#But yeah they took the Baby Daddy Drama to the MAX which is what I think is the best part of the show so I was thrilled | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

s-dwinchester05 · 4 years

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Little Witches | A Supernatural Story

Whole story summary: Sam and Dean’s brother got away, but when he’s dragged back into the hunt, a whole load of drama is to follow.

summary: Dean had to collect his brother, Nathan, to help him find their Father. This is where Nathan’s drama filled journey begins.

warning(s): angst, mention of suicide, sadness, supernatural level violence, fighting/arguing.

actor(s): Timothy Granaderos as Nathan Winchester Riley and Parker Busby as Destiny and Sapphire Winchester. (he’s shorter than Jensen in real life so for the sake of the story they’re about the same height)

Nathan's house

Dean hummed along to the music as he drove through a nice, ordinary neighbourhood. He was on his way to pick up his younger brother after not seeing him for 5 years. The brothers have only called a max of 6 or 7 times since he left.

As He finally came to a stop, staring at the house, feeling slightly guilty that he had to get his little brother away from what looked like a happy life. The house was a little blue home with a small garage on the side and the car his brothers had since he was 19, was sitting in the drive way. All lights were off indicating that everyone who lived there was asleep.

Dean pulled himself out the car, headed towards the window that was slightly open at the side of the house. Slipping through it skilfully, he quietly made his way towards what looked to be the living-room.

As he walked down the hallway, he saw pictures hanging on the walls of what looked like to be two little girls, all blonde haired and posing in a silly way at the camera. Another one of what looked to be a couple on their wedding day, with big smiles on their faces, staring at each other in the most loving way.

He entered the living-room doorway, looking around to see a big silhouette on the couch sleeping with a small child laying on their chest. Dean accidentally hit the tip of his shoe on a toy, making a loud noise bounce around the room, alerting the sleeping figure on the couch.

The male slowly turned over to lay the child on the sofa, gradually getting up so the intruder didn't see any sudden movements from him.

When he fully got up and made his way round to the shadowy figure who was cussing, he pounced onto him.

Fist we're being throw left, right and centre. Finally Dean had his brother pinned to the floor, out of breathe from the fight they just had. The light had hit Deans face letting the male see who he was finally.

"Dean?!" he whisper-shouted.

"Nathan!" Dean exclaimed rather loudly.

Nathan struggled beneath his brother trying to get up, eventually getting it so he could swig it around so Dean was on the floor, instead of him.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked, his brother hadn't seen him in years and knowing Dean, it wasn't a good reason for why he was here.

"Daddy?" A little voice came from behind the brother, not giving Dean the chance to reply.

The lights were turned on, the men turned around to see two little girls, one up on the tips of her toes reaching towards the light switch, looking slightly scared after her sister went to wake her up after being startled awake, with her father missing beneath her. Dean stared opened mouthed at the girls, not knowing what to do. His baby brother was a father! Dean couldn't believe it. The girls stood there in matching pyjamas, wided eyed, looking up at their father.

“Babies,” Nathan replied. “What are you doing up?”

"We heard noises coming from in here" The smallest one said, hair sticking up in all different ways. Tears had slowly gathered up in their eyes, making Nathan's heart break seeing how scared his little girls were.

"Hey, hey. No tears. I'm fine, you're fine." Nathan comforted them, opening his arms up, they all but ran into his arms wanting the comfort of the father.

Nathan stood up with two of them in his arms, mumbling sweet nothings to calm them down. Turning around to look at Dean again, cringing slightly at Deans shocked expression.

"Dean, this is Sapphire," tilting his head to the one who called out Daddy, "and Destiny." He finished, point towards the smaller one who turned on the light switch.

"Girls, this is Dean, your Uncle." He said, introducing them to him.

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Nathan had finally got his girls to go back to sleep in their bedroom, that they shared. Nathan closed the door behind him, heading back towards where Dean was.

"Dean," He sighed, "What are you doing here?"

"Dad went on a hunting trip and hasn't been home for a few days," Dean replies after a moment of hesitation.

Nathan started to panicked, no matter how horrible his Dad was before he left, it was his father he going to be worried.

"What do you mean missing?"

"Dad's never been missing for this long, and I need yours and Sammy's help." Dean replied.

Nathan looked down thoughtfully, he couldn't leave his girls but his neighbour did always babysit for him when he goes on his own little hunts.

"We'll have to leave tomorrow," Nathan decided, looking up towards Dean, "What was he hunting?"

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The Impala

Dean and Nathan sat in a awkward tension, neither knowing what to say to the other. Music played in the background, Nathan looked out the window watching as the trees flew by, worried about not only his dad but now his daughters. What the rest of the Winchester family didn't know that his daughter's mother (His wife) was a witch, meaning that any day now the girls should show some kind of magic. Nathan rarely ever left his daughters with his neighbour, only doing it on really dangerous hunts, he normally took them with him.

"So, you're a father?" Dean finally asked, tired of the tension.

Nathan hesitated, not knowing what his father had exactly told his brother when he left them. "Yeah...It's why I left."

Dean looked over at his brother in sadness and shock. His father, like Nathan thought he would, never told him the real reason why Nathan left. Just that he abandoned the family to have a 'apple pie life'. Which was the furthest from the truth, Nathan had quit hunting for three years before starting again. No matter what Nathans life was never going to be normal.

Nathan sighed already knowing what his dad told them, turning hid head to look at Dean, "I know what Dad told you, that I abandoned you three to have the 'apple pie life'. I never left that life, the hunting, the killing of demons and other monsters." He silence for a second, "I started hunting again two years ago, three years after stopping."

"Why?" Dean asked curiously, there is always a reason why someone starts or stops hunting and it was clear in the sadness of his brothers voice that there was.

Nathan looked away trying to hold back tears, he could feel them burning at the back of his eyes. Clearing his throat quickly, "urm... My wife, Danielle, got killed on a hunt." He told Dean, completely lying, Nathan would probably never tell the truth.

His wife had always suffered with Depression and other mental health issues, but on 19th of August 2003, it finally caught up to her. Danielle died lying in her husbands arms after he had rushed home, to stop her. Nathan knew she struggled, he supported her through everything, even the days where she couldn't drag herself out of bed; he'd lay down and cuddled her all day just so she wasn't alone. After this, He was colder to everyone who wasn't family or Rebecca his neighbour. The day she died had haunted his sleep ever since, only ever finding comfort with at least one of his daughters in his arms.

Dean quickly changed the subject seeing how tore up his baby brother was, Nathan clearly didn't want to speak about it. Dean could see the unshedded tears in his eyes just before he turned away.

The rest of the way the boys talk about anything and everything but Nathan's wife. They spoke about the case their father was working on, how Sam got away by going to college. To say Nathan was shocked was an understatement, Sam had always rebelled against John but not to the extent of leaving. He was happy his little brother got the normal life he always wished for, they had stayed up late nights talking about Sam going to school and getting a job in the Law. Nathan was proud of his baby brother, though he felt guilty for having to go collect him for the thing he ran from.

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Outside of Sam's Apartment

Nathan has waited outside, reading further into the case their dad had gone on, wanting to avoid the fight Dean and Sam are going to have. He knew Dean would do exactly what he did to him, sneak his way him and battle till he had Sam on the floor.

Fifteen minutes had passed before two tall, dark figures crossed the street to the Impala. Nathan opened the door slightly, gawking at how grown up his once small and skinny teenage brother is. Sadness hit him when he realised just how much of Sammys life he missed out on.

"--some normal, apple pie life?" Nathan heard dean ask, just as he opened the car door fully.

"No. Not normal." Sam disagrees. "Safe."

"And that's why you ran away." Dean concluded.

"I was just going to college. Just like me and Nathan had always talked about. Anyway, it was Dad who said if I was gonna go, I should stay gone. That's what I'm doing." Sam's eyes flickered towards Nathan, eye widening in shock. He hadn't expected Dean to get Nathan after so many years.

Nathan smiled up at Sam from where he sat with his body facing out of the car. Nodding his head in a greeting, Nathan didn't do hugs, unless it was Sapphire and Destiny, everyone knew that.

"Yeah, well, Dads in real trouble right now. If he's not dead yet. I can feel it." Dean tried reasoning, though it wasn't working as much as he planned. Sam fell silent for a second.

"We can't do this alone." Dean tried again, getting a point look from the 25 year old in the car.

"Yes you can." Sam instantly came back with, these two were two of the best hunters he knew when he was younger.

Nathan finally butted in after getting a small pleading look from Dean, "Yeah, well, we don't want to."

Sam sighed looking down, thinking about whether he was going to go or not. Dean knew Nathan would be the one to get through to Sam, it always had been like that. Nathan was the peace keeper between the three of them but if you got Nathan pissed then well let's say it never ended well for either of them. Nathans anger was like a volcano when he was mad, he was impulsive and it all came at once, and took awhile to calm again.

"What was he hunting?"

Nathan's gaze turned to Dean, brows raised. He had explained it all to him already, but he had forgot it all with the overthinking all the way to the University. Dean opened the trunk and lifts the compartment, propping it up with a shotgun, mumbling. "Where the hell did I put that thing?"

"And why didn't you go with him?" Sam continued.

"Nate, you know where the files went?" Dean asked. Nathan walked around to the back of the car, spotting it as soon as he got there. He plucked up the files and handed them to Dean. "I was working my own gig," Dean says to Sam. "This voodoo thing down in New Orleans."

Sam and Nathan looked at each other confused, "Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?" Nathan asked, their father never let them do that.

Dean looked to them with furrowed eyebrows, slightly offended. "I'm twenty-six, dude."

Dean pulled some paper out of the folder, "All right, here we go. So dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside of Jericho, California. About a month ago, this guy."

He handed a piece of paper over to Sam, "They found his car, but he vanished. Completely MIA."

The paper was a printout of an article from the Jericho Herald, it was headlined 'Centennial Highway Disappearance' and dated September 19th 2005; it had a man's picture, which was captioned 'Andrew Carey MISSING.' Sam finished reading it and glanced up at his brothers.

"So maybe he was kidnapped." He concluded. Nathan rolled his eyes, Sam clearly didn't want to go, now finding any excuse not to.

"Yeah. Well, here's another one in April," Nathan said, tossing another article which he snatched from Dean. "Another one in December 'oh-four', 'oh-three', 'ninety-eight, 'ninety-two, ten of them over the past twenty years."

Dean took back the articles from Sam and the one Nathan tossed down when explaining, putting them back into the folder. "All men, all the same five-mile stretch of road."

Dean pulled out a bag from the arsenal in his trunk, "It started happening more and more, so dad went to go dig around. That was three weeks ago. I hadn't heard from him since, which is bad enough."

Dean grabbed a handheld tape recorder, holding it out so they could both hear. "Then I got this voicemail yesterday."

He pressed play. The recording was staticky and the signal was clearly breaking up. Dean never showed this to Nathan before. Nathan was slightly pissed that he didn't till now but didn't comment on it.

"Dean...something big is starting to happen...I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may... Be very careful, Dean We're all in danger."

"You know there's EVP on that?"

"Not bad, Sammy. Kinda like riding a bike isn't it?" Nathan joked, getting a chuckle from Dean and the shake off the head from Sam.

"All right. I slowed the message down, I ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got." Dean explained.

"I can never go home..."

"Never go home." Sam copied, seeing if he had heard it from somewhere but came up with nothing.

Dean dropped the recorder back in the trunk, put down the shotgun from where it was propped and shuts the trunk, to then turn around and lean on it. "You know, in almost two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing."

Nathan kicked Deans shin for guilt tripping their baby brother, he watched as Sam looked away sighing.

As Sam looked back up to the boy, he said, "All right. I'll go. I'll help you two find him."

They nodded at him, silently cheering on the inside that he was coming with them. The three of the were back, that's all Nathan cared about in that second. But Sam broke in his inner cheering by what he said next.

"But I have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here." Sam turned to head back to his apartment, started to walk away before Nathan cut in.

"What's first thing Monday?"

Sam hesitated replying, he knew Nathan would be happy but Dean however he didn't know how he'd feel. "I have this...I have an Interview."

"What, a job interview?" Dean asked, "Skip it." Which earned his a smack at the back of the head by Nathan.

"It's a law school interview, and it's my whole future on a plate." Sam replied, a small but proud smile appeared on Nathans face. Sam had got what he wanted finally.

"Law school?" Dean asked, smirking.

"So we got a deal or not?"

The brothers said nothing, leading Sam to go back to Jess and try and explain the situation as best as he could without telling the truth.

Nathan headed back to the passenger seat to call his daughters and tell them goodnight. Dean watched him while he called them seeing Nathan run his hands through his hair, it was his tell-tale sign that he was either stressed or worried. Dean wondered what sort of Dad Nathan was to the twins, after all he didn't exactly have the role model father himself to go off.

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[2632 words]

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spine-buster · 5 years

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Alone, Together | Chapter 22 | Morgan Rielly

A/N: Thanks again for all the positive feedback! We’re already at Chapter 22 and only in February. I would like to say that there isn’t going to be any more drama, but the whole ~incident~ happens in March and, of course, Boston happens in April. So…yeah. For now, at least, happy times ahead! This chapter didn’t end up AT ALL where it was supposed to go, but I’m actually happy about that. Some might call it filler (because it technically doesn’t contain any Morgan/Bee interaction) but I see it as pretty important.

Hockey Night in Canada was quickly becoming favourite night of the week, especially when the Leafs were playing at home. She had never been a hockey fan before Morgan, but now that she was – at least partly – she could feel the energy in Scotiabank Arena pulse through her veins. She could feel it outside on the streets, walking past fellow Torontonians going to watch the game at a bar, at a friend’s place, or anywhere else. She could even feel it within fellow fans, buzzing around the arena and getting close to the glass during open skate.

Tonight, in particular, was a big one – Leafs vs. Canadiens. Morgan had explained to her enough about the historic rivalry between the two teams, and even Aryne pitched in with a “Now they hate us even more because John wouldn’t grant them an interview.” The energy was palpable. And if Bee knew anything about Habs fans, it was that they were everywhere in Canada – even where you least expect it – and that they always travelled to support their team. Even tonight, in prime enemy territory, she spotted a lot of Habs jerseys. It was going to be a great Saturday night.

But right now, all she cared about were babies.

Briony loved babies. She loved them. And she loved one baby in particular: Henry Gardiner. He was the cutest, chubbiest, most perfect baby in all of Toronto and when any opportunity to hold or play with him came up, it excited her to no end. Bee wasn’t going to have babies anytime soon, so when the opportunity arose to do literally anything with babies, she was the first to volunteer. So when Bee saw Lucy had brought him to the game wearing and a cute, custom-made onesie that looked like a Gardiner jersey with hockey pants, she was over the moon.

“He was being really fussy…is being really fussy tonight,” Lucy said as she tried to bounce him in her arms.

“You want me to hold him for a bit? At least while we go down to the ice to say hi to dad?”

“Yeah, that could work,” Lucy agreed, handing her five-month-old over to Bee. “What do you think, Hank? Wanna stay with Auntie Bee?” she cooed.

Bee balanced his chubby body on her hip. He looked up at her with his big blue eyes and she almost melted right then and there. “Hi Henry! Are we gonna be best friends tonight? Are you gonna give Morgan a run for his money?”

“Henry you wanna go see Dada? Wanna go see Dada?” Lucy smiled as Henry smiled at the word ‘Dada’. Lucy slipped on his blue pair of baby headphones to protect his ears from all the noise before setting her diaper bag on the chair.

As the pair slowly made their way down the steps of the lower bowl, they eventually got to the glass in the corner, which was already surrounded by fans taking pictures of the team. They stood back for a while, watching the team skate and shoot pucks as Bee bounced Henry in her arms and pointed out all the players to him. He obviously couldn’t hear a thing, but he followed her points and let out happy noises the more she bounced him. Eventually, some fans noticed them and made way for them to go right against the glass. Bee held Henry close to the window, pointing at Jake.

Jake took a few more shots at the net before he saw them, quickly making his way over. Like clockwork, a cameraman and photographer appeared beside them and started snapping pictures of Henry and Jake smiling at each other. Bee thought it was out-of-this-world adorable, but also thought it was slightly awkward since she was neither Henry’s mom or Jake’s wife. “Maybe you should take him,” she giggled, handing back to Lucy with open arms.

“Yeah, let me hold him until they leave,” she agreed, bringing Henry a bit closer to the glass. Jake continued to smile and wave, and the fans around them practically awed in unison. Morgan came skating behind him, stopping briefly to wave at Henry and smile at what was transpiring. He pulled a silly face to try to get Henry to laugh. Instead, Henry looked at him, his little baby eyebrows furrowing, before he began to fuss and cry slightly. Jake hit Morgan and Morgan made a dramatic ‘oops’ face before winking quickly at Bee. She shook her head at him as he skated away.

“Ooookay, that’s enough of Dada and his friends,” Lucy said, trying to calm him down. “You want to go back to Auntie Bee? Seems like you liked when she held you,” she said, handing him back into Bee’s arms.

Like previously, Henry began to calm down as Bee held him and bounced him on her hip. Lucy began to thank the fans for making room for them, and as she did, Bee noticed a group of three young girls – they couldn’t have been older than 21 – recording them on their iPhones. Bee tried not to look their way or give them any mind, but when she overheard one of them say to the other, “That’s Morgan Rielly’s girlfriend,” her breath couldn’t help but hitch in her throat.

“Let’s get back to our seats before the Zamboni comes out,” Lucy said, unaware of the girls filming. “Hank’s really scared of them and Jake’s still upset about it.”

As they made their way back to their seats, they saw Aryne and waved, Penny following close behind her. They nestled into their seats – Lucy near the aisle, then Bee, then Aryne, then Penny – as Bee turned Henry to face forward to look out onto the ice, bouncing him slightly on her knee.

“Are you girls ready for a shit show?” Penny asked. “I don’t know if you saw, but Max Domi has already been chirping a few of the boys.”

The girls rolled their eyes, but Bee had no idea who Max Domi was. “Who is Max Domi?”

Penny cringed. “Don’t ask.”

Aryne looked over at her. “Max is a player on the Habs. His dad Tie used to play for Toronto from the mid-nineties to the mid-2000s,” she explained. Bee was so grateful that Aryne and the other girls were still patient enough to explain things to her. “He just crawls under people’s skin. He likes to play dirty. And ever since he got traded to Montreal and became a Hab, he’s been shitting on Toronto – literally the city he grew up in – every chance he gets.”

Bee furrowed her brows. “So you’re telling me he’s a dumbass.”

The girls burst out into laughter at Bee’s deadpan delivery. “Exactly,” Penny snorted.

“If he so much as touches one of our guys tonight I’ll go down there and fight him myself,” Lucy warned. “I haven’t slept in two days and I’m surviving on cereal and smoothies. I’m a ball of rage.”

Henry seemed content to stay on Bee’s lap during the first period, despite the constant grimacing, flailing of arms, screaming, and general scowling from the ladies. By the end of the period, the Leafs were down 3-0, and Bee got the gift of seeing first-hand what kind of a player Max Domi was. Though he hadn’t scored any of the goals, he was being an asshole, completely targeting Freddie and riling up Johnsson – of course, the referees called nothing. Bee knew she always had to be mad at the referees.

As Lucy left with Henry to change his diaper, Bee spent the intermission on her phone catching up on the day’s news events. She was pretty busy at work these days, and throughout all the meetings Mark liked to spontaneously plan and the working lunches they’d have, she wasn’t able to catch up on anything during the day like she used to be able to when she was in-between classes. She was nervous for the second period too – a lot of the fans that had made their way out into the concourse were grumbling about the lacklustre period and 3-0 score.

“The boys better make a comeback,” Aryne said almost to herself. “I’m not putting up with any gloating Hab fans, and I’m sure as hell not putting up with a gloating Max Domi.”

Bee snorted at Aryne’s words as she opened Instagram, scrolling through her feed and liking pictures. She had made it private back when Angie called her in Vancouver, but that didn’t stop people from somehow stealing her pictures – like Aryne showed her on Valentine’s Day – or stop them from trying to tag her in videos or send her DMs. The tags were relentless – every picture someone stole from her profile, they’d tag her in it again, as if they wanted her to see that they stole it. And now, there were more tags to sift through. The girls who had recorded them at the glass had of course already uploaded the video to Instagram, and it was making the rounds. She was tagged four times from four different accounts. She watched the video, and obviously it was cute because of Henry, but the girls were in prime position to catch Morgan winking at her before skating away. Perfect position. She could only imagine what people were saying about it, and she didn’t want to read the comments. Instead, she went to her Instagram DMs to clear her inbox.

So what, are you Lucy’s BFF now or something?

LMAOOOO now ur trying to get mo to have a baby with u U R PATHETIC!!!

R u pregnant

I know it’s your man’s jersey and all but it’s really doing your body no favours. Have you gained weight?

“Whatcha reeeeading?” Penny asked.

Bee sighed dramatically. “Well Penny, apparently I’m forcing Morgan to have a baby with me,” her voice was deadpan.

Penny snorted at the delivery. “Oh how I just love Instagram DMs,” she giggled, shaking her head. “Don’t worry, I’m only with Will for his money.”

“Oh, of course! Morgan’s my sugar daddy!” Bee exclaimed, causing Penny to laugh even more. “These girls see one video and think I’m pregnant. It’s so weird,” she focused back on her phone.

Maybe Lucy should give you some yoga lessons so you can lose some weight. She looks better than you do and she’s had a baby.

I told u we’d find pics of u and mo. You’re not sneaky.

You guys looked really cute in Vancouver!!!!! Can’t believe you met his parents already does that mean you’re getting married?????

You and Mo are rly cute

You’d look better with a nose job and some upper lip filler. Just saying.

How kind of them to suggest a nose job and lip fillers. Like women around the world weren’t already insecure with themselves. She deleted everything, not bothering to read anymore. She deleted the list of them until she heard a crying baby, bringing her back to reality and what really mattered. When she finally looked up, she saw Lucy coming back with a crying Henry, and more fans filing back into the arena for the start of the second period.

“He is being so incredibly fussy it’s driving me insane,” Lucy’s voice was exasperated as she sat back into her seat. “The entire time he was wailing. Just wouldn’t stop crying.”

“Awww, come here my chubby prince,” Bee cooed as she took Henry from a tired Lucy’s arms. “You gotta let mommy rest. Why’re you being so fussy?”

It took a few moments, but he eventually stopped crying and settled down, again looking up at Bee with his big blue eyes. He even gave her a smile and giggled at her smiling down at him. Lucy put her hands up in dramatic frustration. “You’re like the baby whisperer tonight! Seriously!” she exclaimed in astonishment. “I can’t believe this!” She even took out her phone to snap a quick picture of Henry smiling up at Bee, and Bee smiling down at him. “You’re stuck with him the whole night if he’s going to be like this with you.”

“I’ll hold him the whole game if I have to,” Bee smiled. “I’m not joking. You want me to rock him to sleep? Tuck him into bed? I’ll do it.”

“Don’t tempt me. I might take you up on your offer.”

As the second period started, Lucy fetched Henry’s bottle from her bag, and Bee fed him. Auston scored early in the period, with Morgan getting the primary assist, and Bee hoped that the goal was a kick in the ass for the whole team to start scoring. When Tyler scored a powerplay goal near the end of the period, she was confident they would come back. And as always, Max Domi was being a pest, but because the boys were answering back, he didn’t have that much to say.

Then Willy scored in the third period to tie it and Penny went crazy. Henry fell asleep and was snug in his carrier when Zach tied it and everybody in the arena went crazy. Then the Habs got upset. Four unanswered goals. On the jumbotron, they showed Morgan and Max going back and forth, chirping one another with a body in between them, holding them apart. God, Bee hated fighting, but if Morgan had slapped the smirk off Max’s face, she would have had no problem riding him across the Pacific Ocean. She even fanned herself as the girls pointed it out to her and had a laugh about it. A fifth goal by Johnsson, getting his payback on Max. A sixth goal by Zach, again. Six unanswered goals. One hell of a comeback. Sweet sweet revenge.

This is the hockey Bee could get used to.

As fans began leaving the arena after the 6-3 win, the ladies took their own way to the locker rooms. In the elevator, Bee took out her phone and saw she was tagged in yet another photo – but this one she would definitely keep.

@lucygardiner_: Henry loves his Aunt Bee! <3 Uncle Morgan has to work on his funny face game though…

It was the photo she had taken earlier of Henry looking up at her smiling. With both of them smiling and the sea of blue jerseys behind them, it did make for a very cute picture. Bee liked it immediately and decided to comment.

@brionymctavish: Heart eyes for my chubby prince! Uncle Mo’s baby blues ain’t got nothing on Henry’s

***

“Listen, I know you have work tomorrow but can I please come over? I don’t want to watch this alone.”

Thus began the night of February 28th, the dreaded day – the day John Tavares returned to Long Island. The media had been hyping the return for days, and truth be told, Bee thought they were making a bigger deal than what needed to be made. They kept stressing the fan reaction, the videos they posted online of them burning John’s jerseys, which was absolutely ridiculous. They kept asking John annoying questions about it, and they kept asking players on the Islanders annoying questions about it. Bee wished it could all just end, but they needed to get through the game first.

Aryne showed up to Bee’s apartment with takeout Greek food. They didn’t even bother setting it up in the dining table – they just took their spots on the floor and spread everything out on the coffee table in front of the TV. Coverage was already on, and the guys on Sportsnet were blabbering on about something. Judging by the time, Bee knew the boys would be on the ice soon for the pre-game skate. She didn’t need to wonder what the reception for John would be since she was being told for an entire fucking week that it “wasn’t gonna be good”.

“Are you looking for places?” Aryne asked as she sat down on a pillow, looking at Bee’s laptop screen of apartment listings.

“Oh. Yeah,” Bee nodded her head. “I can’t live off of Naz and Ashley forever.”

“It’s not like they’re going bankrupt,” Aryne quipped.

“Yeah, but I’m earning decent money now. They can at least get the income back from leasing out this place,” she shrugged her shoulders, wanting to drop the subject. “Have you talked to John?”

Aryne nodded her head, opening the takeout container to reveal her gyro. “He’s fine. At least he seems to be. He’s seen some of his old teammates already and they caught up, which was nice.”

“That’s good,” Bee offered gently. “Does it feel weird for him being back there?”

“I don’t think so,” Aryne said. “I mean…he spent nearly ten years of his life there.” She looked at the TV and they both noticed the teams making their way on to the ice. The camera was focused solely on the Leafs. “Can you turn it up?” she asked.

The more Bee turned up the volume, the more boos could be heard. The arena wasn’t even at full capacity but they were deafening. Between keeping the focus on John, the camera also panned to people and signs in the crowd. People who had taped up their Tavares jerseys and re-wrote ‘Traitor’; people who made a sign saying ‘We don’t need you’; people standing and booing and giving the middle finger with one hand while a beer was in another. It was gross.

“How could they be so awful,” Bee said more so to herself than to Aryne. Seeing person after person with toy snakes and throwing them on to the ice was not funny. It was not amusing. This was a person that was their captain, and here they were disrespecting him and treating him like shit when he did so much for their team. Bee looked over at Aryne, who didn’t seem to blink as she watched the clown show in front of her. “We can change the channel if you want.”

“No,” Aryne answered. As much as it pained her to watch, she couldn’t. “I promised John I’d watch the whole thing no matter how bad the fans were. I’m watching it for him, not for them.” She worded it perfectly. This wasn’t about them, no matter how much they wanted to make it about them. Aryne knew that. Bee knew that.

They watched in silence as John made his way back to the tunnel. All of the sudden, something flew across the TV screen heading towards John’s head, narrowly missing him, making both women gasp in fear. They held their breath as the replay occurred, Bee’s hands over her mouth. “It’s a jersey. It’s a jersey,” she said quickly, noticing the colours on the object being thrown. The distinct blue and orange couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.

When she looked over at Aryne, she could see tears welling in her eyes. “Aryne…Aryne it’s okay,” she said, crawling over to her side of the table before giving her a quick hug. “It didn’t even hit him. The guy missed. It didn’t hit him.”

“Why do they hate him so much?” she asked, her voice shaky as she continued to look at the screen. “He was the backbone of that team for years. He moved there alone when he was eighteen years old to play for them and this is how they repay him?”

“Aryne, they’re being dumb. They’ve been amped up by the media and this is just theatrics,” Bee tried to calm her down.

“I don’t get it,” she shook her head. “You just…you spend nine years of your life somewhere, building your life and career, and they just turn on you at the drop of a hat…just because you want to go home. Just because you want to play for your childhood team. Because you want to be close to your family and start a family of your own,” she lamented. “My God. I don’t even know why I’m crying. This…this is definitely pregnancy hormones,” she was embarrassed as she wiped away the tears.

“It’s okay to be emotional about this Aryne,” Bee said softly, rubbing her back.

“He’s just so happy to be home, Bee. Why can’t they see that?”

“They’re blinded by their anger, but that’s not your problem,” Bee said. “He was a UFA Aryne. What was he supposed to do? Stop playing hockey just to make them happy? Play somewhere he wasn’t truly happy? Play for his childhood team when he only had a half a tank of gas left? That’s not far to him and his goals. Even if hockey wasn’t a part of it at all. He made the best decision for himself and for you both and they don’t want to see that.”

Aryne didn’t say anything. She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks before laying her head on Bee’s shoulder. After a while of silence, she finally said in a soft voice, “I think the reason I like you so much is because you just…you see things outside of hockey. Sometimes I forget what it’s like.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You just have this perspective the rest of us don’t have,” she said without elaborating. “Never lose it, okay?”

The boys played like shit. They didn’t show up for one of the biggest games of the season – there was no other way to put it. They let John down. After Zach opened the scoring and got another goal taken away (because of the “offside” rule, which Bee still thought was a completely made up call), the team was sucker-punched to a 6-1 loss. It was brutal. Every time John touched the puck, the crowd booed so loudly it almost drowned out the announcers. Bee hated it. She never wanted to experience another game like this again.

This was not the hockey she wanted to get used to.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just crash here tonight? You must be exhausted,” Bee asked as Aryne was packed up to leave, taking most of her uneaten gyro with her.

“I’ll be okay, don’t worry. At this time of night the drive is nothing. Plus, John will probably call and want to talk,” she explained, putting her Styrofoam container into a plastic bag.

Bee kept ruminating over what Aryne had said to her earlier. ‘You see things outside of hockey. You have this perspective the rest of us don’t have.’ She wondered what Aryne meant by that. She knew it wasn’t super invested in hockey. She knew that Morgan had only ever played for the Leafs and he had never switched teams, been a UFA, signed an offer sheet, demanded a trade, any of that. She knew she was only getting one perspective, especially since Morgan wanted to stay a Leaf forever. Despite being from Vancouver, they were his childhood team. His dad fist-pumped on camera when the Leafs drafted him. Aryne had been through so much more than she had, yet she was the one telling Bee ‘You have this perspective the rest of us don’t have’. “Hey Aryne…” she began, unsure if she should bring it up.

“Mhmm?”

“You know…you know before…before the game started. How you said I see things outside of hockey and that I have a perspective the rest of you guys don’t have? What did you mean by that?”

Aryne stood still. “I didn’t offend you did I?”

Bee shook her head vehemently. “No no. Not at all. I just want to know what you meant. I’m wracking my brain trying to figure it out.”

“Do you promise not to hate me if I explain it?”

“I could never hate you. The only reason I could hate you is for telling me who Max Domi is.”

Aryne smiled before getting more serious. “A lot has happened to you this year, with the break-in and with your mom dying. A lot has happened to you in your life. And somehow, you’re still…it never seems to phase you. And…I don’t know. It brings me back down to earth a little bit. When I get stressed over John or hockey or whatever else, I just think about all you’ve been through and how you’ve overcome it all with such grace and a good head on your shoulders and I just think ‘Man, this girl’s got it all figured out.’”

“I don’t have it all figured out,” Bee shook her head. “Far from it.”

Aryne bit her lip. “Listen, you just prioritize the right stuff in your life. You prioritize yourself, your relationship with Mo, your job…not a lot of girls your age that we know can say the same thing. That’s why Sydney reacted the way she did when you mentioned having a career and the fact that Morgan liked you having one. A lot of people lose sight of what is supposed to matter and all they end up caring about is their boyfriend or their wedding or how they look on Instagram. But despite all this new stuff around you, all this money and all this privilege, you’ve never lost sight of what truly matters. Even the way you brush off all the DMs you get on Instagram. And I don’t want to patronize you and tell you I’m proud of you, even though I am, and I’m not saying that you’re a saint, but it makes me think about the priorities in my life,” she absent-mindedly put a hand over her baby bump. “Hockey is there but it’s John’s priority more than it is mine. I care about my husband, my family, our growing family, our friends who are like our family. And in the grand scheme of things, stuff like what happened tonight…it doesn’t matter. You get that. Somehow, without having been involved in hockey for years or without being involved in the wag lifestyle that so many girls think is an absolute dream when it’s really not…you get that.”

“I don’t know what to say Aryne.”

Aryne shrugged her shoulders. “I just think we can all learn a little from you, that’s all. Remember where our real priorities are. Because it’s not with the Chanel bags, or the gala events, or the mingling with Toronto socialites, or the Instagram feed showing off your new lip fillers and the picture perfect way your boyfriend has proposed. It’s with each other.”

#morgan rielly #morgan rielly imagine #morgan rielly fic #toronto maple leafs #toronto maple leafs imagine #toronto maple leafs imagines #toronto maple leafs fic #nhl playoffs #nhl imagine #nhl imagines #nhl fic #hockey #hockey imagine #hockey imagines #hockey fic #alone together series

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sammysdewysensitiveeyes · 4 years

Text

Potoroo Park: Life Finds a Way

@thecorteztwins This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever written, and I’m so sorry. Uh...consider this a No Powers AU, I guess.

It was supposed to be a kind of paradise, both for the visitors and the park’s permanent residents. Haven had envisioned an earthly Vaikuntha, filled with beautiful plants and flowers, a leafy canopy of trees, flowing steams – all artfully arranged to be both aesthetically pleasing to the human eye and a perfect habitat for the park’s main attraction. It was meant to be a place of wonder and whimsy, for both children and adults to experience the beauty of the natural world, and a safe haven for creatures that the world had forgotten.

Of course, there had been nay-sayers from the beginning. Investors blind to Haven’s singular vision who had urged caution. Was it really safe, putting that many of them together in one space? Such a large number could be…overwhelming, even for the most tightly controlled park. Even a few of her scientists had had misgivings. These animals had such a strong effect on people, there could be unforeseen complications. And it only took a few minor complications for the entire situation to spiral dangerously out of control.

But Haven had pushed ahead. She had her mission, and she had the money to make it happen, plus a couple of open-minded investors, so under her firm but polite direction, the park had gradually come into being. She had taken every precaution. There were electric fences, locking gates, jeeps that ran automatically along set tracks through the park, ensuring visitors did not come into direct contact with the animals that inhabited the jungle. She’d hired the best people – or so she’d thought. But it had only taken one major storm to wipe out the power, which meant that the fences were down, and the animals were….loose.

Perhaps the problem had started with her chief engineer and programmer. He unfortunately seemed to confirm every stereotype about computer programmers – anti-social, moody, difficult, always wanting to do things his own way. He seemed unconcerned with personal hygiene, his dark hair always a tangled mess. His mood shifted so quickly between manic energy and a sullen pout that Haven had wondered if he was entirely stable – but there was no denying he was brilliant. Despite a few unsavory incidents in his past, he was one of the best, and Haven wanted the best. She also wanted to believe in people. Sometimes that was a mistake.

“He’s been gone too long,” St. John broke into Haven’s thoughts, pointing his watch. “I think we need to go out there.” The Australian had joined the park’s security force along with Dominic Petros, a mercenary who hailed from Greece. The two had a long history of working as a pair, and insisted on being together in every patrol, but they were good at their jobs, so Haven allowed it.

“Forget the computer geek,” said Shinobi, sounding far too calm, although perhaps the cocktail in his hand helped with that. “What of my father? Your most important investor is out in the park, with those creatures. It’ll be quite the scandal if something happens to him.”

“He’ll be fine if they stay in the jeep. Sharon and Fabian are with him, they’ll know what to do.”

“Dunno if I’d trust either of them with common sense,” St. John muttered. Haven pretended not to hear. Sharon Smith was a bit…eccentric, but she was brave, athletic, capable, and knew the park like the back of her hand. She’d been the one to track down and retrieve animals that managed to slip past the fences, even when their trackers malfunctioned. Haven suspected that she was brilliant in her own unique way. Fabian Cortez was a different case. Loud, arrogant, and more than a bit sexist, with a resume that Haven was beginning to suspect had been heavily fabricated. Still, he could be charming, and his penchant for drama made him an excellent tour guide. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to either of them, or Sebastian Shaw.

“We need to get the power back on,” Dominic spoke up. Usually serving as the stoic counterpart to his chatty Australian partner, when Dominic had something to say it tended to be important. “That’s the main thing. Once we do that, we can take care of the rest.”

“Including getting Daddy Moneybags back here safe and sound,” St. John put in. The back-up generator for their compound had at least kept the lights on, but their comm and tracking systems were offline. There was no way to locate and contact the group out with the jeep, including’s Haven’s biggest investor, who was no doubt changing his mind about the whole enterprise. And the fences were down. That thought keep skittering through Haven’s mind with nervous little feet. The fences were down.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to send any more people out there. Maybe Max just needs more time to get the power back on.”

“And in the meantime, all sorts of things could be happening to my beloved father,” Shinobi said, although, oddly, he sounded almost pleased by the prospect. “I can’t say I’m terrible impressed by the operation you are running here, Ms. Dastoor.”

“Trustin’ Max to do anything is a bad idea. He’s a weird, twitchy bastard. I wouldn’t rely on him to change a bloody light bulb.” Dominic nodded in silent agreement.

“St. John, please, you’re not helping.” Haven rubbed her temples. “Aloba is with him. He’ll make sure everything gets taken care of.” Haven trusted her brother – strong, loyal and always reliable – more than anyone. But she couldn’t help the unease creeping over her. No matter how he had grown, he would always be her baby brother – and he was out there. With the animals.

“I’m just sayin’,” St. John picked up the tranquilizer rifle that the security forces all carried and slung it over his shoulder. “Sittin’ here’s not doing much good. I know Aloba’s a good egg, but Max is a wild card, ain’t he? I really think Dom and I should go out there. Get the back-up power running, and then she’ll be right.”

“Perhaps one of you should go to the generator and one to the jeep. You know, where my father, a very rich and important man, is currently in danger,” Shinobi drawled, yawning. “You can imagine how worried I am about my father. Please be sure to tell him, after he returns to us safely, how worried I was.” St. John just looked at him, bemused.

“No splitting up,” Haven insisted. “No one goes out into the park alone, that’s a rule. One person alone could easily be….overwhelmed. Safety is our top priority around here.”

“Yes, that’s clearly working out quite well for you,” Shinobi quipped, taking another sip of his drink. Where had he even gotten it? The main restaurant and bar hadn’t been stocked yet.

“Johnny and I go together,” Dominic said, putting one hand down on St. John’s shoulder possessively. “We work as a pair.”

“All right,” Haven said finally. Aloba would be furious with her for sending away the last of her staff, her only protection. But surely this would all be sorted out, the sooner the better. And she did not fear the creatures. She was their protector. She could handle this, for everyone’s sake, including the beautiful animals out there in the park. “Dominic and St. John, go see what’s become of Max and my brother. And get that power back on.”

“Roger that, boss,” St. John gave her a cheerful salute, far too cocky for Haven’s liking.

“Please be careful. Don’t engage the animals. With the fences down, they could be in much larger groups than usual.” That was the biggest danger. The fence system let them keep the park’s furry residents carefully segregated into packs small enough for visitors to handle.

“They’re Australian animals,” St. John shrugged, as if Haven’s concern was silly and hysterical. “S’okay, we know how to handle ‘em Down Under.”

“Do not engage. Back away slowly if you encounter them.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The two mercenaries exited the compound, and Haven suddenly felt horribly alone. Shinobi sidled up and slung and arm around her shoulders.

“So….however shall we pass the time until they get the power back on?”

Twenty minutes later, Haven’s prayers were answered, as the comm systems crackled to life. Shinobi sulked at one of the control center desks, not having taken Haven’s suggestion that they meditate terribly well. Somehow there was a fresh drink in his hand.

“Haven, do you copy?” St. John’s voice came over the comm system, intercut with static. The display in front of her lit up suddenly, with colored dots spread across the map. Red for the animals, and larger white circles (labeled with names) for her staff.

“I hear you, St. John. We’ve got the tracking screen up. But I still can’t access the cameras. And the fences are still offline.”

“That’s weird. It should have all come back.”

“Any sign of Aloba? Or Max?” Haven’s eyes frantically scanned the map. It was worse than she’d feared. With the fences down, the animals had formed large packs, pools of red on the map so close together than the dots could no longer be distinguished. She could see Sharon’s dot out by the large south pasture, some distance from the stalled jeep. That was odd – but Fabian’s dot appeared to be approaching the compound. Perhaps Sharon was dealing with some emergency with the animals, and Fabian was bringing their guest back in (Sebastian had refused the tracker with well-bred arrogance).

“Dom thought he saw something in the bushes just ahead, he’s checking it out now.”

“Don’t split up!” Haven exclaimed, dread gnawing at her despite these positive developments.

“It’s okay, he’s still within shouting distance. Barely out of my sight,” St. John said.

“I see your brother up ahead,” Dominic cut in. “He’s just….sitting there.”

“Aloba?” Haven called out over the com system. “Please respond. Are you hurt?” No response but a crackle of static. Come to think of it, why hadn’t Sharon or Fabian checked in yet? And where was Max?

On the screen, Haven saw the dot that was her brother, just north of the generator building as Petros approached. And she saw the cluster of red dots that surrounded him, with more approaching.

“Dominic, go back! There’s a huge group massing to your north, all around Aloba.”

“I see them! I see…….” Dominic’s voice trailed off.

“Dom, don’t look at them! Just shut your eyes and back on out of there, mate!”

“Johnny…” Dominic’s voice had lost its hardened edge and sounded small…childlike. As if years of rough living had melted away in an instant. “They’re eating strawberries. They’re holding them in their little paws, Johnny. So…dainty. So cute….”

“Damn it, Dom! Just stay put, I’m coming to get you out of there. Please, for the love of God, stop looking at them!”

“I can’t, Johnny. One of them’s cleaning its face now...like….like a proper little gentleman. I dunno what’s happening to me, Johnny. I think I’m losing my mind.”

“St. John, don’t,” Haven ordered. “We can’t afford to lose both of you. Come back to the compound, we’ll regroup and come up with a new plan.” Even if it meant leaving her brother alone. Her heart squeezed.

“Screw that, lady, I’m not leavin’ my best mate out there with those things!” On the monitor, she could see the dot tracking Allerdyce’s movements start towards the stationary dot that was Petros.

“Hang on, Dom!”

“St. John, please. Don’t be a hero,” Haven begged. His dot inched closer to Dominic’s, closer the hundreds of tiny red dots that surrounded him. Closer to the horde.

“It’s okay, I can handle it,” Allerdyce’s voice crackled back over the line. “I grew up in their territory. I’ve seen ‘em before.”

“But not that many, not at once. If you must do this, at least shield your eyes going in,” Haven said. It wasn’t that she wanted to leave Petros or Aloba out in the jungle, overwhelmed. She could understand and even admire St. John’s desire to save his partner. But she had to be practical.

“I’m just coming up on them now. Don’t worry, I can……’ Allerdyce’s voice trailed off as his dot converged with Petros’ and Aloba’s, in the middle of the red swarm.

There was a sound over the comm, like a strangled cry of delight.

“St. John? St. John, respond!”

“Strewth….” Came an awed whisper. “There’s so many. Like a cute, furry little rave party.”

“St. John, close your eyes and back away, that’s an order!” Haven pleaded, desperate to regain some sense of control over the situation.

“They’re grooming each other….like best friends….” Allerdyce’s dot, like Petros’, like Aloba’s, remained maddenly still. Not retreating, as he should be.

“Look Johnny, one’s come up my arm. It’s….it’s sittin’ in my hand, Johnny….I think it likes me…” Dominic’s voice piped up.

“St. John, do not engage! Don’t touch them!”

“Sorry, boss lady, I can’t….can’t leave. I just wanna sit here with them.”

“We have to protect them,” Dominic insisted. “We’ll live in the jungle and be their best friends.”

“Fuckin’ aye,” Allerdyce agreed in a tender whisper.

Haven buried her face in her hands, letting her long hair swing down like a curtain. She just wanted to hide away from all of this. How had it gone so wrong?

“Well, this has been a hilarious disaster,” Shinobi said, sauntering up behind her to look at the screen. “And here I was afraid this park would be boring.”

“Shinobi, if you can’t say anything helpful, please –“ Haven was cut off as the static crackled again. Another voice came through the comm, bubbling over with barely suppressed joy.

“It’s all gone to pieces, hasn’t it?”

“Max?”

A low giggle answered her, and then the monitors suddenly came up, showing the camera feeds from all over the park. Max stood directly under one camera, his grin brittle and far too wide. He waved at her.

“Max, what have you done?!” Haven hesitated, feeling suddenly guilty. Eccentric as he was, he was still her employee, and her responsibility. “Are you all right? What’s happened?”

“You thought you could contain it. You thought you could control chaos, just like my brother. But life is chaos. Life, uh, finds a way.”

“Max, please help me. We need to get this situation under control, for everyone’s sake.”

“I can’t let these magnificent creatures be locked up! They must roam the island, wild and free!” His voice dropped down dark and low. “No more fences. No more cages.”

“Max, I love the animals just as much as you do!” Even more, she wanted to protest. Everything she’d done had been to protect and nurture the creatures that populated her island park. “But there are people out there that need help. Please get the fences back up for me.”

“No fences!” Max yelled, featured contorted in sudden fury. “Let nature take its course!” That camera suddenly went dead, although the others stayed on. Haven surveyed the other monitors, unconsciously twisting a piece of her hair around her finger, praying that she could see the others safe.

On one monitor, she could see Aloba sitting cross-legged on the ground, his face turned up towards the rain, letting the storm wash over him as he had done so often as a child. He held his jacket out over the earth, and Haven could see the small animals scampering in and out of the make-shift rain shelter. Close by, Petros and Allerdyce were also sitting, leaning against each other with dazed grins as the animals ran up their backs and shoulders, nibbling on their hair. Their rifles lay on the ground, ignored.

On another monitor, she saw Sharon running through the plain, hundreds of animals leaping along at her feet. Haven felt a flash of alarm as Sharon dropped and rolled in the grass, but she was quickly on her feet again, jumping high into the air and running along. Haven realized, seeing the wide grin on the woman’s face, that Sharon wasn’t running in fear. She was frolicking, laughing with joy as the marsupials danced around her feet. Haven also realized, far too late, that Sharon was completely naked.

“Oh this has turned into quite the show!” Shinobi finally showed a spark of interest in their situation. Haven ignored him, trying to stay calm, thinking through her options. Fabian. Fabian’s dot was headed towards the compound; he was coming back to help them. Haven took back every unkind thought she’d ever had about the man. Out of all her employees, Fabian alone had kept his head and stayed dependable in the crisis.

“Um…what is that?” Shinobi gestured at the tracking screen. There was Fabian’s white dot….and there was a flood of red at his heels. Haven grabbed the comm.

“Fabian, do you copy? Please come in! They’re right behind you! You need to get inside as quickly as possible!”

“I do not fear these creatures.” Fabian finally responded. “I am not so narrow-minded as the rest of your staff. They are my army, and I am their king!”

“Fabian, please, you’re talking nonsense. The animals are affecting you. Just get inside!”

“Together my servants and I shall re-make the world in my image! A world that shall be safe for small, adorable furry creatures. And I shall rule over all as the benevolent master.”

“Fabian…” “Not to worry, my dear Haven. You shall be my beautiful queen, and we will rule side by side!”

“He’s almost to us,” Shinobi pointed to the monitor for camera just outside the compound. She could see Fabian striding across the manicured lawn, the wind whipping at the jeep’s emergency blanket that he’d tied around his shoulders like a cape. For some reason he’d taken his shirt off. And just behind him, she could see the horde. A sea of fur, little paws, bright eyes and twitching noses. Haven wanted to melt. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to come back to her senses.

“My God….they’re beautiful. They’re so…..cute…..” Shinobi whispered, gazing at the monitor. Haven threw a hand over his eyes and shoved him back.

“I’m sorry, it’s for your own good. It’s dangerous to look at this many at once.”

“Let go!” Shinobi struggled, but Haven held him firmly, until another movement on the monitor distracted her. Shinobi shoved her away and looked.

Running out to confront Fabian like a well-dressed knight, Sebastian Shaw charged onto the camera’s view. He seemed to be wearing some kind of furry vest, and Haven realized, seeing the writhing mass shift around his torso, that the marsupials were clinging to Sebastian’s shirt.

“What is the meaning of this?” Fabian demanded. There was no longer any need for the comms, as the two men were right outside the compound doors, bellowing at the top of their longs.

“A fool like you doesn’t deserve this kind of power, Cortez! I claim these creatures for the Hellfire club!” Sebastian tackled Fabian, and together they went down into the flowing river of fur.

“This is the best day of my life,” Shinobi declared, grinning as Fabian punched his father in the jaw. Sebastian just grinned and head-butted Fabian, and they both disappeared under the horde.

“How could it have come to this?” Haven whispered, watching the adorable army surge up towards the doors. The fences off, her people fallen. Thank god there had been no children on the island. Bringing children to the park before it was open to the public would have been the height of irresponsibility. She realized that Shinobi had left her side, and was walking up towards the main doors.

“Shinobi, what are you doing?” He looked back at her, with a dazed smile similar to the ones Dominic and St. John had worn.

“Don’t you want to let them in, Haven?” Without waiting for an answer, he swung the doors open wide, and was immediately knocked down by the wave of moving bodies. A solid mass of potoroos, hopping, scampering, leaping along, like joyful music. Haven could hear Shinobi giggling with delight as the animals flowed up and over him, his drink finally abandoned. Haven closed her eyes and sighed. Perhaps Max had been right. Nature could not be controlled. She rose from her seat, stretched her arms wide, and went down to meet her children.

Notes: In case it’s not clear, the potoroos are not harming people in any way. Everyone is just overwhelmed by their cuteness.

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