Fresh Cut Roses - Chapter 14 - Pay the Price
(Larissa gets her first look of your real life, your real job, and it leaves her absolutely horrified. Yet the revolution that comes with you trying to numb the pain is one that shakes her to her very core.)
WARNING: Blood/death/implied violence/violence against children/drug use/non-graphic mention of assault
Danger, that was danger. You knew it well.
Your psychic abilities occasionally lended themselves to the feeling of danger, as opposed to a full on vision, and while this didn’t feel particularly terrible, it certainly wasn’t good.
You took a deep breath in, trying to sense where it was coming from. It wasn’t clear, but as you began to move through the halls you could feel the pull, pulling you through the school and to a room you were coming to dread.
Of course you would be led to the headmistress’s office. It was the last place you wanted to be at the moment, so naturally that’s where life would take you. Whatever force was playing at you, it wasn’t deadly, and at that point, it was enough for you. You couldn’t sense any real immediate danger, simply sighing deeply as you stared at the large oak doors.
You went to turn around and go the other way when you heard the glass shatter, and the startled yelp that came with it. You groaned, opening the door only to find Wednesday there, her face enraged, a glass smashed on the ground in front of her as she stared daggers at the headmistress.
“If you so much as look at her wrong, I will make your life-“ the girl began, and your mind was made up.
“Wednesday Addams!” You commanded, and she whirled around to look at you.
“Auntie- I-“ She stuttered, and the look you gave her betrayed the disappointment and hurt you felt. “I was just-“ she tried, and you shook your head.
“Threatening your headmistress.” You said pointedly, and she just stared, her eyes falling to your gloved hands, wrapped around each other tightly as you tried to avoid a reaction.
“Ophelia, she was-“ Larissa tried, but you wouldn’t even look at her.
“I’m aware of what she was doing, I am no fool, ma’am.” You said bitterly, and the woman cringed. “Wednesday. You know better.” You sighed, relenting, and the girl just shook her head.
“It’s not fair!” She yelled, and your eyes went wide at the sudden outburst. It was unlike her, very unlike her.
“Wednesday, darling, are you alright?” You asked her softly, your entire demeanor shifting in concern as she stared daggers in an attempt to fend off tears. Larissa swallowed at the change. It was beautiful, the softness you showed when you looked to your niece was beautiful. She missed it. It had only been a few days and she missed it.
“You protect everyone! And no one protects you. I’ve seen what your job, what your real job, does to you! I’ve seen you die!” She yelled, and you cringed. “You don’t let anyone hurt you! The only person allowed to hurt you is you, so why would you let her do it!” Wednesday yelled, and you sighed, closing your eyes. Of course that’s what this was about. The girl was notoriously overprotective of you, of course Larissa would face it head on.
“Come along, Wednesday, leave her alone.” You said, referencing the woman in the room, but still adamantly not looking at her. Larissa could feel regret cutting into her, almost gutting her as your eyes looked everywhere but her. You looked so tired, it broke her heart.
“No!” Wednesday yelled, and you stared at her curiously. “She hurt you. She hurt you like all those other people, the ones you don’t talk about, the ones even mother is too scared to say the name of-“ the girl began, and this time when you cut her off there was something much deeper in your voice. Not quite sharper, but certainly much more firm.
“Wednesday Addams.” You said again, and her rant was cut short as she stared at you. “Miss Weems did not hurt me, not in that sense, and you will not, ever, compare her to the people who did so.” You said firmly, and the girl shook her head as Larissa watched in utter shock. You were hurt, it was clear, you wouldn’t even look at her. Yet the second Wednesday had implied that, you stopped her in her tracks.
“Like she didn’t.” The girl scoffed, and you shook your head. The conviction in you was striking, and Larissa’s breath caught.
“Ophelia, Wednesday, you don’t have to-“ she tried, the tension between you two growing heavier by the moment. It was overbearing, choking, almost.
“Wednesday, whatever you think she did, it’s not nearly enough to merit this kind of behavior.” You said firmly, and the girl just shook her head at you.
“She made you bloom black roses.” Wednesday said, and you blinked for a moment before reaching up to your hair, finding exactly that, tiny black rosettes along the crown of your head.
“Wednesday, it’s fine, come on, let’s just go.” You sighed, your voice betraying exhaustion as you gestured for the girl. Larissa felt her heart sink at the defeated look that crossed your face.
“How is she better than all the other ones? Why does she deserve your forgiveness?” Wednesday snapped, and you stilled mid-turn, sighing deeply.
“Wednesday, when your mother is talking about people who have hurt me, she is not talking about my- she- damnit Morticia!” You groaned, running a hand through your hair before fixing the girl with a look. “When I go to work- my real work, not this, I deal with two types of people.” You sighed. “I deal with children, many younger than you are now, who have been hurt worse then you can possibly imagine.” You gritted. “And I then I deal with the people who have hurt them.” You said darkly. “That is the kind of people who have hurt me, Wednesday. That is what I have to deal with, every day, every night, I hear children screaming, screaming because of these people. I spend hours upon hours bent over broken bodies and microscopes, I have worked and grown until my hands went numb and bleeding because of that type of hurt.” You said, astonishingly calmly.
“Miss Weems couldn’t even touch that, darling. She’s not even capable.” You said softly, and Wednesday stared at you, taking in the information. Larissa watched with a stricken face as Wednesday swallowed, looking at you mildly ashamed. That is what you dealt with, that is what pain was to you, and she felt a mixture of horror and shame as she realized she had added to it.
“Do you know what this place is? What this place means?” You asked her, and she just looked away from you, mumbling quietly.
“It’s a school.” She managed, and you nodded, your lips pursing as you held back emotion.
“Yes, it is. But more than that, this place is safe.” You breathed. “God, it’s like a dream, I- I love teaching.” You smiled gently, your mind working faster than either of the other two could process. Yet your words rang true, the tall blonde staring at you felt her heart swell and sink at the same time as you spoke of the school, of the place she upheld.
“I love teaching, if I- if I had grown up differently I would have been a teacher, a real teacher, not an adjunct professor at various schools as a cover job, I would have taught class after class of students, like I taught you, like I get to now, for the time being.” You sighed, rubbing your temples before you looked at the girl tiredly. “This is like a vacation to me, you realize that?” You asked, and she nodded slowly as Larissa stared at you, the pain on your face clear. It cut her more than anything else. She couldn’t speak, she wouldn’t dare, she didn’t even know what to say. “I get to wake up every day in a place that’s safe, I don’t have to wonder if I’m going to have to go out and get shot at, or if I’m going to loose another child, or if one of the few I have managed to help is going to be the reason I’m wearing black at the end of the day.” You breathed, and Larissa tried to bite back the emotion that came with that admission. This place really meant that much to you, and she had crushed the little happiness you had. “No, this place, darling, this place is heaven to me.” You said softly.
“Auntie I…” she tried, and you just smiled sadly. Larissa stared at you, you wouldn’t look at her, your eyes firmly fixed on Wednesday, but she could see them. She could see your eyes, and they were soft as they looked at your niece. Sad, but soft, and even if you wouldn’t look at her like that, the familiarity of it comforted her.
“Wednesday, do you know why that is? Why this place is safe?” You asked, and she sighed.
“Because it’s protected.” She answered, and you nodded.
“Yes, it is. And how is it protected?” You asked, and she glanced to the side, her eyes cutting to Larissa, making your heart squeeze in your chest. She hurt you, badly, but that didn’t mean that Wednesday could do this. The kind of hurt she had caused you wasn’t even comparable to what Wednesday was implying.
“By Miss Weems.” She admitted, and you nodded.
“She is the exact opposite of what I have to deal with every day when I go home.” You sighed tiredly, the very idea already wearing on you. There was a reason you weren’t in Cambridge, a situation that had to be sorted out before you could go home. Yet every day you were gone you were painfully aware that they still needed you. “Don’t, please, please don’t compare her to those people, Wednesday. I’m far too tired and bitter to explain why this place, her school, is the very thing I’ve been working for my entire life.” You sighed, staring down at the girl until she relented. She shook her head.
“She hurt you.” She whispered, and you smiled softly, shaking your head.
“Not in the way you think, love.” You hummed, and she sighed deeply, finally relenting.
“Still not fair,” she muttered, and you rolled your eyes.
“Life isn’t fair, but I’m much tougher then you seem to think I am.” You chuckled, despite the pain Larissa could still see hidden in your eyes.
“Ophelia, if I could-“ she tried, but the walled off look in your eyes when they cut to her stopped her dead in her tracks. She had seen you look at people like that, but never her. You had never looked at her like that before. Come to think of it, you only really looked at one person like that, your sister. You were looking at her the same way you looked at Morticia, with unmeasurable hurt in your eyes. With emotion so deep it was almost frightening, yet a relentless, impenetrable wall stood in the way of it.
She froze, her heart seizing in her throat as she recognized it, looking down in shame as you looked back to Wednesday.
“Come along, let’s go before I have to find you a solicitor.” You sighed, and Wednesday rolled her eyes.
“They’re called lawyers here.” She said, and you shrugged.
“Yeah, well I left when I was eleven, and I haven’t been back much.” You defended with a smile, and she laughed. You winked at her, just in time for your phone to ring. You sighed heavily, looking down at the caller ID before you froze.
It was as if all the warmth drained from your body in only a second, the shift was subtle, but it was enough for Wednesday to step back to look at you and for Larissa to stand in nervousness. You swallowed, it was as if your very energy went dark, as if the person standing in your place wasn’t you, it was the woman Larissa had seen the other night, the woman who could nearly kill a man without blinking. This was sharp focus, terrifyingly so.
“Jenkins,” you breathed, answering the phone, only to hear the man grunt.
“Fuck,” he hissed, and your eyes went wide, panic flooding you.
“What happened, where are you?” You rushed, only to hear him hush you.
“It’s fine, we, the team is fine, banged up pretty bad, but we’re alright.” Came the thick Scottish accent through the phone. You sighed in relief, Larissa’s brows furrowing as she stepped closer. “Phil, I need yer help.” He sighed, and you closed your eyes for a moment, swallowing.
“Of course, I’ll be right there.” You sighed, and you could see Wednesday bloom with anger as the words left your mouth. If you had looked, you would have seen Larissa’s fear as well.
“Ophelia,” she tried, but you didn’t even pay her any mind, your focus entirely on the man who had called you. Wednesday, however, caught you attention. She stepped in front of you, staring at you with such deep anger and sadness it was enough to make you stop. You were leaving again. She knew what it meant when you left. The girl knew what you did was dangerous. She had been with Jenkins time after time waiting for you to return, hoping that you would. Only this time, it was Jenkins you were going too, and she would be left alone. Your eyes softened again as you looked at the girl.
“Jenkins, will… will I be back by morning?” You asked. “I have a class at nine.” You said almost lightheartedly, almost. You heard his deep sigh on the other side of the phone.
“Aye, it’s, its clean up. I just can’ ask anyone else to do this they don’t- they don’t have the stomach.” He sighed, and you hummed.
“I- I’m with my niece, one moment.” You sighed, taking the phone from your ear as you looked at the girl. “I have to go.” You said, and her eyes went wide, panic settling in them.
“No, no you can’t.” She breathed, grabbing your wrist. Your lips pursed at the action, shaking your head.
“I have to honey, I- I love this place, I do, but this isn’t where I’m needed, you know that.” You said softly, the emotion in your voice as you attempted to comfort the girl making it waver.
Larissa felt her own heart stop. You couldn’t leave, not now. Not when she had messed things up so badly.
“But I need you.” Wednesday argued, her normally ambivalent demeanor completely crumbling. You took a deep breath in, doing your best to smile.
“Darling, no you don’t.” You said, and she shook her head. “You will be just fine, weather I’m here or not, hell, I can’t think of a better place for you.” You tried to assure her, only for your words to fall on deaf ears.
“With you! I would be better with you!” She cried, and you shut your eyes for a moment, trying to force down the emotion that came.
“Wednesday, I love you more than anything in this world, but you will be alright, you will be safe, and just fine until I come back.” You said softly, and the girl gritted her teeth through the tears. She hated crying, she’d rather rip her own hair out then cry in front of others, you knew that much. You took the phone to your ear, swallowing. “Are you able to tell Wednesday that I’ll be back by morning?” You sighed, and you heard him swallow on the other end of the line. You both knew what you were really asking. You were asking if he thought this would be safe, at least, as safe as any of your outside operations could be, and you heard him clear his throat.
“Aye, I can do that for ye.” He said, and you sighed, taking the phone and putting it on speaker.
“Go ahead,” you hummed, and you heard him clear his throat again before he spoke to the girl.
“Miss Wednesday, I can tell you yer aunt will be back by morning, we’re not under direct threat, that part- that part is over.” He said, and you nodded with his words.
“If you’re not under threat then why do you need her?” The girl spat back, and you fixed her with a warning glare.
“Wednesday, you know we can’t-“ you began, only for the Scotsman to cut you off.
“How old is she now?” He asked you, and your eyes went wide, shaking your head instantly.
“Not old enough,” you whispered, your voice ragged if just for a moment, and he sighed.
“Even ye can’t protect all of them, Ophelia, some day she will likely have to know at least a bit of it.” He added, and you cleared your throat, swallowing.
“Yes, but today is not that day.” You replied, and the man hummed, respecting your decision.
“Yer aunt will be back by morning. We’re not even fighting, it’s just, it’s the what happens after part.” He tried to explain, and you breathed in slowly, trying to settle yourself.
“You said it wasn’t our team…” you muttered, and there was a moment of silence. Fear creeped into you as it stretched on, your mind racing to think what that could possibly mean. There weren’t many things that made that man quiet.
“This one’s not for the kid, Phil.” He finally said, only making your mind spin faster.
“Alright I-“ you began, only for him to continue.
“What are ye wearing?” He asked you, and Larissa looked at you strangely. She knew whatever was happening was bad, very bad, but she didn’t know what your attire had to do with it.
“Ah, what I taught in, a skirt and top, why- no…” you breathed, the realization suddenly dawning on you.
“Get yer blacks, doc, yer working blacks.” He said, and your eyes closed for a moment. You turned away from your niece, not wanting her to see the reaction. This, however, meant that Larissa had a perfect view of the pain and darkness that crossed your face. It was as if the warmth and light she had come to cherish whenever you were in her presence had been snuffed, as if someone had frozen your very soul. It nearly brought tears to her eyes.
“Wednesday, go to my room and get the black duffel bag in the dresser.” You said firmly, and the girl stepped closer to you, pulling you to look at her.
“Now, Wednesday.” You said firmly, and the girl just shook her head, worry beginning to form all over again as she ran from the room. You didn’t have time for this, you couldn’t panic now.
“I’m sending Flit.” Came the voice on the speaker, and your eyes went wide again, nearly snapping to Larissa before you realized, instead fixing onto the carpet as you took the phone off speaker and held it to your ear.
“You can’t send Flit here.” You said firmly, and the man grunted as Larissa took another step towards you, slowly. You looked panicked, pained, worn down despite the strength you were standing with. She wanted to hold you and tell you it would be alright, that she would make it alright, yet she had ruined it the one time you had let her that close, she had ruined it, and she felt as if you would never let her again.
“What’s wrong with Flit?” The man on your phone asked, and you sighed.
“Nothing, but if Flit sees someone with a posh accent over six feet tall even look at me wrong they’ll have a meltdown. I can’t take that risk.” You sighed, and Larissa froze, looking at you wide eyed. Why would someone like her cause someone you worked with to have a meltdown? It didn’t make sense, what were you even talking about.
“Jesus, it was Flit with you…” Jenkins muttered, and you hummed darkly, your hands faltering for the first time since you had picked up the phone, the woman in the room with you caught the movement, her instinct to soothe the tremor winning out over her fear as she took another step closer, only to freeze when you spoke again.
“Yes, Flit was the one with me in the lab when he… when he came for me. They saw too much, far too much.” You breathed. “They were just a kid.” You murmured, and you heard the man protest on the line.
“It’s not yer fault, Ophelia.” He said, and you hummed, your throat closing up.
“Jenkins, the kid watched him do unspeakable things to me, I- I should have been faster.” You breathed, and you could hear him grunt in protest.
“Ophelia, what ye went through that day, those weeks, what the both of ye went through, that isn’t your fault. None of it. I don’ know many who could go through what you did an’ come out on the other side.” He said, and you exhaled sharply.
“Sure you do,” you breathed, “Every single succubi we take from them, nearly every shapeshifter, most of the sirens, half of the psychics and witches,” you breathed, placing the phone on speaker and putting it on the ground again as you began to braid your hair back, starting with the crown of your head.
Larissa felt her heart drop. You were talking about- but that would imply that someone had, when you were older, after everything you had been through, again? She couldn’t fathom how could the world be this cruel to you, and tears formed in her eyes as she watched the weary strength and precision with which you started to tame the wild mass of curls she wanted nothing more then to run her fingers through as she held you close and safe.
“Most of the children we take from those places have been through what he did, and many have been through much, much worse.” You sighed. “At least I have the advantage of not being able to give him what he wanted.” You hummed half wittily, the wry comment not landing. The world faded from you as your mind started working, the only thing you were consciously aware of was Jenkins’ voice as you began to plan.
“Phil, if he had managed to- to-“ he stuttered, and your face twisted in a grimace for a moment. You were too focused at this point, your mind already running scenarios. You had nearly forgotten about the fact that Larissa was there. It was odd, you were often hyper-aware of everyone, only able to let someone slip under your radar when you loved and trusted them, something that came with years upon years of closeness.
“You can say he tried to breed me, Jenkins, there’s not a better term.” You gritted. “Unfortunately for him, no amount of effort can make up for the fact that I’m barren.” You finished, only to hear a horrified gasp. That was when you remembered, when you realized she was there.
You turned to go face her slowly, your hands frozen in your hair. There were tears in her eyes, her hands slightly outstretched as if she was aching to go to you, to comfort you. You wanted to let her. You did, yet as long as she could only see you as an extension of your sister, your sister, who had done terrible things to her, she would never truly see you.
“Merde,” You breathed, and the woman’s brows furrowed as her face softened in concern.
“I…” she tried, but no words came out.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that.” You hissed, turning back to the side as you continued working on your hair, ending by tying the braid up in a bun.
“Ye alright?” Came the thick Scottish from the phone, and you grunted.
“Yeah, just, just some of my own things.” You sighed. “Wake up Sugar.” You said, and he hummed.
“She should be ready to get you in a few minutes, don’t move.” He said, and you swallowed.
“As if I don’t know the standard operating procedure I came up with.” You sighed, only for Wednesday to burst through the door, carrying your bag. “She’s back, Jenkins, clean talk.” You said quickly, and he grunted in acknowledgment.
“Auntie, you can’t-“ she tried, and you shook your head.
“Wednesday, you need to go now. I’ll be back by morning, I- I promise.” You managed, and the girl looked at you for one final moment, rushing to you and holding you tight for just a second, a rare moment of tenderness that took Larissa completely off guard as you wrapped your hands around the girl. “I love you.” You whispered, and she nodded, allowing you to lean down and kiss the crown of her head before she left, closing the door on her way out.
You sighed, standing still for a moment and fighting back your own tears, your own worry. It was always a risk, you knew that, you’d be a fool not to. Yet leaving was never this hard when it was just you. When it was just you, it didn’t truly matter if you came back. With Wednesday, it did.
When your eyes opened again, the shift was dramatic. You were no longer the soft and loving aunt, not the lighthearted and comforting teacher. This was the medic, the woman who fought every day, who risked her life over and over again, so that others might have a chance at one.
“Turn around.” You said firmly, and Larissa jumped when she realized you were talking to her.
“Ophelia, please, I-“ she whispered, but you just shook your head, still not looking.
“Turn around.” You repeated, slightly softer this time, but the rigidity there was unmistakable. You were going to change, and all those scars she had seen just the other night were no longer hers to look at. She did, and you began to strip, pulling off your sweater and skirt to be replaced by a black athletic turtleneck and tactical pants. You exhaled sharply as you zipped and buttoned them, before grabbing your belt and boots from the bag.
“You’re fine now.” You gritted, and you felt more then heard Larissa’s small choked sound at the admission. You had taken away the closeness, the vulnerability. It wasn’t for her to witness anymore, she was as closed off to you as everyone else. Then again, if that were really true, you would have had her leave.
“Sugar is coming.” Jenkins said through the speaker, and you hummed as you fastened the belt before moving on to the tactical boots, all black, all made especially for you and your ability.
“What, exactly, am I walking into here, Jenkins?” You asked, and you could feel the silence settle into your bones as he hesitated. Jenkins was one of the longest standing members of your hospital, he was part of the team that had helped get you out. Him and Georgiana. You shuddered as you realized whatever it was, it was enough to make him fall silent, enough to make even him struggle to find the words. “Jenkins,” you breathed, and he audibly steadied himself.
“He has new orders, he- he would rather kill them then let someone else make a profit.” He managed, and your heart dropped. You stood there, shocked still, tears threatening to come as you tried to pull yourself together. Larissa could see it, you were coming apart, she stepped over to you again, and this time you didn’t even have the fight to react. What he was saying was sick, a level of disregard for life that shocked even you.
“How many?” You breathed, and the man swallowed.
“Phil, there was nothin’ ye could have done, we didn’t even know about the order until they opened fire on them-“ he tried, only to be cut off by your firm order.
“How many?” You asked again, your voice low. He sighed, you would find out any way, there was no use delaying it.
“Four sirens, three succubi, three shape shifters, three illusionists, two psychics, and a healer.” He sighed, and you nearly doubled over. A standard transport had maybe five children, but that, sixteen, and to all be gone. Your breath stopped as your arms wrapped around yourself on instinct trying desperately to get your lungs to expand.
You weren’t there and this had happened, sixteen children, dead, and you weren’t there to help. You painfully gasped for air, your head swimming, only to feel strong hands steadying you, exactly where you needed. You wanted to push her away, to yell at her, to scream at her, yet all that came out was a near silent whimper as you mourned lives that had barely begun.
“How old?” You rasped, and you could hear Jenkins stutter. He knew you carried guilt when you were away, but it wasn’t your fault, you were away to protect them, you had to be away until they took care of the main threat, the man who had ordered this action even.
“Ophelia, ye know that it-“ he tried, but your voice cut him off in a second.
“Goddamnit Jenkins, I’m going to spend the next however many hours helping you bury children’s bodies because I CAN’T BE THERE!” You nearly screamed. “You will tell me how old they are, so that when I get there my team does not see me sobbing hysterically when they’re younger then I expect them to be!” You spat, and the man seemed to fold the second your voice was raised fully.
“So far six to thirteen, but it’s hard to tell…” he trailed, and you choked, your hand covering your mouth as guilt flooded you like nothing you had ever felt. Six. At only six they had been gunned down. The very man who forced you to leave your home at the hospital would rather have a child, a six year old child, be gunned down than for someone else to make a profit off of them. Larissa’s hands just stroked over your back, the sensation simultaneously making you want to scream and push her away as well as collapse into her. “The shapeshifters look like they were in a blitz when it happened, it’s- its bad, Ophelia.” He admitted, and you closed your eyes for a moment, willing yourself to stop before the tears started to come.
You could have a moment of shock, but you must move on, you must move on quickly. Larissa could physically feel the shift in your body as the emotions shut down, the sharpness of your mind she had seen when you had fought snapping into place.
“They will revert within a few hours, we can try to identify then.” You said, your voice cold and dark, you were listing facts, not talking.
“Got it, Sugar should be there any second, then we can- then we’ll get to work.” He sighed, and you nodded, not that he could see it.
“Ophelia,” the woman above you whispered, trying to call out to you, to reach you, beneath the guard you had slammed up.
You felt the slight shift in air and heard the light snapping sound you knew to be someone teleporting near you. Larissa, unfortunately, did not, and continued to lean over you and attempt to get you to stand up straight, to talk to you. She didn’t even realize someone else was in the room until the pistol cocked.
She nearly screamed, turning to find a ginger-haired girl, probably in her twenties, staring her down with a handgun leveled directly at the woman. When she finally spoke, it was in a thick southern drawl, much to Larissa’s surprise.
“If you don’t get yer hands off my boss, I’m fixin’ to take ‘em off for you, understand?” She spat, her green eyes filling with absolute venom as she stared at Larissa, who shook like a leaf. There was a gun, pointed directly at her, by a woman who just appeared in her office. She could feel her heart stop, the moments seem to stretch on as she stared down the barrel.
“Sugar! Stand down.” You commanded quickly, snapping straight up, placing yourself in between the two of them and directly in front of the barrel, shielding Larissa. The young woman went wide-eyed, immediately holstering the weapon and staring at you, leaving Larissa’s heart pounding as the room seemed to spin. You protected her, even now, you protected her.
“I’m sorry, Angel, I just saw someone touchin’ you, and that’s not normally a good thing, I didn’t mean- I mean, I did- but not if she was allowed to, if you- if you-“ the ginger struggled, and you waved her off, straightening up and picking up your phone. “We’ll be there in a moment, Jenkins.” You said, receiving his affermative hum before you clicked off the line. “It’s alright, I- I understand.” You sighed to the woman, and she exhaled, releived, before turning to Larissa, who still seemed to be out of her body. You may be angry with the woman, but you didn’t want her to suffer. Your hands were slow, steady as you braced one on her forearm, calling her attention to you.
“Are you alright?” You asked calmly, and her ice blue eyes snapped to yours, fear in them that broke your heart. “I- I think- yes, yes I’m alright.” She stuttered and you nodded.
“Good, I need to go, but, I- I’ll be back by morning, and Sugar only pointed it at you because she thought you were hurting me. She wouldn’t have shot without the command.” You said calmly, and she swallowed as she nodded shakily.
“The medic is right ma’am, I’m sorry for startlin’ you, it’s just when most people touch her, it ain’t a good thing. Never is, really.” She mumbled, and you looked at Sugar a moment before looking back to Larissa.
“Don’t go,” the woman breathed, and you tensed, your entire body pulling back a bit. “Please don’t go, not like this- I- I still need to- Ophelia please, I- I have to fix it.” She rushed, and you furrowed your brows, pulling back from her as you shook your head.
“I have a responsibility.” You swallowed, pain flashing across your face once more before it settled into the cool calm of the fighter she knew you could be. “And it is not to be a replacement for someone who didn’t even treat you like a decent human being.” You said firmly, picking up your bag and slinging it over your shoulder before walking to Sugar.
“Ready, Angel?” She asked, doing her best to ignore whatever was going on between you and the other woman in the room. You sighed deeply, looping your arm through hers and nodding. “I hate that call sign.” You muttered, and the two of you were gone, leaving Larissa standing alone in her office, your words echoing in her ears.
That’s why it had hurt you so much, you didn’t just hate being compared to your sister, you hated her comparing you to your sister, especially after everything she had done. You hated being seen as someone who would hurt her like that, and that was exactly what she had told you she saw you as. A cruel, careless woman, who would hurt her without a second thought.
Her heart sank in her chest, sobs ripping from her throat as she covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to keep them at bay.
You landed in the middle of a field, a cargo train stopped on the tracks by it, Jenkins standing a few feet from you as he stared blankly at the final car. You could see the blood from here. You set your jaw, the woman of Ophelia leaving as the Medic took her place, your mind and body snapping into preparedness.
“Work on transporting the team home, Sugar. Jenkins and I will be here for a while.” You said, and she nodded, headed off to the bunch of people clad in tactical gear as far from the car Jenkins was staring at as they could get.
“Angel,” he breathed, and you gritted your teeth, walking up to stand by the six foot Scotsman, taking the already lit pipe from his hands.
“I don’t deserve that sign, not when I come to bury bodies I didn’t save.” You said firmly, brushing past him and going into the train car, beginning the process of unchaining the bodies, marking identifiers, classing the bodies, dressing them as best you could and placing them in body bags before you could transport them back to Cambridge via chopper. Once there, they would be properly cleaned, cremated, and buried in the graves by the hospital, children feeding the garden you were known to sit in for hours or days on end, smoking opium until your mind was numb to exactly why those flowers bloomed. You bit back a gag when the blood stuck to your boots, making a sick sticky sound when you moved around in the train car.
The cold feeling when you picked them up to move them was worse.
The blood was already pooling on the sides they had fallen on, making a sick sort of bruise that covered the length of each body towards the ground. You shut their eyes gently, your soul felt empty, hollow as their hands brushed up against your body, their heads falling onto your shoulders when you moved them. It was a numb feeling that spread into you, that lasted the hours while you worked. There were no words, just you and Jenkins moving silently in tandem as you did all you could for the children who were already gone.
Larissa stood outside the door to your room. She knew you weren’t there, that it was pointless, she knew you wouldn’t even want her in there if you were, yet she felt her entire body nearly shaking as she tried to calm herself down. You would be fine, you had promised Wednesday, that man, Jenkins or something, had even promised. You would be fine, she kept telling herself that, that you would be back by morning, that you would come back and be in that very room.
You would be there when she knocked on the door, you would answer it and look at her and… and you would say nothing. Your eyes would look blank when you saw her, or worse, full of pain, of the pain she had caused you. Your warm hands wouldn’t touch her skin, your arms wouldn’t extend to her, they would lay tense by your sides, or cross over your chest. You would close yourself off like you did before, like she had forced you to do. She didn’t realize she was crying until her hand automatically moved to catch the tear falling from her cheek, and she cursed herself for being so, so exposed.
The door whipped open, making the woman gasp and cover her face from the tears, instantly shifting slightly to change her reddened eyes and smudged makeup. Wednesday stared up at her, her own face red as she angrily wiped away her own tears.
“Miss Addams, I- I didn’t realize that someone- that you would be in here,” She rushed, and the glare Wednesday gave her could have leveled a city. Larissa stood strong however, not even wavering as she stared down at the girl. They met eyes for a moment, a second of understanding passing through everything in the way of the two of them. Wednesday was just threatening her less than a few hours ago, yet the two of them had something in common. They wanted you back. They wanted you to come back, to be safe, to be alright. They wanted you with them. Wednesday stared at her headmistress for a moment, her eyes hard and angry.
“What did you do to her?” She asked harshly, and the headmistress swallowed. She wouldn’t tell her, couldn’t, but she could stand strong.
“I said something I didn’t mean,” she said firmly, leveling with the girl if only for a moment. “Something I regret.” She finished, and Wednesday seemed to evaluate that for a moment.
“What do you want from her?” The girl asked, and Larissa stood, struck still. It wasn’t what you always asked, you asked her what she wanted, this is what she wanted from you, and her mind spun with ideas.
She wanted to see you smile, to walk around like you had danced the first night here at Nevermore, like you had in the kitchen the other night. She wanted to see you free, see you beautiful and uninhibited. She wanted to see your skin glinting in the sun again, the paleness shining after years away from the sun. She knew what she wanted from you, she just didn’t know what she wanted.
“I want her to be happy.” She breathed, and Wednesday seemed to stare at her for a moment, to try to see into her, to see if she was telling the truth. Larissa’s heart thundered beneath her calm exterior. She hated being looked at like that, yet it was almost, familiar. Wednesday had inherited her mother’s eyes, but she had inherited your gaze, it seemed, and it was your gaze that made Larissa willing to stay under it. Wednesday stepped to the side, opening the door further.
“Come in, she won’t be back until morning.” The girl said, walking in and leaving Larissa shocked still for a moment before she followed the girl quickly, stepping into the room and looking around. Wednesday had been laying in your bed, it seemed.
The girl went to the fire, turning it up before going to the electric kettle in the corner, making two cups of tea. Larissa’s face softened as she realized the girl had learned the gesture from you.
“When she comes back, she will either smell like opium or she will be half lucid.” The girl sighed, and Larissa’s eyes went wide. “My aunt is very powerful, and she can do a lot, but it still takes its toll.” She added, pouring cream into the tea before handing it to the woman in front of her.
“Opium? She can’t- that is an incredibly dangerous drug, Wednesday. She’s a scientist, surely she must know-“ the woman protested, only for Wednesday to shake her head.
“She won’t smoke it in front of me, and I doubt she would in front of any student, or when she’s working, she respects you too much for that.” The girl thought, and Larissa swallowed as she took in the inherent compliment. “I asked Jenkins about it once, apparently when she was younger it could get pretty bad, she only smokes it now when she needs it, it, it’s better than the alternative, apparently.” The girl said, and Larissa narrowed her eyes.
“If she’s addicted to it, then she needs it because it has become a dependency.” The woman said, and Wednesday turned to the fire, holding her own cup of tea and sitting on the floor in front of it, leaving the chair for the woman.
“If you could see the worst moments of everyone’s life, of your own life, wouldn’t you want to numb it?” She asked, and the white-haired woman felt her jaw slacken slightly. Wednesday wasn’t just talking about you now. That comment had come from experience. “Not to mention she sees people, children, she says, in horrible conditions. She has to see what was done to her done to others every day.” Wednesday swallowed numbly. “She won’t tell me about it.” The girl admitted. “But when you see her eyes, her eyes when she talks about it, or thinks about it. It’s horrifying Miss Weems.” The girl said. “It hurts her.” She whispered, and the headmistress followed her gaze into the flames for a moment.
“She takes it for the pain, not for the high.” The woman realized, and Wednesday nodded. “I don’t know much about it, but her body reacts to drugs differently. My mother asked her for an ibuprofen once and Aunt Ophelia laughed and said that it’s useless to her, she might as well have a pack of mints.” The girl recounted as the woman nodded.
“She… is she, in physical pain?” She asked Wednesday, and the girl nodded.
“I know she gets headaches and sick from the visions. And if she pushed her abilities too far for too long her hands start to bleed uncontrollably, they atrophy, the black spreads up her arms, it’s- its not pleasant.” The girl managed.
“You’ve seen it happen?” Larissa asked, mildly shocked, and she nodded.
“Only once. I ended up staying in her hospital for a night because of an emergency. I snuck down to her lab. She hadn’t slept in days, it was, it was after something bad happened, I don’t know what, but her arms were completely black, it was beginning to stretch up be neck, it was like it was consuming her.” The girl whispered, and Larissa felt fear creep into her. For you to be that far gone, and for your niece to see it- it was a horrifying thought. “Jenkins was watching me, he- he made sure she was alright, and then he just took me away.” The girl said, her voice flat despite the hint of fear in her eyes.
“Miss Addams, you don’t have to tell me,” she began, but the girl just shook her head.
“I’m warning you.” Wednesday explained, her eyes suddenly snapping to the headmistress, a threat there once again. “She will try to pretend she is fine. But she will be, hurt. And if you take advantage of that, I will-“
“I’m not going to harm your aunt, Wednesday.” The woman breathed, and once again they locked eyes, the girl evaluating. Larissa didn’t falter under her gaze, just staring at the girl, as honestly as she could. Wednesday narrowed her eyes, but eventually looked away, her hand going to stir the tea she had made.
“I don’t make it right. She can be a bit of a snob about it, living in Cambridge and all that.” The girl said, and Larissa raised her brows, taking a sip of the tea and tilting her head to the side, pursing her lips in thought.
“It’s not strong enough, you should let it steep a little longer next time.” The woman suggested, and Wednesday stared down into it.
“Then would you make it when she comes back?” Wednesday asked almost casually, and Larissa quickly nodded, surprised the girl even asked.
“Of course, I could even show you, if you like.” She added, and the girl hummed noncommittally.
“Are you going to sit or are you going to just stand there?” The girl eventually replied, and Larissa rolled her eyes, but sat on the chair in front of the fire, the girl still sitting on the floor in front of the one opposite, and the two sat in relative silence in the dark, barring the roaring fire.
Hours ticked by until Wednesday eventually fell asleep, her mug falling loose in her hand. The tall woman took it, setting it back on the table as well as her own. She looked at the girl sleeping in the chair, her heart squeezing slightly as she realized just how scared Wednesday must be. She pulled one of the blankets from your bed, laying it over the girl and sitting quietly in your room, checking the fire occasionally and just waiting, praying you would be alright when you returned. Her mind swirled, everything seemed, unreal. It was as if she was outside of time, just waiting to see when the world would start again, when you would walk in and time would un-freeze.
You could feel the aching of your body, nearly as badly as the sickness and grief settling in your mind and heart. You and Jenkins sat, waiting for Sugar to return, you puffing on your pipe as he took deep swigs of his flask.
“If ye don’t slow down ‘yer likely to lift the veil again.” He gruffed, and you hummed.
“I’d rather see the dead then bury the living.” You said blankly, your voice far away as you took another puff.
“What’s the difference, they had died.” He asked, and you watched as Sugar appeared a few feet from you both.
Your eyes clouded as shadows started to appear around you, your breathing and heart rate slowing. You could feel the numbness start to set in as the opium flooded your system, a strain you yourself had perfected, far stronger than anything else in the natural world, but just enough to take the edge off for you. The world seemed to swim as your eyes blinked slowly.
This was better. The quiet of the dark was infinitely better than the screaming inside and around you. You vaguely heard Jenkins mumble something to Sugar, and the next thing you knew you were standing outside the door to your room in Nevermore, Sugar leading you gently. You stumbled through the door, taking another deep drag as the young woman led you.
“That’s it, Angel.” She whispered, and you glared at her as your head spun. You looked into your room to find the fire roaring, hotter than you liked it, too hot. Yet there, in front of it, was Wednesday, sleeping soundly in a chair, a blanket over her as Larissa stood next to her, frozen as she looked up to you, her hand still brushing a stray hair out of Wednesday’s face. The tenderness of the action towards her filled you with relief. Not as much relief as her being asleep did, however.
You walked over silently, waving your hand over her face as pollen fell from it.
“Stay asleep darling, you don’t need to see me like this.” You whispered, your voice far away. Your knees buckled and Sugar was with you in a moment, helping you up and to a chair.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you-“ she started, but you just shook your head, waving her off.
“I don’t like being touched, but I’m aware of your intentions.” You breathed, your eyes blinking slowly as your heart rate became even slower. Much longer and you would be seeing the dead. Yet lifting the veil through drugs was better, seeing the spirits was far better than holding corpses.
“Has your tolerance gone down or something?” She hissed in her southern drawl, and you hummed, taking the pipe to your lips as Larissa watched the broken image of you in horror.
“No,” you hummed, looking around the room, your eyes never quite settling on anything. They looked dead, Larissa realized, not just dead, but deadened. They looked hollow. What on earth had you seen to make you look like that, how horrific could it have been. “I’m just on my third pipe, would you put my niece in the bed for me?” You asked her, and Sugar just huffed but nodded, doing so before she came to you, kneeling in front of you, pulling your attention to her.
“You need to rest, Angel, you can’t do this forever, even you can’t-“
“DON’T” you gritted, and the girl jumped back, making you look away in shame. You had scared her, and the realization made you disgusted with yourself. Larissa jumped too, only she stepped forward at your sudden outburst, desperate to find out if you were alright. “I’m sorry,” you breathed, leaning back and taking another long drag as the tears began to come again. “Sugar, I’m sorry- I- I’m tired and, and I hate that fucking call sign.” You managed, your voice tight with tears, and Larissa gaped at how far you had fallen.
“Ophelia, are you…” she breathed, but your eyes never left the girl in front of you, who only shook her head at Larissa’s unvoiced question.
“I- I know, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to flinch.” Sugar whispered, and you shook your head as you opened your eyes.
“I do not blame you for knowing that I am dangerous, dear girl.” You said gently, and you heard her sharp intake of breath, making you open your eyes only to see her fall to the floor in front of you, her arms reaching for your covered body as she shook with sobs.
“I miss you, we all miss you, please Ophelia,” she whimpered, and you tentatively pulled a glove from your pocket, putting it on one hand and using it to pet the girl’s head, attempting to soothe her. This was one of your ‘girls’ Larissa realized. This young woman was likely one that you had helped raise.
“I miss you too. All of you.” You said, your voice no louder than a breath. You took one achingly slow breath, and then your eyes seemed to gaze over even more, your entire body tensing, then going nearly slack as you looked about the room, your eyes still not focusing.
Larissa watched it, the whole thing was heartbreaking, this girl, whoever she was, sobbing at your feet as you offered what little comfort you could, your own soul as broken and barren as the harshest winter.
“Come home.” The girl breathed, and you shook your head.
“You know I can’t.” You whispered, but your voice was slow, distracted, as you stared at a particular point in the room. Sugar looked up, seeing your eyes fixed on something, on nothing. She looked back at your face to find the mesmerized shine she had seen only twice before.
“You lifted the veil…” the girl whispered, and you hummed, nodding your head.
“I- is, is someone here?” She stuttered, and you nodded again, silent. Larissa stepped forward, your eyes were fixed on something, yet nothing was there, your body was almost limp, you were barely breathing, you looked like this once before, this was the look on your face before you had died. Before you had died in her very arms.
She gasped, rushing to you and standing in front, taking your arms by her hands, and Sugar gasped, yet you didn’t even flinch.
“Oh my god.” The girl whispered, her accent a little heavier when she was taken off guard. You were letting someone touch you. Not just that, but grab you.
“Ophelia, Ophelia are you alright? Look at me, please, please look at me-“ Larissa whimpered, only to stop when the girl next to her took her arm, pulling her out of it as she shook her head.
“She’s alright, she just, when she smokes enough opium or, there are a few plants that do it actually, she can see spirits.” The girl explained nervously. “Jenkins knows more about it then I do, he was always her guard, but she’s just seeing both planes right now, is how I think she describes it?” She said quietly, and Larissa tried to breathe as she looked back at you, you were still staring.
You could see a woman, a beautiful woman, with long white hair braided down her back, she was wearing a gray dress, a formal one, and shimmering jewels and gloves. She was pale, and very tall, and you smiled as you realized it wasn’t one of your ancestors who visited you tonight. Nor was it a stranger, at least not to you. You didn’t know the glowing spirit, seemingly made of moonlight and shadows, but you had an idea of who she could be.
“What do you travel to me for?” You asked gently, blissfully unaware of the two very real women staring at you nervously. The spirit tilted her head, smiling, and you huffed out a laugh. “You smile like her, are you who she learned it from?” You asked softly, and the spirit chuckled this time.
“You don’t know me anymore, do you medic?” The spirit asked, and something in the way she spoke made tears come to your eyes.
“I know not your face nor voice, but your soul feels vaguely familiar.” You breathed, your own voice broken as tears came.
“Hush, child, you don’t have to cry,” she said, walking closer slowly. “Will you let them see me?” She asked. You hummed, nodding through teary eyes. You couldn’t look away, you were transfixed.
“Ophelia, who are you speaking to, I-“ Larissa began, only to gasp as your hand slowly rose, you pulled off the glove you had put on and slowly snaked a hand over each of the women’s wrists. Larissa looked down in shock. You were touching her again. She could feel your skin on hers again. Your hands were still soft, still warm, still-
“Oh my god.” Sugar breathed again, and Larissa’s head snapped up, only to see a face she had thought was long gone, a face that nearly made her drop to her knees in shock.
“Do you know who I am?” The spirit asked you, and Larissa sobbed when she heard that voice again. You shook your head.
“No, but I could guess,” you hummed, and the woman laughed, walking closer to you, her hand coming mere inches from your face before you turned away slightly, making the spirit freeze. You wouldn’t let her touch you, not unless you knew who she was.
“You truly don’t know me,” the spirit whispered, and you shook your head.
“Not in this form. Yet if I knew you well enough to let you touch me, well, we must have been close.” You said softly, and the woman seemed to nod sadly.
“We were.” She hummed, and you looked closer.
“You could tell me…” you offered, and the spirit only shook her head, her ice blue eyes boring into you.
“I am proud of you, Ophelia,” She breathed, and you froze, your eyes going wide.
You were silent for a moment, and Larissa merely gaped at you as she realized that you were indeed close with this woman. Silence stretched on for a moment, only to finally be interrupted by your teary voice. That had gotten to you, it seemed. A simple comment like that had touched your very soul.
“Tell me, please,” you nearly begged. The woman just shook her head, beginning to walk about the room. Her feet made no sound.
“I should be releived, you have finally come to her…” the spirit trailed, tilting her head. “It took you long enough…” she hummed, and you just huffed out as you shook your own head. “Why shapeshifters?” She asked you, and you just laughed breathlessly, yet the sound was sad, pained as it left you. Larissa once again looked at you in shock. She had wanted to know the answer herself, been dying to know. She knew you worked with all types of outcasts, yet you seemed to have an affinity for her classification.
“What a question to be asked by one.” You countered, and the spirit smiled, walking over to you again.
“So you can tell.” She hummed, and you just pitched up your brows. “Still, the question,” she hummed, and you stared for a moment, feeling like your very heart was on display. This was a story you seldom shared, this one hurt too much.
“There are a few reasons, most of them names.” You answered lowly. The spirit just raised her brows.
“I know of very few who would do what you have done out of something as fickle as compassion.” She said, and you sighed, relenting.
“I was gotten out by a team made up of Jenkins, a medic, and a woman named Georgiana.” You breathed, and the spirit seemed to look at you more intensely. “Jenkins has been my protector for a very long time, but Georgiana, she was everything to me.” You breathed, and Larissa and Sugar both gaped as you spoke. “She was a shifter, an incredible one, but more than that she was like my family.” You breathed. “I was a sick and broken child. I could barely walk, my mind had been destroyed, yet she took me in. I stayed at what would later become the hospital, but at that point it was a small operation financed almost entirely by her.” You sighed, shaking your head fondly at the memory. “I never knew her natural face, nor her real name, but I knew her.” You breathed. “And she taught me everything.” You added with a sad but almost proud smile. “She trained me to be able to use my ability, not just as a weapon, but to create beautiful, beautiful and remarkable things.” You smiled. “She put me through university, I wouldn’t have had anything without her. I have my degrees, my doctorates, because of her.” You said sadly. “The reason shifter medicine progressed so much was because of what her and I accomplished together, we- we did incredible things.” There were tears in your eyes as you spoke, yet the smile was still on your face. “She saved my life the first time, and then more times then I can count on operations, she- she was my mentor, my friend, the world to me. The reason I know so much about shapeshifters is her, the reason I am so adamant about them in particular is because of what she and I went through finding and rescuing as many as we could.” You breathed, the smile fading from your face as you finally looked back up at the spirit. “Does that answer your question?” You asked her, only to find her looking rather emotional as well.
“And now?” She asked you, and you sighed heavily.
“She was killed. We had bad information, something went wrong, and I didn’t get there in time.” You swallowed, pain and guilt flooding your face once more as everyone in the room stared at you in utter shock. “The reason that place was started was her. Much of it continues in her memory.” You breathed. “I do it because of the children. I started to because of her.” You explained, and the spirit just nodded.
“She taught you well.” She murmured. “You could mark me.” She added with a smile, and you huffed, shaking your head.
“Your height, to begin with, your coloring, not to mention that you’ve insinuated I knew you by another face.” You answered, and she nodded, encouraging you. “In general you have very striking features, which can often be a give away. Granted, it’s a stereotype and it doesn’t necessarily mean you like your features, lord knows I’ve dealt with enough teenage shifters to know that, but when you’ve seen enough you start to pick up on it.” You breathed, and the spirit smiled, Larissa unable to fully process your words as she stood and stared at you both in shock,
“You’re quite good.” The spirit smiled, and the brief moment of joy fell from your face. It all came crashing back to you then, and you shook your head.
“Not good enough.” Was your only response, and the spirit stepped closer, demanding you attention.
“How many?” She asked you, and you grimaced and shook your head, lowering your face in shame. “How many?” She repeated, stronger, and when you looked up there were tears streaming down your face.
“Today? Sixteen.” You shook, your throat closing up as the tears came again. “This month, thirty maybe, last year was three hundred and twenty eight, that’s nearly one a day, and it- it never stops, there are just more and more and I don’t know what to-“
“Hush, child.” Came the calm, but firm voice in front of you, and your head snapped up in shock, both you and Larissa gaping at her. “Not how many you have lost, how many have you saved?” She asked you, and you swallowed, pulling back and shaking your head.
“Not enough.” You answered, and she raised a brow.
“Not my question, now answer it.” She said, and you took a deep breath in, thinking. You knew the number, yet it felt far too small.
“Throughout my entire career? Six thousand, four hundred and twelve.” You answered, and for the first time, Larissa’s eyes snapped to you in utter shock. That was a lot. That was over six thousand lives you had saved, six thousand shield ten who had a chance, because of you. Her heart nearly stopped. “Why? I’ve lost countless more, I don’t see the point in you coming to ask me that?” You breathed, and the spirit said nothing, a small smile cracking on her face, one that made you narrow your brows in curiosity.
“And how many of them shifters?” She asked you, and you sighed deeply, thinking for a moment.
“Two thousand, three hundred, and twenty six.” You responded, and this time the woman smiled proudly as Larissa’s grip on you turned into a vice.
“To prove a point.” The spirit said, and you shook your head in confusion. She just smirked, nodding to Larissa, and for the first time this evening your eyes truly met hers. Your head was still spinning, the opium flooding your mind and slowing your every reaction and function, yet when you saw her hydrangea blue eyes filled with tears you wanted to forgive her. You wanted to give into her. You wanted to wrap her up and hold her until the tears stopped, until they never came again. She had sunk the the ground next to you, kneeling next to the chair so your faces were nearly touching. You wanted to kiss her. Even now, with your world painted in hues of grey, you wanted her blue. “Do you know the relation?” The spirit asked, and you narrowed your eyes a little more as you looked at her, taking a deep breath to try to calm yourself after being so close to Larissa. They had the same eyes, similar hair, but they weren’t close enough to be mother and daughter.
“An aunt, perhaps? Perhaps farther…” you trailed, and she nodded happily, Larissa’s smile splitting her face. It made you so happy to make the woman smile, even if you didn’t know who she was to you.
“I am her aunt, yes. She can see me, you said, can she hear?” She asked, and you nodded. The spirit seemed to look around, almost sensing what was around her, not truly seeing. She focused on various things until she finally found her.
Larissa’s heart stopped as her aunt stared at her for the first time since she was eleven. She cried. She truly cried. Tears sprang forth, she wanted to reach for the woman, to be wrapped up in her arms again. Her aunt Victoria was looking at her again, and she felt like a child. She felt like the scared child who would run up to her whenever she visited, or would whisk her away from her cruel parents whenever she could.
“I am sorry, my precious girl,” the spirit breathed. “I tried so hard to find you, by the time I did, I- I’m sorry I left you.” She whispered, and Larissa sobbed, just shaking your head.
“I love you,” was all she said in response, and tears began to spring from the spirit’s eyes as well, she wiped them away before looking at you once more.
