Actress/Character One-Shots (WLW)

Lovebug - C. Goode

She transmuted to the front door of the academy, her fiery red hair whipping in the wind as she choked on her own sobs. She pounded on the door viscously, praying silently that her mother would be the one to open it; she was about to knock again when a beautiful blonde woman sporting a puzzled expression pulled the door open.

"Can I help you?" she asked, her tone not harsh but skeptical.

"I- Myrtle. Myrtle Snow, is she- is she here? I need to speak with her, please," the young woman pleaded. She stuttered over her words as she tried her best to hold herself together.

"Why do you wish to speak with Myrtle?"

"I need to, please, she's my-" the distraught woman was cut off by a voice from inside the academy.

"Cordelia? Who is it?" a familiar voice called. The door swung open the rest of the way, and an audible sigh of relief could be heard before the young redhead spoke again.

"Mama," she cried, flinging herself into the arms of the woman they had been talking about only moments earlier. The elder redhead was taken by surprise, of course, to see her daughter standing on the doorstep of the academy, but she accepted her embrace nonetheless. It was only now that she had her in her arms that she noticed how violently she was trembling and weeping.

"What's wrong, Rhea? Why are you here?" Myrtle asked, her concern showing plainly in her tone as well as the way she was holding her daughter so tightly.

"He f-found me again, Mama," Rhea managed to choke out between sobs. She took hold of the woman's sweater, using it to remind herself that she wasn't alone anymore.

Myrtle looked up at a perplexed Cordelia, the blonde woman simply staring at the pair with her mouth open slightly. She sighed, although it sounded a bit more like a growl, before kissing the top of Rhea's head and moving her away from her chest just far enough to look her in the eye.

"Did he touch you?" Rhea hesitated a moment and then nodded. Her mother's eyes filled with a rage she had only seen one time before. The woman turned to face the headmistress once more. "Keep her safe please, Delia. I have something I need to deal with."

Without further explanation, Myrtle handed Rhea off to Cordelia and stormed out of the academy, leaving the blonde no less confused than she was the moment she opened the front door. The headmistress did not hesitate, however, to wrap her arms around Rhea and pull her into a hug as she was shaking and sobbing. She ran her fingers through the young woman's hair, admiring how soft it was and the way it held the same red pigment as her mother's. Once she'd finally calmed down, the redhead looked up at Cordelia.

"I'm sorry. We don't even know each other, and I just got makeup on your shirt," she said, a little bit of a laugh accompanying her words. The older woman chuckled as well.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I have plenty of other white blouses I can wear." Now that she was no longer hysterical, Rhea noticed just how beautiful the woman really was. Her blonde locks fell just below her shoulders and held a slight curl, her eyes were honey-like and warm, and her lips were painted a gentle pink. She was wearing a white blouse, that was now stained with Rhea's makeup, and black slacks that fit her perfectly. To top everything off, she wore black heels that allowed her to be a few inches taller than the young woman. She was drawn from her thoughts when she felt a hand tenderly lift her chin. "It's rude to stare, you know."

"Sorry," she mumbled, her face flushing almost as bright as her hair. Cordelia laughed again before removing her hand from Rhea's chin and instead offering it out for her to take.

"Let's go get you cleaned up," she suggested. Rhea took her hand skeptically, still unsure if she really meant for her to hold it. Her doubts melted away, however, when the headmistress smiled at their woven fingers and pulled her down the hall. She brought her upstairs and into a bedroom, presumably her own, before dragging her into the ensuite. Nodding toward the toilet, Cordelia spoke again. "Sit, sweetheart."