. 

“By the grace of Proteus and the craft of witch,

Through creation and change, we ask for a body switch.”

Eddie was pulled beneath the surface of the water. It still almost immediately, supernaturally. You let out a squeak of fear, pulling in a shallow breath and holding.

Holding.

Holding.

The bat screeched his way out of the water and straight up into the sky. He flew so high you lost sight of him for a moment before he swooped down and disappeared into the forest. Then he was gone.

Sally turned to you but before she could utter a word, you bolted.

“Let her go,” Gillian said, reaching out to stop her sister from following. “She’ll go to Fern. She’ll be safe.”

Penelope took the first steps. “We will see to their memories tomorrow,” she promised, leaving the sisters by the stream to hold each other in hope that the justice they dealt was truly that.

Fern was waiting for you. The room had been dark when she returned home, but by the time you arrived, sobbing so hard your nose was bleeding, the first light of morning cast everything in a romantic pink. She held you for hours until you both fell asleep.

…

It was Sisyphean work. Eddie’s body was laid out on a bed of flowers and you cut a deep and long Y-shape into his chest, cracking open his ribs, and pulling out the gore. Frantically, you hunted for the evil. Squeezing organs into pulp. Shoving fingers through heart valves and thick veins. Get it out. Get it out of him. If you could just find that jewel-like thing, that shiny piece of evil that once removed, would make Eddie Good again… you could save him. But as quickly as you could unspool his large intestines, his bones snapped back together. His skin stitches itself up. Your hands were clean.

Again. You cut a deep and long Y-shape into Eddie’s chest, cracking his ribs open. Find it, find it.

And again. And again, until you woke up wet from tears and sweat. You choked out Fern’s name, but she wasn’t in the bed with you. She wasn’t at the stove brewing morning tea, nor reading the Divine Comedy, her favourite book.

Stumbling out into the day, you first found Hannah hanging washed clothing to dry. “Hannah, have you seen Fern this morning?”

“Aye. She took fresh milk to Penelope out the ways,”

“Is that not Nora’s duty?”

Hannah nodded. “Aye, but Nora is needed elsewhere,”

“Elsewhere? Says who?”

“Your aunt.”

It didn’t feel right. You tried to keep calm, weaving through the village at the most normal pace you could keep. As you rounded a corner, you slammed into a body.

“Mother,”

“Amabel, I’ve been-”

“Where’s Fern?”

For her part, she feigned confusion well. You grabbed her by the wrist and studied her expression with intensity. The smallest of cracks, as thin as a cat’s whisker. You bolted from Sally, through the village, and out to Penelope’s hut.

As you burst through the door, the women inside all flinched. They were silent, all sitting by the fireplace drinking from porcelain cups. Gillian and Penelope didn’t seem surprised to see you. Fern, however, did. Her face lit up in delight, a smile like a Christmas miracle.

“Ammy! Where have you been? Join us for tea!”

You frowned at the levity in her tone. “Where have I been?”

Fern nodded.

“I… I woke and you weren’t there.”

Her confusion, unlike Sally’s, was real.

It dawned on you and before you could back out the hut, your mother appeared behind you, closing the door, and binding you back to that dreadful place.

“Fern, you may head back to the village now. Thank you for the milk,” Penelope said, her stern eyes on you in a warning. “See that Nora is attending to her new duties.”

You stepped out of the way and watched Fern leave. Rubbing your eyes and blinking away tears, you turned to the witches. “You took her memory.” It wasn’t a question, nor statement. An accusation.

“It is better this way. She’ll find it easier to fight them, less she thinks they’re redeemable,” Gillian told you.

“By this new benediction we live? That everything we do is to make us better soldiers? More capable of violence?” you spat.

“We are at war-”

“And if we weren’t? You’d have me believe that in another time this could be different?”

“In another time, you were different,” Gillian said. “You have changed, child. I do not recognise my niece, my coven sister,”

“Yes. Yes, I am different. I have loved and been loved. My assumptions and my philosophy have been challenged. And is that not good? Is that not what witches want? To learn and grow with the world around us? To admit when we are mistaken? To set right those wrongs? Or would you have me as I was?”

“Were you not happy before?” asked your mother.

You turned to her and softened your expression. “I was, like a fish in a bowl. All I have done, I have done in love and in honesty and in honour of the craft. But how am I expected to remain the same when I know him?”

“You are not,” Penelope said, her words short. “There is little use in this discourse, like there is little doubt that you believe you have found a part of your soul in him. It would be cruel to expect you to grow in reverse, to be who you used to be,”

“Taking my memories is not an act of mercy,” you growled.

“Mercy is whatever our will is, or need you be reminded that death is the alternative?”

There was no way out of the fate the witches had assigned you. Still, you would not go easy. “We are our memories. To shape them with magic is to ruin me. And that will be with you every time you look at me. As a sister. A niece… A daughter.” The last word was a weapon you wielded at your mother with precision. Sally’s eyes dropped, and she couldn’t look at you any longer.

They didn’t need to say it – you were a price they were willing to pay for the coven. Their own conscience was a price they were willing to pay.

“Let this be on your own terms,” Penelope said too softly; you didn’t want her kindness.

A potion was poured from a teapot into a porcelain cup. Penelope held it out to you. Tears began to roll down your face, ushering in sad cries.

“I don’t want to forget him.” You hadn’t meant to say it, and if you had, you would not have wanted it to come out sounding so childish. The misery was overwhelming. “Please… Mother… Mommy… I don’t want to forget him. I can- I can be transformed too. Make me a bat. Let me go. Let me be…” But the sentence died on your tongue.

Penelope took your hands and made you hold the cup. You looked down into the liquid as it shimmered unnaturally.

“I’d chose death… over this…” you whispered to them all and to no one. “I’d chose death,”

“I cannot let you choose,” Sally told you, placing her hands over yours. She moved for you, lifting the cup to your lips. “Let us take this pain from you.”

Your mother tipped the potion between your lips. As you swallowed, your eyes closed, losing consciousness. The spell was done quickly and efficiently and when you woke, you were simply sitting by the fire in Penelope’s hut, helping her to go through borrowed Grimoires. There was nothing left of Eddie in your mind, only a vague sense of déjà vu to shake free from and a burning need to kill a colony of vampires.

End Note: WELL NOW YOU KNOW! I hope you have SO many feelings and thoughts. PLEASE share them with me. I have been waiting to give you this chapter for so fucking long.

Shoutout to my girl @courtingchaos for helping with this chapter.

We haven't had new entries in The Grimoire for a few chapters, so it feels nice to add to it! Please check it out!

While I have you, please go read Sea Foam // Sharp Teeth by my IRL BFF @kookygranger.

Lots of love, Rhi.

Fic Taglist:  @paranoidmunson  @idkidknemore @paprikaquinn @stardustworlds @loz-brooke @wyverntatty @vintagehellfire @dark-academia-slut @scarletwitchwhore @becks1002 @mrsdollardog @heyndrix @luceneraium @rosaline-black @devilinthepalemoonlite @goldencherriess @iamwhisperingstars @wiltedwonderland @blueywrites @breezybeesposts @jadehowlettthewolf @spikesvamp79 @foreveranexpatsposts @tortoiseshellspells @wingedpeachjudgegiant @stardustmunson @live-love-be-unique @fangirling-4-ever @reanimated-alice @b-irock @gh0stlybunnie @myown-worstenemy-2003 @woozzz @cyberxlust @hiscrimsonangel @buckysbarne @m00nlight101 @word-wytch @spicysix @briasnow-blog @goth-cowgirl-03

All Eddie Taglist: @solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes  @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob  @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl @eddies-hid3out @siren-lungs @aheadfullofsteverogers @hiscrimsonangel