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theseviolentdelightss · 6 years

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Counting Paths X

Series Summary: After a lifetime on the run from the Empire, Reader makes a move that could have drastic impacts for both friend and foe. A Reader insert/fanfic. Gifs belong to their respective owners.

Word Count: 6204

Author’s Note: I really enjoyed writing this newest chapter and I’m so happy that I’m finally getting over my writer’s block hence the massive word count. Thank you all for sticking around and showing your support with likes and reblogs. It is always much appreciated.

Part I Part II Part III Part IV Part V Part VI Part VII Part VIII Part IX

If there was one universal truth you knew, it was that fear is poison. If you allow, it will fester and spread to the furthermost corners of your life. In war it's even worse, it's contagious...

Years ago, shortly after being bumped up to sergeant you had been sent to hold the line during a two month skirmish on a cold forest planet. A small faction of the rebellion had been almost entirely encircled by Imperial troops. It was a battle that should have been won in a matter of hours but instead dragged on for days. The shift in the world's climate brought on sudden fierce blizzards making air cover and evacuation virtually impossible. Thankfully it also kept the Empire from reinforcing their troops. Leaving you and your comrades no choice but to dig in, suppress any Imperial offensives, and maintain your position.

Whatever the Empire lacked in numbers they made up for in artillery. Every few hours they would barrage your positions with bombing raids. It was unlike anything you had ever experienced. One minute your dug in your ranger grave, drying out your socks and suddenly the sky is exploding above you. Splitting the tops of decades old trees into splinters in bright flashes. The colors bursting in the sky were terrifyingly beautiful yet whenever they ceased came the screams. The near endless sea of voices crying out as your fellow Rebels lay broken and in pieces around you. The sight before you wasn't beautiful, only terrifying. This was hell, and you were living in it.

You watched more of your comrades die in those few short days than you cared to think of. Losing a person you care about is always a shit situation. There is no debating that, but seeing someone you've shared meals with, someone you've laughed, fought, cried with, watching them die is something else entirely. To have to listen to them wail in agony for their mother as you struggle to ebb the flow of blood inside the mess of red and wood that once was their chest. To feel a body grow still in your hands. To witness the light fade from their eyes. Moments such as that stick with you.

Simply put, it fucks you up.

There may be a more poetic way of saying it but it's the harsh truth of the matter. You're never really the same after seeing it. The true ugly face of death. Each time it happens it chips away a bit more of the person you thought you were.

One night you found one of the greener solders in your squad trying to dig a ranger grave with his bare hands. He didn't even seem to notice that he had torn off his fingernails in the process. You got him out of there quickly, set him as far back from the line as possible and told him to find a hot meal. It wasn't just for his own good, it was for all of you. Morale in combat is a domino effect. One slips and the rest gradually follow. It was part of the reason why the Rebellion warned their recruits about the dangers of forming relationships while enlisted. Caring too deeply about a particular person was a liability. If something should happen to one the other would undoubtedly struggle moving forward. Hell, they might even question rather it was worth it to fight.

Sure, they wanted you all to care about each other but preferably in a platonic manner. Not that there weren't rebels in relationships with one another. In fact many were. It was simply best if those relationships didn't take place between team members. It created too large a chance for a conflict of interest. Consider this, if one had to chose between their team members and the person they love most in the world how many wouldn't choose the latter? That was why they didn't want anyone getting too close.

Comradery was what held you all together, love had the capability to tear you apart.

Two days later you read the same soldier's name on the list of casualties and felt next to nothing. The letters of his name scribbled in small text. The paper wrinkled and torn at the side from having been passed through too many hands. The further down the list you went the more the handwriting changed. Each person updating it before passing it along. It was such an archaic form of keeping up with the dead but it was the least you all could do. There wasn't any time to mourn. All you could do was read the names and hope that when their time came it was quick and painless, however unrealistic a hope that might be.

Among the names there were a handful you recognized but far more that you didn't. The vast majority were low ranking new recruits. That in itself was telling. You weren't losing fellow sergeants of other NCOs. You were losing replacements. Such a reason was partly to blame for why you had long ago given up on befriending new recruits. They all came in the same. All geared and ready for a fight. Half the time you didn't even bother to learn their names. There was too many of them, rushing in all piss and vinegar, replacing high ranking veteran officers that other dumb new recruits got killed. Couple days later and the're lying on the ground with their guts spread out, screaming for help, begging for their mothers.

They never seemed to realize they were already dead.

When the weather finally cleared enough for your troops to evacuate there was no choice but to leave the bodies behind. Rebels aren't often lucky enough to be afforded a funeral or even a grave for that matter. Be that as it may, upon returning to base you found yourself gathering the young man's belongings from his barracks and bringing them to his mother. His jacket, a stack of notebooks, a spare pair of boots, and a photo of home. All that was left for a mother to remember her son by.

That had been the first time you traveled to Nar Shaddaa.

“I'm not typically one to pass judgement but this seems incredibly sketchy.” You mused simply. Turning to your companion and ignoring the irritated look on his face.

Roland had filled you in on only the minor details involving his mission on the off chance that things went badly and he had to make a sudden run for it. Bringing you back to Yavin IV safely was clearly not a high priority of his. He had provided a ride to Nar Shaddaa as he had promised. Being true to his word in the simplest of measures. If he had to leave without you he would. After all, Theodren never said anything about bringing you back.

Outside the ship's windshield the smuggler's moon grew larger with each passing second. Its lights shining as brightly as they had when you had passed through a second time, nearly a year before. After fleeing from the Empire you had decided to lie low. A densely populated moon in the outer rim seemed as good a place as any. It was easy to keep your head down, take odd jobs when you could, and never stay in the same place for too long.

It wasn't exactly ideal. Try as you may to deny it you knew that deep down some part of you wanted some semblance of a normal life. To survive pass the war and know what it feels like to truly live in peace. The rational part of you argued that such dreams were unrealistic. That they would make doing what was necessary to survive that much more difficult. Truth be told you had long ago come to terms with your own mortality. That the chances of you someday seeing thirty, or even your next birthday for that matter, were debatable at best. It was better to simply accept the worse rather than to merely expect it.

“Well I didn't ask for your opinion did I little miss 'I like to point out the fucking obvious for no fucking reason' did I?” Roland practically barked. Taking the time to mimic you and even going so far as to add overly dramatic air quotes.

By this point you were used to it. The man was unspeakably crass but after a few hours it became obvious he was just a blow hard. All bark and no bite. He cursed rampantly which was perfectly fine by you but he was also easily irritated. Other than that he was merely another solider going through the motions. Doing whatever the Rebellion required of him. Yet without a doubt, better cut out for solo missions.

“I'm not calling bullshit!” You replied, matching the volume of your voice to Roland's. “I'm simply saying that it would appear as if the Rebellion has had very little contact with this arms dealer that your procuring this shipment from. Perhaps a bit of-”

“Hush it tutz!” He barked again. “You've got your own bullshit to worry about.”

Sighing you pushed yourself out of your seat and moved to gather your things. Knowing that you would be landing soon. Shuffling through your bag you double and triple checked your belongings. Blaster, extra ammo, first aid, and macro binoculars all exactly where they should be. The ship shook beneath your feet as it entered the moon's atmosphere. The speed quickly decreasing as it began its slow decent. Tossing your pack over your shoulder you holstered your blaster beneath your coat and tried to calm yourself with the few remaining moments you had left. Assuring yourself that despite your normally pessimistic nature you were not going to fail.

You were going to find Cassian. You didn't care if it seemed crazy. You were going to find him and you were going to bring him home.

“You've got six hours” Roland shouted as you exited the ship. He had decided to dock his ship on the furthest spaceport possible. Even so, it was still fairly packed with other ships and shuttles. 98 percent of the Nar Shaddaa's surface was consumed by its ever growing cities. You could hardly walk a half a foot without crossing paths with someone. Privacy in a place such as this was a luxury few could afford.

Though it made sense for Roland to dock his ship so far out considering what he was there for it certainly didn't help him look any less conspicuous. Not to mention it would take you over an hour just to make your way into Hutta Town. Still, it was better than being stuck on base doing nothing.

“I will fucking leave you!” Roland shouted, his voice echoing through the massive loading bay.

“Your loss!” You replied, waving over your shoulder at the grumpy pilot. Clearly not distraught over the thought of being left behind. Stepping into the nearest elevator you avoid eye contact with its other occupants as floors fly by rapidly above you. The spaceport was huge but there was little to no security. Saving you some much needed time as you slid pass the oblivious guards and made your way through one of its exists. The crisp night air blew back your hair as you stepped outside the spaceport's thick walls. Carrying with it the sounds and smells of the city that lay ahead. Instinctively you began scanning the horizon and trying to memorize landmarks. Making your way towards the bustling city streets. Cold sweat clinging to your skin like wet clothing as you finally pushed into the minor thoroughfares.

Theodren's intel hadn't given you much to go on but it had suggested a small handful of locations that had been scouted for Cassian's mission. The only option you had was to bounce between each of them and hope the dark eyed Captain would show up in one. It was too risky to ask questions, if Cassian was still working it might blow his cover. When it came to his mission all you knew was that he had been sent to make contact with a Rebel informative that may be leaking information to the Empire and to determine the truth of the matter. If the rebel that Cassian sought had in fact turned coat than Cassian's mission would have become one of assassination. Not that it would have been the first time. Given the way people spoke of him, it would seem as if Captain Andor was well versed in the act of killing. It was one of the few things the two of you shared in common. For the most part he and you were as different from each other as the sun and the moon.

If only there could have been more happy exceptions.

In a city as crowded as this you knew that simply making your way through the streets would eat through too much of your time and time was currently of limited supply. After a fair bit of searching you at last found a building tall enough to grant you a solid vantage point and piping strong enough to climb upon. Most of the outlying buildings were condemned at best but it would have to do. Finally reaching the top you pull yourself over the small wall that separates you between the roof and what would surely be a fatal fall. Positioning yourself safely against the cool stone you carefully retrieved your macro binoculars and began scanning the vast array of buildings and crowded streets beneath you. Finding Cassian would be like finding a needle in a haystack; yet, if you could at least pinpoint the specific locations that had been scouted out for him you'd have a place to start.

It took a fair amount of searching and manuvering to finally locate one of the named locations. The sign shone a bright shade of crimson in the distance. Arcadia had been listed as a smuggler's hideout in Cassian's mission dosier. Though, its owners had done one hell of a job disguising it as what could only be described as a high class dive bar. If such a thing even exists. The inside wasn't much to look at either. Weaving through the miss matched tables and various other patrons you made your way to the bar. Unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching you. Waving over the bartender you quickly ordered your drink. Making sure to tip him well. Knowing the importance of not offending the locals as you kept your time on the clock. Though Nar Shaddah was tidally locked there were still routine doc scans implemented to civilians every hour on the hour. Bars such as Arcadia were like beacons for the Empire. They practically screamed 'criminal activity' meaning they were the first ones they hit. As the minutes ticked on you knew you had to get moving. Glancing around the room a last time before making your way back into the congested street.

All of the other locations were more of the same. You stayed long enough to look for Cassian but never long enough to raise suspicion. More often than not people were happy to ignore you and you were happy to ignore them. Even so, you couldn't shake that sensation of being watched every where you went. Finishing off your third drink you slid your money across the bar and made your way towards the exit. Thanking whatever twist of fate had granted you the capability to hold your liquor.

Occasional alcoholism seeming to strong a term.

Hurrying out the doorway you felt that unforgiving feeling of weightlessness that preludes a sudden fall. The tip of your boot had caught on the edge of an unevenly placed brick and sent you hurdling into the passing crowd. Closing your eyes tightly you braced for the coming impact.

“The hell!” A voice shouted loudly as your bodies collided and fell in a heap on the ground. It hadn't been intentional but you had inadvertently taken some poor stranger down with you. “Y/N?”

Your head snapped up so quickly it sent a bolt of white hot pain across the back of your neck. You had become unaccustomed to being called by your true name. There were so few people left alive that even knew it. Merely a handful. Perhaps that is why you recognized this particular one instantly. Some faces are harder to forget.

“Han?” Your voice was laced with muted excitement as you spoke.

“Its Captain.” He boasted, that same unwavering charm about him still very much intact since you had last seen him.

“Pardon me for skipping the formalities Captain Solo. Would you mind helping a girl to her feet?”

Han had always been fairly quick on his feet and had manged to keep the two of you upright long enough to lessen the impact of your fall. Still, you weren't particularly content being pinned beneath him atop the grimy sidewalk. Just as smoothly as he spoke Han lifted you up and set you right. His hands remaining atop your shoulders as you gained your balance.

“Nice of you to drop by.” He chuckled, watching as you dusted yourself off. Your braid having came loose, allowing your normally tame curls to fall about your face. Tentatively Han brushed them aside and helped tuck them behind you ears.

“Sorry about that.” You apologized, now dusting off his vest and the side of his arms.

“What is there to be sorry for?” He teased. “You're welcome to fall into my arms anytime you like.”

You couldn't help but chuckle, giving up the tough facade you normally wore. Feeling that false exterior fade was a welcome change. It wasn't terribly often that you found someone you felt comfortable enough to be yourself around. Han; however, was one of the few. If you ever had to choose a small group of individuals you truly trusted Han would undoubtedly be one of them. Accompanied by his fury companion, Theodren and perhaps even Cassian. The list was small but it was more than enough by your standards. Though Han did a truly spectacular job of acting like he didn't care about anyone but himself and that Wookie; truth be told, he was a good man. When you were on the run and in desperate need of work Han had taken a risk on you with nothing to gain.

Perhaps that is why for a time you had allowed yourself to care so deeply for him.

“You working?” You asked quietly, moving in closer to allow the strangers passing by on their way.

“Always.” He replied, leaning down to your level as he spoke. Even with the considerable height difference between the two of you this move was totally unnecessary. It was an old habit he never seemed to break, particularly not after you made it clear how you felt about personal space. Han knew what he was doing, and he damn well knew the effect it had. No matter how aggravated or frustrated you were it always managed to make your heart skip a beat. Leaving behind an uneasy fluttering that lingered. “And what brings a lovely girl like you to a dump like this?”

“I'm looking for someone.” Your voice was little more than a whisper as you spoke but you knew he heard. Immediately his eyes drifted from your own.

“A man?” He asked simply, seeming instantly distracted.

“Yes.”

“Tan skin, dark hair?” He continued, his inquiry taking you slightly off guard as his eyes wandered towards a spot in the distance.

“How'd you know?” You asked, trying to follow his line of sight and discover how his speculation was so spot on.

“Because that broody looking fella heading this way has been watching you since you came out that door. Looks pissed at one of us. I just assumed it was me.”

Sure enough, from out of the crowded streets appeared a fiery Cassian Andor. You may have ran up to him and pulled him tightly into a hug if it weren't for the look on his face. Han was right, Cassian looked pissed.

“What are you doing here?” He hissed under his breath, those deep brown eyes boring holes into you. Demanding an answer. If only you could remember any of the dozen you had prepared. In the few seconds it took for Cassian to reach you, your heart had swelled and melted. The relief pouring over you in waves. Cassian was alive and unhurt.

“Hi.” Was all you managed. Beside you Han straightened his back, bringing himself to his full height. One hand moved to rest atop his blaster as the other found its way to the small of your back. The smuggler in him always kept Han at the ready. Papered for a fight if ever it should break out. He had no way of knowing that Cassian was your ally. Which meant it was time to get the awkward introductions out of the way if you wanted to avoid violence. “Cass, this is Han. Han, this is Cass, we work together.“

The two men eyed each other carefully, sizing the other up. Cassian's eyes darted between you and Han, brow furrowed in confusion. You could feel Han's arm slink its way around your waist, pulling you closer, and trying to nudge you to stand behind him. It never surprised you how quickly he could shift between his gruff smuggler self to that of a gentleman. That was just Han. Granted, it was totally unnecessary, you were perfectly capable of taking yourself. Not to mention, had proven yourself a better shot than Han on numerous occasions. A fact you knew drove him mad.

“Looks like a rebel to me.” Han said, treading carefully. Clearly aware of the rising shade of red that was beginning to overcome Cassian's face. If he was pissed off before now he was furious. Not only had you gone off world but you were here, on Nar Shaddaa of all places, with this stranger it appeared you knew very well.

“Han...” You warned, moving away from the smuggler and positioning yourself between the two men. “Please.”

“Thought you swore you'd never go back to that loss cause.” Han scoffed slightly, genuinely surprised by your apparent return to the Rebellion.

“You know me, I have weakness for causes once they're truly lost.” You smiled softly, comfortable admitting it.

All those nights Han and you had laid together. Speaking in soft voices about both of your past and the pain that came from it. So many times you had sworn you would never return to the Rebellion. To never put yourself within the Empire's grasp and yet here you were. The more the smuggler looked you over the more obvious it became. Something in you had shifted since the two of you had last seen each other. A readiness to make difficult choices. To do whatever was necessary to make things right. Judging by the unwelcome grimace on the face of the man who now stood beside you it was obvious that he was your partner of some sort. Though he couldn't pin point exactly what, Han couldn't deny there was obviously something unspoken that lingered between the two rebels that stood before him.

“I was beginning to wonder where you were!” You cheered, finally glancing the large Wookie pushing through to crowd towards the three of you.

Unfazed by the tension Chewie stepped in front of his Captain and spread his arms wide. Grinning from ear to ear you hurried forward and into the welcome hug. Burying your face into his fur and closing your eyes tightly. It had been months since anyone had shown you such open kindness. Chewie roared joyfully, lifting you off the ground and taking Cassian slightly by surprise.

“I missed you too big guy.” You patted Chewie kindly on the chest as he set you on your feet. Your cheeks flushed with joy. Out of all the people you had encountered in you life there weren’t many as kind and loving, as Chewbaca. At first you had just assumed that all Wookies were simply like that; yet as you spent weeks working along side him aboard the Millennium Falcon you came to realize that he was one of the purest souls you had met. His kindness was infectious to you and made it impossible not to smile. Cassian hadn't seen you this happy since the day he took you to Sky Gazer Hill. It was evident you had a past with these two strangers. Though one was purely platonic he didn't care for the way the other man's eyes lingered on you.

“I need to speak to you.” Cassian lent forward, taking a light hold of your arm and whispering into your ear. “In private.”

The combination of the feel of Cassian's breath on your neck and his tone caused the goosebumps to raise atop your skin while simultaneously forming knots in your stomach. He would no doubt have countless questions as to why, and how you had gotten here. This sudden meeting with Han would undoubtedly require some explaining as well. The idea of having to justify your actions to Cassian was daunting. Even so, he was alive which was more than you had been told to expect. Nodding you motion for Cassian to wait as you turned your attention back towards Han and Chewie.

“It was good seeing you again.“ You began, moving towards the tall smuggler.

“You too doll.” Han replied, stepping forward and pulling you tightly into a hug. Nuzzled against his chest you could tell he was still using the aftershave you had bought him while on a job in Courusant. One of your rare happy memories. As you began to pull away he bent forward and placed a firm kiss atop your forehead. His eyes on Cassian, and not at all surprised by his obvious look of disapproval.

“Take care of him Chewie.” You instructed as you lent forward and hugged the Wookie again.

Waving to your old friends a final time before you allow Cassian to begin pulling you through the crowd. Your heart in your throat as you trailed beside the dark haired rebel. His grip still firmly on your arm. The two of you hurried like alley cats through the busy streets. Weaving in an out of the endless crowd until Cassian finally spotted a small gap in between buildings and lead you into it.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Cassian hissed, his cheeks red with anger. Standing this close you could practically feel the heat radiating off him. He wasn't just mad, he was fuming. That didn't take long. Sighing you tried to compose yourself. It might have helped if you had a bit more space to yourself but the small gap between the crumbling bricks left little wiggle room.

“I was getting cooped up on base so Theodren pulled some strings-”

“Like our trip to Skygazer Hill?” He asked coolly.

“Yes.” You stammered.

“You do know Theodren told me you asked him, right?” Again Cassian's voice was icy as he spoke. The anger inside him threatening to boil over. You weren’t exactly doing yourself any favors. If anything your were confirming a pattern.

“I-I just needed to get off world for awhile. Theodren found a job I could assist on.”

Cassian rolled his eyes, angrily pushing the hair out of his face. You hated seeing him like this, so full of aggression and frustration. It all now directed at you. Suddenly, you felt like a child trying to lie for the first time. All of that confidence, that poise you prided yourself on was stripped away.

“On Nar Shaddaa of all places, and you expect me to not find that odd?” Cassian replied sarcastically, he clearly wasn't buying it.

“Yes!” You snapped, the pain at having been left in the dark causing your heart to thump angrily against your chest. “It's not like I could have known you were here. You didn't tell me anything, you just left!”

Sighing, you turned your attention towards the street beside you. Desperate to escape this moment. As bad as you felt about lying to Cassian you were equally hurt by what he had done. You would have never asked him to stay behind. You knew too well just how much the Rebellion meant to him. How important of an asset he was to them. You simply wished he trusted you enough to have told you he was leaving. A simple heads up would have been appreciated.

“Look I'm-” Cassian began, but as your eyes continued to gaze over the mass of faces passing by the sight in front of you caused you to cut him off.

“Fuck!” You gasped, your eyes glued to the polished white uniforms heading your way. “Troopers.”

Cassian's eyes widened with worry for a moment before he began searching for a possible escape. It was futile. The two of you were literally squeezed inside a 4 by 4 stone box with the only possible exit being the street. That was a definitive no. If Cassian and you suddenly took off it would raise even more suspicion. Granted the two of you were currently nuzzled into a small confine space, speaking in hushed voices, and looking rather out of place so your chances weren't terribly high to begin with. If you were found the troopers would undoubtedly ask to see papers.

“We're trapped.” Cassian said, his voice quite but definite. Once again carefully glancing into the street. Only this time he wasn't searching for a chance at escape, he was counting heads, weapons, searching for any possible way to high ground. Ignoring the odds and the high probability of death. He just needed to think of something quickly.

“We can't just stand here waiting to be caught.” You insisted, the sudden fear growing inside you like a cancer. Branching out from inside your chest. From the heels of your feet to the tips of your fingers it felt as if every muscle tensed. That instinctual reflex of bracing for a crash once you know it’s inevitable. This was why you had always detested the way fear effected you. It made you rash, on edge, never considering the long term consequences of your actions until it was too late. Until you had already dove head first into whatever foolish situation you had found yourself in.

“They’re checking scan docs.”

“How many are there?” You asked, trying to at least get an idea of what you were up against.

“Too many. ” Cassian said even as he readied his blaster. Reaching forward you took a hold of his hands. Pulling the blaster from his grip you slid it beneath his jacket. Reaching around his waist to place it firmly in its holster. “What are you doing?”

“We can't fight our way out.” You muttered. “And we can't run.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” Cassian demanded, he hadn't expected you to give up so easily. That wasn't the women he had come to know. Even now, you didn't look defeated, as if you had something up your sleeve. Knowing you, it would be something reckless and likely result in you getting yourself killed. As your hand began its slow crawl for your own blaster it became obvious that Cassian's assumptions had been correct.

“We can’t, but you can.” You stated firmly. Quickly pulling out your blaster and willing Cassian to do as you said. Praying that he would listen and resist the urge to be a hero. Instead he reached forward and gripped your wrist tightly.

“Don't!” He shouted. The volume of his voice was far louder than he had intended.

“We're not both getting out of here Cassian.” You insisted, trying to free your wrist from the Captain's grip but he wasn't letting up. The steady thump, thump, of the troopers synchronized footsteps moving closer. Sighing you tried again to free yourself but to no avail. You were already too late. The window of opportunity had passed. Even if you fired upon the troopers now they would still capture Cassian. The tightness grew and twisted inside your chest. “I can't let you die here.”

Cassian could see the panic washing over your face. That far away look of failure in your eyes. The faint sound of your voice breaking as you spoke. For all the countless hours spent together he had never seen you express so much emotion. You were kind, funny, and even sarcastic at times; but, for the most part you kept your emotions to yourself. The only person he had ever seen you become worked up over was Theodren and the two of you had been friends for years. That made sense. This, however, took him by surprise. He had been so angry with you for following him here, and truthfully he likely still would be if you two somehow managed to survive this. Even so, for all his anger he couldn't deny the pang in his heart at the idea of you caring enough to do so.

“We aren't going to die here.” He uttered in a low whisper, the sound of the troopers radio conversation now near enough to hear. There was no more time for waiting. Leaning forward Cassian cradled your neck in his hand and kissed you firmly. You couldn't help but gasp as he pressed his body flush against yours. Now wrapping his other hand around your waist, leaning you against the wall as he deepened his kiss. Though the shock had yet to wear off as the troopers grew closer you began to understand the strategy at play here. This wasn't merely some outburst of emotions during a moment of desperation. It was a distraction. Typically, most people turn away from the sight of two strangers going at it. Troopers, for all their training, are no different.

That; however, didn't seem to stop Cassian from making this moment appear as authentic as possible. As his tongue grazed your bottom lip you did your best not to let it unsteady you. This was all an act after all and if you wanted those troopers to buy it than you needed it to be convincing. Playing the part you draped your arms over Cassian’s shoulders and returned his kiss. Weaving a single hand through his hair, admiring the softness off it as it slid gently through your fingers. Though you tried to fight it, the true reason for your current situation began to disappear into the far recesses of your mind. Instead you focused on the warmth of Cassian's hand pushing underneath the hem of your shirt and to flesh beneath. His rough fingers squeezing your hip as he pulled you even closer.

Two dozen white suits passed by with hardly a glance in your direction. The coast was now clear. It had worked. If you had been thinking clearly you would have stopped then and there. Pulled apart from Cassian, and tried to laugh it up as a win. Ignoring the very unnerving truth of it.

You should have stopped, but you didn't.

Something unspoken had passed between the two of you. Leaving each of you breathless and grasping for more. You weren't sure how long you may have continued if you hadn't felt an old familiar sting. That drop in your stomach that you always tried so hard to ignore.

Pulling away from Cassian the two of you stood breathlessly in front of each other. Hair and clothing out of place. Faces covered in cool sweat. Neither of you had been expecting such a moment and now neither of you knew how to address it. Even with everything clamoring in your mind something told you that you had to leave. That something was wrong. That someone else needed you. It was an unnerving and unignoble feeling. That feeling of falling that capitulates you awake.

Something terrible was about to happen.

“I have to go.” You mumbled, squeezing out from between the wall and Cassian before hurrying down the busy street. Unable to catch your breath as you pushed through the endless stream of bodies, unsure of where it was you were even going. It was as if some invisible rope was pulling you forward, leading you down the alleyways and around corners. Taking you further away from the very real truth of what had just happened. Of what it meant.

That's the thing about fear. We spend the majority of our lives afraid of what could happen, what might happen, what might not happen. We fight wars because of it. With each other. With ourselves. Never truly realizing that fear is the real enemy.

#cassian andor imagine #cassian imagine #cassian x reader #cassian andor x reader #rogue one fanfic #rogue one reader insert #Counting Paths #sw fanfic

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fleurdelissaswords-blog · 7 years

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PLL 7B Just-For-Fun Theory: Peter Hastings is Uber A! And The A Team is an Illicit Baby Trafficking Ring!!! 😱 (& Bonus: The 3 M's of. good Theory!) NEW & REVISED ADDITIONS V2!

So a lot of pll fans have been discussing Peter Hasting’s recent arrival back in Rosewood and wondering what he is still hiding.

We know he has Umpteen million kids.

My theory is: Peter is Uber A, and started the game merely to keep tabs on all of his damn kids, find out if there’s anymore out there, keep them out of trouble with typical teen issues like drugs (I’m Looking at You Spencer & Jason= the Spason Sibs, you’re welcome 😇), and avoid having to pay child support for all of them.

The GZL Evidence File 🗃:

1. We keep finding more kids this dude has had. We have no idea when this will end.

2. The Uber A mystery has to do with who’s kids are who’s. Who’s were Mary Drakes? Who’s Peter Hastings? Who’s a DiLaurentis in secret. Who’s a Hastings in secret. And who’s been adopted. Which kids were taken from their mothers in Radley… which seems to be an ongoing trend which brings me to:

3. Just how many babies have been born in Radley and why did they have a nursery there and then quickly take kids away from their mothers and adopt them out? We know Char and Bethany and Spencer were all Radley kids. We know AriA has been in Radley before but we dunno why. We know Mona learned some BIG secrets there. So did Cece/Char.

4. We know some of these kids grew up cray cray. Some were adopted out. They all have the common element of having problems with mental health or drugs.

5. Emily was forced to sell her eggs which were then stolen! Maybe this is how the A Team’s baby breeding program does things now to get and steal babies? Now that Radley is gone.

6. We know Ali was implanted with fertilized eggs while held against her will at Welby. It seems A had been planning it for a long time. Could this have happened to Mary Drake while in Radley? She had more babies than we knew, and how did she keep having them if she was a locked up patient in a facility which likely kept male/female living areas apart and would have rules against having sex in their rooms, etc. So maybe she was implanted with stolen eggs too. Were any of those parents in that generation of rosewood peeps unable to have kids?

7. Why yes: Ashley Marin seems a likely candidate cuz we know Hanna looks nothing like her. We also know Ashley has a murky past where she “got into some trouble.” But we still dunno this story. Maybe she sold her eggs while young like Em did and adopted Hanna and Hanna just doesn’t know yet. Maybe all the look alikes are related by blood?! All the blondes. Also Hanna might be adopted cuz hers doesn’t look a thang like her mama and we know there’s more there.

8. We know A has had some medical training and seems to be keeping tabs on a whole town of kids and orchestrating implanting woman and adopting out kids in secret! We know Veronica also may not have been able to have kids after Melissa… we got her story but look how her story has changed drastically from the many, many, many times Spencer has asked her about this!

Conclusion: Are we looking at weird secret baby breeding program done at Radley? We know Peter was the father of some of them. And nobodies parents are who they seem. We wonder if AriA was born to her parents and we suspect she has a connection to biological mental health issues and was a patient there, and we suspect she may even be related to Wren, who was a dr there who knew some big secrets. We know some doctors knew about babies being born in Radley… but there had to have been a LOT for it to cause Radley to build a nursery. And it seems no kids actually lived in the nursery! We have flashbacks but also look at the old fashioned dress of the nurses at Radley.

Just look at Bethany’s drawings of 2 kids being separated by an evil monster! And how she said Mrs D (or Mary) was a “liar,” and who coincidentally was on the board. Also her drawings of siblings being torn apart and mothers being thrown Off roofs and murdered to keep the secret. Even the dr doesn’t wanna talk. Also, the night Ali saw Veronica outside going thru things and they discussed Spencer not being herself, Veronica was going thru baby stuff! Maybe she had given the twin back long ago, cuz in their family album there’s THREE young girls, Spencer always been seen with one then Melissa. Spencer was just remembering a tale where Melissa defended her against a playground bully but Melissa doesn’t want to discuss it. I think Melissa was sworn to secrecy when the twin was given back early on for being violent and all kinds of evils, and Veronica had kept some of the baby stuff and started getting rid of during Spencer’s “troubling years on drugs” so she wouldn’t accidentally find something cuz she was a snoop remember! Also Paige and Aria are looking a lot alike these days too. Almost like Paige may be her evil Twinsie. What if what we are looking at is a town full of bred twins and the families who adopted them found issues with one and so thise were given back and kept secret and now all of those twins who were given up are growing up and ANGRY and banned together to get revenge? Hmmm. This may explain why there’s twin clues for the entire cast. And what if some of those parents were adopted twins too like Jessica and Mary dram… cuz like their wealthy family helped run and financially back the ring, each generation. Jessica was on the board. So, who could have started this? My guess is a young Grunwald and her husband who were one of Rosewood’s first adopted families having adopted 2 little blonde girls named Jessica and Mary. The twin story Ali told. And one of them went evils and had to be sent away to, where else? Radley! Where she became the next generation of mentally ill mothers to bear babies for the adoption ring. No wonder she’s so pissed! Wouldn’t you be? She was given up cuz the real evil sister set her up, and had to be locked up with no family and then who knows how many babies she had for the ring against her will. We know Marion was there too so could potentially be mom to some of these babies. We saw it happen to Ali recently and she was shocked. Had she not gotten out of Welby, she’d probably have had this happen a few more times to “earn her keep” there. SICK! Now I think the story of how this occurred with each family is different. Sometimes the good twin got to stay. Sometimes the bad twin tricked the parents and got the good twin sent off. And sometimes the bad twin came back to haunt the family and the town they didn’t get to grow up in, hence why it’s all such a confusing mess of who’s baby is who’s now. We don’t know as of last ep if it was Spencer’s evil twin she at the airport Ezra saw. She seems a bit different at times. And the summer she was all doped up and fighting with Ali, I think Ali knew. Ali was extorting money from Byron for a big secret and I doubt it was just the affair. She was already being hounded by her evil Twinsie and had to escape, so she needed money. Ali herself might be the evil twin too or had been before she returned to Rosewood to reclaim her life. What we see is a much kinder gentler Ali almost like a diff person. Her hair is different, she’s more quiet and less nosy. Ali got her good twin sent away and the bad twin staying to be the popular girl just like in the books. Ali was secretly fighting her twin at the same time Spencer was. We thought we had learned this was Cece her real life unknown sister, but that night when she snuck out of the Hastings and came back with a bloody lip she had fought someone she never named, not even when Spencer asked her while in Radley. Now those twins may have switched spots vying for Ali’s perfect life a few times, and I think the evil twin won out and then they were swapped back when the evil Ali died and the good Ali came back to reclaim her life she hadn’t had for a while. My big question is: where as these Twinsies hiding and who is helping them stay hidden, and pull all of this off? And do they know Ea other or not? Is it a twin war the discarded twins waged as an A Team (meaning: the BETTER twin, the A Grade twin) or is the secret Grunwald baby ring taking them back and caring for them and trying to keep them under wraps but having a hard time? Grunwald returns periodically to help these girls and we dunno why. We know she has a keen eye for teen bullshiz tho having ran a sorority! She may not be opposed to spanking kids when they get out of line. We know she saved All, and Ali, and Ali multiple times. Sometimes she looks at Ali as if trying to tell which Twinsie is which. And one of the Ali’s gets spooked by it while the other sees her as a helper not her keeper. I also suspect the Fitz/Fitzgerald foundation is involved in funding this secretly. It has to be some wealthy donors backing this thang! Also we’ve seen Ezra go evils too and there’s been times we viewers AND the liars have suspected he was evil… what we were seeing was Ezra’s Twinsie doing bad bad things! Some fans are speculating Aria's file says she was pregnant. If she was in Radley at one point she may have been. But I feel she was young when at Radley, either as an adopted kid born there like Spencer and others, OR she's had secret stays there since we've come to know her on the show (between the ages of approx 14-early 20's). It's possible her twin lived there or was sent back ir that aria is the evil twin in their fam and framed the other good twin to get her sent away. Cuz we've seen aria's anger, her sleep disturbances, her sketchiness, her lies, her dating older men, her indecision about those men, her missing pigtunia, etc. We've seen her go thru various rebellious style phases, etc. Aria and her twin have been secretly battling it out the entire series! Spencer's twin has made appearances as the drug addict ADHD one and desperately wants her family's approval. Ali's twin has replaced her sister. Jason's twin shows up whenever Jason is traveling. Mary did some things acting as Jessica who also came and went randomly. Hanna has undergone personality changes where suddenly she's super smart, vs. the shoplifting trouble maker. Caleb appears and disappears. Mona does too, sometimes without her signature nose beauty mark. Hmmm... 🤔

Now, who would be in charge of a secret baby breeding program where mentally ill women locked up were used to give birth and have a secret place to rear those kids till adoption? A Secret Society of Doctors and Wealthy Elites who could make a LOT of money doing this being Radley doors cuz who’s gonna believe a mental patient saying someone knocked her up and stole her babies? No one. And if a mother talked or did anything about it she got thrown off a roofsies! 😱. We know back in the old days of mental asylums and institutions, horrific tests and experiments were often conducted on patients who were used as unwilling guinea pigs.

We also know Radley has a secret underground passage… that likely leads to the church, where: babies taken out of Radley to be adopted could be picked up (& christened to get the “evils” out of them being born of mentally ill women… who were often seen back in the day as: possessed by demons! Mental health issues long ago were considered to be spiritual afflictions of possession, rather than a biological health issue).

We also know Human Trafficking doesn’t just include sex trade. It also has included funding illicit adoptions illegally. There’s many stories of adoption centers being busted for acquiring babies illegally! One only a few years ago looking like a normal adoption center but after a few babies turned out bad, and stories started, the center came under investigation. Back in the day I’m guessing that was more common and overlooked. But still illegal thus needing to be kept secret.

Also look at how there’s identical sets of “liars” around rosewood and nearby towns! Sara Harvey’s crew had a group of girls similar to the liars. We know there’s a multitude of blonde trouble makers in rosewood! Then we have the Gamma Zeta sorority sisters Grunwald looked after which had an identical set of looking liars. This was Cece’ gen. And now in rosewood there seems to be some “junior plastics” running around causing problems and all kinds of evils. While someone keeps tabs on them and tries to get them the truth!

A clue from @maliciousbuthot on twitter hinted this many times. This clue giver also said that Sara Harvey performed the implantation into Ali!

So I got to thinking: this all centers around babies, adoptions, and groups of girls who are identical sets to the liars. 🤔 We know Maddie from Dance Mom’s was cast as one of these “blonde Ali type girls.” Maybe her ghost was a Radley baby. And the ghost twins Ashley keeps running into. Lol. Who likely are the same twins from Ali’s Halloween twin story, come back cuz they’ve got questions for their mommy, who curiously looked a lot like a younger Grunwald in the story, which appears to take place in Aria’s family’s kitchen back in the 1950’s based on fans having dated plates and kitchen ware there. Also the nurses dress like something out of the 50’s.

What kind of secret society would be breeding babies for secret adoptions you ask? One running the town’s older elite. Like Grunwald’s generation. We suspect she is Ali’s mom and we know Mary was her aunt and had Radley babies. Peter may be a member of this org and helping facilitate this illicit baby ring! WEIRD!!! 😳

Maybe Peter Hastings is one of the illicit baby ring’s biggest sperm donors?! I think Byron may have been too. Maybe it’s how he got all that money. We know A team has major financial assets and resources. They’re connected to doctors and various clinics. They’re trained in medical procedures. They’ve got access to pharmaceuticals.

Face it: the A Team is an Illicit Baby Ring and secret society. The Baphomet symbolism would hint at this. Except there’s one problem with these babies: They don’t always come out without mental health problems cuz the mothers were mostly Radley patients!

COMING UP NEXT: How does Aria’s secret Radley File play into this whole thang? Is she the evil twin or does she have an evil twin? It seems maybe her evil twin is the leader of the twin team if the A team is a bunch of angry Rogue twinsies come back for revenge on the families who cast them aside. She alone seems to know what her file holds though by her reaction to try to keep so much secret. She was FREAKED out to see an Artificial Intelligence Twinsie staring back at her during A.D’s FaceTime calls. We don’t know who’s behind this computer AriA face, but what if it’s her evil twin and she knows unlike the rest she had one. Or maybe she has worked with her evil twin more than the others have with theirs and met her twin long ago? Or maybe her twin lives inside her? I firmly believe she’s worked with A many times before and is hiding something big. A secret Ali extorted Byron for. And why did Ali pick each of these girls? The probably wouldn’t have all been friends if Ali’s evil twin in the books needed new friends to keep her cover so invented her own crew of rag tag outcasts. And she kept saying there was a reason she picked each of them. 😉

A theory isn’t just a guess based on observing some clues. Every clue has to fit. And a theory must also determine Motive and Means and Method! I’ve done that here… but I’d like to see more theories a little more flushed out with the 3 M’s: Method, Motive, Means. What is the Motive for the crimes? What is the method used to carry them out? And does the suspect have the actual means (resources or know how) to carry it out? Cuz if not, it’s a theory by definition.

Or maybe some of these parents kids were stolen from are pissed and wanna keep tabs on their kids… except their cray cray cuz of their mental health problems. Which may be why there’s an A Team and a force trying to stop them. So who’s on who’s side? There’s a lot more I can add to this like Fitz foundation’s involvement and the rich family’s assets and connections… so stay tuned. If you like it, hit me up in the comments or chat or my twitter to let me know you’d like to see more of this theory.

And as always: Credit Me Bitches, or Else!!! And Reblog if you’d like more!

You’re welcome! 😘 -L

Additional Credits: G_Xoxo, Maliciousbuthot, PLLINSIDER, & various GZL members.

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