#not adding ellen because no one in their right mind would choose to bring back ellen without jo

[queerstudiesnatural]

feel free to explain your choice in the tags

#not adding ellen because no one in their right mind would choose to bring back ellen without jo #also. funny how literally 90% of these are women and black men #lol #very funny #there's one white man in this list of good and interesting characters that were killed off. how strange #rain posts #poll

[tearsofgrace]

endings are hard... but they aren’t impossible

tldr; the good place fucking nailed the finale, supernatural completely and utterly bombed it.

tags: wc--4.5k, gif heavy, spn meta, the good place, supernatural finale, spn wank, all gifs are mine, if you read til the end there’s a pretty gif

so i recently finished the good place (i was watching w my family and we finally had time to sit down and watch the last season) and god fucking dammit that ending is FLAWLESS. literally flawless. 

and because i’m, well, me… i spent most of the time during that hour long finale thinking about how supernatural could have had even a fraction of that and avoided so much heartbreak. 

anyways. i decided to compare them. to REALLY compare them. to get into the nitty gritty of why the fuck the good place ending left me feeling, as the finale is all about, sated and complete. and why the spn ending left me confused, lost, broken, betrayed, unable to even enjoy my comfort show at all until a dear friend finally just watched an episode (8.08) start to finish with me. 

so without further ado (always wanted to say that) here’s the good place/supernatural finale meta that no one asked for

comedy

we’ll start small. both these shows have excellent comedy. in extremely different ways… but still

in the good place finale, the comedy was perfect. whether it was jason reappearing in the forest, michael trying to get through The Door, tahani reversing the “hot bod” bit on eleanor, every comedic moment was actually pretty emotional and added something to the show. they deepened characters’ meanings, added to their relationships, and made the audience think as much as they made the audience laugh.

in the spn finale… the comedy was the pie gag. the whole sam shoving pie into dean’s face. beyond this being… like meta as hell (the whole prank thing) it doesn’t have any depth to it.

and to add salt to the wound, this “hilarious” thing happens RIGHT AFTER salmondean have a conversation about missing jack and cas that is equal parts flat and infuriating. the brothers, in particular sam about jack and dean about cas, should care more. this is their family. and family is everything to them. but, no, by all means pie dean in the face.

last lines

this one IRKS me. okay. 

the last line of the good place  "I'll say this to you, my friend, with all the love in my heart and all the wisdom of the universe: Take it sleazy.” “All right.”  is ICONIC. okay?

it’s a reference to season 1 that doesn’t feel fan-servicey. it’s kinda honestly emotional cuz it’s like a message to us, the audience. it perfectly completes michael’s arc. it captures the light-hearted vibe of the show while also somehow managing to be poignant. you can see it coming like the second before it happens but it’s also not the obvious choice. it’s just. goddamn it’s good.

the last line of supernatural…. is… “and cut.” not even said by one of j2. i mean i know it’s a meta show but COME ON ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME??????????

now i hear you shouting wait but that’s just the end of the thank you message. okay fine whatever. in that case the last lines are “Hey, Sammy.” “Dean.” (i couldn’t bring myself to gif that moment)

i’m sorry but. that’s predictable. that’s obvious. that’s boring. that’s flat. sure, it celebrates the bond between the brothers. but like… that’s not what this show is about anymore. it’s not just about sam and dean winchester it’s about what they’ve created. it’s about the world they’ve saved, the family they’ve made, about how they always keep fighting but nope we get bland, boring, coulda seen ‘em coming from miles away lines for the very end. that’s fine.

montages

the spn finale is like 50% montages that don’t make sense and are poorly done and not emotional

the good place has a montage of michael being human that brought me to tears

timing

here’s another short section. the good place finale was 53 minutes long as opposed to the usual 20 minute long runtime of every episode. granted, the fandom of the good place is very different, but STILL there was no documentary telling the fans things they ALREADY knew (there was a short special after the ep, but the episode itself was still far longer than normal). it was 53 minutes of plot. of really fucking good not rushed plot. 

the supernatural finale was… what 36 minutes long?? as opposed to the normal 40 minute runtime?? granted, we did get an hour long documentary of things we’ve all heard in cons and interviews a billion times so hey. take what you can get i guess.

character arcs

this is most of the meat of this meta. one thing we’ve all been harping on a TON is how they RUINED character arcs. soooo let’s go through and juxtapose some character arcs shall we

eleanor

eleanor shellstrop starts the show completely self-obsessed. she died getting hit by shopping carts while picking up margarita mix and let’s be real she’s a total icon. love her to death. she grows a ton, becomes one of the most selfless characters on the show, and starts to actually (jack forbid) CARE about things. it’s one of the most satisfying and relatable character arcs i’ve ever seen. 

it’s not just her selfishness either, her character is super multi-faceted and complex, and i feel like even in the end we’re getting to know her better. she’s afraid of commitment, always worried about what others’ actions will do to her, loves the trivial side of life, is queer as fuck (as acknowledged by the show in a way that’s not harmful at all but also isn’t explicitly bi/pan/unlabeled/omni etc, allowing queer fans to see their own identity in her), and is all around a HUMAN BEING. her ending at the beginning of the show was her death. her stupid, trivial, meaningless death where she was, as she puts it, all alone. and her final ending ISNT that. yes, everyone goes before her. and i think that’s purposeful. to show that she’s grown enough that being alone in some sense is okay.

but she’s never TRULY alone. and in the end. the REAL end. janet is there. the whole time. because eleanor asked her to be!! she got over her crazy need for independence and simply asked for help. and eleanor dies an amazing person that has become selfless, has found joy in philosophy while still enjoying trashy content, has fixed her relationship with her mother, and has found a sense of completion. eleanor’s life ends on her terms, and it’s beautiful.

dean

alright. now just as you’re feeling all warm and fuzzy let’s look at dean winchester’s ending. you’ve heard it a million times, so i’ll be brief. dean was raised to be a hunter, a soldier, a killing machine with no feelings and no purpose. he was raised to die scared on a hunt, his life over because of some mistake he made because he will NEVER measure up. at least that’s what john and everyone else told him with the exceptions of some of his family (and family don’t end in blood). he started to accept that he didn’t have to have this. he started to realize that he could CHOOSE what his ending was. 

the beautiful thing is, we never truly got to see what that was. i personally like to think it’s similar to the roadhouse michael locked him in while he was trapped in his own mind. a safe place for hunters, somewhere he (and cas in my opinion, but that’s not important) could settle down and still be in the life. it would be an amazing tribute to jo and ellen, and just all around a great ending. he wouldn’t have to be scared, but he wouldn’t have to conform to some apple pie facade of normalcy. and ya know what?? say that he died so he could have peace i dare you. because dean doesn’t find peace until sam is there anyway so i beg of you WHAT WAS THE FUCKING POINT. 

dean winchester died scared. dean winchester died on a hunt. dean winchester died on one of john’s old hunts. dean winchester died not directly at the hands of a monster, but at the hands of a mistake. his mistake. dean winchester died without ever working through the trauma of his best friend in the entire world confessing his love in a final act of self-sacrifice. dean winchester died in a way that leaves a sour taste in my mouth and does not at all show the audience what he’s been through and how much he’s grown. dean winchester did not die on his terms, and he deserved better.

chidi

okay back to happy. chidi anagonye. by far my personal favorite good place character (don’t tell anyone i always say jason cuz he and i are very similar). chidi in the last few episodes is SO DRASTICALLY different than the chidi we meet at the beginning. he’s decisive, confident, self-assured, and it’s amazing to see. he’s not afraid of life anymore. he’s not afraid to make the wrong decision and forever alter his reality, because he’s okay with failure. 

at the beginning, chidi was so petrified of life that… it killed him. and in the end, he’s completely at peace with every decision he makes, even the final one. yes, he considered staying for eleanor, but that just shows how his moral code and his compassion for others is still very much still intact. it shows the audience that you can be confident and decisive without being a selfish asshole. 

chidi leaves the good place knowing that it’s the right thing to do. knowing without a doubt that his time has come. the old chidi never would have been able to fathom being that sure about something. it’s beautiful. it’s a development that can give the audience peace, can show them that this drastic of change is possible, and that chidi became a better person for all of it. chidi went on his own terms, and it was beautiful.

sam

… this one might be controversial… but sam winchester. god i hated sam’s ending. at first i was kinda okay with it. like, okay fine he got his normal life. but, really, in the end that’s not what sam wanted. he started to realize that he didn’t need that apple pie, white picket fence life. he didn’t need the wife and the kids and the backyard and the barbecues because that is NOT sam’s personality and i will throw hands on that. 

that’s not to say he doesn’t want some sort of romance, maybe even kids, but not in that way. he lets himself see that he doesn’t need to be defined by his rebellion to john. doesn’t need to be defined by going to college or any of those “normal” smart kid things because it doesn’t fit him. and that’s okay! but how does sam’s story end? it ends with a wife (that isn’t even important enough to show her face). with kids. with a goddamn white picket fence. we think he’s still hunting to some extent… but it’s not the arc we were led to believe would happen. it’s not this amazing leader sam that we see in season 12-14, uniting hunters and organizing them. 

he had SO MUCH potential and they throw it away on a vanilla ending that shows only surface level pain at losing his brother. he doesn’t even invite the rest of their family to the wake for fuck’s sake. jared did an incredible job. pls don’t think i’m saying he didn’t. but that script…. sam winchester’s arc was cut short. he didn’t go on his terms, and he deserved better.

jason

jason mandoza. the only character that has ever embodied my complete dumbass energy to the insane extent that it exists. he went to hell for his impulsivity. he never thought before a decision. i aspire to be as reckless as jason while on earth. but he LEARNED. he got better, just like they all did. and by the end of the show, jason doesn’t need to be impulsive anymore. much like eleanor being left “alone,” the show does a masterful job with making him be the first one to go, capturing his old impulsiveness. but he chooses to leave. he takes his time in deliberation, waiting until a feeling of peace, of completion, of well, ‘true happiness’ (sorry cas stans, i’m right there with you) has settled over him. 

the ending of his story is one of growth, just like all these characters have been. and the best part? the show makes it comedic in the most poignant and beautiful way, because it’s jason, it had to be funny. we learn that jason has been in the woods for like, eons, just waiting to go through the door because he wants to give janet a necklace. he’s learned to simply wait. to be at peace with… nothing. his torture was being a monk, but in the end, jason embodies those ideals. his arc comes to fruition in an extremely satisfying way. jason goes on his own terms, and it’s beautiful.

castiel

this one is gonna hurt like a bitch. castiel is my comfort character. he’s my role model. he’s me in a lot of ways. i love him. so fucking much. so excuse me if this is slightly incoherent. i’m actually okay with cas’ ending… in a way. because his actual ending as an on-screen character? perfect. self-sacrifice while coming out and professing his love to dean winchester. a little bit bury the gays, but let’s be real, it’s supernatural. and “happiness is in just saying it” has to be the most powerful way to think of coming out. it takes away the fear, it takes away so much of the pain that can follow. because the joy is in just saying the words.

it’s how this was treated on the show that makes cas’ character arc terrible (and we haven’t even gotten to 15.20). YOU CANNOT JUST IGNORE A LOVE CONFESSION. that is god awful writing and i will never change my mind on that. cas deserved his family to care about him. to at least address and be sad about the fact he was gone. jesus fucking christ after everything castiel deserved at least that. and then we go to 15.20. cas is in heaven. cas is serving god. cas is right back where he started. now, i’m coming off a little strong. 

if the show had decided to show us cas and jack in heaven makin’ the world a better place… i woulda come around to it. i woulda realized that that’s not REALLY erasing 12 years of character development and cas realizing that his whole identity isn’t just him serving heaven and isn’t just him being an angel and that he’s so much more than all of that and he could still be happy as a human… because really he’s with his son. but they didn’t show us that. they barely even mentioned him. and to me. that counts as a bad character arc. and i’m sorry if you disagree. castiel may have gone on his own terms, but they treated that beautiful sacrifice with disrespect and disdain, plus resolved his arc by putting him back where he started. he deserved better.

tahani

*deep breaths guys this is a long post i’m sorry* anywayyyy tahani!!! we love tahani obviously. let’s talk about her arc, because it always kinda bothered me. throughout the show, we see all the other character’s growing and expanding their knowledge of right and wrong. and, don’t get me wrong. we see tahani grow a lot. but she makes a lot of the same types of comments and shit like that. but it’s how she treats the reactions to those comments. by the end of the show, she laughs at the caricature of herself that the others see. she isn’t looking for vindication in name-dropping, she just does it. she is far less self-absorbed, and is genuinely interested in those around her. she fixes her relationships with her sister and her parents in a way that doesn’t feel forced and actually feels like a beautiful, healthy family reunion. 

she has a list and she does everything on it. it’s worth noting, that the things on her list are not at all what they would have been at the beginning of the show. most of them are humble “labor” type tasks, and all of them are in self improvement. tahani’s end on the show is not the same as everyone else’s. she realizes that she doesn’t need to be done. that there doesn’t have to be an end to self-improvement. and she becomes an architect. the writers perfectly embody her transformation from a self-obsessed rich girl who has never done a thing for herself and laughs at the lower-class to a down-to-earth worker that simply doesn’t want the journey to end. 

it’s incredible how perfectly the writers were able to close off these character arc’s without it feeling forced, and without ignoring their character development. imagine that. tahani chooses her own way, and it’s beautiful.

jack

jack’s ending may be the only one that i’ve actually somewhat come to terms with. it’s not terrible. it’s not great. but it’s not nearly as bad. because ignoring that awful monologue about every drop of rain and shit, jack really does end up helping people. he ends up doing something that he loves and that makes the world a better place. and he doesn’t lose his personality in it. but. i dunno, that’s still his destiny, right? to create paradise. and this is a show about ripping up the rule book, about choosing free will above all else… so to have every single character just fulfill their destiny is cheap. 

still… i’ll try to be unbiased. because really at the beginning of jack’s time on the show, he’s unsure what he wants. and at least, in the end, he’s sure. he has a wisdom that he’s always had but he’s now using. and i’m good with that. but what’s NOT okay about jack’s ending is the lack of on-screen family. jack learns that family is important. sam, cas, dean those are the people he cares about. and you’re telling me he would just NEVER see them again? and be okay with that? i know he rebuilds heaven with cas, but we don’t even get a story about him rescuing cas from the empty. and he seems in 15.19 to not be that concerned about it (after the amazing emotional scene at the beginning). jack should have cared about his family. he did. but they ruined that for him. so jack kline deserved better.

michael

oh man where do i start. michael’s growth is the biggest on the show. i mean. he starts as a literal demon and ends a human. he gets better, he falls in love with humanity (*castiel fan in me sobbing again*) and he chooses over and over to be good instead of bad. his whole arc is a classic redemption arc, and every single beat just gets better. he chooses selfishly to side with humans but in the end it turns out to be the best decision he could have made. because he develops emotions, he develops compassion, he develops a moral compass. 

and his end reflects that. because to complete this arc of a demon becoming more human… he literally becomes human!!!! it fits so well. and he’s allowed to make mistakes and be happy and gain all that humanity has to offer. this just shows that human!endgame for cosmic beings that become more human WORKS SO WELL (and it shoulda happened for cas and jack that’s all i’m saying). michael went on his own terms, and it was beautiful.

eileen

oh boy… this one stings. because they brought her back, used her up, and we never saw her again. eileen was one of the best side characters on the show, and they rarely addressed her arc. she comes onto the show as a hunter seeking revenge, and gets that revenge in the same episode. her s15 arc is focused on what’s real and what’s not, with her relationship to sam admittedly being a central part of her character because… it’s supernatural and women can’t exist without that. but still! eileen grows throughout the show and in the end… we don’t even know what happens to her. it’s as if her arc wasn’t important enough to even glance at. 

it’s as if the connections the boys make outside of each other mean nothing when in reality they mean everything. they prove that the co-dependency is behind them and that family doesn’t end with blood and that real connections can be formed between people that last a lifetime. eileen was a disabled hunter that was shown to still be one of the best in the business, and they didn’t even give her the courtesy of a goodbye. eileen didn’t go on her own terms, and she deserved better.

janet

this is gonna unbalance my list but goddammit janet’s ending was perfect. she was a not-robot, not-girl that should have been incapable of feelings. but throughout the series we get to watch as she learns first-hand about human emotions and processes them. she cares about the humans in her charge and fights for them on multiple counts. 

in the end, we see janet come to terms with both her cosmic being side, and her human side. she never stops being with the “cockroaches.” she sees them all leave, she’s there for them while they’re there, and she also continues to speak her mind and live autonomously. janet was a non-human character done right. she lived on her own terms, and it was beautiful.

some honorable mentions

spn ignored (in the finale) chuck, amara, stevie, charlie, jody, donna, garth, bess, the other angels, claire, kaia, patience, alex, and the list goes ON in favor of focusing on JUST sam and dean. did none of those characters at least deserve a quick goodbye??????

the good place wrapped up multiple arcs i had completely forgotten about in a totally natural and not forced way. mindy, doug forester, (the mushroom guy, i know, it took me a second), pillboy, donkey doug, kamilah, tahani’s parents, eleanor’s mother, eleanor’s friends, chidi’s best friend, vicki, shawn, glenn, simone and so many that i’m forgetting all got satisfying ends that they totally deserved. 

they even fucking resolved FROG GUY’S arc and gave him a real frog. that’s right. frog guy (jeff) had a better character arc resolution than dean motherfucking winchester. 

heaven and hell

obviously in very different vehicles, both shows explore in depth the realities of the afterlife. and lemme tell ya, at the end of the day, one sits a whole lot better than the other. 

the good place finale ends this quest for the perfect afterlife by saying that everyone can improve and that an eternal paradise shouldn’t keep you from eternal rest. they pretty much make me wish that this is what our afterlife looked like. they handle everything with care so it’s balanced precariously in a way that doesn’t give you anxiety looking at it but instead fills you with peace and faith in humanity. 

supernatural addresses this series long battle between heaven and hell by creating a heaven where you drive for forty years without seeing the people (cough cough cas and jack not his parents) that matter to you and drink beer that tastes like shit. a place you can’t be happy or find any sense of peace until your brother has died and he’s there too.

and hell… well they barely even address it. there’s a new queen of hell i guess? but so what. it’s still very much heaven and hell in a way that’s the worst and hey plus to them… makes me wanna stay alive thank you very much. oh and purgatory is in shambles and not functioning properly cuz all that eve bullshit.

loose ends

whenever something is ending, you gotta tie up the loose ends. not in a “oh, we must wrap everything up and leave no stone unturned” kinda way but in a “wow, we should probably try to make this unambiguous because this is the last time we will ever see these characters” kinda way. 

the good place does that. so fucking masterfully. all these side plots with all these different characters were taken care of all while focusing on the main six characters. we get to see how their intervention has changed everyone else. for example, mindy’s arc is wrapped up perfectly, with eleanor going to save her.

plus different running jokes like “take it sleazy” are wrapped up, we revisit really old callbacks like the original neighborhood, and all of it feels natural and in the moment. it feels like full circle in a way that doesn’t erase growth. 

supernatural, on the other hand, left a million loose ends open. what happened to the boys they saved? where the fuck are jody, donna, etc.? did eileen make it back? cuz sam was pretty upset about that. what happened to it “being loud” in the empty? hell, what happened to the empty? what happened to hell? what about chuck? it woulda been nice to see just for a second what became of him. did charlie and stevie make it (i’m very invested in that relationship)? if we’re taking the original ending… why the fuck is jimmy there? did kansas just all,,, die? 

i’m not saying they needed to address everything… but god a few wrapped up storylines besides the brothers wouldn’t have hurt

coloring

can i just… real quick… as a giffer lodge a complaint

the good place has beautiful vibrant coloring in the finale

spn has like bland washed out whatever the fuck that is coloring. it’s not even the dark early aesthetic cuz they dropped that it’s just… ew. so. do with that what you will. 

conclusion

first… while writing this i realized just HOW MUCH it’s not about destiel… like believe me. i knew i wasn’t just pissed about destiel. but holy shit it’s not destiel at all like did i even mention destiel that much???? this was never about a ship. this was just a trash finale. 

in the end. the good place writers knew what they were doing. they knew their fans, they knew their characters, they knew their world, and they knew how to wrap it up in a way that was satisfying and sad and perfectly fit the tone of the whole show. it wasn’t out of character or rushed, basically every loose end was tied up without the audience even realizing that’s what they were doing, and i feel happy and complete having watched it. 

the supernatural ending was a betrayal. flat out. to the audience that has stuck by it in a way bigger way than the good place fandom. to the characters that have helped so many people. to the actors that have given so much of their lives. to the other members of the crew, to certain writers… all of it was just a slap in the face.

we deserved better guys. there are better endings possible. so i’m sorry. i really am. but i guess… that’s what fanfic is for, right?

#spn meta #spn wank #the good place #supernatural #somethingtosay #the good place gifs #spn gifs #meta #my writing #my meta #mine #my gifs #userpris #fieryfrankie #purgatoryking #chaoticdean #stardustsam #spncreatorsdaily #userannie #adorkabledean #usertila #tuserksn #usersila

[itsmyblogandillreblogifiwantto]

The new cast member.. Part 1

A/N: Hi everyone, this is a new mini series where reader is cast as the new agent on Criminal Minds, and Matthew has the biggest crush on her! I’m not sure how many parts I’ll do yet, but hopefully more than three! 

Everyone placed their votes over the next month and you won, the crew just needed to get hold of you to ask you, if not, they’d go with the runner up, Jodie Comer.

Flashback

“Okay guys... We’re halfway into this series and we will start to film the next one in two months, but we need your input. After the departure of Agent Smith, we need a new agent and would like all of you to vote for who you’d like to be casted.” The director, Simon, began, “Obviously, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to please all of you, but we have had letters from fans with suggestions.”

“Those suggestions are Jodie Comer from Killing Eve, Y/N Y/S/N who’s a comedian from the U.K and has a Netflix special, Ellen Page from the Umbrella Academy and Phoebe Waller-Bridge from Fleabag.” Daniella, Simon’s assistant said, reading from her laptop.

“Isn’t Y/N Y/S/N the one you have a crush on?” Shemar whispered to Matthew.

Matthew’s cheeks flushed, “No.”

“Your cheeks say otherwise.” Kirsten said squishing his cheeks, unlike his character, Matthew loved PDA. “So cute.” She added.

“We can all vote for her if you want Matthew.” Thomas said sipping his coffee.

“She’s so funny, I think she has a gig here next month. We should all go.” A.J suggested to everyone on the table.

“She is. Matthew and I watched her comedy special on Netflix and I wet myself laughing.” Paget said as Matthew’s cheeks continued to flush as he sunk into his seat.

“I’ll sort tickets.” Daniella said, looking at her laptop. “Anyone who wants to go let me know by the end of Wednesday.”

“I don’t even think Y/N Y/S/N has an agent, so she is probably the easiest of the four to get hold of.” Matthew finally said.

“Are you going pretty boy?” Shemar asked Matthew with a smirk.

Matthew nods, “Yeah. Like Paget said, she’s hilarious.”

“And you totally have a crush on her.” A.J said as Matthew’s cheeks went red again as he sipped his coffee.

One month later, you are in California for your week run at a comedy venue whilst the cast and crew are getting in their seats whilst you are backstage going over your jokes again. It’s your last day of the show but you are here for a week more to explore the city.

“I can’t believe we get to see her live, one of the ushers said the venue was sold out for the entire week!” Kirsten said, all excited, just like her character, Penelope.

“Anyone want a drink from the bar?” Joe asked

“Sure, I’ll give you a hand.” Matthew said getting up. “Everyone want their usual?” He asks

They all nod.

At the bar

“Are you excited Matthew?” Joe asks, as he sips his beer.

“Yeah. I’m a bit nervous too, for some reason. I feel like I’m the one about to go on stage.” Matthew laughed to himself.

“It’s because you like her, we all know.” Joe said as Matthew sips his beer, rolling his eyes as he pays for the drinks as Joe paid for the ones at dinner.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the show is going to start in 10 minutes, if you’d all like to go the bathroom, get a drink from the bar, go for a cigarette, whatever, I don’t care, just be back in 10 minutes. Oh, and exclusively for my last show here, I’m doing a 30 minute Q&A after the show so if you tweet your questions to me with the hashtag #asky/nshit , my Twitter name/handle is @Y/T/N and I will answer some of them at the end of the show, as well as talking to you lovely lot who have questions but don’t have social media.” You say through the intercom.

“My girlfriend saw the show yesterday, she said she wet her pants, she felt like our baby was going to come out there and then.” A guy said to his friend at the bar.

“That’s reassuring.” Matthew said to them as he joined Joe and went back to their seats

“Group selfie!” Kirsten said once Joe and Matthew got back into their seats and posted it to Instagram with the caption, “Team Criminal Minds on a night out seeing the hilarious @Y/N !!”

Meanwhile backstage, you hear your phone ping, you only have your notifications on for your favourite Instagrams, Twitters and texts.

You look at the photo Kirsten just uploaded and liked it, “Enjoy the show guys, I certainly enjoy yours! Thank you for coming!” You comment on it, trying not to glance at your favourite, and crush, Matthew.

“2 minutes Y/N.” The stage manager smiled at you. “The bar said they’ll bring you up a glass of water and a beer during the interval too.” He said

“Thanks Tommy, you’ve been awesome this week for my first time in America. I’ve left you and the team a present in your office.” You said with a smile

“Oh my god! She replied guys!” Kirsten squealed at her phone as Matthew glances at it with a smile.

You walk on stage after introducing yourself, with a little crowd work and then you start.

“And that’s why I don’t take my Grandma out for dinner anymore.” You say finishing the joke as everyone is left in stitches and crying of laughter. “Okay everyone, little 15 minute break so I can scream into the void, and you can all get another drink, cigarette, have a quickie, whatever … and then I will be back to for the Q&A so there is still time to tweet me a question or think of one and I’ll pick on you in the second half!” You say and walk off stage leaving everyone laughing and clapping.

“Her material is so clever, she swears but it’s not offending anyone.” Shemar says.

“Have you asked a question Matthew?” A.J asks

“No. I can’t think of anything.” Matthew lied

“Are you single? Asking for a friend. #asky/nshit” A slightly tipsy Paget tweets

“No don’t tweet it...” Matthew said trying to grab Paget’s phone off her.

“It’s gone lover boy.” Joe laughed

“I need a drink.” Matthew groaned

“Coming right up.” Thomas said and went to the bar with Shemar and Kirsten

“Delete that. Please.” Matthew pleaded to Paget

“Nu-uh. It’s time you got out there Matthew.” Paget winked

15 minutes later the show starts again, as does the Q&A

“Okay so first question, from @TomS89, what is your favourite TV show? Oh that’s easy… Criminal Minds.” You smile, winking at the cast but choose not to say they’re in the audience.

You go through a few more questions, “Ha this one made me laugh from @pagetpaget Are you single? Asking for a friend. Paget, I’m a single pringle. Your friend can talk to me as long as he’s cute.” You smile, wondering who her friend could be.

You continue your questions for the remaining 20 minutes, overrunning slightly as you were thanking the team at the venue for everything that they did for you. “Thanks guys! I’ll hopefully be back soon! If anyone has any recommendations for what I should do, please tweet them to me, I’m here another week.” You say, bow and walk off stage and the lights go back up as everyone applauds.

“My cheeks hurt laughing from laughing so much.” Kirsten said, as Shemar wrapped his arm around her waist as Matthew looked down, wishing he had someone special to do that to.

“Do you mean your ass cheeks or your facial cheeks?” A.J asked laughing

“Both.” Kirsten laughed

“Anyone up for a drink at the bar down the road? We don’t have filming tomorrow.” Thomas suggested

“Sure.” Everyone agrees and heads to the bar.

“We should have tweeted asking if she’d join us at the bar.” A.J said nudging Matthew

At the bar

“Is that… No way...” Kirsten said, with her jaw dropping.

  To be continued!

Taglist: @pumpkin-goob , @jpegjade , @andiebeaword , @hopebaker , @hotchsbabygirl , @hercleverboy , @cupcake525 , @gubetube , @aperrywilliams , @cosmic-psychickitty , @marleyhotchner

#criminal minds fic #Matthew Gray Gubler #shemar moore #Thomas Gibson #paget brewster #kirsten vangsness #aj cook #joe mantegna #Matthew Gray Gubler fiction #Matthew Gray Gubler fluff #my fics

[three-drink-amy]

All the Shine of a Thousand Spotlights

One chapter left folks! Thanks for sticking around and reading! 

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Chapter Seventeen - The Winner Takes It All

Ten days remained until it was time for the Tony Awards. I knew Jamie was starting to get nervous, no matter how many times he insisted it didn’t matter. Honestly, I was nervous myself and I’d been plenty of times. Just like with every other part of the show, it was different this time because of Jamie. I was still more focused on his potential win than the fact that I might win. The only real reason I wanted to win was to stick it to Frank. He’d been most unhappy after I stood him up for dinner, but I’d dealt with it. After he’d (most likely) deprived me of a nomination for years, I wanted to win out of spite, more than anything else. Perhaps that was immature, but I didn’t really care. 

I walked into the kitchen and found Jamie looking deep in thought. Leaning over his shoulder, I placed a kiss on his cheek. “What’s on your mind?” 

He watched me as I moved about the kitchen. “My parents informed me that they’re flying in for the Tony Awards. And since I canna go wi’ ye, I did think I’d take one of them. But I canna make up my mind on which one to take. Either way, I feel like I’m betraying the other.” 

I laughed, taking a sip of my coffee. “I can understand that. I took Lamb to my first Tony Awards.” He smiled at me before shaking his head with a sigh. I leaned against the island as a thought came to me. “How about this?” Jamie glanced up at me, ready to hear my idea. “Why don’t you take your mother and I can take your father?” 

“What?” 

“Well everyone’s allowed a date. Not everyone takes one. Like you said, ideally, I’d go with you. Going with your dad would be the closest I can get,” I said with a laugh. 

Jamie chuckled, but looked unsure. “Are ye sure? Would ye no’ rather take Lamb?” 

I shook my head, taking another sip of coffee. “Nope. He’s been to the Tony Awards plenty of times. Then you don’t have to feel guilty about leaving one of your parents out. You take your mom. I’ll take your dad. Then, they can both be there for you on your big night. We all sit near each other, so it’ll work out.” 

He stood up and wound around the island, moving closer toward me. “You’d really do that for me?” 

I wrapped one arm around his waist. “Of course I would. Besides, your dad is a fun guy. I’m sure I’ll have a good time with my date.” 

Laughing and shaking his head at me, Jamie bent down to kiss my forehead. “You are too good to me, ye ken that?” 

I shot him a doubting look. “I’m just as good to you as you are to me,” I assured him. 

“What if someone asks why ye brought my dad to the show wi’ ye?” 

I leaned my head against his chest as I thought about it. “I guess I’ll tell them that my formerly no-name, first time on Broadway and first time nominee told me he couldn’t decide which of his parents to bring to the show, and me, being a kind director who got along well with my star, volunteered to bring his dad so he didn’t have to choose.” I shrugged. “Just take out the part where you told me in our kitchen and how I’d met your parents because we spent Christmas together since we’re dating, and it all works very easily.” 

Jamie laughed and tucked me in closer. “If you’re sure. I’ll let them know what the plan is. I’m sure they’ll be verra touched.” 

“I hope so. I’m glad to get to see them again. I wish Jenny and Ian could make it.” 

“I thought about asking Ian and no’ having to choose between my parents but wi’ Jenny pregnant, I figured she’d murder me if I took her husband from her when she can’t fly that far,” Jamie told me. 

“I wouldn’t blame her, honestly.” 

The morning of the Tony Awards was stressful, to be sure. I was bustling around, trying to get everything taken care of before the people I’d hired to do my hair and make up arrived. Jamie was running around trying to get everything he needed gathered before he had to leave for the theater. They still had the matinee before the awards show. His parents were staying at a hotel, thankfully, and hadn’t gotten swept up in the craziness of the morning. 

“Okay, so you’re heading straight from the theater?” I called to him, cleaning up the kitchen. 

“Aye. Picking up Mam at the hotel on the way, I believe.” He zipped up his garment bag and walked out to me. Curling an arm around my waist, he bent down to kiss me. “And then I’ll see ye at the awards.” 

I sighed, leaning my head against his chest. “It’ll be hard again,” I reminded him. 

His other arm came around me, holding me close. I matched his position and wrapped my arms around him. “I ken it will be. But after this, we’re free, aye? That was what we agreed upon?” 

Glancing up at him, I nodded. He leaned down to kiss me and I met him in the middle. We stood there for a moment, locked in a slow, deep kiss. Breaking apart, I rested my head against his forehead. “One more day.” 

With a grin on his face, Jamie broke out singing “One Day More” from Les Miserables. I put my hand over his mouth, shaking my head at him, trying so hard not to laugh. “Please, no.” 

He laughed too, leaning his head back against mine. I felt him squeeze his hands at my waist. “Alright. But only because I need to be going.” Giving me one last kiss, he whispered to me, “We can do it.” 

I hugged him tightly. “I know.” Pulling back, I cupped his face in my hands. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” 

I took a deep breath, raising my eyebrows. “Big day.” 

Jamie nodded, agreeing with me. “Big day.” He kissed my forehead and stepped back from me. “I’ll see ye there, Sassenach.” 

“Break a leg!” I said as he gathered up his things. 

A half hour after he left, my prep team showed up, ready to make me look more glamorous than I ever allowed myself to look on a daily basis. I chatted with them as my hair was curled and pinned into a lovely updo. I pointedly didn’t talk much as they applied my makeup. At some point while my makeup was being done, Mr. Fraser showed up. He sat on the couch while they completed my look in the kitchen. Once they were gone, all that was left was putting on my dress. 

I’d chosen a dress that really stood out to me. It wasn’t the biggest or fanciest dress, but it fit what I was looking for. It was a long, bright red dress covered in intricate beading. The straps looped behind my neck as the neckline dipped slightly. Putting it on, I studied myself in the mirror. With my hair and makeup professionally done and then with the dress on, I didn’t think I looked much like myself. I wondered if my actors thought this everyday before they went on stage. 

Shrugging to myself, I decided I would do. I grabbed my clutch off the bed and walked out into the living room where Brian was waiting for me. A look of awe covered his face as he took me in. “Oh, Claire, ye look just gorgeous.” 

I blushed, looking down at my feet. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.” 

“Jamie’s going to have to be using all his best acting skills to pretend he’s unaffected by how beautiful ye look,” he added. 

Laughing, I walked toward the door. “Well, I guess we’ll see if he deserves that Tony after all.” 

The red carpet was already fairly packed when our car pulled up. My door was opened for me and Brian ran around, sticking his arm out for me. “Ready?” he asked. I grinned and looped my arm through his. I’d been texting Jamie on the way to see if he had beaten us there. Apparently Ellen had taken a long time to get ready and they were running a bit behind. He’d still make the red carpet though. I told him he had to. 

I walked along — Brian right behind me — and stopped for pictures when asked. I was pulled aside for interviews and comments when people recognized who I was. The directors weren’t usually the ones that people clamored for interviews with, but there were at least a few that stopped me. I didn’t want to go inside without Jamie so I stalled as I made my way down the carpet. 

Thankfully, I ran into plenty of people I knew. That was how it was at award shows. I’d managed to see all of my fellow directorial nominees. John flagged me down at a certain point and we took some time to complement each other’s appearances. We looked far nicer than we did when we were deep into scripts at the office. 

“John, this is Jamie’s dad, Brian,” I introduced. “Brian, this is one of our producers, John.” 

The two men shook hands with a shared smile. “Pleasure to meet ye,” Brian said. 

“And you.” John then turned to me. “Your date is Jamie’s dad?” 

I shrugged. “It’s not like I could bring his son as my date,” I commented. Brian shot me a concerned look. “John knows the truth. He’s about the only one.” I felt my clutch vibrate in my hand. Ripping it open, I grabbed my phone and was relieved to see a text from Jamie. “He just pulled up. He’ll be walking the red carpet now,” I told Brian. He nodded in reply. 

We stayed mostly where we were, waiting for Jamie to get to us. I should have known it would take him far longer to get to us than it took for us to get down the carpet. He was the new name, the first time nominee for his first show. Every journalist covering the Tony Awards was going to want to talk to him. As we waited, I talked with a few more friends. Louise went by and we admired each other’s dresses, confided in which alcohol was currently getting us through the gauntlet that was the red carpet. Eventually, she also wandered on and, finally, I saw Jamie’s red hair before I saw the rest of him. 

I let Brian flag them down and Jamie grinned brightly at the sight of us. He grabbed his mother’s hand and made a beeline to where we were standing. It was then that I realized that Jamie had seen my dress, but I hadn’t had a clue what Jamie was wearing. I took in the crisp, white shirt with the black bowtie, the black tux jacket, and his green plaid kilt. I stared at him, a bit in awe. I’d never seen him in a kilt before. It was quite the sight. He grinned as he walked over to me and his father. I felt myself blush a little, even after all these months, as his eyes roved over me. 

He stepped right up to me, wrapping me in a seemingly platonic hug. “This was a stupid idea,” he whispered in my ear. 

My brow furrowed as I looked at him when we pulled back. “Why?” 

“It was a stupid idea to get ready separately. I feel I canna stop staring at ye. Looking at how beautiful ye are.” 

I glanced down, trying to hide my smile. Not from him, but from other prying eyes. “You might be right. I haven’t ever seen you in a kilt before. You didn’t mention you’d be wearing that.” 

Jamie shrugged, looking around at all the photographers. We were keeping a careful distance from each other. “Well, I figured Peter and I are both Scottish. Might as well lean into it.” 

“It was a good idea,” I offered. “You look very dashing.” 

It was Jamie’s turn to blush a bit. He smiled at me, clearly wanting to wrap an arm around me. I felt the same way. “Well, thank ye, Miss Beauchamp,” he said pointedly. 

I cleared my throat, turning to Ellen. “You look so wonderful,” I told her. 

“Not nearly as wonderful as ye look,” she replied. We were all showering each other in compliments. 

After standing there for long enough, we slowly made our way inside. I was glad that since I brought Jamie’s dad, I had a reason to stay close to Jamie. He spoke lowly from just behind me. “No’ being able to be myself around ye is a great distraction, ye ken?” 

I laughed softly, looking over my shoulder at him. “Oh?” 

“I havena thought about the awards once, just that I want to be able to even just touch ye,” he whispered. 

“I know how you feel,” I confessed. 

As we got close to the door, Brian stuck out his arm for me to take. I grinned at him and looped my arm through his. We walked inside the theater and eventually toward our seats. They grouped us all close together, but the nominees were always on the ends. Jamie was on the end seat just behind me. He leaned forward as I settled myself in my seat. 

I felt his breath on my ear before he spoke. “I’ve never felt jealous of my father before,” he said, laughing slightly. “This is a verra odd night.” 

Turning around, I shot him a look. “Don’t worry, the show will start and it’ll all leave your mind,” I promised him. He gave me an unsure look, but sat back in his seat. 

Sure enough, the show started and it did prove a good distraction. During commercials, we chatted with Jamie’s castmates and it seemed easier. Musical numbers being performed up on stage were entertaining. When the awards started getting handed out, it turned our attention back to our nerves. And oddly enough, I was thankful for that. 

I saw presenters walk out, knowing the category that was coming next. Jamie leaned forward needlessly. “It’s yer category,” he reminded me. I only nodded in reply. Joe and Louise had both won. We’d picked up the Tony for Costume Design and Light Design as well. So far, we were doing pretty well. I’d noticed enough in my time watching the Tony Awards that usually, awards were given to mostly one show. But I didn’t want to count on it. Just like with nominations, I had been more focused on Jamie’s award than mine. After seeing Frank, I really wanted to win again. Two voices were at war in my head: the one saying it was an honor just to be nominated and the one saying I deserved this. A strong knot was forming in my stomach as they started reading out the name of the nominees. 

I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care echoed through my head on command as they (slowly) opened the envelope. 

“And the Tony goes to…” 

Brian reached over and grabbed my hand in anticipation. Did all their pauses seem this long? I was losing the concept of time. The silence stretched on for eternity. 

“Claire Beauchamp!” 

I audibly gasped, sitting there for a moment, completely stunned. Brian’s hand was squeezing mine tightly. I felt hands grabbing my shoulders and realized they must be Jamie’s. I glanced back at him in shock and he looked elated. Leaning forward, he whispered in my ear, though I could barely hear him. “Ye did it, mo nighean donn.” I nodded slightly, still processing what he said. 

Standing up, I felt a bit shaky as I walked down the aisle and up on the stage. The whole time, I tried to remind myself that I’d done this all before. But somehow, this seemed more unreal. I’d been so focused on Jamie getting nominated and then winning, I’d barely thought about myself. 

It was all a blur. I walked up the stairs and onto the stage, I was handed an award, and I stood in front of the mic. Looking out into the audience, I saw a sea of my community, some I loved and some I respected, and also some I loathed. And yet, I was standing before them, expected to make a speech. I wasn’t quite sure what I was saying. I know I made sure to thank John. I thanked the cast. I mentioned the crew as well. I hoped I hit all the right notes because I was so shocked,  I wasn’t processing much. 

As I walked off the stage with a final wave to the crowd, I saw Jamie stand up, clapping for me. I smiled to him, unsure if he could see it. The gauntlet of interviewers and other people I had to talk to before I could get back to my seat was ridiculous. All I wanted to do was go back to my people and share a small moment. 

By the time I returned to my seat, Tony Award in hand, it was almost Jamie’s category. I squeezed his shoulder as I walked back, giving him a small wink. He still looked so happy for me. His parents fawned over me some — as much as parents of one of my cast members really could. Our little group was celebrating another win for the show when it came back from commercial and it was up to Best Actor in a Play. 

I glanced back at Jamie but he shook his head. Despite everything, he was still so sure he wouldn’t win. Even when I’d been unsure about my own win, I knew he would. The presenters walked to the microphone and began to read the names of the nominees. I could hear Ellen whispering to Jamie, but I couldn’t tell what she said. Brian turned around in his seat and reached his hand for Jamie. It took everything in me not to do the same thing. 

Yet another eternity filled silence followed before they finally called out the winner. 

“Jamie Fraser!” 

Everyone from our show turned to Jamie, all of us over the moon for his win for his first show. He looked completely stunned. It apparently didn’t matter how many of us assured him he’d win, he really hadn’t believed us. I was clapping so hard for him, urging him to stand up and go get his award. Joe clapped him on the back as he finally stood. 

I stood as he walked out of his row. Without even thinking, I grabbed him and kissed him quickly. It took both of us a moment to realize what I’d done. Both our eyes went a bit wide. I shrugged and sent him off to the stage. He looked like he was in as much of a daze as I’d been just a while ago. 

Jamie stood up on the stage in front of the mic, holding the Tony Award in his hand, and tears started falling from my eyes. I couldn’t contain my pride. 

He shook his head as he started to talk. “Wow, I truly canna believe this.” His hand dug into the inside pocket of his jacket. “I didna think this would happen. My girlfriend insisted that I write a speech so I wouldna look like a fool if I did end up here.” His scottish accent was coming out so strongly as he was nervous. Brian looked over at Jamie’s mention of me. I flashed him a grin.

“This is the highest honor,” he started reading from the speech he’d thrown together at my insistence. “I scraped and fought to get even just an audition for this show, to be in the same room as people I’d admired for a long time. And somehow, I was able to not only get the audition, but the part. All of production, I was so sure I’d be recast. So to be standing here, it truly boggles the mind.” 

I could hear Ellen sniffle. Rifling through my clutch, I found a spare tissue and handed it back to her before I refocused on Jamie. 

“I have so many people I’d like to thank. I’d like to thank Claire, our wonderful director, and John and Marilyn for all taking a chance on a no name to lead yer show. I’d like to thank my fellow cast members, particularly Joe and Louise for answering all my questions and really guiding me through my first show on Broadway.” 

I was beaming the whole time he spoke, resting my hand over my heart when I heard my name. 

“I also want to thank my family for supporting my crazy dreams and never telling me to try something more practical.” He paused for just a second, masking it by clearing his throat. But his eyes somehow found me in the audience and stayed there. “And there’s one more person I have to thank. The person who has been my rock through this wild change in my life.” 

Another pause. A slight raise of the eyebrow as he looked at me. Keeping our relationship a secret had led to a strong ability for us to read each other’s expressions and know what the other was saying or asking. And in this moment, I knew what he was asking. Permission. I nodded immediately. 

“The love of my life, Claire,” he said, with a nod at me. The tears continued to stream down my cheeks. I felt Brian’s hand grab my arm. “Thank you all for this honor. I canna say thank you enough.” Raising his award slightly higher, he nodded and walked off the stage. 

Jamie was barely off the stage when the questions started. Joe and Louise were at my side immediately. “I’m sorry, what did he say?” Joe asked. 

I shot a look at Brian before turning to my friends. “What’s your question?” 

“Have you and Jamie been dating?” Louise demanded. 

There was no point in lying about it anymore. I’d kissed him and he’d called me the love of his life. All our efforts to keep our relationship a secret were over. I took a deep breath, finally being able to talk about it. “Umm...yes.” 

“What?” Louise screeched. “When? How? But also, when?” 

“Yeah, you said that,” I reminded her. 

“Well you haven’t answered her yet,” Joe defended. 

I pointed to the stage where the next set of presenters were coming out. “You should go back to your seats. We don’t want our show to look bad.” They rolled their eyes at me. Joe went right back to his seat. 

Louise took a bit longer. “We’re not done discussing this.” 

“I’m sure not,” I replied, craning my head back to her. 

More awards were announced as we waited for Jamie to return to his seat. Brian stood from his seat and wound around to sit where Jamie had been sitting. “Well, now that the two of ye have rather made things public, I figure ye can sit together, no?” I shrugged. I didn’t see why we couldn’t do so. 

When Jamie returned, he paused for a second, seeing his dad in his chair. Both his parents pointed to the seat next to me. Same as me, he shrugged and walked to his seat. I was thankful for Brian’s short game of musical chairs. When Jamie sat down, I immediately grabbed his hand and laced my fingers with his. “Congratulations,” I whispered to him. He smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. “You bloody won.” 

“So did ye,” he reminded me. I rolled my eyes at him. “Ye’re no’ mad at me, are ye?” 

I stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he could possibly mean. “Why would I be?” 

“What I said?” he asked, looking a bit nervous. 

Bursting out laughing, I shook my head. “God, no. I mean, I was the one who kissed you in front of the cameras for crying out loud. No, I promise I’m not mad. After all, we said after the Tony Awards, right? I suppose at the Tony Awards works just as well.” 

He grinned, leaning forward to kiss me quickly. Both of us seemed to feel relieved to be able to show at least a little affection again. It would be odd getting used to doing so in public, but I would be happy to get used to it. 

The last award that our show was up for was finally approaching. I wasn’t as nervous as I’d been for any other award. I supposed it had to do with so many other things going right that night. When our show was called as the winner, it just felt like the cherry on top. I saw the absolute joy in Jamie’s eyes and he jumped up, wrapping me in a big hug. 

I started the walk to the stage, most of the cast and John behind me. When I reached down to gather my skirt in my hands, I felt a familiar hand hold my elbow. Glancing back, I saw Jamie smiling brightly as he talked to Joe on our way up the stairs. He didn’t even seem to know what he was doing. It was just instinctual for him to help me. I took the Tony from the presenter and stood at the mic, gesturing for John to join me. Of the producers, he’d been the only one to come to the awards show. No one else was my producing partner. Just John. 

Together, John and I thanked all the people we needed to, including the cast behind us. I looked back at them and saw the glee on each one of their faces. As John spoke, I reflected on production — the times I’d been too hard on them, the times I felt like I wasn’t doing my best, the times that things felt like they were really flowing. I thought back on all of it and how somehow it had gotten us all up on the Tony stage, accepting individual and collective awards. I felt a bit vindicated in that moment. 

The music started to play and we were ushered off the stage, celebrating as a group for the first real moment. John held the Tony out for the group that had formed a circle around him. In a hushed voice, he said, “We did it!” We all cheered softly, noting not to be too loud. 

Without even meaning to, Jamie and I had congregated next to each other. His arm was automatically around my waist.  I was so used to it, I didn’t even realize, until I saw Louise notice it. There was a delay for us to go to the press room and so Louise had her moment to interrogate us. 

She turned on us, waggling a finger between me and Jamie. “I speak on behalf of the entire cast,” she said. “How long has this been going on?” 

Jamie and I looked at each other, trying our best to suppress our smiles. “Um, Opening Night,” I confessed. 

Multiple jaws dropped open. “You’re kidding me!” Joe replied. “You have been together for nine months? Without telling any of us?” 

“Well that’s not completely true,” I admitted. “Jamie told John.” 

“That’s not completely true,” Jamie argued. “John called me and heard Claire in the background and I just didn’t lie when he asked me.” 

Our friends laughed at us, shaking their heads. Joe threw his arm around Laoghaire’s shoulders, a wide smile on his face. “Well we’re all happy for you. Disappointed you didn’t feel like telling us, but happy for you guys. Aren’t we?” He looked over at Laoghaire. She plastered on a fake smile and nodded. Looking back at me, Joe winked. He knew what he was doing. 

“We are happy for you,” Louise agreed. “But why all the secrecy? Did you think we wouldn’t be happy for you?” 

“It wasn’t that,” I promised her. “No, we just didn’t want anyone to think anything indecent was going on.” Jamie nodded next to me. “Believe me, it would have been easier to just tell you. We were just trying to be cautious.” 

“Perhaps more cautious than we needed to be, but still. Once we’d kept the secret for such a long time, it was hard to think of a way to stop keeping it,” Jamie told them. 

“It was probably pretty sexy keeping it all a secret too, wasn’t it?” Louise asked, waggling her brows. I swear, I saw Laoghaire lose some color in her face. 

“Good Lord, Louise,” I replied. 

She winked at me, walking over and throwing her arm around my shoulder. Whispering just to me, she said, “I’ll take that as a yes.” 

Thankfully, we were ushered into talk to the press and the conversation around me and Jamie was tabled for the time being. 

After the show ended, we went to the after party. It was the first event Jamie and I had gone to as a couple and I was reveling in it. My hand was in his as we walked in, as we talked to others, as we danced. It was great to finally be able to claim him as my own to the public. My whole body felt relaxed. I could tell that he seemed to be pretty relaxed as well. 

When Jamie and I sat down at a table in the corner, Louise, John, and Joe followed us. The five of us sat talking and sure enough, the conversation turned back to me and Jamie. We answered the questions we wanted to and ignored the ones we didn’t. 

“So seriously, how did this happen,” Louise asked. “I’m just so surprised by it. Not that I don’t think you guys would work well together, just that you kept it a secret for so long. And that I didn’t see it coming.” 

I leaned forward, the others following my lead. “Okay, John already knows this and I trust you and Joe.” Louise nodded excitedly. “And besides, the entire theater community just deemed Jamie a good actor, so I don’t have to worry about this as much.” I looked to Jamie, making sure he was alright with me telling the real story of how we got together. He shrugged and nodded to me. “Okay, so one night I went out to a bar and met Jamie. We used fake names and spent the night together. Then, the next day he auditioned for the show.” 

Louise laughed so loudly I felt the need to lean away from her. “Shut up!” Jamie confirmed the story. “You cast your one night stand in your show?” 

“Well, it wasn’t just my choice,” I assured her. “If I’d been the only one who thought he was a good actor and John and Marilyn had insisted on someone else, I probably wouldn’t have fought it. But they wanted him too.” 

“And clearly he was good,” John reminded her. Jamie made an uncomfortable noise. “Man, you have the bloody Tony to prove it. You’re a good actor. Stop acting weird when we compliment you.” Joe laughed, clapping Jamie on the back. 

“Wow,” Louise said, holding the word out. “That’s crazy. How did you two just act so casual around each other?” 

I looked at Jamie, remembering how I’d felt drawn to him, how I’d gravitated toward him even when I knew I shouldn’t. I thought back on how I avoided him when my feelings became too much. Perhaps I was a better actor than I thought I was if even Louise had no idea anything had gone on between us. “I don’t know,” I replied. “We just usually tried to pretend it didn’t happen.” 

We sat there for a moment, taking sips of our drinks or thinking back on production. Suddenly, Joe burst out in a loud laugh. “I’m sorry, I just keep thinking of how many fucking times Laoghaire has asked you out in the last nine months. And the whole time you were secretly with Claire,” he said, laughing at Jamie’s expense. 

“Well hell, it’s been more than the last nine months. It was all throughout production too. She constantly tried to find reasons to get him to go out with her. Girl could not take a hint,” Louise recalled. She looked over at me with a concerned glance. “Maybe you should lay low for a while, Claire. Now that Jamie’s girlfriend officially has a name, she may put a hit out on you.” 

I laughed and shook my head, leaning into Jamie’s side. “She doesn’t scare me,” I said. Nothing really did so long as I was with Jamie. 

When we walked in the door of our home, it felt like nothing had really changed. But everything had, for both of us and for our relationship. I sat my clutch and my new Tony down on the island. I could feel Jamie behind me. His arm reached past me to put his award down too. Before I could turn around to him, I felt his lips against my shoulder. Slowly, he unhooked the straps where they were fixed at my neck before kissing where they’d been sitting. My hand came up behind me and held onto his head. His arms came around me, roaming up and down my stomach and my sides. 

I needed more. Turning in his arms, I crushed my mouth to his. My hands were in his hair and my body was flat against his. As they were wont to do, his hands found their way to my arse, kneading. I felt a moan escape me just before his tongue met mine. It was one of those times when I was fairly certain we wouldn’t make it to our bed. My desperation for him came on suddenly and was surely powerful. 

Without breaking away from him, I slid his jacket off his shoulders. He shrugged out of it, throwing it to the floor. Jamie broke away from me, moving to my neck again. As he kissed a trail, I worked at undoing his tie. We were still essentially in our entryway and neither of us seemed to care. Once the tie was off, I was working diligently at the buttons on his shirt. It took me some time as Jamie started sucking near my pulse point. When all the buttons were undone, I threw the shirt off him as fast as I could. His hands moved up to the top of the zipper on my dress. 

“This isna yers, right?” he asked, panting. 

“Right. Don’t tear it.” I felt his huff against my shoulder and couldn’t help but laugh. Kissing a path back to his ear, I whispered to him, “It’s fine if the undergarments get ripped.” His eyes were dark as they met mine, a grin forming on both of our faces. 

He quickly got the zipper down and pushed it down my hips. I stepped out of the dress, kicking it to the side. Jamie pulled me back in for a long, deep kiss. My hands were all over him, unable to stay in one place. I started walking backwards, thinking maybe we could make it to the couch. Jamie reached down to remove his kilt, but I stopped his hands. 

“Leave it on.” 

He raised one brow to me and I nodded slowly. Stepping toward me again, he tripped, toppling toward me and making both of us crash to the floor. After a moment of shock at his large body pinning me suddenly, I didn’t really mind. 

“Christ, are ye alright, Claire?” He propped himself up over me, running one hand down the side of my face softly. 

I laughed loudly, wrapping one arm around his neck. “I’m fine. I may hurt tomorrow, but right now I really don’t care. Come here.” 

He looked skeptical til I pulled him closer with the arm around his neck. Once I was kissing him again, he didn’t seem to mind either. Jamie lowered himself against me, kissing me fiercely. My legs wrapped around his hips, feeling the need to move things forward. I lifted my hips against his and bit his lip. Pulling back, he shot me a look full of question and desire. I nodded to him. Surging up, I kissed him again roughly. 

His hand drifted down, finding my center, finding how ready I truly was. I couldn’t stop the moan that ripped out of me as he deftly used his fingers. It wasn’t what I wanted, though. “Jamie,” I whined, reaching for him. 

Finally taking my hint, he moved his kilt out of the way and pushed inside me. I cried out at the feeling, clutching to him. He leaned over me, leaning down to kiss me slowly as he started moving within me. We moved together, slowly at first as the fire built between us, and we rocked frantically against each other. My hands were clawing at his back as his mouth attached to my neck. We’d both be sore tomorrow, especially from the crash to the floor. At the moment, neither of us had enough room in our minds to care about that. All I needed was him and vice versa. 

I felt myself getting closer and closer to the edge, the wave readying to crash over me. Jamie was slowing down and I nearly screamed. His hands and his mouth moved slowly, worshipping my body with his attention. I grabbed his face between my hands, urging him to keep going. That was my mistake. Now it was a game to him, torturing me when I was so close to release. He pressed reverent kisses to my collarbone, my neck, my cheeks, moving in gentle thrusts within me. 

Deciding to take matters into my own hands, I reached down to the place of our joining. Jamie grabbed my hand and pinned it to the floor next to my head with a devious glint in his eye and a hard thrust. I groaned in reply. My ankles were at his lower back, trying my best to urge him in the way I needed. We’d been so desperate for each other, and suddenly he was dragging it out, torturing me in the best way. 

“Jamie,” I cried. “For the love of God.” 

He breathed out a laugh and pressed a kiss to my lips. Listening to my pleas, he picked up his earlier pace, hitting deep within me. I cried out again, for a different reason. I held onto him as he thrust over and over, bringing me right back to the edge. His hand found my center, sending shockwaves through my body. My release hit me, making my entire body tighten around him. He moved erratically, finding his release within me and promptly collapsing back on top of me. 

“Holy shit,” he breathed. 

“Yeah,” I agreed, patting his shoulder lazily. 

He pressed a soft kiss to my nose before rolling off me. We laid together on the floor, trying to regain our energy. I moved onto my side, kissing his shoulder before his arm moved and tucked me into him. We were close enough that I reached out and yanked at the corner of a blanket that sat on the arm of the couch. I spread it out over us, deciding that we weren’t moving for a bit. 

As we laid there, we talked about the evening, the surprising highs of the awards show — other than our wins. Without much warning, I jumped up, moving out from under the blanket. I grabbed our two new awards and marched toward the bookshelf where my Tony from years ago resided. I moved it up to a different shelf before putting ours side by side on the original shelf. 

I stood back and smiled as I looked at it. Jamie stood up as well, walking over to me. He stood behind me, wrapping both the blanket and his arms around me. I held onto his arms, not moving my eyes from the sight before me. “I know it’s not all about the awards,” I said, breaking the silence between us, “but that’s a damn good sight.” 

He pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I have to agree wi’ ye. I wanted so badly no’ to care, but it feels verra good right about now.” 

I looked at him over my shoulder. “I told you so.” 

“Hmm?” 

“That first morning we had here, you stood in this very spot and looked at my Tony. I told you that you should get used to the weight of it. You doubted me, but I told you so,” I reminded him, giving him a look. 

He shook his head at me, a grin forming on his face. “If I recall correctly, I said I’d rather get used to the weight of ye in my arms.” 

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, you did.” 

Jamie bent down, picking my feet out from under me and taking me in his arms. “I’d say that’s come more in handy than holding that one trophy tonight.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

He shifted on his heels, bouncing me in his arms. I screamed slightly, clinging to him. Jamie laughed, walking off toward our room. He tossed me down on the bed and crawled over me. “Aye, I’d say it’s still the better option.” 

I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face as I shook my head at him. “Come here,” I commanded, pulling him down to me. It was a good thing John and I had agreed not to work tomorrow. Jamie and I had a long night of celebrating ahead of us.

#Outlander #outlander fanfiction #outlander fanfic #my writing #all the shine of a thousand spotlights

[shadowywerewolfqueen]

Carry On

Here’s my nearly 10k fix it fic for Episode 18 Despair. Dean and Cas deserve a happy ending dang it! If you prefer, you can also read on AO3. 

Tears were flowing down Cas’ face as he attempted a smile and said, “You changed me Dean.”

Dean could hardly process what Cas was saying. Billie was beating down the door and any second she would break through and kill them. Cas was just now telling him about a crazy deal he made with the Empty while also saying Dean was a selfless person and had changed him in the last decade they had known each other. The only thing he could think to say was, “Why does this sound like a goodbye?”

Cas tilted his head slightly. “Because it is.” There was a brief pause before he said, “I love you.”

Dean blinked and clinched his jaw. There was no way Cas could tell him something so monumental at a time like this. They were staring Death in the face and Cas was telling him goodbye. He couldn’t tell Dean he loved him when Dean was holding on by a thread. Dean shook his head as he softly said, “Don’t do this, Cas.” “Please, not now, not when I’m about to lose you,” Dean thought.

Dean turned his head sharply when he heard a wet, sticky sound behind him. An inky black hole was forming in the wall. Dean could feel the tears building in his eyes as he watched the slimy tentacles starting to take form. He turned back to the angel, a thousand words on the tip of his lips. “Cas,” he gasped out.

Cas’ eyes were glistening blue as he reached out and laid his palm on Dean’s shoulder. “Goodbye Dean,” he said, his voice thick and full of emotion.

Dean’s eyes went wide. “What?” he asked as Cas shoved him out of the way and he fell to the floor. Dean rolled back against the wall as he stared at Cas. The angel flashed him one last watery smile before facing the Empty. Dean watched as Cas stood tall, a smile on his face as if he was embracing the cosmic entity coming for him. Black tendrils wrapped around Cas’ shoulders and waist before spreading over his whole body. Dean caught one last glimpse of Cas’ face before he was covered entirely in inky blackness and sucked towards the hole in the wall. In less than ten seconds, Cas was gone and Dean was alone.

Dean looked towards the empty spot where Cas had been standing only moments ago. He gasped out a breath, trying to wrap his mind around what just happened. The angel who pulled him from Hell, the one who had been by his side for ten years, his best friend, the person he was in love with was gone. Once again, Cas had sacrificed himself for Dean.

Dean suddenly felt his phone vibrating. He pulled it out to see Sam calling, but he didn’t pick it up. He couldn’t because he had no words to say. He was alone and he was empty. He dropped the phone before letting his head rest against the wall behind him. He brought his hands up and scrubbed them over his face and through his hair as a sob escaped him.

The first sob broke the dam as Dean’s entire body was wracked with painful spasms as he felt his heart shatter in his chest. His entire life, he had tried to do the right thing. He had done his best to take care of Sam and protect him. He had tried to protect his mom and Bobby and Charlie and Jack and Jody and Donna and the whole damn world! He had never asked for anything in return, never wanted it. He knew he didn’t deserve it because as many good things as he had done, he had done twice as many bad. He had failed Sam, causing his brother to be killed, to be sent to the Cage, to become souless, to be taken over by an angel. It wasn’t just Sam Dean had failed, it was every person Dean had known. Mary, Bobby, Benny, Charlie, Kevin, Ellen, Jo, Rowena, they had all died either for or because of him. He had always known he was a monster just like the monsters he hunted. His entire life he had been filled with rage and anger, choosing to lash out at those he loved instead of letting them help him. Dean didn’t deserve anything, especially someone’s love.

And yet, a minute ago, Cas had said just that. Cas, a literal angel, had somehow fallen in love with Dean. Dean, who had taught him about free will and family and laughter and joy. But Dean had also gotten Cas killed, possessed, and had kicked him out of the only home he had ever known. For years, Dean had used Cas as his punching bag to take out his anger, frustrations, and fears on. For some reason, Cas always came back like a moth to a flame. Dean wasn’t a flame worth coming back to.

He knew that and that was why he had never admitted his own feelings. How could he? He was destruction incarnate and Cas was pure and shining and so bright it hurt Dean to look at him sometimes. For some reason, Cas had always stuck by Dean’s side from the moment he pulled him from Hell. He had always been the one willing to go with Dean whether it be a simple hunt or a suicide mission. At first Cas had just been another monster on the board but he had quickly moved to ally to friend to best friend to family and finally to the person Dean was in love with. And now, when the world was falling apart and Dean needed something to hold onto more than ever, he was gone.

Of course, Cas was always willing to bleed and sacrifice for the Winchesters, for Dean. In his final moments, instead of accusing Dean for bringing him into this mess in the first place, he had made a declaration. He had told Dean how he was the most loving and selfless person Cas has ever known. It was because of Dean that Cas had cared about Sam and Jack and the world. It was because of Dean that Cas had changed from Heaven’s soldier to Sam and Dean’s family. It was because of Dean that Cas had fallen in love. It was because of Dean that Cas had thought he could never have the hunter.

Dean had never told Cas how much he meant to him. Instead he had always kept Cas at arm’s length, choosing to treat him as just a friend. How could he blame Cas for never saying anything when Dean had always flirted with women any chance he got? When he always got angry and blamed Cas when things went wrong even if it wasn’t Cas’ fault. Even in his dying moments, when Cas had finally admitted his feelings, Dean had stared at him in silence, too overwhelmed to say anything back.

Dean continued to sit against the wall as his thoughts continued to swirl. Billie was dead, but so was Cas. Jack and Sam were alive, but Cas was dead. Chuck was still a threat, but Cas was dead. Dean was alive and in love with the angel, but Cas was dead. And Dean never said anything back.

Dean couldn’t, though. He was backed into a corner, surrounded on all sides by his enemies and hearing Cas’ speech and the thought of losing him all at once had been too much. He had been trying to figure out why Cas was saying goodbye in such a way. He was still trying to comprehend the idea that Cas saw him as anything other than a monster, how could he process the angel’s true feelings in seconds. Dean was never good at emotions, choosing to bottle them up until he lashed out. He had no other idea how to handle the strength at which he felt things.

He had wanted to say something back to Cas, to tell the angel how much he had changed Dean and how much Dean loved him right back, but he couldn’t. All he could do was beg Cas not to say something so huge when they were on the precipice of dying. He had hoped if he didn’t say it back, that maybe it would keep Cas from being taken from him. Because, he had lost Cas so many times before and couldn’t handle the thought of losing him again. But it didn’t matter. Apparently just telling Dean that he loved him was enough. Now, Cas was gone and Dean was alone.

Dean didn’t know how long he sat, wallowing in heartache. All he knew is he suddenly heard his name being called over and over. He didn’t even look up when he heard Sam and Jack’s footsteps echoing in the silence of the room.

“Dean! Dean, what happened?” Sam asked as he came to a stop in front of his brother.

Dean shook his head, unable to say anything.

“Dean,” Sam said hesitantly. “Where’s Billie?”

Dean squeezed his eyes shut even tighter than what they were. He just shook his head, knowing that if he said anything, the few pieces he was holding together would crumble.

“What about Cas? What happened to him?” Sam asked insistently. Dean stayed silent. “Dean, please, what happened? Where is Billie and Cas?”

“THEY’RE GONE!” Dean finally shouted. “BILLIE IS DEAD! And so is Cas,” Dean added, the fight draining from his body. He looked at his brother, tears blurring the outline of Sam’s face. “Cas knew of a way to kill Billie, so the stupid angel sacrificed himself like he always does.”

“No, no. Cas, he can’t be gone,” Jack said disbelievingly, his face crumbling.

Dean looked at Jack and he didn’t know if he wanted to hug him or kill him. “It was because of his deal with the Empty. He used it to bring the Empty so that it- so that it could take Billie as well.” He watched as Jack’s eyes widened in understanding.

“It’s all my fault. Cas is gone because of me,” Jack said, folding in on himself.

Dean wanted to snarl back and say Jack was right. He wanted to punch the kid for allowing Cas to make such a deal. He wanted to wish Jack had never been born and then they wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. As he watched Jack fall to the ground and tears pour down his face, Dean knew the kid was just a victim as much as the rest. “No, it’s not,” he said, his voice carrying in the silence.

Jack looked at him. “How can you say that? Cas made that deal to-to…”

“To save you. To save his kid,” Dean replied with a nod of his head. He looked at Sam, his brother’s eyes shining with unshed tears. He focused back on Jack. “Look, we’ve all made stupid deals to save the people we love. Sam and I are experts at it and Cas learned from the best. I sold my soul to bring Sam back from the dead. Sam let people suffer to turn me back into a human. Giving himself to the Empty to save you was an easy decision for-for… for Cas. You and Cas are family, Jack, and there isn’t a single Winchester who hasn’t made a stupid deal to save someone they love.” Dean pushed himself to his feet and walked over to Jack. He helped the man to his feet before clutching Jack’s shoulder. “Cas… died to protect you. The least we can do now is make sure that his death means something.” He wiped at his eyes and sniffled one last time. “Chuck is still out there and it’s our job to get rid of him. We’ve got work to do.”

“Dean, what was the deal?” Sam asked.

Jack looked between the two brothers before answering, “The Empty would come for him when he was truly happy.”

Sam swallowed thickly before locking gazes with his brother. “What made Cas?” He started to ask.

“Don’t,” Dean barked. He sighed and straightened his shoulders. He couldn’t talk about Cas’ deal, couldn’t tell Sam and Jack that being in love with Dean brought Cas such joy. If he did, what little bit of his heart was left would shatter and turn into dust. He had to suck it up and bury it because Chuck was still out there, and they had people to save. He took a shuddering breath before saying, “It doesn’t matter. He’s gone. There are people who aren’t. Did you get everybody to the safe house?”

He watched as Sam’s face fell. Sam opened and closed his mouth a few times before dropping his eyes and replying, “It didn’t matter. It wasn’t Billie. It was Chuck, and they’re gone. They’re all gone.”

Dean shook his head in disbelief. “Everybody from the Apocalypse world?”

“No,” Jack said softly.

Dean spun to his head to look at Jack. “What?” Dean asked confusedly.

“It’s not just them. It’s everybody Dean. Donna, Jody, the whole world. I think we’re the only ones left,” Jack explained.

Dean reeled back as if slapped. He grabbed at the single chair to keep from falling to his knees. “No. No, that- that’s impossible. We can’t be.” He looked at Sam, begging his brother to tell him it was some cruel joke. Sam’s refusal to answer was answer enough.

“Sam and I, there was nothing we could do. They just vanished… right in front of our eyes,” Jack described.

Dean gripped the chair so tight his knuckles turned white. He felt something building in him, anger and fury and pain and despair all rolled into one. With a raging snarl, he threw the chair across the room causing Jack and Sam to jump. Without another word, Dean stormed from the room.

He walked straight to the garage where Baby was parked. He grabbed the keys and slid into her front seat. He quickly backed her out of the garage before speeding away from the bunker. He was numb, his mind silent in the aftermath of everything that had happened. It was too much to comprehend, and he knew if he focused on any one thing, he would be overwhelmed.

He drove for minutes until he came to an empty field. He parked Baby and stumbled out of the car. He walked a few feet away before looking up at the sky. “CHUCK! YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

He took multiple deep breaths, trying to keep the tears from falling. “YOU WANT AN ENDING? WELL, I’M RIGHT HERE! I’LL GIVE YOU AN ENDING! COME AND KILL ME LIKE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED, BUT BRING EVERYBODY ELSE BACK YOU BASTARD!”

Dean couldn’t hold the tears back any longer as he fell to his knees. He sniffled as the drops rolled down his cheeks. He reached up to wipe them away, his hand dragging across his shoulder. He froze when he felt something wet and cold. He looked at his shoulder and sobbed as he pulled the jacket from his frame and stared at the bloody handprint.

“Please, please, just bring them back. Bring everybody back, including Cas, and you can have me. It’s always been me you’ve wanted so here I am. Just bring them back, bring Cas back,” Dean said softly to the empty field, his voice full of emotion.

“My father isn’t going to be drawn out like that.”

Dean snapped his head up to see Michael standing in front of him. He glared at the celestial being. “What are you doing here?”

Michael smirked. “It seems that you’re losing the fight against my father.”

Dean scoffed. “At this point, I think he’s won. Sam, Jack, and I? What can three powerless humans do against a celestial being such as God? He’s not some Pagan god that can be killed with a stake or some vampire that just needs its head chopped off. He’s the God, the Almighty, the creator of the frigging universe.”

“You’re right on most of those,” Michael said as he moved closer.

Dean tilted his head. “What the hell does that mean?”

Michael grinned. “What happened when you killed Death? The first time?”

Dean looked at Michael like he was crazy. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Just answer the question.”

“The next reaper that died turned into Death. So, what? You want me to go kill another reaper and have a new Death? I’m not too keen on meeting a new Death right now,” Dean snapped.

Michael huffed. “What about a new Darkness? The universe can’t exist very long without certain cosmic entities. Death, the Empty, God, and the Darkness. When one dies, they must be replaced or else the universe will fall out of balance.”

Dean squinted his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“God killed his sister. Even he can’t be both light and dark, whether he wants to or not. If Death dies and the next reaper becomes Death, what do you think turns into the next Darkness or even God himself for that matter?” Micahel asked.

Dean shook his head as he started piecing Michael’s riddles together. “You’re saying that Jack is now the Darkness?”

“You’re not as dumb as you look, you know? Yes, my nephew is the new Darkness. You actually have quite the playing card now.”

“So Jack can kill Chuck? If he does, who’s the new God? You?” Dean asked bitterly.

“Would that be so bad?” Michael questioned.

“Oh I don’t know. You were the one trying to wear me around for a meat suit so you could start the Apocalypse which would have destroyed the world. Not too sure if you can handle that much power,” Dean said angrily.

Michael seemed to ponder what the hunter said. “You’re right, I did. But that was before I spent quite a while locked up in the cage. I was once the ruler of Heaven, and I wasn’t that bad at it. I don’t have the same loyalty to my father that I did then.” He paused before adding, “My father needs to die. He has gone too far this time. I think my nephew and I could make a much better world.”

“So, you and Jack kill God and then we kill you so you become God? And how the hell do I know this isn’t going to backfire all over again?” Dean looked at the archangel, barely an ounce of trust in him.

“I’ve never had a need to help you and yet I have. Besides, I know how to bring Castiel back,” Michael replied.

Dean looked at the coat still clutched tightly in his hands, the handprint the only thing he had left of Cas. He clenched his jaw, wanting to just say yes, so they could kill Chuck once and for all. “You have to ask Sam and Jack. This is as much their decision as mine.”

Michael cocked his head slightly. “You have changed. The Dean Winchester I knew years ago wouldn’t have hesitated at making this deal. You’re not that brash anymore it seems.”

Dean dragged a finger over the bloody handprint. “People change I guess.” He forced himself to his feet, clutching the jacket as if it was a lifeline. He started walking back towards his car.

“Where are you going?”

Dean looked over his shoulder. “I’m not leaving my Baby in the middle of some field.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “I will never understand your obsession with this car. Even Adam is fond of it.”

Dean’s lips curved up in a small smile. “Yeah, well, she’s pretty damn special.”

Before he could say anything else, Michael put a finger to his forehead. The next moment they were standing at the map table in the bunker. “The car is in the garage,” Michael said.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Sam barked out.

Dean fell into a seat, still refusing to let go of the jacket. “Michael has something to say.”

Sam and Jack were speechless after hearing Michael’s speech. The archangel looked at his nephew. “We have the chance to stop my father. Together we can undo everything. We can bring everybody back, set the world right.”

Jack looked at Sam who had stiffened at Michael’s words. It was obvious he was thinking about Eileen. He glanced at Dean who was staring at the jacket, his last piece of Cas he had. He focused back on Michael. “Are you sure we can bring everybody back?”

“Every human my father made disappear we can bring back with the snap of our fingers,” Michael confirmed.

Jack tilted his head. “Every human. What about Cas?”

Michael was silent for a moment before replying, “I can’t bring Cas back; the Empty won’t allow me to do so.”

Dean saw red as he lurched to his feet. He dropped the coat on the table and stormed towards the archangel. He had both fists twisted up in his shirt and the angel slammed against the wall as he growled, “YOU SON OF A BITCH! You said you could bring him back!”

Michael clenched his jaw as he stared at the hunter. “I said I know of a way to bring him back.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Dean asked, shoving against the angel even harder.

“It means I can’t bring him back and neither can Jack… but you can. Help me defeat my father, and I will tell you how,” Michael replied.

Dean glared at the man in front of him. Every fiber of his being was shaking with barely contained fury. He wanted to shove an angel blade into Michael’s stomach and see the man squirm. He suddenly released Michael and dropped his fists from the angel’s shirt. He grabbed Cas’ coat and stalked off to his bedroom.

He slammed the door shut before dropping heavily onto the bed. Cas was wrong. There was nothing good about Dean, nothing worth loving. Dean got everybody he loved killed and it had just been proven again. Because of Cas’ love for Dean, it had caused the Empty to take him away. How could he think Dean was caring and selfless when all Dean did was hurt the ones around him? Cas should have just let Billie kill Dean like she wanted to.

Dean felt a tear fall down his cheek as he absentmindedly stroked the coat. “Cas, how could you think you could never have… me? You’ve always had me. I love you, I’ve always loved you.” He jerked when there was a knock on his door.

“Dean,” Sam said as he slowly pushed the door open.

Dean gripped the coat tighter, not even bothering to hide from his brother. Sam took a seat next to him on the bed and laid a hand on his left shoulder. Dean flinched, and Sam dropped his hand.

“I’m sorry,” Sam said softly.

Dean didn’t look up as he asked, “For what?”

“For Cas.”

Dean scoffed. “I’m not the only one that lost him. He was your friend, too, and Jack’s dad. I should be asking how you’re doing.”

“No, Dean, you shouldn’t. You don’t have to take care of us right now or protect us. We’ve all lost people,” Sam said with a shaky breath.

Dean looked at his brother. “How are you doing? After Eileen, I never even asked.”

Sam took in a deep breath and wiped at the corner of his eye. “I’m trying not to think about her because if I do, I can’t do the job. I loved her Dean and if this whole plan doesn’t work… I’m just hoping it does. How are you doing? I know how much Cas meant to you, even if you never said anything.”

Dean had always pushed people away, but he decided that he couldn’t do that any longer. “It was my fault Sammy. I-I was his- his true happiness.”

Sam huffed out a breath. “You don’t think I don’t know that. The two of you have been walking around each other and hiding looks of longing for years.”

Dean clenched his jaw as he stared at the dried up handprint. “He said his true happiness was something he always wanted but couldn’t have. He said he realized that happiness wasn’t in having but in feeling and in saying.” He looked at his brother and said, “Cas said he loved me and I- I… I didn’t get a chance to say it back.”

Sam gasped at the admission. “Wow. Dean, I can’t believe he said that.”

“I know. I don’t really deserve it, do I?” Dean asked, self-deprecating.

“What, no? Of course you do! Dean, you have done so much for this world and for the people you love. You deserve to have someone love you. I found Eileen, so of course you deserve to find someone. Hell, Cas found you a decade ago. Even after everything we’ve all been through, Cas has always been there for you. He’s always loved you Dean, and you deserve that more than any of us,” Sam insisted.

Dean shook his head. “How can you say that? Look at every bad decision I’ve ever made. Look at what my decisions have brought this world.”

Sam gripped Dean’s forearm tightly. “It wasn’t just your decisions. It was yours, mine, Cas’, Jack’s. It’s like you said, Winchesters are infamous for making bad decisions. But those decisions were made out of love Dean. They were made because we were trying to protect each other and the world. Cas made his deal to protect Jack, and he’s gone because he was protecting you. I just can’t believe Cas finally admitted how he felt for you. I wasn’t sure either of you ever would.”

“He’s gone Sam. What do we do? What do I do?” Dean asked with despair.

“We let Jack and Michael save the world and then we get Cas and Eileen and everybody else back. We get the ending we deserve,” Sam replied.

Dean stood to his feet and helped Sam to his before pulling his brother into a tight hug. “Let’s go kill this son of a bitch and get that happy ending.”

Dean put his jacket back on before the two of them walked back to the map table. Michael and Jack looked up as they walked back in. “What’s everybody standing around for? We’ve got God to kill,” Dean said.

“Jack and I were talking, and we think that the best plan is to just go for the kill. No traps and no sneak attacks, we go after my father head on,” Michael explained.

Dean and Sam nodded. “Sounds good. So, where is it all gonna go down?”

“My father is currently at some decrepit barn in the middle of Nevada. Sam and Dean, you need to make your way there. I need to teach Jack a few things about his new powers and there are a few weapons we need to collect. We will meet you there in three days,” Michael said as he looked between the two brothers.

“What barn?” Sam asked.

“One that Dean is quite familiar with,” Michael answered, causing Dean’s face to pale.

Dean’s hand covered the print on his jacket. “Bastard,” he muttered.

Sam looked at his brother, confused. “Dean, what does a barn have to do with anything?”

“It’s where I first met Cas,” he said stoically. “It doesn’t matter. We’ve got work to do. Sam, go pack a bag and meet me in the garage in ten minutes. Jack, Michael, go do what you gotta do. We’ll see you in three days.”

Jack and Michael disappeared with a flap of wings and Sam walked down the hallway to his room. Dean headed back to his bedroom and quickly packed a bag, not really caring what clothes he grabbed. Once he was down, he started walking towards the garage. He stopped when he passed by Cas’ bedroom. He pushed the door open slowly before walking inside.

The room was sparsely decorated, nothing more than a bed, a nightstand, and a dresser. The walls were bare and if Dean didn’t know better, he would say nobody had been inside for years. He sat on the bed and ran his hand down the blanket. He glanced at the nightstand and saw something he recognized. He picked the tape up and smiled, happy that Cas still had the only gift Dean had ever given him. He slipped it in his pocket before pulling the top drawer of the nightstand open, surprised to see a few pictures lying on top.

He pulled them out and looked through them. There was one of Sam, one of Jack, one of Dean, and one of Dean and Cas sitting at the kitchen table. They each held a glass of whiskey in their hand and had bright smiles on their faces. Looking at the picture, it was obvious how Dean and Cas felt about each other. Dean had a soft look in his eyes as he stared at Cas, and Cas was looking at Dean like he hung the moon. Dean pulled his wallet out and slipped the picture inside.

He headed out to meet Sam in the garage. They loaded their stuff up in Baby’s trunk before sliding into the front seat. Dean pulled the tape out of his pocket and pushed it into the tape slot. If Sam noticed what was written on the tape, he didn’t say anything. Dean turned the car on and pulled her out of the garage.

The next three days were spent mostly in silence between the two brothers, both of them consumed by their own thoughts. They were sitting in an abandoned hotel room when Michael and Jack suddenly showed up. Michael dropped a bag on Sam’s bed.

“There are weapons in that bag that will help you in the oncoming battle. They can’t kill my father, but they can wound him. If you can distract him, Jack and I will be able to kill him,” Michael explained.

Sam grabbed the bag and pulled a few weapons from it. There were two knives and two guns. He passed one of each to Dean before asking, “What makes these special? Where did you have them?”

“In Heaven of course. There is no way such weapons would be allowed on Earth. They are far too dangerous,” Michael snapped. He stood against the far wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

Jack took a seat next to Sam. “They are imbued with archangel grace and even a bit of God’s powers himself. I’ve added some strength to them as well. Michael’s been helping me understand and control my powers. He took me to a pocket dimension where time passed differently than it does here. I’ve got a pretty good hang on things now.”

“That’s awesome! Maybe we really can win this,” Sam said enthusiastically.

“Yeah, let’s hope this will all be enough. Even if it is, Chuck’s gonna know about it. We have no element of surprise,” Dean pointed out.

“Actually we do. I made sure to cloak the two of you from my father before we left. He’s not very happy that he hasn’t been able to pinpoint you. Tomorrow we will face him as he is growing more agitated by the moment. If we don’t do something soon, he will end this world before we even have a chance to save it. I hope the two of you are ready. I will be back in the morning.” With that, Michael was gone.

“He’s got wonderful people skills doesn’t he?” Dean asked with a laugh.

“Well, he was locked in the cage for nearly ten years straight Dean. We’re lucky he’s even willing to do this at all,” Sam pointed out.

Dean shrugged and looked at Jack. “Do you trust him? Does he really want Chuck dead?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah, he does. Chuck hurt him too. If it wasn’t for him, I’d have no idea how to handle my powers. I’m more powerful now than when I was just a Nephilim. We have a chance of beating God.”

“Well, if you trust him, then that’s enough for me. I guess we better all get some shut eye. We’ve got God to kill in the morning,” Dean said.

Sam nodded. “Yeah, Dean’s right. Jack, do you still need sleep?”

Jack shook his head. “No. I’ll watch over you guys while you sleep.”

Dean felt a pang in his chest at the kid’s words. He kicked his boots off and slid under the covers as he said, “You don’t have to do that. There’s nobody to protect us from.”

“I know. I just… it’s what Cas always did when we were on a hunt together,” Jack replied, his shoulders slumping.

Sam frowned at his brother. Dean sighed, realizing that Jack was just trying to follow in Cas’ footsteps. “I’m sorry kid. You’re right, Cas would do that. I guess it would be ok if you did too.”

Jack’s face lit up as he smiled. “Thanks Dean. I promise nothing is gonna happen to you guys.”

Dean grinned. “We know, we know.”

Everyone was up early the next morning. Dean and Sam were dressed with the weapons Michael had given them the previous morning hidden somewhere on them. Jack had used his powers to conjure up some food and they were eating silently when Michael showed up.

He surveyed the room, his gaze flicking from Dean to Sam to Jack. “Are you ready?”

Dean shoved the last bite of his burrito in his mouth and then followed with the last of his coffee. He wiped his hands on his jeans before standing up and saying, “Let’s get this over with.”

Michael nodded. “Can we skip the theatrics of you driving up in your car this time with the radio blaring?”

Dean fingered the tape that was now nestled in his jacket pocket. “Yeah, sure.”

With a snap of his fingers, Jack teleported them to just outside the barn that Dean knew like the back of his hand. He stared at the walls, covered in sigils on the outside and the inside. He gripped the tape harder as memories of that night came flooding back.

“Wow, you and Bobby were prepared for everything,” Sam remarked.

Dean thought about Cas busting through the doors and walking towards him and Bobby unfailingly as they continued to shoot at him. He remembered how the shingles had shuttered and the lights had blown, Cas just showing off his power for the hell of it. He remembered how Cas had so easily knocked Bobby out and had pulled the demon blade from his chest as if it were nothing more than a splinter. Dean’s lips curved up in a half smile. “Not even close Sammy. Not even close to being prepared for Cas.”

“Are you prepared now?” Michael asked.

Dean’s fingers itched to wrap around the hilt of the knife that was hidden up his shirt sleeve. “Let’s gank this son of a bitch.”

All three men nodded as Jack held his hand out and blasted the front doors of the barn. They walked through the clearing dust to see Chuck standing in the middle of the barn, a condescending grin on his face. “Well, look who finally showed up. I guess now I know why I lost track of you two flannel clad idiots.” His gaze travelled to Michael. “You were supposed to be the loyal one, and yet, here you are. My own son is working against me.”

Dean felt the archangel tense next to him. “I was loyal to you! For millions of years I tried to do the job you assigned me, but you left Father! You abandoned me to go create other worlds, other versions of me! Even though I was loyal and followed all orders, you favored Lucifer! Any loyalty I had to you is gone.”

“Lucifer always did make things more interesting. You were always so… so boring in your blind faith to me. You were my blunt little instrument just like Dean was. It really is no wonder why he was supposed to be your perfect vessel. Oh well, I let Lucifer die, I’ll have no problem killing you as well,” Chuck said, completely uncaring.

Jack stepped up in front of all of them. His eyes flashed gold as he said, “You will not kill anyone! I won’t allow it any longer.”

Chuck’s face contorted into one of rage. “You! You took my sister’s power from me! The little Nephilim that wasn’t even supposed to exist! You were never in my stories and you’ve been a pain in my ass ever since!”

Jack faltered. “You never wrote me?”

“No, because you were never meant to be here. We were never meant to make the decisions that led to your birth,” Sam said as he stepped up next to Jack. “It was Cas’ decision that brought you into this world. It was my decision to raise you after you were born. It was Dean’s choice not to kill you in that graveyard. We were the ones that Chuck has never been able to control and it was our choices that led to you, not his writing.”

“You know, it wasn’t just Castiel that came off the line with a crack in his chassis. It was all of you! You used to be my favorites, but now you’re just a pain in my ass,” Chuck growled.

“Yeah, well, it’s what we’re good at,” Dean said lowly before pulling the knife from his sleeve and throwing it at Chuck. He watched in satisfaction as the blade lodged itself deep in God’s shoulder.

Chuck’s face contorted as he hollered out in pain. White light burst from the wound as he pulled the blade from his shoulder and let it drop to the ground. “You wanna die Dean, I’ll make sure you die,” he shouted. He snapped his fingers and Dean waited for pain but nothing happened.

“You won't hurt Dean or Sam, not as long as I’m around,” Jack said with pride.

Before Chuck had a chance to recover, Michael was charging forward, a lance held in his hand. Sam pulled his own knife out and threw it, watching as it sunk into Chuck’s stomach. Using the distraction to his advantage, Michael struck at his father with his lance, the blade drawing a long gash across Chuck’s shoulder.

Dean and Sam pulled their guns out and started firing bullet after bullet into the comic entity. With every bullet that buried itself in Chuck’s body, he grew weaker as more light flowed from the wounds. Jack pulled an angel blade from his sleeve and charged forward, swiping at Chuck every chance he got. Chuck suddenly swiped his hand, sending Dean and Sam flying against the walls. He then grabbed Michael by the arm and threw him across the barn and through the walls. He wrapped his hand around Jack’s throat and squeezed.

“I am God! Do you really think you can beat me?” He held his free hand out to the side, Dean and Sam lifting into the air. “I might not be able to kill you two, but I can still hurt you.” He let them drop, the two of them falling nearly twenty feet through the air. They landed with grunts and moans of pain.

“SAM, DEAN,” Jack shouted. He looked at Chuck, his eyes glowing a deep gold. “NO! You will not hurt them or this world any longer!” He shot a bolt of darkness straight into Chuck’s chest.

Chuck dropped Jack, grasping at his chest. “You can’t, if you do, you destroy this world!”

Jack stood to his full height, his shoulders pulled back as he stared at his grandfather. “I’m not like you! I intend to fix this world! I’m a Winchester and we save people and hunt things, that’s the family business. Goodbye Chuck.” He let more smoky bolts shoot from his hands into Chuck’s body until God was consumed by them.

Sam and Dean watched through pain filled eyes as Chuck’s body was enveloped in black smoke. Tendrils of light could be seen twisting and cutting through the smoke, as if trying to escape its clutches. Jack walked up and slid his hand into the darkness and the light slowly entered his fingers and travelled up his hand. Jack’s whole body glowed as he consumed the light until there was nothing left. When he turned to look at Sam and Dean, one eye was black and the other a bright gold.

“He’s gone,” Jack said happily. He rushed over to Sam and Dean, kneeling next to them and reaching out to heal them. They let out relieved gasps as pain was no longer flooding their bodies. Jack helped them to their feet before pulling them into tight hugs. “Chuck is dead,” he announced again.

Dean cupped Jack’s cheek as he stared at his son, pride swirling in the depths of his eyes. “Good job son. You did it.” He pulled Jack in for another hug.

Jack wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and buried his head in the older man’s chest. “Thanks Dean.” Sam came up behind them and pressed his chest to Jack’s back. The three of them reveled in the moment.

“I hate to break up this bonding moment, but we’re not quite done here. Jack, you know what you have to do,” Michael said from behind them.

The three men broke apart to stare at the archangel. Jack pulled away from the two men and walked up to Michael. “You’re sure this is going to work?” he asked hesitantly.

Michael nodded once. “If it doesn’t, you can just bring me back and we’ll try again.”

Jack took a deep breath before holding both hands up and cupping either side of Michael’s head. Sam and Dean watched as Michael’s eyes and mouth glowed white and he let out a howling scream. The next instant, he dropped to the ground.

They all watched Michael’s body, waiting with bated breath to see what would happen. Without warning, Jack’s body started glowing and then the light began spilling from him into Michael’s prone form. Once the last speck of light had flowed into Michael, he took a deep breath and then struggled to his feet. His eyes flashed blue before settling back to their normal color.

“Well?” Sam asked.

Michael held his hands up and stared at them before looking at the three men. “It worked. I am God now.”

Dean’s face was set in a hard line as he said, “Are you gonna keep your word? Are you gonna bring everybody back?”

Michael held his hand out to Jack who took it. Their eyes flashed colors before they snapped their fingers at the same time. They dropped hands quickly. Jack looked at Sam and Dean with a bright smile. “It’s done! Everyone is back!”

Sam’s phone started ringing and he pulled it out, his jaw dropping. He shakily accepted the call. “Eileen,” he gasped out. Tears sprung to his eyes and a smile spread across his lips. He looked at Dean and nodded his head.

Dean smiled back and then focused his attention on Michael. “Cas.”

“I can pull my brothers and sisters from the Empty to help restore Heaven, but Castiel is not one of them because he’s not dead. The Empty has him locked away where even I can’t reach him. The Empty was angry because Castiel woke him up, and he wanted to get back at my brother for that. Now that he has Castiel, he has fallen back asleep. He might be convinced to give my brother up if his sleep is once again disturbed. I can give you a spell that will allow you to summon the Empty to Earth as many times as you want. You do have a way of pissing people off to get what you want,” Michael said with a smirk. He swiped his hand and a rolled up scroll appeared. He gave it to Dean and then conjured a bag which he also handed over. “There’s enough ingredients in there to summon the Empty at least a dozen times. If you need more, just let me know.”

Dean took the items silently. He looked at the spell and then inside the bag, confirming everything Michael had just told him. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Thank you but why? You don’t owe me anything.”

“You helped me get what I wanted. The least I can do is help you get what you want. I know I said we don’t always get what we deserve, but I think this one time we all deserve that chance. Now, I have some things to start taking care of. Goodbye Dean.”

“Goodbye Michael,” Dean said softly as the archangel walked over to Jack.

He watched Sam still talking to Eileen and Michael and Jack were now deep in conversation. Dean gripped the scroll and bag tighter before walking outside the barn. He walked deep into the abandoned corn field. He didn’t stop until the barn could barely be seen over the brown stalks.

He spent the next ten minutes setting up the summoning circle and preparing the ingredients as described. He pulled a knife from the bag and cut his palm, squeezing his hand so that blood dripped onto the circle below. He watched dispassionately as a familiar black ooze appeared in front of him. The ooze bubbled upwards and formed into a familiar figure. Dean stared at the entity before him who was wearing Meg’s face.

Her face twisted into rage as she snarled, “Who are you? Why have you summoned me here? I’m supposed to finally be asleep!”

“Bring Cas back,” Dean demanded.

The Empty’s lip curled up. “NO! No, I will not give you that pesky angel back! We had a deal, and I don’t intend to go back on it.”

“You don’t give him back and I’ll do this all over again,” Dean said.

The Empty’s eyes widened. “You dare threaten me!”

Dean stepped to the edge of the circle. “There is nothing you can do to me inside that circle. So, go ahead, go back to sleep. I’ll just summon you again and again and again until you release Cas. You want sleep, then give me my angel back!”

Meg growled and snarled and kicked at the dirt beneath her feet. “No! No, you can’t do this! I am eons old, and I will not be bested by some human.”

“Bring Cas back,” Dean reiterated.

The Empty said nothing, just disappearing. Dean huffed but pulled out more ingredients and performed the summoning a second time. He watched in satisfaction as the Empty glared at him. “Bring Cas back.”

“You’ll run out of ingredients soon enough,” Meg said before disappearing.

Dean performed the summoning again. “Actually Michael, the new God, said he’ll keep supplying me until the end of time. So, keep disappearing and I’ll keep summoning you. Now, bring Cas back!”

Meg paced the circle like a caged tiger, snapping and snarling every so often. Dean knew he had the entity cornered and he was just waiting for the Empty to realize it as well. He watched with a smirk as the woman in front of him finally spun to face him.

“Fine,” she bit out. “You want your precious angel, you can have him… but on one condition. I’ll give the angel back, but he won’t be an angel any longer. I refuse to be woken up by him ever again.”

Dean paled. “What?”

Meg chuckled darkly. “I’ll give him up, but he’ll be human. And you make the decision, so how badly do you want Castiel back? Are you willing to make such a choice for him? Are you really so afraid of being alone that you would take the one thing from Castiel that makes him special?”

Dean stepped back, his jaw clenching as he swallowed thickly. He dropped his eyes, unable to stare at the being in front of him. He slipped his tongue out to lick his suddenly dry lips.

“I can’t. I can’t take being an angel away from Cas. I won’t make that choice for him. I did it for Sam and look how that backfired. Cas is an angel and I’m just a pathetic human. Even if he’s locked in the Empty, he’s still an angel. I don’t want to be alone; I don’t want to be without Cas, but I won’t take his wings from him. I won’t make one more bad decision and have Cas hate me.” Dean’s thoughts swirled around his head.

Dean started to say something when another voice filtered through his head. “Every choice you did was for love. You are selfless and caring. You love so much. You’re not the monster you see yourself as. I love you.”

“I love you Cas, and I’m gonna make one more decision out of love,” Dean whispered to himself softly. He looked at the Empty. “Bring Cas back.”

Meg laughed. “When he hates you for the pain he’s about to experience, just know it’s all your fault. I have him locked away in darkness, experiencing nothing. You’re about to make him experience torture the likes of which you can never imagine.”

Dean felt his heart stop and was about to say something, but then a shape started forming next to the Empty. He watched with bated breath as the shape took form, and then Cas was standing in front of him.

Cas’ eyes focused on Dean, confusion clouding them. “Dean?” he asked softly.

“Cas,” Dean whispered letting out the breath he had been holding.

“Remember,” Meg said darkly.

Dean watched as Cas let out the most agonizing scream he had ever heard. It pierced his ears and shattered his soul. Dean felt every bone in his body shaking as Cas started writhing, screams still falling from his lips. He watched as Cas’ body contorted in ways a body wasn’t meant to, as Cas started clawing at his arms and face. Dean wanted to reach out, to do something, but he was frozen, a vice like grip on his heart keeping him from moving. Cas fell to his knees, his body rippling in painful spasms and his voice wrecked from all the screams. His back bowed, and Dean watched as bright blue light filled Cas’ eyes and mouth.

Finally, Cas fell to the ground in a heap. The Empty stood over him laughing in glee and Dean’s heart was beating out of his chest. His gaze remained locked on Cas’ prone form as he fell to his knees.

“Well, that was more entertaining that I thought. I think that was better than having the angel caught in my grasp for eternity. Now, will you please leave me the hell alone so I can finally sleep?” the Empty snapped before disappearing.

Dean barely noticed Meg leaving, his eyes still staring at Cas’ trench coat clad form. He had tears rolling down his eyes, but he made no move to wipe them away. He finally dropped his eyes, not having a clue what to say to the man in front of him. He had just caused Cas unimaginable pain and for what? Dean had chosen to let Cas go through something so horrible because he couldn’t imagine living the rest of his life without him.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop,” Cas said, his voice scratchy and broken.

Dean’s head snapped up to see Cas looking at him. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and he slowly crawled closer to where Cas was. He stopped a foot away. “You don’t know what I’m thinking,” he said, his voice full of tears.

Cas forced himself to sit up, his face twisting as pain surged through his body. “You’re regretting whatever choice you just made to bring me back. I can see the despair in your eyes Dean. You’re blaming yourself for reasons I don’t know.”

Dean huffed out a breath as the tears continued to fall. “You’re not an angel anymore and it’s my fault. All that pain… it was my fault.”

Cas shuffled closer until he could reach out and grab Dean’s trembling hand. He squeezed as he said, “Why did you bring me back?”

Dean took a shaky breath. “Because I can’t be without you. I don’t do well when you’re not here. I need you Cas; I need you.” Dea paused and then held his hand out and cupped Cas’ cheek. “How could you think that what you wanted you couldn’t have? You’ve always had me. I’ve always been yours from the moment you walked through those damn barn doors.” He watched as Cas’ eyes went wide at the confession.

Cas tilted his head and started to speak, but Dean plowed on. “You’ve changed me, and I’ve fought and kicked and screamed the entire time. You’ve made a place in my life and I can’t- I can’t function without you. I know I’ve always blamed you and yelled at you and pushed you away, and I’m so sorry Cas. I’m so damn sorry; I just didn’t know how to handle what I was feeling. I didn’t think I deserved to have those feelings reciprocated, so I pushed them down and I lashed out at you.”

Dean’s voice broke as a sob escaped him. “I’ve never felt like this before, and I was scared and confused. I couldn’t fathom the thought that you would feel the same way. I’m just a screwed up human who’s made tons of bad decisions. I fell in love with you years ago, but why would I ever think that an angel would fall in love with a demon like me? Of course I love you! How could I not? I love you Cas, more than I have words for,” Dean said, his voice dropping to a whisper. Tears were clouding his eyes, and his hands were shaking. His throat hurt from all the tears clogging it, and he clenched his jaw to keep another sob from being ripped from his body.

Dean gasped as Cas pulled him closer to his body, wrapping his arms around Dean’s back and waist. Dean buried his head in the junction between Cas’ neck and shoulder. He flinched when Cas ran a soft hand through his short hair. “You dumbass,” Cas said, tears evident in his own voice.

Dean chuckled. “I prefer idiot. Less dumb, less ass.”

Cas laughed softly. “I’m sorry for not telling you about the deal. I’m sorry for.”

“STOP! You have nothing to apologize for. What’s done is done. Can’t we just put it behind us? Let’s just focus on right here, right now,” Dean said, looking Cas in the eyes.

A soft smile spread across Cas’ face. “I like that idea. I like that idea a lot.”

“So do I,” Dean whispered before leaning forward and pressing his lips to Cas’.

All the pent up feelings rushed into the space where their lips met. Every emotion the two of them had ever felt: anger, sadness, heartbreak, loyalty, betrayal, love, flowed between them. Cas pulled Dean even closer, the hunter going willingly. Their lips pressed and slipped against each other, their hands clutching one another, afraid to let go. Cas kissed as if he was starving and Dean kissed like a man possessed.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were gasping. Hardly an inch separated them and Dean slid his nose against Cas’, enjoying being so close to the man he loved. He cupped the back of Cas’ neck and twirled his fingers in the short black strands as Cas pecked his lips over and over. When Cas took a deep breath, Dean surged forward, slipping his tongue inside the ex-angel’s mouth.

Their noses bumped together as they continued to make out. Their tongues intertwined with each other before breaking apart just to do it all over again. Cas’ hand had come to rest on Dean’s shoulder once more, and he squeezed tightly.

Dean broke the kiss to stare. “I’ve hardly taken this jacket off. I couldn’t bear to part with it. It was the only reminder I had left of you.”

Cas nuzzled against Dean’s nose and cheek. “I promise not to leave you again. I’m home Dean; wherever you are, I’m home. I love you.”

Dean pressed a quick kiss to Cas’ lips. “I’m home too, Cas. You here with me is all I need. I love you.”

A while later they finally stood to their feet and walked hand in hand back to the barn. Jack and Cas shared a long hug and a few quiet words between them. Sam and Cas then hugged one another, Sam happy to have his brother back. They all took one last look at the barn before heading outside. Jack transported all of them back to the motel Dean and Sam were staying at. With a snap of his fingers, Baby’s trunk was loaded with Dean and Sam’s things, along with a bag full of clothes for Cas.

Without a word, Sam and Jack slid into the back seat. Cas slid into the passenger seat and Dean pulled him close, wrapping his arm around Cas’s shoulders and dropping a kiss into his hair. Before they headed back to the bunker, they would be picking up Eileen and stopping by to visit with Jody, Donna, and the girls. They would also check up on all the Apocalypse world hunters along the way.

Dean started the engine and looked in the rearview mirror. Sam and Jack were talking about some crazy piece of lore, and Dean smiled. For the first time in a long time, Sam and Jack were relaxed, not a hint of tension in their bodies. He then looked at the angel who was curled against him.

Cas looked up, his blue eyes shining. “What?”

Dean flashed a smile. “Nothing. Nothing at all. I’m just happy for once. We actually won.”

Cas leaned up and pressed a tender kiss to Dean’s lips. “We did. We got the ending we deserve.”

“Hell yeah we did.” As Dean pulled Baby out the parking lot and onto the highway, he leaned forward and turned on the radio. The car was filled with the sound of classic rock music.

Carry on my wayward son There will be peace when you are done Lay your weary head to rest Don’t you cry no more

#My writing #my OTP #Destiel

[theartofimaginaryfriends]

Chapter 7 - Movie Night

Fic series: The Final Straw (HP/PJO Crossover Fic)

Premise: Weekly movie night is kicked off with a classic: Mean Girls.

Masterlist

Taglist: @ilvermornymascot, @lukecastellandeservedbetter, @eva-blog-p

word count: 1,343

A/N: We're back to posting at weird hours of the night! It's currently nearly 2AM and that's on having to rewatch Mean Girls for this and ALSO doing that at a weird hour. My staying up throuh the night thing is going to bite me in the ass on Tuesday where I'll likely sleep through the whole day and then deal with around 50 happy birthday facebook messages from family I never talk to. Which, by the way, I'm 20??? On Tuesday??? What??? On that note, I hope y'all enjoy the chapter XD

By Friday evening, the fighting had subsided enough that Nova wasn't meditating every five minutes, and she didn't feel as tired by the end of History of Magic. For once, she didn't feel the need to nap while the Professor droned on about the Salem Witch Trials. Besides, the amusement she got watching her Ilvermorny peers' jaws drop as Hermione raised her hand after every question was enough entertainment to keep the class interesting. She wasn't surprised to see her friend had done research on North American history.  

The only thing on her mind at the moment was the movie night. Instead of the usual downtime spent in the Pukwudgie common room, she was in The Great Hall organizing the space and setting up the seating areas. "Are you sure this is going to work?" 

"Lucas, for the millionth time this week, yes," Nova answered her friend, exasperated.  

"If we can do this on a laptop, we can easily utilize the projector," Cree added, looking up from the muggle technology. "And no I'm still not going to tell you how we managed to get this here."  

Lucas rolled his eyes and proceeded to help with the set up by moving the tables to the sides of the room. The three students fell silent as they did their tasks, and listened to the music playing on Cree's laptop through the aux cord. "This is looking great!" 

"Thanks, Professor!" Nova smiled at the Headmaster as he admired their handy work.  

"Have you picked out the movie, yet?" 

"Mean Girls," Cree held up the DVD. "It's a classic." 

"Ah, yes," Tahamente chuckled and made his way to the podium. "I hear students reference that film often." 

Soon after the set-up was fully finished, the student body began to pile in. Percy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione joined Nova in the section she claimed. "Should we be concerned about monsters?" 

"Annabeth didn't tell you?" Nova questioned. She explained how technology actually worked within both the wizard and demigod worlds. Her friends all looked at her like she was insane, especially Hermione who was insistent on arguing.  

"But in Hogwarts: A History, it's stated that it goes haywire around magic!" She went off on a tangent about the experiments that wizards have done to test the theory.  

"How often does this happen?" Percy leaned over and whispered to Harry and Ron.  

"All the time," Ron answered. "It's hard to get her to stop."  

"Almost impossible, really," Harry added.  

Hermione ignored her friends and continued on the rant as students continued finding spots with their friends. Once everyone was settled, the Headmaster addressed the school. "As you may have seen on the bulletin boards in your common rooms, tonight will be a bit different than usual."

"A bit?" Nova heard from a student nearby.  

"To help us all get used to each other's company, our Head Boy and Girl organized a no-Maj movie night," he explained. "In a moment, pizza and snacks will appear on the tables and everyone will be free to grab their dinner." 

The student began to whisper amongst themselves, most sounding excited. Nova glanced over at Draco, who had a bewildered look on his face. "What the hell is a movie?" 

"It's like the magical portraits, except there's a plot," Nova explained.  

"What?" 

"Draco, don't worry about it," Harry said, quickly. "You'll find out soon enough."  

"Until then, I have an announcement to make." Nova's attention was brought away from Harry and Draco, and back to the Headmaster as he continued his speech. "Professor McGonagall, Professor Chiron, and I have decided to host a championship." 

"If this is anything like-" Harry whispered to himself.  

"It will be modelled after the legendary Triwizard Tournament," Tahamente hushed the crowd again as the students continued talking amongst each other. Harry and Nova shared looks of disdain. "We have decided to name it The Chimera Games. The rules are simple: twenty teams of two, and it must consist of one wizard and one demigod. There will be no age restriction for the competitors." 

"Is that safe?" Hermione seemed worried.  

"No, but neither is the life of a demigod," Annabeth said. "A tournament is nothing to us." 

"To enter, you will write your name onto a slip of paper, and drop it into the Fountain of Fate." The murmurs started up again, much to the headmaster's dismay. "When it is time for the choosing ceremony, the fountain will reveal two names for each team. The fountain will be in the Entrance Hall tomorrow morning, and everyone will be free to enter until dinner on Sunday. Once the teams have been chosen, I will give out further information. For now, please enjoy tonight's festivities."  

Nova attempted to mask her worry, not wanting to talk about what had happened in fourth year. Harry shifted so he sat next to her. "Did you know about this?" 

"I had no idea," Nova shook her head. "Do you also have a bad feeling about this?" 

"I have a feeling that if I don't willingly enter my own name, someone will do it for me," he scowled.  

"I'm sorry, Harry." 

"You have nothing to apologize for." Harry gave his friend a small smile and squeezed her shoulder. "We'll talk about this tomorrow, now is not a good time." 

"Okay," Nova agreed and smiled back. As worried as she was about the prospect of a tournament, Harry was right. The movie nights were meant to be fun. Dwelling on the news wouldn't benefit anyone.  

"Are you okay, Nova?" Cree asked, taking a seat next to her.  

"Yeah," she nodded, taking a plate he held out to her. "Just zoned out."

"You better not do that during the movie," he joked. "I'm not about to quote it on my own." 

"I would never do that to you," Nova feigned offence. The movie began playing when everyone was settled back in their seats. The two tried to be as quiet as possible as they talked through it, failing at their favourite scenes.   

The Head Girl was mostly entertained by Malfoy watching the movie, and Harry quietly explaining to him that shouting at it would do no good since they don't respond. "That makes no sense." 

"A movie is pre-recorded," Harry couldn't contain his grin, clearly enjoying Draco be clueless for once. "Which means the characters on screen are played by actors, and they can't hear or talk to you." 

"But, how?"  

"We might want to save the full explanation for later, boys," Nova teased.  

"Says the one saying almost every line," Harry shot back, good-naturedly.  

"That's different!" Cree and Nova chorused.  

"Do the two of you ever shut up?" One of Lou Ellen's friends, Macie, glared at them.  

"No, they don't," Lou Ellen answered her friend and winked at her sister.  

Over the course of the movie, the group teased Draco as he kept yelling at the screen and expected a response. Cree and Nova noticed other students quoting the movie as well, making the experience more fun. Movie Night seemed to work in bringing everyone together. Even the wizards that had just been introduced to a movie were enjoying themselves.  

"All I'm saying is Cady giving out the crown is unrealistic!" Malfoy ranted as they walked to the campfire. "I mean, you can't just break it in half, that's not how royalty works!" 

"How would you know?" 

"Do you really think that breaking a crown into pieces and handing it to others is going to make them royalty?" He continued. "No! Because that wasn't accurate."  

"Why do I have a feeling he's got his own throne at home?" Percy whispered to Nova.  

"That wouldn't surprise me." Nova laughed.  

When they arrived at the fire, Nova noticed the whole school was there. It was quite the change from the small groups they've had all week. The flames glowed a bright gold as the Apollo cabin led the activity. The witch enjoyed the moment while it lasted, knowing very well that the fighting would start again the next morning.

#harry potter #percy jackson #pjo #harry potter/percy jackson crossover fic #harry potter/percy jackson crossover

[supernatural-rewatch-3]

Moriah

Oh how innocent I once was. Back when I first heart Chuck/God was coming back in this episode and I was think ‘Oh thank God, everything’s going to be fine’...as if I forgot what freaking show I was watching for the last 14 years!

So Jack leaves and Cas and Sam turn to Dean for what is next. However Cas is really upset with Dean’s answer because Dean says that he wanted Jack dead and to him Jack is just a monster now. Cas leaves to find Jack on his own and Sam agrees to help Dean. Meanwhile Jack is so done with lies that he makes it so no where on the Earth can anyone lie.

Sam and Dean are looking for Jack and we get the first hint about the no lying when Sam says Dean is a nerd and apparently is an avid watcher of Jeopardy...didn’t see that one coming. Then Dean approaches a secretary to straight up say “I’m Dean Winchester and I’m looking for the Devils Son’, adding that his FBI badge is fake after trying again. Then we over hear a really bad conversation an Dean asks Sam for his favorite singer and wow would Balthazar be disappointed. Then again he would have had to have expectations of Sam and Dean to be disappointed by them. As the office descends into chaos, which is pretty hilarious with the guy who just jumps up saying ‘right here’ to ‘who ate my pudding’ and the stapler queen on the floor; we barricade into an office where we learn Donald Trump had publicly announced his tax fraud, ties to Korea and Russia, and a demon deal he made with Crowley...wonder when the bill comes due for that one. Then a news anchor announces his love and Dean and Sam conclude this ‘no lying thing’ is world wide.

Meanwhile Cas goes to go to Hell but the demons deny him entrance. He was hoping to look at Lucifer’s cage, but poor Cas is not welcome in Heaven, Hell, or even Purgatory. He is approached, to his shock, by Chuck. Chuck takes him to Sam and Dean, explaining along the way that lying keeps the piece and he’s a writer so that is something that they do. He then takes Sam, Dean, and Cas to the bunker where he reverses what Jack did and explains that Jack can end the world. Chuck gives them a gun (I’m with Lilith, I’m not calling it the dumb name Chuck did) and tells them that it will do the same damage to the shooter as the target and one of them will have to kill Jack.

Cas gets upset saying he doens’t know why they are talking about killing Jack when Chuck can fix him. Chuck says he can’t restore souls and Cas suggests then htey can bind Jack or put him in the cage. Honestly Cas? After all the hell you just gave Sam and Dean now your talking about binding him? If Jack is God Level at this point, would Lucifer’s cage even hold him? Especially after it was cracked enough by Amara to let Lucifer’s powers through? The only thing probably strong enough to bind Jack is what they did to Amara, but would they want that? To leave Jack in nothing for all of eternity. Hell Amara said death was the more merciful option.

After Cas leaves to find Jack, Dean goes to his room to drink because he decided that he will follow Chuck’s plan and kill Jack, dying along with him. Of course Sam is against this and honestly I don’t think I could handle anymore death bed goodbyes in a single season. Sam says he understands that Dean is mad. Mary was his mother too and he’s still angry and part of him does want Jack dead for what he did, but Jack is family and Sam still wants to try to save him and he’s not going to lose Jack and Dean in the same day.

Sam goes to talk to Chuck and notice that Chuck is actually giving Sam a lot of information without really saying much. Sam however realizes that Chuck has been watching them when he isn’t there and Chuck says they are his favorite show. Sam realizes he’s scared of Jack and Chuck admits he knows where Jack is. Sam asks what he’s waiting for and Chuck says ‘oh, nothing. Dean already left’ and we know that whole conversation was only mean to keep Sam busy so Dean could go after Jack.

Jack goes to Cas to tell him what’s been going on. Jack knows something isn’t right with him, and he was trying to be good. He tried to make the world a better place, but made it worse. His grandparents don’t like him an he has no other family any more and he keeps messing up. Cas wants them to go somewhere alone to figure it out but Dean arrives. Jack tells them that he can’t run anymore and while Cas wants to stand between them, they don’t want that. Jack tosses Cas aside so him and Dean can deal with this.

Jack kneels down to let Dean kill him, telling Dean that he understands and Dean was right, he’s a monster. Sam and Cas both manage to come back but they can’t do anything. This is all Dean’s choice now. Dean is angry, he’s still furious with Jack for killing Mary and talking like it’s Mary’s fault. Jack is still a threat, someone who has the power to throw the entire world into chaos with a word as they’ve already seen. And Dean can’t bring himself to kill Jack. Because at the end of the day Jack is still family, he’s still his son.

Chuck is furious and Sam, Dean, and Cas all see Chuck in a new light. They realize the most important thing to him is his story and all the pain and suffering they have all been through is because Chuck wrote it that way for his perfect story. Chuck tells Dean to kill Jack and he will bring back Mary.

It’s kin of interesting because looking at their family history, I think Chuck actually thought Dean would do it. After all their maternal grandfather choose to sacrifice his grandsons, even feeding Dean to ghouls, for the possibility of bringing back Mary. They’re paternal grandfather Henry had been willing to abandon Sam and Dean to Abaddon in order to go back in time to try and find a different path for John, who was already dead (until Dean kidnapped him and then he changed his mind). And as a whole Winchesters tend to go above and beyond to bring the dead back; Mary’s demon deal for John; John’s demon deal for Dean; Dean’s demon deal for Sam; Dean and Sam breaking every law of nature to keep bringing each other and Cas back to life. However I think Chuck forgot that to Sam and Dean, their chosen family are just as important. Mary, John, Sam, Henry, Samuel, Millie, and Deanna are Dean’s only blood family. But Dean has a whole hell of a lot more. Charlie, Kevin, Cas, Jack, Ellen, Jo, Jody, Bobby, Alex, Claire, Donna, Patience, only just to name a few (Rowena and Crowley can be added too).

Dean didn’t even hesitate to say no to Chuck’s deal. Because not only could he not sacrifice the scared boy in front of him for Mary, but imagine what kind of hell that would be for Mary. To be ripped away from John again? To be awakened in a cemetery with a distraught Sam and Cas to learn she is alive because Dean killed both himself and Jack?

And Chuck is pissed because Dean was his last chance to get his story. Cas has rejected him from the moment he said the plan was to kill Jack. Sam he lost in the bunker, and Dean he lost in the graveyard. But he was focused on Dean from the start, and that was partly because this whole season started with Dean and Jack being the focus and it ended with them having the stand off and them making the choices. Jack gave Dean the choice of what to do and Dean chose for them both to live.

And Chuck had a little temper tantrum and kills Jack then Sam shot him. Sam literally shot Chuck with a gun that would kill both of them?! What the hell Sam!? We could have lost you and the whole world! And Chuck opens all the gates of Hell and we see Constance, the first hell bound spirit we met in the pilot, Mary Worthington from the fifth episode, and Gacy the last hell bound spirit we met in the episode Lebanon just few episodes ago. Jack wakes in the Empty with the Shadow and Billie and Sam, Dean, and Cas are left in a graveyard with the rising dead, ironically enough Jack’s favorite monster.

#spn 14x20 #moriah #supernatural #chuck shurley #sam winchester #dean winchester #castiel #jack kline

[phaedrecameron]

House of Fraser Chpt 17 - The MacKenzie Plaid

And....we’re back....   

Previously.....Brian was telling Jamie how his mother came from the Stones..😱& how as a child Jamie really liked the plaid she brought with her 🤗

“Here, have a seat lad,”  Brian soothed.

Jamie glared, “why would ye say such a thing?” He threw the corset in the chest and snatched the plaid back into his hands.

“Because tis true, son. Havena ye ever wondered why yer Mam has no people? How’s she different?”

“No. No!...” Jamie began to rub the plaid in his hands; seeking to understand how it was constructed.

“I found her shivering and scared coming down from the Fairy Hill. She fainted when I started the car.”

“I’m no listening to this.”  Jamie turned to leave.

“Tis us! We pull them from the Stones.”

Jamie stopped at the ladder. His hands wound in the plaid; he wanted to block out what he knew his father would tell him, wanted to pretend he didn’t already know.

“Jamie, Claire is yer mate. She came to ye because of the Stones. Because she can travel through them. Ye know, don’t ye – seen her near them, maybe?”

Brian slowly approached his son. Jamie didn’t turn around nor did he try to leave.

“Ye never wanted all the things ye want wi yer Claire, aye? I remember how tis was wi your Mam. I realize now I was biding my time till she came for me.”

“Da, I dinna understand…”

“Son, I dinna ken how it works myself, but the men in our family — our women find us from the Stones. Well, mostly. It skipped yer grandshire and his father before that, but for a very long time tis how it was for Frasers.”

Jamie looked over his shoulder, “how do ye ken that?”

“I’ve had a very long time to try to puzzle it out and,” he chuckled, “the benefit of 21st century research capabilities. From what I know, they come and choose to stay for us – no other reason. Yer Mam well…”

Jamie heard an unusual hesitancy in his father’s voice, he turned.

“Yer Mam was already marrit when she came. To her Other, but she stayed for me.”

“Her Other? Did she..”

“Aye, she..loved him, but well, he wouldna made her happy. The Other pushes them to the Stones. It’s their link to their time. Yer Mam was running away from her husband when she chanced upon the Stones. But, as crazy as it sounds, we needed the Other for yer Mam to find me.”

Jamie stood still to absorb this.

“Da, it isna the same wi’ Claire. She didna come from the Stones.”

Brian turned and began to close the chest.

“Da?”

“Let’s go speak wi’ yer Mam.”

“Da? Did ye hear me? What arena ye no  tellin’ me? If it’s about Claire, please. Please.”

Brian looked at his son; a man grown and successful, but all he saw was his five year old bairn, wi bright blue eyes, that he’d die to protect and keep from pain. “Almost always the matched pair are from different times, but sometimes, like yer Claire, she’s already here with her Other.”

Jamie pushed Frank from his mind. “And..” he prodded

“She’ll leave ye to go through the Stones.”

Jamie blinked and backed away.

“She willna want to,” Brian added quickly, “she has to, she’ll do it for ye.”

“No!” Jamie roared. “No! Claire isna going near the Stones. Not ever!”

“She has to – ye canna change it.”

Jamie tore from the attic.

****

“Och, look at this one.” Ellen handed a photograph to Claire as they were huddled together on the sofa before Lallybroch’s massive hearth.  It was Jamie at maybe 9 or 10. He was biting his lip in concentration while trying to shear a sheep. “Handful that one. Got it in his head he was goin to make his own wool jumper. Drove Brian and me near insane.”

Claire laughed, “Precocious?”

“Aye, get yer sleep now.” Ellen touched Claire’s arm.

Other than Jamie, Claire couldn’t recall having such an affinity for another person. Like Jamie, her touch was welcome and full of promise.

“Claire!” Both women jumped at the sound of Jamie’s voice.

Claire instantly recognized his tone, she’d heard it only once before, when he found her at the Stones. It was full of desperation and horror. She made to stand, but Ellen pulled her back and pushed a paper in her hand.

“Tis my number, call anytime, anytime at all.”

Claire then stood and saw Jamie entering the hallway. He eyes were wide, one fist curled, the other holding what looked like a tartan blanket.

“Ja..”

“Let’s go. Now!” His voice was harsh.

“Wot?” Claire noticed Brian was not with him.

“We’re leavin! Ye’ll do as I say! Come!”

Claire felt fury rise in her chest.

Ellen placed a hand on Claire’s neck, ‘tis alright. He’s had a shock. Go. And remember what I said.”

Claire slowly followed Jamie outside. “What the bloody hell is wrong with you!? Don’t speak to…”

He ignored her, grabbed her arm and began walking to their Rover. His pace increased and she couldn’t keep up. Claire stopped and yanked her arm free. “What is wrong with you?! How could you be so rude to your parents?”

Jamie reached for her arm again and she pulled away.

“Will ye no trust me once! Will ye no argue and do what I tell ye! Get in the car!”

Claire felt her hand tingle with the urge to slap him. She looked around. Had she been in London, she would have left him where he stood and made her own way back. If she thought she could outrun him, she would have gotten to the Rover and drove off without him. With tears of frustration threatening to fall, she said nothing and walked to the Rover.

Claire struggled with her seatbelt as Jamie made a tight turn in Lallybroch’s driveway and sped away. He seemed unable to keep the Rover straight on the road. “Let me out. Did you hear me, Jamie! Stop!”

Jamie seemed to recognize her for the first time since he followed his father into the attic.

He pulled to the side of the road and watched Claire run from him. Less than a year ago, Jamie would have told anyone who asked that he lived a full and satisfying life; family, job, friends, even G. Now he knew that life to be no more than an illusion. Everything was better with Claire. He felt more confident, he was more creative, more secure in his decisions. He was supported, but not flattered. If he was wrong, she’d tell him. She’d taken his heart and soul and kept it safe. For that, he owed her. It was his responsibility to see her safe, to keep her close and protected, and he’d just failed her.

Claire blindly ran into the heather until she reached a small shielded clearing. The sun touched her neck, just as Ellen’s fingers had done moments before. Was this the end?  Her hand covered her heart. She tried to reconcile the man who comforted her late into the night with the man who just treated her like a piece of property.

She heard the unmistakable sound of Jamie’s footsteps across the clearing.

“Sassenach…”

“Don’t call me that!” She turned to face him.

“Alright. Claire. Will ye come back to the car?”

She scoffed, “I’m waiting for anything approaching an apology and an explanation.”

Jamie tried to commit her to memory; her musk after they made love, her smile when she teased him, her curly wig when she awoke, the color of eyes that shifted with her mood.

“Claire, I’m tryna keep ye safe. I didna mean..”

“Safe? From your parents?”

He closed his eyes. “The Stones.” He expected to feel her brush past him, but felt nothing. A lifetime passed between each beat of his heart; he had no backup plan should she leave him. An aching hollowness settled in his chest. Could he go back to being half a person? He opened his eyes.

She hadn’t left. Her hair was free from constraint and curled wildly about her face, but she said nothing. He watched her hand shake as she brushed a curl from her face. But she didn’t leave. Blood flowed to his heart once more.

Jamie explained what his father had said. But still she stayed and still she remained silent.

“Claire, did ye hear me?”

“Yes, Jamie I heard you.” She turned her back to him and looked over her shoulder.  “You saw the clothes?”

“Aye, they were real.”

“Well, I already promised not to go near the stones.” She started to walk back to the car.

“Sass..Claire, Claire,” Jamie caught her easily. “Do ye believe me?”

“I believe you didn’t trust me to explain. I believe you treated me like I’m one of your dresses.”

She continued walking.

“Claire, I’m sorry. Yer right. I wasna thinkin’ – I just wanted to get ye away.”

She stopped. “Do you believe I love you?”

“O’ course..”

“Then why would I ever leave you – especially to what – travel to some other time?” Her voice was distant and full of disappointment. “I’ve never wanted to be away from you until right now.”

He knew he deserved it, but it felt like she was ripping out his guts.

“Please take me home.”

Jamie followed her back to the Rover.  

She slid in and looked in the backseat where he’d thrown the plaid. She brought it forward and ran it across her hands.

“Claire?”

“I’ve seen this before… it was in a dream…after our first night together.”

Jamie watched her bring the plaid to her nose.

“I was wearing it. I was cold and dirty, climbing in the dirt…up a hill. It had the same hole in the spot just here.”

Claire pushed her back against the door and began to hug herself.

Jamie reached out, “please, Claire, come to me.”

She hesitated and her eyes filled with tears. “This is happening to me, not you!”

“I ken..”

“No, no you don’t! You don’t ken anything! You were going to what…hmm? Drag me away and lock me in your flat? You and Frank!”

Jamie’s eyes snapped to hers at the mention of the bastard. “Dinna compare me him!” He bellowed.

“Why not? Frank wanted to send me to the Stones…to my destiny! He didn’t explain anything either. I guess he was ‘protecting’ me also. Maybe I should call him?”

Jamie pounded the steering wheel and he turned to her, the veins visible in his temple and neck. “You will not.”

Claire scoffed, reaching for the door handle. “I don’t have to do what you tell me. I don’t belong to you!”

“Aye, ye do!” Jamie grabbed her wrist.

“Let go of me, you fucking bastard!” Claire wrestled free and got out of the Rover.

“Ifrinn.” Jamie ran around the car and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Claire! Ye stubborn woman.  Ye do belong to me..and I belong to you.” He let go, desperately trying to control the whirlwind of emotions in his mind and heart. “Ye ken that, ye do. Ye told me, aye?”

Claire looked away, her jaw set.

“I love ye. I will always love ye.”

Her chin began to wobble, but she still wouldn’t look at him.

“I’m sorry the way I treated ye. It was wrong, but it is my job to protect ye. Just as it’s yers to protect me?”

She sniffled and wiped away tears.

“Yer right, I dinna ken anythin’ at all about this. But I ken we’re bound. I ken Randall was using ye for some reason.” He sighed, “I only want for ye to be happy and safe wi’ me at yer side.”

He threw the car keys at her feet.

“But if ye think Randall or anyone else can help ye more, I willna hinder ye. I can find my way back.”

Claire picked up the keys and studied them. She walked to the Rover, threw the keys inside, and pulled out the plaid. “Come with me?” She entwined her hand with his.

He followed her back to the clearing. She laid the plaid down and pulled the jumper over her head. “Make love to me?” She unhooked her bra.

Jamie looked around.

“No one will see, I just need to be with you.” Her hands began to unbutton her trousers.

Jamie took her then. At first it was rough as they reclaimed each other, then slow as they savored their chance at connection; each knowing that destiny meant to sever their bond.

“Forgive me?” Claire asked as they lay spent and sheltered in the plaid.

“Aye. Do you forgive me too?”

“Yes.”

They fell quiet and Claire hugged his middle.

“I’m scared, Jamie.”

He gathered her tighter. “Aye, me too.”

#house of fraser #outlander fanfiction #outlander fan fiction #thekingparrot #real life getting in the way #sorry for the proofing errors just wanted it to get out

[solange-lol]

Crazier Than You - Ch. 1/?

Chapter Title: Overture 

Words: 1385

[chapter 1 | chapter two | chapter three | chapter four (coming soon)]

Read on Ao3

Audition day for the spring musical. Meaning, about twenty high school kids were running laps around the auditorium

“Brunner is ruthless,” Lou Ellen snorted from her spot next to Will Solace. “As if the warm-up dance isn’t already enough, he has a warm-up for the warm-up.”

Will laughed, and a few of the kids passing glared at them, which only made Will happier. This was one of his favorite things to do: watch the poor theatre kids suffer while he sits in the back row with a container of Pringles to share with Lou.

(Not saying that tech crew isn’t hard. It’s actually kind of hell, especially this year for Will. Say what you want, but being the stage manager isn’t as fun as it looks. Honestly, he’d rather be going through whatever these kids are doing. The grass is always greener or whatever.)

“I think Apollo is to blame actually. And this is only the beginning. Just wait until he makes them do push-ups.”

Lou Ellen rolled her eyes, but the hint of a smile was still on her face. “The poor freshman. Serves them right though, they’re going to be breaking all my props in a month or so. Did you know they’re asking for light up hula hoops? Those things are over $100 at least, which means I’m definitely going to be paying for batteries again.”

Will nodded solemnly. “At least they’re doing a good show this year. The Addams Family is a personal favorite of mine, plus it’s just pushing school limits. What do you think, Heathers next?”

“As if!” Lou Ellen cackled in her seat, causing more students to turn their heads and give her the stink eye. Before she could say anything else, something (more specifically, someone) caught Will’s eye.

“Lou, who is that?” Will asked almost softly, pointing towards the person in question. He was short, around a usual freshman height, but he looked like he might be a junior or a senior. Or maybe not, since Will doesn’t think he’s seen him around before.

“Oh him?” Will nodded. “Will, that’s Nico di Angelo. He was here for his freshman year when we were sophomores, remember? He transferred schools for a year, I guess he’s back now though because he’s in my studio class.”

Will did remember very vaguely. The first year of high school is rough for everyone, but nobody had it as bad as he did. Nico’s sister had gotten into an accident and died a month into school, and apparently, he learned he had a stepsister that was born a year or so after his mom had died who was going to their local prep school. It surprised him to hear that that’s where Nico was transferring considering his history, but he seemed to be doing well now. It also explained how he seemed to know all the kids from the private school. (The school was too small to have their own theatre program, so they have to send all their kids over to the public school in their district instead.)

Will took another chip. His eyes were still fixed on Nico. “Huh.”

Lou Ellen studied his face. “You think he’s cute.” She concluded after a second.

“I do not!” Will nearly screeched, already about to jump from his chair if needed. (He was also slightly mad at himself for being so readable. Can you blame him? Nico was wearing an oversized crew neck with a cartoon ghost, and it looked adorable.)

She just laughed. “Woah, calm down. I never said you had to marry the guy, it was just an observation.”

Will sat back down, pouting. Before he could go full you don’t know me and cross his arms at her, the two of them were shushed as auditions began. They went as they always did, no different from the fall show except for the added music and way too many freshman girls that could not hit that high note so please stop trying. He wasn’t surprised to see Nico grouped together with the other kids auditioning for Pugsley. No doubt he could land that role, he was the perfect size for it (and most likely act the part as well)

However, when Will watched Nico’s actual audition, he couldn’t believe he was trying out for such a smaller role. Okay, sure it’s s a lead, but damn, that boy could sing well enough to land something bigger.

“He’s really good,” Lou Ellen said, somehow reading his thoughts. Or maybe just because it wasn’t hard to see that this kid had talent. “Do you think they’d give him Gomez?”

“I’ll bet you five bucks they give him Lucas.”

Lou Ellen raised her eyebrows. “Alright, if you’re confident,” she said, holding up her hands in surrender. “It’s a deal.”

They went back to watching the auditions until a few seconds later when Lou Ellen leaned over again. “Oh, and one more thing,” she started with an innocent style on her face. As innocent as Lou gets, that is.

Will side-squinted at her. “What do you want?”

Her smile widened but she looked more Cheshire Cat than Disney princess. “I’m expecting my name to be next to Assistant Stage Manager on that playbill, Mr. Solace.”

That $5 was handed to Will begrudgingly by Lou Ellen once the cast list came out two days later. However, the conversation was almost entirely forgotten when Will reminded her that she was going to be spending a lot of time with him as assistant stage manager. (Really there was no doubt he was going to choose her. But hey, he doesn't have much control over his own life. It’s the little things, really.)

After that, anything about Nico or anything else about the show slips Will’s mind. Tech crew was on the same day as vocal rehearsal for the show, so unless they went into the lobby at the same time, Will really didn’t see them at all. It wasn’t until a month and a half or so leading up to the show that Will realized he needed to figure out lightning cues for Thalia before they started running with sets.

He went to their rehearsal that Monday just to know what to expect. As it turned out, lighting cues didn’t take nearly as long as he was expecting, and rehearsal wasn’t going wrap up for another hour. Which, it wouldn’t be a problem if Will hadn’t gotten a ride from Lou Ellen to the school and was now getting a ride home from Annabeth, who was in the show.

Logically, because he had an hour to kill, Will should start on his homework. Which is exactly why he didn’t do that. Instead, he made himself busy backstage constructing the idea that’s been brewing in the back of his head since the beginning of the year. As he screwed another screw in place, he was surprised to see Nico walking up to him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, squinting at the Italian. (Curse him for leaving his glasses in his backpack. He wouldn’t be surprised if he accidentally screwed his finger to the piece of wood along with the nail.)

Nico snorted. “I should be asking you that, I think,” he said, glancing at Will, who realized in that moment how insane he must look. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground in the dark, a half-made box in his hand. He was most defiantly covered in sawdust, and oh God, his hair was probably a mess too.

“I’m making a snack box.”

“A snack box?”

“Yeah,” Will laughed pathetically, knowing how dumb he probably looked. “It was partly Lou Ellen’s idea, but she said if I got a box she would bring snacks and we could keep all of them back here.”

To Will’s surprise, Nico laughed, though not in a mean way. More of an actual, genuine laugh. “That’s amazing,” he said once he calmed down enough to speak. “You have to let me in on it.”

Will couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face. “Deal, as long as you help us paint it.”

A small smile found its way onto Nico’s face as well. “A small price to pay for a good reward,” he said, shaking Will’s outstretched hand.

And hey, maybe this year’s musical wouldn’t be so bad.

tag list under cut (message me to be added/removed)

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#crazier than you #hello and welcome to lizs self indulgent theatre fic #liz writes.com #solangelo #will solace #nico di angelo #percy jackson #pjo #heros of olympus #trials of apollo

[atc74]

Without Love

Summary: Y/N has been singing with the boys for a while, but is nervous to do it on stage. Rob promises her anything if she’ll sing at SNS with him. Rob better be prepared to pay up. 

Written for: @spnfluffbingo and this request from the beautiful @evansrogerskitten: Rob x Reader request please :) a fluffy first time on stage singing with Rob at SNS. Maybe "Long Train Runnin" which he sings with Jason on his new album? Yay! Thank you :) (Who am I to tell Ash ‘no’?!)

Square Filled: Right in Front of Your Eyes

Word Count: ~1425

Warnings: Slight angst, performance anxiety, FLUFF

A/N: I have used Ruth’s likeness, cause she is just so damn adorable. No disrespect to Rob or his family; this is a work of fiction and should be regarded as such. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!!

Y/N had been a guest on a few episodes of Supernatural and after her first convention, she had been invited back time and time again, quickly becoming a fan favorite. She loved her job and had just received the news that she would be an addition to the cast of Wayward Sisters, starring alongside her friends, Kim Rhodes and Briana Buckmaster.

Not only did the fandom love her, but she was great friends with most of the cast and was frequently a guest singer at the ever popular Saturday Night Special. She performed with ease as part of a group, but had not done anything solo before. 

“Just sing with me once. Whatever song you want, your choice, just...please?” Rob pleaded with her one convention weekend to sing with them on stage. “I hear you sing all the time; you are fantastic. Your voice is strong and solid and I love hearing you sing. Please?”

Y/N had been friends with Rob Benedict for a number of years, since before Supernatural. They had guest starred together on a couple different shows, always stayed in touch, and both were thrilled that they got to spend time together at conventions.

“Rob, I haven’t sung in front of anyone but you guys for years, I don’t think I could do it,” she told him one afternoon in the green room.

“You are an amazing singer and actress. You can totally do this! I will do anything you want,” Rob continued to pester her all day, even go so far as to use the puppy dogs eyes he no doubt learned from one Jared Padalecki.

She was honestly tired of listening to Rob beg that she finally relented. “Fine. One song. I choose and if I am terrible, it is all your fault!”

“You won’t be terrible, Y/N. This is going to be brilliant! Let me know what you want in return,” Rob threw his fist up in victory as he, Rich and the band prepared to go back out stage to announce the next guest.

“Finally wore her down, huh, Robby?” Rich smirked.

“Yep! And it didn’t even take as long as I thought it would,” Rob boasted, feeling pretty proud of himself.

“Ahhhh hmmmm,” Rich just hummed in agreement. Everyone agreed that those two were so clueless. “What song did she pick?”

“Oh shit! I forgot to ask!” Rob ran back into the green room, returning a few minutes later with his answer. “Long Train Running.”

“Good choice. She’ll harmonize great with Jason,” Rich added.

“What? Why would you say that? She agreed to sing with me,” Rob was utterly offended and Rich took great pride in badgering his best friend.

“Ohhh! She said she would sing with you? I didn’t know, Buddy. Sorry about that,” Rich clapped him on the back as they walked through the curtain.

Rob just stared after Rich, his mouth agape. He shook it off and stepped out on stage. They introduced Kim, Briana, Ruth and Gil, then ducked off stage and back to the green room.

Y/N had already done her panel on Friday and was now looking forward to the Saturday Night Special. The hours quickly ticked away and the closer it got, the more nervous she became. She didn’t want to screw this up. She just needed a drink or two to help settle the nerves. The song she had picked would not be a problem; she knew the words backwards and forwards. It was her singing partner she was worried about.

Sure, she and Rob had great chemistry on and off screen, but they would be nothing more than friends. Still, they were close and she did consider him one of her best friends. Rob was the person she confided in about every job, every date, every failed relationship for years. She confided in Rob about everything. Well, except one thing; that she kept to herself.

She should not have been surprised when he kept pestering her to sing and she had been wanting to sing with him for so long. Jason Manns had even asked her sing on this new album, but she had declined; she was not ready for that kind of audience. Much like the SNS she was nervous about, she was afraid that everyone would see right through her.

The lyrics of Long Train Running were so many things, but to her, they spoke volumes about her relationship with Rob, at least from her point of view. It was a song about waiting for something. A melody about love and longing. She thought long and hard about that one line: ‘where would you be without love?’. Maybe tonight was the night she finally spoke up. Maybe tonight was the night when she finally told Rob exactly how she felt about him.

The entire cast had dinner after the convention that night, like they do every Saturday of a con weekend. Y/N enjoyed a couple of beers with dinner, but as the night wore on, she realized she might need something a bit stronger to help her keep her resolve. She sat across the table from him at dinner, admiring him; his strength, his sense of humor and his fierce loyalty. All of those qualities made her realize what she really wanted was right in front of her the entire time.

Back in the green room, she poured herself a glass of bourbon and relished in the slight burn as she swallowed the warm amber liquid. She had at least an hour before she would have to be on stage, so she sipped her drink and engaged the others in conversation, trying to keep her mind off, well, everything.

“I would like to bring someone special on stage with us tonight. She is no stranger to you folks, but this is the first time we have been lucky enough to have her grace us with her presence as a singer. Supernatural Family, please welcome to the stage our newest Wayward Sister, Y/N Y/L/N!!!” Rob announced her debut and she walked out on stage to cheers and applause from the crowd.

“Thank you all so much for that warm welcome. It is great to be here! Rob, what are we singing again?” she turned to look at Rob, who just shook his head and smiled, banging his head on the microphone. She finally knew what she wanted in return to letting Rob talk her into this. “Oh, that’s right! Silly me. You guys might recognize this from Jason’s new album. Hit it Billy!”

The music started and she could feel herself start to relax. Rob stepped up to the mic and started the first lyric, her joining in at the chorus and then the third verse. She was really enjoying herself and kept her eyes on Rob’s the entire song. Her mind was free from all the thoughts that had kept her from doing this for so long. The song ended sooner than she would have liked and the crowd applauded her off the stage.

The concert was going so well and she was the first one back on stage next to Rob for the final song. She held his hand as they exited the stage together. When everyone headed back to the green room, she stopped, Rob running into her and almost knocking the both of them over.

“What the-?” Rob righted himself before he landed on top of her. “Are you okay, Y/N?”

“I’m great. You were totally right, Rob. This is something I should have done a long time ago,” she smiled up at him. “I know what I want in exchange for letting you talk me into singing with you.”

“You were fantastic! I told Rich you would kill it!” Rob exclaimed, throwing his arm around you in a celebratory hug, but when he released her, she didn’t let go. Y/N pulled back slightly, just enough to look into those bright baby blues that she had come to love so much.  “What do you want?”

“You. You have been right in front of me the entire time and I was too stupid to say anything,” she whispered. “I was too scared I was going to lose you. Tell me I am not going to lose you, Rob.”

“You’ll never lose me. I have been waiting years for you to make the first move because I knew I couldn’t. I’m sorry I didn’t, but I am so happy you did,” Rob revealed. “Can I kiss you now?”

“You better.”

Forever Tags: @iwantthedean @d-s-winchester @just-a-touch-of-sass-and-fandoms @just-another-busy-fangirl @mamaredd123 @ellen-reincarnated1967 @tankcupcakes @katymacsupernatural @winchesterprincessbride @chelsea072498 @meeshw777  @tmccarney @ruprecht0420 @theoriginalvicki @nanie5 @docharleythegeekqueen @megansescape @notnaturalanahi @impalaimagining @mrswhozeewhatsis @blacktithe7 @emoryhemsworth @bringmesomepie56 @devilgirlsarah @spnbaby-67 @myoutletforfanfiction @deansangelgirl @jerk-bitch-and-an-angel @kayteonline @percussiongirl2017 @fanfreak07 @sandlee44 @moonstar86 @squirrel-moose-winchester @growningupgeek @charliebradbury1104 @evansrogerskitten @feelmyroarrrr @itseverythingilike @smoothdogsgirl @supernatural-jackles @ryantherandomhero @love-kittykat21 @kathaswings @crispychrissy @paintrider13-blog  @bethbabybaby @ravenangel33 @shaelyn102 @roxyspearing @nosleeptillbucky  @x-waywardaf-x 

Rob Tags: @natasha-cole @shanghai88 

Bingo Tags: @luci-in-trenchcoats @hexparker 

#spnfluffbingo #Rob Benedict #Rob x Reader #Rob Benedict Fanfiction #Rob Benedict x Reader #rob benedict fluff #RPF #Rob Benedict RPF #supernatural fanfiction #supernatural rpf

[vcg73]

Witch!Kurt #28: Kurt’s Turn

I second guessed the song choice a lot, but it was meant to be something Kurt would never choose for himself so I went ahead with it.

Friday afternoon tech was a study in organized chaos. Actors old and young had arrived in the large auditorium, only to find themselves pushed and pulled all over the stage as prop masters, set designers, costumers, and lighting techs from across the student body of NYADA swarmed over them, measuring and marking. Kurt himself was everywhere at once, guiding the action, issuing direction and answering questions with a level of ease and self-assurance that would have shocked most of his high school teachers, but virtually none of his peers.  He was in his element and this project was his baby.  Kurt had mapped everything out inside his mind so many times that he knew exactly what he needed from every single person.  

 Far from being hesitant to follow these directions, the other students were pleased to have such a steady hand on the wheel. Kurt asked nothing of his crew that he was not willing to do himself and it was clear as the day progressed that unlike with many other student projects, Kurt knew when to take control and when to back off and let an expert handle things. What’s more, he gave credit and praise where it was due as he wove and danced among the crowd. He had also made up a mock Playbill for the production that included the name and department of every single individual who had helped him bring his vision to life, much to the crew’s appreciation.

 Everyone worked like a colony of busy bees to transform Kurt’s white-boarded directions into a working production, nodding and muttering among themselves as they jotted down notes and checked things off the master task list. The world of ‘The Real Housewives of Albany’ began to materialize around them, spreading to fill the large staging area more smoothly than anyone had rightfully expected.

 Out of deference to his cast of senior citizens, Kurt had tried to keep the staging modifications to a minimum, taking up some of the extra space with a collection of vintage furniture from the prop building, but the veterans proved to be troopers who loved every minute of the preparation, happily offering suggestions and encouragement wherever they could. Andy Collins was in his element, full of smiles and compliments, flirting with anyone who stood still long enough. Maggie Banks was like a tiny drill sergeant, barking orders to her fellow Lexington residents and passing along Kurt’s instructions to the rest with brisk efficiency. Mary Ellen Kaufman and Kate Woodrow, playing Maggie’s two sisters, both had limited mobility but excellent memories and they cheerfully pitched in wherever they could help.  

 As Kurt had feared, a high speed storm out was beyond Mary Ellen’s physical capabilities, but then he had an idea, suggesting that after the big argument in Act 1, she and her son – played by one of the Apples – should dramatically exit to the left as he pushed her wheelchair off the stage, while Mary Ellen went to the right using a walker.  As soon as they had tested this idea, Kurt knew it was a keeper. The ‘dramatic’ exit took almost a full minute as the eighty-five year old shuffled her way across the large stage with an attitude that could have put Rachel Berry’s best diva antics to shame and every crawling second just made the scene funnier. By the time she made it all the way past the curtain, the student actors and techs were almost in tears trying to stifle their laughter.

 By the end of the day, everyone was tired but elated. They had only the full dress rehearsal to get through on Monday and then another day to make any necessary last-minute adjustments and it would be show time. It was nerve-wracking, but at the same time deeply satisfying. Even if the dress rehearsal fell apart in chaos, he could feel it in his bones that the final production would be a huge success.  Everything had come together like magic today and he hadn’t even used any of the real stuff!

 NYADA projects were fully expected to take months to develop. It was more usual than not for a student to keep adding, changing and revising their work right up to the deadline of the last two weeks of the school year. This inevitably led to a certain amount of procrastination, a few emotional breakdowns, more than one outright failure, and a lot of competition for venues and attendance.  

 As a junior, Kurt had been required to complete a work-study, spending a minimum of 80 hours with one or more willing theater veterans, learning from their experience. The next step had been to show what that internship had taught him, using what he had learned from his mentor(s) to complement the skills he was learning at NYADA and then parlay that valuable combination into a presentable work of his own. That Kurt had managed to get a fully fledged original musical ready to stage by the first of February was practically unheard of and knowing that gave him some doubts. Would he be one of the over-ambitious failures? Was he rushing things? But another part of him, the side of Kurt that had always been secure in his own style and confident in his own talent no matter how many nay-sayers he encountered, knew that he was ready.  

He had first conceived the idea last year, after meeting Maggie and co-starring in her production of “Peter Pan” at the retirement home and he had been working on the project in his own time long before it came time to turn in his proposal to the faculty.  The “Old Housewives” story was already sketched out and the songs half-written by the time he approached Dean Tibideaux for permission to do his junior work-study with the actors at the Lexington Home for Retired Performers, knowing that his particular idea would require some licensing permissions from the owners of the various Housewives television programs. Fortunately, a request from the prestigious New York Academy of Dramatic Art was not unusual, even in Hollywood circles and the permissions had been granted in plenty of time for Kurt to proceed.

 Too much revising and second-guessing at this stage would only be a detriment. Kurt’s fellow actors and stage-crew knew the show as well as he did by now and it would not be fair to start tweaking everything just because he was starting to get a little nervous about the approaching performance. 

Adam, having been through his own first staging at NYADA nearly four years ago, agreed with this and advised Kurt to put the show away for the weekend and concentrate on other things.

 “I didn’t follow my own good advice at all,” he admitted when Kurt questioned the self-deprecating shake of the head that had accompanied this suggestion. “In fact, I was a right fool. I had done my junior work-study with Michael Foster Pellam and I was so sure that I was meant to follow in his hallowed footsteps that I conceived the brilliant plan of performing a one-man medley of the Bard’s greatest soliloquies.”

 “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Kurt said. “I’ve heard you recite Shakespeare a few times and you’re amazing at it.”

 Adam smiled warmly. “Well, you may be a bit biased on my behalf.  I will concede that I’m a decent actor, though composing and stage-craft are my real loves, but while I may not have been as full of myself as most of the young divas who grow like weeds in the NYADA fertilizer, I was absolutely certain that I could handle this task with no difficulty. After all, was I not an Englishman born and bred? Was I not the grandson of the great June Dolloway?” He struck a dramatic pose with one hand clutched to his chest, making the other two laugh. Adam grinned and shook his head. “Gran was a lauded actress in her day, before she retired from performing to built up her talent agency with my grandfather and I was convinced in all my not-quite-21-year-old arrogance that I had inherited the entire crop of apples from that particular tree.”

 Kurt laughed at his rueful sarcasm. “Something tells me that the one-man Shakespearen extravaganza didn’t go too well.”

 “And you would be correct. I had declined all help and suggestions from my friends and had worked myself down to a frazzled nub the week before I was to go on. I rarely ate, hardly slept and must have changed my mind about the speeches I wanted to perform at least a dozen times. I kept deciding it was perfect, then recalling a different one that I was sure would impress Professors Utley, Cameron, and Kurtz far more than what I had already chosen. Finally, on the day of my performance, I went out thinking I had everything in order.”

 Already cringing in sympathy with the younger version of his beloved, Kurt asked, “What happened?”

 “To begin, I had been so neglectful with my eating habits during the last month of the school year that I had managed to lose nearly a stone, but hadn’t considered that my costume would need to be taken in accordingly, so I looked rather like I’d been raiding my dad’s closet. Assuming that he owned a doublet.”

 “Doesn’t everyone?” Kurt said, batting his eyes and drawing a chuckle.

 “Plus I was so frazzled from forty-eight hours with no sleep that I had entered something of a fugue state.  I started off reciting a passage from “As You Like It” and without quite realizing it, I segued into an unrelated piece from “The Merry Wives of Windsor”. Then suddenly I realized that I was giving the wrong soliloquy and forgot my lines. I just stood there like an absolute git for a good thirty seconds before Professor Utley gave me a cue so I could begin the next piece. It was the classic ‘to be, or not to be’ soliloquy from “Hamlet” and that went reasonably well. I’d even venture to say that my haggard state helped me to do an unusually convincing job of it, until I reached the line ‘to sleep – perchance to dream: aye there’s the rub’ and fell prey to the power of suggestion, whereupon I yawned like a great gaping beast and set off the entire judging panel, which got me started laughing. And as you may recall, that piece isn’t exactly meant to be giggled through.”

 By now, Kurt was doing some giggling himself, though he tried to hide it. “Oh, poor baby Adam. You must have been so embarrassed.”

 “I was, but fortunately I was able to pick it up and finish before I could forget the rest of my performance. And as I had got all the way through it, however butchered it may have been, I at least had no worries about receiving an incomplete. Not surprisingly, I did not receive the best marks in my class that year, but to my good fortune one of the ballet dancers tripped over her toe shoes and fell off the stage into the orchestra pit that same grading period. Her broken leg saved my sorry arse and I did not receive the lowest marks either. Combined with my mostly excellent work over the rest of the year, I managed to successfully pass into senior year, but I did so with a slightly tarnished reputation and a sadder and wiser heart.”

 Kurt smiled, half suspecting the story to be fiction but appreciating it nonetheless. “So, what you’re getting at is that I shouldn’t over-think my show next week?  That I should get some rest this weekend and start fresh next week?”

 Adam beamed at him. “Precisely! It’s brilliant just the way it is and your entire team is ready to go. You’ll relax and concentrate on other matters this weekend then have your final rehearsal on Monday and sail through in Bristol fashion on Wednesday.”

 The perfectionist side of Kurt was tempted to argue, but he knew that Adam was right. The show was something to be proud of and he had worked hard to make it so. “Okay, you win. What do you say we work on our wedding plans instead?”

 “Love to,” he agreed, “but first, how about I get you off to a good start with some of that helpful distraction, eh?”  He hitched his blond brows playfully and ‘attacked’ Kurt with a tight hug and a kiss that made his toes curl.  

 ~*~*~*~*~

 With his fiancé’s advice in mind, Kurt spent the weekend finishing up his contribution to Isabelle’s upcoming Spring Showcase, working on the Mid-Winter Critique that was scheduled to be performed just two days after his show, and writing his wedding vows. That last ‘chore’ was the most rewarding and most difficult. The ceremony at the courthouse would be a simple civil service, exchanging rings and pledging “I Do’s” before a judge and their small party of witnesses, then going on to the reception. But from what Elliott had been telling him, the earlier rite with his coven would be a spiritual ceremony that would require a more formal and heartfelt exchange. For that, he wanted his words to be perfect.  

 Speaking of words, Kurt could not help but smile as he looked over the song that Adam had told him had been a gift from Lord Tubbington.  Adam was to be starting his new job at the tea shop tomorrow and had decided that the occasion warranted a new shirt. Since he was feeling good today, he’d asked Elliott to give him both a lift and a second opinion on whatever he ended up choosing. Afterward, he had got them both an invitation to jam with the Apples. Elliott did not attend their school, but any friend of Adam and Kurt’s was a friend of theirs, to the group’s eyes. Not coincidentally, this day out would give Kurt a few hours of privacy.  He was far from shy when it came to performing, but he hated being listened to when he was picking his way through an unfamiliar song and Adam knew that.  It still caused Kurt to marvel sometimes that his fiancé could be so casually accepting of such simple concepts as the need for a little personal space, after Blaine had always made him feel like he was committing a felony if he wanted time alone.

 Flipping the sheet music, Kurt idly wondered what had made Tubbington buy this piece. The cat was correct in his belief that Kurt was not a fan of country music. Living in a small Ohio town with more than its share of rednecks, it had been tough to escape from country and southern rock. To a young Kurt, constantly ribbed if not outright mocked for the Broadway tunes and power pop ballads that he personally preferred, that music had felt like an anthem to the intolerance that people like him were forced to endure on a daily basis. 

However, as he softly hummed the tune while sight-reading the notes, this song began to appeal to him. It had come out before he was born, but the song had enjoyed a long shelf life and still popped up frequently at weddings and dances. Often enough, in fact, to make it feel a bit too cliché to include in his and Adam’s own wedding reception. But as a stand-alone piece for the Mid-Winter Critique, it might do very nicely. A bit simplistic by NYADA standards and there was a chance he would be docked a few points for that, but it was still a solid song that had good potential.

 All he would need to do was slow the arrangement, perhaps drop most of the instrumentation and play it as a piano solo while he sang. He was no maestro, but Kurt wasn’t half bad on piano and he had never demonstrated that particular skill at school. He knew that Carmen didn’t always like the ‘distracting’ dancing and props that he enjoyed, he’d had past notes telling him so, so she would probably appreciate a simple performance as long as he put heart and a decent amount of technique into this.

 Turning back to the first page, he began to sing out loud.

 “Our love is unconditional. We knew it from the start. I can see it in your eyes. You can feel it from my heart. From here on after, let’s stay the way we are right now. And share the love and laughter, that a lifetime will allow.”

 A lifetime with someone you loved could be as short as a few years, or even a few months. Kurt hoped and even prayed though he could not have said to whom, that this time his life with Adam would last a lot longer.

 “I cross my heart, and promise to, give all I’ve got to give, to make all your dreams come true. In all the world, you’ll never find, a love as true as mine.”

 He would have to remember to thank LT for bringing him this music the next time he saw him. Country song or not, the lyrics spoke to him.  

 “You will always be the miracle, that makes my life complete. As long as there’s a breath in me, I’ll make yours just as sweet. As we look into the future, it’s as far as we can see. So let’s make each tomorrow, be the best that it can be.”

 Finding himself unexpectedly tearing up, he let the music trail away. Adam’s unwavering love and trust were a kind of miracle. As was his endless patience, particularly back when they first dated and Kurt was struggling to let go of a love that had pierced and twisted itself around his heart like barbed wire, holding him in a painful, still-bleeding grip that he had been too afraid of causing deeper pain to let go of once and for all. 

Adam had given Kurt a new dream, a new reason to trust and the courage to start over again. Even after Blaine’s self-serving menace had cost Adam everything, somehow that beautiful soul had survived and kept faith. Today he continued to love Kurt as truly and deeply as any human being could. He had held on to the promise of a better happier future together and now that future was within their grasp.

 Wiping his eyes, Kurt closed the music sheets before picking the booklet up and moving to the center of the room.  Looking around the empty loft, Kurt’s eyes traveled the large space, pausing at the spot that had been the center of his coven’s warding circle on the day he had first learned of his newly realized Potential. His perusal continued slowly across furniture, pictures, little pieces of a happy life that had transformed the loft into a true home. 

The deep armchair that Adam’s dad had Transported all the way from the Crawford family home in Essex, to help his recovering son be comfortable during his recovery.  Dani’s red bean-bag chair in the corner; a place to flop down with her guitar and strum while the gang hung out and talked. That odd mosaic-tiled floor lamp that Brittany had made and been so very proud to give them in place of a crappy IKEA lamp that Blaine had left behind.  The sectional sofa that Tubbington had nicknamed “The Accordion” after Johnny, Kurt and Elliott had manhandled it into the apartment to replace the old one that had held too many bad memories of the past. 

So many changes. So many things that somehow belonged together, no matter how odd or different they might look from the outside. Kurt and Rachel had cohabitated this space, with Santana, Brody, Blaine and Sam coming and going as they pleased; and Kurt had lived more or less harmoniously with all of them, but there had always been a sense of ‘Mine’ and ‘Yours’ about everything here. Kurt had felt the need to fiercely protect his individuality, as represented by his furniture and decorations. As if letting go of even one of those visual representations of his presence would be to erase him.  

It had not been a conscious act but looking back, Kurt knew that had felt defensive and on edge most of that time. He had never felt appreciated, or even particularly welcome in his own home. The more the others seemed to be pushing him out, or treating him like a servant who had no real place of his own, the more stubbornly he clung to this apartment’s visual identity; to the proof that Kurt Hummel was here and he would not be erased.  

 He smiled, shaking his head. How strange it seemed now.  Everything in this loft, from the furniture, to the mismatched assembly of coats and hats constantly decorating the rack by the door, was now a study in willing compromise. And somehow, everything fit together and worked together just as the coven did. Just as he and Adam did.

 Drawing a deep breath, Kurt let it out slowly, finding his center and drawing the magic to him. He remembered the first time he had done this, when he had held on to the magic, afraid to let to go even when it started to feel painfully overwhelming because he feared he would never be able to feel that way again. Dani had advised him to let go, assuring him that the power would always be inside him. And Kurt had not questioned her, or Brittany, or any of the others. For the first few weeks of training as a witch, he had somehow given them his trust with little hesitation, allowing them to guide and protect and occasionally correct him when he needed it.  

 But when Adam had returned from the Void and Kurt had learned just how badly Blaine had mistreated them both, he had withdrawn into the safety of his own space.  Without even realizing it, he had starting shutting everyone else out. Even Adam and Elliott had been shut out to a degree. Kurt had used the need to protect Adam in his painfully vulnerable state to push them all away. The reminder of Blaine and how easily trust could be turned against him had brought Kurt’s protective walls slamming shut around him. The rigid control of his emotions and distractions of his all too busy life had given him a reason to avoid using all but the most rudimentary magic. Because if he used the magic, if he let the power inside him grow and develop, then he would have to reopen that channel that had formed between himself and his coven.

 It was a chasm that Kurt had not been able to bridge, or even to see, for a few weeks. He had been frustrated that the coven seemed to expect so much from him, annoyed that they weren’t being open with him, hurt that they seemed to be excluding him from discussions; but he had been doing the exact same thing to them. He had seen how thrilled they all were to revive the bonds of friendship and togetherness. Had felt the rightness, of putting the puzzle pieces together into a coherent picture, that had filled him repeatedly during the recent blizzard weekend that they had all spent together.  

 Friday at school, working with so many different people from different departments, majors, and even generations, trusting each person to contribute to the production as a whole, Kurt had finally seen what should have been obvious the entire time. He had had faith in all of those people to do right by him. He had given his trust that they would be up to the challenge and bring all the individual pieces together into a satisfying whole, and they had responded with enthusiasm and enjoyment, giving their best in return. 

Working on his Finals project had been such a fitting analogy for his life as a coven leader that he felt stupid for not making the connection earlier.

 Trust was hard. It always had been, ever since Kurt was a little boy who had trusted doctors and nurses to perform a miracle that could not be delivered. He had trusted his dad to always be there for him and that had been let down painfully, though that relationship was finally being rebuilt. He had trusted his friends to be as much in his corner as he was in theirs and they let him down repeatedly; something that could not be entirely attributed to Blaine’s interference. He had trusted adults in authority, only to be disappointed by their narrow minds and uncaring attitudes. He had trusted his loving heart to someone who had treated it like an emotional raquet-ball.  

 Somewhere in the middle of all that, he had stopped trusting himself.

 It was time for that to change. Kurt had put his faith in Adam and allowed that healing love to mend his broken heart. He had put down tenuous roots with his band and they had bloomed into something bigger and better than he had ever dreamed of. He had taken a chance on Brittany Pierce and Lord Tubbington the day they had proven to be anything but “fair weather” friends and received a gift beyond his wildest imagining.  And now he was starting to exercise confidence again, taking charge of his working life, his school life and the training of his powers that would help him thrive in his magical life.

 But before he could truly be a leader, before he could move forward and conquer his fears and his past in the person of his ex, Kurt had to believe in himself. The coven was constantly reinforcing the need to be comfortable with his magic and to practice his fine control.  Kurt knew he needed to do that without anyone else around to catch him if he stumbled.

 Taking another deep breath, he found the magic and willed it to grow.  He turned toward the mirror and blinked his Sight to life. Seeing the aura flash bright and blinding, he smiled, realizing it had been a long time since he actually looked at himself this way and appreciated what it meant. Magical auras did not reflect the way regular light did, but Brittany had very seriously explained to him one day about how fairy tales with magic mirrors in them were about witches who had infused their regular looking glasses with magic, and that real witches could do the same thing. 

Kurt had spent a lot of time in front of this mirror when he was making new outfits, primping over his hair, and perhaps most importantly, while practicing his singing and doing good-luck rituals during his father’s cancer battle. All of those things had infused the glass with his personal magical signature, long before he was consciously aware that he could do such a thing. It was the reason he could See his own magical Potential/Power in this glass and not in others, which had confused him when he first started looking at the world through the eyes of witchcraft.  

 Leaving the Sight on, he turned it inward and found the connection to his coven, allowing that feeling to drift outward along the strings of power he shared with Adam, Elliott, Dani, Monica, Johnny, Tubbington, Brittany and Santana, and giving the strings a soft ‘pluck’ that immediately resonated back with a startled alertness as they each recognized his call. Kurt willed a sensation of calm back, reassuring everyone that he was just practicing and not calling for help. A less defined sensation of approval and warmth came to Kurt as he lightly withdrew the connections. It had not been quite like the emotional bond he shared with Adam, or the Witch-Familiar bond he felt with Elliott. More like the tap of a shoulder or wave of the hand. Just a way to say hello. It was heartening to realize that the others had recognized it as such.  

 Next, Kurt opened his eyes and willed away the Sight, but kept his inner focus and picked out the voices of his personal ‘choir’. Watching in the mirror, he rapidly changed outfits a half dozen times. For some reason, doing it all at once was still much easier than willing a particular piece off or on, but he resolved to find a few minutes to practice each day until he became equally adept at both. His lips twitched as he recalled just how much Adam liked his magical strip-teasing. Perhaps it would not be difficult to get in some practice at that.

 With that happy thought in mind, Kurt deliberately levitated himself a few inches off the floor, holding himself there until his uncertain balance became rock-steady. He tried swinging his arms, high-kicking, dancing on air, just to see if he could maintain his position. This had varying results. The arms did not seem to have a detrimental effect on his concentration. He was even able to telekinetically fetch the matched pair of sai from his trunk in the bedroom and twirl them without setting foot on the ground, but for some reason if he moved his feet too much, he flailed and stumbled like a drunk. The high kick failed his levitation entirely and landed him flat on his back in the middle of the hardwood floor. Repeatedly.  

 Finally deciding that he needed to put that particular trick off until he had a nice thick practice mat handy, Kurt rubbed his sore behind and re-centered himself back into a steady float. This time he levitated the sheet music up with him, using a flick of his finger to turn the pages as he studied the notes and memorized the words.  It was difficult but not impossible to manage both at the same time, so he kept going as he began to sing. Elliott and Dani had taught him months ago to separate singing for fun from singing a spell and in fact he had avoided using incantations for all but the most rudimentary magic, but Kurt knew that it was vital to become at ease with magical multi-tasking.  He had to believe that he could blend his magical talents as harmoniously as he did his musical ones.

 This was no different than managing a stage full of costumers, actors and lighting techs. The moving parts were different, but the skill needed to make every element mesh and work together should be the same. Like singing, dancing and acting all at the same time. He had been able to do that since he first played a tiny Oompa Loompa in a Lima Community Theater version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” when he was five.  It was just a matter of making it all flow. He knew how each individual skill worked. He just needed to figure out how to blend everything into a workable performance.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

 When Adam and Elliott came home at five o’clock, bearing take-out from the best Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn, they were both shocked at what they saw. Kurt was stretched out on the sofa, limbs sprawled, mouth wide open in a none-too-gentle snore, his hair and t-shirt both crusted with dried perspiration. The floor of the living room was littered with sheet-music, swords, discarded clothing and a half-scorched end table.

 “Why do I have a feeling we missed a great party?” Elliott asked, pointed eyebrows twitching with amusement as he lifted an abandoned pair of boxer-briefs by the waistband with one outstretched finger.

 Adam was more concerned with the fact that their less than quiet entrance had not disturbed Kurt’s nap. He gently shook his shoulder. “Kurt? Darling? Are you all right?”

 The bag of Chinese food in his other hand was only a few inches from Kurt’s face and his eyes blinked open as he ended one snoring breath on a sharp snort. “Huh? Oh, food,” he moaned, licking his lips as he sat up and wiped a trace of drool off his cheek. He captured the bag and scooped out a box of steaming pork fried rice and a pair of chopsticks, sailing in with enough enthusiasm to do Lord Tubbington proud.

 Adam and Elliott looked at one another in surprise. It wasn’t like Kurt to begin scarfing down his dinner without so much as a proper hello.

 Apparently Kurt realized this too after the initial rush of starvation was satisfied. He looked up at the puzzled duo and blushed, reluctantly setting down the box and utensils as he stood up and gave Adam a kiss on the cheek. “Uh, hi. Sorry. Guess I overdid the magic practice today. I forgot how much it can take out of a person. Did you guys have a nice day out?”

 Realizing that Kurt had simply gotten overenthusiastic and worn himself out, not to mention seriously revved up his appetite, the others relaxed. “Yeah, it was good. I felt mostly calm today,” Adam agreed. “Got a couple of new shirts you’ll probably like. I have my doubts about one of them, but Elliott thinks it’s posh so I took his word. We had a good session with the Adam’s Apples too.”

 “They’re a really cool group,” Elliott said, helpfully picking up the abandoned sai and scattered papers. “I liked ‘em a lot. Talented too. So, uh . . . I felt you reach out this morning. Seemed like you were okay, but now I’m wondering if we should have come back earlier.”

 Kurt looked at the floor and his face flushed for a second time. “Aw, crap, I meant to clean all of that up before you got home. I was just practicing. I wanted to see if I could still access that spider web of power that I touched the first day, when you all warded my apartment. Remember?”

 He smiled fondly. “Yeah. That was a great day.”

 “I thought so too, and it occurred to me that it’s been a long time since I let myself enjoy the magic and trust the connection I have with you guys to keep my power steady. When I reached out to you, I just wanted to see if the web was still there. It didn’t occur to me until l started to feel really fried that I could probably pull a tiny bit of backup power from you guys that way. Didn’t want to do it until I made sure it was okay, though.”

 Waving away his hasty reassurance, Elliott said, “Of course it is. You’re the coven leader, it’s your right to use the connection when you need it. We all agreed to that the day we set it up.”

 “Oh, well that’s good,” he said a trifle awkwardly, “but I didn’t want to just take without asking. Especially since I didn’t exactly need it. I was just playing. Holding myself in mid-air while using my other powers to move stuff, change clothes, control a fireball, practice singing and . . . singing.”

 From the emphasis, the other two men understood just what he meant. “So you did a bit of mixing and matching of power,” Adam said, moving to the remains of the table and giving the pieces a little nudge with the toe of his shoe. “Looks like this one got away from you.”

 Kurt’s nose wrinkled. “I got overconfident. I was already tired and having trouble holding my balance when I tried making a fireball. I dropped down suddenly and I automatically put out a hand to catch myself and I, well . . .”

 “Murdered a poor defenseless table,” Elliott concluded with a laugh. “At least you picked the ugly one.”

 “I snuffed it out just as fast,” Kurt said a bit defensively.  “It didn’t even set off the smoke alarm. I was going to clean it all up, but then I sat down to take a breather.”

 Adam chuckled and kissed his pouting lips. “And thus the spectacular nasal symphony we walked in on.”

 Horrified, Kurt said, “I was snoring?”

 “Your dad would’ve been proud,” Elliott told him cheerfully. “Good work on the magic, though. Seriously.”

 Side-eyeing him, Kurt began to help clean up the mess. There was no crack in Elliott’s proud smile and Adam looked equally pleased as he moved to the kitchen to get out a few plates and start dishing up the food. “I agree, that’s really quite remarkable considering how uncomfortable you felt combining your magic only a short while ago.”

 Kurt’s tense posture relaxed as Elliott helpfully winked out with the damaged table and then back in a moment later, dusting off his hands. Clearly he had removed the evidence to some handy trash bin. Carrying his scattered possessions back to the bedroom and putting them away, Kurt smiled. He had been afraid the others might think it silly if they found out what he had been doing, but apparently they were more than fine with it, since he hadn’t done any real damage.

 As he came back into the room, keeping one new outfit of clean underwear, lounge pants and sweater, to put on after he grabbed a quick shower, he said, “Thanks for not getting mad about the fire. I really thought I’d be able to control it. Most everything else went great.”

 “You didn’t do any lasting harm and I have to trust you to discover and understand your own limits, just as only you can decide when you’re comfortable with your powers,” Adam said simply.  “Of course, I’d have felt differently if you’d burned the building down, but you didn’t. You kept enough awareness of your surroundings to immediately douse the fire once it started, even in a moment of panic.”

 His nose wrinkled. “You felt that, huh?”

 “I did, but it was only a few seconds,” he admitted. “You’ve trusted me enough to not come charging in like the cavalry every time you felt a surge of panic on my part, and Lord knows there’ve been enough of those, so I had to give you the same courtesy. Believe me when I say I would have been here in a heartbeat if you hadn’t calmed so quickly, though.”

 “That’s good to know,” Kurt told him with a fond smile. “I suppose that’s part of the reason I was confident enough to try it, though, knowing that it was just a matter of reaching out for help and you guys would be here.”

 Elliott patted him on the back. “I’m glad you know that. Glad you’ve been practicing on your own too. It’s good for you and good for us.”

 “I trust you,” he said, knowing how much more complicated that admission was than it sounded and feeling happy as he realized once again that it was completely true.

 Elliott seemed to know exactly what he was not saying, though, for he winked and said, “Good. Now, go take a shower before you drive us back out of the apartment.”

 “I’m not that bad!”

 He smiled and popped an egg roll into his mouth. “You’re the one who was so overpowered he passed out on the sofa.”

 “I was tired!”

 “Go, love.  We’ll keep it all warm for you.  I’ll make sure Elliott doesn’t take all the sweet and sour,” Adam said, refocusing Kurt’s attention back to his empty stomach, which immediately growled in agreement with this.

 Pointing a finger at his grinning Familiar, Kurt said, “You’d better not.”

 He waved a dismissive hand. “Go on. Hurry, though, or I won’t side with you in making Adam put on a fashion show for us after dinner.”

 Kurt perked up at once. He did love a good fashion show.  “Be right back!”

 As he strode toward the bathroom, Kurt could not stop smiling. The ongoing cheerful banter between his fiancé and best friend sent a warm feeling through him. The two had become good friends in their own right in the months since Adam’s return. Practically like brothers. Hearing them reinforced the certainty Kurt had felt earlier today. They were so sure, so confident in each other and in him. Even Adam, who had been through so much in the past couple of years, trusted whole-heartedly in Kurt and in the coven he had built around them.

 For the first time in far too long, Kurt had a great feeling of confidence about the future. There would be failures and upsets, and not everything would go his way. He would experience disappointment and there would be some losses. That was just life, unfortunately.  But there would be many good things too and good people to share them with. It was important to appreciate the positives and not let fear of what might be overcome his ability to trust.

 As he paused in the doorway, watching them playfully fight over possession of a dish of spicy beef, Kurt smiled. A half-forgotten daydream of bright blazing lights flickered through his memory, and with it the recollection of a fabulously fuck-you outfit and a soul cleansing song and dance performed by a teenager who had feared he would never find anyone to appreciate his true self.  It had taken a few years longer than he had initially hoped, but it looked as if the wish of that sadly hopeful boy had finally come true.

 “Everything’s coming up Hummel,” he sang, so softly that the notes went unnoticed by the other men. Watching them a moment longer, Kurt deliberately sent a quick pulse of affection down the web of his connection to the coven, then smiled and continued on his way.

 THE END

 A/N: Kurt’s song was “I Cross My Heart”.  

#Witch!Kurt #Kurt Hummel #Kadam #Kelliott friendship #One Three Hill Coven #magic practice #Kurt + self-assurance is my great love

[eris0330]

From the other side

Request: Can I get a namjoon scenario where you’re an American music artist on a show kind of like jimmy fallon, and the host asks you who your celebrity crush is and you say it’s namjoon. The people are like “who dat” and then the reader explains (maybe gets asked to dance to a song and they do so?). Then somehow the boys see it and show it to nams ^~^ sorry if this was too much

Word count: 2.2k

A/N: I had a great help from @sunwasrising when adding the last bit, hope it’s okay! I didn’t know if you wanted a fake text, or a short story. So, I did this lol, and if you had a stage name? I have NOT edited or corrected the story, because I am a little busy and I’m hoping, there aren’t too many errors.

Y/S/N = Your stage name

Rock-records = Music company (I maybe, have watched big time rush)

“Welcome to Y/S/N!!” A female confidential voice, were searching your name. As the big blue boarders revealed your dressed-up frame, giving the audience your latest song. The crowd cheering and clapping at your entrance, as the speakers boomed with your angelic voice. After a few minutes of performing, a short-haired blonde approached you with open arms as her smile were pulling your lip muscles.

“Welcome to the Ellen show! Thank you for coming!” She spoke, guiding you to the white chair. Her contagious smile, made your cheeks hurt.

“Thank you for inviting me! I was so thrilled getting an invitation” You responded with a light giggle, as you both got seated in each of the chairs.

“I’m glad you could come, I wasn’t sure if it was possible with your stuffed schedule. Your latest song has been reaching the charts the past weeks, how does it feel?” Ellen questioned, as the crowd clapped at her. You couldn’t help but feel shy, after finally getting a song to reach the world charts.

“It is a bit busy nowadays, but I’m happy. I’m glad people love my song and it brings me so much energy!” You spoke happily at the woman, who you had a small wish to meet as a teenager.

“You started as a person who did youtube, making covers of famous songs. After working on your vocals, Rock records reached out to you, how did you react?” She explained, for the people who maybe didn’t know your background.

“I was excited and I almost couldn’t believe it myself. Even though I was nervous, they didn’t seem to take ‘no’ for an answer. They have helped me a lot, to produce and develop my talent.” You answered with a smile, making the crowd cheer. The audience didn’t fail to react, either to your answer or appearance, but the loud clapping made your legs shake of excitement.

“It was already last year in 2016, January that they announced a new singer to America. Did they choose your stage name?” She asked, leaning at the arm chair.

“It has been going so fast, and I couldn’t believe it when my song hit the charts. My manager and me, decided on my stage name. Unique, but easy for people to remember” You answered again, making her nod along.

“Then your fanbase must have been sky rocking on social media and across the world?” She questioned curiously, making you think of your twitter’s following count blow up.

“They did, but back then when I started in my career. I still had supporters, encouraging me through the media. My first fans, has been incredible.” You spoke firmly, having the people around to clap.

“They must be proud of your achievement. Here on the Ellen show, we have a segment of answering some twitter questions. My crew has been plucking out a few, and hopefully you could answer them?” Ellen requested, making you smile widely with a silent ‘yeah!’. The screen behind you, lit up with a twitter question as Ellen read them out loud.

“What is your goal, now that you have gotten a song to hit the world charts?”

“My goal will always be, to hit the charts. But right now, I’m hoping to do a US Tour, or world Tour.” You answered, hearing the crowd cheer of the idea.

“Will you change your appearance or your behaviour after getting more recognition?”

“I don’t think so. My appearance will always be up for a change, for the better. My behaviour and goals, will always stay the same. I’m confidence, that I do not need to be ‘faking’ for my fans, to get more. The ones who has always been with me, knows what I stand for. If I lose fans, for the way I am now, then that’s too bad. I strive to be true, for everyone.” You spoke loudly making the audience stand up to clap. Ellen had a wide smile, as you saw her eyes glister of joy. Being true to your fans, has always been a priority. Seeing famous people change for the voice, always broke your heart. Betraying your fans, would be the last thing you wanted.

“Alright, the last question is a bit juicy. WHO is your celebrity crush?” She cooed, making the crowd gasp curiously. As you felt your cheeks heat rise, of the person you had in mind. Your finger fiddling nervously, as you answered.

“Rapmonster…” You almost whispered, making Ellen tilt her head. The crowd went silent, making it obvious people were confused who this ‘Rapmonster’ is.

“Rapmonster? I don’t think I’m familiar with that person…” She wondered, making you feel like a school girl, as you overcame your shyness. This show was a famous program, and the thought of that Kim Namjoon would be seeing this, was a dream.

“Rapmonster, is his stage name but his real name is Kim Namjoon. He is a rapper, composer and leader in the group Bangtan boys, but BTS for short. They reached the US charts not too long ago, with ‘Blood sweat and Tears” You explained, hearing a few gasps here and there. Apparently, not a lot of people knew. But Ellen’s confused facial expressions, disappeared as she clapped her hands once.

“Oh of course!! I heard their song and saw their MV. Their choreography seems intense, have you thought about collaborating with them?” She questioned curiously, as her smiled came back.

“I wish, their songs are amazing. I always wanted to collaborate with them, because their voices are so unique and their choreography is inspirational of me, wanting to dance.” You laughed, as Ellen waved her hand at the crew.

“Is there a choreography you can dance of theirs?” She asked, making you smile at her. While the crowd cheered, for you to show it.

“I know the key point of the dance ‘Blood, sweat and tears’ but not all of it” You shyly spoke, making Ellen put on the song. Her hands flatly pointed to the clean floor, making you stand up to step out. The song’s rhythm taking your limbs and showed the crowd how Jimin’s iconic move. Everyone was fixated at your movements, while not a single fail was made.

After finishing off the dance, with a light bow. Ellen thanked you again, for joining her show. A ‘follow’ on Twitter, and the crowd clapping at your exit. One of your teenage dreams has been fulfilled and nothing else could overcome that.

“Hyung! Look, Y/S/N is mentioning you on the Ellen show!” Jungkook spoke, as he handed his phone to Namjoon. Putting away his pen, and scrambled paper he took the phone to see a Youtube video. A on-the-rise star that he had been mentioning to the boys, was now talking about him. Your angelic voice, that would make his knees weak and even, give inspiration to write more songs. Your wish of collaborating for a song, made Namjoon wonder. After finishing your video, he was calling his manager. A serious talk, about the US tour and ideas were on display. The boys were curious, what the leader had in mind.

Reading the tweet over and over again, you jumped upon your couch. After a few days of being on the Ellen show, you had no idea this would ever happen. Namjoon, had tweeted to you. With your shaking hands, you called your manager to bring the news. Barely getting a correct word out, your manager liked the idea and set the deal in motion. Only an hour later, he called back to make sure, that Rapmonster was ready in three hours to talk about the song. The joy of your scream, almost made your manager’s ear deaf. The excitement and opportunity to meet your celebrity crush, was too surreal.

“What am I going to wear?!” You screamed, after hanging up on the phone. You had two hours, of getting ready and find the perfect clothes. After trying on thousands of different clothes, you went the casual way. A white blouse, with black jeans and converse. The two hours flew away, as your phone started ringing again. The manager was just outside your apartment, waiting for you two get down.

The ride towards the studio, made your heart beat faster and a hint of dizziness filled your body. You were still overwhelmed of the news and in just a few minutes, you would be sitting near Kim Namjoon, talking about a song. Your hands were sweaty, as you saw the building come to view. Breathing in and out, you hoped it wasn’t noticeable of your nervousness.

Stepping into the office room, you were met with a male. He wasn’t Namjoon, but he approached you with a smile and handshake. After talking for a bit, his English wasn’t the best. The man explained how long they had in the US and what they had in mind, doing the collaboration. The managers went together, fixing the papers while you walked further inside.

Met by another familiar man, who was seated at the table. His eyes fixated on his phone, as he tapped away. Namjoon, was right there in front of you. Your breath taking away, seeing his fashion clothes shine. His plump lips, that you thought was so full it was unbelievable. He didn’t seem to have noticed you, but you didn’t mind, as you tried to calm your nerves. His leg was shaking, making his foot tap along the floor.

“Maybe he is nervous too?” You wondered, feeling your heart fall to a normal beat. Coughing lightly, his face revealed itself from his phone. A familiar loving smile and stood up from the chair, approaching you with a hand.

“You must be Y/N, I have heard a lot about you” He spoke with his deep voice. His soft hand and slender fingers, made your body shiver. A clear vocabulary, making it unable for you to misunderstand. You nodded along, as you tried to calm down your nerves. Your heated cheeks were burning, as he walked back to his chair, having you to follow along on the other side.

“I was surprised to hear, that you wanted to collaborate” He spoke gently, making you smile of his words.

“I’m more surprised, that you actually contacted me…” You responded with a light smile. The two of you started talking about different genres, that would fit for your voice and his. Where you were going to post the song and what would work best, to get more publicity. His energy and imagination, was beyond the world. Inspirational, to just be around him. After talking to him for a while, you became less nervous and more comfortable. He was as you had imagined, gentle, hardworking and flawless. Even though, you had been talking for more than two hours. Your energy level, started to run low.

“What time is?” He questioned, looking with his brown orbs at you. You wiggled your phone out, to see the clocked displayed.

“It’s about noon, why?” You responded, putting your phone away again. His fingers tabbing on the table, as he bit onto his bottom lip.

“The managers aren’t going to be back for a while…” He trailed off, making you raise an eyebrow at him. A light smile plastered on his face, as he hummed for a response came out of him.

“What do you think about Lunch? Got to get more energy and I saw a restaurant not too far away and I would like to get to know you more…” He requested, rubbing the back of his neck. Unsure, what you would think about him. Maybe, he thought it was all about work, but he was flattered seeing your cheeks turn red.

“S-Sure! I would like something to eat” You chuckled a response, making him exhale softly. Walking together, you chose a restaurant, where privacy was a big hit. Sitting across from him, you never knew how lucky you were. You just hoped, this wouldn’t be the last time you heard from him.

“By the way, should we exchange phone numbers? I’m not certain that we will finish the song today, so it would be nice to have a hold on you for the upcoming days” He requested shyly, as you nodded. Your eyes felt like crying, feeling the joy in your stomach.

After exchanging numbers, you felt like a princess around him. Hearing of his goals and telling your own, coming to a close that you weren’t so different from each other. Even though, his voice made your mind go blank. His face dragged you back from heaven, feeling blessed of his existence. The managers found you at the restaurant, telling about their plans for the collaboration. Namjoon had to attend another schedule, but they would make sure to follow up on the song. There was an urge to hug him, but you knew it was too soon. Maybe he thought, you were crazy if you did. So, a handshake, took place instead. Going separate ways, you went back to the studio with your manager. After getting scolded for leaving, you felt bad about it, until you saw message light on your phone screen.

Already now, you were excited to meet him again.

#bts texts #sfwbangtan #scenario #request #bts #bangtan boys #kpop #namjoon #kim namjoon #rapmonster #kim #namjoonxreader #romance #one shot #fake texts #fake tweet #twitter #ellen show #writer #fanfiction #fiction #writing #cute #love

[theconservativebrief]

Over the past 23 years, the animation studio Pixar has become one of the country’s most consistent purveyors of film, growing steadily since it released Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature-length film in history, on November 22, 1995.

From superhero adventures to lonely robots on a post-apocalyptic Earth, its movies have earned plaudits for being artistically adventurous and for telling stories ostensibly aimed at kids that have just as many adult fans. Even Pixar’s less notable works still provide solid entertainment. (Well, except for a couple.)

Naturally, the release of Incredibles 2, the studio’s 20th full-length feature film, meant it was time for your friendly neighborhood Vox staff to rank all 20 of those films so far. Should you have any quibbles with the results, please note that our rankings are 100 percent accurate. We’re glad to put the old debate of which Pixar movie is best to rest.

If you want to see our rankings of all of Pixar’s short films, go here.

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The best thing about Cars 2 is that its release came after a long, unbroken string of Pixar dominance that had lasted for the company’s first 11 features. (Even the first Cars, while obviously the weakest of those films, is an entertaining movie with something on its mind.)

Thus, the company was due for a backlash, and it almost seemed as if it released this film in an attempt to schedule that backlash and get it over with as quickly as possible.

The neat idea here is that of an international spy saga starring cars; the movie was essentially only greenlit because the first one sold so much in the way of toys and merchandise, so why not use it to experiment with what a Pixar film could be?

Sadly, its more overtly action-oriented trappings don’t really work, and the film lacks any deeper themes or ideas. The result is an unfortunate example of the one thing so many other studios’ films aspire to but Pixar films usually seem to transcend without blinking: a somewhat tolerable way to keep the kids entertained for a couple of hours. —Todd VanDerWerff

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A troubling phenomenon that’s started to creep up on Pixar in recent years is the sense that all of its films are constructed from elements of other films. This is no big surprise; all films draw inspiration from somewhere, and Pixar revisits the same general ideas and themes over and over.

But in the past five years, the studio has seemingly gotten much worse at transforming those influences into something all its own, which is how we arrive at The Good Dinosaur, a visually stunning feature that lacks soul — the one thing a Pixar film must have above all else.

There are some potentially interesting ideas in The Good Dinosaur about overcoming fear and the importance of family (the latter being a Pixar staple), but they’re subsumed by an episodic story that’s full of false starts and never figures out what it wants to be. —Todd VanDerWerff

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Cars 3 is by no means a great movie, but it’s also not a bad one, and if you only compared it to its immediate predecessor, you might conclude it was the finest film ever made. Cars 3 tries to expand the world of the Cars films, and it does so to what’s essentially the breaking point. (In one scene, a character alludes to what amounts to car racism and a car civil rights movement. Sure.)

Where Cars 3 ultimately succeeds is in its interest in exploring a time-honored Pixar theme: the slow passage of authority from one generation to the next. Lightning McQueen is getting old, and now that he’s threatened by a new generation of race cars with better technology, he has to find a way to compete. Would you believe that he learns along the way that he has value to the world, even if he’s no longer the fastest race car of them all? Would you similarly believe that he thus completes a journey vaguely set up in the first Cars movie?

The Cars films are one of Pixar’s least fruitful cul de sacs, but Cars 3 at least provides a largely bittersweet sendoff to them, provided this is the last. —Todd VanDerWerff

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Originally pitched as The Yellow Car, the first incarnation of Cars told the story of an electric car in a gas-powered world. Little appears to remain of that story (except the fact that the characters are cars); instead, the film stars Lightning McQueen, a brash, bright red race car. Stranded in a long-forgotten roadside town called Radiator Springs, Lightning learns a lesson in humility from a cast of “folksy” automobiles after running afoul of the law.

A hit with younger audiences, the film sets a fairly straightforward path to Lightning’s redemption and introduces one of Pixar’s more annoying sidekicks in the process: Mater the talking tow truck. Far more interesting than Cars’ main story are its secondary themes of buried history and authenticity, though like many parts of this film’s legacy, they’re largely lost in the flash. —Agnes Mazur

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The prequel to Monsters, Inc. brings the story of Mike and Sully back to its unlikely origins. As college freshmen, the two characters — who perfectly embody the jock/nerd archetypes — are forced to work together to compete in the annual campus Scare Games (think American Gladiator, but with more spikes and teeth).

Though it’s laden with college movie tropes ranging from stolen mascots to fraternity hazing, Monsters University still manages to give the pair’s unlikely friendship the room it needs to grow. A notable twist near the end of the film keeps it from being too predictable, and the sheer variation and number of monsters populating the world reflect an animation team with a zeal for detail. Even the movie’s promotional materials, which include a full Monsters University website, brim with the color and character of a true Pixar production. —Agnes Mazur

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Pixar’s second feature-length film is a kinda-sorta remake of the samurai classic The Seven Samurai (already kinda-sorta remade as The Magnificent Seven), but starring bugs. The studio is clearly still feeling out its process in this one, which is good but not yet impeccable. Still, it boasts one of Pixar’s most entertaining ensemble casts, thanks to an elaborate bug circus that poses as a fearsome army.

In the lead role is Kids in the Hall and Newsradio star Dave Foley, who’s so good as a Pixar everyman that it’s somewhat amazing he hasn’t been added to every film the studio’s made since, John Ratzenberger–style. (Ratzenberger, the former Cheers star who’s been part of every Pixar movie to date, stars in A Bug’s Life as the owner of the circus.) —Todd VanDerWerff

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Thirteen years after Finding Nemo premiered in 2003, its sequel, Finding Dory, swam eagerly into theaters, trying to recapture the immense heart and sweetness that made Nemo such a success. Ellen DeGeneres reprised the role of Dory — the lovable blue tang fish with almost no short-term memory — backed by a largely new all-star cast featuring Ed O’Neill as a surly octopus and Kaitlin Olson as an enthusiastic whale shark. Together, they bring new life to Pixar’s underwater universe by building a franchise that kept the earnest spirit of the original movie alive.

And while Dory’s determined adventuring through a marine life rehabilitation center doesn’t quite have the same magic of Nemo’s open-ocean travels, the sequel manages to stand on its own by diving deep into what makes the thoughtful, forgetful Dory such a truly special fish. —Caroline Framke

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Describing Brave as a “redheaded stepchild” might prove a bit too literal, given its hero Merida’s long, crimson locks, but it’s a worthwhile film that’s too often overlooked in retrospectives of Pixar’s best work. The first film in the studio’s history to feature a female protagonist (seriously, it took that long), Brave sometimes feels assembled from 17 different screenplay drafts. However, it has at its center a tremendously compelling story of how our relationships with our parents evolve as we age into adolescence.

Scottish princess Merida is struggling with the notion that she’s meant to choose a husband — she wants to do no such thing — which leads to her and her mother being cast out into the wild, forced to care for each other and come to a new understanding. Most refreshing: There’s no perfunctory love interest in sight. —Todd VanDerWerff

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Pixar’s first sequel (though, sadly, not its last), Toy Story 2 was changed at the last minute from a direct-to-video feature to a theatrical release. Surprisingly, this doesn’t show, as the film revisits its predecessor’s themes of friendship and finding one’s purpose, then shoots them through with a hefty dose of melancholy at the thought of children eventually growing up and leaving childish things behind.

It cannily reverses the original movie’s dynamics, with cowboy Woody now the one who’s unhappy being a toy and Buzz Lightyear having to pull him back from the brink. And when Woody gets a chance to attain immortality thanks to a toy collector, he’s seriously tempted, only to be reminded of his true calling.

Toy Story 2 has no reason to be as good as it is, but it adds substantially to the franchise’s mythology (such as it is). It also features a Sarah McLachlan song that will destroy you, guaranteed. —Todd VanDerWerff

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Something Pixar doesn’t get enough credit for these days (possibly thanks to its recent focus on sequels) is the economy of its world building. Watch the first 10 minutes of Monsters, Inc. and you’ll understand, more or less, everything you need to know about the universe it operates in — while still having your mind blown by the beauty of said universe (the factory floor!) and being tickled by its wit.

Monsters, Inc. is also Pixar’s first attempt to do something radical, asking children to identify with parent figures, in this case Mike Wazowski and Sully, as they try to care for and protect a creature they love but don’t entirely understand. Boo awakened parental feelings that 13-year-old me had never felt before, and have been stirred only rarely since. —Dara Lind

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Up is not just the first Pixar movie to make me cry but the first movie to make me do so as an adult. Its famous opening sequence, in which a married couple experiences some of the highs and lows of their lives, is one of the most blunt depictions of growing up and letting life pass you by that I have ever seen in a film, animated or otherwise.

But this introduction sets the stage for a movie that at its core promises it’s never too late to go out and accomplish what you want; after all the disappointment we witness in the first few minutes, from the loss of a potential child to the death of a loved one, an elderly man quite literally defies gravity to finally take the trip to South America he and his wife always dreamed of. —German Lopez

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In so many ways, Incredibles 2 is Pixar’s most dazzling achievement. It’s true that computer animation doesn’t age as well as hand-drawn animation, thanks to continued technological leaps. It’s also true that the original Incredibles no longer looks as spiffy as it did in 2004, and, thus, it’s not hard to imagine this sequel looking similarly wrung out in (ye gods) 2032.

But goodness does director Brad Bird know his way around an action sequence! So much of Incredibles 2 offers some of the most visually inventive, most astonishing superhero sequences in all of moviemaking, and it’s hard to conceive of those losing their punch when all is said and done. That those sequences are also wrapped around a surprisingly complex and intriguing story about ideas of exceptionalism, justice, and community makes it sort of an ur-text for everything Bird has been obsessed with for his entire career.

The story perhaps lacks some of the emotional heft of the first film, and it occasionally cuts awkwardly between its superhero-driven main story (starring Elastigirl!) and a domestic comedy subplot about Mr. Incredible having to be a stay-at-home dad. But both storylines are tremendous fun, and when they finally converge in the movie’s second half, it takes off to join some of Pixar’s best. —Todd VanDerWerff

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So many of Pixar’s movies are a tale of two halves. You’ll be watching the first half of the movie, wondering if it’s going anywhere, only for the second half to sock you in the gut with unexpected emotional payoffs. Or, in the case of a handful of the studio’s movies, a terrific first half is followed by a second half that gradually deflates.

Coco belongs to the former category, with a slightly tedious first half that feels like the studio repeating itself in its themes of family and community and even mortality. Sure, the visit to the Land of the Dead (as depicted in Mexican mythology) is visually stunning, with a bright neon glow unlike anything else in the Pixar canon. But so much of that early going feels rote and familiar. It gets by with this by being a mystery, more or less, as young boy Miguel investigates several family secrets after accidentally landing in the afterlife. But it’s hard to escape the feeling of having been there and done that.

And then the second half hits, and you realize just how much Coco has been playing you. As Miguel finally uncovers the sadness at the core of his family, the movie becomes effortlessly transporting and, finally, in its closing sequence, incredibly moving. It’s the only movie on this list that might make clicking a “Remember Me” box on a website’s login screen make you tear up. —Todd VanDerWerff

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Toy Story 3 might not be the best film in the franchise, but it’s the one that hits you the hardest. There’s always been a Velveteen Rabbit–like quality to the Toy Story movies — they’re thoughtful pieces of art that make you question what it means to be “real” or “loved.” And in Toy Story 3, Buzz, Woody and the rest of the toys just want to be loved as Andy heads off to college.

Their yearning sets them on a voyage to a day care from hell, where they clash with a maniacal teddy bear named Lots-O-Huggin’ and end up in one of the most emotionally devastating scenes Pixar has ever produced. —Alex Abad-Santos

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Ratatouille is Pixar’s ode to the infectious joy of making art. The plot is a standard (if sprightly) tale of genius overcoming limitations: Would-be gourmet chef Remy is the genius, and the unfortunate fact that he is a rat is the limitation.

But in all of the movie’s truly indelible passages, cooking is just a symbol for any creative endeavor — say, filmmaking. Remy’s first adventure in combining one type of food with another (a bit of cheese with a strawberry) is a jazzy bit of synesthesia, and the joy that Pixar’s animators felt in illustrating it just leaps off the screen.

Later, the film’s final act, involving the skinny and therefore deeply suspicious restaurant reviewer Anton Ego, offers a moving bit of wish fulfillment: Every creator would love to turn the heart of his harshest critic. —Dara Lind

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This underwater tale opens with a jarring, devastating loss that sets the charge on the emotional minefield that is parenting, making clownfish Marlin’s paranoia for his son Nemo’s safety sting that much more. And once Marlin’s worst fears are realized, the two embark on parallel journeys that make them face their fears head on.

Between the schools of fish, (mostly) friendly sharks, slightly stoned sea turtles, and misfit aquarium inhabitants they encounter along the way lie some poignant lessons about life. But the true beauty lies in Finding Nemo’s gorgeous animation and the enduring love of family. —Caroline Framke

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Pixar has mastered the art of telling children’s stories adults can relate to. But this year, the studio showed it can also do the opposite. Inside Out, about a tweenage girl named Riley, feels like a story for grown-ups that’s wrapped in a candy-coated, kid-friendly shell.

The film explores what it’s like to feel listless, to face the inevitability and pain of growing up. And while Pixar’s movies have certainly dealt with heavy topics in the past (a lost parent in Finding Nemo, the loss of love in Wall-E and Up, etc.), Inside Out transcends its cinematic cousins to tackle a more pronounced ache and sense of sadness — feelings the movie beautifully depicts as a crucial part of life. —Alex Abad-Santos

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A trash-collecting robot is an unlikely protagonist for any movie. But Pixar managed to win over audiences with a wide-eyed waste compactor named Wall-E who’s assigned the thankless task of cleaning up the heaps of trash humans have left all over Earth.

Wall-E stands out from other Pixar movies thanks to its general lack of dialogue, as the title character only utters a few words throughout the entire film — including his own name and that of EVE, the sleek white robot he courts in a whirlwind romance. Wall-Eshows what Pixar can do with a minimal approach, and the result is solid: a tearjerker of a movie that appeals to viewers of all ages. —Sarah Kliff

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There’s no talking about Pixar’s brand without talking about Toy Story, the studio’s first full-length movie that remains one of its best, even 20 years later. The story of a boy, his imagination, and his toys that come to life the second he leaves them alone set the tone for everything Pixar has done since.

The development of an unlikely bond between cowboy pull-toy Woody and intergalactic superhero Buzz Lightyear is pure silliness on its face, but Toy Story comes to life just as swiftly as its toys thanks to the wit of a zippy, heartfelt script (the work of several different writers, including Finding Nemo’s Andrew Stanton and Buffy’s Joss Whedon).

As Woody and Buzz dodge toy-breaking neighbors and grapple with playroom politics, Toy Story imparts lessons about friendship, grief, and growing up without ever losing its brilliant sense of humor — or, more importantly, its earnest sense of wonder. —Caroline Framke

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Our choice for Pixar’s very best film is this action-packed superhero comedy that doubles as a story about a family splintering apart, then coming back together and/or — depending on your political/philosophical leanings — a weird defense of Ayn Rand’s theories of objectivism. (The Incredibles contains the line “If everyone’s special, then no one is,” which has one context in a superhero story and quite another everywhere else.)

What’s clear in every frame of this film is that Pixar is at the top of its game, dishing out hilarious jokes (like costume designer Edna Mode’s rant against capes), top-flight action sequences, and genuinely touching moments. It was the first film made for the studio by Brad Bird, whose future contributions would include 2007’s Ratatouille. —Todd VanDerWerff

Correction: This article originally said that Wall-E only says one word throughout the course of Wall-E. His vocabulary is limited, but it’s not that limited. We’ve corrected the error.

Original Source -> All 17 Pixar movies, definitively ranked

via The Conservative Brief

#IFTTT #The Conservative Brief

[solange-lol]

you look like friday night

Summary: The empty apartment that Nico shares with Will seemed to be bigger than normal. With Will home, the place seemed to be the perfect size for them. With Will down in Texas visiting his family, their apartment seemed as big and empty as Nico’s own giant house back in New York. "What’s up?” Will asked, answering his call. “Nothing, I just missed you,” Nico admitted. He was feeling extra lonely today. “I was thinking about the night we first met.” Will laughed. “That literal frat party that we both were dragged to?”

Words: 2,101

Prompt: “Free AU” for Day 4 of Solangelo Week

Note: ty to cj aka buoyantsaturn who is in fact a college student and taught me about college drinking like three months ago when i first started this since i am too young and innocent. youre efforts are appriciated

Read On AO3

Funny how the quiet ringing of an iPhone can echo so loudly around their home. The empty apartment that Nico shares with Will seemed to be bigger than normal. It is on the larger side for two poor college kids, especially if one is a med student. However, right now Nico isn’t fully paying for this apartment, but rather his rich father. He thought they deserved a nice home together, and he was helping them out a bit until the two men had stable enough jobs to pay for it themselves.

With Will home, the place seemed to be the perfect size for them. With Will down in Texas visiting his family, their apartment seemed as big and empty as Nico’s own giant house back in New York.

Thankfully, Will’s face picking the FaceTime was able to make Nico’s heart swell; he nearly forgot about how he had to spend the next three days alone.

“Hey, babe,” Will’s staticky voice came through, causing Nico to smile.

“Hey. Are you good to talk?”

“Yeah, it’s only quarter to 4 here. What’s up?” Will’s voice sounded mildly concerned. They both knew that Nico usually only called when something was bothering him.

“Nothing, I just missed you,” Nico admitted. He was feeling extra lonely today. “I was thinking about the night we first met.”

Will laughed. “That literal frat party that we both were dragged to?”

♪

“We can’t even find a place to park,” Nico complained as Jason drove in circles. “Why did you even drive anyway? You know well enough that none of us are going to be sober enough to drive back.”

“Dude, are you saying you won’t be our driver?” Percy whined in the passenger's seat.

“Hell no, I’ll either be fucked up or had left by the end of the night. Probably both.”

Jason turned around in his seat, giving Nico a very “stern mom” look. “No way are you abandoning us tonight; we brought you here in the first place to have fun with us tonight. No more sulking in your dorm listening to Panic! At the Disco.”

“Brendon Urie is a god, shut up”

♪

Nico laughed too. “Yeah. Percy and Jason dragged me there-”

“And I lost a bet to Lou Ellen and Cecil, and they forced me.” Will finished with a smile.

♪

The walk to the frat house wasn’t long, but it was too long for Will’s liking. Why was he even going to this party anyway? Oh right, because he bet on Lou Ellen being able to get a girl to ask her out before Cecil could. Drunk straight girls were dumb.

“Lighten up, Solace,” Cecil poked him in the shoulder. “We’re just trying to have some fun tonight; the three of us back at it again, just like high school!”

“If this is ‘just the three of us,’ then why aren't we playing a board game or something in my dorm?”

“Will honey, if your idea of fun on a Friday night is a board game, we have some work to do with you,” Lou Ellen said, rolling her eyes.

♪

“I guess I walked in just after you because I went to get a drink and you were already in the kitchen,” Will said, voice already far away.

♪

Will was not going to lie and say he’s never noticed Nico before because he definitely has. (He’s noticed him enough to know his name).

They have a few classes together. Sociology and political science. Will has no idea what Nico is getting his degree in though because he hasn’t had the courage to talk to him. His eyes were dark and glistened like broken glass; he could death stare like no other even if it was directed towards what Will assumed to be his close friends.

However, no amount of intimidation ever stopped Will from staring at the back of this man’s head from across the classroom.

Apparently, this was Will’s chance to make an impression.

He took a sip of his drink before walking over. “Hey. Nico, right?” he asks.

Startled at the sudden conversation, the Italian looks up. “Di Angelo, yeah. How did you know?” he asks.

“We have sociology class together.”

“Oh, can’t believe I’ve never met you before.” (That stung a little bit). “And your name is..?”

“Will. Will Solace, I’m studying for a degree in nursing.”

Nico smiled, and Will’s heart melted a little inside.“Nice to meet you, Will.”

♪

“And then,” Will laughs. “After meeting me for the first time; you asked me the most bizarre questions in the history of First Impression Questions.”

Nico felt his cheeks flush. “Shut up. It was a legit question, and I still stand by it.”

♪

“Do you think they had this vodka in the freezer beforehand?”

Will nearly choked on his drink. “I’m sorry, what was that?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you think they had the vodka in the freezer? It won’t burn as much then when you drink it,” Nico said raising the cup to his lips. Judging by his expression when he swallowed, Will took a guess and decided that it, unsurprisingly, hadn’t been.

“I don’t think anybody knows about that hack but you,” Will chuckled, sipping the cheap beer from his own cup.

“I can’t be, my friend Reyna taught that trick to me. Though she can handle most pain, so who knows if it really works.”

“Did she come here with you?” Will said, praying silently that it would be a no.

To his relief, it was. “Nope, my to friends, Jason and Percy, forced me along.”

“Oh, me too. I lost a bet, actually.” Will sighed. “Speaking of which, do you want to get out of here? Go on a walk or something?”

♪

“You were so smooth,” Nico rolled his eyes. “Asking me to ‘go on a walk’ with you.”

“Granted, you were the one who cut your knees open. You basically forced me to bring you back to my dorm,” Will said, eyes sparkling when Nico started sputtering defensively.

♪

The night air was brisk and refreshing compared to how stuffy it was inside. Both men had abandoned the house after a few drinks. It left them to walk alongside each other. The narrow sidewalk meant their hand occasionally brushed, though they both pretended not to notice.

Then, disaster struck.

In his tipsy shuffle, Nico scuffed the front of his shoe on a crack in the sidewalk, causing him to trip and fall face first onto the sidewalk. Neither Will nor Nico could process what just happened until Nico muttered “fuck,” shaking out the wrist he had fallen on. The pavement had scraped both of his knees which were already exposed from his ripped jeans.

“Fucking hell,” Nico muttered again. “I don’t remember it hurting this much when I was younger.”

Will chuckled for a second before his eyes caught sight of Nico’s knees; one of which was already dripping blood

“Ah shit,” he muttered, mind quickly spinning through ideas of what he could do. “My dorm is close,” he said, voice regaining a normal volume. (Granted, he wasn’t actually sure of this or not. But it was definitely around here somewhere).

Nico nodded quickly. “Yeah, okay.”

♪

“You did a pretty terrible job fixing me up,” Nico said. “I still have a scar on my knee from that night.”

Now it was Will’s turn to roll his eyes. “That wasn’t even a full three years ago. It’ll fade eventually.”

“Plus I think your scars are hot,” he added at his boyfriend’s pout.

“Shut up,” Nico muttered, cheeks still flushing at that statement even after three years.

♪

To be honest, Nico doesn’t really know who leaned in first. Maybe they both did at the same time. Really, he just knows that one second he was thanking Will for bandaging his cut, and the next second their lips were suddenly connected.

None of it really mattered anyway because whoever this guy was; he was an amazing kisser. He wouldn’t really mind having to kiss Will forever.

Nico is surprised, honestly, that he’s never noticed Will and his cute curly head before. Apparently, he’s been sitting behind him all year. But that doesn’t matter either because Will is running his hands through Nico’s hair and it feels so fucking good. They had somehow stumbled their way, lips still moving with one another, so that Nico was being pressed up against the wall next to Will’s bed. (He was praying that Will’s roommate wasn’t planning on being back anytime soon).

Nico’s breath hitched as Will’s head shifted. He softly ran his own lips down Nico’s cheek, tracing his jawline and dropping to his neck and collarbone. He let out a noise, high pitched and needy as Will pressed his leg in between his thighs, creating delicious pressure.

Nico pushed forward off the wall but kept him and Will connected. They stumbled backward until Will’s legs his the edge of the bed. He fell back on top of it; Nico falling on top of him. It broke them apart for only a few seconds before Will’s lips found his once again.

Will’s hands traveled down to Nico’s waist; fingers slipping under the fabric of his shirt. He was slowly pulling up Nico’s shirt when Nico placed a hand on his chest, pulling back. “Will,” he gasped. “Stop for a second.”

Will immediately pulled back, breathing hard as he fell flat next to Nico. He wasn’t worried. Nico’s voice wasn’t scared or angry; it just sounded like he needed to tell Will something. Or maybe his drunk brain was just ridding his body of any anxiety.

“I want this. I want you, but not like this.” Nico sighed. “I don’t want this to be just another hookup; I want to this for real. I want to get to know you. I want-” he stopped for a second as if carefully choosing what to say next. “I want you.”

♪

“You said, and I quote,” Nico was snorting by this point. “That dating me would be totally tubular.” He could see Will covering his flushed face with his hands, which only made him laugh harder.

“In my defense,” Will whispered through giggles. “I was very drunk. And if I recall, you responded by giving me a thumbs up and a ‘cool beans’.”

It only made them both laugh harder.

♪

Nico woke up in warm arms. His immediate reaction was to jump out of bed and get far away, far from here, but his sleepy senses only wanted to sink into the warmness more. Not to mention a pounding headache he had, no doubt from how much he drank last night.

He was wearing clothes at least, which was a good song. Granted, they weren’t his clothes. He would never own a shirt in this shade of pink, and the sweatpants he was wearing were about 5 sizes too long. They were still clothes, though. He would take that over no clothes any day.

As he began to wake up more, his memories slowly were flowing back. The party. Coming back to this dorm. The confession. And that the person whose arms he was sleeping in was, in fact, Will’s.

“Shit,” he mumbled quietly, trying his best not to wake Will as he reached for his phone. He switched it on to reveal many texts, more from Jason than Percy, but the effort was definitely there.

He could feel Will stirring next to him. “What’s up?” he mumbled sleepily. Nico couldn’t help but smile at him fondly.

“Jason must have sent me 50 texts alone just asking where I was. How do I explain to him that I’m in bed with a cute boy?”

Will smiled and kissed his temple. “That’s the best part. You don’t.”

♪

“As much as I would love to continue this,” Will smiled fondly at Nico, who could spot the sadness lurking in his eye from a mile away. “The mother would like me to go walk the dog with her so we can ‘catch up.’”

“Go,” Nico said. “Catch up while you can. It’s only three more days.”

“Yeah. It’ll be totally tubular to see you again,” Will smirked.

“Cool beans indeed,” Nico said with a harmless roll of his eyes. “I love you, sunshine.”

“I love you too, ghost king,” Will said, so genuine that it nearly made Nico cry. The screen froze, capturing Will’s soft smile, before it was gone, leaving Nico to stare at Will’s contact photo.

He was so in love with that boy. If the next three days didn’t kill Nico, then Will definitely would.

#liz writes.com #solangelo week #solangelo week 2018 #solangeloweek #solangeloweek2018 #solangelo #nico di angelo #will solace #nico x will #will x nico #willico #solangelo fic #solangelo fanfic #fanfiction #percy jackson #jason grace #lou ellen blackstone #cecil markowitz #pjo #percy jackon and the olympians #hoo #heros of olympus #toa #trials of apollo

[atc74]

The Simple Things Aren’t Always So Simple - The Aftermath

Word Count: 1444

Warnings: Implied smut, language, minor violence

A/N: So my dear good friend @spntrista tells me in great detail about a dream she had about Jensen one night. It has inspired this. Let’s all remember that this is FICTION and I do not in ANYWAY condone cheating on your spouse or partner. This is simply a work of fiction, please regard it as such. I mean no disrespect to Jensen or his family. Thank you.  

Much thanks and love to my bestie @just-another-busy-fangirl for the beta (me loves her) and @mamaredd123 for a jump start on this part in a series that took too long to finish. This is the end - thank you to all of you that waited so patiently for me to get my poop in a group!

“Danni, it’s not what you think…” I began.

“Don’t fucking talk to me you little homewrecking slut! And to think I trusted you with my kids! And you! You fucking bastard! How dare you choose this, this trollop over me!” Danneel’s voice was filled with venom and her face turned red as she continued to unleash her fury on us.

“Danneel, you hold on one fucking minute! First, you are the one that left. You are the one that cheated on me, remember?” Jensen was just getting started. “Secondly, don’t you dare talk to her like that! EVER! She is ten times the woman you will ever be and she has been here every minute since you fucking walked out!

“Thirdly, we’re done here. I have been home for more than forty-five minutes and watched every minute of your ‘time with the children’ and you have been on your phone the entire fucking time! They are down there alone right now because you left them. Again. Now get the fuck out of my house! You’ll be hearing from my attorney!” Jensen was now shouting. I had never seen him this angry.

“This is far from over, Jensen. I won’t give up my children without a fight!” Danneel yelled over her shoulder before she slammed the front door.

“Hey hey, it’s okay, Baby,” Jensen wiped away my tears and pulled me into his arms, comforting me.

“Jay, I am so sorry, I should have been watching more closely. I am so sorry,” I cried.

“Y/N/N, it’s not your fault, Baby. What I said was the truth; she wasn’t even spending time with them. I was watching from your room. She is playing some kind of game and I want to know what it is, but first, let’s get the kids and go out, get our minds off it, okay?” he inquired and I gave a quick nod, wiping away the remaining tears.

~*~

“Just until this is over, okay?’ Jensen pleaded with me.

“I trust you Jay. Whatever you think is best,” I sighed as he kissed me before walking out of his trailer.

Since Danneel’s visit the previous Saturday, Jensen had been on high alert. He had added extra cameras at the house and now JJ and I were in his trailer on set. He had decided until the modified orders had been served to Danneel, he wanted all of us close. Clif had arranged for one of his colleagues to accompany Austin to school while JJ would not be attending preschool for a few days.

JJ and I colored and worked on her letters and reading for a bit before making some lunch for the three of us, once Jensen had a break. We all ate in relative silence, with the exception of JJ, who insisted on reading to Jensen while we ate, but he was content to listen to his little girl ramble on about Princess Sophia.

Soon, Austin was dropped off after school and I got him started on his homework while I fixed a snack. As soon as I turned back to the sink, I heard a high-pitched scream, followed by profanities and Jensen’s name. There was a pounding on the door before it was ripped open and slammed against the side of the trailer.

“You fucking bitch! You put him up to this! I am going to ruin you!” Danneel’s shriek echoed inside the small space.

“Austin, take JJ and go hide in the bathroom; lock the door. Now. GO!” I pushed them away from the table toward the back of the trailer, but before they were clear, glass smashed all around them. I turned to face Danneel as she reached for something else on the bookshelf, attempting to launch it at my head. Clif burst through the door and caught her arm before she could, restraining her with his large arms.

“Y/N, go with the kids, I have already called the police and Jensen is on his way,” Clif commanded and I stepped gingerly around the shattered glass. Once I reached the bathroom and knocked, letting Austin know it was me and he released the latch, letting me in.

I sat on the edge of the toilet and inspected them. JJ looked unscathed, but scared to death; her little body wracked with sobs and I pulled her into my lap. Austin however, had a few cuts on his forehead and cheek. I set to cleaning them best I could with JJ in my lap when Jensen rushed through the door.

“Daddy!” JJ cried and threw herself at Jensen. “What’s wrong with Mommy?”

“Shhh, JJ, it’s okay. Daddy’s here now; it’s okay, Baby, I got you,” Jensen cooed as he rocked his daughter in his arms. He looked over at me, tears in his eyes, mouthing to ask if I was okay. I nodded a silent yes as I finished with Austin’s face.

Jensen passed JJ to me as he knelt down to examine Austin for himself. Austin was strong, but broke down when Jensen pulled him close. “I was strong and protected JJ, Uncle Jay. I did what Y/N told me to and protected my baby sister,” Austin sobbed into Jensen’s shoulder.

“You did good, Buddy. I am so proud of you for being brave and protecting our girls,” Jensen’s voice broke as well.

“Ah, Jensen?” Clif hesitated in the hall.

“Yeah, Clif?” Jensen didn’t turn, but held tight to Austin, his hand resting on my knee.

“The CMP are here and need your statements. I already gave mine, so I will stay with them while you go,” Clif reached out his arms to take both Austin and JJ as we filed out of the bathroom.

Jensen reached for my hand as we walked into the main living area of the trailer. Danneel was seated, handcuffed with an officer next to her. Another officer approached Jensen.

“Mr. Ackles, I am Officer Willis. I know this may not be the best time, but I need statements from you and your nanny,” the man said apologetically.

“Of course, Officer Willis. But she isn’t the nanny; she’s my girlfriend. I wasn’t present when the incident occurred, I was filming and arrived when Clif called me. But, Y/N was here with my children when it happened,” Jensen revealed.

“Miss? Can you tell me what happened here?” Officer Willis asked me softly.

I recounted for him what had happened once Austin had returned from school, right up the point where Clif arrived in the trailer, including Austin’s lacerations. Jensen rubbed a comforting hand up and down my back the entire time. The officer then asked for the children to be brought out so they could be checked out by the paramedics.

“Once she is removed, I will bring them out,” Jensen stood and demanded Officer Willis.

“Templeton, remove the suspect, please,” Willis commanded the officer. Danneel started shouting again.

“Clif,” Jensen called out to his protector and friend, “can you bring the kids out here?”

“Daddy!” JJ lunged for Jensen once she was in arm's reach and Austin grabbed my hand once by my side.

“Austin, buddy, this is Officer Willis and is going to have his friends look you over quick, make sure I didn’t miss any cuts on your face, okay? I know you are strong and brave, and I will be right here the whole time,” I promised Austin.

Jensen handed JJ over to me and pulled Willis aside where they talked in hushed tones. I could tell by look on Jensen’s expressive face that he was angry, hurt, worried - too many emotions to count right now. He nodded once, shook the officer’s hand and returned to my side.

“I have to go with them to file an order for protection. Clif will take you home and stay until I get back. It’s almost over, Baby.” he pulled me close and whispered in my ear.

“Be safe and hurry home, Jay,” I replied.

~*~

The recent past has been a roller coaster, to put in mildly. I took what I thought was a simple nanny job for a wealthy couple in Austin. Within a matter of weeks, I was living with a man in another country as his girlfriend. My name is Y/N Ackles. I’m not fancy; I am a simple girl. I like simple things, but over the past two years I learned that the simple things aren’t always so simple. Sometimes they are real fucking complicated, but in the end the hard climb was worth the view as I watched my husband play with our children in the yard and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Tell me what you think - I crave validation ;)

Taglist - add yourself here if you ain’t already on it: @padackles2010 @like-a-bag-of-potatoes @smoothdogsgirl @mamaredd123 @meeshw777 @tmccarney @milkymilky-cocopuff  @iwantthedean @ashstrom87 @chelsea072498 @paintrider13-blog @zeppo-in-a-trenchcoat @spntrista @mikey2217 @d-s-winchester @scorpiongirl1 @just-another-busy-fangirl @winchesterprincessbride @gemini75eeyore @waywardjoy @katewatso @cosmicpeanuthologram @jotink78 @l8nitl0vr @supernaturalyobsessed @memphisgirl1977 @bmcnally85  @ruprecht0420 @mskitty416 @theoriginalvicki @hexparker @nanie5 @whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname @sandlee44 @fangirl1802 @moonstar86 @raylin19 @niamandthings  @feelmyroarrrr @ellen-reincarnated1967 @kittenofdoomage @t-bear99 @hamartiamacguffin @colorfulobjectenemy @uttertrash--butlikecutetrash  @sammieb1127 @evyiione @you-didnt-see-that-cuming @death2thevirgin  @moshingatthedisco  @tankcupcakes  @winchestersmut  @@alicat-life @mogaruke @cyrilconnelly @growningupgeek @CharlieBradbury1104 @evansrogerskitten @therewillbeblood @docharleythegeekqueen @megansescape @taste-of-dean​ @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid   @scarlet-soldier-in-an-impala  @deathtonormalcy56  @notnaturalanahi @jensen-jarpad @impalaimagining @fangirlextraordinaire @itseverythingilike @jesspfly @love-kittykat21​ @mrswhozeewhatsis @aiaranradnay @supernatural-jackles @samwinlover  @spnsasha @27bmm @keepcalmandcarryondean @iamnotsaneatall @autopistaaningunaparte @sis-tafics @blacktithe7 @deansdirtyduchess  @emoryhemsworth @dracotomanddeansprincess23 @bringmesomepie56 @devilgirlsarah @spnbaby-67 @katymacsupernatural @holytrenchcoatedsubtextchuck @emilycollins11 @myoutletforfanfiction @deansangelgirl @thinkwritexpress-official @queencflair 

Dean/Jensen tags: @anokhi07 @perpetualabsurdity @txp87 @akshi8278  @iamabeautifulperson18 @suzannebeaketa @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @deandoesthingstome @emilycollins11 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester@boxywrites @deansangelgirl

The Simple Things tags: @nathaliabakes @willows-supernatural @winchester-lover95 @mariahoedt @sydneymarie101195  @delessapeace-blog​@dixonsvixon2017 @mrsdeanfuckingwinchester @redeyedvixen @deanislife67

#The Simple Things #jensen ackles #jensen x reader #jensen ackles fanfiction #supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfic #jensen ackles x reader #RPF Appreciation Day 2017 #RPF