#for nash

There was nothing Miri hated more than studying. Staring at the flash cards in her hand, went over each one desperately trying to remember the definition of a genotype. Miri had been so focused that she barely heard the sound of knocking on her window. Turning her head she rolled her eyes the second she caught sight of the figures outside. Hurrying to the window she turned the latch and opened the window, "What the hell are you two doing here?" she asks, in a hushed whisper, "My dad finds you here and he'll kill you both."

The Three Broomsticks had, basically, become home for Brynna over the last two weeks. She drank, she made friends with other drunk witches and wizards at the bar, and she drank some more. She was sure there was only one day she had been sober in the last two weeks. And even then, her sobriety had lasted only for the length of the funeral before she was locked away in her apartment with a bottle of Jack Daniels, drowning away her sorrows. Brynn could hardly do anything but drink the last few weeks. Not since she found Jayden. Bryna couldn't close her eyes, when sober, without seeing the bloody, beaten and mutilated body of her best friend. Couldn't close her eyes without the image of his hollow, lifeless eyes staring up at her where she'd found him in an alley behind a shop in Diagon Alley after they'd been separated during a Regime raid. She could remember the fear coursing through her veins that day. Jay had been a known member of the Bloodless. He practically had a target on his back. So when they'd been separated, she'd been terrified for him... Brynn knocked back a shot of a strong liquor she didn't know the name of. The more she drank, the easier it was to pretend this was all a bad dream. The easier it was to forget. But her brain didn't want things to be easy today. It easily recalled how she'd found him, the Dark Mark of old floating over him. How the Regime had chosen to beat him before giving him the quick mercy of the killing curse. She could still smell the blood... Brynn took another shot. willing the memories to stop, but they just kept coming. Her screams as she tried to shake Jayden awake, despite knowing there was nothing she could do. The look of agony on Bayley's face as she had to be the one to tell him their trio was reduced to a duo. The way they had clung to each other in the days leading up to the funeral. Brynn took yet another shot, blinking back the tears that were so desperately trying to escape. Her family had tried to send her to St. Mungo's after she found the body. Sloan and Nari thought it might help. But she'd refused. A dreamless sleeping potion and a shrink weren't going to help. The only thing that helped was the amber liquid in the glass bottle. And Bayley. Bayley Longbottom, her best friend, her rock, her lifeline. Bayley, who had lost Jayden, too. Who understood the way she was feeling. Bayley who had stayed with her every night for two weeks, letting one another revel in the comfort of each other's presence. Hours and countless drinks later, Brynna's drunken mind had her stumbling around the bar, looking for her giant of a best friend. "Bayley?" She called out, frowning when he didn't magically appear out of thin air and answer her call.  She made her way over to a group of wizardsat the bar, close to where she'd set her drink before going to search for Bayley. She picked up her drink and downed the rest of it. "Hey, sweet cheeks." One of the wizards said, catching her attention. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing out all alone?" Brynna, too drunk to realize these men had more in mind than conversation, smiled at the man. "I'm looking for my friend." She slurred, her eyes peering around the bar for Bay. This was usually around the time he'd come to the bar to find her and take her home. "How about I be your friend til she gets here?" The wizard said, grinning. "Not a she, a he." Brynn said, reaching for her glass, frowning when she remembered it was empty. "Let me buy you a drink." He offered. So, she did. She'd had at least two more drinks with the wizard and his three friends and was currently leaning against the man who'd been buying her drinks when she heard a very familiar voice calling her name. Brynna perked up at the sound and pushed off of the wizard when she saw the blurry outline of Bayley, telling her he was going to take her home. "BAY!" Brynna yelled with drunken excitement, using the man she was leaning on as a sort of launch pad. She pushed herself off of him and stumbled over her own feet in her haste to get to Bayley, feeling better when his arms instantly wrapped around her. She let out a breath of relief, one she hadn't been aware she'd been holding in. Brynn buried her face into his chest, breathing in the scent of peppermint mixed with the cologne she'd been giving him since their fifth year, a scent that was all Bayley and comfort. "You came to take me home? Does this mean you're staying with me? Because I like when you stay. I feel better." "Of course I'll stay, Brynn." Bayley said and the blonde found herself smiling against his chest. Bayley was the one person keeping her sane lately. He was the one person she truly felt safe with, despite knowing he could barely even kill a bug. "How many have you had?" Brynn shrugged at his question. She didn't know. A lot didn't seem like it would have gone over well with him as an answer, so she just shrugged instead. Brynna took a deep breath, inhaling the comforting scent of Bayley again. She was safe with him. Bayley wouldn't let anyone hurt her. He wouldn't let the Regime get her like they'd gotten Jay. She leaned into his chest more, closing her eyes, fighting off the tears threatening to come out at the thought of their fallen best friend, as well as the tiredness taking over from drinking. She sighed. "Take me home, Bay?" Brynna vaguely heard him paying for her drinks. She could only imagine her bill. She'd have to pay him back when she sobered up. Even with Bayley supporting her, Brynn was having a hard time staying on her feet. The lack of sleep from her nightmares combined with two weeks of binge drinking was catching up with her. And her blurry, drunk vision and the tears she'd been holding back made it difficult for her to see where she was going. If it wasn't for Bayley and his grip on her, she would have fallen over. The cool night air hit her face and she knew they were outside. She felt Bayley's arms behind her knees and the next thing she knew, she was up in his arms, cradled against his body. Without even needing to think about it, Brynna's body reacted. She curled up against him, his shirt fisted in her hand as she clung to him. "I knew you'd come get me. You're like my savior." She mumbled, smiling to herself as the sleepiness took control of her body. "My Longbottom. No one else's." Brynn whispered, just before falling asleep, safe and sound in Bayley's arms. If you asked her the next morning, Brynn would claim she didn't remember her and Bayley's conversation. She wouldn't admit that she thought she'd heard Bayley say he loved her. She was convinced that had been a drunk dream. And if you asked Bayley... He'd blush and say he was just saving her, like he always would. 

Skylla Selene Lupin was the most perfect creature Cally had ever seen. Her daughter was three months old now, but Cally didn't think she could ever tire of looking at her. She was the perfect combination of herself and Remus, right down to her little nose... And her lycanthropy. For so long, Cally had tried to convince Remus that everything would be fine. That their child wouldn't suffer as he had because their child wouldn't be a werewolf. But the Healers had delivered the grave news that, yes, Skylla was infected with the werewolf 'disease.' Cally had lost it right then and there. It had taken Sirius and James, who had come to visit her and the baby while Remus was at work, both to hold her back from attacking the Healer who dared to make it seem like there was something wrong with her child. Like her child wasn't normal. They'd since taken to calling her Mama Wolf, much to Remus' chagrin. Remus blamed himself. for Skylla inheriting the werewolf gene. He could barely look at her before his guilt began to show and he'd hand her back over to Cally before locking himself away in the study. It broke Cally's heart, seeing Remus so heartbroken and guilty for 'ruining' their lives. She sighed, leaning down to kiss the top of Skylla's head. "He loves you. He'll come around." She whispered to her child, turning to look at the door as she felt someone's presence behind her. "Hello, love." Cally said, a soft smile on her lips as she spotted Remus standing there. "How long have you been standing in the door?" "About five minutes." Remus said, smiling despite his guilt at the sight before him; Cally seated in the rocking chair that had once belonged to his mother, the one she had given them as a gift for the baby, Skylla nestled against her chest. "Being a mother suits you." It did, really. Remus only wished she could be holding a child that hadn't received his condition. He didn't regret Skylla. He couldn't regret his own child. He just wished she wouldn't regret having him as a father like she surely would when she was old enough to understand the curse he had bestowed upon her. Cally sighed and stood up, moving to lay the young Lupin in her crib. She chcked to make sure she was swaddled completely before turning on the mobile of the solar system that hung above the crib. It was the one thing that never failed to put her to sleep at nap time. She crossed the room to Remus and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You need to stop feeling guilty, Remus." She said quietly, able to pick up on his self loathing moods after knowing him for so long. "You need to stop blaming yourself." "I can't, Cally." Remus said, holding his wife against him tightly, burying his face into her hair. "Our daughter is a wolf because of me. She's going to suffer for the rest of her life. People will call her a monster. They'll judge her for what she is. How can I not blame myself for putting her through that?" "Because it's not your fault. If you'd like to blame someone, blame Fenrir Greyback for biting you as a child." Cally said, frowning at even the thought of that man's name. "Blame him for being a sadistic monster who enjoyed biting and turning children. It's his fault, not yours." Remus watched his wife, biting his lip. He wished he could think the same way she did, but he couldn't. Greyback hadn't been the one to give Cally a wolf for a child. It had been him. It was his fault their child would be called a monster her entire life. It was his fault Cally would have to deal with te consequences of having a wolf for a child, just like his own mother had. "I've ruined your life, too." Remus said. So quietly Cally almost didn't hear him. "No, you didn't." Cally picked Skylla up, placing the sleeping infant into Remus' arms, silencing his protests with a look. "You gave me her. Look at her, Remus. I don't blame you, you shouldn't blame yourself. So raising her might be difficult. Your mother did it, and so will we." Remus stared down at the infant in his arms, her eyes opening as she woke from what could hardly be called a nap. He watched as she searched the room, seemingly looking for her mother. And then her eyes met his, the same tawny color as his own, and she gave him a wide, gummy smile. "She's smiling at me," Remus said in awe, captivated by the little girl in his arms. "She knows you're her father." Cally said, watching father and daughter staring at each other.  Remus made a move to pass her back to Cally and was startled when Skylla began to wail, her little arms flailing, trying to hold onto him. "What's wrong!? What did I do!?" Remus looked at Cally, a look of sheer panic in his eyes. He realized then that the sound of his child crying, not knowing what was upsetting her, was quite possibly his new biggest fear. "You tried to hand her to me. She doesn't want me right now. She wants you." Cally giggled, amused. "She's going to be such a daddy's girl... Bring her to your chest and hold her tightly. She'll stop crying." Remus did as Cally instructed. He was amazed by how quickly the cries quieted and eventually stopped. He lifted his hand, stroking her cheek with the tip of his finger and smiled brightly when she clutched his finger in her fist, with surprising strength for an infant. "She's strong," Remus said, turning his head to look at Cally. "Just like her mother." His gaze instantly went back to his daughter, who was watching him, content to be held by him. For a moment, he forgot about his guilt over passing his condition to her. He forgot to be angry with himself for burdening Cally with the task of caring for not just one werewolf, but two. All that mattered in that moment were the two women in that room. His girls. His family. He looked at Cally. "Thank you." "Oh, don't thank me. You'll regret it when she's older." Cally said, a mischievous grin on her face. "Especially when she uses my puppy dog eyes you can't say no to. Or when she's begging to go on a date with a boy." And, just like that, Remus had a whole new set of problems to worry about. The biggest one? Finding where to purchase a shot gun. 

"Stop laughing at me, asshole. This isn't funny!" Madison yelled at his best friend as he tugged at the tie around his neck. But his yelling only seemed more amusing to the younger man and made him laugh even more. "You're a dick and I hate you." Madison said, glaring at him in the mirror. "I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry. It's you. In a suit." Matt finally managed to say in between laughs. In all the years he'd known Madison, he'd never seen him in a suit, let alone with a matching tie. Madison's idea of dressing up usually meant a button down shirt, jeans and sneakers that weren't stained from practice on the field. So the sight of his friend in formal wear with his beard gone... He couldn't help but laugh. "You don't hate me. If you did, I wouldn't be your best man, getting dirty looks from your twin all day." In Matt's eyes, this wedding had been a long time coming. He'd known Madison and Audrey since they'd dated the first time around. He'd seen the hell Madison went through when Audrey left him. Had seen the torment he'd put himself through for the seven years Madison and Audrey had been separated. He'd seen Audrey in Los Angeles, when she'd been married to the abusive Hollywood jackass she'd called her husband. And he'd seen them find their way back to each other all over again, all leading up to this wedding today, causing the nerves Madison was obviously suffering from. "Yeah, well, you're doing a shitty job. Aren't you supposed to keep me calm today?" Madison asked, frowning and undoing the tie, throwing it down on the floor. "How mad do you think Audrey would be if I just skip the tie? I already shaved the beard off. That's good enough, right?" "You want to risk the wrath of your pregnant bride to be over a tie?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do you not remember the wrath she unleashed when I gave you guys the onesie for the baby that said 'I like boobies'?" "...Oh yeah." Madison said, laughing at the mental image of Audrey smacking Matt upside the head with the offending article of clothing. "I guess you're right. Tie it is, then." Madison sat on the couch provided in the groom's suite, rubbing his face and letting out a sigh. "Why are you so nervous?" Matt asked Madison as he took a seat next to his friend. "It's Audrey. This is what you wanted for seven years, isn't it?" "Because it's Audrey. Because I don't want to fuck anything up for her. Especially not today." Madison said, shrugging. After all they'd been through, he was terrified of making a mistake and making her regret even a single moment of their big day. "Understandable." Matt said, nodding his head. He really could understand why Madison was nervous now. "But I really don't think you have to worry. I think Audrey is going to be happy today regardless of anything you say or do. Well. As long as no one spills the beans about her being knocked up on her wedding day."  Madison had to laugh at that. It was true. Audrey hadn't wanted to be showing in her wedding dress, or for people to know that she was pregnant. He vaguely remembered her saying something about it being bad luck. "You're probably right." Madison said, looking over at the twig of the man beside him. "When did you get so good at these cheesy speeches?" "You're one to talk. Don't think I haven't heard from Audrey a million times how you proposed to her in the kitchen." Matt teased, grinning at his friend. He stood up, adjusting his own tie as he did so and then looked over at Madison. "Show time. You ready?" "As ready as I'll ever be." Madison said, standing and looking around the room nervously, trying to make sure there was nothing he was forgetting. "Well then. Let's go get married. ....God, I never thought I'd be saying those words."  "I resent that, asshole." 

"you hit me in the face with a stick. That hardly counts as kicking my ass." Jackson said, rolling his eyes. "Don't congratulate yourself. The stick won, not you." "Fuck you, Buckbeak." "Fuck you, troll." "Say that to my face!" "I just did!" "Wait until we're back on the ice. I'll kick your ass!" "Oh, go back to Boston!" The petty argument lasted for two minutes, each insult sounding more and more like it came from a child rather than the mouth of an eighteen year old college student. The two sat on their beds, arms crossed and glaring at each other. If he wasn't in the situation, Jax would have laughed. But this wasn't someone else and he wasn't laughing. He couldn't even really remember why he and Cj hated each other. He could just recall their first meeting on the ice had been freshman year of high school. He'd checked Cj and they'd fought and then that had become almost routine any time their schools faced each other. In an attempt to amuse himself without starting another argument, Jax pulled out his Game Boy and turned it on. After five minutes of the continuous clicking of buttons, Cj's curiosity got the better of him. He leaned forward a little, trying to see what Jax was playing. He probably should have chosen to do so in a less conspicuous way, because as he stretched his neck out, Jax looked up from his game, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" "....Trying to see what you were playing." Cj admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "....Pokemon." Jackson said, almost daring Cj to make fun of him for being an eighteen year old who still owned his Game Boy and Pokemon games. But, to his surprise, Cj did not being to tease him. Well, not entirely. "I bet you use a stupid started like Bulbasaur. Don't you?" Cj asked, a smug smile on his face. "Fuck you, no I don't. I use Charmander. He's best because-" Jax started to explain, but was interrupted by Cj. "He turns into Charmeleon and Charizard and is badass." The two boys stared at each other, wide eyed. Had Cj actually just finished Jax's thought? And he shared the same opinion? "Quick. Twizzlers or Red Vines?" Cj asked, eying Jax suspiciously. "Red Vines." Jackson answered immediately. "Me too!" "Blue slurpee or red slurpee?" Jackson asked. "Fuck choosing, mix them." Cj answered. "I do that too!" Jackson said, surprised. So they had three small things in common. Who knew. Cj looked at Jax. Jax looked at Cj. "...Did we just become best friends!?" "Yup!" Well, this certainly was a surprising turn of events. 

Valentine's Day was supposed to be a day for relaxing and spending time with the person you loved. Not for doctor's offices and long wait times to see a doctor. Audrey would have put it off as long as she could had Madison not insisted  on her going to see a doctor. She'd been feeling sick for weeks. Tired all the time and she'd barely been able to keep anything down. Madison, forever worrying about her well being, had finally put his foot down and made his stubborn fiance go see a doctor. It had taken hours of convincing. Audrey hated going to the doctor's office. She had even when she was a little girl. The smell of antiseptic and the bright lights made her feel uncomfortable. But she'd decided to go if it would make Madison feel better. It certainly wouldn't make her feel better, that was for sure. "Audrey Castle." Audrey was aware that several people stared at her when her name was called. People were fascinated by celebrities doing everyday, normal things (like going to the doctor when sick) like they did. She offered a polite smile to the people that said hello to her as she walked through the door for her appointment, She just hoped it wouldn't take too long. She had plans for her and Madison tonight. He'd leave for Spring Training in a few days and this would be their last chance at along time for quite awhile. When she left the doctor's office almost an hour later, Audrey was wishing the appointment had lasted longer. Pregnant. Audrey wasn't quite sure what to make of that. In the three years she and Madison had been together the first time around, she hadn't had so much as a pregnancy scare. Not one. In the six years she'd been married to Jake, not even a false pregnancy. Now, only seven months after getting back together with Madison, she was pregnant. It didn't make sense to her. They hadn't done anything differently than the last time they were together. She wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to tell Madison they were going to be parents. Audrey had always wanted a kid. She'd pictured herself married with a child, or one on the way, by the time she was thirty. Well, she was thirty, going on thirty one, engaged and pregnant. She was getting exactly what she'd always wanted. She was going to marry Madison, and she was going to have a child with him. It was exactly how she'd pictured it when she was twenty three. Audrey just wasn't sure this was what Madison wanted. They had never talked about having children. Audrey knew he loved them, though. He loved his nephew and he was great with him. Madison was just as good with her brother's newborn daughter. But how would he feel about a baby of his own? Audrey walked into the door of the house she and Madison shared, immediately greeted by Madison's mini pincher, Xavier. She knelt to pet the dog before heading to her bedroom to set her things down. The bedroom was where she found Madison, sitting on the bed with a movie in and a bottle of tequila on the bed next to him. He grinned when she came in. "Surprise!" Madison climbed off of the bed and wrapped his arms around his fiance, leaning down a little to kiss the top of her head. "How was the doctor's appointment? Did he find out anything about whatever it is you have?" He was constantly worried about Audrey. He'd gotten her away from the asshole ex husband of hers, but he would never stop worrying about her. Audrey sighed contently, feeling much better now that she was home. She laid her head against Madison's chest, nuzzling her cheek against the muscle there. "It was fine. Nasty antiseptic smell, bright lights, the whole shebang." She said, biting her lips nervously at his last question. How was she supposed to answer that question? She couldn't come right out and say 'Oh, by the way. There's a human being growing inside of me and making me sick.' That just wouldn't fly. "Yeah, he found a few things out." She said, moving out of his arms to go and sit on the bed. "Well, don't keep me in suspense. What's wrong, Aud?" Audrey closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself down. After exhaling, she opened her eyes and looked up at Madison. "I... I'm pregnant, Madi." Madison blinked when she spoke. He hadn't been expecting that. He hadn't been expecting that at all. Maybe he hadn't heard her right. That had to be the case, right? "....What." He should have said more than that. He knew he should have said more than that. But, for once, Madison King was rendered speechless. "I'm pregnant." Okay. He hadn't heard her wrong. She'd said what he thought she said. Madison sat down on the bed next to her, one hand going to the back of his head to scratch at his mohawk, unsure what to really say to that revelation. After a moment of dumbfounded silence, he turned to look at Audrey. "How did this happen?" "Oh, I dunno. My car, the shower, the bed... Take your pick." Audrey said, laughing a little.  "YOu forgot the kitch- Wait. That's not the point, smartass." Madison said, shaking his head at her and suppressing a grin.  She was starting to make a joke out of a serious conversation. She had obviously spent too much time with him. "So.. That's why you've been sick? Why you've been so tired all the time?" Audrey nodded. "The doctor said I'm about eight weeks into it. He sent me home with a bunch of pamphlets and stuff about vitamins and things I should be taking now that I know." She bit her lip, still nervous about all of this. "How..." She paused to clear her throat. "Are you... Okay with this?" She asked him. "Am I okay with this? ...Is that why you've had that nervous look on your face since you got home?" He asked her, frowning. Did she really think that, after all they'd been through, he wouldn't be okay with this? When she nodded, Madison pulled her into his lap and rested the palm of his hand on her cheek. "Audrey, of course I'm okay with this. After all we've been through? How could I not be okay with this?" "Well, I mean... So soon?" Audrey said, rubbing her cheek against his open palm. She laid her hand over his, biting her lip again. "It's only been seven months." "Sure, it's only been seven months this time." Madison said, kissing her quickly. "But it's different this time. I already proposed. We're going to get married. Kids come after. Or, in this case, before. That's just how it works. And you know you're the only person I'd want kids with. Might as well be now, right?" Audrey felt a smile on her face for the first time since she'd got the news from the doctor. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his neck. Madison held her tightly against him, chuckling. "I guess we won't be needing that tequila, huh?" When she shook her head, he kissed it. "....We can still have sex though, right?" Audrey laughed and pulled back to kiss him. "What's Valentine's Day without a little celebration?" When Madison laid back on the bed, pulling her down with him, Audrey knew things would be okay. They could get through this, just like they had everything else. "Happy Valentine's day, Madi." "Happy Valentine's Day, Audrey."