Blue Ridge Future

brfuture @ 2012-07-18T12:30:00

2012-07-18T14:37:41Z

Characters: Benji and Kia.
Setting: Their apartment, sometime in 2045.
Content: SFW (for once).
Summary: Cuteness to balance out sadness of AU.

In light of the attacks on the pack, Benji was doing an okay job at holding back her temper. On the inside, she wanted nothing more than revenge, physical preferably and the bloodier the better. But it wasn't fair to get Kia all riled up when she was so close to being due, on top of all of the other chaos going on in their lives. It was hard to Ben, keeping her mouth shut, especially when she had so much to say about everything. She still hadn't given up on being turned, if one of them didn't bite her before the moon then she'd find her own way. She couldn't let Kia run around out there without her again, and being a member of the pack was the only way you got to run with them. She'd find a way to make it happen, even though the other wolves thought she was reckless. They'd end up dead for sure if they had to babysit a hothead like Ben, or so Kia's mother kept saying. But Benji wasn't doing it for Tatum, or anybody except Kia, and she let the negativity roll right off of her shoulders. It was dangerous, but worth it. She was going to be a dad, and one even better than her own. She was going to look after her family.

Benji could hardly believe that she had just turned thirty not so long ago, and this was their first baby. She and Kia had always has plans to make it big and have a big family to go with, Ben just never would have imagined it would take them so long. Even Ryan and Izzy had eloped a few years ago, and Taylor and Eddie had them beat in the baby race, but they were all even older. Benji was happy with where she was, so long as she could keep a close eye on Kia and the baby, she was fine. Being back in Texas wasn't her first choice, but their family and friends were there, and it really wasn't such a bad place to raise kids. Both her parents and Kia's had raised their families there, it was sort of tradition.

But now with this trouble, these hunters after the pack, Benji wished they had stayed away. Kia had never gotten into trouble when she used to go running by herself by their old apartment. But it was nice to be back in Corpus Christi, even with the drama it brought. She couldn't deny that. Their place here was even nicer than their last one, and Kia could be close to her parents while she was expecting. Mack, she had a feeling at least, didn't seem too keen on having a Sommer for a grandbaby, but she would get over it. Everyone was surprisingly supportive of their decision to have a family, considering most of their current family seemed to view them as just plain irresponsible up until this pregnancy thing happened.

Ben was just glad that for the current month at least, the full moon was behind them. They didn't have to worry about changes or hunters for a few weeks anyway. Trying to focus on the positive in a shit situation was Benji's specialty, she had tried to do the same when Hunter had been in her coma, but that had been harder and she had been younger. She was almost a parent now, she had to step up or ship out. One of the things she had missed about Texas was the unreal heat, and she was practically sweaty as she flopped down on the couch beside Kia. She scooted her head into the other girl's lap, at least as close as the brunette's baby bump would allow her to get. For someone so little, Kia was getting big. Tatum had been the same way with both pregnancies, Jess and the triplets had both turned her into a stick figure with a giant belly, and she kept warning them that they had better hope triplets skipped their generation. Ben was inclined to agree. Three would be a handful, she had watched Kia and her sisters grow up, and they hadn't made it easy on their mothers. It would definitely be karma for all of the shit she had ever caused her own mothers.

"What's up, beautiful?" Benji asked, scrunching her face up at Kia a little. "Wanna go get an ice cream? I'm fuckin' dying bein' stuck inside," she groaned.

brfuture @ 2012-07-17T22:38:00

2012-07-18T01:40:23Z

Characters: Luna and Cooper
Setting: THE FUTURE, a picnic just outside the woods where Lu runs
Rating: SFW
Content: More cuteness

Everyone told her that she was way too young to dive into things like marriage proposals and the like but with everything in perspective and recent events... Luna wasn't taking any chances. Besides, there was no one else on the planet for her. Cooper was everything that much was for sure.

Just three weeks earlier, Lu's pack had come under attack by werewolf hunters. It was insane to think that there were still people out there who wanted to hunt down and kill weres. Sure there were a few awful weres out there who killed and maimed for fun, there were people out there who killed and maimed for fun too. The whole thing made Lu's stomach turn. Out of everyone in the pack, she had been hurt the worst. She had been shot in the leg and one of the hunters had tracked her down; chased here away from the pack and tried to slit her throat. She didn't let the bastard get her though, she tried to bite him and he slipped trying to get away. The silver knife aimed at her throat hit her face, scarring from under her ear across her face up to the bottom of her nose. She scared him off though and laid in the forest she knew so well. Her head had bene hazy and heavy but there was something more, something better. She thought about Coop and how she needed to get home for her girl and that had been enough. She forced herself up and ran back to the back; back home.

The others had been hurt but they were more shaken than anything. It was then that they knew they had a problem on their hands. Her dad had almost gone after the hunters that very night and if he had gotten them, he would have torn them apart but Luna hobbled up to her pa and curled up in a ball at his feet. She just wanted him to protect her, she didn't want vengeance. Sam obliged and kept watch over his cub closer to home while the others patrolled the boarders. Despite that night and every full moon after, those woods were still home. She wouldn't give it up that easily.

She was still getting used to the scar, it was very similar to one her pa had as well from when he was younger. Luna joked that they could practically be blood brothers. Lu was still limping a little and the side of her face burned to the touch but she was getting better every day and with a doctor for an auntie, Luna was set.

Lu wanted Cooper to know how important she was though, she wanted her to know what she meant. So with her savings she bought a ring and planned a picnic in her own backyard. Before Cooper got to the house, Luna ran around the backyard putting up faerie lights and gossamer for effect. She wanted everything to be perfect from the little sandwiches she had made to the ambiance.

brfuture @ 2012-06-04T21:37:00

2012-06-05T00:57:16Z

Characters: Lu and Coop
Setting: Summer vacation, the Ruiz family home
Rating: SFW?
Content: Cutest ever. I don't even know.

Luna loved summer vacation, it meant spending more alone time with Cooper and spending time with all the pups at home. She was lounging in the grass, with her head on Cooper's belly and toying with her necklace. She couldn't imagine a happier place. "How long do you wanna stay?" she asked cheerfully. "Full moon's coming up and all," she mentioned. "Not that I would mind but things might get... wolfy. Dad is good with us though, he'll keep us corralled."

She turned her head a little so she could see half of Cooper's face.

brfuture @ 2012-05-17T13:09:00

2012-05-17T15:21:18Z

Characters: Sera, Jenny, Maddie, & Chase.
Setting: Their new [well at the time] house, Michigan. 2019; shortly before Elvis was born!
Content: SFW.
Summary: Sera & Jenny unpack their things. Well, mostly Sera and company, hence Jenny's problem. Preggo bitches doin' it for themselves.

They had been working for nearly eight hours so far, unpacking and organizing and making decisions on where everything would go, but Jenny felt rather useless. Other than being allowed to carry a box full of blankets, and a couple of tiny boxes of books, she had more or less been forbidden from helping with anything at all. Sera was crafty, if nothing else; she had arranged for Mack, Hunter, and Leland to help her carry things up and move things instead, insisting that Jenny didn't need to lift a finger. Even if Hunter broke a few things and spent most of her time goofing off with Chase. She hated sitting idly by though, and being told that she couldn't do something even at eight months pregnant, and she had been getting snipped at all afternoon for getting up and trying to move things around on her own when no one was watching. She had been hanging out with the kids, but she could only hold their attention for so long. It was after dinner before their friends left them on their own to unpack the last few boxes and arrange their new house, and Jenny had been insistent on helping even more now that they were gone.

Once the house calmed down, she fed Chase and Maddie, and had gotten them both into pajamas to get ready to sleep in their new room, before she had returned to the living room and continued with the subtle art of trying to unpack a box while Sera's back was turned. She was pregnant, not an invalid, and she would be damned if she just stood aside and let her girlfriend do every little thing. That had been the point of a new house, for their family and for them to be together. They were a union, and she had every intention to pull her part of the weight. She wasn't even due for another two or three weeks, and she was pretty sure that she wasn't going to go into labour because she unpacked some lamps and movies.

It was a little awkward to maneuver around her stomach, but it wasn't like she hadn't done it before. Her pregnancy felt like a dream after carrying Chase, who had not only been a huge baby but a late one. Besides that, Sera was loads more help than Thomas had ever been to her. She had unpacked a house during that pregnancy too, and she had done a hell of a lot more work then than she was expected to do now. She wanted to help, as much as she could anyway. She had already told Sera that if Tatum could carry triplets at the same time, plan a marriage, and still manage to handle her life and go to work, then there was no way Jenny was sitting on her ass on the sofa with the kids and letting Sera do everything. People got pregnant, they still made an effort.

Jenny made a quick glance over to where Sera was still unpacking boxes of books and putting them neatly onto their shelves, before she bent over carefully and began rooting around in the nearest cardboard box that was labeled 'kitchen' on the side. She only managed to dig inside for a moment, before she looked up to see that Chase had jumped almost right off the couch where he and Maddie had been watching television. "Mommy don't," he warned her, looking rather distraught and concerned for a three-nearly-four year old boy. His eyebrows knitted together in a look of worry that was so Sera that it was hard for the blonde not to laugh. He had already taken such a shining to her, and to Maddie. "Mama said if you don't stop, you're gonna have the baby right on the carpet!"

Scrunching her face, Jenny whipped her head around to look at Sera. "Did you tell him that?!"

brfuture @ 2012-05-15T00:31:00

2012-05-15T03:47:01Z

Characters: Poppa Le, Eddie, and Taylor
Setting: The beach, whatever the fuck date because we don't give a fuck
Rating: Probably NSFW because we don't give a fuck and have already dropped the f bomb three times in the intro
Content: Eddie and Tay have a date on the beach, Leland is not happy

Eddie had been waiting all day for Taylor to show up. She knew it wouldn't be pretty if Leland intercepted her girlfriend at the door. It would be a damn shame to start their day off on the wrong foot. She was careful to pick her clothes and stuff her back pack so her dad wouldn't be suspicious. She hid her bikini under a cute hoodie and a pair of shorts. Despite how old she was, Leland would have an opinion and it wouldn't be a good one.

She had lost track of time when she was packing her bag though and was completely derailed when she heard the music blasting from the end of her street. No one on their block played music that loud. It had to be Taylor. "Fuck," she practically rolled off her bed, flailing and falling all over herself. It was too late though, she could hear her dad's hulking steps making his way to the front door.

"Fuuuuuuck," she stumbled through her bedroom, almost falling again. She practically threw herself down the stairs, stumbling and almost falling onto her face when she reached the first floor but it was too late. Leland was already pulling the door open.

brfuture @ 2012-05-08T12:30:00

2012-05-08T14:39:36Z

Characters: Tatum & Rath.
Setting: Rath's house, after Mack's accident in 2026.
Content: SFW.
Summary: Tatum has to go pick up her kids, and tell them what happened.

Tatum had just spent the last eight hours or so at the hospital, and every minute of it seemed like one big blur. It had been her day off and when she had received the call from the hospital on that morning, she had been expecting them to tell her that they needed her to come in. She had already had her excuse planned for why she couldn't come in on call, she and Michi were supposed to take the girls out later before Hunter and Mack got home from work. Ryan and Benji both wanted new clothes for school, and Mack had promised Ryan a new broom, and there was really no time like the present. She didn't get enough days off to spend with her girls, and she only wished that Mack could have gotten the day off to join them. When she picked up the telephone, she had never expected what she heard on the other end, and though she could tell that the nurse on the other line was trying to be as calming and reassuring as possible, Tatum knew it was bad. She could read it in the other woman's voice. It's your wife and her partner, you'll want to come in.

Her day was totally derailed from that point, as she tried to fight the full-blown panic and anxiety taking her over, and her head was in another place entirely as she made arrangement for the girls. She couldn't take them, until she was sure what had happened. Ryan and Jess would go to Rath and Morgan, and she would drop the triplets off with Sera and Jenny. Claire would like that, it would occupy her. She could come back for them when things were better, more settled and dealt with, when she was sure that Mack was okay. That she was going to make it at all. It was a thought she didn't even want to consider, losing her. Of course she would make it, they would have told her if it was life-threatening, wouldn't they? There had been an explosion, but Mack would be okay. She absolutely had to be. Just the thought that she wouldn't, that her headstrong wife and their stupid equally headstrong best friend could be taken down by anything, was unthinkable.

She had rushed to the hospital, totally unprepared for what was waiting for her. She had never seen Mack so broken, so upset, and the bloody mess where her eye had once been was almost enough to make the redhead sick. She had been through surgeries, performed them, her stomach had toughened up considerably since her days of pre-med classes when they had first met, but this was different. This was her wife, her Mackenzie, and she couldn't even help her. There was no spell for that, and definitely no spell to take away the trauma, at least not without risking taking away her memory entirely. She had always been shit at obliviating people. She had tried to help as much as she could, had gotten right into the fray of things and already had her wand at the ready, tried to calm the other woman down as the other healers got to work on her, but it was of no real use. She was healed up and sedated by the end of it, no more visible wounds except for her still raw looking eye socket, but she wasn't the same. Tatum still couldn't shake the sight of her wife, so bloody and so distressed, screaming for Hunter at the top of her voice while people tried to restrain her. She never could have prepared herself for this when Mack had left for work in the morning, the same as so many mornings before.

Hunter, it seemed, wasn't in much better shape. She had both of her eyes, but not much else. She had gotten Michiko in to see her, practically had to scream at her co-workers to just let her in already, but she almost wish she hadn't after the way she saw her friend break down. This was hard, hard for both of them, but worse for Michi. Mackenzie would heal, learn to adjust. She hadn't said anything to Michi about it, but some of the healers in the unit were already saying it was unlikely Hunter would wake up for a long time, if ever at all. Both of them, just taken down in one fell swoop, one wrong action in the field, and it was all over.

Tatum had no idea how long she had sat with her friend, leaning on Michi outside of the two rooms, waiting for good news or something that wasn't going to happen, before she decided she needed to get the girls. They would be worried sick, and so would Sera and Rath, she hadn't had much time to explain anything to any of them other than the fact that Mack was hurt. Now they needed to see her. More than that, she felt Mack needed to see them. She knew it would be a shock at first, seeing their mother that way, but it was unavoidable. In a few days, she would take her wife home, and then there would be no way around it. They needed to deal with this together, as a family, as much as she knew Mack wouldn't want the girls to see her in such a state. Once she was sure that Michi was okay with Izzy and her girls and they were all doing okay, as okay as either of them would ever be now, she had slipped down to Mack's room again for a minute. Taking her wife's hand, promising her that she'd be right back, she just needed to go and check on the girls, she'd just be a little while.

It was a miracle that she managed to apparate to her brother's house at all without splinching herself, and her head was spinning as she arrived, grabbing onto the nearby kitchen counter to steady herself. She would tell the oldest girls first, and then they would go and get the triplets at Sera's all together. Ryan was nearly in school now and she was always so responsible, she would help. Benji was nearly in school now too, and Michi was going to have no help, she'd have to take care of all of the kids herself now. She felt awfully selfish, being so upset when she had it so much better compared to her friends, but it still hurt. Her wife was all sorts of different now, scarred physically and emotionally in a way that Tatum couldn't even begin to stop, and that hurt too. She felt that flash of guilt again. It would almost be better if Mack were in a coma too, then she wouldn't have had to hear that screaming and crying from her, almost animal-like. Who was going to help her fix this? She didn't even know where to begin.

She didn't realize how long she had been standing in Rath's kitchen, leaning over the counter and practically hyperventilating, until she looked up and saw him there. She had stopped to get a coffee on her way out of the hospital, and the paper cup jittered terribly in one hand. "I need to-- I n-need to smoke, I can't-- I have to g-get out, I can't d-do this," she managed to get out, her tough exterior breaking at just the sight of her brother standing there. It was the first moment she had allowed for herself, for her own weakness, since the call. She had tried so hard to be brave and useful for Mack and Michi, but she needed a minute to break down, fat tears already streaming down her face as she turned her head a bit, trying to wipe them. "I-I'm not a very g-good mom, I can't e-even pull myself t-together for t-them," she whimpered. She hoped that none of the kids, her own or her nieces and nephews, would overhear them. She had to get herself under control before she talked to Ryan and Jess about everything.

brfuture @ 2012-05-07T18:43:00

2012-05-07T20:54:17Z

Characters: Benji & Kia.
Setting: Dubinsky house, Kia & Claire's room. Summer of 2031.
Content: Surprisingly SFW.
Summary: Benji goes to Kia for comfort after fighting with Taylor.

Benji didn't really know what she wanted, other than to be out of her house and especially away from her sister. She knew full well that she was still grounded, possibly worse than before, but she couldn't stay cooped up in her bedroom any longer, especially since she had to share the space with Taylor. Their room was plenty big, but never big enough to keep them from bickering, even on a good day. She wanted to be out before her sister came upstairs, and it only took a second of consideration before she was hauling open her bedroom window and hanging precariously out of it by one arm and leg. She began to shimmy over to the drain pipe, grabbing on and easing her way down the side of the house. It wasn't like she could get into anymore trouble than she already was, she was in hell already with all of this shit going on.

Being far away from her own family, and closer to another, was her plan. She was happy to see no lights on in their kitchen as she skulked past the windows, hoping her mother wouldn't catch her heading down their backyard and and making quick work of climbing over the fence that separated their yard from the Dubinsky yard on the other side. There were some lights on in their kitchen and living room, but Benji was nothing if not a sneak, quiet as a mouse as she swiftly made her way up toward the house. Climbing up to Kia's window was actually easier than climbing out of her own, and within a few seconds, she had scaled the tree on the side of the house up to the second floor. She and Ryan had been climbing up here pretty much since they could climb anything, and if she wanted to wake her best friend, her window was just one more over.

It was Kia she was after though, and she squinted into the room through the glass, fairly sure that Claire's bed was empty. That was good. Careful as she moved, not wanting to break a bone for once in her stupid show-off life, Benji was near the end of the limb as she leaned over and knocked twice on the windowpane. She hoped she didn't scare the crap out of the brunette, she normally did this sort of thing during the daylight hours, but she desperately needed to see her. She couldn't wait it out any longer, and she felt more terrible tonight than she had in a long time.

brfuture @ 2012-05-07T01:04:00

2012-05-07T04:25:13Z

Characters: Michi and Izzy, mentions of the kids and Hunter
Setting: The Sommer-Passos house, the hospital
Rating: SFW
Content: Hunter goes into a coma

Everyone had their ideas and expectations of what a mother should be and how she should react to every situation. They play it through their heads over and over until the day when the world falls apart. That's how Michiko felt as she got the phone call from the hospital. She stood motionless in their living room with a million things running through her mind but she couldn't even manage one word from her lips. She felt like she was in highschool all over again, helpless and lost. What would she be without Hunter? She couldn't think of it, even the thought of her name made Michi pitch forward, dangerously close to falling.

She had to stay strong, she had to be the rock now. Finding her resolve she told the nurse on the other line that she would be there soon. The question was whether she wanted to bring the kids. She knew she had to take at least Rhianna and Roxy, who were currently playing with Legos in their room. Benji, Isamu, and Taylor deserved to know though, they deserved to be there. First thing was first though, she had to get to the hospital, then she would send word to the kids.

---

The rest of the afternoon was a blur. Isamu had held onto the girl's hands through the whole thing and stood by his mom's side as a million different healers had tried to explain what was happening. The words went in and out her head, nothing was really making any sense. She snapped finally. "Just let me see her!"

It took a while for the doctors to finally clear her but she got her way and budged past the nurses who had made themselves into obstacles. She had not prepared herself for what she was about to see though. The woman lying in bed didn't bare the faintest resemblance of the Hunter who had pulled Michi out of her downward spiral, or the Hunter who made her laugh by deep frying a turkey, the Hunter who made getting out of bed each morning worth it... but she was there, she had to be there under all the bruises and the breathing tubes.

Michiko gasped unexpectedly, falling to her knees beside the bed. Pressing her forehead to the bed she let out a strangled cry. This couldn't be happening, she felt like her whole world was spinning too fast for her to process anything. She grabbed at her own chest as if it would prevent her from falling apart with the rest of the world. Taking a choked breath, she forced herself up and took Hunter's hand. She couldn't believe how cold she seemed, Hunter has always been her warmth and strength, and the thought that Hunter could be hurt in the slightest tore her apart.

"Hunt," she gasped. It couldn't be useless like the doctors had said it would be. She was in there and she would find a way out. "Hunt please, we need you," was all she could manage before falling onto the small mattress, curling her fingers into Hunter's blonde hair. She closed her eyes and cried, her heart aching painfully. It was a long time before she could bare to pull herself away.

"I'll keep you," she whispered before leaving the bed. "I'll keep you for always."

---

With the kids all sent to bed, Michi felt a weight lifted off her chest. She could finally let it all out. Curling up in their bed, she pulled Hunter's pillow close to her chest and began to cry silently. The pillow still smelled like her hair, a hint of peach shampoo. It should have been a comfort, but she didn't know the next time that warm body would lie next to her in their bed and until then she would only have that pillow for comfort. A shock wave rocketed through her. The flood gates finally opened. Silent sobs racked her body until she was shaking so violently that she almost fell off the bed. She was so focused on trying to contain her grief that she hadn't noticed the door open or even felt when Isamu had crawled into bed with her.

"Momma?" he asked quietly, a look of concern creasing his brow. He was too young for that, but the boy practically had worry lines.

Michiko took a deep breath and tried to wipe the tears from her face but it didn't help that she kept right on crying. She had never felt so weak or vulnerable in her life. Despite the fact that she wanted to be strong for her family, she knew she was falling apart. "Yeah baby?" she asked, trying to smile.

"You alright momma?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Lookit my big, strong boy checkin' on his ma," she sniffled and forced herself to sit up, stowing the pillow on her side.

Isamu rested his head on her shoulder and snuggled into her side, the way he did when he was a little boy. "If I knew the right spells... if I could take away all the hurtin'... I'd do it momma," he said miserably. "I'm just too stupid though, it's all my fault..."

"Don't be talking' like that," Michiko tried to hush him. "We can't fix this or make it go away. We gotta feel it because it's all just a part of life. We gotta suffer through the bad and when the good times come... they'll be better an' ever, okay? We gotta remember your momma bear and be thankful for everything she gave us and we just gotta be here for her and for each other," she was quietly sobbing as she went on. "We gotta be strong so she'll come back to us. We'll get through this, we gotta."

Isamu let the tears that had been building up all day finally go. "I just wanna fix it. I'm gonna be a healer some day, I should be able to fix it. Why couldn't I save her?"

"Listen here Monkey. Most important thing you gotta know is that this is no one's fault," her voice shook as she said it. She didn't want that weighing on his conscience. It could be debilitating. "There wasn't nothin' you could do to stop it okay, nothin' you can do to fix it. We just gotta get through this, okay? Secondly, momma bear aint gone and that stubborn bitch is gonna fight her way back to us. She will. She loves us too much to just... to just give up on us, alright," she was trying to reassure her son and she truly believed it. Hunter would never leave them, not like this.

They stayed like that for a long time. Silent tears filling the space and time between them. It was the first and last night that Michiko would cry in front of one of her children and it was the first and last night that she would let that sadness debilitate her. Michi and the kids would be strong and Hunter would come home to them.

"We're gonna be okay ma," he said finally.

There was something in the way that he spoke that she believed him. Fourteen years old, she could barely believe where the time had gone. "Yeah Monkey, we're gonna be okay."

brfuture @ 2012-05-06T23:58:00

2012-05-07T03:24:38Z

Characters: Izzy and Ryan
Setting: Sommer-Passos house, summer 2032
Rating: SFW? Maybe, probably
Content: Izzy finally grows a pair

It had been one of those weird summers, things were changing for everyone. The girls were getting older for one thing and they were having their own issues. He hated to think about the shenanigans that his sisters would get into when he wasn't paying attention. What was bothering him the most though were his own complicated feelings. Isamu Sommer-Passos had always been an internal person but this time it was killing him and for once he couldn't actually talk to anyone about it. Benji would be absolutely unhelpful considering it was her best friend that he was so flustered over. Taylor would just tell him to grow a pair. He didn't want to add more stress to his momma's back with such a silly thing so he was really just left to his own devices. Being left to his own devices didn't last though.

Ten minutes passed before he texted Ryan. Hey, no one else is around here. Wanna come keep an old man company for a while?

If he couldn't figure it out on his own, maybe the girl he was thinking about constantly would help. Although he could easily be wrong about that. He just needed her to tell him he was being crazy. He was crazy and that was it.

brfuture @ 2012-05-06T23:15:00

2012-05-07T02:49:58Z

Characters: Michi and Hunter
Setting: The hospital, 2031
Rating: NSFW, cussin, there's always cussin
Content: Waking up

It had been five years but it never got easier. There were ways of dealing with the pain and the anger but it never did what she wanted it to do; none of her coping methods brought Hunter back. She laid there every evening; unresponsive, quiet, and more further away than ever. So very unlike the woman she fell in love with, but Hunter was still in there, Michiko knew it. So every day she had to prepare herself for this and she had to hold on for dear life.

My wife is in a coma. Maybe today will be the day she wakes up. Until then I have to be strong. There wasn't a day that Michi let herself think that Hunter wasn't going to wake up but it still made it any easier. There were nights when she would quietly fall apart and there were nights when she felt the most hopeful.

She packed the six books she had been working on for Hunter. One for each kid and one for everything else; the new family business, the Dubinsky family, the states for the Cowboys, quodpot stats, and new things to barbecue or fry. She kept each book cherished, well groomed, and up to date. She didn't want Hunter to feel like she missed one second. Each book was littered with pictures and stories that Michi refused to let the world snatch away from them. From the little to the tremendous, Hunter would be able to read every word of their lives the past five years. It was a little extra effort to carry them up the stairs but it was worth it.

Once she reached Hunter's bedside she set the pile down and settled in. Reaching over she took the other woman's hand and smiled sadly. "It's real nasty out today. Grey storm clouds and all. I can hear the thunder in the distance baby. Won't be long 'til the rain comes. Izzy said they're not having much luck in the mountains either," she picked up the first book off the pile and opened it in her lap. "I guess I'll start with the oldest today since I rattled on about how many detentions Ben and Rhi have been gettin," she smiled. "Ben is the spittin' image of her ma."

"Izzy's been doin' so well in school, you'd be damn proud of our boy. He's decided to do healing and herbology for his major. Can't sit at a table with him and Tate if ya don't wanna hear a damn three hour discussion about new medical procedures," she laughed. "He went and planted a whole garden in the yard for us. He made three different sections. One is for food, he says we need to reduce our ecological footprint and try to be greener. The second is all flowers and bushes, it's so beautiful Hunt, just wait 'til you see it. So gorgeous. The last garden is near the back porch, it's somethin' real special. It's called a moon garden, the plants bloom at night and only at night and that boy will sit out there every night. It's his own safe spot, a place in the world where he feels at peace and calm. He's so internal, y'all know that, but I asked him anyway, why he sits out there all the damn time, an' after four years of this, I finally got an answer," she had to wipe her eyes before going on.

"He said he goes out there every night so he can be closer to you. He talks to you there, the garden reminds him of you. Something about the way the flowers open up in the moonlight, the way they almost shine silver and proud despite the presence of sun," she laughed and had to wipe her eyes again. "Sorry boo, he had a much more poetic way of saying it."

"Truth is Hunt, we have five amazing kids and they might not understand what you've sacrificed for us but they all sure as hell love you. We're all missing you like crazy."

brfuture @ 2012-05-04T07:19:00

2012-05-04T13:53:58Z

Characters: Benji, Taylor, & probably Michi once they start fighting. Izzy, Rhi, and Roxy as well, if they want to get involved in the blonde drama!
Setting: Summer of 2031 just before Hunter wakes up, Sommer-Passos residence.
Content: NSFW for fighting, these bitches probably going to be knocking some teeth out or something. They are the product of Hunter's loins.
Summary: Benji is moody as usual, and decides to take it out on her big sister as usual.

Benji was in a mood, there was no doubt about that one. She was grounded, for starters, and then on top of that.. well, it was practically a house arrest! In her opinion, grounding for a fifteen year old was ridiculous anyway. She wasn't learning a lesson, and she hadn't even done anything that bad. Headmaster Ichi was totally in good spirits when he sent that letter to her mom about her practically blowing up King's Hall at the end of year dance. It wasn't like she was expelled or something. But yet, as per her punishment, she wasn't even allowed to go out to the Dubinsky house, and neither Ryan or Kia were allowed to come to her place. Not to hang out with her anyway. Ryan had already come over and hung out with Izzy, infuriating Benji more. She was such a lover girl kiss-ass sometimes, her best friend.

Her plan for the summer so far was to kiss some ass of her own. If she was the perfect angel, maybe her mom would have a change of heart, or maybe Mack could convince her to. She hated to ask for her aunt's help in.. well, anything. But things were getting desperate. She hadn't even talked to Kia in almost two weeks already, and it was brutal. Not to mention the fact that grounding also meant no television, no surfing, no dirtbikes, nothing. It was a harsh sentence, but Benji wasn't ready to give up yet. She had been forcing herself to occupy her time with chores, doing dishes and vacuuming, and even raking the yard as an excuse to sneak outside for cigarettes.

If all went as planned, her mom would be so sick of her in the house by the end of the month, she'd have to cut her loose anyway. Chores were just her scheme to speed up that process. Michi couldn't stay mad at her forever, and neither could Mack, who had seemed angriest of all. Like her and Hunter had never pulled off amazing pranks in their time. How was she supposed to know that setting off fireworks indoors without the proper charms was a bad idea!? It was a spur of the moment thing, just trying to liven up the dance. She didn't even know why everyone, including Mack, was so cross with her. Sure, she wasn't supposed to make waves. Their family was a mess, and there was no denying that. She was supposed to act like a mature adult. But it wasn't like she was responsible for Benji or something. Benji was, as far as she was concerned, fully responsible for herself and the rest of the Sommer-Passos family.

So much so, in fact, that she currently found herself intensely pacing the living room of their house. One of the few useful things Hunter had ever taught her was how to handle a grill, and she had gone all out in trying to suck up tonight. Grilled corn and potatoes, sole fillets and steaks, the whole nine yard of surf and turf. Or that was what she was pretty sure steak and fish were called together. What else was there to do but barbeque when she was banished from practically everything else fun? Either way, the food had long since been ready and eaten and the left-overs were getting cold, and still there was no Taylor. Benji couldn't place why that was getting under her skin so much, perhaps because Tay was still actually able to come and go from the house as she pleased unlike Benji herself, or maybe just the disrespect that the younger blonde perceived in it. She had slaved over the grill all day, and that bitch hadn't even bothered to make an appearance.

When their front door finally opened, Benji felt herself getting even madder, and she barely even waited to see if it was Taylor coming in the door before she was already launching into a tirade. "Where in fresh hell have you been, ya damn jezebel?!" Benji shouted, already advancing on her sister and giving the older girl a rough shove. "Dinner was ready two damn hours ago, ain't you got no respect for nobody? Huh?"

brfuture @ 2012-04-25T04:50:00

2012-04-25T08:02:52Z

Characters: Rhian Sommer-Passos and Mackenzie Dubinsky
Setting: Summer of 2035
Rating: NSFW
Summary: Rhian has been on more than a year long bender, she needs to talk to someone who's not her moms
OOC: Remember how I said I was going to bed? HAHAHA

The bottles clinked together under and on top of her desk as she sat down to begin her summer project. She knew it was a fucking joke to pretend she was hiding anything from anyone. She couldn't fix the mistakes she had made in the past but was this helping? It made it so she didn't have to feel it for a while. The pain was one thing but the guilt, the memories of the night, everything would flood into her mind one thing after the other until she was too overwhelmed to stop herself from reaching into the pillbox and cutting herself off from the world.

She had been fighting the cravings for a few days, trying to get herself off the drugs but she wouldn't ask for help. She was too ashamed to admit that she was still taking pills, too ashamed to admit she hadn't been sober in over a year. Just this one time, one last time and then I'm done. I'll flush the motherfuckers down the drain. Just a little relief and she would be fine, she couldn't remember the last time she had gotten a full night of sleep. Her dreams were haunted, terror gripped her in the middle of night. Just one night of peace and she would be able to kick the habit.

Hurriedly she reached for the box and knocked it over sending a spray of pills onto her desk. "Fuck," she tried to put them all back into the box but her hands were unstable, shaking as she tried to clean the mess of pills. When she stood she knocked into her desk and a few empty bottles fell flat. "Fuck!" she cried. She tried again to clean up the mess but kept knocking over bottles and dropping pills, scattering the mess around her desk. Finally her hands found something she could succeed in; she took an empty scrap of paper and wrote one word in sharpie. Help. She was grasping desperately onto anything. She suppressed a sob, clenching her fists together tight as she tried to fight. Her whole body tensed in pain, her spine felt like it was on fire but she kept fighting it.

It would have been so easy to just grab a handful of those pills and swallow them down, forget the pain for a while, and go on ignoring everything else. She punched at the mirror instead, a dull throbbing surprised her knuckles, blood dripped down onto her desk. A fractured reflection stared back at her and for the first time since the accident, she felt like she was really seeing herself. She swiped the pills and the bottles off her desk in one smooth motion, sending them crashing to the ground. It had to stop.

She took off at a run, not really sure where she was going until she was standing in front of her aunt's house with a bloody fist and pocket full of cigarettes. She was cautious on entering the house, not knowing who she would run into but knowing there was really only one person to talk to. She knocked on Mack's office door after sneaking through the house undetected and slipped inside before she was even invited. "Poppa Mack," she said quietly. "You got a minute?" she tried to keep her voice even but it was an impossible feat with the way her body was shaking, almost convulsing. "I just ne-need to talk to someone," she said grabbing one arm nervously.

brfuture @ 2012-03-26T23:19:00

2012-03-26T21:38:27Z

Characters: Toby and Hendrix
Setting: The family home~
Content: CUSSIN'.
Summary: Chillin with my pops.

It was rare that the house ever felt this empty, but that wasn't to say it wasn't welcome. Being outnumbered by women was tiring, especially on spring break when they all had to live together. But his mom had taken his sister's shopping or something and it was a welcome relief not to have to listen to them all yelling at each other. Didn't girls ever stop talking?

Toby did the only thing that felt right when it was quiet, and hot, and retreated into the music room in the house with the air con cranked up. He would grudgingly admit he was like his father in that respect. He picked up one of the guitars and rested it in his lap as he strummed a few chords half-heartedly before leaning back and yawning. Spring break sucked.

Dubinsky House Party

2012-03-23T21:51:19Z

Characters: ALL OF THE FUTURE KIDS. ALL OF THEM.
Setting: The Dubinsky household, summer 2036
Rating: NSFW
Content: Party, party, party

Everything had been pretty lame as of late. It seemed like every little thing she did was getting her in trouble. Grounded forever and not even able to sneak a little joint in every now and again. Finally though, her imprisonment had come to an end and what better way to celebrate than to call a cease fire with Kia and throw a party? She had talked it over with her sisters earlier and the plan was set. Moms were gone for the night, the weather was perfect, there was plenty of food (almost like someone had been preparing for the zombie apocolypse... mom), and Ziggy was already there with party supplies.

Ziggy tossed his backpack in through the window. "Hey," he grinned, he followed his backpack's journey in through the window with a big grin. "Your moms gone?"

"Yeah," Kyle rolled out of bed. "Let's get this bitch started." They didn't have much time before people started but they got straight to work. Before they knew it the house was ready and people were pouring in.

brfuture @ 2012-03-22T22:36:00

2012-03-23T01:47:19Z

Characters: Izzy and Rhian
Setting: Sommer-Passos House, summer time 2034
Rating: NSFW
Summary: Sibling comfort

To say it had been a rough week was an understatement. His little sister had ended up in the hospital and no one really knew how it would turn out. Severe concussion, short coma, short term memory loss, surgery... they weren't even sure she would make it through the first night. But she pulled through. He felt like he was losing his grip. For a long time he had been keeping it all together for everyone, yet here he was, shaking uncontrollably in his own room and trying to focus on anything else.

After pacing around the room with a sick feeling constantly turning his stomach he forced himself out of his room. He knew he should put himself in bed for the night but habit had him walking down the hall in his bare feet to get a glass of water before bed. He was about to push the bathroom door open when he heard the muffled sound of someone crying and he instinctively knew it was Rhian. His heart sank, he didn't know that he was strong enough to help this time. He tried to clear his throat, but there was a lump that just wouldn't go away. Steeling his nerves as best he could, he pushed the door open and entered as quietly as possible. "Rhi..." he said, his voice jagged with worry.

Rhianna had been standing in front of the mirror, the normal dark circles of eye liner, running down her face. Her hands gripped the sides of the sink uneasily as she stared at herself in hatred. Pain and anger ripped through her chest but she couldn't tear her eyes away from her sickening reflection. It was that face that was responsible for Corey's death, that face that had caused her to lose everything, and that face that didn't deserve any second chances. She weakly punched the mirror, a dull aching stretched over her fist. Even though it hurt it reminded her that she was alive, that she really was still a feeling, living thing, that she had the power to destroy herself. Hands shaking, she tore through the medicine cabinet.

Bottles of allergy medicine, contact solution, and cold medicine tumbled out, she shoved them all onto the floor and kicked them aside. They just wouldn't do. Finally she found what she was looking for; the medicine that the doctors had prescribed her at the hospital for her pain and the straight razor that Izzy used to use. It was clear what she had to do in her mind. She didn't hesitate to fill her mouth with pills and swallowed hard.

She pressed the razor to her skin tentatively, a lurid tingling passed over her wrist and sent a shiver through her whole body. Sick, little pink dots appeared in the sink and she snarled at herself, pressing the razor harder against her arm. Frustrated tears poured from her eyes, splashing warm onto her cheeks and falling into the reddening sink. She had not lost a lot of blood but she was little and she was beginning to feel dizzy. She dropped the razor into the sink and curled up on the floor. Her finger traced the scar above her heart, leaving a little trail of blood across her chest.

Rhianna was curled up on the floor, legs pulled tight to her chest, face buried in her knees. Her whole body was shaking, she seemed completely unaware that she was no longer alone. He looked around the bathroom, seeing the blood and discarded razor in the sink. His heart dropped in his chest, his hands began shaking. "Rhianna!" he panicked.

Rhian lifted her head to look at him. "I'm fine," her voice cracked. "I acc-accidently c-cut myself shaving."

"Rhi..." Isamu tried again, shutting the door behind him. He approached her slowly, cautiously like she was some delicate, little thing. He had never realized how fragile she was before, he had never thought he would see her that way. His sisters were Titans, they were tough, little broads. It turned his world upside down and made his heart sick to think that anything could hurt either of his sisters.

He sat down on the ground next to her and kept his eyes trained on the wall across from him. "Rhian..." his voice cracked. "For the first time in my life I don't know how to fix things."

"You can't fix this Izzy," she whispered. "I'm broken an-and Corey's done, he's dead and it's all my fault. I don't... I can't do this anymore. Why did I have to survive?"

"Don't say that," Izzy felt his eyes getting wet. "Don't you dare say that."

"I don't want to be here without him and that might sound stupid and rash but he was all I had," her lips were shivering when she finally picked up her head. "It wouldn't hurt if I was dead."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, craddling and rocking her back and forth. He made sure to check her arms, they were bleeding but he was sure he could fix it with a quick spell. "Do you even know what you're saying? Do you know how much that would hurt all of us?"

She was already falling apart, gasping for air and trying to find anything worth clinging onto when his words really struck her. Izzy, who had always been there, reminded her of everything she still had; her crazy moms, her brother and sister, sweet Uncle Yori. The picture in her mind so clearly imprinted of her goofy moms trying to make a proper Thanksgiving dinner, the way Benji laughed when a quod exploded in Izzy's face, the way it felt to ride on her broom with the wind in her hair, the way Izzy always stood up for them, and how his macaroni and cheese always tasted funny. Her heart ached in a whole new way.

"You have to take me to the hospital," she choked.

"Why? Is the bleeding that bad?"

"N-no... I took a lot of pills," she hide her face in his shirt. "M-momma and momma bear... Benji and you," she sobbed.

Izzy was up and moving before his brain caught up with him. He grabbed his wand from his bedroom night stand and brought it back to the bathroom. He waved it over Rhianna's arms, muttering the healing charms he knew so well. Her cuts stitched together quickly though she winced against the short jabs of pain. She looked at her shaking arms in shame, she couldn't take her eyes off the destruction she had almost caused. Things were getting fuzzier, she could barely make out the little pink patches of irritated skin that had been bleeding only seconds before. "Iz..." Izzy picked her up off the bathroom floor and carried her like a child, her face pressed against his chest. Barefoot and panicking, without even telling their moms, he drove his truck like a mad man to the hospital and rushed her inside.

The rest of the night was a blur, but all he could remember was the way Rhian had begged him when they had pumped her stomach of the poisonous concoction of pills. She was sitting up in bed, the hospital smock comically huge on her small frame. "Make them forget Izzy," she begged, the tears flowing freely, her hand wrapped around his. "Make them forget me and what happened tonight. Make me... make me forget."

He shook his head. "I can't make you forget this," his lips were shaking when he said it. If he could fix it, if he could truly fix it by making her forget he would but he knew without remembering the pain of that night she would never find anything worth living for again. She had experienced a stunning moment of clarity and he couldn't take that away from her. "I won't do it," he wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Then make them forget me," she begged. "I don't want momma and mom to know about this. They don't need to know about this... please Izzy. I wouldn't ask if you know it wasn't necessary."

He shook his head, biting his lip, trying to control his own shaking.

"Please," she cried, clinging to his arm desperately. A gut wrenching cry escaped from her lips. "Please. I can't do this to them. I c-can't... I can't hurt them anymore. I f-fucked up everything else," her body was wracked with guilt and already worn. All he wanted to do was get her home and back in bed.

"I'll do it, I'll do it," he finally agreed. "I aint going to take away your memories though," he pulled her close and hugged her to his chest. "But if you ever do this to me again," he whispered. "I aint doin' this alone."

"I won't. I won't do anything else stupid," she promised, clinging to his t-shirt. "Just take me home Izzy. Please take me home," she sniffled.

Izzy was quick, he used a modified obliviate charm on the few nurses and doctors who had helped Rhianna, they would forget the Sommer-Passos children and the paperwork would just disappear.

The drive home was painfully quiet. Izzy kept his eyes on the dark road ahead of them and Rhian kept her forehead pressed against the slightly chilly glass of the window. "Ya can't ever do this again Rhian," Izzy finally said, his own voice shaking still.

"I know," she said quietly. "I wasn't thinkin' Iz."

"You're damn right you wasn't thinkin'," he snapped. "Fuck, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just... you might be pissed off at the world and pissed off at yourself but if you take yourself away from it all... it leaves us without ya. An' I don't want that. Nobody wants that Rhian. Things have been real fucked up this summer and we all know you're hurtin', we see it in your face every day and it kills us but takin' yourself outta the picture aint gonna solve anything."

"I know," she pulled her face away from the passing darkness and dropped her head into her shaking hands. That familiar sick feeling pitted in her stomach flared up again. "I'm sorry I did this to you, I'm sorry th-that I couldn't be stronger..."

"You are, you're a fuckin' Titan, Zulu Warrior, Amazon Goddess Rhian. You and Benj both. Aint nothin' that's s'possed to hurt you. You're stronger 'an this, got it?" he reached over and took her hand. "We're gonna take this night to the grave with us an' we can talk about it together ev'ry time you feel like you need to talk about it but we aint ever comin' back here. We aint ever doin' this again."

"Got it," she nodded, holding his hand back and giving it a squeeze.

"I love you little sis, and I aint the only one on the planet who does."

"I love you too Izzy," she sobbed. "An' I love momma and momma bear and Benj too. An' Aunt Mack and Tate, and all them crazy wolf bitches. An' I love my fuckin Bear, he's the best cat ever, and all the millions of dogs and that little tree frog 'a yours," she sniffled and wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I even love that funky macaroni and cheese you make Izzy. I just... I guess I needed a reminder."

"Well good," he said softly, still holding her hand. He kept driving, letting the night pass by, the sun slowly crept in the sleepy Texas sky and he was still driving. Warm orange light cascaded over the landscape, finally leading them back home.

brfuture @ 2012-03-21T16:49:00

2012-03-21T23:08:38Z

Characters: Kia, Kyle and possibly Claire.
Setting: The Dubinksy House
Rating: NSFW
Summary: Kia and Kyle get into it again. What a surprise.

Kia looked at herself fin the full length mirror that hung next to her closet. It was the tenth outfit she had tried on so far, and it wasn’t quite perfect. It was so close, but something wasn’t right. It wasn’t perfect. She looked in the mirror for a few more moments before grabbing a scarf and her leather jacket. There, that was much better. She checked the time on her phone, and decided that this outfit was going to have to do. Benji was meant to be there in a little under an hour, and Kia still needed to do her hair and makeup.

She slipped her heels on, and made the quick journey down the hall to the bathroom she shared with all of her sisters. Her mother, Mackenzie, had insisted that the bathroom would be enough for all five girls. It had two sinks after all, and she had claimed it would promote good sibling relationships. Her mother was always spewing stupid shit like that, and Kia couldn’t disagree more. If anything it only caused more problems between her and her sisters. Right now, for example, the door was locked and there was the distinct smell of weed coming from behind the door.

Growling in irritation, Kia hammered on the door. She knew exactly who would be brain dead enough to disrupt her date prep forty minutes before Benji arrived.

“KYLE!” She yelled, jiggling the doorknob. “Open this fucking door right now!”

brfuture @ 2012-01-11T18:20:00

2012-01-12T02:44:58Z

Characters: Benji and Kia
Setting: The Beach
Rating: (N)SFW
Summary: Benji and Kia sneak away for a bit of alone time on the beach.

It had been the perfect day, or a really damn good one in Kia's opinion. They had gotten a big group of their friends together and headed out to the beach to spend the day surfing. Like any teenage function, someone had eventually shown up with booze, and it had turned into an impromptu beach party once the sun had gone down. Now, Kia was pleasantly drunk, and ready to drag Benji away from the rest of the group to have a quiet moment. She was sure that if Claire saw them sneaking away she would make a gross comment, but luckily they were able to wander out of the circle of light the bonfire provided without being noticed.

Gripping Benji's hand, Kia kicked her bare feet through the sand as they walked, enjoying the warmth it still radiated after the warm summer day. Sighing happily, she bumped Benji lightly with her arm and smiled over at the other girl. She was happy to be home for a little while, even if her mother's were driving her crazy with their constant door open policy.

"You want to stop here?" She asked, gesturing to a moonlit patch of beach with the blanket she had tucked under her other arm. It was quiet out here, they had wandered far enough away from the group that they couldn't hear the music anymore. The only sound was coming from the soft lapping of the waves against the sand. "We could look at the stars?" She suggested, giving Benji a little wink. Star gazing wasn't Kia's only intention in dragging her girlfriend away from the group.

brfuture @ 2011-12-05T21:21:00

2011-12-06T00:49:35Z

Characters: Everybody ever! Kids & adults alike welcome.
Setting: Sommer-Passos family home, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Kids downstairs, adults upstairs!
Rating: NSFW!
Summary: New Year's Eve party at Hunter & Michi's in 2034.

Though things had definitely been rocky between Hunter and Benji since the older blonde had woken up, even though that had been a couple of years ago now, there was still one thing they could both agree on. That had to be, of course, the perfect party. Hunter and Mack had been throwing parties for as long as they had been able, and even though it was many years beyond their prime, it didn't mean that the blonde had any intention to stop. Anyone whom had been under the impression that something like a coma would cramp her style was dearly mistaken.

Trust was something Hunter tried to exercise with her kids as much as she could, though with Rhianna the least out of the three but she was the baby, and so the idea of letting Benji throw her own party hadn't really phased her. She had been in high school and university once, and she knew if Benji didn't throw a party, someone else would. It didn't matter, really. In fact it was almost better under her roof. She had no intentions to interfere, but if something came up, at least she was around. Not that she thought Benji would come to her.

When the party was finally set up and people were beginning to arrive, Hunter and Benji had split their space; kids partying in the basement level of the house, and adults partying on the main floor. It hadn't been Hunter's intention to keep the kids party a secret, but there were definitely a few parents who simply couldn't find out about the non-supervised debauchery going on downstairs. She didn't want to hear the whining from Benji if she let an overprotective mom breach the party boundary and come dragging her kids out. Hunter had taken the precautions and thrown up a few charms and things to keep the adults out of the basement, and once that was set, they were ready to go.

brfuture @ 2011-11-30T20:24:00

2011-12-01T00:25:41Z

Characters: Ella, Jenny, and Hendrix.
Setting: Ella & Hendrix's house [2018].
Rating: NSFW for touchy subject matter? Idek. It's sad!
Summary: Jenny finally caves in and comes clean about her deteriorating marriage.

She felt like she was probably crazy, giving up after keeping everything under such tight wraps for so long. How many times had she lied to Ella, told her that she was crazy for asking what was up with her, said that she was perfectly fine? It had been far from the truth, but they had seemed like harmless white lies at the time. There had been no need to worry her sister, to get everyone all worked up, when she could deal with everything on her own. She had always been organized, painfully so, and she was determined to keep her life in order and do what had to be done. If she wasn't happy, well, that was sort of negotiable. Chase was happy, and that was good. But weren't most two year olds pretty content anyway?

Propping him up on her hip better, he was sort of bulky in his little winter coat but Michigan winter at home had made it necessary, she tried to keep the huge baby bag up on her shoulder. Tom was always telling her she over packed everything, reminding her that she was such a stupid idiot for packing so much goddamn shit all of the time and expecting him to carry it, but it was better safe than sorry. And he didn't have to carry it today, probably not anymore. Once this was out in the open, she had a feeling that she wouldn't be going back home to him.

Maybe it was best if she didn't anyway.

It was probably best if she didn't have those thoughts, but she was and there was no fighting it anymore. It wasn't just her anymore, but could be Chase any day now. If Tom decided he didn't like magic, if he caught Chase doing something and she had to explain everything, explain that she had been lying to him for years. Well, she considered it more of an omission of the truth. No one had told her that she needed to tell him about magic, but it was too late now and she doubted that he would take well to the shock. She couldn't let him hurt Chase, punish Chase, for something that he couldn't help. Something that was her fault. She was the witch, after all.

No, she reminded herself firmly, that was why she was here. She needed to tell someone, anyone, but no one more than Ella. Hendrix too, he was just as much family to her as her sister now, had sort of always been. What were they going to say, going to think? It made her stomach sink, and she instinctively held Chase a little closer to her side as she walked carefully up their front walkway. She was a coward, really, for letting this happen to her. She had been such a vivacious girl in high school, where had that girl gone? When had she let her get away? She had been so ready to encourage and help other people, but she had let her own well being sort of slip to the wayside. She felt weak, but she felt like maybe she could do something about it. Like maybe they could help, or at least just let her talk about it.

Talking about it, just thinking about doing so, made her stomach sink again. Never had she talked to anyone about it, it was just no something to be discussed at any time, with anyone. She had done such a good job of keeping it in, there was no surprise that now she was ready to burst. Hesitating for just a moment as she reached their front door, she considered just calling the whole thing off. She could be brave, or she just apparate home and forget the whole thing and tomorrow would be another day.

Doing it before she had a chance to chicken out and back down, Jenny reached out and knocked loudly twice on the door. She supposed she could have let herself in, but that hesitation was still hanging around her. She wasn't sure she was ready to go in. Bouncing Chase gently in her arm, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Ready, boo?"