A/N: First of all I should point out to any newcomer that this is a SEQUEL (to Running in the Shadows) – I won't tell you what to do, merely point out that this story will not have a whole lot of coherence without the first one. To old readers, welcome back! I'm very honored that you want to keep I hope you will enjoy this just as much. I will try to keep a reasonable pace with the posting, aiming for once a week, but I can't promise that it'll stay that way throughout the whole thing.

Disclaimer: I still do not own any of the known characters or settings. Still wish I did.

Part 1

"If I hope and if I pray, it might work out someday"

- Seven Wonders, Fleetwood Mac

It was a mess of blood and stern voices and figures rushing by. Her fingers were almost crushed by Cordelia's hand, gripping them so tight. Cordelia's whole body shook and it transferred through that touch into Misty. There was a smell, Misty could never quite put her finger on, sterile as hospitals always were, but with an organic taste, which lingered with her. Neither of them said a word. Cordelia's panting breaths were returning to normal, but no words came over her lips. They were both caught in a limbo, waiting, watching the scene. The figures, all covered in scrubs and concentrated faces and Cordelia's blood, gathered in one end of the room, like a shield, mumbling and gesturing with instruments.

And then, a moment of gasping silence.

Until the cry.

It was the tiniest, most fragile, infant sound Misty had ever heard. Yet it was so full of life. It spoke to her in the most direct way, hit her in the chest and clenched an infant fist around her heart. But she didn't want it to let go. Never. This fist didn't hurt, it only made her feel giddy.

"The baby's healthy, Delia, I can feel it. You did it."

Cordelia closed her eyes and let her head fall back. She smiled through the exhaustion and gave Misty's hand a gentler squeeze. Misty lifted Cordelia's hand up and kissed it.

"You did good, baby."

Cordelia opened her eyes again and looked up at Misty. Her face was glimmering with sweat, her hairline wet and her body the picture of bone-deep exhaustion, but her eyes shone with life. The same as that cry, which still danced around the room, only now subsiding to a whimper.

"I wasn't scared, not one bit. Because I knew that if anything went wrong, you were there to fix us."

Misty smiled at her and opened her mouth to speak, when one of the nurses emerged from the shield of scrubs. It was Emily, a familiar face from their frequent hospital visits and today her face shone even more than usual. The little cry followed her.

"Are you ready to meet your baby?" Both women looked at her, but only briefly, because the tiny creature in her arms stole their attention right away. "He's a healthy baby boy."

Emily stepped close to the bed and Misty moved to give her space, so she could hand Cordelia her newborn son. She placed him in Cordelia's waiting embrace, against her naked skin and Cordelia stared at the little boy as if she had never seen anything quite so miraculous. Misty squeezed her shoulder, for a moment just as mesmerized. Then she bent down and tapped at the boy's pink cheek with her finger. The little boy cooed and his fingers twitched.

"Hey, baby boy", she said.

Cordelia's chest heaved as she tried to stifle her crying. Tears rolled out of her eyes and landed softly on the baby's stomach. Then the faintest chuckle came out of her mouth and she looked up to meet Misty's gaze.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy", she said. The conviction with which she said it and the light in her eyes made Misty feel like her heart was too big for her chest. It beat out of rhythm, it swelled inside her body. Only the infant fist kept it in place, as she bent down and kissed Cordelia.

"I love you", she whispered into her face. She whispered, because she wanted nothing to disturb this moment, not even the sound of a declaration of love. Because it wasn't needed. Cordelia finally understood, finally embraced it and it was with a convincing smile that she whispered it back.

Somewhere in the periphery, the midwife and the rest of the nurses were busy cleaning up. The amount of blood scared Misty a little, but she took comfort in the fact that she could sense no hurt in Cordelia. She was the farthest from injury she had ever been.

The only one not moving was Emily and Misty looked up to see if she wanted something. Cordelia was too preoccupied to notice anything beyond the wrinkled little wonder in her arms.

Emily started when she realized Misty was looking at her. "Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. You two are just my favorites. Um, so do we have a name for your boy yet?"

Cordelia looked up and Misty caught her eye, extended an silent question. Cordelia nodded and looked down again. She was too much in awe to speak.

Misty looked up at Emily and answered: "His name is Cage." Misty couldn't help but smile with pride, because Cordelia had let her decide this.

Emily gave them both a warm smile and looked at the boy. "Welcome to the world, Cage", she said. "This is where the fun begins."

O0O

The first year passed by them like a blink of an eye. Maybe it was that she perceived everything so vividly now without the antidepressants, that everything was sharper, faster, experienced quicker. Her little boy grew from the tiny infant barely the length of her arm to the baby, sitting on her hip whenever she needed her hand free. Just the simple notion of this baby's weight on her body made her feel a happiness she could barely contain in her chest. His chubby hands pulling her hair still sometimes made her cry. Cordelia thought to herself that he would grow up with such a distorted perception of tears, because she was always so happy when he saw her cry.

Only one thing in the world came close to the joy of having Cage with her and that was watching Misty with him. There was a childishness still very much alive in her soul, one that Cordelia had lost long ago. Misty could play peekaboo with the baby for an hour straight, she could dance around with him in her arms, while singing along to Stevie Nicks until her own laughter outmatched his and she never tired. She could chase him around on her knees when he learned to crawl, growling like a playful animal and she did it with a seemingly endless resource of energy. All this while still waking up along with Cordelia herself every time Cage cried at night. Sometimes she even pushed Cordelia back in bed and announced she would get him. And she would cradle him in her arms like her own. The sight made Cordelia's heart beat with the purest of love.

"I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me that you care so much for Cage", she told Misty one of such nights. "I could never ask that of you."

Misty handed her the baby so she could feed him and said: "You didn't have to. He's a tiny boy version of you, how could I not love him?"

And he really was. He had a tentative nature, which had become clear even at this young age. He was careful with his curiosity, he explored at his own pace. Physically, he was just as similar. There were traits of his father in his face, but most of it was Cordelia. His blonde hair, his nose and cheekbones. His eyes. Cordelia didn't think she could possibly love her perfect little boy more than she already did, but whenever she looked at that fraction of brown in his left and otherwise blue eye, she found that she did.

Something else she could not have foreseen was the peace Cage brought to the house. Her mother had decided to settle down in New Orleans and whether it was because of the breakdown, the baby or Fiona's drug-dealing boyfriend, Cordelia didn't know. All she knew was that so long as she didn't bring up the drug business too often, they coexisted peacefully in a way they hadn't before. They were all there, the people from her childhood: Fiona, Misty and Spalding, and in some ways it was a strange sense of déjà vu. Like Spalding lurking in the corners, only to appear and cast some very acidic glances whenever Cometh visited, and Fiona bossing everyone around. Only the balance had somewhat shifted. The tone had changed. Everybody centered around the baby, Cordelia's baby, and looking at her mother handling the infant, she realized that there was still traces of mothering left in Fiona. And they even extended to Cordelia at times. Cordelia couldn't help picturing herself in the arms of a younger version of Fiona. Yet again, there was no father in the room, but Cordelia wasn't troubled. She had Misty.

When the first year had passed, Cordelia went back to work part time. The looks she received in the teacher's lounge now didn't go unnoticed. She hadn't been to work since the black hole after Hank died and came back. Misty came back to being her usual self mere days after nearly dying, but Cordelia took another month. She made a deal with the school to take the year off, since the kids were settling in well with the new teacher, and lengthen her maternity leave. If it wasn't for Fiona there might not have been a job to get back to, and she didn't let Cordelia forget it. But Cordelia only smiled and thanked her. She wanted the kids back.

The looks she could easily dismiss by now, but what sometimes got under her skin was the talk. Since her colleagues last saw her, she had had a mental breakdown, divorced her husband and gotten openly involved in a romantic relationship with another woman. No one said anything rude to her face, but the whispers were quick to connect the three major events and some even said the first caused the two others. Misty always told her not to care what people thought or said, but it sometimes made Cordelia wish she didn't live in the south. She didn't think colleagues would be as quick to assume, if she still lived in Boston.

Now Cordelia made her way to the bar, the baby secure on her hip. She didn't like the place much, but she knew Misty had a special connection to it, so she didn't object. She had spent a year or so of her life cleaning this place in exchange for a place to sleep after she had left her hometown for good. The bar manager had been the faintest hint of a father figure for a year of her teenage life. The less romantic reason was that this was one of the only places Misty could get a job that suited her free spirit and lack of education.

Cordelia had never imagined a day where she would visit Misty at work. Perhaps it was that she had never dared think that long into the future, had never dared imagine one for them. Suddenly they were living it and it included Misty working, because with Hank's paycheck gone and Cordelia only working part time, they needed the money.

Cage cooed and sucked on her sleeve when she stopped at the door. She braced herself and opened. Tried to spot Misty through the haze of smoke in there. Music poured from the jukebox in the corner and drowned any talk there might have been. It was only six o'clock, Misty's early day at work, but a few of her customers were already at the bottom of their beers. There weren't many though and she found Misty quickly, in the process of serving another beer to Jackson, someone Cordelia believed she had become friendly with.

Cordelia took a moment to watch her. Misty never wore jeans at home, always her dresses, but at work she did. That and a jeans vest. Her wild hair was tied up in a loose knot and she had wrapped a bandana around her head. The look suited her, displayed her free spirited nature, but kept it contained somehow. The perfect blend for a work situation. And she looked gorgeous, Cordelia wouldn't deny that.

Finally, Misty saw her and a wide grin divided her lips. She held up a finger to mimic 'one second', poured the rest of the beer and then went around the counter, laughing at whatever Jackson had just said.

"Hey", she greeted and bent down for a kiss. Misty never cared about public display and Cordelia never had the heart to stop her. Cage greeted her with his infant laugh, the high pitched one that only babies can make. "Hey there, pup", she said and tickled him until he withered in Cordelia's arms. Finally, she looked up at Cordelia again with disbelief.

"Darlin', what're you doing, bringin' him here? I thought you didn't want the smoke on him."

"That's why I'm staying out here. I'm just taking a stroll in the city and thought I'd say hi. I know you're rarely busy at this time of day."

Misty gave her a knowing look. "Is it 'cause Cometh's at home?"

It was no use trying to hide it. Misty had always been able to read her like that. Cordelia caved and nodded. "I don't want him around Cage. I accept that he makes my mother happy, but I think he's bad influence."

"He did get Fiona clean, you know. He's not that bad. 'Sides, Cage's barely two, he ain't 'bout to go dealin'." She said the last in a whisper, but Cordelia still shushed her.

"Don't say that kind of thing. And I still don't like it. I don't want Cage growing up with him as the only example of what a man looks like."

Misty was about to open her mouth when someone called her name from the inside. The voice was deep and stern, laced with impatience. Misty sent Cordelia an apologetic smile. "That's my boss. Gotta go, baby. See you at home."

"Sure. Wake me when you come in, okay?"

"I don't wanna wake you, you need the sleep."

"Wake me anyway", Cordelia insisted and pressed a soft kiss to Misty's lips before she could object.

O0O

The summer just before Cage turned three, Misty took him to the swamp for the first time. It had taken months to ease Cordelia's mind about it. Misty didn't rush it, even though she ached to reunite her two lives again, because she knew how cautious Cordelia was with everything, especially when it came to Cage. And Misty hadn't forgotten how scared she had been of the gators herself.

"Misty, are you really sure this is a good idea?" She asked again as Misty was headed out the door with a stroller and the sling to carry Cage in, in case the ground became too uneven for the stroller. Her worry was somewhat understandable to Misty and so she tried not to roll her eyes.

"I was only twice his age when I lived out there, Delia. I know the swamp like the inside of my hand. He's safe with me."

"I know that, but-"

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Don't you trust me?" Cordelia sighed and caved.

"Yes, of course I trust you. It's Nick and the rest of the pack I'm a little unsure about."

"I promise I won't go by the river. But Nick ain't no trouble and I want him to know Cage, so he can always protect him. Just like he did with me." Misty kissed her goodbye, when Cordelia's face finally softened and went for the woods. She longed to be surrounded by the warm embrace of nature again. Her trips had become rarer ever since she had to start working. Being told where to be at what time had never suited her and she felt caged most of the time. But out here no one told her that she had fifteen minutes left of her shift. Out here it was as if time didn't exist. Animals never counted the clock and she longed to be like that again.

"You ain't afraid of my friends, are you, baby boy? No, 'course not. You'll like it just fine and then your mommy can get some sleep for once, right?" She tickled the palm of his hand as she spoke to him, her voice several octaves higher than usual. She used to roll her eyes and tease Cordelia whenever she started taking baby to Cage, and she downright dropped her jaw the one time she caught Fiona doing it. She hadn't even realized that over time it had rubbed off on her as well, and now baby was the common tongue of the house. But she loved the blonde little miracle, she now carried close to her chest, as she made her way through the forest. He was a quiet boy, but a ray of sunshine even so. He looked like Cordelia when he smiled; his mouth curved the exact same way. Misty could spend hours just watching Cordelia watch her son and mimic that smile. There was a joy in Cordelia, a levity Misty hadn't seen since their childhood.

Cage pointed and uttered a joyful squeal. He hadn't made words yet, but sometimes it sounded close. He would point at something and make the blurry shape of a word as if he intended it to mean something. Misty had a secret quest to make 'gator' his first word, just to see the look on the rest of their faces.

Nick lay by her garden as she reached the shack. He so rarely stayed by the river these days. The old gators had gone vicious over the past winter. The frustration from lack of food had lingered, made them hung over with agitation even halfway into the summer. Even Misty didn't dare venture down their path when they were like this, she knew not to from past experiences of spending two whole days in a tree, because they thought her a threat or a treat. Cage couldn't stay away from his mama that long.

"Hey Nick", she said and the alligator lifted, turned and laid down, facing her. "I have someone I'd like you to meet. This is Cage, Cordelia's son. I guess he's kinda mine too, you know, since he's got no dad. He's our family too, okay?" Nick remained immobile. Misty just smiled at him and reversed the introduction for Cage. He cooed and stretched out his hand to point at the alligator.

"Yeah, that's Nick, pup. Found him when he was just as tiny as you. We're just gonna keep him company for a bit, show mommy there ain't no reason to be scared."

Misty unleashed him from the sling, but kept a firm hand at the rim of his pants so he didn't crawl in the wrong direction. He stayed put and took to pulling grass up from the earth. Misty closed her eyes to the sun and the sounds of her home echoed deep within her soul. The summer breeze sang to her and cleansed her from the week of stress. The interruption of Cage bumping his fist against her thigh and releasing a handful of grass and dirt on her dress couldn't pull her from her sense of calm. It only added to it.

On their way home Misty heard a sound she hadn't heard in the forest until today. She had taken a different road home for the sake of variety and stumbled upon the sound of a laughing child. This one sounded older and the laugh was light, safe. For this reason she didn't feel cautious, only curious. She couldn't help treading a little lighter though, as she neared the sound.

He came running towards her soon after, flinging a stick in the air, chasing some insect tough enough to survive the heat. His dark skin made him fall into the shadows, but the loud laughter didn't improve his hunting skills.

Shortly thereafter came his mother, calling his name.

"Damian, don't run too far." She saw Misty standing there and she looked surprised for a moment. There was a second where her eyes scanned her, found the baby in her arms and her expression seemed to soften. Then she said: "He's got the energy of ten spring chickens, that boy." She sounded like a New Orleans inbred, Misty thought. She had heard this particular accent a couple of times in town, when she worked, though her bar was mostly filled by white folks. She thought this woman looked familiar; she had seen her someplace before, but couldn't quite place her. She had dark skin, which resonated in the sun, making it shine like gold in the light of it. Waist length black braids were gathered behind her back and the colorful dress she wore stood out against the background of green and earth tones. She was a beautiful woman with a kind smile, but the bell didn't quite ring yet.

Misty smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, summer will do that to you."

She noticed that the woman was scrutinizing her in equal fashion. "I seen you someplace before. You live close?"

Misty was about to tell her that she used to live just a mile away, but thought better of it. No one had ever found her clearing unless she wanted them too and she wasn't about to change that.

"I live at the borders of town."

"Not my part of town I can tell. I'm Marie."

"Misty."

A small flicker of remembrance ran across Marie's face, but not strong enough apparently, because she didn't say anything. They didn't shake hands, merely nodded at each other. There seemed to be an unspoken understanding that that was enough. Cage made a sound that sounded a bit like 'hi' and waved at the kid, just now returning to his mother. He looked a year or so older than Cage himself. Cage walked too, but he didn't run around like this boy just yet. Misty hoped he would soon, so she could take a trip just like the one this woman and her son was on.

"He's a happy one, your boy."

"Yeah", Misty said and ruffled his hair. "He ain't mine though. Well he is, but I ain't his mama, you see. Her name's Cordelia, she's…" Misty trailed off, because she never knew what to call them. Jackson just called Cordelia 'her woman', most said girlfriend, but that word felt too weak. She had rarely needed to express to anyone what they were. Those who saw them together never needed to ask.

Something seemed to dawn on Marie now, before Misty had a chance to finish her sentence. Her face changed. The beauty stayed, but it turned darker as the kindness washed away.

"You the one who live with the Goode's. That's where I know you from. You that wild child they took in all those year ago."

A sudden cold emerged between them. The abrupt anger in the woman's voice triggered a childhood memory.

"So you're that woman Delphine worked-"

"Don't mention her name to me." She didn't yell, but fury shot from her eyes. Misty realized of course that she had every right to be angry. At first Misty didn't understand why the anger extended to her, but then she remembered that Marie Laveau probably knew nothing of Misty's abilities and nothing of how she had tried to help. Misty almost told her, but another ghost stopped her. It was Myrtle's croaked voice, telling her not to share her gifts with everyone. And the shadow, which had fallen upon Laveau's features told Misty this wasn't a person to tell. Instead she said:

"What Fiona let happen ain't got nothin' to do with me. She's Delia's mama, that's all." As much as she wanted it in this moment, she knew that wasn't the entire truth anymore. The baby and those weeks spent trying to work together to coax Cordelia back to sanity had changed them to something a little more. And she thought Laveau saw that.

"She ain't your mama too? That's what I read about you."

"She was, but only on paper."

"Paper, huh? Sounds more like she owned you." Misty remembered how Fiona used to refer to her as a dog or a pet and she fought not the let the anger surface. Laveau turned away before she could snarl a proper answer. "Come, Damian, time to go home."

She grabbed the kid by the wrist and led him out. Misty stood back and watched them leave, while Cage tugged on her hair. His mood was the only one unaffected.

When she came back home, the unease still lingered with her. It was so subtle most would never register it, but Cordelia did.

"What's the matter, love?" She quickly checked Cage, as if to see if her worries about his first trip had been reasonable. He only smiled and greeted his mother.

Misty considered not telling her. She didn't want to blow air into something that was probably nothing and burden Cordelia without reason – she was troubled easily lately – but that shadow in Laveau's face wouldn't leave her mind.

"I met Marie Laveau in the forest on my way home", she admitted. "Nothin' special happened, it was only a feelin'. She's still holdin' that grudge from back then, you know, with Delphine."

Cordelia sighed and Misty thought she detected relief. "I don't blame her, honestly."

Misty sat Cage down and he waddled joyfully into the living room. The two of them followed.

"It just bugs me that she thinks it's my fault too, when…"

"When it's all on me?" Fiona finished her sentence. Misty hadn't realized she was home, but there she sat in her armchair as usual, looking at Misty as she entered. "That's what you were going to say, wasn't it?"

"You did let Delphine work here."

"Christ, not this again. I thought I was helping her out of an abusive workplace and getting a cheap housekeeper in the trade. And we got her fed to your alligator friends, did we not? I'd say we've earned being let off the hook."

"Laveau doesn't seem to think so."

"Laveau has been on a warpath ever since Delphine got out of prison and showed up at her house to get the daughter out."

Both Misty and Cordelia looked up at her with surprise. Fiona scoffed.

"You hear a lot of gossip at the bars, when you're not drunk. She has quite the reputation, that woman."

Cordelia sat down to play with Cage, but Misty couldn't quite let go.

"How so?" She asked.

Fiona shot her an examining look. "Rumor has it she's been in contact with the underworld. Some people call her the Voodoo Queen, saying that enemies of hers tend to come to unfortunate ends. Delphine used to say something similar, claim Laveau had voodooed her into working for her. There was a lot more talk earlier on, but she has had her mind elsewhere since she had that kid apparently. Still you hear things once in a while. Normally I would say that it's all theater nonsense, all this talk of the undead and potions and whatnot, but you exist, so why not? Though let me say this, kid, I know you said you had a good chat with Papa Legba when you- but the rest of us mere mortals can't just-"

"He is real." Cordelia's soft voice broke Fiona off her speech and caught them both by surprise. Misty turned around to face Cordelia, but Cordelia didn't look up. She smiled at Cage, when she handed him a toy car, but the smile was heavy with memories. Memories Misty hadn't heard of until this moment.

"You saw him? When?"

Cordelia shook her head slightly, as if to belittle her own words. "It wasn't more than a glimpse. It was… that night. He smiled at me and he wanted me to come to him. I told him not yet."

Misty went to her and sat down. Cordelia avoided her gaze, kept her facades up so her son wouldn't see. She hadn't realized yet, that Cage saw right through her the same way Misty did.

"You never said that. He told me 'bout it when I talked to him, but I thought he was just trickin' me."

Cordelia finally met her gaze. It was full of pain, that kind of lingering suffer, she had never been able to shed, even when the crisis was long over. In that moment they exchanged all that needed to be told and felt. Misty understood that her pain came from those moments of despair Misty had caused her when trying to save her mind. There was no blame in this pain, it was just there, like a shadow tethered to her being and it took time to fade. And Misty told her without words that it was okay. The only one still in the dark was Fiona.

"Can we talk about something else?"

Misty nodded. She took Cordelia's hand and played with her fingers, while she told her every part of Cage's first visit to the swamp, which didn't involve any hurtful ghosts.