Disclaimer: I do not own AHS.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I'm sorry it's been MONTHS since I have updated. To be honest I was a bit stuck but seeing as you guys reviewed asking me to update, I decided to see how I could get out of this writer's block and tah-dah! Enjoy the new chapter.

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CH 10- Secrets

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Misty would have wished that Cordelia would have woken with a startle from the kiss she gave her but Cordelia remained in a deep slumber, unaware of her presence. With much disappointment, Misty sat back against the headboard of the bed and stayed by Cordelia's side all night. She grasped the Supreme's hand in her own and softly stroked the palm of her hand until the sun came up. She found that it was the only thing that calmed the demons still writhing inside of her.

.

Misty Day spent the majority of her day playing with the little girl (who her grandmother deemed the next in line for Supremacy). Not only because she had come to adore the child in the year she had been back on the land of the living, but also because besides Fiona, Max was the only other person who could communicate with her in all senses. The child was kind and eager to learn about everything Misty had to say and if Misty had to be quite honest, the child was very intriguing.

She always had questions.

Misty too could see by what Fiona meant when she said the child was special. At first sight she seemed like a normal child with no abilities or powers. Fiona said it was because she took after Cordelia in that aspect. She seemed normal but she was hiding some strong power that would make itself known. However, odd things happened around her almost every day.

When she became upset, the china was always at risk. Plates and cups shattered without explanation. Drinks tipped over and spilled and the walls shook with great force. Once she had a nightmare and Cordelia woke to her crying bloody murder. When she ran into the child's room, all the curtains were on fire and the room was filled with smoke. Cordelia was completely alarmed but with the wave of her hand, made the flames disappear and then held the child and tried her best to comfort her. The poor child shook violently, unable to understand why she couldn't control her powers.

"What did I say?" Fiona boasted, "She is the next Supreme."

Misty chuckled at Fiona's giddiness. "Ya got yerself quite the bloodline."

"A perfect dynasty."

Of course both of them knew that simple powers didn't indicate Supremacy but they both wondered.

Other than that, Misty spent the most of the day with the young girl in the green house or playing in the garden. While in the greenhouse, Misty put on Fleetwood Mac on the radio and she told her all about Stevie Nicks and how she was all she had before she met Cordelia and the girls at Robichaux's. She told Max about her garden and her home in the swamp. She told her about the animals and even about her childhood home.

"My Paw was a good fer nothin' son-" She stopped herself before she cursed in front of the little girl, "He didn't do much 'round the house."

Max tilted her head. She was sitting on the stool at the large wooden table helping Misty plant a seed into a small pot. Her hands were deep in the soil.

"I don't have a Paw." Maxine said. "My Mommy said I don't."

"Well, that's alright there, sweetheart." Misty smiled softly, "Now, how're we doin'?" She stepped behind her and looked at the pot.

"Good." Max answered. She took her hands out of the soil and placed them on the table. "Will it grow?"

"Let's hope it will." Misty walked off to the opposite counter across from the table. Go Your Own Way began to play next on the radio and Misty hummed along to the song.

"Max?" Cordelia's voice came through the greenhouse.

Misty stopped what she was doing and spun around. She looked from behind Max, ahead to Cordelia who stood at the opposite end, in front of the table, looking back at her. There was this look of concern mixed with fear in her eyes. As if she had been frantically looking for something. Misty froze instantly when she saw those eyes looking in her direction and for a moment, Misty thought she was looking right at her.

Cordelia sighed and her posture relaxed. "Maxine, why is it that I always find you in here?"

Misty snapped out of it to realize that Cordelia had been looking at Max the entire time. Of course she couldn't see her. Disappointment instantly filled her and she hid her wounded gaze.

Max instantly became nervous. She knew her mother didn't like her in the greenhouse she once had spent multiple hours a day in. Ever since Misty died and ever since she became Supreme, Delia barely set foot in her old place of safety. Delia paused when she heard the music flowing through the room. The voice of Stevie Nicks brought her multiple memories that continued to haunt her. She walked to the radio and turned it off.

Maxine frowned at this but didn't speak up. Her frown disappeared when Cordelia turned to her. Her eyes went from her daughter to the mess around her. A part of her was ready to scold her for wandering off on her own just like she had told her not to, but the other part was so drawn in by her child's little shenanigans that instead of scolding her, she got closer.

"What do we have here?"

Max looked up nervously at her mother. The older Maxine got, the more she realized her mother's importance. "I'm growing a plant." She explained.

A smile spread across Cordelia's lips. "Are you now?"

"Yes." Maxine said, "Are you mad?"

Cordelia sighed. "No, I'm not mad. I just wish you wouldn't run off when I tell you not to. You can't be by yourself in here, you could get hurt."

"But I'm not—" Max said when she looked to Misty who had placed her finger against her lips. "I'm sorry." Max said right away. "I won't wander off again."

"Where have I heard that before?"

Upon looking at her daughter's fallen glance, Cordelia put on a smile.

"That's quite alright, love. Now, c'mon, let's go wash your hands."

Cordelia helped Max climb down from the stool and took her hand and led her out of the green house. Max looked back to see Misty standing there with a saddened look upon her beautiful face. Max gave her a small wave. Misty waved back.

…

Maxine sat on the carpet of her mother's office. She was coloring whilst Cordelia fussed over her map. She was considering buying a plot of land to build another school to house the young witches being terrorized in the southern states. Robichaux's was almost at full capacity but Cordelia knew she'd bring in more girls regardless of capacity. She'd have them sleeping on the floor and cramming into rooms if she had to.

Fiona sat on one of the chairs in front of Cordelia's desk. She lounged lazily watching her daughter fuss over the map. How she wished Cordelia would take the time to relax and spend some time with her daughter. But not in the way she was doing then, by having her in the study with her but actually spending time with her.

"That mother of yours never gets tired of looking at that damn map." Fiona muttered.

"She just wants to help." Max said out loud, forgetting that Cordelia was in the room.

"Hmm?" Cordelia looked back at Max. Max looked up instantly and looked at her mother with wide brown eyes. She then looked back down to her drawing, "Nothing, Mommy."

Cordelia nodded and turned back to her work.

"Ya can't blame her. She just wants what's best for the Coven." Misty appeared, sitting on top of the drawers behind Cordelia's desk, just mere feet from her. Her eyes looked lovingly at the Supreme.

Fiona scoffed. "The best for the Coven?"

Max looked up from Misty to her grandmother.

"S'more than ya ever did that's fer sure." Misty fought back.

Fiona let a ring of laughter escape through out the room loud enough that someone in the next room would hear it if they could. Max gripped tightly on to her crayon, watching as Misty and Fiona bantered back and forth in front of Cordelia. She began to panic.

"Stop fighting." She whispered so Cordelia wouldn't hear her.

Fiona and Misty had a bad habit of driving her mad with their arguing. Fiona was constantly picking at Cordelia's priorities. She believed Maxine should come first and then the Coven. To which Misty argued that Cordelia wasn't choosing favorites, she was trying her best.

The two ghostly witches didn't hear Max's soft plea and continued to bicker. Max looked to her mother, whose eyes remained on the map, unaware of the ghosts arguing right behind her.

The argument escalated quickly, causing Max's nerves to twitch and her little hands turned to tight fists.

"Please stop." She whispered again but went unheard. The two ghosts continued to fight.

"Stop it!" Maxine demanded, tired of their bickering.

Snap!

The crayon snapped in her hand and a portrait hanging on the wall shattered. Cordelia jumped with a gasp and turned around. All she saw was Max sitting on the floor with a broken crayon in her hand and a shattered portrait hanging on the wall. Misty and Fiona looked from one another to Cordelia, both surprised and only a little startled by the child's outburst.

"Max?" Cordelia asked, catching her breath.

Max jumped up to her feet, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"

"Come here." Cordelia said, stretching her hand out to Max. Max instantly went to her mother, taking her hand and burying her face in her stomach. Cordelia secured Max's body against hers, looking up at the shattered portrait of a late Supreme. Concern filled her eyes. "That's quite alright. It happens." She caressed her hair. "Don't be afraid."

But it was Cordelia who was a little afraid. She looked around the room. What was bothering her daughter? Or better yet, who?

…

Max sat in her bed dressed in her pajamas later that night. Fiona and Misty sat in the room with her. "You all gotta be nice to each other." Max said as she continued to color in the drawing of herself, Fiona and Misty she was drawing earlier in Cordelia's office, "Like the other girls do."

Fiona scoffed softly thinking of how ridiculous it would be of her to be kind to the swamp witch. Misty only gave Max a saddening look. She felt terrible for making the child feel bad. She and Fiona were often a little too much.

"We're a family and families are nice to each other." Max said, "You understand?" She looked up giving Fiona and Misty a look that made her look older than she was.

Fiona looked at her granddaughter and wondered when she had grown up but the girl also reminded her of Cordelia in that exact moment. Cordelia who always vouched for a close nit Coven and a strong bond. Max was stuck between the two bickering witches. She wanted there to be peace between them but there was so much tension from fighting over the girl's attention that they often argued. Misty didn't realize how hard it would be coming back and being unable to communicate with anyone but a young child and the old Supreme but it was better than being stuck in hell. Anything was better than that.

"How'd you get so old?" Fiona asked with an adoring smile.

"On my birthday." Max answered and continued to color in Misty's hair in her drawing.

Fiona huffed with a light chuckle.

The door then opened and Max looked up to see her mother step inside. She quickly hid her drawing underneath a few others. Misty and Fiona looked up too. Fiona rolled her eyes at the look on Misty's face. She looked as if an angel had just presented itself to her.

"Hey, you." Cordelia entered the room.

Fiona stood from her seat and walked to the other end of the room, passing right in front of Cordelia.

"Hi, Mommy." Max said and continued a new drawing.

"Are you ready for bed?" Cordelia asked as she sat at the edge of Max's bed. Max only shook her head. Cordelia smiled. "Listen, Max, I want to ask you something about today."

Max's eyes looked up at her, they clouded with worry.

"I'm not mad with you. I just wanted to know what happened."

Max's browns pulled together in to a light frown but she remained silent.

Cordelia studied her child's eyes and yearned to know what she was thinking, what was happening to her—what had been happening to her.

"Maxie, is there something bothering you?"

"Something?" Max asked softly.

"Someone." Cordelia said, "Is someone bothering you? Is that why you got mad in the study?"

Max looked up to Misty who was standing at the foot of the bed. Misty looked over to Fiona who had become rigid. Cordelia followed Max's eyes to the opposite end of the room. A chill ran down the back of her spine.

"Someone? Like who?"

"Someone from the other side. Someone who is no longer with us."

Max looked down, avoiding Cordelia's eyes. "I don't see anyone, Mommy." She said ever so casually.

Cordelia looked at her daughter long and hard, studying her nervous exterior. Her eyes glanced over to the sides of the room as if she was looking to someone for help and then glanced down to her little hands.

"Maxine Goode. For the love of all that is holy, tell me who you see. Who is here with us?"

Max's eyes looked to Fiona for help. Her lips parted to speak but her voice lodge itself in her throat, unable to give away her biggest secret.