Outside Work We... •[TNN One-shots]•

Secrets •|| EVERYONE ||• [Intrusion Pt. 2]

Prompt: Sorcha starts to learn about her wife's dark side.
[AU]

The air in the living room was thick with confusion and unease. As the sound of the front door shutting behind the two men faded, the group exploded into a flurry of overlapping voices.

“Who were they?” Charlotte asked, her voice trembling slightly as she glanced between Winter and Autumn.

“And what the hell did they want with you?” Marjorie demanded, her sharp tone masking her fear.

Sorcha, her brow furrowed, turned to her wife, who had remained unusually quiet. “Clodagh,” she said, her voice low but firm. “Do you know what’s going on?”

Clodagh didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes were locked on the letter that Reece had set back on the table. With a sharp breath, she reached for it and scanned the contents quickly. As she finished, her expression hardened, and she threw the paper back onto the table with a loud "fuck".

“Clodagh?” Sorcha pressed, her confusion deepening.

Without a word, Clodagh crossed the room with purposeful strides, heading toward a large painting that hung on the wall. She hesitated for only a second before reaching up and pulling the frame away from the wall, revealing a hidden compartment behind it.

The room fell silent, save for the soft creak of hinges as Clodagh opened the compartment to reveal a safe embedded in the wall.

“Wait, what?” Winter blurted, staring at the hidden safe. “When did that get put in?”

Clodagh ignored him, quickly spinning the dial on the safe. With a click, the door swung open, and the contents inside gleamed in the dim light.

Gasps filled the room as the group saw what was inside—several handguns neatly arranged alongside boxes of bullets and a few compact grenades.

“What the hell, Clodagh?” Sorcha’s voice was sharp with disbelief as she took a step forward, staring at her wife. “What is this?”

Clodagh turned, her expression cool and unbothered. “It’s called being prepared.”

“Prepared for what?” Carly asked, her voice shaking. Her wide eyes remained fixed on the small arsenal as she clutched Charlotte’s arm for support.

Before Clodagh could answer, Mia stepped forward, her hand raised as if to stop her. “Clodagh,” Mia said, her voice calm but firm, “put the guns back. We’re not starting a war tonight.”

Clodagh’s lips thinned. “They came here looking for Autumn, didn’t they? And then they zeroed in on all of us. That’s not a coincidence.”

“They’re trying to intimidate us,” Reece added, stepping closer to Clodagh. “Don’t let them bait you.”

“Reece is right,” Shibhon said, her voice soft but steady. “This isn’t how we handle it.”

Clodagh let out a bitter laugh, her hand resting on the edge of the safe door. “Handle it? These guys don’t play by the rules. You don’t just ‘handle’ people like that.”

Autumn, who had remained silent through the exchange, finally stepped forward, her arms crossed. “This is my fault,” she said, her voice cutting through the noise.

“Autumn, no—” Winter began, but she held up a hand to silence him.

“It’s my mess,” Autumn continued. Her sharp gaze flicked to Clodagh. “And I’ll deal with it. Put the damn guns away.”

“No,” Clodagh shot back, her defiance startling Sorcha. “You don’t get to shoulder this alone, Autumn. If they’re coming for you, they’re coming for all of us.”

Autumn opened her mouth to argue, but Reece stepped between them, his expression a mix of worry and determination. “Okay, everybody just calm down,” he said, his voice rising slightly. “We’re not going to solve anything if we’re at each other’s throats.”

“He’s right,” Mia agreed, her arms crossed. “We need to think this through before anyone does something stupid.”

Sorcha finally stepped forward, placing a hand on Clodagh’s arm. “Babe,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “What’s going on? Please, talk to me.”

Clodagh’s gaze softened slightly as she looked at her wife, but she didn’t answer. Instead, she turned back to the safe, slowly closing the door and spinning the lock shut.

The tension in the room didn’t ease. Instead, it seemed to settle like a heavy weight over everyone’s shoulders.

“We’re not letting you handle this alone, Autumn,” Reece said finally, his voice firm. “Whatever happens, we’re in it together. Just like always.”

Autumn glanced around the room, her chest tightening at the sight of her friends and family—confused, scared, but unwavering. She let out a slow breath, her shoulders sagging slightly.

“Fine,” she said at last. “But no one does anything without my say-so. Got it?”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group, but the unease lingered. Secrets had been uncovered, and the shadows of the past were closing in. One thing was certain: this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.