365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 331

Adjective: Old-Fashioned

Noun: Posy

Definitions for those who need/want them:

Old-Fashioned: in or according to styles or types no longer current or common, or not modern; (of a person or their views) favoring traditional and usually restrictive styles, ideas, or customs

Posy: a small bunch of flowers; (archaic) a short motto or line of verse inscribed inside a ring

She Doesn’t Have A Cat

Pairing: Spencer Reid x female!reader 

Summary: An unsub targets you close to home, but does Spencer know you well enough to save you? Takes place in season 6-ish. 

Warnings: Home invasion, guns, typical criminal minds stuff, fluffy marshmallow fluff, spencer being the smartest person in the room (as always). 

-

This time, you were the target. In your own town, in your own home. It started with a call from your mom saying your dad had been murdered. You got on a plane, and when you got off your mom had been murdered too - the unsub had slipped past the police who had guarded the house. That was when Hotch called in the team to come help, knowing that you needed them.

You’d been with the team for two years, and since then you’d gotten the closest with Spencer. Too close. You were the baby of the team behind him, so he looked out for you as much as he could. And that had developed into something more, faster than you ever thought something could. But you didn’t tell anybody, because of that one stupid rule where nobody in the BAU could date. You kept it a secret, and you were planning on keeping it a secret. 

“I’ll go ahead, go to the hotel, come out at the same time as everyone else, and meet you back at the station?” Spencer said as he pulled a purple cardigan over his shirt, able to see a frost on the ground outside your bedroom window. You rolled your eyes.

“You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re embarrassed to be seen with me,” you joked. 

“Never. Just trying not to get caught and fired.” You finished making up your childhood bed and followed him down the stairs. He looked out of the windows in the living room, seeing no cars in sight, and unlocked the door. You grabbed onto his sweater and pulled it toward you. Spencer turned, confused, and saw you give him a nervous smile. 

“What?” He asked. 

“Nothing. I’ll see you in a few, okay? I love you.” He smiled, leaning down to kiss you. 

“I love you too.” He could have sworn there was a sadness in your eyes, one he’d never seen even after everything you’d gone through. But he didn’t know what to make of it, so he left. You locked the door behind him and crossed the room to the basement door. The light was already on - it had been on all night. Because that’s where the unsub was. Hiding in your basement. And Spencer had no idea. 

“Is he gone?” The unsub asked. You nodded as you came down the basement stairs. “Good. You’re going to leave here. You’re going to tell them that you’re coming home. I don’t know, be creative. And just when they’re about to find you, I kill you. And then I walk out of here.” You wanted to start crying. You were scared. More scared than you’d ever been in your entire life. You thought about it for a second, and you found your excuse. 

You had a date a few weeks ago that turned into running errands around town. That day you’d picked up allergy medicine because you were allergic to cats, and your neighbor had a cat that had been bothering you. You would tell him you were going to feed the cat. And then they’d find you, alive, and they’d find this unsub, and hopefully someone would put a bullet through his head. Your money was on Morgan. 

Only a few minutes later, Spencer had his hand on your back and snatched it away just as Rossi walked into the room. The man suspected nothing, too enamored with the coffee machine in the corner of the room. You missed the warmth of his long fingers and almost abnormally large palms as soon as they came away from your sweater, but you couldn’t let him know that anything was off. You couldn’t let him know that, more than anything, you needed his hand to stay right there. 

“I, um, need to run home,” you said, trying to throw off any suspicion. “I forgot to feed the cat this morning.” Spencer’s eyebrows furrowed, not recalling that you had a cat. Because you didn’t. He would remember if you had a cat because he remembered everything. But he let you go. 

“Where are you going?” Hotch asked as you walked out of the police station. 

“I forgot to feed the cat,” you answered. “I’ll be back within an hour.” He nodded, knowing not to question you. Your entire family had been murdered within the past week - you deserved to go home and feed a cat any time you wanted to. Not to mention they knew the identity of the unsub, and it was someone who was as good as a sibling.

“Alright. Morgan’s in your neighborhood, let him know if you see anything.” You nodded and headed out of the station. You got into your mom’s car, sighing as you turned the key. You knew the unsub was tracking the car through its GPS, one you’d retrofitted for it at Christmas for a present. He would know if you even considered going somewhere else. He would know if you passed Morgan’s car. 

You went home and fumbled with the key, opening the door to the house. The unsub was there, in your living room, waiting. He opened his mouth and told you to go to the basement, taking his gun from his sweatshirt pocket. You went, hands behind your back, and hoped to God Spencer had understood your plan. 

“Where’d she go?” Seaver asked as she saw your jacket on the back of the chair Spencer was sitting in. 

“To feed the...” he started, and then he stopped. “Guys, I think I just found out where the unsub is hiding. They’re at her house.” Everyone looked up at Spencer, whose eyes were so wide they could have popped out of his head. 

“What? Why would you think that?” Hotch asked. 

“She doesn’t have a cat. I remember one day she got allergy medication, we... she’s allergic to cats, that’s why she has a dog back at home,” Spencer said. “She doesn’t have a cat. The unsub has to be there, that’s why she’s been acting weird and going home for lunch every day and...” he stood up. 

“Are you sure?” Hotch asked. “If we call in SWAT, we’ll tip the unsub off and he’ll run.”

“I’m sure.” Hotch sighed. 

“Get SWAT over at her house with Morgan, now. We’ll follow. Seaver, make sure there are road blocks set up in case he tries to take her.” The team dispersed through the police station, you on their mind. No one seemed to question how or why Spencer knew you were on allergy medication, because it didn’t really matter. Nothing really mattered except finding you, alive. 

Spencer was more nervous than anyone as he got into the car, fumbling with his vest in a way he never had before. Someone asked if he needed help, but he shook his head. He just wanted you back. He heard vague instructions on where to go and what to do, but he didn’t listen. He didn’t listen because there was a light on in your basement window. There had been one last night, too, actually, the whole door had been glowing on every side and that meant that a light was on. So that’s where you were. 

“The unsub has her in the basement,” Spencer said to Hotch, in the seat beside him. 

“Are you sure?” Spencer nodded. 

“The light was on last night.” Hotch looked at Spencer, up and down, and realized that the reason he hadn’t seen Spencer at the hotel the night before was because Spencer had been with you. In fact, he was always with you. Maybe... Hotch stopped thinking about it as soon as he started. There was no reason for him to go any deeper. Especially with the look of longing in Spencer’s eyes as he looked at the basement window. 

“They’re going to figure out why I’ve been acting weird,” you said to the unsub. You’d figured out that he was the son of your parents’ friends who had been murdered. Your parents had both been detectives, that was why you wanted to work in the FBI. And they’d failed to solve this guy’s case. That was why you were his target. You just happened to be in the BAU. That was how he got you home. And that was why there was no forced entry into your parents’ house, because this guy was like a son to them. He was like a brother to you. You were able to get past the anger at the betrayal because you were so damn scared. 

You looked up and saw a familiar shadow in the hallway up the stairs. It was Morgan’s shadow, one that you always saw in front of you. One you always counted on to get the bad guy. You decided to keep egging the guy on, despite the fact that he had tied you up, pistol whipped you ten minutes ago, and was threatening to shoot you with the gun aimed right at you. He had steady hands, and if he shot you, he wouldn’t kill you. He had no idea how to effectively kill someone. 

“No. They’re going to think you’ve been acting weird because you were about to kill yourself.” You were confused, to say the least.

“If you’re going to stage a suicide, this isn’t how to do it,” you replied. “Let me help you, you’re doing it all wrong.” 

“What, so you can beg for your life a little longer? As much as I enjoy that, I think your time is up.” The guy aimed the gun at you, just as a floorboard on the stairs creaked. You thanked your lucky stars that it was indeed Morgan. There was an army of SWAT men behind him at the stair landing.

“James Ray Washington, put down the gun,” Morgan said. As a response, James pulled the trigger that was facing you. Some gunshot victims said that it didn’t hurt that bad. Some said it was the worst pain they’d ever felt in their lives. For you, it was somewhere in between. The pain after was the worst part. The pain of watching James go down. You shut your eyes and sat back in the uncomfortable chair you swore your parents had thrown away a few years ago. You felt Morgan’s hands untying you from the chair and another set of hands started peeling away the jacket you were wearing.

“Hey, stay with me,” Morgan said to you as he picked you up. You shook your head. 

“No. I’m tired.” All of the fear in your body disappeared and you were exhausted, absolutely exhausted. You could have fallen asleep then and there. 

“It’s because you’re losing blood, just come on, stay with me,” he insisted as he carried you up the stairs. 

“Oh, my God,” Spencer said as he walked into the house to see you, in Morgan’s arms, being carried. 

“We need a medic!” Morgan called. You heard another voice yell to call an ambulance. Not even five seconds later you heard the sirens. Or maybe it was the sirens from the police cars that just kept rolling in. 

Morgan finally put you down on a surprisingly comfortable mattress. You realized that you were in the ambulance. And then you remembered Spencer and you shot up, your eyes opening in an adrenaline rush. Someone pushed you back down before you could even see him. 

“Spencer, I want Spencer,” you said. It came out as a mumble, but it filled your lungs like a scream.

“I’ll get him, sweetheart, I’ll get him,” Morgan said. He left your side for the first time as you felt the gurney you were on going over bumps, lifting you into the ambulance. 

“No, I want Spencer!” You tried to fight but someone had tied you down, again. Your hands and arms were free, but you couldn’t move. You felt someone cutting your shirt open and you shook your head.

“Hey, hey, baby, I’m here now,” a familiar voice said. It grabbed at your leg, unable to take your hand, and you opened your eyes again to see Spencer. In a second the doors to the ambulance were shut and the two of you were inside. Someone was working on your chest, but you didn’t pay attention. The adrenaline had made it stop hurting. You could feel that they were doing something, but it all faded away when you saw Spencer. There was blood on his hands. How did he get blood on his hands?

“I knew you’d find me,” you said. 

“Yeah, the cat was a good lie if I’ve ever seen one,” Spencer smiled at you, trying to keep you from freaking out at the bullet in your body. 

“Do you need me to tell you what happened?” Spencer grinned like you’d just said the most ridiculous thing ever.

“No, not right now. Just rest, okay?” He took one of your hands and sat down on the bench at the wall. You nodded and shut your eyes, almost instantly falling asleep. 

“How is she?” Morgan asked as Spencer left the hallway that led to the room where you were. There was still blood on his hands that he hadn’t even tried to wash off, the team noticed. 

“She’s going to be fine,” Spencer said. “She’s just exhausted right now.” Hotch looked at him, up and down. “And I know exactly why you’re looking at me like that.”

“You do?” Hotch asked. Spencer sat down in the open chair the team had left for him. 

“A year,” Spencer said to answer Hotch’s question before it was even asked. “We started dating right after that case in Reno. When we got trapped in that cage together, we just kind of... I don’t know.” 

“You hid it for that long? You sly dog,” Morgan chuckled. 

“If anyone should go down for this, it’s me,” Spencer said to Hotch. “I’m prepared to give up my spot on the team. I understand that we’re not supposed to...”

“That won’t be necessary,” Hotch interrupted. “I’ll talk to Strauss, but as long as it won’t interfere with your work, and it hasn’t so far, then I don’t see why it should be a problem.”

“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” Morgan said as he slapped Spencer’s back. That was when a nurse came out and told Spencer that he could go see you. Apparently you’d asked for Hotch, too, and he stood up. Spencer walked back to the room, not expecting you to be as awake as you were. 

“Hey,” Spencer said softly, brushing a piece of hair away that had gotten caught in your eyelashes. “How do you feel?” 

“Awful,” you responded. You saw Hotch and tried to sit up, but he held a hand up. “I can explain why-”

“Spencer already told me. It’s fine. We’ll deal with it.” You looked over at Spencer, moving over in the bed to indicate that you wanted him to sit with you. He did just that. “You should get some rest. We’ll get your statement and everything as soon as you’re back at home.”

“I’ll stay with her, you guys go on,” Spencer insisted. Hotch nodded and left the room, leaving you two alone. You turned toward Spencer and laid your head in his chest, cuddling up to him as much as you could. He put one of his arms behind you, the other one taking your hands at your stomach. 

“I knew you’d figure it out,” you muttered, half asleep from the drugs they’d hooked you up to a few minutes ago. “I’m sorry I had to give us up in the process.” Spencer shook his head.

“You didn’t give anything up. I could’ve played it off. But maybe everything will be okay. You know you could have just said you knew who the unsub was, right?” You shook your head. 

“No. He threatened to kill everyone I loved. Including you. I figured you would find me, and if not you would find the trail I left.” Spencer sighed. 

“I’m not going anywhere. You know that, right? I’m a lousy shot but at least I have a brain.” You giggled. 

“Yeah, you do.” He turned his head and kissed your forehead, smiling down at you as he did. 

“I love you too,” he said after a minute of silence. “I really, really do.”

“I know.” You cuddled up to him and closed your eyes, thankful that you had the most observant boyfriend in the world. 

A/N: This is only my second (?) time writing for Spencer, but boy do I love this man!!!! 

Arrow 7x20 Brain Dump

I liked this week’s offering!! We got our little ninja Roy back!! Like last week, however, it felt out of place in the season, where was this goodness when we were still mucking about with the Dragon nonsense mid-season?? For me it was lacking in Oliver, and sorely missing Olicity scenes, given our finite time 😭, but was still a good episode overall! I liked how the team transpired to be working as a true unit, for once (only after some persuading from Oliver)! In fact, it was so hard to break up the episode this week, as it was such a team-focused story.

Episode Summary

We had some serious Agatha Christie vibes going on, the story told in a classic whodunnit style. The bulk of the plot was told through flashback *cue sepia* and was interspersed with Dinah interrogating the team one by one in real time.  The fact that the officer was killed using lead piping also tickled me a lot 😂.

The show opens with Dinah and Sergeant Bingsley arriving at a crime scene with the bodies of 2 subway guards. It then cuts to them questioning the first of ‘the suspects’, who turns out to be none other than…Oliver Queen!  Dun dun duuuuunn!!! Oliver denies killing the officers, saying that Team Arrow actually stopped a terrorist attack by Emiko and the Ninth Circle. After questioning Oliver, we realise that besides Team Arrow, there was also someone else there at the scene…ROY HARPER!!!

By flashback, we realise that the team discovered that the Ninth Circle intended on using the bioweapon we saw last week to ‘destroy the city’ or something like that (I can’t say I was 100% on the ball with the backstory this week guys 😂😂). In order to deal with this threat, they call in our favourite parkouring ninja street fighter ROY!!!!!

Source: arsenalroy

Continued below the cut

Dinah and Bingsley (ugh, I hate him) interview all of the team, including Roy, during the course of the episode as we see the story unfold. It appears as if Dinah had no involvement in the operation and is looking to put one of the team away for the murders, but in a somewhat predictable ‘twist’, it is revealed that she was there as the Black Canary for the whole thing, and so is still a suspect herself!

Source: lucyyh 💗

Back in the sepia times, we see the team, including Felicity and now also Dinah, move in to stop the threat, eventually all separating off, as we hear the guards’ defensive shots, and see all of them reacting in turn (I really liked this part…so dramatic!). We then see my sweet baby Roy, battering the guards with the lead piping in a violent rage. Oliver manages to drag him away, horrified and covered in blood, but it is too late, the guards are dead, and everyone looks to Oliver to decide what to do next.

Back at the lair, Oliver realises that Roy has pit-rage, asking him “how did you die” (that murdered me😭). Nyssa had administered the lotus elixir to cure him, but they think his previous exposure to Mirakuru somehow stopped the rage from killing him, but let the rage remain to an extent. This somewhat explained why he doesn’t go into a coma whilst marooned on Lian Yu for 20 years, with noone to kill. Oliver tells Roy, and the others, that Roy is part of the Team and they will cover for him, and thus all the interrogations etc. are explained.

At the end of the Episode, Oliver finally confronts Emiko at the Ninth Circle’s base. Emiko drops the figurative and literal bombshell on Oliver that she knowingly sent Robert off to his death, then proceeds to blow up the building they are in, leaving Oliver trapped under cement blocks and rebar ALL THE REBAR!!  THE TOMMY FEELS GUYS I CAN’T EVEN 😭😭😭

Source: olicitygifs

To be continued 😱😱😱…. 

Olicity

What even is an Olicity? We got next to nothing this week, no glorious episode 20 sexy times, no conversation, no Olicity-only scenes, no kiss, no hug😡. We got a couple of cute touchy moments but that was it. Bitter, you ask? Fuck yes, I am! Hopefully we can make up for this with some hurt/comfort next week, but anyway, let’s look at some pretty!

Source: lucyyh 💗

Source: feilcityqueen

Felicity

Felicity Megan Smoak was a dream in this episode. Start to finish. Fabulous! Would I have liked to have seen more of her? Hell to the yes, she was for sure underused in this episode, but what we did get was perfection!!! Her adorable reunion with Roy, barging past Oliver to attack hug him 😂😂

Source: feilcityqueen

Her whole babble about her emotions was hilarious; “Nerves of Steel. You know me. I’m cool.” How no one else guessed she’s pregnant I will never know, but Roy did kinda raise his eyebrows, so my head canon says he guessed, until they tell me otherwise!

Source: felicitysmoakgifs

Felicity dragging Dinah during her own interrogation was beautiful! From her pointed nonchalance at the entire situation, all whilst eating a sandwich and asking for cake (god I love her so much), to her constant corrections, to “Oh, you mean when Diaz kidnapped Roy to try to turn him against Oliver? You might have forgotten about that since you weren’t exactly on speaking terms with Oliver and I at the time” YAAAASSSS burn herrrrr!!!!!

Source: seeing-red-arrow

I loved that we saw her in the field again, side-by-side with her original and new team mates. I’m so pleased that even though we didn’t get a heap of Felicity, they really used her as much as the style of the episode permitted.

Bonus one-liners:

“That’s a no on the evil sister redeeming herself then”

“Roy is incredible at parkour” 

😂😂😂

Oliver

We really needed more Oliver in this episode. The storyline should be ramping up and focusing in on Oliver (and the core characters) at this point in the season, and Oliver was in the episode for no more than anyone else, really.

Source: olicitygifs

His highlights for me, beyond a doubt, were his interactions with Roy. I missed this relationship so much!! In many ways, Roy was Oliver (and Felicity’s) first child. He brought Roy into this life, he helped to guide him, to nurture his existing abilities and passed on skills that he had learned. He saved Roy from himself and The Glades, and in return Roy saved Oliver right back, giving him back a part of his humanity that Oliver had long thought lost back in the dark days of seasons 1 and 2, and literally saving him from a life sentence in S3. These men became family not through Thea, but through their bond within Team Arrow.

Oliver didn’t hesitate for a second to declare “we have to protect him”, when they found Roy killing the guards. He knew right away about the pit, defending him against Rene and Dinah when they didn’t want to cover for him at first (shocker), telling them they didn’t understand what he’d been through, that “Roy is and always will be as much a part of this team as the rest of us” and reiterating that “if someone on this team goes down, this entire team goes down.” When he speaks to Roy about what happened, Roy doesn’t initially want to ask for Oliver’s help, but Oliver simply tells him “you never have to ask me, ever”. Ugh I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!

Source: smoakmonster

Something also finally seemed to click for Oliver this week, that he could not help Emiko, that she needs taking into custody. I loved his words to Rene “at a certain point, people need to take responsibility for their actions”, YES MY LOVE!!! I can’t wait to see how he reacts to Emiko next week and in the finale, now that he realises how far gone she is, and that she effectively set him on this path 12 years ago, killing their father, and sentencing Oliver to his time on the island etc.

Source: olivergifs

Dig

Dig was criminally underused in this episode. He had barely any interactions with Roy, despite their history, his interrogation was super brief, and we barely saw him in the field. DO BETTER WRITERS! We’re running out of OTA time!!

Source: feilcityqueen

Roy

ARSENAL IS BACK BITCHES!!! I love Roy Harper. Always have, always will. Sooo glad to see him in the current timeline! He looked so happy to be back with his family too! I’m glad that they explained Thea’s absence (they called for Roy specifically) and talked about how she was doing. Oliver was honest with Roy straight-up about Emiko, and explained how he didn’t want to tell Thea about her until she was caught, as he didn’t want to hurt her by Robert’s actions again, especially now she’s free of her life in Star City.

I love, and actually screamed when Felicity acknowledged Roy’s parkour! They specifically used his bouncy-bouncy ninja skills to break into the vault. However, I will still never get enough of Roy’s unnecessary parkour haha, and we got to see a little of that during his fights, and it still made me smile!!

Roy’s reaction to his pit-rage was heart-breaking. This was worse than when he found out about killing the police officer on Mirakuru. I can see these killings (and I’m hoping maybe even Emiko, also) being what sends him to self-exile on Lian Yu, where we found him 20 years later in the flash forwards.

Dinah/Rene/Emiko (a.k.a. the annoyances)

Dinah remains fucking annoying! Even turning out to be in on the act in the end, it was so easy to buy into her trying to send down anyone and everyone on the team for this crime because she is just generally a shitty disloyal person!

Likewise with Rene. It was easy as the viewer to believe that he had ratted out Oliver again, because he’s done it before, and I have no doubt he would do it again. Neither he nor Dinah wanted to help Roy at first. That they needed reminding by Oliver about how protecting one of the team protects all of them, just reiterates how they are not true team players and why most of the fandom still doesn’t class them as real members of Team Arrow.

Regarding Emiko and Rene…Rene basically just stalked Emiko for half the season, they are not ‘close’, ugh, stop! Emiko gets bonus points for shooting Rene when he confronts her! I actually didn’t mind how they used Emiko this week, she appeared only when necessary, and moved the story on. I still can’t take her seriously as the big bad of the season, but it is what it is. Emiko will stop at nothing to take down the Queens (which at this point is quite frankly just stupid), and her latest dastardly deed is to bury Oliver under a building (from behind a protective wall, because she knows that’s the only way she would escape Oliver) to ‘kill him’ and then to destroy his reputation on the outside by outing the video footage of him covering up for Roy.

With no flash forwards this week, I just can’t help think of all the extra time we had, and that extra time was spent on Dinah and Rene *violently rolls eyes*, when we could have had more OTA & Roy (my favourite combination)! Anyway, next week looks awesome!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the gif-makers! I love you more than Roy loves excessive back flips 😉

💗💗💗

emotionally colorblind: plance in season 8

(part one of three)

In the series finale of The I.T. Crowd, one of the techs has started dating a girl from another department. (Yes, this is VLD meta, just stick with me.) He feels the relationship is going well and is very happy, and brags to his coworkers that his girlfriend recently told him he was “emotionally artistic” - which he interprets to mean he’s on the “artistic” emotional spectrum because he’s so in touch with her wants and needs. (At this point, it’s become clear to the viewer that his girlfriend has actually accused him of being “emotionally autistic” and believes him to be on the autistic spectrum.)

Later that day, his girlfriend calls again to tearfully ask if he’d accompany her to her grandfather’s funeral and abruptly hangs up on him when he cheerfully agrees. He’s baffled by her reaction until his manager rightly points out that his girlfriend was upset because the way he responded was completely off base from the subject matter, as his chipper tone of voice made him sound as if he’d just been invited to a music festival rather than having any sympathy for his girlfriend’s loss. Only then does it occur to him that his response was inappropriate because funerals are sad.

“‘Emotionally artistic’? You’re emotionally colorblind,” his manager mutters in disbelief.

Old news, but Season 8 isn’t what anyone expected

‘Emotionally colorblind’ - e.g., giving inappropriate responses to a topic because of an inability to perceive the nuances of a situation - feels like a pretty good description of Season 8, in which excellent animation is overwhelmed by moments in which characterization feels off, dialogue doesn’t seem to fit, or the plot clashes with what’s actually being shown on screen. Those moments - along with the conspicuous lack of reaction from the cast and EPs in the month since its release and cryptic criticism from crew members - have led many fans to conclude that the version of Season 8 released took the cast/crew by surprise. Posts by Aria C., a former DW intern while Season 8 was in production, suggest that the overall plot hadn’t changed dramatically since the scripts were being drafted, but that doesn’t mean that individual character arcs weren’t subtly adjusted along the way.

While it’s not clear exactly how much actually changed about Season 8 during production, we do know that many of the changes were made at the last minute. The most noticeable changes seem to have been in response to the backlash against how LGBT characters were portrayed, although this article covers many of the other pacing issues in Season 8 while some of the discrepancies between the audio description and what’s actually seen on screen are listed here. The single biggest last-minute change seems to be the epilogue (including the final few stills) which was approved extremely late in the production process and underwent additional changes after being leaked just weeks before the season’s release.

I strongly suspect that Pidge and Lance had an arc in Season 8 that was another casualty of the last-minute changes.

The End is the Beginning

Let’s take a look at the ending of the series’ final episode. One year after the final battle with Honerva, Pidge and Matt are working on building a humanoid robot that Pidge dubs Chip. Colleen interrupts to tell Pidge she should be heading out; Pidge looks serious and doesn’t respond, then recovers a moment later and makes Matt promise to wait for her to get back to finish. She leaves her glasses with Chip before heading off in the Green Lion, as Sam and Colleen both watch her leave.

Colleen: “Your father’s got the teludav all warmed up for you. Better get going, you don’t want to be late.”
 Sam: (cheerful) “Have a good time, honey!” Pidge: (laughingly) “I will, Dad.”

The way they’re talking to her is the way parents would talk to a teenager who’s about to go to a party or on a date, peppy and almost teasing. Pidge’s serious expression suggests that wherever she’s going is somewhere she’s not entirely ready to be - she isn’t upset about needing to be somewhere, but she isn’t rushing out the door to get there, either. Maybe she’s nervous - we can’t tell.

We cut to Coran and Merla on Altea as they discuss preparations for “the first Celebration of Allura”, then over to Lance as he recounts the story of Allura’s sacrifice to a group of schoolchildren sitting by her statue, telling them that while he misses her, he knows she’s still with all of them. The Altean teacher, in a chipper tone similar to Pidge’s parents, informs the kids that “Paladin Lance has somewhere to be in a few doboshes.” Just then, a wormhole opens and Lance looks up as the Green Lion flies through. He turns away from the statue to watch Pidge land, a smile on his face.

The scene fades to the Paladins having dinner by the statue of Allura. Within moments, it’s obvious that their reunion is the feast Coran and Merla had been discussing earlier. The Celebration of Allura is the one year anniversary of her death. The paladins’ reunion is a memorial.

We’ve seen memorials in VLD before. In Season 7, Shiro visits the Garrison’s memorial wall for those KIA. Later, Earth has a giant memorial service for the victims of just one battle, as Shiro addresses the crowd: “There isn’t one of us here today who hasn’t experienced the tragedy of losing someone close. It truly feels like a light has gone out in our lives and the sun itself couldn’t reignite it. But that light, that fire, hasn’t gone out completely. It’s fueled within each of us by the memories and the love of those we’ve lost. …”

After the one year timeskip, we see Keith persuading the Galra to join the Galactic Coalition with Shiro and Hunk leading diplomatic negotiations on the Atlas; all three invoke Allura’s example as they work towards peace. Hunk even mentions the significance of that day being when they commemorate Allura’s sacrifice. What she did and why she did it aren’t secret. It stands to reason that the anniversary of her death - the anniversary of when Allura saved their reality and countless others - wouldn’t be a ‘celebration’ only for six people. Everyone, everywhere, should be taking a moment to remember her - especially those who fought at her side, like the Holts.

Instead, Sam and Colleen’s reactions in Pidge’s scene are jarring. While things may be different in Voltron’s future world, I doubt any parent would tell their child “Have a good time, honey!” as they go to a memorial dinner for their dead friend. Because as The I.T. Crowd pointed out, funerals are sad - and so is any reminder of someone’s death. You don’t have to be constantly moping and sobbing because you miss someone, you can still celebrate their life, but that kind of event still has a somber, bittersweet element to it. Telling someone ‘Have fun, don’t be late!’ as they head off to a memorial would definitely qualify as emotionally colorblind. It’s hard to believe the actors and voice director would have agreed to record the scene within the context we got onscreen.

Lance’s scene makes it even more complicated. Showing Lance turn to watch only Pidge land is a bizarre choice if the purpose of his scene is to emphasize how much Lance still cares for Allura before showing the other Paladins arriving on Altea. It only makes sense for Lance to turn away from looking at Allura’s statue and towards Pidge if Pidge and Lance are supposed to have a deeper connection.

If the focus is actually meant to be on Allura and this event - and on her family coming together to remember her - it would have made sense for Lance to look past Allura’s statue to see the Blue Lion in the distance, Red parked next to it, as Green, Yellow, and Black emerge from the wormhole to land beside them. If the animation had to be rushed for a last-minute change or the budget was stretched too far, they could have just used the same shot of the Lions sitting together at the end of dinner with daytime lighting instead of night, fading into dinner instead of fading out. 

Pidge and Lance’s scenes would also have benefited from being re-recorded with slightly different dialogue and delivery. For example:

Colleen: (serious, but gentle) “Your father’s got the teludav ready to go. You don’t want to be late, Katie.” Sam: “Tell ’em hello for me.” Pidge: (a little reserved) “I will, Dad.”

Teacher: “I think Paladin Lance has some visitors to go meet, and you all have class…” 


VLD’s had to work around making the dialogue fit changes to the animation/plot before. Take The Feud, in which Keith sounds bizarrely calm compared to the others, which the EPs later explained was because Steven Yeun recorded his lines before the storyboards and script had finalized what the paladins’ reactions would be and he was too busy to re-record before the deadline, so they kept his first take. (I suspect that’s also the reason for Keith’s annoyed-sounding “Don’t miss” comment to Lance in Know Your Enemy, which doesn’t mesh with their otherwise more positive relationship at that point, although I have absolutely no proof) But Yeun’s situation isn’t the norm - in cases where the actor was genuinely too busy to re-record, the show either used soundalikes or wrote out a character where possible, replaced dialogue, etc. Any of those tactics could have been valid workarounds…. unless the change was made relatively last-minute and there just wasn’t enough time.

So if the ending is missing the context of an additional scene between Pidge and Lance, what else might have been cut? And why?

I’ll explain in part two.

7KPP Week 2019: Day 4

Man, I was all looking forward to writing a letter from Lia to her favorite cousin, but on my commute home last night, I had the sudden idea of developing Lia’s background more in fic, and therefore we have a little bit more of an answer to the question “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS, LIA?” when it comes to her sense of duty to her family and the Jiyelese government (aka why she breaks up with her Duke).

Sorry I’m a little bit late and didn’t proofread but this somehow got really long when I wasn’t paying attention holy shit.

AO3 Link

Day 4 - Letters || Learning

Her father’s office desk was still too big for her.

Lia sat in the chair, struggling to resist the urge to fidget, as she perused the various ledgers that she had found in the office, all documented in her father’s scarcely legible scrawl. Land and husbandry details accompanied recorded disputes and notes about their tenants and she had never been so thankful for the fastidiousness that had, as a child, annoyed her to no end. While she knew little to nothing about the actual management of Grenwold, at least there was sufficient information to analyze.

Still, it was little comfort against the anxiety that gripped her heart whenever her thoughts turned upstairs to her parents, her mother hardly moving from her father’s bedside, with no updates on his well-being.

No, it was far better to keep occupied and, given that not even Dr. Hasao had any idea of a workable treatment, a child—for she suddenly could not imagine herself as the young lady of fifteen she had fashioned herself to be only a few months prior—who had not even finished her first year at the Royal Academy could surely do little more for her father than to manage the estate while he was… temporarily indisposed. For that was all he was, all he could be.

Shaking her head, she forcibly dragged her attention back to the study and the veritable pile of documents awaiting her examination… once she could make sense of them all. With a sigh, she acknowledged defeat and slid off the seat, wincing as her hunched shoulders and back protested the movement, to examine her father’s bookshelves.

Though the vast majority of their books were organized methodically in the manor’s library, a previous search revealed those on history or science, but very little on matters of the estate. Rather, it was apparent that Lord Franklin kept most of those pertaining to management within arm’s reach for ease of consultation. It was those she turned her attention to, pulling any that might help her make sense of the scribbled shorthand within the records of crop rotations and rent collection, lessons on which, she was at least fairly certain, would never have made its way into her education at the Academy.

Well, at least she was still learning something, though perhaps not quite as appropriate for a young lady of gentle breeding as Jiyelese society would prefer.

Biting her lip to restrain the almost hysterical laughter that threatened to bubble out, she rubbed at her eyes, which served little to clear their blurriness, nor the fog slowly but surely settling over her mind. Instead, she reached for her teapot, only to find it empty. Again.

Unable to resist the urge to groan, she reached for the bell, intent on requesting yet another refill, but there was a knock on the door before she could so much as turn to face the entrance of the room. The housekeeper of Grenwold since before she was born, Mrs. Lee was one of the few who had instantly agreed to stay through the downsizing and simplifying, out of what Lia suspected was sheer loyalty. It also meant that Mrs. Lee, of anyone, was most capable of questioning her poor decision making, which explained the admittedly fearsome scowl on the woman’s generally cheerful face.

“Miss Lia, might I remind you that you have had three full pots of tea already?”

She forced her lips into a winsome smile, clasping her hands together in an imitation of her childhood innocence. “Just one more, Mrs. Lee? Please?”

The scowl twitched before morphing into something that, for a moment, resembled a smirk, before smoothing out. “Very well. Your last.”

Lia released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding as she stepped back to the desk and reached for the pile of budget notes. “Thank you.”

Mrs. Lee spoke again, but she barely heard it, only waving vaguely as she took in her mother’s neat script and a shiver ran down her spine.

It was a well-known fact that her father was “lord” in name only, following the acts of ancestors that she had never been able to coax out of her tutors. Her childhood was modest compared to many of those around her, including her more distant relatives, but still comfortable, with all of the books and skilled tutors that she could have wanted. And though that had changed in more recent years, she had always assumed that the adjustments to her family’s lifestyle had been to accommodate her tuition for the Royal Academy but…

She flipped forward another page, her hands turning cold as she found the year’s collection.

But if her calculations were correct, Grenwold’s income had been steadily decreasing, had reached a point where it was scarcely enough to keep the household, already cut to the barebones, running, even after removing the tuition, room, and board that they would no longer need to pay. Between difficulties with the livestock and poor weather for crop growth, it was unlikely to improve in the next harvest. And that did not include the costs of physicians and medicine…

Soft footsteps approached the desk, setting down a tray, and she reached for the newly replaced teacup, taking a sip without looking. The hot liquid scalded her tongue, but she barely noticed as she set it down hard enough that it nearly sloshed over. “Did you honestly give me chrysanthemum tea and expect me not to notice, Mrs. Lee?”

“She did not. I did.”

Lia froze before slowly turning to the doorway. Lady Hyacinth stood with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, and she sprang to her feet, hurrying over.

“Mama? You’re here! Is there any news? How is Father? What did Dr. Hasao say? Is there any estimation on how long before Father recovers?” She drew a deep breath, cutting off her remaining questions with some difficulty, though thankfully, her mother only looked tiredly amused.

“No more questions? Very well then. There has been no significant change. Your father is about the same. His fever is no longer climbing, though it has not dropped either. Dr. Hasao remains uncertain as to the cause, but hopes that relief for the symptoms may give his body enough time to combat it on its own.” Lady Hyacinth offered her a wan smile. “It is the best we may hope for, given the current circumstances. And you, my dear. You should be abed.”

“But…” She hesitated, glancing back towards the desk and the stack of documents upon it. “There is much to do, especially…”

Her mother’s face softened, eyes shifting to glance at the desk and the budgets clearly left open. “So that is what has kept you up. Do not concern yourself overmuch. You father and I spoke months ago and have already contacted the Office of Finance. They have agreed to provide aid so long as we continue to do our duties to each other, to our tenants, and to the Crown. I have no doubt that they will support us through this.”

“But how…?” She bit her lip, barely noticing as her mother squeezed her shoulder. “With Father… resting, there is little that can be done to support the Crown as it is. And that does not include medical costs…”

“It will all work out. After all, it is only logical that struggles may arise, but the seasons change, and so will this. And in the meantime, we will do what we can. You do not believe that we can maintain a household if we put our minds to it? You, who has been catching mistakes in your father’s calculations since you learned to add?”

At that, she chuckled, and Lady Hyacinth gave an approving nod. “Your father will be back on his feet in no time, and will no doubt find the study better organized than he left it.” A gentle hand reached up, brushing a strand of hair out of her eye. “Now, come rest. He would not want you working yourself to sickness at his expense.”

Setting her shoulder resolutely, she nodded and followed her mother out of the room, though not before turning to take one last glance at the pile of ledgers and tomes awaiting her return on the morrow. After all, her mother had plenty else to worry about, and she would do her duty to her family, no matter how long it took.

RWBY Recaps: Vol. 5 "Lighting the Fire"

This is a re-posting from Nov. 4th, 2017 in an effort to get all my recaps fully on tumblr. Thanks!

I would like to begin this review by extending a heartfelt apology to Yang Xiao Long. I should have never doubted her.

A few posts ago I mentioned how surprised I was that Yang would choose her Mom over Ruby, especially given her character short on top of an already single-minded personality. If there’s one thing that can be truly said to define Yang, it’s the love and protective streak she has for her sister. So I was thrilled at the reveal that this whole trip was essentially a strategic smokescreen. As Yang puts it bluntly: “I’m not here for you.” She’s always been heading towards Ruby. The only reason Yang is making this emotional pit-stop is because Raven can save her time.

We’ve known since the train that Raven can open portals, but until now it’s been up in the air whether that’s her semblance, something extra (like Qrow’s morphing ability), something that was bestowed on her, etc. Well, it turns out that first time’s the charm. Raven’s semblance allows her to bond to certain people—Yang, Tai, and Qrow—and form portals to their immediate location. Pretty nifty when you think about it, especially since Yang knows Qrow will have found Ruby by now. If she gets to Qrow, she gets to her sis. Except for the fact that Qrow is off looking for more huntsmen. Potential problem?) Still it’s a wonderful twist, especially since RWBY already has enough character arcs about kids trying to reconcile with their abusers. Given Yang’s headstrong nature, it just didn’t feel right for her to try and bond with a long-absent mom. Demand a favor though because “nothing is going to keep me from my sister”? Yeah. That’s Yang.

Not to say she hasn’t changed, of course. Though many are still uncomfortable with the way her PTSD is being written, I’m glad to see that this persistent shaking remains. Obviously not glad in the sense of, “Yay kids suffering!” but glad that we’re given acknowledgment that trauma has lasting effects and Yang will need to continue to work at her new life and against her new fears—things aren’t solved through one good crying session. We get to see her in a real fight for the first time since Beacon and, as many guessed, her new arm is outfitted with a gun to balance out the other half of Ember Celica, doubling as a decent shield in a pinch. It’s also notable that Yang’s style has changed a bit. Her movements are more controlled; graceful even, more like Weiss’ (and isn’t that something given the end of the episode). In short, Yang’s hand-to-hand has become more measured, as opposed to the ‘charge and hit as hard as you can’ technique that we saw pre-Volume 3. It makes sense, given that the last time Yang rushed in without thoroughly evaluating her opponent she lost that arm. Even her conversation is a little cooler. “Good to know, thanks.” This is a Yang that retains her confidence, but with less of the arrogant taunts. She’s growing up and though much of that growth stems from trauma, it’s still lovely to see.

Back in Haven training has begun. Ruby is… really not good at hand-to-hand. But she’s improving! This whole sequence is a study in excellent facial expressions, as two kids—both of whom are uncomfortable with this situation—attempt to beat each other up the old-fashioned way. The animation moves smoothly from comic fear to stubborn determination. Oscar actually manages to land a punch that knocks Ruby down and I laughed aloud at his frantic apology. He shouldn’t have lost focus. Ruby comes back with a swing of her own seconds later.

However, as usual there are significant details paired alongside these humorous scenes. After Oscar takes his hit Ozpin asks, “Mind if I give it a shot?” and immediately takes control. This is interesting, given that just last episode (only a day earlier?) Oscar had to focus and deliberately give up control to Ozpin. It took time. Now we don’t even get to see whether Oscar agrees to the switch—Ozpin is already there.

Now yes, they’re eventually meant to merge into one person, or at least share this body in a way reminiscent of that. That’s presumably the end goal (unless Shannon McCormick’s recent comments hint at something we don’t know yet). However, the fact that we see Ozpin’s power over Oscar in the same episode that Raven drops her cryptic comments brings back the theory that Ozpin isn’t quite as benevolent as we’d like to believe. The only true evidence for that (given his actual kind nature and the fact that Raven herself definitely can’t be trusted) is because that’s just how these stories go. Oh, I have no doubt that he’s doing things for “the right reasons,” but like Dumbledore and Gandalf before him, Ozpin’s quest to do what’s right for the world no doubt involves a great deal of sacrifice, complicating the morality there. If Raven considers Ruby a “lost cause” for so much as associating with Ozpin, that’s a pretty heavy implication--if we choose to believe her--that anyone near him will get chewed up and spit out by this war, regardless of what Ozpin might do to try and stop it. AKA, Pyrrha. Casualties are inevitable. (In fact, there’s a lot of potential similarities here between the corners Ozpin is backed into and Qrow’s semblance. For both, everyone around them suffers, regardless of intent). Ozpin’s screen-time this season has been just a little too lighthearted and his persona just a little too grandfatherly. I’m waiting for when these complications come back up and bite everyone on the ass, reminding them that they’re in the middle of a war. 

Anyone who spends five minutes with me in the RWBY fandom knows that Ozpin is my favorite and I’d like nothing more than for him to remain the wise, kindly headmaster figure indefinitely. I want him alongside Team RWBY to the very end. However, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Raven drops some very uncomfortable information about him next episode, the “truth” that she insists Yang and Weiss don’t know about yet. She could be referring to Ozpin’s cursed nature, but Raven has already admitted that she was once in his employ and can clearly never go back to that, so I suspect there’s far more to her discomfort than just a little reincarnation. Whether we believe her—whether that will be enough to turn the audience against Ozpin even more than they already are, especially when it’s coming from someone like Raven—we’ll have to wait and see. And no doubt all of this will tie back to Raven’s work in securing the Spring Maiden.

The implications of all this are still at least a week off though. For now the training session remains as happy as possible when you’re preparing to take down your world’s embodiment of evil. Ren has a lovely moment where he explains various theories on semblances: how they might be a reflection of your personality, or vice versa, or have no true connection to who you are at all. So basically... semblances could be anything. The magic structure keeps getting flimsier as time goes on. Regardless, Ruby confirms a long-held belief that her semblance came out during training one day (with Qrow?) and Nora was… struck by lightning. And survived. Good god this girl’s life is horrifying.

The big question then is: What is Jaune’s semblance? And what is Oscar’s? It honestly never occurred to me that he’d have a semblance of his own to unlock, rather than just inheriting something from Ozpin. In fact, what’s Ozpin’s semblance? Does he still have one? Or was it lost long ago after his first merge? I'd like to think that he has at least two at all times: his original semblance (or magic, perhaps) and whatever his host is capable of. I'd actually be interested in seeing an Ozpin who retains the semblances of every person he's merged with, but given that Cinder managed to kill him, I doubt we'll be seeing that kind of power. I suppose time manipulation is still a possibility given how that fight was animated, but again, I think we’d have already heard about such a powerful ability if that card was on the table. It's certainly not the curse itself… that was forced onto Ozpin by the Gods. So maybe—just maybe—Volume 5 will give us three semblance reveals instead of just one. And Ozpin’s comment that there are heights to achieve beyond just unlocking your semblance opens doors for power-ups within our main cast.  

This is actually a lot packed into the shortest episode of the Volume thus far and if you thought we were finished…

Weiss: “Your mom kidnapped me?”

Yang: “YOU KIDNAPPED HER?”

I nominate this as one of RWBY’s greatest moments. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more from their reunion. Harking back to last week’s episode, Weiss demonstrates that she really doesn’t need anyone to save her. Yes, she was still in that cage, but only because she was going for subtly and strategy over a brute-force escape plan. (Remember, that’s Yang’s territory.) When she sees that Yang is somehow here that plan goes straight out the window. One knight at full strength and Weiss has busted out of her prison, running to back up Yang in a very outnumbered fight.

RT knows when to cut things back though and reminding everyone that, ahem, the Grimm are still a formidable enemy was a smart move. Raven might not have any qualms about fighting family, but she won’t let that anger draw a whole horde of Grimm to her camp. She gives Myrtenaster back to Weiss and invites them inside for that talk.

But first we have this.

I love that Weiss hugged first. I love that she freely abandons Myrtenaster in hostile territory to do so. She never would have done that a year ago. They’ve been through so much though and the fact that she can freely say how much she missed Yang says heaps about her character development.

It’s a beautiful shot to end the episode on. And if you listen closely, there’s the sound of Freezerburn shippers sobbing happily in the distance…  

Other Details of Note

Raven’s bandit sitting waaaaay far back on Yang’s motorbike. Bet you ten lien he tried to wrap his arms around her waist and got another punch for his trouble.

The click of gears we hear as Yang stretches her arms. Nice touch there.

“I’m her daughter, after all.” There’s some of the taunting Yang we know and love.

Can’t say I was a fan of the music during the RJNR-Ozpin-Oscar chat scene. It felt… sitcom-ish? That’s not quite right, but too upbeat and noticeable for the moment. I shouldn’t be distracted from the conversation by whatever the music is doing.

I found Raven’s first greeting to Yang creepy in the extreme. You’re so strong and patient, doing everything you can to make your dream a reality. Talk about trying to butter someone up when you don’t actually know anything about that person. Raven’s attempts at welcoming Yang ring so false that it just hits home how estranged they are.

We've had a lot of 'crane shots' (for lack of a better word) this Volume: during Salem's conversation with Lionheart, before Sienna's assassination, now as Yang confronts her mother. I'm not sure what exactly to make of this yet, only that it's been a frequent technique the last few episodes and has definitely caught my attention.

One Hundred Ways to Say ‘I love you’- 90: You can tell me anything

Hello! Many apologies for being away for so long - I've been a bit ill and low on energy to write, read or post. I had this written before I actually fell ill, so I'm so glad I can post it now. I hope you all enjoy it. It's by far the longest piece I've written so far. Please let me know what you think :)

This was requested by @queseraone. I've kinda set it based on the comment in the season 5 premiere about Jay hitting a fellow cop for harassing Erin (because c'mon; how hot is that?!).

Thank you to my wonderful beta @justkillingtimewhileiwait !

As always - if you have any prompts off this list you’d like me to write, just message me! (That list is also a master post for all the prompts I’ve so far :))

It started innocently, or at least, that was what Erin made herself believe. She had no idea who he was when she met him at the crime scene Hank had called her out to in the middle of the night, dragging her away from her warm bed and even warmer boyfriend. Though all things considered, she couldn't complain when she wasn't the poor woman lying dead in her kitchen surrounded by three friends.

"Gruesome, huh?" Officer Malley, according to the name tag on his vest, commented as he led her through the house. He had looked familiar enough; tall, muscular, blonde, green eyes, but she hadn't been able to place him, and if she really thought about it, she knew she wouldn't. There were too many officers in the Chicago Police Department, and she barely knew the ones who worked out of the 21st let alone the rest of the districts.

"Not the worst I've seen," Erin sighed, taking in the modestly sized room and the multiple pools of blood on the tiled floor.

"Really?" the officer asked in surprise, and she shifted slightly to look at him questioningly when intrigue took over his features. "What's the wors-?"

Erin knew what the question was going to be when Hank cut him off by calling for her, but she merely offered a small, apologetic smile before following her boss' voice. By the time they had returned to the kitchen, Malley was gone, and she hadn't spared him another thought.

…

The case had dragged for over three days until Intelligence had caught the break they needed, apprehending the perpetrator not five miles from the crime scene itself. They had slept the bare minimum, just enough to function, as frustration ate at them all for not closing the case.

It was because of the lack of sleep, Erin reasoned to both herself and Jay when she had asked if he had wanted something from the vending machine downstairs, why she was turning to sugar in the form of Skittles in addition to her usual coffee. Since Jay had moved in, her dependency on candy for a sugar high had pretty much disappeared mostly due to the fact he did the grocery shopping more often than not and candy was never on his list. Even if she had snuck it on at the beginning, and received dried fruit packets instead.

"It's nature's candy," he had told her with a brilliant smile that had her wondering whether asking him to move in really was a great idea. Eight months later and she couldn't deny she was just as addicted to the healthy snack as she once was to her candy.

Though she had to admit, she never felt the same joy as she did when standing in front of a vending machine, deciding which variety of Skittles to get.

"Detective Lindsay," a voice called out from down the hallway just as Erin had selected the sour mix, knowing none of the boys but Antonio would touch it. She could share with Antonio.

Feeding the required dollar into the vending machine, she pursed her lips as her colleague approached. He was familiar and she knew she had met him before, but she simply couldn't place him. "Officer," she drawled slowly, hoping he didn't realise that she had forgotten his name as she roamed his uniform for a hint. Unfortunately, his jacket covered his up his vest and therefore his nametag.

"I heard you caught the person who murdered that poor woman and her friends," he commented with a hint of excitement and a whole lot of familiarity she could not reciprocate.

Malley, she remembered suddenly, mentally returning to the scene where he had met her at the door and guided her through to the kitchen. Though she hadn't recognised him on the night, Erin put it down to the fact that he was probably new to the precinct.

Realising the patrolman was waiting for her response, she put on a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, yeah we did. It was a spiteful old friend."

"I hope she goes away for a while," Malley stated, his words catching her off guard. Never once had she stated the shooter had been female, and Erin knew the news couldn't have spread that quickly. But before she could open her mouth, he was already carrying on with a smile. "You know we never finished that conversation from the crime scene."

"Conversation?" Erin asked, brow furrowing as she failed to recall any meaningful conversation they had shared. She couldn't help the way her muscles tensed in his presence; the way she stood rigid, ready to escape if needed to. There was something about his own overly confident attitude that had her on edge.

"About the worst crime scene you've seen," he reminded her with a shake of the head that she would have called affectionate if they had known each other for longer than approximately five minutes in total.

Erin frowned at his words, taking a carefully administered step back after noticing their close proximity that had only drifted smaller throughout the short exchange and reached for the candy she had yet to retrieve from the machine. "Oh, right! That's not a great conversation, actually," she told him offhandedly, snack now in hand and with every intention of returning back to her desk.

"Maybe a few drinks would make it more interesting? You go to Molly's, right? It's a pub nearby. Most of the first responders around here do," Malley informed her, his smile still in place with hopefulness shining brightly on his features.

"Yeah, no, It's pretty popular. We go there often," she told him with a light laugh, deducing for once and for all that he really was new to the 21st district if he hadn't noticed her at Molly's before, especially if he was asking her out for a drink. Deciding to let him down gently, yet put an obvious end to his attempted flirting, she softened her posture and offered him a quirk of her lips. "Listen, thank you for the offer but I'm in a relationship so I don't think that's really a good idea."

His features fell at her revelation, but before she could try and smooth things over, Malley smiled once again and shrugged nonchalantly. "Alright, well I'll be seeing you around then."

"Sure," she replied flippantly, gripping her candy in her hand and heading back towards the stairs to take her to Intelligence.

The feeling of someone watching her burnt hot against the back of her head as she willed herself to not turn around, and only waiting until she knew she was well out of sight before stopping. Though Erin hadn't immediately recognised him, she knew for certain Malley hadn't been one of the officers working on the case apart from the night of murder itself. They had kept any and all information about the suspect within the small group out so not to scare her off, which was why she found it suspicious that Malley knew it was a woman. Especially when statistics and experience showed that most of the murderers they caught were men.

Shaking her head, Erin pushed her thoughts aside and warned herself about overthinking things when running on fumes, coffee and sugar. If he really was a new cop, then of course he would follow up on one of his first crime scenes. There were plenty of ways of getting the information, even if Intelligence had run it in the dark for as long as they could. The idea he was following her was far too narcissistic.

…

Three weeks later, Erin wasn't sure it had been a narcissistic thought after all. Perhaps she had been jumping the gun back then, but not anymore. Not when she could see the other officer by the perimeter of the building Intelligence had just raided, and found nothing, helping others to seal it off. It was pretty late, the sun having set hours earlier, giving the secluded area they were in a much more eerie feeling even though it was lit up bright with lampposts and police squad cars.

It was because of the light she could see Malley as he occasionally, almost casually, kept looking back over at her. She tried to ignore it, squinting to force her eyes away from any direct light in his direction, but she couldn't help it. Ever since their initial meeting, she had spotted him at almost every single crime scene she had gone to yet never at the 21st again. If he had been, Erin knew Platt would have caught on quicker than the detective. But Malley's Sargent clearly didn't care about his whereabouts, or who he was riding with.

She could see the exact moment he decided to head her way. It was the same moment she turned her back to him and took steady, careful steps back to the Sierra where her partner was currently depositing his gun. Malley had tried talking to her a couple of times whilst at a scene, mostly about what was going on, but she made sure to shut it down once he turned it personal so not to give him any false ideas. Their relationship was professional, if even that.

Joining Jay at the back of their work car, she let out a small sigh when she noticed Malley turn back to securing the scene, yellow tape in hand. She had yet to tell anyone about the officer and his tendencies; at first not wanting to make it into a bigger deal than it was, and now not wanting to have the stigma of her calling out a male officer on harassment without any solid proof. Though she knew her team would believe her without a second thought, she worked for the city and the Chicago Police Department as a whole. Her career meant a lot to her, and being a detective in one of the most elite units in the city was not where she planned on stopping. If she could make it go away without any official paperwork to follow her, then she would do her best to make it happen.

However, at the same time, she knew ignoring him couldn't go on forever. Giving herself a six-week deadline, she had resolved with herself that if he hadn't gotten bored with her lack of interaction or response by then, she would tell Jay. It made her feel better about not opening up to him about it yet, even if she justified it by reminding herself that he would not take it lightly at all and probably mar his own professional career. It was for all their benefits, and her peace of mind, knowing she had Jay in her corner if she needed him no matter what.

As if realising her train of thoughts were currently about him, though it could have been her sigh that drew his attention too, Jay turned to face her after safely replacing his long gun in the back where hers had remained. He rested a hand on the top of the trunk door, keeping them slightly off to the side and away from most of the prying eyes as she stepped up to him and into his personal space.

Lifting her hand, she gently skimmed the pads of her fingers over his name on his vest, feeling each and every stitch of fabric which had meticulously formed Halstead, sitting perfectly over his right pectoral. She couldn't look away, not even as she felt Jay's free hand lay softly on her other arm, caressing her bicep with his thumb and the same tenderness she was giving his name tag.

"You alright?" he questioned, and she knew by his anxious tone if they hadn't just walked out of an empty building where not a single bullet had been fired, he'd have been checking her over for wounds already.

"Yeah," she murmured, dragging her eyes away from his name tag and seeing concern reflect in his own. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"I'm always going to worry, Er," he told her, a frown fixing itself onto his mouth as she tried to offer him a smile.

"I know," she breathed, glancing off to the side quickly to see Malley was still in the nearby vicinity and the reason why she could feel her head start to ache. Turning back to her partner, she pushed herself onto her toes and lightly brushed her lips against his. It was quick and daring, but she needed it to ground herself.

"Erin," Jay began when she fell back onto her feet and took a step back. His brow was furrowed and confusion was etched so clearly onto his features at her out-of-character show of affection whilst at work, there was no need for words to ask what had happened. At her shake of the head, he swallowed and pursed his lips momentarily. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know," she repeated, assuring him with a smile that stretched much more naturally across her lips and pressing her hand flat against his chest in a thankful gesture.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here," he promised her, and Erin could only offer him a nod in response lest she spilt her secret there and then at his loving words.

Dropping her hand from his body, she peered away from the gathering crowds and back towards the building they had come to raid. Their night was far from over, but the sooner they got back to the district, the sooner they could all go home. "We should get going. I don't think there's anything left to do here."

Jay nodded and closed the trunk door, peering over the roof of their car towards where their Sargent was standing, beckoning over whoever he can see of his team. "Let's go see what Voight wants first, though."

"Relax," Erin laughed when they started to make their way over, Jay making it more than obvious he was keeping a fair bit of distance between them. She had no doubt it was because of the kiss and her partner's fear of their boss seeing whilst on the clock, but she had to admit that it did push away all of her anxiety and worries at the sight of it. "He didn't see."

"Yeah, well, if he did," he began, pausing as they passed under the tape to approach their team. "I'll be the one to hear about it later, I'm sure."

"Aw, poor baby," she teased, bumping her shoulder into his as she purposely kept close to him. "I'll make it up to you."

Her remark earned her a smirk and a raised brow. "Don't you always?" Jay retorted with no need of a suggestive tone for them both to know what he meant.

Allowing a smile to play on Erin's lips, she took a small step away from him as they approached the rest of the team gathered around their boss and his car. She hadn't meant to but somehow, even with her consciously willing herself not to, she looked over casually towards where Malley had last been standing.

Something that felt like relief washed over her immediately when she failed to find it, but it was short-lived. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him closer than he had gotten since their conversation at the precinct, talking to another detective helping them on the case. He managed to keep looking at her, brow creased with his mouth pulled downwards into a frown. There was no doubt he had seen her kiss Jay, or them joking around a moment earlier. She had hoped it would send a message about how serious she was about being with someone, but something told her it wasn't going to be enough to deter him.

Trying her best to push those thoughts away before someone caught on to her turmoil, Erin willed herself to pay attention to Hank and his instructions, though it was rather hard to do when she could feel eyes continuously bore into the side of her head.

...

They closed the case two days later following another raid, this time successful. Unfortunately, it had resulted in the deaths of several members of the gang they were after, with both Jay and Antonio firing the fatal shots. Which meant the two of them were stuck with the paperwork that the Ivory Tower demanded to secure an ironclad case, leaving the rest of the team to not-so-guiltily retreat for a drink.

In Erin's defence, she had given Jay a half-hearted offer of a helping hand. He had thankfully seen through it and sent her to Molly's with the rest of the team, commenting it would only take him another hour or so and would grab a ride with Antonio to the pub. She hadn't offered twice, instead squeezing his shoulder and telling him she would see him soon before following Ruzak, Atwater and Burgess down the stairs.

Of course, she had beaten them all their destination. Deciding against waiting for them, she made her way towards the familiar pub, knowing there would be at least one person inside she knew to keep her company for the time being.

She had barely made it to the street corner when she regretted her decision. "Hello, Detective," the bane of her existence greeted her as he stepped in front of her and effectively blocking her way to the entrance of Molly's.

"Officer Malley," Erin replied dryly, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets though the late summer evening was still warm. "Can I get inside, please?"

"Let me buy you that drink we talked about," he insisted with a winning smile that probably would have worked plenty of other women but did nothing to convince her.

"I'm good, thanks," she replied, staring him down to watch as his smile faltered and his brow pinched together.

"Erin-," he began, but she shook her head and cut him off before she heard his attempt at striking up a conversation once again.

"Don't," Erin simply said, making sure her tone was authoritative and keeping her words simple so they couldn't be misconstrued. "Don't talk to me, don't pretend you know me. I'm here with my friends, so let's leave it at that and go our separate ways."

"I only want to talk. You never talk to me," Malley stated softly in a way that almost sounded like a whine when she was taken aback with hurt lacing his words.

Shaking her head, she refused to feel sympathy for the man who had been practically stalking her for the past three-odd weeks and stood her ground instead. "I don't know you, and I don't want to either. I don't want to be friends, we don't work together and I already have a boyfriend."

"Wait-," he tried again as she started to walk past him after she had said her part, grabbing her by the arm as she did so and turning her back to face him.

"Don't touch me," Erin warned him, dropping her arms by her sides after forcefully shaking off his hold. It had taken her a second to get over the shock of his sudden movement, having initially assumed he wasn't a physical threat to her. Now, she was no longer sure and was more than keen to head inside away from him.

Malley reached out once again, gripping onto her wrist with a tighter hold than earlier. "Let's just talk, okay?"

"No. Now let go of my wrist and walk away," she gritted out between her teeth, in both anger and frustration at his perseverance. "I said, let go!"

"You alright, Linds?" Malley finally retracted his hand and took a small step back a second before Erin had heard Ruzak's voice, knowing the other cop had seen him approach. Erin twisted slightly to look at her friend, watching as he took in the patrolman with discriminating eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

When Malley refused to answer, she sighed and shook her head. "He's no-one. Let's go inside," she told Ruzak, happy for the company that now allowed her to walk peacefully into Molly's.

She refused to look back at Malley or to see whether he followed, heading straight to the bar instead knowing her colleague was not a step behind her with a thousand questions. Though she wasn't sure exactly what Ruzak had seen, it was clear he had caught the tail end of the confrontation.

"What was that about?" he eventually asked when they approached the bar, leaning against it to face her.

Erin peered up at him, taking in his worried eyes and the frown playing on his features. Sighing, she shrugged as lightly as she could. "Nothing. How far are Atwater and Burgess?"

"Kev said they're around the corner," Ruzak replied before bringing the subject back to what they had been talking about. "Who was that guy?"

"No-one, Adam. Should we get some food?" she deflected, turning towards where she could see Otis at the other end of the bar serving some people from Med. When she failed to gain the firefighter's attention, or garner a response from her friend, Erin let out a deep breath and shifted so she was able to talk to Ruzak without facing him head-on. Lowering her voice, she pursed her lips every so slightly, "Just drop it, alright?"

"No, not alright. That guy was harassing you, and I'm pretty sure I've seen him around before," he rebuked, his voice matching her own with a sharp edge to his words. Erin noticed him peer over his shoulder towards the main door, scanning the distance in between too, for the other cop. Fortunately for her, he was nowhere to be seen.

"He's a cop. You've probably seen him at work," she offered just as she spotted Atwater and Burgess walk in. Laying a hand on Ruzak's arm, she offered him a small smile before telling him tersely, "Everything's fine, so you can leave it alone. Let's just enjoy our very rare evening off."

Ruzak nodded absentmindedly at her suggestion, and if she had bought him a couple of extra drinks to thank him for being a good friend without saying the words, no one commented on it. Especially not when he ended up being the first one drunk, before even Jay and Antonio had joined them, and giving them all something to laugh about after a hard few days.

…

Jay couldn't help but keep glancing over at his partner every few minutes as they worked the crime scene of the new case Intelligence had just caught. A triple murder in a shady underground nightclub which doubled as a gambling ring, and who knew what else. There weren't many witnesses, and the few that were still there being interviewed by Antonio, Burgess and a couple patrolmen were mostly useless due to their inebriated state.

Even as Erin carefully took in the scene, pointing out certain facts whilst asking questions or answering others', he couldn't help but notice her tense body. The way she meticulously carried out her job whilst shooting him a curious glance when he noticed her doing everything she could to avoid looking in the direction towards the bar where two patrolmen from another district stood waiting for further orders from Voight. Especially when he saw her falter slightly when canvassing the room, going out of her way to avoid the corridor that led to the backroom area where the officers stood.

If there was one thing Jay knew about his partner, it was that it took a lot to make her falter. Mix that with her recent constant exhaustion, which he had accepted her excuse of being overworked, and what Ruzek had recently told him about the confrontation he had seen at Molly's two nights previously, Jay could feel the familiar red-hot anger boil inside him as he put it all together.

Casually peeling off his black latex gloves, he approached Ruzak and made sure to angle his body away from the rest of the team. "Is that him?" he asked in a low tone, nodding towards the lone patrolman who was watching the rest of the scene with more intent than his partner.

"Yeah," Ruzek replied, though Jay had barely waited for his confirmation to unholster his gun and press it into his teammate's unexpecting hands, making sure he was unarmed as he approached the officer who had apparently been harassing his partner, his girlfriend. "No, wait. J-!" he could hear Ruzak call from behind him, as well as feel the rest of the team watch as he finally called out to their female teammate. "Erin!"

Any other day in any other situation, he knew he would probably have stopped when Erin asked him to. It was why Ruzak had directed her attention towards him. "Jay, don't," she pleaded, but her voice was far back behind him though he could still hear the tiredness in her voice that almost made the words sound half-hearted. It only drew to encourage him further.

Grabbing the officer by his shoulder to turn him away from where he was still staring out towards Erin, Jay made sure his entire attention was on him, the dark green eyes that stared back into his at equal height could see him fully, before giving him a rough shove that made him waver back a step. There was no way he was going to do this without the other man knowing exactly who he was dealing with. Without everyone knowing exactly who they would have to deal with for messing with Erin.

"You stay away from my partner, you hear me?" Jay warned the officer fiercely, finally getting out all of the rage, concern and need to simply act he had built up since finding out about someone harassing Erin. When the other cop had the nerve to simply raise an eyebrow at his words, Jay considered it to be justifiable provocation as he swung at him without a second though. The punch landed perfectly on the side of his face, causing him to stumble back in shock. Two strong hands gripped Jay's upper arms, holding him back from attacking again. "Otherwise, I swear, next time-"

"Alright, back up, bro," Antonio cut him off with a sharp tug back and turning him away from the patrolman now sporting a reddening shiner. Jay would have smirked at his good throw if he hadn't had his friend reminding him in his ear, "Don't go making threats in public; you know how that'll end."

Managing to shake off Antonio's hold just as Voight joined them, Jay inadvertently caught Erin's eyes from the middle of the crime scene and couldn't help but feel the slightest bit guilty for airing her obvious secret. But when her pursed lips melted into the smallest, resigned quirk, he knew that wasn't the first thought on her mind. Especially as she simultaneously sighed in what seemed like relief, the tension in her posture leaving her body with one single breath to seem more relaxed than he had seen her for a while.

"What's going on here?" Voight's gruff voice brought Jay back to the small gathering of three men now around him. Voight looked towards him when he failed to answer. "Halstead?"

"Nothing, Sarge," Jay answered, words sharp but delivered with a fake sense of calm. He knew Voight didn't believe him, nor did he care as he turned to the other cop involved.

"Nothing, sir," the patrolman agreed, not speaking up even as he began to bruise up before their very eyes. No-one wanted to be on the other end of Voight's infamous glare, especially not when they were trying to create trouble with his detectives. As much as Jay hated it at times, the fact they were protected to a certain extent by Voight's reputation definitely paid off.

There were a few seconds where Voight stood in silence and even Jay worried his boss might decide to take action on the words he had threatened the other man with before hitting him. Erin was, for all intent and purpose, his daughter. Eventually, however, he nodded and dismissed them all, though not without a pat on Jay's shoulder which felt obscenely a lot like pride.

…

Erin found him in the locker room straddling a wooden bench with a first aid kit in front of him. They had returned to the district separately after Voight had insisted Jay chased up a lead with the head of security for the club whilst she remained at the scene until forensics were done with it. They hadn't exchanged another word nor look after he had disappeared into the back of the club with Antonio so she hadn't seen what his hand looked like after punching Officer Malley. If she were to guess based on the reddening of the patrolman's face and the power Jay possessed, it was most likely bruised.

"You shouldn't have done that," she commented, eying the way Jay tried to bandage up his hand as she leant against a locker.

He glanced up at her briefly and shook his head. "You're my partner. I have your back, no matter what," he stated rather too matter-of-factly for her liking.

Sighing, Erin approached the bench to sit opposite him, taking the bandage he was struggling with out of his hands and grasping his injured hand in her own to give it the once over. "Who told you?" she asked quietly, allowing his hand more attention than was needed as she avoided his gaze.

"Ruzak. Said some guy was harassing you at Molly's the other night," Jay informed her with a nonchalant shrug she knew he would be faking, and she wasn't sure right then if she was madder at his calmness or at Ruzek selling her out.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Erin asked, catching his eyes for the first time since she had entered.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he retorted, arching a brow. His eyes told her that he wasn't upset or hurt, but rather confused and she hated seeing the doubts that mixed with it. Not wanting to see it any longer, she focused once again on his hand instead, retrieving the ice pack from the first aid kit and putting all of her efforts into activating it. "You should have told me."

Erin crushed the ice pack between her hands numerous times until she felt it was cold enough to help numb his knuckles. Picking up his right hand, she held it flat before pressing the pack to the minor injury.

"I didn't know how to. Not without making it into a big deal and I really didn't want to make it into a big deal," she finally answered truthfully, offering him a rueful smile when she peered back up at him in hopes of placating him with a simple explanation of what her reasonings really had been.

She knew it hadn't worked the moment he frowned; lips turning down at the corners as his brow creased when he drew them together as he riled himself up once again. "It is a big deal, Erin! He was harassing you," Jay reiterated, and she could feel him tense up just by his hand in her own. If they were still at the scene, there was no doubt he would be splitting open a knuckle with another punch as his own words worked him up.

"I could handle it," she tried to assure him but he shook his head before she could even get the words out.

"You shouldn't have to. He was out of line and you shouldn't have had to deal with it, not alone at least," he said, tone softening out towards the end as his free hand came to rest upon her thigh and squeezed almost apologetically.

Erin blew out a breath and nodded in concession to show she understood what he was saying. Sitting in silence for a moment, she mulled over her thoughts before realising that it was Jay sat in front of her. She had never needed to plan what she was going to say to him before, and that was something that she hoped would never change. Instead of trying to think through with how to tell him everything that had gone through her mind ever since she had met Officer Malley, she decided to simply talk. He had never had an issue with keeping up with her before; it was what made them such great partners after all.

"I know I didn't have to but I wanted to. I needed to. I needed to show him that I was stronger than what he was doing. I didn't want to be another one of those female cops who loses their jobs or career prospects because of some bastard who can't handle being rejected. You know how it goes, Jay, regardless of who is in the wrong. So I hoped it would just kind of disappear. I thought if I didn't show any reaction, he'd get bored and leave me alone," she explained, hoping she was articulating her entire thought process from over the past month in a way so he could see it from her point of view. Watching as he swallowed thickly, she tightened her hold on his hand and shuffled a bit closer so she could pull their grasped hands in towards her stomach where the sharp cold of the ice pack contrasted dramatically with the heat of her body. Her knees pressed against his legs and she could feel every breath he took, hoping he could feel the meaning of her words too. "And I didn't want you jeopardizing your job over it, either. I knew how you'd react."

"I don't care about my job, Erin. I care about you. You come first, always. It's my job to protect you, both on and off the clock, and yes," Jay told her, cutting her off with a sharp word and a teasing smile when she tried to interrupt, proving once again how well he knew her when he continued, "I know you can look after yourself. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop. Ever."

"I know, and I love you so much for it," she replied, matching his smile with an adoring one. Leaning in, she met his lips with her own. She kept it sweet and simple, applying the minimal pressure to turn it into something more than a fleeting kiss but nothing more that could be confused for being completely inappropriate for work.

Jay pressed one final kiss to her lips before sitting back with a small sigh. Temporarily removing his grip off her leg, he rubbed his temple with the pads of his fingers in an action Erin knew was his tell for when he was trying to keep his emotions in check. "Okay, I understand where you're coming from. I'm so sorry that you went through this alone for over a month and I didn't even notice."

Erin shrugged again; accepting and dismissing his apology instantly. "I kept it quiet. Everything is so good with us right now so I focused on that. It made it easier to forget," she explained honestly, knowing that without the man in front of her, she would have gone a bit stir crazy and probably even acted out herself due to Malley's actions.

He squeezed her leg to capture her full attention, making sure he held her eyes so she could see the earnest in them. "You can tell me anything, sweetheart. No matter what you think I'll do, it's important that you know you don't have to go through life alone. I'm sorry I made you feel like you couldn't come to me,"

"It's not on you, Jay. I was- I guess I was scared. Telling you would have made it so much more real," Erin admitted, shaking her head. Moving his injured hand away from her, she took off the ice pack to inspect the cold-reddened knuckles, happy to find there was no swelling. "Maybe if I had said something earlier, we could have avoided all this."

"I doubt it. Beating up guys who harass you is kinda my thing. I plan on doing it for a very long time," he lightly teased, eliciting a smile out of her even as became serious. "For the rest of our lives actually, if you'd let me."

Erin frowned in confusion at his elusive words, growing into fully blown uncertainty when he jumped up and headed towards his locker. Though she knew his right hand must have been aching, he didn't show it as he dug straight into the go bag she knew he kept in there and rifled through for a few seconds.

"Jay, what are you doing?" she eventually asked, scoffing in exasperation when he held up a finger to give him a minute. He returned back to the bench not a few seconds later with a small black box in hand, and she couldn't hold back the quiet gasp when she realised it was perfect to contain a ring.

"I've been wanting to do this for a while now, Erin. I love you and I always want to be the one you can turn to, who can protect you and beat up people for you. I'm a very possessive person, in case you haven't noticed," Jay said wryly as she nodded in agreement, her eyes torn between his own and the beautiful ring he revealed by opening the box. "Mostly, I just want to be with you, and I want to be able to call you my wife. Will you marry me?"

"You chose here, now?" Erin whispered with a watery laugh, causing him to shoot her his typical boyish grin.

"It felt right," he stated nonchalantly.

Shaking her head, she reached out to skim over the soft top of the ring box before gently laying it on his hand. "You have a bruised hand. I thought you'd be mad at me for not telling you. Not-" she faltered momentarily as she took in the ring and the man in front of her, still trying to wrap her head around the reality of the moment. "Not asking me to marry you."

"And I thought you'd mad at me for making a scene," Jay countered coolly.

Shrugging, she blew out a breath and smiled softly at him. "I can't be mad when you're proposing."

"Can you give me an answer then?"

"Yes, Jay. I want to be with you, too," Erin answered without another second's hesitation, and by the grin that curved on his lips at her words, she knew she would never have doubts about it either. "And have you call me your wife the next time you beat someone up for me."

[fanfic] I Will Be Your Wings:  Chapter 13

Yubel stirred and chose not to open their eyes. They never did, first thing in the morning. There was too much to drink in.

They lay in a warm bed, with equally warm blankets on top of them. If they had opened their eyes, they would have seen a merrily flickering fire burning in the fireplace on the other side of the room.

They could hear noises coming from the other side of the door to the left. It would be Juudai. With their eyes closed, they couldn’t see the first streaks of sunlight touching on the far side of the room through the wide window, but they knew it was there regardless.

The door creaked a little and Yubel tensed. Five seconds. The soft tread of bare feet across the finely woven rug. Four seconds. A soft whisper of breath and a tightly held in giggle that if they hadn’t listened, they might not have heard at all.

Three seconds. The touch of a hand on the side of the bed, little more than a faint tugging, but there all the same.

Two seconds. That hand now coming closer, resting ever so gently on Yubel’s shoulder, above where their wings emerged.

One second.

Yubel flipped around and seized Juudai’s hand in their own, eyes flying open in the same breath. Juudai grinned for a heartbeat before he pouted.

“You always know!”

Yubel didn’t release their grip. Juudai’s hands remained warm and welcoming. He’d grown so much in the last year. Yubel often had trouble remembering it had been only a year since their first encounter.

“Good morning,” Yubel said instead. “Is breakfast ready?”

“Of course!” Juudai never came in to wake Yubel up until breakfast had been brought to his room. He insisted that not only did food taste better when it was shared, but it tasted better when he shared it with Yubel.

Yubel sat up, letting Juudai’s hands slide out of theirs. They missed his touch, but only a little. He remained close enough for them to feel his presence regardless.

Ever since that first encounter and Juudai’s rescue, Yubel knew where he was. It wasn’t the kind of knowing where they could have said what his exact location was, not that. But they knew and could go there. No one who they’d asked was entirely certain if it involved whatever odd bond existed between them in the first place or if it were the result of Juudai’s rescue.

Yubel didn’t care. Knowing meant everything to them.

Juudai bounced back to the door that led to his room, fidgeting as he waited for Yubel to join him. Yubel reached for their morning wrap; they would take a bath after eating. Mornings tended to be slow around Juudai, but almost inevitably picked up speed later in the day, especially once lessons started.

Teaching Juudai anything wasn’t easy. Teaching Juudai and Yubel together had already made every tutor Juudai had except Siren quit.

Together the two of them settled at the round table, Yubel’s wings spreading out for balance. Juudai gave them a very careful look.

“Can I brush them later?”

Juudai loved to help Yubel take care of their wings. As they’d healed from what they’d had to do for his rescue, he’d helped Yubel regain their full strength, gently rubbing them once he had permission, helping to oil the feathers when molting season rolled around again, and anything else he could do that would help.

Now Yubel smiled. He didn’t need to ask. But he always did.

“Of course.” Wings required regular care, after all. Yubel could not help but wish they could help Juudai have his own. But he was of the Flightless and that couldn’t be.

Juudai squealed and applied himself right away to his breakfast. Yubel took a little longer, preferring to take their time. Even after a year, everything spread out before them remained a shock and a pleasure. It wasn’t just delicious, it remained hot and steaming, or pleasantly cool.

The new cook who’d been hired to replace the one who’d assisted in abducting Juudai turned out to be absolutely amazing at cooking all manner of dishes that Juudai loved. Their greatest specialty was fried shrimp, something Juudai insisted on having at least twice or three times a week. Yubel wasn’t certain even now if they especially liked it, but having it served made Juudai happy and that meant Yubel approved.

Juudai cleaned off his plate quickly. He usually did, but this was a little fast even for him. He sprang to his feet, grinning.

“Are you ready yet?”

“Almost!” Yubel savored every bite of breakfast, as they did every meal. Those days when any meal had been more than a little difficult to come by weren’t so long gone that they would not enjoy what they had now.

Juudai fidgeted, vibrating his way over to the large window and staring out of it. Sometimes he did that, but he didn’t always say what was on his mind. Yubel could guess, especially when it came to the times when he stared up at the skies, and they could hear him murmuring ever so softly. The green magic of wind buzzed more excitedly around him when he did that.

He couldn’t fly yet, even with all the effort he put into his magic lessons. He tried. He could float fairly well. But true flight, or even the closest that a Flightless could approximate to that, remained out of his reach.

For now. Teacher Siren assured both of them that if he kept his training up, there remained a very good chance that he would be able to manage it eventually. She didn’t know when, but it would happen. Maybe.

Juudai flipped around the moment that Yubel finished the last bite of food and drank the last bit of their morning wine. Like all wine served at their table, it had been well watered, to the point it was impossible for anyone to get drunk off of it.

The last thing that anyone wanted would be a drunk wind mage. Let alone one who held the power of the Gentle Darkness as well.

“Ready?” Juudai held his hand out and Yubel accepted it without hesitation.

“Ready.”

There were times when Yubel suspected that Juudai enjoyed tending their wings far more than Yubel did. They’d never seen anyone so happy to gently brush and groom each single feather, to help remove the ones that fell out, and help imp others back in when the time came.

Juudai also enjoyed a good hot bath, and that was where Yubel envied him more than a little. They had to watch their wings to ensure they didn’t get soaked – wet wings were a hassle no matter what – and Juudai could simply jump into the hot water and soak to his heart’s content.

Not that he stayed like that too long. As soon as he was clean, Juudai slipped out of the water and pattered behind Yubel, picking up the wing care gear along the way. That box had been added to his bathroom once Yubel moved into his suite with him. Yubel hadn’t ever had one before. They’d taken care of their wings the rough way, wrenching around as best they could to get to any mud or loose feathers, and trying their best just not to let the wings get dirty at all.

Now Juudai insisted that they get dirty and that he could take care of the wings afterward. Yubel couldn’t see a reason to deny his wishes on that.

He ran his hands first over their wings, checking for any weak spots for the feathers and for anything else that might need tending. There weren’t any; after the last year, Yubel’s wings and everything else to do with Yubel were in the best condition of their life.

Tending to wings took a while, especially since Juudai inspected every single feather that he possibly could, then gently brushed over Yubel’s entire wingspan. Yubel closed their eyes and let out a long, happy sigh at the attention. They could hear Juudai’s giggle at that but said nothing else. Hearing him happy ranked as one of the finest moments of Yubel’s life.

“What else did you want to do today?” Juudai asked much later, when the last feather had been brushed and he’d put each and every one of them into their proper place. Yubel spread them carefully and took a couple of sweeps, not actually flying but just testing how everything still worked. “We have a whole lot of time until Teacher Siren’s lessons.”

Those didn’t come until after lunch, and their new tutor hadn’t been hired yet. That left them an entire morning – well, half a morning – to do whatever they pleased, within reason.

But Yubel already had something in mind. In the last year, there hadn’t been time to do this, but today could very well be the day. Healing and recovering and getting moved in and settled in took up most of their time. With all of that dealt with…

“What do you think of going to the temple?” Yubel asked, turning to watch Juudai.

Juudai tilted his head in thought for a few seconds. So far as Yubel knew, he hadn’t been there in the last year either. He’d never even expressed an interest in going there.

But now he nodded, a hint of the maturity that he would one day – with luck – possess gleaming in his amber-bright eyes. “All right!”

They had to inform his parents, of course. That only made sense. They didn’t prevent him from leaving the palace, but in the long months since the abduction, they wanted to know where he was. Yubel certainly agreed; it was one of the reasons they remained by his side at all times.

“Be careful,” King Aodh advised. “And don’t get into too much trouble.”

“Would I do that on purpose?” Juudai asked, a mischievous grin turning up on his lips. Yubel could not hold back the snicker at that. He might not, but as they all well knew, Juudai attracted trouble as a flame attracted a moth.

“Don’t get into trouble you can’t get out of,” was Queen Kaien’s comment. So far as Yubel cared, that was a far better bit of advice.

They didn’t need a guard – or rather, no guard could have kept up with Yubel’s flying, even those Flighted guards. Juudai couldn’t work up the magic to fly himself but he could at least conjure enough wind to speed them on their way to the temple that much faster. In far less time than one could have imagined, the two of them stood before the arched temple entrance.

Juudai stared at it curiously. Yubel could not help but be reminded that in an odd sense of the concept, this temple had been raised in honor of Juudai himself, or the power that he wielded. The longer they stood there, the more of the magic of shadows Yubel could see around him, and the less of the magic of air.

Then without a word, he stepped inside, Yubel only a brief pace behind him.

They found their way to the central room with little effort. Yubel remembered little of their previous trip there. They’d been so worried about Juudai at the time that nothing else had mattered at all. But now, they saw how well he fit here, how every shadow reached for him. Not in any form of threatening way, but to greet and welcome him, as someone who belonged there and hadn’t been there in far too long.

Some of those shadows caressed their slender fingers across Yubel as well, their touch awakening a craving that Yubel could not remember having had before. They couldn’t guess at what the craving was, only that being near Juudai made it ease off.

“They like us,” Juudai said, tones of awe flavoring each word. Then he frowned a little. “I… like us?”

“You’re them and they’re you,” Yubel pointed out. “The only difference between them and you is that you have a body and they don’t.”

Juudai slowly shook his head, reaching towards concepts that Yubel wasn’t sure either of them understood as of yet. “There are… other things. Other differences. But … this is my home too. Just like the palace.”

They fell silent again until they stood before the great altar. Juudai stared at it for several silent moments before he reached out to rest one hand on it.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “For sending me Yubel. It was you, wasn’t it? You sent me Yubel, because you’re me. And I’m you.”

Yubel wasn’t fully sure if they expected an answer. But one came. One came in the form of the shadows falling all around them, just as they had that day a year earlier. And the presence of the Gentle Darkness now flowed in two forms, one in Juudai and one in the shadows that stretched all around them.

We are one. The words came from within and without. It wasn’t a voice at all, but an awareness of what the Darkness wanted to tell them. They didn’t need words to know. It came as words only because that was how they perceived it now. Yubel is ours as you are ours. Yubel will defend and protect and guard. It is their purpose.

Yubel couldn’t argue with that. They wouldn’t have even if they could. Taking care of Juudai, defending him and protecting him, it was all that they could imagine wanting out of life.

“What about me?” Juudai asked, hand slipping into Yubel’s and squeezing ever so gently. “What’s my purpose?”

You know it. You are it. You create. You help. You heal. It is what you are.

Juudai nodded. Yubel wasn’t sure how he could do all of that – the power he’d shown so far wasn’t very focused or controlled unless he pushed himself to the limits – but they absolutely believed that he could. With time. With effort.

The Light still seeks to destroy you-us. It must not be allowed.

Yubel drew up as far as possible, wings spreading in defense. “It’ll have to go through me first.”

Juudai had another question. “Why don’t I have wings? Shouldn’t I have wings?”

There wasn’t an answer for what felt like forever. When it came, Yubel’s heart warmed in memory for years to come.

Yubel will be your wings.

Juudai’s hand tightened on Yubel’s and they returned the quiet gesture. The darkness whirled around and while it faded so they could see the rest of the world once again, it lived on in both of them.

The End

Notes: And that’s the end of this story. There will be others set not only in this universe but in the past life era and in the modern era. I enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it as well.

Witchy Tag - Part 1

1. Are you solitary or in a coven?

Solitary. A coven sounds nice though as at present I don't have any witchy friends.

2. Do you consider yourself Wiccan, Pagan, witch, or other?

Eclectic witch, as I don't follow any specific set of beliefs but pull from many different beliefs and cultures to form my own path.

3. What is your zodiac sign?

Sun and Moon in Pisces, and Ascending in Gemini.

4. Do you have a Patron God/dess?

I don't, but being raised Christian, I still believe I'm the God I was raised up with. However, I don't see him at all in the same way that I used to. I don't even think he had a gender - despite me calling God a 'he' out of habit. I see him now as loving, intelligent energy that is within and around all of us.

5. Do you work with a Pantheon?

I do not.

6. Do you use tarot, palmistry, or 
any other kind of divination?

Currently I use Tarot and Oracle. I have tried using a pendulum but have not really had any accurate results with it. I'm interested in expanding my knowledge though to be able to read runes, palmistry, and perhaps crystal ball scrying down the road. We'll see!

7. What are some of your favorite herbs to use in your practice? (if any)

Being a new witch still, I haven't really dove in too deep on herb knowledge yet, however I have made a sleep pillow with lavendar to enhance sleep and added sage and many different essential oils for protection. It's worked well for me but I haven't done much else.

8. How would you define your craft?

Being a Pisces, I'm very go-with-the-flow. I feel that same mentality goes with my craft. When I see something I feel pulled to, I incorporate it in my practice.

9. Do you curse? If not, do you accept others who do?

I do not, because I believe what I put out into the world will be reflected back onto me. I've been hurt many times by people and truthfully don't have many friends because of it, but I believe the treatment they have shown me will be reflected back to them in other ways throughout their life. I know from my own experience with my own wrong actions, I have also learned many lessons. So I don't see cursing in a positive light, but I also don't frown on it so long as those who curse do it under extreme circumstances (ex. Someone raped you, killed your friends, etc). Those who curse someone simply because they got their feelings hurt or broke their heart, I am strongly against that. But to each their own.

10. How long have you been practicing?

Just a little over a year.

11. Do you currently or have you ever had any familiars?

I'm not really sure to be honest. Does my dog count? Once I had a vision of a baby dragon hatching which may very well have been my familiar as I was entering spirituality, but I haven't perused discovering it because I don't fully understand it, so I'm unsure if it is still there.

12. Do you believe in Karma or
Reincarnation?

I believe in both. However, I believe reincarnation is optional. I think we come to this earth to gain experiences and learn things, and when we're done we can continue to grow in the astral realms but it may not be as quick as we would grow here on earth - or we can choose to come back for another lifetime. I feel like I kind of have a glimpse now that I've awoken of what I had planned to do here. But I'm still figuring it out as well as I go.

13. Do you have a magical name?

Aevis. I started going by Polaris for awhile recently for personal reasons, but Aevis has been a name that has resonated with me for quite a long time. I had actually thought I made it up, but it appears to be a Latin noun which means time/eternity. Perhaps it's no coincidence I thought of this ancient word. :)

14. Are you “out of the broom closet”?

Nope, and I don't know that I ever will be.. though I've left hints and I'm pretty sure my husband suspects it. I've left a few hints for my mom as she follows a similar path, but I don't think she suspects it.

15. What was the last spell you performed?

I've never consciously created a spell, but I did once by writing down the man of my dreams down to the very last detail. When I turned 21, this man came into my life and matched about 95% of everything I had written down. Words are powerful. We've been married for 4 years this coming October. ❤

16. Would you consider yourself knowledgeable?

In some areas, but I also feel a strong connection to my higher self which often ends up answering many of my own questions. 😊 Although my conscious self feels like a constant beginner, I feel my subconscious is filled with ancient wisdom that peeks out from time to time.

17. Do you write your own spells?

When I do start spell work, I will be using all my own spells. So yes.

18. Do you have a book of shadows?
If so, how is it written and/or set up?

I do! I have it organized into sections and once I finish it, I'll have a table of contents.

19. Do you worship nature?

Not as much as I wish I did, but I do feel a connection to it. I am very solitary and I feel a bit clustered where I live because of all the people surrounding. But once our finances are in order and we can move, I want to buy a little house out in the countryside where we have privacy. I want to be outside all the time and have my own garden oasis.

20. What is your favorite gemstone?

Probably Moldavite. Within the first few weeks I received it, I had a brief but amazing out of body experience. It has made me feel so much safer as well being a stone that protects you from negative energy and entities latching onto you. I also just love that it is quite literally stardust.

21. Do you use feathers, claws, fur, pelt, skeletons/bones, or any other animal body part for magical work?

I do love feathers! Peacock and ostrich feathers are my favorite. I have an ostrich feather attached to a pen I use for my BOS and my BOS is decorated with peacock feathers.

22. Do you have an altar?

A portable one, but where we live at the moment we don't really have the space for a full set up. Once we move though I would like to. ❤

23. What is your preferred element?

Water 🐳

24. Do you consider yourself an Alchemist?

I don't. I was interested in it for awhile, but when I tried to learn about it, it was a bit too complicated for me.

25. Are you any other type of magical practitioner besides a witch?

I'm hugely interested in astral projection and spirit work. I have had so many experiences with those unseen, and I feel like as humans we've become so disconnected with the beings around us. We've pretty well spoken them out of our existence saying they aren't real and are just in our imaginations.. it saddens me because as a whole, we've lost out on so many incredible experiences and relationships with them.. and how different our world would be if only the vast majority of us were aware.

26. What got you interested in witchcraft?

I've been drawn to it ever since I was a child (like many of us!) but I was never able to practice or get into it because of my Christian family. But I remember on Ebay back in the day I was looking at spells and spirit vessels and I was just SO intrigued. I almost bought a vessel with a djinn spirit, but never did because I was afraid of my parents would discover I brought someone into the house and I knew they would think he was evil because of their beliefs. So I waited until I lived on my own to delve into it again.

27. Have you ever performed a spell or ritual with the company of anyone who was not a witch?

Never.

28. Have you ever used ouija?

I haven't, and I probably never will to be honest unless I am very experienced in spirit work and astral travel and know how to handle unwanted entities. But until then, there's just too much surrounding it that I can't dive into right now.

29. Do you consider yourself a psychic?

I think everyone is psychic. We all have abilities. Whether we choose to pursue and develop them is really what determines that question. But yes, I do consider myself psychic, like I believe everyone else is in their own way.

30. Do you have a spirit guide? If so, what is it?

I believe I have two - a male and a female. The male I think may be a twin flame who's been watching over me, and the female I've seen in dreams several times that I feel was a best friend of mine at one time or perhaps even a sister. I just recently invited a Pegasus spirit to come live with me - I'm just waiting for her vessel to arrive but I am so excited to build a great relationship with her as well. ❤

31. What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started?

Protect yourself!! When I first dove into this, I got so excited and I could feel so much energy and I heard spirits talking all the time and I was having incredible dreams, but I feel like because I opened myself up SO much and didn't think to set up any kind of protection, negative entities also came in. Last year I had to battle them for months and I literally thought they were trying to possess me. They never did thankfully but it took a lot of help from my guides and archangels to get them out. I've found it a bit more difficult to hear spirits and connect, but I feel that's because I've been set up with protection until I can properly protect myself. So I am thankful for that.

32. Do you celebrate the Sabbats? If so which one is your favorite?

I don't, but I think in the future I would like to. Especially if I can find some witchy friends nearby to celebrate with.

33. Would you ever teach witchcraft to your children?

Absolutely. I wouldn't force it on them, but I also wouldn't let them live a life oblivious to the magick and spirits around them that most people are taught are imaginary.

34. Do you meditate?

I do.

35. What is your favorite season?

Autumn. Just when it is warm enough that you don't have to wear a heavy coat, but cold enough that the leaves turn into vibrant shades or yellow, red and orange.

36. What is your favorite type of magick to preform?

Currently, I don't perform any magic really, but I am focusing my energy on learning astral projection. I believe once I can learn that, everything I want to learn will come much easier. I would like to be a healer and learn to work with spirits.

37. How do you incorporate your spirituality into your daily life?

I do exercises to increase my focus. I also write in my book of shadows almost daily. I am always thanking the universe and my guides and angels for little surprises they leave me throughout the day, or messages they send me.

38. What is your favorite witchy movie?

I don't know of many to be honest. Does Harry Potter count? 😂 I'm a huge fan of the Chronicles of Narnia which I feel has many truths about magick, however it is unfortunate the villain is a witch.

39. What is your favorite witchy book, both fiction and non-fiction. Why?

Because I am still closeted, I don't have any witchy books but I do have many spiritual books. The Secret and The Magic by Rhonda Byrne are amazing and I think would help many witches understand manifestations your desires on a deeper level. The Celestial Prophesy is another amazing read for those who want to learn about energy work and how to become more intuitive.

40. What is the first spell you ever preformed? Successful or not.

The one I mentioned previously about how I unknowingly wrote a spell that manifested my husband.

41. What’s the craziest witchcraft-related thing that’s happened to you?

Literally manifesting my husband LOL. It's like he was customer ordered honestly. 😂

42. What is your favourite type of candle to use?

I LOVE scented candles, but realizing their toxic effects over the years, I've pulled away from using them. As for using candles in spells and rituals, I currently don't at the moment as fire makes me nervous.

43. What is your favorite witchy tool?

My Tarot and Oracle decks. ❤ I feel most of the time they give answers that really make sense and hit close to home.

44. Do you or have you ever made your own witchy tools?

Yes! I made my own rune set. 😄 I also started making a wand, but it's been a work in progress for awhile and I'm thinking now that it's a bit too large. I'm still figuring out what to do with it.

45. Have you ever worked with any magical creatures such as the fea or spirits?

I have not, but I hope to work with my Pegasus companion in the future through astral and dream work.

46. Do you practice color magic?

I'm not really sure what that is to be honest! *goes to look it up*

47. Do you or have you ever had a witchy teacher or mentor of any kind?

I don't sadly. Part of me wishes I did or at least have a friend to share experiences and exchange tips to for different things, but I think once I become well trained in astral travel, I will connect with my guides and hopefully they will help me develop more. What better mentor to have than someone who lives and breathes magick? :)

48. What is your preferred way of shopping for witchcraft supplies?

Online shopping is my best friend. 😉 That's not to say I don't support my local metaphysical shops. However, I've found over the years that the things I can buy online are 100 times cheaper than buying from anywhere near me. So I will usually shop online because of the value - even if it takes a month or two to arrive which has happened in some circumstances.

Yugioh S1 Ep 40 PART 2/2: Shadi’s Coming Out Of His Well

More plot is happening up in Pegasus’ journaling nook. Since, while Tea went straight for that journal, she missed the three things on this desk that they actually came up here for.

It’s a good thing Yugi remembers the only reason they came to this island in the first place. What follows is a bizarre set of events that just...they just happen.

There is no valid explanation for what the hell Yugi is doing at this desk. If I knew my Grandpa got revived I’d like...be first out of the room, but Yugi is staring blankly at a desk for a good minute and that is how he gets trapped in one of the most bizarre heel turns this show has taken me on so far.

Don’t worry, it’s just a space-time wormhole. Yeah. In Yugioh. The card-game TV show. It does this now.

(read more under the cut)

BOY Yugi has a somewhat more casual reaction to this than most people would have. Especially since Yugi just found himself framed for eyeball larceny. Thanks Bakura, what a good friend.

Yugi very slowly backs away from Shadi, but, despite the fact he’s wearing about 50 less lbs of fabric and Ankh, instead of running away, he just allows this to happen.

I know there’s gotta be a crossover half-finished fanfic somewhere where spiky hair bros blade wield while card wielding, but with the rate Disney is gobbling up properties, it could easily be canonical if you just give it enough time. Goofy could easily wear a Yugi hairpiece, just saying. Super easy.

Ahhh...we’re back in the brain zone. We’re back into the “Oh wow Yugi’s been hiding a lot of problems from us” zone. While this is hella random, this is actually pretty nice from a storytelling perspective, because it’s easy to assume that now that Yugi and Pharaoh get along, that Yugi has found a cure and can go on living life like this forever and be A-OK.

On the surface, everything is tied nicely into a bow: His friends understand and accept him, his Ghost Dad has decided to give him the reigns, Pegasus is conquered, and his Grandpa has woken up in the hospital (and man I can’t imagine the conversation he’s having with Yugi’s Mom right about now) But, finally getting a house tour of this brain place lets us see that while they do get along, Pharaoh wasn’t really the entire problem anyway. There’s still something super weird going on with this kid’s head and no one else knows about it.

This is where the recording gets a little wonky--you’ll see blur, it’s not on my end, that’s just how it is in Netflix. You don’t notice it as the image is moving, but when you pause it’s...it’s pretty noticeable.

Also, it was hard to catch before since Pharaoh was blocking it, but Pharaoh’s wall has veiny rainbow mold. Makes you think “oh gross, a virus--but at least it’s a real pretty one”

Shadi is immediately disturbed but instead of just...turning around, he’s decided to keep on snooping.

Ah, it’s Yugi’s sid of the brain. It’s...

...I know Yugi is super pure and I wouldn’t dare argue with that, but like, Yugi’s in High School, right? Like I’m guessing he hasn’t played with building blocks or whatever that strange bowling pin floaty is in about 10 years?

I figure it’s a representational thing of “this is his childhood” or whatever, but I’d like to think this is more like Pharaoh hastily threw this room together and just hasn’t gotten around to updating it in the past 10 years.

Either way, no one lives here anymore. I mean the floor was mustard yellow, no one can possibly stay here for very long.

So Shadi, very carefully, decides to walk in the other door that couldn’t be less unwelcoming. Like it has a giant eyeball on it and gross throbby veins. Why would you touch this door??

Pharaoh has a very odd hot/cold attitude towards Shadi, kinda vacillating between should I just kill him???? and also wanting to just hang out and talk shop about magic stuff.

Wh...why, Shadi? 

Why have you been randomly entering minds, Shadi?

You live in a crypt under the desert, what are you talking about?

Anyway, the best part of this whole exchange is Shadi trying to figure out why all this Pharaoh crap is here when he has literally studied only the Pharaoh and all his stuff for the past who knows how many years that Shadi has been alive.

OH

So my prediction that Yugi’s brain was a Dali Painting was just--the wrong artist. I was off by a couple degrees of abstraction, was all. Turns out its...a little worse than melting clocks...it’s a full on Escher.

Yugi Muto, your mind is an non-Euclidean painting and like one room with this weird green foam bowling pin with glasses. I would say Yugi needs to find balance in his life but he freakin needs to find gravity first, wow.

Well that explains where Yugi wanders off to when Pharaoh’s in charge. He’s just having the time of his life pretending he’s David Bowie and recreating that one scene from Labyrinth word for word.

I mean, that’s what I would do if I had incurable Labyrinth brain. When life gives you lemons covered in stairs...

Shadi decides he better start looking for evidence quickly, and so he runs up to the first door he sees and of course this happens.

This door and every door--all the doors are traps and Pharaoh’s just like “Are you still here, Shadi???”

Luckily for Shadi, Yugi pulls him out of this position. Not sure how since Yugi is 70 lbs when wet, but when he’s a brain apparition, I guess anything is possible.

Yugi blames Pharaoh’s behavior on the “secrets” that the puzzle is trying to keep secret. Honestly I haven’t really given much thought to whether the puzzle holds more than a ghost so...news to me, show. Nice you brought this up right before the end of the season but OK, let’s go for it.

And then a door just...starts glowing.

Behind the door is something that we are familiar with, but Yugi hasn’t seen before since Yugi didn’t wander into the ritual sacrifice chamber from the other night.

So uh...I haven’t really given it much thought but it just occured to me that if Pharaoh ever played the old version of this card game where people’s soul’s get devoured, then that’s kinda effed up.

I mean in Yugi’s defense we don’t know how big the blocks room is. Maybe he’s got a k’nex room next door? Either way, it definitely feels like the 60-40 Pharaoh-Yugi mix that I suspected is turning into way more of a 99-1 ratio. Really seems like Pharaoh just keeps Yugi around because he likes the kid a lot, not because Yugi has that much control over Pharaoh physically because uh...one has a room of this colossal electrical magic creature and the other has a room of with a scooter car in it and a toy rake.

Most shows you’d expect a doomed asshole like Shadi to dig too deep and never recover. To keep going past the point of no return. I mean, Yugi’s totally willing. Yugi’s like “hey, lets go deep as we can and find all the secrets!”

And then Shadi proves he’s one of the smartest millennium power players there is by just quitting while he’s ahead and getting the hell out of dodge.

PS THERE’S BEEN AN APOCALYPSE THIS WHOLE TIME.

There’s only like 8 episodes left this season what are you talking about, Shadi?

Remember when Bakura first turned evil and told Pharaoh “I’m going to take all the items and destroy the world” and Pharaoh was like “Oh. OK.”

There it is. There’s the name drop.

Literally the last thing he says is his freakin name.

Thanks for absolutely nothing, Shadi. You came down here to sentence the guy who stole the eye, the first thing your family’s had to do to save the planet in I’m guessing thousands of years, and before actually finding him you got Too Spooked and you bounced.

So Bakura roams free, because Shadi assums Yugi stole the eyeball but doesn’t want to bother to do anything about it because Yugi’s mind was too freakin complicated and self destructive.

TL;DR Yugi was SO EMO that it broke Shadi within ten minutes.

I mean, congrats, I guess?

Next week, on Yugioh:

Will anyone else realize that Yugi was gone or is he going to catch up to everyone and just not mention this happened because Yugi doesn’t Talk About Things? Is Mokuba just wandering around the castle being like “WHAT DAY IS IT!?” Is the rest of Pegasus’ staff taking the week off now that their only client is comatose?

Anyway, I brought up Labyrinth so I think it’s law that I have to post this as well, this actual footage of Yugi and Pharaoh on their time off. Yugi is the baby in this scene.

Chapter 4: Filling in The Blanks

|| Chapter 1 || Chapter 2 || Chapter 3 || Chapter 4 || Chapter 5 || Chapter 6 || Chapter 7 Part 1 || Chapter 7 Part 2 || Chapter 8 || Almost The End || Chapter 9 ||

WARNING: Mentions of violence, blood, police, alcohol, stalking, car crash (not the main character), and bondage (non-sexual).

Author’s Note: This is an alternate universe situation set around the time of seasons 13 and 14 but I kept Hotch and Prentiss because they're some of my favorite characters. This fic does not follow cannon occurrences so please keep this in mind.

Ophelia sat on her couch moping over Cat's disappearance. It had been two days since Cat left. She wouldn't pick up her phone, which Ophelia did not know was broken, and Ophelia thought she was ignoring her. In reality, however, Cat was trying to reach Ophelia by payphone but could not remember her number. Barely ten minutes had passed since ten in the morning, and Ophelia was already nursing her third beer of the day. Her motivation to do anything, to be anything, had completely disappeared.

She lazily clicked through the channels before settling on the news. Now, Ophelia was not one to regularly check the news, but this station had a particularly handsome reporter that she loved to watch. In her mind, he was the only viable man left in Los Angeles. Her aptitude for stalking and predating did not end with her victims and was a driving force in all aspects of her life. According to her standards, he checked out: a clean digital history, a clean social presence, good financials, no unhappy exes, and most importantly he was single.

Today, however, Ophelia was less than pleased with what he had to say. "The FBI has landed here, in Los Angeles, this morning to investigate the mysterious murders of five young and famous men. They are working in conjunction with the LAPD and are searching for answers. More on this after the break–"

She rolled her eyes and crossed him off of her mental list of "viable LA men" which now held a whopping zero names. Her hand reached for the remote and clicked off onto another channel, hoping for something a bit more light-hearted.

On The Jet Earlier That Day

The BAU's luxurious, white jet had taken off only moments earlier and was flying quickly from Quantico to Los Angeles. Hotch looked at his team, all eagerly waiting for his instruction, before addressing them, "We're dealing with a very experienced killer here and they might even have a partner based on the amount of physical strength that it would take to restrain men of this size. The M.O. has been consistent since the very first case and there were no trials and no errors, meaning that we found no similar attacks in the Los Angeles area that occurred before these. They started attacking right off the bat and we need to find out why. Garcia will fill you in on the details."

The screen above Hotch's head was now occupied by a perky blonde, "Garcia here! Ready to rock and roll? Yeah? No? Okay, tough crowd. So, first up we have Rick Garza, twenty-eight years old and living in Glendale. He's not the most famous actor, but he is definitely on Hollywood's radar... should I say 'was'? Not important... Last year Mr. Garza started working in sideline films like Danika's Delight–a great movie by the way–and worked his way up to major ones like Begum's Trial which was supposed to finish filming next month. He doesn't have many enemies in the industry, a pretty well-liked guy, for the most part. He did have some disputes with the financial department on set, but that happens all the time so I don't think it was a contributing factor. Uhhhh... his wife, Maci Garza, said she was out shopping with friends but when she came home and went to her room to put her new, shiny things away, she found Rick like this–"

A photo of Rick flashed onto everyone's screens. He was hogtied with his legs and hands tied together behind his back, an apple occupying his mouth, and big bloody letters covering his back that read 'suck on this, you bastard'. Rick's body was laid on its stomach, so his hands and feet were in the air, and based on the images, he had been positioned to face the door, almost like he was waiting for someone to walk in.

"Yeesh, if I were to die like that, I don't think I would want to have been born at all," Rossi tried to lighten the mood with his snarky comment and his jokester reputation never disappointed.

Garcia rolled her eyes at Rossi and continued, "Agreed, not the best way to go out. Moving on to vic number two, we have Simon Boyd, thirty-two, and also living in Glendale. He was a very, very popular chef, you all might know his restaurant, 'Boyd & Boyd'. It opened up ten years ago and has gotten an impressive three Micheline stars. According to co-workers, he's a 'nice guy with the worst anger-issues in all of LA', that is a direct quote, by the way. Kind of contradictory, kind of confusing, didn't help me that much."

"So, I did a little deep-dive into his online presence, he seems pretty clean, but looking into his wife's life is where it gets weird. Back in the day, Daniela had a massive online presence, like massive. There was not a day where she did not post about her friends or life updates. But about three years ago she was living in a pretty bad part of town and then she met Simon. After that, she stopped working, stopped going out, stopped posting, all that jazz. She essentially disappeared from the face of the earth and only went out when there were events for Simon's restaurant. Kind of sketchy if you ask me. Also, they got married like two months after meeting and he immediately put all of her assets in his name. Basically, he owned her."

Garcia took a moment to find the rest of her notes, "Daniela was actually on their house property when Simon was killed. She was in their backyard, swimming, and when she went back inside he was dead. So as Hotch said, very experienced killers. Simon also left almost nothing to Daniela so take that as you will. As for the M.O., it looks pretty standard, the same as with Garza."

Garcia pressed a few buttons and some photos of Boyd's crime scene appeared on their tablets. This time, it was Emily who spoke up, "Garcia, you said that Daniela didn't get a lot from Simon in his will, so who got everything?"

"I am so glad you asked, Emily!" Garcia bore a wide smile, "All of Simon's assets went to an Eric Matteo Bowes, but the problem is, there is no Eric Matteo Bowes. He doesn't exist. And the only one that does, lives in Puerto Rico and has never been in the same state as Simon. So basically he left his entire life to a mystery man."

"Why would he do that? Is it possible that it's some kind of pseudonym? Maybe it means something else?" Replied Emily with a confused expression.

"Already there, my love. I called Boyd's lawyer and he said that while he could not give specific details, he did confirm that Bowes does not exist. Yet another mystery to solve, we just have to see if this is related to Boyd's death or not."

They went on like this for the next hour, bouncing around ideas and debating if certain occurrences had any significance in the cases. Once all of the cases had been discussed, Reid raised his hand to speak, still resembling the quiet kid that Ophelia knew, "Guys, I think the unsub is female. Look at the amount of rage," he pointed to the photos of the men's' slit throats, "this is a very up-close kill and it indicates that there may be a personal motive too. That's something we see a lot in female serial killers, it tends to stem from trauma that they feel they cannot let go of. And it's definitely a duo, two of the victims were athletes, indicating that at least two unsubs would be needed to restrain them, especially to get them on top of the bed after. But not more than two, bigger killing teams are more prone to mistakes and disorganization, I'm not seeing any of that here. My guess, is that these two bonded over their hatred of men, as indicated by the message written on the victims' backs, and somewhere along the line they decided to put their message out there through violence. Garcia, we need to start looking into females living in the greater LA area who have filed reports for domestic abuse against males within the past five years, cross-reference that with females whose mothers were either missing, dead, or not involved."

"Give me one second, pretty boy." Garcia's painted nails clacked loudly on her keyboard and they all watched as she typed at an alarming speed with her pen still in her hand.

"Anndddd done! We have seventeen lovely ladies here, one of them passed away a week ago and three have recently moved to other California cities. So we're down to thirteen now. Up first we have Miss Daniella Olson, twenty-three, and worked as a sales clerk for Knight's Knives up until two months ago... hmmm. Possible unsub? Oh wait, she stopped working at Knight's because she sustained debilitating injuries from a car crash. That's unfortunate. Up next is Kiya Driscoll, thirty years old and living in eastern LA. Geographically she doesn't look like a match, but let me see what comes up when I dig a little deeper."

After less than a minute, Garcia had managed to take a deep look into Kiya's life and left no stone unturned. "She's squeaky clean, moving on. Belle Jones, twenty-five and also in the hospital. Hmmm... change of plans, my lovelies, I will get back to you when I have a list of possible unsubs."

They discussed the case while Garcia looked into each of the girls' backgrounds.

Hotch's deep voice suddenly boomed through the jet, "These unsubs are experienced, they have likely experimented in other states, which would explain how their kills were so clean right off the bat. The only problem is that when I looked into it, there were no similar cases except for one case in Las Vegas from nineteen-ninety-nine. There was only one suspect, Darla Sutton, but there was never enough evidence to convict her. Our current case also profiled that we would be dealing with a team of young killers, Darla is already in her late sixties. We could be dealing with copycats or even an apprentice of some kind. Garcia, can you change the search to include anyone who has ever been affiliated with Darla Sutton?"

"Yes, Sir, already ahead of you!" Chirped Garcia. "Allow me to introduce you to Miss Ophelia Sutton, Darla's daughter. Thirty-seven years old and she has not worked in four years, but lemme tell you, this girl is rich. Like, buy a house on the moon rich. She graduated from MIT when she was seventeen and went straight into huge engineering companies like Z-Tech and Cormac & Robles, she was able to reach the top by the time she was twenty-one and she's made enough money to sustain several families for at least fifty yea–"

Spencer's eyes widened in shock and he completely zoned out as Garcia droned on. How was it possible that the girl he knew so well as a child was now their prime suspect? She had been his best friend, stuck with him through thick and thin, yet here he was staring at a photo of her and not recognizing her in the slightest. He could see the evil in her eyes, but it had not been there when they were friends. Back then, he saw everything good in the world swimming in her smile, that was all gone now. He blamed himself for this, he did not fight hard enough for Ophelia's friendship, if he had, they might not be in this position.

Of course, it was not Ophelia's fault that Garcia had now found her, but rather Cat's. Cat had gotten a bit lazy while designing their M.O. and copied Darla's almost to the tee because she thought it made the most sense. This was, however, a detail that Cat never disclosed to Ophelia. It was the reason why she had insisted so adamantly that Ophelia had to leave, why she had been so worried that Spencer would catch them both. If anything happened to Ophelia, it would all be because of her mistake. While Cat did modify a few things, it clearly was not enough to keep the BAU from noticing the connection. Maybe prison really had damaged Cat's once perfect abilities, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

Spencer drew his eyes away from the screen and tried to hide his feelings of disappointment, but JJ always seemed to notice. She whispered into Spencer's ear, "Hey, Spence, what's wrong?"

He jumped, frightened by the nickname she used. She was the only one besides Ophelia that ever called him Spence, "Oh, it's nothing JJ, I just got worried for a moment, I thought I had forgotten to call the institution where my mom is staying to ask if I could visit her after the case. Nothing serious."

"Whatever you say, Spence, I'm always here to talk." JJ looked at Spencer worriedly and tried to take his explanation at face value, but she could tell that he was still hiding something, especially since he never forgets anything.

They wrapped up their briefing and Spencer remained quiet, worried about what to do. He was not close with Ophelia anymore, they had not spoken in over two decades, but a part of him wondered if he should excuse himself from the case. Eventually, he decided to stay on the case and not say anything to Hotch because it was just an old friendship. Ophelia did not have an eidetic memory like him and probably would not even remember him. Spencer found solace in this thought, essentially ignoring that he would have to arrest his only childhood friend.

When they landed in Los Angeles, Spencer thought of how ironic his situation was. He hoped that Ophelia's name coming up was just a false alarm, that they had pinned the case on the wrong unsub. But so far, all of the signs were pointing to her and they would definitely need her to cooperate to find her partner.

On their way to LAPD's headquarters, Spencer fidgeted with his hands, still debating telling Hotch about his relationship with Ophelia. He figured that it could go one of two ways: Hotch would kick him off of the case and berate him for not speaking up sooner, or he would be used as bait to extract an emotional response from Ophelia, that is if she remembered him at all. When they got to the station though, Spencer was immediately cut off by the Chief who insisted that he needed to give them a thirty-minute guided tour of the station.

He walked at an excruciatingly slow pace, slowed even further by his co-workers stopping them every few steps to ask about the case. They were shown the kitchen, the bathrooms, his office, the garage, and literally every room except for the one where they were supposed to set up. By the time that the tour was over, there was not even enough time for Reid to have a quick talk with Hotch. They were now twenty minutes behind schedule and had to grab everything from the cars and rush to set up their space. Prentiss and Reid worked together to set up the computers, connecting them to Garcia, while Rossi worked on printing and pinning physical copies of the crime scene reports and photos. Hotch and JJ were running between the cars and the conference room trying to get everyone's belongings inside as quickly as possible since it was beginning to rain and they would be unable to get their stuff out later without wetting it.

As soon as everyone was settled in, they jumped straight into working on their game plan, plotting how they would approach Ophelia. They figured that their best bet was to send one team to search the apartment, and another to search the house. Rossi, JJ, and Reid were being sent to the house, whereas Hotch and Prentiss were going to check the apartment. It was a solid plan and only took a few calls to execute. They had just arrived in LA and they were already on the verge of a breakthrough. It all seemed to be moving so quickly, too easily, and Spencer felt that they were being drawn into a trap of some kind. But since they were employing the help of a S.W.A.T. team, he figured that there was not much to worry about and carried along with the plan. In two hours Ophelia Sutton would no longer be a free woman, and she was not going to go down easily.

And Then There Were Five? Chapter 5

Paring: Goku and Chichi

Words: 2,439

Summary: An innocent question is asked. And pregnant women don’t sleep very well.

A/N: Thanks to the fabulous @jadefyre for the beta read!!!!

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12543438/5/And-Then-There-Were-Five

Archive of Our Own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11284710/chapters/30693396

Chapter 5: An Innocent Question

After my usual housework, I allowed myself a small break and relaxed on the couch. My feet were up – giving my hideously swollen ankles a chance to rest. I had a baby merchandise catalog propped up on my stomach and a nice cup of iced, fresh-squeezed juice in hand.

I sighed in contentment and relief as the ever-present ache in my lower back was soothed.

My sweet husband was out doing a takeout run – which meant a reprieve from the noise of construction. The house was nice and quiet for the time being. The boys were upstairs studying in their rooms. Even the twins were quiet – their movements gentle. Perhaps they were asleep.

I thought a nap sounded wonderful. My eyelids grew heavy.

Just as I drifted off, a tiny foot rammed into my ribcage.

I winced and sighed. "Ah, awake now, are you?"

One of them stretched in response and kicked again.

A little over six months in and their kicks were beginning to hurt as the girls grew and got stronger. I rubbed my sore stomach in the hopes that would settle them down but to no avail.

I gasped with another painful kick. I shook my head as I sat up – giving up on any possibility of an afternoon nap.

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

"Oh! Goten! I didn't see you there." I gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, baby. They kick very hard and sometimes it hurts a little. That's all."

His eyes lit up. "Oh! Are they kicking right now?"

I nodded. "Yes, they are."

He settled his small hands on my very round stomach and waited. I covered his hands with mine. And Goten got what he wanted: several good strong kicks. I did my best to bite back my hiss so I didn't worry him further but the twins' kicks hurt.

His big eyes sparkled with wonder. "Wow! This feels cool! Will they be born soon?"

I giggled. "Not yet. It will still be another few months or so until we meet them."

Without a word, he zipped up the stairs and returned a moment later, tugging Gohan along by his wrist.

He pointed at my stomach and grinned from ear to ear up at his brother. "They're moving! You gotta feel 'em! They're super strong!"

Gohan chuckled and got on his knees beside me. "I hope I get at least one good kick."

He rested his hand on my stomach and was rewarded with as many strong kicks as Goten got.

He gasped and then grinned. "Wow! They are strong!"

One of the twins kicked exceptionally hard and I groaned.

He rubbed my stomach, his excited smile turning sympathetic.

"Don't worry about me. I'm just glad you finally got to feel them kick. I remember how much you loved feeling Goten move inside me."

Up to that point in time, Gohan hadn't felt any movement himself. Goku and Goten sure had. With Gohan busy with the last weeks of school before the summer and maintaining his budding relationship with Videl, as well as being Satan City's superhero, he simply wasn't home at times the twins were the most active.

He withdrew his hand and waited – not letting Goten feel again either. Gohan never took his eyes off my stomach as he shushed a protesting Goten.

I had some idea what Gohan was up to. Goten didn't have long to be confused before the reason for Gohan's behavior became evident. The twins kicked again, their movements clearly visible.

I smiled at their wide-eyed wonder, my eyes growing a little bit wet.

"Mommy?" asked Goten as he kept his eyes on my stomach, his face alight with innocent curiosity.

"Yes, Goten?"

Nothing could have prepared me for what he was about to ask.

"How did the babies get put inside of you?"

My mouth fell open and my mind went blank.

I was blessedly saved by a mouthwatering combination of food smells and my stomach let out a loud growl.

Goku had materialized in the center of our living room with the takeout I was craving. His deer-in-headlights expression and red face told me he heard Goten's question, too.

My stomach growled again and Goten giggled, turning his attention to his father and the food he held. I blew out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to ask the boys to go wash up – but Gohan was already gone. As Goten disappeared down the hall, Goku set the food in the kitchen and returned to help me off the couch.

My stomach growled again and Goten laughed as he returned, followed by his poor, slightly green-faced brother.

Goku and I exchanged slightly wide-eyed glances.

We all took our seats and the boys waited patiently while I made my first plate of the shrimp cocktail, richly seasoned garlic-butter lobster-tails, fettuccine alfredo with garlic bread, and lots of special fruits rare in our local markets all from places half-way around the world. It was all precisely what I was craving.

Dinner was consumed in silence, which wasn't terribly uncommon in our household – especially not with Saiyan appetites. Sure the food was delectable, but that wasn't why. Goku, Gohan, and I were all too afraid to start any sort of conversation, for fear it would remind Goten of his innocent question.

However, any sort of relief we had was short lived.

No sooner had we finished eating and I began to clear the table than Goten tried again: "How did the babies get put inside you, Mommy?"

Gohan choked on his drink and spluttered, "I–" cough "–I'm gonna–" cough "–go out for a bit. Uhhh… Bye!"

I spun around, intent on reminding Gohan to be back by curfew – it was a school night, after all – but he was already long gone.

I caught Goku halfway between sitting and standing, his wide eyes darting to and fro between the back door and Goten.

His gaze met mine and I gave him my fiercest you-will-regret-it-if-you-leave glare. He gulped audibly and sat back down and stared at Goten – who was blinking up at me and patiently waiting for an answer.

Deciding the dishes could wait a few more minutes, I sat down next to Goten and folded my hands. I proceeded to answer his question – which only sparked others. The two babies inside of me kicked away obliviously.

Goku was no help at all – even though he certainly knew enough. He was perfectly happy to leave the answering of Goten's questions up to me. Just as well, considering Goku's ever-present blush. That man always was easily flustered. Truth be told, I was proud I managed to keep myself from blushing.

Thankfully, Goten's questions proved easy enough to answer – especially when he inquired as to the specifics about the natural possibility of twins – but I was still relieved when I sensed the conversation winding down.

Once his curiosity was sated, for the time being, he thanked me and trotted out of the room.

Within a few moments of Goten leaving the room, the back door opened and Gohan hesitantly poked his head in. His eyes darted between his father and me. "Is the… uh… talk over?"

Goku and I nodded silently and Gohan sighed with obvious relief. In a burst of speed possible only because of his Saiyan genes, he was upstairs in a blur and rush of air, his door closing all of a second later with a little more force than was necessary.

Goku looked at me – still red-faced from the little chat that had concluded moments before – and I locked gazes with him. And then – in quite the mature display – we burst into a fit of quiet, relieved giggles as the boys got ready for bed.

He reached out and rubbed my ever-growing stomach with that slight frown of concentration that meant he was reading their energies. He had done that almost every day since Doctor Ishi told us at my six-month checkup one was a little bigger than the other. It was a size difference that also showed in their energies and something Goku kept a careful eye on.

After several seconds, he smiled and nodded to himself and then helped me out of my chair and up to our room for the night.

If it wasn't for Doctor Ishi telling us about the twins' size difference, I never would have suspected it. Both were very strong and very, very active – especially in the middle of the night.

It felt like they were turning summersaults in there. I sighed as I rolled over yet again, hunting down that elusive comfortable position as Goku snored next to me – and the warmth he put off wasn't helping matters.

I didn't know how he was sleeping through the heat. It was a hot, muggy summer – almost suffocating – and it was somehow even worse at night. Our window was open, but there was no breeze to let in.

I was sweating and the babies were kicking.

I shook my head and finally gave up any hope of sleep and got out of bed. I had no idea what time it was but I didn't care. Whatever it was, it was very, very late – quite possibly early.

I tiptoed down the dark hallway and down into the living room. I needed something to cool off. Juice sounded nice. Opening the fridge felt positively heavenly. The freezer was even better – its frigid air wafting around me. I kept the door open just a little bit longer, savoring the cold air.

Iced apple juice in hand, I felt my way through the pitch black living room, found my shoes, and headed outside into the hot, humid air. It was a new moon, the thin crescent hardly giving off any light at all. The sky was crystal clear, the multitudes of stars absolutely beautiful.

Cicadas hummed, crickets chirped, and somewhere, an owl hooted as I wandered along the edge of the woods. Heading into the forest wasn't too smart an idea at night and in my state. As long as I didn't enter the forest, I was safe.

I felt an annoying pinch in my arm and absently slapped the spot, squashing the mosquito as I walked.

A slight breeze finally kicked up, rustling the foliage. Working my way around our home along the edge of the pitch-black woods was very relaxing – aside from the mosquitos.

I felt a whisper of air from the opposite direction of the breeze at my back and sensed someone – or something – right in front of me and my reflexes kicked in, my heart pounding in my chest, my fist flying automatically. Only to be caught by a large, gentle hand.

I jerked my hand back and crossed my arms, glaring up at him – knowing he could see me.

"You scared me to death, Goku!"

"I scared you!? You have that backwards!"

I didn't have to see his face to know the mix of anger and concern he was no doubt wearing. Insufferable. He was absolutely insufferable but it was sweet in a way.

I rolled my eyes – unable to be truly angry with him. "I'm fine, Goku. I was hot, the babies were – and still are – kicking, and I couldn't sleep so I came out here to try to cool off. Now, keep it down. The boys are sleeping with their windows open tonight."

The only thing attacking me was the hordes of mosquitos. That quickly grew more annoying than my overprotective husband.

Despite that, I continued on with my walk, Goku coming along with me, the both of us intermittently slapping ourselves in an endless, futile bid to defeat the swarm of irritating insects.

Goku stopped walking and I looked back at him with an eyebrow raised.

He tensed his body, his feet shifting and crunching in the dirt. "Hang on. Let me try something. You might want to put some space between us and shield your eyes. It's about to get very bright."

I moved backward several paces, squeezed my eyes shut, and covered them with my hands. A blast of heat hotter than the midday sun washed over me and I could hardly breathe, hair standing up on the back of my neck, my skin crawling with static. As quickly as the intense heat came, it was blessedly over, the night air returning to its normal warm temperature.

"You can open your eyes now."

I did, squinting at the sudden intrusion of a familiar golden glow – the golden glow of delinquency. Slowly, my eyes adjusted. Even with his ki calm, he still put off a fairly bright light, casting eerie shadows in the woods near us – and attracting every winged insect from a mile around.

Static sparks crackled through the air and hapless insects fell to the ground at his feet. As mosquitos and moths alike met their ends, I took a moment to appreciate my husband's special brand of genius. He grinned proudly down at me, his arms crossed.

With his glow, I noticed a few differences in his form. "This… doesn't quite look like normal Super Saiyan. Is it? Your hair is a little bit different."

He shook his head, still grinning. "Nope! This is Super Saiyan 2! It puts off more static electricity than regular old Super Saiyan, so I thought I'd try it to keep the bugs away."

His proud smile turned into one of amusement – that he tried to hide behind his hand – and he snorted boyishly.

I raised an eyebrow and put my hands on my hips. "What?"

He stroked my hair and then snorted louder. I opened my mouth to demand to know what in the world was so funny – only to be cut off by a shock as his warm hand brushed my cheek. I gasped as he yanked his hand right back, a wince on his handsome face.

Ah.

Static.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

His grin returned. "Well, at least you're not getting bitten by mosquitos anymore!"

Unable to keep it in anymore, he burst into side-splitting laughter.

He was awfully cute like that—especially since his hair looked even sillier than usual. The strongest being in the universe reduced to childish giggling. I shook my head and pushed on with my walk, intent on ignoring what I could only guess my hair looked like.

Goku reigned in his laughter and caught up with me. He slung his arm around my shoulders. Together, we veered into the dark woods, and down our favorite path.

So that’s what I’m gonna do.

Let’s get the Night Vale presents stuff out of the way because I think those are the most well-known things, and, while good podcasts, probably the least interesting for a rec list.

  Welcome to Night Vale is probably the podcast that got a ton of people, including myself, into podcasts in the first place. If you don’t know, WTNV is a fictional radio show about a little desert town and the strange things that happen it. It’s super queer, quirky, and has some really good creepy moments. Librarians scare me because of this show.

I don’t really keep caught-up on this, but I do listen to a bunch at once every so often and catch up. With 154 episodes, a couple bonus episodes, and a bunch of live-shows, you’ve got a lot of backlog to keep you busy. Start at the beginning, though.

Alice Isn’t Dead is a horror podcast about a woman who sees her supposedly dead wife on a news broadcast and sets off to try and find her. And it only gets weirder from there. This series has an episode that has creeped me out more than anything else I’ve probably ever listened to. There are three seasons with ten episodes each, plus some bonus episodes. The series has been completed.

Within the Wires is a dystopian science fiction series about a strange alternate reality world. Season One is told through a series of relaxation tapes. Season Two is a set of art museum tour tapes. Season Three is a collected group of audio notations from a man to his secretary.

I’m a pretty big fan of this one, honestly. I don’t love the second season, but it’s still very solid and the third is super interesting. This is a very strange world, and I really like it.

Each season tells a separate story, but they do all take place in the same world. Very queer, as expected from Night Vale Presents, honestly, with a neat bonus being season 3 being narrated by a trans narrator. Ten episodes each season, and season four started September 2019.

Let’s talk about some of my other favourite things!

The Black Tapes was one of the first non-Night Vale podcasts I listened to and it’s still one of my favourites. Funny story, I thought this was going to be a non-fiction podcast. I mixed it up in my head with… Lore! It was totally Lore. Oh, I forgot I listened to a bit of that. So, in my head, this become a non-fiction podcast about urban lengends the way Lore is non-fiction about scary stories/historical events/whatever Lore’s deal is, I didn’t actually listen to that much of it.

And, boy, was I confused after the first episode. Or two. Eventually I realized this is a fiction horror podcast about journalist Alex Reagan’s research into Dr. Richard Strand’s work debunking paranormal activity – specifically the cases he has not been able to debunk. (Strand is basically a fictional version of James Randi, who’s an interesting dude.)

It begins as kind of a Monster of the Week story, but eventually expands from that into bigger arcs in a very natural way. It’s one that manages to balance telling the story without losing sight of where they started out. The third season is a little underwhelming, which sucks as it’s currently also the last season, but I suspect they might be working on things behind the scenes. There’s rumours about NBC working on a TV series, and also rumours about a fourth season. I would support that. It’s one of my favourites.

There’s also a series that takes place in the same universe called TANIS, and I think RABBITS is in the same universe too, but I wasn’t really super into either of those. This, however, is a big favourite.

The Bright Sessions is a science fiction podcast about therapy for people with psychic powers, or as the podcasts says, the strange and unusual. I am also strange and unusual, so I liked this. This is a very positive podcast. It does go a whole lot into a strange world and has some really exciting plotpoints, but a lot of it is just about healing and growth. It made my heart do things a bunch. Not a scary one.

Relevant to my book people, there is a YA book featuring two of the characters coming out (whenever) and I have an eARC of it so you might be seeing a review of that soon. Hopefully.

This also has a ton of queer rep, including an explictly ace character. It also has a musical episode. Yes, that’s as cool as it sounds. There are 64 episodes, plus a bunch of bonus episodes. There’s also a spin-off series but it’s behind a paywall so I haven’t checked it out. This is a satisfying complete series without it.

ars PARADOXICA is a science fiction podcast about Sally Grissom, a physicist who accidentally invents time travel and sends herself back to 1943. And then it gets really weird. If you really like science fiction, this is the one I’d recommend the most. It’s very important to listen to this one in order, as it’s very plot heavy.

This is also way more queer than you’d expect a podcast set in the 40s to be. Sally is explictly asexual and heavily aro-coded, and there are several other major queer characters. Honestly this just has decent representation in general, and most of it is handled in a very sensitive way. A lot of things like racism or antisemitism aren’t just brushed aside as being “Well, it’s the 40s”.

Partway through this, there is a plot involving gun violence. The creators talk about their decision whether to include it or not, and they begin to give content warnings before each episode when needed. I really appreciated that.

This series is complete at thirty-six episodes, with a couple bonus episodes. There’s also a crossover episode between this and the Bright Sessions.

Now, if you’ve never listened to a podcast before and you’re a little intimidated by the idea of getting into something really long and involved, I’d recommend this next podcast.

The Message is basically a mini-series. It’s a science-fiction podcast that, and no one is going to get this reference, kind of reminded me of the movie Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invasion. My brain makes weird leaps sometimes. We all kind of just need to run with it.

Produced by GE, it tells the story of a college student making a podcast following the team tasked with decoding a message sent to earth by aliens seventy years ago. There are only 8 episodes, and most of them are only about 10 minutes, so this is a very good beginner podcast.

Not a super queer podcast, but there is a nonbinary character among the main cast.

I also listened to GE’s second podcast, Life-After, but I wasn’t as big a fan of that. The two are not related storywise.

The Far Meridian is another one I think is pretty approachable for beginners. The episodes tend to be under twenty minutes. And this one is more of a fantasy podcast than science-fiction like a lot of the others have been. I would almost say this has a bit of a magical realism theme, and the writer has talked about being influenced by that genre.

The main character of this, Peri, is an agrophobe who wakes up one morning to find her lighthouse has begun traveling the world. Over the course of the show, you begin to realize how weird the world she’s exploring actually is. The second season especially does some things I personally found super creepy, and I loved it.

It deals with a lot of trauma and anxiety, especially in the second season, but it’s handled so well. They end every episode with “May you always find your way”, and I find that really fitting and also comforting. It’s not a fake Instagram type of positivity. It feels hopeful.

Peri is a Latina woman and I believe most of the cast are people of colour. Peri is also queer, but generally does not want labels put on her yet. She’s okay not knowing. This, also, happens in a scene where another character defines her own bisexuality as being attracted to “cool girls and people who don’t really subscribe to that whole gender thing” which is great.

Overall, I’m a big fan of this one and I can’t wait for the third season in January 2020. Oh, hey, pro-tip: The Google Play feed for this doesn’t have the full second season for some reason, so you have to switch to iTunes or Spotify for the rest of it if you listen to your podcasts there.

Now this one I just finished listening to!

The Bridge is a science fiction podcast set in an alternate-world 2016 where a giant bridge (shocker) has been built across the Atlantic Ocean, taking place within one of the watchtowers on said giant bridge, which has been mostly abandoned and left to rot by the mainland.

Okay don’t make fun of me, but I’m kind of a new introductee to the idea of Lovecraftian lore/mythology? For some reason I kind of missed that whole thing until pretty recently. I only got semi-familiar with it because a Let’s Player I watch played a Cthulhu game, and then a youtube channel that talks about book adaptations I also watch did an episode about one of Lovecraft’s books.

So I’m gonna say this is kind of based on Lovecraftian stuff, but I don’t know enough to say if it’s inspired by it, or actually based on a specific work, but it has that kind of feel. The world in this is really interesting, with things like haunted houses and possessed puppets. They also do a great job with world-building of the way things were back in the heyday of the bridge.

One of the main characters, Bertie, is canonically queer, and talks about his fiance who passed away, and others have been confirmed queer by word of God, but I can’t find said word of God, so I don’t know who they mean and therefore can’t really talk about that. There’s been basically no focus on romance, though, so it not coming up hasn’t felt unnatural.

This has 14 episodes and a bunch of mini-episodes, and while there hasn’t been an update since October 2018, their twitter leads me to be it will be soon. I really like the world of this one, and can’t wait for there to be more.

Parts of it actually reminded me of:

Girl in Space, which is a science fiction podcast about a girl (duh) in space (duh) with only an artificial intelligence system, various birds, and a goat to keep her company… until she sees something on the horizon.

This is still a baby podcast, with only one season (the last episode of which I still need to listen to) but it’s interesting. There’s some things they’re hinting at that I am super excited about seeing explored in season two, and the worldbuilding is really fun. The sun is probably alive, y’all. And I mean, like, it might be sentient.

I have a couple of minor gripes with a similar thing to the Bridge, where characters have only been said to be queer outside of the actual show, but if the words “Cheese is delicious science” appeal to you, check this one out.

And speaking of mixed feelings:

The Box! The Box is a horror podcast about a college drop-out that finds a strange box (again, shocker) in the bookstore she works in, her discovery that it’s full of strange journals, and her search to uncover the truth about them.

There’s a lot I actually like in this. When I started listening to it, I was really missing the Black Tapes and they have the same sort of feeling at the beginning. I like this kind of podcast where a narrator tells you a story every episode, and then the world builds on top of that. It’s not everyone’s thing, but I’m into it. It’s a good premise, and for quite some time into the show, I enjoyed it.

And then it gets weird. And obviously it starts weird, most of these podcasts get weird at one point, but it starts to be strange in a way that I wasn’t enjoying. I started to find it more silly than scary.

There’s also a romance that I found dull as doorknobs, and there’s a thing that I would like to complain about, but I can’t confirm it exactly, and there are not transcripts so I can’t check something without re-listening to the whole podcast. As there are forty episodes and bonus episodes, I’m not about to just jump into that. So I’ll just complain about a lack of transcripts instead.

The Box also has times where the sound design is just terrible. There’s one episode where, in-world, it’s being recorded on a broken recorder, parts of it from another room. And, yes, it makes sense in-world. But to actually listen to it, I had it on full blast as high as I could and I still could barely hear it and missed a lot of the episode. And, again, no transcripts to read with it. And my hearing is okay. If you have any kind of auditory processing issues, that episode basically just says “screw you”.

However, I do like how they work social topics into the stories. At times it can be a bit clumsy, but I give them kudos for trying, at least. There’s an episode that includes real-life audio from something related to a real death of a black person by police brutality. I believe it’s in the episode Strange Fruit but I don’t remember and again, no transcripts. I find this especially frustrating when it comes to potentially triggering material.

This one’s currently on hiatus and I’ll probably check it out whenever it returns (it’s a show prone to long hiatus), but I wouldn’t recommend it unhesitantly. It does a lot of things I like, but I definitely have mixed feelings overall.

Palimpsest is another horror podcast. It tells a new, standalone story each season, with all their stories relating to memory and things that haunt us. I liked both, but especially the second season.

Season one is about loss and memory and forgiveness, and what it means to be haunted by something. It’s largely about the relationship between the MC and her sister and the romance is very minimal, but there’s some (what I call) incidental queerness. It’s not in a way like a Night Vale Presents thing is, or the Bright Sessions, or something like that, but it’s nice not to have it ignored.

GIANT trigger warning for gun violence and child death. Also, there’s thing on-going theme about the creepy sound of a wooden swing in the backyard and, as I was listening to this when I went for walks, I realized I walk past three different wooden swings.

Season two is set in the late 19th or early 20th century or so, and is based in Irish fae mythology which is totally up my alley. This is also the series where the idea of immigrants and people being raised by immigrants having accents confused someone so much I almost didn’t listen to it based on their review. I’m not salty about that, obviously.

Season two is also really freaking queer. Overall this isn’t a really scary horror podcast – it’s more eerie and a little sad. And eerie and a little sad is my favourite mood for ghost stories. My only real complaint is this also doesn’t have transcripts available.

Spines is a pretty recent listen for me, one I really enjoyed. This is kind of like a mash up of all the things I liked about The Box and Darkest Night and Archive 81 without any of the things I didn’t like in any of those. It’s definitely horror, with some body horror elements, and some… is tasteful gore a thing? Body horror and gore elements are used very tastefully and sparingly, and to great effect.

It’s the story of Wren, who wakes up in an attic covered in blood, with no memory at all, and some weird cult ritual surrounding her. She runs, and starts the podcast in an attempt to find her friends, who she’s sure were in the attic with her, and her other half, Zachary, the only name she can remember.

It’s weird but good weird. Solid world-building and really good character building. There’s a particular message that I appreciated that being someone’s “soulmate” didn’t mean you didn’t have a choice in whether or not you wanted to be romantically or sexually involved with them. It’s subtle but again well-handled.

Also, Wren is queer and this is really trans inclusive. There are several times where the show goes against the usual cisnormative thing most media would say in a similar situation, which honestly makes sense as it’s written by a trans writer. There’s also a very significant canonically intersex and nonbinary character, voiced by the writer of the show.

This is a creepy, weird little podcast that made my heart very happy. It’s complete at three seasons of eight episodes each and honestly quite underrated. Big recommend.

Finally, let’s talk about my favourite podcast.

I recently learned that the term “weird fiction” exists as a genre label. Mabel is very much weird fiction. In Mabel, Anna Limon begins a new job as a home health caretaker to an elderly woman named Sally. The house is… strange, and Sally is strange, and Anna probably shouldn’t look too deeply at any of that, but of course she does.

It is a horror podcast with deep folklore/mythology roots, possibly also somewhat Celtic/fae based, but it’s such a blend of things that I can’t draw any hard lines of things I specifically recognize besides one or two things, and that makes it so unique.

Listen to Mabel in the fall. Listen to Mabel when it might rain, when it’s a little windy, when the leaves are crunchy under your feet. When the air smells just a little like decay. Or, you know, whenever, because it’s great, but it is an amazing fall podcast. It’s also super queer, fyi.

Mabel has forty seasons currently, with I think five seasons? There is also a five-part bonus series. It’s really cool. If you don’t listen to anything else I recommend, listen to this.

I also listened to Limetown but I feel like everyone’s heard of that one, and I’m currently listening to Ghosts in the Burbs which so far is kind of interesting, but I’m only like two episodes in.

Alright! Have you listened to any of these? What did you think? What podcasts would you recommend for me? Did you enjoy this post at all? Comment and let me know!

Peace and cookies, Laina

I kinda just wanna talk about podcasts So that's what I'm gonna do. Let's get the Night Vale presents stuff out of the way because I think those are the most well-known things, and, while good podcasts, probably the least interesting for a rec list.

Siege of Arendelle- Chapter Seven

Remember when I said this was going to be like 20 chapters long? I’m thinking it might be even more than that. Like this is just ending Act I pretty much, so I have much more planned. Also I’d like to appologize in advance as I don’t think I’ll be able to post on the regular schedule for the next few weeks due to family stuff and getting ready to go back to college.

Enough rambling. Here’s chapter 7.

Universe: Canon- Post Film Rating: T (Teen and Up)- Soon to change <3 Words: 3578

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six

           “Your majesty,” the young guard said falling to her knees in front of Elsa, “I have word from the scouts!”

           “And?” Elsa asked, proud of herself for finally regaining her composure enough for her hands to stop shaking at her sides or reaching for the bandage around her neck.

           “Southern Isles ships will enter the fjord within the hour.”

           “What else do we know?” Elsa asked, gesturing for the woman to stand before her.

           “They seem to have allied with others, but their colors are unfamiliar and we’re not sure on their numbers. They seem to outnumber our people five to one, and that is on the conservative side.”

           “Weapons?”

           “We have no idea, however we’re certain that at least three of the five ships have cannons.”

           “I’ll have to freeze the harbor,” Elsa said, her voice only wavering slightly despite the way in which anxiety chewed at her guts, “There’s no other choice.”

           She wasn’t even certain she could do it. She had been able to before, but it had been an accident and she had been so out of control that she had nearly frozen her people to death as well. She took in a steadying breath. If she could build an entire castle of ice out of thin air, she could freeze a little pre-existing water. Or at least she hoped she could.

           The woman nodded dutifully, and Elsa took strength in the power that the young woman held within her.

           “I’ll send a door guard to make the Captain aware. I’ll insist he and the troops start evacuating immediately. I need you to go to her. Tell her what’s happening. Remind the Ice master of his promise. I know I needn’t remind you what failure or being compromised in your mission will result in.”

           The young woman knelt again, “Yes my Queen.”

           Elsa reached down and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder her voice losing it’s regal tone and softening. “Kari. You know you’re the only one I can trust with this.”

           Kari stood then, and faced her queen. Elsa looked into her determined eyes, green like spring and full of promise. She couldn’t help herself but to reach up to her face and tuck away a strand of dark hair that had managed to find its way out of a tight bun.

           And then there were lips on hers. It was not for the first time, and Elsa silently prayed that it would not be for the last. Her eyes shut and tears pooled along her lashes as strong hands held her close, reminding her that she was not alone.

           “We’ll make it through,” Kari whispered into Elsa’s ear, lips practically pressing against skin, “I’ll be back soon. Please stay safe.”

           “They don’t know I’m still alive,” Elsa replied, embracing her lover tightly in return, “Thanks to you, I suppose they’ll be in for one hell of a surprise when their ships are frozen out of shore’s reach.”

           Kari smiled at that and managed a half hearted chuckle as she pressed another kiss to Elsa’s lips.

           “Now please go. You’re starting to make me wish I could freeze time too.”

           Kari nodded and bowed slightly before departing from the room in a rush, leaving Elsa to address her other guards and inform them of the only plan she had to protect their nation from invaders.

                                                               ***

           They were both hardly dressed, but Anna wasn’t about to complain. The solstice was only a few days away and it was an unseasonably hot morning for late spring in the mountains. She wasn’t sure that she could have put on any more layers even if she had to. Her chemise and petticoat were weighty and warm enough.

           “Where are we going?” she asked, unable to help herself. She had asked him several times already, but he had refused to answer. This time, she suspected, would be no different.

           “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, would it?” Kristoff replied, smiling back at her, “It’s not too much further.”

           Anna sighed and continued to follow him. Patience was never one of her strong suits, but she pacified her thoughts by watching him walk in front of her, surefooted through the trees and underbrush that he had called a trail.

          He was wearing the same white undershirt and black pants that he had slept in. His shoulders were almost too broad for the fabric of the shirt, and while the rest of it fit loosely, it stretched across his shoulder blades and made her want to reach out and touch them. She much preferred it when he didn’t wear a shirt at all so that her fingers could wander across his skin. Looking at him, a smile on his face and his hair mussed, she could almost forget that his attire was the same clothing he had worn under layers of black and grey at her funeral the day before.

           It all still felt like a blur to her. She wasn’t certain whether she was grateful to have missed the service or wished that she could have seen it all. There was a morbid curiosity within her that wanted to know what words had been said for her, what they had inscribed on her stone, but Kristoff had refused to talk about it, and she hadn’t pushed him. If he wouldn’t tell her, he had his reasons. Just like she had her own reasons for not telling him that she had been found out by Mr. Olsen. He didn’t want to worry him needlessly.

           “When we get back I think I’m going to read those letters Elsa gave you for me. I wish I would have been able to see her.”

           “I gave her the ones you wrote too,” he said, turning when their path through the trees was obstructed by a large stone formation.

           “It’s not the same as being able to talk to her,” she said with a sigh, “But you know that.”

           He didn’t say anything in response, and she didn’t expect him to. He was doing the best that he could and Anna knew it. They were both doing what they had to do, and Anna wished that she could somehow fix everything that was causing them both stress. She wished that she could march back into town with him at her side and fight against those that would have her married off to a red headed Prince from a Nation they loathed.

           The thought passed when she saw that there was clearing just ahead. As the “path” widened to let out into it, Anna took advantage of the space to make her way to Kristoff’s side. She put her hand out to his and her concerns melted away when she felt his fingers lace between hers. They kept their eyes forward, but proximity was enough to allow them to communicate the relaxed ease of the moment. Worries filing their way to the back of their minds like winter clothes to the back of a summer closet.

           When they broke out of the trees, Anna smiled at her surroundings. They were surrounded by more rocky outcroppings like the one they had run up against on their way. The stone was already alive with more green than their garden or the wilderness around them. It was still early in the season, but the plants around the water seemed like they had been growing since the moment the frost thawed. She noticed most of it was moss, but there were also some flowers poking out of the rock. Directly before them was a small body of water that appeared to be fed by a small stream that flowed over the rocks.

           “A pond?”

           “A spring,” he corrected, “The water comes from the stream above and the ground below.”

           Anna didn’t need any more explanation, she was already tugging off her boots, fighting against her petticoat to get her leg up high enough to remove them. In her opinion, it was too hot to bother with removing anything else. If it weren’t for the fact that ruining her shoes wasn’t something she especially cared to have to worry about she would already be in the water.

           “Do you want so help with those?” he asked, watching her struggle with the fabric, lacking a place to sit to remove the boots on her own properly.

           “If you would,” she said with a sigh, happy to have the help. Maybe a few months before she would have struggled through on her own to do it, but her stubbornness had faded somewhat in their time living together. Or, rather, she simply had begun to pick her battles and save her stubbornness for moments that required it most.

           He shrugged in response and knelt beside her to untie and slip her shoes from her feet. The earth was cool under her feet, the mixture of stone, dirt and grass felt familiar and inviting under her freed soles. She wasn’t wearing any stockings, they had met their fate the evening before, and were currently flung somewhere across the room in the upstairs of his home. A thought passed through her mind that made her blush and made her wish that she had replaced them before departing for the morning.

          If she had worn them, he would have helped her remove them as well. She could imagine what it would feel like to have his hands slide up the side of her leg, tugging at her garters and running across her skin all the way down. His hands were rough with callouses and far stronger than her own, but he was always so ginger with her, so gentle when he cupped her face or held her close.

           When he was finished he went to work on his own boots, tugging them off quickly and setting them neatly beside her own. They looked right sitting beside each other. Hers were polished and black, much smaller than his rougher grey ones. It was the little things that brought a smile to her face. For all the hell they had both been through, at least there was some solace in the way they fit together. She found it in the way his shirts looked pinned beside her dresses on the line, in the way her trunk sat next to his, in the way her body fit perfectly next to his in bed each night.

           He caught her hand, and for the first time since she could remember it was him pulling her towards fun. She felt her heart leap when he looked at her, a soft smile on his lips that said everything she needed to hear without a word being spoken.

           You deserve a break. Come on. It’s okay. You’re safe with me.

           “I can’t swim,” she said suddenly, the thought coming to her mind and nearly paralyzing her with fear.

           No one had ever taught her to swim. That was why her drowning would have been believable to even those that knew her. She never went into water any deeper than her waist because if she went too far in, she wasn’t sure how to get back out.

           “It’s okay,” he said, “it’s not that deep.”

           His hand dropped hers and reached instead for her waist. She felt him hold onto her, strong and secure.

           He laughed lightly, “You were about to jump in all by yourself a minute ago, you didn’t know that it was shallow, so did you forget you didn’t know how to swim?”

           She sighed, “Yes. I wasn’t thinking about it. I just wanted to cool down. I still do. Please don’t tease me about it. I never learned.”

           His hands tightened on her waist, and she could feel herself being pulled even closer to him. He wasn’t laughing anymore. He looked in her eye, but there was no judgement there, rather he seemed thoughtful. He loved to tease her, but he loathed to hurt her feelings. His kindness seemed to know no bounds.

           “Would you like it if I held you?”

           She blinked. “What?”

           “Would you like it if I held you?” he repeated, his cheeks going red, “It’s not that deep. I don’t think it’s over your head even at the deepest part, but I’ll onto you until you’re ready if you want.”

           Her cheeks were on fire. She didn’t want to seem like she was afraid. She hated to look childish to him when she wanted to appear as just the opposite in his eyes, but the temptation to be in his arms was great, and she couldn’t deny the part of her that begged to be so close to him again.

           “I think I would, but I should probably get rid of all of this extra fabric,” she said gesturing down to her petticoat, “Are you going to promise not to look again?”

           He smiled down at her, “If you want me to I can try, but right now it’s hard to look away.”

           She smiled at him in return. “Then I just won’t ask you to.”

           She reached back to unbutton the back of her petticoat, but his hands were already there, resting carefully over the button.

           “May I?”

           She nodded, not trusting her voice not to crack or come out overly enthusiastically in response. Of course, she wanted him to remove her petticoat. The very un-princess-like thoughts in her head wanted him to remove much more than that.

          His hands worked at the buttons on the back of the fabric. She was thankful that she had only worn one of the several she had the day before, because it meant that she could feel his hands on her the whole time he worked at the buttons and tugged on the fabric.

          She relaxed even more into his touch, their bodies pressed close together as he finally managed to free her from the fabric entirely. It fell to the ground and Anna felt both blessedly free and embarrassingly bare before him. She was still covered from the tops of her knees to the top of her chest, but even her nightgown was less revealing. Somehow wearing only her shift was both more and less intimate than it had been when she had climbed into bed wearing little more. In the darkness she could hide, but here, in only a thin layer of fabric in the light of the morning she felt embarrassed of herself.

          “Kris,” she said softly, the shortened version of his name slipping out as he pulled her up and into his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder and relaxed into her place in his arms.

          “Is this alright or should I put you back down?” He asked before even taking a step towards the water. “It’s okay if you change your mind.”

          “No, this… this is good. You don’t have to ask me all the time. I’ll tell you to stop if I want you to. I trust you.”

           She could see a hint of a smile play on his lips as he adjusted his hold on her and pulled her closer. His hands gripped tighter on the side of her knee and back when he walked towards the water. The comforting pressure acting as a reminder that he would not let her go, that her confidence in him was not misplaced.

           When the water touched Anna’s foot, she jumped slightly. The difference in temperature between the air and the water was stark, and her body’s reaction to the shock started in her toes and ran straight through her body until she was left cringing at the sensation in her toes.

           “Are you alright?”

           There was something like a laugh behind his words. He knew why she had jumped, and she was silently damning him for not doing the same. Sometimes it was as if he were invulnerable to just about everything the world could throw at him. She had not been lucky enough to receive the same gift.

           “It’s cold!”

           The half laugh turned into a full-blown chuckle. It made her skin feel even hotter as the familiarity of his reaction put her into a state somewhere between embarrassment and comfort. It felt almost as strange as the hot and cold on her skin as he continued to walk deeper and deeper into the water. She had to admit the embarrassment felt far more pleasant.

           She gasped again as the icy water went past her toes, up her foot, and around her ankle. She felt a momentary jolt of panic jump from her brain to her heart and back again, but the fear was quieted by the warm steady hands that supported her body and guided her into the water.

           “You’ll get used to it. Just wait a minute, you’ll feel better then.”

           It reminded her of the first bath she had taken in his home. He had hidden himself away in the stables while she had fixed it for herself. Ultimately, she had mixed too much cold water and not enough hot creating a similar experience to the one she currently felt. She had gotten used to it, but it didn’t mean she had enjoyed it. It had been cold weather then, she reminded herself, and the heat of the air in the late spring day gave the promise of not feeling cold for hours after her dip. And so, she trusted his words. They were logically sound, and even better, he’d never given her cause not to.

           Soon the water covered the arms holding her aloft, and with them the vast majority of her body. She could feel the goosebumps rising across her skin, and she rapidly became aware of what was becoming of her white shift as it contacted the water.

           By the time the transparency became fully evident to her, she was soaked from the waist down, and he had also taken note of the change. Despite the chill of the water around them, a chill that was quickly becoming comfortable, their cheeks were hot.

           “I…is this still alright?”

           The water around them shimmered in the sunlight, and the flowers growing on the rocks perfumed the air. Anna knew the right thing to do would be to take advantage of his gentlemanly nature and ask him to bring her to shore before he caught a good look at her, but doing the right thing was something she had the luxury to ignore for the moment.

           She hummed and leaned up, kissing him gently, and quickly breaking the kiss to laugh when she felt his arms nearly drop her from the shock.

           “I told you to stop asking...This is very alright.”

           He gave her a sheepish smile in return before returning the kiss. His lips were gentle against hers, tentative and taking only as much as she would give. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she was quick to deepen the kiss.

           Soon she was moving, shifting out of his arms and allowing herself to stand on her own two feet in the water. She sucked in a breath as the water went from covering her bottom to being above her breasts, but he was still holding onto her, and a warm chuckle brought her back to the much more important concern of kissing until they were both breathless.

           His hands were on her waist, and hers were on his shoulders. She felt free, buoyant in the water despite his steadying hands. It was a sensation of ease the likes of which she had never felt to be wrapped in cold water and the embrace of the man she loved.

           Kristoff broke the kiss, leaving her breathless and looking up at him in a mixture of confusion and anticipation.

           “Do you remember when we fought?” he asked, his tone serious, but his eyes full of love as he faced her.

           Anna blinked. She wasn’t sure what she had expected him to say, but it hadn’t been that. Unsure of where he could be going, she nodded in affirmation. Kristoff wouldn’t bring it up unless it was something that they needed to talk about. He wasn’t one to dwell in the past when it was unnecessary.

           “I was angry because I spent a whole month terrified that I had lost you. I was angry because I love you and all I wanted was this.”

           She didn’t know what to say, but the words seemed to find their way past her lips on their own accord.

           “You always have been and always will be my first choice,” her voice was barely a whisper, “I love you. I always have. I always will.”

           He kissed her again, his hands finding their way into the wet tangle of brown hair that she was still getting used to. Her body was pressed tight to his, and his kisses traveled to her neck and shoulders with a need he so rarely showed.

           She moaned out softly when he stopped kissing her. She opened her eyes and gave him a look of mock annoyance that was mostly tainted by the smile she was unable to hide away. The loss of his lips was almost too much to bear when her body was yearning for more of him than he had ever shared.

          His hand left her hair to cup her cheek. His smile was warm as he tucked a lock of wavy damp hair behind her ear.

          “You are my forever.”

“Sex, Lies,Videotape” Chapter 2 (Think About It, Talk About It)

Hey Dersha Fam !!!!!!!! Super sorry for the long wait on this loooooonnnggg chapter. Its been a process. I've been super busy for the past weeks but I wont bore you with personal details. This chapter has been done about a whole year now I just hadn't had time to sit down and post and bold the dialog. But here it is! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and hope it was worth your wait.

Authors Note: By the way when speaking about the Detectives I may go back and forth between their first and last names so you might get confused if you haven't looked at the character write up of the two.

The Roman’s sat closely together in their living room to prepare for questioning. Their lawyer had finally given the Miami detectives the signal to enter. Both Detective John Taylor and  Louise Peters walked into The Roman’s home and introduced themselves. They sat in front of the fine young couple and proceeded to start working. “Mr. and Mrs. Roman my name is Detective Peters and this is my partner Detective Taylor. We’ll be asking you both some questions surrounding the incident that has taken place. I assure you that me and my partner are just trying to follow lead based on the information given so we can catch this guy before he acts in anyway. Mr. Roman, Detective Taylor will question you and Mrs. Roman I’ll be questioning you.” Detective Peters finished. That move was very strategic. Being that John had a aggressive approach so he figured Derek could handle it better then Ahsha. He knew that if he took that approach with Ahsha Derek would be counter aggressive to protect her and they wouldn’t get anywhere. Plus if they were going to be successful they needed Derek and Ahsha to trust them both. Ahsha had now sat completely up but she was still dangerously close to Derek. Right now it was very clear that the couple was gaining their comfort within each other. “Mrs. Roman we’ll start with you”. Detective Peters stated. Ahsha looked over at Jeff and he nodded his head towards her. “Okay” Ahsha answered. “Now Mrs. Roman I know the saying is never ask a women her age but, how old are you”? “I’m 26” “Okay and to my knowledge you’re the caption of the Miami Blaze dancers?” “Yes that’s true. Caption and Director” “And your husband is the caption of our basketball team?” “Yes” “Okay great and how long have you two been here in Miami?” “We arrived her before the season so maybe a year and a half”. Detective Peters was jotting down notes as Ahsha spoke. “Ahh I see and before moving here I’m aware you both worked for the championship winning LA Devils”. The Detective said amused “Yes before Derek and I left we were both captions their as well”. Ahsha shrugged nonchalantly. “Really, captions for a team that had just won the championship. Why did you and your husband leave?” Detective Peters tilted his head with a peculiar look. “Derek and I wanted to start something new here together. We were offered the same positions and it just made since to do something new after being married.” Ahsha answered confidently. Everything beyond this point had worked out perfectly for them thus far. “Did either of you have any enemies back in LA?” “Derek and I are public figures, Im sure there are people that either loves or hate us” Ahsha stated. “Ill be a little more specific then. From your knowledge did you or either your husband have and enemy that were close to you in your personal word”. Detective Peters was good at his job and he was calm and patient. Ahsha took a pause before answering. “Honestly L.A. was a great place for us looking back in hinsight. Derek and I were both sucessful but we did have our share of problems there. Before I became caption the Devil Girls were ran by Jelena Howard and she and I never got along”. Ahsha felt she had nothing to hide. “Okay lets stop there. Do you think that Ms. Jelena Howard could have anything to do with this. You know settling some old scores with you two”. Ahsha though about her response. “Actually no, when Derek and I got married she was then the new owner of the team and she wanted me gone more than anything so there would be no point. Derek and I are leading a whole new life together in Miami so she got what she ultimately wanted. "And was that you leaving? He comfirmed. "Yes, that and no one to steal her glorious shine”. Ahsha spoke sarcastically "Ah I see”. Detective Peters added more notes and kept a straight face. "And was that your only enemy in L.A.” "Detective I assure you that my husband or myself don’t have many issues with a lot of people”. "Mrs. Roman let me ask you another question?” Louis shifted crossing his leg. “Sure” “Who is German Vega?” Derek eyebrow raised at the sound of that name. Detective Taylor took notice. “Mr. Vega’s an old friend of mine.” “Friend?” Ahsha automatically knew what he was getting at when he questioned her. “Okay I see you’ve done your research so Ill give you the short boring version. Mr. Vega was my old college boyfriend. When I started dancing for the league the pressures of my job was too much for him so we broke up. Being that I worked in close proximity with my husband over time Derek and I started dating and of course he and Derek weren't golf buddies. He and Derek have had a few exchanges which I know you probably read the article were they had an old altercation at an movie premiering event we all attended. Once Mr. Vega faced the fact that I had moved on with my life and had fallen in love with my husband, he and Derek came to somewhat of a respectful terms but we both hadn't seen or spoken to him since right after I got engaged.” Ahsha then sat back closer Derek. “Humph, its pretty hard watching the women you want fall in love with someone else. You think he’s trying to sabotage your marriage and get a little revenge?” Detective Taylor paid close attention to Derek’s reaction and just like he suspected Derek wasn’t phased. Derek was a confident man and wasn’t bothered by the subject. Detective Taylor saw right then that they were a solid couple. They trusted each other and they fed off of each others energy. Being that Ahsha was so open about the subject showed that the couple didn’t harbor any feeling towards this past situation and that defiantly set the tone. “No!” Ahsha simply answered. “Okay Mrs. Roman one more question and I promise I’m not trying to be a jerk so please dont take this wrong but I have to ask”. "Fire away” Ahsha responded in an slightly annoyed tone. “Are you sure you guys came to Miami for a fresh start or were you running to get away from old problems.” Ahsha looked at the detective and narrowed her eye. Derek could since that she was getting annoyed. He placed a firm grip on her leg knowing his wife was about to give it to the detective but his grip suggested to her to just answer the question. Ahsha huffed. “Okay Detective Peters here’s the truth so you can take it or leave it. When Derek and I made the decision to come to Miami it was because yes we had had our few hardships in L.A. as individuals and as a couple and we wanted better for our marriage. No! We had nothing to run from because Derek and I aren’t affraid to face anything, but did we want better for oursleves, yes. Just because you have a lot of success doesnt always mean your getting sucess where you need to be. So to answer your question that is why Derek and I moved to Miami, and I reiterate WE WANTED A FRESH START”. Ahsha said standing firm in her words. Derek grabbed the back of her neck firmly so that she could calm down. He didn’t want this process to get the best of his wife.  “Great! Mrs. Roman and I’m sure up until the moment I’m assuming you both were satisfied with your decision” Louis asked in a more friendly tone. "Very much so.” Ahsha answered. “Okay so now here’s were the confusion lied. This is what we need to build a case on. If you don’t think it’s anyone from your past then what’s the motive”. “Listen Detective Peters, I have no idea. All I wanted to do today was come home, eat my dinner with my husband and relax after a long day of work. Instead I’m in my own living room which doesn't really feel like my living room anymore being questioned about someone who has invaded my privacy”. Detective Taylor didn’t say anything he just sat back and observed. He could tell that Derek was definatly the alpha in the relationship but Ahsha depite her breakdown wasnt a coy women. She was still very soft and beautiful as a women should be but she was also very similar to her husband which made her appear strong. “Yes I understand Mrs. Roman and that’s where me and my partner come in I garentee you that were gonna catc”….. Before Detective Peters could finish his sentence Detective Taylor cut him off. “Okay Mrs. Roman I think my partner has enough of the backstory so If you don’t mind I’ll speed this up to this point with your husband”. This made Louis hot inside because he knew exactly were his partner was headed and sometimes John could shake shit up when it didn’t need to be. Even though Ahsha was annoyed he still had her comfortable enough that she was willing to talk. But Louis could tell that Derek wasn’t the guy to be trifled with. Especially right now. "Okay Mr. Roman lets get into this”. Derek sat comfortably on the couch ready to take on the task at hand. “Okay cool” Derek responded back. “So from the information that we have gain thus far its to my knowledge that you and your wife have been in Miami for a year and some change”. “Correct” Derek answered simply. “Okay and up until this point how would you say your working experience has been in Miami?” “Well the seasons going great. Were hoping to go to the Championship this year and I’m hoping its with the Devils as they’ve had a pretty good season as well.” “Ahhh so you’re keeping up with your previous team I see”. “Its only right” Derek chuckled. “And what about your teammates here?” Detective Taylor inquired. “What about them”? “Were they receptive to you coming here to play and step in as caption. That could ruffle a lot of guys feathers.” “Look Detective”…….Derek had forgoten his name “Taylor” The detective added “John M. Taylor” "Right, Detective Taylor. I’ve played in the league for eight years now, so many of the guys I’ve met and already was well acquainted with so there was no place for jealousy just basketball.” “That’s great and how would you say from your prespeactive how your wife feels about Miami?” “Ahsha likes it here, shes doing an amazing job with the Blaze dancers. Their first dance of the season that she choreographed went viral with over a million views and re-tweets on Twitter but I knew she’d kill it here.” Derek looked over at Ahsha and they both gave each other a brief warm smile. Then Derek started to continue.“From time to time she misses L.A. All of her family is there so I get it.” Derek said rubbing the back of her neck. Ahsha closed her eyes and found comfort in his touch. “Wow Mr. Roman quite impressive you are very in tuned with the misses I see. Ahsha you should be proud”. Derek furrowed his brow and cocked his head slightly. “Well she’s my wife, of course I know and celebrate all of her accomplishment. Why wouldn’t I know her inside and out.” “Excuse my partner Mr. Roman, he’s not married.” Detective Peters chimed in. He was trying to gain some of the trust back in the room. “I would have never guessed” Derek eyes widen as he spoke sarcastically. Detective John was not liking to be the butt of the jokes so he figured it was time to shake things up a bit. “Alright lets get back on track Mr. Roman”. John suggested. “Now if this person is someone who in fact you guys don’t know we need to focus on the why and how.” "Meaning”? Derek inquired. “Well Mr. Roman, why is someone focusing in on you and your wife. What make you two worthy opponent, why would anyone want to expose your life. Mr. Roman please enlighten me how would you describe your marriage.” “Well obviously it stems from Ahsha and I both being public figures like my wife said earlier. I mean why collect footage of random people no one knows. People tend to see celebrities as something other then just regular people so I guess its something intriguing about seeing how we operate, which is just like anyone else. But to answer your question my marriage is like any other marriage as you saw on the video”. "Now Mrs. Roman this is were my questioning gets a little tricky.” “How so?” Derek asked “Well as a detective I need to make sure we’re looking at every angle this situation could have played out”. "Sure” Derek simply answered. “Okay and have you or your wife ever discuss the interest of filming your life and or your sexual encounters. Newlyweds and all I’d understand if you two were trying to keep the spice up.” John chuckled in his throat. “Excuse Me” Ahsha said shocked. “What the hell is this an interrogation?” “Excuse me Detective but my client doesn’t have to answer that” Jeff was shocked in how fast the questioning turned left. Derek and Detective Taylor locked eyes. Derek was the only one in the room who didnt budge he could already tell that he was a jerk. Derek knew his type and he wasnt affraid to play his game. He signaled his hand up towards Jeff to assure his lawyer that this was okay. He and Ahsha had nothing to hide so they could be honest. “No! We’ve never discuss it but I can honestly tell you that even if I was interested my wife would shut that down. When my wife and I make love we attack. There’s no time to think about turning on a camera, were just in the moment. Plus watching it will never be as good as doing it. Besides I’m a grown ass man I have no interest of having everyone watching my personal life with my wife. Even though I guarantee you that the internet is sitting back waiting impatiently to get a look”. "So that would mean you or your wife has no interest for reality t.v. either”? Derek smirked at the detectives tacky tone and he honestly felt like he was insulting he and Ahsha and he would never play that game. “Detective take a look out that big glass window. Crazy view right? You can see a 360 degree view of the entire city of Miami”. Derek pointed out towards their balcony gazing at the hypnotizing view. “Yea the view is defiantly stunning Mr. Roman.” John was getting annoyed thinking that Derek was trying to avoid answering the question but Ahsha knew well enough what her husband was doing. He was being”the” Derek Roman. “Yeah, and what do you think about me and my wife’s home? "Its……. definitely lavish, with a homie feel, really spacious for just two people, nice decor, its stunning”. The detective admitted. “Right!” Derek retorted “Okay and what does your view of Miami have to do with my question? Derek leaned forward with a look that could kill. "Oh I was just making sure you took a look around before I sincerely asked,………. Does it look like me or my wife is looking for a "reality check?” Derek looked at him as if he had lost is mind. It was no secret that the couple was successful so they never had to brag or boast about the blessing they were afforded to have but Derek was making it very clear that he would be the only ass whole ever welcomed in his home. “I’m sorry Mr. Roman did I offend you”. John asked in a condescending tone smirking. “Nah no I’m just sitting her wondering why you two are getting a background check from my wife and basically asking me are we trying to leak a sex-tape we had something to do with. I mean that is in fact what you were getting at right Detective?” Derek said blunt tired of playing games. There was some sick stalker out their watching he and Ahsha’s every move and they needed him found immediately. "Mr. Roman” Detective Peter’s cut in. “Pardon me if it seems like we’re asking some hard question but this is the process. Its our job to look at the situation from all angles. Now this might not be the case but its not uncommon that people secretly record they’re spouses without the other party knowing”. "Look Detective Peters”. Ahsha now stepped in. “I assure you and your partner that Derek and I had no idea or anything to do with our lives being invaded. You guys are reducing this down to just some sex-tape but the truth of the matter is is there is every aspect of our lives on that video. EVERY SINGLE ASPECT!!. From personal life to business life. Now were done answering questions, what Derek and I are interested in is what are you guys going to do after today to find this person. This was Louis chance to get them back on track so he stepped in quick before John pissed them off again. "Right so Mr. and Mrs. Roman what we will do is investigate all the aspect that aren’t adding up. We’ll send the cameras to the lab and have them tested for prints. We’ll also track the serial numbers for the camera and see if we can trace them back to some form of credit card history. We’ll also collecting all surveillance footage from the property and personalty interviewing with the security staff on the property to see if anythings off. My partner doesn’t believe so but I feel like this was an inside job. I mean this building has only three units and proper security. There is no way that this person got in if they didn't know the ins and outs of everything here. Plus if that’s the case you guys could file a lawsuit against the owners.” “Alright that’s good, finally something I like to here.” Jeff announced as he was pacing the floor rubbing the back of his head. “Yes but there is only one more thing I’d like to ask and I promise this will be the last thing before our investigation begins”. Detective Peters took out is notepad again. “If either of you can try to recall, from the moment you arrived in Miami do you remember anything that may have struck you as weird. You know made you feel uncomfortable like cars tailing you, strange people around the premises that you didn't recognize.I need you two to really think.” Derek started to talk with Detective Peters and as he did she felt her mind going back to the video she had saw an hour ago. She started to think back to moments that were actually on the footage. As Derek started to rethink about the past mouths. Her thoughts slipped away to when the couple first arrived in Miami.. ………………………..

(Flashback) Ahsha and Derek spent Saturday at home. It was their first full weekend off since the season had started. They both just wanted to stay home and have a chill day to relax. The time was now 7'o clock and after running a couple of errands for the day Ahsha just wanted to get home and relax. She has just finished her shower and put on her tank top and panties. She laid across the middle of her bed and propped herself up comfortably on a pillow as she scrolled through the channels with the remote. Derek was downstairs in the weight room doing a light workout. Ahsha’s phones sounded to alert her of an email but she decided to check it later. She kept scrolling through the channels but couldn’t decide weather she wanted watch a crime investigation show or something on HGTV for some good interior design. As she couldn’t make up her mind; from the lack of never being able to stay home and watch television. Her email notification sounded again. Ahsha opened her email and it was from the owner of the Miami Blaze basketball team; Mr. St. Patrick. The subject line read “Miami Blaze on Is Sizzling Hot”. Ahsha opened the message and it simply read. “I knew you were going to be the perfect fit. This is amazing and numbers don’t lie. We have been trending on Twitter since last night. Look at those views. Re watch the video and see me first thing on Monday in my office.” The owner attached a link to the video the was swirling around Twitter. Ahsha saw the number of views on the video and she nearly dropped her phone. 4 million re-tweets. This had been the first time in a long time that the Blaze Girls were making this much buzz.She read through a couple of the comments and they were getting good feedback. Ahsha played the video and it felt damn good watching her own choreography as she was front and center, plus the girls danced the routine like it was there first walk. Ahsha couldn’t help herself she stood on the bed with her phone in her hand and belted out a powerful scream of excitement. “OH MY GOD!!!! YES YES YES!!!!!” Ahsha jumped on the bed. Derek was coming up from his workout when he heard all the chaos coming from his bedroom. “WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? Ahsha what’s going on?” Derek wiped his head with his towel. “Oh my gosh Derek baby look”! Ahsha said turning around her phone for him to see. “Wait is this the halftime show from last night? Derek’s eyes widen as he saw the views and retweets. "DAMN this has like 4 million view.” “I know. Derek I just got an email from Mr. St Patrick and he said he wants to see me in his office firs thing Monday.” “WHAT?! That’s great Ahsha!” Derek smiled from ear to ear. “Look at my fine ass wife doing her thing. Damn girl come here, Im so proud of you”. Derek picked her up from the bed as she straddled his waist. He wrapped his strong arms around her man he gave her a warm hug in admiration. "Ughhh Derek I cant believe this” Ahsha smiled like a Cheshire cat. “I can, my wife is amazing” Derek cooed kissing on her chin causing her to giggle. Ahsha grabbed his shoulder and looked him in his eyes. “You know what Derek?” “What Mrs. Roman?” “I’m glad we’re here”. Ahsha said simply. This made Derek feel so good inside because ultimately he had made the suggestion of Miami and he was glad to see his wife having success of her own. It was only his hope for both of them to be happy and Ahsha success played a huge role in that as well. “Babe we gotta do something. Just like you said we aren’t guaranteed any moments so babe lets seas them all. This is the the first out of many we have to do something.” Derek said. “Yea but Derek ‘I’m really not in the mood to throw a party or go out to a club” Ahsha whined. “That’s okay Ahs we can still do something just me and you. Whatever you wanna do I promise.” “Really?” “Anything you want. We could celebrate”. Derek said kissing her on the lips. Ahsha took a moment to think. "Ummmm well it has been a minute since we’ve done something alone together or even had the time. How about dinner overlooking the beach papa”. Ahsha smiled warmly. “Dinner sounds great”. Derek cooed. “Okay where?” Ahsha inquired. “Wherever you want babe that’s where we’ll go. We’re celebrating your accomplishment so its all about you”. Ahsha couldn’t do anything but be excited. This day was turning out better then she expected. Derek placed her on her feet and kissed her cheek. “Go on go get ready, and make sure you slip on something sexy for daddy”. Derek grinned. Ahsha ran off into her closet to find something to wear. Derek proceeded to the shower. ………………

After some time Ahsha picked out a couple of things to wear to dinner but she couldn’t decide what to wear. She was so indecisive lately. It was because they had literally made work their whole life for the last mouth in a half so it was weird picking out anything but practice clothes. “Derek I don’t know what to wear” Ahsha whined from inside the closet. Derek had his towel wrapped around his waist as he just finish lotioning up. He walked in the closet going to exactly what he would put on. “Ahsha are you still looking. Babe you always look great no matter what you wear just put something on before you make us late for our reservations”. Derek said without turning to look at his wife. “Okay babe how do you like this one?” Ahsha tried on a blue dress. Derek looked out the corner of his eye but really didn’t pay attention. “Yea Ahs that looks fine” Derek uttered. “Derek you didn’t even look” Ahsha said placing her hands on her hip. “Yes I did its the blue one.” Derek said now looking at his watched trying to make a decision. “Derek you saw the color out the side of your eye”. Ahsha rolled her eyes. Derek didn’t turn around to respond he knew that Ahsha would only work herself up and if he gave his opinion she’d end up wearing something different anyways. But Ahsha knew exatly what she had to do to get him to pay attention. “Well okay what do you think. Do you like this choice better?” Ahsha asked “Yea that look good too” Derek said pretending to pay attention. “Oh really you want me to go out like this?” Ahsha confirmed. “Just like that” Derek repeated. Ahsha walked up behind Derek. “Well if I’m gonna go out in my bra and panties I guess I should put on my guarder belt to make it a little bit more formal then.” That got Derek attention quickly. “Bra and panties?” Derek furrowed his brow then turned around. “Yep that’s what you said you wanted.” Derek huffed out loud. Ahsha was never the women who took hours to get ready she always looked her best. After they got married she picked up the habit of wanting to know Derek’s opinion on what she wore out. “Okay you have my full attention now, I promise.” Derek said now turning around. He leaned back on the counter top to show her she had his undivided attention. “Nope this is what you wanted so I’m ready to go” Ahsha said about to walk out of their closet. Derek shot her a look that made her stop dead in her tracks. “Don’t play with me” He said raising his brow. “Yea I thought I’d get your attention”. Ahsha shot back. Then she started to search through a couple more dresses, it didn’t take long for her to find another that she likes and tried it on. “Okay what about this red one?” Ahsha asked as Derek looked her up and down. “Yea babe I like it with your hair up like that” Derek complimented. “Really, it feels a little tight to me. I think Im gaining weight.” Ahsha said looking at her appearance in the mirror at the provocative dress. “Ahsha you’re not gaining weight. Actually…. that one looks really sexy babe.” Derek said smirking. “See I knew it, you just like it because its so short my ass is practically falling out.” Derek took another look at the dress and who was he fooling he didn't really care that her hair looked nice with the dress all he could see was breast on display and ass falling out. “Yea you’re right you’re not wearing that out” Derek said sternly as he pinched her butt. “But I cant help it that ass is just…….. looking real right mama”. "Ugh Derek you’re no help and stop don’t talk about my butt” Ahsha swiped his hand away. “Women that’s mine I’ll talk about it”. Derek chuckled spraying his cologne on and Ahsha caught a whiff of it."Plus your ass always looks so good during the season from all that dancing girl”. Finally Ahsha found he dress she liked that had the perfect balance of sexy and classy. She slipped on her sexy black dress that had the high slit for her mans view. She pair the look with her black strappy Giuseppe heels with gold jewelry and her black and gold clutch. “Oh really, how good does it look?” Ahsha purred. Walking closer to her husband. Derek groan deep in his throat. “Ummmmm good enough to eat” Derek said grabbing her chin softly kissing her lips.“ "Now look who’s gonna make us late for our reservations” Ahsha joked. “Nah I’m good but when we get home prepare for the worst.” Derek warned. “You are such a pervert”. Ahsha said pushing her husband away. “Says the women who loves all the perverted things that I love to do to her”. Derek teased “Whatever just zip the back of my dress up please”. Ahsha rolled her eyes “Whatever you say Mrs. Roman”. Derek zipped the back of her dress and quickly stole a kiss on her cheek. The Romans’s were off to a lovely evening out.

……………………. The time was now nine’ o clock and the Roman’s had now taken their seats on at the five star restaurant popular in Miami known as Suga Cane. Derek pulled out his wife's chair and she sat down gracefully. He then took his seat and the couple was ready to enjoy themselves. A tall handsome fellow approached their tables to serve them. “Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. Roman, my name is Anthony and I’ll be serving you two tonight, what can I get you?” “We haven’t exactly decided yet Anthony but thank you”. Ahsha gave a warms smile to prompt server. "Yes but while we’re deciding, let us have a bottle of your best champagne. We're celebrating.” Derek smiled never taking his eyes off of his wife. “Yes sir right away and I give you two a moment for your meal.” Anthony walked away from their table. Derek and Ahsha took a look through the menu and when the server returned to the table he pour the both a class of vine from a glass wine vase them at it on the table placing a white cloth over it to keep it chilled. He then took their food request and made sure that they were satisfied with everything they needed. “Derek I cant believe we’re having a night out just the two of us, feels like its been forever”. Ahsha said truly excited. “We haven't gone out in forever babe, trust me I know. But all that hard work we’re putting in is paying out. Ahsha I’m really proud of you.” Derek said sincerely. Raising his glass of wine to his wife. “Awh thanks babe, I couldn't do it without you supporting me every step of the way. And of course you massaging my calves after those hard practices." Ahsha said chuckling clinking her glass along with her husband’s. They both stood up slightly to peck a kiss over each others lips. "Anytime you need me I’ll be right there. I promise.” Derek cooed “I know” Ahsha replied biting her bottom lip. As Ahsha heard those words echoing in the back of her mind she found them to be very true as Derek was there for her beyond a shadow of a doubt. “Okay but really babe on a serious note, I gotta make sure I’m keeping up with you. All this buzz and next thing you know is they’ll be calling me Ahsha Roman’s husband. Talk about boss bitches wifing niggas.” Derek threw his hand up exaggerating. Both Derek and Ahsha bust out laughing at Derek’s joke. Ahsha almost spit out her wine. “Babe don’t do that. Stop making me laugh this hard they’re gonna kick us out the restaurant” Ahsha patted her fingertip below her eye not to mess us her makeup from the slight tear that formed from laughing. “What, its true. Plus they’re nothing with a little competition” Derek teased. “Oh whatever Mr. takeover Sports Center your first two games for dropping 70 points by yourself”. Ahsha glowed over her husband. “Ahhhh I see you trying to make me feel good but its all about you tonight. You can kiss up to me tomorrow." Derek finished. Anthony brought the couple the’re food and it looked delicious. The fine couple basked in their beautiful night out and cherish the moment they could have together uninterrupted. As Ahsha thought about this moment Miami didn’t mock the same feeling that she felt presently. She felt lucky and on top of the world. Now, here she was having a bad taste in her mouth about a place that once made her feel unbelievably happy. She thought about how lovely the night was and how she and Derek danced on the beach at the restaurant and basked in their love for each other. She also remembered feeling lucky that she had a husband that was so happy to celebrate her and made sure she lived in those moments. The nostalgia washed over her mind of how she and Derek bumped and grind to the Cuban music and continued to drink more glasses of wine until they were feeling just right. It was something about how her hips moved that night and how Derek placed his hands on her waist. Ahsha’s thoughts went back to the moments that struck the conversation on the phone with Kyle and how it all started at dinner that night. After dancing the couple went back to their table and of course with the drinks flowing the two of them started their usual sexual banter. Ahsha got up from her seat an switched her hips in her husbands direction. She lat in Derek’s lap at the table and he placed his hand on the nape of her ass calm and collected. Derek would be a gentlemen but when she sat down all he could think about was how soft her butt naked ass feels grinding against his skin when he fucked her from behind. Ahsha caressed her hand around his shoulders and looked into her husband’s fiery eyes as he didn’t say a word. Ahsha caressed his chin sweetly. "What’s wrong? You look nervous. Afraid I might eat you alive tonight”. Ahsha said picking up Derek wine glass from the table and taking a sip. Little did she know her husband was very nervous because he didn’t trust himself not to throw his wife on the table right in the middle of the restaurant and sex her right there. Derek chuckled at his wife’s comment and took his wine glass out of her hand and finished the wine down. “Nervous? You have no idea, what you’re getting yourself into”. Derek cooed in his deep voice. "I think I’ll take my chances” Ahsha shot back leaning in to kiss him on his neck. “I see a little alcohol makes my wife bold.” Derek smirked enjoying the feel of his wife’s plump lips. “I might be a little bad tonight” Ahsha purred “Oh so you’re a badass?” "Yea” Ahsha smiled teasingly. “Humph, I’d like to tame that” Derek coxed. “Oh really”. Ahsha inquired. Derek then licked his lips. “I tell you what, You go get the car and I’ll handle the check so I can get your badass home.”. This made Ahsha very excited.

Ahsha and Derek could feel the heat rising between them on the car ride home. As Derek sped through the Miami streets Ahsha was hypnotized by the city lights. Miami was so different from L.A. Both beautiful places but Miami was just different. As they road up the strip to get home Ahsha leaned over to kiss Derek on his neck. She placed seductive kisses letting him feel her full lips against his flesh. She then let her tongue slither to his ear and licked it. “Women you better slow down” Derek smirked pressing his foot harder on the gas going faster. This made Ahsha fall back into her seat because of the acceleration. Ahsha shot him a naughty look as he made her sit back. This man was in so much control he munipulated the car just to control her. Ahsha reached underneath the slip of her dress. “Okay, I’ll be good for now” She said daringly throwing her panties in Derek’s lap. Derek glanced down in his lap and raised is brow at Ahsha. He took her panties and put them on the inside if his jacket. Ahsha sat back and let Derek drive to get them home safely. She gazed out of the window and the drinks mixed with Miami’s bright neon colors were doing something to her; they were enhancing her sexual desire. She looked over at Derek and he briefly looked over to her and grinned placing one hand on her thigh as he continued to drive. Oh the things she wanted those hands to do to her. The night air crept up her neck and teased her senses and Ahsha was beginning to get delirious from needing her husband inside her. Finally they reached the top of their street and was caught by a red light. Ahsha looked up before and the red lights from the traffic light set her a blaze inside and when it turned green that gave her the go to be a complete freak tonight. They drove through the security gate and walked through the main lobby were the guy at the front desk was sleeping. Derek grabbed his key card for the elevator and swiped it so that it would open and the elevator would know to go to the top floor. They both got in the elevator and Derek grabbed Ahsha’s waist and pulled her body into his. He kissed on the back on her neck and teased her earlobe with his tongue. She could feel his bulge in his pants and it was exactly how she liked it; hard. “Is this what you’ve been wanting all night? Derek asked as he pushed his dick on her harder which felt like heaven since she had no panties on. Ahsha turned around to face her husband to gain some control back. She placed her arms around his neck and they kissed intensely. Their lips intertwined fast and rough. Ahsha pushed Derek into the mirrored walls inside the elevator. "Yes, but you know what else I’ve been wanting all night”. Ahsha asked smirking. “What’s that?” “I’ve been wanting to taste this all night” Ahsha said as she grabbed his dick into her hand. “Oh don’t you worry, you’ll get a taste. Trust me when I say I’m gonna stick my dick and tongue in every whole you have.” Derek picked Ahsha up and she straddled his waist. Ahsha’s breath hitched at his naughty reply and her vagina was ready and willing. The elevator door finally opened and they opened there front door in one swift moment and they were now behind the doors of their sanctuary. Derek and Ahsha was so into each other they fail to realize anything was off. Little did they know that someone had just left from the inside of their home. Derek and Ahsha didn’t bother to turn the lights on. The lights from the city and the moonlight was enough for them to have a calm mood in their home but it was one that was romantic. Derek and Ahsha now kissed passionately and was on the verge of losing control. Derek carried Ahsha upstairs and he placed her down in front of their bed. As they tongue kissed Ahsha begand to un button Derek shirt and she ripped it off exposing the upper half of his well sculpted body. Derek squeezed her ass firmly through her dress while placing wet kisses on her neck. Just as he was about to rip her dress off something switched into Derek and he stopped. Ahsha began to kiss down his chest and she got lower to his belt buckle wanting to undo it. “Ahsha wait baby, stop” Derek he said running his hands through her hair but she was in attack mode and wasn’t listening. “Owwww no I gotta have it” She quickly started to unbuckle is belt and Derek forcefully grabbed her by her arms lifting her back up. Ahsha stop” Derek said sternly. Ahsha then stopped recognizing his seriousness. “Derek what’s…. Whats wrong” Ahsha asked. Derek began to speak softly. “Nothing baby. Its just….. “Just what?” Derek began to chuckle at his thought. He placed his hands gently on his waist and looked her in her eyes. “Nothing beautiful, Its just……why are we rushing? We’re so used to getting it when we can because the season is already crazy and we're squeezing sex in when we’re in a rush and right now we’re doing the same thing but we dont have to. Baby when’s the last time you let me make love to you. You got my dick rock hard and I dont wanna waste it on a quick fuck. I wanna make this about you tonight”. Ahsha pulled Derek in by his belt and kisses him softly. She was a little tipsy and the alcohol had her horny as hell but her husband was right. Ahsha smiles at her husbands genuine revelation.She wrapped her arms around him and they kissed softly getting intoxicated by their own love for one another. "I love you” Ahsha uttered “I love you too”. Derek cooed. As his words echoed through her body Ahsha pushed Derek onto the bed. “You know, I cant remember the last time I made love to you either Mr. Roman” Ahsha purred grinning. Derek looked at her with animalistic eyes as he propped himself up on his elbows staring at his wife. “Take off your clothes” Derek demanded. He was always in control even when he wasn’t trying on purpose. Derek had Ahsha struct and if she hadn’t handed over her panties early they would have fell to the floor on his command. Ahsha’s breath hitch as she remembered all the freaky things they did together as husband and wife that night. All the things that the world was potentially about to witness. She could hear Derek and the Detective’s still talking in the background but she couldn’t get all of her favorite moments from that night out of her head. Her mind immediately went to the moment they were butt naked on their bed. Ahsha hair now out of her neat bun and she was on all fours. The thought of Derek’s dick deep in her wet center was paralyzing. Derek had a vice grip on her hips and he grinned roughly inside her making her take it all. He worked her pussy out and she was loving every bit of it. Her man could truly make her toes curl. “Ughhhhhh DEREK Yasssss!!!!!! She moaned as her hands tightly gripped the sheets moving her hips back and forth to match his rhythm. Ahsha tried her best to keep this up but Derek dick was so hard and deep she felt like her pussy was going to explode. She was on the verge of cumming so hard. Derek felt Ahsha running trying to prolong her orgasm. He forcefully jerked her hips back making her take all the pleasure. "Come Here Women” Derek demanded “Don’t run now” Derek said amused. “Derek wait baby, I’m gonna cum!!!” Ahsha reached back into his chest. Derek swiped her hand away going even deeper as he leaned down to kiss the center of her back. “UGHHHHHH FUCK” Ahsha screamed as chills went up her spine. “Ima make this pussy cum all night” Derek said pumping faster. As he did this he reached underneath his wife to rub her clit and by his wife reaction she loved it. “Shit Derek” she sucked air between her teeth loving both the vaginal and clitoral stimulation. Ahsha bit her bottom lip and decided that she was all in. She arched her back further and started to throw her pussy back fast on his dick. Derek stopped pumping and looked down to see his wife’s juicy pussy lips peaking out from between her ass cheeks and he loved how it swallowed his dick. Derek smacked her ass as her pussy sucked his dick. “Give me that shit” “ARRRGGHHH” Ahsha moaned and as soon as Derek demanded her cum she came on his dick and rode herself through her orgasm. Ahsha love cream spilled on his dick and she took a moment to catch her breath but they were far from done. Her mind rushed over to the though of that night were she and Derek had sex in their bathroom. She could see her and Derek’s reflection in her mind clear as day as they stood in the mirror making love. How Derek kisses her neck and squeezed her breast and he stroked her intensely. She loved the way his chest flexed when he made love to her. “Owwww Derek that feels so fucking good” Ahsha moaned holding on to the counter top “You like it” “Ughhhh yess this shit is so proper. Fuckkk mee Fuck meeeeee”. She screamed in the top of her lungs. She was still intoxicated from the many drink earlier and it seemed as if the night was spinning in circles. Derek pushed her chest down to the top of the counter top and it was cold against her nipple which made them harder. Derek was right they didn’t have to rush and they sexed what seemed like for hours. They were for the first time christening their house and putting on a show for their unknown viewer. The stalker watched the footage and he praised himself for coming at this particular night. The footage that he was collecting could have been enough and this was his first night watching back. Ahsha and Derek ended up on the living room floor as the glow from the city cast blue lights on their naked bodies. Ahsha laid on her back and Derek was on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his back and he continued his fucking. They kissed and caressed each other as they enjoyed the heat from each others body. “Shit Ahsha” Derek cursed as her vagina muscles were clinging around his dick. She was so wet that every time he moved you could here her vagina dripping just the way he liked it. “I love this fucking dick daddy. Fuck me harder”. Ahsha moaned out of breath. She was sure glad to no have practice the next morning because she would never make it the next day from all the pleasure her body was feeling. Her husband wasn’t lying when he said the night would be all about her. Ahsha had cum three times and she knew she would be no good tomorrow. She would sleep all day. Ahsha and Derek were so engulfed in their lovemaking that they fail to hear their doorbell ringing which was weird because it was 2 in the morning. "Ughhhh,…Wait baby what was that” Ahsha asked as Derek placed soft kisses on her neck as he continued to drive kiss dick into wetness. “The sound of sweet pussy” Derek cooed biting his lips. He slipped his togue into her mouth and continued his loving act. The door bell sounded again and this time Derek heard it. “What the fuck? Who the hell is that?” Derek whispered. Ahsha grabbed his face to refocus his attention on her. “Please Derek don’t stop you feels to good. They’ll leave” Ahsha kissed his lips starting their tongue kiss again. The doorbell rang again and this time the couple couldn’t ignore it. Derek stopped again and Ahsha got frustrated. “Wait Ash, think about it this may be important. It has to be if the guy downstairs let them up and we we'rent expecting any guess. Plus its two in the morning”. "Ughhh well hurry up Derek and get rid of them”. Ahsha sassed. Derek hopped up but obviously he couldn’t walk to his front door like he came into the world. Ahsha saw him looking around and she saw his boxers in the door. The door bell rang once more then came a knock. “Looking for these?” Ahsha held up his underwear grinning “Yes now give them to me” Derek said trying to attend the unwanted guess, but Ahsha didnt care as far as she was concerned they were interrupting the evening that was meant for her. “Unn Unn I want a kiss first” she teased smiling. “Ahsha come on before you make me kill them for ringing my damn doorbell.” Derek wasn’t ready to play. “Come on baby just one” Ahsha looked at hi with her doe eyes. “Okay just one”. Derek leaned down close to his women and she was waiting with her suculent lips. Ahsha closed her eyes ready and Derek snatched his boxers from her.“Ohh you almost had it, you gotta be quicker then that.” Derek said busting out laughing because now his wife was pissed. He slipped on his underwear and headed to the front door.  Derek walked to the door honestly pissed off. How dare anyone be ringing his doorbell at 2am in the morning and on top of everything interrupting the fucking he was giving his wife.The bell rang again before he could reached the door. “Yo, yo one second!” Derek said walking to the door in nothing but his fitted briefs . He finally reached the door and opened it to see a police officer standing at his front door.Derek was actually shocked. “Oh shit, how can I help you officer?” Derek said blinking twice startled. “Good Evening Sir, we got a call from one of your neighbors that said they heard a disturbance going on in your home.” Derek looked confused. “Disturbance? What kind of disturbance?” Derek asked genuinely. “The person who made the call to us said they heard screams and bumping against the walls, like someone was in a fight”. “Officer I assure you that’s impossible.” Derek said thinking of how huge their home was. “And do you live alone or is someone else present at the moment, Mr………” “Roman. Derek Roman and no this is me and my wife’s home.” “Okay could you call your wife down I’d like to speak with her as well.”Derek rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. “Uhhh sir I’m afraid I cant do that. You see me and my wife were kinda in the middle of something when you arrived. I’m sure she..” Derek was interrupted by Ahsha’s voice. "Derek what’s taking you so long?!” Ahsha walked from the living room with only a white sheet covering her naked body. Derek stepped in front of her quickly as she didn’t notice the officer. “Ahsha we have company”. Derek said blocking the officers view. "Well what the hell do they want Derek, its two in the damn morning?”Ahsha said getting frustrated because their fun had been interrupted.They had both been so busy getting adjusted into their new lives that she was craving for all of her husbands attention. Derek and Ahsha bickered back and forth quickly as Derek tried to get her to understand the situation at hand but the drinks from earlier had Ahsha horny and she had no interest and wasn’t listening. One of Ahsha’s long slender legs escaped the sheets and she tried wrapping it around Derek’s waist. She then grabbed Derek’s face and tried placing kisses on him but he escaped her grip knowing that this was not the time. The police officer interrupted the young couple. “Hello, uh and are you Mrs. Roman?”. Ahsha finally looked out to the front door and noticed the officer. She immediately was shocked and hide behind Derek’s tall stature. “Excuse me ma’am I’m just trying to do my job”. Ahsha then realized she had nowhere to run so she came from behind Derek revealing her sex hair and her salacious appearance. The officer looked at Ahsha and immediately thought she was stunningly beautiful. He thought about all the elements and the situation as a whole and started to piece things together but still wanted to keep it professional. "Yes I’m Mrs. Roman. Officer what seems to be the problem”? Ahsha wrapped the sheet even tighter walking towards the door. The officer cleared his throat trying not to give her direct eye contact. “Ahhhhh ma’am we got a call from one of your downstairs neighbors that said they heard screaming and bumping against the walls like there was an altercation going on”. "No officer no altercation here” Ahsha said simply. She was too tipsy to have this conversation. All she wanted was for the officer to leave so she could put her husband on his back. “Are you sure Mrs. Roman, the person who made the call seemed very disturbed by these said noises”. Ahsha eased her arms around Derek’s well built torso. "What can I say? I’m not the quiet type and my husband can get a little rough so I think that sums up the issue”. Ahsha said quite frankly. Derek eyes widen as he couldn’t believe his wife’s little sassy attitude when she had a couple of drinks in her system. The officer looked at Derek and smirked. "What can I say she’s a feisty one.” Derek cut in. “Look officer me and my wife went out to celebrate and had a few drinks tonight. Instead of staying out we decided to finish our celebration at home, but we do apologies about the noise. We’ll try to keep it down.“ Derek couldn’t make any promises though. The officer chuckled. "No problem, we just came out to insure everyone's safety and make sure their wasnt any sign of abuse of any kind so everything's fine”. “Well depending on what you think abuse is my husband was defiantly assaulting me”. Ahsha said annoyed that the officer was still there. She was enjoying the sex too much and honestly this cop was blowing her buzz. “How so Mr. Roman?” the officer still keeping a professional composer “By sticking his di…. Ahsha’s muffled the last words as Derek quickly placed his hand over her mouth. She had truly had one to many tonight and Derek had to be quick on his feet knowing she may say anything. "Uhhh Ahsha he doesn’t need to know that” Derek rushed out quickly wanting to kill her. “Umm Hummm oh I see, alright you two enjoy your evening and try to keep in down please. I’d hate to have to interrupt you again tonight”. "Alright thank you officer.Have a good evening” Derek nodded then closed the door. He turned around and looked at Ahsha shaking his head. “Agghhhh Mr. Roman what am I going to do with you”. “I can think of a few things”. Ahsha purred smirking. “Ummhhhh” Derek groaned in his throat taking in his wife’s radiant appearance. “Bring your fine ass over here women, I’m wasn't done with you”. Ahsha was literally drooling at the thoughts of what happened until the next morning. After this she heard a sound snapping herself out of her inner thoughts. “AHSHA!! Baby are you okay”. Derek sat up on the couch and looked at her “Huh? Yes I’m fine I was just deep in thought.” “Well Mrs. Romans do you have anything you would like to share with us as well before we pack up and head out”. Detective Louis chimed in. Ahsha swallowed hard feeling exhausted. "Actually no Detective not right now. I don’t mean to be rude but its been a long day and I just need to get some rest.” Derek rubbed her shoulder. “If I remember anything else that we may have left out I’ll be sure to contact Jeff so he can pass the information on.” Ahsha concluded. “Mrs. Roman are you sure” Detective John asked concerned that she was holding back information or something they could use agaisnt the stalker. Derek interrupted. “Nah No my wife said shes done so we’re finished for the day”. Derek said fianl. "Well alright looks like we got all we need”. Detective Peters got up and shook their hands. “Mr and Mrs. Roman we’re terribly sorry that this has happened but we promised we’ll catch this guy before he has any chance to strike”. Derek then poke for the both of them. "Thanks Detective we’ll be in touch.” After being questioned by detectives and the investigation team collecting the camera eqiuptment for further investigation the time was now nine o'clock and everyone went home for the night. The Roman’s didn’t say a word. Derek and Ahsha mounted the stairs and got undressed for bed. Derek and Ahsha laid in silence before Ahsha finally spoke. “Maybe we’re so connected that were both sleeping right now having the same bad dream.” Derek pulled her in close to his side taking a deep breath before he answered. “I wish this could be over in the morning, but I’m afraid It wont be.” He squeezed Ahsha’s hand tightly underneath the covers. “Hey, try to get some rest okay”. Ahsha laid her head on his chest and slowly closed her eyes, with the day she had just had she was exhausted. …………………. The next day Ahsha and Derek both got ready to go to the arena like any other day except they rode to the arena together. They needed to stay close if they would get through their first day at work since the drama. They knew that paparazzi and the media would be lurking and they needed to be a united strong front. As they pulled into the back of the arena paparazzi swarmed the front waiting for them to arrived and they kissed the traffic. They took the emergency elevator to the  fourth floor. Derek walked Ahsha to the studio and they held hands until they reached the door were all the dancer were now waiting inside. They could feel all the dancers eyes on them through the glass window. “Hey Ahsha are you sure you gonna be okay.” Derek asked looking into her eyes to feel her out. “Yes Derek Ill be fine, I can handle this.” “Okay well answer me one question and Ill leave it alone.” Derek smirked. “Huhhhh what Derek” Ahsha playfully rolled her eyes. “Are you happy with the life we have together?” “Of course….I wouldnt change it for anything and you know that” Ahsha assured “And do you know how much I love you for everything you are”. “Just as much as I love you” “And as long as we’re together we’ll never lose”. Derek smiled softly. When he looked at Ahsha her heart was full. She was grateful to have her husband and she had the confidence to stand up to whatever she had to face. "Come here!” Ahsha said pulling Derek in by his jersey and he embraced her in a tight hug. His muscles surrounded his wife’s tiny body and they both leaned in to seal their love with soft kisses on the lips. Their lips peck each others softly and they finally parted. “Alright Mr.Roman have a great practice”. “You too Mrs.Roman. If we finish early today I’ll be in the weight room until you finish up” “I love you.” “I love you too Ahsha” Ahsha walked into the studio with her gym bag and walked towards her office while the girls stretched. “Good Afternoon ladies” Ahsha sang in her normal tone. All the girls watched closely to see if anything was off. “Heyyyyy” they all replied back in unison. Some where curious about the situation, some where mortified to ask their teammate about the ordeal, some didn’t care, some of the dancers were upset and shocked. They were all feeling some type of way. Ahsha came back into the studio with her binder and sat in the middle of the floor with the team to discuss their final events coming up for the rest of the season. The girls crowded around her as usual but the tension in the air was awkward. Ahsha took a deep breath. “Okay ladies as you all know we have four charity events left, two commercials to shoot before the championship begins, and the owner of the team has invited us to dance at one of his private events that he is having with some investors. Now I sure I don’t have to let you that this is a lot to end the season with so practices will go an hour over starting in two week”. Blaze girl Jenna raised her hand for a question, she was always on top of things. "Yes Jenna” Ahsha acknowledge her hand. “So what are the dates for the charity events and when will you have the event schedule out to us?” “The charity events are next mouth two back to back and one on the last day. But I have the schedules already ready Ill give them to you guys at the end of practice" Ahsha confirmed. “But other then those events, I’ll be speaking with Mr. St Patrick to figure out what are the plans for us in the off season and also the goals for next season,but he’s also told me to let you guys know that he’s very impressed with the season we’ve had and I cant say this on the record yet but he kept hinting on a off season bonus.” All the ladies we’re ecstatic they were getting excited about all the great news and to Ahsha’s surprise the meeting with the girls were going smoother then she expected. “So before we get started ladies are their anymore questions?” “Yea I have a question” Blaze girl Kayleigh said enthusiastic. “Okay?” Ahsha replied. The dancers fake excitement went off her face once she had the green light. “Sooooo we’re gonna act like we didn’t see her allllllll over the internet last night.” Kayleigh came out with it. Ahsha was almost scott free. “Oh my god, Kayleigh are you crazy” Angela interrupted” “No Angela I think we should get a couple of things straigh before we all move forward.” Ahsha came forward.“Now lets get one thing clear KAYLEIGH I dont really have to explain shit to anybody but since we’ve all grown a bond together over the last year and a half we are like a sisterhood. We lean on each other like family here and I have nothing to hide from anyone so I’ll cover it all in one setting”. Ahsha said with a bitchy grin on her face. “Now first things first, Derek and I didn't leak the footage on the internet as a matter of fact we didn't even know there was any video of us that was ever recorded. I would never do anything to risk the integrity of my marriage or as a human being for some cheap publicity. Also I’d never risk the integrity of the team because ladies we all represent something positive here. This isn’t a situation were we recorded something and it got into the wrong hands. The situation at hand is very serious. Someone broke into my home without me or Derek’s knowlege and they placed cameras around to record us”. “Omg Ahsha are you serious?” Blaze Brittney asked shocked now to here the real story behind the scandal. “Yes Brit but I cant go into much detail as now we’re in a full blown investigation to see who’s is behind this.” “Damn Ahsha I cant believe this what if you were home or even Derek, that's sick, this could have been so dangerous”. Blaze Angela sympathized with her. “Yeah I know. Im just glad we werent.” Ahsha took a relieved deep breath thankful that she could move on with her teammates. "So do you guys know what all may be on the footage asisde from what we saw online?” Angela asked Ahsha took a deep breath.“As far as the content on the tape I don’t know. The previewed video has every aspect of our lives I imagine so I’m just gonna say everything, maybe much of nothing I don’t know its still unfolding for us right now. I wont go into full detail like I said as we’re going through and investigation but I will say one thing and I’ll leave it at this. Obviously the person or persons behind this is bold enough to have invaded our privacy so I have to speak as if the full video has been leaked. I’m not naive and I feel that they might be sick enough to do it but whatever is on that video Im not ashamed of. A few of us here are lucky enough to be married so you know how a marriage can be. Even the ladies who arent married I hope can sympathize and relate to how it can be when your with a man you love. Derek and I are just like any other couple. We love each other but that desnt mean we dont have hardships. I dont mind sharing that with you because my marriage isnt built on punk shit so nothing can come between that. And as far a the other content, I don’t wanna toot my own horn here but my husband is fine so you already knew that I sit on my husband every night if possible.” “Well Ahsha we knew that.” Blaze Brittney admitted high fiving another dancers hand while giggling.“You two are always so affectionate in front of us so we fugured.” “Yes but what couple isn’t? Even though we’re affectionate we would never feel the need to showcase to the entire world what goes on in our bedroom.” “Well damn now we know where all those sexy moves come from.” Blaze Julia laughed out joking rolling her lips. Ahsha was glad the air was now clear with her team. “Yes I can assure you that all of those moves were made up the night before from my husband bending,twisting, and lifting me in many ways”. Ahsha admitted. “Oh my gosh somebody shoot me am I hearing this” Blaze Kayliegh now commented getting her fix of tea she needed with her nosy ass. “Well you’re the one who insisted on knowing so there you have it”. Ahsha shot back. "Oh and one more thing since we’ve got the air clear I’ll say one last thing and we will get started. I’ve grown to love and truth each and everyone of you and I truly mean that but…… Ahsha took a long pause to show seriousness and look them all in the eye."Derek is off limits, nobody needs to conversate with my husband about the situation,period. This is the first and last time Im adressing the situation with any of you but you dont need to ask him anything. We are here to shake our asses and go home and anyone’s personal business is not for sharing. Do you understand that! All the girls agreed. “KAYLEIGH that means you especially”. Ahsha looked at her as if she’d slap the fuck out of her if she ever felt the need to ask her about her marriage again. "Yeah I got it” Kayleigh put her hands up feeling her wrath. Ahsha smirked wishing she would blink twice. “Good I wanted to make sure you understood that personally” Ahsha gave her a bitch I’m watching you look and he rest of the girls side eye’d Kayleigh smirking at her being on Ahsha’s side. “So I think that clears everything up. Any last questions?” Even though Ahsha asked if they had questions they understood that they probably better not so no one in the room said anything. “Good!. Now lets dance bitches”. Ahsha pressed play on the music and practice began.

OKAY DERSHA FAM!!!!! You have reached the end of chapter two. Chapter three is where the story will get very interesting. I hope you guys enjoyed it and Again I apologize for the long ass wait but on the bright side….I beat vh1 in the announcement for season 4 so theres that. Also SORRY FOR ANY MISSPELLINGS OR ERRORS!!!

Detective Louis Peters

Detective John M. Taylor

Once again, Donald Trump has kicked off a media firestorm with a series of early-morning Tweets, this time leveling the serious accusation that “President Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower”  just prior to the presidential election.

Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my “wires tapped” in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

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How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 4, 2017

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Though Trump asserted he had “just found out” about this surveillance, he appears to be referencing a series of reports that began with a piece by Louise Mensch in Heat Street back in November, which was later corroborated by articles published by The Guardian and the BBC in January.  The reports may have come to Trump’s attention by way of a Breitbart story that ran on Friday, summarizing claims of a “Deep State” effort to undermine the Trump administration advanced by conservative talk radio host Mark Levin.

If it were true that President Obama had ordered the intelligence community to “tapp” Trump’s phones for political reasons, that would of course be a serious scandal—and crime—of Nixonian proportions. Yet there’s nothing in the published reports—vague though they are—to support such a dramatic allegation.  Let’s try to sort out what we do know.

First, as one would hope Trump is aware, presidents are not supposed to personally order electronic surveillance of particular domestic targets, and the Obama camp has, unsurprisingly, issued a statement denying they did anything of the sort:

Neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.

Rather, the allegation made by various news sources is that, in connection with a multi-agency intelligence investigation of Russian interference with the presidential election, the FBI sought an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing them to monitor transactions between two Russian banks and four persons connected with the Trump campaign.  The Guardian‘s report alleges that initial applications submitted over the summer, naming “four members of the Trump team suspected of irregular contacts with Russian officials,” were rejected by the FISC. But according to the BBC, a narrower order naming only the Russian banks as direct targets was ultimately approved by the FISC in October.  While the BBC report suggests that the surveillance was meant to ferret out “transfers of money,” the Mensch article asserts that a “warrant was granted to look at the full content of emails and other related documents that may concern US persons.”

Taking all these claims with the appropriate sodium chloride seasoning, what can we infer?  First, contrary to what many on social media—and even a few reporters for reputable outlets—have asserted, the issuance of a FISA order does not imply that the FBI established probable cause to believe that any Trump associate was acting as an “agent of a foreign power” or engaged in criminal wrongdoing.  That would be necessary only if the court had authorized direct electronic surveillance of a United States person, which (if we credit the BBC report) the FISC apparently declined to do.  Assuming the initial applications were indeed for full-blown electronic surveillance orders, then the fact that the FBI supposedly did name the Trump associates at first would suggest they may have thought they had such evidence, but one would expect the FISC to apply particularly exacting scrutiny to an application naming persons associated with an ongoing presidential campaign.  An application targeting only foreign corporate entities—especially entities openly controlled or directed by the Russian government—would require no such showing, even if the FBI’s ultimate interest were in communications concerning those U.S. persons.

It’s worth noting here that, contra Trump’s claim on Twitter, none of the articles in question claim that phones were tapped.  Indeed, it’s not even entirely clear that the order the FISC finally issued in October was a full-blown electronic surveillance warrant requiring a probable cause showing.  If the FBI was primarily interested in obtaining financial transaction records, corporate documents, and (depending on both the facts and the FISC’s interpretation of the FISA statute) perhaps even some stored e-mail communications, that information might well have been obtainable pursuant to a §215 “business records” order, which imposes only the much weaker requirement that the records sought be “relevant to an authorized investigation.”  The BBC’s use of the word “intercept” to describe the investigators’ aim, as well as Mensch’s characterization of the order as a “warrant,” both suggest full-blown electronic surveillance, but reporters aren’t always particularly meticulous about their use of legal terms of art, and similarly, sources with indirect knowledge of an investigation may not be scrupulously exact about the distinction between an “order” and a “warrant.”

In either event, there’s nothing here to suggest either the direct involvement of President Obama nor any clear indication of a violation of the law.  If, however, the primary purpose of the investigation was to build a criminal case against U.S. persons in the Trump camp, then the use of FISA authorities to gather information by naming foreign entities sounds like “reverse targeting”—tasking collection on a foreign target when your real interest is a U.S. person with whom they’re communicating.  That would be, to use the technical term, highly shady even if not unlawful. Thanks to the Patriot Act, however, FISA authorities may be used in investigations that have a “significant” foreign intelligence purpose, even if the “primary” purpose is criminal prosecution—a change from the prior standard imposed by the courts, which had required that foreign intelligence be the “primary” purpose of surveillance under the aegis of FISA, precisely to prevent authorities from evading the stricter requirements imposed by Title III, the statute that covers wiretapping for domestic criminal investigations.

All that said, let’s circle back to Breitbart’s gloss on the Intelligence Community’s investigation of the Trump campaign:

In summary: the Obama administration sought, and eventually obtained, authorization to eavesdrop on the Trump campaign; continued monitoring the Trump team even when no evidence of wrongdoing was found; then relaxed the NSA rules to allow evidence to be shared widely within the government, virtually ensuring that the information, including the conversations of private citizens, would be leaked to the media.

None of this is really supported by the public record. First, the attribution of whatever monitoring occurred to the “Obama administration” insinuates a degree of involvement by the White House or its political appointees for which there is no evidence.   “Eavesdrop” implies surveillance of telephone conversations, which do not appear to have been the focus of the FISC order. (As is now well known, the intelligence community did intercept telephone conversations between former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and the Russian ambassador—but as a result of routine collection on an acknowledged foreign agent, not surveillance targeting Flynn himself.)  Neither is there any evidence that authorization was sought to collect on “the Trump campaign” per se; rather, the BBC’s report claims that the application ultimately rejected by the FISC focused on “four members of the Trump team.”  Mensch’s original report asserts that Trump was “named” in the initial application, but is vague as to whether that means he was a named target of electronic surveillance.  (Since, again, that would entail showing that Trump himself was an “agent of a foreign power, ” this seems improbable unless the FBI has managed to keep some explosive evidence under wraps in the leakiest political environment I can recall.)  “Continued monitoring” implies some nefarious motive, but a standard FISA surveillance order would run for either 90 days (if targeting a U.S. person) or 120 days (if targeting a non-U.S. person),  so there’s nothing particularly extraordinary in that.

The claim that the administration then “relaxed the NSA rules to allow evidence to be shaed widely within the government” is presumably a reference to the revised guidelines for intelligence sharing issued in January.  First, this revision was first publicly announced in February of last year, and had been in the works since long before any inquiry into Russian election interference began.  Second, it applies to raw signals intelligence obtained by NSA pursuant to Executive Order 12333, not to intelligence gathered by the FBI under the authority of a FISA court order.  Third, there is no evidence whatever that any of the intelligence leaks that have made headlines in recent weeks are connected with the revised guidelines—and, indeed, this seems rather unlikely, since most of those leaks have concerned information disseminated in “finished” intelligence reports, not the “raw” signals intelligence to which the new guidelines apply.

In short, both Breitbart and Trump have advanced claims far more dramatic than anything the public evidence can support.  That said, intelligence monitoring—whether direct or indirect—of persons connected with a presidential campaign inherently carries a high risk of abuse, and as Congress moves to launch its own inquiries into the Trump campaign’s Russian ties, it would be entirely appropriate to further scrutinize  both the FBI’s initial surveillance and applications and the surveillance that was ultimately conducted for any signs of impropriety.  In the meantime, it might behoove the Commander in Chief to refrain from issuing serious and inflammatory accusations based wholly on “intelligence” gleaned from Breitbart News.

Image: Gewoldi/Getty

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