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ardent-musings · 3 years

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The Girl Who Vanished (Part 1)

Chapter 8: “Take Them, Blondie”

Getting thrown into a wall by a teacher might've been the most beneficial beating Ana had ever received, because the twins never bothered her once. She was surprised; she figured they would have gone harder on her since her guard was down. But anytime the twins had ever given her a speck of attention, all they did was give her a cheeky wink and point to their wrists, signifying that she was on borrowed time. She'd take what she was given.

With the weight lifted off her shoulder she was able to focus on things that she had been neglecting. She had been spending more time with Professor Sprout in the greenhouses and even had seen Professor Snape about a few of the spells she read about in the book she borrowed. Of course Alex and Calista weren't going to know about the latter; they would have given her a hard time about being so invested in the book. Snape wasn't the most cheery person to talk about, but even Ana had to admit that the man knew what he was doing when it came to defense against the dark arts.

But one of the biggest events that Ana was able to focus on was the Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw match that Lucian had ben hounding her for days on. The last game Ravenclaw played resulted in the loss of one of their players, the boy that Ana say in the hospital. She got released far before the injured boy did, and from what she could see of his damage, he wasn't going to be leaving the infirmary anytime soon. Because of that, the stand in for their keeper was rumored to be pretty terrible on the broom.

"I've seen this kid before!" Lucian hollered in excitement as he scrapped at the bacon and eggs on his plate. "First year, he could hardly stay on his broom and now he's the alternate? We've got this game in the bag. And when we win, we'll be in the finals!"

The boy took a big gulp of his pumpkin juice looking awfully proud of himself. But none of the girls were convinced. It wasn't like him to be bragging about winning a match, especially before the match even begun.

"Lucian, you need to cool it or else your big head is going to cost you the game," Alex laughed at him. Calista and Ana exchanged similar looks, meanwhile Lucian glared at his sister.

"Look, I'm just excited," he justified, his excitement dwindling to zero so he began to take it out on his food. His knife was nearly cracking the plate in half as he was attacking his breakfast with a sudden burst of irritation. "You guys would be too if you knew you were about to win a game."

Alex and Calista huffed loudly at the boy, which didn't make his expression falter. If anything he looked more upset. Ana remained quiet though; whatever high Lucian was on was bound to end one way or another.

"Just, don't try to jinx it," Calista brought to his attention while she took a spoonful of her extremely sugary cereal. "We want you to be excited, but not conceited. Sure, the Ravenclaw player may not be good, but you can't guarantee a win."

Lucian's downtrodden look only got worse as he got up from his seat, leaving his meal half eaten. With a sad glance at his friends, he left them alone without another word, stomping loudly out the Great Hall. Ana, Alex, and Calista all looked at each other guiltily. Ana hated seeing the usually upbeat and cheery boy look so dejected.

"Guys, I'm gonna go talk to him," Alex said as she grabbed her waffle in her bare hands and began to stand from her seat. "I don't want him going into the game upset."

Both the girls agreed, knowing that Alex would probably be the best person to talk him down from his high horse. That or she'd make it worse by instigating him even more. Either option seemed possible at the moment. All Ana knew was that she hated seeing Lucian so upset; what they said was honest but she understood why he took it to heart. "Want us to come with you?"

The girl shook her head, "No. I can handle this. Make sure you save me a seat though!"

And with that, the younger Bole sprinted out of the room. Then there were two.

Calista began twirling at her twists; she had taken out her extensions to give her hair a break and Ana found Calista's new look so fun.

"Do you think I was too harsh?" she asked Ana with a saddened look.

"What do you think, Kane?" Aeron said as he slid next to Ana. He had the most incredible ability to pop into their business whenever he wanted. She couldn't help but shift a few inches to the side in order to put distance between her and the boy. "You saw his face, of course you were too harsh on him."

Ana hated to admit it, but Aeron was right. Anyone could see that their reaction bothered the boy and it pained her that he was off somewhere pouting in the castle. "Cal, unfortunately, he's right."

He looked at her disapprovingly, "Unfortunately?"

She gave him a half smile, hoping he would look over her comment, it was habit for her to be a bit snarky with him. He had been rude for the longest time, so if he took her reply as rude, she wouldn't lose any sleep over it. "We've got to make it up to him somehow."

"Like what?"

"Well no matter what you birds choose, you guys better hope Slytherin wins the game. Or else he'll be in an even worse mood." Aeron warned them as he slid away from the girls and bounded out of the Great Hall looking as stern as ever.

Ana and Calista's faces reflected one another; they were concerned. And their only saving grace was in Alex's hands. The incoming sound of owls hooting filled the room, distracting them from their current problem. Packages were falling, nearly hitting some kids in the head, but thankfully the post that came for Ana was just a tiny envelope. She took a bite out of her cinnamon roll and tore open the letter. Her favorite little guy had sent her a letter.

Dear Ana,

I can't wait for when your holiday break starts! The manor has been so boring without you. And quiet. I miss hearing you bump into things and then yelling at them for hurting you. Dobby says "hi" by the way. He wanted me to tell you that. I miss you a lot. Halloween wasn't the same without you baking brownies with Mum. She tried, but she didn't put little sprinkles on them like you do. Either way, have fun the rest of this term!

- Draco :)

Ana glowed as she read the letter from Draco. She was missing her little brother terribly. He was a clingy pain in her side, but he was her best friend. The manor was dull and quiet, but he was always the silver lining. There was life because of him. And it had been months since she had seen him last. She wondered if he got any taller, of if he was still a little ball of energy and eye rolls.

"What's got you so happy all of a sudden?" Calista asked, offering her a half smile; she felt too upset to give Ana anything peppier.

"It's just Draco," Ana sighed happily while she held the card up to her chest, as if that would bring her any closer to her brother who was cooped up in the manor. It didn't, but it felt right to do in Ana's mind.

Calista simply nodded at her friend, as she went about poking her cereal. Neither of them were super hungry anymore. The game was going to start soon.

Ana and Calista were standing outside the pitch waiting for Alex to return from speaking to Lucian. It had been radio silent from Alex's end and the two of them were beginning to worry. Both of the girls were shaking uncontrollably, not only because it was freezing, but because their nerves were getting to them.

"And what are you two snakes doing out here?" A familiar voice shouted from behind the girls. They turned around to see Fred and George giving them identical smirks. It was almost scary how perfect the twins mimicked one another. They were all snuggled in their matching monogrammed knit sweaters, their long Gryffindor scarves, and fluffy mittens. Ana momentarily wished she had one of those sweaters as another blast of cold ran through her. Her winter robes were stylish due to the Malfoy need to be in only the finest looking clothes, but they were terrible at keeping out the wind and the snow.

"We're waiting for our third snake," Ana replied with a challenging smirk. "Why aren't you two cubs in the stands yet?"

Calista was snickering behind Ana, as she watched one of the twins and Ana stare each other down. She looked over at the other twin who appeared to be entertained just by observing Ana and his older brother.

"Just wanted to root on the Slytherin team as they came from the changing room," Fred joked with a twinkle in his eye. "Ya know, being a good fellow Quidditch player. It's in the name of sportsmanship."

Ana rolled her eyes at his ridiculousness and she took a step closer to the red heads. Fred always had something to say. "And what exactly do you mean when you say you're going to 'root them on'?"

"They mean absolutely nothing, right boys?" Charlie Weasley turned from around a corner to grab at the shoulders of his younger brothers. Despite him being a seventh year, their older brother was not much taller than the twins, but he was far broader and stronger than they were. Ana assumed that if he went against the Hogwarts Express, the train would tip over on its side before the boy even noticed he'd been hit.

"What possibly-"

"-do you mean?" George finished his brother's sentence.

Calista chuckled at the two twins folding under their older brother's mere presence, and by Charlie's white knuckles, he was probably putting the boys in a little bit of pain. They never backed down from anything, but Charlie seemed to hold more power than the quiet boy let on.

"Oh, it's alright," Ana chuckled, as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She was freezing and the game didn't even start yet, but she was not going to turn down the opportunity to give the twins a hard time. And it seemed like Charlie was game, "I can handle these boys."

Charlie looked down at the tiny blonde girl who was shaking like a leaf and couldn't help but laugh softly. But when her eyes laser focused on him, he could tell that she was dead serious. "You know what, kid. I believe you."

Ana smirked at the boy's admission and the twins groaned in frustration.

From around the corner, Alex finally met the group but she was heaving so hard that Ana thought the girl would cough up a lung. She began blubbering, trying to talk through her labored breaths, but nothing coherent was coming out.

"I'm going to take her to the stands," Calista told Ana as she wrapped her hand around Alex's arm, dragging the gasping girl away from the Weasleys.

When she turned back, the boy's faces were redder than they usually were and she wondered if it was from the cold or their embarrassment. Charlie was putting them in their place without even having to try that hard.

"Let's get to the stands. Yeah, boys?" Charlie began squeezing their shoulders which made the boys twist in even more pain. All the while Charlie was grinning charmingly at the young girl. The twins squatted in order to escape their brother's vice grip which made Ana chuckle.

"Okay, fine. Merlin, Charlie you didn't have to grab our shoulders like a damn snitch!" Fred hollered at his brother while George laughed at them. George conceded and began to follow his older brother who had begun walking closer to the pitch and away from Ana.

"Ya coming, Freddie boy?" Charlie nagged, quirking an eyebrow which had a scar that ran through it. Ana wondered if he got the scar from being tough and wild like the boys or clumsy like her.

"I'll be right there," Fred replied, not looking as smug as he did before. The older Weasley and his twin turned and left the two of them alone. He brought his full attention back to Ana who was cradling herself in her own arms, trying to preserve as much heat as possible. The boy's face quickly turned serious as he peered down at her, "How are you feeling?"

Ana's eyes widened at the quick change in tone.

"I'm cold," she hoped that would be a good enough answer.

"No," he took in a deep breath. "You know what I mean, Malfoy."

Fred was not joking anymore. He was waiting patiently for her answer with a gentle curiosity. It wasn't off putting, she just wasn't sure why he was so concerned.

"How much of that night did you see?" Ana mumbled quietly, taking a few glances to make sure no one was watching them.

His eyes suddenly turned from a warm honey shade to almost looking black, "I saw enough to know that your head and shoulders are probably killing you, right about now."

She looked down at the ground. The idea of him seeing her in such a situation didn't sit well with her. Being roughed up was not new to her, but Ana found herself hating the sorry looks everyone gave her when she injured or hurt at school. She wasn't used to receiving pity, "Well, I feel perfectly fine."

Fred scoffed at the shivering girl, "Yeah, okay. You feel perfectly fine? Even after what Trelawney said to you?"

The boy's laugh wasn't meant to mock her. But he knew that any person who was slammed into a wall and screamed at by a nearly demonic teacher would not be feeling the best. She may be hard to read, but she wasn't impossible.

But the more Fred pushed her, Ana's heart sank further and further, "Oh, fantastic. You heard that, too." She chuckled dryly as her teeth started to chatter a bit as she hopped up and down.

"Yeah, I heard that," Fred confirmed. "But I'm sure she was just put in a trance or something. Charlie has said that she often blurts out random stuff all the time."

She offered him a weak smile, but Fred could tell that she was unnerved by the whole thing. He also couldn't stand that she looked like she was about to freeze on the spot, so he ripped off his mittens and offered them to the girl.

Before she could hide it behind her trembling hands, Ana's face broke out in a tiny smile. If Fred wasn't looking so hard he would have definitely missed it. But he saw it. Clear as day.

"Take them, blondie," he ordered, as he waved them in front of her, like a steak to a dog. "C'mon snake, take the mittens"

"Alright! Alright, fine," Ana blurted out as she took the offering and covered her frigid hands.

Fred nodded approvingly, "See? There's no need to be difficult."

"Oh, says the most difficult person I know." Ana scoffed.

"You know you could just say thank you and be on your way." The boy crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the girl to come back at him with some snide comment like the smart aleck she was.

"I could," she giggled as she rubbed her newly clothed hands together.

Fred turned from the girl with a smirk as he followed the direction his brothers went. Godric, she was so stubborn, but it wasn't something that he entirely hated.

"Fred!" She called after the redhead.

He whipped his head back so fast at the sound of her voice, his body was half out the door.

"Thank you," Ana dipped her head as she waltzed past the boy and began heading where Calista and Alex went. Fred smiled as he watched Ana walk away from him; his hands were cold, but he couldn't care less.

"You're welcome, Bibi," he whispered when she was out of his sight.

"LUCIAN! LUCIAN! LUCIAN!" The three girls were all sitting in the stands cheering on their favorite beater, who kept his focus on the game. That was what he was supposed to do, but it hurt the girls to know that he wouldn't even look at them.

"I ran around the whole bloody castle!" Alex wailed over the sound of the heavy winds, "A whole hour, I ran trying to find him! He just disappeared."

The three girls were cuddling together underneath a blanket Alex brought to the game, which Ana was incredibly grateful for. Why Alex didn't think about bringing one was beyond her. Ana thought it was cold before when she was standing outside the pitch, but being outside and against the winds was a whole other story. The rain mixed with the frosty winds made her hair turn into little icicles; if she were to bend her locks she'd predict they'd chip off.

"Flint is racing towards the Ravenclaw goal and," Lee paused as the play was going on before him. "And Slytherin makes the point! That brings the score to 110 to 80."

Despite Lucian being in a horrible mood, he was zooming across the stadium like nothing ever happened. Ana hoped that his good performance wasn't because of his anger, because she didn't want to see him upset like that again.

Every twist and dip Lucian made on his broom made Alex holler in support. At one point Lucian did look over, and his scowl softened a bit. Ana tried her hardest to focus, but the heavy snow and winds made her want to dip her head in the blanket and burrow away. When she looked up she saw Fred and George from across the pitch. The two boys waved their hands tauntingly, showcasing how one of them was without their mittens. Ana's face heated up and she tore her focus away from them and back to the game.

After a grueling three hours in the snow and the wind, Slytherin defeated the Ravenclaw team 260 to 130, securing their place in the finals. Even though Slytherin won, the boy who stood in for the injured keeper proved himself to be a pretty good player. It was amazing how well he stayed on his broom even with the harsh weather. And because of that, before the teams got off the pitch, Lucian gave the boy a handshake, giving him the respect he deserved.

#fred weasley #fred weasley smut #fred weasley fanfic #fred weasley x oc #bibiana malfoy #the girl who vanished #tgwv #tgwv 1-8 #enemies to friends to lovers

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takadasaiko · 6 years

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Breathe Again Beneath the Flames: Chapter Twenty-Three

FFN II AO3

Summary: Agnes receives her own mini op, Scottie approaches Katarina, and the Keens meet with the Task Force to discuss options.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The morning had not gone as planned. They were supposed to be up at the break of dawn, ready to get Agnes up with them and out, but the home video marathon had gone longer than either Tom or Liz had anticipated. Once they had finally gotten to bed, Agnes had come into their room and landed right in the middle of them as they were dozing off. She hadn't just curled up with them and fallen asleep though. Instead she had turned and flailed and wallowed all over them so that no one slept until the earliest hours of the morning. The alarm had gone off twice by the time Tom had finally roused the girls out of bed and breakfast had to be in the go.

"Has your coffee kicked in before mine or did I miss something?" Liz groused as she pulled Agnes out of her car seat in the back of their borrowed vehicle.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked and instantly took the squirming, cranky child when she reached for him. Agnes melted against his shoulder, her little arms right around his neck.

"You've been in a mood the last two days, but you actually look happy to be up at this hour. What am I missing?"

"Just enjoying this," he said, motioning the best he could between them. "We're close, Liz. Not there, but soon."

He didn't miss the hesitant look she shot him as she turned to grab Agnes' bag and shut the car door. "I hope you're right."

He offered her a lopsided smile. "Grab my wallet with the keycard for me? I've got my hands full."

Agnes shifted against him and he kissed the side of her head. Liz went for his wallet as he had asked and, even expecting it, he barely felt her pull it from his jeans pocket. Half asleep she still made a talented pickpocket. "You know, we would have caused a lot of trouble if we'd known each other as kids," he teased, and that finally pulled a smile from his exhausted wife.

She tipped up on her toes and kissed his scruffy cheek. "Trouble would have been an understatement," she promised and pulled the ID card that Scottie had given him to enter the building out, pressing it against the card reader and they received a satisfying beep before the door clicked open for them.

Halcyon's headquarters in New York City housed a little bit of everything. They stretched from the top floor executive offices down to the operations facilities below ground level. Between that lay entire floors dedicated to research, technology, and Halcyon Aegis' own private medical wing. Howard had been transferred despite a grumbling physician at Bellevue, and seeing him was the Keens' goal before leaving to meet with their teams.

The elevator ride up made Agnes squirm, but she didn't fully wake up until the doors opened to release them out into the small lobby. She straightened a little more in her daddy's arms, turning to take in the sights.

The nurse at the front desk let them in without missing a beat and led them back through a set of locked doors to a secured room. Halcyon operatives stood guard at the door, but they gave Tom and his family a sharp nod as they allowed them through.

Howard was already awake and sitting up in the bed. The cast on his left wrist reached halfway up to his arm and his opposite leg was elevated. He looked good though. Certainly better than he had been when they had first seen him after the rescue. He was going over something on a tablet with Dumont DeSoto at his bedside. Dumont looked up and his entire expression lit. "Is that who I think it is?"

Tom echoed the expression. "Hey, baby girl. You get a two for one today. Who's that?"

"Mont!" Agnes cheered, suddenly wide awake and squirming.

Howard chuckled from the bed as the little girl launched herself at the tech expert. "Thanks a lot, princess."

"She only likes me for the toys," Dumont said lightly.

"Do I get a present?" Agnes asked, crossing her arms over her chest and looking straight up at him expectedly.

"I'm workin' on something extra special for you," he promised.

Tom leaned over to Liz. "Dumont designed Agnes' tablet and a couple of other toys while she was with me at the bunker. Pretty sure she's claimed him as a lifelong friend."

He watched his wife's expression shift to the a strange mix of amusement and sadness that it always did when he spoke about Agnes coming to stay with him when she had left for Alaska.

"Have you had any luck with the film?"

"Heard back from the labs this morning when I got here. Some of it was damaged, so they're still trying to clear some of the images up."

"Do we know what the photos are, though?" Liz asked.

Dumont shrugged. "Looked like family photos, from what I saw. Hard to tell. I gotta get over to the site. Get everything swept and ready for our visitors."

Liz looked towards the hallway. "Are we sure it's not safer to meet here?"

"We keep a collection of safe sites around the city that are better for what you need," Howard explained. "Out of the way of prying eyes and ears."

"Got a new car for you to take. Everything'll be set up and ready when you get there," Dumont promised, handing over an envelope. "See you two in a bit."

Tom took what was offered and turned back to Howard. Agnes was already crawling up on the bed with him, asking if his leg and arm hurt and if they were still going to the park. "Soon," her grandfather promised before turning his gaze up towards Tom and Liz. "How was the house?"

"Kinda unnerving," Tom laughed and shrugged. "If you and Scottie were hoping to jar any memories by having us stay there it hasn't worked yet."

"She did point us in the direction of some photos last night," Liz said, a little mischief making its way into her eyes.

Tom rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeah, yeah. The VHS's too."

His wife's expression turned a little more devious and Howard huffed a laugh. "We bought the video recorder not long before you were born and got our money's worth," he explained. There certainly hadn't been any shortage of photos in the library, and while Tom and Liz had plenty of photos and videos of Agnes, it was strange to see his own childhood like that. Up until he had met Scottie and seen the photo of the three of them at the beach, Tom hadn't seen a photo of himself that young. If any of his foster parents had taken photos, they hadn't traveled with him, and the Phelps' sure hadn't been the type to care enough. Scottie, though, had apparently enjoyed documenting the first nearly four years of his life if her collection had been anything to go by.

"Daddy, what'sa VS?" Agnes asked from the bed.

He choked on a laugh. "VHS. It's what people used to record on before you could just save it on your phone."

"Like a million years ago?"

"Now you're just being mean," he teased her and she giggled as he hauled her up in the air and kissed one of her round cheeks.

"I take it your mother's already left?" Howard prompted.

"Yeah. She was out before we got up this morning." A small frown tugged at him. "I don't like that she's going without backup."

"Backup would give her away. Trust her. She knows what she's doing."

"Who are you and what have you done with Howard?"

His father chuckled at that, inching down against the pillows a little. He looked tired, but that was to be expected after everything. After a moment he cracked an eye open. "Candy's just getting some coffee. Agnes and I'll be just fine if you need to head out."

That sparked the little girl off and she turned towards her parents, tears building in her blue eyes and a high pitched whine starting in her throat as she reached for her daddy. Tom felt guilt tug at him as he scooped her up and she reached to pull her mom closer too.

"Don't go," Agnes singled and Tom kissed her dark hair.

"Hey?" He waited until she leaned back to look him in the eye. "Here's the thing, kiddo," Tom whispered a little conspiratorially and his daughter perked up at the secretive tone. "Your grandpa's gonna need to stay in bed for a few days, but he's stubborn. He needs someone to make sure he's safe, so it's not so much that he's taking care of you as you're taking care of him. Can you do that for me?"

She thought about that for a second, her little nose scrunching up and she looked back at Howard for a moment, not entirely convinced.

"I need you to be really brave to do this," Tom told her.

"I'm brave," she said firmly.

"I know you are, baby girl. You're so brave." He kissed her forehead. "We love you so much."

"And we'll be back soon," Liz promised and Agnes nodded.

"Okay."

She let him set her down again on the bed and they said their goodbyes, promising that they wouldn't be gone long this time. It was hurting Liz as much as it was him, and he knew it as her hand dropped into his and squeezed hard as they walked down the hall. "You're amazing with her," she said softly.

"She's smart. She may not understand everything that's going on, but she knows it's dangerous. She's scared." He nudged her a little, trying to lighten the heavy conversation just a little. "I think she may like us."

That pulled a smile from Liz. "Are we… do you think we're doing the right thing with her? Do you think-?"

Tom stopped in the empty hall and turned to his wife, locking eyes with her and holding her gaze. "I think we're doing the best we can in an impossible situation. We're trying to keep our family safe."

Liz nodded and he tightened his hold on her hand. "Love you." She tipped up on her toes and the kiss eased his raw nerves. He could feel the desperation and the fear, but he could also feel the hope and trust. They had each other's backs, and they would do whatever they had to to keep their family safe.

Scottie had made contact with Katarina and set up the meet for that morning. She had heard the brief pause of surprise when she had, their last conversation leaving the other woman with no reason to think Scottie would reach out so soon. It had peaked her curiosity, just as Scottie had known it would. That didn't mean that she was fool enough to think Katarina would let her curiosity get the better of her.

The dark haired woman checked her watch, frowning. She had expected Kat to be late, but this was ridiculous. She was an hour past the meet time, which was quickly moving from establishing dominance to wasting Scottie's time.

She was halfway to standing from her place on the park bench when Katarina appeared from behind and took a seat next to her. "They say patience is a virtue."

"They have more time to waste than I do," Scottie half growled.

Katarina hummed, but there would be no explanation- much less an apology - any time soon. "I heard you went in personally after Howard. How did it feel to be in the field again after so long?"

Scottie's dark eyes shifted to look at Katarina without turning her head. A small smirk played on her lips. "Invigorating."

"You're welcome."

"For what, exactly?

The redhead shrugged. "Giving you the chance to experience that again. I take it your gratitude isn't the reason for your visit."

Scottie's lips thinned. "Did you tell Reddington that Christopher is alive?" The question hung in the air for a long moment before Scottie turned to look fully at Kat. "I refuse to stop them from pursuing the Oleander lead and suddenly Reddington knows. The timing is suspicious if nothing else."

"We need Raymond," Katarina answered after a long moment. "He would have found out eventually."

"And now he's leveraging my son's health."

The former KGB operative rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. He's applying pressure where it's needed to keep this running as smoothly as it can." She glanced over and she lost the levity in her voice. "We're moving towards the endgame, Scottie. We've been fighting this war for years, even if it's been quietly. The children are impulsive and only know a fraction of what the Cabal is capable of and we needRaymond as much as we need you and your husband. He won't hurt the boy. You know he won't."

There it was. The opening that Scottie had hoped would present itself. "You can guarantee that?"

"I can, and I will. I just need to know that you're on my side as much as I'm on yours.

Scottie remained silent for a long moment, letting Katarina believe she was weighing her options. "I am," she said softly, "and that's one reason that I wanted to meet today."

Katarina straightened a little. "What do you mean?"

"Elizabeth knows you're alive."

"Did you tell her?"

"No." She waited, hoping that the partial lie would have enough truth in it that it would pass by her old friend. Liz had already known Katarina was alive, Scottie had only confirmed it.

"Her partner," Katarina murmured distractedly before meeting my her gaze again. "How did she react?"

"I thought you didn't care what your daughter thought of you," Scottie said slyly.

Kat shot her a glare. "I need to know how to approach the situation. Ignoring it won't help anyone." She pulled in a deep breath and her gaze was sharp. "I'll need you to set a meet."

The warehouse was locked down tight, though no one on the outside would ever know. It reminded Liz of the times that they had used one of Reddington's locations that he had set up. Personal phones were left at the door, the windows were darkened so that passerbyers couldn't see in, and there was a sense of secrecy that blanketed the space from the moment they walked in. She was a little surprised that no one took their weapons at the door, but they were supposed to be able to trust each other there. Despite everything that had happened between the Task Force and Halcyon's Grey Matters division, they needed to be able to trust each other.

They weren't the first to arrive. Her team was already there and Aram was picking Dumont's brain on some piece of tech, the other man grinning like crazy at the chance to talk to someone who could follow how he put it together. Cooper was standing to the side with Samar and Ressler, the latter peeling off when he saw the Keens enter.

Tom gave Ressler a quick nod of greeting before giving them the moment that her partner seemed to be looking for. "Everything okay?" Liz prompted.

"Your mother paid me a visit," Ressler said roughly.

Well that hadn't been what she expected to hear. "Why?"

"She knew I was looking into her," he said in hushed tones.

"You never actually said why you were."

"Tom didn't tell you?"

"We've been a little busy." She glanced over to where her husband was speaking with the Task Force and Dumont. "It'll be a few minutes before the rest of Tom's team gets here. Why don't you fill me in?"

She watched his expression shift to something like guilt, his gaze dropping. "It's….I assumed he told you."

"Why don't you tell me now?" she pressed again, leaning back against a table to ease her posture. Whatever this was was making him more nervous than she had seen him in years. Maybe since his struggle against drug addiction. Her jaw tightened a little at the thought and she reached out, startling him a little as she touched his hand. "Ress, whatever this is, you know we have your back, right? I have your back."

He swallowed hard and she listened as he spoke in low, halted tones about something he had been struggling with even before Garvey's attack and her time away from her team. This had been going on for well over a year, starting with Laurel Hitchin's death. He had called a fixer and he had covered it up and he had been in the man's pocket since then. Looking back Liz could fill in the gaps in what had happened and things made more sense.

"Rostova killed Prescott," Ressler said softly.

"But why did she go to you?"

"To let me know exactly what she knew about me. She wanted… information."

It felt her temper boil. "About me."

"And what you and Tom have planned." His clear, pained gaze flickered to meet hers. "I told her to go to hell."

Liz tried for a reassuring smile. "We'll figure this out, Ressler. We won't let her ruin your career."

He shook his head. "I don't care. I'm done, Liz. I'm here to help you one last time, but I have my resignation drafted. It's going to Cooper as soon as this is done. I can't live like this anymore."

"This is not your fault. We can fix this."

"No, Liz. It is my fault, and the longer that I wait, the more of myself I'm losing. I've been lying to the team and I'm-"

"Ress, stop. Stop." She waited until he met her gaze. "You remember what you told me when I wanted to turn myself in for the harbour master?"

He winced. "Yeah."

"You told me to remember all the good we do, and you were right. Our team puts the bad ones away. We make sure that this works is just a little safer. We're working to take down a dirty fed with ties to the Cabal and the Nash Syndicate, Ressler."

"I'm not bailing on this, Liz. I know what it means, but I can't live with myself knowing that I'vebecome the dirty cop."

"Hey." She reached out and he looked at her. "You are nota dirty cop. You made a tough call and it went bad. It happens. You can't set that right from prison." The doors to the warehouse opened and drew both of their attention as Matias Solomon strode in with a woman that Liz had to assume was Nez Rowan. She had just missed her over the last couple of days, but now she had a chance to meet her.

"Everyone has their limit on what they can give to this," Ressler murmured. "C'mon. I'm not going to leave you a man down for this."

Liz nodded. There would be time to convince him. There had to be.

"You must be Liz."

The woman in questioned turned, catching the wink Solomon shot her way as he sauntered by and it took everything she had in her not to take a swing then and there. It was the woman he had entered with that had spoken. "And you must be Nez. I hear you kept my husband in line the last year or so."

Nez Rowan flashed a grin. "It ranked as one of the more difficult jobs I've ever had to do."

"I'm not that bad," Tom called from across the room.

"No, you're impossible when you're recovering," Liz answered with a smile and Nez snorted a laugh.

"I knew I was gonna like you."

Liz echoed the grin as they moved to join the others.

Detective Norman Singleton was inbound to arrive at the location, and by the time they received that call tensions were already running high. Tom had called Solomon off his playful harassment of anyone he thought that he could get away with and Liz looked ready to shoot him. Her husband didn't blame her. He was about ready to shoot him. Solomon was on the mend as far as he could tell, but being cooped up in recovery had made him more obnoxious than usual.

"A couple things before Detective Singleton gets here, just that we're clear," he said, drawing all eyes to him as he reposition himself at the front of the crowd. "This op is off-books. Halcyon's board doesn't know about it and no one in the FBI can know. Until further notice, the people in this room are the only ones read in."

"That includes the Hargraves and Reddington," Liz specified. "If you're uncomfortable with that, now's the time to bow out."

"What exactly happened with Reddington?" Samar prompted. "You still haven't told us what's changed to make him less trustworthy than usual."

"Elizabeth, if you're asking for trust, it's time to show a little," Cooper said and Tom saw the conflict in his wife's expression. It was dangerous. Reddington had already shown what lengths he was willing to go to to keep them from delving any deeper into his past and his precious secret, and they really couldn't be sure what he would do to the Task Force if they knew what the Keens knew. Nothing, possibly, or one by one they could find themselves meeting the same fate that Sam and Kate Kaplan did to hold that secret in place. Reddington that claimed to care a great deal about both of them, yet he had smothered Sam and shot Kaplan in the head with every intention to kill her. This secret of his, this truth was something he wanted to keep desperately, and a desperate Reddington was a dangerous one.

Liz drew in a deep breath, her gaze turning sharp and determined. "This whole thing is… complicated, but part of the problem is that Reddington has kept asking for us to trust him without honesty to back it up. I'm not going to do that to you." She clenched her jaw a little and Tom saw the struggle there. He reached over, his fingers brushing hers.

"It started about the time I left Halcyon. Late Kaplan reached out to me and said she needed me to pick something up for Liz. It was suitcase with human remains. Long story short, and with a lot of people after these bones, the DNA extracted confirmed that they belong to Raymond Reddington."

Neither of them said anything for a moment, letting the news sink in.

"That's impossible," Ressler chimed in. "I hunted the guy for years. That's him."

"Not according to the DNA report," Liz said softly.

"Who had these bones now?" Cooper asked.

"Ian Garvey," Tom answered immediately. "That's what he was after when he broke into Liz's and my place."

Liz pulled in a steadying breath in next to him. "He killed Nik Korpal for them, nearly killed Tom, and put me into a coma for ten months. He knows the truth, and Reddington is willing to do anything to keep that. He gained control of Richard Whitehall who-."

"Reddington has Whitehall?" Nez demanded, and Tom could almost feel the judgement coming his way that he hadn't filled her in yet, the fact that he hadn't seen her in days not withstanding.

"Yes, and he's using him and the fact that he's the one that has the formula for the meds that Tom needs as leverage against us and the Hargraves to stop the investigation," Liz explained.

A hush followed for just a moment before Ressler took a seat in one of the chairs, his gaze fixed on Tom. "What does that mean for you?"

Tom tried for a reassuring smile, but he knew it fell short. "I'm good for now. I've got some in reserve and Scottie and Howard are looking for an alternative."

"It just means we have to tread carefully. Until we have something to balance the scales, Reddington has the upper hand," Liz warned.

"Keeping him out of the loop is going to help us do what we have to," Tom added. "He wants to get to Garvey, but we think we can get to him first."

A knock at the door drew their attention and Nez unfolded herself from her chair to walk towards it the moment Dumont gave the all-clear. She opened the door to a startled looking Norman Singleton and Tom motioned him in.

"For those of you that don't know," Liz said, "this is Detective Singleton with Metro PD. He was in charge of Tom's case-"

"Still am, technically," the detective said as he joined in. "I've kept your secret like you asked. Not that anybody'd believe me if I told them."

"Appreciate that," Tom said with a lopsided grin. "And in turn we've made sure that your family is safe and out of Garvey's reach."

"Detective Singleton is also part of Ian Garvey's task force," Liz added and there was a quiet murmur amongst the crowd. "And that gives him a unique perspective and access to information."

"So you're the one," Solomon said lightly and Singleton looked uneasy.

Tom didn't blame him with the shark-like grin that Solomon wore.

"You have a lead to get to Garvey?" Cooper prompted.

Tom nodded towards Solomon who stood. His expression tighten into a subtle grimace as his hand went to what must have been the injury Garvey had left him with. "We do. I've been following a couple different trails, and while one ended… in a less than desirable manner -"

"Garvey shot him," Tom offered with a quirked eyebrow.

"You're just sorry it wasn't you."

He grinned. "There's something about shooting you that's cathartic."

"Boys," Nez snapped and Solomon offered a lazy shrug.

He motioned and Dumont pulled a set of photos up on his screens he had set up. "The other lead I was on has merit, though. Meet Lillian May Roth. Thirty-six years old, no known family, but she's something to Garvey. He drives an hour both ways on his lunch to go see her."

"Lilly," Singleton volunteered. "He doesn't really talk about her, but I've heard the name come up on phone calls."

Tom glanced over. "Mistress?"

"Not his wife, but my gut says no on the mistress. Not that Garvey's squeaky clean in that department."

Solomon snorted, his voice bringing them back to the reason he was there. "The plan's simple enough. We snag Roth-"

"By snag you mean abduct her?" Ressler demanded.

"Call it what you will," Solomon drawled.

Cooper straightened where he was seated. "Why not go after Garvey directly? Why involve a civilian?"

Solomon ducked his head at that one and Nez answered for him. "We found out that Garvey has ties to the Cabal because he recognized Solomon and had intel about an op that he ran while working for them."

"When he was trying to kill Liz when the Cabal framed her, perhaps?" Samar deadpanned.

"Before that," Solomon answered lightly.

Tom saw his wife rolled her eyes at the statement. "Garvey is on high alert because he knows Solomon has ties to Halcyon," he explained. "He's difficult to grab right now. It would be easier to lure him out. We're not going to hurt her, Ressler. All we need to do is have her make the call." Tom knew that team wouldn't blink at the tactic, but he also knew what they were asking the Task Force to do. It wasn't the first time they had bent the rules, not by a long shot, but he and Liz needed their help. They needed them to agree to this.

"Alright. We'll bring the girl in for questioning," Cooper agreed. "Where is she?"

"Currently in Maryland," Solomon offered.

"Then we'll bring her into the Post Office. Halcyon will have more leeway when we get Garvey, but until then, while there's an innocent civilian involved, the Task Force is running point on this. Is that clear?"

Cooper's question was directed at the Keens. Tom had hoped to bring her to New York and keep the op under Grey Matter's control to keep Reddington as far away as possible, but that wasn't going to pan out. They were going to have to give to get on this, and more than just the truth.

"Clear," Liz answered, startling her husband from his thoughts.

He turned to Cooper. "We need to tie up a couple of things and we'll meet you at the airport. We can take one of Halcyon's planes." He looked over at Nez and she nodded.

"I'll make sure the jet's fueled and ready."

"We'll call when we're in our way there." He motioned to Singleton. "You ready to go see your girls?"

The detective moved towards them. "This isn't over yet. Garvey-"

"You've done enough," Liz said firmly and the detective looked over to her. "We're not going to risk you getting caught."

Tom saw the hesitation. He was a good guy. An honest guy, and he may not have caught the dangerous side of Ian Garvey yet, but he felt betrayed by the man he was supposed to be able to trust. "We promised you protection. Let us make good on it."

There was a long moment where he wasn't sure Singleton was going to give, but then he saw it. The other man sighed, his shoulder falling just a little. "You'll let me know how it all goes?"

"We will," Liz swore.

He nodded then, and without another word he started for the door. They would get him to the relocation team from Halcyon and then the Keens would be on their way to getting Garvey.

Notes: Agnes may not know what all is going on, but she wants to help. I love that kid so freakin' much. She's too cute.

Next Time: Katarina pushes for a meet, the Keens and their teams find out that Lilly Roth is more than they thought, and a plan is put into motion to bring Garvey in.

#the blacklist #au fanfiction #Tom Keen #Elizabeth Keen #Scottie Hargrave #Nez Rowan #Donald Ressler #Matias Solomon #Samar Navabi #Aram Mojtabai #Harold Cooper #Norman Singleton

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skamelias · 7 years

Text

KEEPING MY OPTIONS OPEN

1.4 FREDAG 04.08.17 20.11

“Whose party is this anyway?” said Mutta. He was paying close attention to the road, as he clutched the steering wheel in a controlled manner. Elias swore he had never seen a 20 year old drive more like a grandma.

It was safe to say that Elias was surprised when Sana had asked both Yousef and him to join a party. It was a stark contrast to the time Elias had to convince Sana to party with them a few months ago. But Elias suspected it had less to do with Sana wanting to spend quality time with her brother and more to do with a certain dark-haired boy.

Nonetheless, it made Elias happy. Sana wasn’t always keen on hanging out with Elias and his friends, even though they made countless attempts to get her to do so. Which probably had to do with the fact that they loved to see Elias lose to her, something Elias would never admit to.

“I have no idea,” Elias answered.

“What was the address again?”

“Torggata 11.”

Mutta’s forehead creased in response as he groaned. “Fuck,” Abruptly and without warning, he spun the dark grey car around. “I was supposed to go left for the intersection.”

For someone who was so careful on the road, he sure wasn’t attentive. Elias shook his head and chuckled. He got a hold of the AUX cord after battling over it with Mikael. He surfed through his spotify playlist and found the perfect song for the occasion.

((( Congratulations - Post Malone )))

The boys sang along to the song carelessly, thinking nothing of the fact that they probably sounded like screeching cats.

Elias’ attention shot to his phone suddenly, as he received an incoming message from Isabel.

Isabel: Are you going to be at Bjork’s party tonight?

“Are you still talking to that Isabel girl?” Elias heard from beside him. His head snapped up to Yousef’s questioning look and grin. Elias gave him a nonchalant shrug. He had been talking to Isabel for a few weeks now, nothing too special.

“Bro, you talk to too many girls at the same time. You’re not even going to touch them.” Adam said.

Elias merely wiggled his brows in response.

“Astaghfirullah”

Elias spread his lips into a sly smirk. “I’m just keeping my options open, there are lots of fish in the sea.”

Elias stepped out of the car, with the rest of the boys in tow behind him. As he walked inside the party, he was welcomed by the sound of beer bottles clinking and the excited chatter. He recognized a few people from his time at Bakka, but most of them were people he knew from Nissen as well. He muscled through the crowd before entering the living room where the majority of the guests were. He caught Sana’s eye as she was sitting with her friend, whom Elias remembered as Noora. Sana returned Elias’ smile with one of her own. As she shifted her gaze from Elias to Yousef, her smile turned into a grin so wide, Elias momentarily feared it would stretch her entire face. Elias rolled his eyes with a knowing smirk.

Elias found Even and his boyfriend Isak perched on a nearby beige couch and sat down next to them with Adam and Mikael beside him. Yousef and Mutta left to go talk to Sana and her friends.

Elias listened as the rest chattered in a comfortable manner. After the fall out with Even had subsided, Elias felt an immense relief. Things weren’t the same without Even. He had missed him and he knew that the others had as well. Seeing Even happy and carefree with the rest of them made Elias smile softly.

Even was going on about a rude customer at the café he worked at as Isak sat beside him, grinning softly. “So I kept telling her that the cheesecake had always been 87 crowns and that the prices hadn’t gone up, but for some reason she didn’t believe me--”

Elias wordlessly eyed the bottles on the table. He felt his mind drift away from the conversation, the words slowly drowning out with each passing second. After some time, he forced his attention back to the discussion at hand.

“--in Morocco. You should’ve seen the look on his face when i did a dramatic rendition of Fem fine frøkner at the karaoke place,” Even grinned at Isak who looked positively red in the face.

Mikael chuckled heartily.

Adam raised his eyebrows, shaking his head in amusement. “You guys are the worst.”

Mutta walked towards the couch with Yousef, Sana and Chris trailing behind him. “No I think that goes out to Yousef and Sana over here.” Mutta teased lightly. Elias’s mouth curved upwards at that.

In Chris’ hand were enough beer bottles to go around. She handed one over to Yousef who politely declined, informing her yet again that he didn’t drink. When she raised her eyebrows at Elias, nonverbally asking him if he wanted one, he muttered a no and shook his head.

“Oh you don’t drink either?” Chris asked him. Elias rubbed at the nape of his neck, not knowing how to answer. He pressed his lips together and shrugged in the most nonchalant way he could possibly muster. He ignored the concerned look on Yousef’s face.

Elias drew his attention back to Even and Isak who had raised their eyebrows at the connotation that anyone would dare call themselves cuter than them.

“Mutta’s right. I think Yousef’s messages to Sana take the cake,” Mikael snorted.

Sana crossed her arms and glared at Mikael as Yousef huffed in exasperation. If they had thought Elias would allow them to date without revelling in it and embarrassing them the entire way through, they were wrong. Very, very wrong.

Yousef narrowed his eyes in speculation. “You didn’t.”

“Oh, we did.” Mikael grinned devilishly.

Elias patted Yousef on the back and tried to stifle his laughter. “This guy over here straight up copied The Notebook’s lines and inserted them into messenger.”

Even winced playfully, nonverbally apologizing. “They are pretty bad,” he shrugged.

Sana pursed her lips with her eyes narrowed, shooting Elias a glare dripping with contempt which he promptly returned with a cheeky grin. “If you watched the Notebook, maybe it’d give you some pointers on how to actually get girls.”

The entire table roared with laughter while Yousef grinned at Sana proudly.

Elias huffed. “And how do you know I don’t get girls?”

The entire table looked from Elias to Sana, waiting in anticipation for the next retort as if they were watching an intense tennis game.

Sana smirked, lifting one brow higher than the other. Elias would be lying if he said he wasn’t even a tiny bit afraid of her coming retort.

Sana tilted her head in mock thought. She lifted her head confidently. Elias knew what was coming. And it was nothing good.

“I bet you can’t even pick up one girl here.”

That was it?

He had expected some sort of mission impossible scheme to come out of her mouth. He wasn’t going to brag, but he did know a thing or two about charming a girl.

Elias raised his brows incredulously. “That’s it?”

“A girl of my choosing.”

Elias’ mouth curved into an all too confident smirk. “Easy.”

Sana surveyed the room. Elias had no idea if he should be scared or not. After a few seconds, Sana’s eyes landed on a girl on the other end of the room, her lips spreading into a devilish grin, and her eyes gleaming. Sana glanced at Yousef, who looked equal parts confused and amused, with a reassuring grin.

((( Unforgettable - French Montana )))

Elias stepped off the couch and walked towards the stool where the girl was sitting. Luckily she was alone, which meant he couldn’t possibly embarrass himself too much. As he walked closer to her, he felt himself grow a bit anxious. It was different going over to a girl alone vs with the boys. Usually Yousef was always beside him as his wingman, making him look all smooth and cool. But since he was approaching her alone this time, he was filled with nerves. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t the big charmer he made himself out to be. But at least he had the guts to talk to girls. That’s what really counted. Right?

She had her legs crossed as she scrolled down her phone. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and a purple tank top, long blonde hair cascaded down her back. Elias was swiftly standing beside her in seconds. He glanced at the others at the table; they all had their attention to him. Elias quickly registered Sana grinning from ear to ear. She was onto something.

“So there’s this girl.” He began. She looked up from her phone and Elias was welcomed by a pair of dark blue eyes. He put on the cheekiest smirk he could possibly muster and continued, “And I really want to dance with her. What do you think she’d say to that?”

She raised her eyebrows and said, “And where is this mystery girl?”

“She’s nearby.”

“Well then I think she’d say that she would love to. If she didn’t have a boyfriend.” She cocked her head in the direction of a guy on the other end of the room. Elias grimaced.

“Oh,” he smiled embarrassedly. She pressed her lips together amused and left the seat to go over to her boyfriend. Elias looked back at the table and saw everyone struggling to stifle their laughs. He rolled his eyes.

“I guess you got your first red card there,” Elias snapped his head up in the direction of the mysterious voice. It was a girl. He recognized her. Her full lips spread out into a bold grin.

“So you do watch our videos, stalker,” he said with a smug look, referring to their fidget spinner video, where he bragged about never having gotten a red card.

The fluorescent glow of the surrounding lamps lit up her golden brown skin. Her brown hair was in a braid with her bangs on the forefront and Elias couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over her every feature. The two times he had seen her before, she had looked downright amazing. She stirred the drink in her hand slowly.

“You know, you said your channel was called Hei Briskeby back in March, but I didn’t find it.”

Elias grimaced. He knew where this was going. He pressed his lips together.

“I said that I was going to create a channel. Big difference,” he said, matter of factly.

She narrowed her eyes, pure disbelief on her face. “Oh really?”

Okay, so maybe he had created the youtube channel for the sole purpose of impressing her. To say that the boys were surprised when he came up with the idea of making a youtube channel out of the blue, was an understatement. What started as Elias wanting to impress this girl ended up being one of the best decisions he had ever made because he genuinely enjoyed doing the videos with his boys.

“Ok, so I may have made the youtube channel to impress you.”

She raised her brows at his admission.

He rolled his eyes with a soft smile. “Now don’t get too cocky.”

She gasped and Elias swore he had never heard a more beautiful sound. “Me? Cocky? Never.”

She returned his smile with a toothy grin. His eyes gleamed. Was it too cheesy to say that he could look at her gorgeous face for all eternity and never get tired of it?

Yes.

Was it true?

Very.

“I never got your name.”

Her eyes crinkled, “Laila.”

Elias put on his most charming smile and said, “So Laila, you go to Nissen right?”

“We saw each other at your sister’s bus meeting,” she reminded him.

Elias smirked. That had been the second time they met. The first time was weeks before that, at a pregame. He remembered being immediately drawn to her. She had worn a short dress that perfectly showed off her long legs which he had spent a bit too much time noticing throughout the night. The second time, he had briefly seen her at a bus meeting that Sana had hosted. He wanted to ask what her name was, but his parents were coming home and he couldn't let Sana get in trouble, so he stayed home to help her fix things. When Sana invited Elias to a karaoke party months ago, he had hoped he’d see her there, but he didn’t.

After that party, he had tried to get Sana to open up about what happened with those girls. He still remembered those weeks when Sana had been miserable. Coincidentally, it was the same period during which Yousef had been uncharacteristically sad as well. Eventually, she told him everything after he’d confronted her.

Safe to say, he hadn’t been too keen on Sana inviting them over for Eid a few weeks ago, but she’d insisted. What was worse was that those girls had the nerve to not even apologize to Sana. It made Elias’ blood boil at the mere thought. As he looked at the girl in front of him, with her doe eyes, full lips painted in a light pink colour, the small baby hairs peeking out from atop her hairline, he wondered if she was anything like those girls. Had she been a part of it? He hoped not. Sure she was gorgeous, but if she’d had a hand in any of that mess, his affections would immediately vanish.

Elias rubbed at the nape of his neck. “So, uh, how’s it going with those girls? Your friends I mean.”

“From the bus meeting?” She let out a sigh and continued, “I kinda stopped hanging out with them.” She paused solemnly. “I just realized that people being nice to you doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re nice people. Know what I mean?”

He nodded in understanding.

“Some stuff happened back in May and June and I just drew away from them I guess.”

He put two and two together and slowly realized what must’ve happened to make her leave her friend group. For the sake of not wanting to pry or to see her look so damn sad, he changed the subject.

“So, since you’ve been stalking our youtube channel you must’ve noticed my amazing dancing skills. You wanna see ‘em first hand?”

She raised one eyebrow and put on an enigmatic smile. “I hardly think anyone would use the word amazing to describe your so-called dancing skills.” She retorted. She threw a chip at him and giggled. “And I am not your stalker.”

Elias chuckled. “Ouch.”

“But I wouldn’t mind seeing you embarrassing yourself first hand.”

Elias found himself laughing at her every word. “Well then let’s do it.”

#skam #skamelias #elias bakkoush

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thethingwewrite · 7 years

Text

A Kiss for the Night

Summary: You and Crowley have this weird connection that non one know about. All you can think of is wonder why everything happened like that.

Prompt for the Heavens vs Hell Challenge : New’s Years eve Kiss

Request by @winchester-smut : Can i request a Crowleyx Reader where Reader doesnt trust Crowley when they meet until he save her then maybe a kiss or more.

Pairing: Crowley x Reader

Word Count : 2904

Warning: smut (oral male receiving, rough sex), alcohol, blood, character injured, character exploded, angst

A/N: Here is my entry for @cici0507 challenge heavens vs hell. I am sorry for the delay. it’s also a request for @winchester-smut. she doesnt feel well at the moment i hope this fic will make you smile. Thanks to @supermoonpanda and to @ariannnawinchester for betaing this.

tag : @thing-you-do-with-that-thing , @like-a-bag-of-potatoes, @dr-dean, @helvonasche, @wevegotworktodo, @thorne93, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @aprofoundbondwithdean, @faith-in-dean, @roxy-davenport, @fangirl1802, @percywinchester27, @bloodysideofhell, @secretlyfurrydragon

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Happy New Year!”

Everyone started to scream before hugging each other. You shook your head, not in a mood for celebration, too worried about Crowley and the Winchester boys, mostly Crowley without really knowing why you were. You turned the tv off, then laid down the bed and looked up at the ceiling, wondering what kind of mess they were in. Strangely Crowley had insisted that you weren't part of this mission and to your surprised Sam and Dean had agreed.

“Well, well, aren't you having fun” A Scottish accent pulled you out of your thoughts.

You wanted to stand up, to hug him and even more but you didn't move, briefly looking at him before looking up at the ceiling

“What took you so long?” You asked him

Crowley rolled his eyes “Happy to see you too, love” He said laying down next to you as you gave him some space before cuddling against him

You know, it took him off guard because it took him a second to relax, you looked up at him and chewed your lips for a second and before you even register what was going on your lips were pressed against his, one of his hands tugged on your hair while the other was resting against your back pulling you closer to him

“(Y/N) we’re home!” You heard one of the boys call out for you

“That’s my call,” Crowley said, pulling away “Happy new year,” He said disappearing

You sighed a little annoyed by almost everything: the boys having a bad timing, him disappearing on you and mostly with yourself because you let him kiss you and actually enjoyed kissing him. You wondered what had happened for you to go so low, where did it all begin

May 2013

“What is the drill now (Y/N)?” Dean asked, holding his bag

You rolled your eyes “Come on. Do we really have to do this?”

Dean frowned “Yes (Y/N). We do”

You sighed “I have to make sure Kevin doesn't try to kill Crowley, not be near Crowley either and also if I find anything on Cas I have to call you”

“Good girl,” Dean said “Train a little while we are gone. You will have a little test when I get back”

You rubbed your face, seriously annoyed by him treating you like a kid “Fine, Daddy. I will not try to throw a party while you are gone”

Dean swallowed hard, looking at you for a brief second before shaking his head and walking out of the door as Sam called out for him. You chuckled, then went to check on Kevin, to see if he made any progress on translation the tablet, however, he was nowhere to be seen, you frowned and hoped he wasn’t with Crowley. So you ran toward the dungeon as fast as you could, when you arrived, Kevin was holding a knife against Crowley’s neck

“Kevin! Don’t!” You almost yelled

“He deserved it! After what he has done to me” He said not looking back at you

“Listen to t…” Crowley smirked

“Shut up!’ Kevin yelled

“I know what he did and for that he deserved to be burned on a stick, however doing this now like this, you will not be better than him. I doubt that what your mother would want you to do that” You said slowly coming toward him “Please, Kevin.” You said as you reach him a placed a hand on his shoulder

You didn’t know if your little speech works because Kevin only react a few minutes later by throwing Crowley back into his chair, then pushed your hand away and turned to face you, anger and tears in his eyes

“Don't ever bring her in this again!” Kevin said anger in his voice

He pushed past you and left the dungeon upset, you turned to look at Crowley, who had a smirk across his face.

“Thanks, Love. I’ll remember that” He said, “You are new around here aren't you?” He asked as he watched you

You rolled your eyes as you checked his chain, then you just stood up and walked toward the door

“I’ll give you the same advice I gave our little friend Tran. You should leave the boys while you still can” He said

You stopped and turned to face him “Kevin is my friend, the boys, even Cas, but Kevin is certainly not yours” You snapped

“Oh, cheeky. I like it” He smirked “Seem like you are the possessive type. I like it even more”

“Uh god. Listen douchebag. Be happy that I wasn't at Kevin’s place, otherwise, you would be dead by now” You said storming out of the room without knowing Crowley was grinning

Dean walked into the room, bringing you back to earth, you sat up and smiled at him.

“Hey, Happy new year!” You said

Dean raised an eyebrow “Really? We missed the party?” He said sitting next to you

“Well, according to the clock, we did.” You said, pointing to it.

Dean shrugged “Have you seen Crowley?” He asked

You bit your lips, wondering if you should tell him “He was here before you came” you told him avoiding to give him the other details

Dean frowned “Listen (Y/N). You became like a sister to me and I think I should warn you about him. He is a demon, don't let him get near you” He said “For some reason, he has this weird obsession for you, I don't like”

You smiled “Don't worry Dean. I won't let him come closer to me” You reassured him, although it felt like it was yourself you wanted to reassure.

Dean glanced at you suspiciously “Good” He stood up “Now let’s go celebrate this nonsense” He said taking your hand and leading you out of the room You chuckled, but you couldn’t help think of Crowley, your mind went to the day you started trusting him

September 2013

You knew you weren't supposed to leave the boys side, but you did because you couldn't stand their new pet. Crowley has been around for a few months helping the boys going after Abbadon. This time it wasn't her you were after, the 4 of you were on a hunt, looking for a werewolf. Crowley was starting to get on your nerves, that is why you sneaked away from the boys when they were arguing with him if they should kill him immediately or try to give him a second chance.

Yeah, you knew it wasn't safe for you to be in the middle of the woods, the full moon up in the sky and probably a werewolf in the area looking for a little snack like you. After a few moments of walking, your phone was buzzing for the umpteenth time, you knew it was the boys wondering where you were but you didn’t care, you just turned your phone off. Right then you heard something in front of you nevertheless something or someone grabbed your shoulder, immediately your instinct kicked, you turned and side kicked whoever it was.

“Nice kick love” Crowley smirked, holding your legs

You pulled your legs while rolled your eyes “What do you want?”

“Shutting off your phone isn’t really a good plan.” He said

You shrugged “Buzzing me more then one isn't a good one either,” You said starting to walk away

Crowley sighed, but he teleported in front of you “You aren't leaving my side until Sam and Dean comes”

You scoffed “Good boy” You put his arms “But I am not staying here with you,” You said moving to another side

In one second everything changed, one second of distraction, one second of letting your guard down, none of you expected what came towards you. When you realize what had happened, it was too late, Crowley was pushed harshly against a tree while you were on the ground trying to fight for your life.

The werewolf was above you, his razor teeth were trying to bite you while his claws were gripped deep in your arms. You screamed in pain, however, after what felt like an eternity, he was thrown away from you and pinned against a tree. You gasped in pain as you watched Crowley taking care of the werewolf.

“Who do you think you are!? Destroy my favorite suits and daring to touch her!” he said “I am the king of hell. You insignificant, stupid dog!” he slowly closed his fist making the werewolf suffer and growl in pain until he exploded blood going in every direction.

You were actually surprised that he was capable of anything like that, maybe the human blood did serve well. Crowley walked towards you, then making you stand up and checking your body before frowning

When the party was over, you weren't drunk as the boys were that's is why you decide to call it a night. You helped the boys get to each of their room, not without difficulties for each of them. Dean was a flirt, more than he usually is, even though he still consider you his sister, you just ignored him making sure he wouldn't try to kiss you. On the other hand, Sam was a different story for him being drunk meant to deal with all the questions and issues he had more than what he used to be and it usually ends up with hugging you. Which means they weren't different from being sober they were just worst.

Once you were done, you went back to your room then let yourself fall down your bed exhausted by everything. Keeping secrets weren't your thing, but yet you succeed to have way too many at the moment and making a list would take you forever to see the end of it. All you knew is that it was Crowley’s fault, you never wanted this, never wanted to hide anything from the boys, but he convinced you it was best for everyone and now you are here with your thoughts all alone.

December 2013

It had been two months since the last hunt with the boys and Crowley, the one that you were briefly or badly injured, well it actually depends on which side you see it nevertheless in your opinion neither was good. After that the boys would always try to make you sit the hunt, they found and Crowley, to their surprise, would help them, you didn't like that, but in the same time, you thought it was clever from him to do that. However, two months after that hunt you decided to go on your own pretending you had found a hunt 4 states away from them, but the truth was that you were in one of the cabins you inherited from your father 8 months ago right after joining the Winchesters.

You spend the day settling everything to make sure you were comfortable, safe and protected. During that time you knew you weren’t alone that someone was spying on you, that you would need to face him later, at that moment you had barely time to stop you had to continue. You were lucky to finish at sunset, proud of yourself, you opened a whiskey bottle found in the cabinet your dad had over the years. You drank waiting for your fate to happen until the darkness surrounded the cabin from the ground to the sky. Although nothing happened, no change, only you felt hot, arousal, and hunger, drinking didn't help mostly because you always lose control, however, now you tried to control those feeling only making your inside hurt you so bad.

You fell on the floor, grimacing in pain, tears in your eyes and you held your belly. Pieces of broken bottle everywhere, you couldn't think straight it was hurting you like hell.

“Crowley! Please help!” You begged knowing he was around

“Seems like you are in some kind of trouble.” He said, picking you up on the floor and walked toward the bed

“Wh... What is... going... On?” You tried to say

Crowley laid you down the bed “You need to breed love” He said, pushing a strand of hair behind your ears,

“W... What!?” You asked, shocked

Crowley smirked “You need to have sex and in your case, whatever the gender”

You shook your head “N...No!” You said then groaning in pain when a wave of something you couldn't describe hit you

He scoffed “Well then you chose the wrong place to stay, ” he said then sighed when he saw the confuse look in your face “Outside there is at least 5 of them, they smelled your scent and they need to breed just like you”

Fear crossed your face when you realize what it means now. That it was really what you were and will be for the rest of your life. “Kill me. Please” You pleaded as you gripped his shirt

Crowley frowned “I didn't do it last time I am not going to do it now. Love” He said somehow you felt like it was hurt in his voice, but you weren't sure about it

You closed your eyes for a second and when you opened it the scenery around you had changed, you were in a sort of luxurious room, in a comfortable king size bed and there was no smell of old and moist woods. You didn't question that, you were too much in pain for that

“Why not?”

Crowley rubbed his face “Because you are important to the bloody Winchester ” He said

“Help me then” You quickly said

He sighed “Are you sure you want this?”

You grimaced in pain “Please” you gripped his shirt

“As you wish.” He said, leaning down to kiss you

You were taking a back by the control, the roughness and the anger he had in him that he needed to let out. Usually, you would enjoy that control, you would let him make you his, making sure he would let the rough and that anger aside but not today, it was different. It was like something in you wanted the anger and the roughness and probably much more. Just not letting him control you, something in you want to take it from him.

There was nothing passionate that kiss, nothing to say that two lovers would enjoy each other much more like two beast in a need of dominance. The kiss seemed to be a way to prove that to make sure one of you will be the alpha. It started to be more intense, with both of you biting each other lips

Eventually, Crowley let you take over, he knew it was your time that you needed this right now. That's why you pushed him down the bed down on top of him and ripped his jacket and shirt off

“Easy with the suits love. It's hard to replace them” Crowley whispered

You were too far gone to care about anything at the moment, the sound that came out of your mouth was a growl like you were bothered by him talking. He chuckled, then groaned when you kissed him down the chest and another when your mouth was around his hard cock. His hand gripped your hair and made sure you went all the way down his length.

“Easy, darling, don't want me to come already don't you?” He panted, looking into your eyes

You pulled away “Take off my clothes” you ordered him sound a little off

Crowley immediately snapped his fingers, right then your clothes left your body. You didn't waste any time by riding him, you groaned as you felt his big member inside of you.

The memory of that night made you wet between your legs, that night was the best night you had in your whole life, the way you two had sex what so much powerful and rough using every position you both knew and even letting him take over at some point during your long session. Your body missed that and you weren't able to find anyone with so much experience. After that none of you talked about it simply because it was just pure fun which you hoped would never happen again, at least that was what you tried to convince yourself expect the kiss you had earlier didn't help.

All those thoughts slowly started to make you sober, slowly making you realized that today is a new year's but not different than the other. Except you were the only one who would decided to change it and make it better with a new start of your own choice. You knew which one you had to make to help the one you love, you stood up and walked toward the door expect karma is a bitch and like to mess with you, it took only one second for the usual pain to make you fell on the floor and another second to make every bones of your body started to hurt and twist inside of you.

“Crowley!” you screamed as your eyes turned yellow.

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