#ava the second coming but his only in one panel

[achlyisdumb]

Hollow Escape AU

Part 2

Previous // Next

#hollow escape au #achly arts #ava the chosen one #ava the dark lord #ava victim #ava tdl #ava tco #animator vs animation #ava comic #ava fandom #alan becker #ava the second coming but his only in one panel #ava au #ava fanart

[totowlff]

chapter two — teaching methods

➝ curiosity got the better of toto and he's back at ava's apartment, ready to play her game. he just need to know if she was looking for someone to play with…

➝ word count: 3,1k

➝ warnings: smut, d/s dynamics, masturbation (in a way), foot fetish (if you squint)

➝ author’s note: going through one of those difficult weeks where you think the only solution is to die. i should probably be monitored or something. i hope you like the chapter.

As the numbers glowed red on the elevator's LED panel, tension twisted Toto’s stomach. He couldn't help but feel anxious, especially considering what he was about to do in a few minutes. However, it wasn't like he could blame his own impulsiveness in being there.

The decision to message Ava and ask if he could stop by her apartment that night was carefully thought about for a long time. He gave even more attention to that than to the latest car-related reports of the season that was about to begin. Just one of the consequences of walking into the wrong door the night he had dinner at that flat in Chelsea.

Since then, that place had become a constant presence in Toto's thoughts. It was as if he was unable to think about anything other than being there, in front of Ava again, feeling her touch set his skin on fire. In that position, he would be able to do anything for her.

Itt was scary, even for him.

When the elevator stopped on the sixth floor, Toto let out a heavy sigh, trying to focus on what he would say to Ava once he saw her. Maybe it would be better to be honest with her, say everything at once. Or would it be better to ask for something to drink? No, the best thing was to not give her time to say anything and just kiss her, hoping that she would understand what he wanted to say.

— Good evening, Toto — she greeted him, making him realize that she had already pressed the doorbell. “Shit”, he thought to himself, trying to draw some mental script of what he wanted to say — How are you?

— Good evening — he stammered — Everything’s okay. What about you?

— All good — Ava said, leaning her face against the wood of the door — Do you want to come in?

Answering with a positive nod, Toto entered the apartment feeling his heart beating heavy inside his chest. After taking off his shoes and hanging up his coat, he stopped to take a look at Ava. Wearing a short black satin set of button-down pajamas, he allowed Toto a little glimpse of her breasts as well as her legs.

“She’s so beautiful”, he thought to himself, before looking up from her cleavage to her eyes, that were trained on him. The feeling was that he had been caught doing something wrong, which made him swallow hard.

— Come with me — she said, walking into the living room.

Almost robotically, Toto followed her, his pulse roaring in his ears. Upon entering the room, he noticed that the television was on, some program with a man appearing to sing a rap in a baseball shirt standing still on the screen.

— I didn't expect you to come back here — Ava mumbled, making Toto suddenly look at her.

— No?

— The way you left that night, I thought — she hesitated, as she sat on the arm of the white sofa — I had scared you.

Toto blinked. That was definitely not the impression he wanted to give when he said goodbye to her like that. But at the same time, it was a little naive of him to think that she wouldn't see his action as him attempting to escape.

— No, no, you didn't scare me — he finally said — I just needed to... Think.

— Think?

— Yeah, think. To… process everything…

— Never seen a BDSM dungeon before? — Ava asked, dryly.

— No — Toto replied, innocently— Like, I knew that such a thing existed, but I'd never been in one before. Well, I still don't think I was, because your room doesn’t look like a dungeon.

She smiled, lowering her head.

— Well, that’s not necessarily my room…

— Don't you sleep there?

— No. Let’s just say that room is reserved for my guests.

— You mean — he hesitated for a few seconds — Your submissives?

Ava gave a suggestive smile.

— Apparently someone has been reading about it — she murmured, getting up from the arm of the sofa, her eyes fixed on his.

— Yeah, well — Toto stuttered, looking away from her. It was useless to deny that he hadn't researched that subject, trying to better understand what role Ava assumed within that room and what role he could assume to please her — I have…

The smile grew on her face as she slowly approached him. Toto felt his breath catch in his throat, his heart beating heavy in his chest.

— And what did you discover? — Ava asked, her face raised to his.

— So — he began to search his own memory, feeling completely lost with her proximity to his body — There is a dominant and a submissive. And the submissive does whatever the dominant wants.

A giggle escaped her lips.

— That’s… a bit inaccurate  — Ava said, raising a hand to fiddle with the collar of his shirt — Very much so, actually.

— Uh… Why?

— The submissive is the center of everything in BDSM — she explained — Without his knowledge and, above all, his consent, nothing happens in the bedroom. There is the idea that he does whatever the dominant wants, but the good dominant only does what is within the limits of his submissive. And within its limits, of course.

— And which are your limits? — Toto asked softly.

— Well, I'm what they define as a gentle dominant — Ava said, her hand sliding over the white fabric — I prefer to educate my submissives with positive incentives when they obey me and not necessarily through punishments when they do wrong things.

— You don't do physical punishments, then?

— If he deserves, I'll punish him — she murmured, her eyes going down his chest — And, even though I'm gentle, I don't usually show mercy if my submissive doesn't follow my rules.

— Tough love, then? — Toto asked, making Ava's fingers, which were brushing the three letters stitched right next to his navel, tense up. Looking up at him, there was a glint of distrust in them, before she smiled again.

— Yeah, something like that.

Silence stretched between them for a few seconds, uncomfortable enough that Toto finally felt the urge to finally say the three words that had made him drive here from Oxford.

— I want to… — he whispered.

— What? — Ava asked, looking a little shocked.

— I want to do this with you.

— You mean, submit to me?

— Yeah.

She took a step back, the expression on her face turning serious.

— You know that you can’t do it like that, don't you?

— But, I read that if both parties are comfortable with the idea, it is possible to…

— Toto, it's much more than agreeing to have sex with each other. We need to know everything about each other, about what we want and don't want to do, about our limits, health issues...

— Are you going to ask me for a blood test to see if I'm clean? Come on…

— I'm not going to risk my life to fuck you, no matter how handsome you are — she replied, crossing her arms — Besides, I don't know about your previous injuries, your allergies, your traumas...

— Do you want me to send my medical history to you so you can confirm whether or not you can whip me?

— Do you want to be whipped? — Ava returned, raising a suspicious eyebrow. Taking a step forward, Toto rested his hands on her hips, the soft satin causing a shiver to run across his skin.

— I want you to introduce me to your world, Ava — he said softly — I want you to make me yours. On your terms, within your limits, the way you want.

She pursed her lips, as if thinking about his words.

— Please, Ava. I just want to be yours — Toto whispered, his eyes fixed on the brown that stained the edges of her pupils. He felt his body tense, anxious about her imminent response.

— You know I won't do anything to hurt you, right? — Ava finally said, her hands landing on his wrists.

— Yes.

— You know that the moment you say the safe word, I'm going to stop, right?

— Yes — Toto replied — Red, green, and yellow, right?

— No, we won't use the traffic lights, this isn't driving school. You can choose a random word that is unlikely to appear in our scenarios and that is simple enough for you to remember. It could be an animal, a place, a fruit…

When she mentioned the word fruit, he smiled.

— Pineapple, perhaps?

— Perfect. As soon as you say that, or, if you can't speak, tap me three times, I will stop everything and give you the time and space you need, okay?

He nodded.

— As I said before, I am a gentle dominant, I will not insult you or degrade you in any way. I won't spit or do anything scatological. I will not force you to do anything without your clear consent. I will not risk your health or safety in any way, even if you beg for it. Inside these walls, my priority is that you're okay at the end of the night, right?

— Yeah — he said softly, something tingling just below his navel.

— So, are you sure you want this, Toto?

— Yes… Mommy? — he replied, somewhat uncertain about the form of treatment. She giggled, shaking her head.

— No mommy, no goddess. Ma'am or mistress is enough for me.

— Okay, ma'am — Toto said, a familiar warmth running through his body as he said the last word and saw Ava's reaction, who smiled with satisfaction.

However, contrary to what he expected, she walked away from him, heading back towards the white sofa. Then, sitting back down on the upholstered arm, Ava crossed her legs, watching him with a suggestive gleam in her eyes.

— Well, I believe we can begin your introduction to my world with rituals.

— Shall we light a fire? — he asked in a mischievous tone — Will we be dismantling your coffee table for tinder?

She smiled.

— Very funny, but no — Ava replied — Rituals or protocols, if you prefer, are the way we connect emotionally and psychologically with our roles within the scenarios of domination and submission. In addition to being visually pleasing, personally speaking.

—And what do you want me to do?

— First, I want you to be silent. The ritual is something important to me, I want you to respect it and follow it to the letter every time we meet, okay?

— Yes, ma'am — Toto said softly.

— Second, I want you to take off all your clothes.

Something about that sentence made his eyes widen.

— Here? — Toto asked.

— Did I allow you to question my orders? — she questioned him sharply. Her tone sent a shiver across Toto's skin.

— No.

— No what?

— No, ma'am.

—Then you will do as I say, without questions. Now, take off your clothes.

Swallowing hard, Toto moved his hands to the second button on his white shirt, slowly opening it. Sliding the fabric down her arms and placing it on the armchair next to him, he could feel Ava's eyes burning into his skin, assessing every exposed inch of his torso.

Then he opened his belt and then the button on his black pants. The sound of the metal buckle hitting the floor caused a new wave of heat to spread across his skin, especially when he noticed his own erection under his white underwear. It wasn't a surprise that he was aroused, especially after he had convinced himself that he wanted to submit to Ava.

He was surprised when he looked up at her.

— I said everything.

— The underwear too?

— Even the socks — Ava said, her face in a completely unreadable expression.

Concentrating on his own breathing, Toto slid his underwear down his legs, taking the opportunity to take off his socks. Even though the air in the apartment was a little cold, he felt his entire body pulsating, hot and pleading.

— Come here — she murmured, her eyes fixed on his member.

Toto approached carefully, one step at a time. Stopping just in front of her, he felt the air catch in his lungs as Ava analyzed his cock, almost as if he was evaluating whether he was suitable enough for her.

— I thought you were circumcised.

— Why would I be? — he asked softly.

— I read something about you being of Jewish descent.

He raised an eyebrow.

— Did you search about me on the internet?

Ava looked up at him as a finger slid down the underside of his cock. That subtle touch was enough for Toto to feel all his muscles tense, the air trapped in his lungs.

— It's none of your business.

— Of course it's my business, it's my dick — he said, only for a look from Ava for him to shut up, swallowing hard.

— If I said it's none of your business, Toto, it's because it's none of your business — she said, her voice stern as she took her hand away — And, if this wasn't your first time in a BDSM scene, I would punish you for being so insolent.

— You said you don't spank — he said in a low voice.

— I don't spank. My punishments are much worse — Ava returned, with a malicious gleam in her eyes — Go back to where you were.

Resigned, Toto stepped back, taking a deep breath.

— What now?

— Kneel — she said, in an imperious tone — And keep your head down.

As much as he wanted to question her, to understand the reasons why Ava was demanding that, Toto wanted to please her, he wanted to satisfy her, he wanted her to be happy with him. And she would only be happy if he obeyed her.

So Toto obeyed, in silence.

— Good boy — Ava said. And that was all it took for a hot wave of excitement to run down Toto's abdomen, making his dick twitch.

“Fuck”, he thought, exhaling slowly as he tried to focus on anything other than his own arousal or the clear liquid that had started to drip from his cock and run down his leg. He definitely needed Ava to do something, to touch him, to make him feel good, just like she promised.

However, she laughed.

— Are you already this excited, little boy? — Ava purred, moving from what Toto could see through his peripheral vision — I didn't think a guy like you would be so sensitive...

He pressed his lips together, trying to resist the urge to respond, to show that he was capable of bearing what she had in mind to take him to the edge of pleasure. However, he wanted to surrender, to allow himself to become putty in Ava's hands.

— Maybe I should discover which is your limit — she murmured just above him, her feet appearing just in front of him — How long can you last until I make you beg me to give you what you want.

Lifting one of her feet, her toes, whose nails were painted a delicate shade of nude, lightly brushed against his dick. That simple stimulus made Toto hiss, his eyes closing tightly.

— Can you tell me what you want, little boy? — Ava asked softly.

Toto's mind was a real mess. Horniness clouded his other senses, the only thing he wanted at that moment was relief, pleasure, Ava. He wanted her green eyes, her soft skin, her full lips. He wanted her hands, her tongue, her pussy. He wanted any crumb she could give.

— You — the word came out in a sob from Toto's throat.

He heard another laugh from Ava, who moved away from him again. With his skin almost feverish, his nails dug into the skin of his thighs in search of some other sensation that wasn't the pain of his desire.

Then, he heard the sound of satin, making his eyes shoot upward.

Ava had begun to open her pajamas’ shirt, revealing the curves of her breasts. Always covered by elegant blouses and modest necklines, they were the perfect size for Toto's hands. And he wanted to touch them, massage them, feel her nipples harden under his thumbs.

No, he didn't want to.

He needed to.

Then, their eyes met.

— Did I say you could raise your head? — Ava asked, sharply.

— Ava…

She huffed, closing the shirt around her body again.

— You know I don't answer to you by that name, boy — she said, slowly walking towards the couch and sitting down.

— Sorry, ma'am...

— I should have known you weren't ready — Ava murmured, crossing her legs.

— Ma’am, please — he whispered, seeking some compassion from her mistress. However, he only encountered painful indifference.

— Get up — she said, dryly.

Toto obeyed, feeling his shoulders tense and his legs wobbly as he stood up again.

— Get dressed.

He blinked, not understanding.

— What?

— Get dressed.. Now.

Swallowing hard, Toto began the painful walk back to his own clothes. Sliding the fabric over his skin was torture, especially close to his cock, which was still pulsing, hard and hot. When his pants lightly brushed against the tip that forced the fabric of his underwear forward, he couldn't hold back the loud hiss that escaped his lips.

This was torture. He was sure of it.

Once again dressed, he looked up again at Ava, who was staring at him in silence.

— And now, ma’am? — Toto asked, whispering.

— You leave — she said, with an almost devilish smile on her lips.

Toto had never felt such despair as he did at that moment.

— What? But, how? Why?

Ava silently got up from the couch, approaching him again.

— Remember what I told you about my punishments? — she said in a low voice — I may not spank, but that doesn't mean I won't make you regret not obeying me.

— But I obeyed…

— I hadn't allowed you to raise your face to me, little boy — Ava spat — And I can guarantee you that, if you want to play my game, you will follow my rules.

— Ava — Toto babbled, as she walked past him towards the hallway. He followed her almost immediately, thinking about how he could convince her to let him stay, to give him one more chance, to give him what he wanted so much and was completely desperate to have.

However, Ava was unyielding and this was reflected in the way she took his shoes and coat, stuffing them into his arms anyway, as well as in the way her hand was on his shoulder, leading him to the door.

— Please, ma'am, please — he tried to argue, as she opened the door and pushed him out — I promise I'll behave, please.

— Good night, little boy — Ava said, before slamming the door shut.

In complete silence, Toto felt completely pathetic standing there, staring at the light wood of the door. However, he couldn't move, completely shocked by what had just happened. He had given himself to Ava, saying he wanted to do whatever she told him and the great order of the night had been to go home.

“I really am an idiot”, Toto thought to himself, as he finally left the door behind.

#toto wolff #formula 1 fic #f1 fic #f1 fanfic #formula 1 fanfic #f1 x oc #formula one fanfic #formula one fic #toto wolff x oc #toto wolff smut #wlffog #liowlff

[birdy-the-tweet]

❄️•Nexocember•❄️

Day 4 - Tech

I’m starting to really enjoy these writing prompts and the consistency of their release. Sorry for missing yesterday; I was exhausted and couldn’t come up with anything, and even now I can’t really decide on a good story for this one. Which is why I’ve decided to instead share a snippet from Nexo Knights S1 E1! It’s got a perfect scenario just for this prompt, so I hope you enjoy!

————————————————————————

Time Stamp: S1 E1 - The Book of Monsters Pt. 1

Once Clay realized the collisions of metal and hologram were ahead of him and drawing closer, he abandoned his reliance on the signs and quickened his pace to the only room with light illuminating faintly through its translucent doors, farthest door to the right he put together. He didn’t need to open it to know his companion was on the other side, but he hadn’t gone searching for him just to cement a theory. Welding his pride to the back of his head and plastering his best “relaxed” smile, he tapped a sensor panel on the wall and didn’t have to wait long for the double doors to slide downward into the floor.

The Fabricator was one of a few machines only certain places in Knightonia had access to due to its complexity and intake of power. He was proud they had even one in the academy; it made training more versatile and flexible to each knight’s resumé of presented skills. It was a large, slightly noisy machine, first invented twenty years prior by a team of academy mechanics who wanted to reduce the amount of wooden dummies and demolished sets of armor being thrown into digitization scanners. Knights could upload a 3D model of any object or enemy program of their choice, and the device’s RAM would fabricate it into a pixelated hologram solid enough to be damaged and destroyed without harming anything truly physical. If it was a more complex array of coding clipped onto a model, it would analyze the commands and play it accordingly until the hologram is destroyed. He didn’t want to think about all the times he begged Ava to design monster models for the machine they had on campus. One of his composition notebooks was filled to the brim with sketched-out ideas and lists for functions.

Within this room, the ones that had been summoned were flocks of agile primates that used relatively short wings to hover and shield themselves from attacks. Skyslicer chimps, nasty creatures in the southeast whose teeth could crunch through stone and acute climbing skills fit for scaling the hazardous Stormscrapers. Just one of them possessed the mischievous spirit and strong arm to throw travelers off the cliffs, but a swarm of them spelled trouble for even the mightiest of knights. It came to no surprise there were models of these in the Fabricator, nor did it shock him they were chosen for training.

One by one, they circled around a single figure, a hulking humanoid that stood well over seven feet tall and completely unarmed. Yet it didn’t stop him from taking a defensive stance and swerving around each slash of their claws easily. Their unpredictability added a preferred challenge to the evasive maneuvers he took, feet sliding across smooth metal flooring as if lathered in grease. It was more like an improvised dance than it was a dangerous game against the odds, a performance Clay couldn’t admit was pleasing to watch.

A primate perched on a parked hover horse stole an opportunity to glide into the scene from behind the training knight and land a strike against the spine, but the last thing it would see was a single side glare from within the mask of the man. Halting the assault at the last second, he swiveled on his heel and struck his fist square into the chest of the smaller beast, and it dissipated into a flurry of pixelated pieces. A cry of disapproval rang through the troupe of chimps after the fall of their colleague. Many slammed their fists on the ground or snarled at the martial fighter for his success, hostility only responded to with even more violence.

While a smaller monster was still gawking at the horror they would have to live with, its agony was silenced as the knight rushed forward at bone chilling speed and punched straight through the skeleton animation of its design. Only when two more were taken down in a similar fashion did the enemies realize they couldn’t sit around any further, but even that hardly saved them from their inevitable fates. A pair was grabbed by their prehensile tails and slammed into each other with the force of an armored truck. A third would be seeing stars for the next week after an elbow to the chest and a fist to the face. Another ate the heel of his steel plated boot and disintegrated instantly from the cold taste of defeat. And the rest, well, they were all vanquished in a similar manner to the rest: quick and simple.

The last one’s data returned like a gust of wind into the vacuum of the Fabricator, and the screen displayed a checkmark signaling the end of the program. Straightening himself from his fighting position and flexing gloved fingers, the masked knight contemplated starting another round of combat with the machine in what little time he had remaining. His armor was mostly donned save for the breastplate and his choice of weapons. It wouldn’t take more than a minute to secure both in his custody and server connection. But as he marched lazily to the machine, his thought process was interrupted by another pair of feet approaching from his left.

Clay, graced with his first genuine smile of the evening, tucked his hands politely behind his back in the presence of a folk hero. “Hey Dauntless.”

“Clay. Pleasure as always, old friend.” It never failed to amuse him how awestruck the Cobalt Knight would always appear after mere, measly moments of observing an independent training segment with code. His eyes were like Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving, jolly and warm for the arrival of the higher god that was St. Nicholas.

Upon arrival at the Fabricator, Dauntless switched the power off and made sure its digital cord was disconnected from the outlet in the wall. The thread of golden light slithered back into the base of the machine, and a final purr died down into blissful silence only seconds after. The other knight saw it as his chance to resume conversation. Or, well, start it to begin with. “I trust you’re ready for the Battlebration tonight?”

“Well I must be, now shouldn’t I? It would be pretty embarrassing if I wasn’t, don’t you know,” the masked knight mused to himself mostly. He relied on the ancient piece of training equipment to support his weight in the minute he would spend planted in place, a foot nestled against its side as he folded his arms nonchalantly over his chest. “And you?”

The vex laced in the brunette’s heavy breath spoke greater than his next words. “I sure hope so. I had a whole spreadsheet made this morning so everyone would have a layout of what they should present at the ceremony, but… Lance broke the tablet.”

“Really,” buzzed his sardonic smirk. “Sounds to me he broke more than just that.”

He’d be right. Clay’s disgruntled pout only seasoned the flavor of his triumph, childish enough to spark a laugh off the larger male’s chest. “That’s beyond the point.”

“No but I sure am right, aren’t I?”

“Ugh- look.” He clawed the air and strangled an invisible Lance between his palms. “I just need everyone to concentrate today. That’s all I ask.”

“Yes, among the other fifteen things you’ve asked for this week.”

“Dauntless.”

“What. I’m right,” he reminded the swordsman. “You can’t expect everything to be perfect, you know. Every knight has their own definition of that.”

“Yes, I know. But for today, at least today, I just want things to go according to plan. So far Lance hasn’t even shown a grain of care for the ceremony.”

“He cares.”

“Tell that to the tablet.”

Dauntless rattled a tinge of irritation off his head like a maraca. “Clay, do understand. Half of your classmates could care less about the knighting itself. This has been a tradition that’s persisted in Knightonia for centuries, long before even technology was a thing. And while it is a treasured event in the lives of the people, it is all but routine as well. A display in the late afternoon followed by the knighting, a break for everyone to eat and prepare for the evening, and a performance of battle at the crack of dusk. It hasn’t changed in… I don’t even want to know how long. Longer than I’ve been around, sheesh…”

“So what does that say about your age, grandpa-”

“Not important.” He hoisted himself off the Fabricator and made his way over to where Clay stood, dwarfing him within seconds. “The point is, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and neither should you. Your education as a knight does not end once you walk out those gates. Field work is the most extensive, pain-staking form of study to any student no matter their age or expertise. Your real celebration will commence the moment you realize that. So today… Just focus on what you’ve learned so far, and don’t obsess so much over being flawless. Nobody likes a walking statue.”

Though the swordsman listened like a groundhog to the first mourning dove of spring, his eyes were stitched in a furrowed pattern across his troubled face. “And the others-”

“So what? The other classmates have a tendency to act on their own accord. Don’t worry about it. Focus on your own performance and your ability to adapt to whatever chaos happens out there. I trust you know how to do that.”

“...yeah, I do. I can do that at least.” Clay could never find the right words to thank the traveling warrior for his skill of words and wistful perception, not even if it took him a thousand years to formulate a thesis around his wisdom. He already wasted four of those years dragging himself into this same ballroom waltz over and over again, rushing to Dauntless for advice and never knowing how to return the favor. The masked man had years – in theory – of experience as a helping hand and protector of the realm without the need for a Nexo shield, and he offered his accelerated education of the world and its lessons freely like a guest speaker in a school assembly. And yet, he couldn’t ever do the same for him, or perhaps it was never needed. He couldn’t tell anymore.

“Good. Now then, now that you mention the others,” the Hooded Knight drawled, the optics of his mask drifting like dandelion fluff to the door. “Where are they, Macy and Lance?”

He’d much rather chew his own hand off than answer that. With a gruff groan that strained his throat, he dragged himself to an aimless waltz around a ten foot diameter in front of the other. “Macy’s still dealing with her parents, I think. She’s been arguing with them all morning about the battlebration, and I don’t think I need to know the finer details after the seven dozen angry messages she’s sent me all day, all in caps.”

“Will she be able to graduate?”

“Oh I hope so.

#nexo knights #lego nexo knights #nexo knights oc #clay moorington #nexocember

[burned-lariat]

ChaLynn Cheer Cap heeey!

I been saying this for a long time now. Willow is right where she needs to be. Let boring Michael take care of her and their newfound cult family. Their "love story" is so bland and inorganic as unseasoned picnic food at a shotgun wedding. (insert Millow's wedding family photo) Michael got on my last nerve this entire week, his boring unseasoned dry as burnt toast love for Willow made me wanna hurl. Match made in heaven. (Doh, I hope I didn't speak too soon) lol

Tracy Q. is queen. She showed up and showed out at Frankenstein's bride wedding. Without her this would be a fake wedding, a wake. Ha! Speaking of being on death row and getting married it does bring out a certain glow doesn't it? Chase sure as hell dodged a huge bullet there. Team Krissy all theway, Joss lookin sideways at her like she stole her future. Get ready chica, Krissy just might do the damn thing. Meowch! Sante looked amazing. The ambiance of the wedding was amazing. The guests looked amazing. Maxie looked amazing. The Bensons are gonna get iiiit!

The SEC showing up at the end was the icing on that store bought sheet cake Olivia got hiding in the fridge for later. So Carly is getting popped for insider trading and I'm loving every bit of it. Tracy was right, Carly just doesn't blend well with the Qs. It will never feel right with her in Monica's house, the one Alan gave to her. Her chin in the air and her cult leader behavior and feeding Willow a bunch of bs about family and womanhood makes my flawless skin crawl.

Nina is messy and got a couple of screws loose but I'm here for it. Loved Ava being the voice of reason even though it was too late to call off the authorities. Anyone who can get the book thrown at Carly and live to tell about it is okay in my book. CarSon or not, Nina just gonna have to deal with it. That eclipse is coming girl!! Sonny has had her back time and time again. I can't imagine what will happen now.

Chase and BLQ... Ay ay ay! Despite the victory of getting rid of Linc and Chase getting his job back, I wasn't a fan of how the ends got tied up (bad, messy writing). B is scared to tell Chase that Tracy helped call in a favor. She thinks Chase will be disappointed in her again. Bollocks! It's no big deal, her efforts will be rewarded generously. Chase wants her back. When he talks about how he feels about B, he stops short when it comes to moving on without her. He's had that time away from B to realize what he truly wants. Regardless of B's shortcomings, she is what he needs in his life. Today's wedding encounters were no different. B did everything she could to keep busy and away from Chase's fine ass. Their lives are interconnected in many ways and that dang universe keeps bringing them back to each other every single time. When B showed up at the ccrb meeting, Chase thought he would have to face that panel of strangers with his fate in their hands alone. When B spoke from her heart, she gave Chase a jolt of renewed sense of purpose, that second wind he never knew he need till then. Any confusions he had before were gone. He'd made up his mind right then and there when he told her whatever happens that he would be okay. Chase shut it down quick when B was trying to suggest moving on with Blaze (and without her in his life). He chooses their history, his love for her. Falling in love looks good on B, on both actually. She is willing to give up her happiness being with him so he can be happy doing what he loves doing; being a cop. His love for her becomes stronger every time he thinks of moving on without her and visa verse. They can't know what the other is feeling unless they really talk to each other. There's not much obstacles between them now but angst, misery and fear. Only time will tell, so post haste you two.

Hey! Nice to hear from you!

And everything you said is so true! Every single word.

#general hospital #asks - gh

[sunnysidekit]

Summary: The road to loving Frankie Morales is tough, but you’d do it all again if you had to. And again, and again, and again…

Pairing: Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales x F!Reader (no y/n)

Warnings: Language, major character death but not the permanent kind, (this is literally just a series of au’s in which the reader becomes kind of self-aware), nondescriptive smut (minors, please skip this one!).

Word count: 2.6k

A/N at the end

My masterlist

“Hey,” Frankie shouts, his voice only just carrying over the heavy rain. “Hey, wait up!”

You glance back at him over your shoulder, but you don’t stop running. You can’t stop running. Not after what just happened. Why did you decide to tell him how you felt about him, again? Worst decision of your life.

“Hey!” Frankie shouts again, even louder this time. He’s quickly gaining on you; blame that on his Delta training. You keep running, looking left and right for a spot between the old buildings to shelter from the rain. Something just big enough for one person to hide from their best friend would be great, but you doubt you’ll find a spot like that.

Just when you spot an alcove the size of a small closet you step into a puddle that’s way deeper than it looks, and you smack against the pavement.

You hear Frankie curse from behind you, the splashing of his boots in the puddles getting louder and louder until he stops right next to you and crouches down to help you up. You let out a painful groan when he lifts you off the ground, your arms flailing around unwittingly until you manage to grasp onto his soaked flannel.

“Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not, Frankie,” you say with a sniffle. “Look, I know that just because I feel a certain way, you don’t have to… Why are you laughing?”

“I’m sorry,” Frankie grins. “But you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear those words! I’d given up all hope you’d ever say them, so,” he shifts to hold you closer to his chest, “I was a bit shocked, is all.”

You blink up at him dumbfounded as lightning flashes behind him, bathing the two of you in a heavenly light for just a moment. Before you realize what you’re doing, you grab his face and crash your lips into his with a passion you never knew you were capable of. He hums against your lips and you smile; this kiss is better than whatever you imagined it could be.

The rain washes over you and makes goosebumps pop up all over your skin, though that could also be from the intensity with which Frankie kisses you. His nose bumps against yours as he deepens it and something starts to blossom up in your belly, a tingling spreading from your sides all the way to your fingertips. After what feels like an eternity, he lets you go, the both of you breathing hard and haggard.

“Holy shit,” Frankie chuckles. “We’re both incredibly stupid, aren’t we?”

“Speak for yourself. I’d do it all again if this is what I get for it.”

Frankie laughs breathlessly and you can’t help but join him. All the anxiety in your body has transformed into exhilaration; you throw your head back and let the raindrops splatter onto your face freely when suddenly another flash of lightning strikes, this time so close you can almost feel it burn your skin. Hey, wait… why doesn’t it stop?

The burning sensation digs deeper into your skin and you snap your head back to look at Frankie, but he’s still laughing. You try to reach out and grab his shoulder, but something’s wrong with your hand. It’s- it’s shredding, your fingers flaking off and burning up in the air as you yell out, horrified at the sight.

Frankie doesn’t notice it when you feel yourself losing weight and floating upward, memories flurrying around you in the ash you’re slowly becoming. He doesn’t notice it when you get sucked higher and higher into the air, screaming his name and pleading him to help you. He doesn’t even notice it when you gasp in one last breath before the stinging headache you’ve developed in the last few seconds overwhelms you completely and you feel your consciousness slipping away.

You jerk awake. Holy stars, that wasn’t a normal nightmare. Where in Newton’s name did that even come from? Rain? It never rains here on the SS Endeavour, you’re in space. All the rain you’ve ever seen has all been via holovids. It did feel oddly realistic, though. Kind of like déjà vu. You stretch out your arms above your head and yawn; maybe you did drink a bit too much last night.

But that kiss… why would you ever kiss officer Morales? Sure, you’re friends. You’re his copilot, for Newton’s sake. But he’s far too mission oriented to even consider romantic relationships. At least, that’s what he says. You’d agree with him, if only he wasn’t obviously lying.

“Stars, would you hurry up already?”

You jump out of your bunk at the sound of Ava’s voice and start changing into your overalls, but it’s no use-- she’s already seen you.

“I don’t want to have to skip breakfast again because you can’t be bothered to get up when the alarm goes off.”

“Oh, stop worrying about your breakfast. I’m sure you still have some extra bread rolls in your secret hiding spot.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny that claim,” Ava says, but she’s got a twinkle in her eye. She’s such a bad lair. You step into your shoes, the soft hiss of the self-tying mechanism a nice reassurance of the fact that you’re not dreaming anymore.

“When commander Penn finds out you’ve been using his second wall safe to hide food, you’re getting an instant demotion,” you say. “You do know that, right?”

“It’s so sweet you still think that’s where I hide my stuff. Anyway, I really hope you’ve already picked up your new badge.”

You look up at her from where you’re sitting on the bottom bunk. “…Oh, shit.”

“Really? What kind of gas giant-”

“Don’t start calling me names you’ll regret, Ava,” you grumble as you scramble up and run out of the sleeping pod. This day really is off to an amazing start.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Fish greets you when you climb into the cockpit of your jet with a scowl. “We’ve got zone E today.”

You fasten your seatbelt and heave a sigh. “Yay for us.”

“I thought you liked the asteroid belt.”

“I do, I just…” You chew on your lip as you busy yourself with the control panel. “I had a weird dream, is all. Let’s get going, Fish.”

Because nothing kills a conversation quicker than telling someone about the strange dream you had last night. Now that you think about it, there was something else wrong with it: the stars. They were all in different places, made different constellations…

Usually something like that doesn’t dance around in your head for very long after you wake up, but this somehow keeps popping up whenever you try to navigate manually. It’s like your memories have been copied, but the copy has a whole lot of mistakes. Like there’s been a very, very bad data overhaul.

And then there’s Fish. Despite his casual, relaxed attitude he’s tapping his fingertips against the controls at a rapid pace. It’s a small detail, one you’ve noticed a hundred times before, but it’s taking on a different meaning in your head. You remember him doing it in the dream, too, right after you told him you loved him. Could that maybe-

“Hey!” Fish snaps his fingers in front of you, and everything around you comes back into focus. You’re floating in zone E, engine off, and there’s a bright red jet peeking out from behind a particularly large asteroid.

“Shit,” you mutter under your breath. “What’re they doing here? This isn’t Galactican territory.”

“Ambush, maybe?”

“I doubt it. If they were planning an ambush, they wouldn’t pick a fucking asteroid belt. Lord knows those new engines of theirs are about as stable as a peach in a blender.”

“Whatever they’re doing here, I don’t trust it,” Fish says with a frown. You sigh.

“Maybe they haven’t seen us yet. D’you think we can we get out of here in time?”

He shakes his head. “Can’t risk leading them right back to the Endeavour.”

“You… you haven’t radioed this in yet, right?”

“No.”

You lean forward to get a better look of your surroundings - seems you’ve been daydreaming for quite some time - only to see a whole lot of asteroids. “Well, it is just one of them, and it doesn’t look like the engine’s on.”

“It’s not broken,” Fish mutters. “At least, I don’t think.”

“Then what do you suggest we do? If we radio this in and someone’s in there, they can easily trace any signals the Endeavour sends out. If we open fire, we’ll have started a war-- and we really don’t need another one of those.”

“It’s taking too long.”

“Excuse me?”

“Not you,” he says absentmindedly, pointing at the blue spacecraft. “That. It’s moving too slow. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the brakes are on.”

You grab the lens from the wall beside you and take another look. Fish’s right: if the engine’s off, it should be floating around freely, not hanging still. As you stare at it, though, it does seem to move a little bit. No, it glitches. Your breath hitches in your throat. “Holy fuck.”

“Hm?” Fish hums, turning to you. You push the lens in front of his face, and he looks through it as well. No five seconds later, he’s grabbed the controls and started the engine. “We need to get out of here, right now.”

You grab the radio, but Fish snatches it from your hands and throws it across the cockpit. “We’re not gonna radio this in.”

“Are you insane?”

“What do you think base is going to do when they hear tell of a glitching Galactica spacecraft in the last productive tantalum mining fields?”

“Are you seriously suggesting not letting millions of people prepare for-” You’re cut off by the sudden appearance of a dozen more spacecraft, all of their noses pointed in your direction as you and Fish zoom past way faster than you should. “No, no, no!”

“Sunshine, listen to me,” Fish says as he puts his hand over yours. It grounds you, and you’re grateful for it, even if you don’t understand what he’s doing. “If they know we’ve been patrolling the fields, I’m guessing their main plan is to follow us back to the Endeavour.”

“…Which means they don’t know where it’s anchored,” you add, your anxious expression slowly turning into a smirk.

“Now you’re getting it,” he chuckles. “Let’s go take some advantage of that, hm?”

You nod and grab the controls in front of you to start plotting a route that’s just erratic enough not to draw suspicion to the fact that you’re leading the following spacecraft away from the Endeavour. Fish navigates the jet precisely along your route, narrowly avoiding the asteroids while turning a few degrees to the left every few seconds until you’re coasting out of the mining fields and into empty space. It works; behind you, the stream of spacecraft grows steadily, and with it, so does the size of the individual ships.

“They’re still following us,” Fish says after a while. He sounds a lot less sure of his case than he did ten minutes ago. “Hey, we have enough power left for a jump?”

“Depends on where you want to go,” you say, checking the fuel systems. “I reckon we can jump a total of about a thousand light years.”

“The center of the galaxy’s a little less than eight hundred light years away, correct?”

“Yes, but what…” you trail off as realization hits you like a nuclear bomb. “No, don’t even think about it.”

“They’re not backing off, Sunshine.” Fish turns to look you in the eyes, a small, watery smile on his lips. “I don’t think we have a-”

“Of course we have a choice,” you say with as much severity as you can muster, which, to be frank, isn’t a lot right now. “There’s always a choice.”

“Would you rather wipe out their fleet or our own?”

“I don’t-”

“Do it, Sunshine,” he says sternly. “Make the jump.”

You hesitate, your hand hovering over the lever. “Is… is there really no one on the Endeavour you’d turn back for?”

Fish’s smile grows a bit; you can see it’s genuine. “…I’m here with you, aren’t I? That’s enough for me.”

It catches you off guard, the way he says it. Deep down, you already knew what his answer would be. You dreamt about it, after all. Without another word, you push the lever forward, and the jet glides across space-time until it slows down again, finally coming to a halt near the event horizon of the massive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

“Did it work? Are they coming?” Fish almost jumps out of his chair to look outside, while you decide to look at the little radar on the control board. One by one the tiny, blinking dots come streaming in; your evidence of a job well done.

“Fish?” you ask, your voice wavering. There’s something more important than saving the universe on your mind right now. “Am I really enough for you?”

“Oh, stars,” he says, his own happy mood turning into something else as well. He sinks to his knees in front of your chair and looks up at you. “You are more than enough. You’re all I ever think about, you’re the only one that-”

Before he can finish his sentence, you’ve already grabbed his face and crashed your lips into his. You’re about to be swallowed up by a black hole, explanations can wait. The kiss grows more and more fervent as Fish’s hands travel up your thighs to hold your waist, a tingling feeling taking up refuge in your belly. After Newton knows how long, the two of you reluctantly break away from each other to breathe.

Stars, Fish, you whisper, but he shakes his head. Call me Frankie, he says. Please, call me Frankie. You tilt your head and press your lips against his scruff. Frankie, you whisper, please don’t stop. And he doesn’t. He closes his eyes and kisses you, over and over and over until your lips are swollen and all thoughts have left your head.

He zips open your overalls slowly, kissing every inch of newly uncovered skin he can find. His kisses burn lower and lower across your skin, past your clavicles, your chest, your belly, and before you, thousands of stars slowly implode. You don’t know if you’ve ever felt like this before; it’s all so incredibly bittersweet. You get to spend the longest night of your life with the man you love, but it’ll also be the last night you’ll ever experience.

One by one little pinpricks of light fade out in the darkness outside, while others explode in brightly colored clouds-- the same thing happens to your nerves whenever Frankie moves even the slightest bit. It’s a good thing sound doesn’t carry in space, or else you wouldn’t be able to hear the beautiful noises he makes when he closes his eyes in pleasure.

The two of you tumble around in what little space you have, the light of a billion dying stars illuminating every single part of your joint bodies as you splay your hands across his chest. The darkness is taking over more quickly now, enveloping your jet into nothingness, drawing you into the vast emptiness of its core.

We must have done something right, Frankie whispers as you lay, sweaty and tired, awaiting your bittersweet ending, to deserve such an incredible encore.

You close your eyes and curl up into his chest as you whisper back, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You open your eyes again and smile when you look at Mr. Morales. He’s so gentle like this, with his fingers flying across the piano, not at all the stoic soldier he usually is. It’s nice, even if the others think it’s boring.

He finishes the piece with a shuddering creshendo, and you bite back a smile when he looks at you with those gorgeos eyes of his.

“Why’d you stop singing, my lady?”

“I apologize, sir,” you say as you flip over the music sheet on the little ledge of the piano. “But I simply can’t help it; you play so wonderfully, and I never truly learnt to sing very well. It seems a shame to pollute such beautiful tones with my own.”

“Nonsense,” Mr. Morales says with a kind smile. “Your voice only ever makes me want to play better.”

Your cheeks heat up at that, but the moment is quickly disrupted.

“Encore, encore!” a voice behind you yells; it’s Mr. Garcia, who’s been sitting in his usual post on the third floor. “We’re gonna need more than just the one piece if we’re to have any luck in catching more than a score of those bastards tonight.”

“Why don’t you come down and try singing for a bit, it might help,” Mr. Morales chuckles beside you. When he notices you staring at him, he leans in a little closer and adds, “Are you all right, miss? You seem distracted.”

“I’m perfectly good, sir.” You swallow hard and let out a weary breath. “Your music always seems to carry me away further than I expect.”

And for a moment there, you think to yourself, I thought I saw the stars up close.

A/N: I really threw all my knowledge of space and science out the window for this one and replaced it with nonsense and movie-science. Also, I’ve watched Interstellar, Free Guy, and Groundhog Day way too much for my own good.

The title of this chapter comes from an instrumental by the Grandbrothers which I listened to while writing, so if you want the full experience you can look that up.

If I'm missing any content warnings, do let me know! I'd hate to hurt someone with my writing, but I don't really know how to work those out yet.

PS: If you've got a favorite AU and/or dynamic, I'd love to hear about it! This series is going to explore a bunch of different ones, but I think my own imagination will only get me so far :)

As always, feedback is appreciated and my inbox is open! Have a great day!

#frankie morales x you #frankie morales x y/n #frankie morales x reader #francisco catfish morales #triple frontier #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fanfic #tw: major character death #cw: death #my writing

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

Prompt: Gary having epic Wrecker head trauma moments

(Been watching the Clone Wars and the Bad Batch so buckle your seatbelts. And canon....we don't know her. We're playing fast and loose here today)

The first time Gary heard it, the voice was a bare whisper in the back of his skull in the middle of the night. Even though it woke him up, he quickly fell back asleep. That was all he thought there was to it. Probably a remnant of a nightmare or an old childhood memory.

Children listen to their fathers.

A week before the Bureau was disbanded, Gary used the systems one last time to check on his half-siblings through the timeline. Oddly enough, many of them had disappeared from it. The ages of disappearance and years varied, but it was all on the same day. It was the same night he had heard the voice. A weird coincidence and yet there was no detectable connection to their father. Thankfully, he could still account for enough of his siblings not to be too concerned yet.

But then the voice came again months later. He and John had been on a case of possession in Houston. The demon had smacked him into a wall hard and his head had hit a shelf. Gary was thankful he just walked away with a scrape and the worst headache ever, but for a moment he had heard the call in his head again. The same message, a little louder and a little clearer, but it didn't make sense to him. His father was dead.

"You good, squire?" John had asked afterwards as Gary massaged his temples, wincing.

"Ah, just a headache," he said. "Probably dehydrated...I'll pick up some pills and water on the way back."

That one did go away, but it wasn't the last of them. A rough landing while helping the Legends on a mission led to another one after hitting the backrest wrong. It brought the voice back again. This time, he kept his mouth shut for more reasons than one. The Legends had found out about the disappearance of one of his sisters while searching for some other missing girls in 18th century Italy. He wasn't quite ready to tell them about the shared connection.

His head had screamed the whole night with fragments of the voice slipping through until he pleaded Gideon to give him something. She had, as well as some unsolicited advice about secrets.

A week later, Behrad and Nate were trapped and in need of rescue. Gary was in on the retrieval party and assigned to get to the control room. He hadn't known there was going to be a guard there. There had been a struggle. When Gary was thrown back into the control panel, his finger squeezed the trigger as his head made contact with the panel.

Children listen to their fathers. Children listen to their fathers. Children listen to their fathers.

Gary keeled over as the phrase kept repeating itself. His lips started to form the words. "Children...listen. Children listen....children listen...."

Someone was shouting his name, but he couldn't hear them. Gary clutched his head and groaned with pain. He knew the instructions of what he had to do. Children listen to their fathers. He had to get a knife and cut his hand. Let the blood flow. He'd be found then. If anyone stopped him, he had to take care of them

"Children listen to their-"

No, he couldn't do that. Whether it was a means to an end or not, the Legends needed him. Nate needed him. Behrad needed him.

"Gary, where are you?!" Ava's voice broke through the repeating voice in his head. "We need the power down now!"

Shaking his head, Gary pulled himself up to the panel and threw the switches he needed to before limping out of the room. When he got back to the rendezvous point, Ava was shouting about what was taking him so long while keeping Behrad upright. Gary winced at the loudness of her voice (even if it drowned out the one in his head) and asked her to keep it down.

That lasted until they got to the ship.

"Gary, what the hell!" Sara snapped as soon as they were back in the safety of the time vortex. "What were you doing down there?"

Children listen to their fathers.

"Captain Lance, please," he begged, bringing a hand up to his temple. "I need a minute."

"You got that minute when you were dicking around in the control room while Ava and Mick were nearly sliced to death!"

His teeth ground together. It was like his head was ready to explode.

"Gary, what the hell is going on with you?"

"Are you okay, man?"

Behrad's voice bled through the chaos. "Dude, what's happening?"

Children listen to their fathers.

"Is he having a psychotic break or something?"

Hands on his shoulder. "Squire, look-"

"STOP!" he screamed, the whole room spinning now.

Children listen to their fathers. Children LISTEN to their fathers. Childrenlistentotheirfatherschildrenlistentotheirfatherschildrenlistentotheirfatherschildrenlisten-

"Captains, there has been a breach in the cargo bay!"

"Really, right now?"

"Gary, look at us."

"Someone get him to the med bay. There's bigger problems right now."

He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't keep fighting. There was too much happening around him. Giving in....it sounded so easy. Maybe...just for a second.

Mick's hand was pulling him upwards.

Children listen to their fathers.

"Children listen to their fathers," Gary whispered in sudden quiet of the bridge.

"What the-"

Gary's fist met his throat before he could finish his sentence. His grip left Gary as he stumbled back coughing. Looking around, he saw a room of enemies and obstacles. He had to take care of them and then get the knife out to do the rest.

"Gary...." Behrad came forward, reaching out his hand to him.

He shoved Behrad away from him and ran out of the bridge. Expletives rang out as he hurried down the hallway. The lab would be the best place to get a signal out. He would get there, lock the others out, and then-

"Hello there!"

A tangle of limbs fell down onto him, sending him to the floor. Gary tried to clamor free but someone kept climbing on top of him. He slammed his head back, feeling the contact of a nose possible breaking. Then he wriggled free only to see a sandy haired man running at him. A quick spell shouted and this one was thrown into the wall.

The victory didn't last long as the first person- oh, he knew one person whose limbs worked like that- wrapped himself around him again. The second man swept his legs out from under him.

"Scandal, I got him!"

He was being held down but Gary could see a knife as another man ran forward. When he tried to surge forward, this one shoved him back down. Why were they in his way? He had to follow orders! He had to get picked up to help Father.

Gary made a second attempt to get the knife before something hit his arm. When he looked down, a needle was being pulled out. The world was already darkening as he saw three more people walking down the hall, one of them he knew all too well. Then there were the sounds of the Legends coming to a stop nearby.

They couldn't stop him. They couldn't. He just...he just needed to close his eyes for a moment.

"Who the hell are you?" Captain Lance was asking.

"Who the fuck are you?" came from someone on the other side as his eyes slid closed.

Children listen to their fathers. Children listen to their fathers. Children listen to their-

#somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds #ask box #legends of tomorrow #gary green #team legends #secret six #scandal savage #savage siblings #a missed opportunity #fanfiction

[klbwriting]

Stranded - Part 1

Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow

Pairing: Constantine x Female!Reader

Warnings: None for this chapter

Summary: The legends are stranded in a forest, where they don’t know, when they don’t know.  As Ray works to fix the WaveRider the other Legends go into hiding to avoid the multitude of bounty hunters on their trail because of their latest team member, the daughter of a time crime lord.  Why is there a time crime lord? Because this is Legends of Tomorrow!

Notes: Ah, Constantine coming through with the inspiration.  This should be a series, we will see how it goes!

                            Y/N had only been on the WaveRider for a few months, but she already felt like part of the family.  It was a strange dysfunctional family and no one could have imagined them having and Y/N felt right at home among the weirdos, criminals, and people who had once been dead but now were magically alive.  She herself, was the daughter of a time crime lord, Captain Dredd, who had a large band of time pirates that ran about stealing things from history, maybe assassinating a do-gooder or two, and just generally causing all kinds of time-related shenanigans to muck up the timeline.  Y/N had escaped his ship the last time the Dredd gang had tangled with the Legends and stowed away aboard the WaveRider.  When the Legends had found her instead of turning her over to the pirates they welcomed her into the group, what other choice did they have? Send her back and let the pirates turn her into an evil crime lord so they would have a problem with her in the future?  It was great, Y/N fit right in with the team, especially with John Constantine. The two seemed bond over a fascination with archaic magic, fine alcohol, and sarcastic witticisms.  

              “So how many years were you treading water before I came along?” Y/N asked, throwing herself on the couch in the parlor, and setting her legs right on his lap.  John sighed. He hated to admit how much he liked anyone in the Legends but he could not stand how much he liked her specifically. Every time he fell for someone it ended badly, except for that one time him kissing Desmond saved the universe, but that still didn’t work out well in the end.  So here he was stuck being on this time ship for the moment to track down the Dredd gang with magic and Y/N was here for her protection, leaving him no other option but to deal with her constant presence that he both loved and hated.

              “O I’ve been on this bloody ship for 3 years now,” he said, trying to focus on the book of spells he was glancing through.  He had picked it up when he heard her coming, hoping she wouldn’t bother him.  He should know better, she always had to bother him.

              “And you know all kinds of magic?” she asked.  He sighed.

              “Yes, you know this already, what do you really want?” he asked, finally closing the book and looking at her.  

              “I was just curious could we…” she never got to finish that thought as suddenly the ship dropped from the temporal zone and into so trees, throwing Y/N across the room, John landing a few feet away her. He popped up, looking around before running to help her stand.  “What the hell was that?”

              “We just fell out of the temporal zone…” he said, moving to the bridge where everyone else was gathering.  Zari groaned looking at her designer jeans ripped in a way that was not fashionable.

              “What the hell, I just had Gideon make these!” she whined, leaning on the counsel.  “Gideon?”

              “Hey Gideon, are you there?” Sara said, moving to the control panel and taping some options.  Gideon didn’t power back up.  Ray frowned and ran off to find out if he could fix Gideon quick.  He came back after a few moments.

              “Get off the ship, now!” he said, pushing Nate and Charlie to run and the rest of the group ran off the ship as suddenly a gas started pouring out of the vents.  As they got off Ray sealed up the inside and watched as the gas filled the inside of the ship.

              “What the hell was that?” Y/N asked, pointing at the ship.  Ray sighed.

              “It’s a defense mechanism that if anyone were to steal the ship then before it would take off it would spit out a gas to incapacitate them before they left and then we could take over, it malfunctioned when I went to look at ship’s wiring to fix it,” he explained.  They groaned.  “Should all be dissipated in a couple days…”

              “Days?” Ava asked.  Ray shrugged.

              “If Gideon were around I would have her release the vents but…” he shrugged.  The rest of the team sighed and looked around.  

              “Where are we?” Mick asked, still drinking the beer he had been holding when the ship crashed.  He snarled and threw it when he realized it was empty.  

              “No idea,” Sara said.”

              “When are we?”

              “No idea.”

              “Bloody hell,” Constantine groaned.  

              “We should find some shelter for tonight, maybe just string some branches together in case it rains,” Sara said, looking around. “Ray, Mick, Nate, Behrad, go start making some treehouses please.  Charlie, Zari, Ava, and I will walk around the area and see if we can find a town or something.  Constantine, Y/N try to scout the area for water or any food.”  

                The group split into their groups and headed off in different directions.  Y/N followed John into the woods to find water.  They walked for a time finding nothing and she finally stopped him, turning to face him.

                “Don’t you have a spell or something to like make a river?” she asked.  John looked at her clearly annoyed.  “Alright, touchy touchy.  So why do you think the ship crashed?”

                “Probably thanks to your dad and his crew of merry jackarses,” he said, hearing something nearby and grabbing her arm for a second so she would follow him.  She took advantage of the moment and took his hand, letting him lead her reluctantly to a stream nearby.  He bent down and cupped his hands, taking a drink.

                “You sure that’s safe?” she asked.  He sighed and looked at her.  “O ya, sorry you randomly drink blood sometimes, forgot, creek water should be fine for you.”  She walked over next to him and once she saw he didn’t immediately start throwing up she leaned in and got some water for herself.

                “I’m pretty sure you’re right about my dad being the one shoot us down,” she said.  “Hopefully he lost us for awhile when we fell out of time.”

                “Well we found water…” he started, but the sound of a crash made he look back at the way they’d come and they both started running back.

#legends of tomorrow #john constantine #john constantine x reader #john constantine series #stranded series #legends of tomorrow series #legendsoftomorrow #johnconstantine #johnconstantinexreader

[saiilorstars]

Falling in Temptation

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance •  Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Ch. 25: The Girl Who Waited 

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Chapter summary: Amy gets separated from each other and when the Doctor finally finds a way back, they find a much older Amy Pond waiting for them. Now he has to watch as the little cluster of Ponds (including Avalon herself) decide which version of Amy they should bring back home. It makes the Doctor ask himself if his own relationship with Avalon will one day end up as broken as Amy's and Rory's nearly was.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel​ @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

Can we please meet her? I promise I won't cause trouble?" Avalon was asking, or rather trying to ask calmly. She was trying her best not to look as annoyed as she was. She was currently at the bottom of the console stairs against the rail with the Doctor in front of her, pressing a trail of soft kisses down her neck. She'd succumbed to him quite easily since he'd chosen to keep wearing that dark brown coat she seemed to love so much. He'd figured it out very fast. Now Avalon wasn't complaining one bit about that but she was hoping to use this current moment of pleasure for both to get something she'd been wanting for some time now.

"Jane Austen was and is one of the most renowned writers. And for someone like me, it would be amazing to meet her," Avalon explained with her best soft tone, "I think it's good to get some perspective outside of Zelda. Please, won't you take me?"

The Doctor finally lifted his head to look at her. "That depends..."

"On?"

"We get to make it a date," the Doctor smirked.

"Done and done!" Avalon quickly took the deal, "So we're going, then!?"

"Sure, why not? Haven't seen Janie in a long time."

Suddenly, Avalon's joy faltered and she put a hand on her hip, "No, hold on, you call her...Janie?" she tilted her head, "So you know her then...? And you even gave her a little nickname."

"...so...?" the Doctor did not like where this conversation was headed to.

"So?" Avalon blinked and nearly pouted, "Doctor!"

"This is going bad very fast," the Doctor frowned, mightily confused, "Let's get back to the kissing, I liked the kissing, kissing was fun and peaceful."

"How long have you known this 'Janie'?" Avalon did air quotation marks, "Does she know about me now?"

The Doctor sighed. While it was a bit, or a lot, of fun to see Avalon getting so worked up over a woman he could hardly care less about, he had to stop her before she truly became angry. Last time she stopped talking to him for a week. He pulled Avalon against him and put a finger over her lips, "Ava, I happen to give nearly everyone I know nicknames," he pointed out, "I call Amy 'Pond 1', Rory 'Pond 2', and then I call Lena 'baby sister'. It just so happens that I met Jane Austen and call her 'Janie'. I appreciate Janie, and I love all our friends but it's all friendly I promise."

"But do you know if the writer likes you more than a friend?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, "Cos, she may, you know...and then when we get there...she'll take you away...and then try to kiss you or something."

The Doctor let out a small laughter, "We're friends, that's all!"

"That's never stopped anyone before!"

"Okay, but I have a you now. The only lips I will be kissing are these," he tapped Avalon's lips with a smile, "Now, can we please get over this jealousy scene and return to kissing?"

Avalon playfully rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah...but we're going to see Jane Austen, right?"

"What ever you want, love," the Doctor promised as he leaned over to kiss her again. In no time he had Avalon kiss back and resume their moment alone.

"Can you please stop snogging my best friend in front of my wife and I?" came Rory's plead as he and Amy walked in from the downstairs corridor.

The Doctor lightly sighed as he pulled away from Avalon, "Maybe we should go on that date right now..." he offered to Avalon who chuckled.

"Oh no, you're not," Amy shook her head, making the pair look at them, "You two have been blowing us off for your dates for weeks now. We-" she pointed between her and Rory, "-were promised time and space, not 'chuck us out to the nearest planet while you two have dates'."

"We just wanted to be alone," Avalon tried to excuse.

"And do what? Snog all the time? Those are not dates," Rory wagged a finger at them both.

"Don't know they sound like dates to me," Avalon bit her lip and looked up at the Doctor who snickered.

"C'mon guys, I'm happy that you're both doing well in this relationship, but don't you think it's time you co-live with us?" Rory asked and gestured to himself and Amy, "And you know, move away from stage 1?"

"Stage one? What's stage one?" the Doctor made a face and looked at Avalon.

"It's this silly human idea about relationships," the ginger sighed and draped her arms around his neck, "See, stage one is the one where we can't keep our hands off each other. We kiss and kiss, and you know...sometimes...go beyond that."

Rory cleared his throat and gave them sharp looks, "It doesn't always go beyond that."

Amy chuckled at his over-protection and stepped in to continue the explanation, "And stage two is the part where you finally settle down and start co-existing with other people. So, for example, you two could stop this stage one thing and try to coexist with us."

"Is there a stage three?" the Doctor curiously asked.

"That's marriage and you are not getting there yet," Rory answered mightily fast and with a pointed finger at the Time Lord, "Stage 2, stage 2 is perfectly fine."

"Guys, thanks for your input but we're okay," Avalon cut in and leaned on the Doctor for a reciprocated hug.

"We're not trying to push your or anything," Amy clarified their intentions, "It's just...there's a lot more to relationships than kisses."

"Believe us, we know," the Doctor wrapped his arm around Avalon's waist.

Of course he loved the kissing and all but he and Avalon were both on the same page when it came to the point of their relationship. It wasn't fooling around, they loved each other. He had no doubt in his mind that he would give anything to make her happy. Avalon felt the same. It just seemed like Amy and Rory had to be clued in.

"I've got a compromise," the Doctor spoke up, "How about we go to one place altogether and then afterwards, we go have our date?" He ended up looking at Avalon for the answer.

"That sounds good," she nodded, "Anywhere in mind?"

"Has to be amazing," Amy pointed.

"And fun," Rory added.

"Apalapucia!" The Doctor happily declared when the TARDIS stopped. He was really excited to show the Ponds, including his Pond, the gorgeous planet. It would be a leisure trip for them and hopefully a little fun date with Avalon too.

"Say that again?" Amy tilted her head, confused like the others.

"Apalapucia."

"Apalapu...?" Avalon tried to repeat the word but found it was harder than it seemed. "Are you just making up words now? Because we've talked about this."

"Cia," the Doctor tapped her nose, amused at her effort. "Apalapucia!"

"Apalapucia," Rory tried last and got it on the first try. He grinned proudly.

"Apalapucia. What a beautiful word," Amy considered it with a small shrug.

"Beautiful word, beautiful world," the Doctor assured, "Apalapucia, voted number two planet in the top ten greatest destinations for the discerning intergalactic traveller."

Avalon made a face at that, "So then how come we're not going to number one?"

"It's hideous," the Doctor declared, "Everyone goes to number one. Planet of the coffee shops. Apalapucia! I give you sunsets, spires, soaring silver colonnades!" he grabbed her hand and led her and the Ponds towards the doors, "I give you..." he threw open the doors to show them an empty white space with a double-set, grey doors across.

"Doors," Avalon finished with him, her head tilted and arms crossed as she studied the new environment.

"Doors," the Doctor was disappointed his little moment hadn't turned out how he planned, "Yes...I give you doors..."

"Oh yeah, definitely better than number one," Avalon remarked as they stepped out.

"Well on the other side of those doors I give you sunsets, spires, soaring silver colonnades," the Doctor said as he walked over to the doors with her and Rory.

"Have you seen my phone?" Amy finished putting on her jacket and remained at the doorway of the TARDIS.

The Doctor stopped and turned around, even more so disappointed no one was really seeing the grandness of the planet. "Your phone phone?"

"Yeah."

"Your mobile telephone? I bring you to a paradise planet, two billion light years away, and you want to update Twitter?"

"Sunsets. Spires. Soaring silver colonnades. It's a camera phone," Amy sighed as he failed to realize the reason for her phone. She wanted to capture it all and he didn't see that? Total clueless alien, that's what he was.

"On the counter, by the DVDs," the Doctor gestured.

"Thank you," she waved and headed inside the TARDIS.

"How do we get in?" Rory was in front of the doors that were locked.

"I don't know, push a button," the Doctor shrugged and pointed to the panel beside the doors which had two buttons, one green and another red.

Rory pressed the green button and opened the doors, revealing another white room with a table in the center and a large, magnifying glass on top.

"OK, so, rain check on the soaring silver colonnades," the Doctor gave up.

"No kidding," Avalon chuckled, "Is this like Sherlock Holmes or something?" she walked to the table and looked at the magnifying glass.

"Hey?" they heard Amy from the other side, the doors had closed after they'd walked into the room, "Hey, it's locked."

"Yeah, push the button," Rory called out. They waited a couple seconds but Amy never came inside, "Where is she?" Rory sighed as he headed for the doors and opened them up. He peered out and still saw no Amy, "Where on wherever we are is my wife?"

"What are you doing?" Avalon asked as the Doctor took a seat at the table, beside her.

"Playing Sherlock Holmes," the Doctor shrugged and pressed a button on the magnifying glass. Immediately, they both saw a blurry picture of Amy through the glass.

"Oh..." Avalon blinked, "...Rory, I think we found her..."

"What do you mean you've found her?" Rory returned to the room and stopped beside them to see his wife through the glass, "Whoa! No, but, she's not... she's not here! I can see her, but she's not here."

"Where am I? In fact, where are you?" Amy seemed to be looking around the glass, also confused.

Suddenly, the door at the other end of the room opened up to reveal a white handbot on the other side. Both Avalon and Rory stood straight and looked at the robot that had no face but did have real hands.

"Its hands..." Avalon pointed, already creeped out. That just wasn't right.

"Hands! Hello. Hands. Handbot with hands, Ava," the Doctor seemed less than concerned with their new guest.

"Welcome to the Twostreams Facility. Will you be visiting long?"

"Er, Doctor. Something's happening," Amy tapped the glass and made the Doctor look down to see the image was fading.

"Amy! Stay calm! Stay still!" the Doctor tried to get the image back.

"I don't think she has much of a choice," Avalon remarked to him, "Where is she?"

"Will you be visiting long?" the handbot asked again and reached for the trio.

" Good question, bit sinister," Rory panicked as the handbot started backing only him, "What's the answer to not get us killed?"

"Because that always works?" Avalon called.

"How about some help, then, Ava?"

"I'd love to...but I have no idea how to stop that," Avalon went after the handbot while the Doctor continued working on the glass, "Plus, have you seen those hands?" She stared at the rubbery-looking hands on the robot.

"Will you be visiting long?"

"And where have you been?" Amy's voice drifted over, sounding a bit irritated, "I've been here a week!"

"A week!?" the Doctor was appalled to hear, "A week?! I'm so sorry! Aha! Same room, different times. Two timestreams running parallel but at different speeds. Amy, you're in a faster timestream."

"Doctor, it's going again!" the ginger cried as the image flickered.

"Will you be visiting long?"

Avalon stepped in between Rory and the robot and kicked it back, "We don't know!" she yelled at it, "Now stay back."

"Come on. Gotcha! There. Stabilized, settled, shh!" the Doctor exclaimed once the image started appearing back on the glass.

"Thank you boyfriend for your help," Avalon called and made the Doctor look up to see her and Rory with the handbot.

"I told you I was coming up with a better label!" He said with a frown.

"Well, next time come help us and I'll remember that!"

"Sorry," he quickly stood up and hurried over to them.

"Why has this got hands?" she hoped she would finally get an answer on those hands. The more she looked at them, the creepier they were.

"Organic skin," the Doctor explained, "Ultimate universal interface, grown and grafted, not born. It's actually seeing with its fingers, scanning the room. But why not just give it eyes?"

"Will you be visiting long?"

"I just answered that stupid question," Avalon rolled her eyes.

"As long as it takes," the Doctor answered then returned to the magnifying glass, "Amy, what exactly did you do?"

"I just, I came in, and I pressed the door button."

"Ah... Amy, there are two buttons," Rory called, "Green anchor, red waterfall. Which one did you push?"

"I pushed the red waterfall," Amy quietly responded.

"Great," Rory rolled his eyes and opened the doors to go retrieve his wife.

"All because you wanted to update Twitter," Avalon joked as she joined the Doctor at the table.

"No, I didn't!" Amy frowned.

The doors reopened and in came Rory, looking confused and a bit irritated, "I pressed Red Waterfall, and she wasn't there!"

"So you can't follow her directly. You know, it's never simple!" the Doctor groaned, "Hear that, Handbot? She just pressed the wrong button. We're aliens, we didn't know," he turned for the robot.

"Statement... rejected," the handbot's two blinking lights on its chest stopped at a red light, "Apalapucia is under planet-wide quarantine. This is a kindness facility for those infected with Chen7."

The Doctor quickly covered his mouth and nose with his jacket's collar, "What?" At the action, Avalon and Rory did the same.

"What's Chen7?" Avalon asked, her voice slightly muffled with her cardigan's sleeve.

"The one day plague."

"What, you get it for a day?" Rory raised an eyebrow.

"No, you get it, and you die in a day."

"We should've gone to number one," Avalon mumbled.

"There are 40,000 residents in the Twostreams Facility. Please remain in the sterile areas. Visiting hours are now," the handbot lowered its hands and put them together, transporting away and leaving trio in the room

Slowly, everyone lowered their jackets, the Doctor being the first to heave a heavy sigh, "Sterile area, I'm safe."

Amy smacked the glass from her side and made everyone look back, "What about me!"

"Chen7 only affects two-hearted races like Apalapucians," the Doctor explained and calmed her nerves.

"And Time Lords, apparently," Avalon added.

"Yeah, like me. In that facility, I'm dead in a day," the Doctor didn't want to think about that and instead focused on their friend, "Time moves faster on Amy's side of the glass. Amy, you said you'd been here a week. What did you eat?"

Amy shrugged, "Nothing. I wasn't hungry."

"No, because Red Waterfall time is compressed. That's the point. The Time Glass syncs up the timestreams for visits. You could be here for a day, watch them live out their entire lives."

"And watch them grow old in front of your eyes? That's horrible," Rory made a face and shook his head.

"No, Rory, it's kind. You've got a choice. Sit by their bedside for 24 hours and watch them die, or sit in here for 24 hours and watch them live. Which would you choose?" the Doctor didn't wait for an answer as he picked up the glass.

"Doctor!?" they heard Amy shout in distress, "Doctor, don't leave me!"

"We're here, Amy," the Doctor was holding the glass where they could all see the frantic ginger, "We're right here."

"Where are you?" she looked around, "Am I looking at you?"

"Turn left, just a fraction," he instructed, "Bit more, stop. That's it."

"Eye to eye?"

"Eye to eye to eye."

"Hello," Rory waved once Amy was looking straight at them.

"Amy, I'm taking the Time Glass back to the TARDIS. Like satnav, I'll use it to get a lock, then smash through, using the TARDIS to get you out," the Doctor explained while using the sonic on the glass, "Until then, you're on your own."

"What are you doing?" Avalon asked him.

"Locking onto Amy. Small act of vandalism, no-one'll mind."

"Mm, yes, and how many times has that actually been the truth?" Avalon made the question only a mere second before an alarm went off, "Oh, look at that..."

The Doctor knew there was no time to waste and so explained to Amy what she needed to do, "Amy, I need you to go into the facility just for a bit. Find somewhere safe and leave me a sign. Remember, you're immune to Chen7, but don't let them give you anything. They don't know you're alien. Their kindness will kill you. Now go!"

Amy hurried to the door of her room and pressed the button, looking back at the glass just as they opened for her, "Rory, I love you. Now, save me. Go on."

As soon as Amy was gone, the trio ran back into the TARDIS to go and save her. The Doctor put the time glass into the console, "This is locked onto Amy permanently. Play the signal into the console, the TARDIS'll follow it," he explained to the others while attaching a cable to the glass. Unfortunately, as soon as he did that, smoke spewed from the console. The Doctor ignored it and pulled out a tool chest from underneath, "Now then, I know you're in here. Um... erm.. Haha!" he pulled out black-rimmed glasses and put them on, "How do I look?"

"Ridiculous," Avalon and Rory answered simultaneously.

At that point, the Doctor felt like the remark 'they are so family' would've been good, if only Avalon knew.

"Glasses are cool," he said instead and put the glasses on Rory, "Oh, yes. Hello, handsome man."

"Oh, hello," Rory gave a small wave.

"Uh, Rory..." Avalon pointed to the large monitor behind them where the Doctor was visible, clearly the glasses being the camera filming it.

"Rorycam!" the Doctor cheered.

"Conceited," Avalon spat, "You think you're so handsome..."

"Funny cos about an hour ago you weren't telling me otherwise," the Doctor sent her a smug smile. Avalon straightened up, clearly no words in mind to respond back which only made the Doctor's smug smile widen with triumph, "So, we're breaking into the Twostreams," he turned for Rory, "Now, I can't go in, the Chen7'll kill me on the spot. You will be my eyes and ears."

"Rory-cam," Rory nodded, "Rescue Amy. Got it."

"We'll be in and out, no problem," Avalon added.

"N-n-n-n-n-no," the Doctor promptly turned to her, "I specifically left your name out. You won't be going either."

She raised an eyebrow, "And why not?"

"Dangerous."

"My name," she pointed at herself with a smile.

"Ah, no your name is Avalon Harm-"

"Don't finish that," Avalon pointed at Rory, "You know I despise that name. Now I'm going and that's that."

"But-" the Doctor went to argue but Rory cut in and pointed for the console. They could figure out what they were going to do after they set into Amy's timestream place.

It was no surprise that the TARDIS would put up some kind of fight as they tried crossing timestreams. But in the end, the box finally allowed them to land in the correct timestream.

Rory stepped out of the TARDIS with the glasses on and the time glass on a belt worn across his body, "Red Waterfall! We made it," he cheered and looked around the gallery room.

Inside the TARDIS, Avalon was trying to get herself out there to help Rory but the Doctor was refusing to let her arm go. No matter how strong she was, she just wasn't stronger than him.

"I can go help," Avalon argued with him, "C'mon!"

"Ava, I would feel much better if you stayed here with me," the Doctor pleaded to her to rethink this, "Stay here, yeah?" he tugged her closer to him and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Avalon heaved a big sigh and looked at him, "Hey, we've spent an awful lot of time together lately. This is serious and my friend's out there, on her own. Let me go help."

"Rory's going to help and we can help from here," the Doctor gestured to the console.

"Okay, look," Avalon decided to try something else, perhaps the one thing that could make him understand, "Last time we went on a trip, all of us, Amy took the bullet for me and saved me from becoming a wooden doll. She's in trouble now and it's my turn to save her. You understand that, right?"

The Doctor of course understood that. Amy had told him about the reason why she'd become a doll in the first place; it would've been Avalon if Amy hadn't intervened and she was not going to let her granddaughter suffer.

"I'll be sure to make up for this later, okay,?" Avalon assured and leaned up, "With lots of kisses here and there," she smirked as she made her promise, even giving him a previous of her kisses to make her point.

"I hate that you have this power over me," the Doctor sighed with resignation. No, actually, he did not hate it. Who would hate to be kissed by her? Not him!

Avalon smiled in triumph, trying not to seem as smug as she really was, "Don't know what you're talking about," she kissed him a second time, "Gotta run," and she planted a third kiss which became a bit deeper than the last two, "Woah," Avalon blinked with a partial daze, "Gotta run...ish..." she shook her head and recollected herself, "Rory!" she called as she ran out.

Rory had been busy looking at the different collections the planet had in the gallery room, "Managed to convince him, huh?"

"Uh, yes," Avalon flashed a smile and closed the TARDIS doors.

"Dare I ask how?"

"Um...I don't think you want to know," Avalon fixed part of her hair and walked up to him.

Rory sighed, "This is just too weird sometimes."

Avalon rolled her eyes, "So then, Doctor, how do we find Amy?" She looked at the glasses.

"Rory, switch the Time Glass on and sonic it," came the Doctor's voice, "I'll send a command to the screwdriver. Amy's here somewhere. If I can just get a lock on her. I wonder what happens if we mix the filters?" Rory pulled out the Doctor's sonic and held the time glass in front of him and Avalon. As soon as the sonic finished on the glass, they all saw dozens of people in a blurred image, all milling about.

"And there they are. 40,000 time streams overlapping. Red Waterfall isn't one time stream. It's thousands," the Doctor informed as the two companions stared in awe.

"Are they happy?" Avalon frowned, wondering if being locked in a facility could be better than dying.

"Oh my Ava," the Doctor sighed, "Trust you to think of that. I think they're happy to be alive. Better than the alternative."

Rory lowered the glass in time for he and Avalon to catch a person running towards them, dressed in armor and with a katana aimed at them. They barely had time to process when the person knocked them both down.

"We come in peace!" Rory found no other words coming to mind, "Peace, peace, peace, peace!"

"Yeah Rory, cos that's gonna work!" Avalon rolled her eyes and sat up, flicking the katana at his throat, "Nice sword..." she had to remark.

"Ava!" Rory scolded. Leave it to her to praise a weapon being used against them. River Song was definitely her mother.

"I waited," the person finally spoke.

"Sorry, what?" Avalon looked up, half irritated with the scold.

"I waited for you," the person repeated and pulled the katana away. "I waited!" she pulled off her helmet to show herself. It left both Rory and Avalon quite stunned.

"Oh my..." Avalon's eyes widened at the sight of a much older Amy.

Rory's mouth had fallen open and while he tried to put his thoughts into a coherent sentence, all that came out were stammers. "A-Amy..wh-what's..."

"Doctor, what the hell is going on?" Avalon found it easier to ask the question.

Unfortunately, all that came out of the Time Lord was, 'Er..." He had no idea how he could've messed this up.

"Amy," Rory stood to his feet and helped Avalon, both still staring at the older ginger.

"I think the time stream lock might be a bit wobbly," the Doctor finally said something coherent.

"You think?" Avalon snapped.

Amy drew her sword to strike and scared the two. "No, please!" Rory pulled Avalon behind him, "Please!"

"Duck," Amy ordered and immediately the two did, allowing her to sink her sword through a handbot's head behind them. She put away her sword and moved over to the handbot, bending down beside it and pulling out a small, black box, "Handbots carry a black box in case they go offline. I've changed the cause of termination from hostile to accidental. Easy to re-program. Using my sonic probe."

"Amy," Rory called again, his voice quiet.

"Rory," Amy didn't spare even a glance as she worked.

"Amy!"

"Rory!"

"Oh for goodness sake, why are you doing that?" Avalon pointed to the box Amy held.

"I've survived this long by making the Handbots think I don't exist. Don't touch the hands. Anaesthetic transfer - if they touch you, you go to sleep."

"But you're still here?" Rory asked.

Amy stood up, staring at them both, "You didn't save me," she bluntly said and strode off.

"But this is us doing the saving," Avalon called as she and Rory hurried after her, "The Doctor just got the timing a bit out!"

"I've been on my own here a long, long time. I've had decades to think nice thoughts about him. Got a bit harder to stay charitable once I entered decade four."

"40 years alone?" Rory asked in horror.

"36 years," Amy made a face, "Thanks..."

Avalon elbowed Rory and gave him a look, making him realize his error, "No. Right, I mean... you look great. Really. Really."

"Eyes front, soldier."

"Still can't win then, eh?" Avalon tried to humor them but it didn't work.

"In fact, I think I can now definitely say I hate him. I hate The Doctor," Amy declared with certainty, "I hate him more than I've ever hated anyone in my life." She leaned closer to Rory, but not for him. She was looking directly into his glasses. "You can hear every word of this through those ridiculous glasses, can't you, Raggedy Man? You told me to wait. And I did. A lifetime."

"Amy..." the Doctor began but he didn't get to finish. Lately, he seemed to be getting everything wrong with the Ponds. He tried his best to keep them out of harm's way and yet something always happened to them. Last time, all three of them had been captured inside a fake dollhouse with killer dolls. Before that, they'd been chased around by the Scream. It was beginning to take a toll on him.

"You've got nothing to say to me!"

"Behind you!"

Amy turned to see two handbots closing in on them. She tossed her staff to Rory, ducked and put the handbots hands together, deactivating them. "Feedback. Knocks them out. Learned that trick on my first day," and once again, she made to leave.

They went out to an outer corridor and tried catching up with Amy who didn't even look back at them, "OK, so we just take the TARDIS back to the right time stream, yeah? We can stop any of this happening," Rory tried to reason, Avalon giving a small nod though she wasn't very sure about anything now.

"We locked on to a time stream, Rory. This is it," the Doctor regretted informing him.

"But this is wrong," Avalon frowned at the situation.

"Incredibly wrong," Rory added.

"I got old, Rory, what did you think was going to happen?" Amy rolled her eyes, assuming the worst from them.

"Hey!" Rory was not about to have that and so grabbed Amy's arm and forced her to stop and look back, "I don't care that you got old! I care that we didn't grow old together. Amy, come on, please."

"Don't touch me. Don't do that," she gave the order but didn't sound so sure of it as she left.

"This isn't you," Avalon made a face and went after her, "This isn't our Amy!"

"36 years, three months, four days of solitary confinement, Avalon," Amy stopped in front of some doors and turned to them, "This facility was built to give people the chance to live. I walked in here and I died. Do you have anything to say? Anything, Doctor?"

"Where did you get a sonic screwdriver?" the Doctor decided to question, only irritating her more.

"I made it. And it's a sonic probe!"

"You made a sonic screwdriver?" Rory blinked.

"Probe!"

"Give it up, Amy, you're not winning that one," Avalon had to advise as they entered the temporal engines room.

They followed Amy through a curtain she clearly made and found a small, isolated room where a Handbot stood at the corner. Rory stopped and forced Avalon as well when he saw the robot, "Oh!"

The handbot turned to them and allowed them to see a makeshift smiley face drawn where its face should be. Amy went across the small room, "Don't worry about him. Sit down, Rory."

Avalon giggled as both Rory and the handbot sat down, "You named the handbot after Rory?" she asked.

"Needed a bit of company."

"So, he's like your..."

"Pet."

"Somehow that's not making it better."

Amy pulled out a tube of lipstick and opened it up, meanwhile the other two studied the handbot, "Is it safe?" Rory asked.

"Yep. I disarmed it."

"How?" Avalon wondered just as they both saw the hands of the handbot chopped off.

"Oh, you...disarmed it," Rory slowly said, feeling a bit off about that.

Amy changed her mind on the lipstick and put it away, "Oh, don't get sentimental, it's just a robot. You'd have done the same."

"I don't know that I would have," the Doctor spoke up again, making Amy spin around and look at the glasses.

"And there he is - the voice of God. Survive. Cos no-one's going to come for you. Number one lesson. You taught me that."

"Is that really all I taught you?"

"Don't you lecture me, blue-box man flying through time and space on whimsy. All I've got - all I've had for 36 years - is cold, hard reality. So, no, I don't have a sonic screwdriver because I'm not off on a romp. I call it what it is - a probe. And I call my life what it is... Hell."

"Amy Pond, I am going to put this right," the Doctor assured, "You said you learned from an Interface. Can I speak with it?"

"Doesn't work in here," Amy informed then checked her watch, "2:23, the garden'll be clear now," she looked at Avalon and Rory, "Stay or go?"

"We're coming with you," Rory stood up and looked at Avalon for her opinion.

"Definitely," the ginger agreed with a nod.

"Then try not to get killed. Or do. Whatever," Amy tried to seem casual as she left, "When I first came here, I had to trick the Interface into giving me the information, but I've reprogrammed it now. It'll tell me anything except how to escape."

"You hacked it?" Rory raised an eyebrow, "That's genius!"

"Sorry to interrupt that beautiful moment," the Doctor cleared his throat, "But temporal engines have a regulator valve, which has to be kept from the main reactor or there's feedback. Interface, where's the regulator?"

"The regulator valve is held within."

"Ah! Oh, very, very "ah!" Interface, I need to run through some technical specifications. Rory, give me to Amy a minute."

"Here you go," Rory pulled off the glasses and moved to put them on Amy but the ginger refused.

"Amy just do it," Avalon sharply looked at her.

With a huff, Amy took the glasses and put them on, "They look ridiculous," she frowned.

"That's what we told him," Rory sighed, "Still, anything beats a fez, eh?" Everyone laughed but once Amy abruptly stopped, so did Avalon and Rory, "What is it?" he asked.

"I think that's the first time I've laughed in 36 years," Amy quietly acknowledged.

Avalon sadly looked between her friends, knowing they must have been thinking about the time they had lost. She sighed and touched Rory, ending their moment, "We should leave them...you know, to let them work?"

"Yeah, yeah," Rory nodded and walked out with her.

They wandered through the garden Amy had led them in through and took a look around, both wondering if this was where Amy had spent some time in...on her own.

"You don't...you don't blame the Doctor for this, do you?" Avalon felt the need to ask Rory as they walked.

Rory felt the concern in Avalon's tone and didn't want her to worry, "No...no," he sighed and put an arm around her shoulders, "He is never on time."

"Hm, 14 years," Avalon smiled lightly.

"Mhm," Rory nodded and they both chuckled.

"I just...don't want to have problems between the people I really care about," Avalon sighed. "And right now, Amy is really mad at the Doctor. I don't know who to defend first."

"Avalon…" Rory suddenly stiffened when he spotted a handbot coming towards them.

"Do not be alarmed, this is a kindness," the handbot said just like the others had.

Rory pulled Avalon behind him and backtracked together.

"Do not be alarmed, this is a kindness," the handbot said just as it touched Rory's face with its hand.

"Rory!" Avalon cried as he fell to the ground. "Oh great!" She looked up to see the handbot that would surely be going after her now.

Amy arrived in time to stop the handbot. She cut its head off with her sword and looked between the two, "Rory?" she knelt beside him.

"Glasses," Rory pointed.

Amy stood up and turned away, "You stupid..."

"You saved us," Avalon smiled at her.

"Don't get used to it," Amy muttered.

Rory stood up and studied Amy for a moment, specifically her eyes, "Have you been crying? A little bit?"

"Shut up, Rory," Amy tried to order but her voice was far too weak for that.

"You have, haven't you?"

"Woman with a sword. Don't push it."

"OK, so here's the plan," the Doctor spoke up, "Time is always a bit wibbly-wobbly, but in two streams it's extra wobbly," in the meantime he spoke, Amy handed the glasses back to Rory, "I've worked out how to hijack the temporal engines and then fold two points of Amy's timeline together. We're bringing her out of the then and into the now! Amy, I just need to borrow your brain a minute, it won't hurt, probably - almost probably...and then, Amy Pond, I'm going to save you."

Amy stared into the glasses, her eyes narrowing, confusing Rory and Avalon. One would think she'd be ecstatic that they'd found a way to truly save her. "No," she took out her probe, "Time's up, Handbots coming!" And she hurried out, leaving Avalon and Rory to follow.

~ 0 ~

Amy was striding back towards her secret hiding place in the engine rooms, doing her best to ignore the pleas of everyone who wanted to 'help' her.

"Amy, you've got to help us help you. I need you to think back 36 years ago. Amy? Amy!?" the Doctor was the primary insistent one to talk to her.

Without a word, Amy went inside the engine rooms and left Avalon and Rory outside. Avalon noticed several smudges on the doors and walked up to them, "Funny...if I didn't know any better I would say this is...lipstick," she glanced back at Rory questioningly.

Rory moved over and lifted the time glass to the doors, allowing them to see a message in red lipstick Amy had left for them. Rory sighed, "You told her to leave us a sign. And she did. And she waited. Oh, Amy."

Avalon opened the doors and went inside, marching straight to Amy, "Okay, why won't you help yourself? You wanted us to save you but look at you?"

Amy shook her head, still refusing, "He wants to rescue Past Me from 36 years back, which means I'll cease to exist. Everything I've seen and done dissolves, time is rewritten."

"But that's...that's good, isn't it?" Even Rory was confused about her attitude. Being rescued meant that she wouldn't have to go through the solidarity she'd been forced into.

"I will die," Amy enunciated slowly for them, "Another Amy will take my place, an Amy who never got trapped at Twostreams, who grew old with you, and she, in 36 years, won't be me."

"But you'll die in here," Avalon scratched her head. "Isn't that...isn't that better?"

"Not if you take me with you. You came to rescue me, so rescue me."

"Leave her and take you?"

"We could take this Amy with us, easy, but if we do, our Amy has to wait 36 years to be rescued," the Doctor warned in case they actually decided to go with that.

"So I have to choose - which wife do I want?" Rory took a small breath, already knowing that couldn't and wouldn't end well.

"She is me," Amy pointed to herself, "We're both me."

"You being here is wrong. For a single day, an hour, let alone a lifetime. I swore to protect you...I promised."

Amy didn't say a word and instead went inside her small room, leaving the two to think about it.

"Rory..." the Doctor began.

"This is your fault!" the human spat.

"Rory!" Avalon was disappointed he went back on his word, "You promised..."

"I'm sorry Ava but it is," Rory huffed and spoke to the Doctor, "You should look in a history book once in a while, see if there's an outbreak of plague or not."

"That is not how I travel," the Doctor snapped.

"Then I do not want to travel with you!" Rory pulled off the glasses and threw them to the ground.

Avalon was torn between the two sides but even more so angry with Rory. "You said you wouldn't blame him! How…" She shook her head. "If you haven't noticed, it's a pretty big universe with millions of different problems. It is impossible to know what the current state of a planet is all the time."

"36 years, Avalon, 36!" Rory pointed to the closed curtains. "She spent 36 years on her own!"

"And you think I'm not as upset as you are? I love Amy! But this wasn't anyone's fault! It's like when you blamed yourself for accidentally shooting Amy after the Pandorica opened."

"That's different," Rory sighed, really not in the mood to argue with her as well. He was too confused and angry, a horrible combination that he was aware of.

"Yeah, cos it was you. You didn't mean to do it, you didn't know who you were, it was impossible. What's happened here was also impossible."

"Ava, Rory," the Doctor called again, sounding like he was giving a test, "Is the time glass still on?" he asked them, "If the link's still active, I think I can hear Amy. Our Amy."

Rory slowly lifted the time glass in front of the small room of Amy and saw none other than the young Amy through the glass, sobbing quietly to herself, "Oh, Amy," Rory entered the room still holding the time glass. He went straight to the present Amy and knelt down to where she sat, "Look me in the face and say you won't help her."

Amy did as told and looked him in the eye, "I will not help her."

"Oh yeah?" Avalon couldn't believe that was her friend and was not going to stand for it, "Alright, then," she gently pushed the time glass up in front of Rory's face where the young Amy was sobbing to herself, "Look us in the face and say that again," she challenged Amy.

"Rory? Rory is that you?" the young Amy turned from the wall, "Rory, where are you?"

Rory used the sonic on the time glass and allowed the young Amy to see them through the glass, "Same place as you - and a bit ahead."

The present Amy peered into the glass, "I remember this," she mumbled.

"But who's she?" the past Amy studied herself, "There's no-one else here, but... me."

Rory handed the glass to the present Amy and took Avalon out with him, hoping the two Amy's could get on the same page to allow for some type of plan.

"You realize what's gonna happen in there, right?" Avalon quietly asked him.

"What?" Rory looked at her with concern.

"Two Amy's, in one place, well sort of...there is going to be some shouts and colorful words."

Rory shared a smile with her, "She's not you."

"Hey, River's her daughter and she's got some colorful vocabulary, she had to have gotten it from somewhere," Avalon pointed out, "And let's face it, you don't have that."

"Shush, Ava," Rory mockingly-scolded her.

"Ha, in other words, I win the argument," Avalon said with pride, making him (and managing) chuckle.

Suddenly, Amy stepped out of the room, "I'm going to pull time apart for you," she looked at Rory. Avalon stepped away as the two couples hugged and kissed, "OK, Doctor, Twostreams is back on air. Right, OK, so this is big news, this is temporal earthquake time. I am now officially changing my own future. Hold on to your spectacles. In my past, I saw my future self refuse to help you. I'm now changing that future and agreeing. Every law of time says that shouldn't be possible."

"Yes, except sometimes knowing your own future is what enables you to change it, especially if you're bloody minded, contradictory and completely unpredictable," the Doctor nearly had a chuckle.

"Oh so you meant Amy," Avalon laughed.

"Well actually my mind drifted to you," the Doctor said and ended her laugh right there and then.

Avalon crossed her arms and glared at the glasses, "Terrible danger you're getting yourself into, Fairy Tale Man."

"Anyways, back to crossing time streams?" Amy cleared her throat and ended the ensuing argument. She led them out to the outside corridors, "I'm trusting you to watch my back, Rory."

"Always. You and me, always," Rory nodded with assurance.

"Hey, and me," Avalon waved a hand, making them chuckle.

"Cos here's the deal... you take me too in the TARDIS. Me too," Amy turned to them, ending the amusing moment.

"But that means that there'll be two of you, permanently, forever," Rory realized.

"And that way we both get to live."

"But two Amy's together..." Avalon couldn't quite wrap her mind around that. By all logic, that couldn't very well work.

"Can that work?" Rory asked the Doctor.

"I don't know, it's your marriage."

"Doctor!"

"Perhaps, maybe, if I shunted the reality compensators on the TARDIS, re-calibrated the doomsday bumpers and jettisoned the karaoke bar, yes, maybe, yes. It could do it. The TARDIS could sustain the paradox."

Avalon remained quiet at that, he was lying. He had to be. She may not be some Time Lord or that big of a genius but she wasn't stupid either. Paradoxes could not be sustained unless you had a paradox machine, and she wasn't aware the Doctor had one.

"Right. Amy..." Rory put on the glasses and saw the young Amy, "And Amy. The wife and the wife, right."

"That won't get confusing," Avalon remarked quietly.

"OK, Amy - Past Amy – stand by the door. Future Amy, you too," the Doctor ordered, "Future Amy, can I borrow your sonic scr... probe?"

Amy sighed, "It's a screwdriver," she handed it over to Rory then went to the doors.

Rory used the sonic on both Amy's then returned it to her.

"Rory, sonic it, double our power. Amy Now, you're our link to Amy Then," the Doctor continued on with the instructions, "We need to get a signal through. That signal will be a thought. Amy Now and Amy Then, share a thought. Something so powerful that it can rip through time. Rory, sonic the plinth front. Inside you'll find three levers and a jumble of wiring. That's the regulator valve. After we've rebooted, you have ten minutes to get back to the TARDIS. Pull out the red and green receptors, re-route blue into red and green into blue. Leave red loose and on no account touch anything yellow. Come on, Rory. It's hardly rocket science. It's just quantum physics."

"Does he ever stop for air?" Rory made a face to Avalon.

"Eventually," Avalon mumbled with a smirk.

"Eugh," Rory pretended to shiver and continued with his work. No grandfather should ever have to hear that.

"Now the lever," the Doctor called, "Throw them in order! Amys, start thinking the most important thought you've ever had. Hold it in your head and do not let it go! Lever one."

Rory pulled the lever and immediately the two Amy's started to think of one common thought.

"She's doing the Macerena," Rory blinked.

"Aww..." Avalon smiled, knowing exactly the importance of that dance.

"Our first kiss," Rory whispered.

"Lever two, Rory," the Doctor ordered, "Lever three."

Rory pulled the levers and made the time glass shattered. Little by little, the young Amy appeared across them.

"Oh, Amy!" Rory exclaimed.

Amy glanced to her older self and blinked, "Oh, my God."

Rory ran over and hugged Amy, both incredibly happy. Avalon watched and smiled with true joy, though she became a bit sad for the older Amy, and soon it was the same story for the young couple.

"Sorry..." Rory quietly said.

"Hello," the older Amy greeted.

"Hello," the young Amy waved.

"I don't know what to..." they both began but stopped when they realized both of them were talking at the same time.

"Weird," Avalon and Rory whispered.

"OK, this is weird. Right, just stop doing that," the two ginger became defensive, and irritated.

"How about Amy One speaks first?" Rory suggested.

Both gingers turned on him, "Which one's Amy One?"

"Oh, wrong move," Avalon made a face.

"I am," both gingers argued, "No, I am! Rory! Rory, just stop doing that!"

"Both of you shut the hell up!" Avalon yelled and succeeded in quieting them down.

"Ah!" Rory hissed as the glasses started sparking.

"Oh. Rory, Rory, take the glasses off. You're getting temporal feedback," the Doctor called to him as Rory threw the glasses to the floor, "Whoa! Calm down, dear! Ava, Rory, Amy, we've created a massive paradox and the TARDIS hates it. She's self-phasing, trying to get out of here. What's nasty Amy done to you? Just calm down, dear. Hang on in there. Ava, Rory, you've got eight minutes left. I'm sorry, you're on your own now."

"We're not on our own," Avalon tried to look at the positive side, "There's Rory and me and...two Amy's," she made a face, "Yeah, maybe this is bad."

"We're not on our own," Avalon looked around, "There's Rory, and...two Amys," she made a face, "Okay yeah, this can go bad real soon."

"Do not be alarmed," handbots appeared.

"Incoming!" Rory exclaimed as several more robots appeared for them.

'With me," the present Amy handed her younger self the staff.

"I don't get one?" Avalon frowned with disappointment.

"Absolutely not!" Both Amys immediately declared, flinching Avalon.

"Okay, freaky how you both do that," she mumbled as Rory took her to their positions.

"Amy, Kate Hayler, year ten hockey," called present Amy.

Young Amy immediately got the idea, "Go for the shins!" she smashed the handbot's shins and flipped the robot over on its back.

"Rory!" Avalon cried as a Handbot appeared in front of her, "We need weapons!" she kicked the handbot back.

"They're cutting off the Departure Gate. We can't get back to the TARDIS," Rory had glanced back the way they'd come in as he tried battling out his own handbot.

"Side door!" present Amy offered, "We'll go behind them!"

~ 0 ~

As they made their way down the staircase, the two Amys had started a conversation that didn't end so well...

"Think you're coming with us, just like that?" younger Amy was demanding an answer, and fast, from her older self.

"Yeah, just like that."

"Rory, talk to her!" young Amy looked at Rory who was ahead of them, with Avalon.

"Now, ladies..." the man began but Avalon cut through, heavily annoyed with the argument.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Avalon shouted, "You sound like snobbish children!"

"Oi!" both Amys frowned at her, 'Don't talk to me that way, I'm your-"

"Amy," Rory had caught where the sentence was ending and stopped running, giving each of his wives sharp looks.

Avalon noticed the little looks shared between all three, and it surprised her more that the disagreement had vanished and a common agreement had appeared, "What? What is it?"

She received no such answer and was instead pulled away, continuing their route for the TARDIS. Soon again, the disagreements had risen up between the two Amys.

"Where are you going to live?" young Amy was asking her older self.

"Not with you, don't worry. I'll go travelling. Pop back for Christmas, maybe Easter."

"Amy, you always say, cooking Christmas dinner, you wish there were two of you," Rory tried to humor but it seemed not to be working.

They followed the older Amy up to a room with shut doors. She used the sonic on the doors to get it open.

"Why can't we just teleport inside?" Avalon curiously wondered.

"It's not a teleport, it's a time jump."

"They can't shunt within the same timestream," young Amy said.

"Yes," her older self agreed.

"The TARDIS is in the Gallery," Rory reminded as they finally entered the room.

"Gallery closed."

The older Amy ran up to a table in the center and pressed the buttons, "Controls are stuck. They've locked them from outside."

"Well can't you unlock them?" Rory raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, give me a minute and your cutest smile," she winked just as Rory smiled, "That's the one."

"Can you stop flirting with me?" he cleared his throat, "You're old enough to be..."

"I've known you my whole life. How many games of Doctors and Nurses?"

"Eugh," Avalon shivered as she went up to them, "Now I get why you do that with the Doctor and I. Totally, completely, unnecessary."

Suddenly, all the doors of the room opened up to reveal handbots, "Do not be alarmed. This is a kindness."

Older Amy chucked her staff to young Amy while Rory tried using the sonic on the controls, eventually pressing the correct button and opening the doors to the room the TARDIS was in. Older Amy took lead with her sword and staff to use on the handbots they came across with. Everyone else made a run across the room while pushing several more handbots out of their way.

"Go! I've got your back!" Older Amy shouted to them as she took care of more handbots.

Young Amy was touched by a handbot on the face and gave a shout as she fell to the floor. Upon seeing that, Rory ran over to her, with the Mona Lisa portrait, and rammed it on the handbot's head, successfully shutting it down. He then picked up Amy and started running again.

"Is she okay!?" Avalon followed after him as they headed for the TARDIS.

"Hopefully!" Rory kicked the TARDIS doors open and rushed inside. He set her down on the floor just as the Doctor came over to check on her.

"It's just an anaesthetic. She'll be fine," he quickly stood up and ran for the doors, making eye contact with present Amy. She knew what he was going to do and so dropped her weapons and charged across the room for the TARDIS. The Doctor willed himself to shut the doors, "I'm sorry," he breathed as he locked it.

"What are you doing?" Rory stood up angrily.

"I lied to her, Rory," the Doctor confessed, looking at the door where present Amy had arrived and was pounding on it to be let inside, "There can't be two Amys in the TARDIS. The paradox is too massive."

"She'll die!" Rory shouted.

"Technically, she wouldn't," Avalon slowly stood up, quietly rubbing her arm, "I mean, if time is rewritten then technically she'll never have existed."

"But she happened!" Rory couldn't stop shouting, "She's there!" he violently pointed at the door.

"No, she's not real," the Doctor brought himself to say it.

"She is real, let her in!"

"Look, we take this Amy, we leave ours. There can only be one Amy in the TARDIS. Which one do you want?" the Doctor grabbed Rory and put him in front of the doors, his hand over the latch, "It's your choice."

"This isn't fair," Rory spat, "You're turning me into you."

"Your choice, Rory..."

"I, er.." Rory faced the doors, his mind going blank for a second.

The Doctor returned to young Amy and Avalon, checking the unconscious ginger a final time before heading for the console. Avalon tried touching him but he shook her off, not wanting to face her after what he'd done.

"Rory? Please," present Amy put a hand on the window of the door, making Rory do the same, "The look on your face when you carried her. Me. Her. When you carried her away, you used to look at me like that. I'd forgotten how much you loved me. I'd forgotten how much I loved being her. Amy Pond, in the TARDIS. With Rory Williams."

"I'm sorry, I can't do this," Rory declared and moved to turn the latch open.

"If you love me, don't let me in," Present Amy surprised him with the request, "Open that door, I will, I'll come in. I don't want to die. I won't bow out bravely. I'll be kicking and screaming, fighting. To the end."

"Oh, Amy. Amy, I love you," Rory took a long sigh, knowing he would have to listen t her request.

"I love you too. Don't let me in," present Amy pleaded, "Tell Amy, your Amy, I'm giving her the days. The days with you. The days to come. The days I can't have. Take them, please. I'm giving you my days."

Rory let go of the latch and stepped away from the door, "I'm so, so sorry..."

With that, the Doctor de-materialized the TARDIS from the planet. They had moved Amy to one of the chairs by the console and checked to make sure there was nothing wrong with her. She would just be sleeping for a bit more.

"Did you always know it would never work? Saving both Amys?" Rory asked the Doctor, the two sitting on the staircase looking after Amy.

"I promised you I'd save her and there she is. Safe," the Doctor patted the man's shoulder.

"Yeah, there she is," Rory had to agree on it.

As they stood up, Amy began waking up. The Doctor headed for the corridors to give them some time. Avalon was coming out from the corridor with a blanket for Amy.

"Hey," she tried to greet him in an attempt to start a conversation with him since he was seemingly trying to avoid her.

The Doctor mumbled a 'hey' back but moved around her and continued his way to the corridors. She looked down for a moment then walked towards Rory, getting the surprise to see Amy awake...and questioning for her older self.

~ 0 ~

Later in the night, Avalon crawled out of her bed and grabbed a white blanket to drape over her shoulders. She hadn't slept very well, mostly because she didn't really feel tired, but it was more to the day they had. She hoped that perhaps something to drink could do the job. Of course a normal person would go for a tea...Avalon went with a strawberry milkshake. She had a nice pink milkshake in front of her, topped with whip cream but absolutely no cherry on top. Just as she was about to take a sip, the Doctor entered, unaware she was in there.

"Hey," she decided to greet him again and managed to surprise him.

"You're...not supposed to be awake," the Doctor eyed her suspiciously, seeing the blanket still over her yet a brand new milkshake in her hands.

"I wasn't tired," she shrugged, "Insomnia, remember?"

"Right..." the Doctor looked to the side. She would still think it was insomnia and not that tonight was one of those nights she didn't need the rest.

"You want some?" Avalon slid her glass to him, "It's strawberry."

"What? No cherry?" he eyed the glass.

"Eugh, I don't like them," she crinkled her nose at the thought of a cherry on her drink. "It just ruins the milkshake."

He smiled at her, making a mental note for future references. It would go under the same list that involved never giving her anything with fish.

"Fairy Tale Man, are you mad with me?"

"What? Never!"

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not-"

"Please don't waste time in denying what is so clearly true," Avalon sighed again and looked down, "I know perfectly well when people are avoiding me and you, sir, are doing it."

The Doctor knew she was thinking of the people in Leadworth who tried their best to avoid her at all costs and on no account did he ever want her to think he was one of them. "Okay, so maybe I didn't want to talk...but it wasn't because you did something," He took a seat next to her. "It was because of what I did."

"What you YOU did?" Avalon raised an eyebrow and straightened up, "And what exactly was that? Cos I think I missed it."

"What happened today...I...it's a bit complicated to forget," the Doctor sighed, "Especially when it's my fault."

"No," Avalon reached for his hand, "It's so not your fault. You didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"Well my little accident caused Amy to live 36 years in solitary, nearly made you and Rory die and-"

"What is the point in thinking of what happened and could've happened when it's all over?" Avalon raised an eyebrow, "We're okay now, don't bother yourself with that stuff."

"That 'stuff' is important to me," the Doctor frowned, "One little error and bam, Amy's dead. Or one little slip and oh look, Rory just got squashed. Lena did good in leaving, honestly."

"And me? What, you think I should've left too, then?" Avalon urged him to answer then groaned when he just looked away from her. "This is not happening," she mumbled to herself as she stood up and promptly moved over to sit on his lap, her arms around his neck. "I thought you never wanted me to leave..." she forced him to look at him with a hand under his chin.

"I don't," the Doctor quickly clarified, "But I can't help worrying what could happen to you." His mind kept flashing him bits and pieces of his profile he had from the Teselecta. Each day brought him closer to his supposed death day and because he still had all the Ponds with him, it meant he would be dragging them to that day as well. He couldn't do that to Avalon. If the Silence and Kovarian did manage to kill him then he would at least make sure she was okay. If he was dead, then they would finally let her and the rest of her family live in peace. That was the only bit of peace he could find in all that mess, but right now he still had Avalon and he didn't want to lose her. So what was he supposed to do? He brushed his hand against her cheek. "Ava, I love you. I would never want to leave you." Want being the operative word. He would never want to leave her, but if it ever came down to her safety and their relationship...he would choose her safety in a heartbeat. It was what he promised Rory, after all.

"Doctor, I know that you feel guilty about what happened but...it wasn't your fault. You can't go around blaming yourself for everything bad that happens. That's unfair."

"I can't help it," the Doctor admitted. "You are my responsibility-"

"No, we're not. We choose to travel with you. We choose to explore and whatever consequences there are. It's about time you start realizing that and I'm gonna make sure that you do."

"Yeah, what are you going to do?" The Doctor looked at her with a small, amused, smile.

"Well, for starters," she reached for her milkshake on the table and took a sip. She then offered him some. "It's therapeutic."

The Doctor laughed. "Right." He moved the straw over to his side and drank from it. "It really needs a cherry though."

Avalon crinkled her nose. "Absolutely not! Unless you want to be single again. Go on, take another drink. I'll make more but you have to stay around so I can keep reminding you that nothing was your fault."

The Doctor wouldn't argue against having that type of night with her. He just knew that it wouldn't matter what she said to him because he would always want to keep her and her grandparents safe.

#ocappreciation #doctor who #dw #11th doctor #fd: doctor who #11th doctor imagines #dw imagines #doctor who fics #doctor who imagines #11th doctor fics #dw fics #oc: Avalon Reynolds #fic: falling in temptation

[spacesuitsforemergency]

I Got You, Duchess

Word Count: 3.2k

Pairing: Luke Cage x Frost! Fem!Reader

Summary: You join S.H.I.E.L.D thanks to your mother, and meet Power Man. He gives you an annoying nickname, which you definetly hate

A/N: literally no one asked but I love Emma Frost to death and I totally ship a Frost! Fem! Reader with Luke. Also I know people with the X-Gene gets passed down by the dad but Y’know. This is fiction for a reason

‘This’= speaking telepathically

“This”= speaking verbally

You were a desired woman. You were from a wealthy, dangerous, very powerful family. Your mother had built a business empire, after being Headmistress of Xavier Institute and Massachusetts Academy, a therapist, CEO of Frost International, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, she had become one of the richest mutants in the world.

You were Y/N Frost, and unfortunately, that meant you were in danger nearly 24/7. Your mother had made many enemies over the years, business and X-Men wise, which resulted criminals sought after you to get revenge.

You somehow found yourself in trouble all the time. If you walked anywhere by yourself you were guaranteed to get robbed, stalked or threatened. You inherited the X-Gene from your mother, and her exact powers. You were just as skilled and precise with your powers as she was, but still, thank god for Luke Cage.

•

The first time you met, you had been on your way to a dinner with your mother and some board executives or something. You honestly didn’t care about your mothers work, your goals were more centered around developing your powers and becoming an X-Woman.

You had been running down the sidewalks of the busy streets of Manhattan, trying to get to the restaurant on time.

Some villain noticed your designer wear, and quickly snatched your bag from you. You chased after him, trying to use your telepathy to force him to stop. Of course, you couldn’t focus enough on it, and he quickly got away from you.

All of your daily essentials were in that bag. Your wallet, your phone, your homework, makeup, etc. You were pissed, you were tired of having to replace everything so many times just because you were wearing high end clothing. Sure, it may sound like rich people problems but...okay, so it is a rich people problem.

“This yours, miss?” A voice said behind you.

You turn around, seeing a guy your age, but much bigger than you. He had dark chocolate skin, plump lips, and he was at least a whole foot taller than you. The gaudy yellow actually worked for him, and his shades added a ‘disguise’ apparently. He had a nice yet confident smile on his face as he held out your stolen bag.

“Um...yes, how’d you know?” You asked as he handed it to you, your fingertips brushing.

“It’s a white Chanel. I assumed this could only belong to the pretty girl in the white Chanel.” He chuckled.

“Well, thank you...?” You raise an eyebrow in question.

“Power Man.” He held a hand out to you.

“Power Man?” You giggle as you shake his soft hand. “What’s your power, then?”

“Intangible skin, miss.” He grinned proudly.

“Impressive.” You smile. “Well, thank you, Power Man.”

“I got you, duchess.” He nodded.

“Don’t call me that.” You narrow your eyes.

“Whatever you say...duchess.” He winked before rushing off.

The whole time at dinner that night, you couldn’t stop thinking about Power Man. He was attractive, charming, and also had powers like you did.

Sure he had called you duchess, and that annoyed you. You didn’t like being seen as just a little rich girl, but when you dressed like you did that’s all people saw.

You weren’t a spoiled brat in any way. You and your mother donated tons of money to charities and she funded the X-Men. Yes you liked extravagant clothing and accessories, and you paid a lot to get luxurious spa treatments, but that’s what you liked.

‘Dear, what’s on your mind?’ Your mother raised an eyebrow at you from across the table.

‘Why don’t you just read it?’ You quipped.

‘I already did. Just thought I should ask. I know this Power Man, I could do something for you.’

‘Mother you better not.’

Mother didn’t listen. Like usual.

Not even 24 hours later, you were picked up by the white Frost limo after school, and it didn’t go the usual route. At first you thought maybe the driver was kidnapping you, but then you read his mind and realized that your mother had told him to take you to the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier.

You weren’t surprised your mother hadn’t listened to you, but this time you were glad she hadn’t. Being a hero one day was your dream, and you knew S.H.I.E.L.D had hero programs. Sure you could always become an X-Woman, but that was too easy. They’d let you right in, you wanted to be wanted for your capabilities, not your mother.

You arrived at a small helicopter pad, where they flew you up to the Helicarrier. Nick Fury himself was there to greet you, another man with a very rectangular hairline next to him.

“Director Fury, pleasure to meet you.” You greeted him, then read the other mans mind. “Agent Coulson, you as well.”

“So, your mother tells us you’re interested in joining the hero program?” Agent Coulson asks you.

“Yes.” You nod simply as they lead you inside.

“You’ll be on a team, other kids your age.” Fury clears his throat, then goes on about the program and such.

You don’t pay attention much, since you already know plenty about their programs. You quickly scan agents’ minds as they pass you in the halls, just for basic information like how to navigate the Helicarrier and who the important people here were.

You finally arrive at your destination, a meeting room of sorts. You see a long table in front of a floor ceiling window, and a control panel on the other side. You see 5 teenagers your age, and your eyes widen when you recognize one of them.

“Duchess! What’s up?” Power Man beamed at you.

“That’s ‘duchess’?!” A shorter Hispanic boy exclaims, jaw nearly dropping. You read his mind, this was Sam Alexander.

“Power Man!” You turn back to your acquaintance. “So you talk about me, I see?”

“How could I not?” He winked, shades off so you can tell better this time.

“That’s enough of that.” Fury narrowed his eye at him. “Everyone, please welcome your new member.”

“Wait duchess, you have powers?” Power Mans eyes widened.

“I didn’t say I was officially joining.” You turn to Fury, ignoring the question for now. “My mother arranged this, there has to be repercussions of some form.”

“No ma’am, there aren’t. She only told us that you wanted to join and I’m not passing you up.” Fury said sternly. “As much power as she has on the world, she doesn’t have any here, I promise you that.”

You read his mind to make sure he was telling the truth, since you never really believed my mother would do something 100% out of the kindness of her heart. She was a lovely mother, but still a business woman. Who knows what kinds of deals she could’ve made. Once you were satisfied with your ‘research’, if you will, you sighed.

“Fine. I believe you.” You give in.

“Great. So who are you?” A boy in hideous red and blue spandex asked. Peter Parker, AKA Spider-Man, AKA Webhead, nicknamed by the Sam Alexander guy.

“I am Y/N Frost.” You introduce yourself. “Don’t bother giving introductions, I’ve already checked.”

“Checked?” Sam raised an eyebrow.

“She’s a telepath.” A guy with chin length blonde hair and the Iron Fist symbol across his chest answered for you.

“And you know this how?” Sam crossed his arms.

“You would also know if you read any S.H.I.E.L.D files.” He responded.

“Again, you’ve got powers?” Power Man, or Luke Cage, repeated.

“Yes, and this is being brought to my attention once again because?” You put you hands on your hips.

“Uh, cause you could’ve saved your purse yourself? Right?” He asked.

“First of all, I couldn’t focus then. I don’t have training. Second of all, I’m not a licensed hero so there could’ve been legal trouble.” You justify.

“Isn’t your family, like, super rich?” The girl in the white catsuit, Ava Ayala, inquired. “You could afford any lawyer.”

“Yes but I am a mutant.” You explain. “Doesn’t matter how rich I am, mutants are discriminated worse than if I acquired the powers from, for example, a mystical amulet like you.”

“Oh.” She shut up.

“Yeesh, what’s with all the big words?” Sam scoffed.

“Acquired isn’t a big word, stupid.” Ava swat him across the head.

“Now. Miss Frost, will you be joining your teams training session?” Agent Coulson asked, after glaring at them. According to his thoughts, he wanted to make a good impression with you. How cute.

“Yes, I most certainly will.” You offer a small smile.

“Great. If you need anything, ask somebody else.” Fury grumbled before leaving.

“Alright team, let’s show Miss Frost what you’ve got.” Agent Coulson ordered.

“You need a codename!” Spider-Man shouted.

“How about Duchess?” Luke snickered

“Absolutely not.”

•

Over the next few weeks, you had grown pretty close to Luke. You two were basically best friends now, you were almost never seen without the other anymore.

You two went on spa days together, and you paid for the luxurious treatments. He resisted at first, but you eventually wore him down and he gave in. You even convinced him to get his nails done with you one time.

He would come over to the Frost Mansion to do homework or watch sports games. You usually had the house to yourself and maybe a housekeeper or two, since your mother was always working. You were grateful for that now, so she wouldn’t pester you or intimidate him.

You were close to the rest of your team too of course, but Luke was different. You had already thought he was attractive, but now had started to develop a crush on him. He was alluring, considerate, selfless, diligent, valiant, reliable, you could go on.

You wanted to read his mind to see if he felt the same, but you couldn’t abuse your powers like that to invade his privacy. You two had built up trust in one another, he trusted you not to pry in his mind and you trusted him enough to not do so. Still, you were curious and it took a lot of will power to not do so.

•

Luke didn’t really get crushes on people, but when he did, he made sure not even Danny could tell. Or so he thought.

Of course Danny knew, he wasn’t blind or stupid. He knew his best friend definitely had a thing for you. He understood of course, you were attractive, intelligent, and disciplined. So what to do with this information? Confrontation of course.

“So Luke...” Danny approached his best friend during a lunch break during weekend training. “What do you think of Y/N so far?”

“What do you mean?” Luke raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the short blonde.

“Y’know, what do you think of her as a teammate so far?” He asked casually, not fazed by Luke already catching onto his plan.

“I mean...she has a better handle on her powers now. And I guess she’s very...useful?”

“I agree.” Danny nodded, grinning, then took a sip of his tea.

Luke narrowed his eyes at him. Danny never asked these questions when Spider-Man joined the team. He was sneaky and smart, Luke will have him that. It seemed like a casual conversation so far, maybe that’s all it was.

“She’s pretty, huh?”

There it was.

“I mean, uh...I mean, sure.” Luke cleared his throat nervously.

“You two spend a lot of time together. Saw you guys go to the spa.” Danny chuckled, amused at his friends reaction.

“What do you want, Daniel?” Luke set down his food and fully turned to face his friend.

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “I’m just wondering-“

“Cut the crap. What are you up to?”

“Hey, I am not one to pull shenanigans.” Danny raised a finger at him as he set down his tea. “But. You obviously have a thing for her.”

“What?!” Luke laughed. “No I-no. No I don’t! You are-You’re crazy! You sir. Are crazy in the head. No! No I don’t.”

Danny smiled, almost laughing as Luke stumbled over his words. He wasn’t as slick as he thought.

“Okay.” Danny went back to his food.

Luke sharply inhaled, also turning back to his lunch. He saw you across the room, chatting with Ava about...whatever it is you two talk about. You were drinking soda with your pinky sticking out, which he figured out was just one of your mannerisms. You were wearing your pure white X-Suit, your legs crossed and head held high.

Danny was clearly right, he definitely had a crush on you. How could he not? You were clever, generous, passionate, honest, resourceful, elegant, and hands down the most gorgeous girl he’s ever see in his life.

“Fine, you’re right. What do I do?” Luke sighed, giving in to the tense silence that finally broke him.

“Leave it to me, my friend.” Danny pat his shoulder.

“Oh no, you are not playing matchmaker.” Luke snapped. “Remember how that went last time?”

Danny thought back to their first year of high school, when Luke had a crush on this cheerleader. Danny only interfered a little, and by a little, he outright told her about the crush. Then she went onto expose it to the whole school and even went as far to make fun of him.

“Okay...so that was my fault.” Danny nodded slowly. “But this is Y/N.”

“Exactly. She’s way outta my league.” Luke shook his head as he glanced back to you and Ava, who were now arguing over whatever you had been talking about.

“She’s not out of your league.” Danny reassured him.

“How is she in my league, exactly?” Luke crossed his arms. “She’s rich, beautiful, powerful, popular.”

“Dude, you don’t have to be rich to be liked. You’re great, man. What’s not to like?”

“Aww, are you saying you have a crush on me?” Luke said sarcastically.

“Yes yes, I’ve hidden it for years but now that I have competition, I confess my love for you.” Danny laughed. “But seriously dude, you’re cool. You’re really nice, you’re a superhero, you’re dependable, you’re not half bad to look at.”

“I know I’m hot stuff, you don’t gotta feed into that one.” Luke chuckled. “Thanks, man. Maybe I’ll tell her.”

“You should.”

“I will. So no meddling.” Luke said sternly.

“Alright, alright.” Danny agreed.

•

“He is so out of my league though.” You told Ava as you sipped on your soda.

“Y/N, are you dumb, blind, stupid, or a complete ditz?” She stared at you as if you’d just said the most idiotic thing in the universe.

“First, you just used basically the same word 3 times. Second, I am not!” You said, actually kind of offended.

“But you are stupid!”

“Thanks.”

“I mean-!” She sighed. “I mean, you’re stupid, because it’s so obvious he likes you.”

“What? He likes me?” You gawked at her.

“You can literally read minds, why are you surprised?” She asked, dumbfounded by your cluelessness.

“I don’t want to invade his privacy like that. Besides, we’re just friends.” You insisted.

“Okay sure.” She scoffed. You raise an eyebrow at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You asked, loudly setting down your soda, making it slosh and nearly stain your white gloves.

“Y/N, come on. He goes out of his way for you. He cancels plans with us to go shopping with you or something. You think he likes baseball? He thinks it’s a boring sport, but he comes over to your place to watch them, right?” She asked.

You realized he came over everyday there was a sports game on. You never really paid attention to what the sport was, but you do remember seeing baseball a few times.

“Well, yeah.” You nod.

“People don’t do that unless they like you.” She explained, as if you were some empty headed ding dong.

“He’s...just being nice.”

“For someone claiming to be smarter than me, you are truly an idiot.” She facepalmed.

You glared at her, but only because you completely agreed. Now that you thought about it, Luke did do all of those things. He went out of his way to do things like open doors for you, he would use any excuse to come over, he accompanied you on your spa or shopping trips.

You looked over and made eye contact with him. You smile and wave, and he simply grins back. Maybe you would make your move.

•

“Nova, behind you!” You shout to your teammate, just before he gets knocked down.

You and the team had been ordered by Fury to go take down the remainder of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which currently only consisted of Avalanche, Pyro and Toad. They had robbed another bank in downtown Manhattan, and were now escaping along the rooftops of skyscrapers.

You were familiar with them, since you grew up watching the X-Men go off on missions while you stayed back. You gave the team a run down on how to beat them before you left, but you were somehow still getting your asses handed to you.

Spider Man and White Tiger were fighting Toad, Avalanche was shaking the ground so that Iron Fist and Power Man couldn’t even stand, and Nova had been taken down by Pyro, who was now charging at you.

You quickly focus your attention on him, taking over his mind to make him stop in his tracks. You force him to turn and use his powers on Avalanche, causing him to loose focus on his powers.

Iron Fist and Power Man quickly pursue him, now able to walk properly. You kept control over Pyro, so that he wouldn’t attack again.

You cry out in shock when the ground shakes, making the building you were on sway. You look over and see Avalanche glaring at you, probably mad that you made Pyro burn him. You didn’t have time to mind control him, the building crumbling where you stood and making you fall. You quickly shift into your diamond form, hoping it was enough protection.

“Y/N!” You heard Luke cry.

You saw as he jumped from the building, not thinking of the consequences.

‘What are you doing?!’ You shout at him telepathically. ‘You could get hurt!’

‘Don’t worry about me, I’ve got unbreakable skin for a reason!’

You call out to Sam, and thankfully he’s back up. He barrels down and catches Luke, then uses his weight to go faster.

Luke grabs you and holds you to him, as Sam gently sets you both on the ground. You hug onto Luke, shaken up about how close you were to impacting the ground.

“Thank you.” You pull back to face him.

“Yeah.” He nods, out of breath as well.

You both look into each other’s eyes with deep adoration. You didn’t need telepathy to know you were both thinking the same thing.

You both crash your lips together in a desperate, hungry kiss. His arms tighten around your waist, and you grab the sides of his face. Your lips fit perfectly against his, and they taste like the orange chapstick he used on the daily.

You both slowly pull away, your noses brushing as you stare into the others eyes.

“Thank you.” You pant out, heart racing partly from falling 900 ft in the air and partly from the breathtaking kiss.

“Um, you’re welcome?” Sam speaks up from behind you two.

“Shut up, Sam!” You both snap.

He scoffs, then flies back up. You notice people staring at you and Luke, but you don’t really care at the moment. You turn back to Luke, smiling before kissing him again.

“Thank you.” You emphasize by kissing him on the forehead.

“I told you, I got you, duchess.”

#marvel #usm #ultimate spiderman #luke cage #power man #frost! reader x luke cage #frost! fem! x luke cage #xmen #emma frost #brotherhood of evil mutants #lance alvers #avalanche #st john allerdyce #pyro #toad #todd tolansky #xmen evolution #sam alexander #ava ayala #danny rand #nova #iron fist #peter parker #spiderman #i got you duchess

[randomfandomfamily]

Idk if your currently doing requests or not, but... Sheryl comforting Little Cato??? Can be from a nightmare, panic attack, whatever your up for. :) 🧡🍪

---

Not gonna lie, this one was fun to write. I love writing Sheryl slowly getting better at people-ing, whether she knows it or not.

“So we just left Clarence there because he’s a total crapwad,” Little Cato said, in the process of catching Sheryl up on what had happened with Clarence, “And then we remembered that we never actually returned Chucky and he was still just hanging out on the ship.”

Sheryl raised an eyebrow. “So...what happened to Chucky?” She took a screwdriver and started replacing the metal plating they had taken off. They were making great strides with the repairs, and she was getting caught up on things she missed between her betrayals.

Little Cato shrugged. “I honestly have no idea. We kinda just… let him go? He probably flew back to his owner. Maybe. I hope.”

“Well, I’m glad you guys managed to ditch Clarence, anyway.” Sheryl frowned. “Disgusting little man, wasn’t he?”

Little Cato hummed. “That’s a nice word for him, I guess. I’ve got about a thousand others I’d like to-"

‘Promximity alert!’ AVA’s voice boomed, ‘Unidentifiable debris is headed for the ship!’

Sheryl and Little Cato were, luckily, already on the bridge with their repairs. “What do you mean ‘unidentifiable debris’?!” Sheryl asked while Little Cato headed for the controls.

‘We’re in an unexplored nightmare dimension,’ AVA said snidely, ‘Everything in here is unidentifiable.’

“Thank you, AVA!” Little Cato said, gripping the back of the captain’s chair. “Where is everyone else?”

‘On their way to the bridge to meet you,’ AVA replied, ‘But they won’t make it before we reach the debris.’

Little Cato exhaled slowly, jumping into the pilot’s seat. “Alright… I got this.”

Sheryl merely stood at Little Cato’s side. Yeah, she was probably the better pilot of the two of them, but only by a slim margin. She prepared to assist where she could, but she knew the kid could handle it.

She had been doing repairs with this kid for weeks. They’d grown… close? Which was almost foreign to her. She wasn’t sure if there was anyone else on the ship she trusted this much, aside from maybe Gary, and even that trust was a little touch-and-go. But she’d spent enough time with Little Cato to know he was honest about his abilities. If he said he could do it, then he could.

So Sheryl watched as Little Cato reached for the controls, gripping them tightly. She held the back of the chair, prepared for the sharp turns he was going to have to take to avoid the hazardous obstacles outisde.

Then she realized the ship wasn’t turning, still heading directly for the ominous black masses in the distance. “What are you doing?” She looked down and saw Little Cato staring down at the controls. “Kid, you have to steer the ship.”

“I… I can’t…” He sounded almost as shocked as she felt.

“What?” Sheryl asked. “Why-” She halted mid-sentence when he noticed Little Cato’s hands start to shake. “Whoa whoa whoa, hey.” Sheryl put a hand on the kid’s shoulder. “What’s goin’ on with ya?”

Little Cato shook his head. “I can’t do this. Not again, I can’t. It’s…” The shock was starting to sound a lot like fear the more he talked. “I- no. I can’t do it, I can’t…”

They were getting close to hitting those things. Much closer than Sheryl was comfortable with. “Kid, tell me what’s wrong.” They just barely glided past a dark mass. “Little Cato!” Sheryl put her hands over his and turned the ship away from another incoming threat. “Come on, talk to me!”

She took a moment to scoop the young Ventrexian out of the pilot’s seat. He didn’t protest, but he didn’t exactly make it easy either, his hands practically glued to the controls.

But she managed to get him detached, setting him beside her. “Alright, now just stand here and-” The ship jerked violently, alarms blaring and red lights flashing. “Crikey!”

Little Cato seemed to momentarily snap out of his trance. “W-what happened?”

“We hit one of the damn things.” Sheryl hopped into the pilot’s seat and turned the ship. “AVA! Status update on the ship!”

‘There are no major damages to the ship, but the impact has triggered a lockdown sequence.’

“What?” Little Cato asked. “Lock… lockdown?” Sheryl spared a glance at him. It was a normal protocol. The ship hits a thing, the ship has to make sure no one goes flying about, so the ship locks the doors. Why was he freaking out so bad? The doors would open up again just as soon as the ship was out of danger.

Her two seconds of distraction cost her, the side of the ship clipping another black mass. “Ah, shit!” A startled shout from Little Cato made her panic momentarily. “Kid, are you alright?” The lack of an answer made her worry. “Say somethin’, mate!” Another long string of curses left her mouth as she steered. She didn’t have eyes on the kid, but he was quiet, wherever he was.

“Bloody hell, will these buggers never end?!” She pulled up to avoid the last of the strange debris. “AVA, is that the last of it?”

‘All clear.’ AVA confirmed.

Sheryl sighed. “Thank Christ.” She stood and glanced around. “Oi, kid! Where’d you go?”

A faint sound made her look to the weapons’ control panel. She walked over and knocked on the top of it. “You alright there? I know it was a bumpy ride, but-” The sound of crying made her pause. “Oh… um…”

She knelt on the floor and peered under the control panel. Little Cato, if at all possible, seemed to scramble back farther into the small space. “Don’t-”

“Whoa, easy there mate, I’m not gonna do nothing.” Sheryl sat back, scooting away from Little Cato a bit to give him space.

She didn’t know what to do about this. Little Cato was always so upbeat. Optimistic. He took on anything, and he had the drive to see it through. This, however, was a very different side of Little Cato. This was unfamiliar territory, and almost kind of scary. It made her wish somebody else was here to help him.

But nobody else was there. Which meant she was going to have to try. “Um… the ship’s safe now. We’re gonna be on lockdown for just a few more minutes, though. But we can find your dads when the doors open up, yeah?”

Little Cato shook his head. “But I- the… the shards.”

Sheryl frowned. “What shards?”

“The time shards! I-I saw…” Little Cato shook his head violently, like he was trying to erase something. “No, nothing. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

He certainly wasn’t fine. Sheryl was pretty sure he was very far away from fine. “There’s no time shards,” she said, “I dunno what they were exactly, but they weren’t time shards.” She held out a hand. “Come on outta there, alright? We’re in the clear now.”

Little Cato took her hand shakily, slowly emerging out from under the panel. “Is it… really all clear?”

“AVA said it was.”

“That’s what she said last time too,” Little Cato whispered.

Sheryl put an arm around his shoulders. That was a reassuring thing, right? “Last time? What do you mean ‘last time’?” She started putting pieces together slowly. “Did you… have a run in with some time shards?”

Little Cato’s breathing picked up and he started shaking. “Hey, whoa, calm down there, mate. I’m sorry I asked.”

He scrubbed at his eyes. “We’re gonna get out of here, right?”

She was a little taken aback. The kid knew the lockdown protocol would time out in a few minutes. Was he really that scared? “‘Course we are,” Sheryl said, “Just a few minutes.”

“I don’t wanna be stuck in here. I can’t… I can’t do this again…” Little Cato pulled his knees up to his chest. “I want my dads.”

Sheryl sometimes forgot that Little Cato was just a kid. In fact, she was sure damn near everyone on the ship forgot it at some point. It was easy to forget, what with him running around doing repairs and fighting Titans.

“I hope this won’t send ya panickin’ again, but I am kinda curious about this last time you keep going on about.” Little Cato stiffened. “It’s okay if you can’t talk about it. I’m not gonna make ya.”

Little Cato took a breath. “It’s not… it’s not much to talk about, really. I was steering the ship through some time shards. AVA said I missed them all. But I didn’t.”

“You hit one of ‘em?”

“Yeah… I got stuck.” Little Cato hugged his knees tighter. “A-and I guess I should just be thankful Gary didn’t get stuck in there with me, but it still kinda sucked… being all by myself.”

Sheryl was almost afraid to ask but, “Do you remember any of it?”

“All sixty years of it,” Little Cato muttered. He tugged at his hair anxiously. “Kinda stupid, huh? You’d figure after sixty years of being alone, I’d be used to it. I should be able to handle a few minutes of being locked in here.”

“Well, I think that’s just dumb.” Sheryl pulled the kid closer to her. “I don’t think anyone should have to be used to being alone. Hell, I was drifting about for ages trying to get John back. All because I couldn’t stand the thought of being by myself.”

He sighed. “That’s different.”

“Well, of course it’s bloody different,” Sheryl said, “I’m a grown woman who was dumb enough to believe a Titan could give me my husband back. I made my own loneliness, you never asked for yours.”

“I guess.” He rested his forehead against his knees. “Still feels like- I don’t know… like I should be better.”

That’s when it really hit Sheryl for the first time. Literally everyone on the ship forgot Little Cato was a kid. Even Little Cato. No, especially Little Cato.

Everyone else had the luxury of giving Little Cato a good long look and remembering that, despite his capability, the spunky small fry was a kid. Little Cato didn’t have that luxury. Because unlike everyone else aboard the Crimson Light, he had the memories.

“I think you should be a little easier on yourself,” Sheryl said, “I know your dads wouldn’t want to hear you talking like this.”

Little Cato laughed half-heartedly. “You’re probably right.” He dragged his hands down his face. “Okay, I can do this. Everything is fine.”

Sheryl ruffled his hair. “You can be fine when Gary and Avocato get here. You can be not fine for another minute or two, alright? There’s no rush.”

He smiled reluctantly and leaned into her side. “Okay… but only for a minute or two.”

“Only for a minute or two,” Sheryl agreed. Though she would have gladly sat with him longer if he needed her to.

#ha ha grandma sheryl #final space #sheryl goodspeed #little cato #random disaster writes

[kassies-take]

The Beginning Of The End

Request by @xiaolinweretiger : This comes in story, headcanon, or "If You" form: "Being from the Earth of Brandon Ruth's Superman and ending up on the Earth of Supergirl/with the Legends, where you join them. But you're also dealing with knowing about the upcoming Crisis."

A/n: The crisis is coming! Are you all ready? I’m not. I added my own twist to this request.

Warning: ...

Word Count: 2121

You and most of the League were in the watchtower. A wave of red absorbed and destroyed everything in its path, it was heading closer and closer to Earth. You and the League tried coming up with a plan but so far no use.

The Sector House Alpha, home to the Green Lantern Corps, went offline 10 months ago. Starhaven, Colu, Naltor, and Argo City followed after. Considering that they were light years away this wave was going fast.

When the wave hit you were with Clark in Metropolis to help him with Darkseid when he solar flared. Darkseid in search for his “Anti-Life Equation” has found it but was vaporized 30 city blocks away. You opened a portal to another dimension. Clark watched in horror as his city began to vaporize, they had screamed for Superman to save them but he couldn’t save everyone.

Superman started to gesture and cry for people around him to enter the portal.

“Watchtower to citizens of Earth. We can’t save the Earth but we will do everything to save you.”

“Glitch to Watchtower. I’m trying to make portals around the world. Get to your respective cities and get citizens there!”

As the member of the Justice League you made an oath to put your life in danger to save Earth. J’onn had wisely advised not to create a portal for the whole Earth, but with not many options left you had to. Your hands shook violently, blood percolated from you nose and you could taste the iron from it as you pushed further into your powers.

“Hope is the light that will lift us out of darkness!” Superman said to remind himself.

He closed his eyes and like a beacon of hope he felt his strength regain. A gust of wind flew past you. Clark sped around the remaining Earth and helped people get to portals.

You were losing energy and fast you could feel some portals dying and evaporating, taking your power with it. You pushed past your limits and collapsed onto the floor, all the portals you had started to disappear.

Clark flew back to your location before taking an inter dimensional extrapolator from his suit and portals himself and you to another planet.

“Put the girl down! Put your hands above your head!” Agents surrounded you and Clark.

He wasn’t afraid of getting hurt but your were a lot more vulnerable than you ever were having just solar flared, at least your version of it

“I mean no harm. My Earth has been destroyed, we were saving the Earth with portals, (Y/n)’s portals when she collapsed.”

“Alex! I heard the alarm is everything okay?” Kara flew in from the D.E.O balcony and spotted Clark! “Ray!”

“Kara! You’re alive!” He stood up and hugged the Girl of Steel.

“Yeah, I’m alive. And you’re Superman!”

“Oh well actually I’ve been Superman for quite a while. Does your Superman go by Ray? I’m Clark.

“Uh well our Superman is off world at the moment, but I have a friend named Ray and he looks just like you.”

Alex coughed to bring back the two super’s attention.

“Right, this is my sister Alex.

“Nice to meet you. This is...”

“(Y/n)!” Kara kneeled beside you. “She’s from the planet Ieilen (ieilen). Their planet shifts so much that it’s citizens developed powers to make sure they stay on their planet. And when she’s off her world, her Ieilen body structure glitches out making it hard for her to stay in one place. She was my best friend when I would visit her planet.

“So how is she here now?” Alex asked.

“She’s here because of you, well a version of you. You made her a chip to help stabilize her when she ended up on my Earth. She was able to concentrate her powers to teleport objects, people and herself and create portals for inter dimensional travels.”

“What happened for her to be like this?” Kara asked from concern.

“There was this wave of red the vaporized our whole universe. She was able portal some people into a different dimension. We don’t know who made it and who didn’t. She collapsed, solar flared, all the portals disappeared and I brought her here with the device Cisco gave me.

The D.E.O was packed with heroes from Earth-one from team flash, present team arrow, future team arrow, the bats, and the legends. Oliver and Barry were giving information on the incoming crisis. You were in the MedBay when you started to glitch.

“Director Danvers, we have a code blue.” Alex immediately ran into the MedBay.

“Supergirl don’t let anyone in!”

“What’s a code blue,” Mick grumbled while Zari smacked him.

Kara grabbed Clark’s arm to prevent him from entering the MedBay

“I have to see if she’s okay.”

“I can’t let you cuz. She’s in good hands with Alex. If she says not to let anyone in, you don’t get to go in. You are more than welcome to fight me.”

“Kar! Get Caitlin! Lena too!

Team flashed look at Frost before she rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’ll get Caity.” Her silver hair dissolved into brunette as her blue lips reverted back to its pinkish color.

Caitlyn ran up the stairs from the control center to the MedBay as Lena exited Alex’s lab. Lena froze in the entrance of the MedBay as a pinkish-purple portal like thing flickered towards an unknown place before it disappeared.

“She’s in respiratory distress and her temperature is spiking. Her heart rate is faster than normal.”

You began to convulse and a whole commotion was heard from the D.E.O as a pinkish-purple portal opened on a highway with a car skidding towards the portal.

“Barry! A little help here!” Cisco called as he braced himself against the control panel.

Barry does the family out of the car as Nate steeled up and both Supers stood in front of the portal. Before the car could slide through, the portal closed as Frost lowered your temperature. The back end of the car hit Kara and Clark as it stopped in place.

“What the heck was that?” Connor asked as he stared at the backend of the car.

“My guess, our little friend upstairs is the cause.” Kate Kane pointed.

The same portal opened twice before portals emerged in its wake, throughout the whole D.E.O. Agents and heroes alike took cover as objects flew through portals and energy zapped in between them. You continued to glitch, tremor and convulse before Lena mentioned you potassium levels and Alex ran to get the injection, that subdued you.Slowly but surely the portals began to disappear as the D.E.O began to quiet down.

“Dang, that girl can give Sara a run for her money.” Ava said as she dusted off her pants suit.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Sara got defensive.

“You destroy everything you touch.”

“I do not,” Sara balanced herself on an office chair and it broke apart. “To be fair most of the stuff I break, is you landing on furniture.” Sara argued as Ava blushed.

“Sara,” Ava said through gritted teeth. “I meant any mission you and the Legends go on, end up in a disaster. Like this,” Ava gestures around the D.E.O.

“I’m glad I’m not them,” Kate smiled.

“You went back to Gotham for a woman who is married.” Luke commented.

“Luke!”

“Does this happen every year?” Mia asked her father.

“Yeah, around every December.” Kara smiled.

“Immortal tyrants, aliens, Nazis, a change in reality. You would think you would get used to it by now.” Diggle crosses his arms

“Yes but this crisis is the worst of the worst. The multiverse will crumble, all life will cease to exist.” Oliver said. “Laurel lost her Earth, Clark and Glitch lost theirs.”

“Her name is (Y/n),” Clark interrupted.

“The point is that these are the only Earth’s we know to have disappeared. More could’ve disappeared and as each second passes another Earth can be gone.” Oliver continued.

“How do we fight something that can wipe us all out?” Nia asked.

“It’s not like we can punch our way through the antimatter,” William agreed.

“We can’t but if we can defeat the man behind it, the Anti-Monitor” Barry started.

“Then we can defeat this crisis.” Kara finished.

“Anyone good with a computer, find a way how to track this Anti-Monitor,” Alex said from the stairs.

“Everyone else, suit up and work with people you don’t normally fight with to know their skills and how your abilities can improve each others” Oliver commanded.

“Alright team! Let’s save the multiverse!” Sara clapped as the heroes began to disperse into locker rooms and training rooms.

The whole day was spent training, and surprisingly you were paired with Sara, Nia and Conner when you woke up. Team Genius were able to track bits and pieces of the Anti-Monitor. And now Barry, Oliver, Sara, Kara and Kate were coming up with a plan, a plan that wouldn’t necessarily be a win, but was a plan that could get them answers.

No matter how much you had trained you were not ready to face this enemy. Your breathing stiffened, there was obvious tension in your shoulders, and if that was no indication the scowl on your face did.

The plan was already in place, left and right heroes were ready for battle. You took the perfect opportunity to escape the room, which didn’t do unnoticed by Clark.

“(Y/n)?” Clark had followed you.

“Clark,” your voice fell to a whisper of regret. “I can’t go out there again.”

“Your powers aren’t back?”

“They’re fine. I can’t go out there knowing what I know. I ...” you paused to retain your composure. “I couldn’t save our Earth, how can I save the multiverse?”

Clark knew what to say, but he knew you needed a new voice to hear. You hadn’t even knew he left until two female voices entered the room.

“Okay I heard someone was having performance issues!” Sara clapped.

“That’s how you’re going to start that?” Kara asked with her hands on her hips.

“I run a ship full of children. I know what I’m doing.”

Kara rolled her eyes before she wrapped her arms around you. The moment she did the tears began and didn’t stop. You remembered the way your Kara had wrapped her arms around you, all the memories you shared. Unlike the rest of the League you pulled away and isolated yourself when the person you loved had sacrificed herself to save the world, only to have it fall in your hands. Now having scene her again, you wished it could go back to how things were before. But they wouldn’t because this was not your Earth, nor was it your Kara.

~Time Skip cause I can’t write the Crisis Part~

The multiverse was saved. Oliver, Barry and Clark were gone. Many had followed and life would never be the same again. Vanished Earths would not be repaired and you didn’t have a home. You were watching the city when Sara approached you again.

“Hey, there’s an extra room on the ship if you want to join.”

“I wouldn’t want to-“

“I insist. I could use someone like you on the ship.” Sara saw you hesitate and knew you were dealing with a loss greater than hers. “You’re not letting them down, you’re continuing their legacy. Your Earth, your team, your family, your friends and your Kara live inside you. You keep their legacy going. And we would too, you’re a legend now.” Sara smirked. “We’re making our final goodbyes. We will meet you back on the ship.”

You said your short goodbyes with Kara being the last one.

“On your Earth we were something more than friends right?”

You smiled and nodded.

“That’s why you were willing to lay down your life for me. What happened?” Kara asked.

“She is a hero.”

“And now you’re joining the Legends.”

“I have you to thank.” A comfortable silence came to the both of you before you built up the courage to ask. “Kara, I know it’s not the same but can I kiss you?”

The two of you shared a slow kiss, you didn’t want to pull away, it felt as if the moment you would you would be different. When you did pull away your forehead lingered on hers.

“Ask Lena out, you never know when it’s gonna end.”

“Goodbye Kara.”

You entered the Waverider with Sara smirking at you.

“What?”

“You are a Legend after all.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because every good Legend ends with a kiss.”

#legends #legends of tomorrow #legends of tomorrow x reader #avalance #supergirl #supergirl imagines #supergirl imagine #supergirl x reader #kara danvers x reader #supercorp #the flash #flash #arrow #team arrow #future team arrow #arrowverse #crisis on infinite earths #brandon routh superman

[pitterpatterpot]

Giant Mice?

Sheryl will admit that the change is… disorientating.

The purple-haired ghost girl definitely isn’t happy that Sheryl is her new roommate. Sheryl isn’t happy that she’s stuck will a little alien who nearly blows her head off every time she has a nightmare and randomly shoots purple fire.

The Tryvuulian edges around her, giving nervous smiles as he tries to strike up conversations. HUE does the same before awkwardly waddling away, Mooncake usually floating after him. AVA insults her to her face, not that Sheryl really minds.

Gary is trying, truely trying, to get along with his mother. There are times where Sheryl sees him flinch away from her, but overall her son seems to enjoy their conversations about piloting. She doesn’t doubt it, she knows how long he must have wanted to have a conversation with his mother without her trying to kill him. If anything, she’s the one that struggles during their talks.

Quinn is…

Sheryl is unsure of what to make of Quinn. She reminds Sheryl of John, which hurts more than the thief would like to admit. Quinn edges around Sheryl in a similar manner, not knowing the full story between her and Gary. The poor lady seems torn between wanting Gary’s mother to like her and being cautious of the criminal.

Avocato has been indifferent ever since Sheryl tried to distract him with a red dot. Really though, floating through Final Space can be quite boring. She needed some kind of entertainment. Barely-repressed hostility seems to be the only thing between them.

There’s only one person she hasn’t really interacted with yet.

“Hey, Grandma.”

And there’s a good reason for that.

Plastering on a smile, Sheryl swivels around in the pilots seat. “Hey… kiddo.”

The small Ventrexian hops into the seat to the right, tapping away at the screen. If there’s one thing Sheryl has to admit it’s that the kid knows how to fly. But being called Grandma? She’s still getting used to Mom.

“Are the primary thrusters online?” Little Cato perks up, eyes big and wide as he looks at her.

“Uh… yep.”

“Cool, cool… whydon’tyousoundlikeGary?”

The kid says it so fast Sheryl has to blink. “What?”

“You, um,” Little Cato’s ears droop slightly, his eyes flickering away. “You sound different to Gary. He said you have an accent.”

Ah, right. Most aliens learn American English. Her Aussie accent must sound weird to the kid.

“It’s ‘cause I’m from Australia,” Sheryl keeps her focus on the controls. “We speak English there too, but different from America.”

“America?”

“The place Gary is from. It’s a country on Earth.”

“Oh, cool.”

Sheryl waits for another question, but the kid stays silent. They both fiddle with the controls, the ship slowly following Bolo through Final Space, everyone on edge as they wait to come across the first Titan besides Bolo.

“We have kangaroo’s in Australia.”

“Huh?”

Sheryl winces, regretting the words. “They’re a, uh, an animal. Kind of like a giant, jumping mouse.”

Preparing to face the kid, she turns slightly in her seat. And immediately swears at the large eyes of the kid blinking right at her. Somewhere during the giant mouse moment the kid had left his seat and padded over to her, leaning with his hands against her arm rests and eyes wide with wonder.

“Jesus Christ,” Sheryl hisses, clamping a hand over her heart. “You’re a quiet one, aren’t you?”

She gets a little shrug in response, the kid leaning in closer. “Giant mice?”

Sighing, the thief settles back in her seat. “Yeah, kid. Giant mice. Most are red, like a rusty red, and some are kind of blue and gray. Depends on the kind.”

“Whoa,” the little Ventrexian breathes the word. “Giant, colourful mice? Can you eat them?”

Now that throws Sheryl off for a moment, making her laugh. “Uh, yeah. We can eat kangaroo meat. It’s actually pretty good. I’d never eat a joey though.”

“Joey? Is that, like, a person?”

“No,” Sheryl snorts. “It’s a baby kangaroo. Their mum’s keep them in a pouch they have on their belly to carry them around.”

“Huh,” Little Cato rests his head on his arms. “My dad’s carry me around sometimes. Usually on their shoulders.”

“I noticed,” Sheryl smiles slightly. “You’re a light one, aren’t ya?”

“Yeah,” those little ears droop again. “I didn’t really eat properly for a while. I’m kind of small for my age.”

“What, did Gary forget to feed you?” Sheryl smirks, chuckling. “Or let me guess, only gave you cookies?”

She expects some kind of comeback. Not for the kid to shuffle on his feet and look away. It makes something oily roll in her stomach, a weird feeling that’s been occurring more frequently lately ever since she decided to stop trying to kill her son. So far the feeling has only been restricted to when she’s dealing with Gary and her past mistakes. It can’t be a good thing if that feeling is spreading to the kid.

“What?” Sheryl rotates the seat to face the kid. “When didn’t you eat?”

“I…uh…” Little Cato winces. “I kind of spent three years in prison? Well, different prisons. They had to move me around a lot.”

Sheryl blinks.

And blinks again.

“You went to prison?”

“Yeah,” Little Cato shrugs once again. “The Lord Commander placed me there to keep me from my dad. I was in the Sector F8 military base until I started a small fire, then got moved to the Sector 472 prison colony, and after my third escape attempt there they decided to just keep moving me.”

For the first time, in a long time, Sheryl laughs. Her head tips back and the sound bellows out of her lungs. Little Cato jerks back, surprised, before starting to giggle along. It isn’t long before they’re both cackling.

“Crickey,” Sheryl wheezes, tears nearly squeezing out of her eyes. “You little bastard! You’re a demon!”

“Yeah, and?” Little Cato raises his brows, grinning.

Sheryl looks the kid over. The Ventrexian that Gary trusted to fix the light-fold engines, that obviously knows his way around mechanics. And that has obviously raised hell in his short life-time.

“And have you ever hot-wired a ship before?” Sheryl smirks.

“No,” the kid pivotes around to poke at Sheryl’s controls. “Always wanted to learn. Just don’t tell my dads.”

“I think we can make that work. Alright, so what you’re gonna want to do is remove this panel here…”

~~~

“Uh, Mom?” Gary eyes the second plate in his mother’s hand, tiredly rubbing at his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Sheryl throws a look over her shoulder. “I’m showing that kid of yours how to really pilot. We need fuel.”

“We’re in Final Space, now isn’t the time for a lesson!”

“All times are good times, sweetheart.”

~~~

“So,” Little Cato speaks around a mouthful of what has been deemed the ‘purple yams’ by Gary. “You’re pretty good at fighting.”

“Thanks,” Sheryl throws a glance to the kid, relaxed in the pilot’s chair. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Why do you call me ‘grandma’?”

“Because Gary is my dad,” Little Cato shrugs. “Or at least one of them. And he loves you and wants you to be his mom. That makes you my grand-mom. Or, you know, grandma.”

“Huh, it’s that easy for you?” Sheryl taps against the arm rest of the chair.

“I guess,” Little Cato fiddles with a loose screw. “I can stop calling you that if you want.”

“…Nah, it’s alright. Say, kiddo, you mind passing me that screwdriver? We should probably keep that panel from falling off.”

“I’ll fix it.”

“Thanks.”

They spend the next few minutes fiddling with the systems, Sheryl checking over the systems as Little Cato fixes all loose screws. After a while Sheryl pauses for a moments, blinking, annoyed when she struggles to open her eyes again. A yawn from the kid sets her off, her jaw clicking.

“Alright,” Sheryl stands, cracking her back in a stretch. “I’m gonna go get Gary to take over. I’m hitting the hay.”

“’Kay,” Little Cato mumbles, finishing the last screw.

Sheryl pauses at the doorway, sending one last look at the kid. She can see his fuzzy ears, the rest of him hidden by the pilot’s chair. The orange tips are drooping slightly and she knows that the little Ventrexian is slouched. The door clicks behind her as she makes her way to the dining room, where everyone most likely is. Take your shift, sleep, then eat. No doubt Gary is having breakfast with the rest.

Now that she thinks about, Sheryl took the shift that no one else wanted to avoid everyone. The kid shouldn’t have been awake.

Shaking the thought out of her herd, Sheryl pokes her head into the dining room. “Hey, hun, I’m hitting the hay.”

“Oh,” Gary looks up from his plate, blinking. “Cool. Uh, thanks, Mom. I’ll take over.”

Before she leaves, Sheryl looks to the adult Ventrexian with the name that sound like an Earth fruit, Avocado… Avocato. “Hey, your son’s asleep in the control room. He’s been there for hours.”

Swearing under his breath the Ventrexian stands immediately, hurrying past Sheryl. Garry gives his mother a long look before he begins to smile. She tries to ignore it for the first few minutes. Her skin begins to crawl.

“So, you talked to Little Cato?” Gary grins, leaning forward with his arms braced on the table.

“Oh, yeah,” Sheryl smiles over her shoulder, her usual aloof yet sarcastic tone in place. “I did. Oh, and just a quick warning, hun. Don’t be surprised if the kid starts asking about giant mice.”

“Giant- Mom, what were you talking about? Mom?”

Sheryl closes the door behind her, smirking.

The kid isn’t so bad.

________

I like to imagine that Sheryl and Little Cato would eventually get along. Also, it is so good to have an Australian character. I don’t need to worry about keeping her speech and dialect American. 

#final space #little cato #sheryl goodspeed

[saraa-lancee]

So what issues would you like them to tackle that hasn’t already been done on the show before?

(I just want to say this is my first ask ever and I've been here since... God maybe 2013? So thank you!!)

I would LOVE to see a new dimension to sexuality. I'm also casually of the team that's "Sara herself should say Bisexual" because Bisexual has only been said once on screen and Nate said it casually.. We have a scene where Sara says tells Nurse Lindsay that Lesbian isn't a bad word yet the show kinda doesn't act that way about Bi. Bi erasure is an issue that would be interesting-- since Sara is with Ava, it would be neat to have some line of "i didn't pick a team" or just along the lines of Still Bi With A Woman.

(They also missed an opertunity with Charlie to use neutral pronouns of some kind)--> a discussion further on gender identity would be cool too. There are casual set ups for this with Charlie, like in the Shakespeare episode, but nothing is ever really taken completely seriously or honestly even explicitly. I would really enjoy a nonbinary or intersex narrative in this particular context because I feel like the team of legends (as the people the characters are) would fit really nicely with that. But it would be cool to have a trans character that Gideon helps? Because the arrowverse trans character (in Supergirl-- Nia) is already transitioned. It would be cool to have a transitioning characer in a really casual way even (a particular scenario would be New Character leaving sickbey while someone else walks in. Other person asked if New is feeling OK and New just says like "oh yeah, just my hormones.). But yeah anything with gender identity.

I always hunger for more disability stories, but based on how they Wrote Sara's blindness... yikes. I remember watching a panel or something on YouTube about how Caity was hoping that Sara was at least going to have a cane or be shown to struggle with some stuff, but the writers ignored all of that. So its kind of touchy based on that but I think it would be really neat to have someone with a prosthetic (or even just an amputation, someone born without a limb, etc.)-- it would be a beautiful narrative about 'Gideon can literally grow you a new arm' and that character firmly saying no, this is me, having this difference doesn't make me less, you aren't "fixing" me because I'm not broken, I like myself, etc, whatever.

I know that for me personally one of the best things about the show is that Sara and Ava don't have to come out, and everyone just treats them like normal, but I think some kind of homophobia narrative would be good, not to a big extent but just to the extent like in S1 when Kendra and Ray move in 1950s and that dynamic only with the girls. Like, for the show to acknowledge homophobia in such a direct way, as they did with interracial relationships. This beyond the obvious homophobia of the Nazis. (I personally can't think of an aspect where its implied, but sometimes I can miss or misinterpret implicated stuff like that).

I would love to see a return to POC cultures and narratives (narratives outside of racism) S1 with Kendra and Carter and the Egyptian culture aspect, Amaya and Zambesi aspect. We see a tad bit of this with Zari and the bollywood scene, and Japan post WW2, but they are more side aspects now. It would be neat to go to India or other places in southeast Asia (culturally), or Central/South America. Overall, I would just like to see more of that cultural aspect because human culture is something that interests me a lot and I feel like can be easily casually thrown in with time travel--- traditional clothes, buildings, and ideals (an example of the ideals is the discussion in feudal Japan about the cultures views on death).

I feel like there was a lot of potential with Hank and Sara to continue that discussion about women in power. Yes, we have discussed this before. We do it a lot in second season with the JSA and even Jonah Hex but I think Hank had a lot of potential to add a dimension to that discussion. (honestly see next paragraph for more). That whole episode with the Minotaur i would have loved if they'd been a bit more explicit with that-- yes, obviously a woman can be in charge (in Hanks mind) but he has the right to walk in there and take over because her experience doesn't matter and also we will do whatever he wants. Sara spends almost the whole time just rolling her eyes and bitting her tongue besides a light quip in the beginning asking if a girls ever punched him. in the past Sara has literally exerted dominance over men so I was just kind of disappointed with that dynamic. I love the character of Sara as an "unconventional woman" or a "strange friend" and I've noticed comments like that pretty much stopped after the 3rd season. I know some people hated those comments but I think they can be good. I enjoyed them and would like to see them again because it's literally just Sara being unapologetically herself, a strong woman, doing whatever she does, no matter how weird or unconventional it is. (Which is an integral part of Saras character to me)

BUT its also not necessarily "new" issues. Issues don't go away in real life-- we had multiple issues about Race in America with Jax, from different points in history (Slavery and the 1950s). Jax even mentions how he still experiences Rascism today. The issues don't go away and just because they are mentioned once doesn't mean they can't (and shouldn't) be examined from other points in history. IE just because the show has talked about it before doesn't mean we can't talk about it again from a different angle and/or perspective.

I see a lot of potential with Astra with the racism thing (people are nicer to me in literal Hell) but it also would have been interesting with Mona, to show a different type of racism would have been INCREDIBLE.

I also can think of maybe a scene or two that would have just been a nice touch with Zari (either one, but I have a soft spot for Zari 1.0, and I think with her life as an illegal Muslim would have been an enriching perspective) as a Muslim. They are very good to her character in the way that she obviously abstains from Liquor and Pork, and observes Ramadan. But one thing that would have been interesting is for Zari to experience early 2000s (or honesty still right now) xenophobia. Especially Z1 since being a Muslim is Illegal in 2045 there was a lot of emotional potential there. (Although I feel like I can understand why the writers didn't want to touch that because of current conflicts).

Since we're going to outer space (that was actually confirmed right? Or was it just hinted and I misread??), I think issues will have to be character driven rather than time period driven. But therin we have a lot of potential-- a race of aliens without distinct genders (wait, so your worth can be dictated based off of your genitals?? Plus sexuality stuff there), aliens confused about race (I don't understand some of your skins are different colors... and your people treat each other differently based on this?). We could introduce a matriarchal society, which the crew with Captain Lance feel particularly unphased by. Perhaps we have a completely pacifist society or aliens made of inorganic materials (debates about what constitutes as alive, what lives are meaningful, etc.) You get the idea(I adore star trek so you can imagine my glee thinking about some of those scenarios).

I think for me, the hard shift to comedy was at the expense of some of my favorite aspects of the show and also things that set it apart. This Found Family is so rewarding because they are all so so different but those differences enrich each other. They become better people and feel at home without having to change who they fundamentally are. And they are whoever they want to be. I feel like now the show has simply had an incredibly jarring tone shift thats trying too hard to be a comedy. (This one is just an opinion but a joke among all the serious is always just a lot more funny to me. I find myself laughing more at one liners and random stuff in the early seasons. Now it feels like 'ok, what's the next ridiculous thing.')

I think... humanity is pretty dark. But humanity also rises above. This is why I adore the episode from post WW2 Japan and to me it personally really stands out from other episodes in s4/s5. The idea of creating and destroying, pain and sadness locked inside, terror and hatred for the beings you share the planet with. That pain creates monsters. Sometimes by accident. (Sara's pain turned her into the version of herself she called a monster.). And also about embracing your passions (Mick hiding his writing). In that episode, we still have jokes about Godzilla. Garima appears and its hilarious. But it's also an incredibly powerful narrative about pain and fear and shame and gives a perspective that the western audience wouldnt... necessarily think about (the actual consequences and what the bomb actually literally did.).

That darkness makes the light so much more meaningful. If everything becomes light... than why are we still fighting?

Sorry if this is jumbled, I'm on mobile so.

Also, sorry if this is a rant or whatever. I am very passionate about this topic and oh boy if I was on a computer and had the time I'd probably repondd with a link to a doc.

#also im autistic but #that tone my guy #legends posting

[ambitionsource]

AMBITION Season 2 ♫ “Second Choice” [ 2.02 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (daphnegolshiri) || S2 Tag || Official Page

TAKE YOUR PICK – The faculty organizes another duet week in an effort to bridge the student divides, but a change in rules creates more problems than solutions. Isadora gets a lesson in honing her inner diva. Harper and Shawn butt heads over how to handle the junior class.

59 Minutes (14.5K+ words) || No warnings apply.

[ ← Callbacks ] [ S2 Synopsis ] [ Are We Out of the Woods → ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - RILEY’S ROOM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Happy When I’m Sad” as performed by Jonas Brothers || Instrumental

Close on Riley’s coveted moodboard, only it’s in the process of transition. RILEY MATTHEWS is slowly taking items down, trying to reorient herself in this new world and find her sense of gravity again. If that means starting from scratch, then so be it.

Still, she hesitates as she takes the scrap of notebook paper down from its central spot. The notes she and Lucas were passing back and forth last semester, still boldly declaring “you’re better” in his untidy scrawl.

Riley gazes at it, handling it gently in her fingers. Obviously torn on how to feel about it now in spite of how many times she’s looked to it for inspiration. That, and painfully wistful.

CORY MATTHEWS interrupts her daze, startling her. He asks if she’s ready to go, not catching onto her earlier moment of melancholy. She moves fast and stuffs the note in her pocket, nodding and tossing her bag over her shoulder.

INT. MINKUS HOME - FARKLE’S ROOM - DAY

FARKLE MINKUS is getting ready for the day, scrutinizing himself in the mirror. He’s wearing one of his favorite sweaters, but he’s dissatisfied with how it looks. It’s a little too loose around the middle. He pulls it off in a huff, sorting through his other clothes in his closet.

As he pulls a different selection, the dark fabric of this one allows for clearer imperfections. There are a couple of stray hairs clinging to the cashmere, a slightly more perceptible amount of shedding than one might typically notice.

He hardly focuses on that as he pulls it on over his head. What the dark color does accomplish is a more fitted appearance, so he decides that’ll have to do for now. As his mother calls for him, he runs his hands through his hair one more time in the mirror. Still attempting to maintain that perfectly polished exterior, yet there’s a frayed edge he can’t seem to smooth over.

INT. AAA - DANCE STUDIO - DAY

Bright and early, MAYA HART is in the building before anyone else. She’s in the midst of an intense practice, not giving up any scrap of rehearsal time.

She stretches and moves with expert precision. The only aspect out of shape are her dance shoes, pretty worn and even falling apart in some places. She certainly can’t afford new ones.

Hence why she’s working harder than everyone else. She checks her phone for the time, tightening her ponytail before running through another routine.

INT. FOSTER HOME - KITCHEN - DAY

ISADORA DE LA CRUZ is finishing up a quick breakfast as she gets ready to head out, almost missing KAREN VAN HERSCHING as she enters carrying a crying ADRIEN WOODS. Isadora winces at the noise, but that’s only the beginning of her problems.

Karen questions why she didn’t wake up Ava and Arianna for school. They both overslept, and now they’re likely all going to be late.

Isadora: That’s not… my job?

It’s evident that Karen is not impressed with this response. She reminds Isadora that now that Blue is gone and moved out, she should be pulling more weight to help the family around here. It’s part of the expectations in this household.

Isadora looks less than thrilled about it. She mutters about being late herself and shuffles out, Karen looking after her in disappointment.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

More students are beginning to file in for the day, the hallways becoming lively and filled with chatter. Still figuring out her way around, HARPER BURGESS half-jogs through the halls until she runs into ERIC MATTHEWS. He asks if she’s heading to Jack’s office for their meeting.

Harper: Well, I’m certainly trying.

Eric laughs with her, offering to help guide the way. She questions if he just got here, but he explains he’s been here for a bit. He likes to show up early and get things in order before another full day at AAA -- and boy, has there been a lot to get in order these days.

EXT. AAA - DAY

Skateboarding up the street, DYLAN ORLANDO is on the phone with Asher. He explains that Lucas wasn’t at their usual spot to walk to school, so he doesn’t know where he is. He hopes he’ll still be on time, if he shows up at all.

As Dylan zooms by, focus shifts down the street a little further… around the corner and conveniently out of view, a parked car comes into frame --

INT. ZAY’S CAR - DAY

Which is where we find ZAY BABINEAUX, leaning forward across the median to kiss CHARLIE GARDNER. It’s clear they’ve been here for a hot minute, just out of sight and ready to head into school yet very… distracted.

They exchange a couple more enthusiastic kisses before Zay finally manages to pull away from him, catching his breath.

Zay: We should really go. We’re going to be late.

Charlie: [ humming ] I… think we can take another minute --

Another minute, another kiss. Zay can’t help but laugh, and “another” becomes a handful.

Zay: Oh, so being late isn’t a heavenly sin?

Charlie: [ over Zay’s laughter ] Shut up!

Charlie lightly shoves him and pouts, Zay laughing harder. He takes his face in his hands, making him meet his eyes. Although the mood is playful, there’s no doubt from the way they handle one another that they’re crazy about each other.

Zay: One more minute, then.

It’s difficult to maintain the pout when Zay is looking at him like that. Charlie fails to hold back a smile, allowing him to pull him back into another kiss.

Just as the school bell rings...

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Eric, Harper, and SHAWN HUNTER are grouped around JACK HUNTER, who is standing behind his desk organizing papers. He thanks them all for being willing to meet so quickly, then states they need to address the tension they’re still grappling with from the first week.

All of the faculty members agree, and Eric echoes Jack’s thought that it’s going to take a more concerted effort from all of them to get everybody back on the same page. Jack opens the discussion to ideas of how to accomplish this task.

Shawn: I’m thinking mortal combat. Throw ‘em in a ring Hunger Games style, last one standing is new top dog.

Jack: Remind me why I haven’t fired you yet.

Eric: Besides, we all know what our odds are and the last thing we need is Lucas taking over and setting the place on fire.

Jack: Or instituting a code of silence in a school for the arts.

Shawn, intrigued: … now that you’ve mentioned it --

Eric & Jack: No, Shawn.

Harper is lagging a bit behind, not accustomed to the faculty banter the way Angela once was. It’s hard to discern what’s serious and what isn’t, so she fires a shot and hopes for the best.

Harper: Have we tried just… speaking to the students?

[ Pointed silence. Shawn gives her a look, crossing his arms. ]

Shawn: Okay, I know you’re new here, but give us a little bit of credit.

She doesn’t appreciate Shawn’s tone, but they’re already moving past it.

Eric: Well, there’s always more paint in storage for another safe tactical --

Jack: NO. We’re still scraping paint off the asphalt in the parking lot from the last time.

Bad ideas aside, Eric reminds them that all things considered, the duet assignment from last semester was a rather effective way to bridge gaps between students. It brought the class closer together before it inevitably… fell apart again, and that same tactic could be just as impactful this time around.

This seems to sit well with the others. Harper obviously doesn’t remember what they’re referring to, but she nods along anyway. Jack declares that it’s settled, they’ll do duets this week. Shawn and Eric agree and leave it at that, heading out.

Harper hangs back for a moment, hoping to ask Jack for advice. But it’s evident from the way he settles into his desk and starts going through work that there is a lot on his plate, so she hesitates. When he lifts his head and asks if there’s something he can do for her she denies it, shaking off the uncertainty and assuring him she’s fine.

Jack: Are you sure? You know you’re always welcome to --

Harper: No, no it’s all good. No worries, I’ll… I can handle it. Thank you, though.

She gives him a confident smile, spinning on her heel and marching off to do just that.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

As Isadora enters the technician’s booth, the reason for Dylan missing Lucas becomes clear. It’s because LUCAS FRIAR is cooped up in his nook, still asleep from the looks of it. Given how haphazardly the panel is put to the side, it’s likely he showed up late at night.

Isadora sighs, shaking her head and marching over to him. She shakes him awake, surprised he’s still “in bed” given that the bell has already rung. That’s careless for him, and as she warns him when he grumbles at her and blinks himself awake, next time it’s going to be someone else other than her who finds him like that. Then they’ll have more problems than they already do.

Lucas waves her off, sitting up and starting to pack up. But Isadora made some important points, and she looks both irritated and concerned as she waits for him to get ready.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Maya stops by her locker before class, running into SARAH CARLSON and DARBY WINTERS. While Darby gives her a cheerful greeting, Sarah instead zeroes in on Maya’s decrepit shoes.

Sarah: Might be time for a new pair, Hart. [ a beat ] Oh, wait, that’s not an option, right? Why bother when the illusion’s already been shattered?

Certainly one way to remind us that Maya’s big money facade from last season was blown. She sneers as Darby laughs along, slamming her locker closed and leading the way to class.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The class is congregating in the front and center section like usual, Isadora and Lucas descending from the booth to join them. Dylan and ASHER GARCIA seem relieved as Lucas comes over to join them, fresh shirt disguising his overnight stay and bedhead hidden behind an increasingly familiar snapback.

Harper and Shawn enter the auditorium, the former taking front and center stage and eagerly getting the attention of the class. She begins to discuss the assignment for the week and what it might entail, when she’s suddenly interrupted by Shawn pulling her back. He tells the class to talk amongst themselves and pulls Harper aside, embarrassing her as he implies that she doesn’t know what she’s doing.

Shawn: I just want to make sure we’re on the same page before you go off saying whatever you’re going to say.

Harper: And you couldn’t have thought to do this… twenty minutes ago? Or any time before right now in the middle of class?

Shawn: There’s just certain things that you need to emphasize if you want this assignment to work. Mostly, they cannot choose their own partners. It will not help the situation.

Harper: What are they, toddlers?

Shawn: Have you met them?

Although Shawn has to be coming from experience, Harper still doesn’t care for the way he’s talking down to her. She nods along to his further notes before taking the stage again… and completely disregarding what he told her. She explains the assignment, and sets them loose to choose their own partners.

It’s instantaneous madness. Shawn is visibly like are you kidding me, but Harper seems proud of herself for standing her own. The chaos has already been unleashed, in any case.

Off Shawn’s mortified expression --

Cue title sequence.

Once the mandate has been laid down, everyone jumps into deciding their partners. Riley turns around and finds Zay, the two of them agreeing to work together as it’s been a while since they had a good team up.

Riley immediately begins brainstorming ideas, but Zay is distracted when he catches Charlie heading out of the auditorium. He offhandedly tells her they’ll catch up later, subtly jogging his way after Charlie. Riley watches him go, reluctantly accepting the dismissal.

Riley, flatly: Sure. No problem.

Panning to the techies, Isadora doesn’t even get the chance to breathe before she’s summoned from center stage. Maya points at her, already ready for action.

Maya: Izzy! Come on. I’ve got a lot of ideas.

It’s not a question, it’s a statement. No room for discussion. Lucas looks more than bothered as she tosses him an apologetic smile and heads towards the stage, obviously expecting things to go quite differently. Behind him, Dylan and Asher begin discussing their take.

Dylan: I’ve got it. It’s perfect. We have to do Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark.

Asher: [ catching his hands and shaking his head ] No, babe, no --

Dylan: I know it was a flop, but I think we could save it. I think we could really do something with it.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Zay catches up to Charlie, who seems surprised he even noticed he left. Zay begins to apologize for partnering with Riley without thinking about it, but Charlie doesn’t seem at all upset.

Zay: You know, she’s just going through it right now and I think she could use a friend in her corner.

Charlie: Oh, hey, no problem. It’s probably for the best anyway, considering…

You know. They both know what goes without saying -- the same factor that has them having this conversation in the hallway alone rather than in front of their peers, or parking down the street to kiss before school. Charlie shrugs off the bleak reminder, remaining positive.

Charlie: Besides, Yindra is a great partner. She agreed we’d be excellent, so long as I promised never to kiss her again.

Zay laughs, coming around to stand in front of him. He speaks softer.

Zay: Well, I don’t have to worry about that, do I?

Charlie, coyly: … no…

It’s a flirtatious little moment, and it’s effectively squandered as a couple of other students exit from the classroom nearby and head down the hall. They don’t pay them any attention but Zay and Charlie still take a couple steps back from one another, shifting into something stiffer.

They conclude that they’ll see each other later, heading off in separate directions as Zay jogs back to the auditorium.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Harper is gathering her things together for lunch when Farkle pokes his head in. He awkwardly states that he doesn’t see how he’ll be able to complete the assignment this week, given that there’s no one left for him to partner with.

Harper doesn’t seem to buy this, as she’s certain the numbers are right from her last count. Farkle obviously is a bit miffed she doesn’t believe him, so he reiterates the statement again despite not wanting to keep saying it.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

At the same time, Lucas is meeting with Shawn to express the same thing. He has a more blase approach, shrugging and claiming that he supposes he’ll just have to do something else.

Lucas: I mean, you know how not getting to perform is really gonna break my heart.

Shawn: Oh, I didn’t realize you switched your focus to comedy.

Harper and Farkle enter through the wings, coming to find Shawn. He explains that he was just discussing with Lucas what his alternative assignment might be, since he doesn’t seem to have a partner.

Harper: How interesting. Because Mister Minkus just came to me expressing the exact same dilemma. [ Clapping her hands together. ] There you go. Simple solution!

Lucas and Farkle stare at each other, and immediately both of them launch into complaints. No way. Nuh-uh. Not gonna happen.

Farkle: I’d rather be skinned alive.

Lucas: That can be arranged.

Farkle’s eyes widen, looking to Shawn for a life preserver. He steps into the discussion, expressing that knowing these two and their unique dynamic this is probably not a good idea. He insists that Harper should trust him, after two years of being their teacher.

Harper: Is that so? Because what I’m seeing is a problem that two students are experiencing, in which a clear and present solution is sitting right in front of us. A good teacher would perhaps challenge those students to get over their own egos.

Lucas and Farkle both continue to argue, but Harper has had enough of the three of them. It’s only been a couple weeks, and yet they’re all tap-dancing on her last nerve. She lays down the law, stating that it’s either work together or fail the assignment.

Shawn is displeased, and the boys are downright livid. They storm off in their opposing directions, leaving Shawn to ruminate on it as Harper leaves him behind on the stage.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Isadora is making her way towards the techie table in the courtyard, JADE BEAMON and NATE MARTINEZ waving her over. However, she gets sidetracked by Maya, who swoops to her side and is already buzzing with a million new ideas she’s brainstormed over last period. She’s pulled in her direction without much effort, joining her at her usual table.

EXT. AAA - LUNCH COURTYARD - DAY

Lucas arrives just as they watch Isadora get steered away from them. Jade grimaces. JEFF MONROE makes room for Lucas.

Jeff: Well, that’s an unexpected twist.

Nate: Damn ugly one at that.

Lucas, deadpan: Given how today is going so far, can’t say I’m fucking surprised.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Isadora joins Zay and Riley at Maya’s table, all of them happy to have her join them. As they launch into eager conversation about what their number might be like, the girls agree that they’ll meet after school at Maya’s place to start rehearsing.

Although unintentional, Riley’s attempts to contribute to the conversation are brushed over. She gives up about halfway through, focusing on her food instead and keeping quiet.

INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - DAY

So meet up Isadora and Maya do, the latter already launching into a myriad of ideas and energetically going on and on about how their voices should compliment one another and they’ll have no trouble getting Isa up to snuff on her dancing. Isadora tries to keep up, finding ways to get a word in and contribute which Maya eagerly builds upon.

Once they take a second to breathe, Maya states that she’s glad they decided to be partners. There’s an electricity in the air… perhaps a duet is coming on…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Popular” as performed by Wicked Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Maya Hart (feat. Isadora De La Cruz)

The rendition of the Broadway classic picks up right from the start, Maya declaring that Isadora is going to be her new “project.” As the number unfolds, both girls dance around the apartment, don some of Maya’s fancier knock-off clothes, totally fall into the theatrics of the number.

Just as Maya is giving the declarative “Look at you, you’re beautiful” line, it’s not a fear of the new friendship but a text message that disrupts the number. Isadora checks her phone, reading whatever text she just received and growing panicked. She hastily exclaims she has to go, Maya calling a playful “you’re welcome” after her.

Maya finishes out the song on her own, at as full Galinda power as ever.

EXT. AAA - DAY

Isadora is rushing back up the steps to school, cursing out a “shit” with every step she takes. The sounds of heavy equipment being moved float in...

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

While the performers have vacated the premises the auditorium is buzzing with activity, all of the techies present for their annual technical inventory. Students from every grade are in attendance, the freshmen learning the ropes from the upperclassmen of what goes into one of their most important days of the year.

Lucas is overseeing the inventorying of the items in the construction racks, DAVE WILLIAMS digging through the wood and two-by-fours to shout to him how many pieces they currently have. Lucas makes him count again, reminding him they need an accurate take on all of their materials before Shawn goes and places the order for the year before the first production.

Isadora clambers in and pushes through the underclassmen, searching for Lucas. He rolls his eyes when she spots him, not waiting up for her as he continues his march around with the clipboard she was supposed to be carrying.

Lucas: Look who decided to show up.

Isadora: I’m so sorry. I totally spaced.

Lucas: No kidding. I mean, if you have better things to do --

Isadora: I’m here, aren’t I? What can I do to help? Give me something to do.

Lucas exhales a sigh, shrugging and stating that she can do a walkabout and see who might need help. He feels like they’ve got it covered, though, so maybe she should just go.

Isadora swallows the sting over the dismissal and pushes past it, grasping for a new conversation to ease the tension. She asks him what ended up happening with his assignment, who did he get partnered with? Lucas scowls.

Lucas: I don’t want to talk about it.

INT. MINKUS HOME - DAY

Farkle is seated on the couch in the living room, helping EZRA MINKUS with his homework. Ezra is working hard, but Farkle is zoned out. When his little brother complains about his half-hearted state, he snaps out of it but argues against the fact that he’s acting any sort of way. Regardless, it’s evident that Ezra greatly values the attention of his favorite brother.

JENNIFER MINKUS comes into the living room, jokingly commenting that it’s such a surprise to see Farkle out of his bedroom. He’s been acting too much like Uri as of late. She asks if it’s nice to be back at school and in routine, also seeing how he’s feeling. She touches his forehead to check his temperature.

Farkle shrugs away from the touch, brushing off the topic and instead focusing on school. He complains about the current assignment they’re doing.

Jennifer: Who are you working with, then? Maya?

Farkle: [ with a snort ] I wish. I mean, she wishes. No, I’m stuck with Lucas.

Jennifer: Lucas? Is that the shifty-looking one who used to chase you around during class and threaten you with power tools?

Farkle: Only in theory. But yes.

Jennifer: … well, I suppose it’s nice you’ve become… friends, then.

Farkle looks disgusted at the notion. He goes back to focusing on Ezra’s homework page.

Farkle: Believe me, we are not friends.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

To that end, Jack is meeting with Lucas to discuss his feelings over being partnered with Farkle. He also takes the opportunity to lightly broach the topic of his absence earlier during the first week and his overall… headspace coming off of how last year ended.

Although it’s the first we’ve seen of Lucas being back in Jack’s office this season, the atmosphere between them is comfortable. Lucas looks perfectly at home in the chair across from Jack’s desk. The friction from the start of last year is long gone, instead building on the familiarity and rapport the two of them started to build during the spring.

Still, that doesn’t mean Lucas is an easy conversationalist. He’s surprisingly aloof about the duet assignment, but it’s a clear projection that Jack can see right through. For all the effort Jack puts into trying to have an honest dialogue, he doesn’t get very far, but it’s clear that he’s taking this unique position he has with a student like Lucas more seriously than before.

Jack: I’m only trying to see where your head’s at.

Lucas: Sure you wanna go down that rabbit hole? [ Cheekily. ] Scary place.

Jack, deadpan: Yes, I’m quaking. [ a beat ] I just want you recognize that I’m listening. There’s a place for you to express your opinions.

Lucas blinks at him, the conversation taking on a more meaningful slant. For a moment, it seems as though he might actually say something of value.

Lucas: … I gotta go.

He doesn’t wait for approval, slipping out the door and back into the crowd transitioning between classes. Jack sighs, sauntering out after him.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - DAY

As Jack emerges from the front office, he takes a second to look around him. The students running from place to place, the school day continuing on in spite of everything that has unfolded in these halls. He looks at it all with a mixture of pride and exhaustion -- for all the things they’ve built in these walls, there’s so much work to be done.

Something has to make the struggle worth it. Something has to give the job meaning…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “A Sentimental Man” as performed by Wicked Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Jack Hunter

The song conveys just that, highlighting Jack’s attachment to the school and the students as he wanders the halls. He feels responsible for all of the students in their care, and wants to help them reach their greatest potential with any opportunities they can offer them.

Where the lyrics shift focus to Elphaba, Jack’s focus shifts to Lucas. He watches from afar as Lucas closes his locker and disappears into the crowd, expressing his dedication to making sure he’s taking advantage of all he’s capable of just like everyone else (“Cause I think everyone deserves the chance to fly…”)

Case in point, Jack takes his role at AAA quite seriously, and he intends to zero in on one of their most troubled students. For whatever reason he’s been granted a shred of respect and trust where others have not, and he’s not going to waste it.

As the orchestration peters out, he leisurely makes his way back to the office.

INT. AAA - DANCE STUDIO - DAY

Zay and Charlie are rehearsing together in their usual studio, having put in a good morning workout. Charlie is in the process of stretching while Zay texts with Riley about their assignment, the former teasing him about he doesn’t take his cool down routine nearly serious enough. One day, it’s really going to come back to bite him.

Zay: It’s fine, I know my own body. I’ve got bionic muscles.

Charlie: That can’t be true.

Zay: It’s… it’s a joke. Like bionic… God, you are hopeless.

Charlie changes tracks, noting his frustration about how things are between him and Riley. He feels like there’s a wall up between them ever since the AAAC, and he doesn’t know how to fix it. As Zay comes and takes his hands to help pull him to his feet, Charlie questions if he’d be willing to keep an ear out since they’re working together this week.

Zay: I mean, I’m not going to be your spy or anything, but if it comes up I’ll see what I can figure out.

At this point, Charlie will take anything. He gives him an appreciative nod.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Farkle is at his locker, reading through a text exchange with Lucas (listed simply in his contacts as Jackass.) Given the simple “no” that he sent in response to Farkle’s last message regarding their assignment, it seems like they won’t be doing much work on it at all.

All things considered, Farkle doesn’t seem bothered. He’s resigned as he unloads his books and grabs his rehearsal duffle, surprised when Eric calls to him from down the hall. He asks if he has a moment for a quick chat. From the expression on his face, that seems like the last thing Farkle wants to do, but he obliges.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

It’s clear that Farkle is not at all relaxed in Eric’s usually comforting space. He avoids eye contact as Eric starts a conversation with him, asking how he’s feeling about the new year given everything that unfolded at the end of last semester. They haven’t exactly had the chance to unpack all of that.

Farkle shrugs it off, jittery as he sits under Eric’s psychological microscope. When the focus shifts to his sudden partnership with Lucas, Farkle seizes the opportunity to seem affable and claims that he’ll put in a more pointed effort to get that duet up and running. If it will get the well-meaning counselor off his back, he’ll do just about anything.

Eric starts to double back to everything that remains turned upside from last year, but the bell ringing for class gives Farkle the excuse to bolt. He requests a late pass, already gearing up to get the hell out of there.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Charlie, YINDRA AMINO, and Zay are talking on stage when Riley wanders over to join them, intending to discuss the project with Zay. There’s an awkward beat as she acknowledges Charlie, but avoids looking at him any further through the duration of the conversation.

However, the universe has other plans. In the midst of discussing their song choice, Dylan flutters over and starts to drag Zay away, reminding him that he agreed to help him and Asher with the staging of their assignment. Yindra also gets distracted, NIGEL CHEY pulling her into a different discussion. Suddenly, it’s just Riley and Charlie, stuck in conversation after not speaking to one another for months.

Charlie speaks first, trying to find a clever way to break the ice. It doesn’t work, so he instead switches into apologizing about everything with the AAAC.

Charlie: Look, I’m sorry about the Instagram. I shouldn’t have done what I did. Everything just blew up so fast, and --

Riley: Charlie, please, stop. I get what you’re trying to do, trust me. I’ve been attempting to smooth things over because of that stupid page basically since summer. But I’m not… I’m not ready to deal with this yet. With you.

Charlie is evidently disappointed. He wants to fix it, but he doesn’t know how. Especially given that he can’t give her a good reason for why it happened.

Riley: I can’t even figure out why you would -- I’m just not there yet. To forgive you, let alone forget. I’m sorry.

Either way, he can take a hint. He nods and backs off, Zay returning just in time to get a full dose of the strain. He tries to say something to ease the tension, but Riley simply tells him they’ll catch up later and excuses herself.

In the house, Farkle is straggling after Lucas and attempting to negotiate with him as they walk through the aisles towards the booth. Although he isn’t keen to do the assignment either, he thinks they need to do something just to get everyone off their backs.

Lucas: Look, pick whatever stupid loud song you wanna do, and I’ll put the spotlight on you and we’ll call it a day. There. Assignment finished.

Solid plan, but Farkle still isn’t convinced. Although he’s stuck with his least favorite person, he’s dying to have an actual conversation with someone rather than continuing to stay isolated. It’s a paradoxical dilemma, and he ends up suggesting they still meet to go over logistics anyway.

Lucas does his equivalent of a feral cat growl, but agrees. He can set the place to meet and he’ll give him fifteen minutes of his time.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Zay and Riley are leaving the auditorium together, deciding where they’ll meet for their after school rehearsal. For once it seems as though Riley has his full attention… until Maya swoops in, asking for help with her and Isadora’s choreography. She pulls him away, Riley somehow alone in the hall again.

She hesitates, looking around her and not knowing where to go. She spots CLARISSA CRUZ, HALEY FISHER, and Darby together chatting and starts in that direction, but they disperse before she can get close enough to join them. It’s a no go on the techies, seated on the steps outside the side entrance to the auditorium. It’s a no on Farkle, standing at his locker alone.

It’s a no on Lucas, although Riley clearly wishes it wasn’t. She watches from afar as he shuts his locker and takes off in the opposite direction, not even casting a backwards glance in her direction. With a sigh, she wanders over to her locker.

Inside the door, it’s practically a relic of the way things used to be. There are pictures from the past year much like Farkle’s locker, only the way Riley’s are arranged demonstrate the care and love she puts into maintaining them. It’s evidence of a different time, when she felt like she knew who she was and who her friends were.

She hesitates on a photo of her, Lucas, and Isadora, then drifts to one set up right below it. It’s solely of Lucas, taken sometime around last year’s duet assignment when they were spending a lot of time together alone. Feels like a million years ago.

Riley glances to her phone, finding the message thread between the two of them. The last messages were sent months ago -- early in the summer, apologies from Riley and a plead to talk about things that went unanswered.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Talk To Me” as performed by Bye Bye Birdie! Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Riley Matthews (feat. Asher Garcia, Nigel Chey, Charlie Gardner, and Nick Yogi)

As Riley closes her locker, she leans back against the metal and launches into the melancholy Broadway tune. It concisely captures her frustration with the situation at hand -- hoping that Lucas can’t just be completely over her, knowing that if they just had the chance to talk things through things might be different.

This is accented by different cuts to Riley watching him from afar and wondering the same things; in class, in the auditorium, separated by the courtyard windows during lunch. It’s similar to her former 50s crooner in 1.07, although the circumstances are more fraught than the simplicity of back then.

The barbershop quartet comes in the form of Asher, Nigel, Charlie, and Yogi, who saunter into the hall behind her and provide the vocal backing for her musical plea. They’re dressed in matching color-coordinated vests, obviously not an actual presence in the scene but more so a figment of Riley’s imagination.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

They also serve the purpose of dancing with Riley, intercut through the other sequences. It’s all reminiscent of the dancing she used to do with Lucas -- up to the grand swell about 2 minutes in where her imagination fills in that gap. For a brief reprieve, it is Lucas dancing with her…

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Until reality disrupts the dream. Riley nearly rams into Lucas in the hallway, him catching her from stumbling on instinct. There’s a moment where they lock eyes, all of the potential in the world between them…

Then Lucas walks away. He slides past her, leaving her standing there.

The quartet takes over the last vocals as Riley ends up back where she started, alone in the hallway with nowhere to go. She’s stranded herself, and the only person she truly wants to talk to is the one already walking away.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “God Is A Woman” as performed by Ariana Grande || Instrumental

Ariana is playing through Isadora’s bluetooth speaker, banged up and cheap but gets the job done. She and Maya are walking through steps for a potential routine to the pop hit, the latter speeding through it and enthusiastically discussing how certain elements will work in the final performance.

Farkle enters through the dressing room doors just as they’re running through steps for the chorus. He hangs back in the shadows and watches from the wings, witnessing his own replacement happening in real time.

Isadora is doing her best to keep up. Interestingly enough, she’s starting to look a little bit more like Maya -- her hair has been styled with more care than usual, and the color palette of her outfit is lighter, complementing the pink and white that Maya wears. Her lips have a bit of a shine to them, the most neutral lip gloss Isa could find amongst Catherina’s extensive makeup collection.

But she’s nowhere near at the same rehearsal level as the reigning diva yet, so she gives up about halfway through and claims she can’t do this. Maya jogs and pauses the music.

The two of them debrief, Maya offering to walk Isadora through whatever steps she might be having trouble with. But it’s not the routine itself, it’s everything. It’s just a lot  to adjust to at once, so she just needs some time to get used to it. She’ll keep practicing, but it isn’t clicking right now. Maya grants her the right to take a break, Isadora heading out through the other doors by the costume loft.

Farkle waits until Maya is alone to make himself known, stepping into the stage lights and making snarky commentary on how her new pet project doesn’t seem to be going so smoothly. She brushes him off and continues to gather her things.

But he doesn’t want the conversation to end. This is the most attention she’s paid him in weeks, and he doesn’t want to let it go. So he keeps it going the only way he can think of by digging the knife in further, insinuating that she must’ve had to stoop low if she had to go through the techies to try and find someone to replace him.

Maya turns on him, giving him her full attention as she tells him off. Despite what he might believe, she’s not using Isadora, and certainly not to fill some void he thinks he left. He shouldn’t flatter himself that much importance.

Maya: Izzy isn't just some “project” for me. Believe it or not, I don't compartmentalize my friendships by how they most benefit me.

The tension takes on a familiar slant, a competitive edge emerging that needs to be expressed through music. Clarissa and Haley enter together with their cellos just as Farkle and Maya are staring each other down, claiming that they booked the auditorium for this time slot. So what are they doing there? And aren’t they not partners this week?

Maya states they’re just in time, as they can help wrap this all up. When Haley is like “but we came to rehearse our thing,” Maya doesn’t seem bothered.

Maya: Consider it a warm-up… if you can keep up.

Clarissa and Haley roll their eyes, but they settle in anyway. The faster they can let them get out their antics, the faster they can actually rehearse.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Smooth Criminal” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by Farkle Minkus & Maya Hart (feat. Clarissa Cruz & Haley Fisher)

Clarissa and Haley carry the heft of this number on their cellos, Maya and Farkle parading around them and channeling all their frustration with one another into the vocals. It’s an electric duet, and for what it’s worth, it’s the most energized Farkle has seemed since the school year started. There’s actual passion behind the performance, which he’s been lacking for some time.

It’s also undeniable that the two of them make excellent partners. They’re perfectly matched, as they have been since they met. There’s no one else who challenges them like the other to raise the bar, and there’s an appreciation of the other’s talent present despite how at odds they are.

But one quick duet isn’t going to set things right. Although Farkle seems to have gotten something meaningful out of the exchange, he’s obviously surprised when Maya continues to dismiss him as soon as they’re wrapped. She gathers her things and floats out with no more than a short goodbye.

Farkle swallows, not taking the rejection well. Clarissa and Haley break him out of it, asking if he can leave already so they can rehearse. Haven’t they done enough?

Backing off, he makes a dash for the dressing rooms.

INT. AAA - BOYS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

Given his shaken state, Farkle seems to be taking this harder than just a duet gone sour. He stumbles into the dressing room, leaning against the counter and trying to calm his breathing. His hands are shaking.

He lifts his gaze, looking at himself in the mirror. It doesn’t seem like he likes what he sees. He curses under his breath, suddenly feeling like it’s a thousand degrees. He pulls off his sweater, leaving him in his plain tee as he crumbles into a sitting position against the mirror and haphazardly bundling the garment in his hands.

Above him, the wall clock ticks to a new minute --

INT. AAA - PRACTICE ROOM - DAY

Just as the clock in the practice room does, where Lucas is sitting alone. He glances around him with mild interest and obvious distrust, having never been in this part of the school before. He taps his feet impatiently, checking his watch.

Clearly, Farkle isn’t coming. Rolling his eyes, Lucas gets to his feet. He takes some of the writing utensils from the communal stash just because he can, kicking at the piano bench for good measure before marching out.

INT. GARDNER HOME - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Charlie is seated on the couch with his homework, half paying attention while ROSIE GARDNER and DAISY GARDNER watch a show together. Daisy is playing with their beagle SKIPPY on the floor in front of the couch, making a face at something that plays out on screen.

Daisy: Why the heck did that happen? That doesn’t make any sense.

Rosie: It’s network TV, it doesn’t have to make sense.

To Rosie’s curiosity, Charlie doesn’t seem all that interested in the show. He’s focused on his phone instead, rereading his last text from Zay. He’s asking if he’s alright after the weird exchange he and Riley must’ve had, given how off things felt when he walked back over.

He wants to talk to him about it, but he’s not just going to give him a call while hanging out with his sisters. Especially not when they’re so nosy.

Rosie: Who are you texting?

Charlie: Huh? What? No one.

Rosie: Yeah you are. Your messages are open.

Charlie: Am I typing? No.

Daisy: Why are you acting surprised? He’s always on his phone.

Charlie: No I am not.

Rosie: Yeah you are. You basically live on it. It’s like you’re in love with it.

Daisy: [ laughing ] Charlie has a girlfriend.

Charlie: Shut up, no I don’t.

Daisy: Yeah you do. The phone.

Rosie: I don’t know where, but I’m positive there has to be something in the Bible about how love between man and technology is unholy.

Charlie: I bet if you look hard enough, you’ll find the verse where it says you’re annoying.

Daisy: Being annoying isn’t a sin. I’ve checked.

Both Rosie and Charlie seem to want to know more about that, but ELEANOR GARDNER entering interrupts the conversation. She explains what she’s planning on making for dinner, and then offhandedly mentions that someone needs to walk Skippy.

A lightbulb goes off for Charlie. He loudly volunteers to do it, demonstrating a little too much enthusiasm for something like walking their family beagle. But aside from judgmental expressions from his sisters, the moment passes without question. Charlie whistles for Skippy to follow him, going to grab the leash.

INT. AAA - DANCE STUDIO - DAY

Zay and Riley have convened for rehearsal, in the midst of walking through some harmonies together. It’s clear that Riley is enjoying the quality time. At least if everyone else seems to have inevitably lost interest in her, she still has her first friend.

After they decide on a certain chord progression, Zay subtly changes the subject and asks about what happened in class today. When he came back to work, things seemed pretty icy between her and Charlie. Riley doesn’t want to talk about it, but after a little bit of prodding she admits to the fact that it’s hard to warm up to him again. Not only because he so blatantly used her without any sort of signs, but more so because she has no clue why he did it. It would be easier to grapple with if she had a sense of closure around it, or a clear motive.

Zay obviously wants to grant her that, but he knows it’s not his place. He grows distracted anyway, getting a text from Charlie asking if he can meet him on his walk with Skippy. Zay jumps at the opportunity and tells Riley he has to go, promising they’ll pick this back up tomorrow. He’s booking it before she can argue against it, once again leaving her in the dust.

INT. CHUBBIE’S DINER - DAY

Maya saunters into the diner, nodding at some of the familiar busboys before hopping up to the counter to chat with KATY HART. Her mother senses her mood before she even opens her mouth, asking if something happened at school.

Maya goes on to lament the situation with Farkle as Katy slides a slice of pie across the counter towards her. She immediately digs in, accenting her frustration with stabs of her fork. She recounts the encounter with Farkle and derides his accusation that she’s simply replacing him with Isadora.

Katy: Well… do you feel like that’s what you’re doing?

Maya: No. No, I’m not. God forbid I like other people or make new friends. Maybe I like Isadora because she’s badass and talented and could also kill a man if she had to.

Katy: Ah, the true quality of a good friendship…

Maya: It’s not fair. It’s not fair of him to waltz in and act like I’m the one being shady when he’s the one who blew everything up in the first place. And then make it feel like a crime to move on. I shouldn’t have to feel bad about dropping someone who I don’t trust.

Katy is, of course, on Maya’s side. She agrees wholeheartedly, and even states that she likes that she’s branched outside of her usual circle. Isadora seems like a nice change of pace, and it’s always beneficial to make a friend who can teach you something rather than reflect the world you’re already familiar with.

On the other hand, she points out that there’s a whole side to this experience that Maya doesn’t know about. Neither of them have any idea what’s going on with Farkle, and it’s possible that his actions are less about her and more about his own attempts to grapple with the situation.

Katy: It’s impossible to know why people do the things they do until they tell you. And most of the time, it’s rarely a cut-and-dry reasoning anyway. There are so many different motivating factors at play, especially at your age.

Maya doesn’t seem convinced, stabbing at the pie and taking a grumpy bite. Katy finishes her musing, going on to state that nine times out of ten, people are acting out of their own insecurities rather than anything to do with the people who they’re confronting. Could be fear, could be jealousy, could be self-preservation…

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - DAY

Charlie is walking along with Skippy, distracted as he waits for Zay to show up. He nearly jumps out of his skin when Zay sneaks up behind him, poking him in the ribs and surprising him. Charlie elbows him as he falls into step beside him, beginning to discuss what he wanted to talk about in the first place.

Zay gets right to the point, stating that he thinks Charlie should consider just… telling Riley the truth. It’s hard for her to hear him out when she has literally no clue why he even did it, and most of the reasons she’s probably contemplating make him look far worse than making her his unwitting beard for a sense of protection.

As logical as this reasoning is, Charlie does not seem ready to consider such a notion.

Charlie: What? No. I can’t do that.

Zay: Dare I ask, why not? I mean, not like why, I know why obviously.

Charlie: Yeah.

Zay: But like, Riley Matthews is the last person you should be concerned about knowing. She’s like the nicest human being alive, and also is part of the community. And I seriously doubt she’d ever say anything to anyone if you didn’t --

Charlie cuts him off, not able to wrap his head around it. He wants to make things right with her, but that kind of option is off the table. Zay seems a bit frustrated with this mindset, as it doesn’t bode well for their relationship if he’s still so deeply entrenched in keeping all of it a secret… but he also understands. Of course he does.

It’s a complicated situation, and there is no easy solution. So they’ll keep walking the tightrope, looking for compromises along the way…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The techies are convened at their usual spot in the back section, chatting in the morning before class. Isadora comes to visit them, but she looks different. She’s suddenly looking a lot more like a Maya carbon copy, her makeup enhanced with a darker lip gloss and eye makeup. Her outfit is made up of borrowed clothes from Maya and Catherina -- a high-waisted denim skirt with sheer dark tights, and dark sweater with a collar peeking out, a sparkling butterfly brooch pinned to the right lapel.

Lucas descends from the booth, decidedly disturbed as soon as he sees her. He asks her what the hell happened to her, and she claims she’s just trying a new look. Stretching her sense of style.

Nate: More like getting swallowed by it.

Isadora isn’t sure how to defend herself. To be honest, it’s not the worst to be dressed confidently like Maya, but she’d be lying if she claimed it felt true to her. Lucas can’t even look at her, pushing past her and heading out.

Lucas: If you’ll excuse me, I have to go bash my head into the wall until I wake up from this nightmare. Let me know when you’ve stopped being possessed by mini-Christina.

Dave: Applegate? I thought she was great in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

Asher: … I think he means Aguilera.

Dave: Oh.

Once Lucas is gone, Asher and Dylan assure Isadora that they think she looks fine. Jade agrees, even offering to help personalize it with some more Isa-like touches if that would be ideal. Isadora contemplates it, telling her she’ll get back to her on that.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Shawn comes by Harper’s classroom, sauntering in as he announces that it seems the Lucas and Farkle “simple solution” isn’t going so well. How does he know? Because Lucas just informed him that Farkle blew off their second attempt at a meeting.

Shawn: Still so sure about your brilliant little fix?

Harper is unimpressed by his condescending attitude, sticking to her guns. She rises to her feet, coming around her desk to speak plainly with him.

Harper: So you would rather bend to their poor behavior and reward them for it, rather than, I don’t know… teach them to get along? Or punish such bad antics?

Shawn, seriously: Listen. There’s a very delicate balance at play here with these students that you don’t understand. The least you could do is take the advice of those who know better than you.

To be fair, Shawn isn’t entirely wrong. But his delivery is terrible, and Harper grows offended at the insinuation. Before she can retort, Clarissa and Haley arrive to complain about how Maya and Farkle used their rehearsal space unfairly.

This is about the tenth time Harper has taken a specific complaint about Farkle Minkus. She starts to construct a solution for them to consider, but Shawn intervenes and offers his own two cents. Once again talking over her without giving her the chance to learn the ropes or contribute.

Haley and Clarissa thank Shawn, not caring about who gives them the advice. Shawn tosses Harper one more stressed look, warning her to think a little as he storms out.

Oh, boy, is she going to think a little. And more than that, she’s going to take action.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Harper has pulled both Lucas and Farkle aside after class is dismissed for lunch, informing them that they’ll both be spending the break in detention in her classroom. Given that neither of them have provided her updates about their project, she’s certain they could use the designated collaboration time. That way, perhaps, they’ll at least scrape together a passing grade.

Both of them seem less than enthused, glaring at each other.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Riley is heading towards the lunchroom, but looking through the doors at all her classmates milling about and continuing on with or without her, it suddenly feels like too much. She spins on her heel and heads in a different direction.

INT. AAA - CORY’S CLASSROOM - DAY

Riley pokes her head in, finding Cory opening lunch at his desk. He seems surprised but happy to see her, granting her an invitation to join him when she asks if she can come in. He playfully questions why she would bother to do such a thing, giving her the opportunity to unpack what’s going on.

She sort of expresses her current feelings of isolation, explaining the general idea of the problem at hand and how she feels kind of left behind. Some of her friendships aren’t in the shape they used to be, and she doesn’t have a sense of belonging anymore.

Cory, being the dreamer that he is, encourages her to keep putting her best foot forward. In his opinion, the best thing she can do is to keep her chin high and refuse to be ignored. Not let those friends go without a fight, if they’re truly friends she wants to keep.

It’s well-meant and thoughtful advice, but nothing he hasn’t told her before. Riley seems disillusioned as she starts to chew on her lunch.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Maya and Isadora are eating lunch together, sharing a table with Zay, Nigel, and Yindra. They’re dissecting the problem of progressing on their duet, Isadora admitting that part of it is that this is the first true performance she has to give in front of the class. Let alone alongside someone as strong as Maya. She’s just not prepared for it.

It’s stage fright, plain and simple. Maya claims she just needs to stop overthinking it, that no one is going to be focused on anything but how awesome they are. An idea seems to strike her as she’s explaining how to accomplish just that… that all Isadora needs to do is break the initial performance anxiety. And, well...

Maya, deviously: No better time than the present.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Looking At Me” as performed by Sabrina Carpenter || Performed by Maya Hart (feat. AAA Juniors)

Pushing up from the table, Maya launches us into our first big blowout number of the season. She playfully begins the iconic pop anthem, pulling her classmates into the fun as she goes and relaying the message loud and clear -- Isadora has nothing to worry about, because everyone will be looking at her anyway.

The lyrics “Don’t just stand there staring, honey, try to move your feet,” are directed at her duet partner, tugging Isadora into the fray and giving her the encouragement to just lose herself in the number. The two of them dance together a fair amount throughout the jam session.

The other reason it’s such a major number is because it’s the first number that loosely incorporates everyone. It carries the same energy as “Dancin’ On the Sidewalk” from all those months ago, only there’s no Lucas around to set off the alarm. And maybe he should be, because the performance is definitely fire.

The dancing has kicked up ten notches. Maya has small moments with Zay and Charlie, who also serve to lead other groups. The two of them also dance a little with each other, although evidently less comfortably than we know they could. Maya spins Isadora to dance with other fellow performers, and while she stumbles a bit at first, the more she gets into it the more confident she becomes. She’s engaging with others, focusing less on what they’re thinking and just having fun.

And when Lucas is away, the techie tots will play. There are a couple key shots of Asher and Dylan dancing together, charming as ever but also showing off that they’re maybe... actually good performers? Dave and Nate are grooving on the table tops. Nigel pulls Jade into a spin, getting her to join the dance. Jeff does some signature break-dancing.

It’s energetic. It’s a showstopping vocal from Maya, who ends it on a split with a hair flip and wink. It’s fun more than anything else, which feels groundbreaking for a semester that has felt so heavy with unresolved tension.

Now we’ve truly kicked off the season.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

The fun is not being felt in the black box, where Lucas and Farkle are trapped for detention. They’re sitting in silence, Farkle keeping his head down and waiting for the torture to cease.

Lucas isn’t making it easy. His version of whittling time away involves tapping his pencil, restless and fidgety as they wait for their sentence to end. He’s like a one-man drum show. Farkle lifts his head in irritation, glaring at him even though Lucas hardly pays him any attention. It takes Farkle snapping to get him to stop, startling him enough to drop the pencil.

Farkle grumbles about how of course he had to get stuck with the worst human being at AAA. Lucas claims that’s rich coming from him, pointing out that it’s both of them that are stuck in here alone with one another.

Lucas, mockingly: Maybe, in some sick, twisted way, we’re not so different. That’s what they want us to learn, isn’t it?

Farkle: Don’t make me laugh. Like I would ever be compared to you. I’m not so immured by self-satisfaction and smugness that I can’t recognize how useless I am.

[ Lucas doesn’t seem irritated by this assessment. He smirks, nodding along as Farkle reads him for filth. ]

Farkle: I don’t try to bring everybody else down to my level by constantly tearing down their passions until all that’s left is my insatiable need to burn down every good thing that crosses my path just for the sake of chaos. Just to fucking feel something other than my own overwhelming mediocrity that’s going to keep me directionless and alone for the rest of my sorry existence.

Lucas: … maybe so. But I think I should point out that it’s both of us who were deemed too unbearable by the rest of our peers.

Farkle glowers at him until he can’t stomach his detached expression any longer, looking away and gritting his teeth. While they may hate one another, the fact of the matter is so does everyone else. So there they are, stuck in hell together and facing the consequences.

The silence is suffocating with the truth eating away all the oxygen in the room. When the bell rings it’s an immediate relief, Lucas jumping to his feet.

Lucas: Well, I think we can both agree this assignment is not fucking happening. Guess we’ll be taking the L.

Farkle: … maybe so.

Lucas nods, not wasting another second to get away from him. Farkle doesn’t move nearly as fast, still processing the reality Lucas forced him to confront.

INT. HARPER’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Harper is having dinner with her girlfriend, STELLA CASTILLO (27). She’s also a former alumni of AAA, and their dynamic somewhat seems to mirror Isadora and Maya in terms of personality. Stella is lively, opinionated, and not at all impressed by the behavior of Shawn and the students as Harper laments the treatment she’s been navigating.

Stella gives Harper the pep talk she’s been needing, reminding her that she’s perfectly qualified to be in this position. She needs to trust her gut.

Stella: Look, you know about Triple A, alright? You endured that school, you survived it, which is way more than John or whoever can say for himself.

Harper: Shawn.

Stella: Like it matters. The point is that you’re a badass, you’re in control, and you should not be bending to the criticism of some grumpy white dude who thinks he’s the authority on a job his older brother gave him when he was having his mid-life crisis.

True words, even if the nuances to the situation are a bit more complex. Harper thanks her, taking her hand and allowing her to lean forward and give her a kiss.

Still, the universe seems to disagree…

Jack, pre-lap: This has nothing to do with your ability.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Jack is meeting with Harper before school. From the expression on his face it’s evident he’s apologetic, whereas she simply seems peeved. She’s squinting at him, attempting to keep up with their conversation.

Jack: Believe me, I hired you for a reason. You know I think you’re more than capable of handling this job. But Shawn is correct in that this crop of students… they’re a unique group, like I’ve said. He might be right in that it could help for you to pay attention to --

Harper: So, what? Your baby brother decided to come crying to you about things not going his way, rather than discussing it with me like an adult?

Jack assures her that he’s not on anybody’s side, and he just wants to find a way for them to work effectively together and in a way that best benefits the students. But Harper is so angry at that point she sort of tunes him out, simply smiling and nodding along.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “I Can Do Better” as performed by LOVA || Performed by Harper Burgess

As Harper emerges from the office, the opening whistles ease us into this sassy “fuck you” of a feminist anthem. As she marches through the halls in her leather-clad, badass fury, there is a certain power to her finally expressing all of her resentment towards the men who have been giving her grief since she stepped into the position (even in spite of all the complexities to each situation).

The AAA girls back her in passing, echoing the empowering sentiments. It’s a simple arrangement, but Harper’s delivery alone packs a real punch.

INT. AAA - GIRLS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

Isadora is in the dressing room when Riley arrives that morning, the two of them hesitating when they see one another. It’s been a hot minute since they’ve actually had direct contact, and although both of them don’t seem unhappy to see the other, they have no idea where they stand.

Riley makes a small joke about her new look, admitting that she actually thought she was Maya for a second. Although the comment is harmless, after enduring similar commentary all week long Isadora finds herself snapping at her. She’s sick of everyone making those judgements and throwing their opinions at her.

Riley is quick to apologize, explaining that she didn’t mean anything by it. Awkward silence settles between them again, but it’s clear that Isadora feels bad about the way things are.

Isadora: I… I don’t know how to handle this situation.

Riley: I know.

Isadora: With you, and with Lucas --

She cuts herself off, not even sure she should bring him up around her. Riley nods along, already knowing where this conversation is heading. Another dismissal. Before Isadora can say anything more, she beats her to it.

Riley: I just… I know how easy it is to get caught up in being someone else because you think it’ll make things easier. It’s easier to be someone else, sometimes… but I gotta tell you, the Dora I knew? [ a beat ] She’s already tough to beat.

Riley offers one more tight smile, finishing dropping her things. She leaves Isadora alone, hanging on that moment of kindness in spite of the strain.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Harper marches into her classroom, still steaming. Farkle is there, waiting for her to inform her that he and Lucas weren’t able to reach an agreement. He doesn’t think he’ll be turning in anything this week after all.

Whereas this behavior might’ve flown with Angela, it’s not going to fly with Harper. Especially not now, when it feels like the entire world is against her. So Farkle inevitably ends up on the other end of all her anger, receiving a true verbal lashing.

Harper: Oh, is that so? You just don’t think it’ll happen? That all?

Farkle: I’m just saying, given the circumstances you forced me into --

Harper: No, no, I won’t be taking your blame, Mister Minkus. I don’t know what kind of treatment you’re used to from Miss Moore, but I’m not here to cater to your petulance. I’m here to teach you, which you might have known had you deemed it worthy to show up on the first day.

Farkle, stunned: I… I was sick --

Harper: Well, here’s your quick make-up lesson. There will be no more doing whatever you damn well please. I knew students just like you when I was enrolled here, Mister Minkus. You’re nothing new. And believe it or not, that horrible attitude of yours isn’t going to get a pass anymore.

[ Farkle is speechless. He looks a little sick as Harper concludes her tirade. ]

Harper: This isn’t last year. I’m not Miss Moore. And whether we like it or not, you better get ready for a whole lot of change.

Harper storms out, on her way to the auditorium. Farkle is shell-shocked, standing there in horror… until he suddenly bolts out of the door.

INT. AAA - BOYS BATHROOM - DAY

Farkle ducks into a stall just in time to vomit, whole body shaking as he collapses back against the wall. Only he’s not alone, which he discovers after the initial panic passes through him.

Charlie: … Farkle?

Farkle closes his eyes, cursing lightly to himself. When he pushes to his feet and emerges from the stall, Charlie is there at the sink and watching him warily. He tries to question if he’s okay, but Farkle ignores him and focuses on rinsing out his mouth at the adjacent sink.

Charlie can tell there’s something more going on than just an upset stomach. He’s familiar with the feeling, after all. He tries to find a way into the conversation, searching for a commonality to utilize as a bond.

Charlie: I get that this year isn’t turning out like we probably thought. [ sardonically ] I guess the confessions page didn’t do either of us any favors, huh?

Farkle is unimpressed by his attempt at bonding. In fact, the comparison sort of seems to piss him off. He turns on him, narrowing his eyes.

Farkle: Actually, I don’t think it’s quite the same. Because I didn’t feel so insecure in my own masculinity that I had to submit fake relationship posts about myself just to feel good, or maybe feel like I’m not just a background character in my own life.

Yikes. That’s a deep cut, and Charlie gets the message to back off. Farkle wipes his mouth with a paper towel and takes a deep breath, defaulting to defensive because it’s increasingly becoming all he knows how to be.

Farkle: So, no. I don’t think you have any idea.

Farkle flurries out. Although it’s clear his words stung, concern still lingers in Charlie’s features. Like he can sense something about the situation isn’t quite right.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

In a rare moment, Riley manages to catch TOPANGA LAWRENCE when she’s at home. She’s just finishing up a business call, pleasantly greeting Riley as she comes to join her at the kitchen table. Riley isn’t sure what she’s searching for as she starts the conversation -- advice, or maybe to simply be acknowledged by someone -- but she ends up asking for more time with her.

Riley: I know you’ve been doing a lot of small things with Auggie, and everything, so I was thinking that… I don’t know, maybe you and I could also --

Topanga: Oh, yes. Yes! Riley, I would love to do something. Some mother-daughter quality time would be spectacular.

Riley lights up, obviously happy about her mother’s enthusiasm. They begin attempting to sort out dates, although that quickly throws a wrench into things before they even get off the ground. Where Topanga is free this weekend, rehearsals for the musical are kicking up. When Riley is free, Topanga is balancing major trial meetings.

Topanga: Okay, I love this idea. But can we come back to this? Put a pin in it? I’ve just got a lot of stuff up in the air right now, I’ll be able to give it more focus after this deposition is wrapped and our divorce is fully finalized…

Riley internalizes her disappointment, giving her a smile and assuring her it’s no problem. Topanga reaches across the table and pats her arm, effectively ending the conversation.

INT. GARDNER HOME - CHARLIE’S ROOM - NIGHT

Charlie is on the phone with Zay, pacing his room as they talk. It’s clear that seeing Farkle so wigged out earlier really got to him, so he’s confronting some of his stressors head on.

Charlie: I just wanted you to know how sorry I am about how… weird all this has been. With my stupid thing. I know it’s been impacting… what we have.

Zay: It’s not stupid. You know I get it.

Charlie: Yeah, I know, but… [ with a sigh ] things were so much easier when school wasn’t a factor. I know I’ve been coming off like how you feel about this isn’t important, and that’s not true. I don’t feel that way. I wish it didn’t feel that way.

Zay continues to assure him that it’s fine, but his responses sound admittedly a little distracted. Charlie continues to pace, coming to lean against the door to his balcony.

Charlie: I just wish… in an ideal world, things would be different. We could just… be what we are, and we could be doing a duet together this week. Couldn’t it be that easy?

Zay: Well, don’t count that out just yet.

Charlie frowns, asking what he’s talking about. Zay tells him to come outside.

EXT. GARDNER HOME - CHARLIE’S BALCONY - NIGHT

Charlie steps out onto his balcony, stunned to see Zay jogging down the street. He’s both happy and horrified to see him, immediately shushing him as he greets him from down below.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Tonight” as performed by West Side Story Original Cast || Performed by Zay Babineaux & Charlie Gardner

In homage to the sequence in the Broadway classic, Charlie and Zay exchange an effortless back and forth reminiscent of the original film as the orchestra underscores them.

Zay: Come down.

Charlie: No. Are you crazy?

Zay: Just for a minute.

Charlie: [ gazing at him ] … a minute is nowhere near long enough.

Zay: For an hour, then.

Charlie: I can’t.

Zay, with humor: Then forever!

Charlie shushes him again, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his door is closed. Zay tells him he’s coming up, climbing his way along the side of the house to join him on his balcony. When he manages to clamber over the side Charlie immediately pulls him away from the edge, speaking in a hushed tone and claiming that he has to go. His parents will hear him, or see them. As he tries to argue the point Charlie shushes him again, Zay returning the gesture playfully.

It’s all fun and games until Eleanor knocks at the door, Charlie covering Zay’s mouth and responding to her questions of if he’s heading to bed. He lies and claims he is, Eleanor not questioning it and giving him a warm “goodnight, Chuckles,” through the door.

The two of them hang in silence for a long moment, Charlie grimacing as he realizes Zay just heard his embarrassing family nickname. He curses and pulls away from him, walking to the other end of the balcony as Zay clearly attempts to hold back a smile.

Zay: … Chuckles?

Charlie, embarrassed: Family nickname.

[ Zay laughs, but it’s endeared. He steps closer to him, earnest. ]

Zay: I like it. And you know, I think they’d like me.

Charlie: [ with a shake of his head ] No. They’re like I used to be. You know… scared.

There’s a beat of heaviness between them. Then Charlie exhales a laugh, shaking his head again and walking away from him as he absorbs the ridiculousness of the situation.

Charlie: Can you imagine? Being scared of Isaiah Babineaux?

Zay: [ laughing along ] See?

[ There’s a beat. Charlie looks at him, expression soft. ]

Charlie: I see you.

Zay, softer: … see only me.

Zay kicks off the song, taking Maria’s verses where Charlie takes Tony’s (specifically “There’s nothing for me but Isaiah / Every sight that I see is Isaiah”). The two of them harmonize together in the small confines of the balcony, dancing and spinning together where possible.

Where it was pretty obvious earlier that they were into one another, this is the moment where their chemistry and affection for another is impossible to deny. There’s something deeper than just attraction between them, growing more resolute with every day and every duet they share.

As it slows down before the second verse, Zay and Charlie have drifted awfully close together for being feet away from the rest of the Gardner household. Charlie manages to pull back from him simply to continue the dance, but as they wrap the first section of the song they end up inevitably back inches apart again.

Still, even the allure of Zay Babineaux isn’t yet powerful enough to make Charlie forget the way things are. He resists the urge to go for a kiss and instead claims he can’t stay, insisting that Zay should get going. Although he protests, Charlie’s soft “please” and bittersweet smile are convincing enough to make him oblige.

As Zay starts climbing down again, he hesitates. Thinking there’s one more thing he needs to say, lest he regret not vocalizing it in the moment.

Zay: You know, at the risk of sounding totally kitsch… [ turning around, locking eyes with him again ] You know you’re my favorite duet, right?

Charlie is clearly touched. A bashful smile crosses his features, and he manages a nod and a soft “yeah” of agreement. Zay returns the nod, giving him a fond smirk and lingering look before finishing the rest of the climb down the side of the house.

As he goes, Charlie leans forward against the balcony and watches him go. He hesitates before calling after Zay, double-checking that they’ll still meet up before school tomorrow. Zay agrees, starting to head down the street… until Charlie stops him again. He asks if they can ditch lunch and pay a visit to the costume loft instead. Zay rolls his eyes, but he’s obviously not opposed to the idea. He agrees, only making it a couple of steps before Charlie stops him one more time.

Charlie: Do you have a family nickname?

[ Zay pauses, debating whether or not to share it. Then he sighs, looking over his shoulder to deliver it. ]

Zay, reluctantly: “Dizzy.”

[ Charlie can’t help but laugh, but he’s appreciative of his willingness to share. His grin is fond as he gazes down at him. ]

Charlie: See you tomorrow, Dizzy.

Zay: [ unable to hold back a smile ] See you, Chuckles.

They hold each other’s gaze for a moment longer, easing into the last soft verse of “Tonight.” Then Zay jogs back down the street, disappearing as swiftly as he appeared.

Charlie watches him go, undoubtedly enamored. He’s still smiling as he steps back into his room, shutting the door to the balcony behind him.

INT. MINKUS HOME - FARKLE’S ROOM - NIGHT

Farkle is doing homework in his room, a half-eaten plate of food sitting forgotten on the bed in front of him. Jennifer pokes her head in, lightly knocking and trying to engage him in conversation. She notes that he didn’t eat much, which he brushes off by stating he felt nauseous at school so he’s just taking it easy.

Jennifer comes in to check his forehead and lymph nodes again, wondering when this relentless bug he has is going to let him live. Farkle shrugs away from her, insisting that he’s fine. He’d be better, in fact, if she could let him rest.

She relents, but pauses as a thought hits her on the way out. It’s unclear whether this is a brand new thought, or perhaps one she’s been ruminating on for a while.

Jennifer: You know, when do you think you’ll have Maya over again?

Farkle: I don’t know.

Jennifer: I’ve only been thinking, it might be good to have some of that vibrant theater energy around here again. Don’t you think? Maybe you should extend the invitation.

Farkle, tightly: I’ll do that.

Given how poorly their last interaction went, we know it’s a lie.

INT. AAA - DANCE STUDIO - DAY

Riley shows up to the dance studio early the next morning to rehearse, Zay already there when she arrives. She makes a joke about how she’s surprised he beat her here, but he states that was sort of the point. He also has something for her -- her favorite coffee order, as well as a scone from Svorski’s he’s deemed the “apology scone.”

Riley: Well I’m not going to say no to that. “Apology scone?”

Zay: Suffice to say, I’ve sort of been all over the place this week. There’s just… a lot going on. But a conversation with someone close to me recently made me realize that it’s important to let people know how much you mean to them.

He goes on to state that while she was the one with her head in the clouds last year, now it’s on him. He fully intended to be there for her this week and he dropped the ball, but no longer. And they’re always going to be in each other’s corners, a shoulder to lean on if they need it, which is a far cry from how many of the other dynamics in their class are doing at present.

Then, of course, they’ve still got a duet to perform. Zay takes the coffee and scone and puts it back on the piano tucked into the corner. He spins back to face her and holds out a hand.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “I Like Me Better” as performed by Landon Austin || Performed by Zay Babineaux & Riley Matthews

Riley takes his hand, and Zay leads the vocals on this comfortable, endearing acoustic duet. The two of them pass around the verses as they playfully dance together in the studio, demonstrating the iron strength of their friendship.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The rehearsing is intercut with their final performance in class, Riley playing the guitar and harmonizing while Zay does most of the singing. It’s a stripped down rendition, no flash or glitz. But their voices blend well together, and it’s a nice change of pace.

As they wrap the number, Zay reaches out and takes her hand while the class gives them a round of applause. Back in the dance studio, Riley laughs and the two of them embrace.

A nice bright spot in the midst of so much uncertainty.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Harper stops by Jack’s office, finding the principal in the midst of picking through some particularly confusing correspondence. She questions what he’s puzzled over.

Jack: Oh, nothing, nothing… there’s some interested parties attempting to enroll despite our strict enrollment procedures. It’s fine, there’s always a few of these at the start of the school year.

He asks what he can do for her, to which she explains what happened with Lucas and Farkle and how they refused to do the assignment. She’s decided she’ll be punishing them both, as is in within her right as their teacher. Given the behavior she’s observed from both of them, she thinks they could use the discipline.

Jack seems supportive of the authoritarian stance, but he requests that she let him handle Lucas. Whatever she feels Farkle might need she should do within reason, but he’ll take care of their waspish technician. Harper is confused by the distinction, but is more than willing to let him take on the troublemaker so she doesn’t have to.

As Harper heads out, Jack takes another look at the paperwork about enrollment requests. He shakes his head, putting it dismissively to the side.

INT. AAA - GIRLS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

Isadora pokes her head in, relieved to find Maya getting ready and touching up her makeup before their class performance. Maya greets her cheerfully, only some of her confidence falters when she sees Isadora’s change of appearance.

She’s back to looking more like herself, basically back to her usual attire. However, touches of Maya’s influence still remain, such as a simple necklace that Maya had given to her as part of her makeover, her hair up in a pastel scrunchie, and colorful socks on display that have a pretty pattern on them.

Based on that change alone, Maya has a feeling that this conversation isn’t going to go well. She jokes that she’s somehow inevitably strangled another friendship in her own image, but Isadora refutes this.

Isadora: I’m glad you asked me to be partners. And I’m honestly grateful for your friendship, in some ways I kind of feel like it was something I didn’t know I needed. I think I’m going to learn a lot from you.

Maya: Go on, let me down gently. But…?

Isadora: But… I don’t want to completely become someone else to do it. And part of that is on me -- I think I become so focused on what the other person expects that I forget they should be liking me for me. So I sort of let things spiral out of control.

Maya: Doesn’t help when the other person is a diva control freak.

Isadora: [ with a shake of her head ] That’s called passion, and it’s not a bad thing. I’m just… trying to find the balance.

This, Maya can understand. Given how she is reevaluating her own image too now that she’s no longer pretending to be Prada, she gets that feeling more than ever. Isadora does comment that she does like some of Maya’s clothes, and might do a little personalizing of her own style to incorporate the things she likes. She jokingly tugs at Maya’s collar, disrupting the perfect crease.

Isadora: Maybe we can “grunge” you down a bit, too.

Maya: [ intrigued ] Oh, don’t try and stop me.

They exchange a laugh. Isadora admits she isn’t sure what this revelation will mean for their performance, but Maya is already brainstorming. She tells Isadora to focus on her killer vocals, and to leave the rest to her.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “God Is A Woman (Acoustic)” as performed by Ceresia || Performed by Isadora De La Cruz (feat. Maya Hart)

Maya and Isadora follow Riley and Zay’s toned down lead, ditching the hyped up pop performance for something more stripped. Maya plays guitar while Isadora takes the brunt of the vocals, allowing her the chance to show off her already strong pipes while still having the flexibility to find her sound.

It’s also a change of pace that Isadora is front and center while Maya is taking a back seat, a far cry from her triumphant claim to center stage at the beginning of the year. The rendition and the way they harmonize is an indication of growth for the both of them.

Perhaps, they’ll be able to find the balance for both of their personas. All in due time.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Lucas is back in the chair opposite Jack’s desk, the tone of the meeting a little less casual than it was earlier in the week. Jack finishes reprimanding him for his refusal to participate.

Jack: Look, you’ve made good strides compared to the last couple of years. We haven’t had a complaint from the fire station at all this year.

Lucas: Yeah, well, stuff gets old after a while. [ with a mocking pout ] I’m tired.

Although it’s said like a joke, it feels like there’s some truth to the statement that Lucas won’t analyze for himself. Jack changes tracks, pointing out that for all the progress he’s made, it’s incredibly easy to back slide. And if he keeps disrespecting Miss Burgess or blowing off assignments, it’s going to come back to bite him.

Lucas questions if that’s the extent of his punishment, to which Jack simply laughs. He comes around the desk and leans against the front of it, tilting his head.

Jack: You remember stage-managing the musical last year, right? Intense job, lots of responsibility, you told me you’d rather down a bottle of drain cleaner than ever do it again? [ Off Lucas’s disdainful expression ] Well, do I have news for you, buddy.

Lucas frowns, looking more than displeased. Here we go again.

INT. AAA - SCRIPT LIBRARY - DAY

The door opens to a darkened, dusty closet, Harper grappling to find the light switch. As the cramped space is illuminated she and Farkle are framed in the doorway, showing him what his punishment will be. For the duration of the semester, he will be spending lunches and free periods assisting with technical jobs.

One of these involves cleaning out and organizing the script library, which is a mess of piles and piles of scripts that need to be alphabetized and sorted neatly. Better get to work.

Farkle saunters into the room as Harper leaves him to it, picking up the first play of hundreds. Death of a Salesman. He sighs and places it in a new pile, beginning the tedious job all alone.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - DAY

Riley is heading out towards the main entrance as the bell rings, other students filing out. A couple of her classmates give her props on her performance or bid her goodbye, but no one stops to actually have a conversation. Riley keeps her smile on, though it’s thin.

She spots Lucas as he’s stepping out of the main office. The two of them lock eyes across the atrium, another weighted moment passing between them. So much left unsaid. So much they could say, if they could just talk about it.

But it doesn’t look like that’s in the cards. Lucas walks out the front doors in a hurry, not even looking back at her for a second glance.

Riley exhales, closing her eyes and trying to push past it. She stuffs her hands in her pockets, surprised as she remembers the note she hastily stuffed in there earlier in the week. She pulls it out and unfolds it, looking at the scribbled declaration of admiration.

“You’re better.”

Tentatively, she twists the note in her fingers. Then she’s crumpling it, making it as small as it can possibly be. Destroying it as quickly as everything else seems to have crumpled into nothing.

She drops it into the waste bin as she exits the building.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Isadora is at her locker, gathering her things. In the inside door, the same photo of her, Riley, and Lucas is hanging up that Riley has in her locker.

She looks at it, obviously reminiscent. She pulls out her phone, opening her thread with Riley and trying to think of something to say. Wondering if there’s anything to say at all. She certainly doesn’t know, like she told her earlier.

The contemplation is interrupted as Maya comes up to her, energized as usual. She shows off the new patches on her denim jacket.

Maya: Check it out. Already beginning the Izzy-fying of my wardrobe. You inspired me.

Yindra and Zay pass by them, asking if they’re all still planning on hitting up Chubbie’s. Maya asks if Isadora is coming, to which she tells them she’ll catch up with them in a second. She hesitates for a moment longer, glancing at that photo one last time.

Then she closes the door. The last image we see is the photo of the three them, sealed away in the closed, dark locker.

END OF EPISODE.

#s2 #episodes #well! #202

[marveling-chrisevans]

Press Junket || Chris Evans x Reader

Description: You and Chris are in LA at the newest avenger movie press junket. You haven’t been part of the movies for a while, not since the first Capitan America, you were happy to be back on set, you and Chris fell in love.. and here is  that. Contains Smut. 

"y/n, come on we are going to be late. You know they don't like it when we are late" you heard him say as I took one last look at yourself 'good enough' you thought to yourself. "Shut up Evans I am on my way" you said as you walked out of the bathroom to where Chris was "Beautiful as ever" he smirked at you "now come on before our bosses are mad" He said back to you as he held out his hand and you took it.

"you know how much I love acting, but this press stuff is just the same questions over and over and over again." You replied to him as you walked out of the hotel room. You let go of his hand before you entered the elevator. The two of you met on the set of the last Marvel movie. No one knew that after the movie you started to date, we'll not really date. Hang out, would be the better word for it. Sometimes there was kissing and flirting. Chris sighed as you let go of his hand "you know they are going to find out anyways, eventually" "i just don't want this whatever it is to come out before the movie, I don't want to be asked a million questions, you know this is my first big opportunity" you replied back to him as you hit the button to the first floor as Renner ran up to the elevator door and stopped it from closing "uh Jeremy running late too I see" Chris smiled "you and y/n should carpool next time" Chris teased back "yeah face time with Ava usually does that to me, not sure what y/n excuse is" Jermey teased you, as you were friends since you met on set "does anyone know y'all are dating yet?" He wondered as Chris was always looking for you and You were always late which caused him to be late "wait what?" You wondered looking at Renner "uh not dating" you replied quickly not sure what else to say "don't worry wont tell anyone else" Renner replied as the elevator opened before you could reply to him or Chris to say anything. The first thing was the panel where all of you were sitting in one room. You sighed as you walked in and said hello to Scarlett as you two stood to the side and talked for a few moments as they introduced the man 3 men and Brie. Then Scarlett. You stood there by yourself till you heard the announcer say your name. You quietly walked onto the stage and waved coyly to the press. NO one really cared. You went and took your seat in the back row toward the end and saw Chris watching you. You gave him a smile as you sat down and listened to the rest of the cast take questions. Towards the end you heard your name "who what me?" You wondered out loud because you kinda spaced out. You heard Chris start to laugh as the interview guy was like "yeah you, what was it like being back after like 7 years?" "oh uh yeah, it was a lot of fun seeing everyone again, I mean it had been a few years for me, so I'm glad I didn't get dusted?" She said out loud

The Moderator nodded "well we are glad to have you back, We are glad to have you back on press as well" You smiled at them as Chris gave you a nod as another question was asked. After the conference was over, the team dispatched and you got a moment to yourself. You leaned against the wall with your eyes clothes as you took a deep breath. You felt someones arm wrap around your waist. You jumped slightly as you open your eyes and see a tall handsome man with blue eyes and a stupid grin looking at you "you okay?" He wondered You nod as you lay your head on his arm "yeah just overwhelming.. ill be good, do we know who everyone gets partnered with?" You wondered as you sighed "well Paul and Jermey are partners. Uh Sarjo and Brie, from what I heard which makes Robert and Hemmy together, and that leaves me you and Mark together" he replied back to you "and I think the the original six have some separate interviews but I think thats later" he finishes "oh so I have to deal with you boys all day.. Oh boy" You smirked as you walked away from him. You walked backwards as you winked, then spun on your toes, causing your hair to fan out.

You Walked away but you heard "Damn" quietly come out of his mouth as he watched your curly hair fall back into its place as an intern came in and got coffee orders. You got your normal and heard everyone else order around the room. They were breaking everyone into they're groups. And then taken to different rooms, where different places were set up, like E and buzzfeed and entertainment weekly and the what seemed like 100 of others. You guys had a limit. Each interview would last no more than a half hour, and then you would rotate. Hours later, which felt like weeks, to you. This was not something you were use to. You walked out of the interview room. Leaning on Mark, because you could "are we done yet?" You wondered as everyone started to walk out to the lobby. Hemsworth came up to you "you look tired want a piggy back ride y/n?" He wondered You laughed and nodded "yeah these shoes are killing my feet" you said as you jumped up on his back as he started to run around the hotel lobby. You couldn't help but laugh as you held on for dear life Robert looked at the scene "you guys wanna go out?" He wondered "in a little bit, I need a shower and a change, group chat" he said before he disappeared Hemsworth set you down, "yes drinks, Isn't it Pauls birthday tomorrow, and Roberts was a few days ago. We should Celebrate, also this might be our last press tour" He said as he then disappeared. Paul looked at them as he nodded "yeah I could drink" he said as he then disappeared and everyone got a text via group chat. You look over at Chris, as you him were the only ones left. He smiled as you both walked out of the hotel to get into your cars and head back to his house in the hills. Its where you stayed when you were in town, with or without him. In the car you two decided to share, not that anyone cared at that point. You looked at your phone and read over the plans that were being made "i don't wanna" you said with a pouty lip and let your phone fall to the ground Chris ran his hand though your hair as you rested your head on his chest as you closed your eyes and replied to the group chat "sorry can't make it tonight, too tired, next time" he said nice simple and sweet. "i hope you are not too tired" he said as they got to the house. The driver pulled into his driveway. You got out of the car, with your shoes off, and phone in hand "no I need food first" you said as you walked into the house and got greeted by a very happy puppy who jumped up on the two of you and basically since you were not that strong tackled you to the ground. Chris was able to catch you before you hit the ground "dodger" you said between laughs "yeah we missed you too" Chris took dodger out to play to wear off some energy, as you went into the kitchen and made you both a very simple meal. You had taken a few classes here and there, but today you stuck to simple pizza. Once it was in the oven you poured yourself and Chris a glass of wine. "this dress" you said as you were surprised you were still wearing it. You reached behind your back and unzipped it, and let it fall to the ground. You smiled as you didn't feel so restrained anymore, and free. You sat on the couch, just in your bra and panties pulling a blanket over yourself, gently setting your feet on the coffee table and finding something on tv to relax too. Chris came in shortly after, picked up your dress and walked over to you setting it at your feet. You could see he was biting his lip knowing you were not wearing anything under that blanket. You take a sip of wine and move the blanket patting the couch telling him to sit next to you he didn't hesitate and sat next to you. Chris smiled as he gave you a quick look of the glimpse that he got of your almost naked body. You reach over sent the group that you were not going to make it, personal commitments

Before you even got your phone set down your lips were connected to Chris. You got moved to laying on the couch the blanket still covering the both of you. You ran your hands down his body till you bot the bottom of the double layers he was wearing and pulled them off over his head. You let your hands rest on his abs for a second as he worked on getting your bra off. Chris shifted from kissing you on the lips to your jaw, leaving small kisses til he got to what he knew was the tender part of your Breast and gave it a soft nibble. You moaned slightly as your hands went to his pants pulling him closer to you, you could feel him getting harder from his jeans. Chris took your hands after you managed to undo his belt. He took one hand and pinned your hands above your head with one of his hands "keep them there" he said as he let his grip go just slightly to get at his button to his jeans "shut up and kiss me" you said back to him sneaking your hands out and pulled him back to you as you wrapped your arm around his neck, and helped with your other hand to get his jeans off. That is when he got aggressive with you. You enjoyed to see that side of him. He grabbed both your hands again and pinned them up above your head. Chris made sure to keep his grip this time as he got you out your panties and his boxers. He took his free hand and slide it down your body, he got to your clit, and felt how wet you were "damn babe" he said as he ran his fingers around the way he knew you liked it, sliding in a finger in and out just to tease you knowing it would drive you crazy You couldn't help but let a moan escape your lips "Christopher stop teasing me I swear to god" you said back to him. You saw that smirk on his lips as you knew he was enjoying this as you couldn't do anything, you were under his control, you didn't have use of your hands, and he had all the control. He leaned back down and kissed you bringing his hand away after he alined himself. You bite his lip rather hard as you felt him slide into you as you let out a gasp . No matter how many times his size still took you by surprise. Chris knew exactly what to do, he took it slow, rocking his hips into yours, slow and steady, slowly getting deeper and deeper, You moved your legs so they were up around his waist rocking your hips to the beat of his. The two of you enjoyed this for awhile, the connection between the two of you. Chris after a few mins in let go of your hands. You took your hands and played them around his neck as you went to flip the both of you, but being on the couch you both ended up on the floor, not missing a beat you were now on top, you readjusted as you played your hands on his chest to steady yourself. He couldn't help but laugh as you guys hit the floor. Dodger looked at the both of you then went back to what he was doing after making sure you both were okay. Chris held his hands on your hips, and your ass as he forced you further down. He threw his head back fighting his own moan. "y/n" he finally called out, which you knew you were doing something right. Before you knew it, you were back on the bottom of this. You look up at him as you could see the sweat cover his body. You could feel yourself getting close. The lower part of your stomach started to tighten, He could feel your canal getting tighter around his shaft, and that is when he picked up the pace. He slowly worked his way up to thrusting into you, Allowing you to ride your high as long as you could. Right after you finished you took a deep breath and a moan, as Chris thrusted a few more times, till he finished his high. You both stayed like that for a few moments. Just being with each other. He then pulled out and laid next to you on the floor. You closed your eyes in content as you just sat and caught your breath. You hear the fire alarm start to go off. You had completely forgot that you put a pizza in the oven as you were hungry about a half hour ago. You quickly got up and grabbed Chris T-shirt that was laying right there as you went and turned off the oven and pulled it out. Chris had sat up and looked at you and what you were doing, as you turned on a few fans. You walked over to him with a sad face "its ruined" you said "the poor innocent food, that did nothing to no one is ruined" she said as she went and laid back on the couch all dramatic like. Chris bursted out laughing as he reached with right hand to his left pec and leaned backwards "dont worry we can order take out" he said as he pulled you off the couch to lay with him "look at you being a real life super hero" you said back to him as you gave him a peck on the lips and laid your head on his chest as he grabbed your phone since it was closer and ordered your favorite you can read more of my work here: https://www.wattpad.com/user/AuroraBurrows https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraBurrows

#chris evans x reader #Chris Evans #Marvel #Avengers #Chris evans Smut #one shot #fanfic #chris evans imagine #chris evans fandom #Chris evans FanFiction

[cupidmarwani-archive]

Soulmate (Reesker)

Summary: Ava never thought she had a soulmate.

WC: ~1.4k

Ava Bekker does not have a soulmate.

Everyone does, but not her. By the time they’re in their early twenties, they meet the love of their life, and the space of their first skin on skin contact blossoms into bright colors, a beautiful and permanent mark. Latham’s is bright blue on his cheek, the shape of a gentle kiss. Connor’s palms are completely charcoal grey from grabbing Halstead by the face and kissing him. Halstead’s marks are a bright pink, like a permanent flush. Every patient she’s operated on over the age of 21 has a mark somewhere on them. 

But not her.

Ava’s fast approaching her thirties, and still, the only marks on her body are various moles, a handful of scars, and bruises that come and go. If she hasn’t found her soulmate by now, it must mean she doesn’t have one, and she’d like to pretend that it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t need someone else to make her feel complete. She’s her own person, and she can keep on saving lives and sipping merlot by herself in the dark for the rest of her life, and she’s happy enough.

“This better not be one of your sugar bombs,” she says as Connor hands her coffee. “I’m not drinking it if it has any syrup.”

He laughs and pats her on the back. “No, no. Black and unsweetened, just like you.”

“I take no offense to that.”

She sips, and it’s exactly what he promised. Thank God, she needs the coffee today and doesn’t have time to deal with that bullshit. But this means it’s on her next time, and she dreads having to recite his annoying order for the barista. Maybe they should stop this stupid custom of buying each other coffee, but she’s a creature of habit, and the idea of changing up her routine makes her feel like throwing up. So she’s a bit stuck here, and she supposes it’s not the worst thing.

“So. What are we looking at today?”

He passes her his chart. “I’m headed down for trauma service, so you’re gonna have to look after my patients.”

“My patients now, actually,” she corrects.

Connor rolls his eyes, but she knows he expected the quip anyhow. He wishes her luck, reminds her to page him if needed, and disappears into the elevator, leaving her to look into the charts from before she arrived. His hands were the same grey as always, and she knows it’s because he’s found happiness. All day, he’ll be flirting with Halstead in the ED, and she’s happy for him. Just because she’s alone doesn’t mean everyone should be. But it’s a painful reminder of the fact that Ava will never have that. 

Each and every patient she checks in on is marked. Their hands, their arms, their chests. They’re known and loved, they have soulmates. Families. Ava ignores each mark to dull the ache in her chest and does her job, meticulous as always. There aren’t any surgeries scheduled, and no one gets rushed to her. All in all, the day is quiet, and she hates it. Quiet days leave her dwelling too heavily on her own thoughts.

But then her pager beeps. ED. She leaves everything with the nurse, says to call her if there’s an emergency, and rushes down. There’s no information until she gets down there, and she has no idea what shape the patient she’s about to see is in. 

Connor’s in surgery, so she runs to the nurse’s station and hits her hands on the counter. “I was paged?”

“With Halstead in three,” Maggie answers.

She sprints to the correct room, where Halstead, his marks bright in the fluorescents, is talking to a beautiful young woman. She’s not wearing a gown, but slacks, a nice top, and a white coat. A doctor, but not in scrubs, and not in clear distress at the moment.

Ava raps lightly at the door frame. “You called?”

“Yeah.” She pulls gloves on and puts her stethoscope in her ears as he talks. “This is Dr. Reese-”

“Sarah,” Dr. Reese interrupts, out of breath.

Halstead shakes his head lightly, a fond smile on his face. “This is Sarah, she’s like a little sister to me.”

“I hate you.”

“Shh. She started having chest pain, and her blood pressure is a little high. I thought CT would be the most help, but Connor’s in the middle of pulling a bullet out of a teenager, so.”

“I’ve got it from here,” Ava says, and pats Halstead’s shoulder as he heads out, leaving her and Sarah alone. “I’m Ava.”

“The famous Dr. Bekker. I’m honored.”

Ava smiles and takes a look at what Halstead wrote. High blood pressure, high pulse, blood oxygen pretty decent. Chest pain rated at level four. Sudden onset, now having a little trouble breathing. Her guess would be heart as well, but she’ll want to ask some questions and take a closer look.

“So, Sarah, is it alright if I listen to your heart?”

“Go for it.”

She lifts up Sarah’s shirt carefully, and presses the cold metal of the stethoscope to her chest. Ava’s deliberate not to let her eyes settle somewhere unprofessional, so she allows her gaze to land on Sarah’s face. She’s gorgeous. Welcoming brown eyes, a sharp jaw, pink lips that look so soft and kissable. Whoever Sarah’s soulmate is must be so lucky, waking up to this every single day. 

Everything is quiet except for the sound of Sarah’s heart. It looks steady on the monitor, but this close there’s a slight murmur. Normally nothing to be worried about, but short of breath, chest pain- not promising.

“How’s it sound?” Sarah asks. 

Ava settles her stethoscope back around her neck. “You’ve got a bit of a murmur, I’d like to run some tests to find out the cause, especially since it seems to be bothering you.”

“How long will that take? I- I’m on the clock, I’m the ED psychiatrist, and I can work through some discomfort.” 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea until we know what the cause is.”

Sarah sits up straight and fixes her shirt, still struggling a little with her breath as she swings her feet over the side of the bed.

“I’m serious, it’s my medical opinion that you’re unfit-”

The second Sarah tries to stand up, her legs crumple under her and she grabs Ava’s arm for support. In that moment, everything changes. Her entire body feels like it’s frozen and on fire all at once, and her heart feels like it’s leaping out of her chest. She might scream, she doesn’t know. But as soon as she regains her senses, there’s a bright purple handprint on her arm and Sarah’s crumpled on the floor. 

“I need help in here!”

Halstead rushes back in and helps her put Sarah back into bed, reattach her to the monitors and get her on oxygen. But Ava’s just looking at Sarah’s hand. It’s colored now, a soft grey-green-blue. She can’t breathe very well now herself. But she has to take care of Sarah, take care of her soulmate first. Ava can be a doctor, that she knows well, as she pulls up the railings on the side of Sarah’s bed. 

“I want a full blood panel and to take a look at her heart.”

She doesn’t want Sarah to die, not when she’s just found her. And she tells herself that’s out of the realm of possibility because frankly, Ava’s a damn good doctor and she’s not going to lose a patient this important. She just needs to calm down a little and focus. 

“Bekker.”

When she looks up at him, he points to her arm. To her new soulmate mark.Yes,thank you Halstead, she’s aware of the mark she thought she’d never get. But she can’t think about that when Sarah can’t even stand up, and is now trying to bat away Halstead’s attempts to put her on oxygen. This is her soulmate. Ava takes the oxygen mask from Halstead’s hands and cups Sarah’s face gently. 

“Sweetheart, I’m going to put this on your face,” she says as carefully as possible. “It’ll help, I promise.”

Sarah looks her over, and her eyes zero in on the fresh soulmate mark, still hot to the touch. Then she stares at her own now marked hand. And she nods, relaxing a little into the bed as Ava secures the mask. Trusting. She trusts Ava because they’re destined for each other, and whatever happens next, it’s going to be okay.

#reesker #sarah reese #ava bekker #might fuck around and make a whole au for this #mine #fic #sm!au