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munstysmind · 2 years

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KEEPING SECRETS - Maddison - An Original Story

WARNING/S: Media/paparazzi

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORK TO BE USED IN ANY CAPACITY

Divider by @firefly-graphics

MAIN MASTERLIST

MADDISON MASTERLIST

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{SEPTEMBER 2013}

"Will you stop?" Maddie snaps, slapping Jared's hand away from her ear as they walk up the stairs to her trailer

"Nope" he says, sticking his finger back in her ear as he follows her inside

"God, you're a pain" she says, jerking her head away

"You love me" he tells her, sitting on the giant beanbag in the corner and getting his phone out of his pocket

"That's debatable" she teases as she sits on the couch and crosses her legs before she pulls the coffee table towards her. She lets out a small groan as she opens her laptop and sees the amount of unread emails she has to go through.

She's been putting it off for over a week, she hates emails with a passion but her manager messaged her this morning and told her she needs to get them done so unfortunately this is how she's going to be spending her break.

Silently cheering over the excuse to avoid dealing with her emails she hits the answer button and a few seconds later her brothers face appears on the screen. She sees his soul leave his body for a second when he sees her. Her face covered in cuts, bruises and blood, all fake of course.

To be fair, most of the emails get forwarded to various people on her team but it's still something that she has to do.

She's just about to start the mind numbing process when she gets an unexpected Skype call from Matt.

"I'm OK" she laughs, realising his panic

"Fuck Mads, you gotta warn me about shit like this" he says as he closes his eyes and takes a breath to calm down

"Well, I didn't even know you were gonna call so it's on you"

"Right. Fair point... in my defence we've only just come out of no contact in the last halfa"

"You could have messaged"

"And miss seeing your ugly mug?"

"Fuck off"

Matt laughs at her for a moment before a serious look appears on his face. He's worried about her, for good reason.

"How you doing?" he asks, hating that he hasn't had a chance to check in with her for over a month

"I'm OK" she tells him. It's true, she's OK... as OK as she can be given everything going on.

"I read the article"

"So did millions of others"

"Maddie"

"Sorry, I'm just... I'm so fucking angry Matt"

"I don't blame you. When I read it...my guys steered clear of me for a few days, thought I was gonna bite their heads off"

"You are pretty scary when you're angry Matt"

"Ouch..."

"It's the truth"

"How did the info even get out?"

"Travis"

"What, are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Nope. His idiot lawyer used his personal email, they traced it back to him"

"But why, you'd think he would want that kept private, considering he's the one who did it"

"To hurt me, control me. He was always gonna do it Matt, he was just waiting for the right time to drag me down. The Captain America announcement was perfect for him. He even got paid for it. My story’s worth five grand"

"Is there anything you can do... legal wise?"

"Not really... John's trying to get additional charges over it but I can't do anything. Like I can't sue, not that i'd get anything out of him anyway"

"Well everyone on board is furious. You know how much they love you. You have an entire ship full of men ready to kick his ass"

"I might just take them up on that"

Her attention is pulled away from Matt when her phone goes off. She puts it on silent before quickly checking it

She can't help but smile, she's never known anyone like Chris. He gives her butterflies, the good kind, just from his messages. Their weekend together had been amazing, even with her panic attack and the naked incident.

"What was that?" Matt asks. He saw the change in her body language when she read the message

"What was what?" she says, shifting her focus back to the laptop screen

"I know that smile Pip... is there something you need to tell me?"

"No"

"Really?"

"Nope"

From the corner of her trailer Jared lets out a short laugh, making her jump. She's completely forgotten he was there.

She glares daggers at him, partly because he scared her but mostly because she knows now Matt isn't going to let up until he gets it out of her

"Fucks sake Jared" she mumbles under her breath

"Don't mouth off at him, he's not the one keeping secrets" Matt scolds, using the authoritative voice she hates

"I'm a grown woman Matt, I don't have to tell you anything"

"Maddison Grace"

"I am not telling you Matt"

"I'll get on a plane right now"

"HA, you can't, you're in the middle of the ocean"

"I can call Mum"

"Good luck with that, she's not talking to me"

"What, why?"

"Because I didn't have, and I quote 'enough respect to tell her the whole story'"

"The article?"

"Yeah"

"For god sake"

"You know why I didn't tell her everything right?"

"Yeah I do, and I get it, I do. I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your position"

"Dad's stuck in the middle of it, as usual"

"She trying to get him on her side?"

"Yeah"

"Has he said anything?"

"Just that she needs to back off and let me process and if she keeps it up I'm not going to want anything to do with her"

"He's always been the voice of reason, even when we were kids. I don't know how he puts up with her sometimes, I really don't"

"Neither do I. She's gonna be pissed when she finds out you've known everything for months"

"I'm not gonna tell her"

"I know that but she's going to find out eventually, she always does"

"I know"

"I don't understand her Matt, I never have. I just... she's found a way to make it about her, like always"

"I know, believe me I know. I've copped it too"

Maddie lets out a long sigh and runs her hands through her hair. As much as she loves her mum, the woman seems to be doing everything she can to frustrate her at the moment.

"Pip... can you please tell me what's going on with you?" Matt asks, drawing to conversation back to her reaction to Chris' message.

"I'm seeing someone" she mumbles under her breath

"What?" he says making her sigh and shake her head. She knows he heard her, he just wants her to say it again because his mission in life is to be a pain in her ass.

"I'm seeing someone" she repeats, very clearly this time

"Really?" he asks with a smile, raising his brows a little

"Yeah" she says, biting her bottom lip as she nods

"Who?"

"Nope, not happening"

"Maddison"

"I'm fucking serious, I'm not telling you... not yet"

"OK... where did you meet?"

"On set"

"Is it someone I've heard of?"

"Oh, you've heard of him"

"You're really not gonna tell me who it is?"

"Nope"

Jared snorts at this. Maddie is an extremely stubborn person who will fight you on just about anything if she's given the chance.

She lets growl and throws an empty water bottle at him before pointing to the door of her trailer, giving him a death glare as he leaves.

"They know who it is don't they?"

"Yeah"

"I see how it is. Your fake brothers know before your actual brother"

"Matt that's not fair"

"I know, I'm sorry. Have they met him?"

"Jensen has, briefly and Seb knows him. They're friends, he introduced us"

"Like as a date thing or..."

"No, just as friends. When we met I wanted nothing to do with another relationship for a really long time but..."

"Something changed"

"A lot changed"

"Do Mum and Dad know?"

"NO... and you're not going to tell them either"

"Why's that?"

"Because I will break your face the next time I see you"

"Violence isn't the answer Maddison"

"Matt I'm serious, please don't tell them"

"I'm only playing with you, of course I'm not going to tell them"

"Why do you do this to me?"

"Because I can"

"I hate you"

"I'm sorry. It's just... I worry about you. I'm your big brother, it's job to look out for you and with Travis I failed"

"That's not on you Matt"

"I don't want you to get hurt again"

"I know you don't... I'm still not tell you who it is"

"Can you at least tell me how long?"

"A few months... it's still really new"

"Pip... I gotta ask... does he know?"

"And?"

"Yeah..."

"How much?"

"All of it"

"He wants to kill him"

"Good"

"Maddie, come on!" Jared yells, banging on the side of her trailer a few times. She lets out a frustrated sigh and looks at her brother with a pout.

"I gotta go"

"OK, I'll message you later. You're gonna tell me all about this guy"

"We'll see. Love you"

"Love you too Pip"

"I'm sorry" Jared says as soon as she gets down the steps. She just glares at him and walks away, almost walking right into Jensen.

She closes her laptop and pushes the coffee table forward before she gets up, letting out a groan and stretching before leaving her trailer.

"Woah, you OK?" he asks seeing the look on her face

"I'm gonna kill Jared" she says with low growl

"What did he do now?" he asks. Jared was always finding ways to annoy people on set. There's been more than one occasion that Jensen or Misha has had to act as mediator between Jared and Maddie when he's pissed her off.

"Ask him" she says, motioning to Jared behind her before waking off to go ask the stunt team something about her upcoming fight scene

"What the hell did you do?" Jensen asks Jared, knowing he's pissed Maddie off.

"I um, I kinda outed her to Matt about Chris" Jared admits, rubbing the back of his neck

"JARED!"

"I didn't mean to"

"She is going to strangle you one day"

"I know"

"And we're probably going to let her"

TAGLIST

@aussieez

@littleone65

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traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors · 2 years

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TW for stalking, abusive relationships, and alcohol. I'm looking for advice and resources, maybe some of your followers can give their input as well if they've been in a similar situation since I feel like this is fairly common... I can't be the only one who's dealt with something like this before.

I'm in the United States in case that helps, but different states might have different laws. I just need someplace to get started. Also, I'm not sure if getting the law involved in the best solution anyway so I would just like to hear some different opinions from people because deciding what route to take with this.

Before Covid I was being stalked, threatened, and intimidated by someone. Although I haven't been in contact with them anymore, I feel like they're not fully over me. Also they could potentially put others in general because they were just an overall hateful and aggressive person towards everyone. They used to stalk me online and in public areas (some of these public areas had alcohol, which would make their behavior even more scary).

I didn't get a restraining order back when the stalking first happened, but there have not been any recent instances of them stalking me because I was studying and working from home and not going places for fun anymore, just quickly to the grocery store (not the one they go to) to get essentials. Here are the questions I have:

- Is there a "time limit" on restraining orders, would it be considered too late to get a restraining order now that a couple years have passed, or would my reasoning be considered valid if I feel like I'm still in danger of being stalked/harassed by this person?

- If we're both in the same public location, does the restraining order work or would it only keep them away from private property like my house? I keep seeing different answers about this because some people say it depends on who got to the location first, other people say it only works on private property, so I really don't know.

- I know you don't know the person but do you think the restraining order would put me in more danger and do more harm than good? I haven't talked to them anymore so I feel like this would be digging up something from the past, but at the same time I want to protect myself now that a lot of things that were closed in 2020-2021 are opening up in my city again and it's likely we might see each other again.

Finally, if you have any tips aside from legal advice, I'd appreciate that a lot. I feel like an obvious tip is to have a group of friends with you, but right now I don't really have a group of friends I can count on. Lately I've been so distressed over this that I've thought of going back to some toxic friendships just so that I won't be alone in case I run into my stalker, but I feel like that would bring more harm than good. At the same time, I don't like feeling cut off from the world and I would like to participate in local events again, but I'm just scared they might try to hurt me.

We are not lawyers and this isn't legal advice. But we can try to help answer some of your questions to the best of our knowledge.

There isn't a time limit on restraining orders and you can get one if this person poses a current threat to you. That said, if it's been a couple of years and this person hasn't stalked you during that time, it's going to be much harder to prove that they are still a threat. You cannot get a restraining order just because you feel threatened - there needs to be real evidence. Some of the situations where a gap of time can be explained away are things like if the stalker moved away for a while but has now returned. I am not sure whether COVID would be sufficient for that (as COVID is unlikely to actually stop a persistent stalker - people were stalked and abused throughout the pandemic). Someone who is not fully over you may still not be a stalking threat to you and the court will take that into account. Some areas are harder to get restraining orders in than others.

Your restraining order will determine what kind of restrictions exist. Some restraining orders will prohibit the person from directly contacting, threatening, or stalking you, but do not require the person to stay away from you. Others will require the person to stay a certain distance from your home, job, or your physical person. If the restraining order requires the person to stay a certain distance away from your physical person, then if you are there first they will have to stay away. If you arrive after they do, in most cases they are supposed to quietly leave, but in practical terms police are unlikely to take you seriously or take action if you willingly choose to go near them, and your best solution in that case is to just leave yourself.

A restraining order is a very personal decision. We cannot give you advice or suggest one course of action over another. Restraining orders can definitely make things worse rather than better, so it is important to consider the possibilities before you make that choice. But they can protect people and can be useful in the right circumstances. If the person is already staying away from you and has stayed away for years, you may want to consider not drawing this person's attention back to you by filing for an order. Or if you feel like the new circumstances of restrictions easing put you in new danger from this person, you can explore whether a restraining order is a possibility for you. Only you (and your lawyer) can decide.

-Mod Allison

#trauma talks #tw stalking #mod allison

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fly-like-a-phoenix · 3 years

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House of Lust (part 2)

Abbé de Coulmier x reader.

Summary: Five years has passed since the events of Quills. The Abbé de Coulmier is released of prision by a misterious event. And he will know again those feelings he never thought will meet again: love... and lust.

Warnings: mentions of violence.

The Abbé du Maupas was right. The judge freed him a few days later after he knew his parents will save him from the asylum.

The audience with the judge was short. He had to walk again to the trial's chamber, dressing only black pants, a pair of boats and a white shirt, both hands in chains.

He sitted next to his lawyer, a tall man with red hair. He didn't know him. In fact, he didn't even know his name. The man presented his case as a mistake. He was condemned five years ago for a crime he didn't commit.

A famous case a the moment, the judge remembered. The Marquis de Sade was a very well known name in the whole Europe. And being his killer wasn't something hidden.

The judge finally accepted he was innocent. He was just administrating the sacrament of the extreme unction to a dying Marquis when he swallowed the Holly Cross that François presented him to kiss as symbol.

He just wanted to save his soul before he died moments later, because he couldn't do it while the Marquis was alive. Who would know the Marquis would be committing suicide, killing himself with the cross?

The principal witness was Valcour. He testified against Roger-Collard. He was actually out the Marquis' cell when all that happened, and he finally said everything he heard at the time.

The other witness was the Abbé du Maupas himself, who used to talk with him while he was in the cell. The Abbé said he was a good man, and didn't deserve to be in there, caged as an animal. In fact, he added that François should get his title again.

In less than an hour, François was free. He was out the building, touching his own wrists, still feeling the metal of the handcuffs scratching his soft skin. The lawyer, Maupas and Valcour were with him.

Was he really cured? Did he really deserved to be an Abbé again? Did he really changed after five years? Maybe he never changed. Maybe he was a little dog to Roger-Collard.

His world started to fall down when the horrific alienist doctor came to Charenton. The Marquis was publishing with Madeline's help behind his back, yes. But the doctor was the one who started to torture the pacients and the one who collapsed all the inmates activities: the theatre, the watercolor exercises, the games.

He mock at him when he defended her while she was being punished for helping the Marquis. He was the one who let Madeline die, closing the door, not letting her the chance to escape from Bouchon, his murderer. And he was actually the one who asked him to punish the Marquis by cutting off his tongue.

Roger-Collard was the real Demon. He still wanted revenge. But he will never see his face again. At least, he wanted to give him a good punch in the middle of his eyes for what he did to Madeline. He missed her a lot.

When he decided he would dedicate hiw own life, flesh and soul to God, he never thought his heart would follow the beautiful chambermaid that worked in the asylum.

When she confessed her love to him, he closed his eyes. He remembered so damn well how he rejected her that night. He was taking her away from the Marquis. She asked him to stay in the asylum. She said she loved him.

Those certain feelings he didn't want to show to her... Those feelings he thought incited people to act in a bad way... Those feelings betrayed him at that moment. He kissed her.

The feeling of her mouth, her lips, her tongue. It was all a real paradise. And when she pressed her body to him, he stepped away a few inches, a "no" escaping from his lips.

She thought she was doing him wrong. Actually, he had a hard on just for kissing the girl. He said he loved her as a child of God. She misunderstood this. And left by his petition, crying. When he got out the room, decided to bring her back, she was gone.

He cried that night, his head spining for those kisses as if he just tasted the most powerful drug. He desired her. And that was his chance. A few more kisses, and Madeline surely would took his shirt off and push him to the bed.

She had a lot of control of her feelings. He didn't. And when he went to apologize, she said "don't came closer, God's watching" or something like that. She died being angry with him. And that was hurting him so much since then.

"Abbé de Coulmier" he heard while thinking in Madeline. It was her voice. "Abbé de Coulmier" the voice reprised.

"Abbé de Coulmier." Said the lawyer. It was him calling. And François came back to reality.

"I'm not an Abbé anymore, monsieur. I'm just François." He answered, with a low, shy voice that wasn't common in him.

"If you say that, Ab---François. But now you have the chance to be that man again, you know?"

"How?" The confusion ran through his all body. The Pope himself, or that was what he heard once, decided to retire his title from him. He was not longer a servant of the Lord.

The lawyer took a paper, a letter, from his jacket. François look around. People were walking in those beautiful streets. But Valcour and the Abbé du Maupas were not there.

"Take it." The lawyer said, giving him the letter. "It's very important. You have to read it, Abbé."

François exhaled hot breath. He was a little cold, only his shirt protecting him from the easy wind. "Where are the other men?" He asked. "Where are Valcour and Maupas?"

"Oh, they just left. They couldn't leave Charenton too much time."

"Oh, I see. I just wanted to thank them for saving me, that's all".

"Well, you can do it. Write them a letter, or go seeing them."

"But I don't have any money. I don't even have more decent clothes than these."

"That's why you gotta read the letter, Abbé." He said, handing him his own jacket.

The lawyer turn around. When he was just about to leave, François approach to him, and touched his shoulder. They shook hands for the first time.

"Good luck, François." He said, putting his hat on.

"I don't even know your name!" He said while seeing the man leaving.

"Donatien!" He answered, more and more invisible into the mist.

François was thinking. That Donatien guy was very different to another Donatien he knew once, the Marquis himself. The voices in his head had stopped after he left Charenton. But now, all his being was telling him to read the paper.

He put on his new jacket, feeling better against the cold. And he walk a few meters, sitting in the steps of a house. He opened the envelope. And started to read.

François.

You are most important to us that you think. But the real thing, my son, it's that we can't see you again. Not for now, at least. We're in Spain. We had to run, because some jacobins still wanted to kill us.

I don't know what you think, but your father and I love you, my boy. And we want you to be free, and happy, as you've always been. That's what we contacted some friends of us. They'll help you to get out from Charenton.

You have to go to the address that's at the end of this letter. They are the people who hired the lawyer. They'll give you assistance of all kind and a roof. I hope you trust them as we do, my boy. We miss you so much.

With love, Anaïs and Clément de Coulmier.

P.S: Go to Villa d'Évreux. They must receive you well there. In the envelope you will find money to pay the trip. Go find a carriage that can take you.

Those were the first words he had read from his parents in, at least, ten years. Just a few lines, and every memory from his childhood came to him, making him shed some tears over the ink lines. He really missed them, more than God at least.

He started to walk, asking to the owners of the carriages if they knew that Villa d'Évreux. One of them did. And he took him to the ride.

Some women looked at him in a devilish way. Not bad, just desire in their faces. He never thought he was hot or handsome at least. He never thought any girl could feel something for him. But damn, he was so wrong!

Every girl in the asylum felt like a melting mess while he walked the corridors. Madeline was the epitome of that. And he used to wear his sacred clothes at that time! What could he expect while walking in Paris with such a normal look?

François look behind the little window. Paris changed a lot since he walk those streets the last time. It just seemed so much more civilized, so much more clean and calm.

Maybe he wasn't now just the only person in the world that hasn't succumbed yet to every spasm of lust and evil, noteven when all that bad happened. That was, at least, what he thought. But he wasn't right at all. Not with the people he was going to meet.

Tagging: @darknessisafriend @five-miles-over @yukis-writing @thegirlwho @jokerflecker @missrockabilly99 @luperugorria99 @lyoongx @weirdflecksbutok @skaravir @stardancerluv @sgtsavoytruffle @ohcarlesmycarles @beautifulyoungprospect @stellargirlie @sophiefleck @the-queen-of-things @joaqz-phoenix @ajokerfangirl

Let me know If you want to be tagged!

#abbe de coulmier #abbe thirst squad #quills #joaquin phoenix #marquis de sade #joaquin phoenix x reader #abbe de coulmier x reader

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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roswelldetails · 4 years

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RNM 2x10 - American Woman

EPISODE SUMMARY:

SECRETS OF THE PAST — After uncovering a cryptic message from the past, Alex (Tyler Blackburn), Isobel (Lily Cowles), Max (Nathan Dean), Michael (Michael Vlamis) and Maria (Heather Hemmens) set out in search of answers at the reservation where Alex’s mother grew up. Meanwhile, Cameron (guest star Riley Voelkel) encourages Liz (Jeanine Mason) to reach out to someone from her past after Auturo (guest star Carlos Compean) gets detained. Marcus Stokes directed the episode written by Rick Montano & Vincent Ingaro & Jason Gavin (#210). Original airdate 5/18/2020.

DETAILS:

Tripp brings Louise to the Reservation in a body bag where the Navajo doctors are able to save her life.

"Your message said that you were gonna bring two women that would be no trouble. This looks like a lot of trouble."

"I must have gotten the codes wrong."

"No, don't give me that Manes man nonsense. Not here in my own home."

"Her name is Louise. I promised her friend Nora I'd protect them. My brother triggered an ambush before I could get them here. And Nora…"

"Wait, what does the Air Force want them for?"

"They're not from around here. They're from...up north."

"Yìiyáh. No. She can't stay here… What if your brother comes here and finds a fugitive. I can't put my people at risk for a white woman."

"Please. You're the only person I trust. If she doesn't make it, it was all for nothing."

"I'll have you remember that I was the one that saved your ass in Okinawa. I don't owe you anything. I'm only doing this because you're my family. And because I'm a damn fool."

A few notes on this scene:

--I don't know why Tripp pretends he got the codes wrong. Unless he's spiraling and talking about the timing of the attack. But it seems like he means the message that he was bringing them to the reservation. Clearly things didn't go according to plan. Though, it is always possible that we're still missing bits of the story.

--OG Easter Egg. "They're not from around here. They're from up north." For anyone who didn't watch OG, this is almost exactly how the exchange went when Max told Liz he was an alien in the 1999 pilot.

--Yìiyáh - I found nothing on this word. I'm assuming that it's a curse word or general exclamation of negativity, but literally got zero results on google. It's possible, of course, that it's misspelled in the captions. There were a lot of errors in the captions in this opening scene.

--While there really isn't any overt statement that Alex is half Navajo and this town is part of Navajo Nation (which has been in the news a lot lately and therefore is a good place in this country to be aware of), there's lots of clues or subtle enough statements that I feel like it can be accepted as fact, since: Harrison is a codetalker, the necklace is Navajo, tsela is a Navajo word. So I did a little peeking and it could work. The closest Navajo town is about a 4 hour drive from Roswell.

Navajo Nation:

(side note - Navajo Nation has extreme poverty but also is utterly gorgeous. And the Tribe gets income from tourism. Just a few places there that I'm dying to go? Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Shiprock. Check it out.)

Liz comments on Max's irregular heartbeat, with literally no acknowledgment of the fact that she's straddling him and has a history of causing his heart to race...and other forms of lack of control (think 1x03).

"I'm excited about this though. You know Alex dug up all that info on our bio Mom. You sure you can't come?"

"Got to take my dad in for his blood tests. I want to check on Jenna too. Cannot believe she's back in the hospital again."

"She's been in pain for weeks. I have no leads on the mysterious hunting van, and Charlie hasn't made contact."

"Hmm. To be fair, I do hear that phone service is a little spotty in flying saucers."

"Okay, I get that. You think my alien abduction theory is bogus."

"I know you're worried that this has something to do with you, but I don't think this is an alien thing."

"Cam and I had fractal burns on our necks. We had no memory of what happened. That's alien stuff. I just want clarity on something."

--Note that it's past time to abandon all hope of anything resembling a defined timeline for this show...once again we have weeks passing between episodes. This is the second time this season that the time passing has only been generically described as "weeks". It's been at least a year since Liz came back to Roswell (per her conversation with Diego), but a year would be summer (late May or early June, specifically), and in this episode Isobel mentions that it's winter (which would be a year and a half).

Maria's pitch:

"In conclusion, esteemed members of the Roswell Tourism Board, while the Pony is normally a sanctuary for locals during CrashCon, I think that my plan to turn it into the Contact Cantina Pop-Up Bar will be a hit with alien fans."

"We're talking more money than we first speculated, aren't we now?"

"You know, Mayor Bernhardt, I forgot to tell you about our new morning cocktail… It's coffee, vanilla cream, and our best bourbon. Let me get you a double."

Note: so this is the famous Mayor Bernhardt. Funded by the Long family. Doesn't like immigrants. Had a racist relative who wouldn't give first prize to the black man.

Maria's vision…

Herself, younger, sitting at the Pony bar.

"You have to let me go! You're just crazy! And I'm trapped!"

And then she runs from the bar crying.

She's not wearing the necklace.

Describing it to Michael:

"I had a vision, but it was more like a memory. Of a fight I had with my mom when I was younger."

Isobel interrupts Michael and Maria to pick them up for the road trip. Just a few relevant excepts from this scene:

"Pack your bags. We're going on a family road trip."

"Is this why Max wanted the day off?"

"In the photo of Max and Isobel's bio Mom, there was a water tower. Alex recognized that water tower from the town where his mom grew up. You should come with us."

Alex and Forrest talk in the Crashdown:

"Hope that limp isn't from a paintball injury."

"Nope. Those bruises have mostly healed. I just got a new prosthetic. Takes a minute to get used to. You working on your book?"

"I write my book on my computer. However, I write my angsty emo poetry in an angsty emo journal."

"I'm actually working on some poetry myself. Well, song lyrics, technically. It's a lot harder than it was in high school."

"Yeah, writing was easier for me when I was a kid too. Feelings...we bury 'em now. You just got to find that thing inside of you that doesn't have a voice. Lend it yours. You know? Listen, I have like, zero musical talent, but if you need help with the worst part, we could, uh…"

"Actually I'm leaving tomorrow for a few days to go talk to some recruits."

Michael interruptus, and the conversation goes casual.

--What happened to "angsty nerd isn't really my type." Or...was it FORESHADOWING!!!?! 😂

--Oh hi there clear shot of Forrest's clearly Deep Sky logoed ring…

Cam has been having debilitating migraines that have been keeping her bedridden since the abduction.

Nurse Kate is a badass. she tries to keep ICE from getting into a patient's room. Liz hears her and hurries to the waiting room, where there's more ICE activity. Liz panics and tries to get Arturo out of the hospital, but she caught the attention of the ICE officers. However, Liz knows her rights.

"He has applied for his green card. I'm his sponsor, okay? This is his G-1145 right here."

"You can show that to the court."

"It's okay. Call the lawyer."

"No. He is a diabetic. It is illegal to detain a patient."

"Exigent circumstances. Move."

"No. Hey, this is an unconstitutional arrest and the ACLU will be all over you."

"Elizabeth, we respect the law in this family. If you're in trouble, who will take care of the mouse?"

--G-1145 is a request for confirmation that your green card application has been accepted:

--The timing of this all. Liz has been prepared for this moment all her life and would fight it to the point of getting arrested herself, if not for Rosa. Rosa's safety is the only thing that convinces Liz to step aside.

--As an only semi related note, this is a really interesting contrast to how they wrote Jeanine's character out on Grey's Anatomy.

--Also feel like it would be remiss of me to not point out Liz's reactiveness and fightinf mentality is mirroring how Liz initially reacted to Max pulling her over in the pilot.

"Okay. So the Deputy on call says there's one detention center in the county. Here's the info."

"He doesn't have anything left in Mexico. No one. Nowhere to go."

"You can't think like that right now."

"I think like this always. Rosa and I used to recite our escape plan for if our parents got deported and we got separated in foster care. I begged my parents not to tell Santa where we lived because I was afraid he'd ask for papers. My whole life was built on a fear of this day coming, and it's here. If I'd have kept better track of his health, he wouldn't need these tests. I should have made him move to California. I thought we were safe being outside the hundred-mile zone, but after this election I should have known better. And I should have made him wear a sweater this morning because it's freezing out there. And what if he…?"

"...okay think. Is there someone we can call?"

"Kyle's at a conference, but I can have him call his mom."

"Do you know anyone with some real power? You know, Federal muscle?"

Cam gets dressed to take Liz to the Detention Center and Liz calls Diego for help.

The road trip group arrive at the reservation and meet Gregory Manes. He says he remembers them all from high school. He takes Max, Michael, and Isobel to learn about Louise while Alex and Maria go jewelry shopping.

Meanwhile Gregory is taking the Pod Squad to Louise's grave, but pauses for some flirting:

"You're still the Isobel Evans who convinced the basketball captain to pull four different fire alarms to get out of AP Gov, right? Yeah, legend. Here she is."

"Oh my God, it's covered in flowers. It's winter."

"Rumor is they grow year-round unattended. She was a healer. I'm told she helped with trauma, addiction, that sort of thing. All without speaking."

"This another grave?"

"She was pregnant."

"Louise arrived gravely injured. And the baby didn't survive.

--Louise died the same day the Pod Squad came out of the pods, confirming that she is probably the old woman on the reservation that was described in 1x09.

--Michael found the mysterious purple flowers growing on Louise's grave.

Alex and Maria at the trading post.

"Are you okay? Seem a little off."

"I had a vision during a meeting this morning. It almost cost me a deal that could save the bar. Maybe I should just wear the necklace. Go back to being a social media guru. Slash barkeep. Slash magical trope in our redneck mayor's fantasy."

"So why did you really come today? Your ideal day off isn't fighting for the radio silence with Isobel Evans, so…"

"This is the back of my necklace. The word stamped in the silver says Tsela. The necklace is Navajo, so I thought maybe that was the jeweler, but no one I've asked here seems to know who made it. I just want answers."

"Well, there's a ton of silver jewelry for sale here. So why don't we just keep looking for something with the same stamp?"

Pod Squad sharing a bottle of acetone by Louise's grave.

"Noah said our planet was war-torn. But the hell they found here can't have been worth it."

"Do you think that Louise's baby died from her injuries or do you think maybe it was never going to survive?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I was pregnant. When you died. Obviously I'm not anymore. I just can't help wondering if that was my last chance. Assuming that humans and aliens can't procreate because they're different species. Maybe that little baby wasn't viable."

"You almost died during the abortion, didn't you? I could feel it. Noah almost killed you again, huh? Oh, I need a minute."

After Max leaves Michael offers to be a sperm donor for Isobel if she ever wants to have a kid.

Liz at the Detainment Center

"It's Ortecho. Arturo Ortecho. He's my dad. And he needs gliclazide and beta-blockers. I brought both."

"We can't take contraband here, but there is an infirmary on-site, if he's here."

"You know, out of curiosity, did Nebane Abienwi visit an infirmary before he died of a brain bleed in your custody? What about Johana Medina León? She was 25 years old, okay? People walk through those doors and they die...Who's your supervisor? You need prior approval before conducting enforcement in a hospital. There was a compliance memo."

"Right, a memo, which is just like a law only not. Unless you calm down, I'm gonna arrest you for obstruction."

"Okay, Liz, maybe sit down. Sir, I'm Deputy Jenna Cameron, and we appreciate your interpretation of your guidelines, but we have an urgent health concern about an inmate here, if you just wouldn't mind checking the system."

Jenna goes with the agent…when she returns...

"Do you have a court case next week for a vandalism charge?"

"What? Yes, but I didn't do it. I'm just gonna plead guilty and pay the fine. It's nothing."

"They denied your dad's green card application because of a misdemeanor on your record. You can't be his sponsor."

Jenna's headaches overtake her. Meanwhile, the ICE agent comes back with news:

"Here just came up. Ortecho is being transferred to El Paso for his deportation hearing. You can see him there around Tuesday."

--Liz's misdemeanor is taking the fall for Rosa's vandalism from when she was arrested by Sheriff Valenti in 2x02.

Gregory takes the Pod Squad to see Harrison who is on his death bed. Manes boys are always welcome here, the woman tells them. Harrison is the only one Louise ever spoke to on the reservation.

"He met my great uncle Tripp Manes fighting in WWII. Harry was a code talker."

Michael gets Gregory to leave with him so that Max and Isobel can go inside of Harrison's head. Their conversation:

"You look like her."

"Harrison. You look different."

"That was a lesson I learned from Louise. How to take your mind to a better time when you're in pain. Come on. I haven't seen the sky in a while. I'll tell you about her...I taught Tripp the codes in the Pacific. That's how we set up the rescue. He was supposed to snuggle Louise and Nora here, but the plan fell apart."

In the past between Harrison and Tripp:

"You've changed. The man I met on that ship obeyed orders."

"Guess I saw what happens when good men fall in line with bad orders. I'm a Christian, Harry. When evil itself tells me to kill a woman with child, I disobey. Even if the evil looks just like my brother."

A nurse rolls Louise into the room in a wheelchair.

"Did you find a family for her?"

"There should be music where you take her. I think she's a dancer."

"You can give her a house full of music, Louise. Nora wanted me to protect you so that you could protect the child."

"No. He's coming for me and I can't even move. No. When the devil comes, I won't be able to fight for her. Please. It is hard to be a woman on your planet. It's only gonna be harder still for her. Roy Bronson believed in meeting hatred with compassion. And I want her to be like him. A light in the darkness. A little star on the ground. I want that for both my girls."

"Where did he take the baby?"

"Can't say."

"No. Tell us where our sister went."

"She isn't your sister. Louise rarely spoke, but when she did, she spoke of two daughters. Two stars on the ground. She had no sons. You aren't hers. You came from something else...She lived for decades longer than she should have, trapped inside of a body that could no longer dance, waiting for a sign that you would be all right. She loved you."

Jenna wakes up back at the hospital.

"I asked them to run a new test. Your headaches are spinal headaches. Because there was a hole torn into your spinal cord."

"I'm sorry, what? My kidnappers gave me a spinal tap?"

"Do you mind signing off so I can look at your tox screen?"

"Yeah, of course, but, Liz, you don't have to do this, okay? Your dad, and…"

"I need a distraction. I can't leave for El Paso until tomorrow, and they're not letting him have visitors other than his lawyer until Tuesday, so...thank you for being here. You used your privilege to help me. I'm furious that I needed it, but I needed it."

--Reposado is a type of tequila

--Spinal Headaches:

Isobel and Max on what they learned from Harrison:

"You've always been different than me and Michael, okay? Always. You were the leader. From the start. I mean, you're the special one. You're the healer."

"I was. Now I can't even sneeze without my heart skipping a beat. All my life, no matter how weird things got, I never felt alone. Because I was your twin. Maybe I'm different. Maybe I'm a freak...I can't stop thinking about being chained up when I was a kid. It didn't feel like someone bad chained me up. It felt like I was the someone bad."

"Max, you're not dangerous."

"Saving people destroys me. But killing Noah? That felt good. I was high. And whenever I think about what he did to you, I want to chase that high. I wish I could kill him a thousand times. Louise mentioned the devil. Maybe something evil was chasing them. And maybe that something was me."

"Okay. I want to show you something. You see this hand on her shoulder there? See, Michael thought it was just someone who got cropped out of the photo, but no. Any female would recognize that body language. She does not want that hand on her. Louise said the devil would come. I think something evil was after them, but it wasn't you. I want to find out who it was."

Alex and Gregory:

"Hey, I just wanted to say thank you before we go. I also feel like I should congratulate you on getting out."

"Of the Navy?"

"Of the family. Getting out from under Dad."

"You got to break free of him, man."

"Do you feel free?"

"I don't think I get to be free until you are, Alex. You know, you're my brother. I wish that I would've stood up for you more."

"You know, I think he's actually getting a little bit better. It's like the stroke melted away the psycho in his brain or something."

"If you can forgive him you should. Cast off the stone. Let me hate him for you. I owe you that much."

Back at the trading post with the whole road trip group.

"We scoured the store for jewelry that said Tsela on it, but nada. Although I did manage to spend an entire week's worth of tips anyway."

"Tsela?"

"Yeah it was printed on the back of my grandmother's necklace. I thought I might find some answers here."

"Well, apparently, it is Navajo for star on the ground. So, you guys ready to go?"

"Star on the ground. Maria? What year was your grandmother born?"

"Uh, '48, I think?"

"Was she adopted?"

"Yeah. Oh my God."

"Your grandmother was my sister."

Note: The direct translation of Tsela is stars lying down. Interestingly, it's often a name in Navajo. When I googled it, the top results were names for Navajo boys.

Diego and Liz's conversation:

"Diego, I never would have reached out if it weren't an emergency. Thank your mom for me."

"The Senator was more than happy to call in a favor. She's always liked you."

"I like her too. We need more people like her."

"Look, we got lucky your dad got out at all, much less without an ankle monitor. And you pissed a few people off back there, so it's not likely that this is the end for you. Who's your lawyer? Or should I make some calls?"

"No, you've done enough. After what I did, I can't even believe you listened to my voicemail...How did you get here so fast?"

"I was at the airport in Phoenix when you called. Just had to reroute real fast."

"And how have you been?"

"Well, my fiancée left me. I'm kidding. No, I'm seeing someone. It's getting pretty serious, so…"

"Good. Me too."

"Good. We can be friends...And don't take this the wrong way. Please tell me you're not wasting that incredible brain of yours writing alien hamburger puns."

"I am working on a few projects. Nothing I can talk about, but, I'm not wasting anything."

"Well, all the coolest studies make you sign NDAs anyway, so…"

"You know what? There actually is something...Do you know what butyricol is? Worth a shot. It's this chemical I found in my friend's tox screen. I had never heard of it."

"Maybe you're slacking, Ortecho."

"I am sorry, it has only been a year. Did you literally forget everything about me?"

Note: I'm very pleased to say that when I googled butyricol, half of the top results were RNM related. Definitely not a real drug.

Malex fight in the bunker:

"We're closed!"

"Hey, that alien console piece that Jim Valenti left me...You still have it?"

"No. I sold it on eBay."

"You didn't attach it to your console."

"I tried. Doesn't fit."

"So, Tripp left this for my dad before he died. My dad thought it was a code, but this is a reference sketch of this exact piece. My dad's been looking for this thing for 30 years and Jim Valenti had it all along...I'm gonna give it to him. I want to see what he does with it once he's got it. Look, if it didn't fit in your console, then it fits somewhere else. My dad could lead us there.""Your dad hunts aliens, Alex. He'll lead my family right off a cliff."

"I've protected you so far. That's not changing. Besides, he's different these days...I don't trust him, Guerin. I just…I'm asking you to trust me.""When we were kids, you believed people were good, despite humanity doing everything to prove you otherwise. And, God, I loved you for it. But what was charming when we were 17, it's just stupid now. How do you not see that? You believe there's some good in your father?"

"Yeah. Yeah I do. God forbid I have faith in people who don't give me a good reason to."

"That's not fair."

"No? Why is your hand covered? You miss your injury because you want to hurt. Your anger made you feel safe. I will always hate my father for what he did to you, but I don't want to live in that toolshed for the rest of my life. I don't want to walk around thinking that people don't change, that one day everyone's just gonna let me down, 'cause I am not building a damn rocket ship in a hidden lair. There's one way for me off this planet. And I need to believe in a reason to stay. I promise I'll keep you safe."

"Can't let you leave with that."

"What are you gonna do? Fight me for it?"

And then Alex leaves and is kidnapped. Hit over the head by an unknown assailant. The note from Tripp blows away.

Max and Liz are talking back at Max's house while Max drinks a lot of bourbon.

"You know, you never told me why your parents immigrated here in the first place."

"My dad wanted a family, but not in Juárez. There was no opportunity, no money. Women were disappearing there all the time. He didn't want my mom to be one of them. So he fled. You're wondering why your family came here."

"If I even had a family. I know so little about my own story. And the parts I thought I understood are just unraveling."

"Max. Family is the one area where I am certain that biology does not matter. Look, when I found out that Rosa was only my half sister that didn't change anything."

"This is different...There are only three of us on this planet, as far as we know. I mean, feeling disconnected from them makes me feel completely alone."

"Completely alone? I'm right here."

"When you needed a rescue today your Mensa society, old money son of a senator ex was there to answer your prayers. I couldn't even answer a call. You didn't need me."

"Oh my God. Okay, so would you prefer that I did need you? Would you prefer to come home to find me crying into my dad's windbreaker so that you can swoop me up and drive me to El Paso for his deportation hearing in the morning?"

"That's not fair. You wanted me to talk about today."

"Yes, okay. I'm sorry. I want you to feel better."

"Well, you think maybe you could go back in time and not meet someone as handsome as Diego? Seriously. He's like if someone mixed a cologne ad with a Kennedy. It's ridiculous. I will never feel adequate again."

"You're wrong. Max, let me be clear. You are objectively better in bed...And I never woke up on a Sunday morning to him singing Hank Williams in the shower...He never snuck unreasonable tips into my dad's checks. Or quoted Henry the Fourth. Coming home to you at the end of my worst days and my best days is the only rescue I need."

I actually found this background on the Ortechos to be fascinating. In case you don't know Juárez is a pretty big city directly opposite the border from El Paso. It does have some huge crime issues. But it also is one of those border cities where the border is a little thinner. Like San Diego and Tijuana. People live in Juárez and work in El Paso and vice versa.

If you want to see a really dark & gritty portrayal of Juárez, I'd highly recommend you to check out the American version of the show The Bridge. Which literally deals with an investigation related to disappearing women.

Isobel and Maria at the Pony:

"She looks so determined."

"Yeah, neither of us would be here if she hadn't been. You know she was paralyzed 50 years and she still managed to use her powers to help ease troubled minds. You know how hard that is? To take on someone else's suffering? I mean, it doesn't just disappear. She would have been carrying all of that."

"She suffered so much loss."

"I don't know how to be worth it."

Michael on the bracelet.

"The beads are made with pollen from the alien flower. I found another plant growing at Louise's grave. Okay my working theory is that they grow from alien remains. There's this UFO lore about that Libyan desert where the flowers have been discovered before. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I know better than to think I can save Maria DeLuca. I hope you decide you can save yourself."

Max is still drinking after Liz went to bed. At 4:04am Diego calls and wakes her up.

"I made a call, about that toxin in your friend's system. Butyricol. It's a drug. It's a memory eraser. It was developed by a private organization and purchased by the military for weaponization. There's no approved application outside of violent combat."

Liz tries to call Alex, but he's too busy being unconscious in the back of his SUV. So his kidnapper pockets his phone.

Max has a memory flash. There's fighting, weapons clashing, a woman's voice...all while he's chained down in the cave. Louise appears and kneels down to touch his shoulder. He looks afraid, but she's trying to comfort him (even though she has blood splattered all over her white clothes). She smiles and nods and then cuts Max free of the chains with her alien weapon. She offers him her hand, but before he can take it a figure in white appears and he and Louise fight. Max cries out and hides his face.

Present day Max is visibly shook by the flash.

MUSIC:

1. Shelly Fairchild "Worry No More"

2. Powerslide "Just You And I"

3. Will Fox "Against The Tide"

4. Tommee Profitt feat. Sam Tinnesz "Bullet With Butterfly Wings"

#roswell new mexico #details #rnm season 2 #episode details #long post #rnm 210 #american woman

17 notes · View notes

1dfangirls35 · 4 years

Text

Voir Dire (N.H.)

A fake dating OU about contracts, soulmates and risking it all for love

Masterlist // Tell Me What You Think!

A/N (Pt 1): Although many of us read fanfiction as an escape from our current reality, I want to acknowledge an important reality in the United States and around the world. If you have a moment, I encourage you to check out this site for more information about the Black Live Matters movement, and resources that you can use to both show your support and educate yourself! There is a lot more to be done, so I hope we all continue to support, LISTEN, and learn (I know I’ve learned a lot over the past few weeks)!

twenty-three

Kelsey tried her best to paint her face with excitement and eagerness as she and Mallory made their way to the after party. Inside though, she was filled with dread. She wasn't sure what she was most scared of. Was she more afraid that Niall would want to speak with her or more afraid that he wouldn't? Was she more scared that he likely moved on with Krystal or scared that he hadn't?

Then there was the fact that Kelsey had signed a contract. A contract that explicitly forbid any contact with Niall. Her stomach began to lurch at the thought of someone from Capitol being here. Would she be kicked out of Stanford just for attending the same party as Niall?

Kelsey fidgeted with the hem of the little black dress she had slipped into for the evening as they waited in line at the entrance to the large ballroom where the event was being held. Mallory, wearing a form-fitting red dress that showed off her former track star legs perfectly, was rambling on about who might be at the event, and whether it was entirely inappropriate for her to ask for a photo should the opportunity arise.

Kelsey felt bad for ignoring her friend. She knew she should be living in the moment, enjoying the opportunity of a lifetime to rumble with the stars. But she couldn't stop searching the crowd, looking for the face that she was so desperately trying to avoid. Maybe he wouldn't even be here, and all this anxiety would be for nothing.

"Passes please ladies?" the tuxedo-clad man standing at the front of the double-door ballroom entrance announced, temporarily interrupting Kelsey's search for Niall. She reached into her clutch to withdraw the two passes which Basil, as promised, had delivered to their hotel room door a few hours earlier.

"Enjoy," the man smiled, extending an arm in a welcome as Kelsey and Mallory stepped into the expansive ballroom.

It took their breath away at first. Sky high ceilings with glistening chandliers. Small tables covered with black drapes at which people mingled with drinks in hand. In one corner a DJ played music to a crowd that was slowly accumulating on the dance floor. In the other, an ice sculpture and bustling bar filled with people. Waiters spread through the crowd with plates hors d'oeuvres and glasses of champagne.

"Wow," Mallory whispered under her breath. Kelsey nodded in agreement.

With the exception of the 40 Love album release party, Kelsey had never really experienced Niall's world. She'd imagined it- the scene in her head based off thing she'd seen in the movies. But this. This was it. Seeing it in person for the first time makes Kelsey realize just how intimidating it was. And reminded her of just how much she didn't fit into this world.

"Champagne ladies?" A waiter approaches them, offering two glasses of the bubbly golden liquid.

"Thank you," Kelsey replied, grabbing a glass and quickly bringing it to her lips.

"Let's dance!" Mallory exclaimed, pulling on Kelsey's arm and dragging her towards the dance floor before she even has a chance to say no.

Kelsey saw him enter as she was dancing. He's dressed in all white, the top few buttons of his collared shirt undone, likely revealing his tufts of chest hair. He's laughing, chatting up with some man in the line in front of him. She scanned the crowd for signs of Krystal behind him- knowing she's likely lurking nearby, but when she doesn't see her, she breathed a sigh of relief, trying to return her focus to the beat the of the music instead of the beat of her heart.

Niall was hesitant that Kelsey would even come. When Basil told him that she turned down the offer to come back stage, he'd felt defeated. Maybe she didn't feel the same way after all this time. But he could have sworn they shared a moment. It was fate wasn't it? That they would be in the same place at the same time?

He was grateful he hadn't dragged Krystal along for this weekend. He'd contemplated it, wondering if that was the right thing to do. Then he'd reminded himself that he was no longer under any contractual obligations, and that maybe the very thing he had needed was Las Vegas. And he was right, the very thing he needed was Las Vegas, or more specifically someone who just so happened to be in Las Vegas too.

He first caught a glimpse of her as she was dancing. Even in a room full of people, she was impossible to miss; because Niall only had eyes for her. Niall realized that he was staring, but just when he is about to move his eyes away she turned around, and for the second time today- he caught her gaze.

"Are you okay?" Mallory asked. Kelsey realized that while every other person on the dance floor was moving to the beat of the music, she was standing perfectly still. Her eyes locked on Niall's. She knew she should look away. Someone might notice. Something might go wrong. But for a second, the room fades away and it's just her and Niall, like it used to be.

"I..." Kelsey began, noticing that Niall had suddenly began to exit his conversation, taking steps in what she could only assume was her direction. She began to panic. "I need to use the restroom," she said quickly before bolting off the dance floor.

Kelsey raced toward the edge of the ballroom, pushing her way through the crowd until she found a bathroom door that was slightly ajar. She flung the door open and stepped inside, turning around the close the door behind her. Except she can't close it, because there in the doorway stood the very person she was running from.

"You can't be in here," Kelsey stuttered as he closed the heavy wooden door behind him. Kelsey stepped backwards, pinning herself against the white marble wall. She felt her heart racing and she tried to inhale deeply to keep it from beating out of her chest. Kelsey thought that she might have been more calm and collected, but something about him, being here, feet from her for the first time in months made her incapable of controlling her physiological response.

Up close, he looked just like she remembered him. His hair had grown a little longer on the top, and his beard was a little scruffier than when she last saw him. Even from the five foot distance they stood at, Kelsey can see the blue of his eyes. But instead of bright and glistening, they look tired and more dull, like he hasn't been sleeping well.

"Kels, just give me a minute to talk to you," Niall begged, his eyes pleading with Kelsey as though she was determining his fate. He knew that maybe this wasn't the right way to go about this, ambushing her in the bathroom at an after party where there were bound to be paparazzi. But he didn't know how else to do it, since she clearly wasn't going to speak to him on her own volition. Ever since he spotted her in the crowd at the festival, she had been all he could think about. Niall needed answers. And if the answers came from following Kelsey into a bathroom at a crowded party like they were off to have a quick shag, so be it.

"We can't talk Niall," Kelsey replied sternly. It wasn't that Kelsey didn't want to talk to Niall, she did. There was nothing in the world that her heart wanted more than to talk to the man she had been in love with, that maybe she still was in love with. But Kelsey knew this was far more complicated than a simple chat. She had finally begun to feel like she was achieving her dreams, her life was back on an incline. And talking to Niall, even a few words threatened the very life she had dreamed of for years. Any word to Alan Michaels that the two had even been in contact and her dreams of being a lawyer would vanish. Kelsey didn't want to jeopardize that for a chat with a guy that had obviously moved on from her, no matter how much his begging blue eyes made her fingertips tingle.

Niall took a step closer to her, taking in the sight of the girl who has been haunting his mind for months. She had looked stunning under the dim lights of the ballroom, but her beauty was even more illuminated in the fluorescent glow of the bathroom lights. "Kels, c'mon it's fine. No one knows we are in here. Just give me a few minutes," he tries to reach out and grasp her hand, the way he used to, but she instantly pulled away.

Kelsey eyed the bathroom door, wondering if there was any scenario in which she got past Niall without saying another word. "Niall, you don't get it. I can't talk to you," Kelsey threw up her hands in frustration. She thought he was smart enough to know that there had been a reason she had been totally out of contact. Surely he knew her well enough that she wouldn't just abandon him.

Niall looked at her for a minute, his mind trying to comprehend what Kelsey was saying. "They made you fucking sign something didn't they," he growled, his face filling with heat.

Kelsey didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything, another explicit direction of her agreement. She hoped that her face would give Niall the answer her needed.

"They did," Niall answered his own question, circling around the bathroom as if doing so would help him come to the conclusion he needed. It had crossed his mind, that the reason Kelsey had so quickly broken things off had something to do with his unsatisfied management. He'd tried to convince himself it wasn't true, because what kind of artist wants to believe that the people that are supposed to be looking out for his best interests would willingly sabotage his relationship?

Niall sighed. "We could have done something Kels, I could have left the label, we could have..."

"Stop," Kelsey exclaimed, sticking her hand out in front of her before Niall could continue his sentence. She didn't want this to become a pity session for the what ifs of their relationship. She'd tried her best to move on from their unfortunate circumstances, and from the look of recent tabloids, Niall had too.

Niall sensed a hint of resentment in Kelsey's voice. And rightfully so, he resented himself for ever putting her in this position. But if she wasn't here to give them another chance than why was she here? "If you aren't able to talk about it then why are you here?" Niall questioned, bringing himself to lean against the white porcelain sink.

"You think I came here to see you?" Kelsey said shocked. She couldn't believe the words had left his mouth, as if she would come searching for him after the recent news she had seen. It was clear to Kelsey that Niall didn't want anything to do with her anymore.

"I.." Niall began, but Kelsey didn't give him the chance to finish.

"You honestly think I would come to search you out after you've made it quite obvious that you have moved on?" Kelsey raised her voice. Suddenly remembering where they were, Kelsey returned her volume to a coarse whisper. "Where is she tonight? Where is she?"

Niall didn't need a name to know exactly what 'she', Kelsey was referring to. He looked down at black tile with hesitation before saying softly, "She's not here Kelsey."

Kelsey felt her fists begin to clench. She didn't know why this was making her so angry, it's exactly as she had expected. But something about being in a room with him, hearing him acknowledge that fact that she is very much still in the picture starts a fire deep inside her gut. She doesn't want to care. She knows she shouldn't. But the pain is still there, waiting to erupt.

"Oh right, she's probably not here because she's having your fucking baby," Kelsey blurted out. She didn't intend for the words to come out so harsh. She knew she shouldn't be angry, it was her that had made the decision to leave, choosing her future over her relationship. She should have known that eventually Niall would move on. She just didn't think Niall would move on so soon- and with Krystal of all people.

"It's more complicated than that Kelsey," Niall shook his head, taking a step towards her. The tabloids ruined everything. It wasn't like the baby was intentional. But Niall had an obligation, and he wasn't someone that was going to abandon his responsibilities. He wanted to explain it to Kelsey. He wanted her to know that it wasn't as if he had forgotten about her and started a new life, but she doesn't give him a chance to explain.

"So it's another stunt then? Just another step in the seemingly endless amount of PR that you have to do in order to be a successful artist?" Kelsey crossed her arms. "I used to feel sorry for you, you know," Kelsey remarked. "I used to feel sorry that you had to live out some pre-planned life. But now..." Kelsey looked straight into the deep blue eyes that had captivated her ever since she first saw them. "Now I see that you just play the victim in it all, when in reality, you are perfectly fine with people choosing your destiny for you."

Niall stayed silent for a second, reading the pain on Kelsey's face. It hurt him to see it. This was never how he intended for things to go, this was never what he wanted for them. Was that what she thought of him? Complacent with his life? A puppet of his label and the entertainment industry?

Kelsey moved closer to the door, the distance between her and Niall growing. She considered leaving then, walking out the door and leaving Niall behind once again. She knows that's what she should do. But instead, she turned back towards him. "You promised me," her voice wavered. "You promised me you wouldn't fall in love with her."

"Who said anything about me falling in love with her?" Niall rebuttled, the knot in his stomach growing. He knew this was what was hurting Kelsey, the fact that after all this time Krystal was the one still in his life and not her.

"Just man up and admit that you've moved on Niall. I can take it." Kelsey challenged. Her voice came out strong, but internally she was holding back tears.

That was it. Niall couldn't take it anymore, this time his voice was the one that rose. "How could you possibly think that I could have moved on from you?"

He walked towards Kelsey, backing her against the smooth white wall next to the door. Kelsey's breath hitched from the close proximity of Niall's body. She wanted to hate him right now, she wanted to scream at him for ever putting her in this situation in the first place. But the truth was, Kelsey wasn't over Niall either.

"I'm still in love with you Kelsey," Niall whispered, his breath now close enough for Kelsey to feel. "I'll always be in love with you." And then Niall's lips crashed into hers.

Kelsey felt like she was moving in slow motion. Her hands tangled in Niall's hair as he walked them to the bathroom counter, his hands strong as he lifted her hips up to perch on the edge. She knew this was exactly what she wasn't supposed to be doing- especially in the middle of an after party in Las Vegas. But being with Niall- his hands on her skin, his lips on her neck- it didn't feel wrong at all. It felt perfectly right.

Tag List: @awomanindeniall , @ihearthemcallingforyou , @niall-is-my-dream , @stylishmuser , @thicksniall

A/N (Pt 2: Update on Updates): Thank you all so much for reading so far! I just wanted to provide an update on upcoming updates :) I'm going to be resuming clinicals next week (Yay!), and it appears my schedule will be quite busy. I’m also traveling to the setting of this very story for my rotation so I’m hoping to get a little exploring in as well. Since my time to write will likely be limited, this is hopefully an acceptable spot to pause Niall and Kelsey's story! I hope everyone is staying safe and well, and look forward to continuing Niall and Kelsey's story with you in about a month! In the meantime, if you are in search of a new niall fic, @booksncoffee has composed an excellent masterpost that can be found here! Or if you aren’t sick of me, here’s mine!

#I hope this makes you happy #voir dire #writingby1dfangirls35 #1dff #niallff #niall horan #nh #niall fanfiction #niall x ofc #fake dating #secret relationship #niall ou

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