The Detective and The Devil||Chapter 4: The Unseen Connection
“Are you waiting for me to tell you that you did the wrong thing?”
“Well, I was raised in these pews, Father,” Mannie replied, her knuckles turning bone-white around the handle of her cane. “I know the commandments. Honor thy father and mother. Forgive those who trespass against us. But she walked out almost twenty years ago. Crushing the hope, I felt every single time she came back into my life. And now, she expects me to be her savior because her new meal ticket decided to use her face as a punching bag.”
“And you believe God is angry with you for refusing?” Lantom questioned gently.
“Frankly, I don’t care if He is,” Mannie sighed looking at the crucifix above the altar. “My job is to protect innocent people. Lorraine—” she shook her head. “—isn’t innocent. I have a man lying on life support right now, coming down from a heavy-duty chemical cocktail. That’s who I owe my time to. Not a ghost who only remembers she has a daughter when it’s convenient to her.”
Father Lantom turned his gaze up at the altar, folding his hands resting on his lap. “The church teaches forgiveness, Emmanuelle. It does not teach us to be willing victims. Setting boundaries with those who have broken us is not a sin; it is a necessity for survival.”
She let out a bitter, humorless scoff. “Then why do I feel like I’m the one who threw the punch?”
⁜
Get Off the Highway || Chapter 12
Dean’s eyes landed on the barely touched plate you had left behind. Maybe, he shouldn’t have hung up on you so much. But he didn’t really have a choice in this. Not if he wanted to keep what he did a secret. For as long as possible.
You would not understand.
This was ridiculous. You had no business being this angry. You weren’t angry. Not before you saw him, at least. Dean didn’t get to ignore you and be short with you for weeks, and then, turn around and act as though everything was fine between the two of you. Because it simply wasn’t.
It wasn’t fine.
And you weren’t being unreasonable.
Andy was wrong.
He still hasn’t apologized for ignoring you. He hasn’t apologized for keeping his distance. You didn’t understand why he would. Not after you helped in the researches for the third trial. Not after you two had seemingly gotten closer. You thought you two had become friends. And now—you were starting to think that maybe it was one sided.
⁜
Finding You||Chapter 12
“I’m not supporting the old man. I’m supporting me.” You retorted, then turned your focus back on your mother. “I understand what happened to you. I understand that he groomed you. That it wasn’t the great love story that I thought it was. I understand—” You paused, gathering yourself. “I understand that you have to leave—but—you were supposed to protect us. To protect me. From Dad,” your eyes turned to Stéphane. “From him.”
She said your name softly, “—I’m sorry that I left. But I couldn’t stay with him.”
“So, after what he did to you—you trusted him enough to not do the same to us? Is that what you’re telling me?” She remained quiet, dropping her gaze to her hands on the table. You sighed, readjusting your position against the counter. “If it can make you feel any better—he never hurt us in that way. Me and my sister, he never was inappropriate with us. But he still hurt us. He still was controlling. And yelling. Overall, he wasn’t exactly great. Unlike you, he stayed. Never left. He wasn’t great but he was the best we had.”
So I find it very satisfying to see what is there to post, and hope you guys find it useful as well. Here are fics that will most probably be posted in this order during the first half of May, if not, my apologies.
Just FYI:
Panopticon is updated on Saturdays
Not Me is updated on Tuesdays
Duties and Only Mine don’t have set dates, but I try to update them every week and a half, circa.
It sometimes happens that I’m late by a date, but usually not more. So if you guys are interested in those series, check my blog on these days around 5 PM CEST time, it should be posted :) x If I’m late I usually let you guys know.
Friday 1/5: -
Saturday 2/5: Panopticon 7
Sunday 3/5: Duties 8
Monday 4/5: -
Tuesday 5/5: Not Me 10
Wednesday 6/5: Only Mine 16
Thursday 7/5: Heart of Fire (Viking!Loki oneshot, finally)
