Author's Note: Sorry for the unexplained hiatus. Things havent been good and I've been having a hard time writing. This chapter was much longer than I anticipated it being, but I hope you like it!
"David, why won't you just tell me?" Elliott sighed, flopping back onto the boy's bed.
"Because it's none of your business." David said, laughing at Elliott's theatrical reaction. She had been pestering him since the moment she got up about his breakup, and she wasn't taking no for an answer.
"We're best friends, we tell each other everything." Elliott huffed, lifting her head only to throw him a glare.
"Not everything." David said.
"Was it because of me? Is that why you won't tell me?" Elliott asked bluntly, sitting up and staring at him.
"What could you have done?" David laughed, thinking the girl was joking before he glanced at her very serious face, "Elle, no. It wasn't you, I promise." The concern on Elliott's face didn't lift, so with a sigh David finally gave in, "We broke up because she found out that the last time we broke up, I got drunk and slept with someone else."
"Ok, but you were broken up?" Elliott said, confused. While this was very out of character for David, he wasn't really the type to sleep around, he didn't technically cheat on her, although it was a questionable choice. "I mean, I get her not exactly being happy about it, but you didn't cheat on her."
David winced, "Yea, but it was with a friend… the day after we broke up."
"Who?" Elliott asked, knowing David was holding some important information back. She knew every single one of his friends, and besides her they were all dudes.
"It's not important." David said quickly, knowing Elliott wasn't going to drop it like he wanted.
"Obviously it is, she dumped you." Elliott said, getting suspicious, "When did it happen?"
"Elliott…" David groaned, wishing just for once she wouldn't have to have all the information.
"What? You literally aren't making sense. Just tell me." Elliott said.
"Fine." David said abruptly, "I slept with Madison the night of your adoption."
Elliott tried her hardest to not look like she was just slapped across the face. "Oh." She said quietly, giving herself a chance to recover, "Why didn't you just say that?"
"She asked me not to tell you. It was a one-time thing; we both knew it was a mistake. She thought you would be upset." David explained, watching the young witches face carefully. Fortunately for Elliott, her poker face had gotten significantly better, and she was able to hide her burning anger well.
"It's whatever. It happens." Elliott said with a shrug, trying to come of nonchalant, "So is that your thing now? Anytime you two break up you get with another girl?"
"Elliott, what?" David said, "I slept with one girl."
"And you kissed me last night." Elliott stated, "Look, I know it was a dare and it didn't mean anything, but if you two get back together it's going to mean something for her. She already hates me."
"She doesn't hate you, and it was a dare, simple as that." David said. He didn't want to admit to Elliott that his girlfriend really didn't like her, that the majority of their fights centered around his relationship with her, so he told a white lie. It wasn't like he was planning on getting back together with her anyways.
"Alright, well next time wear a condom, ok?" Elliott said, trying to keep the snark out of her voice. It wasn't entirely successful based on the look David gave her, but she couldn't keep herself from making the dig. She was adopted three weeks ago, which lined up perfectly with Madison's pregnancy scare. Sure, it was possible Madison had slept with more than one person in that week, but the timing was something Elliott couldn't ignore.
"What are you talking about?" David asked, "How did you…?"
"Madison's period was a week late and she thought she was pregnant. I'm not an idiot David, I can do the math." Elliott said bluntly, "Look, I have to go get ready, ok?"
"Uh, ok. Have fun." David said, trying to figure out why Elliott was being so weird. He knew there was a good chance she would be upset, but she said she wasn't, so why was she acting like this? Why couldn't she just be honest?
Elliott headed back into her room and shut the door behind her, trying to figure out exactly what this feeling was that had taken up residence in her chest. She couldn't possibly be jealous. She was never the jealous type, and it wasn't like she was harboring feelings for David. They were just friends, and everyone who said otherwise was just stupid. She wasn't jealous, it had to be something else. The concussion maybe? Yea, that had to be it, that's why she was feeling so weird. Although she had to admit it was impeccable timing, right on Thanksgiving when she would be spending copious amounts of time with her family. It was the perfect setup for an all-out explosion, and Elliott really didn't want to be the one to ruin her first real holiday with them. She certainly did not want to tell Cordelia, that would just make the woman worry. No, Elliott could deal with this all on her own, she could control this. All she needed to do was take a nap, give her brain a hard reset, then she'd be good as new.
Misty was the one to rouse her a few hours later, handing Elliott the Chinese takeout menu so she could pick what she wanted and Cordelia could order it. Cordelia had warned Elliott ahead of time that they didn't do a traditional Thanksgiving, since no one in the house really could cook, at least not before she showed up. It was a relatively calm holiday, since the group was so small, but Elliott knew it was still very important to Cordelia. It gave her quality time with the people she considered family, and it gave her a valid excuse to not do any work.
Once Misty had left Elliott tried to reevaluate her emotional state. She still was upset, she couldn't deny that, but it wasn't as strong as before, more controlled. Still, Misty had caught her napping, which was sure to raise a few red flags, and she had told her mother that she would let her know when she felt like something was going on. If something did happen and Elliott hid it from Cordelia, the woman was definitely going to be upset.
Sure enough, as soon as Elliott changed her clothes and headed downstairs Cordelia was on her. "Hey baby." Cordelia said as soon as Elliott walked into the kitchen, moving toward her and pressing a kiss into her hair, "Misty said you were napping. You feeling ok?"
"Uh, yea. Just a rough morning, I guess." Elliott said, trying to get her point across while still being discrete, due to Coco and Mallory milling about the room. It wasn't like they didn't already know she was having issues, but she still wanted a tiny bit of privacy.
Cordelia nodded knowingly, her eyes growing concerned, "Are you feeling better?"
Elliott nodded, "Yea, I think so." The response was crafted carefully, giving enough to quell the woman's concerns while also giving Elliott a buffer in case she did lash out. It seemed to do the trick, Cordelia relaxing slightly and smiling at her before pressing another kiss to her head, "Do you need help with anything?"
Cordelia paused for a moment before shaking her head, "No, I think we're ok. Madison and David went to pick up the food, so as soon as they get back we'll be ready to eat."
Elliott felt her anger pick up again, and she knew it was going to be a long night. Luckily for her, Coco was quick to interject, "Wait, Madison actually offered to help out? Did she suddenly become a good person and I missed it?"
Cordelia let out a laugh, "I don't know. David offered to get the food, next thing I knew Madison was tagging along. I'm not going to ask any questions."
"Ah, the lengths she'll go to get in his pants." Coco chuckled, making Cordelia and Elliott both roll their eyes.
Elliott tried to keep herself busy until they returned, hiding out in the library until Cordelia called her down for food. When she entered the dining room and took her seat, she noticed David wasn't sitting next to her like he usually was, instead sitting at the opposite end next to Madison, chatting away. She ducked her head as she clenched her jaw. She wasn't jealous, she wasn't. She was fine, everything was fine.
Elliott wasn't really hungry, but she still put food on her plate anyways, pushing it around with her fork as the people around her chatted away. Coco had seemingly taken an interest in potions, talking with Cordelia about spending more time in the greenhouse and learning about the plants. Cordelia was the one to try and bring Elliott into the conversation, suggesting the two of them work together, considering Elliott knew plenty about the plants and had mentioned before about wanting to try potions. Elliott simply glanced up at Coco and nodded, giving a small smile before her eyes darted back over to the opposite side of the table, where Madison and David were laughing about something. It shouldn't have been bothering Elliott this much, but it did. David had barely tolerated Madison, and suddenly they were friends? David had never referred to Madison as a friend before, but now they were chatting like best friends. Elliott wasn't dumb, she knew them picking up the food was just an excuse so they could talk alone, probably so David could let Madison know that Elliott knew about them. But wouldn't that make them want to stay away from each other? Maybe not, maybe they really didn't care what Elliott thought. She knew for sure that Madison didn't.
Suddenly, Cordelia's hand was on her own. "You've been quiet." Cordelia said softly, causing Elliott to glance at her, the woman searching her eyes intensely. Since getting comfortable at the coven, it wasn't common for Elliott to not talk during dinner, she was always joking around with the other girls, but that night she just wasn't really in the mood, not when it was all she could do to not shoot lasers from her eyes.
"Oh, sorry." Elliott said, her cheeks blushing at being caught, "Just distracted, I guess."
Cordelia nodded slightly, knowing there was more going on, and glanced around the table quickly, seemingly deciding that now wasn't the best time to talk about it. "Ok. Eat just a few bites for me?" Cordelia asked, Elliott nodding in return. That she could do. Elliott's therapy had mostly moved to working on her eating habits, and she had shown some improvement. She was finally starting to put on more weight, but Cordelia still felt the need to watch her eating carefully, and she had learned when to push and when not to. If Elliott wasn't eating at dinner, Cordelia would simply ask her to eat a little bit, never more than she could handle, and they would revisit the issue later when there weren't people around. Usually by the time Cordelia was asking Elliott to eat again, the girl was in a better place to do so, and if she wasn't then Cordelia would have the satisfaction of knowing she at least ate something.
After dinner, Elliott offered to do the dishes, and the rest of the group either sat at the table and conversed or headed to the living room. It was supposed to be a distraction, that was until Madison walked up and tried having a conversation. "Well look at you being a good little girl." Madison snarled. This was normal for them, and usually Elliott would just respond with something sarcastic and teasing, but she really didn't want to even look at Madison.
"Not now, Maddie." Elliott said, making sure her displeasure with the starlet's presence was on full display.
Madison, however, was completely oblivious, choosing to make yet another snarky comment, "What? Am I distracting you?"
"God! Can you ever take a fucking hint?" Elliott snarled as she shot Madison a fiery glare.
"What's your fucking problem? Relax." Madison said, rolling her eyes.
"I'm not doing this here." Elliott said bluntly, turning back to the dishes and angrily slamming the silverware into the dishwasher.
"Would you rather go somewhere else?" Madison asked condescendingly, Elliott rolling her eyes.
"Yea, away from you." She bit, Madison letting out a scoff before grabbing Elliott's hand and tugging her out to the greenhouse.
"Ok. What's your fucking damage?" Madison sneered.
"You." Elliott bit, practically screaming, which shocked Madison, "I mean, jesus! What the fuck, Madison? David, really?"
"What's your fucking problem? We're adults, Elliott, and you're getting awfully worked up for someone who doesn't love him." Madison shot back.
"I don't love him." Elliott said adamantly.
"And denial is just a river in Egypt." Madison said sarcastically, "Jesus, you need to figure your shit out. First I can fuck him, now I can't? Make up your damn mind."
"You knew he was off limits." Elliott snarled.
"So what are you going to do? Tell Cordelia?" Madison asked sarcastically.
"Fuck no." Elliott huffed.
"Why?" Madison asked, "You know she'd ring me out."
"You know why." Elliott spat back.
Unknown to them, Cordelia had wandered out to the greenhouse to water plants, stopping when she heard the two of them and hearing practically the entire conversation. She wasn't one to eavesdrop, but knowing how upset Elliott was, she figured she would make sure the two of them weren't going to kill each other, only being pulled away once Misty spotted her.
"Let them handle it." Misty said, ignoring Cordelia's protests, "We're celebrating."
"But…" Cordelia said as Misty worked at dragging her away.
Misty's attempt was successful for a few moments, but once Cordelia heard Madison say, "Oh that's right, you've got a few secrets of your own. Can't rat me out without doing some major damage." Cordelia planted her feet and locked eyes with Misty, both overhearing the same thing. Both waited for the response, but the girls were no longer yelling and the witches couldn't quite make it out, so with a sigh Cordelia followed the swamp witch back towards the house.
"I swear to god if you say anything." Elliott bit quietly, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"I told you I wasn't going to say anything." Madison said adamantly.
"Like I believe a single thing that comes out of your mouth, Maddie. The only person you care about is yourself." Elliott said sarcastically.
"I'm not going to say anything. But you do know she's going to find out, right? You can't hide it forever. Literally everyone knows but her, it's only a matter of time." Madison said, watching Elliott's eyes go wide.
"Everyone knows?" Elliott said as Madison nodded, "She can't know."
"Why do you think none of us have said anything? We need her functioning." Madison explained, choosing to end that conversation, "Look, it didn't mean anything. It was just drunk sex, and neither of us want it to happen again, ok?"
"You still lied to me about it." Elliott shot back, although she wasn't as angry as before.
"Do you think I'm fucking proud of it? We made a mistake and we both knew it, that's why we didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to be hurt over my screw up." Madison said honestly.
Elliott stared at the girl for a moment before shaking her head, "You're going soft."
"Don't remind me. I still have a reputation to uphold." Madison sneered, "Look, I'm sorry for fucking your boytoy or whatever. Can we just take a shot and forget this whole thing ever happened?"
Elliott rolled her eyes, "You can take a shot."
"Thank god." Madison moaned, heading for her secret stash and taking a swig of whiskey, "You sure you don't want some? I won't snitch to your mommy."
"No, I'm good." Elliott said, honestly just waiting for the night to be over. At this rate she was going to be in bed before they even served dessert.
"Lame." Madison sneered before putting away the bottle, "Now can we go back inside or do you want to hit me?"
"Don't tempt me." Elliott said seriously, the diva flashing her a smirk before pulling her back towards the house.
Cordelia was waiting for Elliott the second she walked back through the door, "Everything ok?"
Elliott quickly glanced up and nodded as the movie star headed back to the living room. "Yea, everything's fine. I gotta go call the boys." She said quietly as she gave her mother a soft smile, ignoring the doubt on Cordelia's face as she pushed past her and made her way to the porch.
Cordelia was quick to pull out her phone and send Madison a text, "My office. Now." She heard the girl scoff in the next room, murmuring something sarcastic before heading up the stairs, the supreme following behind her.
"What gives?" Madison asked as she flopped down in a chair, seemingly deciding that whatever it happened to be was going to take a while.
"I told you David was off limits." Cordelia seethed, shooting Madison a glare.
Madison let out a scoff, "God, you really are a helicopter parent, aren't you? Eavesdropping, really?"
"I was going out to water plants, it wasn't intentional." Cordelia said defensively as Madison rolled her eyes, "I stayed because you two were screaming and I had to make sure she didn't kill you because I sure as hell would have."
"Well sorry I broke one of your rules." Madison said sarcastically, "It isn't that big of a damn deal."
"Do you know why I told you to stay away from David?" Cordelia asked, "It wasn't because of Elliott. It was because he has to stay here and I didn't want you to make him uncomfortable."
"Oh believe me, he's comfortable." Madison said with a smirk, "Look, he's fine with it, I'm fine with it. The only ones making this a big thing is our favorite mommy daughter duo, so can we just move the fuck on?"
Cordelia opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by someone knocking on the door, Misty peeking her head inside, "Uh, Dee? Can I talk ta ya for a sec? It's kind of important."
"Please do." Madison said, throwing the supreme a glare before standing and walking past the swamp witch, Cordelia letting out a sigh.
"What is it?" She asked, Misty stepping inside and closing the door, looking anxious.
"I.. um… I was usin' the bathroom upstairs, the girl's bathroom, and I uh, I saw this in the trash." Misty said hesitantly, pulling out a pregnancy test and handing it to Cordelia, who glanced at it momentarily before her eyes went wide. "I wasn't gonna say anythin', but it's uh…"
"It's positive." Cordelia said quickly as her face paled.
"I mean, it could be from any of the girls, and I don't wanna pry in their personal business, but…" Misty said.
"It couldn't be from any of the girls. The housekeeper was in two days ago, after the rest of the girls had left." Cordelia explained, trying her hardest to keep from jumping to conclusions. Sure, most of the girls in the house were adults. All except one, in fact, and considering Cordelia had just heard that Elliott had a secret, it wasn't exactly a good look.
Cordelia glanced up and knew Misty was thinking the exact same thing she was; it was hard not to. Cordelia desperately wanted to trust her daughter, that she was making the right choices, but it was difficult when she knew Elliott was keeping things from her. Still, she weighed her options. If the test was Elliott's then obviously Cordelia had to deal with it, but if it wasn't and she accused her there was definitely going to be fallout. Cordelia just couldn't shake the feeling that Elliott was keeping something big from her. It had been bugging her for months, ever since Cordelia first took Elliott to the doctors. Cordelia had made a joke about Elliott not having sex, and while Elliott didn't disagree, she looked uncomfortable, and it didn't sit right with Cordelia. She had tried to play it off that Elliott just really didn't like talking about sex, but with the test in hand suddenly every small detail seemed like something bigger. "What do ya want me ta do, Dee?" Misty asked, seeing the distress on her girlfriends features.
Cordelia couldn't ignore her gut, she just couldn't. She had to know, so with a sigh she said, "Send Elliott in here."
Misty gave a curt nod and left the room as Cordelia went to sit at her desk, trying to calm herself down enough to actually have this conversation. She couldn't even fathom the idea of Elliott being pregnant, she was barely 16. But then again, Cordelia did have her young, not that young, but too young. Still, it all seemed to line up. If Madison was the one who gave the test to her, it would explain why the girl brought up Elliott's "secret", one that apparently would do serious damage. Not to mention Elliott had been irritable, tired, and withdrawn. Add that with her lack of appetite and the signs were all there.
"Hey." Elliott said as she walked through the door and towards her mother, "Misty said you wanted to see me?"
"Have a seat, Elle." Cordelia said quietly, mentally preparing herself for the shit show of a conversation she was about to have, closing the door with a flick of her wrist.
Elliott glanced back at the door briefly as she sat down, quickly realizing the conversation had to be something serious. Cordelia only ever closed the door when one of the girls was in trouble. "What's up?" She asked, staring at her mother curiously. She hadn't done anything wrong, at least not that she knew of.
"Uh, Misty found a pregnancy test in the girl's bathroom. It had to come from someone here." Cordelia said flatly, bracing herself for the worst possible scenario. She was trying to keep an open mind, avoid being accusatory, but Elliott wasn't seeming to get it.
"Ok, and?" Elliott asked, although Cordelia noticed she didn't exactly seem surprised.
"It was positive." Cordelia said plainly, watching confusion and what appeared to be shock cross the girls features, but she couldn't decide if it was genuine.
"Oh." Elliott said, her thoughts going directly to Madison. She said it was negative, but then again, Madison hadn't exactly been truthful before, and Elliott felt her insides light up at the thought. Cordelia didn't say anything else, just staring at the girl, and Elliott stared back at the woman for a moment before realizing exactly why she was called in, her eyes narrowing and her face hardening. "And you think it was me." She said, more a statement than a question. She waited a moment for Cordelia to deny it, but the woman just sat silent, biting her lip like she always did when she was nervous, and if Elliott wasn't mad before, she sure as hell was now. "Jesus." Elliott said harshly, "You really don't trust me at all, do you? You know there's a room full of sexually active, adult women downstairs, right?"
"So it wasn't yours?" Cordelia asked, needing a straight answer to calm her racing heart.
"No, it wasn't." Elliott bit, giving Cordelia a fiery glare.
Cordelia dropped her gaze, immediately feeling guilty and relieved as she attempted to do damage control. "Elle, I…" She started, but Elliott just wasn't having it.
"Even if I was having sex, which I'm not, I'm not a fucking idiot, Cordelia. I would use a condom. Not to mention you already know I probably can't even get pregnant, so really I don't know why you immediately thought it was me." Elliott spit, "Never mind, I do know why. Because you don't and never will trust me, even when there's a whole host of facts that prove you wrong."
"Elliott," Cordelia said calmly, trying to defend herself even a little bit, "I know plenty of people who were told they couldn't get pregnant and weren't careful. Things happen, it's not a sure thing." Cordelia knew it was useless, Elliott was already worked up. Hell, she called her Cordelia, that never happened anymore, which meant Elliott probably wasn't even processing what she was saying. That, or she actually was, and she knew calling Cordelia by her name would sting.
"Except I already told you I wasn't having sex, which should have ended the issue right away if you believed me." Elliott said harshly.
Cordelia was stunned. Sure, she expected Elliott to be upset, but certainly not this upset. She was practically screaming, her face bright red and eyes blazing. The concussion. Shit. In her pregnancy test induced panic, Cordelia had totally forgotten that Elliott had told her she had been having issues. It completely slipped her mind, and had she remembered she never would have even brought up the conversation. Ok, she probably would have, because it was driving her crazy, but she at least would have been a little more prepared for the blow up. Unbeknownst to Cordelia, it really wasn't the concussion at all, just a whole lot of displaced anger, although Elliott wasn't really aware of it either. "Elle, I'm sorry. I…" Cordelia stuttered, mentally punching herself for even considering that it could possibly be Elliott's.
Elliott clenched her jaw momentarily, before deciding Cordelia wasn't exactly the person she wanted to be screaming at right now, even if she kind of deserved it. "Just… Don't even." Elliott spit out before standing and walking out the door, making sure to slam it behind her. Now she was on a warpath, walking down to the living room and grabbing Madison's arm, forcefully dragging her outside.
"Ow, what the fuck gives?" Madison practically screeched, ripping her arm from Elliott's grasp as soon as they stepped on the porch.
"Do you ever stop fucking lying to me?" Elliott spit, wanting nothing more than to punch the movie star in her perfect little face.
"What are you talking about?" Madison yelled back, backing off when Elliott stepped dangerously close, her blazing eyes merely inches away.
"You are pregnant." Elliott yelled, "Misty found the pregnancy test in the bathroom, Madison. It was fucking positive."
"Well it sure as shit wasn't mine." Madison bit back.
"Then whose was it, Madison?" Elliott yelled back.
Cordelia had managed to gather herself and come back downstairs and grab a glass of wine before she glanced out the kitchen window and saw the screaming girls, watching them go back and forth for a few moments, Zoe coming to join her. "What's that about?" She asked, pointing at the window.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Cordelia said quietly, the gears in her head turning. Through the window she could make out just enough of the yelling to discern that Elliott thought the pregnancy test was Madison's, but Elliott wasn't really the type to say anything unless she had some solid evidence, at least not usually. Which had to mean Elliott knew Madison had taken a test.
"What test is she talking about?" Zoe asked, now purely watching for entertainment.
"Misty found a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom. I'm assuming Elliott thinks it was Madison's, which doesn't look good since she found out Madison slept with David." Cordelia said offhandedly as she took a sip of her red wine, it all finally clicking.
"Oh no." Zoe said quietly, her face dropping, "Shit."
Cordelia couldn't have looked more surprised if she wanted to, her mouth gaping like a fish as she stared at Zoe. It wasn't Elliott's or Madison's, Zoe was pregnant.
Zoe glanced at Cordelia and her cheeks blushed, "We wanted to wait to tell everyone…"
Cordelia's gaze softened, smiling before she chuckled, "Well I won't say anything, but you might want to go tell them before they kill each other. I don't think Elliott's taking any prisoners tonight."
Zoe looked out the window hesitantly, "Yea, I'm not sure I want to get in the middle of that." Still, with a sigh she complied, heading towards the front door and standing next to the screaming girls, who didn't seem to notice her. "Guys…" Zoe said quietly, but the two just kept going at it, so she had to yell, "Guys!" Madison and Elliott finally turned their attention to her, and she glanced around nervously, "The test wasn't Madison's."
"Zoe, don't try to protect her." Elliott said, still fired up as she glared at Madison, prepared to go another round.
"The test was mine." Zoe spit out, both girls snapping their attention back to her, the surprise clear on their faces.
"Are you serious?" Madison asked as Zoe nodded, "Why the fuck would you take it here?"
"Because I'm an idiot apparently." Zoe said, "There's like 30 girls here, I thought no one would notice."
Elliott stayed quiet as Madison let out a groan, "Jesus, even killer vagina is settling down before me."
"Yea well, um, we weren't really planning to tell everyone until later. So, if you guys could keep it to yourselves?" Zoe asked timidly, Madison rolling her eyes before nodding.
"Yea, sure. Whatever." She dragged out.
"We'll keep quiet." Elliott said softly, "Congratulations."
"Oh yea, congrats or whatever." Madison said condescendingly, Zoe offering a quite thank you before scurrying back inside, Madison turning back to Elliott, "So you want that shot now?"
"Please." Elliott said tiredly, so wound up it wasn't even funny. She knew she probably owed Madison an apology, but knowing the movie star it wasn't necessary. The two didn't normally apologize when they fought, they just kind of moved on.
"I thought you were still trying to be mommy's good girl." Madison sneered as she poured Elliott a double shot of tequila in the greenhouse.
"Well I just screamed at her so…" Elliott said as she sat down in the seat next to her.
"Why?" Madison asked, curious, "Were you just on a roll tonight?"
"No, she started the roll, or the second half of the roll." Elliott muttered, "She thought the test was mine."
"Seriously?" Madison asked, Elliott nodding, "Jesus, is she fucking delusional? You're practically the virgin Mary."
"Apparently she doesn't think so." Elliott huffed as she rolled her eyes, "Literally no matter what I say, she doesn't believe me, and I'm over it."
"So you're drinking to get back at her?" Madison asked with a smirk, "Not that I blame you."
"I'm drinking because I had a shitty day and this is probably the only thing that will get me through the night without murdering someone." Elliott said, Madison shooting her a knowing look, "And maybe a tiny bit to get back at her."
"You worried that if she finds out she'll yell at you?" Madison asked, Elliott shrugging.
"At least this time it will be for something I actually did." She stated, picking up the cup and throwing the shot back, "God, that still sucks."
"Figured I'd find you two out here." David said as he strolled in the greenhouse, "Little Elle is drinking?"
Elliott shot him a look, "Listen, I've already gotten into three fights tonight. Now is not the time."
"Want a shot?" Madison asked, David smirking.
"Please." He said, but Madison was way ahead of him, already pouring the shot. Elliott could already fell the alcohol beginning to take effect, aided by the fact that she hadn't eaten more than a few forkfuls the entire day, and she felt a pleasant warmness flow through her veins. "Surprised one of you doesn't have a black eye." David laughed after downing the shot.
"Listen, even I have standards. I wouldn't punch a kid." Madison sneered, David laughing.
"It wasn't Elliott I was worried about, it was you. Elliott has a mean right hook." He chuckled, "When we were kids some older dude was bullying the shit out of her, he was at least twice her size, and one day she just snapped and knocked his ass right out. Scared the fuck out of everyone, no one could see it coming."
"And no one bothered me ever again." Elliott said with a smirk.
"Damn right they didn't." David said.
"Well this has been fun, but I better scram before Cordelia comes out here and realizes I'm corrupting her precious girl. She'll stick me on dish duty for a week, and I don't even fucking live here." Madison sneered.
"I love how dish duty is her idea of a harsh punishment." Elliott chuckled.
"It is for me. I spend way too much on my nails to have them crusted in dirty ass food." Madison said, making a face, "Anyways, keep your clothes on."
"Are you ok?" David asked once Madison had left the greenhouse, Elliott glancing at him briefly before staring at her hands.
"Yea, I'm fine. Just a shitty day." Elliott answered, knowing it was a lie. As much as she wanted to deny her feelings and blame it on the concussion, she had to admit the truth. She was jealous, insanely jealous.
"Is that all it was?" David pressed, Elliott shooting him a look, "Look, I just don't see what the big deal is about me and Madison. You had no issue with me getting a girlfriend."
"That was different. Your girlfriend wasn't one of my best friends." Elliott said adamantly.
"So you're jealous?" David asked.
"Yes." Elliott stated, the alcohol giving her a sense of clarity about the whole thing. David just stared at her for a moment before Elliott acted on impulse, resting her hand on his neck and pressing her lips to his. She couldn't keep pushing down her feelings, acting like they didn't exist because she was scared of the outcome. She was in love with David, and she knew he loved her too, they both were just too petrified to say it.
After the shock had worn off, David reciprocated the kiss, tugging Elliott off the chair and closer to him, her mouth tasting like vanilla mint and tequila. But just as soon as Elliott came up for air, David pulled away, putting as much distance between the two as he could. "What the fuck are you doing, Elliott?" David spit, and Elliott physically recoiled from the drastic change. She stared at him stunned for a few moments before he continued, "I mean jesus christ, Elliott. You can't just walk around kissing people because you had a bad day."
"It wasn't about that." Elliott stated, still in a state of shock.
"Then what was it about? We can't do this. You know we can't do this. I'm not just some guy, Elliott." David snapped.
"You know you're not just some guy, David." Elliott spit back, now feeling totally defensive. She wasn't imagining things, he kissed her back, if he didn't want it he could have pulled away long before that. "Why exactly can't we do this?" She asked, still confused as to why her best friend was having a meltdown.
"You know why, Elliott. What is it with you? One second you're yelling at me for sleeping around and the next you're kissing me? How is that fair?" David yelled, "Why would you even try that? You have him."
"Ok, first of all, me and him aren't even a thing. We aren't dating, we aren't together." Elliott snapped, David shooting her a glare.
"I'm not the person you can take your shit out on, Elle. You can't kiss me just because you are confused." David fired back.
"I'm not confused, David." Elliott stated sharply, David shaking his head as his phone rang.
"Yes, you are." David said as he glanced at the screen, "I have to take this, excuse me."
Elliott felt tears build behind her eyes as David walked away. He was right, she knew better. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course that wasn't going to go over well, she basically ambushed him when he knew she had been drinking. She let out a frustrated grunt and reached for the bottle of tequila still sitting on the table, moving to put it away at first before seemingly saying "Fuck it" and unscrewing the cap, taking a few very large swigs. She always did this, always got too overwhelmed with trivial shit and self-destructed, it was what she was good at, and this time the explosion was David. He didn't deserve it; she knew he didn't. He deserved a well thought out plan, a conversation, not something based on impulse.
As she made the trek back to the house she saw headlights pulling out of the driveway, and she rolled her eyes as she stumbled through the door, spotting Madison, alone, sitting at the counter. "Who left?" She asked.
Madison glanced up briefly before refocusing on her phone, "David, said he was going to see Rachel or something." When met with silence, she glanced back up, "Does that mean something to you?"
"Rachel is his ex." Elliott practically grunted out, wanting nothing more than to be in her bed and forget all about this shit show.
"Ah, well apparently not an ex anymore." Madison said with a smirk, "Thanksgiving booty call, you have to give him props."
"Whatever, I'm going to bed." Elliott muttered, moving towards the stairs. She glanced up as she went, briefly making eye contact with Cordelia, before deciding she didn't really want to talk and hurrying up the steps, closing her door behind her.
She hadn't even pulled out her pajamas to change before Coco was bursting through the door, not even bothering to knock. "You are not going to bed." She said adamantly, obviously intoxicated, "The party is just getting started. Come back down. I promise we'll be good!"
Elliott let out a sad laugh and shook her head, "Nah. I already had four fights tonight. I'm tapping out."
"Elle, you did not." Coco said doubtfully, Elliott only shooting her a look, "Seriously, with who?"
"Madison, my mom, Madison again, and I decided to just go for it and round the whole thing off with David." Elliott said sarcastically.
"Oh come on, you and David never fight." Coco shot back.
"We do when I royally fuck up and kiss him." Elliott fired back without thinking, silently cursing herself when Coco got dangerously quiet.
"Wait, what?" She asked, "Aw."
"No," Elliott snapped, "Not aw, I screwed everything up. I kissed him and then he left to go be with his maybe-ex-maybe-not-girlfriend and I look like a dumbass."
"Ok, this seems pretty shitty, I know." Coco said, "But you two are like made to be together."
"Obviously not." Elliott grumbled, Coco shooting her an empathetic look.
"Babe, he just needs time." Coco said empathetically, Elliott giving an unenthusiastic nod before the woman's tune changed, "But I'm just letting you know now, I better be a damn bridesmaid."
Elliott snickered a little bit, "Ok, Coco."
"Good." Coco said, walking over to Elliott and pulling her into a hug, "Glad we had this chat. Night, babe."
"Night." Elliott said as Coco walked out the door, finally changing into her pajamas and turning out the light, relishing in the comfort of her bed. She tried her best to fall asleep, but with the party still in full swing downstairs and her thoughts not being her friend, it seemed sleep just wasn't in the cards. She tossed and turned for a while before letting out a grunt, violently flipping herself over so she was facing the wall and squeezing her eyes shut.
It took only a half hour before Coco totally spilled the beans about the kiss to Cordelia, and everyone who was in earshot. Truthfully, this was the least surprising thing that had happened all day, but once Coco had lamented how upset Elliott was over the whole ordeal, Cordelia knew she had to bite the bullet and talk to the girl, even though she knew Elliott really didn't want to talk to her, not that she blamed her. Cordelia really needed to be more trusting of Elliott, she knew she did, but she always felt like she had to prepare for the worst possible scenario. Cordelia knew her over vigilance had a lot to do with the prophecy, wanting to do whatever she could to keep her daughter from going down that path, but Elliott had never really given the supreme a reason to not trust her. Sure, she was a little impulsive and at times reckless, but she was a kid, she was supposed to be like that. Elliott didn't have a harmful bone in her body, at least not when it came to anyone else. Cordelia was well aware that Elliott desperately wanted to be good, and she really was, but Cordelia knew her own issues were making their home in the girl's psyche, and that was something she couldn't let happen.
When Cordelia opened the door and flicked on the lamp next to Elliott's bed, the girl tried to ignore it, pinching her eyes closed in hopes that whoever it was would just go away. She had a feeling it was Cordelia, she was the only person who would dare interrupt her sleep, and that was confirmed when she felt the woman's weight press down on the mattress. Once the supreme had rested her hand on Elliott's back, the girl cracked open one eye. "Can I help you?" She asked sarcastically, the smell of tequila wafting out of her mouth.
"You've been drinking." Cordelia stated, and she felt Elliott tense momentarily, preparing for a lecture, "It's ok, I'll allow it this time. You've had a rough day."
"That would be a drastic understatement." Elliott muttered as Cordelia tugged her up, crossing her legs and pinching the bridge of her nose, "Sorry for ruining Thanksgiving."
Cordelia let out a breathy laugh, "You didn't ruin it." Elliott shot her a look, "You didn't. You had every right to be angry with Madison, and me. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." Elliott looked confused, so Cordelia bit her lip and moved to explain, "I may have overheard some of your conversation in the greenhouse."
Elliott tensed up, "How much?"
"I know Madison slept with David, and I know you weren't going to tell me." Cordelia said, throwing her daughter a teasing look. Elliott seemed to relax, which peaked the woman's interest, she thought her admission would make the girl tense up further.
Elliott shook her head, "It wasn't mine to tell."
"You thought the test was Madison's." Cordelia said, Elliott nodding.
"Yea, she took one yesterday. She told me it was negative." Elliott admitted.
"So you knew about it?" Cordelia asked, Elliott nodding, "And you thought it could be David's?"
Elliott let out a sigh, "Yea. I was trying to not be upset about it, which obviously didn't work out so well." Cordelia gave her an empathetic look, "I didn't know about them until today. Madison didn't want to tell me."
"So that's why you were avoiding them?" Cordelia asked.
"I wasn't avoiding them." Elliott said, Cordelia laughing and giving her a doubtful look, "I wasn't."
"You know you can tell me about this stuff." Cordelia teased.
"Yea, I know. But I felt dumb." Elliott admitted with a sigh.
"Why?" Cordelia asked, trying to wrangle Elliott into admitting what happened with David.
"Because I was mad and I shouldn't be." Elliott said.
"You have every right to be, Madison knew better. They both did." Cordelia responded.
"Yea, but David is just a friend. It isn't my business who he sleeps with." Elliott grunted, Cordelia smiling softly.
"It is if you like him." She said, a teasing look on her face.
Elliott rolled her eyes and shook her head, but Cordelia still stared at her with that same look, and Elliott knew she was caught, narrowing her eyes, "Coco told you, didn't she?" Cordelia grinned and let out a giggle, nodding, "What a snitch. Remind me to never tell her anything ever again."
"You weren't going to tell me?" Cordelia teased, feigning offense.
"No." Elliott said with a laugh, burying her face in her hands.
"Why?" Cordelia asked, Elliott throwing her an unimpressed stare.
"Because it doesn't mean anything. Just a lapse in judgement or whatever." Elliott muttered, knowing it was a lie.
Cordelia shot her a knowing look, "It wasn't a lapse in judgement. In fact, I think this is the first time you actually let yourself act on what you are feeling. Everyone knows you two are in love with each other."
"We aren't." Elliott said adamantly, "Tonight is proof we aren't."
"He didn't take it well?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head.
"Well he went to see her so I would take that as a no, if the yelling didn't already clue me in." Elliott said sarcastically.
"He just needs time, baby." Cordelia said empathetically.
Elliott let out a sigh, "That's what everyone is saying."
"That's because it's true." Cordelia said with a laugh, Elliott staring back at her doubtfully, "You two have a strange relationship. It's more important to you both than anything else. You relied on each other for a really long time, it can be hard to comprehend it all. A lot has changed in a short amount of time."
"Nothing has changed." Elliott said, "Nothing has changed between us, it's the same as it always was."
"The circumstances have." Cordelia explained, "You two couldn't even entertain the idea of a romantic relationship, that your friendship was something more, because you needed each other to survive. There was too much at stake. Now you have a family and are actually willing to take the risk, he might not be there quite yet." Elliott looked away, letting out a sigh but sitting silent, "I'm just saying give it time, baby. Give him some time to catch up. He'll come around." Elliott ducked her head but nodded, so Cordelia tried to change the subject, "Are you sure you don't want to go Black Friday shopping with the rest of the girls? They are about to leave."
Elliott chuckled softly, "That sounds like a terrible time, honestly."
"Alright," Cordelia said with a laugh, "I guess I'll leave you alone then." She stood and pressed a kiss to Elliott's forehead, "Goodnight. I love you."
"Love you too." Elliott said as Cordelia moved towards the door, biting her lip and debating for a second, "Can you stay?"
Cordelia paused, turning around to throw a questioning look at her daughter, "Do you want to stay with me tonight?"
Elliott shook her head rapidly. "No, you have Misty. I just can't fall asleep. You always help." She said sheepishly, biting her lip as a blush crept on her cheeks.
Cordelia felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, but she smiled softly, hoping it would cover up her sad eyes. "Scooch over, kiddo." She teased, Elliott smiling as she wiggled over closer to the wall. Cordelia plopped down on the bed dramatically, immediately pulling Elliott towards her and carding her hands through her blonde hair, gently untangling the knots and humming softly. The humming was mostly for her, to distract herself from her own thoughts, but it seemed to help Elliott relax, and Cordelia could feel the tension leaving her body, her breath quickly becoming slow and steady. As soon as Cordelia was sure Elliott was asleep, the humming stopped, but Cordelia didn't move, didn't disentangle herself from her daughter's sleeping form, and the overthinking began.
You have Misty.
She knew Elliott didn't mean anything by it, didn't mean to do any damage, but the simple phrase was enough to send the supreme into a spiral. Elliott knew that Cordelia would rather have Misty in her bed, and although she seemed ok with this fact, Cordelia wasn't, not when she knew her daughter was still struggling. Not when she knew her sole focus should be on Elliott, and not when she knew that Elliott was willingly putting her own needs aside just so her mother could have even a sliver of happiness. That wasn't her job, she was a kid who needed her mother, and Cordelia didn't argue with this fact, didn't pull Elliott into her room regardless, didn't prove that Elliott has and always will come first. She just let it happen, because Elliott was right. Cordelia did want Misty, and she hated herself for it.
Cordelia knew that this didn't bother Elliott any, she didn't even bat an eye, but that was only because she didn't know any better. Elliott would be perfectly fine if Cordelia barely paid attention to her. As long as she wasn't getting hit or yelled at, she was golden, but that wasn't good enough for the supreme. It briefly crossed the woman's mind that maybe she was being too hard on herself, as she so often was, but she quickly brushed it away. She should be hard on herself, she should be doing everything she can to be the best mother to Elliott, and she wasn't.
Cordelia gazed down at Elliott and briefly considered waking the girl up and marching her to the supreme's bedroom, but considering Elliott was already having a hard time getting to sleep the idea just seemed selfish, the damage had already been done. The idea of just staying in Elliott's bed was shot down before it even had time to fully form, her bed was too small for two people, and neither of them would be able to get a decent night's sleep. So that meant Cordelia just had to live with it, with her mistake, and the supreme carefully repositioned Elliott as she rose from the bed, feeling completely dazed.
As much as Cordelia wanted to just crawl in bed, she forced herself to walk back downstairs and see the girls off, knowing if she didn't then it would certainly be suspicious. She wandered down to the kitchen and grabbed another glass of wine, trying to keep her mouth busy so she didn't word vomit over everyone. The girls shuffled around as they got ready to head out, running in and out of the kitchen as they looked for this and that, their phones, purses, shoes, each requiring separate trips of course, which only drove the woman crazy.
"There ya are." Misty said as she walked in the room, a big grin plastered on her face.
"Here I am." Cordelia said quietly, desperately wishing a sink hole would open up and swallow her whole. That grin had always made her dizzy, but now she just felt nauseous, and she quickly averted her gaze.
"Ya ok?" Misty asked cautiously, noticing her girlfriends clearly off disposition and wide eyes.
"Mhmm…" Cordelia hummed as she took a sip of wine, trying to ignore the choking feeling. She was trying to collect herself, at least as best she could, but Misty always had a way of seeing past it and dragging all the woman's feelings out.
"Dee…" Misty said knowingly, waiting until the supreme looked at her again, "What's goin' on?"
Cordelia bit her lip, knowing the second she started talking that it would all rush out like a tidal wave, messy and uncontrolled. Misty just sat patiently, waiting with those big blue eyes that Cordelia wanted nothing more than to drown in and wash away all her pain, all her doubts. With a sigh, Cordelia tried to corral her thoughts, "I'm a terrible mother."
"What are ya talkin' bout? Ya are a great mother." Misty said confidently, her face filled with concern, "I know ya and Elle had a fight but that don't mean nothin'. It happens." She moved to place a comforting hand on Cordelia's arm, but the supreme retreated from her touch, surprising her, "Did somethin' else happen?"
"She couldn't sleep. She wanted to stay with me but she felt like she couldn't." Cordelia explained, Misty looking at her questioningly, "She felt like she couldn't because she knew I wanted you."
"She said that?" Misty asked, not even giving time for Cordelia to answer, "Dee, she's had a rough day. I'm sure she didn't mean it."
"She didn't have to say it. I shouldn't have let this happen. She shouldn't be making sacrifices for me." Cordelia began, unable to stop the floodgates from opening, sighing, "I screwed everything up. I let this go too far and now she's being pushed out."
"Woah, hold on." Misty said, trying her best to stay calm even though she could feel the hurt filling up her chest, "No she isn't. I know ya are her mama first."
"It doesn't matter." Cordelia said as tears filled her eyes, "She still feels like she can't come to me when she needs me."
"But ya said she didn't say she was feelin' like that." Misty said, Cordelia shaking her head, "Dee, I'm not tryin' ta force ya ta…"
"I know." Cordelia said, taking a deep breath, "I know you didn't. This is on me, I let this happen and I knew I shouldn't have. She has to come first, always."
Misty was trying desperately to hold her composure, but with the implications of the conversation they were having, she didn't know if she could. Each word that came out of the supreme's mouth was like a stab in the gut, a personal attack. "So what do ya wanna do?" Misty asked softly, terrified of the answer.
"I don't know." Cordelia stated, her voice clear.
Misty sucked in a breath as she turned away from the woman, leaning on the counter in front of her and shielding her face, spitting out the question she had long been avoiding, "Do ya wanna break up?" She waited for the answer, but there was silence, and after a moment she lifted her head to see Cordelia's face blank, but her eyes filled with tears, bottom lip trembling.
"I don't know." She finally whispered out, not even daring to meet the swamp witch's eyes. The uncertainty of her answer was almost worse than a flat out yes, and Misty felt her chest tighten. Misty was head over heels in love with Cordelia, and she thought the woman felt the same, but apparently she was mistaken. If you love someone, at least the way Misty loved her, you don't put them in limbo, you don't hurt them then keep them hanging onto hope. The witch tried to rationalize it, that despite Misty loving Elliott like she was her own, she wasn't her mother, and Cordelia's relationship with Elliott was far more complicated than the one she held with Misty. She knew Cordelia felt guilty about the way Elliott's life had turned out, that she was doing everything in her power to make it up to her, and she still felt like it wasn't enough. It would have been different had Elliott actually said that she felt pushed out, but she didn't, it was Cordelia's assumption, and it was causing their own relationship to quickly unravel. Maybe the woman was right, maybe she wasn't able to handle both, and maybe she really just wasn't sure about her relationship with Misty, despite what she had said before.
Misty tried to play tough, clenching her jaw to keep her own tears from spilling over, "Well when ya figure it out, let me know."
And just like that, Misty was gone, slipping away into her and Elliott's shared room, and Cordelia was left alone with nothing but her tears and a glass of red wine she didn't even want. She sniffled for a few moments until she heard the girls hushed whispers from the entryway, quickly wiping her tears and pulling herself together once she heard the taps of Madison's heeled boots on the hardwood. "We're heading out." Madison said, barely peeking her head into the room, "Don't wait up for us, kay?"
If Cordelia didn't know any better, she would almost take Madison's soft stare and lack of sarcasm as a sign of affection, but it was Madison, and the only person Madison showed any form of affection to was Elliott. The supreme gave a slight nod and wished them luck, yelling after them to stay out of trouble, to which the girls laughed, then dumped out her almost full glass of wine and headed to bed. She hurt Misty, she knew she did, but she also hurt herself. She loved Misty, more than she ever loved Hank, more than she had ever loved anyone, and it scared her. Cordelia had always been a hopeless romantic, always put everything she had into her partners, only to have catastrophic results, and that was before she factored in Elliott. She wanted to give everything she had to Misty Day, but she couldn't, because she was a mother and her child needed her love too. She was being pulled in two different directions and failing every single time. She didn't know how to balance it, she didn't know if she could balance it, but she also didn't want to let Misty go.
She knew Misty didn't understand, she couldn't understand, because Cordelia never talked about it. Misty knew Fiona had abandoned her at the coven, but she didn't know about the countless men Fiona would invest in, give them everything she had, only at the expense of her daughter. She didn't know that Cordelia constantly felt like she was playing with fire, each passing day drifting more and more into her mother's haphazard ways. She knew becoming Fiona was Cordelia's worst fear, but she didn't quite grasp how deep it ran. Sure, Fiona was a narcissist, she was a bully, she was selfish and murderous and loathsome, but Cordelia took after her mother more than she cared to admit. It was easy to get lost in her relationships and lose sight of what was important. Easy to pull the swamp witch into her bed every night and hold her close, easy for her to forget that she had responsibilities, duties beyond loving Misty with every fiber of her being. When Cordelia was with Misty she forgot that she had a coven to lead, a daughter to teach and care for. Misty made her forget, and that's why she loved her. But Cordelia couldn't forget, she couldn't afford to get lost in her ringlets and freckles, not when the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Not when Elliott was still so fragile and looking for her place in the world, looking for Cordelia to guide her, to be the one constant in her life.
Cordelia stared at the empty side of her bed and her chest ached. She loved Misty, more than Madison loved sarcasm and cigarettes, more than Elliott loved books, more than Coco loved keto and a damn good haircut. She loved Misty like the moon loved the sea, the gravitational pull between them undeniable and maddening. Misty drove her absolutely crazy in the best and worst ways. She made Cordelia her best and worst versions of herself, and Cordelia didn't know if she had it in her to make those two converge. There was too much at stake, she couldn't afford to fail, and between Misty and Elliott, Cordelia was doing a lot of failing.