Rumours

Never Going Back Again

"You don't know what it means to win
Come down and see me again"

Cordelia could feel her tender skin as she lay under the flickering hospital lights. She had been put under upon her arrival and although she was still mostly out of it, she became aware of her surroundings. The pain that remained from the acid that had forever scarred her skin, she knew it was no use trying to open her eyes yet as it would be the same as they were closed. She had heard the doctors talking things over with her mother, knowing her sight was unable to be saved. There wasn't much Cordelia could remember from the attack, other than seeing a black hooded figure and then before she knew it, the stinging of the acid burning her face. She had thought she would die from the pain if nothing else, memories of her life flooding through her mind as if it were her final moments.

She thought of Misty once again. Before seeing her on the news, Cordelia had only thought of her every so often, it was still all the little things that she couldn't help but be reminded of. A certain plant that would grow a little off to the side like Misty's always seemed to do, the scent of lilacs and earth reminded her of Misty, it was a mixture of her shampoo and sense of adventure, Misty rarely going a day without ending up in dirt.

~ Then ~

"Where have you been all day?" Cordelia asked as Misty entered her room unannounced, covered nearly head to toe in mud.

"You know there's a little swamp not too far from here."

"Did you go for a swim?" Cordelia chuckled.

"Why Miss Cordelia, mud has healing powers, dont'cha know." Misty smirked as her pet name for Cordelia slid off her lips.

"Well you're healing my nice white carpet right now."

"I was gonna ask if I can use your shower, I don't want the ladies gettin' mad at me."

"Go right ahead but I'm sure the trail leading to my room will give you away."

"They ain't gonna accuse ya of shit and you know it. No one wants to fuck with royalty." Misty huffed.

"Except you."

"What do I care? You ain't your mom just like I ain't mine. We can't choose our parents, guess I'm the only one smart enough around here to get that."

"I -" Cordelia had to stop herself from letting the words "I love you" fall off her tongue. She looked at Misty with longing eyes and simply smiled.

"I better get to that shower, ya got anything to wear?"

~ Now ~

She could feel the presence of Hank and her mother around her bed. Cordelia slowly became more in tune with reality, the effects of the medication beginning to wear off. She could hear them fighting, Hank yelling at Fiona for what a terrible mother she was and continues to be, Fiona shouting back her distaste for the man her daughter married. It seemed no one Cordelia had loved had been deemed worthy by Fiona, here toughest critic was also in some weird sense her biggest protector. She didn't know if Fiona had just wanted her to live a miserable life alone like the one she had lived, or if she really thought Cordelia should have just had higher expectations for herself. Fiona, however, was more about appearances than much else. A good looking man with a fine paying job, that was all that was required to please her. First she had chased Misty away, then she moved onto Hank. Anyone in between hadn't lasted long enough for Fiona to know of.

~ Then ~

"You get the hell away from my daughter, or I'll do it myself. You hear me!" Fiona's voice boomed throughout Cordelia's room, Cordelia sitting meekly on the bed as Fiona shouted at Misty.

"Mom -"

"I will speak to you later." Fiona flashed a look that made Cordelia cower lower into her sheets.

Misty looked at Cordelia with tears in her eyes, standing at the foot of the bed. Cordelia resisted the urge to meet her glance, her heart shattering as Misty ran out of the room.

~ Now ~

The memory still pained Cordelia. Her love affair with Misty had just begun when Fiona returned to the Coven so angrily, ending what might have been, and for that Cordelia had never been able to forgive her mother. They had never spoken about it, a silence of acceptance always between the two. Fiona knew Cordelia resented her, but couldn't let her daughter be shacking up with some swamp witch from god knows where. She had always thought Cordelia deserved better, but after meeting Hank, she found herself missing the swamp witch.

Misty had found refuge in a familiar swamp soon after being burned at the stake. It was secluded enough she was given the time needed for her body to heal itself. The days and nights she had spent were long and lonely, the swamp bringing her memories of her youth, ones she had done her best not to think of since leaving the Coven. Being back in the swamp, she couldn't help but think of Cordelia, but it felt like there was something stronger, something pulling her towards her. She walked through a deserted area, coming across what looked to be someone who had met a similar fate as Misty herself. Cordelia's presence was strong as Misty came closer to the body that lay at the foot of the stake.

As she neared the seared corpse, the connection with Cordelia became stronger, it wasn't until Misty was toe to toe with the woman she realized who it was. Before Fiona had come into their lives, Misty and Myrtle had always been quite close during her stay at the Coven, however, after Fiona's less than pleasant visit, it seemed as if all the heads of the household had forgotten who Misty was, as if she were a stranger. With all Myrtle had done for her over the years, Misty only found it right to use her powers to bring her back, days of healing would be long and painful for Myrtle, but Misty knew she hadn't deserved the fate she had been given. She knew that ultimately, Myrtle would be the one to lead her back to Cordelia.