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donteattheappleshook · 4 years

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It Was Only a Kiss 1 /3

Summary:

Neverland may kill her. If it’s not her fear for Henry, then it will her exhaustion, or her doubt, or the overwhelming despair that she’ll never get out of here alive, that she’ll fail her son, that she’ll fail everyone. There’s only one thing she’s found that can silence it all, that can make her feel real again. She shouldn’t be seeking comfort in Hook. She shouldn’t, but she does. It was only a kiss. That was all it was supposed to be. But now that she’s started, she doesn’t think she can stop. Not now that she knows what it’s like.

Rated E.

Also available on Ao3

My first entry for the @neverlandnewyear

Disclaimer: @elizabeethan and I are very aware that we are basically writing the same story. This is how the event started. A big thank you to Elizabeth for betaing this fic and to @xhookswenchx as well for letting me brainstorm out loud with you guys.

***

Part One: Neverland

It had all started with a kiss. That was all it was supposed to be. Just a kiss; a one time thing. She’d been feeling good, she’d been relieved, he’d saved her father’s life for god’s sake. What she hadn’t expected was that kissing him would make her feel better- would make her feel like, for a second, things would stay better. For a whole thirty seconds, she’d forgotten that she was trapped in fucking Neverland, that her son was missing, that her parents were breathing down her neck, constantly giving her these sad desperate eyes, begging for mother daughter bonding time or ready to offer up speeches about hope.

No, for thirty goddamn seconds- for the first time in months- she’d just been Emma Swan and he’d just been Captain Hook and nothing else had mattered. It had been addictive, that feeling, that relief, the rushing of her blood and the turning in her stomach being brought on by excitement and desire rather than fear and anxiety. So she’d shut it down. “Don’t follow me,” she’d ordered, afraid of what might happen if he did, of what she’d do. She couldn’t start flirting and making out with Hook, or doing anything else with him for that matter. Not while her son was out there, not if she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop.

To his credit, he respects her wishes. He waits a whole twenty minutes before returning to camp, arms full of firewood. She doesn’t miss the nod her father gives him and it raises a strange sort of satisfaction in her. She doesn’t know exactly what went on between them on their little adventure but this is the first time David hasn’t glared daggers at him since they met. When Hook’s eyes meet hers though, she swears the whole damn camp must feel the tension between them.

Her body stiffens, that twisting in her gut coming back in a mix of the good and the bad now, but he doesn’t say anything. He only smiles at her a little sadly before dumping the wood into the fire pit so Regina can light it. Then he takes a seat across the camp, as far from her as he can manage and pulls out his flask. She only realises she’s staring when she catches herself watching his throat as he swallows. Stop.

“We should turn in,” she says, noting how dark it is suddenly. Hadn’t it been midday less than an hour ago? Does time even exist on this island where it seems to both stand still and move too fast?

“Aye,” Hook says, nodding and returning his flask to his pocket. “I’ll take the first watch.” She almost expects her parents or even Regina to protest, but to her surprise no one does.

As they set about unrolling the bed mats, she can’t help but glance over at him. Something is… off. She’s not sure what it is, but he’s quiet. Way too quiet. Normally she can’t get him to stop talking- one innuendo or flirtatious comment after another- but now, nothing.

When she glances over again, he’s watching her, eyes boring into her like he’s trying to burn a hole through her and still, there’s that sadness, that regret. That’s what it looks like: regret. Does he regret kissing her? After all his quips about fancying her and the little playful smirks, has he changed his mind?

She focuses back on what she’s doing. Who cares if he regrets it? She should regret it. It was a stupid idea. Her son is here. Everyday he gets further and further away from her. She knows how easy it is to start believing you’ve been abandoned. How easy it is to slide into the role of an orphan, to build walls. The thought of Henry feeling any of what she spent her whole childhood feeling - it kills her and that unpleasant twisting in her gut is back, the one that makes her want to vomit. She doesn’t know how to get rid of it, how to stop it.

Well, she does know one way. But she can’t do that. Not again. She tells herself that over and over again. She can’t. She tells herself that as she lays down on her mat. She tells herself as she listens to Regina complain about sleeping in the forest. She tells herself as she hears her parents whispering sickeningly sweet nothings to each other. She tells herself again as she hears everyone’s breathing even out and the jungle goes quiet- she can’t. But they’re all asleep. Well, everyone except her. Everyone except her and Hook.

She hears him sigh, a deep, heavy thing, and she turns over to face him. She can’t see him well in the dark but she can make out that his head has fallen into his hand, and can picture him running it through his hair in frustration. Even from here, she can sense how tense he is.

His hand scrubs over his face and he lets out another one of those sighs, this one angrier, and stands suddenly to cross the small space quickly, pacing back and forth. He reaches a tree then and she jumps as he strikes it.

She must have made a sound because his head snaps towards her, clearly on high alert, and it makes her feel a little better having him keeping watch. His shoulders relax when he realises it was her and not some lost boy trying to find his way into the camp.

She meets his eyes in the dark. Even in the blackness of the night, she can feel his stare heavy on hers and her heart hammers against her ribcage. She shuts her eyes tight, determined to just stop thinking about everything- about him, about Henry, about Pan,- and just sleep, but sleep doesn’t come. Instead, she finds more fears, more worries, more doubts, and soon she’s sitting up, scrubbing a hand over her own face.

The tell tale sound of his flask being opened makes her turn to look at him as he drinks deeply from it before leaning against the tree he’d struck earlier. His head falls back against it as another sigh leaves him. There’s a long silence, the jungle is heavy and quiet as the dead, not even a rustling of wind or a chirping cricket, and it sends a shiver down her spine.

He doesn’t say anything, but after a moment, he raises his arm while holding the flask out in her direction. She only hesitates for a moment- she shouldn’t do this. She shouldn’t have a midnight drink with Hook. She shouldn’t want to ask him what’s wrong. Shouldn’t want him to ask her what’s wrong.

She shouldn’t, but she does anyway.

Emma takes the flask from him and swallows a mouthful, wondering for a moment how it could still be full. Knowing him, it’s probably enchanted. The rum feels good as it burns down her throat, settling hot in her stomach. She takes another drink.

She hands it back to him finally and he takes it, his fingers closing over hers around the bottle, and she looks up at him with a sharp inhale. Neither of them move even though every fiber in her body is telling her to step closer. Or to run away. She nearly does, nearly uses their shared grip to pull him closer, nearly turns and heads back to her mat to fein sleep.

But then he drops his hand, taking the bottle with him, and she regains her senses. This is Hook, she reminds herself. He’s one of the bad guys, or he was. She’s not even sure anymore. But he still hasn’t said anything, and it’s starting to worry her. Here they are, almost alone in the dark, drinking together, and he hasn’t so much as raised an eyebrow at her. Surely he can’t regret kissing her that much.

“What’s wrong?” she asks finally, the words falling out of her mouth of their own free will.

“Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you,” she pushes.

He shrugs, taking another drink. “You don’t have to.”

“Hook.”

“Swan,” he repeats and she rolls her eyes. That makes him smile a little at least. “Why are you up?” he asks, turning the question on her.

“Can’t sleep,” she says simply, taking the flask from him again. It’s definitely enchanted.

“Why not?” he pushes and when she doesn’t answer, he grins at her a little. Fine. They can keep their secrets. “Funny thing about Neverland,” he says then, and she looks at him wearily. “The ones who’ve always known love sleep soundly. It’s the ones who’ve been left behind who can’t find rest. That’s why you hear the Lost Boys at night.” She straightens her shoulders, her jaw clenching. Open book, he’d said. He nods, like she’s confirmed something. “So you do hear them.”

“How’s your hand?” she snaps, changing the subject. He doesn’t seem so restful himself.

“Which one?” he asks and she’s relieved to hear the teasing slipping back into his tone. Instead of answering, she takes another drink. He flexes his fingers a few times, turning his hand over to look at his knuckles.

“I’ve had worse,” he tells her, gesturing vaguely with his hook and she nearly chokes on the rum. He smirks and takes the bottle back when she hands it over. “You should sleep, Swan. Get some rest.”

“Yeah, well,” is all she can say. She’d love to sleep, but as long as Henry’s out there… Another silence hangs between them. “He’ll be alright,” Killian says then, and her heart swells into her throat, her voice coming out cracked and weak when she speaks. She wonders if Henry’s sleeping tonight, or if he already feels like a lost boy.

“How do you know?”

“If he’s anything like his father,” he starts and then looks at the ground for a moment before meeting her gaze again. “If he’s anything like you, then I’ve no doubt he can outwit Pan long enough for us to find him. He’s brave, Swan. You taught him well. I know a survivor when I see one.”

And that’s it. She breaks. A sob bursts from her chest, her hand snapping up to cover her mouth as every horrible thought she’s had since they got here- every thought she’s pushed down and refused to face- comes rushing to the surface.

She didn’t teach him. Any bravery, any survival drive he has isn’t because of her. She left him. She abandoned him. She left him to fend for himself in a world that she knew was nothing but cruel. She’s only known him a year. And if this year is all she gets with him, if Pan wins, if he takes Henry from her… She can’t lose him, not when she’s only just found him.

She struggles to muffle her cries, desperate not to wake her parents but unable to stop herself now. She can’t handle another speech about hope, about good always winning. Not when they’re so close to finding Henry but just as close to losing him forever. Good doesn’t always win; life’s proved that to her over and over again. If she’d kept him, if she’d just held him that one time, he wouldn’t be here at all. He’d be safe. He’d be with her. There wouldn’t be any magic or villains or monsters to threaten him. This is her fault. She can’t lose him.

Hook only hesitates a moment before he’s pulling her into his arms, cradling the back of her head in his hand and letting her tears seep into his shirt and his chest, letting her silence her cries against the leather of his coat. Her fingers find the chain on his neck and twist around it for something to hang onto, something to ground her.

He doesn’t say a word and she’s grateful for it. There’s nothing he could say that could make this better. Everything hurts. Her chest burns from strain and fear and she can’t stop thinking, can’t stop crying, though that’s all she wants. She wants it to stop, all of it. She wants to stop hurting. She wishes she’d never come to Storybrooke, wishes she’d never broken the fucking curse, wishes she’d never seen Neal again and let him and Tamara and all this fucking magic and madness into Henry’s life. He’d have been better off without them- without her.

Her sobs slow after what feels like hours, all the energy drained from her body, but the pain won’t go away. She may have run out of tears to shed, but the fear and self-loathing are still wracking her body, making her shake as she holds tighter to Hook’s necklace, her other hand finding the fabric of his shirt and bunching it in her fist.

She can hear him shushing her softly, his lips pressing against her temple as she trembles again. The sharp pain in her chest morphs into an ache that fills both of her lungs, suffocating her, drowning her. It overwhelms her, the grief, as though she’ll never be happy again. She imagines this is what it’s like to have her heart ripped out. She wonders if that would hurt less.

She just wants it all to stop. She can’t take it, feels like she’s going to crumble under the weight of it. She just needs something good. Just one fucking good thing, one good feeling. She turns her face into Hook's neck, seeking the warmth of his skin against her drying cheeks and the comfort of his soothing phrases breathed against her ear. She just wants it to stop. She just wants to feel something else, wants to know she still can feel something else.

She slides her hand from the chain at his chest up to his neck and pulls him down enough so she can press her lips to his. It’s messy and desperate, but he lets her kiss him, lets her fist her fingers in his hair and slide her tongue past his lips, and slowly, the pain is overtaken by this new ache that he stirs in her. It’s not enough, though. His hand is at her hip but she needs it everywhere, she needs him to erase every thought and feeling with his mouth and his hand and his hook. She needs him to make everything go away like he did earlier. She just needs more.

Her lips find his jaw and his neck, trailing heady, open-mouth kisses to his collarbone, and she hears his strangled moan as he catches his lip between his teeth, his breath panting above her.

“Emma,” he whispers, and she knows he thinks they should stop. The others are right there. But like he said, they can sleep soundly. “Emma, wait,” he says, a little desperately as she pushes him back against the tree. But she doesn’t listen. She shuts him up with her mouth on his as her hands reach for the few measly buttons he actually bothered to fasten. Her fingers undo them quickly and move to his belt before he stops her with his hook on her wrist. “Emma, I - I can’t…”

“What?” she demands to know. Why can’t he? She knows he wants to, she can feel the evidence pressing against her stomach through his leathers, and while his hook may have stopped her, his hand has a death grip on her hip. His head falls back against the tree.

“I have to tell you something,” he says, and she can tell from his tone that she won’t like it; that it’ll hurt. She doesn’t want that. She’s had enough of that. She just wants him.

“I don’t want to know.” She shakes her head and tugs him closer, and he lets out a sound that’s close to a whine.

She knew kissing him was dangerous; even as she pulls him back to her and kisses him again, she feels the rush of relief from the exhilaration and she knows she’s already hooked. She craves him and the release she knows he can bring her. “Please,” she says pathetically against his lips.

He doesn’t stop her from kissing him, but he doesn’t move until she reaches for his belt again and he stops her once more. She nearly lets out a cry of frustration, as she snaps her head back to glare at him. He barely gives her a second to be truly angry before his hand grasps the back of her neck and he kisses her like he’s drowning, like she’s the air he needs to breathe.

He turns her, pushing her back against the tree behind her as he tilts her head so he can open her mouth and find her tongue with his own. She moans softly against his lips and reaches desperately for him, clawing at his jacket, sliding her hands into his open shirt, dragging them through the hair at his chest.

He pulls back with a gasp and takes both her hands, pulling them away from him and trapping her arms at her side. She has a mind to protest but his lips find her neck, trailing down her throat to her collarbone and down her chest and the words die on her lips. His teeth and tongue tease at the spot beneath her ear, the hollow of her throat, the valley between her breasts, making her writhe against him.

He finally releases one of her hands so that his own can trace up her side, slide under her shirt and cup her breast in his palm. His thumb drags over the peak through her bra and he swallows her gasp with his mouth. She frees her other hand, giving up on undressing him and tangling both into his hair as he shoves her shirt aside with his hook and drags his tongue over one nipple before taking it into his mouth.

She’s too loud again and his lips quiet her even as his fingers trail down her stomach to the waist of her jeans. He pauses, toying with the button, the scratch of his nails against her skin driving her insane and he looks at her as he pulls away long enough to meet her eyes. She realises what he’s waiting for and nods furiously, dragging his mouth back to hers as he makes quick work of popping the button and yanking down the zipper.

The first touch of his fingers against her center is bliss and fire. She only barely manages to catch her moan, it coming out as a desperate sigh, her forehead falling against his as she grabs his lapels the way she had that afternoon. She expects him to say something, to smirk or laugh or whisper filth in her ear, but instead he just watches her, eyes fixated on her face as his fingers slide inside of her and find a rhythm.

When his thumb finds her clit, she can’t contain the sounds she makes anymore and he captures her mouth with his to keep her quiet, his kisses languid and slow and deep as his hand works her higher. He’s everywhere, his tongue sliding against her own, his fingers curling and circling, his chest pressed to hers. He’s all she can see and think and feel and she lets it overwhelm her, lets all the horrible thoughts of the day and of this place slip away under his touch.

When her mouth leaves his for air- hands fisting tighter in the leather and pulling him even closer as she pants and gasps, already nearly there- his lips find her neck. He presses slow, deliberate kisses against her skin, his tongue playing against every sensitive spot he can find as his fingers and thumb work faster, driving her to that edge she so desperately wants to fall over.

“Yes,” she whispers into the darkness when he finds just the right spot, just the right pace, and he redoubles his efforts. She can feel him watching her, can see the awe and the reverence in his eyes as he watches her come apart on his hand, and it’s too much. She drags his mouth back to hers, rolling her hips and riding his fingers until she comes with a gasp, her head falling back against the tree as for one, small moment, she feels something good again.

When she comes to, he’s pressing soft, gentle kisses to her jaw and below her ear as his fingers slow within her. She doesn’t protest when he takes her lips with his own again, too boneless and blissed out to register the intimacy of his kiss, to be bothered by it. She reaches for the laces of his pants, but he shakes his head, resting his forehead against hers.

There’s a moment when she can tell he wants to say something, his whole body tensing and his brow pulling down like he’s in pain. But instead he kisses her again, harder and more desperate than before. There’s an edge to it, like he worries this will be the last time.

And it should be, she reminds herself. Fuck. She just let Captain Hook finger her against a tree a few dozen feet from where her parents sleep. She nearly let him fuck her against it. What the hell was she thinking? She wants to tell him that this was a mistake, that it was another one time thing,but as his lips leave hers and a sigh leaves him, she knows she can’t promise either of them that.

The moment he steps back, she can feel the bad thoughts starting to creep in again and she nearly grabs him and holds him close just to keep them at bay. It’s never been like this. She’s never craved the comfort of a man’s presence, of his touch before. And it scares the shit out of her.

“You should get some sleep, love,” he tells her and she nods, only half registering what he’s saying. She doesn’t know what to say. Should she thank him? Address what this was or wasn’t? Warn him not to tell anyone? No, he wouldn’t do that. So she says nothing, setting her clothes right and returning to her mat.

She watches him as she tries to sleep, watches the tension return to his shoulders and the heaviness return to his composure. When he looks up at one point, finds her in the dark and catches her studying him, his brow pinches tight and then relaxes, a melancholy and a want settling over his features and it stirs new longing in her gut. Fuck. She should never have kissed him.

***

The next morning, Mary Margaret tells her Neal is alive. She doesn’t believe it. Not until she looks to Hook and sees the guilt and the shame on his face and she knows it’s true. Was that what he wanted to tell her last night? Was that why he wouldn’t let her touch him?

Neal’s alive. The revelation settles like a lead weight in her gut. She can’t. She can’t handle him being alive. After all the pain he’d caused her, his death had finally let her put him behind her, let her move on from everything he’d done… let her begin to see the possibility of being happy again. And now he’s coming crashing back into her life again.

They have to find him. She knows they do; he’s Henry’s father. She owes her son the attempt to rescue him if nothing else. She may never forgive him, but Henry has a right to make up his own mind, so they head off after him. Another detour, another chance at breaking her heart again, another chance to hurt.

She doesn’t know why she tells Mary Margaret. The words just slip out. ‘I kissed him.’ She can’t explain why she did it either, can’t explain to the woman who preaches hope that she feels hopeless, that finding solace in Hook and what he makes her feel is the only thing keeping her alive, keeping her going right now. She’d never understand.

‘I’m sure Neal will understand,’ she says, and it feels like a slap. She thinks she needs Neal to forgive her, after everything he’s done. She doesn’t say much else the rest of the way.

“I kissed Emma.” The confession makes her roll her eyes. They did a hell of a lot more than kiss. How is that his biggest secret? But what he says next, about moving on, about finding love again… until I met you.

Her heart hammers against her chest and she fights to ignore all the feelings his reveal brings to the surface. She’d thought maybe, with Neal dead, she could start to think of moving on, of trying again. But he’s not dead. And Hook just told her he’s falling for her and all of it is too much and she can’t handle it. She needs to focus on Henry. He’s all that matters. Her feelings, what she wants, it doesn’t matter.

When they make their way back to camp, Neal finds her and she feels the need to apologize. Everything she said in the cave was true, but it was harsh. He may have hurt her more than anyone in her life ever had or likely will again, but she can’t help but feel guilty. She blames Mary Margaret.

“I have a secret, too,” he tells her. “I’ll never stop fighting for you.”

Her throat constricts, she can barely talk, barely breathe through it. No! she wants to shout. No, I don’t want that. He hadn’t listened to her at all. She’d told him she wished he was dead, that the idea of him being alive, of being a walking, talking reminder of the worst moments of her life, was too much for her to handle. A part of her may always love him, and she’ll hate that, but she can never forgive him. The thought that he believes they can find their way back to each other, that she can excuse what he did as though it doesn’t matter… she feels small, worthless, all of the bad creeping back in.

He walks away first, going after the others, but she takes a moment in an attempt to compose herself and bottle up all the emotions once again so she can just focus on why she’s here and not on her heart being slowly ripped to shreds.

“Are you coming, Swan?” she hears, and she looks up to see Hook standing a few feet away. His whole body is hesitant, poised to run if she tells him to leave. But she doesn’t say anything. She still can’t find words.

I’ll never stop fighting for you. I’ll never stop fighting for you. It plays over and over in her head and she wants to scream. The thought of him being there, of Neal being around all the time, trying to worm his way back into her life and her heart -

“I’m sorry,” Hook says then and her eyes snap up to his. She frowns. Why is he sorry? “If my confession made things awkward for you and Balefire, I apologize. It wasn’t my intention. I heard you speaking just now and -” she wants to laugh. She almost does laugh.

“I told him I wished he was dead.”

“You what?”

“In the caves. I told him I wished he was dead, that having him in my life hurt too much, that I couldn’t take it. And he took that as an invitation to try to worm his way back in. And Mary Margaret, my mom, wants me to let him. She’s all about forgiveness,” she practically spits. “But if she knew what he did, if she knew…” She’d probably say the same thing, Emma realises with a twist in her stomach.

“What do you want?” Killian asks then, taking a step forward and then another, closing the distance between them. He’s still hesitant, still not turned towards her, but his head ducks down, trying to catch her eye and she does let out a laugh this time. Bitter and hopeless. She doesn’t even know what she wants. She can’t remember the last time someone asked her that. She just wants it all to stop, the barrage of memories, old and fresh wounds opening up again leaving her raw and exposed and vulnerable. She just wants it all to stop.

She shouldn’t. Not after his confession, not when he might think it means more than it does. But she reaches for him, taking his face in both her hands and pulling him to her, slanting her mouth over his, invading his mouth with her tongue, desperate for that release she’s come to associate with him.

He doesn’t miss a beat, both arms wrapping around her waist, tightening and pulling her closer as he groans into her mouth. This, this is what she wants. His lips devour her, tongue delving deep and demanding as his hand traces her side where she isn’t wedged against him. His fingers trail over her breast, her waist, her hip and her thigh, his arm dragging her hips against his own as he rolls them against her, the hard ridge of him pressing against her center through all their clothes and making her gasp.

He bites her lip, soothing it with his tongue before doing the same to her chin and her jaw and her neck and her shoulder, never stopping the steady grind of his cock against the seam of her jeans. She’s lost in the ache and the passion and the pleasure. Fucking hell, how he can make her feel this good with all their clothes on is beyond her, but if he stops, she might kill him.

“Emma?” Mary Margaret’s voice cuts through the quiet and she wants to cry as Hook jumps back from her before her mother can emerge from the dense forest. She looks between the two of them, Hook with his back to her, his hand crossed over and resting on the hilt of his sword as he says something about them having thought they heard lost boys lurking in the jungle. She helps them do a sweep but decides they’re safe and they head back to the camp. She can feel him watching her the whole way back.

***

They almost die. Both of them. Over a fucking lighter.

Okay, she knows it’s not about the lighter, but the fact that they let anything get between them, let anything risk their lives, risk Henry’s life… she’s furious. She hangs on to it, grabs hold of her anger with both hands and doesn’t let go because if she does she knows what will creep in. The fear. The fear that gripped her when she saw Killian at the shadow’s mercy.

She tells herself it was hatred and anger at Pan that made her find her magic. But she knows that’s a lie. It was him. The thought that she would lose him. She couldn’t lose him. Not after what he said. When I win your heart, Emma, and I will win it, it will not be because of any trickery. It’ll be because you want me.

Even now, remembering his promise sends her heart racing and her blood rushing through her veins and she wants. She’d almost kissed him then, almost let him in, almost let herself believe that maybe there was a possibility…

And then he went and almost got himself killed and she remembered again, remembered that she couldn’t let herself want him because everyone she’s ever cared about has left her, hurt her, abandoned her. Why would he be any different?

The whole way back to camp, Neal won’t even look at her. It takes her a moment to realise why. Because of her magic. He hates it, is disgusted by it. She heard it in his voice when he asked if Regina was teaching her and it hurts to hear him disparage it, to hear him fear it.

But then, suddenly, they’re arguing again and she snaps. Her mother warned her about the dangers of both of them having feelings for her. She just hadn’t thought this was what she’d meant. She knew that Mary Margaret wanted her to choose Neal, to reunite her family, and she worried that Hook might not react well. But she’d never imagined the risk they would put themselves in. Both of them. She can’t choose either of them, no matter that they’ve both asked her to. It’s too dangerous.

Enough. It's enough. She can’t take it. They already almost died and now they’re at it again. So she tells them like it is. She doesn’t have room for either of them in her life. Not for Neal’s persistence or Hook’s heartfelt confessions. She can’t. Not now. She needs to focus on Henry, on saving him and she can’t do that if she’s spending her time thinking about them. She sees the acceptance on Hook’s face. She can’t do that if she has to watch him die. It would break her.

When she thought Neal was dead, it had been a relief. All that pain had finally managed to leave her after over a decade. But when she saw Hook pinned against that tree, saw the life being ripped right out of him, god, it might as well have been her own shadow being ripped out.

She shuts her eyes as she walks away, trying to block the image of him screaming, of him begging her to go, from her mind. But it won’t go away. It just stays there, playing over and over well into the night as she tosses and turns on her mat. Neal has placed his own right next to hers, closer than she’d like. She’d seen her mother smile when he did it.

Regina’s on watch duty tonight and Emma sighs as she sits up, unable to sleep but glad for the other woman’s indifference to her troubles. Neal sleeps soundly, the sound of his breathing distracting. How can he sleep so peacefully while she continues to grow more and more distressed, continues to break at his hands? It’s not fair. She needs to get away. She needs to just… she glances over at where Hook lays a more respectable distance away.

She can tell he’s awake. His head turns to look at her after a moment and she meets his eyes. He almost died today. At least he has the good sense to look ashamed. She hates how much she wants to crawl across the space between them, feel his heartbeat under her hand, reassure herself that he’s really okay, let him wrap himself around her and hold her until the dread finally leaves her. She wants to let him take everything away with his body against hers, make her forget everything the way she knows he can do so well.

But they’re in the middle of the camp with eyes everywhere, so she can’t. Instead, she has to stew in it. In her fear for Henry, in her anxiety over nearly losing two people she cares about today, in her growing shame over her magic, both her possession of it and her failure to control it. At what he said. At what Hook said and how much it made her want, how much it reminded her that she can’t have the things she wants.

She can’t breathe. Right now, literally feeling like she’s trapped between the two of them, between two paths to inevitable heartbreak, she can’t breathe. She just needs to get away. She stands, storming past Hook and Regina into the thick canopy of trees. It’s not until she’s several hundred feet away that she finally feels like she can take a breath again.

Emma only realises what a stupid thing she’s done when she hears a rustling behind her. She reaches for her sword but it’s not there and panic seeps through her as she realises she left it next to her mat. But before she can look for a place to hide, a figure emerges from the dark and she lets out a breath. Hook.

“Apologies,” he says when he spots her, sees what must be the obvious distress on her face. “I saw you left your cutlass behind. It’s not safe to be alone in this jungle. Especially unarmed,” he warns her, just this side of chastising. She rolls her eyes but sees that he’s holding her blade in his hand and appreciates that he’s brought it to her.

“Thanks,” she says sincerely as she takes it from him.

He nods, scratching awkwardly behind his ear. “I don’t know what’s troubling you, Emma,” he tells her, and her eyes snap to his at the sound of her name falling from his lips. “But I can’t bring myself to leave you alone out here. I’ll step away,” he promises, gesturing back towards the thick brush. “But I won’t stray far should you need help.”

She wants to roll her eyes. He’s seriously going to go stand somewhere where she can’t see him, ten feet away so she can have her breakdown privately while still protecting her? Why the fuck would he do that? Because he cares about you. He nods again, taking her silence as permission and stepping back to leave her be, but she stops him.

“Do you have your flask with you?” she asks.

He reaches into his pocket and retrieves it. “Shall I leave it with you?”

She rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to go, Hook,” she says and he looks wary. “I’m over it. I just… had a moment.”

“Hmm,” he agrees. “Neverland will do that to you.”

She scoffs, glaring at him, pissed off now. “It wasn’t Neverland that did it to me,” she snaps and he frowns. “It was you. You and Neal and your stupid fight. Both of you, risking your life like idiots, like children!” He looks taken aback, searching for words as shame washes over his features again.

“Swan, I’m sorry. We -”

“Did you even mean what you said?” she demands then and he frowns in confusion.

“What I said?”

“All of it. About winning my heart, about moving on from Milah, about wanting me to choose you. All of it.”

His face grows serious then. “Yes.”

“Then how the hell could you do that? How can you make promises that imply you sticking around and then just be so goddamn callous with your life?”

“I’m sorry, love, I -”

“Stop apologizing!” she barks. His head snaps back like she slapped him and she stands there, panting and glaring at him. He studies her for a moment then steps forward.

“No.”

“No?” she demands incredulously.

“No. You’re right. It was reckless and stupid and childish. I know how much you’ve lost and I’m sorry if I made you fear losing more. Whatever this is, Emma,” he says, using her name again as he gestures between them, “whatever it is you do or don’t want from me, I meant what I said in Echo Cave. I meant what I said to you today. I’m not going anywhere. Not until you send me away. And I’m sorry if I made you doubt my intentions.”

“Stop,” she says, unable to hear more. Every word he says makes her hope and every moment she hopes is another moment closer to heartbreak. She can’t let herself care for him. She can’t let herself fall for him. What chance do they have? Her parents would fight her every step of the way, Neal would fight her. And he’ll leave. Just like everyone leaves. Everyone always leaves.

“Swan,” he says, stepping towards her again. His hand comes up to cradle her jaw, thumb brushing against her cheek as he tilts her chin up to face him.

“Don’t,” she warns again, tears burning her eyes now.

“Is that so hard for you to believe? That someone would want to stay? That I-”

“Stop,” she says again, giving him no choice this time, pulling him to her and stealing whatever words might have fallen from his lips with her own.

She kisses him until a small groan rumbles deep in his throat, reverberating through her and sending tremors of desire coursing through every inch of her body. She can’t let him in. She can’t let him say whatever it was he was going to say. But this, this she can do. She needs this, him. Nothing else calms and excites her all at once like this. Nothing else stops everything like this.

His hand leaves her cheek, tangling in her hair, fisting in it and tugging as he opens her mouth under his. Her hands leave his face, sliding down his neck to his chest to the clasps of his vest. He breaks apart from her as she undoes the first one, looking down at her hands and then back at her with heavy lidded eyes. There’s a question there, a request or a plea.

She answers by undoing the next clasp and he drags her back to him, tongue delving, seeking, teeth nipping at her lips as he guides her backwards until her back collides softly but urgently with a tree. By then she has his vest undone and she pushes it off, shoving his jacket down with it where it falls heavily onto the jungle floor.

She finds his shirt next, not bothering with the few buttons as she pulls it from his pants and lifts the shirt over his head. He releases her long enough to lift his arms and help her to pull it free from his hook. She traces her fingers along his forearms, marveling at the sinewy muscles and dark hair under her hands, hesitating a moment over his tattoo.

She follows the path to his biceps, to his shoulders, tracing the intricacies of his brace on one side, and the defined shape of his obvious strength on the other. She realises she’s never seen his arms before. His chest is always on full display but the rest of him is always covered head to toe in leather, in armour. She traces along his sides next, over his ribs where she notices another tattoo: ‘Liam’ written out in small, elegant script.

She looks at him, so much of him on display beneath her hands. He’s so goddamn beautiful and it sends an ache tugging low in her belly. As she draws her gaze up his neck and jaw to his face, she finds him watching her, something curious and tender beneath the desire. She kisses him again so she doesn’t have to see it. This isn’t what this is.

He takes the hint, hook snaking into her belt loop to pull her hips firmly against his as his hot and calloused hand slides up under her shirt, over her stomach to her breast. She keens when he presses his palm against her, dragging over her slowly, filling his hand before his fingers find her nipple through her bra.

She pushes him back a little, almost smirking at his surprised expression before pulling her shirt over her head, reaching behind her to undo her bra and let it fall somewhere at her feet. She reaches for him but he steps back, eyes raking over her slowly and intently and goosebumps raise everywhere that his eyes burn over her.

“Bloody hell,” he breathes.

“You gonna do something about it?” she challenges, and then he’s on her, lips attacking her neck, causing her to cry out as he sucks a mark into the hollow of her collarbone, dragging his tongue down her chest to her breast. He takes a nipple into his mouth, rolling it under his tongue and his teeth and she fists her hand in his hair so tight that she thinks it might hurt. His strangled moan makes her think he doesn’t care.

He moves to her neglected breast, giving it the same treatment before nipping and licking and sucking his way down her ribs and her stomach to her navel and to the waist of her jeans as he kneels before her. He doesn’t ask for permission this time, the way she pushes her hips against him clear enough as he makes quick work of them, sliding them down her legs and pulling them off along with her boots.

He looks up at her, toying idly with the waist of her panties, and it’s the hottest fucking thing she’s ever seen. Killian Jones, Captain Hook, shirtless with his hair a mess, kneeling between her legs and watching her like he wants to devour her. Then he smirks, eyebrow twitching up as he leans forward, holding her gaze as he presses an open mouthed kiss to her covered clit. Nevermind, that’s the hottest thing she’s ever seen.

“Killian,” she begs, shocking them both as his name falls from her lips. Something flashes in his eyes then and suddenly he’s yanking the fabric off of her and pulling her leg over his shoulder. Fuck. Fuck yes, is all she can think. But… “We don’t have time,” she tells him, knowing that the others could wake up at any moment, that Pan or a lost boy could stumble upon them.

He glances up at her with a smile that she can only describe as devilish. “There is always time, Swan,” he insists. Before she can protest or agree, his tongue is dragging through her folds, licking her slowly until he reaches her clit and pulls it into his mouth.

“Fuck!” she practically yells, head falling back as she fists her hands in his hair. She can feel him smirking against her but she doesn’t care because his tongue is flicking against her clit now, slowly, meticulously, and then quicker as she starts to roll her hips against his talented mouth.

He alternates flicking his tongue against her and sucking on her sensitive bundle as his fingers find her opening and push in roughly, pumping into her hard and fast. One of her hands finds his shoulder, steading herself against him, nails digging into his flesh, and he drives her to her climax so goddamn fast that she barely registers she’s almost there until she’s right at the brink.

She’s gasping, muttering incoherent yeses and pleas, when he suddenly pulls away and stands and she wants to scream. But before she can, he’s freeing himself from his leathers and pulling her knee up over his hip, sliding into her easily despite his impressive size.

Her fingers link behind his neck, her head thrown back against the bark behind her as he thrusts up into her purposefully, each stroke powerful and just the right side of rough. She’s forced to stand on her toes, foot nearly lifted off the ground as he drives into her, but she doesn’t want him to stop. Fuck, she’s never going to be able to stop. Not now that she knows this is what it’s like to be with him.

His head falls to her shoulder, lips and teeth finding her neck as he moves faster and she knows he’s close, can hear it in the desperate sounds he’s breathing against her skin. She’s nearly there, she just needs… He pulls her thigh higher over his hip, hand finding her ass and pressing her closer until he’s grinding against her clit with every push inside of her and that’s it.

Her back arches and her head falls back as she screams out her climax into the quiet of the jungle. He looks up at her, watching her fall apart, brows pinched in blissful anguish as he sets a breakneck pace, seeking his own release. She fists her hands into his hair, tugging and watching as his face becomes almost pained before she captures his lips with hers, biting at his lips, sucking at his tongue until she swallows his moan as it reverberates through her chest and he goes rigid.

She can feel him finishing hot inside her and it sends another little quiver of pleasure through her, her muscles contracting around him and he groans, sliding his tongue into her mouth and seeking her own.

They stay there, pressed against the tree, panting into each other’s mouths, seeking whatever they can find in one another until the sweat begins to cool on her body and a shiver runs through her, bringing her back to reality. He seems to sense the change because he’s the one to break the kiss first.

She just looks at him, unable to process any of her thoughts. She doesn’t know what this means. She doesn’t know what she wants it to mean. The thought that it could mean anything at all is terrifying to her. But a part of her knows she’ll find herself here again. But this is all it can be.

She can’t risk it. Can’t risk him. She’s damaged goods and she’ll hurt him or he’ll hurt her because… she cares. Fuck. She cares. There’s nothing more dangerous or terrifying to her than getting her heart involved. If she has to choose - and she does have to choose - the one where her heart isn’t on the line is the only safe option.

Neal could never break her heart. Not again. She’d have to be able to give it to him first for that.

She tenses in his arms, hands sliding from his shoulders to curl into her chest and she tries to make some room between them. She can’t look at him but it’s like he can read her mind, his eyes casting over her face as she makes her decision. Open book he’s always said.

He lets out a soft sigh of a laugh, self-deprecating and accepting as he slides out of her and pulls back, allowing her room to dress as he pulls his pants back up his hips. She knows he thinks she regrets it. She wishes she could tell him she doesn’t. But she can’t give him hope. And he wouldn’t believe her if she did, not while she’s practically recoiling from his touch.

“So you’ve made your choice then?” he asks, but it’s not really a question.

“Killian…”

“Don’t call me that,” he says, shaking his head and it feels like a knife twisting in her heart.

“I-”

“You don’t have to explain, Swan,” he says. “He’s Henry’s father. He’s a better man.”

She wants to scream at him, tell him that he’s wrong, but that would mean facing whatever it is that’s happened between them, whatever it was that started on that beanstalk and led them here, and she can’t do that.

He watches her for another moment, the pain and the self-loathing written all over his face before he slides his mask of indifference right back up and it hurts to see. It's the one he wore in New York and in Storybrooke after she betrayed him. She supposes this isn’t much different.

He gathers the rest of his clothes, nodding at her once before heading off into the jungle. “Don’t stay out here alone,” he says over his shoulder, and a tear runs hot down her cheek. He may hate her right now, but he’s still watching out for her.

***

They defeat Pan. They save Henry. She still can’t believe it. But they’re sailing back to Storybrooke and her son is sleeping soundly down below in Killian’s cabin. She frowns. She wonders when she started thinking of him as Killian. Probably when you realised how you felt about him, probably right before you broke his heart.

She’s staring out at the sky below them, leaning on the railing and she lets her head fall over her arms. When did everything get so complicated? She feels so lost. She wishes she had someone to help her, someone to guide her. She wishes she had Mary Margaret, her friend, but that woman is gone. In her place is Snow White, her mother. Someone who should understand her but doesn’t.

It’s Snow who finds her, places a comforting hand on her shoulder and gives her a supportive smile when she looks up.

“Are you alright?” she asks. Emma shakes her head, too tired to lie, and her mom gives her a sad look. “Emma…” she starts, and she braces herself for whatever speech is about to come. “I know that love can be scary. And after all you’ve been through, I don’t blame you for being afraid of it. That’s my fault,” she says and Emma wants to say no - well, yes, but not just her fault.

“But if you think that everyone that cares about you and who you let yourself care about is going to hurt you, if you don’t let yourself try and open up to the possibility… you might keep out pain, but you’ll also keep out love,” she finishes, parroting her words from so long ago and for a moment, Emma feels like she has her friend back, like Mary Margaret understands her.

“You owe it to yourself to give Neal a chance,” she says, and it’s like a bucket of ice water falling over her. “I know what you said, about it being easier to forget about the pain and to move on with him out of your life. But he’s your first love; he’s Henry’s father. Don’t you think he deserves a second chance? Don’t you think Henry does, that you do?”

Tears well in Emma’s eyes and her mother misreads them, assuming she’s hit the mark. She couldn’t be more wrong. But she’s right. Choosing Neal is easier. It's what everyone wants. It’s what everyone expects. It's the easiest way to make everyone she cares about happy. Even if it’s at the cost of her own happiness. Of Killian’s happiness. Her heart burns in her chest.

She wonders where Killian is. They’ve barely spoken since their moment in the jungle. He hadn’t been cruel or even angry, of course he hadn’t. But he’d been distant, keeping himself at arms length. She understands that, self-preservation and all. She’s been doing the same. She hears footsteps and looks up to see Neal walking towards them. Mary Margaret gives her an encouraging smile before disappearing below deck.

Neal leans against the railing next to her. “We did it,” he says, a big, satisfied smile on his face. “We got our kid back. We got our family back,” he says and the word is loaded.

“Yeah,” she nods, forces a smile. Neal could never tell the difference between her real ones and her fake ones. “We did.”

He nudges her shoulder with his and she laughs. They did get their son back. That’s the silver lining to this. That’s what she should be focused on. “Emma, listen,” he says then. “I meant what I said. I’ll never stop fighting for you.” His words twist in her gut but she doesn’t let it show. “And now that everyone’s okay, that it’s all over and everything is behind us… maybe we could try again.” Everything is behind us. Just like that he’s wiping his slate clean of any wrongs he’s done her.

“Neal, I-”

“I know I hurt you, Emma. But I had to. You know I did. And we have Henry to think about too. Do you think there’s anything he’d want more than for his parents to get back together? Don’t you think we ought to try? For him?” Her fist clenches against the railing but he takes it in his. “I’m just asking for a chance, Ems.”

She considers him, thinks of Henry. “Okay,” she says. “Okay.”

He beams, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it, then, before she even knows what’s happening, he’s leaning in and pressing his lips to hers. It’s familiar, slow and practiced and it brings a slew of painful memories rushing back to the surface. He pulls back with a pleased smile and she forces one back.

“I’ll see you in the morning, okay?” he asks and she nods. As she watches him walk away, she knows one thing for sure. There’s definitely no risk with Neal. He could never break her heart. She could never give it to him.

She brings her fingers to her lips, still feeling his kiss and his scruff burning against her chin and it just feels… wrong. It leaves an ache in her, an emptiness and a need, a craving for something else and her whole body hums with it, burns with it. It’s wrong. It’s wrong. It’s wrong. It’s wrong. She needs to make it right, to set it right.

She walks almost blindly through the ship's lower deck, making her way past the crew’s quarters where everyone sleeps, past the captain’s cabin where Regina is watching over a sleeping Henry, past the galley and the storage and every other room she doesn’t recognize until she reaches the back, the bosun’s quarters where she knows she’ll find him.

She pushes the door open, not bothering to knock and he sits up where he was lounging on the narrow mattress, book balanced on his knee. He’s discarded his coat and his vest, his suspenders hanging at his sides. “Swan?” he asks, a frown marrying his brow. “What’s wrong?”

She doesn’t speak. She just crosses the room to the bed, shoving the book out of his hands and climbing over him, straddling his hips as she pulls his lips to hers, hands finding his shoulders as she uses his shock to push him back against the pillows.

“Swan,” he breathes against her mouth. “What are you -” She stops his words with her lips again, sliding her tongue into his mouth until she can pull that groan that she loves so much from his chest. “Emma,” he tries again, weaker this time and a little desperate.

She shakes her head, kissing him again, biting his lip, pulling at it, teasing him with her tongue until he breaks, sitting up and kissing her back, taking control as he tilts her head this way and that, arm sliding around her hips to set her more firmly in his lap. Yes. This is what she needed. The press of his lips, the scratch of his stubble, it feels right. And she knows she can’t have it, not really, but she can have tonight. She can have one last night.

She feels him stirring beneath her and she grinds her hips down over his to encourage him. It works, his lips dropping to her neck, sliding her shirt easily over her head and taking her breast in his mouth like he already knows she likes. God, he’s perfect. Perfect in that he’s not. In that he knows he’s not. That he doesn’t pretend to be. He knows her. He understands her. And she knows she’s going to break his heart.

She stops him as his hand begins to trail down to her jeans, pushing against his shoulders until he lays back. She pulls his shirt open, not caring about the few buttons that she sends flying across the floor as her lips latch onto his neck, desperately trying to find the spots that make him let out those sounds she can’t get enough of.

When he’s practically writhing beneath her, she trails kisses down the center of his chest, glancing up at him as he watches her, her lips teasing their way down to the waist of his pants where he’s already straining against the laces. She can see the head of his cock just peeking out and she draws her tongue over him. He hisses, hips pressing up involuntarily towards her.

She makes quick work of his laces, shoving his pants far enough down his hips that she can free him from them and take him in hand. He gasps out her name and it spurs her on, knowing how much he wants her. She’s glad when he doesn’t protest, only watches her as she drags her tongue slowly up the length of him before taking him fully into her mouth.

His back arches, his hook reaching up to find purchase on the headboard as his hand tangles in her hair. The sounds he makes as she works him with her lips and tongue send heat straight to her core, making her slick and desperate as she tries to rub her thighs together and find some relief. He lets out a litany of sighs and moans and words, both praise and filth as she drives him towards his release.

Before she can, he uses his hold on her hair to pull her off of him, to slide her back up his body to face him where he looks at her like he can’t quite believe she’s real. He reaches for her pants, undoing them and pushing them down her hips. She rolls onto her back beside him so that she can work them off and his mouth finds her breast, tongue pulling at her already hardened nipple and making her gasp.

As soon as she’s free of her jeans, she rolls back on top of him, taking his cock in hand and sinking down onto him. They both hold still for a moment, adjusting to the feel of him inside her, to how fucking perfectly he fits. Fuck, she’s going to miss this.

He lets out another moan as she starts to ride him, head falling back against the pillows. She’s never seen him quite like this, so lost in his bliss, so out of control, and god it makes her want him even more. She braces herself on his shoulders, moving over him faster, hips snapping against his, and he looks at her like she might just destroy him.

His hand grabs hold of her hip, pulling her down harder against him as his own hips lift up to meet her with every thrust. She can’t believe how close she is. He’s barely touched her. But with every roll of her hips over his, every time she feels him fill her up again and again, she feels like she’s on fire and she just wants to keep burning.

“Fuck, Emma,” he curses, his brow pinched tight, the chords of his neck stretched taunt. “Emma I’m going to -” he tries to warn her but she only rides him harder, desperate to get him there first. Her nails dig into his chest as she tries to hold off as long as she can and she sees the moment he breaks. It’s the most fucking amazing thing she’s ever seen and it sends her over the edge, collapsing over top of him as they both struggle to catch their breath.

His fingers trail over her spine, his head tilting down to kiss the skin of her shoulder, turning to press another to her temple. God, she wants to just stay here with him, to let him keep tracing patterns over her back, to let him keep kissing whatever parts of her he can reach, to let him just hold her here as long as she needs. But that’s exactly why she can’t.

“Emma,” he says softly, a little hopefully and she rises, getting off of him and standing, pulling her jeans and shirt back on, not bothering to look for her underwear because that would take too long. “Emma,” he says again and she makes herself look at him, makes herself face the hurt she’s causing him. It’s better this way. They’ll only hurt each other in the long run if they keep this up. “So, it’s still Neal then,” he says finally.

She nods. “It has to be.”

“And this was what?” he asks, an edge of anger in his voice. “Goodbye? One last fuck with the pirate before you go back to the man you’re making yourself choose? The one you’re settling for?”

Tears burn her eyes. “Killian...”

“I told you not to call me that,” he says, bitterness in his tone. “It’s Hook you want.” But he’s wrong, and that’s exactly the problem. It is Killian she wants, the man he might be, the man he is, the man she wants too much to trust herself with.

“Goodbye,” she says, backing away towards the door. “I’m sorry.”

***

@kmomof4 @snowbellewells @teamhook @resident-of-storybrooke @stahlop @hollyethecurious @artistic-writer @gingerchangeling @bubblegum1425 @jackieorioncat @darkcolinodonorgasm @xhookswenchx @lfh1226-linda @searchingwardrobes @winterbaby89 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @xsajx @thejollyroger-writer @elizabeethan @carpedzem @spartanguard @tiganasummertree @demisexualemmaswan @itsfabianadocarmo @courtorderedcake @yasbio2015 @the-darkdragonfly @klynn-stormz

#captain swan #cs neverland #cs smut #captain swan smut #neverland new year #captain swan neverland new year #cs angst

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believingispowerfulmagic · 3 years

Text

“The Surprise” (Better When I’m Dancing) Chapter 2: Results

Here’s my second entry for OQ Update Month!

"Okay, from what I can tell you are about seven weeks along," Dr. Cobb said, looking at the blob on the screen in front of her.

Regina stared at it, mesmerized. She and Robin had talked about expanding their family but had taken a rather "que sera, sera" approach after their wedding. With him touring and her participating on the show, they didn't want to try in earnest just yet - agreeing to wait another year.

It seems nature had other plans.

"So wait, she's been pregnant during almost the entire competition?" Robin asked, frowning. "Will that affect the baby?"

Dr. Cobb shook her head. "No, not really. Regina is healthy and her body is already used to ballroom dancing, which gives her an advantage. She can continue dancing as her pregnancy progresses, though you will have to limit which stunts you do."

"I understand," Regina said. "Not my first time at this particular rodeo."

"I thought you stopped dancing to have Henry?" he asked, sounding confused.

She chuckled. "Yes, but not at first. Daniel and I danced until I was about six months along and really starting to show, not that Gold was happy about that."

"I imagine Gold wasn't happy about a lot," he replied, scowling at the thought of her former coach and the former head judge on the show. She didn't blame him - Gold had tormented her for years and then had turned his ire onto them while they were on the show together. Even though it had been a few years since they last saw him, the thought of him still left a bad taste in both their mouths.

"Do you have any other questions?" Dr. Cobb asked, looking mostly at Robin. "I'm happy to answer them."

He shook his head. "Not right now. But maybe next time?"

The doctor laughed. "Alright. Well, everything looks good and I'll sign off on you dancing tonight. Just watch your sugar levels. We can't have you fainting again."

"I will be careful," Regina promised. She then patted Robin's hand. "He'll also make sure I eat."

"Absolutely," he replied, kissing her hand.

Dr. Cobb nodded, standing. "Good. But I do want to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't develop gestational diabetes."

"Is that a possibility?" he asked, sounding panicked again. Regina wondered if he had been this bad with Marian and decided to ask Claire about it later.

"Well, in some ways, it's always a possibility. But the fact that Regina already had an experience of low blood sugar is concerning. However, she does have some other factors that also contribute to low blood sugar - she's in active competition and so keeping up with an athletic routine. And she didn't know she was pregnant so she maybe didn't make the same choices about food she would've had she known," Dr. Cobb explained matter-of-factly but still in a comforting tone.

Regina nodded before patting Robin's hand. "So what she's saying is that it's a possibility but not necessarily a given."

Dr. Cobb nodded. "Exactly."

"Alright," he said, relaxing a bit. He turned to the doctor. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, why don't you two go home, get something to eat and get some rest before today's show?" Dr. Cobb suggested. She then turned to Robin. "And don't Google anything I talked about today. Got it, Dad?"

Robin looked sheepish as he nodded. "Got it."

He then helped Regina up and she went to change from the gown they had given her when she was shown into the office. Back in her clothes, she took his hand and they went so she could schedule her next appointment. The admin there handed her an envelope with their first sonogram pictures and congratulated them. She then leaned forward. "I'm a big fan," she told them.

"Thank you," Regina replied, trusting that no one from the office would leak their news to the media. After all, no one had yet.

Once they were in Robin's car and driving home, he glanced at her. "So what are you going to tell the show?"

"The truth," she replied. "They need to know I'm pregnant so they don't try to plan something that could hurt the baby."

He nodded. "Alright. Are you going to tell Percy?"

She sighed, nodding. "I really have no choice. But not tonight. Nothing in our routines could hurt me or the baby so we're fine. I'll tell him tomorrow."

"Alright," he said, clicking on the radio and hearing one of his songs. He chuckled. "Talk about timing, huh?"

Regina rolled her eyes but smiled, happily listening to her husband's voice. She rubbed her stomach wondering if their child would inherit her dancing abilities or his musical talents. Or would he or she have a talent or passion completely separate from the arts?

"That was the latest single from Robin Locksley and the Merry Men," the DJ said as the song ended. "And we have some news about his wife, Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Regina Mills. Video leaked from last night's dress rehearsals showed the dancer passing out while rehearsing her number with partner Percy Pellinore. The video then shows her being wheeled out by paramedics and the local hospital confirms she was treated and released late that night, though of course they couldn't say why due to privacy issues."

She groaned as the DJ continued: "While we've heard nothing from the show or Regina, hopefully we'll get some answers on tonight's show - if she dances."

"Do you think the show leaked the footage to get some publicity ahead of tonight's show?" Robin asked, his voice low and brimming with anger.

"I don't know," she replied, annoyed as well. "I hope not. I trust Nimue would know by now to always loop us in whenever they were going to do something like that."

Her phone rang and Regina sighed. "It's Mal. I hope she's just checking in and not telling me something else."

"How are you?" Mal asked as soon as Regina picked up. "What is going on? I heard that you've been tired all week and even had to take a day off. And then when you go back, you end up passing out and being rushed to the hospital. That's not like you and I'm worried, Regina."

Regina smiled, putting Mal on speaker phone. "You're on speaker. Robin's here with me."

"Hi, Mal," he replied, eyes still on the road.

Mal paused for a moment. "Well, he sounds calm so I take it the diagnosis isn't really bad."

"It's not really bad," Regina said as Robin chuckled. "Actually...I'm pregnant."

"Very funny," Mal said. "Now tell me what's really going on."

Robin chuckled as Regina shook her head. "I'm not messing with you, Mal. The fatigue and the low blood sugar were all because I'm pregnant."

Her agent was quiet again before letting out a little shriek. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Regina said, laughing at Mal's reaction. "We're not telling anyone just yet - just the family and a select few people."

"Of course. Do you want me to inform the show or do you?" Mal asked.

Regina paused, considering the answer. She and Nimue had a good relationship over her time on the show but Regina figured she should go through proper channels this time. "Can you? I think it's only right," she said.

"I was about to give Nimue a call anyway about that video. Given that we're usually involved in planned leaks, I'm guessing this was not planned," Mal said, sounding annoyed.

"That's what I figured," Regina replied. "Though I'm surprised. The crew is usually very good and I don't think anyone is new."

Mal hummed. "Do you think it could be a contestant?"

Regina sighed, going through all the contestants in her mind. "It's possible. Or maybe one of their staff. I'm trying not to suspect my partner but…"

"He's a complete tosser," Robin finished, barely keeping the bitterness out of his voice.

"Has he been giving you any trouble, Regina?" Mal asked, sounding ready to fight Percy for her.

Regina paused for a moment before saying: "No more than he gives anyone else. He's just insufferable and very selfish."

"But you still suspect him of releasing it," Mal replied.

"It would get him some publicity," Regina said. "And maybe some sympathy votes. And it would probably spite me too while giving him an excuse – like he would be doing better if his partner was so weak and unprofessional."

Mal was silent and Regina felt the temperature drop in the car. When she glanced at Robin, his eyes remained on the road but she could tell that he was clenching his jaw. His knuckles were white, meaning he was really gripping the wheel as well.

"Does he say that shit to you?" Mal asked in a low voice, her anger simmering.

"Not usually," Regina replied. "But he hasn't been pleased with the fact I've been fatigued and needed to take time off this week."

"Tough shit," Robin said, scowling.

Mal chuckled. "I agree with your husband there. If he gives you any trouble…"

"I'll let you know," Regina promised. "He's just a spoiled brat in the end. I think I can handle him for a few more weeks."

"Alright," Mal replied. "Anything else?"

"No, not right now," Regina said. "Thank you, Mal."

She said her goodbyes and hung up the phone. Regina let her phone fall into her lap as she looked at Robin. "Are you okay?"

"I want to kick your partner's arse," he replied.

"I can tell," she said, reaching over to rub his leg. "But I'm fine. Percy's not a threat. He's just a nuisance."

He let out a shaky breath. "If you're sure…"

She nodded. "I am. So if I ask you to come to the show tonight, you promise not to fight with him?"

"I promise," he replied. He glanced at her. "Do you really want me there?"

"I do. There's going to be a lot of spotlight on me tonight and I'd feel better knowing you were there to support me - from the audience," she replied.

Robin smiled. "I can do that. You know I love coming to the show and watching you - and everyone else - perform."

She nodded. "I do."

They arrived at the house and Robin hit the button to open his gate. He pulled in and parked the car, taking her hand to kiss it before smiling lovingly at her. "Come on. Let me get some food for you and our baby."

"We both like the sound of that," Regina said, a thrill rushing through her as he said our baby. She still couldn't believe she was pregnant and she was overjoyed to experience motherhood yet again.

And she couldn't ask for a better partner in this new adventure than Robin, she thought as they got out of the car and headed into the house.

She and the baby were very lucky indeed.

Continue reading on FFN, AO3 or Wattpad

#once upon a time #outlaw queen #oq au #oq ff #better when I'm dancing

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lilacmoon83 · 3 years

Text

Lightning in a Bottle

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 38: Cleared for Approach, Pt 1

"And that sucks, but I don't see why I should believe you," Neal replied.

"You should believe me, because the people in this room can attest to what type of person your mother is," Gold said.

"We can?" Emma asked.

"You know her," Gold replied.

"We do?" Margaret asked. He nodded curtly.

"Her name is Cora Mills...nee Cora Blanchard now," Gold said, shocking them all to speechlessness.

"W...what?" Margaret squeaked.

"It's true," Gold said.

"You know this Cora?" Neal asked.

"She's...she's married to my father now. Estranged father...Leopold Blanchard," Margaret replied.

"Wait…Blanchard, like that huge Wall Street Banking empire?" Neal asked. She nodded.

"Yes...but I haven't had anything to do with him for a very long time and emancipated myself when I was sixteen," Margaret said.

"Okay...so you're not a sister by blood or anything," he said.

"No...but you have a half sister. Somewhere before she married my father, she married a man named Henry Mills, whom she treated like dirt too. But they had a daughter, who is my step-sister now, though we just met after the plane came back," Margaret explained. He shook his head.

"Wait...my half sister was on the plane too?" he asked. David nodded.

"It's also her cancer research that saved our son's life. If the plane hadn't disappeared, Henry probably would have succumbed to the cancer, before this treatment was a thing," he explained.

"Okay...my head is spinning," Neal said.

"No doubt…" Emma agreed.

"You knew about Cora...and you didn't tell us that she was the mother of your son," David said to Gold in a stern tone. Neal scoffed.

"Welcome to my world," he said bitterly.

"As you can imagine, my memories of Cora aren't good and with my son missing and presumed dead, I couldn't bring myself to talk about it," Gold offered. David nodded, as he accepted that answer. For now.

"I still don't understand any of this. How did we all come back? How is any of this possible?" Neal questioned.

"We don't know yet...but we are trying to find that out," David said.

"But maybe the best place to do so is to go back home to figure it out," he added.

"Yeah…I don't think I'm ready for re-entry into the world. But you guys go ahead," Neal said, as Emma motioned her brother off to the side.

"I think I'll stay up here with him for the time being," she said.

"Emma...if he really is like us, we need to have Regina check him out," David replied.

"Yeah...well, he's not ready and if we force it, he'll bail and we'll lose track of him," Emma reasoned. He sighed.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you staying up here with him alone," David said.

"That's because you're overprotective," Emma replied.

"Can you blame me after everything we've been through?" he asked.

"Well...no, but he's Mr. Gold's son. I doubt he's an ax murderer or something," she replied.

"Plus…I'm a cop. I think I can handle this," she added.

"Fine...but encourage him to come back to the city so Regina can run some tests," David said.

"Or...you can just see what she can get from this," Emma replied, as she held up a baggie that had one of his bandages with blood on it. He nodded and pocketed the baggie in his coat.

"That's good," he complimented.

"I still don't like it though," he added.

"I'll be fine. Go...you and Margaret should take Henry checked out and go home to Olive," she insisted. He sighed and hugged her.

"Fine...but be careful," he urged. She nodded.

"Yes Dad," she teased.

"Maybe Mr. Gold will be staying," David said.

"Somehow…I don't think so," she said, as she motioned him to the scene between them.

~*~

"What do you want?" Neal asked, as he looked at his fingers, which Margaret had taped up. They looked much better this morning and he was no doctor, but he felt that he wasn't in danger of losing any digits to frostbite.

"I was hoping we could talk," Gold said. He snorted.

"You hoped wrong...we have nothing to talk about," Neal replied.

"Neal…" he started to say.

"Save it," he snapped, as he got up and walked away. Gold lowered his head and looked a little lost.

"It appears that he will not talk to me. I was going to stay...but he does not want me here," Gold said.

"We can give you a ride back to the city. I think he just needs time. Emma is staying up here. Maybe she can get through to him," David replied.

"My son is stubborn...that is a bit much to hope for," Gold said. David smirked.

"I doubt he's more stubborn than Emma...no one's that stubborn," he said.

"Like you're one to talk," Emma retorted, as she went to find him.

"So...is it true? Were you an absentee father?" David asked. Gold smirked.

"You are not one for beating around the bush, are you?" Gold asked. He shrugged.

"MM says I have no tact...she's usually right," he replied.

"It's okay...I appreciate the forwardness, actually and yes, it's true," Gold said.

"I poured myself into my work. I let the art of making deals consume me. I was determined to give him everything I didn't have and hope that no one ever left me again, because I was poor," Gold said.

"In the end, this led to neglect and he fell in with some bad kids. He abused drugs for a while...I don't know if he's clean or not now, but we fell out pretty hard a year ago when I caught him stealing money from the shop," he added.

"He said I owed him...he's probably right," he continued.

"I know addicts...they lie," David said, now a little more wary of Neal being alone with Emma.

"Yes...but he was never violent and Emma can certainly handle herself. You made sure of that," Gold reasoned. He looked back at him.

"Why so much interest in my family and so little in your own?" David asked.

"That was blunt, even for you," Gold replied.

"Neal is a bit older than you. By the time your mother made arrangements with me to be her financial advisor, Neal was already in trouble and using. I was putting him in rehab and he was skipping out constantly," he explained.

"Then your mother died, not long after she hired me...and I saw another family in the same potential danger as my own," Gold said, as he looked up at him.

"You were afraid I might fall into the same trap as Neal?" he asked.

"No...you had MM and if social services separated you and Emma, I knew somehow, you'd find your way to your fair Margaret," he replied. His eyes widened.

"Emma...you were afraid Emma would have the same kind of hard life," he realized. Gold nodded.

"She has had her problems...but she is a far cry from what she could have become in the broken foster system," he said.

"It was my way of trying to make amends. I can only hope Neal will see in time," Gold added.

"I forgave my Dad...I think Neal can forgive you, eventually. Just give it time," he said.

"Yes...but we still need to know how this even happened. My son wasn't on that plane," Gold replied. David nodded.

"Yeah…I have no idea what connections the plane could have to that cave," he said.

"Perhaps Emma will find the answers," Gold surmised. David nodded and then went to help Margaret pack up for the trip home.

~*~

Neal and Emma set out, trekking toward the mountain, complete with supplies. He had agreed to take a walk to try and figure out what happened, but Emma knew getting him back to the cave would be a challenge.

"You know...you don't have to stay up here with me," Neal said, as he grabbed a bottle of water from the supplies they had brought.

"I know...but we need to figure out what happened to you in that cave and how it relates to the plane," Emma said.

"Is that even possible?" he asked. She shrugged.

"I don't know...but the answers are probably in that cave," she said. His eyes widened.

"You want me to go back up to that cave?" he asked.

"I'll be with you...and I think it's important," she replied. He sighed.

"Look, I know asking you to go back up there is like asking me to get on a plane right now," she added, making him chuckle.

"But I'm guessing the reason you came up here in the first place, a year ago, was to do more than hiking," she said. He looked at her in surprise.

"Twelve step program, am I right?" she asked.

"How…" he started to say.

"Dad was an alcoholic. David and MM raised me, pretty much. And I'm a cop...I can see it a mile away," she replied. He sighed.

"Fine...yeah, I was trying to get clean and I came up here to clear my head," he said.

"Just to clear your head?" she asked. He rolled his eyes.

"Fine…I dated this girl. Wendy...and we were up here on the mountain a few years ago, getting high and stuff," he admitted.

"What happened?" she asked. He shrugged.

"What do you think? She overdosed and died right in front of me," he replied.

"I'm sorry...is that when you decided to get clean?" she asked. He snorted.

"If only...but no. I went deeper, met a girl that was even worse an addict than Wendy and lost like two years in a haze of drugs and booze," he replied.

"Well...you must have hit rock bottom somewhere," she surmised.

"I did...and I finally entered a program. I came up here to make amends to Wendy and then the blizzard hit. That's how I found myself in that cave," he said, as she gently touched his hand and that's when they experienced a Calling together.

"Go Back," the voice said, showing them atop a mountain with a blanket of stars in the sky behind them.

"What the hell was that?" Neal asked, as they came back to reality.

"That's another reason I had a hunch that the cave and plane are somehow connected," she said, as he looked at her in confusion.

"That was a Calling and a lot of us...the returned, get them. They usually mean something," Emma explained, leaving him stunned.

~*~

The first stop once they got back to the city was at the hospital, where Regina was waiting for them. Regina examined their son and gave the parents some much needed relief.

"He's perfectly fine…" she assured them.

"But I thought you were bringing this mysterious man you said was caught out in a blizzard. The one from the Calling," Regina said. They had only told her the basics on the phone.

"Yeah...he wasn't ready to come back yet, but Emma is staying with him," David said, as he pulled the baggie out of his pocket.

"I don't know if this is enough blood to run any tests on, but we managed to get this," he added. She took it from him.

"It should be enough to run a test to see if he has the same marker," she replied.

"You're sure he was gone a year?" Regina asked. They nodded.

"We don't see why he would lie and Gold backed it up. Neal has been missing about a year," Margaret replied.

"Guess that's why he's so interested in the plane and looks like if he had a theory his son might return...he was right," she said.

"There's more…" David said.

"Okay?" she asked.

"Regina...there is something else that Mr. Gold told us about his son and himself," Margaret replied.

"Okay...you're starting to scare me, but if the guy was dangerous, I know you would have never left Emma alone with him," she said.

"He's not dangerous...that we know, anyway, but Mr. Gold revealed that Neal's mother left them when he was very young and the main reason was because she found a better deal. Apparently, Gold was pretty poor at the time," David explained.

"That's crappy...but what does that have to do with me?" Regina asked, as Margaret took her hands.

"Because that woman was Cora…" Margaret revealed. Regina's eyes widened.

"What?" she asked. He nodded.

"Apparently, she and Gold grew up together and were never married, but involved. Neal's a couple years older than you so this was before she met your father," David replied.

"Gold said that she left him for a man named Johnathan, who was the son of a banker. Obviously, that didn't work out either, but she abandoned them. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this," Margaret said.

"It's always money and power with her," Regina spat bitterly.

"She's a bad person, but this means you have a brother, right?" Henry asked. They managed a smile for him.

"Yes…I suppose it does," she said.

"He's really nice and he's like us," Henry assured her.

"Well...then I guess I look forward to meeting him. We can bond over how much we hate our mother," Regina said.

"I can throw in with that too," Margaret replied. Regina smiled.

"Yes...you can," she agreed.

"Want to come home with us for dinner?" Henry asked. She smiled.

"I want to run this test...but I'll be along later," she promised.

"Can you bring ice cream?" he asked. She chuckled.

"I'll pick it up on the way," she promised again, as they left and headed for the car.

As he drove them home, they saw a banner on one of the bridge overpasses, which was calling for an investigation into the passengers of flight 828. He and Margaret exchanged an uneasy glance. He had hoped the fascination, both friendly and weary, around them would fade. But it wasn't happening. If anything, it was growing and that gave him a really bad feeling in his gut.

"What does that mean?" Henry asked. David sighed.

"It just means that there are a lot of ignorant people in this world," he answered.

"Yeah...and most of them just have too much time on their hands. Instead of focusing on their own lives, they seem far too interested in those of others," Margaret added. Henry seemed satisfied with that answer for now and he continued driving them home.

~*~

Neal looked at her.

"A Calling?" he asked. She nodded.

"That's one reason that I wanted you to understand what coming back means," Emma replied.

"So you get these Callings?" Neal asked. She nodded.

"David gets them...Henry too, albeit differently. That's how he knew you needed help," she tried to explain.

"So...you get Callings and help people?" he asked.

"Sometimes," she replied.

"Sounds like a lot," he said.

"It is...especially if you interpret them wrong. It can be a disaster," she said.

"You're not making a good case here," he mentioned.

"But when you get them right and save lives...it really makes it worth it," she said. He sighed.

"Maybe for you, Emma...but I'm no hero," he replied.

"Neither am I...I lost someone too," he said.

"I am the reason Wendy is dead. She wanted to get clean...but I just kept giving her drugs," he replied.

"I am the reason my best friend Lily is dead. She was really drunk, so I took her keys and decided to drive us that night. But I was drunk too and we were in an accident. She died on impact," she revealed.

"So what? How does going back to that cave help us now?" he asked.

"I don't know...but when we get Callings, we have to follow them," she replied.

"Why? What happens if you don't?" Neal asked.

"Well, for one thing, they get louder and they don't stop. Plus, if Henry and I had ignored yours, you'd be dead right now. Same with some other people the Callings led me to," she replied.

"That's a lot to put on a person," he mentioned.

"Yeah...well, we came back for a reason and maybe this was it. I don't have the answer, but the Callings are really important and we think by following them, we might figure out what happened to us," Emma replied. He sighed.

"Fine...let's go to the cave, but know that I hate this," he said. She smiled.

"I get it...I'm not ready to get on a plane either, but I know I'll probably have to someday," she replied, as they set off further up the mountain.

~*~

They arrived home that evening and Olive rushed to hug them all, including Henry, before giving him a punch in the arm.

"Owe…" Henry responded and she smiled at him.

"Don't scare me like that again," she chided.

"Promise," he replied.

"So...this was a Calling?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes and it was connected to your Aunt Emma's blizzard Calling," David replied.

"Your brother saved a man named Neal Cassidy, who went missing for a year," Margaret replied.

"Wait...missing like the plane missing?" Olive asked. They nodded.

"He was trapped in a cave and lost a year. He should have frozen to death...but somehow he came back," David explained.

"And that's not even half of it," Margaret said, as they went into the living room, where Mr. Gold sat, having been invited in by them.

"Yeah…Neal is Mr. Gold's son and Aunt Regina's brother," Henry announced.

"How is that possible?" Olive asked.

"Cora and I were together...when we were younger and she left us," Gold replied.

"Is that why you're interested in the plane? Because your son disappeared?" Olive asked. He nodded curtly.

"Yes...but I'm afraid time has not healed our relationship," Gold said.

"You weren't on good terms before he disappeared?" she asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," Gold replied.

"Yeah...but he came back. He's getting a second chance like us! Maybe you'll get a second chance too," Henry said. David and Margaret shared a smile and even Gold managed a small one.

"I hope so, young one," he agreed.

#Snowing #SnowxCharming #Charming family #Emma #Henry #Regina #Killian Rogers #Mr. Gold #AU #Manifest #with a Once twist #romance #adventure #family #mystery #drama #Lightning in a Bottle

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romanaisalive · 3 years

Text

solution

Whumptober entry, chosen prompt: trauma

Original WIP (Witches Seven), Regina backstory aka how did one of the Seven end up living as an eagle for two thousand years.

Warnings: helplessness, self-deprecation, grief, suicidal ideation, bad coping mechanisms

675 words, under the cut

No. 31 - HURT & COMFORT

disaster zone | trauma | prisoner

“Go and get some fresh air” was what Rae said and maybe she was right because her head was continuously spinning but that didn’t make her any more fine with it. She forced her legs to move, away from the house, away from Achlys. Everything was distorted, a mockery of reality. Witches were moving around, raising more houses, clearing up the rubble, building the new city of peace.

She couldn’t do it. She just wasn’t the kind of person who was equipped to do something like this. Achlys was right to break up, of course, in the state she was in (and let’s face it, in the state they both were in) the kind of relationship they had before couldn’t endure and it was better than pretending. That was fine. Except… She had no idea what to do then.

Rae seemed to have a seventh sense for how to behave around Achlys now, what to say, what to do. They knew each other for longer than any of them so maybe it was that, or that they always fought together so their magic was attuned to each other, or Rae was simply just a wiser witch than her. Probably all of them. Yuriya fit into the picture as well, their solid, dependable coven leader. She had her hangups about him but even she couldn’t resist the feeling of security he exuded. Maybe he was a leader meant for peace, but… The world was peaceful now. Mostly.

It wasn’t just their coven (or what was left of it). Her own bloody brother was organizing the effort to raise a settlement on the plains, five hours from here by flight, and he did so with a merciless efficiency she had no idea he possessed. Witches were building a future around her, covens mingling, factions forgotten. It was everything they dreamed of, so why couldn’t she do her part and make herself useful?

But that was just it. She didn’t know how to behave, she was only making things worse, no matter what she tried to do. She was only hurting Achlys with her presence, she was only in the way for Rae, she stumbled around hopelessly when she tried to help Yuriya. The only thing she could do was calling on the birds around them but even they were becoming independent, seeking out ways to help on their own.

She was utterly useless.

She wished she knew how the others did it, all of it. How did they know the steps, how did they look at the building city without seeing Thayer’s blood seeping into the stone, Ailen’s grateful grin before the locket sucked in their soul, hearing Della’s song as the river sprung up and her body melted into it? How did they sleep without shadows choking them in their dreams? How did they…

How?

They said Yuriya wasn’t a leader suited for war, she herself said that multiple times. But if that was true… Then maybe she was just a witch who wasn’t suited for peace.

She stopped and blinked at the waterfall. Her feet brought her to the edge of the mountain, under her the forest broke to give space to a deep chasm. There were trees down there too, if she squinted she saw them as they surrounded the river that used to be Della.

She watched the chasm and it looked back. Maybe Della had the right idea.

She didn’t want to die. There was enough death, she didn’t want to add to the pile. She just wanted to end this, to put a stop to all these feelings, to become something new, someone new who wasn’t burdened and wasn’t a burden.

She stepped towards the edge and let go. Wings sprouted from her back, her body shrunk, changed, her vision sharpened. The Della was flowing under her but it was just a river, a hunting territory. She let the instincts of the eagle consume her in a way she never did before, giving it everything until the world was bright again.

#whumptober2021 #no.31 #trauma #OC #writing #helplessness #self deprecation #grief #suicidal ideation #bad coping mechanisms #witches seven #they are fucked up your honor #pre-story #mine #also i cant believe its actually the last one #like wow this month flew by

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kmomof4 · 4 years

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Chosen, Protected, & Saved Ch.1

We’re back again with more of Chosen, Protected, & Saved for the @captainswanmoviemarathon, y’all!!! Now to find out what happened to Henry and figure out how to get him back! I hope y'all enjoy this! Thank you so much for coming along on this ride with me!! I’d love to know what you think!!

All the love and hugs to @profdanglaisstuff and @hollyethecurious for their grammar goddess-ness-eses and all their help in the crafting of this story!! I’ll be forever indebted to both of these lovely ladies!!! *MWAH* 😘

Summary: A little boy with the Heart of the Truest Believer. Demonic forces will stop at nothing to possess it. It’s up to Killian Jones, PI to find him and save him before it’s too late.

Rating: T

Words: 7288 of almost 18K

Tags: Inspired by The Golden Child, Kidnapping, Magic, Minor Character Death, Temporary Major Character Death, True Loves Kiss

ao3 link Prologue on Tumblr

Tag list: @hollyethecurious @winterbaby89 @snowbellewells @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @jennjenn615 @kingofmyheart14 @profdanglaisstuff @thisonesatellite @branlovestowrite @ultraluckycatnd @flslp87 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @let-it-raines @shireness-says @kymbersmith-90 @darkcolinodonorgasm @bethacaciakay @searchingwardrobes @ilovemesomekillianjones @teamhook @aprilqueen84 @qualitycoffeethings @superchocovian @artistic-writer @donteattheappleshook @doodlelolly0910 @seriouslyhooked @tiganasummertree @lfh1226-linda @nikkiemms @xsajx @klynn-stormz @captainswanmoviemarathon @jonirobinson64 @itsfabianadocarmo

Please let me know if you’d like to be added or removed.

Under the cut, unless Tumblr ate it.

Ch. 1

Emma Swan came down the stairs and headed toward the kitchen for her morning coffee fix. She expected to find six year old Henry watching PBS Kids since he was usually up before her. She glanced into the den only to see the room was empty and the tv was off.

Puzzled, she turned on the coffee maker and headed back upstairs to see if he’d actually slept in for once. The bathroom door was open, and the light was off, so he definitely wasn’t in there. She opened the door to his bedroom. It took a moment before her brain caught up to what she was seeing.

Henry was gone.

Everything in his room was in its place except his comforter. It wasn’t unheard of for Henry to wake in the night and go back to sleep on the sofa in the den. But if he had done that, he’d still be awake by now and have the tv on. Then she saw the large blood stain near his bed and her heart rate went into overdrive. Nausea rose in her throat and she swallowed hard trying to hold down the bile.

She struggled to control her breathing as panic threatened to overwhelm her. She could feel small traces of what felt like Henry’s magic still hovering in the room. What was she going to do? Her breathing hitched as tears filled her eyes. Henry was gone. There was blood on his floor. The sheriff had no experience with kidnappings and would do little more than make eyes at her instead of actually investigating and finding Henry. Her mind turned to her best friend and teacher, Regina Mills. She’d be able to track Henry and find out who’d taken him. She found Henry’s favorite scarf that he wore all year round no matter how hot it got. She looked around one more time, making sure she wasn’t missing anything, before she teleported herself to Regina’s.

~*~*~

“Regina. Regina! Wake up! He’s gone!”

Regina swam up from the sweet abyss of sleep at the panic and urgency she heard in her friend’s voice.

“What are you do. . . Who’s gone,” she mumbled, groggily.

“Henry,” Emma said. That brought Regina’s muddled thoughts into razor sharp clarity.

“What?” she snapped.

Emma took a deep breath, still trying to bring her breathing under control. Speaking as calmly and coherently as she could, she pushed the panic back down.

“Henry is missing. He’s usually up before I am, so when I came down this morning and didn’t see him anywhere, I went to his bedroom. He was gone, his comforter was gone, and there was blood on the floor.” Her voice hitched as the panic tried to come back up.

Regina swung out of bed and grabbed her robe, tying it around her. “Was there any sign of forced entry? Either in his bedroom or anywhere else in the house?” She led the way down to the kitchen where she turned on the coffee maker. She knew she was gonna need the caffeine boost.

“Not that I saw,” Emma replied. “When I realized he was gone, I came straight here. But there was some residual magic in his room. It felt like his though.”

“Did you bring anything of his that I can track him with?”

Emma nodded and held up Henry’s favorite gray and red striped scarf. It had been knitted by Granny, the proprietor of a little diner in town, and for whatever reason, Henry had latched onto it almost like a security blanket. Regina was almost surprised that he didn’t actually sleep with it.

The Swans had arrived in Storybrooke about five years ago. It was about a year after moving to the magical town that Emma’s magic had awoken and Regina had begun training her in its use. In all her years of study and practice, she’d never seen the kind of raw power that she saw in Emma Swan. She had the potential to be an extremely powerful practitioner of white magic. So when Henry’s abilities manifested (his Heart of the Truest Believer produced an actual X-Wing fighter in their backyard after seeing the latest Star Wars movie), she was hardly surprised and began training him as well. It had only been a little over a year and most of their sessions consisted of self-defense, since she was well aware that the forces of evil in this world would be very interested in him and his abilities. Emma had insisted, and she had agreed, that age five was a little young to start him on actual, practical magic. Unfortunately, her training apparently hadn’t helped him last night.

After getting her coffee and leading the way into her study, she opened the cabinet where her tracking potion was kept. Emma handed her the scarf and Regina was suddenly in a different place. She stood in a hallway with a door in front her with the name Killian Jones, Private Investigator emblazoned on the frosted glass. She turned to her left and saw a very handsome man with black hair, blue eyes, and dark scruff tinged with ginger coming down the hallway. He pulled out his key and opened the door in front of her. Even in the vision she could feel the buzz of magic around him. Her eyes narrowed. To her knowledge, there were only pockets of magical places in this world, and this place was not one of them. How could he have such powerful magic in the Land Without Magic? A long forgotten memory tickled the edges of her mind, but she concentrated on the man in front of her instead of trying to grasp at it.

As Killian Jones disappeared through the door, Regina found herself back in her home again. She shook her head and looked at Emma.

“You saw something didn’t you?” Emma asked, grabbing her arm. “Did you see Henry? Where is he?” Regina could see the panic rising up again in her eyes.

“Yes, I saw something,” she began, “No, it wasn’t Henry.”

The despair on Emma’s face nearly brought tears to her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to her friend. “But I did see someone who, I think, I’m pretty sure, can help.” She set down her potion, opened her laptop, and typed “Killian Jones, Private Investigator” into the search bar. In seconds she had a website, telephone number, and address. Boston. Just two hours away. Perfect. After printing out directions, she handed them to Emma. “Here. In case GPS goes screwy. Find Killian Jones.” She nodded in her certainty. “He’ll help us find Henry.”

Emma sputtered. “But who is he? Why him? What do you know about him?”

“Nothing yet. Beyond the fact that I saw him when I touched Henry’s scarf. But I’ve got an inkling. I need to do some research to make 100% sure.”

“Okay, but what about tracking him? Can you still use his scarf to see where he is?”

“Not likely,” Regina said. “Magic has rules. And when you’re dealing with non-magical items, they can only be used once. Since the scarf is not magic and it’s shown me this man, I won’t be able to use it again to find him. Killian Jones is our best bet. He was shown to me for a reason. He will find Henry.”

Emma took a deep breath. She wasn’t quite ready to trust this unknown man to find her son, but she trusted Regina implicitly. If Regina said this Killian Jones would help, then she believed her.

Emma’s chin trembled and her eyes filled with tears. Regina reached out and drew her friend into a comforting hug. “We have to find him, Regina,” Emma whispered. “I can’t live without him.”

“I know, Emma.” Regina drew back and looked her in the eyes. “And we will find him. Let’s get back to his room, you call and make an appointment with Jones. He’ll be fine, Emma. Even if Henry is unable to use his magic right now, the protection spell that I’ve placed over him will hold.” Emma nodded her head and wiped the tears from her face before Regina waved her hand and transported them both to Henry’s bedroom.

Emma stepped outside to call Killian Jones as Regina looked around. The sizable bloodstain on the carpet was alarming, but when she bent and held her hand out over it, she could discern no magical properties in the blood. Whoever it belonged to had no magic of their own. Closing her eyes and opening her Seer’s eye, Regina could see the threads of magic remaining in the room. Henry’s was a bright green, almost chartreuse. While much darker and fainter, she also found evidence of her old teacher, the Dark One.

Reaching out and touching the strands of magic she found, the events from last night filled her mind. She saw two boys appear in the room in a cloud of grey smoke. Boys that she recognized from her time under the Dark One’s tutelage and who hadn’t aged a single day. She couldn’t remember their names, though. As the shorter one reached the bed, she saw Henry’s hand reach out and grab him. She couldn’t help the surge of pride she felt that he was able to do that small bit to protect himself. The boy turned to his companion and tackled him, but only moments later, he was laying on the carpet, blood pouring out of the stab wound the other one had left. She watched as the other boy leapt onto the bed and the struggle that ensued. She saw the boy get ahold of Henry’s wrist and slap a black cuff on him before all three of them were enveloped in another cloud of smoke. She released a resigned sigh and opened her eyes.

Emma returned. “I have a one-thirty appointment.”

“Good,” Regina replied. “I was right. The Dark One has taken him. Or rather, the Dark One’s errand boys took him. The blood isn’t Henry’s.” Emma let out a sigh of relief at that news. “It was the Dark One’s magic that transported the kidnappers both to and from. The magic you felt was definitely Henry’s. He used it to defend himself against one of the kidnappers. Henry’s magic is purely good, so a touch is all it took for the kidnapper to become a protector instead. Unfortunately, that may have been his death sentence. All three of them were taken back once Henry was subdued. I don’t expect the Dark One would be that concerned about saving the boy that got stabbed, so it’s likely that he’s dead.” Regina fell silent, her face grim.

Emma’s face mirrored her concern, but the evidence of her tears were gone. “Okay, I’ve got to get going here in a bit. Is there anything else I need to know?”

“There’s no need to tell him anything about magic,” Regina mused, “He’s not aware of his own, so chances are mentioning it would give him every reason to refuse to help us. Just tell him that he comes very highly recommended and that money is no object.”

“What if he asks about the police?”

“You tell him the truth. That they are involved but there are extenuating circumstances that you don’t trust in Ozman’s hands. He carries a torch for you and you need someone who will actually take this seriously instead of see it as an opportunity to try and weasel themselves into your affections, as despicable as that is.” Emma rolled her eyes at the quite accurate assessment of her would be suitor. “Bring Jones here in the morning.”

“Tomorrow?” Emma interrupted, “Why tomorrow? Why not today? Every minute we’re not looking, is another minute that the Dark One can use to hurt Henry!”

“Emma,” she countered, grabbing her by the shoulders, “It will take some time away from Storybrooke before the protection spell I have on him will fade enough for the Dark One to do anything to him. Three, four days at least. Don’t worry.” Regina stared hard at Emma. “We will get him back and he will be fine,” she assured her. “I’ll be spending today researching my hunch and hopefully, getting a bead on where he was taken and how to get him back.”

Emma’s restless anxiety was not fully assuaged, but it was significantly lessened by Regina’s certainty. She nodded. “Okay. Keep me updated and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Emma nodded before the friends embraced and she spun on her heel and left the room.

~*~*~

Killian Jones looked up from the remains of his lunch as his secretary, Ariel, poked her head in.

“Your one-thirty is here, Killian.”

“Thanks, Ariel. Just give me a minute.”

She withdrew as he gathered the debris on the desk in front of him and dumped it all in the trash. Standing up, he ran his fingers through his hair and stepped through to the outer office.

A goddess with nearly waist length blonde hair and green eyes looked up at him. He had to shake his head slightly and snap his mouth shut to keep from looking like a total moron in front of the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. He held his hand out to her and she rose and placed her own hand in his. He couldn’t help but run his thumb over her knuckles as he introduced himself.

“Killian Jones, at your service.”

Her eyes widened and she was completely captivated by the startling blue of his. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Jones. I’m Emma Swan.” She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat. Killian Jones was easily the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

“Please, come in. And call me Killian,” he encouraged, dropping her hand and placing his on the small of her back to lead her into his office.

She shook her head slightly as she felt her cheeks heat. The heat from his hand spread over her back, bringing a soothing warmth with it. She normally would have balked at a virtual stranger touching her like that, but somehow she knew that it was a gesture of protection and guidance, not control. That small distinction further confirmed the decision to seek him out. But, she couldn’t afford to be attracted to him. She had a purpose in coming here- and she would do well to remember that. “Killian, then,” she agreed. She took her seat where he indicated as he moved to the other side of the desk and sat down.

“How may I help you today, Ms. Swan?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “If I’m going to call you Killian, then I have to insist on you calling me Emma.”

A delighted grin broke out on his face. “Very well, Emma. How may I help you today?”

Her face fell and tears gathered in her eyes. “My son was kidnapped last night.”

He didn’t know what he had expected her to say, but this was probably near the bottom of the list. About 90% of his business was investigating cheating spouses. He had noticed she wore no ring, but that didn’t mean much these days. He hadn’t dealt with a kidnapping case since his days in the Boston PD. His brow furrowed as he pulled a pad out of his desk.

“Have the police been contacted?”

“Yes, but our sheriff would be useless in this case,” she hedged, her eyes skittering away from his.

“Why do you say that?” he asked.

Her face flushed a pretty pink, but it only took a moment for him to realize it was in anger, not embarrassment. “The biggest reason is because he’s been trying to get in my pants since I moved to town five years ago. He’s a weasel and I wouldn’t trust him to walk a dog around the block, much less to find my son! There is no doubt in my mind that he would talk a big game trying to impress me or get me to date him, and then do nothing to find Henry. And the second reason is that even if that wasn’t the case and he wasn’t a giant ass, he has no experience whatsoever with kidnappings. We’re a small town and the overwhelming majority of the ‘crime’,” she put air quotes around the word, “there are kids playing pranks or helping to find pets that have run off.”

Killian felt sick. He knew his mouth hung open in pure, unadulterated shock. He had been acquainted with some of the lowlifes of humanity, but that there were men, on the right side of the law, that would use the kidnapping of a child to try and woo the child’s mother was a new low. If he ever had the opportunity to meet this contemptible bastard, he’d like nothing more than to punch him into next week.

“I see,” he murmured, trying to rein in his ire.

“I need someone who will actually find Henry. He’s all I have.”

He looked into her emerald eyes. “You have my word. I’ll do everything I can to bring your son home to you.”

Emma gazed into Killian’s blazing blue eyes and was comforted by the intensity and conviction she saw there. Her heart rate increased again as she tore her gaze from his before she got hopelessly lost in them. She knew that he would take her case and that they would find Henry.

“Tell me everything.”

~*~*~

An hour later, Emma emerged from Killian’s office. “I’ll drive up to Storybrooke first thing in the morning and meet you at your home by nine. I’ll text when I leave so you’ll have an idea of when to expect me.”

“Thank you so much, Killian. I’ll see you in the morning.” She dipped her face again as her cheeks flushed and she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles.

“Until tomorrow, love.” He turned to Ariel as Emma left the office. “Don’t look at me like that.”

She smirked, knowingly. “I didn’t say a word,” she protested.

“I’ll be out of the office for a few days. Don’t burn the place down while I’m gone.”

“Mmhmmm,” she murmured. “Yes, sir.”

~*~*~

Killian climbed into bed that night after drinking just enough rum to help him fall asleep easily without her sparkling green eyes taunting him all night. She was the most exquisite creature he’d ever seen and he knew that he was going to need some liquid sedative if he hoped to get a good night's sleep before driving up to Maine in the morning.

She intrigued him. Both her and her case. He’d asked all the standard questions in a kidnapping investigation- when and where he was last seen, could a non-custodial parent be responsible (he couldn’t stop the small smile when she informed him that Henry’s father didn’t even know he existed), had he been chatting with anyone online that she knew of (he may be a little young in his own humble opinion, but you never knew these days)- and while she’d been honest with him in answering his questions, he knew that she was holding something back.

He had a sixth sense, his nephews likened it to a superpower, where he could tell if someone was lying to him. And while she hadn’t exactly been lying, she was definitely leaving something out. Something that niggled at him. Hence the rum. Whatever she was hiding, he had a feeling he’d find out what it was in the morning when he got to Storybrooke.

With those thoughts, he fell asleep.

~*~*~

“Hello, Killian Jones.” The oily voice sounded giddily taunting and jerked Killian awake. The man before him was impeccably dressed and appeared to be utterly poised and confident as he stared at Killian with piercing dark eyes. He sat, one ankle resting on the other knee, in the same chair that Emma had occupied that afternoon.

“Who are you? How did you get here?” He looked around his office. “How did I get here?” The last thing he remembered was getting into bed with thoughts of Emma Swan swirling through his mind.

“I think you know exactly who I am,” he nearly purred. Then he shrugged, “But if not, it won’t be long before you do.” He stared at him again, if possible his stare even harder than before. “I am here for one reason and one reason only.” Killian released a small gasp when flames appeared in the stranger’s eyes. “Stay away from this case. Stay away from Emma Swan. You are dealing with things that are so far beyond you and your understanding…” the flames died down and he trailed away with a sneer. “Things that would drive you mad.”

Killian leaned back in his chair, his innate stubbornness and anger rising. Whoever this man, thing, was, it was gonna take much more than a magic trick in a dream to turn him away from finding Emma’s son.

“Listen,” he began, placing his hands behind his head in a show of casual indifference, “I don’t know who you are or where you come from. But I don’t make a habit of letting a bunch of hocus pocus mumbo jumbo scare me off of anything. Especially when it comes in a dream.” He smirked cockily at his unwanted guest. “And since this is a dream, I can pretty much say anything I want and get away with it.” He paused, thinking. “So I think I’ll say, from my heart, kiss my ass.”

The man’s sneer disappeared as he leaned forward. “I really don’t like your attitude.”

Killian shrugged. “I don’t care what you like.” His gaze hardened then at the man in front of him. “Now take your bag of tricks and get out of my office.”

“Very well. I see that your choice is made.” The man uncrossed his legs and rose from the chair. “But before I go,” he reached forward and grabbed Killian’s hand. He felt an ice cold sensation that nearly burnt in its intensity before he jerked it out of the man’s grasp. He looked down at his hand where the skin bore now a shimmering scale-like appearance. He looked up again at the man before him whose smirk had a reptilian quality that sent a shiver of dread down Killian’s spine. “Just a little something to,” he paused, “leave an impression.” He giggled and disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke.

Killian jerked awake in the darkness. He turned on the light at the side of his bed and stared down at his hand. The burning scar from the dream was still there. Killian’s heart thundered in his chest. How could something that had happened in a dream…? He couldn’t finish the thought. He knew he’d be getting no more sleep that night.

~*~*~

Emma startled when the bell rang announcing Killian Jones. She was expecting him, of course, but her lack of sleep the night before, even with a magical assist, ensured that she was still on edge enough that she was easily startled. Trying to will her heartbeat to slow down, she walked to the front door. When she opened it, she inhaled sharply and her eyes trailed down his body appreciatively and back up again. He wore jeans with a pullover that was pulled tightly across his chest. His scruff was neatly trimmed and his hair was slightly mussed as if he’d been running his hand through it. His eyes were still a piercing blue, but he had shadows underneath them like he hadn’t slept well the night before. She licked her lips self-consciously as her eyes met his.

“See something you like there, love,” he asked, smirking at her with a raised eyebrow.

She could feel the blush heating her cheeks as she looked away and held the door open for him.

“Good morning, Killian,” she greeted him. “Please come in.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, all flirtation gone.

“Regina is expecting us as soon as you have a chance to look around,” she said leading him into the kitchen. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked with a small smile, “You look like you could use it.”

Killian coughed, surprised at her perceptiveness. After only spending an hour with her the day before, he wouldn’t have thought that she’d be able to look at him and tell that he’d had a rough night.

“That would be great, lass. Thank you.”

She poured him a large travel mug of the aromatic brew. He took a sip and nearly groaned in delight. The coffee he had drunk that morning to get himself moving had long since left his system and he was desperate for something, anything that would help banish the recollection of last night’s disturbing dream and help him concentrate on the case at hand.

“Regina, your friend who knows more about who may have taken Henry and why?” he asked following her out of the kitchen and toward the stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

“Yes, that’s right,” Emma replied. At the top of the stairs, she turned to the door on her left and opened it for him.

He entered the room and looked around. Of course he didn’t miss the sizable blood stain on the carpet in front of Henry’s bed. His heart skipped a beat as he took in all the toys and books scattered around the room. No child should ever be taken, but seeing the domain of this particular little boy made a fierce protectiveness that he had never known for anyone, not even his nephews, rise in him. He was completely taken aback by the strength of the sentiment. It was natural that he’d want to find a child that had been kidnapped, but it was something else for thoughts and feelings of duty, guardianship, and even love toward this child he had never met to flood his heart and mind. He had to find this little boy.

Turning back toward the boy’s mother, he caught her intense scrutiny before her cheeks flushed and she looked away. Something told him that it wasn’t attraction he was seeing now, but rather something else. Perhaps some of what she had hidden from him yesterday? He couldn’t help the feeling of exposure that came over him, like she could see things about him that he’d rather keep to himself, making him scratch at that spot behind his ear in a nervous tic that he’d never been able to kick. He followed her back out of the room.

“Okay, let's go see Regina.”

She nodded and descended the stairs, very conscious of Killian’s presence behind her.

When he’d looked around Henry’s room, she had watched him carefully, cataloguing every reaction he had. Regina was absolutely certain about him, but she had experience that Emma herself didn’t have. She was much more concrete. She wanted something that she could see, not just trust in someone else. As much as she did trust that particular someone else.

She had watched him as his eyes darkened in alarm and then flashed with anger when they had landed on the blood stain on the carpet. Softening as they’d swept over Henry’s bookshelves, she’d seen a wave of affection, protectiveness, and sorrow come over him as he turned his eyes back on her. Feeling much more comfortable about him, she couldn’t help the small smile that had escaped her when he scratched behind his ear in a nervous tic.

“Okay, let’s go see Regina.”

~*~*~

A short time later, Regina ushered Emma and Killian into her living room. She knew that her frown could be off putting to people who didn’t know her well, so she struggled to keep her expression pleasant even though she could feel the magic of the Dark One hanging about him. That magic was only further confirmation of what she had found in her research the day before. She sighed internally and glanced at her new acquaintance, hoping that he’d be up to the challenge that she was about to lay on him.

“Mr. Jones,” Regina began.

“Please, call me Killian, milady,” he interrupted.

“Killian, then,” she repeated with a sharp nod. She settled down on the sofa opposite them and fixed him with a hard stare. She couldn’t figure out how Killian might have come in contact with her former teacher’s dark magic, but it was obvious to her that he had. She decided she was just going to have to be blunt and hope for the best.

“Tell me, Mr, ah, Killian,” she quickly corrected herself, shaking her head, “have you ever had any contact with magic?”

Killian visibly startled and Emma’s eyes widened in surprise at her bold question.

“Magic?” he asked, his eyebrows nearly hitting his hairline.

“Yes, magic,” she repeated, not backing down a bit.

Emma had been on the receiving end of that imperious and penetrating gaze before and she wasn’t surprised to see Killian’s apparent discomfort under that scrutiny. But before she could offer him any kind of reassurance, she watched this man as he suppressed his discomfort and fixed Regina with as hard a stare as she was leveling at him.

“Why are you asking me this? Magic doesn’t exist. And even if it did, you wouldn’t be asking me that without a very good reason. What exactly is going on here?” He turned to look at her. “I know that what you told me yesterday was the truth, but I also know that you didn’t tell me everything. If I’m going to be able to help you, you have to tell me everything, whether it seems relevant or not. No matter how insignificant it may appear to be. It’s been a long time since I’ve dealt with a kidnapping, but I know what I’m doing. This a partnership. I need you and ANY information you can give me just as much as you need me.”

Emma nodded and then looked over at their hostess. Regina seemed to deflate a bit.

“All of your questions will be answered, Mr,” she shook her head, “Killian. I’m sorry, I keep forgetting. I sense something.” Regina closed her eyes momentarily. “On you. I need you to answer my question before I can answer yours.”

Killian took a deep breath, his hackles lowering.

“Fine,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t call it magic, but I did have a very strange dream this morning…” He trailed away, remembering, albeit reluctantly. “A man visited me in my office and warned me to stay away from this case.” He turned to Emma, “To stay away from you, love.” He took her hand in his own. It was so warm and soft, he looked down and entwined their fingers before raising his eyes to hers again. “I told him he could fuck off. That nothing was going to stop me from finding your boy.”

She looked down at their hands, surprised that she hadn’t noticed that their fingers had intertwined. She looked back at him. His gaze was so intense, she couldn’t help the shiver of awareness that shot down her spine. She tamped it down firmly. This was no time to give in to her attraction. Henry was first.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “That means a lot.”

Regina shook her head across from them. “But what about the magic? That’s not all that was in the dream, is it?” she queried. “There’s something more.”

Killian’s eyes skittered towards Regina and widened slightly.

“Yes,” he agreed. “But, it wasn’t magic...” he trailed away.

“Listen, Killian,” she interjected. “I am a seer. I can see the dark magic on you. And I know it’s not yours. Yours is light. And powerful. But, you have come into contact with some very powerful dark magic that I recognize. I need to know how. This dream wasn’t just a dream, was it?”

Killian’s head was spinning with everything she had just said. “Wait a minute,” he began, “What are you… what do you…” he was trying not to hyperventilate. “My magic? I don’t have magic.”

Regina could see that she had effectively torpedoed this meeting and she was desperate to get them back on track. She cursed at herself under her breath for her lack of tact and impatience and tried to salvage what she could.

“Mr. Jones, ah, Killian, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.” He waved aside her sentiment assuring her forgiveness wasn’t necessary. “When I’m stressed, I tend to become a bit of a bitch, forgetting my manners. Emma and Henry are like family to me.” She turned a soft smile on Emma. “This entire situation has frightened me just about as much as his mother. Especially since I have a pretty good idea of what exactly is going on. Please trust me for just a moment. Forget what I just said. All your questions will be answered. I swear to you. Just as you said that there was nothing that should be left out, no matter how seemingly insignificant it was, the same goes here. Tell me,” she pleaded, “It is of the utmost importance.”

Killian scratched behind his ear again, clearly reluctant to share. “After I told him to get out, he took my hand.” He paused and held up his left hand. The skin on the back of his hand was pure white and scaly looking. Emma gasped in horror as she took that hand in her own.

“He did this?” she whispered.

“Aye.”

“Let me see,” Regina demanded, reaching across the coffee table between them.

Killian reached across to her as she exchanged an anxious look with Emma. She stared back down at his hand as he continued speaking. “He said he wanted to leave an impression.”

Regina released him and fell back to the sofa. “The man who visited you is my former teacher. He is known as the Dark One.”

Killian’s brows furrowed. “The Dark One?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “He was my first and only teacher of magic. A very powerful practitioner of dark magic. After I’d been under his tutelage for some time, he caught me with a very old, dusty,” she wrinkled her nose at the memory, “spell book.” She turned to Emma, “This is what I needed to research yesterday. When I saw Killian in the vision,” she smiled widely, pleased that she remembered to call him Killian, “the memory tickled, but I didn’t try to nail it down right then, in favor of noticing as many details in the vision as I could.” She turned her attention back to Killian. “The oracle that he caught me reading told of the Chosen One, a powerful wizard from the Land Without Magic, the Protector of the Heart of the Truest Believer. When he found me reading it, he flew into a rage the likes of which I’d never seen. It was more than enough reason to get away from him and continue my study and practice on my own.” She nearly pierced Killian to the soul with her penetrating gaze. “You, Killian, are the Chosen One.”

Emma’s eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. “The Chosen One is the Protector of the Heart of the Truest Believer? Henry’s heart?”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Killian waved his hand at them, drawing both their attention. “You’re saying I’m some sort of Chosen One? Why? What makes you say that? Who or what chose me?!”

Regina waved her hand, dismissively. “I don’t worry about that kind of thing so much. Call it what you will. Providence, luck, God. All I know is, that when I touched Henry’s scarf yesterday in order to track him, I had a vision of you. You were coming into your office. You wore a black suit, white shirt, and a red tie with silver anchors on it.”

Killian was momentarily stunned silent. “That’s what you meant by seer.” Regina smirked at him. “What exactly is a seer?”

“There are different types. I have visions and can see magic. I can see not only the Dark One’s magic stream from where he touched you,” she reached across the coffee table again and took his hand in her own, “but I can see your magic.”

Killian raised an eyebrow at her. “My magic.”

Regina nodded slowly. “Yes, your magic.”

Killian withdrew his hand and leaned back against the sofa blowing out a long breath. “I was not aware that I had magic.”

“It’s latent, for sure. But it is definitely there. I could feel it in the vision I had. Now, since you’ve never been trained in its use, it will only manifest under extremely emotional circumstances.”

Emma finally spoke. “Remind me to tell you about the time my magic manifested for the first time. That’s a story for another time.” Killian raised an eyebrow at her, questioning. “Yes, I have magic, too. So does Henry. This town is full of it and it’s here that Henry and I were drawn to when he was a baby. It’s here that Regina began training me in the use of my magic once it appeared, and Henry as well when his magic awoke a little over a year ago.” She looked over to Regina who nodded at her encouragingly. Emma closed her eyes and let her magic flow through her, holding her hand out so that Killian could see the white magic on her palm. “When I discovered that Henry was missing, I came straight to Regina, teleported into her bedroom before she was even awake. When Regina came to the house, she was able to see the magic used and what exactly happened to Henry. He has the Heart of the Truest Believer and the Dark One wants it.”

“You are connected to Henry in a way I don’t fully understand,” Regina added, “Henry being who he is, tells me who you are.”

Killian’s mind was spinning. He didn’t know what to do with all the information that was being thrown at him. He realized then that his superpower wasn’t going off. At all. Everything Regina and Emma were saying was the absolute truth. He considered himself a pretty laid back and open minded man, but what they were saying and showing him was so far out of his wheelhouse that, while he believed them, he was having a hell of a time assimilating it all. It brought back what the man, the Dark One, had said in his dream last night. You are dealing with things that are so far beyond you and your understanding… Things that would drive you mad.

“And I am the Chosen One. The Protector of the Heart of the Truest Believer. And that’s Henry.” Regina and Emma both nodded.

A bone deep certainty settled over Killian like a cloak. That was why when he entered Henry’s room earlier he had felt so much for the little guy. Why he had felt so protective of him and angry that someone would dare to take him from his very bed. This monster, this Dark One, wanted to kill a child in order to obtain his heart for whatever nefarious purpose. Second, he had the audacity to come to him and try to get him to step away from the case. Fury rose in him. He rose from the sofa.

“How dare he,” he seethed.

Emma caught her breath. Killian’s blue eyes flashed, his cheeks and the tips of his ears were bright red, his teeth were clenched and his hands curled into fists. The man was absolutely magnificent in his rage. Her own heart rate sped up. She had never felt like this about anyone before. It went beyond simple attraction. His connection to Henry, meant that he was connected to her as well. Exploring that connection would have to wait, though. Not until Henry was safe. As these thoughts came to the front of her mind, she realized something. She had been so worried about her son that it didn’t even occur to her to be angry at the demon who had taken him, so as she looked at Killian, her own wrath came to the surface.

“We have to destroy him.” She turned furious eyes on her teacher. “What do we do? How do we do it? He was your teacher. You’ve protected us against him. Surely you know how to destroy him! And where is he keeping Henry?”

He couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, although the emotions that came over him in Henry’s room were at least similar in scope and intensity to what he imagined she was feeling. As he watched her now, he saw not just a beautiful woman, good friend, and loving mother, he saw an avenging goddess and he couldn’t help the proud smile that stole over his face as he thought of Emma taking on the Dark One.

“I haven’t made it that far yet, Emma. There is more information that Killian needs before you go off half-cocked,” Regina said. “Please sit down,” she invited.

Killian sank down onto the sofa again. “I’ve told you everything that I can remember about that dream, now it’s your turn.”

Regina nodded and began. Killian took out his pad and made notes of everything that Regina said, with a few interjections by Emma. After she had filled him in on the rest of her own history with the Dark One and the circumstances of Henry’s kidnapping, Regina paused.

“What?” Killian asked. “Whatever you have to say now can’t possibly be any more unbelievable than what you’ve already told me.”

“You have to obtain his dagger. It is the only thing that can destroy him. Since he marked you with his magic, Killian, I can trace it to find exactly where it is.”

Regina looked at Emma. “He will need his dagger in order to harm Henry, once my protection spell wears off in the next few days. So there is no time to lose. You must get the dagger and bring it here. We must keep him away from it at all costs.”

Emma and Killian turned to one another with wide eyes. “Then where is it?” Emma asked. “How do we get it?”

Regina reached across the coffee table and motioned to Killian to give her his hand again. When he did, she closed her eyes, her other hand hovering over the white skin. After about twenty seconds of tense silence, Regina began to speak.

“There is an underground chamber at Stonehenge, one of the few magical places on this earth,” she murmured. “You’ll have to go underground at Salisbury Cathedral to get there. It is built over the ancient civilization of Sarum, the people who built Stonehenge. Go down to the crypt and there is a passageway leading to Stonehenge.” Regina released Killian’s hand and held her’s out in front of her, her palm facing them. Killian looked at Emma who stared at her, transfixed. “Killian, you are the one who must get the dagger. You must follow all the directions that you are given.” Her eyes snapped open, pupils and irises gone, her eyes pure white as her voice rose in a reverberating crescendo as loud as thunder. “YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL THE DIRECTIONS YOU ARE GIVEN OR HENRY WILL BE LOST.”

Killian swallowed thickly as Regina’s eyes closed again and then opened, perfectly normal. He stared at her, mouth agape. “Follow all the directions I am given.” He nodded sharply. “Got it.”

He turned to Emma. “Well, it looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us, love. Looks like we’re heading to Stonehenge.”

~*~*~

Thank you for reading and sharing. I’d love to know what you think! Our conclusion will be up a week from today!

#csmm20 #chosen protected & saved #inspired by the golden child #krystal writes

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jovialyouthmusic · 4 years

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Silver Service

The Winter Games at Lythikos begin, and Liam and Olivia are seen together more and more. Anton’s condition deteriorates.

Word Count 3558

A/N One more chapter to go and this series comes to an end.

22 Not Quite Over

‘Well this is a step up from my last visit to Lythikos’ Drake said as Sophia consulted the list of bedroom allocations, remembering how she had helped out last time she’d been there. ‘Olivia always put me in the chalet furthest away from the Lodge, with only just enough room to walk round the bed and a shared bathroom.’ He explained to Riley ‘Mind you, that meant raiding her wine cellar all the more tempting. Sophia and I made a bit of a dent in her collection’ Sophia shuddered at the memory, remembering she had gone there after an ominous meeting with Constantine, when she wondered if Bastien would have to give her up for his job.

‘Maybe you and I can pay a visit this time’ Riley grinned, squeezing his arm as they walked along the narrowing corridors of the guest section of the lodge. The room they had been allocated was at least in the main building, and Drake knew that all of them had their own en suite bathrooms, though the section they were coming to was at the lower end of what the building had to offer. Still, it was better than queuing to shave and having to wrap up warm to get to the main house. Sophia stopped to look at the schematic she’d been given.

‘It’s just at the end of the corridor on the right’ she said, and as she did, her phone beeped with an incoming text message. She looked at it and smiled ‘It looks like Bas has some time off, so I’m going to go and meet him’ Riley grinned at her.

‘Don’t do anything we – oof!’ she grunted as Drake interrupted by elbowing her in the ribs.

‘Don’t remind me that my mentor has a healthy sexual appetite’ he grumbled, then rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly ‘Sorry Soph’.

‘It’s fine’ she said ‘I’ll probably see you at dinner, there’s a buffet in the main dining room at six’.

‘Sure thing’ Drake waited until she was out of earshot before leaning across to whisper in Riley’s ear ‘Now let’s go and give our bed a thorough testing’

‘Okay Tiger’ she murmured, and they went off to explore their new quarters.

--------

It was late when Olivia and Liam finally got time to talk again, as the Duchess had people to greet and meetings with her staff to make sure all was ready for the opening ceremony the day after. This time it was Olivia’s suite where they met. Liam had and adjoining room with a connecting door. Olivia sat heavily on the bed, and Liam went to sit with her, taking one of her feet to massage it.

‘I’m glad I had that nap in the limo’ she groaned ‘My energy levels aren’t what they should be’

‘Naturally, your growing a whole new person’ Liam smiled softly. ‘You can always delegate to me, you know’ She scoffed

‘This is my duchy, Liam’ she replied, and lay flat, looking up at the ceiling.

‘So what do you think of my proposal?’ He asked ‘I understand you’ve not had a lot of time to think about it, but I’d like to know what way you’re leaning.’

‘I know I need to give you an answer’ she said ‘Time’s getting on, and if I say yes, the announcement will be considerably different than my bearing the heir, to say nothing of our problem with Anton. I’m still his wife’

‘Now that’s where I’ve got good news for you’ he replied, and she sat up to look at him.

‘Good news is exactly what I need right now’ she said.

‘Well, there is yet another ancient Royal marriage clause that states that both parties must be reasonably expected to physically beget or bear children. King Theodore’s eldest son wasn’t allowed to inherit the throne after he had a riding accident that paralysed him from the waist down and made him impotent. The throne went to his brother’

‘But that didn’t apply to Regina. She was known to be barren when she married Constantine’ Olivia pointed out

‘Constantine already had two heirs, so that clause was null and void.’

‘So Anton’s condition – oh wait, Lucretia said death was certain’ Olivia mused.

‘But even if he lingered for years, we could argue that he’ll never be able to beget an heir’

‘It sounds a bit shaky’

‘A bit shaky is better than impossible’ Liam said ‘It’s our best argument so far’ Olivia lay back down with a sigh.

‘It’s not a good thing to wish another human being dead, even Anton Severus’ she grumbled ‘But it would solve a number of problems’

------

The following morning, Olivia and the King declared the games open. A winter fair with tents, stalls and marquees close to the lodge ran all through the event, and the sports started off with a downhill ski race that morning. There were enough entries for three heats, and four from each heat would go through to the final, to be held the next day. The next morning there would be curling on the lake and the afternoon hosted the downhill ski finals. The following morning was set aside for a figure skating event on the lake and snowboarding in the afternoon. The third day saw skating speed races in the morning and ski jumping in the afternoon. The fourth day was set aside for finals, awards, and a closing ceremony.

The event was well attended, and it looked as if Olivia’s fears of being unpopular were unfounded. She made sure to mingle with the crowds at the fair and with the competitors and sponsors. That meant that at the end of the day she was exhausted, which worried Liam.

‘Livvy, you need to take a break’ he said as she got ready for bed, too tired even to take a bath.

‘You know I have to work hard at this’ she sighed ‘There’s nobody to delegate to here, not even you.’

‘Then let me take care of you’ he said, and took hold of her shoulders, looking into her eyes ‘You know you can trust me’ She sighed, and he pulled her close ‘You’ve done really well today’ he continued ‘I plan to tell the country about our arrangement at the closing ceremony if things continue like this’ He felt her stiffen.

‘And if Anton’s still alive? He’s still legally my husband’

‘I’m working on it – remember that clause about being able to provide an heir? I’m waiting for a report from the hospital that will confirm that’s impossible’

‘You’d say it all hinges on who I choose’ she said ‘and you know I’d never choose Anton’

‘I suppose that’s true’ he replied ‘Now come on, let’s get you to bed, you need to rest’

------

The second day was a roaring success, and Olivia continued to make herself seen, but now Liam kept her company. There were whispers and rumours about the two of them, but they all seemed positive. Sophia was happy to discover that Bastien’s duties were light, and they spent most of the day together watching the sports and visiting the winter fair. She made sure to keep abreast of the media, monitoring opinions on the budding friendship between Olivia and the King. Late in the day, it was confirmed at last that Anton was unlikely to recover enough to reign, let alone provide an heir for his line. An broadcast to the public was arranged for early evening.

Liam chose to film the broadcast in the lounge of the suite Olivia had provided him with. It was to be recorded and broadcast within an hour. He sat at the desk by the window, the snowy slopes of the Lythikos mountains behind him. He gazed into the camera with sincerity, and began.

‘My dear citizens of Cordonia - although Lord Severus and I were at odds regarding the monarchy, I am deeply saddened to hear how ill he is. He is receiving the best of care, but the doctors tell me that he is extremely unlikely to recover full mobility. It is also doubtful that he will regain his mental faculties.’ he said gravely. ‘I need to go through due process, but I believe that his condition precludes him from ascending the throne. It is also evident that as Lord Severus is unable to sire an heir, and as he is the last of his line, that also means that Lady Olivia can be released from her betrothal, as set down in Cordonian law’ The camera crew couldn’t help but react to this statement, and Liam knew he would be answering some searching questions in the press conference after the broadcast. He paused to let his statement sink in before starting again.

‘Staying here in Lythikos, I am aware that I am not on home ground, and over the centuries there has been rivalry between the houses of Rys and Nevrakis. I am aware that my own father also caused disharmony with House Severus. In this day and age, I hope that we can use diplomacy and frank discussion to solve disputes between families, or Duchies or countries.’ He paused for a moment

‘The charity tour that I have instigated has proved popular, so much so that I hope to make it an annual or biennial event. Each Duchy has a chance to raise money for deserving causes, and involves all levels of society, unlike the lavish balls and other events that have been run in the past almost for the sole benefit of the nobility. Here in Lythikos, the Winter Games and the fair have proved popular, not just with Lythikans, but with Cordonians from all corners of the Kingdom. I hope that our two houses can at last co-exist in harmony and unity with strong intentions for the prosperity of all our citizens. I am open to talks with any dissidents who have disputes that have remained unsolved in recent history, or indeed with longer standing issues.’

‘In conclusion, I would like to add that I will be making another address to the nation at the end of the games. I am honoured to be responsible for the prosperity and peace of such a beautiful part of the world, and intend to reign wisely and benevolently. Thankyou.’

-------

After the broadcast, Liam went to Olivia’s lounge, to find her dressed for bed, reading a book on Lythican traditions. He stooped to land a kiss on her forehead, and she looked up, surprised.

‘What was that for?’ she asked

‘Do I need a reason?’ he asked ‘You look more relaxed this evening’

‘Not being married to a snake like Severus goes a long way toward relaxing’ she answered ‘That, and the games are going really well.’ She put her book down and stretched. Liam knelt in front of her.

I know something that would relax you more’ he smiled, crooking an eyebrow.

‘I’m sick of massages and warm baths’ she grumbled ‘I’ll be glad when I’m into my second trimester. I’m told things are much more comfortable then’

‘Neither of those’ Liam replied, tracing a finger up the inside of her calf. When he reached her knee, she put her hand on his to stop him going higher.

‘Liam’ She said, drawing a breath ‘I’m pregnant, we don’t have to…’

‘Why not?’ he replied ‘I have it on good authority that orgasms are good for mother and child’ He took his hand back and put his palm to her cheek, rising as she leant toward him for a lingering kiss. She gazed at him, and he back at her.

‘You’re beautiful. Olivia’ he breathed ‘As soon as I let off the pressure of having to declare a bride, I relaxed, and saw who you truly are. You’re loyal and strong and passionate, and you never back down. I need someone like that in my life. You complement me perfectly.’

‘Liam’ she protested, but he stayed kneeling in front of her.

‘Just hear me out’ he said ‘I’ll accept whatever terms you want. Be my Queen, my lover, my consort. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you willingly. Anything to have a loving family. You don’t wear your heart on your sleeve, but I see it. I see how selfless you were, offering to have the heir, asking nothing in return’

‘Why, Liam – what changed?’ she asked ‘You told me you weren’t capable of love, that you wanted to be free’

‘I saw what I was missing’ he said ‘I saw Bastien with Sophia, Drake with Riley – and I wanted the same. I just want to be with one person, and you – you know me inside out. I didn’t think I could expect anything like a normal relationship, but I think we could have something together. We’re a lot the same, you and I’ Olivia looked at her hands, but he caught at them.

‘Be mine, Olivia. Share your nights with me, be seen with me, stay by my side. I know you’re an independent woman, but I’d be so happy if you kept me company. Being King is a lonely job’

‘This is – well it’s not sudden, I suppose I’ve seen this coming.’ Olivia said ‘But will you feel the same this time next year?’ Liam looked thoughtful.

‘To be honest Livvy, I don’t know’ he said ‘Not for certain. But I have to try – if you’ll try with me’ Olivia nodded

‘I suppose none of us really know how things will be in the future’ she replied ‘I have given thought to your offer, but I’m not ready to answer you just yet.’

‘If it was up to me, I’d give you all the time in the world’ he said ‘But you know the sooner I announce you’re pregnant, the sooner the country will have some stability. If I can call you my Queen too, that would be incredible. I need to know by the end of the Games.’ Her eyes widened, but she nodded

‘I understand. I’ll give you an answer before your closing speech’

-------

Liam’s speech was well received, and as he had expected, he had questions to answer about Olivia, who accompanied him outside in a marquee at the Winter Fair the next morning, on the third day of the Games. The crowd demanded to hear from her, which of course Sophia had planned for, so she stepped up to the microphone.

‘I’m both honoured and humbled to have our new King, a close and long standing friend, attend this event, and am delighted that so many citizens have come to make it such a success. As you know, funds go toward setting up a new modern Intensive Care Unit in Lythikos capital, and we are well on the way to our target.’

‘What about Lord Severus?’ someone shouted out. Olivia composed her face.

‘I am of course saddened at the circumstances that have terminated my betrothal, much as I disliked the arrangement. As you know, it was planned before my birth and enforced by a very ancient law that was extremely difficult to negate. I would rather have found a legal solution to the problem than the tragedy that befell Anton. As you all know, my aunt acted without my knowledge and consent, and she will be dealt with under the law that she upheld and which bound me by an arrangement I did not seek or want.’ She smiled at the throng of people, a thin lipped smile which nevertheless reached her eyes so that the corners crinkled in genuine benevolence.

‘Lythikos has had a long tradition of solving its problems by force and conflict, but I hope under the guidance of King Liam to bring our Duchy into the twenty first century by relying on diplomacy and negotiation. War may be glorious, but it leaves widows, widowers and orphans, and the more Lythicans there are in the world, the better we can share our culture and arts.’

‘Can you comment on your relationship with his Majesty?’ someone asked ‘You’ve been seen together a lot recently. Is there some sort of alliance coming in the future?’ Again Olivia smiled, but enigmatically.

‘Liam and his family took care of me when my parents died’ she pointed out ‘We have a deep and close bond, and it’s only natural to seek each others’ company. Lythikos is part of Cordonia, and we hope to strengthen our bonds with all the other Duchies of Cordonia now that I am free of my betrothal.’ She looked at the clock at the back of the room ‘If you will excuse me, I have an appointment with the medals committee. Please feel free to watch the games and observe the wonderful talent our country has in winter sports thanks to Lythikos.’ She stepped away from the microphone, and Liam took over.

‘Thankyou for your time and patience, ladies and gentlemen. I will also be giving a speech at the closure of the games later tomorrow. Until then, please enjoy yourselves.’ As Liam walked away from the dais, Bastien approached him.

‘Your Majesty, I need to talk to you privately’ he said, a grave expression on his face. Liam nodded, and followed the Guard into to an empty lounge in the Lodge.

‘What is it, Bastien? I need to go and join Olivia’

‘The hospital called, Sir’ he replied ‘There’s been a deterioration in Severus’s condition. As he has no relatives, they need to know whether to keep him on life support, and you appear to be the person they feel best qualified to make the decision’ Liam frowned

‘That’s not good’ he replied ‘I could be accused of maliciously terminating him if I agree to turn the machines off’

‘That is true, Sir’ he replied ‘I suggest that you put the matter to an emergency Council meeting. All the members are here’

‘That’s excellent advice. Get everyone assembled in my lounge as soon as possible’

-------

The nobles and commoners of the current Council took a vote after both Liam and Olivia abstained from the motion that Anton be taken off life support once the doctors were certain that his quality of life suffered so much that he would have less than a minimal quality of life. Under present Cordonian law, unless family members could vouch for a patient’s care, it was customary not to let cases such as his remain on artificial means of support indefinitely. The threshold of viability, as it was known, was rapidly approaching, and although Liam vowed that the law would be changed, that would take time – time that Anton didn’t have. Nobody had stepped forward to claim responsibility for his welfare, so the Council voted that the machines be switched off at the discretion of the Doctor in charge of Anton’s care.

Liam was relived, as the decision took responsibility away from him, as it did for Olivia. It was decided that only one representative of the Council would be present when the machines were turned off, but not the King, not Anton’s unwilling wife, nor the Captain of the Guard. Bastien was yet to be sworn on to the Council.

‘Poor soul’ Liam murmured to Bastien ‘I’ve heard that those who made a last minute recovery say that it’s torment. Doctor Reeve told me that they will keep him hydrated and pain free, but that’s as much as they can do for him. I can only hope that he’s not aware enough to suffer.’ Olivia sat next to him, ramrod straight, her face unreadable to those that didn’t know her well+.

‘You’re too soft’ she muttered ‘I hope he suffers for all he’s put us through – you and me, and Sophia and Riley - and Drake, and Bastien and Adelaide. The list is too long for him to leave this life peacefully’ Liam bowed his head and closed his eyes.

‘Perhaps you’re right’ he said after a while ‘I have the feeling my Father would have handled this differently, but I can’t bring myself to follow in his footsteps. I’ll be glad when it’s all over’

@sirbeepsalot @stopforamoment @drakesensworld @katedrakeohd @texaskitten30 @be-still-my-aching-heart @hopefulmoonobject @dcbbw @classylady1234 @rainbowsinthestorm @kimmiedoo5 @bascmve01 @ibldw-main @addictedtodrakefanfic @trappedinfandoms @ravenpuff02

#silver service #bastien lykel #liam x olivia #anton severus #lucretia nevrakis #olivia nevrakis

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revchainsaw · 4 years

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Demon Wind (1990)

Greetings and blessings upon you my flock! Welcome to the Cult of Cult. I am your pastor and priest of pop culture, ordained minister of genre films, the good reverend Chainsaw McGraw. You may just call me Reverend Chainsaw. Come and accept our sacrament upon the altar of online internet reviews. Our first holy offering is an absolute treasure, 1990′s Demon Wind. An offering ripped from the blood inked pages of the Evil Dead’s Necronomicon Ex Mortis, Demon Wind is not quite an unofficial entry into the world of Ash and the Deadites, but if you have exhausted the Catalogue of Sam Raimi Horror flicks (and let’s be honest, if you’re reading a Tumblr review of Demon Wind, you probably have), then Demon Wind will scratch that itch for sure.

The Message

Our anointed offering opens upon a boarded up farm house owned by simple country occultists George and Regina Carter. There’s a Mean Girls reference to be made here. George and Regina are defending their homestead from an unseen force (A Demon Wind some might say) through a Christian/Witchcraft combination of gospel music, a set of holy daggers, and a diary full of Regina’s spells. Unfortunately it’s not very effective, and George is possessed. George kills Regina, drops a snow globe, and for some inexplicable reason the farmhouse explodes bringing the films epilogue to a close.

With that we are brought to the year 1990 where our rag tag group of heroes converge upon the supernaturally supercharged Carter farm with one mission in mind, helping a homie sort out his shit. What a great group of friends; I can barely get the crew together for a game night but our protagonist Cory has a group of friends so tight they are willing to drop everything and drive untold miles to nowhere in particular just because he had a bad dream. Speaking of “tight” friends, of our doomed party, no friends are so tight as Chuck and Stacey, but we’ll get to that, in short order. Let us meet the fellowship of ding dongs who will battle the blustery bogeys of Demon Wind.

Cory is the star of the show. A fairly blasé everyman who’s so caught up in his chosen one journey that he can’t even bother to be slightly interesting. He is the grandchild of the oh so fetch (see I got to it) Regina/George pairing from earlier in the film. Cory is haunted by mysterious dreams, and a tragic reunion with his demented father, which draw him to the Carter farm. There is however more to meets the eye, you see Cory is from the planet Namek. Watch the movie, you’ll catch my drift.

Elaine is Cory's girlfriend and wants nothing more than to pull her pants down in public to bring a smile to his face.

Dell is Cory’s friend? Bully? Enemy? it’s not entirely clear. It seems Dells role in this story is to be an unabashed asshole and chauvinist to every character that interacts with him. He is also perhaps Elaine’s brother, or someone's brother. Listen, you’d have to pay wayyyy more attention than this movie warrants to parse out all the relationship dynamics in this flick. Let’s just say, Dell is here, and despite how he acts, the other characters seem to be ok with that fact.

Terri is Dell’s girlfriend and a good friend of Elaine. Despite being on the arm of a typical 80s teen flick bad guy, Terri seems to be the most eligible bachelorette on the Carter farm. Or so it may seem, but as I’ll explain later I think there is a truer love than can be expressed that really keeps Terri from leaving Dell.

Jack is a Big Ol’ Nerd. He speaks like the writers were convinced using a thesaurus was enough to convince us that the guy is existentially unfuckable. The guy is basically just Billy from Power Rangers, but instead of piloting a badass Triceratops Zord he just kids very mildly bummed when the love of his life is transformed into a very judgmental spontaneously combusting doll.

Speaking of spontaneously combusting dolls, the victim of that very unfair end is Bonnie. Bonnie clearly had way more confidence in the love of her bookish beaux than she should have. The betrayal is immense, not that Jack couldn’t save her, but just in the fact that when she meets her demise (despite the fact that he promised he’d protect her) he is not at all distraught. Poor Bonnie, she is by far the most human feeling of the cardboard cut out female protagonists in this film and she deserved better. Let’s be honest, Jack was looking for an out, and Bonnie was just too real for this movie.

And Now, without further ado, I’d like to introduce the greatest power couple in the history of B Movie Horror Cinema: Chuck and Stacy. If you think my introduction is a bit much, I promise that the film goes much further. Demon Wind begins it’s love affair with this bromance in delightfully extravagant style. There’s magic, explosions, opera, karate, beer and bunnies and a big ol middle finger to fucking Dell. Chuck had at once been romantically involved with Terri, but things went south somehow and he claims that he still holds a flame for her. Despite this continued insistence I think it’s plain to see that Chuck found comfort, magic, and a ride or die hunk in the arms of Stacey. Stacey is a suave, sharp, smooth talking guy, whose only desire in life seems to be whatever keeps Chuck around, and that seems to mean a lot of stage magic and martial arts! I could write about Chuck and Stacey all day, so I’ll move on from here.

The cast of this film is wild and honestly even the weak ones are fun to watch. There is no character on the roster who is easy to mistake for another. That is why it is so fun to watch them meet their demise and even more fun to see them return under the possession of the demon wind as oopy goopy caricatures of their human selves. And this does go on for quite awhile. Unfortunately even Chuck and Stacey are not enough to protect the surreal landscape in which they find themselves. At one point in the film a second set of friends drop by to add 2 more bodies to the massacre. Willy and Reena, a gangly set of clothing accessories who are given legs, but hey Ear Ring and Beret, I mean Willy and Reena are still fun to see torn to shreds.

The movie ultimately reveals that the madness was sparked by the fact that a cult worshipping a Demon God named Delos had actually built the homestead and the cursed ground they stand upon is the stage for the cult leader, a preacher named Anders to finally become the host of said Demon God. As interesting as that lore may sound on paper, it’s not particularly well executed, and Cory’s role to play in all of this is even more vague. All in all the 3rd act of this film feels a bit anti-climatic even if it does feature a demon superhero fight.

All that said I’d like to move on to the next phase of our sacred liturgy. The sacred and profane, the highs and lows of this movie.

Benediction

Best Feature: What the What?

The best feature of Demon Wind has to be how bizarre it is. It throws everything it can think of at the audience. Burning Skeletons leap from Crosses, eggs that hatch into piles of worms, EXPLODING BABY DOLLS, Cow skulls with long sticky tongues made of human intestines! They certainly sacrificed logic in order to insure they provided the audience with something they haven’t seen before.

Best Kill/ effect: A Cowmen Album Cover!

The best effect in Demon Wind is also it’s best kill. while investigating a barn on the Carter property, which is full of occult symbols, animal remains, and fun Texas Chainsaw Massacre style crafts. One of the crafts catches the eye of Beret, I mean Reena. You know by her hat that she knows a thing or to about fine art. This particular piece of barn décor is a human skeleton with a cow’s skull. As she is inspecting this “beautiful” piece, what appears to be a human intestine, flies from the mouth of the cow skull and wraps around Reena like a chameleons tongue. The intestine begins to retreat into the jaw of the skull bringing Reena’s head along with it. The skull chomps down into Reena, we get a satisfyingly bloody show, and Reena’s body winds up hanging limp from its mouth.

Second place belongs to Bonnie, but we’ve already spoken to that bizarre spectacle.

Best Scene: I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Stacey!

Chuck and Stacey enter the scene. I know I’m inconsistent in how I spell Stacey/Stacy. This scene was mentioned above and you just have to see it. Watch until Cory intervenes.

Best Character(s): Stacey Cassidy and the Sundance Chuck

Stacey is the best character in this film, but as I’m sure he wouldn’t accept this honor alone I have to make it a tie. Chuck and Stacey are just so good. Every moment they are on screen is a treasure. The introduction of these two just received the honor of best scene, but they shine as Demons and in an even longer sequence leading to their demise. They take the watch at the Carter home and from the fog emerges a t!ddy ghost, my congregants will be familiar with this sort of creature, who attempts to lure them outside. Stacey puffs up Chucks confidence calling him “John Wayne”, Chuck proposes they go on a Tahitian vacation, but Stacey wisely wary of voodoo suggests Vegas. And there you have it, these two pure good boys are surviving this flick and they are getting married in Vegas. Unfortunately, they decide to speed things up a bit, and decide that although they are not tempted by the t!ddy ghost, that they can use their karate magic to defeat the demonic hordes. They march out into the woods, but we can add the power of love to the list of things that are no use against the Demon Wind. Our best boys meet their fates together like two old west heroes, guns blazing! Oh, oh, but they come back as demons and they eat Dell, so thank God for that.

Worst feature: I ordered these Deadites from Wish

The villains are not particularly interesting. It’s boring, goopy, bad mouth piece demons that have appeared in hundreds of demon flicks already by this point, and it really makes you want to go back to the unexplained paranormal happenings from earlier in the movie rather than fighting these dollar store Deadites. The fact that the film leans into this in it’s third act really makes the film feel incredibly front loaded.

Worst scene: Cory in the House

Pretty much any scene that focuses on Cory is a bit weak. He’s just not fun. He gets to transform into an anime character in the end of the film and he’s still melodramatic and boring. This is often a problem with main characters in films, the writers don’t want them to be unlikeable or too quirky so the fun parts are always the supporting cast.

Worst Character: Dude, you’re NOT getting a Dell!

Don’t get me wrong, I hate Dell. But Dell is a big dumb goon who is just so fun to watch suffer and act like an utter meathead, and being hateable is not the worst thing a character can be. For this reason I have to give the worst character award to Cory; for many of the reasons I spoke about above.

Summary:

How fitting that a B movie gets a B. But that’s really a great place for this movie to be. So many big Hollywood productions don’t deserve that spot. Though Demon Wind may drag in the middle, and the characters and effects may be quite corny, it is certainly not boring. Demon Wind is eye candy even though it looks so ugly. It has some of the most loveable murder lambs in the genre and one of my favorite bromances in all of cinema, If you are a fan of Gonzo Horror then Demon Wind is a must see. If you are not all that into that sort of thing I promise you’ll have a good time. I highly recommend it.

Overall Grade: B

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swanqueeneverafter · 4 years

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The Once & Future Queen Pt.12

Storybrooke. Sheriff's Station. (Belle reads an entry in a book while Alice grimaces at the creature crawling under Will’s skin.) Belle: “I feared as much.” Alice: “What is it?” (Belle hands Elsa the book who studies the page.) Belle: (To Alice:) “It’s a Fomorroh. (She looks at the drawing of it in the book over Elsa’s shoulder:) Whoever put it there was very highly skilled.” Alice: “What does it do?” Belle: “In the days of the Old Religion, they were used by the High Priestess to enslave the minds of their enemies. Once a thought was planted, the victim would not stop till they’d accomplished it.” Elsa: (Looks up:) “Could that be what affected Anastasia?” Belle: “It’s a definite possibility.” Alice: (Staring at the creature squirming under her brother’s neck:) “How do we get rid of it?” Belle: “First we must paralyse the serpent.” (Belle looks to Elsa who nods and they head into the jail cell to join Alice. Standing over Will who lays sleeping on the cot, Elsa uses her powers to freeze the Fomorroh in place.) Alice: “Is it dead?” Belle: “Sadly not. Merely dormant. Now for the tricky bit. I’ll need a knife.” Lily: (Entering the station alongside Tiana:) “Here. Have mine.” (Lily pulls out a knife from her boot and hands it to Belle.) Belle: “Er... thanks. I still need to sterilize it though.” (Lily nods and walks over to her father’s desk. Pulling open a drawer, she leans down and produces a bottle of rum.) Lily: “Dad’s secret stash. Will that do?” Belle: (Nods:) “Actually, rum is a great antiseptic. Thanks.” (Belle pours the rum over Lily’s knife and Alice grimaces as Belle cuts the Fomorroh out of Will’s neck.) Alice: “That’s it? Belle: “For now.” Elsa: “What do you mean?” Belle: “If you kill one, eventually another grows in its place.” Alice: “But how do we get rid of it, if it keeps growing back?” Belle: “There’s only one way, I’m afraid. You have to kill the mother beast.” Alice: “How can we do that if we don’t know where it is?” Elsa: (Noticing that Will is beginning to wake:) “I think we’re about to get some answers.” Lily: “All right, everyone out of the cell.” (Ushering everyone out, Lily pulls the cell door closed and locks it while Will rolls over onto his back.) Will: (Seeing the five women all staring at him:) “Oh bloody hell. This isn’t good.”

A Short Time Later. (After asking for time alone, Tiana and Will talk while Elsa, Belle and Alice watch with Lily from the Sheriff's office.) Tiana: (Casually biting into one of her beignets:) “So, you don’t remember anything?” Will: “I remember Morgana conjuring the snake, but…nothing more. No.” Tiana: “And how do you feel?” Will: “Apart from this throbbing pain in my cheek, I feel fine.” Tiana: “Mhmm. Well rest assured, you deserved it.” Will: (Bringing his hand to his face:) “This was you?” Tiana: “You’re damn right it was. Under Morgana’s control or not, you had it coming. (Will begins to protest:) First you tell Henry that you and Ella had an affair in Wonderland... (Will’s eyes widen:) Then you run up a huge bar tab at the Lair and leave without paying...” Will: “Oh, bollocks.” Tiana: “And finally you try to break into the library. That’s where I put an end to your night on the town.” Will: (Grabbing the cell bars:) “T, you have to know I would never cheat on you with Ella. Or anyone. I value my life too much.” Tiana: (Smirks:) “Oh, I know. Ella was as surprised as I was when Henry told us what you’d confessed to him. Ella and Henry are fine too, by the way.” Will: (Shaking his head:) “I’m lucky to be alive.” Tiana: “Lucky you can run faster than Henry, you mean.” Will: “Henry? No, I’m more worried about Regina! Or Ella... Or Robin if it comes to that. T, can you ever forgive me?” Tiana: (Nods:) “First things first. (Tiana turns and waves for the others to join them:) According to Belle, the serpent in your neck is dormant and when it wakes, your mind will be Morgana’s once more.” Will: “But how do we get rid of it, if it keeps growing back?” Belle: (Walking over to them:) “There’s only one way, I’m afraid. You have to kill the mother beast.” Will: “That creature that lives in Morgana’s hut? (Belle nods:) Great. How long have I got? How long before this thing wakes up?” Elsa: “A day, no more. And I wouldn’t face her alone.” Alice: “Don’t worry, I have a feeling Will’s going to have plenty of company on his trip back to Morgana’s hideaway.” Land Without Magic. Past. Hong Kong. (August sits across from the Dragon.) Dragon: “Tell me. Why have you come?” August: “You see that?” (Rolls up his pant leg.) Dragon: “No, because the problem is with your other leg. (August chuckles and rolls up his other pant leg:) You're turning to wood... Pinocchio.” August: “How in the hell do you know my name? Who are you? Are you from my land?” Dragon: “August, you're in pain. Waste your energy not on me but on your affliction. All you need to worry about is whether I can help you. And the answer is, indeed I can.” August: (Exhales and whispers:) “Thank God.” Dragon: “There are, however, conditions.” August: “Yeah.” Dragon: “I need an item of great value to you.” August: “Money. I-I have some--” Dragon: “No. That comes later. I need something close to your heart, something that cannot be replaced.” (Points to August's neck.) August: (Pulls out a necklace from beneath his shirt:) “This? It's... It's worthless.” Dragon: “The pendant, perhaps, but the string—it was the string your father used to animate you as a freshly carved puppet. In a way, it first gave you life. It will serve as payment from your soul.” (The Dragon holds out his hand.) August: “Will it work?” Dragon: “Perhaps. (Reluctantly, August gives him the string:) Now... as any vendor from this world, I also need payment from your wallet. 10,000 American dollars.” August: “$10,000?” Dragon: “Bring the money tonight, and you shall never turn to wood again.”

Morgana’s Hovel. Present. (Agravaine visits his niece to share information from Camelot.) Morgana: “Do the people grow weary of Guinevere’s reign yet?” Agravaine: “I wish it were so, my lady, but I do bring information of an equally enticing nature. I have planted the seed of suspicion in our young Queen’s mind. I’ve struck a blow at the very heart of old Camelot.” Morgana: “Go on.” Agravaine: “Lancelot grew unsure of my motives, but I’ve turned the situation to our advantage.” Morgana: “How so?” Agravaine: “I’ve used it to implicate an old friend of yours. Gaius.” Morgana: “The old healer?” Agravaine: “I think there are some interesting times ahead for our physician.” (Agravaine goes to pour himself a drink.) Morgana: “And that’s your news is it? You were almost found out and managed to divert their suspicions onto an elderly healer? It’s hardly information of an enticing kind, is it?” Agravaine: “No, my lady.” Morgana: “So, my lord…you can do better. And you will do better.” Agravaine: “Yes, my lady.” Morgana: “I, on the other hand, have learned the whereabouts of the man destined to be my downfall.” Agravaine: “Really? You know where Merlin is?” Morgana: “Yes, and I have already set plans in motion that will lead to the Sorcerer’s own demise.” Agravaine: “My lady, I must admit your news is far more interesting than mine. Where is he, this Merlin?” Morgana: “Ah, now that’s the tricky part.” Storybrooke. Past. October 2011. (On the school playgrounds, Henry looks at a family tree assignment he was supposed to complete. It is not filled in. He tucks it into a folder and slides it under his open lunch box. Mary Margaret walks up to him.) Mary Margaret: “Henry? You didn’t turn in your homework again. Is there a problem? (Henry does not answer, so she sits down beside him:) Oh, Henry. Things really will change if you just believe it. (He closes his lunch box:) Life is unpredictable.” Henry: “Is your life unpredictable? Because it seems to me like everything is pretty much the same around here. Except me. My birth mom didn’t love me. Regina says she does, but she doesn’t. I-I don’t belong here.” Mary Margaret: “You do belong here, Henry. You are loved. (Her expression perks up as she comes up with an idea:) I wanna show you something. (She reaches for something in her bag:) This morning, I was cleaning out my bedroom closet. Like I’ve done every week, thousands of times, and do you know what happened? I found something. Something I’ve never noticed before. (She pulls out a large book, entitled in golden letters as Once Upon a Time, and places it down in front of Henry:) It was just there. Like magic.” Henry: “That’s not possible.” Mary Margaret: “Well, of course not. (Henry begins opening the book:) But it happened. This book somehow arrived. (Henry turns to a page with a drawing of an older man and young boy:) Was it given to me? Did I forget about it? I don’t know, but there it was. And do you know what I saw when I looked inside? (Henry looks at her expectantly:) Hope.” Henry: (Glances down at the book:) “Looks like fairy tales to me.” Mary Margaret: “And what exactly do you think fairy tales are? They are a reminder that our lives will get better if we just hold onto hope. Your happy ending may not be what you expect, but that is what will make it so special.” Henry: “Can… can I borrow this?” Mary Margaret: “You can have it.” Henry: (Smiles:) “Really?” Mary Margaret: “Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a powerful thing. I think you could use it. (She gets up and pats him on the shoulder:) I’ll see you in class.” (She departs.) Henry: (Flips to another page of a princess and her prince:) “Ms. Blanchard.” Mary Margaret: “Yes?” (He looks up and is stunned to see her dressed as the same princess in the book. A moment later, she appears as normal.) Henry: “Thank you.” Mary Margaret: (Smiles:) “You’re very welcome.” (She continues walking away.) (Watching this exchange from afar, Emma turns to the Apprentice.) Emma: "That's the last one." Apprentice: "Yes, the storybook that started it all." Emma: "Merlin’s messing with me, right? I put him back in his tree and now he’s getting his revenge? (The Apprentice stares at her with a confused expression:) I mean, I'm not sure I like the idea of being the catalyst behind so much tension between Henry and Regina." Apprentice: "I imagine you would dislike the idea of losing your family forever even more." Emma: "Well, when you put it like that..." Apprentice: "Now remember, you must be in position at the precise time Henry knocks on your door or all will be lost." Emma: (Nods:) "I'll be there. What about Mulan?" Apprentice: "If all goes according to plan, your friend will join you back where you both belong." Emma: "What’s Mulan doing for you while I'm delivering storybooks anyway?" Apprentice: (Smiles:) "There are many elements that have to be set in motion before you can safely return home, Emma. In life, we all have our parts to play, and I am no different. Come, we shall make one last journey together. After that, your fate is in your hands." (They walk together around the corner and out of sight. Meanwhile, Henry opens the storybook and flips to a page of a princess and prince with an infant child.) Henry: “Emma.”

Storybrooke. Present. The Dragon’s Lair. (Zelena watches as Regina fills a large leather bag with various unsavory looking items, including the baseball bat.) Zelena: “What happened to you focusing your energies on Maria and Henry?” Regina: “Morgana targeted Henry. I don’t know what she’s up to and Morgana can attack me all she wants, but the minute you go after my kids? You better believe I’m coming for you.” Zelena: “Are you sure that’s the wisest move? I mean you don’t exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to witch fights.” Regina: “That’s why you’re coming with me. Come on, Zelena, Morgana is the reason Robin Hood had to sacrifice himself. Don’t you want revenge for that?” Zelena: “Honestly... revenge is the last thing on my mind. I’m more concerned about keeping the ones I love safe and so should you be. I thought we retired from the revenge business?” Regina: “Well I don’t know what else to do! Without Emma, I can’t create a protection spell powerful enough to protect the town. Even if I could, we all know how well that worked out last time.” Zelena: “All right, but shouldn’t we try and find out what Morgana wants? Lord knows she’s not the first person to try and take over everything. If we understand her motivation then maybe-” Regina: “Guinevere already tried that, remember? The last time anyone gave into Morgana’s demands, she kidnapped Lily and Maleficent. Then, when people gave her the benefit of the doubt, my daughter was taken from me. (Sighs:) Look, I admire this new passive nature you’ve discovered and we can ask Morgana all the questions you want, but this time we’re gonna take the fight to her for a change. Now are you coming or not?” (Regina picks up the bag and leaves while Zelena considers her options.) Land Without Magic. Past. Outside a bar in Hong Kong. (August looks through his wallet to find payment for the Dragon, but does not have sufficient funds.) Mulan: (From her seat at the bar:) “Hey.” August: “Hey.” (He walks towards her.) Mulan: “You look like you could use a drink.” August: “Yeah, well, I wasn't planning on staying very long.” Mulan: “Come on. Humor me. Celebrating alone is no fun. (When he sits next to her she pulls out her purse, which contains a big stack of one hundred dollar bills:) Figured a medicine man wouldn't take plastic. (Raising her bottle:) Um... To second chances.” (They toast.)

August: “Who knew they'd be so expensive?” Mulan: “Mm. Save my seat?” August: “Sure. (Mulan gets up and heads to the bathroom. August drinks his beer and looks around the bar. Turning back he sees a man now sitting in Mulan’s chair:) Oh, hey someone was sitting there.” Apprentice: “Yes, she was saving my place. Hello, August.” August: (A little startled by this:) “All right, how do you know my name?” Apprentice: (Chuckles:) “I know many names. Would you prefer I call you Pino-” August: (Hushed voice:) “Keep your voice down. August is fine.” Apprentice: (Smiles:) “Very well. August W. Booth. If you’re looking for answers... (Slides the storybook in front of him:) here’s where you should start.” August: “I’m not sure a bunch of fairy tales can cure me. (Winces in pain:) Ah!” Apprentice: (Notices August rubbing his leg:) “The body has a strange way of sending us signals, doesn't it? The tricky part isn't hearing them, but knowing what they truly mean.” August: “Listen, old man, I’ve already found someone who can give me what I want.” Apprentice: “Yes. But you have no money with which to pay him. August, what the Dragon has will stop you from turning to wood, yes. But that's just a symptom. You have a choice to make, either you can steal this poor girl’s money and give it to the Dragon. Or you can take this. (Places his hand on the storybook:) Inside lies the answer to your salvation. (Cautiously, August reaches out and opens the book:) Remember August, only you can cure yourself.” (After turning over a few pages, August looks up to see that the Apprentice and the money have both vanished.) Boston. Past. An Upscale Restaurant. (Emma Swan arrives and walks through the restaurant. Spotting her mark, she heads to Ryan’s table, he stands and extends his hand.) Ryan: “Emma.” Emma: “Ryan? You look relieved.” Ryan: “Well, it is the Internet. Pictures can be…” Emma: “Fake. Out-dated. Stolen from the Victoria’s Secret catalogue. So…” (They each take their seats.) Ryan: “So… tell me something about yourself, Emma.” Emma: “Oh… Uh, well, today’s my birthday.” (Watching this from a discreet distance, Emma smiles at the past version of herself before heading into the elevator.)

The Land of Oz. Past. (Carrying a small basket, a young girl walks along the yellow brick road. Up ahead, her path is blocked by a young man and a fallen tree.) Young Girl: “Excuse me, but your tree is blocking the path. You should move it before somebody gets hurt.” Young Boy: “I'm afraid it's already too late.” Young Girl: (Sees a lone egg nestled in the boy’s hand:) “The poor thing. It must not have survived the fall.” (The girl waves her hand over the egg and it glows green.) Young Boy: “How did you do that?” (The Young Girl waves her hand again and the nest reappears safely in the tree above them.) Young Girl: “Magic.” Young Boy: “Are you a witch?” (The girl nods.) Young Punk: (Stepping out of the bushes with his friend:) “She's a freak! Haven't you ever heard about the monster who lives in the shack? The freak with magic?” Young Girl: “That nest didn't fall out of the tree, did it?” Punk: “No. It made good target practice, though. And so will you.” (The Punk draws back his catapult and the girl runs for cover.) Young Boy: (Charges at them, weapon held high:) “Why don't you practice on my axe? (The punks run away. Turning to her:) Are you all right?” Young Girl: “Yes. Thank you. (Stepping out from behind the tree:) Well, that was a first. Not a lot of people want to befriend the girl with magic. Maybe they're right. Maybe I am a monster.” Young Boy: “You used your magic for good, and that doesn't make you a monster. It makes you special.” Young Girl: “You really think so?” Young Boy: (Offers his hand:) “I'm Stanum.” Young Girl: (Shakes it:) “Zelena.”

Outside Morgana's Hovel. Present. (Raising her head from behind a large boulder, Merida looks down at Morgana's hovel as Agravaine exits.) Merida: (Whispered:) "Do you know that man?" Will: "Not a clue. Thanks to this thing in me neck, I can barely remember my own name." Merida: "Shh. (Merida watches as Morgana also exits the hovel:) Right, there's our chance. You tell the others, I'll go on ahead." The Land Without Magic. Boston. Past. Emma’s Apartment. (Henry Mills arrives outside and is about to knock on the door when it swings open.) Emma: “Hey, kid. What took you so long?” Henry: “Oh... Are- Are you Emma Swan?” Emma: “Yep, and you’re Henry and you’re also my son.” Henry: “Yeah... how did you-” Emma: “I’ll explain on the way. Come on, kid. Let’s go home.”

#sq #swanqueen #swan queen

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lo-55 · 4 years

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Revel Ch. 11

Twining Threads

Tori was surprised by the fact that she was being allowed to go back again. Not, this time, to Imperia but to her sister island Soldano. Her mothers home, where she had been named Dogoressa so many years ago.

It was not quite like Imperia. The island was mostly flat, and some of it was even regularly underwater. The canals had to be traversed with flat bottomed boats, and gondolas. Elegant bridges stretched from one side of the street to another. The houses were painted with brilliant colors over brick and proud signs declared artisans, grocers, and everything in between.

Tori sat in the back of a water taxi, her legs crossed at the ankles. She was humming happily to herself, dressed in jeans and a loose violet shirt.

The sun was warm against her skin, and the breeze that came off the canal was cool. Beneath them dolphins swam and fish flashed silver scales in the sunlight.

“We’re almost there, ma’am,” her drive called over his shoulder. “It’s at the end of the block.”

“Thank you,” Tori smiled sweetly at him. Madelle and Daria sat on either side of her, also dressed in jeans. Katakuri hadn’t come with them this time. Soldano was not made for men of his stature, but with her siblings gone and her wedding passed, Tori felt like she needed to do this.

She needed to go to her mothers home.

The house that she had lived in was not the palace of the doge, it was her families ancestral house. A high stone building painted a bright red and trimmed in white. It looked like all the other houses in the city, if not older. It was one of the oldest houses, but not as old as the First Twelve. Twelve families, who now numbered only at eight. When Soldano had been founded it had been occupied by twelve families, and over the years they had steadily grown smaller and smaller, or spread themselves so thin their names changed.

The gondola came to a stop beside the house.

Three men stood outside, in identical suits, with finely trimmed white beards and close cut hair.

Tori recognized them. They were what was left of her mothers staff. When she had left Soldano to marry the king of Imperia she had left enough money to take care of the place in her absence. It was meant to be given to one of her children, but Tori would live at the palace in Imperia, Gemma was in the East now, and Lucien was gone too. It was all rather sad. Tori stood up and stepped out of the boat.

“Thank you,” she said sweetly, tipping the man well. It wasn’t like she was short on money. If anything she was just paying the money back.

“Glad to help. Ma’am. Just give a ring if you need another ride,” he gestured to the snail situated on the front of his gondola, and the number beneath. Tori nodded to him, and he pushed off, the condola floating cheerfully through the water.

Tori turned away from the water, towards the high house that seemed so much smaller than it was in her memories.

When she was small, Dolce would take her, and later Lucien, to visit Soldano every summer. It was important to her, that they know Soldano.

Her waters run through your veins, my love. We are all children of the sea.

Tori walked inside.

The staff, who her father still retained even after the house was all but abandoned, stood in lines on either side of the entry way. They were familiar faces, now aged with the years that had passed.

Luciano Orseolo, the steward, smiled warmly at her and dipped a half bow to the eldest princess.

“My lady, it is good to have you here again.”

“It’s good to be back, Luci,” she forewent protocol and stepped forwards to embrace the man. He was practically her grandfather. Luci stiffened minutely before he patted her on the back.

“Yes. Do you want to rest for a while?”

“No, no. I’m fine. In your letter you said you had something for me from my mother. I’d like that, please.”

“Of course. And, afterwards, the Doge and his council would like to see you as well. I believe you’re familiar with most of them.”

“Mmmm. Doge Ziani, Councilmen Vivarini, Bellini, and Titiano. Councilwomen Alvise and Tonini. And, the head of the artisans association, is it still Antonio Rizzo?”

“His daughter, now. Loicia. There’s a new one too, the Foreign Relations Advisor. Arcielda Elena.”

“I wasn’t aware Soldano had one of those.”

“All of our isles are usually so isolated, we didn’t need them. We generally only traded amongst each other, and we are all connected by our Chains. But with you married now, to an outsider no less, we’ve been forced to open our borders to the rest of Totto land. I believe the other islands have similar things.”

“I wasn’t aware,” Tori’s brows furrowed. “Lucien normally handles things like this.”

“I heard he’s getting married, to some foreign princess. And your sister as well. All of your line is being sent off of Imperia.”

“Father thinks that, in these turbulent times, we need to have as many allies as we can. We are not a major military power, whatever talents Gemma may have. We have had only each other for centuries now.”

“Very pretty words, my lady,” Luci said mildly. Which was funny, since she could remember a number of times in her youth when he called politicians silver spooned pissants when he thought Dolce wouldn’t hear. He was very like his younger brother. Tori had no idea why Luci had respected her mother so much.

“This way.”

They made their way through the big old house, it’s walls lined with elegant portraits of her ancestors. All of them with sea dark hair, and dancing eyes.

Her mother was not the first dogaressa in their line. Her great grandmother had been Dogaressa as well through marriage, and traced further back another six generations came one of the first Doge to be elected, after the family had come from Imperia.

She was Victoria di Imperia, Victory of Imperia, but her mother was Dolce Regina Genova. The Regina were old, as old as the isles themselves. Older, maybe. Even they didn’t have records before the Void Century.

The thought was enough to make her itch, but Tori reminded herself of Robin. Reminded herself of her own old life. The price of knowledge. She would not be another faust. Her chest tightened with the thought.

Luci lead her to her mother’s old room.

It was exactly the way she remembered it. Thick curtains draped across the window, through which canals shone glittering in blue and busy. The four poster bed still had thick pillows that Tori wasn’t even taller than they were long the last time she’d been here. There was a vanity, not that Dolce had ever needed much make up. Even without her ‘blessing’ Tori would have been lovely. Gemma and Lucien were, and Dolce was a beauty in all of her portraits and all of Tori’s memories.

Luci took her to a small chest that sat just outside the walk in closet.

“She meant to give these to you on your wedding night,” he admitted, pushing the chest towards her. “I suppose this will have to be soon enough.”

Tori smiled softly at him and opened the box. Inside were soft silk dressed of all colors, the long drapes that could be changed to size even if she outgrew what her mother expected. There were thick books, a wooden jewelry box encrusted with pearl and shining glass to form a mural, and a long chain attached to a necklace that looked like a simple cylinder with intricate silver twists.

Tori recognized it for the poisoners tool that it was.

“She knew,” Tori realized, lifting the necklace out. “She knew Father would break his word. That he wouldn’t give us the chance to say ‘no’.”

Luci grimaced. “You Father is a… pragmatist.”

“Luci. If I don’t slap your brother for calling me a bitch to my face, I’m not going to strike you for speaking the truth,” she said bluntly.

Luci actually smiled at that. “He’s political. It’s not a good thing. Your mother was smart. Dolce would do anything to ensure your happiness. Even if it meant getting rid of your dad. I can’t believe she even kept him around. She was in love with another boy, you know?”

“She was?” Tori was startled.

“Oh yes. A sailor boy. You know your mother and the ocean.”

Tori did. We are all children of the sea.

“Why did she stay with my father then? If she loved another?”

“Obligation, I assume. And you. She was married with a child on the way, and the sea is nowhere to raise a little princess ,” he teased. Luci did something he hadn’t done since she was a girl, and yanked on a stray strand of hair.

Tori swatted at him with a laugh.

It was as sad as it was flattering. Her mother loved her so much she would stay with a man she didn’t love, let her true love flee to the deep blue waters without her. She would settle for being a queen, instead of someone who was truly beloved, for the sake of her unborn daughter.

Tori’s heart fluttered with warmth and affection. She carefully put everything back in the chest to take home, although she suspected she wouldn't need the poison necklace any time soon.

The Soldano council of elders were legendary in Tori’s mind.

They were stoic men who stood at her mothers funeral, and cold faced women who smiled with teeth that would as soon sink into a throat. They were all kind smiles and dangerous words and too many agendas and too much power.

Soldano was a strange type of democracy.

The elders controlled who was the Doge or the Dogaressa until they died. In Tori’s life there had already been two. Her mother and the current one, who was nowhere to be found when she stepped into the council chambers. They smelled faintly of incense and expensive perfume, and the roasted meat someone had had for lunch. The table was, of all things, a triangle. Tori stood at the door, waiting.

Councilwoman Alvise, who looked like a grandmother if a grandmother had snake fangs hiding somewhere, smiled at her and stepped away from the table.

“Victoria, my dear. So good of you to join us.”

Victoria nodded and smiled and let herself be paraded around the room and reintroduced to everyone, officially. They chattered and smiled at her, like sharks in the water. Waiting for the scent of blood.

Councilman Titiano complimented her hair, while the other two congratulated her on her wedding, and her legendary husband.

It was all hollow words but Tori flittered around and laughed at the right places and gave no sign at all that she knew they were after more than just pleasantries.

The Doge appeared at last.

He came into the room, a sweep of red and white robes and carefully twisted crown atop his head. Ziani was an old man, and most of his body was made up clothe to hide the near skeletal shape of the rest. His fingers were long and thin when they took Tori and she noted that his eyes, blue, were almost pitched black with his pupils blown wide.

She wondered if he even saw her as he went through the vague formalities of welcoming her to the chambers and offering her olive leaf tea.

Tori tried not to gag.

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

He clapped twice and small boys descended from absolutely nowhere. Holes in the walls, probably, but she couldn't see them. They ran around, heating water pouring it into cups with the leaves through the strainers and as soon as they were done they were gone. Vanished.

Tori had never felt less safe.

Ziani sat her at his right side and took the first drink. The rest of them followed his exampled and the small talk started all over again. How the grandchildren were, the state of the repairs on the Trivera canals, the newest fashions between the women and who thought what of outsiders coming to visit. They stayed largely away from the topic of her husband. She had done her duty, they could not fault her for that. Not when she was Imperian.

“Oh, Victoria dear,” Councilwoman Alvise said suddenly, as though just remembering something of importance. “We had something to ask you, didn’t we?”

The men nodded, and Ziani, who was coming into sobriety, sat up straighter. “Yes. yes! Victory!”

“Ah?”

“You mother was the last Dogaressa. She had certain relics that were important to the state. Very important, not life or death but symbolically. You understand, don’t you sweet girl?” Ziani patted her hand, making Tori’s skin crawl.

“...I suppose. I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m afraid.”

“Symbols of the past, dear Victoria,” Alvise smiled at her again, barely hiding her teeth behind her lips. “A black lock and a red key. She must have given them to you.”

Tori stared.

“She did no. I’ve never seen either of those things. It sounds like a riddle, are you sure they’re real?” she tilted her pretty, empty little head at them, almost knocking her hair out of place.

Councilman Vivarini did a poor job of pretending not to roll his eyes.

Alvise’s smile grew strained. “Now Victoria. This is important. We need them.”

“I’ve told you I’ve never seen either,” which was true. She wasn’t lying, and one of them must have seen her genuine confusion.

“What a disappointment.” Titiano shook his head. But the conversation went back to meaningless and meaningful pleasantries. Things said between lines that Tori studiously didn’t notice. Threads left out that she did not pick at.

She escaped as soon as she could, and no one stopped her. She was useless to whatever plan they had in their greedy little raccoon paws.

Gods, she missed Orso and his vicious bluntness. She missed Katakuri and his quiet honesty.

She never thought she would be so eager to go back to her husband's side, but here she was trying to figure out how soon she could go without it being suspicious.

#one piece #one piece fanfiction #katakuri #charlotte Katakuri #katakuri x oc #oc #victoria di Imperia

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b-does-the-write-thing · 5 years

Text

Face for Radio, Chapter 12

in case you want a Rumbelle Radio Station!AU- here’s twelve chapters of it and a pinky promise to actually finish the damn thing five years later.

Read it on AO3

Will was waiting for her in front of the station with two cups of coffee. He took one look at her and broke into a shit-eating grin. “And here I thought I had a good weekend,” he declared as he thurst a cup into her hand.

“Don’t start,” Belle warned him. “I’m in a very good mood, which I would like to last for at least another five minutes.”

“Done,” he agreed before throwing his free arm around her shoulder and shepherding her into the station. The night guard waved them through, offering Belle a knowing look before returning to her security feed.

Belle flushed. “Do I have a sign around my neck or something?”

“Not a sign per se, just a rather prominent hickey.”

Belle knew she should have spent some more time on her makeup routine this morning but it had been the hardest thing in her life to get out of bed when Rum Skinner was doing his best to make her late for work. “If it’s the last thing I do,” he had sworn as she had finally wiggled free from his embrace, “I’m getting you back on Night Air.”

“For my talent and skills as a producer?”

“Obviously. But also so I can keep you in bed all day.” He had then loudly described a few things he had planned for them as Belle hurried about the room trying to get dressed. She deserved a medal for resisting a man whose literal job was to seduce people using his voice.

“Come over after your show?” Belle had suggested after a goodbye kiss ended up with her spending several long (wonderful) minutes back in the bed.

“Or you could just call in sick?” he had suggested.

It had been tempting but it was only her second week as odd as that sounded. Last Monday, she was a nobody from Avonlea who just had started her brand new job as the producer on Night Air, having never even so much as spoken to the talent. A week later, she was (faux) engaged to said talent, uncovering an embezzlement scheme at her place of employment- oh and receiving death threats every thirty minutes.

Her phone buzzed, and on the off chance it was Rum, she fished it out of her purse. Ah, no, just a new number threatening the same old nonsense. It was starting to seem like perhaps it wasn’t an entire army against her but a few crazies who with any luck would grow bored of this sooner rather than later.

Her phone buzzed again. Or perhaps not.

Belle took the required screenshots and then deleted both messages. Above her, Will sighed. “Let’s have some fun on the show today,” he suggested. “I have a few friends across the pond I could call. You Americans love a good accent.”

It would be an astronomical phone bill. Regina would flip.

“Sounds perfect,” Belle said as they headed down the hall to the booth.

The night shift DJ was just finishing up her shift. “Everyone’s favorite knave, well, the knave of my heart at least, Will Scarlet is up next. As always, thanks for staying up with me tonight, Storybrooke. This is Sleeping Beauty, signing off.” She flipped the switch to commercial and waved them inside the booth.

“Knave of Hearts,” Will drawled. “I quite like that.”

Aurora grinned at him through her tangle of bubblegum pink and blue hair. She spotted Belle coming in behind him and grinned. “You look ravishing this morning.”

“You mean, she looks like she has been ravished this morning,” Will corrected, plopping down into the seat as he started to fiddle with the dials.

“Isn’t that what I said?” Aurora winked at her. “So. Show me the ring.”

The ring. Oh, of all the stupid things they could have forgotten! “It’s being cleaned,” she lied. “I should get started-”

“Course,” Aurora said with a grin as she hiked her backpack onto her shoulder. “Have a good show, guys.”

And they did. Will dialed up a few of his cronies from England, and Belle was kept busy bleeping out curse words that she recognized and some she didn’t.

“That about does it for us,” Will announced, sitting back in his seat to prop his feet up on the table. “Before we go, I do want to introduce everyone to the person behind the curtain, my producer, Miss Belle French. Well, soon to be Miss Belle Skinner.”

Belle was going to kill him. He gestured for her to flip her own microphone on, not saying a word just grinning at her, the bastard.

She cleared her throat. “Morning everyone,” she managed before flipping it right back off. She waved a hand at him, pointing for him to flip the last section of music live but he just arched a brow. Belle swore (silently just in case the mic was still hot) and then, “Hope everyone enjoyed the show today. It was certainly...an educational one for me.”

“Belle here is also new to SB101,” Will said picking up for her. “She started on Night Air but I was lucky enough to get her - well as my producer. Everyone’s favorite wizard of the airwaves snapped up the lovely lady before I could even my foot in the door.” He sighed dramatically. “Not only she is a beauty, but she’s whip-smart, kinder than she has any right to be and brave as they come.”

She mouthed a “thank you” to him through the glass and he winked back.

“Now, before I hand things off to Little Red for the all request lunch hour, I want to announce the True Love contest SB101. You can enter through our website, SB101.com, and get the link from the Morning Show page.” He paused for a moment as if considering, and then, “Every week, you can enter to win a chance to be a guest producer on the Morning Show or Night Air. You’re choice! Just send an email to...ah let’s see Selena- That’s S-E-L-E-N-A Mills at SB101.com. Well, that’s all from me today. We’ll be back same time tomorrow.”

Belle gaped at him as he stood and stretched, tugging off his headset to rub at his ears. “Bloody things are too small- What?” he demanded when he caught her staring.

“What did you just do?”

Before he could answer, Ruby threw open the door and threw her arms around him. “You brilliant, brilliant man!” she crowed.

Leroy was right behind her, and to Belle’s surprise, he was grinning ear-to-ear. “Get a move on sister,” he told her, gently nudging her out of the way. “You got about thirty seconds before-”

A red-head appeared in the open door. “Mr. Scarlet, a word.”

He disentangled himself from Ruby, though he seemed a bit loath to do so. “All words can go through my agent, love,” he said.

“Fine. I’ll just have a word with your producer, then.” Startling green eyes cut over to where Belle stood, still half frozen. “Ms. French? If you could join me in my office?”

She didn’t wait for a reply, but marched away with every confidence Belle would follow.

“Selena Mills?” Belle guessed. Rum had filled her in a bit about the new station promotion’s manager, and her...uh...interest in him.

“Seems like it,” Ruby murmured.

“Live in thirty,” Leroy warned. “Better not keep her waiting,” he suggested to Belle. “If she’s anything like her sister, she’ll find some way to make you regret it.”

Will escorted her out of the booth. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “Want me to come with?”

She shook her head before stopping dead in the hallway and throwing her arms around him. “You are a wonderful, wonderful man, Will Scarlet.”

“You American women are too easy,” he bluffed. “Smart, Beautiful and a sucker for an English accent.”

The station radio crackled to live as Ruby had started her show.

“Morning all, this is Little Red Rider live from SB101 for your all request lunch hour. For those just joining us, you can go to SB101.com to make requests, or you can tweet them live to @LittleRedRiderLive. You can also enter our newest contest, the True Love contest where you can enter to be a guest on the program of your choice, Morning Show, All Request Live, or Night Air.” She paused before adding in a mischievous voice,” all to celebrate the recent engagement of our very own Night Air, the wizard of the airwaves, Rum Skinner. That’s right folks, he’s off the market but yours truly and the Knave of our Hearts, Will Scarlet are both very much single and ready to mingle.”

“Oi!” Will complained, already heading back to the booth. “That’s not-”

For her part, all Belle could do was laugh.

That is until she arrived at Selena Mills’ office.

“Ah, better late than never,” Selene drawled. “Close the door.”

Belle drew it halfway closed, before sinking down into the couch on the far side of the office. Behind Selena, there was a rather large framed poster of Rum with a scrawled autograph in the top left corner. “I see you’re a fan of my fiance.”

Selena’s mouth drew back into a crocodile grin. “Oh, I’m his biggest fan. I have great plans for Rum Skinner and Night Air, so imagine my surprise when your DJ-”

“Talent.”

“Disc Jockey announced he was also taking part in the contest. As now is our request lunch hour.”

And if Belle was any judge of character, Snow & Tell would be joining the contest today as well.

“It’s a great promotion,” Belle lied through her teeth. “It allows for fans of the station to choose which program they most connect to, and we could easily double our ad revenue based on the entries-”

“I have no interest in doubling the ad revenue.”

“An odd thing for a promotions manager to say,” Belle replied back with a confused smile. “You know, I have some great ideas on how we can leverage all the talents across markets- maybe even go state-wide now that we have the support of Midas Air Network-”

“Let me be clear Ms. French, in a week’s time, there will be no SB101. The only thing worth anything in this scrapyard of a local radio station is Rum’s show, and I’ve already made sure that when the smoke clears, he and I will be far, far away from the mess my idiot of a sister has made.”

Belle paused before saying, “You mean the embezzling.”

In for a penny, in for a pound. One did not share their grand plans with people unless they were very, very secure or very, very stupid.

Selena chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious? I caught her at it over a year ago. A station manager can’t afford a summer house in Hyperion Heights, much less new Louboutins every season. I’ve been holding it over her head for a year now. Imagine her surprise when I leveraged all the evidence for a job. At the very station that she’s run into the ground. Not that she thought it strange. What people do for love and all that.”

The phone on her desk began to ring.

“Oh, one second, I’m expecting a call.” Selena fished the receiver off the hook. “Hello? Oh, yes, yes. Yes, thank you..”

Hanging the phone up, Selena turned back to Belle. “Now. It took me all weekend to figure out what I was going to do. You know, Ms. French, you made things rather difficult at first. But all things considered, you ended up being the solution, not the problem.”

Completely at a loss, Belle took a deep breath. “Well. While I appreciate you being so forthright to me about your sister’s illegal activities and your own plans, I really do need to get going. I want to make sure I get to the police station before lunch-”

Selena gave her a little faux pout. “Let me save you some time. Officer Rogers?”

The door swung open, revealing a tall, dark and handsome officer, who had a pair of handcuffs swinging from his fingers. He was sporting a rather terrifying grin. “Thanks for the call, Ms. Mills. Is this the one?” he asked, nodding towards Belle.

“The very one,” Selena said, trying to appear disappointed and failing miserably. Her own cat-eating the canary grin was about as chilling as Officer Rogers’. “I think if you check her office, you’ll find all the evidence you need for an embezzlement charge to stick.”

“Yes, Mr. Glass has already been very forthcoming on the subject. Seems he was using Ms. French’s station out in Avonlea to fence the cash.”

“Wait- what?” Belle bolted to her feet. “What are you talking about? I just started here-”

“Yes, all at the behest of Mr. Glass. He got you a job producing here when Midas started sniffing around to acquire the station, but by then it was too late. Really so awful. To embezzle money from a local family-run station.” Selena’s eyes were glistening with mirth. “And poor Mr. Skinner, falling for your little act. I must admit it was rather genius of you to blackmail him into proposing to you or risk losing his show. We all know how much it means to him.”

“But I-” Her words were cut off as Officer Rogers snapped the handcuffs, he was not gentle. Belle stared at Selena Mills in horror. “This isn’t happening.”

“Oh, but it is.” Regina Mills stood in the doorway, another officer, shorter and squatter, behind her in the hall. “Did you really think you’d get away with it, Ms. French?”

#rumbelle #rumbelle fic #b does the write thing

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imthequeenofcordonia · 5 years

Text

Abdication

I think I'm in love (chapter one)

Title inspiration: I think I’m in love by Kat Dahila

Word count: 6229

Paring: Drake x Lily

Warnings: NSFW material. By reading, you acknowledge you are 18 or over.

Summary: Leo abdicates and leaves, its Liam's social season, but his romance with Riley isn't the only romance brewing

Author note: All characters belong to Pixelberry. In this fic Liam and Leo have a little sister called Lily.

Tags: @addictedtodrakefanfic

“You’re abdicating?!” Lily yelled at her brothers as Leo and Liam walked into the foyer of the palace. They stopped in their tracks as Lily made her way down the stairs.

Leo hesitated still reeling over the conversation he had just had with Liam. “What is going on?” she asked, looking up at her older brothers.

“How did y-”

“Dad. I heard dad talking to Regina. What the hell is happening? You can’t abdicate Leo.”

“Let’s go and talk about this somewhere more private,” her eldest brother suggested.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Yes, I'd quite like to know,” Madeline’s voice boomed from behind them.

“Maddie,” Leo sighed.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You can’t just abdicate Leo,” Madeline yelled, although Lilly knew the blonde demon was only getting her panties in a twist because she wouldn't be queen.

Lily turned to face her, “Will you be quiet?! I’m trying to talk to MY brother.”

“Remember who you’re speaking to,” Madeline demanded.

“You’re no longer going to be queen Madeline. I outrank you, I always will.” Lily spun around to face the boys again. “Well?”

Madeline walked over to Leo grabbing him by the arm. “Can we go and talk about this please?” She asked, looking up at him.

Leo gave his sister a look, that being enough to tell her he needed to appease the demon before her, like always.

“Unbelievable,” Lily muttered as Leo and Madeline stalked off. lily looked up at Liam tears pooling in her eyes. She didn't know why this was making her so upset, she knew that Leo abdicating was a possibility even if nobody said it. Her brother just didn't want the responsibility.

“Lily,” Liam started.

“Why am I always the last to know?” Lily interrupted; she shook her head turning away from him. “I’m going to go and-” she mumbled, walking back up the staircase.

**********

Drake was sat on his bed untying his shoelaces and then kicking off his shoes. He picked his phone off his bedside table, to reply to a text from Savannah but was interrupted by loud and persistent knocking at the door.

Drake stood and answered the door. Lily stood on the other side, a few tears running down her cheeks.

“Are you gonna let me in before someone sees?” she asked, her voice quiet.

Drake stood to the side allowing her entry into his room then shut it behind her. Lily trotted over to the bed, taking a seat as Drake plopped down beside her. She leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder as Drake slung his arm around her small frame.

“What’s wrong?” Drake asked after some time.

“Leo is abdicating.”

Drake looked down at her, his eyes growing wide, “What?”

“That was my reaction, well it would've been if my brother could’ve had the decency to tell me instead of me overhearing my dad talking to Regina. I just-”

“So, what’s gonna happen now?” Drake interrupted.

“Liam is the eldest out of me and him, the crown will automatically go to him. If he doesn't accept it'll go to me.... I-I can’t be queen Drake. I can't. I can’t rule a country, I-”

Drake cut her off with a kiss. He leaned back, cupping her face. “Have you spoken to Liam or Leo or even your dad?”

She shook her head, “I was going to try and talk to Leo, but he felt like he needed to satisfy the blonde demon rather than explain it to me. That’s just typical, Drake,” she sighed.

“Do you know if Liam is going to accept?”

“I don't know. I would imagine he would, but even then, Liam doesn't get a life. He will be forever bound to pomp and circumstance while Leo gets to go on his flamboyant adventures around the world. It’s just ridiculous! Leo has known he’ll be king from such a young age, maybe that was bad parenting, Dad telling him that when he was six, but he knows he’ll be king. I know he’s labelled the playboy prince but this- I just- Me and Liam have followed all the rules, we’ve attended every boring ass ball and function, we’ve made all our public appearances, we’ve sat through every lesson, we’ve done all of it, but Leo was always destined to be king. It was always going to be him...And do you know something else that drives me insane? Dad has always gushed about how much he loves his boys, how good of a king Leo would be and now Leo is going to wreck everything. I- I knew this would happen...He has never followed the rules, so why would he now? And to think I was going to tell my dad today.”

“About us?”

“Yeah,” she grinned, “Well, maybe not that we’re dating, but that I am dating someone, before he tries to get me to shack up with some stupid noble.”

“We still need to tell your brothers at some point, ya know.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, turning to him, “I think there’s been enough drama within the Rys family today. Besides what’s a little longer keeping this a secret gonna do?”

“I think you’re beginning to like the secrecy,” he smirked.

“Maybe I am,” she said, leaning in and placing a kiss on his lips. “You’ve got to admit it makes it more exciting, “she whispered when she pulled back, looking up and into his chocolate brown eyes.

He cupped her face in his hands, getting lost in her piercing blue eyes that he loved so much. She was right, it was exciting this way.

They had been dating for about four months now. It all started on Savannah’s birthday. It started off as a drunken one-night stand, or that's what they made it out to be. Their relationship wasn't a normal one, Drake was sure that if Constantine were to find out he’d most likely have him killed or something and this was his best friend sister.

They hadn't said ‘I love you’ yet although they both were madly in love with each other. There just never seemed to be the right time.

“Are you okay?” Drake asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “I’ll speak to my idiotic brother, I'll try and stop my dad from killing him, I'll see what Liam wants to do. I just don't want Liam’s life to be ruined by Leo’s decision,” she sighed.

“I know.”

“On the bright side I won’t have to see the blonde demon all the time,” Lily said, leaning into Drake, who kissed the top of her head. Her eyes drifted over to the clock on the bedside table seeing the time was nearing eleven. “I better go,” Lily sighed, getting to her feet.

That was one thing she did hate about having to keep this all a secret. She hated leaving him.

Drake stood too, walking her over to the door

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.

“Night,” Drake whispered, giving her a hug and a kiss before she slipped out and shut the door behind her.

**********

Lily wandered toward her room slowly. If there was one thing her family was good at it was causing drama, particularly where Leo was involved.

“Lil?” Leo’s voice called from behind her. Lily carried on toward her room, not paying any attention to her eldest brother’s footsteps coming from behind her.

Lily stopped when he grabbed her arm. She yanked It from his grip staring up at him. “Now you want to talk?” Lily asked in disbelief.

“I’m sorry, it was for the best that I dealt with Madeline then. You know what she’s like,” Leo sighed.

“Fine,” she shrugged. Although she was annoyed, Lily knew what Madeline could be like when she didn't get her own way, she was like a child in that aspect.

Lily pushed her door open allowing her brother entry first. Lily shut the door behind them and leant against it looking at Leo expectantly.

“Why?” she asked.

“I can’t do this Lily. I’m not cut out for this and I’ve always known that.”

“What about Liam? Is he going to take over?”

“He said he’s going to think about it,” Leo explained, “but I think we both know what the answer will be.”

“And Dad?”

“I don't think I've ever heard him yell as much as he did. He’s angry and I don't blame him, but I think he prefers it this way, no matter what he says now.”

“Do you really think that lowly of yourself, Leo?”

“No, but Liam will always make the better king. That’s just a fact Lil.”

“So, what now?” Lily asked, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

“Honestly? I don't know,” Leo said, sitting beside her, “That’s up to Liam.”

“Are you going to leave again?” Leo hesitated, she turned to him, hurt written all over her face. “Where to next then? America? You’ve always wanted to go to the states. Dubai? Scotland? England? Australia? I don't know anywhere that’s not here. For god’s sake Leo! You can’t just do this and leave! “

“Why not? That’s what I do,” he bit back. “I fuck things up and then I leave. That’s what I'm good at.”

“No, it isn't,” Lily insisted, “if Liam accepts then I'll be alone. Liam will be off learning how to be king and you’ll be halfway across the world off on another grand adventure. Please stay.”

“I can’t. I-”

“When are you going?” Lily interrupted, knowing her brother all too well.

“In the morning,” he told her. “The preparations for the next social season I expect will be underway by morning, it'll be announced publicly that I'm stepping down as crown prince, Liam will be introduced as the future king-”

“And you can’t stand to be here to watch the mess that you’ve created unfold,” Lily finished.

“Something like that yeah.”

“Is this because of Madeline?” She asked.

“No,” Leo shook his head, “I made my peace with the fact I'd have to marry her a long time ago, it’s not her. Imagine me and Madeline ruling together, it’d be a disaster.”

“Then marry someone else-”

“Lily,” he sighed, turning his body so he could face her completely “I realize that this must be difficult to understand, but this is about more than who would be queen, this is about the fact I'm too irresponsible to rule. I wouldn't be any good at it. Dad has always known that; I think everybody always knew.”

Lily pulled her brother into a hug, he patted her back affectionately. “I know this isn't fair on Liam and I know that’s what you’re worried about.” He pulled back sighing. “Liam will have dad and Regina; he'll have so much help around him, but if either of you need me, I’m only a phone call away. “

“Promise?”

“I promise. You’ll see me again, I always come home eventually. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he grinned.

“Love you.”

“I love you too, little sis.”

**********

Leo had been right, the preparations for the next social season had been kicked off the next morning, Liam had been introduced as the crown prince and Leo had left.

It had been a few weeks since, Constantine had considerably calmed down and even started to see that Liam taking over was for the good of the country, talking of the country the people had reacted well to the news that Liam would become their king.

Lily lay snuggled up against her boyfriend, that her family still didn't know about, in the early hours. “So, why New York?” she asked.

“Liam wants to go. He always has apparently.”

“Interesting,” she mumbled, tracing circles along his bare chest. “So, you’ll get to spend a weekend in New York, and I have to stay here and attend a meeting with my dad? Why can’t I come? Think about it... a romantic weekend in New York,” she suggested.

“On Liam’s bachelor party? Imagine the drama that’d cause.”

“Fine, but if you run off with some cute American, I will tell my father about you and me and have you locked in a palace cell.”

“As if. I think it’ll be a nice break for Liam after all the things your dad has made him do over the last few weeks and I promise not to run off with some ‘cute American’ your words not mine.”

“Good. I love you.”

“D-did you just-” Drake stuttered, his eyes growing wide.

“Say ‘I love you’? Yeah, because I do.”

“I love you too,” Drake said, leaning down to kiss her passionately. He cupped her face as he pulled back, “I love you so fucking much.”

Lily turned to look at the clock, it was just about to go six, she knew they were leaving early, and that Drake would have to go soon.

“So, since we’ve just made a tremendous stride, #couplegoals and all that, why don't we tell my dad, Regina and Liam when you get back from New York?”

“Do I want to die young?” Drake joked.

“I’m serious. It’s been months Drakey.”

“Drakey?” Drake cringed, “I don't like it.”

“Tough. I do.”

“Don’t be such a princess,” Drake teased, “I think that it’s about time. At least if your dad doesn't kill me, we won’t have to hide this anymore.”

“So, about my dad. I think over the weekend I'm going to talk to him about this, give him some time to adjust to the fact I'm not a little girl anymore and then maybe he won’t have you decapitated or thrown in a cell and has the key thrown away, when I introduce you as the guy that took my innocence.”

“We can only hope. How do we tell Liam?”

“I don't know,” she sighed, “Erm...well we could...I know we could tell him by.... I don't know, Drakey, you’ll have to get back to me. And don't think I didn't just see you cringe at the name.”

“Caught me there. Can we just go back to what you just said for a sec?”

“About you taking my innocence?” She asked.

“That would be the one.”

She shrugged, “Yep the grumpy commoner was who I lost my virginity to. Did I neglect to mention that in that grubby toilet in a random bar on your sister’s birthday?”

“Unbelievable.”

“That night certainly was,” she recalled.

“Are you being serious?” he asked.

“Yes! You are the only guy I've ever had sex with. Is that so hard to believe? I’m always in the palace and there are no footmen I like, and my dad isn't exactly the type to let me go out, if I do the scary looking men behind me normally scare them off.”

“I didn't know that.”

“They say you learn something new every day, don't they?”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” she confirmed…again. Lily sighed when she turned back to the clock. “You better get up. Get ready.”

“Yeah,” Drake sighed, getting out of bed then leaning over and planting a kiss on her forehead before plotting off toward the shower. Lily let out a whistle as she saw his backside recede to the bathroom.

A good ten minutes later Drake returned, showered and dressed. He took a seat on the end of the bed to put his shoes on. He smiled when he noticed that Lily had fallen back asleep. He shook her leg, laughing at how much she wasn’t a morning person. She mumbled something incoherent as her eyes fluttered open.

She yawned sitting up to look at him. “Don’t give me the death stare,” he grinned, “I just wanted to say bye before I go.

Drake after he had put on his shoes went and put his toothbrush and toothpaste into his bag then returned over to the bed, placing a kiss on his girlfriend’s lips.

“I love you,” he grinned.

“I love you too.”

“I’ll see you in a few days,” he said, slinging the strap over his shoulder. Drake headed to the door but turned when Lily called for him.

She pointed her finger at him as she spoke, “don’t run off with- “

“Any cute Americans,” he finished.

“Correct,” she smiled, “See you when you get back. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“Bye Drakey!” she called as he slipped out. She heard him let out a groan as he shut the door. He loved it really.

**********

Later that morning when Lily had finally hauled herself out of bed and made herself look presentable, she trotted off toward her father’s study.

She tapped gently on the door awaiting confirmation from her father that she could enter.

“Come in!”

Lily pushed the door open and entered the study. Constantine looked up from his desk, smiling when he saw his little girl.

“Have you got a minute?” she asked. Constantine took off his specs placing them on the desk as he gestured for her to take a seat.

“Is something wrong sweetheart?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” she reassured him as she took a seat. “I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Go on,” Constantine said, looking at her curiously. She leaned forward, wringing her hands together nervously. “Are you certain nothing is bothering you?” Constantine asked, sensing his daughter was nervous.

“Yeah. Dad…I’ve been seeing someone,” she said. Constantine was silent for a good while, lily taking that as a bad sign. She looked up at him.

“For how long?”

“A few months,” she explained, realizing how it sounded. “Erm...so I just thought I’d let you know. And I should probably tell you that he’s not a noble.”

“I’m sorry?” he asked, his voice calm, eerily calm like it always was before he’d start screaming.

Lily looked up at her father. “I really like him dad. I love him,” she explained, hoping that if she were to explain how she felt about him, her father would understand.

“Well obviously you don’t. You’re barely an adult, you can’t understand love. This will end immediately. I trust nobody else knows about this…whatever this is.”

“Dad-”

“No!” Constantine’s booming voice cut her off. “You will do as I say.”

“I am not going to break up with him because you want me too. I’m an adult, I’m not a little girl anymore!” she yelled.

“You will never raise your voice at me again!” he yelled back at her.

“So, Leo can abdicate and fuck whoever he likes, and I can’t?!”

“What did I just say? I am your father and you will show me some respect and never use language like that again. You’re a princess, act like one.”

Lily got to her feet, fighting back tears as she glared at him. “I hate you,” she said before leaving and slamming the door behind her.

**********

Lily ran to her bedroom, slamming her door shut behind her and sliding down it, burying her face in her hands. Why couldn’t he just have been happy for her? Why did he always have to find a way to be a dick?

Lily cried into her hands as she remembered the promise that her brother had made all those weeks ago. She wanted Drake but he was stuck on a plane, so she dialed Leo’s number instead.

“Hey little sis,” Leo’s groggy voice said through the phone. He sounded tired, wherever he was it must’ve been night, or he was recovering from a hell of a hangover, but he had picked up almost immediately. “Lily what’s up?” he asked after he heard her sniffling.

“I don’t know what to do Leo,” she cried.

“Lily you’re scaring me.” lily rarely cried but if she was something really bad must’ve happened. “What’s happened?”

“Don’t hate me.”

“Never could,” he told her. “Just tell me what’s going on.”

“I’ve been dating Drake,” she blurted out, Leo was silent for a little while.

“Okay…”

“We’ve been dating for about five months and I tried to tell dad that I was seeing someone, I told him he wasn’t a noble and he lost it, demanded I break up with him. I don’t want to break up with Drake,” she rambled.

“Did you tell dad it was Drake?”

“No.”

“Okay, then you’re fine,” Leo reassured, he knew it would end badly for Drake if Constantine were to find out. “Does Liam know?”

“No, you’re the only person that does. I just want dad to be happy for me.”

“It sounds like you really love him,” Leo said.

“I do,” she sniffled. “I really do, Leo.”

“Just give dad some time to calm down and then try again.”

“Have you met dad?” she scoffed. “I don’t think he’s gonna come around any time soon.”

“So erm you’ve been a thing for five months and you didn’t think to tell me?”

“We’ve been taking it slow and I was planning on telling dad and maybe you and Liam the night you decided to tell everyone you were abdicating.”

“Sorry,” Leo said, “Leave dad, he’ll get over it eventually and tell Liam for god’s sake,” Leo advised.

“Since when did you become the voice of reason?” she joked.

“I have many talents.”

“Of course, you do,” she scoffed.

“Are you okay?” Leo asked after a little while.

“Honestly? I don’t know. I knew it would end like this, but I just thought that maybe dad might just be happy for me for once. One thing you are right about is the fact that I need to tell Liam.”

“He’s in New York, isn't he?” Leo asked.

“Yep. They all went this morning. I miss you, big brother.”

“I miss you too, little sis.”

**********

The next few days went by painstakingly slow; Lily had done her best to avoid her father, which wasn't altogether difficult when you lived in a palace. She had messaged Drake a few times but mainly left him alone to enjoy his time in NYC.

The boys were coming back today then it’d be the first ball of the social season. Lily hated them, she’d rather just skip it and scowl somewhere and that was before she started dating Drake but being the king’s daughter made it difficult to avoid such events.

Lily stood in the foyer waiting for her boyfriend to arrive back. Drake had text her when they arrived at the airport and got in the car to come back to the palace.

“Sweetheart,” Constantine's voice said from behind her. Lily rolled her eyes then turned to him.

“Dad,” she said, smiling up at him although she knew he would know she was faking it.

“What are you doing lurking?”

Lily hesitated, she couldn't tell him that she was waiting for Drake, Constantine was a smart man, he’d figure it out.

“I’m waiting for Maxwell,” she lied, “He said he’d help me pick out a gown for the ball.”

“Very well,” Constantine said, resting a hand on her shoulder, “And what of the matter we discussed the other day?”

“All sorted,” she lied again, “We’re no longer together. You were right. It was ludicrous, I’m too young to understand love. “

“I'm ever so please that you’ve come to your senses.”

“As am I. Dad?”

“Yes?”

“I didn't mean It. I don't hate you.”

“We all say things we don't mean,” Constantine said. “Since you’ve broken things off with that acquaintance of yours and you’ve calmed considerably, there’s somebody I want to introduce you to at the welcoming ball.”

Lily swallowed hard. “Brilliant,” she said, faking a large grin.

“I best get on. I hope the gown picking with Lord Beaumont goes well,” Constantine said, walking off.

Lily heard Maxwell’s voice. “Welcome to your new home for the next few months, Riley.”

Riley? Who the hell is Riley?

Lily peeked out the door seeing her boyfriend, Maxwell and a woman, one she didn’t recognize. “This is where I'm staying? I didn't realize I’d be living in the palace,” the girl gushed.

American, Lily concluded.

“Most of the nobility live here while the social season is underway...Including all the ladies vying for Liam’s hand,” Maxwell explained.

Please tell me he didn’t.

“Yeah, living under one roof just makes it easier to attend the rose ceremony later...”

It had only been a few days, but she had missed his voice, his snarky and sarcastic replies.

“Drake’s just kidding...at least about the roses. Anyway, I'll show you to your room, Riley.”

“This is my cue to take off. See you around...if you’re lucky,” Drake said heading into the palace to be pulled into an alcove by Lily.

“Hey,” Drake said, looking down at her, sensing something was wrong. “Lil?”

“Come with me.”

**********

Lily shut her bedroom door behind them after dragging Drake there. She locked it just to make sure nobody would walk in.

“Gonna tell me what’s going on?”

“I talked to my dad...”

“And...?”

“And he basically demanded I break up with you and just now told me he’s introducing me to someone at the ball. I didn't tell him it was you but...was I really deluded in wanting him to be happy for me?”

“No. He’s your dad Lily of course you’d want him to be happy for you and any normal dad would be.”

Lily sighed, plopping down on the bed. Drake sat beside her, pulling her closer to him. “I missed you,” he said.

“I missed you too. Who was that? That girl?”

“Nothing to do with me,” Drake insisted, “Maxwell is an idiot.”

“Why? Who is she?”

“We met her in a random bar in New York. Okay, Liam and she did hit it off, but it didn't mean he needed to invite her here.”

“For the social season?” Drake nodded. “Jesus. That’s not going to go down well at court. A commoner being given a chance to marry the future king. What was he thinking?”

“I don’t know. He probably wasn't knowing Maxwell,” Drake sighed.

“Oh, talking of the social season…did you know Madeline is possibly being re-entered?”

“What? Seriously?”

“Yeah. I heard Regina talking to who I presume was Adelaide, my father and Madeline. There’s no way Liam will pick her. He can’t stand her.”

“I don’t think anyone can,” Drake added.

“To make matters worse, Penelope and Kiara are also going to be suitors going forward. I swear to god if that girl flirts with you again I am going to kill her.”

“Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Drake mumbled. “So, it’s looking likely Olivia will be the next queen then. God help us all.”

“Olivia isn’t that bad,” Lily insisted.

“You would say that. Your best friends with her,” Drake muttered.

“Olivia is…just complicated. Anyway, Hana Lee is apparently another suitor. I don’t see the point of this. Liam will never pick Penelope, Kiara or Madeline and then Riley and Hana are outsiders, it wouldn’t go down well with anyone, plus do we need any more balls and dinners and all the rest of it? Don’t we have enough as it is?”

“Apparently not,” Drake replied.

“Anyway, enough of the drama that’s bound to unfold over the next few months…. how was New York?”

“It was good,” Drake nodded.

“That’s it? Good?”

Drake leaned back, laying down as Lily lay her head on his chest, his fingers running through her blonde locks. “What’s up Drake?”

“It’s just awkward with Liam.”

“Because of us?” Lily asked.

“Yeah,” Drake answered truthfully. “I just don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“I don’t think it will. Liam is pretty understanding, unlike my dad. Answer this question…do you love me? Truthfully.”

“Yes,” Drake answered with no hesitation.

“And you see us having a future together?”

“Yeah. What about you?”

“I could see me being Mrs. Walker one day,” she grinned. “We’ll cross that bridge with Liam when we come to it.”

“Not if your dad has anything to do with it. This guy he’s going to introduce you to-”

“I don't want any part of it,” Lily interrupted. “I don't want to be with some noble. I love you and that’s not going to change, Drake.”

“Do you ever just think about leaving?” Drake asked.

“Yeah. Leo Rys being my brother has taught me a lot about how to lose security and just disappear for weeks. To answer your question, yes, I've thought about leaving. Maybe one day I will but I can’t now. I need to be here for Liam and my dad, there’s something going on with him, Drakey, and I don't know what it is.”

“Do I have to go to the ball?” Drake asked.

“Yes! Come on you’ll be supporting Liam and who else am I going to talk to? Everyone is so boring! At least when Leo was here it was always interesting. Which reminds me...I need to find Maxwell before he runs into my dad,” Lily said, getting to her feet and goes over to the door.

“What did you do?”

“I might have told a little fib to the king of Cordonia.”

“Better go and fix it then,” Drake smirked.

“Stay here. I’ll be back.”

“Said the terminator.”

“I’ll see you later,” Lily laughed, unlocking the door and slipping out, bumping into somebody. Lily looked up into her brother’s ocean blue eyes.

Lily pulled the door shut and straightened out her clothes as her brother took a step back.

“Liam!” She smiled up at him, raising her voice so Drake could hear inside. Liam looked at her curiously.

“Are you alright?” Liam asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine. How was New York?”

“Lily are sure you’re okay? You’re acting very oddly.”

“I'm fine. Perfect. Brilliant. Well.”

“Right...There’s something I need to talk to you about and I'd rather not discuss it in the hallway.”

“We can go in-” Lily turned to open the door, briefly forgetting than remembering that Drake was still in there. “Actually, no we can’t,” she mumbled.

“Lily?” Liam asked.

“We can’t go in,” she said, not daring to look at her brother, imagining the look of pure confusion written across his face.

“Why not?”

“There’s a giraffe- spider, I mean spider, there’s a spider in there!” she yelled, not fully understanding why a giraffe was the first animal that came into her head. Her room was big but not that big.

“What is going on?”

“There’s a spider. A big, big grumpy spider. I mean if we opened the door it’d get out, wouldn't it? It’d cause havoc.”

“A spider?

“A big, grumpy, sarcastic spider,” she mumbled.

Liam glanced down at his watch. “I need to go. Come find me later,” Liam said, before walking off and leaving his sister feeling like an idiot.

Lily sighed, pushing the door open to see Drake sat on the bed trying to stifle his laughter.

“A giraffe spider?”

**********

Later that day Lily went to find her brother. “Come in!” Liam yelled; Lily headed in to see Liam slip on his blazer. He turned to her, giving his sister his full attention.

“Someone is looking very princely,” Lily smirked.

“Shouldn't you be getting ready?” Liam asked.

“I’ve got plenty of time. What did you want to talk about Li?”

“What's going on with you?”

“Nothing,” Lily shrugged. One thing she didn't like about being a twin was that her brother would always know if she was lying or if something was bothering her.

“lil...”

“I’m fine. Tonight is important, meeting your suitors, the first ball of the social season...You okay?”

“I’m fine, nervous, but otherwise fine.”

“I spoke to Leo earlier. He said to say good luck for tonight and the next three months.”

“Where is Leo?”

“In Athens apparently,” Lily explained.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You just seem...different,” Liam explained, his brows creased with worry, Lily immediately picking up on that, knowing there wasn’t anything to be worried about.

“I’m fine, big brother,” she smiled up at him.

“I’m three minutes older than you,” he reminded her.

“Still my big brother,” Lily grinned pulling Liam into a hug. “I better go and get ready. I’ll see you later.”

**********

Lily headed to her room and changed into her gown; it was black with accented golden specs across the bodice. She finished doing her makeup and hair then placed her mother’s favorite tiara on her head.

It was after all a masquerade, but Lily had no desire to wear a mask and didn't fully understand why it was a masquerade given the fact it was a welcoming ball, so you wouldn't be able to tell who was who anyway. Court was weird.

She trotted over to her door when she heard knocking, pulling it open to see her father on the other side.

Constantine smiled at the sight of his impossibly gorgeous daughter. He nodded to the tiara she had on. “I remember when I gifted that to your mother,” Constantine reminisced. “You look stunning sweetheart.”

“Is everything okay?” Lily asked. Constantine and Lily didn't have the best relationship, they very frequently butted heads but when they were getting along Lily was quite the daddy’s girl. She knew her father well and she knew something was wrong.

“Everything is fine,” Constantine smiled. “Tonight, is about your brother but I didn't want you to feel like you were being ignored or forgotten about amongst the chaos,” he explained.

“I don't. I know tonight is about Liam and his future wife. Our future king and queen. I appreciate you thinking of me dad.”

“You’re my daughter. I always think about you.”

Lily smiled up at him, despite everything Constantine was a good dad, or at least he had his moments. Lily only wished that he would be a little bit more understanding.

Constantine held his arm out to Lily, “Why don’t I escort you to the ball?”

Lily smiled and took hold of her father’s arm. “Go on then.”

**********

The herald announced the king, queen, prince and princess into the ballroom. Lily’s eyes immediately looked around to lock eyes with Drake. She smirked slightly at seeing he hadn't changed into formal attire.

Quite the rule breaker, she thought.

Lily broke away from her family eventually and headed to the bar. She in all technicality should have been stood with her father and Regina to formally welcome the suitors before they started fawning over Liam, but she had no desire to. She would introduce herself to Hana and Riley later, but right now she needed a drink to settle her nerves about meeting her own suitor later that night.

Lily scanned the crowd and saw a woman in a red dress with horns and a black mask talking with her boyfriend, before being pulled away by Olivia.

The redhead said a few words to the girl in the red dress then scurried away, as Maxwell appeared talking to the girl, who she presumed was Riley.

“I don’t like her,” Olivia snarled as she made her way over to the princess.

“That’s Riley?” Lily asked, nodding to the girl.

“Yep,” Olivia said, popping the ‘p’. “That’s the new girl.”

Lily spun around to face her friend. “Don’t tell me you’re threatened, Liv.”

“Of course I’m not,” Olivia growled.

“Of course. Hell would have to freeze over before anything could come close to threatening Olivia Nevrakis,” Lily smiled, earning a smirk from the redhead. “What do you make of her?”

“I would be surprised if she’s still here by the end of the week.”

“We’ll see. You better go, talk to my parents, your future husband,” Lily grinned.

“We’ll see,” Olivia said.

“Oh, come on Liv. You’ve been best friend since we were kids. He’d be an idiot if he didn’t pick you. How can any of the others even come close to competing with a Nevrakis?”

“They can’t,” Olivia smirked.

“Exactly.”

“Someone wants you,” Olivia said, nodding to Drake who was looking at Lily. Lily turned around, locking eyes with Drake, smiling and mouthing she’d only be a minute then turned back to Olivia. “Since when have you two been a thing?”

“We’re not,” Lily insisted shaking her head.

“Word of advice: stop looking at each other like lovesick puppies before someone else catches on,” Olivia advised before sauntering away to join the que of suitors waiting to be welcomed by the king and queen.

Lily shook her head and straightened out her dress. Were they really being that transparent? she wondered.

She stood looking around her at all the stuffy nobles mingling with one another, wondering if any of their smiles were actually genuine because hers never were.

People, ‘normal’ people thought being royal was glamourous, but it isn't. The rules of court and royal life applied to everything. Everything common folk thought nothing of, like going food shopping or getting up for work or taking a stroll without anybody batting an eyelid, that's what Lily Rys longed for. She didn't want her life to be broadcasted through the media, for every move she made to be praised or criticized

She loved Drake for more reasons than one, but he made her feel normal. As she stood there looking over the nobles, she saw the appeal in leaving, why Leo left. But like she had told Drake, she needed to be there for her brother and desperately needed to know what was going on with her father.

#the royal romance #trr #trr fanfiction #choices trr #choices #drake x oc #choices: stories you play

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lovemychoices · 5 years

Text

Before There Was You-5B

TRR X ROE

Song Inspiration : Ruelle - War of Hearts

Three years ago while travelling in Europe, Eve Sommers was involved in a car accident. She woke up from her coma two weeks later with no memory of what happened to her in the past seven months. Three years later and still no recollection about what happened to her before the accident. But all of that is about to change. Will she finally know the truth? Will there be consequences?

*THIS SERIES PRACTICALLY THROWS CANON OUT THE WINDOW* YEET!YEET!

Characters except my OCs belong to Pixelberry, I am just borrowing them

Word count : 2300.

Chapter Summary: It’s the night of the masquerade ball will Eve impress the royal family?

A/N : This is my first fiction series so it will definitely not be 100% perfect. In other words be kind :). Feedback and comments are welcomed, also hit that reblog button if you like what you read. Sorry for any grammatical errors! I only proof read this like once or twice.

So this is my last posting of the series for this week. Chapter 6 will come up sometime next? I’ve honestly been having a bit of block lately 🤣 But no worries I won’t leave ya hanging for too long.

Catch up with the series HERE

Warning : I’m rating this PG18 cause there will probably be PG18 stuff that’s going to happen in future chapters. So if you read this series you acknowledge that you are 18 and above.

BTWY TAGLISt: @thecordoniandiaries @leelee10898 @ao719 @annekebbphotography @desiree-0816 @rainbowsinthestorm @emceesynonymroll @the-soot-sprite @carabeth @cora-nova @charliejane-blog @dcbbw @hopefulmoonobject @cmestrella @jlpplays1 @pixieferry @romanticatheart-posts @kingliam2019

As the clock struck six, Liam took his place in the palace foyer next to his father the King and stepmother the Queen and started to greet their guests as they entered. Each time someone approached Liam would take a peak at the person standing behind hoping that it would be Eve. Outside he was stoic but inside he was as anxious and excited as a five year old at a theme park, after their short encounter this morning he couldn’t wait to see her again and introduces her to his family. He finally catches a glimpse of her standing in line behind Lady Kiara, she might have been wearing a mask but he’d remember those emerald eyes and smile anywhere.

Finally it was her turn to walk up and greet the royal family. “Good evening your Majesties.” She greets with a curtsy and a soft smile. “Thank you for inviting me to join the social season it’s such an honour.”

“Father, Regina. I’d like you to meet Eve Sommers, she is the one I have been telling you about.” Liam smiles as he introduces her. The King and Queen both scan her head to toe, she looks the part but can she pull the act. They thought to themselves. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Eve, Liam was so excited when you accepted his invitation. I Eve you’ll have a wonderful stay throughout this Event and look forward to seeing more of you.” Constantine says with a rueful smile on his face.

“Thank you your Sir, I’m sure I will.” She grins and turns to face Liam.

“Eve why don’t you go and join the rest inside the ballroom. I’ll see you in a bit. Save me a dance?” He smiled with a wink.

“I will be looking forward to it your highness.” She grins dipping a low curtsy before walking away.

Walking through the large white with gold trim doors a little gasp of awe escapes Eve as took in the sight of the magnificent ballroom. They didn’t call it the Grand ballroom for nothing. The room had a huge ceiling decorated with paintings, massive crystal chandeliers hung above illuminating the entire room. The walls were consumed by great arched windows finely decorated with gold paint which matched the velvet drapes. Eve continues to decends down the grand staircase scanning the room for someone she knows. Where is Maxwell? she thinks, it was so hard to tell which of these nobles was him with everyone wearing a mask. She notices Hana standing by one of the table tops, she could recognise her from her outfit which she wore when they ran into each other earlier on. She smiles and proceeds to walk towards Hana when she feels someone pull her to the side as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“So you must be the infamous Eve Sommers I’ve been hearing about this past month.” The Red head woman sneers. Eve yanks her arm off the Redheads grip scanning her head to toe trying to figure out who she is only to smile when she does. “You must be Olivia, Liam told me about you.”

“That’s Duchess Olivia Nevrakis to you.” She retorts with both hands placed on her waist. “And if Liam told you about me then you’ll also know that we’re very close and I love him like a brother, so if you EVER hurt him intentionally.” She roughly pulls Eve close to her and whispers in an intimidating voice. “I carry knives under my outfits wherever I go and wouldn’t hesitate to use one on you should I need to.”

“Olivia!” Drake hisses, his eyes narrowed at her. Olivia gave him a sharp sneer, she let’s go of Eve’s arm and straightens the wrinkles on her dress. “It was nice talking to you Eve, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other very soon.” She smirks then walks away.

Drakes steps closer to Eve rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry about that, Olivia can be a little bit protective when it comes to Liam.”

“She’s not the only one.” Eve shrugs. “And you didn’t have to step in, I could have handled it on my own.”

Drake heaves a sigh. “Look, I’m sorry if I was an ass back on the plane. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you were a crown chaser cause you’re not Eve, I know that. I was just trying to protect you to protect Liam, this place might look all glittery and glamorous on the outside but behind the curtains shit happens. Especially to commoners like us, just be carefull alright?”

Eve’s lips forms into a thin smile and gently nods. “I understand your concern but I can take care of myself, plus if you think nobles like Olivia scare me you should see the mean girls I had to deal with in prep school.”

Drake chuckles “No thanks, I’ll take my chances with the Olivia. So anyway are we still friends? He asks holding out his hand.

Eve smiles and shakes his hand in agreement.“Friends. Now I’m hungry, wanna get some food to eat by the horderves table?”

Drake snorts “I’m not sure those are classified as foods but sure why not.”

After all the guests have arrived it was finally time for the royal family to take their place by the entrance of the ballroom. Liam took a deep breath and exhaled as he waited to the herald to announce their entry, he could wait to see Eve again and have their first dance together.

Eve, Drake, Hana and Maxwell were standing near one of the high tables enjoying their drinks while chatting when the herald announces the Royal families arrival. First enters the King and Queen followed by Prince Liam from behind.

“Heads up little blossom.” Maxwell nudges with a wink as Liam approaches their direction.

“Eve...May I have this dance?” He asks with a soft smile. “It would be my pleasure your highness.” She grins.

Liam takes her hand and whisks her out onto the dance floor of the grand ballroom. All the nobles started to stare some began whispering to each other, all wondering who the mystery woman who got the prince attention was. Was she a princess or a duchess maybe from a foreign country? The look on their faces when they knew she was nothing more than a commoner and not just that an American as well.

As the orchestra plays the music, Liam leads Eve in a waltz around the room. They both glide effortlessly together and soon the other nobles began to join in.

“Your pretty good at this.” Liam grins. “Your not too bad yourself Mr.” She winks playfully. “Honestly I didn’t even know I could waltz until today it all just came naturally to me. I hope I’m doing it right.”

Liam chuckles. “You’re doing fine as long as you don’t step on any toes. So I see you’ve managed to make some new friends.”

Eve snorts. “Yeah Drake may not admit it but I know he’s starting to warm up to me and I met Hana in the boutique earlier on she seems nice.”

“That’s good to know.” He smiles and they continue to dance.

A few moments later the song starts to wind down, Liam’s hand still lingers on Eves waist, He’s eyes searching hers.

“Eve there’s something I need to tell you, I haven’t been really honest about why invited you here and—.”

“Ahem, sorry the two of you but if you don’t mind Eve, I’d like to cut in, me and the prince have a few matters to discuss.” Olivia interrupts with a smirk.

“Oh… of course.” Liam says with a rueful smile and turns to Eve. “Sorry, I’ll find you once I’m done and then we’ll talk?”

Eve gives a light nod and walks away from the dance floor. I could you a drink. She thought and walks towards the champagne table. She’s about to take a glass when she hears some of the ladies talking about her a few meters away.

“Can you believe she’s a commoner?” One of the ladies mocks as she scans Eve from Head to toe. “She does have great taste though, I love that dress.”

“I heard she and the prince met when he was on vacation in New York apparently they spent time together while he was there. They had a connection.”

“It doesn’t matter if she and the prince have a connection, she’ll never last a week in court.” A woman with blonde hair and green eyes shrugs.

Eves jaw began to clench her grip on champagne flute began to tighten. If they were in New York she’d probably give them a piece of her mind, but she knew she couldn’t not without embarrassing Liam. Breathe in breathe out, you’ve dealt with meaner girls in highschool. She thinks to herself. “I need to get some air.” She says and heads to the balcony with a drink in her hand.

Leo leans towards the balcony looking out at the palace gardens taking a sip of his scotch. He could hear the faint sounds of nobles chatting and gossiping from behind him. He always hated how two faced the nobles could be, always out and about in other people's business, most of them would stab the other in the back if they thought it benefited them. It was the reason why he chose to stay for the social season he needed to be there for his brother especially now that Liam needed to prove that Eve would be the perfect Queen for Cordonia and for him, it's the least he could do after he abdicated and left this hell of a mess behind.

Eve’s the girl his brother is head over heels for, the same girl he fell in love with three years ago and even still till this very day. He snorts as he thought about the irony of it all, but she deserves better and so does his brother.

He is slowly pulled from his thoughts when he hears the sound of soft clicks from someone's heels walking towards him a gust of wind blew by and he could smell her perfume from where he was standing, he’d recognise that scent anywhere.

“Hey you,” Eve greets him with a smile, “I didn’t see you with the rest of the royal family when I came in, where were you?

“Formality isn’t really my thing.” He grins. “I prefer sneaking into parties. It’s easier to avoid the spotlight that way.”

She chuckles at his answer and he smiled. He always loved it when she smiled or laughed. It was good to know after all these years how good she was doing for herself, then again she couldn’t remember all the heartbreak he had put her through, the secrets and lies he kept from her during their six months together.

“So Eve, why are you out here instead of in there by my brothers side?” He asks.

“Well Olivia interupted us, said she had some thing to discuss with Liam. I couldn’t find anyone nice to talk to so here I am.” She answers and take a sip of her drink.

Their conversation was cut short by Liam as he walks out onto the balcony looking for Eve. “There you are I’ve been looking all over for you” Liam smiles, walking right next to Eve wrapping one arm on her waist while leaning in to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Sorry that took a little longer than expected.”

“It’s okay, the duties of a prince.” She winks.

“Leo, what are you doing alone out here? Normally you’d be with Maxwell by now having one your shenanigans.” Liam jokes.

Leo chuckles. “The night is still young brother, but speaking of Maxwell I’d better go find him before he does anything stupid without me.” Leo looks between Liam and Eve. “Besides I’m sure the two of you must have a lot of catching up to do.” He winks playfully then leaves in a huff.

Liam turns to Eve and takes her hand in his smiling fondly at her. “I’m sorry I couldn’t spend much time with you earlier on.If there is anything I can do to make it up to you.”

“Well.” She paused for a moment biting her lower lip. “I did remember you promised me a personal tour around the palace.”

Liam chuckles. “That could be arranged in a few minutes, but there's something I need to tell you.” He took her hand in his. Eve purses her lips, she wonders where this is going. “Eve, I haven’t been completely honest with you. By the end of the social season my father will be stepping down and I will take his place as king.”

“Wow that’s amazing news Liam, congratulations.” She beamed then searches his eyes, she could tell from the look he gave that there was more to it than he’s letting on. She lifts her eyebrows as her smile slowly fades. “But there’s something else?”

Liam give a slight nod his lips forming into a thin line. “Cordonia traditions and law demand that a prince has to be married or at least engaged before the night of his coronation.”

“Oh but that means—.”

“I have to pick someone as my fiancée by the end of the social season. My father proposed that I take Countess Madeleine a my future wife but I rejected his idea because,” Liam paused biting his lower lip, he felt his heart racing afraid of how she would react from what he was going to say. “Eve, I like you a lot and getting to know you this past month was the most happiest I’ve ever been and I wonder if you feel the same way because I want us to be something more.”

Eve cups Liam’s cheek with both hands and looked into his eyes. “Liam, I like you too. But asking me to be your fiancée when we’ve only known each other for more than a month that just sounds reckless.”

“Eve, I’m not asking you to marry me right away but at least give us a chance until the end of a social season. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other see if we’re compatible.”

Eve lets go of his face, her lips forming a thin line. “And if we’re not? If either of us realises this is not what we want? Liam we’re not just talking about potentially destroying our relationship but our friendship as well.”

“It won’t I promise you, no matter what happens, no matter what you chose.” Liam said, once again taking her hand in his giving it a soft squeeze. “So what do you say Evelyn Sommers? Five months is all I ask for you to give me a chance. To make you fall in love and sweep you off your feet. Are you willing to give this a try? Are you willing to give us a try?”

#the royal romance #playchoices #drake walker #king liam #leo rys #leo x mc #liam rys #liam x mc #prince leo #trr liam #trr au #trr x roe #trr drake #trr olivia #trr hana #trr maxwell

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