Authors note: Sorry I disappeared for a while, hope this long chapter makes up for it. Enjoy!

Cordelia woke up late the next morning to find a warm cup of coffee left for her on her bedside table as the soft golden morning light illuminated the room. She smiled softly and rolled over to see Elliott still fast asleep on the bed next to her, the space where Misty once laid was now occupied by Max, who rested his head on Elliott's back. It was a perfect way to wake up, something most people dreamed about, if you removed the events that had transpired the previous night from everyone's memory.

Still, Cordelia's heart swelled as she sipped her coffee, an obvious parting gift from Misty, and stared at her sleeping child. Elliott always looked so concerned, especially as of late, it always seemed like she had a permanent crease down the center of her forehead between her eyebrows, like she knew the world was about to implode. It was nice to see her so peaceful, her face completely relaxed. It made her look more like an actual kid, her head laid on the pillow, hair splayed haphazardly behind her. She looked normal. When was the last time she actually looked like a teenager? Or the last time she actually smiled? Not the half smile she made when someone said something funny, or the small, uncomfortable one when she noticed someone was staring at her, but a real genuine smile? Was it the day they got Max? Cordelia couldn't recall any moments after that, but she knew in that moment she would give anything to see that smile again.

Slowly, Cordelia made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, grabbing herself another cup of coffee as she spotted Misty sitting at the table. "Mornin'." Misty said, reading the last sentence of her book before she looked up and softly smiled at the older woman.

"Morning? Mist, it's practically afternoon, why didn't you wake me up?" Cordelia asked, chuckling as she leaned against the counter.

"Ya looked so cute sleepin', and god knows ya needed it!" Misty responded, causing Cordelia to blush.

"Well now I'm behind. The girls are coming back in two days and I have nothing ready for them. I'm screwed." Cordelia said, obviously frustrated.

"Ya are not screwed. All ya need for them is a room to shove em in." Misty laughed.

"Which I'm not even sure we have enough of those. Mallory and Coco are rooming together, which is fine, and Queenie and Madison are getting an apartment, which frees up two beds but with you, Elle, and David all having your own room that makes us short. I was going to give Elle a roommate but considering her nightmares I don't think that's a good idea, at least not right now." Cordelia lamented, letting out a sigh at the end.

"Well ya could always stick me with Elle, as long as she doesn't mind." Misty offered.

"Do you really want to live with a 15-year-old?" Cordelia asked sarcastically.

"I don't mind it, it's not like I'm not around her all the time anyways, plus then I can help too. Elle's family, it'll be fine." Misty said honestly, which only made Cordelia's heart race. As much as she loved Misty for being so close with Elliott, it also terrified her. She hadn't even considered what their relationship, or possible lack of relationship, would do to Elliott. Her thoughts quickly started to spiral, but Misty reeled her back in. "Is she up yet?"

"No not yet. I didn't have the heart to wake her up, it's the first full night of sleep she's gotten in god knows how long." Cordelia said, placing her now empty mug in the sink.

"Yea, I would just leave her, she needs it." Misty said, causing Cordelia to nod and the conversation to lull. "Sorry about last night by the way. I didn't mean ta go against ya, with her showing me, I just knew she wasn't gonna show ya."

"It's fine, we needed to find out one way or another." Cordelia said, dismissing Misty's apology with a wave of her hand, "I just don't get why she's so secretive with me, she had to know you were going to tell me anyways."

"She wanted ta protect ya darlin'. There's a big difference between me tellin' ya what's goin' on and her showin' ya, she wants ta keep ya innocent." Misty offered.

"So she thinks I'm naïve? That's why she won't talk to me?" Cordelia chuckled, trying to hide her offense.

"No darlin', not naïve. She thinks you're pure, that's not a bad thing. Ya got a big heart, everyone can see that. She doesn't wanna taint that if she can help it. That's why she shows me, cause she knows I'll get it." Misty said.

"Knows you'll get what?" Cordelia asked, curious.

"How much she loves ya, how badly she wants ta keep ya safe. She showed me cause she knew if I was in her position I woulda done the exact same thing." Misty said.

"It's not her job to worry about my safety, I'm supposed to take care of HER. Not the other way around, she's just a kid Mist." Cordelia said, frustrated.

"I know, and that's why I told ya." Misty said.

"So, what? If you weren't there she wouldn't tell me? It doesn't make sense. She knew you were going to tell me, and she knew I was going to make her go to sleep, so what was the point of her not telling me? It would have worked out the same either way." Cordelia asked, confused.

Misty was quiet for a moment, trying to think about how to explain it to Cordelia in a way she would understand, and a way that wouldn't make it blaringly obvious that Misty was irrevocably in love with her. She grabbed the bridge of her nose with her fingertips before deciding there wasn't a way to hide her borderline obsessive love, so she took a breath and dived in. "She wouldn't tell ya if I wasn't there. She was only gonna tell me because if she told ya without me she knew ya wouldn't look out for ya self. She needed ta know that someone understood why she was doin' it, and she needed ta know that no matter what ya would be kept safe. She told me cause she knew that I would rather die than let ya get hurt, and she trusted that I would keep ya from doin' somethin' reckless for her. That's why."

Cordelia sat silent for a moment, she finally got it. It was a balance, a sort of transfer of power. Elliott would only let Cordelia take care of her if she knew someone would be there to take care of Cordelia, and that was Misty. Before, Cordelia had only thought of her and Elliott as one unit, fitting together like two puzzle pieces. But now it was blaringly obvious that wasn't the case, and she wondered how it had slipped past her all this time that Misty was even a part of the equation, the third puzzle piece she didn't even notice was there. While Cordelia had done her best to take her and Misty's relationship slow, it was clear that it was progressing at the speed of light, and she wondered if Elliott had known it would be this way all this time.

Cordelia thought back on all their conversations pertaining to the swamp witch, every time Elliott had brought up their relationship. Elliott never put too much pressure on her, never went too far, but she always seemed to know something Cordelia didn't. How did she know before the supreme even knew herself? Was there something Cordelia was missing?

The two witches conversed for a little bit after, but Misty could tell Cordelia's head was somewhere else, and the younger witch worried she had said too much, scared the supreme off with her all-but-confession of her undying love. She knew she should have made up some lie. Hell, they hadn't even talked about what their relationship was, maybe Cordelia saying she loved her wasn't even in a romantic way, although it had seemed that way the previous night.

Cordelia excused herself to finally do some work, first trying to work in her study, then moving herself into her bedroom and working on her laptop once the thought of Elliott wouldn't leave her brain. Sure, it wasn't the most comfortable way to work, or the most efficient, but at least with the girl sleeping beside her it gave her some of her focus back, at least for a little while.

Eventually, Cordelia finished all of the room placements and finalized the schedule for move in. With Misty moving in with Elliott, the room placements were a breeze, although Cordelia still wasn't sure she was exactly comfortable with the situation. A part of her thought she should just end the relationship all together, that it would be easier for all of them if they just kept things friendly. But she also knew from Misty's admission that things were far more serious than Cordelia had thought, or wanted them to be. They would never be just friends, no matter how hard she tried those feelings would always be there, she couldn't keep running away from them, and that scared her. Elliott was already attached to Misty, probably as much as she was to Cordelia. Originally Cordelia had chalked it up to them being friendly, like Elliott was with all of the girls, but now it didn't seem that way, and Cordelia cursed herself for letting it get that far. If things ended between Cordelia and Misty, Elliott would be crushed, and it would all be Cordelia's fault. Everything that hurt Elliott was Cordelia's fault, and she was painfully aware of that.

Cordelia had never thought motherhood would be like this, this hurtful, like nothing she did would ever be enough. Everyone, besides her mother, always talked about how it was the greatest thing that ever happened to them, a blessing, but Cordelia had never felt more cursed. Sure, she loved Elliott more than anything, but it wasn't a beautiful love like everyone had described. It was the kind of love that left her with an ache in her bones every time she looked at her child, a deep pain that could only be relieved by Elliott's smile, and she wondered if she would ever see that smile again. Cordelia walked around in a constant state of dread, an all-consuming panic, because she knew that no matter what she did, it wouldn't be right, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep Elliott safe from all the pain of the world. Hell, most of the time she led the young girl straight to that pain. Cordelia had tried so desperately to not be Fiona, to not be the cause of her daughter's suffering, but as hard as she tried, there she was. She ran so far in the opposite direction she had made a full circle, and it killed her.

I know I pushed for adoption in the beginning, but I think you should keep her.

Those words had started her spiral, a string of bad decisions she had regretted every single day for the past 16 years.

Regardless of that snake you call a boyfriend, you're right, she would be better off with you. I did it and you turned out just fine.

That was it, the final nail in the coffin. Cordelia had been adamant about keeping her child until those words were spoken, until they opened up a deep fear in her she never knew she had. Cordelia always swore she would be nothing like her mother, but there she was, in the exact same predicament. She was young, and tied to a man she wasn't even sure she was in love with. Fiona had kept her, and Cordelia had wished every single day that she hadn't. She knew her mother loved her, in some strange way, but she also knew Fiona resented her, and Cordelia never wanted her child to feel that way. She wanted Elliott to know she was loved and wanted, so she made a choice that day to release her, despite her mother's protests. Thinking back on it now, she played right into her mother's hand, it was blatant reverse psychology, and Cordelia fell for it, hard.

"What's wrong?" mumbled Elliott, drawing Cordelia out of her downward spiral as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Cordelia didn't respond, just stared at her, so Elliott raised her eyebrows. "You in there?" she joked, snapping Cordelia out of her trance.

"Uh, nothing, just behind on work. How are you feeling?" Cordelia asked, trying to turn the conversation away from her.

Elliott threw her a look as she pulled herself up into a sitting position, not buying the excuse for a second. "I'm fine. What's wrong?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." Cordelia said as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, if I don't get to do that neither do you. I know something's wrong." Elliott responded.

"I'm the parent, I do get to do that." Cordelia said, raising her eyebrows playfully.

"Really? You want to play that game?" Elliott asked jokingly.

Cordelia rolled her eyes once more, then decided to give Elliott something, if nothing else than to shut her up. "I'm just trying to get the room assignments done. We have enough beds for everyone, but for it to work you would have to take a roommate."

Elliott paused for a moment, realizing the dilemma. She wouldn't be an easy person to live with, especially when she woke up screaming half the time. "I can take a roommate." She said as she nodded slowly, not really believing she could. "As long as she's deaf, or we can just get her a REALLY nice set of earplugs." She joked, making Cordelia laugh.

"Misty said she would room with you, but I don't think that's a great idea." Cordelia said honestly, trying to gauge the girl's reaction.

"Why not? It makes sense, she won't get freaked out by you coming in in the middle of the night, and she's up with me half the time anyways. Plus, that frees up a whole room." Elliott said.

Cordelia tried to come up with a good excuse, "Well there's a big age gap there, and I know how much you like having your own room. I can figure something else out, make two of the rooms a triple or something."

Elliott shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can live with her, I don't mind as long as she doesn't." Cordelia looked at her doubtfully, so she continued, "You do realize I've had roommates before, right? This isn't something new, I'll be ok." The concern didn't lift from Cordelia's face as she bit her lip, and Elliott was starting to think she really wasn't worried about Elliott's privacy. "What? There's obviously a reason why you are so against this, so what is it?"

"I just, I'm worried about you. You're very attached to her, and I don't want to get your hopes up if this doesn't work out." Cordelia said, trying to keep things as vague as possible.

"If what doesn't work out?" Elliott asked, confused for a moment before she realized what the supreme was implying. "Oh. You and her? That's what you're so freaked out about?" she asked, giving the supreme a sarcastic look.

"Don't look at me like I'm crazy, I'm not crazy." Cordelia said incredulously.

"You aren't crazy, but I'm also not a little kid, I can handle myself. It's not like she's going anywhere." Elliott said casually, noticing how the supreme's eyes widened in panic at the end. She sighed and shifted her body so she was sitting facing the older woman with her legs crossed. "Ok, what happened?"

"Nothing happened, I'm just worried. I don't want you getting hurt when things don't work out." Cordelia said.

"No, you have your panic face on, something happened." Elliott said, pausing once she registered Cordelia's phrasing. "Wait. What do you mean "When things don't work out"? You already planning on dumping her?" She asked, the supreme not responding. "Cordelia, do not do something stupid because you are panicked about me. I will be fine."

"I'm not doing it because of you, I'm doing it because it's not the right time. I have too much going on and so does she. It's just not going to work." Cordelia said.

"Ok, but out of all those reasons, not one was you not liking her, which means you still do. You really think stopping whatever you two have going on is going to change that? You aren't cutting it off because you are too busy, you're cutting it off because you're panicked." Elliott said, causing Cordelia to throw her a look.

"I am not panicked." Cordelia said firmly.

"Yes you are, and you can say it's because of me but it's not, it's because of you." Elliott said just as firmly.

"I am not having this conversation with a 15-year-old." Cordelia said.

"Well since you are using me as the excuse, yea you are having this conversation with me. You don't want to tell me why you are so freaked out then fine, you don't have to. But this is a good thing, you deserve to be HAPPY, and she makes you happy. I'm not going to get hurt if you try it and it doesn't work out, but I am going to be hurt if you cut it off without giving it a fair shot, because then I'm going to have to be the one in the middle of it while you are both hurt." Elliott said, standing from the bed and walking out of the room. Sometimes dealing with the supreme was frustrating, more than frustrating. Cordelia had a bad habit of projecting her own issues onto something else, and she was so stubborn that she couldn't even recognize that she was doing it. Elliott wouldn't have an issue with it if it wasn't so self-destructive, but it was becoming increasingly clear that Cordelia didn't think she deserved to be happy in any capacity, which was concerning to say the least.

Elliott wandered down to the kitchen to find Misty still reading at the table, walking over to her and quietly sliding a ring over to her, "You lost this, I woke up with it stuck to my face." Misty looked up at her with wide eyes, "Relax, it's fine, I knew you were going to stay last night. Don't say anything to Cordelia though, she's already freaked out about it, me knowing would absolutely send her over the edge."

Misty's face relaxed, but only slightly, her eyebrows knitting together as Elliott sat down next to her. "Why is she freaked out?" She asked.

"Because she's in love and panicking about it. What the hell happened last night?" Elliott asked.

"Nothing, nothing happened." Misty said, shaking her head.

"Well something did. She's freaking out about me and how upset I will get if you two break things off, which didn't just come out of the blue. She's deflecting, so what happened? You tell her you love her?" Elliott asked jokingly, watching as Misty's face turned bright red. "Oh my god, you did!"

"It slipped out, I didn't mean ta freak her out." Misty offered.

"It's fine, I think just with everything that happened last night it was a lot to process all at once. She's not freaked out about you being in love with her, at least I don't think so, it's her being in love with you that's the issue." Elliott explained.

"Elle, ya gotta stop messin'." Misty said.

"I know and I am…. will. Once she gets past the whole "I don't deserve happiness" thing. After that it's all on you." Elliott joked.

"What?" Misty asked, Elliott shrugging her off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm working on it." She responded.

"How are ya feelin'?" Misty asked, changing the subject and causing Elliott to throw her a look.

"I'm feeling fine, for now. We'll see how tonight goes." Elliott said honestly.

"Elle, ya gotta sleep, ya can't keep doin' this ta ya self. It's not healthy." Misty said, her tone slightly scolding.

"Yea I know, that was a dumb idea. It seemed like a good one at the time though." Elliott joked, getting her a glare from the swamp witch. "Hey, at least I'm aware that I'm being self-destructive, that's something. Better to hurt myself than someone else."

Misty was about to respond, her mouth open and the words on the tip of her tongue when Cordelia walked into the room, causing her to close it as Elliott shifted her gaze from Misty to the older witch. "What?" Cordelia asked, thinking she interrupted something.

"Nothing, Misty was just reiterating how dumb my no sleep idea was, which I already know, by the way, so you don't have to tell me too." Elliott said sarcastically, both Misty and Cordelia throwing her the same look.

"I'm going to remind you every single day." Cordelia said seriously, making Elliott chuckle.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Elliott asked.

"For you? RESTING." Cordelia said, making Elliott groan.

"I rested plenty, I slept like, all day. I'm tired of resting." Elliott said.

"I gotta go ta the swamp, get more mud. I just gotta find someone ta take me." Misty said, making Elliott whip around.

"Ooo, can I go with you?" She asked, excited.

"No." Cordelia said sternly.

"Please?" Elliott begged, giving Cordelia her best puppy dog face, causing the supreme to laugh.

"You are supposed to be resting, missy. Not chasing alligators." Cordelia said, already knowing she was going to lose the fight, but trying anyways.

"I won't CHASE them, I'm not five. Come on, she needs someone to take her and you have a car. Please? It will be fun!" Elliott said, standing from the table and moving towards the supreme, her puppy dog expression still on her face.

"Elliott, I'm not taking you to the hospital again because you got bit by an alligator." Cordelia said, trying to hold firm on her decision. It was difficult, especially when Elliott had a very convincing expression, her eyes wide and pleading with the corners of her mouth turned up, bringing the promise of a smile if the older woman caved.

"So I won't get bit, problem solved." Elliott said, still inching closer and closer to the woman until she was right in front of her, staring up at her with her eyebrows raised. "Please?"

Cordelia stared at the girl as she bit her lip, debating on whether or not she should just give up. Elliott's energy was bouncing off the walls, reflecting back at the supreme like a ray of sunshine. She didn't need to feel the girl to know how excited she was, Elliott was wiggling back and forth right in front of her, like a dog wagging its tail. It was adorable, and as much as Cordelia wanted to be responsible and tell Elliott no, she couldn't. "Fine, now put that face away." She said jokingly, rolling her eyes as she smiled at the girl.

"Really?" Elliott asked, her eyes wide as she waited for the supreme to confirm.

"Yes, really. Now go get dressed, unless you want to go in your pajamas." Cordelia said, her heart soaring when Elliott smiled widely at her. There it is. It was like a rainstorm after a drought, one of those moments in the movies where it seemed to last forever. For a second the world stopped spinning, and Cordelia decided that sometimes the right decisions aren't always the best decisions, and this was one of them. Cordelia would move mountains, start wars, if it meant she got to see that smile again, even for a second.

Elliott moved to hug the supreme, Cordelia holding her tightly and dropping a kiss on her head as she felt the girl bounce up and down with excitement, which just made her laugh. Elliott quickly went upstairs to change, leaving the two older women alone downstairs, Misty staring at Cordelia like she hung the moon. "What?" The older witch asked.

"Nothin', just good ta see her happy. Haven't seen that smile in a while." Misty said, knowing it was all Cordelia's doing.

"That smile is dangerous. First I let her have a dog and now I'm letting her play with alligators, I've officially lost it." Cordelia joked.

"She does have a good smile doesn't she?" Misty said, smiling wildly at the supreme.

"She sure does." Cordelia said, leaning on the counter as she shook her head.

"What?" Misty asked.

"Nothing, I just can't believe she convinced me to go. I almost died the first time." Cordelia said laughing.

"Dee, ya did not almost DIE. Ya were perfectly safe with me, although ya did scream ya brains out." Misty said.

"There was an alligator two feet in front of us!" Cordelia said emphatically.

"Stevie was not gonna hurt ya, we have a understandin'." Misty replied.

"Well I'm sorry if your mental contract with an ALLIGATOR didn't ease my fears." Cordelia said sarcastically as Elliott walked back into the room, dressed in leggings and a t-shirt that was far too big on her. "Is that my shirt?" Cordelia asked.

"Ya own a t-shirt?" Misty asked teasingly as she walked past Cordelia, who swatted at her. "Stop it!"

"Yes I own a t-shirt, I have several." Cordelia said, pretending to be offended.

"You have two and I have both of them." Elliott responded, making Misty laugh.

"Hey, you are supposed to be on my side." Cordelia said, walking over to the girl and tickling her ribs, making Elliott squirm and jump away.

"I'm not on anyone's side, but if you are going to lie at least make it a good one." Elliott teased as Cordelia grabbed her keys. "Are you really going to wear heels to a swamp?"

Cordelia looked down at her feet, she had honestly not even thought about it. Her last shoes that she wore to the swamp got ruined, and with the conversation that just took place Cordelia didn't want to admit that she didn't think she owned a pair of sneakers. "I could probably find something else to wear…"

"So we're making a pit stop at target on the way." Elliott joked, knowing exactly what Cordelia owned, Misty staring at her confused as Cordelia bit her lip. "You can't wear sandals, or heels, they'll get ruined. You can get a pair of throwaway shoes at target for like $5."

"What's Target?" Misty asked.

"You've never been to target before?" Elliott asked, stunned as Misty shook her head. "Boy are you in for a ride."

The three managed to all get into the car and make a quick stop at Target, although it was no small feat with Misty wanting to look at everything. The ride down to the swamp was talkative, Elliott explaining target to Misty like she was an expert, which made Cordelia chuckle.

"Wait, so they got food and clothes AND pillows? Why would ya ever leave there?" Misty asked, amazed by the little store as they stepped out of the car.

"You don't. You go in for one thing and you walk out three hours later with thirty other things and not the one thing you needed. Then the cycle continues." Elliott explained.

"Elle, you do not." Cordelia argued, although truth be told she didn't know the last time she had even stepped foot in a target.

"Yes you do, and I'm an expert. I spent most of my childhood in Targets." Elliott said with conviction.

"What?" Misty asked, confused.

"That was the thing to do when we weren't allowed in the house, we would go to target and play hide and seek, and try and sneak around the employees so they wouldn't kick us out." Elliott explained, making Cordelia laugh a little bit.

"Alright now listen closely." Cordelia began, "There are bugs and snakes and god knows what else out here, so watch where you are stepping. I don't need you getting bit by something. Stay close please, don't run off and give me a heart attack. And for the love of god, stay away from the alligators."

"So, no fun?" Elliott said sarcastically, causing Cordelia to glare at her.

"You can have fun, just safe fun." She responded.

"So…no fun. Got it." Elliott replied, stepping over a tree root.

The three of them finally made their way to their destination, Cordelia once again camping out behind Misty as she worked, whereas Elliott chose to wander. While Cordelia didn't appear as freaked out as last time, she really was, she was just trying to put up a good front for Elliott, which obviously wasn't working out so well when Elliott turned to look back at her. "Are you doing ok?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Cordelia responded, quickly looking to the ground and scanning it for anything, which made Elliott chuckle.

"Yea, ok." She said sarcastically, moving behind a tree. "Oh cool, a snake!"

"Elliott, do not go anywhere near that snake." Cordelia said sternly, quickly looking back to the ground when she heard the ruffling of grass.

"Relax, it's just a garden snake, they're harmless. Look." Elliott said as she came back into view, the snake wrapping up her arm, making Cordelia scream.

"OH MY GOD." Cordelia shrieked, making Elliott and Misty laugh at her. "Elliott, put it down, now."

"Dee it's fine, they aren't even poisonous." Misty said, smirking at Elliott.

"Yea, look!" Elliott said as she grabbed the snake and walked toward the women, "Isn't he cute?"

Cordelia gave Elliott a hard stare, but that quickly dissolved when the snake wrapped itself around Elliott's neck, making the young girl smile. She really did have a dangerous smile. "Elliott, please, for my own sanity, do not pick anything else up, or try to play with anything."

"She hasn't even met Stevie yet." Misty said, throwing Cordelia a devious smile as the supreme gazed down at her with wide eyes.

"Yea, where is Stevie?" Elliott asked, setting the snake down as she continued to wander, moving behind the old house that used to be Misty's home.

"Elliott, please be careful!" Cordelia yelled after her, then turned her focus to Misty. "You are not helping me."

"She's havin' fun Dee. She already knows what's dangerous out here and what isn't, I showed her months ago. She'll be fine." Misty answered.

"You showed her?" Cordelia asked.

"Yea, when we were workin' out in the greenhouse. Ya got all the books out there on the different animals, so she was askin' me about it. She reads everythin' ya know." Misty said, smiling up at her.

"That she does." Cordelia said, laughing to herself when the two of them heard a distinctive thud, or more of a splash. "Elliott?" Cordelia yelled, turning her body around.

"Yea?" Elliott yelled back.

"Are you ok?" Cordelia asked, getting no response at first, causing both her and Misty to start to move towards the back of the house. "Elle?"

"Yea, I'm ok. I think I found Stevie… or at least I'm hoping this is Stevie." Elliott said, her voice dropping at the last bit, which only caused Cordelia to panic and run to the back of the house.

When she rounded the corner she immediately saw that Elliott was sitting on the ground, totally covered in mud. She visibly relaxed until she saw the mud move on top of Elliott's legs, a full alligator head coming into view, which made her shriek, causing Misty and Elliott to both shush her. "Dee, it's Stevie, she's fine, but ya hollerin' isn't helping." Misty said quietly, which didn't calm the woman down one bit.

"Get her off of her." Cordelia said, her voice so high pitched, it was practically nails on a chalkboard.

"Mama, relax. I'm ok." Elliott said, not realizing the words that came out of her mouth in her own panic, but Cordelia and Misty did, Cordelia's eyes tearing up as she turned away, terrified.

"I told you not to play with them." Cordelia said, turning back at the girl.

"I didn't! I was walking back here and I slipped, and she walked up to me and put her head on me. You think if I knew there was an alligator back here I would have done this?" Elliott said emphatically.

"Yes." Cordelia and Misty said at the same time, making Elliott's eyes roll.

"Well I didn't. I do listen to rules sometimes, I don't live just to give you an aneurism." Elliott said as Misty moved closer, Cordelia looking at Elliott with wide eyes.

"She likes ya." Misty said, squatting down by the girl, rubbing the alligator's snout as it closed its eyes.

"I figured, otherwise she probably would have eaten me by now." Elliott said, chuckling.

"Not funny." Cordelia said, although Elliott noticed she was starting to relax a bit.

"It was too funny. I'm the one sitting under an alligator here, I get to make jokes." Elliott said, causing Cordelia to roll her eyes.

"She wants ya ta pet her, that's why she's layin' on ya." Misty said, causing Elliott to look at her apprehensively. "It's ok, she won't bite ya."

Elliott reached her hand out and slowly pet the alligator, smiling when she felt Stevie relax on top of her. She smiled at Cordelia, who couldn't help but offer a small, but still panicked, smile back. Elliott and Misty continued to pet the gator for a few more moments before Elliott finally said to the gator, "Can you move now? You're sorta crushing my legs."

Misty and Cordelia both let out a snort, then stared shocked as the gator actually moved, crawling back into the water. Misty quickly recovered and helped pull Elliott up, the two walking back to the supreme, who grabbed Elliott's hand as she took the lead, leading everyone out of the swamp. Misty was shocked the supreme didn't ask her to go first, but then again it was crystal clear the older woman was in momma bear mode, snaking her way through the trees until they got about halfway back, turning to the swamp witch. "I don't know where to go." She said, obviously defeated as she bit her bottom lip, making Elliott and Misty laugh at her. Misty nodded and took the lead, getting them back to the car. Elliott stepped away from the supreme and went to climb in the back when the older woman finally looked her up and down, she was absolutely coated in mud. "You think you are getting in my car like that?" She asked jokingly, causing Elliott to throw her a half glare.

"What are you going to do? Leave me here?" She said sarcastically, making the supreme laugh.

"Well say goodbye to it because you are never coming back here." Cordelia said seriously.

"Hey! Not fair." Elliott said as Cordelia threw her a look and walked toward her.

"You are going to be the death of me." Cordelia said sarcastically as she laughed, dropping a kiss on Elliott's head, the one clean spot she had.

The three of them drove home and Elliott quickly hopped in the shower, leaving the two older witches outside on the porch swing as Max ran around in the front yard. "Ya really gonna keep Elle from goin' ta the swamp again?" Misty asked, Cordelia throwing her a look.

"Mist, she had an ALLIGATOR on her lap." Cordelia said seriously.

"She had Stevie on her lap, and she wasn't gonna hurt her, she loved her." Misty said adamantly.

"I don't care what Stevie's intentions where, she's still an alligator, Mist. A deadly reptile, and she's not the only one that's out there. What if next time Elliott thinks it's her and it's not? She'd lose an arm." Cordelia said, trying to reason with the swamp witch.

"Dee, she's a smart kid, she knows better. Ya gotta give her some credit here, and ya know she had a blast." Misty responded.

"Yea, she did but I had a heart attack. I'm worried about her enough as is, and you want to add a bunch of deadly animals into the mix?" Cordelia joked.

"Ya can't have a heart attack, ya are the supreme." Misty teased.

"A metaphorical heart attack babe, one I've been having every day since she got here." Cordelia laughed.

"Hey, it's not like she's doin' it on purpose, she's doin' her best." Misty said, Cordelia rolling her eyes in response.

"I know she is. It's not her fault, I just didn't think it would be like this." Cordelia responded honestly.

"Like what?" Misty asked.

"This… I don't know… This hard? Everyone always talks about how amazing it is, but I just feel like no matter what I do it's wrong. I love Elliott, more than anything, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade her for the world. I just didn't think it would be this painful." Cordelia explained.

"Dee, ya gotta cut ya self some slack. Elle isn't a normal kid, she's dealin' with some pretty heavy stuff right now, it's gonna be hard. Especially when ya love someone as much as ya love Elle, it hurts ta see her in pain, but all ya can do is try ta help her. It'll get better with time, soon ya will be arguin' with her about stealin' ya clothes like normal kids do." Misty said, grabbing the older witches hand. "I know ya still feel guilty about everythin' that happened, but that's all stuff ya couldn't control, ya did what ya thought was best. But what is in ya control is how she is now, and ya have to admit she's a whole lot happier here."

"Is she?" Cordelia asked, "Because the last time, before today, that I could remember her genuinely being happy was when we got Max, and that was MONTHS ago. The last time she smiled was months ago, Mist."

"No it wasn't." Misty said, causing Cordelia to look at her questioningly, "It was when ya told her she got ta come home. That's the last time she smiled." Cordelia didn't respond, just stared at her hands, completely forgetting the moment happened, everything was just so crazy then. "Dee, I know right now it doesn't seem like it, but she is happy, and that's all ya. Ya let her read books and watch Harry Potter and mess around in the greenhouse and steal ya clothes and tease ya mercilessly about the way ya eat pizza. Ya don't yell at her for anythin', even when ya probably should. Ya stay up all night with her when she has her nightmares and she knows ya would do anythin' ta make her feel better. She's crazy about ya, and that's not gonna change."

"But what if it does? She thinks she wants this right now, but once everything settles she might not. Eventually the novelty of me is going to wear off and she might just find me annoying or overbearing. She already thinks I'm crazy now, and she's only been here for a little while." Cordelia said, her deepest fears finally surfacing. "I don't want to be my mother; I don't want her to hate me or not want to deal with me."

"Ya are nothin' like Fiona, I can tell ya that. Ya care too much ta be anythin' like her." Misty said truthfully, "I wouldn't love ya if ya were Fiona." Cordelia got quiet, she really didn't know what to say anymore. "Hey, if ya are so worried about all this, why don't ya talk to Elle about it? I'm sure she would tell ya exactly what I'm sayin'."

"I know she would, she would tell me I'm being insane." Cordelia said.

"Ever think that's cause ya are?" Misty teased, making Cordelia roll her eyes playfully, "I know ya are scared darlin', and that's normal. But ya gotta go easy on ya self, ya are doin' the best ya can, and we both know if Elle was thinkin' this way ya would stop her in a second."

Cordelia nodded begrudgingly, she knew Misty was right. How is she so perfect? A few hours ago Cordelia was convinced she was going to have to break up with her, and now the supreme didn't think she could ever let the swamp witch go. Cordelia leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before she pulled back and whispered "God I love you."

"I love ya too." Misty said, pressing one more quick kiss to the older woman's lips before they heard the sound of glass shattering from inside the house, causing both of them to jump up and head inside to see what happened.

Elliott didn't mean to drop the glass, she really didn't. After her shower she came downstairs and was about to head outside when she saw through the window that Cordelia and Misty were having a serious conversation. Part of her wanted to go out and stop it, assuming it was Cordelia trying to break things off, but Elliott had told Misty she would stop meddling, and she really was trying to do that. She headed to the kitchen and decided to get a drink, but the glasses were on the top shelf in the cabinet, meaning she had to go up on her tippy toes. It was fine until she went to come back down and stumbled, the glass slipping from her grasp and crashing to the floor, making the blood rush to her ears.

Do not have a panic attack, it's fine. You had a good day, don't ruin it over this.

Elliott tried to control herself as her thoughts briefly went wild, staring at the broken glass. It flashed across her mind that Cordelia was going to be mad at her, that she was going to hurt her, but she quickly tried to talk herself out of that, knowing if she gave into the thoughts that she was screwed.

Cordelia has never hurt you, you are safe. Stop overreacting.

You have to keep yourself calm, do it for her. You have to get better.

If you freak out again she's going to send you back.

No she isn't. She loves you. You are being insane. Just breathe.

You know she was out there telling Misty you are too much trouble.

She doesn't want you. No one wants you.

Would you reign it in? It's a broken glass, not a nuclear bomb.

Elliott didn't move from where she was standing, trying to take deep breathes as her eyes started to get watery. She heard the front door open behind her but she couldn't bring herself to face the women, not until she had gotten herself under control. "Elle? Are you ok?" She heard Cordelia say.

You have to be ok.

She rapidly tried to blink the tears away, instinctually turning around when she felt a hand on her shoulder, coming face to face with Cordelia, her face concerned. "I- I'm sorry. It slipped." Elliott offered her, her eyes still glassy as she looked at the woman, the panic evident on her face.

"Elle, sweetie, it's ok, I'm not worried about it." Cordelia said as she pulled Elliott into a hug, trying to comfort the girl and quell her fears. She didn't care about the glass, they had practically a hundred. "Are you ok?" She asked as she pulled back, grabbing the girls face gently and studying it for any sign of a panic attack. Elliott nodded but the supreme was still doubtful, "Are you sure?" Elliott nodded again, a little more sure of herself as the rushing in her ears quieted, the supreme smiling at her softly, making her smile back a bit.

Cordelia pulled Elliott in for another hug before the girl went in search of a broom and dustpan to clean everything up, despite Misty and Cordelia saying they would take care of it. Elliott thought it was her mess, she should be the one to clean it up, so the two witches made their way back outside and resumed their position on the porch swing. Cordelia couldn't keep the smile off her face, she was proud of Elliott. She thought for sure she was going to walk in and see Elliott in the fetal position again, but aside from her being panicked that Cordelia would be mad at her, she was ok. It was small, but it was progress. "What are ya all smiley about?" Misty asked playfully, poking at the supreme's sides.

"Nothing! It's just the last time something broke like that was when Elliott first got here, and she had a total panic attack, but this time she didn't. It's not a big deal, but it's something." Cordelia explained, Misty smiling back at her.

"It's more than somethin' darlin'. That's great!" Misty responded enthusiastically. The two chatted amongst themselves for a few minutes until Elliott had finished cleaning and came out to join them, sitting down in front of them with her back pressed against the porch railing. "How ya feelin' darlin'?" Misty asked.

Elliott rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm fine. How are you two?" She asked, Cordelia narrowing her eyes at the girl, understanding the undertones that laced the loaded question.

"We're great. You hungry yet? I figured we would go out for food." She asked, trying to gauge where Elliott was at as far as eating went. She didn't want to make the young witch freak out, but she hoped Elliott would be open to it as long as it was her choice.

Once again, the idea of food made Elliott's stomach roll, but she knew it was just her getting in her own head. She couldn't keep doing this, she had to try and get better, so she agreed. "I could eat, anywhere you have in mind?"

Cordelia smiled widely, then quickly tried to cover it up, knowing it would just make Elliott uncomfortable. "There's some sort of street fair happening on the other side of town, want to do that?" She asked.

"Yea that's fine." Elliott responded as Misty nodded her head in agreement. The two older women went inside to change as Elliott played with Max, tossing the ball until the dog refused to go get it. "Really? You're done? Come on dude." Elliott teased as the women joined her once again on the porch, laughing at the scene. "You two ready?"

The three of them arrived at the street fair and Cordelia was immediately pulling them into every booth she saw, looking over the jewelry and art. You could tell she loved this kind of thing, and it made Elliott wonder why she hadn't been asked to go before, there were about a hundred different street fairs that happened in New Orleans every summer. Elliott had probably been to all of them at one point or another, when she was younger her foster siblings used to take her and once she got older she would go just to have an excuse to stay out of the house. Cordelia kept trying to buy her things but she managed to avoid every purchase of a random sun hat or dress, and soon Cordelia was moving too fast for her to keep up, so she lagged a few booths behind. She stopped in a small tent filled with jewelry and stopped to look. Elliott had never worn much jewelry, it was always just something extra that she didn't need and something that would get lost in the shuffle, but she found a small silver bracelet with a small opal that hung off of it, and she picked it up and looked at it for a second. "Oh, there ya are. Dee thought she mighta scared ya off." Misty said as she walked up behind the girl.

Elliott laughed as she looked at the woman and set the bracelet back down, "No, I just can't keep up."

Misty moved closer to the girl and looked at the bracelet she had just put down. "That's a pretty one."

"Mmhm." Elliott said offhandedly, trying to make it appear that she was just looking around. "Where is she? We probably should get to her before she thinks I took you hostage." She joked, causing Misty to snicker.

The two made their way through the crowds until they spotted Cordelia in an art booth, staring at an ugly painting. They made their way to her and she smiled at them, then turned back to the painting and studied it again. "What do you think of this?"

"For what?" Elliott asked. She didn't want to say the painting was awful, not when the seller was standing so close by.

"For the coven, we have an empty space. It was supposed to be where Fiona's painting went but it got broken in the greenhouse. I probably could fix it, but putting up another painting just seems easier." Cordelia joked, Elliott's face turning red behind her. So that's what she broke all those months ago, oops.

"Dee, that house doesn't need one more damn painting. Ya can barely see the walls as is." Misty joked, causing Cordelia to throw her a playful glare.

"Fine, let's get food then." Cordelia said sarcastically, walking away from the dreadful painting.

The three had made it all of fifteen steps from the booth when they heard a young voice scream "Elliott!" The teenage girl looked around for the source of the voice when Cora slammed into her legs, wrapping her arms around the older girl, Emma running up behind her.

"Uh, Elle, we're gonna go look at somethin'. We'll be right back ok?" Misty said as she pulled Cordelia away, wanting to give the girl a few moments. Elliott nodded before squatting down to properly hug Cora, then Emma.

"How are you guys?" She asked, smiling at them.

"We're ok, we got back with our mama." Emma said, motioning to a woman standing about 10 yards behind her, Elliott smiling softly at the woman, who smiled back.

"Well that's good. Do you like it there? Are you safe?" Elliott asked, hoping the girls would tell her the truth.

"Yea, mama got a new job and she takes us sometimes. They let us draw and blow up the gloves like balloons." Emma said, Cora giggling softly at the mention of their makeshift balloons.

"That's great! You still have my number right?" Elliott asked, Emma nodding at her. "Ok, when you get home, as long as it's ok with your mom, call it so I have your number, ok? You guys know you can call me whenever, we're still family." Emma nodded at her as the girls mother finally approached them, ruffling Cora's hair. "Hi, I'm Elliott." Elliott said as she shook the woman's hand, "I was the girls foster sister."

"Oh I know all about you, the girls couldn't stop talking about you." The woman said, making Elliott smile, "I'm Angela."

"Well it's good to see they are doing so well, they told me a lot about you too. They really missed you." Elliott said, Angela smiling back at her.

"Well they said you really looked out for them, thank you for that. They really love you." Angela said, her eyes getting a little sad.

"It was no problem, they're good kids." Elliott said, "Um, would it be ok with you if I stayed in contact with them? Emma has my number, I just really would like to check in on them every once in a while, if that's ok?"

Angela smiled at her as Cordelia and Misty walked back up behind Elliott, Cordelia placing her hand on Elliott's back. "That's more than ok, I was actually going to have them call you tomorrow, Cora wanted you to come to her birthday party. It's next weekend." Angela said laughing.

Elliott smiled then looked toward Cordelia to ask permission, the older woman nodding back at her. "Yea I'll be there!" Elliott said, causing Cora to jump up and down.

Angela then turned her gaze toward Cordelia, offering the supreme her hand. "I'm Angela, I'm the girls mom."

"Cordelia." The supreme answered, smiling at the woman and the girls as Misty also introduced herself.

"You two are more than welcome to come too. I know kids birthday parties are a headache but I would love to meet Elliott's family. You've got a good kid." Angela said, making the two other women beam at Elliott, who was distracted talking with the younger girls.

"We sure do." Cordelia said softly.

Elliott exchanged numbers with the woman and they finally went their separate ways, the three witches heading towards the food trucks once again. Misty and Elliott got corndogs whereas Cordelia went for a sandwich, and they all sat down to eat. "So those girls were?" Misty asked.

"Emma and Cora, they were my foster sisters at the last place." Elliott answered as she bit into her corndog, effectively smearing ketchup and mustard on her face.

"Which one was which?" Cordelia asked, laughing at Elliott's dirty face as she handed her a napkin.

"Emma is the older one, she's nine, and Cora is five." Elliott answered, taking the napkin as she threw a playful glare at the older woman.

"Their mama seems nice." Misty said, Elliott nodding back at her.

"Yea she does, I'm happy that they got to go back with her." Elliott said.

"Why did they get taken away?" Cordelia asked, curious.

"I don't know exactly, they never really told me and I didn't ask." Elliott said honestly.

"Well she seems to like ya. I'm surprised ya agreed ta go ta the party, kids parties are crazy. Ya must really like those girls." Misty said chuckling, Elliott looking at her confused.

"They are?" She asked.

"Yea, don't ya remember them from when ya were a kid? Everyone runnin' around screamin' and cryin'?" Misty asked.

"I've never been to one before." Elliott said as she shrugged and bit another piece of her corndog.

"Ya haven't ever been ta a kids party before? Darlin' ya are in for a ride." Misty said.

"I've never been to a birthday party at all, at least not that I can remember." Elliott responded. Misty and Cordelia shared a sad look, but they quickly recovered when Elliott looked over at them.

"Speaking of birthdays, you need to start thinking about what you want to do for yours. It's coming up you know." Cordelia said, hoping to turn the conversation to something lighter.

Elliott looked at her confused, "What do you mean?"

"Well we could have a party or do whatever you want, you get to pick." Cordelia said, "Oh and you need to tell me what kind of cake you want so I can order it."

The confusion on Elliott's face didn't lift, something both women noticed, but she quickly tried to cover it up. "Oh that's ok, we don't have to do anything."

"Well we have ta do somethin', Elle. It's ya birthday, not only that but you'll be 16, it's a big year darlin'. What do ya normally do?" Misty asked.

"Nothing." Elliott answered.

"Ya have ta do somethin' Elle." Misty said, not taking the hint of where the conversation was heading, but Cordelia did and her face fell, which Elliott picked up on.

"I'll think about it and we can talk later." Elliott said, wanting to move the conversation somewhere else. It was obvious birthdays were supposed to be a big thing, but Elliott hadn't really done anything for her birthday while in foster care, none of the parents seemed to care. She didn't even realize birthdays weren't just ordinary days until she met David, and even then all they did was get each other a small gift, usually a candy bar or a small dollar store toy, and they sang each other happy birthday and let each other blow out a scented candle they managed to find somewhere in the house. That was really it.

The three of them finished their food and walked around a bit more before piling back into the car and heading back to the coven, the three of them carrying all of Cordelia's bags into the house and setting them on the counter. "Oh. I got you something." Cordelia said, reaching into one of the bags and pulling out a small box, handing it to Elliott. She had wanted to give it to the girl right after she got it, but knowing how Elliott was with her buying things, she would have marched the three of them back to the booth and made her return it, so she waited.

"You weren't supposed to get me anything." Elliott said as she threw a playful glare at the older woman, making Cordelia roll her eyes, "I don't need anything."

"Well you wouldn't let me buy you anything else so you'll just have to let me have this one." Cordelia said playfully as she smiled at the girl, Misty chuckling behind her. "Open it."

Elliott rolled her eyes but nodded, pulling the top off the box to reveal the bracelet she had been looking at earlier. She threw a glare at Misty, who just smiled mischievously at her. "I'm going to kill you."

"That's fine, I can bring myself back." Misty said, causing Elliott and Cordelia to laugh.

"You shouldn't have gotten this for me, it's too expensive." Elliott said to Cordelia, who just shook her head.

"It wasn't even that much, Elle. Plus, it's your birthstone." Cordelia said, "Just wait until I take you shopping for school, you'll really hate me then."

"What do I need for school?" Elliott asked as Cordelia made her way around the counter and started to clip the bracelet onto the girl's wrist.

"Well you need some new clothes, notebooks, stuff like that." Cordelia responded, fumbling with the clasp a little as Elliott laughed.

"I don't need new clothes, I'm fine." She said.

"Your clothes are all too big on you and if you wear leggings to class the other girls will tease you, they're all very into fashion here." Cordelia giggled as she finally got the clasp, Elliott rolling her eyes. "It looks good." She said, motioning to the bracelet as she pulled Elliott into a hug.

Elliott stared down at it for a moment, it did look good. As much as she hated Cordelia buying her things, the gift was sweet. Her eyes got a little teary as she hugged the woman back, saying softly, "It does, thank you."