EDIT: Sky: Re-Added scene skips.
A/N:
Sky: Okay I had to piece out the timeline, and I'm pretty sure this takes place about… Middle of March-ish, is what we're going for, and they get out of school at the end of May. So it's about two and a half months til summer.
Also remember, we anticipated about 40 chapters. We still have things to resolve :3 so no worries, this isn't over yet.
And sorry for the huge delays on the stories. My internet keeps going out, which makes it impossible to write with Ayns. We're hoping to fix that soon. I'm also still sick XD
Anywhoo, Ayns is at work right now, but I have permissions to clean up and post the chapter. So please enjoy a nice helping of FLUFF!
*.*.*.*.*
No Matter What
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Perfection
*.*.*.*.*
Puck held Sabrina, his eyes closed and his hand stroking her back, as she cried in his arms. He couldn't blame her in the slightest for her tears, not after everything that they had all been through - and her more than anyone else. If it had been this hellish for him, it had to have been far greater for her.
As her sobs slowed down, it occurred to him suddenly that she had no idea what had been going on since she'd been abducted by Bluebeard and the others. She didn't know anything about what had happened to Will, about who the Heartless was or why there had even been a Future Puck standing in the room and treating her as though he hadn't seen her in years. And, of course, she had no idea where he stood with things at the moment - because the last time they had talked, he had coldly told her that he didn't want to hear anything that she had to say.
Tenderly he pressed a kiss against her temple. "You and I should go talk, in private," he murmured softly to her. "There're some things that I need to explain to you, and things that we need to talk about."
And he had several apologies that he needed to make, and probably make them multiple times, too.
Sabrina shivered in his arms, clutching him a bit tighter at his words. "Okay," she agreed readily, voice shaking. She was definitely confused enough to need a lot of explaining. Her heart clenched at the idea that he needed to talk to her, though. She didn't know what to expect. "Where?"
"My room?" Puck suggested. "Since we can keep the door shut and there's a tree house." It seemed a lot more private to him than her bedroom at the moment.
Sabrina blinked back tears at the reminder of their tree house. "Okay," she whispered. She tried to walk, but she was still unsteady and overwhelmed, her legs giving out almost immediately.
"Hey, hey, hey." Puck said. "Don't try to do that. I don't want all of that healing undone." He didn't know if that was actually possible but he wasn't taking chances.
Instead he picked her up, carrying her to the stairs. "You're going to let me carry you," he declared unnecessarily.
Sabrina looked up at him for a moment, then bit her lip and buried her face in his shoulder again, holding on. "Okay," she mumbled. It wasn't like she could have stopped him if she'd wanted to, anyway.
Puck carried her straight to his room, pushing open the door and letting it swing shut behind him. And then he stopped short, eyes widening. "Whoa!"
Celeste snorted, stamping her hoof impatiently on the ground. From where she stood a few feet from the door, she gave Puck a very obvious 'Took you long enough to bring my human up here' look.
Sabrina looked up, but she just didn't have the energy to pay any attention to Celeste. She closed her eyes and hid her face in Puck's shoulder again.
Puck shook his head at the young horse. "Sorry, Celeste - she's really tired right now."
Celeste tilted her head to one side, and then tossed her head. With a flick of the tail she turned and trotted down the path. After a few steps she paused and looked back at Puck, silently questioning why he wasn't following with Sabrina.
Puck grinned, and started walking, allowing Celeste to escort them to the tree house.
Once to the tree house, Puck flew the two of them up to the entrance, and he carried Sabrina inside to the many pillows. "Do you want me to put you down?" he murmured, looking at her.
"Not really," Sabrina admitted quietly. "Do you want me to get down and sit over there?" She didn't look up at him when she said it.
"No," Puck said, his tone instantly serious. "I don't want to let you go at all." She hesitated, then turned to look up at him, eyes red-rimmed. She didn't answer or question him, but something in her expression seemed to soften with relief.
"We've got a lot of things to talk about," Puck said softly, looking down into her eyes, "but first I have to tell you something. Something important." He took a deep breath. "I love you, Sabrina."
It didn't matter that he'd said it before. It almost felt like the first time he'd ever told her - he was just as nervous, certainly.
Sabrina closed her eyes and hugged him tightly, shivering again with relief. She tried not to get choked up or tremble too much. After a moment, she took a deep breath. "I knew you wouldn't ditch me," she murmured. "I knew you'd show up and help me. God, I was so freaked out, and I was scared, but I knew you wouldn't let anything happen... You always seem to show up right in time to save me."
Puck hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I didn't," he said quietly. He didn't elaborate for a moment, simply waiting for her reaction.
Sabrina frowned against his neck, confused by the words. She clearly remembered falling from the chains and being caught... The flashes of gold, pink and green--his hair, wings, and eyes... And the scent of pine. The same one she smelled now as she breathed in deeply.
Pulling back, she looked up at him, blue eyes filled with fresh confusion. "Maybe you should sit down and explain that to me."
Puck nodded. "It's probably going to sound pretty insane to you at first," he said as he settled on the pillows, and settled her into his lap. "And that's okay. It sounded insane to me at first."
"I want to know what you mean, Puck--give me more credit than that," she said, shivering and grabbing one of the fluffy fleece blankets from the pillow pile. She pulled it around them both, huddling for warmth. She couldn't explain why she felt so cold. "I remember you--you saved me from Bluebeard before he could... Before he could rape me." Sabrina wanted to curse when her voice wavered on the word 'rape'. "You caught me and took me home, and I woke up in your arms."
Then she paused. She'd seen black wings too, and a handsome man burning Bluebeard. The same handsome man who had kissed her and made her heart flutter like a drunken butterfly in her chest. His eyes had been Puck's--and Puck hadn't gotten upset. Come to think of it, how had that man caught her fist before she'd dented Puck's face? Her memories were becoming clearer, and nothing added up correctly.
Puck watched her, seeing the hesitation written on her face. "I did," he said in agreement. "This time. But there was another time when I didn't do that, Sabrina...and everything was different."
He gave her a searching look. "The man in the living room - have you figured out who he was?"
Sabrina shuddered again. That was the problem. She had--and now she didn't want to know. Very slowly, she nodded.
"He's the result of a timeline in which I failed to save you," Puck said. "He was from the same timeline that Will came from - the same one that the Heartless came from." His eyes grew sad. "I found out her identity as well."
Sabrina clutched the blanket tighter around them both. She felt like she knew that answer too. "Who... Who was she?"
Puck's arms tightened, as if he were afraid that as soon as he said it, she'd vanish. "You," he said softly. "Or who you would have become."
For a moment, Sabrina didn't say anything or even breathe. Honestly, the revelation didn't shock her as much as it should have. When she finally did look up at him, her eyes were resigned to the truth. "You didn't come save me for some reason. Bluebeard raped me, and I must have found magic... I lost myself and became the Heartless, didn't I? That's... That's why. It all makes sense."
Which was kind of funny for her to say--it sounded like it made no sense at all.
"In a really roundabout insane way...yeah, that's why," Puck said with a nod.
Then he paused. "Hey wait a second." He blinked at her. "How the heck did you manage to figure out all of that and fill in that many blanks?"
Sabrina took a deep breath, then leaned against him. "My dreams," she said simply. "When I used the transportation orb to send Red and Daphne home, I got knocked down. When I looked up, I saw Red, and well... She looked the same way she always looks in my dreams. Apologetic. And then there was one guy with a goatee who had magic, and the inside of Bluebeard's castle was the same place my dreams all happened in."
She hesitated for several moments, then bit her lip. "I was desperate, Puck. He was hurting me and I didn't want him to touch me. I was so scared, I thought, I'd do anything to stop it. If I'd had magic? I would have killed him. And I'd keep wanting 'one more taste' over and over, until nothing was left of me. That's how I feel any time I hold magic. Like I lose a small piece of myself as long as I have it, and I always feel like I can control it, like one more wouldn't hurt..." She looked down, ashamed.
Puck could see the shame and distress on her face easily, and his heart went out to her. "Sabrina," he murmured.
He cupped her chin, and lifted her head so that she was looking up at him. "It's not your fault. This addiction isn't your fault... and neither is what happened to you." There was pain visible in his eyes. "I'm the one who let you down. If I hadn't been so stubborn..."
Suddenly he was holding her tightly, pressing his face into her hair. "I'm sorry."
Sabrina closed her eyes, leaning against him and breathing in the scent off the blankets and his shirt. It made her feel safe. His words, his embrace, all of it. It just made her feel like nothing could hurt her. "Puck, how did you find out? The... The future you, he came into the past somehow? What happened while I was looking for Red?"
Puck took a deep breath. "We all met at Charming's," he said. "Everyone was talking... your mom started talking about your family moving out of Ferryport Landing for awhile, and I... was thinking about taking off for awhile."
Now it was his turn to look ashamed. While he'd been thinking of that, Sabrina had been going through hell. He'd been such a bastard. "For the record I'm not going anywhere."
"I didn't know mom was talking about leaving," Sabrina murmured. "And you were going to leave too? Look, Puck, I... I'm sorry about everything," she said hurriedly. "I'm sorry about the doubt, and the accusations, and all of the things I said, and-"
Puck grasped her right arm suddenly, pulling her closer to him and covering her mouth with his to cut off the rambling. It turned her upper body to face his, pressing the two of them closer together. Sabrina gasped, eyes going wide at the abrupt interruption. But then she relaxed, closing her eyes and kissing him back. She'd missed his kisses so much, it was overwhelming, and she forgot everything she'd been trying to say.
Puck kissed her thoroughly, holding her against him until they were both feeling the pressing need to breathe. He broke the kiss, but he didn't loosen his grip on her. His eyes were glinting silver as he gazed down at her, and a slow smile appeared on his face. He could tell just by looking at her that she'd forgotten her rambles.
Sabrina's cheeks flushed, lips still parted from the kiss. She couldn't quite close them, her breathing heavy. "Puck..."
"Did I take your breath away?" he asked, voice husky and teasing.
"Shut up," she whispered, embarrassed.
"Shutting up is fun," Puck joked, brushing his lips lightly against hers again, just a faint touch.
Sabrina tilted her head and brushed her lips over his in response, only to pull back and look at him seriously. "What happened then?"
Puck's expression turned serious again, and he nodded slightly. "So we were talking about all of that... and then we heard this giggle. That's what it was - not a laugh, a giggle." A shiver went through him at the memory.
"Will's immediate reaction was that it was the Heartless - and he was right. But he assumed that it meant the Heartless had already come into power." He tucked her against him. "She hadn't, though...because my future self was with this Heartless. They'd traveled through time."
Sabrina didn't interrupt, finding Puck's left hand and bringing it to her cheek, nuzzling it a little. She held it with her right, brushing her fingers over his bracelet.
"She was... god, I almost couldn't believe it when I looked at her. I definitely didn't recognize her at first," Puck continued. "For a few moments we all just stared at her, and they stared at us...and then Will decided that that was a good time to put up a barrier around the room and trap us inside with the Heartless."
"He wanted her dead at all costs, even if he died in the process," Sabrina murmured. Then her stomach twisted a little. It didn't matter to him if the Heartless couldn't help it--he'd told her before, he didn't -want- to take an innocent life... But he would. And that meant hers.
"And he did," Puck said softly. As much as he didn't like Will - and still didn't - he knew that Sabrina had spent time with him beforehand. So he tried to soften the words as best as he knew how. "It was... the other Puck who did it. Will tried to attack the Heartless, and he was killed for it."
"Will's dead?" Sabrina looked up, her eyes widening a bit. "What happened to... The Heartless? I mean, Will said she had more power than anyone. How could anyone stop her if they came to this time?"
"No one from this time did stop her," Puck replied. "It was him. My future self. In the end, he was the one who delivered the strike that killed the Heartless."
Sabrina bit her lip, chewing it thoughtfully. "Why?" she finally asked. "I don't get it. Was he stronger?"
He shook his head. "It wasn't that he was stronger than she was. It was that she absolutely refused to kill him - and she knew that he was going to kill her. She knew for a long time. She just never knew when he was going to do it."
Sabrina looked to their hands for a moment, before raising her gaze to meet his. "She loved him, didn't she? Even though she was insane. She... Well, I... I still loved you."
Puck nodded, running his thumb over her knuckles gently. "When he tried to kill her the first time, she just...she was going to let him do it. Because she loved him, and wouldn't hurt him."
Sabrina didn't say anything, leaning against him again.
Puck pressed another kiss to the top of her head. "We were all surprised," he said. "And I couldn't believe it. I couldn't understand why - until he explained it to us." He looked at her. "The reason he killed her was because he intended to make sure that history didn't repeat itself. He didn't do it until he found out that they had traveled in time to a point before you became the Heartless."
"But Will also came back in time to stop the Heartless," Sabrina murmured softly. "How come he wasn't able to do anything...?"
"Well, not only did Will have no idea who the Heartless was or what would trigger her transformation," Puck said, "but Will was already part of the timeline." He paused for a moment, frowning. "This is the part that really confused me, but Will was already a factor in the timeline that led to you becoming the Heartless. My future self remembered him being there."
"So it IS like Terminator," Sabrina whispered. "Red wouldn't have run away if he hadn't shown up, and I wouldn't have been caught by Bluebeard... I guess it makes sense."
She bit her lip. Still, she had gotten along with Will...
Puck hesitated. Just because he hadn't liked the guy... "I'm sorry about Will," he said. "I know you were...getting along with him."
"It's okay," Sabrina murmured. "He didn't belong in this time anyway."
"He'll probably be back," Puck said. "I mean, some time, in the future. Only this time it'll be a much happier time for him."
"I won't get to see him," Sabrina joked. "But you can say hi for me."
Her expression became troubled.
"What is it?" Puck asked, tilting his head slightly to one side.
"Nothing," Sabrina lied, shaking her head and cuddling closer. The blanket slipped open a bit, but she didn't notice, even though her arms got cold. "So then what? After he killed... well, her."
"Well, after he killed her, he explained why, and he told us everything that had happened after you became the Heartless," Puck said. "We had a lot of time, unfortunately. Which sucked, because that was when Kerdy told us that you and Daphne took the transportation orb to go find Red... and Will's barrier was still up." He scowled fiercely. If that barrier hadn't been in place, he could have gotten to Sabrina a lot sooner.
Sabrina shivered again. She didn't know why she felt so cold. "And then?"
He caught the edge of the blanket and pulled it up, back into place. "The other Puck showed me something that he'd kept with him for years. They were the final pages of your journal - the Heartless had him burn it, but he saved the last few passages." Now there was pain in his eyes again, as he recalled those passages - and how horrible he'd felt after he'd realized how he'd been treating her.
"...Which passages?" Sabrina whispered. "Was it something that I would have already written?"
Puck nodded. "Yeah," he said. "The last few...the final one was one you must have written after our last argument."
Sabrina snuggled back into place, feeling warm again. "I wrote an entry at Uncle Jake's house," she admitted. "I was going to apologize to you after the meeting..."
"You don't owe me an apology," Puck replied, shaking his head. "I'm the one who needs to say that I'm sorry. I should have given you a chance to explain...and I didn't."
"..." She looked up at him. "So you're really not mad at me anymore? Promise?" she asked softly. "That's over with? No more fighting?"
"No more fighting," Puck promised. "Oh, we'll probably still disagree about things, but I don't want to go through any of this again." His eyes were gentle, and earnest. "I don't want to lose you."
Sabrina felt her cheeks heat up again. "And you don't... Take back the promise? At all?" she murmured.
"Not at all," Puck said. His arms tightened around her again, holding her against his chest. "Nothing will ever make me take that back."
"Good," Sabrina whispered, tucking herself into his embrace, the same way she had hundreds of times before. "I don't ever want to go through that again."
Me neither," he said fiercely. "You're mine, Sabrina, and I'm not letting you go."
For several moments, Sabrina just snuggled in his arms, feeling safe and warm. After a while, she pulled back to look at him again. "Do you really think you can leave the barrier now?"
"I don't know," Puck said honestly. "But I'm willing to fly into it and risk knocking myself out to find out." He flashed her a grin. She grinned back.
"Let's go," she said, sounding a little excited. "Right now."
Puck's grin grew wider. "Right now?" he asked, pausing to brush his lips against hers.
"Mm," she murmured, pleased with the kiss. She pulled back and kept the blanket around herself. "Right now."
"Oh, all right," Puck relented with a laugh, moving to stand up, and help her to her feet as well. "Let's find an area where the barrier crosses where I won't fall in water, though."
Sabrina laughed, bringing him into another kiss once they were standing. She felt so happy, she wished she could fly to express it. As it was, she'd have to settle for having Puck carry her while he flew.
Puck clasped his arms around her waist. "I think," he said with a thoughtful look after their kiss ended, "that I should make a door that leads directly outside from here. That way I can just start flying and not have to stop to go through the house." His eyes gleaned. "Think the old lady would let me?"
"Would that stop you if she didn't?" Sabrina asked, nuzzling against him. "Honestly?"
"Hmmmm...probably not," Puck admitted. "But it's supposed to be polite to ask first, right?"
"I guess so," Sabrina grinned at him. "Let's just run before someone stops us."
"Sounds good." He pulled her over to the edge of the balcony and scooped her up into his arms, then launched himself into the air with a laugh. And this time he didn't drop her on the trampoline.
Sneaking out proved to be much simpler than either expected it to be. Then again, while almost everyone in the house wanted to see Sabrina, they were also awaiting word from William and Henry, and they all knew Sabrina needed time alone with Puck.
When they reached the barrier near the river, but not over it, Sabrina got down and hugged the blanket around herself. "It's around here somewhere," she murmured. "So, I guess I'll just walk until we're sure I'm out, and then you walk to me?"
Puck nodded. "And if we're lucky," he said, shoving his hands into his pockets, "I'll get to you. If not...I'll have a really really bad headache."
She went up on her tiptoes to kiss him, pulling back quickly and feeling like a huge dork at the fact that her eyes were still a little teary. "See ya there, then."
He grinned, feeling extreme satisfaction that he could get a reaction like that from her. "Don't make me wait too long," he said with a wink.
She stuck her tongue out and headed off, going to a tree that she knew had to be outside the barrier. Turning back to him, she hugged the blanket tightly around herself to wait, nodding to him.
Puck looked at her, and took a deep breath. Then, with a fully confident look on his face (because he wouldn't allow himself to look uncertain) he strode towards her purposefully.
The nervousness melted into a wide grin for Sabrina, the closer he got. Once he was within touching distance, she threw her arms around him, enveloping them both in the blanket.
Puck hugged her back, just as tightly, his eyes slightly wide. "Holy crap, he really did it," he said in amazement.
"I had no idea what to expect," Sabrina breathed in wonder. "But you can really leave the barrier!"
Puck grinned. "Yeah," he said, "it looks like I really can. Which means I think I owe you a trip to New York."
Sabrina tightened her grip on him. It meant so many things, she found herself completely overwhelmed again. She didn't have to stay in Ferryport Landing for the rest of her life. She and Puck really could go anywhere...
"It opens up a lot of possibilities, doesn't it?" Puck asked softly, cupping the back of her head.
"Yeah," Sabrina whispered. "We can go anywhere in the world, Puck. Anywhere. I don't have to choose between freedom and loving you anymore." Her voice was incredibly soft. Even though they'd discussed it a few times, she'd never actually told him how trapped she felt in Ferryport Landing, even though she was the one of the two of them who could leave whenever she wanted.
Puck lowered his head and kissed her softly, threading his fingers into her hair. "It's really been hard on you, hasn't it?" he murmured when the kiss had ended. "I'll follow you anywhere, Sabrina - if you aren't happy here, then we don't have to be here." He closed his eyes, tucking her under his chin. "You don't have to choose anymore."
Sabrina's cheeks flushed, her breath just a little bit taken away by his kiss. She brought her hand up to touch the collar of his shirt. "You know I would have chosen you, right?" she murmured.
"I know," Puck murmured. "But there would have still been a part of you that wasn't completely happy. And I want you happy."
"I should get kidnapped by a crazy rapist with an alternate horrible fate awaiting me more often," she mumbled, ducking her head. "You get a lot nicer."
"Can we settle for me being nicer without all of that happening?" Puck murmured. "Because I don't know if I can take that all over again."
"That's up to you, isn't it?" she sighed. "Cause truthfully, I don't want to do any of that again either."
"One nicer - generally - Puck coming right up," he said with a smile. He kissed the top of her head. "I really do love you, Sabrina."
"I love you too," Sabrina sighed softly, closing her eyes. "Sorry I keep getting really comfortable and sleepy. In my defense, I had a pretty crappy morning and got my butt kicked around."
"No problem," Puck said. "Ready to head back? You can take a nap in the tree house, how does that sound?"
"Almost perfect," she said, tightening her arms around him and fully expecting to be carried back while he flew.
Puck picked Sabrina up, holding her against his chest and letting her cling to him without objection. Almost perfect, eh? "And of course," he added, "I'll stay with you while you rest." His wings took them straight up, and he felt amazingly light as he flew them back towards the house. He looked down at her as they flew. This was better than he could have imagined.
She smiled in his arms. "Okay, now that's perfect," she said, yawning.
Puck looked extremely satisfied with himself at her words, flying straight to the house - and to his room, to the tree house. Everyone else could just wait to have their turn with Sabrina. Right then, she was his.
*.*.*.*.*
William tucked Cassia securely into his arms, frowning in disapproval at the fact that she had one of Cory's chew toys in her mouth. It had been hours since they'd gotten to the castle to witness future Puck's quick massacre of everyone inside, and the cleanup had taken forever. He'd made Henry help him while the deaths were accounted for and reported, but they'd sent another crew to handle the actual cleaning. Then William had sent Henry along while he'd made his official statements and searched the castle for any hints on the Scarlet Hand. He hadn't found much at all.
Now he was picking Snow and Cassia up from the Grimm home, after hearing from Veronica what had happened with Future Puck and Sabrina. He tried to look uninterested in Sabrina's condition, but it was hard with Daphne staring up at him from the table with Cory. The little boy was trying to imitate Daphne's wide-eyed 'don't be a jackass, LOVE ME!' expression.
Cassia cooed, munching the toy that she was holding on to. Cory always shared his toys with her when she came over to his house. She looked innocently up at her father. Daphne looked at William, silently imploring him to say something about Sabrina. She wasn't fooled one bit about his disinterest. Despite what a lot of people said, she was thoroughly convinced that William did care, and she constantly told Cory this.
Snow fought to hide her smile, seeing the twin stares of Daphne and Cory Grimm. Really, how could anyone resist that?
William twitched, glancing at the youngest Grimms. Then he sighed and put one hand on Cassia's head. "I'm glad Sabrina's okay," he said finally. "Make sure she gets plenty of rest. And food."
Veronica tried not to laugh in his face, turning her head away and grinning. Likewise, Jake snickered into Briar's shoulder, kissing her neck.
Daphne beamed happily. "We will, Mayor Charming!" she said, her eyes bright. "Won't we, Cory?" She looked down at her little brother, cuddling him.
Briar blushed as she smiled, her arms snug around Jake's waist. She'd hardly let go of him since they'd reached the house.
Snow came up next to William and touched his arm, and Cassia cooed and tilted her head, trying to nuzzle William's hand. "We'll call and see how she's doing later," she said.
"Thank you," Henry said, somehow managing to keep a straight face.
William scowled at just about all of them, and then straightened. "Let's go, Snow," he said, turning and hurrying from the room.
"Bwah bwah," Cory said, waving towards Cassia.
Cassia giggled, managing to get a wave back to Cory before her father hurried her completely from the room.
"You really like Cassia, don't you, Cory?" Daphne asked, kissing the top of her brother's head.
Cory beamed up at Daphne, wrapping his hands around one of her braids. "Yike Cashy," he agreed. He smiled up over Daphne's shoulder at Kerdy--the boy hadn't left Daphne's side since he'd delivered the news about the Heartless.
"She likes you, too," Daphne said with certainty.
Henry looked at his children affectionately, and wrapped his arm around Veronica's shoulders. "We've got some amazing children, don't we?" he murmured to his wife.
She nodded, then tugged him aside while everyone else was occupied. "I was thinking," she said softly. "About that trip to New York we'd planned. This morning seems like it happened years ago," she joked. "Hard to believe it was really this morning that we planned to go."
Henry nodded in agreement. "That almost seems like another lifetime," he said. He took her hand, and squeezed it. "What were you thinking about it? Should we still go - not permanently, but a vacation?"
"No," Veronica shook her head. "I don't think we should go anywhere."
Henry paused, tilting his head to one side. He recalled Future Puck's words before he'd disappeared. "Sabrina and Puck?"
"Yes," Veronica nodded to him, touching his arm. "Sabrina's fifteen now, going on thirty. It might be better to give them some time alone, considering what she just went through, and what could have happened. I trust Puck to take care of her if we let them use the condo for a week or so."
"Take care of her, maybe... but." Henry scowled. "Puck and Sabrina, alone in a condo for a week with none of us around? I don't like it."
Veronica grinned wryly. "She's not going to stay little forever. I know fifteen is young, but it's not that young, and she's a lot more mature then her age. We've been over that, Henry. And it won't be summer for about two months, by then she'll be almost halfway to sixteen."
Henry grimaced. "But what if the two of them... I know she's more mature, but we don't let them be in her room alone without the door open. I don't know if I'm ready for my little girl to be having sex already." And he knew there was a very good chance of it if Puck and Sabrina were left alone, especially after everything that had just happened.
"Henry," Veronica pulled him a bit more aside. "I think it would be better if they had our permission and were ready for it rather than try and do it in defiance. You're a rebel. You know how you are with authority. The more we tell her not to, the more she does it. Remember our old friend Michael, back in New York? His daughter was the exact same way. If they were in a store together and he told her not to touch anything, she'd try to eat the closest merchandise just because. Sabrina's the same way, and you can't deny that. All daughters think they know better than their fathers," she joked.
Then her expression became serious, and she kissed his nose. "And Henry, I don't think it's going to be a problem if they want to have sex, honestly. After what we just saw, are we going to be worried he'll leave or hurt her? He stayed with her when she was a psychotic murdering magic-addicted freak. Clearly, he's her 'forever guy', just like you're mine."
At her words, Henry's expression softened. He slid his arms around her waist, bringing her closer and kissing her gently. "That's true," he said softly. "He stayed with her when a lot of other guys would have just turned and run."
"I think it's safe to say they really love each other, and nothing's going to keep them apart," Veronica murmured. "I trust her with Puck, completely. And given what just happened to her, she's probably still a little scared, and might try to jump the gun. It would be better to give them a more controlled setting and prepare, don't you think?"
Henry sighed, and then nodded. "Yeah," he admitted. "I'd rather they do it safe, and do it right, if they're going to do it."
"I'll talk to Sabrina about it, then," Veronica murmured. "In the meantime, you can focus all of your fatherly authority on Kerdy and Daphne." She grinned up at him.
Henry twitched. "Oh, yes," he said. "Daphne is definitely too young!" He had no qualms about being the overprotective father towards his youngest daughter. None at all.
Kerdy heard that last part, and immediately removed his hands from Daphne's shoulders, laughing nervously and reaching out to pet Cory's hair as an explanation as to why he'd twitched.
Cory looked up curiously, then grabbed Kerdy's hand and tried to put it in his mouth. It didn't quite work.
Daphne giggled. "Does Kerdy's hand taste good, Cory?" she teased. She kissed the top of the little boy's hair, breathing his little baby scent.
"Goo," Cory echoed, giggling in response.
Veronica shook her head affectionately, then leaned her head on Henry's shoulder, relaxing. With that crisis out of the way, all they had to do was find the Master of the Scarlet Hand, and life could hopefully be peaceful.
*.*.*.*.*
After Sabrina awoke a few hours later and took some time to show Celeste affection, she was whisked away to hug each of her family members and promise each one she was okay. While Cory slept in her arms, she was pulled aside by Veronica to talk.
She sat on the couch across from her mother, rocking Cory every few moments. He really was a chubby little angel in his sleep. "What's up, mom?" She'd had to walk away from Puck in the kitchen, and although she knew it was only for like five minutes or so while she talked with her mother, she was still a little anxious not being around him.
"Your father and I had a talk," Veronica said, the words making Sabrina cringe. "And before you get nervous, I'll let you know now it wasn't anything bad. We discussed the summer plans."
"Puck mentioned something about that at the meeting," Sabrina said in worry. "That you guys said you wanted to move back?"
"Well, yes and no. At the time, yes—but the rules and the game have all changed now," Veronica pointed out. "Puck can leave the barrier, and I'm not worried about you getting your heart broken anymore. But, your father and I have agreed that you're both mature and old enough to continue on a summer vacation… Without us."
Sabrina blinked. Even Cory snored suddenly in his sleep, before settling again.
"What do you mean?" Sabrina asked.
"I mean you and Puck can go on a two-week trip to our condo in New York without any supervision," Veronica said firmly. "I do have some conditions, and a deal for you, though."
Sabrina nodded immediately, heart racing and cheeks flushing. Two weeks alone with Puck? After what had happened, it sounded perfect. "What conditions?"
"If you two have sex," Veronica said bluntly. "I want you to promise to use protection. And be safe about it. I won't tell you that you can't, I just want to make sure you'll do it right."
Blushing, Sabrina shifted Cory in her arms. "I uh… I don't want to go buy any, though. And I don't think Puck wants to either."
"I bought some," Veronica said. "And get that look off your face, it's not gross."
"It is a little," Sabrina said, sticking her tongue out.
"Either way, you can either go with the ones I bought, or you can go buy your own, but either way you WILL be safe about it," Veronica threatened.
"Yes ma'am. I'll take the free ones, at least then I'm only going to be embarrassed in front of you."
Veronica nodded. "Alright. I'll give you my credit card for the trip in case of emergencies, for taxies, and for the tickets, but for everything else, I want you and Puck to use your own money. Understood?"
Sabrina nodded again. "And no curfews? No parents at all?"
"No curfews, no parents. But please be responsible. I don't want to regret this decision," Veronica warned.
"I won't be irresponsible," Sabrina promised. "What's the deal you mentioned?"
"Another thing your father and I talked about a little while ago. Your sixteenth birthday. You'd mentioned you wanted a car, but that's pretty expensive," Veronica pointed out. "Also, you only have a learner's permit."
Sabrina kept her mouth shut, waiting to hear the rest.
"However," Veronica continued. "If you can go until your sixteenth birthday without once getting killed, or without anyone making a serious attempt on your life, Henry and I will buy you the car of your choice for your birthday, provided you pass your driver's test."
Sabrina felt her mouth dropping open. On one hand, she was a little insulted that Veronica thought she'd get herself killed, but on the other hand, she was in danger often. Still, the chance at getting any car she wanted, for free on her birthday?
"Deal!" she said instantly.
"Okay," Veronica reached for Cory. "Remember to keep your grades up, and you and Puck can have a trip at the beginning of summer. And try not to mention it around your dad as much right now, he's still… wary of the idea, in some ways."
Sabrina blushed and nodded, handing her brother over, before kissing her mother's cheek. "Thanks mom," she whispered. "Thank you for trusting me to make the right decisions."
"I always do," Veronica murmured. "Even if it doesn't seem like it."
Smiling, Sabrina stood back up and hurried from the room, ecstatic and excited. "Puck!" She dashed into the kitchen where she'd left him, seeing that he was eating muffins with Kerdy and Daphne. Briar had made them before she and Jake had left. "PUCK!"
With no explanation, sans Cory, she jumped on Puck in a tight, enthusiastic hug.
"ACK!" Puck exclaimed, suddenly finding himself with a Sabrina wrapped around him. He laughed. "Hey," he said with a grin after he got over his surprise, and hugged her back. "What's up?"
Daphne dropped her muffin in surprise, looking at her sister with a startled expression. Kerdy caught Daphne's muffin with ease, blinking.
"We're going to New York in like two months, when school lets out!" she cried. "I just talked to mom, we're going to New York!"
Puck stared at Sabrina. "New York?" he repeated. "In a matter of months?"
Suddenly he remembered the meeting, and he looked confused. "For good?" After all, Veronica had talked about moving there.
Sabrina grinned at him, getting down and laughing. "No, not for good. Dad's being cool about this, but not THAT cool. Puck--you and me, we're going alone, and we get to use the condo!"
Kerdy's jaw dropped. Daphne squeaked.
Puck's eyes widened. "You...me...New York...alone?" he stammered. "And your parents are okay with this?"
"Yes!" Sabrina said brightly. "And mom's letting me use her credit card! Granted, it's only for emergencies, and we have to use our allowance to pay for most stuff, but still! We get to go alone for a two-week vacation!"
There was a definite shine in Puck's eyes now. "Two weeks, you and me, in the condo in New York?" he asked. Two weeks without worrying that Henry was going to kill him, two weeks of just himself and Sabrina...
Yeah. He was liking this.
"Wow," Daphne breathed. "That's so nifty, Sabrina."
"I know," Sabrina grinned, bouncing. "We're being treated like adults!" She grabbed Puck and kissed him, making Kerdy blush.
Daphne watched them, her own blush appearing as Puck kissed Sabrina back without any arguments. She glanced at Kerdy, her expression rather shy. She'd never admitted it out loud, but she wanted what Puck and Sabrina had someday. Kerdy made a very conscious effort not to blush or look too intently at Daphne, clearing his throat after a moment. Sabrina completely ignored him.
When she finally did break the kiss, her eyes were shining. "Mom gave me a couple conditions and rules, but other than that, we get to be on our own. And she made me the coolest deal ever, and even gave us permission for something I never thought she'd do, I'll tell you about it later!"
"You can't tell me right now?" Puck teased. "Not even a little? You're really going to make me wait until later?"
"Nope," Sabrina grinned at him. "I'll tell you when we're on the train to New York."
Now Puck gave her teary-eyes. "I have to wait until we go to New York?" he asked. "But that's not fair!"
Daphne giggled now. Puck sounded like a little kid.
"The wait'll be worth the news," Sabrina promised, a mischievous twinkle in her blue eyes.
Puck shoved his hand through his hair. "It better be, that's all I have to say," he said. "Since you're making me wait."
"Oh, get over it," she laughed, bringing him down for another quick kiss. "I'm going to start packing right now."
"Right now?" Now he looked even more confused. "I thought you said we weren't going for a while. Why are you packing right now?"
"Because I'm excited, don't kill my buzz," Sabrina said, snorting lightly.
Daphne gave Puck a look, indicating silently that he better not kill her buzz, as Sabrina had put it. Puck mentally admitted defeat. "Want some help?" he volunteered.
Sabrina suddenly stopped, staring up at him with bright red cheeks. "Um."
"Mmph," Kerdy slapped a hand over his mouth, suddenly understanding the 'secret'.
"No," Sabrina said hastily, shaking her head. "I can do it myself. Then we can hang out some more."
Daphne looked at Kerdy in confusion, question marks in her eyes.
Puck blinked. Then he shrugged. "Okay," he said. "I'll probably be helping myself to some more of the muffins."
"Kay," Sabrina hurried off, fighting back her blush. It was amazing how she could spend the morning thinking she was going to be hurt terribly and maybe killed, spend a week thinking Puck hated her, and have it all go back to normal in a matter of hours. Sometimes, her life really did seem like a fairytale.
She hurried for her room, reaching out to turn on the light once she had the door open. Her hand was inches from the switch when it flew up, illuminating the area.
Confused, she looked to her hand, then shrugged and figured she'd miscalculated the distance. She had packing to do, and condoms to hide.
*.*.*.*.*
It wasn't easy to keep her news a secret. She was always antsy in class, or daydreaming when she should have been doing homework. Considering one of the conditions that Veronica constantly reminded them of was the need to pass their classes in order to go though, neither teen fell behind in school. It went by in a blur, two months of perfect happiness and calmness, and soon enough, as planned, Sabrina was boarding the train with Puck. They were trying to be inconspicuous, not wanting to draw attention to the fact that Puck could leave the barrier. It wasn't like they had a good explanation for it.
Thankfully, it was a slow day, and not many people were coming to or leaving Ferryport Landing.
Sabrina took her seat in a comfy first-class area, setting her purse and small carry-on bag next to her. She motioned for Puck to take the nicely padded seat across from her, and the moment he did, she moved her foot to lightly touch his, grinning like an idiot.
The last few weeks had been like heaven. Granted, the whole two months had been, but the last few weeks had been especially sweet when it came to anticipation and having fun. No nightmares, no danger, no evil plots, no fights. Except the occasional 'you took my donut' war. It was like the whole ordeal with Will and the Heartless had never happened--all they'd taken with them had been the closeness, trust, and absolute certainty in each other. In the beginning, she'd still had a few nightmares about what Bluebeard had almost done. Now her dreams were peaceful.
Puck grinned, nudging her foot with his own. "First class, huh? Pretty awesome." He took on a certain familiar pompous attitude. "Not, of course, that I deserve anything less."
Laughing, Sabrina rolled her eyes and nudged her foot a bit closer so their ankles touched. "So, do you want to hear about what mom told me, now?"
She'd been impressed with her mother's ability to keep Henry from saying anything about any of it. He'd simply end up walking by them, glaring at Puck, and walking off. Each time, Sabrina had blushed and refused to explain.
"Yes," Puck said instantly. "It's been killing me for the last few weeks. What's the secret?"
Sabrina leaned in close, grinning. "Okay, the first thing is a deal she made me. Mom said if I can make it to my sixteenth Birthday in January without anyone trying to kill me, and without getting killed, she and dad will buy me a brand new car for my birthday. Any kind I want."
Slowly Puck grinned. "Do I get to drive it?" he asked with definite interest and intrigue. He rubbed his ankle against hers.
"..Maybe," Sabrina grinned back. "We'll see. If you get a license. And the second thing..."
She glanced around, but they were alone. "Puck, mom... Well, she gave us permission to..." She blushed again. "As long as we're safe and responsible, and we um... Ya know, use protection... We won't get in trouble if... Ya know..." she fidgeted.
Confusion flickered over his face. At first, her blush indicated that maybe... but... "'Use protection'?" he repeated. "Um...are we supposed to...fight or something?"
It was obvious that if Henry had covered that in his little talk, Puck had completely blanked on the meaning of the term.
Sabrina scowled, blushing deeper. "Puck, you are so immature. I'm talking about sex. And protection means a condom. I know you had to put one on a banana in health class a few months ago. They made me do it too."
"....."
Suddenly Puck's eyes widened. "Was that why I had to put that thing on that banana?" he asked, a mental light bulb suddenly going off.
Sabrina groaned, burying her face in her hands and sighing. "Puck..."
Then she looked up at him. "Yes, that's why. It's called safe sex. I'm talking about maybe thinking we're ready to do that... Sometime on our vacation."
She bowed her head, feeling embarrassed and uncertain. An odd look crossed Puck's face, as the banana became less important and her words took the front seat in his mind. Neither teen could keep the blush off their faces.
He leaned forward, reaching out and touching her hand with his. "You think we could?"
Embarrassed, she nodded again and kept her mouth shut. With a grin from ear to ear, Puck suddenly yanked her by her hand, making her yelp and stumble into the aisle. Their chairs had been like couches across from each other, the windows behind them, so she wasn't hurt when he pulled her right into his lap and halfway into the seat beside him.
"Okay Grimm," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "If you're sure."
"Of course I'm not sure," she laughed nervously, leaning into his embrace. "But when Bluebeard was about to… hurt me, all I could think about was that I wish you and I could have. Ya know, for my first time and all. It's supposed to hurt even if you're not trying to make it hurt."
He frowned at that, then tightened his arms around her. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I'll be fine," Sabrina said, closing her eyes. "And I'm not sure if we'll be able to go through with it, but… I think I'm ready, and I want to try."
He pressed a kiss to her hair, then let his wings pop out so he could wrap those around her. "No pressure, then. We'll figure it out, Sabrina."
Sabrina smiled at his words, relaxing and figuring she could steal a nap on the way to the condo. Life was on track to being perfect. She had two weeks alone with Puck to create happy memories and try to take their relationship to the next level, Puck could go anywhere in the world with her, they were back to being 'madly in love', and she was getting a brand new car for her sixteenth birthday.
Well, assuming she kept up her end of the deal. Staying out of danger and not dying for another seven or so months.
How hard could it be?
*.*.*.*.*
A/N:
Sky: Okay so, lots of fun fluff! But sadly no, it won't continue to stay fluff, although the Puck and Sabrina relationship stuff will stay happy.
Or will it? XD You'll have to wait and see!
Fun fact #534: Michael is my dad's name, and the little bratty girl Veronica mentioned who acted out in defiance is me. ^^ Though I've never been to New York.
Fun fact #987: Moth, Titania, and Mustardseed will all be making appearances soon, but perhaps not in the way you think ^^
Fun fact #8753: When I told Ayns that Sabrina would be losing her virginity in New York, she went "YAY! …To Puck, right?" Yeah, I'm that bad with the angst. XD
Thanks so much to the (HOLY CRAP 57 REVIEWS SINCE LAST CHAPTER?) reviewers since chapter 28 went up (And also, I stopped putting in the x2/x3 etc for when people reviewed more than once. Too many! But still mad love): Laterose, A CertainPeantButterSandwich, SweeneyToddLover26, Dramaqueenruling, Knoxalot, Viva-Musica, SeekDreamsAndFindHope, Sabrina Grimm, randomly horny(rofl I've gone there. No worries XD), Lara D, ILoveGeorgeCooper, iD Sisters Grimm iD, obsessedwithbooks, DragonFly7312, Lyla Domae, thanx, iCheer36, DeDe, Lumiere Nordiques, Elena Forest, Blue-Eyed-Lily, RockSuperstar, curlscat, fangfan5, TricksterQueen464, Ascaisil, Amy, Lilyflower-314, ThrushflightEdward'sStalker, RainbowofSmiles16, Squiggles, Harmony352, grimmgirl, missdean, wormybook, emerald and onyx, mysterious13(aw, thank you ^^), msjezzi-bella, Taylor Wimbley, Tanglenight(WELCOME BAAACK), sistersgrimmfan25(eep…), and she wants to move.
WOW guys! I'm incredibly touched that you all took the time to review, and some more than once. Although there's no need to review the same chapter multiple times, reviewing each chapter is the best thing ever. Thanks again, and see ya next chapter!
Luvvies!
P.S.
Sky: Please note that if you point out a typo for us, I'll gladly go fix it ^^ Either in PM or review. I'm not perfect, so I won't catch them all before we post most of the time, but I'll always go back and correct it on the site.
Although, if the typo that gets pointed out isn't actually a typo, I'll let you know, and won't fix it XD For instance, to clear it up, when Puck walked through the barrier and said "he did it", he meant his future self, and not just himself. So he could have used 'he' or 'I'. I know, it threw me too, but I know that was Ayns' intent. The wording, not the throwing us off thing. ^^ Thanks!
