#she could feel it after Cassandra was born as she was looking after a newborn while she has a toddler to chase around

[caitlynmeow]

Modern au

I believe that Alcina did give birth to all of her daughters. She never married or even got close to a man, partners come and go and nothing was solid for a while. Alcina’s maternal instincts kicked in and she decided to take matters into her own hands.

Money is never an issue for her. She is a successful businesswoman and her wine import is flourishing. Unfortunately, this meant that she will always be busy and it might hinder what she is trying to do. Because, despite her being busy, that itch to have a child never really left. And she knows she will not settle for only one child. Two or three children is an ideal number. She doesn’t want more than three, and having only one child would still be lacking.

After a lot of mulling and thinking things through, she decided to conceive her own child. Going to state of the art fertility clinic where there are many sperm donors, and paying a lot of money to have some control on some aspects of her pregnancy (she wants a daughter, not a son), and it worked.

She had Bela, a tiny heathy baby that filled her days with joy. A couple of years later, when her daughter is already walking and talking, she started feeling that same old itch again.

And once again, she went to the same clinic. Once more, she wanted to have another daughter.

After having Cassandra, Alcina got her hands full. Whereas Bela is mild mannered and did things meticulously, Cassandra was a force of nature. Her second daughter is wild and assertive, never pausing to think twice about getting herself in all sorts of trouble.

It was a few months of Cassandra starting preschool that Alcina felt that void again. Her wildcard of a daughter is getting tamed somewhat— school is helping her adjust and follow rules. Somehow, Cassandra’s very capable teacher is making big progress directing her daughter’s destructive energy into more productive things, like art and dance.

She knew that she shouldn’t, having two daughters is already all that Alcina has wished for, but a voice kept nagging at her to go for it one more time. Again, she didn’t feel like having a son. Having daughters is very rewarding and she enjoys every moment she spends with her two daughters.

One more isn’t going to hurt. (Only Cassandra’s pride would take a hit as she won’t be the baby of the family anymore) but it isn’t something that she will get over in due time.

And that’s how Alcina got pregnant for the third time. She knew deep down that this is the last time she tries it. Her every cell knew that having three daughters is what she’s meant to do.

[numinousmysteries]

Power

This is what came into my brain when I saw @mulderscreek's You Still Have a Son Who Needs You challenge. I apologize in advance.

@today-in-fic

[on Ao3]

Teena did not love Carl. He was not her husband. He had his own wife (the bubbly Cassandra who she could not stand) and, she was sure of it, other lovers. However, from the first time they met, she felt inextricably drawn to him.

She was in the backyard of one of Bill’s colleagues, sitting in a cluster with the other wives. Their gossip bored her so she didn’t mind when Bill called her away to meet his newest coworker. When she shook his hand, a shiver ran through her. It felt thrilling. His danger intrigued her.

The Spenders rented a home nearby in Quonochontaug for the summer. They came over for dinner and Cassandra brought a truly repulsive casserole that no one touched. The next day, Teena scraped the gloppy remnants into the trash, washed the glass dish, and drove over to their rental home to return it. She parked down the block and waited until Cassandra left the house, a beach towel and umbrella in tow. Only then did she knock on the door.

Teena typically wasn’t a bold woman. But she needed to see Carl again, alone. He must’ve felt the same because once she deposited the casserole dish on the coffee table, his arms were around her and his tongue at her neck. It was the first of their encounters. Rare, stolen moments when they were free of their spouses.

It was a magnetic pull that went beyond the physical. Even when they were together, their naked bodies pressed close without an atom of space dividing them, she still yearned to go deeper. She wanted to reach into his mind and discover the secrets behind that impenetrable gaze.

They’d been reckless. Once after a dinner party at her home, she was washing dishes in the kitchen. All the guests had gone home except for Carl who stayed to talk shop in the den with Bill. He must’ve excused himself because suddenly she heard him approach her from behind. Silently he covered her mouth with his left hand, used his right to lift up her skirt and enter her. She was terrified Bill would find them, but she didn’t tell him to stop. Bill had been so distracted with work that it’d been weeks since they’d made love. She bit down on his fingers and relished feeling his fullness as her hip bones jammed against the lip of the counter. Nine months later, her son was born.

Teena’s mother had told her that, because she was a woman with no real influence in the world, the smartest thing she could do was attach herself to a powerful man. For her mother, a German Jew, doing so meant the difference between life and death. At first, she thought Bill was a powerful man. He had an elevated position within the state department and traveled in esteemed circles. But Bill was not built to handle authority. It ate away at him and made him small. In contrast, Carl embodied power. It cloaked him like the cloud of cigarette smoke he always left in his wake. She found him irresistible.

She also despised him with a loathing that was equal in intensity with her passion. She realized she hated him the first time he came to visit her newborn son. While other friends of her husband were content with tipping their hat in the baby’s general direction before retreating to the sofa for a congratulatory Scotch with Bill, Carl confidently lifted her child from her arms as if the baby was his own, which, she didn’t want to admit, it very well could have been.

“Look at those eyes,” Carl said, smiling. “You can tell he’s clever. Like a fox. That’s what you should’ve called him.”

Bill, also in thrall to his confident friend, was smitten with the name. She begged him not to, but he made a phone call to an associate in the social security administration and William Mulder Jr. became Fox William Mulder.

She swore she would never be with Carl again, but she broke that vow less than a year later when he came to her one vulnerable night. Bill was away on business. She was delirious from lack of sleep. Fox’s colicky screams echoed in her head. Carl took advantage of her desperation. She told herself it was the last time. It was a promise she made and broke dozens of times over the years.

One summer he asked her to make a choice between her children. Bill was outraged. It was the first time she ever heard him raise his voice at Carl. After Bill stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind him, Carl explained the necessity of the project to her. He said Bill wasn’t thinking rationally. This man has no soul, she thought. To spite Carl, she chose Fox, the boy whose name and eyes always reminded her of him. To show her it was never her choice to begin with, he overruled her.

Bill was out of town, months after Samanthat’s disappearance, when Carl had the audacity to return to her home. He brought her a document that he’d signed calling off the search for Samantha.

“I wanted you to have closure.” He slid the form to her across the kitchen counter and lit a cigarette.

“This isn’t closure. It’s a farce. There was no search because she was never meant to be found.”

She tried to keep her voice down since Fox was in his bedroom. She heard him lightly tossing a baseball in the air, each catch a muffled thwap in his gloved hand. These were the sounds of her home after Samantha’s disappearance. Her son’s idle movements and her husband’s teeth crunching sunflower seeds in his office. Both pounded relentlessly like a tell-tale heart in her ears and the only thing that quieted them was a double dose of Valium swallowed dry.

“Teena.” He brought a hand to her cheek. His fingers felt like icicles against her skin and she pulled away. The touch that once made her swell with desire now made her recoil.

“You need to leave,” she said. “You need to leave here and never come back.”

He took a sweeping glance around the kitchen. Through his eyes, she saw the disarray her house had fallen into. There were dishes piled in the sink, dust on the window blinds that hadn’t been opened in weeks, and a faint odor emanated from the trash can.

“You should get a girl to come and clean,” he replied, ignoring her. “You always kept such a fine home.”

“Get out,” she growled through clenched teeth.

He brought the cigarette to his thin lips then exhaled in her direction. “What’s the rush? Bill won’t be back for a few days, and Fox won’t notice.”

“Don’t talk about my son.”

“The son you were willing to give away? You don’t seem to be paying him much mind now.”

That pushed her to the edge. The pills she took earlier in the day dulled her emotions but her anger broke through. She slapped his face and steeled her eyes to hide the sharp stinging in her palm.

“I’ll come back,” he said with that cagey grin. “Perhaps you’ll be more receptive next time.”

He turned away from her and left the stench of burnt tobacco as a reminder of his presence.

Yet again, she told herself there would be no next time. This man had torn apart her family. But the years were long. She divorced her husband. Her son retreated further and further within himself until he finally fled across the ocean to get away from her. And when Carl came again, she did not resist. Because she was weak and he was power.

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

submitted by the absolutely wonderful @demisexualemmaswan

it's part of the happy au, i swear

--

"Uncle Vax?"

 Vesper is swinging her feet as they sit in a tree branch together. he's pretty sure Vex would kill him for letting Vesper be up so high, but his wings last an hour and she's still building up her strength with her wings so really it shouldn't matter. 

"Yeah, Squirt?" he asks softly. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see his niece frowning. She frowns like Percy, her eyebrows furrowed as she picks her words with intention before she speaks them out loud.

She is so much like Percy, it makes him laugh most of the time.

But there is too much weight in her expression for him to be anything but worried. 

"You and Mama and Papa and everyone are all heroes," she starts slowly.

He turns to face her, to give her his undivided attention and encouragement. "Yeah, but we spent a lot of time getting there first. When we were young we were angry and maybe did some less than stellar things. Why?"

She fidgets, her hands shaking a little bit. Another quirk of Percy's. "And Mama and Papa named me after Papa's eldest sister and your mother...was your mother good?"

"The best," Vax answers honestly, not sure where she's going with this just yet but wanting her to feel loved and supported. To his horror, her eyes begin to fill with tears and he immediately pulls her close. "Hey, hey...it's all right, Squirt. I'm here. Whatever it is, I've got you. Your Mum and Dad will love you no matter what..."

"What if I'm not good enough?" she sobs into his chest, her hands clinging to his armor. 

Vax presses kiss after kiss into his niece's hair. "Good enough? Good enough for what?" he asks, trying to wipe away her tears with his thumb, but they're falling too quickly. 

"Good enough to make you proud, good enough to be worthy of you all," Vesper whimpers and Vax's heart breaks and hardens all at once. 

"Have you talked to your Mum and Dad about this?" he asks desperately, cradling her in his arms like she was a newborn all over again. He knows the answer, but he can't help but let out a sigh when Vesper shakes her head against his chest. "Did something happen?"

Vesper nods, her knuckles white from clinging to him. "I messed up."

"What did you mess up?" Vax questions, desperately trying to think of any incident his sister or her husband have mentioned. When he can't think of anything, he lets his wings act as a shield for Vesper, not knowing what else to do. "Vesper," he tells his teenaged niece. "You could kill someone and I'm pretty sure the only thing your mother and father would have to say about it would be that they'd go hide the body for you. We love you, Squirt. More than anything. You don't have to do anything other than be yourself to be worthy of us. You are already so, so good..."

He presses his forehead to hers to physically anchor her back in the moment, to get her to breathe. 

"I see so many good things in you...you are a kind sister. You taught yourself Infernal the moment that Gwen was born so she wouldn't feel alone and would always have someone to communicate with, and you taught her Celestial when she had doubts about her own goodness.

You are a protective older cousin, and you've always looked after the younger ones, making sure they're safe. Remember when Lark got hurt playing hide and seek? You kept him calm until we got him all fixed up.

You are incredibly loyal to the people of Whitestone. Your Aunt Cassandra tells me how much you advocate for them when you go to Cabinet meetings.

Your mother and father absolutely adore you with all of their hearts. I'm sure your dad's got like...a novel of all the things he sees in you and loves about you, but trust me when I say the people closest to you have no doubts about your worthiness. And we all make mistakes. So nothing you can do will make us stop loving you and will erase any of those other things that make up who you are."

He pokes the center of her chest, where her heart is and she lets out a watery giggle. "So what happened, hmm, Squirt?"

Running a hand through her hair, Vesper sighs. "Last time he was here, Grandfather said--"

Vax scowls. "Well, listening to him was your first mistake."

"I'm sure he really didn't mean anything by it," Vesper protests softly. 

"Doesn't matter." He has to try very hard to keep the snarl out of his voice. "It still hurt you. That's what matters. That man is allegedly family, he shouldn't be hurting you at all."

Vesper looks down. "This is why I didn't say anything. I didn't want to upset anyone and...and I was scared maybe he was right."

"See, you even care about your shithead grandfather even if he doesn't deserve it," Vax replies, still scowling. "Although maybe a good call on not telling your Dad right away. I always think Fred's one social faux pas away from shooting him in his fucking smarmy arse, not that I think he doesn't deserve it..."

Vesper chokes on a watery chuckle and Vax kisses her hair again. "Thanks, Uncle Vax," she whispers, leaning her head on his shoulder. 

"Anytime, Squirt," Vax hums, looking out over the expanse of the Parchwood Forest. "Now, we're gonna go back and we're gonna tell your parents what happened, but before we do, I'm gonna tell you one more important thing, okay?"

"Okay?" Vesper asks unsurely.

"If your Dad does shoot your Grandfather in his smarmy arse, just remember that your Granddad started it by being an absolute wretch of a man to your mother and I in the first place. So whatever your Dad decides to do is certainly not your fault."

When the Ambassador of Syngorn came to Whitestone next, he was not shot, but the Lord of Whitestone's well aimed punch left a very noticeable bruise.

And the Lady of Whitestone did not chide her husband for it. If anything, the Ambassador was required to apologize to Vesper de Rolo for his poorly spoken words.

And later that afternoon, wrapped up between her parent's loving embrace, Vesper smiles and realizes how glad she is to have her Uncle Vax as a confidant.

[askthedustbowl]

Ooo could you expand on the ballet part of the meet the muses??? Like when O and E went backstage?

“i’ve told them all about you two.” terpsichore whispered excitedly as she pushed open the door to the dressing room. eurydice couldn’t help but smile at cory’s enthusiasm.

they had just seen her as the sugar plum fairy in the nutcracker, and if she was being honest with herself, eurydice was a little starstruck. how could orpheus’s entire family be so ridiculously talented? cory looked like she was born to be a dancer, like it ran in her blood. she was graceful and lovely and gorgeous onstage but then, when she came up and leaped into orpheus to hug him, she was just the same goofy cory that eurydice knew. still graceful, still lovely, still gorgeous, but in a very different way. it was like she was two different people.

orpheus was grinning the whole time. “i’ve seen her dance this a million times,” he confessed to eurydice before the curtains opened. “but i never, ever get tired of it.”

now eurydice could see why.

“i hope you’re all decent!” cory called. a chorus of “yes”s answered her, and she stepped inside. orpheus took eurydice’s hand and led her inside, too. once they entered, squeals and shouts erupted in the room.

“oh my gosh! is that him?!”

“is that orpheus?”

“you weren’t kidding, cory!”

“wow...”

“that’s him, right?!”

cory nodded, eyes twinkling. “girls, this is orpheus and eurydice.”

to eurydice’s surprise, a group of ballerinas scurried over and began to fawn over orpheus as if he were a newborn puppy.

“look at him! you didn’t tell us he was so handsome, cory!” the girl nearest to eurydice cooed. she gazed up at him, starry-eyed. the other dancers echoed her statement and orpheus blushed.

cory rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “let him breathe, cassandra.” she chuckled.

eurydice was amused, but felt a familiar hint of jealousy rising in her chest. she knew all these girls couldn’t steal him away from her, but he was hers, god damn it. he looked so bewildered, with that deer-in-headlights expression she knew all too well. another girl took his hand and turned it palm-up. his eyes widened.

“and you said he plays guitar?” she gasped. “crazy...”

cory snickered. she obviously found this hilarious. “yes, daphne. he does.” daphne squeaked and lifted orpheus’s hand up to see closer.

orpheus met eurydice’s eye as if to say sorry, this isn’t what i thought was going to happen, and have i mentioned that i love you very much? eurydice couldn’t help but smile at his overwhelmed expression. “did you ladies meet eurydice yet?” he asked in a voice half an octave higher than his usual speaking voice. “she’s my girlfriend whom i love very much!” he managed to say, all in one breath.

daphne dropped his hand as all the dancers turned to look at eurydice. orpheus took the opportunity to slide out of the feeding circle of young women and slip his hand (the very same one that daphne was marveling at) into eurydice’s. she squeezed it back.

there was a beat as all the girls stared at eurydice.

“oh my goodness, you’re sooo pretty!!” someone gasped.

eurydice couldn’t stop herself from laughing aloud. for a moment there she thought she would have to fight her way out of the dressing room. “thanks?” she chuckled. cory smiled, enjoying the show.

“alright, ladies, i’m sure they have other things to do.” she started to pull her hair out of her bun. “thanks for visiting, you guys.” cory embraced them both and as they were leaving, a chorus of goodbyes came from the group of dancers.

eurydice would be lying if she said that she didn’t feel a little dizzy after exiting the dressing room. the mixture of hairspray and adrenaline was...a lot.

“hey.” orpheus wrapped an arm around her waist. “you okay?” he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

eurydice grinned and slipped her hand into his back pocket. “i didn’t know you had a fan club.”

orpheus laughed. “i didn’t, either.”

they walked for a while, eurydice’s hand tucked into orpheus’s pocket and orpheus’s arm around her. eurydice couldn’t believe her luck—especially after seeing all of those girls fawning over her boyfriend. her jealousy had turned into pride. yep, this one’s mine! she felt like shouting. despite her reluctance at first, orpheus was the best thing that ever happened to her.

after a few minutes, eurydice felt something. she reached further inside orpheus’s pocket.

“whoa!” he arched his back in surprise. “we’re not even home yet!”

eurydice snickered. “pump the brakes, romeo. i found something in your pocket.”

orpheus frowned. “i don’t remember putting anything in there.”

eurydice fished out a slip of pink scented paper. one look at orpheus’s expression told her that he had no idea what it was, either. slowly, she unfolded it. written in loopy cursive, was “call me!” and a phone number, followed by the letter D.

orpheus’s eyes widened and eurydice looked up.

“daphne.” she said.

orpheus’s cheeks reddened. “oh, gods.”

[gluupor]

HEY!! I absolutely worship your fics and your sense of writing/story building is so memorable ahhhhhhh!! Have you ever thought about an andreil Lynburn Legacy AU? or maybe even the Barbie Princess and the Pauper (because barbie is better than the original and that is a fact) with the twinyards being forced to switch places and falling in love with their respective partners....ANYWAYS I LOVE YOUR WRITING AND I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

I’ve know nothing about either of those things, but I at least know the premise of Prince and the Pauper, so I tried that. Hope you enjoy!

It was completely unfair, in Andrew’s opinion, that princes in stories always got to go on adventures. Those princes were brave and stalwart and true and never had to do anything they didn’t want to. Unlike Andrew, who had never been allowed to leave the castle and who was made to obey his mother’s every whim. Not by force, no, but by the most powerful incentive of all: disappointment. Because if Andrew did or said something that his mother didn’t like, she’d look at him with sad eyes and he was immediately contrite.

Queen Cassandra was not his real mother; she had taken him in when he was barely old enough to open his eyes, a red, squalling, wrinkled thing. She’d always told him that she took him in out of the goodness of her heart because she was kind and benevolent, but Andrew had once overheard the washerwomen gossiping about the true story when he’d been hidden behind a set of draperies. He was often hidden while in the castle, preferring to spend time by himself in fantasy worlds than playing with his older brother.

The story went like this: King Richard had a wandering eye (which Andrew did not understand; in the portraits of Cass’ late husband his eyes looked normal) and it often found itself wandering to the palace staff, particularly when the palace staff was young and beautiful. Shortly after the King’s untimely death when he was thrown from a horse, one of the young, beautiful chambermaids had found herself in some trouble. She’d brought her newborn babe to petition the Queen for support. The Queen had banished the woman for her insolence, but had taken the baby to raise as her own. She was desperate for a spare Prince, should anything happen to her own son, as she’d only borne stillborn children after his miraculous birth. Her late husband’s bastard child was better than nothing.

Her foresight proved fortuitous, as when Andrew was eleven years old, Prince Drake took a fatal, drunken tumble off one of the castle’s balconies.

Nobody ever questioned why he was so far from his own rooms, up near the playrooms reserved for the castle’s children, at least not out loud. Nobody mourned him very much, either. The only exception was Cass, who grieved for him keenly and whose lips would press together into a thin line if anyone spoke ill of him. For this reason, Prince Drake was almost never spoken of again.

Andrew became heir and he found that being the crown Prince came with more tedious responsibilities and fewer exciting adventures than stories had led him to believe. Especially now that, in his mother’s opinion, he was old enough to wed.

Andrew did not want to get married. He had no interest in the frilly, frivolous Princesses that were sent to visit him from neighbouring kingdoms in an attempt to ensnare his affections. There were two secrets that Andrew kept close, that he would never reveal even upon pain of death. The first was exactly where he had been when Drake had fallen (as if anyone knew that he would be executed for treason and regicide), and the second was that there was no girl on earth who could possibly catch his eye. No, his appreciative gazes were reserved for men, for the strong curves of their shoulders and the sharp lines of their jaws.

He had never acted on it. He’d been flirted with by many people of all genders, but the expression on his mother’s face when men approached him let him know that this wasn’t something she would allow. He could only imagine the depth of her disappointment if she ever found out about the way his thoughts turned.

It was always the same, when he disobeyed.

“Andrew,” she would say, her eyes pained, her tone soft and hurt. “You have hurt me greatly. After all I have done for you, taking you in and raising you and loving you like my own. If not for me, you would be starving in the streets. You own mother didn’t want you, no one wanted you, but I took you in and made you a Prince. After all my kindness, how could you repay me like this?”

And Andrew would hang his head in shame and apologize and beg her to love him again.

Despite knowing what would happen, Andrew still couldn’t make himself be attracted to any of the Princesses. Cass’ impatience was beginning to grow and he knew that his time was running out. He felt surrounded, for the first time in his life he found the castle stifling. He’d never left it but for official trips with his mother. Although he could see the surrounding town, he’d never been there. It suddenly seemed as if the walls were closing in around him; that he was caught in a slowly snapping trap. Soon, he knew, he would be married, no matter how much he didn’t want to be.

One day, following an announcement at breakfast where his mother had informed him that yet another Princess was coming for a visit and this time she expected him to at least pretend to enjoy her company, he found himself rebelling. He dressed himself in his shabbiest clothes (which were still far nicer than most people’s clothes), stuffed a purse of gold coins into his belt, and sneaked out to have an adventure. If he was going to be forced into a life he didn’t want, he was going to have some fun first.

He made his way to the market square, completely overwhelmed. The smells and sounds were far more vibrant and noticeable than he was used to, and there were so many people. All around him, bumping into him, yelling at him, pushing past him. He tried to make himself as small as possible (which was not hard; Cass had always been dismayed by how he had failed to grow into a big, strong man like her real son) to avoid everyone’s notice and conceal his panic.

He thought he had succeeded until the red-haired boy started talking to him.

“Oi, are you all right?” he asked.

Andrew gazed at him without really seeing him; his vision was starting to tunnel.

“Come on, then,” said the boy, gripping Andrew’s sleeve and pulling him along behind him. Andrew almost protested, almost lashed out, because he was the Prince, he wasn’t supposed to be touched, but the boy’s touch was keeping him focused and stopping him from spiralling. He blindly followed in the boy’s wake, not paying attention to where they were going. When they stopped, he found himself on a rooftop.

He breathed in, his sharp fear snapping him out of his panic. He had never liked heights, especially since Drake’s death. He hadn’t expected to be up so high; he didn’t even remember climbing any stairs.

“That’s it,” said the boy. “Breathe in and out slowly; you’re okay now.”

He simply stood and breathed for a while before taking in his surroundings.

The first thing he looked at was the boy. He was probably about the same age as Andrew, though only a little taller. His hair was red and unkempt, his eyes were blue, his skin was brown like a nut, and his wide face was covered in freckles. He was dressed in clothes that were barely more than rags, and he had a salty-fishy odour that meant he spent a lot of time at the docks. He was probably the most beautiful boy Andrew had ever seen, so much more alive and real than the pampered noblemen’s sons that he knew.

“Better now?” he asked Andrew, white teeth flashing as he grinned. “I thought you were going to have a meltdown right there in the square!”

“I am fine,” said Andrew stiffly. Now that his panic was receding, he was very embarrassed.

“I mean, I wouldn’t blame you,” said the boy. “I’ve had more than my fair share of meltdowns.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Neil.”

“Andrew.” He shook the offered hand. Neil’s hand was callused and rough, evidence of manual labour.

“You’re new around here, aren’t you?” said Neil. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you from up at the castle?”

“What makes you say that?”

Neil shrugged. “Well you’re not from around here, not dressed like that.” Andrew looked down at his clothes, noting how much finer they were than Neil’s. He wondered if their quality was the only thing that marked him out as an outsider, or if their style was wrong, too. As Andrew contemplated his sartorial choices, Neil continued chattering, “I assumed you were one of the Prince’s visitors, escaped from the dullness of his royal majesty’s presence,” he grinned.

Andrew was at first affronted by how this commoner was insulting him, but he was smart enough to know not to reveal his identity. “Something like that,” he said.

“Come on, we’d better get down from here before someone notices,” said Neil, leading Andrew back down to the street. Once they were there, he turned and smiled. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Andrew, but my old man’s going to have my hide if I don’t get back to him soon. Maybe we could see each other again sometime?”

Andrew wondered if Neil was flirting with him. He thought he might be and he could feel his whole face turning bright red at the realization. He’d been flirted with plenty, but those people had always wanted Prince Andrew, not him. But Neil didn’t know Prince Andrew; if he was flirting it was because he liked Andrew himself.

“I would like that,” Andrew managed to say despite his tongue feeling like it was too big for his mouth.

“I hang out in the evenings at the Palmetto,” said Neil. “Come find me, if you dare.”

“O… okay,” stuttered Andrew. “I will.”

Neil smiled at him again, and then was gone, somehow disappearing into the crowd between one blink and the next. Andrew put a hand on his head. It was just like a story. He’d met a beautiful boy who had saved him; of course, if he ever told this story to anyone then it would be him saving Neil, but that was neither here nor there. What was important was that it had happened.

It took him five minutes to realize that his purse full of gold was gone. All his joy drained out of him. Of course Neil hadn’t been interested in him, he’d been robbing him. And Andrew had just stood around like a sheltered fool and let him.

His eyes stung, but he was too proud to let any tears fall. Instead, he decided he’d had enough of an adventure and he blindly started heading back to the castle.

Trying to stay off the main thoroughfare, he travelled through less crowded alleys, getting angrier and angrier every step he took. In his anger he blundered into someone, knocking them both over.

He was about to start yelling at the moron who had been in his way until he got a look at the other boy’s face. It was like looking in the mirror: the same hazel eyes, the same blond hair, the same shaped nose, the same mouth, presumably the same stricken expression. Andrew really hoped that he did not look quite so stupid when surprised.

“You…” said the other boy, clearly grasping for words. “You look like me.”

“I do not,” said Andrew haughtily. “I am the crown Prince. If anything, you look like me.”

The boy paled at Andrew’s words. “You’re lying,” he accused. “The crown Prince is a useless spoiled child that is completely under his mother’s thumb. Everybody knows that he never leaves the castle.”

Andrew puffed himself up. “How dare you say such things about me. I will have your head.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Sure, you’re the crown Prince. And I’m a dragon.”

“I’ll prove it to you,” said Andrew, picking himself up. “Follow me.”

The boy trailed behind him, ridiculing him. Andrew wasn’t quite sure why he was following, except maybe because he expected to see Andrew make a fool of himself. As Andrew confidently retread his path back to the castle, the boy got more and more nervous. He tried to balk, but Andrew dragged him on.

“We shouldn’t be here,” he whispered as Andrew pulled him past the outer wall.

“You doubted me,” said Andrew. “Now, be quiet so no one hears us.”

Andrew had plenty practice moving through the castle so no one noticed him. It was a little more difficult with someone else, but he still managed to get all the way to his rooms without being stopped. The boy looked around with wide eyes.

“Believe me now?” asked Andrew.

“I believe you can sneak into the castle,” said the boy. “That doesn’t prove you’re Prince Andrew.”

Andrew pulled a cord on the wall. “Hide,” he commanded.

The boy ducked behind the curtains as a servant bustled in. “What’ll it be, m’prince?” she asked.

“I would like a cup of hot cocoa.”

“As you say,” she replied, with a curtsy. She left quickly.

“Stay hidden until she leaves again,” Andrew instructed the curtains.

She returned with a tray, which also had several pastries on it, indicating that Andrew’s favourite cook had prepared this for him. He thanked the servant and told her that he didn’t want to be disturbed for the rest of the afternoon.

The boy came out from behind the curtains and stared at Andrew as if he was a new species. “You’re the Prince,” he said stupidly.

“As I said,” replied Andrew. “Who are you?”

“No one,” said the boy. “I mean, my name is Aaron Minyard and I work for the cobbler, but I’m no one. Why do we look the same?”

“I don’t know,” said Andrew honestly.

Aaron started curiously examining Andrew’s room as Andrew drank his cocoa and curiously examined Aaron.

“I can’t believe you live here,” said Aaron in wonder. “I would give anything to live here.”

Which gave Andrew the best idea he’d ever had.

“Do you want to?”

“Do I want to what?”

“Live here,” said Andrew, annoyed that Aaron was being so slow. “For a couple days at least. I have to entertain Princess Katelyn of Vix for the next four days, and I don’t want to. You will do it for me.”

“In exchange for what?”

“In exchange for… because I am your Prince and I told you to.”

Aaron scoffed. “I know that you’re used to everyone just doing as you tell them, but out there in the real world it doesn’t work like that. I can’t take four days off from work!”

“I will do your work for you,” said Andrew, interested in learning more about how the peasants lived.

Aaron stared at him. “You can’t do my work! You don’t know how!”

“So explain it to me,” said Andrew. “There is nothing you can do that I cannot. Tell me everything I need to know and in return I’ll tell you everything you need to know, and we’ll switch places until the Princess is gone.”

Aaron was unable to answer, as he was clearly questioning Andrew’s sanity.

“Oh!” said Andrew, in realization. “And I can track down the liar Neil who stole from me and drag him back to the guards for punishment. I think I will suggest disfigurement. He won’t be able to charm anyone else if his face is no longer pretty.”

That didn’t appear to make Aaron feel better. “You can’t… you can’t do that! You’re supposed to be me! Do you know what happens to people who report to the guards? And how are you going to find this thief anyway?”

“He said that he frequented the Palmetto, whatever that is.”

Aaron paled. “The Foxes hang out there,” he whispered. “No one with any sense goes there.”

“The Foxes?” said Andrew. “The criminals that steal from the crown? My mother has told me about them. Her guards have had no luck finding them. How do you know who they are?”

“I don’t know who they are; no one knows who they are,” said Aaron. “All everyone knows is that they steal from the rich and redistribute the gold, and to stay away from the Palmetto if you don’t want trouble.”

“Excellent,” said Andrew, now getting very excited. “I will infiltrate them and learn their identities.” This was a worthwhile adventure. When he came back, his mother would be so happy and proud of him for discovering the criminals that she was sure to listen when he told her he didn’t want to marry. And Neil, who he was now sure must be one of these Foxes, would learn his lesson about crossing Andrew.

“I don’t know,” said Aaron dubiously. “I’ve heard that what they do makes the lives of the poor easier.”

“No, my mother explained this to me,” said Andrew. “They are making up lies to convince the uneducated that what they are doing is good. The crown looks after the poor. These thieves need to be caught and executed.”

“You’ll never get in the door,” said Aaron. “They have a sixth sense for sniffing out rich men.”

“Sniffing is one of the five senses,” Andrew pointed out. “And I won’t be a rich man. I’ll be you.”

Aaron groaned.

“Relax,” said Andrew, really looking forward to the next few days. “What’s the worst that can happen?”

[magicandjuliet]

"hello,Cassandra"

Here's a little one shot about Cassandra Devorak's birth! It's reaaal fluff here • Mrs. Isadora Devorak had no idea how long it had been since that same day she had felt a strange pressure in the lower abdomen that had immediately alarmed her husband, Dr. Julian Devorak, who had immediately said it was the beginning of labor. Isadora had tried to downplay it by saying that maybe the baby was just moving, causing some pressure down there. She had therefore told him that it was nothing and that he didn't have to worry. It was only when the pressure had arrived a little later and this time more intense that she evaluated the possibility of the beginning of childbirth and that Julian had completely forgotten that he was a doctor for a few brief moments before he recomposed himself. While he was talking to her he tried to keep his voice in the most stable tone possible, even if sometimes his booming tone ended up rising a few octaves and cracking a little due to emotion. "good, breathe .. breathe" he was saying now, kneeling in front of her while she was sitting on the edge of the bed, her head fell back and her hair brushed the untidy and messy sheets, twisted and pushed aside on one side. He kept one hand on her belly, trying to keep it as still as possible. Isadora knew he wasn't controlling anything, he just wanted her to feel safe and that made her smile. She reached out and squeezed her hand in his; both were holding each other's left hands, so their gold rings on their ring fingers touched lightly with a slight 'cling' which only softened Isadora's eyes even more. As soon as they were married she hadn't failed to notice how much that ring on his finger made Julian look more mature, changed. From their first meeting to the beginning of such a special moment, they had come a long way ... the little bundle of joy that would come to the world in the next few hours would have been what would have bound them eternally, the fruit of their love, that child would have been the proof of it. "does it hurt?" asked her husband "oh, if only I still had the mark I would transfer all that pain on me..." but she interrupted him, putting her right hand on his "love, don't worry" she said "we aren't in the phase of active labor yet. Remember? It'll take a while before that. I only feel pressure." Julian's gray eyes seemed like two stormy seas, he nodded unconvincingly "I know ... but maybe I should send Malak to call Mazelinka. For safety..." he said, running a hand through his hair "I don't even think about leaving you alone." Isadora smiled again, placing a hand on his cheek "will this make you feel more at ease?" Malak croaked beside them, as if to say to play along or he would never stop worrying at least until the child had turned 18. Julian nodded "yes." He said. The woman smiled "then I agree." With a quick nod, Julian told Malak to start and the crow flew gliding toward the city to the home of Julian's foster mother. Only then did the tension in her husband's shoulders seem to fade a little as he laid his hands on her belly again, with visible relief. "do you think about it?" he finally asked, in a low voice, "we're about to meet this little bundle of joy." Isadora smiled at him lovingly "i know..." he said "seems that this little one is looking forward to meeting us too." Julian smiled; it wasn't the smile he used when he wanted to provoke her, it was a sweet smile,It was full of emotions that she knew would emerge when he would take his baby in his arms. He placed a kiss on her stomach and then leaned his forehead against it, staying that way for a while as Isadora sank her fingers into the sea of copper-colored curls she hoped the child would inherit. "I love you" was all he whispered "I love you both." ••• It was only around midnight that the contractions began: the first didn't hurt, not even the second ... but the third was so strong that Isadora grabbed Julian's hand so hard that she risked breaking it, gripped by the pain of that terrible spasm that he had moved her belly muscles. Mazelinka was furiously waving a ladle in the air when she arrived "agh, damn crow! Why did you arrive so late?" She had exclaimed in a hoarse voice, that she had immediately softened to see Isadora "oh, my dear! how are you? how are you feeling?" Isadora was kneeling on the bed, one of Julian's hands on her back and the other holding her hand. The woman shrugged "it could be bet- oh, Julian; another contraction." And this time more intense than the others, so strong that a couple of tears came down mixed with the sweat that was beginning to form. "oh my god .. someone tell me how much is missing." She said, her voice clenched between her teeth in a hiss as she caught her breath. Julian didn't know for sure, but he had observed how the contractions were approaching each other "breathe, love" he said "we're almost there now." She nodded discouraged for a moment, preparing herself for more contractions. ••• Finally the long-awaited time as feared had arrived. The moment of birth; Isadora was lying on the pillows and in a hurry her husband had tied her hair while she breathed, so he sat down on her so that her back rested on his wide chest half uncovered by the neckline of his blouse. The urge to push had come, and Mazelinka drove everything with dexterity "courage sweetness, here we are!" he said "give me a strong push, show this child what its mother is made of!" she and her husband looked each other briefly in the eyes, he squeezed her shoulder with one hand, the other holding her trembling one. Isadora obeyed, all her body strained by the enormous effort to push a human being out into the world. She felt Mazelinka's hand on her knee as the old woman nodded and muttered to herself "very well, very well" she said "push for five more seconds ..." those five seconds lasted an eternity, and at the end of them she let herself go on her husband's chest, breathing hard and gasping. Julian kissed her hair "breathe, love ... you're very good ... breathe." encouraged her. Mazelinka nodded again "I see the head." he said, smiling "definitely a Devorak. Red hair." he smiled briefly at the phrase "you didn't expect a blond, did you?" joked Julian, stroking her back gently. Isadora pushed again, leaning forward. His beautiful face twisted into a list expression between concentration, ferocity and strained pain. Julian held his own in pain as he felt his hand almost shatter; he didn't care, she needed it. After a long while, the shoulders popped out together with the arms and the rest. Finally a little body covered in blood came out. Isadora gave a last push, clinging strongly to both Julian's hand and shirt, exposing his chest even more when the pain disappeared, relief and fatigue pervaded her, as if all her limbs had atrophied and she felt only the Julian's lips against her cheek. A sound shouted by very small lungs, but so powerful and to both came goose bumps: the cry of a newborn. Mazelinka lifted the little body in her arms and Isadora felt Julian's heart rumble on her back, fast and strong like a drum "it's a girl!" the new grandmother roared, proud raising it in the air. The little girl screamed incessantly, the narrow fists circulating without having a precise direction and the little legs kicked. Isadora let go of a sob, letting her tears run and releasing her tiredness and tension. Julian, behind her, he let himself go to a cry of pure joy; kissing her head several times and whispering to her how incredible she was while both new parents watched the new-born screaming "she's beautiful ..." Isadora murmured, holding his hand tight. Julian leaned his head on her "oh, she's so tiny, isn't she?" he said, wiping his tears quickly and now smiling. Mazelinka cleaned the baby well, wrapped her in clean bands and finally took her to her parents. "take off your shirt and put her on your chest, so she will get used to your scent." Once done, Mazelinka gave the baby to Isadora and she took her softly "oh ... hello ... hello honey" she murmured softly "we finally we know each other." the child immediately stopped crying, recognizing her mother's voice. She rested her cheek against her chest and slowly opened her eyes, they were silver like those of Julian, he had a small nose but of the same shape as his. Isadora smiled again, kissing her tight little fists before looking at Julian: that man was a valley of tears "hold her, Papa." she said, gently passing their daughter in his arms. His arms trembled, but she didn't even believe for a moment that he would drop her. In fact, the moment the little girl's head rested on the hollow of his arm, the trembling ceased and Julian stabilized, but the tears fell again "hey you ..." he murmured "you're beautiful ... it's me, I'm your dad! " finally being able to call himself a father filled his heart with love and pride for having contributed to creating that wonder that after nine long months he could hold in his arms. He touched her forehead with the tip of his nose "she has my eyes ..." he murmured, without really understanding what he was saying. he kept repeating "I'm a dad ... I'm a father ..." smiling as tears fell copiously. Isadora leaned on his shoulder, looking at their creation with nothing but pure love in her eyes. Mazelinka smiled "do we have a name?" She asked. Isadora and Julian looked at each other "I was thinking of 'Cassandra'" she said "Cassandra Devorak." He gave her a loving look, lightly rubbing the head of his daughter "Cassandra Levane Devorak, you mean"

[mrandmrsvex]

Rating: General Audiences Relationships: perc'ahlia - Relationship, Vax'leth (implied) Characters: Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III, Vex'ahlia, Keyleth Additional Tags: Angst, Fluff, Post-Vecna, Baby, Keyleth and Percy as BFFs

Summary:

Caring for a newborn is time-consuming and tiring, Percy has learned. So tiring. His constant worry doesn't help, either. So when his friend Keyleth offers to help out - he still can't shut off his brain. He might even have to.. *shudder*... TALK about his emotions.

 Notes:    

This could, in theory, be seen as a second part to my first fic "The Future I've Chosen"... set a few months or maybe a year later.

Because I love the friendship between Keyleth and Percival and I feel like it should be written about much, much more <3

The baby was four weeks old, now. Four weeks. It still felt unreal to Percy, but here they were, cuddled up in the large armchair he'd had transported from the library to the newly furnished nursery. An armchair large enough for a sleeping half-elf, a wide-awake tiny quarter-elf and him. The baby cooed and giggled, and Percy feared for a second it'd wake Vex up, but she was long gone after a day that seemed to stretch on forever.

Four weeks. It would be a blatant lie if he said it wasn't the greatest four weeks he ever had. Oh sure, it was stressful and hectic and chaotic – the baby had decided to arrive a bit too early for their planning (and gods know Percy had planned it meticulously), so they had to hurry through all the official ceremonies and announcements and presentations. But all the stress was nothing against the many moments of peace and joy. Watching Vex feeding the baby in her arms, nothing but a poof of dark black hair against her glowing skin. Learning to bathe the little thing, so small and fragile in his hands. Hearing the noises of quiet blubbering, sniffling, cooing coming from the crib when she finally fell asleep and before they retired to their own bedroom.

However, it would also be a lie if he said that the past four weeks weren't also the most strenuous he ever had.

Fighting dragons and even an undead god seemed to pale against caring for a newborn who combined her father's restless nights with her mother's early mornings. He tried to remember the last time he felt so tired, and couldn't come up with anything. Maybe right after he'd been resurrected.

Even now, he could feel his eyelids slowly pulling down and had a hard time keeping himself awake. He couldn't sleep now, not when Vex was fast asleep herself, and the baby still awake on his chest. He could maybe sleep later, when he'd carried both his ladies to their respective beds, but he knew already it wouldn't be a sound sleep – what if the baby woke up and cried? What if – even worse – it didn't wake up for some horrible reason? He had to be attentive at any moment, and it was draining him.

Luckily, the little one decided to doze off sooner than usual today. He slowly slipped out of the armchair, careful not to rustle Vex, and carried the baby to the large and ornamental crib they'd found in the attic. It took a bit more energy to carry his wife to bed next door, but even that didn't wake her up. Percy studied her sleeping face between the pillows and wondered how she could be so peaceful and calm and resting, when there was so much to worry about – all – the – time. But it didn't take long for him to drift off as well.

--------------------------------

It couldn't have been more than a few hours before he was wide awake again, though. He could hear the distinct noise of a quiet wail starting, meaning that soon enough there would be a full-on proper cry happening next door. Vex mumbled next to him, turning slightly, her eyes still closed. „Shh, dear. She's not hungry, just awake. I'm going.“ He calmed her with a soft kiss to her forehead, and she was asleep again in seconds.

The cold stonefloor against his bare feet as he passed through the door to the nursery's carpet was enough to wake him fully. In the half-darkness of the room, the baby had already begun to cry louder, and only lowered her volume a bit as he picked her up and gently put her on her shoulder. „Sssh, dear, sssh. You'll wake mama again.“ He quickly took her far away from the bed rooms, across the halls down to the reading room with its small veranda, all the while swaying from side to side and mumbling calming words. It didn't help. If the baby was awake, she was awake, and there was no turning back from another day of work, despite the sun not yet fully shining through the room.

He was only half-aware of the sound outside the veranda doors, caught only a glimpse of the magical glow coming from one of the trees in the garden – without his glasses, lying forgotten on the bedside table, he could barely see past the glass doors. But when the figure who'd just arrived at them lifted a hand close to her body and waved as awkward as she could, he recognised her immediately.

„Keyleth!“ A quick fumble with one hand opened the door, and the druid stepped in, bringing with her an airy wave from outside, smelling of pine cones and apples and the crisp autumn morning. „Vex didn't tell me you were visiting!“

„Oh, Vex didn't know. It was a spur of the moment thing.“ Keyleth gave him a half-hug, what with the baby on his other shoulder, to whom she quickly turned her attention. „Hello little Ela! You look so lovely so early in the morning! Did you wake up your papa?“ He couldn't say a thing before she'd already grabbed the baby from his arm and swaddled her. As socially awkward as Keyleth could be around other adults, she was a natural with babies. Elaina's little wail stopped immediately and turned to a soft giggle in her arms. „Well, we're happy to see you any time. Especially if you bring your special druid powers of making babies stop crying, it seems.“

Her laughter was bright as she patted his shoulder. „Oh, it's probably just from the surprise of seeing someone besides her parents. Have you let her out of your sight at all in the past four weeks?“ „Of course not.“ He replied indignant. „She's a baby, Keyleth. She pretty much needs constant attention.“ „Well, she has mine now. So how about you go back to bed with your lovely wife and rest a bit, and then we can all have breakfast later! If, uh, I mean, if it's alright that I stay for the day.“ He didn't even bother to reply to her question, considering all of Vox Machina still had a room in the castle constantly ready if any of them decided to visit. The idea of going back to sleep was tempting, but he quickly shook his head. „I'm awake now anyway. But I'd be thankful if you could watch her for a moment while I, erm, get presentable.“ He looked down at his somewhat ratty pyjamas, partially stained by baby spit up, and heard Keyleth snicker.

-----------------------------------

It was a lovely day. Vex had woken up right as he'd finished getting dressed, and hearing of their friend's visit made her get ready even faster than usual. After breakfast – from which Cassandra excused herself early to work on administrative things – they'd spent some time in the garden, Keyleth entertaining the little baby in her Percy-built carrier with various magical things involving autumn leaves. When Cassandra called Vex in to discuss something concerning the Grey Hunt, Keyleth suggested a walk through Whitestone with Percy and the baby. He obliged, considering how much the people of the town loved seeing their new heiress out and about. Their path took them slowly towards the Sun Tree, as he'd expected, but it seemed like that wasn't the only goal Keyleth had in mind.

„Soooo... I was wondering.“ She abruptly changed the topic of their conversation. „If you and Vex would mind me staying for a bit with you all.“ „Whitestone is your home as much as ours, you know that.“ He watched her fumble with her staff. „But don't you... don't your people need you at the moment?“ Keyleth had thrown herself into her role as Voice of the Tempest after their fight with Vecna, partially, Percy assumed, to keep her mind busy and away from her loss of Vax. „They do. Which is why I'm here.“ She played with Elaina's hand, grabbing for her long red hair. „You're my people as well. And I feel like you really need some help right now.“ Her look drifted towards the dark circles under his eyes. They'd always been there, after all he'd been through before meeting Vox Machina, making him look older than he was – but right now, they were more intense than ever before. „I'm afraid you're spreading yourself very thin, Percy.“

„I'm okay.“ He lied as he always did when she asked. „Just a bit tired, but I'd say that is normal for a new parent.“ „It's not healthy, though.“ Her voice was as stern as she could muster, which wasn't much. „I can't offer a lot, but having a third helping hand in the house, I think, would be good for you. I can change diapers and get up in the night if she just needs company. My room is almost as close as yours.“ It was hard not to admit how wonderful that sounded to him. „We'd be happy to have you stay for as long as you want. I know Vex definitely needs some company apart from two grouchy de Rolos.“

Keyleth laughed her bright laugh again, before continuing innocently enough. „I'm sure you and Cassandra are both good company and help for her.“ „Cassandra is tremendous help. She's taken on basically all royal duties at the moment. Heaven knows I haven't the time for it all. And she's managed all the official bits, the announcements, the ceremonies... She's a born coordinator, it seems.“ He chuckled – as if he'd expected anything else from his little sister, always acting 15 years her senior. „But, ah.“ He hesitated. „She's not... she loves Elaina, that much is clear. She's just not, we were never a very... hands-on family.“ „Well, then you should take advantage of the hands-on new family you got yourself as well.“ He nodded. She was right, of course, as she so often was when it came to her friend's well-being.

--------------------------

Vex was overjoyed about Keyleth's offer when Percy told her about it, after lunch, when they put Elaina down for her midday nap. „Oh, sweet, sweet Keyleth. What a dear she is. Maybe she'll finally convince you to get some sleep, if your wife and sister can't manage.“ She teasingly poked Percy's side, but stopped short when she saw the serious tone on his face. „What's wrong, darling?“ „I just don't want to ask for too much from her.“ He sighed. „It's been a while now, but she's still dealing with- I know she's always eager to help but she needs to take care of herself as well.“ „Darling.“ Vex cupped his face in her hands. „She offered this. I'm sure we'll notice if it gets too much for her. She's not one to hide her feelings well, remember.“ A soft stroking on his cheeks. „Is that really all that bothers you, though?“ He looked away from her, she noticed. „I just worry.“ „You always do. Too much, I'd say.“

 It was almost a calm sleep he drifted into at evening, after bathing the baby and putting her to bed together with Vex and Keyleth, the latter insistent on being shown how to do it all properly. But it wasn't long before he heard the first small cry, followed by a few more, that had him sitting up in his bed as usual. By the time he put his feet to the floor, though, the crying had stopped. It didn't stop him from tiptoe-ing over to the nursery and carefully opening the door.

„Percy!“ Keyleth's voice was almost angry as she stared at him, stood in the doorway, while she put the already asleep Elaina back into her crib. „The point of this arrangement was not to have you wake up with me, you doofus!“ „I just, I heard the baby cry, I couldn't-“ He tried to protest, but his friend wasn't having it. „And you also heard her stop again when I took care of it. Yet here you are.“ He grumbled. „It's really more of an instinct by now, Keyleth.“ „An instinct that gets you all the way across the room and through the door when it's become obvious there's no more crying?“ „No more crying is not necessarily a good thing. Silence is just as bad.“ His voice was tense, he noticed himself. Keyleth had made her way over to him and put a hand on his arm. „I think you need to talk about things. Do you want to talk about this?“ „No.“ He answered, honestly for a change. „But I suspect you'll make me anyway.“ She smiled, at least. „Come on. We'll go to the reading room, leave the three de Rolo ladies sleep quietly. I'm sure there's a drink for you in one of the cabinets there, as well.“

--------------------------------------------

The glass was empty by now, the ice cube slowly melting, but neither of the two had said a word yet. Keyleth broke the silence by clearing her throat, wrapped in her mantle, her feet up against Percy's side on the chaiselongue they were sharing. „So.“ She tried to sound nonchalant. „Silence is just as bad. Why?“ „Gods, Keyleth.“ Percy could only muster a very coarse laugh while leaning forward, elbows on his knees. „I don't know. How would you feel if there was no sound at all coming from the crib? No sign of anything?“ „She's just asleep then, Percy. She's not...“ It was hard to find the word. „She could be.“ He brushed his hand through his hair, tousling it and making it stand up even more than it already did from the short sleep. „There's... so much that could happen. So many dangers. So much to look out for.“ „She's as safe as any child could be, in this castle full of guards and with you and Vex looking after her.“ „She could be safer. There's always space for improvement.“ „So you're just gonna keep going like this? Staying awake all the time, always by her side until she's what, 18? You're going to damage yourself.“ „Better her than me.“ „Oh, enough with your cryptic drama!“ A pillow softly but pointedly hit the back of his head. „It's the middle of the night, Percival, we're sitting here in the cold instead of enjoying our beds because you've decided to be as neurotic as can be, the least you could do is talk to me.“

„What do you want to hear then, Keyleth? You want to me to bare my soul here? If so, you don't know me all that well.“ He almost snarled back before leaning down again. „You, of all people, should understand my fears.“ „Everyone's afraid of losing a loved one, especially a child.“ „Not everyone's lost so many and so vividly as we have.“ Keyleth was silent, but he could hear her swallow. „We've both seen the person we love most cold on the ground, haven't we? More than once. Is it so hard to understand my mindset, with such a fragile little thing as a baby...“ The sound of her sobbing made him sit up. He leaned over, pulled her into his arms and felt her warm tears on his neck. „Keyleth, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned-“ „No.“ She stubbornly sat up, her hands still on his arms, red eyes staring at him. „You're right, you're absolutely right. We've seen them die. I've watched him walk away... but that doesn't mean we have to be fearful for the rest of our lives.“ She swallowed. „I think it means the opposite, really.“ She shifted on the seat, sitting next to Percy and leaning her head against him. „What would it mean for his sacrifice if the people he loved weren't happy and safe now? That's all he ever wanted.“ „That's true.“ Was all he could muster to say. „And, and we're all his family. Vex said that, after... that's why I'm here, too, with you three. I want to keep you safe and happy. And I want to be safe and happy with you. With the people I love, with my family.“ He put an arm around her back and pulled her closer. „You are.“ „We're keeping each other safe. But we're also keeping each other happy. It's, it's a, a mutual thing. You can't just give and give and not get anything in return, Percy.“ He nodded. She was right again, of course, as she so often was when it came to her friend's well-being. „So please. Go to sleep and let me take care of Elaina. And I promise, if anything happens I'll wake you, trust me.“

------------------------------------------

He slept for what felt like days. Not even Vex getting up next to him could wake him up, and she made very sure nothing else would either. When his eyes finally blinked open, the sun had already crept up high in the sky, shining bright through the bedroom windows, bathing everything in a golden shimmer. The same golden shimmer covered the floor of the play room, where he finally found company after getting dressed. Elaina, lying on a fur blanket and gleefully kicking her legs while Vex was on her knees, playing with her daughter's feet. Keyleth not far away from them, in yet another armchair, smiling with a bit of tiredness to her eyes, but content. He sat down on the armrest next to her, one hand on her shoulder.

„I've been thinking, dear, that we need to commission another painting.“ Vex looked up at him and almost groaned. „Another?“ She thought back to the many, many painting they'd already paid for – the official painting of them three for the gallery, the paintings of Elaina alone to send out to dignitaries and friends and family, the special request from Gilmore of a tiny group picture which he'd turn into a beautiful locket to surprise Vex with. „Another, dear. I really think the gallery would do well with a painting of Elaina with her aunt Kiki.“ He could feel Keyleth's hand reaching for his and squeezing it tight.

If you think I did a good job writing this, and you have some copper to spare, consider buying me a coffee?

[fa-nfiction]

Thunder #23

April 4th, 2015

Baby Teddy was beyond perfect. He had long legs for a newborn, chubby cheeks, tiny fingers with even tinier nails, and the longest eyelashes I had ever seen on a baby. And on top of his head were small tufts of reddish-brown hair, that fitted ever so perfectly with his deep blue baby eyes. 

Apart from the first cries when they’d lifted him out of my belly, he was extraordinarily quiet. He either slept or looked around the room, captivating everybody that looked at him. The only time he would complain was the times when one of us put him in his crib, and he laid there by himself. And like that, we didn’t. One of us was holding him at all times, and that seemed to suffice by him. Richard, of course, was a saint. He would change him without a single complaint, burp him after he’d been fed, and change his clothes whenever he got too warm or too cold. Trips outside or to the toilet were nearly impossible without Richard helping me, and he did without a fuss. None of us talked about the elephant in the room, and that, apparently, was the way we were going to do this. None of us had the energy to talk about it, anyway.  I had given birth less than 48 hours ago and was still recovering at the hospital, when we decided to invite the girls to see the tiny miracle.

( … )

“Hey, new daddy!” Caitlin exclaimed as she and Richard almost crashed in the doorway of the hospital room, where he was just exiting to get a cup of coffee.  “Congratulations!” Richard smiled and hugged her hello, and he and Megan followed suite. As they had exchanged their greetings, the girls came rushing to see me at my bed. Lots of ooo’s and aaa’s were exclaimed at the baby bundle in my arms.

“Oh, fuck - sorry - he’s so tiny! And adorable!” Caitlin gushed.

“Oh, wow. He’s so cute! And how are you, Cassie?” Megan asked.

“Phew … happy, of course. Happy to be a little less fat. Though it still hurts like hell.” I replied in honesty.

“Yeah, I can totally understand that. Wow, it took some time, didn’t it?”

“Yup. 38 hours. Can’t believe I did it without dying, actually.”

“It was crazy long! And hey. Asshole. Shoulda called us before, you know.” Megan punched me playfully in the arm, but in a very careful way to avoid disturbing Teddy. I decided to ignore the fact that I had called both of them and they hadn’t responded.

“Yeah, I know. Sorry. I thank the heavens that Richard was there.” I smiled over at him. My tired boyfriend smiled an equally tired, cool smile back.

“Yeah, absolutely. What an ordeal it must have been for you, as well.” Caitlin squeezed his arm slightly, as a gesture of “well done, dad”. The slight confusion in his eyes made her speak again.

“Um, with the labor, of course.”

He cleared his throat and smiled at her. “Yes. It was really quite … tough. With the contractions and all. I’m very relieved that everything went well.”

“Sure.” Both she and Megan nodded in understanding. I was latching Teddy onto one of my breasts, as another familiar voice filled the room.

“Cassandra! Oh my God!” Yasmin entered the room without even hesitating, nodded towards the other three and rushed to my side. “Oh. He’s so precious. Congratulations, mama.”

“Thank you!” I smiled at her bubbling joy, although I was confused as hell at the fact that she was here.

“I didn’t know you were coming today?”

“The girls. They told me. We exchanged numbers at the baby shower, you know- I thought I might just drop by. And bring you these.”

She dropped off a bundle of presents, and the sight of them alone made me feel exhausted.

“Yay! Thanks.”

“They’re from the girls and me, of course. Oh, is this the new daddy?” She gestured towards Richard and stretched out her hand for him to take. He accepted and nodded politely.

“Hello. I’m not sure we’ve met?” He looked completely confused, and I could understand why. Not only did she look like a goddess, I had also never talked about her in front of him before. Yeah, this is the best friend of the man I cheated on you with. I hope you’ll get along just fine!

“We haven’t. I’m Yasmin. Cassandra’s friend from waaaay back.” She lied smoothly while shaking his hand. “And congratulations. Baby T looks just like you.”

That lie wasn’t very smooth, and everybody knew it. Still, nobody said anything. Richard smiled - again, with these polite smiles - and tried to look unfazed. I could see a glimpse of pain in his eyes, but it quickly dissolved.

“Actually, maybe I can talk to Cassandra for a bit? If it’s not too much?” She looked at Richard and the girls. “Maybe you guys can go for coffee?”

Richard looked like it was the greatest idea in the history of ideas, and with a cool smile in my direction, he took the girls out into the hallway and went for coffee.

 Teddy was sleeping safely in my arms, as Yasmin sat down by the bedside. As the guests had left the room, her face shifted from happy to neutral in the course of a second.

“That’s not his child, Cassandra.”  She gestured at the boy while speaking. I felt a knot of pain in my stomach, and it wasn’t because of the Caesarian.

“I know. But please. Please don’t bring it up again. I can’t - I can’t …” I felt my throat becoming thick with tears and looked down at Teddy to avoid crying. Thankfully, it seemed to help. But Yasmin wasn’t done.

“You texted him. Michael. Why?” Her face had once again shifted, and she almost looked angry now. The lump of tears in my throat came back, and I once again looked down at my sleeping baby.

“I- I don’t know, Yasmin. I was alone, and the pain was so … The pain was so horrible, I didn’t know what to do. I regret it now. But he didn’t come, so no harm was done. Right?”

I tried to plead with her. No matter how much of a friend she was or how many presents she would give to Teddy, I knew one thing for sure. Her alliance would always be with Michael.

“Sure.” Her face shifted to happy again, and she nodded.

“He’s probably busy or something, right?” Busy dating a lot, I presume.

“Absolutely. The pub is keeping him on his toes, you know what it’s like. Work and drinks and guests.”

“I remember vaguely.” I tried to not think about it and failed excessively.

“Now, for the beautiful baby T. I have sooo many presents for him.” She caressed his cheek and reached down to grab some presents.

“You’re calling him Baby T as well? I thought that was Megan’s thing. He’s actually called Teddy, you know.” I teased as I began opening one of the presents. It proved a tiny bit difficult with Teddy sleeping on my arm.

“Of course. Teddy.” Yasmin smiled and ran a finger across his tiny forehead. “Such a pretty name.”  

( … )

“So. All set?” Caitlin asked me as she closed the bag of presents. A couple of more days had passed, and our small family was getting ready to leave the hospital. Just like before I gave birth, Megan and Caitlin helped out wherever they could, and I was beyond thankful. Today, they helped to get us ready. Baby Teddy was doing well, and eating as if this was the sole reason he’d been born. The nurses were crazy about him, and I, of course, even more so. The only thing wrong was the pain I still felt from the surgery, and the fact that I wasn’t allowed to lift anything. Not even the baby carrier with Teddy in it. My post-birth hormones were even crazier than the pregnancy ones, and like that, I was crying in the hospital at the mere thought of it.

“Oy, here we go again. The baby carrier, right?” Megan exclaimed as she handed me a box of Kleenex.

I sniffled and nodded while clinging onto the baby. He, in turn, looked up at me while his face scrunched up in a yawn. Christ, even my baby has had enough of me.

“I can assure you, hon, Richard is perfectly capable of carrying the thing.” Caitlin said while squeezing my arm half heartedly. “I mean. Look at him. He looks like he was built to do it.”

I sniffled and dried my eyes with a Kleenex all the while looking at Richard. He, of course, knew about the hormones, but couldn’t really seem to comfort me. He’d tried to hug me a few times when I had a new round of crying, but his hugs only made it worse. Instead, he shrugged and smiled at me.

“Nothing’s going to happen to him, Cassie. Look. No problems.” He lifted up the carrier and swung it slightly from side to side, resulting in another round of fresh tears from me.

“What if he’s going to DROP IT,” I wailed and held even tighter around the baby.

Richard waved his hands in the air - the global sign for “I give up now” - and exited the room, probably to get more coffee. We lived off the stuff these days.

“I can carry him, Cas. I’ll protect that boy with my life.” Megan said as she kneeled down in front of me.

“But I was the one supposed to carry him! I’m his mother - what kind of mother am I if I can’t carry my own baby?” I wailed in between sniffles.

Megan and Caitlin shot glances at each other, both on the brink of giving up on my craziness, just like Richard. Megan inhaled deeply and seemed to count to ten on the inside.

“Honey, you’ve carried that boy for nine months. It’s time to let someone else have a go at it.”

Her strange logic seemed to do the trick, and my hormones finally came around.

“O-okay.” I sniffled and hiccupped as the crying wore off. “He can carry him, then.”

The girls sighed with relief as this round of crazy was avoided.

( … )

April 18th, 2015

Somewhere in the town of Killarney, Michael’s parents’ house was filled to the brim. Apparently, his father had had more family and friends than most had thought possible. He was sitting on a large couch, as a small woman practically shoved her way through the crowd with a 2-year old in her arms.

“Michael! I’m so … uh … glad you could make it.” Angelina exclaimed. She was his sister-in-law, not an inch taller than five feet, and seemed like an extraordinarily happy person. Even at an event like this, he thought. But then again. The guy was an asshole to everyone.

“Can you, uh, do you mind watching Declan for a second? Gotta catch your brother.”

Without even waiting for a reply, she placed the toddler on Michael’s lap before running through the crowd to find her husband. Apparently, she didn’t succeed, and a minute after, she was back.

“Thanks a bunch. Here, honey, wanna sit with mama?”

The toddler giggled and shouted “No!” loudly enough for a couple of people to turn and stare. Angelina simply shrugged her shoulders at them and turned to smile at the odd pairing.

“He likes you. Phew, mommy can catch a break, isn’t that something.” The latter part of her sentence came out in a coo towards Declan.

Michael smiled meekly and jumped the toddler on his legs, making him giggle with joy.

“You’re such a natural. Almost as good as your brother. You should definitely get babies.”

She said and took a sip of water. “- although this is hardly the place to find dates.”

He laughed dryly and shook his head hastily.

“I bet it would piss him off, though. Me, finding a date at his funeral.”

She stifled a giggle. Having to control her emotions was hard, especially when people expected her to be sad. But this - her father-in-law’s funeral - was the happiest funeral she’d ever been a part of. Everybody seemed relieved. Happy, almost. The only one that seemed a bit sad was actually the man sitting across from her. She found it odd, as she knew from her husband how much he’d hated his father. How much they had both hated him. Or well, everyone, actually. The patriarch had not been loved, to say the least. The fact that he had left this world had left everyone with a new-found feeling of calm.

“You should do it. And hope he doesn’t haunt you from the afterlife.” She spoke lowly and winked joyfully at him while leaning over to take her child. “Go and have a drink. Make a day of it.” He smiled a sad smile back at her and got up from the couch. If only it were that simple, he thought.

( ... )

“Come and get me. Please.” The text to Yasmin was half-joking but also half-serious. Dead serious. Why hadn’t he brought anyone? It wasn’t the fact that he missed his father. Or even mourned him. The thoughts that were rummaging through his mind were of an altogether different kind of sadness. It had begun that night at the hospital, at the sight of Richard. He almost couldn’t bear to think about it, but he forced himself to do it. He knew now, that the only way to forget was by thinking about her. The way she was probably thriving now, with a new baby and a stable man around. Tears were pressing at the back of his eyes again, and he wondered if anyone would put it past him to cry at his own father’s funeral. As he stood there, deep in his own thoughts and with the cigarette in hand smoking itself, he wondered how it took so long for Yasmin to reply. A few minutes later, the phone rang.

“Hey. You alright?” She asked. He could hear a faint tone of stress in her voice.

“Yeah. No. Yeah. Just like to get out of here, you know? “I’ll be there in thirty. Alright?” “Sure.” He hung up and went inside to say his goodbyes. “Christ, what a day.” He exclaimed as he practically fell into Yasmin’s car. “Mm-hmm. How was it?” She revved the engine and the car began moving.

He didn’t reply with nothing but a silent huff.

“You alright? Thought you hated the guy.”

“I did.”

“Hm. Christ, do you have to smoke in the car?” Yasmin said, annoyed with the fact that he was taking a cigarette from the pocket in his shirt.

“Forgive me, boss. Just this once.” He said and lit one up. “What you been up to? Any mystery dates today?”

Yasmin huffed, still annoyed with his habit.

“Actually, I went to see your ex.”

“You … what?!” He turned towards her, completely shocked at her revelation. She simply shrugged her shoulders.

“She’s had her baby. I’ve been around to visit and help a bit.”

“I … she … what?”

“What, didn’t you hear me?”

“Yeah, I … I’m just … I didn’t know you were talking is all.”

“We are. I was at the baby shower, too.”

“What? But … how is she?” “She’s tired, but fine. Happy. The baby’s doing great, too. He better well should, the amount of time and work it takes, ugh-”

“It’s a boy?” Michael had completely forgotten about his cigarette, and once again it smoked itself in his hand.

“Yeah.” Yasmin smiled a small smile. “Teddy. He’s really tiny. Rather cute, too.”

“And … is she with ...“

“She’s with that guy. The ex- soldier. Richard something-”

“Yeah. I remember him. Vividly.” He tossed the cigarette out the window and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“You asked.”

“But … why didn’t you tell me? That you were seeing her?”

“What, do you want to know everyone I’m seeing? Hold on, I’ll make you a list.”

“Christ, Yasmin, that’s not what I’m saying … it’s just-”

“I figured you wouldn’t be interested.”

His expression turned into one of utter confusion. “Not … interested? What the fuck do you mean, Yasmin? Didn’t you hear me that night?”

“I was busy, mate. Excuse me if I didn’t over-analyze every word you said.”

He put his hands against the roof of the car, exasperated.

“Besides.” Yasmin continued. “She’s happy. The baby’s fine. That’s what matters.”

A moment of silence passed between them, before Michael spoke again.

“The baby … Teddy. Is he- Does he look like -” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Oh, mate, that’s impossible to say yet. He looks like a baby.” Yasmin lied. No reason to give him any false hopes. No reason to destroy Cassie’s bliss.

“When was he born?” Michael reached for his pack of cigarettes, only to find that it was empty.

“Wow, I forgot to tell you. He was way overdue. He was born on April 2nd. Strange, right?”

“On my birthday.”

“Yeah.”

They spent the rest of the drive to the pub in silence. He tried to keep his thoughts free from Cassie and the child. Both he and Yasmin knew that he didn’t succeed.

[caitlynmeow]

Hey, can I ask for kind of a sequel from the other anon's previous ask : Everyone meeting Aurelia for the first time, like holding her and stuff and cute baby fluff and hcs 🥰

of course you can, anon! <3

It was early morning when Alcina's phone rang. It was her personal phone and looking at the time, she nearly panicked as she picked up the phone. It was Cassandra's wife, who was both calm and nervous as she said that they were headed to the hospital.

Alcina did worry as it was a little too early; 39 weeks a little too early in Alcina's opinion and she couldn't help but worry about her daughter and granddaughter. Alas, it wasn't time to dwell on it, she needed to head to the hospital immediately and be by her daughter's side at this time.

Alcina was beside herself with worry; on the one hand, she was very excited that her granddaughter was being born, but on the other hand, she felt worried about her daughter. She was pacing the hallway like a crazy person, occasionally going inside the delivery room when Cassandra requested her presence.

Bela and Daniela were at the hospital soon after; they woke up and didn't find their mother. They called her and left the castle immediately when she told them where she was and why.

Daniela called Donna and let her know, and she too was at the hospital soon after that.

Alcina felt like she was going crazy as the clock ticked by with no real change. It was almost fifteen hours later with no update. She remembered that when was having Cassandra it took her more than two days of labor and she hoped that it wouldn't be the same for her daughter because it was awful.

Donna, Bela, and Daniela achoed Alcina, pacing outside and trying not to worry. Alcina coming back out every now and then to update them was a relief but as time went on, everyone grew more restless.

Suddenly, a nurse came out and called for Alcina. Expecting the worst, she almost sprinted back to the room wondering what could have gone wrong. Of all the things she thought of, Alcina didn't expect to walk back into the room to find her daughter, her wife, and a tiny newborn waiting for her.

Cassandra wanted her mom to be the first person to see and hold the baby, even before she was taken by the nurses to be cleaned up and dressed. Alcina took the infant and took a long look at her. She couldn't stop the tears as she felt another tug deep inside of her. It was like the time she had her daughters, the familial bond snapping into place.

Donna, Bela, and Daniela were also called into the room to take a look at the baby. "She's so tiny," Daniela said, her finger carefully poking the baby's cheek. Bela wasn't as brave, she thought she could easily hurt the delicate infant and only looked at her.

Donna was an emotional wreck but she stayed composed. Or tried to. They realized that they needed to tell Miranda and did just that. By that time the pain meds were wearing off and Cassandra felt very drained.

By the time she woke up hours later, Miranda was there, holding the baby who was soundly asleep. Miranda is not making any effort to conceal her delight at the new addition to the family. Indeed, watching her family grow is one of the proudest moments of her life. To be around to see and hold her great-grandchild is a feeling she isn't going to forget.

Heisenberg poked his head over Miranda's shoulder. He believes babies are slippery and they'd fall and break. He did the same with his nieces, he only picked them up after they turned six months and he intends to do the same now that his favorite niece has had her first child.

Moreau showed up late at night and didn't stay for long. The baby was awake, her blue eyes blinking at him. He said a quick "Hello" and placed a small teddy bear in the infant's crib, next to her head. He wished well to his sister and niece before leaving again.