cora winchester

SURVIVOR. I had strings, but now I'm free. There are no strings on me. 🐢

[cut-and-puff]

Sometimes, I just need to be told that I’m not as bad as I think I am.

(via cut-and-puff)

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i’ll be right home to you  // headcanon

Beth Delilah grew to love the beach, just as her mother had hoped. The bright, vivacious and intelligent little girl made it easy to see why everyone was enamoured of her. She was opinionated and bossy, and Cora never told her to lower her voice. She got her clothes wet. She stomped in puddles. She refused to let boys speak over her.

Encouraged by her daughter’s tenacious spirit, Cora went back to school, not just to finish her Bachelor’s degree, but to continue on for a Master’s degree, and then on to a PhD. She continued to teach marine biology at the University of Washington. 

Cora loved raising Beth with her Moms and Ollie. They lived together for a while, one baby, four adults and a dog, before Cora, Ollie and Beth moved to their own home. After Ollie had to move on to another assistance dog, Cora’s parents adopted Alby.

It was only on the plane across the country, when Cora saw Ollie asleep on the plane, that she realised how deeply she loved him. How before, she’d been conditioned to think that love meant ownership, protection, staying up to keep your loved one from overdosing, to buying shiny things. 

It turned out that love meant expanding her vocabulary to describe everything to him. Love meant him staying up late to read books about whatever Beth was interested in that week. Love meant leaving his home to find a new home with her. Love meant watching her daughter- their daughter- grow and learn and laugh.

They were a family who’d gone through much pain, only to find that in the end, love won.

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ollie-thompson:

“Do you want me to come with you and Beth?  I didn’t mean to invite myself …”

“Do you... Do you know for how long I’ve been trying to tell you this? To run away with me? With us?” Cora felt like she could cry. “Please come with us. I need you. I... I love you. I’ve always loved you, really.”

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vincentkane:

“It’s not uncommon for new mothers to have somewhat of a disconnection with their child at first. When you look at her do you feel like she’s yours or do you feel like she could be anyone’s kid?” Sometimes giving his patients options clarified what they really felt or at least told him what they didn’t feel. With Cora it was difficult so far to pinpoint the source of the problem but that was often the case during first sessions so it was no worry.

“Sometimes I feel like that- like she could be someone else’s and it’d explain everything much better. Like nothing so good and pure could be mine.” Cora fidgeted again, shifting where she sat.

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ollie-thompson:

“You know, Cora, there’s this niffty invention called an umbrella.  I wonder if there’s anyway for me to buy one somewhere in town.  Do you have any suggestions?”  Oliver smirked, trying to lessen the tension he felt in the room.  He knew he was tense.  She never said she wanted him to come with them.

Cora paused, the silence being filled with Beth’s nonsensical burbles. She looked at Ollie. Her best friend and the man she’d fancied for so long. “... You’d really want to come with us?”

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I think I hear them calling {Lily & Cora}

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lilyxxdoe:

Lily grinned as she opened the door for Cora, more excited than ever to see her friend, and she always loved seeing Beth. “That’s because I’m cool Auntie Lily.” she joked, hugging her back and carefully taking Beth onto her own hip. “Hey cutie, do you know what time it is?” she cooed, winking at Cora as she walked inside to her coffee table where she had a little tea set all ready for them with scones and sweets.

“Once we’re done with tea, I have a surprise for you.” she admitted eagerly, slowly sitting down on the floor and setting Beth on her lap.

Cora smiled brightly when she saw the little coffee table, sitting opposite Lily and Beth. She immediately went for the sweets, having a bite of some delicious looking slice. “Oooh, yum. And surprises! I love them, tell me now.”

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ollie-thompson:

Oliver frowned.  Yes Sterling was where he grew up, the few friends he’d made as a kid lived here, but this was also the place he was bullied mercifully.  His parents separated here and finally … his mom died here.  Of course, the library was here.  It was his last connection to his mom that cared for him so much and truly believed that Oliver could do anything he put his mind to, but it was just a building with four walls and thousands of books.  “I’ll come with you?”

It made her heart leap. Really it shouldn’t have. She bounced Beth on her knee, trying to hide how much his suggestion affected her. Cora wanted to cry, but instead, she gave the smallest of smiles, cocking her head. “You’ve got the library. And you’d hate Seattle- it rains all the time.”

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ollie-thompson:

Oliver frowned when she mentioned the slave that took Beth for a ‘play date’.  It was kind of terrifying knowing that Isabella had somehow snuck into Cora’s apartment and just decided to take Beth with her.  Calling Cora’s moms was a good idea and he almost felt bad for not thinking about it sooner.  Then she had dropped the real news on him like a bomb.  “You’re leaving?  Cora, it’ll probably never happen again.  You don’t have to leave …”

That wasn’t the reaction she wanted- but it wasn’t anything unexpected. It broke her heart to see his face fall like that. “Ollie... The House told me they’re going to sell her on. It’s not about her. It’s this city. It’s your home, but it’s not mine. I want Beth to grow up with her grandmothers. I want my Moms.”

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rick-moretti:

Rick was so happy that he was able to tell someone else their big news, and he knew Cora could keep their secret. “Yeah, it wasn’t planned or anything but I’m thrilled about it. I’m going to be a dad!”

“Rick! That’s huge!” There was no point even commenting on the planned-ness of their pregnancy. Beth hadn’t been planned. Cora grinned, leaning in to cuddle Rick tightly before pulling away. Delighted at the high pitched noises and everything in the store, Beth gave a high pitched squeal of excitement, and Cora glanced over her shoulder at the baby strapped to her back like a monkey. “Yes, Beth! You’re going to have a little friend!”

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lillianxwalker:

Lillian headed to the laundry room as she walked through the House to check on everyone, and was immediately concerned when she saw the look on Cora’s face. “Sweetie, are you alright? Tell me what you’re feeling.” If there was one thing she’d never forget it was childbirth, and she would hate to watch the young girl go through it alone.

What was she feeling? “Sore.” Cora answered honestly, looking up at Lillian. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t... There’s so much to do.”

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mayaburke:

At the sound Maya looked out of the window, trying her best not to show the fear she was feeling on her face in an attempt to not worry Cora even more. At this point she was sure that she couldn’t leave, unable to guarantee that the walkers wouldn’t push past the barrier and into the House. With that thought in mind she rushed towards the door, locking it so that it would at least buy them some time before staring at Cora. Okay, so this was really happening. Maya supported her as best as she could before the other cried out in pain. “I … I don’t know what to do …”

Cora’s legs wobbled and she sat back down, resting back against the couch. “I need painkillers,” She guessed, really not sure herself. How was she meant to know what to do? “Help me g- Ow!” Cora whimpered, her face scrunched up in pain as she tried to get her shorts off, sure that that was what she had to do next.

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i can’t come home right now // Zombie AU Death Post

((Note: As the last task is still being written, this is sort of jumping ahead, but this post serves as a ‘headcanon’ of sorts as to what happened. I’m sorry if this goes against what your character would have done! ))

True to her word, Maya didn’t leave Cora through her labour. They didn’t have painkillers other than some basic pills, so it was a long and honestly traumatic experience, combined with the screams of their friends outside and the ever present groans of walkers. Finally, the baby was born, and a shivering Cora managed to name her Beth. Leaving Beth with Cora, Maya left to get some supplies for them.

With minimal medicine, no prenatal care, and a lack of medical assistance on hand, the stress present, Cora simply didn’t survive. She died soon later, with Beth in the little crib on the other side of the room, crying.

There’s so much stress and tension in the House with a few stragglers from the Supply Run coming back, that Cora’s still in the room with her baby. Soon though, someone will hear her alive once more, pressing against the door...

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mayaburke:

“I won’t, okay?” Maya said, her voice softer as she looked at Cora. They were all scared but Cora had to fear not only herself but her unborn child. Which apparently wanted to get out now. “You can do this. Stop saying that. We’re safe here, you’re safe.” Maya said before helping her to sit down. Apparently they weren’t going anywhere at this point. 

Cora shook her head at Maya’s reassurances. They weren’t safe. There were walkers everywhere, her baby could never have a proper life, she could never- Outside, there was a loud thud and a sickening snap of splintered wood as a group of walkers pushed against the barricade, leaning over it and getting precariously close to penetrating it. “Maya.” Cora swallowed, her eyes wide. “W-We have to- Ahh, ow!” Cora cried out, halfway pushing herself to stand.

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mayaburke:

Maya’s eyes widened at her words, realizing that she’d have to figure out something. Flora had left to join the others on a supply run but Sullivan was still somewhere here. “I can look for Sullivan. I promise to hurry.” Maya suggested, hoping that she’d be fine. When she saw the tears in her eyes though she realized that maybe this was no option any longer. “You thik you can walk to the infirmary? I … I don’t know what to do.”

“Don’t go.” Cora said quickly when she offered to go and find Sullivan, her voice tight through another contraction. Cora shakily reached up to dash her tears away, looking up at Maya. “I don’t know what to do either. I can’t do this. It’s too dangerous.”

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roxannexmartin:

Roxanne had offered to help with the cleaning whilst some of the group went on a supply run. Anything to keep her mind busy was favourable because she was worried about Lily. She sat down at the table and began helping her to fold the clothes. Silence fell between them, but Roxanne could sense that something wasn’t right with her; the way she clutched her stomach gave her the impression that something was wrong. “Cora…?” She stared at her with concern in her eyes. “Cora, is everything okay?”

Cora looked up from the socks that she’d been folding, one hand still resting on her stomach. Her voice was tight. “Nope. I’m fine. How’re you?”

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mayaburke:

Maya didn’t like being left behind while Lola didn’t seem to mind a bit. It made her wonder why it was so important to her to prove herself when there were people far more skilled than her, able to easily manage the job they had been assigned to today. Thomas had been one of them and that probably only fed into her anxiety. She was on her way to the House’s common room which was apparently still used as such when she suddenly spotted Cora. She didn’t look too good and Maya immediately closed the distance between them before offering support albeit being just as petite. “Hey, are you okay?”

Cora took the support graciously, somehow between them getting Cora over to sit on a nearby arm chair. “Uhm, I... I think I’m in labour. It’s hurt all day but now it’s just, um.” Cora blinked, the tears springing to her eyes again. The pain was intense, really, but Cora was too afraid to scream. 

[cora-winchester-blog]

It felt like she’d been sweeping, mopping, washing, air drying, and folding clothes for hours now. Somehow she’d been tasked with laundry, and word had gotten to her that one of the leaders here didn’t like having her around. Pushing past her pain for most of the day, Cora couldn’t handle it any more, leaning against her broom with one hand and cradling her stomach with the other, closing her eyes. The pain had been random all day, but now it came in a pattern. Cora was in labour, and she knew it.