Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Larissa Weems stared down at the young Addams. She was far too much like her parents, obnoxious, inconsiderate, and entirely too much trouble. The woman had roomed with her mother after all, she would know. While Larissa’s relationship with her mother had been, complicated, it left her sure of one thing, the Frump women, and Addams by extension, did not care for anything other than themselves. 

“Well it seems, Miss Addams, that your parents will not be attending this meeting.” The woman sighed, thoroughly exhausted. The Addams were supposed to be here, dealing with the latest mischief their daughter had gotten into, instead they were- 

“No doubt they’re all over each other in some public venue.” The little goth quipped. Larissa bit back a smile, the girl was occasionally charming, even if she refused to admit it. She was about to dismiss her when the door opened, revealing a woman striding into the room with the secretary hot on her heels. 

“Excuse me, this is a private meeting-“ the headmistress stood, staring at the intruder. She wore dark sunglasses, covering most of her face, had extremely wild and curly red hair, with what seemed to be small blue flowers in it. She wore a floorlength dark blue chiffon and silk skirt, black opera length leather gloves, and a black turtleneck, covering almost every inch of her skin. 

“Wednesday, do forgive your parents, they are, as they are, but when your mother informed me you would be having an academic meeting while they were doing whatever the hell it is they do in Romania, I supposed you might as well have someone on your side.” You sighed. Wednesday turned, looking up at you. Much to Larissa’s surprise, she almost seemed to, not frown. 

“I’m sorry but exactly who are-“ she began, as the braided girl stepped over to you. 

“Auntie Ophelia.” She almost smiled. You pushed your sunglasses up, winking at the girl as you walked towards the principal’s desk. 

“Do forgive me for not introducing myself, I am Wednesday’s aunt, Ophelia, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Weems, is it?” You sighed, standing in front of the desk with a smile. Larissa’s eyes widened slightly. You looked a bit like Morticia, if she had life behind her eyes. Yours were a piercing gray as opposed to her deep, almost black. Your hair was thick, like hers, but wild, the red curls falling all about your head and shoulders. Your lips were slightly fuller, your face less severe, your bodies were similar, she supposed, not that she had a good look at yours underneath all that you wore. She recovered quickly, smiling and extending her hand. 

“Larissa Weems, a pleasure to meet you. I wasn’t aware Morticia had a sister.” She breathed with a smile, and you nodded, smiling back sardonically. 

“Forgive me, I don’t shake hands, and yes, Morticia does have a sister. I’m sure she didn’t deem it necessary to mention during all your years together, she was always rather, touchy, about certain family matters.” You smiled, and Larissa knitted her brows, how odd, even for Morticia. “She did speak about you though, it’s a pleasure to meet her famous roommate.” You chuckled, and Wednesday scoffed beside you. 

“Mother doesn’t like that Auntie Ophelia is infinately more complex and creative than her stale housewife imitation will ever be.” The girl deadpanned. You raised a brow at her. 

“Be kind to your mother, she loves you.” You said, only for the girl to sit in the seat next to you. 

“If she had any sort of care for me, she would be here, not you.” She replied. Larissa watched as you sat next to the girl, taking her hand through the gloves you wore. 

“Yes well, she is, as she is, and I will do my very best, my dear. She does love you, she simply, may not understand all of you.” You tried. The girl ignored you, blinking at her headmistress. 

“Well then, I am sure you’re aware ideally Wednesday’s parents would be here, but given the rather, atypical, approach they have-“ the woman began politely, only for Wednesday to once again cut her off. 

“They don’t show up. We get it.” She said. You sighed. 

“Wednesday, beleive me when I say I have read enough letters about this woman to know you might as well respect her.” You sighed, pinching your temples with your free hand. You swallowed, looking to the woman as Wednesday looked at you curiously. “What is she struggling in, Miss Weems?” You asked politely as the woman stared at you, her brows slightly furrowed at the comment. How was it Morticia had never mentioned you, your mere presence seemed to overpower the room, and you seemed to know at least something about her. 

She swallowed, Morticia and her had done more than their share of things together, and for some reason the idea of you knowing about her less than charming moments was mildly mortifying. She took a breath, taking control of herself. She watched as Wednesday glared at you before toying with your glove, slowly easing the leather off. You seemed to slightly bristle at the action, but allowed it. 

“Well given the situation and what Wednesday has been through recently, it’s hardly a surprise, however given her previous success in the class I’m shocked that she seems to have lost interest…” the woman trailed for a moment, her eyes catching your hand being revealed. You had the same pale skin as Morticia, yet the tips of your fingers were blackened, almost. It looked as if they had been dipped into ink again and again, leaving the tips and nails dark as night, slowly fading into the pale skin around your knuckles. If you noticed her staring, you didn’t comment, and the woman quickly recovered herself. She was staring like a child, the thought mortifying her as she realized. “Granted our teacher was unfortunately, involved,-“ she began. 

“I killed her.” Wednesday said. You sighed, slowly closing your eyes. 

“Murder, child, is a terrible answer.” You breathed. 

“She was controlling a Hyde and using it to kill people, before she tried to wipe the school from the face of the earth by summoning-“ you shook your head. 

“Crackstone, yes, I know, I read your letter.” You cut her off. She disinterestedly went back to playing with your fingers, the behavior confusing the headmistress, she had never seen her so, at peace, before. It was almost frightening. 

“Yes, well, we have been working on finding a new full time botany professor, however Wednesday here seems to not even attend classes-“ she was cut off as a sprig of dark purple flowers seemed to suddenly sprout from your open hand. 

“Wednesday Addams you are failing botany!” You nearly yelled, shocking the woman. The girl jumped, pushing the flowers out of her face. You sighed, producing a dagger from what must have been a hidden pocket in your dress and cutting them from your hand. Larissa gaped as the action revealed a few droplets of blood from where they had been cut. You took a handkerchief, dabbing your hand before quickly putting your glove back on, glaring at your neice. 

“Petunias, you must be angry.” She murmured. You raised your brows. 

“Botany! Botany! Now I know I’ve taught you well enough you might as well teach a botany class, so you had better have an explanation.” You glared. Larissa was staring at you in mild shock, she had never seen something like that before, in all her years teaching, and she certainly hadn’t as a student. It was incredible. Her breath caught as Wednesday gathered the beautiful flowers, holding them close as you stood, tapping your foot impatiently. 

“Precisely, which is why you should be teaching it.” The girl replied. Your brows shot up, staring at her. 

“Excuse me?” You asked. Wednesday looked at you, going to the fire and dumping the flowers in, Larissa reached out, her breath catching as the beautiful things were caught up in flame, gone in an instant. They were the most gorgeous petunias she had ever seen, it was almost tragic. You caught her moving, and looked to see her outstretched hand and parted lips. Her eyes looked saddened as she watched them burn. You stared at her for a moment, watching her. She sighed, closing her lips and glaring at the girl for a moment before she realized you were watching her. 

“Oh, forgive me, I simply thought they were rather lovely.” She said quickly. You tilted your head, looking at the woman. That was not the normal reaction. Your family disapproved of your penchant for eccentric and pretty things, Morticia going so far as to call them ‘a waste of an outcast ability.’ You stared for a moment. She was certainly striking, but she held a certain ethereal sort of beauty about her that mesmerized you for a moment, almost enchanting you.

“Do you have a vase?” You asked softly. Her eyes snapped to yours. 

“Oh you certainly don’t have to-“ she began, but you smiled gently. 

“It would be my pleasure.” You said. She blushed. You were odd, it seemed, but she found herself immediately standing and retrieving a glass vase from a cabinet, setting it on her desk as you spoke to Wednesday. “My dear, if you miss me all you have to do is write, or call, I know you have a phone now, or crystal ball if you so detest using modern electronics.” You smiled. She shook her head. 

“Nevermore needs a new botany teacher, you could do it.” She said, you sighed, shaking your head. 

“Darling, there is a reason your mother went here and I did not.” You said, and this time Larissa looked at you with much more interest. 

“You have a masters, don’t you?” Wednesday added. You chuckled. 

“Dear, I have my doctorate. However you know as well as I do that not all outcasts appreciate certain eccentricities. Not to mention the fact that I haven’t taught in over a year.” You said. You walked calmly to the girl, resting your hand on her shoulder, looking at the fire with her. 

“You could.” She said again. You shook your head. 

“I could, that does not mean I will or I should.” You said softly. 

“Mother is wrong you know.” She said, and you furrowed your brows, looking at her. “You’re not the disappointment, and the only reason grandma sent you to France was because mother begged her to-“ you cut the girl off.

“Wednesday, enough.” You said firmly, and she clenched her jaw. “You cannot fail a class to prove a point to your mother, believe me, it won’t work.” You sighed, and the girl looked at you. 

“Leave your resume with Headmistress Weems and I will be top of the class again.” She argued. You sighed tiredly. You knew once the girl got an idea in her head it was better to just go with it, yet you were already tired from traveling all day.

“I don’t even have a copy with me.” You replied. She produced one from her bag, handing it to you. 

“I do.” She said, and you rolled your eyes. 

“Of course you do.” You sighed, taking it. She smirked, walking over to the principal’s desk and producing a stack of papers from her bag. “Oh sweet mother of god.” You sighed, watching her. She continued until a few good stacks had been arranged on the desk as the headmistress raised her brow. 

“My aunt had a doctorate in botany from the University of Edinburg and has taught and published in Zurich, Cambridge, Amsterdam, Strasburg, and Aix-Marsaille.” She said calmly. “These are her most awarded dissertations.” She said before walking to you, kissing your cheek and leaving, shutting the door behind her. You sighed, walking to the Headmistress and looking over what she had laid out. 

“Forgive my neice, I’m sure you’re aware of how she can be when she gets an idea.” You sighed, and the woman furrowed her brows, taking the resume from you and reading it. 

“My goodness, you certainly are quite accomplished, for someone so young too.” She breathed, and you laughed. 

“Well I appreciate the compliment, Miss Weems, but I could certainly say the same for you.” You leaned in slightly, a conspiratorial smile on your face. “And we happen to be the same age, madam, Morticia is my twin.” You said, leaving the woman in shock, Morticia not only had a sister, but a twin! That she never mentioned! Even after living together for years! You sighed, leaning back and staring at the woman for a moment, she looked up from your resume, not sure what to say as she felt the power of your eyes practically digging into her. 

You seemed to take in every detail, almost memorizing her. Your eyes tracer her hair, her nose, her lips, not a detail left unencountered, it made the woman shiver. You slipped off your glove again, raising your hand slightly and allowing three flowers to slowly grow from your palm. The woman watched in amazement as three white flowers slowly bloomed, revealing deep red centers. She blushed as she realized you had matched her pale countenance and red lips. 

“A beauty for a beauty.” You smiled, this time plucking the three from your hand. They seemed to detach somewhat easily, but left three small wounds in their place, bleeding mildly. 

“Goodness, you shouldn’t have!” She started, quickly gathering a tissue and leaning over the desk to press it to your hand. You snapped back, instantly moving out of her reach, and she pulled away, her eyes widening. 

“Forgive me miss Frump, I wasn’t thinking.” She rushed, and you just shook your head. 

“It’s perfectly alright, and as for the blood, I’m quite used to it, it barely feels like a pinprick.” you said softly, taking your handkerchief and once again dabbing the blood away before pulling your glove back on. You placed the three flowers in the vase, not saying a word as you arranged them slightly. 

“Still, I am horrified I caused the guardian of a student any pain at all, let alone one so talented.” She breathed. You stopped, looking at her. She had called you talented. Of course you knew that you were, you had proven it time and time again, yet the compliment left a flush on your cheeks. You smiled, looking at your hand. 

“My sister never mentioned her roommate was so charming.” You tried to cover, and the woman’s eyes widened a fraction. 

“Well Miss Frump-“ she began, but you cut her off. 

“Florere.” You corrected.

“Pardon?” She asked, furrowing her brows. 

“My surname, it’s Florere.” You said calmly. The headmistress nodded. 

“Yes, forgive me, I didn’t know you were married.” She smiled. This one was different. It was fake. Clearly fake. She didn’t even want to fake one, it seemed. You shook your head. 

“I’m not.” You replied calmly. She cringed slightly at her mistake. 

“Goodness, I seem to keep putting my foot in my mouth, please forgive me Miss Florere.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. You shook your head. 

“You’re quite alright. My family disowned me when I was sixteen, we’re all on good terms now, however I have kept the name I chose for myself, even if it is rather on the nose.” You chuckled. She blinked at you, a touch of sadness in her eyes before she quickly wiped it away. “That would be why Morticia likely never spoke of me, our father would have never approved, however I never heard anything but lovely things about you in her letters.” You chuckled. The woman furrowed her brows. 

“Really? I can’t imagine why they would have.” She breathed, before freezing. What was it about you that had her head spinning! She couldn’t get ahold of herself! She went red as she stared at you in mortification once more, and you smiled. 

“It’s quite all right, you’re a friend of Morticia’s, I hardly mind. Not to mention the knowledge is hardly private.” You breathed. “However I have known the children since they were born. I tutored Wednesday when she was young, in botany more than anything.” You chuckled. “I will be in the states for the time being, if she has any other issues. I’ll give you my number if her mother can’t be reached, Morticia is- Morticia.” You sighed, and the woman chuckled, handing you a pen. 

“If you’re staying, perhaps Wednesday’s idea isn’t completely without merit.” She smiled good naturedly, defending the girl. You bit your lip, staring at the resume you were about to write on for a moment. You sighed, shaking your head. The woman watched you as you seemed to struggle. 

“Miss Florere, is everything alright?” She asked. You chewed on your lip for a moment, thinking. 

“If you truly do need a substitute, for the time being, you can call, that is if you’re interested, of course. I would hate to see children miss out on such a fascinating wonder of the world simply because there isn’t anyone around at the moment.” You sighed. She watched as you scribbled down your number. 

“Well the offer is certainly appreciated, however I’m sure you’re aware you’re massively overqualified.” She breathed, her eyes widening. You had to be, even a glance at your resume told her you put any other candidate she might come across to shame. You chuckled. 

“I enjoy teaching, but of course it is just an offer.” You smiled softly. Larissa stared at you for a moment, looking at you closely. You were beautiful, that much was clear, and incredibly brilliant it seemed. “I’m afraid I do need to get settled in a hotel in town, though, I’ve been traveling all day and even I get tired from time to time.” You smiled. “I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Weems, whatever you next have me here for.” You smiled, tipping your head slightly in lieu of a handshake. She swallowed. 

“Yes, Miss Florere, as do I.” She breathed, and you were gone. 

She sat in her study that night, a glass of wine in her hand as she poured over paperwork as always. She had been considering your offer, it was a generous one, no doubt. Yet she didn’t know you, and with how things had been left with Morticia… She faltered. Yet you weren’t like your sister, almost at all, it seemed. You were your own creature entirely. She looked to the flowers you had given her, she had filled the vase with water as soon as you had left, carefully touching the flowers as if they were made of glass. They were gorgeous, even more stunning then the peonies had been. She swallowed as she looked at them, thinking for a moment. She had a few more candidates for substitutes to look at, the current one would be leaving by the end of the week. However, perhaps she would give you a call. 

…

By the next evening, she had found herself driving out to the liquor store, having drained the last of her reserves ruminating on your offer. She groaned slightly as she extricated herself from the car, walking into the store and selecting a few reds and a bourbon before paying the man at the counter and heading back to her car. It was late, just before midnight, she had been working until she realized she had nothing to end her day with. Her feet were becoming sore from her heels, and she tiredly made her way back to her car. 

What she found, however, was six men surrounding the vehicle, two with bats, one with a crowbar, and others with various tools of destruction. She swallowed as she looked at the normie men eyeing the Nevermore crest on the car, stiffening as they noticed her. One of them turned towards her, swinging his bat with a smirk. 

“Hey, it’s the tall bitch.” He said, a smirk on his face sending a chill through her. They were just men, she reminded herself. They weren’t even in shape, and certainly not in any shape to fight if the scattered beer cans were any indication, yet the sheer number of them had her heart racing. Tensions had been high with the town after the Hyde incident, but violence, it hadn’t escalated that far yet. She swallowed. 

“Good evening gentleman.” She said, her voice tight as she got out her keys from her pocket. She looked back at the liquor store, the shopkeeper was closing up, and he was far from paying attention to them. “I’ll just be heading back to the school then.” She swallowed, taking a few brisk steps before one of them stepped up to her. He was certainly shorter, but he pressed himself against her anyway, the alcohol on his breath reeling from him. 

She struggled, ignoring his laugh as the rest of them moved in, all with intentions that certainly were far from friendly. One of them reached out for her, and she slammed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst. 

“Gentleman!” She heard a voice boom suddenly, and gasped as she watched the men shift their attention from her to- a familiar red headed figure. “This hardly seems like the proper way to treat a fine lady.” You said calmly, walking easily towards her. 

“Well missy, that certainly ain’t no lady if ya know what I mean.” One of them laughed. You smiled almost threateningly, glancing to her for a moment as her eyes went wide in fear. What we’re you doing, why were you even here? 

“Why, because she’s not like you?” You asked calmly, taking a step closer. She watched as you slowly removed the leather gloves your still wore, tucking them into the waistband of your trousers. 

“She’s a fuckin freak, is what she is.” One of them hollared. She flinched, and you stepped closer, and closer, until you were just a few steps away from all of them. 

“Odd, I would have thought the freaks would be the alcoholic degenerates drunk off their asses on a Wednesday night harassing a woman walking alone, but I suppose that’s just my opinion.” You shrugged. Larissa’s eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. Were you trying to get yourself killed? 

“The fuck did you say, bitch?” One of them grunted, moving towards you. You smiled cooly. 

“Let the lady go.” You said calmly, and for some reason the woman was certain you meant it. Yet what could you do? You could make pretty flowers, but what the hell were you thinking? What could you possibly do? One of them spat at you, and you flinched, taking your handkerchief and wiping it off your blouse. “Lovely. Now fuck off.” You chipped. 

“Miss Florere,” Larissa protested, and you shook your head, still staring at the closest man. He growled, raising his fist as Larissa screamed. You looked at her as he started towards you, her eyes wide in horror. You just smiled. 

“Hold your breath, Miss Weems.” You said, and she looked at you confused before you raised your hands, lifting them palm up in front of your face. Her eyes went wide as you blew them off, small pollen-like particles scattering from them. She gasped in shock, inhaling a few on accident before she clamped her mouth shut. They smelled sweet, and beautiful. The scent evoked pure bliss for a moment before she started to feel lightheaded. She clutched her head as the word began to spin, and suddenly, everything was black. 

Chapter Text

Larissa groaned as she woke up, her head was pounding. She reached for her temples as it all came suddenly rushing back to her. The liquor store, the men, you. She gasped, opening her eyes in a panic only to find herself laying on a couch in her office, perfectly safe. You were sitting on a chair adjacent to her head, intensely watching the fireplace. She looked at you, you were waiting, anxious. Your face was open, honest. Your fingers flitted over your lips in an anxious gesture, one that caught her eye. Her own breath hitched as you bit your lip, as the worry on your face revealed something, care. You cared. heaven knows why, but you did. And you showed it, unlike your sister ever would have. You turned to her at the sound, smiling in releif. 

“Thank goodness you’re awake, are you alright, Miss Weems?” You asked her tenderly. You stood, walking to her and examining her closely. Her breath hitched as you invaded her space, searching her eyes for something it seemed. She startled as your hand gently found it’s way to her jaw, your thumb resting on her lips as you pulled them open, looking in her mouth. She found her heart pounding at the intimacy of the situation, your hands bringing back memories of your sister she thought she had buried. Yet where Morticia’s touch had been insistent and demanding, your leather-clad hands were soft, caring. You shared a sense of warmth, even through your gloves. 

“Would you stick your tongue out for me?” You asked, and she swallowed, opening her mouth more and doing as you asked, a flush covering her face, neck, and chest as she did so. The tension seemed to fade from your brow as you observed her, relieved at whatever you had discovered. You sighed, pulling away and going to her desk, where a tray of tea had been set. She watched as you removed your glove again, sprouting small, yellow flowers this time before plucking them and placing them into a teacup, filling it with hot water before adding honey. You replaced your glove before you brought it to her, handing her the cup gently with a slight shake of your head. 

“That should help with the headache. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to dose you.” You breathed, and she sat up slowly, her head starting to spin. You were by her side in a moment, a steady hand helping ease her up to sitting slowly. “Careful, even with just a dusting Oleander is one hell of a knockout.” You said softly, and her eyes widened. “I didn’t kill them, if that’s what your thinking. The variation I use for that trick is only enough to knock someone out, but it still isn’t pleasant.” You said calmly, sitting adjacent to her again. She sipped the tea, sighing as the sweet taste seemed to relieve her almost instantly, a small smile worked its way onto your face at helping the woman, one she caught when she looked at you. She stared for a moment, almost in shock as she tried to put the pieces together. You sighed. “Ask.” You gestured, and the woman swallowed, looking away. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.” She said, and you shook your head. 

“Ask all you want, Miss Weems, please.” You said softly, and her breath caught when she looked to you again, evaluating for a moment. 

“How did we get here?” She asked, and you nodded. 

“I carried you back to the car, drove it to the school, and brought you here.” You said easily. Her jaw slackened a little, you had carried her? You said nothing, simply waiting for the next question. 

“What happened to the men?” She asked. You shrugged. 

“They should be waking up in a few hours, they will be fine, but I doubt they’ll try that again.” You smiled a little to yourself. She swallowed, but nodded again. 

“I- how?” She breathed. You sighed, nodding. 

“There you go.” You whispered, and Larissa’s heart picked up a bit. You had been waiting for her to ask. “My abilities are a few, however I can grow any plant, or any part of a plant, pollen in this case, from my hands. Studying botany and genetics has enabled me to modify them and use them as I wish, in this case, to temporarily knock out the men who assaulted you.” You grimaced. She blinked at you for a moment. “Not nearly as interesting as my sister’s visions, I’m afraid, however-“ 

“That’s incredible.” She breathed. Your eyes widened a touch. “You can just- anything?” She asked you, and you chuckled, nodding. 

“Anything.” You smiled. “I used to leave my favorite professors apples sometimes.” You chuckled, and her eyes lit up in amazement. 

“If they tasted as good as your flowers look, I’m sure you were their favorite too.” She breathed. You blushed for a moment, looking away. She saw the little flowers in your hair seem to bloom, in shades of white this time, forming an almost ethereal dusting atop the crown of your head. “Beautiful.” She whispered, and you looked at her in confusion until you realized what she was staring at. 

“Ah yes, those too. Although those tend to be very small flowers.” You said, and she looked at them in amazement. You smiled, reaching up and plucking one from your scalp, handing her the tiny flower, no bigger than a fingernail, and she smiled, looking at it in wonder. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this.” She breathed, and you smiled. 

“You’re kind, thank you.” You said softly. She looked at the small flower in amazement, it really was beautiful, even if it was tiny. Intricate, you were intricate. So different from your sister, she thought to herself. Morticia had made her feel, less than, used, but you, you gave her your full attention and care after just meeting her, the difference was striking.

She remembered something. Gomez giving Morticia flowers, red roses, on their first official date. Larissa had thought it was romantic, even if she hated the boy for having what she could never have. Morticia had looked at them in distain and cut the blooms off with no hesitation, she had always seemed to hate flowers, the comparison striking the headmistress suddenly. 

“Tish hated flowers.” She murmured to herself, before looking up at you wide-eyed. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud. You grimaced, but nodded before looking at her with compassion. You were so expressive. 

“You’re still a bit prone to influence and- its like being high.” You cut yourself off, shaking your head. 

“I’m sorry- I didn’t mean-“ the woman rushed, but you simply shook your head again. 

“It’s alright, she doesn’t like them.” You said calmly. “And yes, I am largely the reason.” You admitted. The blonde furrowed her brows. 

“I don’t understand.” She said, and you laughed a little. 

“It’s alright. I don’t always understand either. Tish is, headstrong, she can be very set in her ways about certain things.” You sighed, shaking your head. You uncrossed and recrossed your legs, thinking. “She doesn’t like the senseless beauty, she thinks them a waste. And an annoying reminder I exist.” You joked. “She likes thorns though, the pain. Even when we were children she enjoyed watching me grow things to rip them from my hands. She liked the blood, I believe. Even if she didn’t like the product.” You explained as gently as you could. The woman nearly gaped at you. 

“But they’re gorgeous, even Tish has to be able to see that!” She protested. Your eyes flashed to her, a small smile forming on your face as she blushed at her outburst. 

“Thank you, but I’m sure you’re as well aware as I am that Morticia’s sense of beauty is not exactly the same as others.” You sighed. You watched her closely, looking for any sign of discomfort or a reaction. You knew the woman was a shapeshifter, you wouldn’t use certain plants around any outcasts, but you still internally held your breath as you waited until she was feeling better. She flushed slightly under your attention, the intensity of your eyes, and you stood, moving forward and sitting next to her to look for any other indications. 

You kneeled on the couch next to her, putting your head slightly above hers as you looked at her intensely. Her breath caught as you moved closer, so close she could practically feel the warmth radiating from you. You leaned in and her eyes widened, she had no idea what you were about to do. She could smell you, you smelled like flowers and petrichor, earthy yet wild, with something distinctly beautiful, yet dangerous to you. You leaned in, and she could see the flecks of silver in your grey eyes, shining as you looked at her. 

“Any discomfort?” You asked quietly, your hands slipping around her jaw to shift her to look up at you. She flushed deeper as your other hand cradled her neck, supporting her as you looked into her eyes a moment more. 

“N-no.” She stuttered. She wasn’t used to this, holding attention like this. You were so incredibly close, it made her dizzy. You were so focused on her, everything about you seemed to be trained on her at the moment, looking for something, anything in her. You leaned in even closer, tilting your head to the side, her heart nearly stopped. You dropped your head, turning towards the joint of her neck. You breathed in deeply, and the woman braced her arms on the back of the couch, panting as your lips nearly grazed her neck. “M-Miss Fl-“ She stuttered, only for you to cut her off.

“You’re flushed.” You said, concern lacing your voice. The woman wanted to scream, of course she was, you were practically on her lap. She hated the way you reminded her of Morticia, but she reveled in the difference. You were warm, caring, Morticia was always detatched. 

“You’re very close.” She breathed, her heart racing, and you seemed to snap out of it. Your eyes went wide as you froze, your entire body tensing. 

“I- please forgive me.” You said, instantly pulling away. She almost mourned the loss, something about it felt so good, she didn’t understand. “I was just concerned you may be experiencing any side effects,” you rushed, standing and moving about the room. Larissa’s breath heaved as she watched you, your flittering from thing to thing almost charming. Her head swam, just a second of your closeness had her nearly panting.

“One of them is- if you smell like Oleander, then we would have an issue.” You said quietly, almost fidgeting with your hands. She could tell you were uncomfortable, yet the gloves remained on. The woman looked at you for a moment, before she blanched. 

“You were smelling me!” She protested. She had been working all day, not to mention the incident at the store. You chuckled, shaking your head. 

“Nothing to worry about, you don’t smell like it. If you must know, I can smell the soap you use, roses fit you well.” You smirked, before realizing your comment and sighing deeply. “Merde. (Shit.)” You breathed, and the woman stared at you in shock. You were about to apologize when the door burst open, revealing a familiar braided girl. 

Larissa looked mortified at her state, and you quickly stepped between them, walking to the door and placing a hand on it, preventing Wednesday from seeing the woman draped on the couch in exhaustion. 

“Auntie Ophelia! You’re here.” She said. You nodded. 

“Yes darling, however I’m meeting with the Headmistress at the moment, can this wait for another time?” You asked her. She shook her head. 

“My friend, Enid. One of the normie kids got her. She’s a werewolf, he gave her wolfsbane.” She rushed, the concern the young girl held, not to mention admitting she had a friend, struck you. You swallowed and nodded. 

“Where is she?” You asked, only to see a boy behind her coming up, carrying a young blonde in his arms. “Alright.” You said easily, taking the girl from him. 

“I’m staying with her.” Wednesday told you, and you raised a brow. “I am.” She set her jaw, and you nodded.

“Thank you for bringing her.” You said to the young man, before ushering Wednesday inside and closing the door with your foot. You rushed to a chair, pulling the girl on your lap and ripping off your gloves. She was out of it, her breathing labored. You checked her pulse, thready, but certainly still there. The headmistress attempted to spring up, only to be overcome by a wave of dizziness. You looked at her, pinning her in place. 

“Don’t move. I will take care of this, you SIT.” You commanded, and her eyes went wide at the sudden shift in you. You lifted the girl again, moving over to the fire and sitting with her next to it. She groaned as you did so, and you began to dust her face with pollen, falling from one of your hands. “I know sweetheart, I know it hurts, I’m sorry, it’s going to be alright.” You breathed. “Any idea what color?” You asked Wednesday. 

“The normal, purple, I think.” She said. You nodded. 

“Mortar and pestle, hot water, and a towel.” You said, and Wednesday set to work without hesitation. Larissa watched in shock as you began growing flowers with one hand as you continued raining pollen down with your other. Wednesday went to you, hesitating as she saw both your hands were occupied. 

“Pull it, it’s alright.” You said calmly, and Larissa watched as Wednesday pulled the flowers from your hand, blood droplets splattering in front of the fire. “Alright, hang on dear.” You breathed, using one hand to separate the seeds from the flowers and quickly place them in the mortar and pestle before Wednesday began to grind them into powder. You simply rocked the girl back and forth, humming lightly. Larissa watched in amazement as calm set about your face, you were careful, precise, you had done this before. “A bit of water as a carrier, Wednesday.” You said, and the girl did as you instructed, quickly pouring some water from the tea set you had brought into the mortar bowl, before handing it to you. 

You stopped your dusting, and the girl took a ragged, difficult breath. She whined out and you grimaced. “I know, I’m sorry, I need you to drink this for me, alright? It will feel better soon.” You promised, and the girl looked to you in desperation as you slowly poured the bowl into her mouth. She took it, drinking as best she could with her throat nearly closing up. “Good girl, very good.” You hushed, and you watched as her breathing became slightly easier before she slowly slipped back into sleep. Wednesday looked to you, waiting for your appraisal. You sighed, taking the back of your hand and feeling the girl for a temperature, it was cooling. You sighed in relief. 

“She’ll be alright, but she needs rest, and to take it easy for a few days, a week maybe.” You sighed, cradling the girl close. “And to be kept warm, near a fire is best.” You added, and Wednesday nodded. 

“Thank you.” She breathed, and you looked up at the girl standing next to you. 

“Always darling, you don’t need to thank me for something like this. I’ll keep her with me tonight, go get some rest.” You said. 

“I want to stay-“ she protested, but you shook your head. 

“Rest. You need it too, unfortunately.” You commanded, and the girl glared, but looked at you and her friend. She was safe. Her aunt had her, Enid would be fine. 

“Fine.” The girl grunted, and you nodded as she began to leave. 

“Wednesday, would you move a chair to the fire first, please?” You asked her, and the girl did as you asked, before quickly leaving, not even sparing the headmistress more than a glance as she focused on her friend. You sighed, easing the girl to the floor as you stood, putting the towel under her head before pulling on your gloves and making your way to the woman. She looked up at you in amazement, and at the girl in fear. 

“It’s alright, she’ll be alright, and you can watch everything I do from there.” You sighed, nodding to the chair. Larissa’s face softened slightly as she realized that’s why you had asked Wednesday to move the chair, so that the headmistress could watch over her student with you. You offered her a hand, bracing the woman easily. “Careful.” You warned, and she nodded, slowly easing herself up with your support. The room spun, but you held her, easily walking her step by step to the chair, until she had sat comfortably. You brought her tea again before settling on the floor, once again pulling Enid into your lap. 

“I can get you a chair,” Larissa protested, and you fixed her with a raised brow. 

“No, you can’t, and I am perfectly comfortable on the ground.” You smiled amusedly. She huffed, displeased at the development. She watched you with Enid for a moment, your gloved hands slipping over the girl’s face and hair, holding her gently. 

“You’re good with children.” She noted, and you nodded. 

“Yes.” You said. 

“Would you truly take up a position here, just while we search for a full time professor?” She asked you. You hummed, thinking for a moment. 

“I think I would like to, actually. I don’t like- I don’t like that this town seems so hostile towards you, towards your students. Even if my particular abilities are not always accepted even in our community, this” you nodded to Enid. “Should not happen again. As long as my niece is here I quite frankly would prefer to stay, god knows that girl can get herself into trouble.” You breathed tiredly. Larissa shook her head tiredly at the statement. 

“That she certainly does.” The woman agreed. You hummed. 

“If you’re offering, yes, I would take the position.” You said calmly, your attention still on the girl in your lap. Larissa hesitated for a moment. It was unorthodox, certainly, yet she had a feeling it was good. If she was correct perhaps your presence at the school would be a positive impact. 

“Answer me one thing, then.” She hummed. You stiffened slightly, but nodded. “Why did you not attend Nevermore when your sister did?” She asked you. You sighed, the sound holding a bit too much sorrow for the headmistress’s liking. 

“I was not permitted.” You hummed. “My parents thought it best for Morticia if I attended school elsewhere, far, elsewhere.” You sighed. “I was sent to France at eleven, then Switzerland for a while. I would occasionally come home for the summer, however I’m sure you can understand that I am an oddity amongst the Frumps. We are all on very good terms now, clearly, however it was not always the case.” You explained. Larissa stared at you for a moment, her eyes wide. They were embarrassed of you. How could they be embarrassed of something as beautiful as you? Goodness, she was high. 

“You couldn’t attend simply because your sister wanted to,” she muttered, and you nodded your head. 

“Yes, that would be the reason.” You said calmly. The woman looked to you sadly. You almost seemed alright with it. 

“Yet you would take the position?” She asked you, and you nodded. 

“I would like to offer it to you then, temporarily, while we find a new permanent teacher.” She said, and you chuckled, shaking your head. 

“Offer it to me when you are sober, my dear.” You laughed, turning to look at her with mirth in your eyes. God, they really were nothing like Morticia’s. 

“I-“ She stuttered, and you shook your head. 

“It’s entirely unfair of me to agree and bind you while you are intoxicated, especially by my own creation, if you offer it again when you are sober, then I will accept.” You smiled, and her eyes went far away for a moment. So different. Morticia, years into their own on and off relationship, even if it could be called that, would hypnotize her, intoxicate her, anything. She had always given consent while sober, but Morticia would alter her mind until she agreed to anything. Anything. Even being a secret. She swallowed, the haze in her eyes developing into shame. 

“Your sister would.” She whispered, and you stiffened. You stared at her for a moment, watching the memory clear. 

“I’m sorry.” You breathed, and Larissa’s eyes snapped to you own, startled by your presence. “It will stop soon, I’m sorry, it has that effect.” You swallowed. “And whatever my sister did to you to drag up a memory like that, whatever it was that darkened you like that, I am sorry.” You breathed, shaking your head. “She doesn’t always understand- she should. She should understand that principle, her of all people.” You gritted. You shook your head again, clearing it. “God, she should have- if I had known she would- ooh I’m going to strangle her.” You sighed, exhausted. How your sister could ever use her abilities like that, your abilities like that, it horrified you. You were filled with rage for the woman, one you barely knew.

“Tich and I can both ensnare people, if we choose to, but you should know that it is a choice, Miss Weems. One I make adamantly not to do.” You said, staring at the girl in your arms. “There are consequences to our actions. No matter how small.” You said softly. Larissa stared at you again. 

“You’re refreshing.” She muttered, and you chuckled. 

“Comparatively? I’m a goddamn sunbeam.” You smiled, and the woman couldn’t help but let a small one cross her face. Perhaps you were.

Chapter Text

Your first day at Nevermore would undoubtedly be an eventful one. You poured over what students of each year had been learning, sitting in the middle of the greenhouse with a batch of tea, and wire rimmed glasses perched on your nose. You hummed as you looked over the materials, they were good enough, teaching wouldn’t be an issue, at least it wouldn’t be difficult in the sense that you already knew what was required. 

You tittered around the greenhouse, taking off your floor length long sleeved coat and leaving you in a poet blouse, suspenders, a pair of high waisted trousers, and gloves. You smiled as you kicked off your boots, and then socks, walking around barefoot. The greenhouse had gone mostly unattended, you realized, something which you wanted to remedy quickly. Conveniently, there was a record player, and you shifted through the old collection until you found something you liked. Fleetwood Mac’s “Good Dust Woman” rang out as you went from plant to plant, looking at what they needed. 

You slipped your gloves off, placing them on a table before lightly tracing your fingertips over each plant, bringing them back to life. You rolled up your sleeves, revealing the intricate white lines around and around your arms. They looked like thorny rose vines, in fact, they were scars from them. Your arms were littered in binding scars, three loops around your forearm, one around your elbow, and two around your upper arms. Reminders of what happened when you lost control. You paid no attention to them, instead shifting your focus to the plants and working from one to the next. You smiled as you did so, the greenhouse slowly returning to beauty. 

You lost yourself in your work and the music, dancing around as you worked. Your hips swayed as your palms held blooming roses, dahlias, lilies, not to mention the various herbs and much wilder plants about. You smiled as you stomped your feet to the beat, bringing forth vines from the ground, slowly growing along the edges of the glass ceiling. You wove them together, creating intricate lattices with just a flick of your finger, a glance, or a thought. They obeyed you without question, as easy as breathing. 

You hummed to yourself as you heard someone approaching, no one knew you were here yet, so you knew who it would be. You closed your eyes, lifting your arms and making the vines bloom roses in white, red, and black. The three colors mixed together beautifully, creating pillars of colors reaching towards and crossing the glass dome. You didn’t open your eyes, instead pointing to a different flower, a black dahlia you had been growing as you continued working on the plant in front of you, facing away from the door.

“I’ll give it to you in a moment darling, I’m almost done.” You sighed over the music, moving around as you then moved over to a vase filled with water, dropping a small collection of stones in it, followed by a few seeds. You hummed as your body twisted around to the music, flicking your fingers and forming beautiful lilies from the seeds. They bloomed to perfection as you danced about, smiling to yourself. You picked up the Dahlia, turning. 

“Alright then my darling, this one to your room and the lilies to your headmistress if you so pl- oh!” You cried out when you turned to see Larissa standing in front of you, not your niece. You dropped the pot you were holding, the black painted thing smashing on the ground and scattering to peices. You stared up at her in shock, your lips parted and heaving as you looked up at her. Then you realized. 

You turned around quickly, pulling down your sleeves and buttoning them over your wrists as fast as you could. Not fast enough, she had seen them. You went to the tables behind you, instantly grabbing a dustpan you had let out and rushing to the mess you had made, kneeling on the ground as tears threatened to overcome you. You were a grown woman for god’s sake, why were you crying over someone you barely knew seeing your silly scars. 

“No- no worries, forgive me, ma’am so sorry, I’ll have- have it cleaned right up.” You rushed, your hands shaking as you pushed everything into the dustpan. You ignored the tall woman as she kneeled down in front of you, her own hands picking up a few larger pieces as she looked to you. 

“Miss Florere, are you alright?” She asked you quietly. She knew something was wrong, she had seen the scars on your arms, they were subtle, but clearly there. Whatever had given them to you was upsetting, clearly. You gulped as you looked up at her. 

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry, just startled, I expected my niece not-“ you were overcome as she looked at you, her cool blue eyes staring at you with worry. Her hand deposited the pot shard in the pan before she dusted it off on her skirt. 

“It’s quite alright but are you sure you’re…” she trailed as she reached for your hand, trying to steady you. You were too busy looking into her eyes, you didn’t notice until her skin slid over yours. You gasped, your eyes rolling back as your head snapped back. Larissa panicked, grabbing onto you as vines seemed to sprout from your hands, wrapping around her own and up her arm. She was about to cry out when she felt it, a pulling sensation, pulling her into you. Her eyes closed as she fell into the vision with you, her body bound to yours in your vines. 

Her head swam as her eyes seemed to open. She was in a garden, a much different one though. There was a young girl standing in front of her, nine maybe, with wild red hair and daisies dispersed throughout. It was you, she realized, as another girl, similar to you, but with black hair and dark eyes came running over. She carried a pair of shears pointed towards you, and you screamed as you ran, getting away from her as fast as you could. Larissa was helpless, watching you trip and fall as the other girl grabbed your arms, pinning them down. 

“Stop it! Stop it Tish, please! It hurts!” You cried out, crying as she took the shears to the flowers in your hair, cutting them off. 
“How are you going to be a Frump with daisies in your hair!” She yelled at you, cutting the lot off before taking them to your fingers. You screamed out as the girl held the shears above your hand, Larissa gasping in horror. 

“No! No! PLEASE!” You screamed, and Larissa sobbed as she watched Morticia plunge the shears into your hand. She could almost feel it, the ghost of pain stabbed through her own palm, she could feel your fear, your pain. The betrayal you felt. You looked at her, the sound catching your attention, she met your young eyes, crying out in pain. You stilled, the vision blurring. “Why is there an angel in a nightmare?” You asked quietly, your little voice breaking, and then it went black. Larissa gasped as her body surged forward, straight into you, the real you, who was currently prying vines away from the both of you. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, GET OFF!” You screamed, and she watched as the vines instantly shriveled, shrinking away and falling to the ground. You panted as you looked up at her, your wild eyes boring into her all of a sudden. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, that doesn’t normally happen.” You breathed, quickly pulling away, you went to turn, to go to the table to reach for your gloves when Larissa caught your right hand, pulling it close. 

You gasped, shaking slightly as she pulled you back down, kneeling in the vines with her. She turned your palm over, looking at it, cradling it so gently you thought she was worried she may break you. She turned your palm up, gasping as she saw the small scar in the middle of it. It was real, what she had just seen, it was real.

“My god, she couldn’t!” The woman breathed, and you swallowed, staring up at her. 

“I’m so sorry.” You whispered, and she shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. Morticia did this, her Tish, the woman she once loved, did this.

“To her own sister.” She breathed, shaking her head as shock haunted her face. You panicked at the sight of her tears, rising up and instantly wiping them away with your other hand, the action shocking her. Your hands, they were so gentle. She thought the blackened tips of your fingers would be cold, but no, you were warm, gentle despite the slight tremor in your hands. You shuddered, pulling away gently this time as you stood slowly, retrieving your gloves and replacing them over your hands. 

“Does that- is that every time?” She asked you, and you shook your head. It didn’t happen often, in fact it almost exclusively happened with Tish, but it was possible, if others, but rare. In fact, the only way it normally happened with others was if they have been dosed with your own pollen. You swallowed, you knew how that could have happened.

“No, that is the first time it’s happened in years, actually. It’s normally quite easy to control, but the gloves help.” You muttered. She stood, towering over you as she stepped closer. “I began wearing them as Morticia found it harmful when she was exposed to my visions” you sighed, and the woman met your eyes with sorrow in hers. 

She stared at you for a moment, she wanted to help, she realized. The fact that Morticia could do that to someone, to her own sister. But the fact remained that if a student saw that, it wouldn’t be good. She felt as if she needed to pull you closer, to wipe away the memory you had just resurfaced. “I-“ She stuttered, and you shook your head. The memory was traumatic, but the reason behind it had to be explained. You had more problems witch Tish than anyone, but this was not why. This particular incident, wasn’t entirely her fault. It was neither of you, actually.

“You have to understand that Morticia believed she was helping me.” You sighed, and the woman looked to you in utter shock. 

“She, helping?” She asked, and you nodded. On what planet was that helping?

“We were young, very young. She saw how our parents treated me, how many people treated me, when we were that young we shared a room.” You smiled a little at the memory, it was a good one. “I used to cry at night, wishing I didn’t have the abilities I do. I wanted to be normal, like her, like my parents.” You sighed. “That day, the night before my father had threatened to send me away for the first time, they couldn’t have an oddity, even amongst outcasts, ruining their family reputation.” You scoffed, nearly rolling your eyes. “We sobbed all night, trying to find a way to fix it, the both of us begged him. We were inseparable, even if very different, but he wouldn’t listen. Tish came up with a way to keep us together. With what was in store for me, I don’t blame her.” You said softly, your hand flitting to a charm around your neck. It was familiar to the woman, she had seen it before. A small ring on a chain, however the one she had seen previously was onyx, this was an opal. 

“Is that, your necklace…” she trailed, and you smiled, nodding. 

“We were given matching rings as children, never took them off until we outgrew them.” You smiled again, and Larissa could see the beauty in it then, there was a sense of longing, one that threatened to break her heart. “My sister was the only one that talked to me for years. She couldn’t tell you I existed, she couldn’t talk about the ‘family scandal’” you mocked. “But she sent me a letter every week. Every week, all her years at Nevermore, wherever I was across the globe. Even now. We talk at least once a week, no matter what.” You said gently, and Larissa’s face softened. It was hard to understand, but it was clear.

“You love eachother.” She said softly, as if the idea was almost inconceivable. 

“You lived with my sister for years.” You chuckled. “Of course I do, we’re sisters, but the only person that can love her AND like her is her damn husband.” You joked. The woman gave you a smile and you relaxed slightly. Your relationship was complicated for anyone to understand, she was no different, but it warmed you that she tried. She wanted to understand.

Her students, however, had to come first. “Will it happen again?” She asked you, and you swallowed, shaking your head. 

“No it-“ she cut you off as she took your hand, grabbing your waist and pinning you to the table, hard. She was pressed up against you, her hips pinning you against the table. You gasped, but didn’t move, simply stared up at her, your heart pounding. She breathed out slowly, she was so close, so close you were breathing the same air. 

You let her pin you, not only that but you didn’t struggle in her grip. She was so close, and your heart was pounding, but you stayed steady, slowly looking up to the woman holding you. Heaven help you she was beautiful. She was stunning, actually. The younger version of you had called her an angel, and you couldn’t blame yourself. You swallowed as you looked up into her crystal blue eyes, pinning you with more than her hands. 

She took a deep breath, the way you were looking at her, it struck her. She swallowed, looking down on you unsure. She could see the slight flush on your face, the way your eyes almost darkened as she pressed into you. You could feel it too, your heart pounded in your ears as she held you, her hand wrapped around your wrist as her arm held you by the hips, her body pressing you to the table. She glanced up to your hair, and you panicked internally as you realized your flowers were blooming. Tiny pink and white flowers bloomed along your hairline, like little individual baby’s breath blooms forming in your hair. Her eyes widened as she realized it wasn’t intentional, those, those were your instinct, your emotion showing. Pink and white, almost like-

“Larissa,” you breathed, she was so close, too close.

 “I’m sorry, I just wanted to-“ she began, and you shook your head. You knew what she was doing, it was obvious, but the way she went about it, you felt like you couldn’t breathe as she took all the air from the room.

“Make sure a student startling me wouldn’t do it.” You finished, and she swallowed, stepping away. It felt cold, she hated the way the cool air swept across her skin as she let you go, letting your warmth go with you.

“Yes I-, well, I hope you’ll forgive me.” She stuttered, flushing at what she had just done. You swallowed, nodding before you looked back up at her. 

“There is nothing to forgive.” You breathed, and her brows furrowed. “The children’s safety comes first.” You swallowed, before turning around and bracing your arms on the table, taking deep, slow breaths. It was difficult. You seldom let people touch you, let alone that. You could feel the woman inch closer as you began to rock yourself back and forth a bit, calming down. 

“I- I’m sorry, Miss Florere.” She said softly, and you chuckled despite your breathlessness. God, she killed you.

“You’ve pinned me to a table, you might as well call me Ophelia.” You tried to laugh, but the woman startled, stiffening. She knew what she did, but she had her reasons.

“Yes, well, you know why I did.” She protested, and you turned as you realized she was upset by it. She thought you were mad at her. You sighed, shaking your head and sitting yourself up on top of the table. God, why were you doing this? Why were you justifying yourself?

“Come here, please, Miss Weems.” You said softly. The woman looked at you, clearly frustrated, unsure, and with a stain of anger on her face. “Please.” You said again softly. She paused for a moment, she didn’t know what you were doing. She knew you didn’t like contact, but you were offering. You looked at her expectantly and she eventually did as you asked, stepping forward. You held out your palm, face up, offering it to her. She inhaled sharply, looking from your hand to you. You scar was there, the little line in the middle of your palm, almost beconing for her attention. Your hands too, the blackened tips, she wanted to know, she wanted to know what they felt like, what your ink-stained looking fingers would feel like against her skin. Were your nails sharp like your sisters? Cold like her own hands always were? Did the blackened parts feel different? She imagined the blackened tips leaving ink stains along her skin, black lines and handprints over everywhere you traced. They were beautiful. You were beautiful, this close she could see it. You were strange, like your sister, but you were undoubtedly beautiful.

“Is this why you don’t like to be touched?” She asked you. And you hummed. It was one of the reasons. You were aware that your scars made others even more wary of you, but the way you had been touched in the past certainly had something to do with it.

“I don’t like to be touched because not all see my gifts as such.” You said softly. The woman reached out slowly, still not certain. You nodded, encouraging her before she slowly and tentatively traced over your palm. You shivered slightly, but allowed her. You let her trace the blackened nails and fingers, the lines of your palm, your hands were warm, she realized, and strong, your hands had worked, always under your gloves, your skin was soft and warm to the touch, but she could feel the strength in them. 

“They’re soft.” She whispered. You nodded, a little overwhelmed by the stunning woman regarding you with such interest. Her eyes were fixed on them. You were used to people staring at them, hell, they almost looked necrotic, something your sister loved, but most found creepy at best, and monstrous at worst. It was odd, your peculiar ability meant most didn’t understand you, many didn’t trust you or found the sheer sight of your blackened fingers to be a bad omen or a sign. Yet Larissa, she just seemed to be intrigued by them. It touched your heart, making your pulse beat faster.

“Yes.” You nodded, flexing your palm slightly and growing a single rose blossom there. She gasped in delight, smiling in amazement as she watched you grow the flower. It was beautiful, what you could do, was beautiful. You nodded to it. “Take it.” You said. “As a token of my apology.” You tried to smile. You normally wouldn’t let someone pluck something directly from you, but this was small, and you needed her to know you trusted her, you respected her. She swallowed. 

“I- I don’t want to-“ she tried, and you reached for her other hand, closing it over the flower and guiding her to pluck it. It was almost warm while it was still attached to you, as if it was part of your life force. It was incredible. The petals were the softest thing she had ever felt. She swallowed and pulled up, looking to you for any sign of pain, yet you only smiled softly. She watched as a drop of blood surfaced from your palm, and quickly wiped it away with her finger, startling you. You jumped a little at the caring gesture, but didn’t pull away.

“Roses suit you.” You said again, softly. The woman blushed, finally meeting your eyes. 

“You’re quite the enigma, Miss Florere.” She said. You shook your head. 

“Ophelia, ma’am, call me Ophelia.” You smiled. She sucked in a breath, flushing slightly. 

“Call me Larissa.” She said, and you nodded. She opened her mouth to say more, yet was interrupted, once again, by your niece storming into the building. 

She jumped, taking a step back from you as Wednesday practically growled, storming in with two sabers. You rolled your eyes, hopping off the table and forward to replace your gloves. She was yelling, not even bothering to look at you, let alone notice the headmistress, by the time you had both separated fully. 

“I need your help!” She huffed, and you nodded, turning to grow another dahlia for the girl. 

“Clearly, you should know better than to brazenly carry a weapon around, certainly in a school.” You chided, and the blonde Wednesday had yet to notice stared between you two wide eyed. Wednesday was, speaking.

“I can’t beat Bianca. Mother was the captain of the fencing team-“ she started. 

“Not that you care.” You added, and the girl ignored you, continuing her pacing. 

“Not that I care! But I cannot beat this one siren.” She glowered. You sighed. 

“Please tell me you’re not fencing like your mother.” You groaned, rubbing your temples from the oncoming headache. 

“Her mother was captain of the fencing team.” Larissa finally spoke, and Wednesday snapped to her, finally realizing she was there. Strange how your presence seemed to occupy the girl fully whenever you two were in a room together.

“I’m aware.” You deadpanned, and Wednesday looked to you. “However Morticia fences like any other American, poorly.” You bit, and Wednesday smirked. 

“Will you help me?” She asked, tossing you a blade. You snorted as you caught it out of the air, much to the shock of the headmistress standing only a few feet from you. 

“Miss Addams!” The woman protested. 

“Don’t throw swords, Wednesday.” You reprimanded, and the girl stared at you. 

“Says you.” She added, and you rolled your eyes. 

“I throw daggers darling, and only at people when I actually want to hurt them.” You smirked, earning another wide eyed look from the headmistress. Would you ever stop throwing her through loops?

“However I am currently speaking with Miss Weems.” You said. Wednesday glanced from you to the blonde, back to you. And she lunged. You sighed as you parried the girl easily, backing her away with precise ease and fluidity that took Larissa’s breath away. “Timing, Wednesday. If you want me to stay working here you’re going to have to respect it.” You said, working the girl back into a corner. She stopped, glaring at you as you tapped the blade to her shoulder. You lowered your blade, walking away only to hear her steps headed for you again. 

“Ophelia-“ Larissa warned, but you once again blocked the girl with ease, whirling her around without a worry. 

“Timing with my blade or with myself?” The girl asked, throwing herself at you. You scoffed. 

“Both, now straighten your back, your shoulders are hunching, it’s neither attractive nor effective.” You said. Wednesday scoffed. 

“You sound like my mother.” She said. You laughed darkly. 

“You wound me.” You smirked, working her into a corner again. “I will help you, if you like, but not now.” You said, stepping away. She seemed to accept the answer this time, if begrudgingly. 

“Enid,” she sighed, and you looked to her, raising a brow at the mention of the girl’s friend. “Wanted me to thank you.” She added. You smiled. So that is what she actually came here for.

“Was that so hard?” You asked her, removing a glove and growing a handful of multicolored tulips. You plucked them, handing them to the girl. 

“Off you go.” You said. She glared at you, but did as you asked, running out the door and causing you to shake your head. “Trouble maker.” You sighed, just in time for your phone to ring. “Oh good lord.” You groaned, going to pick it up. “I’m so sorry Miss Weems.” You breathed, checking the display and furrowing your brows. “Speak of the devil.” You muttered answering the phone. 

“Yes, Morticia?” You answered, and Larissa’s eyes snapped to you. “No, I don’t.” You answered. She heard her old roommate speak on the other line for a moment, watching you clench your jaw. “No, I will not.” You said, growing slightly annoyed. Larissa couldn’t help the smirk that painted her face when she realized that perhaps Morticia wasn’t the star to everyone, certainly not to her own sister. “I- excuse me?” You hissed, and Larissa raised a brow. “No, no you will listen to what I have to say, Morticia.” You gritted. “I will not be supplying you with anything of the sort. Ever. Again. You see I had the lovely pleasure of meeting the individual you apparently perfected that mixture on.” You growled, and Larissa immediately took notice. You were angry, furious even. 

“Allow me to explain this to you, very carefully. Your ‘sequoia’ is a woman, Morticia, had I know what you were using my pollen for I would have never given it to you. Ever. If you’d like to take it up with mother then by all means, but I will not be aiding you in drugging individuals, people, people Morticia, not experiments or playthings.” You seethed. Larissa’s eyes went wide, you were talking about her, but how did you- “Unfortunately, yes, I am sure, considering I reacted to the changes it made to her system almost instantly, thank you.” You gritted. “No.” You added. “Absolutely not.” You hummed, and Larissa watched in shock as you spoke sternly, without hesitation or pause. The conviction in you startled her. 

“Yes, I’m fine, it wasn’t anything horrific, a memory from when we were young.” You sighed, running your hand through your hair. Larissa swallowed, you didn’t consider that horrific. What on earth else had happened to you? “No, I’m aware you probably didn’t mean to change her actual structure, but my pollen shouldn’t be used in standard couldron brewing, which I also know you know.” You sighed, and she saw you relax slightly. “Yes Tish.” You shook your head. “No tish.” You sighed, and Larissa watched you with amusement at the interaction. 

“I know, I know, I’m sorry, it’s just been- no, no, it’s beautiful here, and I enjoy being stateside, but you know our father prefers if I’m on a different continent.” You laughed a little. It was almost sad, how you laughed at it. “Yes, it is lovely here, I’m almost sad I never came.” You sighed a little. You listened for a moment, humming occasionally. “Well I know, I could have never, I’m aware.” You sighed, shrinking slightly. Larissa watched the shift in you as your sister talked. “I’m aware.” You sighed. “And that too.” You continued. “I will do my best.” You rolled your eyes as she spoke, as you waited for her to finish. “Yes I, I am looking forward to seeing it, Wednesday has your old room, I might just have to sneak up there to see if you did any justice describing it.” You smiled sardonically before your face shifted slightly, more serious.

“I- yes, she seems fine. However you could consider visiting her, she is your daughter, after all.” You remarked, listening to your sister speak. “Yes, I will tell her, have a lovely time, Morticia. Goodbye.” You seethed as you hung up the phone. “God, some days I could kill her.” You sighed, before realizing you weren’t alone. You looked to the woman with you, staring for a moment. You could tell her. She would likely hate you if you did. If you were right. Yet you felt you needed to, as if there was no other option but honesty when it came to this woman. 

“I believe I reacted strongly to you touching me because Morticia used my pollen on you when you were roommates, it’s the only thing that makes sense.” You sighed. Larissa looked at you, her brows knitting together in uncertainty. Shit. “Had I known what she was using it for I never would have- I wouldn’t- I am sorry. I am truly sorry, Miss Weems, that I may have hurt you in any way.” You breathed. She stared at you a moment longer. She was unreadable, and your heart picked up as you swallowed down the terror of the woman hating you. You had only just met her, it made no sense that you would care so much. 

“She doesn’t like that you’re here, does she?” She asked you, and you raised a brow, watching her reaction. 
“She’s trying to be positive, but no, she does not.” You agreed, and you watched as Larissa smiled. 

“Well then, I beleive its a terrible shame that I’ve caused the parent of a student any discomfort.” She smiled. You rose both brows at the woman. 

“What a mystery you are, Larissa Weems. I simply cannot wait to learn more.” You smiled, leaving the woman standing in shock as you went to the vase you had prepared earlier, gathering it in your hands before handing it to her. It was, of course, at this moment that your niece once again decided to make an appearance. 

“Enid told me I am to ask you another question.” She said, bursting through the doors. You sighed deeply, looking to the girl. 

“Knocking, perhaps.” You breathed, but nodded. The girl glared at the headmistress, yet steeled herself, preparing to bring up whatever it was that had her in such a tizzy. 

“There is, this boy,” she began, and Larissa openly gaped at how the girl would just talk to you. She was even tight lipped around her own mother, but not you, it seemed. You made a sound the woman could only classify as a frustrated mother pretending to enjoy some concoction her toddler had just ‘cooked’ for her. 

“Mmm, boys.” You gritted. Your jaw clenched as your hands tightened slightly before relaxing. “It should be noted that this is happening after school hours and I am speaking to you as your aunt, not your professor.” You began, and the headmistress raised a brow at you as Wednesday gave a quick nod. “If anyone, boy, girl, anything else lays a hand on you without you explicit and emphatic consent I will personally drag them through all seven circles of hell in a way that would make the devil blush before they could so much as cry out for their mummy.” You smiled tensely. Larissa’s jaw dropped as she listened to you, perhaps you were a bit mad, but heaven help her something about the protective side you had for the girl was striking. 

“Noted, however unfortunately I seem to, enjoy, his presence.” The girl struggled. Your smile relaxed, mirth shining in your eyes as you chuckled. 

“Ah, I see. Why not go to your mother with something like this?” You asked the girl, who glared at you. 

“I want to talk to him, not get engaged after knowing him for three months.” She quipped, and you snorted. 

“It was two and a half, and we’re thankful for that otherwise I would have had to marry a man.” You reminded her, and she nodded. 

“Well, what makes you want to talk to him?” You asked her. She furrowed her brows, thinking for a moment. 

“He- he-“ her body started to shake and you stood up, leaning forward carefully. “Auntie!” She yelled before her head snapped back as her eyes rolled into her skull. You rushed forward, catching the girl as she shook and fell to the ground. You pulled her close as the vision took her, something you sadly had experience with.

“Hush, I’ve got you, it’s alright, it will pass.” You whispered low, clutching onto the girl’s body. You looked up to the sky through the glass roof of the greenhouse. “Two in one hour, the moon isn’t kind to us tonight, it seems.” You muttered, ripping off your gloves with your teeth before brushing your fingers through the girl’s hair, holding her close. 

“Her mother was about her age too.” The headmistress said, walking over in concern. You nodded, your attention only on the girl in your arms. 

“Yes, all the women in our family have them.” You sighed. “She’ll be fine, it’s just a matter of waiting for it to pass.” You said, and the headmistress nodded. You could tell she was concerned, but she had experience, she had lived with Morticia after all.

“May I- she is a student after all and,” the woman began, and you nodded. 

“Yes, you may stay.” You said calmly, and Larissa relaxed slightly. 

“Is there anything I can do?” She asked you. You smiled, shaking your head as you stroked the young girl’s face lovingly. 

“Not unless you happen to be her ancestor.” You said, holding her close. The woman was tense, standing helplessly. You sighed, looking up to her. “Breathe, she’ll be fine. Even if I wasn’t here, she would be perfectly alright, frazzled, but alright. As long as she doesn’t hit her head.” You remarked, and the woman nodded. 

“I used to see Tich have them, however hers were always,” she searched for the words. You nodded, humming a bit. You knew what she meant.

“Tich is a dove, her visions are normally happy, joyful. They predict paths that may lead to love or peace. Wednesday, Unfortunately, is a raven. She will have to walk a much darker path.” You sighed, your tone slightly too knowing for the headmistress. 

“And you?” She asked you. You raised your brows, looking up at her. 

“You went into one with me, what do you think?” You asked her. She grimaced, nodding. 

“You’re like Wednesday.” She said, and you nodded. 

“I am, however something in the way my body is means that I can share visions through touch. It can be useful, however it is not pleasant for the recipient if they weren’t expecting it.” You said apologetically. Larissa nodded, watching you with the girl. 

“Do you know what she’s seeing?” She asked you. You shook your head. 

“No, if she wishes to tell me, she may tell me, but I will not pry.” You said, and Larissa nodded. 

“She’s open with you.” She noted, and you smiled a bit. 

“Sometimes. She didn’t like that you were in the room, but she felt it necessary. She rarely alters her behavior for others.” You said softly, still holding the girl. 

“I’ve noticed.” The headmistress remarked, and you laughed a little. 

“Oh you poor woman, first Morticia and now Wednesday. Will the women of my bloodline torture you forever?” You teased, and the woman laughed. 

“Well at least one of them seems to be rather pleasant to be around.” She replied, and you nodded. 

“Wednesday certainly has her better moments.” You smiled, looking back at the girl. 

“I meant you, Miss Florere.” The blonde said, and you straightened, looking to her suddenly. Oh.

“I- you, haha, you’re very kind, Miss Weems.” You blushed. 

“Larissa.” She corrected you, and you smiled slightly.

“Larissa.” You said softly. God, even her name was beautiful. The girl stirred in your arms and you looked down at her as she opened her eyes. 

“Welcome back to the world of the living.” You said, and the girl inhaled sharply as she looked at you. 

“Did I-“ 

“You were silent.” You interrupted, shaking your head. and she nodded. 

“Would you like to stay with me or would you like to go?” You asked her. And she stood, leaving you on the floor. 

“I’d like to go.” She said, and you nodded. She offered her hand to you and you chuckled, picking up your gloves before taking her hand, standing and pulling the girl in for a moment. She groaned in annoyance, but let you, much to the shock of the headmistress. You let the girl go, and she headed towards the doors, before stopping to ask you another question. 

“He’s tall.” She said. You nodded, smiling a bit in amusement. 

“That’s nice.” You said, and she nodded again. 

“How do you kiss someone who’s a foot taller than you?” She asked you, and you choked on air before cackling, Larissa this time fully gaping at the both of you. She asked you WHAT?

“Oh dear god Wednesday.” You cackled, and the woman marveled at how free you sounded. Morticia never sounded like that, never let herself. You, you let yourself be honest, free. “Again, your mother-“ you began, only to be cut off. 

“My mother married a man half a foot shorter than her, you had an affair with a nine foot tall vampire lord in Romania.” She deadpanned. This time Larissa was the one to choke on air in surprise. There was no way. You stared at your niece, gaping. 

“I- I am going to kill your mother.” You sighed. Wednesday shrugged slightly. 

“At least you have the common sense to keep it to yourself. My parents have no such decency.” She said. You breathed out slowly. This was the last conversation you wanted to have in front of the woman who recently employed you.

“Firstly, she was nine foot six, give me some credit. Secondly, countess, not lady. Third, I was high on pain killers for three straight months which is why we don’t date women over eight feet tall and men over seven, thank you and goodnight.” You rushed, leaving the girl smirking and the woman next to you gaping at you. 

“Why painkillers?” The braided menace asked, and you quickly ushered her to the door. 

“Hello darling, need I remind you that the woman standing over there is your headmistress and my BOSS so unless you are trying to get me fired how about we don’t.” You smiled tensely. God, you were going to kill the little demon. 

“Sure but how do you-“ 

“Reach for the side of the arm not the shoulder and lean up, I’m sure he’s aware he’s tall, he’ll do the rest. Goodnight!” You rushed again, and the girl smirked. 

“How long are the fingers of an ten foot tall-“ 

“Get out!” You yelled, and the girl couldn’t help but laugh as she rushed off. You tapped your foot nervously as she ran off, trying not to be mortified at the entire situation. “Ohhh, I’m gonna kill her, so going to kill her.” You breathed, trying not to pay any mind to the woman standing the conservatory with you. Eventually you had to turn to face her, the blush staining both your cheeks very apparent. You opened your mouth to explain yourself before you simply sighed and shook your head. You were fucked.

“We’ll call it evening of the playing field, granted my sister has told me much more about you than she has told you about me, and I will speak to her about privacy?” You asked, and the woman nodded slowly. The idea made her blush. She knew you were aware of the fact that her and your sister had been, intimate, but to what degree she didn’t know, and the not knowing was killing her. You bit your lip as you stared at her, she certainly was stunning, and taller women did always ignight a little fire in you. 

“That, would seem to be needed.” The woman stuttered, and you couldn’t help but smirk a bit at her inability to pull off the same graceful calm she normally did. “I hesitate to ask, but did you actually-“ she tried, cutting herself off before she could finish. You laughed, nodding a little. 

“I did, a wonderful three months, but eventually even my own grown opium can only do so much for those kind of aches and pains. Granted I was nineteen at the time…” you muttered, and the woman looked to you in further shock. 

“You had an affair with a nine and a half foot tall Romanian vampire countess when you were nineteen!” She hissed, and you nodded. 

“I was a little wild back in the day. I was studying with her sister at the time, she was an excellent botanist, considerably shorter though.” You admitted, and the woman swallowed, nodding. 

“Well then, I suppose I should be going-“ she began, turning to the door, but you cut her off, walking towards her. 

“One moment, if you don’t mind.” You said, taking the rose you had left in her hands before heading to the table you had originally been arranging lilies on. 

“For you, a thank you.” You smiled, taking the rose you had given her and adding it to the vase as well, not bothering with the mismatched flowers. She blushed, nodding to you in surprise. 

“Thank you, Mi- Ophelia.” She muttered, taking the vase and looking down at you. She could barely look at you. The idea of you with someone like that she, she couldn’t even imagine.

“Always, Larissa.” You smiled, seeing her out the door before you set back to your work. 

She went to her office, setting the flowers on her desk. They were beautiful, like the woman who had created them. Morticia had used you against her, it seemed, without ever even saying your name. Yet the two of you must have communicated, otherwise you wouldn’t know anything about her. She also certainly wouldn’t have been subjected to your pollen before if you never spoke to your sister.

Her mind swam with questions as she filled her usual glass of wine, drinking it slowly. You had told her she could ask, yet the ones she truly wanted to know, she couldn’t. Not without giving herself away. She went to bed with her mind overpowered by nerves, her heart pounding at the idea of you. If just a slight touch of your pollen had caused what Morticia used to make her do, make her feel, she shook with the idea of what the true source could be.

Chapter Text

“Hello students, it’s a pleasure to meet you all.” You smiled warmly, eyeing your first class of the day. You looked up from your roster, eyeing each student, trying to memorize names as best you could as quickly as possible.

“My name is Ophelia Florere, I’m aware the Latin is not the kindest to every tongue, so feel free to call me Miss Ophelia, if you like.” You smiled, looking at each of the faces. A student in the front row raised her hand. “Yes Miss, Barklay?” You hesitated, and the girl nodded her head.

“Yes, I’m sorry, Florere as in Doctor Ophelia Florere? As in ‘Madam Tofana’ Ophelia Florere?” She asked. You chuckled a little, tilting your head.

“You’ve read my book?” You asked her, and her face lit up.

“Not just that one, your, you- your writing is amazing, not to mention all that you have done for botany, specifically related to outcast blood, in general!” She exclaimed. You blushed, shaking your head.

“Well thank you, Miss Barklay, I appreciate the compliment. I look forward to your work in the class.” You smiled, and the girl lit up. Enid’s hand shot up next, and you nodded to her. “Yes Miss Sinclair?” You asked.

“Can you really grow plants from your hands?” She asked you. You laughed softly again, nodding.

“Yes I can, I’ll be happy to show you sometime if you like.” You answered. Another hand shot up, and you checked your list before calling on the young man. “Mr, Thorpe? Is it?” You asked, and he nodded.

“Is it true you’re Wednesday’s aunt?” He asked, and you looked to the girl, who simply fixed him with a sidelong glance, not bothering to say anything. So this was the boy then.

“Yes, Miss Addams is my neice, however I promise to you all I will be remaining as objective as possible while teaching. If any issues arise feel free to come to me or to Headmistress Weems if you feel that I have been unfair.” You explained. The boy nodded, looking from you to the girl a few times, causing you to bite back a reaction to the obvious crush. Poor boy, he had no idea what he was getting into.

“Does that mean you’re an Addams?” Another student asked, and you shook your head.

“No, Wednesday’s mother is my sister, however we no longer share a name.” You smiled.

“So you’re a Frump?” A different student asked. You smiled calmly, shaking your head.

“No, my last name is Florere.” You reminded them.

“So you’re married?” Another asked, and you sighed.

“No, simply a different last name.” You explained, turning to the board.

“Now, I will be happy to answer any questions in the future or after class, however I would like to get started with today’s lesson. I believe it is one some of you already have experience with, however I believe safety is always an excellent place to start.” You said, flipping the chalk board to reveal a series of beautifully hand drawn plants as well as spaces for their scientific names as well as common ones. “Now who can name any of these plants, and tell me why we should avoid them?” You asked, and you smiled as five hands instantly shot up.

The rest of the lesson went on without a hitch, you explained safety procedures with certain plants, what kind of outcasts could not be around certain plants at all, which had to be avoided by everyone. The lesson was simple, but crucial in your mind, after all, if you intended on allowing the students to get their hands dirty, then they would have to be able to know which plants to steer clear from.

You waited calmly as the students filtered out, one staying behind. You had your eye on him since the beginning of the lecture, his name never appeared on your roster, and the other children seemed to ignore him. No friends, it seemed. You waited calmly as he walked down to your desk in the center of the room, and you looked at him expectantly.

“I wanted to ask you, what is your book about Miss Ophelia?” The student asked. You caught a whif of roses from them and smirked. Larissa could change her appearance, but not her scent, it seemed. You leaned in slightly to make sure. Sure enough, roses, expensive perfume, and a touch of tea greeted your nose. You chuckled, leaning back and smirking.

“I have written several, however the one Miss Barklay mentioned is about ancient poisons and how they were made, which plants were used, the possible other uses of such plants, some of my better work actually, I do love when I get to dive into history as well.” You smiled. You watched as the student nodded, walking back to their bag.

“Thank you, Miss Ophelia!” He said, preparing to leave.

“Always, Miss Weems.” You replied, and the boy froze. You bit back a laugh before the woman transformed in front of you, her face surprised at having been caught. You watched her in amazement. You had known shapeshifters before, of course, but she was brilliant, the ease with which she shifted between forms amazing you. You smiled in wonder.

“How could you tell?” She asked you, and you just shook your head.

“You’re incredible.” You breathed, and the woman’s eyes went wide, blushing slightly at your appraisal. “Genuinely, I’ve met- i mean- I’ve never seen someone control it with that much ease, that much grace, before.” You said softly, amazed at the woman. Her blush deepened slightly as she returned to you.

“Yes, well, thank you, Ophelia, I could say the same about you.” She said softly. Now it was your turn to blush, and you did so, looking down and away, before you remembered what she had asked. You tapped your nose.

“Roses, you always smell like roses.” You smiled and the woman breathed in sharply. Of course you would notice something as simple as the lotion she preferred to use. She swallowed, nodding.

“Of course.” She said, and you chuckled, remembering another question the boy she had posed as had asked you.

“And no, once again, I’m not married.” You smiled, and the woman blushed at having been caught.

“Forgive me, I-“ she began, but you shrugged.

“You’re welcome to ask any question you like, you know that.” You said easily.

“Well some are hardly appropriate,” she began.

“Are you married, Miss Weems?” You interrupted her. She swallowed, shaking her head.

“No, I am not.” She said, and you nodded.

“I’ll admit I have a slight advantage on you, so I’ll even the playing field, so to speak.” You sighed. “I’m aware you had a, complicated, relationship with my sister back in your school days. One which I shudder to think I may have had a hand in.” You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment.

“I said yes.” She spoke, and you opened them, looking to her. “Before, Morticia ever gave me tea or used that damn perfume, I said yes.” She struggled. You stepped towards her, taking her hand through your gloves.

“That does not mean she had any right to impact your ability to recind that yes.” You said softly, running your finger over her hand before pulling away, heading to a set of plants you had off to the side. “For that information I’ll trade you the time I was kicked out of finishing school in Switzerland for sleeping with the headmaster’s daughter.” You sighed, and the woman nearly choked.

“You did what?” She asked you, and you laughed a bit as you began grinding and mixing some powders.

“Yes, he walked in on us, it was mortifying.” You added, and the woman bit back a laugh.

“I can’t imagine-“ she said. You rolled your eyes.

“Please, I’m sure you walked in on my sister and her bramble brained husband many a time, I shudder to think what that must have been like.” You groaned, and this time the woman did laugh, a sound that lit up the room. Your heart bloomed at it, and you looked to her in wild eyed adoration as she did so.

“Traumatic!” She replied, and you laughed with her.

“I like to think they’ve calmed down as they’ve matured, but I hardly think that’s true.” You shook your head, and the woman smiled.

“I’m surprised your sister doesn’t have a gaggle of children running about.” She added. You scoffed.

“Oh, I’m surprised she didn’t have her first one here at Nevermore, with the amount of times I had to send that woman back up birth control, good lord.” You sighed, and Larissa chuckled a bit. You both smiled as you worked, she watched your hands through your gloves, almost mesmerized by the simple offhand tasks you accomplished while talking. You wore a simple boat neck sweater today, a dark green and tight to your skin, not getting in the way of your work, with trousers, boots, and your normal gloves. Your arms and limbs were covered as always, but the slight amount of skin you showed threatened to enchant the woman. She could just see your neck and collarbones, yet it was enough to have her wondering what else laid beneath the full coverage clothes you wore.

“You were never like that? Wild and chasing some poor boy around?” She asked you, and you raised a brow.

“No, no I was not. Women, occasionally, boys, no.” You smiled.

“Oh.” She breathed, and you looked at her curiously.

“You know about the Romanian incident.” You reminded her, and she nodded, blushing as she remembered.

“Yes however, liking a woman and only liking women are different things.” She said, and you hummed, nodding before you returned to your work. You funneled the powder you had made into a small cauldron of sorts, already bubbling with liquid. Larissa stepped closer, enjoying watching you work. “Is this for a lesson?” She asked you, and you shook your head.

“No, this is personal.” You hummed, stirring the mixture a few times as it reduced. “I’ve used all my own supplies if that’s a concern.” You rushed, remembering the woman was your employer.

“Good to know, but I had no doubt.” She smiled, and you couldn’t help the warmth that invaded you at the gesture.

“You have a beautiful smile.” You said softly, and the woman blushed, immediately stepping away. She didn’t remember getting that close, how was it that you always seemed to draw her in?

“Yes, well, thank you Ophelia.” She said softly, and you nodded. She turned to leave, and you quickly took a small vial, filling it with the mixture you had made.

“One moment, please!” You called, and the woman turned around, looking to you. You capped the vial and sealed it with a bit of wax from a candle, dipping it and blowing it off before you handed it to her.

“I- what is it?” She asked you, and you swallowed.

“An antidote, of sorts.” You began. “Anything that I create carries a trace of me with it. This,” you nodded to the vial. “Is capable of nullifying any mind altering substances that came from my hands.” You sighed. “I tried to come up with a better form than liquid, but by the time I got that to stabilize it was already the witching hour and I figured I might as well get some sleep before my first classes.” You smiled a bit. “I’ll keep working on it, but consider it a token of my, consider it an apology.” You said softly. The woman stared at you for a moment, taking a sharp breath as she realized what exactly you were giving her. You were giving her your power.

“You, you made me a nullifier for your abilities?” She asked you, her voice so soft you worried she may cry. You swallowed, panicking slightly.

“Well not all of them, but, well- anything I ever gave to Morticia should be able to be countered by that. So- not that I expect her to- or anyone else for that matter- but if you were to encounter the same, or something similar, you would be able to stop the effects before you found yourself in a situation you didn’t enjoy.” You breathed quickly, trying to explain yourself. Her eyes went wider somehow, staring at you in all their blue glory.

“I- thank you.” The woman stuttered, and you nodded, slightly overcome by emotion. It was odd for you, feeling like this. You were a very passionate person, yet this sort of care was something you usually didn’t feel the need to give, at least not to a woman you had barely known for a few days. Yet you couldn’t stand the thought of harming her any more. So you did what you could, you found a way to fix it.

“It’s the least I could do.” You said, turning your face away and down from her. It was shame, she realized. Shame made you look like that. “Regardless,” you swallowed, attempting to get ahold of yourself. “I can keep working on a better form, but for now this should do.” You said quietly, before turning back to your work.

“May I ask you something?” The woman said, and you turned back to her, attempting to smile as you nodded.

“You may ask me anything.” You said quietly, and she took her own mildly difficult breath.

“Have you ever, used, that particular ability on someone, during-“

“No.” You cut her off firmly, your eyes hardening a bit. You turned back around, beginning to clean up. “No. Nor would I ever.” You said. She struck a nerve, Larissa realized. A deep one.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“

“I am not my sister, Miss Weems. I do not seek power over others in lieu of attraction. If someone were to come to me, I would only accept it if it was of their own accord.” You gritted, quickly packing things away. Her breath hitched as she watched you move to the chalk board, wiping away the labels on all of your diagrams. “I do not take. Not without being given the right to.” You said firmly, going about and resetting glass toppers on a few plants, covering them fully.

You tugged at the edges of your gloves, you wore ones that came just halfway up your forearm today, practical, she realized.

“I don’t think you’re her.” She said suddenly, and you stopped, finally looking at her.

“That, well no, I am not her, but I am not anyone else who would drug someone to bend them to my will during sex either.” You said, and the woman blanched. You stepped closer to her, invading her space slightly. The earthy petrichor smell was stronger on you today, it swam in her head for a moment, it was enchanting. Everything about you was, perhaps that was why she felt the need to ask. “No one at this school is under threat from me, not any more than they are from any other witch or siren.” You said firmly. “I don’t enjoy taking power, Miss Weems, I relish when it is given to me.” You gritted, before turning and going back to your work. The interaction left her speechless, nearly catching her breath as she realized what you had said.

“I- yes well, I’ll see you at the end of the day, Miss Florere, to check in.” She said, quickly rushing from the room, trying desperately to get her wits about her.

You took a deep breath as she did, calming yourself. She didn’t know what she had implied, she couldn’t have. She certainly could not have known your particular past with the subject, otherwise she never would have accused you, you were sure of it. Yet you blew up on her anyway. You internally cursed yourself for your brashness, attempting to pull yourself together to prepare for your next class. It was only the first day, it wouldn’t do you any good to make poor impressions.

Your next classes went smoothly, and you breathed a sigh of relief when no further issues came up. You were cleaning up after your final one when a knock sounded at the door. You hummed, looking up to find a particular blonde werewolf standing at your door.

“Hello Miss Sinclair, please come in.” You smiled, and the girl nodded, stepping in a little nervously. “Is there anything I can help you with?” You asked her, and she shook her head, her multicolor waves tossing about her shoulders.

“No ma’am, I just wanted to thank you.” She said cheerfully. You smiled, waving the girl off.

“There’s nothing to thank me for, I’m just happy I was there to help.” You said, and the girl shook her head, stepping in.

“Well I’m glad you were there. And Wednesday is too!” She added. You laughed, nodding.

“Of course Miss Sinclair.” You smiled. She looked from you to the door a few times, unsure of something.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” You asked her, and she shook her head.

“No, no, I’m just, curious.” She tried. You tilted your head, raising your brows.

“Certainly.” You nodded, and she fiddled with her hands nervously.

“Is there anything that, um, can help a wolf control wolfing out?” She asked tentatively. You thought for a moment, looking at her.

“There are certain, very, very mild and specific tinctures that can be made with wolfsbane to try to prevent ‘wolfing out’ is that what you mean?” You asked her. She shook her head, clearly uncomfortable.

“What about to bring it on?” She asked you. You tilted your head, thinking for a moment.

“Yarrow has been used to help prolong transformations, but inciting one is a different and more complex task.” You sighed, trying to think of a better answer.

“Right, well, forget I asked.” She hurried, rushing towards the door.

“Miss Sinclair!” You called out, and she stopped, turning to you guiltily. “If you’re having trouble, there are many paths to be taken, not to mention-“

“I don’t want to go to conversion camp!” The girl yelled, and your eyes went wide, your hands twitching at the idea. Your heart dropped.

“No, nor would I ever suggest that.” You said, and she looked to you strangely. “I’m an herbalist, not a barbarian.” You said with a slightly sardonic smile. She looked relieved, almost like she had expected you to send her to one for even mentioning having difficulty.

“That’s, nice.” She said. You nodded.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a bit different, Miss Sinclair. If you’d like to talk about it sometime, my door is open.” You offered gently. She nodded, smiling lightly.

“That, that would be nice.” She said. You nodded.

“You’ll have to tell me your favorite tea for the occasion.” You smiled, and she nodded, thanking you again before skipping out of the room.

You set about looking over small little questionare’s you had students fill out for their first day. Most of it was simple things, their name, if they had taken a full semester of a similar course before, if they had any at home experience, if they felt they enjoyed working with plants, things like that. You began doing your best to try to understand each student, what they wanted from your short time here, anything you could. After all, you liked to learn, and this was an excellent way to do so.

You took off your gloves, allaying them next to you and penning through the papers, making small notes here and there. After an hour or so you began to hear something, the sound was faint at first, but unmistakable. You smiled as you flicked your hands, manipulating the vines you had intricately placed around many of the windows to open a few, letting the serenade in.

You loved it when Wednesday played, it was perhaps one of your favorite things in the world. You loved that she had something she could get lost in. You smiled to yourself, tapping your foot to the beat while you worked.

A knock sounded at your door a few minutes later, and you looked up, folding down the paper you currently had and reaching for your gloves.

“Come in!” You called, slipping one on. You hadn’t turned any lights on in the greenhouse other than the small lamp at your desk, meaning it was mostly dark when you saw white blonde hair duck through your doorway. You stared up in amazement as the moon shown down upon the headmistress, lighting her up. She was gorgeous, glowing even. Your breath hitched, and you watched as she waited unsure by the door as you had frozen with one glove on.

“Don’t move.” You whispered, and she looked to you strangely as you stood slowly, adjusting your angle. She was concerned, you could tell, but with the way she looked you couldn’t bring yourself to break the moment. You listened to Wednesday playing, to the breeze blowing by as the plants in the conservatory tussled slightly from the open windows. You basked in her glow in the moonlight, holding the picture a moment longer before you sighed, shaking your head and beckoning the woman in before you slipped on your other glove.

“Are you alright?” She asked you, and you nodded.

“Fine, simply a shame I can’t paint, a sketch of that moment wouldn’t do you justice.” You said softly, picking up your materials and turning on another lamp as you stood. Her jaw dropped a little.

“Excuse me?” She breathed, and you laughed a bit at yourself, you were likely going to get yourself fired, but to hell with it.

“Have you ever seen a night-blooming cereus?” You asked her, and she shook her head, walking slowly over to the desk. The way your mind bounced from thing to thing was certain to give her whiplash, but she loved it in a way, the wildness in you. “It’s a sort of cross between a cactus and an orchid. It only blooms one night a year in the middle of the desert. The way the light hit your hair, it reminded me of that.” You hummed, smiling as you pulled out a sketchbook you had stored in the desk.

“You think I look like a cactus?” The woman asked, raising a brow. You chuckled, beckoning her closer as you flipped through the pages, identifying the one you wanted.

“Here she is.” You breathed, showing her a beautiful picture of the flower, along with your sketch and notes next to it.

“Oh.” She breathed, and you laughed a little, nodding. 

“Mhm.” You smirked. “She’s absolutely stunning. They say that people used to go mad wandering out into the desert at night to watch her bloom. Having seen it myself I would say I would certainly sacrifice a bit of my sanity to watch.” You smiled, and the woman leaned a little closer. You handed her the journal, standing and working your way to the windows, closing them slowly. 

“This is, stunning.” She breathed, and you nodded. 

“It is.” You agreed, making a mental note to show her one sometime, if you could. They were difficult, the situation must be right for you to properly bloom one. “That particular species is called ‘Queen of the night’ it’s by far the most striking, in my opinion.” You explained. The woman began to flip through the journal, looking at the other types you had cataloged. 

“Where did you get this? The sketches are beautiful.” She murmured. You blushed a bit, turning to face her after you finished with the windows. 

“That’s mine, I wrote it myself during some of my travels.” You said, and her eyes lit up in amazement. 

“You’ve seen all of these?” She asked you, and you nodded, walking back to your desk and leaning against it. 

“I have, and a few other books full too.” You smiled. “Do you like flowers, Larissa?” You teased her, and the woman blushed and scoffed at the statement. 

“Don’t be silly.” She reprimanded you, but you shrugged, a mischievous smile lighting up your face.

“No, please, tell me, what’s your favorite?” You smirked, and she closed the journal, eyeing you carefully.

“I feel as though this is some sort of test.” She said, and you shook your head in ernest. 

“No, I’m simply curious. Although I will admit sometimes you can tell something about a person by it. You shrugged. 

“I already took your questionnaire during your first class, Miss Ophelia.” She reminded you, and your brows shot up. 

“Yes, you did.” You smiled, walking around the desk and shuffling through papers for a bit. “Ah, here we are.” You hummed, finding the paper with a name not on the roster. “Alright, you do have precious botany experience, good.” You smiled, looking up at the woman for a moment. She seemed to be accepting your antics for now, something you found quite charming. “You do garden occasionally and your favorite flower is, oh.” You smiled, blushing a bit at the paper. “Juliet roses.” You hummed. “A rarity, but a beautiful one. Almost impossible to keep.” You chuckled, shaking your head. 

“I’m aware.” The woman sighed. “I attempted to grow a few of them once, it did not end well.” She sighed. You smiled and hummed a bit of a laugh. Your smile faded after a moment, and you sighed, taking a deep breath in preparation. 

“I also must apologize for my outburst earlier, it was highly inappropriate of me.” You said. The woman shook her head, but you cut her off from any protest before she could even attempt one. “No, it was. It had to do with my own personal issues and not at all with you, and I am sorry that I lashed out.” You said calmly, and she thought for a moment. 

“I, accept your apology, Miss Florere.” She said gently. You raised a brow, nodding. 

“Thank you, Miss Weems.” You smiled back, and she relaxed slightly. “Allow me to make it up to you?” You asked her, and she shook her head, waving you off. 

“Nothing to worry about, I understand.” She said, but you stood, walking around the desk again and to her. 

“I insist, please, I promise it will be worth your while.” You smirked, and she swallowed, whatever you had in mind was certainly going to be something she hadn’t thought of. If she knew one thing about you it was the fact that she never knew exactly what you were thinking. She knew she should say no, yet she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she said yes? What would you do? 

“I- what exactly did you have in mind?” She asked you, and you just smirked and shrugged, much to her annoyance. 

“Oh, nothing, nothing too interesting.” You teased, and she scoffed at your mischief, yet she couldn’t help the slight blush that formed on her cheeks when she thought of what all you might do. 

“If, and that is if, I accept, then you must first have tea with me to discuss your first day here at Nevermore.” She countered. You prentended to think about it only for a moment before you nodded, happily agreeing. Heaven help you, you might do anything the woman asked of you. You barely knew her, but the way she enchanted you, the way she could exist with such grace and beauty simply blew you away. 

You turned off the lights and followed the woman to her office, standing as she went about making the tea.

“How do you like it?” She asked you, and you smiled. 

“Cream and bit of honey please, my sweet tooth isn’t as bad as my sisters.” You said with a smile, and Larissa laughed a touch. 

“Sit.” The woman gestured to the couch, and you did, happily sitting in the corner of it, your gloved hands folded into your lap. She came to join you, handing you the teacup and sitting down next to you. “So, your first day, how was it?” She breathed, looking to you expectantly. You smiled, shaking your head a little. 

“Well you were there for my first class, but I enjoyed it, it’s been a long time since I’ve taught those who are newer to the subject, they’re still fresh, excited.” You smiled, and the woman nodded. She watched you speak, you spoke with your hands when you were alone together, which surprised her a bit. 

You gestured about as she watched you, her eyes trained on your covered hands. She had seen what they looked like, but they still intrigued her, they were so soft, so warm, so strong. She wondered what they would feel like on her skin, not just her tracing them, but holding her, your hands on her face, her back, her shoulder, would you be gentle, or forceful and rushed? She thought you would be gentle, but she had seen the fire in you, the passion, before. She had no doubt you could use it if you really wanted to. 

“Larissa?” You hummed softly, and she snapped out of it, her eyes jumping to your own as she realized she’d been caught. “You’re staring.” You chuckled, and she blushed, shaking her head. 

“I’m so sorry, I- it is highly inappropriate-“ She began, mortified by herself, but you cut her off when you placed your gloved hand gently over hers. 

“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” You smiled a bit. “It’s not every day a beautiful woman stares at me.” You chuckled, and she blushed a bit, looking away from you. You blinked a few times, swallowing as you adjusted yourself. You pulled away a bit, putting some distance between you. “I’ve made you uncomfortable.” You sighed, mentally cursing yourself. Of course you had, you barely knew the woman for God’s sake. 

“No! You haven’t I just, I am curious.” She said softly. You turned back to her, furrowing your brows slightly. 

“About what?” You asked her, and she swallowed. 

“Your visions, sharing them, how does it work? Can you control it? Can you choose to show people things? Why did I see that memory? Could you show me others? Are there ones you’re scared of?” She rushed, and you breathed in slowly, taking her hand to quiet her. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t-“ she began, but you shook your head. 

“I told you to ask Larissa, I meant it.” You said softly. “I can share visions or memories with a touch if I choose to, under normal circumstances I can control it, however with certain individuals it can be extremely difficult. My sister, for instance, and I, are extremely close in terms of ability, despite our differences, so when we touch, quite often we transfer things. With you, I beleive it was because of the fact that my pollen has been used on you before, but I have no way to be positive. I can choose to show people things if I wish, and I don’t know why that memory came when you touched me, they often come of their own accord. I am capable of showing you others, and of course there are ones I would rather keep to myself, from anyone.” You explained, answering all her questions. She nodded, swallowing as she looked at your gloved hands. You sighed, shaking your head. You slipped them off, slowly revealing the blackened skin beneath them, the strong yet delicate fingers, the slightly macabre beauty. 

“What would you like to see?” You asked her. Her eyes went wide, glancing from your hands to you. 

“I couldn’t,” she protested, but you shook your head. 

“It’s alright, I have good control of it when I’m expecting it, I don’t mind. Not with you.” You said gently. Her eyes widened, you didn’t mind with her. There was something different about her. It made her heart flutter a bit as she realized you trusted her, you would let her if she asked. You smiled, “I know what you would like, actually.” You chuckled. “Want to see the queen of the night?” You asked her, a slight smirk on your face. She couldn’t help the interest at the idea. 

“Are you sure?” She asked you, and you nodded, extending your hand to her. She hesitated still.

“It won’t be as rough as last time, just take my hand and follow me, let go, let it wash over you.” You said softly. She swallowed, slowly slipping her hand into yours. You met her eyes, grey meeting ice blue. Your hand was warm in her touch, hers were always cold, but you, you were warm, vital. “Are you ready?” You asked her, and she swallowed, nodding a bit. 

“Yes, take me.” She whispered. Your breath stuttered, your eyes going wide as you blushed. This time it was red flowers that bloomed in your hair, and her own cheeks stained with red as she realized what she had said. “I mean, I-“ She stuttered, but you just swallowed, closing your eyes and leaning your head back. 

She watched as you took a deep breath, before your entire body seemed to be pulled up almost, your heart rising in a way. Your back arched beautifully as your chest was left on display. The thin sweater only slipped down enough to show your collarbones, yet it was certainly enough to grab the headmistress’s attention, and the way you threw your head back. 

She bit her lip as she felt the internal pull, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she felt her mind be pulled down into her body, before flying freely into you. She was standing in a desert, a few feet from you as you kneeled in the sand. 

“Professora, this is her.” A man called, and you nodded, digging into your bag to pull out your field journal. It was quiet, late at night, as the moon rose silently. 

“Gracias, señor. Muchas gracias.” You nearly giggled. She took note of the loose clothing you wore, the haram pants and light fabric of your shirt blowing in the slight breeze. It smelled warm, hot out here in the dessert, and she stepped closer, watching in amazement as she moved through a living memory. She could practically feel your excitement, and watched as you pulled back your wild curls, a few still falling in your face. The woman watched in amazement as you turned your entire attention to the plant in front of you, an odd looking thing with a large white flower bud hanging off it.

“Professora, we might not be alone, I don’t know how long we can stay.” The man said nervously, and you shook your head. 

“I have to see this Señor, I have to.” You said, already writing wildly in your journal. Larissa watched as the man became increasingly more nervous and jumpy. 

“We are not in good lands, this is cartel territory señora.” The man said nervously. You shook your head. 

“You don’t have to stay, thank you for bringing me here, thank you so much, but you don’t have to stay if you are worried señor.” You said. The man swallowed, looking to you. 

“It is twelve miles to the next town!” He whisper yelled, and you nodded. 

“I know, I’ll be all right.” You said, still not looking up from your work. 

“In the desert señora!” He protested. 

“I will be alright, you have your money, if you are worried, go.” You said, and the man groaned, cursing in Spanish before running off. You chuckled as you sat in the sand, watching the plant with everything. You still wore gloves, even in the dessert, she noticed, but as the man left you ripped them off, revealing your hands. She stepped closer, slowly sinking into the sand next to you, normally she would hate the feeling, however in your memory it almost felt, pleasent. You turned to her, blinking slowly at the woman. 

“Who are- oh,” You breathed, smiling. “I’m showing this to you, aren’t I?” You asked her, and she nodded. 

“Do you not- do you know me?” She asked, and you narrowed your eyes a bit. 

“Let’s see, you’re tall, stunningly gorgeous, white hair that glows in the moon and you’re looking at me like I have three heads. Must be Larissa Weems.” You chuckled, turning back to your flower. She gasped at you. 

“So you don’t know where you are right now?” She asked, and you tilted your head from side to side. 

“I can still feel my body, and I know certain things instinctually, but my mind is mostly that of this time.” You said, and she nodded slowly. 

“Incredible.” She breathed, and you smiled, laughing a little as you turned back to the flower. 

“Let’s skip to the good part then,” you said, your face lit up in excitement. Larissa watched amazed as the world seemed to speed up around you, you were manipulating time in your own vision. 

“Oh my god, this is, this is incredible,” She whispered, and you smiled as you nodded towards the flower. She watched it bloom, sped up by you. The petals opened in the moonlight, a sweet scent flooding the air as she gasped in amazement. “Gorgeous.” She breathed, and you smiled as you continued to sketch, seemingly content to just have her there. It was odd, interacting with you in this way, but she couldn’t bring herself to care as she watched the night unfold, the stars lighting up the sky as the flower bloomed, the both of you sitting in the warm desert sand. It must have been hours. She stayed until the first light of dawn was showing, when you finally turned to her again. 

“It’s time to go now.” You said softly, and Larissa looked to you in a slight panic. 

“But, I- this is amazing I don’t want-“ you shook your head, taking her hand. 

“We can love our visions and memories, but if we live in them, we kill the present.” You said softly. She gulped at the feeling of your hand on her skin, and you looked down, to your hands together. “Oh, I see.” You said softly. “It’s less scary when it doesn’t feel real?” You asked her, and she furrowed her brows. “I can feel your emotion, Larissa.” You said softly, and she gasped, pulling away in embarrassment. “You don’t have to be afraid, I can keep it here with me if you like, it can stay in this vision.” You said softly. She swallowed. 

“What do you mean?” She asked you, and you smiled knowingly. 

“We are connected here, together, as one. I can feel the things you feel, but if you don’t want the ‘real’ me to know, then I don’t have to.” You said softly. 

“To- to know what?” She swallowed, and you raised a brow. 

“Ah, so you don’t even know yet, interesting.” You smiled. “Until next time.” You said softly, and her eyes went wide, reaching for the vision version of you. 

“Wait!” She called, but blackness overtook her again. She felt like she was falling, unsure, careening through nothingness, until she felt something warm under her cheek. She breathed slowly, focusing on the feeling. Softness, warmth, there was a familiarity to it. She breathed slowly as she calmed down, holding onto the feeling.

“Larissa,” she heard your voice say. It was soft, almost far away. Then she felt a hand brush over her back. Her eyes opened slowly in confusion, her head swimming a bit. “Hello there, you didn’t want to come out of that one, it seems.” You said softly. She pinched her brows together. 

“I thought you said it was easy.” She hissed slightly, and you chuckled.

“I said it was easy if you let it wash over you, allow it to happen. You fought me.” You laughed a little. The laugh shook her, and it was then she realized that she was laying on your chest, her face tucked into your neck. 

“Oh my god.” She whispered, and you bit back another laugh. “Miss Ophelia, I’m so sorry-“ she immediately sat up, bracing her arms on the couch underneath her, unfortunately, this put her arms on either side of you, and she quickly became aware she was essentially pinning you to the couch. 

Pulling her head away meant her face was now directly in front of you, so close she could see the flecks of silver in your grey eyes. She froze, hovering above you, her face inches from yours. Her breath caught. You were stunning. You looked at her as if she were all the stars in the sky as your heart pounded in your chest. Part of you felt terrified she would feel it, but the last thing you wanted her to do was move. She stared down at you in shock, her eyes glancing back and forth between your own. She saw the surprise in them, but she also saw how they darkened. 

You looked at her like you wanted her, but you couldn’t, it had to be a trick of the light. You were flirtatious, like your sister, nothing more. It had to be. She barely knew you, but something felt so right about it, something in her made her ache to close the gap between you. 

“Are you alright?” You whispered softly, your voice trembling slightly. She glanced down at your lips. They looked so soft, would they be warm too, like your hands? She wanted to ask, she wanted to find out. But you were a teacher, Morticia’s sister for God’s sake. She pulled away, not noticing how you leaned up a little at the loss as she looked away.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” She said, looking away as she blushed, not noticing the flowers that once again bloomed in red in your hair.

Chapter Text

You were grading homework in the conservatory, a bit after dinner, tapping your pen across papers as your mind wandered. The woman was killing you. Larissa Weems would be the death of you. She was your sister’s former roommate, former lover, actually, and was entirely off limits. Yet something about her had your heart picking up every time the woman looked at you.

You felt yourself blush and went back to your work, attempting to focus once more. That however, seemed to not be in the cards for you.

The doors burst open, and you looked up, seeing a very concerned Enid. It was odd for the girl to come to you, you had only interacted twice out of class, one time of which she was unconscious, until you realized that she would come to you if Wednesday was in trouble. You stood, immediately putting the papers inside your desk and pulling on your gloves.

“What happened?” You asked her, and she panicked.

“Her grandparents, I don’t know, they took her to headmistress Weems office! I don’t know what’s happening but it’s not good Miss Ophelia!” She rushed, you stormed out of the conservatory, of course they would come.

“Thank you, Miss Sinclair, I will take care of this.” You gritted, striding up to Larissa’s office at a breakneck pace.

You could hear Larissa speaking through the door, she was frustrated, but that was nothing compared to what they were about to experience.

“I’m sorry but you cannot simply take Miss Addams from campus without her parents’ explicit permission-“ she was trying to pacify them, explain it calmly. You on the other hand, would not.

You slammed open the doors to find Wednesday glaring at her grandmother, Larissa looking very concerned behind the desk, and Mr. Frump himself looking at you murderously.

“Auntie!” Wednesday shouted, running to you instantly. You grabbed ahold of the girl, holding her close as you tried to calm yourself. This would not be pleasant.

“You storm in here like an animal, after all the schooling we gave to you! You would think you would learn.” Your mother glared distainfully.

“Gave is one way of putting it, school is another.” You bit back.

“You cannot expect learning from a backwards whore, Hester.” Your father gritted. Classy.

You steeled yourself, standing tall. You shifted your gaze to your niece, smiling softly. It would be ok, you would make it ok. You would protect her.

“I’m not going with them.” She said, and you nodded. You had to be calm, you would be calm until Wednesday was no longer there. You would hold it together, even if they wouldn’t.

“I know, you won’t have to, I’ll take care of it.” You swallowed. “Wednesday, I need you to go to my classroom and stay there. Do not open the door unless myself, your mother, or the headmistress comes to collect you, understood?” You asked her. She nodded. “Take Enid.” You added, looking to the blonde standing at the door nervously. She nodded again, running off as you shut the door behind them.

“How dare you-“ your father spat, before you fixed him with a glare that even made Larissa shudder. That, was new.

“No, how dare you.” You spat. “You know very well you are not allowed anywhere NEAR that child without her parents present, or need I remind you what happens?” You nearly growled. Your father stepped towards you. 

“We are her grandparents, we are your parents!” He yelled, and you stilled. The calm you showed was terrifying. Larissa had seen you frustrated, even angry, but this, this was cold, calm, cutting. This was deadly.

“You are not my parents. You may have birthed me, but are not my parents, you did not earn that title. You do not get anything from me or from my niece simply because you share blood.” You gritted, nearly laughing at them. 

“She is a raven, and with this past year’s events, not to mention YOUR presence-“ you mother began, only for you to cut her off. 

“You will not lay a hand on her. She will remain under this school’s protection, under her mother’s protection, under MY protection, Mrs. Frump.” You spat. The cold distain you held for the woman clear. Larissa couldn’t speak, only watching what transpired in shock.  This is how they treated you, their child, this is what they thought of you.

“She will need correcting, unless her mother wants her to end up like you.” The woman spat. You raised your brows. Larissa fumed.

“Like me? Like me?” You scoffed. 

“If you must know, Mrs. Frump, I hold two doctorate degrees, have taught in universities across the globe, won countless awards for my work in the world of botany, published books that are now used as standard reading practice and others still as textbooks.” You said, scarily calmly. “I also happen to have honorary degrees from multiple universities and make enough on passive income to put you two shame, so thank you, I hope she does end up like me. Successful, strong, and happy.” You smiled. Your mother walked up to you, and Larissa’s breath caught, the woman was fine with getting in your face, it seems. 

“Your fancy letters mean nothing, you have nothing to show for it. You have no husband, no children, no family. You are a curse on ours, and will be a curse on this school.” She spat. You raised a brow. How odd the woman hated you so, with everything you had accomplished in your life, yet it would never be enough. It would never be what she wanted.

“In fact, we might just have to recind our annual donation if this is the type of teacher you hire, Miss Weems.” Your father snarked, turning to her. Larissa went wide eyed for a moment before panicking. That, she had to interfere with. Before this had been personal, she was an outsider, but now, now this was her school you were talking about.

“I’m sure there’s a way we can resolve this, Mr. and Mrs. Frump, please im certain-“ 

“Don’t. Threaten her.” You said calmly, and all eyes snapped to you. You were in between the two of them in a second. He could take shots at you, sure, but not her. “You will not threaten her, actually. You can’t.” You smiled coldly. The man stared at you, anger blooming in his face and body. He wanted to kill you.

“I’m not an idiot, Mr. Frump. You can’t afford to threaten her.” You smiled. “You think I would have even considered taking a position here if you could jeopardize the institution? Let’s see, I take a temporary position at a school you bolster, you donate what, 10,000 a year? 20,000?” You mocked. “Oh wait, I know exactly what you donate.” You said, your smile dropping. “You give 15,000 a year to this school, something I happen to know because you, Mr. Frump, have a crippling gambling addiction, to the point where your mother left her money to her oldest granddaughter as opposed to you, and who would that be?” You asked. “Oh! That would be me.” You said calmly. “You run the family coffers dry and her estate sends you a yearly allowance, 15,000 of which you donate to this here school, around 50,000 of which you waste, and the rest goes to attempting to prove to your wife you are on top of everything, does that sound about right, Mr. Frump?” You asked him with a smile. 

“You bitch.” He growled as Hester looked to him in shock. 

“Darling, is she-“ Your mother started, only to be cut off as you spit out her title.

“Yes, I am telling the truth, ma’am.” You snapped. “Furthermore, if you recind your donation, if would be no issue for me to match it. I could double it actually, very, very easily.” You smiled, the viciousness in you something Larissa wasn’t familiar with. It was terrifying, you could be cold, calculated, it gave the warmth you so freely gave her so much more meaning. “However, I would much rather keep things simple, so if you would like to continue receiving the amount you receive from my grandmother’s estate, I highly suggest you apologize to Miss Weems and escort yourself off campus.” You said coldly. Your father growled. 

“You don’t get to threaten me you ungrateful bitch!” He yelled, lunging forward and wrapping his hands around your throat. You choked, ripping him off of you and pushing him back, just in time for him to punch you square across the face. You slumped to the ground, Larissa gasping as your mother cried out as she held him back. She couldn’t lay hands on a family member of a student, even if it was estranged. She certainly couldn’t do anything to a benefactor. She froze in horror as she watched him, the rage the man felt taking over.

“Darling don’t!” Your mother cried, and you held out your hand as vines erupted from your palm, wrapping around the man and holding him back. You gasped for air, he had hit you hard, plenty hard enough to cause problems. You stood slowly, wiping the blood from your nose with your free hand as you rose to your feet. He made you bleed, he made you bleed and Larissa saw red. Her hands balled into fists and you caught her eyes for a moment. There was pain there, you were hurt, but the minute shake of your head told her all she needed to know. You would handle this, you would make it better. You had her. Even now, you were in control. You didn’t even bother to look at your mother, only to the man who had been brought to his knees by your power. 

“If you lay another hand on me I will release a portfolio of information that will make sure you are never permitted within five hundred feet of any child, let alone your grandchildren ever again.” You said lowly. “You will rot in prison for the rest of your miserable lives knowing that it was your own actions that put you there, and that you will never, ever see the little that is left of your family every again.” You spat. The both of them stared at you in shock. They knew you had everything you needed to put them away, but you had never threatened it before. For Morticia’s sake, as long as they didn’t harm anyone else, you let them be. Yet this time was different. This time you stared at them with cold, dark, rage as blood dripped down your face. You meant it, if they came here again, they would be dealt with.

You flicked your hand, releasing the vines, letting the man up. “Do not confuse me sparing you for the sake of my sister with mercy. I will not hesitate to bring you both down if you lay a hand on either of her children.” You spat. 

“Ophelia-“ your mother tried, but you turned away, taking off your ruined gloves. 

“Get out.” You gritted. They hesitated for a moment. “Get out!” You yelled, and the both of them hurried away, rushing from the room. You went silently to the window, watching as they rushed into their car and away for good. You sighed, your hands shaking slightly as you calmed. Larissa stared at you, slowly stepping closer. You were shaking, you were hurt. Yet still, you kept up a sense of strength somehow.

“Ophelia…” Larissa said quietly, but you just turned, shaking your head. She could see the pain on your face, even if you refused to feel it.

“I- I have to get to Wednesday.” You said, immediately rushing towards your conservatory. The woman followed you, calling out your name, but you ignored her, speeding up until you pounded on the doors of the conservatory, calling out for your niece. 

“Wednesday, it’s your aunt.” You said firmly, and the girl ripped open the door, looking up at you. You could see the moment worry hit her face. For such a stoic, she did care deeply.

“You’re bleeding.” She breathed, her brows lifting slightly. You sighed, shaking your head. 

“I’m fine, nothing an ice pack can’t fix.” You sighed, and she looked up to you in fear. 

“What is Newflight?” She asked you, the worry clear on her face. You froze, taking a deep breath before you pulled the girl close, into you. Wednesday stiffened, but let you. She knew you well enough. You notoriously weren’t scared by anything, but even you had cracks in your facade. Larissa watched as you clutched onto her like she might be dragged away any second. This was fear, she realized, true, heart stopping fear.

“Somewhere you will never go Wednesday, ever.” You said, your voice just on the edge of breaking. 

“Auntie, what is it?” She asked you, and you let her go, sniffing back tears as you tried to put a calm look on your face. Larissa could see you breaking, she could see the fear, the pain. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good. She fought the urge to go to you, to pull you away from this, from the pain, and hold you close until it was gone. She couldn’t though, even if you accepted physical affection from anyone other than your niece, it wasn’t her place. She was the headmistress right now, not anything else.

“It is a place people used to send ravens, like you and I, many years ago.” You sighed. “It is designed to pacify them, but it normally ends in their death, or worse,” You said lowly. Finding the words was still hard, even after all these years. “A complete separation of their power, it drives them mad until they are nothing but a broken shell of a body.” You swallowed. Wednesday looked to you in fear. “Your mother will never let you be sent to such a place, nor will I, no matter what your grandparents say, I promise you.” You said, your voice once again taking on the firm tone of promise that Larissa knew. That, you had conviction in. The way you protected those you loved, she wondered what that felt like. If they felt safe. She thought she would. 

“But what if-“ Wednesday began, but you cut her off.

“Wednesday I will burn what is left of that place to the ground before anyone there lays a hand on you.” You gritted, and she nodded, her eyes widening as she realized you meant it. Your head was pounding, you had used your ability to stop the bleeding, but you knew it would start again soon. You didn’t have much time if you didn’t want to scare the girl. “I have to call your mother, but it’s going to be ok Wednesday, I promise.” You said, and the girl nodded. You looked to Enid, who came up to her friend, taking her hand. 

“Come on, let’s get ready for bed, we have that project to work on, remember?” She asked, and Wednesday nodded slowly, taking her friend’s hand and going. 

“Ophelia?” She turned, just before she reached the door. 

“Yes, darling?” You asked her, and she looked so young in that moment you thought you might break. She was too young, it didn’t matter that you were younger, this was too much. 

“I’m glad you’re here.” She said softly, and you nodded, smiling gently at the girl. 

“I’m always here darling, whenever you need, just a call away.” You promised. She nodded, finally leaving the room with her friend. 

As soon as the door shut you choked, bending over and gasping. Larissa looked to you wide eyed as you turned around, pulling a handkerchief from your pocket and holding it to your face, coughing and spitting out blood as tears came to your eyes. 

“Oh my- Ophelia!” She rushed, stepping over to you and taking the cloth from you, sitting you down on your desk as she wiped away the blood, her hand wrapping around your jaw gently. Fuck your aversion to touch, you were hurt. “I didn’t know it was this bad.” She breathed, and you groaned a little as she held you up. 

“I used goldenrod pollen, it stops bleeding for a bit.” You muttered, closing your eyes as tears ran down your face. 

“You’re hurt.” She choked, she didn’t know it was this bad, you had hidden it so well, too well. “come on, let’s get you some ice.” She breathed. You nodded, your head swimming a bit as the adrenaline faded. 

“Fucker hit me hard, damn bastard still has one hell of a hook.” You whispered, and the woman helped you to your feet, slowly leading you to the door. 

“Still…“ she realized, and you held the handkerchief to your face. 

“He choked me in front of you, he went for me in your office for hell’s sake, you really think that’s the first time he’s hit me?” You asked her. She swallowed, staring at you for a moment. She saw red. Pure rage filtered through her. She gritted her teeth, sneering before she bent down, picking you up and storming to her quarters. 

“Larissa!” You yelped, but she just held you close, you wrapped your arms around her as she carried you through the halls, your head spinning at being hit or the proximity, you couldn’t tell. 

She opened the door to her living space, setting you down on a couch before disappearing into what you could only assume was a bathroom. 

“Well that’s one way to sweep a woman off her feet.” You quipped, and the woman nearly growled. She appeared again with a wet cloth this time, sitting down on the couch next to you and cleaning off your face. The bleeding was stopping, but still the woman seethed as she cleaned you up. It was quiet for a moment. You tilted your head back, trying not to stare as she touched you. She was gentle, so gentle it barely hurt. Your breath hitched as she worked, the silence settling between you two as her anger faded.

“They sent you there, didn’t they?” She asked you. You hummed, your eyes slipping closed as the cold compress eased the slight ache. 

“Yes.” You breathed, swallowing down the ache of it. “I need to call my sister.” You swallowed. 

“You need to rest.” She corrected you, “I’ll call her.” She said, standing and getting her phone from somewhere. 

“You don’t know what to say!” You hollared from the couch, only to hear the woman scoff and put her phone on speaker. It rang a few times before you heard your sister’s voice. 

“Larissa, what a pleasent surprise.” She purred, and you rolled your eyes. “Here I thought you had abandoned me.” She hummed, and you scoffed. 

“Morticia if you flirt with your former roommate while you’re on speaker I will hang myself on your porch.” You yelled, and you heard the woman laugh. 

“Hello little sister.” You could hear her smiling through the phone.

“I’m three hours older and you know it, now shut up, we actually have something important to talk about.” You gritted, and the woman laughed again. 

“Is my dear Issa actually there or have you stolen her phone?” She asked, and Larissa rolled her eyes, annoyed by the nickname. 

“Yours, my ass. We both know you were a bitch, let it go.” You shot, and your sister huffed. 

“Can you blame me?” She asked you, and you scoffed.

“Yes, yes I can.” You retorted, and you practically heard the eye roll.

“Come now, you’ve seen her, she was so gorgeous, so pristine, such a challenge.” Your sister mused, and you swallowed down the urge to throw the phone into the fireplace, it wasn’t yours, after all.

“Gorgeous, yes. Pristine, quite possibly. A challenge? She’s a person, Morticia. Even for you, that was, that was cruel.” You said, a touch of anger seeping through your voice. Larissa’s breath hitched beside you, and you swallowed, looking back at her. Her face was red as can be, and you wanted to bury your face in a pillow as you realized the implications of what you had said. She held the same flustered look until she realized Morticia had indeed asked a question. 

“I’m here, unfortunately your sister is someone incapacitated.” She sighed, her face getting slightly more serious as she looked at you, worry showing. 

“Did you tie her up? I don’t think anyone’s ever done it successfully, but I’d love to see you try.” Morticia teased, and you sighed, closing your eyes in exhaustion. 

“You have to stay awake until I’m certain your don’t have a concussion.” Larissa hissed, setting the phone down on the table and sitting next to you again. 

“Concussion? Ophelia, are you alright?” You heard your sister say, much more serious now. 

“Yes, I’m fine, it’s nothing terrible, I’ll be fine.” You sighed. 

“It is not fine that your father stormed into my office and assaulted-“ you slammed your hand over Larissa’s mouth before she could continue, her eyes bugging out of her skull at your uncovered skin pressed against her face. Your fingers were on her lips, on her.

“Father, father hit you?” Your sister asked. You heard her shift, she must have been moving somewhere more private. “Why would he hit you? He was there? He was at Nevermore?” She hissed, and you sighed. 

“He knows, Tich, they know about Wednesday.” You said tiredly. You heard her gasp on the other side of the phone, just as you heard her clamp her hand over her own mouth to silence it. 

“No.” She whispered. “But he, he wouldn’t, they wouldn’t.” She stuttered. 

“It’s fine, I was here, and they won’t come back. They know they can’t touch her without your permission, but they tried, Tich.” You said, your voice betraying a bit of the pain you felt. Larissa pulled your hand from her face, staring at you in worry as you sat back, trying to find the words. You didn’t even react to her touch, you just allowed her. She blushed as she realized you had only ever interacted this way with Wednesday, everyone else you kept a distance from or were very aware if they were touching you. With her you just let her hold your hand as you spoke on.

“I doubt they’ll try again, they think it’s what she needs, they don’t want her to end up like, well, you know.” You sighed, and Morticia took a shuddering breath on the other side of the phone. 

“We’re coming home. Now. They wouldn’t have done this if we hadn’t left the country.” She said, and you hissed as you sat up more. Fuck, your head hurt.

“It’s not your fault Tich, they- it’s not your fault.” You said quietly. It was then that your sister really heard your voice, the pain in it. 

“You’re hurt.” She said softly. 

“I’ll be fine. It wasn’t bad.” You tried to calm her. 

“I know when you’re lying.” She said, and you hummed. 

“I’m not, I can deal with a punch every now and then.” You sighed. “It’s not like we were alone. Even if we were, he doesn’t have the power anymore. I’m not little, Tich, I can defend myself.” You reminded her. She hummed, clearly distracted. “I can defend Wednesday too. They have no grounds to take her, no right to. As long as I’m here they won’t try again.” You said, and she sniffed. 

“I- Im sorry,” She whispered. You inhaled deeply. 

“Tich, don’t-“ you tried, but she kept going. 

“I’m sorry I let them, you shouldn’t have gone, I can’t imagine, sending Wednesday- Wednesday can’t go there, she can’t- I- Ophelia she can’t!” She rushed, and you hushed her. 

“She’s with me, Tich. She’s at Nevermore for hell’s sake! This is the best place she could possibly be. She’s protected. Believe me, I wouldn’t want to get on Larissa’s bad side.” You teased, and Morticia chuckled a bit. 

“No, no I don’t think you would.” She said. You hummed, nodding despite the fact the woman couldn’t see you. “We’ll come home, I want to see you.” She said, and you sighed. 

“If you’d like.” You replied. She scoffed, and you smiled a bit. 

“I trust Issa is treating you well?” She teased. The woman once again rolled her eyes, making you smirk and raise a brow at her. She blushed, and you chuckled at the response. 

“Very well, even with just your letters I could always tell she was the nicer one.” You smirked, and your sister gasped, faking offense. 

“How dare you! You only say it because she’s pretty.” Morticia teased. You rolled your eyes. 

“Pretty doesn’t even begin and you know it. Now call your daughter, tell her you love her.” You instructed, and the woman giggled. 

“Oh, you do like my roommate, don’t you?” She teased, and you clenched your jaw. 

“Tich.” You warned. Larissa looked to you, her jaw slackening a bit. 

“You know I must say she is very-“ 

“Morticia.” You growled, another warning. 

“A shame really, she is pretty if you can get past-“ Morticia spoke, and Larissa cringed. The second she did it was over, your hand squeezing hers protectively. So this is what it felt like, your protection.

“Morticia Addams!” You yelled, and the woman stopped. “Firstly, ‘get past’ are you out of your goddamn mind? Jesus, she’s- not that I- fuck.” You groaned, and your sister laughed, only serving to spur you on. “Secondly! She’s not a toy, you fucking brat! You can’t just pass people around like- I, fuck my head hurts.” You groaned. “Too far, always too far Morticia. God, like Mother like daughter. Goodnight!” You gritted, and the woman laughed. 

“Goodnight.” She chuckled, before the phone hung up. You sighed, laying your head back on the couch. 

“She always has to take it too far.” You breathed, trying to relax as your head pounded. 

“I, thank you.” Larissa said softly, and you opened your eyes. Stars, she was gorgeous. Enchanting even. The light blush on her face had your own heart beating faster.

“You’re thanking me? I’m the one laying on your couch after you so courageously whisked me away.” You smiled, and she swallowed. 

“You know what I’m thanking you for.” She said softly, and you sighed, looking at the fire in her living room. 

“She’s wrong.” You sighed, already internally berating yourself. Larissa furrowed her brows, and you looked to her. “You’re not just pretty, pretty doesn’t even touch the beauty you hold.” You breathed, and she just stared at you. Yoh panicked as she remained silent. You went too far, just like your sister and niece. You looked back to the fire, anywhere but at the woman. “Apparently you run freezing too, because every room I’ve been in that’s yours is at least fifteen degrees hotter than the rest of the school.” You tried to joke, swallowing down the honesty you had just given her. You were tired, in pain, scared, you just needed to stop talking. 

“Ophelia,” she whispered, and you closed your eyes for a moment. You took a shaky breath before you looked back at her, you could do this. She was close, carefully looking at you for signs of something being wrong.

“Yes, Miss Weems?” You asked, and she swallowed. 

“You, you’re in pain, you were hit in the head, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” She quickly corrected, looking down, away from your grey eyes, threatening to pull her in. 

“God I’d love to meet whoever made you feel that way.” You sighed, staring at the woman in front of you. You couldn’t help it, it seemed, she just pulled the truth from you, your very heart singing words of honesty for her. “Clearly they must have been blind.” You whispered. She blushed, shaking her head still. “I should go.” You said, attempting to stand. She stopped you, her hand reaching around and holding you still. 

“You need to stay, you’re hurt.” She swallowed. You couldn’t go, not now. Not when you were so close, not when she felt like she was really looking at you, when she felt like you were really looking at her. 

“Not that hurt.” You tried to smile back. You went to get up again and again she kept you still. You looked to her, raising a brow. She still wouldn’t look at you. She couldn’t. She could just refuse to move and pray you didn’t push her away. You hummed, stilling slightly. “You’ve made me your prisoner then.” You tried to joke. It was all landing wrong, you had said too much, pushed her too far. 

It was silent for a moment as she thought, trying to find the words. You had to be kind like this to everyone, she rationalized, yet she hadn’t seen it. Still, she was your sister’s former, whatever she was. Lover? Certainly not ex. Morticia had never given her the privilege of being in a true relationship. She would string her along, sure, promise things, but nothing ever came of it, only heartbreak. You, on the other hand, said many beautiful things, but she couldn’t figure out why, she couldn’t figure out what you wanted.

“Why do you say things like that?” She asked you, and you sighed, unsure of what to say. 

“Say things like what?” You asked her. 

“Why do you call me beautiful? To tease me? Because you know what your sister and I did together? Why? What does it do for you?” She asked you, clenching her jaw. It hurt. Memories of what Morticia had done, the shame she made her feel, it hurt. She liked you, for some ungodly reason, but she couldn’t trust you, not yet.

“Oh,” you breathed. She thought you were teasing her. She thought it was some sort of trick, a conquest. There was a time when your sister had spoken of her like that. A time when everything was a game. “Oh she really did hurt you, didn’t she?” You whispered. You sighed, taking her hand. Larissa looked to you surprised. “Let me show you something?” You asked her, and she tried to pull back, shaking her head. 

“If this is more of your games-“ She began, she had been through enough already.

“Let me show you, please.” You repeated. She swallowed, staring at you hand. You waited, patiently, watching her. She waited for a moment, scanning your eyes, piercing into you, looking for any sign of a trap, of mockery, of I’ll intention. There was none, not that she could find, so she nodded. You smiled just a touch, and closed your eyes as the vision took you. 

Larissa felt the pull again, the feeling of her soul pulling down deep into her body before careening into you. There was a moment where she felt you, felt your heartbeat, your warmth, your comfort. If she could breathe in this space she would have gasped, would have cried. In that one moment, she knew what it was like to feel safe, to feel protected by you. Then it was over.

It was cold, and grey. That was the first thing Larissa noticed, and then she heard the screaming. She turned to see Morticia, not you, fighting off a man in a white orderly’s uniform. 

“Let me in! Let me in she’s my sister you pigheaded fuck!” She screamed. Larissa gasped as she watched Morticia scream and rage, fighting off the man, clawing at him, scratching at him, she almost looked feral. She couldn’t be more than sixteen. Larissa knew her then, always so calm and sultry, but this, this was like nothing she had ever seen. “I’ll fucking kill you!” She screamed, shoving the man back. He hit his head on the wall, slumping into the ground. 

Larissa gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as Morticia ignored him, ripping open a door and rushing inside. She followed her, but froze in the doorway. Her blood ran cold. It was a corpse, it had to be. She saw the normally wild red hair had lost its shine, it’s lustre, it was matted around your head. Your cheeks and eyes were sunken in to the point where there couldn’t have possibly been any life left. You were thin. Inhumanely thin, you looked like a skeleton. She watched as Morticia rushed to your side, grasping your hand. 

“Please, please Ophelia, fight it. Fight them.” She whispered. “Please, I- I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, I’m sorry.” She cried, Larissa watching in shock as you didn’t move. You were breathing, barely, but still. The only reason she believed you survived was that a part of her knew you were with her right now, in her rooms, your hands entwined. She realized in horror that you were strapped down, leather cuffs around your wrists keeping you there. She stepped closer, horrified by the living corpse laying in the bed. 

“Come on Ophelia, please, you have to keep fighting. I’m going to get you out of here, I promise. I’m going to get you out and, and you’re going to meet Gomez, and Larissa, and so many people. I’m going to show you Nevermore! And you can come to the Rave’n and everything, please, please wake up.” The young woman sobbed. Larissa watched as she clasped one of your hands, holding you tight. “Look into my mind, Ophelia, you can do it. Look, you’d love her, Larissa, you’d just love her, and Gomez, well, he and I will get married someday, but you don’t care about that. Look at her, Ophelia, she looks like your favorite, that’s what you would say, white irises, your favorite. Come on, please, just look. I know you know there’s still beauty out there, look!” She cried out. 

Larissa gaped at the scene. Morticia was taking about her. You were dying, and Morticia was talking about her. She saw your fingers move slightly in Morticia’s palm, you gripped onto her weakly, and the girl slumped forward, falling into the bed with you. It was silent for a moment, nothing but the two of you in the bed together, your sister clutching onto your hand. It was like the life had been sucked out of the room. Then your eyes fluttered open, they were dull, lifeless. You looked to your sister first, exhaustion clear on your face. 

“Thank you Tich.” You rasped, and Larissa gasped as she heard your voice. It was so broken. You looked at her then, your deadened eyes piercing her. The world stood still. This was the place, she realized. This is why you were scared. This is where they had sent you when Morticia went to Nevermore, this was Newflight.

“Ah,” you realized, and the tall woman thought she might collapse right then and there. “You don’t feel beautiful?” You asked her, your voice so quiet and broken she could barely hear you. 

“I-“ She stuttered, gaping at you. What could she say, she had no idea. 

“That’s why I’m showing you this? Isn’t it?” You rasped, and she nodded mutely. “I’m dying. I gave up.” You murmured. “It was too long, even for me, too long. Tich came to save me.” You tried to laugh, but the sound just came out as a death rattle. “She wanted to show me beauty, she chose you.” You rasped. She wanted to ask you why. She wanted to know why Morticia chose her, why not anything else. “Considering you’re here with me, it worked, didn’t it?” You whispered, and your eyes slid shut again. 

This time Larissa closed her eyes as the darkness surrounded her, surrendering to it. It was a moment before she came to, her breath shuddering as the warmth from the fireplace helped her back to her body. She could still feel your heartbeat, she realized. You were with her. She woke up next to you, her hand in your own. Her eyes fluttered open and fixed on you, once again you were staring into the fire, not looking at her. 

“I call you beautiful, because I think you are beautiful. There’s no game in it.” You said softly, a tear slipping down your face. She reached for you, her hand wiping the tear away and turning you towards her. She never wanted to see you cry again.

“I- you- why me?” She breathed, and you finally looked at her. She gasped as she saw the intensity in your eyes, the light in them, the power. 

“Why did she choose you? I don’t really know.” You breathed. “Because you reminded her of my favorite flower, because she cared for you, in her way. She wasn’t in love with you, but she loved you.” You sighed. “Beleive me when I say she wanted you, but it wasn’t a good want. Even I, even I know that.” You sighed. Larissa stared at you in shock. You knew more than you were letting on, she knew that much. 

“As for why did it work?” You continued, and she nodded. “Because you are.” You whispered, taking her hand from your face and running your own over it a few times. “You are all those things, and so much more than an object of my sister’s attraction.” You sighed “So much more.” You repeated, as if reminding yourself of something. “Goodnight, Larissa.” You whispered, standing. 

“I- you’re hurt.” She protested, and you smiled. 

“I’ve seen worse.” You said softly, leaving her room and her, heading to your own. She stared at the door after you left. Her heart pounded in her chest. You thought she was beautiful, and she felt it.

Chapter Text

How Larissa Weems ended up on a dock, with you, and your niece, watching you instruct her on how to fence using any tactic other than fencing, would be a question the woman would be asking herself for the rest of time. 

You were having a wonderful time, clearly, your hair messily tied back as you corrected the girl’s posture, who was currently standing one legged on a giant lily pad you had bloomed for her. 

“This is dehumanizing, Auntie.” The girl deadpanned, and you laughed, rolling your eyes. 

“Balance is for more than just the blade, dear.” You repeated. You had worn another floor length skirt today, and a loose blouse, the chiffon flowing in the wind as you stood on the dock, watching her. Larissa swallowed as she looked to the little bit of skin exposed, watching you closely. You still wore a mock turtleneck underneath the blouse, but her eyes were fixed on every inch of skin she could possibly see. Your hands in particular, you didn’t wear gloves when you were just with your niece, and she swallowed as she realized that you hadn’t put them on when she had joined you two. It was almost like you were comfortable, like you didn’t mind her looking at your blackened fingers, and look she did.

“Is it really necessary to do this out here?” Larissa asked you, and you shrugged, leaning closer to her. Her breath caught, you hovered just close enough for her to hear, but not touching. You were always so mindful of that, you didn’t touch. No matter how close you got to her, unless there was another literal emergency, you didn’t touch. She wished you did, that you weren’t so aware of yourself all the time, that you would mess up just once.

“Not at all, but it is distracting her.” You whispered, and Larissa looked to you surprised. You were being ridiculous on purpose, it seemed. Wednesday stumbled as the breeze pushed a stick by, shaking her lily pad and forcing her to put her foot down. 

“Again.” You smirked, and the girl glared at you. You were strict, Larissa realized. Almost brutally strict when it came to this. You were still encouraging, but she could see the precision with which you instructed her. You were protecting her, she realized, even now. You were finding a way to protect her. 

“I hate this.” The girl said, and you raised a brow. 

“Alright then.” You said, and you walked down the dock, slipping off your shoes. Larissa watched as you stepped onto the lily pad with her, waving your hand and drawing a few more from the water. Eventually you had formed a tentative surface over the area of the creek you were at. You rolled your neck, stepping out from one to the other easily. She watched you in amazement, you just moved about as if you were floating on the water itself. How you could have that much control over your own body floored her. “Knock me off.” You challenged, and the girl rolled her eyes. 

“Really?” She asked. You shrugged, and the girl bent her knees, prepping a bit. 

“She- you’re in a skirt, Ophelia, on the water.” Larissa reminded you, already exasperated. She did not have the strength to deal with you falling into the water right now. She could barely deal with you in general. You just smirked.

“Oh, I’ll figure it out.” You hummed, and Wednesday rolled her eyes. She approached, wobbling slightly on the lilipads. You just smiled, raising your brows. She readied her fists and you nodded, bending your knees slightly. 

She swung wide, to her right, she always lead with her right hand. You effortlessly caught her fist, redirecting the move past your body and sending the girl stumbling behind you as you turned to face her again. She glared and you let your lips turn up slightly into a smile on one side. 

Larissa gasped, you were fast.

She hurled herself at you again, this time faking to the left before dropping to the ground, attempting to swipe your feet out from under you with a kick. You breathed evenly, jumping up over her leg and weaving around her, forcing her to crawl backwards, you just walked forward calmly, giving her time to get up again. 

This time she was frustrated, actually frustrated, and Larissa watched with bated breath as she launched herself towards you, unleashing a fury of blows. You blocked each one, deflecting her and throwing her off her balance. She was mesmerized by how you moved. You were precise, yet there was fluidity in it, you moved as if you were dancing, gracefully, never a step out of place. 

Wednesday threw everything she had at you, panting as you just wove around her like water around a stone. It was insane. The white haired woman gaped as you moved, your body swirling and whirling around with barely perceived effort. Your clothes flowed with you, your skirt twirling just enough to reveal your bare feet, your shirt loose on your body showing the tight turtleneck you wore underneath, your skin always covered as you moved like a force of nature. 

You were strong, yet everything was in measure, and Larissa watched in utter amazement at the way your body bended and twisted. You never landed a hit on your niece, not even trying, you just redirected her and twisted around her, using her own momentum against her. 

Wednesday tripped when you redirected yet another blow, careening towards the edge of the lily pads. Larissa gasped and you reached out, catching the girl by the arm as she fell towards the water. You helped her up, and Wednesday panted. You let out a deep breath as you laughed a little.

“I almost got you that time.” The girl said, and you chuckled, nodding.

“You were certainly closer.” You breathed, winking at her. Larissa raised her brows. That was closer? Heaven help anyone you hadn’t literally trained to fight.

“Teaching, are we?” Came a voice from over the hill, and you turned, a smile on your face as you looked to your sister, walking down to the dock. Larissa cringed as she recognized the voice.

“Well considering she fences even worse than you do, I figured I might as well show her a thing or two.” You replied, and the woman smirked at your antics. You walked up to the dock, going to her as she stepped onto the wood. Larissa noticed as you pulled your gloves from your waistband, quickly slipping them on, almost subconsciously as you went to her.

“How long has it been?” She asked you, and you sighed. 

“Almost two years, I believe.” You said, and she smiled as she looked at you. 

“Too long.” She said, embracing you, and you hugged her back stiffly before working your way down the dock again, collecting her daughter from the stream before you waved a hand, the lilypads you had created seeming to shrink in on themselves and disappear. You didn’t want to affect the natural ecosystem, after all.

“And how were you seduced into this, Issa?” Morticia asked the headmistress, and you pretended not to listen to them speaking. 

“After recent events I am hesitant to let Wednesday off school grounds alone.” She replied properly, and you nearly rolled your eyes. You wouldn’t even think the two women had lived together.

“Are you sure it’s not something else that drew you out?” Morticia asked, stepping closer. Larissa froze, tempted to step back but not sure what to do. Morticia had always teased her, getting just a bit too close, her touch lingering just a bit too long. She had Gomez, she didn’t know what she needed Larissa for, yet the woman mocked her anyway. Morticia reached for her, her hand almost brushing her face when you cleared your throat.

“If you’re done flirting with someone other than your husband, we can go inside Tich.” You quipped, and the woman’s eyes flashed as she looked to you.

“Oh my dear sister, if I had commuted half the atrocities you have to that woman I wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere but begging for her forgiveness.” You snipped back, and Morticia’s mask of perfection flickered for a moment. Larissa, on the other hand, stared at you in disbelief. She had heard how sharp your tongue could be when defending your niece, but she didn’t expect you to use it for her sake, certainly not against your own sister. She swallowed, fighting back a blush as she watched your unbothered smile.

“It’s not my fault the woman so effortlessly takes up space.” Morticia retorted, and you scoffed. The dig was obvious, but as long as Larissa didn’t react, you wouldn’t stop your sister.

“Subtle,” you remarked anyway. “Come on.” You muttered, picking up your shoes before moving on, and she followed you. The two women and your niece walked with you back to the school, making their way into Larissa’s office without question. You stood by the door as Larissa sat at her desk, Morticia and Wednesday sitting across from her. Larissa pulled out a file, carefully handing it to your sister. 

“This is, for lack of a better term, an incident report.” The headmistress said handing it over. Morticia took it, looking it over as Larissa continued. “Mr. and Mrs. Frump will not be allowed on school ground again, I can assure you. The security we have in place is-“ 

“He tried to choke you?” Your sister asked quietly, staring at the paper in shock. You froze, looking between her and your young niece. Wednesday did not need to know that, and your sister shouldn’t have to worry, certainly not about you. 

“It, wasn’t bad, it’s alright, that’s not what we’re here to discuss.” You said softly, staying by the door. Morticia stood, turning to face you. 

“Come here.” She asked you, and you swallowed. 

“Tich, I’m fine, let’s just-“ 

“Come here.” She said again, and you sighed, walking over to your sister. Her hands slowly went to your face, and you turned your head away, stepping back. Larissa furrowed her brows slightly, you didn’t even let your sister touch your bare skin?

“Oh,” Morticia breathed. “Ophelia, I-“ she didn’t know what to say. 

“Let’s focus, Tich.” You said softly, and she nodded, agreeing reluctantly. You watched for the rest of the meeting, discussing what would be done in the future if the couple showed up, security measures, everything. You stood quietly, your presence calming your niece and sister. Larissa watched the way they acted around you, Wednesday seemed to inch towards you, Morticia seemed to inch away. It was interesting if nothing else, the way the two Addams tried to navigate you. Morticia seemed comfortable with you there, but didn’t seem to want to be too close. Her daughter, on the other hand, wanted to be closer. The meeting ended after a bit, and your sister turned to you. 

“Will you come with us to lunch?” She asked you, and you raised a brow. 

“You want to get lunch?” You asked her. 

“Is that so strange?” She replied, and you sighed. 

“Yes, but alright.” You said, holding your hands together. Morticia caught the nervous tick, looking at your gloves. 

“You can take them off you know, it’s just us.” She said. You stiffened slightly, but smiled. 

“I’d rather have them on.” You said calmly, and Morticia looked at you strangely. She stepped over to you, and Larissa watched the interaction with interest. 

“Are you scared?” She asked you, and you internally scoffed. 

“No.” You replied calmly, and your sister raised a brow. 

“Something you don’t want to show me?” She asked you, and again you bit back a reaction. Of course she would think it’s about her. She always would.

“Perhaps I’m just more comfortable with them on.” You pointed, and she shook her head. 

“Wednesday, go gather your things, we’ll go to lunch with your aunt in a moment.” She instructed her daughter, and you raised a brow. Wednesday eyed you both as she left, clearly curious as to what the conversation could possibly be about. Larissa, on the other hand, had a front row seat to you two interacting.

“Morticia, really?” You sighed, and your sister grabbed you hand, making you jump. You hated when she did that. The gloves meant nothing could happen, but you wrapped your free hand around her wrist, pulling her away and stepping around her, moving closer to the other woman in the room. Larissa swallowed, realizing you had come to her. You did it subconsciously, moving towards her the second you became uncomfortable. Your sister smirked, watching you. 

“Oh you are hiding something.” She hummed, and you rolled your eyes. 

“Even if I was, I am entitled to my own thoughts.” You glared at her. 

“Come on, you know I’m always on your side, I just want to help.” She smirked. You scoffed. Of course she would have this conversation in front of Larissa too. Your sister loved an audience.

“What makes you think I need help?” You asked her. The woman looked entirely too proud of herself for a moment, and your eyes went wide. 

Shit.

“Perhaps the fact that despite the fact that you’ve covered almost every inch of your skin, I can still see you aching to be-“ 

“Morticia!” You yelled. The woman rolled her eyes. “I’ll meet you in the car, funny how you’re shy all of a sudden.” She murmered, leaving the room. You sighed, pinching your nose for a moment, calming yourself. 

“Sorry, I’m sure you’re aware my sister hardly has boundaries.” You breathed, before looking to the headmistress behind her desk. She was standing, staring at you intently. You wore another mock turtleneck under your open blouse, meaning she couldn’t really see anything. Your legs were covered by the floor length skirt, your hands by your gloves. 

You looked back, she was in a grey trench coat, a matching pencil skirt and blouse underneath, her usual heels, dressed impeccably, as always. She stepped over to you, walking around her desk, and you turned to face the woman. God, she was gorgeous.

“You don’t let her touch you?” She asked, and you tilted your head. 

“Sometimes, it depends.” You muttered, staring up at her. You were mesmerized. Her red painted lips parted slightly as she looked at you, her eyes searching your face for something. Her hand slowly reached for your arm, watching your eyes for any sign of a reaction. 

You didn’t move, simply stared at her as she slowly wrapped her hand around your wrist, pulling your gloved fingers closer to her. Your breath hitched slightly, but you let her, allowing her to do what she pleased. She slowly pulled your glove off, staring at you as she did, still looking for doubt, for anything. 

“Do you truly crave being touched?” She whispered, and your eyes went wide. By her, undoubtedly, but by most, absolutely not. 

“I think it would depend on the person.” You rasped. She swallowed, nodding. You inhaled sharply as she took your hand, her gentle touch surprising you. Her hands were cold, as always, but you were very far from minding it. She slipped her hand around your wrist, her thumb running over your pulse point. You swallowed, she was killing you. You thought you might die if she didn’t just lean down and kiss you right there. She reached under your sleeve slightly, her pointer finger gently caressing your skin, nearly making you shudder. 

Then her finger brushed over your scarring, and she froze. Her eyes went wide, her hand retracting almost instantly. 

Right.

You swallowed, steeling yourself a little as you pulled away from her, pulling your glove back on. 

“Sorry, I- I have to go.” You muttered, and her eyes went wide as she realized what she had just done. You thought she was disgusted, she could tell by the way you moved away from her. You didn’t show fear, you showed pain. 

“Ophelia, I didn’t mean-“ she began, and you shook your head, your throat closing up a bit. You didn’t know why you cared, most people were put off by the scars, it was one of the reasons you covered them. 

“No, no, I know, it’s alright. They’re rather, difficult.” You nodded, attempting to smile. It looked wrong. She knew it looked wrong, she could see the hurt in your eyes as you turned, taking a deep breath and walking to the door. 

“Ophelia,” she called, but you shook your head. 

“I will see you later, Miss Weems, I believe there is a faculty meeting tonight.” You swallowed, before heading out the door, and into your sister’s car. 

Lunch with your sister and your niece went fine, Wednesday relaxed around her mother eventually, despite her normal demeanor. You watched the two interact, happy to see them together. They both could be difficult, in ways, yet they were similar if they admitted it. 

“I’m glad you have a position at Nevermore, Ophelia, even if it is temporary.” Morticia smiled, and you nodded, returning it. 

“Me too.” You agreed. 

“Perhaps you could even visit us at the manor sometime, if you felt up to it.” She tried, and you smiled a bit uncomfortably. You didn’t visit often, and it had been a while. You and your sister tended to fight occasionally, the tension between you two caused by your parents still very much there. You had visited many times when Wednesday was younger, making sure the girl and her brother always knew you were there if they needed, yet you hesitated to visit their parents alone.

“Maybe.” You nodded. 

“Will you visit when I go home for the summer?” Wednesday asked, and Morticia smirked as she did. The both of you knew your niece had you in the palm of her hand, something even your sister couldn’t manage to interviene with. 

“Yes, I suppose I can.” You sighed, and the girl seemed pleased. You really were a sucker.

“Good.” She said, moving on. You chuckled at how stoic she could be, despite how young she was. You payed for lunch, despite your sister’s protesting, and rode with Wednesday back to school. The girl went in as you sat with her mother in the car for a moment. 

“I’m worried.” Morticia spoke, and you nodded. 

“I know. But I’ve got her Tich.” You promised. She nodded, looking to you. 

“I couldn’t protect you, but I will protect my daughter.” She said, and you could see the guilt in her eyes. It still hurt her, after all these years. You grimaced, feeling bad for the woman. It wasn’t her fault, the both of you knew that.

“It wasn’t your job to protect me, Morticia. You did much more than you should have ever had to, remember that.” You said to her. She nodded, swallowing, and you shook your head. “Fuck it, come here.” You sighed, pulling the woman in for a hug. She held you tight, holding on to you for a moment. 

“I don’t want to loose her like I lost you.” She whispered, her voice low, broken sounding. You inhaled sharply. It was true, the both of you knew it. You still loved each other, but you would never be inseparabile the way you were when you were young. There would always be the past between you.

“You won’t.” You replied, squeezing her once more before you pulled away. “You won’t.” You repeated, looking her in the eyes. She nodded, wiping a few tears away. “Hey, I promise you, I’ve got her, no matter what, alright?” You smiled, and she nodded, finally letting you go. 

You left the car, standing at the entrance to the school as it left, watching her go. Tich waved at you, and you returned the gesture, watching as she disappeared down the hill. 

It was then that you got to work. You went back to your classroom, the conservatory, prepping for the meeting tonight. As temporary staff you were sure you wouldn’t have to do much, and it was only your first week at Nevermore, but still, you would rather be prepared. 

You spent the remaining few hours of the afternoon grading every assignment you could before looking over your plans for each grade and class. What you were teaching was relatively simple, but you still wanted to make sure you were as prepared as possible. You took notes in a small journal, scratching away with your pen before you had to get ready. 

You went back to your quarters, they were very nice, a small room and bathroom all to yourself. You internally thanked Larissa for that, you dreaded the idea of having to change to use the shower in front of others. The room was fairly simple, but old, which you enjoyed. You had asked a friend to send over your things from Europe, which would hopefully be arriving soon, but until then you had unpacked the suitcase you had with you into the armoire. The bed was also old, four posters, an old heating system, and a fireplace, yet you loved it. 

The sun set and you straightened out your clothing, freshening up and changing into new gloves before taking your journal and heading down to the meeting. 

You strode through the doors to the room, an English classroom, you believed, to see various teachers sitting in a circle made of chairs. Also old, as with most of the school’s things. There was something comforting about it to you, you hated the way modern buildings sometimes looked like hospitals. You hated hospitals in general.

You took a seat next to the choir teacher and the history teacher, smiling to both before crossing your legs and tuning into the room. You watched as some spoke to each other, waiting for the headmistress to arrive. An older man stared at you for a moment, and you looked away, not wanting to attract any more attention if he had already made his mind up. 

“You must be Miss Florere.” A woman said, walking up to you. You smiled, standing and nodding once. 

“I am, I don’t believe we’ve met yet.” You said, and she introduced herself. The two of you talked for a moment before Larissa walked in, calling the meeting to order. You sat again, watching as other teachers did the same. 

“Well, shall we get started then?” The tall woman spoke, and you listened as various subjects were broached. A few things about funding requests, a posit for a field trip. Notes about outreach day, the Rave’n, all sorts of things. You sat relatively quietly, listening to all the others speak. Eventually, the man who had been staring at you earlier rose his hand. 

“Yes, Mr. Liapin?” Larissa asked, and he looked at you directly, startling you. 

“I’m sure I speak for all of the staff when I say I would like to know more about Miss Florere, wouldn’t you Miss Weems?” He said. You sat up a little more, it was a challenge, he didn’t like you, he must have felt threatened. Larissa swallowed.

“Of course, please introduce yourself, Miss Florere.” The woman spoke. You nodded, folding your hands over your crossed knees as you cleared your throat before you spoke. 

“Of course, it’s a pleasure to meet those of you I haven’t yet. I am Ophelia Florere, and I am currently teaching botany while a permanent professor is being looked for. I have two doctorate degrees from Edinburg in botany and biology, specializing in Outcast biology, and I have taught at multiple universities in Europe. As I’m sure some of you are already aware, I also happen to be Wednesday Addams’ aunt.” You smiled, looking around the room. 

“I’m aware of who you are, Miss Ophelia, what I want to know is why you would be hired to teach children when you were previously committed at Newflight?” He replied. That got your attention. You stiffened. 

Larissa looked to you, her eyes widening a fraction. She knew that, it was on your record, not to mention the fact that you had told her about it. You didn’t even blink, just nodded at him. This wasn’t the first time you had been asked this question, she realized. Not even close.

“Ah, you mean the defunct institution responsible for the death of hundreds of children throughout the centuries it was open, yes, I was committed by my biological parents when I was twelve, against my will, and nearly died in its care. After which I aided in an investigation resulting in the place being shut down and the children who were sent there receiving help for the damage it had done.” You said calmly. Larissa’s jaw nearly dropped, she had seen what it had done to you, and somehow you did so much after. “Granted I’m sure you already knew that if you knew enough to ask.” You smiled. He narrowed his eyes at you, staring you down across the room. 

“I taught your sister.” He said, and you nodded. 

“You teach potion making, I’m sure she excelled.” You nodded. She was always good at that, even if she pestered you for ingredients. She was almost as good at potion making as you were at botany.

“She did.” He said. You waited for him to continue. “I’m sure you don’t like this any more than I do, Miss Florere, so allow me to get to the point.” He gruffed. 

“Please.” You nodded, and he stared at you. 

“What are your intentions at this school?” He asked you, and you chuckled a bit. 

“Am I courting it?” You joked, before looking at him seriously. “I’ve spent my life attempting to undo damage, Mr. Liapin. I’ve had to attempt to make up for the fact that I was simply born the way I am. I’ve created much in that pursuit. I’ve written books, taught countless grad students, written papers, cured poisons. I’ve won prizes as the first female, let alone Outcast, in my field, and I’ve done it all to make up for what my parents, and what I’m sure some of you, may see as a perversion of gifts. Considering you know where I was sent you know I’m a raven, you also can see the gloves on my hands, you know what I can do.” You sighed. “But I am done proving myself to others. I’m tired. I want to help the next generation of those who think they are not worthy, that they cannot do things simply because they were born the way they were. I’m done fighting for myself, Mr. Liapin. I’d much rather fight to give others a better chance.” You finished. He stared at you a moment before standing, walking over to you. You stood to meet him.

“My granddaughter’s name is Rosemary, you saved her in Amsterdam, after the attack on the Outcast hospital. You made a cure for a poison we thought to be incurable.” He said, staring at you. You stared right back. “I hope you stick around, Miss Ophelia. It would be a shame for you to waste such a talent like your sister did.” He said, nodding to you before walking out. 

You stared at him as he left, shock quickening your breath. You had been compared to your sister countless times, but never like that. You didn’t know how to respond. That, that was a new one. Instead, you swallowed, staring blankly at the door. 

“Is he allowed to just leave?” You asked dumbly, and the teacher next to you laughed.

“He’s almost as old as the school itself, I think he does whatever he pleases.” She said, and you nodded, slowly sitting back down. 

“Good to know.” You hummed. The rest of the meeting went by without any oddities. Your mind however, was trapped in a haze, even as the others left the room you stayed, staring at a spot on the wall. Never, ever, had you even been seen as equal to your sister, let alone better at something. You said your goodbyes and headed back to your room, still unsure. It was almost preposterous. 

You were taking off your gloves and shoes when someone knocked at the door. You sighed, putting the former back on as you went to answer it. 

“Hello, what can I do for- oh.” You breathed, looking up at the tall woman in front of you. 

“I need to talk to you.” She rushed, her eyes nervous. You inhaled slowly. You knew what this was. This was the talk where she would apologize for touching your hands, your scarring, and swear she would never do it again. She would ask you to forget about it, and you would do your best to, ignoring the fact that the second her fingers touched you, you felt like you were in heaven, like you had been craving it since the moment you met her. You would do your best to forget about it, and your feelings for the woman would either fade or fester until you had to leave. This would be that conversation. 

“Of course.” You said, stepping to the side and allowing the woman in. She stepped into your room, looking around. It was small, yet it was already perfect. She breathed in deeply as she realized the room smelled like you. It overwhelmed her. You always smelled good, very good, like petrichor and flowers. There was always an edge of danger to the way you smelled, something sharp, but irresistible to the woman. 

You turned, walking to an electric kettle you had in the corner and pouring two cups of tea. She watched your hands, covered again, as you worked, silently fixing her a cup before handing it to her and sitting on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. The room held your bed, a small living area, including two large chairs, and a table by the window, which you had set your kettle as well as several plants on. 

“It’s rosehip, let me know if you like it.” You hummed, pouring yourself a cup. She sipped it slowly, blowing the steam away first. You tried not to look at the way her lips puckered, at how soft they looked. You wanted to feel them, feel them against your own, against your skin, everywhere. You wanted to show the woman exactly how beautiful you thought she was right then and there. 

Instead, you sat your cup down on the small table between the two chairs before lighting the fireplace. She watched as you kneeled on the ground, brushing a few errant curls back before lighting the gas with a long match, adjusting a few things and standing up, brushing your covered hands off on your skirt before sitting down next to the woman, looking at her expectantly. 

She watched you, she watched the way you moved, the way you kneeled, how you bent to light the fire. Her eyes bored into you. You wore enough to cover your skin, in this case most of your figure as well. She wanted to rip it off. She wanted it gone. She wanted to grab you and rip off the shirts you were wearing and trace every inch of the scars she had seen. They extended beyond your elbows, they had to lead somewhere. She wondered if they continued up your arms, if your arms were as strong as she imagined. They had to be, you had carried her for fuck’s sake. She wanted to feel them, to feel your skin against her own. 

“Larissa.” You said softly, and her eyes snapped back to you. She had been staring where you were kneeling on the floor, her eyes burning a hole into the rug. “Are you alright?” You asked her, a touch of concern in your voice. How dare she, here you were worrying about her while she was imagining feeling you up. She was out of control.

“I- yes, of course, sorry, I just wanted to speak with you about earlier today.” She breathed, getting ahold of herself. She saw the slight tug at your lips, the tightening of your jaw, the discomfort. 

“Right.” You sighed, your body stiffening a bit. 

“I wanted to apologize.” She said, and you nodded slightly, staring at her. “I didn’t mean-“ 

“It’s fine, Larissa.” You sighed. You were tired, you didn’t want to do this. How were you always so tired around this woman? 

“No, it’s not I didn’t mean to-“ she protested, but you cut her off. 

“I don’t care. You accidentally touched a scar, you reacted to it how any normal person would, it’s fine.” You said, and she stared at you for a moment. You didn’t care? No, she could see that you very much did, otherwise you wouldn’t look like you wanted to be anywhere else. 

“I don’t think you understand, I meant-“ she tried, and you cut her off yet again. 

“I know what you meant to do, you meant to make me feel normal and you feel bad that you didn’t like what you felt, it’s fine.” You rushed again, growing slightly more annoyed. You wanted this to be over, wanted it to be done.

“Ophelia, I-“ She protested, but you wouldn’t let her finish. 

“It’s fine!” You yelled. “It’s fine, I know what I look like, I am aware of what they feel like, I don’t care.” You gritted, and her brows furrowed as she glared at you. You weren’t listening, you wouldn’t even give her a chance. 

“That’s not what I-“ she began, and you glared right back, standing. 

“Just leave it while you’re ahead, I get it, I know what they are! I know what they make me!” You fought. She stood up, matching you. She towered over you, but you looked up anyway, staring at her with unbridled pain in your eyes. 

“You’re not listening to me.” She gritted, and you scoffed. 

“I don’t have to! I know what this is, you think you’re the first person to be disgusted the second they actually touch anything other than the pretty bits?” You hissed, and she clenched her jaw. 

“Ophelia, listen to me-“ she began, and you laughed, you actually laughed at her. She nearly saw red.

“Oh just leave it! Just-“ she growled, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you into her. She grabbed your hand, ripping off the glove and bunching up your sleeve, wrapping her hand around your scarred wrist. 

You stared up at her, wide eyed in shock as the woman held you. You held your breath as she glared down at you, the look not at all matching the gentle action of her fingers so delicately running over your scars. You shuddered at the feeling.

“I. Don’t. Care.” She gritted, and you stared up at her in shock. “I came here to apologize for pulling away, I thought you might have been startled by someone touching them. I didn’t realize until after what you thought. Now you will hear me out and then, and only then, will you make your judgement on what I meant.” She said, her voice low as she held you close. You nodded, staring up at her as she looked down at you. You could feel her body pressed against yours, your chests pressed together as she heaved in breath, startling herself with her actions. 

“I pulled away because I thought I had hurt you, not because I was disgusted, not because I think they’re anything less then a part of you.” She breathed, and you nodded mutely. You just stared up at her still, unsure of what to do. She slowly released your hand, her fingers running over the scars before they dropped down your wrist, falling past your body to her side. Still she stared. 

You were flushed, your eyes wide and dilated as she stared at you, she could see the shock, but she could swear she saw something more. Her entire reputation rested upon the idea that she was in control, she was in control of everything, and after what she had just done…

You were panting, your lips parted as you sucked in breath after breath, trying to keep up with your racing heart. She stared, they were so close, she could just reach down and kiss you if she wanted to. Fuck, she wanted to. 

“Ok.” You breathed, and her eyes snapped back to yours. 

“Ok?” She whispered, and you nodded. 

“Ok.” You repeated. It was then the world came flooding back to her. She startled as she realized she had quite literally forced you to touch her. Not only that but she had grabbed you, without your permission, let alone your consent. Her grip loosened as she panicked, immediately stepping away, but you followed her. She froze as you once again invaded her space, your face still inches from hers. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” she trailed as your bare hand slowly came to her face. Her eyes widened as you reached up, cupping her jaw gently. You were touching her. Your bare hands were touching her again, and she was on fire.

“Stop apologizing.” You whispered, and she swallowed as you leaned in closer. She leaned down a bit. You couldn’t reach her, not unless she started. She could kiss you, you were looking at her like you wanted her to kiss you. She watched as red flowers bloomed in your hair, the sight making her heart race impossibly faster. 

“What does red mean?” She whispered, and you looked confused for a moment before you realized she was talking about your hair, the tiny flowers in it. 

“It means I want something.” You whispered back. She swallowed. 

“What do you want?” She breathed, and you looked into her eyes with such passion she thought it might bring her to her knees. 

“I think you know the answer to that Larissa.” You whispered back. She nodded dumbly, she wanted you too, she knew that. She could feel it in her entire body. But you were Morticia’s sister for God’s sake! You were her employee! You were a student’s aunt! She couldn’t, there were so many reasons she couldn’t. You were already something of a scandal, if she did this she would just make it worse. She would loose control, she couldn’t handle it.

“Ophelia, I- I shouldn’t.” She whispered. And you froze. It was over. You swallowed, pulling away and turning, hiding your face from her for a moment. “I’m sorry.” She said, stepping towards you, but you didn’t turn back, instead you just stood still for a moment. You tried to calm yourself as your heart and head ran a mile a minute. 

“I told you Larissa,” you sighed. “Stop apologizing.” You said softly, before turning around and looking up at her, or attempting too before it became too much. She nodded. 

“I should go.” She said, and you nodded back. 

“Yeah, I, alright.” You agreed, unsure. She walked awkwardly to the door, looking back one more time to see you standing by the fire, one hand on your hip and the other on your collar as you stared at the ground, fully out of it. Her heart ached as she realized she was the reason. She had tortured you, and she hated herself for it.

“Goodnight, Ophelia.” She said softly, it hurt. It hurt to leave you. She barely knew you, she didn’t know why she should care. Yet she did know you. She knew how you felt, she had been inside your memories. You had been reading about her since you were a child. It felt like meeting someone she had known her entire life, yet it wasn’t enough, it couldn’t be enough. 

“Goodnight, Miss Weems.” You said softly, nodding one more time as she left. You stood alone in your room, watching the fire burn too hot.

Chapter Text

She dreamed of you. She dreamed of your hands, your blackened fingers running over her skin. She dreamed of your lips meeting hers, again and again, you were ravenous, you couldn’t stop. She dreamed of how it would feel, of your warm hands on her hips, your lips on her neck, your hair falling over your shoulders. She could feel your lips kissing down, and down, and down, so close to where she needed you, you were right there. She arched up into you, fisting her hands into your hair and making you moan against her skin. It sent a chill up her spine, panting as your lips finally met her inner thighs. She spread her legs further, pulling your hair closer. You were so close, just one more inch-

And the alarm rang. 

Larissa gasped as she woke, her head already throbbing with frustration. Her head, however, paled in comparison to the aching between her thighs. She swallowed, pushing it down. It wasn’t real, it was just a dream, she reminded herself. Just a dream.

She got ready for the day, like any other, doing her absolute best to think of anything other than the ache in her lower stomach, or you, who had caused it. She rolled her hair into pristine curls and applied her makeup with immaculate precision. She got dressed, her clothes matching perfectly as always, before slipping on her heels and heading to her office downstairs. She drank a cup of tea, trying to enjoy the peace that lasted for approximately forty seconds before Enid burst into her office. The woman gasped, jumping as she looked at the young blonde. 

“Miss Sinclair!” She yelped, only to see the girl’s wild eyes. She knew that look, she was an expert in that look. That was the look of a child who was in crisis. “What happened?” She asked, and the girl looked like she might explode. 

“One of the- Eugene- in the lake- can’t swim-“ she panted, and Larissa was moving before Enid could get out another word. She ran down to the lake at break-neck speed, her heels clacking as she went. She sprinted out of the building and onto the field, running down to the lake, finding Wednesday already there, of course. 

“Wednesday, what happened?” She yelled, and the girl turned to her before looking just over her shoulder at something. The braided girl blatantly ignored her, instead talking behind her.

“Enid said he can’t swim, he’s been under for over a minute!” She yelled, and she heard an exceedingly frustrated groan behind her. She watched in shock as you ran down to the docks, stripping off your sweater, leaving you in a thin silk nightgown. Holy hell you were fit.

“Motherfucking idiots.” You breathed, running off the dock and diving into the water. Larissa watched in shock, standing there as she watched you disappear below the surface. 

“Can she swim?” The woman panicked, you had just dove into the lake! Completely unprompted! How did you even know to be here, Enid had came to get her, Wednesday had stayed by the lake. The water was murky, only the siren students really swam in it, and you just went in after a student who couldn’t swim. You could drown, she realized in utter panic. Wednesday just looked at her. 

“She did just dive into a lake, so I think so.” The girl said, and Larissa wanted to scream. Now was not the time for her snark! Then she saw a few bubbles on the lake’s surface. She held her breath as a giant lily pad erupted from the surface of the water, holding you and Eurgene in your arms on it. You gasped, tossing your hair back as you picked him up, carrying him onto the docks. Holy hell you looked like a daughter of Aphrodite herself. Larissa gaped at you before realizing now was far from the time. You turned the kid over, slapping him on the back, hard. 

“Ophelia!” Larissa yelled, CPR would have been a good reaction, but no, you had to hit him. The boy coughed up a good deal of water before sucking a massive breath in, panting. You sighed in relief, sitting on the dock as you yourself panted, clearly out of breath. 

“Girls, take him to the infirmary.” You panted, and they nodded, picking their friend up. He seemed alright, out of it, but alright. “Wednesday, I expect an explanation for why you were messing around at the lake at SEVEN IN THE GODDAMN MORNING when he’s all taken care of!” You hollered, and the girl cringed, her and Enid walking off guiltily, their friend between them.

You collapsed back on the dock, laying down in your soaked through night slip, staring up at the sky. It was clear out today, and the sun would at least help with the fact that you were currently next to naked laying on a dock. At least there were no students around. 

“Give me like, two minutes.” You panted, and Larissa just stared down at you in shock. Then she realized what you were wearing, or rather what you weren’t. The slip only came down to your mid thigh, and your arms were completely bare. She swallowed as she took you in. You were panting, your chest heaving as you tried to steady your breath. 

The flushed skin on display nearly had Larissa panting herself. The scars she had seen on your wrists did travel up your arms, wrapping around your forearms and biceps a few times before disappearing. The pale lines only showcased the subtle strength of your arms. You were strong, that was apparent, but you were also graceful, in a way. You were, beautiful. Any dream she had could never compare to just looking at you. Yet last night she had left you, alone. She had left this.

Your face was heavily flushed, without any of your makeup, and your hair was weighed down by water. The nightdress clung to your body, showing your full chest and hips. You were similar to your sister, but slightly smaller and considerably stronger. You hadn’t had children, your body was never changed by them. Your legs looked strong too, the muscle of your thigh showing. Where Morticia was severe, you were enchanting. It was shocking to see, the valleys of your collarbones, the way the wet dress clung to you like a second skin. She wanted to kneel down and peel it off of you, to trace every part of your body with her hands until she had committed you to memory, until you were hers, forever and always. She knew she would likely never get the chance again with how careful you were to cover your skin. You were nearly naked, almost every inch of your skin offered up to the woman, who could only stare. 

“You’re staring.” You huffed, and Larissa blushed, your eyes were still closed, however you seemed to know. 

“I didn’t mean-“ she began, but you cut her off. 

“You can stare, if you want to stare.” You sighed. You groaned a little bit as you sat up, stretching your neck from side to side. You were looking out at the water, the headmistress behind you. You were beautiful. Free in the morning air, sitting on the dock as if nothing could stop you. Stunning. You were breathtaking.

“Students will be getting up soon.” She whispered, and you nodded, enjoying the freedom for a moment. 

“Give me one more minute of feeling before I have to cover it all again.” You said quietly. “Let me feel the breeze on my skin.” You breathed, closing your eyes and tilting your head back. She watched as you smiled, feeling the world around you. This is what you missed, she realized. Making others comfortable, you cut yourself off from the very nature that grew from you. You took one final deep breath before you stood, shivering in the cool air. 

“Alright then, good morning.” You swallowed, giving her an awkward nod as you headed back towards the school. You were leaving? You couldn’t just leave! She couldn’t let you leave again, she had let you leave last night.

“Ophelia,” the woman called, running up next to you. She didn’t know what to say. She had nothing she could say. 

“Yes?” You turned to her, wrapping your arms over your chest. She stared at them for a moment. The scars were almost, beautiful, in a way. Like white rose vines, tracing over your skin. Had it not been for the color, she would believe they were tattoos. You looked back to the school as you saw a student wandering around and instantly shrunk back, stepping closer to the woman in an attempt to hide yourself. 

Her breath hitched with the action, it was almost heartbreaking. She took off her long grey coat, wrapping it around your shoulders, making you jump. 

“Thank you.” You said quietly, and the woman nodded, staring at you as you rushed off inside, to get ready for the day. She panicked as you left, realizing that in all likelihood you were horrified by the interaction. Just last night she had walked out on you, now she had stared at you while you were practically naked and soaking wet after pulling a student out of the lake. You had to hate her, there was no way you didn’t. Larissa watched you disappear into the building, a headache building all over again as she internally screamed at herself. You had left your sweater, she realized, and she picked it up, the oversized thing soft in her hands. She swallowed as she held it close, taking it back to her office with her.

You, on the other hand, were trying not to do the same. If the woman thought you were a bad idea, that was fine. What was not fine, however, was the fact that she had seen you practically naked while trying to help a student, and then stared at you like she wanted to do all sorts of things. All sorts of things that were far, far too tempting. And then give you her coat! The woman was driving you insane, you half thought you were going to jump off the tower at this point. You went to your room instead, taking off her coat and laying it over one of the chairs. She couldn’t look at you like that and not expect you to want her.

You showered before quickly getting ready for your first class, doing your best to put the tall woman out of your head. Your first class went fine, as did your second. You worked your way through a planning period and lunch before your third and fourth classes. The third went smoothly, and only the fourth remained. Wednesday’s class, lovely. 

You took a deep breath, preparing yourself as a few students walked into the room. You smiled and waved to all of them, waiting until everyone had filed in and taken their seats. 

“Alright, so today we will be learning about the various medicinal uses of common flowers and herbs.” You smiled, and you watched as a few students opened their books, a few others groaning. “We’ve already had this lesson, I take it?” You asked them, and Xavier scoffed. 

“Only from every substitute we’ve had so far. And the last teacher.” He muttered. You nodded, looking through your plans. 

“Alright, well I have to cover it, it’s in the syllabus, but I can always try to do it in a more interesting way.” You sighed, thinking for a moment. A few of them perked up. “Alright, everyone up, tables to the edge of the room please, things on the tables, let’s go.” You smiled, this would be fun. Wednesday raised a brow and you winked at her, causing her to smirk a little. Whenever you got an idea, it would certainly be an interesting one. 

“Fair warning, the floor is about to move.” You chuckled before stomping your foot. A few of the students yelped as plants sprung from between the cobblestone, sprouting up and forming an incredible meadow full of different types of plants. You grew bushes, flowers, grasses, small shrubs, all sorts of things with just a flick of your wrist, leaving your students gaping at the transformed landscape. You chuckled and called vines down from the ceiling, hanging plants and flowers cascading down until the entire room looked like a small jungle. 

Enid nearly squealed in joy, jumping around amazed as Bianca stared in wonder. Wednesday smirked, and even Xavier looked around mystified. You clapped twice, calling the students’ attention. 

“Alright, I am a normie traveler who instead of listening to their tour guide, decided to start messing about with random things and has fallen. I am bleeding from my hands and knees, have a broken leg, as well as possibly having been exposed to several toxic plants such as Jimsonweed, Oleander, Hemlock, and Belladonna, better known as?” You questioned, and a few hands shot up. “Enid?” You called, and the girl beamed. 

“Deadly nightshade!” She said, and you smiled. 

“Precisely.” You hopped up on the teaching desk you had left at the center of the classroom, sitting on it and setting a stopwatch on your phone. “You have 25 minutes before symptoms start showing, off you go.” You smiled, and you watched as a few students looked around wondering what to do. You chuckled a bit. “I have provided everything you need to treat the injuries I have described, as well as several plants known to counteract the ones I just listed. Separate yourself into teams and bring me what I need, as well as a plan to hold me over until we have time to get to the hospital.” You explained. 

A few students just stared for a moment before Wednesday grabbed Enid’s hand, leading her over to a corner. The rest of them got the hint and started foraging about. You watched happily as they worked, some taking out their notes and comparing different plants, some arguing over what particular plants were, others trying to figure out how to set a broken leg in the wild. 

You liked watching them work, seeing the way they wrapped their head la around the problems, trying to come up with solutions. You could see some of them get frustrated, but most would rely on each other, a good trait to use in this case. About twenty minutes in you could tell one team in particular was struggling, and you kept an eye on them. One of them eventually got frustrated, throwing down the notebook he was holding. 

“Fuck this shit.” He gritted, and you raised a brow. 

“Excuse me, Mr. Grey?” You asked him and he scoffed. 

“I know who you are, ya know, I’m not learning shit from some stupid lesbian eccentric who gets high off of poison.” He scoffed, and you stiffened. That was a new one. 

“Aaand you can go if you would like, but I expect to see you in Miss Weems office after the period is over, thank you.” You said calmly, watching as the kid picked his stuff up angrily and stormed out. Wednesday glared at him murderously, but you caught the girls eye, shaking your head. You would take care of it. If you let the girl have her way he would probably wake up with a dead bird crucified next to him.

The rest of the class period went well, all the other teams completing the assignment, Wednesday and Bianca’s respective teams neck and neck, and you were happy with all of them. 

“I’m very impressed, you all did wonderfully! Hopefully this wasn’t too boring.” You chuckled, and smirked when you saw some smiles and head shaking around the classroom. “Now for homework if you would please write one to two pages on what you used, why you would use it, and something new you learned today, I would like to read them by next week. Until then, class dismissed.” You smiled, and the bunch of them gathered their things, running off excitedly. You smiled as they went, happy to see that at least some of them appreciated the lesson. 

You began returning your room back to normal, pushing the desks into their proper place as students filtered out. Enid stayed behind this time, helping you, and you thanked her, smiling gratefully as she pushed the tables back with ease. 

“I really enjoyed the lesson today.” She said, and you nodded. 

“I’m glad, you and Wednesday did exceptionally.” You smiled, and she nodded. 

“More Wednesday than anything, but you know.” She brushed you off. You hummed. 

“Mmm, I don’t know, I saw you suggest a few things that my niece never would have tried on her own.” You said, and the girl lit up, looking to you. She hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“Can I ask you something?” She asked, and you laughed internally at the question. 

“Of course you can, what is it?” You nodded, and she swallowed. 

“Are you actually, you know, do you like uh, women?” She asked, and you laughed a little. So Wednesday was not the one who spread that around, thankfully.

“Well it’s nice to know the kid got that piece of information from somewhere other than my niece, but yes, I do. However it is not exactly the kind of thing I would normally discuss with a student.” You smiled, and she nodded. 

“Well it’s nice to know the kid got that piece of information from somewhere other than my niece, but yes, I do. However it is not exactly the kind of thing I would normally discuss with a student.” You smiled, and she nodded. 

“Right, right. Just if, say, a student was curious, and they knew that their pack- or family, wouldn’t exactly be very happy with that, could they come to you for advice?” She asked, and you stopped, turning to face her. “Hypothetically!” She added, and you nodded. 

“They could, and I would be happy to help as best I could. Right now though, I’m afraid I have to go to a meeting with the headmistress and Mr. Grey. Perhaps the student could meet me over lunch sometime?” You asked and the girl nodded, running off. You sighed, she was a werewolf, that was tough, pack mentalities often meant they were less accepting of non child rearing-focused relationships. 

You breathed deeply, straightening the final things in the room before heading up to Larissa’s office, hoping the boy would already be there. The secretary waved you in, and you opened the door to find a furious Larissa looking at a boy who might very well piss himself. You tried not to smirk at the situation, that would be juvenile, after all. 

“I take it we already know what this is about then.” You sighed, standing behind the other chair opposite the headmistress. 

“I’m sorry, Miss Florere.” The boy muttered, and you nodded. 

“Yes, I’m sure you are, however that doesn’t change what you said.” You said calmly. You sat in the chair next to him, and he looked at you in utter shame as the headmistress fumed in front of the both of you. “Now I’m sure you called me those things because you were frustrated, and I understand that, however I want you to think of how what you said might impact other students.” You said calmly. The boy looked at you. 

“You’re not mad?” He asked, and you shrugged. 

“Well, I can’t say I enjoy it when people try to insult me, but I can understand that if you wanted to get a reaction out of me, that’s what you would have said. I’m sure you’ve heard people say those things about others before when they wanted to discredit them.” You explained. “What I am worried about is the fact that well, one of them is just untrue, I don’t ‘get high off of poison’ and another might be used to hurt other students. While who I choose to date is quite frankly, no one’s concern, especially not a student’s, have you considered that framing it as a bad thing might make your classmates feel uncomfortable, or threatened even?” You asked him, and he swallowed. 

“No.” He said, and you nodded. 

“I’m sure you haven’t. So while I’ll leave any punishment up to Miss Weems, I highly suggest you think about the potential impact of your words in the future.” You said calmly, and the boy nodded. 

“You will have detention for the week, Mr. Grey. We do not tolerate bullying or discrimination of any kind at Nevermore, something which I am sure you are aware of.” The headmistress snapped, and you looked to her, she was furious. The boy cringed, but nodded. “You may be excused.” She added, and he hurried from the room as fast as possible without running. You watched him go, sighing as you stood, shaking your head. 

“I’ll bring you your coat.” You muttered, heading towards the door. The less time you spent alone in a room with the woman, the better.

“Wait,” she called, and you turned, facing her. “Are you alright?” She asked you, and you furrowed your brows. 

“It doesn’t matter to me, you know. I don’t particularly care if people know who I am with. I don’t normally publicize it, but I never really hid it.” You said calmly, and the woman nodded. 

“You can understand though, how certain relationships would lend themselves to scandal.” She swallowed, and you raised your brows. So that’s what this was about. 

“Of course I can.” You said, turning to go again. You didn’t need to hear this.

“So even if they were, welcome, it would be impossible.” She added, and you turned to face her. You smiled as best you could, trying to ignore the frustration. 

“Is there something else you would like to speak to me about?” You asked her, and this time the flowers that bloomed along the crown of your head were a yellow-green, causing the woman to stare. That was a new one.

“I- no, no there isn’t.” She swallowed, and you nodded. 

“Have a pleasant evening then.” You swallowed, and the woman stared after you as you left. She let you leave, again. It’s what she had to do, she reminded herself, swallowing down the hurt.

You went to your classroom, grading well into the evening. You mostly kept to yourself, which worked well for you, considering how little of yourself you were comfortable showing to people. You ate dinner in the hall, alone, before heading off to your room. You took out your laptop, beginning to work on some things you had been sent by others in your community, when a knock at the door sounded. You sighed as you recognized the pattern. 

“Come in Wednesday.” You called, and Wednesday and Enid ushered through your door. You turned, crossing your legs and facing them. “So, do you have an explanation for why you are at the lake at seven in the morning or is this just going to be one of those ‘things’?” You asked her. The girl rolled her eyes, walking in and sitting on your bed, leaving her friend standing awkwardly. “Oh, by all means, make yourself at home.” You mocked her, and she stared at you as you got up, pulling one of the large chairs for Enid to sit on as you leaned against your table. 

“Thanks.” The girl muttered, and you nodded. 

“So?” You asked her, and she stared at you. 

“I am conducting an investigation.” Wednesday began, and you sighed deeply. 

“Oh good lord, I pray for us all.” You sighed, and she rolled her eyes at you. “That’s all your going to tell me, isn’t it?” You asked, and she nodded. You sighed again. “Fair enough, but if you get into any trouble, call for me.” You sighed, and the girl smiled, hopping up and taking her friend with her. 

“Miss Ophelia?” Enid asked, and you turned to the girl. “Why do you have Miss Weems’ coat?” She asked you, and you swallowed. Right, you had forgotten about that. Or rather, you were avoiding it.

“Oh, I have to return that, thank you for reminding me.” You sighed. It was already late, nearly nine o’clock. “She lent it to me this morning after I had to dive into the lake after someone.” You deadpanned, looking to your niece, who was ignoring you. You rolled your eyes, a slight smile making it’s way onto your face. “Goodnight girls.” You said, and the two said there goodnights before running off. 

…

Larissa was sitting by the fireplace in her rooms. She was answering emails, sitting on the couch as she sipped a glass of wine. Your sweater was draped over the back of the couch, it smelled like you. She craved it. She craved the way you smelled, the way your hands were warm and soft but strong. Her mind kept wandering back to you this morning, your skin wet and glistening in the morning light. The way your hair was weighed down by water, how your dress had clung to you. She could see the outline of you, the way your waist was small above your full hips, the muscle of you beneath the thin gown. 

She swallowed as she thought of the way it plastered over your chest, your collarbones and shoulders exposed as the gown practically suctioned to your breasts. She bit her lip, she had tried not to stare, but she could see the way your nipples pebbled through the fabric, the cold getting the better of you. She knew this was the last thing she should be thinking about, she had to get ahold of herself, but it was almost like she couldn’t help it. She didn’t know what to do, she shivered as she couldn’t keep her thoughts from you. Ever since this morning she had wanted- no. She was a damn adult for fuck’s sake, She was, enraged, when she found out what a student had called you, how he had insulted you. 

She knew she shouldn’t care that much, but god, the way her blood boiled at the idea of anyone being cruel to you. She had seen your own father hit you, for fuck’s sake, and it took everything in her not to just attack him right then and there. She wanted to rip his throat out for talking to you like that, to murder both your parents in cold blood when she found out what the place they had sent you to did to you. 

She pulled your sweater close, gripping it in her arms. It was a comfort. She couldn’t have you, not without it becoming a scandal of epic proportions, not to mention everything else, but she could have this. She swallowed down the guilt as she held it close, breathing in the way you smelled. It was divine, sending a thrill through her like nothing she had ever felt. She wanted to wrap it around her, to have your scent all around her. She shuddered, she shouldn’t, she knew she shouldn’t. 

Tich would mock her if she could see how far the woman had fallen. Larissa was always so polished, so proud, but just a touch of you had brought her down so far. She gritted her teeth, even with the fire roaring she shivered, it couldn’t be that bad, she tried to justify. She was already cold, and it was there, she might as well use it. Her breath shuddered as she pulled it on. It fit like a dress on you, on her it was still loose, and she sighed in relief as the feel of you surrounded her. 

She sat back, closing her eyes for a moment. She got lost in the thought of you. In your smile, your laugh. The way your hands touched her when you were worried about her. The way you defended her against your parents and sister. The way you defended her against those men, the first night you met. Something about you made her feel so safe, so cared for. Perhaps it was just the fact that she knew your sister so well that she felt like she had known you forever, but whatever it was, when she was wrapped up in your scent, she felt safe. 

She slowly slipped off into sleep, dreams taking her. She dreamt of you again, of your hands, only this time they were much more insistent. You were wrapped around her, kissing her needily. God, she felt a rush at the idea of you needing her. Your hands pulled her close, grabbing at her, palming at her breasts as your lips claimed hers in a blaze of passion. You were hungry, needy, you swallowed every little moan she gave you. Your hands traced lower, over her waist, her stomach, the swells of her hips. She gasped as you slowly slipped your hand around her waistline. 

“More?” You whispered, and she nodded, nearly whining as you dipped lower. She needed you, she needed you to touch her, to finally make her feel, wanted.

“Please,” she groaned, and she saw your wicked smile as your hand finally met where she needed you- just in time for her to wake up. 

She nearly screamed as she did, wanting to grab her glass and throw it against the wall. Instead she just seethed as she heard a knock sound at her door. She looked to the clock, it was just after nine, well after school hours. Someone better be dead or dying. She stood, frustration coursing through her veins as she ripped open the door. 

“What?” She seethed, only to look down and find you standing there. Your eyes went wide as you took her in, her face was flushed, her hair was messed slightly, and she was panting. Her eyes were dilated and her lipstick was smeared from being bitten. You knew that look. Good lord help you, you knew that look. 

What caught your attention after that was the fact that she was wearing your sweater. You took a deep breath in, this woman was going to kill you. 

“Right, absolutely don’t have the strength for that.” You breathed, handing her the coat. “Goodnight then.” You said, quickly turning around and making your exit. You thought you might be about to get away with it too, before you felt her hand wrap around your wrist. You took a deep breath, turning back to her. “Larissa,” you sighed, shaking your head. You couldn’t do this, not when she was like this.

“At least come inside.” She breathed, and you swallowed. What would the point even be, you knew it was a bad idea. Yet you walked into the room anyway, standing there awkwardly as she shut the door. You looked at her expectantly, waiting. She said nothing. 

“What?” You asked her, and she just blushed, staring at you, trying to find the words. “I, I have classes to prep for, I have things to do, not to mention a mountain of emails to respond to, there’s a publisher asking if I’m interested in another book deal, what do you want Larissa?” You asked her. She could feel her heart pounding. “Please, just tell me what you want.” You sighed, she was killing you. She was hot and cold, literally holding you to her one moment and pushing you away the next. She ran her hands over her hips nervously, until she realized that she was wearing your sweater. 

“Oh my god.” She breathed, instantly panicking. “Here, this is yours, I-“ she began, but you just sighed, shaking your head. 

“You can keep it.” You said softly. She looked at you like you had lost your mind. 

“No, I, it’s yours I don’t want-“ she continued, and you nearly screamed. 

“You can keep the sweater!” You groaned, and she looked down at you. “I don’t care about the sweater, tell me what you want, Larissa.” You breathed, and she swallowed, shaking her head. 

“I- I don’t know.” She panicked, trying to remain composed, and you nodded. 

“Right, so I’m going to go and I’ll see you whenever my niece next gets into trouble.” You huffed, turning to go. This time she rushed to you again, turning you to face her. Your breath caught as you looked up at her. She was close. You had been here before, why would this be any different?

“This is a bad idea.” She said, and you wanted to scratch your eyes out as your heart hammered in your chest the moment she grabbed your arm. 

“Probably.” You nodded, and the woman looked defeated. You sighed, looking at her for a moment more before you gave in. You lifted your hands, taking off your gloves and holding them. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like it.” You said softly. Her eyes widened a touch and she took your free hand, sighing as you held hers. So warm, as always. 

“I don’t know if I…” she trailed, and you looked up at her with such want in your eyes that she felt like she was trapped in the best possible way. She pulled you in a bit closer, leaning down a touch. You gasped, swallowing down your feelings as her arm wrapped around you. She saw the red flowers bloom, she knew what they meant, she knew what you wanted, what she wanted. “Are you sure?” She whispered, and you leaned up a bit, nearly trembling at the proximity. 

“No.” You breathed, and she swallowed. “I’d like to find out though.” You whispered softly. It was just the two of you in the darkened room, lit only by the fireplace. You were alone, safe, no one had to know. You were following her, she had the lead, she was in control. She hesitated. A moment passed, then another, and she remained still. You were right there, and she hesitated. You sighed, the flowers seeming to wither right before her eyes as you pulled away. 

“Ok.” You said, your voice heavy. Of course she wouldn’t, you didn’t know what you expected. “I’ll go then.” You nodded, and she panicked. You began to turn away, and she just panicked. She pulled you close and slammed her lips onto yours, making you gasp. 

You jumped, not responding right away, and a feeling of dread sunk in Larissa’s gut. What if she read you wrong, what if you didn’t want this, she had just kissed you and what if she had ruined everything! 

Then your arms were around her and you were kissing her back. She relaxed instantly as you did, your hands wrapping around her waist as your lips moved against hers. She groaned as she pulled you impossibly closer, backing you up until you hit the wall behind you. It felt so good, god she had imagined kissing you but it was nothing compared to the real thing.

You gasped, and she used the distraction to move her lips to your jaw, your neck, anywhere she could touch, you breathed out a sigh of utter relief as you wound your fingers into her formerly perfectly done hair, moaning slightly as she bit down on your pulse point. For fuck’s sake, you felt like a teenager. Her hands slipped around your waist, feeling you up as she went back up to your lips, taking more and more from you. She moaned as you slipped your tongue into her mouth, your arms wrapping around her neck and shoulders as you shook in her grasp. The sound went straight to your core, making you shudder.

It didn’t feel like she thought it would, it felt better. She thought you might remind her of Morticia, but Tich was the furthest thing from her mind as you pushed her back, backing her up to the couch and sitting her down before straddling her lap, cupping her face as you kissed her over and over. Your hands, your hands were on her again and they felt divine.

Her hands slid around your hips, pulling you into her more and your breath hitched, you kissed over her jaw, worshiping over her neck and the little bit of exposed chest offered you to you. She whined as you zeroed in on a spot that had her aching for more. You were insistent, needy yet gentle, desperate for her, but attentive. The combination made her head swim as her hands went to the sides of your shirt, playing with the hem. It was then that you stopped, placing your hands over hers and resting your forehead on her shoulder as you panted. You wanted her, you were aching for her, every touch felt like fire straight to your core, but not like this.

She panicked as she realized she hadn’t asked you if she could take your clothes off, she knew you were sensitive about it, but the way she craved the feeling of your skin against her, it drove her mad. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, she didn’t want you to go, she didn’t want you to panic. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“ she panted, and you shook your head, kissing over her neck again softly, causing the woman to relax slightly. 

“If you apologize again, I’m going to walk out.” You murmured against her skin, and she shuddered. The feeling of your lips brushing against her neck, your voice low and husky, it sent a shiver up her spine.

“Ok,” she breathed, and you nodded as you slowly kissed your way back up, kissing her lips again softly, slow. Her arms wrapped around you much more gentle this time, feeling you there was enough. It felt so good, so natural to have you in her arms, as if that is where you were meant to be, as if you completed her. 

“Know what you want yet?” You husked, and she hesitated. She knew what she wanted, but she didn’t know if she could. Her eyes betrayed uncertainty as she kissed you again, this time leaning up into you, her hands found their way into your hair, kissing you slow and powerfully. You sighed into her, nearly whimpering at how good it felt. 

“This is still a bad idea.” She whispered against your lips, and you nodded. 

“I know.” You said softly, pulling away a bit. She instantly regretted speaking, your eyes betraying the loss you felt at pulling away. You placed your hands on top of hers. “I know.” You repeated, swallowing down something she couldn’t interprete. 

“But you, you want it?” She asked you, and you laughed a bit at yourself, shaking your head. 

“Oh, darling if I didn’t I can assure you I wouldn’t be here right now.” You breathed, sighing at yourself. She looked up at you, unsure. You smiled as best you could. She was gorgeous. Her lipstick smeared, her normally pristine hair slightly out of place, yet she had never looked better. 

You leaned back down again, giving her one final, achingly soft kiss before you climbed off of her lap. 

“You know where to find me, when you figure out what you want.” You whispered low, and she stared at you, dumbfounded. Her whole life she had fought for control, and you, who gave it to her so willingly, were an uncertainly she was terrified of. You were off limits, firmly off limits, but as you slipped your hand over her jaw one last time, fixing the lipstick she ruined, she thought she might just be willing to see what would happen.

Chapter Text

Larissa stood in her office, her jaw clenching and unclenching. You were likely in the conservatory, teaching, and here was this man, this man who claimed to know you, who had no business at her school, in her office, demanding to see you. It infuriated her, she was well aware she had no particular reason to be this angry, but one look at the man and the way he spoke about you had her reeling.

“So how do you know Miss Florere?” She asked, painting neutrality on her face despite the fact that she was furious. He came here, demanding you. Demanding you! As if he owned you, as if you were his. The very idea made her blood boil. Yet she didn’t know why. She had no right to be angry, you had told her where you stood. It was up to her to make a move, yet the very idea of it petrified her. The idea of you petrified her. Your warm hands, your fierce heart, the way it felt like you could stop the world to protect those you loved. It was terrifying. She craved it.

“Oh, Ophelia and I have worked on a few articles together.” The man smiled, tapping his foot impatiently, and she nodded, not at all liking the way he talked about you. It was his tone more than anything, possessive, owning. She hated it. You may not be hers, you may not ever be hers, but you certainly weren’t his. You weren’t anyones. You were far too wild to be contained, and it petrified her, despite the fact that she liked it. She hated the lack of control, it was the furthest thing from what she was comfortable with, yet it almost drew her to you.

“Right, well I’m sure she’ll be able to talk to you as soon as she’s out of class.” She smiled, and he nodded. He was watching her closely, almost as if he was waiting for something, it bothered her, the way his eyes laved over her was nothing like the way your eyes scanned over her, it disgusted her when he did it.

Thankfully, there was a knock on the door at just that time. You poked your head in, looking to the headmistress with a smile. God, your smile. It felt like you always saved it for her. She knew it was illogical, that there was no way you did, but after last night, leaving it up to her, the temptation of something as innocent as a smile was killing her.

“So sorry, I was teaching the third years, now what did you-“ You froze and the headmistress looked at you strangely. “Hello Peter.” You deadpanned. Immediately the smile fell from you face, of course it was Peter. Larissa watched your reaction, you were thoroughly unamused, and she couldn’t help the slight pleasure she felt when she realized that you were just as displeased to see him as she was. More so, actually.

“Hello, my darling.” He said, and you scoffed, rolling your eyes. Larissa was about ready to rip his throat out. You certainly weren’t his darling, especially not if you reacted like that.

“Why are you here, Peter?” You asked plainly. You didn’t like him being here, even if you had to act calm for now. He shouldn’t have been there at all, he should have been back in Europe at the guild, if he was at Nevermore, then there was trouble, and the last thing you wanted for the school, let alone Larissa, was trouble.

“Is it so wrong to want to see the great mistress herself?” He asked, there was a hint of nerve to his voice, one that would have made you pause had it not been for what he called you in front of the headmistress. Of course that was the angle he would go for. He loved to get a reaction. You sighed deeply as Larissa’s jaw slackened at the title he gave you. 

“Oh, so this is that game then.” You sighed annoyedly. Larissa watched you, waiting for you to make any serious reactions she could go off of. She didn’t know the man, she couldn’t just throw him from the school based on the fact that he seemed to be familiar with you. She could tell you were uncomfortable, you didn’t want to be near him, you wanted him gone, yet what you did next surprised her. 

You glanced at him before walked over to her, standing in front of her desk, between her and the man. You were shielding her, she realized. You put your back to her as you crossed your arms, taking up the man’s attention. The position was clearly defensive, and she watched closely as you leaned back on her desk slightly, preparing yourself. Standing behind you, however, enabled her to watch your back. Your shoulders were down and spread, your spine straight and strong. You tilted your head to the side and slightly towards the man, looking at him expectantly, yet your body sent a clear message.

You were guarding her.

She felt her breath catch at the realization. She had seen you do it before, most noticeably for Wednesday, and slightly for her, but this was different. The way you did it was so casual, almost, instinctual. She felt a blush threaten to stain her cheeks as she realized you were protecting her. You, on the other hand, were staring at the man thoroughly unamused.

“Come now, you know what they call you. What else would they, with how you have achieved your success.” The man mocked, and you chuckled humorlessly. You were pissed. This was out of line, even for him. The man was bold, you would give him that, but taking shots at you that directly with a stranger in the room was beneath him. At least it normally was.

“Excuse me, I don’t believe-“ Larissa began, only for you to cut her off with a smile. One that she couldn’t see, given you were facing away from her, but from the cold but smiling tone of your voice when you spoke, she could picture it perfectly. It nearly made her shudder. She knew what you used that tone of voice for, and it wasn’t good.

“I’m aware what the boys club that is the Botanist’s Guild calls me, yes.” You smiled, and Larissa swallowed as you glared daggers at the man. If looks could kill, the sweet acerbicism with which you spoke would have eviserated him. “Furthermore, I’m also aware of what you’re implying and let me assure you, if you believe I have done anything other than work for my success, you’re severely underestimating me and overestimating my ability to tolerate men poking around where they don’t belong.” You smiled sweetly. Larissa’s breath hitched as she realized what was happening. He was threatening you. “Now, why is the Guild’s press bothering me at a school for children, where I am certain I didn’t invite them.” You asked, yet it was more like a statement than a question. You were royally pissed. He was out of line, well out of line.

“You certainly left Europe in a hurry.” The man, Peter, smirked, pulling out a pen and notepad. His eyes were more frantic then usual, palms slightly sweaty. You looked over him, he was jumpy, unusual for him, but not unheard of. He had something else on his mind then.

“Odd, I don’t remember agreeing to an interview.” You bit, and he put them away, glaring at you. He glanced down to your covered legs, staring pointedly, an action which had you itching to either slap him across the face or hide yourself. Yet you stayed still, waiting for the shot to fire.

“Tell me, do your knees get bruised from all your ‘work’ behind the scenes?” He mocked you, and you smiled, raising a brow. He was testy today, something had him irritated.

“I wouldn’t know, I don’t have to get on my knees for my bosses to convince them I’m worth the salary, but I’m sure you could tell me all about it.” You replied. He glared at you as you blinked benignly. You could see his jaw working, he was sweating, he looked like he was barely containing himself. That was odd, the two of you had done this dance before, many times, in fact, but there was a madness behind his eyes, a desperation, that unnerved you.

“He’s going to bring you down. Expose you, show everyone what you really are.” He spat. You laughed softly, raising a brow. what the hell was he on about?

“I have no secrets, not in terms of my work. The only thing you’ll find is a series of accomplishments even your esteemed boss couldn’t pull off.” You smiled, and he still glared. 

“Fuck you, Ophelia.” He hissed, and you rolled your eyes. That was beneath him, just juvenile.

“You wish. And your boss will be receiving a cease and desist letter from me, as well as a restraining order if you don’t stop showing up.” You said casually. 

“Please, you wouldn’t bother, not for some journalist just trying to get an interview.” He laughed, his face more nervous than you had ever seen. The death glare you gave him, however, stopped him in his tracks. 

“If said journalist shows up at a school for children where he has no business being again, yes, yes I will.” You said low. The smile was gone, you weren’t playing any more. You were serious.

“What are you going to do? Take your gloves off and kill me? Can you really kill with just a touch?” He was trying to get a rise out of you, and you leaned back again, bracing your arms on the desk calmly. Larissa swallowed, that, was a rumor she had yet to hear. Hurt and manipulate, yes, but kill? That was new. Whatever this man wanted, she certainly did not want him in her school.

“Would you like to find out?” You asked calmly, and he blanched. He wasn’t getting anywhere.

“Choke on a dick, bitch.” He repeated, taking his bag and rummaging through it. 

“Tell your boss he might if he doesn’t get his mouth off mine.” You called with a smile, waving. Larissa’s jaw dropped, that was, you certainly had fire in you, and heaven help her she liked it a little too much. The man yelled as he stormed towards the door, checking the handle for something. The action had her confused, but you payed him no mind, continuing your mocking. “Oh, and do feel free to purchase my next book, maybe you’ll learn something.” You added. 

He turned around again, starting to walk towards you with rage in his eyes. You stood calmly, folding your hands in front of you. He wouldn’t, not here. He may hate you now, but he was still a person, he knew where the limits were. 

“We’re not in a bar, Peter, this is a school for children, try anything and I’ll have you arrested.” You said. He stood still, staring at you with a glare for a moment. This was unlike him, he never pushed you this far, certainly not unprompted like this. You were teaching at a school in the states, you were no threat to him or his bosses, there was no reason for him to be acting this way.

“I hate you.” He gritted, and you sighed. You knew he did, but this was new, sudden. This was a deep hatred, one born from more that just jealousy. You swallowed as you tried to get a handle on the situation.

“I know.” You said, hoping you could placate him before it became an actual issue.

“One day you’re going to pay, for all of it. Everything you didn’t earn.” He hissed. You set your jaw, leaning in a bit. Fine then, if he wanted to keep taking shots, you wouldn’t just take it laying down. The woman at your back may have to listen to the jealous prick ramble, but you were going to make bloody well certain she knew he was wrong.

“In that case I won’t be paying for anything at all.” You said. He shook his head at you, nearly growling in anger. He was acting strange, very strange, and it was starting to unnerve you.

“If nothing else, I’ll find that little black book of yours, I want everyone to know exactly who you whored yourself out to, exactly who put you where you are.” He spat. You raised a brow. That was low, even for him that was low.

“You seem to care an awful lot about my sex life, is there something you want to tell me?” You asked him, and his face turned red in anger. You had to stay calm, keep things moving. You needed to get him out. Whatever was going on, you didn’t want it to continue here. Not in front of the woman you were currently trying to keep out of your head.

“You are nothing, but a fucking- a fucking slut. I was with you in those classes, you couldn’t even afford to take full semesters, you want me to believe you’ve done everything you have without using the back door, bullshit!” He yelled in your face. You squared your shoulders, leaning back. He was baiting you. He wanted something from you, you realized. Yet his way of going about it was far from helping him.

“I don’t kiss and tell, and you know it. How many times have we done this dance, Peter?” You asked him. He gritted his teeth. He was almost bright red, odd, even for him. 

“Give me something, come on, give me SOMETHING.” He nearly yelled. You pulled back. 

“It’s a shame, if you hadn’t bet everything on the Guild we might still be friends.” You said, and he softened. That got his attention.

“They won’t stop, you know. Your entire career, they’ll keep trying to shut you down.” He said, and you nodded. He was right, you knew he was right. Yet, you tried to hold on to the hope that eventually you would be able to work without them looming over your back.

“Get back to London Peter, before your boss gets pissy.” You replied, and he shook his head, his eyes wild. They almost looked inhuman. Something was very, very wrong. “Peter, are you alright?” You asked him, suddenly actually concerned about the way he was acting. Button pushing was one thing, but as sweat started to pour from his brow you began to get nervous.

“Help me, give me something!” He nearly cried, stepping towards you again. 

“Peter, back up.” You warned, and he glared at you, his face getting redder and redder. 

“Help me Ophelia!” He nearly screamed. 

“Peter?” You asked, becoming much more alarmed. The two of you had been opposed for years, you were once friends, but when you started to rise, he lost everything. Jealousy could drive a man mad, you knew that, but this wasn’t jealousy, this was far more dangerous. He stepped closer, getting in your face. 

“Help me!” He screamed, and that’s when you noticed it, a red ring around his eyes. 

“Peter. Back. Up.” You gritted, and the man sobbed, blood spilling from his nose.

“Help me! Help me! Help me!” He screamed, you pushed him back, and he fell to the ground, screaming out as Larissa panicked. 

“Ophelia what is-“ she began, her throat tight in concern. The man was acting beyond erratic, and now he was bleeding, this wasn’t just some jealous former co-worker. 

He reached for something in his bag, and your eyes widened in fear as you realized what he was going to do.

“Back up!” You screamed, watching in horror as he pulled out a vial, throwing it to the ground. You moved as quickly as possible. Turning, climbing over the desk, and slamming into Larissa, ripping off your glove and slamming your hand over her nose and mouth as you reached behind yourself. You blew air over her face, minimizing the likelihood she would inhale whatever he had just released as your mind began to race.

Vines sprouted from your other hand, you quickly forming an airtight wall behind you, between the two of you and Peter, creating an almost instantaneous seal. Her eyes went wide as she realized the sheer speed you could grow with. It was incredible, it was almost frightening.

You stretched further, blocking off the door and chimney until he was sealed in, but that meant so were the two of you. You pulled plant after plant from the wall you had created, English ivy, snake plants, bamboo palm, every purifier you could think of sprouted in the small space of half of Larissa’s office, her eyes widening as you seemingly created a jungle out of nothing.

The woman was looking at you in shock, and you just nodded. This was bad, this was beyond bad. You didn’t know why Peter would do this, he was never violent before, but this- this was horrifying. You swallowed, you needed to get ahold of yourself. You looked to Larissa, trying to remain calm as you kept your hand sealed over her nose and mouth. You could remain calm, the woman had no idea what was going on, so you need to find a way to assure her.

“Ok, I need you to reach into my pocket, and take out the handkerchief I use when I cut my hands, ok?” You asked her, and she nodded slightly, your hand still locked around her face. You swallowed as she did so, your body starting to shake slightly when her hand brushed over your hip to get to your pocket. Her eyes widened in concern, but you just shook your head, closing your eyes. You took deep, slow breaths, you needed to calm down, you needed to focus. 

“It’s not you, that’s- it’s ok, take out the handkerchief, fold it twice, and you’re going to hold it over your mouth and nose, alright?” You asked her, trying to ignore your own shaking voice. She nodded a bit, doing so quickly. She held it over your hand, over her mouth. “I’m going to let go, ok? It needs to be as tight as you can make it, no air gets in other than through the cloth.” You said quietly, and she nodded. You slipped your hand down, and she sealed the cloth over her mouth. “Good, ok. I’m going to blow pollen on it, but this will not affect you, do you understand me? This is a sort of phytoplankton that can act as a filtration, alright? The cloth itself is already better than most masks, but this will help, ok?” You whispered, your hands shaking a bit. You were scared, she realized. Whatever was going on, it was enough to scare you, and that utterly horrified her.

“You’re shaking.” She whispered, and you nodded, your eyes watering a bit. This was hard, very hard. Any moment of hightened stress meant touch was much harder, this, this meant any touch was almost excruciating, but it was just her, you had to remember it was just her. 

“Mhm,” you nodded, unable to find the words. “Ready?” You asked her, your voice thick, and she nodded again. You brought your hands up, pulling forth the pollen and then blowing it towards her. She held her breath, every time Morticia had given her something of yours there was at least some sort of reaction, she waited for one, bracing herself, but it never came. 

She opened her eyes, confused, and you just tried your best to smile. She could see the fear in your eyes, everything, you were petrified. Of what, she wasn’t sure. She held the cloth close and you nodded, trying to still your nearly shaking hands.

“Good, just like that, very good.” You shook, and her heart rate picked up a little. She couldn’t tell if it was the fear or the praise, but the combination was driving her insane. Adrenaline was kicking in, frazzling her quickly. She watched as you slowly turned, facing the wall. 

“What. Did you do?” You asked the man, your voice shaking in fear. 

“I’m sorry.” He sobbed, and Larissa watched as you slowly sunk to the ground, your entire body shivering in terror. That wasn’t possible, if he was apologizing, it couldn’t be-

“Peter, what was that?” You asked, your throat closing up in fear. If it was what you thought it was, you would be fine, but if Larissa had been exposed, if she had been exposed then, you couldn’t.

“You know what that was, Ophelia.” He sniffed, and you shook your head, shutting your eyes as you nearly collapsed. You had given everything- you had destroyed all of it, you thought, years of work, you had wiped it away, but it wasn’t enough. You had destroyed everything! How could that not be enough!

“No, Peter no, please?” You whispered, and you could hear the crying through the wall. 

“I’m sorry Ophelia.” You heard, you could barely hear it through the wall. Larissa watched in horror as your whole body sunk to the ground, as you collapsed in on yourself, heaving air as you sobbed. You looked almost crazed.

“No, no, please no!” You nearly screamed, and Larissa stood struck. She had never seen you like this. She had seen you in quite a few intense situations, but this, something was very, very wrong. 

“Why didn’t you just finish it?” He whimpered, and you shook your head, covering your face as sobs were wretched from your chest. He wanted you to finish it? After everything, after seeing what it could do, he was mad at you?

“Finish it?” You breathed through the horror, and you shook your head. “Finish it!” You screamed, standing. “I destroyed it! I wiped the project from the fucking face of the earth, I burned everything in that lab!” You cried out, and the man on the other side whimpered. “I destroyed my life’s fucking work because you MONSTERS couldn’t keep your hands off it!” You screamed, your voice breaking. It hurt. After everything you had done, everything you had sacrificed, they still found a way to turn it against you.

“You didn’t do enough!” He bit back, and you swallowed, trying to find the strength. You did this. You were a monster. This was your fault. It was your project, it was your creation, and now, if Larissa had been exposed. You turned to her in horror, looking at her in utter terror. She gasped as she saw the tears in your eyes, and felt her own come watching you struggle to find your resolve. You were down. She had seen you be hit, she had seen you starved and tortured, but she had never seen you actually down. 

“What- I- what did they find?” You asked through the wall. The man just sobbed. “HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?” You sobbed, and you heard him whimpering. There was no response, he was alive, but there was no response. You turned to Larissa, tears in your eyes. You could have killed her. Without ever laying a hand on her, it was possible you just killed her.

“I’m sorry.” You breathed. “Oh god I’m so sorry.” You whimpered. You got up, trying to steady yourself. “I- you need to listen to me, and I- god I’m so sorry- you need to do exactly what I tell you.” You tried to breathe. You were struggling to. You knew it couldn’t effect you, but the panic was setting in, the clock had begun. 

“Ophelia, what is happening?” She asked you, and fresh tears began. You tried to smile, tried to find hope. You failed. Despite the smile you attempted to keep on your face, the sheer horror and grief in your eyes shown through.

“I- I don’t know yet, but you need to listen to me. This is going to be scary and this, this is all my fault.” You started to panic. “This is all my fault, I, I shouldn’t have come here, I NEVER would have come here!” You cried. “If I had known- Shut the school down.” You whispered, finding your focus again, and Larissa went wide eyed. 

“Ophelia-“ she began, but you shook your head. 

“Send all students to their dorms, lie, if you have to, but no one leaves and NO ONE comes into this room.” You said. She swallowed. You were serious. You were deadly serious. She wanted to fight you, but one look at your eyes told her what she had to do.

“Your laptop, use your laptop, shut it down.” You whispered, and she nodded. You sat in silence for a moment as she typed. Your world was falling apart. This was it. You had just killed her. You had potentially killed everyone in the school. You cried as you sunk down against the wall you had created, curling in on yourself. You had become the very thing people expected you to be. A monster.

“I did this.” You whimpered. You didn’t want to get up. You didn’t want to move. You wanted to wither away into nothing, into the fear and darkness threatening to consume you. “I- I missed something.” You whispered so softly Larissa could barely hear it. 

“Ophelia, what is going on?” She asked you, and you shook your head, curling in impossibly tighter. She stormed over you, squatting down and grabbing you by the jaw. You gasped, flinching at her touch as she did, and she stopped in panic. You had never flinched at her before. Others, yes, but not her. She kneeled next to you, one hand still gripping the cloth on her face as the other tentatively rested in her lap. 

“Ophelia, what happened?” She asked you softly, and you tried to breathe. You had to breathe. You had to tell her, you owed her that much. If this was the end, you owed her that.

“I- I started a project, years ago. I was trying to save the world.” You sniffed. She furrowed her brows, shaking her head. What on earth that had to do with anything, she had no idea. “I- I was, there are certain plants that increase the power of the immune system, that boosts it so well to the point that cancer patients can live longer.” You explained. “I was working, I worked on a new species of plant, a micro-phytoplankton. I made it from my own, my own ability.” You swallowed. Every word felt like a mountain you had to haul yourself up, a never ending battle to get through the sight that was crushing you. “It was going well, it worked.” The way you said it, you told the story as if you were praying. As if you were praying through the horror, the hatred, and the shame you held inside. It struck her.

“It worked, Larissa, I had cured cancer! I had made something that could help everyone!” You whispered, you were desperate, grasping at something, anything. “And then it didn’t.” You swallowed. “Then it mutated. And when it- when it went bad.” You choked. You shook your head, swallowing down the shame before you could speak again. “It kills, it kills anyone who inhales it. Depending on the variation, three hours to three days, it-“ you shook your head. “Imagine agent orange, but so much worse.” You whispered, your voice broken. You hung your head in shame, sobbing as the woman stood there, unable to speak, unable to think. If she had breathed in whatever was in that vial, if it got out into the school before you sealed the room off, she was dying. Everyone, was dying. 

“The doctor is leaving something out.” The man on the other side of the wall of greenery spoke, and Larissa cleared her throat as you sobbed silently, unable to even try. “The mutation, it wasn’t her. Her creation was incredible, but the guild, the guild saw the potential.” Came the man’s voice. “They saw a bio weapon that could bring countries, entire races, to their knees.” He said. “She created it to target cancer cells, but it can target anything. Race, blood, decendancy, outcasts, normies, it can be used for anything.” He said, and she looked to you in horror. 

You couldn’t even look at her, all you could see was the dark threatening to close you in, threatening to kill you as the weight of what you had done, what you had created, suffocated you. 

“When she realized what my bosses were doing, she shut the project down, she destroyed it all.” He said. “She destroyed her life’s work to prevent it from becoming a weapon.” He managed, his own voice even stalling at the realization.

“Not enough,” you whimpered, and Larissa shook her head at you. This, this was too much, she didn’t understand. “NOT ENOUGH!” You screamed, and the pain ripped through you. 

“She never stabilized it, meaning it’s useless for anything other than a mass murder weapon now.” He spoke, and you slammed your hands against the floor. “You missed one safe.” He said, and you sobbed, you had nothing, you had nothing more to fight with. Despite everything, despite everything you had done, all those you had helped, this was it. You became a monster in the end. Your parents were right. “It was a copy safe in the office, you didn’t even know it existed.” The man said, and you shook your head. 

“Why? Why are you telling me this?” You choked, and you heard his pained sob. 

“They, Ophelia, they dosed my wife, my kids, me. All of us, two days ago.” He sobbed, and you shook your head. So that was why.

“So you decide to kill an entire generation with you?” You spat, and he cried on the other side of the wall. 

“I need you to fight.” He pleaded. You just shook your head, exhausted.

“I’m done, I don’t do this anymore. That was years ago Peter, years.” You whimpered, and he cried. 

“No, you don’t do it for you anymore.” He said. “I know you don’t care about yourself. You could have made billions, trillions, more.” He murmured. 

“I don’t care about the money, it was never about the money, Peter.” You swallowed, and you could hear him agree. There was a time when he thought that too.

“You and I, we don’t matter.” He said, and you breathed in deeply. “We fucked up, Ophelia. The both of us have, countless times. You were blinded by hope, I was blinded by greed, and I know I’ve done the unforgivable, but I need your help.” He rasped. “I need you to save my daughter.” He cried. “You, you met her once, remember? Little Louisa.” He smiled. “She’s seven now, Ophelia.” He said, and you swallowed, your head hanging in your hands. You couldn’t do this.

Silence followed. You were silent. You looked like death. Larissa had seen you look like death before, she had seen you on the verge of it. The look your eyes had now, it was the same. It terrified her. 

“It was a low-impact vial.” Peter admitted. 

“What?” You breathed. 

“I designed it. My- my kids are gonna die Ophelia. I’m going to die, but I- I couldn’t do it.” He breathed. “They knew you would do it if I got the school, but I couldn’t.” He swallowed. “It didn’t have the propulsion to get out of this room.” He said, and you breathed. You nodded, trying to find a way through this. “I couldn’t kill the kids.” He whispered, and you looked up to the ceiling as tears streamed from your eyes. 

“No, you just killed the only woman who has created a place where they can fully be themselves.” You choked, and Larissa’s heart dropped. This was it then. She stood, making her way to her desk slowly. She sat in the chair behind her desk, everything going numb. Her students would be ok. That’s all she could think about. Her students would be ok. 

“You went for her.” The man said, and you hummed, deadened to the world. “I would have thought you would protect yourself, but you went for her.” He said. You grunted. Of course the man would notice that. You had been close once, after all, almost family to each other years ago.

“I don’t even know if it can kill me, and if it could, well,” you muttered, trailing off, and the man nodded. You couldn’t see him, but you could feel him there. 

“I wouldn’t have bet on you falling for someone again.” He said, and you scoffed. 

“Whatever bastard broke your heart when you were young, I thought you were too jaded after that.” He half joked, and you breathed in deeply. You folded your hands, propping your elbows on your knees. 

“It wasn’t a lover, Peter. It was a place.” You started. He was silent for a moment. “Newflight. I was sent to Newflight.” You swallowed. You could hear the shock from him on the other side of the wall. It didn’t matter anymore. At this point he might as well know. Some did, he just happened to have never delved into that part of your past. Your childhood was of no interest to him. Some things even he found sacred.

“Holy shit.” He breathed, and you nodded. “You’re testimony five, aren’t you?” He asked. You breathed deeply, silent for a moment. You didn’t answer. “Ophelia, if you’re testimony five, I- all these years?” He asked you, and still you were silent. “If I had known I- I’m sorry Ophelia.” He muttered, still, silence. He knew what that meant, what that place did. If you were testimony five, he had made you into the monster the doctors had said you would become.

“At least it ends here.” He said. You picked your head up, listening. “That was the last bit they had. They can’t recreate it. You never stabilized it, so recreating it without you, it’s not possible.” He muttered. You blinked a moment. 

“They didn’t stabilize it?” You asked, and he laughed. 

“You think anyone other than you could figure out that shit?” He asked you, and you thought for a moment. There was no way, it wasn’t possible, unless…

“Peter, which, which iteration was that?” You stuttered. 

“Six.” He sighed. 

“Six?” You asked, and your mind began to race.

 “Yeah, unstabalized six, why- no.” He said, and you thought for a moment. 

“Six dash one or six dash two?” You asked him. 

“Two.” He answered. You nodded for a moment. 

“Ok.” You breathed, and he waited. 

“Are you- would you?” He asked. You thought for a moment. You looked to the white haired woman sitting at her desk. The fear and shock on her face. She looked numb, as if someone had snuffed out the very fire in her soul. If there was ever a reason, that would be one.

“I have learned one thing from my sister, in my years with her.” You sighed. “That she’s an idiot.” You breathed, and for the first time Larissa looked at you. You could see the tears in her eyes. You swallowed. “She never values the people worth more than anything.” You whispered, and Larissa’s eyes widened.

“You’d potentially ruin the world for a woman you’ve been working for for what, two weeks?” The man asked in shock, and you nodded. “You are aware that you have nothing, right?” He laughed brokenly. “I did it in this room to shut it off from the rest of the school, you have no equipment, other than the bit I have, and that’s almost nothing!” He spat.

“You’re right.” You swallowed. “But I have a knife.” You breathed. You pulled it from your pocket, sitting on the floor. 

“Jesus.” The man breathed. “You’re gonna bleed out.” He said, shaking his head, and you swallowed. 

“Probably, but I just might stabilize it first.” You nodded, steeling yourself.

Chapter Text

“You’re insane.” The man said through the massive wall of plant life you had created to stop the spread of your own creation. He was right, but now wasn’t the time to discuss that.

“Yes.” You muttered, creating a pitcher plant to work in, somewhat ignoring him.

“Do you actually dance while you work, I heard that somewhere.” The man asked, and you tried to laugh as panic flooded through you. He was distracting you, you realized. It would be welcome in a moment, you knew what you would have to do, but not yet.

“I do, yes. Normally.” You swallowed. Larissa looked up again when she felt the shift in the air. There was a small smile on your face, a pained one, but it almost looked like, hope. She saw the plants you were creating, the pitcher, the plethora of others, vines holding everything at the height you needed it. It was incredibly intricate, insanely so. Your precision, even when you seemed to be loosing it, was breathtaking.

“What are you doing?” She asked, her voice empty. You swallowed. She sounded broken. It ripped into you like nothing you had ever felt. Worse then that, she sounded like she had given up. You took a deep breath in, steadying yourself. She would not sound like that. You would make it so she would not sound like that. It may very well be the last thing you do, but you would find a way.

“I’m going to stabilize what he has, what you might have been exposed to.” You said, your throat tight. She gasped, a chance, she had a chance. She stared at you, a flicker coming back to her eyes. You steadied yourself. That’s what you were doing this for, it was worth it.

“Can- can you do that?” She asked, and you tried to smile. 

“I can try.” You nodded, and she breathed out in amazement. “May I- May I borrow your phone?” You asked her, and she furrowed her brows. “I have some calls I have to make.” You got out. She didn’t know what it meant yet, you realized. Peter knew what you would have to do as soon as you said it. Without the proper equipment, you would have to give more than you had to give. You would have to give more than there was. She, on the other hand, had no idea.

She stood, bringing the phone over to you as she clutched the mask to her face still. There were loops and loops of vines, running through various plants and pitcher plants, an intricate system you had created, one vine leading to a final pitcher, what you would make, and another leading to you. She looked at them all in amazement. This is what you could do, this is what you used to do. 

“What- how does this work?” She asked you, and you tried to smile one more time. You were acting strange, you were still incredibly nervous, that made sense, but there was a sense of finality she didn’t understand.

“You’ll see.” You breathed, you were shaking, she realized. 

“Ophelia, what do you mean?” She asked you, her concern growing again. She had been zoned out for who knows how long, you had decided you were going to try to fix it and set all of this up since then. 

You smiled sadly at her, trying to nod in encouragement. 

“Close your eyes, Larissa, this isn’t the fun part.” You whispered, and she looked to you. 

“Ophelia, what?” She tried, stepping closer, and you shook your head. 

“If we want to do this we have to start now, and, and I need you to close your eyes.” You grimaced. She shook her head, wrapping her arm around herself. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. You shouldn’t be scared, you should be excited. “Please, I just need you to do this, please?” You asked softly, and slowly, slowly she turned away from you, clutching your handkerchief to her face as she did so. She heard you hiss, heard your shuddering breaths. Whatever you were doing, it wasn’t pleasant. Her heart stopped, however, when she heard you try to speak after Peter asked you something.

“You’re really doing it, aren’t you?” Peter asked, and you swallowed. 

“Thi- this would be a- a lot e- oh fuck- easier if you weren’t talking.” You grimaced, your voice coming through strained by tears. Larissa gasped, she went to turn around but you yelled. “Larissa, don’t. You don’t want to see this.” You choked, and she shivered. Whatever you were doing, you were going through hell to do it. You cried out, nearly screaming in pain as you sliced the skin off your forearm, exposing the blood vessels there. “Hah- I- I’m in.” You stuttered, and the man swallowed. He knew what you were doing, he had seen you sit in your lab before draining blood for hours on end, but this, this would be at a level even he couldn’t fully comprehend.

“Keep talking, you can’t pass out yet.” He reminded you, and you cried out as tears streamed down your face. It hurt. You had stuck yourself countess times, but slicing the skin off your arm to reach into your own blood vessels was a level you had yet to experience.

“Not yet.” You repeated, almost screaming through your teeth as you cut into yourself, pulling away the arteries. You pulled one of the vines closer, shoving it into your arm and beginning the process of webbing it to you. You could do it, but it was excruciating. 

You grew the plant inside your body, connecting directly to your blood supply. You tried to stay silent, you did, but you groaned and cried as you finally cut the artery, fully spreading the plant inside your skin to direct the blood up into the elaborate contraption you had made. You could feel the plant growing into you, it was ripping you apart from the inside of your very veins. You nearly gagged as the pain washed over you, threatening to heave. You couldn’t, you had to breathe and get through this, it wouldn’t hurt for long. 

You took in a deep breath, stilling the plant inside you. You shook as you stopped, trying to calm yourself. Tears were streaming down your face, there was blood on your hands, and your mind was split in a hundred different directions as the blood slowly drew up the plant. It had begun. You panted, leaning back against the wall and dropping the knife. 

“Alright.” You gritted. “It’s not pretty, but, it- it’s over. You can turn now, Larissa.” You wheezed. She snapped around to face you, her eyes going wide. 

The woman gasped in horror once again as she turned. There was blood all over your arm, your blood, and a plant growing into you. It was actually growing into you, you had grown it into your very flesh, and she could see the blood slowly being siphoned from your body through it. 

“What, what is this?” She breathed, moving to you and kneeling in front of you almost instantly. You would have blushed at the show of care had it not been for the amount of blood you were quickly loosing.

“It- it works from my dna, my plasma. I can use that and, and the plants I’m running it through to modify it enough to work as a stabilizer. It, it will stop it.” You breathed. “I’m going to stop it.” You panted. Your voice was breathy, weak. It was a whisper of what you would normally use to speak to her, your normal voice was beautiful, it was somehow enthralling and soothing to the woman at the same time. You didn’t speak with an American accent, you had lived most of your life overseas, yet it wasn’t quite English either. Your voice had been changed by the languages you had conducted through it, yet now, now it sounded stripped bare.

“She’s going to die.” Peter said, and you shook your head. 

“Hey, don’t spoil my ending, you bastard.” You breathed. It was already harder to focus, splitting your mind to each plant, each one taking the place of a different piece of lab equipment, running a specific function. It was dizzying.

“You’re going to bleed yourself dry, and then you’re going to die, Ophelia, you know that.” He said, his voice almost somber. Larissa looked to you in horror, but you just shook your head, leaning back on the wall behind you. You were tired, already. It had barely begun and you were exhausted. Yet you swallowed it down, instead focusing on the man speaking to you.

“Careful, you almost sound like you might miss me.” You smiled, the toll already being taken. It would take a while, an hour maybe, but it was already starting to show what doing that was going to do to you. 

“Ophelia,” Larissa breathed, and you looked up at her, smiling tearfully. 

“Hey, it’s ok.” You smiled. “I know what I’m doing, it’s ok.” You repeated. 

“Ophelia, you can’t.” She choked, and you shook your head. 

“Yes, I can. And I’m choosing to.” You began. “I’ve done a lot, alright. Peter can tell you.” You laughed before you looked at her again. Your eyes were shining with unshed tears, but your conviction was strong, despite the exhaustion already starting to show through. “I- I’ve served my purpose in this world. You, you have so much more to do, Larissa. You matter, so much more than you think you do, you- you change students, you change their lives. If I had been to a place like this, I- god I can’t imagine what else I might have done.” You smiled. “You light up the sky.” You breathed, and her eyes started to water, tears beginning to gather in her eyes. “Mmm, no tears.” You hummed. You stared at her for a moment, scanning her crystal blue eyes, almost as if you weren’t sure if you wanted to say wherever came to your mind next.

“Ophelia,” she whispered, her heart nearly breaking. It was too soon, she had barely gotten the chance to know you, she had only just kissed you and it felt like- it had never felt like that before. She couldn’t loose you now, not after everything, not this soon.

“I know we haven’t known each other long, not in this life at least- or I suppose you haven’t known me, but I, I’m grateful, for my time with you.” You smiled. “I’m grateful that I got to meet you, the real you.” You breathed. The woman took your hand, and tears began to stream down your own face. God she was beautiful, it almost broke your heart to make her cry. “I- I have to make some calls.” You swallowed, and she nodded. 

“I’m staying with you.” She breathed, and your breath hitched. “I’m here, alright? I’ve got you.” She swallowed. You closed your eyes, nodding as tears streamed down your face. The woman was breaking you. You were already dying, but that, that statement cut you deeper than any knife ever could.

“Oh, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear someone say those words to me.” You whispered, and her heart broke as she realized it was too late. The two of you didn’t even have a chance. She had hesitated, she had pushed you away, she had been unsure, and now she would never have the chance. You steadied yourself, trying to fight back the tears she had caused. Of all the things she could say, you didn’t expect that. You wanted to wrap the woman up, pull her into you and tell her everything was going to be alright. Yet you couldn’t, so you moved on, you forced yourself to move on. “Can you, can you call Tich please?” You panted, and she nodded, wiping a tear away before using her spare hand to call the woman. 

“My darling Issa, has my sister fully ensnared you yet or are your tastes still, darker?” The woman purred, and you nearly laughed at her. Always with the flirting.

“Larissa’s here, but- but it’s me again, Tich.” You croaked. You heard her gasp. You were strong, but even you would show the amount of pain you were in.

“Ophelia, Ophelia what’s wrong?” She asked, and you tried to smile once more. 

“Hey Tich.” You breathed, and you heard the cry that occurred in your sister’s chest. She recognized the sound, you realized. She knew what you dying sounded like.

“Ophelia, you haven’t sounded like this since, you sound like-“ She stuttered, and you took in a shaky breath. 

“I know, I know.” You began. “I had to make a decision, ok? I’m gonna fix a mistake I made a while ago, but it’s too late for me to get out of it, alright?” You swallowed. 

“Ophelia!” your sister panicked, and you shushed her. You had to calm her down, there was no sense in her panicking too.

“Hey, hey, it’s gonna be ok.” You swallowed. “Everything’s gonna be ok.” Your words were cut short as sobs took them from you, your throat tight. “You’re about to be really rich.” You chuckled, and you heard her sob. 

“No, I- Ophelia please!” Her own throat was closing up now, the pain was there, she was hurting. You could hear how much she was hurting. But you had one more thing to ask of her.

“I want you to do me a favor Tich, ok? I want you to tell Larissa my story, Wednesday too when she’s old enough, ok?” You swallowed, and your sister cried on the other end of the phone. “Tell them about what I actually did, what I’m proud of. Not just the degrees and the books. Tell them about the hospital.” You nearly begged, and your sister just sobbed, nodding despite the fact that you couldn’t see it. “There’s also, well, I need you to do something else for me.” You choked, and a barely audible ‘mhm’ was your only response. “You’re going to be kind to her from now on, truly. And respectful, got it?” You panted. “That’s a hard combination for you, but- but you’re going to treat her as if-“ you couldn’t, you couldn’t say it, but your sister knew. You knew she knew. You had a suspicion she knew more than she let on, as well. Whatever it was between the headmistress and you, your sister had seen it years before you ever met the woman, and she had used it to her advantage.

“Ok, ok, I know.” She repeated, and you nodded. 

“I love you Tich.” You said, and the woman sobbed. 

“I- I love death.” She said, and you chuckled. 

“I know.” You smiled darkly, despite the pain. 

“But this is too soon.” She begged. You sighed. 

“It’s ok. It will be ok.” You swallowed. “It’s time to say goodby, Tich.” You breathed, your throat closing up. The woman took a deep breath in through the phone, trying to control her tears. She knew what she had to do. You couldn’t hang on much longer, and there was one more call you had to make. 

“Ophelia, I, I love you, and I’m happy that you’re my sister.” She managed, and you sighed in relief. What an odd thing for her to say, yet the warmth from the statement ever so slightly eased your rapidly cooling body.

“I love you too Morticia. I- i’ll see you again, beyond the grave.” You chuckled, imitating her gothic demeanor. She laughed back, the sound strained by tears. “I love you Morticia.” You breathed, and she choked back another tear. “Goodbye.” You said softly, dragging your finger to hang up the phone. Even the littlest movement caused an exhaustive amount of torture. Larissa stared at you, tears streaming down her face above the cloth she still clutched to her nose. She was watching you say goodbye. This was the end. You were fighting to stay awake, and the fire in you still showed, it was breathtaking, and the most deeply despondent thing she had ever seen.

“Ophelia, I-“ Larissa began. But you shook your head. 

“One more, I can do it, I need you to call Wednesday.” You breathed, and the woman’s heart stopped. Your sister was one thing, but Wednesday…

“Please,” you panted, and she did as you asked almost instantly, dialing the number until Wednesday’s phone rang. 

“Miss Weems, I think we both know that the halting of classes was caused by something other than a gas leak, might it have anything to do with-“ 

“Wednesday,” you rasped, and the girl stopped. 

“Auntie, Auntie what’s wrong?” The girl asked, and you swallowed. 

“Is Enid there with you?” You asked, and she swallowed. 

“She is but-“ she began, and you interrupted her. 

“I need you to put me on speaker, ok?” Every second you were getting colder, more tired. You didn’t have long, not sounding lucid anyway. 

“Ok.” Wednesday swallowed, and you nodded. 

“Enid, I need you to do me a favor, ok? I know you don’t know me that well, but you do know Wednesday, and I need you to keep her in your room, ok?” You panted, and you heard Enid’s whimper through the phone, she could tell, she knew something was incredibly wrong. “Promise me, please?” You nearly begged the girl, and you could hear Wednesday beginning to pace. 

“Ok.” Enid said, and you nodded, exhaling in releif. 

“Thank you.” You swallowed. You had seen many strong girls in your line of work, and if anyone could take on what was about to happen, it was your niece and her best friend. “Thank you Enid.” You nearly started crying again. You couldn’t, not now. Wednesday couldn’t know you were scared. Hurt, maybe, but not scared. “Hey Wednesday, I- we have to say goodbye.” You swallowed, and Larissa felt her own throat close up for you. You were dying. You were saying goodbye to the girl you loved, who you would give everything for, and it nearly made her sob. She pressed the handkerchief closer to her mouth, cutting off the sound. 

“What- I, I don’t understand.” The girl said, and you swallowed, closing your eyes. 

“Your mother will explain it to you, but for now all you have to know is that this was my choice, Wednesday, I made this decision, no one else. I chose to protect those I chose to protect.” You tried to smile, your voice fading a bit. You had made this choice countless times, yet never were you positive you wouldn’t come out of it. You had suspected it, known that you would could die, but this was the first time you actually knew you would.

“No, no- what’s happening, where are you?” She asked, and you sighed. 

“It doesn’t matter, the decision was already made, baby.” You whispered, and you could hear the girl trying not to cry. 

“No, no!” She yelled, and you cringed. 

“Wednesday, I don’t want to fight about it, I want to tell you something.” You breathed, and Larissa just stared at you, her own hands shaking as she watched you fight to stay awake. “Wednesday, life, is going to be hard for you.” You sighed, and she could see the pain written on every inch of you. “You are going to have to fight in ways that most won’t, you will see things you don’t want to see, hell, the things you will know,” you breathed, loosing your train of thought before pulling yourself together again. “But listen to me when I tell you that does not make you who you are. What you do, who you love, who you help, that makes you who you are Wednesday, always remember that.” You sighed. 

“No. You’ll be there to tell me, you have to!” The girl gritted, and you heaved in another breath. Cold, you were so cold. 

“I love you Wednesday. Very much. I’ll always be with you.” You smiled, and the girl nearly screamed out in frustration. 

“Where are you?” She screamed, and you tried not to sob. 

“Say goodbye darling, it’s time.” You rasped, and there was silence for a moment. You waited. You could wait. You would wait for her as long as she needed. You would prolong this for as much time as it took her to say goodbye, you could do that. You heard the shaky breath she took before she found her words. 

“Goodbye.” She whimpered, and you nodded. 

“Goodbye Wednesday, I love you.” You breathed, hanging up the phone. Silence rang out for a moment, Larissa staring at you in shock.

The sob that pried it’s way from your chest was like nothing the woman had ever heard. You cried, your body giving everything left to the tears, your very soul shattering. You didn’t regret it, but saying goodbye, it hurt. You took a few shaky breaths, trying to calm yourself down. Larissa watched as you dialed one final number, a gruff voice on the other line coming through.

“Hello?” The man asked, in a thick Scottish accent. 

“This is Medic A. Going down.” You breathed, and there was silence for a moment. 

“Phil,” the man breathed, and you shook your head, tears streaming down your face. “Phil where are you, we can come-“ he began, but you just took in a pained breath, your entire body shaking with the effort. 

“Going down, Jenkins.” You panted, and the man cleared his throat, choking something back. 

“Thank you for your years, Medic, thank you, thank you for everything Ophelia.” He whispered, and you nodded. 

“Give them my best.” You whispered, hanging up the phone. You seemed to relax slightly after that. It was done. After everything, it was done. 

Larissa stared at you in shock as you laid there, the strange interaction leaving her speechless. Whoever you had just called, whatever the hospital was and whatever kind of medic you were, it was a side of you she did not know. It was a side of you she would never get to know. Silence surrounded you for a moment, but you knew you couldn’t let go, not yet.

“Does it hurt?” You heard from the other side of the wall, and you wanted to scream. 

“Fuck you.” You gritted, and the man cringed. 

“Will it- will it be enough?” He asked you, and you laughed dryly. 

“Yes, it will be enough, you fucking asshole! It will be enough for her, for you, and your family. You’re welcome.” You spat, and silence overtook the room for a moment. 

“Your name is Larissa, isn’t it?” The man on the other side of the wall asked, and the headmistress swallowed. 

“Yes,” she managed, not able to take her eyes off you. 

“Hold her, Larissa.” He said. You didn’t have the strength to yell at him anymore. “She’s loosing blood fast, she’s probably freezing. Hold her, if you can stomach it” The man said. You were out of it, too out of it to really listen to him until you felt her arms around you. You gasped, trying to look up at her as she sat next to you, lifting you onto her lap. 

“You, you don’t have to.” You swallowed, and she shook her head. Then you realized that it was both arms, both of her arms were around you. 

“Larissa!” You gasped, looking up at her bare face and lips. “No, no, don’t!” You cried, and she shook her head. She would do this for you. You were already laying down your life, she could hold you, she could protect you, keep you warm as you gave everything you had. 

“If I was exposed then I was already exposed, it doesn’t matter.” She breathed, holding you close. You shivered in her warmth, and the woman took off her jacket, holding it around you. You were freezing, you already felt colder, and when your hands desperately clung to her arms, she realized for the first time since she had known you, they were cold.

“Tired…” you murmured, and her hand came to your face, slowly brushing away the hair falling there. 

“I know,” she breathed, and you shuddered at the touch, turning into her slightly. It broke her. Why now, why if all times, only now would you let her hold you this close. Only now would you let go of whatever it was that prevented you from touching her.

“Keep her awake!” Peter called, and you groaned. 

“It’s Larissa fucking Weems, she’s the most gorgeous women I’ve ever met, I’m gonna be awake you asshole.” You slurred, and her eyes bugged a bit. You looked up at her. “How did you get so beautiful?” You whispered. “Did you crush stardust into your hair? Make your eyes from hydrangeas?” You whispered, and she swallowed. 

“Ophelia,” she breathed, and you hummed. 

“Are your lips made from roses? They’re soft, like the petals.” You breathed, and she shook her head. 

“Stop, stop this, you shouldn’t have to make this choice.” She whispered, tears forming in her eyes. You shrugged, the movement uncoordinated as you struggled to retain consciousness.

“I already made it, and you’re going to be ok. Peter can help, the liquid in the last pitcher plant, it should be injected. Like a vaccine.” You nodded sleepily, and she held you close. You were cold, she realized, your body was going cold. “Not much longer, I don’t think. I can’t feel my hands.” You whispered. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” You breathed, and she cried. She had just found you, it wasn’t fair. She had just now found you and here you were, dying in her arms. You said things to her she had been wanting someone to say her entire life, why was it just now that she found the person she wanted to say them. She leaned down, kissing your forehead gently, and you smiled. Your eyes started to droop closed. 

“Stay awake, just a bit longer, stay with me, Ophelia.” She breathed. “Please, stay with me.” She swallowed. “I know what I want now, I want you to stay, please, please just stay with me!” She whispered, her voice breaking at the end. She felt the moment you gave out. She felt the life begin to fade from you. 

“No,” she whimpered, your body was limp in her arms. “No!” She screamed, shaking you. The wall of plants behind her started to shrivel, revealing the man who had done this, who had caused all this. Yet even her anger couldn’t pierce the sadness. She clutched your body, holding you close as the man tore through the shriveling plants, getting to the final pitcher plant before it started to collapse. She ripped the vine out of your arm and put her hand over it, trying to hold the wound closed. It didn’t matter, there was barely any blood left in your body, you couldn’t bleed out. “No!” She screamed, shaking you. You were limp, cold to the touch, the warmth and light in you gone. The man behind her started bottling the solution you had made, and she looked to him, rage flooding her. “You knew she would do this.” She growled, and the man looked at her, his own eyes full of shame and pain. 

“I have kids, I- I have kids.” He said, pulling out a syringe from his bag. He shot himself up first, then loaded it again. She was still holding your body, all the plants in the room dying when he injected her. She could barely even feel it. All she could feel was the weight of you in her arms. “She always had a weak spot for kids.” He murmured. “Even- even when she was with mine.” He rasped. Peter came to your side for a moment, kneeling down next to you. Tears came to his own eyes. “God, why are you so fucking stubborn? Why? Why can’t you just be selfish, for once in your fucking life! Why did you have to make them right!” He nearly screamed at your body. There had been a time where you two were close, when you had considered each other family. “I- I am so sorry Ophelia.” He breathed, biting back his own tears. “I’m so sorry.” He repeated. 

The man left, opening the door on his way out. “If it’s any consolation, she knew the school wouldn’t be affected, she did it for you.” He said, and Larissa just gaped down at you. You did this, for her? You bled yourself dry for her? “She’s protected a lot of kids but, but I’ve never seen her go near that far for someone she actually… she cares about you more than you could ever know.” He muttered, leaving her there. 

The woman screamed in anguish, it was too much. Why would you do that? You barely knew her? Why would you- 

“Miss Weems where is my-“ Wednesday froze, staring at your body in Larissa’s arms. “What,” she breathed. Enid ran in behind her, immediately gasping and slamming her hand over her mouth. It barely even looked like you. Wednesday walked to you, numbly, sinking to her knees in front of you. Enid gagged, running from the room as fast as she could. She couldn’t even look at the pale, cold version of you laying in her headmistress’s arms.

“Auntie?” Wednesday whispered, and Larissa couldn’t even look at the young girl. All she could do was stare at your sunken face. The two of them stared for a moment, the silence of the room threatening to swallow them alive. The office was darkened as it felt like the light was snuffed out with you. 

Enid rushed in once again, with a handful of hawthorn. She ran to you, her hands shaking as she gagged, picking up your mangled wrist and crushing the berries, shoving them in. She nearly fainted, but stayed strong, doing her best to hold on. 

“Enid, she, she’s gone.” Larissa whispered, and the girl just stared. 

“She can’t be, she’s, she’s so strong, and she’s smart, and and she’s talented and safe.” The girl whimpered. “Please Miss Weems, she’s safe!” Enid cried, and Larissa bit back tears as she pulled both girls close. Even Wednesday let her, sinking into her side as she cried silently, and still. The three of them stared at your body for what felt like hours, watching as nothing happened. Larissa eventually stood, helping both girls up after she gently laid your body down, brushing your hair away from your face once more. One more time, she said to herself. One more time she would touch you in this way. 

“We need to, to call her next of kin, I- I think.” She stuttered. The woman was normally so composed around students, but now, now she felt lost, she had no idea. 

“My mother.” Wednesday said harshly, her voice shot from crying. Larissa nodded, picking up her phone to dial, just as the Addam’s family hearse slid to a stop in the driveway she could see from her office window. 

“She’s already here.” The woman said, and went back to the girls. Wednesday was still clutching onto you, just as Enid sat next to her, her hand on her friend’s shoulder. Larissa just stared, her eyes red with tears as you laid on her office floor, surrounded by the dead plants that you once grew so beautifully. 

Morticia ran into her office, stopping stil in the doorway. She gasped, her hand flying to her face as she took in the scene before her. You were laid out on the floor, your wrist smeared with blood and hawthorn as her daughter clutched onto your body desperately, Larissa standing behind the both of them, her own eyes rimmed with red as tears still wouldn’t stop flowing from the normally serene woman. It was a shocking sight, the normally composed woman ripping apart at the seams.

“Wed- Wednesday, go to your father.” She said, her voice low. The girl glared at her mother. 

“I’m not going anywhere.” She bit, and Morticia swallowed. 

“Wednesday Addams, now.” She commanded, and Larissa looked up at her, that was not a tone she used often. Both girls slowly stood, leaving the room and shutting the door behind them. Larissa stared at your body, but Morticia rushed forward, instantly kneeling next to you. She took your hand, the one unmarred by what you had done, and placed a hand over your heart. “Your soul is still here, I’ll give you the blood, you need to take it.” She whispered, and Larissa gaped as your sister picked up your knife, slashing her wrist and taking the remains of the vines woven into your body into her own. There was nothing, for a moment, and Larissa sighed, stepping forward. 

“Morticia, I- it’s over.” She nearly cried again, but Morticia simply held on, waiting for something, it seemed. 

Then the vine moved. 

It almost seemed to reach for her. Larissa gasped as she watched it tangle into Morticia, staring at it in wonder. 

“They love her, Larissa, just as much as she loves them.” Morticia whispered, staring down at you. “They carry a bit of her with them, even if she can’t- even if she can’t control it.” Tich choked. Larissa was by your side in a moment, helping her old roommate hold your body up. She shifted you into her lap, holding you close as Morticia stayed connected to you. Within a minute the plant had run out of the remnants of your ability, shriveling again and falling from Morticia’s wrist. The wound stopped bleeding, and still you laid, not moving. Larissa felt a tear run down her face, god, she didn’t even know she had that many in her. She would have thought they would have run out. 

“Please.” She whispered, leaning down into you slightly. She tucked her face into your shoulder, her cheek pressing against yours. She cried. Tears fell as she pulled you closer, wrapping her arms around you and desperately trying to somehow pull you back into your body. Morticia watched as her old roommate curled into you, holding you tighter. 

“Oh.” She breathed, and Larissa’s head snapped up, looking to her. “So that’s why.” Morticia said, looking at the woman. 

“What?” Larissa hissed, and Morticia glared with more vileness and detest than the headmistress had ever seen in her. 

“You. You’re why.” She spat. “You’re why she gave in.” Morticia sneered at the woman. “She gave fucking everything for kids she didn’t even know but YOU! For you she had to give her life!” She screamed. She was getting louder, her eyes almost black in hatred as she stared in pure hatred. “You. She gave it all up for YOU.” She sneered. “Gave her life for some gargantuan, needy, desperate-“ she was cut off. Gasping as something pricked her. She looked down to see a web of thorns extending from your hand, poking into her stomach. Morticia’s eyes went wide. 

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes!” She cried, plucking the thorns away and taking your hand. “I still know how to get a rise out of you, huh? Even if it’s just on instinct.” She smiled, and Larissa gaped. She looked down at you, you hadn’t moved, but the thorns that had sprouted from you were there. Morticia placed her hand under your nose, smiling gleefully. “She’s breathing!” She said, and Larissa gasped. 

The pale woman stood, lifting you in her arms. Your body was still limp, but it looked less, sunken. She carried you tenderly to her rooms, laying you down on the bed. Morticia followed her, watching at a slight distance. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean those things.” She said as Larissa placed you down. You were still barely breathing. 

“Yes, you did.” She replied, and the woman swallowed. 

“We will see.” She tried, not wanting Morticia to see her cry anymore. She had cried too much, far too much. She felt like she didn’t have anything left to give, and she certainly didn’t have any to give in front of Morticia.

“She likes being with you, you know.” Morticia said softly. “She loves to be held, if she can tolerate the person doing it.” She said. “If you can tolerate touching her.” Was the last thing she said before leaving the room, going to take care of her daughter. She wouldn’t tell Wednesday yet. Not unless you woke up. Your heart was barely beating, it just had to survive long enough for you to produce more blood. 

Larissa cared for the wound on your arm with the most gentle touch she could muster, slowly removing your bloody clothes until you were in nothing but your bra and underwear. She tried not to look, Morticia should be the one caring for you, yet she had left it to the taller woman for some reason. It was almost as if Morticia knew you would rather have Larissa touching you than her. She wrapped you gently in the sweater you had left with her, she knew she had to keep you warm, you were at risk for hypothermia with all the bloodloss. The colder you were, the less likely you were to recover.

She added a few more logs to the fire before staring down at you in her bed, unsure. She knew she was to keep you warm, and she she knew what Morticia had said. Yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She couldn’t make her self touch you, not without your permission. It felt like, a violation. It felt like a crime to treat you in that way. Like it was wrong to even graze your skin without your clear permission.

Hours went by as she sat next to you, watching you like you could slip any moment. You could, in fact, which was why she was with you at all. She knew it should be someone else, it should be Morticia, yet as you laid there, unmoving, she couldn’t think of possibly leaving you like this. She couldn’t.

She slipped into the bed with you, pulling your body close, trying to warm you. At least that is what she told herself when she wrapped her arms around you, pulling you in until she could practically feel your heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there, and she held onto it as she waited, praying it wouldn’t stop.

Chapter Text

She couldn’t sleep. She just cliched onto you, holding your cold body and desperately praying you would wake up.

Larissa didn’t know when she fell asleep, but it was late some point during the night, likely the early hours of the morning.

When she woke, there were salt stains on her face, she had cried through the night, even in her sleep, clutching onto you as if you would drift away if she loosened her grip.

She could feel the sunlight streaming in through the window in her bedroom, yet she couldn’t bring herself to move. She began to cry all over again as she clutched onto you, holding you like you would fly away at any moment. Tears welled in her eyes as she listened to your heartbeat, it sounded slightly better today, not good, but better. It was better, she repeated to herself, that was something. It would have to be enough. For now, better was going to have to be enough.

She laid with you in bed all morning, it was late morning when she woke up, yet she refused to leave your side. The most she did was collect her laptop, working in a chair next to the bed. The school would have to go on like nothing had happened. To most of them, nothing had. Still you didn’t move, didn’t flinch, didn’t speak, nothing.

She waited for you, trying desperately to see if you would wake. The longer it went on the less likely you were to come out of it, she knew that much. She had considered taking you to a hospital, however Morticia had advised her against it, you hated the places, and knowing your history, she understood why.

There was one you apparently liked, in Europe, but you had never been treated there, only worked in it. Then again with how Morticia had described it, she half doubted it was a hospital at all.

Tich had said if you were going to come out of this, it wouldn’t be there. You wouldn’t have the fight there. You wouldn’t want to fight there. Larissa couldn’t help but beleive her. She just worked, her eyes tired as she scrambled to find someone to cover your classes. She would never admit it, but the moment you came on she had put the search for a permanent replacement on the back burner, too enraptured by you. She didn’t want you to leave, she realized. 

Yet now she was dealing with the likelihood you would die, hell, you already had, now she was just waiting to find out if you would come back. It wasn’t fair. She never had the chance. She had kissed you once. Just once and even then she hadn’t given you enough. She had let you walk away. She never held you, not truly. Not the way she wanted to. She wanted you tenderly, ravenously tenderly, in a way she had never imagined. It was almost unbearable.

She skipped lunch, just pacing about the room and making calls, sending emails, working through everything she could. She didn’t want to work, but anything was better than doing nothing. 

She needed to feel busy, in control, when she had none. She needed her control. Around dinner time she was sitting with you in bed again, her hand gently brushing the stray hairs from your face. Your hair was gorgeous, she loved it. She loved the wildness of it. Even now, as the life in you seemed almost gone, your hair was still wild. It gave her hope. She repeated the action, playing with your curls gently. She didn’t know if she would ever be allowed this close again, she didn’t know if she would ever have the chance. 

That’s when she noticed it. 

It shouldn’t have been possible, but there it was.

She repeated the action, gently brushing your hair away from your face, and small red and white flowers bloomed in your hair. There were considerably less, and they were considerably smaller, yet they were there. 

It nearly made her heart stop. It really was instinctual then, the way you responded to her. Even unconscious you reacted to her hands. White and red. She knew red, white she wasn’t sure about, but red, red was a sign. You wanted her there. She nearly sobbed at the realization. You couldn’t tell her, but your body could still show her. You wanted her. She had seen it before, but seeing it now, it floored her.

Warm, you had to be warm, that was the excuse she gave herself when she pulled you in close, wrapping her arms around you. She watched for any sign of the flowers fading, yet they stayed as she laid there wrapped around you. If anything, they almost seemed to bloom further. 

If she held you tight enough it almost felt like you were there. It almost felt like you were with her. Almost. This time, when she slipped off into sleep, she stayed asleep. She finally slept through the night with you in her arms, with hope in her heart. You had a chance, she kept repeating to herself, and that is what stayed with her as she finally slept through the night. 

It was late when she woke, the sun was setting. In any other case she would have been panicking wildly when she realized she missed a full day of work. But like this, like this all she could focus on was you in her arms. There was a moment, just a moment of bliss. A singular moment when the fading light hit her skin, when she could few you in her arms, smell your skin and hair, that felt like heaven. 

She hissed as she felt you there, still unmoving. The reality of you being gone, or almost gone, slammed back into her as her arms tightened around you for a moment. She didn’t open her eyes, she just curled into you tighter as the tears started to return. She didn’t know how she could possibly have more in her. 

“You’d hate this,” She whispered to you. “If you were here, really here, you would hate this, having someone hang on you like this. I’m sorry, I just, I don’t want to let go.” She whispered to you. Silence hung in the air for a moment, just a second more of pretending. Just a little moment of pretending you could hear her, just a second indulging in the fantasy would have to be enough. She took a deep breath in, trying to stop the tears from coming once more. 

“I quite like it actually, you’re warm, and my hands are still numb.” You murmured, and the woman shot up, staring at you with tears in her eyes. You looked up at her tiredly, yet there was a small smile on your face, one that filled her with warmth even if you couldn’t.

Relief flooded her as she looked at you, you were there. Not just your body, you. She nearly laughed as she cupped your face in her hands, holding you tenderly. Your breath hitched as she did so, unused to being touched in that way. Yet instead of pulling away, or jerking back as you almost expected yourself to do, you relaxed into her hands, turning into her palm slightly. You closed your eyes for a moment, your breath shaking as you just felt her there, felt her hands on you. For the first time in your life you loved the feeling. It felt good. She, felt good. When you opened them again, there were tears in her eyes.

“Good god, you’re even stunning when you cry, that can’t be fair.” You breathed, and she just shook her head, pulling you into another tight embrace. You sighed, relaxing into her arms. Heaven help you, but you loved it. You loved her strong arms around you, holding you tight to her as if you might slip away any second.

“I thought you were gone.” She whispered, and you nodded. 

“So did I.” You breathed out, and she shook her head at you in wonder before it quickly faded to something akin to anger. Worry, you realized, she was worried about you. Someone was worried about you. 

“Why, why did you do that?” She rasped, and you took a deep breath. She was on the verge of anger, the only thing keeping her from blowing up being your considerably weakened state.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’ve served my purpose, believe me, I would love to give more, but I- I’ve made things that became terrible Larissa, horrifying.” You swallowed, your mind going far away for a moment. Your eyes seemed to darken in horror, disgust even, and she took your hand, drawing your attention back to her. “Yes, sorry,” you breathed. There were things you didn’t want her to know, parts of you that you didn’t want her to see. That, that was one of them. “But I would rather die to find a cure than watch my creation kill you and countless others, if it came to that.” You sighed, and she swallowed, looking at you. 

“Don’t you ever- I mean ever, do that again, do you understand me?” She hissed, and your eyes widened slightly at the intensity. It sent a shiver through you as her hands tightened slightly with her conviction. 

“Yes.” You breathed, and she took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and seemingly calming herself. When she opened them again, the look in her eyes almost struck you.

She looked at you with such intensity you could feel the blush spread across your cheeks despite the fact that you were sure you were still missing volumes of blood. You were still cold, but she was warm. She was warm and almost, dare you say, safe. It was an odd feeling, being held by someone and feeling, safe, yet when she did it, it was the most natural thing in the world. Her eyes were looking at you as if you held the very world in your hands, and you were sure you looked much the same. 

“But it seems I haven’t.” You breathed, trying to find the words. 

“No your- Morticia came and she, I’m not quite sure but she used your plants to give you blood.” She explained, and you nodded. You closed your eyes, trying to see if you had access to the memory. It was hazy, but you could hear her speaking, even if nothing else. 

Then you heard what she said. Your face hardened for a moment, your jaw working as rage filled you. Of course, of course your sister would attack Larissa the second the idea popped into her head. She never thought about the repercussions, she never seemed to even realize they could exist.

“Fucking bitch,” you sighed, shaking your head. Larissa furrowed her brows. 

“She saved your life, what are you-“ you cut her off, pulling her down to you until her lips were just a hair away from your own. Her breath caught in her throat, your hands were weaker than she was used to, but the action had caught her so off guard she almost fell into you, her hands bracing on either side of you as she leaned half over you. Her heart rate skyrocketed. You were so close. You were so close and you were awake, and you were looking at her in a way that had her heart beating faster as a blush settled on her cheeks.

“She’s wrong, you know?” You said softly, and Larissa swallowed, your hands were wrapped around the collar of her nightdress, holding her close enough you shared the same air. She could pull away if she wanted, hell, she could still feel the difference in you, the exhaustion and weakness battering your body. You were never too rough with her, even now. You would be firm, but you always gave her the chance to pull away. It was almost as if you expected her too. As if you were terrified of not letting her get away. Larissa swallowed, her eyes flickering to your lips before she looked back up at you. 

“What?” She breathed, her mind unable to focus on anything other than how close you were. 

“You are not pathetic, or needy, I on the other hand…” you trailed, and the woman swallowed. Her hand slowly wrapped around your waist, holding you up and close to her. You let out a soft sigh at the feeling, your eyes slipping closed for a moment as you felt her arm around you. God, it had never felt like that before. The woman gaped at you, the bliss on your face, the slight groan in the sigh that you let out as soon as she held you, it had her heart pounding in her ears. It was like the slightest touch was enough to have you looking nearly fucked out. It dawned on her exactly how starved for touch you were.

“Ophelia, I-“ She stuttered, and you hushed her. 

“I know, you thought I was dying, I won’t hold you to anything, but if you’d like, I’m aching to show you exactly how grateful I am for keeping me warm.” You whispered, and she nearly groaned. You were so close, your bodies tangled together. If it wasn’t for the fact that she could actively feel you on the verge of shivering, the heat between you would have been overwhelming.

“Now?” She breathed, and your eyes flickered closed. You would try to explain it, for her. Yet it was like nothing you had ever felt before. 

“Larissa, it’s any time you’re in the same room as me, you can’t honestly believe I can ignore being literally held by you.” You swallowed, and her eyes widened. You sighed, looking back to her. “God you’re beautiful.” You swallowed. “How do you expect me to ignore something that pierces me every time I see you?” You asked her softly, and she swallowed. Of all the things you could say…

“You mean it?” She asked, almost as if the idea was ridiculous. You shook your head softly, swallowing down the lump in your throat. How could she ever think you didn’t? You knew who had conditioned her to think that way. You knew the people who had shaped her. The rage you felt towards them threatened to consume you, only to be overshadowed by the need to comfort her.

“If I had the strength I would show you exactly how much I mean it.” You whispered, and her breath quickened as a blush stained her cheeks. She was heating up under your touch, her body warming yours in turn as you felt a familiar pull in your lower abdomen. Larissa, on the other hand, felt the ache in hers only double as you looked at her with such want in you that it took her breath away. 

“I- I want, yes.” She managed, and you leaned in slightly closer, nearly meeting her lips again. 

“You want what, Larissa?” You asked her, and she stared achingly at your lips. So close.

“I want you to show me you’re real.” She breathed, and you hummed, taking your hand to her chin. When you pulled her in it was soft, gentle, but burning. Your lips met hers with a comfort, a sense of safety, she didn’t know was possible. She ached for you, she ached for the home you felt like, the warmth, even now as it was dimmed. She groaned, wrapping her hand around and into your hair, pulling you closer. The little whimper you gave at the gesture had her aching to find out what else she could pull from you. It was slow, she knew you didn’t have much to give her, but you gave her everything that you had.

“So good for me,” you murmured against her lips, and her eyes went wide before she crashed into you again. The simple word had sent waves through her, making her nearly whine in need. It felt so good. It felt so unimaginably good to loose her control with you. She was exhausted, every moment waiting to see if you would wake had been torture, she had been wound tight enough to snap, and now here you were, pulling her into yourself and praising her for helping you. It drove her insane. Her body shook as you kissed her, your lips pressing onto hers again and again, waves of passion flowing from you and into her. 

Your hands slipped from her collar to around her neck and shoulders, always on her nightclothes, never bold enough to trace her actual skin. Yet still, you were holding her close, she shifted, nearly pulling you onto her lap, and you smiled, sitting up and straddling her legs, making the woman gasp as her hands traced down your body. Your breath hitched as she gripped your ass, pulling you in more. She panicked at your startled reaction.

“Sorry, I-“ she whispered, instantly pulling her hand away, but you just shook your head. 

“Stop fucking apologizing.” You groaned, your trembling hand taking her arm and leading her back to where she was. Her heart thundered as she pulled you into her, your head swimming. You kissed, your tongue slipping into her and making the woman open her mouth slightly in surprise. She wasn’t used to this, wasn’t used to someone exploring her in this way. You moaned at her taste, holding onto her hesitantly. “You kept me warm, stayed with me for so long,” you murmured, and she nodded helplessly against you. “Such a good-“ 

You heard the yelling before she did, and you almost instantly pulled back, looking to the door just as you heard a voice that had to be Enid. She nearly cried out at the feeling of loosing your closeness once again. More, she needed more. She needed you!

“Wednesday, you can’t just storm into Miss Weems room-“ she called, and Larissa immediately put you down, moving as fast as she could without shoving you off. The both of you sobered very quickly, Larissa staring at you redder than you had ever seen her and her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself. Your head was left dizzy as your body ached for her, your heart caught somewhere in between. Larissa just stared at you for a moment, as if she didn’t know what to do. You nodded, wordlessly telling her you would follow her lead, a gesture that had her wanting to sink back into the bed with you right then and there.

Then the headmistress mask slipped back into place, she straightened her clothing, and you watched as Larissa turned back, walking to the door calmly.

She left, going to the room to appease the girls, trying to shove down whatever reaction you had just caused. It had to be that she missed you, that it was you, nothing else. She was always in control, she didn’t need the praise, didn’t need you to take the lead. She had taken the lead many times before, she was comfortable with it, she understood it. Hell, she was expected to do it. Yet the second that the word ‘good’ left your mouth, she could have sworn she was on the verge of begging. Her mind cleared as the girls accosted her, too distracted by their own discovery to notice her state.

“Headmistress Weems, look, look at this!” Wednesday practically yelled, you could hear them on the other side of the door into the bedroom. They were in Larissa’s little living room, the two girls likely on the verge of pouncing her. You would have felt bad for the woman had you not so desperately wanted to see your niece.

You got up slowly, easing yourself to your feet. It was difficult, you were weak, very weak, and you hated the feeling. You had felt weak before, and you had promised yourself you would never feel that way again, yet here you were, staggering to your feet as you attempted to make your way to the door. You shuffled your way across the room and to the door, your feet feeling like lead. 

“It bloomed! She gave this to me Miss Weems and it bloomed! That has to mean something!” Wednesday yelled up at the tall woman. You nearly laughed, you loved the way she would notice everything. 

“Miss Addams if you will just calm down-“ Larissa tried in vain. 

“No! You listen!” The girl growled, and you quickly realized that she was very close to downright attacking the woman if you didn’t stop her.

“Wednesday, don’t yell at your headmistress, I’m too tired to get you out of trouble.” You smiled from the door. 

The girl froze, slowly turning to you. The plant in her hands fell to the floor and you cringed, but she didn’t care. She ran to you, wrapping her arms around you and holding you tight. You returned the gesture, your own arms wrapping around the girl’s waist with no hesitation. She was the only one, the only one you ever touched without hesitation. You cried. The both of you cried. You held her close, clutching onto her as she sobbed, unwilling to let you go. It would be alright, you reminded yourself, and you glanced to Larissa for a moment, noticing her own watery eyes at the way you interacted with the girl. It would be alright. She was quiet as she watched you, not wanting to ruin the moment. There were very few people you would touch, and she knew how hard it was for you. She wouldn’t take away a moment with the one person you allowed close to you in that way from you, she couldn’t. 

Eventually you could breathe again, and you smiled down at the girl attached to your waist. 

“Miss me?” You teased, and she just shook her head, refusing to speak and burying her face in your chest. “Alright, I know.” You whispered, moving and sitting on the couch by the fire. She didn’t detach herself, sitting with you and holding you as if someone was going to take you away from her. You relaxed, slowly petting her hair and rubbing her back until the tears subsided. Enid stared at you, her own eyes wide and full of tears. You chuckled, waving her over. 

“I know you have a no touching rule other than Wednesday, it’s ok.” She nodded, stepping back, and you raised a brow. 

“My dear you saw my body bleed out on the ground, if you would like a hug you’re welcome to one, but I understand the aversion.” You said calmly, and Enid went wide eyed. You smiled as she pounced on you, both girls holding you tight. Enid was carful to stay where she wouldn’t touch your skin, only hugging you through the thick sweater Larissa had seemingly given back to you when you were out. 

You glanced up at Larissa, the woman watching you with nothing but pure adoration in her eyes. It struck you. This was her home, you realized. Her students, she protected them like her own, and seeing you with them, it moved her. You knew what that felt like. Enid pulled away, smiling and sitting down on the floor by the fire. For once, you were thankful for Larissa and her constant need to keep her rooms hot as can be.

“You’re not moving, are you?” You asked your niece, and she just shook her head. You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “Enid, you don’t have to sit on the floor.” You chuckled, and she just shrugged, happy to lay by the fire. 

“I’m good, floor is good.” She chirped, and you shrugged. 

“Fair enough, I was always a floor person.” You muttered, and Larissa raised a brow at you. “Oh come on, I grow plants from the palms of my hand and can manipulate any from the actual earth, does it really surprise you I ran around barefoot laying in the grass whenever I could my whole life?” You asked her, and she sighed, shaking her head. 

“I suppose not.” She swallowed. She was doing her best not to stare. She didn’t know what to do, these were her rooms, but Wednesday was your family, Enid was here for you, and she was, alone. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. Of course she was, what was she thinking? She had helped you when you needed it, now it was time for you to go back to your family, that was the obvious answer. Yet it hurt. She had Nevermore, she had her students, she didn’t know why she should care. It’s not as if she had been in a true family for a very long time. She had moved on from it, ignoring the slight ache she felt when looking at girls or women with their mothers, yet you, holding your niece so tenderly, cracked her open so deep it almost felt irrevocable. It had been years, decades since she felt this way.

She took a deep breath, looking away before she revealed any of the pain the sight caused her. This was your time, she should go. She had to go. It was not her place to interrupt this. She turned to go find something to do, only to hear you call for her. 

“And where do you think you’re going?” You asked, a slight smile on your face. She turned to you, furrowing her brows. 

“Well I was going to go find something to work on, what with the past few days being as they’ve been. You’re with your family, it’s fine, you don’t need me, I’ll go.” She justified, turning to go again, and you shook your head. 

“Stay with me.” You said, and Enid looked to you in wonder as Larissa turned, staring at you. Her heart nearly skipped a beat. You were asking her, to stay. You didn’t need her anymore, you had the fire, you were awake, you had your niece, and still you wanted her to stay? She looked at you confused.

“Miss Ophelia, I should really-“ she protested, only for one word to cut her off. One little word that stopped her in her tracks.

“Please?” You asked softly. She stared still. “I’d like you to stay.” You murmured, and her heart nearly broke open. So many times she had been sent away. Off out of sight, off to mind her own business, off to find something to do, off to school, off away from Morticia, off away from others she had wanted to cling to. Her own parents had disowned her, yet you, as tired and hurt as you were, asked her to stay. You said it as if it was so easy, so simple, just words. They were, she supposed, but to her they meant everything. Her eyes threatened to fill with tears, and she took a deep breath, gaining control of herself, she wouldn’t cry in front of students. She couldn’t. 

“I suppose I can.” She conceded, and you smiled in relief. The look that had crossed her face when you asked her nearly broke your heart. It was as if she didn’t believe herself worthy of even being there with you. That, you would have to talk to her about later, when the girls weren’t around. 

“Can she sit on the other end of the couch, darling?” You asked the girl half in your lap, and she just nodded, so you smiled to Larissa, raising your brows and gesturing across from you. The woman swallowed, slowly making her way to the other end. Wednesday was between you two, yet she could feel your presence reaching for her, your warmth, as she sat, crossing her legs elegantly. You looked away from the action. Enid was already mesmerized that you liked women, catching onto the fact that you liked the Headmistress would likely not be something the woman would enjoy. “Thank you.” You said softly, and the woman just nodded, looking at you with an unreadable expression. 

“Ask her questions.” Wednesday mumbled from her place buried in your chest and you laughed. Enid nearly bounced by the fire, trying not to burst into flames herself. Larissa raised a brow at the suggestion, but you just winked at her, making her look away quickly as you smiled at Enid. You were a madwoman, the headmistress knew this, yet she couldn’t help but enjoy the rush that went through her when you conspired with her. You chuckled, looking to the girl. 

“Go ahead, ask me anything.” You smiled, “I’m fairly certain Wednesday would just like to hear me talk to prove I’m alive.” You deadpanned, and the girl didn’t even bother denying it. Enid thought for a moment, wondering what she could ask. There were things she wanted to, almost needed to, but she wasn’t sure if she should, especially with the headmistress right there. 

“Caaaaaan, I ask you questions as my best friend’s cool aunt and not my teacher?” She asked, and you hummed, tilting your head to think for a moment. You turned to Larissa. 

“Any objections?” You asked her, and she looked surprised. You were asking her opinion. You didn’t just want her here, you were including her. She blushed a bit at the realization, unused to such a thing. She also thought for a moment, before she gestured noncommittally. 

“I suppose as long as the questions aren’t explicit. It is after school hours. The information you give her would be expected to not leave this room, however.” She spoke, and you nodded, smiling at her before turning to Enid. 

“Think you can handle that?” You asked, and the girl nodded, thinking again for a moment. She turned a bright red and Larissa raised her brows at the student before she spoke.

“Umm, how did you Uh, know?” She asked tentatively, and you raised a brow. 

“How did I know what?” You asked her, and she swallowed, glancing nervously from you, to Larissa, to Wednesday, back to you. 

“Nevermind, it’s silly, I shouldn’t even be thinking about-“ she rushed, and you realized. 

“Ohhh,” you hummed, “that.” You chuckled, and she blanched. 

“You don’t have to! I’m sorry!” She yipped, and you waved her off. 

“That’s alright, I don’t mind.” You said gently, playing absentmindedly with Wednesday’s hair as you thought. “Well, I was with my sister at a Museam, we were little, maybe nine or so. I was walking around looking at the paintings when I saw this beautiful woman standing looking at one.” You smiled. “She was the most stunning creature I had ever seen, tall, dark hair, elegant and graceful. She sat, staring at the painting, and I realized as everyone else in the room was looking at the paintings, I only wanted to look at her.” You said gently. 

Larissa’s face slackened a little bit. Hearing you talk was always wonderful, the way your voice and accent were distinctly your own. You didn’t speak like an American, or any certain European, you just spoke like you. It always took her breath away. 

“I think that’s the earliest memory I have of the general feeling, of course there were others, the slight heart attack when a beautiful woman got too close, the general horror at the idea of marrying a man.” You shrugged. “Granted that was just me, there are many different ways and types of attraction.” You hummed, and Enid furrowed her brows. 

“What do you mean?” She asked, and again you thought for a moment. Your brows raised slightly at her lack of knowledge, the girls were sixteen, the fact that she had no concept of it surprised you. Then again, with what she had said about her family…

“I happen to only like woman. Some women only like men. Some women like men, women, and those in between differently, some regardless of their sex or gender, it depends on the person.” You said, and Enid stared for a moment. 

“What.” She flatlined, and you chuckled a bit before you realized the sadness in that statement. Even Wednesday turned her head to look at her roommate, forcing you to drop your hand to her back, rubbing gently.

“Tell me about your family, Enid.” You said softly, and the girl swallowed. 

“They’re great!” She said quickly, and you waited for more. “I mean, I love them.” She added, and you nodded. 

“You can love your family despite not agreeing with them, or understanding that they have faults.” You encouraged her. “I love my sister but that doesn’t mean we always get along, let alone agree, on many things.” You offered, and she thought for a moment. You could feel Larissa’s eyes boring into you, making you swallow and blush slightly under the intensity of her gaze. You couldn’t tell if she hadn’t liked something you said or she was just staring, but either way, under any other circumstances you might have been on the verge of squirming in your seat. 

“Do you love my mother?” Wednesday deadpanned, and you scoffed, rolling your eyes. 

“Yes, I do.” You sighed. “We differ, in many, many ways. However that does not mean I don’t love her.” You explained.

“She is cruel to you.” Wednesday countered, and you hummed. 

“Morticia can be harsh to those she doesn’t understand. She will do whatever she feels she must to protect those she loves, her family. That she holds above all.” You said gently. “If I were to threaten you, yes, I’m sure she would do things to me that would horrify you, but you must understand this about your mother. She is gentle, in the same way she can be cutting. She will wield her love like a weapon if she must, but she has never intentionally harmed me for the sake of harming me.” You explained. “Yes, she has hurt me, she will not deny that either, however she has never done so out of maliciousness, only in an attempt to protect that which she holds dear.” You explained, and the room went silent for a moment. Larissa just stared at you. The way you spoke was always entrancing, yet the way you could describe your sister, a woman who had hurt you, who had hurt her, it floored her. Your sister had always been black and white. You, were a beautiful swirling grey.

“Please, continue Enid. Forgive my family and it’s wild dynamics.” You chuckled, scrunching your nose up in jest. The girl swallowed, trying to find her footing after watching you switch in and out of such intensities.

“They- they love me, they just want what’s best for me. They want me to do what I’m supposed to do.” Enid began, and you smiled sadly as you recognized the feeling. “They want me to wolf out, consistently, under my full control, and find a mate and settle down and have my own pack.” She breathed, swallowing. You nodded. “And I get that, I know that they think that’s what’s best, but what if it isn’t?” She asked you, looking up. “I mean, you never had a husband, or children, and you’re still happy, aren’t you?” She asked you, and your eyes widened a touch as you breathed in sharply. Happy, that was a difficult question. Larissa swallowed, staring to you. Were you happy? If you weren’t would you leave? She didn’t even know what you wanted out of the rest of your life, let alone if you were satisfied with it. She knew you were here because Wednesday needed you, but when she no longer did, would you go again? The question haunted her as you hummed, nodding. 

“I am, yes.” You said after a moment. “I am happy with the things I have accomplished, I am very happy that I did not marry a man, and although I do enjoy children, I would not want my own.” You sighed. “I’ve worked with and helped many throughout my life. I’ve gotten to watch some grow up even.” You smiled, your eyes going far away for a moment. There was a sadness to them, Larissa realized. When you spoke about that, it hurt you. She leaned closer, she knew you weren’t letting on much, but the way you spoke, there was pain there, surrounding children, apparently, and she couldn’t help the nervous curiosity it caused in her. “I like being here, I love being Wednesday’s aunt. I might even say I may someday love this place.” You smiled, and Enid nodded. You paused for a moment, deliberately not looking at the white-haired woman on the other end of the couch. You shouldn’t say it, certainly not in front of her. Hell you had just kissed her, yet here you were, giving your honest truth to the girls, her watching. You took a deep breath in, deciding to hell with it. “The only thing I think about is that I would like to feel loved, truly loved, and to give my heart to someone completely, that I haven’t done yet. I don’t know if I’d get married, but I would like to be with someone in that way.” You explained, and Larissa gaped as Enid nodded. 

“So you’d like to love without the expectations of proving it to everyone?” She asked you, and you smiled, nodding.

“That’s a good way to put it, I hadn’t thought of that.” You hummed, and the girl beamed, blushing up at you. Larissa nearly gaped at you. You spoke about it so openly, so fluidly. It was like poetry. She wondered how you could share that peice of yourself, what gave you the ability to show it to the world. You reminded her of the poetry she read when she was young. Heart-wrenching pieces she stole from Morticia, ones that made her feel like perhaps she wasn’t so alone in the world. She wondered more if you considered her someone you may love someday. Would she love you someday? Was she falling for you now? The questions spun in her head as she attempted to listen to you speak, it was all too much. You were too much, yet she couldn’t get enough of you.

“Have you ever been in love?” Enid asked, and you nodded. Larissa blushed as she realized she was far from a person who should be witnessing this conversation.

“Absolutely.” You chuckled.

“I’ve had my heart broken once or twice. I’ve learned, however, that the pain we feel is just our expression of that moment of love ending, not the death of it. I don’t have regrets, well, not in that arena.” You smiled, and Enid giggled. 

“What does it feel like?” She asked you, and you nodded, thinking for a moment. Larissa bit the inside of her lip as you remained silent, waiting with bated breath for your answer.

“Flying,” you breathed, closing your eyes and leaning your head back. “And falling! The falling is important. I suppose it’s different for everyone, but for me it feels like falling, careening towards something, and you don’t know what’s going to happen next but you can’t bring yourself to stop.” You breathed, your words bringing a blush to the headmistress’s face. Even now, you somehow managed to light up more when you talked about it. “Why would you? When they’re a chance something incredible could happen.” You smiled, your eyes distant for a moment. Enid stared up at you in wonder. 

“Woah,” she breathed, and you laughed. 

“I have been in love three times, each very different, but I would not forget those experiences, even if they caused me pain.” You said, and the girl nodded. 

“Always with girls?” She asked, and you chuckled. 

“Always with women.” You corrected, and she nodded. 

“Do you, worry, since you won’t have kids, that you’ll be alone?” She asked you, and you swallowed. That one hit a little harder. You frowned for a moment before answering.

“Sometimes.” You admitted. “Sometimes I wonder if when I die I will be laying with no one else in the room, but I think that I’ve given enough of my soul to this world, I like to imagine it is with me, that it stays with what I still keep to myself. When I die, I will not leave my own children behind, but I will leave hundreds of other children and students. I will leave knowledge and information that has changed lives, saved some, even.” You said, and the girl nodded, almost star struck. “But more important than anything, is that I have helped people in my life. I did what I loved, I persued my passion with almost reckless abandon, how could I regret my decisions when looking at the joy they brought me, the joy they brought others.” You smiled, and Enid nodded slowly. 

“Wednesday is right, you are nice to listen to.” She said, and you laughed, shaking your head. 

“Thank you my dear, but I am just a well educated nut, I can only give you my experience, it’s up to you to make your own.” You said softly, and she nodded. When you finally turned to look at the headmistress you were struck still. She looked like she may cry. Behind her mask of perfection you could see the emotion in her eyes, swirling into oblivion, into you. You took a deep inhale, resisting the urge to reach for her. You wanted to, more than anything, but you doubted the woman would allow you to in front of her students. What you had said had hit the woman harder than she ever expected it to.

Enid took what you had said in, silent for a moment before she decided to ask more. Wednesday, instead, asked the next question.

“Tell me about Newflight.” She mumbled into you, and you sighed, closing your eyes for a moment. You knew it had been a matter of time before she asked again, but you didn’t expect it to be now. 

“Wednesday, you know I don’t want to-“ You began, only to be cut off.

“Please?” She asked, looking up at you. “I want to know where it is they want to send me. I want to know what my mother is so scared of, what you’re protecting me from.” She said, and you swallowed. You couldn’t deny her, you never could. Larissa took a deep breath, staring at you nervously. She felt like an outsider witnessing this, like she shouldn’t be here. You made no move to ask her to go or to leave yourself however. You just sat, thinking for a moment. She watched as the firelight flickered on your face, seeming to reveal the darkening of your eyes and the hollow points of your face as your mind shifted to the institution that once held you. You took a deep breath in, preparing yourself.

“First off, Newflight doesn’t exist anymore, it was shut down, unfortunately there are still three places like it in the world.” You swallowed. Both girls as well as the headmistress watched you as you tried to find the words. “I was sent there during your mother’s first year of school, she came here, I went there. When they take you in the first thing they do is cut your hair, give you a uniform, and lock you in your room for three days.” You explained calmly. Enid stared at you in horror as your niece just listened. “It is designed to break you, to rip you from your abilities and to beat you into submission. The goal is to produce an ‘acceptable’ student, and later adult. For me, that meant a housewife to a man, a mother, and a woman who couldn’t do anything other than grow flowers.” You swallowed, your eyes going far away as you stared at the fire. “They starve you, drug you, beat you. You attend classes in homemaking and are constantly being subject to ‘treatments’ to strip you of your abilities.” You swallowed. You had talked about it many times, you had to on certain occasions, yet you still didn’t enjoy it. Your voice was cold, factual, loosing the ease and beauty it had held just moments ago. The comparison was striking. “You’re permitted one shower every three days, and it’s cold, the soap stings your skin, and you wash your hair with the same bar.” You sighed. “Terrible for the curls.” You muttered, looking to the girls, who just stared at you wide eyed. “Most die in three years, or are taken out of the program a shell. Their former abilities gone, along with their sanity.” You swallowed. Wednesday looked up at you. 

“How long we’re you there?” She asked you, and you swallowed. 

“Six.” You answered, and you saw the moment the tears started to fill her eyes. Larissa gasped. Six years. Six years you were kept in that place, brutalized and tortured. For six years you had been made into the living skeleton she had seen in the bed, the first six of the years your sister had been with her. 

“How did you do it?” She asked you, and for the first time since you began the story, you looked at her. There were tears in her eyes, the same ones filled with horror. You smiled sadly, reaching your hand over the back of the couch for her, around your niece. She stared at it. Now? You wanted her touch now? She didn’t understand. Yet the moment her hand was in yours she relaxed slightly, and she realized you hadn’t done it for yourself. 

“My sister sent me letters.” You smiled. “Every week. Sometimes I would get a vision from them, that was always a riot.” You chuckled, and she blanched at the idea of what all you could have seen. “I read countless stories of her, her escapades with boys, her insufferably intelligent roommate, oh the drama!” You chuckled, and Larissa just shook her head at you in wonder. You could laugh. After everything you had been through, you could laugh about it. “She wrote me before she and Gomez got engaged. She wrote me about boy drama, girl drama, class drama. She wrote me about the many, many years you won the Poe cup! I actually got a vision one year of your team finishing first. The orderlies were less than amused, but I was rather happy with the idea.” You chuckled, your eyes softening a bit as you looked at her, there was vulnerability, she realized. “I’ve seen you play the piano, for the record, I used to replay the vision of you playing ‘Moonlight Sonata’ nearly every night.” You hummed, and the woman’s jaw dropped. “You play beautifully.” You smiled, turning your face back to the fire before the intimacy of the gaze was too much for you. Your hand, however, remained in yours. “I read every letter like it was a lifeline.” You said calmly. “It often was.” You added, and she squeezed your hand, calling your attention to her again. You smiled at the gesture, nodding slightly before looking back at the girls. You’d rather stare into her eyes forever, yet you knew you couldn’t in front of them. “That and I’m far too stubborn for my own good.” You smiled, and Wednesday chuckled through teary eyes.

“That’s why you don’t like conversion camp, isn’t it?” Enid asked you, and you nodded. 

“I am of the school of thought that forcing anything to do with an ability upon a child is cruel, abusive, even.” You said gently, and she nodded. “There are cases where one must learn to control it, but the methods used in places like that are, that is not what they’re for.” You swallowed, and the girl nodded. “Are we done with that then, I’d rather talk about something less depressing since, you know, I’m alive and all that.” You smiled, and Wednesday scoffed. She just rolled her eyes. 

“Is all love as disgusting as my parents are with it?” She asked you, only half joking, and you barked out a quick laugh. That was not what you were expecting from the girl, but you would take it. Larissa loved the sound of your laugh, she decided. The second she heard it, the freedom in it, she decided she loved it. 

“No, of course not. Your parents are disgusting because we are related to them, but the fact that they are, like that, does not help.” You muttered, and the girl glared against you. “Love takes many forms. For them, it’s more physical, primal.” You grimaced, and the girl on your lap gagged. “And sometimes it is like that,” you continued. “But sometimes it is soft, sometimes quiet. It can be subtle or sudden. Desperate or hidden, there are many types of love, girls.” You smiled. Larissa swallowed, heating up once more. She couldn’t help but imagine you like that. 

She imagined you primal, pulling her close and taking what you wanted from her until she was helpless to do anything but bask in the sheer force of nature that you were. She imagined you soft and quiet, your hands grazing her shoulders as she sat with her morning tea, a quick kiss on the cheek before you sat down next to her, adding honey to your own cup. She imagined the subtlety of you glancing at her across a room, a knowing look in your eyes as she spoke with whomever about anything. She imagined the sudden way you could have her, sweeping her off her feet and kissing her as if it was the last thing you would ever do. She imagined you desperate, begging for her as she kissed over your neck and shoulders, tracing every inch of your scars with her lips. She imagined the hidden glances you could give her, hiding from others in the dark of your rooms. With each idea her heart beat faster, the ache in her chest growing. She couldn’t do this- she couldn’t want you like that. She only snapped out of it when Wednesday spoke again. 

“Have you been in all of them?” Wednesday teased you, and you rolled your eyes. 

“The fact that your mother has told you anything about me having any type of affair still haunts me, child.” You smirked, and the girl huffed in lieu of laughter. “But no. I have been in love like that, quick and primal, however I can’t say I’ve experienced much of the tenderness and adoration they have for each other. Moments of it, yes, but I have not lived in it in that way.” You answered her, and again, she gagged. You chuckled “Anything else?” You asked the girls, and Enid thought for a moment. She had a question, even if it was silly.

“Hmm, what’s your favorite flower?” She asked you, and you smiled, chuckling a bit. You glanced to Larissa, who was too busy watching you speak to even realize you were looking at her. “White irises.” You spoke softly, the comparison to the woman sitting across from you lost on her as she simply stared at you in bewilderment.

You were beautiful. The more you talked about love the more she wanted to- no, she couldn’t. Kissing you was one thing, but that? Love? Love wasn’t in the cards for her, she knew that. She had tried. She had tried to love others, she had given her heart away time after time, always only to find pain. Even her parents never gave it freely. Her parents had been the first ones to cut her off from it. Then there had been Morticia, and others followed after her. Love had to be earned, it was a price. She simply had nothing more to give. 

“Are you alright?” You asked her quietly, your thumb running over her hand, and she snapped out of it, realizing she was staring. 

“I, yes, of course, just tired.” She muttered, and you nodded. That wasn’t it, you could tell that wasn’t it, but you allowed her the space.

“We should head to bed girls.” You hummed, and Enid pouted. 

“Not leaving.” Wednesday gritted, and you sighed. 

“Wednesday, I don’t know if I can cary you right now.” You sighed, and she groaned, standing and waiting for you. 

“Oh, so this is going to be a thing?” You asked her, and she glared. 

“Say a word to anyone and I’ll put weed killer in your classroom.” She gritted. You narrowed your eyes. 

“I’ll poison you.” She breathed, and you raised a brow.

“I’ll paint your half of the room neon pink.” You retorted. She faked a gasp, grabbing her chest.  

“Good luck with that.” You smiled, still not getting up, and she smirked, taking Enid and going to the door. “Shower and pajamas first I may be exhausted but you are not tracking whatever the hell you did today into my bed!” You yelled, and the girl rolled her eyes as she left, leaving you sitting with Larissa next to you. 

Silence hung in the air for a moment as you refused to take your hand from hers, you didn’t want to leave her. You wanted to stay with her again, in her arms, in her bed, yet the only reason she had done that was the fact that you could have quite literally died had she not, you reminded yourself.

“She’ll stay with me tonight.” You sighed, looking to the woman. “I- I can’t tell her no, not after everything.” You swallowed, and she tried to smile. You had to go. Your time with her was done. She knew it would come, and now it was over. She stood, finding her professionalism. 

“Of course, I’m glad you’re alright.” She said politely, folding her hands in front of her. You furrowed your brows. She was, cordial. 

“Larissa, I-“ you began, standing, but she cut you off. 

“No, it’s, its quite alright, I understand. Go be with your family.” She said, and your heart fell. 

“I, I have to go with her but that doesn’t mean that I-“ you tried, but she just shook her head, stepping away from you. It was good, she should end it now before it went any further. She had loved your sister once and seen where it had gotten her. She had loved others too, and it lead to the same place. She was not made to be loved, she was made to be strong, she told herself, ignoring the pain the familiar statement caused.

“Please go.” She said softly, and your eyes widened as you looked up at her. She couldn’t take it, you in just the sweater she had put you in, your bare legs and uncovered hands almost falling to her. She wanted to drop to her knees, to feel every inch of you, yet she knew she couldn’t. She had her moment with you, she had her kiss. It was time to let it go. “Please.” She repeated softly, and you felt the ache in your throat. She was pushing you away, now. Now she was sending you away. You swallowed, trying to force down the tears that threatened to come. 

“Of course.” You swallowed. 

“Goodnight, Larissa.” You whispered, the pain in your voice clear, even to her, as she left.

Chapter Text

Larissa could barely sleep, she tossed and turned as she thought of you. It wasn’t fair, she laid in her bed, her sheets now stained with your presence, with your scent, it was all too much. She wanted you there again. She knew she shouldn’t. You had gotten what you needed, now you were with Wednesday, that was how it was supposed to be. You were with your family, and she was alone.

She managed to get maybe an hour of sleep in before she heard a knocking at her door. She groaned, staring at the ceiling for a moment and debating if it was really worth answering. She looked at the clock, it was just after four in the morning, there was no reason for anyone to be awake. 

Her heart faltered, unless something was wrong with you. She was out of her bed and ripping the door open before she knew what was going on, only to come face to face with a very unbothered Wednesday. 

“Is she alright?” The headmistress panicked, and Wednesday raised a brow. 

“My aunt is fine, I simply wanted your… assistance, with something.” Wednesday said, and the woman glared at her. 

“Miss Addams, it is four in the morning, what could possibly-“ 

“My aunt said I can’t break into the kitchens again.” Wednesday responded flatly, and Larissa’s brows shot up. 

“You’ve been breaking into the kitchens?” She asked, and Wednesday stared blankly. Larissa sighed, running a hand through her loose hair. “Why do you need into the kitchens?” She asked the young Addams, and the girl stared at her as if the answer was obvious. 

“I need canned peaches.” She said plainly, and the headmistress stared at her in confusion. 

“Canned- what on earth do you need canned peaches for?” She hissed, and Wednesday rolled her eyes. 

“I know you like my aunt, and I know she trusts you, she wouldn’t have taken your hand last night otherwise. Now would you, please, help me.” The girl gritted, and the headmistress’s eyes went wide. Wednesday Addams, saying please, what a surprise. She nodded slowly, almost mystified by the girl’s odd behavior. 

“One… moment, Miss Addams.” The woman said, stepping back into her rooms and quickly changing and shifting slightly until her hair and makeup was as she usually wore it. When she stepped out into the hallway again, the young girl gave her a long, almost threatening look.

“Is everything alright, Miss Addams?” She asked, and the girl just ignored her, walking towards the kitchens, forcing the woman to follow her. Wednesday made it to the kitchen door, she looked mildly annoyed by the fact that she couldn’t just pick the lock, instead waiting for the tall woman. Larissa just sighed, opening the door for her and allowing her in. She knew that she shouldn’t be doing this, yet the lengths the girl would go to in an attempt to follow whatever rules you had clearly given her was charming. 

She was also painfully aware of the fact that the girl would break into the kitchens regardless. Wednesday seemed to know where everything was, a fact not unnoticed by the older woman. She immediately went to the large pantry, pulling a can of peaches and a box of cake mix, before walking into the walk-in refrigerator, emerging with a stick of butter. 

“Care to enlighten me as to what you’re doing?” Larissa sighed, and the girl shot her a hard glance before collecting a glass pan and spatula. 

“She likes peaches, canned peaches.” The girl said, and Larissa furrowed her brows. 

“Your aunt likes canned peaches?” She questioned, and the girl nodded, mostly ignoring her. “She can grow fresh peaches any time she likes, why would she like canned peaches?” The woman asked, and Wednesday glared at her before going back to her task. 

“I don’t know Miss Weems, why would someone who grew up in what essentially amounts to a prison like the sweetest canned food you can get?” The girl said angrily, and Larissa reeled back a bit, swallowing. Wednesday clenched her jaw for a moment, seemingly forcing herself to calm down. “I apologize Miss Weems, I have known when she has been hurt before, but I’ve never witnessed it myself. It is regrettably, affecting my disposition.” The girl stated, and Larissa took a breath, almost feeling bad for the girl. She knew you two were close. You were the only one she had seen Wednesday actually look happy to interact with, nearly loosing you just have been the hardest thing the girl had ever experienced.

“She is through the worst of it now.” Larissa tried to ease her, and Wednesday nodded, quickly going back to her task. 

“That doesn’t make it better.” The girl said, and Larissa nodded. 

“No, but it does mean that we- that you didn’t loose her, Miss Addams.” She replied, Wednesday caught the mistake, looking up at her. 

“Where in the United Kingdom did you grow up?” Wednesday asked her, and Larissa startled at the question. 

“I- excuse me?” She asked, that was a complicated question. She tended to field any questions about her life before Nevermore, but that was far too personal for her tastes. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. My aunt likes Earl Grey, she used to make it for me when I stayed with her in Cambridge. She drinks it every morning. Considering you’re English, at least enough to have the accent, you’ll probably have a better shot at making tea she actually likes then I do.” The girl said, and Larissa tilted her head slightly, staring at her for a moment. The girl was giving her a task, she was trying to include her, it seemed. 

Larissa stood for a moment before heading to the stove, taking out a kettle she thankfully had stocked in the kitchens when she began working here. She used to come down late at night to drink tea when she couldn’t sleep. There was an electric kettle in her room, naturally, however it never felt the same. 

“You don’t have to start yet, this will take a bit less than an hour.” She said quietly, and Larissa sat, watching the girl begin to slice the butter into pads. 

“What are you making?” She asked gently, and Wednesday bit back what she was sure was less than a kind reaction, choosing a kinder one, despite the visible effort.

“Peach cobbler, bad peach cobbler. She’ll eat the peaches straight out of the can if she’s tired or working.” Wednesday said offhandedly. Larissa felt a slight smile pull at her lips at the admission, the girl did care for you, enough to tolerate her presence, even seek it out rather than breaking the rules you had imposed, it seemed. 

“Did you also learn that in Cambridge?” Larissa asked, and Wednesday shook her head. 

“No, that was Switzerland, she made it at two in the morning one night when she had gotten back from work.” The girl answered, focused on her task. Larissa’s eyes widened, you had gotten back from work at two in the morning, that wasn’t a normal hour for a botanist to keep, certainly not one working at a university. Then again, that last call you had made that day didn’t sound like a university, yet you were undoubtedly talking to someone you had worked with. 

“Two in the morning?” Larissa repeated, and Wednesday looked at her again, narrowing her eyes a bit. 

“She was at the hospital, she flew in back to the university in Zurich that night.” Wednesday said. Larissa’s brows furrowed. 

“What hospital had she been needed at that she couldn’t take you, let alone would have been important enough to leave you alone in Zurich?” The woman asked, highly concerned. Wednesday thought for a moment, her eyes flickering from the headmistress to the door a few times before settling back on her task. 

“That is a question for my aunt, not me, Miss Weems.” The girl said, and Larissa puzzled as she looked at her. She watched as Wednesday set the oven, before dumping the cake mix on top of the peaches and adding butter in the pan. 

“How old were you?” She asked in concern, only to jump when she heard a voice behind her. 

“It was last summer, she was sixteen, and I had a colleague stay with her, and I was back within six hours.” You hummed, walking to your niece and pulling a slice of peach out of the baking dish before she had the chance to put it in the oven. “You’re going to make her think I’m irresponsible.” You winked to your niece, and she scoffed, rolling her eyes. 

“Right, because she isn’t already aware that you’re mad as a hatter.” The girl deadpanned, and you smirked, doing a little bow with an imaginary hat. 

“Mad and irresponsible are different things, mein liebchen, and if you get me fired I’ll have to go back to Europe.” You teased, and both Wednesday and Larissa seemed to panic a bit. Larissa felt an ache in her chest at the idea of you leaving. She shouldn’t, you didn’t even work at the school full time, yet the idea of you leaving was almost unbearable.

“You’re supposed to be sleeping!” Wednesday hissed, and you rolled your eyes. 

“I’ve been sleeping for three days.” You hummed, a spark in your eyes when you ate the stolen fruit. Wednesday pulled the pan away from you and you pouted almost comically.

“You really should be resting.” Larissa argued, standing to escort you back to bed before you raised a brow. 

“And allow my niece to tell you half stories until you ban me from your school? Never.” You teased, despite the exhaustion behind your eyes, and the woman sighed deeply at your antics. She wanted to pick you up and take you back to bed, to hold you there until you both fell asleep, yet watching you interact with someone so freely made her heart bloom in a way. It was breathtaking. 

“Cobbler?” You asked Wednesday, and she nodded, placing it in the oven and coming back to sit with you and Larissa at the table. 

“Yes.” She answered, and you smiled at her gratefully. “How is Mr. Jenkins?” Wednesday asked you, and Larissa’s head snapped to you at the mention of the man’s name. That was the name of the last man you had called when you were… when you were dying. Your eyes went wide. 

“Oh shit,” you whispered, pulling out your phone from the loose pants you were wearing and dialing a number. It rang for a moment before you heard a man snarl in a thick Scottish accent on the other line. 

“I don’t know how the fuck you got this phone, but I promise you if you laid a hand on Ophelia I will fuckin gut you like-“ 

“It’s me, Jenkins.” You said quickly, and there was silence for a moment. Then you heard something. A choked sound, a sob. 

“Oh, thank fuckin’ Christ,” the man cried, and you laughed breathlessly, aware of the two others in the room watching you. Larissa watched as your body shifted, relaxing slightly as you spoke to the man.

“Careful, people will think you miss me.” You said, and he laughed. 

“You never fuckin do that again, you hear me!” He yelled, and you chuckled again. Larissa just stared at you in shock. You were laughing. About your own death. As if this was normal.

“Yeah, I don’t plan on it.” You murmured, and he took a deep breath in. 

“Are ye alright?” He asked you, and you huffed, stretching your neck from side to side. 

“Tired as all get out, fucking colder than the alps, and stiff from laying in bed for a few days, but yes, yeah I’m alright.” You hummed, and the man laughed at you. Larissa, on the other hand, was only concerned. 

“I- you need to talk to the girls.” He said, and you swallowed. 

“Yeah, yeah I’ll call them, but I’m with your favorite braided menace currently and-“ you glanced to Larissa for a moment, unsure. “And someone else I need to be with for the time being.” You added, making Larissa’s breath catch as she looked away, a slight blush on her face. She didn’t know what that meant, but it meant enough to have her mind racing at the thought.

“Tiny Addams?” The man asked, and you rolled your eyes, turning the phone to speaker and placing it on the table. 

“Keep it clean and above the table, Jenkins.” You warned, and the man chuckled. 

“Tiny Addams!” He yelled, and Wednesday almost seemed to smirk, much to the headmistress’s surprise. 

“Mr. Jenkins, do you still have that revolver?” Wednesday asked, and you scoffed, rolling your eyes. 

“We’re in a school, please don’t get her expelled.” You groaned, and Jenkins laughed. Larissa, was staring at you in mild horror.

“Alright, I’ll behave ye fuckin’ hardass, alright!” He cursed, and you pinched the bridge of your nose, sighing deeply as Larissa’s eyes widened at the language your former colleague used. 

“I asked you to keep it clean too, but why would we ever listen to me? It’s not like I was your boss for twenty years or anything.” You deadpanned, and the man laughed, ignoring you. Larissa, on the other hand, caught that. You weren’t just involved in a hospital, you were in charge of at least something. Though she had no idea what this man would do at a hospital. Jenkins continued, talking to your niece as if you never spoke.

“Yeah, I still got that revolver, you still a bloody sharp shooter?” He asked the young girl, and she smiled. 

“Only when I have something worth aiming at.” She retorted, and you glared at her.

“The both of you are going to get me fired.” You sighed exhaustedly, and Wednesday smirked as Jenkins chuckled. 

“Like anyone has the fuckin balls to fire you, Phil. You’re a goddamn class fuckin bonnie genius with a right hook like a fuckin boxer-“ the man began, and you banged your head on the table.

“I can only keep up with your Scottish when I’m drunk or you’re talking at least in a modern vernacular!” You groaned, and he cackled.

“Nane would fire ya, lass.” He said, leaning into it. Larissa just stared wide eyed at the very odd conversation.

“Considering I’m working at a school and not a lab yes, yes I can be fired.” You countered. 

“Eh, you could always go about it the old fashion way.” He snickered, and your head shot up, a blush staining your cheeks. 

“Jenkins…” you warned, your cheeks growing a little redder as Larissa raised a brow.

“Aye, ye just poison ‘em, or hang ‘em, or fuck ‘em, or sometimes all three!” He suggested, and you went red as a beet.

“Fergus Jenkins, I swear to god if you do not get your tongue in line I will get on a flight over there and beat some sense into your sorry, blood-sucking ass, do you hear me?” You threatened, and both women at the table with you just stared in shock. Larissa knew you were tough, she had seen you fight even, but this was a different kind. There was almost camaraderie in it, you liked this man, you knew him well. The fact that he had casually suggested murder, however, was mildly horrifying. Yet you were treating it as if this was somewhat normal. 

“I’ll tell Moxie you’re middle name if you aren’t careful.” You challenged, and you could practically hear him panic. 

“We’ll I’ll- I’ll teach Mirella how to shapeshifter into a fuckin bear!” He threatened, and you scoffed. Larissa, on the other hand, looked to you. Shapeshifters were rare, very rare, and the fact that you knew one, other than her, well, she had known you had worked with them, but knowing actual names felt different.

“First off Mirella is the most talented- oh,” you hummed, falling silent for a moment. Wednesday actually snorted. You glared at the girl, swatting her for her mischief. “Alright, second most talented shapeshifter I’ve ever met, and she can easily, easily do a bear.” You snarked. “You want to impress me, have her pull off a full corporeal person, with voice, and a clean and quick transition. That, is actually difficult.” You smirked, and the man groaned. 

“Aye, now I get a fuckin lecture.” He sighed, and you laughed.

“Secondly!” You added, and the man groaned. “I know damn well you’ve worked with me long enough to know that shape-shiftER is a classification, you dumbass. So unless you want me to drag you back to DAY ONE of HOW NOT TO UPSET THE KIDS, I highly suggest you remember the correct terminology.” You smirked, and he groaned. 

“I fuckin know the terminology, I’ve heard you scream ‘I need morphine, they won’t stop shifting’ enough times to scar anyone.” He gruffed, and the teasing smile fell from your face. It was silent for a moment as you looked up to Wednesday, the girl’s brows furrowing. That was odd. That wasn’t just odd, that was scary. 

Larissa looked to you in a mixture of sadness and fear as she realized what that meant. That meant that no, what you worked at certainly wasn’t a normal hospital. You looked to her slowly, the color draining from your face as you realized what had just happened.

“Not morphine, Jenkins, not morphine.” You sighed, more tired then she had ever seen you. She had seen you die, and the look in your eyes as you looked to her when that man spoke about what you had seen, what you had said, it haunted her. Jenkins cleared his throat. Wednesday looked to you strangely, but you just ignored her.

“Aye, but I can’t say the other stuff and keep it above board.” He said, and you hummed. 

“Like any of this is above board,” you scoffed. “I’ll remind Mirella to kick your ass if you slip up in front of a kid, you old bastard.” You hummed, and he chuckled.

“Why don’t you come kick my ass, doc? You’d do more damage even if Mirella was a bear.” He laughed, and you made it a few seconds before you burst out laughing.

“The best you could come up with was ‘Mirella do a bear’ she’s twenty not thirteen!” You cackled, and Larissa just shook her head at you. You were laughing, over shapeshifting things. And you were right. Shapeshifters were perhaps the classification of outcast with the most misinformation about them, yet you, you were right. You even knew the terminology. “That’s like asking me to grow a grass bush. Yes, it’s large, but it’s very simple.” You chuckled. He sighed.

“Not all of us fuckin raised a gaggle a’ misfits, Doc.” The man shot, and you rolled your eyes.

“You are always with me when we pick them up, and it’s not my fault when they wander down into the lab, I think I actually specifically asked you not to let them down, but sure, blame me.” You sighed tiredly. You rolled your neck out, the exhaustion creeping back into you. 

Larissa noticed. She wanted to go to you. She wanted to pick you up and hold you, to keep you safe until all of the pain faded. Your words had her mind raging, but the exhaustion in your eyes, the pain behind them, that she wanted to take away. Yet last night, last night she had made it very clear that she couldn’t have that. Last night she had sent you away, and now here you were, opening yourself up, once again.

“Enough, too much, it’s- no more talk about things you can get me arrested for.” You chuckled, and the man scoffed.

“Fuckin smartass.” He mumbled, and you laughed a bit. “Fine, I’ll tell Tiny Addams about the time we were in a pinch and you were so fuckin high I had to physically put you in your chair while you hallucinated a six foot tall-“

“Aaaand, that’s enough of that, thank you Jenkins.” You groaned, quickly saying goodbye to the man before hanging up. Wednesday looked at you. You did your best to maintain eye contact as you turned absolutely red. Wednesday raised a brow as you staunchly avoided looking at Larissa. Wednesday smirked. 

“You have type.” She said, and you glared at her, blushing. 

“I’ll kill you.” You wheezed, and Larissa turned scarlet as Wednesday raised a brow.

“You’re predictable, I’m disappointed.” She said, giving a sidelong glance to the headmistress. Larissa looked positively mortified.

“Ah-Ah, absolutely not, if you have ire to give, you save it for me.” You hummed, turning the girl to face you once again. You stood, leading the girl up and beginning to twirl her in different directions with your hands, making her bite back a laugh. “I am, in certain ways, and yes, there are undoubtedly certain things I find attractive,” you began, and Larissa gaped at you as you effortlessly disoriented the girl.

“Miss Florere, I don’t know if this is-“ she began, but you chuckled, shaking your head and making the woman close her mouth in frustration. She had cut you off too many times, that was the reason she told herself as she begrudgingly allowed you to speak.

“However!” You interrupted, and she glared at you as you continued messing with Wednesday. “Yes, I am certainly attracted to strong women, but the affinity has always been much more for character than physical strength.” You explained, and Wednesday pulled away from you finally, her head spinning. 

“That was unnecessary, and you are insane.” She growled, and you smirked. 

“It shut you up.” You winked, pulling her back to the table and sitting down. You flicked your hands, a few seeds falling from your palms onto the table, and Larissa watched cautiously as you worked. You bloomed one into a orchid, right on the table, amusing your niece. It was beautiful, more simple that she knew you could create, but beautiful, and it took Larissa’s breath away. “Beauty, is important in this world, yes. And at least in my opinion on the, remarkably few, despite what your mother or Jenkins says, affairs I have had have involved women who I find very beautiful.” You hummed, and your gaze shifted to the second seed. A daylily bloomed this time, and Wednesday tilted her head at the resilient flower. 

“Hemerocalis, known to be resilient and adaptable.” She said, and you smiled, lazily flicking your fingers and making it bloom brighter, despite the tiredness you showed. Larissa fought the urge to stop you, you should be resting, not using your ability to illustrate a point.

“Well done.” You hummed to your niece. “The strength of character, the person, matters far more to me than any looks do.” You explained, and she sighed, relenting. You pulled your hands back, and as your ability left the plants, the orchid withered instantly, but the daylily stayed. Wednesday, however, looked to the third seed. 

“And this?” She asked, and you hummed. You looked at it and Larissa’s breath was stolen as an absolutely magnificent Juliet rose bloomed right in front of her. Her favorite, you had remembered. She looked to you, a faint dusting of pink settling on her cheeks as she looked at it. She couldn’t meet your eyes. She pushed you away, and you did this. 

“Beauty, and strength of character are two parts of it.” You began. “But love, my dear, is neither common nor expected.” You hummed, and she looked in amazement to it. 

“I haven’t seen this one.” She breathed, and you nodded. 

“Juliet Rose, seventy petals, nearly impossible to bloom fully without someone like me around, and absolutely breathtaking.” You hummed, the nearly glowing pinkish apricot colored flower on the table in front of you. 

“English?” She asked you, and you hummed, nodding at just staring at it. The irony was not lost on you. Your eyes flickered up to Larissa’s for a moment, and you nearly took her breath away. You looked wild, yet the honesty in you was so compelling, and the gesture was far from lost on her. You were allowing her to watch you, to witness you, as you were. She may push you away, but she couldn’t resist the magnetism of being under your spell. Wednesday, however, broke the moment.

“Who are your girls?” She asked you, and your eyes went wide. You searched for the words for a moment, looking far away. 

“I have exceptional hearing. And Mirella.” Wednesday deadpanned, and you sighed. 

“Some of the girls from the hospital, I was, I was the one who mostly took care of them after they were Ah, found.” You said carefully. Larissa’s brows furrowed, and you swallowed, looking to her for a moment. You couldn’t tell her. Legally, amongst other reasons, no matter how much you wanted to trust her. Trust. That was a bold thing. You didn’t know if you were still capable of it, but when you looked at her, you thought you might be. 

“Found?” Larissa asked you, and you smiled sadly. 

“I can’t tell you any more.” You breathed. “Under law, I- I’m not able.” You said, and her eyes widened a fraction. As did Wednesday’s. 

“Were you an assassin?” The girl looked practically excited with the question. 

“Hardly,” you chuckled. “I was an in-house researcher and medic, for an institution, that helped children, that’s all you need to know.” You said softly, and she almost looked disappointed. 

“I suppose you couldn’t afford to teach and be an assassin.” The girl said, and you rolled your eyes. 

“I’m still a good enough shot to keep you safe, don’t you worry.” You teased, and she scoffed. 

“I don’t need your help being safe.” The girl said, and you raised your brows, shrugging.

“Very well then, I suppose I can head back to Cambridge when Miss Weems finds a new botany teacher.” You said, deliberately not looking at her for a moment. Both of them snapped their heads to you, Larissa looking mildly terrified as Wednesday seemed to regret everything. You snorted, covering it with your hand before coughing in an attempt to collect yourself. “Calm yourselves, you’ve got me for at least a little while.” You breathed, looking away before your face saddened for a moment. 

You wanted to stay. You almost wanted to stay forever. You could imagine it, forever, here at Nevermore, with the woman you had been dreaming of since you were young. Yet in all likelihood that would never happen. You were good at many things, but love, love was not one of them. If you had looked to Larissa you would have seen the same thoughts crossing her mind as her throat closed up with emotion.

“Why can’t you give shapeshifters morphine?” Wednesday asked, and you sighed, closing your eyes.  Larissa cringed, she knew it shouldn’t be done, as doctors had told her for most of her life. Doctors in general were nearly impossible as a shapeshifter, very few knew what to do with her, and fewer were respectful about it. You frowned slightly, deffering to Larissa with a hand gesture. The action surprised her. She knew you likely knew the answer, however you were allowing her to say what she wished. It wasn’t your abilities that you were exposing, so you left the choice to her.

“You can, if you’d like.” You hummed, and she blinked a few times, furrowing her brows.

“I- I don’t know actually.” She admitted uncomfortably, and your brows drew together in concern.

“You see a doctor regularly, don’t you?” You asked, your voice surprisingly, worried. It made the woman flush, you worried about her. You cared. It was a silly thing, really. She had never had someone ask about her doctors appointments, or to make sure she had tea when the nights got late and she was working. No one had ever done some late night baking with her, and the domesticity of it all overwhelmed her in a way she didn’t expect. 

“Of course, I’m aware there are certain drugs I cannot take, no one has ever been able to tell me why, however.” She said, and your brows shot up.

“Oh my god, fucking- sure, great, wonderful, thank you, healthcare system.” You breathed angrily before closing your eyes and calming yourself. “God I want to do something stupid, you’re lucky I’m tired.” You groaned at the woman. She raised her brows at the outburst, but you just calmed yourself down after a moment. “You can, be given morphine, I mean. The reason it is dangerous to give shapeshifters morphine is because without running a blood test, a doctor cannot tell if you are in your natural state or not.” You explained, and she tilted her head curiously. “If you were to take a dose based on whatever form you were to take at the moment, it could either not work or kill you depending on if someone gave you too much or too little. That is the danger, the dosage, not the drug itself.” You explained, and she stared at you in shock for a moment.

“How on earth do you know that?” She eventually asked, and you smiled a bit.

“I had to. And I wrote a paper on it thirteen years ago.” You answered, and she just shook her head at you. Your mind amazed her. She looked into her eyes, the swirling grey almost mesmerizing her. It was beautiful. You, were beautiful.

It was silent for a moment, the three of you just sitting as you waited for the cobbler to cook. You looked down to your arm, fiddling with the bandages there. You realized that you didn’t know who had done it, well, you had an idea, you just weren’t awake. 

“Did you do this?” You asked Larissa, your gaze enough to slightly startle the woman. She swallowed, you looked even-tempered, but her mind raced at the idea of doing something wrong. She immediately jumped up, taking your arm on instinct to inspect her work. You jumped slightly at the touch, but you didn’t pull away. 

“Did I do something incorrectly?” She worried, her hand running over the bandage. You couldn’t help the color that stained your cheeks as she touched you. You had just been in her arms last night, but still, after years of not feeling any sort of touch on your skin, her pulling up your sweater to inspect the bandages had you shuddering. You just shook your head mutely, staring up in shock at the woman as she fussed over you. She sat next to you, pulling a chair close so she could remove the bandage, inspecting her work. 

“Any pain?” She asked you, and again you just shook your head, staring at the surprisingly neatly stitched up wound, her hands caressing so close to it, over your other scars. 

She was touching your scars. 

You felt your heart race, your breathing become slightly deeper as she touched you, unable to form thoughts, let alone words. All you knew was her hands, her hands were on you, and for the first time in years it felt good. 

“Ophelia, are you alright?” She looked to you, worry on her face at your reddened skin and wide eyes. You opened your mouth a few times to say something, but couldn’t find the words, leading the woman to lean forward, placing the back of her hand on your forehead to see if she could feel a temperature. She would have touched your skin had Wednesday not caught her arm, holding her a breath away from you. 

“You’re overwhelming her.” The girl warned, and Larissa’s eyes snapped to her, the look on the young girl’s face murderous. Larissa could see you in her, she realized. She could see where the girl’s dangerous protective streak had come from. That, aparently, was enough to get you to form words again. 

“No, she’s, she’s fine, just a little out of my head, is all.” You hummed, taking your niece’s arm away from the headmistress’s. Wednesday looked between the two of you carefully, but seemed to allow it. The girl stepped away, and you stood, walking over to the oven under the guise of checking it. Larissa’s heart dropped. She had gone too far, she overwhelmed you, she made you uncomfortable, now you wouldn’t let her back in. She started to panic. You would never let her close again, she would- 

“Play me something.” You said softly, and Wednesday furrowed her brows, but pulled out her phone, connecting it to the speakers in the kitchen, much to Larissa’s surprise, considering she shouldn’t have been able to get into that network. You nodded as slow, smooth jazz began to play. “Little faster,” you hummed, and Wednesday picked something faster. “Oh, I fucking love Fleetwood Mac.” You smiled, raising your arms over your head and beginning to dance. Larissa’s jaw dropped as you swayed to the music, smiling as you began to dance in the kitchen. Wednesday just shook her head, but you pulled the girl’s arms and forcing her to dance with you. 

You were out of your mind. Insane. Mad. Whatever the word was. You were dancing. At four in the morning. In the kitchen. That you shouldn’t be in. Yet you just danced, like nothing in the world could stop you. She had just been boggled by your apparently very detailed and applicable knowledge about her classification, a very rare classification, and now you were dancing in the kitchen, and bloody hell, she loved it.

“Auntie,” Wednesday complained, but you just shook your head, twirling the girl about before you released her, allowing her to do her own thing while you went to Larissa. You took her hand, making the tall woman gasp as you twirled yourself under her, before leading her hands around your waist and swaying with her for a moment. You craved her touch, you couldn’t help it. Barring Wednesday, and a few other children, she was the only person you had ever actually enjoyed touch from. You didn’t understand it, and you couldn’t bother to as you danced despite your exhaustion. Your eyes were closed, you were just listening to the music, but the beauty you held was still more than enough to strike the woman. You were out of your mind, clearly, dancing in a kitchen instead of resting, yet she felt an almost magnetic pull to your madness. 

She breathed in sharply when your body brushed against hers, making your eyes snap open as you looked up to her. You froze for a moment, breathing a little faster as you looked up into her gorgeous eyes. She was stunning. A light blush played on her cheeks as she looked down at you surprised. You wanted to kiss it until it spread all over her body. 

“Heaven help me,” you whispered, pulling away and going back to your neice before the moment could last too long to be considered appropriate. You just danced languidly, Larissa watching you with flushed cheeks as you moved about to the music. You twirled a bit, seemingly grounding yourself as you whirled around, laughing at nothing. You really were mad as a hatter. It was beautiful. 

Wednesday went over to her, standing next to the tall woman. 

“If you hurt her, I will kill you.” The girl said, making Larissa’s eyes snap to her. 

“Miss Addams, I’m sure I don’t know what you-“ she began, choking on her words, as Wednesday cut her off. 

“She just let you touch her bare hands. Not just that she actively sought out your touch. If you don’t know how much that means then you should evaluate her interactions with others more carefully.” The girl hissed, quickly moving away when you came close again. She took the cobbler out of the oven, and you practically squeaked in delight, the sound calling Larissa’s attention, despite the fact that her mind was still running a mile a minute. 

You had sought out her touch, again, even after she overwhelmed you. There was almost an innocence to you in this moment, one that made her watch mystified as you dished out clumps of cobbler into three dishes, scrambling around for cutlery until you found spoons, plopping them in the bowls and sitting at the table, next to Wednesday, across from Larissa. She swallowed, looking down at the bowl. 

“I shouldn’t infringe upon your time together,” she said, biting the inside of her lip. This was too much. Sitting with you and your niece, eating your favorite treat, this was too much. 

“Please stay.” You whispered again, and Larissa’s eyes lifted to yours. You were looking to her truthfully, honestly, you were asking. Your eyes seemed to almost reach for her, the comfort she provided. She had been giving it to you for most of your life, even if she hadn’t met you until recently. “At least try it, you don’t have to eat the whole thing, and you don’t have to stay if you don’t like, but I would- I’d like you to, if you’d like.” You said carefully, and Larissa swallowed, relaxing a bit. 

You still wanted her there. Releif washed over her, and she nodded, smiling lightly as she tentatively took a bite of your niece’s creation. She was pleasantly surprised when the warm concoction hit her tongue. It was sweet, very sweet, but there was a sense of home to it, almost. It made her sad and joyful all at once. She longed for a warm home, the kind where a tired mother would make this after work, or a father would in an attempt to appease his children. She longed for the feeling of home that she never quite new, yet she basked in the little slice of it. It was almost like she had been given a tiny bit of home as a gift. She looked up to you, swallowing down the dessert and her emotions as she saw the twinkle in your eye. 

“Good?” You asked her, and her lips twitched slightly before she smiled. 

“Surprisingly satisfying.” She conceded, and the warm smile you broke out into nearly took her breath away. You nudged Wednesday happily, making the girl nearly push you away before finally leaning into you a bit. 

“Thank you, darling.” You said gently, and she nodded. 

“It’s your favorite.” She replied nonchalantly, and you chuckled, looking up at Larissa and smiling. 

“And thank you.” You added, and she shook her head, immediately brushing it off. 

“No, I- I didn’t do anything, I just allowed her into the kitchens.” She said, and you smiled at her, the familiarity of it nearly making her heart stop. There was that smile again, the one that felt like it was just for her.

“That was more than you had to do.” You said softly, and she blushed a bit, nodding and just accepting your thanks rather than arguing more. “Did you tell her why this is my favorite?” You asked your niece, and she shook her head. You nodded. “I appreciate you allowing me to make that decision.” You said softly, and Wednesday sat up, finally going back to her own bowl. 

“Between the two of you, there are so many secrets I can barely speak.” The girl quipped, and you furrowed your brows, blinking a few times as Larissa tensed. 

“Yes, well, I can’t exactly share a lot of my old occupation, now can I?” You said, a little uncomfortable, and Wednesday rolled her eyes. 

“I wonder who would win at poker.” She added, and you fixed her with a look. Larissa stiffened, glaring at the girl. She allowed Wednesday to get away with far too much, and with you there, the girl got away with murder.

“Hilarious.” You deadpanned, and she stared right back. 

“I mean between what mother has said about either of you, you could form a club.” She said, and you tilted your head as the mood shifted. Larissa was beginning to get very uncomfortable, and your eyes darted from her to your niece as she shifted in her seat. 

“Wednesday, I think that’s enough.” You said gently, and the girl narrowed her eyes. The girl got a particular look in her eyes, one that told you that she was up to something. You knew the face, it was her ‘I’m about to do something stupid based on a hunch’ face, and you gritted your teeth as you thought of whatever it might be. 

“Are you nervous I’ll bring up the fact that neither of your parents wanted you?” She asked calmly, and your eyes went wide. She was joking, you both knew she was, but that was too far. That was much too far. Larissa felt her heart crack open. Wednesday shouldnt know that. The only person she had ever told was Morticia, and she had sworn never to tell- 

And she had told Morticia. Of all the stupid things she had done, she had told her fucking roommate in a moment of weakness, and now a student knew! Now a student knew that even her parents had tossed her away. Just like Morticia had. Just like the others had after.she felt her face flush red, panic started to envelop her as she felt almost nauseous. Everything she had done, so much work went into keeping up her perfect appearance, yet this, this would shatter it irrevocably. All the work she had done, everything, she could loose it all.

What broke her, however, was the fact that you didn’t even look surprised. You knew. You knew, that her own parents didn’t want her. You knew, and the fact that you did felt like ice water being poured into her very heart.

“Wednesday!” You warned, reprimanding the girl, bringing up your issues was one thing, but she could not go after her headmistress. “Taking shots at me is one thing, but you will not, insult your headmistress.” You corrected harshly. Larissa swallowed, she had never seen you speak to her that way. You were staring firmly at your niece, however you could see the blood drain from Larissa’s face. She had hit a nerve, a deep one. “Apologize.” You said firmly, and she nodded, looking to the headmistress.

“I’m sorry, Miss Weems.” She sighed, and you glared at the girl. 

“Too far, Wednesday. That was too far.” You sighed, and she at least had the sense to look mildly ashamed. She looked away, staring down at the bowl of cobbler. “I’m sorry, Larissa.” You swallowed, looking to the woman across the table from you. She took a deep breath in, attempting to collect herself.

“You are not responsible for her actions.” Larissa managed, and your heart broke at the strain in her voice. Your lips parted slightly in distress as you just stared at her, unsure what to do, how to help.

“I do wonder who lies better though, a woman who’s entire job was so secret she couldn’t even tell me or a shapeshifter?” Wednesday added, and you saw red. 

“Wednesday Addams, enough!” You hollered, standing. The girl stopped at your sudden shift. “That is the kind of comment I would expect from your mother, not you, now I know you know very well what was wrong with that, so I highly suggest you apologize.” You snapped, and she narrowed her eyes. 

“Sorry.” She said blankly, and you raised a brow. 

“Not, to me.” You corrected, and she sighed as she looked to the headmistress, who was watching you both in shock. She had never seen you yell at your niece, and the fact that you did so on her behalf was certainly striking. 

You were protecting her again, even if it wasn’t from any real threat, and it sent shivers through her. She was used to those kinds of comments about shapeshifters, yet apparently they struck a nerve with you. 

“I am sorry, Miss Weems, again.” Wednesday gritted, and you glared at her. 

“Do you have any concept, any at all of how hard it is to deal with that?” You spat. Wednesday went wide eyed as Larissa stared at you in absolute shock. You were angry, very, very angry. You were holding it back, but the rage was palpable. “Because the origin of that comment is not benign, not in the slightest, and if the idea of Newflight makes you sick it pales in comparison to what people who have said that very thing have created.” You breathed. You were shaking, actually shaking. There were tears threatening to spill from your eyes as you stared at your niece with barely controlled rage. This, this is what you felt for the children you worked with. The children who were once like her. It took Larissa’s breath away. “You don’t know, Wednesday, and neither does your mother because if she can barely handle a slip of an idea of what happened to me I can gaudente that neither of you can handle what happens when I have a girl half your age on an operating table trying desperately to stitch up wounds that you can’t even imagine in the hopes that she will somehow pull through enough for her to have a fucking shot at being able to use her ability without-“ you cut yourself off, slamming a hand over your mouth when you realized you were screaming. You felt tears in your eyes and you turned, slamming them shut and running your shaking hands through your hair. You took a slow, very shaky breath, staring blankly at the wall. “I’m sorry love, I’m very tired.” You breathed, your voice thick with emotion. 

“Auntie?” The girl asked softly, and you turned around. You swallowed, setting your jaw as you finally looked at her. She looked horrified, almost as if she wanted sink into the floor right then and there. 

“Go to your room, get ready for class, I don’t care, but until you remember exactly why I won’t tolerate that I suggest you do some thinking.” You said softly, and the girl sighed. Then, and only then did you look at Larissa. Her lips were parted in shock, her eyes wide and misty as she stared at you. Fuck you wanted to go to her.

“What- what exactly did you do that makes it hurt you that much to talk about my classification?” She whispered, and you shut your eyes for a moment, exhaling deeply through your nose.

“I- I can’t tell you that.” You choked, unable to look at her. It hurt. It physically hurt knowing. Knowing that you had helped so many, but you weren’t able to help her.

“I wanted to see what you would do.” Wednesday said, and you whirled around, narrowing your eyes. 

“What I would do?” You asked, and she nodded once. 

“If I insulted her,” she said, nodding to the headmistress. “I wanted to see how you would react.” She said, and you sighed, closing your eyes and shaking your head. 

“Dear lord give me the strength.” You sighed, before fixing the girl with another stern look. “You are better than your mother. Do not stoop to her level of insulting people to get a rise out of them.” You warned.

“What, because mother compared her to a tree I can’t get away with implying she’d be good at lying?” Wednesday snapped, and you stood with such force the chair behind you toppled backwards. You were mad, you were beyond mad, and Larissa had half a mind to stop you before Wednesday actually experienced your anger. She didn’t know why you were so angry. The only logical explanation for any of this was if the children you worked with were not so unlike you, and if that was the case, you had a far heavier burden to bear than she could even imagine.

“Enough.” You said firmly, and Wednesday blanched “You know what, there is something I can tell you, actually.” You said slowly, and Wednesday’s eyes widened a fraction. 

“Oh.” She said, and you stared at her, an almost hurt expression on your face. 

“Do you think of me as a dangerous monster?” You asked her, only adding to Larissa’s confusion. If you went where she thought you were going, she was right on the money.

“No, I think of you as my aunt.” Wednesday replied, and you raised your brows. 

“I could kill you at any moment, I could flick my hands and release pollen that would have you in full anaphylaxis in seconds, I could coat my skin in sap that would burn your skin away if you touched me, I could call forth vines that could rip you apart with nothing more then a thought.” You said calmly, and Larissa gaped at you. She knew you were strong, and that you had the potential to be deadly, but she had never thought of it like that. “Am I a weapon to you, Wednesday?” You asked the girl, and she looked away in shame.

“No.” She murmured, and you nodded. 

“Then you do not get to accuse her of being a liar simply because of her ability. I have taught you better than that.” You said firmly, looking down at her through lashes holding back anger Larissa had never seen directed at your family. Neither had Wednesday. The girl nodded gravely. You turned to Larissa, your eyes betraying the shame you felt on behalf of your niece. 

“I am, very sorry.” You said softly, and she took a sharp breath, her eyes flicking between the two of you. Not once, not once had she seen hurt like that in your eyes on behalf of anyone other than your niece. And it was for children of her kind.

“I would hope you don’t speak to other students that way, Miss Addams.” The woman addressed the girl next to you, and your brows raised for a moment before you turned back to Wednesday. 

“Take some cobbler to Enid.” You instructed, and the girl furrowed her brows. 

“I want to stay with you.” She said, and you sighed deeply, calming yourself. 

“And you can, but for now I need to speak with Miss Weems, take some cobbler to Enid, and get ready for class. I’ll see you at the end of your day.” You instructed, and the girl glared daggers at you as she dished out another bowl. 

“Ditching me to try to justify yourself to your employer is beneath you.” The girl snarked, and you tilted your head. 

“Trying to correct my sister’s mistakes is not.” You responded, and the girl stared at you for a moment. Larissa could feel the tension between you two, the energy flying about the room. She had never seen you truly fight with your sister, but if this was a stare down between you and your niece, then she shuddered to think of you and Morticia ever going at it.

“Fine.” Wednesday gritted, taking the bowls and storming out of the room. You watched her go, sighing heavily and shaking your head before looking at the woman across from you. She was raging against the thoughts in her mind. She knew you knew things, things that she had tried her entire life to hide and forget. Yet you, you knew so much, more than you would tell her, and it terrified her. Her entire life was built upon the ruse of perfection. She was the first, and only shapeshifter head of a public institution, not to mention one for children. If there was so match as a crack in the facade, it all came tumbling down.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know she was going to-“ 

“How much do you know about me?” The woman asked you, and your breath hitched. This was not an easy conversation to have. The answer wasn’t simple, it couldn’t be. Both too much and not enough, you felt like a stranger who had known her, intimately, for almost your entire life.

“I- Larissa, you don’t want me to-“ you tried, but she cut you off, and you felt your heart drop when you noticed the tears in her eyes. She was so tense, always so tense. She had to control it, she needed control, it was everything to her, it was how she got where she wanted to be, yet here you were, breaking all the walls she had so painstakingly built of control down.

“How much.” She gritted, and you shifted on your feet, immediately moving to sit next to her. You felt the need to, despite every ingrained instinct, you needed to go to her, to help her through what you knew would be painful, what already had been for you. The action surprised her, she knew you didn’t like to be close, even after everything, she knew it was still hard for you. 

“Larissa that is not an easy question to answer.” You said tentatively, looking up into the woman’s eyes. She was trying not to cry. You could see her lip shaking, whatever it was she was trying to figure out if you knew, it hurt her, it hurt her more than you could imagine. 

“Tell me.” She rasped, and you looked down and away, nodding. It was not comfortable. It was painful, actually. You knew how much this hurt. You knew you had your hands in her very heart, she was bared open for you to see, and it broke your heart that you had seen it without her showing you.

“I- I know from Morticia that you were disowned very young, around the time you went to Nevermore. I know you changed your surname, but I do not know the original one.” You breathed, and she tensed, her breath shaking slightly, her eyes were red, hurt. You wanted to wrap her up and hold her close, to protect her from all of it. 

The realization shocked you. You almost never wanted to touch anyone, let alone hold them. The idea was normally enough to make your stomach turn in fear. Yet now, with her, you just wanted to hold her close. You could feel your face heating up at the realization, your hands shaking slightly. Larissa caught the reaction, her eyes widening at your shaking hands, but you just tucked them away, swallowing down your own issues. You had to continue, you couldn’t let your panic affect her now. 

“I- I focused on you for a long time, and with the amount my sister gave me of you, I-“ you cut yourself off, taking a deep breath in an attempt to center yourself. “I know that your father was cruel to you, I have seen visions of that, but it’s, I’ve never seen his face, or exactly what he had done, but I’ve seen you as a child curled up in a room with such, with such fear it enraged me that anyone would ever do that to their child,” you gritted, and Larissa’s face changed. 

You couldn’t look at her, you were looking away again, unable to meet her eyes as your own filled with rage so palpable it struck her. You weren’t angry at her, the disgust that seized you wasn’t for her. It was for those that had treated her cruelly. 

That’s when it hit her, you had snapped at Wednesday when she had treated her cruelly. That was the first, and only time, she had seen you angry at the girl. You wouldn’t harm Wednesday, you probably wouldn’t even truly punish the girl, but you were, protecting her. It made her shudder, but it made her want to sob uncontrollably all the same. The fact that you could look at her, like that, knowing what you knew, it was like nothing she had ever felt. It felt like acceptance.

There was pain inside of you, but no judgement, and as she realized that unlike your sister, you understood. Morticia had made her ashamed of the fact, but you, you understood. 

“I am sure my previous colleagues have a file on you, on your childhood, however I never looked for it I- I have seen so much of you that I didn’t think it fair to pry.” You choked, your throat closing as you fought back tears of guilt. It felt wrong. How dare you. How dare you see so much of her without her permission. The hatred you turned in on yourself had you reeling.

It was then, and only then that you looked up at her. Your face dropped as you saw the tears streaming down her face, and you were up and wiping them away before you knew what you were doing. You cupped her face in your hands, hushing her as you cleaned them away, leaning down slightly until you were close enough to take her breath away. Tears began to stream down her face, she couldn’t do it. She was breaking. You knew, you knew the disgusting shame inside of her and yet you touched her so tenderly it felt as if she may fall apart.

“You are not alone. Not even close.” You whispered, and she felt something in her snap. Her arms wrapped around you, pulling you into her as she buried her face in your chest, sobs racked her body, shaking her as she cried, silent as she was, the vibrations still shook you to your very core. Your arms tentatively wrapped around her, rubbing her back gently as you hushed her. “You’ve carried this weight alone for far too long, Larissa, it’s alright, I’ve got you.” You whispered, holding the woman as best you could as she sobbed silently, “I’ve got you.” You repeated, and she just nodded into you, her hands clutching onto the sweater you wore.

You just continued, rubbing her back as the tears slowed. Her entire life she had felt so alone, so terribly unwanted. Yet there you were. You were with her, holding her, and she was far from alone.

It felt like hours. Larissa cried until she felt like there was nothing left in her, like her chest had been ripped open and her very soul pulled violently from her, as if it was laid bare before you, bleeding and ugly at your feet. Yet the tenderness with which you touched her, it made the pain lesson, as if you could beat it back with your warmth. 

She shuddered in your arms, somehow pressing her face deeper into you. She breathed you in, the familiar earthy scent of petrichor and flowers greeting her, with the wild, almost dangerous undertone that was so uniquely you. 

“What perfume do you wear?” The woman husked against you, and you cleared your throat at the question. That was certainly not what you expected. 

“I- ah, Im not wearing any. I just sort of smell like certain flowers. It changes, depending on certain things I- I can change it if you like-“ you rushed, and she just shook her head. 

“No, it’s, it’s nice.” She whispered, and you just nodded, running your hand over her shoulder. She froze, realizing what she was doing. She was wrapped around you, clutching you to her as she buried her face into your chest, your very warm, full chest. She could feel your breath shuddering, your heart racing as she held onto you.

She went rigid, immediately pulling away as a heavy blush stained her cheeks. Here she was, just hours after you had woken up, sobbing and hanging on you as she spilled her heart out onto your dark red sweater. She was out of all control, practically forcing you to comfort her, showing you parts of her she hid from everyone, parts of her that were weak, disgusting. 

“I- I am so sorry Miss Florere, I didn’t mean-“ she panicked, only you feel you slip your bare hand around her jaw and tilt her head to look at you. Her eyes almost fluttered closed at the touch. Your hands, they were so warm, so gentle. Her breath stuttered as she looked up to you.

“Don’t do that,” you whispered. Her jaw dropped. “Please don’t do that, it hurts me to watch you do what I used to do to myself.” You whispered, and her eyes once again filled with tears. 

Chapter Text

She felt like she had been crying for hours.

For hours she had done nothing but lay in your arms after you took her back to her room, you holding her close as she felt like her very soul was pouring from her body. You were soothing as you hushed her, letting her hair down and combing your fingers through it.

You stayed calm, your heart breaking for the woman as the storm inside of her raged and swirled. You had been where she was, and you had helped many others through it, but never like this. Never had you offered up your own heart like this. It was never intimate in the way this was. Those were children, and she was, she was everything.

If she was anyone else you would be certain she was going to loose control of her ability and go into a shape shifting blitz. It wasn’t anyone else though, it was Larissa Weems, the woman who had eased your pain for years without even knowing you existed. It was enough to nearly break you.

Yet she had held you for so long, kept you warm and safe while you were healing, and you would rip anyone apart who attempted to keep you from doing the same. 

She had cried herself into silence, no sound coming from her as she just took slow, almost shocked breaths. You knew what it was, you had worked with children who had been through similar things time after time, not to mention experiencing it yourself when you were young. You knew the release that came once they allowed themselves to cry. You knew what it felt like to cry until it felt as if your very soul had been drained from your body. Just as you knew the numbness that followed it. 

“How do you do it?” She whispered, and for the first time, the great woman sounded, weak. You felt your throat close up at the realization, anger flooding you as you thought of the man, of the people who had made her feel this way. 

“It depends,” you answered slowly. “I have tried many different things, but the only thing that has worked is riding it until it passed.” You said softly, and she stared up at the ceiling, still laying half on top of you. You were careful, the high neck of your sweater and long sleeves meaning she would never come in contact with your actual skin, even as your hands traced slow patterns over her clothed back.

She shuddered at the touch, it was almost disconcerting how gentle you could be. How you could hold her with almost no thought. Her mind was numb, but her body felt a sense of familiarity, safety even, at your touch.

“You must think me pathetic.” She sighed. “With everything you have been through and somehow I am the one sobbing like a child.” She rasped, and you took her by the jaw, startling her when you forced her to look at you. Your blackened fingers were tender, gentle, yet they held a firmness reflecting the conviction she found in your eyes. The normally peaceful gray hard as stone with what felt like powerful truth.

“You were a child. You were hurt, as a child. No child deserves that.” You said strongly. “No child, no matter what, deserves what you went through.” You breathed. “I don’t know the specifics, I’ve only seen flashes, but I have felt what you felt and no one, no one deserves that. Certainly not you.” You said with such power, despite the shake in your voice. It felt as if even your own voice, the voice that she so adored, couldn’t contain your meaning. “Do not compare pain, Larissa, it only adds to it.” You said softly, before blinking away your own tears, brushing back a strand of her hair and turning your own face towards the ceiling to hide the intense ache for her you had at the small gesture. You were silent for a moment, taking a deep breath as you centered yourself, trying to ignore the pleasant weight of her against you. “I think you are incredibly strong.” You breathed. “And far too hard on yourself.” You added, and the woman swallowed. 

“I have to be.” She replied, and you shook your head. 

“Not like that.” You whispered. 

She remained silent, tentatively running her hand over the collar of your sweater. You flinched back a bit, and she pulled back instantly, fear flooding her. She made you uncomfortable. Again. Here you were putting aside all of your own feelings, your own issues, for her, and she had pushed it too far.

“I’m sorry,” She rasped, and you looked to her sadly, taking her hand in yours. You hated yourself for it. You hated yourself for how terrified you were of something you wanted so badly. Her eyes widened when you gently rubbed your blackened thumb over the palm of her hand, giving her a light squeeze before letting go.

“Do not apologize for that, darling, that is my own history, not you.” You said softly, and she swallowed, blushing and nodding a bit. She knew how you spoke. She was used to how you spoke to others, the pet names and tender words that could slip from your lips were utterly enchanting, but directed at her, directed at her they made her heart do summersaults in her chest. A simple ‘darling’ had her blushing as if nothing could be sweeter. She pulled away, and you hummed as she sat up, standing quickly and trying to gain control of herself. 

“That was highly inappropriate.” She breathed, and you tilted your head, raising your brows. You were trying your best to fight off your own reaction, the second she pulled away you could feel yourself chase after her, and it terrified you. It terrified you how much you wanted her. You felt your heart sink.

“Touching me? I’ve already told you I… I like it.” You hummed, and she took a deep breath in, shaking her head. She was ignoring your words, not even daring to think about the meaning let alone the rarity of you enjoying her touch. She tried to rationalize it, she knew that you didn’t touch anyone, of course she would feel nice, she was the only one you let close.

“No, I- well yes, however- It is not your job to console a grown woman crying over what happened to her as a child.” She breathed, shaking her head in distain. 

You sat up on the bed, staring at her for a moment. She had shut herself down so quickly, guilt and shame flooding her the second she pulled away. It broke your heart for the woman. There had been a time when you did that as well. When you would rather pretend that nothing had ever happened, as you punished yourself for all of it.

“Have you ever cried over it before?” You asked her, and she looked to you strangely. You could practically see the disgust she felt at the idea. The weakness of crying, she would never, she could never. Her mother had told her countless times, girls don’t cry, they are to remain silent.

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” She said quickly, and you hummed, staring out the window for a moment. You knew that the anger wasn’t directed at you. She felt exposed, vulnerable. If she needed to lash out at you, then so be it. She wouldn’t be the first. The strongest, perhaps, but not the first.

“You cannot grow from the child you lost until you mourn her.” You whispered, your voice far away for a moment. Larissa was about to argue when she saw the look on your face. It was distant, as if you were looking at something that was no longer there. A shadow, or a ghost of some kind. She swallowed, she could see her for a moment, the young girl you once were, chained to a bed and starved, hair matted to your head. She could see the pain that girl had been through, but just as quickly as it came, it was gone. You blinked, your face shifting back, and it was over. You looked to her, the light finally returning to your eyes as you blinked a few times, snapping yourself out of it.

“And where, where did you learn that, Miss Florere?” She asked you, and you hummed, tilting your head for a moment and thinking. A woman named Georgiana had taught you that. A doctor, right after you had been broken out of Newflight, a woman who would later hire you for a small operation that you would transform into what it was today. Hope. You smiled briefly at her memory, of the woman trying desperately to stitch you up, deep in the woods outside of the institution you were once trapped in, as you shivered from the cold and the hunger engrained so deep in your body she almost thought the next gust of wind would blow your soul from this plane. 

“A doctor in the woods we were camping in after I broke out.” You smirked, and Larissa’s eyes widened. 

“Broke- Broke out!” She exclaimed, and you chuckled, swinging your legs and hopping off the bed. 

“At the time it was breaking out or my life, can you blame me?” You asked her, looking to her carefully. She inhaled slowly, unsure. 

“I cannot, I- I don’t. But you must know hearing a woman I hired broke out of an institution is not exactly calming.” She sighed, and you shook your head. 

“Oh, Miss Weems, if you think that is the maddest thing I’ve done, then you are far more innocent then you appear.” You chuckled, and she swallowed. There was a twinkle in your eye, one that made the flush return as she felt her pulse quicken slightly. She didn’t know how you did it. How the look of slight mischief and madness on you would be more than concerning on anyone else, but when you did it, it made her heart flutter. She swallowed, steeling herself. Two could play that game. 

“I appear as something else to you?” She challenged, taking a step closer. You raised your brows. You did your best to ignore the way her challenge lit a fire in you, the way it had you aching to kiss her again, to show her exactly what you thought of her. Memories of visions flashed in your mind, her under you, writhing and gasping as your tongue worked for hours upon hours buried between her legs or tracing every inch of her skin.

“I think you know what you appear as to me.” You breathed, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. She inhaled sharply as red rosettes once again bloomed in your hair, creating a warm feeling inside of her, one that slowly settled deeper into her abdomen, making her shudder. “Are you alright?” You asked her concern in your voice as you stepped forward, dropping the game for a moment given what had just happened. The woman glared at you. It was infuriating. She wanted you, and you were so gentle, so caring to her. It burned her.

“Oh for fuck’s sake!” She hissed, walking towards you and grabbing your hand in an attempt to get you moving. 

What happened, however, was your head snapped back, your eyes rolling skywards as your body gave out. Larissa panicked as she pulled you close, wrapping her arms around you before she too felt the pull. It was a vision, and a powerful one, only this time you weren’t controlling it. She felt her consciousness shrink through her body, traveling down into her chest before crossing over into you through your entwined hands. 

She never felt her body hit the floor. 

What she did feel, however, was an intense feeling of lust as she opened her eyes in her bedroom, once again, only the walls almost seemed like they were painted in water color. It was night, as well, the fire in the room keeping it warm, however the heat she could feel was not remotely caused by that. She knew she could feel similar to what you felt during your visions, but this, this was an intensity she had yet to experience. Heat flooded her body, heat that nearly brought her to her knees. She gasped as she felt wetness bloom between her legs, nervously pressing them together in an attempt to stop whatever it was that had her this aroused.

“Ohhh, fuck Larissa!” You hissed, and her eyes snapped in utter shock to the bed, seeing you laid out on it. She turned a shade of red she didn’t even know was possible as she watched herself bury her head between your thighs, your fingers clawing at the sheets as you panted. She felt her heart nearly stop. You were writhing under her, your head thrown back as you encouraged her breathlessly.

“Fuck, you’re such a good girl for me, don’t stop, darling,” You breathed, and she watched as the vision version of herself moaned, wrapping her hands around your thighs and pulling you into her further. You laughed breathlessly, a sound that quickly devolved into a moan as your face contorted in pure sin as you were grinding against her face, chasing some sort of relief from the building tension. “Oh we liked that, did we?” You panted, and she watched herself moan and nod into you, her hands dragging over your exposed ass and thighs. 

Larissa gaped, she knew you were gorgeous, she had seen you naked when she changed you, she had held you in her bed throughout the night, but the way you writhed in the firelight put it to shame, it stole her breath away and caused a rapidly building need between her thighs. A need that was all her own. She could feel your arousal, she could feel your absolute need for her, yet watching you, watching you like this, it woke a hunger in her she had never felt. She had no idea how you could see things like this and hold a conversation with her, how you could be so gentle when you knew this is what it felt like to be with her.

“That’s a good girl Larissa, just like that, baby,” you breathed, and both the vision and the headmistress moaned in tandem. She squeezed her thighs together, she couldn’t do this, she didn’t know how you could see things like this and then pretend to be fine. She didn’t think she could ever look at you without this engrained into her mind. The way the firelight reflected off your skin, the way you whispered her name like a prayer, your hands searching for leverage in the sheets as she gave you nearly more than you could take. 

Another moan fell from your lips and Larissa gritted her teeth, she knew she should look away, that it wasn’t fair for her to see this, but she couldn’t remove her eyes from your writhing body. You were powerful, she realized. She had seen it before, known it before, but the way the muscles in your thighs tensed, the way your back arched when the vision of her hit a certain spot. This was power. And it was thrilling.

“Yes darling, right there- oh god- fuck you’re doing so good for me Larissa,” you nearly whimpered, and she bit her lip so hard she thought she may draw blood.

It felt so good, she knew you were speaking to her, to a different version of her, but the sweet praise dripping from your lips as she pushed you closer and closer to the edge made her nearly whimper in need. 

“Just like that darling, just like that, ohhhh fuck I love your tongue,” you whimpered, and she gasped at you still. You rolled your hips into her, seemingly unable to stop yourself. “God you’re so good for me, so perfect- fuck! So fucking beautiful, I- I need you,” you whispered, and she watched as the vision of her brought her hand to the apex of your thighs, teasing you for a moment. “Yes! Please darling, I need you, I need you to fuck me, please, please I need you~” you rushed, and Larissa watched as you practically screamed when the vision of her thrust her fingers into you, making you arch off the bed.

Then the vision seemed to flicker for a moment. It almost got dark, the water-color walls shifting to something much darker, much colder for a second before shifting back. 

You arched against her, crying out as she kissed your body while her fingers were buried inside you, she couldn’t see exactly what she was doing, but from the way you bent off the bed, she was doing well, incredibly well. The wild spark that always inhabited your eyes had become a burning flame with the intensity of the sun and stars itself.

“Fuck, Larissa, love, my darling, please, please don’t stop!” You begged, and she could feel herself nearly go mad at your words. You called her so many sweet things, begging her not to stop, begging her to keep touching you. Touching you. She was touching you, and she had never seen you look like you wanted anything more. “Here, please, come here,” you panted, and she watched as the vision of herself climbed up your body, her fingers still fucking into you as you pulled her down for a kiss that looked so desperate and feral Larissa felt herself clench around nothing. Fire burned through her veins as she watched herself fuck you, as she watched you claw at her as you got closer and closer to the edge. You leaned up, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her close to whisper against her lips. Larissa felt her breath stop as she watched, the air caught in her lungs. “Be a good girl and make me come like only you can.” You whispered against her lips. Larissa felt herself twitch, her underwear getting impossibly wetter as she watched the vision of her nearly growl before pushing you back down and fucking you into oblivion. 

The vision flickered again, to a dark room with another bed in it, only this one was filthy, the fluorescent light flickering in the darkened room, she thought she heard a sob before it flickered back to you nearly screaming in pleasure, crying out her name as you crashed over the edge. 

“YES! All yours, love! all yours,” you nearly screamed, your hands tightening around her as you began to come undone on her fingers.

She didn’t even have time to register the moment before the room changed again. Larissa gasped in utter horror at what she saw. You were on the bed still, but you were younger, much younger. No older than your niece was now, and you were beaten worse than she had ever seen. You cried as a thin slip clung to your skin, blood streaked across it and dripping from your nose and lips, where they had been split open. 

You had a black eye, and your face was covered in bruises across your cheeks. You had your equally bruised arms wrapped around yourself, holding your legs tight and closed, but she could see the stains on the nightgown. Some of it was blood and grime, but some made her physically ill to imagine what it could be. 

You were sobbing, your small, incredibly frail looking body shaking as you stared at something across the room from you. This was the girl, the inhumanly thin and nearly dead girl she had seen before, only you weren’t strapped down this time, you were awake, and if the way you held yourself was any indication, you were in horrific amounts of pain. 

It was terrifying. Utterly terrifying. The bruises around your wrists and ankles reminded her that yes, you were often put in restraints. The blood smattering and dripping over you revealed how beaten you were. But what are her sick, what made her sick was the way you were desperately clutching your legs together, your slip torn as if someone had tried to rip it off you, you were frantically trying to cover yourself, to shrink back into nothing. Larissa heard a groan from behind her, and she shuddered. 

Fear, pure, all encapsulating, paralyzing fear gripped her, yet it almost felt like there was a force around her heart, keeping it from truly reaching her. It felt like you. Even now, even like this, you were protecting her. You may not be in control, but your instinct was strong enough to shield her from as much as you could. 

She heard a sickening cough, and turned around slowly, painfully slowly. 

She could never have been prepared for what she saw.

Four men were hanging from a mass of vines, climbing up the walls and ceiling until they could support the weight of four grown men. Three of them had their pants by their ankles, only the mass of vines had seemingly ripped off the appendages that were once there. 

They had tried to- she couldn’t bear the thought of it.

One was hanging by the arm, his head bent back at a sickening angle, a vine stuffed down his throat so far that he couldn’t breathe, Larissa could see it bulging inside his abdomen, it had crushed him from the inside out. The second man was hanging by his throat, his neck broken from the force, a vine crushing his windpipe until blood was leaking from his eyes, ears, and nose from the pressure. The third man was trapped against the wall, his entire body smashed into it and covered with the green mass. He was flatter than any human should ever be. 

The fourth man, however, was still alive. 

Larissa watched in horror as he cut himself down with a knife he seemingly had on him. He was bleeding from where his temple must have bashed into the wall, his arm broken, and his leg twisted at an odd angle as he limped over you. 

“You’re going to pay for that you little bitch!” The man spat, blood dripping from his face as you just sat there and cried, curled up in a ball rocking yourself back and forth. That was the look of a girl who knew what was coming, and who knew that no one was going to help her. No one was going to stop it. Larissa couldn’t move, she wanted to stop him, wanted to grab him and finish the job for the child version of you. 

Rage ripped through her like nothing she had ever felt. How dare he, how dare he touch a child like that! How dare he touch you like that! His good arm wrapped around your ankle, pulling you to the edge of the bed and locking your legs into the restraints there. 

The scream you let out when the man’s fingers wrapped around you was something Larissa would never forget. 

The room flickered again, and Larissa gasped as she found herself back in her room, only horror seized her once again as she realized why. You were still on the bed, still crying out her name as you came, but the moment you lost control of yourself she watched as vines erupted from you, pushing the vision of herself back and across the room, pinning her to the wall. 

She gasped as she heard the sickening crack of bone, heard herself cry out and clutch her arm before the vines seemed to almost shrivel in on themselves, dropping her and making her slump to the floor. You were up and across the room faster than anyone should be able to move, your legs still wobbly and your head still spinning as your cheeks remained flushed and tears began to stream down your face. 

You looked to her in utter horror. This time, she felt guilt pressing up against her. Your shield of protection around her was still there, but the sea of guilt that flooded her took her breath away, nearly dropping her to her knees. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, fuck, I’m so sorry!” You sobbed, and she watched you fall to your knees in front of the vision of her, immediately running your bloody hands over her, the droplets from where the vines had detached smearing over her skin as you frantically checked for harm. “I didn’t mean to, Larissa, I swear, I- I didn’t mean to, I just lost control, just for a second, I’m so sorry,” You sounded nearly hysterical. She had never heard you like that, never heard you that desperate and pleading. Through it all though, your focus was solely on the vision of her. You forced her dazed eyes to look at you, cupping her jaw to hold her head up. 

“Wh- what was- Ophelia did you- how could you?” She watched the vision rasp, and she could physically feel your heart shatter. 

It all went black, she felt herself practically slam back into her body, gasping for air as she opened her eyes, once again in the world of the living. 

You pulled away, running to her bathroom where she could hear you wretch into the toilet. She sat on the floor, numb and shaking as she heard you run the water, gasping for air as you emptied your stomach. You were sick. You seemed to get sick after the worst ones.

Her ears were ringing, she had just seen you, she had seen you gorgeous, absolutely sinfully enchanting, then so hurt the sound of your scream still echoed in her ears. And then. Then she had watched you loose control, throw her back as your body panicked, trying to protect itself from the only kind of touch it knew. She couldn’t see anything through the tears clouding her eyes, she couldn’t hear over your broken scream still echoing in her ears. 

“-sa” she heard the tail end of something, and looked up confused. “Larissa,” she heard your voice call again, and the world seemed to snap back into focus as she looked at your face, you were kneeling in front of her. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the end of her bed, as you kneeled in front of her. “Are you alright?” You husked, your voice broken and tight with tears. The horror in her eyes when she looked at you made you want to cry. You wanted to rip your heart out. 

She was looking at you scared. You had never wanted her to look at you that way. Many had, but up until now, not her. The fact that you had scared her, that she was scared of you, slammed into you with such a force you thought it would bring you down right then and there. You choked back a sob as you repeated your question. 

“Are you alright?” You nearly cried, and she just blinked at you, tears blooming in her bright blue eyes. 

“Tell me that wasn’t real.” She breathed, and you closed your eyes for a moment, trying to steady yourself. Your hands were shaking, she realized. You must have had a pair of gloves on you, because she realized they were once again back on your hands, taking the little bit of contact she had with your skin away from her. Her breath stuttered as she looked at them, fighting back more tears as she realized she wouldn’t get to touch them again, she wouldn’t get the comfort of your warm hands on her skin.

You felt yourself shake as you tried not to cry, looking back up at her as you bit your lip for a moment, trying to ignore what it felt like to have Larissa, Larissa, the woman who had gotten you through the darkest parts of your life without even knowing you, look at your hands in fear. You pulled them back, until they were at your sides, as far away from her as possible.

“The- the one with the both, the both of us, that was not real.” You swallowed, and she shook her head. 

“No,” she whimpered, and you felt tears streak down your own face. You panicked. Your breath was stolen as you panicked, you couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, you just needed to reassure her. 

“I’m so sorry, I would never- Larissa, I would never hurt you like that, please believe me, please- I’m so sorry- it’s just a vision, they rarely come true, please, please I-“ you were cut off as she grabbed you, pulling you into her until you fell forward, straddling her lap and laying against her chest. You froze. She should be scared, terrified, not- 

“Please tell me they didn’t do that to you?” She whimpered, and you felt your own throat close up. She was holding you. She had just seen what you could do, and she was holding you. Choosing to touch you. Her hands were careful, never going to your actual skin, staying on the fabric covering you, but she was holding you, clutching onto you almost. Your heart nearly stopped.

“I- I was younger, I didn’t have full control of my ability, I didn’t mean to kill them-“ you stuttered, only to be cut off by her harsh sob. Her arms wrapped further around you, pulling you close. Your words died in your throat as you choked on emotion. She was holding you. Just like she had before, even after seeing you- hurt her. “Larissa,” you swallowed, and she just shook her head, pulling you in until you fully straddled her, tucking your head into the crook of her neck, wrapping your own arms around her. You shuddered, the bare skin of your face just a breath away from her neck as you rested on her shoulder. It was so close, you were terrified. You were still tense, but you gave her the touch she was asking you for. She wrapped her arms around your waist, pulling you close to her and just holding on for dear life. 

“No one, will ever, touch you like that again, do you understand me?” She husked, her voice suddenly so strong and full of rage that it struck you. 

“I-“ you stuttered, and her hands gripped you a bit harder. 

“No one.” She repeated, and you just nodded, your face staining with red as she gripped onto you. Her hands slipped around you further, pulling you in protectively, and you bit back a sob. 

You were the protector, you had been your entire life. The idea of someone, protecting, you, it made you feel smaller than you had ever felt. Yet it also stirred something else in you. A feeling suspiciously close to one you had banned yourself from. Saftey. 

Her hands wrapped around you until one finger grazed the skin of your neck, making you jerk back as you felt her skin against yours. She immediately let you go, and you scrambled off of her, panting as you turned profusely red. That wasn’t what scared you though. What scared you was your reaction to her touch. Your reaction to her skin on yours, even at your very throat.

You liked it. You didn’t just like it, you needed it. Yet she had just seen what a second of you loosing control could do, and that was far from the worst of your damage. You panted as you touched where her finger had grazed you, it made you shiver, made your body ache to give in to her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t-“ she began, but you just shook your head, trying to catch your breath as you stared a hole into the floor. 

“Don’t you dare apologize for making me feel that way.” You rasped, and her eyes widened as she looked at your hair. It was a smattering of red and white flowers that bloomed across the top of your head this time, and a blush that stained your cheeks and neck so deeply she thought you may just be about to faint. She took a deep breath, sitting up and seeming to steel herself. 

“Do you often have, visions, like that?” She asked you, and you took a deep breath in. You knew what she was asking, you’d be a fool not to, but you would refuse to admit it for as long as possible.

“In what way?” You asked her, despite knowing full well what she meant. 

“I want to know how many times you have seen me in explicit situations.” She said firmly, and you cringed. 

You were silent for a moment. The first time you had ever seen that was when you had a vision of her kissing your sister. It thankfully didn’t go any further than that when you were young, however it was clear that was what it was. As you grew, you would occasionally have visions of her. You knew you would meet her someday, but until Wednesday had needed you, you never took it upon yourself to come to her. You had seen her kissing you, you had seen you pleasuring her in ways that would make a sailor blush, but they didn’t start coming to you with any frequency until you arrived at Nevermore. Until you met her. After that, after that they plagued you with reckless abandon. Haunting you until your skin burned and your body ached for her.

“I don’t know.” You admitted. She stared at you for a moment, narrowing her eyes. “It’s not as if I try to have them, they just- oh god they just happen!” You tried to defend yourself, panicking. “And- and I’m sorry that they do, I know how much of an invasion it is but it’s just- mmph!” You we’re cut off when the taller woman leaned over and pulled you to her again, kissing you suddenly. 

You froze for a moment before giving in, putting your arms up and just allowing the woman to lead you. You knew you were a force of nature, but she made everything feel as if it was whirling around you into oblivion. You loved it. You whimpered against her, knowing you should pull away but desperately needing more. You needed her.

“Do you like them?” She whispered against your lips, and you gasped for air, your mind spinning.

“I- I feel guilty that I see them without your permission.” You swallowed, and she kissed you again, her arms around your waist holding you up as her lips melded to yours again. She was careful, she didn’t go farther, she didn’t push you. She didn’t seek out any more skin then your lips. Your lips, however, were completely at her mercy. You felt your body shaking as she kissed you, desperate for what you couldn’t have.

“But do you like them?” She husked, and you just stared up at her dumbly. You couldn’t. Not now. It was too much. You could snap at any moment, you were always volitile after visions like that, you knew it, you knew you could hurt her, or worse, much, much worse.

“I- I can’t touch you, not now.” You whimpered, pulling away and panting as you rested your head on the covered part of her shoulder. You couldn’t do it. You couldn’t risk hurting her. She paused. You were literally shaking with restraint, she could feel it. Yet her own fear flooded her anyway.

“Do you not want-“ she whispered, and you raised your gloved hand, pulling back and turning her to look at you again. 

“I want you more than I have ever wanted anyone, Larissa.” You confessed, and her eyes went wide, her jaw slackening into your hand. “But that does not change what I am,” you whispered, your face contorting in pain for a moment. You were scared, she realized. Scared of hurting her, of trusting yourself to trust her. She was about to reply when the door burst open. 

You snapped back from her, nearly falling on your back as you looked at the door. Enid was carrying Wednesday. Enid was CARRYING Wednesday.

You were up and moving faster than should have been possible, you took the girl from Enid’s arms, gently laying her on your lap as you sat on the floor. 

“I- I don’t know what happened! She was fine, and then she touched my hand and she just- she just!” Enid panicked, and you hushed her as you focused on your niece, your movements calm and practiced. You had done this before, Larissa realized.

“I need you to calm down Miss Sinclair, she will be fine.” You replied quickly. The girl was shaking in your arms, it almost looked as if she was seizing. 

“This isn’t fine! How do you know-“ the girl cried, but you shut her up with a look. 

“I know because it has happened to me.” You said darkly, and the girl froze, staring for a moment. Her mind seemed to catch up to her and she closed the door, sitting next to you on the floor. Larissa was still across from you, looking to you worriedly. 

“Ophelia, is she-“ the woman began, but you just shook your head, beginning to rock the girl gently in your lap as you held her. She was groaning out and crying even trapped in the vision, tears streaming down her face as her jaw clenched. Then you did something neither blonde expected. You began to recite something. 

“If I cling to you in times of darkness, I beg you to let me go. If I walk to you in tattered likeness, I will reap just what I sow. I have seen the ocean deep my dear, and it still compares not to this. For if you come too close my love, I will pull you to the abyss.” You hummed, and Larissa’s heart nearly stopped. She knew that poem, she had heard it before, yet she couldn’t place it. “Breathe Wednesday, it will end, I promise you it will end.” You whispered, and the girl continued shaking. You just hushed her, holding her close. 

Her eyes snapped open and she screamed, surging forward in a desperate attempt to stop whatever she saw. 

“No! Please! I didn’t mean it!” She screamed, and your arms wrapped around the girl, pulling her back and into you before she could rush forward to hurt herself or someone else. She panted, doubling over as the sobs began, her hands clawing into your arms for support. 

“It’s me Wednesday, it was a vision, nothing else, it wasn’t real, it doesn’t mean it will come to pass.” You said softly. “What you see is not assured.” You hummed to her, and she sobbed, shaking her head as her nails dug in tighter. Larissa and Enid stared at the two of you in shock, whatever just happened, if it was enough to scare Wednesday, which was terrifying in and of itself. 

“I- I’m going to be sick,” she panted, and you quickly helped her up, rushing her to the bathroom and closing the door before you turned on the sink. 

Both Larissa and Enid stared in shock. Larissa had seen you do that before, the getting Ill after a vision, yet seeing it happen to Wednesday was heartbreaking in a different way. You had been dealing with this since you were a child, she realized. The difference was you didn’t have anyone to help you.

Nothing happened for a moment, then you emerged from the bathroom, holding the girl on your hips as she clung to you. Larissa knew you were strong, perhaps that was one of the manifestations of your ability, but seeing you move your niece with such ease still surprised her. You sat the girl down, sitting with her on the floor. She laid down further, staring at the ceiling. 

“I killed her.” She whispered, and you removed a glove, taking the girl’s hand. 

“It wasn’t real.” You told her, and still she stared blankly ahead. 

“I killed her.” She repeated, and you sighed, running your hand over the girl’s face before returning to her hand again. You had taken your gloves off, Larissa realized. Your body knew well enough that Wednesday wouldn’t harm you. It accepted her. It seemed that Wednesday was the only one you could touch with ease. Not even Morticia could touch you freely, and she… she didn’t know where she stood.

“Who?” You asked, and the girl just shook her head. “Was it someone you love?” You sighed, and she blinked for a moment, tears building in her eyes. She nodded, and Larissa watched as you did everything you could to comfort the girl. She couldn’t help but see the parallel. You had years to understand and deal with your visions. Wednesday, on the other hand, had only begun. 

“How often do you see them die?” She asked, and you took a deep breath, closing your eyes for a moment. 

“It depends on the person and the connection.” You answered. “The deeper the connection, the more they occupy your mind, the more you will see.” You sighed tiredly, and Larissa felt her mouth go dry. You had admitted to having visions of her, often, and she knew you had used visions of her to calm yourself before, they were what Morticia gave you for comfort, after all, but to hear that, to hear that perhaps there was some sort of meaningful connection, beyond just stolen memories, it made her heart pick up despite the deep concern she was feeling.

“A friend.” Wednesday replied, and Enid stiffened. Wednesday flinched at the action and your suspicions were confirmed. The poor girl had watched herself kill her roommate. 

“Enid, could you please get Wednesday’s cello for me?” You asked the girl calmly. She furrowed her brows, but nodded. “And then, if you could, there’s a smaller case in my room, it should be next to the wardrobe.” You said calmly, and the girl nodded again.

“It’s- its another instrument?” She asked, and you just hummed, your eyes never leaving your niece. You were silent until Enid left the room, going to fetch what you had asked her to. The request confused Larissa, but she imagined it was in part to get her out of the room. You squeezed Wednesday’s hand, beginning to answer her question as the girl stared blankly ahead, her face expressionless as always.

“Often enough, a few times a month, more if they are on my mind, more if I am in close proximity.” You answered, and Larissa’s heart broke for the both of you. 

“Have you seen me die?” The girl asked, and you bit back a reaction. More times than either of you could count. You loved the girl, you practically treated her like your own, and as such, you would suffer for it. You would always suffer for it. Love had a price for you, a heavy one.

“Yes.” You whispered, and she closed her eyes for a moment. 

“How did I die?” She asked you, and you took a deep breath in, trying to steady yourself. You wouldn’t lie to the girl, nor would you hide the truth. It wouldn’t help her. Larissa was left to just watch in shock as you tried to find the words. She didn’t know why she was here, it seemed she always was when it came to the two of you, as if she had been thrust into your lives with no consideration for the privacy of either of you. She went to turn, to get up and move away, yet she was shocked as your free hand seemed to move reflexively. It settled on her knee, keeping her there almost without thought before it left, going back to your niece. Her eyes widened at the action. 

You wanted her there.

“The first time, was before you were born. I had a vision of your mother handing you to me. I crushed you with vines when your skin touched mine.” You answered, and she swallowed, her eyes staring blankly up once again. “I didn’t hold you for three months after you were born.” You said, and Enid came back into the room, carrying both instrument cases. You didn’t look away from your niece. 

“What if you love them?” She asked, and your eyes closed slowly, a look of defeat crossing your face. Larissa looked to you torn. This, this is what love was for you. It was subjecting yourself to torture. It made sense now. You covered your hands to keep in your abilities, you covered your skin and kept to yourself to protect those around you. You pulled away to protect those you loved. She felt tears prick at her eyes at the realization. 

“Often.” You whispered, and you watched as Wednesday tried to bite back a sob. 

“Is it worth it?” She asked, and you just bit your lip, doing your very best not to look at the tall woman staring into your very soul, searching you for any sign of hope. 

“It depends on the person.” You breathed, and the four of you settled into silence for a moment. Then Wednesday cried. Your eyes snapped to her, pulling her up off the floor and into your arms without a moment of hesitation. 

“I can’t, I can’t do it, I don’t want it,” she whispered to you, and your heart broke as you nodded, holding her close and rocking her slightly. “I can’t do it, I can’t see them die, not everyone- not, not when they get me.” She breathed, her eyes going wide as she began to truly panic. “I saw myself kill her!” She cried, and you picked the girl up again as she seemed to hyperventilate. “I don’t- not her- I don’t want to kill her- auntie- auntie make it stop, please make it stop- I can’t- make it stop!” She cried, and you just sat her up in a chair, grabbing her cello and putting it between her legs. She grabbed it absentmindedly, and Larissa’s eyes went wide. 

“Ophelia- you can’t, is now really the time-“ she hissed, and you just shook your head, placing the bow in her hand before opening the smaller case, your case, and pulling out a fiddle. She knew you were mad as a hatter, but this! You expected the girl to play music right now? Now! 

You just looked at the girl, taking your own bow and sliding it over the strings in an almost tantalizing pattern. Larissa gaped at you, you had gone mad, this was it, you must have had a psychotic break watching the girl suffer through what you knew. 

Yet Wednesday seemed to still as she heard the melody, her own hand gripping the bow slightly tighter. 

“Don’t think, just play, you know the song.” You continued, kneeling in front of her and playing something strange, but almost enchanting, and slowly, to the shock of Larissa and Enid, Wednesday began to play. The smile you cracked when she did could have lit up the sky. “That’s it, there you go.” You hummed, taking a deep breath before you sang.

“Are you a fish inside a birdcage?” You sang gently, and both blondes watched in shock as Wednesday replied. 

“My mother used to sing me songs.” She whispered, and you smirked, she was changing the lyrics, but you were more than happy to do so. 

“And with her beak she tries to soothe me, she makes me feel that I belong.” You hummed, and Wednesday only went further into the music, making Larissa’s jaw drop as you kept up with her effortlessly. 

“She has a wild imagination, and tells me things that must be true.” The girl sang, and you smiled back. 

“Like there’s a world where you can take flight, where you can freely move.” You replied. 

“So carry me, from these walls, mother of mine! Show me the world out side.” The two of you sang in unison, and you smiled as the girl seemed to breathe again, she could breathe when she focused on the music, the strings, the lyrics, any thing but what she had seen. “It has to be true, I’m counting on you, to be my wings and my eyes.” You sang together. You smiled as the girl began to play, really play. Her fingers danced over the strings with almost effortless grace and precision. It was mesmerizing, even to you, who had seen it. 

“That’s it, just play.” You said softly, and she nodded. “Focus on the music, let everything else fade away, play until your fingers bleed if you have to, just play.” You said, and Larissa’s breath hitched. She could hear something in it. Something broken and begging, you were begging the girl to be alright, to keep going until she was.

“Is this what you do?” Wednesday breathed over the music, and you nodded. 

“When I can, that or I focus on someone else, someone, calm.” You hesitated, and Wednesday locked eyes with you. You clenched your jaw for a moment, you knew what she was doing, what she was going to do. 

“I don’t want to hurt you.” She rasped, and you just shook your head, your own fingers dancing over your own strings. 

“Do it if you need to, I give you permission, hurt if you have to, just get out of your head.” You grimaced, and Larissa and Enid stared at you in shock as the girl began to glare, playing faster, playing harder. You kept up with little more than a breath. “Be cruel, Wednesday, you can be cruel to me if it takes away the pain.” You said, bracing yourself.

“As you breathe into your silence,” she sang, looking to you desprately. She wanted something. She wanted to know that there was hope, that there was something beyond this pain. You would bear your heart to show the girl that there was more to life than pain. 

“There’s a voice that comforts me.” You replied. You both were changing the lyrics, speaking through them to eachother. 

“She will never understand you.” The girl sang, and it didn’t take much to realize she was speaking about Larissa. Just like it didn’t take much for her to realize it was Larissa’s voice that you had clung to throughout the years. Larissa realized this to, if the hitch of breath that she gave was any indication.

“Yet she offers empathy.” You countered, and the girl played faster, her eyes narrowing. You hummed, rising to your knees outright to keep up, instead of sitting back on your heels.

“Wings of feathers, tails and fin tips.” Wednesday almost sang to words painfully. It wasn’t about you and Larissa. It was, in the sense that seeing you two interact gave her hope, yet as her eyes flitted from yours, to Larissa’s to Enid’s, it became abundantly clear that the girl was terrified of being too different from her beast friend. That the visions she had would keep her from ever being able to truly be close with her. “You know they work so differently.” She shook her head, and you just smiled as gently as you could, despite the pain inside you.

“She gave me more than I could ask for,” you sang. It meant something. It meant that despite everything. There were still things you could have. Still love, in some form, you could have. “Indistinguishability.” You finished, and the girl took a deep breath in. You weren’t the same, you would never be the same as the others you surrounded yourself with. But you had learned, through the years, that pain is pain, and you had all been through it. 

“So carry me, through these walls, mother of mine! Show me the world outside,” you sang together, and the girl nodded, her eyes tearing up. 

“It has to be true,” she whispered. “I’m counting on you.” Her voice sounded strained, like she really was begging. You had made her start singing to regulate her breathing as playing regulated her mind, but as she calmed she was loosing her energy, and with that came the grief afterwards.

“To be my wings and my eyes.” You finished for her, and the two of you continued to play, your music dancing together, creating a world of your own that you could focus on. 

Larissa and Enid watched in amazement as the song eventually came to a crescendo, then an end, leaving the both of you panting and sitting in silence. 

“I hate you.” Wednesday breathed, and you shut your eyes. Larissa’s breath hitched, she knew what the girl meant to you, that she was perhaps the only one who could hurt you with such a statement. “I hate you for giving this to me, for telling me that it would be ok!” She yelled, and you cringed. “How dare you!” She yelled, laying her instrument to the side and standing up. Your arms fell too, until your fiddle and bow were in your hands, limp towards the floor and by your sides. “How dare you give me hope?” She cried, sinking to her knees and collapsing into you, clutching onto you as she sobbed. You breathed in slowly, letting your own instrument fall and wrapping your arms around her as you sat back on the floor.

“Hope is all we have, Wednesday. Hope is all we have.” You sighed, holding the girl and rubbing her back gently. Larissa and Enid watched in stunned silence as you held the girl in your arms, lifting her until you could encompass her fully as you turned to face them. “Music, it helps. It can be something to focus on.” You explained, and both of them nodded. “Anything to focus on, really, there- there is a reason I used to spend days on end working.” You sighed, holding the girl.

“I can see where Wednesday gets her talent from.” Larissa breathed, and you just shook your head, holding the girl close. 

“We all need something.” You sighed, looking down at her as she stilled, just laying in your arms. “Let’s go, honey, you can stay with me.” You breathed, and she girl stood numbly with your help, you propping her up as the mental exhaustion took its toll. “Enid, I think she’ll stay in my room tonight, thank you for bringing her.” You breathed, and she nodded. “I- I’ll see you tomorrow, Larissa.” You said softly, your eyes glancing to the woman’s lips one last time before you left the room, leaving shock in your wake.

Chapter Text

You knew it was a vision, the feeling far too real and foreboding to be a regular dream. 

You heard a scream, a flash of white hair, and saw a man standing above her. You didn’t recognize him, but you recognized the place. That was by the school, out front actually. You heard the clock tower ring, it was three, but the black sky told you it was morning, far too late or early for anyone to be up. The man went for her again, picking up a bat and swinging. You jolted out of it as you heard the sickening crunch. 

You panted as you woke, trying to catch your breath. They were unreliable, you had to remind yourself. They were just visions of potential futures, not ones that would certainly would happen. You had just consoled Wednesday with the same issue, you couldn’t let yourself give in to the panic and fear that came after seeing something like that. If you let that happen after every time, it would consume you.

Wednesday. You looked to the girl laying in your bed next to you, sighing as you stroked your hand through her hair. Wednesday slept through you waking, thankfully, and you sighed quietly as you looked at the clock, already exhausted before the day even started. 

2:58. 

Your eyes went wide, you sprang up. You couldn’t do it. You knew you should ignore it, try to go back to sleep, but something in you demanded you move. If she was outside then she would be outside and if she wasn’t then it wasn’t real, that’s all you had to remember. You rushed silently out of your room, hurrying down the halls to the front entrance of the school, you were still in nothing but your sweater and slip, no shoes, just rushing to the front, woefully unprepared. You repeated the same mantra to yourself, the very same one you had given to Wednesday.

“What you see is not assured.” You whispered again and again, trying to calm yourself. This was ridiculous, you were being ridiculous, you knew it likely wouldn’t happen. 

Then you heard the scream. 

You were through the doors on pure instinct, watching the man swing a bat at her. She was on the steps on her back, climbing backwards up the steps as he prepared to swing again. 

You recognized him. He was one of the men from the liquor store, the night you had first met her. He prepared to swing again and your eyes went red. 

Vines sprouted from the earth, wrapping around him, pulling him back and tethering him in place. He screamed out in panic. 

“What the fuck!” He yelled, and you nearly growled, walking towards him. Your vines had dragged him to the ground, wrapped around his legs and bringing him to his knees before another pair hand circled around his wrists and up his arms, one still around his throat, holding him there by his very breath.

“Watch your mouth, you’re on school grounds.” You bit, your voice cold and piercing. His eyes snapped to you, as did Larissa, her breath stolen when she saw you. You were deadly. Sharp as a knife, despite how worn down she knew you were. After everything that had happened, not to mention Wednesday, you should be resting, not using your ability, yet the second she saw vines sprout from the earth, relief flooded her instantly. It was over. You had come, and it was over.

“You.” The man spat, and you tilted your head. When you spoke, the slightly mad edge to your voice had become its dominant feature, insanity seeming to drip from your lips as you stared at the man with the most dangerous eyes Larissa had ever seen.

“I don’t think you want a rematch.” You glared wickedly. “Calm down, agree to leave, and I’ll let you go.” You said calmly. He glared at you, his hand gripping against the bat, trying to break from the vines. He was no match. 

“Hiding behind your freak powers again, bitch?” He spat, “Fucking coward!” He yelled, and you raised your brows. 

Larissa watched in shock. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t think as she watched in fear.

“Oh, I don’t think it’s cowardice to use what I have at my disposal when you come onto school grounds, attacking the headmistress of a institute for children.” You replied. He laughed. 

“Hey, maybe I just wanted to see if the big bitch would put up a fight on her own.” He mocked, and your eyes widened. You walked down the steps, slowly. Dangerously slowly, Larissa had seen this calm on you before, when you were protecting your niece, but seeing it now, for her, it was wholly different. 

“Excuse me?” You spat, and the man sneered. You were giving him one chance to walk out of this without any serious damage. One chance to make the smart decision.

“I wanted to teach her a lesson, see how much of a woman the freak really is, I wonder if she can take-HOLY FUCK!“ he hollered out as you hit him, hard. He went down as you released the vines, letting him slump to the ground. You picked up the bat, staring down at him. 

“Apologize.” You sneered at him, and he looked up at you, blood streaming from his nose. Larissa looked at you in shock. You hit him. You not only hit him but you broke his nose. 

“Fuck you!” He cried, getting up and swinging at you. You caught his blow, directing it past you before you knee’d him in the stomach, dropping him to the ground once again as he gasped for air. 

“Apologize.” You commanded again. He gasped for air, struggling to get up. 

“What, you mad because you wanted to get the big monster to yourself?” He spat, and that was the final straw. Something in you visibly snapped. Larissa gaped as you tossed the bat behind you, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him up to his knees. You sneered in his face, your hands digging into his throat as he struggled. You were terrifying. 

“Monster?” You laughed. “Monster!” You seemed to be loosing it, your mind unable to even fathom the idea of her being addressed as such. “Oh you poor, poor man, you utter fool!” You cackled, your not quite American accent getting thicker as you stopped moderating your speech.

“The fuck are you laughing about?” He sneered from the ground, launching himself up at you only to be caught once again by vines and restrained with only the tilt of your head. “Get this the fuck off of me you crazy bitch! She’s dangerous! You’re all dangerous!” He hollered, and you just hummed, staring him down with murder in your eyes. He cowered back when you leaned in, much to your delight.

“She doesn’t even qualify as a class four, not that you would know that. No students here are above a class three, and you think- oh, you think they’re dangerous!” You laughed. 

“The fuck are you talking about?” He yelled, and you just sighed. 

“Dangerous, hmm? How many children, normie children, do you think have died this year because of outcasts? Hmm? How many do you think went down just because they were what they were?” You asked him, and he glared at you.

“You’re fucking crazy!” He spat, and you nodded, just smiling as you squeezed the vines a little tighter, making him shut up. You could kill him, if you wanted to. It became very clear to both him and Larissa as she watched.

“Ophelia…” she breathed, but you didn’t hear her over the rage in your own mind.

“Odd, I can’t think of any. I can, however, tell you how many outcast children were killed this year simply because they were outcasts.” You said darkly, all north and light dropping from your voice. You were serious, deadly serious. “Sixteen.” You said, and he scoffed.

“Like you can call that a fuckin statistic.” He spat, and you just stared. 

“Sixteen hundred.” You corrected, and he stilled. “Of course, that’s just the United States. And only the ones we know of.” You added. “That doesn’t account for all those injured, trafficked, assaulted, those that died of unknown causes, worse…” You trailed. “The only dangerous thing at this school is the man who came here with a weapon.” You gritted, pointing to the bat. “To attack children.” You spat, and he looked at you with pure hatred.

“Fuck you.“ he slurred, and you sighed, nodding your head. This man was drunk, very drunk. It wouldn’t be fair to kill him. You wouldn’t, even if he wasn’t drunk, for Larissa’s sake, but still. It was with giving him one more choice before someone had to take him home.”

“I will give you, one, more chance, to leave this without causing issues.” You growled, and he spat in your face, blood splattering all over you from his bleeding nose. 

“Fine.” You muttered, throwing him to the ground. He stumbled back, trying to catch himself and stand. You watched as he staggered to his feet. “For her sake, I’ll do this the old fashioned way.” You hummed, your fingers flexing and curling into fists. “You should thank her, if she wasn’t here I would have killed you already.” You said wickedly, and Larissa shuddered as you brought up your fists, your body settling into a practiced stance. She knew you had fought before, that you had killed before, but had you done it on purpose? Could you? 

“Give it your best shot.” You challenged, and the man smiled wickedly, charging towards you with pure hatred in his eyes. He swung again, and again you evaded it with minimal effort. You swung back this time, making the man grunt as you hit him again, square in the nose. He screamed as Larissa heard the sickening crunch. He stumbled back before throwing himself at you again, this time you turned, leaning back before swinging your leg in a kick to the side of his head, dropping him to the ground. 

“Fuck!” He wheezed, and you just huffed, walking to him again. He crawled up to his knees, and you knee’d him in the face, dropping him fully to the ground. He fell to his side, sucking in air desperately, painfully. You walked to him, kicking him in the stomach, making him groan as he rolled a few feet back. 

“I’m gonna kill you!” He groaned, and you scoffed. 

“Good luck with that.” You smiled, kicking him once more in the head, knocking him out. You sighed, panting a little. 

There was a moment where Larissa just stared at you, worried the madness wouldn’t fade, that you would turn around and look at her with the same cold insanity you had looked at the man. Yet, the second he was out, it seemed to melt from your body, your hands softening as your eyes returned to their caring gaze. You turned, immediately heading back to the woman still laying in shock on the steps. You immediately, went to her, kneeling next to her, taking her face in your bare hands and looking at her with concern. 

“Hey, hey are you ok?” You asked her, your eyes flitting over her, looking for any sign of injury. 

“Y- I, yes.” She swallowed, looking up to you in shock. She had seen how you could move, you practicing with your niece, but you just beat the shit out of a man at least half a foot taller than you without blinking. 

“Did he touch you?” You asked her, fear invading your voice for the first time. She just shook her head, swallowing as she looked to the limp body of the man behind you. You turned your face back towards you, your warm hands soothing her despite what they had just done. “He’s alive, we can call the police, I’ll- I’ll handle it.” You swallowed. “Let’s get you inside.” You breathed, helping her up and to her office. 

She shuddered as you put your arm around her waist, helping her up and leading her with gentle, yet steady arms. You were there, she reminded herself. Your were there, and this was her you, not the you that had beaten that man, this was the you that looked at her with caring eyes, that soothed her with gentle touches and assured her with calming words.

 You sat her down on the couch in her office, lighting the fire before running to your room and grabbing your phone. 

When you returned you took off your sweater, leaving you in a night slip again as you pulled it over her own night dress. You were so gentle, so soft and caring with her. It was as if the woman outside had disappeared, and you were there again, her version of you. The Ophelia with warm hands, and tired, caring eyes, always looking to her. Always to her.

“Can you put your arms up for me?” You asked softly, and she nodded, allowing you to ease her into it. You didn’t know what had her in shock, weather it was something the man had done before you got there or if it was watching you fight. You shuddered to think it was the second. She stared into the fire as you grabbed a blanket, laying it over her legs as you fluttered around, making her a cup of tea and placing it into her hands gently. 

You wanted to touch her, to hold her, but at this point you wouldn’t dare try. It was odd, wanting to touch someone. Wanting to touch someone in this way. You wanted to care for her, make sure she was alright. But if you were correct, then touch was the last thing she would want right now. So instead you just let her sit, standing next to her protectively, your body at her side should she want you there. 

She leaned closer to you, her shoulder nearly resting on you, and you froze. You wouldn’t move, wouldn’t dare push her. This was her choice to make, if she wanted it.

She kept her eyes staring straight ahead, nerves still playing on her fire-lit features as her hand moved slowly to settle shakily on the small of your back, almost asking for permission. 

“Go ahead,” you whispered. “I’ve got you, take what you need, I’ve got you.” You said softly, and she fought back shaky tears as she pulled you into her, hanging on your body as she tried to pull herself together. “I’ve got you.” You repeated, holding her gently until the tears stopped and her breathing became regular again.

You called 911, being patched through to the sherif of the town. When he arrived to pick up the man you explained everything, telling him that you had come out when you had heard her scream, the man seemed to be drunk, and you had defended her and yourself to the best of your abilities using non-lethal force.

“You been ‘round here long?” The man asked you, and you shook your head, watching as his partner loaded the man into the back of the cruiser. 

“No, I, I’m a substitute teacher. My sister went here though.” You said, and he nodded, looking you over. He was examining you, you knew what it felt like. You were familiar with it, intimately, and grotesquely familiar with it. His eyes narrowed at your gloved hands, looking to the leather, the way all of your body was covered by clothing. You cleared your throat and he averted his eyes. At least he wasn’t a pig.

“I have to talk to the headmistress.” He said, nodding towards the school, and you nodded. 

“Yes, I know. I’ll take you to her office.” You replied, and he nodded, following you into the building. You led him to her office, allowing him in before standing by the door. 

You had changed into a pair of pants, another sweater, and your gloves and shoes before the man arrived, as well as giving Larissa something to change into. She stood in one of her normal sets, yet your eyes widened a touch as you realized she still held your sweater in her hands, almost clutching it for comfort. Her hands were shaking with how tight she was gripping it.

Maybe she wasn’t horrified by you, perhaps there was a chance. 

“Sherif Galpin, a pleasure.” She said, quickly shifting back into her ‘Headmistress’ persona. “I assume Miss Florere walked you through what happened.” She said, and the man nodded. You stood attentively at the door, folding your hands behind your back, your chin squared and you head held high atop your straight back. You didn’t look at them, just stared at the wall opposite you, ready for whatever you were asked for. You’d kill the man now, if she asked.

“Yes, she did, I still need your statement, however, Miss Weems.” Sherif Galpin said. “The guy has had a few incidents with your kind before, I have a feeling this is similar.” He said. You clenched your jaw slightly at the term of otherness he directed at her, but stayed silent, standing by the door. 

“Yes, I’m aware.” She said, and he hummed, nodding as he took out a pad and paper. “I had went out to get some fresh air, and I saw him come stumbling up the drive. He approached me, said a plethora of things I won’t bother to repeat and attacked me.” She said, swallowing, and you felt your hands clench in your gloves. You moved them behind your back, doing your best to remain calm. It wouldn’t do to show your anger now. You were already in a tough situation, you had beat the shit out of a man, even if he started it. Hopefully, he wouldn’t remember all you had said in your hot-headed rage.

“Can you elaborate?” The sherif sighed, and Larissa looked to you a moment. You stared straight ahead, your eyes boring into the wall across from you. Your hands were behind your back, your posture straight, your chin held high. This was the look of a woman who had been through this before, she realized. Many times, in all likelihood. She knew you had been through much in your life, she had even seen glimpses of it, but this. You had been accused before, she realized, you were on guard. And you were guarding her. The thought struck her, landing in your chest and nearly stealing her breath.

“Miss Weems?” The sherif repeated, and she looked back to him. Control, she had to keep it together.

“Yes, sorry. He came at me with a bat, and he, groped me, er, then shoved me to the ground. He was trying to pull my clothes off, something about ‘exposing the freak I am’ I pushed him off and he picked up the bat. He was about to swing when Ophelia came out.” She explained, doing her best to retain control. It was hard. She felt disgusting, felt like she had lost control, credibility. Like it had been taken from her. 

You, on the other hand, were livid. Larissa’s eyes snapped to you when you visibly twitched, you had to clutch your hands together behind your back, pressing the palms together even through your gloves. You were angry, almost violently angry, it seemed. And it was for her. The man nodded, sighing tiredly as he listened to her, not looking at the woman, or thankfully, at you.

“Is that enough, Sherif?” You asked gruffly. The man looked to you, surprised you interrupted, but nodded. 

“Yeah, yeah that would do it. I’ll take him to the drunk tank and see what he says when he wakes up.” The man said, and you nodded, still not deigning to look anywhere but the spot on the wall you were fixed on.“I have another question for you, though.” He said, and you finally looked at him, raising your brows. “Are you military? You stand like it, and with how badly that guy was beaten-“

“That ‘guy’ threatened a school full of unarmed children starting with an again unarmed woman who tirelessly works to mend the relationships between the school she oversees and the town it resides in.” You nearly spat. 

“As unarmed as any of you ever are.” The man muttered under his breath, and Larissa’s eyes snapped to him as you clenched your jaw. 

“Sherif, I’m sure you’re not implying what I think you are.” She said carefully, and you tried your best not to react. You couldn’t look at her. You had failed her, you hadn’t been there in time, you had let her be hurt. That man- if you could even call him that, thought he had the right to touch her, to beat her! And you weren’t even there… Shame flooded you, burning you from the inside out as your eyes remained anywhere but on her.

“No, ma’am.” The man murmured, mildly annoyed by her authority, but knowing when he had been beaten. Silence reigned for a moment before he remembered his question.

“If not military, then what?” He asked, trying to figure you out. Larissa continued to stare holes into the carpet. She wasn’t even fully aware of what was going on, she was on autopilot, brought to catch the sherif’s earlier mistake, but not enough to stop him now. She just knew you were there. As long as you were there, you wouldn’t let anything more happen, she knew that.

“I grew up where people like that man deem outcasts less than human before they sell them like cattle or disect them like some sick experiment.” You hissed, and he backed up, blanching. “Or the third option.” You said, and you could practically feel his heart beating in terror. He was scared. Good. Let him be scared of what people would do to your kind, unchecked. “They hunt us down, for sport.” You said darkly, your voice still terrifyingly calm. He looked almost sick. Silence fell for a moment, he just stared. It seemed like it hit him just then. He didn’t like outcasts, but murder? Human trafficking? He knew what was wrong. He knew what was too far.

“I- that wasn’t gonna happen here.” He defended, and you stared at him for a moment more, the intensity of your eyes making the man visibly shrink back. “My son…” he murmured, and you hummed.

“Hyde’s are hard. But not a death sentence. Not unless people like the pathetic excuse for a man outside are put in charge.” You sighed, relenting slightly. He nodded, staring at you for a moment. 

“I was in witness protection in the UK back when I was nineteen. I learned a thing or two from my officer.” You said, and he raised his brows. 

“Anything that I should know about?” He asked, and you shook your head. 

“I helped shut down an institute that killed kids like your son. They didn’t like the idea of one of their former wards exposing them.” You said, and he nodded. 

“Got it.” He said, staring at you for a moment more. He was trying to determine if you were a threat or not. You certainly were, but not to him. 

“Do they actually, is there really a sport of-“ he asked tentatively, and you cut him off without thinking.

“Three hundred thousand for your son.” You said in an almost detached manner. He looked like he might be sick. “To hunt.” You added. “He’d sell more for parts. But only if transformed.” You finished, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. 

“How the fuck do you know that?” He asked, his face pale. You blinked at him slowly, shaking your head in an almost grimace. 

“Because that institute had a few.” Your words shocked him. Clearly. He looked down for a moment, covering his eyes as he breathed. 

“I- I’ll take care of it.” He said, and you hummed, turning your face back to the wall.

“I would recommend that. Unless you want to see your son on the other end of that man’s bat.” You finished, once again returning to a guard like position. 

Larissa just stood, she couldn’t even fully process what you were saying. Her body was still shaking, hidden beneath her clothes, her heart still pounding as her mind whirled. The man hadn’t gotten far, but he had gotten far enough. If you hadn’t been there…

You watched as the man said goodbye to Larissa, nodding to you before he left. It was silent for a moment, the both of you standing in her office. You checked the clock, it was only 4:30. You didn’t look at her, you kept your guard up, looking ahead. 

“Tell me what you need.” You said softly, and she nearly choked. She walked to you slowly, your face still looking firmly ahead until she stood next to you. “I’m sorry.” You breathed, still unable to look at her. She exhaled shakily, and you looked down, your head still straight forward as your eyes looked down in shame. You bit back the tears. 

You failed. 

“I- I should have been there, I had a vision, but I thought, I thought it- I didn’t want to bother you if it wasn’t real, and they often aren’t, so I didn’t- I just wandered- I should have ran, I’m sorry.” You whispered, and she gasped. That’s why you had gotten there in time. You had seen it. She didn’t speak, she just took your hand, making you inhale sharply in surprise. She took you to the couch, sitting down and bringing you to stand in front of her again. You swallowed, still not meeting her eyes. You had been through this before, with children you didn’t get there on time for. Countless faces flooded your mind, some beaten, some worse, some already dead by the time you got there. Yet nothing, nothing had ever made you feel like this.

“Look at me.” She whispered, and you just looked up, trying to blink back the tears that threatened to come. You didn’t get there in time, you couldn’t protect her. You failed. “I need you to look at me.” She whispered, and you swallowed, your eyes immediately meeting hers. You would do it, for her. You would put aside anything you had to for her. Her breath hitched when you looked at her, your grey eyes swirling with a storm of emotion. You took a deep breath in. 

Everything faded away, all of your own guilt and pain melted from you as you looked into the eyes of the woman next to you.

“I will give you anything, anything you need right now.” You breathed “Just ask.” You said, and you could see her eyes filled with tears. Now wasn’t the time for your guilt, now you needed to be there, for her. 

“Stay,” she whispered, and you nodded, all your attention instantly being directed towards her. “Would you like me to sit, or to stand, do you need space?” You asked her gently, and the woman swallowed. 

“I need, I- I need, I feel revolting, I feel vile, like I- I don’t know.” She hissed, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. You nodded. The entire time the sherif was there she was detached, perfectly calm, but even she couldn’t hide this forever.

“Alright, let’s get you a shower, come with me.” You breathed, offering your hand. She stared at it for a moment. You were still wearing your gloves. You had put them on when the sherif had come, and they were still on your hands. Her faced soured, staring at your hands. You were holding back, hiding part of yourself from her. Guarding her from you.

“Take them off.” She husked, and you raised your brows. 

“Larissa,” you breathed, and she swallowed, shaking her head. 

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” You sighed, and she nodded, standing up with you and allowing you to lead her back to her own rooms. 

The sun wasn’t even beginning to rise yet, you were the only two wandering the school. It was quiet, you remained silent as long as you could, sitting her on her bed and going to her bathroom. You turned the shower on, running it until the water steamed up the room before you returned back to her bedroom and climbed up onto the bed behind her. She had shifted back to her natural state, out of the pristine look she had shown to the sherif, and your breath stuttered when you saw her so, undone. She slept in a braid, it seemed, and you undid it slowly, gently, your fingers brushing through her hair to comb out any tangles. 

“You don’t have to do this,” she whispered eventually, and you nodded, continuing to brush your hand through her long white hair. It was soft and thick, reaching a bit past her shoulders. It was beautiful.

“I know.” You hummed, and she swallowed, nodding as you stood up from the bed. She felt numb, as if all the feeling had been drained from her. Yet your hands, your hands eased the ache of the void. “I’m going to go sit in your parlor. I’ll make some more tea and I’ll be there when you’re done with your shower.” You promised, and her breath hitched. She didn’t want you to leave, she wanted you with her. She wanted you close, holding her, she wanted to feel your hands all over her, blocking out the idea of the man who had tried to do the same.

“Could, could you stay, actually?” She asked you, and your brows raised. You inhaled deeply, you would, of course. You would do anything she asked. 

“Where would you like me to stay?” You asked her, and she blushed, looking down. 

“I just- I would appreciate it if you stayed in the same room as me.” She managed, her heart racing. She was vulnerable, hurting. She was shaken, she realized. She had spent her entire life always in control, always pristine and perfect, but now she was shaken. The man didn’t get very far, but he got far enough. You took her hand, drawing her eyes back to you. 

“If you’d like.” You said calmly, and she nodded. You went with her into the bathroom, sitting on the floor and looking down at the tile there. She furrowed her brows as you averted your eyes. Most people gawked at her, even your sister had always taken every chance to examine her body for flaws, but you, you bent your head, making sure she was in control of what all you saw, you were in her space, yet you made her feel… safe.

“You won’t look?” She asked you, and you shook your head, your eyes firmly fixed on the old tile. 

“No.” You said, and she swallowed. She almost wanted you to. But not like this. She didn’t want you to see this, to see the vulnerability, the softness. She wanted you to look at her and be awestruck, not look at her with pity. 

She slowly took off her shirt and skirt, dropping them to the floor. Still, your eyes remained fixed on the ground. Even now, with her stripping in front of you, you made it clear she was in control. You wouldn’t look, not unless she told you to.  

She watched you as she dropped her bra, revealing the pale skin. She could tell you blushed when the garment hit the ground, but not once did your eyes leave the spot they were fixed upon. 

She slipped off her underwear, biting back the shame that came with standing fully naked. Your sister had always pointed out her imperfections. Countless others had too. They called her giant, freak, anything they could think of. Yet you remained silent, ever respectful as your eyes never flickered. Your heart pounded in your chest at the intimacy of it, at the vulnerability, your cheeks flushed with the knowledge that the woman was so close to you, yet you never looked up.

She stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain closed and sighing at the water running down her skin. It melted away the feeling, the filth she felt. It all melted away as she sighed, leaning back and letting the water run over her. It was quiet still, you were silent as she began to wash her body, scrubbing her skin clean. 

She swallowed at the feeling, scrubbing harder. It wasn’t enough. She huffed as she scrubbed harder still, trying to clean away the man’s hand, her hands shaking as a burning sensation started to form as she scrubbed her skin raw. She didn’t realize she was crying until she heard your voice from the other side of the curtain. 

“Gentle.” You said softly. “Take a deep breath, nice and slow.” You instructed, and she nodded, not that you could see her. “Just breathe with me, Larissa.” You said softly, and she took deep inhales with your exaggerated breaths. You continued until the crying subsided, silence once again filling the bathroom, other than the sound of the water. 

“How do you know what to do?” She asked you finally, and you swallowed. 

“Another time. I’ll tell you another time.” You replied. That, she didn’t need to know. She did not need to know the price you had paid to survive the institution you were sent to. Nor did she need to know about the punishments that occurred after dark there. She didn’t need to know just how far the instructors were willing to go to make you the ‘perfect wife.’ Even with all your training, nothing would ever teach you as much as you had learned living it.

“It wasn’t just the once, was it?” She asked you, and you sighed, shutting your eyes for a moment. You brought your hands up to your face, swallowing as you braced your elbows on your knees, finding the words. She had seen some of what that place did to you, thankfully you had pulled out of the vision before it went any farther, but she had seen it. “Tell me.” She whispered, and you sighed. 

“Larissa,” you hesitated, and she swallowed. 

“I want to know why they do that, why they think they can do that?” She asked you, and you shook your head. 

“I wish I could tell you, but even I don’t know that answer.” You sighed, and she remained silent again. 

“Then tell me something else. Tell me something good.” She asked, and you nodded, trying to find something. Silence settled again as she began to rinse the aggressive scrubbing from her body, beginning to wash her hair as you found something to speak about. 

“When I was, twenty-four, I visited the Amazon.” You began, and her pain faded as she listened to you speak. “I had already earned my second PhD, the lab needed something for some children we were working with at the time, and that was the first time I had been out in the field, at least on an expedition.” You smiled, “We had been hiking for two weeks, trying to get as deep into the jungle as possible, looking for a rare species of passionflower said to aid in visions by the locals.” You hummed. “We had a guide, an incredible woman, from the Kayapo tribe, who led us to the spot where they were known to grow. We had made a deal with her, we would take two plants, not touching the rest, and leave peacefully.” You explained. “We were exhausted, and the sun was setting as we finally neared the place. The rest of the team wanted to stop, but I was, well, me.” You sighed, and you could have sworn you almost heard the woman chuckle. 

“But we made camp, a few kilometers away from the site. But in the middle of the night, our guide shakes me awake, and all of a sudden I’m following her through the jungle, lit only by the moon and her knowledge of the area. I thought we were going to get lost, thought we were dying and everything, but as we near the edge of what looks like a cliff, suddenly I can see it.” You smiled. “We came up to the edge of the cliff and I can see this giant basin of thousands of these flowers.” You breathed. “You can’t find them anywhere else in the world, they’re incredibly rare, but here they are, thousands, blooming in the moonlight.” You breathed. “Silent except for the sound of the jungle, the moon hitting them through the canopy, the air cool in the night, still humid, but almost, pleasant.” You smiled. “My god it was magic.” You breathed, and you heard her turn the water off. 

You looked down at the floor again, making sure to keep your eyes averted. She pulled a towel in with her, drying off quickly before wrapping it around her body. She stepped out, her eyes landing on you sitting on her bathroom floor, there as she asked, still not looking. She stared at you for a moment. It was so simple, so meaningless, yet it meant the world to her. You were there, without her asking, you simply told her that you would be, and had rushed into helping her almost instantly. 

“Show me.” She said, and you nearly looked up at the question before remembering the woman was wearing nothing but a towel. You blushed, ducking your face back down, sighing deeply at your behavior as your heart rate picked up once again.

She went to her room and pulled out a new pair of pajamas, it was Saturday, she technically had the day off, as did you. You let her go, staying on the floor of her bathroom as she went to her bedroom. You thought for a moment as you found the right way to approach it, you knew what you had wanted, and you knew what countless of the children you helped wanted and needed, but she was not them. She wasn’t just another person, she was Larissa. She was the woman you would give everything for, you would strip away the pain and the judgement from her own soul if you could. If your hands could do so without the risk of hurting her.

Eventually she came back into the bathroom, waiting until you looked up. She was in full coverage silk pajamas this time, not another nightdress. You smiled sadly at the gesture, you didn’t know if it was for her or for you, but either way it made a small bit of warmth pull your from where your mind went. 

She nodded her head towards her room, and you stood, following her until she laid on her bed, leaving you standing at the foot of it. You hesitated, and she just stared at the ceiling, not looking at you. She didn’t really know why you were there. She knew you had said you would be, and you were a woman of your word, but still. There was no reason for you to stay, to help her. Hell, there were reasons not to. You had been through enough, how dare she put you through her own suffering as well.

“You can go.” She said, and you nodded. 

“I know.” You replied, and she swallowed. 

“Why don’t you?” She asked you, and you hummed. 

“Because you asked me to stay.” You replied, and she just shook her head. 

“But do you want to?” She asked, and you were quiet for a moment. Her eyes shut in regret. She shouldn’t have asked. You were here out of guilt, regret, nothing more. That was it. 

“Yes.” You finally answered, and she shook her head, she couldn’t believe it, she refused to believe it. Morticia had done the same, stayed and told her she wanted her until she got what she wanted, then she left. She wanted to curl up in her bed and lay there forever, wasting away in her sheets just like she had wanted when your sister had rejected her feelings time after time all those years before. “You don’t believe me.” You stated. You didn’t even bother phrasing it as a question. 

“Why would I?” She answered simply, and you nodded. of course she didn’t. She wouldn’t, not until you showed her.

“Fine, I’ll be back then.” You said, sighing as you left the room. You went back to your own, writing a note for your niece and leaving it on your pillow, next to her, telling her you had to go handle something. You picked up your own pajamas, ones that actually covered your skin this time, and you said nothing as you walked back into Larissa’s rooms, shutting the door behind you before walking back into her bedroom. She looked up at you, suspicion clear on her face. 

“Why wouldn’t I want to be here?” You asked her, and she shook her head, fighting to keep control of her emotions. 

“Don’t mock me.” She said, and you raised your brows. 

“I’m not.” You replied, and she nearly scoffed. 

“You’re here because you feel guilty, you feel a sense of obligation, that is all.” The woman told you, and you grimaced. “You don’t want to see this, you don’t want to see weakness, ugliness like this.” She spat. “You’re- after everything you’ve been through, you don’t show it, you’re strong, you don’t- you don’t cry- you just- you don’t show weakness like this- how could you ever even stand to be around it?” She breathed, on the verge of tears. “You’re untouchable, and I- I am wretched.” She whispered. 

They weren’t her own words, you knew enough to know that. These were words that had been said to her so many times they were burned into her very heart. The realization broke yours. You looked at her for a moment, at her laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling blankly. Then you did something she would never forget. 

“Look at me.” You said, and she set her jaw as she sat up on her elbows, glaring at you as if your very presence was a lie. 

You stood in front of her, untucking the sweater you wore from your pants. Her jaw dropped as you pulled it off, revealing the tank top underneath. You unbuttoned and slipped off your pants too, leaving you standing in your underwear and the tank top, before that came off as well. She sat up, swallowing as you pulled off the tank, leaving you in your bra and underwear standing in front of her. 

Her eyes travelled over the skin you exposed to her. She had seen it, when she changed you from your clothes into the sweater she had put you in when you were unconscious. Yet now you were showing her. It was a choice that you made, you let her eyes wander, the scars up and down your arms, the black lace bra you wore. She blushed, of course you wore black. She could see the strength in your body, you were less soft than your sister, your curves were still certainly there, but this was a body that had been molded by years of abuse and being forced to strengthen itself. 

You had curves, and she swallowed as she looked from the softness of your chest to the outline of your stomach in the early morning hours, only lit up by the moon and the flickering of the fire. She wanted to touch. You were forbidden, off limits, she could tell you were trying to be tough right now, there were slight giveaways, your hands folded behind your back and she stared up from where her eyes had been fixed on your muscular thighs. 

You were a fighter, someone who had been working in the dirt for years, someone who had fought for everything you had. Morticia’s skin was smooth, perfect, yours was littered with small and light scars, outside was not the first time you fought, not close to it. There was one along your ribs, another few on your legs, one just above your right hip, you were littered in what the world had given you. You sighed as you stared at her, pointing to the scar on the left side of your ribs. 

“This is from a botched operation, I was trying to get a girl who could form weapons out of her own blood out. She cut me right between the ribs, Jenkins though I would bleed out, actually. I almost did.” You hummed. “I taught her to fence properly a few years later.” You sighed, looking to another, your blackened fingers smoothing over a small one under your right breast. “This was the first time I got shot. It’s a little hazy, but I didn’t realize I was actually shot until I passed out in front of a six year old.” You breathed, shaking your head as you turned, lifting your hair to reveal one running across the base of your neck at your back, “Chain scars.” You swallowed. “The ones at the front of my neck and my wrists I managed to remove, but this one was too deep. “That and they used to take a metal rod to the spot, beat it bloody.” You muttered, turning back around to find her staring at you with tears in her eyes. You were showing her your scars, your own pain. You were showing her she wasn’t alone. “And these,” you swallowed, running one of your hands over your arms. “These are by my own hands. I- I did these.” You breathed, and she gasped, sitting up fully and moving towards you. You looked away, unable to meet her eyes as it became too much.

“Ophelia…” she whispered, her throat tight, and you shook your head.

“These are just the ones you can see.” You sighed. The ones you can’t are the ones that hurt more, but just because they hurt doesn’t mean I am weak.” You said softly. “It doesn’t mean you are weak.” You adjusted, looking to her with the most tender expression she had ever seen directed towards her.

She just stared at you in shock.

“I certainly wouldn’t show you these out of obligation.” You said gently, sighing as you pulled on your pajama pants. “Even my twin sister hasn’t seen most of them, the only person who sees me in less than long sleeves is Wednesday, and that is because she needs to learn the same lesson.” You sighed, slipping on the shirt as well and covering the rest of you. 

“You don’t have to-“ she muttered, and you just shook your head, finally looking at her again. 

“I showed you them so you would know why I am here, why I can stay, why I- I want to stay. Not for my own pain to hurt you..” You swallowed. “You’re not alone, Larissa. You never will be as long as I’m around.” You promised, and the both of you looked at eachother for a moment, neither of you daring to address the commitment that had slipped from your lips so easily. You took a shuddering breath, finding something to distract yourself as you looked down at your hands as you finished buttoning your shirt. The loss of the view of your skin made her nearly tell you to take it off again, to let her look at you, to trace each one of your scars until hers faded away.

“I’m not obligated to tell you that I could produce a plethora of substances that would calm you down, ease any pain, or even numb you to the experience if you wanted me to. Hell, I could make you forget it if you asked me to.” You said gently, cuffing your sleeves absentmindedly. “Of course all of those would be illegal, but I could if you asked me.” You said, finally looking up and meeting her eyes. She was flushed, staring at you intensely. 

Larissa could feel her heart pounding, she could feel the fear. She couldn’t keep you, but she might be able to have you for the night. You were strong, powerful, you controlled the world around you, brought people to their knees. She wanted that power, she wanted to feel powerful, she wanted the control back. She needed it.

“Make me forget.” She said, and you raised your brows. For a woman so obsessed with control, that was the last thing you would have thought she’d choose.

“Not would I would have thought you’d ask for.” You hummed, rolling up your sleeves, and she crawled to the end of the bed, sitting back on her knees. She placed her hands over your own, wrapping hers around your wrists, making you jump despite yourself when she touched you. It was dangerous, you knew that. Dangerous to let her touch you. You could hurt her, you could kill her even if you lost control, but as long as you were looking at her you could try. 

“Not like that.” She whispered, and your eyes snapped to her. She couldn’t mean… She herself had seen what could happen, she would never.

“Larissa,” you breathed, and she just shook her head. Just for one night, she could have you just for one night. That’s all she wanted, just one night with you, like you were hers. She pulled you closer gently, and you followed, stepping to the edge of the bed, inches from her. 

“I don’t want your drugs,” she whispered, leaning in a little. Your breath hitched as her lips brushed your ear, leaning in even closer. She felt like she was spiraling, and you, you were steady, you were powerful. She wanted that, she desperately craved it. “I want you to make me forget.” She breathed, and you shuddered. 

“Larissa,” you repeated and she pulled your hands onto her hips, wrapping her arms around you. 

“Please?” She whispered, and you stared at her for a moment. It was just her, you reminded yourself. You had said you would do anything, and you wanted her, you ached with how much you wanted her, but the danger was always there. You looked into her eyes. She was desperate, she needed you to let her have this, she realized. 

You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath before you relented. 

You followed her up onto the bed, allowing her to pull you closer by the collar. You stared into her eyes as she looked over your body. Her hands went to your collar, slowly unbuttoning the shirt there. You knew what she was doing, she wanted control, she felt out of control, this would help. You just prayed she wouldn’t take your heart with everything everything else you would willingly give her. 

You straddled her lap and she nodded, instantly leaning in and kissing at your neck. Your breath hitched the second her lips met you, and she moaned. You did taste good, so good. You shuddered as she licked a stripe up your neck. 

“Fuck,” you breathed, and she smiled against you, you wanted her and she knew it, you liked what she was doing. It felt so good, so good to be wanted, to be the only one able to have you like this, to look at you like this. “C- carful,” you stuttered, and she chuckled against you. 

“I will be,” she smiled as she unbuttoned the rest of your shirt, swallowing as she took you in so close to her. She could feel the heat of your skin, the way you reacted to her. She kissed where your neck met your shoulder, and you whimpered, your arms wrapping around her head and shoulders. God, your skin around her was everything, the way you just gave to her as if she was a goddess amongst men. 

Your hand wound into her still damp hair, and she moaned into you, sucking a slight mark into you. Would you stop her? Would you push her away and run? She knew she was pushing you, she wanted to push you, she wanted to feel powerful, in control. Your hand tightened in her hair, your thighs tensing as she did. She reveled in the power, power you gave to her so easily. She turned you around, laying you down on the bed and leaning over you, your legs wrapping around her hips. Her hands went to your ribs, tracing over the scar on your side. Your breath hitched, and she smirked against you. 

“Sensitive?” She teased you, and you swallowed. You were, yes, but more than that you were just so unused to touch, to any touch, let alone touch so intimate and gentle. It sent shockwaves through your as you arched slightly into her hands.

“Something like that,” you breathed, and she chuckled. She went back to your neck, kissing the mark she had given you before starting to kiss her way down, her lips and teeth dragging down until she reached the top of your bra. You moaned as she bit down lightly on the top of your breast, arching into her as your hands pulled at her. 

“Fuck, you are.” She breathed, kissing over the edge of the lace covering your chest. You groaned at the vulgarity, she didn’t curse, almost ever, and the utterance slipping past her lips had you flushing. She brought her hands to your chest, grabbing you as her lips continued kissing over the edge of the lace. “Take it off?” She asked you, and you exhaled in releif. 

She asked.

She may be using you, but at least she asked. You sighed as your eyes fluttered closer, a slight smile on your face. You could do this, for her, you could do this. 

You nodded, arching up and allowing her to reach behind you. She unclasped it, easing the straps off your shoulders before pulling it off of you. You inhaled shakily, looking to her eyes for any sort of reaction. You knew you were attractive, but this woman had your heart pounding, every insecurity you had spent years working over flooding back as her ice blue eyes took you in. 

“Good god.” She breathed, her lips instantly meeting your skin. Her eyes looked up to your as she sucked her nipple into your mouth, making you gasp, your hands gripping onto her shoulders. 

“Ah- Larissa,” you whimpered, and she groaned at the sound of her name on your lips. The power she had, that she could reduce someone as strong as you to this in a matter of minutes. She drug her teeth over you, and you moaned, arching up into her as you felt heat settle between your legs. You didn’t know how far you could go, how much you could give her, but you could certainly feel how far you wanted to.

“Mmm, beautiful.” She murmured, and you gasped as she nipped at the bottom of your breast. 

“Fuck!” You hissed, and she smiled. 

“So sensitive, you really do crave touch, don’t you, sweetheart?” She teased you, and you swallowed, your head spinning. You nodded dumbly, she had you, she had you irrevocably needy, desperate, nearly crying out for her. “Oh poor darling,” she breathed, “tell me, how long has it been?” She teased you, and you groaned, pulling her up by the chin and slamming your lips into hers. Her breath hitched, kissing you roughly before she grabbed your hands, pinning them above your head. You jumped, your heart startling as you stared at her. 

“Larissa, I-“ you said shakily, and her hands softened around your wrists, her fingers stroking over yours gently. You breathed in slowly, closing your eyes for a moment, just feeling her above you. It was alright, it was Larissa. You needed to give this to her, you could give this to her. You nodded, and she pulled you against her again. Fuck, she was strong. 

“I’m in control, sweetheart.” She whispered against your lips, and you were helpless to do anything other than nod. 

“Yes,” you breathed, and she nodded. 

“That’s right.” She breathed, her throat closing up a bit. She was in control, she reminded herself. You were under her, pinned, panting desperately, not asking anything of her, just giving willingly as she took. 

But you weren’t hers. 

You weren’t hers and this wasn’t right. She was using you. She was using you and she knew it. Guilt flooded her as she looked at you, spread out underneath her. You were panting, flushed. She looked up, your blackened fingers pinned beneath her hands. She was pinning you down. She was pinning you down and taking, taking without asking, demanding, she felt sick, what was she doing? Why did it hurt, why did she do this, why did she- 

“Larissa,” your voice was soft, a comfort, pulling her out of her head. “Alright, that’s enough.” You whispered, and she shook her head, fighting back the panic in her own mind. 

“No, no I can do this, I- I can, I can make you feel good, I promise, I-“  she started to panic. You were going to leave. She had done something wrong and now you were going to leave, just like everyone else. Just like your sister.

“Larissa, stop.” You said, and her eyes snapped to yours. “You’re crying, stop, let my hands go.” You swallowed, you didn’t know if it was something that you did or something that happened in her mind, but you knew that it was enough. Her hands released yours, and she sat up, turning away from you. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, and you sat up, grabbing your shirt and pulling your arms through. 

“Larissa, look at me.” You said, and she shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. 

“No, I- I used you, I wanted control, and I- I just took and-“ she was panicking, you would never talk to her again, she might as well shut out everything she felt now. 

“Did I tell you to stop?” You asked her, and she quieted for a moment. “Larissa, did I tell you to stop?” You asked again, and she swallowed, shaking her head. You sighed, your heart saddening for the woman. Someone had hurt her. Your sister had hurt her, her parents had hurt her, and it broke your heart. “I am perfectly capable of stopping you, but that’s not what I did, is it?” You asked her. She still stayed silent. “I know.” You sighed. “I know what you’re feeling right now and I knew what you were doing.” You said, and finally she turned to you. 

“Then why didn’t you stop me?” She asked you, and you swallowed. 

“Because I wanted to stay.” You admitted, your throat tight. She furrowed her brows. “God, I just wanted to stay, I wanted to help you- I- I still do.” You whispered, your heart dangerously close to the surface. You should do this. You shouldn’t tell her these things, you certainly shouldn’t when she was already on the edge.

“You wanted to stay? Why would you want to stay?” She asked, and you shook your head. She turned to you, and your heart broke even further as you saw her red-rimmed eyes. She swallowed, looking at you in desperation. “I wasn’t, I didn’t even do anything, I- why would you want to stay! I can’t even touch you properly!” She hissed, and your eyes went wide. 

“Larissa,” you shook your head, and she just cringed, her jaw clenching. 

“No, no I’ve done this before, I’m not- I know how this works. You feel guilty, you’ll stay until you get what you want, then you’ll go.” She said, and you swallowed. “They always go. She always goes, you will go.” She choked through her anger and pain. That wasn’t you. She knew that wasn’t you. You reeled back as you realized exactly what she was saying. 

“Larissa, I-“ you warned, but she just shook her head. 

“You’ll get tired of me, or you’ll get what you want, you’ll be like her, you’ll be just like Morticia, and you’ll go and-“ 

“Fuck you.” You gritted, and she stopped. She looked at you again. She didn’t just look at you, she really looked. There were tears in your eyes, your arms were wrapped around yourself protectively. She had said something wrong, something very, very wrong. She had just compared you to the woman who had drugged her into passive submission and denied her feelings for years. The woman you had been compared to your entire life. Yet up until now, never by her.

“I am not my sister.” You spat at her. You swallowed, fighting back the tears that threatened to come. “I- I came in here for you, not for my own fucking sake!” You yelled, standing and backing up. You got off the bed, clutching your shirt around yourself. “I would have stayed.” You said, your voice quieting. “I would have stayed no matter what you asked me to do.” You swallowed, and her eyes went wide. 

Yes, you would have. And she knew it. She knew from the moment you helped her into her room that you would do anything she asked. You would stay until she felt in control again. She didn’t have to take it from you, you had given it freely.

“I- I’m sorry.” She breathed, and you nodded. 

“Yeah.” You replied, biting back a much cruller retort. 

“Ophelia, I-“ she started, and you shook your head, backing up. 

“Next time you want to fuck my sister, call her, don’t expect me to be her.” You gritted, walking towards the door. Larissa panicked.

“Wait, Ophelia- wait, I-“ she tried, but your mind was already made up. 

“And six years.” You said, glaring at her. It was pain, she realized, pain was marring your face, not hatred. “Six years since someone touched me like that.” You spat, slamming the door on your way out.

Chapter Text

You were walking through the halls to your classroom when you felt it, a prickling in the back of your mind. 

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 Mortici a!” 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. 

“Auntie you can’t-“

“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. 

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. 

“Doctor Florere, Angel Medic.” She smirked, and you shook your head, tensing at the name. “No no, it was our girls that gave you that title, you will cary it.” She said, and your jaw dropped as your heart nearly stopped. Your girls, there were only a few people that could be. Someone who had worked close with you, someone you had shared everything with, someone who had been around long enough to see you get that call sign. Someone who wasn’t around anymore. There were only three people that could be, and though you would have to confirm it, only one was a shapeshifter. 

“Wait- Please-“ you rasped, and the spirit just shook her head.

“Take care of my girl, Ophelia. I trained you to take care of all of them, but take care of my girl,”

She whispered, and she was gone. You gasped out as you let go of both women’s hands, your entire body shaking. 

Larissa’s tears flowed and flowed as she looked at the spot where her aunt just stood, not even noticing as you and Sugar said your goodbyes. She sat on the floor, her legs bent to the side and leaning against the chair. She didn’t move, just stared in complete shock. 

Her aunt Victoria, the only woman who had shown her any kindness as a child, the only person, and you knew her. You didn’t know that face, her natural state, as you would call it, but you knew her somehow. 

She didn’t feel you rise, but she did see as you began to stumble your way to the bathroom. You were weak on your legs, and the pipe still hung from your hands. You would stop and stare out the window occasionally, almost as if you were seeing another spirit. Your body shook from the last one, as if it meant more to you than you would say. When your legs failed you again she finally moved, springing up and grabbing you, helping you up as your eyes seemed to roll about lazily. 

“Ophelia, you- this is dangerous!” She hissed, still quiet in the hours of the early morning. You shook your head, pulling away from her as you went to the bathroom, turning on the shower. She gasped, following you in quickly in an attempt to stop you from potentially drowning yourself, only to freeze as she saw you. 

You had taken the top off, your bra still on. Sugar must have helped you take off the boots earlier. You never wore them in the room. The pants were off too, and you were just looking at your body in the mirror, tears streaming from your far away eyes. You were covered in dried blood. Larissa nearly felt sick. It must have soaked through your clothes, staining nearly every inch of your skin. She just gaped at you as you stood. 

“Go.” You whispered, and she looked at you suddenly. 

“Ophelia, I- I want to help you,” she shook, and you just glared at yourself in the mirror as the tears began to come even faster. 

“Just go, Larissa. I’ve given far too much today to deal with a woman who looks at me and only sees my sister.” You breathed, flicking your hand and slamming the door closed on her with a vine. She stared in shock for a moment. And then she left.

Chapter Text

Wednesday woke up with you sitting at the table in your room, working on your laptop. It had been a few days since you returned, but still she sighed in relief, you were there, that’s what mattered. 

“What are you working on?” She asked you, and you hummed, not looking up. You must have known she was awake before she spoke then, you had a knack for that, especially with her. She could normally do it with you too, something her mother did not particularly enjoy. 

“A book.” You muttered, and she nodded.

 “What is this one about?” She asked you, and you flipped through pages of the various journals you had out until you found what you wanted. 

“Rare plants.” You answered absentmindedly. The girl rolled her eyes. 

“Specifically?” She asked you, and you chuckled. 

“The correlation between the rarer an outcast ability and related plants in nature.” You answered, and she nodded. Most of the things you researched were interesting to her, something she enjoyed. This was no exception. It did raise a question however.

“If you work at the hospital, why do you write the books? And teach, for that matter.” Wednesday asked, and you hummed, still mostly focusing on whatever you were writing.

“Money, mostly.” You hummed, “That and teaching at college levels gives me a cover when I’m moving all over the globe on a regular basis.” You chuckled, before furrowing your brows and picking out the journal you needed. “But it’s mostly for money, the hospital doesn’t make much, it essentially runs from various state funding from different countries and a few benefactors. I put a good bit of money in, but I still have my own income.” You answered, and Wednesday nodded as she mulled it over.

“Can I spend the day with you?” She asked, and you smiled, still not looking up from your work. 

“Of course, but I’m likely going to be working on this or fielding calls.” You said, and she nodded. 

“Does mother know you’re awake?” She asked after a moment, seemingly she hadn’t thought of that yet, and you nodded. 

“I texted her.” You replied, and the girl actually laughed. That sound had you turning in your chair and looking to her. 

“You texted her that you’re alive?” Your niece chuckled, and you shrugged. 

“Well I was tired, I didn’t want to deal with her.” You said, and the girl gave you a real smile. 

“Picnic?” She asked you, and you scoffed, rolling your eyes. She knew you would never say no to that, the answer was yes as soon as she proposed the idea.

“Get dressed.” You sighed, and she nodded. She ran off to her room, leaving enough time for you to quickly pull on a turtleneck, floor length skirt, and your boots. You added a sweater on top, the cropped end of it hitting just above your waistline, still showing your figure while keeping you completely covered. You were grabbing your gloves and a satchel when a knock rang on your door. 

You smiled, walking over and opening it in a hurry. You may be the adult in the situation, but there was always a touch of childlike joy involved on days like this. That smile quickly dropped, however, when you were greeted by an impeccably dressed Miss Weems, and not your niece. 

“Ophelia,” she began, and you just stared ahead. You wouldn’t even meet her eyes.

“Can I help you, Miss Weems?” You asked the woman. She froze. That was cold. Less than a few days ago you were underneath her panting her name and now she was ‘Miss Weems’ again. It hurt. She knew it hurt. She could feel the guilt flooding her. You wouldn’t even look at her, you just looked through her, staring at the wall behind her. 

“Ophelia, please, talk to me.” She swallowed, but still you wouldn’t look up, your eyes fixed straight ahead. 

“I am, Miss Weems, however if this is not a school matter I’m afraid that I do have something scheduled with my niece.” You said calmly. Her heart sank. You were icing her out. She couldn’t get in. The warmth from you, the warmth that was always there, she couldn’t feel it now. Now she just looked down at you, internally begging you to meet her eyes, to look at her, to realize how sorry she was. 

Your phone rang, and you sighed, picking it up and answering the phone politely before your eyes went wide as you were flooded with a gushing voice from the other side. Larissa cringed as she recognized the tone of an annoyed superior, yet it would be odd, considering everyone she knew of had addressed you as such in terms of your old job. You rolled your eyes, sighing deeply as a false smile plastered it’s way onto your face.

“Yes, Mr. Jones, it’s a pleasure, but allow me to reiterate, my expected stipend for a book is the same as it was last time, and the time before that, I haven’t published for less under any other company, and my revenue speaks for itself.” You sighed, already annoyed by being asked. The man seemed to babble on regardless, fully ignoring you. You gave a chuckle that made Larissa shiver as your eyes narrowed at a point on the wall. “You are correct, I do occasionally work for free at various universities, when they serve a particularly important cause, but do I need to remind you of my going rate for a semester?” You asked, and Larissa’s brows furrowed. She didn’t know how much you costed, actually, you had accepted Nevermore’s contract for a substitute without even blinking, despite the fact that she knew it was lower than she wanted to offer. “Oh, oh no no no, you can listen to me, sir ,” you spat. “I can go to any publishing company I wish, I don’t care that you’re the CEO, or what you do, you see me as a commodity, I see you as a means to an end, so let’s get this straight, you want my book, I don’t go for anything less than three million.” You smiled, not even noticing as Larissa’s jaw dropped. So yes, you did make money, a lot of money. “Not to mention my royalty, but we can discuss that after you remember how much my last book made, have a good day.” You clipped, hanging up the phone and rolling your eyes. 

You were about to say something, anything. Anything would have meant the world to Larissa, it would have meant she had a chance, yet your words never came, instead, another ringing sound cut you off, only it wasn’t the phone in your hand. 

“Ophelia, are you-“ Larissa began, but you just groaned, pulling out another phone and answering it quickly.

“Yes?” You hummed, and your eyes went wide for a moment, worry betraying you. Larissa immediately stepped forward, pushing you back into your room and shutting the door. You gaped up at her, bust she just shook her head, nodding to the phone, and you swallowed as she realized what she was doing. She knew you were worried, and she knew when you were worried it was often confidential. She was protecting you, you realized, and for just a moment you wanted to thank her for it. 

Then the voice on the other side of the phone started up again, and you swallowed, focusing on what you were hearing.

“Miss- miss Ophelia, I- I’m bleeding and I don’t know what’s wrong and it won’t stop and- and I can’t ask any of the men and- and it’s- you- you’re the safe one- and I didn’t know who else to call I just-“ the young voice was panicking, and you immediately hushed her, your voice dropping to a calm and soothing tone that had Larissa’s heart fluttering with how caring you could be. 

“Hey, hey it’s alright, slow down, take a deep breath for me, sweetheart.” You soothed, and the girl on the other end of the phone took a shaky breath. “Ok, where is the bleeding coming from?” You asked her, already having an idea of what this was. It wasn’t uncommon for it to happen to girls who had been in “treatment facilities” where they were terribly abused. Extended starvation was known to delay puberty if they went in long enough.

“It’s- its coming from my- from between my legs,” She stuttered, and you hushed her again.

“Alright, there’s no need to worry, dear, it’s completely normal, it’s, you’re having a menstrul cycle dear, remember, it would have been something they told you about in your first week or so?” You said soothingly, and Larissa’s eyes went wide. You were dealing with that? She knew you dealt with getting children out, but you really did care for them after, enough that one of them was comfortable enough to come to you.

“Oh,” the girl breathed, and you hummed.

“Is any of the female staff there? Dr. Moss maybe? Or if Mirella is home for the weekend I’m sure she will help you.” You answered, and the girl thought for a moment. 

“Yeah- I- I think Miss Mierella is home. She won’t, mind, will she?” She asked, and you hurried to assure the girl. 

“No, no, of course not! And even if she isn’t, all of the staff know how to deal with it, and most of the older girls.” You answered, and she hummed nervously.

“I’m sorry for bothering you with something silly,” she said, and you immediately shook your head, not that she could see it.

“No! It’s not silly, it’s perfectly understandable, and I am happy you called, Serena.” You said softly, and the girl exhaled in releif. “You know, Jenkins had to help me with my first one, the only woman back in those days was Georgiana, and she was out, so it was just Jenkins and I.” You hummed with a smile, and the girl chuckled, making the grin split your face in releif. 

“Jenkins!” The girl laughed, and you nodded, chuckling at the memory. 

“Yep, Jenkins. Imagine Jenkins trying to show me, at eighteen mind you, given how underweight I was, how to use a tampon. It was a nightmare.” You laughed, and Larissa’s face flushed at the idea. This felt too personal, you were talking about your, well, growing up, and it felt far too personal. 

“Thank you, Miss Ophelia.” The girl said, as she calmed down, and you chuckled. 

“Any time, Serena, and you can call again if you need, alright?” You asked. The girl hummed a few times before hanging up, and you sighed, running a hand through your hair. 

A strand fell back in your face and Larissa almost instinctively moved to brush it away, making you jerk back from her, your eyes snapping to her own as you swallowed down a flush. She didn’t get to touch you, not again, not after last time. She froze, staring at you in a complete panic as she realized what she had done.

“I, Im sorry, I didn’t mean to-“ she began, but you just shook your head, taking a deep breath as you walked back to the door, forcing the woman to chase after you. “Ophelia, please- I- I need to talk to you, we can, please, please let me fix this, I-“ she grabbed your covered wrist in an attempt to get your attention, causing you to gasp and slam her back against the now closed door, your eyes going borderline feral as you pinned her. 

“Don’t you EVER lay a hand on me without my explicit-“ you yelled, your hands pinning her to the door by her biceps. You gasped as you realized what you were doing, immediately backing up and raising your arms in surrender. “I- I’m so sorry, oh my god,” you breathed, and her eyes widened. 

“It’s- its alright, you didn’t hurt me, but-“ she stammered, and you just shook your head in utter horror at your action. 

“No, no it is not alright, and I don’t know what on earth is is about you that makes me so goddamn sensitive to everything- for Fuck’sake!” You hissed, your hand coming to your head as you covered your eyes in exhaustion. “I’m sorry,” you breathed again, and when you finally looked up at her, the pain in your eyes was so clear it took her breath away.

“Ophelia, I-“ she began again, her voice desperate and her eyes betraying the shame she felt. Only for a voice down the hall to cut her off.

“Miss Ophelia, Wednesday said I could come too!” You heard Enid yell from down the hall. Larissa could see the moment you let it flow from you again, the smile that lit up your face, the relaxing of your posture, the air that seemed to float about you instead of being forced or the static. It was almost painful to watch, knowing she once had that. That once was given to her too. 

“Perfect!” You called back, and Enid bounced in excitement. You turned back to Larissa, looking her in the eyes again. You were hurt, she knew that, you were incredibly hurt. There was exhaustion around the coroners of your eyes, the grey storm slightly muted, despite the smile you had. The one that faltered when you finally looked at her. “Did you need something?” You asked her, and she shook her head, biting back the tears that were threatening to come. 

“No.” She whispered, and you were gone.

You shoved it down, forcing the urge to just fall into her right then and there away as you hurried down the hall, catching up with your niece and her best friend. You followed them to the dining hall, filling the satchel with a plethora of sandwiches, fruit, and baked goods. You chuckled a bit as the girls loaded it up as you held it open, you couldn’t forget about her, but you could at the very least distract yourself for a bit. 

You led the girls to the conservatory, the tables were put away at the moment, so it was essentially a giant greenhouse with an open space in the middle. You formed a thick layer moss, laying out blankets on the ground, placing the satchel in the middle. Wednesday sat with Enid, diving in, as you laid down, opening your laptop and journals you had brought in the satchel and resuming your writing. 

“What are you working on Miss Ophelia?” Enid asked you, and again you hummed. 

“Rare plants.” You answered succinctly, and your niece rolled her eyes. 

“She’s writing a book about how the rarer an outcast ability is, the less amount of plants there are that impact it.” The girl deadpanned, and you hummed, popping some berries into your mouth as you wrote, pouring over your various journals. 

“Well said, however correlation-“ 

“does not equal causation.” Your niece finished for you, and you smirked. 

“God, I’m a good teacher.” You smiled, and you ducked as a blueberry was thrown at your head, rolling and landing a few feet away. You didn’t pay much attention to it, simply working away quietly. 

“Oh! You have a lot of people wishing you well and saying they hope you get better soon!” Enid said, and you raised a brow. 

“What?” You asked her, and she pulled out her phone. 

“On my blog! I wrote about you, well, I said you were under the weather, Wednesday said I shouldn’t tell anyone what had really happened.” She said, and you nodded. 

“Probably a good idea.” You murmured, and both girls seemed to agree. 

“Anyway, everyone in the school was talking about how they hope you get better soon, and that you come back to class, you’re really popular.” The blonde said excitedly. 

“Am I now?” You asked, a hint of a laugh in your voice, and she nodded.

 “Only like, the highest on the polls ever!” She said, and you finally looked away from your laptop, raising your brows at the girl. 

“The polls?” You asked, and she nodded. 

“Yeah, so there’s this thing where students can vote for their favorite teacher at the moment, it changes all the time, but you’ve been on top pretty much since you got here!” She said, and you chuckled a bit. 

“Huh,” you hummed, and she nodded. 

“I mean, you did go down a bit after the case study assignment, but in general you’ve stayed on top.” She said, and you chuckled. 

“What’s wrong with the case study assignment, you get to pick any plant and design any project you want based on any article you can find about the plant.” You asked. “It’s completely free reign.” You added. Enid cringed. 

“Well yeah, it’s cool, but some people are a bit, confused…” she muttered. You hummed, thinking for a moment, a look of disappointment on your face. “Professor!” She added with a squeak, and you waved her off. 

“Oh that’s fine, I don’t care about that.” You muttered. “Well they could have asked for help.” You shrugged, and Enid furrowed her brows. 

“What?” She asked, and you looked at her perplexed. 

“Just ask for help? My email is given to all of you, I have office hours, you can stop by.” You said. The girl just shrugged. 

“Yeah, well no one wanted you to think that they’re dumb.” She said, and you looked at her like she had lost her mind. 

“Asking questions isn’t dumb, it’s the basis of learning.” You said, and she shrugged. 

“Yeah, Bianca almost cried.” She said, and you furrowed your brows. 

“She nearly cried ! Oh my god! Am I really that unapproachable?” You panicked, and your niece stared at you blankly. 

“Don’t you have a Nobel prize?” She asked you, and you waved her off. 

“Don’t be silly.” You stared back, but the dark haired girl just shrugged. 

“You also don’t touch, and the gloves, it can throw people off.” She said, and you nodded.

“Well yes, I know that.” You hummed. “Enid, would you do me a favor dear?” You asked, and the girl beamed. 

“I get to be ‘dear’ too!” She squeaked, and you chuckled. 

“Outside of class, sure. Any friend of Wednesday’s might as well be a saint in my book.” You smirked. The braided girl scoffed. 

“You’re rude.” She said, and your smirk just widened. 

“But I’m ri~ight!” You sing-songed, before ducking from another blueberry hurled at your head. “Regardless, would you post something to the effect that I’m hosting a bring your own lunch picnic open to all students for fun and any questions they may have, class related or not.” You asked, and the girl lit up with excitement. “If it’s ok with you and Wednesday, of course.” You added, and she nodded excitedly, looking to her friend. 

“You’re going to ruin this quiet day with a swarm of bloodthirsty students who would rather try to figure out if you’re actually a lesbian than anything academic.” She sighed, and you smiled at her, batting your lashes. “Fine.” She deadpanned, and Enid squeaked in excitement. 

“Yay! This is going to be so fun!” She buzzed, and Wednesday groaned. 

“I despise you both.” She said, and you smiled. 

“Love you too.” You replied, setting back to your work. 

Enid sent out the message, and the three of you ate and worked quietly for a bit. Wednesday was re-reading The Prince, occasionally testing your Italian, and Enid was knitting a snood, much to your amusement and Wednesday’s horror. A few minutes later, you heard a knock at the doorframe, and looked up from where you were laying spread out on the ground. 

“Come in Miss Barklay.” You smiled, and Enid groaned. 

“You owe Thing a manicure.” Wednesday smirked, and Enid glared at her. 

“I hope you’re not teasing your fellow classmates, Miss Addams.” You side-eyed your niece, and she glared at you. 

“ Miss Addams .” She mocked, and you scoffed at the young girl. 

“Come on in Bianca, have a seat, eat, ask me anything you want if you’d like.” You hummed. The girl nodded, trying to remain calm. 

“Thank you, Dr. Florere.” She nodded quickly, and Wednesday smirked. You didn’t even have to look at the girl, maintaining a gentle smile with Bianca as you kicked Wednesday, who stared at you in annoyance. 

“I could file a complaint of abuse.” She said, and you nodded, smiling and not even bothering to look up to return the threat.

“And I could tell your mother there’s-“ 

“Truce!” She shouted, and you chuckled as you went back to working. 

“You’re welcome to just sit and eat if you like, Miss Barkley, but I’ve heard that some students are a little confused by the case study assignment, and I’d be happy to clear anything up if you need. I love when students ask questions.” You added, already sending Enid a text on your ‘civilian’ phone to smack Wednesday for you if she made a face. The girl furrowed her brows at the notification. 

“Who is- OH MY GOD I HAVE A FAMOUS PERSON’S PHONE NUMBER!” She yelled, and you sighed. 

“Instant regret.” You muttered, and Wednesday smirked. 

“Anyways, please ask if there is anything, I thought you all had done similar assignments before.” You said to Bianca. The girl nodded, just sitting for a bit. A few minutes later a young boy walked in, you had seen him around Wednesday before, he was head of the bee-keeping club, you remembered. Eugene, you beleived.

“Hey Miss O!” He yelled, rushing in with a basket. 

“Well hello there.” You smiled, that was a new one. 

“Can I call you Miss O? Oh I feel bad now, I should have asked, that was inappropriate.” He worried, and you laughed. 

“You can call me whatever you like as long as it’s not offensive and vaguely related to my name.” You chuckled, and he nodded, seemingly thinking this over. 

“Well, I was wondering, so I’m head of the Hummers, that’s our bee-keeping club, and I know that there are many plants that pollinators, such as bees, prefer, but I’m having trouble getting them to grow and I was wondering if maybe you would have any advice, considering you’re all about plants and all!” He rushed. You bit back a chuckle as the boy went on animatedly. “I’m all about bees! Insects in general really, but bees are my favorite, they’re amazing! Did you know they live in a matriarchy! Like a female monarchy! But the queen is also the mom for almost everyone! It’s amazing! And they can travel for miles and miles  to reach different types of flowers, and their honey can even taste different depending on the type of flowers they consume! Isn’t that incredible!” He asked you, and you smiled up at him front he ground, nodding. 

“It absolutely is.” You smiled, and he beamed. 

“Oh, I brought you some honey by the way!” He added, thrusting the jar towards you. You chuckled, standing up and brushing off your skirt. 

“Well thank you, I appreciate that. I’ll have to trade you some of the tea I make sometime.” You smiled, and his eyes went wide.

“You make your own tea?” He asked you, and you nodded. 

“Certainly, I dry the herbs myself and everything. All hand-grown.” You joked with a little wiggle of your fingers, and his eyes went wide in amazement as Wednesday rolled her eyes at your pun. 

“That’s so cool!!!!” He yelled, and you laughed, your heart blooming a bit. It was always nice when someone thought your abilities were a good thing. Especially nice when it was a child who thought that way. It gave you hope. “Could I see?” He asked, and you raised your brows. 

“You want to see me grow something?” You asked, and he nodded excitedly.

“Yeah, I mean, I’ve never met someone who could do that before.” He said, and you smiled genuinely, nodding a bit as you hid the genuine shock at being asked. 

“Eugene, you can’t just ask her to grow something! Do you have any idea how big of a deal she is! That’s like asking Einstein to show you how to do your math homework, you can’t just demand she do something!” Bianca snapped, and you turned to the girl, raising your brows. She went wide eyed, panicking. “I mean, he doesn’t mean to bother you, it would be disrespectful, wouldn’t it? A waste? I’m sure you have better things to do than just show him that you can grow some chamomile.” She swallowed, and you smiled softly. 

So that’s what it was. 

She thought you had better things to do, that she would bother you. It broke your heart that she was right, in a way. You shouldn’t be here, you should be back at the hospital working, but for now, that wasn’t an option.

“No, I don’t, actually.” You smiled easily. “I’m here to teach, I love teaching, and I would be honored to show any of you anything you asked to see or to help you with anything.” You smiled softly. “I would consider it the perfect use of my time here.” You said, and her eyes went wide. 

“ Oh ,” she breathed, and you nodded. 

“I’m just a person, Miss Barkley, I’m actually probably more boring than most of you.” You chuckled, and you could see a bit of a smile crack through. 

“That’s not true.” Wednesday said from the floor, and you glared at her. 

“Oh really now?” You asked the girl, who was too busy reading to notice the challenge in your voice. 

“You’re quiet around people you don’t know, but you’re not boring.” She said, and you smirked. 

“Quiet?” You led her on, looking up and raising one of your hands, beckoning a vine from the ceiling. Bianca’s eyes went wide. You wouldn’t. 

“Well, people don’t talk to you, because you’re odd, but you don’t try to talk to them either.” Wednesday continued, and you hummed, calling the vine to hover right above her ankles, which were currently crossed in the air as she later on her stomach, reading. 

“I see.” You said. “And this is coming from the girl who communicates almost exclusively through glances.” You said, and she nodded. 

“The difference being I don’t want people to talk to me- AH!” She yelled as the vine snatched her, dangling her upside-down in the air. She sighed, relaxing and just hanging there, giving you a death stare to end all death stares. “I am going to end you.” She sighed, and you cackled, sitting her down on the ground and laughing your ass off. 

“Bloody Hell, that was fucking priceless!” You wheezed, setting her down. 

“You’re teaching minors.” The girl reminded you and you cringed. 

“Shit, no cursing- sorry! Fuck!” You yelled, before just sighing and burying your head in your gloves hands. “Oh, I’m so gonna get fired.” You breathed, and Enid giggled. 

“At least it’s only us.” She said, and you hummed, nodding your head from side to side.

“True, hopefully four of my most engaging students won’t rat me out for cursing.” You smiled, and Bianca perked up as you sat back down again, going back to working. 

You noticed. You had noticed that she always raised her hand, that she turned in every assignment ahead of time, that she always knew the answer. The problem was, now, for the first time on one of your assignments, she wasn’t positive. She’s rather die than let her hero give her a bad grade, you would think she was stupid, that she didn’t know anything. She swallowed, trying to force down the panic. Enid walked up to her, and the girl raised her brow at the glittery aura that invaded her space. 

“Ask her.” Enid whispered, and Bianca glared at her. 

“I can’t just ask her! She’ll know I don’t know the answer if I ask her!” She whispered back through gritted teeth. Wednesday smirked as she looked at you. Little to Bianca’s knowledge, you happened to have freakish hearing. That one wasn’t even related to your abilities, it was just the consequence of growing up listening to find out if someone else was coming for you. You gave away nothing, just focusing on the work you were doing, typing away through your leather gloves. 

“Just ask! She’s not gonna think anything! She told me she likes when students ask things!” The blonde hissed, and Bianca glared. 

“Of course she told you that! You’re her niece’s best friend, you can do no wrong! Wednesday hated me for an entire semester! She still looks like she wants to kill me every time I best her fencing!” She hissed, and then you snorted, unable to not laugh. 

“I actually think that’s pretty badass, I fully vote for beating Morticia’s offspring at fencing, she’s terrible.” You remarked, and Bianca’s face dropped. 

“You- heard that.” She said, and you nodded, still not looking up. 

“Mhm.” You hummed, and she thought she was going to pass out. 

“It’s unfair of you to route against me because I’m my mother’s daughter.” Wednesday glared, and you smiled, still not looking up. 

“Not my fault you fence like her, I’ve tried to teach you.” You smirked, and she rolled her eyes. 

“You nearly threw me in a stream.” She deadpanned, and you shrugged. 

“You were off your leg, you have to learn how to balance before you can learn how to balance with a sword.” You replied, and yet again you ducked as another blueberry was thrown. 

“I’m not picking those up.” You said, and Wednesday sighed. 

“Can you grow me more?” She asked, and you scoffed. 

“No.” You answered, and Bianca furrowed her brows. 

“I thought you could grow any plant life, fruit and berries included.” She muttered, and you looked up at her from the ground, raising a brow. “Well, that’s just what it said in Peter Browne’s book about you, you know, the biography, not that I’ve read a biography about you or anything.” The girl rushed, closing her eyes in her own mortification at herself, and you chuckled. 

“I can grow them, yes, I just refuse to give my niece any more ammunition. Also Peter Browne hates me, so feel free to keep that in mind next time you’re picking out books.” You smiled. Bianca furrowed her brows, finally sitting, seeming to become a little more comfortable. 

“Why would he hate you?” She asked, and you shrugged. 

“We were classmates in grad school, but I went independent, he joined the guild, I became successful quickly for my own projects, he was stuck pushing papers. Just different paths.” You sighed, and she nodded. You began with nothing, no family, barely able to sit through classes in the beginning, yet you were always brilliant, and you were a hard worker. You were also significantly less amicable than Peter, and him watching you get away with things because of your genius and your ability to move from place to place without ever seeming to form any real attatchments irked him to no end.

“He’s good though, isn’t he? I’ve read his book on the learning theory of plants, it’s pretty interesting.” She said, and you nodded. 

“Oh, he’s great, he was just bitter, unfortunately.” You said, and she looked to you confused. 

“Was?” She asked, and you nodded, still looking at your laptop. 

“Yeah, we just er, ran into each other recently, I’m hoping we turn over a new leaf. We used to be pretty close, his oldest daughter’s middle name is Ophelia, actually.” You hummed, your eyes saddening for a moment. The two of you had been close. Very close. He was perhaps once the closest thing you had to a friend outside of the hospital. You had spent dinners with him and his wife, later his family quite often back then. You had studied with him for countless hours before exams back in the day.

“I named my cat Ophelia after you when I was a kid.” Bianca muttered absentmindedly, before sighing deeply, dropping her head in embarrassment. 

“Oh my god, I’m going to die.” She breathed, and you chuckled. 

“I’m honored,” you laughed, you were aware she wasn’t the first, however this was the first time someone you didn’t know personally had done it, at least to your knowledge. “What kind of cat?” You asked, and she stared at you in disbelief. 

“You don’t think that’s creepy?” She asked, and you shrugged. 

“Depends, what kind of cat?” You asked again, going back to your work. 

“Russian blue…” she trailed, and you smiled, nodding. 

“Nice.” You said, and she laughed a little. 

“Was there a wrong answer?” She asked you, and you nodded. 

“Oh absolutely, Sphynx.” You said, and she chuckled. “You pull off buzzed hair incredibly well, I, do not.” You cringed, and Wednesday smirked.

“Was that a choice you made?” The braided menace snarked, and you rolled your eyes, ignoring her. It wasn’t, but having your head shaved regularly was a part of Newflight’s protocol, meaning you certainly had experience with it.

“Regardless, what was I doing? Tea!” You remembered. “What’s your favorite herbal tea, Eugene?” You asked him, and he looked at you with giant eyes behind his glasses. 

“Really?” He asked you, and you nodded. 

“Mhm,” you hummed, and he thought a second. 

“Probably just chamomile.” He said, and you nodded. 

“Well I shall bring some down to the Hummer’s shed for you when I drop by to help with those plants.” You smiled, and he beamed. 

“You don’t- you don’t mind doing things like that?” Bianca asked, and you shrugged. 

“I love plants, I love growing things, I love the life it creates.” You hummed, searching through a journal. “You can ask Wednesday, I grow things constantly, I don’t mind being asked, I quite like that I have something to give to people, actually.” You smiled, and she nodded at you in amazement. 

She stared for a moment at the leather bound journals surrounding you, the countless pages you had recorded and written. Some even discovered, she knew. 

“Are- are those your field journals?” She asked you, and you nodded. 

“Mhm, not all of them obviously, but the ones I need at the moment.” You said, only half concentrating on the girl. “You’re welcome to read one if you’d like something to look at.” You said offhandedly, and her jaw nearly hit the floor. 

“Are you serious?” She asked you, and you looked up at her from where you lay on the ground. She gawked when you nodded, disbelief written all over her face. You nearly laughed, but contained yourself to just a smile. 

“Of course, go ahead, take this one.” You said, picking one you had already looked through up and handing to to her. She took it as if it was a sacred relic, staring at it in wonder. 

“Holy shit I’m holding one of Ophelia Florere’s field journals.” She whispered, and you chuckled. 

“That’s a good one too, you’re welcome to borrow them any time, just come ask.” You smiled, and she nodded, immediately beginning to pour over the pages you had given her. 

A few moments later two boys rushed in, Ajax and Xavier, you believed. From what little you had observed, the boys were interested in Enid and Wednesday, respectively. 

“Is it true we’re allowed to ask you questions?” Xavier asked, and you raised a brow. 

“I said you could on the first day, of course you can.” You said, and he nodded. 

“Oh thank god.” He breathed, and you chuckled. 

“Hit me, gentleman.” You smiled, looking up from your laptop. 

“Ok, so the case study project, what?” Ajax said, and you nodded. 

“Fair enough.” You muttered, and pulled up the document on your laptop to look over it. “So you’re going to find an article about a plant, any plant, and it’s effect on any type of outcast or normie, your choice.” You explained. “Then, you are going to come up with three research questions related to what more you would like to learn based on the interaction in this one specific case.” You continued. Ajax nodded slowly, and Xavier made a face that you assumed was intended to look pensive, but instead looked more constipated. You sighed, continuing your explanation. “Ok, so if I chose, say, cannabis, and I found an article where a normie took cannabis, thought he could fly, and then jumped off a building, I would maybe consider questions like ‘do normies normally feel like they have outcast abilities when taking cannabis?’ Or, ‘do normies hallucinate when taking cannabis, leading to dangerous actions?’ Or something like that.” You said, and this time both boys looked like they might have had a part of an idea. 

“Did you just say ‘take cannabis’?” Wednesday said, and you stared at her with a deadpan face. 

“I am a professor, I have never partaken in any illegal activities, certainly not ones that would impact my thinking.” You said sarcastically, and even Enid chuckled. 

“So you’re like, cool?” Ajax asked you, and you raised a brow. You were actually a massive nerd who happened to break into places and perform emergency experimental medical procedures, but ‘cool’ was not exactly something you had ever considered yourself. At least not when not trying to actively mortify your niece.

“Sorry, that was rude.” He said, and you shrugged. 

“Nah man, I’m totally far out.” You replied, in your best hippie impersonation, causing Enid to burst out laughing. Even the boys gave you a small smile at that one. 

“Real question though, if we’re allowed to ask you anything,” Ajax began, and you nodded. “So the growing plants out of your hands thing, could you grow weed?” He asked you. 

You tried not to laugh as you stared at him. The insolence of teenage boys would never cease to amaze you. 

“Now because I would like to keep my job here for the time being, I’m going to just stick with, I can grow anything .” You said, very slowly, and he nodded, a little smirk on his face. 

“Sick.” He said, before settling into a corner with Xavier, the two of them going over their project ideas together. You liked this. You liked the young minds around you, figuring out how things would work. 

“Hey, do we have to answer the questions?” Xavier asked you, and you swallowed down another piece of fruit. “Not in this paper, I only want like 2-ish  pages double spaced, but potentially in the future.” You called back, and he nodded before returning to his work. You smiled, doing the same. 

“Dr. Ophelia?” Bianca asked, and you hummed, smiling at the girl’s insistence on using your degree title. “Could I write about something I have personal experience with?” She asked, and you looked up from your laptop with an absolutely insane smile on your face. Wednesday recognized the look instantly and stared at you with a thuroughly unamused look on her face.

“Please no.” Wednesday sighed, already tired of this. 

“Ladies, Gentleman, and those outside of and in between those perimeters!” You hollered, standing up. 

“Oh god.” Wednesday groaned, and you whirled around, holding up an imaginary champagne glass. “

It is on this momentous occasion that I am truly honored to present the following award to my most esteemed student!” You yelled, prompting Enid to look at you like you had lost your mind while Wednesday looked like she wanted to die more than usual. “It is the very basis of science, of my work in particular, that we must experience that which we aim to understand, and as I stand here before you, years into my own career, that I am once again humbled by a question uttered through my years by both myself, and the generations of students before me.” You continued, prompting Wednesday to groan. 

“Have you ever actually given this speech, or is this one you just do while teaching?” She asked you, and you took off one of your gloves, all eyes immediately snapping to your hand. You held it aloft, making sure you were a good few feet from the students for doing measure, despite the fact that you were barely doing anything. Regardless, you wouldn’t have done it without the distance.

Bianca went wide eyed as she looked at the blackened fingers, amazed as you wiggled them and called forth a small tiger lily, plucking it from your hand and slipping your glove back on quickly. She marveled at it, like she had just witnessed the most amazing thing she had ever seen. You held it aloft, delivering your speech to it as Enid practically rolled around laughing, Eugene much the same, the boys in the corner looking like they were attempting to cover up their snickers, and Wednesday glared at you murderously. 

“Personal experience, is, in essence, the drive behind so much of my work, it is with this small token of appreciation that I award Miss Bianca Barclay with the ‘best question ever’ award!” You triumphed, bowing dramatically and handing Bianca the flower. She took it, wide eyed and clearly trying not to freak out. “Thank you all for attending such a prestigious and thrilling event, I hope you too are someday inspired to use your own personal experience in your work!” You finished, and Enid clapped from the ground as she laughed, Wednesday throwing another blueberry at your head. 

You laughed as you sat again, laying on the moss meadow you had created in the slightly overcast midday, happy to just work or provide any answers. You began typing again as if nothing had happened, leading to some very, very confused students. 

“That’s ‘aunt Ophelia’ for ‘yes’.” Wednesday sighed, and you nodded, continuing to work. Bianca nodded dumbly, trying not to squeal as she looked at her flower.

Another few students trickled in as the day went on, eventually small groups coming in until you had nearly three classes worth in the greenhouse, all talking over various things, occasionally approaching you while you worked, some messing with various plants in the greenhouse, others just reading or working in the area. Your heart still felt heavy, but being surrounded by bright young minds lifted the weight a little.

…

Larissa had noticed that the school was quieter than normal, looking out into the courtyard to see almost no one. She swallowed, perfect. She was at her wit’s end, her heart heavy with the thought of you as guilt threatened to shroud her entire being, and now the students were up to something. 

She had been teaching and then in administration long enough to know that quiet meant trouble. 

She sighed, smacking down her laptop and wiping the tears from her eyes. She couldn’t sit in this forever, she couldn’t dwell, she had to move on, be in control. Always in control, especially if her own emotions. She stormed out of her office, marching through the halls in an attempt to figure out where exactly such a large portion of the student body had disappeared. Exiting out into the courtyard looking for any sign of anyone is when she finally paused.

Then she heard it. 

Music was playing somewhere. She listened for a moment before realizing that there was only one building it could have been coming from. The very one she wanted to avoid. She stormed towards the greenhouse. Of course, if there was trouble it would start with Wednesday Addams, which meant it would extend to you. 

What she found, however, when she opened the doors to the conservatory, was the farthest thing from what she expected. 

The entire room was full of students, all laying on a rolling moss green you must have constructed. There was a moment of silence before the song started again, her jaw dropping as a chorus of students yelled out.

“All the leaves are brown!” They sang with laughter before a few others echoed it back. She breathed in amazement as the vines wrapped around the ceiling of the greenhouse, and the various plants hanging from them, suddenly changed to beautiful shades of brown, yellow, orange, and red, creating a multicolor kaleidoscope effect. 

Then she saw you. She saw you laying on the green, chuckling as a few students yelped in surprise, returning your hand to your laptop from where you had raised it to flick the colors into existence. You smiled at them, looking back to the student standing next to you and finishing what you were saying to them before they ran off, leaving you to keep working. There were various leather bound books scattered around you, and a few students scattered around them reading more still. You laid on your stomach, typing away on your laptop as those around you worked happily. It was easy, she realized, free. 

She hadn’t seen the students like this since the events of last semester, since the entire Crackstone debacle. Yet here they were, laughing and smiling again, running up to each-other with bright eyes full of wonder and the occasional mischief. 

It took her breath away. And there you were, at the center of it all, a calm but powerful energy, holding the moment together. You created a space full of exploration, yet one that felt safe, almost home-like. Safe , she realized. Wherever you went, it felt safe.

Your eyes met hers, and the smile on your face faded.

She looked at you like you had done the impossible, and you could see it. You could see the pain on her face, the apology. More than anything you could see the guilt. She had been hurt, and in that pain she had tried to find what she needed from you. She got scared, and she looked at you as if you were your sister. Your sister would never speak to her again, or tease her for it for the rest of time while mocking her ruthlessly. But you, you didn’t have it in you. 

She knew you were looking for something in her, she just didn’t know what it was. She prayed, however, that you would see the apology in them. You stared a little longer, the hurt in you still just under the surface. 

Then she realized what she had yet to do. She was so caught up in controlling and fixing the situation that she had forgotten the most important thing, she had forgotten to say it to you. She looked at you and swallowed, her eyes flirting around the room nervously to make sure no students were looking at her before those hydrangea blues settled back into storm grey.. 

‘I’m sorry’ she mouthed, and you inhaled slowly. Larissa Weems, apologizing. Admitting she was wrong, would wonders never cease. 

You gave her a sad smile and nodded your head. She swallowed, she wouldn’t come in without your permission, this world that you had created, this was your space. You didn’t let her in, simply looking to the students around you. 

Her heart dropped. You wouldn’t let her in again, not like you had, she thought. The realization flooded her with even more self hatred then before.

Yet just as she began to turn, she noticed something blooming out of the corner of her eye. She looked to it, a flower had bloomed in the doorway where she had just been standing. A white flower with long green leaves around it, a peace lily.

Chapter Text

She was standing outside your door again. She didn’t know what to do, whether she should knock, or just let it go, or what. She wanted to try, she wanted to burst into your room and demand the two of you talk it out, actually, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything. Not with you, how you were. 

She had tried, she tried to get you to stay, she grabbed you and accidentally threw you back into your mind, and the fact that her touch could do that horrified her. She hurt you, she realized. She had hurt you. 

Larissa never second guessed herself, not where anyone else could see, at least, but now she found herself hesitating, nearly trembling at your door. 

She could knock. She should knock, but she couldn’t get herself to try. She had to, she reminded herself, her fingers forming, flexing, and then reforming a fist, over and over. She had to. Her heart was practically pounding in her head, her tongue heavy with words she didn’t know how to say. But she had to. She had to find a way, to find the courage to talk to you. 

Everything seemed to stretch on forever, yet the seconds rushed by. She was so absorbed in her panic she didn’t even notice you standing behind her, watching her stare at your door as if she could set it on fire. You, however, were far too tired to play that game. She could go in or she could not, but you would leave that up to her. It needed to be up to her. You had to give her the space to do that. 

Her throat was tight, her head was beginning to hurt, her eyes felt like she hadn’t blinked in a week, she was sweating, god forbid- 

“aaaand, thank you.” You hummed, placing the back of a gloved hand on her hip and moving her to the side, making the woman jump and startle, nearly yelping at the realization that you were there. 

You opened the door, walked in, and let it fall shut behind you, leaving her standing there in utter shock. You would touch her casually, not truly, the back of hand, under your gloves on her clothing was hardly a touch, but you would do that and wouldn’t invite her in? That was somehow too far? 

Fuming. She was fuming . How dare you. How dare you treat her as if this was nothing, as if you felt nothing, as if you could be apart from her without a thought when she so clearly couldn’t. It hurt. It ached that you could just brush past her. It made her see red. It was cruel. She had never known you to be cruel, and she knew you were hurt, but to be outright cruel in such a way?

She ripped the door open, her mind spinning out in deep, primal rage, the kind that made her very blood boil and her skin steam. 

“Now, Miss Florere, if you think you can just brush me off- brush whatever this is off as if you don’t care- when I- I…” she trailed off when she finally looked at you, her mind faltering at the image laid out before her. 

You were sitting on a chair in front of the fire, a small table in front of it, and another chair across. There was an empty glass on the table as well as a bottle of red wine, and a full glass of it in your hand as you stared at her patiently, your eyes glancing from the chair opposite, and the glass, back to her. 

“You- you knew.” She hissed, and you took a deep dreg of your wine. Of course you knew, you had been walking on pins and needles all day, the last few days, since the greenhouse, waiting for her to come. You knew she would eventually, but until then you had been biding your time, your entire body on edge and exhausted. You took another deep pull of the wine, there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world for this conversation, but you were determined to at least attempt to keep your wits about you.

Her eyes followed the movement, the way your fingers fit around the glass, it was almost art. Your black gloves compared with the deep red of the wine, all bathed in the flickering light of the fire. There were no other lights on, just that, the curtains were drawn, the table was set, you were there, your eyes betraying how tired you were, even if you were adamant in keeping your composure, all you were missing was someone to drink with. 

“I did.” You said softly, and she seethed. 

“What is this? Are you toying with me?” She breathed, her voice strained as she shut the door behind her and strode up to you, coming close enough you had to tilt your head back to look up at her, but never invading your personal space. That was a mistake she could only make once. She couldn’t see how much you wanted her. All she could see was the cool presentation you were giving, your attempt to keep everything in check. 

“This,” you said, nodding to the bottle, “is a French Malbec.” You pointed. “And this,” you added, gesturing around yourself, “is an invitation.” You finished slowly, your eyes betrayed exhaustion, but nothing else. You still wouldn’t let her in, not fully. She stared at you for a moment, trying to figure you out. 

“I- you- you have no right to treat me like I- like you- like this isn’t- ugh !” She groaned, and you stared at her for a moment, your mind racing. Did she really think you didn’t care? Could the woman possibly be that thick? She was brilliant, so how she came to that conclusion baffled you.

“If I didn’t care about you I would have locked the door, I would be drinking bourbon or smoking, I certainly wouldn’t get out good wine, and the last thing I would have done is let you in here.” You said firmly, despite the tension creeping up your throat, and she stared at you for a moment. I’ve blue eyes searched storm grey ones for purchase, yet only found walls in their way.

“How do you do it?” She asked you, and you shook your head, scoffing and turning away, trying to find the words. She was driving you mad, or further into madness, you supposed. “How do you act as if you don’t care?” She asked, and you sighed deeply, it had been a few days since the peace lilies, and during that time you hadn’t had a word between you two. 

So she really did think you didn’t care. After everything, she somehow thought you didn’t care.

“Jesus, is that what you think?” You snapped, standing up. She stepped closer, and you shook your head. “Do you really think I don’t?” You breathed, and she looked down at you, scanning your face for something, for anything. You gave nothing away but frustration bordering on anger, you were so fed up with the situation.

“You look at me like I’m nothing.” She hissed, and you shook your head, your breath heaving in your chest as you felt yourself heat up with your rushing emotions. They were choking you, flooding your eyes with tears you wouldn’t let yourself shed.

“You are everything.” You husked, your eyes finally giving away the intensity of the grief and sheer aching want you were hiding. “ Everything .” You repeated, your breath coming heavier, and finally, finally she could see the passion in your eyes, the hunger there. “That doesn’t mean I get to look at you like you are.” You rasped, and she stared at you, her eyes widening as she was stunned into silence. That, she hadn’t expected. 

You shook your head, sighing deeply as you pulled away, sitting back in your chair. You stared at your glass for a moment, taking another long sip before closing your eyes, allowing the dry wine to give you something to focus on other than the woman taking up every damn bit of oxygen in the room. She was so close you could smell her perfume, and it had your mind spinning. 

“Would you like a glass?” You managed, still not looking at her, and she took a deep breath in, staring for a moment. No, was her initial answer. 

“No, I’d much rather taste something else-“ she muttered before she knew what she was doing. Where did that come from! She was appalled by her own mind, even that was betraying her, she looked to you in utter panic, your head still down as you stared in front of you, yet the sound of ripping fabric gave you away. 

Bright red flowers bloomed in your hair as matching red centered calla lilies ripped through your gloves, making you gasp and stand, immediately going to the other table in the room and taking a knife, cutting them and placing them down on the table, turning to face her slowly, biting your lip in thinly concealed frustration, staring at her with daggers. 

“Really?” You asked, and she turned bright red, absolutely mortified. She had only seen you loose control once before, with Wednesday when she first met you, she knew the flowers meant something and calla lilies… 

Lust. Calla Lillies were symbols of lust. You still wanted her…

“I- I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean-“ she began, and you just shook your head, walking to the cabinet in the corner and pulling out a different bottle, this one, thankfully of bourbon. You no longer trusted yourself to remain calm with anything else. 

You pulled the cork, taking a deep swig before sitting down on the chair again, letting the bottle sit on the floor next to you. 

“I-“ she began, and your voice was firm when you cut her off. 

“Sit.” You commanded, and she swallowed, doing as you said without another word. You poured her a glass of wine, and she glanced to the bottle of something much stronger on the floor, and you shook your head. “You’ll drink my wine before you get to my bourbon, headmistress.” You bit, and she clenched her jaw at the title, taking the glass and downing a quarter of it without a thought. 

You raised your brows this time, looking at her strangely. She just downed a glass of wine. The woman was struggling, a lot, if it led to a lapse of manners such as that.

“That’s twice now you’ve done something I would think you would deem beneath you, care to enlighten me what’s gotten into you this evening?” You asked her, and she felt the heat settle on her cheeks as you caught her. She was out of control, the thing she feared the most, yet you were only calling attention to it, not criticizing. 

“Perhaps I need the courage.” She said, and you took another sip of your wine, staring at her over the glass. You knew the feeling.

“And what do you need courage for?” You asked her, your heart pounding, and she shut her eyes for a moment, gathering what little patience she had left. She could do this, she told herself she could, and she would. Mouthing the words across a room wasn’t enough, she needed to look into your eyes when she said them.

She opened her eyes, staring into your grey ones. The ones she wanted nothing more than to get lost in. She wanted to dive into them, into you, but the space between you was too far for her to stretch on her own.

“I’m sorry.” She breathed when she looked into them, the words weighing on her like a cinder block dragging her down into the deep ocean of turmoil just below the calm surface she worked so hard to present. She swallowed, staring at you, the tension creeping into her like nothing she had ever felt. This was torture. Waiting for you was torture, waiting for you to say something, was torture. 

You took a deep breath in, one that had her heart nearly pounding out of her chest, she felt as if everything would come crashing down, as if you would reject her, scream, cuss her out and run her from your rooms as if she was the monster that she often saw herself as. 

What she didn’t expect, however, was you to throw your head back and laugh. The cackle you let loose made her jaw drop. You couldn’t help it, the entire situation was so ridiculous. She was apologizing to you. You had shoved her into a wall, and she was apologizing to you. 

You were still pissed. She had compared you to your sister. Your sister who had done horrific things to her, you were still very much pissed, but the irony of it all wasn’t lost on you. You just laughed, having to set your wine down for fear of spilling it. 

Larissa burned. You were laughing at her, laughing. She apologized, she admitted she was wrong, and you were laughing. How dare you! How dare you do this? She had made a mistake, yes, but she didn’t deserve to be mocked, to be laughed at like a freak or as if this was just all some game to you, as if she was just some game to you. She stood, her face red and her heart pounding. 

It wasn’t fair. 

It wasn’t fair that you could be so cruel and you could look that good while doing it. 

She knew it wasn’t right, but with your head thrown back, your hands without gloves now that you had ripped through them, she couldn’t help but look. She stood, enraged, and stormed over to you, her face hot as she sneered through her words.

“I apologize and you- and you act like this! Like you-“ she huffed, and you just shook your head, the laugh fading as you stepped closer, desperately needing to show her what you meant. Your eyes were stormy as they often were, but it was the broth in them that stopped her in her tracks. They were filled with… regret.

“So am I.” You said, and she stopped, looking at you strangely. Your lips turned down against your will, showing a second of the emotion you were feeling, the emotion that was choking you into silence. Your grimaced to hide it, but it was too late, you knew she saw it.

“What?” She snapped, and you huffed out a sorry excuse for a laugh. You were tired. You were tired, and you wanted her. You didn’t want to fight it. You knew you should, that as long as she saw you as nothing but an extension of your sister it wouldn’t be fair to either of you, but you didn’t want to, not anymore. Even you had your breaking point.

“I’m sorry.” You said, and her eyes went wide. 

“What on earth are you sorry for?” She snapped, and you scoffed, tossing your arms to your sides as if the answer was obvious. 

“I shoved you into a wall! You don’t think that merits an apology!” You gawked. She was out of her mind, you didn’t understand how she could ignore how wrong that was. 

“It was a door, and I am fine.” She argued, and you groaned, running a hand through your wild hair. It was fully down now, considering it was after hours. It was always so beautiful when it was down. Larissa just wanted to grab it. She wanted to run her hands through it, to play with the thick curls falling over your shoulders, to brush away the one strand that seemed to enjoy falling in front of your eyes, giving you an alluring look, at least to her, even when you were angry.

“That doesn’t matter! I laid hands on you, that is absolutely- undeniably unacceptable!” You yelled, standing up to face her. “Completely!” You added, and she just shook her head. 

“I’m fine- I swear it’s fine!” She countered, and you yelled out before you could even form the words. She was thick in the head, it seemed. In her stupidly pretty head, with her infuriatingly soft looking red lips. 

“It’s not fine! At ALL! I could have hurt you-“ you began, only to once again be cut off. 

“You didn’t!” She hissed, and you shook your head, your face drawn with worry. This was what finally got you to crack. Your worry for her broke through every single painstakingly placed barrier. Every little line you promised yourself you would not cross. 

“That isn’t the point! The point is that I could have, and the last thing I would ever want in this godforsaken life is to hurt you!” You argued, and she shook her head. 

“But you DIDN’T!” She nearly yelled, stepping closer to try to assure you. She wanted to pull you close, to hold you and tell you it was alright. 

“Listen to me, I can’t just grab people and force them to get what I want! That is wrong! That makes me no better than- no better than- than-“ you were panicking, and she could see it. 

“Ophelia, you were fine.” She tried to console you, stepping even closer. You looked up into her eyes, panic all over your face as you suddenly realized she was so close, close enough you were practically touching. So close you could just lean in, if you wanted to, and you certainly wanted to. 

“Nothing about me grabbing you- god , about the way I treat you, is fi- mmph !” You were cut off when she grabbed you by the shoulders, pulling you close and slamming her lips onto yours. 

Your arms went straight up, almost as if you were surrendering to her, unwilling to trust yourself to touch her. Yet you didn’t stop her. You gasped against her lips and she pulled away, her chest heaving as she stared at you. 

“I’m sorry, I-“ She stuttered, her eyes wide in horror that she had done the wrong thing. She just wanted you to stop, you were so close, and she knew that would stop you. She didn’t even get to finish her words, you were on her again, the look in your eyes borderline feral. 

“Oh, shut up and do it again,” you breathed, pulling her back in. 

She moaned as your lips finally pressed against hers again, you grabbed her by the hips, walking her back until she sat in one of the chairs, letting you straddle her lap so you could kiss her better. She sighed as your weight settled on her lap, her hands immediately wrapping around you, one climbing up the covered skin of your back while the other slid down your waist to cup your ass, squeezing you against her and making you nearly whimper into her lips. 

You wrapped your arms around her shoulders as you slid your tongue over her bottom lip, instantly making her part her lips when you gave a little tug on her hair, the woman moaning in response. She pulled you to roll your hips against her and you groaned into her mouth, a sound that had her breath stuttering against you. 

“Jesus Christ,” you panted, pulling back only to slam into her again, almost as if you were being flooded by waves of passion for the woman. You wanted her, you were ravenous for her, and she wanted nothing more than to have every bit of you. 

Her hands wandered over your body, she couldn’t get enough. She needed to memorize every inch, feel every atom of you pressed up against her, she needed all of you, and it was driving her mad. She whimpered against you, pulling back and gasping for air against your lips. 

“Please,” she whimpered, and you groaned, your own hand winding further into her hair as you adjusted yourself on her, letting her sit up more so she could hold you better. 

“Larissa,” you moaned as her hands gripped you tighter, and she whimpered, her lips parting shakily a hair’s breadth from yours. 

“I- please, please believe me,” she whispered, and your breath hitched, catching in your throat as she begged. You nodded against her, your lips pressing against hers again, kissing her like you needed it to survive. 

Her hands pulled you into her closer, your body sliding against her and making you grip her shoulders harshly when your core pressed against her stomach. You choked back a moan, the sound catching in your throat as you panted, pushing on her shoulders a bit and allowing you to shift your weight back onto your own legs, pulling your hips away from her. She whined, her hands grabbing fistfuls of you, desperately wanting you closer. 

“I can’t- Larissa, please, I can’t,” you panted, dropping your head to her shoulder as your heart pounded in your chest. You wanted it, you wanted her closer, you wanted to have her like that, to touch her like that, but you couldn’t, not like this, not when your mind was all over the place and you ran the risk of hurting her. Not when neither of you knew where you stood. “I can’t, not like this,” you whispered, and her chest shuddered as she tried to catch her breath, panting below you. 

“I- I’m sorry- I shouldn’t have-“ she began, panic flooding her as she worried she made the wrong move. You pulled back enough to look at her, her face flushed, her normally perfect red lipstick slightly smudged. 

Her words caught in her throat when you cupped her cheek gently, your warm skin sliding over hers. Her lips parted, the sharp intake of breath and the way her eyes fluttered half-closed as she attempted to keep eye contact giving away just how starved she was for your skin on hers. It was divine . 

She looked gorgeous like this, hazy and needy, you might just go mad to see it again. She could feel your warm hands against her cheek, the strength grounding the delicate touch. You were always so gentle with her, yet it was exactly your gentleness that broke her apart. 

“I- don’t apologize for that,” you managed, and her eyes darkened at the way you skirted around saying something firm. She knew what you were implying, what you wanted, but wouldn’t let yourself have. 

“You do, you do want… do you?” She whispered, unable to even form the words. It was ridiculous, her shying away from such a thing. The idea of someone wanting her, of you wanting her, like that, it was too much. 

She felt she didn’t deserve it. 

You hummed, the sound calling her out of her thoughts as you leaned in again, kissing her slowly this time, sweetly. You took her hand in yours, leading it up to your chest, letting it settle over your heart, and she gasped as she could feel it pounding. 

You moaned against her, tilting your head and kissing her again, your lips trailing down over her jaw, making her jump and buck up into you slightly. She whimpered when you kissed at her neck, her thighs pressing together in an attempt to get some sort of releif for the torture you caused. You groaned when you felt her do it, placing a final soft kiss to the column of her throat before pulling back again, another sweet kiss to her lips, one she leaned in to chase after only to feel you pull away, slipping your hand around her cheek again and feeling her skin practically heat up under the touch. 

She was panting up at you, nearly squirming trying to find some relief. It wasn’t fair, it wasn’t even close to fair that you could do this, that you could make her feel like this. 

“I want you, Larissa,” you breathed next to her ear, and the broken moan that left her throat was guttural. 

“Please, please, Ophelia,” she begged, and you just shook your head, your throat closing up at the words.

“But you’re not mine.” You whispered, kissing her temple again before pulling back, standing and making your way back to your chair on nearly shaking legs. She could see it. She could see how much it was killing you. Yet until you forgave her, until she found her way close to you again, you wouldn’t give in.

Chapter Text

You were drunk. You were extremely drunk. You were laying on the floor of your room, bottle of wine half gone, no glass, ceiling was spinning drunk. You had started drinking when your sister had dropped by after receiving your ‘I’m alive’ text. She had brought the wine, and you had stupidly agreed to drink with her, forgetting that your sister was essentially a potions master who loved nothing more than to drive you insane.

This is how you ended up, extremely drunk, on your floor, staring at the spinning ceiling. You only had half the bottle, there was no way that you could be this drunk off of regular wine. Heaven knows what she gave you, but it was enough to have you three sheets to the wind. You heard the door open and immediately stuck your middle finger in the air.

“You fucking drugged me you merciless bitch.” You slurred, however, instead of hearing your sister’s laugh, you heard a very concerned hiss.

“What did you do!” Larissa hissed, and Morticia just snickered.

“I didn’t think she’d actually drink that much.” She chuckled, and you attempted to sit up, glaring at the spinning image of your sister.

“I am more drunk right now, then I was- oh god the spinning-“ you hissed, grabbing your head and laying back down. “The fuck is even in there?” You asked, and she laughed.

“That would be fortified wine and a hefty dose of delirium potions, you know how hard it is to actually get you drunk.” Your sister smiled, pulling Larissa into the room and sitting on the floor with you. You looked up at the white haired woman, very confused.

“Why the fuck is your roommate here?” You asked your sister, eyes still locked onto Larissa. The poor woman was halfway between extreme confusion, concern, and panic.

“Because she likes you more than I do, and I believe you like her more than you like me.” She replied, gesturing for the woman to sit. Larissa just gaped at the interaction.

“One: not a high bar. Two: she was a fuckin bitch to me the other day, but I’m over it now.” You slurred, and Morticia laughed.

“What could Larissa have possibly done that my soft hearted big sister would be upset at her?” Morticia teased, and you glared at her.

“Aye, she thought I was you, you halfwitted fuck.” You shot, your accent thicker when you were careless, and Larissa blushed in mortification as Morticia raised a brow.

“Why? Because you look like a less interesting version of me?” Your sister teased, and again you flipped her off, slumping back to the ground.

“No, because she was upset and fuckery and this that and the other thing and you’re a cunt.” You blabbered, and Morticia laughed.

“Am I?” She asked, and you groaned.

“You fucking DRUGGED ME!” You hollered, and she hushed you, attempting to cover your mouth. You swatted her hands away a little too aggressively. “You were upset and stressed out, now you’re not.” She remedied, and you glared.

“Larissa’s better than you.” You said randomly, and Morticia rolled her eyes, clearly you were drunk.

“Mhm, I’m sure. That’s why she’s still at the school we attended as children.” Morticia scoffed, and Larissa tensed her jaw, glaring at your sister.

“Tich, I gotta tell you something.” You said, and the woman raised a brow. “She’s smarter than you, harder working, more interesting, better educated, and a fuck ton hotter than you, so kindly, suckmadick.” You slurred, and Larissa gaped as your sister glared at you.

“You’re a prude, I bet you don’t even have one with you.” She shot back, and you smiled.

“Yeah I do, and it’s nicer than the one I gave your husband for Hanukkah!” You cackled, and her jaw dropped.

“That was you!” She yelled, and you only laughed harder.

“He’s not even Jewish!” You rolled on the floor, laughing at your own prank, and Morticia sighed, cringing a bit. You were very, very out of it. She hadn’t intended to actually do more than make you a little tipsy to celebrate you not dying.

“Alright, I might have went a little far.” She breathed, and Larissa gaped at her.

“You drugged your sister!” She hissed, and Morticia shrugged.

“She’s been though worse.” She hummed, and Larissa absolutely seethed.

“Exactly! You didn’t even think to consider that you should not do this to anyone, especially her, for that exact reason!” She snapped, and you looked up from the floor. The noise was enough to have you look up, only to see Larissa angry, very angry, and pointing at your sister.

You blushed, her hair had fallen a bit, her face was flushed, and the sheer power she showed had your own skin heating up. She was defending you, and fuck if it didn’t do things to you.

“Holy mother of Fuck you’re hot.” You slurred, before dropping back down again. Larissa blushed deeply, her eyes snapping to your prone, but thankfully still covered, body, before looking back at the woman in front of her.

“Did you not stop to think that this is a massive invasion of her, not to mention the fact that it’s illegal AND you chose to do this on school grounds!” She spat at the raven haired woman sitting next to you.

“Oh, fuck me senseless, madam,” you hissed, making Larissa absolutely gape at the way you were looking at her. Thankfully, you turned to Morticia before you could finish undressing her with your eyes. “Morticia, I gottatellyou somthin.” You breathed, and she giggled.

“This is ridiculous!” Larissa hissed, and your eyes fixed on her. Want, that’s what it was, that’s what was coursing through you. Sheer, unadulterated want.

“What’s ridiculous is that you’re not in my bed right now,” you breathed, before you realized what you were saying. Your eyes went wide in horror at your own behavior before locking on your sister, who was currently cackling.

“There may have been some of a truth potion I’ve been working on in that bottle too.” She grinned gleefully. Larissa looked to her in absolute disgust. This is how she treated you. After everything you had been through, after nearly dying just days ago, this is how she treated you, like a laugh.

“I kissed ur husband.” You slurred, and Larissa’s eyes nearly bugged out of her skull. Morticia just scoffed.

“Yes, I know.” She said.

“And it was, terrible.” You shuddered, and your sister again rolled her eyes.

“That would be because you’re a lesbian, Ophelia.” She said, and you nodded.

“Mhm, I know, but Tich, it was terrible. And I have kissed my fair share of men.” You sneered. You almost looked innocent in your disgust, even if the comment made Larissa want to destroy anyone who has forced you to do that. Again your sister rolled her eyes. “And he’s so short, and gross, and soft.” You gagged.

“As opposed to what?” The raven haired woman snapped, and you shrugged.

“When women are soft, it’s amazing, it’s like worshiping a Michelangelo sculpture, like Aphrodite herself, but he was just, ew.” You said, and Morticia scoffed.

“You are the most sapphic person I know, you know that?” She said, and you smiled.

“Hell yeah.” You murmured, and she sighed. You looked up at Larissa again, your head tilting and eyes melting when you did. She really was the most beautiful creature you had ever seen. “Care to give me a run for my money?” You whispered, the innuendo far from lost on the woman if they way her cheeks burned was any indication.

“Well this is slightly less amusing then I thought it would be.” She sighed, and Larissa glared at her.

“You did this for your own amusement!” She hissed, and you hiccuped from the floor.

“She did it to get back at me for texting her I was alive instead of calling.” You mumbled, and your sister sighed, sitting next to you. You grumbled, rolling away from her and towards Larissa, who swallowed as you sat up, laying against her legs.

That was, new. You were exceedingly careful about touch, even now, especially now. You hadn’t talked to her in days, not since the wine, and now you were practically on her lap.

“Well that certainly is interesting.” Morticia smiled wickedly, and you flipped her off again. “Practically climbing my darling sequoia.” She continued, and Larissa stiffened. You could feel it. Even with your mind spinning, you could feel it, and no one should make her react like that, especially not Morticia.

“You’re a fucking bitch.” You said to your sister, only the jest in your voice had gone. You weren’t joking anymore. Larissa looked down at you in shock.

“It’s not my fault you seem to be enamored by my former roommate.” Your sister retorted, and you rolled your eyes.

“Did you ever stop to think maybe I moved because I fucking hate when you touch me?” You spat. She stopped. Everything stopped. Morticia’s eyes went dark, angry. She hated that. She hated that she couldn’t touch you anymore. You two had once been inseperable, now she was lucky if you took her hand.

“You hate when anyone touches you.” She gritted, and you glared right back.

“Not her.” You said, and your sister stood, swallowing.

“Yes, well considering you have a reputation for fucking any woman you can find your way to-“

“No I don’t.” You said. Larissa gaped. You were quite literally drugged with a truth potion, you couldn’t lie. “Despite what your mother says my ‘little black book’ is remarkably short.” You spat, and Larissa swallowed. You were angry, you were very angry. “I’m not a whore, Morticia.” You gritted, barely able to keep your head up.

“Please, I used to see you, back in the day. I still remember coming to see you and finding you covered in bruises, and that was well before you worked for that place!” Morticia retorted, “back when you would disappear for days on end to god knows where and come back spent like a fucking whore! What do you think mother thought! What was she supposed to think?” Morticia snapped, and you froze. It was like time stopped.

“Excuse me?” You hissed, and Larissa could feel the tension in the room ratchet.

“Ophelia, that’s not what I-“ she began, but your face remained hard.

“No?” You cut, and she swallowed, backing down. “No, you clearly didn’t mean to call me a whore, or to reveal that you were REPORTING on me to your mother!” You nearly screamed, sitting up further even as your head swam. “For Christ‘s sake Morticia, she put me in that place! The both of them! The both of them are the reason I ended up that way, how can you not see that?” You raged.

“I- I was worried, you were high more often then not, you were covered in bruises and I- I saw you seek out dangerous people, Ophelia, I saw one of them!” She tried to defend, and you just shook your head in disbelief.

“Saw them! Saw them! You and your husband got shitfaced with me in Paris ONE TIME!” You yelled, and Larissa physically shrunk back. So this is what it felt like when the two of you fought. It was terrifying.

“And you went off with some fucking succubus and I didn’t see you again until morning!” She yelled back, and you shook your head.

“Please, I’ve never slept with strangers, do you really think I can sleep with strangers, my god, I was on and off with Lorraine for months, which you might have known if you had ever bothered to actually ask instead of running to your mummy!” You spat back, and Morticia seemed to settle with this. It was quiet for a moment, Larissa just gaping in shock as the two of you stared at each other, your eyes hard. To Larissa’s utter shock, Morticia gave in, looking away in shame.

“She covered you in- you nearly broke your arm, Ophelia.” The woman whimpered, and you sighed, shaking your

“When all you know is pain, love in any form without it feels wrong, Morticia.” You gritted, your words still slightly slurred. “I hardly think I need to explain why sometimes, especially back then, it feels better if it hurts.” You replied, and the woman swallowed, looking away. Larissa just stared, still shocked. She turned bright red as she realized what exactly the two of you were talking about, and the contact she had with you from where you were still slumped against her legs felt like fire caressing her very skin. Yet you didn’t pull away, and as long as you wouldn’t, she would rather touch fire itself then let go of a millimeter of closeness between you two.

“I guess I’m just surprised.” Morticia admitted, glancing up at Larissa, and you calmed a bit, again leaning onto Larissa’s legs. You likely wouldn’t have if you were sober, but drunk as you were, you just wanted to be close to the woman.

“We both know she’s stunning, you can stop putting her down to feel better about yourself.” You murmured, and Morticia’s eyes went wide.

“I- I don’t-“ She stuttered, and you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“Yes, you do.” You returned, and she clenched her jaw.

“Well you would think that, you’re practically obsessed with her!” Morticia snapped back. Your eyes went wide as you looked at your sister in slight fear. You were the one drugged, but if she pushed you too far… She smirked, she held the power, at least in this particular arena and she knew it.

“Morticia, don’t-“ you panicked, but her smile widened as she asked anyway.

“Aren’t you?” She teased, and you slammed your mouth shut, trying to stop yourself. You knew even you could only fight it off so long.

“Yes,” you whispered, the word falling out of your mouth without your permission. Morticia laughed as Larissa stared down at you in shock. You were drunk, but you were also dosed with a potion that forced you to tell the truth, meaning that anything you said was… real.

“You’ve always thought she was beautiful, do you think about her in other ways too?” Morticia teased, and your body went tense, you were trying to fight it, desprately trying to fight it. You would tell Larissa these things, if the time came, but you did not want them to be ripped out of you, certainly not like this.

“Morticia,” you gasped, you could force poison or potions through your system quickly, but not without pain, and not quickly enough.

“Do you!” Your sister yelled. You hung your head, gasping out as you tried to call forth anything you could use to nullify what she had given you. Larissa swallowed, you almost looked pained.

“Morticia, I don’t think-“ she began, only to be cut off by your broken voice.

“Yes,” you whimpered, and Larissa’s breath hitched.

“Morticia, that’s enough,” the woman swallowed, but your sister just laughed, waving her off. To her, it was just a game, she meant no harm. It was just a crush, one she had been well aware of.

“We’re just playing, it’s alright,” she smirked down at you. “Why Ophelia? Hmmm, you barely know her, why are you so, what’s the word, desperate?” She pushed, and you gagged, your body shaking as you tried to force yourself to expel whatever Morticia had given you. “Why!” She yelled excitedly, and you glared up at her, staring daggers as blood dripped down your nose.

“Because something in me makes me trust her.” You glowered. Morticia went pale, paler than usual. She hurt you. Horror seized as she realized she went too far, again, she had gone too far, and she had hurt you.

“Oh my- Ophelia, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-“ she rushed, seeing exactly how hard you were fighting off whatever she dosed you with.

“Because she feels safe,” you groaned, your body begginging to shake lightly, and Morticia came to you, she gave you too much, something was wrong.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” You screamed, slamming back into Larissa’s legs. The woman gasped, falling down on the chair behind her, and watched in horror as you cried out in pain. “Don’t FUCKING TOUCH ME!” You screamed, and Morticia jumped back. Something was very wrong, you shouldn’t be reacting like this. “Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” You screamed, and Morticia realized in horror what was happening.

“Oh my god she’s not seeing us.” She breathed, and you looked around wildly, searching for any source of an explanation. All you could see was your room at Newflight, one of the guards with you.

“Please, please I don’t want to,” you whimpered, and Larissa looked down at you in horror. “I- I don’t like it, please,” you begged, and Larissa tried to reach for you. The moment her hands touched your back you gasped, arching up a bit and falling silent. Your eyes rolled back into your head.

“Shit!” Morticia hissed, coming to you and helping you down. Your body was rigid, taught as a cord as she laid you back on the floor. Larissa lunged for you, helping your sister lay you back, only to feel a familiar pull until she went tumbling face first into a vision.

Cold, it was cold. Desolate, almost, that was the first thing she felt. The walls were dark grey in the watercolor pattern your visions always were. For the moment there was only one thing in focus, and she realized that Morticia was standing right next to her, looking around wildly.

“What- what is-“ Larissa gaped, and Morticia looked around in horror.

“This is Newflight.” She swallowed, jumping as a door on the side of the room swung open, revealing two guards, dragging a limp body in between them. Larissa choked as she realized who it was.

Your body looked wrong, so weak and bent, your hair looked lifeless, matted and filthy as it hung over your bent head. You were unconscious, or at the very least unresponsive, you looked like a broken doll dangling lifelessly as the men hauled you over to a filthy looking bed, taking a metal collar attached to a chain and locking it around your neck.

Morticia looked sick as Larissa stared at you in utter horror. You were young, far too young. No longer a child, but with how emaciated you were it was nearly impossible to tell.

The closer of the two men grabbed your face, your eyes lolling back as if your body was trying to respond, trying to look at the threat, but just couldn’t any more. It couldn’t. He sneered down at you, turning your head this way and that to get a better look, lifting you up by the metal collar and leering over your body.

“Soon, word is that one’s parents are about to give up. If they disown her you can have your way with her before she’s sold.” The other guard gruffed, and the man over you smiled sickly, making both women watching shudder.

“She would be pretty, almost. If she wasn’t a fucking monster.” He responded, both men leaving the room with you chained down by the throat.

It was then that Larissa noticed the other bed, a girl a bit older than you were there, she must have been 19 or so, sitting up to try to get a better look at your limp body.

Her chain was similar to yours, it was threaded through a ring on the bed and attached to the wall, meaning they could literally pull you by the throat back into the beds, where the arm and ankle restraints were. There were other points in the room with similar loops, a terrifying spot on the wall seemed to be made to chain people spread eagle into it. She didn’t want to imagine what those were for, but her mind worked against her will, horrifying scenarios flashing across her consciousness. Even now, however, there was still a sense of a shield around her, you were still protecting her, as much as you could.

“Hey,” the girl croaked, and you didn’t respond, your lifeless body still limp and broken looking. Morticia took Larissa’s hand, making the woman flinch. She was shaking. This scared her, Larissa realized. This was something that could finally get the woman to crack her demeanor. “You have to write your parents, tell them you’re getting better.” The girl hummed, and you didn’t respond. She didn’t give up though, she just looked at you, tilting her head as best she could from where she was slouched against the wall on her bed. “I’m a seer, you know, I can tell you’re awake.” The girl whispered, and when you finally took a shuddering breath in your entire body seemed to strain with the effort.

“Why would I ever write them? They sent me here.” You whispered, and Larissa gasped, almost instinctively stepping forward to comfort you. Morticia, however, held her back.

“You’re not stupid, you heard the guards. If your parents give up, they’ll sell you to the highest bidder.” She replied. The way the other girl spoke was almost, detached. It was as if she had seen this all before, as if she knew what was coming and had accepted it. “You’ll fetch a high price too. As powerful as you are, someone will use you as a weapon.” She sighed, and you still didn’t move, didn’t open your eyes.

“Powerful,” you spat. “I grow flowers. I can’t even get myself out of here.” You rasped. You sounded so, defeated. It was like you didn’t care anymore, you couldn’t bring yourself to.

“Maybe not now, but you will be.” The girl replied. “You’re female too, they go for higher.” She added, and you seemed to still for a moment in the bed. You were barely breathing to begin with, but the moments you went truly still, neither your sister nor Larissa could tell the difference between your young body or a corpse.

“They sell shapeshifters for that, I thought, or succubi, sirens even.” You whispered, your voice straining against the silence.

“Not to fuck you, flower girl, to breed you.” She answered, and that, that finally got you to open your eyes. You stared straight at the ceiling, your eyes dead. Larissa nearly fell to her knees. The light in them, the mischief and madness she so adored, it wasn’t there. You weren’t there.

“I will never have children.” You replied coldly. The girl looked at you oddly.

“You will never give birth, but you will have children. Many, in fact.” She hummed, and your eyes continued to stare blankly at the ceiling.

“I can stop it. I know enough- I know enough of what I can do to stop it. I can make it so I never have them. I won’t be a broodmare for some psychopath.” You said, your jaw tightening as Larissa looked to you in fear. You were talking about, could you? Could you make yourself barren based on the plants and herbs you created? Did you, that young, did you have to make that choice? Is that how it happened? Morticia gasped out next to her, her hand coming to her mouth in horror and shock as she heard the conversation.

“You will still have children though.” The girl said, and you finally turned your head to look at her, your blank grey eyes meeting her green ones.

“Never.” You whispered, and she shook her head.

“I am not someone with the gift of foresight like you, or…” she hesitated. “It’s your sister, a twin, yes?” She asked, however it was clear she already knew the answer. “I am much, much more than that, my dear” She hummed. You fell silent for a moment, just scanning her face.

“How old are you?” You asked quietly, and the girl hummed.

“Nineteen, in this life, at least. You’re still fifteen, aren’t you?” She asked, and you blinked slowly in lieu of a nod. You were too weak to even move your head properly.

“I can see into your very soul, flower girl, I can see who you are, who you will be.” She said softly, her voice never daring to raise high, yet her conviction strong despite the clear weakness this place caused. You turned your head back slowly to the ceiling, staring at it in silence for a moment. The room was quiet, the only sound Larissa could hear was her pounding heartbeat, and surely it would simply stop altogether soon, seeing you like this, this broken, it almost snapped something inside of her.

“I don’t have a soul.” You said blankly, your voice scratching its way out of your abused throat. “It was ripped out of me. This place, those people, they took it.” You stated. “I feel nothing. I can’t feel, I can’t even imagine it anymore. How could that have a soul?” You rasped, your voice broken from the exhaustion of talking too much when you had nothing to give. The girl seemed to think for a moment, peering into you as you stared up at the ceiling.

“You’re wrong. You can’t feel for you, maybe, but you still feel for others. You feel for her.” She said, and you closed your eyes.

“Morticia will be fine.” You replied, and the grown woman sobbed, covering her mouth as she watched you give up in front of her. You really had given up, it was over, you let her go. This was the very day you let her go.

“She will, yes, in time. But that is not who I am referring to.” The girl replied, and you froze in place, still staring at the ceiling. It looked like you were refusing to acknowledge what she was talking about, you were almost scared to. “Burgundy roses, white lillies, are those what you think of for her? Do you know the meanings?” She asked, and you shuddered, visibly shuddered. It was like the girl was stripping away the final walls you still had up.

“Unconscious beauty and peace.” You breathed, and she smiled at you. Morticia’s eyes went wide as Larissa’s breath froze in her chest.

“You feel for her, don’t you?” She asked, although again, she seemed to already know. You squeezed your eyes shut tight, tears finally coming to them. Your body shook as they began to flow, began to trail down your sunken cheeks. It was the first time you showed any emotion since you were brought in. It was terrifying and relieving at the same time.

“She’s hurting, he- he keeps hurting her. I don’t know why, and I can’t- I can't stop it.” You whispered, your already tiny voice broken. Larissa felt her own tears come as she watched.

“You will someday. She will make you feel things you think are impossible.” The girl whispered. You shook your head, your eyes still closed.

“No, no, she doesn’t even know I exist and I- I don’t know why she’s always there! Always in my head, my sister gave me a memory of her and now it’s- it's the only thing that helps.” You admitted softly, tears wracking your body. The girl only sighed.

“You’ll learn why someday. You’ll meet her, you will trick her for a while, make her think you’re strangers, but your souls will find a way back together again.” The girl sighed, laying down and looking at the ceiling. You swallowed, forcing the tears to end as you shook your head.

“I’m never making it out of here.” You breathed, and the girl shook her own head in reply as she laid down.

“Sure you will. You will be saved, and then you will save others, again and again. You will find every distraction. You will save countless of her kind to make up for comfort you will feel like you stole from her.” The girl said, and you visibly shook in fear.

“I don’t mean to see her.” You whispered guiltily, and the girl just continued, ignoring you.

“You will fight your entire life, and someday you will know rest. That’s what she is, that is why you see her.” The girl said, and you shook your head.

“She is not rest. She is in pain!” You nearly screamed, and Larissa jumped back as the sound broke the quiet and heavy feeling in the room. Even broken and stripped, your screams were the most piercing thing she had ever heard. “She is in pain! Horrible pain! And I can’t help her! I’m here! How am I supposed to do anything from here!” You screamed, and the girl began to laugh as pounding could be heard outside the hallway, people were running towards the room.

“You will be hers as she is yours, flower girl. You will destroy yourself saving every child, every shapeshifter you can, but the only one who can save you will always be Larissa Weems.” She laughed, and you looked to her in utter fear, launching out of the bed with strength and speed you shouldn’t have possessed, stumbling over to her and grabbing her by the slip she wore. It was the same as yours.

“Don’t. Don’t say her name. They can’t know. If they know- if they find out- if that monster sends her here- they can’t know her name!” You cried, and the girl just shook her head at you with a knowing smile. The orderlies burst in as Larissa stood in utter shock, staring as if the world had been revealed to her. It had been that long? That long you had known her? It wasn’t- it didn’t make sense, why would a seer talk about her to try to get you to fight. Why did it work?

The vision flickered, and the women could see you bent over, panting. You were wearing a black sports bra and leggings, little else as music blared around you, there was blood dripping down your nose and sweat from your brow.

“Again!” A woman called, and you stood up, pulling your fists into a fighting position and tilting your head back, gasping for air as a tall red-headed man with a scruffy beard approached you.

“Look at the lass! Give her a break, Georgiana!” The man gruffed, and you shook your head, you were older here, in your twenties maybe.

“I can take it Jenkins, come on, hit me again.” You panted, pulling yourself up and setting your fists in the proper position.

“Philly, I’m not gonna-“ he began, but you surged forward, decking him once with a tight hook before he grunted, snapping out of it and beginning to spar with you.

“That’s it,” the woman called, and she walked almost through Larissa, making her shudder as she stepped closer, watching you attentively, marking your every movement. Larissa gaped, the woman had to be presenting as nearly six and a half feet tall, she was taller than her, that was certain. “Cover your left, you lean into it too much.” She said, and you gritted your teeth, moving faster despite the clear strain. It wasn’t hard to tell you were exhausted. You didn’t look to the woman, her loose brown and grey curls pulled half back as she watched you.

The vision flickered back, and the young seer nearly choked as your frail hands wrapped around her neck to silence her.

“You can’t say her name!” You panicked, and the girl laughed.

“You’ll kill them long before they know her name.” She replied, and you stared at her in horror as one of the orderlies grabbed your chain, yanking you back by the throat and making you choke and scream out.

The vision changed again, and you and Jenkins were sparing heavily. Larissa and Morticia watched in fear as you dodged blow after blow, but you were tired, and it was clear you couldn’t keep up forever. When he finally landed a good blow on you, you slumped to the ground, gasping for air and clutching your stomach where he had hit you.

“Enough, Ophelia, we can go again in th’ morn.” He said, spitting to the side, blood darkening the ground of the room. Larissa looked at your shaking body and her heart broke. You le head was bent down, your face hidden, but it didn’t take much to know that you were crying.

“I have to fight.” You sobbed, and he sighed deeply, shaking his head and kneeling down next to you.

“Not like this, yer not gettin’ any better trying to beat me when yer already dead on your feet.” He said, stroking your hair. You turned away from him, pushing the man’s arms off, and he looked up to the woman for help. She came to you slowly, eventually kneeling down with the both of you.

“That’s enough, darling.” She said, and you sobbed, shaking your head.

“I lost them.” You cried, looking up at her and nearly falling into the woman. Larissa gasped, covering her mouth. This was Georgiana, this was the woman who had shaped you, the shifter who had taught you and practically raised you after breaking you out of Newflight. “I lost them, I turned around for a second, and they were gone,” you sobbed, and she pulled you close, hushing you as she placed you on her lap, looking to Jenkins in work over your head.

“It’s not your fault dear, we can’t save all of them.” She breathed, her own voice choking on the words. Jenkins placed a heavy hand on your back, rubbing assuringly as your sobs turned into wails of grief, staining the vision with your torment.

“Ye got out four today Philly, that’s four more who’ll have lived ‘cause a ye. You cannae take that for granted.” He said firmly, and you shook your head, sobbing into the woman’s chest as you clutched onto her like she could fix everything.

“It’s ok Ophelia,” she just whispered. “I’ve got you, it’s ok.” She repeated, and your sobs only grew louder, until they faded into the screams of the other vision.

Larissa sobbed in horror as it changed back, one man yanking you back by the chain attachment to the collar around your throat as another went over to grab you.

“Strap her to the wall! If she wants to act out, she can take the punishment.” One of them said, and you cried out brokenly as you were dragged up and over to the wall, your body too tired to fight it. You refused to shed a single tear though. Adamant in your refusal to feel. In your unwillingness.

The guard from before came forward, smirking at you as he unholstered what seemed to be a small cattle prod.

“You want to play, girlie?” He mocked, and even with how dead your eyes were, he still received a glare that made Larissa suffer as Morticia shrunk back. “Strip her, might as well have something to look at while she gets her punishment.” The man said. “Drug her up too, enough so she can’t fight back, she’s a feisty one.” He added before his smile widened at your helpless body, slumping into the restraints as another guard injected you with something. “We’re supposed to make them wives after all, the bosses won’t get too mad if we break them in.” He smirked, and everything went black.

Larissa heard as Morticia screamed the moment she pulled out of the vision, her hands snapping back like she had been burned.

“Oh my god, oh my god I’m so sorry.” She whimpered, covering her mouth in shock. She felt sick, knowing that was what your childhood was, the place you had been sent to, it made her sick.

“What- what was that?” Larissa rasped, kneeling on the floor next to you and staring at your still unconscious body.

“I- I don’t know, she was trying to fight off the potion, it must have sent her into a vision but that- that can’t be real, no that can't have happened.” She whispered, horrified.

“Morticia she, let her go, she doesn’t want- oh my god-” Larissa gulped, and Morticia shook her head. “Morticia, let her go!” She barked, and the dark haired woman jumped.

“She’s been drugged like this before. I just wanted to tease her, I didn’t think…” the woman trailed, tears coming to her eyes. Larissa glared at her, picking you up and cradling your body to her protectively.

“No, you didn’t! You never do, do you?” She spat, holding you close. You stirred a bit in her arms and she looked down at you, holding you in her lap gently. Tears began to come as she cradled you, desperately waiting for any sign of life. Your eyes fluttered open and you looked up at her, swallowing as everything came flooding back. Larissa exhaled in relief, her eyes watering as yours met hers, clear again. The relief on her face was only eclipsed by her grief at seeing you like that.

“We really do have to stop meeting like this,” you breathed, and she shook her head at you, her breath shuddering in fear as she looked at you. You were here, you were with her, you were safe. It was over, she reminded herself, it was all over. You sat up, shaking your head a bit. She rubbed your back slightly and you groaned, leaning into her hand ever so slightly.

Morticia watched the interaction in shock. You really were letting her close, very close. You let her touch you. She looked at the both of you.

“I- I thought you were teasing, Ophelia I didn’t know you actually let her-“ you crawled off the woman’s lap, shooting up and running to the adjoined bathroom. Morticia cringed as she heard you wretching, the telltale sign of your body rejecting what she had given you, or you were sick from the vision. She heard you gasp for breath, and swallowed down the guilt. She hadn’t meant to hurt you, she really hadn’t. She wanted to calm you down, help you relax a bit, get out of your head, but when you made her mad, she had lost sight of it all. She always did. SHe always had to have the upper hand. If she didn’t then, then bad things happened.

She swallowed, staring at the ground as she heard the sink run. Nothing happened for a moment, both women could just hear the water running as Larissa glared at your sister. Eventually it shut off, and you appeared in the doorway. There were tears in your eyes. Morticia swallowed. She hadn’t seen you cry in years, you never cried in front of her.

“Never. Never do that again.” You rasped, and she shook her head.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, and you shook your head.

“I don’t care, promise me, promise me you will never do that again.” You said, your voice rough. She swallowed, nodding.

“I won’t.” She said, and you sighed, leaning on the doorway and holding your head. You looked absolutely ragged.

“What, how much did you see?” You asked her, and she swallowed, glancing to Larissa. “Oh, now you give a fuck about how much of my personal feeling and experiences you wrench out of my body! What did you fucking see, Morticia?” You fumed, and she cried, shaking her head. She looked down, tears in her eyes as she tried to fight the image back. “You were so little,” She rasped, and you swallowed.

“Morticia,” you tried, and she shook her head.

“FIFTEEN!” She screamed, and you took a deep breath in.

“Fifteen.” You admitted, and she sobbed.

“I- I was complaining about Gomez’ bad flirting and Larissa’s grades and you were, that is what they did to you?” She asked you, looking at you in horror. You sighed deeply.

“Ask me again.” You swallowed. You couldn’t look at Lariss yet, she had seen too much, she had seen into your very soul, into how long you had been hers. It was a terrifying thing.

“What?” She rasped, and you nodded.

“Ask me why I don’t mind- why I like when Larissa touches me.” You sighed, closing your eyes for a moment. Larissa looked to you, her own eyes wide. Seeing you like that, how you were touched, not even touched, handled like an object, it broke something in her. Yet even then you were trying to protect her, the seer in the room telling you exactly what you would do. With the way you reacted, with the way you cared for her after the other night, after that man tried to- it made so much sense, and it made her sick.

“Why do you like when she touches you?” Morticia whispered, and you smiled sadly.

“Because you fed me her warmth,” you sighed. “I had seen her before because of you, but a little over a year after that, hers were the first visions you gave me, when you were trying to- when you came for me.” You sighed. You walked over, sitting on the floor with both women. “I’ve known her for a very long time, even if she hasn’t known me.” You said. “I know how her heart beats, the beauty of her smile. You fed me her comfort when you had none to give me, I- I know the feeling she had when she looked at you.” You said softly. Larissa’s heart shattered. That was why, that was shy it had hurt you so much when she compared you to your sister. You knew what it felt like when she was in love with her, when she hated Morticia for how much she loved her. “If it wasn’t for her I likely never would have talked to you again.” You admitted. “I wouldn’t know my niece or nephew.” You sighed. “I certainly wouldn’t come here, hell, I may not even be alive.” You sighed. “So yes, I am comfortable with her touching me, and I know that is hard for you. I’m sorry,” you said softly, and Morticia shook her head.

“You shouldn’t have to apologize.” She swallowed, and you smiled sadly.

“I wish I could hug you without being terrified I’ll show you something you can’t unsee. But I can’t. I can with her. She isn’t connected the way you and I are.” You explained softly. The woman nodded. “You and I, we will always be connected. Neither of us had a choice in that. When you chose to show me her, you showed me someone I could find comfort in without the fear of them seeing into me.” You whispered, and she nodded. You could feel Larissa’s eyes on you, and when you finally turned to look at her, your head tilting up slightly to see her, she fought the urge to take you into her arms and hold you until all the pain in your eyes disappeared.

“I really did always pick her, didn’t I?” She asked you, and you nodded.

“Yes. You did.” You sighed, and Larissa looked between the both of you. You hummed, looking to your sister. “Would you like to explain it, or should I, Tich?” You asked your sister, and she nodded. She looked to the white haired woman next to you, swallowing.

“When Ophelia was, dying, after what that place did to her, I wanted her to know what the outside world was like, what people, people that were good, were like. What the people I cared about were like. So I showed her you. She’s seen countless visions of you, a lot of Gomez too, but she didn’t respond to Gomez like she responded to you. It was like fate, I could get her to wake up with you, sometimes.” Morticia said, and the woman gasped, looking to you.

“You brought me back.” You smiled. “When I thought there was no beauty in this world, you brought me back.” You said, and Larissa swallowed, looking at you.

“I don’t know what to say.” She admitted, and you smiled.

“That’s alright. I wouldn’t either.” You admitted.

“You knew her too, of course.” Morticia said, and the both of you looked at her confused.

“What?” You said, and Larissa just shook her head.

“You never talked about having a sister, I would know.” She said dryly, and Morticia laughed.

“No, but I did have a pen pall in England. One who’s writing you became a bit obsessed with.” She teased, and your brows shot up as Larissa blushed deeply.

“Oh my god,” she breathed, and you stared at your sister.

“WHAT?” You repeated, and she laughed.

“Your poetry, Larissa would beg me for your poetry.” She said, and it was your turn to blush. “She would tell me she felt she knew the soul of the person who wrote it.” Morticia chuckled, and you shook your head, utterly shocked.

“Said soul was half dead.” You reminded her, and your sister laughed a bit.

“I had no idea.” Larissa swallowed, looking to you. It all made sense. Sometimes when you spoke it felt as though your words were familiar, this was why. This was why the way you spoke often felt like something she had known before. She had.

“Neither did I.” You said softly, and she stared at you for a moment.

“There was one, it broke my heart, it was about a bird watching an angel,” she whispered. You hummed, thinking for a moment.

“You.” You said, and her eyes went wide. “I was watching you.” You admitted, and she swallowed.

“Oh,” she breathed, her face flushing, and you nodded, your own heart rate picking up at the implied meaning.

“Yes, I- well done Morticia.” You sighed, shaking your head as you turned to your sister.

“I may have, not treated her right, I still don’t, but you, I could give her you.” She said softly, and you blinked a few times at your sister. So that was how she viewed it. You never could quite understand your sister’s view of things, but you did understand that. She wanted to help, it just so often went wrong. You yawned, the drain from it all getting to you, and Morticia nodded her head, standing.

“I should head home.” She said, and you nodded, standing as well. You offered a hand to Larissa, without thinking. The action made her blush. Even instinctually you were considerate.

“Alright. I- I’ll come around, soon.” You said, and the woman nodded.

“Bye Issa.” She teased, and you rolled your eyes as the woman scoffed.

“Goodbye, Mrs. Addams.” She returned, and you chuckled at the eye roll your sister gave. She turned to go, but you stopped her.

“Hey Tich?” You said, and she turned, looking to you. You sighed, walking up to her and taking her hand for a moment, the action shocking her. She looked down at your hands in amazement, smiling teary eyed as you squeezed once before letting go. She looked up at you, unsure what to say. It was a step. She had learned, today. You both had. You were never exactly sure where the two of you stood, but for now, it seemed like it might have been alright.

“I love you.” She whispered, and you sighed deeply, pain flickering over your eyes again for a moment.

“I-” You began, and she shook her head, hushing you, before holding herself up high.

“No, no not now. I know how you are about those words, wait.” She said, and you closed your eyes for a moment in relief. Larissa watched in shock as the woman went over to her purse, pulling out a pair of gloves. Your eyes softened, your head tilting slightly at the gesture. “I- it is never my intention to hurt you,” She swallowed. “It never has been, ever. I just- I simply-” She tried, unable to find the words.

“I know,” You said softly, and tears filled your sister’s eyes.

“You know,” She breathed, pulling on the glove and tentatively holding her hand out to you. You took a deep breath in, nodding tentatively and allowing her to cup your face. She gasped as she did, a slight laugh leaving her lips. “I forgot how warm you always are.” She hummed, and you chuckled.

“It’s for the plants.” You explained, and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“Of course it is.” She smiled, and you pulled away, sitting back down on the floor when the woman turned to go, looking to you and Larissa one more time before she went.

She left, heading to the waiting car, you assumed, leaving you and Larissa alone. As soon as the woman left you melted, and Larissa inhaled sharply seeing your exhaustion and need for rest show so fully. The tall woman looked at you unsure, still sitting on the floor with you.

“Are you, alright?” She asked you, and you looked at her, raising your brows.

“I’m no longer drunk or under the effects of my sister’s potions, if that’s what you’re asking.” You said, and she nodded.

“You ah, you don’t have to worry about anything that you said, I won’t, I wouldn’t hold it against you.” She said, and you sighed, nodding.

“She likes when she gets the upper hand on me, I pissed her off, I should have stopped before she started asking me questions, I’m sorry.” You apologized, and she shook her head.

“You don’t have to apologize.” She whispered, and you looked at her.

“Larissa I-“

“How do you think of me?” She rushed, and your eyes went wide. It had already been more than you had talked to her in over a week. You hadn’t even looked at her much, let alone spoken to her. Now she was close again, so, so close, and practically offering the comfort you so desperately needed.

“Larissa, I don’t think that I-” you tried, but the woman just shook her head. She needed to try. She hadn’t been close to you in far too long, she needed you again. Especially after seeing you in that hell, she needed to know that you were alright.

“I know everything else. I used to read your writing until I fell asleep at night, I used to think, of the woman writing it. Of what she would look like, sound like.” She said, and you took a deep inhale in.

“I hope I don’t disappoint.” You tried to joke, and she just shook her head.

“No, you are more than I could have ever imagined.” She breathed, and you blushed. You looked away, white and pink flowers blooming in your hair. Her breath hitched. She had seen those colors before, this wasn’t red, you weren’t, you weren’t there, but this was something. After the other night she feared you would never talk to her again. You looked at her, watching her worried expression. She was panicked, she didn’t know where she stood.

“I’m not going to kick you out.” You sighed, and her eyes went back to yours. “If i wanted you to leave i would have asked you to.” You sighed, laying back on the floor. She just watched you, unsure. She felt like she didn’t to now what to say, what to do. She had gotten so close, but she had also ruined it last time.

“I’m sorry.” You said softly, staring at the fire as you laid on the floor. “You were hurt, I should have given you more grace.” You sighed, and she looked at you in sheer amazement.

“You’re nothing like her.” She breathed, and you turned to her, your grey eyes meeting blue. “God, you’re nothing like her.” She whispered, and you swallowed. “Please I, I’m sorry.” She breathed. You stared for a moment, deciding. She breathed, crawling closer to you. You sat up to meet her, staring into her eyes, swirling with uncertainly, and, hope. “I just found out I’ve been looking for you since I was school aged, I don’t want, please I don’t want your sister to be what you think of when you look at me.” She whispered, looking down at the ground. You hummed.

“Well then you know exactly how I feel.” You breathed, and she swallowed, looking back at you. “Who am I?” You asked her, and she furrowed her brows, looking at you strangely.

“Ophelia,” she swallowed, and you continued.

“Who am I?” You asked again, and she looked at you for a moment before finding the words.

“Your name is Ophelia Florere. You can create the most beautiful wonders with just a thought. You hate physical contact, but you want to be touched.” She began, doing her best to meet your eyes through the intensity. “You wrote beautiful, heartbreaking poetry. You’ve saved countless lives. You’ve lived through horrific pain. You like teaching, you’re a natural at it, I’ve never seen the students like they were with you in the conservatory.” She breathed, and your eyes widened a fraction. “You smile like a madwoman and you dance when you think no one is around. You can sketch beautifully, and you’re absolutely brilliant. You protect those you love with such ferocity it makes me, it makes me wonder what that must feel like.” She said softly, her throat tightening. She wanted to say it, she needed to say it. Even if there was fear like she never felt, she needed to say it. “I had a taste of it, just a taste and it- it’s addictive. You’re addictive.” She said breathlessly. “You’re tempting in ways that drive me mad, and I know, I know I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t even be saying this right now, but I want you, I want you to know what it feels like, what it feels like to look at you.” She whispered. You blinked, your eyes watering as she spoke, your breath stolen. “You’re beautiful.” She said softly, and she watched as a single tear rolled down your cheek.

“And you think I’m a poet.” You tried to laugh it off, looking away as the tears came. Her hand came to your face, brushing them away almost instinctually. Your breath hitched in surprise. Touch was always strange, but hers, hers almost felt good. It did feel good. You nearly cried as you leaned slightly into her hand.

“Will you let me touch you?” She asked, and you swallowed. “I, I won’t ask for more, I just, after today, after seeing that. Let me hold you again?” She asked, and you looked up at her. “Just for a moment, and I’ll let it be then- I’ll give it up after, I just want to feel you, I want to feel that you’re alright. That everything is alright.” She finished, her voice fading into nothing. You placed your hand over hers, bringing her attention to you. You couldn’t speak, you didn’t have the words.

She watched in shock as you crawled to her, placing your hand on her chest and pushing her down, laying her on the ground. Her breath hitched as you leaned in, she wanted you to kiss her. She wanted to taste you again. She wanted to feel you writhe for her, to feel all of your skin pressing against her. Yet she had made a mistake last time, the only time you had let her that close. A mistake she paid for.

More than anything, she just wanted you close.

You laid her back flat on the floor, next to the fire, laying down next to her. Her breath hitched as you tucked yourself between her chest and her arm, resting your face just over her heart. Your skin was still covered, other than your hands, the turtleneck and long skirt leaving almost none exposed. It helped, the barrier between you two easing your mind. You couldn’t handle your bare skin on hers, no matter how much you craved it right now.

“It isn’t so bad, when it’s you.” You whispered, and she closed her eyes, tears coming to them. You were close, she couldn’t touch your skin, but she could hold you. You would allow her that much.

“That woman…” she trailed, and you hummed, it didn’t take much to know who she was referring to.

“Georgiana.” You answered the unspoken question. “She was good too. Not the same, she was like family, but,” you breathed in deeply, trying to find the words. Her hand wrapped around your waist tentatively, and you shivered, but almost snuggled in deeper. “But you are safe, like she was.” You whispered, your eyelids growing heavy.

The woman holding you could have sobbed. Safe. Safe you had called her. She didn’t think she deserved it. She didn’t think anyone did, after what the world had done to you, but the way your warmth pressed against her, it lit a fire in her. She would keep you safe, as much as she could, as long as you would let her.

“Is she, was she…” she trailed, and you hummed. You knew the question, and while the answer was likely yes. In all likelihood Georgiana was a face of the spirit that had appeared the other night, the spirit of Larissa’s aunt, you didn’t have the mind to think of it right now. You were exhausted, thoroughly exhausted.

“I’m tired.” You admitted instead. She didn’t dare look at you, not when you were this close. Her hands wrapped around you shakily, holding you to her. You didn’t react, not that she could tell. She couldn’t see the tears threatening to come to your eyes.

“Then rest,” She husked. You broke, you had spent your entire life fighting, hiding, it was too much, she was too much. “I’ll be here. I- no one will come. You’re safe.” She whispered, and she could have sworn she felt tears through her shirt as you nodded a little, curling into her slightly more as you closed your eyes, falling asleep almost instantly in her hold.

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