TW: Cussing, Angst, Mentioned Rape, Non Consensual, Violence
When it happened Mary was with Janie, happily cuddling with her. Janie was one of the few people who Mary allowed to hug or cuddle her. Her mother and Lizzie being the others. Janie was stroking Mary's dark red hair soothingly, and Mary was having trouble remembering why she needed to comforted with how relaxed she felt.
Janie playing with her hair soothed her to sleep, and Mary's eyes fluttered shut, feeling safe.
Immediately her brain played a cruel trick on her, and replayed the events of the day in a dream.
So much for a fitful rest.
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Lizzie was very much helping her mother plan a date with Catherine. (Catalina to Anne, who kept sighing it much to Lizzie's annoyance and glee).
Mezza was going to be at the house in a few hours and probably briefly get dragged into the planning process before she and Lizzie went on their own date.
But surprise, Anne forgot that the date was earlier, and suddenly she was being called by Catherine asking where she was.
"Shiiitttt."
Lizzie heard Catherine's response.
"What?"
"Nothing! I'm on my way, um, I'll be there in a few minutes, there were just some issues with...."
Panic lit her gaze as she looked at Lizzie desperately. Lizzie pointed to herself, motioning for her to blame it on her.
"...Lizzie, but don't tell her I said that."
Lizzie nodded, impressed with the way she saved the previously blatant lie.
"Okay......" Catherine responded.
Lizzie only just realized that she was on speaker phone, and shook her head with a smile as Anne hung up and darted upstairs.
"I haven't even picked my outfit!"
"Wear the green dress."
"The green dress got us arrested for public indecency last time."
Lizzie involuntarily started to laugh at the memory of her mother and Catherine sitting in jail with sour and mortified expressions as she and Mary bailed them out.
"Stop laughing!"
"Sorry! But at least you know she likes the dress!"
"Yeah, she likes it too much for the public. And she'll think I'm up to something if I show up in that dress that caused her to do that in public."
"Are you not trying to get laid?"
"I am! And - wait, I am not talking about this with my daughter!"
"Look who's being a normal mother."
"Take that back!"
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Catherine knew that Anne was lying, she just couldn't tell what about.
It didn't matter anyway, she had a plan for the night anyways. She felt a tiny bit bad for planning to derail Anne's date, but she knew Anne wouldn't be too upset about it.
The yellow dress was lying on the bed, taunting her.
She put it on, knowing Anne would know what's up the moment she saw her.
She heard Anne pull up. She looked out the window and saw she was wearing ripped jeans, and a baggy green shirt. Catherine bit her lip in anticipation as she watched Anne walk up to the door.
Anne knocked once before Catherine opened the door. Any greeting died on Anne's tongue the moment she saw the yellow dress.
"Oh fuck."
Catherine smirked at her, and Anne looked up at her, her eyes dilated.
"Sorry to derail our date, but I was thinking we could do something else."
"Okay."
Catherine smirked and yanked her in by her shirt, kissing her roughly. Anne immediately forgot all about her panic for planning and fell into her.
This time though, Catherine will be able to cuddle Anne for a long while, because she remembered how clingy she'd been before.
__________________
So this seems normal, Mary wasn't diving into anything too horrifying yet, only things she already knew.
___________________
Anne was very pleased with the fact that it turned out that she hadn't needed to plan anyway, because Catherine had other ideas.
Anne liked those ideas better.
Currently Anne was cuddled with Catherine, purring praises in her ear, while slowly falling asleep. She was so close to sleep when her phone rang. She groaned, and Catherine muttered that she was going to kill whoever was on the other side of the phone, because she wanted Annie cuddles.
(Anne totally didn't swoon at that.)
(She totally did.)
"What?"She asked grumpily, not bothering to check the caller ID.
"Anne." Jane said in a fearful tone.
Anne immediately sat up, alarm bells ringing in her head at the sound of her cousin so panicked.
"What's wrong."
"He's here."
"Who?"
"Thomas!"
"Thomas....." Anne took a moment to bring a face to the name.
She sat straight up suddenly.
"Your brother?"
"Yes! And he's not happy."
Suddenly the phone cut and Anne shot out of bed, earning a whine from Catherine.
"What is it?" She asked eventually, noting the state of her girlfriend.
"Thomas Seymour was reincarnated and right now he's terrorizing Jane, and Lizzie is probably next, maybe even Cathy and Mae, oh god, this is not good."
Anne looked up at her, a sorrowful expression on her face.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go, I think he's mad at Jane for calling."
"Yeah, go, go!" Catherine said, practically shoving her out the door.
"Bye, I love you, talk to you later....hopefully."
"Wait what did you say?!"
But Anne was already driving away.
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Mary whimpered in her sleep, and Janie immediately wanted to wake her. But she knew better than to wake someone in the middle of a night terror, it wouldn't end well, the dreamer blurring the dream and reality together.
_____________________
Jane found that the closet was a very small and quiet place to hide.
She also found that hiding an adult and a teenage boy in said small closet was just as hard as it seemed, almost impossible. But she was always good at making herself small, and she seemed to pass that trait down to Edward.
Edward who clearly had a lot of questions as to what the fuck was happening, but was keeping quiet just as Jane had asked of him.
Her Eddie didn't deserve to be ridiculed by his uncle, and Jane knew it was only a matter of time before Thomas gave up and searched for someone else.
Like Cathy and Mae.
Or even Elizabeth.
Jane forced herself to call Anne, knowing that she needed to know, even if it was going to give her location away. She whispered to Edward to get as far in the back as he could, so that there was a chance that Thomas would only find Jane, and not Eddie.
Her call was interrupted by her brother though and he yanked the phone out of her hand and dragged her out of the closet by her hair, just as he used to back then.
"Thomas stop! It hurts!"
He growled at her to shut up, and that he didn't care if it hurt, and she was going to tell him where his wife and daughter were or he was going to kill her, and find wherever Eddie was in the house.
Jane told the truth when she said that she didn't know, and that Cathy never told anyone where she lived for this exact reason. Because she knew there was a chance that Thomas or Henry had been reincarnated along with them, and she couldn't risk Mae.
Thomas didn't believe her, and yanked harder.
_____________________
Edward was not proud of letting his mother get dragged away by the man that she'd briefly explained was her brother, his uncle.
He seemed like a dick, and when he heard his mother's wail that suspicion was confirmed.
He couldn't just let him hurt his mother, he loved her, and whoever the fuck this guy was, family or not, he needed to be taken care of.
He slid out of the closet, confident in the fact that his uncle would be busy with Jane for long enough that he could get to where they kept their gun and fucking shoot him. He slowly walked to his mother's room, and lifted the mattress to retrieve the gun.
He pulled it out and checked that it was loaded.
Then he left to deal with Thomas Seymour.
___________________
Mae had no idea what was happening when she was suddenly pulled out of school by her mother, but she had no complaints.
"What's going on mum?"
"Nothing sweetheart, we're going to stay in a hotel for a couple of nights, okay?"
"Why?"
"The house is being checked out, and we can't stay there until they're done."
Her mother was lying, and Mae knew it, but she said nothing, also noting the fear in her face. Something was happening and Mae didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to hide because of it.
Her mother was never afraid, so if she was, something terrible was happening.
Mae decided in her head, that she was going to protect her mother no matter what.
No matter what.
_____________________
Cathy got a call from her godmother, and she greeted her warmly over the phone.
Catherine wasted no time in telling her that she and Mae were in danger because her ex-husband number four was alive, and currently going to town on Jane. Which meant that inevitably she and Mae were next.
Cathy asked if she needed to tell Anne, but Catherine told her that she got this from Anne, who got it from Jane, who was calling for help.
Cathy immediately pulled Mae out of school and booked a hotel.
This couldn't end well, and she knew it.
Thomas would want to know where they were, he would want to dig his claws into Cathy again, and manipulate Mae into doing something she shouldn't. Cathy couldn't let that happen.
He was probably asking Jane where she was, and she felt bad that Jane didn't have an answer. That there was no way out for her and Edward. Thomas probably wouldn't believe her when she told him that she had no idea where Cathy lived, but Cathy wanted to be safe.
Because there was always a chance that he would find out, and Cathy needed to be as far away from him as possible, and she definitely needed to keep Mae away from him.
Over her dead body would she let him near her daughter.
____________________
Mary came home to a panicking mother.
Not something she was too keen on addressing, but she did anyways. When she told her the news, she started to panic as well, because Lizzie was in danger. She immediately wanted to call her and tell her what was going on, but her mother told her not to. That she should tell her face to face so that there was someone to stay with her and make her feel safe.
"Mezza, I need to call Mezza right now."
"Why?"
"They're on a date right now! In public! Oh god, he could find her!"
Mary dialed Mezza, and called her over twenty times before she picked up.
"What?" She said grumpily.
"You need to bring Lizzie home right now."
"Why?"
"Because she's in danger! Mezza, you need to bring her home right the fuck now."
________________________
Lizzie did not understand why their date suddenly ended, but it had to do with the twenty missed calls from Mary and the conversation between her and Mezza.
All of a sudden her face changed, and she stood and told Lizzie that they needed to go.
She was dragged home as quickly as possible and she found the Aragon's waiting outside of her house.
"Where's mum?" Lizzie asked, fearing the worst.
"On her way to the Seymours."
"Why?"
"Lizzie you're going to want to come inside for this."
Lizzie followed them inside.
"Thomas Seymour is back."
Lizzie passed out.
______________________
Anne didn't hesitate to barge in the door, and when she reached the living room she found Jane on the floor, Edward beside her, a gun nearby, and more blood than should be possible for just one person.
"Where is he?" Anne asked, holding a pistol in her hand.
"I shot him, he'll live, but he's gone."
"Come on, call an ambulance."
_______________________
Janie was beginning to worry, Mary was shifting, and becoming more and more distressed. She knew that the last week had been terrible, but she was burning up.
"Oh shit, you have a fever don't you?"
_________________________
The last thing Janie expected was to run into someone who was also reincarnated. He was charismatic, and it's only then that she realizes he's also been shot.
Why he hasn't mentioned this yet is a mystery, but when she realizes it, she immediately points it out to him. He shrugs it off with a smile, and that's when Janie asks his name.
"Thomas Seymour, at your service."
Janie's smile falls into a horrified expression. And she immediately backs away, his smile that seemed so kind before was now vicious and cunning.
"And I hear that you know Mary Aragon."
____________________
Mary was surprised that Janie had texted her, but not displeased. She was happy to go and see her whenever she was her girlfriend after all. Mary called out to her mother that she was going to see Janie and that she'd be back in a few hours.
Without waiting for confirmation Mary left, as she walked she made sure to keep an eye out for Thomas, having a vague idea of what he looked like, and it made her nervous when she reached downtown.
Eventually she saw Janie, but she looked odd, nervous, afraid.
Frowning Mary walked faster, something creeping up on her, telling her to leave, don't keep walking.
She kept walking.
"I'm sorry." Was the first thing she said.
And then a man slid into the extra chair, and when Mary got a good look at his face she knew. Thomas Seymour was sitting across from her, and by Janie.
"Why?"
"He caught me, and I had no choice."
Mary turned and stared at Janie, still feeling the betrayal burn in her veins, a reminder of her last life when all she'd been was betrayed.
"Yes you did." Mary replied harshly.
"Now now, let's all be calm, I don't want to hurt either of you." Thomas interrupted.
Mary glared at him.
Everytime he asked her where Lizzie was, or Cathy and Mae she'd either say 'I don't know' or refuse to answer. He growled clearly regretting his decision to make this a public meeting.
"Come on, we're leaving."
Mary sat dead still, refusing to get up, as did Janie. But Thomas suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her upwards, and put on a front, claiming to be her father. Janie's arguments did nothing to convince the crowd and Mary had no choice but to follow.
Even if it felt like Janie had betrayed her, she still loved her, and didn't want her to get hurt.
So she followed.
____________________
Jane vaguely registered the beeping heart monitor, and her cousins beside her.
"What....."
Immediately Anne was awake and shaking her younger cousin, Kat, awake as well.
"Mum!" Kat said, fear in her eyes.
"Hey Kat, Anne, where's Eddie?"
"He's asleep outside. I'll go get him."
He walked in, and immediately hugged her, forgetting about her wounds. Jane winced inder her son, and he immediately removed his grip and muttered an apology. Jane sighed, slowly moving herself up into a sitting position.
"Eddie, meet Kat."
He smiled and shook her hand.
"She's both your great cousin, and your sister."
".......what?"
Kat immediately explained how she thought of Jane as her mother, so she started calling her mum, and now she was Jane's daughter, and that was that, and she low-key had no say because Jane was hellbent on adopting her.
"Alright then sister, how will we scheme against mum?"
"Hmm texting obviously."
"Still in the hospital and I'm already being plotted against."
Anne stood in the back, Lizzie behind her.
"Hello Elizabeth."
"Hi Jane."
She walked over and hugged her aunt, causing Jane to smile. Then for the following thirty minutes they all worried over her.
___________________________
Catherine got a call from Mary.
"Mija where are you?! I need you to-"
"Not your daughter, I'm sure you know me anyways."
"Thomas. Get away from my daughter." Catherine growled.
"I don't think I will, not until you tell me where Anne Boleyn is, or make this even easier and tell me where Elizabeth is. I'd even take my wife and my daughter."
"She isn't married to you."
He snarled over the phone, suddenly angry. There was a shuffling, before defiant silence and then a yelp of pain before Mary picked up the phone.
"Mama?"
Catherine's heart broke, "Mija? Where are you? Please, tell me."
"He's got Janie too." she whimpered.
"Tell me where you are mija." Catherine begged.
The phone was yanked away, "Tell me where one of them is."
"Don't do it mama!"
Catherine whimpered, not knowing what to do, it was her god-daughter, the love of her live, or her daughter. There was a crash and the phone hung up, giving her a reprieve from the thought, she immediately called Anne but it went to voicemail, making her fearful.
She got in the car and drove, faster than legal.
"Please be alright, please be alright."
____________________________
Kat watched as Anne squeezed Elizabeth's shoulder, excusing herself for a moment as she'd missed a phone call from Catherine. She slipped out and assumedly went to the parking lot to call Catherine back.
A sinking feeling stirred in her gut and Kat wanted to chase after her and tell her to wait a little longer, that something was wrong. Instead she was interrupted as Elizabeth walked over to her with a shy smile, fear tinging her eyes.
"She said you'd understand?"
Oh no. Not her too.
Kat realized exactly what was wrong between Anne's child and Thomas, and fuck Kat was gonna protect her.
"Yeah, I understand."
Elizabeth hesitated, and Kat got the gist of what she wanted and opened her arms to her, Elizabeth rushing into them, whimpering.
After a few minutes Kat pulled away, noting Anne wasn't back yet and that sinking feeling reappeared.
"Hey I'm gonna go find your mom."
"She's probably flirting with Catherine."
"Wouldn't put it past her."
But something told her that wasn't the case. She went outside and found Anne's phone, Catherine's number half dialed, and the screen cracked. Skid marks on the road told her everything.
That feeling had been right, and now Anne was in danger.
_________________________
Thomas had been driving by on pure coincidence when he saw Anne walk out of the hospital, staring at her phone intently he immediately pulled up, grabbing her attention, and a realization cleared in her eyes as she started typing a number faster.
He got out and smacked the phone from her hand, shattering it. Anne growled and fought back, making it known that she knew what he did to her daughter. He slammed her into his car, loving the whimper of pain that escaped her lips and he dragged her inside before speeding off.
He wasn't dumb, he needed to do this one at a time, he would find Lizzie, he would find Cathy, he would find Mae.
Anne slammed her hands against the trunk, yelling furiously. All he did was smirk, knowing he was going to win.
____________________________
Janie looked over to Mary who was crying after her talk with her mother.
"I'm sorry."
"I know." she smiled bitterly.
He came back a new captor, now in his trunk. He opened it and threw Anne onto the floor, shaking with rage and pain as she held her side. Mary gasped in horror and Anne looked at her and then to Janie.
"Fuck."
"Where is your daughter?"
Anne clenched her jaw, refusing to answer. He kicked her hard, sending her sprawling.
"I'll ask you again, where is your daughter?"
"No."
Kick.
"Where?"
"No."
"WHERE?!"
___________________________
Cathy was pacing, an absolute wreck. Thomas was back, and he was going to hurt Mae, he was going to hurt Elizabeth, he was going to hurt everyone.
Mae swung her legs idly while sitting on the edge of the bed. Her daughter didn't quite understand what was wrong, but seemed to grasp that Cathy was upset and was staying quiet, no book to read to distract her other than the bible,(which she was not interested in as an atheist).
Mae suddenly got up, startling Cathy.
"Where are you going?"
"Bathroom."
"Oh. Okay." Cathy went back to anxiously pacing.
This was not good, not at all.
_______________________________
Ow.
Owowowowowowow.
Janie was next to her, Mary helping.
Anne was in pain.
So much fucking pain.
But still, she held strong.
"He's going to call mama again."
Mama? She must be scared.
Thomas came back out, breathing heavily from anger at the way the group stuck together. Refusing to give him any information. He called again, from Mary's phone (since Anne's was shattered and sitting at the hospital)
Catherine picked up, Anne could tell since he started talking.
"There you are, I have an update for you. You only have to pick between Elizabeth and my family."
Anne looked up at him balefully, a bile rising in her throat.
"Why the change you ask? Well, here."
He jerked the phone in Anne's direction, but Anne stayed silent, mildly confused as to why Mary nodded with a slight smile as if she related.
He smacked her, earning a whimper of pain, and forcing her to speak.
"C-Cat-Catti." she whimpered.
"Baby?" she sounded panicked.
"Hurts."
"Tell me where you are!" she begged.
"I don't know, was in his trunk."
He snatched the phone away, "Tell me."
Anne looked at Mary, and Mary shrugged not knowing what would happen.
"Tell me or I'll kill them both."
_______________________________
He hung up and Catherine wailed.
What was she supposed to do? Anne and Mary were going to die if she didn't give him what he wanted, but she couldn't sell Elizabeth, Cathy, and Mae down the river.
She burst into tears, calling the only other person she could think to trust.
"Hey I - Aragon?"
"Anna? I need your help."
_______________________________
Police officer Anna Cleves was very helpful.
After reincarnating Anna decided, eh fuck it, she wanted to kick ass and not get in trouble for it. So she became a cop. Anna was taking statements, trying to figure out what was happening while maintaining a professional appearance that only broke when she saw Jane.
She might have had a tiny crush on her before.
But that isn't the point now, the point is Mary and Anne are missing (and a suspected Jane Grey). Thomas Seymour was a brave man if anything, to target this group? Was a dangerous thing to do.
_________________________________
Mary wasn't expecting him to actually go through with it, but yeah. He hung up and waited an hour before pulling a nice little gun that was probably going to end all three of their lives.
"When I imagined my death it wasn't with two teenagers, a crazy relative, and in a warehouse." Anne muttered.
Mary laughed, "I thought somebody would set me on fire, karma and all that."
"I thought I'd die a natural death." Janie looked at them. "Mary I-"
"I love you Janie."
Her breath caught "I love you too butterfly."
"Would you be upset if I started to sing the muffin song?"
"Yes."
"Right right."
Thomas pointed it at Anne first, and Mary took the risk, she lunged for him, chair and all and knocked him over, she heard the bang, and Anne's cry of pain. His gun clattered ad skidded to Janie, who wasn't tied up because she wasn't fighting.
"Grab it and shoot him!" Mary cried.
Anne was whimpering, shot in the shoulder.
Janie looked terrified but picked up the gun, Thomas had just scrambled up and saw her with the gun in her hand. He sprinted over to her, and in a knee jerk reaction she raised the gun.
And shot.
___________________________
Anna had used Mary's phone, which was still turned on to figure out where they were. They had just pulled up when they heard a bang, a gun being shot, and clear as day Anne cried out in pain. Mary yelled something, as Thomas groaned.
They were so close.
There was more yelling, panic and then another gunshot.
They burst in, Anna escorting Catherine.
Kat had wanted to stay with Jane, and Jane was hurt, Edward wanted to stay with his mother as well, Cathy was at a mystery location, and Mae was with Cathy. And obviously Elizabeth was going anywhere near Thomas.
Mary had worked Anne out of the restraints and had her against the wall, pushing cloth against a clear gunshot wound. Thomas was dead on the floor, and Jane Grey was holding the gun, looking terrified.
Catherine ran to Mary and Anne, embracing her daughter fiercely before seeing Anne's state and helping Mary. Catherine looked between them, something hitting her.
They could've died, and I wasn't here.
She whimpered, now overcome with fear that her daughter was going to die soon, and Anne was going to leave. Anne slowly put a hand on Catherine's, smiling through the pain.
"We aren't going anywhere Catti. Where's Betsy?"
"Safe."
"Cathy and Mae?" Mary asked.
"Safe." Catherine breathed.
"Good." Anne relaxed.
Good.
____________________________
"Mom!"
"Betsy!"
Lizzie basically tackled her very much shot mother, and she didn't complain one bit about the pain. She hugged back tightly. Lizzie whimpered and nuzzled her mother's neck, now letting her fear out because her mother had been with him.
Her tormentor.
"I'm alright Betsy, I'm alright."
Lizzie found herself reverting to the behavior of a small child.
"Mommy." she whimpered.
Her mother's breath caught and she held her tighter, "My baby" she whispered.
And they stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, happy the other was safe.
_______________________
Mary shot up, immediately latching onto Janie, who was crying too. Mary started sobbing.
"I know butterfly, I know."
"I don't want to think about him anymore."
"Me neither."
"Why won't he go away?"
"I don't know"
"I'm sorry you got dragged into my mess."
"I know, it's alright."
__________________________
Anne woke up screaming, having slept next Catherine since he showed up again. Catherine lurched up with her, pulling her into her arms immediately. Anne latched onto, sobs racking through her body.
"Shhh, I'm here. Elizabeth is safe, you're safe."
Anne clung to Catherine, feeling safer with her.
"Safe?" she whimpered.
"You're safe." Catherine soothed, ignoring her own beating heart that wanted to jump out of her chest in heartbreak as Anne continued to sob.
Anne whimpered again, "Don't leave me."
"I won't, I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere."
It took a while but soon enough Anne's breathing was evening, she was calming down, and just before she fell back asleep in Catherine's arms she snuggled closer.
"I love you."
___________________________
Mezza was not sure how to handle this incredibly complicated situation. Elizabeth was on the floor, rocking back and forth, remembering how her mother and sister were captured by the same man who used to sneak into her room and hold her without her permission.
Mezza carefully sat beside her, rubbing her back softly.
"Liz?"
She immediately turned and catapulted herself into Mezza's arms, catching her completely off guard.
"Liz you're safe, he's gone." she assured her.
"He still haunts me."
"Well tell him to fuck off or I'll show him what's what."
Liz giggled, "Thank you Mez."
"Of course."
And then she fell back asleep in her arms.
________________________________
Anna was sitting by Jane in the hospital reassuring her that Thomas wasn't going to be hurting anyone, ever again. Not in this life at least. Edward was getting snacks, and so they were left alone.
"Thank you Ada."
She flushed slightly at the nickname, "Of course liebling."
Jane reached over and took Anna's hand, shyly. Anna looked at her, surprised, but held Jane's hand with a soft smile.
It was silent, but they knew what it meant.
_______________________________
Kat was waiting for Cathy to come home.
Cathy pulled up, and Mae immediately darted out, ran past Kat, and went straight to her books.
"Just like her mama." Kat laughed, approaching Cathy.
"Yeah....."
"Are you alright Cath Cath?"
"I'm better knowing he's dead."
Kat nodded, "I heard what he did to Lizzie, and I'm glad he's dead too."
She smiled half heartedly, "Yeah, I don't have the heart to tell Mae he was her father."
"Then don't, she's happy with just her mama."
"And mom?" she said hopefully.
Kat faltered, "What?"
"This whole ordeal has made me realize there's no time to hesitate. Marry me Kat."
"Yes."