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wolftraps · 3 years

Note

For the reverb inspiration thing honestly I'd kinda like more Ethan stuff? Mostly because it'd be fun to see someone adjusting to the future institute and that sort of flavor of outsider POV intrigues me. Plus I also just... Love Naomi a lot...

As happens with literally everything I write, this ended up longer than intended. So here’s Ethan’s first week at the Blackwood Institute. Poor guy. His boss is a creepy moron. Warning for a brief mention of self-harm and eye trauma right at the start here, but pretty much everything is canon-typical. This is also on AO3.

Being an Assistant Archivist at the Blackwood Institute is… well, it’s nerve-wracking honestly. There’s no formal training, and this seems to be largely because there’s been only one other person to have held the position in… ever, as far as Ethan can tell. And that had been over fifteen years ago and lasted a grand total of nine months before Chloe Halloway, age 29, had a “crisis of faith” and tendered her resignation by pouring bleach directly into her eyes.

“If you’re going to reconsider your position here,” Jon said matter-of-factly, after telling Ethan this, “I highly suggest you do so prior to signing a permanent contract.”

Which was really unnecessarily creepy, sure, but creepy is sort of why Ethan is here in the first place, so not that surprising. The least Miss Halloway could have done, in his opinion, was leave some kind of manual or something behind. A guide. Notes. Ethan would probably be willing to kill a man for a “To-Do list” at this point.

Technically Ethan has his own office, but the room is dusty and cluttered and doesn’t actually have a desk or chair yet, so he set up in the main Archive area, where there are three ancient desks, three slightly less ancient desk chairs, a small table, and inexplicably, a wardrobe and a worn armchair. Finding the least uncomfortable configuration of furniture made him feel a bit like Goldilocks, despite the desks and corresponding chairs being virtually identical. He figured that was what had been meant by “make yourself comfortable.” Jon didn’t say any different.

Between orientation (signing papers, sitting through general training, another tour, getting his picture taken with an actual polaroid camera, etc) and “settling in,” it hadn’t mattered the first day that Jon didn’t give him any direction. And when Ethan got in on the second day, Jon had already been in the middle of taking a statement, so Ethan had busied himself going through the desk he’d taken. And then another desk. And then the other desk.

At the end of that task, he had various office supplies, a good dozen unfiled statements, five tape recorders, sixteen unlabeled tapes, five labeled tapes that didn’t match any of the unfiled statements, a small notebook with a few unfinished poems, a bag of what might have once been gummy worms, a nearly empty bottle of vodka, two very faded polaroids of a younger Jon and Martin with a woman identified on the back as Sasha, and a large, large stack of poorly drawn and seemingly conflicting maps. Also a lingering feeling that he would never be able to fully get the cobwebs off his arms.

He wasn’t sure what to do with any of it.

Well, except for the gummy worms and vodka, which he promptly disposed of.

Most of the rest ended up on top of one of the unused desks. And by the time that was done, it was nearly time to leave. As far as Ethan could tell, Jon hadn’t come out of his office once. Though, apparently the statement-giver had left at some point without Ethan noticing, so he couldn’t actually be sure. He does have a tendency to block everything else out when he’s focused on a task.

When he came in on the third day, the desk he’d placed everything on was clear and Jon wasn’t in his office. In absence of anything else to do, Ethan started looking through the database. From reading (and supposing any of what he heard on The Observer Chronicles was accurate), he thought he understood a couple of the categories. Others seemed a bit too… arbitrary. Most entries appeared to have corresponding files regarding any follow-up done, but very few had actual digital copies of the statements themselves. And only the discredited statements had audio files.

Jon didn’t return until well after lunch time, and when he did he seemed almost surprised to see Ethan there.

“You should take an early day,” Jon told him, before Ethan managed to formulate any of his questions. “Daisy’s brought me a statement. Probably best it doesn’t see you in case we decide to let it go.”

And then he went into his office. Ethan had no idea who Daisy was or how a statement was supposed to see him— or what it would do to him if it did— but it didn’t look like he was going to get any answers now, and it probably wasn’t a good idea to risk it. So he was left with nothing but to do as Jon suggested.

—

“You’re home early,” Naomi says when he walks in to find his mum sitting on the couch.

“So are you,” Ethan replies, and he didn’t even do all that much today, but he feels exhausted none-the-less.

“I had an appointment,” she reminds him. Right. He knew that. He’d just… forgotten. But he knows she hadn’t really expected him to remember. “Nothing to report. So? What has you home already?”

“Jon told me to go home. Someone named Daisy brought him a statement, and he thought it was better I wasn’t there. Why? I have no idea.”

“Well, it’s early yet, and they deal with some pretty dangerous things there,” she reasons. “The Jon I knew tried to look out for people. Can’t say I’m not glad if it’s still the same.”

“Sure, but…” Ethan stands there, fiddling with the strap of his bag, staring at the coffee table as he tries to find the words. Naomi waits, but he’s not sure what to say.

“Why don’t you go put your bag down,” she says eventually. “Think it over a bit, then come sit with me. I’ll get you some tea and wake up Beaker.”

True to her word, when Ethan gets back in more comfortable clothes, there’s a cup of tea waiting on the table, just barely steaming, and a squirming, growling ball of orange fluff in his mum’s lap. The moment he sits and Naomi lets go, the cat is in his lap, squeaking her indignation. Her brush is already set on the couch beside him.

“Thanks,” he says, and his mum just nods.

“So?” she prompts.

Ethan sighs. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Ethan, you’ve only been there three days. Not even three days. Everyone feels lost when they start a new job. It happened literally every time you started a new year in school, if you’ll recall.” He keeps brushing Beaker, but he can see his mum smiling in his peripheral vision and he rolls his eyes.

“No, yeah, I know that. I mean I literally have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing. There’s been no training. No instructions. I don’t- I cleaned out desks and I looked through the database and I read some old statements, and I keep waiting for Jon to say something. Tell me what I’m supposed to do. Explain anything.” Beaker squeaks again, nipping at his arm as he absently tugs a bit too hard at a knot of fur. “Sorry. Sorry.”

“I’m going to be honest,” Naomi says, huffing slightly the same way she does every time the tube runs late, even though she expects it. “That’s far, far more common than you’d think.”

“That makes no sense, though! How are people supposed to do their jobs if no one explains how to do the job?”

“Well… I think a lot of people try to pretend and copy the people around them. It’s usually better to just ask, though. People can get so used to doing something that they honestly forget that other people don’t know how, and Jon’s been doing this for a very long time. What did he say when you asked?”

On the table, Ethan’s tea is going cold. If he leans over to get it, though, Beaker will probably yell at him and run away, and brushing her really is helping him relax. But his mouth feels so dry, and it might be worth it.

“Ethan,” his mum says in that tone. That one she always got right before Caleb tried to lie to her. “You did ask Jon, right?”

There’s another knot in Beaker’s fur, but he takes more care with this one and she just keeps purring. He rocks. His mouth is still so dry.

Naomi sighs, setting her own cup down and passing Ethan his, handle out. It’d be alright today, he thinks, if their hands touched when he took it from her, but she’s always careful anyway. He takes a sip. The tea is good, as always, though he can’t help thinking of his interview with Martin. There’d been a cup waiting for him in Martin’s office. His favorite kind, perfectly made. He’d meant to ask Martin how he knew, but then he just… hadn’t.

“You didn’t. Ethan, you… Okay. Okay. Why not?” his mum asks.

“I don’t know! He’s always… in his office and- and busy or— I don’t know. He makes me a little… nervous or something.”

“Intimidated.”

“Maybe?”

“I can understand that,” she says. “The first time I technically met Jon, I was terrified of him. The first… many times. Even after I actually met him and got to talk to him, I kept having to remind myself that he didn’t want to hurt me. If he’s still like I remember him, and I’m willing to bet he is, then I don’t think leaving you to figure things out yourself or not talking to you is intentional. He’s really a very… very awkward man.” She’s staring at the wall, but doesn’t seem to be looking at anything, and after a moment she laughs a little. “Promise me you’ll at least try to talk to him Monday?”

Ethan promises, of course.

—

Jon doesn’t even seem to understand the words at first, when Ethan asks him what an assistant here does. For a few seconds, there’s no expression, and then Jon’s brow furrows and he looks down at the papers on his desk like he might read the answer there.

“I— Hmm,” he says. “F-file? Organize? I— What did they— I never actually was one, so… It occurs to me that I am very lucky I chose to include Sasha after all. You might ask her? Or- or Martin. They actually did the assisting once upon a time, so…” Jon shrugs, or Ethan thinks he does. There’s a cat draped across his shoulders, so they don’t actually move much. And then Ethan stands there, and Jon sits, and neither of them say anything, and if Ethan’s mum is right, it’s because neither of them is quite sure what to say.

Ethan leaves.

Martin was nice during his interview. Encouraging and friendly and patient when it took some time for Ethan to decide what to say. It was a far, far easier interview than he’d feared. And Martin had said Ethan could come to him if he had any questions. Despite that, Martin makes Ethan even more nervous than Jon. It’s always worse disappointing friendly people.

So instead, Ethan makes his way to the Library, because that’s where Sasha works, if he’s remembering right. Once he’s there, though, he has no idea where to look, and it occurs to him that there may be more than one Sasha. The one he’d seen when he interviewed was young; maybe a couple years older than him. But the one in the pictures he found in the Archives would surely be Jon’s age at least. There’s no one who looks like either of them that he can see.

“Excuse me,” he says to someone who is probably a librarian, since he’s sitting at a desk with a plaque that says the date and ‘You’d have been out of here days ago if you’d just asked for help.’ The man doesn’t look up from his book. “I’m looking for Sasha?”

“Upstairs,” the guy says. The library is only one floor, though. It’s the first time he’s been in it, but Ethan made note of all Mara’s warnings.

“I’d like to speak to Sasha,” he says, firmer. The guy doesn’t look up and doesn’t look up and doesn’t… and then something changes and he stiffens and slowly looks up at Ethan, and he seems almost… nervous.

The man coughs. “O-oh. You’re- you’re from the Archives.”

“Yes,” Ethan agrees. “I need to talk to Sasha?”

“Right. Sure. Um, I’ll get— uh, Kelly- Kelly will help you.” The man nods toward something over Ethan’s shoulder. When he turns there’s someone already there, a bit too close, and Ethan didn’t know teeth could be that white.

“Hi!” They smile and smile. “I’m Michael. You can call me Kelly. I’m here to help. This way please!” Literally turning on their heel, they walk away with a gait more like a bounce than a walk, and Ethan follows. Right up until they hop onto the first step.

“I—” he says. Even before they turn their head, he can somehow see their smile. Human necks almost definitely aren’t supposed to turn that far. He almost forgets what he meant to say.

“Yes?”

“I— I was told the library is only one storey.”

They smile and smile. “That’s right.”

“But… the stairs?” he asks.

“What stairs?” Their head tilts, like a curious dog, still looking over their shoulder. And human necks definitely aren’t supposed to turn like that.

Ethan looks down at the stair Kelly is perched on, and they look down as well. There is no acknowledgement of the stairs.

“Come on!” They smile. “Best to take the first step at a bit of a jump!”

And they keep going up the stairs, so Ethan takes a breath and hops onto the first step.

Except it isn’t a step. It’s… a rug maybe? It doesn’t stop looking like stairs, but the whole thing is level, and he nearly trips more than a couple times expecting his foot to hit the floor before it does. When they reach the end, he looks back. Back and down. Down at the library, one storey below.

At the end of a short hallway, there is a yellow door; one that Ethan is sure he’s seen before, except somewhere else. Kelly bounces up to it and knocks, and looks back at him and smiles and smiles, and then the door creaks open.

The person who emerges is definitely the young woman he saw when he came for his interview, but she’s also almost definitely the woman in the photograph from decades ago.

“Hi, Sasha!” Kelly smiles. “This one wants to talk to you!”

“Oh? Oh!” Sasha also smiles, and there’s a ringing in Ethan’s ear when she talks, but it seems like a fairly normal smile. At least, comparatively. “You’re the new Archival Assistant!”

“Uh, A- Assistant Archivist, actually.” It probably doesn’t matter. People are always telling him things like this don’t matter, and he shouldn’t bother correcting them. For some reason, though, it really feels like this does.

Sasha, at least, looks a bit surprised. “Really? Huh. That’s fascinating.”

Ethan is at least 75% sure she isn’t being sarcastic. “Is it?”

The hallway couldn’t have been more than five meters, but her laugh echoes down it. “It is! Thank you, Kelly. I’ll be sure Ethan makes his way back alright.”

It’s a clear dismissal, but Kelly doesn’t move. They keep looking at Sasha and they smile and smile and smile until eventually Sasha rolls her eyes and scoffs.

“Please,” she says. “I couldn’t lose one of Jon’s if I wanted to. He’ll be back in the Archives as soon as we’re done talking.”

Kelly smiles. “Okay!” they say cheerily, as if there’d never been any tension at all. “Nice to meet you, Ethan!” and then they’re gone.

“They’re a good kid,” Sasha says. “Well, then. Please, step into my office.” She closes the yellow door behind her and opens a different one beside it, that Ethan is also sure hadn’t been there a moment before. It’s a normal enough door, though. Looks a lot like Jon’s, actually. Sasha waves him through, and if he didn’t know better, Ethan would be sure he was back in the Archives.

In fact, he’s pretty sure that’s the same couch that’s currently sitting in Jon’s office and the same armchair he’d moved into his own “office” the other day; though both look in significantly better shape here.

“Have a seat,” Sasha says, dropping onto the couch— or draping herself across it rather— and eliciting a grumbling meow from an almost opalescent white cat that flicks its tail when she goes to pet it and jumps into Ethan’s lap the moment he settles into the chair. At first touch its fur feels like marble, but then he pets it and it feels like plush. He can’t hear the purr, but the rumble makes his fingers tingle.

“So, Ethan. What can I help you with?” Sasha asks.

“Well. My job… I hope.”

She sits up and sounds delighted when she says, “Oh, did you find a statement about me already? You’ve only been here a couple weeks, haven’t you?”

“Four… days?” It’s not a question. Ethan knows this is his fourth day. Knows. Yet for some reason he starts second guessing himself. It has only been four days… right? Yes. Yes, four days.

After the “stairs,” he doesn’t bother asking why there would be statements about her.

Sasha thinks for a moment and then waves his comment away. “Close enough. Time is fake. So… which one is it?”

“I didn’t— find a statement. I’m just trying to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing. Jon told me to ask you because you’ve actually done the job before.”

If she keeps laughing like that, he’s going to end up with a headache. The ringing is terrible.

“I’m sorry,” she laughs. “I wish I could think you were joking, but I know you’re not. I love Jon. He’s such a disaster. You know he knows basically everything?” Ethan does not know that. A lot, definitely. More than anyone logically should or could, sure. But everything?

“That… sounds improbable.” Buried in the cat’s equally improbable fur, Ethan’s fingers start going numb.

“He does. He knows almost everything and then always forgets that he knows anything. It’s hilarious,” Sasha says with a grin. “Alright. We used to do a lot of research, but that was back when we were cleaning up Gertrude’s mess and all the work the actual Research department did somehow got lost on its way down the stairs. The real ones. And Jon only knew most things rather than basically everything…”

She tells him she did research and reorganized possibly the worst archiving system in the world. She tells him she took statement-givers’ information and caught flies to feed the spiders in the corners. She tells him she killed worms and mapped underground tunnels and scanned in old letters and typed up written statements and managed “monster relations” and blew up mannequins and recorded false statements and hacked government networks and provided alibis and stole old books from museums and sang to the recorders so they wouldn’t start eating people’s fingers and updated the database and appeased disgruntled “youtubers” and collected obituaries and plotted her boss’s death.

Ethan is sure some of these things aren’t true, but he just walked up a flight of not-stairs, so he honestly couldn’t begin to guess which. He’s also not sure how many of them are relevant.

“Mostly, though,” Sasha concludes, “you take care of Jon.”

He does try to ask about the categories, and a couple of the titles she gives them make some kind of sense, but she also says category 06 is “me”, 09 is poker, 10 is geese, and 15 is millennials, so he decides to take those with a grain of salt as well.

When they finally leave her office, the door opens into the front lobby.

“There we are! Back safe and sane, just like I promised. I know I said I’d get you back to the Archives, but I’m not actually allowed to open doors down there anymore. And it’s only… Oops.” The lobby is quiet and the windows are dark. It’s definitely well into evening, though Ethan suspects midnight has come and gone. His watch starts buzzing with missed messages. “Well, I’m sure it’s at least the same day or Jon would’ve yelled at me by now. I could give you a shortcut home?”

The yellow door is back, and beyond it is a long hallway.

“I think I’d better take the long way,” he says.

Sasha nods. “That’s fair.”

—

If Ethan could actually figure out how to message HR, he would just message them. Even if it took them a day to get back to him, he’d still be better off than he has been so far. Unfortunately, he can’t find any sort of contact information for them at all. So the morning of his fifth day, he goes to the front desk and meets Priya No-Last-Name-As-Is-Tradition, who handles “reception, admin, and whatever Martin needs.”

He doesn’t ask, but she informs him Martin will be in a meeting all morning anyway. That’s fine. She’s more than happy to walk him up to HR and introduce him to a woman named Hope.

Hope startles when she sees them, and her fingers freeze on her keyboard, but there is definitely some kind of movement in her lap, barely visible over the edge of the desk. Then she smiles and turns to face them and Ethan does not comment on the fact that he can see two long, black limbs trying to shove some sort of yarn project into the drawer of a filing cabinet behind her. Priya nods at a job well done and leaves him there.

“How can I help you?” Hope asks. There’s something not quite right about her smile, but Ethan doesn’t comment on that either.

Instead, he says, “Do you have any sort of job description or scope of duties for the Assistant Archivist position?”

Hope blinks.

“The what?” she asks.

“The Assistant Archivist position.”

She blinks again. Her smile is gone, and he’s honestly glad for it. “Assistant… Archivist.”

“Yes.”

“That’s a thing?”

“I would hope so? I was just hired as one, so…”

She blinks again, then shakes her head. “Right. Sorry. Of course. I just… Honestly, I was sort of under the impression no one could work down there but the Archivist.”

Given that apparently only one other person has in longer than Ethan’s been alive, he doesn’t exactly blame her. Still, he’s pretty sure it’s her job to know these things, and he’d really like an answer.

“I understand,” he says, “but I do work down there. So…”

“Right. Yes. Assistant Archivist, you said? Just a moment.” She turns back to her display, taps a few keys, and then starts scrolling. And scrolling. And scrolling. All the while singing “Assistant Archivist Archivist Assistant Assist Assist the Archivist” under her breath.

Three minutes later, Ethan is still waiting.

“Are you… sure that’s your position title?” she asks finally, and Ethan turns around and heads back to the Archives.

—

While he hopes he never has to do most of the things Sasha listed as her duties, there are a couple Ethan thinks he can probably manage. He has no idea what, if anything, might need to be done with the statements that already have case numbers, but there’s a shelf of boxes near the Archive entrance labeled “Me Next!” that Jon had said were unprocessed. Maybe he won’t be able to fit them all into the proper categories, but there have to be some that are obviously false, and it seems as good a way as any to get more familiar with the database.

Halfway through the day, he switches to listening to some of the old audio files to figure out the format. It doesn’t seem too complicated. Probably he can record a couple test statements, get a feel for it.

Twenty minutes later, he gives up searching and asks Jon where to find their recording software. Jon frowns and tells him he’s better off finding a free one online, so Ethan reaches out to IT instead.

Ten minutes after that, he gets a message from Cass Walters telling him to check his apps again and that he’ll “know it when [he] see[s] it.” So he does.

Halfway through the list there’s an icon with a stylized cassette tape. It’s labeled “IM TELLING YOU IT FUCKING WORKS JON”, and Ethan figures that’s probably it. Thankfully it’s fairly intuitive, and it might end up being a total waste of his time, but by the end of the day he has three halfway decent recordings and feels like he accomplished something, at least.

On his sixth day, one week after starting, Ethan comes in just in time to hear someone say, “Are you kidding me?!” really quite loudly in Jon’s office.

It doesn’t sound like the sort of conversation he wants to disturb, so he goes to his desk and gets set up as quietly as he can and meets the cat’s judging stare head-on while eavesdropping. She blinks and rubs up against his leg, and he can’t help but think it was some kind of test. Apparently he passed.

“You know everything, Jon,” the same person says, and Ethan is at least 80% sure it’s Martin.

“Not ev—”

“Everything,” Martin repeats. “How can you possibly not know what your own assistant is supposed to be doing?”

“I can’t know things that don’t exist, Martin. Chloe always wanted to figure everything out herself and made things up as she went along. It may as well be a new position. So, I don’t know.” There’s a moment of silence.

“Jon,” Martin says.

“… Yes, Martin.”

“Love,” Martin says.

Jon sighs. “Yes, Martin. I realize—”

“That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“Yes, Martin. I get it.”

“He’s an Assistant Archivist! Tell him what you need assistance archiving!”

“I’ll take care of it,” Jon says. If either of them say anything in the few minutes after that, though, it’s too quiet for Ethan to hear.

“Alright,” Martin says, like they’ve come to some kind of agreement despite the silence. “I love you.”

“Yes, Martin,” Jon says, the same tired way he’d said it before, though there’s a slight laugh at the end now. “I know.”

Martin is smiling when he comes out of Jon’s office. Instead of leaving the Archives, he walks up to Ethan’s desk and sets a mug of barely steaming tea down upon it.

“It should be just right now,” Martin says, like he’d known exactly when Ethan was going to arrive— despite him being half an hour early— and purposely made the tea so it would have cooled to the perfect temperature the moment he walked in. It is, of course, made perfectly as well. “I should have warned you a bit more about Jon. He’s a bit of a moron sometimes, but he means well. The next time you ask a question and he says he doesn’t know or tries to send you to someone else, just ask again, a bit slower. Usually the critical thinking capabilities will catch on then. Come see me whenever you’re free on Friday. I’d like to hear how you’re doing, once you actually get into the work.” And then he’s gone before Ethan can say a word.

In the doorway of his office, Jon clears his throat.

“I’ve been— reliably informed that I owe you an apology,” he says, and Ethan really would rather he didn’t. Apologies are almost always terrible, no matter which side you’re on. They’re awkward and often pointless. It’s not like he’s hurt or anything. Jon feeling bad isn’t going to do anything but make Ethan uncomfortable. “I sho—”

“Okay,” Ethan says. “Can we just skip to you training me?”

“… Yes. Yes, we can,” Jon says, possibly as relieved as Ethan to move on. He looks less tense, at least. “We usually wait until the end of probation to explain the fears, but that won’t exactly work here, so we’ll get to that in a moment. You’ve already started recording, so I suppose the first thing to know is that true statements won’t record digitally. The audio always ends up corrupted. I don’t think I’ll have you start recording any real statements quite yet, but once you do, you’ll have to use the— the tape…” He trails off, staring down at the small stack of statements Ethan recorded yesterday.

When Jon shows no sign of continuing, Ethan tentatively prompts, “The— tape recorders?”

“You’ve already started recording,” Jon says again.

“Yes?”

He pulls out the statement at the bottom of the stack and holds it out to Ethan, shaking it slightly. “You recorded this statement.”

“Yes? It was the last one I did before I went home last night.”

“Play it for me.” So Ethan does. Three minutes in, staring at the paper in his hand, Jon tells him to stop. “That’s not… Set up a new recording. I’m going to start reading this, and after two minutes, I want you to take this from me and stop the recording.” So Ethan does that too.

It had felt a bit… odd, when Ethan read the statement yesterday. Like the air got thicker, almost. But he’d also been very tired, and while a lot of things are weird at the Institute, that doesn’t mean everything is. It’s different when Jon starts reading. Not so much the air getting thicker as pressing down on them, and Ethan feels very uncomfortably like someone is making direct eye contact with him. It’s creepy. He almost misses the two minute mark.

The second he pulls the paper from Jon’s hands, the feeling lifts. Somehow, he isn’t surprised that playback of Jon’s reading comes out with a terrible screech and a whole lot of broken, garbled nonsense.

Jon looks between Ethan, the paper, and the display again and again.

“Jon?” Ethan asks.

“That’s not fair,” Jon replies. Then, with a sigh, “I guess I have more work for you than I thought.”

#my tma fic #reverb ficlet #ethan herne #sasha james #naomi herne #my writing #not a sad #the blackwood institute #the reverb in these holy halls #reverb #distortion!sasha #jonathan sims #jon's an idiot and i love him so much #martin blackwood #Anonymous #you asked #autistic character #tma

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summoner-starlight · 3 years

Text

New Arrivals

“PEANUTS!?” The Firefighters exclaimed. Goobie and Joshua exchanged a glance somewhere between concern and disappointment, they had a feeling this might be the reaction. The briefing room erupted into a cacophony of conversation. Rivers was already yelling despite Lou’s best attempts to calm her down. The words “allergy” and “Declan” popped up amidst the chaos. Socks sat boredly in the corner, watching with mild amusement. Baby looked like he was about to cry.

Josh put up their hands, trying to get everyone to calm down. “Alright, everyone settle down, please.” It didn’t help. The arguing continued. Josh sighed and looked at Goobie who could only shrug.

A piercing whistle shot through the room, sending Socks in a sudden shot under the table. The room went silent and everyone stopped mid-gesture to stare at Justice Spoon who was leaning casually in her chair. “Let them speak and show some respect. You’re all better than this,” she said, quiet and firm.

Goobie smiled. Josh let out a sigh of relief. “Now, we weren’t exactly affected so much by this whole…Shelled One Debacle,” Joshua continued, “but as we’ve been recently reminded Blaseball is?”

Goobie looked at the table expectantly. A chorus of “Many Teams, One League” rang out in tones ranging from bored to annoyed to genuinely enthused. Baby babbled happily. Socks remained hidden under the table.

“Yes, good. And, I know that there’s some reasonable concern given the…errr…rampant Peanut Allergies in the firehouse.” Joshua tried not to look at Declan; that did not stop most of the rest of the room from doing so. Fortunately, Declan did not seem to notice. “But what’s important here,” Goobie chimed in, “is that the Peanuts have been through a lot. They’ve heard the call, just like we all have and we should be treating them like family.”

The room filled with murmurs of agreement.

“Besides, we should be fine. No one will be eating anyone. Okay?” Joshua looked pleadingly at the team. He didn’t put anything past them at this point.

“Okay.”

=====================================

Peanut Halloway stood outside the Firehouse beside Peanutial Duffy’s floating seraph form. Neither of them wanted to be the first to go in, and neither of them wanted to admit that to the other.

“THE WEATHER IS VERY WEATHER TODAY,” said Duffy; it was the first thing either of them had said since waking up on the L Train. Halloway did not see Duffy’s mouth move; this was because Halloway does not appear to have a mouth. “It…sure is,” Halloway replied. Duffy did not see Halloway’s mouth move; this was because Halloway’s mouth was invisible.

They stood there in silence for another long moment. A few wayward crows cawed from a nearby tree. Duffy and Halloway couldn’t help but shrink down a little.

“Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you.” Neither of the Peanuts saw the source of the voice.

Caleb walked out of the Firehouse’s shadow and the crows cawed again. He smiled a warm and gentle smile. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I won’t hurt you either. Welcome to Chicago, where you are now from.” Caleb watched both of them love like they were letting out sighs of relief and chuckled.

“WE ARE HONORED TO BE HERE AS FIREFIGHTERS,” Duffy said. Halloway nodded in agreement, the peanuts in his hollow body clacking about.

“And we’re honored to have you,” Caleb replied. “The…uhh…gang is preparing something right now, but I’m pretty familiar with the City. Would you like a tour?”

“MAY I BRING MY PERFECTLY NORMAL AND AVERAGE WIFE AND CHILDREN?”

“Knock yourself out big-guy. Halloway?”

“Yeah, sure, sounds like a good time.”

“Excellent.” Caleb clapped his hands together. “I’ll grab the Fire Truck and meat you two at the Airport. Just take the L train, you’ll get there.”

The three split off. If nothing else, it was going to be an interesting day.

#blaseball #we are all love blaseball #chicago firefighters #I don't know where to go with this #wafc #drabble

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spngirl11 · 6 years

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The mysterious girl: Chapter 1- The Hunt

Summary: Sam and Dean finally find a possible hunt after weeks of no leads.On the hunt which seems to be leading no where, they discover something big.

Warnings: swearing I think thats it

Authors note: Its my first time writing anything so dont judge me please! but if you do have comments or suggestions feel free to message me :) Enjoy!

__________________________________

Dean walked into the kitchen where Sam sat at the table on his computer eating breakfast.

“Find anything good?” Dean said still sleepy.

“Actually yeah, I think I found a case about an hour and a half away” Sam replied turning the laptop so Dean could see what was on the screen. The screen showed a news article from the Lincoln times with the bolded headline saying ‘6th disappearance in a week causes panic in Overbrook’ this peeked Dean interested. He sat down at table and read the article in front of him.

The small town of Overbrook, Nebraska, town of 600, is brought together through fear as the 6th person this week has gone MIA, at first the police thought it was just a coincidence but now no one seems sure of anything. Sherrif James Casey reports: “Theres no way of knowing if any of these cases are related but we urge the population of Overbrook and its surrounding areas to not panic but to stay cautious as the police are doing the best they can to find the missing people.” So far the missing people list includes Harley Foster, Caleb Dockport, Joseph Lachance, Sarah Casey, Kaylie Halloway and lastly her father Allan Halloway who was said to be missing since yesterday, July 16th at 5 pm. If anyone was any information on…..

“Definitely sounds like a case.” Dean said looking at Sam with eager eyes. They hadn’t been able to find any cases in over two weeks and he definitely needed to let off some steam. “Lets go!” Dean got up and darted to get his things.

“Yeah let me finish breakfast first” Sam resistingly followed along even though he had started to like this slight vacation.

Less than an hour later Sam and Dean were in the Impala Driving down the Hwy to Nebraska. “Where even is this place?” Dean asked.

“Absolute middle of no where, and it seems like literally nothing ever happens there according to the internet, the only news about this place in the past month has been about a farmer whose cow gave birth to twins, and well the disappearance are a huge deal.” Sam replied.

“What do we know about the missing people?”

“Not much yet, they don’t really seem to be related other than the last one being the father of that one girl. They’re all just random people, it seems to have all started by Harley Foster a 30 year corner store owner who disappear 6 days ago, then someone has been taken every night since. Could be anything really, a shifter, vamp, werewolf who knows…“

“Well we better get to the bottom of this before anything else happens.” Dean said as he shared a look with his brother.

When they arrived to Overbrook not to long after, they first went to the police station, then the corner store owned by the first victim, followed by meeting all of the victims immediate family. Finally they were still left confused, there were no paranormal or supernatural signs at any of the victims location nor any witnesses whatsoever. Whatever was doing this was good. Finally, while at the last two victims house they met the little brother/son, Tobby, who couldn’t have been more than 9 years old, who definitely knew more than he let on.

“Hey kid are you sure you don’t know anything? Really any little bit of information no matter how small or no matter how weird would help.” Sam questioned the little boy prying for any info that would help. Tobby shaked his head no, and hesitated before adding “ but… uh.. well we moved here about a month ago and ever since then things have been different I guess…”

“Different how?” Dean demanded.

“Well, daddy and Kaylie actually started to be nice to each other which was a good thing, and then Kaylie disappeared, and daddy just… he just he was acting different, like really weird and sad and stuff… and oh compasses don’t work here, is that the kind of weird you want?” Tobby asked wanting to get the agents approval.

“Compassed don’t work? Can you show us what you mean.” Sam said looking at Dean confused. Tobby got up and lead the boys up to his room where the walls were decorated in everything army, pictures of Tobby as a boyscout . Tobby opened his drawer and took out a compass, he handed it to Dean and said “North is that way” pointing to the window. Dean looked down at the compass which showed North being in the direction of the other corner near the door. “And its not just this one, its all of them, the locals don’t seem to care cause its been like this for ever, but idk its weird right?” Tobby added. Dean and Sam looked at each other, neither of them knew what it meant but they knew it was something they needed to figure out.

“Can we take this with us Tobby?”

“Yeah sure, its not like its any good”

Sam and Dean decided to follow the compass, it had brought into the middle of the middle of no where. They were off the main road leading to Overbrook in the forest which led them to this little mountain. “Dean, I don’t know about this anymore, maybe theres just something wrong with the magnetic currents here or something.” Sam conceeded starting to be tired and hungry.

“K’mon we gotta be close to something, I can feel it” Dean assured. They kept walking another few minutes until they got to a big rocky whole, which must be the entrance to a cave of some sorts. *

“I guess we’re going down there…” Dean hesitated. “I mean it looks pretty promising” Sam stated looking at his brother before making sure his gun was ready for immediate use in case of emergency. They both hesitated before finally walking into the dark cave, both with there flashlights on and Sam with his gun out they crawled through a smaller section to get to an enormous section where the celling was so high that even the gigantor Sam couldn’t reach.

“Wow” They both exclaimed as they started to explore separately the area which was bigger than the main area of their bunker. Sam was looking at the marvellous rock walls while walking to the center of the area while Dean tried to see where the compass was leading but the compass was spinning showing no real direction. Dean snapped out of his confused went he heard a load collapsing sound, he looked up at his brother who had fallen flat on his face.

“Dude..” Dean said laughing his ass off. “Did you just trip over yourself again?” he continued laughing. Sam didn’t think it was so funny as he got up and brushed himself off slightly confused on how we had ended up on the ground. He carefully looked at the area on the ground were he has tripped and saw nothing but he was sure he felt something earlier as he fell.

“What?” Dean questioned seeing Sam was truly confused and concerned. Sam continued looking at the ground and decided to check it thoroughly with his feet slidding them cautiously so we wouldn’t trip again. His right foot bumped into something hard but not quite as hard a a rock, but he couldn’t see anything. He looked up to give a look of uncertainty to his older brother who proceeded to move closer also very cautiously. Sam bent down to feel whatever invisible thing he had just discovered. His hands moved along the surface of what looked like absolutely nothing but felt like something until he finally realised what the hell he tripped over.

“It’s a body!” he gasped.

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

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A Lover’s Dream: Deepwater Horizon Fanfic Masterlist

Chapter 1: The Morning Of

Chapter 2: I Hate Goodbyes

Chapter 3: Skype Session 1

Chapter 4: The Support Group

Chapter 5: Lunch With Dad

Chapter 6: Skype Session 2

Chapter 7: Step-Monster to the Bride

Chapter 8: Dinner with Fel and Syd

Chapter 9: Skype Session 3

Chapter 10: It Begins

Chapter 11: Sticking Together

Chapter 12: Sick With Worry

Chapter 13: Surprise

Chapter 14: Almost Giving Up

Chapter 15: Keep Fighting

Chapter 16: Never Turn On The News

Chapter 17: What Do We Do Know?

Chapter 18: Answer That Call

Chapter 19: Eagerly Waiting

Chapter 20: Back In My Arms

Chapter 21: Welcome To The World

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

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Chapter 1: The Morning Of

Masterlist

Abby's POV

Not many things keep me up at night. I'm not afraid of the dark. Scary movies have no effect on me. And, I don't mind being alone.

The only thing that has that dooming power over me, is the knowledge that in the morning, the love of my life is shipping out to an oil rig for the next three months.

I rolled over to see Caleb still sleeping soundly. With a sigh on my lips, I glanced at the clock blinking on my nightstand.

2:37 am.

I sighed as I slowly rolled back over so I was facing Caleb. I resisted the urge to reach forward and run my fingers through his hair. Even though he was a heavy sleeper, I didn't want to accidentally wake him up by snuggling with him.

I gently rolled over, my back now facing Caleb, as tears built up. I covered my mouth when I struggled to hold in my sob. My breath got caught in my throat as I felt Caleb rollover. I took slow, deep breaths struggling to hold in my sob as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"I know you're crying," he whispered as he kissed my shoulder. His arm tightened around my waist before I felt him lean up on his elbow.

"Abs?" He whispered. I took a deep breath before rolling over.

"Hi, baby." My voice was soft and got caught in my throat. I looked up at him to see him already sending me a knowing look.

He bit his lip, letting out a sigh of defeat. He laid back down, pulling me over so my head was resting on his chest. "Try and get some sleep," he whispered as he started rubbing circles on my back.

Soon, I felt his breathing slow. I bit back a laugh at how fast he had fallen back asleep. "You fall asleep the second you close your eyes," I mumbled with a smile on my lips. "Literally."

* * * * *

I woke up a few hours later, Caleb's arm wrapped around my waist with my back pressed to his chest. I sighed as I looked over my shoulder to see Caleb smiling down at me.

"You watching me sleep?" I teased. I reached up and cupped his cheek, smiling at the blush that was forming.

"I couldn't help it," he shrugged. "You look so peaceful."

"Yeah," I laughed. "It's when I'm awake you have to watch out." I tried to get out of bed but laughed when Caleb tightened his arm around my waist.

"Caleb," I sighed with a small laugh. "Are you keeping me hostage?"

"You didn't mind it on our one year anniversary," he smirked as he kissed my shoulder.

"Shut up," I laughed, playfully pushing him away. I giggled as he wrapped both arms around my waist, pulling me closer to his chest.

With his arms still wrapped around me, I turned around so our noses were almost touching. I smiled as he reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

The smile fell from my lips once I remembered what today entitled. My heart sank when the thought came into my mind that this time tomorrow, I'll be in this bed alone.

"Abby," he started.

"We should really get up and start getting ready. Mike will kill you if you're late." I started to sit up as I continued to ramble on. "I can make you a smoothie while you finish packing. That way you can drink it on the drive there. Unless you don't want to drive, then you can warm up a breakfast burrito or toast a bagel. If you want. . ." I gasped when Caleb grabbed my chin, turned me towards him and pressed his lips to mine.

I quickly got lost in the kiss as I moved my lips against his. He let go of my cheek and put that hand on my waist. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck as he slowly laid us back down.

Caleb was the first to pull away. I opened my eyes to see him staring lovingly down at me. "You know I love you, right?" He asked, his voice coming out a whisper.

"Just like how you know I love you," I smiled up at him. "Caleb," I started.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, cutting me off. I tilted my head confused, waiting for him to continue. "I know that the next three months are going to be hard, but. . . Maybe I shouldn't go."

"What?" My heart dropped. Part of me was excited but the other part knew that it was wrong for me to ask him to stay.

"Caleb," I sighed, him still hovering over me. I ran my hands up his chest, eventually running my fingers through his hair as I spoke. "You are going. You have wanted to do this since we were in high school. It's been your dream all these years. I am not letting you just give that up the morning of."

"I know," he stuttered. "But you are my dream. Marrying you, starting a family, having a life with you. That's my dream."

"Well, you've already started that dream," I said showing him the ring on my finger. "But, before we can continue, you should finish your oil rig dream."

"But," he started.

"No buts," I laughed. "I love you, baby, and there is no way I am letting you chicken out at the last minute."

"I am not a chicken," he said sternly, with a small pout on his lips. I laughed as I leaned up and pressed my lips to his. I pulled away, laid back down and opened my eyes when I heard Caleb let out the breath he was holding.

"I love you, Abby. With everything I've got. Just say the word and I will stay, right here, with you," he whispered.

Even though I wanted to hesitate, I knew I didn't have to. "You're going," I said sternly. "You and I are going to be fine. It's only three months."

"But," he sighed.

"But nothing. We're going to be just fine. It's not like we won't have any communication. They let you video chat. And I'll make sure my work schedule doesn't interfere."

"Maybe," he stuttered. "Maybe you can get some of the wedding planning out of the way while I'm gone."

"Absolutely not," I cut him off, shaking my head. "I am not planning one thing until you are home."

He sent me a small smile before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. "We should really start getting ready," I said between kisses.

"True," Caleb sighed as he started kissing my neck. I sucked in a breath as he slid one of his hands under my shirt. "Or we could spend our last morning, together, before I leave for three months."

I couldn't help but laugh at what he was suggesting. "I thought you didn't like mornings together unless we were in the shower," I smirked as he pulled away.

He reached up, slowly pulling my shirt over my head with a smirk on his face. "I can make an exception," he said before smashing his lips back on mine, the kiss instantly heated.

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

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Chapter 3: Skype Session 1

Masterlist

Abby's POV

It was the end of the first week and I was eagerly waiting to leave work so I could go home and get ready for Caleb's and my first Skype session. My boss was kind enough to let me leave early. Usually, she was a very strict 9-5 working woman, but she was also a huge romantic.

The drive home was agonizing. I kept checking the clock on the dashboard to make sure I would still have time to freshen up before he called. I pulled into our driveway and turned my car off. I took a deep breath before getting out.

As I unlocked the front door, I noticed my hands were shaking. I put my purse on the kitchen table before jogging up the stairs. After fixing my hair and making sure I looked nice, I grabbed my laptop and logged onto Skype.

I checked my watch and let out a sigh when I noticed I had ten minutes before Caleb would call. I put my computer to the side and headed downstairs to the kitchen. With a glass of wine in my hand, I headed back upstairs.

I settled back against the headboard, my computer in my lap. I almost choked on my wine as my computer started to ring. I put my glass on the bedside table and instantly answered the call.

I smiled when a blurry image of Caleb popped up on my screen. "There's my girl," he smiled.

"Hi, baby." My voice got caught in my throat as I stared at my fiancé.

"Damn, I miss you.'" He said suddenly, a sob instantly getting caught in my throat. "I didn't think I would miss you this much, this fast."

"I miss you too," I said softly. I looked down and wiped non-existent dust off my computer. I bit my lip when I heard him let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said, making me look up at him. "I told myself that I wasn't going to say anything about missing you. I didn't want to spend our first Skype session talking about how much we miss each other and how much harder this is than we originally thought. I'm sorry, babe."

"It's okay," I said, taking a deep breath. A smile slowly formed on my lips. I cleared my throat as I sat up straighter. "How did your first week go?" I asked, changing the subject.

"It's good," he stuttered.

"Just good?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"It's just," he sighed, "it's not exactly what I expected."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the crew messing with each other while they work is what I thought would happen, but the actual job is different. I thought it would be more. . . hands-on."

"It's not?"

"It is, but it isn't." I let out a small laugh, making him smile.

"Babe, you aren't making any sense." I stopped when I noticed the smile fall from his lips. "You okay?"

"I thought that coming here, would be a really cool experience, and it is, but it's not. . ." He hesitated, avoiding eye contact.

"Not what?" He looked back at me, a small sigh leaving his lips.

"Not worth it," he said, looking at me with soft eyes. "It's not worth being away from home. From you."

"Caleb," I sighed, cutting him off. "It's just the first week, babe. It'll get better. What you need to do is erase any expectations you had back in high school and just take it one day at a time."

"Is that what you're doing?"

"Yep," I said without hesitating. "I don't look at it as you being gone three months. I look at it as you being gone today. And, so far, it's working. I'm not saying that I don't miss you, because I do. But taking it one day at a time helps me get through the day."

His smile slowly made its way back to his lips. "I love you," he said randomly making me laugh.

"I love you too."

We sat there for a few beats, neither one of us saying anything. Suddenly, a loud crash made us both jump. Caleb turned around to see what the sound was. When he looked back at me, we both laughed.

"So," he laughed, "how was your week?"

"Oh, you know. Grocery shopping, went to dinner with Felicia and Sydney the other night, and work where people look at me with sad smiles. Oh! And we can't forget how my step-mom barged into the house two days after you left with at least 15 binders of wedding stuff."

Caleb sent me an apologetic look. "She tried to get you to start planning? Again?"

"Yep," I said popping the "p" as I rolled my eyes. "It's not that she shoved Bridal magazines in my face, it was the insensitivity of it. I mean, you had just barely left."

"Well," he sighed. "I love you, but maybe she's right. Planning the wedding could help the time go by faster."

"I am not planning the wedding without you," I said sternly. "And, guess what she said to me."

"I almost don't want to know," he sighed.

"She said that I had nothing else to do so I might as well plan it. Even if you may not come home." I paused as my voice broke. "How can she say that?"

"Abs," he said softly, trying to cut me off.

"How can she even hint at you not coming home? I mean, no mother, especially step-mother should say something like that. No one should say something like that."

"Abs?"

"She has no right to try and pressure me into planning our wedding. I don't even want her there. She's just going to make it all about her."

"Abby."

"She doesn't even want me to plan it. She wants to plan everything. She even picked out a dress I just have to have because it'll look great on me. Like she could possibly know what will look great on me."

"Abby?"

"Why don't people understand that I don't want to plan our wedding without you? I mean, it's your wedding too. I know that people say all the groom has to do is show up, but I don't want it to be like that with us. I want you to have opinions and make decisions with me."

"Abigail."

"I already have to plan my wedding without my mom," I said the tears streaming down my cheeks. "I'm not planning it without you too."

I finally stopped talking, looking down as the tears continued to stream down my cheeks. After a few seconds of silence, Caleb softly said my name.

"Abby?" I looked up to see him watching me with a sad smile. "If you don't want to plan the wedding until I get back, then don't."

I let out a sigh of relief as he continued, "But, I wouldn't mind if you did. I love you and want you to have the perfect wedding day. I will tell you right now that I agree with whatever decisions you make for the wedding. I just ask that you wait to pick out the food and taste the cake for me to come home."

I let out a small laugh as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. "I love you," I laughed.

"I love you, too." He paused before adding, "If you wanted, we could make some decisions now?" He offered.

"Like what?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.

"Like colors," he said after he thought about it for a second. "What colors do you want?"

I bit my lip, hesitating. If I was honest, I have planned certain aspects. I mean, hasn't every girl?

"I don't want to be too wedding cliché," I said, making him laugh.

"That's okay," he shrugged. He sent me a smirk as he added, "I like cliché."

"What about burgundy, blush, evergreen, and a light tan?"

Caleb thought about it before letting out a soft chuckle. "I have no idea what those colors are."

I laughed, playfully rolling my eyes. "Dark red, light pink, dark green and light brown," I explained.

"Oh," he elongated. "Then, yes. I think those will look nice." He sent me a wink, making me blush.

Suddenly, something on the other side of the room distracted Caleb. There was some hushed whispering before he turned back to me, a sad smile now present on his lips.

"Let me guess," I said softly. "You have to go?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Same time next month?" I asked as I tried to memorize his face.

"I love you, Abby."

"I love you too, Caleb."

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

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Chapter 2: I Hate Goodbyes

Masterlist

Abby's POV

After our together time, I quickly hopped in the shower while Caleb finished packing. I was wrapping the towel around my body when the bathroom door opened. I looked up and rolled my eyes as he leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed and a satisfied sigh leaving his lips.

"What?"

"Just taking it all in," he sighed dramatically as he walked into the bathroom. I held back a laugh, playfully glaring at him instead, as he walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

I bit my lip as he instantly started sucking on my neck. "Caleb," I moaned. "If we continue, you are most definitely going to be late. And I don't think Mike will hold the boat for you."

He leaned away, a small pout on his lips. I turned around and wrapped arms around his neck as he leaned against the counter, pulling me with him.

We stood like that, neither one of us saying anything. Chewing my bottom lip, I reached up and ran my hands through his hair. "You should shower," I whispered, breaking the silence. "I'll finish getting dressed then make you a smoothie."

I let him go and started walking out of the bathroom. I gasped as he grabbed my wrist, pulling me back. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine.

It wasn't like the kisses we shared this morning. It was soft and slow and full of love. He pulled away, leaving us both out of breath.

"I love you, Abby. I don't want you to forget that."

"I could never forget that."

* * * * *

The drive to the pier was quiet. The only sound filling the car was the soft beats of the radio. Leading up to today, I've always tried to be strong. Never complaining about the distance or the time or the difficulty with communication. I never said anything about the oil rig being dangerous. The only time I ever cried, it was either while he was still asleep or I was alone.

But, the closer we got to the pier, the harder it was to hold back the tears. I struggled even more when I felt Caleb reach over, grab my hand and intertwine our fingers. I closed my eyes, taking a slow breath hoping to calm myself down.

We still hadn't said a word as we parked a little bit away from the pier. Once we were parked, I heard the turning of keys and the ignition shut off. I was chewing on my bottom lip when I felt Caleb look over at me.

"You ready?" From the way his voice shook, I could tell he was fighting back tears.

"No," I said unable to stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks. Caleb reached over and pulled me into his chest. As he ran his fingers through my hair, I cried into his chest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered between sobs. "I've been trying to be strong, I just. . . Can't anymore."

"I know, baby," he hummed. "You have been incredible these past couple of months. But you don't have to be strong anymore."

I pulled out of the hug, his arms still wrapped around my waist, as I looked right into his eyes. "I need you to promise me something," I said the tears slowly stopping.

"Anything, babe."

"I need you to promise me that you will be safe. That you won't be stupid. That you'll listen to your superiors. That you'll call me when you get the chance. That you'll be smart. That you'll have fun, but not the kind of fun that gets you in trouble. Or hurt. I need. . . I need you to be safe." My voice broke at the end causing Caleb to pull me back into his chest.

"I promise," he whispered.

"I need you to be safe," I repeated as my tears fell on the front of his shirt. "I need you to come home to me."

He pulled out of the hug and caught a tear with his thumb. "I will always come home to you because you are my home."

I let out a small laugh. "Why are you so cheesy? I'm being serious."

"Sorry," he laughed. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

We were silent for a moment, just staring at each other. "I'm serious about you being safe," I said, breaking the silence. "I planned to start a life with you and I intend on sticking to it."

My comment made him laugh as he reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. Before the kiss could get too heated, I pulled away.

"Let's go," I whispered. "The guys are waiting."

As we walked to the pier hand-in-hand, I had to take slow, deep breaths to keep myself from collapsing to the floor, sobbing. My breath got caught in my throat when I saw the check-in desk. I looked behind it to see a large ship that was transporting the workers and supplies out to the oil rig that was 41 miles off the coast.

I felt Caleb look at me, tightening his hold on my hand. I took a deep breath before looking over at him. He sent me a reassuring smile as we continued to walk towards the desk.

I chewed on my bottom lip as he signed in at the desk. I found myself subconsciously spinning my engagement ring around my finger. I stopped and shoved my hands into my back pockets. I was looking at the ground when I noticed Caleb's shoes turn around. I looked up to see him standing close to me. Without saying anything, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in a small kiss.

"Come on," he whispered. He grabbed my hand and led me down the pier.

"Hollywood!"

We jumped and turned around to see Mike Williams walking towards us. As he hugged Caleb, I walked over to his wife, Felicia, and their daughter, Sydney.

"Hey, honey." She smiled as she pulled me into a hug. "How you doing?" She whispered, rubbing my back.

I sighed as we pulled away. "I'm okay," I shrugged.

"Listen, I know it's hard. But, just know, that if you need anything, you can give me a call or come over."

"I really appreciate that, Felicia. Thank you." I smiled. I laughed as she pulled me in for another hug. I stepped away from her and walked over to Sydney.

"Hey, kiddo," I said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Hi, Abby." I looked down at her, my heart sinking.

"And how is future Mrs. Hollywood doing?" I laughed as Mike walked over and gave me a hug.

"I'm okay," I laughed, pulling out of the hug. "I'm gonna need you to keep an eye on him for me though."

"Don't worry," he said rubbing his hands up and down my arms. "I'll make sure you don't become a widow."

My breath got caught in my throat at his words. "Mike," I heard Felicia sigh. He looked over at his wife before looking back at me.

"I didn't mean," he stuttered.

"It's okay," I shrugged, trying to laugh it off. I looked behind him to see Caleb watching me with sad eyes. Mike gave my arms a tight squeeze before finally letting me go.

Caleb instantly walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my waist. I looked up at him and sent him a reassuring smile. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Mike was about to say something when an announcement rang through the speakers. "The ship will be departing in five minutes."

I looked up at Caleb to see him already looking at me. With tears in my eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He kissed my temple as he tightened his arms around my waist.

He pulled away and used both hands to tuck my bangs behind my ears. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I said shakily. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. He pulled away too early for my liking and pressed his forehead to mine. I smiled as he gently rubbed his nose against mine.

I stood on my toes, giving him a final kiss before finally letting him go. I wrapped my arms around myself as Caleb and Mike started walking towards the boat together.

I took a shaky breath as Caleb looked over his shoulder at me. He sent me a small wave, making me smile. I sent one back as I felt Felicia walk up next to me.

"How about you come over for dinner tonight? Maybe you can figure out Syd's math assignment."

"Sounds good," I said my voice breaking. I looked down when I felt someone hug me.

Sydney looked up at me with a smile on her lips. "It's going to be okay," she said. "The next three months will go by fast."

"You're right," I said with a small laugh. "They will."

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

Text

Chapter 4: The Support Group

Masterlist

Abby's POV

It's been two weeks since Caleb and I Skyped, and I haven't had a proper night's sleep since he left. I was sitting at work, going through files and answering the phone, when I felt my cell phone buzz. I looked to see my boss was preoccupied before looking at the text.

Felicia: Hey, honey. Sydney has to make dinner to earn her Homemaking badge for girls scouts. Want to come over? (If it's bad, I promise I will order pizza.)

I laughed at her text before quickly typing a response.

Me: Sounds like fun. Can I bring anything?

Felicia: Just your cute self. ;) Felicia: Oh, and a dessert. See you tonight? Around 6:30?

Me: That I can do (to both). I will see you two gorgeous ladies tonight at 6:30.

The rest of work went by like normal. Before I knew it, I was at home changing out of my pencil skirt and into a nice pair of jeans.

I drove to their house, the apple pie I picked up from the grocery store in the passenger seat. I parked my car on the street and headed up their driveway.

I smiled as the door swung open. "Abby!" I laughed as Sydney wrapped her arms around me.

"Hey, Syd." I smiled as I hugged her back. "How's my favorite kid?"

"I'm good," she shrugged, pulling out of the hug.

"Just good?" I asked.

"I miss my dad," she said, softly as she looked down at her shoes.

"I know," I said softly, making her look up at me. "I miss Caleb. And I know that they miss us too." I kissed her forehead before walking with her into the kitchen.

"Hey honey," Felicia greeted as we walked into the kitchen.

"I brought a pie."

Felicia looked up at the grocery bag in my hand and smiled. "Store-bought. My favorite," she teased. She laughed before adding, "I actually love that brand. Whenever we have to take food to a party, I buy that brand and say I made it myself."

I laughed at the wink she sent me as we walked into the kitchen. Throughout dinner, as Syd talked about school and her friends, I noticed Felicia watching me. Closer than normal. Almost like she was studying me or seeing right through me.

After dinner, we watched a movie before Felicia made Sydney go to bed. "Night, Abby." She said, giving me a hug before jogging up the stairs.

"Night, Syd," I called up after her. I walked back into the kitchen to see Felicia pouring two glasses of wine. "She's a strong girl."

She looked up at me and smiled. "Yes, she is. I'm proud of her."

I hesitated before asking, "Do you ever hate that Mike leaves you guys every couple of months? It can't. . . It can't be easy on you or Sydney."

"I'd be lying if I said it was easy," she said as she handed me a glass. We walked into the other room, sitting on the couch as we continued to talk.

"It's never easy saying goodbye, but day-to-day you get used to it. You get used to not seeing him every day. You adjust to talking once every few weeks–if that. You get used to going to sleep and waking up alone."

"That's the hardest part for me. Going to sleep just to wake up in a cold, empty bed," I muttered under my breath as I lifted my glass to my lips.

She watched me as I took a sip. "How are you doing with all of this?" She asked gently.

I bit my lip, knowing that if I lied she would see right through me. "The first time is always the hardest," she added.

"I try to be strong, for him. But, it's hard. The other day when we Skyped, he told me that he didn't think it was worth it. He didn't think that what he was doing was worth being away from me."

"What did you say?"

"What was I supposed to say?" I asked, letting out a forced laugh. "I told him that it was. That it was the first week and it would get better. Easier." I sighed as I tucked my knees up under me.

"I miss him, Felicia. So much. All day, I'm terrified. Every time I come home and there is a message on the machine, I fear the worst. I fear that one day, I am going to answer the phone and it will be someone telling me there was an accident. I am constantly terrified that I will never see him again."

At this point, tears were streaming down my cheeks. Felicia reached over and grabbed my hand. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart," she said gently. "It'll take time, but it'll get easier."

She hesitated before adding, "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing," I shrugged.

"There is a group, a support group, for loved ones of workers on the rig. They meet once a week at the church down the street. We get together and talk about our fears. It may seem silly, but it has helped me a lot. Being in a room of people who are also terrified, helps. Come with me. They are always welcoming newcomers."

I thought about it for a second before sighing. It couldn't hurt to go just once, right?

"Sure," I said quietly. "I'll. . I'll come."

She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as she sent me a smile. "It'll be good, I promise."

* * * * *

I sat in the cold chair, subconsciously playing with the seam of my shirt as I avoided eye contact. Felicia was sitting next to me, talking to a woman she knew.

Part of me felt silly sitting in this group. As I looked around, I noticed it was mostly older women, a few men, all in their late thirties to early forties. I was the only one still in their twenties. And it showed.

"Hello, everybody." Said an overly cheery voice. I followed the voice to see a woman, around Felicia's age, in a brightly colored dress with over the top red lipstick.

I tried to pay attention as we went around the circle, but I noticed that the more stories and worries shared, the more my fears intensified. I should have been comforted with how everyone else in the circle felt the same way I did. But, I wasn't. The reassurance was replaced with justification.

"What about you, sweetheart?"

I looked up to see everyone looking at me. I glanced over at Felicia to see her sending me an encouraging smile. I cleared my throat and nervously played with my fingers, subconsciously spinning my engagement ring.

"My name is Abigail Peterson. I'm engaged to Caleb Holloway, but you guys probably know him better as Hollywood." I smiled as a few people around the circle laughed.

"He's the youngest on the rig," I continued. I paused, unsure of what to say. "And. . . I'm scared. I don't know what to expect. I don't know what they do. I don't know if it's dangerous. I don't know the risks."

I paused, trying to stop the tears. I took a deep breath as I continued, "He's my best friend. We've known each other since I moved to town. It was junior year, so everyone already had their tight groups of friends. I spent months eating lunch alone, walking to my classes by myself and not talking to anyone. Until one day, something changed."

I smiled as I remembered that day. "Caleb broke the nonofficial seating chart and sat next to me in our Chemistry class. Not just next to me, but in the seat that made him my partner. It started with him sitting next to me, saying "hi" every day and then went to him sitting with me at lunch, asking if I could help him study, and inviting me to parties. By the end of that year, we had become close friends. Senior year, some girls were bullying me. Well, they had been bullying me since my first day at that school, but senior year they got worse."

I bit back the tears as I looked back down at my hands. "When Caleb found out, he was furious. He started walking me to every class, immediately waiting for me as soon as the bell rang, and whatever else he could do so he was always there. When they tried to bully me again, he instantly stood up for me. He told them to stay away from me and, surprisingly, they did. That's when it all changed," I said, my voice breaking.

"That's when he changed. He started acting differently around me. He would sit closer to me, started putting his arm across the back of my chair, even holding my hand as we walked down the hallway. When prom came around, he asked me to go as his date. That night, he told me he loved me. We've been together ever since."

I looked up to see everyone smiling at me, some woman even had tears in their eyes. "He's always been by my side and now that he isn't. . ." My voice cracked. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. "For as long as I have known him, he's talked about working on the oil rig. So, when he got the chance, he jumped at it. Because I love him, I supported him. How could I not? But, when we woke up the morning he was leaving, he was hesitant."

I looked back down at my hands, tears slowly starting to stream down my cheeks. "He debated whether to go or to stay home, with me. As he went back and forth, I knew that if I had asked him to stay, he would have. But. . . I couldn't, right? I couldn't ask him to give up his dream for me. That's not what love is. Love is supporting each other, through everything. Through anything. I hate the saying, "if you love someone, let them go". I didn't use to hate that saying until I fell in love with Caleb. "

"All I want is to live a life with Caleb. I want to marry him, have a family, and grow old with him. But, this rig risks that dream. I have tried to be strong and brave for him, but. . . it's hard. It's hard when every night, I dream of losing him. It's hard when every time my phone rings, I'm almost too scared to answer it. It's hard when I barely talk to him. It's hard having the man I love be so far away."

I took a deep breath, officially out of things to say. I looked up at the group and shrugged. "I'm scared of losing him. I can't help it." I gasped when I felt someone grab my hand. I looked over to see Felicia smiling at me as she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Abigail," the woman in charge said softly. "It's okay to be scared. We have all felt the worry, the constant fear, the anxiety as we sent off our loved one to a dangerous job. Especially the first time we sent them off. We just have to remember one thing; take it one day at a time."

As they wrapped up the meeting, I kept thinking about the one thing I was supposed to remember. It was definitely easier said than done.

After the meeting, people stayed to eat the refreshments and help clean up. I lost count of how many people came over and said one of the same six things.

"You're doing great."

"You are so strong."

"You will get through this."

"Just take it one day at a time."

"Hang in there, sweetie. It'll get easier."

"I'm proud of you for coming here and telling us your fears."

The woman in charge said all six to me within ten minutes.

"They can be a little intense." I looked over to see Felicia walking over to me.

"Yeah," I said letting out an awkward laugh. "A little."

She pulled me into a side hug. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "The first time is always like that, but you did great."

"Thanks," I sighed.

"Do you want to go get coffee?" She asked, looking at me knowingly.

"No thanks," I said softly. "I have work in the morning. I'm just going to go home."

"Okay," she said hesitantly. I started walking out of the building but stopped when she said my name. "If you need anything, let me know."

I nodded as I sent her a forced smile.

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

Text

Chapter 6: Skype Session 2

Masterlist

Abby's POV

After the disastrous lunch with my dad, I was off the rest of the day. Jenna noticed it the second she walked out of her office as I sat down at my desk with a huff.

"How was lunch with your dad?" Jenna asked gently as she sat in one of the chairs across from my desk. I looked up at her and rolled my eyes.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well, it started with him talking about my job, then went to him offering Caleb a job at his office, and to wrap it all up, he offered to pay for the whole wedding. Oh, and he threw in his offer to have Caleb and I move in with him and the step-monster."

"Sounds. . . Eventful," she said with a small laugh.

"How come, every time I talk to him, it ends with me storming out?"

"You stormed out?" She asked gently.

"Of course I stormed out," I sighed. "He tried to convince me that it was Hannah's place to take control of the wedding." She just nodded, knowing I needed to vent, not have my problems solved.

"Is it crazy that I don't want to plan the wedding until Caleb comes home?" I hesitated to ask.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I don't think it's crazy. I actually think it's sweet that you're waiting. Plus, I understand why you're waiting."

"I'm waiting so he can participate," I clarified.

"I know," she nodded. "That's great. But aren't you also waiting in case. . . "

"In case he doesn't come home," I whispered. She sent me a sad smile as she sighed.

"Why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'll just be doing paperwork. Plus, isn't tonight a Skype night?"

They had it scheduled out that at the end of the first week of each month, the workers were able to Skype home. Since it was the end of the first week of their second month on the rig, Caleb and I were able to Skype again tonight.

"I can't," I stuttered. "I should probably. . . I have a lot to do."

"Abby," she sighed. "Honey, go home. I can handle things here."

* * * * *

When I got home, I took a well-needed bath. I sunk lower into the tub as I went over WWIII that happened barely an hour ago. I closed my eyes and let the hot water relax my muscles.

My thoughts immediately drifted to Caleb. After the hellish week I've had with the support group making me feel worse and my dad sticking his nose into things that he should really stay out of, I needed another Skype session with Caleb. I needed to see him. I needed to hear his voice. I needed to talk to him. I needed him.

I smiled as I imagined him coming home from work, calling me from the doorway. I'd yell down to him, letting him know where I was. I would hear the thumping of jogging footsteps up the stairs.

"Abs?" He'd call out the nickname he gave me senior year that I love so much.

"In here," I'd say. I'd turn my head as the bathroom door opened. A blush would make its way to my lips the second a smirk formed on his.

"Rough day?" He guessed as he leaned against the doorway.

"I had lunch with my dad," I'd sigh. He'd send me a sad smile as he walked over, sitting on the edge of the tub. He'd reach down and grab my hand, instantly intertwining our fingers.

"I'm sorry," he'd whisper, slowly scanning my face. I'd just shrug, not wanting to talk about it.

I'd raised my eyebrows as Caleb suddenly smirked. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I'd asked with a small giggle, already knowing what he was going to do.

"Just thinking about how I can help you relax." He'd say, lowering his voice. He'd glance at the bubbles covering my body and then back up at me.

"Get in," I'd tease before he could vocalize what he wanted to do.

He'd laugh as he reached up and undid his tie. I'd watch as he quickly got undressed, tossing his clothes in the hamper. I'd scoot over slightly so he could get in. I'd laugh when he hissed as he slowly got in the tub.

"Damn, girl. You trying to cook yourself or something?" He'd joke as he laid next to me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me back against his bare chest.

"It's called I had a rough day and needed to melt my problems away," I'd smile as I relaxed into his hold. I'd bite my bottom lip as he started to press soft kisses to my neck.

I'd accidentally let out a moan as he started to massage my shoulders. "I'm sorry you're so stressed, baby." He'd whisper in my ear.

We'd lay in the tub together, neither one of us saying anything. Eventually, the bubbles would be gone. I wouldn't make a move to get out until I felt myself starting to fall asleep.

"Where are you going?" He'd whisper as I tried to get out of the tub. I'd turn around and hold in a laugh when I noticed his eyes were closed.

"I'm falling asleep and as much as I enjoy being in the tub with you, I'd rather not drown." My comment would make him open one of his eyes, a smirk present on his lips.

"Fine," he'd sigh. We'd get out of the tub, wrapping towels around ourselves and I would unplug the drain.

I'd walk into the bedroom, Caleb right behind me. I'd start to walk towards the closet, but gasp when I felt Caleb wrap his arms around my waist and pull me against his chest.

Without a word, he'd turn me around and instantly press his lips to mine. Our lips would move in sync as he walked us over to the bed. I'd get goosebumps the second our towels pooled around our ankles.

I jumped back to reality before I got too lost in the fantasy of Caleb being home. I sighed as I got up and wrapped my robe around my body. I unplugged the tub, tears involuntarily sliding down my cheeks.

I walked over to the vanity and started brushing out my hair, all with tears streaming down my cheeks. I looked over at a picture I had on the counter of Caleb and I. It was a simple picture of us at the beach. He was standing behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

As I scanned the big smile I had on my face in the picture, a sob escaped my lips. I put my face in my hands and let go of the sob I have been holding back since he left.

When the sobs finally subsided, I took a deep breath and looked at my reflection in the vanity mirror. I stood up and walked over to the sink. I turned it on, put my hands under the water and splashed my face. I looked up and let out a sigh of relief when I noticed the redness in my eyes and cheek starting to go away.

As I dried my face off, I heard my laptop ringing. I threw the towel in the hamper and jumped onto my bed. I didn't hesitate to answer the call.

"Hey, babe." Just hearing his voice made me relax.

"Hi, baby," I said, my voice still scratchy from crying.

"You doing okay?" He asked gently. I nodded but stopped when I saw the look on his face. "What's going on, Abs?"

"It's just," I said, my voice breaking. "This week has been a little rough. . ."

"How?" He asked, almost a whisper.

"Well," I cleared my throat. "I went to that support group that Felicia suggested."

"And? Did it help?"

"Honestly? Not really." He smiled softly at my response. "I mean. . . I know that it should've reassured me that other people were feeling the way I do, but. . . All it did was make all the fears and nerves I have worse."

"I'm sorry, baby. I wish there was something I could do," he sighed.

"It's okay," I said instantly. "I mean. . . It's not your fault. I'm fine."

He sent me a look that told me he knew better. "Abby, I don't want you to be miserable while I'm gone. I hate how this is affecting you."

"Caleb," I interrupted before he could start rambling. "I'm so proud of what you are doing. Yes, I miss you. But, I'll be fine. Please don't worry about me."

"I always worry about you, baby."

"I know," I said with a soft laugh. "And I love you for it."

"I love you too."

We sat there, neither one of us saying a word. Caleb suddenly laughed when he looked down, noticing I was sitting in my bathrobe.

"Sorry," I said, my cheeks burning. "I was taking a bath and had just gotten out before you called. I didn't have time to get dressed."

"It's alright," he laughed. Suddenly, the smile fell from his lips. "You took a bath. . . Everything okay?"

I looked down, hesitating to tell him about the lunch with my dad. "Abby?" He said, making me look up at him.

"I had lunch with my dad," I rushed out, making his face fall.

"Let me guess," he sighed. "Did he try to pay for the wedding? And offered to have us live with them for the first year?"

"And offered you a job." His eyes widened slightly.

"Oh," he cleared his throat. "That's. . . New."

"I told him off," I quickly added. "I told him that we were going to figure things out. I told him. . ."

I closed my eyes when my voice broke. "I'm sorry," I whispered, my eyes still closed.

"Abby?" Caleb's voice came out soft. "Please look at me, baby."

I took a deep breath before slowly opening my eyes. "I love you, Abby. So much."

"I love you too," I said, barely audible. "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"I didn't think this would be so hard," I said mostly to myself. I looked up to see him nodding. I cleared my throat and sat up straighter.

"Enough about me. How's the rig?"

I smiled as his eyes brightened. "It's gotten better."

"Really? That's great, babe. I told you it would."

"I know," he laughed. "I need to listen to you more."

I laughed as he told a story about something that happened this week. I tried to follow along even though I barely understood half of what he was saying.

Suddenly, he stopped talking. "Caleb? You okay?"

"Yeah," he stuttered. "I just. . . I can't help but feel guilty."

"Guilty?"

"Well, yeah." He sighed. "I'm having a good time, learning a lot and you're. . ."

"Caleb," I sighed. I sent him a look that made him laugh. "Babe, I agreed to this, so you shouldn't feel guilty. I'm glad you're having a good time and learning a lot. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"I'll always worry about you, Abs. Even when I'm right next to you."

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

Text

Chapter 7: Step-Monster to the Bride

Masterlist

Abby's POV

It's been almost two weeks since my last Skype call with Caleb. A little more than a month left until he comes home.

I haven't spoken to my father since I stormed out of the restaurant. I've gotten a few "update" emails that have told me about Caleb's health and safety. Since he and I had our second Skype session, he's been fine. No alerts, no problems with the machinery, and no visits to the infirmary.

I woke up as the sun shown through my window. I rolled over in bed, immediately feeling the cold space next to me. I closed my eyes as I snuggled into his empty spot. As the smell of his cologne hit my nose, my eyes watered and I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed. I let out a sigh when I remembered that it was Saturday, so I could spend all day in bed.

I shouldn't, but I could.

I sighed when I gathered all the strength I could and sat up, swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. I gasped when I felt the cold floor under my bare feet.

I rubbed my hands over my face, an exhausted sigh leaving my lips. I ran my hands through my hair, brushing it out with my fingers. I looked over at my bedside table, my eyes instantly falling on the picture of Caleb and I. It was the picture we took after Caleb proposed to me.

I smiled, memories from that day replaying in my mind, as I got up and started getting ready for a day of missing my fiancé.

~•~

I woke up to the sound of Caleb talking to someone on the phone. I rolled over to see him standing in the hallway, outside our bedroom, his phone pressed to his ear and his back to me. I sat up and waited for him to get off the phone.

When he turned around, tucking his phone into his pocket, his eyes instantly met mine. "Hi, baby." He said, trying to act nonchalant.

"Morning," I smiled as I started to get out of bed. I stood up and gasped as Caleb was suddenly right in front of me.

"You okay?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. He just hummed as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his chest.

"Want to go on an adventure with me today?"

His innocent yet heavy question made me let out a small laugh. Caleb is known for going on random, sometimes dangerous and stupid, adventures. He calls them adventures, but they are really more like "wonderings". Nine times out of ten, we end up lost.

"I'd love to," I sighed, playfully. "But I have to go to work."

"No, you don't," he said sing-songy like he knew something I didn't.

"Yes, I do," I said, slowly.

"Not anymore," he smiled cheekily at me.

"Caleb," I elongated his name. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," he said, taking a step back with his hands up like he was showing me he was innocent. "I just called your boss and asked her for the day off."

"Just?" I teased. I thought about it for a second before asking, "And she was okay with it?"

"Yep," he said popping the "p".

I hummed, not hiding my surprise as I walked over to our closet and started searching for something to wear. "What kind of adventure are we going on? I need to know what to prepare for."

I heard him laugh as he walked up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder as I put my hands over his.

"How about a hike? And a picnic when we get there?"

"There?" I asked, craning my neck to see the smirk on his face. He sent me a knowing look before letting me go and heading towards our bathroom. I just shrugged as I started getting ready.

A few hours later, we were walking hand-in-hand up a mountain about 45 minutes out of town. The closer we got to the top, the more nervous Caleb was getting. I tried to shake it off, but I couldn't stop myself from worrying about him.

Once we got to the top, I let go of his hand and walked closer to the edge. A smile spread across my face as I looked out over the city. "I know we hike this trail all the time, but I never get tired of the view."

"Neither do I," he said, sounding weird.

I turned around, my hand instantly flying to my mouth. Caleb was smiling up at me, bent on one knee, with a box in his hand. My eyes watered as he slowly and carefully opened it.

"There is probably a more romantic way I could do this," he started with a small laugh, his eyes watering too. "But I just couldn't stand not being engaged to you anymore. Abigail, we have been through a lot. I've been in love with you since the first day I sat next to you in class and you looked at me like I had three heads. When you finally opened up to me and let me in, I felt like the luckiest person. I love you, Abby. More than anything in the world. I promise to do whatever it takes to make you happy. I will always be there for you, always willing to do what you need. I will work every day to give you the life you want, the life you deserve. I will run to the grocery store to get you seedless watermelon when you crave it at 3 in the morning."

I laughed as happy tears streamed down my cheeks. "I love you, Abby. With everything I've got. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you. So, Abigail Peterson, will you marry me?"

"Yes," I said without a second of hesitation.

I repeated my answer, laughing slightly, as he slipped the ring on my finger. He stood up and instantly pressed his lips to mine. We stood on the top of the mountain, our lips moving in sync. He pulled away and pressed his forehead to mine.

"I love you too, Caleb."

~•~

After I said yes, we took a picture with him kissing my cheek as I held up my hand, showing the camera the ring on my finger. I looked down and subconsciously spun the ring I haven't taken off since he put it on me.

I stood up straighter and took a deep breath before finishing getting ready. I was in the kitchen, making coffee when there was a knock at the door. The second I looked through the peephole, I let out an annoyed sigh, preparing myself for what was to come.

"Hannah," I sighed as I opened the door. "What are you doing here?" My heart dropped when I saw the wedding magazines in her arms. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes when she was practically hugging the magazines to her chest.

"I know you don't want to plan," she started.

"You're right," I cut her off. "I don't and you aren't going to suddenly change my mind."

"Just hear me out," she said quickly. I started to say something, but she cut me off. "We don't have to "plan" anything. We could just talk about the wedding, the reception, your dress, the colors, the food."

"Hannah!" I had to yell to get her to stop talking. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you this; I am not and will not plan any aspect of my wedding without Caleb. Remember him? He's the love of my life, my best friend, the man who will be waiting for me at the end of the aisle! And if you say anything about him not coming home, I'm going to scream."

"Honey," she sighed like she was getting ready to lecture me.

"Don't," I said harshly. "Nothing you could say is going to change my mind. Now, I'm going to ask you nicely to leave and I'm only going to do it once."

She looked at me as if she was waiting for me to tell her I was kidding. I folded my arms across my chest, showing her I wasn't. She let out an annoyed sigh, the kind of sigh a teenager who was told they couldn't go to the party of the year would let out.

"I'm just trying to help," she said in her best mother voice.

"I don't want your help. It's already hard enough having him miles away, working a dangerous job. It's become unbearable with you and my father constantly bothering me about the wedding and my life decisions. I am going to marry Caleb after he comes home. Even if that means without my father and you. Now, please leave me alone."

I didn't let her say anything else as I slammed the door. I heard her mumble something as she walked away. I turned around and leaned my back against the door. I let out a shaky breath as a single tear streamed down my cheek.

I sighed as I knew what was going to happen next. "Twenty bucks says dad's going to call to lecture me," I mumbled. "By lunch."

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

Text

Chapter 5: Lunch With Dad

Masterlist

Abby's POV

I was zoning in and out at work when my phone started going off. I checked to see my boss was still in her office before grabbing it. I sighed when I saw who it was.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hi, sweetie. I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said almost accusingly.

"Nothing too big. What's up?" I asked, running my hand through my hair.

"I'd like to set up a lunch with you."

"Set up a lunch?" I asked. "You mean go to lunch with me? Your daughter?"

"Yes," he sighed. "I will meet you at Juan's Mexican Grill at noon."

"Okay. I will see you then." He hung up without saying anything. "I will see you for our lunch meeting, Mr. Peterson."

Noon came a lot faster than I had wished. Before I knew it, I was parked in front of the Mexican restaurant my dad had requested. I groaned as I got out of my car and headed inside.

"Hola and welcome to Juan's Mexican Grill. How many in your party?" The bored teenager asked me.

"Just me and one other. He is probably already here," I mumbled when I looked down at noticed I was three minutes late. And yes, three minutes is a big deal to my father.

"Mr. Peterson," the boy sighed like he already knew. "He said you'd be later."

I rolled my eyes as he grabbed a menu and started leading me through the restaurant. I bit my lip as my father came into view. He was sitting in a booth, talking to someone on the phone while doing work on a tablet.

"Hi, Dad," I said as I sat down. He didn't look up at me but held up one finger. I rolled my eyes as I took the menu from the waiter.

"I'll umm. . . I'll come back and take your order in a few minutes," he said, looking between my father and me.

My father just waved his hand admissibly while I sent the poor waiter a small smile. "Thank you."

I looked at my father before sighing. I turned my attention to the menu and started scanning the varied meals. "How was work?" I heard him ask.

"Was that to me?" I asked, sending him a knowing look. He hesitated before hanging up his phone and putting it and his tablet to the side.

"Sorry," he said, raising his hands to show they were empty. I waited for him to say something, but he just stared at me. I sighed as I turned my attention back to the menu.

"Are you guys ready to order?"

"Yes," my father said shortly. "I will have two pork tacos and a water. With lemon."

The waiter wrote it down and looked towards me, waiting for me to order. "Can I get a chicken quesadilla with guacamole on the side? And a diet coke."

"Alright, I will bring some chips and salsa while you wait." He took our menus and headed back to the kitchen.

I sat back, folded my hands in my lap, and waited for my dad to say something. He just smiled at me, making me feel uneasy.

"So?" I asked.

"So, how's work?"

"Work is good," I shrugged.

"Are you still Jenna Taylor's assistant?" He asked, sounding a bit condescending.

"Yes, dad." I sighed. "I am still the assistant to one of the top lawyers in town and no, I don't want to go any higher. I'm fine where I'm at."

"But, are you?"

"Yes," I sighed. "Look, Dad, I love working for Jenna. I'm not a lawyer, but she still allows me to help out more than I probably should. I'm happy where I'm at. I know that may sound weird coming from the daughter of the city's top accountant, but I am."

Dad just sat back and looked at me. I held my breath, waiting for his response. "Abigail," he sighed. Before he could continue, the waiter came over with our drinks and a basket of chips and salsa.

My dad waited for the waiter to leave before clearing his throat and slowly taking a drink of his water. "Abigail, we need to talk about Caleb."

My heart jumped into my throat. I subconsciously started playing with my engagement ring. "What about Caleb?"

"I know he is off playing engineer," he sighed.

"He isn't playing. He is," I mumbled as my dad continued.

"But we need to start thinking seriously about what he is going to do when he comes home. He needs to have his career figured out if you marry him."

"If I marry him?" I cut him off. "I am marrying him whether he has a stable job or not. I love him and he can do whatever he wants with his life. Right now, he is doing something important. Dangerous? Yes. But it's what he wants to do. I am not going to tell my fiancé what he has to do in order to marry me."

"I am just saying that when he comes back, he can work for me."

"Why the hell would he want to work in an accounting office?" I said, my voice getting louder.

"Watch your tone with me, young lady." My dad said sternly.

"No," I deadpanned. My father's eyebrows raised as I continued. "You have had your talons in me long enough. I'm your daughter so I haven't fought it. But I am not letting you even try and clamp down on him. He can do what he wants. Either way, I will support him because I love him and when you love someone, you support them without hesitation. Then again, you wouldn't know what that is like because you have never supported me. Ever."

I was out of breath by the time the waiter nervously walked over, our food in his hand. He set our plates in front of us and quickly walked away.

Neither one of us said anything as we started to eat our meals. I couldn't even look up from my plate. I know if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop the tears that were threatening to spill. The stress of Caleb being away, missing him, brushing off people's comments and now my dad trying to control, not just mine but also Caleb's life, was starting to get too much.

And in that moment, I felt like I was going to pass out.

"Abigail," my father said softly. "I am just trying to help the two of you. I know what it's like to be a freshly married couple and struggling to make ends meet. I went through that with your mother. I want you to be financially stable so someday you can stop working and focus on having children."

"Who said I had to stop working when we have kids?" I mumbled, still not looking up at him. "And Caleb and I are going to be just fine. We've both been saving money since high school. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to spend the rest of my life with him."

I finally looked up at him as I added, "I would appreciate it if you let Caleb and I live our own lives, making our own mistakes."

"Okay," he said simply. I waited for him to continue, but went back to eating when he didn't say anything.

We had just finished our meals and the waiter had gone to get our check when my dad spoke up again. "I was talking to your step-mom and we had some ideas about your wedding."

"Dad," I sighed, cutting him off. "I've told Hannah, the step-monster, over and over again that I am not planning the wedding without Caleb."

"I know," he said raising his hands up in defense. "I wanted to talk to you about your budget. I know you and Caleb both have been saving up and created a strict budget. That's great and I am proud of you both."

"But," I sighed when he didn't continue.

"But, your step-mother and I would like to pay for it. All of it."

"No," I said instantly.

"Abigail," he sighed.

"We don't need your charity. We have it covered."

"It's not charity to pay for your daughter's wedding, Abigail. It's actually a tradition. Plus, we figured that if we pay for your wedding, then the money you've saved can go towards an apartment or a house. You could also take me up on my offer to live with us for the first few years."

"Dad," I cut him off. "I know what "paying for your wedding" means. It means that Hannah will have a say in everything. And I am not letting her take over mine and Caleb's wedding. It's not her place."

"Not her place?" My dad challenged. "She's your mother."

"Step-mother," I corrected as I jumped up. "If you can even call her that. She is your wife, dad. Not my mom. I didn't ask for her to be in my life, yet she forces herself in. She will never be my mother because no one can replace my mother. No matter how hard you try to replace mom, I can't. I won't."

With tears streaming down my cheeks, I grabbed my purse and headed straight to my car. I got in, turned it on and leaned my head against the steering wheel as I couldn't hold back my sobs any longer.

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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allthingsfangirl101 · 4 years

Text

Chapter 19: Eagerly Waiting

Masterlist

Abby's POV

My leg bounced eagerly, my hands shaking. I looked around the waiting room to see other families and spouses just as nervous as me. Felicia was holding Sydney tightly against her hip, her arm wrapped around Syd's shoulders.

I subconsciously spun my ring around my finger, anxiously waiting.

"Abigail," Felicia whispered. I looked up to see her smiling reassuringly at me. "You should go check in with the receptionist. Maybe she has a list of survivors and families she is supposed to call."

I nodded before hesitating to stand up. I gathered all my courage and walked over to her.

"Hi," I said, feeling like a little kid.

"What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

"I was wondering. . . Well, the thing is. . . My fiancé was on the rig and I was wondering if you knew, or had a list of the survivors."

As I stuttered, her smile fell. "I'm so sorry, honey. I wish I knew, but I don't have a list. Yet. They are handling that as they treat the patients."

"Oh," I said under my breath. "That's. . . That's okay."

"But," she said quickly, "I will let you know as soon as I find out."

"Thank you," I nodded before walking back to Felicia and Sydney.

"So?" Sydney asked, her voice soft and hesitant.

"They are handling the manifest and list of survivors back in the ER. She doesn't have access to it." I explained.

I sat down, taking a shaky breath. I gasped when I felt Syd's small hand reach over and grab mine.

"He's okay," she whispered. "I can feel it." I smiled as I leaned over and kissed her forehead.

I wished I had her confidence.

* * * * *

The longer we sat in the waiting room, the more my hands began to shake.

As we waited, I thought about Caleb. I thought about the day he sat next to me in Chem. I thought about how I was planning on ending my life until he did so. I thought about the months after that he continued to show me attention. I thought about all the nights I wondered if he would talk to me the next day or if things would go back to normal.

I thought about how we spent that entire summer together. I thought about all the nights we spent on my roof, looking up at the stars and talking about whatever came to mind.

I thought about how angry Caleb got when he found out girls were still bullying me. I thought about how protective he got. I thought about how close he would sit next to me during lunch, how he would be waiting for me outside my class, and how he always stood close to me as we walked down the hallway. I thought about how it felt to have him next to me, caring for me, protecting me. I thought about how I slowly fell more and more in love with him.

I thought about the time he finally told me he loved me. I thought about the look in his eyes when he told me. I thought about the way he kissed me after I told him I loved him too.

I closed my eyes as I remembered it.

~•~

I nervously played with my hands as Caleb drove us to Prom. I may have looked incredible, but I felt sick to my stomach.

"You okay over there?" He teased.

I hummed, not given him a verbal response. He sighed as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. Our school had someone got the nicest hotel in town to allow us to hold our prom here which meant lots of kids were going to be getting rooms tonight.

"Abby," he said, putting his car in park. "I know something is wrong. Talk to me. Are you worried about Molly and her gang of Barbies?"

I nodded, still not looking at him. I bit my lip when I heard him sigh. I looked up to see his jaw clenched. He looked over at me, his eyes softening. He reached over, grabbed my chin and pressed a small kiss to my lips.

"If they bother you, tell me and we will leave. I'm not going to let them ruin this night."

And he didn't. We spent the whole night, just him and me. We ate at a table in the corner of the ballroom by ourselves and even danced at the edge of the dance floor. We were in the middle of a slow song when he leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Follow me."

"Where are we going?" I whispered. He just smirked as he grabbed my hand and led me out of the ballroom.

I suddenly got nervous, wondering if Caleb had gotten a room like 90% of the other guys here tonight.

"You don't have to look so scared," he laughed when he saw the look on my face. "I didn't get a room. We already had that talk. I know you aren't ready and that's fine. I just want to show you something."

He led us outside, to a garden. "Caleb," I laughed. "Where are we going?"

"Will you just shut up and trust me?" He teased. "You always ruin surprises."

"What do you mean I always ruin. . ." I stopped talking when we stopped in front of a white gazebo, decorated with roses and lights.

"Oh my. . ." I said breathlessly as I walked towards the gazebo. Caleb smiled as I walked around, gently touching the roses.

"Abby," he said gently, pulling me towards him. He pulled me into his chest and slowly started swaying us.

"What are you doing?" I asked, sending him a playful look.

"Dancing with my beautiful date."

"To no music?"

He dramatically sighed as he stopped swaying up and reached into his pocket. I bit my lip, trying to stop the tears, as You Are My Sunshine started playing.

"Happy tears?" He teased.

"Happy tears," I nodded.

Once we got to the chorus, Caleb cleared his throat. "Abby, there is something I wanted to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked.

I watched as he opened and closed his mouth, hesitating. "Caleb?"

"I love you," he blurted out for the first time. He quickly added, "With everything I've got. I would say that I love you a lot or so much, but "with everything I've got" expresses how I feel more and I. . ."

I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. I felt him smile before I pulled away.

"I love you, Caleb," I whispered with my forehead pressed to his. I leaned back and smiled up at him as I added, "With everything I've got."

The look in his eyes made me feel giddy. I smiled as he quickly and earnestly pressed his lips to mine. As our lips moved in sync, I thought about a phrase that I never truly understood until now, "two teenagers in love".

~•~

I was nervously chewing my bottom lip when we heard a man choke back a sob. We turned around to see Mike frozen in the hallway leading to the ER.

"Daddy!"

I smiled as Sydney ran away from her mother, instantly jumping in Mike's arms. He held her tightly as tears started streaming down his cheeks.

Felicia took a shaky breath before slowly walking over to her husband. I watched as they hugged each other tightly. Mike leaned down and kissed his wife, Sydney still in his arms.

I stood up but stayed by the seats to give them space. I smiled as Sydney started excitedly talking to her dad. Mike held his wife and daughter close as he listened.

I looked down to see my hands shaking. I took a slow breath, trying to calm the anxiety attack slowly building. I subconsciously put my hands over my stomach, softly rubbing my thumbs on my belly.

"It's okay, baby," I whispered. "Daddy's going to be just fine. I'm sure, any moment, he's gonna come running over. Even if he doesn't. . ."

My voice broke at the thought of Caleb never knowing about our baby. I took a shaky breath as I whispered, "Even if daddy isn't okay, you still got me. And I promise you and me will be just fine."

"Abs?"

#A Lover's Dream #deepwater horizon #caleb halloway #caleb halloway fanfic #dylan o'brien #dylan o'brien fanfic

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