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sfb123 · 3 years

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Sapere Aude - Part 13

Book: The Royal Heir

Pairing: King Liam Rys x Queen Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Catch Up Here

If you’re new to Sapere Aude, please click the link above to start from the beginning. There’s so much going on right now that you’ll be way too confused to start from this point. Plus, there are some major bombshells that won’t be as fun if you read this and get a bunch of spoilers.

Series Description: I developed a theory of what I think will happen in TRH Book 4, and I was encouraged by some very lovely people to turn my theory into a fic, so here it is. Basically, Riley is recruited to join the Via Imperii, this series will follow her as she joins them to try and bring them down from the inside, and all of the drama and bombshells she learns along the way. Sapere Aude is Latin for “dare to know” it seemed like an appropriate title.

Rating: PG-13 Adult language, discussions of death, conspiracy, blackmail, and other adult themes.

Trigger Warning: There is a brief moment of physical abuse, it’s not much, but I definitely wanted to mention it and give a fair warning.

Warning: The Royal Heir Book 3 Spoilers all over the place.

Disclaimer: I have no current affiliation with any other Via Imperii themed stories. Any claims that I have pre-read anything are false.

Word Count: 2,383

A/N: I know you’ve all been on the edge of your seats wondering what was going to happen, the answer is a lot. This is a pretty big chapter. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks to my pre-reading babes, @jessiembruno & @txemrn. And to @twinkleallnight for my lovely moodboard!

Tags: Listed below, hit me up to be added or removed.

“Um...actually, it’s about the queen. Your majesty, you need to come with me, and we need to send some additional guards along with us.”

Liam’s face paled at Thomas’s words. “Where is my wife, Thomas?” He kept his voice quiet, so that he wouldn’t upset his daughter but his tone was stern and authoritative.

“I believe she is at the old Fierro estate, and time may be of the essence.”

“Li, go. We’re all here, we can take care of Eleanor.” Drake chimed in.

Liam nodded. “Bastien, please send as many guards as you can immediately, and prepare the car for us. Thomas, go with him and tell him everything you know so that we can fill the team in.” Both men bowed and quickly exited the room. Liam walked over to Eleanor, sitting in the chair next to her. “Eleanor, I need to step out and pick up mommy, ok? Your auntie and uncles will be here to play with you until we get back.”

“Can I come with you?” She asked hopefully.

Liam took a deep breath before answering her. “I’m sorry princess, but I need to go by myself. But you have a very important job here. Since Valtoria is your home, you need to host our guests. Being a hostess is something you will need to do a lot when you become queen, so this will be wonderful practice. Do you think you’re up for it?”

She nodded her head rapidly. “Yes daddy, I will be the best hostess!”

“Good. Now go with Uncle Drake, and mommy and I will see you when we get home.” He pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek as they pulled apart.

Eleanor ran to Drake, taking his hand and pulling him toward the door. “C’mon Uncle Drake, I’m the hostess.” Drake chuckled before looking back at Liam and giving him a reassuring nod.

Liam waited a few moments to make sure that Drake and Eleanor were out of his path before rushing out of the room and toward the front entrance. The car was waiting for him, Bastien holding the back door open for Liam to enter. He jumped in and Bastien shut the door behind him, quickly jumping into the driver's seat. The SUV’s wheels squealed as it rushed toward the gates.

“How far out are the guards?” Liam asked.

“We had a team training not too far from the estate, they should be arriving shortly. They have been briefed.” Bastien replied, looking at Liam through the rearview mirror.

“Excellent. Would someone care to brief me now? Where is my wife?” Liam commanded.

Bastien looked over at Thomas, who was seated next to him. “Thomas, please explain to his majesty the current situation.”

Thomas took a deep breath, his hands nervously balling into fists. “Of course. You see sir, there is an organization, the Via-”

Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, interrupting Thomas. “Thomas, please spare me. I know about the Via Imperii, Riley has been telling me about the meetings, the plans, everything.”

“Everything?” There was a slight crack in Thomas’s voice as he looked back at Liam. If she had told him everything, Liam knew who he was.

“Yes Thomas, everything, including our relationship. Right now, that is the last thing I am concerned with. I need you to tell me what they are doing to Riley, and what we need to do to get her out.”

“Unfortunately, I do not know much. I’m sure you were made aware of the conflict between her majesty and Lord Neville. Well it appears that he and Mara have lured her to the estate under the guise of a meeting with our chapter president. I don’t know what they are planning to do from there.”

Liam’s jaw clenched as he ran a hand through his hair. “Bastien, remind me again why we didn’t dismiss Mara after her charge, the queen, my wife, was kidnapped at our wedding? It seems like grounds for termination to me.”

“She went through a thorough re-training process, and passed all of the associated tests. It was determined that she was able to adequately perform her duties.” Bastien replied.

“Adequate is not acceptable for protecting the life of a Queen. We need exceptional as the bare minimum. She should have never been cleared to return to such a high profile duty. We will be having a meeting immediately to review protocol and standards.” The mixture of concern and rage swirling inside of Liam was becoming overwhelming, he was having trouble thinking straight. He turned to look out the window, taking deep breaths to regain some level of composure.

***

“Since rational discussion is not going to be an option here, I guess we’re going to have to go to plan b, elimination.” Neville said to Mara as they sat across from each other, Riley tied to the chair at the head of the table.

Riley laughed. “Sure, elimination. I bet that will work out great for you. It’s super easy to just make a reigning queen disappear.”

“We have been successful in doing it with two out of the last four queens. What do you think makes you so special?” Neville turned his attention to Riley, genuinely curious to know her reasons.

“Well first of all, Eleanor was in on the plan, so she doesn’t count, so it’s actually one out of four. And second, I’m sure Liam and the rest of the guards, the loyal ones,” she looked poignantly at Mara, “are on their way. I’ve been gone long enough that Liam has definitely already had them ping the location of my phone.”

Mara pulled a phone out of her pocket and waved it in front of Riley with a smug grin on her face. “It has been powered off since I pulled it from your pocket as you were getting into the car.” She placed it on the table and slid it toward Riley.

“Any more smart remarks?” Neville asked, standing from his seat. He approached Riley, taking her face in his hand and leaning in close. “The fairytale is over Riley, and the ending isn’t quite as happy as you thought.”

Riley could feel her nerves starting to take over. Yes, Liam would be missing her right now, but how was he going to find her? She felt her heart rate increase, trying to keep her composure. She had been through this before. For as much as she hated Anton, she had to give him credit, he was much better at this than Neville was. If she could survive that, she could figure out a way out of this.

She thought back to that night at the abandoned castle, she needed to channel that version of herself again. And she certainly couldn’t let Neville know he was getting to her. “What happened? You couldn’t find a woman to kiss you out of being a frog faced asshole? Or you did and it just didn’t work?”

“That’s enough!” the back of Neville’s hand abruptly met with Riley’s face, the force of the impact almost knocking the chair over. She moved her jaw back and forth several times, trying to assess the damage as best she could with her hands tied behind her back. “Mara, do we have anything to gag her with?”

Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. Neville and Mara looked at each other in confusion, nobody else knew about the plan. “Well?” Neville raised his hands in frustration. “You’re the security guard, go assess the damn threat!”

Mara jumped to her feet and opened the door to find Eleanor on the other side. “Ah Mara, I heard you and Queen Riley had stopped by, I’m so glad I was able to catch you.” She didn’t wait for Mara to respond before brushing past her and entering the room. “Lord Neville, I didn’t know you would be using one of our meeting rooms today. You didn’t clear it through the proper channels. What have we got here?” Eleanor walked straight past Neville and went right to Riley. She took in her appearance, noticing a red mark on her cheek and a small trail of blood running down her face. Her eyes were watering, but she hadn’t shed a single tear. Eleanor was impressed by the strength she was showing under these circumstances. She gave Riley a subtle wink before taking a seat and motioning for Mara and Neville to do the same. “Now, should we talk about where you plan to take things from here, considering you clearly haven’t thought this scheme all the way through?”

“We’re going to do what this organization has done for years, eliminate the threat. Maybe we will be more successful in the king’s next social season, and get a cooperative queen in place.” Neville replied.

Riley took a shaky breath, but the idea of her being taken away from her family was too much for her to bear. The tears she had been holding back broke free, and she began sobbing. Eleanor walked back over to Riley and knelt down in front of her. “It’s alright dear, you aren’t going anywhere.” She placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before standing and turning her attention back to her captors. “Are you insane? Do you have any idea how much time and careful planning goes into enacting an elimination plan? You can’t just decide to kill the queen and expect that everything will go off without a hitch!”

As if on cue, the door burst open and several members of the King’s Guard entered with their weapons drawn. Mara immediately drew her weapon and aimed it at Neville. “Hands in the air, Lord Vancoeur.”

“Drop the weapon Mara.” One of the guards commanded.

Mara continued acting as if she was assisting in the rescue efforts, ignoring the guard’s warning. “I’m glad you guys got here, I was having trouble calling for backup to save the -”

A loud pop filled the room, Riley flinched, keeping her eyes closed for a moment. When she opened them, she saw Mara laying on the ground in a pool of blood as two guards rushed Neville and took him into custody. Two more pulled Eleanor away from Riley and forced her hands behind her back. “Stop!” Riley ordered, causing both guards to look up. “She is not a part of this, she was here rescuing me. Let her go.” The guards complied, and Eleanor went back to Riley’s side, quickly undoing the fastenings that bound her to the chair. As soon as she was free, Riley stood and rubbed each of her wrists before raising a hand to her face, gently placing it on the spot that Neville had hit, and moved her jaw back and forth a couple more times. She looked at Eleanor, her eyes welling up again. “You...you saved me.”

“Of course, dear. I told you I wouldn’t let them take you away from your family.” Riley wrapped her arms around Eleanor and pulled her into a hug. Eleanor could hear her hitched breathing and knew she had begun to cry. “It’s ok Riley, you’re safe now. Let’s go get you cleaned up.”

***

Liam was lost in his thoughts, watching the scenery go by as they neared the estate. The sound of Thomas’s phone ringing took him out of his thoughts. He quickly moved his attention to the front of the car, listening intently to Thomas’s answers to the person on the other end. They were simple, one word answers, and he was unable to read any kind of emotion in his voice. “Well?” Liam said, before Thomas had even fully moved the phone away from his ear. “Is Riley ok?” The seconds it took to get his response felt like an eternity for Liam.

“Yes your majesty, Riley is safe. Lord Vancoeur has been taken into custody, and Mara was killed. Queen Riley is safe and awaiting our arrival.”

Liam breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in his seat. He was glad she was safe, but he needed to get there. He needed to see it for himself, to hold her, to kiss her. He needed to get her home where he could protect her.

The car pulled up to the front of the estate, and before it could come to a complete stop, Liam had jumped out and ran to the door. He burst into the estate frantically sticking his head into every doorway looking for her. Finally, he approached a large sitting area with a fireplace running, and there she was, silently watching the flames dance. “Riley? Love?”

Riley blinked a couple of times before turning and meeting Liam’s gaze. “Liam…” her voice was barely above a whisper as she slowly stood to greet him.

He rushed to her, immediately pulling her into his arms. He held her tightly as he kissed the top of her head. He pulled back, taking her face in his hands. The pressure of his touch on her still tender cheek made her wince in pain. Liam removed his hands and examined her face. “Riley, who did this to you?” He tried to keep calm, not wanting to cause her any more stress or pain.

“Stupid fucking Neville. I made some frog prince joke and he decided to heckle me with the back of his hand.”

Liam clenched his jaw, and took a deep breath. He would deal with Neville, but for now, he needed to be with his wife. “Riley, I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I should never have let you do this. It could have been so much worse.”

She placed her hand on his cheek, he noticed the marks on her wrist from the restraints, and turned his head to kiss them softly. “But it’s not, because Eleanor, your mother, saved me.”

“My...why would she do that?”

“Because I couldn’t let you lose her.” A lump formed in Liam’s throat at the sound of the voice behind him. He hadn’t heard it in years, but he had never forgotten it. He turned around and as soon as they locked eyes, he felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “Hello, Liam.”

Permatag:

@anjanettexcordonia @athena-penrose @bbrandy2002 @chemist-ana @choicesficwriterscreations @choiceskatie @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @emkay512 @gabesmommie1130 @gkittylove99 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @jessiembruno @kat-tia801 @khoicesbyk @kingliam2019 @lucy-268 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @mile9213 @mom2000aggie @pixie88 @queenrileyrose @secretaryunpaid @sweatyrysconnoisseur @tessa-liam @theroyalheirshadowhunter @twinkleallnight @txemrn

Sapere Aude:

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Liam x Riley:

@jared2612

Liam:

@amandablink @yourmajesty09

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eveenstar · 3 years

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𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒔 [𝑨 𝑳𝒐𝒌𝒊 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒇𝒆𝒚𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏]

||➸𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐈: 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐞||

Tags/Warnings: Mentions of death, angst, sadness, (Y/N) going a bit insane, a bit of spoilers but not much, happens three years after Infinity War. Also fem!reader, so it's easier for me to write, sorry guys!

Summary: It's been three years since Loki died, and two years since you isolated yourself from the outside. On a particular routine day, you receive a call from Natasha asking you to come by the Avengers Tower.

Note: First chapter of my new fanfic series, "Saturn Gardens"! Pardon me for any English mistakes, as you may know, it's not my native language :) Hope you enjoy!

Your fingers calmly slip through the book pages you're reading. The faint light that escapes through the clouds and into your bedroom provides enough light to see what you're reading. Not that it matters anyhow, your mind is somewhere else. Somewhere distant, old and familiar. Somewhere you wished to be right now.

Your lips met the cold glass of wine you've been drinking for the past twenty minutes, and your gaze drifts to the large landscape in front of your eyes. The sizeable windows made it possible to see almost of all the meadow and the trees in the background, some people would contemplate this beautiful view, but you thought it felt lonely. Empty. Voidless.

A soft and pale mist had fallen upon the land due to it being early hours in the morning. No birds were singing, no animal was in sight, just you and the current book that lays in your hand. You'd grown to enjoy silence, but this silence was restless.

Sighing, you stood up from your white chair and placed the glass of wine on the table. Dressing your Indigo blue robe, you made your way to the kitchen. This would be the second time you'd leave your bedroom since you woke up, first one was to get wine. What would your mother say to you, if she saw the horrible state you were in?

"You look like a widow, for fuck's sake (Y/N)!"

That's because you are one, indeed. Or were you wrong? You and Loki never married, even though you'd spoken about it a few times. This house, this stupiditly huge and modern mansion, was all that was left for you. Tony Stark offered it to you and the trickster God, according to him as a "offer of good will and peace" but it was honestly because your previous home burned down and you didn't have the money for another one. Tony, as the rich friend of the group, decided to be a gentle soul and get it for you.

You opened your fridge, which used to be filled with all kinds of food, but now there's barely enough for dinner. Your stomach is empty, it craves for food, but your heart is too heavy to think about it. Your feet felt chilly on the black mosaic floor tiles, and it reminded you that you aren't wearing any socks. You glance down to your feet, your mind drifting off once again and you lose track of the time you spent staring down.

The black tiles are ice cold and hurt your feet, they decor the floor of all house, minus the bathroom; in which the floor's tiles are white instead of black. Sometimes you get tired of the colour pattern; Black and white.

In the walls, in the floors, in the roof...Sometimes it was too much, sometimes it was too little. Maybe you should repaint them. Maybe you shouldn't.

Loki complained about them sometimes, he said they should be green and golden. You had no idea if he was being serious at the time. He never was much for decor, he said he wanted you to decor it at your taste; he'd love anything you love.

He was always like that.

He was.

He is like that

"What should I eat today, love?" You whispered to no-one. Your eyes shifted to the kitchen's balcony and stared at the Narcissus flowers on the small plant vase. Narcissus flowers are native to Europe, Asia and North Africa, there's more than 100 species of the plant and they were one of Loki's gifts to you. They are some of the first to bloom in the early spring, announcing the end of winter, which you found incredibly cute in a way. They came from the Greek word "Narke", which meant numbness, and ironically how you felt right now.

They also symbolize rebirth and new beginnings. Was this the Universe sending you a message? Telling you that it's finally time to move on?

You dragged your feet to the couch and drowned yourself on the pillows. Everything felt cold, no matter how many lays of clothing you'd wear, it felt cold nevertheless. Maybe it was coming from inside you, the emptiness had consumed you to the point nothing warm would take that effect away.

Your phone rang, and rang, and rang. You grunted and covered your head with a pillow, hoping to muffle out the annoying sound. But it didn't seem to stop no matter how much you tried.

So you finally answered it.

"(Y/N)?"

Natasha.

"(Y/N)? Can you hear me?"

Yes. I'm still here.

"(Y/N), could you please come by the Avengers tower? We need to talk, it's important."

Why?

"Please, " She pleaded, "Come meet me."

You looked at your phone for a while once silence remained. It seems neither you or Natasha knew what to say to each other. The silence remained for a long while that you even had doubts if she was still on the call.

"Do you want me to order something to your house? Are you in need of anything, (Y/N)?"

Yes.

"Do you know who you are?"

Yes.

"Do you know where you are?"

Yes.

"Do you want to keep living this way?"

A sudden sound woke you from your thoughts and startled you. Your eyes scammed the living room and saw there was no sign of threat, then you took a glimpse of your phone's screen.

Natasha - Call ended 10 minutes ago

Great, you were hearing voices now. How quite. She did asked you to go by the Avengers Tower, didn't she? Maybe you should go. It's been almost three years since Loki died, and two years since you closed yourself from everyone and everything. It's been a while since you've stepped foot outside your house or your lands.

Again, you dragged your feet relutanctly to your bedroom and stared at the mirror. The reflection of yourself was sad, to say the least. How did you break down so easily? How did you allow yourself to break this way?

"Do you think I should go, Loki?" You asked in a whisper while staring at a empty spot of the room. Silence.

"You're right." A tiny smile formed on your lips, "As always."

Your body always worked in autopilot. Even if your mind was somewhere else, your body took a shower and grabbed the first outfit in hand. Your hands were cold, once in contact with your skin.

Wet and cold like an abandoned dog in a rainy street.

You frowned slightly at the thought and realized you were dressed, heavens know for how long. Did your mind wander off again? Great. It has been like this a long while, no matter how many pills or medication you took, you began to forget things. Names. Places. Memories. It's like your body wasn't your own anymore, just a robot moving in autopilot. You wrote down notes about your favourite memories with Loki, as you didn't want to forget them. You missed his (surprisingly) warm hands, his deep grey eyes, or his charming smile. You missed running your hands through his hair while you both layed in front of the fireplace, books in hand.

You grabbed a framed picture of the Avengers together and noticed a strange detail. Your face was blurred out. You blinked once and twice, but it didn't go away. Was it always like this? Maybe it was and you forgot. Maybe a photo error, or it's simply dirty. Just that.

Placing the picture down, you stared again at a empty spot of the bedroom, "I'll be back soon, my love."

Your steps felt heavy on the floor, like no matter how much you'd walk, the exit door seemed to be distancing itself. By the time your hands grabbed the door knob, you were out of breath. I-just-ran-a-marathon out of breath.

The wind outside was refreshing, in a way. It felt different, lighter even. You closed your eyes to feel the breeze blow through you, just for a single moment. Then you heard a bird sing, just on top of the tree in front of your house. You weakly smiled and waved at it, then you entered your car.

The trip to the Avengers Tower was quiet and peacefully calm. Leaving your house, you didn't notice the dark silhouette standing on the living room's window, watching you from afar or the strange amount of ravens taking shelther in the same tree of the singing bird.

#marvel fanfic series #marvel loki x reader #marvel loki #loki laufeyson #loki laufeyson x reader #eveenstar #Saturn Gardens Fanfiction Series

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staticscreenwriting · 5 years

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Until we say goodbye || two

Warning! This multipart story takes place after the events of season 3. There’s huge spoilers already in the synopsis down below. I warned you.

Synopsis: (Y/N) Hargrove has to come to terms with the fact that her twin brother is dead and she had to watch him die, unable to do anything about it. There is something she can do for him now though and that’s keeping a promise. The promise to go back home to California. Together. In order to drive cross country and spread Billy’s ashes in a place where the Hargrove kids used to be happy, (Y/N) enlists the help of Steve Harrington. Steve Harrington who decides that it’s time to break out from his parents expectations and be the person he always wanted to be.

This time on “Until we say goodbye”: The teens stay at a quirky motel. Steve talks to mama Harrington and (Y/N) give us a look into her childhood.

(caution: mention of death, emotional abuse, slight mention of physical abuse, mention of alcohol // if you need me to tag any other possible triggers let me know)

One //

Part 2 of ?

[additional note: I am German. Sometimes I get the tense wrong or make mistakes. I am useless when it comes to punctuation. Go easy on me, please.]

Help a girl out with a reblog, thank you ♥

And if we hit on troubled water

I’ll be the one to keep you warm and safe

And we’ll be carrying each other

Until we say goodbye on our dying day

A cool breeze is blowing past (Y/N) as she sits on edge of the old abandoned lifeguard tower, feet dangling in the air. She’s well aware of the fact that the wind is making a mess of her hair, leaving it a tangled mess. She doesn’t really give a shit though.

The beach is practically deserted except for her and the couple strolling by the shore, throwing sticks for their puppy every once in a while. They seem so happy, as if nothing matters but them and their dog and the ocean.

Her thoughts wander towards Pumpkin, the little Jack Russell puppy they adopted a few years ago when dad was dating this woman named Laura. Laura loved dogs and dad loved Laura and so when she moved in, so did Pumpkin.

(Y/N) loved that stupid dog, hell even Billy did. But like all good things in the Hargrove’s life, this one didn’t last very long either. Dad messed up his relationship with Laura and Laura was smart enough to get the fuck out and take Pumpkin with her.

The thumping of boots against the wooden planks of the lifeguard tower, pulls (Y/N) back from her trip down memory lane.

Billy plops down next to her, fumbling a cigarette from the pocket of his denim jacket and lighting it. He’s started smoking a few months ago, just after the twins 13th birthday. Dad was really mad when he found that first cigarette hole in the carpet of their room.

“ Why are you here ? ‘s about to storm “ Billy mumbles around the cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips.

“ Dad’s being as asshole “

“ As per usual “ Billy scoffs, “ what happened ? “

“ He found out that I pierced my ears, said I look like a slut. “

The words still sting even now that she repeats them to her brother. (Y/N) doesn’t think it’s something a father should say, especially to his daughter. It’s just earrings, what’s the big deal ?

It doesn’t make her a slut. Right ?

“ What the fuck does he know. He still lives in 1971 with his ugly ass mustache“ Billy jokes, effectively getting a laugh from his twin sister.

“ You know what the worst part is ? “ (Y/N) asks.

“ Hmm ? “

“ I think my ears might be infected. They burn like hell. “

“ Ya know what ? That’s your own damn fault. I told you using Galliano liqueur was not the best way to sanitize the needle. “

(Y/N) chuckles, nodding her head in agreement. “ Yeah, you were right, I admit it “.

“ Good. “

She turns to look at her brother. His hair is growing longer now, the curls sitting messily on his head reminding her of crashing waves during a thunderstorm.

Dad hates that Billy is growing his hair and and (Y/N) is fairly sure that’s part of the reason why Billy likes his hair so much. Everything that pisses off their dad is a good think in Billy’s book.

“ Still think you should’ve let me pierce one of your ears. Would’ve looked damn cool. “ she says, teasing smirk playing on her lips.

Billy shakes his head, curls bouncing from the motion. He’s mirroring her smirk though.

“ No fucking way. Never. “

(Y/N) finger plays with the tiny silver spike dangling from her ear as her eyes focus on the scenery passing by the window. There’s not a lot to see really, it’s almost pitch black outside. They’re on the road for about an hour and a half now but Steve keeps bringing up stopping.

He’s tired, (Y/N) can tell. Tired and still a bit freaked out by the whole situation.

“ So Terre Haute is coming up at I think we should see if we can find a place to stay the night, then stock up on food and gas tomorrow morning and drive through the entire day “.

Steve speaks up, more of a monologue than anything else. (Y/N) doesn’t mind how long the journey takes as long as they get to California in the end. She doesn’t mind stopping for the night. Doesn’t mind the occasional food or toilet breaks. Leaving Hawkins behind already feels liberating.

Every mile they put between themselves and that fucking town feels like a weight lifted off her shoulder.

“ Alright, sounds good to me. We gotta find a cheap place though, I don’t have a lot of cash with me “.

“ S’alright I got it “ Steve exclaims.

“ I don’t need your charity, Harrington, “ (Y/N) snaps at him. Maybe it’s a Hargrove thing, being bad at accepting help from other people. From basically strangers.

For the biggest part of her life, (Y/N) only had Billy to depend on. Now that he’s gone it feels absolutely terrifying putting her trust in someone else.

“ Sorry I — that’s not what I meant. “

“ No, “ (Y/N) sighs “ I’m sorry for snapping. I know what you meant. It’s okay. “

There’s a thick awkward tension filling the car and (Y/N) absolutely hates it.

“ Can I turn on the radio ? “ she asks motioning towards it.

Steve nods in agreement. “ There should still be a mixtape in the player. “

With the push of a button the opening chords to Mötley Crües ‘Shout at the devil’ echo through the vehicle, making (Y/N) raise her eyebrows in surprise.

“ Steve Harrington, I did not expect you to listen to this kind of music “.

Steve just shrugs “ why not ? I like all kinds of music. “

“ Steve Harrington, Hawkins’ golden boy listening to the Devil’s music. That’s a surprise. “

“ Golden boy, “ Steve scoffs “ yeah right. I just about graduated High School. I didn’t get into college. I work at a video store and my own dad thinks I’m goddamn loser. “

“ You wanna talk about shitty dads ? Cause let me tell you, I’ll win that one. “

It’s quiet for a moment, before Steve clears his throat and speaks up again.

“ Can I ask you something ? “

“ Mmh “

“ What did they tell your dad happened ? Did they — did they really tell him that whole fire bullshit ? “

“ Yup. “

“ And he believed it ? “

(Y/N) nods. “ He did. He has no reason not to “.

The fire story. Authorities told Neil and elaborate story about how Billy died in a tragic accident in the big fire at Starcourt mall. Something about wrong place wrong time.

(Y/N) was there when they told him. Susan was crying hysterically. Max was �� numb. Neil though. Neil didn’t even flinch. There was no sign of emotion. No sign of grieve. Nothing. Nothing at all.

“ I don’t think he gives a shit either, to be honest. “

“ That’s horrible. “ Steve exclaims.

“ That’s my dad for ya. “

Steve’s BMW rolls up to the parking lot of the Cardinal Inn Motel. It’s a small Motel complex and it looks like it’s seen better days. The walls are a dirty white, almost gray color and all doors are painted a bright red although most of the paint is chipping off.

The kids enter the motel lobby, a small room decked out in all kinds of kitschy decor. There’s cross stitch art and paintings and decorative throw pillows. And all if it proudly features various images of a red cardinal bird.

“ Welcome to the Cardinal Inn Motel. “ a chipper voice speaks up from behind the reception desk. “ I’m Ruth, how can I help ya ? “

Ruth is a plump little woman with a kind smile, round cheeks and extremely curly ginger hair. She looks more like a caricature than an actual person. Though (Y/N) thinks she fits this place perfectly.

“ We would like twooo — ? “ Steve trails off and glances towards (Y/N) in question.

“ One “

“ — one room. With two beds though “.

“ Oh sure sure. Let me see. It’s 32 $ for a night. “ Ruth says and opens a book, probably looking up which rooms are occupied and which rooms are free. She walks towards a board holding a lot of keys and takes one of handing it to Steve.

“ This is your room key, It’s number 44. When you step outside, the room is located in the building to your right. It’s on the first floor, first door once you walk up the stairs. I would have to ask for a down payment though. Just in case. “

Steve hastily pulls out a bundle of cash from his jeans, counting the right amount and handing it to Ruth. “ That’s the entire amount, we’re only staying for one night “.

“ Very well then. I hope you have a pleasant stay at the Cardinal Inn. “ Ruth chirps almost like a bird herself.

“ Thanks “ Steve says and walks towards the door.

(Y/N) stays rooted though, eyes wandering around the room from one red bird to the next to the next.

“ Hey Ruth, “ she chimes up.

“ Yes, dear ? “

“ What’s with the birds ? “

“ Oh the cardinal ? That’s Indiana’s state bird. “

“ They’re funky looking little guys, huh ? “

“ Truly. They’re also very interesting. If you want to learn about them, they’re an informational brochure in every room. “

(Y/N) gives Ruth a soft smile then rushes after Steve, out into the chilly night air.

“ Knight Rider, really Harrington ? “

Steve sits up from his slumped position on the bed as (Y/N) comes back from the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in her pyjamas. A choice of pyjamas she thoroughly regrets now as the cool air inside the motel room hits the skin of her legs.

She’s dressed in a pair of short red pj pants and one of Billy’s old band shirts. One she’s stolen from his closet after — the incident. It smells like him. Makes her feel like he’s still there.

“ What, It’s good. “

“ It’s so stupid. It’s a talking car. “

“ Okay, whatever. You keep on hating but I tell you this show is gonna last forever and it’s gonna win all the awards. Trust me. “

“ Mmmh. Sure. Shower’s yours. “

Steve gathers some of his stuff from his duffle bag and moves towards the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

As she is left alone in the room, the gravity of it all comes crashing down on (Y/N). This is it. That trip she wanted to go on with Billy. That trip they had fantasized about since the moment they left California.

Now it’s happening but it doesn’t feel right. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. With Billy in a thermos. With Billy — dead.

The room suddenly feels too small. Like the walls are gonna close in on her any second now. She needs air. Fresh air. Needs to get out of here. Now. Now.

So she does.

Slips on her shoes and the room key and dashes out through the door and into the night. It’s cold. Way too cold for the amount of clothing she’s wearing or not wearing depending on how you see it.

For a while all she does is walk up and down the road, wishing she had remembered to take her pack of smokes with her.

When it gets too cold though, she spots a neon sign in one of the windows of the Lobby building. “Souvenirs”.

She wonders if all of those souvenirs have red birds on them.

They don’t. Most of them do, but not all of them. A lot of them display what she can only assume are important buildings of the city of Terre Haute, Indiana.

(Y/N) remembers the few trips she used to take with her mom and Billy, when they were just little kids. Mom loved to take them to the little quirky little towns across the coast and the kids loved exploring them. Billy always got a postcard, from every single place. (Y/N) got keychains. She still has a box of them stuffed beneath her bed at home.

Her eyes wander around the room before they fall onto a display of all kinds of different postcards. Most of them, as expected, have birds on them. Though there’s one that doesn’t. It says “Terre Haute” in big bold letters. It reminds her of the ones Billy used to get from those coastal towns.

Greetings from … the few happy childhood memories she can remember.

(Y/N) takes the card over towards the reception, where Ruth greets her with another of her signature Ruth smiles. Kind and warm.

“ Hi, dear. “

“ Hi uh — I want to buy this postcard. I can’t find a price though, ah shit I left my money up in the room let me just — “

Before she can hurry towards her room though, Ruth stops her.

“ It’s okay, Darling. You can have it for free. “

“ Oh no, I — “

“ Please. You asked about the birds that pretty much the most anyone has cared about this place in a while. Take it. I want you to have it. “

It’s kinda sad, (Y/N) thinks. That her just asking about those silly birds made Ruth this happy. That people pay so little attention to her adorably little bird room.

“ Thank you, Ruth. That is very sweet of you. And this place is adorable. “

“ Thank you, dear. Do you need a stamp for that ? “

(Y/N) sighs “ No. No I don’t. “

The Bean is a little diner at the edge of town looking out onto the Wabash River. It’s emitting a perpetual smell of coffee and waffles and breakfast food.

Steve is munching down an entire plate of eggs and bacon. Oh to have the metabolism of a teenage boy.

(Y/N) takes another sip of her black coffee, hoping that the caffeine is gonna help keep her awake and not get too tired during their drive. After all they plan on being on the road for the entire day.

The pancakes on her plate are long forgotten. She hasn’t really been feeling like eating since it all happened. It’s like she’s acting on power saving mode. Always tired. Always sad. Always working on half speed.

“ You should eat something. You need it. “ Steve remarks.

“ Are you flirting with me ? ”

“ I uh — what ? “

“ Male cardinals feed females as part of their courtship ritual. A female’s partner bears total responsibility for satisfying her dietary needs. “

“ How do you know this ? “

(Y/N) smiles and takes another sip of coffee “ my friend Ruth recommended me some interesting reading material “.

She doesn’t mention that the nightmares didn’t allow her much sleep and that she spent most of the night staying up reading the informational magazine. There’s things Steve just doesn’t need to know.

“ Alriiiight. “ Steve exclaims, eyebrows raised “ Hey, what’s that. You gonna send a card home ? “ he asks and motions towards the postcard she’d been scribbling on while he had been ordering their food.

“ Nah. Not really. This one’s for someone else “.

“ Alright … hey uh. I think I should call my parents “

She looks up from her cup at Steve’s words. This can’t be happening. She can’t go back home now. He can’t bail on her.

“ Harrington “

“ Don’t look at me like that, I’m not turning around and crawling back home. I just don’t want my mom to worry. I need her to know I’m safe. “

That’s right, Steve has a mom too, not just an asshole dad. A mom who cared and who worries and who loves. God it’s been so long since (Y/N) had one of those.

“ Okay, yeah. But um — can you not mention my name. I don’t want any news to get to my dad. “

“ Of course. Yeah, no worries.“

“ Thanks “.

Despite what Billy always said about him, Steve seems to be an alright guy after all. His hair’s ridiculous though.

It rings once, twice, three times before someone picks up.

“ Hello ? “

“ Mom, it’s me. “

“ Oh god Steve. Honey where are you I’m worried sick “.

That sends a little pang to his heart. His mother is a nice lady, she loves him deeply and she doesn’t deserve for him to worry her like that. But this is something Steve has to do, if not for (Y/N) then for himself.

“ I’m alright mom. I’m taking a friend on a — uh a roadtrip. “

“ A roadtrip ?”

“ Yea. To uh — “ his mind wanders to Billy. “ We’re going to help her brother “.

“ Okay, well are you alright ? “

No. He hasn’t been alright in a long time. Since 1983 to be completely honest.

Maybe this trip is just what he needs. A way out. An escape.

Steve leans his head against the payphone, taking a deep breath.

“ I don’t know, mom. But I’m safe and I need to just — just get away. “

“ Is this because of what happened with the Holland girl ? Or the mall ?“

Yes. All of it. If only she knew.

“ It’s just a lot lately. Can you just trust me in this, mom. That I’m doing what’s best for me ? “

His mother hesitates for a moment before clearing her throat.

“ Of course I do, sweet boy. But I am a mom and I do worry. I always will. “

It warms his heart. To know someone does care and someone does love him, no matter how much he messes up.

“ I know. I love you and I’ll be back soon. I promise. I just need to do this, for me.“

“ Be safe, Steve “

“ I will. “

Before he hangs up he can just about make out his father’s voice in the background, asking if “that’s him” and “what’s he messed up this time ? “

And it once again becomes crystal clear why getting on the road with (Y/N) is the best decision he’s made in a long time.

He walks back over to her, as she leans against his car chewing some bright pink bubble gum.

“ You ready to head out ? “

“ Yup. Your parents mad ? “

“ No. Surprisingly not. Mom just wants me to be safe. “

“ Aw little Stevie. How adorable. Anyway let’s go. “

As they both settle back in their seats, Steve slides the signature dark shades back onto his nose and turns towards (Y/N).

“ Sooo, snacks ? “

“ Snacks “ she nods and throws him one of her signature smirks “ definitely need some twizzlers to survive this trip “.

“ Happy Birthday to me “ a freshly 9 year old (Y/N) mumbles as she buries her feet in the warm sand. It’s almost time for the sun to set behind the horizon and color the sky in beautiful shades of reds and pinks and oranges.

For the last 8 years this has been a moment she has shared with her mom. Every birthday the two of them would come down to the beach and watch the sunset. Just them two.

Billy had the morning to spend alone with mom, going to the beach to catch some waves, and (Y/N) got to have the evening.

They’d sit and talk for hours and hours and hours. About everything. The silliest things.

This year she hasn’t so much as called. As if neither (Y/N) nor Billy ever existed in her life.

Billy’s been grumpy all day, refusing to spend time with his sister and deciding to go hang out with some of those stupid boys from the neighbourhood that always call (Y/N) dumb names.

(Y/N) watches the sun lower itself as if to drown the light in the dark water of the ocean, when a little plastic bag lands next to her. Just a moment later Billy drops down onto the ground too.

“ Got you some candy. Twizzlers, your favorite “

“ Did you steal them ? “

“ No, dingus. I bought them with my own money. “

“ Good. Means I don’t have to feel guilty when eating them. “

It’s silent for a moment as they sit beside each other, watching the sunset.

“ Hey I’m sorry “ Billy whispers, as if speaking any louder would mean destroying the magic of the moment.

“ It’s okay. You’re sad. I’m sad too. “

“ I’m not sad “ he claims “ I’m angry. So angry. “

“ You can be sad and angry at the same time. They’re not mutually exclusive. “

“ Stop using big words. “

“ Sorry. “

Billy takes a big breath “ I’ve decide “ he exclaims “ that from this moment on I’ll missing her. If she doesn’t want to come home, doesn’t want to see us. Screw her. I don’t need her and neither do you. “

(Y/N) knows that’s absolute bullshit but she also knows that Billy has a certain way of coping with loss and sadness and maybe she doesn’t share his ways or understand them fully but she can respect them if it means he’s less angry and less sad.

“ Okay. “

“ We don’t need her because we have each other “ he says, placing his hand on hers “ right ? “

In that moment, little (Y/N) knows that whatever the world is gonna throw her way, it’s only half as bad with her twin brother by her side.

“ Of course. Always “

If only they had known how terribly short ‘always’ would turn out to be.

_________

tags:

@sargent-barnes //

#steve harrington imagine #steve harrington imagines #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x reader #stranger things imagines #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things fanfic

116 notes · View notes

marvel--queen · 5 years

Text

00:00:00 || EoWells

Fandom: The Flash

Word Count: 3,922

Warnings: swearing. angsty. little smutty at the start. The Flash Season 5 Spoilers.

Description: You fear for your husbands future with you as the time draws closer to the end of his sentence.

Masterlist

A/N: Here’s the fic! It started as something different and ended up like this so be on the watch for another EoWells fic in the nearish future. Also i decided to tag the people who liked/commented/reblogged my last post on this, hope yall don’t mind.

THIS IS NOT MY GIF. GIF CREDITS GOES TO THE OWNER

“Remember that one time, what was it.. after the particle acceleration blew up, when I rode you in your lab, while you were in the wheelchair.” You threw your head back in memory, “And then you just had to drag me to the time vault and fuck me against the wall. Couldn’t let me be in charge for once."

Eobard loudly groaned on his side of the cell, “Did you come here to torture me? As much as I wished it was, this isn’t a conjugal visit.”

“We can make it into one,” You winked, “I know you got your last meal already but maybe you can request a second one.”

He groaned again at the suggestion, “They won’t listen to me.”

“I’m sure they’ll make an exception, it will be, after all, a dying mans wish, one last time to eat out his darling wife.” You bite your lip teasingly.

“I don’t know if we have time for that,” Eobard nods his head to the timer that reads 00:12:23.

“Let’s not think about that, love.” Your eyes fill up with tears as the mood dampens. You place your hand against the cool glass. Eobard walks up to the glass and places his hand over yours, longing to actually feel your hands.

“Please don’t cry, dear,” Eobard tries to console you.

“You know it’s hard to control my emotions, especially now.”

“Don’t worry, once I get out of here, we can go out and live our lives. No more vengeance, no more fighting, just us.” Eobard promises to you, before jerking to one side as if sensing something. “Dear, be a dear and hide in one of those dark corners we love so much. Barry’s about to pay me a visit.” Eobard turned to look out the window as you roll your eyes at his dramatics. He turned to eye you still at your spot, you sighed at his actions before turning and leaning against one of the indented concrete walls.

“Happy?” You purse your lips. Eobard nodded with a small smile and turned back towards the window grasping his vest. A second later, Barry arrived, fuming.

"So she finally came clean, or did you figure it out all by yourself?” Eobard turned towards Barry with a smirk.

"One wasn’t enough? You had to try to take my daughter from me too?” Barry tried to stay calm until he lost it thinking about Nora’s betrayal, “my daughter?!”

"I knew you’d react like this. You’re always so emotional, which is why I had her keep all of this from you.” Eobard stayed calm but sent you a warning glance when you started to walk out of your corner. Barry noticed the glance and turned around to see you.

“(Y/N)” He breathed out, unsure of if he should be happy to see you or angry.

"You can’t blame Nora, Barr. She just wanted to spend some time with her dad.” You approached Barry with caution, "Don’t hold that against her.”

“You-You’re still with him after everything he’s done?” Barry looked at you as if you just spat at his feet.

“Of course I am Barry! He’s my husband! I love him with all my heart, I will never abandon him.” You crossed your arms. Barry turned to look at Eobard with angry eyes, tears about to fall.

Eobards eyes widen understanding what Barry’s thinking, “(Y/N)! Watch out!” But it’s too late, Barry sped towards you and pinned you against the wall, blocking your air with his forearm. “Dammit, Barry! Don’t do this, your fight is with me, not (Y/N).” He slammed his arm against the glass, helpless to do anything.

“B-Barr, please.” You choke out, turning Barry’s attention back to you. Your eyes filled with tears as you grasp Barry’s arm. “Th-this isn’t you.” Your eyes closed tightly, tears flowing as you clench your teeth in pain.

“Please, Barry,” Eobard cried out slumping against the glass.

Your hand moves from Barry’s arm to rest on the bump on your stomach. “Please,” You beg, gasping loudly. Barry’s eyes widened at the movement and back away sharply. You fell to the ground, gasping to regain your breath.

Barry turned away from you, not able to look at your figure on the ground without feeling guilty, "You always thought you were so much smarter than us, Thawne. But you lost. And now you’re finally gonna get what you deserve.”

You turn your head to glare daggers into Barry’s head. “Get out,” You rasp, “Get the fuck out of here!”

Barry turned to you finally with sad eyes, “I’m sorry.”

“Son of a bitch,” You mutter, rubbing your neck.

“Are you okay? Is the baby okay?” Eobard looks at you worriedly.

“Yeah, we’re good.” You slump against the glass, wrapping your arms around your stomach. Nora sped in a few seconds later, sobbing.

“Aw baby,” You cooed at her and gathered her into your arms.

When she calmed down she began talking, “All those years without my father and you guys gave me a second chance. And now I’ve lost him all over again.”

“I failed you, Little Runner,” Eobard spoke and you smiled at the nickname, running your fingers through the younger girls hair, trying to calm her down.

“I should’ve never lied to them about working with you.”

“Well, perhaps not.”

You shot Eobard a harsh glare at his words as Nora sobbed out, “I screwed everything up.”

“Oh, sweetheart, you didn’t screw everything up.” You wipe away Nora’s tears, trying to console her.

“But I did! Now I can’t even help them catch Cicada because my dad will know if I run into the Speed Force.”

“Mm-hmm,” Eobard looked at you with a small smile at your motherly instincts, “He most certainly will.”

“Hey wait,” Nora spoke standing from the ground and your arms, “You’ve run into the Speed Force hundreds of times. And my father, other speedsters, they never felt you coming.” You and Eobard shared a look, “How did you do that? Thawne, tell me how you did it.”

“Nora,” You took her arm to turn her to you, but she shook you off.

“Tell me. Thawne!”

“It’s not for you.” Eobard harshly spoke.

“I need to see my father. Please, if there is a way I can go back to see him undetected, you have to tell me how.” Nora begged.

“Eobard…” You sent him a warning look to not go into it.

Eobard thought about it for a moment before going into another spiel. Telling Nora about his Negative Speed Force. When Nora left to attempt at getting into the Negative Speed Force, you turned to your lover.

“I do not approve of this at all. I can get behind your plan of getting out of this prison and everything else, but not corrupting the kid who has wormed their way into our hearts. Look what it did to you!” You pace the cell now.

“Dear, she’s just like her father, I doubt it will work.”

“That doesn’t mean it won’t work. Her father just left her, she has enough negative feelings that it could work.” You let a tear slip but wiped it away when you heard Nora.

“Thawne, I said I’m ready.”

“I can’t watch this,” You walked to the other side of the cell and slid down the wall, listening to Eobard coach Nora. You let out a breath of relief when you heard it didn’t work. Nora sped back and started to question Eobard. You stood back up during that time and tried to calm Nora down again. When Iris entered the cell, you took a small step away from Nora, not wanting to be viewed as a threat again.

“Step away from him, please.” Iris took a short glance at Eobard before returning her gaze to her daughter.

“Mom, it’s okay. Eobard is helping me.” Nora tried to explain. “He has a way for me to get back home.”

“Nora, step away from him now,” Iris spoke more harshly.

“Nora,” Eobard brought Nora’s attention to himself. “Listen to your mother.” He gave her a small head cock and Iris narrowed her eyes at Eobard when Nora listened to him. You kept yourself out of the brewing fight, keeping your attention on your husband until the ground started rumbling and he shot you a scared look.

You took that as your cue to jump in, “Nora, sweetie, calm down.” You put your arm out to calm her down but she ignores you.

“How can he stop loving me?!” Nora yells and pushes you out of her way. Your body slams against the glass and slumped to the ground, groaning in pain.

“(Y/N)!” Eobard yells at you. You wave him off, standing up with another groan, grasping your head.

“I’m fine, baby’s fine.” You rubbed the back of your head. Eobard gave you a stern look, “Eo, we’re fine.”

Eobard looked to the side again, sensing something before looking back at you with a sad expression.

“She’s gone.”

“What the hell do you mean she’s gone?” Iris squared you up. “Gone where?”

“2019 I’d assume.”

“When Nora said you showed her a way back you meant your way.”

“Yes. And I made a mistake.” Eobard looked back at you, “She wanted to go home, I tried to help her. But listen, Iris, you have to find her. She needs her family.”

“And that family does not include you,” Iris spoke harshly to Eobard. “And sweetie?” Iris spat at you. “Who do you think you are, her mother?”

“Well, someone had to be,” You shrugged as Eobard looked at you with a pleading expression.

Iris turned on her heel to leave in before Eobard interrupted the silence. “Your family does include Barry. She needs you both united.”

She spun around fast and walked up to the glass where Eo was, “I’m only going to say this once. You don’t get to comment on us. You stay the hell out of our business or you won’t even make it to the end of that timer.”

“I like your anger,” Eobard spoke, “But don’t let it drive Barry away. The only way for you to help Nora is by doing it as a family. Otherwise, you’re simply leaving Barry the exact same way he left Nora.”

You directed your attention to the door when some tall man ran through it. “Iris we got to bail. They found Officer Jackass.”

“Think about it,” Eobard spoke quietly to Iris as she backed up slowly.

“Iris, please.” The man begged before she turned and left the room.

Eobard and the man locked eyes for a second before he too turned and left.

“Well, that was…something.” You spoke up after the pair left.

“Yes, it sure was.” Eobard looked at you with soft eyes, “Are you sure you’re okay.”

“I’m sure, my love.” You longed to hold his face in your hands. “Now, we have just over five minutes before your ‘jailbreak’ and I plan on staying until the very end. What shall we do?”

“How about we talk about our future. And this special little bean.” Eobard motioned towards your stomach.

“Of course you would.” You snorted, sitting on the ground. “You’ve had a lot of time to think, what are your ideas for names? I was thinking Barry for a boy.”

Eobard groaned at your teasing, “We are not naming our child after my enemy.”

“So I guess that means Nora is off the table for a girl?” Eobard hid his face in his hands. “I’m kidding, love. What about Harrison?”

Eobard gave you a look, you brought your hands up, mocking defeat. “Fine, how about John? George? Paul?”

“Now you’re just listing the Beatles, dear.” Eobard gave you a soft smile.

“What? I’m a sucker for the Beatles. But seriously, John Thawne has a certain ring to it.” You return his smile.

“Fine, but I get to choose the girl name.” Eobard compromised.

“Good with me, my intuition tells me it’s gonna be a boy anyways.” You shrug.

“Well, mine says it's a girl. I always liked the name Sarah... What do you think, dear? Sarah Thawne?” You hummed in response.

“And their room will be a pale yellow, and I’ll sing them to sleep with the Beatles Penny Lane, just like my mother did.” You closed your eyes happily. “They’re gonna be a speedster, just like their dad. And I’m gonna be so lucky to have you around to control their speed. Hopefully, they’ll be a little less homicidal”

Eobard laughed at the last comment, “I don’t know, dear. It may be hereditary.”

“Oh, God help me then.” You chuckled before getting serious. “Eo?”

“Hm?”

“What if your plan doesn’t work. What if you actually do die tonight?” You softly cry.

“Darling, you just have to have faith that it will. If I do die tonight, you will continue on. Maybe find a more sane partner to be the father to our little Sarah or John.”

“That won’t happen. No one could ever replace you.” You sob into your hands, “These damn hormones.” You wipe your tears with the sleeve of the sweater that belongs to Eobard. The two of you spend the last couple seconds in silence before Eobards guard walked in.

“15 years, Thawne.” He spoke harshly, “Tell me, how’s it feel to know you’re about to become extinct?”

“I guess time will tell.” Eobard rasped out.

“I’m gonna miss the hell out of you.” He chuckled darkly. “Especially our rehabilitation time. How about a taste of what’s to come?”

“Trevor, you know better than to do that in front of me. You don’t want a repeat of last time, now do you?” You narrow your eyes at the man.

“O-Oh, Mrs. Thawne. I didn’t know you were still here.” Trevor stuttered out.

“Where else would I be? It’s the last day my husband will live, of course, I’m going to be by his side the entire day.” You cross your arms and pursed your lips.

“It’s time.” Three other guards walk in, rolling in the device Eobard will be strapped in. A pair of guards go to release Eobard from his cell and immediately you’re fighting your way to him. Once you got there, you pulled the love of your life into a deeply passionate kiss. One to rival all kisses.

“I love you,” You murmur into his lips, “I love you so much. And no matter what happens, I will always love you, forever.” Eobard’s hands moved from cupping your face, down to press his hand against your stomach. He bends down to kiss your three-month baby bump and tears start to freely flow again.

“Don’t cry, dear.” Eobard wipes away your tears. “I love you and little Sarah so much.”

“John, but whatever.” You choke back a laugh.

“Okay, that’s enough, you’ve said your goodbyes.” Trevor pushed Eobard towards the device. You sob and tried to reach out towards your husband but the guards stopped you. They strapped in Eobard, his eyes never leaving yours. They unlatched his vest to show the dagger and you flinched back. Trevor did a crude speech, leaving Eobard with a parting gift of his old flash ring. Once everyone was in position, Trevor placed his hand on the lever. Eobard’s eyes flashed from yours down to his chest where the dagger flickered. He looked back up at you with a smirk, happy tears ran down your cheeks when you realized the plan worked. You hid behind one of the concrete indents, knowing Eobard had a flair for the dramatics. The device holding him hostage exploded and as the smoke cleared, Eobard emerged.

“Just in time.” All the guards raised their weapons as Eobard turned to them. “Gentlemen,” He spoke softly, “I hate to inform you, but you’re all dead.” He spun around the room, killing all the guards except Trevor, landing in a lax position.

“God, that was so hot, babe!” You bounded up to him and kissed him hard. His hands rested on your hips before he parted the kiss.

“Dear now’s not the time,” He whispered before turning menacingly towards Trevor. You watched as Trevor begged for his life but stood there unaffected. After Trevor got what he deserved, Eobard flicked his hand, stopping it from phasing, and ripped the necklace off his neck. You just about swooned at the motion and Eobard looked at you with a smirk as he placed the ring on his middle finger. You fan yourself mockingly with your hand when he punched out for his suit to emerge from his suit. It did but then it retracted and everything went backwards. Back to when Eobard first spoke. You suddenly find yourself outside instead of by your husbands' side and you scream out in frustration. Now you need to run around town to find out where the Allens have your husband. God, why can’t they make it easy on the non-speedsters. You spot them running around town, before stopping at the Plaza. You run over so you’re still partially hidden but just in range of hearing and for Eobard to see that you’re there. You watch as Team Flash chucks Eobard’s old time sphere at him and he goes down, hitting it at full speed. It takes all your strength to not yell out to your husband or help him up, as he looks at you, warning you not to engage. The team arrives through one of Cisco’s breeches. Your heart fills with pride as you look at Cisco and Caitlin, how strong they’ve become. Oh, how you missed the old days, back in 2014, but that’s not now and you need to move on. You flinch at every beating they give Eobard, every thud of his body against the hard ground. When he gets launched into the Plaza sign, that's when you relinquish your control. You sprint over to the group and watch as Nora pins Eobard. You watch her raise her hand, and from watching Eobard do it so many times, you know what she’s thinking of doing before anyone else.

“Nora no!” You shout, taking away everyone's attention.

“So close, Little Runner,” Eobard looked intensely at Nora, “It was never going to work anyway.” Nora gasped as her hands start to glow. She goes towards her parents and starts crying. You walk towards Eobard and help him up.

“A new timeline is setting in,” Eobard speaks.

“What?” Barry looks up from his daughter frantically.

“A new timeline that you created when you destroyed the dagger!” Eobard returned his gaze to Nora. “I’m sorry, Little Runner, for trading you in like this. But I had to be sure that I could go free.” You got knocked down once more, as Barry’s emotions got the best of him and he rushed towards Eobard, pinning him to the broken Plaza sign.

“You can still save her, Barry.” Eobard choked out, “There’s still time. You can still save her.”

“How?” Barry yelled, pressing Eobard harder.

“The Negative Speed Force.” You say, pushing yourself back up from the ground. You motion to Eobard that once again, you are okay, “She has to go there. It’s the only place immune to timeline changes.” Barry looks at Eobard to confirm, making you roll your eyes. It’s not like you helped Eobard create the damn thing.

“She’s right, but you have to go now.” Eobard grunts. “You have to go, Barry! Or we lose her forever.”

Barry looks at Eobard confused, “That’s right. I’ve grown fond of her too. In many ways.” Eobard breaks eye contact with Barry briefly to look at you, "She’s shown us what it’s like to have a daughter.”

Barry pushed Eobard harder against the sign and Eobard grunts, “See you in our next crisis.” You scoff at that as if he’d leave you and your child to galavant with his enemy. He smirked at the group as Barry and Nora leaves. His eyes glow red and he runs off, scooping you off your feet.

Once the two of you are at a safe amount distance from the Team, Eobard carefully sets you down. You look up at your husband with the biggest smile on your face. “We did it, love.”

“Yeah, we did.”

“Alright, which Earth are we going to now?” You question, “And are we sure this is safe for little Johnny.”

“Little Sarah, and yeah, it should be.” Eobard looked down at you fondly.

“How about you just run and see what Earth we land on?” You chew on your cheek. “Just don’t go to that horrible Nazi one, or a dead earth, pick a nice and easy Earth, similar to ours.” You pause, “And make sure the Beatles and Queen still exist in this Earth. I can possibly live without their music.”

“And you call me the dramatic one?” Eobard laughs and picks you back up. “So many criteria’s I have to meet, this might be harder than I thought.” He smirks down at you in his arms and captures your lips into a kiss. “I know the perfect world.”

—

(One year later)

“I don’t care if Damien Darhk is going to be there, you promised me no fighting.” You sternly spoke.

“But Darling,” Eobard whined.

“No buts. As my family used to say,” You leaned down to be face to face with your six-month-old son, speaking in a baby voice, “Butts are for sitting on.” John giggled, not understanding what you said.

“That’s no fair,” Eobard whines again, making you turn and look at your husband. Almost melting looking at him holding your six-month-old daughter at his hip.

“Life's not fair, love.” You retort, picking up toys that littered the floor and placed them in the toy chest. “I had to carry these buggers for nine months. Three of which you were in prison for, and had them kicking me with your damn speed legs at all hours of the night.”

“I’m sorry?” He responded.

“Yeah, you better be. Also, Sarah and John are too young for you to leave me alone for a whole crossover fight.” You pick up John from the floor and walked to the kitchen, Eobard following behind you with Sarah. You place John in his food chair and Eobard did the same for Sarah. He grabbed their bibs and put them on as you got the baby food of mashed carrots ready. Once everything was set for feeding your children, you turned to Eobard. “Fine, I’ll make you a deal so you’re not moping around the entire week. You can make one cameo. One!” You threatened with the baby spoon as Eobard bounced on his heels excited. “Make it count, lovie, cause that’s all you’re gonna get.”

“Deal, thank you so much,” Eobard kissed your forehead, “I don’t know what I did to deserve such an understanding and amazing wife and mother to my children.”

“You think you’re gonna go alone, that’s adorable.” You pat his cheek lovingly before spooning some food into John’s mouth. Eobard’s mouth drops in response and it takes everything to not spoon some of the baby food into his mouth. “What? I’m in the mood for some hell raising. Plus it’s time for the twin’s checkup. Caitlin wouldn’t mind, and Nora hasn’t met them yet so it’s like the perfect chance. Now feed little Sarah, I’m sure you’ll look menacing as ever with one of those baby backpacks on.”

“Please tell me you’re not serious.”

“I'm dead serious.”

#eobard thawne #eobard thawne x reader #eowells x reader #eowells #the flash imagines #eobard thawne imagines #eobard thawne imagine #the flash imagine #eowells imagines #eowells imagine #reverse flash imagines #reverse flash x reader #reverse flash imagine #marvel--queen

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why-this-kolaveri-machi · 5 years

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Fic: Come As You Are (1/11)

THIS IS FINALLY HERE OH MY GOD.

Summary: A series of codas/tags/missing scenes to every episode of the first season of TItans. In the first episode, our protagonists are moving towards each other, but first, they each navigate the existential nightmare that is their own mind.

Warnings: SPOILERS for the whole series, some swearing, lot of dense parenthetical nonsense and fancy formatting. Dick and Rachel marinate in their own anxiety. I’ve also taken the liberty to fill in some gaps that were left by canon.

this is meant to be a companion series to my episode recap series. i’m in the midst of my worst writer’s block ever--it took two whole months just to write this chapter; i’m still far from happy with it, but if i looked at it anymore i was going to scream--but i hope to finish both the recap series and this fic series before s2 airs this fall.

(s/o to @cautiousamber whose continued love for the show and for what it's doing delights me always)

Come As You Are

1.01

Strange things live inside Rachel’s head.

When she was little, people around her would come to her in her dreams in coloured silhouettes, glowing and wailing, ripped into pieces by monsters that lurked in the shadowy corners of her mind. As she grew, the figures grew more refined, more recognisable, but they never stopped screaming; when she heard words, it was only the monster that spoke.

I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, RACHEL

The years passed, and the dreams started to leak into the real world: she would see strange, fresh scars on Melissa’s arms while trembling in her arms after another DREAM; hazy, coloured halos followed people she knew and horrible things happened to people she hated; the monster would stare back at her in the mirror now, eyes inky black, leaking venom into her veins. TRUST ME, the monster would say, calm while everybody else screamed, and Rachel, well. After a point, she forgot to scream, too.

Then one night, she dreams of a little boy on the trapeze who watches his parents fall to their deaths, and the monster does something it has never done before: it laughs.

“Master Dick, I trust you received the package I sent you last week?”

Dick idly doodles a large ‘R’ on his notepad while wedging his phone between his shoulder and his ear. “I did, Alfred, it came in just this morning. Thanks. I, uh,” he makes the edges sharper, the ends like knife blades, “I should’ve called to let you know earlier.”

“Yes,” Alfred says crisply, “You should have.”

He twists the pad until it looks like the R is in motion, bounding across the page. Two tables over, Detective Oyode flings a casefile onto his desk in disgust. Across the room, Johnson is eyeing Dick with suspicious disdain. The air is heavy with the smell of stale coffee; there’s a lingering whiff of cigarette smoke from the balcony where Carter, Takashi and Mulligan take smoke breaks twice every hour, on the dot. The floor buzzes with steady chatter, the clicking of computer keys and ringing phones. Dick’s active cases tray is screamingly empty.

“I’ve been busy,” he says. “Settling in, and all that.”

“I see.” A pregnant pause. “And I suppose your new responsibilities as a police detective is the only reason you requested that I send over your modified batarangs?”

“Birdarangs,” Dick says, without thinking.

“Ah. Yes.” Alfred’s voice turns fond. “It’s been well over a decade since you came up with that convention, Master Dick; I must confess that it is good to hear it again. More than anything… it is reassuring to see that you haven’t decided to retire Robin altogether.”

A knot of anxiety tightens somewhere behind Dick’s sternum. This is about as secure a line as he can get without actually using the comms in his Robin suit, but it’s still jarring to hear someone just—just say it aloud like that. Especially after—

Dick’s grip on his pen tightens and he scores across the ‘R’ with such ferocity that the nib tears through the paper. Johnson’s put his coffee mug aside and is starting to walk in his direction and if Dick tenses any more he’s sure he’s going to do something he’ll regret. “Sorry, Alfred,” he says. “Something’s come up; I gotta go.”

“Very well, Master Dick. I hope that you will continue to keep in touch.”

“Bye.” He slips the phone in his pocket, gets up, and tosses his ruined pad in the wastebin. He neatly sidesteps Johnson, swipes the abandoned casefile from Oyode’s desk, and hurries out of the precinct.

(it’s all right. you’re beautiful.)

Now that (she’s) put some distance between (her) and (her) attackers (hot metal projectiles where there should be nothing but fire, but she can’t—she can’t—), the molten panic that’s been fuelling (her) escape abates, just a little. (She) slows to a walk, pulling (her) coat close.

(it’s cold, but she’s known colder.)

The further (she) walks from the woods, the less desolate it is. There are more buildings here and more people, turning to look at (her) as (she) walks by them. Almost on instinct, (she) turns into a gas station and makes (her) way into the bathroom, coming to a stop in front of a grimy mirror. (She) is all edge and glorious skin, shining and sharp.

(beautiful. you will know it. and more importantly, they will too.)

(She) empties her purse to find documents and keys and a dozen little opaque clues as to (her) identity. (She) is Kory Anders, and the name is both everything and nothing at all. It is everything because it fits, slots into place effortlessly in her mind like she’s known it all along, but doesn’t trigger a cascade of memories, or anything other than flashes of light and bone-deep cold (and unimaginable pain).

No matter. She is Kory Anders, and this is as good a starting point as any. Besides, she is sure that the real her has a taste for adventure.

When the fight’s over, Dick changes into regular clothes a couple of dead-end alleyways over and limps back to his car, trying very hard not to think about Batmobiles, or Batcaves, or anything bat-related whatsoever. His shoulders ache with tension and his knuckles feel pulverised—he isn’t quite used to being the ones delivering all the punches yet. There’s blood and glass in his hair and the acrid stench of used smoke pellets lingers around him like a miasma; he’s stuffed his costume and weapons back in the case, but there are still red smears around the lock and—

—he’s not even entirely sure he’s managed to leave the site of the fight clean; or if he’s gotten all the security cams in the alley; it’s been so long since he’s done this and even longer since he’s done it alone—

(All right. Deep breath. Deep breath. Another one. And another one.)

Everything feels even more absurd when, later in the night, he’s stuck in downtown traffic, trying to breathe past bruised ribs and the bite of glass shards in his fingers. It wasn’t supposed to be like this; moving this far from Gotham was supposed to be the start of a clean break. He’d been slowly working up to visiting Wayne Manor one more time (one last time, but he can’t—he can’t bring himself to—) to return the Robin costume, trying to reconcile the memories of safety and comfort he had under Bruce and Alfred’s care with yawning isolation of that gigantic mansion, the stomach-dropping terror that he would be abandoned (again) if he failed (again), and the anger that never seemed to stop simmering regardless of how much he punched, how much he cried, how much he laughed.

Being Robin without Batman feels like something vital’s been cut out of him, but just being Dick Grayson isn’t enough for all the evil in the world.

Dick stumbles into his apartment building, trying very hard not to make carrying a giant silver briefcase in the dark seem suspicious. He enters his apartment—dangerously open to the world but devoid of shadows—and lets himself slump onto the sofa. He’s going to (clean his costume and equipment, scrub the security cam feeds, clean the car of bloodstains and evidence, destroy the copy of Oyode’s file that he’d made, type up a report for his personal log) but for now he closes his eyes and—breathes.

Just—

Just for a minute.

The city is drab and cold in ways Rachel is entirely unused to; for some reason, she thinks of old white bedsheets turned grey from use and wear and repeated washing over years and years. Melissa ripped one of them into rags the last time Rachel DID SOMETHING STUPID, knocked over a vase, cut her hand on the shattered pieces, and dripped blood all over the kitchen floor. Melissa’d spent an entire afternoon scrubbing at bloodstains, refusing to answer to Rachel’s tearful apologies. (The voice told her to break the next vase over Melissa’s head, which made Rachel want to vomit.)

Melissa had washed the blood out of those rags as thoroughly as she could, leaving them even more dirty-grey than they were. That’s what the city looks like: wrung of colour, washed and washed again into grey submission—

“We’re here,” the officer in the front seat of the car says, dropping Rachel abruptly out of her thoughts. She’s taken into the precinct and asked to sit inside a windowless room; it isn’t until the officer that’s trying to get her attention touches her shoulder and she flinches, light and sound and terror rushing in, that the numbness abates and the voice snarls KILL HIM!

can’twon’tdon’t—

The officer looks shocked for a moment before his expression softens and he backs away. “Somebody will come talk to you now, okay?” he says, and leaves. Rachel waits and picks at the fraying edges of her sleeves, wishing—not for the first time—that she’d brought her phone along. It’s not like she has anybody to call, really; she just wants something to do that’s not staring at the walls (of an interrogation room, this is an interrogation room) and trying not to think about how desperately alone she is right now.

A few minutes later, Detective Dick Grayson walks in and introduces himself. Rachel jolts at the sight of him; she can hardly hear what he’s saying over the chorus of holy shit! holy shit! that’s taken over her mind, because holy shit—this is the little boy on the trapeze. He glows blood-red, and every movement of his leaves behind smudges of light and colour and life in this otherwise cement-grey room.

She holds his hands, tells him, you’re the boy from the circus; he frowns, but doesn’t tell her she’s crazy, or stupid, or BADWRONGEVIL. Dick Grayson promises to help her, and for the first time since watching her mother fall to the floor with a bullet hole through her head, Rachel feels hope.

Kory Anders is on a plane to the United States.

Twelve hours ago, she didn’t know her name; now she not only has an identity, but a destination, a purpose (a mission). Everything from swiping cards to speaking a dozen different tongues to summoning fire to her fingertips to the clean, beautiful effortlessness of throwing an asshole across a hotel room has been… intuitive; she thinks as she does, moves as she feels, learns as she touches. She doesn’t know what she will find when she lands (knows without really knowing that where she is going is both impossibly vast and comically small) but she’s going to start with looking for the girl in the photo and see where that leads her.

(--to a bubble suspended in infinite nothingness, shackles around her wrists and feet—)

And if that means burning up a few more entitled assholes along the way, so be it.

#titans #my fic #dick grayson #rachel roth #koriand'r #alfred pennyworth #*flops around exhaustedly*

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thorne93 · 6 years

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Inexplicable Fate (Part 7)

Prompt: When a blinding pain overtakes you at work, what will be in store for your life when you run into the Winchesters and learn Lucifer’s son is about to be born?

Warning: Language, pain, angst, violence, fighting (verbal and physical)…fear of insanity??

Word Count: 1617

Notes: This is for @roxyspearing gif challenge. This is like a slow burn?? Idk. It’s a Jack x Reader fic (so Season 12 and 13 spoilers…) It’s LONG. So buckle in. It is slow-ish at first. But things will build to a head…Promise ;P

Beta’d by the ever fabulous @like-a-bag-of-potatoes

Forever Tags: @capsmuscles @cocosierra94 @essie1876 @magpiegirl80@letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @iamwarrenspeace @marvel-imagines-yes-please @superwholocked527 @missinstantgratification @thejemersoninferno@rda1989 @munlis @thefridgeismybestie @bubblyanarocks3 @random-fluffy-pink-unicorn @hardcollectionworldtrash @igiveupicantthinkofausername@kaliforniacoastalteens @feelmyroarrrr @kaeling @friendlyneighbourhoodweirdo

IF Tags: @iamafishandigosplish @myfamilysincarolina @ilovemyangelforever @kazuha159 @bisexualdolphinthings @mysteriouslydeliciouswerewolf @justiceiswater @millard-our-savior @polkadottedpillowcase @hunter-demigod-timelord

Dean Winchester: @akshi8278 @mogaruke

Sam Winchester: @mogaruke @lenawiinchester

Castiel: @lenawiinchester

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You grabbed your suitcases and started to pull the clothing from the closet when a knock came to your door. Castiel entered, even though you hadn’t answered.

“What are you doing?” he questioned as if he were severely confused.

“I’m leaving. It’s clear I’m not wanted or needed here. I’ll just go home and get out of everyone’s way,” you explained as tears dropped all over your clothing, the tears becoming hotter and more frequent as Cas moved swiftly to wrap his arms around you.

“Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay,” he soothed, holding you and stroking your back, an unexpected gesture from the monotone angel. He never struck you as a physical or comforting person, but it felt nice. It felt amazing, actually, to have some form of contact.

After you stopped blubbering, you pulled away and looked up at Cas. “Thank you…”

“I know Dean isn’t...he is not the easiest man to get along with, but he does care about you.”

“How would you know?”

“Because he mentioned you getting your training, he was concerned with you and the fact that you left your life behind.”

You let his words sink in, slowly nodding. He gestured for you two to sit down on the bed.

“I’m sorry I’ve failed you. I told you I would help you with these powers when you got out here, and since then, it seems it’s been nothing but chaos. You deserve the answers I promised you, and for that, I’m sorry. I just...It’s crucial we find Kelly and her baby and come up with some solution that they don’t have to die...So I wanted to come back with some answers for Sam and Dean.”

You nodded, fully understanding where he was coming from.

“I understand. I don’t blame you. I just….It was hard to watch them struggle without you. You three are a great team.”

“I think we are…” he agreed. “But you need to stay. I don’t know how but I’m going to make sure you understand what you are, and how to use any abilities you’ve been given. It wasn’t fair of me to abandon you like that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just didn’t want to feel...useless or powerless anymore. When they went up against Dagon and I couldn’t help and a man died...That was soul crushing,” you explained.

“I know. I’m sorry. But I will make it up to you. Somehow. For now, can you promise to stay here?”

You nodded.

“Thank you,” he said.

“While you were up there, did you find out what I might be?” you questioned, hopeful.

“I asked once or twice, but got nothing, I was mainly focused on the Kelly situation.”

Shaking your head, you said, “No, yeah, I get that. No problem. We can always start with the training now,” you offered, your voice filled with hope and joy.

“I need to speak with Dean first,” he said. “Then we’ll see.”

“Oh...Okay.”

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

While Cas talked to Dean, you went to shower and clean your room. When you finished, you thought you would join Sam in the library, as you’d heard Sam studying to try and find Dagon, perhaps you could be some help there.

“Wait, Dean, stop,” Sam said as you entered the war room. “A nephilim is just a human soul with angelic grace, you remove the grace--”

“Kid’s just a kid,” Dean summarized.

“Kid’s just a kid,” Sam echoed, as they realized they had a million dollar idea. “This way, Kelly wouldn’t have to die and neither would her baby.”

“Hot damn,” Dean breathed.

“Hot damn,” Sam repeated.

“No,” you suddenly said as you walked into the library.

“No?” Dean said.

“No, you can’t do that,” you argued.

“Y/N, what are you talking about? This is perfect.”

“How? By making the child lose his grace he becomes normal,” you said, looking at Sam desperately as you got closer to their table.

“Yeah, that’s kinda the idea, or did you miss that in the last few months?” Dean quipped.

“But why rob him of his grace?”

“What choice do we have?” Sam asked as he peered at you with desperate eyes.

“I don’t know but this isn’t it.”

“Newsflash, we have been trying for months to come up with a solution to cure the demon kid without having to kill him or the mother, now that we have one, you’re upset because he won’t be special?”

“Why do you need to cure him at all?”

“Because he’s dangerous!” Dean shouted.

“You don’t know that,” you argued, your tone firm. “What says he’s going to come out innately evil?”

“Uh, being Satan’s kid is a good indicator.”

“Guys,” Sam said, trying to appease the tension that was rising. “I think Dean is saying, it’s a chance we can’t take. Yes, he might come out good, but if we have a shot at keeping mom and baby alive, we should take it.”

“So you’re just going to take away the thing that makes him special? Just like that?”

“That thing that makes him special could destroy the earth, maybe the universe. Now, I don’t know about you,but I don’t want that sort of stuff walking around!” Dean yelled.

“Why? Because power is dangerous? Because angels can’t be trusted?” you pressed.

“Pretty much,” he said.

“So, me, I can’t be trusted?” you asked, awaiting a reaction from them. “I have angelic grace, and clearly I’ve got the power to do something. I laid out the angel with no problem.”

Sam sighed as Dean’s face morphed into realization.

Sam said, “Y/N, it’s different for you, you’re an adult. You know how to handle them. You know you need to be careful. But a baby, Lucifer’s baby...Who knows what destruction it could cause?”

“Not if he’s raised right,” you argued.

“Really? Nature versus nurture crap, right now?” Dean spat, shaking his head in frustration.

“Look at me. Like you said, I’m an adult, but I was raised to be a good person. I could’ve gone buck wild when I found out I had these powers. I could’ve killed the angel and probably gone on a killing spree for fun if I felt like it...But I didn’t, because I knew better. Nothing is saying it won’t do the same.”

The two men drug their hands down their faces and ran fingers through their hair.

“Why do you care so much? This kid means nothing to you.”

“Because when he was conceived, something inside me woke up. For better or worse, I am somehow tied to this child, and if you…if you take his grace away, what will that mean for me?” you asked, tears threatening to spill.

Both men sighed.

“I’m not trying to be difficult. I just want you to see it for how it is. He possesses the power to destroy the world, yes, but what if he uses that power to save it? Did that ever occur to you?” you wondered.

“It did, and I don’t care,” Dean said, standing. “I’m not willing to take that chance. We’ve lost too much. We’re doing this plan, because it’s the right thing to do,” he said in a low voice as he got close to you. “I’m gonna get Cas and we’re gonna see if we can get to Kelly.”

He left the room and you stood there looking at Sam.

“Sam, come on,” you tried, your arms gesturing lazily at your side.

“I think this is a really good plan. Dean’s right, it’s not a chance I’m willing to take. To just roll the dice on mankind? I...I don’t think I can live with that.”

“He’s gone!” Dean shouted from behind you as he mad his way back into the war room.

“What?” Sam said as he stood.

“Cas is missing,” Dean explained. “And so is the Colt.”

With that, a flurry of action began. Dean and Sam had tried calling Cas multiple times. Dean began bagging up several guns, as Sam tried to talk with him.

“I say we kick his feathered ass,” Dean said, to which Sam responded Cas must need the Colt for something big.

“Let me go with you,” you said as you walked into the war room.

“No way.Not happening,” Dean dismissed.

“I might be able to help,” you tried.

“No,” Dean repeated, more firm.

“Dammit, Dean,” you sighed.

“What?” he shouted. “I’ve got a rogue angel, my most important weapon is gone, and I still have a huge problem with a missing demon child! I don’t need to play baby sitter!”

“I can be a weapon for you,” you answered.

“That’s too dangerous,” Sam responded.

“I don’t care. I’m tired of being useless to you two. I want to help, and if that means dying...then at least I did it for something that meant something, but just sitting here like an atomic bomb waiting to go off, it’s driving me insane.”

“Y/N--” Sam bean but it was interrupted by a shriek from your mouth.

“Ah!” you cried out, gripping the chair at the table for support with one hand while the other flew to your head, grabbing your skull.

“Y/N!” Sam called as he raced over to you, putting his hands on your shoulders, helping to keep you up while Dean dropped what he was doing and came over.

The words, the voices, they filled your head, until you had a clear picture.

Once the pain passed, you stood upright, looking at Sam and Dean in disbelief. “I know where they're going.”

“Where?” Sam asked.

“To kill Dagon...and Kelly,” you informed, horror in your own eyes.

#inexplicable fate #we have a gif for that challenge #jack kline x reader #jack x reader #jack the nephilim #jack kline #jack kline fic #dean winchester #sam winchester #castiel #spn #supernatural #spn fic #supernatural fic

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kingswell-media · 4 years

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Umbrella Academy Season 2 -Trailer Review

- SPOILERS -

Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/eQvXNz1DjpfvQ4Wr8

Same weird family and a similar plot to season one. Gerard ways (Yes, that My chemical romance Gerard) Umbrella Academy hits us with a brand-new season on Friday and I am sure that just like me, you are more eager than ever to start binging it. So, before we delve into the mysteries of the new trailer, I feel it is best to discuss the ending of the last season. For your sake though I’ll keep it short.

At the end of season one, we saw that Vanya (aka number seven) after rediscovering her powers, had succeeded in destroying the world. Except for this time unlike the future number saw and lived. The Academy survived the apocalypse, by travelling back in time. But as we saw in the trailer it caused a few repercussions. (See Netflix's official re-cap here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxA3_0T51hM)

Now that this very short recap has been established season two has offered us some interesting questions, mainly the questions I want to get to the bottom of is what’s this seasons plot focuses (other than the end of the world) and who is still “dead” in this season. I’m using this term lightly because the academy is travelling back in time, leading me to have a strong hunch that they’ll recounter younger versions of people who we saw die in the previous season (I.e. Reginald Hargreeves, Pogo and possibly cha cha?).

So, what have we got from the trailer and what am I purely speculating as to what may occur? What we know for sure is that the academy is sent back in time, with five ending up in Dallas, Texas. Who discovers that the end of the world has followed them. As an aged Hazel tells him that it is November 25th, 1963 and five discovers once again that they have a set amount of days (ten to be exact) to stop the apocalypse.

Due to the period and clips in the trailer, I am led to believe that it isn’t because of the moon this time. A more likely scenario being the end of the world in the form of a more nuclear explosion.

What we can also gather from the trailer, is that by having successfully gone back in time it appears that the academy has been separated (a possible side effect the five could have been referring too). Meaning that a few of them have started up their own lives, this could be after assuming that they were the only one to survive from the time jump. Or perhaps they are simply using these new lives as a cover until they find their siblings.

Another clue from the trailer is that we’re getting new cast members! Yes, during the trailer, it was revealed we would see new cast members tagging along with the cast. These are Yusuf Gatewood (as Raymond), Ritu Arya (as Lili) and Marin Ireland (as Sissy) all three are paired off with children from the academy, meaning that they will likely help to fuel the character’s individual stories. Before they all ultimately come together to stop this new end of the world. So, what exactly are these individual stories?

Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/kiLgPbu31HKQgtCW9

Ben and Klaus

It is safe to say that Klaus seems to be leading the most interesting life thus far, having started up his own cult. Whilst the ghost of Ben is still tagging along with him. This is the dynamic that I am most interested in, as it has so many possibilities that it can lead to.

Klaus could continue to further develop his powers and borrowing bens from time to time. It might also mean that Klaus could bring Ben back from the dead. This would be interesting to see as I am curious to see how Ben would adjust to his second chance. But again, purely speculation, I would settle for at least more back story on his death.

Vanya

Sooo, the last time that we had heard of Vanya she was trying to destroy the world. However, now she appears more stable or is it only a temporary fix? In the last season, the academy had doubts about bringing them with her, as they said that they were taking the bomb with them. So, does newcomer sissy have a role to play in helping Vanya keep her powers at bay or is she another Harold Jenkins?

Diego

Now Diego like Klaus appears to be leading an interesting life in a mental asylum… What we do know however is that he does escape with newbie Lila. So, my question is why he was locked up in the first place and how far do they get in trying to escape. Not to mention the ominous scene of him dressed up in a tight-fitting Umbrella Academy uniform. My current theory on this is that it was a hallucination or dream of his past at the academy.

Luther

Luther’s story, at current state in my mind, does not appear to have much information as to what his role is in the story. All we can see in the trailer is that he listened to Al’s advice and has entered the ring as a fighter. But like many people, I assume that they are mostly thinking about how Alison and Luther’s previous flirtation will adapt in this season. Or is there still anything there? It was left somewhat on the rocks last season after Luther made the decision to lock Vanya up (upsetting the family) and not to mention that he had lost his V-card (something Alison seemed most surprised about).

Alison

She can talk again! I can imagine being separated from her family at the beginning, will have caused a lot of communication issues for her. However, it seems to have worked out. As Alison appears to have taken up a new love interest with newbie Raymond (Yusuf Gatewood). So as stated above, where will this leave her and Luther?

Her main character focuses this season appears to be fighting for civil rights, sadly a very current and real topic that we are still fighting for across the world during this 2020 pandemic. Something I would like to see also; is how will she react knowing that her daughter in the future is now dead. Will she be able to go back or rather, find a new path to save them?

Number five

So similarly, to last season five appears to be fighting the commission (who have a new look) once again to prevent the end of the world. What is interesting is that five has the most story that we are currently able to piece together.

Back in season one, whilst working for the commission. He abandoned his post to assassinate JFK (leaving someone else to do it for him), using the opportunity to instead find a way home. Which had the defect of him being stuck looking like a boy, with the mind of a fifty-year-old.

With that, we can expect that his story is tied to discovering who assassinated JFK in his place and how they are likely the possible key to the end of the world. Not to mention, as predicted above it is very likely that the main plot due it being set in 1963 and oriented around an apocalypse. We can expect to see it being heavily focused on the Cold War.

A leaked photo also showed him with a mannequin nuclear family, could we expect him to do an Indian Jones and hide in the fridge from an impending explosion?

Now comes the interesting section. In the last season, we said goodbye to a lot of characters, either all together or perhaps temporarily. Here is a list of the characters who we know are deceased and the one who is unaccounted for in the season two trailer.

Source - https://images.app.goo.gl/vC9zrVEj6EnjMXr68

Unaccounted for in the trailer

Agnes - Is she off bird watching away from the chaos, or does Hazels ageing and her absence indicate her death?

Died in the apocalypse

Cha-cha – Last seen trying to escape by calling the commission

Detective Chuck Beaman – Last seen receiving the evidence that would have cleared Diego’s name of murdering path (Spoilers to the list)

Sgt. Dale Cheddar – Last seen eating a sandwich in his office

Patrick – Was not shown on screen

Claire – Was not shown on screen

Murdered

Detective Eudora patch - Shot by Cha-cha

Leonard/ Harold Jenkins - Stabbed (numerous times – like a lot…) by Vanya

Pogo - Impaled on a deer head by Vanya

Grace – The first time she was switched off by Diego. The second time she was assumed dead after the academy collapsed from Vanya’s rage

The Handler - Shot in the head by Hazel

Suicide

Sir Reginald Hargreeves – As a way of bringing the academy back together

General death

Mystery Lady/ former wife of Sir Reginald Hargreeves? – Left to die (Being her wish) on a different planet as others escaped

It is very unlikely that we will see a lot of this cast return, however, they could also reappear as younger incarnations or as a flashback. But the ones we know we will see younger incarnations of are Sir Reginald Hargreeves and pogo. Which leaves an open door on a possible return or mention of Grace? (Which is unlikely due to her being built specifically to combat number sevens bad temper)

A few questions I want to find out about Hargreeves, is how will Hargreeves react to seeing older versions of children he has not yet bought? Or is this why he buys them in the first place? And will the children learn of their father’s alien origin?

When thinking about these younger versions of characters from the past it leads me to believe that it will allow some deceased characters to come back mainly Cha-cha. How will she react to an older Hazel? Will she try to murder a younger Hazel for portraying her? There are so many possibilities that time travelling back on a storyline can offer and ruin for a franchise, so let us hope that they get it right.

I should also mention that all of this is purely my speculation from reading articles and making my own assumptions. As the series is technically very loosely based on the comic books you could cheat and figure out what the series takes from the comic books and make your own assumptions. So how do I think season 2 will end?

In terms of the main story, I currently believe that the children after encountering a younger Hargreeves will get him to help them. Either by being less of a dick to Vanya, meaning that the events of the first and second season would be re-written (essentially end gaming them).

That they come together to figure out a way of stopping the new threat, whilst also keeping past events in places whilst. Either way, they will likely create a whole timeline for season three that will follow seasons one and two or completely rewrite them.

To summarise stories focusing on timelines are complex and I could be all wrong. Just be warned that you have until Friday before season two is released, so be ready to binge read and watch the comics and the series of Umbrella Academy or just the one!

See the trailer bellow:

https://youtu.be/Me0eoCwLj-A

Note - Since writing the opening scene to season 2 has become available, if you would like to watch then please visit the link bellow

Season two opening scene -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcdqpPzlTkM

youtube

#umbrella acedmy #mcr gerard #gerard way #netflix #review #trailer

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chansondesalleurs · 7 years

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I was tagged by the sublime @corpsequeeninthenorth a while ago, but because I am total shit at doing things I am tagged in, I forgot. Well, that is only half the story. The other half is that partway through my latest social media marathon I felt the need to interject a morass of intrepid hemming and raucous hawing out of (sheer lack of) deference to the rat race of a pull-to-get-on-top lifestyle I keep good faith with, even as it pains me to admit it. Sometimes I'm barely even in a place to divert myself, let alone step up any game at all, but I was in a good place today, so I thought I'd do this for the hell of it. :D

Rules: Answer eight questions and tag eight people

Last Movie I watched: Star Wars (Episode VI) – The Return of the Jedi aka Re-watch Reboot vol. 2

Last Song I listened to: Enjoy the Silence – Depeche Mode

Last Book I read: The Raven King (also part of the Raven Cycle saga) by Maggie Stiefvater

Last thing I ate: a healthy serving of shrimp with spinach & tomatoes a++

Where would I want to Time Travel to: hmmm ordinarily, i'm not exceedingly fond of a whole lot of time-travel scenarios where I also get to fiddle with the past/future as one does, but then I'm thinking I might as well be all in earnest here for the tiniest fraction of a second as I fess up and vomit out my covert, semi-tangible feelings about the live-action BatB remake, insofar as some of the finer points the writers saw fit to come up with in their attempts to update the original in an interesting spin on it grabbed me round the ears and threw me into the wall as soon as I exited the cinema chamber. I'm talking about [SPOILER ALERT!!!] Belle and the Beast bonding over the loss of people who stood as maternal figures for both early in life which, coupled with the added onus of their estrangement from available relationship venues onwards, just about piled on the experience of sameness that was prompted by a visit to Paris (and Belle's own birthplace) in a later bid through the space-time continuum – Belle being let in on the details of her mother's presence there and ultimate fate that Maurice was pretty much unwilling to discuss and having an easier time expressing her shared interests with the Beast, gradually easing into a position where their relationship is fast approaching grounds of equality.

I guess I was really sort of impressed by the writers obviously delving into the basics of the tale and reaching into their special bag of tricks to get their awareness of major themes and underpinnings of the story across, Beauty and the Beast getting to know each other in the most intimate of ways, and both are transformed as a result. Do the writers earn their share of cookies for researching stuff and editing a whole list in accordingly, even despite a melange of familiar limitations and a bunch of tepid drawbacks, yes yes they do! I did also figure that the narrative itself was all too keen to put the Beast as a thrall to the enculturation of male privilege of a kind that is directly responsible for individual victimisation and the perpetuation of abuse and neglect – make no mistake, the Beast being a full-fledged adult by time the curse was put in place, he deserved every bit of what he got – spanning a nexus where gender and status share a common interface of class discrimination and material value. This is the type of magic I’m all about (*ahem*), and it helped flesh out the character quite a bit from a writing standpoint. It is important to me that it made the cut, much thanks to young Adam’s complicated relationship with papa, shining new light on his relationship with Belle, taking on additional dimensions of meaning, and not just for the thrill of watching the adaptation land, and well enough at it, let alone my very peculiar attachment to the original that I so count, certified and with a registration ID to boot, as a favourite. My girl Belle has always gotten to me in a way that no character in a tale has, her desire to make herself known to the world and explore its full potential for adventure on her own terms, all of which she learns to take in stride and accept with the good and the bad. Her bravery in the face of danger, and all her reserves of natural fortitude that she dips into to steel herself against the opinions of those around her, Emma Watson's version of Belle does not disappoint.

Like it is always a pleasure to watch Beauty cut a rebellious and dedicated figure in the confines of her immediate circle and beyond – for the purposes of the film, Belle is made to fit the mold of an inventor in conduct, all too given to the novelty of her makeshift washing machine that she may be left to her own devices while the laundry gets itself done, and her introduction teaching a young girl to read rocks my unwashed, plaid, ingeniously slide-proof socks. Even so, the townspeople and their timid, honest response to Belle during the first song is a wonder for the ages. The idea that not everyone condemns Belle, strange though their perception of her might be, is a refreshing and altogether hopeful concept in itself, at once cognizant of the 1991 animated classic and the changes it brings with it, much as it teases out the connection between Beauty and the Beast, who is similarly inclined in his intellectual pursuits. I did say that Belle was a huge role model for me for a whooping total of reasons, so next time I play-act myself as my Disney princess heroine of choice (for nostalgia's sake) I will be sure to remember: keep going, and know that no matter where it is that you find yourself, no matter the time, the world is as good a place to be as any; there is some ache and suffering and raring trepidation beyond the bubble, but there is beauty in it, too. [/END SPOILER]

(What in the name of all that is holy has BatB to do with the meme close to hand you ask. Did I swap a bunch of perfectly reasonable, self-contained answers for a novel-length reply starting in on the most recent adaptation of the story to hit the big screen and never easing off the gas with this monstrosity of a detour into fairytale-land? I have no idea. It might have something to do with the day being Wednesday and me slowly perishing under an immovable sea of homework, beckoning in its evil, Satanic way, but I won’t say I’m in love. Elsewise, I will be assimilated. tmi, y/y?)

Fictional Character I would hang out with for a day: Luuuke!!!!! (Skywalker, naturally.) I mean, blond and missing a hand? :P

Current Fandom Obsession: Hannibal, A Song of Ice and Fire, BatB, and a smattering of interests tentatively titled ‘Do I even have a fandom to speak of?’ Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

(Also, SW: The Last Jedi = hype. The wait is too strong for me to handle.)

Anyway, I don't want to lure you into a false sense of security with stuff like that. Basically, this whole tumblr thing has gotten away from me lately, and though I honestly did try to cull it somewhat and get my blog back into some semblance of shape going forward, I fail at the internet. If you, like me, are by any chance sticking it out yet, you are awesome and deserve all the good things, too <3<3<3

I’m tagging everyone and no one in particular. If you want to take a spin with this piece, go right ahead!

#thank you for tagging me <3 #this was fun #I genuinely enjoy interacting with peeps on here even if I don't always show it either #lots of fascinating individuals to pick from #and so many things to learn about you #but then you never truly know someone #personal cw #I want to give you the tl;dr version srsly #I could do more – I always want more #long post for ts #text post #too bad I have the memory of a fruitfly #if you tagged me in one of these and I didn't do it on time I'm the worst #i'm getting better too #I hope I'm not wrong about this #so not ready to be wrong #/whelp #verbosity for ts #batb for ts

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sfb123 · 3 years

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Sapere Aude - Part 6

Book: The Royal Heir

Pairing: King Liam Rys x Queen Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Catch Up Here

Rating: PG-13 Adult language, allusions to smut (but nothing graphic), discussions of death, conspiracy, blackmail, and other adult themes.

Warning: The Royal Heir Book 3 Spoilers all over the place.

Word Count: 2,146

Notes: Not much to say, other than this is the big meeting you’ve been waiting for. There’s A LOT of information here. I hope it’s not too overwhelming!

As always, one love to my pre-readers @texaskitten30 & @txemrn. And thank you @twinkleallnight for my moodboard!

Tags: Tags seem to not work in the actual body of the fic, so I’m going to try tagging everyone in the comments, hopefully that works. If you want to be added or removed, just let me know!

As Riley entered the solarium, Eleanor rose from her seat. To say it was an awkward moment was an understatement. Yes, they had met the night before, but there had been so much going on in Riley’s mind that she wasn’t able to truly process the woman standing before her until that moment.

“Your majesty.” Eleanor bowed slightly.

“Forgive me, but I’m not quite sure how I’m supposed to address you.” Riley was doing her best to stay guarded, even though she was screaming on the inside.

“Please, call me Eleanor, no need for formalities. We are family after all.”

Riley grimaced subtly at that. What does she know about family? Did she really just say that? Too soon, lady. Read the room. “Okay Eleanor. Please, call me Riley.”

“Riley, how are you feeling this morning? You’re recovering alright, I hope.”

“Considering the circumstances, I’m doing fine. Can I offer you something to eat or drink before we begin?”

Eleanor nodded. They both took a few moments to put together plates for themselves. Riley was certain anything she ate would immediately come back up, but she wasn’t going to let her nerves get the best of her. They sat there in silence for several long moments. Riley finally spoke up. “So, you’re in charge of the secret society that has been trying to take down my family. How’s that going for you?” There was a bite in her tone, despite her attempt to stay neutral and composed.

“Riley, please, I know how all of this may seem to you, but you haven’t been getting the entire story. There are very few people in the organization that have the full picture. I am one of those people, and I am here to fill you in on everything.”

“So fill me in. I’d love to know why you’re so hellbent on destroying the son you abandoned.” She crossed her arms over her chest. As hard as she tried to stay calm, the longer she sat there, starting at this woman, the more angry she got. Not for herself, for Liam. She was so protective over him, he was always worried about others, his kingdom, his friends, his family, he needed someone to worry about him. That was a burden she would gladly bear.

Eleanor sighed deeply. “Riley, I didn’t know what I was doing, or who I was when I joined the Via Imperii. I was a young girl with a crush on a boy. He told me about this group that would be able to show me the world.” She knew the similarities in their stories would get her attention. “Surely you understand what that feels like.”

“I might have heard a story like that once or twice.” Riley blushed and sunk a little lower in her chair.

Eleanor went on to explain that, unbeknownst to her, the boy that she followed into the group was actually sent specifically to recruit her into the Via Imperii. They were looking for a way to unite Auvernal and Cordonia, and they saw her as the way to do this. They would get her in power beside Constantine, and she could advocate for the unification of the two countries. There had even been a marriage alliance proposed at one point that would have promised Liam to Isabella and had him rule Auvernal by her side, with Leo taking over the Cordonian throne. Luckily, that failed spectacularly, and didn’t make it past the negotiation phase. The Via Imperii had chosen Eleanor because she seemed to most fit Constantine’s type, making it easy to catch his eye in his vulnerable state, considering his wife had recently abandoned him. Since she was not familiar with Cordonia, they made sure to pair her up with a native operative, to compensate and help her along the way. That is how she met Jackson Walker, her partner, and Constantine’s lead guardsman.

“Drake’s dad? Wait, if Jackson was working with you, does that mean that he’s not…he’s still...” She took a deep breath, trying to compose her thoughts, but her brain was moving too fast for her mouth to be able to keep up.

“No. Unfortunately, Jackson is no longer with us. After my extraction, Constantine became difficult, he stopped listening to everyone. Once influencing him no longer became an option, it was determined that the only path was to remove him from power entirely. Jackson expressed his doubts over the change. The Via Imperii decided that this made him a threat to the plan, so he needed to be eliminated.” There was a sadness in Eleanor’s voice that Riley wasn’t expecting.

“So the failed attempt on Constantine’s life…”

“Was not an attempt on Constantine at all, but a successful attempt on Jackson.” She closed her eyes, and bowed her head slightly. “It was so hard to see that happen to such a dear friend. And it broke my heart to watch Bianca and the children go through all of that pain. Especially Drake, it hit him exceptionally hard. But he and I both knew what this was when we signed on.”

“So there really is nothing stopping them from taking me away from Liam and Eleanor?” Riley’s eyes started to fill with tears. She was officially in over her head.

“Yes there is. Me.” Eleanor reached her hand across the table and placed it over Riley’s. “ I have caused my son enough pain for a lifetime. I won’t let him go through a hurt like that ever again.”

Riley jerked her hand back, sadness and fear quickly replaced with anger at the audacity of Eleanor trying to comfort her. “Why would you even care about the pain you caused him? Wasn’t he just part of the job? Another thing you signed on for?” This was the exact argument that she had talked Liam down from that first night that they discussed everything. At the time, Riley truly believed that his mother loved him, but all of this new information completely threw her for a loop. She didn’t know what to believe anymore, and she needed to stand up for her husband.

“When I married Constantine, it was part of the plan, yes. But in my time by his side, I truly grew to love him. He was a good man that only wanted the best for his country, and his family.”

“Yea, I’ve seen first hand what he was willing to do to make sure his country, and his family had ‘the best’.” She emphasized her sarcasm with air quotes.

“I know what Constantine did to you during Liam’s social season. My heart truly broke for you, and for Liam. The love you two have for each other was evident, even back then. Constantine wasn’t always like that, there was a time when he would have been thrilled for his son to find someone he cared for so greatly. Unfortunately, everything changed after my extraction.”

“Let’s talk about that extraction. Why did you just leave like that?”

Eleanor explained that after the marriage alliance with Auvernal fell through, Constantine started to doubt her loyalty to Cordonia, that she seemed to be putting the needs and wants of Auvernal ahead of those of the kingdom she ruled. The Via Imperii determined that, in order for the plan to move forward, they would need to pull Eleanor out. Because of her expansive knowledge of the inner workings of the monarchy, and Constantine himself, they agreed that she would still be a valuable asset, but she would be reassigned to work behind the scenes, providing them with intel to help them in their mission.

They had worked with Barthelemy through associates in the past, and they knew his desire to have more power in the kingdom, so they felt he would be the best choice to move the plan forward. In order to boost his ego, they led him to believe that he was truly killing the Queen.Through a series of undercover operatives, they ensured that no actual harm would be done. Despite Barthelemy bringing in an outsider, Godfrey, to assist him in the assassination, the plan went off without a hitch. The only problem was, after Eleanor’s ‘death’ Constantine was in a constant state of paranoia. Barthelemy was confident that nobody would be able to get to the king, and if the Via Imperii wanted any control in Cordonia, they would need to take over the throne.

Riley’s head was spinning. She didn’t know if the explanation made things better or worse. She understood now the mechanics of it, but she still couldn’t comprehend a mother abandoning her son. “But you just left Liam. Abandoned him. You knew what these people were doing, you knew what the plan was, how could you just leave your son in the middle of all of that?”

“Trust me, leaving my son behind was the hardest decision I have ever made. When I was assigned to my position as queen, my loyalty was to the Via Imperii. The second I became a mother, everything changed. My priority became my son. He took precedence over everything.”

“Then why did you leave him?” Riley’s voice was small, barely a whisper.

“It was the only way I could protect him. They wanted me out of there. At least if I went willingly, I could still be here to keep him safe.” Elenaor looked at her hands, which sat clasped on the table in front of her. “Leaving Liam will remain the greatest regret of my life, but it was all I could think to do in that moment to protect him.”

Riley’s eyes closed briefly, those words immediately brought her back to the balcony in Fydelia. That was practically word for word the reason he gave her for choosing Madeline at the Coronation. Boy, the Cordonian Ruby doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Eleanor looked up, a single tear rolled down her cheek as her eyes met Riley’s. “I made it my personal mission to make sure you joined the Via Imperii so that we could work together to keep Liam safe. They want him out, they are telling you that the plan has changed, but I know for a fact that it hasn’t. Liam has already proven to be one of the best rulers Cordonia has had in centuries. The two of you are exactly what this country needs, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone ruin that.”

There was a level of vulnerability in Eleanor’s eyes that Riley wasn't expecting. It was the look of a mother desperate to protect her child. The same look Riley had seen in the mirror when she was protecting her daughter from the countless threats that they had faced in her short life. There were still so many unanswered questions, so many obstacles and grey areas. As horrible as all of this was, in that moment, Riley truly believed Eleanor, she trusted her.

“So...what can I do? How can I help?”

“You and I will stay in touch, I will give you any information as I get it, so that you can stay one step ahead of them. For now, just keep your family close, and keep living your life as you normally would.”

Riley nodded. Part of her wanted to tell Eleanor that Liam knew what was going on, that she had told him everything, but she was afraid that would do more harm than good. She figured she’d wait, at least until she told Liam about her. While she did believe Eleanor was being sincere, she was going to let Liam take the lead on how this relationship progressed. She was grateful for her help, but that wasn’t going to cancel out all of the pain that she had caused Liam.

Eleanor stood from her seat. “I really should be getting back, but I’m so glad we had a chance to talk.” She extended her hand to Riley’s.

Riley was just about to shake her hand when she paused. “Wait, I have one more question.” She had just remembered a very important missing piece to the puzzle that was Eleanor’s death. “You were pregnant when you die...er, were extracted.”

“Right, of course. I found out I was pregnant about a month before the extraction. I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell Constantine, which was probably for the best.” She looked down. “I had a son, he was raised in the Via Imperii, and is currently on assignment within the Palace.”

“Wait, so Liam has a younger brother, and he works in our home? He’s been in contact with his brother this whole time, and he doesn’t even know.” Riley felt that all too familiar sting behind her eyes again.

“Yes, we placed him in the King’s Guard so that he could also help in protecting your family. His name is Thomas.”

Tags: @txemrn @texaskitten30 @kingliam2019 @anjanettexcordonia @twinkleallnight @mile9213 @kittypryde-bipride @motorcitymademadame @kat-tia801 @bebepac @gkittylove99 @khoicesbyk @jessiembruno @queenrileyrose @athena-penrose @pixie88 @eadanga @choicesficwriterscreations @iaminlovewithtrr @hopelessromanticmonie @annarenee355 @burnsoslow @shewillreadyou @imturaxamara @gabesmommie1130 @cordoniaqueensworld

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