Hey there!
FIRST OFF THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! I MADE IT TO 100! Woo-hoo! And also thank you all for those who follow and favor this story! I couldn't do it without you!
I know it's been a while, but here is a new chapter! I've been working at a job for six weeks now with little to no wifi here. It's been nice, but also a bit frustrating at times. But I'm back! Also, I'm going to be getting a commission done by one of my friends here at my job for artwork! Super exciting! In other news have you guys heard that we are getting a character called Joy Hardbroom?! They have to be related somehow, but is Hecate her aunt or what? I'm super curious and I hope it's a good third season!
Anyway, thanks for reading! Tell me what you think!
Chapter 16:
Hecate wouldn't let the medwitch touch, Mildred. Hecate wouldn't let anyone within two feet of Mildred unless it was someone that she trusted. Which was either her or Pippa and that was the maximum limit that Hecate was allowing. Mildred didn't mind much seeing as she was afraid to be away from Hecate for even the slightest of a second, but it was started to make things difficult on the medwitch who was trying desperately to see to Mildred's wounds on her stomach. They weren't treated magically apparently, because Mildred's magical core had to be restored first before they could really treat it properly with magic. In the meantime, that meant it had to be treated normally with painkillers, band-aids, and other normal stuff Mildred was used to seeing when she lived with her mum.
Hecate grabbed the items from the medwitch and hissed at the poor woman, "I shall do this."
Mildred cringed at her aunt's tone of voice, "Hecate, can't you let her-" Hecate turned to give her a look that she would often give Mildred in the potions lab if she was starting to cause trouble, "Nevermind." Hecate smirked, and then shooed off the medwitch with a, "If we need you, I'll let you know." The medwitch huffed away, glaring at Hecate.
Hecate put down all the items onto the counter and sat beside Mildred, grabbing the disinfectant and a cotton ball. "Shirt up." She ordered Mildred.
Mildred grunted, raising her shirt up only a little not to show where she had been pinching herself. She had stopped for the time being…She wasn't sure if she was stopping for good or not. Hecate had said a few words that made Mildred believe her counselor was in the wrong, but if Hecate wanted her to keep seeing her she would…Only if Hecate wanted her. She was afraid of what Hecate might think of the bruises, so she made sure to only hold it up enough for the places that the thorns had scratched her and stabbed at her.
"You should be nicer. She's only trying to help me, Hecate," Mildred complained, and winced as Hecate dabbed her wounds with the disinfectant.
Hecate gave her a side eye. "Last time she did this she just poured it over your stomach like a maniac. I'm not giving her the chance to do it again."
"To be fair, this is not something she's probably ever had to do." Mildred winced once more as Hecate hit another terrible spot.
"She should be bright enough not to dump the bottle on you like it's a normal potion though," Hecate criticized, finishing up dabbing the disinfected.
"Do you think it'll scar?" Mildred asked, getting off the subject of Hecate's overprotectiveness and looking down at her stomach to see that scabs were starting to form now rather than an open cut wound.
Hecate closed the cap of the disinfectant bottle, then retrieved balm to help heal the scars better and faster so that way they could put on the band-aids after thatl "No, as long as you don't pick at the scabs it shouldn't, but hopefully your core will be replenished before you can even think to do that."
"I don't pick at scabs! That's gross!" Mildred stuck her tongue out for emphasis and giggled as Hecate's face which was sour about the talk of scabs.
"Well, that's reassuring then." Mildred giggled again, making Hecate miss her stomach and putting the balm on her shirt instead. "Millie, can you please be still while I do this?"
Mildred sighed, and wiggled a bit impatiently, "Do you think I could get out of bed today and do something fun?"
Hecate raised an eyebrow, "And what type of 'fun' is Mildred Hubble wanting to get into today?"
"Anything! Other being stuck to this bed." Mildred moaned at her aunt, "It's so boring!"
"You need your rest, Millie. And I don't-" Hecate stop herself when she saw a spot of some kind on Mildred's side. She rose Mildred's shirt higher to see Mildred's right side. Hecate let out a gasp. It was like a tiny to large angry bruises spread out across Mildred's side. Mildred wiggled trying to pull her shirt down and escape now from her aunt. The medwitch hadn't said anything about these bruises, how or who gave them to her Millie? Hecate questioned if there were more, or maybe something even worse that the stupid medwitch didn't pick up on, "Mildred, take off your shirt right now."
Mildred froze, trembling, and shaking her head from side to side, "No."
"It wasn't a request." Hecate whispered, "Millie, do not make me do it myself."
"I don't want you to see." Mildred hugged herself, "It's embarrassing."
"Mildred, I need to make sure that you aren't hurt in more places. Please, take off your shirt so I can treat you properly." Hecate begged, "And that will be the last time I ask nicely."
Mildred's bottom lip quivered and rose her shirt up over her head revealing a few more erratic bruising on her body. It was all over her left shoulder, right side, and a bit on her left side. It was painful some bruising was huge and then others were so micro small. Hecate didn't understand it was this what one of the people who kidnapped Mildred done? Why hadn't Mildred told her?
"Would you say something instead of staring at me like that!" Mildred sobbed, trying to cover herself, or more so where her bruises were.
Hecate mouth felt dry, but she spoke as softly as she could, "Cuddle-bug, can you please tell me who did this to you?"
Mildred wept, "I did it to myself."
Hecate's heart broke at the words, "Cuddle-bug-"
"Stop being nice to me!" Mildred screeched, "I d-d-don't understand…I don't deserve it-I didn't-I did this for you."
Hecate shook her head at Mildred, "What do you mean, brave girl?"
"My therapist told me this would make me-" Mildred heaved a big gulp of breath, "She s-s-said that punishing myself would m-m-make m-me a better w-w-witch for you. I told h-her-I told her. I-I didn't want to-I thought-I d-don't know she m-made me t-t-think things-" Mildred couldn't finish, because she was so upset with herself.
Hecate was filled with red hot anger towards Mildred's therapist. Oh, she would pay. She would pay dearly for hurting her little one. Hecate breathed, trying not to show anger or resentment because Mildred didn't need that right now. Hecate didn't say anything but helped Mildred back into her shirt. Hecate picked up and sat her on her lap, "You are the perfect little witch for me, do you hear me?" Mildred's teary brown searched Hecate's face for any lies, "I'm telling the truth, Millie. I need you to heed my words you are mine and I love you how you are. That means I love you when you are the worst witch or the best witch. No matter what you do I will always love you so much. Are you listening?"
"Yes, but-" Mildred started.
"No, you're not. I do not care what the therapist told you she's wrong. Oh, so very wrong and disgusting. I hate that I ever brought you to her. I need you to promise me you'll stop doing whatever she told you. She's put you in harm's way." Hecate held out her pinky to Mildred, "Promise me, Millie."
Mildred took her pinky and wrapped it with her own, sniffling. "I promise, Hecate."
Hecate sighed at that, knowing Mildred would not hurt herself again, "Now, can you tell me everything she said to you?" She could tell how much that crying spell took out of Mildred, "Or should we wait till you feel up to it?"
"I was upset with you a little when I first talked to her." Mildred admitted. She didn't want to hide anything anymore and she didn't want to wait to tell Hecate about her ordeal. "At the time I didn't understand why you didn't want to adopt me instead of just being my guardian and…."
Mildred went on telling her about the whole appointment and what Dr. Chalice had to said to her. Hecate blinks, she didn't realize that the guardianship offended Mildred that much. That Mildred was doubting how much Hecate truly care about her through the status of their relationship. It seemed that Dr. Chalice was like the Ethel in the since that she didn't think Mildred was a proper witch for Hecate or to even be in the witching world, to begin with. Hecate mulled it over, and her heart burned with hatred for this woman. Her career would be dead by the hands of Hecate Hardbroom she was sure.
Mildred yawned, pulling Hecate from her revenge plots running through her head, "I think it's time for a nap."
"You're not mad at me, are you?" Mildred asked, as Hecate transferred her back to the bed, and started back to work on putting the band-aids on Mildred's scars.
"No, I just wish you would have told me what she said to you sooner." Hecate said, fastening the bandages on each spot.
"I thought she was right, especially since even Miss Cackle sent me to her." Mildred defended, "Hecate?"
"Yes?" Hecate hummed, she was still contemplating it all over in her head.
"Why didn't you adopt me?" Hecate froze, looking at Mildred's tired face, "Not that I'm not grateful for the guardianship, because I am! I just, I-"
"It's okay, Millie. I suppose I thought you weren't ready for that." Hecate answered, taking Mildred's hands and Hecate thought a quick thought that screamed I don't think I'm ready for that. She didn't speak what she thought, because she knew how fragile Mildred was with this. Hecate did want to adopt Mildred and create a home, but Hecate turned the idea away.
"Adopting you would mean that I wouldn't necessarily be your aunt anymore it would make me your fulltime parent." Hecate breathed out, "I would be your adoptive mother instead."
At the word mother, Mildred's breath got caught in her throat. Her mum. Hecate didn't want to take the spot of her own mother for Mildred's sake and for Julie's as well. Hecate wanted to respect the relationship that Mildred had with her mum and not go too far to take that away. Mildred appreciated that, and she knew her mum would too. She also knew her mum would want her to be happy no matter what and being with Hecate and being a part of her family made her happy. Mildred's corners of her mouth curled upwards into a smile, "My mum would have loved you."
"Why?" Hecate said, reminding herself that she met Julie once, "She didn't seem to like me very much when we first met each other. Though, granted I was a bit unfair towards you."
"She would have loved you because how you are so quick to protect me, or how you only want the best for me. Because that's the kind of stuff she would do too." Hecate watches with her brown eyes admiring Mildred's kind words to her, "She did that stuff because she was my mum and she loved me. And you do the exact same things she would do too if she was here, and you love me."
"Very much." Hecate crooned, finishing putting the bandages on her.
"And I love you." Mildred shyly said.
Mildred said it last.
She turned away from her aunt a little embarrassed by the affirmation because it felt so foreign to her. It had been a long time since she said she loved anyone; in fact, the last person that she had said it to was her mum. Her mum would have been happy for her that she said it to Hecate. If anyone would have told her before her mother passed that she would tell Miss Hardbroom she loved her she would have thought them insane. To think of Miss Hardbroom loving anyone was such a bizarre subject, but Mildred had seen it with her eyes. Felt it with her own heart. Hecate had changed with Mildred. Mildred had made her soft, and Pippa too. Of course, there was still Miss Hardbroom's strictness, but it felt like Mildred had passed that wall that Hecate put up.
Hecate turned her around, lifting up her chin, "And I am so very happy you do."
Mildred wrapped her arms around Hecate's waist and buried her face into Hecate's chest. When she untangled herself from the hold she yawned widely rubbing her eyes to keep the tired from them. Hecate quirked a smile at Mildred fighting off her sleepiness, "I think it's bedtime."
"I'm not that tired." Mildred complained, biting back another yawn as Hecate worked her shirt back onto Mildred.
"Come on." Hecate pulled Mildred up to carry her on her hip, and pulled the covers down with her other hand, "In you go." She helped Mildred in, and tucked her in. Hecate pushed Mildred's hair away from her forehead, "Millie, do you want me to adopt you?"
"Do you want to?" Mildred asked, and her heart froze at the fear of hearing no.
"I'll talk to Miss Cackle about it and see if she can help." Mildred's eyes were dropping as she spoke these words she was confused by Hecate not replying to her question but let it slide this once, "Sleep well, brave girl." Hecate kissed her falling eyelids, making Mildred giggle sleepily and burying her head in the pillow to protect her face from her aunt.
Hecate smirked, and then tucked Mildred in more pulling the covers to her chin. And Hecate sat on the side of her bed and watched her sleep peacefully. Hecate untied her two pigtails braid and unwove them, so they wouldn't bother her while she slept. Hecate shook her head when had she gotten so soft? It shouldn't be in her nature, but Mildred had somehow made her feel things she hadn't felt in a longtime. She was a bit aggravated by the change. Not that she didn't like it, she loved having someone like Mildred around. She had been alone for so long and perhaps that's what made her so tough and bitter. With those, she loved though she felt the world was in her favor and for once in her left, she wasn't alone she had two beautiful people who loved her as much as she loved them. She was worried about getting too close for comfort, what if something terrible-She had to stop. She was finally happy. Why couldn't she enjoy it instead of the constant fear that it would be taken away?
With one final stroke of Mildred's hair she decided that she should grab Pippa and go talk to Miss Cackle about the recent information that she gathered from Mildred about her therapist. Mostly, she wanted to blame Ada more for letting Millie get hurt once again by bringing in a danger into Mildred's life. She was angry, but mostly at herself for not seeing the signs and frustrated that Mildred didn't want to tell her until she saw it for herself. How could she be that foolish to think that she would think the therapist was right? Hecate stretched her fingers in aggravations thinking about it they both had things to work out together still.
Hecate rose from the bed and realized she didn't want to leave Mildred alone her, even though themedwitch who worked here would watch her. Hecate didn't trust that idiot for a second with her child, so Hecate waved her fingers out widely creating a type of binding spell that would keep anyone with dangerous intentions couldn't come into Mildred's space. It wouldn't hold very long, but it would hold long enough for Hecate to go talk to Pippa and Miss Cackle. She looked back at Mildred who was dreaming happily before transferring away. She would be fine.
She found Pippa in her room making tea for them both. Pippa saw her worry on her face, "Oh, Hiccup, what's wrong?"
"Is that easy to tell?" Hecate said, going to her side and to pour herself a cup of tea.
"You've never been good with hiding your emotions." Pippa mentioned, as she put three sugar cubes in her tea, and with a little bit of milk, "What's happened?"
"Mildred's therapist." Hecate spat, and told her what she had found out.
Pippa was in a rage. "If I ever see her Hecate I will personally magic her out of existence."
"Pipsqueak, you wouldn't-"
"I would without hesitation, Hecate, and I'm sorry the same goes to your brother." Pippa stated, pushing away her tea, "I don't care for those who are out to get my loved ones."
Hecate blushed a bit at being called a 'loved one' and looked away wildly pursing her lips. "There's more," Hecate stirred her tea, "it seems Mildred is wanting me to adopt her."
Pippa grabbed Hecate by the hip turning her to face her, "Are you really worried about that?" Pippa traced her right hand up behind Hecate's hip and up her back, "Mildred would be a lucky girl."
Hecate shivered at Pippa's touch, but Hecate bit her lip, "Pippa, think about it…I would be her adoptive mother."
Pippa frowned a bit, "Well, darling, yes that is how adoption works."
"Do you honestly think I'm ready for that?" Hecate pushed away from her.
Pippa readjusts herself a bit hurt by Hecate's aloofness, "Hecate, you've been ready." Pippa picked her tea to sip, and gave Hecate a knowing look, "You've been acting as her mother ever since she came to you for help."
Hecate didn't seem to be convinced, so Pippa put down her tea, "What are you really worried about it?" Hecate didn't answer, and Pippa crossed her arms, "Are you tell me anything that you store up in your stubborn mind?"
Hecate narrowed her eyes at Pippa, "Not particularly."
Pippa huffed, "What put you in this mood?"
"I am not in a mood as you call it!" Hecate bellowed out, mirroring Pippa's crossed arms, "I'm just not in the mood to talk about my worries."
"Your worries are going to hurt Mildred in the process." Pippa affirmed.
"What do you mean?" Hecate interrogated.
"If you are just going to keep doubting yourself, you're going to keep putting off adopting Mildred and she's going to find out that you don't want her." Pippa said as a matter of fact.
"She would-She isn't-Mildred knows that I love her." Hecate spouted, and stuttered, "She doesn't need-"
"You know as well as I do she needs it now more than ever." Pippa said, then she reached out a hand to Hecate, "Come on, Hiccup, please tell me."
Hecate closed her eyes. Trust her. She took Pippa's hand threading through her fingers through Pippa's to grasp onto her hand properly, "I don't want this to disappear."
"It won't, darling." Pippa kissed Hecate's knuckles, "We're making it all work, aren't we?"
Hecate choked up a bit, "We are it's," Hecate took Pippa's hand and brought it to her heart, "I'm at a lost. I want this, but I'm afraid I have put you and Mildred in danger."
"Hecate, you have done no such thing!" Pippa yelled some sense at Hecate, "This is all to do with Agatha! She's to blame, no one else."
"But she's not around, is she, Pipsqueak?" Hecate said sadly, pressing her lips to the back of her girlfriend's hand, "I feel like I am the one because of my idiot brother."
"You can't do that, Hecate." Pippa took her free hand and caressed Hecate's cheek, "You are not defined by your brother's actions or anyone's. Stop being silly, Hecate. Mildred and I are not going anywhere."
Hecate whispered, "Alright, Pipsqueak." She would let it go for now.
Pippa brought down her hand to Hecate's chin to pull her to her pink lips, "Now kiss me, Hiccup."
And Hecate did.
Pippa took control of the kiss almost devouring Hecate's lips. Hecate wouldn't let her have her way so Hecate bit Pippa's lower lip. Pippa gasped like a princess would when she saw her prince. Pippa then went kissing Hecate's jawbone all the way to the crook of her neck. Hecate moaned, "Pippa."
She caressed Pippa's back, but then she went for the back of her zipper pulling it down. Undressing her, and Pippa did the same to her. Button by button. And so much more. When they were laying face to face with each other looking into each other's eyes. Hecate realized how stupid she was back in the day for not pinning hard enough for Pippa. The time they spent at that moment made Hecate feel that all the time that they had was an eternity.
In that pure bliss that they shared, Hecate's blinding spell lowered, leaving Mildred very vulnerable and at the mercy of an uninvited guest.