How they became friends, Karlie didn’t even remember the moment. All she knew is that from the very first time that she and Witney spoke, that they were gonna be best friends forever. Life kept splitting them away, she was in Dallas, and Witney in LA, and they could manage with that. But when she married Alex and moved to Montreal, that’s when things got tricky. With three kids, one couldn’t really travel much to see aunt Witney, and when she started popping out her own, it was just... Too much. Texting every day, Skyping twice a week, taking obligatory girl vacations together, they did it all, but it still felt like something was missing. And that something came in the form of Mr. Alex Galchenyuk getting traded to the Dallas Stars. And Karlie was probably more excited than Wit and Chucky themselves.
They helped with the moving, they all came together, and Karlie and her best friend were finally together all the time. She had made Witney the godmother of her second daughter, Jamie, and in return, she was now the godmother of beautiful Nolan, Witney’s first child, and with the twins coming, the model was so happy she could burst. They had arranged a playdate together for the kids, so after strapping all of them in the car and driving the very close distance, she got all the kids out, picking Hunter up in her arms and holding onto Jamie’s hand, and walked towards Wintey’s front door. “Knock on the door please, Teddy” She asked her daughter, now ten, and so she did “Aunt Witney, open the door! It’s me and mom and Jamie and Hunter!” She listed off the names and then beamed proudly at her mom, who did the same right back down at her. @witneycarson
Karlie hadn’t seen Taylor in forever. It had been around, what, five years, and her best friend was still taking the world by storm, and she had no idea how. People grew up, but Swifties seemed to be around, everywhere in the world. Luckily for her, tour was over now, so the model had time to hang out with her and just have fun sleepovers once again. Karlie hadn’t been over to Taylor’s flat in forever, it felt. With the whole breakup with Tyler, she had preferred either staying home or just jetting off to Europe. Paris, England, Spain, they had always been places that reminded her of her younger years, when she was unattached and only focused on work. But now she was back, and probably never this eager to see her friend again. Paying the short cab fare, the blonde ran out of the cab and up the steps. The doorman already knew her, so there was no point in ringing up. The elevator lift was spent fidgeting and smiling so broad her cheeks hurt, and she sprinted again as soon as she heard the bell ding, towards Taylor’s door, knocking on it.... Or pounding “Taylor Swift open this door right now!” She yelled, not really minding the neighbours at all.
Isaac was honestly so surprised that he had gotten that text from Jagger today, he thought after everything that happened that Jagger wouldn’t want anything to do with him but obviously, he was wrong. And Isaac would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy getting that text, he missed that. He missed having Jagger’s name pop up on his phone with some goofy text, or having a phone call from him. Hell, he really just missed the older man in general and had for over three years. It seemed bizarre to him that he had actually been gone away for three years, that he and Jagger hadn’t spoken in three years. When they used to speak all the time. He was nervous to say the least, he didn’t know what to expect from this visit. He didn’t know if he’d be excited, or nervous, or even overly emotional, he hadn’t seen him in so long and this... it was something that Isaac wasn’t really prepared for, but he needed to see him. He wanted to see him, he wanted to talk to him in person, to hug him, to just actually know that he was still here and that he didn’t just fall off the face of the Earth.
After he showered he called a cab since he didn’t have his car here, and Isaac even dressed up just a little. He took nearly thirty minutes trying to figure out what to wear. He wanted to make an impression, he wanted to show Jagger that even though he had been nearly miserable without him, that he could still look damn good. So he decided to go with a polka dot printed button up shirt, it was a navy blue with white dots, short sleeved and had a collar, along with a pair of white Chino pants and his brown leather flip flops. He double checked how he looked in the mirror, more than once and then took in a deep breath and finally decided to just go. He grabbed his phone and hotel key and made his way out of the hotel and into the cab. Giving the man directions, Isaac could feel his heart racing the closer they got to the apartment. This was bringing back so many memories and Isaac already felt himself getting emotional. Despite everything, Isaac never fell out of love with Jagger, he was his first love, and Isaac was his first love, and that was something Isaac couldn’t just brush off.
And within twenty minutes, they were pulling up to the apartment building. Isaac paid his cab fair and then stepped out and just stood outside the building for a moment and looked up to the window where he knew his old home used to be and where the man that he had missed so terribly was at that moment. He couldn’t believe that he was here right now, his future had Jagger in it, but that all changed and now he was only visiting him, rather than coming home to him. He took a few more deep breaths and then finally made his way inside and up to their apartment door. He nipped his lip and then closed he eyes for a moment. ‘It’ll be fine’ he said softly and under his breath. Isaac rose his hand and made himself knock a couple of times before he stepped back and swallowed hard. He hoped that this visit would be good and that they wouldn’t regret this.
Trixie: She went through the mental list she always did after she dropped off her children, did they have any clubs, had AJ taken any of the car keys and did they need anything from the store. Lists kept her sane, if she could keep everything in order then she wouldn't have time to stop and think. She fluffed her curls up as she sat in the front seat of the Range Rover, she needed to call Angelica back. Taking a deep breath she tried not to look in the mirror at the little B around her neck, B was just for Beiste now. Trixie Beiste. Babygirl wasn't a name anyone said around her anymore. Getting out of the car she picked up her bag, closing the car door behind her. She needed to look over the contracts for Louis, but she would do that after she'd cleaned the mess she was sure AJ had left on the kitchen table. Opening the door she stepped into the hallway putting her shoes neatly in the shoe rack and then heading through into the kitchen her hand still half on her necklace.
Adam slipped into his own house easy enough. And made a mental note to fire whoever did the security of the place- the locks had obviously been changed routinely but the security on the windows were lacking and disappointing. He ran a hand through his hair once inside, letting the familiar feeling of home wash over him- he took a few minutes just to allow himself to gather his feelings over a labelled tupperware in the sink. He was going soft in his old age. He still had no plan of attack for when he saw her, there was no script for this one. He heard her potter about and then the footsteps started to come closer. He half perched on a stool, figuring that he would seem less threatening if he wasn't stood to full size, even if he wasn't as big as he had once been in his teens.
Trixie: She heard noise, and her heart pounded a little. Years of fear had taught her to listen, she was sure after they.. After they. After Adam had died that they would come for her and her children next. She paused outside the kitchen door, oh god not today. The only day when Frank was at the baseball, the baseball bat sat by the door but she decided that she didn't have close enough range for that. Plus she had no idea what was through the door, putting her bag down quietly on the floor. And took the gun he had given to her so many years go. She held it, and tried not to let her hands shake. "I know you're there, and I have a gun." She said calmly. Moving through the door she held it up. Trying not to let her hands shake.
Adam ducked his head, he had scared her and although that was unavoidable, he had expected for her to at least look at him before she started panicking. Yet he was proud of her for at least attempting to shoo the tyrant in her home without help. "You should say it with more conviction, I'm not scared yet." He told her as though they were just playing- like back before the kids, when they first got the house- and Adam would tirelessly make her run drills on how to escape from every room. "You're steady but you need a little more malice, make me believe you want to shoot me." This was as good a start as any, he suposed.
Trixie: She saw him and almost dropped the gun, this couldn't be real. This wasn't real, it wasn't he wasn't. Her hand went up to the B around her neck, the way it always did. They made her remove his collar, but that steadied her. It reminded her where she was. One hand still held the gun as she stared. "You're dead." She said very calmly. "You're very dead." She hated to say that word, hated thinking about it. But she needed to remind herself.
Adam watched her move her hand up to her necklace. His necklace. And was only vaguely aware of the gun still very much pointed at him. "Honey, you can't get any more dead than dead" He argued pedantically. "But yes, according to you, I was dead. It was necessary." He wasn't sure where else to take that explanation, he would need to tell her all the details of the situation at some point but very much doubted that now would be good for her- when she was, most likely, already overwhelmed.
Trixie: "Don't correct my grammar. They told me I couldn't see your body because it was.. because you were very dead." She snaps, unsure of how else to handle him. Slowly she puts the gun down on the counter, she hadn't even taken the safety off but he didn't need to know that. She took a step towards him, he was older. Of course he was, he didn't look like the last time when he had kissed her goodbye. Not that she had known it would be goodbye. He didn't look like the memory she had clung too. "What the fuck?"
Adam tipped his wrists in surrender. He wasn't going to argue that point any further. He was glad she appeared to step closer, but couldn't stop himself from raising his eyebrows at her language. "Who's been teaching you bad words? If it's Jr I'll kill him" He boarderline teased, wondering when it would be too soon to make dead jokes. His expression dropped into a more sincere one as he sighed "I know, babygirl. I told you that life with me was going to get harder than you would ever imagine."
Trixie: took a shuddering breath. No. She wasn't going to cry, she had sworn to herself she wouldn't cry anymore. She wasn't a little girl anymore, but the little girl in her wanted to run to him. Wanted to hold onto him and never let go, because this seemed to be real. Her Master was home. It was like someone, somewhere had heard her prayers. "AJ didn't teach me anything. I learned them from you." She replied, her heart pounding in her ears. "I didn't care how hard life with you was. You know I'd do anything for you.. but I haven't been living life with you. I've been living life without you."
Adam refused to let himself move forward to pet her- she needed to be comfortable enough to move to him, so he stayed still and held her gaze. "Let's come to a happy medium and blame Madilyn then." he nodded as if that was that. He was using old jokes, names that he hadn't spoken out loud in years because everytime he so much as thought them- he wanted to go back. He should have tried harder, done better for them, been better for them. He was always going to be the monster, never the hero. He had tried so many different ways of coming back- but everytime he thought he could a target would land right back on his family and he had to stay away. His emotions had been beaten and bruised and he wanted to go back to being steel- hard cold and feelingless. But then her face would drift into vision. She was better without him- if he'd had any sense he would have stayed dead and let her get on, but he was too selfish for that. "Not anymore."
Trixie: "She swore at me and I cut off her card." Trixie whispered. "Said it was what you would have wanted and she nearly slapped me." She wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same time and she didn't know how to process that. She just knew that she wanted to keep her hands from shaking, wanted to keep from being weak. Show him. Show him that she had survived, but it was like her lungs were only just learning to heave air all over again. It was easier in a way to hear him tell old jokes, rather than think about when they took his collar away. When she had to go to hospital because she had freaked out when they put the new one on. Tried to clean the whole house, when she had to sit and try to explain why Daddy wasn't coming home. All those nights, choking on her own sobs as she knelt by her daughters bed holding her hand to help her to sleep. Her mind formed a million different responses, and her lip trembled. She could scream at him, she could leave, she could fall to her knees. But all she managed was. "Master."
Adam watched her intently, she looked ready to break. But he knew she wouldn't- she was stronger than that. He wasn't going to be the reason she broke, no-one would for she was a strong one. It was inside her all along and he was so PROUD of her for coming this far. She raised his children alone. She grieved alone. She picked herself up from the lowest place a submissive could go and carried on. She was his lion-hearted mouse and she wasn't done yet. He opened his arms and invited her to touch, a touch he needed ever so much.
Trixie: She didn't cry, she too a deep shuddering breath in and held back her tears. She had been a porcelain girl when he had met her, barely able to look him in the eyes never raising her voice. Over time she had learned to be ivory, a hard surface her friends could lean against. Before finally she had blossomed into steel, the woman who could make the tough choices that her family needed from her. Someone who could be willing to fire the gun if it really came down to it. But despite all that, right now she wanted him and so she went to him. Slowly though, her hand carefully reaching out to touch his chest. Fingers touching that familiar wall of muscle, wedding ring still glinting on her left hand. Slowly she looked up at him. "Hello."
Adam didn't encircle her with his arms once she was close like he wanted. Instead, he kept it open and let her touch. He wasn't as buff as he once was and although, in his opinion he'd aged well, he wondered if she was disappointed. He moved one hand to pluck at a curl, letting it spring back against her face and a small smile etched it's way to him. He had missed her. So. Much. He didn't think he was going to get attached when he joined his siblings in Grimm's. He was already known as someone who wouldn't settle- who slept around and used subs like tissues to get thrown away. But then he was inspired by her, Trixie, the teenager who was so tiny she was barely alive and yet she fulfilled his every need, she became his universe. And he wanted her back. God, did he want her back now. He couldn't stop his touch from ghosting her sides and along her hips to her ass. His. "Mine."
Trixie: was studying him. Trying to match up the man who had left, with the man who was here now. She was glad he wasn't the same, she didn't want him to be different. But the twenty something year old couldn't have walked back in now. Her hair was shorter than when he had left, a woman her age couldn't have her hair to her ass. Or that's what Angelica had said when she had cut it. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him. Burying her face against his chest. Before a hand reached up, she wanted that other collar off and she wanted it off now. She felt like it was choking her and her hand fiddled. "Yours." She muttered, trying to get rid of it. Unsure of how else to prove her statement. Unsure of quite how to be his again.
Adam allowed his hand to rub her back in strong, even strokes as she hugged him, his other hand knocked hers away to get at the collar which appeared to be causing her distress. He hated that she had thought it meant she was someone elses because she had never stopped being his. He had picked out this collar just like the one he had put on her at the claiming ceremony so many years ago. No other man's collar had ever touched her skin and it never would. He popped it off like she wanted and instead, leaned down to kiss the freshly free'd skin. He wouldn't do much more at this time but he needed to just this once. He had never really left- not like anyone could actually hold him anywhere- but he had kept his distance. Chanced what he could and dealt with the bare minimum. He couldn't quit her, as much as he should have for everyone's safety, she was much stronger than he was.
Trixie: couldn't help but feel like his touch was a gift. Like she had been granted some kind of miracle, she couldn't let him go. Not now, maybe not ever. She breathed a sigh of relief as he got rid of the other piece of leather that had been locked around her neck. "I didn't.. I always.. I was always yours." She felt the need to promise him, but the rest of her sentence died when his lips touched her skin. Her arms only gripped tighter, desperate to hold him there. "Did anyone know.. Did Angelica? Where have you been? Are you okay?" Questions burst out of her like a pipe. "Are we safe? Are.. Are you staying?"
Adam shushed her softly. "I know you were always mine." He held the material that was now lose in his hand "This is mine as well as your other one. I would never let someone else claim you, babygirl. You were never unclaimed." He was glad that these questions were now coming in thick and fast- it meant that she believed him. It meant that she was coming to terms with what was going on. "No-one knew. And I have no idea how to tell Angelica without getting dismembered. I'm a lot better here. You will always be safe, understand?" He gave her an intense look for half a second "I don't plan on leaving your side ever again."
Trixie: nodded carefully. Organising the new information in her mind, she had always thought it was too bad she couldn't literally organise her mind into categories. "Yours. I was always, always yours." She nods, and watches him carefully as he answers. He still towers over her of course, even in the high heels she had taken to wearing in his absence. She had always tried to mirror his physical strength when dealing with the men he had left behind. "I have no idea how we'll tell Angelica either, I'm supposed to have called her already. She calls me daily.." It seemed inconsequential now, but her phone calls to her sister in law had been her lifeline for so long. "Good. I wouldn't let you. I don't care what happens, I'm not letting you leave me ever again."
Adam leans forward and lets his lips brush hers briefly. He missed her taste. He didn't need to ask about Angelica, he'd been watching her too. Infrequently. But enough. "And no-one wants to mess with you. You have a gun." He chuckled but he knew that insecurities that developed when he left weren't going to go away. He would need to work to convince those people that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Not again. And it was going to be a long journey, but he was committed to seeing it through. All the way this time. A lifetime. "Forever?" He asked, in less words but with the same meaning that he'd asked her with so many times before. Be my forever. The Mouse and the Beiste. Together. Forever. Always.
Trixie: let him kiss her and returned it for a moment before she leaned back. "That's right, you try to leave and I shoot you in the foot and lock you in the dungeon." She said in her very best mob wife voice. Carefully she leans up and adjusts the collar of his shirt, making sure that it is smooth all the way around. "Words: forever." She replied, nodding her head. "It's you or nothing for me."
Adam grinned. "Keep working on that malice. I'm not scared yet." He keps both hands on her waist. Where they would stay for as long as he had a say. "Actions: I love you." He told her, feeling cathartic at getting the words out finally. After so many years. He was still very much in love with his Trixie and would always be the first to say it. "Nothing isn't an option for me. It's always you. It's always been you"
Trixie: smiled a little. "This is my house now. If you don't follow my rules you'll be punished." She told him keeping her arms locked around him unwilling to let him go. "Words: I love you more." She replied. "I'm semi tempted to handcuff you to me.. just to be sure."
Adam raised his eyebrows "It's always been my house, you just took care of it. And I much prefer being the one doing the punishing." He cupped her chin for another, deeper, kiss. "Actions: If you going to start talking to me about handcuffs in the kitchen then I'm not sure I'm going to make it all the way upstairs..." He hinted with a smirk.
Trixie: shrugged. "Hmmm I'm not sure. The name on the deed says Mrs Trixie Beiste now, I pulled some strings. Who says a submissive can't own property with the right fellas behind her." She moaned a little into the kiss, was it wrong to let him fuck her? If it was then she was going to be wrong a lot of times. "Words: We had better hurry because you know how I feel about unclean spaces. I tell AJ all the time to clear his breakfast things up."
Adam hummed "Well you're going to need to give it back because the building and everything in it is mine." He pulled back and glanced behind him "All this shit is his? How many breakfasts does he eat?" He asked at the mess of food on the counter. He used the distraction to pull away a little. Not because he didn't want to fuck her brains out right here on the counter. But because they needed to talk like adults before jumping into bed. The wild teenage sex could come later.
Trixie: nodded. While she was willing to joke, she respected his authority as she always had. If Master was home, then the house and her would be returned to him. She didn't want him to stop touching her so she caught his hand, half catching the collar he was still holding as well. "Yep. He made himself waffles and then realised Apple was having bacon and oatmeal and decided to try all of it together... Audrey eats with me at six. She's an honour student.." She wants him to know about their kids, know how proud he should be of them. "They go to Grimm next year.."
Adam wasn't going to move so far away that he couldn't touch her so he noted the apprehensive grabbing of him to not move far. That might be problematic. He nodded at her stories, he would never be able to know the kids like that. He would always be just as good as a deadbeat dad and although he was somewhat resigned to it- he didn't like it and it was hard for him to think about too much. His jaw tightened at the mention of Grimm's. He had a variety of memories from the place and not all bad but it was a harsh environment and he wasn't sure if they were ready. Wasn't sure f they were prepped to go through that. When he thought about the sub or mark wides that his kids were going to face... he hoped they wee tough enough.
Trixie: tucked her hair behind her ear and removed her hand when he didn't speak. "Audrey is at least and if she goes then AJ will too.. Apple doesn't want to but AJ goes wherever Audrey does. He's like her bodyguard, he always looks out for her." She wanted assure him that she had done a good job. "I mean they'll be seventeen but so was I.." She hates this silence.
Adam didn't want to speak about it but didn't want to silence her. It was strange to him to hear her use Adam Jr's nickname with such ease when, when he left, it had only been mentioned once or twice. He guessed it had stuck. He had always known Audrey would do well. He didn't doubt her. But like a moth to a flame, Adam could almost feel Trixie's anxiety begin to charge, over what- he wan't sure. "They'll do great. You did." H run his fingers through her hair and pet her for a calming effect.
Trixie: hated that he seemed uncomfortable with the mention of their children, hated that he didn't know them. She wondered in her mind for a moment what they would do with the knowledge that their father was alive. She remembered how hard Audrey had taken it, how she had asked God everyday to bring her Daddy home. "Do you want some coffee.. are you hungry?" She asked, running a hand through her hair.
Adam knew that it was going to be hard. It would be this way for a while, maybe years. There was a divide when he left and no matter how much he hated to leave, he had been gone for too long for it to matter what he wanted. He brought her close and held her, he couldn't think about Trixie's cooking right now- that's another child he abandoned and he didn't deserve that back yet. "No. I just want this." The rest would come later but for that second, he just wanted his wife back.
Trixie: had been really trying not to make him feel guilty but she clung to him again. "I really, really missed you." She whispered, clutching onto him. Living with him again was going to be hard, learning who they were now and what they need. But living without him had been worse, way, way worse. She would take living with him in a jail cell with no light over living without him. So she just buried her head in his chest. Determined tomorrow would be kinder.
Ghanee sat down with Jarvis on the oily garage floor as he tinkered with a large, old automobile. It looked valuable and vintage. Jarv was talking excitedly while Ghanee nodded politely and worked on the other axle.
Men and their cars. The obsession never made sense to her: was it necessary to produce multiple cars every year with a different name and engine and fiddly bits that all had extremely vague names, often combined with numbers. She could appreciate the engineering and the design, but the enthusiasm about it was beyond her. However, this was the best-paying job she could find. Ghanee learned to mask her confusion. Besides, she also got to work on the motorcycles.
Jarv had a side business in motorcycles. Easier to buy, sell, and to move around than cars, they had a good two dozen in the gravel back lot, behind the garage and used cars for sale. Jarv would buy old ones and fix them up, making them brand new to sell for cheap.
Ghanee secretly wanted one. She liked the idea of a motorcycle. She liked the mobility and the sleekness that cars were just lacking. Ghanee's favourite was the dark black one that seemed to lean forwards, even while it was parked. She liked how it only seated one.
A ding-ding! alerted Ghanee to the presence of a customer. Waving to Jarv not to get up, Ghanee slid out from underneath the car to find this prospective client.
"Jarv's Cars and Motorcycles, how can I help you?" she asked, with a smile.
Suddenly, the two figures stopped moving, and as Elena got closer, she noticed that they faces were completely frozen. Had she really paused time? Apparently so. As an experiment, she quietly said, "Rewind", and the figures moved back in time through their fight, watching carefully as it got to the point she wanted. It was like TV, and she was God. "Pause," she whispered, as it showed the past version of herself before she hurt the girl she still loved.
"You're going to refuse to hit her and then leave," she said to herself, resuming time. The past version of herself did what she said, and as she triumphantly grinned, she was placed in present time.
[Started rubbing his hand through his hair, annoyed by what was going on at the party that was being thrown by some guy he had never even met. Not only was Sebastian bored but he was growing tired of the constant arguing that was taking place next to him. Normally parties weren't really his thing but he gave into peer pressure with his "friends." It only took a few shots for Sebastian to get drunk, which was a downside for being an apparent lightweight. He quickly stood up, trying his best to not fall asleep or let his mind going insane from the constant bickering of the annoying couple. After standing up, his vision focused itself on Hunter Clarington, the guy who has been bullying Sebastian ever since he found out of Sebastian's sexuality, but that wasn't the only thing he saw. Hunter was clearly checking the guy in front of him out and was even walking to which Sebastian did something he would normally never do, which was walking up to Hunter and grabbing his shoulder.]"Like the view, Hunter?"[He asked with his mouth starting to take shape into a grin, clearly not realizing how stupid it was to confront him about this.]
If anyone asked Evan, he could tell you he wasn't really content with his life, too many disappointments and heartbreaks, and the fact he never got along with his mother and that she constantly tried to put him down made it harder for him to put up with life in general, but deep inside of him he never lost hope, he wanted to be happy with someone that cared enough and loved him how he was and didn't care about his flaws or how depressing his mood was every day.
Now life had turned completely upside down for him, he had a husband and a daughter and a solid group of friends that have had his back through the years, he have fixed issues with his father after the divorce with his mother so everything was good for him, he loved his work, especially because he got to work with Warren, his best friend and honestly the best model he could have asked to work for, he was constant and passionate about his job and Evan always managed to get agood time with him even if they were stressed; and of course his lovely husband, Finnick.
Evan and Finnick's story was rather complicated, they ahve hit it off ever since they met and have spent every singleday of their lives being happy and showing the other what true love was; Evan always tried to remind Finnick how much he loves him and how important the boy is in his life, and now after fifteen years they were still going strong and happily married, their joy only got stronger when their daughter Ella arrived to their lives, she was the sweetest and smartest girl they could've ever met and they were so proud of her.
After giving her a bath and putting her to bed, Evan smiled at Finnick's text, he replied quickly to him and told him they should meet in another room because he didn't want the five yeear old to wake up, leaving the room quietly he started strolling around the house, trying to find his husband when he spotted him facing a window, Evan sneaked behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing his shoulder and then rested his chin on it. "Hello, baby."
