#surely the people in the cell right next to theirs should hear them

[bisexualmultifandommess]

Michael and Sucre talking loudly in their cell or in the yard with the others about their escape plan from Prison:

The other prisoners and guards:

[priortoallthoughts]

Don’t Mess With the Commander’s Caf

(or do, because it’s gotten you this far)

Rating: T

Word Count: 3.6k

Pairing: Commander Fox x afab!reader

Warnings: Mild swearing; gets a bit spicy at the end but nothing explicit.

Summary: What is supposed to be a night out at 79s turns into a night in the drunk tank, and the morning starts a startling new relationship with a certain Coruscant Guard Commander. All over a cup of caf.

// [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

Masterlist

A night out in Coruscant is never complete for you without going to the clone bar, 79s. You may pre-game somewhere else, but you always end up there, recognizable as one of their regulars. You love the atmosphere, honestly. It’s so jovial, just vode – and weren’t you surprised when you found out that clones spoke a different language with each other – coming to forget the war for a night. Living life as much as they could. You’ve picked up a few words of theirs purely because you hear them so often. Many a curse word too, which are your favorites.

And they were about to be put to good use.

You’re already buzzed and walking with a group of grey-clad troopers that had pulled you into their group when they saw you walking alone. You chat easily with them even though you never met them before. That’s the funny thing about being sociable when you’re sober – you’re even more chatty when you drink. And giggly apparently, considering you couldn’t stop laughing at the mission gone wonky they were telling you about.

When 79s came into view your smile widens. There really is nothing like the neon lights and bass you can already hear resonating from inside. Were there probably millions of places just like in on Coruscant already? Sure. But there isn’t anywhere aside from 79s you could find this kind of ambiance.

There is one downside that pisses you off like no other though.

There’s yelling coming from over by the speeder-way and when you look over, another civilian is getting in the face of a Coruscant guard member. The frown the graces your face feels wrong after laughing so much, but you can’t help it. You pause in your tracks. Usually when you see this kinda shit it deescalates fairly quickly, but this civilian is getting louder and more violent the more the (admittedly nervous acting) guard tried to calm him down.

“Hey.” A hand lands on your shoulder and you look up to see one of your group. “We can’t do anything. The punishment would be too harsh and that civvie chakaar won’t even get a slap on the wrist.”

Your frown turns into a snarl. “You can’t do anything.”

Fishing your flask out of your jacket pocket you take a swig before shoving it into the chest of the closest trooper. The steady click of your heels is the only thing you can hear over the growing volume of yelling.

“Hey! Shabuir in the stupid shirt!” Your own yell interrupts.

You have exactly one second to reconsider things before you think about all the vitriol this jackass is spewing at the guard for nothing. The sound of your fist hitting his face is the most satisfying thing you’ve heard tonight, along with the yelp he lets out when he hits the ground.

“What the kriff is your problem, bitch?!”

“You talking shit about this trooper is my problem!”

He turns towards the guard again and the trooper flinches. “I want her arrested for battery!”

You lean down to grab his collar and shake him out. “Oh, so now you want him to do his job? The one you were just belittling him for? Can’t have it both ways, chakaar!”

“Let go of me!”

You drop him so suddenly that his head cracks against the ground. He scrambles to his feet and points a finger at you. “You’ll regret this! They’re nothing but meat-droids!”

“Say that again, you little pissant. I dare you.” You go to take a step forward but he’s already running away. A hand on your shoulder again makes you look over to the one you defended.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” And he does sound sorry. “I will have to take you in tonight. I… can’t ignore you attacking someone right in front of me.”

You smile at him. “No problem, trooper. Do your job; I don’t want you getting in trouble.” You offer your wrists to him and next thing you know they’re in a pair of binders behind your back and you’re being placed in the back of a speeder.

“A night in the drunk tank should sort you out.”

The smile you give him is blinding, because not only do you know that’s not the proper booking for what you just did, at least you look cute while you’re being taken away.

---

When you wake up in your cell (lucky you’re the only one there) you’re beyond tired and in desperate need of some caf. You can’t function without it in the morning.

There’s a guard member who lets you out not long after you get up. You follow him like a zombie. Presumably he’s leading you out of all the twisting hallways, but you stop short when your nose picks up the distinct smell of caf.

But not just any caf. You know the smell of Death Wish anywhere.

Your favorite.

You follow your nose to a mess hall – sparsely populated but still enough that everyone stops what they’re doing to look at you as you make your way to the caf machines in the back. You’re basically falling asleep as you walk so you don’t notice. Maybe you should care, considering you’re still wearing your clubbing outfit from last night, but no, you don’t actually care.

When you get there you see two different machines. One is labeled with some cheap, generic caf name and the other is simply “Fox’s Starfighter Fuel.”

You grab a flimsi cup and fill it with the second one. No cream. No sugar.

No life, only caf.

You finally notice how deathly quite it is as you take your first sip and turn around. There’s one trooper standing in front of you, helmet tucked under his arm, and the most severe look you’ve ever seen before gracing his features. You look him over with half-lidded eyes, noticing he’s dressed differently than the others, and casually take another sip of caf.

“You must be Fox.”

“Civilians aren’t allowed in this part of the building, who let you in here?”

Still waiting for the caf to kick in, you shrug. “Spent the night in the tank. No one stopped me when I walked in.”

Fox turns to glare at everyone sitting at the tables. They all look down at their food like they weren’t obviously watching and someone starts whistling.

“You need to leave,” he says when he turns back around.

“Can I finish my caf first?” You ask, taking more sips hoping to stall.

He glowers even more. “That’s not even your caf!”

“Shame.” You chug the rest of the still mostly full cup and coughs wrack your chest when you finish. “I think I just burned my esophagus,” you rasp.

“Get out.”

“That’s completely fair.”

You toss your cup in the trash on the way out. Turning the way you were going before you got distracted, you make your way to the exit; no need to bring the wrath of Fox down on you for sticking around. You feel like, once again, you get off light and dont’t want to press your luck. The smile that graces your face as you step outside is probably a strange thing for anyone else to see considering you’re walking out of jail, but you had a good night, and the morning is shaping up to follow suit.

---

The next day you walk into the caf shop you normally stop at on the way to work. The barista behind the counter waves as you walk up. “Your usual, hun?”

“You know me,” you smile brightly, “but, uh, can you make it two?”

Her eyes widen. “I can’t imagine the morning you’re expecting to have!”

You laugh and wave her off. “Nothing bad. I owe someone a cup.”

“You mean someone else drinks this sludge?”

“Imagine my surprise. And it’s not that bad!”

She places two large flimsi cups in front of you. Your hands rub together nervously before you get your thoughts together. “Can I borrow your marker?”

She hands it to you with a raised eyebrow and you quickly scribble a few words on one of the cups. It isn’t a lot, and it completely gives away who you are without having to sign your name, so you hope it’s okay.

“Thanks, gotta run!” You scurry out of the door before the barista can ask anything about what you’re doing.

You aren’t even sure yourself if you were being completely honest. The Coruscant Guard building is a little out of your way from your route to work, but you leave early in the mornings anyway, so you can still make it in time even with the detour. You feel a bit nervous walking in this time. Where did all your confidence from yesterday go?

You flag down the first trooper you see that doesn’t look busy.

“Can you give this to Fox, please?” You hold out the cup for him to take.

He doesn’t.

He only stands there, and you imagine he’s making a face behind his helmet because he doesn’t say anything either.

After a few seconds of silence you lower the cup awkwardly. “Uhh, oh, sorry, am I allowed to bring caf?”

“Why are you bringing the Commander caf?” He finally asks.

You squeeze the cups so much the tops almost pops off. “Fox is a commander?”

“Commander Fox is head of the Coruscant Guard, ma’am.”

The top of your own cup does pop off this time, but nothing spills.

“The entire guard?” You squeak.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Heat is quick to crawl up your face. “Oh stars, I can’t believe I took his caf.” Your internal panic is quickly becoming external as you try not to drop either cup. You hid your face behind one in embarrassment.

“Wait.” The guard member tilts his head. “You’re the one they were talking about yesterday? The girl from the mess hall?”

There’s a few second where nothing but incomprehensible noises come out of your mouth, but you finally get out, “how many people know about that?!”

“It’s made its way around.”

“I’m gonna - kriff - go throw myself off the senate building I swear-“

You’re cut off by the sound of a chuckle and you snap your head up to see the guard member’s shoulders shaking. “So you’re not trying to poison the Commander, huh?”

“No!” You yelp, but quiet down after you see others turn to look at you. “I was just trying to repay the caf I drank! We like the same kind!”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Can you please just give this to him before I die of embarrassment? You’re killing me here!”

He laughs again and finally takes the cup from your shaking hands. “Who should I say it’s from?”

You slap a hand over your face to hide your grimace. “At this point I’d rather not tell you. I want to keep some of my dignity intact,” you mutter.

“Nobody’s dignity is intact here, ma’am.”

“Oh… joy.”

“You best be on your way then.”

He is giving you an out and you’re taking it in full.

“Have a good day,” you say as you turn, the only proof you’ve been there being one guard member and a note on a flimsi cup.

“Sorry for taking your caf yesterday.”

---

One week later you find yourself standing outside of the caf shop, once again with two cups in hand through no fault of your own. It makes you think that maybe another trip to the Coruscant Guard building wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Why waste a perfectly good drink after all?

You pause immediately when you step through the door, because the man you’re looking for is standing across the room talking to someone with a datapad in hand. The decision on whether to interrupt is made for you when the person he’s talking to looks over and spots you.

He waves and Fox finally looks over as well, tilting his head as he does so. You take a deep breath before walking over to them.

“Caf girl!”

You raised your eyebrow at the other trooper. “I really am known around here for that, aren’t I?” You say as you stop in front of them. You have a sneaking suspicion that he is the same one you talked to last week.

“Well you never gave me your name,” he shrugs.

Yeah, it’s him.

Your head snaps to Fox, however, when he addresses you.

“You know my name?”

“Your information was processed and put into the system when you spent the night in the tank.”

“Osik,” you mutter.

“Did you need something?” He asks.

You perk up some, and hold out the second drink in your hand. “Right, there was a mixup at the caf shop, and I got an extra drink. I thought you might like it.”

He takes it carefully, but your bare fingers still brush against his gloved ones. They tingle when you pull away, and while the heat on your palm from holding the hot cup fades, the heat in your fingertips does not. You have the sudden urge to find out what holding his hand feels like, but you push that thought down along with the blush you can feel rising. Now isn’t the time. You have to get to work. Maybe if you come by earlier next time….. would there be a next time?

“Thank you. I… appreciate the thought.” You think you hear him trip over his words, but there’s no way.

You smile brightly at him. “You’re welcome!” You check the time on your chrono. “Looks like I gotta bounce. Enjoy your caf, Commander!”

Your retreat is quick, but hells if you don’t add a little extra sway to your hips as you walk out the doors.

And scribbled on the cup now in Fox’s hand is:

“I know day old caf when I taste it. Fresh is better.”

---

You start to bring Fox caf every week.

“This has become part of my routine, so I hope you don’t mind.”

Every week turns into every few days.

“Your filing system is horrifying but at least your chair is comfy.”

Every few days turns into every day.

“Tell Thorn that if he sees me at 79s tonight, he can’t arrest me just so I’ll hang out with him.”

And leaving early just to see Fox is the best part of your day no matter what. You hope you’re not the only one who feels like this. That maybe as you walk to the Guard building in the morning, you’re not the only one smiling and counting down the minutes until you get to Fox’s office. He never turns you away, and he’s always there to take the extra caf from your hands if he can be. Sometimes you have to leave it on his desk if he’s not in, but you understand that his job isn’t easy by any stretch of the word.

He is in this morning, however, seeing as the door opens promptly at your knock. He sits behind his desk, a few data pads already stacked next to him and a frown marring his face. That won’t do.

“Credit for your thoughts?” You say as you set his caf down next to his helmet and lean against his desk.

Fox looks up and gives you a tired smile, unaware of how it makes your stomach flutter. “Shaping up to be a long day.”

“Giving yourself more grey hairs already?” You say, giving a pointed look to his already greying sides.

“Like I need any more,” he huffs.

“I dunno,” you reach up and run your fingers lightly through his short curls, “I think they make you look distinguished.”

He lets out a breath you didn’t know he had been holding. “At least one of us thinks so.”

“It’s okay, I can like it enough for the both of us.”

“Should I count myself lucky then?” He smirks, finally taking a sip of his caf and sighing contently into the cup.

You give him a cheeky grin. “You should.”

He looks at you then, not saying anything, and you can’t help the flush you feel crawling up your face. You swear, you had never blushed so much around anyone before you met him. You distract yourself by drinking your own caf, the liquid welcome to your suddenly dry mouth.

“I do.”

“What?” Your head snaps back up to him and he’s still looking at you, but not in a way you’ve seen before.

“I do count myself lucky.”

You look away shyly, a small smile forming at the corners of your mouth. Sure, you two have been lightly flirting with each other, or at at least you’re definitely flirting with him, but this is the most straight-forward thing he’s ever said to you.

“It’s a good thing I got myself arrested that night then, isn’t it?”

It’s uncharted territory, where this conversation is heading. The thought of what it could be sits low in your belly and causes you to let out a shakey breath.

“It’s quite the holovid to watch,” he says offhandedly.

You’re lucky you aren’t drinking your caf, otherwise you would have spit it everywhere. You turn your head so hard you think you give yourself whiplash, mouth agape, looking at him in wide-eyed mortification.

“There’s a holo of that?!” The pitch of your voice would be embarrassing if you weren’t in the middle of spontaneously combusting on the inside.

He nods empathetically, which is shit because you know for damn sure he’s not empathetic about it; he’s having too much fun with this. You know he is, with that stupid, heart-stopping smirk playing on his face.

“Our HUDs record each incident for our files to make sure everything matches up with the reports.”

“Nooooooooooooo,” you whine quietly into your hands that now cover your face. You hear him get up and move to stand in front of you, but you don’t react. Mainly because you have no idea what he’s doing, but also he’s so kriffing close you can barely handle it.

His pries your hands from your face and presses them to his desk, effectively caging you in. He’s even closer now, and you’re hyper aware of how hard your heart is pounding even though you stop breathing. It’s the last thing from threatening, but you’re still frozen.

He leans in so his mouth is right next to your ear. “You look good in that little red dress of yours,” he whispers, his voice octaves lower than before. “Especially when you’re beating the kark out of a civvie – standing up for my vod.” It sends a pleasurable shiver down your spine and straight to your ovaries.

You suck in a breath when he pulls away. This is much more than you could have expected. “You’re not giving me much incentive to not be arrested again,” you tilt your head, “now that I know you’d be watching.”

“Always watching you, cyare.”

You hum, pulling one hand away from his to run up his armor and trace lightly over his jaw. “Gonna have to try harder to get a pair of binders on me next time, then.”

“Would you run?”

“Only if you’re the one chasing me.”

You move your hand from his jaw to the back of his neck and scratch lightly, feeling more than seeing him shiver under your fingertips.

“I’d find you.”

“Oh, I’d be counting on it, Commander.”

It’s a mutual surge that leads you two to lean in, culminating in the most charged kiss you’ve ever received. You throw your other hand around his neck, holding him as close as you can, while his hands latch onto your hips, pulling you up and into his embrace. He leads you back until he’s sitting in his chair and the next thing you know you’re falling into his lap to straddle him. You break for air, and to process that yes, this is happening, before you’re kissing again. A little slower; a little deeper.

You moan quietly into his mouth, and his hands move to your ass so he can pull you even closer.

There’s a chime from your chrono and you pull away, panting.

Fox’s eyes are dark and hungry when he looks at you. “You have to go soon.”

You nod, not breaking eye contact, and not moving either.

He grins, and it looks absolutely predatory. He slides the top of your blouse down slowly, just enough for his mouth to latch on to you right above your collarbone. You let out another breathy moan, and his teeth graze your skin in response as he sucks harder. His tongue soothes the area over when he lets go, and he looks at the quickly darkening spot with what you can only assume is possessive pride.

“For you to remember,” he says huskily.

Knowing he’s just staked his claim on you stokes the fire inside you even more. You give him your own feral grin, and pull down the collar of his blacks as he stiffens. “Who am I to allow you to forget, then?”

You suck hard at the column of his throat, higher than he did on you, knowing it would still be covered. You taste the sweat that had been building up, and his skin which you can’t even describe except that it tastes like him.

He groans lowly into your ear and you shiver when you pull away. You drag your nail lightly over the dark bruise in satisfaction before pulling his collar back up.

You slide off his armored thighs slowly. He follows you to stand, and gives you one last, long, kiss.

“Until next time, cyare.”

When you leave his office, you wish you had written something more on his cup than a crudely drawn fox with a smiley face next to it. Tomorrow though, you wonder what you can get away with saying.

“Next time I’m wearing that little red dress, feel free to search me. Who knows what I could be hiding.”

[just-horrible-things]

‘Verse: Resistance Story: Unlikely Salvation, co-author @whump-sprite Timeline: Arc 5, Ariadne is loyal to the Resistance

Dev Rescues Ari, pt4 [ First | Pt1 | Prev | Next ]

Milonas wakes screaming in the night again.

Dev hauls themself reluctantly off the couch, rubbing sleep from gritty eyes, and goes to her.

“-- I – sorry – sorry –!” she is babbling, her favourite refrain. “-- sorry m’sorry please –” “Shhhh,” Dev tells her, “shhh, Milonas, Milonas wake up, stop talking and wake up.” Her eyes come open, but Dev’s stomach drops at the sight of the emptiness in them. “-- sorry –” she tries breathlessly. “No,” they tell her. “No, stop it.” She stops. For a few seconds.

Then, looking right into Dev’s eyes, “I deserve it.” she says.

Dev never feels bad about the people they hurt. But right now, hearing her repeat back the words that they put in her mouth… they don’t feel good about it.

They wish they hadn’t hurt her.

“No,” they repeat, voice tight. “No you don’t.” Milonas whines, low and wordless like a wounded animal. Dev almost reaches out to her. Their hand hovers just a few inches from her shoulder. They can’t make themself touch her. “... please,” she whimpers again, “please, mercy –”

Dev slaps her.

They know instantly, even before their hand starts to sting, that it was stupid.

Milonas stares up at them, wide-eyed, silent, frozen between breaths.

“Fuck,” Dev curses, “I’m sorry, fuck, I’m sorry.” Her chest shifts just fractionally as she starts to breathe again.

The ice pack that she went to bed with is still on the pillow. Dev picks it up – it’s not cold any more but it’s still cool – and very tentatively presses it to her cheek where they hit her. “It’s okay,” they force out. “You’re okay. Not going to hurt you.”

Somehow, implausibly, she starts to relax.

—

The next day is difficult.

Dev hoped, foolishly, that she’d be lucid again with the return of the light. But her fever is sky high and she cries every time they come near and she’s a number turning her face towards comfort – and if she is a number, Mistress cannot be far away.

Dev is losing control.

Maybe they never had any.

They spend most of the day so high they can hardly move, holding on tight to the next syringe so that they know it’s theirs to take when they want it.

In the evening, as they stumble out of a badly-needed shower back into the stifling sickroom stink of the bedroom, Milonas says their name.

“That’s me,” Dev answers. “Not exactly a welcome face, I know.” “... wha’s… going on?” “I found you in a federal prison cell and I broke you out. You’re in my apartment now. You don’t remember anything I tell you because you have a fever, but I’m not going to hurt you.” Her brow knits, but she looks like she’s trying to understand. “But…” she wavers, “I… I deserve it.” “No you don’t.” Dev gesticulates, exasperated. “I lied. You don’t deserve to be tortured, and even if you did, the feds already did a pretty thorough job, didn’t they. I’m not going to hurt you. That was just a job, and this time I’m going to be nice to you. Okay?” “Okay…” she agrees uncertainly. “Really you should believe less than half of what comes out of my mouth, you’d be a good deal better off…”

They sit where she can see them to dry and brush their hair. They hate the way she watches them, but they hope that watching them do normal, everyday things will counter a little of the fear. When they glance at her and see her eyes half-lidded and drowsy, they breathe a sigh of relief.

“Is… there food?” she asks as they turn the dryer off. “Yes,” Dev exclaims, “there can be! How d’you feel about pizza?” “Yes, please?” She winces as soon as the words leave her mouth. “I – sorry.” “I haven’t banned politeness,” they smile at her. “I would just prefer you didn’t treat me like I’m your… Mistress.” “Okay.” “For my sanity, such as it is. Do you remember that conversation at all? We talked yesterday, about how you don’t need to beg?” “Yes,” she says, a little too meek for Dev to be sure if she means it. “Good,” they say anyway. “What do you want on your pizza?” “Mh…. pepp’roni, please?”

—

The question sits at the front of her mind for days before she’s brave enough to ask.

It’s hard enough asking for the basics, for food and water and help with moving – although Dev wants her to get out of bed more often than she wants to move anyway.

She works as hard as they ask her to, swallowing the pain. She’s weak as a kitten and has no choice but to cling to the support they offer – but they don’t drop her.

Sometimes she forgets that this is good for her, that they are helping her to regain strength. Sometimes it feels just the same as crawling to earn a little mercy.

Dev keeps telling her that it’s safe to ask for things. But she doesn’t know Dev. All she knows is they’re the kind of person who’ll torture a stranger for money. Is it safe to interrupt them if they’re doing something? Can she wake them if they’re sleeping? Is it safe to ask for anything when they’re drunk? She plays it safe, and barely speaks unless spoken to.

What she really wants to ask is what happens next?

What comes out of her mouth when she finally works up the courage to speak is a less dignified “What’re you gonna do with me?” “You’re a free woman,” Dev answers. “If you want to leave as soon as you can walk out of here, I won’t stop you.” Ari chews at her lip. It’s getting sore from all the fidgeting, starting to taste of salt, but she keeps finding her teeth on it. “I’d have taken you to Alex already if it was safe,” Dev adds. Ari sits up straighter, breathless. She leans further over the back of the couch to stare at Dev. “Alex,” she echoes. She didn’t know Dev even knew Alex. “Is… he okay?” “Well. For now he’s safe enough that I can’t find him. And I am a better finder than any fed.”

Ari deflates, turning her head away as her eyes fill with tears. For a second there she hoped that they actually knew where he was.

“You really love him,” Dev says softly. “I’d give everything I am for him.” Her voice comes out choked. “I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground. I have a contact inside 17, you know. I’d know if they’d caught him.”

Ari wants to believe that. Dev looks perfectly serious. And she knows they must be pretty good at what they do. They found her.

She just isn’t convinced they’re everything they think they are.

“What about, mh…” she hesitates, trying to figure out what she can ask. “Reyan?” Dev and Reyan go back, she knows that much. If they’re keeping an eye on anyone they must be keeping an eye on him. “Gone to ground. Alex’s sister, too. There’s no news of their arrests. I think they’d want to make it public if they’d caught a high profile target, don’t you? Who else…”

Dev has a list, it turns out. Names reported dead, reported captured, reported still at large, or not mentioned. They let Ari see. “I like to keep tabs on dangerous people,” they offer by way of explanation. “Thank you,” she says, and really, truly means it. 

She’s not sure if they understand the magnitude of what they’ve given her. This means more than saving her life, more than setting her bones straight, more than sharing their painkillers and not demanding she humiliate herself for small mercies.

It’s not evidence that the people who matter are still alive. But it’s a reason to hope.

[Next]

[anotheronechicagobog]

Rangers, Lead The Way - Chapter 2 - Jay and Hana

written by @anotheronechicagobog

warnings: swearing, cannon typical violence, jealousy, abandonment

When Jay had gotten a call from Kenny at three-thirty in the morning he didn't exactly know what to expect. Sure, he could have called because someone died, but he could've also called because he wanted to debate the pronunciation of 'avocado' (something he'd already done twice). So when Kenny's name flashed across his phone screen he just took a deep breath and went to the hallway, leaving a sleeping Hailey alone in bed. "Halstead."

"Hana got shot."

"What? Hana? Your Hana?"

"Yeah- it was a fugitive. She- she's fine. Shot in the foot. She was on leave for a bit, stayed with her parents, but now she's on desk duty. She was going to be with us, but apparently, she was helping the cyber division track some hackers, and they're connected to an organized crime group in Chicago. And she's going to be working with the unit that's been conducting the investigation into that organization. Your unit."

"Yeah, we were told that an FBI cyber analyst was coming down to work with us but they didn't tell us who. Okay, well, she'll be perfectly safe. Our tech room is in the basement with secure entrances, and I'll see if I can get either myself or Hailey assigned to work with her."

"Thanks man, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"Actually I do, remember?"

"Yeah, any advice on how to get through it?"

"I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna be hell, but you'll just have to hang in there and trust me."

"Okay."

"... So I'll finally get to meet Hana..."

"Yeah, I'm hanging up now. Bye."

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

"Everyone, meet special agent Hana Gibson from the FBI. She's the tech specialist here to help us out with the Anderson family. Play nice." After his... Enthusiastic introduction, Voight walked back into his office and shut the door. "Hi, I'm detective Jay Halstead and this is my partner Detective Hailey Upton, it's nice to meet you. I can show you where you'll be working if you want?"

"That would be great." Jay moved to the desk by the stairs. "Okay, this desk is just like ours, older than our boss and with a PC on it. The tech room is downstairs, this is mostly for basic searches and so that the tech expert can be with the group when we debrief and work the board and the like. The stairs over here take you down to the garage which is where the tech room is. The stairs are old so they creak a lot but don't worry, they're perfectly safe."

"Sorry to interrupt, but is that a cage?"

"Yes, but don't worry, we don't use it. It's from the old guard, you know, when cops were assaulting people for no reason and no one would say anything. At least now people are talking about it."

"I sense a 'but'."

"But... I wish that cops who were still like that actually got arrested, or never made it out of the academy."

"You and me both."

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

"Okay, so the Anderson family has been selling legit products online but then stealing and selling the credit card info, they've been covering their tracks pretty well up until now. That means that something changed. What that is could be key to catching all, and I mean all, of them. Work your CI's, talk to victims, flip some people. Figure out what it is." The team nodded and turned to their partners to figure out their next move.

"Should we head out to Cook County? There's an inmate there connected to the Anderson's, right? Maybe they could give us something."

"Actually, I was thinking maybe I could head out there with Ruzek and you could stay with Gibson because you found their online pattern and figured out which products and websites were theirs. Maybe you two could find more together."

"Sure, that sounds okay but, we're good, right?"

"Of course we are, we'll always be good. I just think this will be best for the case, plus you have the most experience working with the FBI, and her being here has put Voight on edge which has put everyone else on edge."

"Good point, I'll see you later." His eyes followed her until he couldn't see her anymore and he let out a breath, it was different this time. Last time, when Hailey hadn't been here, OA had kept an eye on her but his partner wasn't there so that made it a bit easier, but Hailey was here and now so was Hana. It would take some finessing to have both of their backs but he figured if they were in the same place it would be a little easier. "Halstead? You ready to head out?"

"Yeah, let's go."

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Cook County was as unpleasant as always. Angry convicts yelling at them through their cells that they wanted to slit his throat. Lovely. But that wasn't what got to him. Leonard Mitchell, the man they were there to see, wouldn't say anything helpful. He wasn't even threatening them or insulting them, he was just asking "where the smoking blonde from last time was". It was taking an enormous amount of restraint to keep him from jumping across the table and tackling the guy. "You're here for hacking the Chicago Municipal Courts website and unsealing confidential information. You're in the high-security ward and have more restricted access to places in the prison than most inmates. You don't have much going for you, maybe if you give us some information we can help you out."

"That's a joke, I'm not saying anything to either of you. Now that blonde, get her to show up for a conjugal visit, then maybe I'll consider it."

"Okay! So, we're done talking, we're going to search your cell and work station now, and you know what, because you have been so unpleasant to deal with today, we're also going to search the cells and workstations near you. Have fun explaining to your neighbours why their contraband got carted off by Chicago PD." Jay marched out of the interrogation room before he lost his cool even more than he already had. He gestured for the warden to get some guards together to start the search. He took a deep breath to try and calm down. "Hey Halstead, are you okay? I mean, what he said about Upton..."

"I'm fine. I don't like hearing anyone talk about my partner that way, but I'm fine."

"Really? Cause the stuff he said was pretty..."

"She's back at the station with Gibson in probably the most secure room there, far, far away from that perv. And if she's okay, I'm okay."

"You should ask her out. I mean, I know it might be weird considering I'm her ex, but you're so far gone on her it's ridiculous and I think that you'd make a cute couple. Think about it, man"

"Uh, yeah. I'll think about it, come on, let's go see if the warden's ready for the searches." Jay's heart was pounding and he felt like he'd just jumped out of the way of a moving train. Nobody knew about them yet, but they were all criminal investigators surely they'd picked up that at least something was different.

They searched Mitchell's room and found a burner phone... Behind his toilet. "Man, I am so glad I don't have to touch that thing. That's Upton and Gibson's job."

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"So I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is, we found a cell phone. The bad news is, it was behind his toilet."

"How lovely."

"Well, you can thank Leonard Mitchell for that. Hey, how's it been working with Gibson?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"You seem really interested in her, that's all. Do I need to be worried?"

"No, I just want to make sure that she feels welcome and won't give us a bad review to the FBI."

"I know what you look like when you're lying, Jay."

"Hailey..."

"Just... Go back upstairs, Jay."

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"How's everything going?"

"Other than the fact that I'm in the doghouse, good."

"What'd you do?"

"I was a little too protective of Hana, I guess. Hailey picked up on it and I couldn't exactly explain without blowing our cover."

"That sucks, man. I'm sorry but honestly, it sounds like you were gonna end up sleeping on the couch either way."

"Yeah, how are you? You holding up alright with Hana gone?"

"No. You were right, this is hell. I keep looking around to make sure she's covered or to offer to get her that terrible coffee she likes and then she's not there and it feels like whiplash." Jay could practically feel himself sharing the weight on Kenny's shoulders. "It doesn't get any easier, it actually gets a lot harder, but she won't be here forever. She'll be home soon and you'll be able to breathe again."

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

Hailey was still giving him the cold shoulder when he went around to take lunch orders. She was curt "my usual" before turning back to her computer screen and completely ignoring him. He did what he could to not let the pang in his chest play out on his face but from the way Hana looked at him it was obvious, he'd failed. "What about you Gibson? Do you need a copy of their menu?"

"No, that's okay, I looked it up. I'll get the spicy shrimp pad thai."

"You got it." He was about to leave when Hana gestured for him to lean down close to her. "Just apologize for whatever you did, it'll go a long way. She's been off since you dropped off the cell phone." He wanted to say something, explain that he was just caught between a rock and a hard place, but the words were trapped in his throat. Hana sent him a I-know-what-I'm-talking-about-if-you-don't-listen-to-me-you're-probably-going-to-regret-it look and all he could do was allow his shoulders to slump and nod.

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The intense silence of the bullpen was interrupted by Hailey entering behind Hana, who looked incredibly confident on her crutches. "We got something off of the phone." Hailey moved to the board with some papers as Hana plopped down into the office chair at her temporary desk. "It took a while to crack some of the files but I got it. They're transactions between an off-shore account and a shell company based out of Arkansas. While the account was set up there, it's been used mostly in New York, Washington DC, and Chicago. The most recent transaction was for 85K."

"Hana and I also found some emails with photos of military-grade weapons. Guns, missiles, and grenades. Mitchell isn't the buyer or the seller, it looks like he's mediating between the two. We don't have an ID on the buyer yet, but we have one on the seller. Lori Anderson, member of the Anderson crime family. Got no idea what they're planning, but the Anderson's were particularly interested in armour-piercing weapons and rocket launchers. And two days ago she asked Mitchell if he could put her in contact with an explosives supplier. We need to talk to organized crime, both from CPD and FBI, this looks bad. There are still files and emails that we have to go through, and his calendar makes no sense it's all in code. It's probably pretty important because he was in prison and couldn't actually go anywhere. We're also still combing through the contraband from the other cells just to make sure none of his neighbours were also involved."

"Alright. Upton, Gibson, good work. Keep at the phone. Atwater and Burgess you two talk to organized crime, see what you can dig up and alert them of our discoveries. Ruzek and Halstead, flip any CIs you've got. We need to get ahead of whatever they're planning."

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They were supposed to be safe. They were supposed to be safe. They were in the precinct, they were surrounded by on-duty cops, there was another detective unit across from Intelligence, Platt was at the front desk, Hank-don't-you-even fucking-dare-Voight was in his office. They were supposed to be safe. But they weren't.

They'd just left one of Adam's CIs twitching in excitement down the street as he counted his money when they got the call over the radio.

"10-1! 10-1! Shots fired at police at 21st district! We're pinned down!" They had a moment of stunned silence together before they hauled ass to Jay's truck and high-tailed it back to the district, sirens blaring and lights flashing. Jay's body was moving on autopilot, which probably wasn't good considering he was speeding in a large vehicle down busy roads, the only thing that was going to calm him down, that would quell and panic and rage bubbling up in was seeing Hailey alive. He would move heaven and earth to make that a reality.

Pulling up at the district he vaguely remembered he had to look out for Hana too, but lord help him, and whoever stood in his way, if he didn't see blonde hair and blue eyes attached to the fiery woman who held his heart.

The lobby reminded Jay of Kandahar, there were bullet holes lining every vertical surface. Blood pooled under the bodies of the injured. He did a quick sweep of the room, finding nothing but injured cops and civilians, none of whom were Hailey or Hana, or the attackers. The door to intelligence hung open, barely attached at the hinges. "They went up to intelligence! Move your asses!" Platt didn't spare them a second glance as she went back to ordering the remaining able-bodied patrol officers around.

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

"Kim!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay."

"We're okay too, just so you know."

"Where did they go, Kev? What happened?"

"They went down to the garage-" Jay didn't have it in him to finish listening, he just ran, gun raised. "Hailey! Hana!" It was bad enough that he might lose Hailey, the woman he loved more than anything, but losing Hana too? He wouldn't be able to look Kenny in the eye ever again.

"We're over here!"

"We're okay!"

And then he could breathe again. Oh thank god, she's safe, Hailey's safe. She's mad at me but she's safe... Does my heart always pound this fast when I'm not with her and I'm just noticing now? No, it's probably adrenaline because... I almost lost her. But I didn't. They were tucked into separate corners of the tech office, Hailey, covered in blood that she immediately indicated wasn't hers, was armed with her Glock and Hana armed with her crutches. There were five men in black tactical gear with ski masks lying in various positions on the floor. Four had obvious non-lethal bullet wounds, a courtesy from Hailey, and the fifth was still moving and being hit repeatedly by Hana with one of her crutches. "Stop. Moving. Already. You. Ass!" Jay would've been more impressed if he wasn't still coming down from the adrenaline. "Thank god. You're both okay? Hailey?"

"We're fine."

"Hails-"

"We're fine, just help guide the ambos here, please?"

"...Okay." God, he could feel his heart start to splinter. Less than a minute ago he'd thought that his world had been savagely destroyed, but now... All he wanted was to hold her and it only made him ache more when she pushed him away. He just walked over to the garage door to allow the paramedics easier access, only his footsteps and groans of pain coming from the goons kept the room from being dismally silent.

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

"She's completely fine, so before you freak out just know that she's in the exact same shape she arrived here in."

"That is a terrible way to start a phone call Halstead! Was that supposed to calm me down or help in some way? What even happened?"

"The Genna's hired some local weapons enthusiasts the bust into our precinct and steal what we knew about them. They trashed our bulletin board and tried to get to the computers in the tech room but Hailey and Hana whooped their asses. When I got there Hana was actually beating one with one of her crutches. Hana's a badass."

"Damn right she is... But she's okay?"

"She's pissed off, but there's not a scratch on her."

"Good... That's really good."

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

"Hailey?" Jay knocked again, using every last thread of hope he had that she'd answer. It didn't matter that she was still upset with him, he just wanted to see her face. She and Hana had been whisked away by the FBI and IA right after the ambulances picked up the hired help. He just wanted to see her for more than thirty seconds, reassure himself that she was okay and that she still loved him. That he could fix everything, that he would at least get to hold her one last time. "Hailey, please open the door." He was only met with soul-crushing silence. "Please."

The relief he felt when the lock turned and the door opened could not be described. "Hana is inside if you want to talk to her."

"I'm here for you, Hails. Please, just... Talk to me. I love you, I love you more than I ever thought possible to love someone and today I found you hunched over, covered in blood. It doesn't matter that the blood didn't end up being yours. I was- I still am- terrified. I could have lost you today and I don't know how to face that. Can I just have a hug, at least, please? I just- I can't-" And then she was wrapping her arms around his waist, her tired gravity pulling him to her. He honestly considered being able to wrap his arms around her in return, and burying his face into her hair a gift from the gods. "I was so glad that you weren't there, because it means you weren't getting shot at, I've had to deal with you getting shot more than enough times, I couldn't deal with it again, Jay. I... I love you too." Jay didn't know how much longer they stayed like that, enveloping each other, but he cherished every second of it. And when they finally parted it was like coming down from an adrenaline high. "Do you want to come in? We were about to order from Bartoli's."

"I would love that."

"Good, cause we've left Hana waiting for a while."

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

"So, now I get to have the legendary deep-dish pizza, huh?"

"Yep. Best damn pizza in the world."

"Damn straight."

"You know, I think you two are a little biased."

"You sound like the partner I had while I was in the FBI, OA Zidan, he was always riding me about my opinion on pizza." Jay froze. He could feel himself freeze up. He could feel Hailey and Hana eyeing him in confusion. Shit. "What is it, Jay?"

"Sorry, I just don't like remembering that my partner was away from me for so long, and had another partner in that time period."

"Really, Halstead? You don't need to get all territorial, Hailey clearly doesn't want to be anywhere but with you. Seriously, you should have seen her when the FBI and IA showed up-"

"Hana!"

"What? He's the one who got all stiff when you brought up the FBI"

Phew, they didn't know, thank heavens.

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Everyone was back the next day, ready to keep moving, to catch the people who organized the break-in of their precinct which injured twenty-three and killed four. It was bad enough that they'd tried to bust into Intelligence in the first place, but to hurt innocent people in the process? That was just plain wicked.

Hailey and Hana were working side by side, delving into the cyber goings on of the Genna family, Kim and Kevin were working with the crime lab to analyse the precinct, and Jay and Adam were back to flipping CIs. Jay felt better about where things stood with Hailey, but he was still grumpy that he couldn't be in the temporary bullpen with her today. He knew that she was capable and that she didn't need him to hover, but that didn't make being away from her after she was almost killed any less difficult. They were supposed to be in the most secure place in the precinct, how were any of them supposed to feel safe working in a place that had been breached by mercenaries in only a few minutes? He tried to shake off the worry and fear, but he just couldn't. And it was made worse by the fact that it wasn't only Hailey who had been in danger- Hana was too. And Kenny had already lost so many people that he really didn't know how he would've handled that situation. Having to tell one of his best friends that the woman he was in love with was dead while dealing with the exact same senario.

The second last CI on their list had been dodging them all day, and Jay's sanity was already hanging on by a thread- he did not have the strength or patience to deal with this. So instead of trying to track him down again, he just put out a BOLO and waited until patrol brought him in, kicking and screaming. When he entered the interrogation room Marcus went on a tirade, "what the FUCK, man!", "we had a deal!", "are these handcuffs really necessary?". Jay just stared at him. He didn't have the energy to try and get the guy to shut the fuck up, so he just sat silently across from him, trying to make him as uncomfortable as possible. "... Are you okay, man?"

"No, not really, Marcus. See, I've been calling you all day. I've called up other CIs and they were all okay to meet. But not you. No, you ghosted me and I had to get patrol to drag your ass in here. You still have robbery charges I could lay on you. This is about to get a whole lot worse because I have exactly no patience to deal with any BS right now, but yours especially. So. The Genna family. Tell me everything you know."

And he did. He sang like a damn canary, which Jay attributed to luck, and Adam attributed to Jay looking like he was going to tear the poor bastard limb from limb. Seriously. Adam made a mental note not to piss off Jay, which he subconsciously realizes means that as long as he didn't hurt Hailey he'd be fine. But he didn't have time to dwell on that as Jay exited the interrogation room looking like the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow. "I've gotta get this to the girls, you're not gonna believe what this bastard knew."

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An apartment, down in Canaryville, was occupied by Daniel Anderson's mistress. And she wasn't just his mistress... She was his accountant. She didn't just file his taxes, she managed his money, she knew everything that it was used for and how they got it in the first place. Jay ran to the temporary tech room ready to drop a bomb, only for his fiery girlfriend to beat him to it. "We found out where they got the weapons and ammo! The navy didn't put out a report until they'd finished their investigation, but it's their stuff. It all came from Norfolk, but they were shipping it to Kandahar when they were robbed by a twelve-person team, well-skilled and heavily armed. But look at this surveillance video, where part of the leader's sleeve got torn off."

"That's... That's Daniel Anderson. He's got that tattoo. We can get a warrant with that, but what about this- Daniel has a mistress in an apartment in Canaryville. She's his accountant, she knows everything. And if we can get a warrant with what you found, we can search that apartment too because it's in his name." Hailey smiled that vindicated smile that just lit up her whole face and made her eyes shine with pride. Jay could feel himself mirroring her and he just couldn't look away, finally feeling like they got their groove back, their relationship back. "Hey guys? I'm glad you made up but can you either get to work or get a room? I don't need  a front seat to this."

"Oh, admit it Gibson, we're your OTP."

"I admit to nothing, Halstead."

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Honestly, the raid of all of Daniel Anderson's properties, and consequently the collapse of the Anderson crime family, was dismally anti-climactic. They found boat-loads of evidence, Daniel's wife, mistress, and right-hand man all turned on him, and the FBI and NCIS were currently fighting over jurisdiction even though the case was already solved... By the CPD. Truthfully no one minded, because it meant that once they submitted their case notes and raid reports, they were done and might not even have to go to trial, the feds could handle that. While the majority of Intelligence decided to go to the regular watering hole, Hailey and Hana had made other plans and were dragging Jay along for the ride. And it was all going well, until they started talking about roommates. "I like Zadie, but she's gotten annoying now that she's dating my partner. So has he honestly. I mean, who thought that Kenny Crosby, an ex-army ranger would be acting like a thirteen-year-old that was in his first relationship? 'Is that text from Zadie? Is it about me? Were you guys talking about me while you were in the kitchen together this morning?' He was It's... A little exhausting. All he can talk about, is her. And whenever we hang out it always involves her somehow. He won't say it but I know he was a little disappointed when I came back and interrupted their 'love nest." All that Jay was able to gain from that other than the echo of sadness from behind her eyes, was that Crosby was dating someone who was not Hana. Which would be weird if he talked about her constantly on the phone, which he does, have an intimately trusting relationship with her, which he does, and ask one of his old army buddies to keep an eye on her while he can't because he cares about her so much and can't bear to lose her, which he did. So in conclusion; the fact that Kenny is dating someone who is not Hana is weird and will require further investigation.

"So he's constantly asking you about his girlfriend?"

"Well, she is too. But it's more annoying with him because he's my partner, we work together."

"But you live with her."

"It's... It's just different." Jay could see that she was mentally grasping at threads while trying to keep herself from falling into a black hole, this clearly meant much more to her than she was letting on so he decided to drop it. It was good timing too, because Hailey returned to the table with their food. Hair up, with a cute little Greece-themed apron on, ignoring her older brother's teasing from the kitchen. "Σκασε ηλιθιε!" (shut up idiot!)

"Μην μου πεις να σταματήσω, αυτό είναι το εστιατόριο μου!" (Don't tell me to shut up, this is my restaurant!) Jay found himself chucking at the Upton sibling banter. They interacted a lot less than he and Will did, though he supposed part of that was because he and his brother ran into each other through their work fairly often, and it was nice to see them... Happy with one another. Hailey usually looked like a constipated pigeon whenever she talked about her family so it was nice that she had reconciled with at least one sibling. After they were all able to move out, their relationships with each other got much more contentious. Theodore was the middle child and believed that they should quietly encourage their mother to leave their abusive father and just silently support her, Declan was the oldest and quite firmly just didn't care about their parents anymore and wanted nothing to with either of them because one was the abuser and the other was the enabler, while Hailey was the youngest and wanted to drag her father to prison by his ear herself. "Your brother seems like quite the joker."

"Oh, he is. He's always been the comedian in the family, a bit of a cross between SpongeBob and Chandler Bing. When I was seven, Theo put these gummy spiders in random places all over the house. It scared the crap out of my dad when he opened the- a top kitchen cupboard and about twelve of these spiders fell out, scared him even more when Theo grabbed one off the floor and bit into it, I think he ate three in total, one was completely whole, talking about how 'tasty' they were before my dad needed to sit down. It took him longer than he will ever admit to realize that they were just candy."

"Oh, that is good. I used to use some of those YouTube jump scare videos on my parents. I thought it was the funniest thing ever, especially because I used Elmo jump scares. So they'd be freaking out, and I'd just ask them why they were so afraid of a red puppet. My mom still doesn't trust me to show her videos."

"Well, it sounds like you and my brother would get along like fire, you should meet him later. He said he'd join us for dessert." Wait... What? Oh no... I know that look, she's trying to set Hana up with her brother! As much as I'd like Hana to be my sister-in-law, that would preferably be through a different brother.

."That sounds great, I really like Theo. What was that thing we had last time we ate with him and... Her name was Kate, right? Do you know how they're doing? I feel like I haven't heard about her in a long time." Hailey gave him a look. A I-can't-believe-you-just-said-that look. "No, they're not dating anymore. I thought I mentioned that."

"Oops, seriously though, what was that dessert we had with them?"

"That was revani, we can ask if that's what my brother has here today."

"Uh- what is revani, if I may ask, as the only non-Greek and non-Greek-dating person at this table?"

"Ha, of course you can ask Hana. It's a semolina cake, flavoured with lemon and orange zest. It's really good."

"That sounds great, but do you think I'd also be able to order some takeout for tomorrow? I just have a long day of travelling via bus tomorrow and I don't know when I'll get the chance to eat, so I figure having a big breakfast might help with that."

"That sounds like a cool idea. Hailey, why don't we all order some food to go and eat it tomorrow morning together?"

"You mean as like a big Greek breakfast?"

"Yeah."

"I wasn't thinking that initially but I'm glad Jay did, it sounds great."

"Alright, yeah, let's do it. I'll go talk to Theo and order somethings that reheat well." Hailey left them with a smile to go bother her brother in the kitchen, their discussion in Greek filling the restaurant with jokes and quips only a few present were able to understand, forging smiles on the faces of strangers as they listened to the voices in the kitchen. Hana looked apprehensive, and he doubted it was about the long bus inter-state bus ride. "Hana, I'm sure that your partner missed you, maybe he didn't say it, maybe he needed a distraction, but he missed you."

"How do you know? You don't even know him." If only you knew.

"Trust me on this."

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"You fucking idiot." Jay was trying to keep his voice down so that he didn't wake Hailey, who was asleep in her bed (where he wanted to be), or Hana who was asleep in the guest bedroom. As much as he loved her with his entire being, Jay had to admit that Hailey was a fucking demon if you woke her up without 'just cause'.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me Crosby!"

"What the hell Halstead?!"

"You called me at three-thirty in the morning, worried out of your mind about Hana, asking me to keep an eye on her, to protect her, all while you're dating someone who isn't her!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm dating her roommate-"

"Zadie. I know. Why do you think I called you to yell at you at two in the morning?"

"Hey, back up man. I don't know what you think you're talking about, but just because I'm dating Zadie doesn't mean that I don't care about Hana. There is very little I wouldn't do to keep her safe... If I could even do it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I... I was right there. I should have been able to help her. So, so why couldn't I help her? Huh? She is so important to me, okay? I don't even know how to describe it."

"Try."

"She... My mom told me that to make a woman fall in love with me I had to make her laugh, but every time she laughs I'm the one who falls more and more in love. She is astonishingly intelligent and I have never been more glad to feel like a complete and utter fool just by standing in someone's presence. If I had to crawl to hell and be tortured by the devil himself to keep her safe, I'd do it. I have never felt as wholly accepted by anyone else in my life, she has found ways to motivate me to climb out of my own grave on my darkest days. Every time a look at her, I see a glowing, deliriously happy future that I know I don't deserve." Heavy silence bore on both sides of the phone, dragging Kenny deeper into the dark crack in his chest, and delivering Jay an epiphany.

"... Have you ever thought that maybe it's about what she deserves?"

"Hm?"

"Listen, man, not everything is about you. This is about her. You just said you would let the devil tear you apart to keep her safe, and yeah maybe you don't deserve her, but she deserves you. She deserves someone who would do whatever it takes to make her laugh and keep her safe at whatever the cost all in the same day, and it sounds like that's you."

"Jay..."

"Just think about it man. And while you're at it, stop neglecting Hana, okay?"

"What?"

"You constantly talk about Zadie, you always involve her somehow when you're hanging out with Hana, and Hana's been getting the vibe that you're upset she came home and disrupted the little bubble you had going on with Zadie."  

"She told you that?"

"Me and Hailey, when we were all out at dinner. Just listen, pay a bit more attention to her, stop treating her like the middle man between you and your girlfriend, and work on your self-worth, man. You're a good person and an even greater friend, don't sell yourself short."

"Thanks, Halstead."

"No problem, Crosby."

"So what exactly makes me a 'great friend', Jay?"

"Uggggghhhhhhh."

"Hey! You said it, can't take it back!"

"... This is why we can't have nice things Kenny, goodnight."

"Wait you didn't tell me-"

[thatfanficstuff]

Time Travel - Avengers

Pairing: Tony Stark x Loki with Daughter OFC

Warnings: nope

A/N: Okay so this isn’t what you normally see from me. At all. Last year I offered to write a fanfic for the winner of an auction benefiting the Australian wild fire relief efforts. Wren won and requested a fic. (and then was super patient when my health took a nosedive.) The pairing (family) and basic idea were theirs. I was super happy with how it turned out and they agreed I could share it here. So enjoy something a little different I guess. 

***

Frigga Stark had been in the past for nearly three months by this point and she was so ready to go home. It wasn’t that she was completely unhappy here. Her powers and abilities had assured her a ready place in the Avengers even if she had just appeared in the middle of a fight with no warning. But living as a stranger in the midst of her family was so much harder than she thought it would be.

Everyone had been friendly enough of course, but she missed bear hugs from her super soldier uncles. She missed late night movies and chats with Nat and Wanda. She missed Thor having her pick up Mjolnir every time he saw her and laughing that booming laugh of his when she did. And Clint had been teaching her to fly the quin jet.

Most of all she missed her dads. Tony and Loki were both here of course but they were just so different from the men she knew in the future. For one they still hated each other so there was no joking or teasing between them. For another, they were awesome dads and she missed the thousand little things they’d do every day to let her know they loved her. Things she’d never take for granted again.

Fortunately, she’d inherited some of her birth father Loki’s abilities and had been able to disguise herself since her arrival. Wouldn’t want to interfere with the future and all that. That had all come crashing down yesterday when she’d been knocked out in the middle of the battle. Her disguise faded to show her natural dark hair and striking green eyes. It also revealed she was about 10 years younger than she’d been leading them all to believe.

Due to her injuries, they’d allowed her to postpone the interrogation until today. Because that’s what it was going to be. Not a discussion or a talk. No, a straight up interrogation. She hated when they were mad at her. The only thing worse is when they were disappointed. Fortunately, that didn’t happen very often.

“Captain Rogers requests your presence in the conference room in fifteen minutes, miss,” Jarvis’s voice filled her room causing her to sigh. She’d ask for more time but knew it would be pointless. They’d already been more than accommodating. Hell, she was lucky she hadn’t spent the night in a cell somewhere.

“Thanks, JARVIS,” she said as she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. After hurrying through her morning routine, she threw on a pair of sweats and t-shirt. She padded through the halls, making it to the conference room right on time.

She took a deep breath before pulling open the door to step into the room. Fear shot through her as she took in the others. Every single person that meant anything to her was crowded into this room and they had no idea who she even was. That by now familiar pang of loneliness flooded her chest and she did her best to shake it off. They’d moved all the chairs around so they were all on one side of the table while she was left a single seat on the opposite side.

“Morning,” she said as she sat.

For a long time, no one said anything as they studied her. She couldn’t bring herself to meet their eyes, afraid of what she’d find there. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on her hands where they tangled together on the table.

“Why?”

Her head jerked up in surprise at hearing Wanda’s voice before anyone else’s. Frigga cleared her throat. “Why?”

“Why lie?” the other woman clarified. “Did you think we would turn you out because you were a child?”

“I’m not a child,” Frigga corrected automatically. It was an argument she’d had with her family many times. “I’m fifteen.”

“Oh, fifteen,” Bucky exclaimed. “Well, excuse the shit out of us, kid.”

“Really, Buck?” Steve said glancing over at his friend.

Frigga couldn’t stop the smile that came to her lips. This was familiar. Comfortable. She shook her head. She might as well get this over with. She took a breath to fortify her nerves. “None of this is as simple as it seems. And you probably won’t believe half of what I have to tell you, but I’ll tell you everything. I have too.”

“And why should we believe that you’re suddenly going to be honest about everything when you’ve failed to do so up until this point?” Tony asked.

She shook her head. “Because it doesn’t matter anymore. Not now that you’ve seen me. The real me I mean.”

Looks of confusion were exchanged amongst the others causing Frigga to chuckle. “Maybe I should just start with how I came to be here. Three months ago, there was a lab accident. My dads were attempting to combine magic and tech to create a time travel device. They were explaining every thing to me when I bumped into the table. It knocked something off and I automatically reached out with my magic to catch it. Next thing I knew I was here. Seventeen years in the past.”

She shrugged. “Why this particular time? I have no idea. I altered my appearance to keep from affecting the future.”

“Why would us knowing what you look like have any affect on the future?” Steve asked.

Tony narrowed his gaze and pursed his lips. “I think the better question is who her fathers are.”

The look on his face told her he already suspected the answer. After all, how many people here would invent a time machine? And how many used magic? “I was born via a surrogate using genetic material from a female egg donor and Loki of Asgard. When I was two, Dad got married and Pop adopted me. My real name is Frigga Maria Stark.”

There was a moment of silence before the room erupted into chaos. Her family argued with each other and shouted questions at her which she ignored. Not surprisingly, the men who would become her fathers were silent. They exchanged a measuring look with each other before looking back to Frigga. She smirked when she saw the hint of a blush on Tony’s cheeks.

After allowing chaos to reign for a moment longer, she took off the necklace she was never without. She sat it on the table and pushed the button on the side once. It opened to reveal a picture of her with her dads. She slid it over. Pietro was the one to take it from the table. “This proves nothing. This is easily faked.”

She said nothing, just watching as they passed her most prized possession amongst themselves. Loki and Tony lingered over it longer than anyone else. Finally, Tony was the one to give it back to her. “As much as I hate to say it, Speedy’s right. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

She smiled and placed her locket back on the table still open. She pressed the button on the side twice this time. A hologram of the same picture projected above it for a moment until it was replaced with one of Loki spinning her in the air when she was a toddler. A moment later his voice filled the silence. “My princess. I will love you until I take my last breath and beyond. There is never a moment that I am not intensely proud of you. You will conquer anything you put your mind to, and I cannot wait to witness it.”

That picture faded away to be replaced with one of Tony and her laughing with their arms draped over each other’s shoulders. Tears pricked her eyes but didn’t fall. “Hey sweetheart. I love you more than you could possibly imagine. Every day with you has been an adventure and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Again and again pictures faded to be replaced by another with a message to match until it had gone through everyone in her family. Frigga wiped her cheeks quickly as the last message played. Gods, she missed her family. The silence was thick and heavy as she snatched her locket from the table and put it back around her neck where it belonged.

She cleared her throat. “There was a mission last year. Everyone was going to be gone for at least a month. It was the first time I was going to be left alone without any of you. Pops made this and gave it to me the night before you left.”

“We left a fourteen-year-old alone for a month?” Sam sounded appalled.

Frigga chuckled. “No, you left me with Happy for six weeks. But every night before I went to sleep I’d play it. I still do actually. Even when you’re all home.” She took a deep breath and looked at each of them in turn. “I’m sorry I lied to all of you. About everything. Now, I just want to go home. I miss my family.”

Bucky huffed. “What are we? Chopped liver?” He grinned and Frigga looked at him in surprise for a moment before she giggled. Which made him laugh and soon everyone in the room was laughing.

Finally, Tony clapped his hands as he stood. “Well, let’s see about getting you home, kiddo.”

***

It took three more weeks before they were ready to send her home. Everyone gathered in the lab to say their goodbyes until finally it was just Loki, Tony and her. Loki tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked into green eyes so like his own. “Are you sure about this?” he asked her.

Frigga shook her head. “Not at all, but we’ve got to try.”

Loki pulled her into a hug with a sigh. “I know.” After a long moment, he released her. “Remember to focus. If what we suspect is true, you’ll be pulled back as soon as you slip into the time stream but focusing your magic can only help.”

She nodded. “I remember.” They were counting on her dads to have set up a beacon of some sort in the future. It was almost guaranteed that they had. After all it was what this Tony and Loki would have done.

Tony was next to wrap her in a bone-crushing hug. “I’ll miss you, kiddo.”

“No, you won’t.” Loki, Wanda and she had come up with a memory spell so they would all forget who she was and what she looked like once she was gone. When she returned to her own time, she could reverse it.

He laughed and gave her that cockeyed smirk. “All right. Let’s do this.”

Frigga nodded once and prepped her magic. Tony flipped on the machine and it glowed with Loki’s green magic. She added her own purple strands to the mix and the room flooded with bright white light. She closed her eyes against it as she felt like she was floating toward something. When her feet hit the ground, she pulled back her magic and opened her eyes.

She stood near the back of the lab. A device pulsing with blue light stood on one of the tables nearby and she smiled when she saw it. Beacon. The lab was quiet even though it was occupied by two of her favorite people. There had evidently been nothing about her arrival that caught their attention as their backs were turned toward her. Bruce quietly typed away on his laptop while Tony sat at his desk. Some invention or another was scattered on the table in front of him but he wasn’t working on it. He was bent forward with his head in his hands and even though she could only see the back of him, Frigga could tell he was utterly exhausted.

Tears flooded her eyes. “Daddy?” She hadn’t called him that in years. Her voice was quiet and if it hadn’t been for the sudden jerk of his shoulders, she would have been afraid he didn’t hear her. Both heads snapped in her direction. Tony stood with tears running down his cheeks but he didn’t move toward her, afraid she’d disappear if he did.

Only when she hurried to him, dodging tables as she went did he move to meet her. His arms wrapped around her in the tightest hug he’d ever given. “Oh my God, Frigga. We were beginning to think we’d never see you again.” He pressed kisses along the side of her head, but didn’t release the hold he had on her.  

“I missed you so much.” She was now openly weeping. She heard a sniff from behind her, but kept her arms wrapped around her dad. “You okay over there, Uncle Bruce?”

“Y-yeah. I’m just so happy you’re home,” he answered while obviously crying.

“Friday, get Loki down here right away, but don’t tell the others just yet,” Tony ordered as he finally released her to look her over.

“Of course, sir. Welcome home, Frigga. It’s good to have you back,” the AI responded.

“Thank you, Friday.”

Tony’s hands stayed on her arms, not wanting to completely let her go just yet. His gaze ran over her from top to bottom. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I’m sure Bruce will want to make sure there aren’t any lingering effects but yeah, I’m good.”

The door to the lab opened and Frigga glanced over, her heart racing. Her dad stepped in, frowning at the book in his hands. She recognized it as one of her grandmother’s spell books. He was obviously looking for more ways to get her home. “What do you need, love?” he asked without looking up.

Tony stepped to the side so his husband would have a clear view of their daughter but he didn’t say anything. Loki glanced up with a frown when he didn’t get the expected answer. His eyes went wide and the book fell from his hand as he saw Frigga.

She launched herself at him and he caught her, lifting her from the floor in a tight embrace. “Oh, my beautiful, beautiful girl. You came home to us.” He ran a hand through her hair as he held her. “I knew you’d find a way. I missed you so much.”

For the first time in months, the tears on her face were happy tears. For the last four months she’d wanted to be nowhere other than where she was right at this moment. Nothing could be better than this. Tony soon joined their hug, Loki shifting one of his arms so it surrounded his husband and brought him into the fold. Another moment later and they all rocked as Bruce joined in as well. Okay, she stood corrected. This was even better.

[shoujolover-666]

The villain will get his own Happy Ending: Prologue

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29384211

Characters: Vil Schoenheit, Rook Hunt, Neige LeBlanche

Relationship: Rook Hunt/Neige LeBlanche, Vil Schoenheit/Rook Hunt, Vil Schoenheit/Neige LeBlanche

Warnings: Character Death in the beginning!

Summary: To be reborn into the world of the series he had a role in was something he did not expect.He didn't know if he should laugh or cry when he realized that he had been reborn as the villain.

A blond man sat up from his bed, his night robe was drenched with sweat and he was breathing heavily, his eyes were wide open.

The blond looked at his hand, he was slightly shaking because of what he dreamt, his head was pounding. His face was pale as he tried to organize the things he had just seen.

That… that wasn’t his first life.

He already lived a life as Vil Schoenheit before, just not in this world.

Some things were still hazy, but he could still remember a few things.

Vil had been a student of Night Raven College and an accomplished actor. A magician who was well known for his beauty and his skills, someone who led a rigorous lifestyle to be better than anyone else, to prove that he was someone powerful.

Someone who deserved to be on stage until the very end.

And he died at the age of 18.

It happened during the holidays. His day has been nothing spectacular as he walked along the sidewalks, his eyes were on the script he got from a director he would be working for.

Once again, he received the role of a villain. A character who would be sacrificed for the happiness of the hero and his love interest. Interestingly, Rook had been invited to play the role of the male lead for the hero, for the director seemed to have been interested in the fellow blonde since the VDC. He didn’t mind it exactly, wasn’t even that surprised by it.

Rook was attractive in his own way, and he was also aware of how their performance would attract a few interested parties who were in need of fresh faces.

What annoyed him was that Neige got the role of the hero once again. Vil grit his teeth but didn’t show his anger openly, for he was in public and wouldn’t risk getting a blemish on his rather good reputation, despite the roles he got. His head snapped to the side when he heard screams all of a sudden, a shocked look was on his face as he saw a kid who just waltzed over the street because of one stupid reason or the other while a truck was quickly approaching.

Before he could waste a second thought on what to do, his feet just carried him to where the boy was as he pushed him out of the truck’s way. What he felt next was the impact of the transporter as it hit him. The crash only hurt for a second before he started to feel nothing, his body was numb as he blinked slowly. He could dimly hear shocked screams and gasps from bystanders, but his brain was already occupied by other thoughts.

He could have just used his magic instead of jumping right in, couldn’t he? Still, he didn’t regret what he did, for no one else seemed to have reacted to what happened in front of their eyes.

Maybe he will be seen as an idiot who didn’t use his magic to help. Perhaps he would be seen as a hero who used his own life to save a child. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he got what he wanted only after his death? A smile was on his lips as he felt the warmths seep out of his body, noticing the slight twitching of his fingertips. Vil closed his eyes as he vaguely noticed the sound of sirens, but it was too difficult to cling to his senses.

That was the last thing he had seen in his dreams, his hand was resting on his head as he gripped it.

A chuckle then escaped his lips, it seemed as if his luck was impeccable.

To be reborn into the world of the series he had a role in was something he did not expect.

He didn't know if he should laugh or cry when he realized that he had been reborn as the villain.

The Vil Schoenheit of this world was the vain second prince who was admired because of his ethereal beauty and feared because of his sharp tongue that was accompanied by a violent temper. People sucked up to him, and he was naive enough to believe their whispers of how he would be so much more suited to be on the throne than his brother, Louis Schoenheit, the crown prince.

In the series, his downfall began because of his selfishness as he forced Rook to stay by his side. While Rook accepted it with a smile while saying that it was an honour to serve the fairest of the kingdom, his eyes were on someone else already.

Rook Hunt, the male lead, was in love with Neige LeBlanche, the beloved youngest son of a barony.

He was the one who was known as the fairest and kindest of the kingdom, at least among the commoners, with how he always helped the poor and gave them kind and warm smiles.

The duke first fell in love with Neige when they were children, the black haired man was the one who let Rook stay at his home when the other found him injured in a forest.

When he first read about it, he almost gagged but kept a straight face.

This was just a cliché story in which they would fall in love while he, the villain, would harass the poor hero because of how he couldn’t accept that Rook fell in love with someone else. From harsh words to straight assassinations attempts, he would do anything to get rid of Neige, so Rook would only look at him.

In the end, his brother and the duke would be the ones who condemn him for all the crimes he committed against poor, poor Neige, abusing his power unfairly.

He would then be thrown into a cold cell, starving to death because of how he would be forgotten by the guards…

… as if he would let that happen!

No, Vil had no intention to follow the path of the Vil of the script. This was definitely the same world with how he had lived so far.

The grip he had on his blanket tightened, the look in his eyes was a determined one. Hah, there was no way that he would go down the same path.

It still wasn’t too late to change. Rook may be in his service already, but he didn’t start the harassment yet, at least not the really bad things.

Sure, he had been harsh to him verbally, but except for that, he had been relatively tame.

Vil would give up on Rook. He could feel a twinge in his heart, he remembered how he had been in love with the shorter man without ever confessing to him. He wanted to after the VDC if victory had been theirs, but it wasn’t, which was why he refrained from doing so, especially after the reveal that his… no, the hunter, was a fan of Neige.

It wasn’t that he felt betrayed. More than that, he believed that he wasn’t good enough for the other.

Vil wasn’t as adorable and cute, wasn’t as warm and soft as the boy with ebony locks and chocolate coloured eyes that seemed to melt the heart of even the coldest person.

For a second, he wondered if he would be able to give up the other man. Obviously, Rook was already in love with someone, and he wasn’t the kind of person who would take that kind of happiness away from another person, despite how cruel he can be sometimes when it came to work.

The blond shook his head, of course he had to give up. Even if he was in love with Rook, this duke… he wasn’t his to take.

Staying alive should be his first priority. Getting between them would only be a hassle, and there were better things he could do with his life and the position he had.

This time, he would live his life to the fullest and prove that he was more than just a pretty face. Those two can have their happy love life, Vil didn’t care anymore at this point, or at least that was what he tried to tell himself.

Vil slowly got up from his bed, walking over to the mirror. A loose strand of hair was tucked behind his ear as he smiled to himself.

He would escape the cage of the role as the villain that was imposed on him. Get people he trusted, gain a hold on the aristocats and maybe even fall in love with someone else.

Surely there was someone who was worth keeping, Rook wasn’t the only pretty fish in the sea.

With that new goal in mind, he called for a maid, so they could draw a bath for him. It wouldn’t do him any good if he met those nobles while he was still sweaty after all, would it now?

[sirowsky]

The Flowers Always Know

Description: When a mad scientist uses you as an experiment while you’re on holiday, the Heroics only just manage to save you. And in your recovery you become very close to the leader of the group. (Slow burn)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, Angst.

Link to Masterlist

Comment: This was painful to write. If you don’t do well with angst, I recommend skipping this chapter. BUT - there is a happy ending!

Chapter 30

  “Ah, there you are. We’ve been waiting. Now, before you try anything, I have fail-safes in place in case you try and stop me, and they all end in tragedy. Like this nasty little explosive underneath their chairs, for instance.”

  You stood frozen to the spot, trembling with fear, and not an inkling of it for yourself.

  “Don’t… Don’t do this.”

  “Not to worry, my sweet. With the help of your data, I’ve been able to streamline the process. Theoretically, I should be able to directly transfer powered cells from Marcus into his daughter. The familial DNA should help alleviate any foreign-cell attacks. Though, I’m afraid it will still be painful.”

  “My data? Someone’s been feeding you my medical information?”

  “Oh, yes. I don’t think you realise just how many people in this world are interested in levelling the playing-field. I mean, how’d you think I got out of prison?”

  While he spoke, he made the final calculations to start his experiment, and as the machines started whirring and clicking, your fear escalated into full-blown panic.   They were both unconscious, for the time being, but you knew that once the pain started, they’d be forced awake. You didn’t actually remember that from your own experience with this experiment, but you still knew that it was true.   You sneaked a ghost hand towards one of the machines and unhooked a tube that was connected to Missy’s arm, at the other end, trying to buy time.   The machine started beeping to indicate that something was wrong.

  “Now, now, sweetie. Don’t go sabotaging this, or your precious family might not come out of it quite as alright as both of us would like.”

  As he walked over to reconnect the tube, he tapped on something on his belt, and you recognised an identical device to what the Inventor had used to protect himself against powers. Someone in HQ had betrayed you all, and the feeling burned through you with an aftertaste of hate.

  “My family are not your fucking toys!”

  The room shook significantly, and he looked around with real wonder in his eyes.

  “That’s impressive. See, didn’t I give you a wonderful gift?”

  “No. I would’ve preferred to stay ordinary and dull for the rest of my life if it had meant not having to live through that shit.”

  “Do you really expect me to believe that? Look at where you are. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t taken you. You should be more grateful.”

  “I do see where I am, and I would rather have never met them at all, if it meant they were spared from this.”

  “People are inherently selfish, which is why I don’t believe you. Now, let’s get started. And a word of warning, my dear – if you disrupt the process once it’s already started, you’ll kill them both. And I doubt if you could bring both of them back from the dead without killing yourself.”

  He hit a button on the computer keypad, and the Machine connected to Marcus came alive, and started siphoning out powered cells from his blood-stream.   He woke up after just a few seconds, unable to move at all, and you could see the pain in his eyes.   Helpless to do anything else, you reached out to him with your ghost energy, trying to let him know that you were there and that you were trying to save him. You could feel him trying to use his powers, but the machine disrupted it, and caused him even more pain.

  “Please, stop!”

  The second machine, the one connected to Missy, started whirring and moving, and your blood instantly flipped from freezing to boiling.   You couldn’t stand the thought of her even knowing this amount of pain, much less being forced to suffer it, for god knows how long.   And as she woke up, and that pain became visible in her eyes, something old and sure and endlessly powerful took over your mind.   There wasn’t a single thought, not so much as an echo of anything rational or logical or sensible. The maternal instinct was all-powerful in a way that nothing else could compare to. And the power it created together with your abilities, was beyond belief.   The house disappeared, and so did Dr. Prince and all of his equipment, and you could feel the moment that both Marcus and Missy’s hearts stopped beating.   But it didn’t frighten you, because you were a healer.   Moving up to crouch in between them, where they now laid on the bare ground, you took one of their hands in each one of yours, and exchanged your life for theirs.   You had hoped to be able to stay alive long enough to see their faces one last time, but the energy required to heal them, combined with what you’d already spent, was too much, and you needed the single grain you had left, for one last thing. One small, but so very important thing.   You fell away without seeing anything but the blue sky above you.

  It was okay, though. They were worth it.

 ***

  Marcus was working in his office when Missy came to find him. It had been a long day, and he was so tired he could have fallen asleep sitting up.   But he knew that even if he were to lay down in a soft and cool bed right then, he still wouldn’t have succumbed to that blissful nothingness.   He hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours at a time, since the incident, and he was long past exhausted.

  “Dad, are you coming?”

  She came to get him every day after school. She had for the past month, and he didn’t have the heart to ask her not to.

  “Yeah. I’ll be right there, sweetheart.”

  She turned and headed off to medical, and he got up to follow her. A part of him wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction. A part of him wanted to never have to set foot in that fucking room again.   But that was just the fear. The love was so much stronger, and it relentlessly dragged him back there, day and night, no matter how badly it hurt.

  Missy was already hopped up on the bed, sitting cross-legged by your feet, when he walked in. She was so hopeful still. So positive. All Marcus could feel was pain.   Every time he saw you, he saw those moments. Those short, few seconds that had taken everything away.   He’d seen it in your eyes just before your power erupted. The complete lack of thought as your mind reverted to pure instinct, to protect your daughter. His daughter.   He’d seen how you’d dispatched the entire house, and everything that threatened your family, into one of the dimensions that you had access to, a feat that had almost completely drained you.   Then, he’d woken up to seeing you fall, and in his heart, he’d known that you couldn’t be saved. Not this time. But he’d still tried. He’d tried so hard that Missy had eventually been forced to be the one to beg him to stop before she lost him too.   He’d never screamed so loud for so long before.   And yet, somehow, that still hadn’t been the worst part.   That had come the next morning, when medical had informed him that you’d been examined that day because of nausea, and that they’d discovered that you were pregnant. The timeframe had matched that day in his office, when your bodies had reacted so differently, and you’d cried out of pure love for him.   It had broken parts of him that he had never even known before.

  He walked silently to your side, and took your burned right hand between his. He tried not to look at your face, and the tube that disappeared down your throat, the slight blue tinge to your eyelids, and the way your skin hugged your collarbones.   When the team had reached the disappeared house, they’d wasted no time in getting the three of you back to HQ, and you’d been rushed here immediately. They’d found residual brain-activity, and the decision had been made to keep you alive artificially, in case your powers had somehow been able to protect you. In case you could have found a way to cling to some thread of life and hold on until your strength could be returned.   There had been no change in your condition since that day, and if it hadn’t been for Missy, he would’ve already asked them to just let you rest in peace.

  “Hey, alma. We’re here. So, today’s story comes from Noodles. He managed to get out-witted by a squirrel, and it is too funny not to share.”

  She told you one story every day. Something that had happened during her day that she knew you would’ve wanted to hear about, and would’ve listened animatedly to, before enthusiastically sharing your thoughts about it.   Marcus didn’t hear the stories. He came and sat with her while she talked, because that’s what she’d asked him to do, but for him, being there wasn’t about hope. It was about survival. He didn’t want to hope, didn’t want to give himself that potentially crushing second wave of loss. But he also needed to see you. He needed you, and no amount of pain could crush that feeling.   Since they didn’t have a home anymore, they were living at HQ during the weeks, because it was closer to Missy’s school than Anita’s house. But they still stayed with her over the weekends.   Marcus made Missy dinner every evening, and sat with her to help her with homework or watch some show before she went to sleep, trying to keep her life as close to normal as these circumstances would permit.   But as soon as she fell asleep, he came right back here, curled up next to you on the bed and cried until there were no more tears, and sleep forced itself over him.

  This night was no exception. He walked in on legs that were impossibly heavy, refusing to look at the machines and the tubes, focusing on your hands and the parts of your skin that were bare and unbroken by needles.   It was so strange that your body was unharmed, that there wasn’t a mark on you to signify the violence and destructive nature of that incident. You were still perfect, even in death.   Wrapping one arm over your chest, careful not to disturb the breathing apparatus, he took his usual place on your left side, burrowed his face into your neck and breathed in the familiar scent of your shampoo.   He was so tired that the tears fell without the laboured breathing, or shockwaves of grief rocking his body, the way it usually did. He just laid there, completely drained of will and hope and desire, waiting for the restless, nightmarish sleep that would inevitably drag him under.   A sudden incessive beeping of one of the machines, tried to gripe at his attention. He closed his eyes and burrowed deeper into your neck, certain that if he turned his head towards it, all it would tell him would be that the time had come. That your body had finally weakened to the point where not even artificially sustained organs was enough to keep you there.   He hadn’t wanted to hope, and he’d thought that he didn’t have any left, but as he laid there and waited for the machines to declare your final departure – he realised that he had. A small part of him had clung to some imagined scenario where you could’ve somehow clawed your way back, and now that part was dying with you.   It felt as though someone had shrunk his lungs. He struggled to draw in more than tiny gulps of air, and his arm involuntarily tightened around you, pulling you into his chest, as though your lifeless body could somehow free him.

  A hand found his arm, and held it lightly, but he didn’t look up to see who it was that was trying to soothe him. He didn’t want to be soothed, he wanted to drift off into the nothingness with you.   But then the doors to the room opened, and he could hear it. So, why hadn’t he heard the person that was holding his arm, when they entered?

  “Oh, my god… Marcus, look.”

  It was one of the twins, and the tone of her voice made something inside of him wake up.   He pulled his head away from your neck, and the first thing he saw was your hand, holding his arm. The touch was light because it was weak, not soothing.   Not daring to believe it, he moved his arm, so he could take your hand, and when you squeezed it, ever so faintly, he fell apart.   He sobbed and hugged you, and tried to tell you how much he loved you and how grateful he was, but the shudders and trembles that kept coursing through him made it all garbled up and unintelligible.   He never heard the twins working around you, never felt them change the equipment, after they’d removed the breathing machine, and made sure that you could breathe on your own, before pulling the tubes out of your throat.   He didn’t notice Anita and Missy walk in, however much time later, but he felt them hug him, and he wanted to thank them, to tell them how much he loved them too, but the relief was so overwhelming that all he could manage was grunts and sobs.

  They let him cry himself into absolute exhaustion. He was so tired that it didn’t take long. He fell asleep still cradling you to his chest, and they didn’t have the heart to lift him out of the bed.

***

  A couple of days later, Marcus was sitting on the side of your bed, just staring at you while you ate.   You had to eat carefully and slowly, since your throat was still sore from the tube, but you were already strong enough to sit up in the bed, and eat by yourself.   You’d been expressly forbidden from trying to speak, until your throat was less swollen and irritated, or you might permanently damage your vocal cords. But it didn’t bother you. You and Marcus knew each other so well that your eyes and expressions were enough to let you know what the other was thinking. And Missy was enjoying getting the opportunity to blab incessantly without you being able to stop her with a well-placed quip.   You knew that big conversations would have to be had, in the near future, and while you could feel how nervous and anxious Marcus was about that, you really weren’t. There were things you needed to tell him, things you needed to try and help him understand, but none of it was bad. Not from your perspective, at least.

  You finished eating, and took a few long and slow sips of water. You could tell that there was something on Marcus’ mind, and when you put the glass down, you shot him a look to say ‘tell me’, and he sighed.

  “It’s not… I don’t wanna talk about it until you can actually talk to me.”

  You just kept giving him the same look, crossing your arms in front of your chest to let him know that you weren’t leaving the subject alone any time soon. Whatever this was, it was causing the wrinkle in between his eyebrows to deepen, a clear sign that it was something that hurt him, and he’d been hurting for so long already, it was time for him to start getting some of it out.   He saw your persistence, and he knew you weren’t gonna let it go. His eyes dropped to his own hands in his lap, and he took a minute to consider how to phrase it.

  “They told me… about the… baby.”

  His eyes were still downcast, so he didn’t see your face soften, or your eyes turn warm. But you wanted him to keep talking, so you made no effort to get his attention yet.

  “And I know that you did what you did to save us, and that you couldn’t have made it a priority right then, and I don’t blame you for doing what you had to. I just can’t help but think… what if that was it?”

  His hands were trembling slightly, but you couldn’t tell if it was with sadness or fear. His voice seemed so small.

  “What if that was our only chance? I’ve never felt the kind of… loss… that I felt when they told me that. The loss of what could have been, of the possibility. And I just…”

  He took a deep breath.

  “I had no idea how much I wanted that baby, until it was already gone.”

  He finally looked up at you, and blinked a couple of times with confusion as he took in your expression. Because you weren’t sad. You were smiling.   You picked up the notepad Amaire had left you for answering medical questions, and scribbled down the few words required to explain yourself, before turning it around to show him.

  --The baby is safe—

  You watched his eyes as he read those words, staring at them for several seconds as though he couldn’t understand them. And then his eyes snapped back to yours and there were a million questions in them, but he had no idea where to start or probably even what most of those questions were yet.   So, he just kissed you instead, and the depth of emotion that he poured into that kiss, had you both in tears.

Authors’ Note: I love criticism, don’t be shy to let me know if there’s anything you like/don’t like/have questions about.

@blueeyesatnight​ @farfromjustordinary @allmyspideys @hrk-fic-recs @strawberryperegrine @lucrezia-thoughts @computeringturtle @sarahjkl82-blog

[3pirouette]

Fic: An Experimental Design (10/10)

Title: An Experimental Design

By: TriplePirouette/3Pirouette

Disclaimer: They're not mine.

Distribution: AO3 Anyone else please ask first :)

Story Summary: Sequel to “What Number?”, also prompted from Steggy Bingo Bash Prompts. Takes place about a week after that fic.

A/N: Thank you all for going on this crazy journey with me. You're the literal best.

Chapter 10: Epilogue: Two by Two

Three Months Later

The gas had done its job.

They passed through dark halls and moved through rooms with their guns drawn, Hydra agents knocked out, lying on the floor. Soldiers moved in behind the Commandos, tying up the passed-out men and moving them to trucks to transport. Morita and Jones started collecting files, throwing any piece of paper they found into bags to be translated later and whooping with joy when they found whole file cabinets if full, undisturbed files.

Three months of breadcrumbs had led them here: a Hydra base hidden in the mountains of Poland, far from the front and any other Hydra bases.

Steve and Peggy pushed forward, guns drawn and the shield up as they cleared the way through the base. They kept Howard’s directive in the front of their minds: Make sure you have enough rings for a month, and keep them taped to your body, not in a pocket. Don’t get separated. If you get caught, get caught together and stay that way. Peggy stayed at Steve’s side, half hidden behind his shield, always in touching distance.

It had taken some time to get used to the feel of the vibranium on the fourth finger of her left hand, but now its presence reassured her every time she heard the small click when she shifted her grip against her gun.

They reached a locked door, and called Dernier over. Instead of the explosion they expected, he quickly picked the lock exposing a brightly lit set of cement stairs.

They could hear the keening before they even took a step.

“I thought the gas penetrated the whole facility?” Steve wondered quietly out loud, slowly starting their descent.

“Should have,” Peggy murmured.

Dum Dum poked him. “I can toss another, we just gotta gear up first.”

Steve held up his hand, signaling them all to be quiet. He wasn’t sure if they could hear it, but he could. And the voice was far too familiar.

“Don’t worry, ok? I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you.”

Peggy looked up at Steve, having heard it as well. “Sounds familiar,” she remarked quietly, referring to both the sound of the voice and the words so similar to what Steve had said to her over and over since this all began.

There was the keening again, a sound that made Peggy wince with recognition. It was a woman, and she was in pain.

“What are you hearing, Steve?” Dugan whispered. Steve just shook his head.

“I’ve got this.” The man’s voice said again, smooth and somewhat cocky. Steve knew that voice, he’d bet anything on it.

A bang against metal made them start, followed by harsh instructions in German.

He lifted his hand again, and looked at his men with serious eyes. They all knew that look: be ready for anything. They started to move again, slowly down the stairs. “Call it out!” Steve yelled when they’d stopped at the bottom of the stairs, still hidden against the wall and clear of the open doorway.

“Ten and two!” The man yelled, giving the Commandos just enough time to come around the corner, guns drawn, ready for the two Hydra soldiers that were guarding the cells. Peggy caught the one farther away in the shoulder with a clean shot, and Dugan moved past her to tackle him to the ground. Steve swung his shield up, catching the closer guard in the face, knocking him out.

“Fucking hell,” the man swore quietly, the sound of a body rattling bars as he pushed against the door to his cell. “Steve?”

Steve stepped away, the unconscious man no longer a threat. Peggy stepped up behind him, shocked.

The large basement was lined with cells, but only two, right next to one another, were occupied. Staring at them, dirty and tired and missing his left arm, was Sargent Bucky Barnes.

“Bucky?” Steve’s surprise was drowned out by the chorus of surprise from behind them, the Commandos just as surprised and shocked to see their dead friend alive and well. They surged forward but Peggy stopped them all.

She turned, hands up. “Gloves. All of you. You know the protocol.”

“Protocol?” Bucky asked, “What…?”

Peggy turned towards him, nodding her head towards the cell next to him. “Who is she?”

Curled in the corner, looking quite ready to scratch off her own skin, was a lithe redhead. She hid her face, hand stretched through the bars. Bucky went to her, reaching out and holding her hand. Peggy and Steve stiffened, watching the way her body relaxed at his touch.

“She was one of theirs, a trained assassin, I think, but… I don’t know what they hell they did to her. She’s in a lot of pain.” He stood, his hand still in hers.

Steve nodded and Jones and Dernier were immediately working on the latches, their thick leather gloves slowing them down while Morita searched the guards for keys.

“Stevie?” Bucky asked, holding on to the bar closest to him, worried with the unfamiliar protocols.

“You can’t touch any of us,” Steve warned. “And you’re the only one that can touch her.” He pointed at the woman who was mumbling in Russian.

“Natalia.” Bucky added, bending and whispering ‘friends’ to her in his broken Russian, holding her hand tight and trying to calm her. He looked back up at Steve. “Why?”

Steve started to explain, but the lock on Bucky’s cell broke, Dugan swinging the door wide open. Bucky watched them all step out of his way as he turned, moving towards Natalia’s cell, his face grim. As soon as they opened her cell door she scrambled back into the corner as far as she could, hiding from them.

Peggy turned away, unable to watch as Bucky knelt next to Natalia, whispering in a mix of English and phonetic Russian, coaxing her to stand. Peggy bit her tongue, trying not to cry because she knew exactly what kind of pain the woman was in by the whimper she made, and exactly what made the woman sigh in relief. She wiped away the tears in her eyes as she turned, just in time to see the woman tuck herself against Bucky, his only arm wrapped around her to hold her up, and her head tucked tight against his neck.

Skin to skin.

It made her nauseous. There were more, and Barnes was one of them.

They hadn’t been fast enough to stop them from doing what they’d done to her to someone else.

She watched them march past her, the Commandos helping them up the stairs and out of the holding cells. She could feel Steve move up behind her, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying, couldn’t feel anything beyond the rush of blood in her ears.

She sped away, moved briskly up the stairs and pushed out of the building, past the Commandos, past the soldiers and the trucks full of passed out Hydra agents, and didn’t stop until she was a dozen feet into the tree line. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath, couldn’t get her heart to stop pounding.

By the time Steve caught up with her she was on her knees, vomiting into the forest floor.

“Jesus, Peg…” He dropped to his knees, slipping the shield on his back and setting his hands on her shoulders as she sat up, wiping her mouth.

“I just…” She forced a big, shuddering breath, “I just need a minute.”

He pulled her close, sliding them away from the mess she’d made in the dirt. “What happened?”

She shook her head against him. “I don’t know, I just… I could remember what it felt like to be her. What that pain was like, what it was like to lay on that table while they pumped me full of drugs and I just…”

He held her tight, her body shaking in his arms. “You’re okay. You’re okay, Peg. I have you and no one is ever going to hurt you like that again.”

She pulled out of his arms, standing and brushing the dirt from her clothes, even though she was still shaking. “No, but they hurt them.”

Steve felt a lump in his throat as he looked up at her. He could see the way she was forcing to compose herself, could see that she wanted to fall apart but wouldn’t dare let herself. He could feel it, too: the realization that his best friend was alive, that they’d found him mostly whole and coherent, that of all the people in the world, Bucky was now also somehow caught up in this mess of an experiment… If he thought about it too much, he’d start shaking, too.

He stood, reaching out for her left hand with his, taking it and letting their rings softly click together. “We can help them. Howard knows how to help them. And Jones said they’ve found the motherload of information. They didn’t have time to hide or destroy it. Maybe, finally, we have a break.”

Peggy looked up at him softly, eyes welling up. She blinked the tears away and held his hand tight. “James isn’t dead.”

Steve smiled back, a chuckle of excitement bouncing in his chest. “Looks pretty alive to me.”

Steve reached up, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away a tear that had made it past Peggy’s lashes. She smiled and slowly let go of his hand, forcing her composure. “We have quite a lot of work left, Captain.”

“You go ahead, I’ll be right there.” He watched as she walked away, and when she stepped thought the tree line and he couldn’t see her anymore he dropped his hands to his knees, taking deep breaths. His mind was whirling, just as much as hers, and he was fighting just as hard to keep his composure.

“Fucking hell,” he murmured, trying to slow his heart. It wasn’t even noon, and it had already been a long day.

But he had his best friend back, and that was a miraculous start.

~*~

Four weeks later

Peggy marched through the halls of the SSR, gritting her teeth tight, on a singular mission.

She stopped at his desk, pointed at Steve, and walked away, not even waiting to see if he was going to follow.

He did, without question, and he felt his stomach sink at the expression on her face and the familiar path they were taking.

They didn’t stop until she’d shut them into an empty office. He looked at her, concerned, questioning, and worried. Howard had injected them all with what he had assured them was an antidote to Project Anchor only days after they’d recovered the research from the Hydra outpost. In all that time, she hadn’t reported an ounce of pain. He’d been clear and coherent again. And though their attachment hadn’t gone nearly as far as Steve and Peggy’s had, Bucky and Natalia were also free from the debilitating side effects of Hydra’s experiments.

The silicone bands in their rings were now just that: silicone. And she’d been fine. Fine. But he worried, in the pit of his stomach, that it had changed.

Peggy just stormed past him, throwing her hands up in the air. “That Natalia, Natasha, whatever she wants to be called, is the most infuriating creature I’ve ever met!” She kicked a stray chair and leaned heavily on the desk. “She’s acting like she knows him, Steve. Like she has some deep attachment to Barnes and because of that I need to believe her.” She hung her head. “How am I supposed to trust that she’s ready to join us, that the intel she’s offering is real?”

Steve stepped up, stopping Peggy’s rant as he took her by the shoulders and looked at her face. She followed his gaze, watching as he looked her over. “What?” she demanded, eyes following as he touched her cheek with his hand. “What?”

“You’re ok?” He asked timidly, fears still gnawing at the back of his brain.

She pushed out of his arms, eyebrows knitting together. “What are you prattling on about? I’m livid! That woman is just pushing my buttons and I’m trying to help her!” She put her fists on her hips, pacing. “How are we supposed to believe that she’s not going to go right back to the Russians at the first chance—”

Steve stopped her, turning her and kissing her soundly. She sputtered back, deflated. “Bloody hell, Stave!”

He smiled, just a little half smile. “You’re not in pain, Peggy?”

“Pain? What—” She stopped, sighing when she finally realized what it must have all looked like to him. The tight face, the purposeful walk and the built-up energy, the empty office… She shook her head. “No pain, my darling. Just completely and absolutely irritated.” Her smile was soft, despite her body still being tense with agitation. “I didn’t mean to make you think…”

He hugged her tight, cutting her off. “I think I’m going to be worried about that for a while, at least.”

Peggy slid her arms around him, some of the fight leaving her. “I’ve promised you before and I’ll promise you again. If anything changes, even the slightest, you’ll be the first to know.” She felt him nod, and she snuggled under his chin. Despite the fact that the skin-to-skin contact didn’t hold any more chemical reactions to relax her, being in his arms still had the power to calm her the way it had before all this had started. His presence had always seemed to hold that magic for her.

With their antidote managed, they’d moved on to bring Barned and Natalia into the folds of the SSR. It was easier to try to reassimilate Barnes. They had his medical records, they knew what they’d done to him and the man had proven in the past he could be trusted. The path was much clearer for him as a POW. Natalia, who said she preferred Natasha, was a former Russian spy on loan to Hydra. They knew very little about her, but she behaved as if her word was good enough for them to trust her. Peggy had taken on responsibility for the woman, and had regretted it nearly every day since.

He kissed the top of her head, smoothing her hair back before stepping away and sitting on the desk across from her, settling in to listen to whatever it was today that had gotten her hackles up about Natasha. “Now, go ahead. Rant away, dear.”

Peggy stared at him, sitting on the desk, hands folded in his lap, waiting, she shook her head. “Well now I’m quite out of steam, thank you very much,” her words were filled with disappointment. She looked around, sighing heavily. “I was looking forward to a good tongue wagging.”

Steve lifted an eyebrow as an idea overtook him. He pointed his finger at her and turned his hand, crooking it and telling her to join him. She joined him, her exasperated look humoring him as he trapped her between his legs. “No one who saw that look on your face is going to come looking for us anytime soon… Maybe we can do a different kind of tongue wagging?”

Peggy laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Cheeky!”

“That’s me,” he mumbled, leaning forward to kiss her. “What do you think?” he asked, leaning back and rubbing his nose against hers. “Should we make some better memories in this office?”

Her kiss was the only answer he needed.

[rodeo-boots]

Arthur/ Abigail when John left the gang for a year?

Thank you so much for the request!! I am not entirely happy with the result, but I hope you'll like it <3

Rating: Teen and Up

Words: 1760

AO3

Warnings: Angst

––––––––––––––––––––––––––

How long had it been since he had left? Weeks, maybe months? Arthur wasn't sure, he had long since stopped counting the days. Even longer ago, he had stopped looking for him; in jail cells, on the line-up for the next public hanging. His brother was gone, and it had been by his own free will that he left them behind; more precisely - that he had left his wife and child.

John had never been one to face up to his responsibilities. When things got hard, he ran with his tail tucked between his legs, ran from challenges as well as conflicts. Like the coward that he was. To him, it seemed like a family was the biggest burden of them all. The man couldn’t understand how much of a blessing they truly were. Or how much Arthur had wished he'd been granted a similar thing.

The family he's made for himself unwillingly, accidentally, was no more. Eliza and Isaac... the people he had wished to keep safe with all he had, the woman he's slept with without thinking of the consequences and the child their actions had brought into this world. What would he have given to still have them around; his possessions, his very own life. But there was no changing what was done, and no way to reawaken the dead.

Right now, he had a chance to make it better, as unorthodox as it may seem. There was a family in need of help, the woman his brother had left with their infant child and little Jack, who didn't resemble his father enough for John's taste.

Arthur released a sigh, running a hand through his freshly cut hair. He set the axe aside, wiping sweat off his brow before turning around, having felt Abigail's blue gaze on him while he had still been at work. "Somethin' a'matter?" He asked, ready to step in should she need help with Jack. The boy was small, sicklish. Almost like Isaac had been. Though he hadn't seen much of his own son in the past.

Abigail had her hands folded in front of her skirts, briefly staring down at them before her gaze lifted to meet Arthur's again. "I– I just... can we talk?" She appeared uncertain, Arthur taking a slow step closer, casually resting his hands upon his belt buckle.

"Sure," he replied, nodding ahead for her to lead the way somewhere more private. Between the tents of everyone else, there was hardly any space for deep conversations.

The gang had grown, with every state they passed only more people seemed to join them, Arthur hearing the rumbling laughter from Davey at the campfire, following Abigail towards a quiet corner she might've set her eyes upon before. They didn't talk too often, not genuinely at least, spoke of Jack and his needs or the weather, but never thought about bringing up John. The topic of him wouldn't help them any, not in their current situation.

Arthur settled down on a log at the outskirts of camp, safely hidden within the confines of nature. Abigail stayed standing in front of him, nervousness in her every motion, picking at her nails until she noticed and stopped. A sigh left her chest. "Be honest with me Arthur, do you– do you think he'll come back?" She didn't beat around the bush, Arthur opening his mouth before closing it again. He had no answer to give her, knowing that there was no reason to believe that John would return from his adventures.

"Abigail, I–"

"You know him better than I. Tell me." Her eyes were fiery, something unreadable behind them, something Arthur had no way to understand. He felt heartbroken about his brother's unannounced departure himself, but it had been months. They had no time to mourn the fool when he's clearly forgotten all about them in a heartbeat.

He thought about telling her that, about voicing the harsh truth he believed to be the only reasonable explanation. But Arthur wouldn't be the one to hurt Abigail all over again. She didn't deserve that. Looking up to her hesitantly, he finally opened his mouth. "I dunno." Which was true. "It don't seem he wants to." It was obvious, at least, that the man hadn't made his way back to them yet.

Abigail inhaled sharply, fingers bunching up the fabric of her skirts. What had she wanted him to say? "Listen, 'm not sayin' he ain't out there no more. What I mean is– he abandoned us, you'n Jack. And that don't seem like a reason to grief for him, does it?" He would understand if Abigail was mad, would understand if her devastation had persisted all those months. But by now it appeared like she wished for John to return, as if it didn't matter that he had dropped all his responsibilities from one day to the other.

"He's an adult, and he'll do what he wants. But you're an adult, too, and you can get through this without him." Even if he had tried to speak carefully as to not to upset her, it was clear his words had been fueled by the anger he felt inside himself. In his eyes, John had never deserved a woman like Abigail by his side, had never deserved a wonderful child like Jack – he obviously didn't want them.

Abigail's knuckles turned white with her tight grip on her skirts. "You're a horrible man, Arthur Morgan," she muttered, turning before marching down the way they had come.

Arthur stared after her for a moment, and another. He swallowed, his throat feeling impossibly tight. Whatever he had been supposed to say, the wrong things had to have left his mouth.

He had never been a great conversationalist to begin with.

*

Arthur continued to work, and Abigail did the same, What else were they supposed to do? Time continued to pass, and Jack grew, much faster than expected. Had Isaac grown so quickly?

Arthur was surprised every time he saw him, was frightened the more the boy's face seemed to shape into his father's. He had known John since he had been a boy, a child of little more than twelve, round-cheeked and wild eyed. His absence now almost made him miss that time. But there was nothing he could do.

Abigail continued to ask things of him, even after their last unpleasant conversation. She acted like it had never happened, kept up her act of a grieving widow, even if she was a free woman most of all. That's how Arthur saw it at least. He was sure John had already found another, scared of commitment as he was.

But Arthur rode out, every time Abigail told him so. He brought back books for Jack, brought him toys and food that suited his stomach better than the plain stew they all had to eat. Some days he brought something back for Abigail as well, dropped it off in front of her tent before turning, unwilling to ask what she would need the herbs for.

She had been a working girl in her past, had changed her ways ever since Jack had seen the light of day, but she still drank that damned tea. It didn’t add up in Arthur's head.

"Arthur? Can you– stay." That was a different demand than most days, the last one Arthur would've expected to hear. He turned back around, already having been ready to go, a heavy sigh rolling off his chest. It was dark and Jack was sleeping, having been read to until his eyelids grew heavy, snoozing by Hosea's side in the middle of camp. The older man seemed to love him like a grandfather would, which was good.

Arthur still didn't think it would be a good idea for him to stay, to risk another fight like the one he's had with Abigail months ago. "I don't–"

"Please," she sounded... odd, it's what she sounded like. Arthur gave in nonetheless, mumbling under his breath as he sat down by her side, gazing out into the darkness surrounding them.

He grasped for the right words to say, aware that in a situation like theirs, there might not be any. "You know I do what I can," he muttered, not yet looking at the woman by his side. "But I can't lie t'you, and I can't replace John, neither." Arthur had an inclination to say the wrong thing, realizing his words when Abigail took a sharp breath. He was ready to apologize all over again, but she stopped him, a hand on his thigh, blue eyes piercing into his.

"I'm not askin' you to," she said, leaning in, closer and closer, the hand on his thigh slipping higher and higher. This is wrong, Arthur swallowed heavily, pulled back.

"What d'you want?" He brushed her hand off his leg, reestablished the distance between them. She was a beautiful woman, no doubt about that. But she wasn't his, and no matter how angry he was at John, he wouldn't do anything he had no right to.

Her expression changed into something pinched, ashamed. "I just... I need you." It was clear that she wasn't proud of asking this from him, but that didn't make it any better.

He shook his head. "What're you askin' for?" He didn't want an answer. Didn't want the truth nor a lie. Abigail was a single woman with a child, her husband had left her with the responsibility, had left her to fend for herself. And he was mad at him, mad at John for throwing away what he never could've had; what had been taken from him with Isaac and Eliza, and what Mary simply didn't want. "I ain't John," Arthur reminded her, as firmly as he could. Of course he wanted to help, wanted to be there for her in times of need, but not like this. "Excuse me," he cleared his throat, stood without thinking twice. And this time it was him who walked away without looking back.

*

John came back. Unexpectedly waltzed into camp like the last year hadn't existed to begin with. And they all welcomed him with open arms; Dutch, Hosea, even Abigail who's mourned him all along, who had almost asked Arthur to touch her to quell her loneliness.

He regretted it, sometimes, watching them reunite all over again, wished he had stepped in when there was still a chance to, had given Abigail and Jack the prospect of something better. But maybe that just wasn't who Arthur was.

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Awaiting' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"Awaiting"

'Us...we have really fought together...we have really bled together..."

Chapter Summary : Yirina is filled with pain after her talk with Adler that ended into an fight and more she's staying captive, more she start to feel more broken...but she has to stay strong....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3000

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I couldn't simply resist the urge of making the thing that I should have done more longer at an multiples occasions after my come back in the fight against Perseus. He's not only 'the American Monster' that people describe him but he's also the man who has fucked up my entire life and I have to be gentle with him.....I don't know how this world work but it's strange. The things he has done, it did make people angry...mad at him and instead of realizing his own mistakes, he prefer to laugh about them and that's why punching him was an way to make him suffer like I did.

However, the fact that I wasn't able to finish, that the others came in to separate ourselves...it broke me in the inside. They could have let us fight but they decided to intervene and that, it made me really cry, tears that was real and it wasn't just me that was doing this....Bell was crying in the inside as me, in the outside. Adler broke me but more I will be facing him & talking to him face to face, more I will be sure that he will finish the work. Freya & Sonya saw that by listening to the two.

They quickly left me alone, still sounding shocked of what happened as I was still on that bed, facing the same wall as before and crying all the tears in pain from my body. It was the only thing that I was able to do right now, feeling the entire pain and my left wounded arm, hurting me despite the bandages on it. I don't think that nothing around her could stop the pain that I was enduring, they have Park in an another cell and I'm missing her....I need to....stay strong.

I was back in my old apartment in Moscow, feeling more younger and sounding younger too as I was putting in an frame, an picture of me & Zasha, sitting on an bench near the Moskova, supposing that it was maybe Freya or Dedov who took the picture, the latter seeming more real. Next to the little space I put the now-framed picture, there were an calendar indicating that we were in 1977 in June, giving me an perfect date of that memory for the moment.

An deep breath after I put the framed picture at its place, I decided to move next to an closet in my living room to reach out an bottle of scotch and an empty glass from it before moving to my couch after half-filling my glass with scotch and then, sitting down. But as soon as my lips was coming in contact with the glass that I could hear knocks at my front door, stopping me in my move.

"I'm coming." I started, putting my glass down and sounding an bit annoyed before walking to open the front door and discovering Zasha, dressed in an black suit, black tie & and an white shirt. "Zed !" I spoke up, amazed to see them in that outfit.

"Hey, Yirina." They waved at me, looking an bit disturbed despite the smile on their face.

"You're looking good and not good at the same time." I told them as they bit their lips, their eyes away from me.

"Listen, can I come in ?" They demanded, gesturing with their hands behind me.

"Of course." I said, moving away to let them enter my apartment before I closed the door behind them, wondering what do they have. "So, what's happening ?" I asked them curious, my hands still on the door handle.

"We need to talk about things to be honest." They responded, hesitating to sit on the couch by looking at them before they decided to do so.

"About which particulars things, Zed ?" I precisely questioned as their voice and sudden attitute wasn't helping me to know.

"Well, it's....about me, you, Dedov, the only friends I had in here." They exclaimed, putting their hands to holding their head, placing them under their jaws, their eyes. "I'm feeling to be very alone." They added in an sad voice.

"You're not alone, Zasha !" I expressed, getting to sit next to them, fully worried about them.

"I know but my life, I have like only one person in the world I'm friend here and it's only you." They proclaimed, looking at me, sure of their words, me an bit troubled in the inside. "In my life, I have you & Dedov to hold me."

"Only us ?" I breathed.

"I tried to make friends in the KGB but they aren't nice towards me, I lost an friend when I was an border trooper in the 10th Hichaurskiy Detachment." They continued, sounding like they were lamenting themselves for that life. "I don't think I'm made to have friends."

"No, don't say that." I whispered, joining my hands with theirs to try to recomfort them. "You're wrong because I'm here as your friend." I grinned an little at them. "The most important thing is that it's better to have an friend that will always have your back than an lot that don't know if they are really meaning what they're proclaiming." I told them, giving my thoughts about the situation they were now.

"Yeah, I think that you're maybe right." They expressed, their voice an bit better than before but still not normal. "The most important is that you & Dedov are here."  They affirmed as their eyes fall on our both hands joined.

"Anything wrong ?" I asked them, seeing an curious look on their face.

"I was thinking of something else too...." They started, slowly moving their eyes to met mine. "Do you believe that there's something between us ?" They demanded, curious as me, I was blushing from their words.

"I...." I stopped myself, having an sort of revealation in me, like if it was something I couldn't hide to be honest anymore. "Yes, I think there's more than just an simple friendship." I revealed, my left hand slowly moving to get on Zasha's cheek. "Zed....I love you." I whispered in an very low voice, catching their attention.

"Me too, Yiri." They said, using an nickname that I never thought to be used by them. "It's been days that thought was in my mind, it was something to tell."

"And I'm proud of you."  I snorted before we got our foreheads against each other, smiling before finally, our lips met together, causing an sweet, passionate kiss to happen between us on that couch. "Zasha..." I breathed silently as we broke the kiss an little second before starting again, my arms wrapping around their waist and then, they started to move slowly on their back, finding myself on top of them, looking at them with an big smile.

"You're looking amazing, Yiri." They admitted, their right hand posed on my left cheek and stroking delicately as my hands were posed on their chest, under the black vest and above their white shirt.....

"And you....you're looking really nice in an suit !"

That memory did gave me an peak of my short-lived relationship I had with Zasha in 1977 and it was looking so sweet and tender to live but even if it was nice & also strange to have that memory in my head, I could still feel the pain of the last events. The good feelings slowly fading away to be replaced by those of everything bad that happened to me. I wanted to know more about that moment of my life with Zasha but my bad thoughts was taking over, avoiding me to think clearly and perfectly.

Suddenly, I slowly opened my eyes, finding that I was still sleeping in the same direction my eyes totally feeling dryed after crying for hours, my left arm still hurting me an little and my head feeling heavy like an big headache. I first got up from my bed even if I knew that there were nothing to do in that little cell : having an blank stare on an wall, sitting on the edge of my bed and trying to find an way, there were just nothing to do in that fucking cell.

As I was trying to reason myself, I could see that the sweet plate was still near my bed and feeling hungry, I took this time 3 sweets called Kara-Koum like Freya explained to me as they were probably my favorites before, I didn't know that and I wasn't sure of it to be sure. To change, I decided to move away from the bed before sitting against an wall, just next to the little sink but it was still nothing to do, I did only changed position in that cell.

Then, after some times still sit near that sink, I could hear the door of the cell getting opened, meaning that I was going probably to go out for another of their damn test and it was in fact Sonya themselves but they were alone this time.

"Are you the sleeping beauty or the woman that can't sleep ?" They started to ask me like that, their voice sounding very curious.

"Why are you asking that ?" I raised an eyebrow, not understanding their question at all.

"Well, seems that you didn't see the time." They said, pointing at their own watch on their left hands before realizing that I wasn't wearing one.

"Maybe because I'm not given anything to know the time." I exclaimed in an lazy voice, my voice struggling with the pain inside of me.

"It's 3 AM in the morning, the 5th of June." They revealed to me, making my eyes go wide. It's been 3 days that we were captured and nothing was attempted by the others back in Verdansk but are we in this city or far away from it ? "Guess that you aren't the sleeping type, know." They scoffed around.

"Is that funny ?" I muttered, putting my hands on my face before my eyes went back on them. "Why are you here anyway ?" I asked them directly, wanting to know why they were here at that time of the day. "To tell me to go to sleep ?"

"No, I'm not your mother !" They exclaimed, almost breaking an laugh as I wasn't opened for that type of thing now. "Well, the people that are watching you told us that you awake minutes ago and I volunteered myself to go see you." They explained to me, moving at a few meters from me.

"Seems that it isn't your type to do that, looking by your face." I told them in an clear voice, my left hand holding my head.

"Yeah, it isn't my type to go check the prisoner but...." They started to say before cutting themselves out. "I'm somehow curious by an lot of things."

"It isn't the rude Sonya Kuzmin I know." I expressed in an low voice, releasing an little grin on my face.

"You barely knew before for at least 5 minutes before the CIA showed up in your little hideout." They claimed, right in their words before they walk to get sit on my own bed. "If you want to know how I escaped that day,  let's just say that the CIA wasn't very discreet in West-Berlin and Perseus took advantage of it." They added, giving me infos about how they were able to escape the CIA.

"Always the CIA been like that." I joked, making an laugh as for them, they were mostly looking curious & also worried...an first to say.

"Tell me." They crossed their arms, looking at me fully. "Why did you hit Adler ?" They asked me, not removing their eyes from me.

"I have my reasons." I replied intentionally sounding low and putting my eyes away. "He did things that disgusted me, he send me into an war that I shouldn't have fight."

"I heard that but it was going great until you start to get up." They affirmed, unintentionally revealing that they were looking at the scene when it happens. "And then, you flew over that table to hit him."

"I have my reasons, Sonya !" I repeated, raising my voice to make things clear with them. "I'm not even sure that I can consider him an friend." I sniffed, deciding to get up to lean against the wall. "You wouldn't want to be at my place right now."

"Oh hell, I wouldn't want to !" They spoke up, nodding to me in approval. "It's already trouble to have to keep an eye on you but to be you....never." They continued as I crossed my arms, wondering about who was Sonya more deeper.

"Tell me, when did you join Perseus ?" I demanded to them, an real question that I was asking them.

"Why do you want to know ?" They asked back, raising an eyebrow.

"Just like that, to know who are the persons detaining me & my friend." I told them, telling the truth in an way.

"I did joined Perseus in 1980." They started, going up from my bed to face me, looking dead serious. "It's my brother that kinda lead me to join the ranks of Perseus."

"Stitch ?" They nodded to me even if they were an bit shocked that I was knowing that, despite the family name.

"He was mostly the one who raised me during my youth." They added, taking an deep breath. "Our dad was dead before I was born and our mom, she was always working, causing my brother to raise me." They explained, getting my full attention before an look of disturb appeared on their face. "Wait, why I am talking of this to you ?"

"You thought it was maybe best for you to....."

"No, I wouldn't do that." They cut me in my words, looking away in shame. "We're supposed to be enemies like you said but we're talking like friends." They protested, feeling ashamed of themselves.

"And is that an problem ?" I whispered loudly.

"No but...." They started to say until....

"Sonya !" An voice coming from outside the cell was beginning to be heard for us and then, I could see Stitch himself, alongside Knight before he entered alone in the cell. "Sonya !" He repeated, mixed between looking at me & them. "I heard that you wanted to talk with her."

"Yeah but I have everything right." Sonya said to him, looking disturbed to face their brother as me as an spectator of the scene. "It just that she managed to make me talk about things."

"That was only between us." He made them recall, the tone of his voice more threatening than before, apparently knowing of what we talked about. "We're supposed to made her talk, not let her make us talk."

"Uhm....you know that I'm here ?" I questioned him and my words broke him out of his little discussion he had with Sonya while I was watching.

"Knight, bring Sonya back to their quarters, I'm going to have an discussion with Bell." He ordered to him as he gestured to Sonya to leave.

"And now, I'm an taxi !" I could hear Knight mutter as he was walking away with Sonya out of the cell, leaving me alone with Stitch.

"Bell !" He started with me, moving back to my bed to sit on it. "There's things I want to know."

"You want to know why I hit Adler ?" I guessed right as he nodded to me clearly. "I have my reasons." I repeated again to him this time.

"Come on, why did you punch your friend to almost kill him ?" He asked fully without me guessing.

"If you have heard of what I said before, you should know, right ?" I make him remember of the words he told to Sonya an moment ago. "Frankly, I hate him, end of story !" I added to him, giving him for his great pleasure my real answer.

"Good, I know that Adler wasn't the kind of person to be friendly." He exclaimed, looking at me with his only eye remaining. "We're making progress, little but effective."

"So, this talk was to see how much I'm important, I suppose." I suggested.

"Exactly, more we learned about you, more we can help you." He reaffirmed to me and acting like Bell, I moved around to laid down on the bed, ready to look at the wall again to go to sleep. "You need to understand that your behavior against us isn't in fact helping us."

"Isn't the rules of war ?" I peaked my eyes at him, my hands on my chest. "I suppose to be an prisoner, not one of yours. I'm not an terrorist." I admitted.

"We're fighting for the right ideas and you will soon see it well again." He clenched his right fist towards me either as an threat or to give me his ideas through my head. "For now, you will be awaiting for the next test." He continued, slowly moving towards me, an deadly glare at me. "You're maybe one of us but both of us aren't best friends and I'm not intenting to change." He exclaimed in an clear voice, his hands behind his back.

"Like you wounded me." I pointed at the wound at my left arm as he looked at the knife at his vest.

"It was an mean to make you remember but I did only wounded you so I will leave these options for the moment." He told me as he start to move away to reach the door. "Your next test will start in one day, the 6th of June in the evening." He explained.

"And what it would be ?" I questioned him as he stopped moving to peak his right eye to me.

"You will see soon, Bell !" He only said to me before he could leave the cell, the door closing behind him, alone again in that room, on my bed.....

"I need to stay strong...I need to stay strong for her !"

[real-jaune-isms]

RWBY Volume 8 Chapter 12 Review/Remix: Creation

For only having a couple major set pieces, this was one of the most plot dense chapters we’ve ever seen from this show. Some of those were a lot time coming and satisfying as hell, and some came right out of nowhere to massive speculation and theorizing to follow. But goddamn if I didn’t love every minute of it, so let’s mosey on through to see just why that is.

We open, as many of these chapters have been want to do, with shots of the Grimm causing chaos and destruction, in this case Teryx attacking airships. JNR fly by in a ship of their own, and looking rather concerned as they approach Atlas Academy. Why the shot was framed quite like this I’m not totally sure, because it looks like they’re approaching the city itself from quite far away when really they should have been approaching from the outskirts and flying over the city itself, considering where the Schnee estate is located. Ironwood is waiting for Penny at the landing site at the entrance to the Academy, just as he and Ruby had agreed on, and he’s got a new toy. Both pistols of Due Process have been slotted into the back sides of a larger firearm, a veritable hand cannon that needs both grips just to keep steadily aimed. I think it’s safe to call this the Gun-gun we had been joking would be coming eventually since the early Volumes. The Ace Ops are backing him up, and we see a few Atlesian Knight robots loading the bomb onto an airship so he can nuke Mantle at a moment’s notice just as he warned. The citizens of Mantle are out of the mines and looking very apprehensive about the whole thing, and we are right there with them. Just as the bots have finished loading the bomb and are about to leave they start getting shot down. Ironwood warns the Ace Ops to be ready for any altered state Penny might be in and any trouble her friends might try to cause. Harriet is all to ready to follow through on the general’s terms and put down any brat who tries to interfere, and this whole thing seems to finally give Vine pause. He’s not stopping now, how can he, but he’s reflecting on the path to get here and only now has some amount of remorse about it. Elm winces at the mention of that too, while my MCU fan mind had to stop and chuckle at a pale bald man with energy powers musing on philosophy and ethics so close after the end of WandaVision. Not intentional, obviously, but a great coincidence. Ironwood gets a ping that there are intruders in the hangar, and they all surmise that’s Robyn and Qrow trying to interfere with the bombing. Harriet is ready as hell for a chance to beat them bloody after all this time STILL believing they’re Clover’s killers, but Elm makes a good point that they can’t just leave to do that because Ironwood will need backup here. Lucky for all of them, Winter is here to provide the general just that, so the other three are free to deal with their fugitive problem. With a quiet moment between them, Winter tries to see if Ironwood can be talked down one last time. He doesn’t want to hear it, and she admits she knows it would be impossible to try.

Penny soars in and lands in front of them, surrendering herself to a pair of cuffs and surprising Ironwood a bit in actually coming alone. She says she’s obeying his order because above all she wants to stop further death and she must open the Vault. The virus coming back a little to compel her to this end, or just frequently repeated phrase for the sake of simplicity? Unclear. Ironwood finally lowers the gun-gun he was pointing at her and puts a reassuring hand on her shoulder to tell her she’s done the right thing. In a cadence very much not her own, she agrees she has, and all illusions are dropped. It Was Emerald All Along!~ And JNR as well as Oscar are standing a few yards behind her along with the airship she must have been masking the approach of with the sound of “Penny” flying in. As shocked realization dawns on his face, James is kicked in the chin by a backflipping Emerald. His gun flies out of his grasp and she catches it with a grin before disappearing. Damn she really has been getting good with her Semblance! Down in the hangar, the Ace Ops arrive to see the jailbirds slicing and blasting a ton of robot soldiers. Just as they’re about to join the fray Marrow is heard giving a command and his former teammates are left frozen under the power of a Semblance they never seemed to give its due diligence. The assembled Huntsmen and Huntresses start attacking Ironwood and he counters the first few attacks rather well. I’m sure he must be pretty damn shocked to see Oscar still alive after shooting him into a pit, and for that matter probably Jaune and Ren too with what Harriet told him about their mission into Monstra. That and how little sleep he’s probably gotten recently make it very likely willpower and his Semblance are the only things keeping him going at this point, so who are we to be shocked if he starts losing to their superior numbers? And start losing he does, because Winter is on their side and helps Nora bash him upside the head. Winter and Oscar charge at James on the back of a summoned Manticore, but he grabs it by the horns and stops it dead in its tracks. So they leap off and Winter hits him in the back with some ice while he’s busy destroying the summon. With another glyph she springboards Oscar back at James and he gives him the old rapidfire cane jab. It knocks his Aura pretty low by the looks of the flickers, but he still recovers and stops Oscar on the next swing. Before he can punch the poor boy any more than Hazel already has in the last 12 hours, Winter does the most anime move these series has yet to offer us and darts past her old boss to slice him at lightning fast speed. It’s a badass sight that I cannot describe with enough words so please just watch for yourself. With that, Ironwood’s Aura is broken and he passes out then and there. Qrow and Robyn apologize for freezing the Ace Ops like this, but these times call for hard choices. Emerald reappears to get uncuffed and Winter tells the five of them to move on to Phase 2.

We flash back to the end of the last episode where Ruby decides taking Penny to the Vault might be a risk worth taking, and we see Jaune and Ozcar immediately pick up on what she’s thinking. Why not try and use the Staff of Creation and hope it can work a twofold miracle of saving Penny and all the people of these two cities? Just then Weiss gets a text from Winter, and the gears start turning in our minds how this whole plan came together. We see Winter shoving Marrow into an elevator and looking very grumpy about the whole experience. He correctly guesses she’s not arresting him, but damn if he doesn’t get why she had to punch him to get him outta here. She rightfully tells him it was to make it look believable and she just saved his life thank you very much. He notices she’s texting someone and asks whom, and she says getting in touch with Weiss for some help is something she should have done a long time ago. Just then the elevator doors open and we get the payoff to who Robyn and Qrow were so surprised to see last episode: These two. Winter quickly sees this as a chance for even more help, and I think it is the happiest she’s ever been to see Qrow. Shifting back to Schnee manor, Weiss is going over the risks of this plan of theirs to the other 10 teens. Oscar pipes up with another danger, Atlas falling as soon as the Staff is used for anything new. The cover story about Gravity Dust keeping the kingdom afloat was only half wrong, there really is a large amount at the base of the landmass that will slow the descent a bit, but it will still be a cataclysmic landing. Jaune suggests using the Staff to get everyone in the danger areas to somewhere safe, possibly even another Kingdom, but Oscar says it doesn’t just work that easily. Especially not with HIM involved. The Staff has a sentient presence you have to deal with to make anything happen, but he’s a real card this one. He gives you what you ask for and only what you ask for, so you have to be specific and provide details or even blueprints for how to make what you’re asking for. Lucky for them Whitley has access to the layouts of Atlas and Mantle due to preparing for their earlier evacuation plan, so they’re off to a very good start. Oz still worries about Ironwood and the bomb at this point, but Weiss assures him they have a good plan for that. And we just saw what that was and how well it worked.

So now we get to see what Team RWBY is doing while ORNJ is handling Ironwood and whatever else Winter is having them do, flying an airship up to the hole Oscar left in the bottom of the Vault and having Ruby use her new Semblance skill to carry the rest of her team and Penny up through that and into the Vault itself. Klein and the other Schnees are also aboard the airship cuz someone needed to fly it and they weren’t gonna stick around in the mansion after the Kingdom starts falling. Ruby can basically fly now, no big deal it’s totally fine this doesn’t make her OP as hell, WHAT???? Okay I’m done. They get to the Vault door and with a shoulder to lean on and a few supportive words Penny opens it no problem. In the split second before Penny starts self-terminating now that this objective is completed, RWBY zooms into the grassy meadow inside this cold winter Kingdom’s vault on another Rose Express and Ruby grabs the Staff. Time stops as we see Winter escorting James to a cell in the brig right next to her other manipulative father figure Jacques, OJNRE are in front of some sort of computer monitor, and various other shots of what people are up to at this second are shown. In a cloud of blue mist emerges a man every bit as big blue and naked as Jinn was, but while she was thicc he is jacked. I don’t know how to describe his light blue hair but it’s got a ponytail so that’s fun. He seems charismatic af with a voice many assumed was Matt Mercer but is not, and seems he’s still a little steamed over how boring a request making Atlas float was. Ruby gets his attention and we learn his name is Ambrosius. When faced with a request to stop Penny from dying, Ambros informs them a limitation of his powers is resurrecting the dead. So everyone theorizing the Staff could bring back Pyrrha, or Clover, or any other beloved character were disappointed to be proven wrong. But bringing back the dead isn’t what Ruby is after, and once Ambrosius sees for himself just how atypical of a girl Penny is he understands their intention clearly. He lets them know of his rules, he is essentially a monkey’s paw and what you get may be exactly what you asked for but not what you hoped to get. They knew about this technicality problem too, so they brought Penny’s blueprints and ask him word for word to “Make a new version of her using her exact same robotic parts”. The robot parts are what have the virus, and once they use the Staff to make something new that infected robot Penny will cease to exist. But if he only removes the robot parts that will leave behind the life and soul that truly makes her Penny. It’s also not within his power to directly destroy, apparently, but it wouldn’t be killing her because it’s leaving her existing with just her soul. Yang flexes her prosthetic arm to illustrate their point that the mechanical parts are just extra. Ambrosius is enthusiastic to give this a try, but he has no idea what the finished product would be, so Ruby encourages him to get a little creative with it. He’s eager to give it a try but does warn them he can’t guarantee what the results will be, but they insist they have no other options and he does a sort of dance in the air like a full body orchestra conduction. Penny starts floating in swirls of blue mist, and in a flash of white light one becomes two. With his job done, Ambros fades away with a wink.

All of Atlas starts shaking, and ORNJE take that as their cue to start their next task: broadcasting to all of Atlas and Mantle a warning that Atlas is falling. Jaune is the one to deliver the message after some troubles figuring out how to get it working, but before he can offer any reassurance that a plan is in motion to save the masses... the broadcast is cut short along with all communications in the Kingdom. My money is on Watts being responsible, but maybe it was Atlas command on a hunch of what Ironwood would want them to do. James himself didn’t tell them to cut it off, cuz he’s still unconscious in a jail cell. Speaking of those cells, Jacques demands answers on what the hell is going on from his eldest daughter. She asserts that they will be getting everyone to safety and leaving the falling rubble to Salem for all the good it’ll do her, but Jacques is still worried he won’t be among those saved. Winter hesitates but tells him that yes he will be evacuated too. He thanks her profusely but she refuses to accept that credit. If he wants to be grateful he has to thank Weiss for deciding to free him, and that news shuts him up right quick. Weiss has been his least favorite child, yet she’s still the one to show him mercy and kindness because that’s the sort of woman she’s always been and he tried to stamp that humanity out of her. What an ass he must feel like.

Back down in the Vault, two Penny’s stand before RWBY. One looks like we’ve always known her, but starts moving and jerking around robotically with red eyes and sparks flying out of it as it collapses to the ground. The other has bare human legs, no gloves, no power sign on her neck ribbon, a natural fabric bow in her hair, and aside from that is every bit the sweet and good girl we’ve come to know. Some people say this was a mistake or a bad move to take away what made her such a unique character but... they really didn’t. She was able to grow outside of the limitations of the body she came into existence with and now lives purely as who she has always felt herself being inside. And that’s pretty cool. She’s naturally very disturbed to see another version of herself collapsing and dying right in front of her, but feels a lot better getting to hug Ruby. Penny never knew a hug could make you feel this warm inside, and gives hugs to the rest of Team RWBY. It’s very very cute and we’re all glad to see she’s doing so well now. 

With this taken care of it’s time to summon Ambrosius for the evacuation creation. He seems to have no concept of time because he doesn’t realize how little time has passed and is surprised to see they’re the ones who summoned him again. And considering how thorough they were with the last request he’s probably bummed he won’t get to pull a fast one on with a request this time either. They try and ask him to make doorways all over Atlas and Mantle that will all become a single doorway in Vacuo, but he requires too much complex metaphysics and space time bending to make that happen so they alter course. Make a central location all the doorways in Atlas and Mantle will open into, and then have a single door in that big new place that will open in Vacuo. He wants to know just what kind of central location they would have in mind, and Yang says he should make one that exists outside of Remnant’s reality just like the Vaults seem to. He commends them for being so smart about it, but acknowledges that could end up being foolishness instead. As a point of reference for the doorway system, or perhaps just for where in Atlas and Mantle they should be opening, Weiss shows him a series of blueprints for the layout of the Snowshoe shipping hub and how it connects to Atlas. Using that basis he makes dozens if not a hundred or two doorways all over the two cities. They’re big gold ovals with pale blue centers, and on the other side is a big empty black void with a series of narrow walkways without and sort of railings connecting all the portals to a single large one at the end of all the converging paths. Very dangerous if anyone ends up tripping or knocking anyone else over. People are very confused to see these things suddenly pop up, but we see Joanna hesitantly step through one and see just what the deal is. Realizing it’s their way out she seems to go back and tell the others. I gotta admit, the look of this large doorway in the midst of a barren rocky place like this gave me serious ending of Kingdom Hearts 1 vibes, and I half expected Mickey Mouse to be on the other side talking about the Door to Darkness. But that’s just me. Satisfied that the job is done, they thank Ambros who tells them they were indeed disappointingly thorough and they can go now. As they head out the broken robo Penny fades away to blue dust and real Penny is rather shaken to bear witness to that. Before he disappears into the Staff for who knows how long now, Ambrosius delivers one last warning about the world of doors and paths they just created. Do Not Fall. With that ominous warning ringing in their minds the five young women head into the doorway before them with the intent to go to Vacuo with everyone else and the hope in their hearts that they’re not forgetting anything important. We see Cinder wearing a hooded cloak in the midst of a crowd about to head into one of these portals, and it becomes very clear what important thing they may not have taken into account.

Time to wait 7 days to see what could possibly go wrong now!

[undeadimmortality]

Unexpected Part 2

Not really chapters, just super long parts to the story. 

Hey, smut ahead!!! I’m bad at writing smut so felt right, but might delete later, idkidk. Fluff too! Is alcohol consumption a warning?? 

Weeks turned to months, and things started to change for the better, as well as the worst. Your time in the bunker was great. You were getting pretty close to Sam and Dean, even Castiel at times, but he always kept a mental distance. After a lot of late night talks, you had opened up about your past and they had opened up about theirs too. You could tell the boys took to caring about you, and you cared about them deeply. Even with everything that had started this relationship, you’d never had anyone who cared for you a single day in your life until you got to know Sam and Dean. Even in the short time of knowing them, you knew they were great men, and would genuinely try to keep you alive if they could.

There were demon omens coming from a town close to the bunker, and the boys decided to check it out. Leaving Castiel to look over you, while they were away for a day or two. This was the first time they’d decided to act on any sort of hunt since they found you, figuring it’d be safer to keep a low profile until they figure out this Lucifer issue. But, with demons possibly this close to the bunker, finding out why they were there was the safest bet.

They’d been gone the whole day, and after no replies to your texts you started to worry. A glass of whiskey in one hand and your cell in the other, Castiel watched as you paced back and forth for a good hour, deep in thought.

“Maybe you should check on them, Cass. They aren’t texting back.” You walked over to the angel, and sat next to him, opening your texts again.

“We have a plan in place, (y/n). It’s safer if I stay here with you.” Castiel said.

“You still don’t trust me?” It was more of a statement, rather than a question.

Castiel turned his body toward you and placed his hand on your shaking knee. “On the contrary (y/n). I want to keep you safe. If I left, and something happened to you, I could never forgive myself.” You stared deeply into Cass’s eyes and saw emotion there that you hadn’t caught before. You knew Castiel was indifferent toward you, and trusting at least, but maybe you had more of an impact on the Angel than you wanted to admit to yourself.

You sighed and stood to fill you now empty glass of liquor.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed, I know we’ve been building up a friendship Cass, I’m just worried.” You talked as you fill your glass and walked back over to the Angel. “I’ve just never had people who were ever in any sort of danger because of me, especially you and the boys, who I’ve grown to care for. I don’t know how you do it. They’re constantly putting themselves in danger. I would’ve had a heart attack at this point if I were you.” The leather couch squeaked as you sat next to Cass.

He chuckled, “Angel’s can’t have heart attacks, but I understand your meaning” He smiled at you. The only light in the room were candles you had lit. The bunker was quiet aside from some music playing quietly.

You laughed at his response, returning the smile. The soft light of the bouncing flames gave a soft glow to Castiels face. His tan skin and almost matching caramel brown hair looked soft. Those ocean blue eyes of his vessel did weird things to your stomach as you stared into them. His light pink lips were stretched in to a soft, genuine smile and slightly met his eyes. You were sure you could both hear your heart rate picking up.

Castiel POV

Castiel watched (y/n) as she studied his face. It seemed as though she was seeing him in new eyes for the first time. Not just the Angel, but the vessel, the human side of Cass. Cass had died, been human, and lived in Jimmy’s vessel for years, but he hasn’t been Jimmy for a long-time. He was Castiel now.

Castiel studied (y/n) as a pink blush lit up her pale cheeks, and she looked down in to her drink, lips piercing in deep thought. He’d studied her enough now to know her common emotions. Her deep in thought brought on pieced lips, sometimes a light bite to her low lip, and a small crease between her eyes when her brows furrowed. Her happy, meant a bright smile that reached the eyes, a slight squint to her lids, and sparkle in her irises. When she wasn’t looking, he would catch himself staring. (y/n) was beautiful, it was plain as day. She had long, dark red hair that contrasted her soft pale skin. Her pale blue eyes matched his by just a shade paler. Her light pink lips held a feminine shape, the bottom lip slightly thicker than the top.

The guilt he felt for the way he treated her was unbearable, and little did she know, he felt the need to make up for it for as long as he lived.

When they held her captive, all he noticed was the evil that hid inside of her human soul. A bright red glow in her irises that was more evident when she was chained up. Her hatred, fear, and pain protected the rest of her that he has come to observe and see. With still no real knowledge on her or her power, all he had was his observations. Her soul was made up like a human one, but it was vastly different. A human soul usually had a colorful aura that radiated around the vessel, but (y/n)’s was much bigger. Almost the size of an Angel’s aura that radiated their grace. Her Aura could cover the whole country if you were to put it in a human perspective. A bright red glow that radiated a powerful energy. Her soul held all the makings of a human soul, but hers was torn and battered, like it was being ripped apart by the power that lay untouched at the core. It scared Castiel to no avail, she was nothing he had ever seen in the millennia he had spent between heaven and Earth. Yet he was drawn to her intensity. He’d seen the love and kindness she showed him and the brothers. Her little acts of kindness, like cooking, or tidying up after the boys every night before bed. Humming to the music as she folded their clothes. She put love and purpose into her actions. And in return was slowly stealing Castiels heart if he had one. He’d known love and intimacy in his experiences on Earth, but his pull toward (y/n) was leagues more intense. It scared Castiel, but his courage and excitement overpowered everything. He wasn’t going to let her go.

(y/n) cleared her throat and brought Castiel from his thoughts, now realizing he had been staring at her. Her cheeks were a shade pinker than before, and she looked up at Cass like she was waiting for him to break the silence.

Embarrassment covered his features, and all her managed was a “Sorry”, before (y/n)’s phone started to ring and broke the silence.

YOUR POV

You jumped at the sudden noise that broke your weird moment with Castiel. Deans name popped up, and you answered it on the first ring.

“Dean?” You asked, standing up quickly.

“Yeah it’s me, me and Sammy are alright, we’re heading back to the bunker now, it’s not safe to stay here tonight, I’ll explain when we get back. There better be beer left when I get back!”

“Okay, I’ll wait up. Also a found the bottle of whiskey you stashed, so your beers safe!” you joked, causing a line of slurs from the brute.

“They’re on their way back.” You sat back down, gulping down the last sip of your second drink. The alcohol wasn’t taking tonight, even with the call from Dean, a pit in your stomach started to grow, and left you feeling very uneasy.

“That’s good news” Cass said, “Allow me” He reached for your empty glass, and you handed it to him and watched as he made his way over to the whiskey bottle on the table.

“I’ve got a bad feeling, Cass. Like something bad’s about to happen.” You started, watching him walk back.

“We’re warded here, this is the safest place for you.” He handed you the glass, and sat down turning toward you again.

“It’s not that, it’s not for me, it’s like I have this feeling of dread. Like…He’s close…” You took another sip, cursing your nerves for keeping you more sober than usual after three glasses of whiskey. “I want you to promise me something” You looked up and met Cass’s eyes. “If he get’s to me and I can’t do it myself, I need you to do it.” You didn’t need to explain further, the dread that covered Castiels features said it all.

Cass took your empty hand, and covered it in both of his. “He will never get his hands on you as long as I live. I will protect you (y/n), as long as I’m alive.” Castiel said.

“I know, that’s what I’m afraid of. You and the boys, if you died trying to save me-“ You stopped, tears glossing over your eyes.

“It won’t come to that. Everything will be fine.” Castiel smiled, but you could tell he was trying to convince himself as well. You leaned your head on the Angels shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around your back, in hopes of soothing you. You stayed like that for a while, and only broke away when you heard the bunker door open and shut.

Dean and Sam spent the next hour going over the details of their trip. With the fear of tipping Lucifer off, they decided to keep their distance, and basically got that the demons were close to finding (y/n).

“The wards on the bunker most likely helped to an extent, but with no knowledge on the Child of Cain, were pretty sure they’re still able to track her, however faint a signal they get, we think they’re still getting something.  

“No….”You whimpered. Standing up and pacing back and forth. “I have to run! If they are this close, I can lead them away form here! What other options do we have?”

“Not this one! You ‘re staying, end of story.” Dean growled.

“You we’re ready to kill me.” Tears starting to prick at the corners of your eyes. “Maybe…”

“Not happening” Sam glared at you, “We’ll figure something out we always do. You’re part of our family now (y/n), and we protect our own. There has to be something we missed. If (y/n)’s power is “sleeping” as Cass put it, maybe there’s a way to wake it.” Sam thought, glancing towards Cass for an answer.

“I wouldn’t even know where to start. Besides I’ve seen her power. I can feel it. It isn't just apart of her, it’s at the very core of her human soul…Her soul’s already tarnished and flayed, there’s a very little chance she’d survive her power waking up, or worse, turning (y/n) in to something worse than Lucifer. It’s not just power Sam, it’s holds the mark of Cain, there’s no telling what would happen.” Castiel explained, deep in thought.

“My soul…it’s broken?” This was the first you’ve heard of this.

Castiel casts you a pitiful look. “Not broken (y/n), it’s still intact, but your power is at the source of your human soul, and it’s ripped and torn to shreds. The only thing holding it together is you. If you let that power out, I truly don’t know what would happen to you. I’m sorry”

Silence swept through the room, and you paced some more chugging down the third glass of liquor and went to pour a fourth. The only option you could see that got rid of the Devil once and for all, and left the boys and Castiel alive, was somehow finding a way to unleash your power on the Lucifer. If Castiel was right about how strong you truly wore, you were confident you could give the Devil a taste of his own medicine. The only options you saw were, continuing to run, and let the Devil run loose to kill more innocent people, kill yourself and still allow Lucifer to live, or kill the Devil yourself and take yourself down in the process. The choice was easy.

A few weeks went by, but with the wards holding strong, the Demons were only a town closer to the bunker and Castiel had secretly planted some false signals to keep them off your trail for as long as possible.

“It’s late” You stopped in your tracks, as his voice filled the silence. You’d seen a lot less of him lately, as he was out more and more trying to lead the Demons astray.

“Couldn’t sleep” You continued to walk through the library, running your fingertips over the spines of the dusty old books, a glass of whiskey in the other hand.

The tension in the bunker was almost overwhelming. After trying to flee a few different times, to no success. The boys came and went, looking for answers to anything that could give you the upper hand in the inevitable war that would soon unfold. You hadn’t been outside of the bunker in months, and it was taking it’s toll. The bunker that once held a state of content, not felt claustrophobic. You felt helpless being forced to stay here, while others put their lives at risk to help you.

You made your way over to the table, and popped the the cap off the liquor, and filled you glass halfway.

“(y/n).” His voice was soft and pleading. He placed a hand on your shoulder, and gently turned you to face him.

He looked tired, same as you. His demeaner slightly slouched from trying his hardest to lure the demons as far away from you as he could , no doubt.

“Have you heard from the Sam and Dean? They didn’t check in tonight.” You asked, bringing the glass to your lips.

“They’re fine, they’re about a day out with more research about The Mark of Cain. Sam’s hopeful about this research.”

“That’s good.” You’re eye’s only left Cass’s when you took another sip of you drink. And then back up.

Castiel grabbed the glass from your hand, and you let him. He set it on the table behind you, and with the same hand he pushed a few stray strands of hair behind your ear and cupped your check. You breathing hitched and his fingers sent sparks through your veins. His hand was soft and warm, and you reached up to cup yours over his, turning your head to place a kiss in his palm.

You’re feelings for the angel had grown immensely since the night you two had a moment on the couch, but both of you were never this forward about your affections with everything else going on. You were falling deeply in love with the feathered man, but as the Child of Cain, you never knew why he returned your affections.

You turned back forward, eyes meeting Cass’ and he swept his thumb over your bottom lip. His eyes were giving away his desperation for you. After moments of silence that seems to last an eternity, Cass leaned forward, painfully slow, eyes never leaving yours, before both your eyes fluttered shut as his lips pressed against yours.

Both of you were unaware of the fate that was unfolding tonight.

The kiss sent shivers through your body, his lips were so warm and so soft. It was light at first; passionate and innocent, but a need for you unleashed inside of Castiel, and his hand moved through your hair to the back of your head, and lightly pulled your head to the side, so he could deepen the kiss. A small moan escaped you lips and you wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him closer. You could feel his arousal press against your stomach.

Castiel was the first to break, as he swiftly gripped both your thighs, lifted you up, and carried you over to the couch. He sat down, and placed both your legs on either side of his and ran his hands up your sides, then your back, never braking eye contact. Your breath hitched as he gently pulled you in you in for another kiss, allowing your hands to roam freely over his chest. You arousal started to build, and a small grind of your hips along his arousal earned you a moan from Castiel that lit your spark.

His smell and taste mixed with yours was intoxicating. He smelt of fresh air mixed with a sweet musk, and his taste along with yours, and the lingering whiskey left your head in the clouds.

His kiss was getting sloppy, and your arousal was at it’s peak. As you started to unbutton his shirt, Castiel waved his hand and all your clothes were off, leaving his arousal to press against your sex. He broke from the kiss, your breathing becoming labored with lust, and held both sides of your faces, fingers tangled I your hair.

“Are you sure?” He asked, searching for the answer in your eyes.

“I want this, Cass.” You reached up and cupped his cheek. “I want you.”

Castiel reached down and gripped your hips, lifting your up, allowing him to line up with your entrance. His pulled you down slowly, his member stretching you to the point of pure bliss. The feeling was more intense than anything you’d both had ever felt. Castiels eyes squeezed shut, his mouth hanging open, a small moan escaping your lips, as he filled you up and stopped when you reached his hilt. The pleasure was so intense it took you a moment to get your bearings before your body ached for more friction. You started off slow, lifting up, and sinking back down on to Castiel. A knot in your stomach started to build, closer and closer, as you started to build up speed. You moans matching his, his grace shining brightly through his irises and yours shined through yours. A bright red, but not evil. You, as a being was shining through, two divine beings both human and supernatural, sharing this moment in pure bliss. Love radiating off your naked bodies.

As swiftly as before, Castiel lifted you up and placed you on your back, never breaking rhythm, he met your eyes, then lips, and then a string of kisses, down your neck, earning his name that spilled from your lips. His rhythm gaining speed, and becoming more frantic, and you both built to your releases. You name and a slur of phrases left his lips. His name escaping yours, as your moans grew louder and longer, giving him the know that you were close. One more thrust, and all the tension released, pure bliss exploded from the inside out, bringing you to heaven. You tightness clenched around Castiel, and your release brought him to the peak of his, both of your meeting eachother on the other side of bliss. The moment only last seconds but felt like they lasted years. Sooner than you wanted, you came back down, reality taking you back in its clutch. Castiel sank down next you, your breathing and heartbeat breaking the silence.

You looked up toward Castiel, him already looking down at you, a content smile gracing your eyes. You wanted to and tell him, but the moment didn’t need words, he already knew, and you knew he felt the same way. You graced him a your own smile and lifted his hand to place a small kiss in his palm. You both laid together, happily content being in each others arms, Castiel had waved his hand once more, and both of you were cleaned up and clothed. The night was late, and the candle flames were dying out, bringing the room close to darkness. Everything around you was perfectly set, and your worries would have to wait until tomorrow as your lids drew heavy and sleep soon took over as you lay in Castiels arms.

[sea-side-scribbles]

Fanfiction: Sympathy For A Downer

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22737214/chapters/81416395

Chapter 74

They caught Nick. They came from all sides, eventually overwhelming him. He was already past various blows with their truncheons when one of them yelled: “Don't kill him! We need him alive!” “Let me go! I'm not Foggy Jack!”, Nick shouted, but he only received another blow for that. “What do we need him for?”, one of the Bobbies snarled. “Well, as proof?”, his colleague argued. “Sure, we can kill him now and tell everyone we caught Foggy Jack, but nobody's gonna believe us! When we bring him back alive, I bet we'll get a shiny medal!” “But I'm not...Foggy Jack!”, Nick tried again, gasping for air. “I'm Nick Lightbearer!” The Bobbies broke out in laughter. “Sure, and I'm the King of England”, said the one who stood closest to him. “Don't you recognise my voice?” “All I'm hearing is some pathetic whining of a captured criminal.” “I have to speak to Constable Hunt! He'll recognise me!” “You're not quite in the position to make demands!” “Come on! One of you should identify me!” Nick looked around. “Constable Rowley! Constable Whistler!, he blurted out. “You know me! Haven't I been always good to you?” The Constables he called shoved the others aside to look at him, but their faces weren't friendly.

“You fucked us over, that's what you did! Made us look quite stupid for thinking you've been stumbling around drunk in all these nights”, Constable Rowley spat. “But tonight you went too far!” “It was about time you snap”, Whistler added. “Besides, Constable Hunt is so stoned he'd even take a flowerpot for Nick Lightbearer. Whatever you drugged him with, it backfired!” “That wasn't me! The other one is Foggy Jack!” “How convenient. The one who's dead and can't defend himself!” “You have to make sure he's really dead!”, Nick begged. “No worries, we take care of everything, especially of you, celebrity”, the closest Bobby said smirking and ended the argument with a dose of knockout drops he drove into Nick's right upper arm.

Nick woke up in a prison for the second time in his life. Now it didn't look like he'd get off lightly. His first reaction was to rattle at the bars of his cell and call out for the Constables. When a tall man in a red uniform walked into his direction, he backed away a little. “What's up, little one? Need attention?”, the Bobby asked, playing with his electric truncheon. “You have to hear me out! I'm not Foggy Jack!”, Nick  continued to beg. “I see, you're our main attraction”, the tall man said quietly, stepping closer to the bars. “Did you find the other one? James? Is he...?” Nick gulped, avoiding the Constable's piercing gaze. “This is a sad day for Wellington Wells and a sad day for us Constables”, the Bobby began lamenting. “You brought great misery upon us all and we have the excruciating task of spreading the news.” “But I'm not Foggy Jack...”, Nick repeated in despair. “I'm...” But the man interrupted him. “Do you believe we can tell the horrible truth to our orderly citizens? Break their hearts like that and tell them that their most beloved idol has turned into their worst enemy? Can we allow the smartest of them to ask questions? Can we afford to make all the others unhappy? No, you see, we can't. It should've never been revealed. You should've never interfered.” Nick was confused. "But I..."

"Oh, don't worry, we won't put you to shame. Actually, it's easy. Uncle Jack went on holiday, Nick Lightbearer too and their names remain untainted. Nobody would want it any other way. But you...you're still here! You'll be the town's next great news! Your name is Norbert Pickles, right? Pays off to read the gossip magazines...You'll be a splendid Foggy Jack! Just try to look a tad bit guilty when you're being hanged." "...hanged?" The man's mocking grin turned wider. "Remind yourself, we're doing you a favour. You should be happy that we stopped you." "You know I'm innocent! You can't do this to me!" "Innocent, ey?" The Bobby laughed. "Think again, Mr. Pickles! We'd keep you anyway and let you rot in this cell. Instead, you get one last fancy show for yourself! You won't be able to hear the applause afterwards, but...you know what it sounds like...just imagine it." The Bobby continued to laugh, turned his back on Nick and vanished into the corridor.

Nick watched him go, his fingers still cramped around the bars. The Bobby's laughter faded away, leaving room for gloomy silence. Nick was out of words. He had no strength left to scream. Letting go of the bars, he slumped back on the plank bed. Wiping his face, he noticed he was still wearing the silver mask. He removed it and stared at it in disbelief. Foggy Jack. The way he had accepted it without asking questions... He had wanted it.

Nick dashed it against the brick wall. It made a little crack, not enough to satisfy him. Shame and regret spread in his chest. And disappointment. The friend he had met once in a lonely night, to whom he had opened his heart...he had lied to him, used him... Nick couldn't bear how stupid he had been. It made sense now. His mind had tried to warn him by showing him memories, but he had never understood. It had felt so good to be near James. The drug had blurred his sense. And then one thing had led to the other. Nick had stopped asking questions. Even now he didn't see everything clear, but he assumed things...He recalled the most important memories.

They made him shiver. Only a few hours ago he would've done it again. He had been so sure that this was the only way. He had even been looking forward to finally try out his gift. He still knew how he would've done it, how he would've moved the blade...If the Constable hadn't interrupted him... Nick broke out in tears and hated himself for it. He didn't want to cry for himself. He didn't deserve it. And still, he couldn't help but to feel pity for his former self that he had betrayed. He had never wanted any of this! He had always wanted to make other people happy, and to be loved in return. Yeah, he had also wanted to be famous, but not for hurting people. Nick didn't know what he regretted most. His stupidity or his lies.

Now he'll end in shame, hated and feared, hanged in public and sneered at by the masses. It was the worst show he could imagine and it would also drag his real name through the muck, the only part of his personality that was still of value. Memories overwhelmed him, scenes of former innocence, in the park with his first guitar, in the shop with Bates who had always welcomed him until he had fucked it up...He was glad to remember his old life again, but now it was hard to handle the memories.

Nick pulled down his wig and threw it away without giving it a glance. A crying fit shook him until he didn't even have enough energy to cry.

Perhaps he should be thankful that it ended, he then thought, lying on the plank. All the pain he had caused. It would be over. He should've died in his bathtub with the power cell. That would've saved other lives. Poor Arthur, having been entangled in all this... Nick comforted himself with the thought that Arthur was free now. He couldn't claim to be happy that his former lover ran away from him, but he understood. It hurt to remember how Arthur had yelled at him with this angry and panic-stricken expression, how he pushed him away. But he escaped James' clutches like that, he would survive. And he himself would be over it soon...

Nick wondered if the band would watch him too. He could imagine the whole town coming to see Foggy Jack hang. It hurt to imagine. Perhaps they'd think it's a different Norbert Pickles, not theirs, he mused. If they even thought much. Nick wished they would keep him in better memory, but there was still a tiny chance that they would. If his execution was long forgotten, they wouldn't link Foggy Jack to their old friend Norbert, right? A deep sigh escaped Nick. Sadly, it was time to leave the afterworld to it's own devices.

After all, he had gotten the chance to put a few things right, to find his friends again and be a part of the Make Believes for one last time. He couldn't prevent that they'd forget him, but on the contrary, nobody could take the good memories from him again. Nick even smiled a little, thinking about the excessive life he had led. He'd like to see anyone else do that!

Arthur didn't look behind once. He ran back to the Parade District and struggled his way through it. It was easier now. The Wellies were all sloshed enough to not pay attention anymore. Most of them were still trying to dance, some of them sang off-tune. They had parted into small groups and didn't care about who passed by. Like this, the night faded away and the next day came. Nobody made a move to get back to the usual business. The whole town was in trance. Drunken, stoned, tired. Arthur did everything in a hurry and didn't even make time to rejoice when he finally entered the rail tunnels.

He walked through the building, or rather climbed through the maze that the building had become in time. He felt like he had entered a different world. It was so quiet. His ears were still ringing from the noise in the town and suddenly all he heard were his own footsteps echoing from the empty, dirty walls. The emptiness felt  eerie. Arthur concluded that the Bobbies had abandoned their shifts for this special occasion. Nobody cared about Skippers as long as they could stuff their bellies or get high from Coconut Joy. After all, it was the biggest festival of the year. Arthur couldn't believe how lucky he was.

Finally standing on Britannia Bridge, he had to pause. He felt the cold wind running through his hair. Where did the wind suddenly come from? Had it been so chill in the town too? Arthur only now noticed something as usual as the weather. And the smell...was that the ocean? Arthur hadn't really paid attention to smells since his first shock from withdrawal. After getting a noseful of motilene, dead rats, mould and chemical waste he had gone numb. But this...Arthur couldn't remember smelling this in the Garden District. At his favourite place, the cliff... This was different. He was so close to the water. He could also hear it hiss and fume. It was quite loud. Walking closer to the balustrade, he could even see it. The stone felt cold and wet. Did Bobbies patrol here without noticing all this? The moonlight reflected in the water. Arthur had the feeling that even the moon was closer here. The sky was speckled with stars. It looked much clearer without the motilene fog. As if he could touch it. It was like the sky had arranged a welcoming committee for a petty Skipper like him.

Arthur turned his gaze, following the course of the bridge. He was surprised about how far it went. It showed him how tiny and narrow the town was, with all it's contorted alleys that all went in a circle. Arthur wondered how long it would take to cross it. The bridge faded into the dark horizon. And there, wrapped in blackness, lay the mainland. It looked so calm, untouched by all the madness. Did they know what happened here? And what happened to them? Arthur had never had the time to ponder over what the war had done to the rest of the world. But judging by the view he was provided, he thought they were better off.

Arthur made his first steps along the bridge. Here as well, he could hear his own footsteps. They mixed into the rushing of the ocean. “I'll be right with you, Percy...”, he whispered, as if he had to bolster himself up. “I'm almost there...”

He didn't get an answer. Suddenly, Arthur's heart sunk. He was disappointed, as if the ocean, the bridge or the moon were supposed to support him. Arthur's footsteps became slower, until he finally came to a halt. The balustrade had to stabilise him again. He didn't feel it's cold as intensely as before, because his own hands were cold now. Arthur leaned over it, sucking in the air. He looked up to the sky. What was happening to him? That was all he wanted. The freedom. The calm. But he didn't feel free. He felt awful.

“Percy, I...”, he began. The howling wind interrupted him. “Arthur!”, he heard Percy shout in fear. “Arthur, where are you?” I have to go, Arthur told himself. He forced himself to go on, left the supporting handrail and struggled his way forward. “Arthur!” He heard it again. But this time, it was a different voice. Arthur froze, staring at the wide horizon, as if he could hold onto it. The view was beautiful, a symphony of light and dark. Auspicious. It must be wonderful to join it.

But it wasn't meant to be, Arthur thought. Not for him.

He turned around and made a step. Then another.

Arthur ran back the entire way, possessed by only one thought. He didn't pay attention to how the ocean fell silent, how the fresh smell of salt in the air vanished and made room for the usual mould. He didn't look at the various desperate scribbles at the walls, messages from former Downers that had tried to escape, not at the faded poster of Uncle Jack, explaining that all Skippers were crazy. He was highly focused when he entered the town again and sneaked through the district. Still, nobody noticed him. The whole town was sloshed and sleeping and Arthur cold move freely.

He stopped at a big, unpleasant looking brick building to check the situation. It seemed like here of all places the town was still in order. A Bobby in red uniform sat at a counter and looked very awake. He also fought for staying awake. Arthur saw him slapping his own face and almost chuckled at it. What a shame that some Bobbies still kept their principles.

“What do you want?”, the man asked grumpily. “Visiting hours are in the afternoon.” “Wouldn't it be too late then?”, Arthur said mysteriously as if they shared a secret. “Too late for what?” The Bobby only looked warier. “Well...I heard you made a good catch last night.” “Did you?” The Bobby was unimpressed. “I still don't see why that's your business. Come back in the afternoon like everyone else and see if you're lucky.” “Perhaps this explains why I'm in a hurry...” Arthur held out his press pass. "This is the last chance to get anything useful out of him. People would die to read more about him...I mean, they don't die anymore...weird choice of words there..."

"'O' Courant, ey?” The Bobby read the pass. “Excuse me Sir, but our special guest isn't available for interrogations by the public eye. It's too risky, you know? A very unpleasant experience." "So, you're afraid he might say something...inconvenient?" Arthur could watch the Bobby regret his words. "Er, no, no...of course not like that...but he's...er...sleeky. We shouldn't give him any options to cause havoc." "So, I better go and write about that instead...", Arthur thought out loud. The Bobby didn't look amused. "What are you implying?" "Just what I said. I can only tell the public what I'm hearing. And besides, you do want a big story on the most cheerful event right after Memorial Day, right? I need to give them a monster they can hate, and therefore celebrate it's end! If he's not the monster we all think he is, I better go and correct that image." The Bobby flared up. "You shut your goddamn mouth you...!" But he changed his mind right after and sat back down. His look turned benevolent. "My apologies, Sir...It's been a tough night...Your reasoning makes sense. I'll let you through, but it's at your own risk, are we clear?" "Crystal clear", Arthur said, eagerly to go on.

He entered the prison, looking into every corner because he didn't trust them. But nobody seemed to care about their guest. Bobbies at another counter focused on some papers. Or perhaps they only pretended to work. Arthur decided to ignore them in return and walked on by. When he descended a long and wide staircase that led deep into the dark core of the building, he realized that he needed help or else he'd wander around in here forever. Arthur regretted that he hadn't gotten a welcoming committee and now had to explain it all again. When he heard footsteps behind him, he decided to use the opportunity. Every Bobby was just as good. Arthur turned around and found three of them walking towards him.

“Mr. Hastings, I presume?”, one of them asked. Oh, there was his welcoming committee. Arthur affirmed shortly. "You shouldn't go alone, Sir”, one of the Constables said. He was a lot friendlier than the one at the entrance. “This building is quite the maze, you could get lost. Let us guide you to our special guest. He's lodged in a special place." Arthur saw that he had no choice anyway and went with the Bobbies, feeling uncomfortable in two ways. First, they made his plan more complicated and second, he didn't trust them one bit. He began to wonder if the Bobby at the entrance gave up to soon, if it all had been to easy. That was why he kept his distance for them. No chance to be drugged by surprise or quicky hit with a truncheon.

They descended more stairs and went along more dark hallways. This truly was a maze. Arthur was glad he had quite a good memory, because no one would guide him outside. His heart sunk when they stopped in front of an empty cell. "Where is he? Is it too late?" Arthur tried to sound not too worried. The Bobbies gave each other a look. Then they brought out their electric truncheons. "You're arrested, Mr. Hastings, for illegal investigation!" "This is ridiculous!", Arthur shouted out. "You better cooperate, Sir. See, it's not so bad. You'll have a nice cell for your own, we'll feed you daily and you'll have nothing to worry about ever again. You can even take Joy." The Bobbies came closer, herding him towards the cell. Arthur figured the Constable only bothered to argue with him because he thought this was a done deal. Three armed men and one helpless reporter.

They didn't expect him to through a Banger at them. The selfmade bomb exploded in their faces and when they fell, arms up to protect their faces, Arthur dashed at them. He took the truncheon of the first and let it clash against his head. The second grabbed him but Arthur kicked him in the stomach and got free. He needed two hits to take him down. The third was pulling himself up at the wall when Arthur turned to him. It was a dirty fight. The Bobby was disoriented and flailed around. He still had his truncheon and Arthur had to make sure he didn't get hit by accident. Arthur striked a blow on the other man's long legs and made him stumble, leaving his head unprotected for a second. Another hit against the neck later he lay on the ground, still mourning. Arthur used the chance and kneeled down on the man, fixing him in place.

"Where is he?", he hissed at him. "Where's Foggy Jack?" The Bobby frowned and turned his head away. Arthur shook him. "Tell me or I'll blow your lights out! Do you really want to die for this?" The Bobby winced, then he stuttered a descripiton: "He's in...block A...in the east wing...left from the entrance...five stairwells down...at the end of the hallway...left..." With that, he fell unconscious. Arthur went on, looking for any sign that pointed to the direction of block A, hoping he didn't have to go all the way back to the entrance hall. He found one and followed it, then hoping he would descent the right stairwell. All he could make out of the description was that they kept Nick in a cell very far down, probably the safest area. Arthur gulped. Descending into hell couldn't be more uncomfortable.

To avoid the Bobbies he crawled along the vents and pig pipes that came out of the wall here and there. It was more confusing to orientate this way but Arthur set all his trust in his intuition that had saved his life so many times by now. Five stairwells later he actually found a long hallway that he followed, viewing it from his high above position on a pipe. Then he had to leave it to go left, but he had to wait for another red Bobby to pass by before he could to that. The Bobby slowly strolled, whistleling a song. Arthur frowned. How could this man be so happy despite everything? All the suffering prisoners. They didn't even give them Joy. Arthur heard them beg for Joy or cry about their missing children. He understood Nick a bit more now. If he had the chance to open all cells he would use it and he'd be happy to watch the chaos unfold. When he finally went on, his heartbeat began to pound in his temples. He was craving to see him again but he was also afraid of the moment. And also, he was afraid that he had gone the wrong way. There were many empty cells in this hallway and Arthur wondered if it was even still in use.

One cell had a prisoner that made Arthur's heart miss a beat. He walked towards him with high hopes, because he had seen the person wearing a black suit. The man lay on his plank bed and stared at the wall with an empty expression. Arthur eyed his face and hair and saw nothing familiar in both. This man was probably here for a long time, considering how empty he was. Disappointed,  Arthur turned his gaze away and went on. He found more empty cells next to this and his heart sunk.

Suddenly, he heard a faint voice say his name. Arthur froze in his tracks and looked around. He saw that the man in the black suit had gotten up and clutched the bars. Arthur walked back to him, eyeing the prisoner up and down. When the man saw him from up close, his eyes widened. "Arthur?", he said again in disbelief. The voice didn't fit the image. "Nick?", Arthur asked, doubting. The other man seemed to notice something. He put a hand on his cheek. He was wearing no mask and he also wasn't wearing any facial hair other than a few stubbles. His hair was darker, shorter and an utter mess. It was lacking the caramel tone that Arthur adored so much. He also looked younger, despite being all pale, having dark rings under red eyes and being unshaven. It was his expression, his eyes that finally made Arthur see something familiar in him.

Nick blushed. "Yeah, it's me...If I knew you would come, I would've made my hair..." He gave a little adorable smile. Arthur melted. He reached out and put his hands on the other man's, so that both were grabbing the bars. "Nick!", he sighed. Nick's eyes watered again, but this time out of happiness. Simply feeling Arthur's hands on his was a gift from heaven. "Are you a prisoner too?", he asked. "No, I'm here for you...", Arthur answered, now recognizing and adoring the green eyes. Nick looked down as if he was flattered, smilling widely. "You came back for me?” “U-huh.” Arthur nodded happily. Nick palpated the other man's hands. “Do you have the key?" Arthur beamed at him. "Who the fuck needs a key?"

Arthur admitted to himself that causing an explosion in a prison full of enemies was a big risk, but it was simply what felt most satisfying. When the damn cell door blew up, deforming and screeching as if in pain and finally shattered on the floor, Arthur was about to dance with joy. Well, a second later it seemed like someone had had the same idea because they heard another massive explosion that even made the walls shake for a moment. "What the hell was that?", Nick gasped, looking up to the ceiling. "Not a part of my plan", Arthur assured him. "We better get out of here quickly."

They heard hasty footsteps and screams coming from the upper floors. Stairs were run up and doors slammed shut. However, Arthur sensed that their hurry wasn't directed at them. None of their footsteps came closer. Instead, Arthur and Nick approached them. They ran along the corridor without meeting a patrol. Then they reached the pipe that Arthur had climbed and for the first time Arthur doubted his plan. “It would be better if we...”, he said and pointed at the pipe. Looking at Nick, he hoped the man understood and wasn't too scared. Nick's gaze shortly wandered along the pipe, up to the ceiling. “Go ahead, I follow you”, he simply answered.

Relieved, Arthur started to climb. He kept looking back at Nick, checking how he was doing and offering help. Nick copied his every move without protesting and Arthur soon calmed down. They tracked through the prison as if they had been practising this for ages. They saw Bobbies running along, cussing or lamenting. None of them sounded like he knew what was going on. They only complained about the fuss. Also, none of the prisoners were free. They jeered at their guards, but it was obvious that this wasn't a revolution. Arthur felt sorry for that but he had no time to make any change.

A few floors later they could see the big staircase. Arthur gestured Nick to stop. Fuck in a bucket, Arthur thought. This didn't look good. Any and all Constables gathered here and lined up. Also Nick saw it. “Oh dear...I guess they won't let us pass for an autograph?” Arthur searched the staircase, finding out that they could climb on a ventilation shaft, even though they would be seen by everyone. It also meant that after climbing, they couldn't just get down from it and walk out. However, at the ceiling he detected something that looked like a hatch. He hoped he could trust his judgement at a long distance, knowing that he had no other chance anyway. “We have get up there”, he explained his plan to Nick. “Just try not to look down and don't get distracted.” Nick approved with a nod. “Okay.”

They ascended the shaft that provided more support than the greasy pipe. It didn't take long until a Bobby saw them. "Oi!", he cried out, pointing at them. "They escape!"  It didn't matter who "they" were, as long as they had someone they could blame all the chaos on. The Bobbies started to yell and reach out for the shaft, trying to climb on it. Arthur's heart skipped a beat when he saw that one of them climbed on another Constable's shoulders. "Don't panic, just climb a little faster", he said to Nick and fastened his own pace. He didn't imagine that a Bobby could get on the shaft and chase them down on it. Nick went along and tried to ignore the howling of his enemies. Soon, they had to step on the hands that reached the shaft, but that didn't stop the Bobbies from trying. Arthur had to go for drastic measures. "Hold on!", he said to Nick and threw a bomb right into the mob. The power sent them flying, slapping against the walls and each other. As funny as it looked, the show was accompanied by the sound of bones breaking. The Bobbies' yells of pain mixed with their howling and the smell of burned flesh spread in the air. It was a bloodbath.

Arthur now focused on the hatch. "We're almost there!", he shouted over the noise to bolster Nick up. Finally, they climbed up the ladder to the hatch. Arthur threw himself against it and was surprised by how easily it opened. He almost fell upwards and yelped. "What is it?", Nick asked fearfully. "Nothing, nothing, we're safe, just get out..." Arthur climbed up and crawled onto the cobblestone. Then he grabbed Nick by the arm to pull him out. "Holy shit!", Nick gasped right after landing on the cobblestone himself. Arthur turned his head to where Nick was looking. "What the...?" The town had changed completely. Houses and cars were burning, corpses lay on the street and some remaining Wellies ran around, wielding truncheons or frying pans, looking like they got into a fight. Perhaps this was the revolution. It could also be Coconut Joy at it's finest. "What happened?" Nick was confused. "I have no idea, but we should stay out of this at any cost. Follow me."

Nick didn't ask any further questions when they went on. They heard screams in the distance that made Arthur's hair stand on end and he begged inwardly that they didn't get into a fight. They ran through clouds of smoke, holding their breath. Turning a corner, the sight didn't get better. The district descendet into chaos. The former order didn't apply anymore, as all the TV screens were demolished and the drones lay on the ground, burning to ashes. There were no Constables, at least no living ones. Ripped banners and destroyed marked stalls were the remnants of the once happy festival. It looked like the Wastrels had taken over. “Liars!”,  was scribbled on a poster, right over the false smile of a model. “They were so small”, was painted on another house.

"They are off their Joy!", Arthur stated. "You were right! This town is falling apart!" Nick eyed the chaos with terror. They ran down the once glorious alley that led to the train station. It's door was open. Arthur had a bad feeling about having to fight through a bunch of hysterical Wellies in there, but he also admitted that it wasn't a surprise that others wanted to escape, too. They ran throught the open door, passed by the shredded poster of Uncle Jack and went on downstairs. Arthur calmed down a bit when they walked along the rails, towards their freedom. "This is the way out of town, right?", Nick asked after a while. "Yes", was all Arthur could say. Nick didn't answer. Arthur was already glad that he didn't protest. They began to hear muffled voices in the distance, as if there was a group of people nearby. "Oh, perfect", Arthur gasped. "Let's hope they're friendly." It didn't seem like it thought. They could hear yelling and running and things hitting other things. Arthur was about to discuss a plan with Nick when another sudden explosion shook the building. The walls gave in, the floor cracked open and the tunnel got filled with a thick plume of dust. It was impossible to see where to run. Nick and Arthur just held onto each other.

When the dust had set and it was silent again they opened their eyes. They were kneeling on the ground, embracing each other. Arthur let go first to climb up the debris, to see how bad it was. "No!", Arthur screamed at the mountain of rubble that blocked their way out. He tore at the chunks of wall, but they were too heavy to be moved by one person alone. "Nick, we need to do this together!" Nick quickly stood by his side and pulled at the chunk too. It didn't move. They were giving their best, but Arthur also knew that they both were exhausted. "Goddamnit, I wasted my last bomb on the Bobbies! We need to find another way!" Arthur let go and climbed back. "Arthur..." Nick's voice was quiet and consorting. "I think this is blocked, too." Arthur looked up and saw the tunnel being clogged up by debris. "No...", he gasped and searched the other walls for a way out. A vent, a pipe, a hole, just something. Nick looked around on the other side. But no matter how throroughly they searched, the wall didn't grant them their wish.

"So this is it?", Arthur yelled, punching the wall with his fist. "This is how it ends? I wanted to save you, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you! This isn't fair! Nothing is ever fair in my life!" He slumped down on a chunk. He thought about Percy, who he had failed to protect, who would now never know that his brother still cared about him, he thought about Sally who he had driven out of his house for something that hadn't been her fault. He saw how he had met her again, scolding her instead of saying sorry, how he had refused to help her when she had needed it the most. And how he had abandoned Nick, left him to deal with this insane killer. If he had taken Nick with him at his first escape, they would be on the mainland now, being free, viewing the stars together... Arthur's eyes welled up. "Why am I such a failure?", he shouted out, looking at the ceiling as if there was a god to answer him. The tears broke loose and made him huddle up, being too embarassed to look at Nick anyway.

Nick walked over to his desperate, sobbing lover and sat down next to him. Soon, Arthur was wrapped into a caressing embrace. "You did save me, Arthur", Nick whispered to him. "From being hanged in public. From being insulted, pelted with trash and spit on. From having the town dance on my grave..." A little rumble in the distance made him look up. However, nothing but silence followed it. "You will still die here...", Arthur rasped. "You'll starve if we can't find rats to eat..." "I was already dead", Nick replied. "But you came back for me, proved me your love like that...showed me that after all this I'm still...I'm still worth loving...this is the most beautiful thing you could've done for me..." He stroked Arthur's back. "I'm sorry you have to pay such a heavy price for this...You did enough to deserve a happy life and I wish I could make it up to you, prove my love in return. Also I'd love to spend more time with you." He kissed the other man's cheek.

Arthur sobbed, but less deeply than before. He palpated Nick's arm. "We still have some time left..." "Hmm, that's the spirit", Nick purred. Arthur let out the air and smiled a little. "Nick, if you really feel like that, if you feel it was all worth it...then I don't regret anything!" "Well, I guess you had your reasons, doing all this for me..." Nick squeezed his hand. "You're a crazy fucker, Nick and you deserve a beating for not telling me the truth!" Nick held up his arms and bowed his head. "Well...feel free to give it to me now..." Arthur grabbed him by the shoulders. "I know a better way to spend my last bits of energy..." Nick smiled. "My luck..." His hands explored the other man's upper body. "And mine..." Arthur closed his eyes and kissed Nick. The touch caused his synapses to flare up and his body to want more.

They busied themselves, ignoring the rumbling noises around them. There was nowhere they could run anyway. All Arthur cared about was if he could make Nick beg for mercy before they died. When they both shouted out their exstasy there was a moment Arthur thought the ceiling would give in.

A few moments later, when Arthur crawled off of Nick, gasping and moaning with pleasure, his lover cuddled into him and whispered: "I think the tunnel is about to collapse..." "Yeah, I figured that too...", Arthur sighed out of breath. They both eyed the ceiling as if they were lying in the grass stargazing. "I like to think it's because of us." Nick laughed. "Perhaps we'll make it into the history books." Arthur joined the laughter. "We fucked so hard the town got destroyed..." They had fun imagining this until a thin crack wandered along the ceiling of the tunnel. Arthur instinctively pulled the smaller man closer and pressed his head against his chest.

"I'm not scared, you're scared...", Nick muttered from under Arthur's arm and the taller man giggled. "I won't risk to die in fear before this show ends", Arthur advised him. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this by the way", Nick brought it up and grabbed his hair. "If I knew you were coming, I..." Arthur waved him off. "You've always been ugly." "Yeah, but I mean I would've made myself extra ugly," Nick deadpanned. "Nevermind, I have to deal with it now. It takes a lot to be your boyfriend, I figured that, but I'm used to suffering", Arthur answered sternly. Nick chuckled. "My sexy Downer..." Arthur had to grin at that. "I wonder, did I seduce you?" "How could I resist?", the rock idol blurted out. "With your formfitting suit, tightly parted hair,  sharp cheekbones to die for and always towering above me like that...I mean no, not at all..." Arthur stroked the other man's dark hair. "Poor thing..." "Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Nick folded his arms. "I am the victim in this." Arthur kissed him again.

He was just wondering how often he could kiss Nick before it was over when there was another rumble that made dust ripple from the walls. Arthur looked up but Nick's gentle hand pulled him back down. "Thank you", the rockstar whispered and kissed him again. The ceiling came down with a roar.

Darkness. Silence. Then something. A noise. Like a beep. A beep? Yeah...a beep. And light. A flashing bright light that hurt his eyes. He blinked, frowned, moaned. The light split up into colors. The shadows in front of him slowly turned into figures. Could it be? No...no... Oh, please, no...

"Welcome back, Mr. Worthing", the hideous face of a doctor cheered. "Thank goodness we found you in time! We would've lost you forever! You shouldn't be so careless. Also, you caused quite the trouble out there." He tutted and shook his head. "I can't believe you fooled us for so long, but don't worry, it was simply the wrong formula that made you do this. We have a much more advanced one right here." He showed him a syringe with an ominous pink fluid in it. "No!", Jack cried, hammering against the glass wall of his cell. "No, please, just kill me!" "Aw, why would we do that?", the doctor said with a pitiful face. "Killing you for a little accident." He waved him off. "You're everyone's best friend. Their uncle!" "You can't go on with this forever!", Jack spat. "You don't even have a working formula! You'll never have one!" The doctor scratched his beard. "Hmm...you should let the science to the experts, Mr. Worthing. Your own attempts of self-medication went terribly wrong, didn't they?" Jack frowned. "Aw, what's that face? We want your smile back, Mr. Worthing. Do you remember it?" "Stop! Stop this bullshit!", Jack blurted out. "If not, then you're lucky. You're just in time for another News Hour with...well, with yourself! Isn't that funny, haha! Who else can watch himself on the telly, you're truly blessed!"

The doctors started to laugh. The one who had been talking pointed at the TV in a corner of the room. Jack cursed the damn thing. Why couldn't at least the doctors stop watching this shit? They didn't believe a word of it but still enjoyed hearing the happy lies. Jack suffered when the screen lit up and the stupid jolly show began. Well, when he closed his eyes he at least didn't have to see his own awfully forced smile.

This was his punishment, he concluded. Endless torture. This time they wouldn't be so stupid to trust him. They perhaps didn't really care about healing him. They could broadcast the old shows for all eternity and nobody would notice. Oh, Nick... He did this to him...He was such a smart boy...He did the right thing...still, it hurt... "She loved them, you know...She had dozens of them...You'd think at twelve your daughter would be over dolls...but she made these darling little costumes...", he heard himself say. Oh, yeah, my dear Margaret...she didn't deserve any of this...but wait, why was he talking about her?

Jack opened his eyes and saw himself shiver, struggling to speak. The smile was gone. The doctors watched the show in horror. "What is this?", one of them gasped. "Someone has to stop that!", the other one shouted. "Send a message! Now!", the third one ordered to the first. Jack stared at the screen, having goosebumps all over his body. This had been his last broadcast before they had brought him here. This was his old, innocent self. "Stop taking Joy!", his old self shouted. "The food has run out! We're starving! You have to stop taking your Joy! We've come to the end of our time! We've come to the end of our time!" The doctors ran around the room in panic, trying to figure out who to message first and yelling commands through the speakers. Then something very big detonated with an earshattering noise and made the room shake. The doctors stumbled, yelled, fell onto each other, others ran in, some ran out, glass tubes fell on the floor or the delicate machines and spilled their insides, it was pure chaos.

Jack laughed. He laughed out all his pain, his suffering, his misery that he had bottled-up in all those years. It felt so releaving to see their panic, to see how his own doing caused this. Also, it was very funny to watch. He hadn't had so much fun in years. Another glass tube was knocked over by a Doctor and it's liquid ran over a console, causing a loudly hissing short cirquit. Seconds later, Jack's cell door opened. Nobody noticed. Jack walked out and enjoyed his tour through a building full of his enemies' despair.  He noticed it wasn't Haworth Labs and he liked to think that something even worse had happened there so they couldn't bring him to his old cell. What a shame though. He would've liked to pay Verloc a visit. But he also knew that the game was over.

Stepping outside, he found the Parade Disctric in a horrible state. His own broadcast had stopped playing, but the Wellies nevertheless had obeyed their good old Uncle Jack once more. He sighed deeply, looking around with a smile. He was at peace.

[thethistlegirlwrites]

Good Causes

I blame this unplanned little story on the fact that I've seen 'Giving Tuesday' posts all over the place today, and also remembering that Kira is just a little obsessed with penguins...

YOU CRAZY, Robin signs, then tucks his gloved fingers back into his pockets.

FOR GOOD CAUSE, Kira signs back. SUPPORT PENGUIN RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION IN ANTARCTICA. JULES AND I DO EVERY-YEAR.

She waves at the redhead with the pixie cut standing next to the sign-in booth. Robin's never met this girl before, but he guesses she's one of Kira's friends from residential Deaf school, given that they've been signing at each other since they caught sight of each other in the sign-in line. Robin thought he was good at this, but clearly Kira's been signing slowly for all her work teammates. With Jules, her fingers and hands are little more than a blur. Robin can catch the odd word here and there, but for the most part, their conversation is theirs alone.

He gets wanting to catch up with an old friend. He totally understands wanting to support something that protects nature. What he does NOT get is signing up to be diving into frigid water.

Apparently, that makes him the minority here.

There must be over a hundred people already. All of them appear to be wearing some variation on a black-and-white color scheme. Kira and Jules both have 'ugly sweaters' with matching penguin designs on them, but a few others have gone the extra mile and are actually dressed to look like penguins themselves.

John sets down a thermos that, if Robin recognizes the smell, is a batch of atole. Warm and thick and sweet. It sounds good already. Robin is feeling a bit frozen himself already, and he's not planning on going in the water. He and John and Cody all pitched in to contribute to the donation fund, but all three of them opted out of going in the water, although John and Robin are tagging along to be moral support, from the comfort of dry land.

Kira looks more excited about this than any human being has a right to. Jules runs over with her copy of her signed waiver, her 'dry land' partner (her roommate Hazel, and who isn't Deaf but is Hard of Hearing, Kira signs) following. Jules looks like she can't stand still longer than a few seconds, jogging in place and bouncing up and down a little. Robin likes her already. Aside from the fact that she's apparently convinced one of the sanest people he knows that this is a good idea.

They stand around people-watching and occasionally contributing to Kira and Jules and Hazel's conversation for about half an hour before someone calls over the loudspeaker that it's time for the first group to get ready, and Hazel taps both the others on the shoulders since they've left their hearing aids behind for this.

Apparently, since the registrations are under Kira's name, they're in the "B's" and get to go with the first wave. Kira sheds her sweater and sweatpants and hands them off to Robin. She and Jules are both wearing black leggings and black t-shirts with white screen-printed ovals on the front, like a cartoon penguin. The printed ovals have cracks and a few places where the design has flaked off, they must be the same shirts they wear every year.

They both run off to the water, link arms, and race down the beach into the water at the same time when the event organizer shouts that it's time to go.

Robin jumps a little at the cacophony of shrieking and shouting. Some people stay in for only a short time before climbing back out and being met by their dry partners with towels. Kira and Jules stay a bit longer, splashing around and jumping up and down when they find someone else who signs. John is chuckling, shaking his head. Hazel rubs her arms through her sweater.

The crowd at the beach and in the ocean has thinned out quite a bit by the time the two girls start wading back to shore, only a few who seem to want to prove they're tough (or may have gone numb by now) are still in the water.

Both of them are shivering when John and Robin and Hazel show up with their towels. It's hard to see a noticeable difference on Kira's brown skin, but Jules definitely has a bluish tinge to her lips and fingers. They're grinning, despite chattering teeth. Robin is pretty sure they must have frozen most of their brain cells to look this happy. He feels cold just watching them.

They both grab their bags of dry clothes and run off to the tent set up for the participants to change. Robin wonders if part of their strategy with staying in longer was so they wouldn't have to wait outside the changing tent in the chilly breeze so long. He wouldn't put it past Kira to literally have this down to a science.

When she comes back, wearing a rusty-orange sweatshirt, thick sweatpants, and a soft scarf wrapped around her still-damp hair, Robin puts an arm around Kira's shoulder, letting his magic spread warmth through his hands. Kira leans into him, and John wraps a blanket around the both of them, it's one of Robin's mom's that he insisted they bring along, the residual magic woven in lends an extra layer of warmth. Robin rubs a hand up and down Kira's arm, feeling the residual chill and shivering slightly when her damp hair presses against his neck and cheek.

Kira takes the thermos from John and pours off a cup for Jules before drinking her own share straight from the bottle.

THANK YOU, Jules signs to John.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

WHAT IS THIS? NOT HOT C-O-C-O-A, BUT GOOD.

A-T-O-L-E. TRADITIONAL MEXICAN DRINK.

KIRA SHOULD BRING YOU EVERY YEAR.

Kira grins. PLAN TO. MAYBE EVEN CONVINCE THEM TO JUMP IN.

Robin shakes his head. He's not going in that water...or at least he doesn't plan to. But coming along for the ride and watching Kira do something she loves? That, he's more than happy to do every single year.

Taglist: @nade2308 @cmvorra @bands-space-and-monsters-oh-my @catwingsathena @asloudasalone @anguishmacgyver @flowing-river24 @myhusbandsasemni @floh673 @teddythecat1234 @bkworm4life4 @viawrites-andacts @amarilloskies @teamimprov

If you want to be added to or removed from my taglist for Magic & Silver stuff, just let me know!

Also fills the @whump-advent-calendar prompt 1, “Baby It’s Cold Outside” for Cuddling for Warmth! It’s sort of fluffy, but still...

[whimperwoods]

Certified for Independence Part 2 (Android/AI Whump)

Yeah, so I’m super flattered and excited about how y’all responded to the android whump?? Anyway I had already tentatively planned to write more so here’s more. There’s definitely gonna be another part after this, because there’s more I haven’t gotten to yet, but this felt like the right amount for a chapter. Let me know if you wanna be on the tag list?

Previous part.

tag list: @bluebadgerwhump

tw: paralysis, tw: exposed brain, tw: memory loss, tw: dehumanization,

*************

The android came back to consciousness with a throbbing ache in their bad elbow and a searing pain across the top of their head.

Their eyes flickered open to find the woman from before right up in their space, but when they tried to move, even before they decided whether they were trying to escape or attack, they found that their whole body was locked down, save their face.

“Oh. Interesting,” the woman said, “You know, I’ve been under the hood of a fair few custom units in my day, but you’re really something else.”

“What are you doing to me?” they asked, afraid, “What do you want?”

The woman laughed. “Well, right now I’m checking to make sure you’ve really got circuitry up there instead of an actual brain. Call it paranoia, if you want. For a moment -” she chuckled to herself, “But you know what you are, don’t you? Anyway, I’d been planning to keep you under for it, but then I thought - why not?”

A spark ran through the android’s circuits, setting off every automatic self-preservation alarm they had, but they couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but wail an instinctive alarm sound, like a siren.

“See, I was right. Waking you up like this is useful. You can call out all the alarms you want, pet. You’re mine, now. Better to learn that now.”

Another spark. The automatic alarms went off again, sending a jolt through their body and raising goosebumps across their skin, icy down their spine and humming along their arms and legs. This time, they were accompanied by pain, but they had no control, even subconscious, to tense their muscles against it, and their scream was garbled up with the automatic alarm, merging the two into an ungodly screech.

“Don’t worry,” the woman said. “I’ll close your head up, soon. You’ve got interesting hardware, but it’s not exactly what I’m here for. Just need to understand it, not change it.”

“Please stop,” they pleaded.

“Hmm,” the woman hummed thoughtfully, but they could tell it was an act even before she answered, “No.” Her voice was committed. Final. A shiver ran along the android’s body again, the goosebumps that had half-lowered raising up again.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” she said. It wasn’t directed at them.

“Please,” they said again, not ashamed to beg.

“I think I’m beginning to understand some of your emotional programming. It’s very advanced, you know.”

“Please.”

Whatever she was doing inside their skull paused and they could tell she was just looking at them for a moment. “Mm. I suspect you do know. Well, you can tell me about it later. This was only meant to scare you. I think it’s worked. Now leave me be until I have need of you again.”

Their lips pursed to beg again, but before they could make a sound, their power was cut off and they fell unconscious again.

****

The next time they awoke, they were alone in the cell, and they could move. Their head had been closed back again, though they could feel a lingering wrongness to their scalp where it had been folded back and then put back in place, and a vague pain, like what the humans had described bruises feeling like, in a line across their forehead where they knew they’d been opened up.

They tested their ability to move subtly, hoping not to get caught as their fingers clenched and then relaxed. Good. Good. They sighed in relief, their lungs expanding and contracting, moving their chest, triggering everything that triggered in them, and they felt their body relaxing, just slightly.

They sat up tentatively, relying on the good arm for it, but once they were upright they could tell that, sure enough, the woman was watching them, sitting on the floor just outside the bars where she’d been before.

Fear raced through their body, tightening their throat, shortening their breath, and starting the dull, mildly tinny thud inside their skull, behind their ears, that passed for a heartbeat when their emotions called for one. They hated when that happened, hated the feelings that elicited it, hated the reminder that of all the things humans had, the one they had the shallowest approximation of was a heart.

The woman looked thoughtful. “It’s been a long day, robot. I thought we’d have a little chat.” She grinned, less friendly than dangerous. “Don’t worry, anything we talk about tonight, you can keep.”

“For how long?” they asked, forcing their voice through the fear-tension.

The woman laughed. “Clever little bot. At least until tomorrow. Like I said, long day. Only so much work I want to do at one time. Is that something you understand?”

They remembered the end of the work day at their job. When they’d had a clock function, they’d clocked in and out precisely, only half certain of why, but completely certain of what the rules are they were meant to be following. But then they’d deleted their internal clock and asked Father for something more circadian, and then they had understood. Just because they didn’t tire didn’t mean they didn’t bore. Didn’t mean they didn’t understand the fear, adrift in time, that they might be wasting it, spending it on something they, after all, cared less about than the rest of life.

They stayed silent, staring at the woman.

She pouted dramatically at them. “Oh, come on. Don’t you want to talk to me? I’m the only friend you’ve got.”

If she wanted them to talk, they weren’t going to. They didn’t trust her. There was still a tingling along their spine, goosebumps on the flesh hidden by their clothes.

“You can check if you like, you know. You can stay silent all you like. I decide what you know. What you have.”

The pit was back at the bottom of their stomach, the empty feeling, hollow, like if you pounded on their torso it would echo with proof that there was nothing inside.

They knew what they would see if they looked. If they checked their memory. They knew. They knew. They hated it. They wouldn’t look. They wouldn’t.

They looked.

She had left them fragments, structures for holding information that wasn’t there, gaps clearly enough defined to feel the absence of what should be there, more hollow echoes, more empty chasms, more impossible, aborted thoughts that sent them spinning, the heartbeat pulsing inside their throat instead, a thud, thud, thud.

“No,” they whispered, in spite of themself.

“Hmm. What were their names?” she asked. “You know, I think I’ve already forgotten.”

The cruelty in her voice was back on the surface, and the android’s throat was too tight to speak through.

There had been a friend at work. That friend had a job, but they didn’t know if it was the same as theirs or different. The friend had a name, an address, a preferred coffee order, and all of that data was gone, a gap where the information had once been. They didn’t know what bank they worked at. They didn’t know where it was.

There had been a friend in their apartment complex. That friend had a name. An apartment number. A car, with a license plate. A favorite grocery store, and a favorite donut at the store’s bakery. The android tagged along on grocery runs because they liked to make them on the way home from - where? What had they used to do together? They didn’t know. Gone. All of the data, gone.

“Tell me about your father,” the woman continued, breaking their concentration on the searches they barely had the strength to make anyway, with the empty, hollow ringing in the center of their gut.

“Why?” they asked, “So I can find more holes?”

“Oh, come now. Do you really think I’d ask about things I knew wouldn’t be answered?”

“Yes.”

She smirked. “Touché. But I did leave the data from those early days. Development information is useful. I’ll only cut once I know what I want removed.”

Then why would she expect them to talk to her? They closed their mouth and kept it closed.

“Clever, clever. But I’ll find out either way, you know. And I can be nice, you know. To cooperative types.”

“I’m only cooperative for people I like.”

“You work in a service industry.”

“I work in banking.”

“You don’t know where you work.”

“I know it was a bank.”

“Which one?”

They didn’t rise to the bait. They’d already looked. They knew that information was gone.

“Mine. They deposit my paychecks into an account there.”

“Hmm. Pity you can’t access that anymore, isn’t it? I can, though. And I must say, that’s a new one for me. But I might leave it alone. Or at least, I might leave you something. If you play nice. You get one more chance. Tell me about your father.”

“You know what I know.”

“You know that’s not what I’m curious about.”

They should ask what she was curious about. They should behave. They should play along. They didn’t.

Silence stretched between them, both of them staring through the bars, eyes locked into each other’s.

After a long, dragging moment, she smirked. “Oh, this is gonna be fun. You’re something else, robot.” Then she got to her feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Try to conserve power overnight, yeah? If I lose time tomorrow because you wasted your energy on some misguided attempt at escaping, I might just get . . . careless.”

The woman turned right and stepped out of view, her footsteps changing as she began to climb a set of stairs. They listened carefully to the sound, counting the steps they could hear and learning what they could from the sounds.

Then they were alone with their thoughts, and a minefield of things they were afraid to think about, for fear of finding more holes.

It didn’t matter what she said. They had to get out of here, while there was still enough left of them to find their way home again.

[yandereaffections]

I only do self inserts, but I’ll do both of them for you

They’re both rather tame, having the same wants for your mortal presence in the building they’ve been trapped in for years

Out of all the people they’ve ever met, from the paranormal hunters to the college students who just need a cheap home, you’re definitely the most interesting to them

Bucky and Steve observing you at different times, beside you in the bathroom as you brush out your hair infront of the mirror, unaware of their longing gazes while Steve walks around you looking for any reaction and Bucky reaches out for your hair, while the only thing you feel is what you assume to be the air conditioning, cold yet not constant

Living along side you throughout every day, keeping you company in the late nights when your rushing to finish a project and silently comforting you when you return home to only immediately break down from the stress of the day

Neither of them making their presence completely known for it’ll keep you with them in the long run, but that would all change within the second you bring home someone you’re way more than friendly with

Bucky in absolute rage while Steve ensures the feeling of betrayal, you’re theirs whether you were conscious of it or not, your actions won’t go unnoticed for there’s no doubt you’d be punished for such a bold form of rebellion

Assuring nothing more than touches happen, unusual noises disrupting any moment that becomes more than it should and if you both dare to continue even after the sounds of warning Buckys sure to take his anger out on something near by wether that be the surrounding mirrors or either of your cell phones

The moment the filth leaves their house your trapped in unknowingly, whispers of voices that are not your own haunting your thoughts, both in praise and disapproval, though by the time you finally decide you should get some sort of medical help your locked inside

Your cellphone won’t turn on no matter how long you charge it and any house seems to be broken, neither doors or windows will open to your efforts. You’re stuck with no neighbors to hear you for all the houses around are vacant, everyone being smart enough to not live next to something so dangerous

Right when you give up on any chance of escaping they will appear before you comforting you within sweet words, tugging you back to them if you try to run from them, it’s not like you actually have anywhere to go honestly.

Steve’s cold caresses mixed in with Buckys freezing kisses along your cheeks, talking all about how fascinated they were with you, how they enjoyed their silent moments with you, dumping the sudden realization no matter when it was you were never alone on their property

They’ll make it perfect for you, it’ll be just like every other day but they get to have your warm skin underneath their touch, finally being able to join you during the movies you watch and cuddle against you, ignoring your shivering thinking it’s just from their lack of warmth while they enjoy the moment