#attie

“Atlas Blake!” I hear my name called, and I release the hand of my long time high school sweetheart, looking over and smiling at Bradley before walking up the stage to receive my Masters of Law Degree. I hear the loud screaming from Emory, Birdie, and Bradley. My ride or die, the people I would do anything for. I remember the day I met Emory vividly.

—

I had just finished getting a scumbag placed into Jail for a year, due to a domestic dispute. The poor girl looked better now, but the photos I saw as evidence had her looking pretty rough.

It was a few weeks later and I’m sitting in the coffee shop near campus, drinking on a Caramel Macchiato, and studying to pass the next exam in the class to then move on to the next BAR exam, for my Masters of Law. I was having a hard time focusing though, some guy was trying to entice a woman to get with him. I’m sure the words falling out of his mouth were more on the crude side than the actual complementing side.

When he started to lay hands on her, and I noticed her flinching, was when I had had enough of this guy’s tomfoolery. I slammed my book shut, closed my laptop gently, and strided over to the two of them. I grabbed the guy by the shoulder and pulled him around to face me. “Now I know I have heard this pretty lady here tell you no more than once, so listen here buddy, I know about a thousand and one or more ways to get you served with a restraining order. Once again the lady said no, so I suggest you get moving before I start drafting an order up. Do you hear me?!” I say powerfully through gritted teeth.

The poor excuse for a man mutters something about being a bitch, and I just laugh it off. It's not the first time I’d heard that, and as a woman going for throats in law, I for damn well know it won’t be the last time. I nodded to the woman, glad to finally have the peace and quiet restored to the coffee shop, and I turned to head back to my table.

“Hey wait a moment?” I hear her say, “You’re one of the people that was on my defense team.” When I finally and fully get a good look at her, I recognize her from the trial that I had just done and internship on. I nod back to her. “I’m Atlas Blake, most call me Blake though.” She reaches a hand out to me, “I’m Emory. I’m so grateful for you and your team, and what you guys pulled off for me.”

I take her hand in mine, shaking it. “I’m just disappointed they only gave him a year, we had him set up for quite a few actually. Anyways, I’m glad that guy isn’t bothering you anymore, I’m just going to head back over there” I say pointing to my stuff, “and continue studying. It was really nice to meet you.”

“Hey Blake, would you mind actually sitting over here with me? My friend Birdie is running a little behind, and I’d love it if you'd sit with me until she got here.” Emory said. I nodded, “Yeah, just let me gather up my stuff really quickly.” I packed up my table, threw away my wrapper from my snack earlier, and grabbed my coffee and made my way back over to Emory. I sat down with her, and we just started talking. Once her friend Birdie got there, she introduced us, and we all sat there together just chatting away. She mentioned they were in school to get their MBAs and I told them how I already had my Juris Doctor and was currently finishing school to finally get my Masters of Law. Something about the three of us just clicked, and from that day we were thick as thieves, you could hardly separate us.

—

Now that the semester was finally over, I was set to take up Co-Ownership of Cora’s with Emory and Birdie. I was also in the process of opening my own law firm. I wanted to now represent and fight for broken and battered women and children. If they can't have a voice for themselves, then I’ll become their voice, and so I did as such. Whenever someone came in asking for a pomegranate scone, that’s when I knew it was go time.

Bradley was now a Lieutenant with the Task force out of the Austin PD department. He had started to hear about these vigilantes taking down men before PD could even get to them. When he started to bring it up at home that’s when I knew they were going to be on our trail soon enough.

The following day while in The Underworld with Emory and Birdie, I had mentioned how Bradley had brought up the vigilantes. “Hey has Bob, or Jake brought anything up recently, Bradley’s been rambling on about the ‘Vigilantes’ in the area. Should I tell him? I mean it would be a good thing if he knows right? Y’know having a cop on our side in case things go left?” I say questioning Emory and Birdie.

“Well, I mean Bobby knows.” Birdie squeaks out just loud enough for the two of us to hear.

“EXCUSE ME?!” Emory all but comes unglued.

“Em, you KNOW I get a little looser-lipped after tequila and an orgasm or two.” Bridie says as Em, nods slightly tilting her head to the side.I scrub my face, at the obvious truth tumbling out of Birdie’s mouth.

“Jesus, yes I do. Thank fuck you’re already married and can claim spousal privilege though.” Em retorts back to Birdie.

“I think it’s about time I start drafting up NDAs and we have the guys sign them.” I say to the others.

“Oh Loki, you know Bobby won’t spill. I told him if he narced on us he’d be castrated on sight. So you know we are good there!” Birdie comments, and I chuckle at her ‘castrated on sight’ comment.

“I sure hope you’re right there Birdie, but unlike Bobby, Bradley ain’t all THAT scared of us. The man knows I love him and his dick too much to let anything of the sorts happen to it. Shit he knows I’d draft up an insurance policy for it!” The room filled with the laughter of the three of us, everyone knowing the truth in that statement.

—

Later that night, I’ve finally gotten the full NDA written up and printed out, and placed into a portfolio. It’s sitting on the coffee table, dinner is on the stove keeping warm, and I’m sitting on the couch with a glass of wine, watching tv until Bradley gets home. About 30 minutes later Bradley strolls in. “Attie, it smells so good in here!” I chuckle and get up to greet him, placing a tender kiss to his lips, as my arms snake around his neck. “I made your favorite dinner bubs.” He groans knowing that it’s my Grandma’s secret family recipe for Chicken and Dumplings.

We dug into dinner, Bradley apparently was too busy today to eat lunch, so he brought his appetite home. It was a really good thing I made his favorite, hopefully this will butter him up to not explode when I tell him the news that not only am I part of The Furies, I’m also actually one of the Fates.

“How was your day at work bubs?” I ask, trying to pry at what Bradley may know.

“Well we’ve heard more about this vigilante group, apparently they are called the Furies. But honestly I think whoever is in this must be some kind of maniac. The way we keep finding these men, but not the attackers. They are meticulous, doing very well from leaving any sort of DNA on scene. Definitely a thorough person or bunch.”

I chew on my lip listening to Bradley talk about work and the Furies while I clean up our dishes from dinner and he takes a spot on the couch, queueing up a movie for us to watch. He spots the portfolio laying on the coffee table. “Attie, is this something for work?” I finish the dishes and turn to see what he’s referring to.

“Oh uh, kind of but not really bubs.” I make my way over picking up the portfolio and setting it in my lap. “We uh, actually need to talk about this bubs.”

He lifts up his arm for me to snuggle into his side, and then wraps his strong arm around me, embracing me in his warmth. “Bubs, I think it’s time you sign these papers.”

He places a soft kiss on my temple before asking, “Are you finally going to marry me, and this is a prenup?” His eyes light up like a kid on Christmas for a moment.

I shake my head no to him, “Bubs, can you just sign them, and then we can talk about it?”

He looks at me bewildered, that I would even ask him to sign these papers blindly. “Attie, honey, I’m dating a Lawyer, I know the first thing to do is read this, ask questions and then sign it.”

“Bubs please. Just sign them. Plus you’re a cop. You know all about doing whatever you need to do to get the task done, to get what you want.” I quipped back to him.

He sighs, and skims the document, and then signs it. “Thank you bubs. I love you.” I take back the portfolio, before he can do anything else to it. “What you just signed was an NDA, because I have something really big to tell you bubs.” I can tell the nerves are written all over my face, I can feel my skin crawling.

“Attie Honey, no matter what you tell me, I’m still going to love you regardless.” He says trying to calm my nerves and rubs my arms softly.

I sigh, “Bubs, you promise you’ll still want to marry me eventually too?” I give him the puppy dog eyes that I know he can’t resist.

“Of course Honey, nothing would ever change that, you’re the woman of my dreams, my high school sweetheart, hopefully the mother to my children one day.” He places a tender kiss on my cheek.

“Bubs, the NDA is about me. I’m not only one of the Furies, I’m also a Fate. So is Emory, and Birdie. We could stand to see women and children being harmed, or battered, or neglected. And let’s be honest, we all know how long it takes PD to get anything done around there, you said it yourself last week, they were dragging their feet.” I rambled on, a little longer while Bradley just listened.

“Attie, who else knows?” was all that he questioned. “Bob, and now you do too. I plan to find out who else knows, or plans on telling their significant others and getting them the same NDA you just signed.”

He nods, “Attie, this doesn’t change a thing for us, the only thing I want more than anything now is that you marry me. That way should something happen to you, I get notified immediately, that I’m your next of kin, and you for me.” He says holding me tightly.

I nod, “Of course I’ll marry you Bradley, whenever you want. Buuut first…" I trail off, and he finished where I left off, “I have to sign the damn prenup.” We both chuckle before agreeing to head to bed for the night.

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