#third in command it is chloe supposes

[mirchloe]

mirtala will throw a tea party for herself and chloe and have a little plate with sour gummy worm pudding cups, and chloe will immediately bump bobby out of his second in command position on her spaceship to give it to tala.

[coldkidcookieneck]

Title: Collateral Attraction

Summary: A stupid dare. A locked house. A very armed, very grumpy Frank Benson. She was supposed to run, not come back for coffee.

Author's note: Hi, my dear readers! This is my very first Frank Benson story, and I had so much fun writing it. I hope you enjoy the chaotic tension, awkward flirting, and soft banter as much as I did! Please let me know what you think 😉

Pairing: Frank Benson x Fem Reader

Warnings: Language and Mild Violence

Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 here

Cross posted on AO3

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Your living room smelled like takeout, cheap rosé, and candle wax from the third failed attempt to light the "Happy Birthday" sparkler cake. Streamers clung to the ceiling fan like casualties of war, and glitter was everywhere — a sure sign that your best friends, Chloe, Liam, and Amanda, had taken over décor duty.

“You’re officially 22,” Chloe declared, handing you your third slice of pizza like it was your birthright. “Time to do something legendary before the night’s over.”

“Legendary how?” you asked, wiping sauce off your chin.

Chloe’s grin was pure chaos. “Truth or dare.”

You barely had time to protest before everyone was already sitting cross-legged on the floor, drinks in hand, the tension building like a bad horror score. The first few rounds were harmless: someone drank hot sauce, another admitted to kissing their cousin’s boyfriend. Then it was your turn again.

“Dare,” you said, full of birthday bravado.

Chloe’s eyes gleamed. “I dare you… to sneak into General Frank Benson’s house and get out again. Without him noticing.”

The room froze.

Even the playlist paused like Spotify itself whispered: “Girl, no.”

“You’re joking,” you blinked, halfway between laughing and throwing your pizza.

Amanda screeched, “That’s a literal suicide mission! Have you seen that man? He probably sleeps with a bayonet under his pillow!”

Liam leaned forward, solemn as a war general. “Then I’ll command the mission. You’re my agent. I’ll be in your ear. Like the hot ones in spy movies.”

Chloe held up her hand like she was swearing into Congress. “Five hundred dollars if you do it.”

And suddenly, it wasn’t a joke anymore.

You glanced toward the window — at the looming Victorian next door, shrouded in shadow and pulsing with generational trauma. That was his house. Everyone in the neighborhood knew it: the fortress of General Frank Benson — retired military legend, silver-haired menace, living scarecrow of your childhood.

You’d been afraid of him since you were six. Literally.

Your parents used to weaponize his existence like bedtime folklore.

“If you don’t get home by curfew, the General will snatch you and ship you off to boot camp!” “Don’t run off — Frank Benson might put you in a tank and roll you into a battlefield!”

One Halloween, you dared to ring his doorbell.

He didn’t answer.

But the porch light flickered on.

You screamed so loud you peed a little and ran home with your witch’s hat falling off.

Since then, even walking past his house made you clutch your mom’s hand and whisper apologies to the wind.

But now?

You were older. Bolder. And… just the tiniest bit intrigued.

Especially after the annual neighborhood committee meeting a few months back — the first he’d attended in years.

You remembered it too clearly. He’d walked in wearing a sharp black coat, silver hair slicked back, eyes cold and assessing like he was planning battle formations. He barely spoke — but when he did, his voice was low and gravelly and cut through the chatter like a bullet through glass.

And something inside you shifted.

You weren’t afraid anymore.

You were… fascinated.

And maybe, okay, kind of into the whole grumpy, emotionally disturbed war-daddy thing.

“Come on,” Chloe was saying now, waving her phone like a stopwatch. “He’s probably not even home. Just sneak in, sneak out. Easy. We’ll be waiting by the back gate with your victory pizza slice.”

Amanda looked like she was going to throw up from secondhand panic. “If she gets arrested, I’m not bailing her out. But I will organize a candlelight vigil.”

Liam saluted dramatically. “For honor. For glory. For the birthday girl.”

Your heart pounded. Your brain screamed are you serious, but your ego — freshly 22, slightly tipsy, and painfully susceptible to peer pressure — just whispered:

Let’s do it.

“…Fine,” you muttered, pushing off the couch and finishing your wine like it was armor. “But if I get court-martialed, I’m haunting all of you forever.”

Chloe whooped. “Operation: Birthday Break-In is a GO!”

“Okay, squad. Stick to the plan. Eyes sharp. Feet quiet. Asses low.”

Liam crouched behind the overgrown rhododendron bush like he was auditioning for Mission Impossible- Suburban Edition, holding a plastic cup of wine like it was a grenade. Amanda was huddled beside him, just out of sight from Frank Benson’s back fence.

Chloe, ever your partner in crime, adjusted her hoodie like she was going to war. “I swear if I die out here, I want ‘Dare Queen’ on my gravestone.”

“I’m already designing the shirt,” Amanda whispered, pulling out her phone to record. “You two are legends in the making. If this goes viral, I want credit.”

You glared at her, “If this goes to prison, I want a decent lawyer.”

Everyone else chuckled nervously. The stakes were stupidly low and yet wildly high. You peeked past the bush.

Frank Benson’s house loomed at the end of the yard — tall, dark, dignified. A once-white Victorian that had surrendered to time: ivy clung to its brick like secrets, and its turreted attic window glared down at the street like a silent sentry. The back of the house had a small porch with a flickering light and two steps leading down to a mossy stone path. Two gnarled oak trees flanked the yard like bodyguards.

You could see three windows on the ground floor: one half-open, one shut tight, and one obscured by heavy drapes.

“Alright, here’s the plan,” Liam said, dragging a stick through the dirt like a military strategist. “You two — that’s you, birthday girl, and Chloe — take the side gate, sneak across the back yard, and go through the half-open window. It’s probably the kitchen. You go in, sneak to the other side of the house, and come out through the sunroom window on the east side. That’s the one facing the hedge. We’ll be posted there with flashlights and pizza, ready to pull you out and declare victory.”

“Simple enough,” Chloe muttered, tying her hair up. “Break in, sneak across, break out. No blood, no alarms.”

“Exactly,” Amanda said, filming you in selfie-mode now. “Tonight’s forecast: 30% chance of arrest, 70% chance of glory. Let’s go.”

You inhaled sharply. The house looked still. No lights in the upstairs windows. No movement.

“Alright,” you said, pulse quickening. “Let’s do this.”

The gate creaked as you and Chloe slipped through, then padded silently across the dew-covered grass. You both wore black hoodies and sneakers, looking like the worst-dressed spies imaginable. You paused at the half-open window.

Chloe gave it a gentle push. It opened with a soft screeetch.

You winced.

“…That sounded like a horror movie door,” she whispered.

“Keep going,” you hissed, heart hammering.

The kitchen was exactly what you imagined Frank Benson’s kitchen would look like: neat, cold, and full of sharp corners. The countertops were spotless. The lights were off. There was a kettle on the stove — black and steel — and a single mug next to it, like he was halfway into making tea for one.

You stepped inside first, Chloe right behind you. Your feet made the faintest sound on the tile. You both paused, eyes wide.

Nothing.

Just the faint tick… tick… of an old grandfather clock somewhere deeper in the house.

“Alright,” Chloe breathed. “East side window. Let’s move.”

You crept through the kitchen and into a narrow hallway with wooden floors. On your right was a darkened sitting room, all leather armchairs and old bookshelves. On your left was what looked like a dining room, table polished, a lone set of dog tags resting on the center dish. You glanced at them — initials etched in metal. F.B.

Your stomach twisted. You felt like an intruder.

Because you were.

“Chloe,” you whispered. “I think we should—”

You didn’t finish the sentence.

Because you tripped on the edge of the hallway rug.

Your foot slipped.

You fell like a plank of wood.

Chloe toppled after you, landing hard on your back with a loud thump.

You both froze.

Tick… tick…

Creaaaak.

There was a sound from upstairs.

A door opened.

Floorboards groaned under heavy footsteps.

Then — light.

A hallway light flicked on.

And footsteps began descending the staircase fast.

“OH MY GOD!” Chloe hissed, jumping off you and scrambling toward the sunroom.

“I found the exit, hurry up!” she cried, pulling open a window.

You staggered up, adrenaline surging.

But it was too late.

A shadow lunged down the stairs, and before you could reach the exit, a strong hand grabbed your arm, spun you around, and slammed you down on the floor with a practiced, efficient force.

You yelped, wind knocked from your lungs.

“STOP RIGHT THERE!” a voice barked.

It was gravel and thunder, and it made the air vibrate.

The figure above you slammed the sunroom window shut with one hand, blocking Chloe’s exit route as she screamed your name from outside.

He turned on the light.

And there he was.

General Frank Benson.

Silver-haired, towering, broad-shouldered in a black t-shirt and loose sweatpants — but somehow still looking like he could command a battalion. His jaw was clenched, eyes sharp and full of fury. There was a glint of something silver in his hand — a gun. Not pointed at you, but very, very present.

You blinked up at him, stunned into silence, face flushed from the fall, the fear, the fact that he was... ridiculously hot in this lighting.

“Who the hell are you?” he growled. “And what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing in my house?”

You gulped, lips trembling, and scrambled to explain.

“Sir—it was a dare! A stupid $500 birthday dare! I swear, I didn’t mean any harm—my friends dared me to sneak in and out—I didn’t even think you were home—I tripped—Chloe—Chloe was supposed to—”

He glared at you, nostrils flaring, eyes scanning your face like a threat assessment.

“...A dare?” he repeated, incredulous. “You break into my house... for five hundred bloody dollars?!”

Frank Benson was halfway through pouring himself a cup of Earl Grey when he heard it.

Thump.

His entire body froze.

He didn’t move — not at first. Years in combat zones taught him that reacting too soon was how you got killed. First came the listen. Then came the lock.

He strained his ears. There it was again. A scrape. A muffled whisper. Someone — two someones — moving in his home.

His jaw tightened. The mug was already back on the counter, untouched.

He moved.

Fast. Silent. Lethal.

A shadow ghosting up from the kitchen to the hallway. His left hand grabbed the pistol off the console drawer near the stairs — muscle memory. His right flicked on the light in a single fluid motion as he descended the staircase in three thunderous steps.

Footsteps.Too light for a grown man.Maybe teens. Maybe a weapon. Maybe not. Doesn’t matter — unknown is a threat until proven otherwise.

He saw movement in the hallway and bolted forward — years of force recon training kicking in. His body moved before his brain could catch up.

Target. Two. Female. Not armed. One tripped. Second, trying to run—

He grabbed the first — you — and brought you down with a sharp twist of the arm and shoulder, pinning you hard but careful, just enough pressure to restrain without crush.

You yelped.

The girl in the hoodie outside screamed and fumbled at the sunroom window.

He snapped it shut with one arm, blocking her escape route, then pointed the gun not at you, but toward the floor — visible. A warning. His voice followed, deep and sharp like thunder cracking open the sky:

“STOP RIGHT THERE!”

Your eyes were wide, terrified, blinking up at him like prey caught in headlights.

No weapon. No mask. Just panic. Not a threat. Not yet.

He exhaled slow, steadied the beast inside.

“Who the hell are you,” he growled, “and what the bloody hell do you think you’re doing in my house?”

You stammered, breath shaking. "Sir—it was a dare! A stupid $500 birthday dare! I swear, I didn’t mean any harm—my friends dared me to sneak in and out—I didn’t even think you were home—I tripped—Chloe—Chloe was supposed to—”

Frank stared at you like you’d grown a second head.

A fucking dare? Jesus Christ.

“You break into my house... for five hundred bloody dollars?!”

You nodded weakly.

He scoffed, the sound sharp as flint. “You’re lucky I didn’t break your neck. What kind of idiot thinks sneaking into a veteran’s home is a good idea?! You’re lucky I didn’t assume you were a threat and react accordingly.”

God, where do they grow kids like this? Is idiocy contagious?

You opened your mouth again, but he raised a finger — commanding silence.

“And you,” he barked toward the window. “Get your friend back here before I call every emergency service this side of the state line.”

Chloe let out a terrified squeak from outside.

“I—I—sorry!!” she stammered, stumbling back in through the front door, looking white as a sheet.

Frank looked between you and Chloe, eyes narrowing, jaw grinding. Then… something shifted.

His posture eased. Not soft, but no longer a threat.

“You’re the kid that used to hide behind your mum whenever I walked past,” he said slowly.

Your eyes widened. “You remember that?”

He chuckled — a low, rasping sound, like a car engine after too long in the cold. “Hard to forget a child who screamed like she saw a ghost every Halloween.”

Of course, I remember. You were the little,wide-eyed thing who used to cry if you saw me in uniform. Your mum once said they used me as a bedtime threat — ‘Come home before dark or General Benson will send you to boot camp.’ Bloody hell. I’ve become the neighbourhood bogeyman.

“I—um—I guess I did…”

He stood straighter, lowering the gun to his side — no longer threat-mode, but still on edge.

“So now you’re all grown up and sneaking around my yard,” he muttered, giving you a long, appraising look.

You’re not a kid anymore. That much is obvious. Hair’s longer. Lips trembling. That’s a woman’s jacket, not a school uniform. Goddamn. She’s trembling like I’m going to arrest her. I should. But hell, if this isn’t the most excitement I’ve had in months.

Then your next words caught him off guard.

“I… I saw you at the committee meeting.”

You blushed fiercely, gaze darting away. “I… I saw you at the committee meeting.”

He blinked once. Twice.

Ah. That’s it.

Not a dare. Not really. Curiosity. Maybe something more.

Shit. He shouldn’t let that twist of intrigue hit him. But there it was.

He gave a small smirk. Nothing warm — just sharp. Teasing. Testing.

“Well,” he muttered, holstering the gun, “if you wanted to know what’s inside my house so badly… next time just knock. Like a normal bloody person.”

You stared. Then let out a weak, nervous laugh.

Chloe looked like she wanted to disappear into the nearest plant.

Frank folded his arms. “Tell your friends you managed to ‘escape’ through the back window. Go get your prize money. And get the hell out of here before I change my mind.”

You hesitated, still rattled. Your gaze flicked to the door. But Frank was watching you closely now.

Your flushed cheeks. Your parted lips. The way your chest rose and fell in the silence.

She’s not a kid anymore. That realisation sank in like cold water down the back of his neck. Christ, I shouldn’t even be thinking that.

He paused.

Then, quieter: “...Happy birthday, by the way.”

Your head whipped up. “How did you—?”

He lifted a brow. “You think I don’t know what the neighborhood kids are up to? Liam and Amanda aren’t exactly CIA material.”

He turned and walked back into the shadows of the hallway, the light fading behind him.

And you were left standing there in his kitchen, adrenaline still high, heart pounding, and the terrifying realisation that the man you once feared… now occupied a very different corner of your imagination.

You and Chloe locked eyes—both pale, panting, done.

“Bloody hell,” she whispered.

You didn’t answer. You were already running.

You ran like hell.

Straight out the side gate, heart hammering, hair sticking to your forehead, lungs burning like a bonfire lit under your ribs. You didn’t even realize your knees were scraped until your friends came sprinting from the alleyway, cheering like lunatics.

“YOU SURVIVED!”

“Oh my god, she did it!”

“You better have filmed it, Chloe—wait, where’s Chloe?”

Chloe came jogging a moment later, wheezing. “He looked at me and I panicked! Like—retired general death glare level ten!”

You wheezed out a breathless laugh-slash-sob and stumbled into Amanda’s arms, who immediately started shaking you like a maraca.

“YOU LEGEND!! YOU JUST EARNED FIVE. HUNDRED. DOLLARS. Do you know how many bubble teas that is?!”

Liam tossed a hoodie over your shoulders like it was a medal of honor.

“General Frank Freaking Benson. The man who made our dads stand up straighter at neighborhood barbecues. You just walked into his den and LIVED. What was it like? What did he say? Did you get a peek at his kitchen? Was it cold and terrifying? Did he say anything like, ‘You have 10 seconds to explain before I neutralize you’?”

You stared at them, still breathless, trying to piece together the shock and the adrenaline and the very real fact that you had just been pinned down by Frank Benson’s arms, and that he had remembered you, and that he had said—

“…Happy birthday, by the way.”

Inside the house, Frank stood at the second-floor window.

Lights off.

Curtains parted.

Just him, silently watching the gaggle of chaotic teens erupt into hugs and fist bumps and high-fives.

Idiots, he thought. No sense of danger. No sense of consequences.Except her.

His eyes found you — standing just slightly apart from the group, hand still hovering near your arm where he’d grabbed you, eyes a little far-off. Processing.

He felt it in his chest. A sharp, quiet pull.

She looked at me like I was a monster. But now... not quite.That’s the look someone gives when the monster turns out to be a man.

He frowned.

Backed away from the window.

She’ll stay away now. They always do.Good. Better that way.

He turned, heading for the stairs.

So why the hell am I still standing here thinking about her?

You’re still catching your breath when Chloe grabs your arm like a human grappling hook.

“Say nothing about the gun. Just look cool. Say you Mission: Impossible’d your way in and out. Got it?”

You nod. Kind of.

Back at the house, your friends are waiting with pizza crumbs, half-filled cups, and $500 in a cereal box because apparently Liam thought that was “stealthy.”

“SO?”

“Did you do it?”

“Did you survive General Doom himself?!”

You glance at Chloe.

She does the tiniest nod.

And you go full Bond Girl.

“Yeah. Slipped in through the side window, skirted the dining room, ducked when I heard footsteps. Almost got caught. But didn’t.”

The group goes feral.

Liam throws the $500 at you like confetti. Amanda screams into a pillow. Someone cranks up music again and shoves a slice of pizza into your mouth mid-laugh.

Only Chloe sees how you keep glancing out the window.

The Next Morning

You knocked on his door at 8:13 a.m.

Why?

Because you couldn’t sleep.

Because your guilt was loud.

Because something about him—his voice, his eyes, the way he hadn’t yelled just to yell—was still stuck to your skin like aftershave.

The door opened a sliver, and there he was.

Sleep-ruffled hair. T-shirt and sweats. No weapon in sight, just an eyebrow raised like a challenge.

“You again,” he said flatly.

“I—um—just wanted to say thank you. For not calling the police. Or yelling louder. Or shooting.”

Frank stared at you.

Then let out a breath that sounded like half a laugh, half a groan.

“You’re here to say thank you for trespassing?”

You winced. “Also to tell you that I got the $500.”

His eyes narrowed. “And that’s supposed to impress me?”

You grinned. “No. I was thinking I could treat you to something. As an apology-slash-celebration. Coffee? Bagels? Explosives?”

A beat.

Then Frank opened the door a little wider and leaned against the frame.

“You really think I’d let a little idiot like you buy me breakfast?”

You shrugged. “I mean, you tackled me. So I figure we’re close now.”

He smirked. A very dangerous, very warm smirk.

“…Next time,” he said, “let me be the gentleman.”

Your heart may have actually skipped.

You nodded. “Okay.”

“Good,” he said, and shut the door again.

But not before giving you one last glance—measured, curious, not entirely annoyed.

You walked home lighter.

Still scraped, still bruised, still $500 richer.

But also—

Something had started.

You just didn’t know what yet.

He leaned against the door after it closed, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

That damn kid. That crooked grin. That stupid, reckless heart.

He should’ve been furious. Still could be. But instead...

He sighed.

“…Coffee,” he muttered to himself. “God help me.”

Then he went to put on real pants.

EPILOGUE

Local Café | Two Days Later

The coffee shop smelled like cinnamon, burnt espresso, and bad decisions.

You sat across from him, two mugs between you. Yours was adorned with whimsical doodles and the phrase “Espresso Yourself.” His was a plain, no-nonsense black ceramic mug. Classic.

You stirred your latte three times before sipping. “So...General, do you come here often, or only when you’re guilt-tripped by teenage gremlins who trespass on your property?”

Frank raised an eyebrow over his coffee. “I’m still deciding if this is penance or a government experiment.”

You smirked.

He came. He actually showed up. On time, no less. He still looks like a man who has backup plans for backup plans. But his jacket’s unzipped. His hair’s still a little windblown. He looks… less like a warning label. More like a question mark. And I’m not sure if I want the answer or the chase.

He didn’t smile. Not exactly. But his eyes? They didn’t look away.

She’s nervous. She’s trying not to show it, but she is. And yet she’s here. After everything. After the fence hop, the bruises, the chaos. She sat down across from me like it wasn’t a death wish. Like maybe… she wanted to. Idiot kid. Brave kid. Dammit.

A beat passed. Then you slid your phone across the table. The lock screen was a screenshot of your bank app. $500.00. Still untouched.

“Proof I haven’t spent the blood money yet,” you said.

Frank leaned back, arms crossed. “Didn’t say you had to keep it.”

You tilted your head. “Didn’t say I wouldn’t.”

He huffed—something between a scoff and a laugh. “Troublemaker.”

You grinned. “Takes one to know one.”

And for the briefest moment, in the lazy warmth of a café too small to hold this much tension, something softened. Not broken. Just… bent. In a good way.

Two mugs.

One look.

No promises.

Just the beginning of something slightly stupid.

But maybe… worth it.

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[23fallencomets]

love me gently (or not at all) pt ix

heat chapter! somewhat at least, this is just the first hurdle and leads us into the next big Event which spoilers: brings the two packs together, also max pov! enjoy 😚

There is a phone ringing from somewhere around the house. The noise melting against the walls until Max stirs, eyes heavy with sleep as he turns to look at Daniel, his mate dead to the world as the ringing continues.

He grumbles as he slips out of bed, grabbing one of Daniel’s sweatshirts and shoving it on before crossing the hall. Danny had insisted on sleeping across from Lewis’s office, his role as the third in command keeping him close to the office while Lewis and Seb sleep on the first floor.

The office is cold as he walks in, grumbling to himself as the phone continues to ring. He leans over the desk, picking the phone up and pressing it to his ear.

“Max Verstappen, Hamilton-Vettel pack.” Max mumbles, running a hand over his face. He had gone to bed late, the pups had been more restless than usual and Jack had shown up to his door, frown on his face as he begrudgingly asked for help. With the help of Charles, Pierre and George they managed to settle them down.

“This is Scott Dixon, Power-Dixon pack, I need to talk to Seb and Hamilton.”

Max narrows his eyes, this is the pack that has Logan, “They’re asleep at the moment, I can take a message.”

There’s an annoyed huff at the end before another voice talks, somehow soothing and firm, “Listen pup, Logan is in preheat, has been for the last twenty something hours and we know how dangerous that can be.”

Max feels stones dropping into his stomach, little pebbles that accumulate to boulders as he stands up properly, phone still pressed to his ear. They had failed Logan—the older members had, not the Adults, but them, the weird faction of them that had been together years before Logan and Oscar. The ones that had easily taken Oscar under their wing but had left Logan alone.

Preheats are only meant to last a few hours, twelve at least. It’s supposed to give the omega enough time to get them and their packs prepared. Depending on their cycles, one or two of the three cycles can be pack intimate, which is just when an omega unravels into their instincts and looks after their pack.

“What do you want me to do?” Max asks instead. He listens intently to whatever Will says and hangs up once they’re done, his heart racing in his chest as he heads to the pups room.

He slowly opens the door, Jack immediately shifting from where he’s nearly buried under the shifted pups. His eyes are bleary as he struggles to sit up, sensing that there’s something wrong. Liam makes a noise that Jack smoothes over as he stumbles towards Max.

“What is it?” He asks, voice still thick with sleep as he steps out of the room, forcing Max back. Jack has been approaching them with the most aggressive passiveness, his displeasure with the situation obvious in the way he hands himself with the older members.

“Logan’s been in preheat for almost twenty hours, he needs the pups and Oscar.” Max says, “We have to go.”

Jack stares at him, dark brown eyes unnerving before he nods, ducking back into the room. There’s a flurry of sound, whimpers and yips before Pepe and Abbi are rushing out, footsteps light as they carefully grab their car keys. They’re followed by Ollie and Chloe, a duffle bag slung over the young American’s shoulder. She casts Max a doubting look before ducking after Ollie, his own car keys in hand.

Before Max knows it, Oscar is besides him, blinking rapidly as Jack shoves a blanket at him. The melded scents of the pups invade Max’s nose, some of them still have that lingering pup scent. He’s ripped out of his thoughts as Oscar nudges him, and somehow all eighteen of them slip out of the Hamilton-Vettel pack undetected. ✩ ✩ ✩

The drive is a stressful two hours, the empty highways allowing them to speed down them. Pepe, Abbi, and Ollie are safe drivers, but their pack mom mate is in trouble. Oscar is leading them, Jack and Max with him as Oscar keeps tabs on Pepe, Ollie and Abbi, their four-way call silent besides Oscar giving directions.

When they pull up to the Power-Dixon pack house, they’re someone waiting outside. Oscar is the first to get down, telling everyone to stay inside their cars until they can get the go-ahead. It makes Max antsy as Oscar approaches the other man, there’s a familiarity between them as the man nods, looking over to the lined up cars and motions them out. No one moves until Oscar does the same.

Jack is the first out, finding his position besides Oscar. The other man, Josef, they’ll learn later, nods at Jack. It’s takes all of Jack’s willpower to not puff his chest, knowing that some alpha’s take that as a sign of challenge, and Jack is not on home ground.

The younger pups are corralled into the middle, Max hovering at the end as they’re taken to a room. In the middle of a nicely decorated room, a messy disorganized nest sits in the middle and a sweat soaked Logan shivers harshly in it.

It makes Max’s instincts snap in, immediately going for the duffle bags. They have to get Logan comfortable enough for his hindbrain to understand that it’s time to switch and the nest isn’t emitting any comfort; it reeks of stress and fear.

The younger omegas seems to understand as they tear down the nest, dumping the materials into the corner as they work to build a new nest. Oscar momentarily takes Logan out of it, a pained noise ripping out of him as they quickly lay down the new ground layer.

Max flutters around it, adjusting pillows and blankets and clothes until his instincts settle. Logan seems to relax into it, his body growing limp as Max starts instructing the pups in. Oscar takes his place behind Logan, curling around him as the pups surround Logan.

He can smell Logan properly going into heat a few minutes later, his scent lighter as he lingers on the edges. He’s not part of this faction, not in the way Ollie, Oscar and the rest of the pups flit through all of them, uncaring of the barely-there politics. They had failed Logan, had failed to give him a safe environment and a pack where he could feel at home.

Instead he’s three hours away, with a pack that quickly realized what was wrong and fixed it as soon as they could.

How long would’ve it had taken them to figure it out?

He doesn’t enter the nest, it’s not his and him and Logan don’t know each other enough for him to assume he has free access to it. The pups have settled, their scents intertwining easily with Logan, eighteen scents mixed with the smell of water lilli, soft and gentle.

There’s a wedge between the head of the nest and the wall; Max squeezes into it, a hand gently running through Logan’s knotted hair. Oscar stares at him through half-lidded eyes, Franco makes a noise at the back of his throat that causes Tina to smack him, a tired expression on her face before she curls around Maya.

When Logan stirs, Max is meet with dark sea-green eyes, half-lidded and exhausted. He tilts his head as Max’s hand drags downwards. Logan needs an older Omega, this role was meant for Nico, a guiding hand to help Logan through the worst of his heat.

But Nico isn’t here, Max is.

A whimper escapes Logan as he buries his face into Max’s palm, nose brushing alongside the small scent gland on his wrist. It makes something in Max shatter; Logan needed someone to guide him, to help his Omega along. This was supposed to be Nico, their omegas already intertwined despite whatever Nico might be feeling apart from that.

It makes Max feel like he’s floating in the middle of the ocean, desperately wading in the water, memories of when he had been dumped with the pack, before they had been the Hamilton-Vettel pack, before everything had smoothed out, when tensions where high and near vicious and Max had to quickly find his footing.

He knows how terrifying it is to join a new pack, knows the divide it causes and he did nothing about it. He looks back down at Logan, his expression finally smoothed out as Kimi wiggles closer, the other pups instinctively reaching for Logan.

God, they really fucked this one up.

[pl-panda]

The vines that bind us - Chapter 2

Chapter 1 || Next

-----

Until a trip to Gotham came knocking on the front doors

“I can’t believe Lie-la of all people managed to somehow get us the trip to Gotham!” Mari moaned with a mixed expression on her face.

Adrien, who was walking next to them, showed absolute disgust. “Technically, It was my father and I that did the heavy lifting. She really wanted to go to the Wayne Gala and…”

“What Lie-la wants, Lie-la gets.” The three finished in unison before laughing a bit. 

“Don’t worry Mari-bear. I can promise you that this no good liar won’t get to ruin your return home.” Chloe pulled her best friend closer. Best friend. Much better than a servant. Who would’ve thought? “And we can even try to find your mom on free Saturday.”

“Yeah…” The girl with black-blue hair didn’t seem particularly cheerful at that. 

“Now I refuse to have you making sad faces throughout the whole flight. You cheer up right this moment and that’s an order!” The blonde commanded. 

“Yes, Maman-bear.” Mari giggled.

The three of them finally arrived at the rest of the class, who were already gathered around madame Bustier. Of course, Lila was bragging about a million different things, but the three paid her no mind. Adrien did his best to hide behind the girls, cherishing the last moments of freedom. Finally, Mari and Chloe had to step forward for their tickets. The blonde got hers without any problem, but for Mari there turned out to be none.

“I’m so so sorry Marinette!” Lila said with fake regret. “I must have accidentally miscounted the number of students… It must’ve been when I was helping those poor orphans. You know, at…”

“Sure…” Mari didn’t even try to act as if she believed her for a moment. When Lila scowled, realizing that it didn’t affect the girl, she smiled. “I guess Chlo, Adrien and I will have to go with the contingency plan number 1.” 

“What?!” The sausage-hair shouted.

“Of course my Daddy would not send us to travel like peasants. We have tickets for the first class.” Chloe supplied, looking smugly. “We did plan to maybe sit with the rest of the class. What a shame…”

“Yeah, My dad also didn’t want me to travel anything less, but I convinced him to let me stay with my friends. Guess he will get what he wanted in the end.” For his part, Adrien at least tried to look apologetic. He didn’t try hard at all, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

“But… But…” Lila tried to come up with something, likely a lie, to counter it. She didn’t have time as the trio handed their teacher the filled forms from their parents/guardians/Nathalie and proceeded to the plane. The tickets were personal, so she couldn’t do anything. The Italian girl came up with a lie to tell to the class, but it would do no good until they landed. 

--------

“Did you see her face?” Plagg was rolling in the air while holding a giant roll of camembert. 

“You were amazing my queen.” Pollen complimented. 

“I still can’t believe your dad just… bought out the whole first class!” Marinette sighed. 

“Phi! Daddy always gives me only the best. You should know it by now, Mari-bear.”

“Okay. Mari. You are the Gotham expert here. Any advice?” Adrien asked a bit more seriously. 

“Gotham survival guide is probably unlike any other city.” She started. “The first rule is, believe it or not, run away if a person laughs too much or smiles too widely. The downside of living in the same city as the Joker is that most people don’t laugh in public. Secondly, never show that you are lost. Wherever you are, it’s exactly where you wanted to be. Finally, the third is to never flaunt your wealth.” She looked critically at Chloe before taking away her purse and lipstick in a golden case. “This,” She then pulled a mobile phone in a ridiculously sparkly case and popped it out of the cover, “this,” finally, she detached the golden chain on which the purse was supposed to be suspended and replaced it with a pre-prepared white one with copper clips, “and this must all go away.” 

“Ridiculous! Utterly Ridiculous! Now it will totally clash with my comb!” Chloe complained.

“Oh no! How will you ever survive that?” Mari deadpanned. All three of them had another burst of laughter. After they calmed, Adrien started.

“Do you think it’s wrong that I want to bet which rule will Lila break first?”

“Ten macaroons she will say out-loud about money.” Mari threw. 

“I raise, four tea parties she will start by asking for direction.” Chloe had a grin on her face

“Are you sure?” Adrien asked. When the blonde nodded, he shrugged. “Movie night and double popcorn bowl refill that she will do both in one conversation.”

“Hi, could you be so kind to point me to my exclusive hotel? You know, I’m staying at the penthouse of this luxurious new one.” Mari gave a quite good parody of Lilia. 

“So to sum up, the pool is now ten Macaroons, Four Tea parties, and movie night with triple popcorn?” Chloe asked. When they nodded, she quickly noted it on her phone. 

“Now, who wants a movie? I think they have the newest Thomas Astruck one.” Adrien pulled a disc from the container next to his seat.

“Good for me!/Go!” The girls said. Chloe, who was in the middle loaded it and the other two leaned onto her to watch together. The three were happy. Faintly in the background, there was knocking on the doors to their part, but nobody paid attention to very angry Liela and some classmates. For some reason, the doors were stuck and the blinder rolled down. Later if someone asked, Pollen would deny everything. 

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

When the plane landed, the class was practically kicked out. The team walked calmly down the stairs, all of them having smug expressions. Lila wanted to comment, but a glare from Mme. Bustier shut her up quickly. Mari and co. would later try to guess, what got the crew so pissed at their classmates.

Once everyone was accounted for, the class made its way to the customs to retrieve their luggage. There was a small problem with Mari’s travel bag as it was apparently misplaced to the flight to Timbuktu, but luckily her true suitcase, which had her things inside, arrived safely. She giggled at the thought of custom office in Timbuktu receiving a bag full of Adrien’s old socks that smelled camembert. 

Overall, the airport went mostly unproblematic. At least until they found themselves cleared and gathered in one place while Mme Bustier left to check on their bus. One of the men, wearing a dark blue suit started to laugh almost maniacally. Everybody immediately cleared away from him, out of sheer self-preservation. Lila must’ve decided that a show of kindness was a good way to regain class’ good grace. She was confidently approaching the man before suddenly Mari grabbed her and pulled her away. The designer might’ve despised the liar, but Joker… you don’t mess with Joker. 

Of course, Lila used the chance. She faked falling on the ground and started crying crocodile tears. “Marinette?! How can you be so heartless? I wanted *sniff* to check on the man and you trip me?” Lila sniffled, eyes watering with crocodile tears.

“I might have saved your life genius!” Mari snapped. Joker was a really touchy subject with her. “Does the world Killer Clown mean something?”

“Don’t invent things, you bully!” Alya shouted. That seemed to break the dam and at once the class started to say awful things to Mari. A year ago, it would hurt her. Half a year ago, she would be sad. Now? Now she pitied them. Chloe didn’t, and she was ready to jump to protect her best friend. 

“Ridiculous! Do you like… share a single brain cell? What if that man was…” she didn’t get to finish because Mme. Bustier returned. The commotion immediately calmed. By now the man stopped laughing and returned to talking with his friends.

“The bus is waiting. Come on children. Follow me.”

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

Arriving at the hotel, the class was split into different rooms. Of course, Lila tried to lie her way into some privilege, but Mari was too dead inside to care. The Jet Lag was killing her. At least she got some sleep on the plane. From the rumors she heard from the class, they didn’t because of Lila’s drama with the staff. 

“Now I want you all to be ready here at eight a.m. sharp. A Wayne Enterprises representative will come here to explain the details of internships.” Mme. Bustier instructed them. This, for some reason, caused outrage in students.

“What do you mean internships?!”

“Wayne Enterprises?”

“Shouldn’t we be preparing to go to Gotham Academy or something?”

The terrible trio in the back had trouble holding back laugher. Adrien warned the girls about what his father planned, so they could all prepare. Gabriel Agreste, devious as he is, decided to punish Lila and teach Adrien something about running a company at the same time and using his connections to put the class up for an internship at WE. He did send the liar all the details, but she must have skimmed over the corporate jargon because the class was fed overexaggerated stories about what they would and wouldn’t do during two months trip. 

Most parents were more than happy to send their children away from Paris for two months, especially since the Internship was free and the employment rate after it was quite high. WE kept quite a lot of the interns, if only out of habit. But perhaps it was mostly because the class has become a go-to place for the Akuma. Only Mr. Pidgeon and perhaps Gigantitan were akumatized more often. Mari actually picked up to cleansing their class weekly through a ritual she learned, otherwise there would be enough residual dark energy to power a demon portal. Not something one would want in the middle of a classroom.

“I was told you’ve all read the brochure provided and Lila summarised it for you.”

“I did!” The sausage hair defended. “Marinette must have told them some imaginary story about the trip!”

Immediately, several other people started to nod and confirm this. Chloe actually started to walk toward the liar almost red, but Mari grabbed the back of her blazer and held her in place. All the while she had a completely deadpan expression like it was normal for her (it was).

Mme. Bustier sighed. “Well, In that case, I will…”

“Excuse me, but shouldn’t we be going to sleep today already? We don’t want to be late tomorrow.” Adrien asked with an innocent expression, but there was some satisfaction hidden there too.

“Well… um… I…”

“We will be going then.” Chloe grabbed the key and led Mari to their room. Calline didn’t even question it. She wanted a pay raise after this. 

-----------

The next morning, Mari was woken by a frantic Chloe

“Mari-bear! It’s already late! You don’t want to be late for your first day of Internship girl! It would be utterly Ridiculous!” 

At first, the girl mumbled something, but once she finally processed everything she leaped out of her bed and started getting ready in record time. She was brushing her teeth, packing her purse, and tossing clothes at her best friend all at once. Once she had everything, she turned to see Chloe on the ground tied with a gray blazer. Mari just burst out laughing.

“How…”

“Ridiculous!” Chloe shook her head. “I demand you untie me this instant! We don’t have time for this!”

Once they dressed and did their hair, both girls were ready. Chloe now had a black button-down shirt, deep red blazer, and a matching pencil skirt. Mari also made her wear smart black stilettos (instead of her usual that were slightly more extravagant). The look was completed by a tablet in leather flip-over cover. Mari had a similar outfit, except her shirt was white and the suit was in dark blue. She opted for flat shoes to spare the embarrassment that was Marigold on heels.

“Ready to rock Gotham City?”

“Like you have to ask.” Mari smiled. There was something about the city of crime that made her feel safe and open up more. Maybe being on home turf gave her the much-needed confidence boost. 

When Chloe tried to open the doors, she found them stuck. She was about to go on a rant about poor quality when Mari casually grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. There was a faint creaking sound as the mechanism gave.

“Um…”

“It must’ve been old,” Chloe said with a devious grin. “Nothing happened. Don’t you worry! I will deal with it.”

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

When the doors to the elevator opened and two girls strode into the lobby, their class was already pushing toward the exit. Adrien looked very much uncomfortable with Lila hanging off his arm, literally sinking her claws into him. He mouthed them a muted ‘later’. Alya stared at the girls with loathing. 

“Ah, you are here.” Mme. Bustier spoke. “Lila said…”

“Whatever.” Chloe dismissed their teacher. “Aren’t we in rush?” The blonde practically seethed the last word. 

“Yes, good to see that someone is responsible.” The teacher gave Mari a pointed look. Apparently, she still didn’t get over the fact that she resigned from the class rep position. 

“But…”

“Drop it. She is not worth it.” Chloe whispered. “Daddy will take care of that once we are done.”

Mari just nodded. She knew Chloe was preparing a lawsuit against the school, but their hands were tied until they graduated or Damocles could try and undermine it. Both girls knew that no adult would help them with the lawsuit beyond Chloe’s father signing whatever dotted line she asked him to. That man was more whipped than a fresh can of whipped cream. 

The ride to the WE was short and uneventful. Girls took up to gossiping in English, effectively limiting any eavesdropping. Mari spent most of the time tearing down the outfits of all the villains. She started with Riddler, more as a joke than actual rant, but then she somehow got onto this new guy Anarky. From there, she just kept on, smoothly sailing from one to the next. Even her mom got some shots. Mari still couldn’t stand how skimpy it was. Her rant carried over when they exited the bus and entered the WE. Security led them to a conference room, where they were told to take seats. 

Mari guessed that it wouldn’t be Lila if she didn’t immediately start sputtering lies about how well she knew the building already because of her Damiboo giving her private tours (All while clutching Adrien like a leech). She didn’t have enough ducks left to give to try to expose Lila about several facts. Such as that Damian Wayne definitely wasn’t living with Bruce when he was five. Any Gothamite could tell her that. Bored, she returned to her rant. 

She was nearing the end of the list and was very much engaged in complimenting Harley Queen for her recent change in wardrobe. She still considered it a disaster, but at least it was somehow human. 

“Ekhm…” A voice broke her out of the rant. “Good morning. My name is Richard Grayson. You are the french class chosen for the internship program, correct?” When people nodded, he continued. Idly, Mari noted that Alya and Lila stiffened and suddenly stopped talking at all. “We reviewed the individual profiles and appointed each of you a mentor that will help you settle into your roles. As I read the names, please come forward so I can update your badges. Do carry them on your person all the time or we will have to take you to our human cloning facility.”

People stared at him. 

“Okaaay… That’s that about jokes…” He sighed. “The rules will be explained by individual departments. Now, who’s up for a tour?” 

People started to cheer at that and Dick smiled. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad?

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

It was that bad. Even worse. He knew from the background check that the class was both insanely talented… and borderline criminal. It was like someone de-aged the Rogues and put them in one class. The report called them Akuma class, which (if google is to be believed) meant demons. He questioned how they got accepted into the internship. 

They only toured two floors when Dick wanted to tear half of them to shreds. He noted immediately that they were bullying the girl with black (slightly blue? Maybe it was dyed?) hair. What surprised him was that the teacher didn’t react. If he was to be honest, the girl and her friend slightly irritated him too. They kept talking and seemed to ignore him. It was not because they kept tearing down each and every bats’ fashion choices. Definitely not that. When they brought up Discowing he had enough. 

“Ekhm. Excuse me, girls,” he stared at them. Both immediately stopped talking and looked at him. “Could you pay attention? I wouldn’t want any of you to waste your internship lost on our maze-testing floor.”

“There is no maze-testing floor in this building.” The blonde pointed out.

“And besides, we memorized all you’ve said.”

“Care to recall?” He heard several people groan at his pun.

“The first floor is most representative, where guests are welcome and low-level meetings happen. There is a separate kitchen for employers there that is always fresh on fruits. Don’t use the coffee machine there as it was only patched up and there is a high chance it will set itself on fire again. The…”

“Fine. You’re good. Still, I don’t appreciate the chatter.”

“They are always trouble!” A girl in bright pink colors shouted. 

“Yeah! Why do you have to ruin this trip for Lila!?”

“You’re just jealous of her boyfriend!”

More voices like this came from the crowd of kids. Dick started to feel bad that he singled the girls out. It definitely gave the class a reason to gang up on them. And the teacher still did nothing! He sighed. What did HR think when they accepted them. He would have to look into it later.

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

Mari decided that she didn’t like Dick. Everyone in their class kept talking, but for some reason, he singled them out. For the rest of the trip, she made sure to pay as much attention as she could. There was this silent determination on her face. Chloe wisely also kept silent. 

After the trip class was led back to the conference room where another employer handed out the identificators and folders containing their assignments. 

“Keep the IDs on you at all times. As opposed to the ones you received, this won’t expire and are synched with your jobs, so you will have access to anything you might need. They are also mandatory to receive lunch in our canteen. When you get acquainted with your tasks, you can go to the level specified at the end of sheet one. Your mentor will meet you there.” With that, he left. Dick really needed to do some in-depth research on this class. Something kept icking his detective sense.

“Well, I’m going to the law department. Apparently whoever made the assignments knew my well.” Chloe bragged to her friend after opening the folder. 

Timidly, Mari also opened her folder. She skimmed over what was inside and groaned. “Apparently, I’m interning as personal assistant to one Tim Drake.”

“They actually assigned you to the sleep-deprived coffee addict?” Chloe asked in disbelief.

“You know him?” She asked in surprise

“He and his brother ruined my daddy’s parties two years ago. They got into an argument that ended up with them wrestling over a cake. It took me weeks to get the cake out of my hair! Weeks!” The blonde summarized.

“oh…” Mari tried to hold back the giggles.

“Don’t laugh! It’s a serious matter! Do you have any idea how much work it takes to have such a perfect hair?!”

“Of course… cakehead.” The girl couldn’t stop herself.

“Ugh, you… you… plant leg.” Chloe said.

“Really?” Mari raised an eyebrow. “That’s the best you can come with?”

“Well, I usually have better things to do than thinking about good insults.” Still, Chloe hugged her best friend. “Be careful. I wouldn’t put it past The Liar to try and sabotage you somehow.”

“I’ll be careful. Wish me luck.”

-----

The elevator took Mari all the way to the highest floor. When the doors opened, she stepped int a large room with one desk. As soon as the doors closed, the woman who was standing there rushed toward her. The girl tensed for a moment but she reminded herself that there is no real threat.

“Oh finally! I was asking them to hire someone else for months!” She had a messed bun of red hair on her head and looked like she didn’t sleep in a week.

“But… I’m just an intern madame!” Mari tried to explain.

“An intern?” The woman paused her packing and stared at the girl with wide eyes.

“Um… Madame Sarah Jackson?” 

“Yes. An intern…” She said in a disappointed voice to herself. “Ah! That’s no problem at all!” She started to tap on her Waynetech Tablet and after a moment she smiled. “There! You’re hired!”

“Wha…?!” Mari shouted, but was interrupted when Sarah pushed the tablet into her hand, followed by a large box full of documents and a small mug with a coffee bean pointing a gun at the reader and words ‘Your Coffee or your life!’.

“They are your problem now! Everything you need is in the box. I left detail about ongoing stuff and whatever you might need. Don’t call. I’m outta here!” She shouted before grabbing her personal belonging and leaping into the elevator.

“But…! But…!?” Mari shouted after the closing doors. She could hear a cheerful shout as the elevator left the level. 

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

Next

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Supernatural OC Masterlist

Name: Ainsley Winchester

Story: Angel Born In Hell

Face claim:  Shelley Hennig

Love Interest: possible Jo Harvelle

Summary:  The middle child, Ainsley Winchester was often overlooked.  She spent half of her time arguing with her older brother, and the other half protecting her younger brother, and all of her time being tired of her dad’s pointless crusade.  But when her dad goes missing, she’s right there sitting shotgun on the way to get Sam from Stanford.  The Winchester siblings had always had a complicated relationship, but when push came to shove, Ainsley would do anything for her family.  Anything.

Name: Anna Winchester

Story: Memory

Face claim:  Kaylee Bryant

Name: Asher Milligan

Story: Don’t You Cry (No More)

Love Interest: Briony Harvelle

Face claim:  Dylan Sprayberry

Name: Belladonna

Story: Every Night Has Its Dawn

Face claim:  Zoey Deutch

Name: Briony Harvelle

Story: Don’t You Cry (No More)

Love Interest: Asher Milligan

Face claim:  Danielle Rose Russell

Summary: The first time Briony Harvelle met the Winchesters was only a week before she turned fourteen. It was a meeting she’d never forget - it was both her first hunt and her first near death experience - but she never expected to see them again. Until a few years later, when she comes from to see the Winchesters in the diner, this time with a boy her age, an apocalypse to stop, and strict orders for Briony and Asher to stay put. And though Briony may have just met him, it’s clear that Asher Milligan is about as willing to sit out the apocalypse as she is.

Name: Cybil

Story: Heavy Is The Head (That Wears The Crown)

Face claim:  Danielle Campbell

Name: Deborah Winchester

Story: Heaven Waits For You

Face claim:  Phoebe Tonkin

Love Interest: [REDACTED], Isaac Cabot

Summary:  Once upon a time, the three Winchester siblings had been inseparable.  Deborah, the oldest, was three when Dean was born, six when Sam was born, and seven when their mom burned to death in her childhood home.  When she was eight, her dad put a gun in her hand and told her about the monsters under the bed.  By the time she was nine, she could hold her own against the best hunters she knew.  

And that was her life for fifteen years; endless training with her dad, taking care of her brothers while her dad went on hunts, leaving her brothers while she went on hunts with her dad; going on hunts with her brothers; leaving her brothers while she went on solo hunts, and, eventually, leaving her brothers.  

When Deborah was twenty four, she grabbed her duffle - always packed for the next hunt - and left.  The only sign that there had ever been a third Winchester was the paper - two identical pieces of paper with a phone number and an LA address that she left under her brothers’ pillows.  And she never heard from them again.

When Dean turned twenty one, which they always promised to celebrate together, nothing.  When Sam started at Stanford, only a short drive away, nothing.  When she was twenty nine and gave birth to her wonderful daughter, Ruth Mary Winchester, nothing.

And then she turns thirty, John goes missing, Sam’s girlfriend dies just like their mom, and suddenly, after six years of nothing, her baby brothers show up on her doorstep.

Name: Dinah Novak

Story: State Of Grace

Face claim:  Eliza Taylor

Love Interest: Dean Winchester

Name: Elizabeth “Elle” Winchester

Story: The World Upon Your Shoulders

Face claim:  Chloe Grace Moretz

Summary: Jerk, bitch, punk; Dean, Sam, Elle.  It was just the Winchester siblings against the world. Ever since Elle was dumped on John’s motel door yearly two decades ago, it had always just been the three of them against the world — right up until Sam ran away after a fight with their father and never came back. Years later and Elle and Dean have started to get used to just being a duo. Then John disappears and the two realize that they’ll have to drag Sammy out of his idyllic collage life and back into the nightmare he tried so desperately to leave behind. But, while the search for their missing father unravels many mysteries of their past, there’s one mystery they just can’t solve. What the Hell is happening to Elle Winchester?

Name: Esther Colt

Story: Living On A Prayer

Love Interest: Dean Winchester

Face claim:  Crystal Reed

Summary: When John Winchester started hunting, Bobby introduced him to Ruth Colt. The single mother of a three year old daughter, Ruth was reknown as one of the best active hunters around and was more than willing to partner with a novice. Over the years, the two partnered up more and more until, just before Esther turned ten, Ruth died on a hunt. Honouring a promise he’d made years before, John took Esther in and continued to train her alongside Sam and Dean. But Esther never stopped blaming John for her mother’s death, and on her sixteenth birthday, she was gone. They never saw or heard from her again, until John disappears and the brothers go to investigate a crashed plane.

Name: Evelyn “Eve” Jacobs

Story: If We Can’t Find Heaven

Face claim:  Vanessa Hudgens

Love interest: Dean Winchester

Summary: Jessica Moore had been her best friend, through infancy, middle school, high school, and four years at Stanford, and Evelyn Jacobs knew that something was wrong about her death.  She didn’t know how she knew it, but she did.  So she packed a bag and hopped on a bus, determined to find out the truth.  And if her path kept crossing with that of Sam Winchester and his unfairly attractive older brother then, well, Eve knew that there was no such thing as a coincidence.  She didn’t know if they would tell her the truth, or if she would have to do some digging of her own, but Eve would find out exactly what had happened to her, God help anyone who tried to stop her.

Name: Genesis

Story: Heaven Won’t Take Me Back

Face claim:  Jenny Boyd

Summary: It had been a long time since Genesis had set foot in heaven.  As Lucifer’s right hand, she had been cast away with the archangel aeons ago.  But Genesis didn’t believe in Hell, just like she hadn’t believed in Heaven.  No, Genesis had always supported mankind.  So for millennia, the angel had roamed the earth, befriending humans along the way.  She couldn’t interfere, not really, so when a four-year-old Dean Winchester started praying to anyone who would listen, begging for his mom back, there was nothing that she could do.  But twenty two years later, when Dean Winchester starts praying again — for protection for his baby brother — Genesis decides that she’s done playing the observer.  The Winchester brothers are facing an army from Hell, and who better than the former queen of Hell to fight beside them?

Name: Isaac Cabot

Story: Heaven Waits For You

Face claim: Joseph Morgan

Love Interest: Deborah Winchester

Name: Isla George

Story: No Grave Can Hold (My Body Down)

Love Interest: Dean Winchester

Face claim:  Nina Dobrev

Summary: The first time that Isla George met Dean Winchester, she thought it would be a one time thing. They finished the hunt together, got drunk, hooked up, and parted ways. And that was supposed to be the end of it. But their paths kept crossing, time and time again, until eventually she found herself hoping to run into him. Every time was the same. Share a motel, finish the hunt, get drunk, hook up, and leave while he slept. But when she runs into him while hunting a Wendigo, and finds out that his dad is missing, she can’t help but offer to help. She never thought about what secrets might come to light if she was still there in the morning.

Name: Jude Winchester

Story: Hey Jude

Face claim:  Trinity Rose Likins & Britt Robertson

Summary: Grandpa Bobby always told her that family don’t end in blood. And he was right, but Jude knew that there was still something to be said for the importance of blood. After all, blood was the reason that she was Jude Winchester; blood was the reason that Dean had begged his ex girlfriend to give him their daughter instead of putting her up for adoption, blood was the reason that he’d gone against John Winchester’s orders and kept her, blood was the reason that he’d named her after his mom’s favourite song. But family wasn’t just blood; family was living with Uncle Bobby when hunts were too dangerous for the ten year old, family was trying pumpkin pie with her dad in every diner they’d ever stopped in, family was driver picking the music and shotgun shutting his cakehole. Family was joining dad and Uncle Sam in looking for her grandfather, even though he’d never made a secret of how much he wanted her gone. Family don’t end in blood; it don’t start there either, and Jude Winchester will do anything for her family.

Name: Katia McKinley

Story: Hallelujah

Face claim: Candice King

Name: Marmaroth

Story: Winds Of Fortune

Face claim: Meg Donnelly

Name: Naomi Talbot

Story: Road To Hell

Face claim: Alycia Debnam-Carey

Name: Rachel Winchester

Story: Angel With A Shotgun

Face claim:  Natalia Dyer

Summary: Rachel Winchester didn’t know all that much about herself. She knew that she was a mistake, that her dad didn’t - doesn’t - want her, and that her mother was named Lucy. She doesn’t know how her parents met, or how she ended up with her dad, or anything about the important things, and she doesn’t know why her dad won’t answer any of her questions. But she knows other things, things that aren’t to do with her past. She knows how to shoot a gun and perform an exorcism, she knows how to drive and hustle like a pro, and she knows how to keep her mouth shut and be a good soldier. But when John Winchester goes missing, Rachel knows one thing with more certainty than she’s ever had: if they don’t find their dad, she’ll never get the answers to the questions that matter.

Name: Roxanne Marlow

Story: Good Times, Bad Times

Face claim:  Kaya Scodelario

Name: Ruth Winchester-Cabot

Story: Heaven Waits For You

Face claim:  Summer Fontana

Name: Scarlett

Story: Beyond Your Command

Face claim:  Kat McNamara

Name: Thomas Novak

Story: Of Angels And Apocalypse

Face claim:  Finn Wolfhard

Summary: Thomas Novak never believed in god.  Or in angels, or heaven or hell or anything that goes bump in the night.  Or at least, he didn’t.  Not until his dad was possessed by some self-righteous asshole angel named Castiel, who also possessed his sister Claire, and who tried to possess him.  But asshole angels don’t think about the people they hurt with their actions, and didn’t think about the consequences of the Novak twins losing their father.  So Thomas decides to tell him, and maybe get his father back.  Only, apparently it isn’t that simple, and he finds himself travelling the country with the asshole wearing his father’s body and two equally asshole “hunters” named Sam and Dean.  All he wanted was to get his dad back, but now it looks like Thomas is going to have to stop the apocalypse.

[azritesx3]

“A Devil’s Love” Chapter 1: All Bad Things, I Promise

Description: Chloe's best friend is back, and Lucifer's charm can't seem to affect her either. Is she also a miracle child? Or something...more? [Story starts during S2 Ep4, Female Reader Insert]

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AN: Updated March 14, 2020 - Grammar AN: Updated July 14, 2020 - Grammar

Rating: G Warnings: None

Show Timeline: Season 2 episode 4

Spotify Playlist /// AO3 Fanfiction Net Wattpad DeviantArt

Tag List: @ayanna-wild​, @anushay1998, @emiwrites3reads​, @i-am-canada-13​, @heart-of-pots-and-pans​, @tinyybiceps, @jessicarene99​, @lucifersnipnips​, @givemebooksorgivemedeath​, @sailor-earth-1

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“Ladies and Gentlemen! We have arrived at our destination at the Los Angeles International Airport. We hope you enjoyed your flight and hope you ride with us again!” A smack to your chest wakes you from a deep slumber.

“Ms. Earth! We've landed. Can we please hurry off this plane?” your assistant, Alice Green, pleads to you.

“Geez, Ali,” you groan while stretching in your very comfy first-class seat, “The whole reason I got us first class was so you'd be more comfortable.”

“Over 6 hours, Ms.”

You yawn, “Alright, alright. Let's get off. I'm eager to go too, actually.” You give Alice the shooing motion and she's more than happy to oblige.

After grabbing your luggage from the always too fast conveyor belt, you treat Alice to the most elegant airport food you can imagine: McDonald's. As she went to town on her banquet you call a cab to pick you up in thirty minutes, then stare at a blank text message screen.

“You ok?” Alice asks after swallowing a mouth full of chicken nuggets.

“You know, it amazes me how you can eat like a potbelly pig and still be a size three,” Alice raises an eyebrow at you while stuffing more in her mouth. You sigh, “Should I text her now? Or just surprise her at work?”

“You've told me before that she usually doesn't like to be interrupted when on duty.”

“Yeah, you're right.” You start to form a devilish grin on your face and place your phone back in your purse, “Her job it is then!”

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

“Seriously, Detective! Name three friends you could have drinks with right now,” Lucifer Morningstar pokes at Detective Chloe Decker.

“Well, I can't name three,” replies Chloe rolling her eyes, “I can name one, but she's on the other side of the country.” She pulls the car up to the crime scene and parks.

“Wait, you actually have a friend?” Lucifer smiles cockily. Chloe gives him an annoyance stare then gets out of the car, walking quickly inside the crime circle.

“Well, you need to make more friends! Especially since now I know it seems you're capable of doing so." Lucifer, very easily with his long legs, strides right next to her, “Stress is a terrible ager, Detective. Go to a bar, get drunk, and talk about your woes to the patrons! I promise it'll make you feel better.”

“Talk about my impending divorce and possible homelessness with an eight-year-old daughter to complete strangers? Yeah. Sounds super relaxing.”

“Doesn't it?” Lucifer smiles that grin again and Chloe responds with a pissed-off expression. Thankfully, Detective Dan Espinoza cuts in with the crime details.

“We've got a young female. COD unknown.” Dan looks back and forth between Lucifer and Chloe before settling on her.

“ID?”

“None,” Dan says with a sigh, “No personal belongings. Only thing of note is a triangular ink stamp on the inside of her wrist.”

“Oh wait, I think I can actually help here!” Lucifer stops the men carrying the woman's body and points to the stamp, “This is a very common thing you'd see at a nightclub. You know,” Lucifer looks at Chloe and raises his brows, “where people go to have fun.”

“And then get killed. Yeah, mhm.” Chloe shakes her head at her partner.

“Well, that part usually doesn't happen.” Lucifer pulls his phone out, all attention now on the tiny device.

“We did find an abandoned vehicle registered as an Uber.” Dan steps in, “No driver.”

Chloe nods in thought, then grabs Lucifer's phone and starts searching, “I was searching safe nightclubs for you Detective! Other than my own, of course.”

“Uber IDs are usually linked to the driver's phone,” Chloe says, ignoring Lucifer, “not the car, and now we've got his number...Looks like our guy is on the corner of Crescent & Third.”

“Impressive.” Lucifer smiles down at his partner.

“Yeah, it's called police work,” Chloe replies, hiding a smile as she hands him back his phone.

Lucifer places the phone in front of his mouth, “Let's solve a murder!” “I can assist you with that.” “Ha! You have to love these things!”

“Lucifer-” but before Chloe could scold him one of the K9s on scene starts to bark. The three of them look over in that direction and see an officer having trouble controlling the dog.

“I thought those things were supposed to be trained.” Lucifer cringes.

“That's Buster. Just turned a year old and still training.” Dan answers. The poor officer can't control Buster any longer, and the dog snaps free and runs to an approaching party.

“Oh my-” Chloe's eyes go wide.

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

“Well hey there little guy!” You smile as Buster jumps on you and licks your face. Alice smiles and softly laughs, “You completely ruined my cover, dude! I was planning on sneaking up on my old BFF.” Buster whines softly, “Aw, it's not a problem bud. Now go back to your officer.” You point towards the officer, who looks completely embarrassed, and Buster follows your command.

You look to Chloe, smile and wave, “Hey Chlo-Chlo! Long time no see, huh?”

“Earth?!” Chloe gets the biggest smile on her face and rushes over to you. The two of you have what looks to be the biggest, and tightest, hug in the world.

“Well I'll be damned,” Dan says softly, then smiles and walks towards the trio of women. Leaving behind a very confused Devil.

“What are you doing here, Earth?!” Chloe smiles and holds onto your hands.

“Business over in New York is in good hands now. So I figured, why not open up a vet on the other side of the country too?” You smile and squeeze Chloe's hands, “Plus I get to be back home, work on my K9s again, oh yeah! And be with my BFF.” Chloe smiles and embraces you once more.

“Hey, Earth,” Dan comes up and holds out his hand, “It's good to see you back.”

“Daniel,” you accept his handshake and respond coolly, “You're lucky you brought Trixie into the world. Otherwise, I'd be living up to the threat I gave you at the wedding.”

“Yeah…”

Lucifer coughs.

“Oh, right,” Chloe composes herself, “Earth, this is Lucifer Morningstar the LAPD civilian consultant.”

“And her partner,” Lucifer smiles at you and holds out his hand.

“Ah, so you're the weirdo who thinks he's the Devil!” You smile back and accept his handshake, “Chloe's told me a lot about you. All bad things, I promise.”

“Is that so?” Lucifer's smile grows, “Well I wish I could say the same about you my dear, but I'm afraid the Detective has never mentioned you. Well,” Lucifer side glances to Chloe, “not until the ride over here.”

“Perfect timing then,” you reply, “and I'm not surprised she hasn't talked about me. She's very hush-hush about her childhood.”

“Yes, I've noticed that.”

“Earth!” Chloe eagerly moves the conversation in another direction, “Who's your friend?”

“This is my rising prodigy and assistant, Alice Green!” You properly introduce her to everyone.

“It's nice to meet you all!” Alice shakes everyone's hand, lingering longer on Lucifer.

“Nice to meet you too, darling.” Lucifer smiles seductively at your assistant, and you can see her blush.

“So!” You clap your hands together loudly, knocking Alice out of her daze, “I just came to say I'm back. Go on, go back to your investigation.” You make the shooing motion once more, “We're going to head to our hotel and get some rest. Going back in time is sooo draining. Text me when you're done and free to hang out, Chloe!” You wave your goodbyes then push Alice back to the cab.

“Well, Detective,” Lucifer smiles down at her, “Looks like you've got no excuse now not to go have fun.”

“Looks like it.” Chloe smiles back.

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The music's popping in Lux. People dancing, talking, and making-out all around the place. Everyone looks to be having the time of their life.

All except for a certain Detective who has yet to de-stress.

“...there was tissue damage to Daria's stomach lining caused by liquid nitrogen, the stuff that makes those fancy cocktails smoke. It's probably how she ingested the poison-”

“Amazing work as always Detective,” Lucifer interrupts her, “but you just made my trio sha-bang run away.” Lucifer looks longingly at the trio of beautiful women who are no longer in his arms.

“Second,” Chloe continues like she hasn't even heard him, “I assumed that Daria was at a club on Gower and we found an abandoned building on the corner. The place looked like it had a party recently.” Chloe moves over to one of the small tables by the bar as she talks, looking over the paperwork.

“Fascinating,” Lucifer says sarcastically, following her.

“I was wondering if you could make some phone calls to help me out?” Chloe looks to Lucifer, “You know, since you seem to have your fingers on the pulse.”

“I'd much rather be pulsing-”

“I know that hood.” Mazikeen Smith, Lucifer's demon bodyguard, was listening in from the bar, “There's a great tiki bar across the street from that building. I know the bartender.” Maze downs her drink.

“I'm not surprised.” Chloe shakes her head.

“Let's go have a drink there. Ask about the dead girls.” Maze pushes.

“That sounds like a very good lead, Detective!” Lucifer's smile practically covers his entire face.

“Did I just hear you guys talk about that tiki bar on Gower?” Ella Lopez, an LAPD forensic scientist, comes back from dehydrating in the bathroom, “I love their pina coladas!”

“See that Detective?” Lucifer smiles at Chloe as he takes a swing of a drink a waiter just gave him, “Why don't you text that lovely friend of yours too?”

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

“Got to say, I'm surprised you guys didn't realize that this was Chloe's idea of a ‘girls night'.” You sit next to Maze and Ella, who Chloe briefly introduced you to before she ran off to ask questions of the patrons about her case.

Maze's eye roll was practically a growl, and Ella just smiles and shrugs her shoulders while she finishes her second pina colada.

“Well, I did manage to gain some new info.” Chloe finally returns to the bar and sits next to you. She opens up her case file and starts to go through the papers again, “The bartender said something was going on in that building. I put a call in for a warrant to the judge. Just waiting to hear back.”

“Great,” Maze forces a smile and shoves Chloe's abandoned drink into her hand, “have a drink!”

“Uh, no. I think I'm going to call it a night,” Chloe starts to pack up her paperwork, but you grab her left wrist to stop her.

“But I just got here!”

“Sorry, Earth...look we can-”

“Hey ladies.” Dr. Linda Martin, the Devil's therapist, gives a concerned smile as she sits next to Chloe.

“Linda?” Chloe looks shocked, “What are you doing here?”

“Maze texted me saying it's girls night.” Chloe looks over at Maze who just shrugs and motions again to the abandoned drink.

“Sorry Linda, but-”

“Oh no no no, now I'm stepping in!” You snap and Chloe looks at you, “Look Chloe, you've done all you can for tonight, and I know you've got a lot on your mind right now. Your weird partner is right.” You put a hand on Chloe's shoulder and squeeze, “You need to have fun and relax.”

“I agree.” Linda nods and you two formally introduce each other while Maze and Ella both share their agreement. Defeated, Chloe sighs, sits down, and slowly starts to sip her drink.

For a first night out since being back in LA, you aren't surprised that it turned into a bar fight. First it started slow, with the group sharing something about themselves or what was on their mind, and that seemed to make Chloe more comfortable. Then two drinks became four, and you find yourself singing terrible karaoke with the girls even though you only drank water. Maze tried to make you drink and you responded with, “You're here to get Chloe drunk, not me. I saw that phone picture to him.” Which seemed to shut her up, but she glared at you the rest of the night.

The fight broke loose when the detective in Chloe came back in full force. She noticed some slum of a guy with the same triangular stamp on the wrist and brought him over to question with Ella. Then, the slum's girlfriend comes up and just punches Chloe. You and Maze didn't stand for that and started fighting the people in the bar, while Linda hid under the bar table and Ella splashed water on people. When everything finally calmed down Maze stopped glaring at you and instead gave you a look of approval for your fighting skills.

Chloe got even more info on her case from the slum. He said the place he got the stamp was a sex club party that always moves to different places each night.

As the group dispersed, Chloe stopped you and said she will text you to meet at her mom's when she's officially over with the case.

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“I can't believe it was all a setup!” Chloe complains while she pours you and her a glass of water. You take a sip of the water and continue to listen to her ranting, “‘You need to go make friends, Detective’,” Chloe mocks Lucifer's voice, “‘Go get drunk and forget about your woes’,” Chloe sighs and slumps into the couch next to you, “Now, thanks to that drunkenness, I'm going to have Maze as a roommate.”

“I don't think it's so bad.”

“You've only known Maze for a night, and you can basically grasp her personality from that.”

“Aw, come on Chlo!” You nudge her leg with your own, “Yeah she seems kind of...scary, but she's an amazing fighter. Good protection for you and Trixie,” you take another sip of water, “and besides,” you wrap an arm around Chloe's shoulder, “Lucifer may have set it up, but you did have fun and de-stressed right?”

Chloe sighs and lays her head on your shoulder, “Yeah, I did.”

���See?” You smile and rest your head on hers, “And now you have a good group of girls to have drinks with on your own. You know…” You swirl your water in the glass, “I was scared when you told me about your new partner. I thought, ‘How could a guy who calls himself the Devil be good for my Chlo?’” You sit up and look Chloe in the eyes, “But I think...he's actually a good guy. A nice guy.”

“Yeah,” Chloe smiles warmly at you, “he is.”

“Good.” You cough, “So,” you place your water on the coffee table, “is it more than just partnership?” You wiggle your eyebrows.

Chloe laughs at you and smacks your arm, “No! Absolutely not!” You both have a good laugh before settling down.

You two talk for an hour before Chloe informs you she has to go pick up Trixie from school. You both say your goodbyes at the door, but Chloe stops you:

“Hey, Earth?” She looks and sounds concerned.

“Yeah?” You look back at her through the doorway.

“You sure you'll be alright coming back here? I mean…”

“Don't worry, Chloe."  You give her a reassuring smile, “I've dealt with my demons.”

“Okay, good, but you know if you ever need someone to talk to come to me.” Chloe smiles then looks like a light bulb clicked on in her head, “Or if you need a new therapist, I do recommend Linda. It may not seem like she's good since she's his therapist and he still insists on being the ‘Devil’, but she has helped Lucifer with other problems.”

“Thanks, Chlo. I'll think about it.” You smile and wave before you head to your rental and she to her own car.

“Yeah,” you say to yourself as you start up the engine, “it's good to be back.”

[azookiex3]

A Devil’s Love

Description:  Chloe's best friend is back, and Lucifer's charm can't seem to affect her either. Is she also a miracle child? Or something...more? [Story starts during S2 Ep4, Female Reader Insert]

AO3 Link

Fanfiction Net Link

Notes: It's been a long time since I've written fanfiction, but I love the Lucifer Netflix Show [screw you Fox] so much that I just had to write my ideas! The first chapter is pretty long, and I apologize for that, but I wanted to get most of the character introductions done. Plus the first chapter follows S2 Ep4: Lady Parts. Please leave a review!

Warnings: No warnings this chapter!

Chapter 1: All bad things, I promise

“Ladies and Gentlemen! We have arrived at our destination of the Los Angeles International Airport. We hope you enjoyed your flight and hope you ride with us again!” A smack to your chest woke you from a deep slumber.

“Ms. Earth! We've landed. Can we please hurry off this plane?” your assistant, Alice Green, pleads to you.

“Geez, Ali,” you groan while stretching in your very comfy first class seat, “The whole reason I got us first class was so you'd be more comfortable.”

“Over 6 hours, Ms.” You yawn.

“Alright, alright. Let's get off. I'm eager to go too, actually.” You give Alice the shooing motion and she was more than happy to oblige.

After grabbing your luggage from the always too fast conveyor belt you treat Alice to the most elegant airport food you can imagine: McDonald's. As she went to town on her banquet you called a cab to pick you up in thirty minutes, then stared at a blank text message screen.

“You ok?” Alice asks after swallowing a mouth full of chicken nuggets.

“You know, it amazes me how you can eat like a pot belly pig and still be a size three,” Alice raises an eyebrow at you while stuffing more in her mouth. You sigh, “Should I text her now? Or just surprise her at work?”

“You've told me before that she usually doesn't like to be interrupted when on duty.”

“Yeah you're right,” you start to form a devilish grin on your face and place your phone back in your purse, “Her job it is then!”

“Seriously, Detective! Name three friends you could have drinks with right now,” Lucifer Morningstar poked at Detective Chloe Decker.

“Well, I can't name three,” replies Chloe rolling her eyes, “I can name one, but she's on the other side of the country.” She pulls the car up to the crime scene and parks.

“Wait, you actually have a friend?” Lucifer smiles  cockily. Chloe gives him an annoyance stare then gets out of the car, walking quickly inside the crime circle.

“Well you need to make more friends! Especially since now I know it seems you're capable of doing so,” Lucifer, very easily with his long legs, strides right next to her, “Stress is a terrible ager, Detective. Go to a bar, get drunk, and talk about your woes to the patrons! I promise it'll make you feel better.”

“Talk about my impending divorce and possible homelessness with an eight year old daughter to complete strangers? Yeah. Sounds super relaxing.”

“Doesn't it?” Lucifer smiles that grin again and Chloe responds with a pissed off expression. Thankfully, Detective Dan Espinoza cuts in with the crime details.

“We've got a young female. C.O.D. unknown.” Dan looks back and forth between Lucifer and Chloe before settling on her.

“ID?”

“None,” Dan says with a sigh, “No personal belongings. Only thing of note is a triangular ink stamp on the inside of her wrist.”

“Oh wait, I think I can actually help here,” Lucifer stops the men carrying the women's body and points to the stamp, “This is a very common thing you'd see at a nightclub. You know,” Lucifer looks to Chloe and raises his brows, “Where people go to have fun.”

“And then get killed. Yeah mhm.” Chloe shakes her head at her partner.

“Well that part usually doesn't happen.” Lucifer pulls his phone out, all attention now on the tiny device.

“We did find an abandoned vehicle registered as an Uber,” Dan steps in, “No driver.”

Chloe nods in thought, then grabs Lucifer's phone and starts searching, “I was searching safe nightclubs for you Detective! Other than my own, of course.”

“Uber IDs are usually linked to the drivers phone,” Chloe says, ignoring Lucifer, “Not the car, and now we've got his number...Looks like our guy is on the corner of Crescent & Third.”

“Impressive.” Lucifer smiles down at his partner.

“Yeah it's called police work.” Chloe replies, hiding a smile as she hands him back his phone.

Lucifer places the phone in front of his mouth, “Let's solve a murder!” “I can assist you with that.” “Ha! You have to love these things!”

“Lucifer-” but before Chloe could scold him, one of the K9s on scene started to bark. The three of them look over in that direction and see an officer having trouble controlling the dog.

“I thought those things were supposed to be trained,” Lucifer cringes.

“That's Buster. Just turned a year old and still training,” Dan answers. The poor officer can't control Buster any longer, and the dog snaps free and runs to an approaching party.

“Oh my-” Chloe's eyes go wide.

“Well hey there, little guy!” You smile as Buster jumps on you and licks your face. Alice smiles and softly laughs, “You completely ruined my cover, dude! I was planning on sneaking up on my old BFF.” Buster whines softly, “Aw, it's not a problem bud. Now go back to your officer.” You point towards the officer, who looks completely embarrassed, and Buster follows your command.

You look to Chloe, smile and wave, “Hey Chlo-Chlo! Long time no see, huh?”

“Earth?!” Chloe gets the biggest smile on her face and rushes over to you. The two of you have what looks to be the biggest, and tightest, hug in the world.

“Well I'll be damned,” Dan says softly, then smiles and walks towards the trio of women. Leaving behind a very confused Devil.

“What are you doing here, Earth?!” Chloe smiles and holds onto your hands.

“Business over in New York is in good hands now. So I figured, why not open up a vet on the other side of the country too?” You smile and squeeze Chloe's hands, “Plus I get to be back home, work on my K9s again, oh yeah! And be with my BFF.” Chloe smiles and embraces you once more.

“Hey, Earth,” Dan comes up and holds out his hand, “It's good to see you back.”

“Daniel,” you accept his handshake and respond coolly, “You're lucky you brought Trixie into the world. Otherwise I'd be living up to the threat I gave you at the wedding.”

“Yeah…”

Lucifer coughs.

“Oh, right,” Chloe composes herself, “Earth this is Lucifer Morningstar, the LAPD civilian consultant.”

“And her partner,” Lucifer smiles at you and holds out his hand.

“Ah, so you're the weirdo who thinks he's the Devil,” you smile back and accept his handshake, “Chloe's told me a lot about you. All bad things, I promise.”

“Is that so?” Lucifer's smile grows, “Well I wish I could say the same about you, my dear. But I'm afraid the Detective has never mentioned you. Well,” Lucifer side glances to Chloe, “Not until the ride over here.”

“Perfect timing then,” you reply, “And I'm not surprised she hasn't talked about me. She's very hush hush about her childhood.”

“Yes, I've noticed that.”

“Earth!” Chloe eagerly tries to move the conversation in another direction, “Who's your friend?”

“This is my rising prodigy and assistant, Alice Green,” you properly introduce her to everyone.

“It's nice to meet you all,” Alice shakes everyone's hand, lingering longer on Lucifer.

“Nice to meet you too, darling,” Lucifer smiles seductively at your assistant, and you can see her blush.

“So!” You clap your hands together loudly, knocking Alice out of her daze, “I just came to say I'm back. Go on, go back to your investigation,” you make the shooing motion once more, “We're going to head to our hotel and get some rest. Going back in time is sooo draining. Text me when you're done and free to hangout, Chloe!” You wave your goodbyes then push Alice back to the cab.

“Well, Detective,” Lucifer smiles down at her, “Looks like you've got no excuse now not to go have fun.”

“Looks like it.” Chloe smiles back.

The music was popping in Lux. People danced, talked, made-out all around the place. Everyone looks to be having the time of their life.

All except a certain Detective who has yet to de-stress.

“...there was tissue damage to Daria's stomach lining caused by liquid nitrogen, the stuff that makes those fancy cocktails smoke. It's probably how she ingested the poison-”

“Amazing work as always Detective,” Lucifer interrupts her, “but you just made my trio sha-bang run away.”

“Second,” Chloe continues like she hasn't even heard him, “I assumed that Daria was at a club on Gower and we found an abandoned building on the corner. The place looked like it had a party recently.” Chloe moves over to one of the small tables by the bar as she talks, looking over the paperwork.

“Fascinating,” Lucifer says sarcastically, following her.

“I was wondering if you could make some phone calls to help me out?” Chloe looks to Lucifer, “You know, since you seem to have your fingers on the pulse.”

“I'd much rather be pulsing-”

“I know that hood,” Mazikeen Smith, Lucifer's demon bodyguard, had been listening in from the bar and decided to intervene, “There's a great tiki bar across the street from that building. I know the bartender.” Maze downs her drink.

“I'm not surprised,” Chloe shakes her head at the demon.

“Let's go have a drink there. Ask about the dead girls,” Maze pushes.

“That sounds like a very good lead, Detective!” Lucifer's smile practically covers his entire face.

“Did I just hear you guys talk about that tiki bar on Gower?,” Ella Lopez, an LAPD forensic scientist, comes back from dehydrating in the bathroom, “I love their pina coladas!”

“See that Detective?” Lucifer smiles at Chloe as he takes a swing of a drink a waiter just gave him, “Why don't you text that lovely friend of yours too?”

“Got to say, I'm surprised you guys didn't realize that this was Chloe's idea of a ‘girls night',” You sit next to Maze and Ella, who Chloe briefly introduced you to before she ran off to ask questions of the patrons about her case.

Maze's eye roll looked like a growl, and Ella just smiled and shrugged her shoulders while she finished her second pina colada.

“Well, I did manage to gain some new info,” Chloe finally returns to the bar and sits next to you. She opens up her case file and starts to go through the papers again, “The bartender said something was going on in that building. I put a call in for a warrant to the judge. Just waiting to hear back.”

“Great,” Maze forces a smile and shoves Chloe's abandoned drink into her hand, “Have a drink.”

“Uh no. I think I'm going to call it a night,” Chloe starts to pack up her paperwork, but you grab her left wrist to stop her.

“But I just got here!”

“Sorry, Earth...look we can-”

“Hey ladies,” Dr. Linda Martin, the Devil's therapist, gives a concerned smile as she sits next to Chloe.

“Linda?” Chloe looks shocked, “What are you doing here?”

“Maze texted me saying it was girls night.” Chloe looked over to Maze who just shrugged and motioned again to the abandoned drink.

“Sorry Linda but-”

“Oh no no no, now I'm stepping in,” you snap and Chloe looks to you instead, “Look Chloe, you've done all you can for tonight on the case, and I know you've got a lot on your mind right now. Your weird partner is right,” you put a hand on Chloe's shoulder and squeeze, “You need to have fun and relax.”

“I agree,” Linda nods and you two formally introduce each other while Maze and Ella both share their agreement. Defeated, Chloe sighs, sits down, and slowly starts to sip her drink.

For a first night out since being back in LA, you weren't surprised that it turned into a bar fight. First it started slow, with the group sharing something about themselves or what was on their mind, and that seemed to make Chloe more comfortable. Then two drinks became four, and you find yourself singing terrible karaoke with the girls even though you only drank water. Maze tried to make you drink and you responded with, “You're here to get Chloe drunk. Not me. I saw that phone picture to him.” Which seemed to shut her up, and she glared at you the rest of the night.

The fight broke loose when the Detective in Chloe came back in full force. She noticed some slum of a guy with the same triangular stamp on the wrist and brought him over to question him with Ella. Then the slum's girlfriend comes up and just punches Chloe. You and Maze didn't stand for that and started fighting the people in the bar, while Linda hide under the bar table and Ella kept splashing water on people while swearing. When everything finally calmed down, Maze stopped glaring at you and instead gave you a look of approval for your fighting skills.

Chloe got even more info on her case from the slum. He said the place he got the stamp was a sex club party that always moves to different places each night.

As the group dispersed, Chloe stops you and says she will text you to meet at her mom's when she's officially over with the case.

“I can't believe it was all a set up!” Chloe complains while she pours you and her a glass of water. You take a sip of the water and continue to listen to her ranting, “‘You need to go make friends Detective’,” Chloe mocks Lucifer's voice, “‘Go get drunk and forget about your woes’,” Chloe sighs and slumps into the couch next to you, “Now thanks to that drunkenness I'm going to have Maze as a roommate.”

“I don't think it's so bad.”

“You've only known Maze for a night, and you can basically grasp her personality from that.”

“Aw, come on Chlo,” you nudge her leg with your own, “Yeah she seems kind of...scarey, but she's an amazing fighter. Good protection for you and Trixie,” you take another sip of water, “And besides,” you wrap and arm around Chloe's shoulder, “Lucifer may have set it up, but you did have fun and de-stressed right?”

Chloe sighs and lays her head on your shoulder, “Yeah. I did.”

“See?” You smile and rest your head on hers, “And now you have a good group of girls to have drinks with on your own. You know…” You swirled your water in the glass, “I was scared when you told me about your new partner. I thought, ‘How could a guy who calls himself the Devil be good for my Chlo?’” You sit up and look Chloe in the eyes, “But I think...he's actually a good guy. A nice guy.”

“Yeah,” Chloe smiles warmly at you, “He is.”

“Good.” You cough, “So,” you place your water on the coffee table, “Is it more then just partnership?” You wiggle your eyebrows.

Chloe laughs at you and smacks your arm, “No! Absolutely not!” You both have a good laugh before settling down.

You two talk for an hour before Chloe informs you she has to go pick up Trixie from school. You both say your goodbyes at the door, but Chloe stops you:

“Hey, Earth?” She looks and sounds concerned.

“Yeah?” You look back at her through the doorway.

“You sure you'll be alright coming back here? I mean…”

“Don't worry, Chloe,” you give her a reassuring smile, “I've dealt with my demons.”

“Okay, good. But you know if you ever need someone to talk to come to me,” Chloe smiles then looks like a light bulb clicked on in her head, “Or if you need a new therapist, I do recommend Linda. It may not seem like she's good since she's his therapist and he still insists on being the ‘Devil’, but she has helped Lucifer with other problems.”

“Thanks, Chlo. I'll think about it.” You smile and wave at each other before you head to your rental and she to her own car.

“Yeah,” you say to yourself as you start up the engine, “It's good to be back.”

Tag List: @insanity-is-always-fun

[thebigpapilio]

Horror-Ther Self: The Third Of The Awakened “Parisonas!”

This is not a sequel to my other two Parisona fics chronologically - imagine it as an alternate timeline or something.

I bet the star of this fic is rather obvious... is it?

Either way, AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19978471

Juleka was not known to be the type of girl to get mad easily. This wasn’t entirely true - you just had to know her one button and how to press it. No one who pressed her button had malevolent intent - not even Chloe had dared to do it, as it hit too close to home.

Juleka couldn’t run from this button forever, it seemed, when she came upon her abusive blood father one day. She had walked in to find him attempting to convince Anarka to give him custody of her and Luka. Juleka snapped, and told him off in a voice louder than she’d used in long time. After he stormed off, all the while threatening to fight for custody of her, Juleka nearly passed out.

Overcome with worry & fury, Anarka was akumatized once more, but this time she was turned into an even scarier form of Captain Hardrock called Mama Bloodshed. She would attack anything that moved with her bigger cutlass, whether it was Ladybug, Chat Noir or even a simple pigeon. The only ones she had spared were Juleka and Luka - she seemed to have moments of clarity when they were around.

Eventually, Juleka figured she and/or Luka were the only ones who could do anything - Ladybug and Chat Noir’s attacks did next to no damage on her. Since she was fighting for us, Juleka had rationalized, could that mean she’s powered by a mother’s love?

Having locked her and Luka inside their houseboat, Juleka explained her plan to Luka. As much as Luka didn’t want his little sister getting hurt, he knew she would understand better, as she had been more emotionally damaged by their sperm donor. This was their only shot.

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Ladybug was supposed to be invincible, but there was nothing she could do here.

Chat Noir laid on the ground stomach-down, pinned to the floor by Mama Bloodshed’s heel. The akumatized Anarka had found her ex and given him the butt-whooping of a lifetime, and he would be barely alive if things finished well. Her cutlass was pointed at the heroine to keep her away, and a threat was made that if she tried anything while the akuma removed Chat’s ring, he would put the C-A-T in decapitated.

It was then that Juleka arrived with her brother in tow, and made a plea to come to her senses. Bloodshed had that moment of clarity, and it was longer than the previous times, if just for a moment more, but the purple mask came on, and she suddenly screamed bloody murder, dashed over (freeing Chat Noir) and slammed her leg into Juleka’s stomach, sending her flying into a chimney wall.

When Juleka reoriented herself from the pain, she felt like she wanted to cry. She hadn’t cared if her sperm donor was dead, alive or barely living; she just wanted him to leave her alone forever.

All of a sudden, two voices came into her head. Neither of them belonged to Hawkmoth, to her confusion, but it felt like the voice was coming from her but also not from her.

“YOU DESIRE OUR HELP, THEN?” the first one roared, a rumble in their voice similar to that you would hear from a fictional big cat.

“Your desire to stand against your mother despite her goals lining with hers has awakened us… the other selves of you.” the other voice had a more feminine tone to it, and it was much quieter and calmer than that of the first but held the same cold strength.

A sudden intense pain wracked her forehead, and she doubled over to the ground in pain. Luka, who had escaped the wrath of Mama Bloodshed, watched from a distance. He wanted to help Juleka, but the melody coming from her seemed like the one of a person regaining their confidence, the music being a slow, dramatic build up, moving faster and faster as Juleka became more and more pained.

“WE ART THOU, THOU ART WE…” both voices said in unison.

It was then that Juleka felt something appear on her face. It was like a mask of some sort, and as cool as it was, she suddenly felt the sudden urge to rip it off immediately, as if it would swallow her face otherwise.

“Your strength is admirable, young Juleka…” uttered the second voice.

“IT IS TIME YOU SHOWED THE WORLD WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT!” the first roared.

She shakily stood up, ever-so-slowly taking steps towards Mama Bloodshed as she was slowly being pushed back by an infuriated Ladybug. When she could fully stand up, she grabbed onto her mask and ripped it off.

There was a splatter of blood from her face, and out of nowhere, bright blue flames erupted around her, catching everyone’s attention.

Despite it all, she seemed unharmed, even as the fire danced around her.

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

Just as quickly as they had risen, the flames died down, dissipating into nothing. They left things behind, however; behind Juleka stood two odd monsters.

The first looked like an incredibly tall young woman. She was clad in white furs, and upon her head, humongous antlers like that of a reindeer stood tall.

The other was more animalian then the woman. With the appearance of a humongous grey tiger with a pure-white tail, from the left side of its stomach extended a fifth paw holding a giant blade, ready to strike on command. On its head was a symbol that Chat Noir would have recognized as the word for king had he been focused on it.

Still holding the mask, Juleka’s eyes opened.

“So you are me, and I am you? Cool…”

Luka breathed a deep sigh of relief - Juleka seemed magically unharmed, the term seeming more likely to be exactly just that.

“I will save you from your prison, mama…” extending a hand, the tiger roared and the reindeer-woman braced herself for the battle ahead.

“Pirita! Bái Hǔ! Attaaack!”

[agoddamnsupernova]

Emily is in her third year of college when a booth opens up on campus, it’s for a program to write letters to a soldier on the front lines. “Like a pen pal?” She asks, skimming through a pamphlet.

“Sort of, you fill out a small questionnaire and then we select a soldier who is also in the program and match you up, then you write as often as you want after that.” The woman says holding out a little clipboard.

Emily shrugs and takes it, filling it out while she hums. “Are we allowed to send care packages too?”

“Yes ma’am, there’s a list of approved things in the pamphlet and we also encourage sending pictures. Not just of yourself but of pets or just the park even, it can really brighten these guys days.” Emily smiles at that, she’d have to break her camera out.

“That’s really cool, so how does this even begin?” Em wonders, leaning on the table a bit.

“So, the soldiers fill out a similar questionnaire but send letters before hand, usually something like “dear pen pal,” and some vague info. Then they sign it with their name and we’ll forward one of those letters to you once we’ve figured out who to pair you with,” the woman, Stacie, Emily finally reads on her name tag, says with a smile.

“That’s really cool, I can’t wait,” Emily grins, happy to make a soldier’s day if she could.

“Who knows maybe you’ll even find love,” Stacie winks, making sure Emily had all the proper information. “It’s been known to happen.”

It’s three weeks before Emily gets a letter in the mail, the address is written in neat cursive while the return info is written in cramped scrawl, Sgt. Mitchell above the base address. “Huh,” Emily says, shrugging her shoulders as she splits the top of the envelope.

Dear whoever gets this,

My commanding officer says this will do us some good, writing to someone on the outside. I’m not really sure I agree but I guess I don’t really have a choice. Not to sound rude or anything, I just feel like they’re trying to put a bandaid on the situation. I mean, we’re at war and they want us to write in our spare time, I just don’t get it.

The pamphlet they gave us says that I’m supposed to tell you things about me. So, here it goes; My name is Beca, never Rebecca, unless you’re my mother and you’re yelling at me. I love music and the fact that I can’t have my ipod with me all the time is bothersome, but it’s whatever, the music is in my head either way. I work with dogs when I’m not dealing with people and I have my very own one, named Lincoln, don’t know where’d be without him. I miss rain and grass and even dandelions and I’m allergic to those. I miss my dad’s attempt at cooking and my stepbrother’s crooked smile and sometimes I even miss my ex, but that’s more about just having someone close than anything.

Maybe that was too much information but I don’t have the energy to rewrite this so, have fun digging through the pile of garbage that is me. I’ve also included a picture of me with Lincoln, it was taken a few months ago, but it's one of the only ones I have where you can see my face.

-Sgt. Beca Mitchell

P.S if you ever decide to send a package....cheetos are my favorite....

Emily smiles at that, pulling the photo from the envelope, her smile growing. There’s a woman standing next to a rather large German Shepherd, she’s smiling and it looks like the dog is too. “She’s so small,” Em breathes out, noting how Lincoln’s head comes up past Beca’s hip. She’s got light brown hair slicked back into a neat bun, her cheekbones high and her jaw sharp and Emily would like to think she could see Beca’s eye color, but the photographer was just a bit too far away for that.

Emily wastes no time digging out a notebook so she can write back, the smile never leaving her lips even when it takes her fifteen minutes to locate a pen, only to have had one stuck behind her ear from class.

Beca,

Your letter really made me smile, though I’m not sure if it was what you said or just how you said it, but either way, thank you. I can see why you would think that this might be pointless, but sometimes it’s just nice to have someone on the outside to talk to. I might not always know what to say, but I can try.

My name is Emily, Emily Junk, you might be thinking that I have an unfortunate last name but listen, my father’s is Hardon and I just don’t want to be saddled with that. I’m twenty and in my third year of college at Bardon University, I’m taking way too many credits for a sane person but I want to make my family proud. I’ll graduate with a teaching degree next year. I want to teach music. I also love music if you can’t tell. If you’ve ever heard that Jesse J song, Flashlight, I wrote that. Doesn’t sound as impressive on paper I’m afraid.

I love dogs, Lincoln is a cutie, give him a hug from me? That might sound silly but I would probably smother him with love if I ever met him. Animals are just too pure for this world. I have a cat named Bun (I found him eating a hotdog bun when he was a kitten) and I wouldn’t trade him for the world. He may be an asshole but he’s my asshole, ya know?

I’m heading to the lake with my friends Chloe and Amy this weekend, I’ll dig my camera out and take some pictures for you, I don’t know that they won’t make you a little homesick, but then again, maybe being homesick isn’t a terrible thing. Knowing you have something to come back to is a nice feeling. I’ll stick a picture of me and one of Bun in with this, hopefully you’ll find my cat as cute as I find your dog.

-Emily

P.S I’ll put together a package for you soon, cheetos included.

Emily reads over the letter a few times before folding the paper carefully, setting it on her desk so she can find it after she buys some envelopes and manages to print out a picture or two for Beca.

She makes a list of things she needs from the store before she heads out for work. The idea of sending letters to a cute soldier had her mood up for the whole night, catching Chloe’s attention right off the bat.

“Who’s the guy?” Chloe asks about half way through their shift, making Emily snort softly as she wipes down the bar.

“There’s no guy,” Emily says truthfully, shrugging her shoulders a bit when Chloe pouts. “But I am writing to a soldier.”

“You signed up for that?” Chloe chuckles, brows raised at her friend. “Who wants a pen pal that’s a killer?”

“Oh shut up, Chloe,” Emily huffs, tossing her rag at the redhead. “She’s just doing her job, you don’t have to agree with the war, but don’t hate on the people risking their lives for it either.”

Chloe opens her mouth but shuts it again, sighing softly. “Fine, fine, you’re right. What’s she like?”

“I don’t really know, this is the first letter I’ve gotten,” Em replies, doing some prep while they had the free time. “But she seems pretty cool, she works with dogs.”

“Dogs? I wonder if she works on bomb detection then,” the older girl muses, leaning against the bar with a slight smile. “That’s hot.”

Emily blushes slightly, rolling her eyes at her friend. “Would you just shut up,” she laughs, her eyes flickering through the restaurant, making sure no one needed anything before they settle on Chloe again. “She is hot but like...listen.”

“Oh! That’s why you’re all smiley,” Chloe grins, reaching across the bar to poke Emily’s side. “You’ve got a crush on your hot soldier already!”

“No, I don’t!” Emily huffs, smacking Chloe’s hand away. “I can think she’s hot and not have a crush on her.”

“Bull, Emily you fall for any pretty girl that bats an eye at you,” Chloe teases, shaking her head a little. “I know you’re bi but like...babe, you’re super fucking gay.”

“Shut up!”

[lalunaunita]

A Beginning

This new story is inspired by Aurora Lynne’s sweet Caline Bustier/Butler Jean artwork! Don’t judge me for having a new ship, lol. This is the beginning of a new series involving many of the adults from the world of Miraculous.

Read it on Ao3.

A Beginning

Part 1 of Stories From Le Bar Des Vosges

Caline checked her watch, not even a little bit annoyed. She swirled the wine left in her glass and glanced over at the old, creaky door of Le Bar des Vosges.

Mendeleiev must have some grading to finish, Caline decided, draining her wine glass. Oh well. Sometimes Fridays were like that. She’d just have another glass while she waited. As grouchy as her compatriot seemed to the students, Caline knew how dedicated she was. Mendeleiev demanded much, but she gave as well. Admirable qualities in a teacher.

Caline lifted a finger to the pretty bartender, her gaze wandering over the other patrons. It was only five o’clock - the place wasn’t in full Friday night swing yet. She stopped when she saw her only neighbor at the bar - a tall man, slender, hair neatly trimmed, with a thin moustache. Caline frowned. What was the personal butler of Mayor Bourgeois doing here on a weekday?

Her glass refilled, Caline inched her way down to the man. His glass held liquor over ice, she noticed. Uh oh, she thought as she took in his bowed head and slumped shoulders. Had he been fired or something? Caline politely cleared her throat.

The man’s head snapped up, but he relaxed when he saw Caline’s gentle smile.

“Aren’t you Jean - uh, Jean-” she fumbled for his full name.

“Si, yes, Butler Jean Something-or-Other, that’s me,” he replied, droll.

“I’m so sorry. It’s just that we’ve never been introduced.”

Jean waved off her apology and lifted his glass, then stopped midway to his mouth and set it back down.

“Please excuse me; would you like to have a seat?” He gestured to the bar stool beside him.

Caline stretched up on tiptoe and seated herself, her long legs nearly touching the floor. Jean gave her a perfunctory half-smile, then raised his glass again.

“Your health, Mademoiselle,” he said, taking a small sip.

“I don’t mean to intrude, Monsieur, but is everything alright?” Caline asked.

She watched the man carefully. He had only recently been akumatized, after all. And with her own fresh experience of Hawkmoth’s control, she knew the raw emotions could linger.

Behind the glass, Jean’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “No need to be so formal. You can call me Jean. And yes, I’m alright. It’s been a trying day at Le Grande Paris, but nothing to be worried about. I won’t go running to Hawkmoth over it.”

Caline grimaced. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s a little bit what you meant, Mademoiselle,” Jean replied, but his eyes twinkled.

Caline laughed. “Well, if I’m to call you Jean, you must call me Caline. Only my students call me Mademoiselle. And believe me, you have only my sympathy - not my suspicion.”

“I believe you. Ah, yes, you teach at Collège Françoise Dupont? And you have the honor of teaching my employer’s daughter, correct?”

Caline laughed again. Jean’s tone made it all too clear the kind of honor he meant regarding Chloe Bourgeois. Jean was far from the humorless subordinate she assumed Mayor Bourgeois thought he employed. And she liked how his moustache twitched every time he made one of his ironic comments.

“She can be a real so-and-so at times, can’t she?” Caline admitted.

Jean laughed, a short, sardonic bark. He finished his glass and set it quietly back on the bar.

“I suppose that’s one way to put it. I might choose other words, if it didn’t put my job at risk.”

“She’s only fourteen. Give her time,” suggested Caline.

“Words to live by,” Jean replied. He eyed his empty glass.

“Let me,” Caline offered, putting a hand on his shoulder. She caught the bartender’s attention. “One more for my friend?”

The young woman nodded and went to ready the drink. Caline rested an elbow on the bar and set her chin in her palm. No students to see her looking so informal, anyway.

“I don’t believe I’ve seen you at our little watering hole before, Jean. What brings you out?”

Jean restlessly slid his glass back and forth between two fingers, the ice clinking softly. “I am relieved by my second-in-command every third Friday for a night off. He let me sneak away a bit early this evening.”

“To drink alone?”

“Well… on short notice, yes.”

“But usually you would plan such an outing with friends?”

“Of course.”

“Alright, then,” Caline leaned back, satisfied.

“What about you, Caline? Are you not here on a Friday evening, drinking alone?”

“Ah, but I’m waiting for a friend, Jean. She just happens to be busy. And we meet here every Friday, short notice or not.”

“Mmm.”

Jean pretended to disbelieve her, but his dark eyes gave him away. Caline giggled. Was the wine going to her head? Surely not. It was only a leisurely glass and a half. Some little thrill wriggled in her stomach and she pressed on, feeling bold.

“I suppose now that we’ve met, we are each drinking with a friend, Jean.”

“Our mutual problem is solved,” he agreed.

The bartender brought Jean’s new glass and they toasted.

“Tell me about your day, Jean,” Caline asked.

“Oh, you mean what specifically drove me to a bar?” he replied.

Amazed, Caline stared. Jean didn’t employ any kind of small talk - he cut right to the heart of her meaning as though he read her mind. She nodded and he straightened up, taking on the air of a man asked to recite.

“Mr. Cuddly,” he announced solemnly, “went into the wash with the regular hotel laundry. He is specifically supposed to be laundered by hand using fragrance-free soap. His delicate seams will not hold up to machine washing, Caline. I am, apparently, too cruel for words. In addition, the floral scent is unseemly and will irritate Miss Bourgeois’ nasal membranes. My second-in-command, who will be canonized if my petition to the Pope is answered favorably, is currently completing the three hand washes required to bring Mr. Cuddly back to his normal non-scent. I, meanwhile, am in hiding lest a silver tray or some other implement of destruction is employed to remove my head from my shoulders.”

Caline’s eyes grew wider and wider as Jean spoke. When he stopped, she placed a hand over her mouth, but it was no use. Her laugh cut across the half-empty bar, filling its corners and echoing back to the two of them. Jean’s mustache twitched as he eyed her. Caline leaned over and laughed until tears were streaming from her eyes. She waved a hand at Jean apologetically, but he began to chuckle, too. He caught her free hand and then clapped her on the shoulder as he laughed.

“You- you and that damn bear! You should burn it!” she gasped, holding on to the bar.

“I can’t,” he wheezed, wiping his eyes. “She’d notice.”

“True, true. You’ll have to grin - and bear it!” Caline replied, cracking up again.

Jean looked pained as he laughed. “That was beneath you, Caline. Chat Noir’s level, even.”

“That man has a talent for word play, even if you’re incapable of appreciating it,” Caline retorted.

“Friends are allowed to respect each other’s differences,” he decided, musing. “But the jokes are not good, Caline. They are too easy.”

“Fine, fine, have it your way,” she assented. “It’s not my problem if you have poor ta-”

She was interrupted by a loud, irritating ring. Jean grimaced. From one pocket, he produced a slim phone in a black case.

“I am summoned. It appears my night off is canceled,” he said, looking at the screen.

“Oh, Jean, how disappointing. I’m sorry,” replied Caline. She frowned. “That’s not very fair at all.”

Jean shrugged. “It is what it is.”

He pocketed the phone, but stopped and pulled it back out. He tapped its screen lightly with his thumbs, then turned it around.

“Mademoiselle Bustier - Caline - would you be so kind as to - uh, that is - may I call you sometime?”

A somber, but not stern, demeanor had replaced his playful attitude. Caline looked at the man seated next to her. He wore a smooth non-expression on his face and not a single hair was astray. Then she noticed the bright pink tips of his ears and the way he held himself perfectly straight, not even breathing.

“Certainly,” she smiled.

~luna’s tip jar~

[megatraven]

♚ for chlolyanette (hey meggi ily how are you (my discord is down :( ))

♚: Soulmates have birthmarks that signify where their soulmate will first touch them

This is old now, I’m so sorry :’) Hi Lib i love u sm im ok how’re you? also this got longer than I thought it would sorry frgtrffdg

AO3

Chloe Bourgeois did not like Marinette Dupain-Cheng, not from the moment she laid eyes on her. Or maybe she did like her, but feelings were complicated and Chloe was jealous over how well-liked Marinette was.

Maybe that’s why she ignored Marinette’s gasp when the first thing Chloe did was get up in her face, pointing at her so intensely that her finger touched the very tip of Marinette’s nose. Maybe that’s why she refused to acknowledge the birthmark sitting on her finger, or the one that balanced on Marinette’s nose.

No, instead of stopping and staring because, at the great age of 10, she had met her soulmate, she instead chose to tell Marinette to stay away from her and stomped away.

She was too young to know what she had done would hurt.

But in the following years, she learned of that pain and heartache.

When she and Marinette were 14, Alya Cesaire joined their class. Chloe being Chloe, she didn’t pay any mind to the new girl. In fact, she didn’t even bat an eyelash at seeing her enter the room. The only thing that caught her attention was the large birthmark on her wrist, which Chloe instantly grabbed onto when Alya had tried sitting next to her.

She glared and shook her head at the new girl, whose brows were drawn together in confusion until Sabrina came in and sat where she had tried to.

“Oh. Didn’t know you were saving the seat, sorry.”

“Whatever. Just sit somewhere else,” Chloe muttered, letting go of Alya’s wrist before returning her attention to her phone.

She didn’t look back up until Alya walked away to sit in the front row, the birthmark on her palm tingling.

She almost missed it, when she laughed over Marinette tripping down the stairs. But it was unmistakable- Alya, who had a second birthmark on the hand opposite the wrist Chloe had touched, grabbed Marinette’s arm, below the sleeve, and helped her to her feet.

Both stared at one another for a long moment before breaking into smiles and introductions.

Chloe hid her disappointment and ignored the sadness in her heart by focusing on Adrien, who hadn’t yet come to class like he was supposed to.

And, when he didn’t show up at all, she promised herself that that was the only reason she started to tear up.

Alya sided with Marinette over her.

After her first encounter with Ladybug, and following their many encounters after that one, Chloe often searched herself for a third birthmark on her back.

She’d checked mirrors after mirrors, had taken pictures with her phone and a selfie stick, and even told her butler to check again. And again. And again.

But, there was no birthmark on her back, where Ladybug first held her when Stoneheart had thrown her to her from the Eiffel Tower.

“Check again, Jean Baptiste,” she commanded, crossing her arms and turning around for him.

With a sigh, her butler did as she told, and repeated what he’d already told her a hundred timed. “There is nothing there, mademoiselle.”

Chloe squared her shoulders and bit her lip, refusing to let the tears in her eyes fall.

“Check. Again,” she whispered, voice shaking.

He did.

But nothing was there.

Getting her miraculous was the best thing to happen to Chloe since meeting Adrien when she was a little kid.

Not only did she get to work alongside Ladybug, who was amazing and kind and an inspiration, despite not being Chloe’s soulmate, but she also gained a chance to get closer to Marinette and Alya both.

Her first opportunity to do so came when she was just quick enough to whisk Marinette out of an akuma’s path. She zigged and zagged around buildings until she was sure she’d lost the akuma before setting Marinette down.

“You alright there?” she asked, nervous but not backing down.

“Thanks to you, I am! I really appreciate it,” Marinette answered with a smile.

“Um, right, o-of course! Anytime you need saving, I’ll totally be here!” Queen Bee exclaimed, wincing at how she sounded. But then Marinette laughed, just a bit, and suddenly she didn’t care so much. “Well, stay out of trouble! I gotta buzz!”

Not waiting for a response, she stepped away and flew off, back towards the akuma with her heart hammering in her chest for reasons unrelated to the monster that nearly swatted her down when she arrived back on the scene.

The next opportunity came when Alya approached her for an interview.

She was far less nervous talking to Alya than she had been talking with Marinette- maybe because her history with Marinette went further back, and wasn’t any better.

“Oh, man, thank you so much for agreeing to do this! You’ve been around for like, a month and I’ve barely gotten any good pictures because you’re always flying too fast- speaking of which, that’s so cool that you can fly!” Alya exclaimed, bouncing in place just a little.

“You’re right, it is pretty cool,” Queen Bee said, sitting up straighter and puffing her chest out proudly. “Not even Ladybug can fly yet.”

“I bet it really comes in handy, right? What’s been your best use of it so far?”

Chloe thought about it for a moment and tapped her fingers to her chin.

“Well… I think it’ll have to be that I saved one of my soulmates from an akuma.”

“Really? Can I ask how you know they’re your soulmate? How do birthmarks work around the magic of a miraculous?”

“I know because I’ve met them before, out of the suit. And I don’t know. That’s more a question you should be asking Ladybug or Chat Noir, not the newbee,” she said with a laugh.

“That’s fair.” Alya nodded to herself and wrote something down on a notepad. Queen Bee watched her ever move, knowing this wasn’t something she could do as Chloe.

“Alright then, so…”

A few weeks later, Ladybug answered the question Alya had asked Queen Bee first.

“The magic masks all traces of birthmarks to ensure our secret identities. For example: I’ve got one neck-up, but you can’t tell where or how big.”

Chloe reached for her laptop’s screen-

“And yes, I’ve already met my-”

-and slapped it down against the keyboard, cutting Ladybug’s words off.

She didn’t really want to hear them.

Eventually, when Hawk Moth was defeated and Le Paon rose to be top villain, the miraculous team of three became a team of four, Rena Rouge being added into the mix.

Chloe wasn’t a fan, at first, but slowly their friendship grew, just like it had between Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Queen Bee.

All four of them would crack jokes together, and they would double up on patrols where games of tag and i-spy would take place until it was time to go home. But even then, sometimes they would stay out later than they had to, just to talk and share little details of their lives.

On rarer occassions, Chloe would leave her room, on nights she didn’t have patrol, and just fly above the city awhile.

The wind in her face, the freedom from all the shackles she had placed on herself, the feeling of falling mixed with trust that she would never crash and burn.

It was everything she needed to feel better.

Sometimes, she would see Marinette and Alya having their sleepovers, and would wish on every light in the city that she could join them.

Chloe’s school life had turned around awhile after becoming Queen Bee.

It hadn’t happened over night, and it’d taken a lot of work, but she made herself a better person, one people would be proud to call friend, and one that people would accept if they figured out who she was.

But most importantly, she became the kind of person who could apologize, and see her mistakes for what they were.

She was a better person, no doubt about it.

“But I can still be more,” Chloe would preach to her reflection in the mornings.

With a determined nod, she would finish putting on her lipstick and head to school.

A scream ripped from her lungs when Ladybug jumped into Le Paon’s path.

Queen Bee had already been prepared to take the hit, to protect Alya who’d gotten caught up in it all.

But no, Ladybug stepped in and saved them both, bought Queen Bee enough time to fly Alya away even as she was blinded by her own tears. When Alya was safe, she didn’t stick around for silly banter like normal.

No, as soon as Alya’s feet touched the ground, Queen Bee was gone, rushing back to the fight and freezing when she saw Chat Noir, crouched over an unmoving Ladybug, the only thing between her and Le Paon.

She saw red- blood, dripping from the cuts across Ladybug’s torso and down her; Ladybug’s suit, torn; Le Paon’s wicked gaze, the eyes of her suit staring into their souls; Rena Rouge, arriving late and freezing just as she had.

She saw red, and suddenly everything was a blur.

Paris celebrated the fall of Le Paon that night.

Chloe, Alya, and Adrien were in the hospital, waiting to hear about Marinette.

“You did really great, you know,” Marinette coughed out when she finally woke up. “Always knew you’d bee the best.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Chloe’s lips at that. “Stop being silly. You need to rest up and get better. School is dreadfully boring without you around.”

“We don’t have any classes together.”

“So?”

“You make a great argument.”

“Of course I do, I’ve been arguing since I was in diapers.”

“That sounds about right,” Marinette laughed, wincing at the pain it caused.

“Oh! Here, let’s call the nurse. And I’ll call Alya and Adrien and your parents so they can come see you.”

“Thanks, Chloe.”

“I get to go home in two days!” Marinette announced when Chloe, the last one to arrive, walked through the door.

“Wait, seriously? You’re not joking?” Alya asked, excitement creeping into her voice.

“If you think my joking’s that bad then I’m offended,” she teased, laughing when Alya practically launched herself into Marinette’s waiting arms.

Adrien smiled brightly at the scene and sat on the edge of the bed. “So you’re all good, health-wise?” he asked.

Voice muffled by Alya’s shoulder, she answered, “Yep! They’re just keeping me over for observation now, and if no more problems come up, I’m home free.”

“That’s great to hear!”

“Yeah, you must be really excited to get out of this drab place,” Chloe commented, holding her head high.

“Oh, totally. Everything here is white, white, white. I miss my pink walls, pink bed, pink curtains, pink-”

“We get it, you like pink,” she deadpanned.

Alya snorted as she finally pulled away.

“Don’t be like that, Chlo. Pink is the perfect color for our girl right here, and you know it.”

“I didn’t say it wasn’t, but- did you say our?” Chloe asked, catching the way Alya had said the word as if it was meant for her.

Marinette and Alya exchanged a subtle glance, and had Chloe not been looking between them she would’ve missed it.

“Adrien, would you be a dear and go get us something to eat? Sneak Mari up something too.”

“You got it,” he replied, patting Chloe’s shoulder on his way out.

As soon as he left, the tension in the room grew twofold, only breaking when Chloe finally spoke.

“Really?“ she whispered, staring at them and just daring to hope.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come around since I gave you your miraculous,” Marinette admitted.

“And I thought you’d at least say something when you started being nicer to everyone.”

“I thought-” she swallowed down the lump in her throat- “I thought I’d lost my chances.”

“If you thought that,” Alya started.

“Then let us offer you a new one,” Marinette finished.

Both held out a hand to her, and unable to spend a second more apart from them, Chloe leaped forward and pulled them into a hug, ignoring the makeup that ran down her cheeks as she cried, sobbing into the shoulders of her soulmates.

A few days later, and after multiple talks with the school principal and her counselor, Chloe walked into class and sat down right between Alya and Marinette.

After all, she had a lot of catching up to do.

[zenosanalytic]

Doom-Broom Looms; Assumes Costumed Groom will Fume in Tomb-Gloom: The Tune-Presumed Consumes

Yes I did it; No I’m not sorry; Shutup it’s a Gr8 Headline; Mild Spoilers below cut:

So I really liked this one, I’d say it’s at least as good as the first Avengers and probably better, making it the best of the Avenger films so far. As per tradition, I will start with what I didn’t like first and, aside from the first two, they’re mostly Quibbles:

The Bads

So:

Labeling the cruelty of an abusive guardian -who murdered his child’s family, surgically altered and experimented on her without her consent, forced her to kill, forced her to fight and sometimes kill her siblings to protect her body and her life from that parent- as love is some Buuuullshit >:( I can easily accept that Thanos would think he loved her, abusers tell themselves all sort of garbage to justify what they do, but that some omnipotent universe-stone would judge that situation and those feelings sincere is, again, Buuuuuullsheeeeiiiit >:( >:( Attaching that execrable nonsense to the killing of Gamora makes it so much worse, and then connecting that to how Thanos “wins” through Quill’s anger, makes it even, even worse. 

Their choices on who to “kill” were fucked up and bad. Bucky dealing with a world without Steve is interesting. T’Challa traumatized by the loss of his closest friends and torn between healing/protecting his people and helping bring Thanos to justice and potentially undoing what he did is interesting(not to mention how loved the character is. Though I’m p sure we’ll see a BP Shuri as a result, which I’m very much looking forward to). Scarlet Witch given the chance to grow on her own, instead of being tethered to a guy, is Interesting. Groot dealing with the death of their “parent”/Confidant/translator is Interesting. Having Banner “die” so that only The Hulk is left would have been interesting. Going with what they did was stupid. Killing off Fury and Hill was Stupid. Wiping out, to a duo(!), the Guardians of the Galaxy was Stupid. Killing Drax and Mantis is some Galaxy-Brained Criminal Ignorance! Killing Heimdall I understand BUT(!!!), at the same time, Elba’s a great actor and Ragnarok’s the only film to make even decent use of him, so I’d have liked to see him live through this one and into the next one, at least, before he was killed. And, as others have said, the general race&gender balance of the killings was, charitably, Iffy.

These are some seriously flawed ethical/political choices they made for this film, and they didn’t have to make them. Totally could have handled all of this differently, and better, than they did. So on to the Quibbles!

Having Gamora and Peter’s relationship, which had, so well and realistically to two folks working through trauma and immaturity, been cooking low and slow over the two GoG movies, suddenly be physically and emotionally intimate and vulnerable, and having her saying things like “I love you more than anything” to him, when they live on a tiny ship with zero privacy with four(?) other people, and doing all of that purely for plot-convenience, was dumb and lazy and Lame. Character dev should serve the characters first and plot second; this complaint kinda dovetails with my issues with SW and Vision in the next para.  

There really should have been one more movie, and maybe two or three, before this one. The character writing was great and all, but Scarlet Witch and Vision just haven’t had the time to be developed enough as characters for their(rather central) place in the movie to be emotionally meaningful enough. A movie focusing on them, or maybe on Steve’s “unofficial” Avengers, would have really helped add some more depth and impact to Infinity War. The other movies I think would have helped are another Dr. Strange(I didn’t like the first one much at all and he didn’t really come off as all that capable to me in the first one and really seemed to just fall into the role of Sorcerer-Supreme by dint of being the last one standing), and Definitely another Black Panther. There are obvious scheduling reasons for not holding off for a second Black Panther(which are totally Marvisny’s fault, of course; for instance, if they’d just introduced the character earlier, so that CW would have been the 2nd BP movie and BP the 3rd), but Dr. Strange was 2016 and they could have totally gotten another one out, with some significant crew and writing changes, before this to flesh out, build up, and actually render interesting/likeable, the character. Though, I suppose maybe there were equally obvious financial reasons why not to roll the dice on that franchise again(though though, looking it up just now it topped Captain America: The First Avenger on box office, which is Insane).

Dispensing with Nova off-screen. I Mean: WTH. That should, at the least, have been an in-credit sequence(in GoG 2 or T:R). Something as simple as showing Thanos with the Power Gem, then panning out to show a devastated Nova Command or him taunting Nova Prime before killing her, would have been fine(though, the GoG movies gave me the impression the Nova Corps would have been a tough nut for Thanos to crack).

Probably my most niche opinion: they should have, FINALLY, done a movie crossover with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. cast here, especially given the in-credit sequence. Marvel and Disney have been promising Chloe Bennet that AoS was going to be her vehicle into film work since the series started and this is, like, the third or fourth frigging times they’ve either reneged or passed on a chance to boost her up into the big leagues, and frankly it’s annoying. She’s a good actress, The Inhumans should have stayed a movie and been that vehicle(with the characters they made protags the villains S.H.I.E.L.D. was fighting), and, given the stakes and the nature of the conflict, it’d have been easy to ameliorate that mistake by bringing her, the rest of the AoS cast, and Fury in on this one as secondary characters. I mean, it’d have been better if they’d had two or three SHIELD movies spread out over the MCU by now, or always included them in the Avengers films to give also-rans like the show cast and Hawkeye places to shine, but barring that and given Disnal’s fuckup with Inhumans, they should have made a go of it here. Ming-Na Wen also deserves more time on the Big Screen and, while Johannson’s Fine in the films, Wen does her character-type Better u_u u_u u_u

Like I said, Quibbles, they don’t really detract from the movie. The main problems with Infinity War, to me, are it’s screwy plot-ethics.

The Goods

Not really much to say here other than “I liked it and had fun”. The character writing was good, the dialogue was funny, the fight choreography was, given the logistics of multicharacter combat, Fine, the fights were engaging, the camerawork was(mostly) clear, the costume design was great, the side characters(especially the Black Order) all got good beats of their own, the Heroes(except Black Panther and maybe SW, since she was restricted to just moving things and blasting things) all got opportunities to show off their abilities. IW really validated the “Comics=Wrestling” critical lens I was introduced to by @some-triangles, as it felt like a Wrestlemania or Battle Royale more than anything else to me. Related to that there were some really dumb moments, like when Scarlet Witch left the lab to enter the rin-, er, battlefield, but you basically knew that was going to happen the instant they told her to stay in the room because Tropes, and the Forms must be Honored u_u u_u The Russos are genuinely competent movie-makers, who seem to have that all-important skill of recruiting and keeping a talented crew around them, and they made a genuinely competent movie, despite the questionable plotting.

The Judgements

So that’s my opinion on the thing. Infinity War includes some highly fucked up ethical messages for the sake of plot convenience, and confirms the MCU’s refusal to make even basic use of some really top-notch acting talent, which just happens to be mostly non-white people, that they’re (presumably)paying fortunes to have access to; if you feel that sort of ish isn’t something you can sit-through or abide giving your money to, then don’t see the film. But it’s a technically competent film, 90% of the time the writing is wonderful, and overall it’s an engaging and entertaining film so, if you can tolerate that ish in some fashion, maybe you’ll enjoy it like I did.

Oh, and it’s really long(2h40m, and there were, like, 30mins of previews before it. Seriously >:| >:| >:| They played TWO[!!!!!!] flipping Jurassic World trailers, as if anyone wants to see that junk), so I’d rec you not get any drinks if you’re going to go see it(though it’s not a big deal as there are some nice-sized lulls, reasonably spaced, to take breaks in).

[bluesakura007]

Undeniable - Chapter 7 (Happy Ending): To Be Where You Are - Khan Noonien Singh x OC

Summary: Zinalya and Khan finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel as her suggestion for them to be exiled together is accepted. 

Warning: No angst, the only thing here is fluff. 😊

When she did look around the room in this moment, Zinalya saw that the remainder of the court only had several others who'd raised their hands in favour of the exile sentence. Specifically, so many others that there seemed to be about two thirds of them who had taken this side of the argument.

"Oh my god." She gasped to herself, her voice's volume still kept low, before she fully registered that she'd spoken at all.

"All those against?"

As she had just presumed, the others in the audience who now raised their hands in opposition to the success of her plan only took up the last remaining third - upon seeing this, her heart leapt up even higher. "Oh my god..." The words slipped out from her lips once more without her meaning for them to do so. "It worked..."

"The results of the vote are certain; Khan Noonien Singh, you are hereby sentenced to twenty years of exile on the planet designated Ceti Alpha V, and Miss Zinalya Chloe Hamilton, you are sentenced to accompany him for your own sentence of ten years. The convicted shall now be released into the custody of yourself and the rest of the USS Enterprise's senior personnel for transport to this planet, during which any further offences committed by him you will be declared as personally accountable for. This trial is now declared closed." At this, a wave of noise descended upon the room as everyone got up from their seats to leave, now that the matter was all done and over with.

"Scotty, how long do you think it'll take you to get the ship up and running again?" Jim asked this chief engineer as they walked out with the others.

"If I get everyone from the rest of my team working on it we should be able to get going in four days' time, give or take."

"Okay. Get to it as soon as you can." The captain nodded in acknowledgement.

"Aye, sir, I will do." He, Kirk and the other senior officers all experienced a wave of relief for Zinalya now that her alternative sentence recommendation had been fully accepted.

It was a minute on, or somewhat less, when the two who this development itself revolved around had gone up to the roof. A place where they could truly be alone.

"So... we did it?" She looked up at him, some strands of both his and her own hair fluttering about in the breeze up here.

"It seems that we did." Khan gave a nod of his head as he gave this reply. Zinalya didn’t think she’d ever stop getting warm shivers at the sound of his baritone voice.

"And basically for the next few days I’m supposed to be your babysitter, from the sound of it." The burgundy haired woman joked with a small chuckle.

"I can think of several outcomes and scenarios which would’ve been much more undesirable." She could see one corner of his mouth curling upwards into a small, genuine smile.

"Is that the translation for you telling me we're lucky?" Zin quirked her eyebrows lightheartedly while still showing a joking expression upon her face.

"Effectively, yes." He took a moment to wipe away some particular strands of her hair which ad blown very near to her eyes, her taking note in the process of the slight chill on his hands. Obviously being up on the roof of a tall building, like they were right now, would make anyone's hand temperature drop, but she'd managed to notice even when they were still indoors just a few seconds prior that this slight chill was still present; it seemed as if it were a constant characteristic of himself not unlike a personality trait. Her mother's hands also usually had this same chill to them - a peculiarity of the Trill - but Khan's own felt different, like some kind of entirely different coolness. "And I'm glad that it means we're able to touch each other now."

"Yeah. I am, too." She said, while simultaneously thinking in her mind without speaking it out loud that this chill to his hands was somewhat poetic: prior to this whole matter, they were a representation of his heart - a reflection of his inner self - but now they were a contrast to it. There was still a warmness to his heart before the last few days, but it took a jumpstart and a little bit of prompting to bring it out of the tiny, solitary box it had been sitting in and turn it into this contrast. "Should we go back inside? I think it’s getting a little cold up here." Asked Zinalya.

"I don’t think there’s any rush for us to leave this roof." Khan gave his reply, as his previously small smile grew to about three sizes and he then, without warning, reached towards her torso and pulled her towards his own. It wasn’t an unpleasant moment to her, only unexpected instead; in fact, it served as another warm shiver source. "And as for the coldness, there’s an easy way of remedying that." His arms slid around her shoulders and onto her back, to which she managed to slide her own hands up onto his chest and snuggle into it in that position. As he looked down and watched the wind whip up some of her hair again while she turned her head to one side, Khan continued to hold her and felt, for the first time, that he was fulfilled and was now well and truly whole.

At her apartment, Zin was still up and about several hours later, once the sky was very nearly dark. Khan, meanwhile, who she was allowing to stay there with her for the final few days before they left Earth now that he was apparently “in her custody”, was in a state of drifting in and out of consciousness but mainly remaining in the latter. She’d additionally come up with an agreement where, so that they could both remain warm and safe, they would share her bed over those nights, which was the location where these consciousness shifts were taking place.

She was about to go to her bedroom and join him now that she was in her nightgown, when she suddenly heard a knock at the apartment’s door. Wondering to herself about who it could be, the answer to this query was soon provided when she opened it. 

"Oh, hey." Zinalya greeted the two people who were at the door, surprised - they had also been the last pair she’d expected to have voted in favour of her and Khan’s exile earlier that day. Spock and Bones. Stood right in front of her, on the landing which was exposed to the night air.

"Good evening, lieutenant-commander." Said Spock cordially, while the doctor nodded in his own silent greeting, and then asked out of curiosity, "Is he here?"

The word ‘he’ was a little bit of an ambiguous term, but she could nonetheless tell who the half Vulcan was referring to. Her lips tightened slightly but visibly as her eyes flicked between the two of them and she answered tersely with, "He is, yes; he’s asleep." She knew it would be unreasonable of her to be actually, properly angry at them after they’d done this aforementioned act of voting in her and Khan’s favour back in the courtroom, but she wanted to make her irritation seen - the act of them originally not agreeing with her and casting her feelings aside to condemn him in the first place meant she was still annoyed with both of them.

Spock took a moment of pause before he spoke again. "Dr. McCoy and I came here to tell you our reasons for the side we took our votes on, in the hopes that we can make amends with you."

She nodded her own head. "I’m listening."

"Because it seemed logical to contribute to allowing you to do as you wish. You are a trusted crewmate, lieutenant-commander Hamilton, so letting you do what you feel is right is the right thing for ourselves to do in turn."

"Plus, I didn’t wanna keep what happened yesterday fresh." Bones finally spoke up, and then took a breath during a second of his own before elaborating. "The stuff I said to you was way outta line, ‘cause you’re right: even if I have my own doubts about him, that doesn’t mean I can just tell you who you’re allowed to have feelings for. What I’m tryin’ to say is, I was wrong to say that stuff, and I’m sorry."

Now it was her turn to nod, her face’s look of irritation beginning to erode. "I’m sorry I slapped you, too."

"If it was me dealing with that and not you I probably would’ve done the same thing." The CMO replied reassuringly to this.

Zinalya’s expression afterwards slowly grew into a smile. "Thanks you two, it was kind of you to come here and tell me this."

"We didn’t wanna leave things between us like this for long. Hell, Spock’s got a little more trouble than me at expressing this..." He raised his eyebrows jokingly and chuckled.

"Thank you, doctor." This science officer himself commented in response, also in what sounded like a little bit of a lighthearted way of speaking.

"...But he was right when he just said how you’re a trusted crewmate, Zin."

Another positive event had just happened, which was the very subject that she’d expressed her worries to Scotty and Pavel about that morning: things had become patched back up again between her and McCoy and Spock. There seemed to now be no more of the feud between her and this duo which had been triggered during the previous afternoon, and this combined with the larger positive event which had taken place on this current day meant that, like Khan earlier, she suddenly felt herself become flooded with a mental sensation of fulfilment.

[lunaschild2016]

Worth Fighting For - Chapter 1: Begin At The End

Rating: M (violence, smut, language, references to abuse and violence)

Romance/Tragedy

He was ruthless, cunning and completely committed to protecting his city but her arrival to Dauntless called everything he ever thought he believed into question. Duty and following orders were no longer enough. They both found more than they ever thought possible. They both found something worth fighting for. Eric/OC AU M Tragedy/Romance

@kenzieam@ericdauntless@jojuarez26@jaihardy@iammarylastar@captstefanbrandt@captainviolets@badassbaker@readsalot73@fuckthatfeeling@dani5102@beltz2016@beautifulramblingbrains@affabletimelady@irasancti@meganbee15@pathybo @lauraaan182​@gylisaa@scorpio2009 @gylisaa

A/N: Posting this here but is also on ff.net site. 

_____________________________________________________________

The Choosing age has changed twice since Eric and Four joined Dauntless at sixteen. First it went to eighteen and then two years before our story starts it was changed yet again by the orders of Marcus Eaton to the age of twenty. Eric and Four have been members of dauntless for over eight years at the start of the story. The last two years before choosing the dependents were kept to doing faction oriented duties.

Eric Coulter: 24, Dauntless Leader, transferred from Erudite at 16. (Jai Courtney-original cast member)

Kat Prior, 20, Initiate, transferred from Abnegation at 20 (Chloe Grace Moretz)

Chase Oldham, 24, Dauntless Training Instructor/Intel Ops Officer, transferred from Candor at 16 (Liam Hemsworth)

Tris Prior, 20 (almost 21), Initiate, transferred from Abnegation at 20 (Shailene Woodley-original cast member)

Tobias ‘Four’ Eaton, 24, Dauntless Instructor/Control Room Officer, transferred from Abnegation at 16 (Theo James- original cast member)

Zach Godfrey, 25, Dauntless Legal Liaison Officer, transferred from Candor at 16 (Aaron Taylor-Johnson)

Zeke Pedrad, 24, Dauntless Intel/Control Ops Officer, Dauntless-born had choosing at 16 (Charles Michael Davis)

Uriah Pedrad, 20, Initiate, Dauntless-born (Keiynan Lonsdale - original cast member)

Marlene Banks, 20, Initiate, Dauntless-born (Suki Waterhouse-original cast member)

Lynn Morrison, 20, Initiate, Dauntless-born (Rosa Salazar-original cast member)

Max Cornell, 48, Dauntless Senior Leader, Dauntless-born had choosing at 16 (Idris Elba)

Christina Stevenson, 20, Initiate, transferred from Candor at 20 (Zoe Kravitz -original cast member)

Will Madsen, 20, Initiate, transferred from Erudite at 20, (Ben Lloyd-Hughes-original cast member)

Tori, 32, Dauntless Tattoo Artist, transferred from Erudite at 16 (Maggie Q-original cast member)

Bud, 44, Tattoo Shop Owner/Artist, Dauntless-born choosing at 16 (Sebastian Roche)

                                    So hard to let go

                         And I still hear the sound

                  Of your voice singin’ in my head

                                  I can’t surrender

               ‘Cause the ropes slowly coming apart

                             But hangin’ by a thread

                                        It’s gone on

                                        For too long

                                        And this is it

            So take a look into my eyes one last time

                                   So we never forget

                              The way we were before

             When we came alive at the moment we met

                             This is still worth fighting

                                 Still worth fighting for

                              A glass that’s half empty

                         Won’t wash away the mistakes

                                 It only makes a mess

                                  It’s worth defending

                          A tiny glimpse it would take

                              To make us better yet

                                         It’s gone on

                                        For too long

                                        And this is it

                 So take a look into my eyes one last time

                                   So we never forget

                               The way we were before

                When we came alive at the moment we met

                             This is still worth fighting for

                                 A love that wants to live

                               I’ll give you all I’ve got to give

                                  So let’s try one last time

                                        So we never forget

                                This is still worth fighting

                                       Still worth fight for

                            Now that we know just who we are

                            Now that we’ve finally come this far

                            I’m ready for one more battle scar

‘                           Cause this is still worth fighting for

                     [Still Worth Fighting For; My Darkest Days]

Chapter 1 - Begin At The End

Third Person: Candor Complex, Final Justice Annex

In a cold, sterile room made of white marble with swirls of black covering the walls and floor was a chair of black leather. The only piece of furniture in the center of the stark room, similar in shape to that of a dentist chair.

Strapped to the chair was a man clothed all in black. The first time he had been allowed to wear the colors of his faction since his own arrest a week and a half ago. A small gesture from those leaders that disagreed with what would be happening today.

Maybe it was supposed a kindness or a show of support. Just like their insistence that they still be allowed to be the ones to proceed with his sentence, his execution. It was ironic really that at the end of it all he was finally getting the respect from the faction he had always given everything to. A respect he had never received during his close to nine years there, no matter what he did or gave before. In the end...he was giving his life.

But it hadn’t been all for them or even the city. He was still selfish enough to admit that freely.

‘Was it worth it, Eric? Betraying your faction? Your city? Was she worth it, Coulter?’

The bitter and taunting words of a deranged woman from her own cell when his sentence had been pronounced reverberated through his head.

Movement around him draws his attention as the forms of the leader’s council come into view. The Dauntless surround him but the noted absence of one brings to him relief and pain. Four of the five current leaders take their places to either side of him while the rest of the faction leaders take up places on the outer edges.

One Erudite, Cara he thinks as he remembers her name, steps forward to join the Dauntless. In her hand she holds the instrument of his death. A locked box containing the death serum they had pronounced would be used on him instead of being allowed the death of a Dauntless, the customary bullet to the brain. The reasoning was that since all five of the Dauntless leaders had voted Not Guilty that it wasn’t a true Dauntless execution.

It was all just bullshit and another way to try and make him pay for the crimes he committed, yes, but also the ones the other leaders wouldn’t hold themselves responsible for.

“Eric Coulter, for the crimes committed against your city, your faction and humanity; you have been sentenced to death by injection of the Erudite death serum. This will be carried out by one of the Dauntless leaders, per permission of this council. Will the chosen for the proceedings step forward.” Jack Kang’s voice rings out from the side of the room.

Instantly Eric goes tense and a growl erupts from him as the petite blonde steps forward. “Not her!” He barks out commandingly. “Anyone but her.”

“Eric..” She starts to object, tears in her eyes as she continues to step forward.

He tosses his head from side to side, lips thinned and red in anger. “Not happening, Tris. You know you can’t do this. She will never fucking forgive you. Not like this...not after all the shit I…” He stops and takes a deep breath. “She can’t lose her sister too.”

Tris bites her lip and looks away nodding, knowing he is right but knowing her duty.

“Fuck it. I volunteer in her stead.” Four steps forward holding Eric’s eyes showing him he understands and will take care of it. Knowing that he risks losing his oldest and best friend for this.

Eric flashes a grateful look and relaxes back into the chair while Four puts a comforting hand on Tris’ shoulder to move her back but she shakes her head and raises her chin.

Her eyes flash with fire, a look he knows so well and it is comforting to see even if the color of her fire is off from the one he loves so much.

“She wanted to be here….but after the trial and then…” Tris trails off and Eric chuckles wryly knowing exactly why her sister wasn’t allowed into this room.

“Unless you want to add to the body count this was the only way to go.” Eric agrees.

There is a clearing of the throat and then Jack Kang speaks again. “Do you have any last words?”

There is a pause while they allow him to gather himself, or just give him time to speak if he is going to. The words of a deranged and enraged Jeanine Matthews were still ringing through his mind and a slow smile crossed his face. Not the cruel or wicked smile he was a legend for. This was her smile. The one that was only for her and could only be brought forward by her or thoughts of her.

They flooded him now. Their first meeting to their last kiss. And he answers the question that had been in his mind from the day she stepped on his roof.

“She is worth it. She and we, were worth fighting for. I found my reason and my purpose, something greater than myself. I can live with it...the blood on my hands...because I know it all comes down to her and those she cares about being safe.” Then Eric’s face turned hard, more into the expression everyone who knew the ruthless and fierce ex-leader would expect him to have. “Don’t fuck up this second chance.” His tone rings with a command that sends chills through the other leaders but amusement and pride through those in black.

The rest of the world fades away for him as he tunes it all out. He doesn’t see the room around him anymore as the murmured ‘be brave’ motto of their faction comes from the four to his sides. He doesn’t feel anything as Cara and Four begin to prep his neck for the injection.

All his senses and thoughts are on a playback mode. Starting from the day that changed his life forever and the course of the city. It occurs to him during this that it had started for them much earlier than that day she jumped from the train into his life. It began with the promise of a ten year old girl to set things right. Pride and love burn through him along with the pain of the modified serum.

“You did it angel. You kept your promise.” Eric’s final words were a whisper on his last breath and a smile tilted his lips.

[actual-cryptid-leshy]

They is my Family

Most who look at Jeremy see a timid boy. They see his hunched shoulders, his fidgeting hands, his nervous smiles, and listen to the stutter in his voice. And they draw their conclusions. To some degree they are true, but Jeremy is so much beyond that. He is surrounded by strong people, friends who are strong in all the ways that count. But he’s strong too.

AKA the Hunters AU I wrote instead of writing all the other things I'm supposed to be writing

Title is from the song They is my family by mother mother (t's a good song)

Word count: 5.7k

Read on AO3

‘’Run!’’ Rich yells, and Jake doesn’t see a point in not obeying that particular command. The two boys set off at a breakneck pace, dodging branches and roots alike as they barrel trough the dark forest. The only thing lighting their way is the full moon, unfortunately that’s also part of the reason why they have to run in the first place. ‘’Fucking werewolves!’’ Jake screams, listening to the large creature bounding after them, snarling and snapping its huge jaw. It’s fast. They’re always so fucking fast. ‘’Shouldn’t have loaded up with iron bullets!’’ Rich hollers back, too much glee in his voice, but Jake has known him long enough to know that the glee is a side effect of the adrenaline and the building panic. And so is the manic laughter and whooping as Rich deftly weaves between obstacles. There’s a clearing up ahead, seemingly empty, awash in silvery moonlight. ‘’Almost there almost there almost there.’’ Jake chants under his breath, panting and praying, feeling his heart beat in his throat and in his ears alike. The two of the burst trough the bushes surrounding the perimeter of the clearing, not even two seconds later the hulking beast comes crashing trough after them. It’s larger than it had looked amongst the trees. Dwarfed by the thick trunks and the heavy canopy, out in the open it could rival a moose. Jake has seen a moose up close. Never again. The werewolf is hot on their heels when a voice rings out across the clearing. ‘’Dive!’’ The boys do just that. Throwing themselves out of the concealed ring of mountain ash, a pervasively unnoticed figure quickly seals it, and the werewolf is trapped. ‘’Holy fuck.’’ Rich wheezes out, visibly deflating as he tried to catch his breath. The adrenaline is quickly having his system, same goes for Jake. ‘’You said it. I hate being bait.’’ he voices his complain, glancing at the hooded figure as she gets to her feet. ‘’That’s what you get for being the fastest people in the group.’’ Christine says with far too much cheer in her voice. ‘’That’s easy for you to say, you’re not werewolf chow on the reg.’’ Rich says as he gets to his feet. ‘’Stop your whining, you know we have back up plans.’’ Chloe says, stepping out of the forest, Brooke hot on her heels. ‘’Yeah, it’s not like we’d actually let it come near you.’’ she says from behind Chloes shoulder. Jake heaves a sigh as he struggles to his feet as well. His legs feel like jelly. ‘’Let’s just fix this mess and bounce already.’’ he pleads, examining a scrape on his arm. It’s not terribly deep, but it’s bleeding a little. Christine opens her book, stepping closer to the circle. ‘’ULFR, BROTT. GUMI, SITJA.’’ her voice echoes across the clearing, her outstretched hand radiates a light so bright it could rival the sun. The ring of mountain ash flares, a barrier rising and rising until it’s formed a dome around the wolf inside. The werewolf who is currently circling the perimeter, looking for any possible way out. Then the dome starts to shrink. The werewolf backs away, or tries to, it’s not a terribly large dome to begin with. The glowing forcefield shrinks and shrinks and shrinks until it fits itself snugly around the form of the creature. And then it keeps going, sinking beneath the surface. The hair starts receding, bones crack and reform as the human shape takes over from the wolf. Soon there is only a man laying prone in the clearing. A small glowing orb rises from his chest, a swirling black void inside, it floats gently as if on a breeze to the outstretched hand of Christine. She grabs it, the light dims. ‘’Let’s get out of here.’’ she says, and they’re all quick to comply.

The walk trough the forest is a quiet affair, aside from the odd twig snapping under a boot here and there. And the occasional rustle. It’s a forest at the dead of night during a full moon, it’s kinda creepy. Also they’ve far overstated their welcome. They make it to the road where the van is waiting, the side door sliding open to reveal Michael. ‘’I’m assuming it all went well, seeing as you’re all in one piece and not in a hurry.’’ he says, clambering back to sit shot gun as they all pile aboard. ‘’Shut your smart ass mouth.’’ Rich says. ‘’You sound tired.’’ Michael replies. ‘’It’s like 3am, what did you expect?’’ Jake argues, settling into his seat and fighting the siren call of sleep himself, now that he’s not on his feet, on something soft, and in a relatively warm car. ‘’Nothing less to be honest.’’ Michael says, glancing in the rear view mirror to make sure they’ve all put their seat belts on. ‘’Seatbelt, Christine.’’ he reminds her. ‘’Oh yeah, sorry.’’ She says quickly, buckling in with the hand not holding the orb of lycanthropy. ‘’We’re good to go.’’ Michael says, turning to his left, reaching out a hand and shaking Jeremy awake. Jeremy stretches in his seat, blinking his eyes against the light of the car interior. ‘’Everyone aboard?’’ he asks. ‘’Yes.’’ a chorus of six voices fill his ears. He yawns once, rubs his eyes and places his hands on the wheel. ‘’Let’s go.’’ he says, turning the key. As soon as the car roars to life the speakers begin emitting a soft melody. Michael hums along from his seat, laptop open and lighting up his face. The blue reflecting on his glasses. ‘’Could you text Jenna and tell her we’re on our way?’’ Jeremy asks him, and Michael nods, pulling out his phone.

To: Jen No missing limbs, headed back now.

From: Jen I’ve got food

To: Jen Ur a real live angel

From: Jen U know damn well i’m not, nerd

To: JenHey! I am a Geek n u kno it

He gets no further response. ‘’Jenna’s got food.’’ he says out loud. Rich lets out a rather impressive snore. ‘’Fucking bless.’’ Jake says, eyes closed and head resting against the window. Brooke is asleep on Chloes shoulder, and Christine is cradling the orb in her hands, focusing on draining it into a more stable container.

It’s closer to 5am as Jeremy pulls the van into the parking lot of the motel they’ve been crashing at for the past week. ‘’We’re here!’’ he says loudly enough to rouse the rest of the passengers from their slumber. All except Rich. Jake shakes his shoulder. ‘’I’m awake, fucking stop.’’ Rich mumbles after the third shake, and Jake chuckles. ‘’Food.’’ he says, and then Rich is up and trying to get out of his seat before he’s removed the seatbelt. Everyone practically falls out of the car. Jeremy is the last one to hop out, locking the car behind him and trying to herd the small group of half dead people into the building. It’s not the first time he’s had to do this, and won’t be the last. Michael is clutching his laptop to his chest, Christine now has a vice grip on a small metal vial. Jeremy snuggles further into the huge hoodie he’s wearing, hunching his shoulders against the morning chill. The person behind the desk doesn’t look surprised to see them stumble in at 5:16 am, but then again this is what they’re been doing for the past four days or so. The novelty probably wore off. He pats himself on the back for getting rooms on the first floor as he pulls out the key card to one, opening the door and finding Jenna sat at the small table by the window, takeout boxes stacked like the most inviting thing he’s ever seen. She looks up form her phone, smiles at them. ‘’Dig in.’’ is all she has to say. They each grab a random container, switching and sampling from each other as the contents of each are revealed. Jeremy has grabbed some sort of fried rice, and tucks in happily. He’s sitting on the floor, back against one of the slightly lumpy beds. Michael sits down next to him. His container is full of noodles and beef. Jeremy fiches out the first piece of carrot he spots, and Michael starts eating the pieces of bell pepper he sees in Jeremys dish. Brooke has taken the only other chair at the table, leaving Christine to also sit on the floor, while Chloe, Jake, and Rich sit on the beds. ‘’If you spill any in my bed I’m skinning you alive.’’ Jenna says to them, not even looking up from her phone as she eats her dumplings. Jake and Rich slow down a little, but what they’re currently doing can still be classified as inhaling their food. ‘’You leave the dude in the forest again?’’ Jenna asks Christine, who swallows her mouthful of soup before answering. ‘’Yeah, he’ll be safe inside the barrier until he wakes up, probably won’t have any memories of what happened either, he was turned recently so it let go of him pretty easily.’’ she says, then takes another huge gulp of soup. ‘’I think they’re headed further north, but I still can’t really pinpoint exactly where they’re going. If they’re going anywhere specific at all.’’ Jenna sighs, putting her phone down. ‘’If we keep following them we’ll catch up eventually, we’ve been getting closer and closer this past month or so.’’ Jeremy reasons, holding his container closer to Michael as he tries to find the rest of the bell pepper slices. ‘’The sooner we catch them the better. They’ve only been trouble from the start.’’ Chloe says from her perch on her bed, irritation clear in her voice. ‘’We still don’t know exactly who is in their group, they could have powerful witches on their side, or worse.’’ Brooke adds, gesturing with the wooden chopsticks. ‘’But we have you three.’’ Rich says, mouth stuffed with rice, gesturing to Brooke, Chloe, and Christine. ‘’We might be witches, and we might be powerful, but sometimes sheer number is enough to get the upper hand.’’ Christine tells him before throwing her head back and downing the rest of her soup. ‘’Still, I think our chances are pretty good, they haven’t been able to expand their group any further since we started following them.’’ Jeremy says, swallowing down the rest of his rice, grabbing his and Michaels empty containers to throw them out. He grabs Christines as he passes her as well. ‘’Not that we know of.’’ Jenna adds, ever the voice of reason. ‘’Yeah yeah, we’re gonna have to fight these guys eventually, and we can’t do that if we’re all sleep deprived. Bed time.’’ Michael says as he struggles to his feet. Jake and Rich get off of the bed they’re sitting on, throwing their containers in the trash as well as the boys head for the door. ‘’It’ll take us about five hours to get to the next town, and they’ve already got a head start, so we should leave not too long after noon.’’ Jenna tells Jeremy, who nods on his way out. ‘’Sleep well.’’ he tells the girls as he closes the door behind them. ‘’Have you got the keycard?’’ Jake asks him, and Jeremy nods, fishing around in the pocket of his hoodie. His hand closes around the smooth plastic surface, and he pulls it out and unlocked the door. ‘’Beeeeeeeed.’’ Rich sighs, pulling off items of clothing and dropping them on the floor as he beelines for his bed, falling face first into it in only his boxers. He shuffles around until he’s under the covers and is out cold before the others can scold him about his bad habits. Jake chuckles, heading for the bathroom himself. Jeremy takes the opportunity to pull off his hoodie and sports bra, slipping on an oversized t-shirt, ‘’I demand cuddles.’’ Michael says from behind him. He’s already gotten rid of his own hoodie and jeans, now wearing pajama pants with stars and a t-shirt with an alien head and the text ‘Humans Aren’t Real’. Jeremy cracks a smile. ‘’Sure.’’ he says. Michael takes off his glasses and climbs into the motel bed, clearly only meant for one person, and lifts the cover to indicate that Jeremy should climb in beside him. Jeremy quickly shucks his jeans, listening to the running water from the bathroom, and gets in. His legs tangle with Michaels immediately. Michaels arms pull him to his chest, and he snuggles in close. Michael kisses the top of his head, and murmurs into his hair, ‘’Love you Miah.’’ his breaths are coming slower, and Jeremy knows he’ll be asleep soon. He can feel that he won’t be awake for much longer himself. He feels warm and safe in Michaels embrace. ‘’Love you too Mikey.’’ he whispers, closes his eyes. The last thing he catches is the bathroom door opening, closing, the lights being turned off.

It’s ten past noon when the buzzing of a phone wakes him again. The sun is high in the sky, casting golden light in trough the grimy window of the motel. Jeremy is warm and cozy, wrapped up in the blanket and with his boyfriends limbs caging him in. The buzzing doesn’t stop. He sits up reluctantly, snatching the phone from the nightstand. Michael groans, burying his face in the pillow to get away from the light. Jeremy smiles down at him fondly.

From: Chrissy WAKEY WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY

To: Chrissy It’s like noon breakfast time is long gone

From: Chrissy The sentiment still stands. R u guys awake?

To: Chrissy I am, I’ll wake the others Rendezvous in 30?

From: Chrissy Deal

He sighs, lamenting the fact that he won’t get any more sleep until they’re in the next shitty motel, and get out of bed. ‘’Jeremyyyyyyyyy.’’ Michael whines from the bed. ‘’Rise and shine, buttercup.’’ he replies, smirking as Michael just keeps groaning at the stupid nickname. ‘’Don’t wanna.’’ he says, once the groaning has run it’s course. ‘’We’ve got 30 minutes to pack and get to the front desk.’’ Jeremy informs him. That gets a reaction. ‘’Dibs on the shower!’’ Michael yells, already out of bed and running for the bathroom. ‘’Hey!’’ Jeremy yells, trying to beat him to it, but not making it that far. The door slams shut in his face, and he can hear Michael cackling behind the thin door. ‘’You ass.’’ Jeremy says, smiling. He heads back to the bed, lifting his duffle bag up from the floor so he can properly rifle trough it. ‘’Can you lovebirds keep it down?’’ Jake says from his bed, voice raspy from sleep. ‘’Nope.’’ Jeremy replies, with far too much cheer in his voice. Jake only grunts in reply, pulling th blanket over his head. ‘’We’ve gotta be out of here in 30, I suggest you get up.’’ Jeremy tells the Jake shaped lump under the blanket. He gets another groan, but Jake does get out of bed. Kinda. He sits up, puts his feet on the floor. Then just stares out into the empty room trough half lidded eyes. He kicks a leg out, knocking it into the bed next to his, coincidentally containing Rich. ‘’Dude. Wake up.’’ he says, and the Rich formed lump grumbles before lifting itself up. The blanket falls away to reveal a truly awful case of bedhead. Which is usually the case for Rich. ‘’Shower?’’ he asks. ‘’Michaels in the shower, I’ll wake you up once he gets out.’’ Jeremy says, and Rich collapses back down onto the mattress, burying his face as far into the pillow as it will go. He continues to pull out his toiletries and some clean clothes for the day. Jake finally stands up from the bed and starts collecting his own things from around the room. It’s impressively messy for only having been occupied for about 5 days. Jeremy notices the bandage on his arm. ‘’You okay?’’ he asks, and Jake glances down at where Jeremy is looking. ‘’Oh yeah, probably just a branch.’’ he says, shrugging. Jeremy raises an eyebrow at him. ‘’I’m fine! Seriously!’’ Jake insists, and Jeremy lets it go. ‘’Just let Brooke have a look at you later, okay?’’ he asks. Jake nods, lips quirking up into a smile. ‘’You worry too much.’’ Jake tells him. Jeremy scoffs. ‘’You worry too little. I have to balance it out.’’ he shoots back, causing Jake to laugh. ‘’Fair point.’’ he concedes. The sound of the shower stops. Jake heads over to Rich to nudge him awake again. ‘’Shower’s free.’’ he says, and Rich finally manages to drag himself out of bed. The bathroom door opens, revealing Michael in a towel, his pajamas under one arm. ‘’I forgot my glasses.’’ he says, and Jeremy snatches them from the bedside table. ‘’I’m holding them hostage!’’ he exclaims as Michael wanders over. Rich is quick to duck into the now vacant bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Jake goes back to packing his bag, ignoring them. ‘’Oh no, whatever shall I do?’’ Michael says, mock distress in his voice and a smile on his lips. Jeremys own eyes shine with mischief. ‘’Well I guess you’ll have to pay the price.’’ Jeremy says mater of factly, holding the glasses carefully behind his back. ‘’And that would be?’’ Michael asks, dragging the last word out slightly. ‘’Just kiss me already.’’ Jeremy says, laughter in his voice. ‘’I can do that.’’ Michael agrees, leaning in and planting a soft kiss on Jeremys lips. His skin is still slightly damp from the shower, and his hair is kinda wet, and getting Jeremys forehead wet. Not that he minds. Jeremy unfolds the glasses behind his back, and as Michael pulls back he brings them around and plants them gently on his boyfriends face. ‘’I have to admit I prefer seeing your pretty face.’’ Michael says, grinning. Jeremys entire face goes red. ‘’Shut the fuck up.’’ he replies, but can’t fight down his smile. He ruffles Michaels slightly wet hair, sending water droplets everywhere, before starting to pack his own belongings into his duffel bag.

It’s 28 minutes later as the guys make their way to the front desk with their luggage. The girls are already waiting for them. ‘’I already paid so we can just go.’’ Chloe informs them, and together they head out to the van. The various bags are thrown into the back, and then they all pile into the seats. Michael takes shot gun as per usual, and Jeremy situates himself behind the wheel. ‘’Can we listen to Les Mis?’’ Christine asks, and Michael is quick to find the album on the iPod permanently plugged into the car. ‘’We’ll listen trough it once, and then someone else gets to pick.’’ Michael decides, selecting ‘Look Down’. The dramatic opening music isn’t really appropriate for the sleepy mood in the car, but by the time ‘Red and Black’ rolls around they’re all singing along. ‘’If I ever get the chance to see it again I’d die of happiness.’’ Christine admits, looking out of the car window at the trees passing by. The road is quiet, surrounded by gorgeous nature. ‘’We should totally do that next time we’re in New York.’’ Jeremy agrees, glancing at Christine in the rearview mirror. ‘’That would be awesome.’’ Brooke chimes in from her seat. Jeremy smiles to himself as he watches the road. It’s nice, talking about doing normal stuff like this. Like they can be normal people in a normal world enjoying normal things. Something huge and dark leaps into the road and Jeremy swerves to the right, missing it by a hairs breadth. ‘’What the fuck was that?’’ he yells, trying to get a look at it in the mirror. Jake and Rich are staring out the back, trying to get a glimpse of it as well. ‘’I don’t know but it’s following us!’’ Jake shouts. Jeremy steps on the gas. The small road is full of curves and uneven terrain, and the van wasn’t exactly built for high speed chases, but he can make due. ‘’It’s a werewolf!’’ Rich shouts next. ‘’Is it an ambush?’’ Christine questions. ‘’It probably is.’’ Jenna answers. ‘’Whatever it is we have to loose this thing somehow.’’ Michael nearly yells, frantic and nearing panic. Jake pulls out his gun, the one loaded with silver bullets laced with wolfsbane. ‘’I’m gonna open the back, hold onto your hats.’’ he warns, and then he throws open the back door. The sonds of heavy paws on asphalt is like thunder. Jake takes aim. ‘’Turn!’’ Jeremy warns as a sharp turn comes up, Jake holds off on the shot until the van is stable again. This time, he aims and fires rapidly. The bullet catches the werewolf in the shoulder, but it doesn’t really slow down. He fires off another, and catches it in the leg. This definitely makes it slow down. But so does the van. He turns around, question on the tip of his tongue, and then he spots the roadblock. ‘’Shit.’’ he says instead. Jeremy stops the car completely. Jake slams the backdoor shut. There are four cars blocking the road, and about ten people standing around, some of them have guns, and they’re all aimed right at the van. One man steps away from the blockade, walking leisurely toward the van and coming to a halt only a couple of meters away. ‘’I just want to talk.’’ he says. His dark hair is slicked back, his smile is sharp like a knife, and his electric blue eyes strike Jeremy as nothing but untrustworthy. ‘’I’ll talk to him.’’ Jenna says, unbuckling her seatbelt. ‘’What? No, don’t go out there! It’s a trap!’’ Christine hisses. ‘’Of course it’s a trap, but what else are we supposed to do?’’ she hisses back. She opens the door, hops out and walks to the front of the van. She keeps a good distance between herself and the strange man. ‘’What do you want?’’ she asks him. He starts shaking his head. ‘’No, no. I fear you’ve misunderstood me. I want all of you out here. I know there are eight of you little menaces. You must be Jenna Roland, correct?’’ he asks her, and Jenna keeps her cool, only nods once, stiffly. Poker face never slipping. Something cols has taken a hold of Jermeys insides, however. He glances to Michael, who nods once. He looks in the rearview mirror and gets the same response from the rest. They unbuckle their seatbelt and get out of the van. Jake and Rich go to the front, flanking Jenna on either side. Christine and Michael stand on the left side not too far behind, and Brooke and Chloe do the same on the right. Jeremy sticks close to the drivers side door, almost hiding behind the side mirror. The man smiles. ‘’You kids have been a thorn in my side for quite some time now.’’ he says. ‘’Oh my god, are you seriously gonna bad guy monologue at us right now?’’ Michael snaps. ‘’Excuse me?’’ the man says, raising one dark eyebrow. ‘’Like, we know we’re annoying you, that’s kinda part of the whole thing, and we know you’re a bad guy and we really don’t care about your motive or whatever. You’re running around turning people against their wills and murdering a lot of innocent people!’’ Chloe says, all the while looking rather unimpressed. The mans face controls into quite the impressive scowl. ‘’Kids nowadays. Can’t appreciate a good motive.’’ he mutters mostly to himself. ‘’Motive means jack shit, you’re an asshole either way.’’ Rich says loudly, arms crossed and stance confident. ‘’Fine, I’ll skip my,’’ his face morphs into a look of disgust, ‘’Bad guy monologue, as you so eloquently put it, and skip right to the part where I order my people to kill you.’’ he smiles, a chill runs down their spines. ‘’Sound good?’’ he asks them, raising one gloved hand into the air and snapping his fingers. The sound is deafening in the quiet that had defended upon the small road. The people scattered around the blockade aim their guns at them, and from behind them they can hear the growl of an injured werewolf. Jake and Rich draw their own guns. The man has turned around and is walking walking back to the relative safety of the roadblock. ‘’SKJALDBORG.’’ Christine commands, arms outstretched and eyes glowing. The guns starts firing as the barrier rises above them. It’s not enough to cover the van, and the tires are quickly pierced from the side. ‘’The forest!’’ Jeremy shouts. Brooke and Chloe start throwing offensive spells, hitting a few people with blasts of ice and fire and other various unpleasant things, Jake and Rich are holding off the werewolf with a shower of silver bullets, but they won’t last forever. The few witches on the other side start throwing their own spells, and while they deflect against the barrier, it does tear away at it. ‘’Hurry!’’ Christine shouts, trying to move them as a group closer to the forests edge. Rich runs out of bullets before Jake, so he pulls out a knife coated in distilled wolfsbane and lunges. ‘’Rich!’’ Jake shouts, diving in after him to fight close range. ‘’Wait-‘’ Jeremy starts to shout but Jake cuts him off, ‘’Keep going!’’ and go they do. They break into a run, Christine, Brooke, and Chloe throwing spells over their shoulders as they sprint for the trees, weaving between trunks in unpredictable patterns. Michael and Jeremy stick close together, and soon the sound of people pursuing them drowns out the sound of spells being cast. ‘’We need to split.’’ Michael yells, trying to not be too loud. Jeremy turns desperate eyes on him. ‘’No.’’ he pleads, and he knows it’s a bad idea to stick together. Knows it’s more likely they’ll be caught, but he can’t bring himself to leave Michael. ‘’You need to get out of here. You know that.’’ Michael says, pulling a couple of throwing knives out of his hoodie. Jeremy can feel his ribs ache, feels the tears threaten to spill over. ‘’Stay safe.’’ Jeremy says, meaning I love you. ‘’You too.’’ Michael says, meaning I love you. Michael takes a sharp left, and Jeremy keep going straight ahead. He lets the first swallow him.

‘’Seven. I have seven annoying little brats. There are supposed to be eight!’’ the man, Sebastian, yells at his underlings. Or, what remains of his underlings, as Michael is happy to notice. They all look rather roughed up, and he’s pretty sure there are fewer than when he last saw them. The guy with a firm hold of the back of his hoodie shoves him to the ground next to Chrisitne, and with his hands tied behind his back he can’t really break the fall. He manages to turn around slightly, landing on his should instead of on his face, which he guesses his glasses appreciate. ‘’Jeremy?’’ Christine asks him in a whisper, and he gives a slight nod, a pleased curve of the lips. her shoulders sink slightly, and she breathes a little easier. ‘’Find the last one or I’ll personally gut you.’’ Sebastian tells the underling in his grasp, before letting him go. The guy stumbles slightly, before scrambling off further into the forest. Sebastian turns to them. ‘’What a pathetic move, trying to save the weakest one. I’ll bring him here and kill him while you all watch, teach you a fucking lesson before you all die.’’ he mutters. Michael has to fight to keep his mouth shut, and pleased to find similar outraged looks on his friends faces. Three goons run off deeper into the forest at the sound of someone yelling. Sebastian rubs his temples. ‘’Im surrounded by incompetence.’’ he grumbles, but his head whips up again as the previous yell is replaced with another. And another. And another. ‘’You.’’ he says, pointing at three other goons. ‘’Go figure out what the fuck is going on.’’ he snaps. They salute him briefly, before jogging iff in the same direction as the previous three. ‘’And will someone find my god damned werewolf!’’ he shouts. Two other goons run off in the direction where Jake and Rich had been hauled in from. The two boys snicker as they watch them go. ‘’And what, exactly, is so fucking funny?’’ Sebastian asks, leaning down slightly to get closer to their faces, most likely as an intimidation tactic. ‘’Oh nothing.’’ Rich says. ‘’It’s just that all they’ll find is a rug that used to be a werewolf.’’ Jake finishes. If his hands were free he would totally high five Rich, but the look that passes between them certainly conveys it enough for Sebastian to let out a shout of outrage. ‘’You fucking-‘’ he cuts himself off. Straightens up and takes a deep breath. ‘’Just you wait.’’ he says menacingly. There are only two other guys left with them now, the forest otherwise eerily quiet. The trees creak and groan, bending to the will of a wind that doesn't exist. The canopies cluster together, blocking out the sun and casting the forest floor into darkness. A twig snaps off in the distance. ‘’Let my friends go.’’ a voice says from the other direction. It’s quiet, and soft, but heard easily in the unnatural stillness. ‘’Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?’’ Sebastian says, aiming for unaffected, but his voice shakes slightly. ‘’Word of advice,’’ the voice answers, from a different direction now, coming from the shadows between the trees. Echoing in a space where there really should be no echo. ‘’Don’t fight a creature on it’s home turf.’’ Jeremy says, standing right behind Sebastian. He whirls around, knife in his hand, but before he even has Jeremy fully in his vision, they boy is gone once again. Someone screams, and then there is only Sebastian and the lone henchman left in the dark forest. ‘’Boss?’’ the lady says, voice shaking. Sebastian makes to turn around to face her, but when he does he finds that he is alone. The forest around him seems endlessly dark, impossibly quiet. The sound of crows overhead sends a jolt trough him. ‘’What kind of fucking parlor trick is this?’’ he asks the trees, not expecting an answer. What he gets instead is a lanky boy, brown curly hair, freckles and blue eyes. Quite ordinary looking. He steps out from between the trees, out from the nothingness. With each step he takes he changes. There are horns growing out of his hair, his eyes glow green. With every step he takes he grows taller, less human shaped. Once he is only a couple of meters away he stops, the green eyes are staring down at Sebastian, piercing trough his soul. He can’t make out any features, only the silhouette of the terrifying creature before him. ‘’You should have left my friends alone.’’ a voice says from all around him, creaking like the trees, cawing like the crows, growling like the wolves, howling like the wind. Sebastian panics. He lunges forward, knife raised. He hits nothing. The silhouette is gone. He looks up, finds the glowing green eyes still staring down at him. ‘’You’re never getting out of here alive.’’ he hears, and then the green eyes close, and he is alone once more, for the final time.

‘’Are you guys okay?’’ Jeremy asks, walking up to his friends where they sit tied up on the forest floor. ‘’Duh.’’ Rich says, smirking. His lip is split and he has the beginnings of a black eye, but he’s still smirking. Jeremy sighs and pulls out his swiss knife to cut them loose. ‘’You went all out on those guys, huh?’’ Christine muses, rubbing her newly freed wrists. Jeremy moves on to Michael. ‘’Well, they hurt you guys.’’ he says simply, and his voice is his own, but carries the undertone of something much more ancient. It’s enough to send a slight chill down her back. Michael flings his arms around Jeremys neck as soon as he’s free. Christine takes it upon herself to free the others. ‘’You’re okay though, right?’’ Michael asks him, head buried in his neck. ‘’Yeah, I am. You?’’ Jeremy asks him back, winding his arms around Michael, kissing the side of his head. ‘’Yeah.’’ Michael says. Christine frees Jake and Rich, and the three of them has Chloe, Brooke, and Jenna untied in no time. Jeremy pulls Michel to his feet. ‘’Any idea where our van is?’’ Jenna asks Jeremy, who points out to their left. The road is visible trough the trees, all the cars and then van still standing right where they left them. ‘’Damn.’’ she whispers. Jeremy leads them out, a clear path from their former place of capture straight to their van. ‘’Can you fix the wheels?’’ Jake asks Brooke. ‘’Well, they’re not organic tissue per se, but I’m pretty sure I can manage.’’ she says, smiling. ‘’I’m gonna move the other cars.’’ Rich says., wandering over. ‘’I’ll help.’’ Jake offers, following after him. Michael watches them go, watches Brooke get into position to close up the gashes in the tires, he grabs Jeremys hand. ‘’Are you sure you’re okay? I know you don’t like being involved with this.’’ he says. Jeremy turns his gaze on Michael. ‘’When you befriended me, you made a pact.’’ he replies, reaching a hand up and touching the gold chain around his neck. Michael follows the movement with his eyes. ‘’If we set you free, would you leave?’’ he asks, still staring at the gold chain. Jeremy smiles. ‘’No, I don’t think I would.’’ he answers, truthfully. ‘’Good.’’ Michael says, leaning down to kiss him. Jeremy lifts himself up n his toes a little to bring him closer. ‘’We’re ready to keep going.’’ Christine says. The others have piled into the van already. Christine climbs in. Michael goes around to the other side and Jeremy hops in on the drivers side. He adjusts the rearview mirror, turning to look back at his friends. ‘’Where to now?’’ he asks. ‘’New York?’’ Brooke suggest. ‘’Broadway!’’ Christine shouts enthusiastically. The others in the back nod, smiling. Jeremy turns to Michael, who smiles and reaches out to grab his hand. ‘’New York it is.’’ Jeremy says, turning the key.

[royalfoxfics]

Art by Twin Doodles

Ao3

FF.net

In which Volpina makes her appearance, Chat Noir makes puns, and Queen Bee is a (mostly) useless Lesbian.

Chloe was falling through a pitch black abyss, completely void of any light or sound.  All she could feel was pain.  It was as if a hole was being drilled through her back.  She could feel it as it cut deeper inside of her, heading straight for her heart and then… It was gone.  

 The pain disappeared suddenly and without a trace, and instead of the horrible and nauseating feeling of falling, she felt as if she were simply drifting; all alone through empty space, with no sense of up, down, or even if she was breathing.  

 And then, she wasn’t drifting.  She was nestled against something soft and pleasantly warm.  Whatever it was, it was even better than the twenty-thousand-euro bed back in her penthouse.  She felt safe and very comfortable, and wanted nothing more than to snuggle deeper into whatever it was she was laying on, but her body wasn’t responding to her commands.  Her “bed” seemed to sense what she wanted, and she felt it shift and wrap two warm arms around her and hold her close.  It was a wonderful feeling.  

 The next sense to come back was smell.  Her lungs suddenly sucked air through her nose as if they had been completely empty, and her mind was filled with the scent of cinnamon and… something else.  She couldn’t put a name to it, but this new smell was completely foreign to her, though not at all unpleasant.  

 Next came her hearing. She could hear the steady thump of a heartbeat in one ear, and then two voices talking back and forth in the other.

 “Is she okay?”

 “Yeah, uh, she’s just, er… really excited to meet you!”

 The voices sounded slightly muted, as if from a long way off.  They were nice sounding voices, but hearing them was forcing her to pay attention and wake up, while the heartbeat was trying to lull her back to sleep. Her strength began to come back to her, and she used it to bury her face deeper into the nice smelling something that was cradling her.  

 One of the voices laughed softly.

 “Well, she’s certainly seems happy to meet me.”  

 Someone lightly caressed the side of her face, prompting her to unwillingly open her eyes.  Her vision was blurry at first, but as she blinked it back into focus, all she could see was an ocean of pure white.  She pulled her head away slightly and realized she was sitting up.  Turning her head, she saw a dark blue floor and some funny looking shoes that were attached to some legs.  Following the legs up, she eventually came to Chat Noir’s face leaning over her.  It was smiling down at her like the him that had eaten the canary.  

 That was a bit annoying, but at least he was a friendly face.  She dazedly looked back to her bed, and saw it had orange shoulders connected to the two white “pillows” she had been using, and a gold and orange necklace shaped like a fox tail. Following the necklace, she saw a high black collar that connected to a beautiful brown face, that had a friendly smile, a white and orange mask, and two hazel brown eyes that Chloe found especially fascinating.  

 “Hello there,” the lovely face said.  

 Chloe’s dreamy bliss popped like a balloon.  She was leaning on a pretty girl, no scratch that, being held by a pretty girl whose rather ample chest had been serving as her pillow for who knew how long, and this bushy haired angel was smiling down at her like there was nothing wrong with this situation.  It was literally a dream come true for her repressed little gay heart.  So naturally, she panicked.  

 She flung herself away from the beautiful stranger with every ounce of strength she had.  The girl let out a “Hey!” of surprise and fell over, while Chloe tried to stand up and run away at the same time.  The result was her stumbling wildly backwards, and as she did so her mind took in her surroundings and she realized that she was still on the roof, and in nearly the exact same position she had been in just a minute before.  

 Fortunately, Chat Noir was prepared this time, and used his staff as a guard rail to keep her from falling off the roof like she had nearly done earlier.  

 “Yeah, let’s not do that again,” he said, and then gave her a push forward that sent her tumbling back towards Volpina.  

 Volpina was still sitting up as Chloe came back, and they landed in a heap on the floor, with Chloe sprawled over Volpina’s chest again, and her head spinning.  

 “That, however, I could watch all day,” Chat commented.  

 As the two girls groaned and Chloe pushed herself up on her arms, Volpina sat up for the third time and the two came nearly nose to nose.  

 Their eyes widened as the two looked at each other, their faces barely and inch apart.  Volpina seemed surprised, but Chloe looked downright terrified.  Her eyes took in the vision before her, and tried to memorize all the details at once.  The way Volpina’s white tipped brown hair perfectly framed her face, the bright colors of her mask, the surprised but curious look in her sparkling hazel eyes, how soft her slightly parted lips looked, how close they were to her own…

 “You know, Queenie,” Chat said off to her left, playfully leaning on his staff and twirling his tail in one hand.  “I at least waited until my second mission before I fell for my partner.”

 Chloe’s already red face nearly burst in to flames.  Volpina tried to hide her smile, and Chloe shut her eyes tight and wrenched herself away from her as fast as she could.  She scrambled for the only safe place she could think of to save herself from dying of embarrassment, and made a mad dash past Chat Noir, grabbed one of his padded shoulders as she went by, and swung herself around to hide behind his back.

 “Is she okay?” Volpina asked, trying not to laugh at the just barely visible knuckles clinging to Chat’s shoulders.

 Chat looked back at the trembling girl trying to cut off circulation to his arms.  

 “She’s fine,” he said casually.  “She’s just not used to meeting new people.”  

 Chloe made a fist and hit him in the back as hard as she could.  He chuckled at the soft blow and turned his attention back to Volpina.  

 “So where’s Ladybug?”

 Volpina stood up and pointed to a tree on the opposite side of the park from their roof.  Chat Noir squinted, and could just make out a hint of red peeking out from between its’ branches.  

 “She’s over there. She’s waiting for me to make a distraction to lure away all the bad guys so she can rescue the hostages.”

 “Great plan,” Chat said. “Getting the civilians to safety should always be our first priority.  You got that Queenie?”  

 He looked back and saw Chloe nod her head vigorously while she continued to try to slow her racing heartbeat.  

 “Good.  Volpina, you and I can hop down once their distracted and help Ladybug release the hostages, then regroup back here and get Queen Bee. She, uh… transformed before her Kwami told her how to use her powers.  Classic mistake.  I did the same thing.”

 Volpina gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her head.  

 “Actually, Ladybug says I’m not allowed in the field yet.  She says I need more training.”  Volpina rolled her eyes and huffed.  “Like she had any training on her first day.”  

 “That’s what I said!” Chat agreed, and Chloe hit him again.  

 Volpina threw up her arms in agreement.  

 “Right!?  Anyway, I’m supposed to just stay up here out of sight for now.”

 “Well, Ladybug knows best, I guess.  Anyway, you can look after Queenie for me then.”  

 Chat jabbed his thumb over his shoulder to point at the still cowering “Queenie.”  Her majesty had had enough of him however.  Without a word she grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him over behind a nearby chimney.  As soon as they were out of sight, Chloe grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and slammed him into the grey brick chimney.  She glared furiously at him.  

 “You have exactly three seconds to start explaining before I start inventing new ways to skin a cat.”

 Chat held up his hands.

 “Whoa, take it easy. I told you I had one last surprise for you, didn’t I?  You get your own partner!  Look, a few days ago Ladybug met me for patrol and showed me these two boxes, see? They looked just like the one I found Plagg’s ring in, and she said this old guy had given them to her so she could select some new superheroes to help us out.  One had the Fox Miraculous inside it, which she kept, and the other had the Bee Miraculous, which she gave to me.  She told me to give it to someone who was kind, trustworthy, and a strong leader. I only have, like, 4 friends though, and you’re the only one I would really call a leader, and you’re always kind to me at least.  Plus, like I said, you’re the only one who would really appreciate the freedom that comes with a miraculous.  So after a few days of thinking about it, I came by your house last night and here we are.”

 Chloe looked at him in wonder for a moment, then closed her eyes and shook her head.

 “Okay,” she said slowly. “So… why am I ‘Queen Bee’ all of a sudden?”

 “I thought it up while we were in the nurse’s office,” he said brightly.  “It just kind of hit me, you know?  Pollen’s all big into royalty like you said, right?  And, you know, you always act like you’re royalty all the time.  And you’ve got the whole bee look going on, so then I was like, BAM, ‘Queen’ ‘Bee’ get it?”  He smiled proudly at his own creativity.  

 Chloe looked at him dumbly, blinking every so often, as if not sure how her life had suddenly become so strange.  Chat’s face fell.  

 “Do you… Do you not like it?”

 “Huh?   No.  I’m mean, no Chat, I love it!  Couldn’t have come up with a better name myself.  Just...”

 She lifted her hands up to his collar, where they hovered indecisively as if not sure if they wanted to strangle him or not.  Instead, they simply landed on his shoulders and squeezed firmly.  

 “Next time, talk to me first before you make any major, life altering decisions for someone else.  Okay?  Please?”

  Her smile was loving, but also very strained at the same time. Chat didn’t know what to make of it so he just nodded.  

 “Uh, yeah, sure.”

 “Good.  Good…”

 She patted him on the cheek and took a deep breath before stepping out from behind the chimney. She forgot who was waiting for them, and let out a surprised “eep” when she saw Volpina looking at her.  She quickly dashed back behind the chimney, colliding with Chat Noir in the process.  They fumbled around for a second until separating themselves, whereupon Chloe began very casually brushing off her outfit and adjusting her hair.

 “You go first,” she said, waving at Chat.  

 Chat arched an eyebrow at her before strolling out from behind the chimney.  A second later, Queen Bee followed him out with her head held high and her shoulders back.  

 And her knees shaking when she caught Volpina smiling at her curiously.  

 “Sorry about that,” Chat said.  “Just had to have a quick word with my ward here.”

 He gestured at Queen Bee, who scowled and punched him in the arm.  Volpina tried to hide her smile, and Chat Noir ignored Queen Bee and continued.

 “Anyway, I’m sure we’ve kept my lady waiting long enough.”  

 Volpina nodded and pulled out the long wooden staff she wore on her back.  At least, Queen Bee had thought it was a staff, but then she saw Volpina hold it up to her lips and realized it was really a very long flute.  Volpina focused on the farthest end of the park. and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and hesitated for a moment before playing a few short cords.  The music sounded rushed, but a ball of glowing energy quickly formed on the other end of the flute.  When she was done, she adjusted her grip and tossed the glowing orb at the spot she had been focusing on, as if she were casting a fishing rod.

 “Interesting technique,” Chat commented.  

 Volpina smiled and rubbed her head again.

 “My mom used to take me fishing a lot.  Look!”

 She pointed as the ball of light arced over the park like a shooting star.  It hit the ground with a small flash, and Chat Noir and Ladybug appeared.  Queen Bee looked from the Chat next to her, to the Chat across the park with Ladybug in amazement.  She was even more impressed when the fake Ladybug suddenly moved, and whistled loudly at the jeering minions.  Every head in the park turned to look at her.  Along with everything else in the park that didn’t have a head.  

 “Hey!  If you want our Miraculouses, come and get’m!” the fake Ladybug yelled.  

 The evil edibles cried out and charged at the fake Ladybug and Chat Noir.  The duplicates gave them a taunting wave, and started leaping from tree top to tree top, letting their pursuers chase them around and wildly hurl wooden spoons and spatulas up at them.  

 About fifteen or so of the minions stayed back to guard the hostages.  

 “They’re smarter than they look,” Queen Bee commented.

 “Just the way the cookies crumble,” Chat said, pulling out his staff.  “Volpina, you try to cover us with your illusions from here in case things turn sour, Queen Bee,” he gave her a quick wink, “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

 She nearly threw him off the roof, but he leapt away before she could get her hands on him.  She watched him pounce on one of the giant gingerbread men and smash it to bits.  She could also see Ladybug rushing in from the opposite side, using her yoyo to lasso an over grown cupcake, and turn it into a makeshift wrecking ball to smash the four-foot tall sugar cookies blocking her way.  

 “They make a good team,” Volpina said next to her.  

 Queen Bee jumped.  She hadn’t realized Volpina had gotten so close. She swallowed and kept her eyes fixed on the battle below as she tried to think of something to say.  Volpina just laughed.  

 “You know, you’re pretty shy for a queen.”

 Queen Bee blushed again and looked away.  

 “…I didn’t come up with the name,” she mumbled.  

 “Oh!  So you can talk to me.”  

 Volpina smiled and tried to lean around Queen Bee to catch her eye.  Queen Bee felt Volpina’s chest brush up against her arm, and the soft touch sent sparks of electricity shooting through her body.   She jumped away, her heart pounding, and Volpina backed away too, frowning.  

 “Sorry, I guess I can be a little too forward…”

 “No no, your fine!” Queen Bee insisted, waving a hand despite still looking directly away from Volpina.  “I’m just…”

 ‘gay.’

 The word echoed through her mind.  It was something she had been taught to be ashamed of.  Something she had hidden, feared, and hated about herself for almost all of her life.  She had tried her best to lie to everyone about it, even herself, but standing on that roof, alone with her new beautiful partner, she remembered that she didn’t have to lie about it anymore.  

 Queen Bee turned around and looked at Volpina with determination burning in her eyes.  

 “I’m a lesbian.”

 Volpina seemed taken aback, but whether it was from what Queen Bee was saying, or just the raw power she was saying it with, she couldn’t tell.  

 “That’s why Chat picked me to be Queen Bee.  I have to hide who I am when I’m… when I’m the other me.”  Her gazed dropped to the ground.  “But Chat promised that I could be who I really am, if I agreed to help fight the Akumas, so I did.  I’m gay, and I’m not going to hide it when I’m like this.  I-If that’s going to be a problem I’m sorry, b-but I’m not going to give it up so-”

 Her fear was beginning to override her courage, but before it could give out completely, two strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she was again surrounded by the lovely scent of cinnamon, and that other nice smell…  

 She slowly let herself relax into Volpina’s embrace, and after a few seconds, she hesitantly wrapped her own arms around her as well.  

 “It’s not a problem at all,” Volpina whispered in her ear.  

 Then she pulled back and cupped Queen Bee’s face, wiping away a tear from her partner’s cheek with her thumb, and they both smiled at each other.  

 “I think that is a great reason to become a superhero.  I mean, it’s certainly original.”

 They both laughed and Queen Bee let go to wipe her eyes again.  

 “So, yeah.  Lesbian superhero.”  Queen Bee looked down at herself and shrugged.  “Though I guess I’m not very super yet…”

 ‘or a much of a hero,’ she added to herself.

 Volpina scoffed and waved her hand.  

 “Don’t worry about it, girl. Ladybug’s got me on a two-foot leash. I’m not even allowed to wear my own miraculous unless she’s there to supervise me.”  

 She rolled her eyes and groaned.  Queen Bee looked amazed.

 “Wow, Chat only gave me my miraculous last night, and he wanted me to fight an Akuma my first time putting it on.”

 “Wana trade?” Volpina asked.

 She was clearly joking, but Queen Bee put a finger to her lips as if considering the offer.  

 “Hmm, depends.  Would I get to find out who Ladybug really is?”

 Volpina laughed awkwardly and rubbed her head again.  

 “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”  

 Queen Bee frowned, then shrugged her shoulders.  

 “Well, if her reveal went anything like Chat’s, you’re probably right.  He transformed right before my eyes and I still thought it was fake.”

 “You too!?”  Volpina exclaimed.  “The same thing happened to me, girl!  Like, she changed right in front of me and I thought it was just some fancy special effect! But it was right in my own room!  I didn’t believe it was really her until I started-“

 “-Trying to point out why she wasn’t!”  Queen Bee interrupted.  “I did the exact same thing!  And then when there weren’t any reasons why he couldn’t be Chat I got this really bad-“

 “-Headache, I know!  If felt like my skull was splitting open! But it was like there was this wall separating them and when I started poking holes in it-“

 “It was like someone cataclysmed your head.  Yep, exactly!  There’s got to be some kind of magic that keeps people from recognizing us.  And it HURTS super bad when it stops.”  

 “Ugg, I know,” moaned Volpina, “and I felt like a total idiot for not seeing it!  I mean she doesn’t even change her hair!”  

 “At least you probably weren’t raised with Ladybug,” Queen Bee grumbled.  

 “Yeah, I can’t imagine if I had a brother that was secretly a superhero,” Volpina said, shaking her head.

 “Yeah…  wait what?”

 Queen Bee looked up at her in confusion, but Volpina just waved her off.  

 “Girl, it’s totally obvious. The way you two talk, the way you move, the hair,”

 “Whoa, whoa, time out!” Queen Bee put up her hands in a tee, and gave Volpina a warning look.  “My gorgeous hair is nothing like that banana mop litterbox boy has on his head!”  

 Queen Bee waved at the park below, while Volpina wordlessly observed how Queen Bee’s ponytail started as a whole band of hair, but was clearly attempting to curl itself into individual bunches at the end.

“Mhmm, sure.”

 “Uh… Volpina?”

 Queen Bee was staring down at the park with worry etched all over her face.  One glance below told why.  The hostages were still tied to the posts, and Queen Bee and Chat Noir had been captured as well.  

 “Oh…” Volpina said. “Yeah, that’s probably not good...”

     Author’s Notes:

  Regarding Volpina’s name: When I started this fic Alya did not have her own superhero name, and the fans were still calling her Volpina. I hinted that there was a bit of disagreement over what she was called in the prologue, and I may end up changing her name before the saga is finished completely.  But for now, she’s still Volpina.  

 Fun fact, there was originally a line about how Volpina hated how Ladybug had named her after an Akuma, and at least Queen Bee’s name was original.  I had to cut it out because it just didn’t work with the flow of the story.

 Regarding Queen Bee: I don’t think I have ever read, seen, or even heard of a story where a person becomes a Super Hero specifically for the advantage of the anonymity to be themselves.  I can think of several Super Hero’s who are more true to themselves as Super Hero’s as opposed to their civilian identities, but it didn’t occur to me until I was writing this chapter just how unique Chloe’s motivations are.  At least as far as I know.  I can think of several Super Villain’s with motivations similar to that, but no heroes.  If you know of any other stories like this, please let me know in the comments.