Hello! So, I promised that ED will be continued through one shots and short stories, but I thought it would be better to make a new fic instead of spamming dearly beloved with it! This story will just focus about their lives after the finale battle and how they deal with the aftermath, along with some bonding with the 'nine kids'! This one won't have regular updates, but I hope you enjoy it when I post it! Please don't forget to review! Reading what you think of my writing makes my day!

The sunlight filled every corner, as if to atone for the past few cloudy days. The world seemed at peace, a sensation Croix never understood until she was reunited with Chariot.

Luna Nova was under attack, and there was a lot of destruction around that the main building managed to escape. Everyone was at risk, from professors to students, and especially her and Chariot.

The darkness was a force of evil, a creature that only wanted power and chaos. He would have destroyed everything, but they stopped him.

It was too good to feel real.

She sighed, and adjusted herself to a more comfortable position. Croix's eyes glanced at her lover's arm, knowing that were was a nasty scar under those bandages. She felt guilty about it, since Chariot got it because she protected her.

They were still at the hospital, and Chariot refused to leave despite having less injuries than her.

She gets anxious whenever they're separated, so perhaps it was for the best that they shared a bed. Although, the nurses and the doctor were slightly annoyed by it.

They couldn't get Chariot to leave her side, but who could blame her for developing separation anxiety after every time they almost lost one another?

"You two can never keep your hands off each other, can you?" Finneran walked in with Miranda. The professor was slightly judging them, while the headmistress smiled at the sight.

Chariot, who has been holding into Croix, gave Finneran a side look before burying her face into her girlfriend's shoulder. It was a very amusing sight.

"Let them be. Look at how in love they are." Miranda smiled, while the lilac haired witch chuckled. She appreciated the visits they have gotten for the past few days. When she first came back to the school, she expected everyone to hate her for her actions, and yet here she was, someone they were worried about.

"Thanks for visiting us. I should leave soon, right?" Croix asked, and smiled slightly as the red moved her head to look at them but never pulled away.

"We were just talking to your doctor. He said that you can finally leave, however you'll need to rest. Your magic is going to be unstable for a while, and it will affect your body." Finneran explained, then sighed. "Don't run around causing any trouble, Meridies."

"It's not that I look for trouble, it's that it always finds me on its own." Croix said, and felt Chariot's hold on her tighten. She didn't say a word. She knew that using his magic would affect her body, but it was worth it in the end.

"Oh, you might want to be careful when you walk out your room." Miranda said, with a sheepish smile. "You two are extremely popular now."

"Oh no…" Chariot spoke for the first time, realizing what this meant.

"Okay, nevermind. I'm staying here. This is a comfortable bed."

Unfortunately, Croix had to leave and so she was met with a crowd of magic journalists trying to interrogate her.

"Miss Meridies! Not only have you defeated the biggest threat for the magic world in a while but you have survived to tell the tale, mind sharing it with us?"

"Are you the once famous, Shiny Chariot?!"

"Was this act of bravery a way to atone for how you ridiculed magic and used it for your 'shows'?"

Croix frowned, and she considered using her fire if it weren't for Chariot being her self-control. The redhead was looking down, but she held her hand to restrain her.

Miranda looked at their distressed faces, then at the rude crowd, before deciding to take matters into her own hands.

She used her wand to create smoke, and chaos ensued as Finneran lead the couple outside. She did not approve of such an escape, but she thought that they've earned a pass after everything.

Once they reached the tower, they both felt a sense of relief. It's the warm sensation of coming home. Croix didn't know what that felt like before.

She lived her whole life in fear and loneliness… alone with the horrors of being stuck with him.

Her heart suddenly felt heavy.

She turned to Chariot, who has been sad ever since the journalists' comments. She wondered what to do, before gently patting her and smiling down at her.

"Hey, you shouldn't listen to them. You're amazing." She said, and that was all it took for Chariot to smile again. "You know, after spending days at the hospital I started smelling like it. A shower would be nice." Croix said as she sniffed her own clothes.

"Well, I could use one too. I'll shower with you." Chariot said, making her girlfriend eye her.

"Chariot, I don't think I have the energy for that."

"What I'm suggesting, is that you let me help you because you still haven't recovered." Chariot gave her a deadpan look, making her chuckle nervously.

She could never tell if she was joking or serious when it came to this.

They were both in the shower, and Croix sat there, lost in her thoughts. She could only hear the pitter pattering of the water… and faint memories of the past.

She was his vessel, his toy… She had no control over her life, it all belonged to him. She hugged herself, remembering the many times she put a knife to her throat, wishing to break free, only to pick up the scissors and cut her hair instead.

She didn't feel alive, if it weren't for the constant pain she'd inflict on herself to stop him from taking control.

Even the one thing that kept her sane, that photo she shared with Chariot back in their younger days… He tore it apart one day after taking control of her body, making sure to take away everything that kept her together.

She hugged herself, as Chariot helped her with her back. Once she touched her scar, she was brought back to the memories of every time she hurt herself. She felt the red head pause, before gently tracing her hand down that scar, then resting her hand on the waist one, softly running her thumb up and down.

He took so much… so much, that she'd never get back.

Now he's gone. She destroyed him. Her whole life she was fighting back against him, and now she was lost…

There were lots of things that she could do, and yet here she was, with no knowledge of where to move next.

Here she was, with emotional and physical scars… Not just her, they were both scarred in every way.

"Croix?" Chariot whispered into her ear. She didn't realize she hugged her, and she frowned when she realized that the redhead felt her discomfort through the Star Crossed spell. "Talk to me."

Feeling Chariot pressed against her back, brought a sense of comfort to Croix. She smiled slightly, and put a hand on one of the arms hugging her. The shower head was above them, and the water cleaned their wounds… but it couldn't clean the wounds of ten years.

"We're finally free but it feels so… surreal." Croix said, leaning against her lover. "Where do we go from here? I'm scared that if I close my eyes and open them, I would find out that all of this is a dream." She admitted, and felt Chariot's grip on her tighten.

"I feel the same way." Chariot said, resting her head on her shoulder. She leaned against her, pressing her cheek against hers. The past ten years weren't something that they could shake off easily. They couldn't just move on from them. "I don't know what happens now, but I know we're free. It doesn't feel real just yet but… I know you're real… I'm real… And we'll get through this together, right?" She whispered the last part, hesitant and scared.

"Right." Croix said with a smile, but frowned when she felt Chariot shaking against her.

"I was so scared… I was so scared I might lose you. I don't know what I would do without you…" The red head started to sob, and Croix turned to hug her. The lilac haired witch felt a pain in her chest as she held her close, moving her hand in circles on her back. "I was so lonely without you… I just can't… If I lost you…"

"I'm right here! I'm right here Chariot!" Croix said and kissed her forehead. "I'm right here, and I'm never leaving you."

Chariot just held on tighter, as her own mind wandered into memories of a time without Croix. It was a time where she had no one, a time where she felt so lonely, that every day felt the same. Lonely unfortunate Chariot who people only knew for her 'pranks' and 'disrespect for magic'.

"Please don't ever leave…" She whispered, pulling her for a kiss, soaking in the comfort of her lover. For a moment, her fear seemed to fade away, and she only felt peace. They both pulled away for a bit, staring lovingly at each other. They rested their foreheads against each other and smiled.

"I love you." Croix said, and the younger woman grinned as she rested her hand against her cheek.

"I love you too."

Unfortunately, before the two could kiss again, they heard a knock on the door outside. They also heard it opening along with two familiar voices calling for them..

"Well… this is awkward." Croix muttered, realizing what their students' reactions would be to see them coming out the shower together.

And when they did, they were met with flustered Akko and Diana, who refused to look at them.

"Oh! I hope you enjoyed your shower!" Akko managed to say, only for her friend to nudge her. "Oh I mean… uh…"

"It's okay, we understand." Diana muttered, not brave enough to look at the women she considered as parents.

"It was literally just a shower." Croix deadpanned and crossed her arms, while Chariot coughed, embarrassed.

"A shower… that you both took… naked…" Akko's brain seemed to short circuit as her blush deepened.

"Wow." Was all that Croix could say.

"Oh, right! Akko and I brought you food. We thought you wouldn't be able to cook anything on your first day back, and ordering something isn't the best option." Diana said, showing them the plastic bags in her hands.

"Diana cooked all of these! She's really amazing!" Akko said, and the heiress smiled at the praise.

"Chariot, please let's adopt her." Croix whispered to Chariot, already tearing up.

"Croix, we can't do that." Chariot put a hand on her shoulder and whispered back. "She still needs to be a Cavendish."

"But I want a daughter!" Croix pouted, unaware of how much her words surprised the redhead. She didn't expect her to want something like that, but then again…

They both never had a family to begin with.

"So like, are you two about to kiss or what?" Akko asked, keeping the phone's camera on them.

"We can't do that in front of you, toddlers."

"HEY!" Akko yelled, and Diana gently slapped her arm. Croix smirked and stole a kiss from Chariot while the brunette wasn't looking. This made her whine.

Croix was told to rest, while the others prepared the food. She sat and watched them with a smile. If she had died back then, she would have never witnessed this. She wouldn't have seen Diana and Akko as good friends, nor would she have tasted Diana's cooking. She would have never seen Chariot laughing at their antics again, then turning to her with the most loving smile.

Croix took Chariot by the hand when she passed near her, and smirked at her confused look. She pulled her down to her lap and held her captive in her arms.

"Croix!" Chariot let out, pretending to try to escape, making the lilac haired witch chuckle. Sighing in mock defeat, Chariot threw her arms around her shoulders and smiled at her.

"Hey."

"Hello." Croix wiggled her eyebrows, making the redhead snort. "I really want to kiss you right now." She winked, getting a chuckle out of her lover. Chariot leaned closer, to the point of their noses touching.

"What's stopping you?" She asked with a low tone, as she stared into her girlfriend's emerald eyes. The same eyes that she could never tire of.

Croix didn't answer, but instead leaned it, locking their lips together. She let out a satisfied sigh as she felt Chariot's mouth moving against hers, and her hand tangled in her hair while the other on her neck.

Chariot moved even closer, not wanting to leave any distance between them. She bit her lover's lip, asking for permission, before deepening the kiss. She let out a soft moan, happy to get lost in the other woman's touch.

Their hearts were beating in rhymes, matching each other as the small light of the spell that was binding them shone slightly from their chests. Their souls resonated together, forever bound together.

They pulled away for a moment, only to kiss again, passion taking over them. They haven't been able to do this in the past few days because of their recovery, and because the nurse wasn't too happy walking in on them making out.

Chariot's hand fumbled with Croix's button, while the latter moved her hand under her shirt, feeling her skin while slowly pulling the cloth up.

Unfortunately, the two were so caught up in each other that it gave them a heart attack when someone slammed their hands on the table.

"Dinner is ready." Diana said as she glared at them with a blush they've never seen on her face before. She muttered something then turned away, leaving them both in fear.

"Our daughter is bossy…" Croix muttered as she held her closer to her. She was still eying their student or rather, 'daughter'..

"Croix, for the last time… we can't adopt her." Croix semed unamused by the answer, so she gave her a sly smile before sneaking her hand under her shirt. "Croix!" Chariot half yelped, half moaned, making Diana glare back at them.

"I guess we'll have time for that when the kids aren't around." Croix whispered in her ear, and chuckled when the redhead pushed her away and walked to the table. The slight flame on the tips of her hair did not go unnoticed.

The lilac haired witch felt at ease, after seeing the people she loved surrounding her. Chariot was chuckling at something Akko said, and Diana tried to hide her blush from earlier but failed to do so, making her friend poke fun at her. It was a heartwarming sight, something that she felt blessed to experience.

In that moment, despite all of her insecurities, and all of her demons, she was truly happy.

She was happy that she lived. She was happy that she survived everything that was thrown at her.

When she and Chariot exchanged looks, when her chest felt warmth coming from her, she knew that she felt the same.

They will heal from everything that has happened, as long as they were together, as long as they were each other's sanctuary, it was a truth that Croix happily accepted.

With that final thought, she stood up to join them.