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coffee-obsessed-writer · 2 years

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The Pact - Part 10

Sam Winchester x Crowley's!Daughter Reader

Gothic AU

Series Summary: Lord Samuel Winchester has lost the love of his life due to the actions of the Demon King, Crowley. As he plots secret revenge, his father, the King of Lawrence, decrees that Sam will wed Crowley’s daughter in order to unite the two families to protect the sacred ground the Winchester’s Kingdom is built upon.

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Crowley’s Daughter!Reader

Other Characters: John Winchester, Crowley, Rowena, Dean Winchester, Bobby Singer, Pamela Barnes, Jessica Moore (deceased)

Chapter Summary: Sam and his wife are on the run, John and Crowley are at odds on how to proceed in finding their children. However, while they are too wrapped up in their own agendas, the greatest danger is still out there lurking.

WC: 11.9K

Warnings: Implied smut, childbirth, blood.

A/N: At the end of the Chapter.

Also a HUGE thank you to my bestie @kazosa, if it wasn’t for her, this story wouldn’t exist. She’s helped me with this from the very beginning, so this is just as much her story, as it is mine.

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Crowley’s Daughter!Reader

Other Characters: John Winchester, Crowley, Rowena, Dean Winchester, Bobby Singer, Pamela Barnes, Jessica Moore (deceased)

The days following the party were passing slowly. Bobby and Pamela tried to devise a plan of action, and once they felt good about where you and Sam should go, the Rift Storm made it impossible to leave the hut. On the third day, Bobby felt safe enough to travel back to the castle to see how much fallout there was, and if the King was still standing.

On the morning of the fourth day, you woke to find your husband, conferring with Pamela outside the hut, speaking in hushed voices. You knew how scared Sam was for your well being, but as much as he tried to hide it, he had concern for his father as well. The impulse to eavesdrop on their conversation was strong, but the love you had for Sam was enough to trust that their conversation was not meant for your ears, so you went into the small area Pamela used as a kitchen.

Putting the old, cast iron kettle to the fire, you went about fixing some herbal tea to hopefully calm your unsettled stomach. Unsure if it was from the stress of the situation, or the baby that grew inside you, either way you knew that traveling by horseback would make it worse if you didn’t do something to try and calm it. The night before, you and Sam had gathered the few things Pamela had given you for supplies, and prepared it all to leave that day. Pamela and Bobby knew of a place, well hidden in the Elven Woods, that you could call home for the time being. Pamela’s impatience to once again move locations was growing stronger, and she made no attempt to hide it from either of you.

When the kettle was ready, you sat at the same table where she had read you days before. As the scalding water slowly poured into the teapot, Sam and Pamela made their way inside, and smiled when they saw you making the tea.

“Sure you’re not a psychic yourself?” Pamela asked and groped to find the chair to pull out and sit down.

“I wish,” you mused and began to share the tea into cups as Sam came around to you, lovingly kissed the top of your head, and took the seat beside you. “My stomach is queasy, thought this would help before we have to leave. This tea seems to help.”

“I made sure you had some in your pack,” Pamela smiled and gratefully took the tea that you guided towards her hands. “You should have everything you need in there. But, that area of the woods should have a lot growing wild you could use. Berries, herbs, mushrooms, along with some very poisonous roots, so–”

“Be careful,” you finished for her. “I know, I’ve made sure to know my herbs. Well, Rowena made sure I learned them.”

Pamela grunted a sigh and sipped at her tea. “Yes, Rowena. I know she’s your grandmother, but, Y/N, you know that she is a witch who’s magic isn’t always on the up and up. Trusting her…”

“Oh, I know that, too. Despite her being relatively kind to me over the years, I can sense her darkness. I know she and my father despise each other. But that doesn’t mean I would trust her outright. She’ll help me as long as there isn’t a higher purpose that would serve her better.”

“Well, as long as you keep your guard up, you should be fine. Besides, even she couldn’t find the spot where you’re going.”

The way Pamela said it, made you feel uneasy. You shared a pensive glance with Sam before going back to drinking your tea.

“Where is that, exactly?” Sam asked.

“Not too far, but the whole place is warded. Grounds and all. Even if Rowena were to cast her most powerful location spell, she would not be able to find you.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Crowley to ask her to do just that,” you replied, knowing that your father will do whatever he needs to find you.

“I promise, you’ll be protected there. It's one of my safe houses, a small cottage out on the outskirts of the woods. Should there be any trouble, there’s an escape route through the root cellar. I’ll show you when we get there.”

As you had worried, the ride through the woods was a bit rougher than you had hoped. Remnants of the Rift Storm were high enough that every so often the horses would feel the electricity in the air and get spooked. Sam insisted that you ride with him, in case one of the horses tried to rear up and throw you off. You wanted to say no, but could see the worry etched into his sweet face, and couldn’t deny him. All he wanted was for you and your son to be safe, and you would not add to his concern.

The roof of the cottage came into view and it struck you as familiar. Looking at your surroundings, you realized that you were nearing the same place you and Sam had run into on your first outing into the woods. Far off to your right was that tree you had encountered that day, and now realized why you had been so drawn to it. It must have held a powerful warding, and that kind of energy would easily have given you the feeling you felt emitting from it.

Pamela pulled up the reigns on her mare, and Sam followed suit on Dean’s prize stallion.

“This is the place,” she said as she carefully dismounted the horse. She had been leading the third horse, carrying the supply packs, and led them over to the post on the side of the cottage to tie them up. “Haven’t been here in a while, but I think you’ll find it cozy.”

“Oddly enough,” Sam started, dismounted, then reached for your hand to help you down, “we have been here.”

“What?” Pamela turned and asked sharply. “When?”

“Feels like a lifetime ago,” he mused, then looked softly in your direction, “but maybe a few weeks ago. It was right after the wedding. Y/N and I came out here…” Sam paused, his expression falling into something more somber. He still had your hands in his and gave them a loving squeeze. “My Lady, I don’t feel as if I apologized enough for that day. What I did… then, for you to so easily forgive me and help me the way you did. I cannot imagine, with things as they are now, that I ever tried to…”

You brought his hands to your lips and left a soft kiss. “Husband, I’ve forgotten all about it. We didn’t know then that we would really fall in love, and be grateful for this arrangement. You were angry, and you lashed out. I know that feeling, so how could I not forgive you.”

“Ok lovebirds, let’s get inside so this one can rest. I know you’re not far along, but you will find your energy low, a lot. And something tells me you are going to need that energy to get through this pregnancy.”

As the months passed, and as the season began to change from the summer warmth to an autumn chill, the swell of your stomach also grew. The first few weeks had flown by in great contrast to the first few days after the party. Once Pamela had left you and Sam on your own, you hadn’t seen her again. She made quick work of packing up her things and disappearing into the breeze. Bobby did come by several times with fresh supplies of food and clothing, along with some herbal medicines he thought necessary to keep you healthy and strong through your pregnancy.

The first time Bobby arrived, Sam grilled him about the King, but Bobby would always be vague and sparse with the information. All he would say is that John was still in power, but there had been a surge of unrest throughout Lawrence. Bobby promised it was handled, and that Sam’s only concern should be laying low and caring for you. Once you had asked about Crowley, and all Bobby could do was shake his head and shrug. It was a relief of course, but also left a bad taste in your mouth. If Crowley wasn’t out causing trouble to find your location, he must be up to something even bigger, and that didn’t sit well with you or Sam.

Finally, settled into your quiet lives at the cottage, you and Sam found time to just be together. In all the chaotic aftermath of the party, you didn’t realize how much you both needed it. For once, there were no formalities; no reason to stand on occasion for the King or your father, and it felt wonderful. Most days, your mornings started off with tea and freshly baked bread brought to you in bed, with a bouquet of wildflowers. Sam’s hip continued to hold strong, so he would go out and chop as much firewood as he could to make sure you’d be stocked through the fall and winter.

For as big as your belly had grown, you still insisted on doing your part to keep the quaint home in order. Living this calm, domestic life was all you never realized you wanted. The grandeur of the Winchester castle had enamored you, but this slow, less materialistic life was just what you needed. One of the last warm days of early autumn, Sam was out hunting, hoping to bring back a deer. You decided to make a pie with the fresh berries that he had gathered the day before as a surprise for him. When he passed through the doors empty handed, he slumped down into the chair at the table and grunted.

“I had one in my sights, but a damn murder of crows flew overhead and spooked it.”

“Awww, my poor husband,” you crooned and wiped the flour from your hands before going to him. Carefully sitting across his lap, you kissed his pouty lips and smiled. “We have plenty in storage for now.”

“I know, but I was hoping more for the pelt so I could have it dried and ready in time to give you as an extra blanket. It’s going to start getting cold soon.”

“Oh, well,” you smirked and placed your arms around his neck, “I can think of other ways for you to keep me warm.”

Sam’s expression brightened, and when he smiled it showed off his dimples. Something that still made your heart skip a beat. He pulled you in a little closer and tipped his face up to yours. “Now, that’s a fantastic solution.”

As you leaned down to kiss him again, his arms held you tighter, and the desire for him to take you to bed ran through you like a warm summer wind. He must have had the same feeling, because you could see his desire burning in his eyes. Pregnant or not, it had not stopped the two of you from exploring each other in ways that you never would have been able to living at the castle. Here, you were freer with each other; taking any and every opportunity to act on the passion that continued to grow.

Sam’s hand ran up your back and tangled into your hair, pressing your lips down to his greedily. A soft moan escaped you as his tongue parted your mouth, wanting as much of you as he could get. You let him, because you wanted him at that moment more than anything. Sam pulled back, his eyes wandering over your features as his fingers continued to stroke through your hair.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky,” he started, then brushed a stray lock of hair that had fallen across your face. “Through everything, the pact, the wedding, our fathers, that party… it was all worth it because in the end, I have you. I’m still angry with John, but having you as my wife, the mother of my child, brings me so much happiness. I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, husband. I promise you, your son and I will always be by your side. No matter what happens. When I was Crowley’s pawn living in that godforsaken place, I would dream of what it would be like to live anywhere else. I would picture big, beautiful places, like Winchester castle, or a posh home somewhere near the sea. I even thought I would be happier as a peasant on the streets, as long as I wasn’t there. But this life here that we’ve made, is better than anything I could have thought of. Because not once in any of those past day dreams did I imagine that I would have a man like you by my side.”

Sam slowly began to stand up from the chair, making sure you were safely on your feet before fully rising. He reached around behind your neck and untied the apron you had on. He noticed the ingredients on the counter and the messy apron and smiled. “Do you think you could finish your pie later?”

Looking back over your shoulder, forgetting that you had even wanted to bake, you turned back to Sam with a playful smirk.

“Pie? What pie? Besides, I think there is something in the bedroom I need to show you…”

Removing the apron and tossing it aside, you began to unbutton your dress as you walked backwards towards the room. Sam quickly followed, removing his boots and some of his clothes along the way. His eyes never left you. By the time you reached the bedroom, he was pawing at the clothes you had remaining, skillfully taking them off and throwing them aside.

The room itself was dark, only illuminated by the fading light coming through the drawn curtains. It was enough though, that you could see your husband standing before you completely nude and very ready to take you to bed. His eyes continued to wander over your body as his lips pulled into one of the smiles that made you weak in the knees. Sam bent down to one knee, and lovingly kissed your swollen belly, before rising and kissing up to your breast, then neck. The intensity you both had a moment ago wasn’t as strong, but the desire was. He swept you up into his arms, carried you around the side of the bed and gently laid you down.

Sam crawled onto the bed beside you and his hands excitedly caressing your skin, and caused a shudder of anticipation. You wanted to wrap yourself around him, but he shook his head and gently pushed you onto your back so he could have access to all of you. The amount of love that had grown between you, resulted in a shared lust that felt impossible to maintain. Anytime Sam touched you, even in a casual way, made you ache for him. He had been a ravenous lover; sometimes animalistic, other times, gentle and sweet. That night he took you into his arms and made love to you more than once, each time bringing you to a place of ecstasy and unsure if your body could handle any more.

Eventually, both of you caved to rest, and you fell asleep tangled up in each other; content and peaceful. When you woke the next morning, he was still next to you softly snoring. It was the first time in a while he hadn’t woken before you and greeted you with breakfast in bed. Wanting to return the favor, you quietly got up from the bed and put on the cotton robe lying across the chair by the window. Peeking outside after putting it on, you could tell it would be another beautiful day. There wouldn’t be too many more like it, so you thought maybe you would join Sam out on a hunt later, if he didn’t object. He did like to be out there on his own, but after the night you two had shared, you didn’t want to spend the day apart.

Going about the small kitchen, you fixed a tray of buttered bread, strawberry jam and tea, and cooked a few of the deer sausages you had made with Sam’s last Buck he brought back. The aroma of the food caused your stomach to growl, making you realize that the nausea hadn’t come that morning. You felt hungry for more than the usual bland breakfast you’d been eating. You felt strong and clear headed, definitely ready for a day outside in the sun and fresh air helping your husband hunt and gathering more herbs.

Sneaking back into the room, you stepped on one of the old floorboards, causing it to creak loudly. Sam stirred and and opened his eyes to see you with the tray of food, and the robe opened enough to be revealing a lot of skin.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting my dreams from last night to come true, but here we are,” he chuckled and pushed himself up to sitting.

You placed the tray beside him and took your spot back on the bed. “Thought I would bring you breakfast for once. I mean, after last night, I imagined you would need some sustenance this morning.”

“Boy, do I.” He rubbed his hands together excitedly and picked up one of the sausages, popping it into his mouth. “And you, dear wife? How are you feeling this morning?”

“Like I could conquer the world,” you said, a dreamy smile unfolding across your lips. “I haven’t felt this good in ages. The little one is behaving and not causing me to want to run outside, sick. So, I want to take advantage of this good feeling and join you today, if that’s okay.”

“Join me? What, out hunting?”

“Yes. You know I can handle a bow, right?”

“Oh, I know you can handle anything. I had planned on going further out though. Are you sure you want to be that far from the cottage?”

“Yes, why not?”

Sam hesitated in his response, and took another piece of sausage. Once he finished with it, he took your hand and his worried expression said everything he couldn’t seem to say.

“Samuel, I do not fear your father or mine. It’s been months, and I’ve stayed close to the cottage any time I’ve gone out. I understand why you’re worried, but I am feeling restless. Besides, I don’t want to be away from you today. Last night, the way you made love to me…” you paused and felt your face flush with a bit of embarrassment, “let’s just say if I had any doubts about your feelings towards me, they were extinguished after that.”

“Were there? Doubts, I mean.”

“No, I’ve trusted your feelings for me for a while now. And as time goes on, and our baby grows, I am more and more sure of them.”

“Good. Because they are as real as it gets. I worry though. I worry not just about the threat looming, but that you will tire of this life. Being on the run, not living in the castle with the huge bed, the servants… not able to take your place as Queen like you should be. We have to make our clothes and make our own bread. Hunt for our meat. It’s not an easy life, and I know this is not the life you thought we’d have.”

“No, it’s not. This life is far better. I don’t need opulence and titles to be happy, Sam. I just need you and our son.”

“Speaking of our son,” he said and placed a hand on your belly, “I think it's time he has a name.”

“Hmmm, that’s a good point. I know tradition is to name a first born son after one of his grandfathers, but given that our fathers are both reprehensible men, maybe we could skip that tradition.”

“Agreed,” Sam laughed. “He deserves a good name, one that will represent his character and strength. Which I know he will have because of you.”

“And you… my husband. This boy of ours will be strong, both in physical matters and in his sense of self. He will be brave, and stand up for those who need it. He will defy traditions and carve out a life for himself he can be proud of. He will be a man of his word, and be empathetic to the plight of those who need his favor. For the woman he loves, he will be kind and gentle. For the people who follow him, he will be fair and loyal. But to those who wrong him or his family, he will be ruthless. So, I think the right name for him would be, Samuel.”

Sam’s face lit up, and you could see an array of different emotions play out across his features.

“Sam, you really are all those things. You’re a good man; kind, loving and gentle. I’ve seen you with the people of Lawrence, you captivate them. Despite how things are now, I know that one day, you will show them that you are far better than your father. They know that you are pure of heart. And I’ve seen you go up against John and Crowley. I’ve seen that fire burn in your eyes when someone has wronged you. You are fiercely protective of those you love. Our son is going to be all those things. Samuel Winchester, the second, will be the spitting image of his father; in appearance and in character.”

“He will be even better than that, because he will have your blood running in his veins, too; his fierce, smart, loving, cunning and brave mother. I didn’t have my mother for long at all. I never got to know her, but from what I have heard about her, she was a lot like you. And if little Samuel here gets even a fraction of that, he will be unstoppable.”

You didn’t know what to say, and the way he was looking at you made it even more difficult. You leaned in to kiss him, which he welcomed happily.

“Well, husband, now that that is settled, eat your breakfast and let’s get dressed. I have a feeling we’ll be returning later with a large bounty of goodies from our day out in the woods.”

The castle corridors had been hauntingly silent in the months since the party ended so badly. The Winchester guard was sent to stand along the perimeter of the castle walls, once the people had been ushered from the ballroom that night. The King had retreated to his chambers and spent most of his days there, so Bobby had taken up the mantle to keep the castle safe from the people who wanted to do damage after the truth had come out. Anytime John would call him to his room and ask if there had been any word on Sam or Y/N, Bobby would say no then find an excuse to leave quickly. John wasn’t in the best state of mind since the party, but Bobby still feared that John would somehow know that he was lying.

Being in charge of the castle affairs did afford Bobby the ability to slip away unnoticed when he needed to. It was how he met up with Sam and Y/N once they were safe at the cottage. He brought Dean’s stallion back so no one noticed it was gone. He had even been able to go back a few times in the last couple of months to make sure everything was okay and they had plenty of supplies. Still, doing so could be dangerous if any of the guardsmen who saw him leaving the grounds decided they should tell the King. So far, it hadn’t happened, but knowing how bad it could be, Bobby did his best to be stealthy and quiet when leaving.

It had been a while since he was able to get out to the cottage, and with the weather turning he knew that he would have to go soon. Knowing that Sam’s hip was no longer an issue, he was confident in the young Winchester that he would chop enough wood and hunt enough game to keep his family comfortable for the winter. Before he was injured years before, Sam was always a great hunter, sometimes even bagging more deer than Dean had. Bobby paused for a moment in the darkened hallway at the memory of the boys so young, out with him hunting and just being boys.

The dull sound of voices being carried on the drafty air of the corridor pulled him from his long ago memory. Curious as to whom it could be, Bobby crept further down the hall until he reached the King’s chamber door. No one had been permitted in there except Bobby, and until he heard the distinctive voice of the Demon King, Crowley, he was ready to burst through and kick some ass. However, Crowley’s voice gave him pause. Instead of busting in, he decided to wait quietly at the door, hoping to hear what the two men could be conspiring about now.

“For the last time, Crowley, I have no idea where they are.” John’s emotionless voice cut through the air, causing Crowley to grimace in frustration.

“What good are you then? I’ve had my demons everywhere, and there’s no sign of them. I gave you my daughter for a purpose, John. Losing her wasn’t part of the deal!”

John growled lowly as he sat up from his chair and began to pace the room. “I should never have agreed to any of this.”

“Well, ya did. I have the contract to prove it. Even sealed it with a kiss. Not my finest moment, but even demons have rules to follow. So, quit your whining and sulking and help me find my daughter!”

“Find her yourself,” John muttered. He stopped at the table near his bed and grabbed the flask of whiskey he kept there. “My son is also gone, if you haven’t noticed. He hates me, even if I knew where they were, Sam wouldn’t come home.”

“No offense, your majesty, but your giant son isn’t my concern. If I am the one to find him first, there will be nothing left of him to come home.”

John’s shoulders tensed and he fought the urge to turn and lunge at Crowley. But it would do no good. He would either disappear or just take the punch, completely unphased. He had considered sending out his secret Winchester guardsmen of demon hunters to take Crowley out once in for all, but he feared if they were successful, somehow it would rain more Hell down upon him then he already had.

“Threaten my son again, Crowley, and I will make sure your daughter suffers in ways you never thought possible.”

“I should have known better than to make a deal with a man like you. A man more worried about his own reputation than with his own flesh and blood. Offering up Adam to keep your indiscretions quiet, offering up Sam to wed my daughter so you could claim a win in Purgatory. Hell, even sending your Golden Boy Dean to fight on the front lines. The chances of him returning in one piece is slim, considering how many monsters there are fighting for Eve that would love to make a meal of Dean Winchester. How many of them do you think he put there himself?”

“Shut up, Crowley.”

“If I only could. However, I personally want to find my daughter. I have been through every crevice of this… town. Not one psychic, witch, seer, or demon has even had a whiff of her. All they could tell me was they were certain she was carrying the heir to the throne. So, Samuel did his part. Bully for him. As long as he doesn’t get in my way of retrieving my daughter, I wouldn’t touch one luscious hair on his head. If he does, well, I promise nothing.”

“Is that all you came here for? To threaten my son? To hold our mistake of a deal over my head?!”

John was growing more agitated, which Crowley found some entertainment in. “Sorry, Sire. But I don’t have expendable children as you seem to have. That child she is carrying, that child is important. It was never meant to be raised in this castle as an heir to the Winchester throne. That child is meant to be Eve’s downfall, and lead my army of Demons to take over all of creation.”

“Huh,” John laughed and took another swig of his whiskey. “I thought you meant to sacrifice it to Eve. Doing that, she would stand down, and allow you the souls in Purgatory.”

Crowley was taken aback. Of course he always kept his true intentions to himself. Crowley was smart enough to know that those little details were too important to trust in anyone else’s confidence. So how did John know? He had been so careful to keep those dealings quiet, yet somehow the King knew why Crowley was so intent on a baby created in the union of their children. Crowley cleared his throat and rolled his eyes, trying to play off his current expression.

“You just know everything, don’t you. Must make you feel good, thinking you have some kind of upper hand. Sorry to say, you don’t. Clearly you have gone down a path of despair and whiskey. I think it’s all starting to catch up to you, John. Both of your sons are gone… sorry, all THREE of your sons are gone. Your people hate you for dealing with me, and even your salty Maester keeps his distance.”

Ignoring Crowley’s words, John chuckled. “I know the truth, Crowley. I’ve known for some time. Why do you think I am not out frantically looking for those kids? As much as I detest your daughter and shudder at the thought of her bearing Sam’s child, I would rather that child be born and kept far away from you, than for you to use it for your own gain.”

“Hypocrisy at its finest. You agreed to that wedding so a child could be born. You just figured it would be leading the battle in purgatory eventually, and getting the big ‘W’, then actually sacrificing it to appease Eve. See, that’s your problem. Your own ego won’t let you recognize that she, alone, could destroy all of us; all of Lawrence and beyond. So you keep charging in there with your armies and my demons, thinking it will make a difference. It won’t. Sometimes, Sire, you need to think outside of the box.”

“And you need to go, Crowley. Now. Regardless of what you think of me, I had good intentions at the start of all this. I just wanted my sons to be safe, but know how to be strong. To fight for their lands and their families, just like their mother did in the Angel Wars. Getting mixed up with you… stupidest thing I have ever done. And now, I will spend whatever time I have left on this Earth trying to make it right. So, leave, while you can.”

John paused and turned to face his adversary. Crowley took a tentative step back when he saw the darkness of John’s gaze fitted directly upon his own. His anger burned so deeply that the King looked as if he was carrying a black-eyed entity in himself. For all the confidence and ego he had of his own, Crowley realized that leaving would be in his best interest, and he would have to go to greater lengths on his own to find Y/N and her baby.

“I mean it, demon. LEAVE!” John drew in a breath to start an exorcism, but he barely got the first syllable of the first word out before Crowley disappeared from his view. He sighed deeply, grabbed the flask and went back to the chair that looked out the window and over the gardens. The blooms that had lived in those gardens were long gone, now that autumn had come. Trying to erase Crowley’s visit from his mind, he slumped into the chair and gazed out on the grounds that his wife had loved so much. Guilt ensconced his heart as her voice floated through his mind, ‘Oh, John, what have you done?’

The voices stopped suddenly, and Bobby assumed Crowley heeded the King’s warning and had vanished from the room. He fought the urge to bust through the doors and confront John with what he heard, especially about Sam’s unborn child. Moving away from the door, Bobby’s gut sank with the thought, ‘Would he really have let Crowley take that child and sacrifice it to Eve?’ Not being able to give himself a solid answer as to what John would have done made him feel sick. Bobby had known and been in service to John Winchester for many years; he had seen and heard him do despicable things. This, however, was the worst of the worst. He vowed to himself then he would do whatever was necessary to be sure that Sam and Y/N’s baby arrived into the world safely, and that neither John or Crowley would be able to find them.

Stepping outside from the warmth of the cottage was jarring. The air had turned from the fall chill to a winter bite faster than you had expected. Autumn had arrived in full force and with colder temperatures than you had ever felt during that time of year. If Bobby or Pamela had been around, you would have thought to ask them if this was an effect of the Elven Woods, but they weren’t and hadn’t been for a while now.

Closing the door, you went back into the cottage to grab an extra wrap before heading out to gather the last of the living plants and edible blooms that somehow tolerated the colder air.

“Sam, I’m heading out now!” You called out, hopefully loud enough for him to hear you as he took stock of the root cellar.

“Take an extra layer!” he called back. “It was freezing when I was out this morning.”

“Already did. I shouldn’t be long. If you could, put the kettle on the fire so it will be ready for tea when I return. I have a feeling I will need warmth!”

Sam peeked his head from around the door to the root cellar, a big smirk on his face, showing off his dimples through the beard he now wore. “I can do that for you, but I’m also happy to use my hands to warm you.”

“Oh, yes, that I know,” you said with a smile and raise of your brow. “While I do love your method of keeping me warm, tea would be very helpful as well.”

“As you wish, my Lady. Don’t be gone long. I don’t want you to catch a cold out there.”

“Yes, husband.” You sighed and playfully rolled your eyes. “I will be quick.”

As you made your way through the almost bare paths, you noticed that your growing belly was now big enough to hide your feet. Smiling to yourself, you lazily draped an arm across the top and felt Samuel kicking around inside you.

“Patience, my son. Your time will be here soon.” Drawing in a deep breath, you kept up your brisk pace to arrive at the patch of greenery you saw the day before and hoped that morning’s frost hadn’t killed it yet.

A short time later and a bit winded, you stumbled upon a patch of greenery that stood out amongst the dying foliage. The area felt like it was radiating a soft energy, one that felt similar to the tree you found that first day. This patch offered all the good herbs and mushrooms you could find, along with a small berry patch that still seemed to be edible.

Gathering everything you could find, your hand brushed along the bush with the plump red berries. Popping one of the large berries into your mouth, you relished in the amount of sweetness it still had and continued to focus on getting as many as you could. The fact that anything was still alive in the woods while it was as cold as it was amazed you. It was just a reminder at how special the Elven Woods truly were. Getting lost in the patch and in the thoughts of the magic that was the woods, you never heard the footsteps approaching.

“My dear!” a voice called out, startling you to drop the basket and all of what you had gathered falling to the forest floor.

You whipped around, heart beating a mile a minute only to see Rowena standing not ten yards away, wrapped in a white fur wrap and hat, wisps of her bright red hair lazily blowing around her face in the breeze that came through.

“Whatever are you doing out here all alone!?” She took a few tentative steps towards you, and saw the prominent swell of your belly. “And so pregnant! My God, you look as though you are about to burst!”

“Rowena… what… how did you…” you paused and looked around at the empty woods, unsure which of the dozens of questions you had to ask first. “What are you doing out here?”

“Why, looking for you! I heard what happened at the castle, and I’ve been looking for you ever since. I was worried for you, and for Samuel. Especially once I heard that Fergus made an appearance at your party. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“I’m sure,” you replied hesitantly. Squatting down as far as you could, you quickly gathered the spilled contents of your basket, never taking your eyes off her for more than a second.

“Where have you been all this time? Not living in these godforsaken woods I hope.”

“I’ve been somewhere safe. Just came out to get the last of these before the weather took them.”

Rowena took a few more steps and looked in the basket. “Good pickin’s for this time of year. You got lucky. You’ll need some of those to help with the pain when the baby comes.”

“I know,” you said warily, pulling the basket closer to you. “I should be getting back. Sam will worry if I don’t return soon. He knows where I am, so–”

“Oh, my sweet girl, I am not here to hurt you. Trust me, Samuel will have no reason to come hunt me down.” Rowena chuckled in her nonchalant way. “I am solely here to make sure my only granddaughter is safe and healthy. I learned of your pregnancy, and I was scared you would be alone during the birth. No woman should be alone. When I had Fergus, I was alone in a stable, with nothing but horses to hear my screams. Nearly scared them right out of their stalls!”

“Well, I’m not alone. I have Samuel.”

Rowena waved her hand in annoyance. “Please, men have no business helping a woman give birth. Sure, they are good with the making of the child, but they really just don’t have the stomachs to handle the birthing part.” She reached out one of her small, gloved hands towards you; her expression soft and concerned. “Come, let’s get you back to where it's warm and see what we have to work with to make you comfortable.”

Reluctantly, you took her hand. Having forgotten gloves of your own, hers felt warm around your fingers and for a moment you felt grateful she was there. The idea of giving birth so far removed from a Maester or a Midwife did scare you, but because of the circumstances, you had to let that fear go or it would eat you alive. As if hearing your thoughts, Rowena offered a comforting smile and offered to take the basket from your arm.

“Now, how far are we from home? It's going to be dark soon.”

“Not far, it's this way–” Before you could turn in the right direction, a sharp pain exploded from your stomach and shot down straight between your legs. A warm gush of fluid came from between your thighs, causing you to double over and cry out in pain.

“Guess I found you just in time! Come now, let’s get you home and ready to have your wee one.”

The hike back to the cottage was a blur. The pain that had struck you continued the whole way, and there were moments when you didn’t think you would make it back. Just as the smoke from the chimney came into view, you started to cry with relief because it meant that your husband was close by. You didn’t trust Rowena, but part of you knew that you needed her help. At least Sam would be there too, to keep an eye on your grandmother and make sure kept her word and was solely there to help.

Within steps of the cottage door, you felt the world starting to go hazy. A loud buzzing in your ears took over and your vision became distorted. Though you had never experienced labor before, what you were feeling didn’t feel right. It was as if all your senses were beginning to dull and you were losing control over what was left.

The door opened with urgency, and you could make out Sam standing there before he rushed out towards you.

“What happened?! What the Hell are you doing here Rowena! What did you do to her?”

“Oh Samuel, time for questions later, your wife has gone into labor. Get her inside and on the bed, quickly!”

Sam did as Rowena ordered without any further questions. You could feel yourself losing consciousness but found it in you to whisper his name as he scooped you into his arms and rushed you inside.

“Samuel,” you repeated as he lay you down on the bed and wrapped the blankets around you, trying to get you warm.

“Shhh, Y/N. Just rest. I’ll get you some warm tea. I had it ready and waiting just like you asked.” It was the last thing you heard him say as you drifted off, unwillingly shutting out the world behind you.

“Tea won’t be necessary, Samuel,” Rowena spoke up as she entered the room and pushed him aside. Despite the difference in their size, Rowena moved about as if she owned the place and Sam was nothing but a peasant in her way.

“Can you follow some instructions, boy? I need you to gather all the clean towels, and get that kettle of water into a pot and bring it here.”

Sam stood, motionless at first, watching his wife lay motionless on their bed. He didn’t hear a word Rowena was saying, he was too focused on how the day started so normally, and now it was breaking out in chaos.

“Samuel!” Rowena shouted his name, finally grabbing his attention. “Please! Clean linens and boiling water. I will get her ready, awake or not, this baby is coming so we need to be prepared.”

He nodded in a daze, curious as to how she could remain so calm. Sam got his feet moving, and went to gather the things she requested. After bringing them back into the room, he saw Rowena had removed the wool pants that Y/N had worn beneath her dress, and that the blankets were up above her knees.

“Is she? I mean, is the baby–”

“Yes, she’s okay and yes, yer baby is about to make his entrance. Now that you are all caught up, I need you to go and grab whatever salves or potions she’s crafted for pain. Also, in the basket I brought in, are some purple leaves with a white blossom. Ground the whole thing, root to bloom with a mortar and pestle, sprinkle in two parts Dwale. I assume you have some in the root cellar. If I know my granddaughter, she will have it in her pantry. No self respecting witch would go without it.”

Sam nodded, trying to just concentrate on whatever tasks Rowena handed to him. The sudden manner in which Y/N went into labor had him distracted. Even though he felt prepared for the arrival of his child, the way it was happening was scary and left him feeling helpless. His normally stoic demeanor was off balance, so he did his best to follow Rowena’s directions even if her being there was suspicious.

As quickly as he could, he foraged through the root cellar, looking for what she had asked for. Once he had ground the herbs together, he raced back into the room and placed them by Rowena’s side. He could see Y/N had a layer of sweat on her brow, and while she wasn’t completely conscious, she was breathing steadily and her face winced ever so slightly in pain.

“What’s wrong with her? Why is she not conscious?” he asked as he moved to her side and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“I believe the pain was too much. Childbirth is work, Samuel. Some women, even strong ones like my granddaughter, can succumb to it. Good thing I arrived when I did. Now, you can stay for this if you want, but I warn you, it's going to be messy. You may not have the stomach for it.”

“I won’t leave her,” he said firmly and without taking his eyes off Y/N. “Tell me how I can help.”

“Fine. If you really want to help, get a cool cloth for her head. Put a bucket of water outside, so it can freeze up. Once I get her awake, she will need some ice for her throat. Now that the sun is down and with the way the air has turned, it shouldn’t take long to freeze.”

Sam did as he was told. By the time he had gotten the cloth and put water outside, he heard Y/N’s voice cry out. He ran back to the room to find Rowena standing by her head, holding it up as she let the cup of herbs he mixed, sit under her nose.

“That’s it, that’s a good girl,” Rowena purred and gently laid Y/N’s head back to the pillow. Her eyes were still closed, but she was more awake then she had been earlier. “Before you ask, no, she’s not completely conscious, but enough to help push the baby out. It could take some time, so why don’t you go and prepare some extra firewood. You will need this place to be far warmer if you want this baby to survive his first few hours out in these woods.”

“I don’t want to leave her. I need to be here!”

Turning on her heel, Rowena marched up to Sam and pointed her finger into his chest. “If YOU hadn’t brought her out to these woods to hide, she would be giving birth in a warm castle chamber, with a midwife and proper tools. So, if I were you, Lord Winchester, I would do as I ask because I am the only one here capable of guiding her through this so they both live!”

Stunned by her brashness, Sam simply nodded. His fear of losing one or both of them took over, and again, did as he was commanded.

A short time had passed, when he heard Y/N cry out again from inside the cottage. He fought against all of his instincts to run back inside, because he knew that Rowena would just force him out. He admitted to himself that wasn’t the only thing holding him back. He was petrified of seeing her in such distress and the guilt he was beginning to feel for having her in such an isolated place kept his feet stuck firmly in place.

From beyond the cottage, he could hear the whinny of the sole horse they had kept. That high pitch sound bounced off the trees, followed by a gust of cold wind that carried a brief flurry of snowflakes. Feeling those flakes touch his skin, it prompted him to hurry with the wood. If it was going to start snowing already, Rowena was right, they would need as much firewood as he could possibly make. Then, they would need to find a better place to hold up for the winter. The cottage had worked to this point, but what she had said sat heavy on his mind. The Elven Woods, while rich with magic and bountiful with herbs, was no place to be caught for the winter. For all it had to offer in the warmer months into the autumn, it took it all away and left the grounds a barren white emptiness that could become dangerous.

More time had passed, and Sam grunted with one last swing of the ax. He paused, waiting to hear something from the cottage. When another minute or two passed with no noise, he grabbed as many logs as he could and headed back inside. Dropping the wood near the fire that was already going, he again waited to hear some kind of sound come from the bedroom he shared with Y/N.

“Rowena?” he called out, his tone laced with worry. “Rowena!”

When no reply came, he made his way into the room and saw that the witch was nowhere in sight. His gaze went towards the bed where he saw his wife laying, as if she was peacefully sleeping. He went to the side of the bed, and lovingly brushed back the hair that was stuck to her face. ‘Maybe Rowena went to the root cellar,’ he thought. Though it was more of a desperate prayer, because in his gut he knew she wasn’t. Sam swallowed thickly as he looked closer at Y/N’s body. The prominent swell of her stomach was gone, just a small bump where their son had been growing. The blanket that was up above her knees earlier, was now pulled down, covering her to her toes, and stained with fresh blood.

“Y/N,” he said, softly at first. When she was still unresponsive, he began to shake her, calling her name louder and louder. “Y/N!” When he saw that her chest was slowly rising and falling, he pressed his fingers to her throat and felt a weak pulse.

‘She’s alive,’ he said to himself and breathed a sigh of relief.

The cottage was quiet. There were no sounds from the root cellar, or in the small pantry behind the fireplace. All Sam could hear was the crackle of the dying fire and the labored breathing of his wife.

“Where’s my son,” he mumbled, the realization that there were no sounds of a baby crying anywhere in his reach. “Where is my son!”

Leaving Y/N on the bed, he tore through the cottage, throwing open every cabinet and looking under every surface. He grabbed the candle off the table and went down into the root cellar, nearly losing his footing and falling down the last few steps. Just as he caught his balance, he looked around hoping to see Rowena and his son. There was no sign of either of them. The only thing out of place was the shelf that blocked off the hidden door to the escape route Pamela had shown them.

From above, he could hear Y/N moaning. Torn between chasing after his son, and keeping his wife alive, Sam wanted to scream. His breath became erratic, and caused his head to swim in fear. Knowing that Rowena could have been gone for a good amount of time—time that Y/N may not have—he raced back up the stairs and to the bedroom where he knew his wife was.

Dawn had just broken over the castle walls, and Bobby was already up and making his way to the dining hall where he knew John had slept. For the first time in a while, John had left his room and went into the hall to have a meal. Bobby had seen him in there the night before, but decided it wasn’t yet the time to confront him with what he had overheard between the two Kings. He did go back later that night to check on John, but he had over indulged in whiskey and was passed out face down at the table.

Bobby had not slept all night, going back and forth on what to do with what he heard. Finally, he decided that he would go and confront the King, then demand that John promise the child would be safe so he could bring Sam and Y/N back to the castle. They had already been out in the woods too long, and knowing she was close to giving birth, he hated the idea of them being out there all alone. First though, he needed reassurance that John would do whatever necessary to keep Crowley out of the castle walls, and that the baby would stay with his parents; not be given to Eve for any reason.

Pushing open the dining hall doors with authority, the sound of them bouncing off the stone walls echoed through the room, causing John to pick up his head just in time to see Bobby marching towards him.

“Wake up!” Bobby roared, his face set into a scowl. “I don’t care if you are my King, or a two bit hussler off the streets, get your ass up now!”

John groaned as he sat up straighter in his chair at the head of the table. Once he had his bearings, he looked up towards Bobby ready to demand some respect, but couldn’t bring himself to do so once he saw the anger burning on his old friend’s face.

“Bobby, I–”

“No, you don’t get to talk. You don’t get to do anything right now. All you get to do is listen. I’ve kept quiet, and let you sit around wallowing in the guilt you brought on yourself. But I can’t do it anymore. It's time you pull yourself together and do what you should have done months ago.”

“Which is?”

“Get the fuck over yourself!” Bobby barked. “You've been moping around this place, all butt-hurt because Sam took off and condemned you to Hell for what you did. As if making that deal with Crowley all those years ago wasn’t bad enough, you use your son as a pawn in yet another deal, to what? Save your own damn soul? To stop a war that has been in motion for years?”

John went to speak, but Bobby raised his hand and shook his head.

“I ain’t done yet. I heard you and Crowley not long ago, heard what you said to him. You knew his real intentions with your own grandchild, and you weren’t gonna stop it, were you? You were gonna let Sam have a child, then rip it from his arms! What kind of man are you!?”

“Bobby,” John started, his voice small and broken. “I, I know, I made the wrong choice… I hate myself…”

“Well, boohoo, I’m so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess. But you brought all that crap on by yourself. So, instead of wallowing in your own guilt, get over it and do something to fix it!”

“And what would that be, Bobby? Sam is gone, I have no idea where–”

“I know exactly where the boy is,” Bobby snorted. “Who the Hell do you think got him out of here safely?”

John’s attention piqued at this revelation. “So, where? Where is he? Is he okay?”

“Far as I know, he’s fine. Him and Y/N both. I wanna bring ‘em both home. She’s gonna be ready to have that child any time now, and she deserves a clean, warm, safe place to do that. But I won’t risk her or the baby’s lives if I don’t have your absolute word that they will be safe here. Safe… indefinitely.”

Before John could reply, there was a stir of commotion from beyond the doors of the dining hall. It sounded as if they were getting closer, causing John to rise from his seat, and Bobby to take a few tentative steps closer to the doors. They flew open with force, as they had when Bobby entered, but this time it was Sam that caused the rukous. He was soaked from head to toe, and in his arms he was carrying the limp body of his wife.

“Bobby!! Please! She needs help!”

Bobby didn’t hesitate, he ran towards Sam and helped him gently lay Y/N on the far end of the grand table. John watched from a distance, horrified at what was unfolding before him. When he heard Bobby declare that Y/N was still breathing, he finally found his footing and rushed towards where they were gathered.

“What happened?” he asked warily, unsure if he would even get a response.

“What happened?” Sam repeated his question in surprise. “Seriously? As if you didn’t know!”

“Sam, I–I don’t. What–”

“She went into labor! That’s what happened! Rowena showed up right before she did. I–I thought she was there to help,” Sam swallowed roughly and rubbed his hand against the side of his face. “I thought… I did what she asked. She was helping Y/N with the labor. Told me to go and cut firewood because the cold had come on so fast.”

“Alright son, take a breath,” Bobby said as gently as he could, while continuing to check Y/N’s vitals.

Sam released a slow, shaky breath. “It got quiet, so I went back inside the cottage,” he continued, talking directly to Bobby now. “Rowena was gone. The baby was gone. And she…” he stopped again to gaze down at Y/N, fighting desperately to hold back the build up of fear that was nearly choking him, “she was just laying there, covered in a bloody blanket. I didn’t know what to do, except bring her to you. Can you help her? Please, Bobby, I can’t… I can’t lose her, too.”

“Good news is she is breathing, and even with the blood loss, her pulse is strong. Let’s get her up to your bed, and I’ll see what I have in the apothecary that will bring her around. Gotta make sure that bleeding has stopped.”

“Son, I’m sure she will pull through,” John said and placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder.

Sam shrugged it off violently and turned to face his father. “Don’t touch me.”

“Sam, I know you’re scared, but–”

“You have NO IDEA what I am right now!” he roared in reply. “This… This is all YOUR fault! You, you and your goddamn deal… making promises to a demon! You did this! If you hadn’t lied, and made the deals you did, we wouldn’t be in this situation! We left, because we weren’t safe here! All the warding this place has and somehow Crowley always manages to slip through. Why is that, dad? You offered me up like it was nothing, then married me off, like it was nothing. I did as you asked, I married her, and I fell in love with her! You never trusted that it was real, did you?”

“Sam, please… I know what I did was wrong. But, son, you have to understand–”

“No! Nothing you could say makes any of it okay! Now, because you let Crowley in, again, we were forced to hide! Hours away from help if we needed it, no guards, no way of getting word to anyone!”

“Look, I get you’re pissed, and rightfully so,” Bobby said as calmly as he could, “but now isn’t the time, Sam. We need to make sure she’s stable, and safe.” He said the last word with an authority that made John look in his direction.

“I need to find my son,” Sam said, glaring at his father. “I need reassurance that you will do the right thing, for once in your pitiful life, and make SURE my wife stays safe while I go after our son!”

John nodded, guilt and regret coating his throat, leaving him unable to speak.

Sam shook his head. “Not good enough. I need to hear you say it. You owe me that at least.”

“Y/N will be safe here. I swear it on your mother’s soul.”

That was enough for Sam. He turned back to Y/N, once again picking up her limp body and made his way out of the dining hall, with Bobby following close behind. John stood there, stunned by all that had just happened. Regardless of how he felt about Y/N, he would be true to his word and keep her safe. He took a few moments to gather his composure, then bellowed for the closest guard.

“Tell the others to reinforce the warding. I want this place on lockdown. No one goes in or out, under my orders. Call back half the guards that are on the walls. I want them stationed through the hallways near Lady Winchester’s chambers. I want the best healers brought in, as soon as possible. Shamans, white witches, whoever you can find. She is to be protected at all costs, do you understand?”

“Yes, your majesty,” the guard replied and went off to do as he was asked.

Knowing that Sam wouldn’t want him in the chambers, John slowly walked back to the head of the table of the grand hall, and stood behind his chair. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt the weight of the choices he had made in the vein of his own desires. The lives that were lost because of his actions felt suddenly overwhelming, and he knew then that no matter how he felt about Samuel’s wife, he would do whatever he had to to keep her alive.

By the end of the day, Y/N seemed to be stable. Bobby was able to stop the bleeding she was experiencing from the birth. When Sam asked how bad it was, Bobby just lowered his head and shook it slowly.

“Son, you don’t need to know. Let’s just say that whatever Rowena did, it was quick and probably painful as all hell. Luckily, I was able to stitch her up, stop the bleeding and make her comfortable.”

“Will she wake up?”

Bobby’s heart broke for Sam, because the truth was, there was no reason for her to not have woken up already. “I can’t say for sure. I don’t know what else Rowena coulda done to her. It’s like she’s in a deep sleep. None of the usual things are working to bring her around. I’m no witch, but I do know some of their tricks. If we can find Rowena; find out what she did, I can probably reverse it.”

“Oh, we will find her, Bobby. She has my son.”

“Are you sure about that? Did you hear the baby cry? Do you know, for certain–”

“Bobby, don’t.” Sam interrupted. He looked as though he may be sick if Bobby continued with what he was about to say. “He’s alive. My son was born and Rowena took him.”

“Ok,” Bobby said, doing his best to sound hopeful. “Ok, then we go and find them. Best bet, let’s start with Crowley. I know him and his mommy don’t always get along, but in this case, it's a good place to start.”

“Can’t hurt, that’s for sure. You need a night of rest first,” Bobby paused and held up his hand knowing Sam would want to leave immediately. “Before you go and start tellin’ me we gotta go now, you aren’t gonna be good for much if you don’t get some sleep. Y/N’s resting comfortably, stay in here with her tonight, and the Midwife will be here by morning to keep an eye on her when we leave.”

“A midwife? How is that enough to keep her safe?”

“Did I mention she’s a psychic who also knows some pretty strong hoodoo? Trust me, I wouldn’t leave anyone here that couldn’t protect Y/N. Missouri is the right woman for the job. We can leave for Crowley’s at first light to go find your boy.”

Sam was thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. He was exhausted, and the idea of sleep wasn’t appealing but it was necessary. “You sure she’s okay? Comfortable?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Just don’t know why she won’t wake up.”

The two men stood quietly, watching the slow rise and fall of Y/N’s chest, both deep in thought about what came next.

“I’m going to kill him, Bobby.”

“Now, Sam… I know how good it would feel to send Crowley packin’, but–”

“Not Crowley. My father. Once this is all said and done, I’ll come back and take his throne. He doesn’t deserve to rule Lawrence, or this family. I’ll go get Dean from Purgatory if I have to. But trust me, King John doesn’t have much time left in his rule.”

McLeod Castle stood tall and ominous as Bobby and Sam watched it come into view. Neither of them had ever traveled that far East, and it wasn’t hard to see why. The lands surrounding it were barren and bleak; pockets of fire bursting from the grounds. The bright, blue skies that he was used to in Lawrence were gone. In its place were dark purple and black clouds that screamed with bolts of electric blue lightning. It broke Sam’s heart to know that this was the place his wife grew up in. Sharing a look of uncertainty, Bobby kicked his horse into high gear and they continued on to the castle in a full on gallop.

Once at the gates, they were ready for, and fully expecting, some resistance with Crowley’s minions. Instead the tall wrought iron fencing was left wide open for them to enter.

“Think it's a trap?” Sam asked, looking around trying to see if anyone was watching them.

“When isn’t it with Crowley?” Bobby scoffed, but continued to maneuver his horse through the opening.

There was no one standing guard at the door to the castle, either. The faint sounds of screams and chains rose up from somewhere beneath their feet, but neither Sam nor Bobby paid it much attention. Being at the literal gate of Hell, they expected nothing different.

Pushing open the door, Sam walked through first and was again surprised when there was not one demon there to greet them, or try to kill them. The sounds heard outside were a bit louder, but not loud enough to hide the approaching footsteps.

“Well, about time.”

Sam and Bobby turned to see Crowley standing in the arch made of black stone, fitted in his best black suit and holding a glass tumbler of scotch whiskey.

“Care for a drink?” the demon asked with a raised brow. When neither man answered he continued. “Guess not. Ok then, I imagine you are here to find the child.”

“Rowena took him. Where is she!” Sam roared while marching at him.

“Easy Moose.” Crowley cleared his throat while contorting his hand into a tight fist, suddenly cutting off Sam’s airway, stopping him in his tracks.

“We aren’t in your castle anymore. You’re in my house, and in MY house we play with magic.”

Bobby watched them nervously, knowing that if he didn’t intervene things would turn ugly fast. “Listen,” he said, cautiously stepping between them. “We just wanna know where the boy is. If Rowena has him here–”

“She doesn’t. I asked for her help in finding my daughter, but, you know mother, she does what she pleases.”

“I guess helpin’ you didn’t please her,” Bobby snorted.

“No, the only thing that pleases that old hag is screwing me over.” Crowley relented and unfurled his fist, giving Sam back his breath.

Sam gulped for air for a moment, and then finally felt the pain leave his chest. He tried to calm himself from lunging at Crowley again, but rational thought prevailed and he tried to turn the situation to his advantage.

“Look, we both want the same thing; my son back safe and for Y/N to wake up.”

“Wake up?” Crowley asked, his tone showing a worry that surprised Bobby and Sam. “What happened to my daughter?”

“Rowena showed up where we were,” Sam sighed. “Y/N fell unconscious during labor. Rowena had me running around, gathering things to help. I was outside getting firewood and when I came back in, Rowena and the baby were gone. Y/N was left on the bed, bloody. I brought her home and Bobby was able to save her, but she just won’t wake up.”

Crowley stood silently, his mind racing at what could be wrong with Y/N. “What things did my mother have you gather? Herbs, bones?”

“I–I don’t know, she had brought in a basket of things… roots, mushrooms, berries, herbs… She did have me ground up some and used them to try and bring Y/N around, but it didn’t really work.”

“She’s hexed her,” Crowley grumbled, more to himself than to the others. Shaking his head, he slowly paced around the room, polishing off what was left of his whiskey.

“How can you be sure?” Bobby asked.

“Because I know my mother. I’m just surprised she actually left the girl alive.”

Sam thought back to the items Rowena had him blend. “The roots, they had this purple bloom at the top of the stalk. I’ve never seen them before. Then she added Dwale, but that’s for pain, isn’t it?”

“Oh, for Hell’s sake, that’s Reaper Root!” Crowley shouted and growled deep in his chest. “Reaper Root and Dwale together, will make a person hover between life and death, until they attract a Reaper. It’s just a matter of time before one comes to take her soul! I thought you Winchesters knew a thing or two!”

Sam felt a deep ache hit his chest. She was alive, but for how long was anyone’s guess. “So, what can we do to reverse it?”

Bobby’s mind raced through everything he knew about magic and spellwork. While that knowledge was vast, not one thing came to mind that would work. Finally, it hit him, there was one thing in the known world that could reverse just about any magic.

“Angel Grace,” he said softly, causing both Sam and Crowley to stare at him wondering if they actually heard what they thought?”

“‘Cuse me?” Crowley scoffed. “Angel Grace? Are you mad? There’s not a drop of Grace left! Cause all the angels are dead!”

“Not all of ‘em,” Bobby said and looked at Sam. “When Dean was back this last time, he told me he found Cas.”

Sam couldn’t believe Bobby’s admission. “What?! Why didn’t he tell me!”

“Because, you had your hands full. Also, he’s trying to keep it real quiet. Cas is his Ace in the Hole. Figures, he’d be a good asset to have against Eve.”

Crowley rolled his eyes dramatically. “Great, so now we have to go to Purgatory, a literal war zone, and look for the one Angel that’s left. Who happens to be your brother’s favorite toy?”

“That’s exactly what we are going to do,” Sam said and turned to leave the castle. “Bobby, get word to Dean as soon as possible. We need to leave for Purgatory now.”

A/N: This chapter is the end of The Pact. Sam’s story with Crowley’s daughter, will continue in the next part of The Winchester’s tale, Purgatory Rising.

Sam and Bobby are desperate to seek out Dean and the last angel on Earth, Castiel. They will have to navigate Purgatory and Eve’s army of monsters in order to obtain the Grace needed to save Sam’s wife. Finding Dean and Castiel won’t be easy, but having Crowley’s help could be the key in their success. Purgatory Rising will then follow Dean in his quest to kill Eve and end the war for good. To do this, he will need as much help as he can get from those closest to him

Series Tag: @theplaid-wearingmoose @zombiewerewolfqueen @silkiechicken @collette04 @katiecurls75 @death-unbecomes-you @colie87 @roxytheimmortal @klanceiscannon14 @voltage-my2dlove @flamencodiva @xhannahbananax03 @traceyaudette @winchester-wifey @pilaxia @babykalika2001 @lil-frenchfri77

SPN Tags: @wings-of-a-raven @negans-wife @kazosa @deans-baby-momma @hobby27 @breereadsthings @maddiepants @sorenmarie87 @screechingartisancashbailiff @lovealways-j @cloverhighfive @spnhollis @unlikelygalaxyiver @linki-locks11 @stoneyggirl @clarinette07 @lefthologramdeer @destielhoneybee @faughnphotography @katehuntington @81mysteriouslyme @mrswhozeewhatsis @deathofmissjackson @lauravic @akshi8278 @rebelminxy @fictionalabyss @blackcherrywhiskey @his-paradox @destielhoneybee @donnaintx @squirrelnotsam @weepingwillowphoenix @austin-winchester67 @krazykelly @igotmadskills @foxyjwls007 @hotwifeintern

#sam winchester x reader #sam winchester x you #sam winchester x y/n #sam winchester AU #SPN AU #Sam winchester

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saphirafoxgirlspost1 · 2 years

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(Open Rp) Halloween Special in "The Curse Of the Wrathful Kitsune And saiyan"

Long ago, When saphira became Black scar after the battle of the Malestrom She head back to Port Royals and celebrate of their victories…until..She First met, Raymond Bradley Stoppable Third he was a Royal Duke of Spain. Then She and Raymond Stoppable Hit off…until 7 months later, Saphira was Suspecting..She sent her crewmate to Spy on him..Until He reported to Saphira that he had a Mistress and she is pregnant with His child, It angers Saphira and her eyes glows red and she said "We'll Attack the Port Royals TONIGHT!!" She stabbed the heart Pictures…then the invasion of the port Royals began…after that..all fires and people was gathered around…Raymond was Held captive…then, She place a terrible curse called "The Infidelity Curse" which means…if any Stoppables family Dared to Cheat on saphira..the curse will be escalate Very Quickly..but only the curse breaker is this "If Any of Stoppables Family decided to redeem and Decided to break the chain..by Keeping the Promise and Cherish saphira Forever". Then..She beheaded Raymond and buried the head into the tavern..then his mistress and the child was carried out the curse…time passed into the Salems Witch trials…The man Name "Dale James Stoppable" Has yet again Betraying saphira who is Now a Powerful Witch With His Mistress..as the Curse began to grow even worse and worse…She called the villiagers that Dale is a Witch… then time passed again…In 1911, the time of The RMS titanic as the Stoppable family became the most wealthy family in the country..until "Seamus D. Stoppable" Had Betrayed Saphira once again with an Irish mistress…the curse went Horribly escalated far worse Until the tragic hits…The Stoppables Fortune went Down into the ground with shame…until the Presents day, When the Parents of Ron Stoppable brought Ron Home…They give them a Tounge Lashes at him..and His father said,

Mr. Stoppable:"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT MY OWN SON WHO HAS A LOVE CHILD AND MURDERED THE CHILDREN OF SAPHIRA!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!? Just you wait till your Older brother gets home! I will make sure He'll break this "curse"..we can't take it anymore!"

When his Brother name (your muse name here) Just came home the next day..He heard what happen and he was appalled About his Brothers troubling antics, not to mention having an infidelity and the love child…Which is he felt bad about The Child That Ron had..but He is Furious towards ron…But then, he went on the research about Saphira, He now knew that She loves Saiyans and all..and usually loves Dragon ball Z…So he has the idea about becoming one After saphira's graduating, Luckily for him..he and His Brother are in the same grade as saphira….he called his scientist best friend and ask him a favor…Then..3 Months After the Graduation…Saphira went on the hill…She felt depressed…until She sees the weird Round Object ready to crash..Saphira gasp and began to Get out of the way..and then..it crashed into that spot..until she sees the saiyan ship..She gasp softly and said," I knew it…saiyan exist!!" She was excited..until..She sees it opens..and it was non other than (your muse name here) Who is wearing a saiyan armor (look like raditz armor..please bare with me)..and has a lovely Long brown tail..and all muscular tone..her face turns red..then he turns to her as the scouters was on…and he said…

#Open rp #Romance #Drama #Dbz #Halloween

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the12thnightproject · 2 years

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Even if Tempest

A semi-spoiler gush/mini review about a game that no one else seems to be playing. Which is kind of the story of my life. Either I find something long after people have stopped regularly playing... or before anyone else has picked it up. Or nobody else likes?

Basically the overall plot of EiT is that the MC (Anastasia, but as per usual you can change that) has spent the last eight years of her life held prisoner in the attic due to her wicked stepmother and evil stepsister and abusive father. Cue the entry of a handsome prince who rescues her, proposes... and then everything goes horribly wrong and she ends up being burned as a witch (none of this is a real spoiler - it's part of the game description/trailer).

Then MC is given the power of the "Fatal Rewind" which allows her to go back to whatever point she chooses in her life and re-do things. Her goal is to get revenge on those who have wronged her but also her mission (given to her by a cute being who also gives her the rewind power) is to locate the "Witch of Ruin" who happens to be causing havoc in the country.

When MC reboots herself the first time, she returns to the point before she was imprisoned in the attic, and her little 10 year old self runs away from home, and joins up as a cadet to become part of the Winged corps (basically knights who ride giant birds called Garudas). Over the next eight years, she trains in archery and fighting, and she is a total badass and I love her. MC is amazing.

So, that's more or less where the routes begin.

Structure:

The structure of the game is unusual in that you are only able to play the routes in a prescribed order: Crius or Tyril (you do get a choice which to play first of those two, but I think Crius's route is a better intro into the world), then Zenn, then Lucien. None of the endings of these routes (except for the last one) are happy.

Prepare for angst.

And sad.

Big sad sometimes.

Because in between routes (and sometimes within routes) MC plays her "fatal rewind" card, and tries again to get her revenge and also defeat the witch. Or save the life of someone who dies within the route. Once you successfully finish all four routes (without getting a dead, bad, or tragic end), you then get to play through the happy endings, and then there's a summary epilogue.

Additional game play:

Within each of these routes, there is a trial of sorts, which depending on the route, MC is either a suspect, an inquisitor, or the murderer. ... it... will make more sense when you play it. Well. By the second time you get to a trial, it will make more sense. You get a chance to investigate the suspects pre-tiral, but you've only got a certain amount of time to do that, and there are more suspects than time, so you will have to choose carefully.

Save your data often.

Emotional Arc:

Did I mention the MC is awesome? She grows and learns lessons throughout the story, both philosophical lessons, and life lessons. There are musings on "whose responsibility is your happiness?" "Is it better to live for yourself or for others?" "What is the cost of revenge?" And the all important, "Yes, it totally is appropriate to ask for help."

Oh, and the insanity:

This game throws pretty much everything into the soup ... there's the aforementioned witch; a killer clown; a handsome prince; an evil prince; the stepmother; giant birds; a terrible illness; murders; death; rebirth; an isekai'd basketball player (or maybe it was rugby... the game was not clear), priests who have committed abuse; stalkers; a mysterious lost tribe; a ninja; an assassin ... and yet even though some of this stuff was never really answered (the killer clown... what? who? why?), it still was totally compelling.

Maya!:

MC has a best friend, faithful maid named Maya who is there for her through everything ... which means that Maya gets put through the same kind of hell that MC does (and sometimes worse). Maya is great. I wish Maya got a LI too. Maya deserves .... hmm.... fanfic. (Must ponder that - especially since Maya and one of the LI's, Tyril, are a hoot together.)

Oh and of course... the LIs... all of whom were great, three of whom I fell for in different ways... and the fourth... is a good guy too.

Crius Castlerock:

Crius is the commander of the winged forces, so he's a little older than MC. He's got a reputation as a flirt, is always there to try to help everyone else's problems, and will sacrifice himself for others. (Basically, a Shingen Takeda type).

Tyril Lister:

Tyril is an inquisitor, has an unlikely friendship with Crius (and Zenn), is harsh, sarcastic, has a ton of secrets, definitely a tsundere, and is a fan of torture devices. The dialogue in the Tyril/MC route is nicely quippy, and once MC gets to know Tyril, she realizes he's got a soft, sweet, gooey center.

It's... um deep down.

Zenn:

Zenn is a bit standoffish at first, he hangs back, and he's got really good reasons for at first distrusting MC. But once he's in, he's all in. He's always got her back, and appears to have brother zoned her (for... reasons). Oh and he's built. Look at the six pack in the above CG. He looks like Motonari, behaves a little like Hideyoshi, and has Mitsuhide's VA (I found it kind of surreal, because I was rereading Mitsuhide's route at the same time as Zenn's). Zenn's route is definitely a ride.

Lucien:

Prince Lucien is the childhood friend of MC. When she disappeared, he was devastated and has never stopped trying to find her. He's a sweetheart, definitely a cinnamon roll (a running gag is that he'll often tear up, but then exclaim it's just because he has weak tear ducts). Lucien is a sweetheart, but the childhood friends to lovers trope just isn't one of my favorites. But you get to know Lucien a lot better than the other LIs, partially because when you get to his route, the first half is in his POV (for ... plot reasons).

Warnings:

This game is pretty bloody and dark. When the Witch appears in the town, he picks one person and gives them the ability to kill whoever they want, without fear and remorse. It's interesting and terrifying to have routes where characters you know and love are freed from moral restraint. In some routes there are also additional murders /death threats.

The deaths happen off camera, more or less (your screen will suddenly turn red), but they are described, and additionally, you will encounter characters with blood on their hands and faces. I didn't think it was especially gory (it's no Red Wedding) but there are certainly descriptions of violence.

The inter-route endings are sad. Not all of the LIs, or friends of MC survive (but you'll have the knowledge that MC is going to rewind time to prevent it next time).

It's angsty. MC goes through a lot.

In spite of that, I found the game extremely compelling. The crazysauce plot, and emotional arc, and the fun dialogue are all plusses in my mind, and made up for the violence and angst.

youtube

#even if tempest #game review #switch #crius castlerock #tyril i lister #zenn sorfield #lucien neuschburn #voltage #spoilers #even if tempest spoilers #eit #eit spoilers #Youtube

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ateliaers · 8 months

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@frysse requested plots, please, for henri, or rapunzel, or any other muse that might tickle your fancy !

henri & elsa. the man, the myth, the murderer himself, good god. henri’s default interaction is always one of pursuit — six wives down looking for lucky number seven, & so audaciously arrogant about it that he has no problem pressing his suit on those wildly out of his league, & depending on at which point in elsa’s timeline you prefer to write, he could very easily fit in there on the edge of arendelle, hans But Worse, intent on pursuing elsa & / or anna for his own gratification & causing friction there ? for all that he thinks he’s suave, he’s far from subtle, & it wouldn’t be hard to glean his intentions. but then there’s also the fact that, even though it’s usually under - explored as a result of focusing on The Horrors that are part & parcel of his tale, since getting his hands on his bloody key, henri has had a deep fascination with magic, what it can do, how it can be of service to him, who & what it can bind to him, & he has pockets deep enough to take him all over the world as he chases it, & knowledge of it — rumours of a queen of ice, a spirit made flesh, & the woods she walks would intrigue him like nothing else, honestly ! he’s not a nice person to deal with in a lot of his verses, despite the superficial charm, so his dynamic with elsa would probably be on the antagonistic spectrum, but if it’s something you’re up for, then so am i !

rapunzel & elsa. oh isolated youth buddies hello <3 i’m very interested in the contrast between them, to be honest, elsa incorporeal against rapunzel who is desperate to be grounded, but also the similarity in hearing that call from something beyond, though rapunzel’s is much more mundane compared to the spirits who called elsa ! rapunzel is a little um. emotionally volatile, or unstable, honestly, choose your own adjective about it, as a result of her odd upbringing, but she wasn’t always a prisoner in the tower, just as elsa wasn’t always kept locked away ( something something about how it was quote unquote for their own good, & how tremendously that backfired, actually. ) but ! the potential is there for them to have crossed paths briefly as children, to meet again as adults once rapunzel has escaped / been pushed out of the tower, circumstances depending ? or, if following the thread of the latter, where she’s left to wander the world with little instruction on how to make her own way, they could cross paths, & spin off from there ? while i don’t have a tangled – based verse for her, so no sundrop & associated powers from that, i’m always down for making new verses in the service of plotting, & considering her mother was a witch who explicitly used her magic on her with regard to her hair, god alone only knows what other effects that could have had on her, & what powers it could have granted her. two magical girls, alone in the woods ? always a good time, as far as i’m concerned !

signy & elsa. while i’m not sure if you have a grishaverse … well, verse, for elsa, signy’s an easy one to pull out of that setting & place anywhere else, because when you boil it down to basics, she’s a silver – tailed mermaid with a powerful singing voice, the magic in which can be used to summon storms, bring varying objects into existence, hypnotize others, &, during certain rituals, turn them temporarily into humans. a little summary quickly here just because her bio has still to go up, but signy spent a bit of time on land in her youth which went … disastrously, resulting in her becoming queen of the sildroher at the expense of her best friend’s body, voice, & goodness, & as an adult, it’s heavily implied she ends up becoming the mother to the grishaverse version of the little mermaid, with the friend she left for dead becoming the sea witch who sends her to her doom, but her timeline is flexible, so ! even on land, the sildroher are pretty powerful, & given that neither she nor elsa are fully human, while i don’t know it’s right to say they would bond over looking human – but – a – little – to – the – left, there’s a natural fascination in signy about people who walk on land, & elsa having one foot on it & one foot elsewhere would absolutely captivate her for sure ! & once signy becomes queen beneath the waves, & her kids start doing stupid shit like making bargains with a sea witch she had an intensely homoerotic relationship with as a teenager … well, her husband’s a prick, to put it nicely, so i can see her either reaching out to any spirits she can get in contact with on land to ask for help with them, or even carving herself a set of legs once more to pursue them, & potentially looking to ally with elsa as a result of that !

( & while i’m sticking to three just for the nature of the prompt, i’m also pushing forward elody & gerard of greenleigh for interactions, in the vein of the pair of them being another set of muses who have, essentially, lived past the end of their myths, & luna, the buried moon, who is shaking elsa’s hand regarding being a spirit / of another world, but who was forced into a corporeal / human form, & struggled to deal with it ! )

#frysse #◆ ― ask meme. ooc.#ty for sending this in lovely !! <3 #your take on elsa is fantastic so if any of these tickle your fancy i'd be so down to plot through them a little more !!#& if they don't hit i'm always happy to explore other plots with different muses !! god knows i have enough of em sdkfjasjdsdj

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missallanea-archive · 9 months

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a not-so-brief, utterly useless guide to the muses on this blog:

UPDATED VERSION ( 08/10/23 )

AGNES DRACHINA REUBEN. first born daughter of the royal house of drachium. powerful sorceress who made a name for herself during the dragon campaign. a mischevious young woman with a penchant for drinking and getting into trouble.

BABYDOLL. institutionalized against her will. sweet girl but will not hesitate to end you if you're a creep. sincerely wishes to empower the other women around her. slowly losing herself to fantasy in order to escape from her unpleasant reality.

CARRIE WHITE. patron saint of the bullied. powerful telekinetic with religious trauma. generally a sweet kid, if not extremely shy and socially awkward. she honestly just needs a hug and a cheese sandwich.

CATIANA FREESPARK. swashbuckler rogue turned storm cleric. she's confused about how that happened too. died fairly recently, but she got better. will steal your shit. highkey feels like the divorce baby between procan and umberlee.

CHROME DOKURO. a powerful illusionist currently in the employ of the vongola mafia family. occasionally shares her body with the criminal mukuro rokudo. learning to stand on her own two feet. a bit of a strange girl, but sweet and undyingly loyal.

FREYA. the once queen of asgard and leader of the valkyries. reclaimed her warrior spirit and found her wings. seeking to reunite and repair the realms following ragnarök. not a woman to scorn, or she will burn you to the ground and salt the earth behind her.

KAGAMI TSURUGI. a recent transplant to paris from japan. loves fencing and being right. she can be a bit cold upon first meeting but she's actually just very bad at making friends. if you take the time to get to know her, she is fiercely loyal and dedicated and will fight for you.

LIAN NICHANG. the white haired demoness. lives alone on a mountain. really only comes down to get rid of people who are harassing the village at the base of the mountain that leaves her the fuck alone. master swordsman. not actually a witch or a demon, no matter what people call her.

LUNA. magical moon cat. has a crescent moon bald spot on her forehead. trying to keep the protectors of the universe on track but they're just teenage girls so it goes about as well as you would expect. really tired of being the voice of reason but this is what she signed up for.

LUNASOL GALANODEL. honestly, the worst. burned down her abusive childhood home with her twin brother. basically sold her soul to the queen of air and darkness. pretends to be sweet but she is cruel and cold. typical elvish attitude toward other races, too. really, really likes flowers.

MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG. my god she is doing her best. normal girl turned superhero turned guardian of magical artifacts. just needs one day of peace ffs. currently going through a crisis due to teenage romance and also ptsd. always smells like fresh baked bread which is a plus.

MAXIMILIAN CALYPSE. a small, stuttering lady of noble birth. married off to keep her father from having to go to war against dragons. considers herself to be useless and has a good deal of anxiety, but is generally one of the sweetest nobles you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. currently learning to use healing magic.

MIYU. vampire who tried to run from her destiny and made it worse. has to hunt down god-demons called shinma that she accidentally let escape. literally cannot die until she finishes her job, and she would very much like it to be over now. usually accompanied by her mask wearing servant, larva. she's cute and cruel in equal parts.

NATHALIE SANCOEUR. for fuck's sake she needs a vacation. and a raise. personal assistant to a supervillain. seriously questioning that relationship at this point. literally dying. trying to beat the current record holder for most akumatizations. she's pretty and could kick my ass.

PERSEPHONE. our lady of the underground. literal goddess. known for bringing springtime and overseeing torture in the deepest depths of tartarus. the mom friend, she probably already loves you. does not put up with her husband’s bullshit. really loves her weird dog.

PIKE TRICKFOOT. gnome cleric of the everlight. she may be a holy woman but she has the spirit of a barbarian. will definitely try to drink you under the table. overestimates her own strength, but loves to surprise others when they doubt her. precious angel baby.

REINA "GLITCH" CROWNE. student at a prestigious art school with a focus on fashion design. acts like she's tough and untouchable, but she's actually just soft and trying to figure out who she is. loves meshing traditional fashion with digital media. known to the other students as "glitch" due to her first year freeze up.

RIZA HAWKEYE. military sharpshooter and right-hand-woman of the guy who wants to take over the military. likes like two people and her dog. usually smells like gun oil but it's not unpleasant. has no sense of self-preservation and will definitely die for the people she cares about. does not get paid enough.

ROGUE. the poster child for "look don't touch." mutant and working on the proud part. literally too powerful for her own good. comes with the added bonus of her cajun husband who makes things explode by touching them. the og power couple.

RYOKO HAKUBI. half alien, half goddess, all trouble. a literal science experiment. crash landed on earth 700-or-so years ago after a space battle with the guy she tried to steal a tree from. recently resurrected and free from the mind control that made her destroy 28 planets. she's doing her best okay?

RYUKO MATOI. teenage girl who wants to fight. has a magical schoolgirl uniform powered by her blood. wields a giant scissor. could kick your ass, could kick my ass, could kick her own ass. secretly a softie.

SADAKO YAMAMURA. a very, very angry ghost with the telepathic ability to project her thoughts onto physical media. the switch to the digital era has not slowed down her curse whatsoever but she misses VHS tapes. very wet. is honestly just a scared young woman who doesn't understand why bad things happened to her. will fucking kill you if given the chance.

SIF. the unwaveringly loyal wife of thor, mother to magni, móði, and thrúd. trying desperately to hold what remains of her family together. can come across as somewhat cold. while not a warrior by any means, she will do anything to protect her children.

TABITHA DELAINE. monster hunter and general know-it-all. was part of a cult at one point but she doesn't want to talk about it. lowkey a witch but tries to use her magic sparingly. the biggest lesbian you will ever meet, next to her girlfriend van. lives in van's van.

TIKKI. kwami of the miraculous of creation. has existed for as long as the universe has. sincerely loves humans and how wonderful they can be. helps to turn her current owner into the superhero known as ladybug.

VEX'AHLIA. ranger and rogue. sneaky and shooty. just trying not to die again, thank you very much. once stabbed a tree because it made moves on her. the champion of a god. will probably call you darling and wink at you. also, she has a bear named trinket and a husband with too many names for me to bother listing here.

#❮ missallanea / ooc ❯ ━━ ❝ probably listening to a musical on repeat .#/ yep my stupid joke post is back uwu #/ updated for the new muses!

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thefamilyeldritchabomination · 1 year

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Chapter Fourteen: Mr. Pinstripe Suit Pt. 7

“Envy, just how fast can you run?” Freddy looked at Envy as they made a massive progress on the monster proportioned parfait.

“Oh Face Fur, I can easily outrun you if you tried to run from me with plenty more of asskicking in store should that be the case.” Envy glared at Freddy, thinking Freddy was about to dine and dash on them.

“Bitch that’s not it, I’m asking cause when you have to pose as me, you are going to want to run fast when my rage filled Lobster Man Father comes to town, he’s going to break out the damn pinchers.” Freddy's voice shook in fear for Envy’s own wellbeing at this point as he tried to convey JUST how bad the situation was.

“What exactly do you mean the pinchers are coming out?” Envy for a change didn’t attempt to attack Freddy for calling them a ‘bitch’ as they monitored their favorite Face Fur to torment.

“Fun fact, Joel can break a tree in half with his bare hands alone, that’s why we call them Joel’s pinchers. Thankfully you’ll be disguised as Freddy, so it’ll likely be a shrill screaming fit and possibly getting cut off from the family account for a few months. However, if you’re in this disguise or come in front of him as yourself, you’re going to want to run. He’ll come at you with something worse than the lamp post.” Dolly explained calmly as she shared her peppermint stick sundae with Dorian.

“The hell did you do to these humans to make them so insane?” Envy nearly choked on their parfait after being given that explanation of what to expect should Joel show up. “The Witch Hunts back in the day traumatized everyone, so I think that was the main culprit. Though, it would be very KIND of you if you’d just tell my Dad you were the one to order that travesty of a dessert so I won’t lose my access to the family account.” Freddy chimed in as he ate his strawberry ice cream slowly as he hoped Envy would be in their horrid gremlin form just so he can see Envy run from a Lobster Man.

“Okay Face Fur, have it your way, I’ll be myself and tell your mutant father that I ordered the parfait. I’m not afraid of some little human that happens to turn red when angry.” Envy glowered from their half way devoured parfait.

“Lust, I’m hungry, when can I go get something to eat?” Gluttony asked before resorting to his coping mechanism of chewing on his knuckles.

“Aww don’t fret buddy, I’ll be taking you to the morgue after this. It’ll be like an all you can eat buffet there!” Envy had a smug look to their face after fully recovering from their moment of shock.

“I’ll be sure to distract Joel then to give you a proper running head start then Envy.” Dolly offered as she enjoyed her sundae with Dorian. “Whatever, at least my blood isn’t going to be the flavor of marzipan from the sugar intake you’re having.” Envy smirked as they finished the parfait of forlorn and sat back to relax. “I dunno, I think I’ve flown past the marzipan flavoring and straight into the buttercream instead.” Dolly mused a bit, causing Envy to chuckle at the comeback that was given.

“Envy, you’re one to talk with that beastly sized parfait you demolished in one sitting.” Freddy rolled his eyes a bit at Envy’s little commentary.

“Shapeshifting burns a lot of calories, you really need to keep up with the details there Face Fur.” Envy retorted with a snort before just relaxing, not even taking the horrors of Joel seriously.

Sitting smugly and content, Envy felt like they had won. Sure they didn’t get to murder their bastard father and would have to face some supposed lobster-human hybrid, but that didn’t matter to Envy. They got Dolly and Dorian back without having to spend a lot of energy or man power, that was the two only things that mattered to Envy. Around the table, Lust had been comforting a hungry Gluttony while Hughes had returned to his normal skin tone, enjoying some ice cream to cool his body down. Freddy, smug about throwing Envy under the tracks, was giving concern looks from Dolly, still very much worried about the potential fallout that’ll likely come after the parfait. It was just a silly little matter in Envy’s eyes, a human couldn’t possibly be a threat to a mighty homunculus like Envy, so why even worry? Though Envy wouldn’t admit it, at that moment, they wondered if this was what it was like having a family to call their own. Though, Freddy was basically the annoying family pet in the whole hierarchy in Envy’s mind for this family dynamic. The good feeling didn’t last though as the odd yet painful feeling returned when they looked at Hughes who had joined Lust in comforting Gluttony. If having a group to call their family was supposed to feel good, then why did it hurt so badly when Hughes was there?

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

It had been a week since the survivors of Tir Na Nog had settled living in a cave after arriving in Xing. To them, the thought of having to pay to live in a house was an absolutely dystopian nightmare in their eyes after being brought up in a free housing society. The soft hums and twirls of the salvaged equipment sang inside of the cave as Tinne clanked his forging hammer against the heated metal. They were orders by Cuilleann, who sat by the campfire with Muin as a bodyguard outside of the cave, displeased with the entire scenario that had befallen her kind. Victoria, Gef, and Ngetal had gone to scavenge for food sources since like the housing, these madmen humans had too expected payment for it as well. Duir and Ruis had been at work maintaining the equipment and monitoring for any signatures from the lost Gort. Cuilleann let out a soft growl of annoyance as there were no signatures of Gort whatsoever and she was growing tired of this waiting game. What sort of queen goes about existing without using magic at all? It angered Cuilleann as she gripped her sword tightly, tempted to heat the metal up to go slash at the waters close by. Muin quietly watched the designated leader with caution, mentally preparing herself to take down Cuilleann if she posed a threat to everyone in the group.

“Cuilleann, I’m almost done with the forging the claymore. I don’t understand why that was even necessary in the first place.” Tinne held the in process claymore for Cuilleann to inspect.

“Any Queen let alone another Dullahan isn’t worth their weight in salt if she can’t fight me in Queen’s combat. I will accept Gort as our Queen if she can best me in combat.” Cuilleann snarled as she twisted her sword in the ground.

“Wait, you think Gort is a Dullahan because of Victoria? Gort’s a Dobhar Chu like Duir and I.” Tinne raised an eyebrow as he checked the sword for the length.

“Damn it! Is that sword even going to be big enough for Gort to handle then?” Cuilleann looked at the claymore to make sure it’ll be of massive size suitable for a Dobhar Chu.

“This should be the right size, Gort was always on the small side for a Dobhar Chu.” Tinne felt satisfied with the length of the claymore as he went back to the makeshift forge.

“So I’ll be expecting a six foot tall Dobhar Chu, close to my height then.” Cuilleann felt a bit relieved that the fight will be evenly matched now that the claymore was confirmed to be the correct height for the intended wielder.

Tinne shook his head a bit at the response as he went back to work on the claymore. A part of Tinne had hoped that Gort had reached at least the normal short height of six feet rather than the strongly possible fact of Gort being smaller than that. Gort was after all the runt of the entire batch for the Autumn Mist District and was an abnormality for a Dobhar Chu to be so small. Muin lifted her head up as she saw movement in the distance, standing up to get a better view of the returning food scavenging party. Cuilleann let loose a soured face when she noticed that the protein they were to have was just a mere small rabbit. It was completely pitiful to be dining on berries and a small rabbit when Muin took up arms when she noticed a small figure following behind the party. Gef, Victoria, and Ngetal stood still when they saw Muin come charging with the intent of apprehending the threat. It wasn’t much of a fight as Muin, disappointedly lifted up a small human child who was flailing about at suddenly being picked up like that.

“Great, we got a larval stage human.” Muin grimaced at the sight of the child who had stopped flailing and started trying to get kicks in before getting held arms length away.

“Woah, so that’s what a mini human looks like?” Ngetal asked as they looked at the small apprehended human.

“Muin, we don’t have to hold the human like that, it's rude.” Gef went to take over handling the child from Muin who was more than happy to hand over the little bundle of adolescent rage.

“So…Gef you’re better at language, you talk to the little larval human.” Muin decided to leave the handling of the human to Gef, heading back to the campfire, a very alarmed Cuilleann being present at the sudden human intrusion.

“Fine, but my Xingese is rather rusty.” Gef went to attempt to speak to the child who scrunched his nose up at the really old Xingese being used.

“Do you speak Amestrian? I’m fluent in the Amestrian language.” The child responded, catching everyone off guard with the surprisingly adult vocabulary that came out of his mouth.

“How delightful, yes, we can speak Amestrian.” Gef switched over to Amestrian, glad that one thing was going to be made easy for him.

“Gef, I thought it was called English?” Victoria whispered, being caught off guard.

“Not in this plane of existence it is.” Gef whispered right back.

“So..are you like the secret band of cannibals that live in the cave?” The child began to ask, eying the cave home situation everyone was living in.

“No? What gave you the idea about us being cannibals?” Ngetal gave a bit of a perplexed look upon hearing the little accusation.

“Cause you have a scary looking lady by the fire.” The child pointed out Cuilleann who was now making her way over to the group.

“Who is the little meat bag larva you brought into the Liberation Cave of Freedom?” Cuilleann interrogated right away.

“Lady, that’s a really lame name for a cave.” The child responded, earning an offended gasp by Cuilleann.

“I’ll have you know that the Liberation Cave of Freedom is a very suitable name compared to your weird human custom of paying to live in a house. We don’t have to pay a dime to exist here and we’re proud of our arrangements.” Cuilleann held her nose up proudly at her supposedly better living situation over the humans.

“If you say so lady, but you do realize that the cave gets flooded during this time of year, right?” The child gives the group of weirdos a look of pity of living in the very easily flooded cave of forlorn.

“You’re lying, right? All you humans ever do is lie…right?” Cuilleann was taken aback by the revelation that floods were indeed a very real thing and not some boogeyman story told to young aslings into behaving better.

“Fine by me if you want to live in the cave, but my entire clan has lived here for many centuries and knows what the rain cycle is like here. I can promise you as a fact that the cave is going to flood and it’ll be a spectacularly flooded disaster if you don’t move to higher grounds. If you don’t want to be flooded, I can offer you a place at my home, but you’ll have to serve my family from now on and be part of the Yao Clan.” The child gave off a smile that resembled a smug cat after eating the beloved pet goldfish.

“Cuilleann, we need the equipment to be undamaged by flood water if we’re to find Gort.” Muin said in a harsh whisper to Cuilleann who was getting hot with anger.

“You expect me, your acting queen, to lower my standards to serve humans? Are you breathing in the gas fumes?!” Cuilleann shouted in their native language, not thrilled with that prospect.

“Damn it Cuilleann, we are getting offered a proper shelter and better quality food.” Tinne finally put his foot down from within the cave after working at the forge all day.

“You know what Cuilleann, since you named this stupid cave the Liberation Cave of Freedom, we’re gonna act on that one. Everyone, let’s take a vote!” Ruis threw her arms up after having to listen to Cuilleann’s nonsense for far too long in the week.

“I’ll have you know I’ll consider this a mutiny!” Cuilleann protested as the others started to cast their votes.

“Right, everyone, for leaving the cave to live in a proper house, raise your hands now!” Ruis yelled as she along with the seven others raised their hands to cast their vote.

“Now for Anyone who wants to live in an easily floodable cave, raise your hand!” Ruis smirked as the only hand to be raised was Cuilleann who had a look of displeasure.

“Alright Cuilleann, the votes are clearly in favor of moving out of the cave. Let’s get the equipment out and ready to move into the new location.” Gef sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Damn it, where is your pride in being a Fae?! We’re going to be serving this meatbag larva rather than the other way around! This is indignity and disgrace!” Cuilleann protested, but the others brushed her off as they started getting set up for the move.

“That’s enough Cuilleann! We can’t go back to living like we once used to, we’re going to have to adapt and change accordingly to our new situation. Now, are you going to come with us or stubbornly stay at this cave?” Duir pinched between the bridge of his nose as he felt the migraine coming in from the rather stressful week he had living in a cave.

“Duir, just so you know, I will be considering this an act of mutiny for a long time, but fine, I’ll come along since you’re my mutinous crew and I have a responsibility for all of you now.” Cuilleann grumbled in frustration from everyone betraying her perceived notion of what dignity they had left.

“Then I take it you’re all going to join the Yao clan?” The child smiled at the small victory he made that very day and the bettering odds for his clan.

“Yes my precocious little meat bag larva, we are going to join this clan of yours, HOWEVER, this contract agreement will be terminated once we are able to locate our Queen. Then your clan will be on their own, do we have a contract?” Cuilleann held her hand out to shake upon the arrangement, taking some control back from this unprecedented situation.

“That’s fine by me, it just means my clan has service for the foreseeable future. However, I’ll be requiring everyone to study the current Xingese language, yours was incredibly outdated.” The child shrugged as they got what he had wanted beforehand and felt rather proud of himself. “You certainly have a lot of cheek from someone so young.” Cuilleann remarked as she glowered at the smug child. “Thanks, I have a very expensive education and private tutors, I get to lay my rights to be as cheeky as I want to be.” The young child just simply grinned as he started leading everyone off to his home.

#The Wayfarer #Fullmetal Alchemist #FMA 03 #Fan Fiction #FMA Fan Fiction #Writing #Envy the Jealous #Envy #Lust the Lascivious #Lust #Gluttony the Voracious #Gluttony #Maes Hughes #OCs #Homunculus #Homunculi

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multistanisms · 6 months

Text

Let Our Circle Be Unbroken | NCT | Ch 1

FANDOM: NCT [other groups will be featured/mentioned]

PAIRING: Jaehyun x Taeyong, Yuta x OC

WORD COUNT: 3,652

RATING: PG-13

POTENTIAL TRIGGERS: N/A

SUMMARY: Surviving a near death experience comes with a lot of surprises when warlock Jeong Jaehyun finds a dragon in a place that holds tragic memories for him. Nothing is as whirlwind, though, as when Jaehyun begins to meet the little clan of misfits Taeyong has gathered over the years and a mystery is revealed.

Sneak Peeks | Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

Unconsciousness wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, honestly. Jaehyun knew it was a fact of life that sometimes you just had to rest, and given the way he had been injured, rest was of utmost importance. It didn’t mean his hearing didn’t occasionally pick up on things, though. Accented voices were easily discernible after a few lifetimes of living all over the world. He was able to pick up three distinct voices; two males and a female. What snippets he did catch were a mix between banter and matter of fact tones.

"I'm surprised he lasted so long…didn’t know how...Ari and I to get here." A distinct Japanese accent with an inflection of age. An older being, no doubt.

"I don't know what...where he came... a portal or...caught me off...else to call."

"...blood loss…-cerns me, boys." The one that seemed to be tending to him was the female. "He's lucky…survived. I can heal a fra-...major wound, and helping with….time to heal."

It went quiet again, though Jaehyun didn't know for how long. His chest didn't feel like it was being crushed the next time he gained a form of semi-consciousness. His arm felt heavy, but no pain. 'Oh gods, tell me I kept my arm.' He thinks in the gray-black of what has to be a kind of comatose state. It dawns on him that perhaps his wounds were much worse than he had initially cataloged.

"Is he always so talkative, Taeyongie?" The first voice is light and playful this time, and Jaehyun is aware of what sounds like a hot beverage being sipped at.

"You're certainly one to talk. You've been oddly quiet all day." The second voice - Taeyongie - had retorted.

"Arashi has been working on things." The first voice replied.

"Yuta, you know she's doing her best. Everything will be okay."

"Don't say that too loudly, now. She already puts enough pressure on herself as is."

"It's not pressure if she chose to help find him."

"Or bring him back as safely as possible." The woman is back again, Arashi, if Jaehyun is correct. "But enough about that. How's my new friend?" Soft chuckles resound from the two men and Jaehyun is vaguely aware of his arm moving. Everything is quiet as Arashi examines him, or at least Jaehyun thinks that's what she's doing. Her hands are warm, much warmer than Jaehyun would consider normal, but there's a calming sensation.

'She's a witch.' Jaehyun realized. 'At the very least, she's a healer.'

"It's gonna take him some time to fully heal, but I think I can take the sleeping spell off. The worrisome things about his wounds are healed enough that he shouldn't need constant supervision." There's a sigh of relief, and Arashi chuckles. "Scared he wouldn't make it, Yongie?"

"A little. There was a lot of blood."

"I can't say it was all his. There was quite a bit from the wild hound that you basically ate whole." Arashi countered, a smirk in her voice.

"Hey, it was gonna attack me. It had already attacked him, I wasn’t about to let it have the chance to do the same to me."

"We don't doubt that. You just haven't taken that form in a long time." Yuta assured. "Do you need anything from us, Ari?"

"Some space. You two go, I'll join you as soon as I'm done." There's a shuffle as the two men stand and leave the room and Arashi is left with him. “Well, let’s hope you aren’t a serial killer or something. Not often people just show up for us.” She mused, and for a moment, there’s the sound of gathering materials before sounds grew fuzzy as he once more fell under.

The sun was beaming through a crack in a set of dark curtains when Jaehyun next became aware. Reptilian eyes opened as he groaned, reaching up to cup his head as he fought to sit up. The change in position made his head spin, but he managed to finish the motion, leaving his eyes closed for a long moment.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd wake up." The voice takes Jaehyun by surprise and he looks up too quickly, groaning and dropping his head again to catch his bearings. Then he slowly looks up, taking the woman in for the first time. She’s unsurprisingly not what he had expected. Her height is smaller than he envisioned, but she’s curvaceous in the right places. Her hair is bleached blonde and then streaked with bright red highlights, the tendrils falling about her face in messy layers. Her lips are quirked up in a kind but playful smile. “I’m certainly glad you pulled through.”

“Where am I?” Jaehyun asked, which was certainly more important to him than confirming she was the woman he’d been aware of while unconscious. He watched her hum thoughtfully, head tilting as she did so.

“Mm…somewhere safe, I gather.” she mused, letting hazel eyes close with a chuckle as she shoved from the door frame. “I’m Arashi. At least it’s what the boys call me. Would it be rude to ask your name?”

“J…Jaehyun.” It’s a response that actually catches Jaehyun off guard. In any other circumstance, he would have lied. Was it the location or the people? “My name is Jaehyun.”

Arashi nodded as she hummed to herself again, a little nod as she did so. “Well, Jaehyun, we’re getting ready to start dinner, and you should probably meet Yongie and Yuta. Especially if you’re gonna be sticking around to heal.”

“I really shouldn't-" Jaehyun started to decline, but Arashi lifted her hand, cutting him off.

"You were banged up pretty bad. Yongie didn't have to call us, but he did. That means something." She explained. "And honestly, I spent a good chunk of time healing what I could and I'd like to make sure you actually, ya know, heal properly." It's a logic Jaehyun knew he couldn't argue with; he himself had done the same thing on numerous occasions in his life. Arashi took his silence as a form of acknowledgement, nodding once. "Alright then. Want help getting to the kitchen?"

"No, I think I can make due." Jaehyun answered, taking a slow breath.

"Coffee or tea?"

"Pardon?"

"Do you drink coffee or tea?"

"Do you have any Lady Grey?"

Arashi grins at the inquiry. "I like you already, Jaehyun. Most people go with the Earl." Her smile is warm, and Jaehyun can't help but smile back.

"The lady has a naturally sweeter disposition when it comes to flavor."

"I'm inclined to agree, Jaehyun. I'll start your cup. Call if you need help." Then she's gone, leaving the door open as she makes her way down the hall. There's the sound of stairs that suddenly make him question whether he really is at the manor he had envisioned in his last ditch effort to survive. Now alone, the warlock moved to take a look around and found...not what he expected. Where he is shouldn't be a room. It was a sunroom the last he was there, complete with a skylight. The furniture was all dark to help contrast the brightness of the room. The floor to ceiling window along one wall has been fitted with curtains that look like heavy, insulated silk. Eyes lift to search above him, finding the skylight still remains, but is rigged with a contraption to cover it with large wood blinds using a small rope. Familiar and yet so completely, utterly foreign. Looking back down, Jaehyun took a breath and pulled the blankets back, turning to stand. The loss of his tattered clothes isn't surprising, but the sweatpants and dark tshirt are.

"I had Yuta get you some things."

Jaehyun startled at a new voice, reptilian eyes looking to land on a young man. Pink hair is fluffy and akin to wild around a soft featured face. It takes a moment of looking at the other male before it dawns which male is before him. Unlike Arashi, this one isn’t at all what he had expected. “You’re Taeyongie.” It’s a statement more than anything else, and Jaehyun is very aware of the blush that creeps along the other’s cheeks.

“Actually, it’s just Taeyong. Taeyongie is a nickname, as is Yongie, which if you recognize my voice, you’ll know the others have called me.” He explains, hands moving to fidget with the worn end of the long sleeved shirt he’s wearing. “You can call me that, if you’d like, by the way. I figured I would come in to check on you.”

A brow arched as Jaehyun heard the words. “Despite the fact Arashi was just here?”

“You were in pretty bad shape.” Taeyong replied. “It’s become what could be considered a habit to not leave you alone for too long.”

Confirmation settled on the extent of his injuries, Jaehyun nodded a little to himself as he thought. “Taeyong…how long have I been here?”

“Hm? How long?” Taeyong goes quiet to think, sunlight from between the curtains catching his eyes to create a kind of diamond rainbow effect in his irises. “Just about a week? Maybe a day or two more?”

“A week?” Jaehyun questioned, eyes going wide. “How…why?”

“It wasn’t easy. The wound in your side was laced with something, and you lost a lot of blood.” Taeyong replied. “It was touch and go, but once Yuta and Arashi got here, things started turning around. She did a lot with her magic, and I’m sure she’s far more exhausted than she’s letting on.” He settled into a silence, tongue wetting his lips, unaware of Jaehyun’s heart leaping a little. “So, um, we’re working on dinner, if you’d like to join us?”

"Of course." Jaehyun moved to stand. He was fully aware that Taeyong was watching him as he carefully got on his feet, the male poised to help if need be. Standing wasn't terrible, but the first step had him wobbly and Taeyong was at his side from one second to the next to catch him. "Guess my body is used to not moving."

"You have been comatose for a week." Taeyong replied with a playful smirk. "I'm sure you'll get your balance back quickly, though. Nonhumans recover fairly quickly. It's just a part of who we are."

"What are you guys?"

Taeyong chuckled and shrugged one shoulder as he helped steady Jaehyun. "A little of everything, honestly. The clan kind of welcomes anyone."

"That doesn't answer my question." Jaehyun answered, chuckling as he felt his footing become more secure.

"I'm a dragon." Taeyong answered. "You'll have to figure out the others on your own or just ask them." He said, gradually releasing Jaehyun as the other began to walk on his own more. "Arashi wants to make sure you're at your best, and I'm inclined to agree."

"I at least need to make contact with a few people." Jaehyun replied, glad that he could move on his own once he was near the bottom of the staircase. "I own safehouses and they need to know I'm alright." He paused at the smell of grilling meat and vegetables. "It smells delightful."

Taeyong gave a snorting sound. "Yuta has surprisingly good cooking sense."

"He was cooking before he met you." It was Arashi, coming in from where Jaehyun knew the kitchen was. A grin was on her face, giving a nod when she took in Jaehyun. "I'm glad you're on your feet already. Just don't go pushing yourself too fast to do normal things." Her tone had the slightest hint of scolding, but Jaehyun could tell her heart was in the right place. Her attention turned to Taeyong, and she reached up to ruffle his hair. "Come help us, Yongie. You know how hyper focused Yuta can get when he's grilling."

Taeyong laughed and nodded. "Sure, sure. What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna make up some salad stuff." Arashi said, taking a few steps backwards towards where she'd come from. "Just a little bit, mostly for me." Her eyes turned to Jaehyun as she moved. "Would you like some, Jaehyun?"

Jaehyun's mind was still reeling from the location, from the domestic gentleness that now called this place home. "Sure. Do you mind if I help?"

"I'm not sure you should be handling sharp objects, so you can wash the vegetables and help get the table set.” Arashi motions her head and he follows her into the kitchen, and Jaehyun is not expecting what he finds.

It’s as if the place he knows is gone, nothing but a nightmarish fever dream he made up, but there are still traces he can sense, even if it seems they're weak. Ghosts embedded in the wood and foundation, or was it his mind trying to recall them? His eyes take in the newly remodeled kitchen area, which has been altered with a series of broken down walls to include a massive dining area with a very large set of tables that could easily seat fifty people. The colors are almost forest-like, greens of all shades and accents of all kinds of color. A welcoming environment that Jaehyun is puzzled by.

"You seem oddly suspicious of the manor." Arashi's voice catches him off guard, and he turns to find even the counter space has changed. There's more of it now, and the massive room as a whole gives a very familial feel that is foreign to him, even as he watches her set vegetables aside.

"Let's just say I was once familiar with the workings." Jaehyun answered, walking over to join her and help wash the vegetables off. "It isn't what it used to be, that's for sure."

"Yongie did most of the renovation by himself. He wanted a place we could always come back to, a kind of base camp, I guess you could call it. The clan tends to end up drifting for periods at a time, but we always end up back together." Arashi explained, moving to set up their area to make the salad. "Yuta and I came to help a few times, and I'm sure some of the others did as well."

"How big is the clan?"

"Like how many of us?" There's a pause and Arashi counts under her breath. "Just off the top of my head, I think we're somewhere in the twenties? But that doesn't count any significant others or familiars that anyone has gained since we were all last together. I haven't met everyone just yet, but I know who they are." Her voice reflects the smile on her face, but Jaehyun can hear the soft sadness in the tone.

"How long has it been?"

"Yuta said the last time everyone was together was about six years ago. Very crowded at the time. I think that's why Yongie took to this place so easily. It's a very large property and getting wards up was no hassle."

"Wards?" Jaehyun asked.

Arashi nodded. "I put them up while Yongie was still working downstairs. Nothing with bad intentions can get through. I think the only reason the hound made it through was because it was attached to you."

"What happened to it, exactly?"

"It's been taken care of." Arashi replied, beginning to put the lettuce into a bowl and reaching for some of the carrots. "Don't worry, Jaehyun, you're safe here. As for contacting your people in safe houses, we have good reception out here, so you should be able to call everyone very easily." She began chopping them up, but paused for a few moments suddenly, shaking her head quickly after as if shaking off a chill.

The movement isn't missed by Jaehyun, who cocks his head and quirks a brow. "Are you okay?" He inquired as he moved to wash off more of the vegetables and help the witch out.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired, that’s all.” Arashi brushes off, continuing on. “I take it you were outed by someone?”

Jaehyun looked at her. “What makes you say that?”

“Yongie said the hound was in attack mode, that usually means hunters.” Arashi said, her tone sounding almost absent for a moment. “Hunters like to use dogs, especially the long time hunting families, saying they’re ridding the world of evil by killing us, but most of the time, I wonder if they bothered to actually look into the people they murder.”

Jaehyun recognizes the anger beneath the words, but he can’t bring himself to argue. He knows all too well the kind of unforgiving acts hunters are capable of. Deciding it was best to change the subject, he helps with putting the cut vegetables into prospective bowls. “So how long have you been part of this clan?” He’s glad when the question brings a bit of calm over Arashi, and she pauses for a moment.

“How long?” she hums for a moment as she thinks. “I met Johnny and Yuta…eight years ago?” There’s a smile curving her lips as she remembers, and it’s enough to make Jaehyun smile as well. “I was still working at the sanctuary cafe back then.”

“There’s a sanctuary cafe?” Jaehyun inquires.

“Oh, yeah! There’s a whole network.” Arashi grinned at him. “Of course, there’s protocol and such that go into establishing a sanctuary, but most of them are cafes. I worked at Le Lune for three or four years when I met the boys. It was a great place, honestly. Customers and staff alike, it was kind of like a home.” The slow roll into gentleness from her previous anger settles the unease of their previous topic, and Jaehyun finds himself listening as he sets the bowls in the fridge to stay cold. “You know, I wasn’t even supposed to work that day. My coworker’s mate went into labor.”

“Some would call that luck.” Jaehyun mused, returning to her side and sliding another bowl to grab her next prepped vegetable.

“Something like that.” Arashi replied. “I was wiping tables when they first came in. It struck me as odd for a moment, seeing a vampire and werewolf so casually together. Regardless, it started there, now I’m here. And I wouldn’t change it for anything.” The smile on her lips is enamored and soft, giving the witch a content appearance as she sets her knife down to wash the orange from the freshly cut carrots from her hands.

Jaehyun turns from her to collect the carrots and put them in the bowl, and there’s a kind of shift in the air that feels off that he doesn’t recognize. Before he can try to figure it out, there’s a slam from the sliding door of the patio as it’s flung open that makes him jump. His eyes first look at the now open door, then take in the room as he turns, eyes widening a fraction at the sight of an unfamiliar male cradling an unconscious Arashi to his chest. Dark red hair frames his face, eyes a blend of crimson and liquid gold that Jaehyun recognizes as those of a born vampire. ‘This must be the Yuta that Arashi and Taeyong have mentioned.’ he thinks, watching the male as he adjusts his hold on Arashi so he can brush hair from her face.

Taeyong enters a moment later, looking confused before he catches sight of Yuta standing to carry Arashi from the kitchen. “What happened?”

“I have no idea. We were talking and then she just collapsed, I guess.” Jaehyun answers, eyes watching the doorway. There’s a sigh from Taeyong, and the dragon shakes his head a little.

“Magic wear.” he murmurs. “We told her not to push herself, but she’s so stubborn sometimes.” Running a hand through rainbow hair, he goes out into the den, fully aware of the warlock following him. Arashi is laid in an oversized wicker chair that’s settled in the corner, silent except for her breathing. “Hopefully she isn’t out too long this time.”

“This has happened before?” Jaehyun asks.

“Once or twice.”

“She doesn’t like to let us know when she’s starting to feel the effects.” A deeper voice chimes in to add to the statement, a low rumble akin to a growl in Yuta’s voice as he appears with a large plush blanket in his arms. He drapes it over Arashi, moving her arm so they weren’t confined beneath the fabric before settling into the space beside her, fingers brushing through her hair as she seems to curl into him. It’s an action JAehun has seen a handful of times in his life, and it dawns on him a moment later.

“The two of you are mates.” he states more than asks, smiling warmly at the sight. “That’s why you were able to react before anyone else. You sensed it before we did.”

Yuta glances at where Jaehyun stands, eyes no longer that tell-tale sign of his heritage faded into dark brown eyes. He nods once, adjusting so that one arm is holding up his head as he watches Arashi with concern. “She doesn’t like to worry us, but when she pushes herself too far, it can be the most worrisome.”

“I should get a couple of rooms ready.” Taeyong spoke up. “You know them, depending where they are right now-”

“They could be here within a day.” Yuta finished, nodding as his focus shifted to the two standing in the den with him. “I can’t move her yet, Tongue.”

“I got it. You worry about Arashi. JAehyun can help me set up the beds, right?” Taeyong asked, looking at Jaehyun. “Think you’re willing to help set up a couple of rooms?”

“For who?”

“Arashi’s familiars.” Yuta answered first. “They’re part of small clans of their own. With Arashi fainting from overusing her magic in a short time frame-”

“Both clans are either on their way already or about to be on the move.”

#my fics #making a fantasy…a beautiful galaxy ✾ my fics #LOCBU #nct #nct fanfiction #yuta x oc #taeyong x jaehyun

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