Ch I Kinda Have Some Issues

I know; a bit creepy, right? But it was only place where I could get peace and quiet in the whole city. Plus it was where Mother was and I wanted to be near her. She was the only one besides Chris who truly understood me. Henry was a great friend and all but we always fought and could never agree on anything. He was more like a brother to me but I couldn't fully expect him to understand what was running through my head. It was just….different with Chris. He was used to me and my mood changes; then again when someone lives with you for 2 years you get used to pretty much anything and everything they do.

But to be completely honest, despite everything I don't know what I do without either of them. When my mom died, I practically didn't have anyone. No great-aunts to take me in or long-lost uncles to whisk me off to Europe. And especially no dads to "magically" appear and rescue me from the jaws of the child-care system. The bank took everything my mom owned that was worth anything to pay off her medical bills after she was gone. So I literally lost everything I owned expect a few clothes and a few mementos of Mother that I managed to stash away before the debt-collectors could get their greedy hands on them; they were probably worthless to them anyways. I would have been out on the streets or in some far away foster home if Chris' mom, Juliet Knightfall, hadn't found out what was happening to me and brought me into their home. She was like Wonder Woman when she asked me if I wanted to stay with them until I graduated. I was so happy and was finally able to breathe easily again since Mother left. I was also able to smile again thanks to Chris and Henry. If it weren't for them, I don't know what I'd do.

However, as much as I was happy to be part of a family again; I was still longing. Longing to be with Mother again; to hear her voice when she sang me a lullaby, to feel her hands going through my hair and hearing her say how long it was getting after my last haircut or laughing at the stupid things she would say or do out in public. I remember those stories she would tell me. They sounded as if they came out right out of a fairy tale but they seemed so real to her when she told them. She was an amazing story teller and not to mention a great healer.

Mother believed in the natural medicine; meaning she would always be mixing up natural remedies or mixtures to help soothe a person's aching. Our house always smelled like sage and mint; as if you were walking into a forest. She just wanted to help a person feel better. That's all she wanted; to help others. It showed whenever she left home to work at the hospital. Of course her medical methods were completely the opposite of her employers but if it gave her the chance to help someone else; she forget about that and focus solely on the patient at hand. That's just the person she was and I loved her for that.

The cemetery where she was buried was pretty much empty. It just added to somber aura the landscape already gave off. I never really like cemeteries. I just kept coming back to visit Mother. But it seemed Death and me were always at war with each other. I hated Death so much. It took her away from me and took everyone Mother loved as well. It was like something was constantly chasing my family. Picking us off one by one until only one was left (me) and would continuously toy with that one until that one became insane with grief. A bit extreme, I know but it happened.

I always ended crying when I came to visit her. I tried to fight the tears but they still came out once I saw the grave marker:

"Megan Gwen Le Fae

Beloved mother and healer"

It always broke me. In fact that's how I was when Chris found me. Down on the ground with tears flowing down my cheeks like a fresh summer rain.

"Fable? You alright?" He asked me as he knelt down beside me. I wanted to say yes; that I wasn't crying. I wanted to make up some dumb excuse but I knew it was pointless. Chris knew me better than I knew myself. Another one of his superpowers. I just shook my head and he put his arm around me and let me sob onto his cotton-blue shirt. "You know, you don't have to run away every time you miss her."

"I know. I know, Chris. I just...had to get out of there. That woman...she..."

"Upset you? Was it about your mom?" He questioned. He knew I hated it when people came up to me and gave me their fake sympathies about losing my mother. After the first couple of days, its fine. Expected even. But after a while, I just want to yell to them saying they're being sorry about her dying isn't going to make me feel better or bring her back. In fact, keeping their mouths shut about her is what I prefer. But this wasn't the case.

"Yes...she said she knew her." I choked out. I wiped the tears out of my eyes and looked at him, "That they were best friends or something..." I let out a bitter chuckle, "The way she told it; it almost seemed like she was her sister or something. But my mother never told me about her or anyone like her." An image of the woman from the diner flashed in my mind and I shuddered. "That woman was so...creepy and ...I don't know what it was...but I knew I had to get away from her."

"Why do you think that?" Chris lifted his hand to gently wipe the rest of tears from my cheek.

"I told you, Chris, I don't know." I let go of Chris and turned to the grave marker again; feeling lost in my thoughts, "It ...was a weird ... vibe I was getting." I tried to figure out what was it about that woman that made me as scared as mouse running away from a..."Cat!" I accidentally shouted aloud. Chris jumped at my outburst,

"What?"

"Just listen... The woman...she looked like a cat. I saw her changing into a cat. But how?" Her creepy smile flashed in my mind as if she was mocking me. Toying with me and it angered me. I needed answers.

"Perhaps...I can help you answer that, sugar girl." a smooth voice flew into our ears and the woman from the diner appeared right in front of us. Like she literally appeared in front of us. Chris and I jumped up in fright.

"W-what? What are you doing here?! Did you follow me here or what?!" I shouted at her and pure anger began to boil inside me. How dare she come here? But she only smiled and held out a small bouquet of flowers she was carrying. Little bluebells and yellow lilies. I stared at them with empty eyes. Mother's favorite. But how did she know that? She then pushed me passed the two of us, calmly knelt down to the grave and spoke in that soft almost purr-like voice as if talking to an old friend,

"Oh, Morgan, she is so naive. Didn't you teach her anything? I would think that you of all people would have told her of her proud heritage." Then she placed the bouquet and blew a kiss toward the headstone. "Whatever your decision was, I knew it was for good. But she is grown up now." she stared sadly to the headstone, "She has to go. Things have changed. Yes...I thought our fight was done but it's not. It's risen again. She's coming back. The rest of us are both old and weary or near death, old friend. Someone must take our places. If there were anyone else who could do this then I would not even be here. So please forgive me..." and she wiped a tear from her golden eyes. Her experssion reminded me of a sad animal who just been whipped. I almost felt sorry for her but then I remembered who she was talking to and my anger came back in full fury.

"Forgive you? Who are you?!" I interrupted. I was so confused and angry that I lost control of my emotions. Who is she and how dare she pretend to even know my mother? She clearly knows nothing about her. Nothing she was saying made any sense. "My mother's name is not Morgan! It's Megan. Get away from her!" I threw myself on top of the grave and tried to push the woman away. Chris had to put himself between the woman and me.

"Her name was Morgan Le Fay, sugar girl." The woman calming corrected me. But I still wasn't buying it and I was really beginning to get annoyed with that crazy nickname. She looked at me confused, "She really didn't tell you anything, did she?" She got up and walked around the gravesite, sighing, "Morgan, Morgan, Morgan. How could you have been so stubborn? I thought you had more pride than that."

"Shut up!" I shouted. I had enough of her, "You think you know her but you're wrong!"

"Fable! Calm down." Chris said gently, "Relax." He set me aside and walked over to the woman. "You; can you explain yourself? You're upsetting my friend."

But I knew my mother. She told me everything about her life and this woman is trying to make her out as a liar. No, I wouldn't have it, "I'm not listening to anything she says! She doesn't know her! She doesn't even know her name!" I wanted to push her out of the cemetery. She was disrespecting my mother's memory. But Chris grabbed my arm and whispered into my ear softly,

"I know you want to remember your mother as she was but this woman is obviously still grieving her as well. You remember how you were. She's probably still in that state. Don't you think we owe it to her to listen to what she has to say? Then maybe we can get her some help."

He was right though. I hated when he was right. I was a wreck the months after Mother passed away. I practically lost my mind with grief. It was like part of me couldn't accept the fact she was gone forever. Part of my mind wanted to shut down reality and escape into a world where I was in control... Where my mother wasn't dead. My house wasn't gone. I was still...me. But I'm better now. Weeks of therapy and the support of Henry and Chris and his family got me through it. Even visits to her grave weren't as painful as they had been before. They helped me come to terms and in a way, I feel closer to her. If this woman is going through the same thing, then maybe I should give her a chance. But I'm still going to keep my guard up. No matter what.

"Fine. You can start with your name." I said through gritted teeth. I took some deep breaths and pretended to relax. But on the inside, I was getting ready to defend my mother's memory. The woman nodded and spoke again,

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation. Morgan must have not told you about me." She wiped another tear from her eyes and stared at us.

"Really? What gave you that idea?" I mumbled sarcastically. Chris put his arm around me protectively but squeezed my shoulders; silently telling me to be quiet.

"My name is Tora Cheshire. Your mother, Morgan and I knew each other for a long time. We grew up together. You could say we were like sisters to each other." she let out a soft sigh and her voice grew stronger with each word she spoke, "We understood each other. We loved each other. We played together in the wonder groves outside her house. We walked down the same path every day to visit her great-aunt Baba to study her family arts and I watched her become the woman you knew and loved, Fable." She paused and rubbed her temple as if in pain, "I was there when she left our home in Ever After and I was there when you were born. That birth almost killed Morgan, you know. But she was so stubborn and you were such a little thing; so small and helpless. Your mother wasn't sure you would even make it but I knew you were a fighter. Just like her." She walked closer to me and calmly placed her hand on my cheek. I tried not to look at her. "I was right, wasn't I? Here you are. The exact imagine of Morgan. She was right to be stubborn."

I pushed her hand away from my face; still refusing to even look at her. But tears were filling my eyes at the mere mention of my mother. It still hurt for me to talk or to even hear about her. The pain was just still too fresh. No…I couldn't help her. I couldn't even help myself. Tora Cheshire did need help but her story about my mother wasn't adding up. It sounded almost like one like one of Mother's bedtime stories. But that's all they were; stories. And my mother's life was anything but a fairy tale. She had suffered so much and to hear someone talk about her like she was a fairy tale, something that never existed or something too perfect to be real, only made me angry.

"Stop it." I spoke with a growl, "Just…Just stop it!"

"Fable…" Chris began to say gently but I stopped him.

"No! I…I refuse to hear any more of this." My voice shook, "That's not who my mother was. She was a healer and she loved me! She told me everything about her life and this," I gestured to Tora, "Did not exist in it!"

"Everything she told you was a lie." She explained harshly, "Fable, she had to make up a new life for herself when she left. She had no choice." Tora said to me unparsed.

"Lier! Don't you dare talk about her like that! You clearly know nothing about her. Mother would never lie to me!"

"Fable, calm down." Chris' voice was trying to keep me calm but I was too aggravated to stop. "Maybe you didn't know everything about your mother like you thought you did."

I turned to look at him in horror, "No…No no, Chris. Don't you start too. You…you knew my mother too; you know she wouldn't do that to me. She wouldn't…She wouldn't." I tried to get a hold of myself but I knew I was slipping. My world was turning black again. I was beginning to lose myself again. I remember these feelings I was having from before. From when I was lost her. No, I couldn't lose myself; not again. I came too far to fall again.

"Fable," Chris' voice pulled me back again and I looked at his face, "Relax. Every family has its secrets. I'm pretty sure my parents hide things from me and my brother too. But I know they have good intensions when they do it. Maybe it's to protect us or for us to have a better life. I don't know but what matters is the people they are now and I do know if your mom hid stuff for you it was for your own good, Fable." I had to steady my breathing and I could feel my heart rate slowing down again.

"Just leave me alone. Please…" I asked softly. "I take it back. I wouldn't help you." I turned to walk out of the cemetery.

"Fable… you can't just," Chris began to grab my hand.

"No, Chris." I pulled away from him. "I'm not getting involved. I can't even help myself." As I walked away he grabbed my hand again but I pushed him away. "Leave me alone. I'm no help to anyone."

After I said that, I knew it was a mistake. Chris grabbed my wrist in a tight grip.

"Fable, listen to me," Chris urged. He held tighter to my wrist and forced me to look at him in the eye, "your mother would have jumped at the chance to help this woman and you turn your back on her?" he shoot my arm hard. "Is this what you want to do with her legacy? Her memory? You're her daughter, Fable. Your mom was a healer and she helped people. Now this woman needs help. Do you really think your mother would walk away? Do you really?"

He was right of course. Again. He was always able to see the light in such things. For me, it wasn't so simple. Sometimes I wondered if he even had a dark side

"Chris, I….can't just…She's…"

"She needs help." He finished for me. I knew there was no one point in fighting back. He is as stubborn as I am.

"Fine." I answered through gritted teeth, "We'll take her to your mom and see what she wants to do."

"Agreed." Chris turned and placed his hand gently on Tora's shoulder. The rain began to pour down heavily. "We're going to take you to our home. My mom will make sure you have a safe place to sleep tonight."

"Your mother?" Tora questioned, "And who is your mother, young…."

"Chris, ma'am." he interrupted softly and extended his hand politely, " And my mother is Juliet Knightfall."

"Knightfall, is it?" Tora let out a mocking laugh, "Oh how clever was your mother to take such a name! And Juliet as well! How….appropriate." She smiled that sickening-sweet smile that made my stomach turned and I looked away.