Daily excerpt from chapter 80 of A Stain that Won't Dissolve:
The biggest surprise of all was Demetrius on a late winter’s walk, clearing his throat a few times and then:
‘I’ve been meaning to ask this for weeks, but I would like you to come back and clean our house.’
Alex immediately wanted to say no, but a lot had changed since the last time he’d cleaned that house. He could hear Tim saying he didn’t have to say yes anyway, he could say no purely on a feeling, if he wanted to.
But his feelings on the matter were all over the place.
‘I didn’t have, uh, the greatest time, cleaning your place,’ Alex said finally, refusing to look at Demetrius, staring straight ahead. ‘I’m not- I don’t mind people telling me if I need to do something better, but… Maybe it’s weak, you know, but I can’t…’
Summary - Emma barley clings onto to life but no one is giving up while the darkness still clings onto Snow White.
Fast shallow breaths were all David could muster as he charged up the steps of the ancient stone temple; the voices around him muted while he became numb to the freezing winds. The Prince’s tunnel vision could lead him into danger at times, but right now it was his salvation. Strength in his convictions as the world around him faded away, he remained headstrong fighting through the storm.
Laying across his arms, Emma was lifeless and he couldn’t help but reflect on the first time he held her. His baby girl was so strong, facing horrible odds from the moment she entered the world. Holding her close hoping she could feel him there making a promise that he wouldn’t let go this time. A despair washed over him, one that made him wish someone could rip his heart from his chest, as he could no longer bear this agony.
“Quick, in here” Mulan ordered with a grunt as she pried open the door to the temple.
Her voice was faint while a high pitched sound rang in his ears, those around him nothing but a blur when they rushed inside the temple. A grim dank room that was filled with emptiness as if it was awaiting their arrival.
David gently lay Emma down on a stone bench cradling her head he knelt beside her as the rest of them approached solemnly. They waited with bated breath for any change but she remained still-everything was still, until Killian crashed into his side crumbling to his knees beside David.
“Is she breathing?” Killian croaked out.
“No-where have you been?” David asked with a suspicious frown.
Killian didn’t respond to the question, his eyes on Emma “I can wake her” Killian stated before leaning forwards kissing her lips tenderly. Time stood still and for a moment and he hoped that's all he could ever do-just hope, but there was no shimmering light, the saviour did not wake.
“I already tried that; it didn’t work” David sighed exasperated.
Pushing them aside, Red began chest compressions, a desperate crazed look in her eyes. Elsa came to the other side of the bench waving her hands above Emma and closing her eyes, the chill of her magic filled the air.
“What’s wrong with her?” David asked his eyes on Elsa.
“Regina's spell worked, she healed Emma, but something is stopping her from waking” Elsa frowned, her emotions took control and everyone’s breaths were visible in the cold air, all except Emma’s.
“No-no there must be something we c-can-” David yelled slamming his fist onto the ground.
A wound from a blade he could fix but magic was all still so unknown to him, as if she was always just out of his reach.
“It’s Emma’s magic-it’s restrained” Elsa's words sputtered out fast while more snowflakes lingered in the air.
“Unlike yours” Killian spat out as he shivered.
“I can’t help it, all magic is tied to emotions-even the Dark One’s neither her or Emma would ever want to-” Elsa paused her eyes wide with realisation before she sighed seeing everyone’s confusion “Emma refused to fight Snow that extended to her magic, even unconscious”
“You saying Emma won’t wake, because she won’t fight” Red stated her eyes flickering to auburn red.
“Please Emma, you promised” Killian whispered into her ear.
“Emma, I don’t know if you can hear me, but you need to hear this-so just listen. I know you’ve been so brave and strong, you deserve to be able to rest, but I’m selfish, I need you here, so fight, Emma-I need you to fight sweetheart”
Emma lay motionless on the dust coated bench surrounded by her family, one that she found. All silent, holding their breaths waiting for a response, any sign that Emma could hear their pleas.
“Swan” Killian bellowed out his eyes darting around noting something, the locket that Snow White had cursed still hung around Emma’s neck.
“We have to get it off her, now” Killian stated firmly, but as he grasped the chain it glowed rappelling him with a zap of electricity that surged through his body.
“What? Are you ok?” David muttered, placing a comforting hand on Killian’s shoulder..
“The locket, it's enchanted by the Dark One’s magic-and Emma’s” Killian explained, his eyes distant as if lost in a memory.
“I can try to remove it” Elsa hands hovered over the necklace, before she could even touch the chain her hand burned and she to recoiled away “This spell it’s not going to be easy to break ”
“It’s cursed, Snow made it so it couldn’t be removed” Killian exhaled while his body became rigid.
Elsa leaned in her fingertips just touched the locket and it seared her skin she recoiled back her eyes wide, when Mulan stepped closer putting a reassuring hand on her back.
“Protection charms are tricky, the energy comes from love but tainted with fear-it's not always clear who the enemy is” Elsa looked around meeting eyes with everyone “It will take all of us to break this”
They gathered closer linking their arms together while Elsa’s hands became ice frozen solid, she grabbed the necklace. Icicles spread coating the chain and locket, but it would not break instead began buzzing, radiating with heat. Killian leant forwards with his hook, pulling at the chain and it broke sending pieces of silver across the room. An aura of white light glowed out of Emma shimmering, and they collectively sighed watching closely for any movement.
“Emma-Em,” David pleaded.
He squeezed her hand gently, Emma suddenly stirred giving out an exhausted grunt, she opened her eyes sluggish, which resulted in audible gasps of relief from her family.
“Ok-ok, I’m up” Emma choked out somewhat jokingly.
Everyone gathered closer as Emma tried to sit up Killian wrapped his arms around her burying his head in her hair which she responded with a smile putting one arm around him.
“Never do that again” Elsa breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Wasn’t planning on it” Emma smiled looking up at her friend, before her eyes went to the others that surrounded her.
Surging forwards they formed a group hug, remaining like that for a minute or two, wordless tears streaming down their cheeks.
“Alright, can you let me stand?” Emma sheepishly asked, muffled by their bodies.
They all chuckled slightly, letting go one by one, all except David and as Emma stood up, he wrapped his arm around her, cradling her head. Emma smiled but when her eyes searched the room it faded and she frowned.
“Where is Mom and Regina?” Emma’s voice faltered and the words stuttered out.
Everyone turned their heads looking around the room, all except Killian who held a shamed expression.
“Regina went after Snow; I gave her back her heart” Killian stated plainly looking towards Emma apologetic.
“Why?” Elsa stated her brow furrowed.
“She’s a villain” Killian's tone was flat as he averted their gazes.
“You sent her off, to kill Snow” David surged forwards grabbing Killian jacket, his anger overwhelming him for a second but all he had was a disappointed look for the pirate.
“No, you misunderstand, she-like me, has been exactly where Snow is now, Regina is the only one who can pull her back,” Killian explained.
“She’ll need help” Emma looked away towards the door.
“Let’s go then” Elsa stated ready to follow.
“No, just me, everything’s so unstable because of the portal, I’ll only be able to shield myself, I need you all to be safe” Emma stepped forwards with determined eyes.
“You get out of there as soon as things turn south” Killian instructed.
“It’s ok, I know what to do now” Emma smiled, meeting his eyes.
Davids’s hand tugged at Emma’s wrist as she took a step unwilling to let go, she turned back to her father and smiled.
“It’s ok Dad, this is who I am, not because of fate or a curse, because this is who I want to be-a saviour”
Emma stood tall looking over at her friends, her true love and her father she smiled, David couldn’t let go but let her hand slip out of his. If a heart could literally break, crack and shatter then his certainly had. Now the broken pieces like shards of glass ripping him apart from the inside as he stood still and watched his daughter walk away.
-
Waves of energy cascaded outward from the portal forcing the stone columns to crumble while the pull of the vortex sent debris flying through the air. At the centre of this chaos, a beam of golden light shot upwards, disappearing into the clouds. Emma's eyes focused on the two figures at its centre, she marched forward without hesitation.
“Emma! You're alive,” Regina gasped tears of joy welled in her eyes.
The shield that had protected Emma for so long was no longer a dome around her, but an aura that flowed with her movements. Striking the chunks of rock that flew through the air like missiles and sending them in the opposite direction, with a wave of her hand. Making her way across the debris field with ease
“Emma?” Snow's voice was quiet as she lay on the ground with the dark swirling void circling over her blood soaked body.
“What’s happening to her, what did you do?” Emma gasped as she looked up to Regina with a horrified expression but she knew this was not her doing, that her rage was misdirected.
“Nothing, the darkness it won’t let go” Regina's voice broke and as Emma looked into her eyes there was nothing but grief.
“Mom, no I can fix it” Emma choked out, kneeling beside her.
Raising her hands over Snow they glowed with white light but it had no effect, the wounds remained open and Regina placed a comforting hand on Emma’s shoulder.
“This is the only way,” Regina stated solemnly.
The blood rushed through Emma’s body making her feel lightheaded and she whimpered out a gasp. Everything fell away, the storm, the portal, even the darkness still clinging to her mother. None of it mattered if she was going to lose her, if she didn’t know how much Emma loved her. A desperation took hold, taking in a deep breath, her shaking hand gently placed on her mothers head.
“I love you” she gasped through sobs.
Emma leant forwards instinctively kissing her mother’s forehead when a bright white glow cascaded out the energy, bathed Snow's in a warm light. When the glow faded it revealed a flowing blue and yellow dress, Snow White’s eyes shot open and she smiled looking up at her daughter.
“I love you too”
With a thunderous clap the vortex closed and the beam of light vanished and the darkness with it.
“You saved me” Snow gasped out proudly before wrapping her arms around Emma tight, tears streaming down her face, but as relief sunk in so did everything else. Emma could see the despair as it washed over her mother, knowing that without the darkness, her kind heart couldn’t bear the guilt.
“Oh, I suppose I did nothing,” Regina scoffed.
“Regina, I’m so sorry, are you ok?” Snow asked.
“Fine, we did it,” Regina sighed with exhaustion.
The two shared a look Emma had never seen between them, one that held resonance with smiles that reached their eyes.
“What happened, how did you two fight the darkness?” Emma asked curiously.
“Been fighting it all my life” Regina responded with a shrug.
“We just talked,” Snow replied with a shamed smile.
“Long overdue” Regina eyebrows raised as she stood up from the ground.
Regina offered them both a hand and as they got up from the snow, the three of them wrapped their arms around each other.
“The dagger, where is it?” Emma asked.
“Gone, it could be anywhere, in time” Snow answered solemnly and the three of them looked at the ground where the portal once was. Only the sigil, carved into the ground remained and they couldn’t help but fear the consequences of sending the darkness to an unknown time and place.
–
The storm left behind a few feet of snow softening the ground; it crunched beneath their feet as they walked back into the temple, with anxious expressions. A daunting silence set in now that the howling winds and snowfall was gone-but Emma still shook from the cold and the temple’s structure was damaged, crumbling around them. A solemn weight on her shoulders well aware the path ahead would not be an easy one, she turned back noticing her mother shared her hesitance.
“Come on” she encouraged.
“Emma” she gasped the words caught in her throat “Are you sure your ok, I-I’m so sorry, I hurt you, all I ever wanted to was protect you”
Emma shook her head rejecting this apology and stepped closer, but her mother backed away as if her touch alone would hurt her. She could see the deep remorse in Snow’s eyes, that she was punishing herself dearly for her actions.
“Don’t do this to yourself” Emma shook her head and her voice broke.
“What if he can’t forgive me, I can’t forgive me” Snow's voice broke looking between Emma and Regina.
“I’ve bet against your love enough times to know, there’s no way” Regina sighed, rolling her eyes at the thought.
“Snow!” David's voice called out and he burst through the double doors running headlong arms outstretched, he wrapped them around his wife lifting her off the ground.
“You’re-you’re ‘you’” David stuttered out with a sigh of relief.
“You found me,” she said through a wide smile.
“Told you” Regina scoffed, before turning away when they began to kiss.
Emma giggled at the display, bringing a sense of familiarity back in her life, a wash of happiness came over her as the others emerged from the temple. Killian wrapped his arms around her and she smiled up at him leaning closer she gave him a quick kiss. Mulan and Elsa followed with their hands entwined and from Red’s arms the baby girl giggled and they all turned gathering around the infant.
“She’s ok, we have to get her back to her family” Snow’s voice was low, her guilt and shame palpable.
“You know, where she came from?” Emma asked curiously.
“I was the one that took her, from the mother” Snow’s voice croaked as she placed her hand over her mouth distraught.
“It wasn’t your choice, you can’t blame yourself” David said, squeezing her hand.
“I hurt people, killed people; before Zelena ever got her hands on the dagger” Snow argued in response. “I can’t take that back”
“Please” Regina rolled her eyes shameless “I killed a lot more, for a lot less”
From above a thunderous crack echoed over the mountain and ice and snow began to rapidly slide towards them. Instinctively Emma raised her arms and a glowing barrier appeared above them all, but she could already feel the strain of it, tensing up her already depleted muscles.
“We need to get out of here,” Elsa stated raising her hands but Emma could see the fatigue in her eyes as well.
“Right, everyone gather up” Regina instructed, rolling her shoulders back.
Emma moved to the center, her arms still up with strings of light flowing outward forming a shield that was quickly collapsing under the strain of a mountain of snow. All six of them gathered around her and Regina waved her hand whisking them all away, just as the avalanche buried the temple.
“Finally” Ingrid's frustrated voice was the first sign they had made it back to the homestead.
The dwarfs were already at work on a new roof, half of it already replaced with new wooden slats, whistling as they hammered and sawed.
“Great you’re back in time for super” Gran noted walking by with a basket full of vegetables she had found in the forest.
Anna and Anita ran towards them both with varied looks of disapproval; they were not clued into or asked to join them in the fight. A bright hot sun in the blue sky was welcoming compared to the cloud covered mountains and Emma sighed with relief smiling as they all broke off. Watching her friends happily reunite with their family while hers stood beside her, the world was bright and hopeful again and she stepped forwards.
“Wait Emma” David hand gripped her wrist before she took a step.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, concerned by the look of fear in his eyes.
“Zelena, she got away and Cora-it’s not over” David’s eyes were fearful, as if they were still fighting the blizzard.
“If they come back, we’ll deal with it then” Emma stated with a shrug unconcerned.
“I’m not taking any chances, we need to prepare for an attack” He paused looking up at Snow who remained quiet “We can’t stay here”
“Where do you suggest we go?” Snow asked, confused.
Lily listened in awe. She couldn’t help but listen aptly as he described his writing process, the studios he frequented, his manager, touring, the food, and the cities. He had always been a storyteller, and Lily was enchanted once again by the man who had now followed his dream and lived it.
He paused a few times, the tension between them thick as he spoke of his songs and his writing.
She was curled up on his couch when he finished, explaining the end of his last tour and his plea to his manager that he needed a break – for inspiration, he joked forlornly.
“You’ve found none, then?” Lily questioned, thanking him when he passed her hot mug from the coffee table.
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“I was having some trouble on tour. I was tired most of the time and it was getting…” He looks down into his mug, the creases between his eyebrows forming two lines, “I was just tired, and I wanted to go home.”
She smiles softly at him, “Have you written anything since being home?”
He smiles gently this time, a fond memory hitting her at the sight. The two of them, their last summer together.
“I have. It’s been good, being here. I don’t think I want to tour for a while.”
She frowns this time, “Why not? You said you loved it!”
“I did, but I prefer writing and I’m okay doing that for now.”
She scans his face finding what she hopes is the truth. He’s wearing a familiar navy hoodie; it makes him appear soft and cosy and it ultimately makes her wish they were in a position where she could settle in nicely against his shoulder and lay her head on his chest.
“Lily?”
Her name snaps her out of her wishes and into the present.
“Hmm?”
“I don’t want to leave anytime soon. I don’t want to leave you again. I could barely do it the first time.”
The words cut sharp and sink heavily into her chest.
“Ok," is all she can say.
“Lils, have you listened to any of my songs?”
She blushes now, scorning her Irish blood at how transparent she will come across.
He blushes back, and as she watches the redness of his cheeks go splotchy and the way his lips twitch into a smile, she laughs.
“Of course, I have.”
He smiles openly at her now, “Yeah?”
She rolls her eyes playfully, “Mary likes to turn the volume up when Red comes on the radio…”
He looks up at this, his eyes delightfully bright. He has his classic James Potter smirk shining at her and she has the instinct to shake her head at the sight.
“Too obvious?”
‘Just a tad.” She chuckles, her eyes finding it too hard to look at him straight on. The tension from before has moulded into something familiar – how they used to be.
“I wasn’t allowed to call it Lily. Sirius told me it was too much.”
She laughs loudly now, “Yeah, that would have been a punch to the stomach.”
He groans and pulls a hand through his messy curls. She reaches up and removes it, twining her fingers into his when she pulls his hand away and into her lap.
“I guess I just want to know why you didn’t reach out after you released the songs. You say so much in them but you can’t seem to say them to my face. It made me wonder if it was just for show – for sales.”
James shakes his head instantly, the blotchiness from before gone. He grasps her hands tightly now and angles his body to face hers.
Eyes on hers, he takes a deep breath.
“I’ve always been a coward when it comes to you.”
She screws her nose up and is about to retaliate when he pulls her hands into his lap.
“I have always been terrified of having it all and losing it. I didn’t deserve to have you and my career, not when it was all so new. I just had this feeling, this feeling that I couldn’t start something new with you – something I knew would be real, and not be with you properly and I know you wouldn’t have let me stay. I needed to go and I was terrified that staying in contact with you would make me want to come running home.”
“So you thought ghosting me was the answer?”
He flinches, “No, that wasn’t right and I knew that within days of ignoring your messages, but I just didn’t know how to say the words – god, Lils I still don’t know how to say the words.”
“Try,” She whispers.
“I love you and leaving you after saying that to you was not how I wanted us to start. I knew that talking to you, especially those first few months would have been excruciatingly hard for me. I couldn’t tell if you felt the same then, I mean I knew you felt something but to feel it that strongly, I didn’t want to scare you off. I was a coward for thinking that not speaking to you was the easiest way for both of us to move on.”
“You wanted to move on?” Her voice comes out squeaky.
“I wanted to try living my dream without having you consume my thoughts. I owed it to myself to try my best at being a musician.”
“Oh.”
“It didn’t work, Lils.”
“Oh?”
“You’ve always consumed my thoughts, you always will.”
“But you still didn’t reach out to me?”
“Lily, I arrived home and it took me a day to call you. It took me hours before I organised a time and place in which I could see you. Sirius didn’t even want a party that night. It wasn’t an accident that I bumped into you at the café either. When I visited last summer, I made Mary tell you about that secret Coldplay concert – I even got you the tickets!”
She widens her eyes at that, she thought Mary’s brother got those…
“And I don’t just send you flowers every year for your birthday. I buy you presents too, I was just too much of a coward to send them.”
“James, I don’t want presents.”
He stares at her, his teeth chewing on his lip.
“You keep calling me James…”
She smiles this time, “Potter?”
He rolls his eyes playfully this time, “yeah?”
“I just needed you.”
There's a pregnant pause, as if the two of them are reliving the good days between them in flashes, remembering what it was like, wondering if it could ever be the same again.
James leans forward, an answer evident in the way he looks at her.
“Evans, can I ask you out on a proper date now?”
She should say it’s too soon, she should say they should start over again but the blush appears back on his cheeks, his eyes look innocently wide and his hand pulses in hers.
“Potter, I thought you’d never ask.” She answers, finally resting her head on his shoulder and letting out a tense breath.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 27/28
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Sai/Yamanaka Ino
Characters: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Karin (Naruto), Orochimaru (Naruto), Raikage (Naruto), Original Characters, Oonoki (Naruto), Hoozuki Suigetsu, Temari (Naruto), Nara Shikamaru, Terumi Mei, Gaara (Naruto), Kankurou (Naruto), Yamanaka Ino, Shizune (Naruto)
Additional Tags: Blank Period, Pre Boruto, Canon Compliant, Romance, Adventure, Unplanned Pregnancy, Sex, learning to love, Feelings Realization, Denial of Feelings, Falling In Love, Love, Assassination Plot(s), Slow Burn, Oral Sex, Jealousy, Flirting, Comfort, Family, Home, First Time, Teasing, Secret Relationship
Summary:
It has been two years since Sasuke has been on his quest for atonement, and two years that have given time and preparation for his assassination by the hands of the Raikage who is hesitant on trusting him. What he doesn't know, is that Sasuke is onto him, but things are made more complicated when Sakura decides to join Sasuke.
Which was how Bobby jogged up the stairs to start breakfast and found two of his best fire fighters on the communal couch (Eddie straddling Buck) pressed together as though their lives depended on it. On most occasions, the captain had no qualms about the romantic displays of affection that the boys shared but the sounds of moaning emanating from one or both of them, in between hip-rolling kisses, was not a sound he wanted to hear ever again.
“Do you boys want anything before I turn the burner on?” Eddie flew to other end of the couch with a dexterity Buck didn’t know he possessed. One moment, he was alternating between enthusiastic kisses, and biting a few juvenile hickey’s into Eddie’s neck, and the next moment, he was doubled over and breathless while his boyfriend sat with his legs crossed over to hide his excitement at having some time alone.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
None of them sleep the night before the time heist, but at some point, sharing the anxiety makes things worse instead of better. They break up the group, pretending to go to bed. Nat hasn’t been in her own room since everyone moved back in; she’s been sleeping in Clint’s quarters or occasionally on the couch in the common room when the planning and plotting went on late into the night.
Years of going rogue have left their trace on Clint, and despite having lost none of the familiarity—that wordless understanding that has been between them forever—there are more and more times now when she senses his need to be alone. Tonight is one of them.
So, instead of trying to sleep, she wanders aimlessly through the compound until she finds Tony sitting in the dimly-lit common room, staring out of the window in a rare moment of stillness. The helmet of his Iron Man suit is lying next to him on the table, blinking silently.
“Don’t turn the lights up,” he says hoarsely when she enters. Even without that warning, she would have recognised the crease in between his brows and the gesture with which he is pressing two fingers to his temple. Bad headache. Maybe even a migraine.
She doesn’t say anything, just steps near the chair and gives his shoulder a squeeze. They stay silent for a while until he shifts stiffly and turns toward her.
“What would you do?” He looks up, really looks at her. “What would you do if this was potentially the last night of your life?”
He was woken up by heavy bootsteps and clashing doors. Distant calls informed Winslow that the Paradise was being raided.
He opened his eyes and saw that he was himself again. He was locked in a dark, windowless room with blank walls, crouched in a corner on the floor. He was wearing no mask and dizzy with hunger.
Winslow leaned against the cold concrete. The only thing he could do now was wait until somebody found him. He could hear distant yelling.
"I'LL PAY YOU! I'LL PAY YOU A MILLION! A MILLION! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
"What million, Mr Swan, you donated all your money yesterday."
"YOU'RE KIDDING!"
Winslow smirked. His plan was working. So far.
Footsteps were approaching. Winslow realized this was his chance. He jumped up, ran to the door and started hammering his fists on it.
"Hey, John, I think somebody's in there!", a voice outside yelled.
"Yes!"
"Open it!"
Shots were audible and the lock flew off. Two cops opened the door. Winslow stared at them and they stared at him. Then he realized that a week without food and full of stress might have been too much as his vision blurred and he fainted right there in the doorway.
