Lost Spirits

Denial

A/N: From this point on, I might not be as regular with updates as my friends and I continue to roleplay. I'll try to keep the updates to Sundays but there might be a few weeks gaps. As you were.

Nicole turned in the direction Maura gestured. Something shimmered in the corner of her vision. When she gave it her full attention, she screamed and scrambled off the bed, trying to get away.

It was wings, like a butterfly's. One of them was bandaged, similar to her arm. Her untidy attempt to escape was futile as the wings followed her. "What is going on?"

Mellie brought over the bowl of soup she'd been prepping as they talked, gently guiding Nicole's shoulder with her free hand, "Sit down sweetheart. You're recovering, have some soup." She passed the bowl to Nicole as she led the girl back to sit on the bed, "Those are your wings. It's very natural. We assumed you didn't know and that's why you were able to keep on the down low this long. It also means your wings are going to feel really new and sore from being cramped for so long. They're healing right now, just leave them be until they're healed and we'll figure out something then, okay? I'll hide them with a minor illusion when people are over or if you need to go home, but it'd be better if you could stay here with us while you heal. We don't know much about fairy healing but we know more than any mortal."

She had to be going insane. "What are you talking about?! What did you give me that is making me hallucinate?! Fairies don't exist! Or maybe this is all a dream and when I wake up it will still be Friday and I can go home." Nicole didn't know when she had started but her nails were cutting into the palm of her skin. She hunched in a ball, hands over her ears like a child and prayed that it was all just a dream.

Maura stepped forward, her voice soft. "It's not a dream," she said. "Fairies do exist, and you are one. Telling yourself it isn't true is only going to cause more problems. This is a part of you, whether you like it or not."

"Shut up!" Nicole yelled. "Just shut up!" She had to get out of there. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and stood. "Leave me alone!" Nicole ran outside, her only goal to get home where things were mostly normal.

"You can't just ignore this!" Maura called after her, but she was already gone.

Mellie gave Maura a bit of an exasperated look, "Her whole world view just changed, you might have been a little slower and softer about approaching. What if today I suddenly told you that you were actually a human adopted by Fae and you've never been a selkie like you thought? You'd freak too. Let's give her some time to figure things out and talk about what we need to do to help her. But let's talk while we follow her, we don't want those wings flashing to everyone, I'll need to follow with an illusion." Mellie already had some shoes on and grabbed the keys to her house already on the way out the door, beaconing to Maura.

Maura sighed, trying to push down the memories surfacing in the back of her mind as they walked. "I get that it's hard but..." she sighed again, unsure of what to say. "Just... denying it only makes it harder to accept. The second she has to face the truth–" Maura paused. "If she keeps pretending this doesn't exist... it won't be good."

Mellie gave a soft smile to Maura, "Yeah, she doesn't have much of a choice about facing it now with her wings out and all. We'll have to help her to get there though. I'm sure you'll be able to help her the best with the Fae world after all! Brownies are probably a little too close to humans, I don't know as much as I would like to help her."