Play Pretend | Part 2

Baby Munson | Eddie Munson

Summary: When the reader discovers that she is pregnant with Eddie Munson’s baby, she is thrown out of her own house. She finds refuge with Eddie and his uncle. Though, she must battle the struggles of pregnancy and being slightly ostracized by the town.

Warning: teenage pregnancy, neglectful parents, portrayals of pregnancy, did not include labor scene because it felt too long and detailed

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Pregnant!Reader

Type: maybe mini series idk

Word Count: 4,458 words

It had been raining heavily when it happened. The harsh sound of a wood door slamming shut in front of a seventeen year old girl. She had just been thrown out of her house by her parents since she had committed a unforgivable sin in their eyes. She was being shunned, punished.

So there, she knelt in a puddle of rainwater outside her parents’ house. She replayed the events of the night in her head, remembering the looks of disappointment and utter disgust on her parents faces when she confessed. She begged her father as he dragged her towards the front door before throwing her out into the rain and slamming the door in her face. They had no daughter, not anymore at least.

In slight shock and disbelief, Y/n simply sat there for a couple minutes. She cried to herself because she honestly didn’t know what she was going to do or where she was going to go tonight. After some time, she rose to her feet and began walking wherever her feet took her. 

She walked against the harsh winds and the cold rain, trudging through beside everything that just happened. She hugged her arms close to her for warmth and she kept her head hung low so water didn’t get into her eyes. She didn’t carry any of her belongings because she didn’t have any with her. She only had the clothes on her back which were now soaked to the skin. 

It was dark outside, probably around ten o’clock at night. At the given moment, Eddie was making himself a little late night snack. He opened the bag of popcorn and proceeded to dumb its contents into a large bowl. His uncle was situated on the couch, flipping through channels on the television. He grumbled something about nothing good being on.

All of the sudden, there was a knock on the front door of their trailer. Both of their heads turned towards the door. They hadn’t been expecting anyone, not at this hour and not in this storm. Nevertheless, Eddie went across the room and pulled the door open. There, standing in front of him, was his girlfriend.

“Y/N?” Eddie asked. 

He quickly took note of her state. Her clothes were absolutely drenched, sticking to her skin. Her hair stuck to her face, but it had been brushed away a few times so she could see where she was going. The skin under her eyes was red and puffy because she had been crying for so long. And the tip of her nose was pink from crying too. She said nothing.

“What are you doing here? It’s late and it’s pouring--” Eddie wondered. He was quickly cut off when she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around him in a desperate hug.

Just then, the tears came back. She squeezed her eyes shut tight in attempts to keep them from falling, but it was no use. Her body racked with sobs. She cried ever so softly and quietly.

“Hey. Hey,” Eddie tried to reassure her. “It’s okay. I’m right here.”

Without hesitation, Eddie ushered her inside his warm and cozy trailer. He closed the door behind him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder in hopes of bringing her some sense of comfort. 

In a second, Uncle Wayne had returned from the hallway with a brand new towel in his hands. He handed it to her. His face laced with a strong look of concern for her.

In response, Y/n quietly thanked him for the towel. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders, shivering softly. This helped dry her off a bit and gave her some warmth.

“C-Could I stay here for a while? My parents--,” Y/n almost couldn’t bring herself to say. “They kicked me out.”

“Yeah. Of course. You can stay in my room,” Eddie nodded his head. He figured it would be best not to ask questions about what happened right now. She was clearly distraught and she probably just needed some time.

Now, there was only one bedroom in the trailer. Out of the kindness of Wayne’s heart, he let his nephew have the room to himself. He slept on a folding cot in the living room. The system worked. Neither of them complained about it. 

Eddie was changing the sheets on his bed since he hadn’t done that it the longest time and since he had a guest staying. While Eddie gathered the gross mess of dirty sheets in his hands, Y/n had shuffled to stand by his bedside table. She timidly grabbed the small opened box of condoms laying there.

Naturally, Eddie lifted his head to look at her. He saw that she was holding his box of condoms. His facial expression dropped in sudden realization. Hesitantly, Y/n lowered the box of condoms back onto the side table. She turned her head to look at him with tears streaming in her eyes. Everything was communicated so clearly with that one look in her eyes.

“Are you--” Eddie questioned. He took a step forward. He pointed to her. “Did I--” Eddie couldn’t speak.

Without saying anything to confirm or deny the accusation, Y/n went to wrap her arms around her stomach as if she were trying to hide the fact. She could feel the tears streaming down the sides of her face. She was so overcome with emotions.

After some time, Y/n had dried off. She changed into some spare clothes that Eddie had given her to borrow. She crawled into bed with the hopes of falling asleep and waking up from this terrible nightmare. Thankfully, Eddie was there to help her fall asleep. He simply brushed her hair down with his fingers and that seemed to lull her to sleep.

Once Y/n was sleeping, Eddie quietly exited his bedroom and closed the door behind him. He shuffled back into the living room. He found his uncle rearranging the living room, settling up another bed on the ground for his nephew. Upon hearing his approach, Uncle Wayne turned around to face his nephew. He looked at him expectingly.

“I—I got her pregnant,” Eddie choked. He had a build up of tears in the corners of his eyes, threatening to fall at any given moment.

“Oh Eddie,” Uncle Wayne said softly. He looked at his nephew with such sympathy in his eyes. He wasn’t going to yell at him or scold him like his father would have. 

Instead, Uncle Wayne brought his nephew over to the couch in the living room. He helped him sit down with a single hand on his back for support. He didn’t want to ask any questions. He didn’t want to overwhelm him, because he probably was feeling an overwhelming sense of various emotions. So he sat quietly and waited for his nephew to talk to him.

Out of instinct, Eddie rubbed his hand over his face. He kept his hand over his mouth, reveling in the news that was just broken to him. He swallowed the heavy lump lingering at the back of his throat. He began to panic a little.

“I-I just don't understand,” Eddie began. He raised his hand in defense. “I mean, we were so careful every time. W-We used protection,” Eddie claimed.

His uncle only nodded his head understandingly. He had always been the more quiet type, more of a listener than a talker. He turned his head and looked into the distance. His nephew breathed a long sigh.

“You’ll get through this,” Uncle Wayne encouraged. He went to look at his nephew sitting beside him. He sent him a weak smile. “Both of you will,” Uncle Wayne added.

“I’m not ready to be a father,” Eddie shook his head.

“Most people aren't,” Uncle Wayne shrugged his shoulders. “But you will be when the time comes,” Uncle Wayne concluded.

That night, Eddie couldn’t seem to fall asleep. It wasn’t because he wasn’t sleeping in his own bed. It was more because he couldn’t stop thinking. The questions of “how did this happen” or “what are we going to do” kept coming up. And he couldn’t answer them.

Now, Y/n told him that she found out just earlier that day after having stolen a handful of pregnancy tests from the nearby gas station. She brought one of the pregnancy tests to show him for even more proof. And sure enough, there were two little pink lines on it. 

For some reason, Eddie kept hearing the sounds of a newborn crying. He didn’t know how to take care of a baby. He'd never even held one before! Whether he liked it or not, he was going to have a newborn baby to take care of and provide for a couple months.

In that moment, Eddie decided that he was going to do everything in his power to make sure his girlfriend was cared for during the pregnancy. He was choosing to be there for her. He was going to provide her with all of her needs, whether that be food cravings or much needed back massages. 

Even after the baby was born, Eddie was determined to pull his own weight. He thought about how he could take the night shifts and feed the baby a bottle. He'd figure out how to change a diaper. He wondered if there was a parenting book in the library that he could check out. No matter what, Eddie was going to take care of her and the baby.

During the early stages of the first trimester, Y/n had the worst case of morning sickness. Almost every morning, she was woken up by the sudden urge to throw up. She’d have to race to the bathroom just to yank open the toilet seat. Her stomach would contract violently as heaps of throw up came out of her mouth.

Despite the fact that it was around five or six in the morning, Eddie would always come in to hold her hair behind her head. He’d stand over her hunched figure sitting on the ground. Her hair was collected in a tight grip at the back of her head so she never had to worry about loose strands falling into her face. Sometimes, Eddie found himself rubbing her back in a reassuring manner and whisper encouraging words to her. He was in there every morning with her.

Over the next couple weeks, the word had finally spread around town. A large majority of the towns people were disgusted by the news, secretly calling her ‘a whore’ behind her back. And saying things like ‘that’s what she gets for sleeping around’ despite the fact that she had only slept with her boyfriend. And they didn’t blame her parents for throwing her out on the streets, thinking that she deserved it and maybe she’d learn her lesson.

Then there was a small minority of people who just felt pity for her. This group main consisted of the community who lived in the trailer park. They had heard that she had been thrown out by her parents. They felt bad for her. She was just a kid anyways.

The worst part was the high school. She had stopped coming to school since her parents refused to pay the monthly school bill. Now this only sparked rumors in the hallways. The vast majority of students figured that she had gotten pregnant, though they didn’t know by whom. This became such a talked about scandal that the principal had to address it at one of the school assemblies.

Whenever Eddie and Y/n would go out, it was inevitable that they were going to receive stares from people passing. Especially from women who were always trying to see if she was starting to show yet. Eddie always handed her one of his jackets and she used this to conceal her growing stomach from the world.

One day, there was a knock on the front door. At the given moment, Eddie was working on his campaign in his bedroom and Uncle Wayne was working. So Y/n went to open the door. She figured it was just one of the neighbors coming to stop by. 

But when she opened the door, she was surprised to see Mrs Wheeler and Mrs Mayfield standing in front of her. They both wore the biggest and brightest smiles on their faces. And they each carried a large box full of miscellaneous things. 

Behind Mrs Mayfield was her own daughter named Max. She had just started her first year of high school and it was their first year living in the trailer park themselves. In contrast, Mrs Wheeler came from the middle class suburbs. She had her own large white cookie cutter house, lined with perfectly trimmed hedges. It felt like such an odd thing, seeing those two women together considered their very different backgrounds.

“Mrs Wheeler,” Y/n acknowledged because she knew her daughter Nancy from school. “Mrs Mayfield,” Y/n added.

For a second, Y/n really didn’t know what to do. She looked between the two women, wondering what they could possibly want from her. She shifted her weight onto one side and just stood there awkwardly. Then she cleared her throat.

“Is there something I can do for you?” Y/n wondered. She quickly wrapped her sweater around her evident baby bump because she felt so self-conscious about it. 

“We have some things for you,” Mrs Mayfield said. She gestured to the large cardboard box in her hands. “And for your baby,” Mrs Mayfield included with a gentle smile.

“M-My baby?” Y/n questioned.

“Yeah. Just a couple things that we collected from when we had little ones of our own,” Mrs Wheeler replied. She glanced at the other woman standing beside her. 

“Mainly just clothing and toys,” Mrs Mayfield nodded her head. 

"Of course,” Y/n was brought back. She placed her hand on her forehead. “Come on it,” she said while moving out of the way and opening the door a little further.

Together, Mrs Wheeler and Mrs Mayfield placed the two large boxes on the coffee table in the center of the living room. Then the two of them proceeded to sit down on the couch. They opened the boxes and started taking some of the contents out. 

So Mrs Mayfield pulled out a couple newborn onesies. She claimed that Max was born much too big for the clothes she had so they weren’t even used yet. The only unfortunate thing was that she only had one daughter so there weren't any boy themed clothes. But Y/n claimed that it was fine and she was most grateful for them anyways.

Now Mrs Wheeler had much more baby clothes on her. Since she had two daughters and one son of her own, she brought a whole variety of options since they wouldn’t know the gender until the baby was born. She was even so kind as to give her a newborn and toddler car seat, stating that Holly had just grown out of her’s. 

Then came the baby toys. With the help of all three Wheeler kids, they had assembled a small pile of old toys that they didn’t necessarily play with anymore. Nancy had decided to give away some of her stuffed animals, thinking she was a little too old to have those now. Mike gave away some of his little action figures, toy trains, and automobiles. And Holly wanted to give the new baby her old rattle, some building blocks, and pop up books.

All the while, Y/n was marveling at the adorable little toys and trinkets. She let her fingers graze over a few of them, realizing how blessed she was to receive these. Then she held up a little onesie to view, which only made the smile grow on her face. She thanked them for their generosity.

On the sidelines, Max was sitting on the floor next to the coffee table. She kept stealing glances towards the older teenage girl. She saw the baby bump peeking out from behind her sweater. 

“Do you think you’ll have a boy or a girl?” Max wondered curiously. She kept a blank face, but she was beaming with genuine curiosity.

“I-I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it,” Y/n confessed with a shrug of the shoulders. She folded some baby clothes in her lap, setting them off to the side. “Eddie and I-- we are both an only child,” Y/n explained.

“Have you thought of names yet?” Max mentioned. She felt the smile growing at the corners of her lips.

“No,” Y/n smiled back. “No, we haven't.”

That night, Eddie came into his bedroom carrying two bowls of ice cream. He sat down on the bed and went to lean against the headboard next to his girlfriend. He placed her the bowl of ice cream on top of her round stomach and it stayed there perfectly. He began eating his own bowl of ice cream.

“We really should come up with names, Eddie.” Y/n said. She discarded an empty notebook that she had been holding for the longest time. She had been trying to think of good names to write down.

“Here,” Eddie said as he placed his bowl on the bedside table. He proceeded to pick up the notebook and pencil. “I got a couple names in mind,” Eddie confessed.

He quickly scribbled down a short list of names on the piece of paper. Afterwards, Eddie handed her the notebook for her to read. He grabbed his bowl of ice cream so he could keep eating it. He stuffed a spoonful in his mouth.

“Really?” Y/n looked at him. “Ozzy is your first pick?” Y/n said with a slight scoff.

“It’s a good name! It’s different. It’s unique,” Eddie was honestly trying to make a case for this option. He really just liked Black Sabbath.

“I don’t think so,” Y/n chuckled softly. She looked back down at the list. “John is a good one. But did you only pick that name because of John Lennon?” Y/n wondered.

“Uh, just look at the next one,” Eddie tried to avoid answering the question. He pointed to the notebook in her hands.

“Kirk,” Y/n read. “What? Like Kirk Hammett from Metallica?”

“I was hoping to get away with these,” Eddie let out a loud sigh of defeat and had a smile growing on his face.

“I know you too well,” Y/n shrugged her shoulders. She noticed something on the list. “You don’t have any girl names listed here,” Y/n acknowledged.

“I couldn’t think of any,” Eddie confessed.

“Watch us have a girl,” Y/n snorted.

“Would that be so bad?” Eddie asked with a hint of seriousness in his tone of voice. He looked at her with such sincerity in his eyes. “Is any of this so bad? Us having a baby?” Eddie added.

“At first, I think I was scared.” Y/n confessed. She thought about her next words carefully, knowing that Eddie was depending on them. “But things have gotten better. I feel...happy and I am excited to meet our little one soon,” Y/n said with a small smile on her face.

With that, Y/n placed her hand on top of her bulging stomach. She rubbed her hand over it a couple times in a reassuring and comforting manner. All of the sudden, Eddie placed his hand over hers. His thumb brushed against the back of her hand. 

A broad smile grew at the corners of his lips. He leaned forward to press a single kiss to the center of her forehead. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her close to his side. He used his other hand to rub her stomach. He smiled at the thought of his baby being right there and eventually getting to meet him/her in short due time.

“Me too,” Eddie spoke softly.

Now, several months had passed along in the pregnancy. Everything seemed to be in order for the baby’s arrival. The doctors claimed that the baby was healthy, suggesting that he or she could arrive any day now. Despite everything, Eddie was more anxious and nervous for when the time would come. He spent most of his days fretting over his girlfriend, checking on her every couple of minutes to make sure she was okay.

One night, Y/n was tossing and turning in her sleep for many hours. She wasn’t able to get into a comfortable position and she was having minor contractions. She began to realize that they were growing a lot stronger and a lot closer together.

Carefully, she hoisted herself into a sitting position on the bed. She went to tap on Eddie’s arm in hopes of coaxing him awake. All of the sudden, Y/n felt another contraction coming. She hissed at the tight feeling, squeezing her eyes shut and clutching onto her stomach. She couldn’t take the pain any more.

“Eddie,” Y/n said breathlessly as the contraction began to subside. “Eddie, I need you to wake up.”

“What’s wrong?” Eddie asked sluggishly. He rolled over to face her, trying to burrow his face back into the pillow so he could get some sleep.

“I-I don’t know what’s happening,” Y/n confessed. She began to breathe heavily to herself. “I think the baby is coming,” Y/n replied.

Upon hearing this, Eddie’s eyes snapped open suddenly. He went straight into panic mode. He jumped out of their shared bed, hurrying around the room to find some spare clothes. He quickly grabbed his car keys off the side table.

In the background, Y/n had shifted to sit over the side of the bed. Her hands clutched at the bed sheets as another contraction struck her like a ton of bricks. She had never experienced pain like this before.

All of the sudden, Eddie knelt down in front of her. He was holding her favorite pair of shoes in his hands. He carefully slipped each shoe onto her foot before helping her stand to her feet. He walked her towards the front of the trailer with one hand secured behind her back. He closed the door behind him before heading straight towards his van. Then the two of them drove to the hospital.

After nearly eighteen hours of labor, the two young teenagers became parents to a beautiful baby girl. She was quite small, later weighing at only five pounds and some odd ounces. It also wasn’t surprising that she came out with a head full of hair, curtesy of her father.

The newborn baby had released a loud cry of protest. She was quickly cleaned by the doctor because she was covered in this white substance and a little blood. They wrapped her in a soft blanket before handing the baby to the new mother. 

With some hesitation, Y/n took the bundled baby into her arms. She held her close to her chest, not really sure what else to do. She brought one of her hands up to hold the back of the baby’s head because she remembered that newborns can’t support their own head. She tried to soothe the baby by whispering soft hushes.

Naturally, with a mother’s touch, the baby seemed to quiet down in her arms. She quickly found that she had forgotten all the pains and aches she had to endure in order to birth her daughter. She was so caught up in the moment that nothing else seemed to matter anymore.

On the sidelines, Eddie was looking down at the little pink baby with a blank expression on his face. He honestly didn't know what to think or feel in that moment. He stood there frozen for a couple seconds until he felt a few small droplets of tears running down his face. He didn’t know how long he had been holding them in for.

Those were some of the most genuine tears he had ever cried before. He felt an overwhelming surge of utter joy and happiness. His heart began to swell in his chest and was threatening to burst at any second. His lips tugged into the biggest smile ever.

In a shy and timid manner, Eddie shuffled forward in his place until he was standing right beside the bed. He leaned down a little so he could get a closer look at the newborn. 

The newborn baby’s head was burrowing into the crook of her mother’s neck. The warmth of her body must have felt so comforting to the baby. She had fallen asleep, breathing the occasional snuffles of sound.

Hesitantly, Eddie reached forward to stroke the top of the baby’s head and brushed some of her hair. Then his finger moved to touch the swell of her cheek. He watched the way the baby leaned into his touch. And he smiled down at her.

“She’s so soft,” Eddie commented. He proceeded to touch her little feet, which were poking out of the blanket now. He really couldn’t contain his smile. “So tiny,” Eddie added.

“She’s perfect,” Y/n said breathlessly since she was still trying to recover from just giving birth. She released a long sigh. She felt the sudden weight of sleep threatening to take hold of her at any moment. 

“You should rest,” Eddie suggested. “I’ll take care of her.”

As if on cue, Eddie brought his hands forward to take his daughter into his grasp. He held one hand underneath her head and the other behind her back to support her. He handled her very cautiously and carefully at first because he was afraid she might break. She was just so little and light.

When Eddie lifted his head to look at his girlfriend, he found that she was already fast asleep. He quickly directed his attention back towards the sleeping infant in his arms. He bounced her gently in order to soothe her. 

He slipped his finger into her grasp, watching the way her fingers curled around his single one. He didn’t realize how small she was. Most of his hand covered her backside and her head was still too small to fit in the palm of his other hand. He spent so much time admiring all her little details from the mess of hair on her head to her tiny fingernails. His favorite part was her little pink nose though.

As Eddie sat in one of the chairs in the hospital room, he cradled his newborn daughter close to his chest. He was staring down at her, simply watching how peacefully she slept. For a brief second, Eddie could have sworn that he had seen the baby smile up at him which only had him smile back. He had never seen anything more pure and precious than that. And he absolutely couldn’t wait until she did it again.

WHAT’S HER NAME GONNA BE???

PART TWO HERE

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Protect Jack at all costs❤️🥹

i love him 🌻💗

The Sergeant's Senator | Chapter 4

Summary: The Senator has spent the last couple weeks locked inside, but now wants nothing more than to go outside. The others need to find a way to get her outside without being spotted or recognized.

Warning: mention of the shooter, vial of blood is alluded to, characters have slight anxiety, mutual pining, suggestive talk, weaponry mentioned (not used)

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader Senator

Type: Short Series

Word Count: 5.4k

Series Masterlist

The day following the attack was spent talking to The Coruscant Security Force. They had come to the apartment to investigate the destruction, opening a brand new case file against the shooter. While some officers were snapping photographs of the scene, the other ones were questioning the people who witnessed the attack.

In the meantime, Crosshair made sure to keep a close eye out the window with his sniper in hand. His eyes scanned the city skyline thoroughly. By the couches, Senator Rayna and Hunter gave their statements to an officer. The man took notes on a pad of paper.

"And where you able to get a good look at the shooter? Maybe what they were wearing," the officer suggested.

"No, we didn't get a good look. It was quite dark out and we went in the best position to look at them," Hunter explained. Even with his heightened senses, Hunter wasn't able to get a great look before he fired his shot.

Just then, Tech came to approach the small group. He held his data pad in one hand and a small vial of blood in the other. He passed the vial to the officer.

"This might be of some assistance to you," Tech told the officer. "It was found on the rooftop where the shooter was located. That is their blood."

The officer went to open his mouth to question how he managed to get a sample of the shooter's blood, but the technical clone beat him to talking by saying:

"You should be able to run a DNA diagnosis test to pinpoint who it is exactly. Then you can release a warrant for his arrest," Tech explained to the officer as if he didn't know how to do his job. He typed away at his data pad.

The senator was forced to stuff her lips into her mouth in hopes of stifling a small laugh. She glanced up at the sergeant who gave her a shrug and a look that said: "That's Tech for you."

"R-Right. We'll get right on that and get back to you once the results are in," the officer stammered over his words. "We should have this place cleaned up in a few days. I presume you have a place to stay?"

"She does," Hunter interjected before Y/n could speak for herself. He left it at that, not wishing to disclose where the senator was staying just in case unwanted ears were listening.

The officer gave a firm nod of the head, showing them appreciation for their willingness to answer their questions. "Thank you for your time."

Over the next couple weeks, Senator Rayna was fully immersed in her work back at the office. Her schedule consisted of attending meetings, writing her speech, and sitting in on what was happening at the senate. All the while, the Bad Batch escorted her to every function. They kept a close eye on her while being fully aware of the dangers that could accompany them.

It had been many weeks since the attack at the high-rise, which was now the longest amount of time between attacks. Something was not right. His suspicious grew with each passing day. That only made him want to take extra precautions when accompanying the senator out.

"I don't like it," Hunter grumbled more to himself. He paced back and forth across the office.

The senator spared him a quick glance before returning her attention to the papers in front of her. "Stop pacing," Senator Rayna spoke from behind her paper.

"It's been weeks and nothing. We haven't heard a thing from this guy," Hunter complained. He raised his hand to gesture out the window.

"Well, I am most certainly thankful for that. You're not the one who's a target here," Senator Rayna stated. He slumped down into a chair facing her desk. He fidgeted with his fingers nervously; his eyes darting around the room.

"He's gonna strike. I just know it," Hunter claimed.

"Hunter," Y/n spoke softly. "I think you're a little paranoid."

"And you're not?" Hunter inquired, glancing at her.

"Not anymore," Y/n confessed with a soft smile on her face. He stared directly at her with a hint of intrigue in his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I have you," Y/n explained. She felt herself getting lost in those dark brown eyes of his. She quickly snapped out of it and redirected her gaze away from him. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "A-And your brothers looking out for me," Y/n added.

The senator pretended to go back to her work, but she was secretly thinking about the sergeant in front of her. She tried so hard to push those thoughts away, knowing that it wasn't right to be pining after and crushing over her sergeant who was assigned to protect her. It wasn't like he could reciprocate the feelings; he was a clone after all and they were programmed to not meddle in those matters.

Despite the looks, Hunter wasn't void of all emotions. In fact, as of recently, Hunter discovered that he was shifting towards having a more domesticated heart. His thoughts wandered back to his friend named Cut who was a deserter clone settled on Saleucami. He had gone so far as to marry a Twi'lek named Suu and have two children together.

The difference between Hunter and Cut were their priorities in life. While Cut found purpose in providing for his family, Hunter was still a soldier for the Republic and served in the war. Now, Hunter envied the life Cut made for himself and wished that someday after the war, he'd be able to seek the same kind of life for himself.

However, despite this optimist approach that the war would end, there was still a matter at hand. Once the war ended, Hunter may be free to chose a life for himself, but Y/n would not be. She'd still be a senator, sitting through meetings and making grand speeches. She herself would be working hard to make the galaxy a better place. That was something that Hunter would never be able to pull her away from. It was her purpose.

Which was why, for the past few months, Hunter tried to distance himself from the senator emotionally. He still needed to be in close proximity to her in order to keep her safe, but he simply wouldn't allow himself to become too attached. One day, they'd have to go their separate ways and that would be the end of it.

This was a tricky task for him. His head screamed to stop, but his heart pleaded to try. Once the senator returned to her apartment after it was fully restored, Hunter found it incredibly difficult to stay away from his bed aboard the Marauder. His once undisturbed bed now smelled so strongly of lavender that it drove his senses wild.

More often than not, Hunter came to discover how she was constantly invading his senses. Whether the senator wore a particularly flattering dress or gingerly touched his arm, it drove him wild. He tried wearing his helmet more, igniting the feature that blocked out those senses for his own sake.

But right now, sitting in her company, Hunter wasn't wearing his helmet. He stared at her longingly, admiring the way a few baby hairs fell around her face. He also seemed to catch the soft pink tone on her cheeks, but she quickly shielded her face from him behind a piece of paper. The gentle flutter of her heartbeat did not go unnoticed either.

Just then, the door to the office slid open to reveal the other four members of the squad. They had just come back from grabbing lunch in the cafeteria downstairs. They figured, given the quietness over the past couple weeks, that they could afford sneaking down for quick bite to eat. But that had been an hour ago.

"Took you long enough," Hunter huffed. He crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly unamused by their prolonged absence.

"That's because Wrecker kept going back for more food," Echo scoffed.

"It never ends," Wrecker exclaimed with a bright smile on his face. He came around the side of the chair. "They let you take as much food as you want. I haven't been this full in a long time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Y/n smiled at him.

"So," Wrecker clasped his hands together rather loudly. "What's on the docket for today?"

"Nothing," Tech and Y/n replied simultaneously.

"Her schedule is empty," Tech spoke. His nose was buried deep into his data pad.

"No meetings? No speeches?" Wrecker questioned. He seemed rather confused as he felt there was almost always something the senator had to do. But it was only two hours past noon.

"Not really," Y/n shrugged her shoulders. "I initially planned to spend the whole day finishing writing my speech, but now, I'd like to do something else."

"What did you have in mind?" Hunter inquired curiously.

When the senator saw all eyes on her, she felt her nerves go uneasy. She twiddled with the pen in her hands, thinking about what she was about to say. She didn't know if it was such a good idea after all.

"I-I'd like to go out," Y/n confessed timidly.

The room remained silent for a moment. The senator glanced between each of the clones in attempts to read their expressions and predict who was going to speak up first. Sure enough, the sarge was the first one to speak for his brothers. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Out?" Hunter clarified.

"Your speech is in two days," Tech pointed out.

"Shouldn't you prioritize that?" Echo questioned.

"I haven't been able to properly go outside for weeks," Y/n ignored them. She threw her hands up in defeat, resting against the back of her chair. "The most fresh air I get is going between here and my place."

"Do you really think it's a good idea to go out in public? With everything going on?" Echo chimed in.

"Not to mention the fact that you have easily one of the most recognizable faces on Coruscant," Tech pointed out.

"I'd wear a disguise," Y/n replied.

"Really? A disguise," Hunter held back a laugh.

"Believe it or not: I do own civvy clothes," Y/n reassured them.

"I'd pay to see that," Wrecker laughed. He rather forcefully nudged Crosshair who was standing right beside him, but he just shook his head in annoyance.

Trying to ignore his brother's comment, Hunter found himself leaning forward in the seat. He came up with a hypothetical situation. "Say we do go out, what would you even want to do?" Hunter asked her.

"Anything," Y/n sighed. "Just get me out of this office."

For a moment, Hunter contemplated the choice to leave. He averted his gaze to ponder some more. He found feel his brothers gazing at him expectingly, which made him realize just how much they too wanted to get out. The risk was almost too high given that she had a massive target painted on her back.

Sensing how he was leaning more towards a negative response, the senator quickly rose to her feet and rounded the side of her desk. She knelt down on the floor right beside his chair. She placed a hand on his forearm which drew his attention towards it. Her eyes were pleading, begging for a little freedom.

"Twenty credits says he caves," Crosshair said discreetly to his twin standing right beside him.

Before Tech was able to accept the challenge, Wrecker spoke up quietly. "You're on."

To which Tech rolled his eyes. He went back to his data pad.

"Please sarge," Y/n urged. Her other hand went up to trace his fingers gently, coaxing him to watch her intently. She drew small shapes on his palm. Her eyes flickered up to him. "Just for a little while?"

Finally, Hunter began to withdraw his hand away from her in a slow manner. He flexed his hand once or twice to get rid of the feeling of her fingers having just graced him. He refused to look at her.

"Fine," Hunter sighed heavily.

A bright smile grew across her lips. She thought about throwing her arms around him for an embrace, but she figured that she may be overstepping if she did so. Instead, Y/n stood to her feet from her spot. She could barely contain her excitement.

In the background, Wrecker and Tech went to place their twenty credits into Crosshair's expecting hand. Both of them looking rather solemn, but the third was rather pleased with his new change. He pocketed the credits into a pouch.

Before Y/n was able to turn away, Hunter reached out to grab her wrist. The excitement was quickly disappeared from her face. Now she wondered if he'd changed his mind. She went to look down at him, fearful of what he was about to say.

Under his fingers, Hunter felt her pulse growing faster on her wrist and he could hear the thumping of her heart. He wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement coming from her. But he spoke to her to get his point across.

"But if we are doing this, you are gonna do things my way," Hunter's sulky voice ordered. His eyes flickered up to meet hers in a stern glare. "You got that?"

"Yes sir," Y/n gulped.

Upon hearing this, Hunter instinctively tightened his grip on her wrist without realizing it. It drew a small gasp out of her lips which only spurred him on more. Now satisfied with her answer, Hunter began to release his grip on her. He gestured to the side as if to encourage her to keep moving.

As the senator walked away, Hunter redirected his line of attention to his band of brothers standing on the sidelines. He had already come up with a plan to execute this outing.

"Go back to the Marauder," Hunter spoke to the muscles of the group. "We are going to need the old crate."

A few minutes later, Wrecker had returned to the office carrying a massive crate in his hands. He brought it to the center of the room and dropped it on the floor, which resulted in a loud thump. Opening the lid of the crate, Tech began digging through the various items within it. He was searching for something in particular.

Without glancing up, Tech grabbed something black and handed it to Hunter. He strode across the room towards the senator, offering the odd black material to her. She furrowed her eyebrows upon further inspection.

"What is this?" Y/n inquired. She gingerly took hold of the material.

"We call them blacks," Hunter stated.

"And what am I supposed to do with it?"

"Take off your clothes," Hunter explained. Her eyes snapped up to his face, showing the evident look of surprise in her eyes. He finished what he was saying: "And put these on."

Silently, Senator Rayna nodded her head understandingly. She went towards the restroom on the other side of the room, stepping inside and closing the door behind her for privacy.

With Hunter's eyes still locked on the door, Crosshair approached his side. His eyes followed the line of his brother's. He adjusted the toothpick in the corner of his mouth.

"Didn't take you for the flirting type," Crosshair noted. His voice sounded like it was poison in the brother's ear; like it was laced with ill intent.

"I'm not," Hunter spoke firmly without taking his eyes off the door. "Just telling her what to do."

"You're a horrible liar," Crosshair scoffed with a shake of the head. He proceeded to turn away from him and return to his other brothers side by the crate.

Just a moment later, the door creaked open ever so slightly, but it successfully drew the attention of all the clones. They looked up to watch the young senator emerge from the private space. Their eyebrows shot up in slight surprise once she finally stepped into their view.

The blacks were designed to fit any body shape, which meant that the material naturally looked small before one put it on. It was truly a "one size fits all" type of clothing. And boy, did it show.

It fit her body like a black glove. The black material hugged her figure so tightly that it showed every single curve of her body. While to some, it may look incredibly uncomfortable, it was actually one of the softest materials available in the galaxy. It was lightweight, versatile, and rather cheap. Every soldier for the Republic wore blacks under their armor.

Breaking the silence, Wrecker let out a wolf whistle which only brought a swift nudge in the side from Echo. She avoided their gazes expertly, keeping her eyes on the ground. She shuffled across the small stretch, bringing her arms to cross against her chest.

"I-It feels odd wearing just this," Y/n said honestly.

"You'll get used to it," Hunter reassured her, feeling a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Found it!" Tech exclaimed from behind them. The rest of them redirected their attention towards him.

Finally, Tech retrieved a single piece of black armor from the crate. It was a clone chest piece. He held it up for further examination. However, Senator Rayna only furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion once again. She had no idea what he was doing with a piece of armor.

"This will do nicely," Tech stated with a nod. He rounded the side of the crate to offer the chest piece to the senator.

But she initially didn't take it from him, which meant he'd need to explain his motives to her.

"I have taken the liberty of riffling through our old armor crate. Given your physique, I have selected one of Echo's old chest pieces." Tech pushed the chest plate into her hands.

"You want to me put this on?" Y/n questioned.

"That's the plan," Hunter interjected.

"So I look like a clone?"

"So you have protection," Hunter corrected. He raised a single finger to emphasis his words. "Along with a disguise."

"I won't fit in this," Y/n exclaimed. She tried holding up the chest plate to look at it closer, but it was incredibly heavy.

"Which is why I provided you with Echo's piece. He's the smallest," Tech stated as a matter of factly.

"Hey," Echo chimed in, taking offense.

Before the senator was able to protest, Hunter had already taken the chest plate out of her hands and was fitting it over her head. She slipped her arms through the holes on the side. He moved the piece of armor around until it was comfortable resting on her chest.

In the meantime, Tech and Echo began to bring the other pieces over for assembly. They handed each piece to the sergeant who knew exactly where they went on the body. The senator was beginning to feel the armor's weight as the pauldrons were attached to her shoulders.

"It feels quite heavy," Y/n realized.

"That is because it is katarn-class armor, which is much more stronger and more resilient than your typical plastoid clone armor. It will weight approximately 45 pounds once put together," Tech explained as he fitted a spare piece to her side.

"Is this really necessary?" Y/n wondered. She raised her arms upwards as the belt was attached across her waist.

"Provided that this may save your life by deflecting a blaster shot, then yes, I would say it's necessary." Tech shrugged.

"Hunter," Echo redirected. He quickly tossed him another piece from the crate, which he caught without looking.

While distracted by Tech's rambling, she didn't even notice the hands that grabbed her hips and directed her body to turn. She shuffled on her feet until she was fully facing the sergeant. He slowly lowered himself to the ground, getting on his knees in front of her.

For some unknown reason, Y/n felt something ignite within the pit of her stomach at the sight of him on his knees in front of her. She felt his fingers encircle around her ankle, silently encouraging her to lift it up. He fitted the thigh gauntlet through her foot, sliding it up the long length of her leg.

His fingers brushed against the inside of her thigh, which pulled the smallest gasp out of her. The sergeant couldn't contain the sly smirk from tugging at the corners of his lips. He felt her eyes burning into the top of his head, documenting his every move. He secured the piece as tightly as possible before glancing up at her.

She could have sworn she saw his eyes darken.

"Don't give me that look," Y/n begged quietly. She tore her gaze away from the sergeant's captivating eyes in hopes of hiding her blush. She tried to balance on one foot.

"What look?" Hunter teased.

"You know what I am talking about," Y/n insisted with a playful roll of the eyes. He chuckled deeply to himself.

Now moving, Tech shifted in his stance beside her which resulted in her loosing her balance slightly. She stumbled to the side, but she placed her hand on the sergeant's shoulder for better balance. Her hand was desperately close to his neck; so much close that she felt the strands of hair tickling her fingers.

For the time being, Hunter needed to push those feelings down once again. He fought the desire to feel her fingers threaded through his hair and tugging at his locks. He felt a slight flutter in the pit of his stomach, feeling the blood flow shifting south.

A heavy lump in his throat was forming as one of her fingers delicately brushed against the side of his neck where his pulse would be.

Through distractions, Hunter focused on finishing the task at hand. He secured one of the knee pads before moving onto fitting the boot onto her foot. After this, he began working on the other leg, helping her get into each respectable piece until she started to look like a clone trooper.

Upon completion, Hunter began to rise to his feet. He let out a small groan when he felt his knees popping, but he ignored the aching pain. He stood at his full height, towering over her. He held up the final piece into view.

"I'm not wearing that," Y/n stated with the most unamused look on her face.

"It's a codpiece," Hunter explained.

"I know what it is. I am not putting it on," Y/n said with a shake of the head.

"You won't pass as a clone if you're not wearing it," Hunter argued. This wasn’t convincing enough for her. "It would look even weirder if you weren't wearing it."

"He's right," Tech's unwanted opinion came out of nowhere.

"Fine," Y/n grumbled in slight defeat. She stopped him before he could go down on his knees again. She took the codpiece out of his grasp. "But I'll put it on myself."

"As you wish," Hunter gave up easily with hands raised in defense.

Fitting the final piece, Y/n put her hands out to show off her new black clone armor She looked at each of the clones for their thoughts about how she appeared. She most certainly could pass for a clone with the exception of the missing helmet.

"Woah! You look just like us," Wrecker exclaimed with a broad smile on his face.

"That's kinda the point," Crosshair mumbled beside him.

"Not without this," Echo jumped in. He tossed a spare helmet over to her, which she caught awkwardly. She surveyed the helmet, staring down where the eyepiece was.

"Who's helmet is this? Another one of Echo's pieces?" Y/n wondered.

"It's actually one of my old ones," Hunter confessed. He scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh," Y/n nodded. She now saw the resemblance between his old and new helmet. "I see."

Stepping forward, Hunter took the helmet out of her hands. He turned the helmet around and raised it above her head. He lowered it onto her until her face disappeared behind it. He kept his hands on the sides.

"This okay?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah," Y/n's voice came through the modulator. He slowly removed his hands from the helmet, but her gaze remained on him. "Thanks," Y/n spoke softly.

Putting distance between them, Hunter went back to his brothers' side. He rifled through the craft one final time, looking for an old holster for a blaster. He pulled out a regular black one before handing it over to Tech.

"This is the final piece," Tech explained to her. He fitted the belt around her waist so that the holster fell over the side of her thigh.

"A holster?" Y/n questioned.

"For your blaster," Tech said while briefly glancing up at her.

"I don't carry a blaster," Y/n informed him.

"It's just for today. It's all for looks. You won't have to use it," Hunter chimed in. His arms were crossed over his chest.

Next, Tech took one of his own spare blasters out of his backpack. He handed the weapon to her for which she held for a second. She examined the weapon carefully, rotating it. She slid it right into the holster at her side, bringing the disguise to completion.

Upon leaving the main building, the Bad Batch began walking down the street and blended into the crowd of citizens. They made sure to keep their eyes open, realizing that an unexpected attack could occur at any given time. Not only was the senator a target, there was also a high chance that the other members that become recognizable targets for the unknown shooter.

Walking through the crowd, Y/n quickly came to realize how little passing people were looking at them. They still got the occasional glances from some, but that was obviously because of their unique clone features.

The senator and sergeant were currently walking a few steps ahead of the small squad. They picked up their own conversation.

"It's weird being unrecognizable to people in public," Y/n whispered to the sergeant striding beside her. She remembered what she was wearing though.

"Clones are everywhere," Hunter explained to her. "We all look the same so people don't need to look twice at something they've already seen."

"Well, not all of you look the same." Though she was wearing a helmet, he was able to hear the smile in her voice.

"Which is often a downside," Hunter stated. "Because then, people look."

"I'm sorry," Y/n spoke with true sincerity in her tone.

"We didn't ask to be made," Hunter replied. "But our differences...we see them as a bit of a perk. Even though they make us outcasts."

The small group had just managed to round the corner of the street, heading in one direction. The others didn't seem the least bit interested in the conversation. Instead, they focused their attention on their surroundings for added precaution.

"What's it like to have heightened senses? I imagine a place as busy as Coruscant is hard to endure," Y/n took note.

"I've...grown accustomed to it," Hunter hinted. It wasn't just Coruscant that he had grown attuned to.

"I'm sure you'll be glad once it's behind you," Y/n breathed a long sigh.

For a moment, Hunter contemplated her choice of words carefully. While she had redirected her attention back towards the sidewalk in front of her, he found himself staring at her profile.

"Have you ever thought about it?" Hunter inquired.

She glanced up at him. "About what?"

"Leaving this place?" He gestured to the grand skyscrapers.

"Well, this is my home. I was born here and I grew up here. I rarely leave unless for business matters." She seemed to shrug her shoulders. "It's a bit like Kamino for you."

The sergeant remained silent.

"Kamino is your home, is it not?" Y/n pressed. She now peered up at him with curious eyes.

"That's where they made us, trained us." Hunter agreed. His voice grew solemn as he spoke truthfully. "But it's not much like a real home. We spend more time on our ship than we do back there."

"If you did settle down--after the war, where would you go?" Y/n shifted the direction of the conversation in attempts of making it more lighthearted. She waited for his answer patiently.

"Never really thought about it," Hunter shrugged. "Never imagined a life outside the war."

"I'm sure it'll end soon," Senator Rayna often spoke with optimism. "For me, if I were to leave the planet, I'd want to go somewhere quiet."

Hunter released a small chuckle at this. "Coruscant too busy for you?"

"Always moving," Y/n insisted upon it. She watched her foot be placed in front of the other. The two of them grew silent for a moment. That was until she spoke up again: "Maybe there'd be a beach."

"You want to live on a beach?" Hunter wondered.

"I've never been to the beach," Senator Rayna corrected him. She spoke with such a dreamy voice as if she was envisioning it now. "I'd just like to relax in the silence and listen to the waves crashing."

"That does sound nice," the sergeant agreed with a small nod of the head.

"You think it's silly."

"I think it's good to have dreams," Hunter altered.

In that exact moment, Hunter felt her arm brush against his own, which made him realize how close they were walking together. They both lowered their gazes to the ground. They seemed to enjoy the silence between them because it wasn't awkward at all.

Unbeknownst to them, the others had been watching their exchange with curious eyes. However, they weren't really able to hear the conversation clearly. They only heard the senator laughing a few times at something he'd said. All this to say that they looked at one another with the same look on their faces. A face that read: "There is something going on between them."

"I'll take you to the beach one day," Hunter offered quietly.

Her head snapped up to look directly at him. "You would?"

The sergeant nodded his head silently in agreement. He promised her: "Just the two of us."

"I'd like that," Y/n confessed sheepishly.

As the two of them walked alongside each other, their shoulders would occasionally brush together. Barely any words were further exchanged between the two, which resulted in a tender silence falling over them. They each felt this giddy bubbly feeling in the pits of their stomachs.

Ever so gently, Hunter felt the back of his hand graze against hers. This happened a handful of other times as they toured the streets of the city. He tried to see her reaction when it happened through the corner of his eye, but she never pulled away from him.

After a while, Hunter gathered the smallest amount of courage to tease the back of her hand with his pinky finger. He was testing the waters, half expecting it to go rather poorly for him. But he once again found that she remained silent and didn't withdraw from him.

Slowly, Hunter curled that single finger to hook around her own. He held it as gently as possible in fear of breaking it. He waited with a sharp breath held in his chest. But she never pulled away.

Feeling contact only ignited a burning flame in the pit of her stomach, resulting in the heat rising to her face. Her heart began to flutter like a hummingbird's wings and her smile only grew wider under her helmet. She wanted nothing more than to link the rest of their fingers together until they were properly holding hands, but she knew she wouldn't be able to.

For now, Y/n would have to be content with this. And she truly was.

By the time evening had come, Senator Rayna was safely back at her own place. She worked on the finishing touches of her speech, changing a few things to her liking. A sound knock came from her bedroom door and she invited them in without thought.

Naturally, Echo had pushed the door open in a silent manner. He was the only one on duty for tonight, which meant he was stationed at her door for the next couple hours. He held a small pile of papers with his good hand.

"These came for you," Echo explained. He stole a quick glance at the paper on the top.

"Bring 'em over," Y/n encouraged with a wave of her hand. He strode across the room, setting the stack of papers down on the desk beside her speech.

"I'll leave you to it," Echo dismissed himself. He knew that she was close to finishing her speech and would prefer to work alone. He walked back to the entrance of her room, shutting the door behind him. His hand lingered on the handle as he tried to process what he had seen on the top of the pile.

Now alone in the room, Y/n's eyes had shifted to the small stack on her right side. The paper on the top of the pile had red ink that indicated where it came from and it's utmost importance. It was an application form which came from the Coruscant Guard.

The Coruscant Guard had sent this to inform her of available troopers in their rank. This was something that they were unable to offer her a couple weeks ago when she really needed the escort. Now, things had changed.

The only thing she'd need to do was fill out the application for a new escort. The Coruscant Guard would take the time to process her application, eventually sending a new set of guards to accompany her like they had beforehand.

An issue arose with this. If the senator were to receive new guards, that meant her current escort would be transferred. They'd return to the front lines, heading back to the war. She contemplated her next step.

At first, Senator Rayna thought about the small squad that had grown on her the past couple weeks. She figured that they'd probably prefer to return to the war effort. They were much too gifted to be stuck escorting her around the city. Their skills had so much value, guaranteeing success in the war. They'd want her to fill out the application. They could go back to all the action; that's what they liked.

For some unknown reason, Senator Rayna's mindset began to shift into a more selfish one. She told herself how she'd never felt more safe than when this squad was beside her, remembering how the last two guards had been killed protecting her. And she thoroughly enjoyed their company...one more than the rest.

Taking the application in her hands, Y/n made a final decision. She tossed the piece of paper into the drawer of her desk. Without this, the Coruscant Guard wouldn't send a new escort to her aid and the Bad Batch would remain with her in the meantime. This is what she wanted.

CHAPTER FIVE HERE

Taglist:

@justhavingsomefun1 @totally-not-your-babe @jedipoodoo @gyllord @roam-rs @totallyunidentified @redheadgirl @mrcaptainrex @whore-of-many-hot-men @graciexmarvel @qweenrogerina @arcsimper5 @queenofspades6 @cadihyo @jediknightjana @elthoughtzos @lokigirlszendaya

This felt like a longer chapter but I did take out one scene where Hunter helps her take off the armor (lot of sexual tension there). Let me know if I should still post the now deleted scene!

The Emperor of Magic | Part 1

Summary: After years of planning, Kaz finally proposes the heist above all heists to his crew of crows. The crows can't help but see how oddly familiar this heist looks compared to the one they've pulled in the past.

Warning: +18 Warning

Pairing: Kaz Brekker x Fem!Reader

Type: Series

Word Count: 1.8k

Series Masterlist

Each of the crows had been summoned to the boss’s office on the top floor of the club. The door was locked shut and the shades were drawn over the windows. Once the room fell under certain secrecy, Kaz Brekker pulled out the layout of the ultimate heist.

The five crows leaned forward to peer down at the plans. They took a moment to study them carefully, but there was something familiar about this heist. It was almost like...

“Hang on,” Jesper was the first one to notice. “This looks like the Ice Court Heist.”

Kaz chose to say nothing.

“These are the same maps that Wylan drew up,” Matthias said in his thick foreign accent. He placed a single finger on one of the maps.

“And we were breaking out a prisoner who was worth a fortune,” Nina added.

“Kaz,” Inej began. “This is the same heist.”

“Nearly,” Kaz nodded. “But things are different this time.”

“You mean, we won’t be leaving in a tank?” Jesper recalled since the tank was not part of the original plan. 

“I liked the tank,” Wylan commented.

“I mean,” Kaz ignored the initial comment. “It’s different in a few ways. There is a higher risk--”

“Isn’t that lovely?” Nina scoffed. Kaz sent her a glare.

“The person we are breaking out of the court isn’t just an ordinary scientist this time,” Kaz placed his hands on the table to lean forward in his place. “They aren't Grisha, but they are more powerful than them.”

“More powerful than Grisha?” Wylan wondered. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “Is that even possible?” Wylan almost scoffed.

“Like someone more powerful than the Shadow Summoner or the Sun Summoner?” Inej asked cautiously.

There was a long beat of silence. Each crow had turned their heads to look expectantly to the boss. He stared her down.

“Yes,” Kaz said slowly. “More powerful than the both of them combined.”

“But that means...” Inej’s voice trailed off. She was one of the few who knew exactly who he was talking about. “The Emperor is real?” Inej asked horrified. 

The atmosphere of the entire room had changed in a split second. The sound of the stage coach approached could be heard from the street below. The boss went to approach the window. He pulled the shade to the side discreetly to make sure nothing was amiss. The small chandelier in the room swayed from an unknown draft which was only noticed by Matthias and Inej. An eeriness fell over the room. 

“W-what Emperor?” Wylan asked. He glanced between Matthias and Inej as if looking for some kind of explanation because they both seemed disturbed by this. 

“The Emperor of Magic,” Matthias seethed. “Is a wicked demon from the depths of hell.

“They are the only known person who is known to manipulate magic,” Inej said uneasily as if she feared the demon itself was listening in on their conversation.

“Not Grisha,” Kaz reminded them. 

“How are they not Grisha?” Nina wondered. “We basically perform magic.”

“Grisha can only manipulate that which exists already. The Emperor has the ability to create anything out of thin air, manipulate anything or anyone, and destroy anything in their path at will.” Kaz explained.

“So remind me why we are breaking them out?” Jesper asked almost sarcastically because it didn’t seem like a very appealing heist to him.

“Because she is worth nearly 100 million kruge,” Kaz stated. The crows quickly directed their line of attention back to him, because they almost wondered if they had heard him right. But it couldn’t be real since...

“Who in the world has 100 million kruge to spend?” Jesper shrugged his shoulders at the thought.

Kaz smirked to himself. “The King of Ravka, the Queen of Shu Han, and the King of Fjerda.”

Knowing that Matthias was from Fjerda and still quite loyal to his country, Kaz glanced at him through the corner of his eye to watch his reaction. He inhaled sharply upon hearing the name of his king, but he tried not to allow his emotions to get the better of him. Kaz directed his attention elsewhere for now.

“What do you mean?” Inej asked, searching for some kind of explanation. 

The boss proceeded to reach into his coat pocket and pull out a single piece of folded paper. He dropped that piece of paper onto the table to allow the crows to study it as carefully as he did these last few years. Jesper took initiative, taking the piece of paper and unfolding it carefully. He read the document silently, feeling Wylan’s eyes darting between him and the paper.

“Let me get this straight,” Jesper folded the paper to set it down again. “The kings and queen of these fine nations spontaneously decided to get together to sign a treaty regarding what to do with this so-called myth.”

“That's right,” Kaz nodded. 

“I suppose nobody else knows about this then?” Jesper pressed.

“For the past three and a half years, I was the only one who knew about the meeting.” Kaz confessed.

“Where did you find this?” Jesper asked, holding up the paper in his hand.

“In a random vault in the Ravkan palace,” Kaz shrugged his shoulders. Jesper let out a scoff of disbelief, throwing his hands up in the air. “Left a copy so they wouldn’t get suspicious.” Kaz added.

“Of course. Where else would you get it?” Jesper asked sarcastically.

“I still don’t understand,” Inej interjected. “If the kings and queen created this treaty and have her in currently in their captivity, then how are we going to break her out? We can’t just demand that they pay us for her back,” Inej claimed.

“We are going to break her out,” Kaz explained. “We are going to make it look like she escaped.”

“H-How do we do that?” Wylan was the first to speak up, but his voice failed him.

“Once they are informed that she is missing, they’ll put a price on her head for her recapture. We’ll make our way down to Ravka to bring her before the king and demand our price,” Kaz stated simply.

“Say the King of Ravka doesn’t want to pay the 100 million kruge? Refuses to bargain with you. What then?” Nina asked having grown up in Ravka herself.

“Then I threaten to unleash her,” Kaz claimed. The crows inhaled sharply at his comment, feeling insanely unnerved by his seemingly carelessness. “I don’t think she’d be too happy to come face to face with her captor,” Kaz said.

The room fell silent once again. The five crows searched for any flaw in the plan, coming to realize that this plan had probably been rewritten over a hundred times already. It most certainly was the most dangerous heist that they would ever pull off, but they had no idea how they’d be able to do it. 

Each of the crows had turned their heads to looked at one another. They wondered if they were all thinking the same thing. One thing was certain: they all had a look of uncertainty on their face. They didn’t know what would happen, but they were most intrigued by the price tag attached to the heist.

“Alright,” Jesper was the first to speak up. “I’m listening.”

The leader proceeded to go through every single step of the heist, pointing out even the smallest details and every individual role assigned to the crows. The boss had already gone to great lengths to secure additional members to the crew, including men to sail the ship across the sea and a tailor who could alter their appearances so they could actually get into the court without being recognized. It actually looked like it could work. The only problem was...

“Wait,” Jesper interrupted. “You’re telling me that she can’t touch us, see us, or hear us throughout the entire heist.”

“That’s right,” Kaz nodded.

“Otherwise what? She can get into our heads?” Jesper questioned.

“And tear us apart,” Wylan said sorrowfully.

“From the inside,” Inej added. 

“There’s no telling what she’ll do to us if we are compromised,” Kaz confirmed. “The ancient texts say she can see every thought. Some have reported seeing hallucinations under her influence. The very nature of our reality will cease to exist if she gets into our heads,” Kaz replied.

“How do we even protect ourselves then?” Inej asked as if it was merely impossible. 

“She wears a customized straight jacket which prevents her from using her powers. It was made specially by a fabrikator,” Kaz explained. “She is also forced to wear ear, eye, and mouth pieces which prevent her from hearing, seeing, or speaking.”

“Where is she contained?” Nina asked, glancing back down at the map. 

“She’d be kept here,” Matthias pointed to the center of the map where the White Island stood. “In the dungeons to be specific,” Matthias added.

“It’ll be heavily guarded which is why Matthias, Wylan, and I will go in disguised as druskelle,” Kaz informed them.

“Not to be rude but neither of you look anything like Fjerdan,” Matthias almost let out a laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest. It was true though as both Kaz and Wylan were from Kerch.

“Not to worry,” Kaz snarked. “Our tailor will do a fine job altering Wylan and I’s appearance.”

“She’s going to alter you guys?” Jesper asked slightly worried.

“It won’t be permanent,” Kaz reassured him since he knew he’d worry about changing Wylan’s appearance once again. “It will disguise us long enough to get us inside the cell,” Kaz insisted.

“Would it be easier if we were all tailored?” Inej wondered. “That way, if she does happen to see us, she wouldn’t know what our real faces look like.”

“She’d still get into our head,” Kaz shook his head at the notion. “She’d know everything about us: our names, our races, our thoughts. It doesn’t matter what we look like; we are vulnerable to her.”

“How do we get her out if we can’t touch her or talk to her without her getting into our heads?” Jesper pointed out, changing the subject. “I doubt she’ll come willingly,” Jesper scoffed. 

“She’s attached to four heavy chains: two on the sides, one on her front, and one on her back. Each chain is connected to a larger metal cuff around her waist. Those chains keep her centered in the cell and are attached to the solid stone walls. It prevents her from moving around in the cell,” Kaz said slowly. He drew up the plans so they could visualize better.

Each of the crows leaned forward to get a better look at the designs he drew. It showed a faceless figure standing in the center of the room, wearing one large cuff around their waist. Sure enough, the figure was surrounded by four chains attached to the wall. It made more sense now to them.

“We break those chains and escort her out. We don’t touch her, only the chains. No matter what happens...we cannot touch her,” Kaz said to them all.

Kaz went to lean back. They looked at him expectantly.

“If we do...it’ll be the end.”

Author’s Note:

They’ll finally meet her in the next part, but what’s going to happen??? I hope you enjoyed this part of the series.

TAGLIST:

@d34drapunzel @adorawritesalot​ @vixythepixie​ @theghostofshadows​ @lonelywitchv2​ @arcadialine​ @zeeader​ @cleverzonkwombatsludge​ @shara-ne​ @iloveinej​ @ireallydontcareanymorebrooo @mystic-mara​ @missymisha​

@webslinger-holland IS BACK EVERYBODY 😭 am I the only one overly blown away by this 😂 like wHaT?? This made my day y’all 💕omg she’s back 😭💕

All Grown Up | Hunter from The Bad Batch

Summary: Many years after Tantiss and after having settled down in Pabu, Hunter struggles to watch his eldest to go off and join the rebellion. He returns home to the comfort of family awaiting him.

Warning: SPOILERS FROM SEASON 3 FINALE BELOW THE CUT, Omega refers to the reader as her mum (though not biological), mentions of old age, other children are briefly mentioned, slightly suggestive, and just good old fashioned tears

Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader

Type: Oneshot

Word Count: 1.8k

The gleam of the  silvery moon pierced through the dark blue skyline. The cool summer breeze swept through the entirety of the island, caressing wooden chimes hanging outside homes. The crickets were out singing songs to each other. The warm yellow light twinkled in the homes of many who where still awake during the late hours of the night.

With one last look of the island, Omega began making her way across the sandy beaches. She listened to the sound of the waves crashing gently against the shoreline; her shoes leaving prints behind in the sand. A few light breezes swept the loose strands of hair out of her face. She made her way into the lower caves of the island.

Coming up over the rocks, Omega's gaze landed on the spot in which her ship was docked. She neared one of the many generators in the cave, kneeling down and flicking the switch on. The warm light that radiated from the generator brightened her face and signaled the other generators to illuminate the rest of the cave.

A low bark sounded near one of the other generators. She lifted her head and smiled to herself, knowing that it was Batcher calling out to her. She briefly spotted another figure looming and sitting beside the old lurca hound, causing her heart to clench slightly in her chest.

Slowly, Omega made her way over to the both of them. The gangplank of her ship opened to reveal Gonky waiting for her. She rounded the side of the rocks, coming up behind the two.

"Thought you could just sneak off?" Hunter questioned as he stared off towards the entrance of the cave. The corners of his lips tugged into a gentle smile. "Time hasn't dulled all my senses," Hunter reminded her.

She lowered herself to sit down right beside him, watching him carefully with a hint of nervousness behind her eyes. She didn't say anything at first, but she had a feeling he was about to give her one of his famous talks. Sure enough, Omega was right about that.

"Your mother would have woken up worried sick about you, wondering where you’d gone off to this time," Hunter stated. His eyes focused on his hands that where clasped together.

"This shouldn't be a surprise. I talked with mum about this a lot," Omega defended herself.

Her words pained him slightly. In the more recent years, Omega had found herself seeking the advice of her mother more often than him. It had a lot to do with her age; having questions about womanhood that her mother was more than willing to explain. If Omega had gone to Hunter, the conversation would have just turned more awkward than anything. And sometimes, she was afraid to ask him in fear that he'd shoot her down pointblank.

It wasn't a surprise because he had heard some of their conversations late at night when the others had gone to bed. He recalled one conversation that happened just last week. She'd said something along the lines of: "Mum? What were the Clone Wars like?" Her mother proceeded to tell her what it was like to be a field medic during the height of the war. That, despite all the bad things, Y/n had found her purpose in life and wanted to help the war cause by tending to soldiers on the field.

Hunter just really wished she hadn't said that because they wouldn't be here now if she had.

"The Rebellion needs pilots now more than ever," Omega told him. She always had that drive to help others; she was so much like her mother in that way. "I made my choice, Hunter. I want to do more."

"And we want to keep you safe," Hunter countered. He finally turned to look at her. The worry was so evident behind those beaming eyes.

His strong sense of overprotectiveness was starting to show. It almost reminded her of what he used to be like when she was much younger: how he never wanted her to go on missions and how he'd force her to stay behind on the ship. She appreciated his concern, but it wasn't needed now.

"You have, but I'm not a kid anymore." Omega weakly smiled at him. She placed her hand on her chest. "You don't have to worry about me."

He wasn't satisfied with this, slowly turning away once again. He lowered his gaze to stare down at the ground. She continued to watch his movements carefully, wondering what he was thinking about in that moment.

"You're our kid, Omega. You always will be," Hunter said plainly. She smiled at this.

"You’ve got your own kids to worry about now," Omega chuckled slightly. She thought about her three siblings, figuring that they'd be fast sleep in their beds right about now and dreaming about things far beyond this galaxy.

"And you all make me feel like an old man," Hunter huffed with a playful smile.

"Well, you kinda are." Omega teased him by bumping into his shoulder.

When he turned his head towards the light, Omega was able to see just how much time had changed his appearance. His beard had grown out and his hair was sprinkled with grey. She saw the crows feet that bunched around his eyes when he smiled.

He was frail too. He wasn't able to play with his kids as much since last summer when he injured his back. He just moved a little slower now and wasn't able to do any heavy work around the house. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since they settled on Pabu all those years ago.

Pabu was home. Omega had grown up here. His other kids were born on the island. His family and his life was here. He wanted nothing more than to keep it that way. But Omega was moving onto newer things.

"Hunter," Omega sighed. She scooted a little closer to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You've all fought enough. This...is my fight. I'm ready."

Slowly, Omega rose to stand to her feet. He watched her move away from him with so much worry and concern in his eyes. He now realized that she wasn't his little girl anymore. She was all grown up and ready to have adventures of her own.

"Yeah. I know you are," Hunter sighed to himself. His lips curved into a soft smile. He shook his head slightly. "But I'm not."

Now, Hunter stood to his feet in a slow manner. His strength wasn't like it used to be. She didn't hesitate to step forward and embrace him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin against her shoulder. When they pulled away, Omega placed her hands on his shoulders. She sent him a warm encouraging smile.

"Say goodbye to the others for me," Omega requested. She didn't need to give names because he knew she was talking about her brothers, her siblings, and her mother. He gave a single nod of the head before gesturing towards her ship.

"Off you go," Hunter had finally let her go.

By the time Hunter had gotten home, he was little surprised to see one of the lights on from his view on the street. He climbed the steps of the porch, opening the door as quietly as possible so he didn't wake the kids. His gaze landed on the familiar figure sitting in one of the living room chairs. He closed the door behind him.

"Hey," Hunter called out softly. He took a few strides towards her, kneeling down beside the armchair. He gently grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "How come you're still awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Y/n scolded him slightly. There was a twinge of annoyance in the tone of her voice. "I wake up to an empty bed and a daughter missing."

"Ah, yes. About that..." Hunter's voice trailed off. He quickly avoided her gaze and wondered how he was going to break the news to his wife. But his silence gave it away.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Y/n said rather sorrowfully.

He nodded silently in response. He fought against the tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes, but the light from the lamp illuminated them perfectly. She went to cup his cheek and sent him a weak smile.

"It was bound to happen some day," Y/n tried to reason with him. She shook her head at the notion. "She couldn't stay your little girl forever."

"No," Hunter agreed. "She couldn't. She's all grown up now."

Ever so slowly, Hunter rose to his feet alongside her. He took her spot in the chair before gently guiding her down to sit in his lap. He went to drape her legs over his lap and have them hang over the side of the chair. She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned down to rest her head against his shoulder. He cradled her gently in his grasp.

The two parent's gazes fell on the wall where each of their children's height had been marked over the years to show their growth. There were countless tallies and dates, including both of his brothers' and the lurca hound's. They studied each mark as a reminder of how much each of their kids had grown over the years.

But Hunter's sights were stuck on a rather faded mark on the wall. He remembered the day like it was only yesterday. He loved seeing how excited Omega was to have her height marked on the wall; how Omega tried to stand as tall as she could while he used a pencil to mark it. Then, seeing over the years, her tallies had grown until she was basically his height.

"They're all growing up so fast," Y/n said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Maybe it's our sign to have another one," Hunter joked. She sent him a warning glare so he pressed a little further. "Come on. The littlest ones about five years old now. We're due for another."

"I told you I am done having babies. We've had three; that's a good number," Y/n swiftly shut down the idea of having another little one. She could think of a million reasons why that wouldn't pan out great. "We're getting too old for this. And with your bad back..."

"I know. I know. You don't have to remind me," Hunter chuckled softly, just loving how flustered she had gotten while talking about having a kid again. He pressed a gentle kiss to her check to calm her nerves.

The two of them swayed slightly in the rocking chair, basking in each other's presence. Their eyes set on the wall. The house's memories over the years came flooding back to them. The children's laughter was an ever present sound that brought the purest form of joy.

Their eldest daughter was all grown up now and out of the house. They remembered every single memory they made with her over the course of the past couple years. She had drastically changed their lives, but all for the better. And they wouldn't change a single thing.

LITERALLY AM OBSESSED WITH THAT FINAL SCENE OF OMEGA AND HUNTER. HAD TO WRITE MY OWN VERSION AND I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

Over Dramatic | Tom Holland

Summary: The heavily pregnant reader gets a little over dramatic when things don’t go her own way when making a special meal for their anniversary dinner.

Warning: Like…a few swear words

Pairing: Tom Holland x reader

Type: Oneshot

MASTERLIST

This was the day of their five year anniversary. She wanted to do something special for her husband and father to her future child. She stare down at the instructions in her cook book and followed them step by step. She had never been too good at cooking.

Between Tom filming in Atlanta for Infinity War and him finishing up the press tour for Spiderman: Homecoming, Y/N rarely ever got to see him. But alas, he promised he would be home for their special five year anniversary.

The thought of being able to be with Tom in just a few hours, excited Y/N. She wanted everything to be perfect for his arrival. She called Harrison, Tom’s best mate, and asked him to pick up Tom from the airport while she prepared everything back home. She set up a nice candle lit dinner and was planning on making his favorite dish.

“Add…one cup of oil,” Y/N read from the book, glancing between the book and the dish. She followed the instructions precisely and when she was done, she carefully put the casserole dish into the oven and set a time.

She wiped her hands clean on her apron, her hands brushing over the small baby bump. She made her way into the living room and flopped down onto the couch. Y/N glanced at the clock and made a mental note in her head that the dish needed to be ready before seven.

She had been running all over town today, picking up the ingredients for the dinner and the decorations. So it was no surprise that she fell asleep instantly. She was not awoken by the sound of the oven timer going off, but by the smell of smoke.

Y/N’s eyes snapped open and she sat up immediately. “Oh shit,” she raced into the kitchen, now seeing the smoke leaking from the oven. She opened the oven and the kitchen was quickly over taken in smoke. With mittens on both hands, she reached inside and grabbed the dish, pulling it out and threw it on top of their stove. “Shit,” she cursed to herself, now staring at the burnt meal.

She kicked the oven door and immediately regretted it. She clutched her foot in pain as she felt tears cloud her vision. Then she remembered:

“The pudding!” She raced over to the refrigerator and threw the door open. She scrunched her nose in disgust before reaching in and pulling out the so called ‘vanilla pudding.’

She had been craving it recently and asked her mother for the recipe. When making it though, it was suppose to turn solid. And now here it lay, liquidized in her sink.

“Shit, Tom’s gonna kill me,” she muttered before pouring the pudding down the drain. As if things couldn’t get any worse, she heard the sound of glass shattering from the dinning room.

She raced over into the dinning room and gazed at the catastrophe in front of her. Tessa, Tom’s dog, held the corner of the table cloth in her mouth and was slowly pulling it backwards, resulting in the dishes sliding off the table and onto the floor.

“Tessa. Stop,” she begged. When she took a step forward, Tessa bolted, dragging the entire setting with her. The sound of all of Y/N’s dishes, crashing to the floor. “No,” she choked back a sob.

She made her way back to the kitchen and opened the wine cabinet. Just her luck, it was empty. Tom had advised her not to drink anything while pregnant, saying it could ‘hurt the baby.’ But now she was desperate. Nothing had gone her way and Tom would be home in a few minutes.

Y/N lean against the countertop and let herself sink to the floor. She hugged her knees and cried to herself. She didn’t even hear the sound of their apartment door opening nor the sound of Tom calling for her.

When Tom walked into the kitchen, he saw his loving wife in a different position on the floor. She lay on her back, against the cool tiles. Her arms and legs spread out as she cried loudly.

“Darling? What’s wrong?” She kicked she right foot slightly in a fit. “Come on, love. Use your words.”

“N-Nothing w-went as planned tonight,” she cried.

“What do you mean by that, love?”

“I was g-going to cook y-your favorite meal but instead, I burnt it,” Tom stepped over her leg and passed the doorway. He went over to stand near her head and he just so happened to look into the sink.

“What’s this junk in the sink?” When hearing the nickname for her food, she cried even louder.

“It was suppose to be pudding,” Tom raising his eyebrows at her. She brought her hands up and covered her face with them. “I’m such a failure. I wanted tonight to be special and instead, I ruined it.”

Tom knelt down and cupped her tear stained cheek. “Hey, now. Don’t think negative. I’m sure we have something else in this house that we can eat.”

“B-But I wanted for you to h-have a good home cooked m-meal for once. You’ve been working so hard recently. You deserved this and I screwed it up. I am suppose to be a good h-housewife. I am suppose to cook for you. I’m suppose to take care of you,” she sobbed, gazing up into his big brown eyes.

“Well, darling. Nobody’s perfect,” he said, shaking his head. “And you do take care of me, more than you think.”

“How?”

“Well…you keep me going every day you’re not with me. You take care of my parents and brothers for me when I am not around. You,” he gently placed his hand on top of her stomach. “You’re taking care of our child. You’re carrying life!”

Y/N let out a small laugh and sniffed up her tears. Tom brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and continued:

“You are the most amazing, talented, and most beautiful woman I have ever met. I owe you everything,” he praised. He laced his arm around her shoulder and pulled her up into a sitting position.

Tom leaned back against the cupboards and pulled Y/N into his lap. Her forehead tucked into the crook of his neck and her legs draped over his. He rubbed her back with one hand and cradled her thigh in the other. He turned his head and pressed a gently kiss to her head.

“I love you so much. You literally have no idea,” he smiled. Y/N giggled slightly and nuzzled her face deeper into his neck, placing a kiss at the base of his neck.

“I love you too.”

“Happy Anniversary, love.”

THIS WAS MY FIRST TOM HOLLAND FANFICTION. IT IS NOT EDITED IN THE SLIGHTEST BIT SO PLEASE ENJOY THE CRAPPY WRITING! THANK YOU!!!

The Royal Family | Chapter Six

The Royal Family | Chapter Six

Summary: When two royal family’s decide to conjoin their countries, they arrange a marriage between their eldest children. Once the two future royals meet, it takes a lot of convincing before they are ready to begin their reign together…

Warning: mentions of death, slight depressing themes

Pairing: Tom Holland x reader

Type: The Royal Family Series

MASTERLIST

The air was silent. Darkened gray smudges of cloud threateningly surrounded the sky; like a predator would stalk its prey. A startling low rumble rang loud in the cool fall air, the sky roaring with satisfaction. A sense of cleanliness caresses the atmosphere, washing away all impurities. A dense earthly sweet smell rises from the ground, enveloping everything within its soft embrace. The skies suddenly settle, as if it were comforted, coaxed even. The fluffy smudges don’t part completely - although the sun peeks out timidly- and rather look like its preparing for an even more vicious round.

Earlier in the day, the casket of the eastern king had been paraded through the streets of his former kingdom. It had been accompanied by an army of soldiers wearing their uniforms. The flag of the kingdom was gracefully placed over the casket and a grand bouquet of marvelous flowers rested on top. 

The people flooded the streets to watch. Many brought bouquets of flowers and placed them at the gates of the palace as a form of respect. As the casket passed through the streets, there were some crying in the audience. Others wiped away their tears silently with their handkerchiefs. It was a day of mourning. 

The bell tower was scheduled to ring every hour of the day for the next week to commemorate the long life of the king. The casket was now making its way towards the abbey which was located in the capital city of the country. It was hundreds of miles away from any of the four kingdoms, situated right in the center of the country. 

This was where he would finally be laid to rest forever. His only offspring stood at the door of the abbey, watching the six men carry the casket through the doors. 

The princess was dressed in a heavy black dress. She also wore a black veil to conceal her face and to make sure nobody saw her tear stained cheeks. The eastern kingdom now belonged to her as a form of her inheritance. When she weds, her kingdom was to merge with the northern kingdom based on the contract that was signed months prior. 

In the abbey, the casket was formally placed into the ground. The hall was filled with the bodies of previous kings from all four kingdoms. The princess turned to read some of the headstones lining the walls. She made note of her grandfather’s headstone, reading his name quietly in her head. She almost wondered how many of Thomas’s relatives laid to rest here. 

Once the casket was fully hurried, the stone seal was placed over top of it. The priest said one final prayer. Once the priest said “amen”, the princess moved to step forward in her place. She knelt on the ground and placed her hand on the stone to say her final goodbye. A single tear fell from her face. 

After a minute or so, the princess stood to her feet and swiftly moved to leave the abbey. Her future husband quickly went to catch up with her, but his father caught his shoulder and stopped him from casing after her.

“Give her some space. She desperately needs it,” King Dominic responded. His son gave a single nod of the head. 

“How soon are we to depart to the northern kingdom?” Prince Thomas wondered. He looked at his father with a slightly worried look on his face. He didn’t want to force his fiancée to leave her homeland, but they were getting married soon and they needed to stay on schedule.

“We leave at dawn,” the King of the North said swiftly. He went to leave the presence of his eldest son, heading towards the entrance of the abbey. 

In the carriage ride back to the eastern kingdom, the princess was looking solemnly out the window. She hadn't any need to speak up and she allowed no more tears to fall from her eyes. Yet, her heart felt so heavy with grief. 

“How are you feeling, my love?”Thomas wondered. He went to lace his arm around her shoulders, pulling her more into his side. 

The princess sniffled up her tears and reached up, whipping her eyes with her hand. She shrugged her shoulders and looked away, avoiding eye contact with her lover. He rubber her arm reassuringly, gazing down at her with kind eyes.

“Come here,” Thomas said. The princess sat up and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his strong figure. His arms enveloped around her small body, holding her closely to his chest. He reached up and brushed her hair down, soothing her into a form of contentment. 

The princess gripped onto his shirt tightly, sobbing into his chest. Her salty tears stained his shirt, soaking through the material. He held her in his embrace, soothing her with his encouraging words.

“There, there. It’s going to be alright,” Thomas said softly.

“H...He was all I had left. H-He was the only family I e-ever had. I’m an orphan now. I’m all alone,” she said. Her voice was shaky and unstable, coming out in short spurts due to her hiccups.

The prince tilted his head to the side and ran his hand down her back, rubbing reassuringly. She stifled up her tears, pushing them away.

“In a way, we should be celebrating. We should not be grief-stricken. There is sorrow and distress in our hearts. We need to replace it with happiness and joy. Your father is in a better place now. He is happy, he is safe. There is no need to worry about him. He has reunited with your mother now,” Thomas said while looking down at her.

“Do you think he suffered?” The princess asked in a low whisper. The prince turned his head and looked down at her with concerned eyes. He shook his head in denial.

“No, darling. I have reason to believe that he passed away in his sleep. He didn’t feel any pain. He didn’t feel any suffering. He went away peacefully,” the prince continued. He was not entirely sure if his accusation was correct.

The princess stared off into the distance, pondering on his words. She turned her head and looked out the window, seeing the darkened sky raising high above the mountains. The bright silver moon was high in the sky, shining a light down on earth. It was late.

“Tomorrow,” Thomas said, moving slightly. “We will be leaving for the northern kingdom in the morning.”

The prince tilted his head to the side and looked down at her. He reached down and pressed his fingers against her chin, raising it so that he could gaze into her eyes. They looked at each other with such sadness in their expressions. He shook his head slightly, denying her words.

“You are not alone,” he whispered. “You’ll never be alone. I’ll always be there for you. No matter what,” Thomas confirmed. She swallowed thickly, but nodded her head in confirmation. He pulled her closer to his chest, resting his chin on her head as she sobbed quietly into his chest.

The prince was humming to himself, hoping to ease the princess into contentment. His soothing voice was calming and relaxing. Her crying dialed down as she listened to the sound of his thumping heartbeat. The tears staining her cheeks were no longer flowing. They had come to a halt.

“My love,” Thomas said. “Just think, in a few short months, we shall be married. How exciting is that? Are you not looking forward to that?” 

The princess listened to his soft words, pressing her ear against his chest to listen to the sound of his heartbeat. She lifted her head to gaze into his eyes. She cracked a small smile, nodding her head in agreement.

“I suppose I am quite excited to be getting married,” the princess stated. “But there is still so much to do,” she sighed.

“Well, I am quite certain my mother will be more than willing to help you out with that.” Thomas chuckled softly.

“I can’t wait to meet your mother. Your father speaks so highly of her,” the princess recalled. 

“I can’t wait to see her as well. It’s been so long,” Thomas said. The carriage began to pull up to the entrance of the palace. The two young royals stepped out of the carriage and began climbing the grand steps to the entrance. 

The two of them made their way through the hallways of the palace, heading back to the princess’s quarters. She waltzed inside in her room, throwing her veil and gloves onto a nearby chair. She flopped down on her large bed and breathed a heavy sigh.

The young prince moved to the side of her bed, lowering himself to sit down at her side. He smiled down at her and moved to brush some hair out of her face.

“Now, I believe that your servant has packed all of your belongings safely. In the morning, I will come and wake you up when it is time to start getting ready,” Thomas said.

The prince stood to his feet and looked down at the young woman. He reached down and cupped her face with his hand, holding it gently in his grasp. His lips curved into a soft smile as he gazed down into her beautiful eyes.

“Get some rest, my love. We have al long journey tomorrow,” Thomas said. He turned to leave and walk away, but the princess stopped him. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from leaving her room. He looked back at her. 

“Please stay with me,” the princess begged. Her voice was just below a whisper. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. The prince shook his head in denial, knowing it would be considered inappropriate to stay in an unmarried woman’s quarters for the night.

“You know I can’t,” Thomas said while shaking his head.

“Please,” she spoke softly. He couldn’t resist her big beautiful eyes begging him to stay with her. He dropped his head back and breathed a small sigh of defeat. She simply hoped he would stay for a little while.

“I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep,” Thomas concluded. The princess nodded her head and laid down in bed, bringing the covers over her shoulders. She snuggled in the warmth of the bed, closing her eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. The prince sat back down on the bed, playing with her hair to sooth her into a peaceful sleep.

As the prince was running his fingers through her long hair, the princess drifted into a calming sleep. Her pink lips parted softly as she breathed steadily. The prince smiled down at her. She was finally asleep.

The prince stood to his feet and looked down at her. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her head, kissing her goodnight. He walked towards the door of her quarters, opening the door to let himself out. The servant was waiting in the hallway. She needed to go back inside to help finish with the packing.

The prince raised his finger to his lip, mentally telling the servant to be extra quiet since the princess had just fallen asleep. The woman nodded her head understandingly. She tipped her head in acknowledgment before entering the quarters, closing the door behind her quietly.

The prince laced his arms behind his back before walking down the corridors of the palace. He walked back to his room, hoping he would get a good night’s rest before the long journey in the morning.

The bright morning sunlight streamed through the nearly empty palace, brightening even the darkest corner. The servants were rushing around the palace, packing away some last minute things before the royals were to leave the palace for a good long time. Some hall boys carried the heavy trunks down the stairs, bringing them outside to be tied to the back of the carriages.

The furniture in the palace was to stay there. The palace would be forgotten, abandoned in more specific cases. The king of the north believed it could be auctioned off to the highest bidder whether it be from a distant king or a king who lived in their midst. Nobody was to live in the palace at the time though.

Some of the servants were to move to the northern kingdom to be of service in the new palace. However, certain servants had to be let go due to the fact that the other palace already had someone to fill in their place. It was a saddening thought. Nevertheless, the princess gave each of them a good report so that they should have no trouble in finding some suitable work. They were grateful to say the least.

The two younger princes walked around the carriages. Technically, the engaged couple were not allowed to be in the same closed carriage, but they were allowed to if they had a chaperon with them. The eldest prince invited his two younger brothers to accompany them on the journey, essentially becoming their chaperons. 

The other single carriage had been designated for the king. The other four carriages were for hauling the servants and their own personal belongings. More trunks would make the journey later in the week. They were not essential to make the first journey though.

“That’s the last of it,” one of the servants said, patting the side of the last trunk with his hand. The two young princes turned their heads and looked towards their older brother, wondering if he was about ready to leave.

“Thomas? Are we ready to depart?” Sam wondered.

“In a moment,” Thomas said with a small nod of the head. “I’ll be right back,” Thomas promised.

He turned around and walked towards the palace, entering through the grand doors. He tilted his head to the side as he caught side of his betrothed standing at the bottom of the staircase. 

The princess was dressed in her traveling attire. Her long silver dress fitted her body nicely. The dark blue coat was wrapped tightly around her was it with a single black button holding it together near the neckline. The coat was long, the hem of the coat resting less than a foot higher than the dress itself. The princess wore a matching hard bonnet, secured underneath her chin with a big black bow. The black traveling gloves went no higher than her wrist, keeping her hands from getting dirty.

The princess had lifted her head and gazed at the tall ceilings of the palace. She reached forward and ran her hands over the polished railing to the stairs, thinking of all the memories she shared in the palace. This was her home. This was were she was raised. 

“I was born here,” the princess said. She was admiring the beauty of the palace. The prince made sure to glance at some of his surroundings. “I thought that since I was born here, I would die here eventually,” the princess admitted.

“Times are changing,” Thomas said solemnly.

“Indeed, they are.” The princess turned around and looked up at the prince standing in front of her. His lips lifted into a weak smile, knowing that leaving the palace was not going to be easy for her. “But I am going someplace better,” the princess said with a short nod of the head.

The princess went to take a single step forward. Once they were close enough, the princess did not hesitate to grab his hand in her own. She brought it closer to herself, gripping it tightly. He looked down into her eyes.

“I am going to my new home where I will marry the man I love and where we will be able to raise a family together,” the princess said with a small smile on her face. The prince seemed to furrow his eyebrows together in slight confusion.

“You are not upset that you are leaving?” Thomas wondered.

“Why should I be? I have no future here, but I do have one with you. I don’t care where I am, just so long as I am with you,” the princess stated. Her lips curved into the most soft and sweet smile. 

The prince couldn’t hid the smile on his face, mirroring her reaction. He dipped his head down so that their lips could brush together. He kissed her so softly and so lovingly.

“If you two are done sucking each others’ faces off,” a familiar voice said. The couple was quick to pull away from each other. The two of them almost glared at the young prince standing in the doorway. “The carriages are ready. We should get going if we are to reach the northern kingdom by nightfall,” Prince Harry suggested.

“We will be right there,” Thomas replied. The prince went to wrap his arm around the princess, pulling her into his side. He quickly glanced down at her. “Shall we go?” Thomas suggested.

“We shall,” the princess said with a broad smile on her face. The couple walked out of the palace, looking over their shoulder to make sure they remembered everything. They boarded the carriages, sitting right beside each other on the plush leather seats. The two chaperons went to sit across from them.

The two horses began pulling each carriage slowly, moving away from the grand entrance of the palace and trotting down the long gravel road. The princess leaned forward and looked around her lover beside her. She stole one last glance at the place she called home. Her fiancé gave her hand a small squeeze, mentally reassuring her that everything was going to be alright. She watched the palace become smaller and smaller until it disappeared from the distance. 

“Goodbye,” whispered the princess.

The palace located in the northern kingdom was currently bustling with absolute chaos. There were servants hurrying around the place, carrying centerpieces and brand new folded linens. They were trying to get the palace prepared for the arrival of the new royal and future queen of that kingdom. 

The current queen was the head of operations at the palace. Her three eldest sons had now been gone for nearly a year. The king had come back occasionally for business matters. However, it was essential that the eldest prince and the single princess be bound to the promise of matrimony before they were to return home. Now that it was settled and there was a ring on her finger, the princes were free to return back home and the princess would be coming with them. 

Now Queen Nicola was ordering her servants around the palace, wanting everything to look absolutely perfect for the return of her boys. The maids were ordered to get the bedrooms ready, changing the sheets and opening the curtains. The hall boys were carrying and organizing the trunks that arrived earlier that day. The footmen were getting the dinning hall ready for lunch by setting out the finest china. The cooks were working diligently in order to get all the food ready.

The queen approached a tall wooden table near the entrance of the castle. She fussed with the bouquet of flowers sitting on top of the table, rearranging the bouquet to the best of her ability. She didn’t seem too happy with how it was looking. 

“Everything seems to be in order, your Majesty.” The housekeeper announced. “Is there anything else you require?” She wondered.

“Do check the bedrooms. Make sure the maids got everything done,” Queen Nicola suggested.

“Of course,” the housekeeper quickly curtsied and dismissed herself from the queen’s company.

“Mama!” A small voice echoed through the large foyer of the palace. The queen immediately turned her head towards the grand staircase, spotting her youngest son standing at the top of the stairs.

“Yes, Paddy?” Queen Nicola called.

“When are they coming?” Paddy wondered. He began to run down the grand staircase, jumping to miss the last three steps. He landed so firmly on the ground that it made such a sound.

“My dear, how many times have I told you not to run down the stairs?” Queen Nicola wondered. She leaned down to be more at his height. She reached out to grab his arms in attempts to hold him still.

“Too many,” Paddy mumbled to himself.

“Exactly,” Queen Nicola pointed out. “They should be here any minute.”

As if on command, the sound of horses trotting along the gravel pathway and the sound of the carriage being pulling streamed in the distance. The carriages had finally arrived at the castle after spending hours on the road. 

“They’re here! They’re here!” Paddy called loudly. He pulled himself out of his mother’s grasp, hurrying towards the front door to meet his three elder brothers and his father. 

The queen quickly ordered all of the servants back into the main foyer of the palace. She had them line up and stand at attention to greet the royals from their journey. The butler and housekeeper stood near the entrance since they were basically in charge of all the servants. 

By the time the first carriage pulled up, Paddy was already reaching to pull open the door. He was basically bouncing on the heels of his feet, watching Sam and Harry get out of the carriage. He was immediately taken into his two elder brother’s arms. They put him in a headlock and rubbed his hair violently.

Behind them, Thomas stepped out of the carriage. He lifted his head to glance at the place he called home. He smiled to himself for he felt so relieved to finally be home after so many long months. He was quick to turn back towards the carriage, offering his hand to his now fiancée.

The princess gladly took his hand so she could step out of the carriage. She took her time to admire the beauty of the palace, feeling a broad smile stretching across her face. 

The king made his way to the grand open doors of the palace. He went to greet his wife by giving her a solid kiss on the lips. His twin boys came up behind him. They both went to kiss their mother on the cheek to greet her. She cooed at both of them for she was thrilled that her boys were home. She fussed over them and insisted that they had gotten taller, which they reassured her that they hadn’t.

After the little family reunion, Queen Nicola finally turned to look at her eldest son and his soon to be wife. She was quick to step forward and grabbed the young princess’s hands. She took her time to admire her. 

“You must be Y/N,” Queen Nicola concluded with a broad smile on her face.

“Your majesty,” the princess said. She did not hesitate to curtsey while bowing her head in respect. 

“I’ve heard so many great things about you from Thomas’s letters,” Queen Nicola said. “And I am so pleased to finally have another woman in the palace. I find that I am always outnumbered,” Queen Nicola chuckled.

The princess also seemed to laugh at her comment. It was quite understandable since the queen had four sons of her own and not one single daughter. She would soon have her very own daughter-in-law and the queen was quite elated.

“Now, let me introduce you to the servants.” Queen Nicola shifted to stand beside the princess, lacing her arm together with hers. “These are all the servants. They will be of service to you. Anything you need, you just ask them,” Queen Nicola gestured to all the servants.

The women who were servants curtsied and the men who were servants bowed their heads in respect to the princess. The princess acknowledged them with a small nod of the head. She sent them all a warm smile.

“Well, we should get you settled in. You must be exhausted from your journey,” Queen Nicola added. At this point, the conversation didn’t seem to be anywhere near close to an end. The queen was simply delighted. 

“I am a little tired,” the princess confessed.

“Very well. You shall rest before we are summoned for dinner,” Queen Nicola said with a firm nod of the head. “Once you are all settled in, then we can talk about wedding planning,” Queen Nicola sent her a small wink.

The queen began to lead their new guest towards the grand staircase with the desire to bring her to her new room. The eldest prince was left to stand in the middle of the foyer. He turned to glance at some of his familiar surroundings. He took a deep breath. It felt so good to be home.

Hi Love! Im so happy that your back and I hope your doing well; I remember being obsessed with the Royal Family series. It was by far the best royal!tom AU I can't wait to read it again and I just hope your happy and sending you bunch of love💖💖💖

Thank you so very much! I am doing so much better now that I am out of recovery, which only took like a year. I am excited to keep writing the story by making it better and adding more scenes. 

The Royal Family | Sneak Peek

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Prince Thomas wondered.  He was quick to drop down to her side. He had lifted his hand to hover over her body, checking for any exterior signs of injury. But he wouldn’t touch her without permission.

The princess had lifted her hand towards the front of her face, roughly brushing her hair out of the way. She didn’t seem to tear her dress (thankfully), but the silky material was absolutely drenched in wet mud. She could feel this sharp white pain in her ankle. She whimpered softly to herself for the pain was growing stronger with each passing second.

"M-My ankle. I must have twisted it," Princess Y/N groaned. She had gripped onto the skirt of her dress, maybe hoping that it would relieve her pain. The prince turned his head and looked in the direction of her feet. He directed his gaze back to her, choosing his next words very carefully.

"Mind if l have a look at it?" Prince Thomas questioned. 

The princess turned her head to stare directly at him in disbelief. She had half expected to find this smug look on his face, but she was greeted by this look of innocence instead. He was joking or teasing her. He was being serious. He was staring down at her with the utmost look of worry and concern in his bright brown eyes. 

It was not proper to have some boy looking underneath a woman's skirt, especially if she was unmarried. If a woman lifted her dress to show her ankle, it was considered very provocative. It was even worse since it was a flirtatious practice to gain attention or arouse interest. It would be deemed as indecent. It was a scandalize thought.

She wouldn’t dare...

COMING VERY SOON