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(Part 2 of “Take Your Time”)
Requested by: daysgobyinhereyes
-------- (Y/n)’s POV)
Looking around, everything was blurry and white. I couldn’t understand where I was or what was happening. Sirens sounded from far away and blue and red colored lights started to appear in the distance. Concerned and muffled voices spoke outside of the white wall that obscured my vision.
I couldn’t understand them, but I could tell they were just as afraid as I was, though I didn’t know why.
Three blurry figures rose beside me, their voices concerned but inaudible to me. They turned to me, seemingly wondering what I thought of the situation. I didn’t reply and only stared at them, wondering who they were. They were small childlike beings with no discernible traits other than different sizes of hair that blended in with their figures. From what I could somewhat see, I assumed there were two boys and one girl in this place with me.
The white wall suddenly opened, the sound of a zipper present as a new figure appeared in my sight. “We need to go.” The figure spoke, her voice echoey and muffled. I was finally able to recognize her as female. She motioned for us to follow her, and we all got up and left the room, now revealed to be a tent. The blurry woman urged us forward and I struggled to keep up with her and the others.
I heard shouts behind us and I looked back in time to see a blinding light overwhelm my eyesight. I tripped over something in front of me and I was quickly grabbed by someone who ran behind me. Upon hearing my cry of alarm, the blurry woman halted, and her eyes widened, seemingly not knowing what to do. Then with a soft, “I’m sorry”, she disappeared into the woods with the other three. I cried out for her with my own inaudible voice before I was quickly dragged backward, the light once again overtaking my vision.
I awoke with a start, a small yelp of alarm escaping my mouth. I was back in my room at Mark’s house. I put a hand over my racing heart but was shocked to see it shaking. ‘A nightmare..’ I thought, my breathing slowing down to an appropriate pace. ‘I can’t accurately remember the last time I had one of those.’
I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and my door opened to reveal a panicked Markiplier standing in the entrance. “(Y/n), are you okay? I heard you yell.” I blushed in embarrassment. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just.. had a nightmare, that’s all.” Mark came closer and sat on the edge of my bed. “Do you want to talk about it, kiddo?”
I looked at him, the dark circles under his eyes noticeable even in the dark room we were in. “If I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure what it was about, so talking about it probably wouldn’t help. Sorry..” As I said this, I looked over at the clock. I frowned, realizing it read one in the morning.
Mark nodded, covering his mouth as he yawned, “Alright. Remember that I’m here if you want to talk.” I nodded and he leaned over, giving me a warm hug. I returned the gesture after a moment of hesitation and he left the room, closing the door behind him.
I looked down again, the guilt of bothering him sending an uncomfortable chill down my spine. Mark had been so busy these past few days, and I felt awful that I just seemed to be another problem interrupting his work. That new interactive adventure he was working on, as exciting as the concept was, it took a toll on him, whether he acknowledged it or not. Laying down and closing my eyes once more, I prayed that there wouldn’t be any more nightmares waiting for me in the dreamscape.
(Time skip a few weeks later)
There hadn’t been any nightmares since that night, but the memory still remained. I tried not to let it bother me, but the unanswered questions in my mind were driving me nuts. Who were those other people? Why did the police show up? What grabbed me in the darkness? Why did the woman leave? Why did they look familiar? Unfortunately, I didn’t have and could find the answers to any of these queries.
Mark, by this point, had finally finished the script for “In Space With Markiplier” and was able to focus on regaining a normal sleep schedule and making up for lost time with Chica and I. It was fun to see him outside of his office after such a long time, but even so, I felt bad about all the times I had interrupted him during the writing process of his big project. He probably would’ve been out quicker if it wasn’t for me.
I shook my head, trying to get those kinds of words out. “Stop being so stupid, you don’t know what would or wouldn’t have happened so stop blaming yourself.” I thought, my eyes rolling in annoyance at the sheer (Y/n)-ness my thoughts had turned into for a second. Mark had told me before that he didn’t mind taking small breaks, even if it was to check up on me. He had even said that if I hadn’t woken up from the nightmare, he might’ve pulled an all-nighter and forgotten to sleep at all. It turns out that he had realized how tired he was and had gone to bed soon after making sure I was okay.
Chica walked over to me, her tail wagging happily as I gently scratched behind her floppy ear. “I know that you missed dad too, didn’t you, Chica-Beeka? Aren’t you glad he’s done writing that long video script?” I said in a goofy voice and as I knelt down, she started to lick my face in reply. “Ack! No!! Stop!! Back you foul beast!!” Chica knocked me over as she continued her merciless assault. I played dead but instead of just stopping or finding Mark, she just plopped down on top of me with a tired huff.
Mark, who had just entered the room, got to witness this interaction and started laughing his butt off. “FATHER!!” I cried, my voice muffled from underneath the floof. “HELP ME!”
“What?”
“HELP ME!”
“Sorry, I can’t understand you. What?”
“I said, help me!”
“Stinky feet? You dare insult our dearest Chica by saying that she has stinky feet? For shame, (Y/n). For shame. As punishment you shall have to stay under your furry prison until it decides to move.”
“TRAITOR!!!”
“Fare thee well, daughter. I goeth to play the things known as “Video Games”.” Mark said dramatically and I managed to get my head out from underneath Chica, watching him start to leave the room. “Beeka? You want a treat?” The golden retriever stood up immediately and bounded off toward the kitchen. Mark looked back at me with a playful pout. “You’re no fun.”
“You’re the one who left me to die.” I said with an equally playful yet sassy tone. “That’s it, young lady, you’re in trouble now.” said my dad, who ran toward me as I tried to follow our dog. “NOOOOO!!!” He caught me in his arms and we tumbled to the floor as he started ferociously tickling me. I could hardly breathe as I laughed, and his own goofy laughter only added to the hilarity.
When Mark finally stopped, I started to catch my breath and I looked up at him, seeing his smiling face. “I am so glad I adopted you.” He murmured softly, helping me up and giving me a warm hug. Chica came back from the kitchen, curious about the commotion and bothered by her lack of treats. Upon seeing the family cuddles, she jumped in between us, wagging her tail and effectively hitting Mark and I in the face a bunch of times.
“Agh no! She’s too good! Chica! You’re too good!” Mark cried out, coughing to get rid of the stray dog hairs that had invaded his mouth. I had begun laughing again, my mind blissfully distracted for a bit as I watched Chica begin her lick assault on my father. Quickly getting up from my position on the floor, I entered the kitchen and retrieved a dog treat. Chica, upon hearing the container open, came running to receive the long awaited goods.
Mark followed a few seconds after, first looking over at his dog munching away at the treat then at the stove top clock. “Ahh that was fun. Too bad It’s getting late. You ought to get to bed.” He commented, shifting his gaze back over to me. I nodded, recognizing that he was right. He gave me a hug and a pat on the back. “Sleep well, kiddo. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.” With that, I retired to my room.
- Start of Dream -
I once again opened my eyes to a blurry scene. It was slightly dark, but I could make out some shapes nearby. They were the same figures from before! They were gathered around what looked like a table, with me at the head. I heard two voices coming closer, singing a familiar tune. I looked over to see a slightly blurry cake with what looked like five candles being brought in by the two blurry adults.
“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Dear (Y/n)! Happy Birthday to you!” They all sang, placing the cake in front of me. I had begun to smile, their faces becoming a bit clearer once I blew out the candles and some lights flipped on. The woman had black hair and pretty (e/c), the same eye color as mine. The man had tanish-gray hair and looked a bit older than the woman. He had bluish-gray eyes.
The younger figures were a bit closer so I looked at them next. The tallest looked to potentially be the oldest with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The second tallest had strawberry blonde hair and had a lot of freckles. His eyes were the same color as the woman’s. The last of the figures was quite a few inches smaller than the previous one. He had tanish-brown hair and the man’s blue-gray eyes which seemed to have a glow of mischief in them. But before I could fully process their faces, a loud noise sounded and I woke up.
- End of Dream -
I looked around my room, wondering what the cause of the disturbance was. Looking over toward my dresser, I noticed that a picture frame that had admittedly been in an unstable position had fallen over, thus making the loud noise. With an annoyed sigh, I looked over at my alarm clock, checking the time. “12:04 AM.” I thought, turning away from the device and closing my eyes.
“Happy Birthday to me..”
- timeskip -
It was in fact a big day and I had a blast. Mark, Amy, Ethan, Tyler, and I went to an amusement park and went to my favorite restaurant for dinner. When we got home, Mark and Amy surprised me with a delicious looking cake with the number 15 on it via two big number candles. They sang so nicely and I watched the flames on the candles burn. As they finished the song, I hesitantly blew out the candles as my vision suddenly went blurry. Mark placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, are you okay? Why are you crying? Do you not like it?”
Tears? Is that what was obscuring my vision? I wiped them away but more kept coming. “I don’t understand.. I’m so happy, so why am I crying?”
The Happy Birthday song rang in my ears, the voices of the people in my dream singing along. I let out a small laugh. How silly of me to get so emotional over a little thing like this. “Thank you both so much for this. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me.” I didn’t lie. I didn’t know how to tell them, and I didn’t even understand why.
Mark and Amy gave me a big hug and I relished in the affection. I don’t know if they knew this, but it was exactly what I needed at that moment. I already saw Amy as my mother-figure and Mark was my dad, so in that moment it was like we were a real family. “I love you guys..” I murmured softly and they smiled, Amy wiping away one of my stray tears. “We love you too.”
Later that night, Amy had gone home and Mark came to check up on me when I was already in bed. “Hey, kiddo. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” I nodded and smiled at him, sitting up in bed. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He frowned slightly. “Are you sure? I mean, it’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that I’m a bit worried because you started crying earlier.” I realized what was bothering him and I climbed out of bed and quickly hugged him.
“Dad! I promise I’m okay! I just got a bit emotional. That’s all.” Mark nodded and hugged me back. “D-do you want to talk about it?” I frowned a little and I looked down, but knew that it might help to talk it out. It usually does. “I.. have been having dreams lately..” Mark led me to my bed and sat next to me. “What are they about?”
“I keep dreaming of some family I don’t think I’ve ever met before..” Mark’s eyes widened slightly and he looked at me. His eyes looked a bit worried though his face looked curious. “What.. What do you dream about them?” I frowned and looked down. “The first time, it was them being chased down by the police and I got taken away from them.. The next time, this morning actually, they were celebrating my birthday and singing to me. I don’t know if that’s why I got emotional when you and Amy sang, but.. It’s what happened..” Mark hugged me close and I could hear his heartbeat. It was faster than normal. “I’m so sorry. Do these dreams bother you at all?” I nodded slightly. “A little bit.. I don’t remember these people at all, but they feel so familiar to me. I don’t know how to feel when I have one of these dreams.” Mark gently rubbed my back and his voice was slightly hesitant as he spoke. “Is it possible.. Um.. is it possible these dreams aren’t actually dreams?”
I looked up at him, “What?” Mark looked away, almost seeming nervous. “I’ve read, and have heard, that sometimes dreams can actually be suppressed memories.. So.. that family..” My eyes widened, “They might be, like, my biological family?” Mark nodded, but his eyes looked sad. “Yeah.” He looked at me again. “Do you remember anything before you were put in the orphanage? Any people or events?” I shook my head. “No.. I don’t really remember much if anything from before my time as an orphan. I don’t even know how I got there.”
Mark nodded and took a deep breath. “If.. if it wouldn’t bother you, could you tell me about that first dream of yours? The one about the police?” I frowned and looked away and he panicked. “It’s okay if you don’t want to! I don’t want to force you into anything!” I shook my head and smiled at him reassuringly. “No no! It’s not that. I do want to tell you, it’s just that.. It was a weird dream and I’m still processing this theory of ours.”
Mark nodded and I took a deep breath before starting to talk again. “We were in a forest. It was night time and I assume we were in a tent. There were three other kids in the tent with me. Red and Blue lights came and all of us kids were forced to run into the woods with a woman. I tripped and the woman left me behind, taking the other three with her while I was suddenly dragged backwards. That’s when I woke up.”
Mark was silent for a minute as he processed the information I had given him. He then frowned. “I think, if that was actually a memory of yours, that was how you were taken away from your parents. I suspect that’s also why you start panicking when you think you’ve been left behind. You were traumatized by that woman, your mother, abandoning you when you were younger.” I blinked. He was right. There was no other real explanation for my fear that made sense for me. I looked at Mark. “But then why did she abandon me? I assume the red and blue lights were police lights, but if that was the case, why did she run? Was she a criminal or something?”
Both of us said nothing before he spoke up. “I.. don’t have a solid answer for you. I’d hate to think that was the real reason police would show up to a campsite like that, but.. It’s a possibility.” I sighed softly but then smiled at him. “Well then, I guess I got an upgrade parental wise.” Mark couldn’t help but smile and he hugged me. “I love you, kiddo.”
“I love you too.” I murmured, hugging him back with a smile. Mark looked at the clock and sighed. “Alright. As much as I love talking to you, it’s gotten a bit late and I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit tired from all the fun we had today.” Right on cue, I yawned and Mark laughed. “I knew it!” I couldn’t help but giggle when he said that. “Alright.. Do you feel better now?”
I nodded and he gave my hand three squeezes. I Love You.
I squeezed back four times. I Love You Too.
Smiling, he got up off of the bed. “Alright then. Have a good night. Sleep well, (Y/n).” I smiled up at him. “You too, dad.” She smiled and nodded, walking out of the room with a final look back, speaking once more before leaving. “Happy Birthday.” When he was finally gone I frowned and looked down. The conversation we just had weighed slightly on my mind. What Mark said made sense, but it was a little difficult for me to wrap my head around. The logic was there, but I wanted more answers. I didn’t want “what ifs”, I’d prefer to have the entire story.
But I couldn’t.
I didn’t know where my biological family was. I didn’t know why they left nor why the police were there. It shouldn’t concern me as much as it was, but I understood that maybe there were some things that would have to remain unknown. With a sigh, I tucked myself in and closed my eyes, falling into a dreamless sleep.
(timeskip)
It had been three months since my birthday, and that was the last time I had one of those dreams. Life had been very good, and the concepts Mark and I talked about that night didn’t really bother me anymore. Right now, I was laughing with him about the stupidity that ensued during his latest charity live-stream. He and the other guys had made a ton of meals that were to be donated to a charity food pantry. We were there now, dropping it off.
“I got so worried when Ethan almost dropped that whole bowl of dough, but did you see the way it flipped??” I laughed as Mark recounted a hilarious moment when Ethan ended up flipping a bowl of pasta dough and catching it after he almost dropped it to the floor. “I know right? The chat was going crazy!” We continued talking as we finished placing the food in the pantry and my laughter died down as I looked to my side and I spotted a man and a woman receiving some food from the pantry workers.
No.. It couldn’t be. Could it?
It was them, albeit a bit older, but I’d recognize them anywhere. They were the man and woman from my dream memories. Mark noticed my distractedness and followed my gaze, his eyes found the man and woman and he looked back at me. “Do you know them?” I frowned but didn’t take my eyes off of them. “From my dream.. It’s them.” Mark’s eyes widened and he looked back at the man and woman.
The woman suddenly looked in our direction and her eyes widened. I nervously looked away, fearing that I had creeped her out. Mark asked if I wanted to talk to her and I wasn’t sure what to say. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I looked in it’s direction, I saw the woman. “Excuse me,” she spoke, her voice tender and gentle, as if talking to a child, which in a way, she was. “What’s your name?”
I took a shaky breath and looked toward Mark who just nodded and looked away. He wouldn’t look at me. “I’m.. My name is (Y/n). What’s yours?” The woman’s eyes widened again and they began to brim with tears. “It’s you.. It’s really you, isn’t it?” I felt myself getting emotional as well, but tried to hide it. “Do I know you? I feel as though I do, but I’m not entirely sure.”
“(F/n), come here! She’s here! We’ve found our (Y/n)!” The man came over and his eyes widened. “My dear, are you sure?” I looked back over at Mark to see him busy himself on his phone, his foot tapping against the ground slightly. I didn’t know what to do. “I’ve been having dreams.. About you two and three other kids. Or at least, people who looked like you.” The man and woman smiled kindly. “Your brothers and sister. Yes.. they are real.”
I looked down, not sure where to begin. The woman, my mother, moved to hug me but I instinctively took a step back. “H-hold on a second. Then if those dreams were actually memories, then I have questions that need answered.” The woman stopped and the man put his arm around her, nodding. I took a deep breath and began.
“I-In the forest.. We were in a tent, and the police showed up. Why? Are you two..” I trailed off for a moment, worried about continuing this train of thought. “Criminals?” My father looked away and frowned and my mother shook her head. “No. We weren’t… not really.” She trailed off looking a bit guilty. “Then why were the police showing up at the campsite?”
“We were.. Behind on a lot of payments and we had already gotten a notice.. We struggled to get enough money to pay our debt off, but it wasn’t enough and the IRS sent the police after us. They were sent to bring you and your siblings to the orphanage that you no doubt were sent to after you were taken.” My father spoke up and I frowned. “Which brings up another question. Why was I the only one left behind to be taken away?”
My mother looked incredibly sad as she voiced the reason. “You tripped and fell. If I stopped to pick you up, then your brothers and sister would be taken too. I couldn’t risk it so, regretfully, I had to leave you behind. I didn’t want to, I promise you that. My heart broke when the officer caught you and I was forced to run.” My eyes filled with tears and I nodded in understanding. As much as it hurt to know the truth that I had to be “sacrificed” for the good of the majority, I also was glad it happened. After all, if I wasn’t taken away, I likely wouldn’t have met Mark.
“As much as I hate that it happened that way, mainly because it gave me some.. issues, I’m happy to know the full story. I’m glad I finally got to meet you two.” The smiles that graced their faces brought an amazing amount of joy to my heart and I couldn’t help but smile back. I didn’t lie either. I really was happy to meet my biological parents. Then their next words made my smile vanish and my heart nearly stop.
“Do you.. Want to live with us again?” My eyes went wide. “W-what?” My father spoke up. “We’re better off now. We’re not the most wealthy people out there, but we’re able to stand on our own two feet so that’s good enough. We can finally support our family and we’d like you to join us.” My head was spinning with the force of this question. They looked so hopeful that I would say yes. I looked back at Mark, wondering how he was reacting to this. He was still on his phone, but I could see that something was wrong with him.
He was upset, but was trying not to show it.
I turned back to my parents and spoke up. “Listen.. You both are so sweet and I’m happy to have met you, but..” I looked away, trailing off. My mother looked a little upset by my answer but smiled in understanding. “That man over there.. He’s your guardian, isn’t he?” She guessed correctly and I smiled a little, nodding. “I only just met you two.. I can’t just abandon him for people who are essentially strangers to me.” I could hear a slight gasp from behind me and I knew that Mark heard me. “But hey,” I continued, taking out my phone. “Let’s keep in touch.”
That brought a smile to my mother’s face and we exchanged numbers. “I’ll see you both around, right?” They nodded and upon seeing their anxious looks, I gave them both hugs. “Until we meet again.” I murmured, smiling at them before turning and quickly going to Mark’s side. “Are you ready to go?” He nodded and as we started walking back to the car, he spoke up again.
“Are.. are you sure about your decision? I mean, they’re your real family.” His eyes were slightly filled with tears as I looked at him and I wrapped my arm around his torso in a side hug, smiling up at him. “What are you talking about? Yeah, they were my first family, but you’re my new family. You saved me from the orphanage and you helped me overcome a lot of my social anxieties. Do you hear me right now? I don’t stutter now. I can talk to people normally, and that’s thanks to you. You’re my dad, Mark, and I love you.”
Mark couldn’t stop the tears from falling as he hugged me and I hugged him back. “I love you too.. So much.. Is it selfish to say that I was scared that you would go with them?” I shook my head and grinned at him. “No, not at all. But you don’t need to worry anymore.” I gently squeezed his hand three times. “I’m right here.” Mark smiles, tears rolling down his cheeks as I led him to the car, both of us finally ready to go home, together.
Requested by: daygobyinheryeyes
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(Mark’s POV)
I laughed with my friends as we finished up a collaboration video of Prop Hunt. “I can’t believe you didn’t see me!” Seán playfully yelled at Wade as he groaned in frustration. The Irishman had been disguised as a coaster and had hidden himself behind a door, making him virtually invisible even with the automated taunts the game provided. Bob was howling with laughter as he too had failed to spot him even when he was in the same room.
I cut my video off and logged off the game, staying in the discord video call as I did so. “Ahhh guys, that was so much fun.” I sighed, leaning back in my chair. The others began chatting amongst themselves about the different rounds and I looked back as there was a knock at the door and it began to open, revealing a teenage girl, carrying a plate of food. The moment she realized I was on a video call, she slightly closed the door and waited for a signal.
“It’s okay, I’m not recording.” I told her and in a small, shaky voice she replied. “I made s-some lunch and you didn’t come down a-and then it got late so I made some more for you. S-sorry for interrupting your conversation.”
“Oh, thank you! I didn’t even realize the time.” I said, walking over and taking the delivery as she presented it. She never entered my room when I was on call as she was rather camera shy, but that didn’t really bother me. I gave her a partial hug and then, telling her I’d be downstairs soon, I walked back over to my desk and once again put on my headphones. “Who was that?” Asked Wade, who had apparently witnessed the interaction.
“Oh, that was (Y/n).” I said, looking up at the screen from where I was about to take a bite of food. “Who?” asked Bob and Seán, and then it was my turn to be confused. “I swear I told you guys about her. Did I seriously forget?”
“Yes! Who is she?” The three said and I placed a hand over my face, feeling stupid. “I really thought I told you guys. So.. um.. She’s kind of my adopted daughter.”
“No way!” Exclaimed Seán in shock. “You’re seriously a dad now?” I laughed softly, rubbing the back of my neck. “Yeah. I didn’t post about it on social media because I wasn’t even sure at first if I was going to find the right kid. I guess I just forgot about it after I adopted her.”
“You could’ve at least texted us about it.” Commented Bob who crossed his arms as I took a bite of food. “This is a pretty big deal, Mark. Does Amy know?”
“I was going to!” I said after swallowing. “I just forgot, and yes, Amy does know. I asked her how she felt about the idea before I went through with it.” Just then, someone new entered the chat. “Hey guys!” I recognized that higher pitched voice as I ate some more of my meal. “Hi Ethan!” Said Wade with a smile. “Did you know that Mark has a kid?”
“WHAT??” The younger male exclaimed which nearly burst my eardrums. “Mark, you never told me this! I thought we were friends!” He cried and I rolled my eyes dramatically. “Oh my gosh, you guys! I made one mistake and now my butt is being handed to me on a silver platter. What’s next, Tyler is gonna hop on and give me crap too?” And just like that, as if he had heard me, Tyler joined the group chat.
“Wow, is there a party going on here?” he said with a chuckle and before I could say anything, Ethan blurted out a loud, “MARK IS A DAD!” I watched Tyler’s face, which had just appeared in video form, contort into one of absolute shock. “I’m sorry, WHAT?!” I took another bite of food, letting out an exhale of frustration at how much the situation climaxed. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?” He demanded and Seán yelled out, “That’s what we’ve been saying!”
“You know, instead of giving me all this backlash about an honest mistake, I could just tell you what happened.” I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin and putting my dishes to the side. “I’ve got time.” Said Bob, checking his watch. “I’ve got nothing planned for the rest of the day.” Joined Seán, leaning forward in his chair and staring at the camera expectantly, like a little child waiting impatiently for a cookie. Wade, Tyler, and Ethan also agreed and I sighed again, getting more comfortable in my chair.
“Fine. You want to hear the story, then I’ll tell the story.”
(Flashback: Mark’s POV)
I had been thinking about adopting a child for quite a while. For what reason, I don’t really know. All I knew is that I wanted to have a kid. I already ran the idea by Amy and she also thought it was a good idea. I decided to look for either a boy or a girl, but not one too young that I’d have to take care of them 24/7. I didn’t feel ready for that kind of job, and honestly, I still don’t feel that way now.
I started looking around the area for orphanages that had open houses soon. I came across a few and did end up going to some of them. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed by a lot of people I met. Don’t get me wrong, they were somewhat nice kids, but for one reason or another they weren’t what I was looking for.
I got to this one place, the “Los Angeles Sunnyside Orphanage”, and when I entered I could tell it might produce good results. Yes, there were some parts that could use some fixing up, but it seemed a lot friendlier than some of the other orphanages I had visited. So, naturally, I felt pretty good about my chances there.
When I walked around, there were a lot of kids running around and playing. I wasn’t sure who exactly to try and meet so I went to the orphanage director and started some interviews with the older kids. I think the age range I covered was twelve to sixteen, but I still wasn’t sure about any of them. At that point, my mind was starting to tell me I was being picky and that any of the kids would do just fine, but then I saw this girl on the other side of the room.
She was drawing, seeming to be focused on the picture rather than the other children. I knew I hadn’t spoken with her yet, because I didn’t recognize her, so I turned to the orphanage director curiously and pointed at the girl in question. “Who is she? Why isn’t she playing with the others?” “Her?” The director responded, adjusting his glasses and peering at the girl. “Ah, that’s (Y/n). She doesn’t really get along with the other children.” I frowned, “Is she a bad kid?”
“No, she’s just incredibly shy and I wouldn’t be surprised if she has social anxiety. Not that I’m trying to give her a diagnosis, it’s just my uneducated opinion.”
“How old is she?” I asked and the director hummed softly, scratching his head as he thought. “I believe she’s 14 years old.” She was within my age range so I decided to at least give her a chance. “Would I be able to get an interview with her?”
The director nodded and signaled for me to stay where I was while he got her. I watched as he got (Y/n)’s attention and gently told her that I wanted to meet her. She looked over at me and her eyes seemed to widen. As the two of them walked over to me, I noticed that she was shaking, looking down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with me. The two of us were escorted into a much quieter room to talk and I smiled kindly at her when she sat down across from me.
“Hi there, (Y/n). How are you today?” She looked so nervous as she quietly murmured, “I’m alright. How are you?” This was progress. “I’m doing well, thanks for asking.” She nodded, looking up at me for a second before once again lowering her gaze. “I don’t bite, I promise.” I joked and a ghost of a smile formed on her lips.
Looking down, there were some papers on the table between us that were filled with questions. (Y/n)’s hand twitched a bit, looking like she was going to reach for them but was also hesitating. “Do you need to ask me anything?” I queried and she nodded, finally taking the papers. “S-sorry. I promise that I’ve done this before, but.. I’m just nervous.” she said softly and I nodded in understanding. “Hey, take your time. It’s okay to be nervous. You don’t know me and we’re stuck in a room together. I’d be nervous too if I were in your position.” She let out a small chuckle which made me smile.
“What’s your name?” She read, and I answered. “Mark Fischbach.” She paused for a second, seemingly thinking about something before continuing. “W-what do you do for a living and do you enjoy your job?”
“As silly as it sounds, I make videos on YouTube for people to watch. It’s my dream job and I love it a lot.” (Y/n) looked over at me, her eyes shining with an excitement I hadn’t seen before. “I don’t think that’s silly at all.” She said, “Honestly, it sounds like fun.” I smiled at her, “It is, for the most part.” She shifted in her seat before continuing the interview. The longer the two of us spent time together, even just lightly chatting, the more comfortable she seemed to be. We got along, and while she did pause sometimes to take a breath and calm down her nerves, I wasn’t bothered by her at all. When all the questions were finished, I waved goodbye and met with the director again. I told him that I was going to keep looking, but that I might come back.
I knew that (Y/n) and I got along well, once she got to know me a bit more, but I wasn’t quite sure if she was what I was looking for. I never really stopped thinking about her though, and after a few more days I decided that I was going to adopt her. I came back, told the director my plan, and he set me up for a house inspection the next day. After I was cleared, I brought the paperwork in, made the payment, and waited for her to come down with her stuff.
I saw that she was nervous when she brought down her bag, but she calmed down a little bit when she saw me. “Ready to go home?” She nodded and when the two of us left, I honestly felt pretty good about my decision. The drive back to my house was kinda awkward, but I guess that was to be expected.
When we arrived, I introduced her to Chica and got her settled into her new room. We spent that night learning a bit more about each other, and the next few days had similar themes. It was difficult, getting used to someone new in my house, but it was okay.
I taught her how to play some different video games and was really surprised at how quickly she was able to pick some of them up. She was still a tad bit nervous when it came to getting really close to me, but by the end of the first month, she was smiling almost all the time and had little to no issues with physical contact.
After I introduced her to Amy, and found out that the two of them had actually begun to bond rather quickly, everything seemed like it was falling perfectly into place until something happened.
I was laughing with (Y/n) about my newest playthrough of a really hard game. I had lost my mind over it and when I said, “It’s the ragiest game I’ve ever played and I’m never going back to it!” She responded with “I thought ‘I Am Bread’ was the ragiest game you’ve ever played.” I froze and the room went silent. Looking over at (Y/n)’s face, she had turned pale white.
“How did you know that I’ve played that game? I never gave you the name of my channel so you shouldn’t know that.. unless you started watching or already knew.” She began to fidget and she looked down in what looked like shame. “I-I’m sorry. I should’ve told you by now, but I was scared about how you’d react.”
“Tell me what? I’m not upset that you’ve seen my videos, but why would you hide it?”
“Because I already knew who you were before we met. I.. I didn’t want to tell you during the interview because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or scare you off. You were so nice and I didn’t think you’d want a kid who was a fan.”
I stayed silent as she continued. “I promise that I’m not one of those over-the-top and crazy fangirls. Yes, I was happy and shocked to see you, but that’s because I never expected this to happen. I mean, you’re Markiplier. I don’t think anyone would be expecting you to suddenly adopt a kid, least of all an anxious and socially awkward girl like me. Honestly, it sounds like something out of a fanfiction rather than something that would happen in real life, but that’s exactly what happened. I’m really, really sorry, Mark.”
I smiled softly and walked over to her, giving her a gentle hug. “I know that you aren’t like those fangirls. You’ve definitely shown that during your time here. And while I’m a little hurt you didn’t tell me about this, I can understand why you hid it. I probably would’ve done the same if I was in your position. You don’t have to worry about it anymore. If anything, this means I can joke about a lot more stuff because you might understand them. Just promise me that you won’t hide stuff like this from me anymore, alright kiddo?”
Her eyes welled with tears and she hugged me back. “I promise.” When we both let go, I laughed softly, wiping away some tears that had started falling down my cheeks. “Whoo! Alright, that’s enough sentimental stuff for one day. Do you want to order pizza and have a movie night?”
“That sounds like fun!” She said, giggling as she also wiped away some tears on her own face. “Thanks for not hating me after I told you the truth. I love you, Dad.” My eyes widened in shock as the name she gave me finally registered. “Gosh dang it, (Y/n)! You’re gonna make me cry again!” She laughed and gave me another hug before running off to the living room.
That was the first time she ever called me Dad.
(End of flashback)
“She kept her promise too. She and I have gotten so close that you’d swear she’s a mini female version of me.” I said, leaning back in my chair. “Wow..” said Wade after the others remained in silence. “She sounds like so much fun to be around!” added Seán with a smile and Ethan nodded. “Could we meet her?”
I hummed softly and thought about it. “As much as I’d like that, she’s really shy around new people. I’m not sure how she’ll be with you guys. Then again, she knows who you all are and she got comfortable around Amy soon after they met, so maybe it won’t be too bad. I’ll run the idea by her.”
I looked toward the clock and my eyes widened. “Oh shoot! It’s almost been half an hour since we finished the video!” The others looked at their own clocks in surprise. “Oh dang. Time flies during story time, huh?” Laughed Wade and we all agreed in amusement. “I’d better get going. I’ll text you guys about her answer, I promise.”
“You’d better remember this time!” Joked Seán as he waved at the camera. I logged off of discord, stretched, and walked downstairs with my dishes. “Sorry I took so long. The guys wanted to talk.” (Y/n) was on her phone in the dining room and she looked up and smiled at me. “It’s okay! You sounded like you had fun.” I nodded, sitting down in a chair next to her. “So, uhm. I have a question for you.”
She watched me expectantly and I took a deep breath before continuing. “So, the others want to meet you.” As I said that, her eyes widened and she visibly tensed. “I know that meeting people isn’t your forte, but I really think you’ll like them.” After a few seconds of silence, she responded. “W-who all are you talking about?”
“Bob, Wade, Tyler, Ethan, and Seán. They want to meet you. I mean, you are part of the family now, so I’m not really surprised.” (Y/n) looked away, seeming to be in thought. “I’m a little shocked that you’re only telling me this now.” It was my turn to look away as my cheeks heated up in embarrassment. “I.. may or may not have forgotten to tell them back when we finalized the adoption.”
(Y/n) began to laugh. “Of course you did.” I feigned feeling hurt, gasping at her dramatically. “You say that like I forget stuff all the time! Are you insinuating that I, THE Markiplier, am getting too old and thus forgetting things often?”
“I mean, you said it, not me. So..” I rolled my eyes and joined in her laughter. After the amusement died down, there was a moment of silence before (Y/n) said softly, “I know how much you want to see them. If they’re somewhat as nice in person as they are online, then I don’t think it would be much of a problem to meet them. I’d just need to hype myself up a bit, I guess.”
I smiled happily and walked over, giving her a hug. “I promise, they’re not bad people. You’ll love them. You don’t have to agree to this if you don’t want to. Please understand that.”
“I.. I know. I’m choosing to say yes, Dad. It’ll be fine.” With that final confirmation, I nodded. “Alright, I’ll tell them that they can visit. Maybe in a week or so?” (Y/n) nodded and I stood up, walking to the living room. “Don’t forget to text them, old man Mark!” She called after me and I spun around dramatically, almost falling over in the process.
(Time Skip: No one’s POV)
Mark and (Y/n) walked into a store together, (Y/n) staying relatively close to her dad and the shopping cart. They walked around, picking out items that they needed, and some that they decided to try for fun or put away for when the others came to visit. Some parents that came to the store couldn’t help but smile when they saw how close the two seemed to be and how they would laugh with each other at the weirdest things.
(Y/n) noticed something on the shelf that they needed and went ahead to grab it, but when she turned around, Mark was nowhere to be seen. She looked around in confusion and then felt her breathing quicken and her hands begin to shake. She went back the way that she came from but she still couldn’t see him. Looking into the next aisle produced the same results.
Thoughts began to swim through her mind, overwhelming her senses. “Where did he go? Did he leave me behind? Did he not want me anymore? Why did he suddenly disappear? Did something happen to him?” She put the item on the shelf behind her before she could drop it and tears began to fill her eyes.
Feeling sick, (Y/n) sat down on the floor, her foot tapping against the ground as she curled in on herself, trying to control her breathing. She was scared, not knowing what to do. She tried to make herself stop thinking about the ‘what ifs’, but to no avail. She heard a soft voice, but didn’t look up at who it was until a familiar hand with a gentle touch was placed on her shoulder. With that, (Y/n) finally looked up.
“M-Mark?”
“Are you okay? You’re shaking like a leaf.”
She quickly embraced him, feeling herself calm down as his arms wrapped around her. He was here. He was real. His deep voice soothed her fears as he murmured words of comfort. “It’s okay. I’m here. Sorry I left you behind. I thought you were right behind me when I forgot to grab something from the other aisle and went back for it. Guess I should pay more attention huh?” (Y/n) couldn’t bring herself to talk but just clung to him.
Mark didn’t question her as he continued to hug her. He knew she was crying, but she made no noise and he hoped she didn’t get hurt, feeling awful that she was upset in the first place. But in all honesty, he wasn’t entirely sure why she was so distressed over him not being there all of a sudden. “It’s okay.” He murmured softly, rocking her back and forth. “I’m not leaving you behind. I love you too much to do that.”
After a few minutes she calmed down enough to where they moved on to the checkout and left the store. Nobody had seen (Y/n)’s breakdown, and that was fine with the two of them. It had been a private moment. The car was filled with silence on the way home and Mark constantly looked in the rearview mirror to check if his daughter was okay. The poor girl looked exhausted.
After coming home and quickly putting away the groceries, Mark sat down with (Y/n), making sure that she wasn’t still in any part of her panic attack. He wrapped her up in a blanket, once again and gave her a big hug. “How’re you feeling?”
“Better.. I’m sorry for what happened, Dad.” Mark shook his head. “There’s no reason to be sorry. You were frightened. I do have to ask though, why were you afraid? I was only gone for less than a minute and I was pretty sure you could’ve seen me in the previous aisle.” (Y/n) went silent before softly murmuring, “I.. don’t think I’m ready to talk about it. Also, I did look in both the last and next aisles. I couldn’t see you. I think you were hidden by something.”
“Okay then. Take your time. I’ll be here when you’re ready to tell me, and, come to think of it, there was a large pile of boxes over there so maybe that’s why you couldn’t see me. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be sorry. You did nothing wrong. You were just grabbing groceries.”
Mark hugged her again, the two of them laughing as she returned the gesture, sighing with contentment in his arms.
(Time skip)
The day for the guests’ arrival finally came and (Y/n) had basically locked herself up in her room. Chica was in there with her, laying still beside the girl and receiving distracted pets. “I don’t know what to do.” The teenager said, looking at the loyal dog. “I know they’re nice people. Mark told me so, and they act relatively nice in their videos. I just.. I don’t know if I’ll feel comfortable around them. I don’t want to let dad down, or make the others sad by not being around them. What do I do, Chica Beeka?”
The golden retriever in question just looked up at her and wagged her tail. (Y/n) couldn’t help but smile, giving her a head scratch. “Not much help there, buddy, but thanks for listening.” Just then, there was a knock at the door. Chica jumped up and pawed at the bedroom door. (Y/n) took a deep breath and let her out, following the dog down the stairs.
They were here.
Mark was at the door, happily greeting his friends as Chica ran around, barking in excitement. (Y/n) stood back in the entrance to the living room, not daring to get close to the group, but instead just watched them interact with her father. She knew who these men were. Seán, Bob, Wade, Tyler, and Ethan were some of Mark’s closest friends who she had seen on videos before, as well as heard Mark talking to them over video call or the phone. This fact, however, didn’t excuse the fact that she was nervous. Seán was the first to notice her and smiled, coming closer to her as she took a few steps back. “Aww hello there!” He said with a wide grin. “You must be (Y/n). Mark’s told us a lot about you.” She could barely form words as the others also looked in her direction. “I.. umm.. Hi..?” She backed up once more as Ethan approached her. “Don’t be shy, we’re not gonna hurt you.” Mark noticed her distress and asked that they back off a bit. He watched her visibly relax when her personal space was restored. Bob and Wade looked at each other, deciding to speak to her gently while staying where they were. “It’s nice to finally meet you, (Y/n).” spoke the larger of the two, waving at her kindly. The gesture was returned.
Mark got closer to her and the others watched as she stood her ground and he put an arm around her. “Sorry, I did tell you guys she might not be too comfortable at first.” Tyler nodded in understanding. “I get that. Better safe than sorry, am I right?” (Y/n) nodded and hid a little bit behind Mark.
Ethan smiled at her, seeming to have an understanding of the situation. “You don’t need to worry about us.” He said gently. “I know we’re all big and loud and scary, but I promise we aren’t bad people.” Chica made her way over to the girl who gave her some head pats. “I.. I know you guys aren’t bad. If you were, then dad probably wouldn’t be friends with you. I’m.. just not used to you yet.” Mark gave her a side hug with a smile. “It’ll take some time, but we’ll get there. It’s just like we always do. We’ll take things slowly.”
Over the next few days, (Y/n) gained exposure to the others. They were respectful of her personal space and they were all pleasantly surprised at how similar she was to them. Sure, they had heard of some stuff from Mark, but actually witnessing it was something different.
Tyler was the first one to really bond with her. His calm and gentle nature made her comfortable so it wasn’t entirely surprising that he would be the one to start them off. He and (Y/n) found a shared interest in some sports and they held some nice conversations about them.
Next came Bob, followed closely by Wade. They started playing some video games together and while at first she didn’t say much, when she got a bit more comfortable and started talking, the two men were rather pleased to hear her use Mark’s sense of humor. It made the games much less tense and a lot more enjoyable.
Ethan was second to last. He was very energetic and seemed to have the mind of an 8th grader, so he and (Y/n) bonded over memes. He showed her some of his favorites when the two of them were bored in the living room and she shared some of hers. Their somewhat immature humor made it a very fun event, especially when it came to meme videos and clips they could find on random discord servers.
Seán, much to his disappointment, was the last one. Maybe it was because he was so outgoing, or perhaps it was because she was busy with the others. Either way, he didn’t really know how to connect with her. Yes, they both liked video games and other such things, but he didn’t really know how to approach her.
That changed when he was out on the porch, petting Chica. He heard the sliding glass door open and a pair of hesitant footsteps come near. “M-may I.. sit with you?” He looked over to discover that it was (Y/n). He nodded and she sat on the opposite side of Chica, giving her a head scratch.
There was a peaceful silence between the two of them for quite some time before Seán spoke up. “I’m sorry, but I have no idea how to talk to you.” The girl laughed softly, “You and me both.” Chica let out a yawn, stretching slightly before (Y/n) continued. “I.. I haven’t really given you a chance before now. I’ve been so.. Nervous.”
“Why?” The teen shrugged. “I guess I’m just getting used to having so many people here that I don’t really know and you’re, like, my second favorite YouTuber so.. yeah, anxiety overload.” Seán looked at her in surprise. “You watch my videos?” She nodded. “Yup. I’ve watched at least one video from all of you, but I mainly see or hear you during collabs with dad.”
The Irishman smiled. “I’m pretty sure that’s how most people find our channels at this point.” (Y/n) laughed softly. “Pretty much, but give yourself some credit. You guys make great videos by yourself, no Markiplier included.” Seán blushed slightly from the praise. “Well, thank you. That’s high praise coming from his daughter.”
She rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Oh please. I was a fan of you guys before I was his daughter.” With the awkward barrier finally broken, they were finally able to talk to each other, all while petting a very happy Chica.
Things would take time to get used to, and no, having those five at the house wasn’t permanent, but slowly, (Y/n) was finally able to get somewhat comfortable with them before they had to leave. Mark was very happy. This had turned out better than expected, and he knew it would be a lot more fun when it came to any future visits.
No, (Y/n) didn’t engage in much if any physical touch with them, but that was to be expected, and that was alright. It would take time to achieve that kind of bond with her, as it had for Mark and Amy. But there was no issue with taking it slow.
No issues at all..