Forever Midnight, Texas

A little story to mostly announce to those who don't know that Midnight Texas now has a second season in the works. This is a reference to the fact that Creek (Yes!) and Emilio (No!) will not be returning as regulars, but may guest star.

Manfred sighed as he helped move the last of the Rev’s things into the back of the truck, feeling a sadness and longing well in his chest at the thought of his friend leaving.

Everyone had come out to say there goodbye to the much loved Reverend (Minus Lemuel on account of the sun) and they all understood why he chose to leave Midnight. With the construction of the hotel and the fact it was opening, far to many people would come drifting in to town and Emilio had already gotten loose once on a full moon, he couldn’t take that chance again.

It was a with a round of warm hugs and the reminder that he was always welcome back that the Reverend took his leave to a place in New Orleans, somewhere that he could hopefully find peace again.

Fiji was holding back a few tears, Bobo’s arms around her as she sniffed, Mr Snuggly at there feet, paw lifted slightly in fair well.

Joe and Chuy waved him away, arms around each other, friendly and sad smiles on their lips while Olivia and Manfred stood shoulder to shoulder. As the most accustom to running they understood the most out of everyone why he felt the need. They’d both tried once, together, to convince the man to remain and had accepted it wholeheartedly when he’d stayed firm in his decision, giving him a knew place to go then and there.

The small buoy town in Louisiana was much like Midnight but about three times as big, not as homely but a perfect haven for a supernatural with a chequered past.

It was only once the truck was out of view they drifted away that they all made there way home, the killer and the conman falling back.

“So what else is wrong?” Olivia spoke, tucking back her now short hair, frowning as she heard her friend sigh.

“Creeks gone.” He felt her freeze in place, it was a minute, barely there thing but it was enough to reveal her shock. “She decided that she was going to get her dream. Go to college, become a writer and she didn’t want me and Midnight following.” Manfred gulped harshly, tears welling in his eyes. “She left me a note and her cellphone this morning.”

Olivia looked at her best friend with sad eyes and pulled him along to the pawn shop, through to the apartment upstairs.

They ended up curled on the bed together watching Penny Dreadful of all things, wincing, laughing and enjoying; Olivia propped against the head board with the other’s arms around her middle, his head pillowed on her stomach.

Hello all! I'm probably late to this party but as off February 14th it has been confirmed that Midnight Texas will be coming back for a second season.

Fiji teachers her little brother some magic and it sets a few changes into motion, and some cuteness

Manfred was itching in place, he had that feeling again, that something wasn’t quite right, the same one he’d gotten around the Lovells and that now included Creek.

He went out for walks all the time, trying to shake it off, not sleeping yet again and wondering if leaving Midnight wasn’t the best option. He quickly shook that off. He’d hurt everyone with that Olivia would kill him and then resurrect to drag him back home by his ear. Home, something he’d been missing since he was ten, and he’d found it in a small town overrun with the supernatural.

“Manfred!” He looked up to see Fiji stood on her porch and the witch gestured him over, speaking again as he approached. “By the Goddess when was the last time you slept? You look exhausted.”

“To be honest, I can’t remember.” He sighed, stuffing his hands into his jacket, shivering and cold in the almost burning sun thanks to the lack of sleep.

“Come on in, I’ll give you something to help.” Fiji took his hand gently and tugged him into the house and told him to take a seat on the couch. He watched her glide through the room, putting a tea together and soon enough the mug was pressed into his hands. He didn’t question it and drank and soon enough he felt his eyes flutter and sleep pull on him, the mug taken from him and he lay on the sofa, feeling a blanket thrown over him as his world went blissfully dark.

When Manfred woke the sun was shining but it was different and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“Well look who’s finally awake.” He looked up at Fiji who smiled teasingly, both happiness and worrying tingeing her expression. “You slept all through the night, Bobo got some pictures of you all snuggled up.” Manfred blushed a little. “So did Olivia when she dropped off your clothes, they’re just there so go get a shower while I whip up some breakfast.”

The psychic didn’t bother arguing, pressing a kiss to the witches cheek and making his way to the bathroom.

Soon enough he was sat at the table, happily eating pancakes, immediately cutting up a piece and setting it to the side for Mr Snuggly when he appeared, he preferred being in the cats good books, just to be on the safe side.

Mr Snuggly ate it and curled up before Fiji returned to her potion, giving Manfred’s hand a gentle lick.

The witch focused on a plant pot and suddenly it blossomed into a sage plant. Fiji giggled when she saw the look of amazement on his face.

“How?” The gypsy trailed off.

“Finish your pancakes and I'll explain.” Manfred let out a chuckle at being Mom’d by the sweet and loving woman. One of his sisters, the sweet one opposed to the badass that was Olivia.

He finished up and then washed the dishes before returning to Fiji’s side.

“Right, magic at it’s heart is all about will power. It’s channelling emotions and latent magic and manipulating it to do what you want.” Manfred nodded his head, fully attentive to every word, making Fiji grin. “Now, here is your plant.” She placed a pot before him. “Focus on your emotions, on the feeling of spring and channel it into the plant and want it to come to life.”

Manfred closed his eyes and did as he was told, thinking of the feel of the sun on his back, the smell of fresh cut grass and the birds in the trees and willed the plant to grow and soon he felt exhaustion wash over him and a tingling in his chest.

He opened his eyes when Fiji squealed and saw before him a small but blooming plant of aconite and it took him a moment to realise he’d done that.

The witch hugged him close before a strong southern voice couldn’t resist sassing any more.

“Well my, my, that’s mighty impressive.” Mr Snuggly spoke. “Seems our little witch ain’t so special” And he couldn’t resist the dig at Fiji, neither of them paid it any attention.

“Now that we know you have magic besides being a psychic, let the lessons begin.” The proud witch grinned and Manfred smiled in return. As much as he’d loved being with his Grandma, he’d always felt like she’d been holding something back, not teaching him everything he should know or helping him reach his potential. His last time seeing her confirmed it.

Soon enough everyone knew that Manfred was being trained by the resident witch. Bobo and Oliva had often found them together, Manfred hanging onto Fiji’s every word and her grinning proudly at the psychic as he absorbed it all like a sponge.

Olivia had decided to add to the teaching and unsurprisingly began with self defence, Manfred didn’t get that quite as fast as the magic but he was still a quick study, with a lot of bruises.

Everyone in Midnight was offering him advise or teasing him but there was a general air of proud, though he had taken to hiding with Emilio because he was the only one who seemed to give it a rest. But the worst of them all was Creek.

His girlfriend was constantly accusing him of cheating on her with the two and he was sick of it, the end of the relationship came when she tried to hit Fiji and he’d packed up all the girl’s things and dropped them off with Madonna, telling Creek she wasn’t welcome with him, not with the way she had been acting, Madonna had simply nodded understanding completely.

Creek had been getting progressively worse as time went on, making more and more accusations to the point the whole town wanted to strangle her, eventually she got the message, packed up and moved away much to their relief.

It was five years before they saw her again.

Everything in Midnight had settled down now that the energy from the veil had mostly dissipated, the hotel had been stopped and it was now just a simple B&B run by their newly resident Hulder, one of the most beautiful women in the world, keepers and wardens that originated in Scardinavia, along with her werewolf husband and two sons.

Creek frowned as she stepped into ‘Seng Og Forkost’, what the hell kind of name was that? She hadn’t a clue that many Midnighter found it funny when they knew it meant Bed And Breakfast in a few Scandinavian languages.

The once resident frowned even more when she saw the incredibly beautiful dark honey blond with bouncing curls and bright eyes moving through the tables, a well built man with dark hair and eyes but inviting smile working the bar. She glossed over them and walked through to the back, feeling two sets of eyes on her.

Soon enough she was in the Midnighter’s room and she wanted to scream, because right there was Manfred, all but in Emilio’s lap, with Olivia in his. She screamed and the screech echoed through the room bouncing off the walls and shattering glass as it tore through the town, six re-lashes of magic converging on her, making her collapse, heart stopped cold, her eyes and hair completely white as the psychotic banshee died.

Post-Possession Stress Disorder, the after effect of being possessed by a spirt and dealing with it leads Manfred to the church and a good friend or two.

Manfred almost groaned. It was there again, the growls, the snarls and the language that was somewhere between human and animal. Could feel something writhing through his body, like sludge in his veins, his skin, muscle and bones. He felt like he was going to be sick with it. His feet carried him as if on auto-pilot, not even realising until he was in the church.

He let out a breath and walked a little further forward, leaning against the water font, dipping his fingers into the water and feeling a weight drop away as they glided smoothly through the cool surface.

It was a reminder that he wasn’t possessed any more, this was just an echo of what he had felt, he wasn’t a demon or the holy water would burn.

The psychic almost jumped when a firm hand rested between his shoulders, a warm presence that made him feel safe in comparison to the chill ghosts left behind.

“Manfred?” The soft question brought him out of his thoughts.

“I’m fine just PPSD, post-possession stress disorder.” He gave a sardonic smirk that got a sad smile in return. “I’ll work through it slowly, always do.”

Emilio moved his hand, gently gripping the young man’s neck, leaning in to press a kiss to his temple. Manfred relaxed into it, taking all the comfort he could from the simple gesture, the feeling of something crawling slipping away for the moment.

The Reverend moved away, gently pulling the psychic further into the quiet calm of the church, the consecrated ground keeping all of the dark spirits away. There were still a ghost or two, like Vivian, the small red-headed girl in a white dress, daisy in her hair, blood staining her neck from a vampires attack who hummed a sweet melody, soothing and calming. Or the sweet old man that had watched over the church many years ago, still looking proudly over the people of Midnight and occasionally whispering advise in regards to creatures to the psychic.

Emilio gently pushed the younger man towards one of the benches, the second from the front.

“You’re tired, sleep.” Simple, direct and Manfred found himself obeying without thought, laying down and closing his eyes. He felt a wave of coolness wash over him, the soft, gentle humming sounding just above and to the side of him. He knew if he looked Vivian would be sat there, maybe reading or playing with something, looking like his little guardian angel.

He could hear Emilio, moving around and the presence of the two made him sleep soundly as if nothing in the world could touch him.

When Manfred awoke he heard the voices of the other Midnighters, his head was pillowed in someone’s lap and by the smell of gun powder it was Olivia, damn he must have been out of it to sleep through being moved.

Opening his eyes Vivian was still sat on the back of the bench, impossibly balanced as she read one of her new books, the psychic had buried a good number under the floor boards for her, as long as they were attached to the church she could read them.

He reached up and grabbed at her ankle, chuckling as she squealed at the tickling sensation when his hand went through making him chuckle, everyone but Emilio sent him questioning looks, the reverend knowing about his resident ghosts.

Tilting his head back a little he smiled at Olivia before settling down, everything feeling a little less stressful in place he felt safe with a restful sleep.

A look at Manfred and Emilio through Olivia's eyes.

Olivia at first thought it was strange. The Reverend and the Conman, together in a relationship but after a while she realised she was looking at it the wrong way.

Her and Manfred worked as siblings because of their past, the abuse in different forms, the isolation they both went through and the things they’ve seen and done, a killer and a conman. It took her longer to realise that the psychic and the weretiger were a perfect match, they made scenes, it was just a little harder to see.

The tiger seeked solitude and quiet but the human need contact while psychic spent his whole life bombarded by cold dead spirits that screamed and shouted.

To begin with she had no doubt that all they wanted was the quiet companionship they both craved.

It was all quiet, there was no loud declarations, no obvious signs that screamed they were together. It was all subtle, almost private even though they weren’t hiding anything. It was sitting ever so slightly closer, always finding them next to each other.

There was more contact as well, little brushes, slight clasping of hands on shoulders and arms.

When Olivia finally realised the pair had been together for a month, they hadn’t been hiding it, they just hadn’t thought to make it a big deal.

The more Olivia thought on it, the more it all made scenes. They weren’t burning chemistry and PDA’s, they were a steady simmer and quiet moments. She was sure they would last and she couldn’t be happier for them. Though she did tease Manfred like crazy before he decided to bite back by letting her know good the tiger was in bed, in extreme detail, she struggled to look Emilio in the eye for over a week.

1. A second season (because it's to awesome not to continue)

2. I need Creek dead (because she's beyond annoying)

A cute little slice of home life between a psychic and a weretiger.

Manfred wished that they’d just shut up, the ghosts were making his headache but it was a dull one he was mostly use to before the level rose to a scream that made him want to claw his own head open just to make it stop, he didn’t even realise he was digging his nails into his scalp until firm hands settled over his own.

He sighed in immediate relief, turning to see Emilio and melting into the man’s chest, breathing in the wild scent that always clung to the reverend but was strongest after the full moon and feeling the extreme heat the were’s body generated. In the space of a few minutes the headache was gone and the ghosts were quiet.

“Hey.” Emilio just smiled at him, looking younger and more relaxed, strong arms curling around the psychic while arms curled around his shoulders, their lips pressing together in chaste kiss.

Pulling back the psychic absently traced his lover’s scars, almost sighing at the look in his eyes, the extra weight he seemed to carry on his shoulders.

“Anything you can tell me?” Manfred asked gently, expecting the head shake, he knew that there would always be secrets that Emilio couldn’t tell him, because they weren’t his own and he’d sworn to keep them.

Their lips met in another kiss and the gypsy found himself once again thinking that this, what they had, was the last kind of relationship he ever thought he’d have. To be honest he never though he’d have one at all, always on the move, never stopping, other then a few short months in New Orleans.

No this wasn't the turbulent mess of emotions that he’d always thought of, this was a simple, quiet ease. It was total acceptance that made you feel warm, not a spark or fireworks but a constant slow burning fire that could continue for eternity, where the love wouldn’t die, merely change if anything.

The kiss grew, slowly becoming deeper, more passionate, only to be interrupted by the buzz of the timer.

The Gypsy groaned while the weretiger chuckled. Another unexpected thing, the domesticity. Manfred never thought he’d be cooking dinner like a good house wife and waiting for his lover to come back home from work. And he certainly never expected breakfast in bed or those perfect days in sweet silence with nothing but the radio for background noise where they’d curl up and read, sometimes they’d end up talking about everything and nothing but not once had Manfred ever worried about saying something, or doing anything, with Emilio it was all so easy.

After dinner Manfred let himself be lead around the room in an easy waltz, loving the way the other’s eyes lit up, chasing away the shadows that lay in the deep brown.

It was a normal night that ended with them sound asleep after something a little less relaxed and Emilio wrapped around the gypsy, acting as a living space heater as always.

In a world where Manfred was born a Shifter, Olivia finds her happiness by his side in the Crescent City. Please note Olivia never made it to Midnight.

Work Text:

Olivia smiled from her place against the door frame, watching with smiling eyes as her husband rocked their daughter to sleep, gently crooning 'A La Nanita Nana' to the new little treasure in their lives.

Manfred looked up a little, never pausing as he saw the blond, his warm brown eyes shimmering with love and warmth in a way she never thought she’d see. Never, ever did she think she’d have a life like this, where she’d be in love, married and have an amazing child and a full, loving family.

Olivia Bathory, because that’s who she was now, had come to New Orleans for a run of the mill hit that had turned into pure chaos when it turned out the man was wendigo. She’d been saved by a vampire called Elias and brought to the clans plantation house.

She was a wreck with slashes and bites all over her body and of all people it had been Manfred that took care of her, setting her at ease when he informed the assassin he was asexual, and it scared her at the time how easily he'd realised that was what the human needed to hear.

While she recovered she had met so many members of the clan, from the little children who had yet to go through their first change to the members who had lived through the world wars and many of them had served in them. But most of all she got to know the Bathorys. Erzsebet, the strong, steady and calm presences that could tear an army apart single handedly. Caleb the royal clown who was only serious when it came to someone harming his family. Laurent, the strong and silent one who preferred to read over social interaction but would be the first to play with the little ones and then there was Lizzy. She either acted like a five year old or a sadistic bitch, a finally tuned weapon by her own design, ready to be her cousins second.

And last of all she’d come to know Manfred. The future leader of the clan, a wolf who saw ghosts and dealt with death more then any of the others. Who saw through her armour like it was air and still accepted everything underneath. Someone who could be so sweet in subtle ways but still had a sharp tongue that sarcasm rolled off.

She watched as her husband placed Xena in her crib before walking to the blond, another song falling from his lips as he took her hand, gliding them around the room to the tune, a story of a ‘changeling child’ setting a calm and haunting atmosphere and it matched them perfectly.

On AO3 http://archiveofourown.org/works/12186849

Never mess with a mother's son, especially when that mother is a Shifter and you kidnap the son and his friends.

Manfred groaned, his head was pounding and the blood roared in his ears as a cold laugh echoed through the room, though it didn’t make him feel the fear they were no doubt intending as they slowly walked into the light.

The man looked rough, as if he’d been living on the streets, his clothes and hair a mess and a foul odour that was a mix of stale sweat and death, his eyes glowing gold, looking crazed. The Gypsy knew instantly why he was here, this wasn’t anything to do with Midnight and it’s bad habit of attracting supernaturals, this was to do with the Crescent City Clan and he was the weak point.

The foul man’s hand wrapped around his throat and he did everything to keep calm as he was choked until he was seeing dark spots, making the bastard growl as the psychic stayed completely stone faced, hearing muffled sounds of people around him. He nearly swore, because he could hear Olivia and she sounded pissed, and gagged.

The memory came back to him, they’d all been gathered at the church, not including Lemuel thanks to the sun being up, just talking for a change, enjoying the quiet they would never again take for granted. The moment had been broken by the shattering of glass and the next thing he knew his world had gone dark. He had to rein in the fury at knowing how many people he cared about were tied up.

“Not bad for a Were’s bitch.” Manfred just shrugged.

“What can I say he’s good in bed and trained me well.” The brunette felt the burn after the smack, and his vision danced again, he heard something from Creek but ignored it, not that she had any right to comment after she broke up with him.

“Careful, or I’ll send you to your mother in pieces, I’m sure she’d love to see you again.” The deranged asshole smirked, gripping the Gypsy’s chin with a bruising force.

“She will tear you apart.” Manfred told him with a smile. “No matter what you do to me you’ve already signed your death warrant and all that you’re doing now is deciding how painfully your going to die.”

“Luckily for you I’m fast.” The bastard spun around and all Manfred heard was the tear of flesh and when it collapsed he felt a wave of pure relief as he saw Erzsebet stood there. He watched as the bastard had his own intestines wrapped around his neck and was dragged across the room to be hung from a pipe, every limb twisted to a compound fracture so he couldn’t save himself.

Erzsebet wiped her hands clean and snapped the chains holding the Gypsy in place.

“Hello my Little Wolf.” He wasn’t proud of it but he dissolved into sobs looking into those warm gold eyes and was more then happy to be drawn into his mother’s hold, feeling her brown curls brush against his skin and knowing heaven and earth couldn’t take her away if he didn’t want to let go.

“Manfred!” His mother growled at Creek, it rumbling from where he was tucked under her chin, smelling leather and patchouli along with the wild of the bayou and swamps.

Slowly the Gypsy pulled himself together and met his mother’s warm smile.

“Come on Little Wolf, we can explain to your friends when we return to Midnight, the vampire will be waking soon.” Her voice was soothing and calm, a light southern belle drawl that reminded him of nights at the plantation house, looking at the stars from the porch swing.

He followed her without question, not at all surprised to see the trail of broken bodies as they walked through the compound and soon reached the dessert, the setting sun casting the sky in hues of burning orange and hazy pinks.

Olivia and Bobo took the keys to the two SUVs the shifters had brought with them. Manfred only just noticed Damon was at his back, which probably meant Elias was inside with the dying creature, ready to rip his jaw off if he survived choking.

While Olivia drove with Fiji besides her the psychic had an angel on his left and a demon on his right, leaning into Chuy when a strong arm was wrapped around his shoulders, Joe resting one on the small of his back, him drawing comfort from the pair as if it were tangible.

“You okay?” Chuy asked softly, concern lacing his voice.

“Yeah, just, I know what shifters are capable of.” The couple tensed, understanding.

“What do you mean?” Fiji spoke up, he opened his eyes to see Fiji looking around her chair and Olivia was shooting him looks in the rearview mirror.

“When I was six a coven of witches attacked the clan. I saw them butcher half of them and I heard what they did to the rest.” Manfred shivered. “The clan drew on our roots and impaled them alive and lit pyers beneath them, the bodies from earlier were strung up like holiday decorations.” He let out a bitter laugh. “We’re the descendent of war lord and warriors and while the world changed, us, not so much. Grandma Madeline use to say that a shifter was all the predatory instinct of an animal combined with sadistic and malevolent capability of a human.”

Chuy pulled the psychic closer, using his other had to gently sooth over the bruises that were forming over the other’s neck, not at all minding that Manfred was dozing on his shoulder all the way to Midnight.

Climbing out of the SUV he was tackled by Creek who was thankfully pulled away, literally, by Bobo as she bombarded the psychic with questions as if she was more entitled then the others and when she kept trying a low growl ripped through the air, cutting her off as they were all lead into the Midnighters’ Room, being met by Lemuel who demanded an explanation and got what little the others knew before the Gypsy spoke up.

“Everyone may I introduce my Mom Erzsebet, the leader of the Crescent City Shifter Clan and one of her enforcers Damon.” Manfred kept himself near Chuy and Joe, he didn’t like the way Creek kept glaring at him, and introduced everyone there.

“Perfect, now, marked by a Weretiger.” Erzsebet smiled at him but there was something dark there threatened death.

“An idiot let him out, he’s normally chained up for the full moon.” Manfred gently rubbed his ribs where the scars lay causing her to nod once.

“And the person that let him out?” She queried.

“Already dead, luckily for them.” Everyone shot him a look. “Better mauled by a tiger then facing a wrathful mother who is also a shifter.” Most of the room shivered, looking vaguely sick.

“What the hell is going on?!” Creek finally erupted, quickly recoiling under Erzsebet’s glare, and the looks from the other Midnighters.

“Ever speak to me or my son like that again and I will rip your tongue out before shoving it down your throat.” The Clan leader spoke calmly but no one doubted she could and would do it. “Now for those of you who don’t know shifters are much like weres only we can chose when we shift and our animal is that of our personality, as such some of us have more then one animal form, and silver doesn’t affect us like it does weres.” She gave Creek a condescending smile and Manfred held in a laugh, he felt a little guilty but his mom was awesome. “I also have an apology to give.”

Here she turned to the room as a whole.

“Craig Revon was the leader of a Clan just outside of our territory and they decided that they wanted to take over the Crescent City Clan. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to kill him or all of his clan members and they are the ones that took you. For that I apologize.” She spoke calmly, holding the whole room with just the tone of her voice, never mind her gaze.

Manfred almost jumped as Elias appeared behind him, a firm hand resting on his shoulder.

“Why did he want to take your clan? And why take us?” Olivia spoke, assessing and he knew that already she had Erzsebet’s approval.

“My clan is the second largest and most powerful clan in existence, the other resides in Europe and what makes us so powerful is what some close minded idiots think of as an abomination. Elias is a vampire.” She nodded her head to the refined man who stepped a little further forward, close to the Gypsy’s side, hand resting firmly on the small of his back. “We give them blood, feed them and in turn they follow the Clan rules.”

Elias chuckled, getting a few curious looks from around the room.

“It is a little more then that.” The English accent flowed through the room making them all shiver for one reason or another. “We have a home, somewhere we are accepted and we don’t have to kill to survive.”

Most of the Midnighters nodded, understanding completely.

“And then there are the weres, our dysfunctional cousins that we help on the full moon. Some clans like Revon’s thought that was an abomination and the way of shifters is defeat the leader, take the clan. When they failed in a direct fight, they went after the weak link, my son, taking all of you was collateral I suppose.” Erzsebet finished.

“Will other’s try?” Joe stepped forward, arms folded across his chest.

“I doubt it, most fear us to much to begin with but even more so, they know all attacking Manny is good for is making the end more painful.” The simple way she said it gave everyone chills. Even with everything they’d faced not one of them had ever been as scared of something as they were of this woman.

The night became calmer though as they began to relax, the Clan leader buying them all drinks before everyone drifted away.

“Your leaving tomorrow.” The Gypsy stated it from where he sat besides the shifter on the porch of the small blue home.

“I’d stay if I could.” He snuggled into her shoulder, slumped down so he could lean into her side. “Giving you away was the hardest moment of my life, but it was the only way you could be safe and remember I love you and if you need me I’m there for you.”

That night he heard the stories of the stars he’d grown up with and the sweet lullabies in languages of old Europe and treasured the moment more then all the diamonds and jewels in the world.

The next night saw Manfred, Olivia and Chuy stumbling out of Home Cookin’ after Madonna had chucked them out, laughing at their drunken antics.

The three stumbled slowly down main street, slowly making their way to the small blue house further down by a unanimous decision and soon enough were stumbling into bedroom and collapsing onto the mattress, Chuy in the middle and Olivia happily half climbed over the demon to use the psychic’s chest as a pillow.

“Your Mom is awesome, you’re really lucky to have her.” Olivia mumbled, making a please sound as Chuy absently worked some of the knots out of her back.

“I know, just wish things were easier.” Manfred sighed and buried his face into the Demon’s shoulder, smelling lavender and nail polish first then the layer of paint that came from Joe and finally the layers of brimstone, blood and fire.

“So what’s with Creek?” Chuy sounded concerned, even through the slight drunken haze. Manfred just groaned in annoyance making the others laugh.

No no no. Everything in Olivia’s mind screamed as she preformed CPR.

No please! Wake up, come back! Don’t leave me!

When Joe pulled away all she wanted to do was cry and scream, run away from it all and pour her heart out but she couldn’t, because the one person she trusted with that was laying there, skin a grey pallor, eyes glassy and unseeing, heart stopped cold.

When Creek lay besides him she wanted to grab the brat by her hair, tear her away because it was Olivia’s heart that was breaking as she lost the closest thing to family she’d ever known. Oh she loved Lem and he took the pain away, but Manfred, Manfred held her through the pain, kept her close and let her move through it. He was her safety net and she needed him more then she ever wanted to admit and he’d always known that, promised he wouldn’t leave her, he couldn’t leave her.

She felt her muscles tremble, wanting to shake apart and collapse, but she’d fall and break without him close, without, without him alive.

The gasp he gave as he woke was music to her ears, she nearly sobbed but kept it all inside and when their gazes met, she felt the strength seep into her bones as she stood just a little straighter, they were still in this together and she could fall time and again, he’d still catch her.

Olivia comes back from a job injured, and ends up acting like a five years old as a result.       

Manfred saw Olivia park as he exited Home Cookin’ and watched as she got out, limping, shaking and pale in the setting sun and he ran straight to her.

She was just about to fall when strong arms looped around her back and under her legs, lifting her with ease and relatively smoothly and the killer didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around the conman’s shoulders.

“You going to patch me up?” She asked, voice a little slurred and it made a shot of dread go through him.

“No, Fiji will, I’m only good for a quick stitch job.” He replied, the blond giggled, waving her left hand before crying out in pain, bringing it back to rest against the man holding her.

The woman relaxed into his hold as she was carried to Fiji’s home/shop and wasn’t surprised when the witch suddenly opened the door, looking horrified, gesturing them in and leading them to the couch.

“What’s wrong?” Fiji asked as she began to rush around.

“Lacerations to my right leg, fractured left wrist and abdominal bruising.” Olivia reeled off even as she started to fade out, another giggle falling off her lips, drunk off pain and blood loss as her body released a hundred and one chemicals to keep her functioning.

“We need you out of those clothes.” Fiji muttered, bringing supplies over and shooting Manfred looks, completely surprised when the Gypsy easily found one of the blond’s knives and started cutting her clothes. Olivia didn’t even blink as he first cut up the middle of her top before slicing through the arms so the whole thing came off, moving back to let Fiji work her magic. (bad pun fully intended)

He gently removed her shoes and cut away her trousers that probably cost more then he wanted to think about. Checking the cuts wrapped in a make shift bandage that was soaked through, but had dried a dark red, gently peeling it away to see what looked like a wound from wire being wrapped around her calf and he felt anger swell in his chest.

Manfred sighed, knowing he wouldn’t be much use and pressed a kiss to Olivia’s forehead, seeing a grin taking over her lips, another giggle escaping and Fiji looked disturbed by it all.

It wasn’t long before he returned with one of his shirts that would reach well down Olivia’s thigh, he wouldn’t be getting that shirt back either and the wounds were all but gone, even the fracture dealt with.

Fiji got thanks from both of them as Manfred carried the killer outside and to the pawn shop where a worried Lem hovered outside in the now dark night.

“Lem!” Olivia cheered and reached one arm towards the vampire and hugged him the moment she was close enough but refused to let go of Manfred. Bobo came out and looked horrified by the way Olivia was behaving, she was like a five year old on a sugar rush.

“Come on Olivia, let’s get you to bed.” And Lem moved to take her but she whined, snuggling closer to Manfred.

“Warm.”

It took everything the Gypsy had not to laugh as he bit his lip.

“Take blood loss, add pain and throw in some exhaustion and sometimes the human body produces as many happy chemicals as it can to keep you awake and going and they can make you pretty loopy, they’re wearing off now which is why she’s getting sleepy.” Manfred explained, having seen it before in a few of his cousins, and it was true, Olivia had rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. Dressed in the oversized shirt she looked unbelievably cute but no one dared take a photo.

Manfred made his way inside and deposited Olivia on the bed and stayed there the rest of the night, making sure she was okay and watching with growing relief as she gained more colour eventually falling asleep besides her.

Olivia woke first, just, groaning and wanting to smoother herself with the pillow, she felt like shit and remembered every bit of how she acted the night before.

“Calm down, no one is going to hold it against you.” Manfred mumbled, pulling himself up and stretching. “Now I’m going to go get a quick shower and change before picking up breakfast, what do you want?”

Olivia sighed, feeling her self soften and told him.

For chapter 1 check my blog for the previous post or you can go to AO3

http://archiveofourown.org/works/12107088/chapters/27450633 

Manfred felt like he’d been floating for the past few days. Being with Emilio made him feel like there was a weight lifted off his chest, no matter what.

The psychic felt his phone buzz and answered it without looking, tapping away at his laptop in the Midnighters’ room.

“Hello.”

“Hello Sweetheart.” The smiling voice made him feel even lighter then before and he could feel some of the tension rolling out of him.

“Mom, hey, it great to hear from you.” The shifter on the other end laughed at his enthusiasm. His Mom never took him back but she always stayed in contact, usually by dream walking though she’d done that less as he’d gotten older. A shifters clan was no place for a human, they were liable to be killed but a shifter couldn’t survive alone.

“Well the amount of happiness I’ve been feeling over the bond I had to know who’s causing it.” She teased and he could see her lips turned up in his minds eye, bright golden eyes crinkling up at the corners in her loving face that could become as hard as stone. Manfred wondered suddenly if that was why he loved the people around here so much, complete badasses but all with a heart of gold, just like Erzsebet.

“His name’s Emilio and he’s the local Reverend here in Midnight, he’s.” He sighed, trying to describe the man. “There’s just something about him Mom, and he’s so calm and in control that even the ghosts don’t bother me as much, plus he’s as interested in Theology and the like as I am.” He explained, smiling at Madonna when she dropped a fresh drink besides his laptop, the woman had warmed up to him over the past few months, even getting annoyed with Creek herself and easily acting as a buffer, he couldn’t thank her enough.

“Manny.” The dry humour in her tone made him laugh even as Olivia and Fiji appeared, followed by Lemuel, it must be later then he thought and then Bobo, finally followed by Emilio who took a seat besides the psychic. Manfred had thought he couldn’t get more relaxed, he was wrong as an extra layer of content sank in.

“Okay, and what is he?”

“Mo-”

“Don’t Mom me or I swear I will come to Midnight just to smack you, remember I am your mother and I can still ground you no matter how old you are.” Lemuel chuckled, just about able to over hear the sharp reply, gaining odd looks from others at the table before they turned to listen to Manfred’s half of the conversation. Emilio chuckled himself, he’d heard about Manfred’s rather, impressive, family from his mother’s side.

“Weretiger.” The Gypsy sighed, he knew if he left the next part out the man wouldn’t live very long once his mother found out. “And he managed to claw my side one full moon but normally he’s locked up but some idiot let him out.” He felt a growl rising in his chest and echoed his mother’s in that moment. He wasn’t a shifter but there we moments, few and far in between, but they were there.

“Weretigers and the like often mark those they see as theirs, usually someone magic because it gives a sense of familiarity.” And with him being the son of a shifter… well, you couldn’t get closer to being a were unless you are one. “And if he ever hurts you again I will rip his liver out and force feed it to him before injecting him with silver nitrate.”

All three who could hear winced, that was like injecting someone with hydrochloric acid.

“Mom.”

“Yes Dear.”

Head meet table and the Gypsy groaned, making everyone around him laugh in some form, except his amazing lover who gently wrapped a hand around his neck, thumb drawing soothing circles against the skin.

“You are evil and I love you but please don’t come to Midnight, we don’t need anyone else killed.” His voice was muffled by the solid wood but his mother’s laugh rang clear over the line.

“So long as you’re happy and you don’t ask me to I’ll stay away. I love you my Little Wolf.”

“I you too Momma Wolf.” He answered, straightening up, hanging up with a warm glow in his chest, more then happy to hear from the shifter who had done the hardest thing she could, giving up her cub, understanding that made him love Erzsebet even more.

He leaned back into the hand that was still on his neck, turning to give the man a small smiled before grabbing his drink to smother his smirk in it.

Fiji’s mouth had dropped open in shock, Bobo wasn’t much different and Olivia’s jaw had tightened and her eyes flickered back and forth between the two while Lem looked like he was three seconds away from laughing, he seem to be in physical pain over it.

“You-you two- your...” Fiji stuttered and that was it for Lem, he let out a deep laugh, leaning back in his chair which set Bobo off and Olivia just looked at the couple in disbelief.

“How long has this been going on?” The blond was still trying to wrap her head around it, and the fact Manfred hadn’t told her.

“A few days.” He shrugged, meeting her gaze and in a simple look conveyed he wasn’t hiding it and he would have told her if she didn’t figure it out. The killer relaxed a little before jumping as Fiji squealed, all of them turning to stare at her.

“Sorry.” She said embarrassed. “I’m just happy for you both.” Manfred grinned at her while Emilio gave a small smile, finally dropping his hand from his lover’s neck.

“What’s with your Mom, why don’t you want her here?” Olivia asked.

“It’s not that I don’t want her but shifter’s don’t survive well away from their clans. They’re ruled even more by their instincts and hunters plus all manner of supernatural creatures try to kill them, a shifters bite can be toxic.”

“It’s true.” Lemuel confirmed. “I’ve seen a good few vampires killed by shifters, one good bite and that’s it.”

They spent the rest of the night before they dispersed, discussing shifter culture. When they left though Manfred shivered, he could feel eyes watching him and it made something cold travel over his skin.

Manfred spent the next few days receiving call after call from the Bathory side of his family and alternating between laughing and wanting to bash his own head in, Emilio found it to be endlessly amusing especially when Lizzy, Laurent and Caleb called together, they teased, poked and prodded without mercy and only gave up when Manfred was seriously contemplating stabbing himself in the eye with a pen.

For those few days he kept feeling that chill, like someone was walking over his grave when ever he was with his lover in public. He knew it was someone because it only happened when he was in public, either outside or at Home Cookin’. He’d mentioned it in passing to the others but they hadn’t felt it, he’d mentioned it to his mother who told him to go with his gut and they were only a phone call away.

Right now the full moon hung high in the sky and Manfred couldn’t sleep, he was completely restless, everything in him was urging him to be with his lover. Finally giving in he wrapped up for the cool Texas night and made his way to the church, following the sound of the growls that slowly died down as he approached, turning into a soft whine that only quieted as the human leaned against the door, he could swear that he could feel the heat from the were’ on the other side. Manfred knew he couldn’t sleep, the layer of separation making him just a little to on edge but he could relax and he knew the tiger was doing the same.

The Gypsy didn’t move for the rest of the night, only leaving as the sun began to rise and soon enough he was joined by his lover who wrapped around him like a heat blanket. He was wonder how something so smotheringly uncomfortable could make him feel exactly the opposite.

“Hey Manfred.” The Gypsy tensed, putting on a polite smile as he walked to Home Cookin’ to talk with Fiji, the witch wanted any extra magic knowledge she could get right now.

“Creek, how you been?” He kept walking slow enough to be polite but he had an uneasy feeling.

“Fine, though I heard this stupid rumour about you being with the Rev.” She put this false, almost manic giggle at the end of the sentence that made him shiver.

“It’s true, me and Emilio have been together for about a week now.” He told her, still making his way forward until she was suddenly in front of him, face set into a hard mask that made her look like an angry toddler.

“What?” He moved to the side, hoping to be able to go around her if he kept her attention just right. “Your dating that, that, fleabag beast!” And Manfred felt his own anger swell, the shifter side of him getting closer and closer to the surface. Erzsebet had warned him being with a were may call his shifter side forward.

“I’m dating Emilio and insulting him isn’t going to change that.” He spoke through clenched teeth and he was shaking in rage, muscles tense as he fought the tremors running through him, fuck, he was turning into a shifter.

“Manfred.” Speak of the devil and he shall appear, along with Olivia, Lem, Fiji and Bobo who all stood around them, Emilio right besides the Gypsy, firm hand resting on the small of his back.

“What’s going on?” Fiji looked between them in concern all the while Creeks face darkened more, she really looked like a deranged toddler.

Quicker then anyone thought the girl reached into her bag and fired. Manfred moved before he realised, the bullet landing in his shoulder and the silver burning as he shifted, the great wolf leaping forward and knocking the attacker to the floor, her head cracking against the tarmac and the wolf tried to go for her throat only for a strong arm to wrench him away and he shifted back without thought as Lemuel shoved him back into his lovers arms.

It took him longer then he’d like to turn his attention to his mate, geez, he was a shifter now. He nearly laughed, turning into his lover, not caring about the on his shirt or bullet buried in his shoulder, strikingly close to the Hightower gave him.

By the morning Creek was gone, killed and no one could feel any true remorse for it, not when she tried to kill one of their own. For the next few days Emilio didn’t leave Manfred’s side and the wolf was thankful for it, especially when he had to convince his mother not to storm Midnight, Creek was lucky she was dead because if Erzsebet had gotten the girl.

Manfred Bernardo/Emilio Sheehan

Contains Explicit Content After Read More Link

Contains Spoilers For Both Episode 7 and 8 (Angel's Heart and Last Temptation Of Midnight)

And all my stories for Midnight Texas can be found on Archive of Our Own Here:

http://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAngelsCryInBlood 

Something good came out of that demon. For all it tried and helped to destroy, it set something amazing into motion. I'm not ready to go down with the ship but I will try to keep it afloat.

A/N: I reject your reality and substitute my own. Also known as Creek and Manfred were never together.

Emilio felt worn, his tiger was angry and growling, he could feel it in a way he never could before, it had never been this close to the surface outside of the full moon. He was about to trudge home when a firm hand curled around his arm and Manfred smiled at him, guiding the Reverend to the small blue house.

It appeared the weretiger didn’t have a choice but to sit when he was gently pushed onto the couch and it garnered a small, dry, chuckle from the exhausted man of the cloth. Soon enough the psychic returned with a glass jar filled with a light green cream.

“Nothing works better then Fiji’s healing paste.” The Gypsy smiled but the Rev felt a flash of guilt remembering when Manfred got that, for the slashes down his side that his were-self had inflicted.

Manfred laughed at the startled noise the older man made when he suddenly had a psychic straddling his lap, leaning in to apply the thin, cream like paste to the other’s wound before breathing in deeply, letting what little magic he could for now well up in his chest before he let it escape, sinking into the wound making it disappear, leaving unblemished skin behind.

His fingertips gently brushed over the slightly furrowed brow before tracing the scars by his dark brown eyes and down on to the others cheek.

It was like the air was charged with static and neither of them knew who started the kiss, only that it sent fire burning through their veins, that Manfred loved it when the weretiger picked him up as if he weighed nothing and dropped him on the bed, half removing, half tearing their clothes off.

Manfred & Olivia Brotp

They would bicker, they would fight, but at the end of the day, they were one in the same. A little piece of comfort that takes place at the end of episode eight 'The Last Temptation Of Midnight'

Manfred wasn’t surprised by the knock on the door, Olivia’s face looked harsher then normal and there was hurt screaming in her eyes. Manfred didn’t bother to ask, he knew that what ever the demon had done to Lemuel had deeply fractured the relationship between the two but he was sure it could be repaired, he just didn’t want to think about how long it may take.

“Bedroom is all yours, it bolt locks from the inside as well as the key.” He handed that over and just watched her walk into the house, all but slamming the bedroom door but he wasn’t going to complain. The thing was at the end of the day they both trusted each other more then almost anyone realised, their had been no real doubt to either one of them that he’d return to Midnight, they’d just never open their mouths and tell someone because everything was locked up in that spot at the back of their heads that held their secrets.

Where Manfred held all those bullying remarks, the most vicious and volatile ghosts and the list of every person he'd conned and how much everything in his past hurt. Where Olivia kept her past and her kills and how truly vulnerable she really was. Slowly but surely they were trading those and even the hell that was coming wouldn't be able to drag those secrets out.

The Gypsy spent the first few hours of the night on the couch before he was shaken awake by the blond who was dressed in one of his shirts and tugged him into the bedroom, he stripped down and climbed into one side and soon enough had Olivia snuggled into his side, face buried against his neck and he’d never mention her tears, the same way she listened to every word he said, heard every hitch of his breath and would keep it to her grave and beyond.

“If you leave again I’ll break you in two.” She finally mumbled.