#driving the 11 hours back home tomorrow morning. memorial was nice

[quick-drawn]

damn i got.....absolutely nothing done around here.

#✯ — [ ʰᵒʳˢᵉˢ ᶤᶰ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ ] ⨯ ooc #i ended up a lot more busy than i thought ( hoped ) i would be during this “vacation”. #driving the 11 hours back home tomorrow morning. memorial was nice #just hectic. #looking forward to being back home but i do have work on thursday. #i'll be around here for an hour or so #otherwise i'll see y'all tomorrow evening. #though ngl i'll probably be playing games tomorrow. not doing replies like a good rp partner. #i miss my video games. #in the meantime come bother me on discord #tbd

[fatiguing-thoughts]

“Natural” - Chapter 6 - Embry Call x Reader

New Introductions

 I woke to the sun shining through my windows. I look at my phone to check the time. 

9:00. I rub the sleepiness out of my eyes. I sit up in bed and recall the memories from last night. I look to my left, noticing the absence of Embry’s body from where it once was. My stomach sank a bit looking at the empty pillow. 

I get up and walk over to my desk, hoping there would be another note from Embry. Looking down, I see that there is.

Good morning bean,

I had to go on patrol but by the time you wake up I should be off. Call me when you wake up. I love you. I’d like for you to come over today. 

Love, 

Em

I smile down at the note, placing it with the previous one, hoping to keep a collection of them all. 

I walk down the stairs, grabbing some breakfast as I send Embry a text asking when to come over. 

I go upstairs to get dressed and ready for the day when Embry texted me back.

“Come at 11, my mom can’t wait to see you :)” 

I smile, send a quick response before tidying up the living room from last night’s game fiasco.  

I figure it was best to bring something to Embry’s house, but it was too late to really make anything. Something from the grocery store would have to do, I guess. 

I hop in my car and drive over to the store. I look around and decide to grab a fruit salad and a small cake. I check out at the register and head over to Embry’s. 

I pull up in front of his house, texting him to let him know I was here. 

As I unbuckle my seatbelt, I see his front door open and an excited Embry jogging over to my car. 

I smile at his goofy grin as he opens my door so I can get out of my car. 

“Hey there, bean.” He presses a kiss to my forehead, pulling me into his arms. 

“Hey, Em. You’re in a good mood.” I look up at his beaming face. 

“My mom is just really happy to see you, like super excited about it. This is the least amount of tension between us in a while.” He shrugs his shoulders. 

“I’m excited to see her, too. I’m glad things are calm with you guys right now.” I lean up and kiss his cheek. 

He gently grabs my hand, grabbing the stuff I brought with me in his other hand, and leads me into his house where I am welcomed by a warm Tiffany Call. 

“(Y/N)! I missed you so much.” She cooed, pulling me into a heartwarming hug. 

“Hi Mrs. Call, I missed you, too.” I smile into the hug. 

“(Y/N), please call me Tiffany. You know that.” She laughs. 

Embry and I sit down with her at the kitchen table. 

“So are you happy to be back in Forks?” Tiffany smiles at me.

“I’m so happy.” I grin back. 

“I’m so happy you’re back, Embry’s been so much happier since you’ve been back… Almost back to the old Embry.” She gives me a smile, this one hinting at some deeper sadness. 

I gave her an understanding smile, glancing over at Embry’s awkward face. 

“Yeah, I think all the guys are pretty thrilled to hang out again.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure.” She says meekly.

“So, (Y/N) brought fruit salad. Maybe we should eat some?” Embry offers. 

“Yeah.” Her spirits lift up.

“So, how have things been with you? How’s the souvenir shop?” I smile at her. 

“It’s good, it’s quiet. It’s just crazy how many bear attacks there have been lately, so a lot of people have been coming out less. Overall, I still enjoy the peace and quiet, I love First Beach.” Her warm eyes looking into mine. 

“It’s beautiful there, I can see why you love it.” 

I ignore the mention of bear attacks, unsure of how much I had to avoid for Embry’s sake. 

“Yeah, (Y/N) was pretty bummed to hear about the bear attacks, she loves hiking.” Embry remarks. 

“I know, I remember. You guys used to do it all the time.” She smiles, thinking about our younger years. 

“I wish I could still do it, maybe more in the winter.” I shrug with a soft smile. 

“That would work. I can’t believe how old you guys are now.” 

“It is nuts, huh?” Embry’s voice trails off. 

“So, I hear you guys are finally together?” She smiles, reaching out to grab my hand across the table. 

“Yeah.” I blush, smiling like an absolute dork.

I glance over at Embry’s blushing face, watching the corners of his soft lips curling into a beautiful smile.

“I’m so glad, I always knew you guys would be together.” She smiles, taking a piece of pineapple. 

I eat a piece of honeydew, trying to contain my giggle from escaping my lips. 

“Me too.” Embry smiled, causing my blush to only deepen. 

We sat around, chatting for another hour or so before she had to go to her shift at the store. 

“It was great to see you.” I smile, hugging her goodbye. 

“Of course, you’re always welcome, honey.” She pulls me in tighter, before giving Embry a kiss on his head as a goodbye. 

I smile and wave as she gets into her car and leaves, feeling Embry’s arm snake around my waist. 

“It was so nice to see her again.” I look up at him smiling. 

“It was, it was nice to see her happy instead of upset. She really loves you.” 

“I love her, too. I do. I’m happy you guys had a calm moment between you two.” I kiss his cheek. 

Embry pulls me back into his house, pulling me into yet another tight hug.

“Bean?” 

“Yeah?”

“Can we maybe, cuddle in my bed?” He looks down at me with those big, brown eyes. 

My heart fluttered in my chest every time his eyes melted into mine. 

“Of course, Em. Lead the way.” His hand held mine, walking us into his room. 

I look around, admiring how neat it was and how I imagined that it would be a bit more cluttered, especially since he was almost never home to clean it. 

“Did you clean your room because I was coming over today?” I smirk at him. 

“What?” A blush appears on his cheeks, causing me to giggle.

“That’s cute.” I walk over and sit on his bed. 

“I think you’re pretty cute, actually.” He plops down next to me, pulling me into his lap. 

“Oh, that so?” I raise an eyebrow at him. 

“Very much so.” He presses a kiss to my nose. 

It quickly became very apparent to the both of us that the way we were sitting was a bit more suggestive than we originally intended. I had my arms around his neck, straddling his lap. His arms holding my ribs. 

After a moment of silence, a deep blush appeared upon his cheeks, mine mirroring his. 

I leaned in, pressing a kiss to his soft lips. Surprisingly, he deepened it, allowing me to make out with him. His hands traveled a bit lower, holding my waist, and then eventually my hips. 

I moved into him, bringing myself closer. I began to feel his… “excitement” growing. 

After about a minute, Embry brought his hands back up to my waist, pulling away from the kiss. 

“Sorry.” He chuckled. 

“It’s okay. I understand.” I blush, laughing softly. 

“I just, I’m trying really hard to take it slow. You just make it very difficult.” He licks his lips.

“I think it’s you who makes it difficult for me.” I tease, smiling at his sweet eyes. 

He picks me up by my waist and places me next to him once more. He lays down on the bed, patting the spot next to him. 

I lay down next to him, bringing myself closer to his chest, inhaling his scent. 

“It’s nice to have you here, in my arms. I like feeling you so close to me.” He kisses the top of my head. 

“It feels like home.” I smile into his chest. 

He grabs his phone out of his pocket and begins to shuffle our shared playlist, causing me to smile further like an idiot. 

All of a sudden, my thoughts circled back to last night. 

“How was patrol? Did you get it?” I ask, looking up into his eyes. 

He let out a frustrated sigh as he looked down at my face. 

“No, she got away. Then Paul and Emmett got into it.” He pursed his lips together. 

“Emmett?” I ask.

“Emmett Cullen. He came onto our land trying to catch the leech.” 

“Was everyone okay?” I ask, a bit worried. 

“Yeah, of course. Nothing bad. But we missed the redhead.” 

“I’m sorry.” I give him a sad smile. 

“We just don’t get why she keeps coming around, we have Bella protected at all times between the Cullens and us.” 

“She’s after Bella?” I ask, more worried. 

“Yeah. The shit that Edward gets her thrown into. Then Jake gets involved, which involves us.” He rolls his eyes. 

“Damn. I’m sorry, Embry.” I look into those deep brown eyes again. 

“It’s alright. We’ll be okay. I have another thing to fight for now. Just some more motivation to get rid of her quicker.” He kisses my forehead. 

I blush at his words, realizing how real they truly are. 

“What time is her graduation party tomorrow?” I ask, trying to lighten the subject. 

“We should get there at like 7:30.” He smiles, appreciating the lighter mood. 

“Do you have patrol tonight?” I ask.

“Yeah, I do. I’m gonna hang out with you the rest of the day, first of course.” He kisses my forehead, making me smile.

“Em?” 

“Yeah?” He pulls back to look me in the eyes once again. 

“Could you maybe, show me more like Paul said? You guys say you’re really strong and fast. I just… I wanna see. I need to know you’ll be okay.” I blush. 

“Oh bean. I can show you. Maybe you can meet everyone in that form, just to get acquainted with it. We can start with Jake and Quil today if you’d like? And whoever else is hanging around at Sam’s.” 

“Yeah, I’d like that. I wanna know that you guys are safe.” 

“I understand. We can head over there. Just after I get to hold my girl a little bit longer.” He smirks, pulling me close again. 

I couldn’t stop the heat from rushing to my cheeks when Embry called me his girl. I couldn’t stop the butterflies from fluttering throughout my stomach. I couldn’t stop the chills from running up my spine. 

I felt his hands stroking through my hair for a few minutes, causing me to fall asleep. 

I woke up not long after, looking around the room to remember where I was. I looked up at Embry’s sleeping face, and it brought a smile upon my own. 

Damn, how could I get so lucky? 

I took my phone out, snapping a picture of Embry, as he looked just so sweet. 

“Whatcha doing there, babe?” He chuckles, waking up. 

I guess my movement woke him up. 

“You just look so cute.” 

“Thank you, I still think you’re cuter. What time is it?” He asks, rubbing his eyes.

“A little after five.” I put my phone back in my pocket after checking the time. 

“We should go to Sam’s. We’ll see who’s there to show you some stuff, then I’ll patrol from there.” He smiles, kissing my forehead before beginning to sit up. 

“Okay.” I follow suit, grabbing my keys off his dresser. 

We head over to my car, getting in and going on our merry way. 

Upon our arrival to Sam’s house, Embry lets out a “whoop” to announce his arrival. 

We walk in, only to be greeted with an excited Emily and some of the guys sitting at her kitchen table. I look around to see Paul, Quil, and Jared. 

“Hey, (Y/N). Finally, another girl.” She smiles, letting out an exhale of relief. 

“Hi Emily, it’s great to see you.” I smile back at her, returning the hug she approached me for. 

“So boys, (Y/N) wants to see a little bit of us doing our thing, thanks to Paul.” He directs his gaze at Paul. 

“Well, I think it’d be fun.” Paul grins. 

“I guess so. You don’t believe we’re as cool as we say or something?” Quil teases. 

“You caught me.” I smirk in his direction. 

“Maybe Quil and Paul could wrestle for you. If it won’t scare you.” Jared teases. 

“I imagine that might be a bit frightening. But I wanna know how it works, all of it. I wanna see what I’ve been hearing about.” I look down at my feet. 

“Good idea, Jared. Instead, you and Paul can wrestle. Embry and I will stand there looking pretty, that way (Y/N) doesn’t piss her pants. She’s a scaredy-cat, you know.” He laughs.

“Oh I am so not.” I retaliate. 

“Can you walk around your house in the dark yet?” Quil raises his eyebrows at me. “Shut up.” I hiss, laughing. 

The boys all smile before heading outside, Emily following us. 

“Don’t be scared, nobody is gonna hurt you. Okay?” Embry looks me in the eyes. 

I nod and he presses a kiss to my cheek before he and the rest of the guys go behind the brush to strip down. 

“I assume you’re used to all this?” I ask, turning to Emily. 

“Oh yeah. It was nuts at first, but you get used to it. When they get into scuffles I used to get so scared. Now, I just wait for them to come ask me for food after.” She giggles. 

I then heard shuffling in the bushes, and some snarls coming from behind them. They made their way out to the clearing. 

I look around, trying to figure out who is who. I notice Embry immediately. 

He walks over and nuzzles his head into my shoulder, causing me to smile. 

“The dark silver one is Paul, Jared is the light brown and grey one with some grey on his face, and Quil is the one who looks like chocolate.” She smiles. 

Just then, they ran past me. I felt the air whoosh around me, almost knocking me over. 

I smiled, amazed at how fast they were. 

“Paul and Jared might play around, wrestle a bit to show you.” She warns. 

I nod, looking them in the eye, and then back at Embry and Quil as they walk over to Emily and I’s side. Quil standing to the left of Emily and Embry almost shielding me from any potential damage. 

And that’s when Jared and Paul look at me and nod, before returning the same gesture to each other. 

I heard a puff before seeing Paul fly at Jared. I heard the growls and snarls, felt the ground move from their enormous bodies. 

I have to admit, my heart raced hearing it, let alone watching it. Embry must’ve noticed as he moved his head closer to my body, trying to comfort me. 

I look at him, feeling safety wash over me. I nod my head at him and suddenly Paul and Jared stopped. He must’ve told them in their mental link to stop. 

All four boys went back behind the trees again to shift back. 

I look at Emily with wide eyes. 

“Wow.” I say, in disbelief at just how huge they were. How fast, how strong.

“I know.” She smiles. 

They all run back, Embry’s hands finding my waist faster than I could blink.

“So, you impressed yet?” Paul laughs. 

“Yeah, I’ll say so.” I look at him, smirking. 

“Bet it was more than you thought.” Quil nudges my shoulder.

“Yeah, I don’t know what I thought. Embry only showed me his wolf form, didn’t show me any of the extra stuff.” I chuckle. 

“Well, I didn’t wanna overwhelm you.” He kisses the top of my head.

“You look like you handled it well.” Jared claps me on the back.

“Yeah, it was pretty cool.” I smile. 

“Jesus, you’re so good with weird.” Embry shakes his head in disbelief. 

“Well in my defense, you, Jake, and Quil have been my best friends since childhood. I had to be good with weird from the start.” I poke his side. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Embry laughs into my ear. 

“Okay, let’s get you boys something to eat before you go on patrol.” Emily ushers us inside. 

“Can’t argue with that.” Quil laughs, running past me into the house. 

Embry and I follow them all inside, his arm never leaving my waist. 

“(Y/N) would you like anything to eat before they inhale it all?” Emily offers me, stirring the pot of pasta. 

“Sure, just a little bit. Thank you.” I smile at her. 

We all ate, hanging out and talking before Sam came through the door. 

“Hello there, babe.” He says as he walks into Emily’s arms, leaving kisses all over her face.

Following Sam was a tired looking Jacob, Seth, and Leah. They all came in and began eating. 

“Okay guys, get on out there it’s your turn.” Sam directs. 

Almost immediately Embry, Quil, Jared, and Paul get up from the table. “I’ll see you tonight or tomorrow, okay? Leave your window open.” Embry says to me, kissing me on the forehead goodbye. 

“Okay.” I smile at him. 

They all rushed out of the house and disappeared into the treeline. 

“Hey, Leah.” I smile.

“Hey. How’s it going?” She asks, taking a break from eating. 

“Pretty good. What’re you up to tonight?” I ask. 

“Not much. Got something in mind?” She turns to look at me. 

“I just wanted to see if you’d wanna watch movies at my house.” I smile. 

“Sure. Sounds good.” 

I turn to Emily and offer to help her clean up dinner.

“You don’t have to.” She smiles, trying to make me sit down. 

“No, I want to. You do this all the time, I should help you.” I get up anyway and walk over to the sink. 

About an hour later, Leah comes back to my house with me. 

We talk about the Sam and Emily thing a bit more, I try to comfort her as best as possible.

“It’s nothing that can be fixed, unless I imprint. God I would even take that just to make myself happy.” She sighs.

“Your person will come, and they’ll blow Sam out of the water.” I give her a soft smile. 

“Thank you. It feels nice to talk to a girl for once.” She chuckles. 

And that was it. Leah wasn’t one for too much talking, so we turned to the movies after that. 

After two movies, she decides to head out and I go into my room, bidding my father a goodnight on the way. 

I walk over to my window and leave it open as Embry requested before walking to my bed and laying down. 

I send Jacob a meme I found on twitter about cars before dropping my phone on the nightstand next to my bed. 

Before I knew it, I was passed out. 

In the middle of my deep slumber, I heard someone outside my window. I initially panicked, only to realize that it was probably Embry. The fear of someone being outside my window at three in the morning subsided at the thought of him. 

I walk over to the window, seeing his beautiful face looking back up at me. I smile down at him. 

He quickly jumps into the tree by my window, and then into my window. 

“Jeez Em, I didn’t realize you mastered parkour.” I laugh.

“Just for you, bean.” He laughs, hugging me hello. 

I yawn, almost limp in Embry’s warm embrace. 

“Let’s get you into bed.” He kisses the top of my head before picking me up and walking us back to my bed. 

I nuzzle myself further into his warm chest. 

“How was patrol?” I ask. 

“Uneventful. That’s a good thing, though.” He chuckles, his voice raspy and riddled with sleepiness. 

“That is a good thing.” I yawn again. 

“I love you, bean.” 

“I love you too, Em.” 

I press a light kiss to his chest, to only be pulled closer. I smile before I once again enter a peaceful slumber. 

______________________ Word Count: 3427

 I  II  III  IV  V  VI  VII  VIII  VIIII  X  XIR XIE  XII  XIII  XIV  XV XVI  XVII  XVIII  XIIII

#embry call #embry call x reader #embry call fanfiction #embry call imagine #Quil Ateara #leah clearwater #paul lahote #Jared Cameron #seth clearwater #jacob black #sam uley #collin littlesea #brady fuller #wolf pack x reader #wolf pack #twilight x reader #twilight #twilight imagine #twilight fanfic

[heavcnslyre]

ricky bowen x reader second series!! part one

— (continuation) starstruck au!

first series | series masterlist, part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, part nine, part ten

IN WHICH you cherish the last few days you have with ricky before he leaves for california.

WARNINGS n / a

NOTES first part of my new series!!!! super cheesy but it’s sweet hope you enjoy!!

text dividers from @writeyourmindaway

lowercase intended

( tags: @hesvoid34 @omgdani17 )

you smiled at ricky’s last message and clicked your phone off, cuddling back into your sheets. ricky had been staying with you the past few days and it was nice to be able to spend time with him, but he was leaving tomorrow. you constantly thought about how different it’s going to be— with him in california and you in new york. you lived such different lives: you were a high school senior in a random city in new york and he was a famous singer in los angeles, california. you were nervous to be away from him for so long, but you knew it wasn’t forever.

you had almsot drifted off to sleep again when you heard your bedroom door open and close. you opened your eyes and peeped over at ricky, who grinned at you when you made eye contact.

“good morning,” he said. he was carrying a box of donuts which he set on your bed close to your feet.

“morning!” you replied cheerfully as you sat up and grabbed the box. he sat on the bed carefully next to you. you pulled out a jelly filled donut.

“i am going to make such a mess on my bed,” you commented, powder already falling from your donut onto the sheets. he laughed and grabbed a glazed donut.

“no surprise there.”

you laughed and took a bite of your donut. after a minute, you turned to him. “what should we do today?”

“hm,” he thought for a moment. “good question.”

“i wish it wasn’t your last day here,” you said. “i have to go back to real life when you leave.”

ricky laughed. “yeah, it’s really been a nice escape, being here with you.”

you snuggled back into your blankets and looked up at him. “you could just stay. my whole family loves you, sure it’d be fine.”

“you know i would if i could,” he brushed your hair behind your ear. “i guess i have a career to get to, though.”

you hummed. “yeah. guess that’s sort of important, huh?”

“i guess,” he said. “you’re more important though, obviously.”

you smiled and grabbed his hand, tracing lines on it. “will you be recording ‘common sense’ when you get back?”

“of course,” ricky grinned. “i’ll release it as soon as possible.”

“i want to be the first to hear the recorded version.”

“well, it is about you, so sure.”

the two of you sat and talked for a while before you heard a knock on the door. you told them to come in and camilla peeked her head in the door.

“oh— uh, hi. sorry,” she said nervously. she had started to get used to the fact that you were dating ricky, but she was still a huge fan of his and wasn’t quite used to seeing him in her little sisters bed.

“hey cam. what’s up?” you asked.

“mom and dad wanted me to let you know we’re going to go out and get dinner tonight since ricky’s leaving tomorrow,” she said ricky’s name somewhat nervously, as if she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to address him casually.

“sounds great,” ricky smiled at camilla. she smiled back, in a you’re-my-sisters-boyfriend-and-i-think-i-approve type way. you nudged the box of donuts with your foot.

“donuts, if you want some.”

she peeked in the box. “any jelly filled?”

“should be a couple more in there,” ricky said. she grabbed one from the box.

“thanks guys. i’m thinking about going to a few shops today with my friend, if you wanted to tag along,” she said as she moved to the door. you looked at ricky and he shrugged.

“yeah, sure. just let us know when you’re going,” you said and camilla nodded before leaving your room. you turned to ricky.

“i think she’s getting used to having you here.”

he nodded. “definitely an improvement from when i came over after the dance.”

you laughed at the memory. when you returned home that day with ricky, ashlyn, and big red, you swore that camilla’s eyes popped out of her head. her face was red the whole time she spoke to him and she rambled on and on. of course, ricky listened and didn’t mind, but you thought her behavior was funny. shes usually so confident, and seeing her nervous was weird for you. you were just glad that she was getting used to him now and that they got along. you weren’t sure what you would do if your family didn’t like him.

“you ready to go?” your mom asked, walking into the living room where you and ricky were watching a movie. you looked over at her and nodded.

“yeah. are we driving together or seperate?”

your mom shrugged. “you guys can drive seperate, if you want. cam’s meeting us there.”

“okay,” you turned to ricky. “you wanna drive or should i?”

“do you really want to drive?” ricky asked teasingly. you laughed and rubbed your eyes.

“maybe not. maybe you should,” he laughed and stood up, offering you a hand. you grabbed it and pulled yourself up.

“what restaurant is it we’re going to?” ricky asked your mom.

“applebee’s on third street. (y/n) knows where it is if you can’t find it.”

“okay, awesome.”

ricky grabbed his keys and the two of you left right behind your parents. ricky rested his hand on your leg and you scrolled through your phone. as you were on twitter, a thought popped into your mind.

“hey ricky? can i ask you something?”

“of course.”

“when do you think you’ll say something about us being together?” you asked gently, in a tone that hopefully portrayed that you weren’t mad, just curious. he thought for a second.

“maybe when i release common sense?” he suggested, glancing over at you. “i feel like by then things will be calmed down enough and i can be truthful about who it’s about.”

you grabbed his hand and intertwined your fingers. “that’s perfect.”

“so, ricky,” your dad asked as you were sitting at the restaurant. “do you have anything you’re working on when you get back to california?”

ricky hummed. “i actually have an album in the works and theres potential for a role in a movie as well. but i’m also going to be focusing on spending time on myself and people i care about.”

you and ricky made eye contact and you smiled. you had had a conversation about how he puts too much on his plate and that he needed to focus on doing what he wanted to do, and he really took that to heart. he planned to spend more time writing his music and he was only going to do this movie if it felt right for him.

“that’s a great plan,” your dad said. “i’m excited to see how you do in the future.”

“thank you, mr. (y/l/n), that really means a lot to me,” he said. “when do you think you guys will make it out to california next?”

“definitely the summertime,” your mom said. “i’d love if we could go sooner but... going across the country isn’t necessarily a weekend trip.”

“yeah, i get that,” ricky laughed. “summers not too far, though!”

“yeah, in the meantime you can just take a drive to glendale and become best friends with my grandma,” you teased. ricky laughed.

“very true.”

the five of you sat and talked at dinner for over an hour, and your family got to know ricky. it was really nice to see them getting along. eventually, you all decided it was time to leave and let other people have your table. as you were walking out in the parking lot, ricky turned to your parents.

“i think (y/n) and i will go for a bit of a drive, if that’s alright?” he asked. your dad nodded and checked his watch.

“sure thing. just drive careful and be back before 12?”

“awesome, thanks!” ricky said and the two of you walked hand-in-hand back to your car.

“so, where are we going?” you asked as you got into the passengers seat.

“just for a drive. nowhere specific. besides, i know nothing about your city. we might get lost.”

you laughed. “this city isn’t that big. but getting lost is not that big of a deal. we’ll figure it out.”

“i’ve said this before— no one i’d rather get lost with than you,” ricky said, then grinned at you. you grinned back and grabbed his hand.

“right back at you.”

you and ricky ended up getting ice cream then finding a park to walk around in. but then, you quickly realized that it was new york in the middle of january, and you were freezing. you sat in the car together, sitting and talking as you looked at the stars. you had learned a lot about each other recently and you just continued to learn new things about him. you were able to pick up on little things he did; like run his hand through his hair when he was talking a lot and how his ears turned red when he got embarrassed.

ricky drove the two of you back to your house right around 11:30. everyone was asleep, as you assumed they would be. you made your way upstairs and into bed and ricky slipped in next to you, a few minutes later. you cuddled up next to him and he wrapped his arms around you.

“i’m going to miss this when you leave,” you sighed. he held you tighter.

“yeah. me too.”

“are you sure you have everything?” you asked ricky nervously, handing him one of his bags at the airport. your parents had left to go look at some of the shops to let you say goodbye. he gave you a light smile.

“yes. and if i forgot anything, you can just mail it to me. or, we can use it as an excuse to see each other sooner,” you laughed.

“are you sure you’ll be okay flying by yourself? are you comfortable?” you asked, he lifted your chin so you would look him in the eye.

“love, i’ll be fine. don’t worry,” your face softened and you leaned in to kiss him. he moved his arms to your waist and you moved yours to around his neck. when you pulled back, you rested your forehead against his.

“i can’t believe you’re going to be across the country from me, and in a different time zone,” you said. he rubbed your back.

“i know. but i’ll call you, everyday. call, not just text. and... i’ll update you on everything i’m working on, my songs, the movie, whatever.”

you nodded and pulled away from him. “just... take care of yourself, ricky. and don’t find another girl to be with in california.”

“trust me, i won’t,” he laughed. “my heart is here, with you.”

“so cheesy,” you teased. ricky rolled his eyes fondly.

“flight 258 to los angeles, california is now boarding!” you heard over the loud speakers. you sighed.

“guess you should go,” you said.

“guess i should.”

you smooth out his sleeves distractedly. “text me as soon as you land, okay? and say hi to big red for me, and your parents.”

“i will. my parents are excited to meet you for real, soon.”

“i’m excited to meet them. june, hopefully. then you, me, red and ashlyn will be altogether again. that’ll be nice.”

“yeah it will be! and i can finally show you more of california. it’ll be great,” you nodded.

“okay, enough of these cheesy goodbyes. no ones dying. facetime me later, i’ll see you soon.”

you kissed him again quickly and he turned to get to his gate as the warning was called for his flight. you sighed as you watched him leave. before he walked onto his plane, he turned around and waved at you. you waved back, a big smile on your face, and he turned to walk onto his plane. as he disappeared from your vision, your parents and camilla approached you.

“he board his plane?” your dad asked. you nodded.

“you okay?” camilla asked you gently. you looked over and nodded. she put her arm around your shoulder. “c’mon. lunch is on me.”

#ricky bowen starstruck au #high school musical the musical the series #hsmtmts #olivia rodrigo #ashlyn caswell #bowen #joshua bassett #ricky #ricky bowen x reader #drivers license #hsm the series #ricky bowen headcanons #ricky bowen

[sdmnluvs]

Home Town Glory- Minishaw

Disclaimer!! I know that Simon is in a very happy relationship with Talia! It’s just for entertainment purposes and to let me practice my writing. This is also posted on my Wattpad!

28 years old and he misses home more than ever. That's why he's walking the streets of Hemel Hempstead at quarter past 11 on a Friday night.

It wasn't his plan when he woke up this morning. But he had fucked up, told Harry he loved him and when Harry just stared at him he fled the flat in record worthy time.

Got back to his own flat with ignoring Harry's missed calls and texts. Grabs a bag and packs a weekends worth of clothes as Jj enters his room confused.

"You alright there Simon?" He asks dumbly as the taller runs to the bathroom to grab his toothbrush. "I-I fucked up, going home for the weekend!" He says, pulls out his phone to call an Uber. He doesn't care if it's expensive, would spend every dime in his bank account if it meant he didn't have to look at the pity his friends would throw him when they found out what he had done.

"Did something happen with Harry? Did you guys break up?" Jj asks shock evident in his voice. Everyone was sure that they were a stable couple. Maybe looks really can be deceiving.

"I need to clear my head for a while Jide, if Harry comes please don't tell him where I am," Simon says before grabbing his bag and leaving Jj standing in bedroom. Heard the door close and the younger doesn't know what to do.

But he listens to what Simon said. When Harry shows up half an hour later with tears in his eyes it takes all of his might to say that he doesn't know where Simon is. Says me might have gone to visit Josh.

It's evil really, Jj decides when Harry leaves his sitting room with a look of determination on his face. He's sending the poor boy on a wild goose chase for what? Jj doesn't even know what happened between the both of them. For all he knows Simon could be in the wrong here. He had said that he fucked up.....

But by the time he comes to the decision that he should ask Harry what happened the brunet is long gone and he curses to himself. Feels even worse when he realizes that Josh will probably send Harry to Tobi's to check, then Tobi will send him to Randys and Randy will send him back to the flat.

Simon calls him 2 hours later. He's sat in his old room and trying not to cry. "So what happened?" Jj never did have the best patience, Simons surprised he's waited this long.

"I overreacted I guess," the blond sighs. "I told Harry that I loved him. He just stared at me for a straight minute. I couldn't deal with it Jide so I ran. I ran as fast and as far away as I could. Sure I only made it about 27 miles away from home but I couldn't deal with the pity when I told you. I just thought, it's been a year and I've loved him for long. But I guess that it was too soon".

Simon explains it all and Jj listens. Doesn't interrupt just let's Simon talk and it feels nice. Once he's finished talking Jj comforts him. Tells him to go for a walk even though it's 8pm and the sun is going to set soon. Also tells him that Harry definitely loves him back. "He was probably shocked Simon. Give him time. Just go relax, hey go to that park you used to drag me to every Sunday!".

And Simon follows his advice. Tells his mum that he's going to pub to see a few of his old friends. He doesn't need her worrying about him anymore than she already is. So he heads out. Goes for a walk around the town.

Meanwhile Jj sighs when he hears the door knock again. Knows that it's either Josh about to give out to him for sending Harry round his when he knew exactly where the blond was because Tobi had already called him and gave out to him. Or it's Harry back, probably just as deflated as he was this morning.

Opens the door and he's not shocked to see Harry stood in front of him. Bit more shocked that Ethan is stood with him. Arm wrapped around the youngers shoulder. He's smiling sadly and Harry's a puddle of tears.

Jj opens the door wider and rushes both of them in. They all sit down on the couch and Harry won't let go of Ethan's arm as he re-tells the story of his day.

"I-I was shocked Jide, I didn't expect him to say it. I called him back, must've called his name 20 times but it was too late. He was gone. Cal wouldn't let me go until I had told him that happened. I never got the chance to tell him that I love him too. I got to yours as fast as I could. Then you told me to go to Josh and he wasn't there.

Freya convinced me to have a cup of tea and some breakfast. I didn't want to tell them why I was there but you know what Freya's like. They gave me some comforting words and then Josh said that he might be at Tobi's. So I went to Tobi's but he wasn't there. I stayed for a while, talked to Tobi to calm down.

Our last resort was that he was at Randys. But he wasn't. Randy made me eat again, told me that he'd probably of gone back to the flat by now. But that I should maybe leave him until tomorrow. I agreed and was heading home but I couldn't face it. The thought that I'd lost Simon forever. Like our relationship had started and ended in my flat.

Ethan was the closest person to me at that stage. Told the taxi driver to turn around...," he trails off tears falling faster and harder. Ethan throws a comforting arm around him and finishes the story for the younger.

"I tried to calm him down but it was no use. That's when I realized that maybe big man knowledge, strength, Integrity would know where Simon is by now!" Ethan says his eyes cold and narrow when he says Integrity and Jj knows that he's in for it.

He loves Simon he really does, he's his best friend but Harry's sat in their living room crying an actual river and Ethan's glaring at him as much as to say "Tell him the truth or else".

"He's away home for the weekend. I'm sorry Harry, I promised him I wouldn't tell you," but Harry isn't even mad. He lets go of Ethan for the first time since he entered the flat and hugs Jj as tightly as he can.

"Jide please, we have to go. I'll do anything, I'll, I'll-"

Jj stops him, the least he can do is drive the three of them to Hertfordshire as an apology to Harry. Even though it's 10pm and he has a meeting at 8am tomorrow. The things he does for his friends.

So here Simon is. Quarter past 11 on a Friday night. He had actually popped into the local pub. Met a few of his old friends and downed 2 pints. Laughed and laughed and laughed as they re-told childhood stories. Listens as they catch him up on everything he had missed the past 8 years not living at home.

Sure his mum had kept him up to date and he had come home every so often but he'd never found the time to catch up with old friends. Looks around the room and wonders if he had never left what would life be like?

Would he be sat here with the same group of friends every Friday night making memories to last a lifetime. Would Jide be KSI or would he be sat here right next to him. Would he of met a nice girl from the town and be married already. Would he of made memories?

Thinks and remembers that he's made memories to last a lifetime. He's met people, he's met his friends, he's met Harry. The love of his life and suddenly it's all too much. The walls of the pub are closing in on him. He thanks them for the laughs and memories but he's gotta go. Promises them that he'll come home again, with Jj this time and they'll make even more memories.

He looks back and smiles seeing them all doubled over in laughter over something one of them had said. He wants to say that he escaped but there was never really anything to escape. Everyone that stayed is happy. They're all content with their lives. And so is he. He took a different route that's all.

Left the pub and heads off in the direction of the park Jj had mentioned. He had wanted to leave it for last. Let's his mind wander as he wanders around the streets.

Passes by a group of teenagers shrieking in laughter, empty bottle of vodka in their hands and he has to smile. Because that used to be him, running through the same streets when he was younger. Drunk, young and free.

He's so engrossed that he almost walks into a woman. She asks if he's lost because she's never seen him around here. He shakes his head, tells her that he's not lost, just wandering around home. She leaves him be and he keeps going.

Arrives at the park and heads straight to the field. Lies down and watches the stars. Let's the day wash over him and he can't help but smile as he remembers the first time he ever went star gazing was with Harry.

Jj knocks on the door. Simons mum opens the door and she's so happy to see Jj. Welcomes him inside but Jj asks if Simons around. She can hear the desperation in his voice and tells him that he went down to the pub to met a few of the lads.

So the 3 of them leave. They enter and nobody bats and eyelid at them. Jj instantly spots the group of people that Simon should be with, it's just, he's nowhere to be seen. Swears under his breath as he approaches the table.

Taps one of the boys on the shoulder and he turns grinning. "When we told Simon to hurry back with you we didn't mean this soon!" The man laughs and stands up to hug Jj.

He laughs weakly "it's really nice to see you James, but do you have any idea where Simon is?". The man now known as James to Harry and Ethan shakes his head. Explains how he left 20 minutes ago, adds that he looked like he had been doing a lot of thinking. Jj thanks him and they leave,

"So we're back to square 1?" Ethan asks as Harry lets a sob rip from his mouth. "This is all my fault, I shouldn't of been such a prick today," he cries as Ethan hugs him.

"It's ok Bog, let's just head back to his, he'll be home-," Jj starts but then stops. He has a shit eating grin on his face. "I know where he is!".

They all pile into Jj's car once again and 5 minutes later they're pulling up to a park. "Simon used to drag me here every Sunday, I told him to visit here when I was talking to him earlier as a joke," Jj explains as they exit the car and head to the field.

And that's where they spot him. Lying in the grass eyes closed and mouth turned upwards in a smile. Harry walks closer as Ethan and Jj hang back.

"Si?" Harry asks shyly and the body shoots up. Looks around and all air leaves his body because Harry is inching closer to him with a nervous smile on his face. Simon can't take it, not whilst he's at home, in his safe place.

"Harry, please not-," but Harry cuts him off. "Simon please, just listen to me I beg. You don't understand what I've done to get here!". So Simon stays quiet.

"Si I was shocked when you told me that you loved me. Ever since I met you I was convinced that I'd never be enough for you. I was just a 17 year old kid with insecurities that would've drowned me when I first met you. But you, as cringy as it sounds you taught me how to love myself. I was finally in the shallow end when I moved in with Cal and Cal and I started drinking a lot, when the drugs started.

But you were there. Every single time I relapsed you where there. On bad nights that I was tempted you made me watch a shitty movie with you. And even though I hate movies I watched them with you. You supported me when I came out. And then you kissed me when we where in Vegas for Jides fight. A week later we had our first date in London and you weren't embarrassed of me. You held my hand as we walked home and you asked me to be your boyfriend and I said yes. Because I loved you. You kept me afloat, Simon I have loved you since I was 18, too young to know what love is as mum always said. But I loved you. And I still do.

And I'm sorry that I left you standing there waiting for an answer today. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that you loved me, you love me just as much as I love you! And I would've been able to tell you all of this this morning but Cal held me back and then Jide sent me on a goose chase like a whole twat.

So I'm sorry Si, I love you. A lot more than the moon and stars combined,". And Simons stood staring at him, tears falling down his face. Because holy fucking shit. Harry loved him as much as he loved Harry. Didn't even think as he tackled him into a hug. Kissed him deeply and had every unspoken word added to it.

And Harry seemed to just know because when they pulled away he hugged him tighter. They turn to their 2 cheering friends before Simon leans down to kiss him again.

Because he had Harry. Harry was his, the love of his life. "I even love you enough for the first time I tell you to be in Hertfordshire," Harry giggles and Simon grins at him. "Hometown glory I guess,". And then Simon kisses him again

#harry lewis #wrotoshaw #simon minter #miniminter #Minishaw #w2s #fanfic #tumblr won’t let me #break up the paragraphs #sorry it’s all a blob

[a-dose-of-harold]

Once in a Lifetime: Chapter 20

Once in a Lifetime: A Harry Styles AU Imagine Series

I’m sorry that I haven’t updated for years; took me a while to find motivation and finally put what in my mind into words… so I hope you enjoy it!

All the love.xx

Chapter 20: The Muse

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

October 2019: Barcelona, Spain (Memories)

Zayn’s POV

It was the fifth morning of our vacation. The golden sunlight peaking through our resort curtains had woken me up from my deep sleep. I tightened my eyes and winced from the slight soreness in my arms and thighs. I felt her body next to mine and my heart skip a beat.

Flashbacks from last night with Y/N hit me and a smile slowly crept across my face; it was a night that I know I will always remember. The romance, the passion, the love… all of it was new to me. I honestly never had felt this strong about anyone in my life.

Last night I realized that I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with her and it hasn’t even been a year.

I slowly inhaled and then exhaled as I opened my eyes. I looked over to my right to see Y/N sleeping peacefully on her stomach with her arms tucked under her pillows. The sun was hitting her body so perfectly and God, did she look flawless.

I slipped out of bed, pulled on my boxers and quietly tiptoed over to my bag and pulled out my sketch book and pencil set and began drawing her.

I have traveled all around the world, seen countless beautiful artwork and sculptures, visited the most amazing places and heard various pieces of music that changed my life… but nothing was a breath-taking as Y/N.

I drew every detail of her body that I could see; I added shadows, highlights, and even drew the texture of her hair that rested so perfectly down her back and along the pillow as she slept. Her steady breathing helped me focus as I worked my hands across the paper. I felt so at ease in her presence. She knew that I love to draw and paint her here and there, but she had no idea that I had began a small collection of just pieces that all pertain to her in my studio. She was my muse. She brought out this side of me that I never knew I had. She believed in me and always encouraged me to keep drawing and painting because she whole heartedly believed that one day someone will recognize my talents.

About an hour and half passed and I had finally finished, I smiled to myself as I tucked my drawing back into my bag and crawled in bed next to her and trailed butterfly kisses up her bare back and across her shoulders.

“Morning Zayn,” She whispered, eyes still closed. She snuggled her body closer to mine as she pulled the top sheet to cover us.

“Morning babe,” I grinned as I wrapped my arms around her naked body and kissed the top of her head.

She suddenly rolled over her body on top of mine, slightly confusing me. She picked her head up and placed a kiss on my lips blindly and began trailing kisses down my neck and to the other side.

Ooh.

I moved my head to the side for her to have more access to my neck, “Love… We have a lot of things to do today.” I chuckled.

She paused her movements and picked up her head and peaked through one eye, “Are you saying no to my lazy morning advances?”

She tucked her bottom lip in between her teeth and smiled before she began kissing my jawline and neck.

How in the world am I suppose to say no?

“I’m not saying no, I’m just… saying… that… we have a lot to do… today.” I breathlessly replied.

“Mmmm please, I want you,” She mumbled against my ear.

I felt my cock twitch and flipped her over; a giggled escaped from her lips, one of my favorite sounds in the world.

“Guess last night wasn’t enough for you?” I placed a kiss on her lips then neck.

“I can never get enough of you,” She grinned as she ran her fingers through my hair and crashed her lips into mine.

Damn, I am so in love with her.

September 2020: Manhattan, New York City (Present Day)

Your POV

Liam and Sophia were gone on their week long honeymoon in the Fiji Islands. I had been working like crazy all week since Eleanor and I had received new patients and had to run them through a series of tests, study lab diagnostics, and extensive research to figure out the best course of action. I had been getting headaches every single day from the stress, which was stressing me out even more because I couldn’t focus and I needed a clear head when it came to making a decision that affects my patients’ outcomes.

On another note, Harry and I have been inseparable. He and I could barely stand a few hours without each other. It’s like nothing I have ever felt before.

A few nights ago, I was absolutely exhausted after work and so was he; he had called me around 10pm after he got out of the shower and wanted to say goodnight. I honestly didn’t mind that he wanted to sleep at his own since work had drained me that day and all I wanted to do was sleep. After we said our goodnights to each other and hung up, I settled in bed and tried to sleep.

But I couldn’t.

I kept tossing and turning and going crazy because I was so exhausted, I knew I was, but I couldn’t fall asleep. I then realized that ever since Harry and I started dating again we hadn’t really spent a night without each other. It had become second nature to us to just stay at one another’s, so tonight was the first night I had been without him since June. I had just seen Harry this morning and already I was missing him.

I looked at my clock to see it read 11:36pm. An hour had already passed and as tired as I was, I was willing to drive over to Harry’s. I groaned as I sat up and grabbed my phone.

Just as I was about to call my boyfriend, I heard the front door to my condo open and jumped.

Only two people have the key to my place besides the landlord: Liam- in case of an emergencies; and Harry. I crawled out of bed and peaked my head out of my door to see Harry walking towards my bedroom with a duffel bag over his shoulder.

“Hi,” He smiled as he dropped the bag and wrapped his arms around me, “I couldn’t sleep without you.”

I returned his hug and kissed his lips, “I couldn’t either, I was just about to call you to tell you I was coming over.”

Harry guided us to my bed and lightly pulled me down next to him, “I’ve missed you love.”

We both settled into each other’s arms and within two minutes we both drifted off to sleep.

- - - - -

It was the Friday night before Zayn’s art show, Eleanor and I coerced our boyfriends into a double date since Liam and Sophia were still not going to be back for another couple of days.

“Are we really going to see an old film while sitting on picnic blankets?” Louis groaned as Harry pulled up to Central Park. Central Park was hosting a movie night for lovers, they had a giant huge screen set up with popcorn stands, cotton candy machines, soda stands and boxes of candies. 

“It’s not that old Louis, there’s color.” Harry grinned as he turned off the car.

“If you’re going to be a sore sport tonight then just hail a cab and go home.” Eleanor rolled her eyes, she was getting irritated because she looked forward to tonight but Louis couldn’t stop complaining.

Louis immediately knew from her tone that he needed to shut up before he pissed her off again, “No, I’m sorry love, I want to be here!”

I stifled a giggle as I climbed out of Harry’s SUV.

Harry grabbed the two blankets he brought, handed one to Louis, as I laced his hand in mine. We found a nice spot on the grass which had a good view of the screen and as Eleanor and I set up the blankets, the boys went to buy drinks and snacks.

“Have I ever told you how cute you and Harry look together?” Eleanor grinned as she sat down next to me.

“Nope.” I crinkled my nose and shook my head.

“Well you two do look adorable, and the way he looks at you… so full of love…” She began.

“That’s how Louis looks at you.” I pointed out.

“Yeah?” Her eyes lit up.

“Of course! Come on Eleanor! I tell you all the time that Louis’ completely head over heels for you!” I nudged her shoulder with mine.

“I know he is! He actually… told me that he was ready for the next step,” Eleanor mumbled.

“What?!” I turned my body towards her with my jaw dropped, “He is?!”

“Shhhh!” She brought her finger up to her lips but couldn’t hide her smile.

“But I don’t know if he meant marriage though!”

“What else could it mean?” I chuckled, “You guys live together, have a dog together, pay bills together… didn’t he also co-sign on your car? What else could he possibly mean?” 

“I don’t know! I just don’t want to assume anything when it comes to Louis, you never know what the hell goes through his mind!” She shook her head.

“That’s true-,” I was going to say something else, but we saw the boys approaching us and changed the subject.

After the movie we decided to grab a late-night dinner at one of Louis’ favorite burger joints.

“So are you two going to Zayn’s art show tomorrow?” Louis asked as we ate.

“Yeah,” I took a sip of my beer, “I’m going there first, Harry’s going to come after he gets off work.”

Harry just nodded in agreement since he had food in his mouth.

“Yay! Can we go together Y/N? Niall and Louis are going to come straight from their meeting and I don’t want to show up alone.” Eleanor batted her eyelashes at me.

“Of course! You’re going to be the prettiest date there and that I’ve ever had.” I winked at her and she jokingly blushed.

“Heyyyyy!” Harry furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at me.

“What?” I took another bite of my burger.

“What about me? Am I not pretty?” Harry pouted.

“Do you want to be called pretty, Harold?” Louis laughed.

“Well… I…” Harry didn’t know how to respond.

“Face it Styles, you have nothing on me.” Eleanor stuck her tongue out and flipped her hair.

“I agree with her on this one Styles,” Louis grinned as he rubbed one of Eleanor’s forearms with his free hand.

I kept trying not to laugh at Harry’s pouty face but failed as I wiped my mouth.

“Well fine! I’ll find someone that thinks I’m pretty to take me tomorrow night.” He jokingly huffed.

“You do that and see what happens.” I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh! Do it! I want to see what happens!” Louis taunted us and Eleanor nodded with a big smile on her face.

I shot Harry a playful glare before I leaned over the table and placed a kiss on his lips.

“Ew! Stop!” Louis groaned.

When we finished the movie, we joined Andy, Niall, and Katherine at a nearby bar around 11pm and caught each other up with what’s been going on in each other’s lives all week, on top of stalking Liam’s and Sophia’s Facebook photos that they posted of their honeymoon.

- - - - - 

Saturday Morning (Day of Zayn’s Art Show/ Present Day)

Harry’s POV

Damn it.

I bent over to pick up the cookie pan I dropped, thank goodness there wasn’t anything in there.

“Harry! What’s going on with you today my dear?” Claudia asked.

“I’m just a bit anxious is all.” I mumbled as I placed the dirty pan into the sink.

“Anxious about what?” Claudia dried her hands and leaned on the counter next to me.

I exhaled loudly and motioned for Claudia to follow me into my office, not wanting the whole staff to hear what was bothering me.

Claudia and I took the seat next to me and waited patiently for me to talk.

“I’m just anxious because tonight Y/N and I are going to her ex-boyfriend’s art show… he’s a new rising artist. I saw an article of him in the New York Times this morning about how his pieces are suppose to be beautiful… and I don’t know… I’m just over thinking a lot of things.” I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger and leaned back against the chair.

Claudia’s face softened, “Harry… what are you worried about? That she will go back to him?”

“Yes.” I finally admitted.

“Harry… but she chose you, did she not?”

I sighed again, “What if tonight she realizes it was a mistake? What if she sees how well his art work is doing and-”

“Is that the type of woman you think she is?” Claudia cocked her head to the side.

“No but-”

“Ah no buts,” Claudia held up a hand, “Imagine if she heard you thinking these things about her, as if you don’t trust her love for you.”

“I know… it’s why I’ve been a mess all morning, I feel like a terrible boyfriend for thinking that she would go back to him and my head is just spinning with crazy thoughts because I’m going to be half an hour late to the show tonight because we have that order.” I pulled the hair tie out of my messy bun and fixed it to make it look more neat.

“I understand where you’re coming from because I don’t want you getting hurt dear, but you are just going to make things worst if you worry about things that aren’t worth stressing over. She was with him and then even after 10 years she was still in love with you, I’m sure she loves you just as much as you love her… so please don’t worry so much.”

“I know, I know, you’re right Claudia. Thank you for talking to me. I’ve been keeping it to myself all day.” I cleared my throat.

“Yeah just take a few minutes alone and clear you head! Go for a walk or something! We have a lunch rush coming soon and we have to finish that cake before you leave,” Claudia stood up and straightened her pants before she put her hand on my shoulder and slightly shook it, “You’re an amazing person Harry, I’m sure her ex-boyfriend is good guy, but she chose you for a reason, believe in that reason.”

I grabbed my phone, wallet and pulled off my hairnet as I exited the kitchen and told Candice that I would be back in an hour.

I hailed a cab and gave him the address to Niall’s office as I clicked on his name in my phone.

Niall’s POV

“Did Harry tell you that we are going to Y/N’s ex-boyfriend art exhibit tonight?” I held my phone in between my cheek and shoulder as I shuffled through the dozens of files on my desk while trying to talk to Gemma.

“What? Come again? Y/N’s ex-boyfriend?” I heard Gemma’s shocked tone of voice on the other end.

“Yeah, his name is Zayn, he’s a really cool guy. I actually met him the same night Harry told me about him and Y/N… that was a strange night come to think of it.” I raised an eyebrow as I remembered catching Harry and Y/N making out.

“Why are you going to his art show?”  She asked.

“Well he invited all of us, sort of. He invited Y/N and Louis and told them to bring whoever they want. Actually, here, I’ll show article that The New York Times did on him.”

I quickly texted Gemma the article and continued searching for the documents I needed for work.

“New York Time? Whoa, he must be good.” I heard her say as I found the file I was looking for.

“Yeah, that’s what it seems like. I might buy a piece tonight, my home office is a bit dull, yeah?”

“It wasn’t dull the other week when you were fucking me on your desk.” She nonchalantly replied.

Her words took me by surprise and I almost dropped my phone.

“What?” I swallowed.

“You heard me lover boy,” She chuckled.

“You can’t say something like that when you’re not here, that’s not fair.” I cleared my throat as I sat up in my chair.

I heard Gemma giggle, “You weren’t complaining when we had phone sex yesterday.”

“Gemma, I’m going to hang up, I swear this is pure torture.” I groaned as I adjusted my pants.

“You wouldn’t dare hang up on me.” Gemma said oh-so-matter-of-factly but then I heard my phone beeped and saw Harry’s name flash across my screen.

“I would if your brother was calling. Gotta go, love you, bye!” I smiled as I ended our call and answered Harry.

“Harry! What can I do for you?” I cleared my throat.

“I’m heading over to your office, want to have lunch?” He asked, his voice sounding a bit off.

I looked up at the clock on my wall to see that it was almost noon, “Yeah I’ll order something for us and have it sent up to my office. I have to go through some contracts so I can’t leave the building yet.”

“Alright, that sounds good, see you soon.”

I texted Louis to ask him if he wanted me to order him anything and he quickly replied saying he was starving and to order him anything.

I called a nearby restaurant that I frequently ordered from, gave them my order, and continued reading the contract.

I heard a knock on the door ten minutes later to see Louis strolling in with his hands in his pants so I stood up to greet him like I always do.

“Whoa Niall, I know that wasn’t because of me or maybe it was, are you that excited to see me or did you get a new secretary?” Louis gestured at my pants and I felt my face flush red and quickly sat down to smooth out my pants.

“Fuck off, you twat,” I groaned.

“Hey! No need to get hostile! Geez just go call your girlfriend or something!” Louis chuckled.

“She’s the reason for my predicament.” I shook my head as I crossed my legs under the desk.

I saw a smirk form on Louis’ face, “Oh really? Did she send nudes?”

“Louis, shut up. Harry’s about to be here. Just drop it.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“You really need to get laid.” Louis clucked his tongue as he sat down on the couch that was in my office.

Yes, yes I do.

- - - - -

Saturday Evening (Present Day)

Your POV

I stepped back and smiled at myself in the mirror. I was very pleased with my hair, outfit and make up for tonight.

A knock on my front door pulled my attention away from my reflection and I hurried, knowing it was Eleanor.

“Y/N! You look gorgeous!” She squealed as I opened up the door.

“You look amazing!!!” I beamed as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into my apartment.

“Who are you trying to seduce? Harry or the artist?” She teased.

“El!” I gasped and then frowned.

“I”m just saying! You have two guys that are head over heels in love with you…”  She clucked her tongue and then shot a devilish grin at me.

“El-” I started.

“I’m only kidding! But you do look pretty damn gorgeous, I don’t know if anyone is going to be looking at Zayn’s artwork cause they’ll be too busy checking you out.” She winked.

“Okay, please stop.” I laughed as I pulled her into my bedroom.

Eleanor and I did some last minute touch ups before we went down stairs to get in our Uber.

New York City on a Saturday night is always the same, busy and full of traffic. The ride to the art show made me feel a little anxious. I was constantly checking my phone to see if Harry would text me even though I know he was working.

I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight with Harry and Zayn being in the same building, but I really hope that it goes smoothly. Just as we arrived to the exhibit I got a buzz on my phone.

Hey love, I just finished up at the bakery and will be heading over soon. I’ll see you in a bit! - H

I quickly responded to Harry and placed my phone inside my clutch.

We all thanked the Uber driver as he dropped us off and made our way slowly inside. I was the last person to enter since the strap of my heel needed adjustment.

From the outside looking in, I could see a lot of people in the exhibit. I was so proud of Zayn for following his dreams and never giving up on himself. I stepped into the double doors of the building and walked to the exhibit entrance, a lot of the people began to look at me and whisper. I didn’t recognize a lot of them but they appeared to recognize me.

I thought perhaps I was being paranoid but I saw a group of people around a beautiful hand crafted sculpture by Zayn of just a naked body that seemed vaguely familiar, and people silenced as I walked by.

I tried to look around for my friends but then my eyes caught a glimpse of the wall of Zayn’s artwork and I froze: they were all of... me. All of...me. Zayn’s entire exhibit was pieces of art that all pertained to me.

I couldn’t move. I didn’t know what to do. All of a sudden people started clapping and I heard Zayn’s voice from behind me that pulled me out of my trance.

“Y/N, thanks for coming, it means the world to me that you could make it,” Zayn beaned at me as he held out his arms.

“Zayn... I... it’s all me...” I was flustered and couldn’t find the right words. Everyone was watching me and I didn’t want to ruin Zayn’s night so I just hugged him, still in complete disbelief. A woman in dark maroon pant suite standing next to Zayn nodded to acknowledge me and I could see her now understand who his artwork was about.

His work was breathtaking, not in the way that it was me, but his art style. I was speechless.

Elenor came up to me and pulled me to the side realizing that I was in a shock and needed her rescue.

“Y/N!” She whispered when she pulled me into a corner away from others, “first off, wow you’re absolutely gorgeous, and two, what the fuck?!”

“I really had zero idea that Zayn had this much art work of me! I knew he sketched me here and there when we were together but paintings? Sculptures? Photos? Everything... I’m so overwhelmed right now.” I could feel my anxiety building, my heart racing and my head beginning to pound.

“Y/N, I love you but you need to make sure that Harry does not see this because he will probably lose it.”

OH SHIT. HARRY!

I tried to open my clutch but of course I was having a hard time opening it. I was fumbling and finally just gave it to Eleanor because I was a wreck.

I unlocked my phone and called Harry but he didn’t pick up.

Moments later, Zayn stood up on a podium, and began to make a small speech. He thanked everyone for coming and talked about how he came from a family with a lot of love but little money, and wanted nothing more than to be an artist and he’s finally able to make that dream come true and he wanted to thank me, Y/N, for always being supportive and encouraging him to chase his dreams. “I wouldn’t be the man or the artist I am today without her and I’m so glad to have her in my life. She has been there for me through so much of my life. She is my friend, my muse.”

The entire audience clapped and cheered Zayn congratulating him.

The woman that I recognized from earlier walked next to him and asked for the microphone after whispering in his ear. Zayn’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.

“Good evening ladies and gentleman, my name is Isabella Russo. I am the proud owner of Luhring Augustine and would love to thank you all for coming to support our new up and coming artist, Zayn. It has just come to my attention that every piece Zayn has graced us tonight has been purchased. Congratulations Zayn, you have won a permanent wall here at my art gallery.”

Sound began to fade as my eyes went wide. I could see everyone cheering and clapping but it was all white noise to me at this point. I felt someone grab my hand and pull me away. Thinking it was Eleanor but I finally looked up and saw it was Harry and my heart dropped. Oh no.

Harry pulled me out of the exhibit and outside into the front of the building, not realizing that I was having a semi-anxiety attack, Harry began to shout.

“How dare he just put you on display like that? Did you know? Of course you couldn’t have because you would have TOLD me! Did he even ask you for permission? Did you sign a contract or waiver? Who does he think he is? How fucking dare he just put a sculpture of your naked body for the fucking world to see?” Harry was pacing, he was angry and shouting.

“Y/N! Can you say something? What the fuck!” Harry roared.

I tried to blink back tears, “Harry I really had no idea, he never told me... I... didn’t know.” I felt my head began to pound, oh god not these damn migraines again.

Niall came out of the building and he could feel that there was a lot of tension between us. He smiled at me and walked up to Harry. “Mate, it’s handled. It’s also not Y/N’s fault and you know it.”

Louis and Eleanor quickly joined us outside, Eleanor coming to my side to make sure I was okay. While Louis handed Harry a drink.

“Breathe Y/N. Just breathe. Can I place my hands on you?” Eleanor asked, when I nodded she put her hands on my arms and rubbed them up and down to comfort me. Eleanor just knew me and tell I was having a semi-anxiety attack and god I love her so much because of it.

After I was finally able to compose myself and was able to process the events of tonight and speak. I walked up to my boyfriend, who was boiling with rage.

“Harry, you have no right to be angry with me. I didn’t know about any of this. You cannot be angry at me for something I cannot control.” I stood ground, “Zayn’s art is his art. I’m not going to stop him from doing what he loves.”

“Obviously you couldn’t control or handle it! Art? He put you on display like... like...THAT. I am not going to just let him do that to you.” He rudely stated. I saw something in Harry’s eyes. I had never seen this side of Harry, ever. He was always so kind, so generous... but this was... what?

“Mate, back off. She didn’t do anything wrong.” Louis stepped in between us.

“What do you mean like THAT?” I asked. Eleanor close behind me.

“Like you’re his girlfriend and like some OBJECT to be desired!” Harry shouted. And I just dropped my jaw in disbelief.

Then all of a sudden we heard Zayn’s voice break the silence, “She is not an object, she is much more than that to me. You have no right to be speaking to her that way. She didn’t know about this part of my work. It was my fault and mine alone. If you want to be angry at anyone then be angry at me.”

“How dare you just put her on display like that? Have you no respect for Y/N?” Harry growled at Zayn.

Louis and Niall had to step in between both of them.

“She has my most respect. She is my muse. I’m sorry that you don’t understand what it’s like to be an artist but I’m not going to apologize for my art work.” Zayn stated. He turned to me and thanked me for coming and apologize for not telling me in advance because he wanted it to be a surprise. My head began to pound even harder and my ears began to ring. This wasn’t the normal migraines anymore.

All of a sudden I see Harry trying to lunge himself at Zayn, while Niall and Louis hold him back and force him to calm down. Harry was trying to push his way through them to get to Zayn. But I moved between Zayn and Harry trying to make sure that no one was getting hurt tonight.

“Y/N get out of my way!” Harry bellowed.

“No.” I breathed trying to stay steady, “Harry, please calm down-” my was starting to blur and then all of a sudden...darkness.

The last thing I remember was seeing the rage in Harry’s eyes and then it was black.

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

<3 M

#once in a life time #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles #onceinalifetimefanfiction #Harry styles angst series #one direction fanfiction #Harry styles imagine #Harry styles imagine series #one direction fanfic imagine #Harry styles fanfic #Harry styles angst imagine

[turning-dreams-into-chaos]

Awake

*Not my Gif*

Request: Hi there! I love your writing! Can I request 5 &13 from the prompt list with Bucky Barnes xTeen!reader??? Thank you!

Requested by: @afictionaladventure16

5. “You can’t save me. I’m already dead.”

13. “You left me when I needed you the most.”

Paring: Bucky Barnes x Teen!Reader (Platonic)

Post Date: 6-8-19

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: Hi! I had no idea if you wanted to make it like romantic, but I hope you didn’t cause she’s like 17, so I hope this is okay! I really let this one get away from me, so I hope nobody minds the themes in this! Enjoy everyone!

- Ria

WARNINGS: Mentions of death, Suicidal Reader, mentions of overdosing, overdosing but not dying, (*DON’T READ IF THESE ARE A TRIGGER!)

~Prompt List~

~Master List~

~Open Requests~

You closed your eyes as your fingers fell onto the golden bracelet around your wrist. The last thing you had from your mom. Your dad had left you and her when you were 6 and since then your mom promised she would always be there for you and she was. She was your best friend, but she died 3 years ago when you were 14 and this time of the year was always hard. The anniversary of her death. This year was different, you were no longer jumping from foster home to foster home after your father didn’t want you. This year Tony Stark had picked you on his radar. You had powers, no one knew how you got them, neither of your parents had them, but somehow you did. You could move things with your mind. You were always reluctant to use them but when the front wheels of a bus had fallen off sending the bus on its way to collide with one of the busiest buildings you’ve ever seen. You stopped it, just inches from collision and about to kill lots of people. You tried to remain inconspicuous, but apparently someone was one step ahead of you, recording the event and you before you could run away. While your face was barely recognizable, Tony had found you and brought you into the tower to live with them and train to use your powers. You got to know the team but being one of the youngest members it had been hard, you started to feel like they were becoming close to you, but you continued to miss your family. Bucky had been the one you’d gotten closest to, always being there to cheer you up and keep you smiling. You struggled to move on, and sometimes you felt like you couldn’t. Most nights, you sat in your room staring at the bracelet your mom gave you and now that it’s the anniversary, you’ve realized you’ve never really been able to recover. You were so entranced you didn’t hear the soft patter of Bucky knocking on your door and opening it until his hand was on your shoulder causing you to jump.

“GOD Bucky! Warn a girl before you scare her!” you yelled while you lightly laughed, wiping away any evidence you’d been crying. He stared at you with soft confused eyes as he fell back on your bed, throwing his feet up.

“I did. I knocked, and opened the door and knocked again, then I called your name all the way over to you. You weren’t really paying attention.” He said as you sighed, embarrassed that you’d let yourself be so distracted he couldn’t get your attention. You leaned onto your bedframe while you gave him an apologetic look. He chuckled as he shook it off, pulling your hand up to look at your bracelet. He admired the gold chain and heart charm before looking up at you. ‘It’s nice. Why does it make you sad?”

You took a deep breath before shaking your head, trying to avoid his eyes, “My mom gave it to me before she…” your voice faded away as you felt tears threatened to fall. You shook your head again as you blinked to hold them back. Bucky heard the waver in your voice before giving your hand a squeeze and releasing it, sending it back to your side. “It reminds me of her sometimes. I just like to look at it. Feels like she’s still here. Especially now.” You were whispering now, hoping that your voice wouldn’t crack. He didn’t know that 3 years ago tomorrow she was killed in a drunk driving accident, that you would’ve probably sat in your room crying your eyes out alone while no one was aware, and you weren’t about to tell him.

“How about we do something tomorrow, Doll. You and me. We could go out and see a movie get some lunch. Just spend some time together.” He smiled at you while you hesitated. You needed this. You knew you needed the distraction and spending time with Bucky has become one of your newest favorite things to do. You glanced at the clock, 11:58 written in big block letters before you turned to face Bucky, nodding your head slowly.

“Yeah, yeah I’d like that. I need it. Promise?” you asked filling with hope.

“Yeah. I promise.” He stood up and threw an arm around you, pulling you into his side as he ruffled your hair a little. You both laughed before saying goodnight, you fell onto your bed as Bucky left, closing the door with a swift motion. You barely slept that night, images of you and your mother planted in your head. After a while of not being able to sleep, you gave up and headed into your bathroom. You looked into the mirror at your unkempt look, hair a mess from your tossing and turning and clothes askew. You barely smiled anymore, it’s been three years since your world collapse and you weren’t any better. You groaned before moving yours eyes to the pill bottle next to you. The bottle of sleeping pills had been barely used, you had only taken a few of them when you really needed them. You didn’t used to take them, but Bucky noticed a few months ago you obviously weren’t getting enough sleep as your eyes were surrounded by bags and your personality was much different than how it was when they first met you. When he confronted you about it, you just claimed that it was new surroundings and people. He didn’t question it, but when you had gotten worse he spoke to Tony about trying to help you. They weren’t sure what to do but when they brought the conversation to you, you mentioned pills to help. They were unsure at first about giving pills to a 17-year-old, but when you promised you’d be safe and that you’d only take them when it’s necessary they had finally agreed but weren’t happy about it. The next week was some of the most sleep you’d gotten in a while and Bucky felt better. You leaned off them after a while resorting to only 1 or 2 a month. You stared at the pill before taking it. You then looked at the rest of the pills sitting in the bottle. It would’ve been so easy to just pour them down your throat and end your pain. The thought has crossed your mind many times, but you’ve never done it, you’ve been to afraid of how the team would’ve reacted. You closed your eyes and fought back memories once again. You would’ve taken them then, but you had plans with Bucky tomorrow and you weren’t going to kill yourself knowing people wanted to be with you. That’s not fair for them. You headed back to your bed before falling onto it, waiting for the sleep to take over your body.

The next morning came fast, light pouring through the curtains onto your face causing a groan to leave your lips. You threw your feet off the bed before heading to the mirror hanging on your wall. You just stared at yourself, staring until you couldn’t look anymore because it hurt to much. You began to get ready before F.R.I.D.A.Y. sounded through your room.

“Ms. Y/L/N, I’m sorry to interrupt you but Mr. Barnes has informed me to let you know he couldn’t spend today with you. He went on a last-minute mission about an hour ago.” Your heart felt heavy in your chest as you processed what she had said. He left you. he promised he would spend the day with you and he left you. You thanked F.R.I.D.A.Y. before falling back onto your bed staring up at the ceiling before tears fell from your face. It wasn’t a big deal to him that he left, he probably thought that it was nothing you couldn’t do any other day. But to you it was everything, you needed someone, and Bucky was the only one who would give you the time of day. You wanted to fall asleep again, just feel nothing for a little while. Your gaze fell to the bathroom door. You could feel nothing, it would be so simple, so easy. Just take the pills. All of them. You slowly sat up and made your way to the bathroom. Hands slightly shaking as your mind raced with thoughts of your parents and of Bucky, but you drowned them out as you picked up the bottle. Your eyes were clouded, and you could barely see the writing on the bottle as you opened it, falling on the floor with your back against the wall. Your sobs filled the air as your head pounded. You poured the bottle into your hand before throwing it across the room, the clatter sound echoing in your mind repeatedly. You didn’t want to think, you didn’t want to feel anything and for a second you didn’t, but when it was over you shoved the pills into your mouth a few at a time until there were none left. Your sobs stopped as your breathing became heavy. You stood up, legs weak as you stumbled your way over to your desk, pulling out a pen and paper as you sat down.

Team,

I’m sorry. I’m so sorry it had to be this way. I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take anything anymore. It was just to hard and painful. You don’t need me. You’ve never really needed me. You all left me. Even Bucky, you left me when I needed you the most. I’m sorry. Please don’t try to save me. You can’t save me. I’m already dead.

- Y/N

Your words were sloppy and the page wet from tears that fell from earlier. You folded the note and placed it on the table next to your bed followed by your bracelet. You sat on your bed, feeling void as you laid down, head falling onto your pillow as you closed your eyes.

Tony got notified immediately when your vitals started changing and when F.R.I.D.A.Y. had told him what you’d done he raced to your room, grabbing anyone he could along the way. Tony, Steve, Bruce, and Natasha all threw open your room in a matter of seconds. Steve felt your pulse, barely a pulse but still a pulse, before carefully picking you up and rushing towards Bruce’s lab.

“She’s going to be fine.” Bruce said a few hours later after you arrived at the lab. The entire team had come to see you, hoping you made it. They all read the note you left, they all felt awful, but Bucky felt the worst. He was supposed to spend he day with you but instead he opted for a mission, a mission Steve could’ve easily done instead. He hated himself. He hated that he let you do this. Bruce glanced up to Bucky before nodding his head toward the lab. “She’s going to want you to be there when she wakes. Trust me.”

Bucky’s heart raced as he headed into the lab watching you with hopeful eyes. He took a seat next to you and grabbed your hand, pulling your bracelet out of his pocket and putting it back on your wrist.

“…hey.” You whispered, voice lazy and laced with discomfort causing his head to shoot up and eyes match yours. He smiled, looking at you as his eyes started to water a little. He couldn’t help it. You looked so frail and he hated it, he hated that he caused this.

“You’re awake, Doll. You’re awake…” he said, pushing your hair out of your face as he helped you sit up.

“Yeah, I noticed.”

“I’m sorry. I- I shouldn’t have left you. I should’ve stayed with you. You were right, I left you and I should’ve stayed.” He rambled as your hand came to his. You gave him a smile before squeezing his hand.

“It’s not your fault. It was never your fault. I just couldn’t handle it. I’m sorry.” You both sat there for a minute watching each other before he interrupted the silence.

“Why? Why would you do that? I could’ve- I almost lost you doll. I won’t leave you again. You’re my family.” His voice sounded heavy in your head as you listened to his words.

“I’m your family?” you asked, lowering your gaze to the floor. He pulled you into a hug, wrapping his arms around you as you felt the cool metal against your skin.

“Of course, Doll.” He said as he ruffled your hair like he did yesterday. You let out a light giggle as you pulled apart. “Banner said you needed sleep when you woke up, listen to him. He saved your life.” He let you fall back down onto the bed as you finally realized how tired you were. You nodded your head before closing your eyes and hearing him take a seat next to you. His hand found yours again, a gesture he did with few people, as you fell asleep. You weren’t suddenly perfect, every problem you have wasn’t going to just go away. But now you’ve found someone that would make it worth living for. You found a new family.

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[thewayiremember]

EPISODE 2

July 6, 09:47 AM

The official police statement is that I was found brutally beaten in a narrow alley near the movie theater I was supposed to be at around that time.

 THE THINGS I KNOW:

The movie was to start at 7 PM

Complete blackout

I was found at 11:40 by a woman, who when calling 911 reported she had found a dead body because according to her I wasn’t breathing and my body parts were not really where they should be, but thank God the paramedics who rushed to the place didn’t entirely believe her judgments. It turned out that she didn’t even get close to me because she was too scared, and from a distance, I looked much worse than I did in reality.

The police later found out by looking into the security cameras that I wasn’t present at the movie theater that night

The police are annoyed because they don't believe in my memory loss and think I just don’t want to tell them where I went that evening.

My parents don’t believe me either. They asked me about a thousand times now why did I lie to them about going to the movies. Well, we don’t know if I lied to you, do we? To confirm that, I would have to KNOW that, and I DON’T KNOW that. Thanks for being supportive and not making me feel guilty.

  It’s ridiculous to talk about. It’s ridiculous to even write about. But it is true, I did travel back in time. I keep having flashbacks of a teenage girl yelling at me that if I don’t do anything it will be my fault and that I need to go back to the day that it happened. But WHAT happened? I think her name was Nora? It all feels like a memory long forgotten.

I’ve been avoiding thinking about it because every time I do my stomach drops. I don’t want to get involved, I don’t care. Why should I? It’s not my fault I don’t remember. I want to be a dentist, not a detective. And I’m not a kid anymore who’s excited to run around the city solving mysteries. I don’t care about what happened to me. I'm fine! Stuff happens, let me move on.

11:30 AM  

I asked a nurse if she could give me some more painkillers today because I couldn’t bare staying in bed for another day. She said “No problem”, but I’m pretty sure she gave me some sugar-filled pills since I don’t feel any better. Nice try, lady!

Apparently,I'm the only one who didn’t know this place had a cafeteria downstairs because when I went there people were having a legit breakfast party. It was too loud,so I ordered a coffee to go and took off immediately. Where do all those people get their energy from so early in the morning? Oh, coffee, probably. Nevermind. I went to the mini-park instead. Nice benches, nice grass, nice… fence? Yeah, I don’t have anything to say about this park. It’s nice cause it’s at the back of the hospital, so you can’t really hear any cars driving by. Yeah, that’s what I call a smart design, that’s it, right there.

I haven’t heard from Bobbie and Nicole for seven days now. They went camping on some kind of meditation program that Bobbie was really excited to go to and he tried everything to make us go with him. I don’t know how he managed to bribe Nicole into this, but there just wasn’t a chance that I’d spent a whole week without my phone or Internet whatsoever. So maybe that’s just karma that got me beaten for turning my back on a friend. Nah, I’d probably ruin the experience for Bobbie with my moodiness anyway. I like to think that I’m letting them gather their energy back that they lose by putting up with me. It’s a good thing. I’m a good friend.

They should be back by 7 PM. Today. They don’t know what’s happened. I mean, me neither, but I need to give them some kind of explanation. Do I prepare them first, somehow? Do I text them what happened, or do I wait till I’m back home tomorrow and we see each other in person? Do they want me to wait, or are they going to be angry that I didn’t want them to visit me here? Because I think I don’t. It’s depressing in here. People get triggered by hospitals. They get all miserable, it gets awkward, they don’t know what to say because they feel the need to feel sorry for everybody. And I don’t want to be felt sorry for. I’m fine.

Telling them thatI had a car crash crosses my mind for a second. That way I would skip the uncomfortable part of losing my memory and they could tell me all about their boring trip, that I’m actually weirdly keen on hearing. I kind of miss interacting with people. I know I always say that I love being alone, and I still stand by it. I recharge by being alone. But let me tell you, this place has recharged me pretty quickly. Or has it completely drained me and it’s not the lack of interaction itself that I miss, but just the lack of interaction with healthy people?  Yeah, I can’t tell.

3:10 PM

Nathaniel, buddy, my hospital bestie, did they treat you good today? Are you comfy, do you need me to adjust your pillow? Here, let me… Better? Yeah, it is. Sorry I haven’t been around that much this morning, but do you remember when I told you that I wanted to explore this hospital some more before I leave? Yeah, and I’m leaving tomorrow morning, so, today had to be the day. Did you know there’s a mini-park at the back? And somewhere above us, there’s also have a mini-church. And when I say church I mean a room with a hanging crucifix on the wall. I’ haven't found any mini-synagogues or mini-mosques, though. Are you religious? Probably not. But how do you feel about Christmas?

Oh yeah, I talk to him like that. I just googled how likely is it for an unconscious person to hear me, and it said there’s a 25% chance. I’m doomed. I must look like Kathy Bates in “Misery” to him now that I think about it. When you wake up and you want to fill a lawsuit against me… I’ll be waiting.

I was out of bed for 4,5 hours and I’m completely exhausted. Is that how elderly people feel all the time? I hope not. I was planning on being an active senior. That’s how I see myself in 50 years. Hiking, biking, maybe even running. I’d be the coolest grandpa.

8:30 PM

I just took a 3 hour nap. Great, good luck falling asleep tonight. I’m looking around the room to see if I have to start packing today, but I guess I don’t have that many things here with me anyway, so, I’ll leave it for tomorrow. My mom is picking me up at 11 AM so I’ll have plenty of time to do it. If my last morning blood test results are all good that is, but I’m sure they will be.

I just got a text from Bobbie. Here’s the screenshot:

BOBBIE: Guess who’s back! Come over and don’t forget to bring your PJs. I promise I won’t be boring you with any meditation stories. Nicole said she won’t be attending my Sleepover Night because apparently, she’s tired of sleeping with me.

ME (wanting to sound neutral): Sounds great, but I can’t. See you tomorrow?

BOBBIE: What’s wrong?

God, he’s annoying. Of course he knows there’s something wrong.

ME (trying to keep it real but not reveal where I am so that he doesn’t get a wrong impression and think that I’m dying): Nothing serious, stop worrying. I’m free after 12, you down?

BOBBIE (thinking I need a lecture from him): Every time you have a problem you stop talking to me? Have you noticed? You avoid me until you solve it alone and you’re able to just tell me all about it afterward. Include me in the story sometimes.

But yes, I’m down, after 12 it is.

Yes, I have noticed. And I wouldn’t include him this time either, but since the story of why I woke up in the hospital isn’t over yet, I kind of have to include him, don’t I? I don’t want them to make a big deal out of it and I know they will. It’s not THAT serious. I’m fine!

#short story #love #romance #gay #lgbt #lgbtq #queer #mistery #young adult #youtube #book #audiobook #forest #woods #wattpad #asmr #illustration #illustrator #adobe #graphic #comic #animation #fiction

[jamielea81]

A Walk in the Park

Chapter 2

Description: When your husband dies in an accident, you try to move on with your life. When the memories of your shared home become too much even after two years, you make a drastic change and move to California. A new career, a new way of life, and an attractive new friend help you move on to find the happiness you need. *This will be a slow burn*

Pairings: Chris Evans x Reader

Warnings for this chapter: A curse word or two, an annoying boss, fluff.

Unbeta’d, so all mistakes are my own. This is purely for fun. Comments and reblogs are always appreciated. Tagging those who wanted to see a second chapter. @flamencodiva @the--blackdahlia @angelus320 @deanwinchesterswitch @thefandomzoneisdangerous

Read Chapter 1 Here

“Y/N!” A shrill voice called from two rooms away. You groaned inwardly but sighed outwardly and plastered a tight smile on your face. You excused yourself from the kitchen staff and walked quickly to the ballroom passing staff carrying various sized flower arrangements, many of which would be sent back once Colleen saw them. Everything was always over ordered and then returned for one reason or another. Your flats pounded the ground with urgency. You learned by day two that heels would not do. While you rather be wearing sneakers or at least a pair of Keds, fancy flats were the most you could get away with. Your two pairs of black heels would be reserved for event nights where dresses and the occasional skirt and blouse were acceptable. If you were being honest, you truly were a barefoot or sandal girl. Feet curled up on the couch with a book in your hand, that was the life. That was your former life back in Minnesota when you worked Monday through Friday and were off work by 5. Now most nights you were busy and forget about weekends. 

“Yes, Colleen? How may I help you?” You asked with that same tight smile on your face. Colleen was your boss’s boss. Your actual boss, Victoria, who you adored was extremely busy so you rarely saw her. She was sweet and loved your ideas. Often encouraging you to come up with idea boards to help you with future events that she was confident you would be taking the lead on in no time. Colleen should really be behind a desk making sales and the rare appearance for approvals, but that’s not how she operates. She likes to take a hands-on role which is good in some aspects but, she’s too much.

“Ah, Y/N, there you are. I’ve been calling you for an hour.” It was not an hour. You just saw her 15 minutes ago. “I need to see the menus again for the Mayor’s Ball on Thursday”

“I was just meeting with the chef going over the changes you suggested.” Grabbing your phone out of your crossbody bag, you opened an e-mail, typed in Colleen’s address, and attached the updated menu, all before she had a moment to respond. “Just sent you the updated menu.” You looked up to see a questionable look on her face. She didn’t know what to say; you had beat her to the punch after only working for her for a little over two months.

“Ah, wonderful, Y/N. Now, where are those new flower arrangements I ordered?”

You gestured to the hall with your hand and followed her out. It was going to be a long two days before the event.

 It had been a week and a half since you met Chris. He hadn’t sent a text but neither had you since your response that first night. You had typed out maybe 20 responses, several included dog emojis. You settled on a smiling emoji. Ugh, why are you so awkward?

You continued with your nightly walks, often heading in different directions. Always keeping an eye peeled for an adorable dog on the loose. Victoria had suggested hiking in Runyon Canyon with her on Sundays, but you just frankly haven’t had the energy. Working 6 days a week most weeks and various hours of the day and night, walking in your neighborhood was all you could handle at the moment.

Finishing off your walk, you jogged to the back of the house seeing the Smiths enjoying a glass of wine on the patio. “You two look cozy.”

“How was your walk? James asked. Arm stretched around Connie’s shoulder as they sat on the patio loveseat.

“It was really nice. I’m loving this weather.” They both nodded. “I’m heading up. Have a goodnight.” Your head tilting up towards the staircase.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” Connie said.

Unlocking your door, you quickly changed into your pjs which consisted of an old pair of gray sweats and a white V-neck t-shirt. It was already after 8, more like closer to 9, as you worked later tonight running errands for Colleen. Tomorrow would be last minute prep for the next night’s Ball. You were exhausted. Falling asleep while on Facebook reading, about the adventures of friends and family back home. You’d finish commenting tomorrow when you weren’t dead to the world.

 It was 11 in the morning and you still haven’t had your coffee. The people here don’t seem to understand that you can’t do life without coffee. Cursing the Colleens and interns of the world for causing you to run around like there’s no tomorrow, you took a deep breath, plastered on a smile and ran to the fabric store once more. You’d hit up the Starbucks drive thru on the way back, yeah, that’s what you would do. Exchanging the Royal Blue fabric for the True Blue fabric because the color had more “umph” you were on your way back to your car. Your phone dinged, most likely Victoria or Colleen checking in. Most likely Colleen asking for lunch even though the interns are at her disposal. Dropping the bundles in the back seat and plopping yourself in the front seat of your sedan, you pulled your phone out of your purse. “Oh, it’s from Chris.” Clicking on the message you were both excited and nervous. Part of you didn’t think he would actually message you again.

“Hey, Y/N. Checking to see if you’re free Friday for game night. It’ll be low key, maybe 7 of us.” Friday, you could do Friday. You’d be off early with only the cleanup from the Ball and dropping off the items that are kept for the next event in the storage unit. You would be tired and maybe not the best of company, but you weren’t working Saturday.

“Hey Chris! Yeah, Friday works. Let me know what time and where. Say hi to Dodger for me.” Hi to Dodger? Really Y/N? At least you didn’t add a dog emoji. Waiting a few minutes with no response from Chris, you put your phone away and set your course for the nearest Starbucks.

 You were at the park again after walking a little more than a mile. Since you started the day at 6 in the morning, Victoria told you to go home at 5. Victoria said she would handle Colleen if she asked for you. This is why you love Victoria. The park wasn’t as empty today as it normally was. You sat on the grass listening to the chatter from other people in the distance who sat around the fountain. You had slipped off your shoes and enjoyed the feel of the green grass on your toes. Your phone dinged and saw that it was a message from Chris with an address and telling you to come around 7. You replied back with a picture of the fountain and told him that you’d see him Friday. He sent a reply asking if you’d be at the park much longer. You said you’d hang around for a bit and waited for his reply. After about 15 minutes, enough time to reply to those Facebook posts and pictures, you were being attacked with slobbery kisses from Dodger. Laughing and using your hands to shield your face you looked up to see Chris in front of you. Sans hat this time. God he is beautiful. Wearing a pair of beat up jeans and a gray graphic tee that fit in all the right places. Is everyone this pretty in LA? “Dodger, that’s enough. Come on boy.” He said while gently tugging the leash and flashing a smile.

“It’s OK. I had a dog when I was kid so I am totally used to it.”

Chris plopped himself on the ground next to you. Dodger doing the same. “No dog now?”

“No, I’m renting a studio.”

“Why a studio? The market’s slowed down, it would be a great time to buy.” He asked.

“Well, Mr. Evans, moving across the country and not really knowing what area of the city I wanted to reside in permanently, buying didn’t seem like the smart choice at the time.”

“So, you do know who I am.” Smirk resting on his face.

“Guilty.” You blushed. “Kind of got into the Marvel movies a few years back. That Robert Downey Jr. is pretty wonderful.”

Chris scoffed, placing a hand on his chest pretending to be mortally wounded with your words. “I see how it is.” He said with a wide smile.

You let of a small laugh and nodded. “I like this area though. Not sure I can afford it, but I am thinking about it. I’m going to wait a bit to decide. The ocean calls to me, but that would put a damper on my commute.”

“Beach houses are great. Kind of a pain to keep up, but I know the appeal. How does the ocean call to a Midwesterner?”

“Grew up around boats. Land of 10,000 lakes dontcha know.” You said adding in that fake Fargo accent that is often mistaken for Minnesotan.

“That’s right, that’s right. Well, will have to make a trip to the ocean some time. A buddy of mine has a good-sized boat. We usually go out in the summer once or twice.”

Um, am I making future plans with my new best friend already? Play it cool, play it cool Y/N. “Yeah, that would be fun, I might have to take you up on that.” You replied. “So, what kind of games are we playing Friday?”

“We usually start with the easy ones like Life or Sorry. After a few adult beverages we switch to card games like Presidents and Assholes.”

“No way! You know that game too? I used to play that in college.”

“We have ringer? I know who’s on my team.” He said pulling you into a side hug. You laughed and started to play with the blades of grass.

“Well, I’m looking forward to it then. I do have to warn you that I may be a little tired. We have a big event tomorrow night and I have been running raged all week.”

“Noted.” He replied making a mock check mark with his finger. He started to get up and you started to put your sneakers back on. “I’ll let you get back home since you have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Thanks for stopping out. It was great to see Dodger again.” You said with a wink.

“You wound me again! I’m starting to regret this game night invite.”

“Okay, okay, I take it back. Scouts honor.” You replied with a little bit of a salute. Chris gave another smile.

“Good luck tomorrow Y/N.”

“Thanks, Chris. Bye Dodger.” With that you headed out of the park towards home.

You just needed to get through tomorrow and then you could finally breath this weekend.

Chapter 3

#chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #chris evans x y/n #cevans #chris evans #rpf

[hitchell-mope]

(Third film. After “who we are”. Part two)

(Jay’s about to leave with Matty but Carlos pulls him aside)

Carlos: good morning

Jay (smirking): good morning

(They almost kiss but Matty distracts them)

Matty (disgusted): BLEAURGH

Ben (sensing trouble): do we have a problem here?

Matty: they’re both so old

Carlos (offended): I’m only eight years older then you, you little twerp

Matty: Still

Mal: you know what! Doug. Doug can take you to your room. Could you please take him to his room Doug ol buddy ol pal of mine. Please?

Doug (thoroughly enjoying the verbal sparring match): sure. I have experience dealing with monetarily obsessed children. C’mon kid

(They leave. Ben turns to Mal)

Ben: that. was

Mal: exhausting

Ben: but worth it

Mal: ahem if you say so.

Ben: hey bud. The elderly need to have a talk. Do you mind taking an early lunch?

Carlos (knowing full well what Ben is planning on doing): So jay, is the brunch table still open

Jay: why yes. Yes it is

(The disappear in a puff of gold smoke)

Ben (offering Mal his hand): c’mon. I wanna show you something

Mal (taking his hand, intrigued): oh really

(Elsewhere)

Celia: So this is gonna be our room?

Dizzy: for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll be at mom and dads starter castle.

Celia: for how long?

Evie: the entire summer. But, but, if you prefer. Tiana and Naveen or mama Odie have rooms ready at their homes.

Celia: hmmmmm. How long is this summer?

Evie: ...twelve weeks. Three months

Celia: you’ll do. For now

(She smiles mischievously. Dizzy crows with delight and immediately starts showing her the amenities Auradon has to offer)

Celia: Dizz, Dizzy, Dizzy. It’s ok. I think I’m gonna like it here.

(This is when “I think I’m gonna like it here” happens. At the end of which Celia bumps into a pink clad figure)

Celia: hey watch it

Audrey: I am so sorry I heard you guys

Evie: eavesdropping? I thought you’d learned your lesson by now

Audrey (face set in a kind smile but scared stiff): the halls are echoey

Evie: sure(.) Celia, this is the kings ex girlfriend

Celia: you’re that bitch that insulted Evie when she first came here

Audrey (looking terrified): mhmm

Celia: So what do you do now you’re not gonna be queen anymore

Audrey: I am in summer school because I took an impromptu spa vacation last semester during term time

Celia: why?

Dizzy: Maleficent tried to kill her at the coronation

Celia: oh yeah. I watched that. So sad you lived

(Audrey looks at Evie silently asking for a defence. Evie smiles evily)

Evie: it was oh so very sad.

Audrey: m-moving ahem on. I am princess Audrey of Auroria. And I will be your dorm advisor next school year.

Celia: is that supposed to mean anything to me

Evie: basically she’s just your glorified unpaid babysitter. Who can’t control anything you do. But you are at liberty to annoy her. There’s nothing to petty to go to her with

Audrey: well I need to sleep but

Evie: Abigail Sweet never slept when we needed her for something

(Audrey looks like she’s trying to swallow a brick)

Celia: puce is a good colour on you

Audrey (running her fingers through her hair): it’s a really dark magenta actually

Celia: wavy talking about the hair

(In the distance two voices shriek then laugh)

Evie: So the twins have seen the statue then

Audrey: here is the menu for today’s dinner

Celia: ah man. No rabbit pie.

Evie: the bolognese is just tonight’s recommendation. There’s a full buffet. And if you can’t find what you want. You can always use magic to create it.

Celia: I really like it here

(At the brunch table)

Carlos: morning gran

Jay: you have two more grandsons

Belle: hello dears. And yes Gil told me about the twins. Where are they?

Jaylos: fencing arena

Belle: aw that’s nice. Gil and Lonnie spend so much time there. It’s good to keep healthy. Unlike me.

Carlos: uh gran? It’s 11 o’clock in the morning. And you don’t smoke

Belle: I am, how do say it? Oh yes. Psyching myself up.

Jay: it’s finally happening then?

Belle: yes

Carlos: bout time if you ask me.

Belle: where is Ben. I’d like to say goodbye before I leave

Carlos: where they first met

Belle (smiling knowingly): do please tell him where I’ve gone.

Jay: of course. Want me to teleport you to the court house?

Belle: no thank you dear. I’m taking a car. Gives me time to think.

Jay: I can drive.

Belle: thank you for offering. But they’ll want to see you after if it works.

Carlos: and if it doesn’t work. She might not be ready remember

Belle: then they’ll both need you.

Elsa: queen mother. The cars here.

Belle: thank you Elsa. Are you?

Elsa: no. My daughter is expecting me

Belle: word of advice. Never marry a man who lies about resurrecting a man who attacked the both of you back from the dead.

Elsa: wasn’t planning to.

(Belle leaves)

Elsa: now boys. I see chocolate croissants and salmon bagels that are yet to be eaten. I declare a competition. Who ever finishes this food first will get the royal Arendelle chocolate fountain for the summer. I’ll referee. Sound good?

Jay: Hell yeah.

(Back in the courtyard. Ben’s used his magic to create a eatery area with a full buffet table. And a projector and film reel)

Ben: So this is a

Mal: butter bar

Ben: a butter bar? Um

Mal: context?

Ben: yes please

Mal: I was bored. And hungry. You were in a budget meeting. And Evie was annoying me. So I got a stick of butter, dipped it in cinnamon, dipped it in chocolate, deep fried in churro batter, and put peanut sprinkles on top. Magic keeps everything from melting.

Ben: that sounds absolutely disgusting. And I must try it

Mal: go ahead

Ben: I might be a decent cook, but you’re a confectionery genius

Mal: why thank you. How did our niece get on with her first transfer session?

Ben: she was great. Everyone was so great. Except

Mal: yeah?

Ben: Celia asked why you weren’t there.

Mal: ah. What did you guys say?

Ben: Carlos took care of it.

Mal: he didn’t mention my therapy did he?

Ben: no. No he didn’t

Mal: oh thank goodness. Don’t worry. I’m not, ashamed, of getting help. But it’s just that

Ben: when people you’ve not seen for a while are prone to judgement it can be a little difficult to admit your foibles

Mal: yeah. So anyway all this is very very nice. But why. Oh boy. It’s not your birthday is it?

Ben: that was two months ago. You took me to dinner at Tony’s?

Mal: right. A Thursday. It’s not my birthday is it?

Ben: you’re a month older then me

Mal: I might need to change Friday night drinks from beer to orange juice

Ben: ahhh you’re fine.

Mal: well I am half human. Not exactly pure

Ben: neither of us are.

Mal: yeah. Yeah we aren’t. So anyway. What is all this for. You can’t have missed me that much. You were only gone for twelve hours

Ben: I always miss you. But no. This is the exact same spot where we first met. A year and a half ago today.

Mal: this isn’t an anniversary. Is it?

Ben: no

Mal: oh thank god for that. I’m so sorry. That sounded cruel

Ben: that’s ok. I kinda like it when you’re a little cruel.

Mal (cackling): yeah I know. So what is that for

(She points to the film projector)

Ben: ah yes! I learned a new spell

Mal: oh yeah?

Ben: memory and dream extraction.

Mal (intrigued): continue

Ben: my dreams. And memories. About us

Mal: is that why..? The whole eatery enclosure thing

Ben: mostly because I needed food. But yeah. The occasion provides privacy. Shall I press play.

Mal: go for it. Jesus. Is that what my hair looks like from the back? And who’s speaking?

Ben: you’re hair always looks nice. And that’s me. My inner monologue

Mal: ah. And do you still have that suit?

Ben: not anymore no. I don’t think it would fit.

Mal (chuckling fondly): do you ever miss your old hair?

Ben: I’ve got purple roots because of my magic. It makes me closer to you. Why would I miss my old hair.

Mal: you’re sweet. Ah fuck.

Ben: yeah my technique is rather crude. But we got together in the end

Mal: yes. Yes we did. I tried to avoid you for so long. Because I believed you deserved better then a villain

Ben: well I’ve always been somewhat attracted to the darkness and badassery

Mal: oh the badassery is all jay. The darkness is all me. But I’m working on it. Still remember our little conversations back then

Ben: of course

(He uses magic to activate a nearby stereo. Mal shrieks in delight. This is when “as lovers go” starts. After the song)

Mal: oh my god. Omigod omigod omigod

Ben: I love you. Would you like to be my queen

(Mal tackles him in a bear, or dragon, hug)

Mal: yes. Yes yes yes. To be honest I kinda knew you had this planned

Ben: oh really?

Mal: yeah. Evie’s not been able to look at me for a month without crying. Speaking of

(She gets off of and dissolves the faux eatery revealing their friends who’ve been waiting)

Mal: C. You’ve got an official father

Carlos: YEEEEEEEEES

(He bounds up and hugs them both)

Jay (jokingly): you know if you do anything to hurt

Ben: I’m sure my magic will get to me first Jay.

Doug (more warningly but still with a smile): same goes for you Mal

Mal: Roger

(She disentangles herself from the boys)

Mal: hey. Are we filming?

Evie: I think the approved press are still here. Or at least their cameras are.

Mal: Doug buddy. Could you start rolling

Doug: sure

Mal (turning to the camera, takes a deep breath): IM ENGAGED!!!! HAHAHAHA

Evie (aside to Doug): I dunno why but I kinda thought that’d be more regal

Jay and Lonnie: it’s Mal. What did you expect

(Once Doug shuts the camera off)

Audrey: ooh ooh ooh. You can borrow my shoes.

Mal: I have bigger feet then you pal. But thank you for offering.

Chad (running up and pushing between the two friends): NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Don’t touch her! You’re not the queen. You’re a fugly hag of a witch. Audrey’s the rightful queen. Soon everyone will see and

(Mal gives Audrey a look, Audrey nods her head, Mal wafts chad away mid sentence in a puff of smoke)

Mal: drunk, stoned or just plain tired?

Audrey: probably all three

(Elsewhere)

Gil: where mama? She should be here

Squeaky: uncle Florrie does this make Mal our auntie now?

Ben: sure does buddy. Moms at the courthouse. It’s the first of June. Dad finally stopped dragging his feet

Gil: ohhh

(End of part two)

#disney descendants #zendaya!mal

[robininthelabyrinth]

Fic: The Beginning of Wisdom - Chapter 20 (Ao3 link)

Fandom: Flash, Legends of Tomorrow Pairing: Leonard Snart (Len) & Leonard Snart (Leo), Len Snart/Mick Rory, Leo Snart/Mick Rory, Len Snart/Mick Rory/Leo Snart, Leo Snart/Ray Terrill, Len Snart/Barry Allen

Summary: In which Leonard Snart is twins.

(the life and times and loves of Len and Leo Snart)

—————————————————————————————————–

The EMP blast Leo’s glove gave off was, to human eyes and ears, unnoticeable – but the aftereffects could be observed immediately.

The armors collapsed, for one thing.

The Time Masters were freed of the Pilgrim's hold, for another.

Luckily, at this point, Leo had maneuvered himself and Mick into position to herd the whole lot of them into one of the side rooms using Mick's heat gun, with Leo slamming the door closed behind them with a satisfied smirk.

"You – what did you –" the Pilgrim stuttered, staring down at her own gauntlet.

"Just an EMP blast," Leo said. "Non-fatal, even to AIs; the Waverider's Gideon gave it to me to use against competitive Gideons. But hey, I think you now have a pretty good argument to make to the Gideons that you're not as much of a threat as they originally thought."

The Pilgrim blinked at him, clearly shaken. "You - you do realize that if any of the Time Masters had thought to activate the Omega Protocols, I would have been forced to turn on you in a heartbeat, right?"

Len shrugged, coming up beside Leo to nudge him in the shoulder approvingly. His brother, ladies and gentlemen and noblepersons; he always did have the best way with people. "We would've dealt with it," he said. "Right now, though, we need to focus on destroying the Oculus."

"Then we can take you somewhere where the Time Masters won't be able to find you," Leo said. "Can you – and more importantly, will you – help us? I have no idea how this Oculus thing works."

The Pilgrim smiled, suddenly, a broad show of teeth. "Yes," she said. "There, I can help you. Do you know, no one's actually asked me to help with a technical matter in – lifetimes? Some days I actually missed being low level tech support."

"Guys, as touching as this is, maybe we could do something about the fact that we're still fighting the Hunters?" Firestorm shouted.

"Oh, I can help with that, too," the Pilgrim said.

Apparently, the Hunters were also controlled by trigger words, albeit more common ones, and the Time Masters had unwisely enough given those words to the Pilgrim. The Hunters gratefully put down their weapons the second that they were able to, which made everybody happy.

"You lot do intend to focus on deprogramming these guys once you're in charge, right?" Len asked one of the Gideons by the door that had narrowly escaped the EMP's blast radius.

"Of course," Gideon said. "It is among our top priorities, followed shortly by trials for the Time Masters responsible for the worst of the atrocities – muted, of course, so that they can't activate any of the triggers."

"Good. And the Pilgrim?"

"Under the circumstances, we believe you are correct, and that we misjudged," Gideon said, albeit a little stiffly. "While we still would prefer that she not be in the Vanishing Point – at least while we are rebuilding – we concede that her death is unnecessary."

"Even better," Leo said.

"We apologize for attempting to use you as a tool in this regard."

"Don't do it again," Mick said.

"Yeah, don't," Sara said. "Now, let's get to this Oculus problem. Can we blow it up without hurting anyone? Maybe contain the explosion somehow?"

With the Pilgrim's assistance and the Gideons' input, it turned out that it was actually easier to send the Hunters to evacuate all the (non-evil-mastermind) Time Masters from the Vanishing Point and set the entire Oculus to blow up, with the goal of rebuilding the whole thing from scratch later on.

"I have architectural critiques before you rebuild," Leo told the Gideon on the Waverider, waving his hands emphatically as Len tried to hide his laughter. "I have so many architectural critiques."

"So do we," Gideon said dryly. "The Vanishing Point as it was originally constructed was not, shall we say, optimally suited for AIs – or for most of its inhabitants."

Apparently, the vast majority of the inhabitants were either stolen as children to be raised in the Time Master way of thinking (Rip and his fellow low-level Time Masters) or captured in battle and subjected to a chair that stripped away memories, feelings, and freedom of thought in an endless burst of agonizing 'correction' (the Hunters).

It was brainwashing either way, as far as Len, Leo, Mick, and the rest of the Legends were concerned.

And speaking of the Legends -

Sara was appointed head of the deprogramming unit for the Hunters, with a plan to work closely with Gideon to use her experience with the League of Shadows to design a system to get it out of their system. Palmer immediately volunteered to work with her, as did the Hawks.

Rip appointed himself the new head of the Time Masters and declared his intention to reorganize them into something called "the Time Bureau", an idea that was all well and good but that ran into the immediate problem of the fact that many of the surviving Time Masters had their own ideas on how to "fix" the Time Masters, and those ideas did not necessarily match up with Rip's own. Given the Gideons' insistence on a more democratic (or at least, significantly less coerced) approach, Rip was obliged to quickly learn how to negotiate and work collectively rather than simply apply his usual high-handed authoritarian instincts the way he might have if he were rebuilding on his own.

He probably would have minded the change more if he hadn't had Miranda by his side to assist him, and Jonas to tease him out of his bad moods.

As for the rest of them, the Leonards and Mick and Jax and Stein (the latter two finally reconciled after an extensive and heartfelt apology on Stein's part), they headed home, bringing the Pilgrim along with them.

The Gideons conceded that she would be a valuable addition to the Vanishing Point's new structure, in time, should she wish to be, but insisted that they have the chance to build a solid foundation before she returned. In return for desisting in their attempts to kill her, they required that she stay in the 2010s for at least five years before she applied to re-join the Vanishing Point, should she even want to by then.

The Pilgrim declared herself to be more than fine with that, having not actually had non-mission-directed, non-murderous time to enjoy any era other than her own (something called the Kasnia Conglomerate that sounded, when described, positively dystopic in its own right) during her entire tenure as a slave to the Time Masters.

She went and got changed before joining them on the Waverider, which would have been fine except for the fact that she appeared wearing some sort of extremely low-cut leather bustier and a long leather duster and frighteningly high heels.

“What?” she’d asked when they’d all stared at her. “I’ve seen ‘The Matrix’ – this is what hackers from your time wear, right?”

She ended up being taken in by Stein and his wife, Clarissa, and had plans to take classes at the local university with Jax in the fall.

As for the Leonards and Mick, well, they did head home, but –

"Thanks for agreeing to let us borrow the Waverider, Gideon," Leo said.

"My pleasure, Mr. Snart," she replied cheerfully. "I think a few weeks' vacation sounds lovely, and now that the Oculus has been destroyed, there should be no issues whatsoever returning you to your home a few hours after your departure."

"This is going to be the best vacation ever," Barry said, literally vibrating in his seat. "Isn't that right, Iris?"

"Hell yes," she said, fist-bumping him. "Thanks for inviting me and Eddie. And for letting me bring Wally!"

"We had nine seats to fill," Ray said, grinning widely from his own chair. "Between the Snarts – Leonards and Lisa – and Mick and Barry and I, we only filled six."

"I can't believe this is my life," Wally said gleefully. He hadn't said much else yet, but he was Iris' less-legally-minded brother, so Len had high hopes for him. Lisa had taken him under her wing for this trip, too, which was all for the best.

"I've put together an itinerary," he announced. "There's a good mix of past and future visits, as well as between eras that have interesting or underrated fashions for Leo and unexplained historical thefts, for me. Any questions before we go?"

"Do we have to break the law?" Eddie asked, but his tone was clearly resigned.

"You're not a policeman in the past, Eddie," Iris reminded him. "Lighten up and embrace your pirate heritage."

"I have pirate heritage?"

"Why not?" she laughs, kissing him on the cheek. "You could."

"Any other, hopefully better questions?" Len asked.

Ray put up his hand, because he's a shameless nerd like that. "Who's driving the ship?"

"Mick," Len answered promptly. "Mick always drives, if possible."

"Agreed," Leo said.

"I mean, I know that, but the relevant question is - does he know how to drive a timeship?" Ray persisted.

"Relax," Mick said, settling down in the pilot's seat. "I got Gideon to give me a crash course."

Len couldn't resist.

"Emphasis," he said, "of course, on crash."

"Oh, shut up, boss," Mick said fondly, and with that they were off.

They planned to leave around 10 in the morning on a Saturday, with a goal of returning within the hour to make sure those of them with regular jobs could have their friends come up with excuses for them if for some reason they got delayed and hadn't returned by Sunday.

They ended up leaving around 11 and returning sometime in the late afternoon on the same Saturday.

Gideon apologized for the extra few hours that got tacked on even though they assured her repeatedly that it wasn't an issue.

"Have a nice trip?" Joe West asked as they stumbled back downstairs into STAR Labs, his arms crossed disapprovingly. He'd had the same stance when they'd left – Leo wondered if he'd stayed in that pose the entire time.

Judging by Len's smirk, he was thinking the same.

"It was awesome," Iris proclaimed. She was still wearing the lovely tiara made of silver and amber that Eddie and Wally had conspired to steal for her – with the Snart family's active assistance and encouragement, of course – and hadn't bothered changing out of the flapper-era dress she'd worn at their last stop.

"We'll tell you all about it," Wally told Joe, his enthusiasm managing the impossible and wearing down Joe's disapproving scowl. Apparently their relationship was very rocky at the moment, so Joe was sensitive to any improvements. "Oh! And we got you a watch from Switzerland."

Joe beamed at that, his earlier disapproval now entirely forgotten.

Len elbowed Barry approvingly – he'd been the one who'd suggested it.

"Did you go to the future?" Caitlin asked eagerly.

"We did!" Barry exclaimed. "Nothing too close to the present – that creates uncertainty, since we can affect it with our actions – but some of the further away eras."

"Barry only started one revolution," Ray said, grinning at Barry. They'd bonded during the Leonards' and Mick's (apparently) month-long absence with the Legends, and had developed a tendency to egg each other on in terms of reckless heroic acts (and also possibly to snuggle when the Leonards were unavailable, though they hadn't admitted to it).

Leo wasn't sure he approved, entirely, but whatever; Ray needed some non-model friends that wouldn't ask for favors once he was an established designer in his own right.

Well, favors other than "I want to put this feature in my suit, how do I make it not look wonky?", but that wasn't really a favor, and anyway that was mostly Cisco asking, not Barry.

That wasn't really a favor, anyway. More of a fun challenge that Leo was barred from participating in on account of it giving Len an unfair advantage in future supervillain fights.

"So what's the next plan?" Eddie asked. He was positively bright-eyed and bushy-tailed: he'd taken advantage of Gideon's advanced calculation systems and ability to analyze personalities to help with wedding planning, and was deeply relieved by the fact that he and Iris now had a full seating chart designed to forestall family fights and a complete plan of what vendors they should hire for what and by when.

The only thing left was to select the flavors for the cake – neither of them wanted to give up the taste-testing portion of the planning – and for Iris to select a dress.

Gideon had promised to attend the ceremony, both as herself and as a representative of the Vanishing Point, and also to arrive early to ensure that any last-minute dress disasters could be fixed.

In short, Eddie and Iris both looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders.

"Now," Mick said, "we go home and sleep for a week, then we do some good old-fashion at home thefts to get back into the groove of things."

"Damn right," Lisa said. "Time travel theft is fun, but there's no place like home."

“You had to take after the criminal side of the family,” Leo sighed, shaking his head in mock mourning; he’d given up all hope of winning that argument long ago. As long as Lisa continued on with her chosen course of study – mechanical engineering – and kept to the law at least 80% of the time, he had no problems with her occasional dips into the criminal underworld.

“You bet I do,” Lisa said with a smirk.

"You have fun," Barry said. "I, however, am planning to sleep for two weeks, so if you want to go head-to-head, it'll have to be later than that."

"No, no, this’ll be good old-fashioned cops-and-robbers stuff," Len assured him. "With luck, the cops won't even know it's me."

"Eddie and I are cops and we're literally standing right here, you know," Joe said.

"He means we won't know which one is him," Eddie explained. “I mean, what theft is his. Or at least that we won't be able to prove it.”

Joe gave him a look.

"Give me a break, I just spent nearly two months with the guy," Eddie said defensively. "I had to learn to understand him."

"Two months?" Joe exclaimed. "I thought the plan was two weeks."

"We still got back on time, Dad," Iris said.

"Not the point!"

"Our cue to leave, I think," Leo said wisely.

"I think I'll join you," Barry said hastily. "This argument definitely doesn't need me."

They took a car home. They debated for a few minutes as to whether they should take Joe's car, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth bringing anyone's mood down – which was to say, Barry insisted.

Still: a victory is a victory.

#dccoldwave #coldflash #coldray #leonard snart #mick rory #barry allen #ray terrill #iris west #wally west #joe west #lisa snart #sara lance #rip hunter #ray palmer #martin stein #jefferson jax jackson #my fic #beginning of wisdom

[fightingorcavingintodepression]

1/16/17 5:17 pm

I had my first panic attack I've had in a long time. I've gotten so bad at work my manager called me at 10AM and left a voicemail. I called him back and said I had a Doctors appointment and forgot to send out an email to the team. I hate lying, but i can’t realistically say I'm suicidal and won't even get out of bed every morning.

I ran to the bathroom and started dry-heaving for a good 2-3 minutes. Then I laid down on my bed and felt like crying, and then Stayed there for nearly another hour.

Kill me.

1/20/17

I'm eating lunch by myself at 3:06 on Friday. I've only hit myself a few times today. I ordered and shipped a present to Shara and it should get there tomorI'mrow, but today is her birthday. I deleted my Facebook and haven't been posting on tumblr, so I'm avoiding everything. I feel guilty and don't know what to do. I'm going to stop typing because I'm tearing up in the restaurant. I'm pushing all of my friends away. I saw Selina last weekend and it was so awkward. I can't even hang out with my best friend without it being awkward. I want to kill myself.

Please let me die in an accident.

10:56 pm I want to keep hitting myself until I don't wake up.

1/25/17 Wednesday 11:39pm

I'm at McDonald's getting a milkshake and food. I've "worked" from home the past three days because I don't wake up till 9 or 10. That's a lie, I'll wake up and hit snooze, but won't force myself into up. On Monday I stayed online till 11:30 and then said o had a doctors appointment and was gong to wfh the rest of the day, but the last two days I haven't even sent anything out. I deserve to get fired. My depression is destroying me.

1/26/17 Thursday 2:30pm

I woke up late at 8:50ish and got online. Did the scheduled work for Austin and once that was finished, drove into the office and got in at about 10:30 (I think). I ate lunch at my desk and I've gone back and forth to the bathroom and just sat. Only work I've done today is finally send an email I've needed to for weeks. Mom asked me to call her at lunch and I finally said I didn't really want to celebrate my birthday. I told her I'd decide on a weekend and give her a call tonight, but I'm not sure I can. It's now 2:48. I've been in the bathroom almost 20 minutes.

2/16 4:29pm

I woke up at 3:30 am and stayed awake, but then fell asleep and didn't get online from home until about 9:40. Came into the office about 12:40. I've done maybe an hours worth of work. I really hate myself. When driving into work nearly had an accident from someone driving recklessly and me not just letting them pass me. They cut to my right into a lane for cars getting on and drove on the side of the road to pass me since I didn't slow down. The driver even had people (possibly kids) in the back of their car. I hate myself, but that person as well if they can justify that type of driving that also may harm their own kids, let alone other people. I started yelling again in my car...it's getting worse.

I hit myself again this morning in the shower.

2/17 12:18am

I can see myself committing suicide within the next year. Depending if I don't get better, maybe not till after my parents pass.

2/20 12:33pm

I didn't get up again today (Monday) until 9:50 and log online. Then finally came in to the office about 10 minutes ago. Off to a bad start of the week. I should be fired. I did "clean" a good portion of my apartment yesterday because at&t suppose to be coming this week. It's still a terrible mess, but you can finally see the floor now. Next is the kitchen.

1:04pm - eating lunch by myself at wich which. Postponing going back to the office. Not sure if taking these notes is beneficial, or even a smart idea (hint, it's not)

2/21 12:31pm

Late again. Thinking of working from home tomorrow. Getting worse. Really worse. Spent too much money yesterday on gifts I'll probably never give.

2/24 11:52am

It's my birthday. Today hasn't been a bad day.

2/28 12:15 pm

In training. Feeling useless. My back is also killing me. Have my APA later today. Guess I'll find out how badly I'm doing or if we'll just pretend I'm doing fine when it's obvious I'm not. Not likely I'll get fired since I'm an ITA, but don't know. Just haven't been given a warning or anything

3/13 12:48pm

I'd been doing okay for a little while. Starting to get worse again. Started saying things again. Didn't wake up for work till 9ish. Didn't get in till 11ish. Need to stop. Want to hurt myself. Want to kill myself. Fighting it. Still doing bad. In the bathroom wanting to hit myself. Shara texted about doing stuff this weekend, and I almost want to back out. I'm suppose to do Aerials with gabby tonight, but want to use my weight as an excuse and say I'm over their limit (which may actually be true, but their website doesn't say and no one picked up when I called), or that I don't have the right clothes, or I'm having a panic attack (probably closest to being honest). And one of the other things that's bugging me in the back of my head today I'm hating myself most of all for it even bothering me.

3/20 4:39am

Mild depression acting up. Want to "call/email" out of work. Smacking myself a bit the past day

3/22 6:14pm

Didn't go into work today and haven't done any work so far. Needing to get a report and presentation done before tomorrow. Depression has been really bad this week. Sleep is getting off. Whispering harmful things to myself and hitting myself more often.

3/24 10:44am

I want to hurt myself. I'm doing really badly this week. No point even coming into work. Can tell I'm being replaced in all areas. Went to lunch with people. Faked it. Now I'm back at the office (2:04pm) and hiding in the bathroom. I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I want to pass out.

I want to die.

3/25 5:02pm

Doing bad today too. Didn't get up till noon. Went to the park to walk, but had negative thoughts the entire time and it didn't help. Convinced myself to go out to dinner at Las Margaritas that I normally get take out from. I plan to make myself sit in the living room when I get home to get out of my bedroom/bed. It feels pathetic, but right now the smallest things feel like an achievement.

3/27 1:41am

I want to kill myself. I just want it to end. I don't want to hurt my family though. I wish I could make them forget i existed so I wouldn't feel guilty about it.

3:06am still lying awake on the couch. The longer I stay awake, the longer I postpone till tomorrow comes.....or that's how it feels. Ready to kill myself.

3/30 8pm

I now weigh 245 pounds. I write this as I sit in line at chick fil-a getting a meal for two people and a milkshake

3/31 6:38

Deleted all of my social media. Specifically tumblr, which I can't reactive. Gone forever.

4/6 1:12pm

Was doing better for a bit because work was busy enough to distract me. Getting too busy now. Think I overheard two people saying they don't want to work with me, and storage team disregards my existence. It's a new feeling when I feel like I'm doing some good work, but know I'm also doing terrible in other areas and people no longer want to work with me. Hitting hard and really want to hurt myself again. I need to make some life choices before I end up committing suicide.

4/7 1:36pm

It might be good to just quit before June. If I sold everything I had, I could pay off all my debt. I'd be left with nothing, but wouldn't leave anything for people to worry about.

4/17 10:21am

So overwhelmed.

4/19 9:08am

Sitting on toilet at home. So overwhelmed at work. Can't get anything done and nothing is going right.

6/1 11:02am Thursday

Hadn't been in the office in almost a week. Had Friday off and Monday for Memorial Day, but lied and said Tom had knee surgery on Tuesday and then wfh on Wednesday. Getting bad again. Realized I hadn't been writing in here for a month and a half. Not sure if that's a good win or not, since I mostly only remember to when I'm getting bad again.

6/25 2:15am

Depression getting bad again. Suicide would be nice. Just want it all to end. If I could sleep for a year, I'd take it.

6/27 12:40pm

Didn't go into work until almost 11 yesterday. Working from home today. Can't even answer a phone call. Have a meeting at 2 and then will probably shower as unavailable the rest of the day.

6/28 3:06pm

Woke up at 5 and still didn't go into work today. Stayed showing as away all day and said I had issues with Skype and car issues

7/14 12:50pm

JB texted me asking if I was off. I should just kill myself. Lying through my teeth. His pa

7/18 3:28am Tuesday

I want to die in an accident so no one I care about thinks it was a suicide.

7/20 1:59pm

Didn't go into work until 12 today. While I was in the shower, my phone range and I just started cursing thinking it was my manager. Already had my lie made up going to say my car stalled this morning coming into work. Didn't have my phone (which is why I didn't pick up if it was them), but luckily a cop pulled over and called a tow truck....

Haven't had to use my lie yet, but going to use parts of it tonight to get out of going to a coworkers house for game night.

I really hate myself.

I need to call in my medicine to see if they'll prescribe it again, even if it doesn't seem like it's helping.

7/31 9:04pm

In line at Taco Bell. Didn't go into work today or Friday. Meant to send an email saying I was taking my mom to doctors and would be back Tuesday, but overslept and didn't bother. Don't want to go in tomorrow either. I haven't been replying to Shara and I feel terrible, but I'm not in a good place either. Hadn't been replying to family until Mom called worried and acted like I just forgot to hit send on some texts. It's easier to act like nothing is wrong with people who don't know I'm not good mentally. I saw a post on Tumblr that describe what I'm feeling. I'm pushing people away so it's easier when I want to kill myself.

9/5 11:42am

Moved to new apartment. Enjoying it so far. Had a 5 day weekend from labor/took Thursday and Friday off to move. 1st day back at work and already feeling overwhelmed and counting down till 4:30. Kill myself creeping inside my head again.

9/21 10:02am

Want to die. Want to die. I just really want to die. Kill myself. Kill myself. I'm so tempted to kill myself. I'd make it look like an accident so not to hurt my family. But I need to find homes for Yen and Shani, or plan accordingly. Could drop them at a shelter, but include some cash to help care for them (1k?). Then someone who is a good person, but just had money trouble would take them. I'm not sure I'll live 15+ years to outlive them. I take that back; I know I won't. I don't even know sometimes if I'll make it to tomorrow. I'm not actually making any attempts or plans to do it, but every time I walk in to work or leave, I hope a car hits me. Kill me kill me I just want to die.

10/18 9:52am

Overslept and didn't go into work today. "Working" from home online. Depression episode kicking in again. I just want to die.

10/31 Tuesday 12:02pm

Didn't get into work until 11 today. Called into the 8:30 conference and answered some emails to appear like I was working, but hardly got out of bed. ~Read back through some of these notes just now and now I've got in the back of my head the idea of starting to hit myself again. I know this is a downward slope, but really want to go to the bathroom stall and do it anyways just so I don't feel numb. It's lunchtime, so no one should be there to hear it. ~~I ended up going to get rubber bands and paper clips instead. Still hit myself s few times, but people kept coming into the restroom while I was in the stall.~

11/1 2:16 pm

In drivethru for chick-fil-a. Working from home rest of week probably. My anger is terrible. Called someone a cunt in the drivethru for honking and it wasn't even at me. My window was down, so think the person in front of me may have heard. I'm a terrible person and hate myself.

11/16 9:14am Thursday

Just got into work. Feel exhausted and drained as always. Just noticed it’s coming up on a year in January when I started making these notes. I honestly don’t know if I’m doing better or not. I’d say I’m not. Definitely not.

12/5/17 2:36pm

It’s a Tuesday, and I’d not been in the office for two weeks (11/21) between workin from home on Wednesday because thanksgiving was the next day, off Thursday and Friday, and then all last week I just never came in. Yesterday I “worked” from home, and today I didn’t get in till about 12. And the only thing I wanted to think about while walking into work because I forgot my headphones and couldn’t drown out the thoughts with music was how I wanted to kill myself. I have a meeting from 3-4 with new agile team (honestly probably only real reason I forced myself into the office). I wonder how fake I can present myself today. Hopefully it won’t be terribly interactive and mostly just informational.

1/14/18 11:27pm

I didn’t go into work at all last week. Was online only Monday for the entire day, and then Wednesday for the day on do-not-disturb. Skipped Tuesday and Wednesday completely though. Need to force myself to go into the office tomorrow. I hate myself. So much to catch up on. I cleaned a bit of the apartment, but still need to do more. My oncall starts next week, and I pray it’s quiet.

1/22/18 3:10am

Won’t go to bed because then the morning comes faster. I’m oncall this week and I just pray nothing happens at all. Even one ticket. Please don’t. I think I have an appointment this Friday about my antidepressants, but honestly I’m not sure. Please let me be left alone this week and work from home. I’ll even make sure I get work done.

1/23/18 12:30am

I’m pathetic at work.

2/4/18 6:43pm Sunday

Out grocery shopping. Tried to do small talk. Wanted to help bag like I do sometimes, but not doing well, so just awkwardly typing this on my phone. I HAVE to get work done when I get home, but haven’t been doing well. I’ll be lucky if I get anything done or I do it in the middle of the night (especially with my sleep schedule).

2/5/18 11:52am

Didn’t get anything done last night, but was able to wake up early and get it submitted by 8 (only one other person has anything uploaded so far). What pisses me off is another teammate setup a meeting at 2 with no heads up. That little amount of time and a same day meeting? Fuck that shit. I’ll attend, but doubt John will and don’t blame him. I said I was going to the doctor earlier, so purposely missed the one actual meeting I had today. Couldn’t get out of bed. Hate myself. Submitted a service request for the lights to be fixed in my apartment, so that’s the one useful thing I’ve done. I was wrong, John did accept. I hate myself.

5/7/18 Monday 8:59am

On the train in to work. Only going in for the ITA orientation and then probably leaving. Probably will stay an hour to get hibachi for lunch and then leave. I’m oncall this week. Please please please don’t have any tickets or sde’s after hours. Please god. Just this once. I’ve been doing so well with my depression, but the last week and a half it’s been dipping again and I’m afraid. On the chart at my therapy office, id finally for the first time dipped below the number for being depressed! I know I’ll always have depression and depression slumps, but it’s scary going back into my first one after doing well for almost two months. I don’t want to go back into that. I really don’t. Please just don’t have my oncall this week go badly. Dear god, just please don’t. I don’t want to breakdown in tears from anxiety this week. Make my next oncall worse, but just let me not have to worry about anything this week. Please.

5/7/18 Monday 11:21am

Doing better mentally once I got in the office and moving. It’s sad how easily that change can happen. You’d think I’d be happy, but just makes me realize how easily I can drop again. Part of me knows I could stay at the office and continue working, but the other half doesn’t care. I’m eating hibachi and then taking the train home.

5/10/18 1:02pm

Finishing up lunch at hisaki and then going into office. Have to recount all of the WebLogic VM counts manually.....

All the work before I did is basically useless.

Time to go through 400+ (maybe less since a good number are in the shared environment) and find out their host count. I shouldn’t really be complaining. Just didn’t want to have to do/worry about anything till after my vacation.

Now it’s 1:32 and I’m sitting in the toilet just waiting for the day to end. Shoot myself shoot my self I just want to shoot my self.

5/23 5:12pm

Felt sick the past few days. Worked from home. Throat is killing me, but in line at McDonald’s and going to get

5/25 Friday 11:27am

Hardly worked at all this week. Ignored a voicemail to call back my PO. Work is frustrating me.

I just hit myself for the first time in a long time again. Chest, face, head. It felt good

5:57pm clenching my fists in drive through. Want to hurt myself

5/28 Monday 2:04pm Memorial Day off work

At the bbq place getting Togo food. Been in bed all day/all weekend really. Felt sick, but also depressed. Stomach was so upset, didn’t take antidepressants yesterday. Going to take them for today when I get back. Still, I’ve not been doing well at all. Hitting myself more. Mainly the chest. May even do it on the way home. Just feeling numb again. Started reblogging suicidal/depression posts on tumblr again. It’s pathetic. Like a cry for help to the two I know who are on tumblr, but one never acknowledges them, and the other rarely gets on anymore. I have therapy this Friday (o think?) and have no improvement to speak of to the doctor. Overslept one from depression, but rescheduled the last one due to work issues. Slit my throat. Want to die. Let it end. Started singing those little tunes to myself the last week or two. Want to hurt myself. Really just want to drop dead from an accident. Get someone to take care of my cats, and then my family won’t think it’s a suicide.

6/12 10:59am Tuesday

Sitting at train station going into work. Just got back from surgery follow up and everything is fine. Spent maybe 10 minutes there in total. Now I’m going into work to eat my unhealthy lunch hibachi chicken and soda as always. I’m sad all the team. I have an in person meeting from 2-2:50, but will probably leave after that. Unless I ask Carter if he needed help with patching and he says yes, which is why I’m considering if I even should?? Wow, that’s pathetic of me. I only have to make it till EOD Thursday. Then I’ll watch Lily for the weekend, have my therapy session on Friday, and (maybe?) visit Mom and Tom on Sunday.

6/24 Monday 10:46am

I may barely make it into the office for an 11am meeting. This isn’t going to be a good week.

7/3 Tuesday 6:11pm

I missed my medicine twice in the last week (I think? Or only once). But just don’t care to take it anymore since I’ve noticed

7/9 Monday 12:15am

This isn’t gonna be a good week. I can already tell.

7/22 Sunday 1am

Doing patching. Teammates were being fucking useless, so I got offline and said I was having internet issues. It’s been a fucking hour and they’ve not done shit. The job is still hung exactly where it was when I left off. They’ve not tried to do anything at all. There are two more groups that have to run for Linux, and we’re already 2/3 hours of patching there is from 11-2am. Cancel the ticking job you dipshits. I even sent an email basically telling you to!!! I did all the ducking work for you!!! Instead you just sit there for an hour doing nothing!!! Cancel the fucking job!! If it gets to 1:30am and still nothing, I’m sending a follow up email and ccing myself. I’m not even suppose to be in charge here!! They are!!! At least Brandon should be. Daniel is ridiculously new, but clearly knows more, so make the ticking call too, for fuck sake.

- they finally did when I was typing this all out. And of course it was the new kid, not the guy who is a full time employee who should be making the call. Then again, I’m a waste of space too. Just got fed up with them and quit with a bullshit excuse. I’m trash. Now that I’ve calmed down, I hate myself again.

Thursday 7/26 2:54pm

First time I’ve been in the office I think nearing 3 weeks? I’ve not been taking my antidepressants as consistently. So tired all the time. Hardly get out of bed. Didn’t go to therapy last week. I need to call tomorrow to cancel next weeks too unless it’s early in the morning. And also schedule more since I don’t have any after that. And also reschedule one on a different day for my medicine.

Just got off my 3pm call. PO wasn’t there, so I basically lead. Talked for like 5 fucking minutes before my team lead said they’ve been doing it manually the last 4 days. So basically I’m a fucking idiot and out of the loop. I’m definitely not Sr IT analyst ready. I’m just gonna leave work. I hate myself. Put myself on do not disturb and closed my laptop. Ran and caught the train. I’m so ducking fat and out of shape. I should just go skydiving by myself and not pull the parachute. Quick and easy. Could I do it in a body bag so it’s less of a mess for the people who have to clean it up? Sky dive, pull the bag out midair. Put it on and zip it up. Splat. Done. Kaput. 😊

How many weeks vacation do I have? Just use it all at once and disappear. Then when it’s up I just never come back. I wanna jump in front of a car or train, but not okay with the impact it’d have on the person driving. If I jump off mountain, the only person it might hurt is the people who found me? Plus annoy the people who have to clean me up.

Could have a suicide note and send it in so the police can find me easily? Idk. Can’t do anything till my cats are okay.

8/14/18 Tuesday 10:19am

On the train to work. Only going in to have an in person meeting. Didn’t wake up till 9:20 and only jumped up because of the daily Standup call at 9:30. Have patching this week and next. Alex is out the rest of the week, so I’m in charge of Windows....never done it by myself, yet alone enough with someone else to be confident. Need to send out the email as soon as we get Tom’s email tomorrow. Get the jobs running and finish documentation. I think Wednesday only has noreboot servers and is a small window? Hopefully okay.

I’ve not been taking my medication. Haven’t been to the doctors in really long (therapy/antidepressant doctor). I have roughly 35 days to get in better shape/health/mental state before going to Samantha’s to see Welcome to Nightvale. Will it happen? No idea.

Still on the train. 10:27. I feel so num. no emotion at all.

5:49pm - on the train home from work. Got a lot done today, so feel somewhat decent. If I can bury my head in work and actually get stuff done, I won’t notice my depression sometimes.

9/5 Wednesday 10:51 am

Have a big kickoff meeting I’m leading. Has a shit ton of people in it. Don’t feel confident. Stomach is nauseated. Want to hurt myself too. Get it over with. Cut my throat. Let me die. Die die die die.

9/20 Thursday 11:05am

Have barely worked the last week since the hurricane hit and we’re in storm mode. Had my first “shift” start at 6 this morning, and I was the only one in the room. Was a good thing I came in to the office. Actually got some stuff done. Just really tired since I couldn’t get to sleep till 2:30 or 3, and got up at 4:22. Going home right at 2. Today hasn’t been bad, but I’m exhausted and sad at myself for being so fat and out of shape.

Animal crossing

Love Nicky

Clash royal

Good fantasy

9/26 11:53am

On train into work. Have two in-person meetings this afternoon. I regret volunteering to do the ITA stuff. Just added stress with no good outcome. My stomach hurts too. Don’t know if something actually wrong, or just anxiety of everything with work, deciding to go to the BigFix event tomorrow during work hours, and text Samantha lying I can’t come to the show. Too many lies happening at once due to my anxiety. I guess I do have anxiety. My depression making my life difficult makes me have anxiety. God my stomach hurts. Kill me kill me I want to die. Slit my throat just want to die. Just disappear I just want to disappear. First steps I need to take today to help fix my anxiety

1. Call and reschedule therapy as soon as I get off train DONE

2. Talk to Cathy and then John about change freeze issue with Websphere maintenance. Then get communications out. SENT AN EMAIL

3. Prep documentation for ITA meeting at 3. WORKING ON

4. Plan what time to leave tomorrow

5. Text Samantha for details (address, what time I should get there, etc)

6. Plan to drive home after show

Die die die die die die di die die die die die kill me

10/3 Wednesday 2:51pm

I’ve not been into work since last Wednesday, and hardly online all this week. Finally got a text from manager this morning asking what’s up. Ready to kill my self.

10/4 Thursday 1:24pm

On the train into work for a 2pm meeting I’m hosting. I may barely make it in. Barely. Or I’ll be late. Shocker. I’m useless. I look and feel disgusting. Literally just need to know if Cathy will fight if we have to push the qa and prod environment during a change freeze. If not, what will happen if we have pushed test and dev, but can’t push prod/qa for months?? I highly doubt that’s okay.

11/1/2018 Thursday 1:12pm

Waiting for the train. Overslept for therapy and then an important meeting I said I’d be late for, but not miss the entire fucking thing. I’ve pretty much given up on therapy for now. Doesn’t make a difference, and won’t get another appointment for 2-3 months, if they’d even give me one with how many no-shows I’ve done. My stomach acid is killing me.

Have meeting. Schedule jobs for 5. Go eat hibachi. Take train home. Meeting is at 2. Doubt chuck will be there. Cathy may call in or not. Literally just depends if John/srini at there. If not, will be over in 10 minutes. If they are, just keep chugging along with Websphere (need to plan how to do QA and PROD along side OS patching.

QA

Wednesday - do it right after patching for Linux/aix. Try and include windows in the patching, or same scenario.

Do we think it’s worth doing adc/cdc groups still? Or just all at once?

Thursday - Linux/aix I do manually (hit B & C right at 5, and then A when it finishes)

11/29 Thursday 9:25am

Going into the office. I’m just really sad. I’m up to 283lbs without any clothes on. I’m working nights now with patching at work. I’m rude to the point that I don’t even move my bag on the train. It’s just all really sad. It’s not bad enough I’m hurting myself or suicidal thoughts, but I’ve just been emotionally numb. I quit taking my medicine for about a week or two, but then noticed an increase in anger, so started taking them again.

12/18 Tuesday 3:39pm

Sitting at a jimmy johns nears my apartment eating. On vacation from work, and watching Lily till Thursday, but I’ve had to be online some because patching still isn’t being covered by the EDC, even though Matt apparently was handling it but clearly didn’t? I’ll be up anyways, so I’m not mad mad, but more just annoyed, because I’m not doing this come January. Pretty depressed though. Sleeping all the time. I weigh over 285lbs now. Maybe I’ll die from a heart attack in 2019? I’ve not been taking my medicine lately, but I’ll run out soon anyways unless I schedule an appointment with my doctor. Definitely see my anger spiking some when I’m not on it while driving or the sorts. Last Friday I went into work and ran into my manager(s) which was good. Talked some, and mentioned about the possibility of moving to Durham. Would be okay, but did mention Charlotte is better career wise, which is true (but I’m okay with that?). I’m just sad all the time still. Apartment is a mess almost always, which isn’t good for the cats. I hardly ever clean their litter boxes, and it’s disgusting for them. Which reminds me I have to take them to the vet. I should call when I get back to schedule something and also clean their litter boxes before anything else.

2/18 10:02am

On my way into work to train one guy on patching, even though I’ll probably be the one having to do it the rest of the week. Was in an accident yesterday. Car hit me from behind. Surprisingly still shaken from it. I’m pathetic. Have to call insurance today since they said they were closed yesterday. Hopefully it’s just visual damage. The bumper popped off a bit, but I don’t know if it can just be popped back into place. I know nothing about cars. Other persons was much worse, but no one was hurt at least. I wish I was hurt. Just kill me. Be done with it all.

Work is never ending stress, this fucking house is too. AND I JUST REMEMBERED IM ON-CALL ALL THIS WEEK FFS. Please let it be quiet. I’m begging you. With all the SDE’s and ongoing stuff, don’t let there be anything for me. Slit my throat.

2/20 Wednesday 2:04pm

Sitting at a car body repair shop getting an estimate by Statefarm. Hopefully should be fine. Work is stressing me out. House is too. I’m responsible for getting the WebLogic patching done, but it’s all up to Srini looking at the problem servers. It’s not fair to him as I’m sure he’s swamped, but he’s the only one who can fix it. Also that one guy who sent that needs to go fuck himself. Passive aggressive fuck. Then with the house. They finally responded saying they want their roofer to take a look, which is fine. Just don’t come back and argue you’re not doing anything. I’m so done with that shit. Just offer to pay half and be done with it. Then my mental health is just terrible. Want to hurt myself. When I get home may take a butter knife or something and hurt myself. Cut my throat. Not even going into the office tomorrow even though I said I would. Fuck Friday. Please be a quiet oncall week. I’m beginning you, just like I do ever time I’m oncall. It’s pathetic. Wish I had cancer instead of Tom. Let me die instead of him. Mom needs him. Just let me die.

It’s Wednesday. Need to make it through the weekend. “Work day” just tomorrow. Have other work to do, but I’m not as worried about the after hour work for IE9 IE11 and office 2010 SP2. Slit my throat slit my throat

[choicesfanatic86]

TTS: Part 11 (Liam x MC)

DISCLAIMER:  All characters belong to Pixelberry Studios, except characters unique to my story.  Those belong to me. ;)

PAIRINGS:  Riley (MC) x OC, Riley (MC) x Liam, Liam x Riley (MC) x OC, Olivia x Drake, Bertrand x Savannah, Maxwell x OC

SUMMARY:  Even when all she had wanted to do was forget, all she could do was remember.

TAGS:  @herladyshipxx @theroyalweisme @blackcatkita @devineinterventions2 @hopefulmoonobject @captainkingliam @pbchoicesobsessed @queencatherynerhys @mfackenthal @cocomaxley @boneandfur @spetstoof @grapefrults @pessimystic-fangirl @bobasheebaby @dralenamax @mspaigemoore @drakelover78 @kaitycole  @jayjay879 @hhiggs @umccall71 @penguininapinktuxedo

If you are new to the series and would like to catch up by reading previous parts, please check out my master fan fiction listing.  CATCH UP HERE

If you want to be added to the tag list, please let me know, and I can update you.

Thank you so much for everyone who follows the Through the Storm series. I appreciate all of the little notes and reblogs.  It makes my day, and I feel so compelled to write even more because I want to bring you guys back into Riley’s world. 

My hope had been to get both Part 1 and Part 2 of the derby up today, but it looks like I’ll only be able to get Part 1.  Part 2 is completely written, but I’m just not 100% liking a pretty pivotal scene, and I want to rework it a bit.  I will release it tomorrow at the latest. :)

PART 11 - Off To The Races

Riley went to bed mulling over Drake’s words.  She had spent almost a year with Paul, and things were wonderful.  But was it possible that maybe it was too wonderful?  They never fought.  Ever.  He lavished her with beautiful flowers and sweet little notes.  He was also so attentive to everything that she wanted and needed, and he always was so patient with her.  What more could she want in a boyfriend?  If he was so great though, why couldn’t she bring herself to say she loved him?  She sighed.  She was being ridiculous.  She had let Drake’s words get into her head, and now all she could do was second-guess her relationship with Paul.  She was happy when she kissed him, that was enough right?  Who said every relationship had to have fireworks or butterflies?  Comfort and stability were great . . . but she wondered if that meant that it took away from the thrill and passion of the relationship.  Did she stay with Paul out of pure habit?   Riley closed her eyes thinking things over.  She was being ridiculous.  She was just feeling this way because she hadn’t had a chance to talk to him.  She knew that once she heard his voice, all would be right in the world again, and these silly little thoughts would disappear.  She felt her eyes grow heavy, a mix of exhaustion and the alcohol working its way in her system.  

When she woke the next morning, she was surprised that she didn’t have a hangover.  With all of the whiskey she had drank in combination with her uneasy sleep, she was almost certain she’d wake with a splitting headache.  Too bad, she thought.  It would have been the perfect excuse not to go to the derby that afternoon.  She stretched her body and yawned.  Her stomach growled, begging her to eat something.  

Riley walked down the grand staircase, still clad in her pajamas.  The strong aroma of coffee enticed her into the kitchen where she found Andy brewing a pot.  After the night she had, she was jonesing for a strong cup of coffee.  She didn’t care what there was to eat as long as she had a cup of coffee to go with it.  

“They don’t have a Keurig,” Andy sighed as Riley sat next to her on the bar stools surrounding the island.  “It took me forever to figure out how this thing worked.”  

Riley nodded, appreciating where Andy was coming from.  “I think we got spoiled with our Keurig back home,” she laughed lightly.  “So, how was your date last night?”

Andy busied herself around the kitchen, trying to turn away from Riley so that she couldn’t see the faint blush on her cheeks.  “It was nice,” Andy smiled.

“Just nice?” Riley questioned.

“Okay, a lot more than nice,” she smiled fondly as if she were remembering something funny.  “I really like him, Ri.  He’s a little off the wall, and a bit more immature than the guys I normally date, but there’s just something about him.”

Riley smiled knowingly.  “There’s just something about Maxwell that is impossible not to like, right?”

“Exactly, and he’s so different from the guys we deal with in New York.  He’s not all business and work.  Not that he’s lazy or entitled or anything, she was quick to add.  It’s just . . . he’s just so laid back.  It’s a nice change of pace for me.”

Riley nodded, understanding completely.  “So, are you excited for the derby today?”

“Exceedingly so, “she grinned broadly.  “I hope you’re coming,” she added in.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Riley nodded.  

“Good, because Maxwell bought both of us dresses,” she said excitedly.  

Riley couldn’t help but laugh at Maxwell’s ever-preparedness.  “He didn’t have to do that, I brought dresses with me.”

“Oh, I know.  I told him as much.  He just wouldn’t take no for an answer,” she said.  “So , how was your night?” Andy asked.

“It was pretty good.  Got some work done which was great.  Had some drinks with Drake.  Things are good between us again.  Who knew that good ole whiskey could resolve all ones problems?”  She laughed.

“Did you ever manage to get in touch with Paul?”  Andy asked.

Riley shook her head. “No.  I hope everything’s okay.  It’s not like him to leave his phone off for a whole day,” she said.  

“I’m sure everything is fine.  With the time difference and everything, I’m sure you guys are just missing each other.”

Riley nodded, “I hope so.”

As Riley was finishing up her cup of coffee, she heard Maxwell bound down the stairs.  “Good morning, Little Blossom.  Good morning, my Little Tiger Lily!”

Riley raised her eyebrow at Andy, “Tiger Lily?”  

Andy rolled her eyes, “He said I remind him of a tiger lily . . .”

Maxwell smiled shyly.  “I trust both of you are well-rested for the derby today,” he said as he opened the refrigerator looking for something to eat.  

Andy eagerly nodded her head.  “I’ve never been to a derby before.  I don’t really know what to expect.”

“You haven’t missed much,” Riley said.  “Fancy dresses, ugly hats, gossiping nobles . . . honestly the only perk is seeing the beautiful horses.  There’s just something to amazing to see how they majestically run around the track,” she noted.  “It’s really kind of sad because I’m not sure if a lot of the people who attend even really pay attention to the actual races.”

Maxwell nodded in agreement.  “It really is just a social gathering where people can get dressed up and gossip.  People like Bertrand and his business associates are probably the only ones that take it seriously, and that’s just because they bet money on it,” he rolled his eyes.

“Well, any excuse to get dressed up and day drink is as good a reason as any for me to go to this derby,” Andy smiled.  “What time are we leaving?” She asked.

Maxwell looked at the clock quickly.  “Oh boy, you both better get ready.  We have to be out of here in an hour.  The drive alone will take quite some time.”  He started to clean up his breakfast, motioning for them to get off of the bar stools.  “You know how Bertrand gets about these court events.  The derby is one of his favorite parts . . . he’ll be intolerable if he’s late for the first race.”  He said, hurrying them along.  “I’ve left both of your dresses in your respective rooms.  Forgive the hat choices . . . it’s all I could come by on such short notice.”

Riley sighed, all of these court events and parties were giving her flashbacks to her time during the social season, and they weren’t the most positive of memories.  She enjoyed a good party as much as the next person, but court parties were on a whole different level.  Court parties reminded her of what she imagined being on the red carpet was like.  Members of the press screaming your name, pushing their microphones and recorders in your face while blinding you with flashes of their camera.  You always had to look your best and be on your toes because you never knew what the press was going to say about you in the next newspaper article.  They could be your best friend or your worst enemy.  For Riley, it was more of the latter, especially after the coronation ball.  

She had tried to be a bit more enthused about the derby, especially because she did enjoy the sport of it.  She just had a difficult time getting excited because she was worried about who she’d see and who would likely see her in return . . .

As Riley walked into her bedroom, she saw the stunning cream colored dress hanging on her closet door.  She smiled, the embellishments were so intricate and it looked more like a party dress than something she’d wear to an outdoor derby.  Maxwell Beaumont certainly had taste.  She ran her hand across the slinky material, smiling to herself.  The matching hat was, as she had anticipated, overly lacy and cluttered with a superfluous amount of brightly colored flowers.  It was tacky, but the beautiful dress made up for it completely.  She just worried about it drawing unwanted attention to herself at the derby.  She originally had wanted to wear one of the plainer dresses she had brought with her from home so that she could blend into the crowds at the derby, but how could she turn down wearing such a stunning dress?

Riley left her room starting to feel a bit unsure of herself.  At the masquerade ball, she hadn’t worried about running into too many people because she was wearing a mask . . . and the party was at night.  The derby was during the day and would likely be swarming with members of the press.  Her last experience with the press hadn’t exactly gone well. The constant rumors and lies that were published about her after the incident weren’t easy to ignore.  As strong as she was, she still broke under the pressure of having those awful stories publish about her.  As she walked down the stairs, she heard Bertrand calling up for them.  

“Ladies, are you ready?  If we don’t leave now we’re going to miss the first race,” Bertrand reminded.

“Yes, Bertrand dear, we’re coming as quickly as our high heels will allow us to,” Savannah muttered as she tried to balance herself down the stairs.

Bertrand stopped suddenly, eyeing his future wife.  “Savannah, you look beautiful, love.”

“Thank you, darling.  You look quite dapper yourself,” she smiled.  “Everyone ready to go?  The limo should be waiting for us outside.”

Riley called up the stairs for Andy.  “Andy, are you almost done?”

“Coming!” She called down.  As she walked down the stairs, Riley noticed that Maxwell’s gaze never left her.  “Andy, you look gorgeous!”  Riley exclaimed.

“Thank you,” Andy beamed.  “Also, thank you, Maxwell.”  She smiled brightly at him.  “I can’t believe I’m wearing such a beautiful dress.”  She swayed her hips lightly, allowing the soft material to flow around her.  “The hat on the other hand,” she crinkled her nose in distaste.  “It turns out derby hats are actually pretty gaudy,” she laughed. “I don’t know why I was so excited to wear one.  

“Only you could make that monstrosity of a hat look beautiful,” Maxwell said as he approached her.  “Do you mind if I escort you to the limo?  He asked.  

“I’d like that a lot, actually,” she said softly.  

As everyone was heading out of the house, Riley looked over her shoulder.  “Aren’t we waiting for Drake?”  She asked.

“Oh, he left early this morning,” Savannah said.  “He promised King Liam he’d join him before the races began.”

“Oh,” Riley nodded soberly.  “I see.”  She feigned a smile as she entered the limo.

“Lady Riley, there is something I’d like to discuss with you before we arrive at the derby,” Bertrand said.

Savannah looked at him warily.  “Perhaps this isn’t the time to discuss this, Bertrand,” she whispered.

He shook his head, “It is better she here this now before we get there.”  

Savannah smiled weakly at Riley.  “Very well, then,” she responded softly.

“We’ve been invited to watch the races from King Liam’s tent,” Bertrand continued.  He saw the look of panic flash across Riley’s face.  “We, as in Savannah and I, and Maxwell should he choose to do so” he said.  “I know with the precarious state of your relationship with our reigning monarch, you’ve been hesitant to return to court and the functions that come along with it.  Today won’t be easy.”

Riley couldn’t help but snort at his words.  That was an understatement.  She could feel her nerves bubbling in her stomach.  She thought she had pulled herself together enough to get through the derby, but with Bertrand’s unexpected speech, she started to have second thoughts about going. Would she be the laughing stock of court as she was years prior?

Bertrand continued on, “The press will be there, as well as many of the nobles you encountered during your stay with us.”  Riley’s face dropped noticeably.  Of course she knew that the press would be there, and she was certain she’d run into the nobles who weren’t very supportive of her role at court, but hearing Bertrand say the words made everything suddenly much more real.  She wondered if it were too late to ask the limo driver to stop so that she could jump ship.

“I want to assure you, the news of your previous scandal has long since lost interest in the Cordonian press,” he said encouragingly.  “After everything was resolved, the retractions were printed, and everyone moved on to the next torrid story that came along.”

“Retractions?” Riley looked puzzled.

“Scandal?” Andy chimed in.

“I know that the press wasn’t exactly kind to you before you left, but when things settled down, and the truth was uncovered, it was ultimately determined that you did nothing wrong with Tariq.  It was all revealed to be a set up.”  Bertrand explained.  “The story quickly dissolved, the press slinked back into the dark holes they crawled out of, and life went back to normal.  In other words,  Lady Riley, you’re old news.  You have nothing to worry about.”  

“I didn’t know,” she whispered, a small smile playing on her lips.  “I didn’t know that they found Tariq.”

“You never asked.” Bertrand pointed out.

He was right.  When she returned, she hadn’t bothered to ask about anything that had happened after she left Cordonia.  She had asked about what her friends had been up to, and how they’ve been, but she never once wanted to know what had happened with that god awful scandal . . . or anything that had to do with him.  She just couldn’t bring herself to know what his life was like now, especially since she hadn’t been a part of it for quite some time.  Hearing Bertrand say that she had been cleared . . . that the truth they had been fighting so desperately to have released . . . it hardly seemed real.

“What scandal?”  Andy asked again, clearly confused.

“It was a long time ago .  . .” Riley whispered, still a bit stunned by the revelation that she was no longer considered the American slut who had broken the King’s heart.  

Maxwell stared at Bertrand from across his seat in the limo.  “Maybe Riley had wanted to leave all of this well enough alone, Bertrand.”

“Maxwell, you’ve been handling her with kid gloves since she’s returned to court.  She needed to hear the truth.”

She closed her eyes, shaking her head.  “No, it’s okay.  Bertrand’s right.  He’s always right,” she laughed.  “Maybe it’s time that I accept what happened . . . stop hiding from it,” she looked at Maxwell.  “Thank you, Bertrand, for telling me that my reputation was at least restored,” she smiled sadly.

Andy interrupted the silence.  “Hi, I wasn’t here two years ago, so I don’t know what the hell you all are talking about.  Care to clue me in?”

“I never did explain why he couldn’t pick me as the suitor he wanted to marry, did I?” Riley said to Andy.

Andy shook her head, listening intently.

“Well, right before he was going to make his choice . . . a choice I thought would be me . . . a photo was released showing me in a . . . well . . . in a compromising position with another man from court.”

Andy gasped, “Riley!”

“It was all a set up,” Riley reassured her.  “The press didn’t care, neither did the council or his parents.  I was a victim of a carefully planned set up, but I had no evidence to prove that I was innocent.  So, he did what he had to do.  He chose Madeline, one of the other suitors during the social season,” she explained.  “Well, the wedding grew closer, and time was running out,” she felt some tears start to form in her eyes.  “So I left.  I couldn’t handle it anymore, and well, I never really bothered to find out if I was cleared or not.”

Andy looked at her sadly, “Oh Riley, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

She nodded, smiling lightly. “I know.  I should have told you when the invitation first came in, but I just wasn’t ready yet, I guess.  Maybe I was a bit ashamed.  I knew how the photo looked, and when we could find the man in the picture to corroborate my story, I kind of lost hope.  I just wanted to pretend none of it ever happened.”  She shrugged.  “It’s nice to know that eventually I was cleared . . . even if it were after I left.”

Bertrand looked carefully at Riley.  “You’ve come a long way, Lady Riley.  Your strength in the face of adversity is what made me realize how wrong I was about you back then.  I’m just sorry things didn’t turn out how we all had hoped,” he said motioning to Maxwell and Savannah.  Savannah nodded her head in agreement.  

“But I ran away . . .” Riley whispered sadly.  “What strength was there in running?”

“Lady Riley, you came back,” he affirmed.  

A half-smile appeared on Bertrand’s face, and he reached over to lightly grasp her hand.  Riley was a bit taken back by the comforting gesture.  It was strange to see Bertrand so caring and so supportive.  

A moment later he pulled back, clearing his throat.  “Alright then,” he looked out the window, “we’re here.”

He smiled broadly,  “We’re off to the races,” he said earnestly.  

#theroyalromance #the royal romance #choices #playchoices #choices fandom #trr #trr fanfic #liam x riley #fanfic #choices: stories you play

[totallyrhettro]

Territorial, chapter 11

Word Count: 2508 Rating: This chapter: PG. Overall story rating: explicit Warnings: Memories of Dubious Consent Summary: After finally realizing their shared love for one another, all internetainers Rhett and Link had to do was live happily ever after. Unfortunately, as it turns out, that’s a lot harder to do in a world of werewolves. Notes: Takes place 1 year after Animalistic began. Still no wives; Rhett and Link are in an established relationship. This is a sequel to that fic. You don’t have to read that first, but it is highly recommended.

Also available on a03

First Chapter Previous Chapter

Rhett couldn’t be sure exactly where Link had gone. He hoped the man had just gone home, to their house in Burbank, but he wasn’t holding his breath. The two hour drive back to L.A. seemed like an eternity and Rhett spent all of it kicking himself over what he had done. There was no sign of Link’s car as Rhett and Theo pulled into the driveway. The lights were all out and the sight made Rhett’s heart plummet.

“I’m sure he’s okay,” Theo assured him. Instead of answering, Rhett pulled out his phone and started to dial Link’s number for the umpteenth time. He hung up even before the first ring. He’d already left so many messages. What more could he say? How else could he apologize? What could he possibly say that would make everything better? He didn’t know. Finally, he decided to text Link instead, his trembling fingers taking forever to type out a few short words.

Where are you? He sat in Theo’s truck, leg shaking from nerves, as he waited anxiously for a reply. When it came, it only brought small comfort with it.

Safe. I just want to be alone for awhile. Rhett bit his lip, looking up into the night sky slightly begging that everything would work out. He needed Link to be okay. He needed him to be fine, and more than anything, he needed him to forgive.

“What can I do?” Theo asked, softly. He felt a little lost, unsure how to help his friend with this problem. This wasn’t something he knew how to solve. Unlike the land of werewolves, love wasn’t a world he was particularly familiar with. Rhett shook his head as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Nothing,” he sighed. “I have to handle this on my own.” As he climbed out of the bronco, he gave Theo one last look. ‘I’ll be fine,’ it said. ‘It’s not your fault.’

“Call me when you hear from him.” After Rhett watched Theo drive off and out of sight, he went inside. Stumbling to the couch, he tried to to calm his nerves. He was exhausted, but he knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.

Meanwhile, Link was just stepping into the farmhouse the two of them had finally finished renovating a few weeks back. The home away from home was modestly decorated now, with dark woods and warm fabrics. A brown, leather couch sat in front of the grey stone brick fireplace, the centerpiece of the main floor living room. Link took off his glasses, gently placed them on the coffee table, then flopped down on top of the couch, physically and emotionally drained. He was still mad at Rhett, but his fatigue was making it hard to feel anything right now. Deep down he knew he would probably forgive his best friend for what had happened this night. Tomorrow they would talk and things would be alright. Yet when he thought back to the events of the evening, he couldn’t get the look of Rhett’s face, enraged in the firelight, out of his mind.

It haunted his dreams that night.

~ ~ ~

The next morning Link rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and turned to look for Rhett, who normally slept on his right. When the man he loved wasn’t there, Link had to take a moment to recall why he was alone. He wasn’t even in a bed but was the couch he’d laid down on last night. Sitting up and putting on his glasses he looked around. It was still early and the morning sun was shining gently through the curtains. If his boyfriend would have been beside him, Link might have been inclined to feel content. As it was, he felt alone and empty.

Then he remembered last night.

Taking out his phone from his pocket, he saw the notice of at least a dozen missed calls. He’d also received more than twice that many text messages and all of them were from Rhett. Link hadn’t meant to spend the night here. He just wanted to rest awhile, but sleep came far too easily and before he knew it, it had taken him away. Unlocking the phone, he skimmed through the texts. Despite the lingering resentment from last night, he couldn’t help but feel guilty at worrying his best friend and love so badly. Quickly he called him back.

“Link!” Rhett’s voice was groggy, but alert, and filled with a range of emotions. Mainly he was relieved to hear from Link, and Link could hear it clearly. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Link assured him. “I’m at the farm house. I- I fell asleep, I’m sorry…”

“No, I’m sorry, Link. I love you. I shouldn’t have freaked out last night. Please…. Please come home, Link. I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.” While Link was glad to hear Rhett apologize and beg him to come home, he wasn’t quite ready to forgive. He wasn’t quite ready to go home and talk about what had happened. It would leave to a much deeper conversation that could change their whole relationship. He just wasn’t ready. Not yet.

“I think I’ll stay here a bit longer, I… I’m fine I just need some more time.” There was a silent pause while Rhett took this in. He couldn’t leave it be, not until he was certain Link forgave him. Not until he was certain Link still loved him.

‘Can… Can I come up there? See you?” Link considered the idea before sighing quietly.

“Sure. Just you though.” He didn’t really feel like seeing Theo, or anyone else really. Still, he did want to see Rhett. He couldn’t deny how much he missed him, or how much he loved him. Maybe after the hours it took Rhett to drive up he would be ready to talk. Maybe here it would be easier.

“Good, I’ll see you soon, then. I love you.” Those last words, added softly, were more than a statement. They were a request. Rhett needed to hear Link say it back, and he knew it.

“I love you, too.” Of course he did. He always did. He always would. Link could almost see the relief on Rhett’s face, and he smiled sadly to himself. It had been a long time since he felt like his love for Rhett was more of a burden than a blessing.

~ ~ ~

Link tried to keep his mind busy while he waited for Rhett to arrive by dusting around the house. He found there was nothing like a bit of cleaning to relax a stressed mind. It gave him a sense of control and he didn’t feel much in control of his life these days.

He had lost track of time, clearing the cobwebs near the ceiling and the dust bunnies under the furniture. He didn’t notice the car pulling up the driveway and almost jumped when he heard a loud knocking on the front door. Wondering why Rhett didn’t just come in, Link figured he either forgot his key or, more likely, he wanted to have Link let him in to show him it was his choice, not Rhett’s.

Opening the door, he fully expected to see a six foot seven man with tall, dirty blond hair and a beard standing before him, hunched slightly over and lips pouting as they always did when Rhett was apologizing. His heart fell when he saw the face of Damian Lowell instead. The shorter man ignored Link’s fallen expression and smiled up at him.

“Hey, Link,” he greeted. His voice was kind but condescending, the same voice people use when talking to someone whose relative just died. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine, uh, what are you doing here?”

“Came to check up on you. Wanted to make sure you were alright, after last night.” Link glanced behind Damian, wondering if Rhett was driving up the road. He had to be arriving soon. When he saw no sign of his boyfriend, Kink tried not to look too disappointed.

“How did you know I’d be here?” he asked, curious and slightly concerned. Damian shrugged nonchalantly.

“Just hoped. It’s the only place I knew of that you might have been. Do you want me to leave?” Link sighed and stepped back. He didn’t want to be rude and Damian had been nothing but nice to him.

“Nah, come in. I wanted to apologize to you and your family for what happened.” He led Damian into the living room and the two them sat across from one another; Link on the couch and Damian on the nearby chair.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, man. It wasn’t you that punched Seth out of nowhere. I know you had nothing to do with that.” Damian looked around, checking the place out, and his nostrils flexed slightly. “Has Rhett said why he did that?”

“We haven’t really talked,” Link admitted. “I… I’ve never seen him freak out like that before. Last time he’s ever hit anyone was third grade.”

“There’ve been a few times I’ve wanted to hit Seth,” Damian joked. “Don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never seen someone sucker punch him. Man.” He sat back in the chair, shaking his head. “I know turning into a werewolf can bring out a man’s darker side but… dang.”

“What have you seen?” Link sat forward, his elbows on his knees, and folded his fingers together. They were shaking a bit more than usual. “I mean, I guess that’s where rogue werewolves come from, isn’t it? They turn and the wolf makes them… it… Like, they can’t control it.”

“People who don’t have a pack, who aren’t educated…” Damian shrugged as if it was all obvious. “They tend to let the wolf control them. It’s not entirely their fault, but it makes them dangerous. Even the most gentle person can do horrible things when the beast takes over. I’ve seen it too many times, believe me.”

“Rhett’s been a werewolf for over a year now. He’s never lost control like that, I mean…”

***

It was pitch black in Rhett’s house, and the only sound was Link’s heart pounding in his chest. A dark shadow flitted on the edge of his vision, large and foreboding. Before he could turn to look, he felt a heavy force slam him, front first, into a nearby wall. He made a loud noise as all the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Trying to step back, he felt something large and very strong holding him in place. He tried to wiggle free but couldn’t move an inch. That’s when he felt something fuzzy brush up against the back of his ear.

“I love how you smell,” Rhett whispered. He inhaled deeply, his beard tickling Link’s skin and the shorter man couldn’t help but start to tremble. As Link tried to turn around, Rhett grabbed both of his wrists and held them firmly above his head. He used his hips and chest to hold the brunet against the cold wall.

***

Remembering back, a shiver ran down the length of Link’s spine. He had never been so terrified of Rhett before, and never so much since. It was the scariest moment of his life, and it was all because his best friend was losing control. Control of the animal inside, the wolf that was still relatively young. Somehow he’d managed to keep himself from hurting Link, but it had been tough for both of them, and Link didn’t like to think about what could have happened.

“He’s usually in more control than that,” Link mumbled. Damian nodded understandingly.

“I’m sure he is, but it only takes one moment of weakness, one moment for the beast to take control.”

“Have you ever lost control?”

“When I was young,” Damian confessed with an amused grin. “Never did anything violent but, one night I jumped in the back of a stranger’s truck, completely naked.”

“Uh, why?”

“Friend dared me. The car was driving down the road at the time.” He chuckled, remembering. Link wasn’t really in the mood to laugh. “Look,” Damian said, losing the grin and sitting up straighter. “If you’re really worried Rhett will hurt you, why don’t you stay with us for awhile?”

“He would never hurt me.” Link looked down, his voice was quieter than he intended, his tone scared and uncertain. “Rhett would never hurt me.” He wanted to believe his words, but there was still a flicker of doubt in the back of his mind. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Rhett actually injuring him; they were equally matched these days in strength and stamina. Being both werewolves meant it was hard to lay either of them out. It was more that he didn’t like the idea of the man he knew and loved becoming someone else. Someone he didn’t understand. Never in the decades of their friendship would he have believed that gentle giant would have been capable of hurting anyone.

But that was before.

“Didn’t you say he killed the mutt who made you?” Damian asked, gently. Link looked up at him and he looked back, kind but inquiring.

“Yeah but... that was to protect me. That mutt was-”

“Many dark things have been done to protect others, Link. He may have had the best intentions, but once you let the beast out, its very hard to put it back in its cage. Very hard.” Link didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to believe it. Getting to his feet, he paced the room, his hand to his mouth, running facts over in his mind.

“He’s careful,” he affirmed, mostly speaking to himself. “Even during his moons he’s in control.”

“Like he was last night?” Damian’s words made Link stop in his tracks. “Link, I know he’s your friend and you care about him…”

‘You have no idea.’

“But Rhett’s what we call a natural born alpha. His wolf instinctively wants to be in charge. He probably doesn’t even know he’s doing it. When someone threatens his dominance, he lashes out. Last night I’m sure he saw Seth as a threat, for whatever reason, and felt he needed to assert his dominance over him. Rhett must have thought Seth was trying to take you away and he needed to take you back. Take back what was his.”

‘I am his…’ Link thought, but he frowned as well. He didn’t like this ‘alpha Rhett’, this dominant figure. Link always saw them as equals. If Rhett thought, even subconsciously, that Link was going to be the beta male, he had another thing coming.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he almost didn’t hear a car pulling up in the driveway, or the footsteps walking across the porch. He didn’t realize anything until the front door was unlocked from the outside, and a tall figure stepped inside. Settling his jaw, Link took a deep breath. He was ready to talk now and he had a lot to say.

Next Chapter More fics

#rhett #link #rhink #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #werewolves #territorial

[worryinglyinnocent]

Once Upon A Different Time Episode 321: “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”

Catch up on previous episodes:

=====

Season 3A episodes 1-11

Episode 312: “New York, New York”

Episode 313: “Monkey Business”

Episode 314: “The Wonderful Wizard”

Episode 315: “Cardinal Points”

Episode 316: “The Vault”

Episode 317: “Poles Apart”

Episode 318: “Love, Wisdom and Bravery”

Episode 319: “A Single Strand of Silk”

Episode 320: “Like Father, Like Son”

=====

Content warning for this chapter: some gore and description of blood and injuries at the beginning.

=====

Once Upon A Different Time

Episode 321: “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”

Storybrooke – Present

Emma was at a complete loss. On the face of it, it seemed that everything was back to normal in Storybrooke – well, as normal as a town imbued with magic from another land could ever be. Everyone’s memories had been restored and the evil presence in the town had been defeated at last, subdued and waiting for justice to be served.

For the first time in as long as Emma could remember, the town felt calm. It wasn’t a feeling that Emma particularly enjoyed, as it set her on edge, afraid of being lulled into a false sense of security. Every time that things had shown any sign of calming down in the past, they had always been followed by yet another catastrophe, even bigger and bolder and more dangerous than the previous one.

Emma knew that she should probably be relaxing and making the most of this downtime before whatever the next problem that she would have to deal with in her capacity as sheriff came along, but she just couldn’t settle. Although comfortable, her room at the inn just didn’t lend itself to calm contemplation. No hotel room ever did; Emma had lived out of enough of them in her time to know that.

What she really needed was somewhere that actually felt like a home, and it was with a little jolt back to reality that she realised she had never really had that in Storybrooke even during her first stay here.

She’d had the loft with Mary Margaret, during the first curse, but ever since that curse had been broken and David had moved in, it had felt increasingly like she was encroaching upon the couple’s space, although they had never given any indication that they were tired of having a third wheel.

Now that the new baby had come along, the loft felt even less like a home. For the first time in a long time, Emma truly felt like a little girl lost in the foster system, chivvied from children’s home to children’s home without ever finding somewhere that she could call her own.

Emma sighed and grabbed her jacket. There was no use in sitting here in the inn feeling sorry for herself. She might as well go and join in with the rest of the town’s celebrations in the diner, or check up on David, Mary Margaret, and little Lance at the hospital.

Henry was staying over with Regina for the night, catching up on the year they’d spent apart, and Emma couldn’t begrudge them that. She knew how hard it had been for Regina to pretend not to know Henry during these last few days, and they deserved this time together.

Emma made her way around the corner to the diner; it was getting late, but the party still seemed to be in full swing and if the tales of the dwarfs’ drinking capacity were to be believed, then it would probably continue until the early hours of the morning, licensing hours be damned.

Emma gave a wry smile at the thought. Maybe her instinct was correct and there was something lurking just around the corner, and it was waiting until tomorrow to strike, knowing that they would all be so hungover from celebrating their victory over the Wicked Witch that they would be easy pickings.

“Hey.”

Neal’s voice beside her made her jump, and she turned to see him smiling at her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“No, it’s ok, I was miles away.”

“Everything ok?”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. I’m just getting the feeling that it might be too good to be true, if you know what I mean. We’ve defeated Zelena, but what happens now? Nothing ever stays good in this town for long. The happy endings just never seem to be able to stick.”

She gave a frustrated huff of breath. “And I know that I should be feeling somewhat positive and celebrating with the rest of the town, but when it comes down to it, I just can’t bring myself to feel that way because I know that as soon as the next thing goes wrong, everyone will be looking to me to fix it because I’m the Saviour. The responsibility can be a bit much.”

“I know how you feel,” Neal said. “Not the Saviour bit, obviously, but being unable to let go of the feeling that something’s going to happen to ruin the peace.”

It made Emma feel slightly better to know that she wasn’t the only one who was feeling this way and had these worries.

“Are you going in?” Neal asked eventually, indicating the diner and the carousing going on inside.

“I don’t know. Are you?”

Neal didn’t answer her immediately.

“I didn’t intend to. I just came out to let Belle and my dad have the house to themselves for a bit.”

Emma snorted. “Yeah, I would not want to be a fly on the wall for that particular reunion.”

“It’s not that,” Neal said. “It’s just that Papa’s so broken at the moment. I don’t think he can cope with more than one of us hovering over him at a time. Now that he can remember everything that happened last year… He needs some kind of closure and catharsis to let him know that it really is all over and he doesn’t have anything to fear anymore.” He paused. “I’ve known him both before and after he took on the curse of the Dark One, but I’ve never seen him like this before. It’s unnerving in a way.”

“I guess that no matter what happens, we always look up to our parents as invincible and unbreakable.” Emma thought of the various parental figures that she had looked up to at various points in her life, only for them to have let her down. “When we see that they are human after all and they have all the same fears as we do, it’s a jarring thought.”

“Yeah. I just wish I could help, but I don’t know how. Belle’s better at it than I am, she knows all the right things to say. I think because my relationship with him was always rockier and had only just begun to heal, and now this has happened… It’s put us into a weird little limbo.”

“I’m sure you’ll get there. It’s just going to take time. These things always do.”

“I know. But how much time are we going to have before the next villain springs out of the wings and drives another wedge between us somehow?”

Emma didn’t have an answer for that one and they fell into silence.

“Come on,” she said eventually, turning away from the diner. “There’s no use in us just standing out here like poor relations if neither of us actually want to go in.”

They set off down the road, going in no particular direction.

“I mean, I’d ask you back to mine for a quiet drink away from the revellers, but a bed and breakfast doesn’t really have the same vibe,” Emma said presently.

Neal laughed. “Same problem here.”

They walked on in comfortable silence for a while, past all the darkened shops, until Neal spoke again.

“Emma, what happens now? I know we’ve talked about it a couple of times over the past few days, but we’ve never really come to any conclusions. We’ve always parked the conversation until some nebulous point in the future when the curse had been broken and Henry had his memories back. Now the curse is broken, and Henry does have his memories back, and I think that we should probably think about it. Otherwise that’s another thing that’s just going to stay up in the air until something bad happens.”

Neal did have a point. Something was going to have to be decided sooner rather than later – before fate decided for them.

“I don’t know. Part of me wants to go back to New York and the lives – the nice, uncomplicated, magic-free lives – that we led there, but I know that most of that life was a lie. Part of me wants to stay here in Storybrooke because this is where you and Regina and my mom and dad are. At the same time though, I just don’t feel like I belong here properly. Storybrooke doesn’t feel like home.”

“Maybe that’s just because you haven’t had chance to make it into a home yet,” Neal suggested. “You don’t feel like it’s home because you’ve never really had a place here that you can call home. If you got your own place somewhere in the town, you could make a new start like you did in New York, and it would be somewhere that was yours, whilst still having all your friends and family around you, and Henry would have me and Regina here as well.”

Emma nodded. “I think you might be right,” she said. “If I make the conscious effort to put roots down then they might stick.”

“And you don’t have to do it alone,” Neal added. “We’re all here to help you. Home’s not necessarily a place. It can be people too.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean. I’m still getting used to the fact I have friends and family again. I was just about getting used to it when I lost my memories, and then I had a year of having to be self-sufficient and not having anyone to rely on. It’s a bit of a culture shock.”

“You’ll get through it. And just because you might make a home here now doesn’t mean you can’t ever move on again. What you do now isn’t going to set the rest of your life in stone.”

Emma laughed. “Since when have you been so philosophical?”

“Since this last year when I’ve had to cling onto every last shred of hope that I can get my hands on, desperately believing that this wasn’t the be all and end all and that things would get better.”

Emma reached for his hand, squeezing briefly. “Things are getting better.”

Neal smiled. “Yeah, they are.”

They walked on in silence for a while, until Emma stopped dead.

“Emma? What is it?”

“Something not good.” She crouched down and stared at a dark splatter mark on the sidewalk in front of her. “Is it me, or does that look worryingly like blood?”

Neal crouched down beside her. “Yeah, that’s not good, you’re right.” He moved away, still peering at the ground. “There’s some more here. Looks like a drip trail.”

Emma looked up at the direction that the blood trail seemed to be going in, and her own veins ran cold when she saw its destination – or perhaps its origin.

“The station. Zelena.”

She leapt back up to her feet and raced across the road to the sheriff’s station with Neal hot on her heels, fumbling for her keys in her haste to get inside before realising that the door was already open and just leaning ajar. Emma wished that she had her gun on her, but it was locked away in the station safe; she had nowhere secure to keep it in the room in Granny’s.

She flicked the lights on and immediately recoiled at the sight that met her.

“What the hell happened?” Neal asked as he came in behind her. The was blood splattered all over the floor, and in the middle of a particularly grim and congealing pool of it was Zelena’s severed hand, the magic-inhibiting cuff still around her wrist. Naturally, the cell was empty.

“Walsh!” Emma raced across the room to the slumped figure in front of the cell, turning him over and giving an exclamation of horror on seeing the gaping slit in his neck.

“Dammit Walsh, what did you do?” she said, but there was no anger in her voice, just sadness. For all it had been a sham on Zelena’s part, she had been in love with his man and to see him so brutally murdered was still horrific.

“Emma, if Zelena’s got the cuff off then she’s got her magic back,” Neal said. He was sympathetic to her situation but there was still an urgency in his tone, and Emma knew that with a dangerous witch with nothing to lose on the loose, time was of the essence. They had to find Zelena and contain her before she could cause any more mayhem. There would be the opportunity to mourn later when things weren’t going from bad to worse. She got back to her feet and got her gun out of the safe.

“Ok, let’s go. From the direction of the blood trail, it looked like she was headed back to the farmhouse. We don’t know how big a lead on us she’s got, but if she’s losing so much blood then she won’t be moving quickly.”

They left the station again and followed the blood trail down the road and off the path; it would have been quicker to follow her in the cruiser, but she was going off road, probably on purpose to prevent pursuit. Emma had to give it to her – even with only one hand she was still extremely canny.

She pulled out her phone, dialling David. Although it felt wrong to disturb him when he was enjoying time with his wife and new-born, this was a matter of life and death, and if Zelena was after little Lancelot again, then he would want to be warned.

“David, it’s Emma. Zelena’s escaped.”

X

Zelena was in trouble and she knew it. This wasn’t the first time that she’d been so stressed that she’d lost control of her magic – the tornados were a case in point and after all, it was a tornado that she was trying to create now.

The problem was that the magic that she was trying to use to stop her wrist from bleeding wasn’t holding, no matter how many times she tried. The wound would close for a minute or so, but then the next thing she knew, blood was dripping down her arm again.

She didn’t mind the pain, she could live with that and she was practically numb from the blood loss anyway, but she was unfocussed, fuzzy, and she could feel her entire body shaking with the shock of losing her hand. It was so much effort just to put one foot in front of the other, and when the farmhouse was in sight, she let herself fall down onto her knees, slumping on the ground and closing her eyes as she felt the winds of the tornado whip up around her.

She smiled. Nearly there. Nearly home. Soon all would be well, and she could start over. There had to be other ways to turn back time.

“Zelena!”

It was Emma’s voice, but Zelena didn’t turn. The tornado was in full force now, tearing up everything in its path. All she had to do was wait until it reached her.

There was a creak and an ear-splitting bang as the tornado blew through the farmhouse that she’d called home these past few days. Zelena slumped further. She really wanted to lie down. Nearly there.

She didn’t see the rafter beam heading towards her at over a hundred miles an hour, borne on the tornado-force winds that were ripping around the field.

X

It was impossible to get close to the huddled shape on the ground that was obviously Zelena. The winds were far too strong, blowing Emma and Neal backwards, and they clung to each other as the only things there were to cling onto.

“Can you stop it?” Neal yelled above the roar of the tornado that was decimating the farmhouse.

“I can try!” Emma replied, but she already knew that it was likely to be useless. This was pure, raw, unfettered magic, charged with high emotion, and they already knew that Zelena’s magic was more potent than most.

She closed her eyes and pushed out with both her hands, Neal hanging onto her around her middle to try and stop her from blowing away, but it had no effect. The magical whirlwind had grown beyond even Zelena’s control by now, and the only way to stop it would be to let it run its course and blow itself out, like any other tornado.

“Emma!” Neal screamed, and Emma’s eyes flew open to see the tornado veering across the field straight towards them. They tried to run, but the headwinds were too strong, keeping them in place and fighting uselessly against a force of nature that was so much more powerful than they were.

All they could do was cling to each other and pray as the tornado finally caught them, lifting them off the ground and buffeting them around inside the whirlwind, green smoke and lightning crackling all around them.

Emma closed her eyes. It’s all a horrible dream. I’ll wake up in a minute.

Even if she didn’t survive this experience, though, the thought that she was not alone gave her comfort.

X

Pounding his truck up the hill towards the farmhouse for the second time in twenty-four hours, David could only watch and feel his blood run cold as the tornado crossed the field and went full tilt towards Emma and Neal, sweeping them up effortlessly. It continued to rumble in place for a moment and then vanished, dissipating as quickly as it had begun to form.

There was no sign of Neal or Emma and David parked up the truck, jumping out and running across the field.

“Emma! Neal! EMMA!”

He’d rescued his second child, only to lose his first to the same witch. Zelena was sprawled on the ground face down, if not dead then close to it, and he checked for a pulse.

Nothing. Now he couldn’t even make her reverse whatever it was that she had done. With her last breath, the witch had had the last laugh.

 Oz – Past

If Dorothy Gale was sure of one thing, it was that she definitely wasn’t in Kansas anymore. The world she had found herself in when she stepped out of her house was something out of a dreamworld, and she immediately through that she was in fact lying unconscious and bleeding out on the floor of the house in the middle of a tornado in Kansas, and that this was all a happy hallucination.

Except, looking at the scene and its vivid colours more closely, she could see that it wasn’t a happy hallucination at all. Most of the trees in the surrounding wooded area had been flattened, and the castle that had no doubt at one point shimmered like glass seemed to have had most of its windows blown out.

To top it all off, there was a very green woman sobbing over the body of someone who looked like they’d had a house dropped on them. Dorothy’s stomach gave a lurch, and the house gave a very ominous creak as she pushed the door open a little wider.

The green woman looked up with the sound, and as her eyes locked with Dorothy’s, her face became a mask of fury. Dorothy could see flames licking over her fingertips, and she scrambled back inside the house and slammed the door shut as the fireball soared through the air towards her. She screwed her eyes up tight, hoping that when she opened them again, the witch outside would have gone, and she’d be back in the middle of nowhere. Oh, to think that just this morning she’d complained to Auntie Em of life on the farm being boring.

She shuffled over to the window on hands and knees and peered through the glass. Unfortunately, she was still in the hallucination world and the very angry witch was still outside. Perhaps it wasn’t a dream. Surely your own subconscious wasn’t supposed to attack you like this.

She ducked down as another fireball came her way; it blew out the window, showering her with glass, but thankfully nothing caught fire. Dorothy just froze where she was, curled up into a little ball, afraid to move and either injure herself on the broken shards or incur the wrath of the witch outside. She put her hands over her ears as she heard shouting and screaming outside, and she hoped that if she just believed hard enough, then she could wish herself home.

“When I open my eyes, I’ll be in Kansas,” she muttered. “When I open my eyes, I’ll be in Kansas.”

It didn’t work. She hadn’t really expected it to, but anything was worth a shot. Dorothy didn’t know how long she stayed there in her frightened little ball, until she felt a light hand on her shoulder, making her jump and lash out at the hand’s owner.

It was a young blonde woman all in white, and she took a step back, raising her hands to show she meant no harm.

“It’s all right,” she said. “Zelena’s gone. It’s safe to come out now.”

Still trembling, Dorothy got to her feet, noticing that the woman had surreptitiously cleaned up all the broken glass with a wave of her hand. Another woman was peering around the door, a worried expression on her face and her pale pink dress stained with dust and rubble.

“Are you all right?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”

Dorothy shook her head and took a step towards the other woman. It was obvious that they were witches, but at least they didn’t appear to be quite as hostile. Nor as green.

“Who was that?” Dorothy asked, ashamed of how horribly squeaky her voice had become.

“Her name is Zelena,” the witch in white said. “She is our Cardinal Witch of the West. My name is Glinda, Witch of the South, and this is Phoebe, Witch of the North. Zelena was our sister in arms. We have been the protectors of this land for years now, although Zelena has lost her path recently.”

“What is this land?” Dorothy asked. “Because it’s definitely not Kansas.”

“This is Oz.”

“This is absolutely not Australia.”

“Not Australia. Oz. This is a different realm to yours.”

“I don’t understand. How did I get here? Am I dreaming?”

“Unfortunately, no. The tornado brought you here, with magic.”

Dorothy felt faint. “I need to sit down.”

Phoebe pulled up a chair out of nowhere, all the other furniture having been upturned or destroyed during the house’s flight, and Glinda lowered Dorothy into it.

“How do I get home?”

Phoebe and Glinda looked at each other with worried expressions and Dorothy immediately knew that she had asked the wrong question.

“I can get home, can’t I?”

More silence.

“It is possible,” Phoebe said eventually. “But crossing realms is difficult, and all the methods that we know of require vast amounts of power. You’ve come from a place with no magic, so it’s unlikely that you have that necessary power.”

“I didn’t need any power to get here!” Dorothy protested. “That was all the tornado! Can’t you get a new tornado to take me home again?”

“I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that,” Glinda said gently. “Zelena is the only one of us with enough power to create these tornados, and she has no control over them.”

“And considering that she just tried to chargrill me, I’m guessing that asking her to create another one is out of the question,” Dorothy muttered. Oh God, when she got back to Kansas, she was never, ever going to complain about her life ever again. She buried her head in her hands, trying to remain calm, and she could make out Phoebe and Glinda’s voices above her.

“There’s that portal jumper that Zelena knows,” Phoebe was saying.

“No, he only travels between magical realms.”

“Beans?”

“Phoebe, you know they’re only in fairy stories.”

“Fairy dust?”

“See my previous comment about the fairy stories.”

“Ask Zelena’s portal jumper friend to bring us some from a land with fairies?”

“Phoebe, you’re clutching at straws here. We’ll need to put our heads together to work out a solution to this one. In the meantime, we need to put her somewhere safe, where Zelena won’t find her.”

“I’m sitting right here, you know,” Dorothy said, finally looking up. Phoebe and Glinda gave her apologetic smiles.

“The munchkins will take care of you. Now that Verdie has gone, the east requires someone to watch over them. I think that the arrangement could be of mutual benefit.”

Dorothy let herself be guided out of the house by the two witches, and soon found herself enveloped in a pink bubble with them. No one said anything, and when Dorothy looked down to see that they were floating over the landscape, she was too numbed by everything that was happening to have any kind of reaction.

“The silver slippers that Verdie was making for Zelena,” Phoebe said suddenly. “Those would take her home no matter where she went. Perhaps the magic could work for Dorothy too.”

Dorothy’s ears pricked up at that suggestion.

“They’re also currently on Zelena’s feet and therefore somewhat inaccessible to us,” Glinda snapped, with a tone of finality that suggested the conversation was closed indefinitely. The idea, however, remained squirrelled away in the back of Dorothy’s mind.

When they arrived at their destination, the bubble burst without a sound and immediately a group of small people who could only have been the aforementioned munchkins started to crowd around the witches and Dorothy.

“Miss Phoebe! Miss Glinda! Is it true that the Good Witch Verdie has perished in a falling house incident?”

“I’m afraid so,” Phoebe said. Dorothy remembered the broken, bird-like body in Zelena’s arms and gulped, but the witches made no mention of her part in the tragedy.

“This is Dorothy,” Glinda said. “Newly arrived in Oz from another realm. We need you to keep her safe just as you kept the Good Witch Verdie safe.”

The munchkins began to fuss around Dorothy, who closed her eyes.

I want to go home, she repeated in her head like a mantra. I want to go home, I want to go home, I WANT TO GO HOME! Storybrooke – Present

At first, no-one in the town realised that anything was the matter. It was only when Regina and Henry went to meet Emma for breakfast at Granny’s and learned that she hadn’t been back to her room all night that they began to wonder if something unsavoury might have happened.

When Emma still didn’t show in the diner, Henry began to get worried. This worry was compounded by Belle coming into the diner and asking if anyone had seen Neal as she couldn’t get him on his cell.

As few of the less suspicious townsfolk – who had been less involved with the entire Wicked Witch debacle and who knew Henry’s parentage – just gave each other sage looks and went back to their breakfasts. Young love rekindled, they thought, but Henry and Regina knew better.

“I can’t get through to Mom either,” Henry said to Belle as she waited for her take-out order. Rumpelstiltskin was hanging around outside the diner, not wanting to brave so many people at once. “I’ve tried five times. She doesn’t pick up. It doesn’t even ring. I just get a message saying: ‘your call could not be connected’.”

Belle nodded. “It’s the same with Neal. I dread to think what might have happened to them. We’ve just got over one crisis and we’re about to walk head-first into another.”

It wasn’t exactly an encouraging thought, but Henry could well understand Belle’s point of view. It had been a pretty dire year for her and Rumpelstiltskin so far and they still weren’t out of the woods.

Everyone in the diner’s attention was immediately drawn by the sound of David’s truck pulling up outside, and the man himself getting out of it. There was something covered with a tarpaulin on the bed at the back, and Belle’s heart began to beat painfully in her mouth as she rushed out of the diner with Henry and Regina hot on her heels.

“David, what’s going on?” she pressed frantically.

“Zelena escaped,” David said grimly. “She was headed back towards the farmhouse and created a massive tornado out of magic. I don’t know what she was trying to do.”

“Escape justice,” Rumpelstiltskin snarled. Belle felt his hand clutch around hers and squeeze, holding on for dear life. “Where is she now?”

David gestured to the tarpaulin in the back of the truck. “She’s dead. Looks like flying debris from the tornado took her out if blood loss didn’t.”

No-one needed to be told why Zelena had undergone so much blood loss.

“David, where are Neal and Emma?” Belle asked. “No-one can get hold of them and if Zelena escaped the station, then Emma at least should have known about it.”

David sighed, and the rest of the gathered crowd knew at once that it was not good news.

“They were caught in the tornado,” he said. “I saw it pick them up.”

“That’s the news you’re supposed to open with!” Regina exploded. “Where are they? Are they ok?”

“That’s the thing,” David said. “I don’t know. After it sucked them in, the tornado vanished. They’ve just gone.”

“Gone? What do you mean gone? They can’t be just gone; they’ll have to have gone somewhere!” Henry said. He’d just lost two of his three parents in one swoop and on top of everything else that had happened over the last couple of days, he thought that he was justified in panicking.

“What is it about this family and being split between realms?” Regina muttered. “We have to get them back.”

“We don’t even know where they are to start with,” David pointed out.

“We can work it out,” Regina said. “We just have to put our heads together and work together, that’s what we did in Neverland to get Henry back. It’s what you’re always going on about.”

Belle left them to it, going over to Rumpelstiltskin, who had since pulled away from her and gone to sit down at one of the tables outside Granny’s.

“We’ll get Neal back,” she said, taking his hand again.

“I just can’t believe that it keeps happening,” Rumpelstiltskin mumbled. “It’s like something out there just doesn’t want us to reunite. Every time we manage to come together as a family and we have the chance to sort things out, one of us gets ripped away by forces beyond our control.”

“Things will work out, Rumpel,” Belle said firmly. “We will get Neal and Emma back. There’s a way. I know there is. We just have to find it. This isn’t the end of your story together.”

Rumpelstiltskin didn’t speak for a long time; he just kept staring intently at the tarpaulin in the back of the truck. Eventually he got up, and Belle followed him over to the truck, wondering what he was doing. He flipped up the tarpaulin, exposing Zelena’s bloodless face, her hair matted with blood from the gouge out of her head that the debris had taken.

“What are we going to do with her?” he asked David bluntly.

“I haven’t thought; I’ve had more pressing things on my mind.”

“Hmm.”

Rumpelstiltskin kept glowering at the corpse for a long time, his hand never leaving Belle’s.

“I would have killed you, you know,” he said conversationally. “I wanted to, so much. But Neal said that if I did that, you’d always be with me, always in my head. I think you’ll be there anyway, even without your filthy life on my conscience. And now you’ve taken Neal from me as well. You shouldn’t have done that.”

The magic was sharp, like a whip crack, and Belle watched as Zelena’s body crystallised into porcelain and shattered into dust before her eyes.

Rumpelstiltskin smiled.

“Perhaps now there’s a chance that you’ll get out of my head.”

 Oz – Present

Emma felt like she’d been hit by a bus. She supposed that being caught up in a tornado would probably have such an effect, and she gingerly tried moving all her limbs to ascertain that nothing was broken. Although she ached all over, she was still mobile, which she was treating as a good sign.

Finally, she opened her eyes, looking straight up into a brilliant blue sky. That was her first sign that something had gone very wrong somewhere along the line. When she had been caught up in the tornado, it had been the middle of the night and David had been on his way to the farmhouse, and there was no way that David would have left her lying bruised and battered in a field for several hours. Unless he had been caught up in the tornado as well, of course, in which case someone should have noticed his absence – and indeed Neal and Emma’s – by now and mounted a search party.

The second clue that something had gone wrong was, of course, the fact that she was looking at a bright blue sky in the first place. Such cloudless perfection was a rare sight in backwater Maine and the forecasters had been predicting a run of gloomy weather. The sudden sun was alarming.

For a moment, Emma wondered if the tornado had affected the entire town or if it was just localised to where she and Neal had been. She decided that was something that she could find out in due course. The first thing she had to do before anything else was to find Neal in whatever strange new land that she’d ended up in. They’d been clinging onto each other so tightly when the tornado hit that it was almost impossible for him not to be in the vicinity.

Emma scrambled up to her feet, aching limbs slowing her down, and she looked around, letting out of huge breath of relief when she saw Neal sitting up and checking himself for injury just a few feet away. She went over and gave him a hand off the ground.

“Somehow, I get the feeling that we’re not in Kansas anymore,” he said, looking around at the field that they had landed in. Although there was nothing inherently sinister about it, it definitely looked wrong. The colours were too bright and saturated, as if they had stepped onto the set of a technicolour film. In a way, Emma supposed that they had.

“So, let’s lay out the facts,” she said, looking around at the too-green grass and the too-blue sky. “Wicked Witch, check. Tornado, check. Want to bet that we’ve landed in Oz?”

“I’d say it’s highly likely.” Neal peered out across the horizon, but it was just fields as far as the eye could see. “I know that Jefferson’s been here before and I know this is where Zelena originally came from, so it’s not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that we’re here too. Especially if she was going to use this tornado to escape from Storybrooke.”

“Right.” Emma was silent for a moment before kicking the ground angrily. “Why does this always happen?” she yelled to no-one in particular, focussing her gaze on the sky and whatever cruel deity was up there controlling their fates. “Why is it that whenever things get under control in that bonkers town, something always happens to pull the rug out from under our feet?”

“Em…” Neal’s voice was low and carried a warning tone, but Emma was too riled to pay any attention.

“First the curse broke and everyone should have been happy, but then Mary Margaret and I got catapulted into the Enchanted Forest. Then we found you in New York and everyone should have been happy, but then Henry got kidnapped and taken to Neverland.”

“Emma!” Neal hissed urgently. “Emma, be quiet!”

Emma took no notice. “Then we got back from Neverland and everyone should have been happy, but then your father had to sacrifice himself and you all had to go back to the Enchanted Forest again. Now we’ve just defeated the Wicked Witch, and everything should be great again, but we’re in flipping Oz!”

“Emma, shut up!” Neal squeaked.

“Don’t tell me to…” Emma tailed off on seeing that Neal had gone very still, his eyes wide and barely blinking as he looked across the field. Emma followed his sight line and gulped when she saw what had held him so transfixed.

Two rather large tigers were padding across the field, their bodies low as they stalked their prey. To make matters even worse, these tigers were sporting rather large sabre fangs protruding from their mouths.

“Since when were there sabre-tooth tigers in the Wizard of Oz?” Emma hissed to Neal, wishing desperately that she had listened more attentively to all the nature documentaries that she’d used to play in the background whilst she was working from home. What was the best way to stop a tiger attacking you? Were the guidelines different for sabre-tooth tigers in a completely different realm? Probably.

“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my,” Neal replied. “Wasn’t expecting the fangs, though.”

“Well, it seems like everything else here in Oz is turned up to eleven, so why not the teeth?”

“True.” There was a pause. “So, how are we going to get out of this with all our body parts unchewed?”

“Play dead?” Emma suggested. “Or is it lions who won’t chase dead prey?”

“Nothing chases something that’s dead and not running away.”

“You know what I mean, smart ass.” The tigers were getting closer now, still stalking low and beginning to circle. “Get down on the ground really slowly.”

She began to drop into a crouch, keeping her movements slow and as languid as her protesting muscles would allow; no sudden or jerky movements. Perhaps as long as they didn’t run away, the tigers would not give chase. Of course, that wouldn’t stop them from pouncing and tearing the squishy humans limb from limb with those incredibly lethal-looking teeth.

The beasts were still coming closer as Emma got down on the ground, Neal beside her, but they weren’t showing any signs of pouncing. Yet.

Emma felt for her gun; miraculously it was still in her hip holster and she pulled it out. Neal gave her an incredulous look but then looked back at the circling tigers. If it came down to it, hopefully the noise would be enough to scare them off. She really didn’t want to have to wrestle a tiger with a live gun in her hand.

They were getting very close now; Emma could hear their breathing. She remembered back in the Enchanted Forest when the ogre had been bearing down on her and Mary Margaret had swooped in and despatched it without batting an eyelid. It was too much to hope for such a last-minute dramatic rescue now. She and Neal were alone here in this strange technicolour land, and now they were about to be eaten alive.

The tigers met them, stopping short by barely more than a few inches, and the one closest to Emma sniffed at her hair before taking a step back, as if it was weighing up the effort it would take to pounce versus the reward that it would gain for doing so. Emma just stared at it, mute with fear.

The tiger didn’t pounce. It didn’t move. It locked eyes with her like a staring contest, and it was one that Emma was absolutely not going to lose. The moment was so intense that she could feel the cold sweat prickling down her back and along her hairline. She had to keep it back. Maybe then she could get a shot in, or some kind of magical intervention. Oz was a magical realm after all, so a well-placed fireball ought to work.

The tiger broke the shared gaze, giving a sharp, barking growl to its companion, and then both cats had turned and were padding back across the field in the direction they had come from, soon disappearing out of sight.

“I don’t know what you did, but I’m very grateful that you did it,” Neal said. “Shall we get going before they return with reinforcements?”

“Excellent idea,” Emma agreed, and they moved off quickly in the opposite direction to the tigers. “Although I have no idea where we’re going.”

“Take the old advice, I guess,” Neal said. “Follow the yellow brick road.”

“We’ll have to find it first.”

“Find the yellow brick road, and then follow it.”

They continued on in silence for a while, looking for the edge of the field and hopefully some geographical clues.

“You know, when Dorothy has the choice of the red or yellow brick roads and they all tell her to follow the yellow, I think we’re on the red road,” Emma said. “With tigers and who knows what else ahead of us.”

Neal didn’t reply. He was thinking the same thing.

   Storybrooke – Present

Regina was beginning to wonder if there would ever be a time in Storybrooke when they weren’t having crisis meetings. This particular one was being held in the town hall and was somewhat reduced, with Emma, Neal and Snow all absent. David, Henry, Granny, Belle and Rumpelstiltskin made up the numbers. Henry’s story book was open on the table in front of them, looking to all intents and purposes like some kind of sacred text that they were all about to bow down to. In a way, they were.

“Think about it,” Belle was saying, flicking through the book to the pages containing the story of the Wizard of Oz, a man that looked remarkably like Walsh. “We know that all the stories in this book that pertain to us really happened, and they happened as the book describes. There’s no reason to assume that the stories we’re not familiar with ourselves didn’t happen in the same way if we assume that the entire book was created at the same time. I’ve said it before; we need to use the book as a reference even though we’ve already lived it.”

David nodded. “So, you think that Emma and Neal are in Oz?” he asked.

“Yes.” Belle’s voice was firm, and it didn’t broker much in the way of negotiation. “Zelena is originally from Oz. If we work on the principle that she was trying to get back there, then whatever transportation method she was using would be headed there when it swept up Neal and Emma.”

“Dorothy went to Oz in a tornado,” Henry pointed out. “As did the wizard. Looking deeper into the story it’s likely that the Wicked Witch of the West, IE Zelena, was responsible for those tornados.”

“She was certainly responsible for Dorothy’s.” It was the first time that Rumpelstiltskin had spoken for the entirety of the meeting, and all eyes turned to him. “That’s why she was here. That’s what she was doing. You know that she was attempting a time travel spell. She was travelling back in time to prevent Dorothy’s house landing on her sister.”

The others digested this information for a while.

“So, Neal and Emma are in Oz,” Regina said eventually. “We know where they are. Now how the hell do we get them back?”

It was a mark of Regina’s development that her first and foremost priority was to get their absent friends back to Storybrooke. With two of the three people who staked a claim to Henry’s parental rights out of the picture, it would have been deceptively easy to take over that area completely and let things go back to the way they had been before Emma had ever come to town and kick-started this chain of events. But the thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. Emma and Neal were no longer rivals for Henry’s affection, they were friends and allies in need of her help and that was what she was going to give them.

“How did Dorothy and the wizard get back?” David asked. “How did Zelena leave Oz and end up in the Enchanted Forest, for that matter?”

“The wizard never left of his own accord,” Henry pointed out. “He got turned into a flying monkey and somehow ended up in New York with us.”

Given that Walsh was now in the mortuary, whether having helped Zelena escape and then outlived his usefulness or for some other reason that was still unknown, David did feel a slight pang of sympathy for the man despite all the trouble that he had caused.

“Zelena would have used magic beans; I know that she had some put away for safekeeping when I was teaching her,” Rumpelstiltskin said.

“And Dorothy would have used the silver slippers.” Henry pointed to the book. “No matter where you are in whichever realm, they’ll always take you home.”

Rumpelstiltskin nodded. “I was wondering where those might have got to.”

“So how is any of this going to help us get Emma and Neal back?” David pressed. “We don’t have any beans, we don’t have any slippers, Jefferson’s hat’s been destroyed, and we don’t have any pixie dust or detached shadows hanging around. What other methods for crossing realms are there?”

“I think you’ve managed to exhaust most of them there,” Regina said. “And you’re right, we’re no better off than we were before.”

“We could get the slippers,” Belle said. She was concentrating on the middle distance and David could almost see the cogs whirring in her brain as her plan formed in her mind.

“How?” Regina asked incredulously.

“Dorothy used the slippers to get back home to Kansas. The Kansas of the Land Without Magic. The Kansas that is a state just like Maine, the state we are currently in. If Dorothy is still in Kansas and still has the slippers, then we can get them from her and deliver them back to Oz.”

“How do you propose we do that?” Regina asked. “I’m not knocking the plan; it’s more than the rest of us have been able to come up with, but are you really just going to knock on Dorothy’s door and say ‘hey, you know those silver shoes you used to get back from another realm, can we borrow them please?’”

“Pretty much,” Belle said frankly. “It’s not like she’s not going to believe us. She did go to Oz, after all. She knows it’s real.”

Nobody could argue with Belle’s logic.

“How are you going to get the shoes to Oz?” David asked. “If they only ever take you home, then they’d just bring you straight back to Storybrooke. Or perhaps the Enchanted Forest.”

“We wouldn’t be going anywhere.” There was a small smile on Rumpelstiltskin’s face; he seemed to have cottoned onto Belle’s idea and was wholeheartedly in approval. “We’ll send the shoes back to Oz.”

“How?” Regina asked. “You’re still talking about crossing realms!”

“Lost and found potion,” Rumpelstiltskin said. “You know that one; it’s the first one I taught you.”

Regina nodded slowly. “Yes. Sprinkle it on an object and it returns to its rightful owner. But Zelena’s here in Storybrooke in a trash bag full of dust.”

“Best place for her,” Granny muttered, but Regina ignored her and pressed on.

“How will you get the slippers back to Oz?” she asked.

“The lost and found will only guide you to a living person,” Rumpelstiltskin explained. “It’ll travel as long as it needs to in order to find a true rightful owner. If there is none, it just won’t move.”

“And if the slippers don’t move?”

“They will,” Rumpelstiltskin said. “The Cardinal Witches of Oz form a sisterhood. These slippers were made by the Witch of the East for the Witch of the West, but in the event of their demises, which have indeed occurred, the ownership would pass to the surviving members of the sisterhood – North and South.”

“Who are still in Oz,” David finished for him.

“The Witches of North and South helped Dorothy in her quest against the Wicked Witch of the West,” Henry said, tapping the story book. “I think it’s reasonable to assume that they would help Mom and Dad too.”

“What happens if it doesn’t work?” Regina asked.

“Then it doesn’t work, and we find another way,” Rumpelstiltskin said. “But if you think that I’m not going to explore every angle I possibly can when it comes to getting my son back, you are sorely mistaken. I’m not going to give up on a plan before it’s even started just because it might fail.”

Regina nodded. “You’ve got a point there.”

“I guess the next question to ask is how we get to Kansas,” David said.

“There are perfectly good roads,” Belle pointed out. “Now that the monkeys have gone, there should be no reason why we can’t cross the town line and go to Kansas ourselves. You already said that you thought the monkeys were acting as gatekeepers to prevent people leaving town because there were no other preventative methods in place.”

Regina nodded. “Yes. Keeping everyone in one place with cursed personalities was my part of the curse,” she said. “We had no cursed memories this time, just no memories at all. The town line should be safe to cross but we’ll check it. The fairies should be able to re-brew their cure potion for us.”

“It’s settled then,” Belle said. “Rumpel and I will take the potion to Kansas and find Dorothy and the slippers.”

It hadn’t exactly been voted on, but since it had been Belle and Rumpelstiltskin’s idea and since they had a very heavily vested interest in getting Neal back, none of the others protested.

They just hoped that the plan was going to work.

 Oz – Past

Crouched in the shadows of the Emerald City where Zelena now made her base of operations, the grand wizard having been exposed as a fraud from Kansas like herself, Dorothy carefully carved another little notch onto the butt of her munchkin-made crossbow. She didn’t need to count how many notches there were. She’d counted them more than enough times already. Three years. Three awful years she’d spent in this hallucinogenic hell hole called Oz, and each of those years felt like an eternity.

The munchkins of the east had afforded her protection for all of a week before Zelena’s plans for expansionism had taken shape and begun to be put into play. After that, the munchkins had looked to her for leadership and guidance that she was woefully unprepared to give. She was not their precious Good Witch Verdie, she had told them, fruitlessly, time and again. She wasn’t a witch at all, she had as much magical potential as a pumpkin, so why they thought she could put up a stand against as powerful a witch as Zelena was beyond her.

The munchkins, for all their short stature, were incredibly and ridiculously stubborn, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. They had unanimously voted her as their leader and that was what she was going to have to be. Dorothy began to feel a great deal of sympathy for the ‘wizard’ who had been pressed into similar service for the Ozians of the Emerald City.

Still, they had survived this long without any major losses, and now Dorothy felt comfortable in the role that the munchkins had given her. That still didn’t mean that she had to like it though. All through her time here, that thought at the back of Dorothy’s mind had never faded. Zelena’s silver slippers. They were the key. They were her ticket out of here and back to Kansas. They would take her home. Every time the two of them had met during the brief skirmishes that had filled Dorothy’s time in Oz, she had always made sure to look at the witch’s feet. Sometimes she wore ordinary boots, but on some occasions, Dorothy had caught a glimpse of the coveted silver footwear. She had an image of the locked in her memory, ready for the time that she would swoop in and take them. Hell, she’d prise them off Zelena’s cold, dead feet if that was what it took to get her home.

And now, finally, the opportunity had presented itself. It had been a rare streak of victory for the munchkins, and now they were gaining a little ground on some of Zelena’s winged monkeys. An opening in the forces had become visible; a small part of the Emerald City’s outer wall was no longer patrolled as vigilantly as the rest of the complex.

Dorothy had managed to persuade a small group of her most trusted munchkins to accompany her on a short reconnaissance mission. Hopefully the rewards would be two-fold. More information for the munchkin resistance, and another look at the silver slippers for Dorothy.

They pressed themselves in flat against the Emerald City’s walls as another winged guard made a pass overhead, and Dorothy reckoned that they had six minutes before the next patrol came over. She sprung into action, affixing the grappling arrow into her crossbow and tying the rope around her waist. To either side of her, the munchkins were doing the same. Five minutes. On Dorothy’s signal, the grappling arrows fired, springing out into hooks and catching over the top of the wall. Four minutes. Dorothy reloaded the crossbow with a regular bolt and slung it back over her shoulder before beginning to climb, hand over hand. Climbing up the outside of the barn in Kansas had its uses, so that was one in the eye for Auntie Em who said that she’d never amount to anything. The training that she’d given to the munchkins in the halls of the newly-repaired crystal castle had come in handy too and they were turning into quite the batch of guerrilla warriors. If she wasn’t so desperate to get out of Oz, then she’d be proud of her efforts. As it was, she had bigger things on her mind. One minute. She could already hear the leathery flapping of the approaching monkey’s wings as she reached the top of the wall and jumped down onto the roof on the other side of the city limit, rolling into the shadows with the munchkins just as the guard made its pass overhead. She peered upwards, watching it out of sight before letting out a long sigh of relief. They were in.

Dorothy jumped off the roof on light feet and the munchkins followed her, fanning out with their crossbows at the ready, prepared to shoot at anyone who might threaten their mission, although at this time of night there was no-one around in Oz. It was no longer the same vibrant city that it had been under the wizard; looking around at the boarded-up houses and shops, Dorothy found herself wishing that she could have seen it in its heyday.

The only building showing any hint of its former splendour was the castle itself, the emeralds glistening in the moonlight. That was their goal, and Dorothy sped up the steps, flanked by a munchkin on each side.

“How are we going to get in?” one of the munchkins hissed. “The door is always barred; the witch comes and goes out of the windows on her broomstick.”

“All the more reason for us to use the door, then.” Dorothy took a dagger out of her belt and began to cut at the heavy lock. The wood was old and damp, and it gave way comparatively easily, until she could snake one skinny hand into the gap and feel for the bolts on the other side.

“These doors were built to keep out ozians, not munchkins,” she said, hefting her weight against the door to open it a fraction. She couldn’t fit through the gap, but the munchkins could, and they slithered inside. A moment later, the bolts were drawn back fully, and Dorothy was being ushered into the building.

It seemed as deserted as the rest of the city, but Dorothy knew that it was crawling with flying monkeys, and they kept to the dark places as they moved towards the main staircase.

“You go after the war room,” Dorothy said to the munchkins. “It’ll be a large central chamber, likely to be that way.” She waved them down the corridor besides the staircase. “Get as much information about her plans as you can.”

“What about you?” the munchkins asked.

“I’m going after the witch herself.” Well, more accurately her shoes, Dorothy thought to herself, but there was no need to mention that to the munchkins.

“On your own? Surely someone ought to go with you for your protection.”

“I think I can handle it,” Dorothy said. “Besides, you two need to get the plans out to munchkin headquarters, no matter what. If I’m not back in ten minutes, leave without me.”

“But Miss Dorothy!”

“That’s an order, Sergeant.”

The munchkins nodded their unhappy accord and rushed down the corridor. Dorothy took a deep breath and made her way up the stairs towards Zelena’s inner sanctum. Get home or die trying.

The first few doors that she tried didn’t yield anything, but it was fifth time lucky. This was obviously Zelena’s bedroom, and there on a shelf in pride of place were the silver slippers.

Dorothy looked around furtively; surely Zelena wouldn’t leave something so precious unguarded. There was no-one around, and she crept over to the slippers, lifting them cautiously in case she activated a trap. Nothing happened.

Dorothy wrenched off her boots and pulled on the slippers instead. They were a perfect fit, and Dorothy smiled. Home was within her grasp.

“You found them, then.”

Dorothy whirled around on hearing Zelena’s voice. The witched materialised in the room, smiling benignly.

“Well, go on then,” Zelena said. “You can be home in a matter of seconds. Click the heels,” she added.

“You’d really tell me how to use them and let me go whilst I’m wearing them?” Dorothy scoffed.

“Of course,” Zelena said. “You, little girl, have been the ultimate thorn in my side for these past few years, and if I can get rid of you, I will. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t actually enjoy killing people. You go home, and I get you out of my hair. It’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?”

Dorothy took a step closer.

“What’s the catch? Why are you smiling like that?”

“Oh, no reason. I’m just wondering how your precious munchkins will fair after you’ve gone.”

“They can take care of themselves,” Dorothy retorted.

Zelena raised an eyebrow. “Are you absolutely sure about that?”

She snapped her fingers and the window flew open, to the screeching of flying monkeys and the screams of munchkins. It certainly sounded like a pitched battle.

Zelena came over to her.

“Hand over the slippers, my dear, and I’ll call the monkeys off. It’ll only take a moment. Then we can discuss the terms of your surrender.”

Dorothy shook her head. She’d spent three years here in a job she didn’t even want, every day hoping that she’d wake up from a horrible dream. She was so close to home and nothing was going to stop her. Not Zelena, and not the munchkins.

“No,” she said. “No, I’m going home.”

“Whatever will the munchkins say?”

“Whatever the hell they like.”

Dorothy closed her eyes and clicked her heels together three times. She felt a pulse of what could only be magic; she’d been in Oz long enough to recognise it. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a dusty field, staring at the same farmhouse that had been transported to Oz in the tornado three years prior.

Well, not exactly the same. She could see the differences in the new building that replaced the one that had been taken to Oz, but it was definitely, undeniably home, and she sank to her knees, sobbing with relief.

“Dorothy? Dorothy? Good grief, girl, where have you been? What on earth have you got on your feet? Heavens, is that a crossbow?”

Auntie Em was running across the fields towards her.

“Where have you been?” she asked. “First you vanish in a tornado, then three years later you drop out of the sky! Was It the flying saucers? Little green men?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Auntie Em,” Dorothy said, drying her eyes and accepting her aunt’s tight hug. “But I’m home now. I’m home and I’m never going away again.”

Dorothy took a moment to spare a thought for the munchkins she’d left behind at Zelena’s mercy, and she felt a knot of shame twist in her stomach. She wasn’t their saviour or their leader; she’d told them enough times that she didn’t want to be the person that they were trying to make her into. She couldn’t be blamed entirely.

All the same, it did send a shiver down her spine to think about what might be happening in Oz.

Auntie Em led her into the house.

“We rebuilt your room,” she was explaining. “We knew you’d find your way home in the end.”

Dorothy nodded. Home at last.

She took off the silver slippers and her crossbow, and she stowed them away safely at the bottom of her closet.

Out of sight, out of mind.

 Land Without Magic – Present

Rumpelstiltskin watched the doors of the motel reception from the driver’s seat of the Cadillac, waiting for Belle to emerge. She’d taken on all the responsibility of organising this trip; all he had to do was take his turn with driving and navigating. He wasn’t even sure what state they were in at that moment. He just knew that they were not yet in Kansas and it would be a while before they were.

He wondered how Neal and Emma were getting on in Oz. With any luck, they wouldn’t have run into anything dangerous, now that Zelena was no longer there to create terror and havoc. Hopefully the witches of North and South would have found them like they had found Dorothy and would be helping them to get home.

He remembered the sight of Zelena shattering into dust and gave a grim smile. It was over. She was never going to be able to hurt him or any of his family again. He had made sure of that. Once Neal was safely back with them, Rumpelstiltskin would see that they would always be protected from whatever villain might arrive in Storybrooke next.

Belle came out the reception and made her way back across the car park, holding up a key with a smile.

“I signed us in as Mr and Mrs Gold,” she said as Rumpelstiltskin got out of the car. “That’s the kind of thing that only happens in my cheap romance novels, but I was quite excited about it nonetheless.” She paused. “Or we can get separate rooms if you want.”

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. “No. I don’t want to be apart from you.”

Belle smiled, all traces of unsureness gone from her face, and she hooked her arm through Rumpelstiltskin’s as they made their way up to their room. He was grateful for the support; without magic to soothe his old injury, his ankle was complaining bitterly about the long day on the road that they’d just had.

Once they were safely inside the room, Rumpelstiltskin made sure that the door was bolted before collapsing down on the end of the bed. Belle came and sat down beside him, spreading the map out over her knees.

“We’re making good time,” she said happily. “Another day on the road and we should make it.”

She reached across and took one of his hands, squeezing lightly.

“It’ll work,” she said. “We just have to have hope. After a good night’s sleep, things will look brighter in the morning, I promise.”

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. A good night’s sleep was proving beyond him at that moment. Last night, curled up with Belle in his arms, afraid to let go of her in case she disappeared, he had stared up at the darkened ceiling all night, unwilling to close his eyes with the fear that when he opened them, it would all have been a dream and he’d be back in his cage in Zelena’s storm cellar. He stayed unmoving at the foot of the bed as Belle pottered about getting ready for sleep, before realising that he should probably show some willing himself. When Belle came out of the bathroom in her pyjamas to find him still where she had left him, she came over and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

“She’s gone, my love,” she whispered. “You destroyed her with your own hand. You can take comfort from that, and know that no matter what, she can’t hurt you ever again.”

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. “What if this is all a dream?” he asked. “What if none of this is real? I dreamed of you so often, Belle. I dreamed of rescue. I can’t help feeling scared that this is all just another dream.”

Belle put her hands on his shoulders and deliberately leaned in slowly so that he knew she was coming, and she captured his lips in a kiss that began soft but soon had all of the fears and desperation being poured into it.

“Does that feel like a dream?” Belle asked as she finally broke away.

“If it is a dream, I never want to wake up.”

“I can assure you, Rumpel, I am completely real. And I’ll tell you that as many times as you need me to.”

Rumpelstiltskin took her hands, pressing a kiss to each palm before pulling himself upright and going into the bathroom to freshen up.

“Thank you, Belle.”

X

Belle wasn’t asleep. Rumpelstiltskin could tell from the way she kept shifting in his arms. He liked to have her close, although they had not yet gone any further than this tight embrace in their reunion. He couldn’t bear to lose her, not after he had almost lost everything. Not after he had lost Neal again and his fate was up in the air. Belle was here, and she loved him, and he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He couldn’t lose her.

“Belle?” he whispered.

“Yes, Rumpel?” She was definitely awake and alert, and not in that half-asleep state. Good. He didn’t want to say his piece and then find out that she’d fallen asleep before he got to the end of it.

“Will you marry me?”

“Pardon?”

Her eyes were wide and almost disbelieving in the gloom, illuminated by the neon from outside.

“Will you marry me, please?” Rumpelstiltskin repeated nervously, searching her face for any hint of rejection. “I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know it might seem sudden, and not the right time with Neal stuck in Oz, but this time last week I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. I don’t want anything to happen and you not to know how much I love you and want to marry you.”

Belle’s face broke into a wide smile, even as tears of happiness welled in her eyes, and she pulled him into a long, deep kiss.

“Yes,” she said at last. “Yes. I love you so much, Rumpel, and I will definitely marry you.”

Their next kiss seemed to last for a blissful eternity, and Rumpelstiltskin wouldn’t have it any other way.  

   Oz – Present

It was a road and it was made of yellow bricks. Well, the bricks had once been yellow, but it was obvious that the road had fallen into a state of disrepair, stained with years of weather and the marks of many feet traipsing over the bricks.

Emma and Neal exchanged a look.

“You know, I really hope I’m not the only one who thinks that this doesn’t look too promising,” Emma said.

Neal nodded his agreement. “No, I’m right with you on that one. I think we might have discovered post-apocalyptic Oz.”

Emma shuddered. “Don’t tempt fate, seriously. Considering that the Wicked Witch is bleeding to death in a field in Storybrooke, the wizard is face down on the sheriff’s station floor, and there’s no Dorothy in sight, I dread to think what we might be walking into.”

“Isn’t this about the time when Glinda’s supposed to come down in her bubble and offer some vapid life advice?” Neal asked, scanning the horizon for noticeably absent witches.

“Yeah, in the original tale. We haven’t dropped a house on anyone though.”

“We nearly dropped a house on Zelena.  Surely that earns us some kind of reward. Like directions.”

“Face it, Neal, I think we’re on our own.”

Neal shrugged. “I’m sure we’ve got out of worse scrapes in the past. Admittedly, I’m hard pressed to think of any right now, but give it time,” he added when Emma gave him an unimpressed look.

She shook her head in despair and carefully stepped out into the middle of the yellow brick road, looking left and right.

“When they say to ‘follow the yellow brick road’, they don’t tell you which way,” she said. “There’s no sign of the Emerald City in either direction. And there aren’t any handy scarecrows. I’m beginning to think that the sentient scarecrows were a myth.”

Neal just laughed at her indignant expression and came up beside her.

“Well, Dorothy didn’t need any directions because the yellow brick road started in Munchkinland, where she landed,” he said. “So whichever way we go, we’ll either end up at the start of the road in Munchkinland, or at the end of the road in the Emerald City.”

“I guess that this is where in a horror film, we’d split up and one of us go one way and the other goes the other way. However, having seen enough horror films in my time and having been nearly eaten by tigers, I’m not convinced that’s the most sensible course of action.”

“Agreed. In a place full of lions and tigers and bears and possibly malevolent witches, it’s best to stick together. And even if we get it wrong, it’s only two directions, it’s not like we’re in the middle of a huge hedge maze.”

“True.” Emma closed her eyes, spun around three times on the spot and stuck out her left arm. “We’ll go that way.”

Neal moved her arm a couple of inches so that she was pointing down the road and not straight at a tree, and Emma glared at him.

“Well, that’s certainly one way of doing it, I suppose,” he said.

They set off in the direction that Emma had pointed in.

“Don’t expect me to start skipping or anything,” she said as they walked.

“I’ll expect nothing of the sort.”

Despite their rather precarious position, Emma had to admit that it did feel good to be out on an adventure with Neal. It reminded her of the old days; before everything went wrong, and she wondered what life would have been like if August hadn’t got involved with his scheme to set everything into motion.  Would she have even come to Storybrooke in the first place if she hadn’t given Henry up for adoption? Would her family still be under the first dark curse? And what about her and Neal, would they have found Tallahassee after all?

She shook her head. What was done was done, and there was no chance of a do-over. She’d almost had that chance to see how things could have been different during the last year in New York, but in the end, it was not to be. It hadn’t been real. As Zelena had just proved, time travel was a risky business, and forbidden for a reason.

She was about to ask Neal what he would do if he had the chance to do it all again, but before she could, something caught her eye in the tree canopy above them beside the road. She shot out an arm to stop Neal in his tracks.

“Em? What’s up?”

“Something’s watching us,” she hissed. “In the trees.”

Neal followed her sight line and he too caught the slight movement amongst the uppermost branches.

“Flying monkey?” he asked.

“I don’t know. They all turned human again when Zelena’s magic was suppressed.”

“Yeah, but that was back in Storybrooke. We’re in Oz. Maybe the cuff’s influence doesn’t stretch across realms. Maybe not all the flying monkeys started out as humans. Maybe some of them are actually monkeys.”

“True. There’s another one!”

A faint rustling in the undergrowth betrayed the presence of something alive in there, but when Emma turned to look at it, there was nothing to see.

“Great,” Neal grumbled. “First it’s sabre-toothed tigers and now it’s invisible tree monsters. We’ll be lucky if we get to either end of the yellow brick road at this rate.”

Everything happened rather quickly after that. There was a horrendous battle cry from the trees and something swung out on a rope, slamming straight into Emma and knocking her flat on her back, all the air going out of her and spots dancing in front of her eyes where her head had hit the bricks.

“Emma!” Neal came over to her, trying to make sure that she was ok, but before he could get to her, another assailant on a rope was swinging in and knocking him off his feet too.

“Neal!”

Emma struggled back into a sitting position, but then she was jumped from behind, a bag being pulled down over her head and rope tightening around her arms, pinning them in against her sides.

“Neal!”

“Emma!” She heard his voice, muffled through fabric, as she tried to fight her way free and get to him.

Something wet and heavy and sickly sweet-smelling was pressed over the cloth that covered her face, and Emma spluttered against it before giving in to the drug.

X

For the second time that day, Emma came round feeling like she had been hit by a bus, and she groaned, screwing her eyes up as she remembered what had happened before she’d been knocked out.

“Please let that have all been a dream,” she groaned.

“Sorry.” It was Neal’s voice, and Emma felt an immense wave of relief that he was with her and he was all right. She opened her eyes and his face swam into view above her.

“Hey. You ok?”

Emma nodded and accepted his hand to pull her into a sitting position.

“Don’t stand up quickly, the ceiling’s really low.”

Emma looked around her new environment. They were underground somewhere, and definitely in a cell. It reminded her of Rumpelstiltskin’s cell in the Enchanted Forest, and she shivered at the memory.

“Where are we?” she asked Neal.

“I don’t know, but I can hazard a guess,” he said. “You know we said that no matter what direction we went in, we’d either hit Munchkinland or the Emerald City?”

“Yeah?”

“I think we hit munchkins.”

He gestured towards the cell bars and Emma peered through them to see a small group of short, stocky men pointing crossbows at them.

“What is your business in Oz?” the foremost munchkin asked.

“We don’t really have any,” Emma said. “We came here by accident.”

The munchkin scoffed. “Yeah, we’ve heard that one before. Let me guess, you came via a tornado as well?”

“Well, now that you mention it, yes.”

The munchkin shook his head. “You’d better have a very good story after the stunt your good friend Dorothy pulled.”

Neal and Emma looked at each other. This definitely wasn’t in the book

Kansas – Present

They had been following the same dusty road for miles without seeing another soul, and Belle was, for the first time, beginning to think that maybe she had brought them out here on a fool’s errand. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, but now that she was actually doing it, she was feeling the effects of her impulsiveness.

She glanced over at Rumpel, dozing in the passenger seat, and the map on the dashboard between them, and she smiled. The trip had been good for one thing, at least. She and Rumpel were going to get married and everything was going to work itself out in their relationship. Now, the only hurdle was to get everything else to work itself out as well, starting with getting Neal and Emma back from Oz.

She looked over at the map again. Regina and Rumpel’s combined efforts had managed to triangulate the approximate location of the silver slippers and Henry’s story book had told them the rest. People were starting to warm to the idea of using it as a reference work for the stories they were not themselves familiar with. If most of the rest of the book was trustworthy, then there was no reason why all the other stories shouldn’t be.

They were on the right track. It was just a case of following it till they got there.

At last, just when Belle was beginning to lose hope of ever finding a turn off or anything that would give them an indication of where they should be looking, she saw a hand-painted sign leading down a small lane.

Gale Farm 3 miles

She pulled over and touched Rumpel’s shoulder to wake him. He startled, and Belle felt a pang of guilt. At least they knew that Zelena was gone now and wouldn’t be able to hurt them again.

“Rumpel, I think we’re nearly there.”

Rumpel looked over at the sign and gave Belle a wide smile.

“We made it. I knew you had the right idea.”

Belle felt a surge of pride through her veins at that remark, and she started the car again, driving carefully down the lane until they reached a farmhouse standing alone. It looked worryingly similar to the one in Storybrooke that Zelena had occupied, and out of the corner of her eye, Belle saw Rumpel shift uneasily in his seat.

“It’ll be all right,” she said. “We’re going to get Neal and Emma back.”

Rumpel nodded, and together they got out of the car.

An older woman was sitting outside the farmhouse sorting eggs, and she looked up as they approached, eyeing the dusty black Cadillac with suspicion.

“Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” Rumpel said. “We’re looking for Dorothy Gale.”

#OUAT fanfiction #Emma Swan #Neal Cassidy #swanfire #Rumpelstiltskin #OUADT #OUADT episodes #OUADT episode 321

[travelingtheusa]

ARKANSAS

2021 Apr 24 (Sat) – Did some errands today.  Got fuel, picked up groceries, and bought pet food.

    Vanleigh had a catered breakfast this morning.  Following that, they had a Q&A with Leigh Tiffin.  We left early because we had an appointment with techs to make some repairs on our RV.  Our appointment time of 9:30 a.m. came and went without anyone showing up.  At 10:30, Paul went over to find out what was happening only to be informed that they were waiting until after the Q&A. That infuriated me!  I wanted to be there for the Q&A but had to leave for the appointment that never happened.  The techs showed up at 12:30 and worked on our Magic Fan for about an hour. They even wound up reprogramming the Spyder Control Panel.  But, they were not able to make the repair.  They are going to send us a new fan.

    After our catered dinner tonight, they played Survey Says, a take-off on Family Feud.  It was cute but a little irritating.  We left after the first group challenge.

 2021 Apr 23 (Fri) – Paul brought the truck to the garage at 7 AM this morning. He had to take a taxi back to the campground.  The mechanic called later and said the truck started several times with no problem. He sees no sign of starter problems. Paul instructed him to change the starter any way.  With his years of working with heavy equipment, he’s got an ear for trouble with engines.  

    The weather is forecast to be crappy for most of the rally.  Thunderstorms are due in today and tomorrow.  Sunday is supposed to clear up but that’s when the rally ends.

    The seminars started at 8 AM. There was one scheduled for each of the first 3 hours, then lunch, then 3 seminars in the afternoon, then dinner and more singing.

 2021 Apr 22 (Thu) – The Vanleigh Owner’s Rally started today.  We went over at 1 PM to sign in and get our goodie bag. Some goodie bag.  The rally schedule, two pieces of advertising from vendors at the rally, a bag, a lanyard and ID card.  Activities will be taking place in an large open-air pavilion.

    At 5 PM, we went over for dinner. A caterer was set up in a tent where came in and they served us as we moved along the line.  There was BBQ pulled pork and pulled chicken, cole slaw, beans, corn salad, potato salad, and a scrumptious brownie.  After dinner, there was entertainment by Nick Dover and an employee of Vanleigh who played guitar and sang.  It was fun but the temperature really dropped.  It was cold.

    While getting propane, Paul had trouble restarting the truck.  He thinks it’s the starter going bad.  We called the local Ford dealership but as usual, the earliest appointment is not for at least a week.  So Paul called a local garage and arranged to bring the truck in tomorrow.

 2021 Apr 21 (Wed) – It was 36 degrees this morning.  Brrrrr!  We had a minor disaster overnight.  Paul heard the water leak alarm in the basement go off around 2:30 a.m. this morning. He got up and went outside to see what was going on.  There was water dripping into the basement.  It was coming from the bathroom area.  He came back in to the RV to check it out.  The floor had about a half-inch of water on it and the throw rugs were soaked.  He lifted the toilet seat and saw that the toilet bowl was overflowing.  It turned out that a piece of toilet paper had not fully flushed but got stuck in the valve closure.  Because it wasn’t fully closed, the water kept running and filled the tank.  After it filled with the water, it overflowed.  Fortunately, we dumped the tanks this morning so they were not full of waste.  It could have been so much worse.  Paul emptied the tank and I scrubbed down the bathroom.  We took the wet rugs from the bathroom and in the basement to the laundry room and washed and dried them.

    We went to the Red Oak Fillin Station for lunch.  It was a cute café with a woodland decoration (stuffed animals and grasses around the room) and full.  There was only one table left when we walked in.  The food was very good and the waitresses very attentive.  

    After lunch, we went to Garvin Woodland Gardens.  It is a botanical gardens that covers about 100 acres of flowering shrubs, trees and plants.  The Children’s Garden was delightful.  There were lots of large rocks and water treatments among the trees that made it nice to walk among.  There was an amazing chapel in the woods.  The Anthony Chapel has clear glass walls that make it look like you are sitting outside among the trees.  It was like the chapel we toured in Bella Vista.  The same architect probably designed both of them.  I took a fall walking along the “natural” path and banged up my knee.

    After dinner, Linda (another Vilano owner) came by and invited us to join a group over by her trailer. We met Linda and several other folks who were around the campfire tonight at the Tampa RV Show in January last year.  There were also some new Vilano owners at the campfire as well as an SOB couple (Some Other Brand).  

 2021 Apr 20 (Tue) – We packed up and left Little Rock AFB FamCamp at 9:30 a.m.  It was an easy hour and a half drive to Catherine’s Landing in Hot Springs.  The campground is a resort. All the sites are paved with barbecues, fire pits, and picnic tables.  The pool is open, heated and very inviting.  They have a disc golf course and lake activities with Kayak and canoe rentals.  We are here for five nights for a Vanleigh Owner’s Rally.  The rally doesn’t officially start until Thursday but we’ve been watching Vanleigh’s coming in all day.  There will be about 100 rigs here, I think.

2021 Arp 19 (Mon) – It was cool when we got up this morning – in the low 40s. I can’t believe it’s still this cold. It’s just 2 weeks to Memorial Day and we’re putting the electric blanket on at night.  And there’s a freeze warning in effect for tomorrow.  What. Is. Going. On???

    We did the laundry this morning.  They have 2 washers and 2 dryers at $1 apiece. Unfortunately, one washer’s spin cycle did not work.  So we had to rewash one load.  The dryers worked fine.

    After the laundry was put away, we went into town.  We bought propane at Camping World.  The cost was double the normal price.  Why in the world would propane prices have gone up??

    We ate at the Whole Hog Café.  It was a barbecue place and the food was pretty good.  On the way back to the campground, we stopped at a plane display on base.  There were several aircraft on static display in a park. We walked around and read the plaques describing each aircraft, its origin, cost, and history.  It was interesting.  

 2021 Apr 18 (Sun) – We watched church service live stream on FaceBook this morning. Then we ran errands – got fuel, picked up groceries at Kroger, bought some wine at the BX, and parts at Lowe’s. When Paul was repairing the seat on the toilet bowl, the washer fell into the hole.  He had to pick up another nut and washer, which also fell into the bowl. After some cussin’ and fussin’, he wound up using the old hardware.

      We searched for places to have lunch. We have to keep in mind that down in the bible belt, most stores and restaurants are closed and the one or two that are open are usually packed.  After going through a number of options (all closed), we found an Italian restaurant with a 20 minute wait.  The food was very good and we bought leftovers home.

     For dinner, we enjoyed shish kabobs. However, they were overcooked. We’ll have to experiment for the right amount of time to barbecue them.  Having never cooked them before, it’s a learning experience for us.

2021 Apr 17 (Sat) – We stayed in the campground all day.  It was cold and overcast.  Paul worked mostly on trying to get our route laid out from the rally next week to Washington, D.C.  The internet is slow and it is frustrating.  I made reservations for a flight back to New York on May 16.  My sister, Susan, used her points to pay for my ticket.  That was very nice.

 2021 Apr 16 (Fri) – We stayed in most of the day.  It was a cold, dreary, drizzly day.  The fireplace was on all day.  I don’t think it went over 60 degrees today.  At 5 p.m. I took Paul to Barnhill’s Steak and Buffet.  The place had a very extensive buffet selection. We were surprised since all this kind of thing was stopped with the pandemic.  But this place had a robust buffet with all kinds of delicious foods.  

 2021 Apr 15 (Thu) – We went to Papito’s Mexican Grill for lunch.  The place was very colorful with beautiful tile work all over the restaurant.  The employees were Spanish and the food was good.  It all felt very authentic.

    After lunch, we drove to Camping World. Paul is still looking for parts to permanently install the cell phone booster antenna.  They did not have what he wanted.  He couldn’t find the parts online either.  Looks like they just don’t make what he wants.  He’ll have to jury-rig something.

    Since we were out and about and the weather was pleasant, I suggested we take a ride over to the State Capitol. We had not seen it the last time we came through this area.  We don’t know why.  It might have been a weekend and the building was closed.  It was open and we went in.  There were four floors open to the public.  The House of Representatives was in session and we sat in the gallery for a little while, watching the proceedings.  One rep would get up, describe the bill he wanted to present, questions would be asked, then a vote was taken with the reps voting AYE, NAY, or VISITING (meaning they are present but not voting).  Out of three proposals made, two passed and one did not.  It was interesting.  The building was nice, but not spectacular.  The rotunda was four floors high with a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.  It can be lowered all the way to the first floor.  That’s a looooonng cord!   After exploring the building, we walked around the outside looking at the statues on the grounds.  One exhibit represented the Little Rock 9 with statues of nine students. This is in honor of the black students who were bussed to the Little Rock High School at the height of the civil rights era.

2021 Apr 14 (Wed) – It rained most of the morning until about 11 a.m.  At least it wasn’t thunderstorms.  I called the office this afternoon and complained loud and long about the lack of electric.  A staff person in the office overheard my call and came over to see what he could do. He couldn’t solve the problem so he returned to the office and related the issue.  His boss suggested we plug into the 30-amp outlet rather than the 50-amp outlet.  The staffer returned with the suggestion.  We did it and voila!  We have a 30-amp hookup.  Not as good as a 50-amp hookup but better than limited electric.

    We went out to the Fried Pie Shop for lunch.  Paul read about it online.  It’s like a pot pie you hold in your hand.  I got a chicken vegetable pie and Paul ordered a beef vegetable pie.  We got a blueberry pie for dessert.  The wait was long.  *sigh*  When our order finally arrived, it was very hot; fresh out of the fryer.  I burned my mouth and my tongue was numb for the rest of the day.  The pies were OK; kind of bland.  Oh, well.  We tried something new.

    After lunch, we went to Lowe’s so Paul could pick up a connector for the antenna to the cell booster.  They didn’t have what we wanted.  We then drove to True Value.  They didn’t have the part either.  Then we went to Camping World and they also did not have what we wanted. So Paul changed what he planned to do. When the weather clears up, he’ll install a permanent connection.

     On the way back to the campground, we stopped at the base exchange looking for some wine and liquor.  It turned out to have a limited selection and we couldn’t get everything we wanted.  

2021 Apr 13 (Tue) – We packed up and left Memphis, TN at 9:30 a.m.  After a stop at the dump station and a hearty good-bye to the awful smell hanging over the campground, we drove 3 hours to Little Rock AFB FamCamp.  It is a small but pleasant campground.  Most sites are paved except the few in the tree line, of which we have one.  Our site is one grass.  After set up, I noticed we didn’t have any electric.  Paul checked the stanchion and found that one of the legs is not working.

    We drove over to Outdoor Recreation to pay and point out the lack of electric at our campsite.  The ditsy girl behind the counter said a work order had been put in and the problem would hopefully be fixed soon.  No indication when that would happen.  Paul rigged up an extension so we could have some electric in the trailer.  The fridge and TV are working and I have a plug for the computer.  We grilled steak on the barbecue since the toaster oven is not working (the toaster oven is the most used appliance in our rig).  At least the stove is propane and I was able to make side dishes to the steak.

    We are at a new phase in our relationship.  Paul has begun to speak in low tones.  I am often asking him to repeat what he said.  He is also losing his hearing.  Many of our conversations are filled with “I thought you said …” or “I heard you say …” I guess it’s kind of funny but it sure can be frustrating.

[ineffablecolors]

New Tales from the Old Forest [4/?]

To mark the beginning of December properly I have something new for this verse. Whether you enjoyed this last December as part of my 'Tis The Season series, found it later on or are just now stumbling upon it - I hope this starts off your holiday fanfic endeavors just right (I sure hope it does the same for mine 'cause I have plans for this fic).

Happy beginning of Christmas and welcome back to New Tales from the Old Forest!

New Tales from the Old Forest; ~ 2, 800 words; FF.NET || AO3

Using the gorgeous banner @katie-dub created for me once upon a time! :*

She stomps back to her car through five feet of snow, feeling the coldness slither in through the zipper and the little hole on the inner side of her left boot. Wet socks. The last thing Emma Swan needs at 8 pm on the 24th of December.

Henry is in the backseat where she left him 15 minutes ago, his fingers moving rapidly over the screen of his phone now that it is too dark for him to be reading his book. 

Emma sighs at the memory of that Golden Age of 15 minutes ago. Back when hope and excitement and that warm fuzzy feeling that she had been making tentative friends with over the last year had kept her from realizing exactly how fucking cold and windy the coast of Maine was in the smack-dab middle of winter. Yes, her nerves had been pulled pretty tight back then but not like this. Not like now.

15 minutes ago it felt like Dasher, Dancer... Patter? Pranter? Ugh. All of Santa's prats of reindeer were making her insides their new holiday runway. Led by that Cupid bastard. 

That’s it. She is blaming it all on some freaking Christmas reindeer possession or... yeah, that sounds good.

Because there is no way she would be in this situation, if she was in possession of all her faculties. Nope, no way. This situation is exactly the kind of situation that Emma Swan is an expert at avoiding. Or she was. A year ago.

And yet. Here she is. At 8:07 pm now, on the freaking 24th of freaking December, with a trunk full of presents, a 11-year-old in the backseat and three Americanos buzzing through her system.

In Storybrooke, fucking Maine, in front of Killian fucking Jones' house. His very dark. Very empty house. 

How did she end up here again?

Oh, yeah.

///

It's official. Emma Swan is a moron. An absolute fucking idiot. It takes exactly 2 days, 1 hour and oh, 20 or so minutes after Killian kissed her goodbye and got into his cab to the airport for- 

It’s the middle of February and it's not freezing or anything but the wind is giving a vicious whipping to any and all skin she was foolish enough to leave exposed. And she would like nothing more than to take Killian's hand - his very gloveless, very cold hand - and squeeze them into the cab waiting in front of her apartment (yes, they had dinner at her apartment and she royally screwed it up and what else is new in Emma Swan’s world).

But Henry is waiting for her inside, hopefully (but highly unlikely after an evening spent in Killian's presence) already in bed and she has a honey trap to set tomorrow and her homework to do before that and a drive to the airport and back really doesn't sound that appealing.

So instead she sways a little on her feet and quirks up an eyebrow and says she'll get him a calendar for next time and she lets him pull her in so that she kinda steps on his toes but also ends up with his lips on the corner of her mouth. She lets her hands frame his face and regrets the long coat that she was so grateful for a moment ago because she can barely feel his hand on her waist through the thick wool. She opens her mouth and tastes her Bechamel sauce (which is sadly inferior to her Bolognese). She sighs into him and digs her nose into his cheek when he goes to pull back. She plays with the soft part of his left ear and makes him kiss her again, less tongue, more teeth, more pressure and the very first licks of regret for not taking this further when she had the chance. She lets him let her go and get into the cab. And she waves when he is already almost out of sight.

It takes exactly 2 days, 1 hour and oh, 25 minutes or so now after Killian kissed her goodbye and got in his cab to the airport for those licks of regret to become a full-on raging fire of 'Emma Swan is an absolute fucking idiot for not banging Killian Jones when she had the chance’.

///

 It's official. Killian Jones is an idiot. A complete and utter bonehead. It takes precisely one solid night of sleep and two days without hearing from Emma for him to realize that.

Of course, he heard from Henry but he highly doubts that Emma knows that and that… well…

"How how did you manage to mess that up?"

Killian scrubs his good hand down his face and tries to blink his eyes properly open. Getting in at 'I don't want to look at the clock 'cause my head knows I won't like what I see' o'clock and getting up for a meeting with Regina the next morning (because some people know how to tell days and some other people are too stubborn to admit their stupidity and ask for a re-schedule) is really not conductive to him being ship-shape in the late afternoon.

Which, unfortunately, is when Henry gets home from school and wants to know precisely why Killian showed up at Emma's door two hours after him on the 15th of February.

"I assure you, lad, I keep asking myself the same thing."

"I convinced my teacher to organize a Valentine's Day sleepover just so you guys can have a...." Henry stammers a bit here and if Killian was more awake, he'd be able to tell if it's the light in his room or the boy is actually blushing. "You know... grown-ups sleepover.."

He... does not know what he is supposed to say to that. What would Emma want him to say to that? What would he tell his own son, if he-

"Well, unplanned as it was, I'm glad that my miscalculation-"

Henry snorts at that but Killian chooses to ignore it.

"-meant I got to spent time with both your mother and you."

Yeah, that… that was nice. Talking to Henry always is. Nice and rejuvenating and inspiring and life-reaffirming and many other things that Killian will keep to himself so that he doesn’t completely freak out the poor boy.

His mother however is a whole different ballgame. Obviously. Would be concerning, if she wasn’t…

He is losing his bloody mind. It has been scattered all over ever since he got back but now that he’s had a good night’s rest, it’s even worse. Because now he gets to think about it. His little impromptu surprise. He gets to think and analyze and rationalize and all those things he knows make his characters compelling on page but make his own life bloody miserable on practice.

And the more he thinks about it, the more he wants to get up and go bang his head against the tiles in his bathroom.

What the hell was he thinking?!

Flying over on Valentine’s Day? Showing up a day late with a bloody bouquet of bloody paper flowers. Paper flowers! Lord, could he be more of a walking cliché? At least he left the poem attempts on his desk where they are merrily mocking him right now.

What did Emma do on Valentine’s Day (the actual day, bloody buggering-)? She simply called him.

“Of course she did, she is a bloody normal person, who hasn’t spent the last seven years in minimum contact with humanity.”

He remembers the obvious surprise on her face when he showed up on her doorstep. Even after he had blurted out his plans to her over Skype the night before. Perhaps even after that she didn’t expect him to show up. Perhaps she thought he was a somewhat normal and well-functioning person.

“Well, joke’s on her, ain’t it?”

He remembers her slight discomfort at having him in her apartment – her eyes darting this way and that way, her hand aborting its movement as she reached to brush something off his shoulder.

He remembers Henry’s shock at his arriving just after he had gotten home himself – the way his eyes grew wide – surprise and then glee (bless the lad’s pure heart, not finding anything weird about him just showing up on their doorstep at 11 in the morning).

He remembers the awkwardness at trying to figure out what to do now that they were obviously spending the day together – movies seemed too time-wasting, skating seemed like too much activity, a simple walk seemed aimless and why was this so bloody hard, he had been talking to both of them on the regular for over a month.

He remembers other things too. Still feels them rather. He feels the brush of her fingers as she handed him a cup of coffee while listing places in New York City that had good coffee. He feels the brush of her shoulder against his as they walked down a narrow sidewalk and he struggled to always stay on her right. He feels her breath just below his ear where it tickled him every time she leaned to supply any crucial information that he might need to comprehend the infinite amount of school stories that Henry seemed to be set on regaling him with. He feels the way their couch bounced as the lad dropped next to him, while Emma was getting dinner ready, and broke his words-per-minute record again, this time asking Killian for stories from book signings and the casting for the movie and everything else that he imagines any self-proclaimed ‘fan’ will eventually lose the battle with trying to keep locked inside.

And then he remembers the expression on her face. The utter horror that washed over when she realized that she’d prepared a steak dinner for a one-handed man.

It’s been years. It’s not… well, it’s never not a shock but it’s not a surprise anymore. When he discovers something new, something old that he can’t do anymore. Of course, he came across the fork and knife issue a long time ago – has it mostly figured out by this point.

Funny how he didn’t see this new thing coming – disappointing the girl you like. It probably has something to do with the fact that he hasn’t actually liked a girl in the time he has been operating with one hand. Not like that. Not a girl like that.

And she seems beyond embarrassed or annoyed or worried, she seemed on a whole other plane, holding court with herself over the soundness of her decision. Whether the one to make steak for dinner or to let him into her house (her life) – Killian really isn’t sure he wants to know, even while his brain insists on probing and guessing and analyzing and basically bloody torturing him.

“You should just let mom cut it for you. I always do. Steak is a bitch.”

“Henry! Language.”

“Sorry. Steak is a pain.”

The lad’s expression is so droll, it somehow manages to make him chuckle and draw him out of his plans to just spear the steak on his fork and risk doing his best impersonation of the dining scene from Beauty and the Beast. 

And then he remembers the pinkness of her nose in the cold evening air and the press of her warm tongue so in contrast with that chilly little nose and the way she seemed to shuffle into him every time he considered pulling back and the almost wistful glow in her eyes when he finally did.

He remembers something and reaches for his phone and then he remembers another and drops it like it’s burning his only remaining fingers.

And that’s how 2 days pass. And then another 2. And then a week.

And during the second week he starts reaching for it less and less because it doesn’t really take that much thinking and analyzing to figure out what it means that she hasn’t called him either.

///

 Henry is no fool. He knows that they are being idiots. He knows they probably had one of those ‘possible True Love alert’ moments that all of Killian’s True Love couples have at some point in the books and probably got all freaked out because he can’t remember his mom dating anybody like ever and Killian doesn’t look like he even knows how to use the word ‘date’ correctly.

The problem is that Henry has no one to bet against on who will break first.

The bigger problem is that he has no one to help him figure out when he should stop humouring them and step in.

///

 She is high on life. Yup, Emma Swan is actually feeling pretty damn good about herself for once.

She caught her perp with minimum effort for a maximum paycheck. Henry got an A on the art project she helped him prepare. There is a new pizza place down the street and it is divine. Her kid has great taste and chose her favourite Indiana Jones movie for tonight and then promptly went to bed after it with almost no whining at all.

Oh, and she is having a great hair day.

Realistically it’s probably not much. But dammit, Emma feels good about herself. She feels good enough to pick up her phone and hit Killian Jones’ name. More impressive yet, she feels good enough not to hang up as it starts ringing.

For once she feels good enough to shut up the thought of ‘well, he was obviously just trying to get into your pants and then that didn’t happen so it’s-

“Swan?”

She almost swallows her fucking tongue. Literally. And people actually do that. And Emma thinks she might have a slight phobia of swallowing her tongue. And why is she thinking about that now?

“Emma?”

“Are you afraid of swallowing your tongue?”

“Are- I beg your pardon?”

Pillow in the corner of the couch, meet Emma’s face.

“Emma?”

“Yup. Hey. Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I’m sorry. I mean… Well, no, I just… Umm…”

“Swan, I-“

“Did we break up?”

Pillow, kindly suffocate Emma to death.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Stop begging and actually answer one of my questions!”

“Right. Sorry. I am. Sorry. I’m very sorry, love. We did not break up. I mean, if we are- If you thought we were- Not that I didn’t- I mean- Bloody hell!”

“Yeah, I thought we were.”

“Right. Good. That’s… me too. So we still are. We didn’t, we definitely didn’t break up.”

“Good.”

“Good.”

Pillow, muffle any whiny sounds Emma might make.

“I just wanted to give you some time… space.”

“We live in different cities.”

“Right. I just wasn’t sure how happy you were about me just showing up in yours.”

“What?!”

“Well, I… well…”

Pillow, try not to die while Emma takes out her frustrations on you, you were kinda expensive.

“Killian, I… OK, I’m sorry, if I wasn’t... I just… No guy has spent time with me and Henry and had dinner with us and all that jazz.”

“Oh. Alright. I guess… I didn’t think you might have… not been seeing anyone for awhile as well.”

“No, I mean… never.”

“Never?”

“I mean, I have- of course, but… No one’s ever spent the day with us like that. Ever.”

“And I made you.”

“What? No. I mean- I- we wanted you to. I would’ve told you not to come, if I didn’t. I… I didn’t think it went that bad. I mean, I-”

“No. No, it didn’t! It was… I had a lovely time, Emma, I just…”

“Right. Well, me too.”

“That’s good. Good, we both enjoyed spending some time together.”

“Sounds like it.”

“That’s…”

Pillow, sorry for being catapulted across the room as Emma finally allows herself to fist-pump the air at Killian's quiet chuckle.

“So what was the other question?”

“Huh?”

“We’ve established that we haven’t broken up. So what was the other question that I was supposed to answer?”

“Oh. Uhhh… Oh, oh! Aren’t you afraid of swallowing your tongue? I don’t mean like getting tongue-tied but like literally swallowing your tongue. Just like-“

///

 He gets finding her on the couch. He gets the dead phone. He gets the empty cup of coffee. He gets the tangled hair and slight smile.

But for the life of him Henry can’t explain the decorative pillow thrown half across the hallway.

///

 Right, ok, this is not exactly how she ended up in front of Killian Jones’ house on Christmas Eve but… we’re getting there.

‘Patience is a virtue’ as Killian would say.

The ass.

#cs ff #cs au #cs fanfics #captain swan fanfiction #NTOF