Work in Progress Meme
Inspired by embroiderama, stolen from weesta. Post a sentence (or two or a paragraph) from as many of your WIPs as you want, with no explanation attached.
Pansy's catalogues were fascinating. Alan lay back on Blaise's bed in the Slytherin boy's dormitory, Pansy sitting beside him and pointing out things she thought someone might like. He was amused to note that several things had already been circled with notes on her appropriate sizes. Blaise sat at the end of the bed with his latest book, shaking his head. He'd leveled them both with a look when they invaded, but since he hadn't actually complained, neither one was listening.
Vincent's radio played soft music in one corner, and he had his eyes closed as he lay on his own bed, listening. Greg had sprawled at his feet with his transfiguration homework and a few snacks. Every once in while he would poke his brother's foot and murmur a question, which Vincent would answer without bothering to open his eyes. In return, his hand would randomly sneak down to steal one of Greg's snacks.
Draco was on his own bed with Harry, directing Neville as he tried to walk around the room with a book on his head. Alan wasn't quite clear on how this was supposed to help cure Neville's poor sense of balance, but Harry seemed to be entertained by it.
Alan turned another page in the latest catalogue Pansy had given him and paused. In the lower left-hand corner of the page was a pendant with an odd design, and something about it caught his eye. It was silver, with four points of twisted metal surrounding a single round stone in the center.
The Celtic Diamond, he read silently. The points represent the four seasons, inspiring life-change.
His vision blurred, and suddenly he could see four pendants, all in silver, each with a different stone in the center. One stone was pale blue, the next purple. Then a mix of shades of green, and a bright gold. Each stone rested in the palm of a large, callused hand. He couldn't see the faces of the men holding them, but he felt warm and safe, protected in a way he had never been before.
"Alan!"
He jerked, blinking as his eyes cleared. "What?"
Everyone was looking at him with various expressions of concern. "Are you all right?" Pansy asked, frowning worriedly. "You've been staring at that page for awhile now."
"I'm fine," he said after a moment, shaking his head slightly. What was that? "Sorry. Just ... got distracted."
****
"Sky ... " Xander was frowning. "Wait a sec, isn't that the bloke you said got promoted, and that's why you're the Red Ranger now?"
Adam glanced over at him, raising his eyebrows. Xander had actually understood all that?
Bridge looked startled. "You were actually listening to me?" he asked, somehow looking pleased and worried at the same time. Then he seemed to catch himself. "Um, yeah. That's Sky," he said quickly, flushing a little.
Kira smirked. "So you're dating your teammate."
"Of course," Bridge returned, snagging another piece of toast with a smile. "Rangers always end up dating other Rangers," he added almost absently, then froze. "Uh ... I mean, that's what I've heard," he finished awkwardly. He took a large bite of toast, chewing rapidly and avoiding their eyes.
"So does that mean I'll get a date with one of these lovely ladies?" Xander asked, raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively.
Bridge choked on his toast.
"Xander!" Tori scolded, jabbing her elbow into his ribs with a glare. "That doesn't count as a question," she added quickly.
Bridge coughed for a moment, reaching for the glass of milk he'd left on the coffee table in front of him. "Okay," he agreed just as fast, downing several gulps.
Adam watched him thoughtfully. Had that been a 'yes' or a 'no'?
****
He reached up to run a hand over his hair in agitation. Where's Kai when I need his skepticism and paranoia?
Then he sighed, because Kai was with the twins, and no matter how much he wanted Kai, he didn't want him *here*. And the kids needed their father more than he did. No matter how much he wished he could be with them right now. Not ... here.
Wherever here was.
"Ah, my friends."
He looked up sharply as Thrax joined them, gesturing wide with a smile. Around him everyone else had gone equally tense, Sam and Chris both moving to stand. Alan, strangely, did not. "So good to see you all together," Thrax went on.
"Don't call me that."
Leo glanced at Chris, who stood stiffly, arms folded and eyes narrowed. "I'm not your friend," he informed Thrax. "I'm here, and I'll stay here. I'll do what you tell me to do. But we are *not* friends."
The coldness of his tone, combined with his stance, made Leo look at him a little differently. Whatever had convinced Chris to join Thrax, it didn't seem to have been done willingly.
But Chris' words, if anything, seemed to amuse Thrax all the more. "As you wish," he said mildly, moving further into the room as he looked around at them all. "
****
It was amazing how fast the foot soldiers came out of nowhere. One moment the skies were clear, the next there was fire raining down from above. Within moments there were Piranhatrons on motorcycles, and Quantrons waving strange triangular blades around threateningly at everyone they saw.
It was also amazing to realize just how hard it was for old instincts to die. In five minutes of being spotted by a quartet of Quantrons, Jason and Rocky had them on the ground and twitching, one missing an arm. They exchanged barely a glance before ducking into the bushes before they could be spotted again.
"You think they'll replace our books?" Rocky asked, silently mourning the loss. They were only second-hand, but his family wasn't rich, and they'd been hard to come by.
"I think that's the least of our problems," Jason returned mildly, absently studying the Quantron arm he'd been carrying. "Hey, help me pry the fingers open. I don't like the idea of going around without a weapon."
Rocky instinctively made a face, but he nodded. "Good point."
It took some work, and a sharp rock applied in just the right way, but finally the arm was free, and Jason the proud owner of a weapon he'd never used before. He studied it for several moments, trying to test the weight and movement of it. Eventually he sighed. "I've never liked two-handed weapons," he admitted, adjusting his grip to make it easier to carry.
"Any port in a storm," Rocky reminded him, hefting the severed arm over a shoulder. He paused, frowning. "It's mid-December, right?"
Jason nodded. "Right timing," he remarked, shading his eyes to look up at the sky. "So they're Astro Rangers now, right?"
"That's right," Rocky confirmed. "Something space-themed. With rainbows. Not sure who the Silver guy is, though."
"Maybe he's from another planet, like Trey."
****
"So ... Chris made himself own twin?" Phoebe asked, frowning in confusion.
"Exactly," Wyatt agreed, looking relieved. "And since Chris created the future we came from by going back in time, there had to be *another* Chris to make sure our future happens again, just like all of you remember. Which is our Chris."
"My head hurts," Paige grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
"You're not the only one," Phoebe sighed. "Okay, so. Chris from *our* future, the baby Piper just had, is going to have to come to the past *again*, so we can remember all this in the future?"
Wyatt beamed at her. "Exactly."
****
"Sam, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean's voice was sharp with alarm. It made his heart ache.
He glanced back over his shoulder, smiling sadly. "I told you, Dean. I'm going to fix this. It's my responsibility." He bounced once, heaving himself up and over, swinging his leg around to sit astride.
Dean was staring at him when he looked again, his eyes wide in fear. "Sam - "
"Forget about everything, Dean," he interrupted softly. "Forget about the angels, the demons, Lucifer, the Apocalypse ... " He swallowed, licking his lips uncertainly. "Forget about me," he added, softer now. "Just worry about you now. I won't bother you again."
"Sam, what the hell - "
He nudged Esurio with his heels, knowing that if they didn't leave now, he never would. He glanced back at his older brother one last time, and tried to smile despite the tears in his eyes. "I love you, Dean," he said clearly.
Dean flinched.
The silent, unspoken rule among Winchesters was to never, *ever* say those three words. It wasn't the Winchester way. To say them now was the clearest way Sam could tell his brother goodbye without actually saying it.
Sam smiled, swallowed back his tears, and urged Esurio off into the darkness. He had work to do.
He ignored the sound of Dean yelling his name behind him, leaning forward to press his face into the warmth of Esurio's mane.
****
Peter was quiet, watching them all with a solemnity rarely seen in him. He'd always had a sort of talent in Divination, but rarely admitted to it in light of how often the subject was mocked due to Professor Trelawney's interpretations. His friends knew Peter had strange moments when he just seemed to *know* things, but they'd never put much stock in it because quite frankly, it was Peter.
But Peter *knew* things. He knew the morning that James Potter left for Winter Holiday to visit with his grandparents that he would never see his friend again. He knew that the words being whispered about the new Dark Lord's movements were just the beginning of the coming war. He'd been the first to congratulate Lily on the new baby before Madam Pomfrey ever got a decent look at her, and had always known that it would be a boy. And now, looking at his best friends in the world and the child he'd just promised to protect, he knew, with utter certainty, that he had just sealed their fates.
"I promise, Harry," Peter whispered, too softly to be heard even in the still of the room. "I promise I'll do whatever it takes to protect this family."
****
"Look, it's the Preventers!" someone cried.
His jaw clenched as he fought to stay calm. What were they doing here? They shouldn't have been called for a simple bank robbery, especially when it was already over. They shouldn't even be in this *area*: there was no base here. What idiot had called them, and why?
He could feel himself trembling and fought to stay calm. It felt like everything was closing in on him, spiraling out of control. He had to get out of here, had to get out, had to get away.
"Heero?" Kira's voice was sharp. "Heero, look at me."
Something within him responded to the command just as it always did, despite the fact that she had no authority to be ordering him at all, and he had no reason to listen to her. He looked up, clenching his fists and his jaw and forcing himself to *calm down*. "I have to go."
Azuki looked startled. "What?"
" ... S-Sora?"
His eyes flickered to Kiyoshi. The older man was staring at him in shock. "My name is Heero," he told him flatly, beginning to stand. His instincts were screaming at him to get out of here *now*. This was all happening too fast. He wasn't ready. They couldn't know yet.
"Forgive me," Kiyoshi apologized. "But you look so much like my mother - "
"My name is Heero," he repeated, pushing past them all.
****
He wouldn't say it was a mistake, exactly. Unplanned, definitely. Unwanted, hell yeah. There was no way he would have let any of it happen if he'd been thinking coherently at the time.
But then, that was what alcohol was for: *not* thinking coherently.
Which is why he found himself the next morning after a very *long* night of binge drinking curled up in bed with a blond man who was most definitely not the one he was hoping to find. For one thing, in the event that it *had* been the right guy, there was no way he'd be aching in the places he was now: between the two of them, he wasn't the top. For another, this guy was somewhat shorter than him, and while nicely built, not the body type he was looking for.
That, and the eyes that blinked at him when the man looked over his shoulder towards him were the most amazing shade of blue he'd ever seen in his life.
"Hey," the blond muttered.
He grunted in return, throat still not quite willing to cooperate.
The blond regarded him for a long moment, then frowned. "Look, the sex was great and all, but before this goes any further, I'm not into - "
"Me, neither," he returned, silently giving thanks to have at least found himself with a man who understood what a good one-night stand was.
The blond seemed relieved as well. "Good." Then he frowned again. "So don't get the wrong idea or anything, but ... " He rolled over slightly, holding out a small bundle wrapped up in his arms. "What the fuck is this?"
****
"What about you, Sam?" Denise spoke up, giving him an encouraging smile. "What sport did you get into growing up?"
"Baseball mostly, but we tried a little hockey when we were in the right area for it," he answered without thinking. A faint smile slipped over his face. "Dean sucks at basketball, and he swears football is the gayest sport known to man - after wrestling."
"You call your dad by his name?" Erin asked curiously, tilting her head.
He blinked at her. "What? No. Of course not."
Kyle frowned. "But you said Dean, dude."
It took him a moment to follow, but when he finally understood he laughed. "No! Dean is my big brother. He's the one who taught me." The smile slipped a little as his thoughts wandered to his dad. "My dad was busy with work."
****
"Here."
Eric glanced back over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the shirt Wes was holding out. "Yeah?"
Wes rolled his eyes. "It's red. And you're not wearing all black to the picnic."
"That's your shirt," Eric reminded him.
"Yeah. And?"
****
He looked up as he felt eyes on him and scowled. "What do you want?"
The kid fidgeted, but didn't leave. "Are you all better now?"
"Yeah." He puffed his chest out a little. "The nurse used stingy stuff."
The kid stared with wide eyes, inching in past the door. "Did you cry?"
Hunter shook his head proudly. "Nah. It didn't hurt that bad."
"You gotta be the bravest kid ever!"
"Probably." Hunter agreed. He scowled again when the kid scrambled up to sit beside him. "Hey, who said you could sit up here?"
The boy shrugged. "I'm Blake." he announced abruptly.
"What kinda dumb name is that? I'm Hunter."
Blake scowled. "Blake's a better name n' Hunter!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
****
He dismounted swiftly, pausing only when Edmund reached to touch his arm again. "Are you all right?" he whispered, concerned.
He received a faint wry smile for his trouble. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Peter retorted gently.
Edmund rolled his eyes, annoyed now, and drew away.
Peter caught his arm, seeming troubled again. "I'm sorry, Ed. Don't ... " He hesitated, his eyes pleading. "I will tell you," he offered. "It's just ... Now's not the best time to reminisce, is it?"
Sighing, Edmund nodded begrudgingly. He had a point. "But you will." It wasn't quite a request, but it wasn't a demand either.
For some reason, it made Peter smile. "I promise," he assured him, squeezing Edmund's shoulder.
****
But those hands grabbed his orbs forcefully, throwing him again. He cowered in fear, feeling small and young and frightened. "Daddy? Daddy, please!"
Chris tossed fitfully on the couch of P3's storeroom, whimpering faintly. "D-Dad ... " he choked out. "Dad, please!"
The fist came at him again, and his eyes flew open.
He stared at the ceiling of P3, gasping and shivering. Remembering his dream, he sat up sharply, looking around. "Dad?" he called, anxious to prove it was only a dream. His dad would never have - of course he wouldn't.
"Dad?" he tried again.
****
"Raphael's real lucky t' have a father s'nice as you, Master Spin'ter," she told him wistfully.
A hand patted her shoulder gently. "As your father was most fortunate to have a daughter as bright and kind as you, child. I am sorry for your loss." His voice was gentle and understanding now, like Raphael and Leonardo had been.
She tried to smile, but her cheeks felt damp again. "I miss him," she whispered.
The hand moved, and she was being hugged. "I know, child," he said softly.
She sniffled, burying her face against his shoulder. "But ... m' glad I met Raphael. Does that make me bad?"
"No. You are glad to have found someone to care for, who cares for you in return. That does not lessen your grief for your father, and it does not make you a bad person." His hand touched the back of her head lightly, the way Raphael liked to do. "You are a very brave and compassionate girl, Abby. Your father would be proud to know how well you are adapting."
She bit her lip, sniffling again. "Master Spin'ter? C'n I tell you a secret?" She wasn't sure why she was asking. She probably shouldn't say anything. But ... she wanted to tell *someone*, and for some reason she didn't think Master Splinter would mind.
"Of course."
She closed her eyes. "I wish Raphael could be my new daddy," she breathed.
****
"Are you happy, Ryuichi-kun?"
He blinked. "Eh?"
Tohma's expression was softer than usual as he smiled at him. "Are you happy?" he repeated.
Slowly, Ryuichi smiled back. This was one of his rare genuine smiles, not the goofy-happy-go-lucky he usually gave everyone. "Hai." He glanced back at the stage and smiled wider, watching Shuichi thank everyone as Bad Luck headed off. "Arigatou, Tohma-kun."
He didn't exactly know how Tohma had figured it out. He'd never given any hint of it. He even made fun of any similarities between them, so people would be sure to notice and just think it was odd. But then again, Tohma-kun was more cunning than he appeared. Noriko-chan had taken longer, but eventually she had noticed that Tohma was awfully helpful to a young, brash singer when he wouldn't have normally gotten involved. And eventually, she'd realized it, too.
Congradulations, Ototo-kun.
****
He wasn't entirely sure whose idea it was. There were a lot of suspects: Jack, Z, Syd, Charlie. Maybe even Bridge or Ran, although they were less likely. He had a sneaking suspicion it may have been a joint effort, but as no one was coming forward to confess, there wasn't much he could do in retaliation.
It was odd, having such a large Squad now. Jack and Charlie had settled into a sort of co-leadership with a casualty that was unnerving, especially knowing them both as well as he did.
****
"This is all your fault, you know."
Phantom sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She'd spent far too much time among the Earthians; she was assimilating their bad habits.
****
He knew without looking the moment she had appeared behind him. He ignored her, focusing on preparing dinner. He hadn't cared what she had to say before, and he didn't care now.
"You can't ignore me forever," she informed him.
"Watch me," he muttered under his breath.
"This is your destiny," she insisted.
He snorted. "My 'destiny' is to keep my brother from getting himself killed."
"As much as it may hurt to hear, there are things in this world that matter more than - "
He spun, aiming the bread knife in his hand straight at her. "Don't you *dare* finish that sentence," he hissed. "There is *nothing* more important to me than Leo."
She stared back coldly. "Not even the fate of an innocent world? The fate of the very planet your brother calls home?"
"This 'Phaedos' place you want me to follow you to is *not* home, no matter how many times you try to talk me into it," he retorted.
"It could be, if you gave it a chance."
His voice was hard. "No. It couldn't."
****
Kai was going to kill him.
In any other situation that would have been irrelevant, because Kai was always going to kill him. He'd made the threat so often that they'd been forced to sit down with the twins and carefully explain to them that no, Father didn't hate Mother. And no, he wasn't *really* going to kill Mother, that was just an Earthism Father used far too often. As awkward as a conversation as that had been, the expression on Kai's face when Addi had tearfully asked why he wanted Mother to die had been priceless.
This time however, Kai might be slightly justified in his fury. Usually Kai got mad over little things, like spoiling the kids' appetites before dinner, falling asleep in random places while he was off on a jog and coming home late, or when he happened to hitch a ride with one of the local trade ships passing through the system for awhile and forgot to tell Kai first. Unfortunately this wasn't something little; this required leaving Mirinoi for an indefinable period of time without backup - or at least the team-related type of backup Kai would have preferred - heading into a situation that he *knew* was likely to get him neck-deep in trouble.
Yeah, he'd be sleeping on the porch for awhile.
****
"Hey, Sprout."
The voice made him jump badly enough to smack his head on the underside of his desk, and he groaned as he reached up to clutch the swelling bump. "Ow ... "
"If you're gonna be stealing my job, you should at least be sure to do it right," the voice continued, and a head poked under one of the sides of the sheet to look at him. "This is the worst blanket fort I've ever *seen*."
" ... Gordon?" He frowned, rubbing his head gingerly. "What are you doing up?"
"Fixing this sad attempt you call a blanket fort," his older brother retorted. "I mean come on, Al. This is just pathetic. No creativity at all."
The sheet dropped abruptly on his legs as Gordon yanked the chair out, and Alan blinked at the wall of white in front of him in surprise. "What - "
"Think you have enough blankets, Gordon?" came Virgil's voice, sounding vaguely amused.
"Not sure," Gordon returned cheerfully. "I'm thinking about stacking some chairs, so nobody has to hunch over. We're all a little taller than we used to be, y'know."
****
… Um, yeah. And all of these don’t include plot bunnies that have notes, but haven’t actually been started yet. Or any of my original fiction WIPs. Or the epics that are already updated as far as I’ve written.
Some of these I haven’t looked at in ages, either. -_-;;
So um, poking at me about some of them would not be a bad idea. Then I might actually finish them. Someday.
Hopefully.
-Hides-
Pansy's catalogues were fascinating. Alan lay back on Blaise's bed in the Slytherin boy's dormitory, Pansy sitting beside him and pointing out things she thought someone might like. He was amused to note that several things had already been circled with notes on her appropriate sizes. Blaise sat at the end of the bed with his latest book, shaking his head. He'd leveled them both with a look when they invaded, but since he hadn't actually complained, neither one was listening.
Vincent's radio played soft music in one corner, and he had his eyes closed as he lay on his own bed, listening. Greg had sprawled at his feet with his transfiguration homework and a few snacks. Every once in while he would poke his brother's foot and murmur a question, which Vincent would answer without bothering to open his eyes. In return, his hand would randomly sneak down to steal one of Greg's snacks.
Draco was on his own bed with Harry, directing Neville as he tried to walk around the room with a book on his head. Alan wasn't quite clear on how this was supposed to help cure Neville's poor sense of balance, but Harry seemed to be entertained by it.
Alan turned another page in the latest catalogue Pansy had given him and paused. In the lower left-hand corner of the page was a pendant with an odd design, and something about it caught his eye. It was silver, with four points of twisted metal surrounding a single round stone in the center.
The Celtic Diamond, he read silently. The points represent the four seasons, inspiring life-change.
His vision blurred, and suddenly he could see four pendants, all in silver, each with a different stone in the center. One stone was pale blue, the next purple. Then a mix of shades of green, and a bright gold. Each stone rested in the palm of a large, callused hand. He couldn't see the faces of the men holding them, but he felt warm and safe, protected in a way he had never been before.
"Alan!"
He jerked, blinking as his eyes cleared. "What?"
Everyone was looking at him with various expressions of concern. "Are you all right?" Pansy asked, frowning worriedly. "You've been staring at that page for awhile now."
"I'm fine," he said after a moment, shaking his head slightly. What was that? "Sorry. Just ... got distracted."
****
"Sky ... " Xander was frowning. "Wait a sec, isn't that the bloke you said got promoted, and that's why you're the Red Ranger now?"
Adam glanced over at him, raising his eyebrows. Xander had actually understood all that?
Bridge looked startled. "You were actually listening to me?" he asked, somehow looking pleased and worried at the same time. Then he seemed to catch himself. "Um, yeah. That's Sky," he said quickly, flushing a little.
Kira smirked. "So you're dating your teammate."
"Of course," Bridge returned, snagging another piece of toast with a smile. "Rangers always end up dating other Rangers," he added almost absently, then froze. "Uh ... I mean, that's what I've heard," he finished awkwardly. He took a large bite of toast, chewing rapidly and avoiding their eyes.
"So does that mean I'll get a date with one of these lovely ladies?" Xander asked, raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively.
Bridge choked on his toast.
"Xander!" Tori scolded, jabbing her elbow into his ribs with a glare. "That doesn't count as a question," she added quickly.
Bridge coughed for a moment, reaching for the glass of milk he'd left on the coffee table in front of him. "Okay," he agreed just as fast, downing several gulps.
Adam watched him thoughtfully. Had that been a 'yes' or a 'no'?
****
He reached up to run a hand over his hair in agitation. Where's Kai when I need his skepticism and paranoia?
Then he sighed, because Kai was with the twins, and no matter how much he wanted Kai, he didn't want him *here*. And the kids needed their father more than he did. No matter how much he wished he could be with them right now. Not ... here.
Wherever here was.
"Ah, my friends."
He looked up sharply as Thrax joined them, gesturing wide with a smile. Around him everyone else had gone equally tense, Sam and Chris both moving to stand. Alan, strangely, did not. "So good to see you all together," Thrax went on.
"Don't call me that."
Leo glanced at Chris, who stood stiffly, arms folded and eyes narrowed. "I'm not your friend," he informed Thrax. "I'm here, and I'll stay here. I'll do what you tell me to do. But we are *not* friends."
The coldness of his tone, combined with his stance, made Leo look at him a little differently. Whatever had convinced Chris to join Thrax, it didn't seem to have been done willingly.
But Chris' words, if anything, seemed to amuse Thrax all the more. "As you wish," he said mildly, moving further into the room as he looked around at them all. "
****
It was amazing how fast the foot soldiers came out of nowhere. One moment the skies were clear, the next there was fire raining down from above. Within moments there were Piranhatrons on motorcycles, and Quantrons waving strange triangular blades around threateningly at everyone they saw.
It was also amazing to realize just how hard it was for old instincts to die. In five minutes of being spotted by a quartet of Quantrons, Jason and Rocky had them on the ground and twitching, one missing an arm. They exchanged barely a glance before ducking into the bushes before they could be spotted again.
"You think they'll replace our books?" Rocky asked, silently mourning the loss. They were only second-hand, but his family wasn't rich, and they'd been hard to come by.
"I think that's the least of our problems," Jason returned mildly, absently studying the Quantron arm he'd been carrying. "Hey, help me pry the fingers open. I don't like the idea of going around without a weapon."
Rocky instinctively made a face, but he nodded. "Good point."
It took some work, and a sharp rock applied in just the right way, but finally the arm was free, and Jason the proud owner of a weapon he'd never used before. He studied it for several moments, trying to test the weight and movement of it. Eventually he sighed. "I've never liked two-handed weapons," he admitted, adjusting his grip to make it easier to carry.
"Any port in a storm," Rocky reminded him, hefting the severed arm over a shoulder. He paused, frowning. "It's mid-December, right?"
Jason nodded. "Right timing," he remarked, shading his eyes to look up at the sky. "So they're Astro Rangers now, right?"
"That's right," Rocky confirmed. "Something space-themed. With rainbows. Not sure who the Silver guy is, though."
"Maybe he's from another planet, like Trey."
****
"So ... Chris made himself own twin?" Phoebe asked, frowning in confusion.
"Exactly," Wyatt agreed, looking relieved. "And since Chris created the future we came from by going back in time, there had to be *another* Chris to make sure our future happens again, just like all of you remember. Which is our Chris."
"My head hurts," Paige grumbled, rubbing her forehead.
"You're not the only one," Phoebe sighed. "Okay, so. Chris from *our* future, the baby Piper just had, is going to have to come to the past *again*, so we can remember all this in the future?"
Wyatt beamed at her. "Exactly."
****
"Sam, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean's voice was sharp with alarm. It made his heart ache.
He glanced back over his shoulder, smiling sadly. "I told you, Dean. I'm going to fix this. It's my responsibility." He bounced once, heaving himself up and over, swinging his leg around to sit astride.
Dean was staring at him when he looked again, his eyes wide in fear. "Sam - "
"Forget about everything, Dean," he interrupted softly. "Forget about the angels, the demons, Lucifer, the Apocalypse ... " He swallowed, licking his lips uncertainly. "Forget about me," he added, softer now. "Just worry about you now. I won't bother you again."
"Sam, what the hell - "
He nudged Esurio with his heels, knowing that if they didn't leave now, he never would. He glanced back at his older brother one last time, and tried to smile despite the tears in his eyes. "I love you, Dean," he said clearly.
Dean flinched.
The silent, unspoken rule among Winchesters was to never, *ever* say those three words. It wasn't the Winchester way. To say them now was the clearest way Sam could tell his brother goodbye without actually saying it.
Sam smiled, swallowed back his tears, and urged Esurio off into the darkness. He had work to do.
He ignored the sound of Dean yelling his name behind him, leaning forward to press his face into the warmth of Esurio's mane.
****
Peter was quiet, watching them all with a solemnity rarely seen in him. He'd always had a sort of talent in Divination, but rarely admitted to it in light of how often the subject was mocked due to Professor Trelawney's interpretations. His friends knew Peter had strange moments when he just seemed to *know* things, but they'd never put much stock in it because quite frankly, it was Peter.
But Peter *knew* things. He knew the morning that James Potter left for Winter Holiday to visit with his grandparents that he would never see his friend again. He knew that the words being whispered about the new Dark Lord's movements were just the beginning of the coming war. He'd been the first to congratulate Lily on the new baby before Madam Pomfrey ever got a decent look at her, and had always known that it would be a boy. And now, looking at his best friends in the world and the child he'd just promised to protect, he knew, with utter certainty, that he had just sealed their fates.
"I promise, Harry," Peter whispered, too softly to be heard even in the still of the room. "I promise I'll do whatever it takes to protect this family."
****
"Look, it's the Preventers!" someone cried.
His jaw clenched as he fought to stay calm. What were they doing here? They shouldn't have been called for a simple bank robbery, especially when it was already over. They shouldn't even be in this *area*: there was no base here. What idiot had called them, and why?
He could feel himself trembling and fought to stay calm. It felt like everything was closing in on him, spiraling out of control. He had to get out of here, had to get out, had to get away.
"Heero?" Kira's voice was sharp. "Heero, look at me."
Something within him responded to the command just as it always did, despite the fact that she had no authority to be ordering him at all, and he had no reason to listen to her. He looked up, clenching his fists and his jaw and forcing himself to *calm down*. "I have to go."
Azuki looked startled. "What?"
" ... S-Sora?"
His eyes flickered to Kiyoshi. The older man was staring at him in shock. "My name is Heero," he told him flatly, beginning to stand. His instincts were screaming at him to get out of here *now*. This was all happening too fast. He wasn't ready. They couldn't know yet.
"Forgive me," Kiyoshi apologized. "But you look so much like my mother - "
"My name is Heero," he repeated, pushing past them all.
****
He wouldn't say it was a mistake, exactly. Unplanned, definitely. Unwanted, hell yeah. There was no way he would have let any of it happen if he'd been thinking coherently at the time.
But then, that was what alcohol was for: *not* thinking coherently.
Which is why he found himself the next morning after a very *long* night of binge drinking curled up in bed with a blond man who was most definitely not the one he was hoping to find. For one thing, in the event that it *had* been the right guy, there was no way he'd be aching in the places he was now: between the two of them, he wasn't the top. For another, this guy was somewhat shorter than him, and while nicely built, not the body type he was looking for.
That, and the eyes that blinked at him when the man looked over his shoulder towards him were the most amazing shade of blue he'd ever seen in his life.
"Hey," the blond muttered.
He grunted in return, throat still not quite willing to cooperate.
The blond regarded him for a long moment, then frowned. "Look, the sex was great and all, but before this goes any further, I'm not into - "
"Me, neither," he returned, silently giving thanks to have at least found himself with a man who understood what a good one-night stand was.
The blond seemed relieved as well. "Good." Then he frowned again. "So don't get the wrong idea or anything, but ... " He rolled over slightly, holding out a small bundle wrapped up in his arms. "What the fuck is this?"
****
"What about you, Sam?" Denise spoke up, giving him an encouraging smile. "What sport did you get into growing up?"
"Baseball mostly, but we tried a little hockey when we were in the right area for it," he answered without thinking. A faint smile slipped over his face. "Dean sucks at basketball, and he swears football is the gayest sport known to man - after wrestling."
"You call your dad by his name?" Erin asked curiously, tilting her head.
He blinked at her. "What? No. Of course not."
Kyle frowned. "But you said Dean, dude."
It took him a moment to follow, but when he finally understood he laughed. "No! Dean is my big brother. He's the one who taught me." The smile slipped a little as his thoughts wandered to his dad. "My dad was busy with work."
****
"Here."
Eric glanced back over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the shirt Wes was holding out. "Yeah?"
Wes rolled his eyes. "It's red. And you're not wearing all black to the picnic."
"That's your shirt," Eric reminded him.
"Yeah. And?"
****
He looked up as he felt eyes on him and scowled. "What do you want?"
The kid fidgeted, but didn't leave. "Are you all better now?"
"Yeah." He puffed his chest out a little. "The nurse used stingy stuff."
The kid stared with wide eyes, inching in past the door. "Did you cry?"
Hunter shook his head proudly. "Nah. It didn't hurt that bad."
"You gotta be the bravest kid ever!"
"Probably." Hunter agreed. He scowled again when the kid scrambled up to sit beside him. "Hey, who said you could sit up here?"
The boy shrugged. "I'm Blake." he announced abruptly.
"What kinda dumb name is that? I'm Hunter."
Blake scowled. "Blake's a better name n' Hunter!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
****
He dismounted swiftly, pausing only when Edmund reached to touch his arm again. "Are you all right?" he whispered, concerned.
He received a faint wry smile for his trouble. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Peter retorted gently.
Edmund rolled his eyes, annoyed now, and drew away.
Peter caught his arm, seeming troubled again. "I'm sorry, Ed. Don't ... " He hesitated, his eyes pleading. "I will tell you," he offered. "It's just ... Now's not the best time to reminisce, is it?"
Sighing, Edmund nodded begrudgingly. He had a point. "But you will." It wasn't quite a request, but it wasn't a demand either.
For some reason, it made Peter smile. "I promise," he assured him, squeezing Edmund's shoulder.
****
But those hands grabbed his orbs forcefully, throwing him again. He cowered in fear, feeling small and young and frightened. "Daddy? Daddy, please!"
Chris tossed fitfully on the couch of P3's storeroom, whimpering faintly. "D-Dad ... " he choked out. "Dad, please!"
The fist came at him again, and his eyes flew open.
He stared at the ceiling of P3, gasping and shivering. Remembering his dream, he sat up sharply, looking around. "Dad?" he called, anxious to prove it was only a dream. His dad would never have - of course he wouldn't.
"Dad?" he tried again.
****
"Raphael's real lucky t' have a father s'nice as you, Master Spin'ter," she told him wistfully.
A hand patted her shoulder gently. "As your father was most fortunate to have a daughter as bright and kind as you, child. I am sorry for your loss." His voice was gentle and understanding now, like Raphael and Leonardo had been.
She tried to smile, but her cheeks felt damp again. "I miss him," she whispered.
The hand moved, and she was being hugged. "I know, child," he said softly.
She sniffled, burying her face against his shoulder. "But ... m' glad I met Raphael. Does that make me bad?"
"No. You are glad to have found someone to care for, who cares for you in return. That does not lessen your grief for your father, and it does not make you a bad person." His hand touched the back of her head lightly, the way Raphael liked to do. "You are a very brave and compassionate girl, Abby. Your father would be proud to know how well you are adapting."
She bit her lip, sniffling again. "Master Spin'ter? C'n I tell you a secret?" She wasn't sure why she was asking. She probably shouldn't say anything. But ... she wanted to tell *someone*, and for some reason she didn't think Master Splinter would mind.
"Of course."
She closed her eyes. "I wish Raphael could be my new daddy," she breathed.
****
"Are you happy, Ryuichi-kun?"
He blinked. "Eh?"
Tohma's expression was softer than usual as he smiled at him. "Are you happy?" he repeated.
Slowly, Ryuichi smiled back. This was one of his rare genuine smiles, not the goofy-happy-go-lucky he usually gave everyone. "Hai." He glanced back at the stage and smiled wider, watching Shuichi thank everyone as Bad Luck headed off. "Arigatou, Tohma-kun."
He didn't exactly know how Tohma had figured it out. He'd never given any hint of it. He even made fun of any similarities between them, so people would be sure to notice and just think it was odd. But then again, Tohma-kun was more cunning than he appeared. Noriko-chan had taken longer, but eventually she had noticed that Tohma was awfully helpful to a young, brash singer when he wouldn't have normally gotten involved. And eventually, she'd realized it, too.
Congradulations, Ototo-kun.
****
He wasn't entirely sure whose idea it was. There were a lot of suspects: Jack, Z, Syd, Charlie. Maybe even Bridge or Ran, although they were less likely. He had a sneaking suspicion it may have been a joint effort, but as no one was coming forward to confess, there wasn't much he could do in retaliation.
It was odd, having such a large Squad now. Jack and Charlie had settled into a sort of co-leadership with a casualty that was unnerving, especially knowing them both as well as he did.
****
"This is all your fault, you know."
Phantom sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She'd spent far too much time among the Earthians; she was assimilating their bad habits.
****
He knew without looking the moment she had appeared behind him. He ignored her, focusing on preparing dinner. He hadn't cared what she had to say before, and he didn't care now.
"You can't ignore me forever," she informed him.
"Watch me," he muttered under his breath.
"This is your destiny," she insisted.
He snorted. "My 'destiny' is to keep my brother from getting himself killed."
"As much as it may hurt to hear, there are things in this world that matter more than - "
He spun, aiming the bread knife in his hand straight at her. "Don't you *dare* finish that sentence," he hissed. "There is *nothing* more important to me than Leo."
She stared back coldly. "Not even the fate of an innocent world? The fate of the very planet your brother calls home?"
"This 'Phaedos' place you want me to follow you to is *not* home, no matter how many times you try to talk me into it," he retorted.
"It could be, if you gave it a chance."
His voice was hard. "No. It couldn't."
****
Kai was going to kill him.
In any other situation that would have been irrelevant, because Kai was always going to kill him. He'd made the threat so often that they'd been forced to sit down with the twins and carefully explain to them that no, Father didn't hate Mother. And no, he wasn't *really* going to kill Mother, that was just an Earthism Father used far too often. As awkward as a conversation as that had been, the expression on Kai's face when Addi had tearfully asked why he wanted Mother to die had been priceless.
This time however, Kai might be slightly justified in his fury. Usually Kai got mad over little things, like spoiling the kids' appetites before dinner, falling asleep in random places while he was off on a jog and coming home late, or when he happened to hitch a ride with one of the local trade ships passing through the system for awhile and forgot to tell Kai first. Unfortunately this wasn't something little; this required leaving Mirinoi for an indefinable period of time without backup - or at least the team-related type of backup Kai would have preferred - heading into a situation that he *knew* was likely to get him neck-deep in trouble.
Yeah, he'd be sleeping on the porch for awhile.
****
"Hey, Sprout."
The voice made him jump badly enough to smack his head on the underside of his desk, and he groaned as he reached up to clutch the swelling bump. "Ow ... "
"If you're gonna be stealing my job, you should at least be sure to do it right," the voice continued, and a head poked under one of the sides of the sheet to look at him. "This is the worst blanket fort I've ever *seen*."
" ... Gordon?" He frowned, rubbing his head gingerly. "What are you doing up?"
"Fixing this sad attempt you call a blanket fort," his older brother retorted. "I mean come on, Al. This is just pathetic. No creativity at all."
The sheet dropped abruptly on his legs as Gordon yanked the chair out, and Alan blinked at the wall of white in front of him in surprise. "What - "
"Think you have enough blankets, Gordon?" came Virgil's voice, sounding vaguely amused.
"Not sure," Gordon returned cheerfully. "I'm thinking about stacking some chairs, so nobody has to hunch over. We're all a little taller than we used to be, y'know."
****
… Um, yeah. And all of these don’t include plot bunnies that have notes, but haven’t actually been started yet. Or any of my original fiction WIPs. Or the epics that are already updated as far as I’ve written.
Some of these I haven’t looked at in ages, either. -_-;;
So um, poking at me about some of them would not be a bad idea. Then I might actually finish them. Someday.
Hopefully.
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