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strawberriescherrieskiwi · 10 months

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I’ll borrow this music and give it to you.

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N/A

Wordcount: 17.8K+

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Description: From Childhood crush, first love, and heartbreak, Amy and Laurie were staples in your life and you wouldn’t where you’ll be without them. Through fights, tears, and break up your roads always led back to each other.

A/N: So here this is. It’s insane how long this is. It is the longest thing I have written to do and I am very proud of myself for writing something this long. It took working on it off and on all month and I kept adding new scenes, I hope you all love it. Title is long but it is based on a song I listened to on repeat while writing them. Tagging @livresjaunes I hope you like it.

And also tagging @sufferingstarlight as their Queer week and Throple fic inspired me.

Warning: Fluff, Angst, Slow burn, friends to love, Reunited lovers, first love, young love, Traid couple. Smut. A lot of flashbacks. Mention of child abuse, abusive family. Homophobia and innerhomophobia. Character death- not major.

Amy

Those were the first words you thought of in the morning and the last words you thought of at night. Amy was your best friend. How could you not think of her all the time? No one made you as happy as Amy, no one knew you as well as Amy did, and no one held you together quite like Amy did.

She was more than your best friend, she was your life, your person. So she was a bit rough around the edges sometimes, but she was young and eager to be different from her sisters. To have 3 lovely sisters that everyone loved was hard for her. She wanted to be just like them and stand apart from them.

You saw Amy apart from her sisters. You saw how smart, talented, and strong she was. You always had her back, always by her side to build her up when she was down, to make her laugh when she was sad.

“Amy, you’ll get into trouble if you do that,” you whispered over her shoulder, biting your lip nervously, looking around the room to ensure the teacher was still gone.

“You worry too much. I want to show everyone my skills,” she said, smiling over her shoulder at you. The other girls laughed at your fear, egging her on.

“We all know you are talented, you don’t have to get into trouble to prove it,” you huffed going back to your seat and pulling out a book to read. You enjoyed school and you didn’t like being on your teacher’s bad side.

“Miss March,” The teacher snapped when he saw Amy drawing on the desk. His loud voice made you jump slightly and you stared at Amy.

“Hand, Miss March,” he said.

When Amy started to cry you stood up. “You can’t just hit her. You can’t just hit any of us,” you said, stubbornly.

“Would you like to take her hits for her?” He asked glaring at you.

“No,” Amy said standing up. “It is my punishment,” she said to him, but her eyes were on you.

You pouted slightly. You were stronger than Amy, you were used to being hit. Something that Amy was well aware of and always tried to protect you from it. The last thing you would do is to allow you to get punished for something she did.

You had to look away as his ruler came down on her knuckles again and again. Her sobs made you sob as well and then she was running out of the school, ignoring the calls of the teacher.

“You are a horrible teacher,” you spat at him.

“You all will thank me one day,” he said, going to the front of the room.

You scoffed, slamming your books on the desk. “I wouldn’t ever thank you and if I had my way you’ll never teach again.”

“Well, I am glad you have no say then. Now sit down before you are punished,” he threatened.

You glared at him, grabbing your things and leaving. You refused to be around him any longer. You were sure the male students were not hit like you all were, it was unfair.

You ran straight to the March household looking for Amy, only for her family to be just as shocked to know she left school. “I am sorry, Marmee. I should have left with her. I should have never let him hurt her,” you sobbed on her shoulder.

She hugged you close. You were her bonus daughter. She knew your home life was less than ideal and while she didn’t know all the details, just that your father and brother had died years ago and your mother didn’t know how to cope with the loss, she knew you needed love.

The abuse wasn’t something she could fathom. She just thought your mother was suffering and you fell to the side in her suffering. It didn’t matter to her, she saw you as a March, and loved and adored you as one of her own.

“It is alright, my darling. It is not your fault. He was wrong for hurting her and Amy should have come straight home,” she said, kissing your forehead.

Just then, Meg came into the room. “I found Amy, she is next door.”

The moment you saw Amy on the sofa you ran to her side hugging her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder. She sobbed as well as the whole family hugged her tightly. Both of you crying too much for anyone to understand your words.

A throat clearing and a slight cough had you pulling away from Amy and seeing a boy a few years older than you and Amy. His eye caught yours and he smiled kindly, you sniffled wiping your face.

“Hello,” you said politely.

“Hello,” he said back, walking forward and giving you a tissue.

You thanked him and took the tissue. Amy giggled from your side pulling your attention to her.

“That is Laurie Laurance,” she whispered into your ear. “This is his home. He is new in town,” she said, never taking her eyes off of him. “Isn’t he beautiful?” She asked.

You looked back at him. He was beautiful. Astonishingly beautiful, his eyes soft and kind. He stood tall, but not overly confident, he had a look in his eye that you liked. But you didn’t like the way Amy looked at him. “He is okay,” you stated.

“He was so kind to me, and look at his curls,” she gushed.

You ignored her commented and grabbed her hand, kissing it softly. “I am sorry about your hand.”

Amy smiled, touching your cheek. “You are my best friend, I love you, but you shouldn’t have tried to take my punishment.”

“Maybe if your punishment was worthy of the crime, hitting us like that is barbaric.”

“That is why Jo should teach us both at home, right, Jo?” Amy said turning to face her.

“No no. You two are too young, too rowdy, and never listen,” Jo said, shaking her head.

“Oh please oh please. We are mature enough, please,” Amy begged.

“Please Jo we can’t go back to the horrible man. I’m sure my mother will pay you a lot.” Your father was a wealthy man and when he died it all went to your mother. While she didn’t care about you much, she never had much of a problem with spending money on you. Her way of trying to make up for the neglect.

“I will think about it,” Jo sighed.

With your mother offering Jo a number she couldn’t refuse, she began teaching you and Amy at home. It was heaven being taught at home and being able to be with Amy without having to fight for her attention from your former classmates.

The only time you didn’t have her attention is when it was on Laurie. You hated him for it. His stupid smile and his stupid eyes. He was so kind and sweet all the time and you hated it.

As you grew up you realized that your feelings for Amy changed. They weren’t the sisterly/ best friend feelings you had once, no they had grown deeper. Feelings you shouldn’t have for another woman and it frightened you.

“Amy,” you asked when you were 15. You both were sitting by the lake. Her head was in your lap and your fingers ran through her hair, she looked up from her sketchbook at you when you spoke. “Have you ever kissed anyone?”

“Kissed anyone? Like a boy?”

“Yes. A boy or maybe a girl…”

“A girl?” She asked sitting up, staring at you with wide eyes.

“I don’t know, just. You hear about things right? Like women in Europe that never marry and spend all their time together. People say they are in love.”

“Women in love with other women?” She questioned her face pinched up in confusion.

“And men in love with other men,” you added, worriedly.

“Well, I suppose love is love. You can’t help who you love,” she shrugged. “I’ve never kissed a boy or a girl. Have you?”

You shook your head. “No never.”

“Really? But your mother takes you to all those fancy parties with all the rich and handsome boys and girls.”

“I guess I don’t like any of them.”

“Have you seen Laurie at the parties?” She asked.

You furrowed your brows. “Sometimes, but I have never kissed him.”

She looked off in a daze for a moment before turning back to you. “Shall we kiss?” She asked.

Your eyes widened and your heart sped up. “What?”

“Well, I love you and you love me. Marmee always said your first kiss should be with someone you love. That way we will have practice for later on,”

“Later on?” You asked.

“Yeah, later on.” She grinned moving closer to you. She cuffed the side of your face tenderly. You’ve never been touched so softly before your breath caught. “Can I kiss you now?”

You nodded, closing your eyes as your lips slightly brushed against each other.

“Amy is that you?” Jo shouted from down the lake.

You and Amy jumped pulling away from each other. Your face grew hot and Amy flushed bright red. Jo quickly ran over with Laurie in tow.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Have you finished your schoolwork? And you didn’t clean the attic like you were meant to,” Jo scowled.

You sighed in relief as it seemed she didn’t see you two kissing.

“Jo, I will get to it later,” Amy whined. Jo was having none of it and grabbed her arm and started to drag her away chastising her the whole way. Amy tried to pull away, looking back at you, but Jo kept walking.

You stared wistfully after her.

“What are you thinking?” Laurie asked. You jumped having forgotten all about him, you flushed looking up at him, seeing him already staring at you.

“Theo,” you said. As your feelings for Amy grew and her admiration for Laurie grew, you started to call him Theo to annoy her which turned into you calling him that to his face sometimes.

“Why do you call me that?” He asked, laughing slightly as he took a seat next to you.

“Do you not like it?”

“Hmm, I’m unsure. My mother used to call me that.”

You gasped slightly feelings horrible. “Oh, Laurie, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I-I”

He laughed, placing his hand on yours. “It’s okay. I guess I missed being called that. Most people call me Laurie. Jo calls me Teddy, but I miss being Theo.”

“Then I will call you Theo,” you smiled.

Laurie’s smile back was heart stopping and for a moment you felt your own heart skip a beat.

“What were you and Amy doing?” He asked.

Your heart skipped again. “What did you see?” You asked.

“Nothing if that is what you wish.”

“Did Jo see?” You asked fearfully.

“No, she was too upset.”

“Thank you, Theo.”

“Of course, that is what friends are for.”

You felt bad for your disliking of Laurie and after that, you two became a bit closer. He saved you from your mother's overbearingness at parties and you two made jokes together and almost had your own language, which was just a mix of French and Italian.

“Do you think about going to Italy for your studies?” You asked him once.

Laurie was walking you home after you both spend the day putting on plays with the March girls. You were arm and arm and the night was cool and you both walked close together to stay warm.

“I don’t want to leave here. It’s home for me. You, my grandfather, the Marchs’, it’s home.”

“But Italy was home once. You lived there with your parents.”

“I think it would be too emotional to go back home for school. To be surrounded by the memories but alone, would be too much for me,” he said, shrugging, looking at the ground

You stopped walking tugging on his arm until he looked at you. “ Theo… I will make a promise to you. If you ever want to go back, I will go with you. We will walk down the street, eat all the food and be happy.

You can show me all the places you remember and then we can go there and make happy memories and then if you need to let out your emotions, my shoulders are here for you,” you smiled, patting his cheek.

Laurie was silent for a moment before a smile took over his face and he pulled you into a hug. He buried his head into your shoulder, he sniffled slightly. You let him hug you for as long as he needed, patting his back lightly.

When he pulled away he was smiling. “I am glad we have grown closer. I adore Jo and all the girls, but I feel like there are things I can talk to you about that I can’t with them.”

You nodded in understanding. “I feel the same. Amy is my best friend, but you Theo are someone I can be myself with.”

“I know you have lost your father and brother. And I want you to know you can talk to me about them, you can talk to me about anything.”

“And you can do the same.”

He told you about his feelings for Jo, but never pushed to hear more about yours for Amy but let you know if you wanted to talk about your feelings that he was there. He made you laugh and made you feel safe. Along with Amy, he was your person too.

The three of you were a little unit. A combined subunit of You and Amy and Laurie and Jo. It wasn’t often that the three of you were together but it was always a good time when you were

“So tell me, Theo, what is it you want to do with your life?” You were at the Marchs’ and after a slight incident, you were huddled by the fire wrapped in a thick blanket with Laurie and Amy, you all shivering.

“What do I want to do with my life? Why must I do anything? I have money already,” he said with a wide grin. Amy giggled behind her hands and he shot her a quick wink.

“He does have a point,” she said, from your other side.

“There must be something you are passionate about though?” You asked.

He twisted his mouth towards the left and thought about your question. “Music, I suppose,” he said with a shrug. “I like constructing it, operas, symphonies, anything really. I like telling stories through music.” Laurie glanced over at you both once he was finished and ducked his head slightly.

“Wow that’s amazing Laurie,” Amy said. “You should do it.”

“I agree that’s an incredible talent,” you added.

“How would you know, you haven’t heard any of my works.”

“I just know,” you grinned.

He blushed and looked away from you.

Amy cleared her throat and hugged her mug of cocoa. “Well, I for one want to hear with you wrote. Oh please let us hear some,”

“Yeah, Theo, please,” You begged along with Amy.

“Alright. Alright, I promise when I write something good I’ll show you both. Now what about you, what do you want to do?”

“Oh, I am unsure,” you said looking down at your hands. “I don’t think I have any talents.”

“Oh, she is being modest, she is multitalented. She is a wonderful singer, and she is so good with words and languages, and she is the best model, she poses for all my sketches.”

It was your turn to be flustered and you looked into your cup. “I like learning most, reading and I don’t know.. I like words a lot, but I’m not sure that is a talent.”

“Are you joking? That is an amazing talent, “Laurie said, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

“Well if you are talking talent then we can’t leave out Amy, her drawings are so detailed and done with so much care and patience. One day we will see her work in museums all over the world.”

Amy buried her face into your shoulder. “I am not that good. Laurie, she is exaggerating.”

“I am not. She is amazing.”

“I could be better,” she mumbled.

Laurie smiled at the two of you. He reached around and pat her head. “You have so much time to perfect your craft, Amy. Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I won’t. With both your encouragement, I’ll work harder,” she said determined.

“Okay, I have cookies, who wants some,” Hannah said coming into the room.

“We do,” you all shouted at the same time, laughing.

For a while, life was nice, simple, and perfect.

“You should marry soon.” Your mother said, years later, walking into the room and interrupting your reading. You sighed softly, closing your book.

“Mother, I am only 17,” you said.

“At your age, I was married and on my second child,” She huffed.

“I will marry when I meet a nice man,” you said.

“There are plenty of nice men. How about Simon Baker?”

“He is 35,”

“And rich and without a wife.”

You huffed.

“Is this about that March girl?” she questioned walking closer to you, putting you on high alert.

“Amy is my friend.”

“Don’t lie to me. I see the way you look at her. It’s disgusting.”

“Amy is my friend,” you repeated.

“And what about that Laurence boy?”

“Also a friend.”

“At least that one would make a good partner.”

“He is a friend.”

“Maybe if he was a friend in the same way as the March I wouldn’t have to marry you off.”

“You can’t marry me off,” you said, gasping at her.

“I can do as I please.”

You didn’t want to argue it never ended well, so you turned back to your book huffing.

“Don’t huff at me. You will marry someone and do it soon. I am sick of you in this house,” she said, grabbing the back of your head and pulling your hair roughly a few times, pulling a few bits out.

You cried out and she shoved you to the ground. “Disappointment, why couldn’t you be like your brother.”

“He is dead mother. I can’t bring him back and you can’t keep punishing me. I didn’t kill him or father.”

“Shut up, you insolent girl,” she said, slapping you.

You stood up and ran out of the house. You ran all the way to the March house, but no one was home. You sobbed, needing to see Amy. To have her wrap her arms around you and tell you everything will be okay.

You left the March house a mess. Having no place to go you ran to the lake. You were so distraught you didn’t even notice Laurie or that you were close to falling into the water. Luckily, Laurie wrapped his arms around your waist to stop you.

“What’s wrong, what happened? You’re bleeding,” he said, touching your head, making you sob harder, and wrapping your arms around his waist.

Laurie held you close, whispering softly to calm you down as he led you to his home. He sat you down and grab a cloth to clean you up. “What happened to you?”

“My mother. She hates me. She hates me because I am not dead, she hates me because I am not my brother, she hates me because I have feelings for Amy. Everything about me she hates,” you sobbed

“I am sure she doesn’t hate you.”

“She does. And maybe she is right, I am odd. Unnatural,” you sobbed.

“No. There is nothing wrong with you. You are perfectly fine. She is wrong, lost in grief, and takes it out on you. You are not unnatural. Nothing about love is unnatural.” Laurie wiped your tears, smiling softly at you. “If you are unnatural. Then, I am as well.”

“She wishes to marry me off to some horrible man. He’s 35 years old and lives in Europe. I’ll never see any of you ever again.”

“She won’t.”

“She will. She will.”

“Do you dislike men? Maybe you can marry someone else. Someone kind? Or at least court someone to get her off your back.”

“I’ve… I don’t know. I’ve never thought about men or other women, it’s always been Amy,” you sniffled.

“Well then maybe you like men as well. Maybe you could fool her for a bit.”

“What if I can’t what if I don’t like them? What if I can’t pretend or kiss them or-” You were cut off by Laurie’s lips pressing against yours.

Your eyes widened slightly, but his lips were soft, warm, and just Laurie's. Your eyes closed and you leaned into his kiss. He cupped your face and you placed your hands over his.

He pulled away after a few moments and your eyes opened to stare into his. “How was that?” He whispered.

“It was nice. Really nice,” You smiled. “Have you done this before, Theo?”

He shook his head. “I am glad to see you are not crying anymore. You are my friend and I hate to see you down. I won’t let your mother marry you off,” he assured you.

“Laurie have you seen- “Amy paused as she came into the room with her sisters and saw you and Laurie. His hands are still on your face and yours on top of his.

You quickly pulled away from him and his hands dropped quickly as he looked at Jo, but your eyes never left Amy. Her face pinched slightly but then she was running to you, and cupping your face.

You were confused until you remember the way you looked. Face puffy and probably dried blood in your hair.

“What happened, sweet girl?” She asked.

You just moved closer to her wrapping your arms around her neck. You felt Laurie get up from the sofa and you pulled back from Amy slightly to grasp his wrist. “Theo, thank you,” you whispered in Italian.

He nodded and walked out of the room with the rest of the Marchs’.

“Sweet girl?” Amy questioned.

You turned back to her telling her about your fight with your mother, going to her home and Laurie finding you. Leaving out the part about your feelings and kiss.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t home. I’m sorry that she hurt you. You know she is wrong, you don’t need to be your brother. You are beautiful, smart, and so talented. You know one day we should move away. Go to Paris I can paint and you can study all the languages and read all the books you want.

“We would run away together?” You questioned.

“Yes just the two of us. Won’t that be fun?” she said, wiping your tears and kissing your forehead.

“I would like that very much.”

Amy smiled, pressing her lips to yours quickly. Since your first kiss, you two shared kisses on multiple occasions. Amy moved to the sofa and pulled you into her arms, holding you close. “I would like that as well.”

It was only days later, when things took a turn in your life.

“You and Laurie are really close these days,” Amy said on one of your walks days later.

“He is closer to Jo,” you said. “And I’m closer to you,” you added, bumping her shoulder.

She didn’t smile. “Yet closer than I am with him.”

“Are you jealous?” You said, trying to hide your smile. You were 17 now. Despite all the kisses you two shared over the last few years, you were always uncertain about her feelings for you, but if she was jealous then maybe she felt the same.

“Maybe, I don’t like it.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t lose me.”

She groaned, “I know that, but still.”

You chuckled. “You are my best friend. Theo is just a friend.”

“You call him Theo.”

“You are my best friend,” and then you grabbed her shoulders, stopping her from walking, and kissed her pouting lips.

Amy pulled away. “Stop it, don’t kiss me when I am upset with you.”

You frowned. “Why are you upset? You won’t lose me,”

“Yes, but I could lose him. I first had to compete with Jo and now you for his affection.”

“You… like Laurie?”

She threw her hands up. “Of course I like Laurie.

“Laurie? Laurie? You like Laurie?”

“Yes yes. Has it not been obvious?”

Of course, it has been. Of course, you never thought about it, you had a suspension once, but you thought it was something small and passing. You thought that… you thought she felt something for you. You were stupid.

“Why did you kiss me all the time if you like Laurie?”

“For practice. We were practicing,” she said as if it was obvious.

Practiced. You thought about her words when you were young to practice for later. You wanted to be upset with her. You wanted to yell at her, but it wasn’t her fault she didn’t love you. That she didn’t know that the kisses meant more to you.

Your eyes filled with tears. “Laurie doesn’t love you, Amy,” you said hurtfully.

She scoffed, “And he doesn’t love you either.”

“I know that. I know he is in love with Jo,”

“He is not. Stop trying to say things to hurt me.”

“I am not. I am telling the truth.”

“How could you be so cruel to hurt me because I like him? Are you jealous?”

You were now in a state of panic. You couldn’t tell her about your feelings now. “If I wanted to hurt you, I would have told you that I kissed Theo.”

She gasped. “What? You kissed him?”

“He kissed me actually.” You were being cruel now, and you hated yourself for it.

Her eyes filled with tears as well. “I thought you were my best friend,”

You scoffed. “I’ve been more than your best friend for years.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing Amy, nothing at all.”

She frowned. “No, tell me.”

“No.”

“If you are my best friend then tell me.”

“Don’t use that, Amy March.”

“I just did. We tell each other everything.”

“You didn’t tell me about your feelings for Laurie.”

“And you didn’t tell me about your kiss with him.”

“I suppose we are not as close as we thought then. Good night, Amy.”

You turned and walked toward your home. You so badly wanted Amy to run after you, shout after you or something, but nothing happened and you slowly let the tears fall as you walked away with a broken heart and a destroyed friendship. You ran home and sobbed in your room for hours.

For the next few weeks, you avoided going out into town you didn’t want to see Amy or any of your friends. It was awful being alone and with your mother, it was worse. She spent every moment telling you how worthless you were or trying to push Simon onto you. You spent time with him just to get her off your back and to not be alone.

The first time you left the house you ran into Amy with a group of girls you once went to school with. They were laughing about something and having a good time. You made eye contact with Amy and she quickly turned away as if she didn’t see you.

Your heart ached and you ran all the way home. Making a rash decision, you told your mother you would marry Simon and move to Europe with him. She was overjoyed and within two weeks you were married and on a plane to England.

You sat under a tree in a busy park in France. It was a warmer day, but there was a nice breeze. The perfect day to enjoy a good book. You took a deep breath and enjoyed the French air. Children ran around causing a smile to grow on your face. You were happy and content.

You were 23 and a widow. Your late husband was not the cruel man you thought him to be. He was kind and gentle and understood that your feels laid elsewhere as his own did. A friend from his youth, a male friend he loved and lost in war.

He declared he would never love again after loving so deeply. But pressure from his family had him scrambling to find a wife to keep his secret, but he hated the idea of someone loving him when he was unable to do it back.

And then you two got married and while you never told him in so many words about your feelings for Amy. He knew that you were also heartbroken and in need of protection and a friend.

So you married as friends and he became your best friend when you moved to Europe with him. You two had a happy life, one that was just as happy as people actually in love, because you both cared about each other and enjoyed each other company, when he died you were broken. You were happy with him as your companion and without him, you were alone again.

Well, you weren’t always alone. Laurie was someone that you didn’t think you would have run into in London one day but you did. He was studying in London after traveling around with his grandfather and you two find comfort in each other for a while.

“Laurie? What are you doing here?” You asked when you bumped into him with Simon. It was one of his good days and he wanted fresh air and you two decided on a stroll together. “Simon this is a dear friend of mine from when I was a girl, Theodore Laurence.”

“You are still a girl, darling,” Simon teased, patting your hand before turning to Laurie. “I believe we met during my brief time in the States, it is nice to see you again.”

Laurie looked between the two of you as if in a daze. But then something snapped him out of it and he shook Simon’s outstretched hand. “Oh yes we have met before, nice to see you as well.” And then he turned to you. “I am here for university. My grandfather sent me here.”

“Really? Why did something happen?” you asked concerned. When you moved you cut ties with everyone, not hearing from anyone for the last few years.

Laurie looked down sadly at your words. You reached out to him, moving to untangle yourself from Simon when he began coughing. He bent over as he had a fit and you quickly grabbed his upper arm.

Laurie jumped into action, grabbing his other side. “Is he alright?” He asked you.

“Yes, um can you help me get him home, it isn’t far from here,” you said, feeling Simon’s forehead and seeing he was burning up.

With a nod, you and both walked quickly towards your London home. Once inside you helped Simon into his bed, tucking him in. And getting a wet cloth to put on his forehead. You sat by his bed worriedly as he wheezed.

“I’ll wait outside,” Laurie said.

You nodded not taking your eyes off of your husband. You brushed his hair out of his face and patted his face with the cloth. “Simon you should not try to overdo it for my benefit.” You said.

“You are young. You should not have to take care of a dying husband. You should be going to shows, walking around London and exploring. You deserve it, my darling.”

“You are my husband. My best friend, I want to be here by your side,” you rebutted.

“I will feel bad if you spent your youth inside with me.��

You sighed, kissing his forehead. “Simon. I like being indoors. Reading, learning, and taking care of our home and you. I could not ask for more,” you assured him.

“That can’t be true. What about love?”

“I’ve loved and that time for my life is over.”

“You are too young to be cynical.”

“You were cynical too at my age,” you teased.

“Yes, and I was miserable until I met you. I don’t want that for you. You should have someone. Would you like a child?” He offered.

You kissed his forehead. “Simon, my best friend. I could not raise a child without you. I-I fear when you go and I don’t think having a babe to take care of will be helpful.”

“I hate that I will leave you alone.”

“You saved me from the loneliness I will be okay.”

He sighed deeply sending himself into another coughing fit. “You deserve more. You should have passion, desire, and love. What about Laurie?”

“What, Laurie?”

“Yes, he was a friend from before. He is young, unmarried, and beautiful. You could be with him… to cure the loneliness.”

“You are my husband, Simon. How could you suggest… that,” you said flushing. You and Simon had tried to consummate your marriage, but you both were too uncomfortable and decided against it.

“I am your husband in name only. I am your friend that wants good things for you. Just, don’t rule it out. Use the house and enjoy being a woman with power.” He didn’t say while it lasted but you both understood the words in the air.

“I will think about it. Now please get some rest. I’ll bring you something to eat later on,” you wiped his forehead one last time before getting up to leave.

Laurie stood against the wall across from the room. He looked up when you exit, standing up straight. “Is he alright?”

You nodded, your eyes downcast.

“What is the matter with him?” He asked gently.

You chuckled softly, but it broke into a sob. “The doctors have no idea, just that he is getting weaker each day and pretty soon he’ll be gone,” you said, covering your mouth to hold down your emotions.

You truly didn’t know what to do without Simon. The house would feel too empty, and you couldn’t return to America, you didn’t want to but you didn’t want to be alone. Laurie’s arms engulfed you and held you tightly.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” he said against the shell of your ear. “I’m here,” He repeated over and over until you calm down.

You pulled away to look up at Laurie. He smiled softly at you, wiping your tears. “Theo, what happened? Why are you here?” You asked.

“I asked Jo to marry me and she rejected me,” he said, voice full of pain and sorrow.”

“Oh Theo, I am so sorry,” you said, grabbing his hand and kissing the back of it. You lead him away from Simon’s room into your own chambers and into your sitting area. “Maybe she needs time?” You suggested.

Laurie shook his head. “No, she doesn’t love me. And She never will. She didn’t see me as a potential partner, just Teddy her best friend,” He said bitterly.

You took his hand again, squeezing it sympathetically. “I’m sorry, Theo. You deserve better. It is Jo’s loss.”

He shrugged and quickly changed the subject. “Why do you have your own chambers? You two seem… so in love?”

“Simon is my best friend but there is no romantic love between us. Plus we enjoy our own space.” You said.

“Are you happy?” He asked.

“I am. I just am afraid of the happiness leaving when he dies,” you expressed.

“You won’t be alone. I’ll be here too. Like you once said to me, a shoulder to cry on. A friend to have around. I think we both could use one.”

You stared at Laurie for a while, thinking about your talk with Simon, your kiss when you were kids, and about how much you ached for passion in your life.

“Theo, we have been burned by love. We are both grieving losses, I think we should grieve together,” you suggested, looking at him from under your lashes.

Laurie swallowed thickly, his eyes dropped to your lips. “Sharing the burden of grieve would be beneficial, healthy even,” He said, moving closer to you.

“Yes my thought exactly,” you said, your breath mixed and your heart rate spiked.

His nose bumped against yours and you both giggled softly. “I’ve never done this before,” he whispered.

“Neither have I. we can just learn together,” you said and then your lips were brushing each other.

You are unsure which one of you deepened the kiss, but Laurie’s tongue was in your mouth and your eyes were fluttering shut. Laurie’s hands tentatively took your waist and he pulled back softly. “Is this okay?” He asked.

“Yes, it’s okay. You can um, take off my clothes if you want.”

Laurie’s eyes widened at your suggestion but he quickly got to his feet, almost tripping over the sofa. His cheeks blazed as he giggled helping you stand as well. “Sorry, I am awfully nervous,” he confessed.

“I am too, but I trust you, Laurie,” you whispered.

“I trust you as well,” He replied.

You both smiled at each other for a moment, before Laurie cupped your cheek and placed another kiss on your lips. He took a deep breath when he pulled away and untied your shawl.

“Umm, what should I do with this?” He asked looking around.

“Toss it on the sofa, I don’t care.”

Nodding he tossed it quickly away, moving to unbutton your front-facing corset. Each button, he was painstakingly slow and you were just about to scream when he tossed it aside as well. Laces, knots, bows, and fabric were taken off your body until you stood in front of him in just your slip.

Laurie grabbed the bottom, but you stopped him. “Wait,” you said, your heart racing. Laurie froze, staring at you with big doe eyes.

“Have I done something wrong?”

“No, Theo, just. I want to see you. It’s odd being the only one naked.”

“Of course of course,” he said, quickly removing his layers of coat, vest, and undershirt.

You couldn’t help but chuckle at how quickly he removed his own clothes. Laurie narrowed his eyes playfully at you. “Something amusing?”

“Yes. You Mr. Laurence.”

“Well I aim to entertain,” he bowed before moving to remove his pants, quickly causing your laughter to die down and your mouth to dry up.

Once undressed completely, Laurie grabbed your hips with purpose, rubbing his thumbs into your hip bones. You shivered and quickly grabbed his hand and led him to your bedroom.

“Lay down,” he said, before climbing on top of you. His hands moved to the bottom of your slip and with a little nod from you he pulled it over your head. You laid bare before him and your hands moved to cover your breast, but he was already leaning down and pressing burning kisses to them.

“You are beautiful, you don’t have to hide from me. It’s Theo. Your Theo, your friend, relax,” he said, though his own voice shook. The words were probably meant for both of your benefits.

His lips traced the curve of your right breast before, his tongue circled your nipple. He watched you closely, gauging your reactions to see what you liked and didn’t like. Your eyes closed and you sucked in a sharp breath.

A pulse between your legs had you trying to close them, but Laurie was already between and your legs just squeezed his sides. He groaned switching to your own breast giving it the same treatment.

“I heard that it hurts for women the first time, I don’t wish to hurt you,” He said, pushing two fingers into his mouth soaking them before letting them drag down your body before reaching your most private parts.

“I know, it’s okay.”

“Tell me if something hurts too much.”

You nodded and then his two fingers were inside of you. You gasped which caused you to tighten around his fingers. The pressure was weird, but nothing was overly painful. “Go on,” you mumbled.

Laurie’s fingers moved slowly at first, just barely kissing your tight walls, but the more he worked them inside of you the wetter you became. The room was loud with the little gasp and moan you released and the wet sounds of his fingers inside of you.

You relaxed more, opening your legs wider as the awkward feeling gave way to pleasure. Your moans grew louder and you humped against his hand. Laurie pulled his fingers away and you whined.

“Eager?” He teased, wrapping one of your legs around his waist. The other, he slid the wet fingers from your inner thigh to your calf. You shivered again.

“Don’t tease me The- Heavens,” you closed your eyes as he pushed into you. You whimpered feeling tears in your eyes.

“Do you want me to stop?”

“Are you all the way in?”

Laurie frowned shaking his head. You were sweating and he pushed away the hair sticking to your forehead. “Just a bit more,”

“Is it normal to be so big?” You questioned.

He bit his lip to hide his smile, but his shoulder pulled back and you knew you just stroked his ego.

“Just push it all in and then give me a moment.”

“Are you sure?” He questioned.

“Yes.”

You closed your eyes waiting for the pain but instead, Laurie didn’t move and his lips were on yours again. Your eyes opened in confusion but you kissed him back eagerly. His soft lips mold into yours and you started to feel pleasure again.

With your distracted, Laurie slowly pushed inch by inch inside of you until he had bottomed out. You whined into his mouth, but Laurie stroked over your sides again and kissed all over your face.

“Let me know when it’s okay to move,” his voice was tight and strained, it was taking everything in him to be still and not hurt you.

You felt so incredibly full and you were completely surrounded by Laurie, his smell, and just him. Your heart hammered against your ribcage and you looked up at him, your eyes met and you smiled nodding.

And then he pulled back slowly and thrust back in quickly. Laurie moaned, your name falling from his lips. You moaned, arching against him.

“Theo, more.”

Your affair with Laurie lasted longer than you thought it would. It went from two friends grieving over lost loves to something more. Something that felt close to love and you couldn’t love Laurie.

No, you loved a friend before and it ruined your friendship. Plus Laurie loved Jo, she was who he thought of when you two were together. And even though it’s been years, your love for Amy still burned bright. And most importantly you were married.

Even if Simon had encouraged an affair, he was still very much alive, and sleeping with someone else was one thing, but falling in love was a different thing. It felt like a betrayal and you couldn’t handle it; So you had to break things off before you were too deep in.

“Theo,” you started one night as he held you close in his arms in your bed. Your head rested on his chest and his heartbeat was almost enough to put you to sleep, but you held on. “Have you answered any of Jo’s letters?”

He tensed at her name but only for a moment before relaxing and placing a kiss on the crown of your head. “No. I haven’t even read any.”

“Do you plan to?” You asked, looking up at him.

He sighed, moving until your faces were close together, his nose bumping against yours with every breath. “Why do you ask? Are you thinking about writing to Amy?”

“No. Amy does not want to hear from me.”

“I don’t believe that. You are her best friend. She was heartbroken when you left,” he said, rubbing his nose into your cheek, kissing your neck. “What did you two fight about anyways?”

He had asked you plenty of times but you never answered. You couldn’t tell him about her feelings, a fear you refused to acknowledge that maybe they were perfect for each other and he would seek her out and you’ll lose both of them.

“Girl things,” you replied.

He groaned, biting your jaw. “Why won’t you tell me? Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” you breathed.

“Tell me, my love.”

You froze at the pet name and Laurie noticed. He quickly pulled back to stare at your face. Neither of you spoke as you stared. You two had been sleeping together for months. Currently naked and pressed up against each other, but the pet name was so softly spoken, so intimate. The intimacy slowly worked its way up your throat, choking you.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why that slipped out. I-I. I’m sorry,” he said, moving to kiss you, but you moved away, sitting up.

“I think we should stop this,” you said.

Laurie sat up as well. “Stop this? Stop what?”

“This Theo. Us sleeping together. It is not doing either of us any good. Using each other to get over the March sisters, it’s wrong. And unhealthy.”

“How is it wrong, we are both adults, consenting and we are friends helping each other out.”

“I am married, Laurie.”

“You were married when we started. You were fine with it then, what has changed?” He asked, reaching for you, but you got out of bed and pulled on your nightgown.

“I just can’t anymore it isn’t helping anyone. You love Jo and I love Amy.”

“I don’t love Jo,” he stated.

You turned to him blinking. “Since when?”

“I don’t think I have ever loved Jo. Or maybe never in love with her.”

You scoffed. “You loved her only months ago. You have already tossed that love aside.” This is why you didn’t want to love him. He was always fickle.

“Jo was someone I was close to. Someone that I latched into when I had no one. I wanted love and the idea of loving Jo was perfect. So I told myself I loved her and now I know it was not true romantic love I had for her.”

You didn’t know what to say to that. You had to look away from him. “You come too often, people might talk and I can’t do that to Simon.”

“I’ll come less. Or come in through the back.”

“No, Theo. We are spending too much time together. You should be focusing on school and your music. You said you were struggling with operas. You should work on that.”

“Why are you pushing me away? Have I done something?” His ask was pitiful and depressing and you hated yourself a little bit for it.

“We have been in a web in my room and it is time to move on. You must prepare for graduation and life and I need to take care of my husband. Not abandon him for an affair with some man.”

“Some man? Is that all I am to you?”

You turned to face him then. “I meant no offense, Laurie. I just think our fun should end before things get too deep and we ruin things between us.”

Laurie was silent for a bit. He stared at you long and hard. You grew uncomfortable, wrapping your arms around your chest and looking away from him. He sighed heavily. “Very well. Take care,” he dressed quickly with you watching him.

He laced his boots and stood in front of you. “I mean it, take care of yourself.”

You nodded, too overtaken by emotions to speak.

He stood another minute in front of you before exiting your room.

Your vision blurred just thinking about that day. Laurie never replied to any of your letters, never return to your house, and the gift you sent for his graduation, he returned it. You blinked away the tears, clearing your throat.

Simon died only a few weeks later and you were too busy to think about Laurie and all your confusing feelings. It was one thing to love Amy, another to love Laurie, but to love both?

You thought of your mother’s harsh words and maybe she was right, there was something wrong with you. Something broken that you loved so easily and at the same time.

Being home made you think about it too much and while you were still free from your mother, in Europe, you couldn’t stay home and be sad and wallow. Simon would not want that and you didn’t want it. So you traveled and that brought you to Paris.

The people were vibrant and friendly and the food was to die for. You felt like a child again with all the wonder you had. You loved it and you wanted to stay the whole season.

Humming a song you missed the first time someone said your name, but as they grew closer and louder you looked up to see Aunt March, Amy, and Laurie. Your eyes connected with Laurie’s first but he quickly looked away and Amy smiled softly but refused to hold your eyes either.

With just left Aunt March. She narrowed her eyes at you. “What’s the matter, girl? Move to Europe and forgot your manners?” Aunt March questioned.

Flushing, you stood up and smiled as warmly as possible at them. “Hello there. Forgive me, Aunt March. It is lovely to see you.” You turned to Amy and Laurie. “Hello.”

Laurie moved first pulling you into an awkward half-hug. His breath was strong with alcohol and you coughed slightly. “It is nice to see you again, Theo,” you said. The words sound painful to your own ears.

“Is it?” He questioned. “ If you all would excuse me, I have somewhere to be,” And then Laurie walked off.

You stared after him in shock. You knew you two had left things awkward and tense, but you didn’t expect the coldness from him. Laurie was never harsh, with anyone, especially not you.

A hand on your elbow had you turning to face Amy. Your breath caught slightly as you took her in. It’s been years since you last saw her and she was more breathtaking than ever.

“You will have to ignore Laurie, he is going through a phase of being an overgrown child,” she said, but she smiled softly at you. “Hello, stranger,” she said.

“Hello, Amy,” you said, a bit breathlessly. You felt foolish you had grown, married, and fallen for someone else, yet Amy still made you feel warm inside.

You two stared at each other for a moment before Aunt March groaned. “Speak you two,” She said, shaking her head and walking away mumbling about how annoying children were these days.

You both laughed as you watched her walk away. “She never changed, does she?” You said looking at Amy.

“No, I’m afraid she has only gotten meaner with age.”

You both laughed once more. Until you both slowly broke off and stared at one another until Amy spoke up.

“I’m sorry about our fight. And then ignoring you, but how could you just marry and leave?” She said, pouting.

You hugged her then, squeezing her tightly. “I’m sorry about our fight, I was so rude to you. And I’m sorry for leaving.”

“And not writing or inviting me to the wedding,” she added, hugging you back.

“Yes for not writing or inviting you to the wedding,” you chuckled, breathing in the scent you loved most.

“All is forgiven, sweet girl, but you can’t do that anymore. I’ve been miserable without you,” Amy said, taking your hand and squeezing it.

You squeezed her hand back. “I’ve been miserable without my best friend as well.”

“Now that we have made up, tell me about your husband. Has he been kind to you? Do you have children? Oh my gosh, you do don’t you? You have children and they don’t even know me,” she whined, but there was also something else in her voice you couldn’t decipher.

“Amy, take a breath,” you teased, grabbing your book as you two walked around the park. “My husband, Simon.. he was a very good man, but he sadly passed on.”

She gasped, turning to face you with a face painted in sorrow. “I am so sorry to hear that. You are still so young to lose a husband. He wasn’t that old.”

“It was a sickness that took him quickly. Healthy one day and coughing up blood the next. I was happy to try to make his last days the best for him. He grew to be my closest friend.”

“I am glad you were not in a bad marriage, but I am sorry about you having to lose him.” Amy pulled you into a side hug.

You hugged back. “And we didn’t have children. With Simon getting sick it was best that way. I could not imagine raising them alone.”

“I suppose that is the best solution. Did you love him?” She asked.

“Yes. In a way that made us both happy.”

She furrowed her eyes at your comment but didn’t press. “So tell me what brought you here?”

“I came for the art, the culture, the people,” you smiled. “Why did you come?”

“For you,” she said, glancing shyly over at you. “You learned French when you were younger and you always talked about coming here and when Aunt March asked me to tour Europe with her, I knew I had to come here. See all the things we talked about.”

Your heart squeezed at her words and you smiled softly at her words. You wished for nothing more than to kiss her but you were in public. Amy's eyes bore into your own and the same desire filled her eyes. But you reminded yourself of her words, that the kisses meant nothing. They were just practiced.

“I’ve missed you so much, Amy,” you said.

“I’ve missed you as well. With you gone, I felt a part of me was missing. I was an awful friend. Too vain sometimes for my own good. I won’t excuse my actions, but if you give me the chance, I want to make it up to you. Be a better friend.”

“I would very much like to be your friend again.”

“Good. Now there is a ball tonight. I would love for you to attend with me. It will be fun, with drinks, dancing, and music. It will be wonderful. Say you will come?”

“I will be there, Amy. I promise.”

The ball was…well it was a ball fit for the French elite and while you have been a part of the elites before you never felt completely comfortable around them. Your dress was bright and made you stand out too much and you wished to hide in a corner.

You felt like a child once again force at a party by your mother. You searched the crowd for Amy and sighed and relief when you saw her. Luckily, she saw you at the same moment and made her way over to you.

“Oh, you look beautiful. Well, you always look beautiful but this is your color,” she gushed, having your ears and face burn at the compliments.

“Thank you, Amy. You look radiant as well. The center of the party,” you said, then leaned closer. “Everyone has eyes on you.”

She blushed. “Well, that is Fred’s doing.”

“Fred?”

“Fred Vaugh. We met him at the beach once, an old friend of the Laurence’s. We are in a courtship,” she explained.

Your face fell slightly at her words, but what did you expect? For her to love you to wait for you when you left and married. “That’s wonderful, Amy,” you said.

Amy looked around the room for a moment before grabbing your hand and pulling you away from the party. You both walked into you were outside in a beautiful garden. “Everyone might have their eyes on me, but mine are on you,” she said.

“Fred is a nice man but I want to be with you tonight, check-up, talk to my sweet girl,” she pulled you to the ground into a space covered by bushes so no one would see you too.

“What about the ball? And your dress, it will be ruined.”

“First, Laurie drunkenly showing up ruined the ball for me and second, you are much more important and worth a ruined dress.”

“What is going on with Laurie?” In London, he was saddened by the rejection of Jo, but he wasn’t drinking and behaving as Amy mentioned.

“It has to be the heartbreak. He’s just a mess. We had seen a lot of each other in Paris and he was getting better, I thought at least, but then he went to London and his letters seemed as if he was better and happier. And then he came back like this. Drunk all the time, making stupid comments.” She mumbled the last part as she patted down her dress.

You smiled, knocking your shoulder against hers. “Tell me about your art, Amy. Tell me about the new Amy?”

You and Amy spent the whole night pressed up together and catching up with each other. It was as if no time had passed between the two of you. While you had married and grown, Amy had matured into a woman with a kind heart, determination, and passion.

It was amazing to see how much she changed and you could listen to hear her talk all day along. She leaned against you laughing at a story you told about your wedding day with Simon.

“I cannot see you doing that?” She said between gasping breaths.

“I did. I did. I was not going to wear so awful dress all day and if they refused to let me change I would make them. So I set the dress on fire, while still wearing it.”

“Oh, you have lost your mind. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. That is something that would make Jo very happy.”

You laugh along with her. “How is Jo?” You asked.

Her laughter died down a bit and she shrugged. “She is the same Jo I suppose. She is upset with me for coming here, upset with Laurie for ignoring her, and the world for treating her horribly for being born a woman.”

“Laurie will come around. And we can’t fault her for the last. We know the drawback we have to face for being women.”

“We all know it, but complaining and making things worse is not the way to go about it. We must find ways to be ourselves. To enjoy life within the binds. Wiggle and loosen them slowly. Any other way does more harm than good.”

“Wise-words. You really have grown, Amy March.”

“I have. I know I seem proper and happy with my station in society but I know that it is a man’s world and nothing will ever be mine. My life is not my own and never will be, it’s frustrating but if I want to take care of my family, I must play the part.”

You grabbed her hand. “And if you didn’t- if you didn’t have to play a part what would you do? What is your dream?”

Amy looked at you. “I would like to be happy be with someone that I love who loves me. I want to paint be a true artist and make my own money. I want so much, I want that dream we had as children. I want-” You cut her off by kissing her.

You thought she would pull away, but instead, she placed her hand on the side of your face and kissed you back, deeply and full of emotions. You kissed until you needed to break away to breathe air in your lungs.

“I-I’m sorry, Amy. I don’t know what came over me,” you said, looking down. You fan your cheeks as they burned and you looked around making sure no one was looking.

Amy grabbed your hand, shaking her head. “No, please don’t apologize. I wanted to kiss you since the moment I saw you, maybe since the day we fought. I am sorry for the words I spoke. I.. kissing you was never practice. Or maybe it started as such, but it was a comfort.”

She paused moving so she sat in front of you. She took both of your hands and placed them in your lap. Your heart fought to leave your chest and your whole body felt as if it was being pricked.

“You were my best friend. You are my best friend and I like being with you. I love spending time with you, laughing, reading, and kissing you. I didn’t understand what it meant. What you were to me,” she looked down at her hands. “But then realized that I missed you like Marmee misses father.”

You bit your lips, holding your breath as you waited for her to finish talking, but instead, she bit her lip and began to cry softly. With furrowed brows, you moved closer hugging her to your chest. “What’s wrong, Amy? Don’t cry, please. You know it will make me cry too,” you said.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help it, it’s just. I love you and it is unfair that we can not be together. It is unfair that we can’t do anything about it. We are women and I have duties to uphold and I’ll never be happy.” She sobbed, her shoulders shaking and her breathing grew erratically.

“Amy, you must calm down. You know you get worked up so easily, you could pass out, calm, Amy. Calm, I’m here. I have you,” you patted the back of her head and held her close until she slowly stop crying.

“Are you alright now?” You asked pulling back to regard her face.

She frowned adorably nodding, wiping her eyes as embarrassment settled in. “Yes, I am sorry for losing it like that. And springing feels onto you. It was wrong of me.”

You smiled, cupping her face and brushing away the rest of your tears. “Don’t be sorry for having emotions or expressing them. I will never fault you for it,” you said, kissing her softly.

She kissed you back, breaking away after a few moments. “I should not have expressed my feelings because if you return them, there is nothing we can do about it, and if not, I could make you uncomfortable.”

“Oh Amy March, I have loved you my whole life,” you giggled, pecking her lips.

“Don’t say that. I will only make me sadder.”

“But we love each other, is that not good news.”

“If one of us is a man, but I must marry Fred,” she said miserably.

“But why? I have my own money we can live together, happily.”

“Because marrying Fred is what is expected of me, and must do it for my family. I am sorry.”

You shook your head, squeezing her hand. “I am not upset with you. I understand doing what you have to do for your family.”

“Can we still spend time together like now, until I marry?” She asked.

“We can spend all the time you would like, Amy,” You assured her.

You went to your lodging that night with only thoughts of Amy and how you must be dreaming. She loved you. Amy loved you back. You knew the sneaking around was not ideal, and that you wanted more with her, but you would take whatever you could get.

But your mind thought about the women you read about as a child. The women who lived together and were happy, but family meant something to Amy. Her family was her life and you didn’t have it in you to take her away from them.

Just as you were about to slip into unconsciousness another thought came to mind. Another person, Laurie. You didn’t see him the whole party, you were sure he was avoiding you which hurt. You were worried about your feelings for him and your feelings for Amy. You fell asleep with guilt heavy on your mind, for loving them both.

Over the next few weeks, you spend as much time with Amy as you could. You two were either in the park, her drawing and you reading, or walking around giggling close together. The only time you spent away from her was the time she spent with Laurie.

The guilt of loving them both only was overshadowed by the jealousy of knowing they were together without you. You wanted to be with Laurie, talking like you used to, or spend all the time with Laurie. You were growing sick of the headaches you were causing yourself, but it came to a head when you overheard Amy and Laurie together.

“Do you love him?” Laurie asked her softly.

“Love him? Do you mean Fred?” She asked.

“Is there another man in your life that you love?” He asked.

Amy’s eyes flickered to his at his words. She loved Laurie. She didn’t want to, she tried her whole life not to, but she did. She loved him as easily as she loved you. “I don’t love Fred,” she concluded.

“Then don’t marry him.”

“Oh, Laurie why shouldn’t I marry him? He is kind and he has enough money to take care of me, my family, and my future family.”

“But you do not love him.”

“We already had this conversation, Laurie.”

“No. I mean he does not love you either. So you should marry me,” he said.

“Marry- marry you? Laurie, why would you say that wh-why?” Amy closed her notebook and stood up shaking her head.

“Please Amy, I’ll treat you better than him. I can take care of you and your family. I can make you happy.”

“Laurie stop it. Just stop it. You are hurting and raw because of Jo, but that does not give you the right to be mean to me.”

“Mean? I am not being mean. I am serious, Amy. I want you to marry me. We can be happy together,” He moved closer, taking her arms. “We have spent so much time together in the last few months and I think I could make you happy. I want to try,”

“Try? No no. Laurie, how dare you? After I spent my whole life loving you. I’ve been second to Jo in everything and now I am to be second to her with you? No, I refuse. I won’t settle for second place.”

“So you rather marry someone you don’t love?”

“Yes, I rather be respected if I can’t be loved.”

“You can have both with me,” he shrugged.

“I can’t. And I don’t want to see you anymore.” And then she was running out of the studio. She bumped into you with tears running down her face.

“Oh, d-d-did you hear?” She said, face flushed and hands twitching.

“I did. Amy, what’s wrong? Why did Laurie’s words upset you so much,” you said softly, already knowing the answer. She all but said she still loved him.

She wiped her eyes. “It is not what you think?” She said at once.

“It would be okay if it was,” you said.

She shook her head. “No. No, it won’t be. No. I don’t love Laurie, not after everything,” she said.

“Shush, my dove. Let me walk you home,” you said taking her arm.

She nodded, looping her arm through yours.

The walk was quiet, with Amy sniffling every few moments. You were too in your own head to really think about making conversation. The idea of Amy and Laurie marrying was heavy on your mind. They would be a perfect couple and Amy deserve love, but not from Laurie, not if he was using her to get over Jo.

When it was with you, you didn’t fault him. You both agreed to enjoy each other, it was mutual and your falling for him was not his fault, but Amy, she did care about him, she loved him and deserved more than a husband that loved her sister.

After walking Amy home you sent a letter to where Laurie was staying demanding his presence. You were steaming as you waited for him. Your leg bounced with anger as you sat trying to read your novel, but all you could think about what that selfish man.

The moment you heard a knock on the door you were out of your seat. You throw the door open and pulled Laurie into the room. You stood across from him with one hand on your hip glaring at him.

“You’ve invited me here to glare at me?” He asked confused.

“What are you doing with Amy?” You said at the same time.

Laurie’s eyes widened slightly and he moved deeper into the room. “What do you mean?” he asked.

“Asking her to marry you? Are you trying to hurt her? Ruin her life?”

“What? No of course not. I was just trying to help her. I-I grew deep feelings for her,” he said. He looked towards the ground, only glancing up at you to see your reaction. While Laurie was not lying about his feelings for Amy, he loved you all the same.

It was spending time together in London that made him realize that he felt only friendship and familial love for Jo. The feelings he got for you were deeper and stronger than anything he ever thought was possible. He loved you with his soul. And he wanted to express his feeling to you, wanted to ask you to marry him when Simon died, but you broke things off and broke his heart first.

“So you have just grown feelings for Amy?” You questioned.

“Of course. I didn’t plan to but I have. I want to make her happy.”

“Fred can do that.”

“Fred can’t offer her happiness. And if I marry her you can still be in her life. You two can still care for each other.”

You blinked at him in shock. “You know about us?”

“I’ve always known. Have you forgotten? Amy might not have known when we were children about her feelings for you, but I saw them.”

“But you didn’t see hers for you?” You scoffed.

“No, I just assumed she only had eyes for you.”

You scoffed again, but then again you never saw her feelings for you, only her eyes for Laurie. “So you’ve known about our feelings for each other and still tried to marry her.”

“I am not trying to take her away from you. What do you think I am trying to do.”

“I don’t know. I can’t see you falling in love with Amy when you have been a drunk mess in her words.”

“I’ve gotten better. I’ve spent time with her and I see her for the wonderful person she is. I want more for her and with her.”

“Ah, so it seems you are just working your way through us all Theodore. Shall I write to Brooke’s and warn him that his wife is in danger or sweet Beth.”

“Don’t. You know it isn’t like that.”

“I obviously know nothing about who you are.”

“How could you say that? You know me, better than most.”

“No, I don’t. I know nothing about you and your fickle feelings.”

“You know I didn’t love Jo. I thought I did I thought what I felt for her was love true deep love but it wasn’t. But you-“ he paused and moved closer to you but you took a step away from him.

He threw his hands up. “I love you. Whether you let me say it or not. I love you. Deeper than I loved anyone in my life entire life.”

You scoffed, “And Amy? Is she just a toy for you to use? Someone to run to when you can’t have who you want.”

“I love her too. As I love you; with my whole being.” Laurie walked towards you this time and didn’t stop as you took steps back. “I love you as you, Amy as Amy, and both of you with every fiber of my soul.”

“Always a poet, Mr. Laurence,” you scoffed. You didn’t want to hear this.

“I love you both. Worship the grounds you walk on.” He grabbed your hand and placed it over his heart. “You know I am telling the truth.”

You looked away from him, feeling your heart quicken and your face heat. “And why is that?” You whispered.

He cupped your cheek making you turn back to face him. He smiled softly leaning closer until your nose bumped. “Because I know you feel the same for us as well. I know you love Amy It’s why you ran away to get married because you love her and…and it’s why you sent me away in London, because you love me.”

“Theo. So you’ve just decided that I love you,” you said softly.

“I wasn’t sure. I was hurt after you ended things, it wrecked me. Amy was not lying when she told you how bad I’ve been, but it wasn’t Jo that broke my heart, it was you. And I’ve avoided you since you arrived here. It was wrong and I felt awful as I started to fall for Amy, but the moment I walked into the room. I realized you are not just upset for Amy but because of her.”

You scoffed again, but you couldn’t deny his words when he was telling the truth to your face.

“You don’t believe I love Amy and you didn’t believe that I could love you, but I do. love you. I love Amy. And I want us all to be happy and together, is that too much to asked?”

“It is asking the impossible and you know it. That is not the world we live in.”

“Screw the world we make our own rules we have the money to go anywhere and be who we wish to be. All you have to do is let yourself have what you want.”

“I can not.”

“Why? Why can’t you? You have never been one to be so afraid unless you don’t love me. Have I gotten that wrong?”

You said nothing.

“Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll leave and never bring this up again. Tell me your heart does not beat for me and I’ll leave you alone,” Laurie begged, his hands reaching on either side of your face, staring deeply into your eyes.

You feel tears run down your face. “Of course, I love you, Laurie. Goodness, I love you so much. I had to send you away. Every day I was falling more and more in love with you. Every night in your arms I wished for that to be our life forever.”

Laurie smiled widely, his eyes lighting up, shining with pure happiness. He kissed you so softly and sweetly that you felt light-headed. You kiss back in earnest, putting your hands on top of his that still resided on your face.

“W-What is going on in here?” A broken voice said causing you both to pull apart in shock to see Amy standing in the now-open doorway.

“Amy,” you gasped, dropping your hands from Laurie’s face.

“Amy it is not what it appears to be,” Laurie said and you could have slapped him in the face. Of course, it was what it appeared to be but he was not helping.

It seemed Amy shared your sentiment because she scoffed narrowing her eyes at you both. “Not what it looks like? You two were kissing and I heard you expressing your love to each other.”

“Amy please, let us explain,” you pleaded.

“Explain what? How the two people that claim they never want to hurt me, who want to see me happy are doing the exact thing they swear they wouldn’t,”

“Amy it is not like that,” Laurie said, moving closer to her. “I meant what I said earlier, I do care about you. I love you and wish to marry you.”

She shook her head and looked away from him to look at you. “And you? How could you do this to me? And with Laurie of all people.”

“Amy no, please. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I didn’t, goodness, just let us explain.”

“Explain then.” Amy crossed her arms and stared at you both.

You glanced at Laurie, but he looked incredibly frightened to say anything. You sighed, “I had an affair with Laurie in London,” You started shutting your eyes as Amy gasped in horror.

“It wasn’t a bad one,” Laurie chimed in, “She was lonely and I was and we needed comforting.

“Your poor husband,” Amy said shaking her head.

“He knew about it. It was his idea. He just wanted me to be happy to experience life. I was hurting from losing you and about to lose another best friend and Laurie was there. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, it just happened. So I broke things off when my feelings grew too down.”

“And That is when Laurie came back to Paris, depressed. Because he loved you and you hurt him.” Amy then laughed bitterly turning to glare sadly at Laurie. “So for you, I am a third option. Can’t have Jo, can’t have her, so you’ll settle for me?”

“No no. Amy that isn’t true. I never loved Jo. It is the two of you I love so much. I was hurt by her ending things and I came back because you are my friend and you always know how to cheer me up and then I realized I was falling for you as well.”

“You love us both? That is preposterous. You can not love us both.”

“Oh come on Amy, stop lying to yourself. You lied to me early, you love Theo. You always have.”

Her eyes stretched and she stuttered but nothing comprehensible came out. She stared between the two of you before looking away. “I am leaving,” she stated.

“No. You can’t leave, Amy please,’ Laurie said, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

She flinched away glaring at him. “No, you don’t get to tell me. Neither of you do. I can not do this with you, Either of you. I am marrying Fred, I won’t be involved with whatever you two are doing.”

“So you choose him? Why? You love me. You love Laurie. You said you wanted a way for us to be together in this society and to take care of your family. Laurie is the solution. You can marry him and not Fred. It will be perfect.”

“It will be a sham. I won’t have an affair with you while married. I told you that.”

“It won’t be an affair, we would be married, yes, but we will all be in a relationship. The marriage is one of love, but also one of show, so we can be ourselves and not be condemned.” Laurie stressed.

“No. You both lied to me and now you want me to marry you and we are to live happily ever after?” She cried.

“Lied to you? I never lied to you, Amy,” you stated.

“You knew why Laurie was acting strange. You never mentioned your relationship with him, Not ever after what you overheard today. And you Laurie, let me go on and on about Jo knowing it was not Jo who had broken your heart. I thought it was odd you both were avoiding each other, I thought it was to due that kiss as children but I see it was more. I feel like such a fool. You both toyed with me. Is that it? You both couldn’t have each other so went after me?”

“Of course, not, Amy. We would never?” Laurie said.

“We are sorry, Amy. We meant you no harm. We talked about all of us being together,” you added.

“Without me? Because Amy will get go along. Amy is a follower. Amy is desperate for the both of you she’ll do anything.”

“Stop putting words in our mouths. Amy, I understand you are hurt. I shouldn’t have kissed Laurie with our relationship going, I am truly sorry, but please don’t marry Fred when this is the perfect option, where we all can be happy.”

“I don’t want it. This life you two are offering. Not after hurting me. I am going to marry Fred and I wish to never see either of you again.”

You gasped and Laurie looked close to tears. “Amy you can’t mean that. You’ll just throw away our plans, our love, and friendship,” you questioned.

“You did the moment you decide to keep things from me.”

“You are behaving like a child.”

“No, I am being a responsible adult unlike the two of you,” she said walking to the door.

“Amy please don’t walk away from us. We love you, we can be happy. We can travel, get a house and live happily,” Laurie begged.

“No thank you. You two should live happily together. It is what you both deserved,” she spat.

“Fine. Go marry Fred, enjoy your life of being respected and playing by society’s rule,” You said.

“I will.”

“If you won’t marry me, then we’ll marry. Move to Italy and have a life together,” Laurie said taking your hand.

Amy glanced at you both and then at your joint hands. Rivers of tears ran down her pretty cheeks, breaking both your and Laurie’s heart. “Then so be it,” she whispered then left the room.

Amy could barely see as she ran as fast as she could back to the home she was staying in with Aunt March. She always knew she couldn’t have Laurie and one day she would have to give you up and possibly watch you fall in love with someone else, but the idea of you both already loving each other tore her in half.

She was scared and hurt and she couldn’t fathom the offer, which she knew was a good one, but her pain was too raw for her to see that. She ran to her room and threw herself into her bed sobbing her heart out.

Her tears ran down her face for hours until she was too numb to sob and her tears all cried out. She thought about just days earlier when she was happy when she was wrapped up in her love and fantasy future.

“I have never had any sort of, you know before,” Amy flushed bright red. You both were inside your bedroom. You two kissed for hours and when your hands wandered to her waist causing her to flush and pull away.

“Oh, Amy we do not have to do any of that, I just like being with you,” you said, leaning closer to capturing her lips.

She kissed back before pulling away. “Does it work the same way as with a man?” She asked curiously.

“I wouldn’t know. I have never been with another woman. You are the only woman I’ve ever had eyes for,” you chuckled. “I think it would be different considering... Um, the differences.”

“I am not sure I know how it works with men. Meg tried to explain it once, but it freaked me out,” she said embarrassed.

“It freaked me out as well. My mother made me read a book about it, said it was to prepare me for my wedding night,” you explained.

“Was it painful? With Simon?” She asked.

“My first time was not as painful as I thought. I enjoyed it,” you said. Laurie was incredibly gentle and you were forever grateful for it.

“I do not want my first sexual experience to be with Fred. Can we try something, I want it to be with someone I love.”

You nodded. “We can learn and explore together,” you said, getting off the bed to remove your clothes, you could hear Amy doing the same. By the time you were done, you turned around to see Amy with her hair down, covering her chest.

You grinned getting back into bed and crawling to be in front of her. “Don’t cover up, you are beautiful,” you said, kissing her forehead.

“Don’t make me blush,” she whined.

“I like seeing you blush,” you said, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto the bed with you. You laid her down and hovered over her. “I love you, Amy,”

“ I love you, sweet girl,” she said, kissing you again. The kiss quickly grew hungrier and hungrier and you bit her lower lip causing her to moan and arch against you. Causing her core to rub against yours.

You both moan and quickly fell into a rhythm of upward and downward grinds to chase after that feeling. Your kiss grew sloppy as you both moaned and got lost in the pleasure.

“Something happening, it’s building, what is it?” she asked.

“It’s okay, it will feel good,” you said. You quickly moved one of your hands between you both, rubbing the little button you knew would make her see stars. Amy gasped, her hips moving quicker.

“Yes, please that feels amazing. Don’t stop sweet girl don’t stop,” she begged.

“Never,” you said, attaching your lips to one of her nipples.

When Amy came it was with a loud moan of your name and her thighs squeezing together. Her eyes rolled back in her hand and her nose wrinkled in the most Amy way possible.

You moaned grinding faster against her spamming body until you reached your own peak, your lips coming down on hers. “I love you, Amy, so much. Always.”

“I love you too, my sweet girl.”

You moved to lay by her side, pulling her close. Your chin rested on her shoulder and your hands were around her waist. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

“I wish there was a way we could be together, A way for everything to work out for us. I want us,” she whispered.

You dropped a kiss to her shoulder, tightening your hold around her. “Maybe one day.”

“I hope sooner rather than later. I want to be with you forever.”

You hummed softly, “Like we said when we were younger. When we said we would run away together?”

She giggled turning around in your arms. “Yes, like that. We can go anywhere in the world. Be like those women you once told me about.”

“I would like that very much.”

“Me too.”

“You rejected Fred? Amy, I thought you were the smart one of your sisters,” Aunt March huffed the moment Amy walked into the room. It was only days after her fight with the two of you. The ache she felt without you both was hard to ignore. She’s always had one of you in her life and it was strange to know you both were gone. That she forced you out of her life.

“He has money, a good head on his shoulder and you reject him,” Aunt March continued to rant. “It makes no sense. Have you fallen ill with something or are you just stupid?”

Amy ignored her as she took a seat on the sofa. She started down at her hands. Her bare hands. Fred’s ring was beautiful. The life he was offering was beautiful, perfect, and everything she always hoped for. At least that is what she thought she wanted.

He was nice enough. He would be a good husband, a good provider, and a father. He would grow to love her because, as much as he claimed he did, he did not love her. And she could even grow to love him, but it wouldn’t be the sort of love Meg had with John, her parents had with each other. The love you and Laurie had for each other, had for her.

“Honestly, Amy. You were supposed to help your sisters out. Take care of them, they need the money. Instead, you ruin a good thing, and for what reason, hmm?”

“Aunt March,” Amy said cutting her off, “Why did you never marry?”

Aunt March stuck up her nose and turned her head away from her slightly. “I didn’t have to. I had money. I didn’t waste it away like some people.”

Amy took a deep breath to ignore the obvious comment about her family. “Yes but did you never want to marry? Meet someone you wanted to be with? You’ve never been in love.”

“Amy tell me you are not burdened with love?” She said as if she was speaking about a terminal illness.

“Have you, Aunt March?” Amy asked desperately.

Aunt March looked at Amy. Really looked at her and saw what she knew will be there. A sad young woman in love. A look she once saw in a mirror. She sighed deeply, before turning to Amy completely.

“Josephine might have been named after me, but you are the most like me, Amy,” she said softer than Amy had ever heard her speak. Her face was one of sadness and regret, sorrow and pain.

“I loved once. Someone, so deeply I feel them in my bones. I knew them by smell alone. Their foot pattern and their breathing. I was young when we met and it was like love at first sight as dramatic as the term is, it applied.”

“What happened why didn’t you marry?” Amy asked, leaning forward and hanging onto her every word.

“Because I am like you, Amy,” she said.

“Like me?”

“Times were harsher than now. You can live in Europe with a close friend and not get so many looks. Women are choosing to not marry and single women together don’t raise too many looks. And the Laurance boy would protect you both.”

Amy’s eyes widened slightly at both Aunt March’s confession and her knowing about her feelings for both Laurie and you.

“Oh don’t give me that look, Amy March. It is obvious by the way you three of you are together. She has been in love with you forever, and you with Laurie, and now the three of you are whatever you are. I thought you would never act on it. That you would marry Fred and have that life. This choice you are making Amy does not come easy. While it is more of a norm here, it doesn’t mean it is not without issues.”

“But I love them and I don’t care. I want to be happy. I want happiness and them. Money and pretty things, being content and taking care of the family, it’s nothing if I can’t have them,” Amy sobbed, “But I ruined things. They hurt me and I hurt them, and it’s awful and messy, but it is what I want. I want to fight with them, make up with them, cry, and love with them.”

“And what about your family? Your sisters?”

“It is not my job to take care of them. I know I am being selfish, but I get to be selfish with my life do I not? I must live for myself and be happy. I love my sisters and I will try to help and support them. I will get a job teaching or selling my work.”

“Hmm.”

“What. Say something.”

“Both of them are quite well off.”

“I am not going to be with them for their money.”

“No no, but their money is a plus,” Aunt March, grasped both of Amy’s hands. “I will help your sisters, you should go. Be the strong Amy that you’ve grown into, and the whimsical, romantic Amy you have always been. The Brave March, I was not.”

Amy reached over and threw her arms around Aunt March’s shoulder. “Oh Aunt March, who knew you were such a softie,” Amy said kissing her cheeks, laughing as Aunt March groaned and tried to pull away.

“Yes yes, just keep it to yourself,” she said, patting her cheek. “Now, you have two people to go see.”

Amy pulled away grinning widely. “Yes, I do.”

You walked hand and hand with Laurie down the street in Italy. Neither of you happy to be in the city you two talked about so long ago. The pain of losing Amy, really losing her weighed you both down.

“This is my fault,” Laurie said softly.

You looked over at him in shock. “Theo, it is not your fault. It is both of our fault. We should have told Amy the truth or maybe not been so harsh with her, she is a sensitive woman.”

“I was the mean one. Asking her to marry me like that. And then roping you into it.

“And I am a woman with my own agency. You didn’t force me, Theo. I was harsh as well. I was the one that was with her and then kissed you. She should hate me forever for it.”

Laurie looked down and squeezed your hand. “I am glad that we are together.”

You smiled, squeezing his back. “Me too. I am very happy right now. It’s not something I’ve truly been in a long time.”

“I was only this happy in London,” he confessed. “I brought a ring then. One to ask you to marry me.”

“What? Theo no? Oh, I am so very sorry. I was horrible to you.”

“No. don’t be sorry. I suppose it was for the best. I got to fall in love with Amy and be close to her. And you got to know her feelings. You got to experience being in love with her and her loving you back.”

“Hey, she loved you as well.”

“But I was too stupid to see it,” he sighed.

“And I was too stupid in London to see you loved me.”

“We both are pale with this sickness then,” he said happily and swinging your hands back and forward.

You giggled, “I suppose we are. Someone should write a song about it,” you teased.

“My music is no good.”

“Oh lies, I saw the notebook back in the desk at home, you are talented. You just need to believe in yourself.”

“You saw that?” He asked, flushing.

“Yes, a few pieces about a pretty blonde in blue. Another is about the love of London. I am awfully curious about what those ones are about.”

Laurie, grabbed your waist, tickling you. “You little monster,” he chuckled as he watched you squirm. You giggled loudly trying to get away. People walking past you both stared some laughing along, others in distaste, but neither of you cared.

When Laurie stopped his attack he retook your hand. “Let’s go home?”

You nodded. While you two didn’t discuss marrying each other you both did want to spend time in Italy and Laurie’s former home was beautiful and you knew how much it meant to him to be back.

Walking into the house you smiled warmly at Laurie, kissing him sweetly. “Shall I make us something for dinner or should we go back out later”

Laurie shrugged, “I don’t know. I might want to keep you in my bed all night long.”

“Oh Mr. Laurence, you deviant,” you chuckled, pushing his hands away as there was a knock on the door.

“Whoever it is get rid of them, you are mine,” he said, rounding the corner and giving you a wink.

You rolled your eyes at his playfulness and opened the door, only to be completely shocked about who was standing on the other side. “Amy? What are you doing here?”

Seeing Amy on your door steps was the last thing you thought you see. Yet there she stood, her hair down and her eyes wide, and her hands wringing in front of her. Her eyes darted all over your face and behind you before dropping to her hands.

Laurie moved into the foyer after hearing your words. He stood behind you, his hands resting on either side of your hips, tapping his pointer finger on your bone, a nervous habit you noticed.

Amy looked from you to Laurie then her eyes dropped to his hands on your waist. Her lips turned down in her perfect pout. “I had to tell you guys, something.”

“What is it?” Laurie asked.

She closed her eyes for a moment, balling her hands into fists before taking a deep breath and opening her eyes. “I was wrong about the poets,” she said.

“What?” you were confused and slightly worried that maybe Amy had lost her marbles, when Laurie pressed closer to you, forcing you both closer. “You’ve changed your mind?” He said softly, a bit of hope in his tone.

“Yes. I still believe that we have some power over who we love, but sometimes it happens unexpectedly. Sometimes you fall in love simply because it is meant to be. It isn’t a choice to fall in love, but it is a choice to fight for your love. To fight for happiness, equality, and love.”

You and Laurie looked at each other for a moment. Having no idea what to say to her confession. Your mind was running a mile a minute but only one thing repeated over and over and your head.

Amy was here.

“I turned down Fred’s proposal.” She continued. “And that was because I couldn’t live a life of lie. I couldn’t put myself aside for someone else. I don’t want a marriage of economic propositions. I rather never marry than be unhappy in marriage. I don’t want marriage if I can’t have it with you both. I love you both. And you don’t have to say anything but I needed to let you both know. I need-”

You pushed yourself out of Laurie’s hold and pressed your lips to Amy's. You kissed her as if you would never kiss her again as if this was the last day on earth. As if all the oxygen was gone except for the one in her body. “Amy March, you speak too much,” you laughed, feeling tears run down your face.

Amy was crying as well. She released a cross between a laugh and a sob. “I know I know. I ramble sometimes and I talk too much but that is because I am passionate and this is important and you should talk about things that are important to you and you are-”

“Oh Amy, please,” Laurie chuckled, taking your place and pulling her into a kiss. His hand cupped the side of her face. His other hand reached back to tangle in yours. Laurie squeezed your hand and you couldn’t help but laugh and squeezes his back.

Amy pulled away flushing and you grinned grabbing her and pulling them both into the house. “Amy I am so happy you are here. My life would not be complete without you,” you said.

“Neither would mind,” Laurie said.

“My life is not a life without either of you,” Amy said, wrapping her arms around both your waists and hugging you both tightly.

You sighed happily hugging them both to you. Your eyes closed as you let yourself get lost in the hold of the two people you loved most in the world.

“So are we doing this,” Laurie asked, pulling back from the hug and looking at both of you.

Amy looked between the two of you and nodded. “Yes, more than anything.”

You smiled nodding. “You already know my answer.”

“Good we have a lot to talk about and work out but for now, I just want to be with you both.”

You chuckled at the dark look in his eyes, one you have seen multiple times and Laurie flushed at your words. He was still so embarrassed of his desires and you just found him more enduring and attractive.

Amy glanced between the two of you. She pouted as she felt as if she was left out of some conversation. Seeing her pout, you cup her face kissing her until she melts against you. “Amy, my dove, sweet Theo wants to spend time together.”

She nodded still lost.

“Naked in bed,” you added. You laughed at they both turned red. Amy glanced over at Laurie and he found the marble floors much more interesting.

“Will it be like when we did it?” She asked. Laurie’s head snapped up at her words, his mouth hanging open slightly.

You smirked at him, grabbing her hand. “It will be much better.” You held out your other hand for Laurie and tugged them both towards the bedroom. Once you closed the door, you stared at both of them.

Laurie was bouncing on his heels as his eyes jumped from your frame to Amy’s. He looked so excited both you and Amy shared a look shaking your heads at him. “Don’t have a secret conversation about me,” he pouted.

“Poor Theo,” you said walking towards the bed. You slowly began undressing your outer layers, but they both jumped in helping you to undress. And then you and Amy turned your attentions to Laurie, undressing him quickly.

Now both naked, you and Laurie turned to Amy. She giggled nervously and you smiled pressing yourself against her back while Laurie did the same to her front. “Relax Amy, we have you,” Laurie said, as he unbutton her corset.

“We will take care of you. We will make sure you are having a good time,” you said, undoing the bows and knots.

“I trust you both,” she said.

Once all three of you were undressed you all moved to the bed. Amy in the middle with you and Laurie on either side of her. Laurie grabbed the back of your head and kissed you deeply.

You groaned against his lips as he bite your lower lip and tugged your hair slightly. You melt into the kiss and his touch, lost in Laurie’s orbit. A hand stroking your thigh and Laurie’s deep moan had you breaking away to look down at Amy.

She was stroking your thigh and running her finger along Laurie’s cock. “What do you call this?” she whispered to him.

He bit his lip, his breath hitching. “Um, it’s um it’s called a penis or a cock.”

She nodded. You wrapped your hand around hers and help her stroke his cock slowly. Laurie hissed causing you both to look up at him. “I won’t last long if you both keep this up,” he chuckled.

You and Amy giggled and you released her hand, pushing her shoulder back until she lay flat on the bed. You situated yourself between her thighs, kissing her heatedly. You moaned and Amy grabbed your hips and grinding against you.

Laurie’s hand slid over both your shoulders, before going down your spine, causing you to shiver. Rubbing the head of his cock between the two of you his hands interlocked with Amy’s on your hips.

“Please, Theo,” you begged, against Amy’s lips.

“What is he going to do?” She asked, her eyes dark with lust and dancing with eagerness.

You grinned down at her. “Something amazing,” you said, dragging your lips along the side of her face, biting little love marks into her jaw.

Raising your hips slightly Laurie, pushing his cock between your bodies rocking his hips and moaning as he slid against both your soaking cores. Moaning you bit down harder on Amy causing her to cry out.

“Sorry, my dove,” you ran your tongue over the area in apology.

“No I like it bit me more,” she said, moving her hands to Laurie’s ass and pulling him closer. Laurie’s ball slapped loudly against your ass along with the sounds of your slick as it dripped from you to Laurie’s cock and down onto Amy.

Laurie groaned picking up speed and pressed his body against yours so he could kiss Amy. You reached between your bodies and rubbed both your nerves Each thrust in had your fingers brushing Laurie’s sensitive head.

“So close, not going to last much longer,” He groaned into her mouth.

“Me either, faster, please,” you moaned.

Amy shudders under you both. The weight of your body felt crushing, but she still wanted more of you both. She wanted you closer. She spread her legs wider, looping one of her legs around your calf and the other around Laurie’s waist.

“Oh, Dio,” Laurie breathed, as he came, shooting cum all over your lower stomach and and soaking you both more. Amy moaned, throwing her head back and scrunching her nose as she came, you followed quickly after her.

Laurie thrust sloppily a few more times before rolling off of you onto the bed. Taking deep breaths you rolled off of Amy. You all lay in silence for a few minutes as you all tried to catch your breath.

And then Laurie started laughing, causing you both to look over at him. He continued to laugh, covering his hands with his face. You sat up on your elbows to look at him closely. Amy's eyebrows pinched together, sitting up as well.

“Laurie, what is so funny?” She asked.

“Yes, let us in on the joke,” you said, draping your arm over her hips and blinking expectantly at him.

He chuckled, removing his hand, and turned to face you both. “I was just thinking about the day Amy fell into the water.”

“What? Why?” You laughed.

“She fell in and we went in to save her. All three of us soaking wet and laid on the ice like this. I remember being so terrified but then Amy complained about her ruined dress and we all laughed.”

You snorted, laughing as well.

“It was a pretty dress. And it was new,” she defended.

“You almost died,” Laurie stressed laughing.

You joined in kissing her shoulder. “I was terrified too but it was one of my favorite days with the two of you.”

Amy laughed as well, wrapping herself around Laurie. “We all got cocoa at home and sat by the fire for hours just talking. All my sisters were out with Marmee and I got you both to myself.”

“And now you have us forever,” Laurie said, kissing her forehead then he pressed one to yours.

Grabbing the blanket you wrapped it around all of you, snuggling close together. You all needed to wash up and the sheets would need to be changed but that could wait until after a nap. You closed your eyes, laying your head on Amy’s shoulder as she laid hers on Laurie’s chest. As you drifted off you couldn’t help but think.

Amy loved you.

Amy loved Laurie.

She was here in Italy.

Amy was with you and Laurie.

Amy and Laurie

Amy and Laurie.

You, Amy, Laurie.

Taglist.

@gatoenlaciudad

@iloveneilperry

@valencia-rou

@s-we-e-t-t-ea

@robertpattins0nswh0re

#timothée chalamet #timothee chalamet imagine #laurie laurence x reader #laurie x amy #laurie x amy x reader #laurie x reader #amy march x reader #timothee chalamet x reader #timothee chalamet smut #laurie smut #smut

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navybrat817 · 1 year

Text

A Sunny Outlook

Pairing: Tattoo Artist!Andy Barber x Female Reader Summary: After everything Andy has been through, his outlook on life is a bit jaded. Until you show up. Word Count: Almost 1.3k Warnings: Defending Jacob spoilers/Mix of canon and canon divergent (talk of divorce, child death), slight angst, opposites attract, future smut and feels (it's me), Andy Barber (he's a warning, okay?). A/N: Tenth and final day of my Naughty & Nice Nonsense belongs to new couple, Grumpy and Sunny! Set in the same AU as Hottie and Sugar, I mixed up my list a bit and plan to share Thorn and Rose at a later date. ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Banner and moodboard by yours truly. Andy edit by the beautiful @randomagnes0210. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

If you would’ve told Andy Barber years ago that he’d be living his life today as a tattoo artist, he wouldn’t have believed you. He had his path carved out. Life didn’t care what people wanted though, no matter how hard they worked to get it.

“Um, Mr. Barber?” Jake called out to him from the desk.

"How many times have I told you to call me 'Andy'? For fuck's sake," Andy snapped.

"Sorry, Mr. Bar- Andy!"

Andy took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled. He didn't mean to snap at Jake. He was a good guy. One of the nicest around. It wasn't his fault he was in a bad mood.

Which was his mood most days.

"No, I'm sorry," he said.

He wasn’t always a jaded man. Though his dad had been in jail his entire life, he thankfully had a good childhood overall. It helped set him on his path to become a lawyer, as he wanted to help others. He also made a promise to himself to be a good father if that day would ever come. He thought he had that chance to make that dream a reality with his college sweetheart, Laurie.

As a lawyer, he enjoyed his work. It challenged him and helped him grow. It was also stressful depending on the case. Long hours and seeing some people at their worst didn’t always leave him in the best headspace. But he had his wife and they had their son, Jacob.

Life was good.

Until his world got a little darker.

“This isn’t working, Laurie.”

“No, it isn’t."

Andy couldn’t put his finger on why and he wasn’t sure if it was good or bad that Laurie was on the same page. Love took a lot of work and sometimes it wasn’t enough to make a marriage last. Not that they didn’t give it a try. They met with a counselor. Neither of them stepped out on each other. They wanted desperately to make it work for their kid.

But the loss of their son solidified the end of their marriage.

“Andy, I know you blame me.”

The thing is Andy didn’t put that on her. It was the bad weather that caused her to spin out of control. But she carried guilt for fighting with their son before the crash. It was something she couldn’t let go of.

The divorce was as ammicable as it could be, but it didn’t stop him from feeling like a failure. Work couldn’t distract him either. How was he expected to help people, some who were not even innocent, when he couldn’t help himself?

Tears filled his eyes as he sat in his empty house, trying to figure out what the hell was he supposed to do with his life. He didn’t want to go back into the office. He also didn’t want to drink himself to death. In a drunken stupor he called an old friend of his.

Steve Rogers.

One of the most honorable men Andy had the pleasure of knowing. While he went off to law school, Steve joined the army. The last he heard, he became a tattoo artist with another friend and army buddy, Bucky Barnes. He felt like an ass calling when he hadn’t reached out in so long, but the inebriated part of his brain didn’t process that.

“I don’t know what to do,” was all he said on the voicemail.

He woke up the next morning with a text message from Steve: “You any good at drawing?”

It was the beginning of his new chapter.

"You are never gonna get laid if you keep snapping at everyone," Hal winked as he walked by his chair.

"Get fucked," he said with only a hint of malice as Hal chuckled.

"I'm tryin'!"

"Give him a break," Steve said from his station, but he was smiling, too.

Like Jake, it was hard to get mad at a guy like Hal. A charming piercer who drifted from place to place before he met up with Steve and Bucky, he did some of the best work in the city. He was sure some came into the new shop just to hit on him.

"What is it, Jake?" he asked as he stood up and stretched.

"Your consultation is here about the sun tattoo," he explained, pushing his glasses further up on his nose. "Said she saw some of your work online."

Andy took another breath. He prided himself on the portfolio he built. It took him time to build and he didn't have as much clientele as Steve and Bucky, but he was slowly catching up. He was proud of the work he accomplished.

"Yeah, send her over," he said. He had a few minutes before his next appointment. "Thanks."

Jake rushed off before he could say another word, likely afraid he'd snap again. He'd have to apologize again later. He should've been happy. The opening of the shop went well. He liked his place in the city.

What the hell was his problem?

"Hi!"

Andy blinked when you stood in front of him. He wasn't used to seeing such a cheerful smile on someone’s face. Not directed at him, at least. He would've thought it was fake if not for the kindness in your eyes.

Ironic that you wanted a sun tattoo since he saw the world as much darker a long time ago.

Would the sun still shine in your eyes if I had you spread out under me?

Where the fuck did that thought come from?

He didn't lust after potential clients. He hadn't even done one night stand after Laurie. Why did seeing your happy, beautiful face make him want to change his mind?

Why did your smile get to him?

"Um, I can come back another time," you offered, as if you inconvenienced him by walking over.

The mere presence of you rendered Andy speechless until he remembered he had to speak.

"No, it's okay. Please, have a seat," he stood up to pull a chair over. "I'm Andy."

Your smile was back on your face as you gave him your name.

Beautiful, just like you.

"I just want to say real quick that I love your work,” you said as you took out your phone. “I can’t believe I was lucky enough to get in so quickly.”

"I appreciate that,” he said. The compliment meant a lot. “It’s a sun tattoo you want, right?"

“Yeah. My friends call me Sunny because I’m what they call a ‘big ball of sunshine’,” you explained.

“I can’t imagine why,” he deadpanned. You looked like you were trying to hold in a laugh as you set your phone down. “Something funny?”

“Do people tell you that you’re grumpy?” you asked curiously. "Or is it a requirement that at least half of the staff here have to look intimidating?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he wasn’t the least bit offended. “People tell me almost every day."

“I can’t imagine why,” you echoed with a smile.

"And if only half of us look intimidating, then we aren't doing our job."

“Don't worry. I won't tell," you mock whispered.

He actually smiled back at you before he frowned and cleared his throat. He refused to let you consume his thoughts, even if your bright aura began to chip away at his tough exterior. “Then why don’t you tell me more about your tattoo.”

He listened intently as you explained the kind of sun design you wanted and where. He had a feeling by the time he finished your consultation, he'd be in a much better mood. Even if he didn’t want to be. And your tattoo would be his best work yet.

Andy's world may be a bit brighter thanks to you. ❤️ Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Andy Barber Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

#navybrat writes #navy's naughty & nice nonsense #andy barber x reader #andy barber x female reader #andy barber x you #andy barber x y/n #tattoo artist!andy barber x reader #andy barber #tattoo artist!andy barber #grumpy and sunny #andy barber fanfiction #andy barber imagine #andy barber au #chris evans x reader #chris evans x female reader #chris evans x you #chris evans

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starryluminary · 6 months

Note

Honestly I want to know your opinion on Nemma. Because honestly I don’t like the ship either and want to see if someone agrees with me.

Oh my god hiiii nerd-chocolate!! I will GLADLY detail why I don’t like nemma. Buckle up cause I’m not exactly normal about this subject

I will preface this by saying I understand why it’s Noah and Emma. I get why if Noah had to have a girlfriend it would be someone who would match his intellect and someone he could hold a competent conversation with. Logically, on paper, I understand. It’s not so much the concept of Noah and Emma dating that I dislike, it’s the execution. The development of the relationship was a train wreck. HERES WHY!!!

From the very beginning Nemma showed problems. The Noah that couldn’t play a game of dodgeball for $100,000 and was so standoffish he could only make a good friend in Owen is now suddenly falling in love at first sight with a girl that did a front flip and I’m just supposed to accept it at face value??

You could argue that it’s been three years and a person could change in three years. I’d like to argue back: this is a cartoon. If the development happened offscreen, it didn’t happen. Noah had a drastic change in personality out of nowhere because they give us no reason to believe otherwise. This is just the beginning. It’s all downhill from here, honey.

This is very much subjective and a personal thing but do you know how irritating his face is.

It makes me ill. Who is this.

Back on track, Noah is out of character the rest of his time competing (not that he was perfectly in character to begin with.) Both the way he treats Owen and how he acts regarding Emma is not believable to me. He’s tragically mean to Owen almost the entire time and he’s insufferably… inconsistent? When it comes to Emma? Like they didn’t exactly have pinned down how he should act when he’s in love so it changes with every episode.

[I did a bit of research regarding the more important Nemma episodes and their writers, but couldn’t draw any good conclusions from it. I did find out Laurie Elliot wrote both Slap Slap Revolution from World Tour (notorious for the most significant Noco moments of the season) and New Beijinging (where Nemma is at its worst in my opinion.) This isn’t all that relevant but it IS fucking hilarious. The writer responsible for “Cody’s got a tiny sausage!” being made to (co) write a Nemma episode and subsequently butchering it is reeeeeally funny to me.]

On the topic of New Beijinging. I cannot watch this episode uninterrupted and it’s because of Nemma. I despise it. It’s not that I don’t believe Noah would act like a bumbling fool in love… in concept. In CONCEPT, I can buy the failed one liners and the speaking your thoughts out loud and the acting out to try and impress her. In practice it’s so painful to watch. The Noah that said he’s incapable of being embarrassed in his WT biography is now spitting hot food in his love interests face and physically recoiling every time he tries to talk to her. I can’t express through text the pain and anguish it causes me.

This is ALSO after giving her a suave one liner in the previous episode. How does he go from cool and collected to cringing at her I- AAAGGHHHH.

They don’t suddenly get better when the feelings are mutual, either. They just become insufferable together and it’s tragic. This is specifically about Māori or Less and Got Venom? (though admittedly I haven’t gotten that far in my rewatch and don’t remember Got Venom? too vividly. I do know they’re annoying in it even to Owen and Kitty so.) They just become so infatuated with each other they forget the rest of the world exists and while I enjoy the CONCEPT……… it just manages to drag down both characters. At least they treat Emma with a little more respect and have her snap out of the haze to play the damn game but THEY END UP KNOCKING OUT NOAH INSTEAD. Pain agony suffering and woe. Noah going catatonic and leaving Owen to struggle is the worst it gets but he still never truly focuses on the game and even hopes to get kicked off. He won’t even play for Owen.

Do I even have to mention Owen. My poor guy Owen. Owen suffers an unnecessary amount for Nemmas development. It hurts my heart even thinking about it but I’ll list off examples. Ways Owen has suffered for the sake of the relationship include:

Being made to carry dead weight (Noah) on more than one occasion.

Being used as a flotation device, offered by Noah to Emma, after being frozen solid.

Being forced to wait for the sister team, making his team go from first place to seventh.

Being victim to Noah’s snark and insults, which he does to either impress Emma or to reprimand Owen because of something Emma related.

LOSING THE RACE CAUSE NOAH COULD ONLY FIND THE ENERGY TO MOVE WHEN HE WAS OFFERED A KISS FROM EMMA.

(Side note: have I ever mentioned that RR Noah is my enemy? I feel like I don’t mention it enough)

To wrap this up, I do genuinely believe Nemma could have been great. I don’t hate Nemma cause I thought Noah was gay, or I’m a Noco shipper, or any other superficial reason. I hate it cause it’s a terribly written relationship that had to completely destroy my favorite character of the series to try and make it work. It’s a damn shame, really. I wish I could look past how different Noah is and how badly he treats Owen and how sickly annoying he and Emma can be and just, at the very least, tolerate Nemma. But I can’t, and I never will.

#and nemmas the reason the adversity twins got kicked off so they’re immediately on my bad side forever #SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I GOT BUSY AND MY THOUGHTS WERE HARD TO ARTICULATE #but there it is. all the reasons I don’t like nemma #thank you for letting me get that out of my system #ship hate #total drama #total drama presents: the ridonculous race #tdrr #I don’t feel like tagging anything else actually #let’s keep this one here #Starry has a question #Starry speaks

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two-white-butterflies · 8 months

Text

As Lovers Often Do - c. 2

Description: Alyssa Strong was born to be Aemond's wife. As the dance occurs, certain consequences are levied upon her.

"An eye for an eye. A son for a son."

chapter one | series masterlist

"Do we forgive our fathers in our age, or in theirs? Or in their deaths, saying it to them or not saying it? If we forgive our fathers, what is left?" - Dick Laurie

The light of the sun rarely missed the Red Keep. Its beautiful windows provided mosaics on the walls - further beautifying the mysterious castle. "Did you really have to antagonize them?" she inquired, bumping shoulders with her older uncle. "What do you mean, Isa?" he inquired, pretending to be oblivious.

"War is brewing, what is that supposed to mean?" she repeated his words from last night. "You know what I meant by that - you seriously don't believe that those strong boys have claim?" he raised his eyebrows - amused by her ability to ignore rumors.

Her face quickly turns sour.

"I don't understand why you believe that my father fathered my cousins - when he's been nothing but kind to my mother in their days of marriage. She weeped after his death. If he has sinned against her, why would she do that?" she quickly defended her father's honor.

Truth be told the saddest part about this was - that she couldn't remember her father at all.

When she thinks about the sun - she sees her father's smile, but she can't remember what it looks like; can't remember his curls that barely reached his shoulders - and his dark brown hair that none of his children inherited. Father was a memory - not a person.

"You are young, you cannot remember the past - but I can. There were several nights where the servants spoke about seeing your father in your dear aunt's chambers. You try to ignore it, but I'm here to tell you the truth." he responded bluntly, continuing his march to the training yard. The Targaryen women were seldom shielded from the truth - they were always aware of what happened around them.

"The Velaryon Princes were fathered by Ser Laenor Velaryon, may his soul rest in peace. I advice you to stop spreading rumors - even the Queen's love will not protect you, uncle." Alyssa warned in a whisper, afraid that anyone else would hear. She turns away - but to her shock, he reaches for her wrists, pulling him back to her.

She could feel his warm touch - and it sends shivers down her spine. "I'll keep that in mind, jorrāelagon." his eye darkens and he lets her go.

Jorrāelagon?

Alyssa bolted to her room immediately - she buried her face in the thousands of pillows that littered her bed. What did her uncle mean by that? "Seven hells," she cursed while opening her eyes. Aemond must've been aware by his effect on her - only a simple string of words and she'd spiral. "What did he mean by that?" she pondered.

Mayhaps it was just a simple term of endearment that sprinkled out of his mind the heat of the moment - it was nothing more, right? If it was nothing, then why was her face turning into a pink hue. Why was she blushing like a maiden?

"My lady, are you alright?" Dyanna peeked her head through the small sliver of curtain that separated Alyssa's sitting area and bedroom. Alyssa quickly turns away - attempting to mask her blush. "Yes, I'm fine. A little tired of the heat, but I'm fine." she answered.

Dyanna takes another step forward; "Would you like for me to draw you a bath, my lady?" she inquired and Alyssa shook her head. "Tell Ser Aran to prepare Bluefyre, I'd like to visit Driftmark." she commanded and the servant bowed - prepared to do exactly that.

'Please let riding forget all about this.' she thought while standing up.

Her eyes narrowed seeing the familiar shores of Driftmark. She's spent the majority of her childhood in these lands - often carried by Uncle Laenor while her cousins lounged in the sand. She's always been fascinated by the ocean - she loved the feeling of the water on her cold feet. "Alyssa," Baela smiled, welcoming her friend.

"Baela, it's been too long." she embraced - breaking apart after a second. "Have you already forgotten me?" Baela teased, placing a hand on Alyssa's back as she leads her inside the castle of Driftmark. "I could say the same thing about you. My mother tells me that you've been spending your time in the Free Cities." she smiles.

"Westeros is pale in comparison to other kingdoms. It's much more beautiful someplace else." Baela reasons, exiting a short-cut that would lead them a more secluded spot in the beach. "I cannot help but agree - my kepa took me to Volantis once. I did not want to return home," Alyssa chuckled - removing her robes.

She could feel the burning sun on her face - almost changing her skin's color. "Mayhaps one day we'll enjoy the endeavors of the Free Cities together," Baela offers and Alyssa nods. "We'll fly all across the world and eat cake," she popped her lips, sitting down on the sand.

"Lemoncakes," Baela adds and she chuckles.

Her friend takes a step forward, also settling on the rocks beside her. "What is the reason for your visit, Isa?" Baela inquires, she turns her head slightly to gaze upon her. "I wanted to think clearly," she responds - memories of what happened a few hours ago began to flood her mind. "When a man calls you by a nickname, does that mean that he loves you?" she questions.

Baela raises her eyebrows.

"What kind of nickname?" the girl asks and Alyssa smiles. "Love, dearest, darling. What does that mean?" she looks back at the horizon. Baela takes a deep breath. What lord has taken the heart of Daemon's first daughter? "Men have always been fickle-minded creatures, sometimes they love you - oftentimes, they don't." Baela plays with the sand beneath her.

"- you shouldn't waste your time on them. You should focus on other things, like making a name for yourself - fighting battles." she expands and a bitter chuckle escapes Alyssa's mouth.

She opens her mouth to speak; "We have different dreams, Baela. I dream of castles, children - lots of them. While you dream of battle and glory. My dreams are different from yours, but that doesn't make them less important." she explained. "You're right, but why don't you share the name of that lord first?" Baela challenged.

Alyssa's heart stilled for a second.

"You'd be surprised," she replied cryptically. "Well, who is it?" Baela's voice raised a singular octave. Excited to hear the name be revealed. "You promise not to tell anyone?" Alyssa made her promise. "I swear to the Seven Gods and upon my mother's grave!" Baela promised.

"The One Eyed Prince - he called me jorrāelagon." Alyssa reveals and her friend's eyes widen. "Seven gods have mercy." Baela giggled.

Alyssa rolled her eyes, and her friend places an arm around her. "- but I could see you together, inside of Dragonstone with a million little dragons running around." Baela further fed into her friend's delusions. "I do believe that there is a kinship between you - but to understand his feelings, you must first ask him." Baela encouraged.

A groan escapes Alyssa's mouth.

Not the answer that she was hoping for.

"Alyssa Strong, wife of Aemond." Baela recited allowing the water to reach past her knees. "God, are you going to bring that up every time you see me?" Alyssa rolled her eyes, feeling the sharp rocks kiss her barefoot. "As long as it takes for it to become reality," her friend responded - the water reaching both of their hips.

Alyssa releases a deep breath - feeling the water reach past her chest. "Sometimes I regret telling you things." she teased, feeling the sun embrace her face. "I'm sorry, but it's really hilarious to see you all riled up." Baela joked and she splashes her face with water. "Alyssa!" Baela yelled, using her hands to take revenge upon the lady.

"You never change." she grumbled while taking a step backward. "You're the one splashing me," Baela chuckled - using both of her palms to create a small wave that would ruin Alyssa's hair until the next coming days. "You better run because once I get my hands on you -" Alyssa threatened, swimming after her friend.

next chapter>>

taglist: @watercolorskyy @sweetybuzz25 @newtsniffles @loveandlewis-reads @lovecleastrange @julkaamazing @schniiipsel @mirandastuckinthe80s @areaderinlove @i-yam-awesome @ladystardvsts @gracielikegrapes @sweethoneyblossom1 @issybee06 @tato0od @delaynew @thisbihreadstoomuch @plutoscosmoss @immyowndefender @marvelescvpe @batmans-love @luanasrta @tesha-i-guess @valeridarkness @apollonshootafar @seamonies @batmans-love @ayamenimthiriel @apollonshootafar @canibalcoyote @sweethoneyblossom1

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eeunoia · 5 months

Text

ENHYPEN Series

sinag — psh.

prelude

synopsis: waiting for a great plot twist in your life, the ruthless and powerful mafia boss park sunghoon forced his way in to it.

pairings: park sunghoon x oc

word count: 2k

warnings: a contains violence, guns, killings, abuse, obsessive love & other stuff. if you can't take this stuff, feel free to scroll away. let me know if i missed some.

note: leave some messages on my ask! thank you so much for reading.

here ‹ teaser | chapter one › here

You screamed as you sat yourself up from your bed awoken from sleep by a terrible nightmare. Shaking a bit, hair messy and drenched with cold sweat, your eyes wanders around the dimly lit room anxiously. One of your hands slowly trailed towards your chest and clasped your frantically pounding heart. Being acutely aware of what happened in the dream made you so upset.

Tears formed at the corner of your eyes, unable to even think properly. These are just one of those days when you dream or more like relive what happened to you that horrifying night. Memories you wish to entomed at the back of your mind and eventually forget about it. If you can only get rid of it like magic, you would trade anything. You stood up and head towards your bathroom, bowing to your fate to go on your day like nothing’s wrong.

After taking a shower and dressed up to fully freshen yourself up before going to the office, you stopped by your kitchen for a coffee. While waiting for the beans to be ready, your mind went blank and to feel frazzled without even starting your day is unbelievable for you. The nightmare sure worked and sucked all of your energy for today.

The ride on the way to the company you work at was surprisingly short, probably because you are still out of it. When you arrived at your floor, Laurie, one of your team members, looked in distress. She was leaning over her table, hands resting over her head while staring blankly at nowhere. At the sight of you, a hint of irritation flashes through her face.

“Finally!” she exclaimed, jumping off from her seat then start dragging you towards the pantry of the office. Taking advantage of the early time and having the whole room for yourselves.

“What happened? You don’t look okay.” it was funny coming from you when you aren’t too.

She sighs and rolls her eyes, “What happened last night on your date?” her way of saying it was like an interogation. The bitterness through her tone was clear. Your brows folds and draws together, causing a crease to your forehead. It was hard for you to put the puzzle together right away.

“Huh? Last night?” your words stall at the attempt of remembering of what you did the past night.

Your brows arched after a couple of seconds, “Ah! You mean with Mr. Kang? It’s not a date, Laurie. Its a work dinner.”

The unpleasant look on her face shows off her frustrations about something. “Well something obviously happened and you did something that upsets Mr. Kang! Maybe he thought it was a date! Did he confess? Did you reject him?” she sounded worked up, trying to make you throw up answers she’s been deprived off. It was too many for you to even process it one by one.

“He invited me to go on a trip outside of the country and I declined it saying I have a boyfriend—”

“He did what?!” her eyes were big and even held both of your arms, shaking you a little. You blinked a couple of times, confused and started to feel uneasy of her behavior. You two aren’t the closest friends and she’s very vocal of her totally not liking you. She often tries to make malicious comments about how Mr. Kang has always too kind with you, envying.

“He likes you, Ae!” she says. “And now that you rejected him, he’s punishing all of us. Thank you very much!” the sarcasm was too much that it hurts your ears.

You are still confused, but you shift your weight on your other leg before trying to catch on what’s happening. She lets go of you and leaned over the counter before staring blankly at the wall like a new found habit. She looks like she’s about to go crazy any minute now.

“Why? What did he do?” the eagerment now passed on you, worried of what he possibly did that upsets Laurie this much.

She glanced at your direction, eyes shooting glares, “He wants us to start again with our campaign advertisement.”

Now that made you utterly shock. You refuse to believe what you heard from her. Closing your distance with her, you stepped once and gently grabs her arm to make her look at you.

“He can’t do that! He just approved it yesterday.”

She pursed her lips and shoved your hold off. ”He just did, Ae. He calls me a while ago and he looked so pissed.” she then lets out a strained sigh. Even without saying it straightly, you are being blamed. She’s blaming you.

“I can’t believe you flirts with him and then rejects him! Now all of us have to suffer because of you!” the veins over her neck pops out in frustration.

“I neve did that, Laurie.” you tried telling her, but she just rolls her eyes as she cross her arms.

“Whatever! Everyone here knew you’re suspicious.” she mumbles the last line. You heard it, tho and you aren’t surprised.

Your shoulder fell too as you leaned over the counter beside her. Eyes shut for a while you throw your head back and silently wished all of this are not happening. The exhaustion you were feeling before going here just got worst. This day isn’t going well for you already.

“There you are,” the two of you snaps your head at one of your workmate when she talked.

“Mr. Kang is looking for you, Ms. Lee.”

You stood up straight as you glanced at Laurie for a while. She showed an unpleasant expression before rolling her eyes in defeat. You told the girl that you will go in a bit and so she left. Laurie turns and face you.

“Go and try to change his mind! Do something, Aelia! Fix the mess you created!” her requests came out arrogantly and gave a short nod.

You feel bad that she’s making up stuff and that she’s blaming you, but you admit you felt bad for the whole team. Maybe you are at fault at some way and so you should really do something about it. You can’t just let it all put into waste.

Determined to stood your ground, you walks towards the office of your boss. His secretary’s restless expression on her face indicates that he’s probably in a foul mood. It somehow made you feel anxious.

“He’s waiting for you.” she stood up and opted to open the door for you, “He’s in a very bad mood, Ae.” she whispers under her breath as a warning that made your knees almost wobble on your way inside.

He was at his swivel chair, a folder on his hand, forehead creased while reading whatever document it is. He didn’t spare you a glance at all. Its starting to make you wonder if the guy from last night’s dinner and him are the same person. Thinking that you made someone upset pinches something in you. You hate that feeling at all.

“Good morning, Mr. Kang.” you tried to sound enthusiastic to somehow lift the mood, but to your dismay he was unresponsive.

“I want you to prepare your passport.” he stated that made you blink twice. His words didn’t sink in, totally not processing for you. Did he mention passport? Your passport?

“Sir?” you calls, baffled on the spot.

He finally lifts his gaze and eyes you with a placid look on his face. “Are you deaf? I said prepare your passport. I will send you in another country for a business meeting and a seminar.”

You have no idea if he’s just talking too fast or his words are just nonsense that’s why you cannot understand any of it. Pretty sure it was the latter as you can’t help but to start feeling irritated. He can be upset about last night, yes. But this is terribly unrighteous.

“I’m sorry Sir, but I can’t—”

“You can’t?” he cuts you off then lets out a scoff, “Are you saying I promoted the wrong person to be the team leader?” his tone taunting, sounding more like a challenge.

“N-No, Sir. It’s just I can’t go on a seminar and leave my team with all the works due.” your reason definitely makes a point, but your boss sure is determined on making you suffer.

“I don’t care. This is an order from your boss. Are you seriously reasoning out to me? I didn’t know you are this arrogant.”

You pursed your lips and tried hard not to say anything that can upset him even more. He closed the folder he was holding and tilts his head to the side.

“Its either you go to that seminar or you put your resignation letter on my table tomorrow morning.”

Your shoulder fell at what you heard. He held you at gun point. You worked hard to earn the position you have right now, you did everything you could to be here and so you surely didn’t want lose this. If you think about it, there’s a lot of benefits if you go to this seminar. You’ll learn from it and it will be good to your work records, all in all you’ll gain from it. It’s just that after what happened from your last trip which is years passed already, you developed fear of going on out of the country trips. The mental trauma it caused you left a deep scar that just by thinking of being in a place you barely know cause you panic attacks. It was terrible.

Laurie was hopeful when you walked inside your office. She peeks through the cubicle like a meer cat and gaze at you with full curiosity.

“What? What did he said?” she asked.

You sighed heavily and crashed yourself over your swivel chair. The frustration, annoyance and stress slowly spoiling your mood you couldn’t even make yourself into saying it to her. Some of your team members were there as well, looking and waiting for an update. They already assumed that it didn’t go well based on how you’re looking right now.

“He tasked me to attend a business meeting and seminar outside of the country.” you mumbles that made Laurie even more confused.

“What? Why is he sending you there on a trip while we suffer here to revise everything?” she exclaimed, she’s so upset yet again.

The glares on her eyes didn’t slipped off of you. Its not surprising anymore. It often happen whenever the boss favors you, she always thinks that you are charming your way to success and that you’re being unfair. That was totally untrue. You know to yourself how much you worked hard for this. Some people just couldn’t keep their thoughts to themselves, judging you wrongly out of envy.

“It’s not a trip, Laurie. Its for business.” you tried to tell her, but she rolls her eyes and arrogantly sat back down.

“Whatever! This is all your fault in the first place! You’re making us re-do all of it while you go on a trip!” she started blabbering that made some of your workmates to stare.

You wanted to tell her that she’s wrong and that it would be more traumatic for you, but you refrained yourself. Instead, you stood up and went out to go to the bathroom. Thankfully, nobody was there so you can breath and calm down. Your mind are on a mess as of the moment. There’s just so much going on. You wanted to let it all out and to tell someone about it.

“Mom,” you calls out after she picks up the call.

“What is it? I’m playing poker with my friends! Why are you calling, Ae?!” obviously, she wasn’t interested. When did she ever took interest about your life or to you in general? Despite of it, you tried to still open up to her.

“D-Do you think I should quit my job? I’m really having a hard time.” your voice cracked while saying it and just by hearing you, a normal person will feel sympathy. It was clear as a water that you are having a hard time.

“What do you mean quit your work?! Are you crazy?! How will we pay our debts after sending you to college? What about our rent, our food? You are so selfish! You only think of yourself!” she was outrageous.

You felt your heart ache at her words. Not only that your Mom didn’t listen to your words, but she only thinks of herself. You are thankful for them for sending you to college despite pursuing the degree you don’t really like. But after graduating and working, your parents started depending on you like you’re their bank or something. They stopped working and just left everything under your care.

“I’m s-sorry, Mom.”

You have a lot of things you wanted to tell your Mother. None of it came out from your mouth. As always, you kept it to yourself. This is one of the things you hate. Your best friend always tells you that sometimes, you’re being too selfless. That you’re such a people pleaser.

A tear left your eye as you try to get your shit together.

“Stop being ungrateful and be a good daughter to your parents! Don’t give me headaches!” and with that she ended the call.

Your parents are not very fond of you. Ever since you were a child, you are by yourself. You learned things alone. Before, you tried to convince yourself that its because your parents are busy working to support your needs. Later on, it slowly dawned in you that maybe they don’t really love you. They just did what they need to do in order for them to have someone they can depend on. And they did. They raised someone with a soft heart, someone who values family so much that she will turn blind-eye to everything they do.

It was tiring, but you have no other choice. They are your family and even if they’re cold, they are all you have. Sometimes, you just wished you will find someone who will love you the way you love them.

“Park Sunghoon.” the young man lifts his eyes from the papers he was reading over to the old man who entered his office. The frown on his face tells Sunghoon that he’s clearly upset.

“You have no business in being here, Mr. Kwon.” he tried to sound casual.

“I will not tolerate this behavior anymore! My daughter doesn’t deserve this humiliation!”

Sunghoon sighs and settles the folder down to his table. “You’re the one who kept on putting her in that place. I already told you, I will never marry her.” his strict blank eyes watches him carefully, unfazed.

“You are a disgrace to your family! What kind of man will turn back to a promise? And you are calling yourself a leader?!”

Sunghoon tilts his head over to the side, “As far as I remember I never promised anything. It was my father who proposed about that engagement. I had nothing to do with it.”

“You are to follow your Father’s order! And that is to marry Luna!”

He scoffed, an unamused grin crept over his face. “I am not under him, Mr. Kwon. I don’t bow to him and follow his orders.”

Sunghoon stood up, his aura intimidating the older one. “I created my name on my own, without any help from him. Do you think I will let him control me? Nobody will ever make me follow their orders.”

“And yet you are a slave to your own emotions.” Mr. Kwon stated.

Sunghoon didn’t speak.

“This obsession you have with this girl,” he starts. “soon it will be all a waste of time. Once you realized it was just one of your rebellious stunts to prove something, you will know that marrying Luna is your best option to widen your influence and power.”

“I will do everything so you end up with my daughter.”

Sunghoon clenched his jaw and silently stared at the old mafia boss' eyes. Slowly, he grins.

“There’s only one girl that I will marry.” he says in calm yet cold tone. “And I’ll do everything as well to have her.”

here ‹ teaser | chapter one › here

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chaos-grimlin · 1 year

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Into:No one truly knows what happened that night in Woodsboro, California. All the public knows was that two teenage boys, Billy Loomis and Stu Macher, went crazy. That the boys killed with no motive, that it was a case of crazy and peer pressure. Sidney Prescott, the "girlfriend" of Billy Loomis,Y/n L/n, the girl both boys were deeply obsessed with, and Gale weathers, a news reporter, where 3 of 5 witnesses that were willing to talk and tell their sides of the story to the public while Dewy Riley, the deputy sheriff of woodsboro, and tennager Randy Meeks refused to talk to law enforcements at the time. All the stories told to law enforcement seem to differ from person to person, but...in this tale, we will focus on Y/n, the obsessions, side of the story...

Marked (Poly!Billy loomis and Stu macher x reader)

Word count:921

Chapter 2 -keeping her is a bad idea

^^^Y/n P.O.V^^^

Casey had told me that the Baskin-Robbins in Woodsboro was amazing and that the workers were very nice.

Me and the group walked in and as soon as we did a sweet, fruity smell hit me like a brick to the face. My mouth watered slightly at the scent.

Soon we all had our ice creams and were all seated at a table. Me, Sidney, and Tatum all sat on one side of the table while the boys sat on the other side.

“So..Y/n..are you enjoying Woodsboro so far?” Billy asked as his eyes moved up to meet mine. Billy's voice was dark and deep. He pronounced my name with sharp precision, the words strung from his lips and swirled around my head.

“Um..Yeah other than the kids swarming me I like it” I said as I ate my ice cream.

“Ugh yeah that's so annoying! No wonder you always look so miserable!” Tatum exclaimed. Tatum talked like she knew what being swarmed was like.

I looked over at Tatum and looked at her closely.

Her shoulder length honey blond hair framed her face perfectly, her lips had a perfect fullness to them, and her golden green and brown eyes had a siren shape to them..she was pretty…very pretty..then it hit me. Tatum was a popular pretty girl..but she wasnt mean like the other pretty girls you would see around town or in every high school movie.

“Y/nnnnnnnn you okayyyyyyyyy?” Stu said in a sing-song voice, drawing me from my thoughts. “Oh! Um yeah!” I said with a chuckle. “You were totally just zoned out right now” He said with a snarky laugh before looking over at Billy, who just gave a small sided smirk.

As the night carried on, I became good friends with Stu, Randy, and Tatum. Sidney and Billy seemed to keep to each other or themselves when i'm around, yet Billy was always eyeing me, like he was observing my every move and if I messed up..it wouldn't be good.

Him doing that made me slightly paranoid but I kept pushing the feeling to the deepest darkest part of my overflowing mind.

^^^3rd person P.O.V^^^

Billy watched Y/n closely…he needed to make sure that her coming into the friend group wouldn't hurt his plans to get revenge on Sidney and her family.

Billy already knew that Randy wouldn't get in his way. Randy was always too high to do anything or at the video store working. Tatum never posed a threat, but Billy made a deal with Stu, his best friend and the person who would help him carry out his plans, that if Tatum ever got in the way, they would kill her.

Now… Billy had you to worry about. You seemed to be a smart, clever girl, with the ability to think quickly, you seemed like someone who, if attacked, you could put up a fight and have a good chance to win…you seemed like a final girl in his eyes. You remind him of Laurie Strode from Halloween. And that ment…you might mess up his plans…

^^^3 Weeks later^^^

^^^Y/n P.O.V^^^

I rushed down the street, feeling a smile form on my face. I used to hate going to school, but now, thanks to Tatum, Stu, Sidney, Randy, and Billy, I started to love going to school, just to see them and hang out with them.

“Hi guys!” I chirped out as I walked up to the group.

“Hey Final girl,” Billy said. Everyone else said hi and Tatum even hugged me, But, what loomed in my mind was how Billy started calling me, ‘Final girl’ a week after I met him. He didn't sound like he meant it in a nice way, but more of a way to… intimidate me, to warn me away even. His tone didn't sit right with me.

“Guys! It's the start of September and I was thinking since it's a month before Halloween…why don't we start a horror movie marathon?” Randy suggested as he chewed on something.

“Oh..i'd like that” Billy muttered. “Hell yeah! You can get the movie Randy..girls you down?” Stu asked as he pointed at Sidney, then Tatum.

“Yeah I'm down” “ Me too” Sidney and Tatum said. I stayed quiet, biting the inside of my cheek. “What about you Y/n?” Randy asked, moving closer to me.

“Oh I don't know..when will it be?” I asked. “We will start it tonight and continue it every other Monday till Halloween” Randy answered.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I'll see if I can come” I said as my eyes fluttered open only to meet Randys. I saw Randy's face break out into a smile at my answer that wasn't a direct no.

I already knew where Randy's house was due to me and the group having gone over there on the nights when Randy's parents were not around and sometimes… I'd sneak out of my house and just go to Randys, due to his house being close to mine. I'd rather say and get high with Randy rather than stay at home.

“Well you know where my house is so stop by if you can..this time doll face, don't sneak through my window” Randy said with a chuckle and with that… Everyone looked at me with a look of confusion contorted on their faces. “I wont” I muttered....

#poly billy and stu #billy loomis #stu macher #scream #cheating #poly stu and Billy #poly relationship #sadness #randy meeks x reader

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yourlocalwriterandreader3451 · 1 month

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The Runt - Billy the Kid

Warnings for thic chapter: hints of PTSD?, slight violence, mention of blood, kind of sad Laurie at the end

Chapter Four

(Sentences written in italics are when the characters are speaking in Spanish)

The next morning, Laurie was gently shaken awake by Billy and she instinctively shot up, quickly getting to her feet. She had been classically conditioned to be up and at ‘em the second somebody wakes her up. Just another fucked up thing she was used to after living with Jesse and the gang for three stupid years. Laurie knew that Jesse must’ve figured out she had left, maybe he sent a search party out for her to bring her back? However she knew better than to think that. Jesse didn’t care about her enough to do that, he wouldn’t waste that man-power on someone like her.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Billy reassured, raising his hands in surrender. “Take it easy, kid.” He was shocked to have gained such a wild reaction from her just for waking her up. Once he’d seen that Laurie calmed down he spoke again. “We need to get moving.”

The traveling was long, but the duo made do. The rides were usually quiet, the two just enjoying each other's company and every so often pointing out wildlife that they thought was interesting. Laurie would get especially excited whenever they would run into deer.

After a good few days of riding Billy and Laurie finally made it to the city of Chihuahua. An old man sat on the tall hill that Billy and Laurie were riding on and the two decided to approach and see if they had made it to the right place. Artax nickered, snorting as he tossed his head.

“This Chihuahua?,” Billy asked as he pulled his horse, Brandy, to a stop as Laurie did the same with Artax beside him. The young red-head strained her neck, trying to get a better look at the old man that Billy was trying to speak to. However, there was no answer. Billy and Laurie exchanged looks before the younger girl shrugged and coaxed Artax into a lope, heading for the city.

The two of them did eventually find out that they were in the right place, checking into an inn and going up into their room. Laurie sat on the small chair in their room, drawing in her sketchpad while Billy looked out of the window. Both of their heads turned to the door when a little boy appeared, he looked to be about 9 or 10 years old.

“Do you two want me to clean your boots?,” the little boy asked in Spanish. Laurie got up, opening the cracked door fully with a soft smile.

“I just cleaned mine, but I’m sure my friend here would appreciate it,” Laurie replied, also using Spanish, her small smile faltered slightly when she noticed the boy was on a crutch but she quickly countered her reaction as Billy also handed the boy his boots before taking out a silver coin and giving it to him.

“This is upfront,” Billy said, “You’ll get the rest when you bring our boots back later. We need them in an hour. You understand?”

“I understand, thank you, señor, señorita,” the boy said before hobbling away on his crutch, holding the boots in his hand tightly.

An hour later, Billy opened the door to see if the kid who had taken his boots had left them by the door. And much to the outlaw’s dismay, they weren’t. And Laurie couldn’t help but crack up when Billy cussed under his breath and stormed downstairs to buy those shitty second-hand boots. Laurie followed, still hunching over a little bit as she giggled. She found it amusing that he had fallen for a scam, even though she too had been fooled by the boy. It was much funnier to laugh at the actual victim in this situation.

Billy and Laurie stepped outside, by now, the little red-head had calmed down from her laughing fit as she looked around the unfamiliar city. Hoping to find the familiar face of her mama, but to no avail. The city was very much alive, full of people smiling and laughing with each other, trading or buying items and other goods such as food that Laurie could have never even dreamed of having back at Jesse’s ranch. A grin spread across her face as she and Billy walked through the city.

She could definitely get used to this life.

Laurie went over to a fruit stall, taking an apple and handing the vendor some coins, smiling widely as she took a bite out of the fruit and raced back to Billy, basically dancing in excitement as her hands waved around a little bit. The apple was sweet as she took another bite into it. The fruit back at the ranch wasn’t very good, so Laurie never ate the fruit back there despite having a strange love for apples. So the girl was thrilled to find an apple that was actually good and that she could eat. Billy couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl’s excitement, he was a bit perplexed by the way she expressed her excitement but he didn’t stop her because it wasn’t hurting anyone.

However, when he caught sight of the little kid who had stolen his shoes now trying to pick-pocket another kid, he immediately ran after him, calling him a ‘little thief’ in Spanish. Leaving poor, confused Laurie alone with her apple before she ran after Billy, yelling at him to stop. The chase didn’t last long, just as Billy and Laurie ran into a laundry line circle, the two were ambushed.

Laurie was socked in the face while Billy was being manhandled by a couple of other guys, he tried to grab his gun but that was quickly kicked away. Laurie was being pinned to the wall of a house as she struggled but to no avail. She wasn’t much of a fighter, given her size and how scrawny she was. And whoever had her pinned was using that to his advantage as he quickly pulled the scrunched up cash and compass from her pocket. He then pulled her away from the wall, throwing her to the ground. Laurie kicked him in the shin with a yell.

A loud gunshot rang out, causing the group of muggers to scatter like rabbits, stealing Billy’s gun as they booked it. Laurie heaved, she could feel the blood drip from her mouth and run down her chin before dripping into the dirt. Billy saw this and stumbled to his feet, rushing over and helping her up, visibly concerned for the young teenager. The man who had helped them noticed that Billy was still struggling and he sighed, taking him and slinging his arm over his shoulder.

“You’re a tough kid. I could use someone like you. That kid with you could also be useful if we put some more meat on her bones,” the man said to Billy as he helped him walk.

Laurie followed next to them and pretended like she didn’t basically just get called the runt again. It wasn’t anything new to her, but it hurt even worse coming from a stranger.

But little did young Laurie know that this meet and greet would be the start of something much bigger than she was.

Literally and figuratively.

A/N:

Shorter chapter because I'm tired, comicon was a lotta fun tho

Again, constructive criticism is appreciated <3

Billy and Laurie are my loves

Tag:

@slutforsnow

#billy mccarty #billy the kid 2022 #billy the kid gif #billy the kid hc #billy the kid imagine #billy the kid x reader #william h bonney #billy the kid #tom blyth x reader #billy the kid x oc #the runt #runt of the litter #platonic relationships #the old west #older brother core

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bugsinshoes · 4 days

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i literally am in Love with your ocs <3333 do you have any random facts/lore about either jocelyn or laurie that have like. no actual impact but is something that you added just for funsies

also what are the goofies up to by the time the show starts??

OK SOOOO RANDOM FACTS !!!

when laurie was suuuper young, she was that one kid who spent all recess in the grass making mud potions and daisy chains and whatnot

yk that leather coat laurie has in this drawing i did of her? WELL ! that coat was actually her DAD'S !! she just saw it, thought it looked sick, stole it, and pretended like she had NO IDEA where it went

also at first i was like "haha bilingual french-canadian laurie" as a joke bcs i have french-canadian family and i thought it would be hilarious to see laurie absolutely DESTROY someone with quebecois swears, but it actually turned into something semi-important to her backstory sooo (that still counts though, right?)

as for jocelyn, i still feel like shes kinda undeveloped lore/character-wise compared to laurie, BUT i like to imagine she REALLY needed glasses as a child, but being raised the way she was (by rich parents who really cared about their presentation and aesthetics and keeping up that illusion of the "perfect american family" by the 60s standards yadda yadda yadda) SHE NEVER GOT ANY !! so as soon as she left for college she got herself some glasses (hooray!)

AS FOR WHAT THEYRE DOING BEFORE THE SHOW TAKES PLACE

i cant spoil TOO much because eventually i wanna turn some stuff into comics or drawings or smth

however

what i can say is that laurie is living alone on the outskirts of gravity falls, quietly living her life, while jocelyn seems to be completely out of the picture... i wonder what happened...

#laurie wood #jocelyn smith #gravity falls #asks #JOCELYNS NOT DEAD GUYS DONT WORRY #its just unfortunate circumstances have been put between her and laurie #gay people can never be happy smh #(its all my fault. i wrote them like this)#but i REALLY need to develop jocelyn more tbh #i mean i have her lore pretty much all figured out #shes just lacking the joyous whimsy laurie has

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pagesoflauren · 2 years

Text

House of Stone (4/5)

feat. professor!Andy Barber x student!single mom!reader

Premise: Spin-off/sequel to Wooden Façade; Settling into his new life as a bachelor, Andy is helping his brother Ari prepare for his wedding to their mother’s former nurse. Between wedding planning and teaching, you enter his life and your eccentric one-year-old daughter catches his attention.

Warnings: mentions of sudden death, divorce, familial conflicts, spousal conflicts, a custody battle, pregnancy, and Parkinson’s disease; Laurie Barber slander; teacher-student friendship; romantic/sexual tension; awkward and cringey moments; blindsiding siblings (Ari and Bunny are menaces to Andy); Andy wears glasses and is a hot professor

A/N: This portion of House of Stone covers a FICTIONAL custody battle. While I have tried my best to do research and depict everything as accurately as possible, I do not claim to have any professional knowledge of custody battle proceedings. This is fanfiction. Please take it as such. Advice is always welcome, but hurtful and rude comments will be removed and the commenter will be blocked.

Important to note that the events of Defending Jacob do not occur before, during, or after this series. Andy and Laurie are divorced and Jacob lives with Laurie.

Thank you as always to @eightcevanscentral

Read Wooden Façade here

House of Stone Masterlist

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Andy places his glasses on his nose, blinking a few times to relieve the strain in his eyes as they try to focus on the evidence in front of him.

Initially, there was an arrangement between the two of you to split the cost of a Family & Custody lawyer. Andy tried his best to use all the resources available to him to find the best one, but Troy’s parents’ lawyer had other plans.

Every lawyer he had called and presented your case to had declined on the basis that they had already met with Troy’s parents.

Andy grew irate, throwing in the towel and realizing if he wants something done, he’d have to do it himself.

Still, you offered to pay.

“I don’t want your money, Teddy.”

“But, Andy, I couldn’t possibly–that’s so much work on top of what you already do as a professor, please–”

“Absolutely not,” he shook his head, placing his hand on top of yours. “Nobody would be a better lawyer for this than me. Let me take care of it.”

So, here he was on a Saturday night, running on three hours of sleep and organizing documents showing your clock hours at work, payments to your aunt’s daycare, and your transcripts at the university instead of grading papers.

Andy had called your aunt and cousin to testify on your behalf. With them, there was a solid case for you to keep Ivy. Still, you worried nonetheless. If he was honest, he was nervous too. He knew any level of custody granted to Troy’s parents would be a break in the dam; the water would surely engulf you and sweep Ivy away.

Still, he would do his damn best to make sure you wouldn’t lose her.

- - - - -

“Calling the case of Abernathy vs. Y/L/N for the custody of Ivy Paige Abernathy to order.”

The judge taps her gavel twice and a hush falls over the courtroom.

You exhale shakily, fingers folded on top of the table while your hands tremble. Another hand covers yours, squeezing tightly. Looking to your left, Andy gives you a reassuring smile.

Deep breaths, he mouths.

You nod, drawing in air through your nose and breathing out through your mouth. Craning your neck, you spy Ivy sitting quietly with your aunt and Winnie.

Seeing her now, she’s so big, grown so much since she was born. You remember looking into her face during endless nights, sobbing as she slept. Resigning yourself to being a single mother wasn’t easy and some days it’s still hard to get out of bed. Everything you do is for her; you recall so many moments when you were happy to be in her company.

“It’s you and me, Ivy,” you’d say to her. “I will never leave you.”

Your lip trembles at the thought that any of the coming nights could be the last one you spend with her.

“Mr. Siegel,” the judge addresses their lawyer, “You may stand and make the opening statement for the plaintiff.”

Slowing down your breaths, you try to keep yourself composed as the lawyer representing Troy’s parents stands.

“Your honor, Benjamin and Constance Abernathy tragically lost their only child, Troy, nearly two years ago. While they have many dear memories of him, they have been wrongly barred from seeing their only grandchild; the child that Troy fathered. Today, they’re here, fighting for rights they shouldn’t need to fight for because the defendant continues to act selfishly to keep her daughter to herself.”

Your hands unfold, closing into tight fights as your muscles begin to tighten. Next to you, Andy tenses as well, inhaling sharply.

Looking around, you see the judge nodding intently. Her eyes flicker toward you every once in a while and you don’t like the impression you’re passively making on her built on lies being eloquently spewed out by a lawyer.

The stenographer types quickly, putting every accusation on the record. Your heart sinks; you don’t feel confident in your chances.

“This trial shouldn’t even need to happen. As grandparents–Ivy’s last connection to her father– they are entitled to at least partial custody for Ivy.”

He sits down, and Troy’s parents appear to cry.

There’s a bitter taste in your mouth as you look at them. You considered them an extension of your family once; they welcomed you with open arms, fed you, kept you safe, and gave generously.

Now, they were trying to take away your entire world. Perhaps it was some strange form of retribution. You suspect they believe that if Troy hadn’t been with you the night he died, maybe he would still be here today.

The judge turns to you and Andy. “Mr. Barber, please stand and make the opening statement for the defendant.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Andy nods, standing. He smooths down his jacket and looks at you once more before facing the judge.

“Ma’am, Miss Y/L/N is a single mother pursuing a law degree to give her daughter a better life. Her world revolves around Ivy. When she and Mr. Troy Abernathy first discovered she was pregnant, they were immediately cut off from support systems with the exception of one relative, who continues to care for Ivy to this day. That relative is looking after Ivy presently.

“If Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy wanted to care for Ivy, they would have been providing care for her without the need for a lawsuit based on no foundations. Their attorney claims they have been ‘wrongfully barred,’ from seeing their granddaughter. However, he failed to mention that they attempted to forcibly take Ivy away a week after she was born when my client was in an extremely vulnerable position. She was still recovering from giving birth and mourning the man she loved.”

Andy swallows, pressing down the hurt that rises in his chest at the idea that you loved someone before you met him, and if he hadn’t died, you most likely would’ve still been with him.

Clearing his throat, he continues, “The plaintiff calls my client selfish. I can assure you that the evidence we have and testimonies of witnesses can prove that she is not. She is a single mother doing everything she can to make sure her daughter does not know a day of pain.”

He sits back down and looks at you. Your eyes are watery and you throw him a half-hearted smile, something to show your gratitude. He can see past the smile, sensing your nerves fraying as you listen to the judge tell the Abernathys they can move forward with testimonies.

Constance goes to the stand first. You remember her being so warm and gentle; nothing like the stoic face she wears as she approaches the stand, placing her hand on the Bible and swearing to tell the truth.

She sits and Siegel stands to question her.

“Mrs. Abernathy, would you please explain your relationship to Miss Y/L/N?”

She sighs shortly. “She was like my daughter. We adored her; it was easy to. She made my son happy and she got along with me and my husband very well.”

“How did your relationship change?”

Another sigh, a longer one this time. “When it was found out she was pregnant, she made him cut all contact with us.”

Your fists clench in your lap. So much for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, you think to yourself.

You recall Andy advising you to control your emotions as much as possible. The ability to keep a neutral face diminishes with every word Constance says.

She sniffles as she finishes, manufactured tears slipping down her cheeks as her lawyer tells her she can step down.

Benjamin goes next, spewing more lies to bury you deep in a trench you may never hope to get out of. Your heart nearly stops when your name is called to come to the stand.

Legs shaking, you rise from your chair and nearly forget how to walk. Every step is a conscious effort as you do your best to move forward and ignore the looks being thrown your way.

The bailiff holds up a Bible and instructs you to raise your right hand.

“Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you, God?”

Your mouth opens, but words struggle to come out. Paralyzed by your nerves, you know hesitation does not help your case at all.

“I-I do,” you manage, then clear your throat. “I do solemnly swear.”

“You may take a seat.”

The walled-in seat of the stand looks claustrophobic. Your movements are clumsy as you step in and lower yourself into the chair. On this side of the courtroom, next to the judge and so far away from Andy, you feel vulnerable; a sitting duck to be struck down at any moment. Locking eyes with Andy, he motions for you to breathe. Drawing air into your chest, you blink away tears.

“How are you today, Miss Y/L/N?”

“Objection,” Andy speaks. “Relevance?”

“Believe it or not, Mr. Barber, you are not the only one who cares about your client’s well-being.”

“I’ll allow it,” the judge speaks. “It’s a simple question, dear. Nothing to be afraid of.”

You nod. “I’m good–”

“Please speak up, miss, the stenographer needs to hear you.”

“I’m good,” you repeat, voice cracking.

“Good,” Mr. Siegel smiles, though you can see the venom in his eyes. “Tell me, what does a typical day look like for both you and Ivy.”

Easy question, you can answer it, you tell yourself.

“Well, I wake up at 6:30 to get ready for work, then Ivy wakes up around 7:00. I give her breakfast, usually yogurt or oatmeal. I drop her off at Rising Sun Day Care at around 8:15, 8:30 and go to work afterward. Work ends around 5, I pick up Ivy from daycare; if I have a class that evening, I pick up Winnie too because she volunteers there after school and I make dinner for all three of us. Class starts at 7:15 so I leave around 6:30 to drive to BU and come back around 10:00. Winnie then calls her mom and she comes and picks her up.”

“I see. And what kind of experience does a sixteen-year-old like Winnie have to watch a one-year-old?”

“Objection, speculation,” Andy grunts.

“Sustained.”

“Let me rephrase the question,” Mr. Siegel appeases, “What made you trust a sixteen-year-old to have the common sense to watch a one-year-old for three hours in an evening?”

“I’ve known Winnie her whole life,” you begin. “She’s always been responsible and…nurturing.” You look around to try and find the right words to defend your decision. “Her mother is a certified child caregiver and preschool director, so Winnie’s been taught how to care for young children her whole life.”

“And when did you make the decision to abandon your child in the evening to pursue a career?”

Your heart drops; what kind of question is that?

“Objection, leading.” Andy sounds angry.

“Sustained.”

“I’ll rephrase. Why pursue your career now? Why not wait until Ivy is a little bit older to pursue your degree?”

You breathe in. “We’re not…I’m not…I wasn’t in a position where I could really stand on my own and take care of her. Troy was working nonstop when I was pregnant with her and we had some savings but I had to use them for supplies and essentials. I knew I had to work to make sure I could provide for her. And I knew that being a receptionist wasn’t sustainable as a career and I just thought it would be easier to do this now so that later I wouldn’t have to leave her.”

“Plaintiff’s exhibit A,” Mr. Siegel says, grabbing a piece of paper and showing it to the judge. “Could you read this please, Miss Y/L/N?”

Taking the sheet from him, you recite a passage from a scientific study on child psychology. You know what this is; it states that children who do not receive the proper amount of affection and comfort from parents are more likely to develop a plethora of developmental and emotional disorders.

You also understand what it implies about your parenting.

“Did you consider that when you were making arrangements for Winnie to babysit for Ivy as you leave her in the evenings?”

“Objection, your honor. My client can’t see into the future.”

“But she can synthesize information from a watershed scientific study and make decisions based on the study.”

“I’ll allow it.”

You purse your lips, understanding you have to answer the question. “I don’t like leaving her in the evenings. I made that decision to establish a career for myself so that I can provide for her later in life and not have to miss out on spending time with her when she gets older.”

“And what is Ivy’s disposition when it comes to new people?”

“She loves people,” you say, “She’s very social.”

“Could it be that she’s seeking out the attention that she’s lacking from you?”

Andy shouts this time, “Objection!”

“Withdrawn.”

Your lip quivers and your vision blurs, tears streaming down your face.

“Miss, you may exit the stand.”

You tremble the entire way back to your seat, eyes cast down as the judge announces the court is adjourned for the day.

Andy ushers you out of the room and your aunt sweeps you into her arms as you all gather in the corridor of the courthouse.

“Oh, my dear,” she coos, “I’m so sorry it started out this way.”

You can’t muster the words to express your despair and anxiety, only sobbing into the shoulder of her blazer.

“Let’s get some food,” Winnie suggests quietly, passing a hand over your hair and propping Ivy up on her hip.

“Momma,” Ivy whines, reaching for you.

Your stomach grumbles loudly as you take her and your aunt teases you while reminding you it’s important to take care of yourself during this time.

Nodding, you wipe your tears and take a deep breath, pressing a kiss to Ivy’s cheek to help ground you.

“Andy,” your aunt calls to him. He looks up from his phone. “Would you like to join us?”

“I’d love to but,” he sighs, “I can’t. It’s my son, I have to pick him up.”

“Okay, well, we’ll see you next time.”

“Yeah,” he nods. His eyes lock with you and he pulls you and Ivy in for a hug. “It’ll be okay.”

You don’t react beyond an exhale; no nod, no headshake, nothing to indicate your hope. His heart sinks, but he releases you, wishing he could be in two places at once.

Before he can fully part from you, he feels a tug on his neck. Looking down, his tie is fisted in Ivy’s little hand. When his eyes meet hers, he sees the worry on her face.

“Deedee,” she mumbles sadly.

She pulls again, urging him closer, and presses her face into his cheek, a small comforting kiss.

“Aww, thank you, baby bear,” he coos quietly. Then, he looks at you. “I’ll see you guys soon, okay?”

He can see you steeling your face, trying to mask your emotions behind a look of false bravery. Sighing, he says a final goodbye and wishes he could be in two places at once.

- - -

“Jacob,” Andy calls as he rolls down the window of his car, “the hell are you doing out here?”

“I just wanted to spend time with you,” he shrugs.

Sighing, Andy reaches over and opens the passenger door. “Get in, I’ll park in the garage and we’ll go in together.”

They’re silent on their way to the apartment, but once inside, Andy interrogates him again. “You called me a bunch of times and I saw your texts, but why didn’t you just wait? I would’ve picked you up from your mom’s.”

Jacob looks guilty as his eyes drift to the floor. “I just…couldn’t wait.”

Sensing there’s something more that his son doesn’t want to talk about yet, Andy decides to drop the subject. “Well, next time, just try to wait until I can pick you up. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you had gotten hurt.”

Nodding, Jacob looks at his father before rushing him, wrapping his arms around his waist and leaning on his shoulder.

Andy is taken aback, not accustomed to the show of affection from his son. He hasn’t seen him often in the past two years and it almost feels new. With an exhale, he hugs him too, patting his head.

“What do you want for dinner?”

- - - - -

Since the first day in court, Jacob had been coming every weekend, sometimes more than a weekend. It led to more interactions between Andy and Laurie, figuring out driving arrangements so that not all of the transportation was her responsibility.

“Morning, Dad,” Jacob smiles, coming into the kitchen.

“Morning, kid,” he replies, pointing to the plate set up for him on the dining table.

“Did you make pancakes?”

“And bacon and eggs; and you’re gonna finish your plate. You need a…”

“Balanced breakfast,” Jacob finishes for his father. “I know.”

They sit at one end of the table and Jacob dishes on his experiences at school.

“...and finals suck.”

“If it’s any consolation,” Andy smirks, piercing a piece of pancake on his fork, “Your teachers hate finals too.”

“What do you mean?”

“You think we like grading?”

Jacob shrugs, a silent answer of, You have a point. As he chews on a slice of bacon, he looks toward the documents littering the other side of the table. “Are those all the papers you have to grade?”

“Oh, no,” Andy shakes his head. “That’s…uh. Well, I took a case.”

“What?” his son asks incredulously. “Are you serious? I thought you were done with that.”

“Thought I was too, but it was a special circumstance.”

“What do you mean?”

Andy pauses, trying to figure out how much he can share without being indiscreet. “One of my students is a single mom of a one-year-old. Her boyfriend died before their daughter was born, and now his parents are trying to claim custody of the girl.”

“Like…like full custody?” Jacob prods. “They wanna take her away?”

“Mhmm.”

“Why?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Andy shakes his head. “But sometimes people don’t have good reasons for their actions, you know?”

He sees his son deflate a little. “That’s awful. She must be really upset.”

Swallowing, Andy feels his heart squeeze at the memory of your devastated face as you cried and told him what was happening.

“She is. That’s why I’m helping her.”

Jacob nods and bites off another serving of bacon, looking thoughtful as he chews. “Can I help?”

“What have I told you about talking with your mouth–”

He swallows quickly and washes his food down with a drink of juice before repeating the question, “Can I help? You know, help you look through the documents and stuff? I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Andy’s surprised. He’s not sure where this eagerness to help comes from. He’s more familiar with the practice of side-by-side working with his son; he recalls nights when he would stay up reviewing evidence while his son constructed projects on the floor.

Working with his son was new. But not a bad kind of new.

He smiles. “I think that’d be great.”

- - -

The day flies by as the Barber boys fry their brains looking at page after page and writing notes based on the information they’ve gathered. They’ve moved from the dining table to the floor, papers spread out everywhere in some sort of organized chaos. Fueled by greasy pizza and garlic bread, they realize while Ivy’s grandparents don’t have much of a leg to stand on for claiming full custody, there’s not much that can stop the judge from granting them partial custody.

They have no criminal history, no financial troubles, and live in a good neighborhood.

“Hey dad,” Jacob says with his mouth full again.

Andy ignores it, swallowing a bite of pizza and burping a little. “What is it?”

“You’re getting a call. ‘Daria Ahmandi.’”

Furrowing his brows, he takes the phone and answers the call, “Daria.”

“Hi, Andy, sorry to call you on a weekend but earlier this week, I finally got your message about the custody battle for…Abernathy. Ivy Abernathy?”

“Oh,” Andy sighs, “Right. I’m sorry to have bothered you, I ended up taking the case–”

“That’s perfect, then,” she says.

“What do you mean?”

“The name of the girl caught my attention, and then in your message, you mentioned Troy Abernathy, and I remembered I wrote his will.”

The world stands still for a moment as Andy processes what she’s saying. He reaches for Jacob, hearing an audible smack.

“Ow! Dad, what the–”

Looking at his son as he holds his nose, Andy realizes he accidentally hit him in the face.

“Sorry, kiddo, but write this down. Quickly!”

He watches his son scramble to grab his pencil and a notepad before nodding. Removing the phone from his ear, he puts the call on speaker so that Jacob can take notes.

“Daria, you wrote his will?”

“Yes.”

“Jacob, was there a will in any of these documents?”

“Um…” Jacob begins to look around.

“Andy, you won’t find the will there because it was never fulfilled.”

“What do you mean?”

“I reached out to his parents after his death to discuss the execution of his will because they were named caretakers of his assets but they never replied.”

“Who was supposed to receive his assets?” It’s a bit of a dumb question; Andy can probably guess.

“Ivy Paige Abernathy and Y/N Y/L/N, his girlfriend at the time–I think he was planning to propose to her. And she’s Ivy’s mother, I understand.”

“Yes, yes, she is,” Andy says, locking eyes with his son and smiling.

Checkmate.

- - - - -

“Defense calls Benjamin Abernathy to the stand.”

Your head whips toward Andy to look at him.

What the hell is he doing?

Shrugging, Benjamin approaches the stand and sits down, crossing his legs and foldings his hands as he waits for Andy to question him.

“Mr. Abernathy, do you know the name of Ivy’s pediatrician?”

“Objection, your honor. Relevance.”

For a moment, you almost agree with Mr. Siegel. You don’t know where Andy is going with this line of questioning.

“Your honor, this kind of question speaks to whether the Abernathys are capable of caring for Ivy. Mr. Abernathy should have no problem answering basic questions about his granddaughter.”

“Objection overruled. Answer the question, Mr. Abernathy.”

His eyes drift to the side for a moment before shaking his head. “Um, not off the top of my head, no.”

“Her name is Dr. Barra. Do you know if she has any allergies?”

“Troy never had any allergies, so I assume not.”

You huff quietly to yourself, knowing that doesn’t make any sense.

“She’s allergic to penicillin and peaches. Do you know what her favorite stuffed animal is?”

“Surely it’s the little elephant Constance and I gave her the week after she was born.”

“If you had been paying attention and looked at her the entire time you were on the stand, you would see that it’s the stuffed monkey her father gifted her before his passing.”

You look back at the seating area, finding Ivy in your aunt’s lap playing with the toy in question.

“It is clear, Mr. Abernathy, that you know nothing about this child. So why are you so adamant you know what’s best for her?”

“Well, we would know these things if Y/N had let us take on more of a role with Ivy.”

He looks right at you as he makes the jab. You swallow, doing your best to keep your trust in Andy about this.

“Why wait until now? If this was about being there for Ivy, why not support Miss Y/L/N during her pregnancy?”

Benjamin makes a show of looking down as if he was taking a moment to mourn his son. Andy bites the inside of his cheek. If he could, he would’ve told him to drop the act.

“Objection, your honor. We’ve made it clear that Miss Y/L/N cut contact between herself and Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy.”

The judge thinks for a moment. “Overruled. Answer the question, Mr. Abernathy.”

Benjamin sighs. “We were in mourning, we needed time to process everything.”

“I understand,” Andy nods. He hears a scoff from behind him, probably Constance. “No, I do,” he turns back. “But you and your wife mourn your son by leaving his fiancée alone with no resources?”

“We weren’t in any shape to take care of anyone, let alone a pregnant woman.”

Andy’s stoic face drops for a moment, satisfaction settling over him knowing he got him right where he wants him.

“You say you were in no condition to take care of another person, much less the mother of your grandchild,” Andy begins, walking back to the Defendant's table and swiping up two folders.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Andy hands one folder to the judge and the other to Benjamin.

“Defense’s exhibits F, G, H, I, and J; the last will of Mr. Troy Benjamin Abernathy; a letter from his lawyer, Mrs. Daria Amandhi, to Mr. Benjamin Abernathy and Mrs. Constance Abernathy in pursuit of executing said will; mortgage payments for the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy; a receipt of first-class airline tickets to the French Riviera; and the receipt and licensure for a new boat currently docked at Cape Cod.”

At the words “last will,” you sit up on alert. Troy had a will? He never told you.

“You say you were ‘in mourning,’ yet you and Mrs. Abernathy were able to handle your son’s estate, including draining his bank accounts and liquifying his assets.”

“Those things needed to be done, they weren’t easy.”

“No, but it was easy to leave a pregnant woman nearly destitute?”

“She had no claim to our son’s assets.”

“Oh, she didn’t? Please, read aloud from the paper labeled Exhibit F on the top left corner.”

Putting on his glasses, Benjamin flicks through the papers before finding the one he needs.

“‘I, Troy Benjamin Abernathy, being of full age and of sound mind and memory, do make, publish, and declare this to be my last Will and Testament. All the rest of my assets, both liquid and otherwise, I leave to my unborn child in the care of Y/N Y/L/N.’”

You cover your mouth to try and hide your shock. Tears prick the back of your eyes. Your heart wants to leap because Troy thought to do this, but this betrayal is just another added to the pile, weighing you down as you sink into anger.

“Let the record state that the unborn child mentioned is Ivy Paige Abernathy,” Andy addresses the stenographer before turning back to Benjamin. “Did you know this document existed?”

“This is clearly falsified.”

“I can assure you, Mr. Abernathy, that it is not. In fact, he sought out a lawyer two weeks after the doctor’s appointment confirming the pregnancy. You can see the date written at the top of the document, showing that it was filed four months before he passed away.”

Benjamin looks over the document, color draining from his face.

“It quite clearly lists my client as the recipient of your son’s life insurance, bank account, and assets. Additionally, it states a trust should be set up for his unborn child. Has this trust been established, Mr. Abernathy?”

“We-we used the money to pay for his funeral…”

“Really?” Andy feigns shock. “Did the funeral also include paying off the mortgage on your house, a brand new boat, and a trip to France–those expenses equaling the total value of your son’s estate?”

Benjamin flounders as he formulates his response, “We-we didn’t know about the existence of this document.”

“Even if that were true, sir, which I know is not as you can clearly see in Defense’s Exhibit G, your son’s attorney attempted to contact you in the days after his death. If you really truly cared about your grandchild, why would you not take her father’s money and establish a bank account in her name to set her up for the future?”

You want to scream at both him and Constance. How could they do this to you?!

Benjamin’s face begins to flush, stammering out his response, “I don’t see why I’m being attacked for this. Y/N’s parents didn’t help her either!”

Seeing red, you nearly explode but Andy comes to your defense.

“Her parents chose not to be involved and have been consistent in that choice. Unlike you and your wife. And by denying my client access to the assets that were legally hers, you forced her to work days and attend school at night to make a better life for Ivy. You were trying to exacerbate the situation in your favor, weren’t you?”

“No!” he bursts, “Going back to school was her choice.”

“Correct. But let me reiterate: it was a choice she had to make because you denied her access to assets that were hers. By being forced to work during the day, you took her away from Ivy without even being in the room. So the conditions that you have presented that you claim make her an unfit mother are conditions you created based on your decisions to withhold money that was hers.

“Instead of doing what your son trusted you to do, you didn’t. Therefore, it can be assumed that you don’t care about Ivy. You and your wife have burned through the last of your son’s money and are now trying to take the last thing he left behind: his daughter.”

“That’s a lie!”

“I don’t blame you, sir. You want to hold on to what’s left of your boy. But you have no rights here. In fact, you’re looking at a lot more legal trouble in your future.”

“Ob-Objection, your honor–!”

“Withdrawn. I’m done,” Andy interrupts, quickly glancing at the lawyer before looking at the judge. “Your honor, I move to have the case dismissed based on a lack of foundation of evidence that my client is an unfit mother for Ivy.”

“Your honor, I–”

“I think I’ve heard and seen enough, Mr. Siegel,” the judge interjects firmly. “Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy, I cannot begin to express how much time you have wasted on my part, on your counselor’s part, on Miss Y/L/N’s part, on Mr. Barber’s part–I could go on and on. This was clearly a claim filed with malicious intent to further rob a woman of a child that is rightfully hers. Furthermore, your case was not only built on false claims but also based on circumstances that you two have created for her. And I would argue that you did this knowingly.

“Miss Y/L/N,” the judge turns as she addresses you, “I would like to formally apologize to you. Nothing can compensate you for your time and the emotional distress you have faced while this case has been open. However, this is by far one of the easiest decisions I have ever made. It is this court’s decision to award full custody to Miss Y/L/N. Additionally, this court demands the plaintiffs to pay the full amount of what Miss Y/L/N is entitled to per Mr. Troy Benjamin Abernathy’s last will and testament and any additional costs, including fees Miss Y/L/N has incurred as a result of this trial. Case dismissed.”

- - - - -

You’re embarrassed as you stumble a little on the way from Andy’s car into your apartment. Feeling your face heat up as you steady yourself against the wall, you glance over your shoulder.

Everyone encouraged you to indulge at dinner after leaving the courthouse. You think it was the biggest meal you ever had; three courses including a cake all to yourself and a very generous glass of wine. The drink hit you harder than you anticipated, but Ivy is none the wiser to your inebriated state, fast asleep in Andy’s arms as he reaches for you with his free hand.

“You okay?” he chuckles.

“Mhmm,” you hum. “I haven’t had much alcohol since I found out I was pregnant with her,” you sigh. “I used to be able to hold it better.”

“Well, who can fault you for that?” he smiles, making your knees go weak. “You’re a good mother, Teddy.”

He steadies you as you walk the rest of the way to the door. Stopping to dig in your bag for your keys, your eyes rest on your daughter.

“I try,” you say as you reach out to stroke her hair.

“That’s all you can do.”

Smiling at his reassurance, you turn back to open the door and flip the light switch. Andy goes straight to Ivy’s room to set her on her bed and you retreat to your bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes.

Your business casual outfit scratches uncomfortably against your skin, leaving you relieved when you pull on Troy’s old college shirt and some sleep shorts. Coming back to the living room, you find Andy unpacking Ivy’s bag.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” you breathe. “You’ve…you’ve done more than enough for her.”

“I’m happy to do it,” he smiles, setting the last of her toys back in the storage bin.

“I can’t thank you for everything you’ve done,” you tell him shyly as he stands. You look down, fiddling with your fingers. “For her and for me.”

Hooking a finger under your chin, Andy tilts your head up to look at him. “You don’t have to thank me.”

You dare to place your hand on the center of his chest, hearing the fabric crinkle under your palm. Your gaze flickers from his eyes to his mouth and every fiber of your body screams for one thing.

Leaning up, you capture his lips with yours, sighing happily when he returns it, wrapping his arms around you. You dart your tongue out and he pulls away, stepping back.

“I’m sorry,” you’re quick to apologize.

“No, Ted, no,” he cups your face and kisses your forehead. “That’s not it,” he mumbles against your skin, voice rumbling soothingly.

“Then what is it?”

“You’re drunk,” he states plainly, licking his lips and tasting traces of wine from your kiss. “And you’re still my student.”

You huff.

His thumb taps on your lower lip, making you retract your pout. “June 11th.”

“What?”

“June 11th,” he repeats. “The day after you graduate. That’s when I’m taking you and Ivy out to dinner. I’ll be coming into some extra cash pretty soon, so I’d like to spoil my girls.”

Your knees finally buckle and you both giggle as he catches you.

My girls.

You and Ivy are his girls. It’s a dreamy thought and you look at the calendar to remind yourself of today’s date. “It’s April 28th,” you sigh, leaning your head on his chest. “June is so far away.”

“I know, Teddy, but I don’t wanna jeopardize your degree.”

“And your job.”

“Oh, fuck my job,” he laughs. “If I could, I’d…”

He never finishes his sentence, leaving so many unsaid desires hanging in the air. The two of you stand there in dissatisfaction, stuck in an unfortunate situation. It's only a matter of time, but he's here now and you're impatient.

“June 11th,” you agree reluctantly, looking up at him and smoothing down a stray strand of hair on the side of his head. “We’ll be free.”

Smiling, he dares to steal one more kiss. “It’s a date.”

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dismemberment-on-a-tuesday-night · 9 months

Text

Sanctuary part five

TW: isolation, religion, blood, referenced near death experience, referenced sex work, outdated terms, human whumpee, vampire caretaker

Dear diary, I am afraid I am going to demote you from your status as my dearest companion. For my self inflicted solitude has been interrupted by a human, who has offered me more friendship and kindness than I would have thought possible from his kind.

I rescued Mordecai on a mere whim, a flight of fancy if you will. Since then he has wiggled his way into my heart and there he is to reside. Has it really been a mere month since I found him half dead in the swamp? He is closer to me than any man has been allowed to be in decades.

We hardly talk. He is not the obnoxious sort, filling every silence with idle blatantly obvious commentary on what is going on around himself. We spend much time alone, but still within the realm of the other's company. His breathing is a lovely sound to accompany my favored tasks of cleaning and organizing.

I have taken to reading in my, or perhaps our, withdrawing room. Mordecai sits by my side, as quiet as the face etched on the moon save for his heartbeat, while he paints beautiful patterns on my arms. I look up from my finished chapter to see black flowers and stars covering my arms, and ink coating my companion's fingers.

He loves to draw on paper as well as flesh, and does so with great skill. He took great joy in sketching my likeness with charcoal from our burnt out fire. My reflection has not been within the realms of mirrors in millenia, and I had nearly forgotten that others could perceive my face as well as I could perceive theirs.

Something odd happened the last time Mordecai drew me, something he has grown quite fond of. He whispered that he found me handsome, then scampered away to find something to drink before I could return the compliment. I try not to think much of it, but I do wonder what makes him so shy.

Oh, I must mention how very accepting he was of my unusual feeding habits. I am glad that he is now in good health, as it serves both of us very well. His affliction of anemia has been fully vanquished by my care, and his blood tastes as salty as any ocean. No wonder, with how heavily he likes his meat seasoned.

I now see his place in my life as a blessing. I used to receive blessings from the goddess for whom I was named, when I was a woman and a prostitute serving in her temple. But this is a new kind of blessing, and unfamiliar to me. I wonder if it comes from the god Mordecai worships. By his given name I assume he and the sister he writes to share a god with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, though I have never seen Mordecai in prayer. I shall have to ask him about his faith when he wakes.

Taglist: @hugh-lauries-bald-spot @devourerofcheesecake @thedarkmongoose @whumpsday @whumpshaped @heavenly-whumper @suspicious-whumping-egg @whumplr-reader @sulnusoup13 @goldenflame2516 @cepheusgalaxy @emscared-whumps @dragonwithanaquarium

#Abraham original: Hot off the press #Sanctuary #Whump #Expository writing #Expository whump #Human whumpee #Vampire caretaker #Whump series #Whump writing

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scary-tingz · 2 years

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METALHEAD! Michael Myers X EMO! S/O Headcanons

A/N: Can’t get the idea of metalhead Mikey falling for an emo out of my head, it’s so damn cute and self indulgent on my part. Sorry not sorry.

Well, to set the stage for this post, I’ll start by saying that (in the early 2000s at least), metalheads did not like emos, or at the very least had a distaste for emo music.

They think it’s whiny, and metal is not whiny,

Michael has spent his life detesting the thought of being weak, emotional, or whiny, and got into metal at a pretty young age.

I like to think that in a world where 07 didn’t happen, he’d grow up to be a metalhead and hang around other likeminded people.

And although the group he hung out with had an arbitrary hatred for the emo group that gathered only a few benches over, you always had his eye.

While your respective groups bickered the two of you stood behind, observing the other with interest.

He liked your cute little accessories, maybe even found your taste in musicians hilariously charming, he just couldn’t bring himself to hate you.

When his younger sister Laurie started bringing you around more he got used to you, despite his stand-offish nature at first.

When you expressed interest in the things that he liked he slowly started assimilating your interests into his life as well, or at the very least gave them a shot.

The two of you found common ground regarding you interest in the edgier things, especially horror movies. Blood, guts, gore, fun! Who didn’t like a good horror flick?

You were lucky he allowed you to get away with so much. Painting his nails, playing your music on his stereo, making blingees on his computer? You were privileged, so so privileged.

Even if you were whiny, you were cute, and undeniably… You. The heart of being emo is being, well, emotional, something that he’s never willingly tried to be. He admires the culture for that, and you as well.

You help make him feel more sensitive, less tough and more squish, maybe even… Vulnerable.

If you’re the poetry type and you’re brave enough to share with him, you might receive some of his with varying degrees of quality.

One thing he won’t do for a very long time is let you apply makeup on him, he can do it himself and doesn’t like you being so close to his face.

He definitely likes watching you put yours on though, if you put any on.

If you doodle he’ll scribble with you, usually claiming the other side of the page for his strangely demonic art. You think it’s cool.

He watches as you feverishly use the MS paint line tool to draw your respective features over a DA Sonic couple base, non judgmentally kind of. If you ask him to add stuff he will create an awesome moonlit background and maybe some song lyrics in Creepster font. It’s his wallpaper now.

He likes it when you draw you and him as wolves he thinks they’re. Cool. He likes wolves, he thinks they are cool. Will draw the same wolf characters but in a lot more eerie detail.

When emailing you he will only say what he feels necessary, but will occasionally frighten you when he mimics your text emotes with a small “ T_T “

Stalks your forum profiles, doesn’t matter what forum or how obscure. He will find you and watch, judge a little but not say anything.

If his friends target you specifically he’ll fend them off, not caring whether or not they look down on him for it. If they aren’t willing to let you be apart of his life, then they can’t be apart of it either.

If you openly self loathe a lot expect him to try and stop you. And by that I mean he’ll pull you into a hug and squeeze you until you stop talking about yourself that way. He thinks he is helping.

Has a collection of spikes/studs that have fallen off your clothing.

He tries dressing emo for one date, gets embarrassed because you unironically glomped him for it.

Having Michael as a boyfriend is like having another shadow, but it’s a blessing. Suddenly, all the people who pestered you before are minding their own business and walking the opposite way on the sidewalk. Anyone who dares belittle you over your fashion choices will regret it almost immediately.

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spiralcass · 3 months

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NEW X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES - SEASON 3, EPISODE 8

We open in Dr. Sean Garrison’s office, where he’s having a seemingly normal session with Quentin.

GARRISON: “Anything new in your life? Friends? Crushes? Anxieties?”

QUENTIN: “Don’t think I’m welcome with my old “friends” anymore, but I don’t care. I’ve got my own gang now.”

GANG: “A gang?”

QUENTIN: “Just a name. Was actually thinking of calling us “The Omega Gang”. You know. For the infinite potential we’re going to show humanity we have.”

Garrison laughs.

GARRISON: “Cute.”

QUENTIN: “Some of the girls in the gang brought in a kid. Still unsure about her. Crushes? No. But I figured out my best friend has one on me a while ago.”

GARRISON: “Brian? I thought you were out of that crowd.”

QUENTIN, smiling: “He’s different. He never belonged with them. He’ll see that soon.” BEAT. “Anxieties? Heh. No. Ever since you helped me find myself, I’ve only felt alive.”

GARRISON: “I am so happy to hear that, Quentin. Usually, therapy can take months or even years to see any progress, but you’ve gotten this far in mere weeks.”

QUENTIN, overly proud of himself: “I’m one of a kind.”

GARRISON: “I agree.” Garrison stands up, pruning tool in hand, and approaches his flowers. “Now, update me on our plan to destroy the Jean Grey School.”

QUENTIN, cracking his knuckles: “I got everything we needed off Cerebro. I’ve gone over the plan with The Omega Gang a million times. And Laurie Collins moves in tomorrow.”

GARRISON, grinning as he prunes a flower: “Brilliant.”

QUENTIN, eagerly leaning forward: “It’s going to be awesome. I don’t know if the X-Men will get the message, but no parent will ever send their kid to this rancid school again. So…” He eagerly leans forward. “When do I get to meet Lady Akabba?”

Garrison prunes another flower.

GARRISON: “My lady is the inheritor of Lord Apocalypse’s will. To be granted an audience with her, you must first prove that you are fit.”

QUENTIN: “You know I am!”

GARRISON: “Of course I do. And when you and the Omega Gang are triumphant, she will understand that.” Quentin nods along. “Before you launch your attack, there’s one more thing we need you to do.”

QUENTIN: “Name it.”

GARRISON: “Introduce yourself to your newest classmate.”

Garrison prunes another flower as we hard cut to Laurie being toured through the Jean Grey School by Sofia.

Laurie looks at everything and everyone with wide eyes. This is so cool! She hasn’t gotten to go to a real school in almost two years, and now thanks to Sofia, she can be in a school with people like her.

Sofia is glad she’s happy, and she’s very excited to introduce her to all of her friends.

LAURIE: “They sound really cool from what you’ve said.”

SOFIA: “We have had our many ups and downs, but they are my family. I fight for them. Who do you fight for?”

LAURIE: “I don’t really fight. But I guess I wanna make my mom proud?”

SOFIA: “She is a lovely woman. What about your father?”

LAURIE, sullen: “I never met him. He died a long time ago. Mom has never had anything nice to say. She never even told me his name.”

Sofia doesn’t think that’s fair. Passed on or not, there is nothing like the bond between father and daughter, and she deserves a taste of that.

LAURIE, confused: “I…thought you hated your dad.”

Before Sofia can respond, Pixie flies up to the two other girls, no longer wearing her helmet, chewing bubblegum, and with a black streak in her pink hair.

PIXIE: “Hey new kid!” She pops a giant bubble in her face, scaring Laurie. “Try not to look so cute and helpless, okay? That’s my thing!”

SOFIA, as Megan flies off: “So glad you are doing better, Pixie!” BEAT. “And I was worried she might turn out like her sister.”

LAURIE, confused and afraid: “Huh?”

SOFIA: “Don’t worry about it.”

Sofia grins and hooks her arm around Laurie’s as the two enter the cafeteria. Sitting at his table with the Omega Gang, Quentin sets his eyes on Laurie while Glob and Redneck play “Draw the short straw” with their french fries, Redneck lighting up his molten hands in frustration and Glob laughing after the former’s consecutive losses, Tattoo and Radian are scribbling doodles of dead X-Men in their notebooks, Tattoo using her power to imprint titles underneath the pieces, and Ernst frustratedly asks Martha where Shela is; this is the third day in a row she’s skipped out on lunch with them.

Quentin tells all of them to shut up. He’s got his eyes on the target.

RADIAN: “You do not get to tell us to shut up.”

GLOB, confused and looking around: “I don’t see any targets.”

Quentin seethes, before putting on an obviously fake smile and floating over to Sofia and Laurie.

QUENTIN, telekinetically shoving Sofia out of the way (with Sofia momentarily dropping her “mask” and looking like she’s about to murder him): “Why hello there!” He takes and kisses Laurie’s hand, her face instantly going red.

LAURIE: “I’m…um…”

“Not interested.”

Quentin’s head aches, Sofia taking the opportunity to remove Laurie from the situation.

QUENTIN, telepathically: “Cuckoos? What’s your problem?!”

SOPHIE: “You are.”

ESME, CELESTE, PHOEBE, AND MINDEE: “Loser.”

Quentin is confused. He thought they were cool now. Sophie points out to him that was before he drugged Surge. “And not in a fun way”.

CELESTE: “We like your style.”

ESME: “And how you handle humans.”

SOPHIE: “But you’re still just the same old Quentin.”

Quentin sneers, with a veiny forehead, glaring over at the friend group’s table and, in particular, Brian, as he’s just having fun and messing around with Noriko, Cessily, Roxy, Sooraya, and the no longer distracted Cuckoos. From the brief look we get at their game, they’re playing a Mutant version of snap, with powers allowed, but Noriko being forced to play with her teeth to keep things fair.

Their happiness and friendship only serves to piss him off more.

On the lunchline, Julian approaches Sofia and Laurie, telling them good morning.

LAURIE, shrinking behind Sofia: “Um, I’m not interested.”

Sofia tells her not to worry and that this is Julian; her ex-boyfriend.

JULIAN: “I know it shouldn’t, but it still stings hearing you call me that.”

Julian introduces himself to Laurie, with Laurie questioning if he isn’t dating Surge. Julian cringes, and Sofia apologizes for giving Laurie out of date gossip, letting her know that they broke up.

SOFIA: “I really am sorry things didn’t work out.”

JULIAN: “Not your fault. It’s Quire’s. For the best anyway.”

SOFIA, smiling and delicately resting a hand on his shoulder: “I am sure you will find exactly who you belong with eventually. Perhaps sooner rather than later.”

Julian cycles through multiple expressions at her touch, including shock and pleasure, before asking if they can talk later after class and training. Just the two of them. Sofia tells him she’d love to.

Julian, pleased with how that went, walks away with his head held high. Laurie is confused; it sounds like he wants to talk to her about getting together again, but she’s still dating Laura, right?

SOFIA, still smiling: “We’re just going to talk. I promise. I would never hurt Laura like that.” Sofia and Laurie reach the front of the line. “Now, would you like the meatloaf or Doop’s Surprise?”

LAURIE: “What’s the surprise?”

Doop scratches himself, with flakes flying off of him.

LAURIE, grossed out: “Meatloaf, please.”

In the Mission Room, the six current adult X-Men are having a meeting. Cyclops starts things off by sarcastically thanking Sunspot for taking time out of his very busy schedule to join them; he knows that can’t be easy.

ROBERTO, staring at his nails, unbothered: “I wouldn’t still be here if I wasn’t worth it.”

Scott points out that this is actually a good place to start; he’s not asking them to put in as much as the rest of them, but Sunspot and Magik should both become more involved in the school. Magik laughs at this, balking at the idea.

MAGIK: “You want the soulless monster influencing the little children? You must be dumber than those sunglasses make you look. I mean I’m not complaining but–”

KITTY, holding Magik’s hand: “I think you’d make an excellent teacher.”

MAGIK: “But I think I’d love to give it a try!”

Beto makes a whipcrack sound with his mouth, Magik sticks her tongue out at him, and Magneto ponders to himself if he’s traveled back in time five years. Sunspot points out that he does teach a class, with Emma quickly countering that, yes, he teaches “a” class, far fewer than herself, Kitty and the others. And with Kurt having run off with Pitor to join Logan and Storm, all of his classes are now up for grabs.

SUNSPOT: “I’ll think about it. Could we please move on to the ongoing crisis at hand?”

Cyclops obliges that request. As far as finding the Horsemen and figuring out what happened to Sofia, they think they may finally have a lead. Thanks to Magik.

Magik, who’s already stopped paying attention, is brought back to attention by Kitty phasing a hand through her. Startled, she tells them all that the Horsemen definitely used Pixie to make their knockoff Gem of Cyttorak; a chunk of her soul is missing.

KITTY: “That explains the personality change.”

EMMA: “Did she fling mashed potatoes at you, as well?”

KITTY: “No, I think she just doesn’t like you.”

Magik continues to say that she was able to track the source of the magic, to a point; they definitely have a teleporter, and that makes things fuzzy.

MAGNETO: “So you have nothing?”

MAGIK: “I didn’t say that, Teach. I took a closer look at what was going on in the remnants of her soul, and at what had been done to it. It’s…indelicate. The soul is chipped, not cleanly broken apart. Comparing it to the energies coming off the sapphire, it should have been far more difficult for me to destroy.”

SUNSPOT: “All this to say?”

MAGIK, kicking her feet up on the table: “Lady Akabba isn’t some long-lived, perfect heir to Apocalypse, capable of all that he was. She’s a novice. I’d bet Cyclops’ head she’d never cast a spell on this level before.”

BETO, suspicious, with gears turning: “I see.”

Emma asks Magik if she’d be willing to help her provide counseling for Megan, potentially able to offer a valuable perspective on what she’s going through, while Magneto brings up that that can’t happen today, as she’s already agreed to try examining Wanda to see if magic can undo Pestillence’s infection.

Magik groans in frustration, pulling at her hair over what all the headmasters want from her. They know she runs a hell dimension, right?

KITTY, intentionally overly sweetly: “Please?”

MAGIK, cringing: “You are taking advantage of my devotion to you.”

KITTY, still smiling: “Yeah, I am.”

She kisses a grumpy Yana’s cheek.

Cyclops asks Emma to use Cerebro to check in on all of the planet’s teleporters. Amelia Vought, Lila Cheyney, all of them. See if any of them can lead them to the Horsemen. Emma agrees to get on that as soon as they’re done here.

EMMA: “But we have another matter to discuss. Mr. Quire.”

The X-Men continue to speak via voice over, as we cut to Quentin, sitting in his gaming chair in his room with his eyes closed. They note that the kid is spiarling out of control, he didn’t regret using Cerebro without permission or fighting Hellion, he’s talented enough that he could have hidden info from Cerebro from Emma when she scanned his mind, he’s still been seeing Dr. Garrison despite the X-Men cutting off their relationship with him, and while he did show regret over what happened to Surge, they doubt he isn’t still finding ways to take Kick himself.

SCOTT, voice over: “We go easy on these kids because the world throws enough at them already, but we need to come down hard on him before he slips through the cracks.”

Quentin sneers as we zoom inside his head. Inside Quentin’s mindscape, which takes on the form of an elegant museum full of portraits and sculptures of himself, The Omega Gang, now including Escapade is waiting.

QUENTIN: “Listen up. We’re going over the plan one more time.”

The Omega Gang groans.

TATTOO: “We all know what we’ve gotta do to take this place down, Q. Don’t sweat it.”

QUENTIN: “Never call me that again.” Quentin glares at a clearly anxious Shela. “Martha, Ernst, why does your friend look like she’s about to piss herself?”

MARTHA, able to speak here: “She’s fine. Right, Escapade?”

QUENTIN: “I think she can speak for herself.” He gets right in Shela’s face and makes a big toothy grin. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

SHELA, creeped out: “Uh, nothing. I just kinda sorta don’t understand why we’re doing this?”

MARTHA: “We told you already!”

ERSNT: “The X-Men don’t care about us.”

RADIAN: “They care about Mutants, obviously. And about keeping us safe.”

TATTOO: “But they don’t care enough to take real action. Not when they can play superhero for the flatscans.”

REDNECK: “We would be ruling the Earth right now, never needing to worry about Purifiers or U-Men or politicians again if it wasn’t for them.”

GLOB: “And however nice they seemed when they recruited you, don’t believe it. They only care about their “special” kids.”

QUENTIN, still grinning and putting his hands on Shela’s shoulders: “That’s why we need to teach them a lesson. Some people may get hurt, but the X-Men will finally understand what it is they owe us, and what all of Mutantkind is owed. Do you understand?”

Shela nervously looks over at Ersnt and Martha. They shake their heads at her. She looks back at Quentin.

SHELA: “Yes. I understand. This is for the best.”

QUENTIN: “Glad that’s settled.”

Shela breathes a sigh of relief as Quentin turns and walks away from her.

Quentin gets them back on topic and explains that he knows even the dumbest among them understand their assignments But he’s making a last minute change of plans. They need every bit of firepower they can get to pull this off. There’s someone he wants to be a part of this. The person who first helped him see he could be more than what he is.

Quentin psychically drags a very confused Tag into his mindscape.

BRIAN: “Huh?! What the Hell?!”

QUENTIN: “Hey Bri. Hope you weren’t doing anything important. We need to talk.”

Taking a look around him, and at Quentin and the others, Brian is able to quickly assess that something bad is going down.

Back in the Mission Room, everyone is getting up, having each been dealt their assignments. Kitty tells Magik not to take too long helping Emma and Magneto; they still need to make up for being too exhausted to do anything on Valentines.

Kitty opens her mouth to say something to Scott and Emma, but she decides it’s a bad idea. Scott asks her what it is.

KITTY: “I was gonna ask if you two wound up doing anything on Valentines, but then I realized there’s nothing I’d rather not know.” She immediately transitions to saying, “Emma, put the knowledge in my brain and my hand goes through your chest.”

Emma’s amused, while Scott’s a little embarrassed. She tells Kitty that she’s sure she could get them separate seats for the opera she and Scott are attending that night, but Illyana shuts that down, saying they’ve already got tickets for monster trucks. Emma facepalms as she’s walked away by Scott, the younger women both clearly enthusiastic about their plans.

Erik asks Roberto if he’ll be choosing what other classes he wants to teach immediately, or if he has another flight to catch.

ROBERTO: “I should actually be around for quite a while, now. I have someone else to handle flying for me.”

Beto more somberly asks Magneto how he’s managing with everything that’s happened with his children.

ERIK, glaring at him before speaking: “I’m afraid unless you’re prepared to pick up where we left and share with me what’s going on, that isn’t a question I’m comfortable answering.” Roberto cringes. “That’s what I thought.”

Erik dramatically departs with a swing of his cape, leaving Beto on his own to kick his feet.

BETO: “Shit.”

In Quentin’s mindscape, Brian has been filled in on what The Omega Gang is doing.

BRIAN, shaking his head: “No. No, this isn’t you.”

Quentin laughs. His gang laughs with him.

QUENTIN: “Of course it is. You know that better than anyone.” He puts an arm around Brian and looks at the others. “Did you he know he was the one who helped me bury those humans whose brains I cooked?”

The Omega Gang cheers and applauds Brian.

Brian shoves Quentin away. Yes, he did do that! Because he cares about him. But drugging Nori crossed a line. And what he wants to do crosses every line.

REDNECK: “Of course you’d think that! You’re one of their special little X-Men in Training.”

RADIAN: “Yeah. Some of us don’t get to have futures outside their welfare.”

TATTOO: “We won’t even all get to stay together. Only so much space here. A new crop of kids will come in, and we’ll be out.”

Brian grimaces, as he flashes back to his fight with Firefist.

FIREFIST: “The X-Men somehow win and you’re still with them? A loser like you will be dropped just as quickly as I was.”

Brian contemplates for a moment before his face fills with determination.

BRIAN: “I get what you’re saying. It’s something I’m worried about too. But I won’t betray everyone.”

QUENTIN, irritated: “What, then? You’ll rat us out? Watch and chortle with your friends as they “come down hard” on us to set an example so that no one ever dreams of calling out the perfect X-Men again?”

BRIAN: “No, dude, I’m saying let’s just talk to them so we can tell them our problems. They’ll listen!”

ERNST: “Exactly which of the supermodel billionaires or monarchs past or present will listen to US?”

BRIAN: “If they’re really as bad as you all think, they’ll at least listen to me. Like you said, I’m part of that crowd. For now.”

Quentin sneers.

QUENTIN: “Maybe we should do things your way. Then you’ll see exactly what I’ve been telling you since we met. Not a single one of your friends or mentors cares about you for you. The second you step out of line, you’ll be cut. Don’t expect to come crying back to us after that though. You’ll be all alone. Again.”

BRIAN, cracking: “You’re wrong.”

QUENTIN: “Or maybe I’m right and we should just skip the heartbreak and get to the part where I save all our futures.” Quentin takes Brian’s hands as he smiles at him and makes him shiver. “Them abandoning you is inevitable. But I never will. We’re the same. You just need to accept that.”

Brian sweats, panicking and breaking down as different members of the gang either egg him on to join or mock him, and Quentin psychically applies just a little extra pressure.

Brian breaks, putting his hands on Quentin’s mouth and making out with him. Quentin goes along with it and keeps it going. Most of the gang is grossed out, but Glob thinks they’re cute.

Night falls on the Jean Grey School.

Julian hangs out above the school, floating in mid-air and looking up at the stars. He pounds his metal fists together and stares down at them.

“Why aren’t you wearing a jacket?”

Julian instantly smiles as Sofia flies up next to him, wrapped in a blue trenchcoat.

JULIAN: “I learned more tricks while you were away than what I show off in training. I don’t even need to make my telekinesis visible to keep myself warm with it now.”

SOFIA: “Very impressive.” She blows her coat off of herself and onto Julian. “But you still look like you could use one.”

JULIAN, liking this, teasing and not complaining: “What are you now, my mom?”

SOFIA: “No, I do not think I’m an uncaring baseline with terrible skin.”

JULIAN: “Ha!”

SOFIA: “I’m serious. I’ve sponsored some products that could help her.”

JULIAN: “Only help my mom needs is a shrink.”

The two giggle.

JULIAN: “Aren’t you cold now though?” Sofia blows a gust of wind in his face, messing up his hair. “Ah. Right.”

Julian tilts his head back.

JULIAN: “What are we doing here?”

SOFIA: “You wanted to talk. You tell me.”

Julian bites his lip. He hates this.

JULIAN: “Do you love Laura?”

SOFIA: “What? Of course I do.”

JULIAN: No. Not like you love all of us.”

Sofia doesn’t answer.

Julian almost silently mumbles, “Sorry, Laura.”

JULIAN: “And what about me?”

Sofia widens her eyes faux innocently.

SOFIA: “I told you I still loved you when I came back. But you were with Surge. If you weren’t going to wait, neither was I.”

Julian cringes, shutting his eyes.

While his eyes are shut, Sofia kisses him. He opens his eyes in shock.

SOFIA, smirking flirtatiously: “What? Are you not your mentor’s protege?”

Julian nervously laughs and stumbles over his words. He pulls himself together.

JULIAN: “Were you just trying to make me jealous?”

Sofia shrugs, as she effortlessly positions herself in Julian’s arms.

SOFIA: “I obviously don’t want to hurt Laura. But I want you more than anything. So if you want me…”

JULIAN, holding her tight: “Yes. A million times yes.”

SOFIA, face unseen by Julian, smirking evily: “Then I will make sure Laura wants to end things herself. And everything can be how it should.”

Julian wishes they hadn’t screwed things up so badly, again, but at least they have a plan. Sofia promises him this will all be over soon; in fact, she has an idea to make Laura happier than ever.

JULIAN, holding Sofia in front of himself, the two looking into each other’s eyes: “I’m never letting anything come between us again, Beautiful. I don’t care if I lose my legs, or if you lose your powers for good, or about anything else; I’m not letting you go again.”

Sofia, pleased for clearly more reasons than just her evil plan, gives him a quick peck.

SOFIA: “I love you too.”

The two passionately make out, beginning to take off their clothes as they fly swiftly down into the bushes.

In the common area, Sunspot and Warpath are playing chess. They go back and forth as James takes one of Roberto’s pieces after another. He gets annoyed.

JAMES: “Why are you letting me win?”

BETO: “Letting you win? That doesn’t like me. You know I love winning. It would be too painful not to for me.”

JAMES: “Uh-huh.”

As the two continue to play, Beto asks James how he’s been feeling; he heard about his tussle with Juggerlossus.

WARPATH: “Yeah, it happened while you were off kissing some girl halfway around the world.”

SUNSPOT: “I’ll have you know I showed her the very best of times on Valentines Day, not that she particularly cared.”

Beto is serious though. What prompted him to jump into battle like that? James makes clear there was no special reason; he may be finding more to himself than just a warrior, but that’s still who he is. They needed backup, and he could provide it.

Beto catches James by surprise as he takes his knight.

SUNSPOT: “Any interest in returning to the X-Men full-time?”

WARPATH, making his next move: “You going somewhere?”

SUNSPOT: “Just a question.”

WARPATH: “It’s never “just” a question with you.”

SUNSPOT: “I’m just wondering where your head is these days. If you’re longing for anything more than being a teacher.”

WARPATH, taking another piece: “These kids need me. I’m doing something that matters. That’s where my head is.”

SUNSPOT: “And that’s completely fair.” Beto takes James’ queen, stunning him. “I just think you could be thinking bigger.” He smirks. “You are the biggest man I know, after all.”

James glares at Beto as he tips over his king.

“James.”

Laura enters the room.

LAURA: “Can we talk?”

In Laura’s room, James examines various pictures arranged of her with Sofia (and the rest of her friends). He asks what’s up; she knows she doesn’t need to ask to talk to him.

Laura tells him that, the last time she ran away, she didn’t tell him anything; she’s sorry about that. James tells her not to bother. He understands from what she’s told him. Kimura hurt her bad. But the important thing she didn’t let her get to her for long, and she remembered who she is. They’ll pay Kimura back in blood one of these days.

Laura thanks him, but he’s wrong. Kimura was right about her. She is a weapon. And that’s why she’s doing what she’s doing now.

LAURA: “Sofia has a plan to find the Horsemen. With just the two of us. And we’re leaving tonight.”

James is very concerned.

Also concerned, sitting alone in dark in his room, is Brian. In only his boxers, he stares into the glow of his phone, with the “X-Men in Training” group chat open, and Emma and Dani tagged. He shivers and pants, before furiously typing.

He gets a message written out, explaining Quentin’s whole plan, not that the audience gets to see the specifics. He hovers his thumb over the send button.

In Shela’s room, Escapade pretends to be asleep, revealing herself not to be as she checks to see if Martha and Ernst are passed out.

Shela tosses on a robe, sneaks out of her room, and races toward the headmasters’ office. She bangs on the door, calling out for someone to open up. It’s important!

Alas, Shela freezes part way through her next knock, as her eyes flash pink.

QUENTIN, telepathically: “And this is why I don’t work with kids.”

In his room, Brian deletes his message, and smashes his phone against the wall.

In the boys bathroom, Julian sweats and pants heavily as he stares at himself in the mirror, exhausted and guilty.

JULIAN: “You didn’t do anything wrong. Sofia shouldn’t have used Laura like that, but you’re just setting things right. You’re not hurting her, you’re keeping her from getting hurt.”

Julian coughs. He clenches his fist and screams as she punches his reflection , not only shattering the mirror, but accidentally putting TK energy behind the punch and destroying part of the wall.

JULIAN, panting even harder: “Shit.”

“You SHOULD be upset; you can’t afford to pay to fix that anymore.”

Julian seethes as he exits the bathroom, where he finds a lone Cuckoo waiting for him in the hall.

JULIAN: “I’m not in the mood to talk, um…”

CUCKOO: “Oh my god, even you can’t tell us apart.”

JULIAN: “Sorry. Sophie?”

SOPHIE, rolling her eyes: “Idiot.”

As the two walk, Julian tells her to cut him some slack. He’s having a rought night, and it’s been a long time since just the two of them hung out and…

SOPHIE: “Interesting way to describe having sex. Like you and Sofia were just having.”

JULIAN, sighing: “Please tell me you weren’t spying.”

SOPHIE: “Eww, no, gross. Your mind is screaming. You’re hurt worse than you look.”

JULIAN: “That so? Then why didn’t the others hear?”

SOPHIE: “They did. I’m the only one who wanted to come check on you.”

They each crack a half smile at each other.

JULIAN: “Thanks. But I really don’t want to talk.”

SOPHIE: “You’re lying.”

JULIAN: “Maybe, but there’s nothing to say. I’m a jerk who can’t stop being selfish. All there is to it.”

SOPHIE, getting in front of him: “I know I just called you an idiot, but are you really that dense? Or did you just just your brains screwed out?

Julian tries to get past her, but she shoves his back with telekinesis, Julian not resisting.

SOPHIE: “How many times have you fought to protect everyone here? And the world? How many times have you wound up in the medical bay because you’re always the first to put yourself in the line of fire?”

JULIAN: “I know I’m an awesome X-Man. Doesn’t mean I’m a good guy.”

While Sophie acknowledges that to be true, she’s seen who he is at his core. He’s a dimwitted blowhard, like all boys, but he always put his friends before himself; from her limited understanding of the situation, being honest with Laura is the only thing he could do, and that would be far crueler than Sofia’s plan. The guilt he feels is because he knows this is all wrong.

SOPHIE: “If anyone should feel guilty, it’s Sofia.”

Julian shakes his head, telling Sophie that Sofia isn’t a saint; with what she’d been through and found out, of course she lashed out.

JULIAN: “I can relate.”

Julian bursts ahead with his telekinsis, with Sophie following behind. She isn’t trying to make this about Sofia. She’s not about to judge what she did; she can respect the cold-bloodedness.

SOPHIE: “When we first arrived and were on a rampage, you stopped us. Made us rethink our approach. Helped us make actual friends. Ones we could have forever. And since then, we’ve gotten to fight with you.” Sophie hangs her head, smiling. “My sisters have varying thoughts…but I think becoming an X-Man sounds really cool. Being one doesn’t mean you’re responsible for what everyone else does.”

Julian stops walks and sticks his hands in his pockets.

JULIAN: “If you wanted to, you could have just zapped the guilt from my brain.”

Sophie kisses his cheek.

SOPHIE: “No need. You’re a superhero. Try not to think so hard about it.”

Sophie starts walking away, with Julian not saying anything, until…

JULIAN: “Hey, Sophie!” She turns her head. “Looking forward to you joining the team. Means I’ll get to be your boss.”

SOPHIE, smirking: “Dork.”

As Sophie departs, Julian is a little more at ease.

Laura and Warpath exit the former’s room, James wishing her good night. Once he’s gone, a gentle breezes passes by Laura, making her smile. Sofia flies up to her, in full costume.

SOFIA: “Ready to go?”

Laura bends down and, right next to the door, grabs a bag. Sofia takes her hand.

SOFIA: “Are you nervous?”

LAURA: “You’re asking me?”

The two smirk.

Outside, Sofia calls out mentally to Exodus, saying they’re ready.

Exodus telepathically laughs, mockingly.

EXODUS, telepathically: “You are making the right decision, children. Lady Akabba will make you both stronger than you ever dreamed of.”

Sofia and Laura both scowl as Lila Cheyney appears in a flash and, just as quickly, teleports them away.

Night turns to morning, as the sun rises.

Emma, Kitty, and Magik slump into the teacher’s lounge, where Dani, Karma, and Rahne are already having coffee.

DANI: “Wow. You guys look like crap. What happened?”

Emma, clenching her forehead as she telekinetically prepares a cup of coffee, asks Magik if she’d like to explain or if she.

Magik shrugs.

MAGIK: “I thought the monster trucks could be spiced up by some actual monsters.”

KITTY: “It got a little out of hand.”

The other New Mutants start laughing.

EMMA: “It isn’t amusing. Cyclops and I had to come clean up the mess. In spite of that, he wanted to get straight to work despite the lack of sleep, so I told him I’d be a dear and get someone else to make his coffee.”

As she says this, we see Scott yawning as he sits down in his office, alone.

DANI, sarcastic: “How sweet of you.”

EMMA: “Yes, I’m a positive housewife.” Getting more serious, she turns to Rahne. “Wolfsbane, how did Escapade do on her first remedial history quiz yesterday?”

RAHNE, nervous: “Oh. Well, don’t be mad, but I didn’t give it to her.”

EMMA, this being the last thing she needs, deadpan: “Why?”

RAHNE: “Lass said she was anxious! I can’t blame her. Poor thing hasn’t been gotten schooling in years.”

EMMA: “Hmm. Well, hopefully she’s at least well rested for a makeup.”

We cut to Shela’s room, where she’s stuff in a trance in bed, her eyes glowing purple.

KITTY: “Well, I need sleep. I’m just here to grab that whole box of donuts and–”

Kitty is cut off as the power goes out.

KITTY: “Oh come on!” BEAT. “Wait, aren’t we supposed to have multiple back up generators?”

EMMA: “Yes. We are.”

In Scott’s office, he yawns. He tells himself not to fall asleep just because of a little blackout. The backups should be on any minute.

Scott yawns again.

SCOTT: “Well, maybe a quick nap after I get a little done.”

Scott turns his computer on, the sounds of it booting up all we hear.

The screen flashes on…brightening up the room more, and startling Scott, as he finds a grinning Quentin standing on the other side of his desk.

QUENTIN: “Hello, Mr. Summers.”

Scott tries to take action, but he finds himself immobile, as the rest of the Omega Gang becomes visible, sans Shela, enters sight.

SCOTT, pissed and concerned: “Kids, what are are you doing?”

“No, Mr. Summers.”

Scott is shocked as Brian joins the rest of his gang.

BRIAN: “What are you doing?”

Quentin smirks triumphantly, putting an arm around his friend.

Around the school, various students react to the blackout. Some gather around Match for light, Eye-Boy starts looking around his and Prodigy’s room for his blacklights, Mercury and Bling! see it as an excuse to get back into bed and snuggle, and Pixie cackles faux-manically, plotting to pants everyone and then act like it was an accident.

Before she can do that, however, everyone in the school covers their ears as their heads are filled with eardrum shattering British punk rock.

QUENTIN, telepathically to everyone: “Students and faculty, the Jean Grey School is now under lockdown. I am in everyone’s minds, and if any of you attempt to leave, I will execute my hostage, Headmaster Summers.”

While many students gasp, and are afraid and confused, including Laurie, the X-Men and teachers in the teachers lounge, Magneto in Wanda’s room, and Sunspot, Hellion, and the Cuckoos in their respective bedrooms look ready to beat this kid.

QUENTIN: “My team, The Omega Gang, and I, are currently located in the headmasters’ office. Should anyone attempt to enter the office, I will execute him. But fear not my classmates, I mean you no harm. Today, my compatriots and I simply mean to bring attention to a critical situation: the failure of the X-Men.”

As the X-Men rush to meet up, Emma telling everyone, teachers included, to get to the Mission Room NOW, Quentin continues to say that he knows the student body doesn’t care for him, and that’s okay; he hates who he used to be too. Fortunately he isn’t that weakling anymore, but it is true that he and his gang are largely friendless…with one exception.

As Hellion races through the halls, he’s stunned to hear Brian take over the announcement.

BRIAN: “The X-Men have let down each and every one of us. They give us comfort, a roof over our heads, meals, and an education. That’s great. No one’s saying they don’t care about Mutants. But they don’t care about US.”

As Brian continues his speech, Emma, Dani, and all of Brian’s friends are in complete disbelief.

BRIAN: “They provide us the illusion of protection, but that’s all it is. Yeah, they’ve saved some of you, and they’ve fought some bad guys, but all they do is fight symptoms, not the cause.”

OMEGA GANG: “FLATSCANS!”

BRIAN: “They keep hunting us! They keep trying to kill us! And what do the X-Men do? Put them in human jail and wait for the next ones! And while we wait, do they give us all the same treatment?”

OMEGA GANG: “No!”

BRIAN: “Of course not! The X-Men are the privileged elites of Mutantkind. Billionaires, monarchs, handpicked from youth prodigies. And it’s the same story with those they prioritize. I don’t even need to say their names. You know I’m talking about my friends. This message is from me to them.” BEAT. “Surge, Dust, Wolverine, Wind Dancer, Bling!, Mercury, Cuckoos…Hellion…”

Each of them are shown reacting as he says their names, save of course for Laura and Sofia. In particular, Cessily and Roxy just look worried about him, while Dust is as angered as everyone else.

BRIAN: “I love you guys. You’re the best friends I’ve ever had. But I’m done pretending like I belong with you.”

Quentin down more Kick, just pouring pills down his mouth from the bottle, as he pats Brian on the shoulder.

QUENTIN: “But oh, it’s not like the X-Men have all the time in the world. If they’re not saving it, they’re spending as much time as they can with us, right?”

OMEGA GANG: “Wrong!”

QUENTIN: “They go to the opera and sky shows! They party half-way around the world and are never around! One of them I don’t think has spoken to a single one of us! You know she’s an actual demon from Hell, right?!”

ILLYANA, to herself: “Tch. Limbo.”

QUENTIN, screaming in Scott’s emotionless face: “Some of them leave! Some of them are pushed out! Some of them invite school exploding robots to teach science. Some of them transform into dark, flaming gods that threaten to end all life on Earth!”

Quentin knows this is a lot, and that they must be wondering what the point of all this is. Simple! The time is now for the future of Mutantkind to make their voices heard! The time is now to demand that the X-Men embrace what it means to be homo-superior!

QUENTIN: “I ask all of you…do you not want more?”

Quentin pants as he finishes, and silence spreads over the school, everyone wondering what they should do. Until…

CRASH!

PIXIE, having just knocked over a vase: “Yeah! Riot!”

Quentin grins as students follow Megan’s lead, and begin screaming and tearing things up.

In Egypt, Lila Cheyney materializes with Sofia and Laura inside the underground base, shoving them forward.

LILA: “My masters will be with you shortly.”

LAURA: “Wait…I know you. Aren’t you a musician?”

LILA: “No, hon, I’m a certified rock icon. Doesn’t mean I can’t also fight for a good cause.”

Lila disappears.

SOFIA, shaking her arm, whispering: “Definitely not listening to her music anymore.”

Wide doors open, Sofia and Laura bracing themselves as Exodus, Malice, and Akihiro appear before them.

EXODUS: “Ladies, welcome to the headquarters of Clan Akabba.”

MALICE: “What is it you X-Men say? “Hope you survive the experience”?”

AKIHIRO, glaring at Laura: “I wouldn’t give them good odds.”

Laura glares back at him.

SOFIA: “We aren’t X-Men. Not anymore. It is like I told Exodus; Apocalypse was right.”

LAURA, to Akihiro: “And if Logan hurt you, I need to know exactly how.”

Exodus snickers. He then launches a telekinetic wave, blasting them both back and into a stone wall. Akihiro and Malice join in the amusement.

EXODUS: “First things first. Initiation.”

Exodus tells Akihiro that he will teach his sister how things work around here; he doesn’t need the boy getting carried away. But he can play with Wind Dancer.

AKIHIRO, smirking sadistically at Sofia, licking his lips: “Sounds fun.”

Sofia cringes in disgust.

MALICE: “And what about me? Who do I get to play with?”

EXODUS: “Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you go kill an X-Man?”

LAURA: “I thought Lady Akabba gave the orders here.”

EXODUS: “Lady Akabba has bigger things to concern herself with.”

Exodus orders the other Horsemen to give him and Wolverine some privacy. Akihiro comes over to the girls to drag Sofia away, but before he does, Sofia kisses Laura.

SOFIA: “We’re going to be okay. I love you.”

Laura is shocked, but grins confidently from that.

LAURA: “I love you too.”

Akihiro grabs Sofia and pulls her away, as Malice exits on her own.

AKIHIRO, squeezing Sofia’s arm tight: “You look so fragile. Should be fun breaking you. Especially when you thank me for it.”

SOFIA: “We will see who breaks who.”

AKIHIRO: “Ha!” Akihiro shoves Sofia through a door, making her trip and fall. “Move!”

The door shuts behind the two, leading Akihiro and Sofia into the throneroom, where the large, intimidating Death towers over the young woman on the floor.

Both begin to giggle. Very quickly, this turns into hysterical laughter, as Akihiro helps Sofia up.

AKIHIRO, crying from laughter: “Oh, that was too much.”

SOFIA, equally amused: “You really sold that you were going to torture me.”

AKIHIRO: “And “I love you?!” Really twisting that knife.”

Sofia, pleased with herself, shrugs, as Lila appears next to them.

SOFIA: “Make sure Exodus doesn’t kill her. She’s more valuable than him.” Sofia takes Lila’s hand. “I’ll be back soon for my costume change.”

In the Mission Room, Emma, Magneto, Kitty, Magik, Sunspot, Hellion, and Wind Dancer, as well as the teaching staff, Dust, Mercury, Bling!, and the Cuckoos are gathered, the telepaths keeping everyone’s perception so that they can actually see each other. Magneto questions where Wolverine is, with Sofia expressing that she isn’t sure. Emma sighs. They’ll just have to proceed without here.

HELLION: “Shouldn’t we be tapping in Surge?”

KITTY: “Even if she weren’t suspended, she needs to rest. Emma’s keeping her asleep so she doesn’t hurt herself.”

Julian begrudgingly accepts that.

EMMA: “Whatever any of you feel about what these miscreants have to say, or conflicts regarding Tag’s involvement…” She looks right at a pissed Julian as she says that. “...put it aside. They have taken Cyclops, incited a riot, and forced punching down to become our unfortunate priority. We will worry about understanding at a later time. Any disagreements?”

Erik, nor anyone else, speaks up, even as Julian clearly thinks about doing so. Cessily holds his hand to comfort him.

ERIK: “Emma and I have already worked out our plan of attack. We will–”

Magneto is cut off as Kitty starts responding to someone over her com. She’s concerned, but firm as she gets the information, and promises they’ll be right there.

SUNSPOT, irritated: “What now?”

KITTY: “It’s Dazzler. Exodus and Malice are after her.”

Magneto’s eyes fill with rage and his nostrils flare, as Dani notes that this can’t be a coincidence; they planned this. Which means…

EMMA: “Which means Mr. Quire is doing their bidding, and we have all the more reason to not feel too bad about maiming one of our students.”

Erik quickly adjusts the plan for this and dishes out orders. They’re baiting him away from the school, but it’s bait he has to take. He will go and fight the Horsemen, defeat them both, and force Pestillence to undo the harm she’s done to his family.

MAGNETO: “Magik, I will require transportation and potential backup.”

MAGIK: “Aww, I wanted to beat some kiddies.” She groans and gives a thumbs up. “But I’ve got you, Teach.”

Magneto then turns his attention to Dust, Mercury, and Bling! Alison is currently on tour in densely populated Paris. He’d like Mercury and Bling! to accompany him and Magik and provide crowd control and rescue. The girls, while a little afraid of Magik, agree. As for Dust, she and Warpath are in charge of protecting Wanda. The Horseman want her, and they cannot rule out that obtaining her is the true purpose behind all of this.

DUST: “No harm will come to her.”

Magneto notices James glaring at him.

MAGNETO: “A problem?”

JAMES, smirking: “No. Not at all.”

Erik doesn’t have time to question that and continues. Cannonball, Wolfsbane, Karma, and Danger are to restrain the students without harming them, before they hurt each other or cause significant damage to the property.

MAGNETO: “Wind Dancer, your new friend and our newest student controls pheromones. Do you believe you could–?”

WIND DANCER: “Use my winds to spread calming ones throughout the school? Of course.”

EMMA: “That just leaves Quentin and his friends. Kitty, Sunspot, Danielle, Hellion, Cuckoos, you’re with me.”

MINDEE: “Actual approval to crush Quentin like a bug?”

CELESTE: “I don’t know if that makes it more or less fun.”

Julian hangs his head. Emma notices.

EMMA: “Hellion, I care for Brian as well, but we do not have time for doubts. Kapeesh?”

JULIAN, seething: “Kapeesh.”

In the headmaster’s office, lit up by Quentin’s TK energy, Quentin taunts Scott.

QUENTIN: “Do you hear all that ruckus? That’s the sound of your students opening their eyes and turning on you.”

Scott ignores him and doesn’t answer.

QUENTIN: “Martha, you’re letting him speak, right?”

Scott chuckles.

QUENTIN: “You’re laughing. I’m tearing down your establishment and you’re laughing. Here I thought I’d be getting a whole speech about why I don’t really want to do this.”

Scott shakes his head.

SCOTT: “Why couldn’t you just try and make friends?”

QUENTIN: “Hello! I have friends!”

SCOTT: “That so?” He grins. “Brian, don’t you find it funny that Quentin checks every box for the kinds of people he claims to be fighting against?”

QUENTIN, not giving Brian a chance to speak: “I am nothing like you!”

SCOTT: “You’re a natural genius from a family of billionaires gifted with telepathy among the most powerful on Earth. You’re as privileged as any X-Man.”

QUENTIN: “If that were true, everything would be different.”

SCOTT: “Quentin, there’s only one difference between you and an X-Man, and it’s not about privilege. You’re just a dork.”

Quentin takes Cyclops’ bait and, livid at his word choice, telepathically assaults him. Scott attempts the Red Triangle, having wanted this opportunity, but Quentin’s power combined with Martha’s is too much, and he writhes in agony.

Quentin laughs at him. He almost had him there! But Cyclops made a critical error. He thought that he was “one of” the most powerful telepaths on Earth. But he knows his worth! And with a little help from Kick, he knows that he is the most powerful telepath on Earth!

QUENTIN: “I never did pick one of those codenames everyone else has. How does, “Kid Omega” sound?”

Quentin doesn’t actually give him a chance to answer, as he proceeds to psychically torture Scott. As Redneck, Radian, and Tattoo cheer him on, Brian looks away, guilty.

Around the school, the teachers get to work. Wolfsbane becomes a pack of wolves to scare kids back to their rooms, despite the best threat she’s able to toss out while bearing her fangs being that they won’t be getting any supper if they don’t behave.

Karma, not wanting to possess any of the kids, delivers quick, knockout chops to a bunch of wily, but purely physically mutated students, while Danger handles more capable ones like Loa and Onyxx by stretching out her arms around a whole group and pulling them in close to physically restrain them.

DANGER: “Believe me, children, I understand wanting to destroy the X-Men. I came close. But it isn’t worth it.”

Wolf Cub, from behind, throws a baseball at her head.

WOLF CUB: “No one cares what you think! You blew up our school!”

All the kids in her arms scold her and tell her that she should just leave them alone. Danger grabs Wolf Cub, and keeps everyone else restrained, but is saddened as she does so.

Meanwhile, Cannonball flies around the school, just able to flick students unconscious at the speed he’s moving at. Hearing a lot of noise, he moves toward another area of the school. By the time he gets there, however, the sound of a riot in this area has been replaced with gentle 60s folk music, courtesy of Icarus on his ukelele. The rampaging students are peacefully pacified on the floor, as Jay, and a dancing along Melody, float over them.

JAY: “We’ve got things covered here, bro.”

SAM, proud: “Nice work.”

In Sofia’s room, Laurie has been told what they need her to do, but she isn’t sure it’s a good idea her control of her powers is terrible! What if she sends out the wrong kind of pheromones?!

Sofia tells her to breathe and helps her through a familiar exercise. She promises her that she can do this. Laurie is still nervous. She hasn’t been here long. How does she know Quentin isn’t right?

SOFIA: “Please, Laurie. You only briefly met Quentin, but you must have been able to tell he isn’t a hero. He’s a hypocritical supremacist and misogynist, and it is up to us to stop him.”

Laurie is swayed and begins producing pheromones. Sofia channels the winds…but Laurie’s pheromones aren’t what she blows away. Instead, she blows open a small bottle of pre-made pheromones hidden in her boot and spreads those.

We quickly see the effects as Anole and Specter go from having fun together trashing the school to violently assaulting one another. Sofia has spread rage pheromones.

In Paris, Exodus rains terror upon the city, blowing away entire buildings, leveling streets, and murdering hundreds of people. He regrets having to do this to his home nation, but it has tragically been filled with millions of impure vermin.

EXODUS: “I would say a prayer, but the lord has already decided the fate of your species.”

Nearby, Dazzler lies in rubble, having been brutalized. Malice stands over, without barely a scratch on her, smirking sadistically as she stomps down on Allison.

MALICE: “Now…be honest…was fighting to protect the humans really worth it in the end?”

DAZZLER, grunting: “No one…hurts my fans.”

MALICE: “Perhaps not while you live. But that won’t be an issue anymore.”

Malice magnetically raises a metal beam, ready to crush Allison with it, but as she goes for the kill, Magik and Magneto appear from a stepping disc, Illyana cutting the beam in half with her sword, before Erik uses his own magnetic powers to launch the beams into Malice’s got, sending her flying.

ALLISON, grateful but not enthused: “Oh. Great. They sent you two.”

Magik rolls her eyes as another stepping disc brings Mercury and Bling! to their location. Magneto orders Roxy to tend to Dazzler’s injuries, while Cessily begins protecting the civilians.

MAGNETO: “Exodus!”

Exodus grins as he takes notes of Magneto, flying down next to Malice.

EXODUS: “My former lord and master! How wonderful to see you again. Especially as we were previously denied the previous opportunity to reunite.”

MAGNETO: “As I understand it, you fled with your tail tucked between your legs because you couldn’t even best Iceman. Yet you wish to challenge me? I thought you smarter than that when I made you my right hand.”

EXODUS: “I was smart enough to find a new master upon realizing you were a false prophet who lacked the will for what was necessary.”

MAGIK: “And yet Apocalypse still chose a little girl to be his heir over you.”

Exodus sneers.

Magneto turns his attention back to Malice and commands her to release Polaris, and undo the harm done to Scarlet Witch; if she complies, she may live.

MALICE, ready to fight: “I will not surrender my body. Not for anything…Father.”

Without further hesitation, Magneto begins the fight.

In the headmasters’ office, the Omega Gang continues to stand around, while Scott has been knocked out.

REDNECK: “You guys think we’ll have, like, titles and crap when this is all done?”

RADIAN, mockingly: “Yeah, I’m sure the queen of all Mutants will just be handing them out like candy to a bunch of kids who threw a riot in a school. Get a grip, man.”

REDNECK: “I was just saying, man! Be nice to get some thanks!”

ERNST: “We aren’t doing this for thanks. It’s just what’s right.”

TATTOO: “I’m hoping Lady Akabba could use some Court Musicians.”

RADIAN: “Oh, I like the sound of that.”

REDNECK: “Please, you guys suck at guitar.”

RADIAN AND TATTOO: “We do not!”

GLOB, quietly: “I think I want a fancy hat.”

While Quentin continues to be annoyed by everyone, he notices Brian has positioned himself in a corner, eyes stuck on Cyclops.

Quentin’s face softens, genuinely, as he moves to talk to him, but before he can, he receives a telepathic message.

SOPHIE: “You’ve really done it now, haven’t you?”

Quentin smirks, adjusting his glasses.

QUENTIN: “Thanks for helping me make so many friends. I couldn’t have done this without them.”

SOPHIE: “It didn’t have to go like this.”

QUENTIN: “No, this was inevitable as soon as I asked you out, and you laughed at me. It woke me up to who I needed to be, and from there, it was impossible not to see what needed to be done.”

SOPHIE: “What needed to be done was turn everyone here against each other? You and I agree that Mutandkind is superior. But I learned not to step on our own. Surrender now, and you can still learn that yourself.”

Quentin wipes his nose with his fist as it starts to bleed.

QUENTIN: “I’m guessing that means you’re helping Ms. Frost come after us. Fine. I’ll be more than happy to show you, and your sisters, exactly what I’ve learned.”

Sophie sighs.

SOPHIE: “So be it. But for what it’s worth…”

The door to the office is busted down, with Emma, Kitty, Sunspot, Dani, and Hellion in the doorway.

SOPHIE: “...I didn’t laugh.”

Outside the comatose Wanda’s room, Warpath and Dust stand outside. Sooraya is disturbed by all the violent noise going on elsewhere, but James tells her that he knows it's hard, but she has to stick to her assigned task and trust that the others will get the job done on their end. Being able to maintain that trust is part of being an X-Man.

Sooraya is able to compose herself and thanks Mr. Proudstar. She turns her attention to another thought.

DUST: “I don’t fully understand what it is Scarlet Witch does, but isn’t she meant to keep our whole world safe from monsters? Are we in danger right now?”

WARPATH: “There are things out there a lot worse than monsters. But we should be fine. Captain Britain and Prestige were able to convince Selene Gallio to help them fill in for Wanda until she’s healed. She can’t rule the world if it’s been gobbled up by an angry god.”

SOORAYA, somber: “So that is a yes.”

Warpath notices Sooraya isn’t doing so well and asks if there’s anything else on her mind, outside their immediate crisis. Soo doesn’t wish to bother him, but James assures her she won’t. Sooraya explains that this is her fault. The others are always all busy, with their romance and adventures, but she’s only ever here, doing her best to study and train so she can keep her friends and mother safe.

SOORAYA: “I should have seen what was happening to Quentin and Brian.”

James tells her to shut that thought down right now. He’s sure there’s going to be a lot of people playing the blame game when this is all done, but everyone makes their own choices. Quentin’s doing this because he wanted to and Brian joined him because he wanted to, just like he joined the Hellions back in the day because he wanted to…

JAMES: “And just like no one’s to blame for what happened to my brother besides the people who killed him.”

Sooraya breathes, touching James’ arm, and smiling.

JAMES: “What?”

SOORAYA: “This sounds like a lesson Ms. Frost would teach.”

JAMES, playing along: “Oh, you know that hurts, kid. That hurts worse than any attack.”

“Is that so?”

Dust and Warpath turn, knives drawn and sand ready, as they hear a modulated voice and turn toward it.

LADY AKABBA, in her full armor: “Shall we test that?”

In the Horsemen’s lair, Laura wakes up on the grounds, filthy and covered in cuts and bruises.

AKIHIRO: “Looks like Famine had fun with you.” Laura looks up to see him standing over her, Muramasa in hand. “You must be angry. Care to get any of that out?”

Laura grits her teeth, pops out her claws and attacks. Just as in their last encounter, Laura is outclassed, with Death blocking all her attacks. This time, however, instead of taunting her, with each failed strike, he tells her what she’s doing wrong. He kicks her down, but she gets right back up. She still isn’t able to hit him but can see her already listening and learning and doing better. Still, he ends up grabbing her and slamming her into the floor before she can land a clean it.

AKIHIRO: “Quick learner. That’s good. How do you feel?”

Laura picks herself up.

LAURA: “Where is Wind Dancer?”

AKIHIRO: “Occupied. Lady Akabba had a use for her after all.” Laura sneers. “Don’t be jealous. You’ll get to meet her too, in time.”

Akihiro tells her to keep coming for him until she can hit him. And while she does…

AKIHIRO: “You already made the smart choice, coming here. But I’m sure you still have doubts. Allow me to share my store, and rid you of them…little sister.”

The two stare each other down before Laura goes on the attack again.

In the Headmasters’ office, Quentin arrogantly greets the X-Men, as the Omega Gang assembles around him. Brian casts his head down as Julian glares at him.

QUENTIN: “I knew you attempt to spoil everything. Too bad for Cyclops.”

Quentin puts his fingers to his head, and attempts to fry Scott’s brain, but…

EMMA: “You were just speaking to Sophie, yes? While she was distracting you, the rest of my girls snuck inside your head. No telepathy for you.”

Quentin is irritated but shakes it off. They still aren’t afraid. He is an Omega, and all of them have Kick running through their veins to make them their best selves.

GLOB: “Yeah! I crushed a guy’s head a couple days ago!” He turns to Brian. “Wanna see me do that to your old friend, Tag?”

Brian stays silent.

KITTY: “Oh, now you’re quiet! What the Hell happened to you, Brian?”

DANI: “Kitty, don’t.”

The others are confused as Danielle steps forward.

DANI: “Robert, did you really kill someone?”

TATTOO: “We all did. Had to know we could trust each other.”

DANI, clenching her fists and welling up: “I’m so sorry.”

ROBERTO: “Dani, care to explain to the uninformed?”

Dani struggles to compose herself.

DANI: “They’re my squad. My other squad.”

The fact that Sunspot, Hellion, and Kitty are all surprised by this knowledge only pisses the Omega Gang off. Quentin just stepping back and leaning against the desk, while his teammates berate her.

TATTOO: “I thought you were so cool when I first got here, I thought we were becoming like a little family..”

RADIAN: “But then you decided we weren’t good enough! You wanted the powerful kids!”

REDNECK: “Then suddenly we never saw you outside training.”

GLOB: “You abandoned us, Ms. Moonstar.”

Dani is so sorry for making them feel like this for so long, but they have to believe her that this was never her intention. She didn’t take another squad because she wanted more powerful kids, she wanted another squad because she was already close with Surge and Wind Dancer. She didn’t know the kids saw her like they did, and she didn’t realize how little time she was making for them.

The kids don’t seem impressed by her apology.

QUENTIN, seeing an opportunity to drive more conflict: “Emma knew about the first people Brian and I killed.”

DANI, instantly flipping to rage toward Emma: “What?!”

EMMA: “Do not fall for his game, Danielle. Not when we’re in this predicament because, unlike me, you couldn’t handle two squads.”

DANI: “Why you…”

Kitty pulls Dani back and gets between everyone. Look, this doesn’t need to go any further! The kids wanted to send a message? They’ve sent it. Now they can listen, and make changes accordingly.

KITTY: “We’ve let you down. But I promise things can be better. We can do better.”

SUNSPOT: “Unless, of course, this isn’t really about a message.”

Quentin laughs.

QUENTIN: “If that’s you’re way of telling me you sussed out who I’m working for, and attempting to assess if they are as well? I am, and they are.”

Upsetting news to everyone. Except…

JULIAN, powering up with his aura: “That’s it then, isn’t it?! Everything is simplified? We’re X-Men. They’re villains.”

He says that last part, not having taken his eyes off Brian since he entered. Finally, Brian looks up and stares back, glaring.

BRIAN: “Yeah. We are.”

Brian slaps his chest, tagging himself.

Everyone starts forcibly shifting, with Julian roaring as flies right at Quentin, grabs him, and crashes them both out the window.

Hardcut to Paris, where Magneto and Magik battle Exodus and Malice, while Mercury pulls civilians out of rubble, and uses her body to form shields to protect civilians from falling debris.

As Magneto and Exodus exchange blows, Exodus decides to show Magneto exactly how far beyond him he’s become, flying up high. Magneto chases after him, as Bennett fires off a telekinetic blast large enough to destroy the entire city. Magneto, in turn, creates a shield to deflect the attack.

While Exodus is panting and shocked, an unamused Magneto merely dusts off his shoulder.

Magik bounces around the sky in a circle around Pestillence, via stepping discs, taking pot shots to kick, punch, and slice her. Malice meanwhile can’t hit her while she’s teleporting around like this.

MAGIK: “You really should surrender now. You’re not going to hit me, and since you’re running around in Polaris’ body, I can’t even have fun cutting you up into itty bitty pieces.”

Malice is pissed…but Magik just gave her an idea. She’s seen Polaris’ powers and the power gifted to her by Apocalypse, but she has her own weapon.

YANA: “You think I’m gonna give you MY body? I just got this thing!”

Malice smirks as her eyes open past her eyelids. Magik’s eyes open the same way.

Inside of Magik’s mindscape, which looks like a normal little girl’s bedroom, save for the mutilated stuffed animals with fleshy guts, Illyana is confused by what’s going on.

MALICE, appearing as a 14 yo goth girl with a British accent: “Sup?”

Hellion crashes Quentin down into the school’s front lawn, forming a crater. He repeatedly punches a still-smug Quentin in the face, trying to break through his forcefield.

HELLION: “I should have pounded your skull in the first time you talked to Brian, you dweeb! You messed him up, you hurt Noriko, and you’re hurting everyone here! You’re not hurting anyone else!”

Quentin blasts Hellion back, as he floats up into the air.

QUENTIN: “You know why we could never be friends, Hellion? Because you, none of you, can acknowledge what you are. You think you’re the sad little victims of this world, despite being the gods among gods! I know my worth. I know who I can uncaringly step on.” He smirks. “And who my useful lessers are.”

Hellion charges Quentin again, but Kid Omega meets him in mid-air, grabbing the back of his head and smashing him into the ground.

Inside, Emma in diamond form is punched through a wall by Ernst. As Ernst points out, she has to stay in that form to avoid getting trapped by Martha. But like this, they’re on the same level.

EMMA: “Do not insult me like that, child.”

Emma moves in to attack, but slips as a rioting student uses her powers to form a puddle underneath Emma, while fighting another kid, allowing Ernst to hit her again.

On a staircase, Dani fights Radian and Tattoo. Ms. Moonstar may never have given them proper attention, but the hand-to-hand training they’ve paid attention to. Dani pleads with them to not make her hurt them, to which Radian uses his light powers to blind her, while Tattoo phases her hand inside her to torture her by tattooing her insides.

In the common area, Sunspot is left fist-fighting Glob. He calls KItty over the coms to ask where she is; he hates to admit it, but their lowest-performing student may be stronger than him - at least on Kick. Kitty responds that Tag got her good, and sent her phasing through the Earth pretty far down. She’s working on coming back up as fast as she can.

This is no comfort to Beto as he takes a punch to the face.

In the Mission Room, the Cuckoos sit around the table. Things aren’t going well. They need to do something. Celeste notices that Quentin’s telepathy is still partially active. Mindee sees it now too; he has someone knocked out.

PHOEBE: “Eww. It’s that freak.”

SOPHIE: “She may be a freak, but if Quentin’s afraid of her, I say we wake her up.”

Sophie quickly changes her wording, telling the others to get on that. She has her own plan.

SOPHIE: “I know how to operate Cerebro. That should provide a far larger power boost than mere pills.”

As Sophie gets up, Esme grabs her wrist, telling her to stop. They’re the five-in-one. Splitting up is dumb. Especially when Sophie has never done anything like this before. They should just let everyone else do the stupid fighting.

SOPHIE, pulling Esme off her and smiling: “Come on, Esme. Haven’t you ever wanted to be a superhero?”

Back by Wanda’s room, Warpath gets in front of Dust, as Lady Akabba draws her sword.

WARPATH: “Lady Akkaba, I’m guessing? Nice armor.”

SOFIA: “Thank you. My father made it for me.”

WARPATH, nervous but quickly assessing the situation: “Dust, get in the room.”

DUST: “What?! You cannot fight her alone!”

WARPATH: “If she gets Wanda, she can do anything. If she kills me, you need to get her out of here. Got it? Do not help me, no matter what.”

Sooraya hates this,but after a quick glance at the monster in front of them, agrees.

SOORAYA: “Good luck, Mr. Proudstar.”

Dust shifts into dust to get under the door.

Lady Akkaba tells Warpath she hoped to avoid this. However, Magik cast a nasty protection spell preventing her from directly entering that room. She’d hoped to take her out of play before today like she did Surge and Wolverine, but he got in the way out of that.

James questions what she did with Laura. Akkaba tells him she’d be happy to tell him, once he bends the knee. Warpath is a fierce warrior, a former X-Man who was able to hold his own against her Juggernaut, and who’s even fought Externals before. He belongs in her army.

James pretends to think that over.

WARPATH: “Warren Worthington was everything I grew up hating. I never spent a ton of time with him, but enough to learn he was a good man.” He takes a stance. “Tell him I say hi when you see him.”

SOFIA, sighing: “You X-Men are so difficult.”

Warpath lunges forward and attacks Lady Akkaba. For all his strength, Lady Akkaba is far faster and lighter on her feet, blocking all of his knife swings.

Swinging overhead, he forces Lady Akkaba to hold a block.

LADY AKKABA, barely struggling: “Your knives are nice. Adamantium?”

WARPATH: “Same as your sword I’m guessing.”

LADY AKKABA: “Hardly. My blade was forged millenia ago by an invincible Mutant, and wielded by one even stronger.”

James knees Akkaba in the stomach, hurting her and knocking her back.

WARPATH: “I get it. You love Apocalypse.”

LADY AKKABA, amused: “I wasn’t speaking of Apocalypse.”

Sofia sets her hands aflame. Realizing that in the narrow hallway, there’s no room for cover, Warpath tries to launch one more attack, but he’s met with the flames of war to the face, as they fully consume him.

Akkaba presses on her attack, promising Warpath that if he survives this, he will come back stronger. Only to receive a surprise punch to the face from the burning man, sending her flying down the whole hallway and crashing through the wall.

Able to fly, this doesn’t phase Akkaba. As Warpath continues to rush after her, she fills the hall with more flames. James refuses to slow down. X-Man or teacher, he promised his life to these kids, and he’s not letting them down!

Warpath leaps again at Lady Akkaba, but is unable to reach her. Once he’s in mid-air, Sofia uses her winds to blow back all the way across the hallway, and back into the flames, as she lays on even more.

This time, James can’t get back up. Sofia absorbs all the flames back into herself.

SOFIA: “As expected, you fought well.” She raises her sword as she stands over the unconscious Warpath. “But there is only one fate for those who refuse to serve me.”

Rather than execute him immediately, Sofia’s swordhand quivers.

We zoom inside Sofia’s helmet to see her blue face, as she breathes with trepidation. She rapidly flashes back to all the time she spent with Warpath, back when he was teaching her to control her rage.

In the present…

SOFIA, under her breath: “I cannot be weak.”

Lady Akkaba brings her sword down to kill Warpath…

…only to be stopped as a sandstorm overwhelms her.

DUST: “You will not harm anyone else!”

SOFIA, protected by her armor: “Didn’t your teacher tell you to stay put? He had the right idea!”

Rather than burn Sooraya, Akkaba merely blows her away, through the hole Warpath made, and far away from the school.

Sofia breathes heavily as she looks down at James, left to decide what happens next.

Back in the Horsemen’s lair, Akihiro has finished telling Laura his story, while Laura is in the process of healing up large slashes all across her body, and has been provided a water bottle.

LAURA: “I don’t know what to say.”

AKIHIRO: “You could say our father is a monster who won’t be worth another thought once we torture him to death.”

LAURA, hanging her head: “Are you sure that it’s all true?”

AKIHIRO: “Do you doubt me?”

LAURA: “No.” Laura picks up her head and looks at her brother. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

AKIHIRO: “Realize what?”

LAURA: “That you were used like I was. By The Hand. And Romulus. You were just their weapon.”

Akihiro sighs in annoyance.

AKIHIRO: “Look, try not to be too annoying about the whole, “I’m a weapon” thing, okay? Last I checked weapons don’t have beautiful girlfriends. You’re a Mutant, a strong one, and if you play your cards right, a valued one to our lady. Help me take out Logan and I’ll even put in a good word for you.”

LAURA, squinting: “You’re being nice.”

AKIHIRO: “Would you rather I cut your head off?”

LAURA, slightly smiling: “No.”

AKIHIRO: “Smart. You keep drinking that water, I’m gonna go grab something a little stronger. We’ll pick up training after that.”

LAURA: “Sounds good…Brother.”

Akihiro smirks as he walks off. We see him texting Sofia that he’s still with Laura, and she wasn’t kidding: She’s a very good actress. But she still doesn’t suspect a thing.

We zoom in on the smiling Laura, as she scowls.

We flashback to her earlier conversation with Warpath.

LAURA: “Sofia has a plan to find the Horsemen. With just the two of us. And we’re leaving tonight.”

Laura continues.

LAURA: “I’m going to play along and act like I don’t know what she’s up to.”

WARPATH: “You sure it isn’t time we tell Cyclops what we know?”

LAURA: “No hard proof. I know she’s Lady Akkaba. I know from how War fought, I know from her smell, I know Sofia. I know that isn’t really her, that Apocalypse brainwashed her, but she already showed she can get around telepathy.”

With Apocalypse down, Exodus must be running the show and controlling her now and using her as a distraction. Either that, or Akihiro is controlling with his pheromones. Or Malice can actually possess multiple people. It doesn’t matter. She knows Sofia won’t really give her the opportunity to figure out where the base is, but if she can get close, she can start picking off the Horsemen until she gets the right one.

James doesn’t like it, but he trusts Wolverine’s judgment. Can she promise him she’ll be careful?

LAURA: “No.”

JAMES: “Figured.”

One more thing though. Akihiro. Logan talked to her about him after their run-in, right?

LAURA: “Yes. He has been used. In ways he doesn’t even realize. I don’t know him. You’re more a brother than he is. But Logan wants him alive.” Laura picks her head up. “I will kill Exodus and Malice first. If he isn’t the one controlling Sofia, I will save him. I will save them both.”

In the present, Laura sips her water.

In Magik’s mindscape, she takes a guess: this goth girl she’s talking to is the real Malice?

Malice giggles as she plops down on Illyana’s bed. It’s who Alice McAllister used to be. A normal girl from Yorkshire who couldn’t stand her bloody annoying parents or any other authority.

MALICE: “I had hobbies. Journaling. Making Pinterest boards. Protesting. I had dreams. I was going to be an artist. But, you wake up one morning outside your body, unable to be seen or heard by anyone, or touch anything, and suddenly you can’t write, or draw, or scream for change. Just wander. Alone.”

Yana yawns.

MAGIK, mockingly: “How sad for you.”

MALICE: “What, no sympathy for another young girl who had her life stolen from her?”

YANA: “Don’t. I promise your experiences do not compare to seven years in Limbo with Belasco.”

Yana does ask how long she’s been like this though.

MALICE: “Four years. Don’t tell Exodus, though. I don’t want him thinking I’m another of Apocalypse’s kiddies.”

MAGIK: “I promise you I couldn’t care less.”

Malice laughs as she pokes at the fleshy guts inside a stuffed rabbit. She doesn’t know what Limbo is like, but she promises Illyana that her life has been hell. Even once she got over the initial shock and realized how her powers worked. Finding depressed souls who’d be willing to hand over their bodies wasn’t hard. But it wasn’t that simple. See she burns through human bodies rather quickly. Usually within mere days.

MALICE: “Can you imagine that? Four years of living in different bodies every day, each one wrong in so many ways?”

That finally hits Yana, who looks at herself in a child’s mirror and sees her 7 year-old self.

Malice continues to explain that she got beyond lucky finding Polaris, but she isn’t perfect. She’s strong and sturdy and she’s held up well, but this body is starting to go too; it has another few months at best. After Apocalypse killed all the humans, he was going to release his fellow Externals, and force one of them to give her an immortal body, but the X-Men ruined that.

Magik focuses back on Malice, questioning if she doesn’t actually have the same goals as the others.

MALICE: “Lord, no. Fascists like Apocalypse, Exodus, and Lady Akkaba are the kinds of people I used to throw red paint at. They’re just the only ones who were willing to help me.”

Now, the new plan is to use Scarlet Witch to make her a body, among all the other plans for her, but that doesn’t need to happen.

MALICE: “Not if you give me your body.”

Malice appears behind Illyana and covers her eyes with her hands.

YANA: “What are you–?”

MALICE: “I see you, Darkchylde. Acting like you’re oh so happy to be Magik, and being a little goblin girl. But that’s all it is. An act. You are still a demon, a creature of darkness, a soulless husk. Fighting along dandy superheroes because you just love your girlfriend so much. But I know she can’t be enough for you. All the friends in the world can’t be. You’re still miserable. Anyone stuck in the wrong body would be. But with its mystical nature, it would be the perfect body for me.”

Magik punches Malice, but that just makes her appear in front of her. Malice promises to take away all her pain. Having a soul will do that! Magik will still get to exist in the back of her head, finally at peace.

MALICE: “You have no way to either restore your full, demonic form or to obtain your old soul. You are not good or evil. You are nothing. I can take away that pain. Having my soul will do that! And you’ll still get to exist in the back of my head, finally at peace.”

Magik is shaken, especially as Malice reaches her hands inside her and smiles innocently, telling her to think of how happy they’ll be together.

Magik smiles back at her and holds her arms. She then proceeds to turn her face into Darkchylde’s and burn Malice with Hellfire.

Magik snaps back to reality, not about to worry about any of that stuff right now, and just focus on the bitch who got past her defenses.

MAGIK, panting: “Now…where are–?”

Illyana is cut off and screams as she’s blasted from behind by Pestilence, who then proceeds to rain metal rubble down on her, burying her underneath.

MALICE: “I’ll be in touch to see if you change your mind!”

Magneto, still engaged with Exodus, notices this, and cries out with concern for Magik. Erik launches another blast that only only penetrates Exodus’ forcefield, but tears off some of his flesh. As Magneto swoops down to rescue Magik, Pestilence flies up to Famine and tells him it’s time to go.

As Magneto pulls all of the rubble off of Magik, we see Mercury, exhausted and overwhelmed from all of this, but having successfully evacuated the area. Roxy finally makes it over to her, with Cessily falling into her arms.

Erik meanwhile holds the unconscious Magik in his arms, relieved that she survived, but further enraged as Pestillence, horrified by the thought of losing Illyana again.

Back in the school, Sunspot continues fighting Glob, eventually taking a punch to the face that draws blood.

ROBERTO: “How dare you?”

Glob laughs and tells Roberto he pisses him off more than anyone. All the X-Men act like they’re better than everyone, but Roberto is the worst about it, because he thinks he’s smarter than everyone.

GLOB: “There are more important things than being smart!”

Redneck appears on the scene, ready to back Glob up, rushing Sunspot with his burning hands.

GLOB: “Redneck, no!”

Redneck grabs Sunspot, but, of course, all this does is supercharge him, enabling him to blast both of the boys unconcious.

GLOB, passing out: “You…idiot.”

On the staircase, Tattoo taunts Dani as she tortures her, proclaiming how, whatever role she has in Lady Akkaba’s world, she wants to be a mom one day, with a bunch of kids.

TATTOO: “Thank you for teaching me exactly what not to do with him.”

Dani cringes.

DANI: “I’m sorry I failed you. And I’m sorry for this.”

Dani finally pulls her power. Radian and Tatoo fall down the stairs as they imagine sentinels firebombing them from above, with the ruins of Genosha around them. They’re left trembling in fetal position as Dani bends down to hold their hands.

Elsewhere, Ernst rushes toward Emma, but she has a low tolerance for misbehavior, and these girls have thoroughly expended it. The X-Men saved them both from the U-Men and gave them their home; they’re sorry they couldn’t also be their parents, but that’s just not how it works.

EMMA: “Now…sit down.”

Emma leaves her diamond form, and before Ernst can attack her, or Martha can freeze her body, Emma overwhelms them both with a psychic wave, knocking them out.

Outside, Quentin and Hellion continue to try and murder each other, exchanging punches, blasts, and chucking trees at each other, with Quentin also excelling with bladed constructs to cut up Julian. Keeping Julian on the backfoot is not only Quentin’s body running on Kick, but unlike himself, Quentin clearly doesn’t care if his attacks kill everyone.

Once Quentin notices that Julian is playing defense for the school, he launches a full-power attack directly at it. Hellion himself between the attack and the school, but while he is able to stop it, it exhausts the rest of his energy, and he collapses.

Quentin picks up Julian, who’s bleeding significantly more than he is, by the neck and raises him into the air.

QUENTIN: “You almost had the right idea. The whole “Hellions” thing. You were stronger, more fit, than the rest of us, and you treated us like we deserved. If I’d woken up to my true potential back then, we really could have been friends. But by the time I did, you’d let the X-Men corrupt you with their arrogant complacency. I wish the Omega Gang packed the kind of power your gang did, but then, I have much bigger plans than being a school bully; before long, I know I’ll be a Horseman.”

JULIAN: “C…C…”

QUENTIN: “Something to say? Going to call me a dork again? Want to tell me my parents were right to desert me?”

JULIAN: “C…Could you tell me where I left my hands?”

Quentin panics as he realizes Julian’s hands are missing. Just then, he’s struck from behind as demonic metal, supercharged with the last of Hellion’s energy, collides with the back of his head.

Quentin falls over as the wind is knocked out of him and his forcefield momentarily goes down. Hellion reattaches his hands, and is about to pound away at Quentin before he puts himself back together, but…

“Get away!”

He’s tackled away by Tag. Brian, mounted on top of Julian, has tears in his eyes, while Julian is still in disbelief its gotten this far.

Elsewhere, the four non-Sophie Cuckoos work to wake up Escapade, while Sophie sets herself up in Cerebro. Quickly, Escapade is jolted awake.

ESCAPADE: “That jerk!”

And Sophie, with some difficulty, is able to dismount the Cerebro helmet from the rest of the set-up, informing her sisters she’s on her way to save the day.

Julian and Brian wrestle around on the ground. Julian finally gets to ask the big question.

JULIAN: “Why?!”

BRIAN: “I said why! You just never pay attention!”

Julian kicks Brian off of him. He never thought Brian was as dumb as he thinks of himself, but if he really let Quentin convince himself, without telepathy, that he was ever going to abandon him, he really is an idiot.

JULIAN: “You’re my best friend.”

BRIAN, on the verge of a breakdown: “Yeah. You too, man.”

Brian beats Julian. Quentin is able to get up, happy to see this.

QUENTIN: “Don’t hold back, Tag! Once he’s dead, we’ll never have to think of this loser again! It’ll just be you and me!”

“Hey Quentin!”

Quentin is confused and turns around, as Escapade rockets out of the school on her jet boots, grabs Quentin’s face, and electrocutes him with her shock glove.

ESCAPADE: “You were talking about what you’re owed?!”

Quentin knocks her away. She switches places with him, hoping to immobilze him that way, but she quickly collapses and the switch is undone, as her body reacts horribly to suddenly being filled with Kick.

Quentin pants. He’s tired, the back of his bleeding profusely, and now this little bitch just burned half his face off! But he’s still standing!

QUENTIN, looking over at the other fight: “Brian! Kill him already!”

Julian laughs.

BRIAN: “What could you possibly be laughing about?”

JULIAN, grinning: “I do get how he got to you. I’m sorry I wasn’t paying more attention. But you’re kidding yourself if you think he won’t dump you faster than we ever would have.”

Brian stops punching.

QUENTIN: “Tag! What are you doing, you idiot?! Do I need to do this myself?!”

Tag glares at Quentin, wiping his tears on his arm.

QUENTIN: “Oh now what? Did he say something? Don’t listen to the enemy, you idi–!’

Quentin falls to his knees, screaming in agony.

Sophie, wearing the Cerebro helmet exits the school, taking note of the destroyed landscape, and the already beaten Hellion and Escapade.

SOPHIE: “Never send lesser Mutants to do a Cuckoo’s job.”

Sophie, approaching Quentin, tells him it’s over. His “friends” are beaten, her sisters are blocking his telepathy, and thanks to Cerebro, his mental defenses are nothing to her.

Sophie stomps down on Quentin’s head.

SOPHIE: “Die, loser.”

Quentin screams as he bleeds from his eyes.

QUENTIN: “The Sophie Cuckoo I loved would have loved to crush all of humanity underneath her stilletos!”

SOPHIE: “I grew up. You should have tried it.”

Quentin’s still not done. Using his telekinesis, he unloads every bit of Kick he has left from his pocket, and shoots it all down his mouth.

BRIAN: “No! Sophie, watch out!”

With the power boost from the extra Kick, Quentin makes Sophie scream as well, as he stands up, laughing manically. The other Cuckoos all scream as well. He overrode their block, but they can still back Sophie up.

QUENTIN, enjoying Sophie’s pain as she struggles against him: “You said you didn’t laugh, right? Kiss my boots now, take back that last comment, and you can still be my queen. A HA HA HA!”

Sophie digs her heels into the ground to help her stay standing. Despite Quentin’s overwhelming strength, she’s still confident she can beat him.

Brian watches on as Sophie struggles to fight back against Quentin, but refuses to back down nonetheless. He looks to Julian to do something, but he’s passed out from his injuries. With Escapade also down, he’s the only one who can do anything.

BRIAN: “I’m sorry, everyone. I just wanted friends.”

Sophie’s knees bend as she bleeds from her mouth, her eyes roll around in her head, and the other Cuckoos writhe in agony as well. Even still, Sophie isn’t letting up, just looking for an opening in Quentin’s mental assault.

QUENTIN: “Esme, can you and the others all hear me over you’re screaming? I hope you can. Because once I’m done with her, I’m coming for–!”

Quentin is cut off as Brian lands a devastating hook to the back of his head. Everything goes silent. Then, Quentin loses control and Sophie finds her opening and hits Quentin with everything she’s got, as Brian is blasted away, and the front lawn is further devestated.

In the Mission Room, the Cuckoos all stop screaming, and start crying.

Emma, Dani, Kitty, and Sunspot finally make it outside to find their school wrecked, and five of their students unconcious. They rush without hesitation to check on them all. Kitty gives the thumbs up that Escapade’s okay. Sunspot lets them know Hellion’s just out cold too.

Dani and Emma aren’t so lucky as they check on Brian, Quentin, and Sophie. Dani cries, while Emma turns to diamond, holding Sophie tight.

That night, in the Mission Room, Cyclops has his head buried in his hands.

SCOTT: “How did we let this happen?”

The only ones sitting with him are an equally depressed Kitty and Sunspot. Lockheed is in Kitty’s arms.

KITTY: “We made mistakes. A lot of mistakes.”

BETO: “Someone knew exactly how to take advantage of them.”

SCOTT: “And now two of our kids are dead.”

As the three try and press through going over their whole situation, we see Quentin lying in bed in the medical bay. And next to him, Warpath. Neither is dead, but both are comatose. Beto is not only enraged at what happened to Jimmy, clearly from the burn marks War’s doing, but while he doesn’t wish death on him, he resents that Quentin survived everything.

KITTY: “I tried talking to Dani. Couldn’t get a word out of her.”

We see Dani crying hysterically as she works a punching bag in her room.

SCOTT: “Emma’s had a similar time with the Cuckoos. She’s still trying now.”

We see Emma following behind four Cuckoos, only for her to turn a corner, and discover they were just illusions.

Scott continues to bring up how the Omega Gang has been given to SHIELD, and thanks Kitty for making it clear on his behalf that they aren’t to hold these kids long term; they’ll take them back when they’re ready, and do better by them. They’ll certainly have the space if the current rate of parents pulling their kids out of the school doesn’t slow down.

SUNSPOT: “Not to be the pragmatist at a time like this, but the Horsemen got what they wanted from all of this. They got Wanda.”

We see Magneto splitting the ocean in his rage.

SUNSPOT: “If they figure out a way to use her power, we’re done.”

KITTY: “And we’ll stop them before that happens. Nothing we can do about it right now though. What we can do is do better by the kids. By all of them.”

Dust, Mercury, Bling!, and Surge stand outside the medical bay, all in tears, with the camera at first focusing on the comatose Warpath.

SCOTT: “Quentin was wrong about a lot. Less than his “friends” were. But he was right about one thing. One of the same things Professor Xavier got right.”

The camera in the medical bay pans over to Magik, Hellion, and Escapade, unconscious and//or heavily injured, but not in critical condition.

SCOTT: “The X-Men are elite. We have to be. Because most Mutants aren’t. They’re just ordinary people. Whatever privileges we enjoy, what comes first is that responsibility to keep each and every one of them safe.”

“Even if we don’t always meet that responsibility.”

The camera in the med bay pans over to reveal the two casualties of the riot: Sophie Cuckoo and Brian Cruz.

The four girls hold each other’s hands.

In Sofia’s room, Laurie is SO sorry. This is all her fault. She knew she’d make the wrong pheromones. Sofia, acting distraught but keeping herself together, promises Laurie this isn’t because of her. There was chaos, yes, and bad people took advantage of that, but neither of her friends’ deaths were because of her mistake. There are bad guys who deserve that blame. Okay?

Laurie tearfully nods.

SOFIA, slightly smirking: “Listen, I didn’t want to do this because, as an X-Man, it was my responsibility to bring you here, but I might know someone who can help you with your powers just as much as we can. Call him a tutor.”

LAURIE: “A tutor.”

SOFIA: “One with the same powers as you. I met him in my travels after I left the school. His name is Sean. I think you’ll like him. If you’re willing to give this a try.”

Laurie forcefully nods. This can’t happen again. She’ll try anything.

Sofia pets her hair.

Cut to Sofia leaving the room, where Laura rushes up to her, having heard what happened, enraged and distraught. Sofia hugs her.

SOFIA: “We will make the Horsemen pay. Every one of them. I promise.”

LAURA, claws out: “Don’t you worry. I’ll kill them all myself.”

We cut between Laura’s face, depressed and filled with righteous anger, and Sofia, wearing mere impressions of these emotions.

In Egypt, Sofia enters her lair, still in her normal clothes, where Exodus, Malice, and Akihiro are celebrating their triumph with drinks and a feast before they get to cracking Scarlet Witch.

AKIHIRO: “Will our lady be joining us?”

SOFIA, head held high: “Yes. But I have an important matter to attend to first.”

Sofia confidently marches out, Exodus clearly curious about what Sofia is up to What could she be plotting?

In the washroom, Sofia violently vomits into a toilet. More than once.

SOFIA, looking like she’s just had the worst nightmare: “What have I done?”

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

CAST CHANGES:

Brian Cruz AKA Tag is no longer part of the main cast.

Quentin Quire is no longer part of the main cast.

Sophie Cuckoo is no longer part of the main cast.

#New X-Men: The Animated Series #New X-Men #Academy X #Scott summers #Emma Frost #Magneto #Kitty Pryde #Roberto Da Costa #Laura Kinney #Illyana Rasputina #julian keller #noriko ashida #sofia mantega #cessily kincaid #sooraya qadir #brian cruz #roxanne washington #stepford cuckoos #quentin quire

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