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thatonerandomfangirlwhoreads · 4 years

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Tower Of Nero Spoilers/Rant!! (Part 6)

Okay, so... at the end of the book Apollo (NOT Lester), decides to visit all the demigods of the Great Prophecy + Camp Half Blood. So this is how those visits went (WARNING!! Percabeth, Solangelo and Frazel cuteness overload). Apollo visits all these people in the form of ...you guessed it, Lester Papadopoulos.

Camp Half Blood Reunion

Apollo goes to the big house and has a little chat with Chiron about a “cat” (Bast) and a “severed head” (Mimir) and common problems amongst different pantheons. This may be an opening for a stand-alone book *squeak*!!

Apollo meets Mr. D (whose character was fitfully redeemed, when he decided to give Nico therapy for his PTSD), plays pinochle with Mr. D and loses all the games.

He sits by the campfire with Nico, Will and Rachel. Will and Nico are sitting side-by-side, Will has one arm around Nico, who is twirling a marshmallow on a stick. Rachel informs Apollo that she is going to Paris to study art, while her parents house is being rebuilt. They discuss the voice that has been calling out to Nico and Nico says that it’s a Titan who’s stuck in Tartarus (aka Bob the Titan, aka Iapetus). Rachel has regained her prophetic powers after the defeat of Python and issues them a Prophecy, which only Nico and Will can hear, but not Apollo. That is definitely a set-up for a stand-alone Solangelo adventure in Tartarus. Yippee!!

Waystation Reunion

The Hunters of Artemis were at the Waystation and their mission to catch the Teumessian Fox. This too may be a set-up for a stand-alone.

We see some great Thalia and Reyna chemistry, where they both playfully compliment each other on being great hunters.

Josephine is teaching little Georgina all about mechanics in her machine shop. Apollo still isn’t clear about whether Georgie is her daughter or not.

Lityerses is overseeing an “elephant visitation program,” where Livia(from Waystation) and Hannibal(from Camp Jupiter) are on some kind of date. Uncle Rick has been reading fanfics and headcanons. It’s official.

Leo, meanwhile, has been indulging in some community service where he teaches homeless kids about shop skills at a local shelter and the kids like him. It’s been hinted that some of the kids are demigods.

Leo calls Josephine “mom,” who just scoffs but looks pleased all the same. She probably thinks Leo is the son she never had and Leo had said in The Dark Prophecy, that Josephine reminds him of his mom.

Calypso is loving regular mortal stuff, and has adjusted to her new life very well. Apollo doesn’t actually get to meet Calypso, because she’s been away all summer to a band camp where she is a counselor. Leo appears to be lovesick for Calypso.

It was also really cute to see Reyna and Leo getting on with each other too (It was surprising because Leo did destroy half of the Senate House when she was Praetor). Reyna was giving him advice on flirting with Calypso and asked him not to call her mamacita, and that he has to have more respect. She explains this strange action to Apollo, saying that Leo grew up without a mom so he never learnt these things, but now he has two great foster moms and a big sister(referring to herself) who isn’t afraid to smack him.

Camp Jupiter Reunion

Apollo visits Camp Jupiter, where he meets Hazel and Frank, who are both praetors after The Tyrant’s Tomb. Apollo says they are the most efficient and respected pair of praetors to ever run the Twelfth Legion.

Hazel and Frank give Apollo a tour of the Camp where they’ve installed more barracks, expanded the thermal baths and are constructing a victory arch on the main road to New Rome to commemorate the defeat of the emperors, Caligula and Commodus.

The victory arch is going to be completely plated with gold, more specifically, Hazel’s gold. As far as they can tell, Hazel’s curse is finally broken and her gold and jewels are finally safe to use or sell, as they please. They did an augury in Pluto’s shrine and it came up favorable.

Hazel hastened to add that they were not going to abuse this power, but were only going to use it to improve camp and honor the gods.

Hazel says that they won’t spend the money to buy yachts, private airplanes or big gold necklaces with ‘H+F 4Ever’ diamond pendants. Frank pouts in reply to this. This is definitely Frazel cuteness.

Lavinia Asimov fulfilled her promise to teach the entire Fifth Cohort how to tap-dance. The unit is now feared and respected in the war games for their ability to form a testudo shield wall while doing the three-beat shuffle.

The Jason Grace temple-expansion plan was still moving forward, with new shrines being added every week.

Also...Percy and Annabeth had arrived and taken up residence in New Rome, giving them two months to adjust to their new environs before the fall semester of their freshman year in college.

Annabeth, of course, is going to study architecture and Percy is unsure of his major. Annabeth is taking UC Berkeley’s Environmental design course and dual-enroll in New Rome University.

They reached the touchy subject of Jason’s death. Percy is unable to speak about this topic and Annabeth admits that she cried herself sick.

At the end of this conversation, Apollo uses his godly magic to teleport a plate of Sally Jackson’s blue cookies right into his hands and gives it to Percy.

Piper’s Reunion

When Lester arrives at Piper’s Tahlequah home, he sees two silhouettes on the edge of the roof and one leans over to kiss the other. Apollo gets flustered and switches form to adult Apollo, complete with toga and all. Both of them turn around.

One of the silhouettes, (a girl with short, dark hair and a rhinestone stud on her nose) asks Piper who this dude is and whether her dad has a boyfriend. The girl’s name, we discover, is Shel (Probably short for Shelby, I’m just guessing) and so far is assumed to be fully mortal.

Piper tells Apollo that she’s doing fine and that her dad too, has found some peace. She learns of Jason’s funeral and assures Apollo that he did right by him and will continue to as long as he remembers what it’s like to be human. Then she points at Shel and leaves.

Aeithales Reunion

Apollo was greeted by the Meliai, Meg’s personal troupe of seven super dryads. They took him for an intruder and marched him up to Meg.

Apollo found Meg digging dirt and showing her 11 foster siblings from the Imperial Household, how to transplant cacti.

Peaches was also in the scene, talking to another young female karpos, who is native to the area.

Meg hugs Apollo and they go for a little walk.

Herophile the Sybil lives in a trailer when she isn’t working in town as a Tarot card reader or crystal healer.

Lugeselwa was in the living room, putting together a rocking chair. She had been fitted with new mechanical arms, compliments of the Hephaestus Cabin.

Apollo offers Meg the reward he had promised to give her when he became a god again. Meg asks for a unicorn, which he conjures out of thin air. They promise to be friends forever and when Meg asks him whether he’ll come back, he replies, “The sun always comes back.”

A/N: Phew!! That was long. Very sorry about that. It took me 3 days to write. If you had the patience to read it, hope you enjoyed it.

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sunny-wolff · 4 years

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secrets and lies

here is my first fic for the @badthingshappenbingo

Fandom: Marvel Pairing/Characters: Billy Russo x Reader, Frank Castle Prompt: Lured into a trap Summary: the one where you find out that your best friend is alive, your fiancé is one of the few that knew and set up the hit on your family. now, you must decide who you trust is telling the truth and come face to face with all the dirty secrets that have been hidden. Word Count: 5,510 Warnings: trust issues, betrayal, presumed death, minor violence, slight angst and hurt/comfort, threats of violence AO3 Link: here

Tumblr version after cut. enjoy! :)

~*~*~*~

“I need you to stop talking. You’re supposed to be dead.”

You stare disbelievingly at the man who showed up on your doorstep out of nowhere and is still talking like you never said a word. It’s a man you once knew very well. A man you grew up with and watched get buried next to his family. A man who is currently covered in blood, head to toe. While his face is bruised to all hell, like he willingly became someone’s personal punching bag. A man who is very clearly still alive. Your oldest and only cousin the King was standing in your kitchen like you guys do this every single week.

And the only thing he’s talking about how your fiancé isn’t who he says he is, how dangerous he is and that you are in serious danger.

“Please stop talking.” You try interrupting him again because you have no idea what the actual hell he is talking about. But like the stubborn ass he is, he just ignores you again.

“Francis, can you shut up for one second?!” Once he goes quiet, you take a much-needed deep breath and raise your hand toward his face. “Frankie, you’re alive. How are y—how is that possible? Where have you been?”

Frank walks up to you and pulls you in to his arms, squeezing you tightly. “I’m sorry kid. I know this must be a lot, but I need you to buck up and listen, yeah? I’ll explain everything later but right now I gotta keep the Princess safe.”

Holding your breath, you just leave your arms down at your sides. Not returning his hug at all because of that name.

That stupid nickname from when you were kids was confusing you, it was only used when things were extremely serious, or danger was around the corner. You had only heard it twice and both of those times were for very good reasons. The first time was when your dad was injured in his last tour over seas and Frank had come home to be the one to tell you. “Princess, I’m so sorry. Uncle, your dad, he is not coming home the same person that he left. He got hurt, real bad.” The second time was when his wife and kids were killed, and he knew someone was going after everyone close to him. “You need to get to the safe house now, Princess! I’ll explain later but I really need you to stay put until it’s safe.”

So, the fact that he is using that name, now, means something is very wrong and you finally hug him back.

You nod and stand straighter, clenching your jaw for a second. “Okay, marine. But don’t think you’re going to get out of this without explaining how you aren’t in the casket we- the casket I buried you in.” You try to fight the smile that happens when your cousin pulls away from the hug and takes the invisible crown off his head just to place it on yours.

“Wouldn’t think of it, princess. Now, like I was trying to tell you before you so rudely interrupted me – about Russo – you may want to sit down for this. It’s going to be a lot to take in.” With a single nod from you, Frank leads you over to the couch and sits on the coffee table in front of you.

A look settled over his face. It was a look that made your heart stop because it usually meant that someone died. The very last time you saw that look on him was when you were nine and Frank was the one to tell you that your mom was killed in a hit and run accident and you had to go live with him and his parents now.

Frank watched you for a couple minutes. Searching for something or just trying to find the right words to speak, you weren’t sure but whatever it was he must have figured it out.

In the next moment he is squeezing your hands once more before locking eyes with you. “Russo isn’t who he’s been pretending to be all these years.” Before you had the chance to say anything, Frank just gave you a look and you just listened to him explain what he meant.

That’s how you came to learn of the truth on the deaths of Maria and the kids and the attempted murder of your cousin. You learned about the reason behind all the killings that happened in Hells Kitchen with the gangs and in the prison. He told you everything he knew and did – like working with Micro, who had the something very similar happen to him, to take down the people who destroyed their lives, to chaining Daredevil to a roof because he was being annoying in trying to stop Frank when he was looking to ‘talk’ to the people at the carousel that day. Which you obviously scolded him for doing, after laughing for a few minutes since you now knew who Is behind the Daredevil mask, because chaining people to a roof is never a nice thing to do but Francis Castle was never nice to most people.

He told you about him taking the guns right from underneath Homeland’s nose and then stopping to pull out the agent in charge after the crash happened. You were informed that Curt knew about Frankie being alive and he had to stop you from going to Curt’s place to punch him in the nose for keeping this from you. And then finally Frank told you how your fiancé, Billy Russo, was involved in all of this.

And you cried.

You just cried and cried in his arms for well over an hour because you were too overwhelmed with all the information and a part of you couldn’t believe that Bill could do something like that to his family – to your family.

“He wouldn’t do that, Frankie. You’re wrong. Someone had to have gotten their information mixed up. Maybe Billy was another target on a list? What if it was meant to be only him that was supposed to be killed that day? You have to be wrong. You have to be.” You rambled on while tears still slid down your face.

Frank looked down at the floor and when he looked back up at you, he handed you a file that you did not even realize he had.

Through clenched teeth, he muttered, “I’m not wrong, princess. He was involved with my—with our family dying. I was supposed to die with them and according to that,” he gestured to the file in your hands. “He was going to either give you to the person he answers to as payment for something or he was going to let them come to finish off the Castle bloodline by killing you.”

Sitting there you were shocked and just staring at the closed file in your hands. You couldn’t find the strength to open it and look through the papers and read what your cousin was telling you. Frank Castle was a lot of things, but he was never a liar, so you knew without a doubt that he was being 1000 percent honest with you about what he found.

“Princess, there is one more detail that might really hurt you. It’s part of why I’m here, right now. I came as soon as I saw what was in that file.”

Loosening your grip on the folder, you let it fall to the floor as you stare at Frank’s constantly moving trigger finger. You don’t notice his other hand has moved until he places two fingers under your chin and tilts it up to look him in the eye.

“What is it?” A defeated sigh leaves your lips, “Frankie, what could possibly hurt me more than the learning that my fiancé had a part in the killings of our family, tried to have you killed more than once and is now trying to figure out the best way to deal with me? What is worse than all that?” You cry out.

Frank wipes a few tears away and squeezes your right hand. “Whatever he’s planning on doing, it’s being set up to happen on a specific date that’s coming up soon.”

“A specific date? Am I supposed to know what the hell that means? The only day that we have plans set for that is coming up is—no. Frank, please don’t tell me it—”

“It’s the 17th of October.” He pauses and squeezes your hand again. “His plan is supposed to go into motion on that day.”

A tearful smile crosses your face. “I’m going to die on the day proposed to me on?” A bitter laugh escapes you before you can stop it. “At least you can say Billy is very fucking consistent.”

Your cousin grips the back of your neck, squeezing and leans his forehead against yours. “Hey. You listen to me, yeah?” He grits out. “Don’t ever let me hear you say repeat that shit. You aren’t going to die, kid. I’ll kill every single one of them a thousand times over before they even think to lay a finger on you again, understand? We still have a while to get a plan together to get you out of here and away from him. You trust me, yeah?”

Nodding, you whisper. “Yeah, cousin. I trust you.” He nods once back at you and stands up heading back into the kitchen. You can hear him opening cabinets and the coffee machine start making noises, so you stay in your spot and just let everything settle in your head. This is way too much to handle all at once, with finding out your last family member has been alive all this time and the truth of what happened with your family. Then on top of that, learning that your fiancé, Billy fucking Russo, has been involved in all the bad shit.

Plus, now, you don’t even really know if you fell in love with a façade, he was forced to put on to keep you close for whoever he answers to or if you fell in love with the real Billy. You don’t know which would be worse at this point but either way, you were going to end up heartbroken. Now it was just a matter of if any deaths will come of it and if so, who’s death will it be?

When Frank comes back with two cups of plain black coffee you give him a small but thankful smile and take one from him. As you blow to cool it down, you realize something that makes your heart stop for the second or third time that night.

“Frank, you’re wrong.”

He takes a drink of the still boiling coffee and simply raises an eyebrow at you. Which roughly translates to, “I’m never wrong about anything but what are you talking about?”

Noticing your hands start to shake a little bit, you set the coffee down on the table and place them under your thighs. “You said we had a while to get a plan together, you’re wrong.”

“I’m not wrong, kid. It’s probably just your nerves on edge because of everything you heard today.”

You shake your head vehemently. “Frankie, you’re wrong! It’s October 15th right now which means there is a little over a day for your plan to come together before Billy comes back to get me. He told me he had a client a couple hours away to tend to but he would be back by our anniversary to take me out.”

Standing up, Frank walks over to you, pulls you up from the couch and into the bearhug that always had a way of making you feel extremely safe. “That’s plenty of time, don’t worry about it, yeah? Just go pack a bag princess, you’re going to come stay with me and Micro until this is settled.” You wrap your arms around his waist and softly agree to get some of your things together and once you’re done he grabs his duffle bag and places the file back in it and pulls you outside to a not-as-creepy-as-a-white- van and takes a route to where you will be staying for the foreseeable future.

Being at the bunker is very strange. You’ve only been here for five hours and you don’t have anything to do but worry and stress over the possibility of you dying or of Frank getting himself killed trying to protect you. So, you decide the best thing to do, instead of worrying on how you and your cousin will eventually die, is to hover behind Micro. Who, you learned is actually a guy named David Lieberman, after being there for ten minutes. The only reason you figured that out was when your cousin yelled it out as loud as possible when Micro insisted that ‘Micro’ was honestly his legal name and that was the only thing you could call him.

“You are always sucking the fun out everything, Castle. Stop being a fun-sucker.” David mumbles under his breath but loud enough you can still hear it and you let out a little snort, making him jump in his chair. “Jesus. You Castle’s are really trying to kill me, aren’t you? One with guns and the other is going to give be a damn heart attack.”

Trying and failing to stifle your laughter, you offer David some of your skittles as an apology and take a seat next to him. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Davey; I was just trying to see what you were doing and if it’s something I could learn.”

Micro raises an eyebrow at you. “You, princess of the Castle bloodline, want to learn how to do all,” he pauses to wave his hands towards all his computers, “this?”

You start to nod but that’s all you can do in reply before Frank walks over and shoves at David’s shoulder. “Shut it, Lieberman. Only I’m allowed to call her princess, yeah? And if I hear you call me a “fun-sucker” again I’m going to show you just how much fun I can be with all my new ‘toys’. Now, tell me what you have so far?”

David sends you a he is so bossy look before he starts typing and clicking on things all over his computer screens. You see some pictures of Billy pop up and it makes you flinch a little. Frank immediately notices, rolls his chair next to yours and knocks his knee against yours in the typical Castle way of saying, you’re not alone; I got you. Always.

Knocking your knee back in to his, you place your head on his shoulder and listen to David explain that Billy has been a 15-minute drive away from you for these past three weeks he’s been “working” and that he’s at some place that Frank had been before a few weeks ago. He goes on to show blueprints to three buildings and some notes, written in Billy’s writing, that are very detailed descriptions of ways to get away with lying to someone, who was trained by a marine to spot things or people out of place.

The one thing that stands out to you is the simple two sentences at the end of each description and those two sentences break your heart a little more each time you read them over again.

“Target will be completely unarmed when taken. They trust me irrevocably, so they won’t question a thing as long as I’m there to keep them in their place.”

You know there is going to be worse things than that as David keeps showing your cousin everything he’s found, so you decide to try and get some sleep. Standing, you lean down to give Lieberman a hug and thank him for letting you stay at his secret basement, man lair. Then you hug Frank and plant a kiss on his cheek before you go lay down on the little bed he set up for you. There isn’t a way out of this situation without one of the men you love with everything in you getting hurt.

You fall asleep quickly and sleep well into the next day; you honestly think you would have slept a lot longer if it wasn’t for your cousin getting mad at something Micro said or did and was currently threatening loudly to put a bullet in his leg.

Groaning loudly, you throw your arm over your eyes and murmur, “Frankie. Shut up and leave the poor guy alone. He’s had to live with you for however long it’s been and I know how that feels. Stop threatening him and just admit you have a soft spot for your little computer wizard.”

The only thing you hear after is David laughing as loud as he could and Frank grumbling as quietly as he could.

Just as you are on the edge of falling back by listening to the two men get along, you feel a body drop gracelessly down on the end of your little bed and is constantly moving. Finally peeking your eyes open, you see Micro wiggling in place where he dropped and Frank standing right behind him. Serious and grave looks glued to their facial features and you don’t have to be Einstein to know they have a plan but it’s not the best considering how short on time you are.

As you open your mouth to ask a question, David blurts out the ‘plan’.

Not saying anything, you stare at him until he finally repeats what he just blurted out.

“He has to take you.” David mumbles, quieter than before.

You glance back and forth between David and your cousin and wait for them to continue with the master plan.

“I don’t like it, but he’s right kid.” Frank continues. “Bill’s going to arrive at your place, where you will be dressed and waiting. You said he always takes you out to dinner for your engagement anniversary, right? Then that won’t change, let him do what he normally would, the only difference this time is we will be there watching out for you. You’re going to be safe the entire time, I promise you that.” He notices your hands are twitching where they lay in your lap and he places his on top. “It’s going to be okay, kid. I did some work while you were sleeping and now there is only one route he can take to get to your favorite restaurant but he has to drive by some empty warehouses to get there and I’ll be waiting for you in the third one, alright?”

Frozen in fear of what you realize is going to happen very soon, you nod your understanding of the plan and let it play out a few times in your head before you get up to get ready.

It’s time to soldier up, princess. You hear 15-year-old Frank’s words bounce around in your head as you finish the curling the last piece of your hair and put on your lipstick. We’ve got a war to win. These words come through next once you are in the car.

You look at the time on your phone and you try to get a handle on your nerves as you arrive to the condo you live at with Billy.

“You’ll be safe, Castle Junior. You know Frank will be in the third warehouse; he has the nails set in the road so the tires will go flat quick enough that Billy will have to stop right near the third warehouse, and Frank will handle everything else. I’ll be in the sky and everywhere else keeping an eye for his team.” Sending him a thankful smile for going over everything one last time you open the door and step out. Just as your about to close it, David calls for you again.

“Princess. When I say you need to go, please don’t ignore it. You may have met me for the first time yesterday, but it feels like I’ve known you as long as Frank has with all the stories he told me and neither of us can lose another person to these people.” You nod once and take a step back again, waiting to see if he says what you already know. When he doesn’t, you close the door and turn around to head into the building.

And that’s when you hear the motor of the window and his voice following you up the sidewalk.

“You may not get to say ‘goodbye’ to him, CJ. Don’t jeopardize your life to give him one.”

Not turning back to face the van, you tilt your head to the side to show you heard him. You wait there, unmoving, until you hear the van pull away before you take a shaky breath, steel your nerves once more and continue inside to what was once your home.

~~~~~~~

It is about two hours later when you are back on the road. You had dinner with your fiancé, talked about the future like you normally would, shared dessert, took pictures on your usual walk around the park. It was a normal anniversary celebration night. You were back in the SUV and on your way home when you realize you are nearing the stretch of road with all the warehouses. And a small part of you starts to feel the dread coming.

You frown at Billy when you notice he has his phone in his hand. “Hey, y’know it’s dangerous to text and drive, Bill? I wouldn’t want my fiancé to get arrested on our anniversary.” Billy chuckles and puts his phone back in his pocket. He pats your thigh twice before focusing back on the road.

Looking out the front windows you see the warehouses getting closer and your nerves spike. You start thinking about the worst-case scenarios and just as your about to call Micro, you see it. The smallest glint on the wall of one of the warehouses, that could be assumed to be made by the moonlight, but you knew better.

And that is when you hear a pop and Billy lets out a curse. “Sorry, baby. It’s probably just one of the tires going flat. I’ll get it fixed though, you just stay in the car, okay?” Nodding your head, you wait until you hear the car door shut before you look closer at the building. Looking for something other than the small glint on the wall and sure enough, you notice a shadow standing on the roof of the building.

It is not noticeable unless you were really looking for something that doesn’t belong. The only reason you were able to see it was the glint, which was the drone hovering over the shadow.

You knew without a shadow of a doubt that Frank had his face painted, vest on, at least three weapons on him and one near the entrance of the building where you are supposed to head towards – he’s ready for a war.

And as nervous, heartbroken and confused as you feel – so are you.

Within the first minute of Billy getting the spare tire out of the back of the SUV, he makes a joke about how this is a perfect place for an ambush. You knew it was a joke that he didn’t want you to hear because there was absolutely no reason for either of you to be ambushed. But you can tell by his body language, he’s not sure if he should be worried or not. When you climb out of the car, you can see that he’s trying to laugh it off.

Billy looks at you, with a question on the tip of his tongue when you both hear a noise from inside the warehouse.

As Billy pulls out his phone, he looks over at you and yells, “baby, get back in the car now! Stay there and stay hidden until I come back for you!” You don’t move, just stare at him as he sends a couple messages out and when he realizes, he begins to yell again.

That is until Frank jumps down on the wooden crates right in front of the car and suddenly, all hell breaks loose.

You turn to run towards the entrance, where you knew Frank had hid the other gun and where you’d be safe, but the second Billy sees it’s Frank standing there all geared up, your fiancé immediately rushes to stand between you and his old best friend. It confuses you for a second and that split second is what causes your mind to spiral into the questions you avoided thinking about.

Why is he protecting you now? Why was he involved with what happened to your family? How did he get involved in all this? Why didn’t he stop it? If he was scared why didn’t he tell Frank or you or anyone else? Why did he do it at all? Why did he propose when he knew that the Castle’s were the only family you had, and he took that all away – from both of you? Why is he doing this now? Why didn’t frank come to you sooner? Why you? Why is he trying to break the last few pieces of your heart by not owning up to his plan of handing you over to his boss or killing you? Why in the hell do you still love him knowing everything he’s done and plans to do?

You don’t realize you were mumbling some of these questions until Billy turns around and faces you with a stunned look and an angry glint in his eyes. And now you are face to face with the man who has the blood of your family on his hands. The man who is trying to convince you everything your cousin has told you is a lie.

Billy is begging you to believe him. “Tesoro. C’mon, please don’t tell me you actually believe him? He’s been lying to you for months about not actually being dead! How can you believe him that I was apart of what happened to your family?” When you don’t say anything he shakes his head and a long sigh escapes his lips. “Okay, I haven’t been completely honest about this but neither has he, baby. Your cousin knew about what happened to Maria and the kids because he helped set it up! He didn’t want to give up killing when we came back from our last tour. He got addicted to it and he knew they would hold him back from doing what he wanted. That’s the truth.”He HH

He grabs your left hand and runs his thumb over your engagement ring. “This, right here baby, should show you who is on your side.” Pulling your hand out of his, you feel a tear fall down your face as you take a step back. You see the moment Billy realizes he’s already lost you and that’s when he grabs your face and kisses you hard, trying to make a statement, trying to bring you back to him. Shoving him back you realize you’re full on crying and mumbling repeatedly, “why, why, why?”

Your fiancé leans to grab you again and Frank finally gets Billy’s attention again. Frank hasn’t said a single word since this whole thing started playing out. The only thing he does is aim his gun right at Bill’s head the minute Billy starts whispering something to you in Italian. As your brain registers what he’s said, you start crying harder than before and stumble back against the car.

“You aren’t telling her the truth, Bill. Tell her what you did!” Frank spits out. “Tell her how you were going to give her over to Agent Orange once you got home! Yeah. I know about it all. I know everything that you’ve been doing and every pot you have your hands in. Tell the woman you love, the woman you proposed too, tell my baby cousin how you planned her death out, Russo!”

Billy starts shaking his head back and forth. Talking about things that don’t make sense and when he mentions the steak and ribs dinner he loves to have; you know what’s happening.

You sense, more than feel, Bill move to grab the gun from his belt before you drop the knife from your sleeve and hold it to his neck. “You’re stalling, micio,” you say hoarsely. “Please don’t do anything stupid and just do what Frankie says.”

Billy laughs, it’s one you’ve never heard before and you can see a darkness in his eyes that was never there before. “C’mon, anima mia, put that down. You aren’t going to use it. You’ll only hurt yourself or if Frankie boy keeps aiming that gun at me, I could kill you with it before he gets one shot off.”

With a tearful laugh, you shake your head in slight disappointment. “Bill, please. Please just stop this. I-I- I will do this, you know that. You know I’ll hurt you if I have to because you are the one who trained me for this exact situation,” you murmured. “Granted, you swore it would probably be a random stranger or someone who wanted to go after you, so you made me train for weeks upon weeks until you thought I was good enough. I was your secret weapon, remember?”

Bill moves suddenly and you let the training he gave you kick in as you slice across his chest before you stab it into his shoulder. The way you moved gave Frank an opening and you heard the gun go off four times. You completely expected the shots to be in his chest but they there was one in each of his legs and two in his gut.

There was a lot of blood and Billy wasn’t moving. But neither were you. Frank was still giving him the chance to tell you the truth but it was like time had stopped.

You were staring at his shoulder. At the knife Frankie got you before he left to his last deployment, sticking out of your fiancé’s shoulder. You were numb. Nothing was really registering in your head, you still couldn’t believe Billy was part of this whole thing to begin with.

You didn’t realize you were still crying and you completely forgot you weren’t alone with your slowly dying fiancé until you felt a hand softly touch your shoulder before your cousin turned you away from Billy’s body.

“I’m sorry this happened, princess. I didn’t want to get you involved in this,” He pulls you in to a hug and you grip onto his arms. “But you deserved to know, and I knew if our positions were switched you would have told me too.”

Frank’s phone went off and he answered it while you still clung to him. You weren’t really paying attention to his words because he shifted his stance and now you were again staring at Billy from over his shoulder. Only this time his eyes were open and it looked like he was trying to speak while reaching out for you.

Frank tightened his grip around you and kissed the side of your head. “C’mon kid, we gotta go, yeah? His back up is about seven minutes out.”

You nodded once and let Frankie start leading you away before something in you forced you to stop and run back to where Billy laid. Your cousin didn’t try to stop you, he knew this was the only closure you could get so he let you go. Dropping to your knees you grab Billy’s hand and lean your forehead against his. “I’m sorry,” you croak and squeeze your eyes shut and try to get your breathing under control. “Ti amo, più di ogni altra cosa, mio amore. Sempre.”

You hear Frank’s phone ring again and his gruff voice calls out, “princess, I hate to do this but we gotta go now. That was a two-minute warning.”

You nod not caring if he is looking as you stare into Billy’s eyes for a second before you place one last kiss on his lips.

You get up and run to Frank’s side as he heads towards the exit. You turn your head as you get to the door and then your hand is in Frank’s as he pulls you along to the van where David was waiting. There was no other sound other than both of your footsteps on gravel and the lingering echo of the final words to your fiancé.

“Maybe in another lifetime, goodbye my love.”

What you didn't hear as you ran towards safety was someone running through the building or Billy's reply as the person applied pressure to his wounds.

"In every lifetime, I’m yours. I'll find you again in this one, my love, and I will get you back."

#badthingshappenbingo #fandom: marvel #billy russo x reader #billy russo #frank castle #david lieberman #the punisher #trust issues

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the--sad--hatter · 5 years

Text

Phantom Pain (11)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU

PAIRING - Bucky X Reader

WARNINGS - Bad Habits and Rough Sex, Angsty and Dark AF.

DESCRIPTION - Everybody in the world knew of you, but not who you really were. Some called you a vigilante, some called you a criminal and some called you a hero but all of them called you The Phantom. Only two people knew your real identity and they swore to never tell anyone but when The Avengers need to infiltrate a high-security facility, Bruce Banner deduces that you’re the only one who can pull it off. That decision puts you and Bucky Barnes on a path you can’t turn back from, even if neither of like where it’s leading.

Series Masterlist

Chapter Eleven - The Widow and The Queen

“Uncle Thaddy, the board are worried. Isn’t there some way we can keep people from finding out that daddy’s Hydra?” You begged.

“With all due respect, you can’t keep this wrapped up just because your niece doesn’t want to lose her inheritance.” Natasha said.

You threw her a dirty look.

“Miss Romanov this does not concern you, this is a family matter.” Ross snapped.

“King inc makes weapons for the government as well, even The Avengers have used the automatic machine guns made by the company. It is my business and I don’t think we can cover this up.” Natasha retorted calmly.

“Why do people have to know? Can’t we say that daddy’s taking a sabbath or something?” You whined petulantly.

“Sabbatical, the word you’re looking for is sabbatical. And sooner or later people will wonder why Alexander King has disappeared.” Natasha informed you coldly.

“Let them wonder, it’s better than them knowing we’re related to a traitor. My Uncle is a highly respected member of parliament...”

“There’s no parliament in the US.”

“... and he can’t have people knowing about this and I’m... well I’m innocent! I don’t want people thinking I’m not! I’ll tell people Daddy is sick or he had an accident of had to get surgery, we can hire an actor to play him.” You shrieked.

Ross looked thoughtful under his wincing at your sheer volume.

“As you said Miss Romanoff, we all have ties to Alexander King and it will reflect badly on us all. It would be best for everybody if nobody were to find out about this.” Ross said.

“Do you have an idea Uncle Thaddy?” You asked hopefully.

“I do, let me take care of it. You just go back to... whatever it is you do and let me handle it.” He ordered, turning away and dismissing you.

Natasha shot you a discreet wink.

“Think he’ll take the bait?” She asked once you were back in the car.

“He’s never had an original thought, he grabs on for dear life to other people’s wise ideas and convinces himself he came up with it. He’ll take the bait.” You assured her.

“You don’t think much of your family do you Koroleva?”

“You’ve met my father and my uncle? Are you impressed?” You rebutted.

“Not with them.”

“Speaking of my father, can you do me one more favour?”

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

There was no awkward getting to know each other stage with Natasha, it went from only having spoken once to being friends. She appreciated your penchant for manipulation and you appreciated her... everything. Mostly her access to secure government buildings and her willingness to exploit that on your behalf.

“You look awful.” You said, smirking gleefully at your father.

He smirked back across the metal table at you and twisted his hands in the cuffs attaching him to it.

“My sweet daughter, I admit, I didn’t think you would be the one to betray me.” He said conversationally, as if you were talking about something nice like the weather.

“It’s always the one’s you least expect.” You told him.

“Your whole life, I thought you were a bitter disappointment and you finally manage to impress me, by turning on me.”

“I’ve always found that impressing people I don’t respect at all is just not important to me.” You retorted calmly.

“Perhaps if you had shown me this side of you sooner, we would have been closer.” He chuckled in amusement.

“Perhaps if you weren’t evil I would have actually tried to be closer to you.”

“You don’t believe this nonsense about me being Hydra do you? You’re being manipulated by Tony Stark and The Avengers.” He insisted casually, leaning back with a smug expression.

“They are, we would like to make the new armour piercing bullets standard issue. I trust the cost will not be an issue Mr King?”

“Not at all, I can funnel enough funds from the company to cover it. Hail Hydra.”

The recording echoed through the room clearly and you resited the urge to wave at Natasha through the one sided glass as your father sat forward with a snarl.

“What did you do?” He hissed.

“Slipped a bug into your pocket, gave The Avengers all my security codes, cancelled the detonation you set.” You listed off.

“You little bitch. You thought that if you helped them you could have the company, is that it? You don’t get my shares unless I’m dead. I’ll change my will, I’ll order the board not to let you near the company ever again, you’ll lose everything!”

“You’re not going to be able to speak to the board, you’re not going to be able to speak to anybody. You’re going to spend the rest of your life in a tiny, damp, dark cell. I’d say I’ll visit but I am a King, my word means nothing.” You said, standing up.

“You haven’t won, you are in over your head. I will ruin you for this!” He called after you as you opened the door.

Natasha was waiting for you in the hallway and she grinned savagely at your father through the door.

“The King is dead, Long live the Queen.” She said and shut the door on him.

“Miss King, we need you to come with us.” Two guards said and you shot Natasha a confused look.

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

Back when he was young, before the war he’d have called the way he was acting now ‘Doll-Dizzy’. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t get you out of his mind. Your laughter would echo in his head every few moments, or the way your hips moved when you waked would play in his mind.

He gave in to it and let himself remember the way you’d teased him when he threatened to spank you, and if Steve hadn’t called at that precise moment...

His heart hammered in his chest when he thought about the look of sheer desperation and longing on your face when you’d asked him to kiss you and they way you’d held on to him when he did. You’d tasted like heaven and your soft lips had moved in perfect synchronicity with his.

But it wasn’t real, it had been a crutch. Something you needed in the moment, you’d said so yourself. You didn’t want him, no matter how much you flirted with him. Flirting was just something you did with everyone, even the way you teased Stark was flirtatious.

He’d been warned that you were a heartbreaker and he knew this was going to end badly but he couldn’t help himself.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked loudly from the doorway of your bedroom.

“Making sure she feels at home.” Bucky didn’t look up from his task while he answered.

“You hoping she decides to stick around Barnes?” Sam teased.

Bucky looked Sam in the eye.

“Yes.”

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

“Princess, are you alright?” Tony demanded, bursting into the interrogation room.

You raised your head off your cuffed hands on the table and shot him a dirty look.

“They know I’m The Phantom. I’ve been arrested for breaking the Accords.” You snarled.

“No, you haven’t. They have no proof. I can fix this, Romanoff is working on it.” He assured you with a false sense of bravado.

“Actually, this is going exactly as I planned.” Natasha said as she opened the door and walked into the room.

As Tony turned around to look at her you phased your hands through the cuffs and reached over to snap them onto his wrists.

“Sorry Stark, you brought this on yourself.” Natasha told him as he struggled with the cuffs.

“Alright ladies, if you wanted to have me tied...”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” You warned.

“Consider this practice for what happens if anyone figures out that you broke the Accords you forced on us.” Natasha said coldly.

“I don’t really have a reason for doing this.” You said brightly, snapping a photo of Tony’s furious expression.

“Alright, very funny. You do realise I can get out of these right?” He said cockily.

“Good luck, there’s not a single piece of tech in this room so you’ll have to break out the old fashioned way. Should only take you a few hours.” Natasha informed him.

“Oh, there’s one piece of tech. The speakers.” You said evilly as Natasha pressed a button on a device she pulled from her pocket.

“Agadoo doo doo push pineapple shake the tree” Blared through the room, almost masking Tony’s enraged yelling as you and Natasha closed the door and left him alone.

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

“You! You can stay. Your man West can cook and your cat has been nearly made Cap cry at least three times already today.” Sam Wilson said as soon as you walked into the common room.

“So you only want me for my connections?” You asked him, holding your hands up to your heart dramatically like he’d wounded you.

He snorted in amusement.

“Please, that ship has sailed. As in you and Barnes sailed away on that ship.” Sam said, grinning to show there was no hard feelings.

You shifted uncomfortably. Yes, Bucky had kissed you after you had asked him to, yes it had been absolutely breathtaking but...

“I don’t date. There’s nothing between me and Bucky.” You said with a tone of finality.

“You might want to go to your room and tell him that...”

You shot an alarmed look at Sam and hurried away to see what he was talking about, his laughter following you. You burst dramatically into your temporary room and did a double, nay a triple take. The first shocking thing was that the furniture had been replaced with your own from your penthouse, Bucky currently putting your books onto your bookshelves. The second shocking thing was Frank, who was perched on Bucky’s shoulder and purring.

“Uhhhh” You said intelligently.

“Where have you been all day?” Bucky asked, looking a little annoyed.

“I went to King Inc and apparently fell through a portal to an alternate dimension where I live here now and my cat isn’t a violent lil asshole.” You answered.

“You have bruised ribs, Hydra might actually be after you for real this time. You can’t just leave without telling me.” He said, dropping Frank onto your couch and walking towards you.

“Let’s get something straight half metal jacket, I can do whatever the hell I want.” You snapped.

“Yes, you can. But I can worry about you.” He snapped back.

His fingers brushed the bottom of your shirt and he paused, standing there waiting for something. You figured it was permission and nodded. He lifted your shirt up, exposing your ribs.

They were still bruised but not badly, Bruce’s painkillers and healing medications had been working wonders all day. You bit down on a smile as you realised how worried he had been about you.

“Why is all my stuff here? I’m not staying.” You said softly.

“I’ll move it back when you leave, I just thought you might be more comfortable with your own stuff here.”He explained, his fingers still brushing experimentally over your ribs.

You damn near swooned and he mistook it for you being in pain because he snatched his hand back.

“We need to talk about some things.” He said.

“Yeah, we do.” You agreed.

“How did you become The Phantom?” He asked.

“I’m sorry I made you kiss me.” You said at the exact same time.

You both paused and looked at each other awkwardly. He could have brushed over your admission, he could have apologised, he could have agreed or disagreed or done a million other things. What he decided to do was lean in until his lips were a breath away from yours.

“You didn’t make me do anything.” He whispered hoarsely.

Your breaths were shallow as you closed your eyes and waited for him to press his lips against yours but it didn’t happen. He stepped back and you opened your eyes, a red tinge of embarrassment spreading across your skin. His eyes hungrily drank in the sight of the blush and he smirked cockily at you.

“It was just a kiss Domniţă, there’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

But it was a big deal to him, and your reaction made him sure that you thought so as well. Which meant he could get you to ask him again. Because he wasn’t going to kiss you unless you asked. He’d flirt, he’d woo you and seduce you but he wouldn’t touch you until you begged him to.

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

Agadoo is the single most annoying song I know and the idea of Nat and Reader locking Tony in a room with it blasting on repeat gives me so much joy.

Side note, what are your thoughts on Clintasha? Pepperoni? There's obviously got to be other ships in the story and I want your guys input on what you like/don't like.

You can ask to be added to or removed from tags at any time folks, just comment or inbox :D @drdorkus @gravedollie666 @sadsoldat @bigplantdaddy @moodyruth @likes-to-smell-books @shirukitsune @inquisitor-selvala @myfandomlife-blog @markusstraya @adeleoctobre @vajeenparty @sexyvixen7 @love-nakamura @buckitybarnes @littledeadrottinghood @pinkisokay @jsmith509 @brownlee-22 @angieptt @thosesexytexasboys @liveonce-sodoitright @tarastudiesalot @spnrvt @dahkness @dilaila95 @rororo06 @mizzzpink @release-the-cathyrchkn @thefridgeismybestie @fairislesheets @strangersstranger @life-wanderer @uuuuuuuuggggghhh @curiositykilledthepepe @musingpredilection @boxofteenageideas @thelostallycat @demonlover87 @cutie1365

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bluepjo · 5 years

Text

Misspelling Fate - Prequel

Summary: “You’re a regular at the coffee shop I work at and you get back at me for all the times I’ve spelt your name wrong by mispronouncing me name in increasingly horrible ways.”Percy works at a campus coffee shop and can't get Jason's name right.

Genre: Coffee shop AU, no warnings

Word Count: 1306

Read on AO3

Percy didn’t mean to. Honestly. The coffee shop was just busy and looking at that many names and then writing them down? Percy’s dyslexia was in overdrive. Plus he was studying his Latin homework in between customers. English was bad enough when he wasn’t trying to remember hundreds of different names and phrases and grammar and -- well, you get the idea. The point is, sometimes Percy just spelled people’s names wrong. The fact that it happened to the same guy three times wasn’t his fault. Right?

The first time Percy saw him was during the coffee shop’s busiest time. The store would be completely empty, perfectly quiet where Percy could stare at his textbooks and try to study. And then in an instant it would fill with students and noise and caffeine and you knew the nearest lecture hall had just released their pupils. The tall blonde came up and ordered and Percy scribbled his name on the side of his cup. Or at least Percy thought he did. Rather than Jason, he’d messily written Yson. It happened to the best of us. When Percy returned the cup, the boy looked at it then glanced at Percy’s shirt, where his nametag hung.

“Uh, thanks, Parker,” he said, filled with light sarcasm.

Percy’s face reddened a little, but he didn’t think much of it. There were more customers. He didn’t even properly realized that the mispronunciation was the response to Percy’s misspell until later, once the cafe was calm again.

The second time he saw him, it was after hours during an extra seminar for “leadership development”. It sounded pretty lame to Percy, but it was required for academic scholarship students and Percy was on a service scholarship himself. He’d taken the extra shift to help over housing cost.

When he walked in, Percy noticed him immediately. He hadn’t looked much at him before because it was so crowded, but now it was hard not to. The boy walked in the room with such a strong sense of purpose you would think he was marching to Congress, not ordering bad overpriced coffee. He was all Roman jawline, blue eyes, and good posture. It made Percy wonder if he should be going to a leadership lecture. He didn’t dwell on it too much as just then his coworker dropped a jug of milk he was trying to put in the machine.

“Frank!” Percy half-shouted out of surprise.

That’s what you get for ogleing customers, Jackson.

“Here, let me help,” he said, feeling bad. Frank was a pretty clumsy person: he was very big but very self conscious, which didn’t help his movements. But he was also one of the nicest people Percy had ever met.

“No, I got it, sorry, you go help them,” Frank replied, nodding his head towards the three people that decided they were ready to order right when he wasn’t there. Percy shook his head and went to the register.

By the time he got all of their orders, Frank was finished cleaning enough to help him make the drinks, leaving Percy to call out the names. He’s favorite job. He didn’t stumble too much through Leo, but Piper got turned into Pepper and Annabeth was just him saying Ann and mumbling off. Luckily the girl with bouncy curls understood him.

“Uhh, Asyn? Nsoyn? I’m sorry, dude, you’re the only one left, just take it.” Percy exasperated.

The blonde guy came up with his leadership buddies chuckling. “Pleasure doing business with you, Peter.”

The whole not saying his name right on purpose miffed him a little -- and by the cool and calm way the A-son guy said definitely showed on purpose. It reminded him of his high school principal Mr. D who refused to correctly say Percy’s name, no matter how many times they met in the office. Which was, admittedly, a lot. However, Percy struck his best customer smile and replied, “Anytime,” before turning to make sure Frank wasn’t spilling anything else.

The third time it was a game. Percy was studying and everything was floating around. He didn’t even look up at the person who was reading out their order and quickly set the machine to work before staring at his notes again. He was pretty sure he’d read the same passage over a hundred times at this point and he still didn’t understand it. He was almost glad when the machine beeped and pulled him away from his study. That was until he went to write the name on the cup. He stared at the order for awhile trying to force the letters to stop doing flips so he could copy it. He sighed and wrote what he could. He threw an extra vowel or two in for good measure.

When he handed the cup back, realizing it was the blonde smirk from the seminar, he didn’t even bother trying to say the name. He smiled something that might have looked like a grimace and held the drink out. Percy thought he was in the clear. Percy thought wrong. The guy looked at his cup, stifled a chuckle, and replied, “Thanks, Pietro,”

Percy’s blush was followed by the crinkle of his nose. “Is it really that bad?”

He shook his head, “Nah, you’re fine. You dyslexic?” Percy nodded. “I’ve got a few friends that are too. I’m Jason,” Blue eyes held out his hand, not dropping his smirk at all. Percy shook it.

“Percy,” he replied, only because he didn’t know what else to say. Their hands stayed connected for slightly too long.

Rather than leaving, Jason pulled up a counter seat right in front of Percy’s books. After taking a long sip from his drink -- honestly it was amazing Percy was even getting the orders right today -- he asked what Percy was studying.

“Uh, I’m an oceanography major, but this is for my Latin class,” Jason made a face.

“Why are you taking a Latin class?”

Percy thought that was a little pointed, but his own ADHD made him blurt out things all the time, so he wasn’t too bothered.

“My uncle, Dr. Brunner, he teaches the course and I thought why not?”

Percy must not have concealed his dissatisfaction with that choice very well as Jason laughed fully in response. He had a nice laugh, the kind of person that tucks their head in and shakes when they laugh. In fact, it was cute enough that Percy wasn’t bothered by the fact that he was laughing at him.

“Been there,” he replied, which surprised Percy. “My dad is big on expectations and I ended up minoring in Latin, which I think I would have rathered stay as far away from as possible.”

“Minoring? I don’t think I can get through this class, let alone go through with a minor.”

“Maybe I can tutor you,” Jason supplied. His normal smirk was replaced with a soft gaze that made Percy blush.

“I mean, if you can get me to pass midterms, I would do anything.” He shook his head. Him passing midterms was about as likely as him flying a pegasus. Percy looked up at Jason, who had glint in his eyes that made him question his word usage. “I mean not anything, like there’s crimes and stuff,” Percy mumbled off, welcoming Jason interrupting him.

“Okay, I tutor you for this course. You pass, you go with me.”

Percy choked a little. That certainly one way to ask someone out. “Like the whole class, not just midterms?” Jason nodded. He weighed in his mind for a moment. One one hand, Jason could be a weird coffee murderer. One the other he was pretty cute. And Percy was definitely going to need help with Latin. Eventually, he nodded and held out his hand.

“You gotta deal, Jason.”

“Pleasure doing business with you, Percy.”

#pjo #percy jackson #pjo fanfiction #percy x jason #Jercy #coffee shop au #hoo #heroes of olympus #hoo fanfic #pjo fanfic #hoo fanfiction #jason grace

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mychemicalimagines · 5 years

Text

The Walking Marauders (2) Remus Lupin

No Magic. As soon as the dead starting walking, Melissa Potter just wanted to find her family. After waking up from a coma she finds herself in the world of the undead. She goes into the city and finds Remus Lupin. How will they go on in this world? Will they fight together or fight each other??

Tag List- @maraudersandco @itshelaodinsdottirbitch @iluvharrypotter172 @rosesarestriped @definethatpotato

I just realized I never said this but Michael from the first chapter is Dean Thomas’ father. He didn’t have a name so I named him. Requests are still open, as well as the tag list. I’m sorry If I missed you on this chapter please message me and I will add you. Also I am changing the way some characters would have acted. Its just to go with the way the story is going. Also Harry, Ron and Hermione is younger than Carl and Sophia is in the show. They’re about 4 instead of 10 like them. I made them so they don’t go straight into guns like Carl did.

Warning: Cussing, Zombie death. Kidnapping, angry female. threat to kill/maim young kid.

“Mel?” I hear from behind me. I know that voice. It can’t be.

“Sirius?” I ask turning around. “Oh my god!” We both walk forward meeting in the middle, wrapping each other in a hug.

“How are you here?” He whispers into my hair surprised.

“What do you mean?” I ask pulling away from the hug to look at his confused face.

“The day this all started, the army was killing everyone that coughed, sneezed or even wiped their nose. I went straight to your room to see if you were okay, but your heart machine was off. I checked your pulse but I couldn’t feel anything. I closed your door and hid you so that if I got a chance I could go back and bury you I would,” he says tearing up a bit.

“Its okay Sirius. I’m fine,” I say hugging him again.

“Aunt Mel. Uncle Sirius said you died,” Harry says pulling on my pant leg.

I pull from the hug to look down at him. “Harry,” I say kneeling. “Uncle Sirius had every right to say that. He honestly believed that. I’m fine. That’s all that matters right,” I ask him as I fix his glasses. He nods and runs over to a red-haired boy that’s with Molly.

I stand straight up and smile.

“I can’t believe I found you guys,” I say to my brother and Sirius.

“How did you even get into the city?” James asks.

I tell them the story of me waking up, finding Frank, driving here and running into Remus.

“Bag of guns?” Sirius asks.

“I guess you forgot about the guns hidden in the office next to mine,” I smirk walking over to the van. I look in the back and grab the bag. I turn to Sirius and I open the bag. He smirks looking inside.

“As I recall you were the only one that had a key-”

“Melissa? Melissa Potter?” I freeze in my spot. No please no. Not him.

“Severus?” I step around Sirius to take a look. He steps forward and pulls me into his arms.

“I’m so happy you’re safe,” he says.

“Thanks,” I awkwardly pat his back.

“You two know each other?” James asks stepping forward toward Severus.

“This is Severus, my ex boyfriend I told you guys about,” I say to the guys.

Severus pulls from the hug, “Who are these guys to you Melly?”

“First of all, don’t call me that. Second of all it shouldn’t matter but James is my twin brother and Sirius was my partner,” I answer him rolling my eyes.

“I thought your name was Snape?” Sirius asks glancing at me then back at Severus.

“Severus Snape,” He corrects, “Dr. Severus Snape”

I roll my eyes, “Anyway Sirius you can put this bag with the rest. Where-”

“Wait! Where is my husband?” A woman yells. Sirius and I look straight over to her.

“Mrs. Granger?” Sirius asks walking over to her. I follow him.

“Andrea? Where is my husband?” She asks again pulling her daughter with her.

“He was being an asshole so we left him on the roof of the building we were in,” Andrea says.

“Wait!? There were more people?” I snap fulling standing next to Sirius now.

“You just left him there?” Mrs. Granger turns to me.

“I never met him. I will personally go back and bring him back,” I say honestly.

“Me too,” Remus says walking up beside me. I smile at him as a thank you and he just winks at me.

“You better,” she snaps. She grabs her daughters hand and pulls her to the tent they are staying in.

“Should we bring more people?” Remus asks me.

Michael walks up and says, “I’ll go. Dean is with Molly, so I can come. I tried to talk to Andrea out of it but she just locked the door.”

“I’ll go too,” Arthur says. “I can unlock the door with tools I have in the RV.”

“So were sacrificing four people for Mr. Granger?” Severus says walking up. “That guy wouldn’t give you water if you were dying of thirst”

“Severus. Just shut up. Sirius, get some supplies together for us please. We’ll leave in 30.” I say turning to everyone.

“Sure thing darling,” He pats my back and walks toward the Weasley’s RV.

I look at the other 3. “Are you sure? You guys just came back with me today.”

“I’m good to go” Remus nods. Thank god. I know i’ll need his help. He’s the only one I trust right now. Not including my family and Sirius.

“It’s partially my fault for not telling you he was up there. Molly and my family understand.” Arthur nods at me.

“I’m good. Dean is taken care of.” Michael says.

I turn to everyone in the campsite as they walk away to say goodbye to their families, “The four of us are leaving an a half hour. We will be back tonight or very early tomorrow morning. I’m very sorry about this. I didn’t even know he was up there”

Everyone nods and Sirius walks up to us with a bag.

“This has food, water and some of the guns you brought with you.” He hands it to Arthur who walks back to the van. I turn to Remus.

“Was it the same building we were in?” I ask.

“I think so. I remember how to get there. While were out we can also look in the store down the street,” Remus says.

“Are you guys ready now,” I ask as they walk back.

“Yep” They say and Remus gets the keys. “I’ll drive. I remember a shortcut on the way back.”

We all pile into the van and Remus drives us. I can’t believe I found my family. Its all because of this handsome guy sitting next to me. I should talk to him more and get to know him. I stare out the window for a little bit.

“Mel? Are you okay?” Remus asks pulling me out of daydreaming.

I look over at him and smile, “Actually Remus, I’m fantastic.”

He smiles and nods looking back at the road. He is so sweet. I wonder where he got the scars from. Not that it matters to me. He’s handsome with them.

“Were here,” He says putting the car in park.

“Do we want to get Mr. Granger first or stop at that store?” Michael asks.

“Well we should get Mr. Granger first. We’d be doubling back,” Remus says.

“Also Its a really hot day and he is probably dehydrated. He could still die.” I say running toward the building. The guys follow me and Remus shows me the way up to the roof. Arthur uses some bolt cutters to get the door open and all four of us bust in the door and run around the roof.

“Oh god,” Michael says making us all look at him. I slowly walk over to the pipe that hes standing in front of. All I see is the zip ties that were holding him there and a bloody hand on the ground. I cover my mouth. Oh no. He’s gone. I see a line of blood going toward another door on the other side of the roof.

“Remus” I say without looking at him and I follow the blood. I can hear his footsteps behind me and I pull my gun out of my holster. I slowly open the door holding my gun up. There’s a staircase going back down. I go straight down looking around. I see a couple dead walkers, ignoring them I keep following the trail of blood. It brings me to a broken, bloody window. I sigh and turn to Remus.

“He jumped,” Remus says and I nod.

“We can go outside. 2 of us go to the store and the other 2 will look for him,” I say looking at the guys.

“I’ll go to the store,” Remus says.

“I’ll go with you,” Arthur says. Remus looks at me and smiles touching my arm. I blush a little and they walk back up toward the roof.

“Okay Michael, it looks like he went toward where the van was parked. We can look around there first.” I say pointing toward the other door in the room putting my gun away pulling out my knife.

Michael and I walk out the door looking around for Mr. Granger. I go to the exact stop where the van was and theres a couple of walkers which I take them out quickly and quietly. I walk quickly to the road to see if he could be walking back. Nope. I sigh and i look at Michael.

“I don’t know this city well. Could there be anywhere he could possibly go to fix his hand?” I ask.

“Well there’s-” Michael gets cut off by Arthur running up to us pulling a young kid about the age of 17 with him.

“Remus was kidnapped!” He says quickly.

I turn to him quickly. “What?”

“This morons group went for a bag of food Remus and I put together and a fight broke out and I grabbed this kid and his group took Remus.” I turn to the kid.

“Where are they?” I snap. No one is taking Remus away from me. I barley even got to know him.

“I ain’t telling you shit.” He glares at me.

I grab his shirt and I pull him to me. “You don’t tell me where he is, you won’t return to him unscathed. Maybe you’ll lose a body part. Probably a foot seeing as you’ll need those to run from walkers. Now tell me where my guy is at?” I say venomously.

“The b-big g-green b-building,” the kid stutters out.

“Show me,” I snap.

I push him in front of him still holding his shirt. He walks us to a huge building and points to the back of the building. I push him that way and we stand in the back while Arthur knocks on the door and he stands back behind me. A man walks out with a group of people.

“Well hello, how can we help you? Seeing you have one of my guys, you must be the group taking our food.” He says smirking at me.

“Well seeing as my group got that food, its my food but you also have someone that belongs to me,” I say calmly to him.

“G! She threatened to cut my foot off!” The young man says to him.

“Cops do that?” He asks giving me a look.

“In this world, when someone takes someone that belongs with my group I do.” I step forward. “Seems like an even trade. Your guy for mine.”

“Well I see that you still have the bag my group went to grab so no its not an even trade.” He says smartassly.

“Its an even trade, because this belongs to us. We found it. Its ours now give me back-”

“No I see two opinions. You come back with Miguel and my bag of food and you live. Or you can come back locked and loaded and we’ll see who sheds more blood” He says turning around and going back inside.

I grab Miguel and we go back to the building where we lost Mr. Granger.

“What are we going to do? This bag has the last edible foods,” Arthur says.

“Oh well get Remus back. And were keeping the food” I say looking at the bag Sirius put together for us.

“G will kill you guys. You don’t know how crazy he can be.” Miguel says laughing at us. I turn to him and I get right in his face.

“You haven’t seen crazy” I glare.

“What you mean,” Michael asks looking at me.

I pick up a shotgun from the table and I cock the gun.

“We’re going locked and loaded.” I smile at Arthur and Michael. “We’re getting Remus back.”

Hopefully you guys like this chapter. Please please please comment! Requests are still open so please submit those to my ask box or even message me.

#remus lupin #remus lupin imagine #remus lupin x reader #remus lupin x you #remus lupin x oc #The Walking Dead #the walking dead imagine

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syalmazhafira17 · 3 years

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Lady of Heir

When the lady of heir from a conglomerate family hit her 20′s.

TW: none! but if anyone feels uncomfortable about kissing, there’s a scene where it mentioned kissing.

Word Counts: 3840

A/N: Here’s November Week #3 writing piece. Here’s the prompts for this writing if you want to check out. And there will be no November Week #4 and December Week #1 writings nor prompts because I had an exam to focus on to in order to save my grades for this semester. Thank you, happy reading 💓!

XOXO,

Syalma

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Have you ever think what it was like to came from conglomerate family? Rich, getting everything you want, being daddy's girl, getting praises, everyone chasing you to be your husband, everything will got to your hand in just one snap? Well, it wasn't always like that. You might have lots of money and power, but those things will be put aside once you are the only heir on the family. Just like...me.

I'm the only heir of my family. My grandfather gave his empire to my father, and in the family, I'm the only heir. Usually, in families like us, the heir is either the oldest boy, or just boy. If you have relatives a year younger than you, and he's a...well, a he, while you are the oldest girl, your relative will be most likely to be the heir. But that wasn't the case in my family, I have no cousins, so from early age, my family have taught me to be the perfect heir, to be the lady, and to marry someone to take the label of heir so the power will always from man to man, and my name as a heir will be forgotten just like God knows how many of my ancestors have been a lady heir.

But no, I won't ever let any boy to take the label of heir from me, I don't want to discourage future ladies on my family to be the next heir and let go of the chance to be the heir, I want them to fight for it and took the label. So I worked very hard to impress my grandfather and my father to let me be the lady of heir. To break those unwritten rules that planted deeply on their brains, and let the world know how a girl could rule the entire empire.

Apparently, that years of hard work got nothing paid off. As soon as I hit 20, the family already chosen the man I was supposed to be married with. He was a man from my grandfather's friend, he was 26, and he was mentioned as a 'charismatic, clever, and kind' man. At first I played along, maybe he will be as good as my parents mentioned him as, but no, ladies and gentleman. He was not. He was way far from 'charismatic, clever, and kind'. Well, he did behave in front of my family to took their hearts and be on his side, but when nobody's around except me, he open the mask he was wearing and let his true self shown to the world.

"He was asking you for a walk on the park in a couple weeks, would you accept that?" my grandfather asked calmly behind his huge wooden desk. Despite his pension, he was still working for a few things, and he doesn't seem tired to do so.

"Could I say no as my answer, grandfather?" I said. Knowing the answer would be, I still fight for the simple no I gave him.

"What kind of lady will be saying no for a picnic at the beautiful park, with his fiance?" my grandfather seems so calm.

"I'm not his fiance and I will never be," I said sternly.

"Well, missy, this is your story plot, this is how it supposed to be. You will marry him and he will be the heir of this family and empire the entire family have been working on for years," my grandfather said in anger.

"Well, I'm not a character! I don't need plot! I have my own life! I just want to say one no, why is it so hard to accept that?" I yelled back.

"WATCH YOUR MOUTH! You are a lady, not a screaming machine. I don't need my heir to be a misbehaved lady! You will lose your rights to step in this house if you say no the man one more time!" my grandfather raised his hand. I looked him deadly in his eyes.

"I never say any no to you! This is my first time, and it's not for you!" I yelled, brushing the warning he gave me. I left his work room with angry stomps and ran outside.

Maybe I'll regret my run from the house that afternoon, but maybe not. Just right outside the front barrier of the house, a cart full of milk stopped. I almost smash myself to it, but managed to stop.

Someone jumped off the back cart and an apologising look plastered on his face. A look and a face that made me had a flashback of years ago when I was teenager. The scene just like this, I felt a deja vu.

*"Hello, I'm sorry to parked here, are you alright?" he asked, his eyes shine a kind eyes.*

*"Yes, yes, I'm okay, nothing to worry about," I nodded, looking down to my feet and looking up to meet his brown eyes. "What's your name?"*

*"My pleasure Miss, I'm Frank," he simply said, pulling his hand outside. "And you are...?"*

*I shook his hand. "Greta," I answered.*

*"Nice to meet you, Miss. Greta. I bet you are the lady of this house?" he asked.*

*"Could say that, yeah," I nodded agreeing.*

*"My bad, Miss Greta," he bowed. "I'm Frank."*

*"Oh no, please don't call me that, just call me Greta," I said.*

*"My pleasure, Greta," he said. I chuckled.*

"Frank, isn't it?" I smiled, meeting his eyes. The man nodded.

"Miss Greta," he bowed.

"Oh no, please don't," I shook my head.

"Sorry, my bad. How are you doing?" he chuckled.

"I'm doing pretty fine, actually. How have you been?" I asked back.

"Pretty good as well," he nodded.

"What have you been doing? It has been ages since I met you years ago," I commented.

"Still doing the same, been with my uncle out the town for a couple years for some studies, came back, figured to just drop milk in the house. Hopefully meeting the Lady herself, Greta Kensley," he shrugged.

"Well, you are one educated man, aren't you? Even though still manages to almost smash me to his cart," I joked. He laughed.

"Looks like I am," he agreed. We chatted a bit, before moving on walking around the main part of the town.

"Nothing much changed here," he highlighted. I nodded.

"I'm sorry if this sounds very personal, but why you move out of town?" I asked carefuly.

"Nothing too personal, Gre. I'm just following my father's **path**, nothing personal," he answered.

"A bussinessman?" I asked. He nodded carefully. "A lot to be sorted out, isn't it?"

"Yes, and milk was a big part of it," he chuckled.

His family was a supplier of the house's milk, The Abraham Milk Company, has a son named Frank Abraham, his dad, grandad, ancestors, they were legends in milk-making company, and Frank has the luck to be in the main part of the family bussiness. Though from rumours the money he had been making with his father corrupted by the outside layer of his family, left him and his father living with tight money.

"How's Sir Abraham?" I asked, I haven't met his father before, even though his milk company's cart always parked on the same place every morning.

"He was- he already pass away, that's why I came to my uncle's, really," A long pause before he answers.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," I felt guilt building up inside me.

"That's okay, have been over it. It's nice to catch up with you Gre," he said, a code that he wanted to be left alone for a moment. And I respected that, and without saying another word, I walked away from him.

Ever since Frank been back to the town, we hang out a lot. Talking about things, my 'planned to-be fiance', his life on other country, his milk bussiness.

"I never met him before! I mean, he wasn't a nice guy either," I squealed. I never felt this free before, not trying to filter my mouth and manner, just spit out everything on my head.

"Well, you shouldn't date or worst, married him," he simply said.

"My grandfather would never agreed on that. He thought if I agree, then I will marry a poor boy, owning a corrupted milk company? I have taste, too," I laughed histerically, not noticing Frank's emotion changed. Now I regret everything.

"I'm sorry if I'm the 'poor boy owning corrupted milk company', maybe yeah, you should be best friend with other conglomerate sons," he said coldly before packing up his things and ran down the hill.

"Wait- no! That wasn't what I meant. Frank, no!" I tried to chase after him, running down the hill where we went picnic earlier, now I'm chasing after him to apologise. But he walked way quicker than me, stopping me on my track, regretting everything, and crying in the middle of the beautiful day. I wish I could rewind.

I never spoke to him again after that day, until a couple weeks passed and the day the 'picnic' supposed to be happen arrived. Even I already said a stern no, he still came anyway, and my family dragged me to follow him and have a picnic from dusk till dawn.

I stayed silent throughout the carriage ride to the hill. Looking outside, deciding that the view of green grasses way more interesting than his arrogant face in front of me. He rambles about wedding and proposals along the way, but I didn't pay attention to it, I place an annoyed face, but he didn't even seems to notice.

"It's not like we have to rush," I simply said just for politeness. If he will be a brat, than at least I can show him some manners just to show him we're both clearly won't get married.

"Well, we are, both families are ready," he said.

"But not me, thanks," I gave him a thin sarcastic smile and looked away. Seeing his face just made me want to punch it, in a not-very-lady-like manner.

"For a lady you are beautiful, but not your mannerisms," he commented. He already made my patience at the very end of it.

"For a man, you aren't even handsome, and you can't even look into the mirror of yourselves," I said sarcastically, and then knocking to the front, taking the rider's attention.

"Could you stop here? I just want to go to the back for doing ladies things," I said. He nodded.

I jumped off the carriage, and ran to the bushes, and panicking. I just ran from the carriage, so I have approximately 15 minutes before they will get concerned and drag me back to the carriage. I look around, I'm in the middle of nowhere. Nothing as far I saw. I crawled underneath bigger bushes, and praying if only there's another cart passing by, as concerning as it seems, I'll take it, as long as I'm not in that damn carriage with the arrogant face so-called my fiance.

Until a familiar cart caught my eyes. The Abraham Milk Company. Frank. My mind got woozy. He came. I jumped off the bushes, being as careful and as quiet as I could to gave Frank a code. Thankfully, he sees the end of my dress, he push back his cart closer to me, as natural distance as it could be with the arrogant face's carriage. He pushed open his cart.

"Quick! Come in or he'll notice me," he whispered-yelling at me. I immediately jumped to the cart and hid myself from the window's view, until we got far enough from the carriage.

In the cart, my head wandered around the moment a couple weeks prior. He didn't say anything, he just tap his fingers on to the steering wheel. I can't help but asked him a question to myself, can you forgive me? For what I did? It certainly wasn't something easy to forgave.

**"Why are you helping me?"** I asked after we already got far enough from the carriage.

"Because you are in danger?" he answered.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about the other day, it came out very wrong, I wasn't meant to say that," I said after a long cold silence.

"Hah, it doesn't matter. It's the truth anyways, can't say it was a lie," he let out a sigh.

"I genuinely apologizing here, and you answer with that?" I protested.

"Yes, something's wrong?" he asked back.

"Nothing, thanks for helping me getting out of that damn carriage. I'll never want to meet him again," I pushed my back to the plushy seat. He chuckled.

"I thought the Lady of Heir doesn't curse?" he said.

"Well, for some special reasons, I just cursed, nothing's wrong with it, just letting my anger out," I answered back.

"Well sure thing you already decide to not meeting him again, seems like a kind of guy that really just want to fight, arrogant," he commented.

"Can't agree more," I agreed. "Wait, where are we going?" I asked after realizing we're definitely getting off the road for back to the city.

"To my house, of course. Can't go straight to the city or we'll get into troubles," he said casually.

"Don't worry, Gre, I have a house," he continued. Sarcastic, but I can't say anything, it's his right after the last time we met.

The rest of our drive to the house was silent, not suffocating silence, but more comfortable, little sweet nothings conversation being thrown, but nothing far for more than two sentences. We stopped at a house, a small one, but welcoming and feels like...home. I stepped out of the cart and wait for Frank to park the cart nicely before following him inside.

"This is...the milk recipe, isn't it?" I looked over to the hanging paper on the wall, ripped and old, but have been taped and inside a broken frame.

"Yes. Was written when our milk had the prosper, don't really know they said it as secret recipe when it displayed proudly," he simply said before putting his belongings away.

I nodded slowly. And looking around the house, like I said, small house, but homey.

"Are you just going to sit there? Or do you want to change? Don't get me wrong. I have some old clothes of my sister's," he said. I looked down, my dress probably doesn't look at its best, dirty and heavy with sweats.

"Sister's?" I asked. Maybe I don't know Frank that much.

"Not really, just a girl from orphanage my father picked up when I was little. She went outside the country and never came back. Think I heard she already get married," he explained. "So do you want to change?"

"Yes, please. Thank you," I nodded.

"My pleasure. Here the dress, not much, I'm sorry. The bathroom just here," he gave me a set of house dress around my size and points to behind a curtain.

"This is more than enough. Thank you once again, please," I excused myself for changing behind the door to the house dress Frank gave me. And I fold my dress into a tight ball and went out.

"So...you're done?" Frank pops up after I came back.

"Yes. And I think I want to stay here for a day, think I haven't got the strength to fought my grandfather," I said. "If that's okay."

"It's okay, figured I get lonely here, too," he said. "You can sleep in my room, if you want," he continued. "I mean, in a good way, not-not something negative or sexualizing," he stuttered.

"I know," I chuckled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he nodded.

I wasn't doing as much in the house, and when Frank dropped me off my house the next day, I felt sorry for myself, but I have fun ran away from the guy.

But my heart went twisted when I saw him with his father, standing in front of my parents and my grandfather. I could hear them protesting and upset about my ran away action a day prior.

"I can't keep up with this kind of rebellious action. She isn't good for my son. She is a rebel, our engagement broke, and I never wanted to work with your family. Ever again," his father said. "She isn't a good wife, she will never be a good wife. Look at her rebel. How could you gave me your only daughter to my son? She clearly not a Lady of Heir."

My anger burned. It's on my wit's end. I stomped over to him and his father.

"Well, **what did you wish for?** A very lady-like wife? No, it's not me. I am an independent lady, and I'll never want to be engaged to your double sided face son! Before you stomp over my worth as a lady, maybe you need extra pair of eyes to see your own son! He is an arrogant son, and I wasn't surprised to see that, seeing his own father just like him!" I yelled.

"And look! She wasn't even having a lady-like manner! And she cheats with that poor man over there!" his father yelled back at me, pointing to Frank.

Frank walked up to me.

"I don't want to ruin your little family reunion over here, but I think your son took my girl, not the other way. I'm her boyfriend long before you guys even met," Frank said, grabbing my waist, and kiss me on the lips to prove his point. I played along to his scenario and kissed him back.

Everyone's mouth hung open. The guy let out an ear piercing scream.

"BUT DADDY I WANT HER," he exclaimed. Tears streamed all over his face like a toddler doesn't get what he wanted. Me and Frank broke off our kiss to see at his face, and hold back our laughter. Embarrassed by his son, his father left with angry face.

"Remove your banner off from my house and I need my compensation from working with your family, 90 percent of it," he said before stomping and drove away with his son still wailing in sadness.

"So...are you really dating?" my mom said excitedly. Looking at me and Frank. We looked at each other.

"Uh, no, sorry. Was losing my mind," Frank scratches the back of his neck.

"Kissing my granddaughter in front of my eyes, huh?" my grandfather, to my surprise doesn't even yell or angry, just in a joking tone.

"Eh, that wasn't meant to happen, just- acting to save her," Frank stuttered.

"Good," my grandfather said.

"I really need to get back now, wasn't meant to get into your family's trouble, should be going by now," he said awkwardly.

"No, you saved us, and expose his stupid son, you should wait to dinner before you go back," my mom said sweetly. "Think Grety won't mind," she smirked towards me.

"Mom! Nooo," I said, covering my face that started to burn up. Everyone laughed except me and Frank, awkwardly grinning to each other with red faces.

But Frank really waited until dinner, he can't turn down the offer. Because that would mean pick a fight with my granddad. While he waits...he discussed bussiness with my grandfather and my father. I could hear his soft raspy voice radiates through the wall.

"It's a very systematic plan, he really count on how much profit he could get," he commented. I just entered the room.

"Of course he is, looking at his son and his behavior earlier, not sure if he could get far from that," I joined the conversation.

"Well, you are the victim lady of heir, sure, your opinion count," my father said. I laughed.

"Now, why don't you guys take a walk in the backyard before dinner? Pretty lovely view out there," my grandfather teased. We both nodded shyly and ran from the room to the backyard.

We ended up walking in silence on the backyard. I shuffled awkwardly. My face heated up. Why do I feel this way? I walked with Frank before, but I never felt this way. What is wrong with me? I asked myself before Frank's face popped off in front of me.

"**Is everything okay?**" he asked.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered.

"Well, um I'm sorry for the sudden kiss earlier. You can do absolutely anything, you have the right to do that," he scratched the back of his neck. "Um, just want to save you. He was an arrogant one."

“So you’d risk me hating you for the rest of my life so I can be safe?” I asked.

"You could say that," he giggled. "But- I'm really am sorry."

"Forgiven," I chuckled.

"Eh, just want to lift up this weight off my heart. Know we might couldn't be end up together, we both from different **origin**, but need to say this. I...really like you," Frank said. My eyes widen.

"Are you...?" I said in unbelieving tone. He nodded shyly.

"Don't want to ruin the moment, actually, but dinner's ready," my mom suddenly said from behind our backs. I jumped in shock.

"Uh, okay. thanks mom," I nodded before she left me.

"I guess, dinner first," I said awkwardly.

Dinner was quiet awkward, we both didn't interact much. Until my mom brought up the topic.

"So...in the backyard earlier, heard a very sweet conversation," she said.

"Mom..." I whined.

"When will you took my daughter?" she asked.

"Eh-" Frank chuckled awkwardly.

"What happened?" my father joined the conversation.

"Mom, Dad, we both already adult," I said.

"Now, tell me a reason. Why you kissed my beloved daughter in front of my eyes. Think I got where this going," my father said, looking directly in Frank's eyes.

"To save her from that awful so called her 'fiance', I guess?" he said.

"Why? She is a capable adult, and she was very...scary earlier," my dad demanded.

"Because otherwise you'll never agree on me dating your daughter," he said sternly, looking back at my father's eyes.

"When will you propose her?" my grandfather suddenly joins in.

I could feel my face started to blush and so does Frank's.

#writing #writer #author #my writing #november writing #2000 words a week challenge

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mymelodyheart · 3 years

Text

Starting Over Chapter 14 ~The Price We Pay~

Claire padded into the kitchen, turning on the coffee machine as she went and then loading the washer with stray dishes. She grimaced now and again at certain use and movement of her muscles, a reminder of the night and morning she had with Jamie.

Earlier in the shower, she'd noticed with shock, the discoloured blemishes and bruises on her skin in different parts of her body. Undoubtedly, Jamie had made his mark and bestowed her a gift she will never forget. He'd shown her what it felt like to be desired and wanted as a woman and knew from thereon, after being truly well-loved and served, she would never accept anything less.

The floor creaked behind her, just as she was retrieving the mugs from the cupboard. Spinning around, she found Jamie leaning against the doorframe, a towel draped low on his hips and an amused smile plastered on his face. "Ye wearing my jersey," he observed, examining the oversized rugby shirt on her.

She shook herself mentally as her eyes drifted from his happy trail to his face. "I only bought it because they didn't have one of Alistair Price."

He walked over and stopped in front of her, lifting her chin with an index finger. "Wee liar." His head dipped to kiss a bite mark on her exposed shoulder. "Do ye wear it often?" he murmured.

"Only when I'm lounging about the house."

"I like seeing ye wear it." Then their mouths met, and his hands pulled up the hem of her shirt, cupping her backside.

Insatiable! Warmth and contentment fanned out in her belly as he deepened the kiss. She was just about to wrap her arms around him when the phone rang.

Half-heartedly, she pulled away and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I have to take that."

He gave her one last kiss before letting go, his eyes telling her that they weren't done yet. Composing herself, she answered the phone. "Hey, Joe, what's up?"

"LJ, hey, I have a temporary job for you if you're interested. It's at St. Leonards Medical Centre," he rattled excitedly.

"Oh!" With so many things happening all at once, she hadn't anticipated working so soon. "Well, I was kind of ..."

Joe interrupted. "You remember my ol' buddy Grey?"

"Grey ... Grey," she whispered, searching her memory bank. "Oh, you mean John Grey. Of course, I remember him." She stole a glance at Jamie and met his gaze. "He was part of your medical team during the rugby tournaments."

"That's right. Well, John is at the St. Leonards Medical Centre now. They're kind of short-staffed at the clinic as one of his colleagues broke his leg in a horseback riding accident. They're inundated with work at the moment, and I thought perhaps you could help while you get your life back in order. It's only temporarily."

She chewed her lip and played with the thought. The upside of working at a medical practice, the hours were more regular and less stressful. And moreover, she liked Joe's handsome friend. Besides having worked with him before, she found him funny, witty and kind. "How temporary?"

"Two weeks tops. There's a replacement coming from Glasgow in a fortnight, and then you can go back to residency program hunting. So what do you say, LJ? Will you do it?"

She reflected on it for a bit and sighed. She knew fully well how understaffed hospitals and medical centres were in their area, and it was only for two weeks. "Fine. When do I start?"

Joe let out a whoop in the other end. "Monday at seventy-thirty. The practice opens at eight. I'll text you John's number now in case you have further questions. And thanks a million, LJ. You're a star!"

She smiled as she switched off her phone and faced Jamie, who was now leaning against the counter, watching her with his arms crossed. "It was Joe. He asked me if I could help his mate at the medical centre," she explained.

A shadow passed his features. "When?"

"Monday."

He tucked his tongue into his cheek. "I was hoping we'd have more time in case I got the job at the network or asked to go to London for an interview."

Her stomach bottomed out, and the feeling of contentment suddenly took a nosedive at the mention of his possible new job. Maybe because she would see less of him or perhaps because it would mean he would be once more in a public's eye where most women would want a piece of him. To her surprise, the thought of him going back to his meaningless relationships sent jealousy coursing through her veins. She immediately banished the dark thoughts with little result. "It's only for two weeks, and there'll be no night shifts," she reasoned, attempting to force down the melancholy in her voice.

As if sensing something was wrong, he sauntered towards her and pulled her into his arms, his eyes searching hers. "Are ye coming to Lallybroch this Sunday for lunch? With me?"

She was surprised. "Willie did ask me, but you really want me to come?"

"I want ye to meet my family. I'll ask Geillis, Joe and yer uncle too, so ye dinnae feel out of place. My family can be quite overwhelming. And let's say ...curious."

"But I thought ..."

A line manifested between his brows. "Ye thought what?

She sensed despondency in the air and had a strong feeling she'd hurt his feelings or made him worry. "Never mind."

With a sigh, he pulled her in for a long intoxicating kiss, his tongue delving in for thorough exploration, seemingly never tiring of her taste. When they finally drew away, he dragged a thumb across her bottom lip, his serious expression becoming more pronounced. "Sassenach, I'm not used to waking up with someone beside me and perhaps, what happened between us was too soon for ye. So, if I've pushed too far too much, I'll back off a bit."

In that instant, all she could think of was expelling the uncertainties she'd cause and getting them back to that comfortable place they've been. Shyly, she slid her palms over Jamie's chest and across his shoulders, her nails scoring his skin. "Last night was amazing, Jamie," she whispered. "And it was the first time in a long time I didn't check the windows and doors before going to sleep." She tilted her head to look at him. "With you snoring in my face, I felt safe and slept very sound."

He burst out laughing. "Snoring in yer face. Is that right?" He studied her for a moment before he spoke again. "Ye really feel safer with me here?"

She nodded.

Satisfaction took over his expression as he tucked a curl behind her ear. "I like knowing that, Sassenach."

"And, a little reminder ..." she began, tracing a circle on his chest with a fingertip. "I want you to know that you're way more than just rugby. It will always be something you are passionate about and something that brings you joy. And then you can return to you, and that's okay. You're enough and complete without it."

His breath fanned her cheeks. "Am I?"

"You saved my life, you helped me escape my wedding and yesterday you spoiled me with a basket of chocolates." She twined her fingers with the hair, curling at the base of his neck. "You're scoring tries by the thousand in the gestures department, Fraser."

His eyes twinkled. "Was that an intentional rugby reference I hear?"

"I thought you'd appreciate it if we stayed on the theme." Claire felt how much she showed him at that moment. Ten years of putting down a crush as an adolescent's fancy and assuming what she felt for Frank was love, when really all that while she'd had no idea that this was what love felt like. This was it, so laden at times it couldn't be lifted and so light at others it made you capable of floating. Guard your heart , a voice whispered in the back of her head. He doesn't love you back ... then nor now. With a forced smile, Claire gently pulled away. She immersed herself, making them coffee, her voice unnatural when she spoke. "Get dressed. I want to take you somewhere."

She didn't bother to find out his reaction as she occupied herself, knowing if she looked at him, he would extract her true intentions. A few heartbeats passed before Jamie left the kitchen and with a sigh of relief, she smiled, hoping what she had in store for him wouldn't backfire.

..........

The direction she took on their drive brought them to the Rugby and Community Sports Club. It was an idea she'd thought of this morning, inspired by her love for watching the game and Jamie's passion for it. Since the season wouldn't start for another two months, the open field sat deserted beneath a cloudy grey sky, automatic sprinklers spraying from a distance.

Without looking at Jamie, she could feel the strain sneaking into his frame.

Lately, he'd started speaking to her more and more about rugby, especially ever since he'd shifted his focus on the presenter's job with the sports network. But the thought of actively playing the game again as a non-professional seemed to make him uncomfortable as if he wouldn't permit himself full enjoyment of rugby unless he could excel at it at a top-level. Sadness descended upon her. She could close her eyes and see him in his crisp navy blue uniform. She envisioned strong, powerful legs carrying him across the field, shimmying gracefully past a wall of defending opponents, and body-slamming anyone who got in his way while soaking the adoration and enthusiasm from the cheering crowd. He'd so obviously been the best in his craft, and no one ever challenged his superiority. In fact, like her, the whole nation celebrated it.

Easing the car into the parking slot and remembering the earsplitting roars from the crowd in the past yesteryears, Claire's gut told her not to stop pushing him. She wanted him to embrace the sport again without associating it with his accident. More importantly, like she'd told him earlier, he didn't have to be the best rugby player to be the best Jamie.

"Sassenach ...what are ye doing?"

She didn't allow his warning tone to dissuade her. "I'm your number one fan, Jamie. And I'd like to play pass and catch with the nation's greatest. It'll be something to cross off my bucket list."

"We're probably not allowed to be here," Jamie mumbled, looking stressed out, his eyes warily darting to the view before them. He started to tap a finger on his thigh, a quirk she'd noticed when he was out of his comfort zone. "We should leave it for another time. Besides, I'm not dressed for sports."

She eyed his clothes. He was still wearing his jeans and shirt from the night before, and his shoes weren't ideal for running. Whereas her, she'd come prepared with a pair of yoga pants and trainers. But still, that didn't stop her from pushing her agenda. "C'mon, twenty minutes is all I ask."

"We don't have a ball."

"I have one," she winked at him and got out of the car before he could come up with another excuse. After quickly grabbing her backpack from the back seat, she headed towards the field and took out the ball, aware of Jamie not far behind. She began to position herself as if she was in a scrum, handling the ball as she'd seen a million times on the television.

"Christ, Almighty, Sassenach, ye have nae hopes in hell of doing a dive pass like that. Ye're supposed to have the ball below yer body."

"I used to play with Joe and his mates, and this is how Joe taught me."

Jamie had no choice but to move towards her. "Joe is more of a tennis man," he grumbled, grabbing her waist and pushing her back lower. "Ye need to angle yersel' this way."

She did as she was told and bent lower to her waist. "Like this?"

Jamie groaned and rolled his head on his shoulders. "Bloody hell, Sassenach, ye're killing me."

"Wot?"

"I ken what ye're doing," he growled, pressing himself against her rear and squeezing her waist. "Fine, ye win. We'll do a few passes and run towards the other end of the field."

She grinned as she watched him settle into his post opposite her, looking smooth and dangerous as a panther. "You do the dive and pass the ball to me," she instructed.

Jamie nodded, his shoulder muscles taut and stretched under his shirt. His warm breath puffed out onto her face as they imitated the scrum position, bent down and locking arms together. Over them, the sky darkened even more, obscuring their shadows on the ground. There was a heavy pressure in the atmosphere, a warning that soon the heavens would open.

As he counted, Claire had a moment of panic as she thought of his past injury. What if pushing him caused more harm? But there was no time to ponder as he grabbed the ball and straightened up.

Trying to keep up with his long legs, she was on her feet too and off running. She knew he wasn't even exerting much effort for her benefit so she could keep up. And then the ball came hurtling towards her, and with as much force she could muster, she leapt and caught it with a loud oomph and ran as fast as she could, the wind whipping her hair loose and cooling her heated skin. Halfway towards the end of the field, she twisted her body, to release the ball. With a snap of her arm and turn of her wrist, she gave him her best spin-pass.

Holding her breath, she watched as Jamie caught the ball with ease. It had been over a year since he'd held one in his hand, yet his body slipped right into the familiar movement. His legs were long, one hand carrying the ball as if it was glued there, not bothering to hook it under his arm, and his coppery locks were swept back by the wind. He was like an eagle soaring the skies of the highlands or a stag racing through grassy pastures, zig-zagging with grace and dexterity as he covered the rest of the course. Muscled legs twisting and body flexing, he was a magnificent sportsman and a work of art to behold. He reached the other end of the field and flew in the air to dive in for a heart-stopping touchdown.

Claire could no more check her loud shout of cheer than she could stop the drizzle that started to fall around them. Jamie spun towards her as he got up, an unmistakable grin spread on his face, his joy so palpable from where she stood. He didn't hesitate to pass her the ball for another round. And then another. Each round they did, caused Claire's heart to expand with pride. The rain grew heavier, drenching them to their skin, but they didn't stop until there was nothing left in her. If she had more energy and stamina, she would have continued until the sun was gone, watching him grow more confident with every catch and race across the field, but she couldn't have been any more triumphant when he dropped the ball to the ground.

Tears clouded in her eyes as he strode towards her, lifting her into a bone-crunching hug. She laughed without inhibition as he spun her in a circle, her arms fastening around his neck. "Show-off," she whispered into his ear. "How did that feel?"

"Bloody awesome!" he breathed.

Remembering their morning discussion about wanting her touch, a wall inside Claire cracked in the middle and crumbled down. She clung to him as he walked them away from the field, raining kisses on his neck.

"Christ, Sassenach!"

"Wot?"

"Thank you." His eyes probed hers, his hands firmly clutching her thighs. "For accepting me as I am and showing me, I can change for the better. How do ye do that?"

I love you, that's how. Claire couldn't say it out loud, so she took his face in her hands instead and kissed him, hoping that when the day came to let him go, she would have the strength and courage to do so.

..........

There was an impatient, loud knock, making Claire jump. "Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!" she muttered under her breath. "What now?" She'd been so deeply engrossed in her reflections of the recent events and packing for her overnight at Jamie's, she'd lost track of time.

After their afternoon at the field yesterday, they'd returned to her cottage, showered and stayed in to watch movies. They'd ended their evening making love on the living room floor, and that morning he'd left her to do some errands. But not before asking her to stay over at his apartment for the weekend. She'd hesitated at first, but she'd shut the nagging voices in her head and agreed. Next week there would be plenty of opportunities to occupy herself with her temporary job and think over her situation with Jamie. This weekend she was determined to enjoy their time together.

Another knock. This time louder.

Quickly glancing at her watch, she made her way through her living room, tying her bathrobe tight. It was too early for Frank. And even more so for Jamie. Who could that possibly be? Peering out the window before opening the door, she saw it was indeed Frank. He looked casual in jeans and a black button-down designer shirt. The only thing that was out of place was his unshaven face and restless demeanour which was very unlike the smooth and collected man she knew.

She opened the door. "You're early."

He marched inside without waiting for an invitation, making her automatically step back. "I see you still have that tattered bathrobe you like to wear so much. Didn't you tell me you got rid of it?"

Claire stiffened but refused to be unnerved. He'd always had an opinion about the clothes she wore and her taste. When he'd told her to get rid of the bathrobe, she'd defiantly hid it at the back of her closet. "It's my mother's," she reminded him. "Where are my things?"

"In the car."

"Can you please get it then."

"What's the rush?" he asked, critically eyeing the inside of her cottage with a disapproval shake of his head. Shoving his hands into his pocket, he spun around to face her. "You have somewhere to go?"

Feeling apprehensive, she tugged the tie of her bathrobe nervously. "In fact, I do, yes. Let's get this over and done with, shall we? I'll help you get my things from your car."

"Plans with Jamie?"

"None of your business," she snapped, already at the end of her tethers with the on-going drama called Frank. Why can't he just let me be?

His lips turned into an ugly sneer. "Why so defensive, darling? Everyone knows you're fucking him."

A sting went straight through her heart. She didn't know the man before her anymore. What happened to the man she fell in love and once vowed to share her life with? "Think whatever you like, I'm beyond caring. I only want to get my things back." She made a move to go outside, but he yanked her back with force, causing her to lose her balance and bang her head on the floor with a loud thud.

He pulled her up without an ounce of care and shoved her against the wall. "You think you can humiliate me in front of hundreds of people and escape the consequences?" he snarled, his spittle landing on her face. "Oh no, my dear. You're going to pay."

Her heart pounded with fear, but she strived to remain calm. "Let me go, Frank, please. You're hurting me," she pleaded. She twisted within his grasp and saw the door was still open. If only she had the strength to push him away and make it outside. "Can we talk about this calmly?"

"I thought you said we're done talking." His hand began to tug the ties of her bathrobe and panic flooded through her. "I've come to claim what's mine. Now spread your legs and give what's due me."

She tried to bring her knees up, but he'd anticipated her move. His thighs pinned her against the wall, and his fingers dug painfully into her wrists. Above her head, he gripped her hands with iron strength, and the more she twisted and turned, the more she felt Frank's erection pushed between her thighs. "Please, Frank, don't do this."

"Come on, sweetheart, give it to me as good as you give to Jamie," he mocked, ramming his hips against her, one knee forcing her leg to part.

"No, no, please ..." She squirmed, trying to pull her hands from his grasp, but he was too powerful and too heavy for her to push away.

"I'm quite sure Jamie wouldn't mind sharing. He did steal you from me, after all." He seized her face and forced her to look at him. "Did you scream like a bitch in heat when he fucked you or did you fake it like you did with me?"

"No, no ..." she trailed off in a whimper as she felt his hand slip underneath the waistband of her panties. And when his finger slithered in further, that's when she lost it. The thought of Frank taking her right then made her sick to the point of revulsion, causing her to forget her fear for her safety.

She screamed, twisted and fought like a possessed madwoman. She was about to bite into his arm when suddenly the weight of Frank was lifted off her. Blinking and disoriented, she only had a moment to see his body flying backwards into the air and find Jamie standing over Frank's sprawled body.

Without giving Frank a second look, Jamie quickly got to her and made a quick assessment of her state, his eyes and hands searching for any signs of injury. "Are ye alright, Sassenach?" he asked, his calm voice a complete contradiction to the rage pulsating in waves around his body.

Unable to speak, she simply nodded and wrapped her arms around her body.

And then with a calculated move, Jamie straightened to his full height and menacingly approached Frank. He grabbed the half-daze figure by his collar to his feet, and Jamie was just about to throw a punch to his guts when the door was flung wide open.

"Police! Stay where ye are!"

Everyone froze, and Jamie let go.

A few seconds went by before Frank suddenly found his voice. "Arrest him, officer. This man has violated his restraining order. My name is Frank Randall ...Dr Frank Randall from the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, and if you check your records, you will find I filed for a restraining order because I felt my life was in danger. As you can see, Mr James Fraser here is a very violent man."

Claire let out a gasp and realised she'd underestimated Frank. "No, no ..." She forced herself to speak, but her vocal cords seemed tight and constricted. Her ears rang, and her vision blurred. Mind racing, she did a quick self-diagnosis and realised she was experiencing the symptoms of concussion. It must have been caused when she'd lost her balance earlier and hit her head.

Taking a huge gulp of air, she tried once more and strained her voice, fighting the darkness that seemed to engulf her at a rapid pace. But the only word that came out before she blacked out was, "Concussion..."

#melodyheart #startingover #Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser #outlanderfanfic

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