#so yeah. Gerard is a magical girl now. do what you want with that information

[the-sixxth-sinner]

Sailor Senshi Gerard because why not

[bwbatta]

The one where your secret gets harder to keep (2)

Abstract: Y/N and Sirius have been friends since they first met on the Hogwarts Express, so when they do get together, they decide not to tell their friends straight away. (Friends AU)

Pairing: Sirius Black x Lupin!Reader

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 4.1K

A/N: Are we all ready for part two?! I won’t lie, I can’t believe how quickly I wrote this. 

Sirius had barely made himself his morning cup of tea before the fireplace flushed with green flames and his best mate walked out into his lounge. 

“Prongs, what do I owe the pleasure of your visit at... 10am?! You couldn’t have come a bit later, mate?”

“I thought this was later.” James shrugged, taking a seat on the sofa. Sirius poured another mug of tea, handing it to James as he took the armchair opposite. “It’s about your recent greeting method.”

“My greeting method?”

“Yeah, you and all your... kissing. Stop it.”

Sirius couldn’t help the bubble of laughter which escaped his mouth. Obviously he hadn’t planned on kissing Lily and Marlene, but just the fact James was so wound up about it made the wizard grin. 

“My kissing?”

“Pads-”

“No, Prongs, please go on, what about my kissing.” Sirius relaxed back into the armchair taking a sip of his tea. “Are you... jealous?”

“Padfoot-”

“Because if you don’t want me to leave you out of all my kissing, then all you have to do is ask.”

“Sirius I don’t want you bloody kissing me! Or Lily for that matter.”

The laughter which escaped Sirius was loud enough for Remus to exit his own room to investigate what had the man so amused. 

“Prongs? What’s going on?”

“Prongsie is jealous I’m not kissing him,” Sirius snickered which caused James to throw a cushion at his face. 

“Fuck off Pads.” James rolled his eyes. “I just want you to stop kissing my wife.”

“It was one kiss Prongs, I was trying something out.” Sirius chuckled. “But note taken, I’ll stop kissing Lily.”

“And Y/N too if you don’t mind.” Remus said taking the seat next to James. “I don’t like seeing you make out with my sister.”

“So I can kiss, Mar?” Sirius grinned as both men shot him an unamused look. “Alright fine, no more kissing the girls in front of you.” 

Lily and Marlene anyway, Sirius thought to himself. 

The fireplace flashed again with green flames and Peter stepped out into the room. 

“Wormy, where’ve you been?!” James grinned in greeting as Peter took the other armchair after declining a cup of tea from Remus. 

“Some Order mission Dumbledore sent me and the Prewett twins on. Apparently we’re going to recap it at the meeting today.”

“Anything interesting happen?” Remus asked. 

“Nothing much, something odd but the twins know more about it than I do.”

The four boys continued their little catch up, including Sirius telling Peter about how James was jealous he’s kissed his wife and not him, which earned him another cushion to the face. 

Before long, the small group had finished their tea and were exiting the flat through the fireplace as they appeared in the Order headquarters. The headquarters were set up at the witch, Emmeline Vance’s home. 

Seeing the girls already present, the foursome of boys made their way over towards their friends and took their seats. Sirius took the seat next to you and through his arm around the back of your chair. 

“You alright?” You asked him.

“Prongs appeared this morning demanding I stop kissing you girls. Remus agreed of course.” Sirius whispered to you which caused you to grin.

“Oh yeah?! What did you say to that?!” 

“I said I’d stop kissing the girls in front of them, I never said anything about behind their backs.”

You snorted quietly at his reply as Dumbledore walked in, greeting everyone present. Most of the Order were there apart from the select few who were still on missions. 

The room quietened drastically as everyone waited for Dumbledore to speak. 

“Welcome back, I thought it would be about the right time to check in with everyone.” Dumbledore began before turning his attention to the twins and Peter. “Mr Prewetts’ and Mr Pettigrew, how was the search up at Little Hangleton?” 

“There was not much magical energy around the town, Professor, but there was definitely some.” Fabian began before Gideon took over. 

“The house which you told us to look for was still being kept though. Someone pays for a caretaker of the property.”

Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment as he assessed the information. 

“Had anyone seen anything odd? Anyone seen lurking around recently which could be connected to Riddle?” 

“No, any that did may have been obliviated though.” Peter answered as the Prewett twins nodded in agreement.

Gideon Prewett caught your eye for a moment before both of you looked away from each other. The two of you had dated throughout school for a while despite your differing years. Gideon had been a year ahead of you at Hogwarts, but both being in Gryffindor gave opportunity to run into each other more than once. 

As your eyes directed away from Gideon, they landed on a newcomer to the Order. You couldn’t deny the man was attractive, his dark hair and dark skin looking almost flawless. 

A nudge came from beside you as Marlene grinned at you. 

“His name’s Gerard Warbeck.” She whispered to you. “He’s supposedly related to the singer, Celestina Warbeck, you know?”

“Really? How old is he?”

“A few years older than us, I think he was in Ravenclaw.”

You didn’t say anything else but quickly averted your eyes as his attention flicked to you. Not wanting to look back at him if he was still staring at you, you kept your eyes firmly on Dumbledore who had began talking again. 

Sirius watched as the man across from where you sat, trailed his eyes over you with a slight smile after he caught you staring at him. As his eyes moved to Sirius, he was met with a strong stare as Sirius glared him down.

He didn’t know what it was about the man, but Sirius didn’t like him. Something felt off and Sirius swore to himself it had absolutely nothing to do with the way he was admiring you just moments previously.

Between the two of you, you managed to make it though another month without any more slip ups. Guaranteed there were some close calls but your secret remained as such; a secret.

With Dumbledore sending more and more of you out on Order missions, it gave both Sirius and you the chance to have your flats to yourself if Marlene or Remus were called out. 

The current order mission which you were now sat through was coming to an end as you sat with Marlene, Sirius and Lily. 

“Hey,” the blonde whispered from beside you, “I’ve got a surprise for you after this, you’re going to be so proud of me.”

“I’m almost scared to ask what it is.” 

“I got us a double date with your admirer and his friend.” Marlene grinned. “They wanna take us out Saturday night. What do you say?!”

“Um...” Your eyes flicked to the side casually where Sirius sat next to you, whispering to Lily on his other side. “I don’t think so.”

“What?” Marlene whispered back, a thoroughly confused expression on her face. “Why not? He’s been eye-flirting with you for weeks! Give me one good reason why you don’t want to go.”

You were suddenly very aware of Sirius’ arm around the back of your chair. 

Presented with the situation months ago before Lily and James’ wedding, you would’ve jumped at the opportunity, yet you couldn’t help but feel happy with what you had with Sirius at the moment. 

“I don’t know, I just don’t feel like it.”

“Well stop it, you’re coming with me to talk to him after the meetings finished, which looks like it’ll be soon. Moody always begins his ‘constant vigilance’ speech just before we wrap up.”

True to her word, the meeting ended soon after and before you knew what was happening, your roommate had grabbed your arm and yanked you across the room to face Gerard. 

Throwing a panicked look behind you to Sirius and Lily, the former couldn’t help but feel uneasy as you approached your admirer. 

“Hey, Gerard,” Marlene greeted him, “I thought I’d actually introduce you to your date for this Saturday?!”

“I was beginning to wonder if we would every actually talk,” he grinned at you. “I’m Gerard, but I’m now realising Marlene would’ve already told you that.”

“She maybe mentioned it.” You chuckled slightly. “I’m Y/N, though I think she’s already introduced me before I even met you.”

“That she did.” 

Across the room, Sirius was scowling at the man who was currently talking to you. He didn’t like the way he was looking at you. 

“Hey, who’s Y/N and Mar talking to?” He asked Lily.

“Oh, that’s Gerard Warbeck, apparently he’s taking out Y/N and Mar on a double date this weekend.”

“So, they’re going on a date with the guy?”

“Not both of them,” Lily laughed whist grabbing her jacket from the back of her seat, “Mar set up Y/N with him whilst he set Mar up with his mate.”

Lily and Sirius dropped the subject as Marlene and you arrived back to join them, Marlene looking a lot more excited than you did. 

“Ready to go?” The blonde asked the small group, before Lily and her moved towards the door. Yet, Sirius and you didn’t budge.

“Hey, is Remus back from his mission with James yet?” You asked.

“Not yet, they’re due back tomorrow.”

“Think we could head over to yours for a bit? I think there’s something you should know.”

Sirius couldn’t help but scoff and roll his eyes at you slightly. 

“Oh, is this about you, dating Warbeck?” Sirius asked grabbing his own jacket from the chair. “Because Lily already mentioned that and I’m absolutely fine with you going out with him. I mean, you and I, we’re just messing around, we’re nothing so.”

Sirius began to head towards the door before stopping when he realised you weren’t following him. 

“I mean, I was going to tell you I was going to get out of it and reject him when Mar wasn’t around, but hey, if we’re just messing around, maybe I will go out with him.”

“Maybe you should.” Sirius shrugged as you pinned him with a look before your gaze shifted to the very man you were talking about. 

“Hey, thought I could walk you out?” Gerard asked as he shot you a smile. Turning to Sirius, he held out a hand. “Hey, I’m Gerard.”

“Sirius.” Sirius hesitated for a split second before he moved to shake Gerard’s hand. He made sure to grip his hand tightly through the handshake, enough for Gerard to wince slightly before laughing it off. 

“Strong grip you’ve got. Yeah I remember you from Hogwarts, you turned the teacher’s table into jelly that one time.” 

“Yeah, that was one of our better ones.” Sirius nodded with a forced grin before turning to you. “I’ll catch you later.” 

Without so much as another word, he turned and walked out the room leaving the two of you behind. 

After Gerard had walked you out, he wished you goodbye before apparating away. Noticing all of your friends had already gone, you quickly did the same by apparating to the front door to your flat. 

What you hadn’t expected however, was for Sirius to be leant against the wall outside. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Are you really going to go out with him?”

You took a moment to study him before reaching into your jacket pocket to find your key. 

“Well you and I are just messing around so I thought, why not mess around with him?”

Despite having your key out, you didn’t make a move to unlock your door or let yourself in. Partly because you were sure Marlene was already back and partly because you were interested in what Sirius had to say. 

Running a hand through his hair, Sirius opened his mouth a few times to say something before stopping himself. Finally he had decided on something and stepped forward from the wall towards you. 

“I mean, I don’t know if you’ve looked up the term ‘messing around’ in the dictionary lately but the definition is two friends, who care a lot about each other.” He shrugged one shoulder, taking another step closer to you as he rested his hands on your waist. “Who have amazing sex, and just want to spend more time together yanno?”

“Oh, really now?”

“Yep. But if you’ve got this new definition where it’s not that, I think that we should just stick with a definition we both know.” You couldn’t help the snort of laughter as Sirius wrapped his arms further around your waist, pulling you closer to him. “...Are we okay?”

“I guess so.” You smiled at him as one of his hands moved from your waist to cup your face. 

“I just, I like what we’ve got going.” Sirius shrugged, “I wouldn’t want to lose that with you.” 

“I like what we’ve got too.” You smiled, pulling him in for a kiss. “So... your place?”

Sirius never apparated the two of you away quicker. 

You were laid out on your bed wearing the skimpiest underwear you owned as you waited for Sirius to floo in. 

Marlene was due to be out visiting her family again which gave you both the perfect opportunity to use the flat whilst she wasn’t there. However, as your bedroom door opened with a slight knock, the person who walked in wasn’t Sirius by any means, but your blonde roommate. 

With a shriek, Marlene covered her eyes as she quickly exited your room out into the living room.

“Y/N!” You quickly grabbed your dressing robe and wrapped it round you, following after her with a sheepish expression on your face. “What the hell!”

“I’m sorry! I was... taking a nap!”

“Since when do you take naps in that position!” Marlene stared at you for a moment before something clicked and she suddenly gasped. “Oh Merlin, please tell me you were waiting for a guy!”

“Yes. Yes!” You replied quickly, trying to think up something to tell the girl. “I’m seeing a guy!” 

“Wait, I thought you turned down Gerard? Is it someone different?!” Marlene questioned.

“Yep, someone different! Completely different. Someone I met out.”

“Ohhh is he the cute one that works at the Ministry that we constantly bump into?!”

“Yep! Thats him!”

The blonde’s face suddenly lit up as she grinned at you widely. 

“Oh Merlin, right, let me get out of your hair then! I’ll just grab my jacket real quick so you can get down to business!” Quickly heading to her room, she grabbed the closest jacket and started to head towards the fireplace. “But, when I get back, I want every detail and I mean every detail. Merlin knows my love life is as dry as Peter’s hair.” 

The fireplace flushed with green light and as Marlene turned to send you a promiscuous look, which dropped as soon as she turned round to see Remus and James entering. 

“Oh, it’s you, what are you guys doing here?” 

“Lily sent us to pick up something from you girls. She said she left it in a box and you’d know what it was.” Remus shrugged as James made his way into your kitchen to grab something from your fridge. 

Exchanging a look with Marlene, you both pulled a blank as you tried to remember if Lily had left anything round your flat. 

“Do you have any idea as to what it was?” You asked.

“Something big and heavy which is why she sent us.” James grinned, biting into a large slice of cake. 

“Are you sure?” Marlene snickered at the looks the two boys sent her. 

The fireplace roared again and Sirius stepped out, a bottle of Firewhiskey in one hand and a bottle of whipped cream in the other. He grinned to himself before the expression fell from his face at the sight of the gathering in your living room. 

You shot him a sheepish look as you covered yourself more with your robe, now feeling very aware you had not much on underneath it. 

“Merlin, what are you doing here?” Marlene asked him, eyeing up the two bottles in his hands. “Running errands for Lily too?”

“Uh... no, I came to see if any of you wanted to drink?” Sirius said holding up the bottle of alcohol.

“And the cream?” Remus asked with a frown.

“Snack.” Sirius shrugged, squirting some of the whipped cream in his mouth.

“So Sirius, have you heard about Y/N’s secret boyfriend?” Lily asked him later that week. 

After the incident where Marlene had walked in on you, it was a lot easier to explain certain things such as the hickeys on your neck after you alluded to seeing someone. 

Marlene and you had also found out as to why Lily sent the boys to your flat to pick up something which wasn’t there. Apparently the two of them had been attempting to fix certain things around the cottage where Lily and James lived, which had started to drive the redhead mad. She then proceeded to send them on a wild goose chase just to get them out of her house for a while. 

Currently, you were sat at Lily and James’ after they had invited the group round for dinner. Remus, James and Marlene were off discussing what ideas would be good for the spare room in their house. The blonde witch was playing the mediator between good and bad ideas much to Lily’s relief. This left you with Lily and Sirius downstairs, now having a conversation you weren’t sure the direction of. 

“Uh, yeah, she might’ve mentioned him.” Sirius shrugged leaning back on the sofa, glancing towards you next to him as he took a sip of his alcohol. 

“So, when are we going to meet the guy?” She turned the question to you as she got settled in the armchair. “You still haven’t even told me his name!” 

“Well he’s really shy. I don’t think he’s up to meeting everyone yet.” You shrugged. 

“I mean you don’t want to push him, right?” Sirius butted in with a nod which you mimicked. 

“Exactly, you guys are a bit much sometimes.” You chuckled. 

“Well I’ll be nice! I want to the meet this guy who’s the ‘best sex she’s ever had’!”

You swore under your breath as Sirius turned towards you with an enormous smirk on his face. 

“Really?! The best sex she’d ever had?! That’s what you heard?!” He asked Lily before turning back to you. “You said that?!”

You narrowed your eyes at him, now skeptical at answering his question.

“I might’ve said that.” Sirius did nothing but laugh which you just rolled your eyes at before punching him lightly in the arm. “Why is that funny?”

“Because I’m very happy for him!” Sirius grinned before wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “And you! You lucky dog!”

“You’re the dog.” You scowled.

Sirius’ laughter was loud enough to attract the other three down from upstairs, much to your annoyance. Marlene grinned as she took the other seat on the sofa you and Sirius shared. 

“What’s got you laughing so hard?”

That only made Sirius laugh more.

“Can we please change the subject.” You rolled your eyes. 

“Alright, alright, kitten, I’ve actually got an Order question for you.” Sirius said as you leaned back into him.

“Go on.”

“If you have to sit through a meeting, does that mean your new secret boyfriend is better in bed than Gideon?” 

“Sirius!” Marlene reached over to smack his arm before she turned her attention to you. “...Is he?”

“I think I’m going to respect the privacy of my new secret boyfriend.” You said just as James and Remus sat down on the other sofa. 

Gideon was still slightly a sore subject for you. The breakup between you both was messy and despite the fact it happened months ago, you didn’t really want to talk to him or about him. The fact he also worked within the Order was difficult enough. 

“Why?!” Sirius questioned with a smirk. “I mean if this guy was me, and it was me who had learned that it was me that was the best you’ve ever had, I’d be going like this.”

Slipping out from his place on the sofa, Sirius jumped onto Lily’s coffee table and proceeded to pull a few dance moves, much to the amusement of Marlene and James. Lily, however had immediately tried to get him off her table, while Remus wasn’t looking too happy about discussing his sister’s sex life. You just rolled your eyes, mildly annoyed at how much he was milking the fact. 

After Lily managed to get Sirius down from her coffee table, he settled back into his spot next to you with a grin. You however, didn’t return it. 

Later in the evening, you’d volunteered to grab some more wine from the kitchen when Sirius followed you. 

“Hey, Remus is due out all day tomorrow so I have the flat all to myself.”

“So?”

“I just thought you’d like to book in some time with the best you’ve ever had.” Sirius grinned at you, taking the couple bottles of wine from you when you shoved them at his chest. 

“You know what?” You turned to face him, “I’ll pass.”

“Why?” You at first did nothing but raise your eyebrows, before stepping back and badly mocked some of the dance moves he’d pulled in front of the group not too long ago. Sirius’ grin fell from his face as he took in your expression, realising he may’ve gone too far. “What’s your point?”

“Work it out, Sirius.” You rolled your eyes, grabbing the two bottles of wine from his grasp and walked back out to your group of friends. 

You stayed mad at Sirius right through the next day. It was only when Marlene asked if you were annoyed with Sirius, you relented slightly on giving him the cold shoulder. 

Not too long after, Dumbledore sent you a patronus to meet at Order headquarters. You didn’t expect to first, see Sirius arrive only moments later, or for the headmaster to give you a mission for only the two of you. 

Apparently more magical activity was happening around Little Hangleton and Dumbledore wanted you both to go and scout it out. Quickly side-apparating, you both appeared in the little town and started to head towards the large house on the hill. It wasn’t until you were nearly at the front door before either one of you said anything.

“Okay okay, wait.” Sirius stopped you, reaching out for your arm and grabbing your attention. “Look, maybe I got carried away before, but there’s something you need to know. If I’m the best, it’s only because you made me the best.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, not giving anyway any facial expressions as your stared at him. 

“Keep talking.” 

“When I’m with you, it’s something else entirely. Anyone else that I’ve been with before you is nothing in comparison, because when we’re together, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.”

The look you’d pinned him with began to soften which Sirius took as a good sign. Stepping closer, his hands cupped your face. 

“Anytime I spend with you, when we’re together intimately or not, means so much to me that I can’t even put into words.”

Slowly you felt your resolve drop and forced out a roll of your eyes, purely just because you didn’t want him to get the impression you gave in too easily.

“...You’re such a sap.”

The two of you shared a grin as your hands raised to lay on his chest, grabbing his familiar leather jacket and tugged him closer. 

Whilst the two of you had spent the last few moments making up, you both missed the movement behind you. It was only when Sirius’ eyes grew wide suddenly as he caught sight of the familiar face behind you, he moved to grab his wand, yet he wasn’t quick enough. 

A flash of purple collided with your back as the chilling laughter of his cousin cackled through the air. Bellatrix grinned maliciously as her spell hit you, right before Sirius wrapped you in his arms and apparated the both of you away. He didn’t plan on sticking around much longer if Bellatrix was accompanied by anyone else. With you injured, he didn’t stand a good chance at taking them on alone. 

Landing roughly in a heap with you still in his arms, he didn’t even register that he’d apparated straight back into your flat where Marlene and Lily were now standing, wands raised until they realised it was you. 

Grasping his wand, Sirius quickly hovered it above your body.

“Rennervate.” 

You didn’t wake.

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[imaginefan]

A Threat

Marcellus Gerard X Reader

Word Count: 1120

Requested: Anon

Request: You’re good friend’s with Klaus and reader has a crush on Marcel. Reader talks a lot but gets quite when he is around cause he makes her nervous. Story.

You hadn't expected a call from Klaus but you got one, you groaned when you saw his name but you answered anyway "What could you possibly want with me?" You asked.

"I need your help." He answered. "With?" You asked. "A threat." He answered. "Yeah that doesn't give me much to go on, you know that right?" You asked. "I need a witch." He informed you. "I'm flattered out of all the witches that you could have chosen, you chose me." You smirked as you walked around the room collecting things that you were going to need, that included a bag you always had packed for getting away quickly, your purse and your keys. "I don't have time for this, you know I do have other people in my life." You could see him smirking on the other side of the phone as he leant back in a chair somewhere. "You'll help me anyway." He said and you rolled your eyes. "You wouldn't have it any other way, not give me an address and I'll be there as quickly as possible." You agreed.

You and Klaus had known each other for years, Klaus had saved your years back and you had repaid him by helping him, it took a long time to gain his trust, even if you were a child you were still a witch and there was every chance that you were sent to spy on him (which wasn't true by the way). You were in fact just a child that wandered into the wrong situation, you were a late bloomer when it came to using your magic and for that, you were shunned, you didn't have many friends in your coven so when you were old enough you moved away, you learned to use your magic by yourself and became stronger, you were known for your magic and many came for your help. You did in fact have a life outside of Klaus but as usual, he didn't care about that.

"What am I doing here?" You asked as you walked into the abattoir. "I told you I have a witch problem," Klaus answered as he leaned against the bannister above you. "Going to need more than that if you want me to fix it." You informed him. "He pissed off some witches out in quarter and they were just passing through but now they want a little revenge." You turned to the new voice and you had to stop for a second, the man that was standing in front of you was rather good looking. "Marcel your overreacting." Klaus dismissed him and Marcel rolled his eyes before walking away, he had no intention of sticking around to be a part of a fight he hadn't caused and he had no idea why you had agreed to help either. You sensed it before they appeared and it gave you enough time to make a quick barrier spell before they appeared, they stopped at your barrier and you waved, one of them took a knife out of their belt and threw it at you, you caught it. "That's not very nice," You smiled. "Where is Klaus!?" She asked. "Why do you care? You guys are just passing through no?" You asked and they looked at you. "We were but there were more of us." She sneered. "Let me guess, he killed a few of your friends?" You asked. "If you know then why do you help him!?" She asked. "Because he keeps me safe." You answered. "The reason that I don't have any problems is the threat of the Hybrid so I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave." "We can't do that." She answered. "Well, then I'm sorry." You said softly before you flicked your hand snapping the necks of the three witches that were standing in front of you. "Klaus!" "What can I help you with love?" He asked a smirk on his face as his eyes landed on the dead witches. "I need help moving the bodies, we need to put them somewhere that we can leave them to see whether they used a protection spell." You explained and he nodded disappearing for a second before Marcel appeared again. "Klaus said that you needed help." He said. "Y-yeah moving to bodies somewhere to see if they used a protection spell." You answered voice quiet. "Downstairs there's a basement, we can leave them there." He answered and you nodded.

After moving to bodies Marcel stood at the door and watched you "Why do you help him?" Marcel asked. "Why do you?" You asked as you took the knives out of their belts, looking at them for a second, there was a spell on the knives they couldn't kill the ones that wielded them. "I don't have a choice." He answered, "I won't let him kill me." "I need his protection, I have no coven so I need someone the scare away what few enemies I have." You explained as you took one of the knives from the girl to your left and stabbing it into the heart of the girl on the left of you, you continued that way until all three had a knife in their chest. "Why did you do that?" He asked. "When they wake up they'll die again, this time from blood loss, then we chuck them out on the street and leave it for the police to investigate." You answered as you walked past him, once you were back up the stairs you felt like you could breathe again, the man, made you nervous and you knew why you looked back before shaking your head that can't be right.

You stayed for a couple of weeks to make sure that no one came looking for those witches and during that time Klaus had been trying to convince you to stay but you didn't know what to do, you were on your own when you that night as you tried to decide what you wanted to do next. "Are you going to stay?" You turned to see Marcel and you shrugged. "I don't know." You answered, "What reason do I have to stay here?" "You said it yourself protection and I wouldn't mind have you around." He answered, you looked at him for a second before looking away your cheeks painted red and you looked at the street below you. "Maybe I will stay." You said softly. "I'd like it if you did." He said before squeezing your shoulder and walking away, you watched him disappear around the corner before looking back at the people passing below you.

Ahh hell what did you have to lose by staying?

Requests and general question!

[freddiesaysalright]

The Most Dramatic Season Ever - Week 1

Summary: It’s your time now! You are ABC’s new Bachelorette and this is your journey! All these men (including our fav BoRhap boys and then some) are competing for your heart! Will you find love? Will you get engaged at the end? Or will you end up heartbroken? Find out, on the most dramatic season ever!

Word Count: 6k

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A/N: It’s the first week of dates! This chapter, I’ve inserted pictures and captions for the “talking head” portions of the show.

Warning(s): Mentions of drug use. Mentions of cheating.

Night 1

Week 1 here we go!!!

The guys were all settled around the living room, sipping coffee and chatting casually. There was a bit of an anxious murmur about them as a date card was coming, they just weren’t sure when. A date card meant more time with you, especially if they got a one on one date. Group dates were fun, but they meant competing for your attention. They already had to do that at cocktail parties before rose ceremonies. It wasn’t ideal for quality time with you.

Taron: I really want to see Y/N, but if it’s a group date, I’m hoping my name’s not on the card. I’m holding out that I’ll be the one on one this week. It’s just - I’ve already got a massive crush on this girl. I want to know her more and show her my heart as well. We just won’t have the time on a group date.

Finally, that knock on the door came. Wells jumped up and got the card. He returned to the living room and eagerly opened the envelope. He smiled and a nervous twinge stirred in the men. Which was it?

“Rami,” he began.

Rami held his breath. He didn’t want to celebrate too soon in case it was a group date.

Wells continued. “Joe, Ben, Gwilym, Allen, Richard, Eric, Luke, Kenny, Mike, Wells, and Jordan. Don’t be shy, spill your secrets. Love, Y/N.”

That left Jared, John, John Paul Jones, Taron, and a few other men (Colton, Lincoln, Chad, and Chris) for the potential one on one. Taron crossed his fingers and hoped that this meant it was him. 

“Well, we can’t be too disappointed, guys,” said Joe. “I know it’s a group date but that just means you have to make the time you have with her count.”

They all got up to start getting ready for the date. Joe looked over at Ben, who was combing his hair carefully into place. Joe clapped him on the back.

“You don’t even have to do much, dude, you’re ridiculous,” Joe said.

Ben chuckled. “I need to stand out to her.”

“Yeah, but you’re making the rest of us look like jackasses,” Joe replied.

The group all laughed and then headed out to the limo that would take them to meet you wherever you were waiting for them. As they all clamored in, they began speculating what the date card could mean.

“Maybe she wants us to share something we haven’t shared before,” Richard suggested.

“Yeah, but that could be anything,” Gwilym pointed out. “We’re all still getting to know her.”

“It’s honestly so vague,” Rami said. “How can we even hope to guess?”

They pulled up to a small theater in downtown Los Angeles. You stood outside the door, and the men all cheered once they saw you. Joe rolled down the window and you waved to them as they stopped, laughter on your lips and in your eyes. You were really excited for this date, and for the opportunity for these guys to show more of themselves to you.

“Hey, guys!” you greeted as they exited the car. 

Allen was the first one out and he rushed over to pull you into a hug. He spun you around in his arms and you laughed with joy. The others trailed behind and greeted you more subtly with gentle embraces and cheek kisses.

“I’m so glad you guys made it,” you said. “So, something that’s important to me in finding a partner is laughing together.”

They murmured their agreement back to you.

“Sharing laughter is a really underappreciated form of intimacy,” you said. “As well as - y’know - actual intimacy. They go hand in hand. So what I want you guys to do for me today is think of the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you during sex, write it down in an amusing little anecdote, and then, we’re all going to share them on stage when we’re done.”

“Wait, is there gonna be an audience?” Ben asked.

You nodded. “Uh-huh.”

Ben: This date makes me extremely nervous. I’m quite a private person when it comes to my sex life, and sharing stuff like that - especially with a girl I want to potentially marry - it’s a bit odd.

Joe: Honestly, most of my sexual experiences are funny, so I think I’ve got this one in the bag.

“Are y’all ready to get started?” you asked them.

They all cheered their affirmation and then followed you inside. Once in the theater, they were all given a legal pad and a pen. They scattered throughout the space to begin writing, and you made the rounds, stopping to chat a little with everyone and see how they were doing.

You took a seat beside Gwilym.

“Hey,” you chirped. “How’s it going over here?”

“Hello, beautiful,” he replied. “It’s going alright. I’m quite a romantic so it’s difficult to come up with an example of something funny.”

You smiled at him. “I like that you’re a romantic. But the story doesn’t have to be something super raunchy or anything. Just, anytime you laughed with your partner.”

“Are you sure you want to hear stories of us with other women?” he asked.

“Of course,” you said. “Your past makes you who you are. And that’s just the information I want to know about you.”

“Well, for future reference, you may ask me anything you like,” he said. 

“I think I can drum up a question or two,” you returned. “I’ll leave you to it.”

You continued on to the next man, just checking in. They only had about ten minutes to write their story before the audience would be allowed in. You were really looking forward to this to see what their sense of humor was like, and how well they dealt with discussing things that were awkward. When the time finally came, you sat between Allen and Richard while the audience filled in around you and the men. The first person up was Eric.

Eric told a story about his first time, which was a disaster. It was really good and made you laugh. You snorted when Kenny got up and admitted that his daughter had walked in on him and her mother once. Allen said he once slept with a girl who admitted afterward that she only went home with him because she had a thing for Irish guys after seeing Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You. Everyone had great stories, and your cheeks were already hurting from smiling. Then, Joe got up there.

“I once hooked up with a girl I picked up at a bar,” he began. “Sounds pretty typical. Anyway, we go back to her place, things are getting hot and heavy, and I realize I don’t have a condom. So, she tells me she has some in her bathroom. I find them, rip one open and realize - this girl has glow in the dark condoms.”

You chuckled and waited for him to continue.

“I put one on, and honest to God said to myself ‘It’s like a lightsaber,’” he said. “But the story doesn’t end there. I walked back into her bedroom, swinging my dick back and forth and making the sound effects while I walked toward her.”

You howled at this point, tossing your head back as you laughed.

“The worst part was that she didn’t understand the reference,” he finished. “Needless to say, we only spent the one night together.”

He came off the stage and you dabbed at your eyes. You were grateful for your waterproof mascara.

The rest of the men went, one by one. Gwilym seemed to hesitate in his story and you made a mental note to ask him about it later. All of them had you in stitches by the end. Then came a guy named Luke’s turn. Luke really intrigued you, so you watched him curiously as he stood behind the microphone.

“Hi, everyone,” he began. “I don’t have a story like this, I’m afraid. Because I’m actually a born-again virgin.”

The theater was suddenly thick with discomfort.

“I’ve been saved by my relationship with Jesus, and therefore abstain from sex before marriage.”

Rami: Yeah… Luke made things really weird.

“I am saving my body for one woman,” Luke went on. “That woman who is meant to be my wife. I hope that woman is Y/N.”

You shifted awkwardly in your seat. This was not the direction you were expecting this date to go. No one was laughing anymore and the mood had switched entirely.

“All of you - if you open your hearts to Christ - you can be saved as well,” he continued. “With that grace, you can be truly fulfilled, instead of losing yourselves to temptations. Thank you.”

A painfully unpleasant silence followed. The only sounds were his footsteps as he returned to his seat.

Richard: I sort of wanted to laugh at first. I thought, he’s got to be f***ing joking. But, no, he was serious. Which almost makes it funnier, in a way.

You sprang up from your seat and rushed to the stage, trying to recover the situation. You thanked the audience for listening and the men for sharing. Then you left the theater to prepare for the evening portion of the date.

Back at the house, the remaining men were waiting for the date card. Everyone wanted it to be their own name, but Taron wanted it the most. When Chris Harrison showed up, everyone was on edge as he placed the date card on the coffee table.

“To whoever gets the date,” he said. “I hope you have a wonderful time.”

Jared jumped up and snatched the envelope as Chris left. All eyes were on the former as he broke the seal and removed the card. He looked disappointed, and Taron’s heart leapt. So Jared’s name wasn’t on the card.

“Taron,” Jared read. “Do you believe in magic? Love, Y/N.”

Taron pumped his fist in the air while the other guys congratulated him. He took the card and read over the words, heart racing as he tried to decipher the meaning. What kind of date involved magic? He didn’t think it was a magic show or anything like that. No matter what it was, he was excited.

Back on the date, the sun had gone down and you were joining the men on a rooftop bar that was reserved for all of you. There was a large, wrap around couch where you could all sit. In the center of it was a fire pit, with a warm fire already crackling. You all got your drinks and you took a seat between Luke and Ben.

“Thanks for a very entertaining day, you guys,” you said. “I feel like I already know each of you a little better, and I just want to learn more. Here’s to a great day, and even greater night.”

“Cheers!” they echoed.

You all clinked glasses and you right away felt Luke’s hand on your arm.

“Can I steal you first?” he asked.

“Sure,” you agreed. 

He took your hand and you followed him to a more secluded part of the rooftop. There was a loveseat set up. You took the blanket off the back of it and draped it over your legs.

“So, you said some interesting stuff today,” you said. “I didn’t realize you were so religious.”

“Yeah, it’s the most important thing in my life,” he answered.

“Can you tell me a bit more about that?” you pressed. “Like, how did you become that way or is that just how you were raised?”

“I was raised in the faith,” he told you. “But honestly, I strayed. For a period of about six years, I was completely lost. And those were dark times for me. I was depressed and lonely. I just wanted validation from anywhere I could get it. I became wrapped up in alcohol and sex and anything that made me forget that darkness inside me.”

You were a bit moved by this story. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “Because it was the journey I needed to go on to return to my faith. I came back to church and decided to start over. I was truly saved, in more ways than one.”

“I admire the strength of your conviction,” you said. “I think that’s a really unique story, and I feel like I understand you a little better.”

“I’m glad,” he said.

“But I also want you to understand that I’m not in that place,” you continued. “I’m not very religious, and I don’t believe you have to save yourself for marriage.”

His mouth turned down and he looked away from you for a moment. When he met your gaze again, you saw something like determination in them.

“That’s okay,” he said. “I think we can work through this together.”

“Well, yeah, ultimately, any couple overcomes differences together,” you replied. “I’m glad you’re open minded.”

“Of course,” he said. “I’m not here to pass judgement on anyone or anything like that.”

“That’s good to hear,” you said. “Thank you for sharing.”

“Of course.”

He leaned in, opening his arms, and he embraced you. Just as you parted from the hug, Kenny approached and asked for time with you. You left with him, and Luke returned to the rest of the men.

“Well, if it isn’t Pastor Luke,” Joe joked as Luke resumed his seat on the couch. “Coming to grace us heathens with his holy body.”

A snicker went through the group but Luke just rolled his eyes.

“Make fun of it all you want, dude,” he said. “But I know what I’m supposed to do.”

“Don’t start preaching to us again,” Richard said.

“Look, this might be hard for you guys to understand, but I’m on a rescue mission for Y/N,” Luke said. “I’m supposed to save her.”

“From what, exactly?” Gwilym wondered.

“From herself,” Luke answered. “From things that might lead her astray.”

“You mean like us?” Ben pressed.

“It could be,” Luke said. “I just know that I’m right for her.”

“Look, we all think we’re right for her,” Joe chimed in. “It’s only the first week of dates, dude.”

“Don’t be so confident just because you got the First Impression Rose,” Luke argued. 

“I’m not!” Joe insisted. “That’s why I’m saying this. I’m not sure. Nobody’s sure until you get your next rose.”

“Yeah, just cool it, there,” Allen added. “Keep up that talk and you won’t have many friends.”

“Well, I didn’t come here to make friends,” Luke stated. “I came here for my wife.”

“Alright, then,” Ben concluded shortly.

The group returned to uncomfortable silence. Then Gwilym got to his feet and went to find you. He had had quite enough of that conversation and of Luke in general.

You were sitting with Kenny still, and he was showing you pictures of his daughter. She was a precious little girl, with big brown eyes and the most gorgeous natural hair. She resembled Kenny, but had softer, feminine charms. 

“She’s just adorable, Kenny,” you said. 

“If this goes right, I’d love for you to meet her,” he returned.

Your heart melted. “That would mean the world to me.”

He held your gaze a moment before leaning over and kissing you softly. It was tentative and playful, but with a real genuine affection behind it. You liked Kenny very much. You parted, beaming at each other.

At that moment, Gwilym cleared his throat behind you. You turned and beamed at him.

“Hi,” you greeted.

“May I take some of your time, Y/N?” he asked politely.

“Absolutely,” you said. 

You gave Kenny a quick hug before leading Gwilym over to a private table. You sat on a little booth on one side, and you instinctively snuggled up to him. He draped his arm over your shoulders as you rested your head on his chest.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Good,” you said. “I had so much fun today.”

“I’m happy for you,” he returned.

“I have a question for you,” you said, looking up to meet his gaze. “You sort of stopped yourself today during your story. What happened there?”

He cleared his throat and looked away from you, straight ahead. As if seeing something there that you couldn’t. You sat up and looked at his face. There was suddenly such a deep sorrow about him that you grew worried.

“Gwilym?” you asked. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “It’s just difficult to talk about.”

You took his hand and squeezed it. “Tell me.”

“Well, I was with one woman for about eight years,” he said. “We were actually engaged to be married.”

“You’ve been engaged before?” you asked. 

It seemed like such a stupid question, but you were just surprised.

“Yes,” he said. 

“Go on,” you urged.

“We were going to get married, but it turned out, she was keeping something from me,” he explained. “A heroin addiction. Apparently it had been going on for years without my knowledge.”

You clapped your hand over your mouth as you gasped.

“I’m so sorry, Gwilym…”

He grimaced. “It doesn’t end there.”

“It gets worse?!”

He nodded stiffly. You waited for him to speak, permitting him to take all the time he needed to say it, though your mind was spinning with questions.

“I didn’t know until…” he trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I came home from work one day and found her on the kitchen floor, completely unresponsive. I tried to wake her and called an ambulance, but by the time they arrived, it was too late...she was gone.”

Your eyes swam with tears as you gazed at him. You were truly in awe of his strength. 

“I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Gwilym,” you said, shaking your head. “That’s...that’s awful.”

“The hardest part is having no answers,” he told you. “I don’t know why or when she actually started using. I don’t know how she was getting it or how she managed to hide it for so long. I was angry at her, and yet, I missed her. But then I felt I didn’t know her at all. It was a lot to process.”

“I’m sure,” you said gently. “I really admire you for taking another chance on love after something so traumatic. I can’t thank you enough for being here.”

“I’m happy to be here,” he said. “I want to start fresh and find my true love. And I’d like to find out if that’s you.”

“I’d like to find that out too.”

He cupped your cheek in his warm hand and tenderly pressed his lips to yours. You kissed this way for several minutes, though years could have gone by and you would not have noticed. You felt so hopeful with Gwilym. Like he was your fresh start too. You couldn’t wait to see where this journey took you with him.

The remainder of the evening went well. The guys were all open and honest with you, and you felt yourself really beginning to build some serious connections. Also, you got at least a few minutes with each of them. There was a group date rose to hand out, and you were sure of who you were going to give it to. You took a seat among them and picked the rose up off the table.

“I had such a great time with all of you today, and this evening,” you said. “But I’m going to give this rose to someone who really showed me a piece of his heart.” You turned to Gwilym. “Gwilym, thank you for being so brave. Will you accept this rose?”

“With every piece of my heart,” he replied, with a dashingly handsome grin.

You both stood, you pinned the rose to his coat, and he kissed your cheek. You faced the group.

“Thank you again for a fabulous night,” you said. “Goodnight, guys.”

You waved as they all bid you goodnight in return. When you were gone, a few of the guys high-fived Gwilym and congratulated him. He looked over and saw Luke scowling into the fire pit. Gwilym walked over and gave Luke a sarcastic pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, mate,” Gwilym smirked. “Say a few more prayers next time and maybe you’ll get the rose.”

A resounding “OOHHHH!” went through the group before they headed out to catch their cars back to the mansion.

The next day was your date with Taron. There was a lot that excited you about him. He was fun and bubbly and always managed to make you smile. There was a kindness about him - a gentleness of spirit that made you completely drawn to him. You were picking him up at the mansion, and you had a bit of drive to get to your destination. 

You rolled up in a deep red corvette and honked the horn. 

The men were mostly inside. A group was outside by the pool, catching the people who didn’t go on the date up on what happened and what Luke had said. It seemed to disturb most of the other men there as well. Then they heard the car in the driveway.

You beamed at the guys as they started slowly coming out the front door, looks of shock and a bit of jealousy coming over their faces. Then you opened the door and stepped out onto the pavement. A few of them raced forward to say hello and hug you before you had to go. You shared some laughs and greetings with them.

“Where’s my date?” you wondered.

“TARON!” Joe shouted. “YOU BETTER GET OUT HERE, DUDE!”

You giggled as Taron came out of the house, hopping on one foot as he shoved the other into his shoe. His mouth dropped when he saw you and the car. He put both feet on the ground.

“Is this our date?!” he wondered.

“It gets even better,” you said. “But that’s still a surprise.”

You slid your sunglasses onto your face and strutted over to the passenger side door to open it for him. He chuckled and slid into the seat. 

“Thanks,” he said.

“You’re welcome!” you returned before walking back over to the driver’s side and sliding in next to him. You waved to the guys still standing outside watching you go. “Bye, boys!”

They all waved back as you pulled out of the driveway. You kept one hand on the wheel and the other, you offered to Taron. He took it and brought it to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the back of it.

“It’s lovely to see you,” he said.

“You too,” you replied with the widest smile you’d had all week. “I’m so excited for this date.”

“Are you really not going to tell me where we’re going?” he asked.

“There’s a hint in the glovebox,” you told him. “Something we’ll need while we’re there.”

He released your hand and opened the glovebox. He pulled out the hint.

“Oh, my God!” he gasped. “Mickey Mouse ears?! Are we going to DisneyLand?!”

You nodded. He let out a delighted shout and kissed you hard on the cheek. You giggled as he put his on before putting the Minnie Mouse pair on your head.

“This is the best date ever!” he cried.

“Right?!” you agreed. “Okay, what’s your favorite Disney song?”

“That’s a tough choice…” he said. “A Whole New World, maybe? Any of the love ballads. They’re just great.”

“Aw, you softie!” you teased. “Sing it for me.”

He sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.

“I can show you the world,” he sang.

Your mouth dropped as he continued.

“Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, princess - now when did you last let your heart decide?”

“Oh my God, Taron, you can really sing!” you cried, impressed. “Your voice is amazing!”

“Thank you,” he returned bashfully. “I love to sing, actually.”

“You’re very good at it,” you said. “What’s the song you sing the best?”

“Another tough choice,” he said. “Probably… I’m Still Standing by Elton John.”

“I love that song!” you said excitedly. “Sing that one for me!”

He launched into it and you were absolutely delighted. His voice was so sweet, you could have listened to him sing all day.

“Seriously, how have you not auditioned for American Idol or something?” you wondered.

“If I’m being honest, it’s because that lifestyle isn’t really for me,” he said. “I’ve always wanted a simple life. A modest home, a wife I adore, and children, of course. I want to be around for that, and being a singer would mean I spent most of the time away from home.”

Your heart melted at the sentiment. That was exactly the life that you wanted as well. 

“I get that,” you said. “That’s always been what I want too. To have a partner for life and raise a family together.”

You glanced over and caught his eye. You smiled at each other.

It was about an hour and half drive from the mansion to the park, so you got to talk to Taron a lot. Getting to know him was actually pretty easy. He wasn’t shy about answering your questions, which made you feel more open as well. 

Exploring DisneyLand with Taron was like returning to your childhood. He was energetic and eager, practically running from ride to ride. You had to stop him a few times. You paused in front of the castle for a few minutes to catch your breath.

“I feel like I’m seven years old again!” you laughed. 

“Good!” he returned.

He picked you up by the waist and spun you around. You giggled, throwing your arms around his neck and holding him tight. When he slowed to a stop, you held each other’s gaze.

“Now I feel like a princess,” you said quietly.

“Good,” he repeated, lowering his face to yours.

He claimed your lips in a passionate kiss that was anything but child-like. It was deep and slow, but not demanding. You pulled him closer and kissed him harder. Though you had been still for several minutes, your heart raced as if you had run a marathon. He made you feel young and giddy, but also desired. It was exactly the balance you were looking for.

“I’m having so much fun here with you,” he said, breathless as you broke apart.

“Me too,” you told him. “I can’t imagine a more perfect date. Or a more perfect man to spend it with.”

He kissed the tip of your nose sweetly, making you wrinkle it as you laughed.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

“Thank you,” you breathed back.

He kissed you lightly.

“Come on,” he said. “We’ve got so much more to do.”

He took your head and led you on. You were beginning to feel the happiest place on Earth was anywhere you were with Taron.

The day at the park was amazing. You had so much fun with Taron. You laughed together, took a few pictures, and you ended up kissing him a lot more after that first one. But, you also wanted to get to know him on a deeper level. To get to the real stuff. The things that made him who he is.

For the evening portion of your date, you were at a little seaside restaurant on Newport Beach. You had the place entirely to yourselves. The dinner set-up was waiting for you as you walked in. Taron pulled your chair out for you and you sat down, thanking him. He took a seat beside you. You picked up your drink.

“To a wonderful day,” you said. “And hopefully many more wonderful days ahead.”

“Cheers, love,” he said.

You touched glasses with a soft clink and each took a sip.

“So,” you began. “I had so much fun with you today. But, I want to know more.”

“What d’you want to know?” he asked.

“Can I ask you why your last relationship ended?”

He paused. Then he swallowed. His mouth turned down at the corners and you wondered if you had crossed a line.

“Course you can,” he said stiffly. “But, it’s kind of a rough story.”

“I can handle it,” you assured him. 

“My last girlfriend and I were together for about three years,” he said. “We lived together and everything. Our relationship ended because she got pregnant.”

Your brow furrowed. “Wait, what?”

“She got pregnant by somebody else,” he explained, a hint of bitterness to his tone.

Your mouth fell open. “Wh - oh my God…”

“Yeah…” he trailed off. “It was a guy I knew, actually. A sort of friend of mine. And when she found out she was pregnant, she confessed everything. She left me because she wanted them to be a family. But, it blew up in her face because he didn’t want anything to do with it.”

You shook your head. “That’s horrible.”

“It is, but then she came back to me, wanting to get back together,” he said.

“Are you serious?!” you gasped.

“Quite,” he said. “And I took her back. I just...I still loved her, and she seemed so sorry. And she had nowhere else to go. We tried to work on the relationship, but things weren’t the same. Then, she miscarried.”

He took a deep breath before going on.

“After that, it quickly became clear that she was using me as a financial crutch because - surprise, surprise - she cheated again,” he said. “I ended it for good and called her parents to come and get her. That was that.”

All the twists and turns of his story had you reeling. You wondered how anyone could be so cruel to someone who was so genuine and kind.

“I’m so sorry,” you said. “How long ago was that?”

“About two years ago,” he told you.

“And you haven’t dated anyone since?” you wondered.

“I’ve dated, but nothing serious ever formed,” he said. “I still want to find that right person for me, y’know?”

You smiled, taking his hand. “I do.”

“And I think I’m heading in the right direction,” he said, holding your gaze.

“I think you are too,” you said.

He leaned over and kissed you gently. When you parted, you reached across the table and picked up the rose that sat on a dish.

“You were so wonderful today,” you said. “We had so much fun at the park, and then tonight was...everything I wanted from you. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your story with me.”

“Thank you for listening,” he replied.

You beamed at him. “So, all that being said. Taron, will you accept this rose?”

“Gladly,” he assured you with a smile.

You grinned impossibly wider as you pinned it on. 

“Come on,” you said. “There’s a surprise for us outside.”

“Another surprise?!”

You giggled and led him to the balcony. He stood behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder. You looked out over the water. Together, you watched as a firework rocketed into the air and exploded over the inky black sky.

“Woah!” Taron gasped.

The fireworks show began, lighting up the night with the blooms. Then, he turned you to face him and he kissed you again. The way he had in the park. The fireworks were a perfect reflection of your feelings. There was something beyond a spark between you and Taron. You could picture falling in love with him. Marrying him. Sharing a life with him.

When you went to bed that night, you dreamed of fireworks and the feeling of Taron’s arms around you.

You looked forward to the cocktail party the following night. There were so many guys you wanted more time with, though you went in with some idea of who would be getting a rose. There were some men you wanted a bit more from before you could make your decision. So, you were sure the evening would be great.

When you got to the mansion, you made a toast and then Ben pulled you aside. It wasn’t just his good looks that drew you to him. Ben had a whole vibe that pulled you in and made you want to know him better. Something in his eyes told you there was a depth to him to be found. And you were determined to explore every part of that.

Luke asked for you next. Luke was sort of an enigma to you. He was a person who - outside of this - you would have probably turned him down right away. The deeply religious side was a bit of a turn off for you. But he was really nice, and seemed so eager to get to know you, too. After your conversation, you felt more positively toward him. 

After Luke, was Richard. He had a quiet way about him, but every time you talked to him, you realized it was a quiet confidence. He was focused, but not harsh. Not to mention, he had a killer smile.

You tried to speak to everyone, but time was limited. Before you knew it, Chris Harrison called everyone in for the rose ceremony. You were a bit disappointed. There were a couple guys who didn’t have a date this week, and you had not gotten time with them at the cocktail party. But it was up to them to get that time with you, and if they couldn’t make the effort, then you assumed they didn’t want it that bad.

You stood before the men as they lined up. Gwilym and Taron stood to one side, since they already had roses and were safe. You still felt great about those decisions. Now, you had a few more to make. You took a deep breath and picked up the first rose. You found the first person you wanted to call.

“Joe,” you said, and saw his shoulders sag with relief when you did. He walked up to you with his usual grin. “Joe, will you accept this rose?”

“I will,” he said quietly.

He returned to the group.

“Rami,” you called, and he approached. “Rami, will you accept this rose?”

“Of course,” he answered.

You picked up the next rose.

“Richard,” you said. He walked coolly over to you. “Richard, will you accept this rose?”

“Always,” he replied.

Then, you called the following men: Allen, Eric, Luke, Kenny, Mike, Wells, Jordan, Jared, John, Chad, and John Paul Jones. Four men remained without a rose - Ben, Colton, Lincoln, and Chris R.

Chris Harrison walked out and stood beside you.

“Y/N, gentlemen,” he said. “This is the final rose tonight.”

You picked it up, hands shaking. You hated this part. Hurting people. But there was no doubt in your mind as to who this rose should go to.

“Ben,” you said.

He let out a deep sigh. “Thank God.”

You smiled as he walked over.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” you said. “Ben, will you accept this rose?”

“It was worth the wait,” he assured you. “O’course I will.”

You pinned it on him. He hugged you briefly and kissed your cheek before returning to the group.

Chris looked at the men.

“Gentlemen, I’m sorry,” he said. “If you did not receive a rose, take a moment, say your goodbyes.”

Colton, Lincoln, and Chris R all said goodbye to the men around them before they approached you one by one to say it to you. All three of them wished you the best of luck. You hated to see them go, since they were very nice to you, but you knew your connections were stronger with the others.

You couldn’t wait to see what the next week would bring. 

[darhwolf]

all

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?dunno lol probably any of the 4 songs from Courtney Barnett that I have on my phone (Elevator Operator, Depreston, Nobody Really Cares if You Don’t go to the Party, and Debbie Downer). Dunno lol

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?Well there’s a few people so... @lifecankindofsuck @annoyinglyoptimisticbread @gerards-slutty-jacket, or Markimoo 

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.The moat surrounds your fortress, preventing enemies from

4: What do you think about most?Uhhh such a fucking odd queston I honestly have no clue my mind jumps around a lot

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?Imma not include group chats so... some shit from sprint about texting in the UK. I don’t get texted a lot :/

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?I prefer without but I usually wear pajamas

7: What’s your strangest talent?I can slap my thighs really fast I dunno lol

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)With the first thing that comes to my head?Girls just wanna have funBoys will be boys

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?Nope and it’ll probs never happen so whatever ¯\_(:/)_/¯

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?Never rip

11: Do you have any strange phobias?None that are out of the ordinary

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?A Q-Tip with vaseline

13: What’s your religion?I don’t have one

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?prbably sitting on a bench alone being lonely lol

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?behind

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?The Beatles

17: What was the last lie you told?I think it was something my dad got angry at me for and then a waiter came up and I faked a smile for the waiter if you call that lying

18: Do you believe in karma?Sometimes

19: What does your URL mean?Absolutely fucking nothing lmao

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?Weakness? my cripplingly low self esteem. Strength? My desire to help people

21: Who is your celebrity crush?Probably Maisie Williams. Used to be Ariana Grande cuz she’s absolutely adorable

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?No but it sounds like fun

23: How do you vent your anger?profane language lmao

24: Do you have a collection of anything?not really no. but I do have all 50 state coins

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?Video chatting as long as the other person can hold the conversation

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?physically? hell fucking no. Mentally? nope. Emotionally? still no rip. But I am happy that I can help people with their problems.

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?hate? crying. (human crying not baby crying) it makes me cry too ;-;Love? uhhhhhhh rain

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?What if I never actually find an s/o?

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?I want to believe

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.The wall. A rocking chair

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?Cotton (from my blanket)

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?I dunno lol

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?West coast, but I’m going to the East coast for College. West cost is more progressive I believe

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?Ariana Grande I guess

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?It’s 42. I’m too lazy to give a full explanation or something like that

36: Define Art.Uhh I dunno lmao

37: Do you believe in luck?Yeah. Either Luck or RNGesus

38: What’s the weather like right now?Sunny

39: What time is it?6:33 PM

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?Yes. No

41: What was the last book you read?Pet Semetary

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?it’s OK. Too much and I hate it.

43: Do you have any nicknames?Mom, Dad, A-Dog (from my uncle)

44: What was the last film you saw?Gremlins. In theaters? A Quiet Place

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?Smacking my head on a piano bench corner (3 stitches needed)

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?yes

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?nope

48: What’s your sexual orientation?Sexual orientation? Het. but romantic orientation is bi

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?Nope

50: Do you believe in magic?Hell yeah or something like that

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?Nah. Unless they were especially awful

52: What is your astrological sign?Aquarius or Aries

53: Do you save money or spend it?Save

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?some micro transaction

55: Love or lust?Love

56: In a relationship?I feckin wish

57: How many relationships have you had?technically, none. One was long distance puppy love, the other wasn’t a relationship

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?yes

59: Where were you yesterday?In Heathrow airport

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?Eraser tops

61: Are you wearing socks right now?nope

62: What’s your favourite animal?DOGGOS

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?Wait I have a secret weapon? oooh tell me

64: Where is your best friend?I uhhhhhh @annoyinglyoptimisticbread and @lifecankindofsuck and @gerards-slutty-jacket hey where are you

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.NO SPECIFIC ORDER @annoyinglyoptimisticbread @lifecankindofsuck @gerards-slutty-jacket @umbrellas-and-raincoats @30-minute-memes

66: What is your heritage?Germany I think or something

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?Sleeping lmao

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?Phillips. I dunno some casual last name

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?Yes many times lmao. Has anybody else gotten me off? nah. never probably gonna happen either lmao

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?yesssssss somebody I could actually like pull aside to talk about shit in my life

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?Fuck yeah the doggo and I are in this shit together now

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?a. Yes.b. I don’t know ;-;c. yes

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.Can I not fucking choose this kinda question is hard on me

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?I dunno

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?8119

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?Trust, communication (bitches fucking love communication), and actual love between the two (or more) partners

77: How can I win your heart?I don’t know this is too difficult of a question I guess just talk to me I don’t fucking know

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?kinda maybe

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?I dunno lmao

80: What size shoes do you wear?don’t remember too lazy to check

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?I dunno leave it up to my family

82: What is your favourite word?Banana

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.love

84: What is a saying you say a lot?I dunno lmao

85: What’s the last song you listened to?Probably Elevator Operator

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?a dark blue like rain I don’t know what shade exactly it is

87: What is your current desktop picture?EEVEES!

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?Some shit named Diego. He was a dick to me all throughout middle school and never apologized once

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?Do you have depression?

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?Sit and wait, but get ready for something to happen

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?Invisibility. You can actually do a LOT of good with invisibility like if somebody tries to rob a bank, you walk in, invisible, with a gun and reveal yourself only to shoot them or something like that

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?Eating a birthday cake I guess I dunno :/

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?FUCKING EVERYTHING ABOUT MY DEPRESSION AND SHIT

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?Why music celeb?But it would be Ariana Grande

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?Fuckin Japan cuz it’s so cool

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?nope

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?yeah lol

98: Ever been on a plane?many many times

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?“Hey stop fucking each other over and lets focus on not fucking making the human race go extinct mmkay?”@annoyinglyoptimisticbread THANKS FOR THE ASK

[tanjamikaelson]

Rumors - part 38

~  RUMORS MASTERLIST ~

Few days later; Hayley wasn’t living with us anymore, she broke the curse that was put on her pack and decided that she wants to live with them at the Bayou.

Davina didn’t wanted to live at the compound where Klaus was and I didn’t wanted her to live in the church attic so I bought her an apartment, close to the compound.

Tonight was a faction party that Elijah decided to throw in order to make a peace in the city and few hours before that part I went to Davina’s apartment because I had a present for her.

I knocked at her door and few seconds later she opened them with a smile on her face.

 - I walked in and saw that Josh was with her; Hey, great you’re here to; “I told him.”

 - Why do you need me? “Josh asked.”

 - I took a paper from my jacket and gave it to Davina; What is that? “She asked as she took it.”

 - Go ahead, take a look; “I told her with a smile.”

 - Davina took a look at the paper and her smile became wider; It’s a daylight ring spell; “She said taking a glance at Josh.”

 - Really? “Josh asked.”

 - Well I thought after everything that will make you happy; “I told her.”

 - How do you-; Davina started saying but I cut her off; How do I have it? I know where Klaus’ keeps Esther's grimoire.

 - I don’t know what will he say if he sees me at the daylight; “Josh stated.”

 - Who cares; I told him; Just be happy you will be able to walk on the sun.

 - She is right; “Davina greed with me.”

 - Do that spell and then we’re going to the compound to get ready for the party, Rebekah is already waiting for us; “I said and sat down on the couch to wait for her to finish making a daylight ring.”

When Rebekah, Davina and I finished preparing for the part we walked out, onto the balcony and a lot of people was already at the courtyard. We saw Hayley coming walking into the compound with Jackson, Oliver and the rest of their pack. Then we came down and Rebekah went for the drinks while Davina and I were standing next to the stairs.

I saw that Davina glanced at Oliver, and he smiled slightly when he noticed that he had caught her attention and Davina grinned back shyly as she nervously tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked away.

 - Don’t freak out, but he is coming towards you; “I whispered to her.”

 - What? “Davina exclaimed in panic.”

 - I looked down at her and opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything Oliver already approached her; Hey. You look, um..; he began in slightly nervous tone.

 - Nervous? Out of place? Short in this dress? Davina says as she giggles nervously.

 - Oliver took a step closer to her; I was gonna say pretty. I'm Oliver. So, what's the name of the girl I'm about to ask to dance? “He asked.”

 - Suddenly Monique appears out of nowhere, saying; Monique. Her name is Monique; she shot a glare at Davina, before grabbing Oliver's hand and pulling him towards the dance floor.

 - Isn’t she your friend? “I asked, glaring after Monique.”

 - Yeah; “Davina muttered.”

 - She is a bitch, and you don’t wanna dance with that jerk anyway, he is the one who handed Rebekah to the witches; “I told her, trying to cheer her up since she didn’t seemed happy because of what her so called friend did.”

 - Davina smiles; I guess you are right. And Marcel would make a scene if he saw me dancing with him.

 - Then it’s a good thing he is not here; “I said.”

 - Why don’t you dance? “Davina asked.”

 - With who? “I asked.”

 - I don’t know; Davina shrugged; Do you have a boyfriend? You never told me something about that?

 - Uh, he is dead; “I told her shooking my head down.”

 - I’m sorry. Was he a vampire? “Davina asked.”

 - Yeah; “I replied.”

 - Vampires can be brought back. Maybe I can bring him back; “Davina said, full of enthusiasm.”

 - Really? You would do that for me? “I asked with a smile appearing on my face.”

 - Yes. You did a lot for me for these past few days and I want to do that for you, you just need to find a spell; “Davina told me.”

 - Still smiling, I pulled her into a hug, saying; Okay, I’ll find it tomorrow.

When we stopped hugging Davina got a message on her phone from Josh and went somewhere to meet up with him and I went to find Rebekah, who was standing by the bar like usually when she was at the party.

 - I ordered myself a drink and turned to look at Rebekah; Davina will bring Kol back.

 - Rebekah smiled; You asked her?

 - I shaked my head; No. I just told her how my boyfriend is dead and she said that she is going to bring him back because of everything I did for her.

 - You didn’t told her who he is; “Rebekah stated, taking a sip from her drink.”

 - No. I don’t know if she would want one more Mikaelson in town, she is not a big fan of all of you; I told her in a sad tone of voice.

 - Yeah, I know. She doesn’t like me either, she can just be in the same room with me if you’re there; “Rebekah said, looking around the room.”

 - I understand why she hates Klaus, but she shouldn’t hate you; I spoke, just before music stopped and everybody looked at each others in confusion.

A large group of drummers marched into the party. The group stopped in a middle of the courtyard and the leader spoke up; We have a message for all of you from Marcel Gerard.

It seemed that the crowd frowned collectively and everyone started whispering to each other. Before anyone could react, the drummers took out straight razors and sliced their wrists open, bleeding all over the floor. I watched how all the vampires in the room started to get antsy and the veins started showing under their eyes at the smell of blood. Even I was getting hungry smelling all that blood.

 - Elijah stepped up to the challenge; Control yourselves. This is a vulgar trick; He shouted to the crowd, but the lights suddenly went out, and the vampires started feeding on the drumers, as well as on the others humans at the party. Screams echoed through the pitch black room and the crowd dissolved into chaos around us.

The chaos continued for several more minutes, before the lights finally switched back on. There were a dozen of dead and injured humans lying on the ground. As we looked up at the wall across from where we were we saw that someone has written with blood; THERE WILL BE NO PEACE!

Elijah was helping Hayley to get out of the party and he was more than pissed at Marcel for ruining it.

 - Well this was a disaster; “I remarked, as Rebekah and I stepped across few bodies that were on the floor.”

 - Marcel is never going to want to be in peace with witches and werewolves; “Rebekah stated, glancing around the room.”

 - And tomorrow is a full moon, I’m sure werewolfs are gonna make him pay; “I told her.”

 - Rebekah sighed; Elijah is going to get to him first.

 - But I don’t think Elijah would ever kill him; “I said.”

A day later; While Davina and I were in my room looking through grimoire for the spell that Davina needs to bring back Kol, we heard Klaus yelling; Where is she?

Davia and I exchanged looks before walking out on the balcony. Klaus and Elijah angrily stormed into the courtyard where Rebekah was narrowing her eyes in confusion at them; Where’s who? “She asked”

 - Hayley! Where is she? “Elijah questioned.”

 - Isn’t she at the Bayou? “I asked, before Rebekah did.”

 - No, she’s not; Elijah told us; She is gone.

 - How do you mean “she is gone”? “Rebekah asked.”

 - Someone took her while she was at the Bayou, we need a witch; Klaus replied quickly glancing up at the only witch in the room; Davina, follow me, I need you to do locator spell.

 - Davina frowed; Why would I help you?

 - It’s not time to be hateful. I believe Hayley is in danger, you’re helping her; Klaus said in a demanding voice and Davina recurrently followed him into the living room, after all she didn’t wanted something bad to happen to Hayley.

When we came into the living room Klaus immediately bit his wrist and poured his blood into the glass, while Davina was preparing for the spell to find Hayley.

Davina chanted but it was taking time for her to find Hayley and Klaus was impatient; What’s taking so long?

 - Give me more time, the witches are blocking me; “Davina told him.”

 - They took her? “I asked.”

 - After a few seconds of focusing on the spell Davina whispered; I-I lost her.

 - What do you mean, you lost her? “Rebekah asked.”

 - I think she’s dead; “Davina replied, glancing up at the four of us.”

 - What? Klaus exclaimed; Tell us where she is.

 - Look at the church; “Davina says quickly and within seconds Klaus and Elijah disappeared from the room.”

 - We need to go there; “Rebekah told me.”

 - I shaked my head; No, remember what you’ve told me about Nexus Vorti, we need to channel something infrequent..

 - Something infrequent like a miracle baby; “Rebekah finished for me and I nodded in agreement.”

 - Then I need to do it now or never; “Davina said, standing behind us.”

 - You two do what you need to do and I’m going to help Elijah and Nik; “Rebekah informed us and smiled at me before leaving the compound.”

 - What do you need? “I asked Davina.”

 - His ashes and I have the rest of the requirements; “Davina replied.”

Davina drew a circle on the floor in my room with white chalk and created another circle within by scattering Kol’s ashes. Once everything was in the correct position she took a glimpse at the grimoire before starting the spell.

Davina moved to stay opposite of where Kol’s ashes were and she held her hands out to her sides with her palms facing upwards.

 - De la cendre à l'os, de la chair à la vie. De la cendre à l'os, de la chair à la vie; “Davina chanted confidently as her eyes closed, while she lost herself in the magic coursing through her veins.”

Wind began to swell around us as Kol’s ashes began to return to flash and Davina’s chanting became more stronger; De la cendre à l'os, de la chair à la vie! From ash to bone, from bone to flesh, from flesh to life!

Once Kol was completely returned to flash Davina gasped out loud as the tentative hold she had on her magical energy faded into nothing, leaving her completely exhausted from performing a powerful spell and I looked at Kol with wide eyes. He panted for breath on his hands and knees before looking up at me and he smiled in relief that he is finally in the world of the living again.

I quickly entered the circle where Kol was and kneeled in front of him. Davina saw a glimpse of him, just before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed onto the floor behind my back. I touched Kol’s face to be sure he is really here and heard that Davina stumbled down.

 - Oh my God; I breathed out as I turned to look at her and saw that she was unconscious; Is she okay?

 - Kol rose onto his feet; I don’t know, darling. But..; he stared at his reflection in the mirror that was close to him; I look even better than before. Don’t you think that?

I checked Davina’s pulse while I was listening to what Kol was saying, when I was sure she was okay I looked up at him. His infamous smirk was written all over his face.

 - You are such a narcissus, Kol; “I told him with a laugh and took a few steps towards him.”

He grabbed my waist and pulled me to him, before quickly getting his fingers tangled in my hair and crashing his lips into mine.

The kiss was interrupted when we heard Marcel calling out for Klaus down stairs in the courtyard. Kol sighed in annoyance as he let go of me and I walked out onto the balcony, saying; Klaus in not here; I glanced down at him and saw that he wasn’t alone, there were also his vampires with werewolf bites on their bodies; Well if you didn’t provoked werewolves at the party, this wouldn't happen.

 - Marcel ignored what I told him and asked; Where is Klaus?

 - I don’t know. Witches took Hayley, I think they want to kill the baby; “I told him.”

 - And is Davina still here? I need her too; “Marcel sad as he took his way up the stairs.”

 - Um..She is in my room, but-; “I began, but it was too late to finish because Marcel already walked into the room and his eyes immediately fell on unconscious Davina.”

 - Hello, old friend; “Marcel heard no one less but Kol’s voice.”

 - Marcel ignored him, and kneeled down to take Davina in his arms; What the hell? You used her to bring back this..; “He spoke gesturing at Kol and trying to find the right words how to call him, but he stopped himself when he saw look on Kol’s face.”

 - I didn't used her; I trailed off; She wanted to do that for me.

 - Did she even know who she is bringing back to life? Marcel questioned, continuing; Because if she did she would never agreed.

 - Well.. she didn't, but-; I spoke and he cut me off; I don't want you near her ever again; “He said in a demanding voice.”

~  RUMORS MASTERLIST ~

I know this part is even more rushed than the previous one, but I didn’t wanted to drag the story since the point is to bring Kol back. And if anyone has anymore ideas of what I could do now that Kol is back, please do tell, maybe I could use them. :D

Tags: @cococola-cocaine   @mikaelsonsmagic

[nivalvixen]

Framed, pt 4

Also on AO3

"Mr. Stilinski, a word before you start your day," Rafe said, practically standing in front of Stiles so he couldn't go inside the room. "Won't be a minute, Sean," he added to Stiles' instructor over his shoulder.

Sean nodded, though Stiles wondered if he looked a little too pleased that he was going to be delayed. He held the strap of his messenger bag a little tighter as he followed Agent McBastard down the corridor to the empty lunch room.

"I passed on your message; Scott says hi. Can I go?"

"Look, we both know that Derek didn't murder all of those people."

Rafe's words stopped Stiles short and he looked at him, suspicious, but not stupid enough to answer and incriminate himself.

"I looked for Miguel Juarez Cinqua Tiago when I got back to San Francisco, Stiles. As you probably know, I didn't find a thing about him. What I did find were pictures of Derek Hale. Don't look surprised; the FBI have access to more databases than you will ever know about. I found pictures of Hale soon after the fire that killed his family, and guess who he bore a striking resemblance to?"

Stiles gulped. "Uh... My cousin?"

Rafe's expression turned stern. "Don't play games with me, Stilinski. I will win."

"What's the prize? Hell, what's the damn game?" Stiles snapped.

Stiles was so angry that he didn't even notice that his messenger bag strap was melting in his his hand. The thought of Derek being used as a pawn in Agent Dickbag's shitty little game was enough to make him feel sick and so very angry.

Derek was more than a pawn, more than a king, more than anything to be used like this, and Agent Wanker had no idea what he was doing by putting Derek's life in harm's way.

"You've put a man's life in jeopardy again because you can't grow a pair and talk to your own son, is that it?! Either talk to Scott or don't, but stop fucking around like this! And stop hurting Derek!" Stiles said, his voice loud.

"Stiles, calm down. I'm not - " Rafe started to say, but Stiles put a hand up to stop him from coming any closer, and the agent was thrown clear across the lunchroom, crashing into a table and several chairs.

Stiles' eyes went wide. "Holy shit." He looked from Rafe to his hand, then to his ruined messenger bag. He regretted the bag more than hurting Rafe, honestly.

Rafe groaned a little and stood up slowly. Stiles couldn't bring himself to move, but stayed at the other side of the room; he was still pretty pissed off, and even if knocking Rafe unconscious would make him feel better, it would probably mean an abrupt end to Stiles' time at the Academy.

Stiles wondered what Rafe was going to do; there was no way he could explain this rationally or lie or bluff his way out of it. He hadn't even touched Rafe, yet he'd gone flying.

Shit, shit, shit. He might as well go home now.

Rafe stood and straightened out his clothes, brushing himself off. He wiped at a spot of blood that had appeared at the side of his mouth, accidentally having bitten his lip when he landed. "Get to class, Stiles."

"W-what?" Stiles asked, surprised.

"Go to class. I want to talk to you at the end of the day, about that, and... Beacon Hills."

Stiles stood taller at his words and glared.

Agent McJerkface had spent one month in Beacon Hills and suddenly, two years later, he's decided that he wants more information?! Stiles was beginning to doubt he'd ever got into the FBI on his own merit, only because Agent McShit was too scared to do a damn thing for himself. It was a thought he didn't want to dwell on for too long, and he had to remind himself that he was in the FBI, he belonged here now.

"Why don't you look for that in those databases you mentioned?" Stiles sneered, leaving to go to his class.

Along the way, he held the two broken straps of his bag and believed that they would mend. It ended up being crooked as his emotions were still a little over the place, but it was better than nothing.

Rafe sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Nice one, Rafe," he muttered to himself. He looked up to the camera in the corner of the lunch room and headed to security. At least he could deal with that in a professional manner.

...

"What are you focusing on, Stilinski? You've barely said a word in an hour; didn't think you could be so quiet."

Stiles looked up at the other recruit, blinking at the sudden adjustment from black text and white paper to bright fluorescent lights and white washed walls. "Uh. Sorry?" he said, realising that it was the woman he'd accidentally spat on on his first day.

She didn't seem offended that he obviously didn't remember her name. "Tomika Jones. If you shorten my name to Tom, I will kick your ass during every sparring session we've got."

Stiles grinned and tried not to laugh too obviously. "Not a problem, Jones. Do I dare ask if you have a cat?"

Tomika rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up. And hurry up, dammit, it's time for lunch. Think Agent McCall will be there again?"

Stiles shrugged. "Probably, he's gotta eat too."

Tomika adjusted her bag and frowned at him slightly. "You don't like him, do you?"

"You can tell?"

"You've got a tell on the side of your mouth. It's small, but obvious if you look hard enough."

"You've been looking at me?"

Tomika rolled her eyes. "You're my competition, of course I am. But don't flatter yourself, you're not my type."

"Who is your type?" Stiles asked, hoping to keep distracting Tomika from the fact that he hadn't answered her initial question.

"Well, do you have a sister?"

"No... Oh, got it. I have friends who have sisters. And some girl friends too, though... I think you with either of them might just be terrifying."

She grinned at him in response. "Now that's my type."

Stiles resolved to never let Tomika meet Cora or Lydia.

Agent McShitstain wasn't at lunch, much to the disappointment of the rest of Stiles' peers. Tomika didn't seem to mind as much as the others, drawing people into conversations instead. As Stiles listened and watched, he noticed that it wasn't just polite small talk; Tomika was gathering information from each person.

The questions were small things like how they liked the weather, what their favourite food was, how long their commute to Quantico took, but it gave surprisingly clear pictures of each of their peers and where they came from. More importantly, Stiles noted that Tomika never seemed to answer the questions herself.

Stiles wondered how much information she'd gathered from him so far, and just what she planned on doing with it.

...

It had been three days and Derek had only had small texts from Stiles with updates on what he was doing at the FBI and how his research was going, but very little about Derek's case with the supposed mass murders he'd comitted. Eventually, after unsuccessfully attempting to distract himself with a hot cup of tea and a book, Derek gave in and rang Stiles' number.

"'Lo?"

Derek looked at the time and winced. He'd forgotten about the time difference and while it was a Saturday, Derek still felt bad for waking Stiles up. "Sorry, Stiles. I'll call back later."

"Der'k? No, wait. 'S'good. Just... shit, one sec," Stiles groaned, sitting up with his body sore and aching and probably bruised from top to toe.

Tomika hadn't been kidding about kicking his ass during sparring (he'd called her Tom once by accident, honest!), and Stiles regretted not taking Coach up on extra training sessions for lacrosse over the summer. He was fast and while Stiles could dodge a fist (or a kanima's tail, or a Nogitsune's long fingers reaching out to him), Tomika was just as fast, and she had no qualms about using her full strength to hit him.

"Are you all right?" Derek asked, worried.

"Got my ass handed to me yesterday during sparring. I'm fine otherwise. Well, my pride and ego are hurt as well," Stiles admitted, standing up slowly and testing his limbs gingerly.

The spell and poultice he'd used to help reduce the pain and bruising had worked better than he expected, but they hadn't removed everything, just sped the process up somewhat. He was glad he wasn't blemish-free because that would be difficult to explain to every single person that had seen him get his ass beaten. (There were a lot; it seemed that watching the new recruits beat each other was something of a hobby for the other FBI agents.)

"You're only human."

"Yeah, well, so are they. I think. Tomika and Patrick might not be," he mused, frowning. "I meant to call you about the case yesterday, sorry, Der."

"That's all right," Derek said, more genuine than he expected. He sat down and sighed before asking, "Have you found anything of use, or should I start heading for the border?"

Stiles snorted. "Great, you wait until I leave to get a sense of humour."

Derek looked down at his feet and smiled.

"I haven't found out who's framing you, but I've excluded a few people. Argent's still pretty high on the list," Stiles said, looking to the string and notes he had tacked to one wall.

"Which one?"

"Both Gerard and Kate; they're tied for first in the world's shittiest competition, but, hey, what're you gonna do?" he said, trying for light-hearted and probably not coming across that way in the slightest. Stiles flexed his limbs, hoping to ease his muscles. "I'd frame an innocent person for your hands right now."

"What?"

"Y'know, your magic hands, with the healing thing you do."

"Oh. Right."

It took Stiles a second to realise exactly what he'd said and he wanted to smack himself on the head. "Uh. So... how's things in BH? That hellhound plan working out?"

"Scott and Lydia are dealing with it and the last I heard, Parrish was willing to use himself as bait or mediator, possibly both."

"Ah, good idea. So what've you been up to?"

Derek looked around the loft to the stack of books he'd read, the spotless kitchen he'd cleaned three times in the last two days, the duffel bag still unpacked by the front door. "Not a lot, honestly. I thought I'd be missed, I guess?" he said, scrunching his eyes shut at the admission.

"You were," Stiles replied, his voice soft but certain.

Derek opened his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to determine if Stiles had meant for him to hear that. "I missed you too, Stiles."

Stiles smiled. "Glad to hear it, sourwolf."

...

End of the fourth chapter.

Next parts: five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty

[peopleandrhythm]

Episode Nine: Chasing Old Ideas

Vincent stumbles through the dank tunnels beneath New Orleans, tripping his way into a large, dimly lit cavern. He brushes a hand roughly along the sleeve of his jacket. “Damn, Marcel. You sure know how to make a guy feel…” He trails off, spotting Theo LeRoy chained to the wall. “Special.”

Marcel’s lounging against the far wall of the cavern. “She’s not talking.”

Vincent doesn’t look at the vampire. “Yeah, I bet.” He slowly approaches Theo, who glares back. “What the hell are you up to?”

“You mean you don’t know?”

Vincent finally shoots Marcel a disparaging look. “You think I’d authorize some of my witches to torture a teenage girl?”

In a quiet, rough voice, Theo scoffs, “Your witches.”

The men’s eyes snap to her. “That’s right,” Vincent says. He crouches low, looking Theo dead in the eye. “My witches. Y’all elected me your regent after realizing that some kid from the Ninth Ward wasn’t gonna cut it.”

“We elected you regent because the position became meaningless,” Theo spits, teeth bared. “After you betrayed us by eliminating our connection to our ancestors, the regent’s power came only from politics, and none of us could be bothered to fix what you broke. So yeah, we elected you regent, and let you and Marcel have your fun playing kings while the rest of us did the real work behind the scenes.”

A small smirk plays across Vincent’s face as he rubs his hands together. “She’ll talk to me. But you gotta go.”

“No way,” Marcel says, pushing off the wall. “I’m staying for every minute of this.”

“Either you trust me to get the information or you don’t, but I’m tellin’ you now, she ain’t gonna talk with you here.”

Marcel’s nostrils flare as he narrows his eyes at Theo. “Fine. I’ll be up at my place. Just…” He gestures vaguely as he turns to disappear into the tunnels. “…figure out what the hell is going on.”

“Don’t worry.” Vincent cocks his head to the side, regarding Theo shrewdly. “I will.”

Hope pads down the stairs into the courtyard, still dressed in her pajamas. Her father stands with her back to her. “Hey.”

He turns, face lighting up. “Good morning, luv.” He steps to the side to reveal a table covered in pastries. “Breakfast is here.”

With a laugh, Hope approaches the mountain of baked goods. “That is…a lot of food.”

“I wanted you to taste the best New Orleans has to offer.” He snags a pastry off of a tray. “Have you ever had a beignet?” Hope shakes her head. “Well you’ll never have one quite like the ones in this city.”

“Not even in France?” Hope asks skeptically, taking the beignet.

Klaus scoffs. “Forget the French. New Orleans is the true birthplace of the beignet.”

Hope takes a bite. Her eyes slide shut and she moans, “Crap.”

“Told you.” He holds out a tray laden with the pastries. “I thought you might like to take some up to your girlfriend.” Hope opens her eyes, surprised. “How is she?”

Taking the tray, Hope says, “She’s still asleep. Had a couple of nightmares during the night. She seems to be mostly healed now, though.”

Klaus nods. “I’m glad.” Swallowing thickly, he looks away, awkward. “You best return to her. I imagine she…could use your support. And you should eat up, too.”

“Eat quickly.” Father and daughter turn to see Hayley striding into the courtyard, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. “We’re leaving.”

Klaus and Hope exchange a confused look. “Leaving?” Hope asks.

“Yep. We’re getting out of this city before Marcel or the witches or anyone else decides to remove us.”

Klaus squares himself. “I’m not leaving until the witches answer for what they have done.”

The duffel bag hits the floor. “Are you out of your mind, Klaus? Forget revenge, I’m trying to keep everyone safe.”

“Mom, he’s right.” Hayley glares at her daughter. “Look, we don’t even know what the witches really want from me—”

“And we’re not going to find out.”

“Listen to your mother.” Hope’s jaw drops as she regards her father with a look of betrayal. “One night in this city and they tried to hurt you, succeeded in hurting someone you care about.” Klaus nods to Hayley. “Your mother will take you and River far away from here. I will follow once I have eliminated the threat to you.”

“No.”

“Hope—”

“No. I am not running away. Something is going on in this city and I’m not leaving until I figure out what it is.” She whips around and stalks back up the stairs. “And I’d like to see you try and stop me.”

Vincent’s sitting on the dirt floor of the cavern, arms resting on his knees. Eyes narrowed, he asks, “What did you want with Hope Mikaelson?” No answer. “Marcel told me about your little ritual down at the cemetery. Didn’t seem like you wanted her dead, and yet…” Two pieces of the puzzle connect in his mind. “Were you the one who told Alistair Duquesne that Hope was in town?” No answer, but Theo’s eyes slide away to the floor.

Nodding, Vincent muses, “So you tried to have her killed. That didn’t work. So why not kill her when you lured her to the City of the Dead? Why go through some ritual when you could have consecrated her power?”

Gritting her teeth, Theo looks back up at Vincent. “Killing her was only Plan A. But you know witches. We always have a Plan B in our back pocket.”

“What was the ritual?”

Theo’s face cracks open into a smile. “Does it bother you at all that witches from every coven in New Orleans have been organizing behind your back for the past five years? How does it feel to know that we have been plotting to overthrow you and the rest of this mockery of a peace right under your nose, and you never had a clue?”

Letting himself be pulled off-topic, Vincent snaps, “What did y’all expect from me? Those ancestors were ruining our lives.”

“They gave us power!”

“There was no power with them!” Vincent’s voice echoes off the brick walls. “They had all the power! They told us what to do, and if we didn’t listen, they killed us, or got some vampires to do the dirty work for ‘em! The ancestors had to go if we were to be a free people.”

“And are we free, Vincent? Our magical abilities are a fraction of what they used to be, and Marcel Gerard still calls the shots in this city. Tell me how we’re better off now than we were fifteen years ago.”

“Tell you how—how about the fact that there’s not open war in the streets? How about our children not being sacrificed and slaughtered? How about the fact that with the Mikaelsons gone—”

“But the Mikaelsons aren’t gone, Vincent! You brought them back here!”

Vincent tips his head back against the brick, loosing a frustrated groan. “I brought Hope back so that she would finally free New Orleans of Klaus Mikaelson’s presence. I had no idea they all would come back after the fact.”

“Is that supposed to make it better?”

“No.” Vincent sighs. “I guess not.” They sit in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of pipes rattling in the walls. Eventually Vincent asks, “What’s the grand plan, Theo?”

Theo rolls her eyes. “What do you think the grand plan is? We only have one option, one action we can take to reclaim our former glory.”

Vincent’s faces drops as realization washes over him. “No.”

“Yes, Vincent. After five years of meticulous planning and preparation, we finally have all of the pieces in place to reestablish the connection with our ancestors, making the witches once again the most formidable force in all of New Orleans.”

River awakens to a delicious smell. Sitting up slowly, she looks around. There’s a plate of some kind of pastry at the foot of the bed, and the doors to the outer balcony are open, a light breeze wafting in to the room. Excited, River takes a pastry off of the plate, her fingers instantly coated in powdered sugar, and pops it into her mouth. “Damn,” she says to herself, the word barely audible around the food.

“Good, huh?” Hope walks into the room from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand. “Beignets, from my dad.”

“He made these?”

“God no,” Hope laughs. “Probably compelled some poor pastry chef to make them for him. But I guess it’s the thought that counts.” She tosses her toothbrush into her bag and then sits on the edge of the bed with a sigh. “How are you feeling?”

River shrugs, and then winces. “I’m okay. Sore, more than anything. Still kind of tripped out on wolfsbane, I think.” She reaches for another beignet. “Are we planning on heading home soon?”

Hope thinks on that question for a minute. As much as she wants to stay and get to the bottom of whatever the witches are scheming, she knows that River never signed up to be bait, never volunteered to join her family’s dangerous world. Hope would like more than anything to stay by River’s side, but if River wants to leave…

“Whenever you’re ready,” Hope finally answers. “Whenever you’re ready, we can get you back to Tallahassee.”

River looks confused. “Why does that sounds like you won’t be coming with me?”

“Because…” Hope sighs. “Because there are things I need to do here, things that you shouldn’t have to sit through. Your parents are probably freaking out—”

“Forget my parents, I’m not just going to walk away from you.”

“This isn’t your fight!”

“Well it’s not yours either!”

“But it is!” Hope pushes herself off the bed, starts pacing around the room. “I know it doesn’t make sense. I only spent a fraction of my life here, years I can’t even remember, but no matter where I go or how long I’m gone for, this city is always going to be a part of me. And right now…it’s in trouble. And maybe I can help.”

“And what if these—these witches want to sacrifice you?”

“It won’t come to that.”

“And what makes you say that?”

“Because they had the chance to and they didn’t?” Hope sighs. “I don’t know what they want. I don’t know what’s going on, that’s why I need to stay and figure it out. And maybe…maybe the witches aren’t the bad guys in all this.”

River looks like she’s been slapped. “They drugged and kidnapped me in the middle of the night.”

“I know, I know, it’s just…” Hope sits back on the bed and grabs River’s hand. “If they really are trying to regain the power that they lost fifteen years ago…can I blame them? I can’t imagine suddenly losing all of the power I’ve lived with for my entire life. The trauma of it…”

River rests back against the headboard, contemplative. “Okay. So we stay.”

“We—”

“If you’re in this, I’m in this. I’m a wolf, remember? I’m not running away with my tail between my legs.”

Hope bites her lip and smiles. “I’m glad I have you on my team.”

“Me too.”

“Oh!” Hope digs in her pocket. “I almost forgot.” She removes a thin leather cord. “This fell off when we were in the cemetery. My mom saved it.” She hands the necklace to River.

River accepts the jewelry. “Thank you.” She fingers the pendant, a small, black river rock with a hole bored into the top for the cord to slide through. “My parents gave this to me. It’s a rock from the Rio. My dad picked it up the day I was born.” She smiles pensively. “I know what it’s like to miss the place you’re from.”

Hope’s answering smile is soft, but quickly turns into a frown. “Oh no.” She lifts the cord to inspect it. “It’s torn. Don’t want it to break.” Hope wraps her hand around the tear in the leather and closes her eyes. After a few moments, she opens them and reveals the cord, completely fixed.

River’s jaw drops as she stares in awe at the cord. “Okay, I am never going to get used to that.” She looks up at her girlfriend to thank her, but before she can speak, her expression turns to horror. “Hope!”

Shocked by River’s outburst, Hope touches her face in surprise, and pulls her hand away to see a spot of blood. “Oh.” She darts away from the bed, grabbing a towel and pressing it to her nose. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry about it?” River starts to push herself out of bed, but Hope shoos her back in. “Hope, you’ve got a nosebleed.”

“It’s fine,” Hope says dismissively. She checks her nose; the bleeding has stopped. “Don’t worry about me. You…get some rest. I’m going to go see if I can steal some more beginets from my dad.” Before River can argue, Hope’s out the door.

Vincent paces the length of the cavern as Theo watches, almost bored. “This is a terrible plan.”

“We’re not stupid, Vincent.” Theo rolls her eyes. “Asking Davina Claire to blow up the channels that connected us to our ancestors may have been the most reckless and inconceivable thing you have ever done, but you weren’t wrong. The ancestors’ control over our decisions was unsustainable. The dead had more of a say than the living, and you were right to want to change that. So we’ve made some…adjustments.”

Vincent stops pacing. “What adjustments?” Theo only responds with a mysterious smile. “Seriously, Theo? Tell me what you’re planning.”

“Well I can’t give away all of our secrets, can I?” Theo stretches her legs, trying to get more comfortable. “Maybe if you let me out…”

“Maybe I’ll let you out if you tell me what you’re planning.”

“The details are irrelevant. What I’m planning is security, a way to ensure that the witches don’t just survive, but thrive. We are tired, Vincent. Tired of bowing to vampires, to the Mikaelsons, to regents, hell, to our own ancestors. The witches of New Orleans aren’t just looking for freedom. We’re looking to rule.”

Vincent’s eyebrows fly up in surprise. “To rule? And let me guess, you’ll be queen.”

“Well…” Theo gives an amused, self-deprecating shrug. “It’s been proposed.”

“No.” Vincent tosses his hand up. “No, this is insane. These covens are a community, you can’t just unilaterally—”

Theo barks out a laugh. “You’re really going to lecture me on decisions made unilaterally?” Vincent falls silent. “And besides, there are dozens of us. We’re not some small faction, we are representative of every coven in the city.” She looks Vincent dead in the eye. “Change is coming, Vincent. It’s time for you to make a choice. Will you stand with your witches as they seek to regain control of their city—or will you die defending the status quo?”

Vincent stares at her for a long while, both of their faces unreadable. Then, without a word, he turns on his heel and vanishes into the tunnels, leaving Theo in her prison.

Elijah steps into the library to find Klaus tearing it apart. He leans against the door nonchalantly, a hand sliding into his pocket. “Do you need assistance, Niklaus?”

Digging through a pile of junk heaped into a corner, Klaus snarks, “Now that you’ve mentioned it, some help would be appreciated, but fret not, brother.” He shoots an impetuous look at Elijah. “I am quite used to being the sole defender of his family.”

Elijah’s face blossoms into a raised-eyebrow expression of disbelief. “Is that what you believe, brother? Is that how you would speak of the past fifteen years, during which the mother of your child single-handedly pieced this family back together?”

“Spare me your lecture, Elijah.” Klaus tugs a long dagger from the pile and tosses it into an open duffel bag beside him. “I have witches to kill.”

“Must you be so reckless so soon after your return to the world?” Elijah asks.

“They came for my child, Elijah!” Klaus thunders, appearing suddenly before his brother. “Do not ask me to look the other way while they lure her into a trap! What if the next time they don’t want to take her power, but her life?”

Extending a hand toward his brother, Elijah says, “And what of your child, Niklaus? What will she think of you when she learns you have gone on a killing spree, murdering witches just like her?”

“These witches are not like her!” Klaus spits. “And she will think that her father is her stalwart defender, ready and willing to eliminate any threat to her safety.”

Dragging his finger along the broken desk, Elijah muses, “Yes, that worked wonderfully with Rebekah, didn’t it?”

Klaus’s expression sours. “Listen to me—”

“No, you listen to me!” Elijah brings his face inches from Klaus’s. “You have, not for the first time in your endless life, the opportunity to decide exactly the sort of man you wish to be. More importantly, you have the opportunity to decide the sort of man you wish your daughter to know. If your first instinct is always to seek revenge, that is what Hope will learn from you, and not only will it ruin her, it just might get her killed.” With that, Elijah spins on his heel and stalks from the room, leaving a speechless and humbled Klaus in his wake.

There’s a long, narrow crypt made of crumbling stone on the east side of Lafayette Cemetery. Over the entrance is carved a name: LeRoy. Vincent pushes open the heavy door, revealing a tiny work table covered in parchments, candles, and other evidence of magic. “Let’s see what Theo’s been up to.”

Marcel stands in the doorway, watching Vincent rummage through Theo’s belongings. “What exactly are you looking for?”

“We know that Theo’s looking to reconnect to the ancestors,” Vincent explains. “But I don’t know how she plans on keeping them in check.”

“Well you said she was gonna be in charge at the end of all this, yeah?”

“Yeah, and I don’t know about you, but she’s not exactly the kind of person I’m lookin’ for in a leader.” He holds a piece of parchment up to the light streaming in from a small round window in the stone. “This is beyond me, man. The magic she’s trying to do ain’t been done before. It’s not going to be so easily recognizable. I need help.” He sighs and looks out the window.

Then an idea strikes him. “I know where to go.”

Brow furrowed, Marcel asks, “There’s someone in this city who’s gonna know when you don’t?”

“There is.” Vincent turns to look at him. “But you ain’t gonna like it.”

Klaus is storming toward the exit of the compound when he pulls up short, his duffel bag full of weapons and dark objects clanging at his side. “To what do we owe this unwelcome surprise?”

Vincent and Marcel block his path out. “We need to talk to Hope,” Vincent says.

“Absolutely not.” Klaus squares his shoulders. “Your witches tried to steal my daughter’s power, you’re not going anywhere near her.”

“Klaus, you gotta believe, I had no idea that they were going to do this, otherwise I would’ve warned you.”

“So I should just take you at your word, let you have access to my child?”

Marcel rolls his eyes. “We’re trying to help Hope, Klaus. Whatever Theo and the others were up to when they took her, they’re still trying to complete their mission. We need her help to stop them.”

“You can’t expect—”

“Dad.”

All three men look up to see Hope leaning against the balcony, watching them. She nods to her father. “I want to help.”

Everyone gathers around the grand staircase, the family scattered along the steps, facing Vincent and Marcel. From his place on the landing above, Klaus calls down, “Tell us what you know.”

Nodding, Vincent begins. “We know that Theo LeRoy, the witch who kidnapped Hope’s girlfriend and used her as bait, is leading a faction of witches who are seeking to reestablish the connection to the ancestors.”

“She told me that much,” Hope agrees, sitting about halfway up the left staircase, River a step above her. “I don’t really know what that means.”

“Well that’s what I was hoping to learn from you,” Vincent says. “Did she anything about how she was gonna do it?”

Hope shakes her head. “That wasn’t really what we talked about. She was less concerned about the covens’ connection with the ancestors and more concerned with mine.”

“What do you mean?”

“She means that this witch tried to get Hope to reject her connection to the ancestors,” Hayley snarls.

Vincent bring a fist to his lips as he contemplates this revelation. Hope tentatively offers, “She seemed…I don’t know. She seemed to think I was some kind of threat? She wouldn’t say why, just that I’m a Mikaelson and a Mikaelson shouldn’t have access to the ancestors.”

With a small nod of understanding, Vincent murmurs, “She has a point,” but then, seeing glares of disapproval, says quickly, “She has to think that you specifically have the ability to throw some kind of wrench in her plans.”

“Here.” Marcel approaches Hope, reaching up to hand her a small stack of parchments. “These are Theo’s. Take a look, see if anything looks significant.”

Hope takes the parchment and scans each page. They’re covered in runes and chicken-scratch. “This is for the ritual?”

“We think so,” Marcel answers.

Freya climbs the stairs to peer over Hope’s shoulder. Hope points at something. “This is the incantation she was using when she tried to unlink me from the ancestors.”

Freya examines that page more closely. “All of this is about the connection, linking and unlinking. But this here—” She pulls a sheet with a complicated diagram on it out from the stack. “It’s a linking spell, but something I’ve never seen before.” She looks up at Vincent. “Could she be trying to link someone to the ancestors?”

“I think she’s trying to link all of us to the ancestors,” Vincent answers dryly.

“Here’s a thought.” Everyone turns to look at Kol, who’s lounging at the very top of the right staircase. “Why don’t we just leave this shitty town in our rearview, avoid this mess altogether?”

“For once, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I agree with Kol,” Hayley says. “This is New Orleans witch business, and we shouldn’t be a part of it.”

Hope starts to argue, “I’m a New Orleans witch, Mom!” but Vincent lifts a hand to stem her tirade. “I understand that you have no reason to help us, but if this doesn’t go right, our people could be in serious trouble.”

Hayley opens her mouth, but Elijah cuts in smoothly, “Why don’t you let us discuss this matter as a family?”

Vincent looks as if he wants to argue, but Marcel nods. “Yeah, alright. Take some time. But know this: if you don’t help us take these witches down, I will make sure your asses are out of my city before nightfall tomorrow.” He looks at Vincent and jerks his head toward the door, and the two of them leave.

Later, surrounded by bowls (and pots and mugs) of crawfish étouffée, the family is once again gathered on the staircase. Hayley stabs at her food angrily. “We’re not staying.”

“Mom, you heard Vincent. He needs our help.”

“And I feel bad for him. But my job is to keep you safe, and you aren’t safe here. And neither is your girlfriend.”

“We owe Vincent,” Hope insists. “He helped me rescue Dad!”

Rebekah hums. “Maybe not the best argument in favor of helping him.” She smiles at the nasty look Klaus shoots her.

“Theo knows something we don’t know,” Hope says. “In some way or another, I’m important to her plans. If we can figure out why she’s so threatened by me, maybe we can figure out how to stop her from reconnecting with the ancestors.”

“Wouldn’t it make you more powerful, though?” River asks around a mouthful of crawfish. She swallows. “If this ancestral connection is…reconnected, wouldn’t you get that power, too?”

“I think that’s part of the problem,” Hope says. “But it doesn’t matter. I don’t need more power.”

River doesn’t miss how Hope unconsciously touches just below her nose, as if checking for blood.

“You’re being uncharacteristically quiet, Niklaus,” Elijah calls. “Any thoughts on the matter?”

Klaus leans his head back against the metal banister with a put-upon sigh. “I do abhor giving the witches of this city any assistance. However, the ancestors have caused quite enough trouble in our lives, I should think.”

“They can’t cause us any more trouble if we’re not here,” Hayley argues.

“Hayley’s right,” Rebekah says. “Forget this city, forget these witches. Isn’t time we left this madness behind us, spent time with the family that was torn apart for fifteen years?”

Klaus locks eyes with his daughter, who’s sitting opposite him on the other half of the staircase. She silently pleads with him, and he knows that this is important to her. “We’re staying.”

Hope’s face lights up, and Hayley’s shoulders sag. “Klaus—”

“Hope knows better than any of us the threat that these witches pose, and the even bigger threat that the ancestors do. If she is asking me to stay and fight…well what kind of father would I be if I didn’t go into battle for my daughter?”

Hope’s smile is one of sweet disbelief. Thank you, she mouths to her father, and he nods back.

“Well you all have fun.” Kol drops his bowl onto the top landing and stands up. “I think I’ll be leaving now.”

Klaus rolls his eyes. “Sit down, Kol, we’re too tired for your antics tonight.”

“These aren’t antics, brother. I simply…can’t stay.”

Rebekah pulls herself to her feet. “Kol. You’re not serious.”

“I am.” He smiles softly. “I’ve spent the day thinking on it. There are reasons I do wish to remain with you lot—not only to better know the niece I…may have mistreated.” Hope blinks up at him in surprise. “But this city…this city took everything from me. Things I cannot get back. I need…” He trails off, unable to finish his thought.

Rebekah slowly climbs the stairs to be beside her brother. She kisses his cheek. “Time. You need time. Take as much of it as you need. You know we’ll be here for you.”

“Always and forever,” Klaus says, a half-smirk on his face.

Kol descends the steps to crouch just above Hope. “Hope Mikaelson. You know, I never much cared for children.” Hope gives a little frown and squints, unsure if she’s being insulted. “But you…you’ve got that Mikaelson tenacity that is impossible to ignore. I like that about you.” He looks down. “I apologize for my behavior toward you. Both of you,” he adds, nodding to River. “I hope that one day I can be a proper uncle to you. I have a rather impressive stash of magical artifacts that I think you’d be keen on.”

He nods to Freya. “Listen to your aunt. She’s the only one here who’s got half a clue what she’s doing. She’ll be able to help you.” He gives her a significant look, and a thought flashes in Hope’s mind: He knows. “I’ll be back, baby Mikaelson. And when I do, I expect to find the most powerful witch in the world waiting for me.” He gives a melancholic smile. To the room he says, “Try not to have too much fun without me,” and then he’s gone, leaving his siblings to once again adjust to his absence.

[sugarpunkeyes]

1-99 😎

ITCHY I HA T E YOU (but im still gonna do it cause. this feels like a challenge)

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?alternate version of behind the sea by panic! at the discofuckmylife666 by against me!like a child hiding behind your tombstone by slothrust brain stew/jaded by green daybaba o'reilly by the whoacross the universe by the beatles

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?unlikely person ,, laura !! jane !! grace !! slightly more likely person(s) ,, @thesmashingpumpkins or @billiejoeshappytrail @xkidiot cause you’re wonderful

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.“…and, of course, Crass, who remain my favorite band to this day.” (from Tranny by Laura!! wild)

4: What do you think about most?music as a general statement probably. whether it’s my own writing/band stuff/practicing instruments

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?“And ya but nvm” from @gathering-up-the-avenues

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?with pajamas !

7: What’s your strangest talent?i can figure out how to set or fix/take apart & rebuild any watch or clock i’ve ever come across

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)??? girls are girls. boys are boys. i’m unwilling to gender stereotype esp in the binary lmao

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?i am not aware of that happening, no

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?i was texting my favo(u)rite british bo(u)y itchy ( @billiejoeshappytrail ) like two hours ago and playing loads of music

11: Do you have any strange phobias?not that i’m.. aware of ?? i get really freaked out by looking straight-on at a pin, like right at the pointy off when it’s facing me but that’s not really a phobia

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?i’m sure i have. i mean fingers are foreign technically so

13: What’s your religion?jewish ;)

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?listening to music in headphones ,, walking ,, zoning out

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?behind ,, but i like having photos of myself and i find it really fun to help out my photographer friends ,, they’re so good i’m lov my artsy humans

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?The Beatles !

17: What was the last lie you told?i told my mom i checked the weather this morning when she asked how cold it was but i actullt just stuck my head out my window and guessed

18: Do you believe in karma?nah, bad stuff and good stuff happens to everyone

19: What does your URL mean?it was from Years Ago ™ when i was equally obsessed with doctor who and star trek. sonic (screwdriver) ; (star) trek

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?uHm i’m really bad about emotions as a whole?? if i’m confronted about how i’m feeling and i am Not In The Mood to talk about how i am then i will 100% say i’m fine no matter whati’m good at music i think ,, i’ve been writing music since i was little and i know 10-ish instruments?

21: Who is your celebrity crush?Laura. Jane. Grace. i’m lov

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?yyep

23: How do you vent your anger?i kick/punch walls (i have a wall in my room w lots of studs, i know where to hit it so nothing will break), write music (nerd), throw tennis balls at my garage door

24: Do you have a collection of anything?i have journals i’ve filled out, presidential/gold dollars, state quarters (every state, every year), an old keychain collection, loads of books, and unofficially lots of band/tour shirts ;)

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?video chatting !

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?i am, but only because i know my two options are to like myself or dislike myself and there’s no way of saying i won’t totally reinvent myself tomorrow. so yes, but just because i believe in constant change and i’m proud of the changes i’ve made

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?i haTe the scratch when you have a metal utensil on a china/porcelain plate ugGgHhh and i love the noise when you lean on someone and they’re happy about it and they go “mhm”

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?what if i can’t do all of the things i love in my life?

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?not ghosts, absolutely aliens

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.right arm touched my house/car keys, left arm touched my glasses on my bed

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?hotdogs i think (my family’s having a barbecue)

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?worst place .. like worst city? i don’t like detroit at all

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?EAST COAST succ it @xkidiot @sloanthewench

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?i am. all the genders i literally ,, what ????? uhh i don’t know any agender singers off the top of my head ?? but i’m lov billie joe armstrong and laura jane grace and gerard way has said he doesn’t really identify with male or female so. him too

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?just growing as a human and then helping others grow

36: Define Art.creation that invokes feeling ( @danlitty would know better than me ,, she is The Art ™ )

37: Do you believe in luck?not really but i wear mismatched socks because i think matching socks are bad luck so. uhHh idk

38: What’s the weather like right now?it was raining and like 65 degrees and now it’s just gray and a lil warmer

39: What time is it?3:38 PM

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?yes, i didn’t crash but i hit someone’s car while i was pulling out of a parking spot

41: What was the last book you read?not really a book, but i read a compilation of loads of doom patrol comics

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?to an extent .. like the first min or so is nice

43: Do you have any nicknames?yeah, my real name’s grace but everyone calls me gracie or gee or graice or goot or geebee (thanks shaney) or graciebell or groot or greasy

44: What was the last film you saw?the butterfly effect with the green goons!!

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?i broke my nose twice .. i’m pretty safe overall

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?yep! but v carefully and let it go immediately

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?always ,,,, just band stuff

48: What’s your sexual orientation?i call myself bi but i’m just gay for everyone

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?nope

50: Do you believe in magic?n o

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?depends how bad it was

52: What is your astrological sign?pisces

53: Do you save money or spend it?save

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?i only owned the cassette tape version of 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours so i bought the iTunes version

55: Love or lust?love

56: In a relationship?yes!!!! @thesmashingpumpkins is my amazing boyfriend i like him a lot :)

57: How many relationships have you had?¯\_(ツ)_/¯

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?yeah !!

59: Where were you yesterday?i just literally worked at home all day.. in the wee hours of the morning i was at midnight run in new york city (delivering clothes/food to the homeless)

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?my sweatshirt !

61: Are you wearing socks right now?yyyyes and one has a banana on it and one has sharks eating people

62: What’s your favourite animal?snow leopards

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?this is a thing ????? i’m just. sarcastic

64: Where is your best friend?my best friend in NY is named abby and she lives 3 blocks away from me, my best irl friend outside NY is from Rhode Island, and shaney who’s my best internet friend ( @xkidiot ) is in CA !! i’m lov all

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.@thesmashingpumpkins@xkidiot@danlitty@billiejoeshappytrail@poisin-youth

66: What is your heritage?i’m ,, white ,, european ,,,, lithuania, russia, hungary, turkey etc

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?texting/watching the movie w the green goons

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?armstrong. definitely armstrong.

69: Biggest turn ons?this is NOT THE SIN CHAT

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?I think so cause most of my friends are sarcastic and i’m sarcastic

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?gET THE DOG AND CARRY IT TO MY WORKPLACE AND SHOW MY BOSS I WAS BEING A MODEL CITIZEN ™

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?a) lmao yeah, everyone deserves to know ?? people affect other people, that’s the point of life, so if i’ve affected anyone, they deserve to knowb) try to get to see all my favorite people even if i haven’t met them beforec) i mean probably ??

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.love

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?so many ,, yellow submarine and JOS and so many others

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?8903

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?knowing that the other person cares about you and about the world in general or just having it be with @thesmashingpumpkins , the most amazing man. ,

77: How can I win your heart?you can’t, jimmy already has it

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?hell yeah

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?learning guitar

80: What size shoes do you wear?8.5 women’s

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?idk some quote from the giver probably

82: What is your favourite word?mmm calcify

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.that song “heart and soul” that everyone knows on piano

84: What is a saying you say a lot?i’ve noticed i say “you know” a lot ,,

85: What’s the last song you listened to?eight full hours of sleep by against me!

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?blue ! all shades of blue esp bluey-greens

87: What is your current desktop picture?it’s that picture of young green day ™ in a taxi and they’re flipping off the camera

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?this guy that picks on jimmy his name is christian and he’s first on the kill list

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?variations on “how do you feel”

90: Turn offs?ddont choke me ,, don’t pee on me ,,

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?ccontrolling time ,,

92: where are your parents from? OH and NY

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?lol i went to the hospital once cause i couldn’t sleep for 4-5 days straight and everything about that was wild

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?i’ve said it multiple times before, ill say it again. laura. jane. grace.

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?GO VISIT ITCHY OR SHANEY cause i can’t drive to them but i can drive to jimmy :)

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?nope

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?omg so many times

98: Ever been on a plane?yeah!! also so many times

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?there’s no reason not to try your best

thank u itchy ;)