When Cordelia's eyelids fluttered open the next morning, she was still on the couch, her hand mindlessly rubbing up and down Elliott's spine as she regained consciousness. It was still ridiculously early, the birds hadn't even begun to chirp, but that didn't stop her from staring down at her sleeping child and placing a kiss on the top of her head, breathing in Elliott's lavender and vanilla shampoo that had quickly become her favorite scent on the entire earth.

In a way, Cordelia was grateful Elliott was still willing to let her hold her close like this, like she was still small, because Cordelia had missed out on that time in her life. She knew it made her sound terrible, and if she had to do it over again, knowing what she did now, she would have absolutely done it differently, but there was something so special about the time she did have. It was a double-edged sword, wanting to fix everything that had ever gone wrong, but knowing if she did that things wouldn't be the same, that Elliott wouldn't be the same.

Cordelia heard the kitchen door close, footsteps padding closer and closer, and she smiled when the swamp witch came into view, putting a finger to her lips as Misty broke out in a grin at the sight of the women on the couch. Misty nodded, knowing if she even dared to whisper that the girl was going to wake up. Cordelia glanced back down, her heart swelling. She looked so peaceful that Cordelia didn't even care that her neck was at a weird angle and would likely be stiff for weeks on end.

But alas, right as Misty began her trek back up the stairs, the floorboards creaked and her daughter's eyelids began to flutter, drawing her out of whatever dreamworld she had resided in and catapulting her to the present. Cordelia did the only thing she could think of, dragging the tips of her nails up and down Elliott's spine, and watched as miraculously her daughter settled back down. She didn't miss the way Elliott's hand tangled in her dress and pulled, thumb jutting out and brushing against her lip. It was strange to think that even sixteen years later, Cordelia knew things about Elliott before Elliott even knew her. She knew she used to suck her thumb, after an ultrasound appointment where the woman got a good glimpse of her right thumb firmly planted in her mouth. It was the first time Cordelia was able to really come to terms with the idea that she was growing a life inside her, a tangible thing with its own thoughts and personality, a real person. And now, here she was, sixteen years old and still holding onto the same vices, although Cordelia had to wonder who eventually tried to break her of the habit.

It wasn't a secret that Elliott came from her, but it felt like the two had danced around the topic, both too scared to bring it up. Cordelia had divulged that she had mementos of Elliott's early childhood, random pictures and things her parents would send her, but Elliott had never asked about them, and while Cordelia was always willing to give the information, she didn't want to force it on her.

She wondered if maybe Elliott was scared to know, like somehow asking would open a floodgate they didn't want to even begin to broach. Maybe she was trying to protect Cordelia yet again, not wanting to force her to face her past mistakes. It wasn't a reach, Elliott had a prime opportunity the previous night to bring up Cordelia leaving a few months prior, but she didn't, she pushed Cordelia in circles until she found something else to focus on, and Cordelia had to wonder if maybe Elliott was more calculated then she led on. Sure, she was a mess, but all teenagers were a mess, yet most wouldn't pass up the opportunity to remind their parents of their shortcomings, god knows Cordelia never did. But Elliott seemed more carefully crafted, more gentle and less calloused, which confused the woman to no end. Cordelia knew how to deal with teenagers, with their brutal honesty and biting words, but even almost nine months later, she still was rendered clueless when it came to her own child.

Then, the supreme unconsciously shifted, trying to get a bit more comfortable as she drowned in her own thoughts, only to be drawn out of them as Elliott finally woke up, her mouth stretched open in a yawn, "Well good morning snuggle bug."

The muscles in Elliott's neck flexed as she stretched, her legs and toes following suit, "What time is it?"

"Still early," Cordelia said softly, her hands carding through her daughter's hair, "The girls still aren't up."

Cordelia could practically see the moment Elliott regained full consciousness, jolting up and away from the older witch, "Sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Cordelia asked.

Elliott rubbed at her eyes for a moment, glancing around before her gaze landed on Cordelia, "That can't possibly be comfortable. Did we sleep on the couch?"

"Yes, we did," Cordelia said with a snicker, noticing how exhausted Elliott still seemed, although it felt like no matter what, she never seemed to get enough rest, "You need more sleep."

"I slept." Elliott yawned, only confirming what the older woman already knew.

"That doesn't mean it was enough." Cordelia fired back, Elliott waving her off.

"Yea, yea." Elliott said, "You worry too much."

"Apparently a heritable trait." Cordelia joked as Elliott yawned for a third time, quickly rising to her feet and tugging at Elliott's hand, "Come on, up."

Elliott's head lolled to the side as she let Cordelia drag her up the stairs and into the supreme's bedroom, "Bed."

"I have my own room." Elliott sassed.

"I don't trust you to make good decisions." Cordelia fired back jokingly.

"So I've learned." Elliott grumbled.

Cordelia pointed towards the mattress and repeated, "Bed."

"Are you going back to sleep?" Elliott asked.

"I have work to do." Cordelia responded, Elliott cocking her head to the side, eyes daring.

"So do I." She fired back.

Cordelia raised her eyebrows, "Like what?"

"I have to study." Elliott responded, Cordelia rolling her eyes.

"You're on break." She laughed.

"Until tomorrow," Elliott scoffed, "And someone runs this place like a military school."

Cordelia playfully smacked her, "You've barely slept at all this weekend, I know you were up early yesterday."

"Once I'm up I'm up," Elliott said, "And I would hardly consider 9 am early."

Cordelia sighed, "Get a little bit more sleep for me, please. I have plans for us today."

Elliott smirked, "Does it involve grading papers?"

"No," Cordelia chuckled, "Sleep, please. I'll come get you when I'm done."

"What about you?" Elliott asked, "You've gotten less sleep than me."

"I'm an adult." Cordelia said.

"Like that's an excuse." Elliott scoffed, Cordelia giving her pleading eyes.

"Please?" She asked, Elliott shaking her head.

"Only if you go back to sleep with me." Elliott said.

"I have work to do." Cordelia said, shaking her head as Elliott threw her a look. However, she couldn't deny the lack of sleep was getting to her, and after only a few moments of Elliott's intense gaze, she finally gave in, not missing the way Elliott bit down on a smile as she said, "Fine, get in."

Cordelia was confused when Elliott didn't move towards the bed, instead heading for the dresser, but it only took a moment for Cordelia to realize why, she was still in her dress from the night before. "Careful," She said jokingly, "Or I might think you actually like spending time with me."

Elliott cocked her head to the side once again, her eyebrows creasing in confusion, "Well I've never been quiet about it."

Cordelia let out a laugh as she watched Elliott shuffle through her drawers, and she couldn't help the warmth that spread through her limbs at how normal it all seemed. It still felt strange to her. Before, Elliott wouldn't dare touch her things, but now she had no reservations, she didn't feel the need to tip toe any longer, and Cordelia could feel the pride swelling inside her as Elliott tossed her the pajamas.

After she changed, Cordelia glanced back to see Elliott in the same clothes as the night previous, "You didn't change."

Elliott smiled, "I always dress for comfort for this exact reason."

"For naps?" Cordelia laughed, Elliott nodding.

"Yep." She said, over exaggerating just enough that it came out with a pop.

Cordelia crawled into bed, flipping over and immediately opening her arms, "Come here."

Elliott laughed but nodded, crawling over to the woman and laying her head on her chest as Cordelia wrapped her arms around her, wiggling to settle back down. After a moment, Cordelia cracked one eye open to see Elliott still wide awake, not even attempting to sleep, "Your eyes are still open."

"I told you," Elliott said, "Once I'm up, I'm up."

"Why?" Cordelia asked, Elliott thinking a moment before shaking her head.

"I don't know," She said, "I guess I've always been that way."

"Well, there has to be something that puts you to sleep." Cordelia said, "If someone scratches my head, I'm out like a light."

Elliott laughed, "I don't think there is."

Cordelia glanced down at her, "When did you stop sucking your thumb?"

"What?" Elliott asked, looking up at her, "How did you know that?"

Cordelia laughed, "You did it on an ultrasound."

"That explains the overbite." Elliott snickered, before thinking once again, giving an expression Cordelia couldn't quite read, "I don't know, when I was pretty young, I guess."

"Are you sure?" Cordelia asked, Elliott laughing.

"No," She said, "That's why I guessed."

Cordelia gave a small chuckle, dropping the subject before she started tracing Elliott's spine with her nails once again, moving out towards her ribs. She didn't know if it would work, but she had a feeling, and sure enough within a few minutes Elliott's eyes were fluttering closed, although Cordelia could tell she was fighting it. She wondered what caused the reaction, what led her daughter to feel like resting was somehow a weakness, an error. Although Elliott had been more forthcoming about her past, Cordelia still felt like there were pieces missing, like Elliott gave just enough to explain the major events, and Cordelia had to wonder if Elliott felt like she wouldn't notice the little hiccups, the little things that made her tick just a little bit differently. The woman knew it would take time, that the strides Elliott had managed to make in her few months with the witch were nothing short of a miracle, but she hoped eventually they would reach the point where Elliott understood that she wasn't a fly on the wall, that Cordelia saw her, every piece, every detail, that she was seen and loved, despite what she had been led to believe.

Four hours later, Cordelia, Elliott, and Misty headed to the mall, although Elliott wasn't exactly sure why. "I don't need anything." Elliott said, watching as her mother shuffled through racks of clothes.

She could see her mother's head pop above the racks, resembling a meerkat so closely that she had to bite down on a laugh, "You need an outfit for the wedding."

"I have my adoption dress." Elliott argued.

Cordelia shook her head, "No, you need a different one."

Elliott scoffed playfully, "I thought you liked it?"

"I love it," Cordelia said, "But you can't wear the same dress to two events in a row."

Elliott cocked her head, "Huh?"

Cordelia sighed, "Please, for me?"

Elliott sighed, but nodded, letting her mother shuffle through endless amounts of clothes. It was fine in the beginning, but soon Elliott was holding a pile of more than just dresses, "I'm starting to feel like you have a problem with the way I dress."

"You need new clothes." Cordelia said, not even looking up.

Elliott glanced around, searching for Misty to back her up, but she was nowhere in sight, "I have too many as is." Cordelia threw her a look, then smirked behind her, Elliott glancing back and seeing Misty with a stack of clothes over her arms that was just short of reaching over her head, "I'm getting war flashbacks."

Cordelia laughed, "Would you at least try to enjoy yourself?"

Elliott threw her a look, then glanced at the tag of the shirt in her hand, "That shirt is 400 dollars, put it back." Cordelia bit her lip, but didn't move, so Elliott moved towards her, grasping the hanger in her hand and trying to pull it from her mother's grasp. "Put it down," She teased, slowly forcing Cordelia's hand back to the rack, "There we go."

Cordelia glanced back at Misty, who was biting down on a laugh, then turned her attention towards Elliott and rolled her eyes, "You are insufferable." Elliott scoffed, feigning offense, and Cordelia couldn't help but break out in a grin.

Later, the three had crowded into a dressing room, Cordelia and Misty sitting in the waiting area for what felt like forever, "Let me see it."

"It looks terrible." Elliott said from behind the curtain, grimacing in the mirror.

"I don't care," Cordelia said, "I still want to see."

Elliott flung back the curtain, revealing a dress with so many ruffles it looked like she had been swallowed by a party favor, "I don't have a neck."

Cordelia bit down on her lip, but it only took a few seconds before she was giggling, glancing over at Misty, whose mouth was gaping, "Ya look like ya got eaten by a sheep."

"That's how they're wearing them these days." Elliott joked, turning her ficus to her mother, "Are you really going to make me try on all of these?"

"Yes." Cordelia said, "You need clothes you can't sleep in."

"They're multi-purpose. What's wrong with that?" Elliott scoffed, "It's not like I have a job."

"Those are fine for around the house," Cordelia argued, "but you need business casual and dress clothes."

Elliott threw her a look, "For what? I don't leave the house."

"Right now, you don't, but you will eventually." Cordelia laughed, then sighed once Elliott shot her a look, "Just trust me, please?"

Elliott sighed but complied, trying on at least a dozen more articles of clothing before she felt like she was going to lose it. Most of the items weren't terrible, but it became increasingly obvious that Elliott and her mother had very different tastes. Finally, she gave up, stomping out of the dressing room, "If you're going to make me do this, I need to pick out my own clothes."

Cordelia looked stunned for a moment, before letting out a small laugh, "Fine, go pick them out." Elliott had made it all of ten steps out of the dressing room before the woman turned to Misty and broke out in giggles, "I told you it would work."

The two women spent the next few minutes cleaning out the dressing room and returning all of the clothes to the rack, then headed back out to locate the obviously annoyed teenager, snickering amongst themselves as they helped her pick out new clothes. They still helped pick some things out, but at least this time they had some input, and eventually they headed back to the dressing room once more, although Elliott seemed to be in a much better mood this time around.

When Elliott walked behind the curtain, she was surprised to see a dress already waiting for her, one she definitely didn't see before. It was short and sky blue, looking more like Misty's style with how flowy it was, but Elliott had a feeling it wasn't Misty who picked it out. She hung her clothes over it, wanting to save it for last, if for nothing else than to drive her mother crazy. By the time she got around to it, it was obvious Cordelia was antsy, and when she finally put it on, she cursed herself for not trying it on sooner and putting an end to this misery.

When she stepped out from behind the curtain, she watched Misty's jaw drop open as she immediately started squealing, but Elliott could see her mother's tiny smug grin out of the corner of her eye.

"Yes." Misty babbled, "That one. That one."

"I kinda figured when you started sounding like a pterodactyl." Elliott laughed, glancing over at her mother, who had yet to say anything.

"A what?" Misty asked.

"A pterodactyl? The flying dinosaurs?" Elliott said, cocking her head to the side as Misty just stared back at her confused, "You know, the ones the giant meteor took out and threw the world into like half a decade of darkness?" Misty shook her head, "Ok, well I know what were watching when we get home."

"What do you think?" Cordelia asked Elliott, drawing her back to the situation at hand.

Elliott smirked, knowing her mother was just trying to play it cool, "I think you have a good eye."

While Elliott did like most of what she tried on, she settled on two shirts and two pair of pants, hoping it would be enough to satisfy her mother without going overboard. She knew her plan had failed, however, once Cordelia insisted that she and Misty wait outside, then came strolling out with far too many bags for five items. "You have a shopping problem." Elliott teased, only for Cordelia to stick out her tongue, making the girl chuckle.

While Cordelia took all the bags back to the car, Elliott and Misty were put in charge of lunch, heading down to the food court. The two split up, with Elliott locating a table while Misty went in search of food, coming back with a pile of items in her arms. "I couldn't decide, so I got a little bit of everythin'." She said, throwing it down as Elliott tried to keep a stray hot dog from falling off the table.

After a moment, Misty glanced up and noticed Elliott wasn't eating, "Are ya really going ta make me eat all this myself?"

Elliott laughed, "I ate before we came, so I'm not really hungry." Misty sighed, and Elliott threw her a look, "And we both know you absolutely can eat all that."

Misty's cheeks grew red as she nodded bashfully, glancing around for a moment, "We should play a game."

"A game?" Elliott asked, "Like what?"

"Ya know," Misty explained, "People watchin', where ya make up a story bout someone here."

"Ok," Elliott said, pausing for a moment as she searched around, pointing behind Misty's head, "That one is cheating on his wife."

"What?" Misty asked, whipping her head around.

"Yea," Elliott said, her face dropping slightly, "That's his mistress. His wife is at work."

Misty turned back, catching the look on Elliott's face, "Ya aren't kiddin', are ya?"

Elliott shook her head, "No. Also that guy just stole a gaming console and is hoping security doesn't catch on."

Misty frowned, "This is less fun when ya aren't makin' it up."

Elliott chuckled, "Every gift has its downsides."

"Doesn't that hurt ya brain?" Misty asked, "Goin' through their memories like that?"

Elliott shrugged, "I didn't have to go through anything. All I had to do is look at them."

"Ya can read minds?" Misty asked, Elliott shaking her head.

"No," she said, "I think I'm just getting more efficient."

The two heard the sound of heels approaching, glancing up to see Cordelia glancing between the two before settling her focus on Elliott, "You don't have food."

Elliott laughed, "I ate before we left."

"When?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head.

"When you were getting ready. You take forever." Elliott answered, Cordelia rolling her eyes as she sat down, Misty sliding over a basket of fries.

After lunch, the three women left the food court to finish their shopping list, passing by the store fronts as they walked. "When did that get there?" Elliott asked, pointing to a spot to play laser tag.

"It opened a few weeks ago." Cordelia said, not giving the spot much thought, that was until she was about a hundred feet in front of her daughter and girlfriend. She turned around, watching both of the women stare at each other, then turn their focus to her, "What?" Neither one of them spoke, so Cordelia walked back towards them, "What?" Elliott bit her lip as Misty looked over at the arena, then threw puppy dog eyes in Cordelia's direction, "You are not getting me to play that."

"Dee," Misty whined, "Come on."

"No," Cordelia said, "You two can play, but I'm staying right here."

"Please?" Misty begged, Cordelia moving to shake her head.

"It's ok." Elliott cut in, "We don't have to play." She glanced over at Misty and motioned with her head, then started to walk back to Cordelia.

Cordelia buckled, "I'll play."

Elliott shook her head, "No, you don't want to. It's ok."

"No," Cordelia argued, already walking back towards the door, "We're playing."

Once she had disappeared behind the doors, Misty looked at Elliott, the girl breaking out in a smirk. "What?" she asked, "Do you think I didn't know what she was doing earlier? Two can play that game."

Misty was shocked for a moment before throwing her arm around the girl's shoulders and letting out a laugh, guiding Elliott through the doors, "Ya two are the worst."

By the time they made it inside, the game was already paid for, and only a few minutes later their group was called. As the worker gave a rundown of all the rules, Elliott glanced over at her mother's face, only to giggle quietly when the supreme looked concerned. "Relax," Elliott whispered, "It's supposed to be fun."

"I don't see how shooting people with lasers is fun." Cordelia whispered back.

"You'll see in a minute." Elliott snickered.

After a few minutes, the group was released to grab their vests, Cordelia and Misty following Elliott's lead to the red before she stopped them. "We can't be on the same team; someone has to win."

"But we don't know how to play." Cordelia argued.

"Exactly," Elliott said with a smirk, "So it'll be open season."

"This is supposed to be family bonding." Cordelia sighed.

"More like family aggression." Misty laughed, already heading over to the green vests, "Come on Dee, you're blue."

The horn sounded and everyone took off, splitting off into different hallways and disappearing behind walls. Cordelia moved slowly, shifting her gun from one side of her body to the other, just in case someone decided to jump out at her. She hated this, the entire thing felt eerie and made her skin crawl, like she was waiting to be slaughtered in a slasher film. She knew she was being hit, her vest kept vibrating and shutting down, but she couldn't see anyone, and she didn't know where it was coming from. Knowing Elliott, she probably was scoping her out, hiding behind a wall somewhere and hitting her whenever she passed by a window.

Eventually, she made it through the maze and back to the center of the first floor, only to spot a familiar mop of curly hair. "I won't shoot if you wont." Cordelia said once Misty made eye contact, walking towards the supreme.

"Deal." Misty said, only to have Cordelia fire off a shot at her chest only a moment later, "Dee!"

"That wasn't me." Cordelia said, holding her hands up in surrender as she cursed under her breath, "Damnit, Elliott, no magic."

With that, her vest vibrated and shut down, glancing up to see the swamp witches gun aimed right for her, a smirk on her lover's face. "That was payback."

"I told you I didn't do it!" Cordelia said, her face stunned, "I wasn't lying!"

Misty's face fell, "Elliott."

Cordelia nodded, "I think it's time we find her."

Elliott knew she had to move, knowing it was only a matter of time before the women made their way to the second floor. She wanted to keep an eye on them, but she didn't have a great vantage point, so she started to scope out the area to concoct a plan. She slowly backed away from the walkout as she saw a patch of curly hair, then sprinted when Misty glanced up in her direction, running straight into a group of teenage boys. She raised her gun and prepared to shoot, her eyes sizing them up until she landed on their red vests. "You guys want to help me with something?"

"She's up there." Misty called out, pointing to the second floor.

Cordelia glanced up, "I don't see anything."

"She moved." Misty chuckled, "Probably cause she knew she was in for a reckoning."

"She's watching us." Cordelia said, "If we go up one side she'll just run down the other."

"I'll take the front." Misty said curtly, "You take the rear."

Cordelia nodded and laughed, moving quickly for the ramp at the back of the arena. The two women headed up at the same time, turning the corner only to see a sea of red vests heading straight towards them, guns up and firing. They tried to run back down the ramp, but were backed into a corner, each of the boys taking shot after shot.

Elliott smirked as she watched from above, waiting for the right moment to head down the ramp and past Misty, who was too preoccupied to notice. She quickly moved through the rooms, hitting all of the bases except her own, then heading to the main base in the middle of the arena. She aimed and took her shot, the sirens going off as everyone in the arena was deactivated for a few seconds. By the time she made it to the rear ramp, everyone was powering back up. "Alright," She called out, "Leave her alone."

The boys backed up and she finally saw her mother, the woman throwing her a glare. "That's not fair."

"No," Elliott said, taking aim at the women's chest, "That's not fair."

Cordelia lifted her gun to aim, only for the sirens to go off, signaling the game was over. "You cheated." She said, gently nudging Elliott with her shoulder as they walked out.

"I thought you were a fan of teamwork." Elliott said sarcastically.

"When its not diabolical." Cordelia laughed, Elliott throwing her a grin.

"It's what I do best." She joked, the two heading to their respective teams to take of their vests.

Misty rejoined the older woman once her vest was put back, the two chatting for a moment until they realized Elliott hadn't rejoined them, glancing over only to see her talking with the boys from earlier, one of them handing Elliott his phone. "What is she doin'?" Misty asked.

"It looks like she's giving him her number." Cordelia responded, cocking her head to the side.

"That can't be right." Misty said, "Didn't she just kiss David?"

Cordelia nodded, "And that boy from Hawthorne."

"When did she get boy crazy?" Misty asked, Cordelia shaking her head.

"I don't know." Cordelia sighed, "I was kind of hoping I missed that phase."

A few moments later, Elliott came wandering up to them, the two eyeing her, "What?"

"Did you just give them your phone number?" Cordelia asked, wide eyed.

Elliott nodded then laughed once she saw the look on Cordelia's face, "Relax, I didn't give them my actual number."

"You gave them a fake one?" Cordelia asked, Misty looking even more confused.

"Yea," Elliott said, nodding, "I mean they were nice, but kind of annoying."

"Oh, she has a type." Misty teased, "What? Are you only inta older boys?"

"I do not have a type." Elliott said defensively, "They were like fourteen."

"So ya are into older guys." Misty said, Cordelia chuckling.

"I'm into guys my own age." Elliott fired back, "And you're one to talk."

Cordelia scoffed, "Did you just call me old?"

Elliott threw her a look, "Older than her."

The three women headed to the grocery store, then back to the house to prepare for dinner. Cordelia always had a huge celebration when the girls returned, mostly because she knew it would be one of the last times they would all get to relax before finals started, or at least she would get to relax. The end of the year was always so chaotic, between holiday preparation and activities and final grading and paperwork, it felt like the supreme rarely had a moment to breathe, let alone lead an entire coven.

The girls all sat down at the table as a bottle of sparkling juice was passed around, and Elliott snickered once she realized the bottle had been switched out for champagne. She glanced across the table and Madison smirked, putting her finger to her lips and throwing her gaze over at the supreme, who was standing at the head of the table talking to Zoe, completely oblivious. When the bottle made its way back to Madison, the starlet quickly switched it back and set the now empty bottle at her feet, turning to Queenie as the two giggled.

Cordelia grabbed her glass and tapped on it with her fork, gaining the girls attention as she cleared her throat. Elliott watched her mother school her features, and she couldn't help but notice the way her mother's fingers fidgeted around the glass. It shouldn't have made her snicker, but there was something ironic about being the most powerful woman in the world and still being nervous to talk to a group of teenage girls.

"I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how proud I am of you all and your progress this year." Cordelia began, "I know with the holidays coming up and the end of the semester looming it's an exciting time, however, it's not over yet. I want to impart on you the importance of finishing strong. These finals carry a lot of weight, especially for the older girls, it's not the time to take it easy."

"I guess not all of us will be finishing strong." Elenor whispered as she giggled, glancing over at Elliott, "Her mother's a damn herbalist, but she can't even do a simple potion? Embarrassing."

Elliott rolled her eyes and kept them trained on her mother, who luckily seemed oblivious to the whole thing, but the rest of the coven wasn't, and she felt everyone's eyes boring into her, just waiting for a reaction that she wasn't going to give. She glanced over at Madison, who met her gaze and rolled her eyes, and before she knew it everyone was toasting, and dinner was served.

After the girls had dispersed, Elliott helped the older witches clean up, gathering up all the plates and taking them to the kitchen to be washed. She set them down in the sink and turned on her heel, jumping a mile when she almost ran directly into Misty, "Jesus Christ."

"Ya ok?" Misty asked, setting down the champagne glasses as Cordelia brought in the silverware.

"Besides the heart attack I just had?" Elliott laughed, "Yea, I'm fine."

Misty threw her a look, "I was talkin' bout what Elenor said."

"I'm fine." Elliott said, waving her off as she walked out of the room, "Elenor is failing almost all of her classes. She really has no room to talk."

"What was that about?" Cordelia asked, Misty shaking her head.

"Not much." Misty said, "Just teenager shit."

"Well it seemed like something." Cordelia said, shooting Misty a look.

Misty sighed, "When ya were makin' that speech, Elenor made a comment about how Elle was strugglin' with potions."

"She's having a hard time?" Cordelia asked, Misty cocking her head, "What?"

"Ya didn't know she was failing?" Misty asked, Cordelia's eyes going wide as she shook her head.

"Why didn't she say anything?" Cordelia asked, "I would have helped her."

Misty shook her head, "I dunno. She needs ta ace the final ta pass. But, ya know her, she'll figure it out, she always does."

Cordelia sighed, "She wouldn't have had to figure it out if she just asked me for help."

Misty threw her a look, "I get the feelin' she isn't exactly used ta failing."

An hour later, the girls had all congregated downstairs to watch a movie, but as Cordelia surveyed the room, she realized Elliott was nowhere to be found. She sighed and headed for the stairs, knowing they had just talked about Elliott's participation with the other girls, or lack thereof. After checking her room and the library, she headed towards the greenhouse, spotting her daughter before she even walked through the door.

"You know," She began, "It's kind of hard to bond with the girls if you never spend time with them."

Elliott looked back at her and rolled her eyes, "I seriously doubt that's the issue."

Cordelia chuckled as she walked into the space, stopping when she heard a crunch beneath her feet. She glanced around for a moment, her eyes landing on a workbench that was covered in glass, "What happened?"

"Broke a flask." Elliott responded, her back to the supreme.

Cordelia nodded, seeming to accept this, but her curiosity peaked when she realized Elliott wasn't heading for the broom, she was standing by the sink, and her eyes landed on droplets of blood right as she heard Elliott let out a hiss. "Did you hurt yourself?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Elliott said, shaking her head, but Cordelia didn't buy it, taking a step closer.

"Then what are you doing?" She asked, the room growing quiet before Elliott finally gave a defeated response.

"Digging glass out of my hand." She sighed, letting out a groan when she heard her mother's careful footsteps approaching.

"Let me see it." Cordelia said, Elliott shaking her head.

"I've got it." She said defensively.

"Let me see it, please?" Cordelia asked again, Elliott sighing as she presented the damaged appendage, bright red and dripping.

"What happened?" Cordelia gasped, looking up at Elliott, but the girl wouldn't even look in her direction.

"It exploded." Elliott said, and Cordelia threw her a look she couldn't see.

"It exploded?" She asked, Elliott nodding.

"Yea." She said, "In my hand."

If the supreme's eyes had gotten any wider she was sure they would have popped right out of their socket, a million questions swimming through her brain. But she didn't ask, she just sighed, waving her hand over the wound and depositing the shards in the sink.

"Thank you" Elliott said quietly, taking her hand back and rinsing it under the faucet until the water ran clear.

"We need to go inside and get those bandaged up." Cordelia said, Elliott shaking her head.

"They'll stop bleeding in a minute." Elliott responded, ignoring her mother's request and heading back to the work bench.

"That's not my main concern," Cordelia said with a sigh, "You shouldn't be putting dirt in an open wound."

Elliott shook her head again, "I'll be fine."

"You made a flask explode. Let's call it a night." Cordelia argued, only to be met with another shake of the head, "I'm not letting you get an infection."

Elliott rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated grunt, holding out her hand as she waved the other one over it, the cuts quickly fading to little red scars. "There," She said, "No infection."

Cordelia stared at her for a moment in complete shock, almost forgetting about the obvious attitude, although that wasn't the most important thing right now. She knew Elliott had vitum vitalis and resurgence, but she never realized she had learned how to use it, if that's even what it was.

By the time she had snapped out of it, Elliott had already gotten another flask and was scanning her notes, and Cordelia couldn't even tell how much time had passed. She had dealt with Elliott's hyper fixations and her frustrations before, but something about this particular instance seemed different. "Why are you so worked up about this?" She asked.

"I'm just as worked up as I am about anything else." Elliott grumbled.

"Is it because of what Elenor said?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head. Cordelia glanced at the door, then back at Elliott, "Then what is it?"

"Half of the final is the potions we worked on in class, and the other half is creating our own." Elliott said, growing annoyed, "I told you I needed to study."

"You did." Cordelia said, once again glancing over at the door. She knew Elliott needed the help, but she also knew the girls were starting to take issue with the amount of attention Elliott got, especially when it upset the already established routine. It was silly of her to even hesitate, but Cordelia didn't want to make these next few weeks any more difficult than they had to be, and the teenaged girls weren't exactly stellar at understanding why Cordelia made the decisions she made. "Why didn't you tell me you were failing?" She asked, stepping closer to the bench.

"I'll figure it out." Elliott said, not even bothering to look up from her work.

"I know you will," Cordelia said, "But that's not what I asked."

"Can we talk about this later?" Elliott sighed, "I'm kind of busy."

"I would have helped you, you know." Cordelia said, ignoring the obvious attitude.

"I'll figure it out." Elliott muttered.

"You wouldn't have to figure it out if you had just told me." Cordelia said, reaching for Elliott's notes and pulling them out of her view, forcing the girl to look at her, "It wouldn't have come to this, I would've helped you."

Elliott rolled her eyes, grabbing her notes and pulling them back, "I don't need help. I've got it."

"Obviously you do." Cordelia chuckled, only for Elliott to glare at her, "You know it isn't a bad thing to need help, right? You won't always be good at everything."

"I've asked for help." Elliott said, "Both Misty and Zoe tried to help, it didn't work."

Cordelia's brow furrowed, "You didn't ask me?"

Elliott sighed, quickly realizing she wasn't going to get out of this conversation, "You had enough on your plate."

"That's not up to you to decide, Elle." Cordelia said, "I always have time for you."

"Well, whether you like it or not, I did." Elliott grumbled.

"You should have come to me." Cordelia said again, trying her hardest not to bang her head against a wall. She didn't know why this conversation was so difficult, but Elliott was only giving her half assed answers and she was starting to feel like they were just going in circles.

It didn't help that Elliott's line of thinking wasn't making a whole lot of sense. Everyone at the school knew potions were Cordelia's forte, it wasn't a secret, and it wasn't like she was opposed to helping the girls if they asked, and Elliott knew that. So why was she so opposed?

"I went to Misty and Zoe like every other girl at this school would do." Elliott snapped, "I did what I was supposed to do."

"Their mother isn't the supreme." Cordelia shot back, her tone growing stern.

Elliott turned to her mother and threw her hands up, "Exactly. The last thing I need is for them to think I'm getting more special treatment."

"You're my daughter, Elliott." Cordelia said, "Of course I'm going to help you."

"That's the problem." Elliott said, "I'm your daughter."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Cordelia argued, "I would help them too if they asked."

"But they won't." Elliott responded.

"Why?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head.

"Because you're the supreme." Elliott said, "You don't ask the supreme."

"What?" Cordelia asked, "Why not?"

"It's a title thing." Elliott said, shaking her head, "How do you not know this?"

Cordelia sat quiet for a moment, trying to figure out how any of this made sense. It was true, the girls never asked Fiona for help with anything, and Cordelia certainly didn't, but she had always assumed it was because Fiona was… Fiona. It had never occurred to her that it was some sort of unspoken rule. "So, it's a social thing?"

"Sort of." Elliott said, trying her best to explain, "If you're an intern at a big company, you don't ask the CEO when you don't know how to do your job, you ask the person above you."

"But it's my job to lead these girls." Cordelia argued.

"And it's a CEO's job to lead a company, but there's more important things than teaching an intern to do their fucking job."

Cordelia sighed, "Language."

Elliott threw her a look, "Now, are we going to sit here and debate this for the rest of the night or am I actually going to be able to study?"

Cordelia bit her lip, but moved towards the bench, "Is it me? Am I unapproachable?"

Elliott chuckled, "It has nothing to do with you, it's just the way things are."

"Ok," Cordelia sighed, "What are we working on?"

"You," Elliott said sarcastically, "Are working on going back inside."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, "No, I'm not. I'm helping you. So, what are we working on?"

Elliott moved to argue, but was met with a look, so she settled on a sigh, "A vitality potion."

"That's the first potion you learn." Cordelia stated, Elliott nodding.

"And I'm still learning it." Elliott said, a fake smile plastered on her face.

"You haven't gotten a single one?" Cordelia asked, Elliott shaking her head, "And I still had to force you to let me help you?"

"If you keep bringing it up, I'll fail on purpose." Elliott sassed.

"Fine." Cordelia said, motioning to the ingredients laid out on the table, "Then show me."

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching me?" Elliott poked; the corners of her mouth ticked up.

"I can't help you if I can't see what you are doing wrong." Cordelia said, "It's an artform, not a science."

"Could've fooled me." Elliott said cheekily, reaching for her measuring spoons and getting to work. She was extremely precise, leveling off her measurements and double checking her notes before dumping them into the flask, just to make sure she didn't screw it up. Cordelia immediately knew what the problem was, but she didn't want to interrupt, knowing sometimes the problem fixed itself, but Elliott was stiff until the very end, groaning when she didn't get the reaction she was looking for. "If you say anything about intention, I will kill you."

Cordelia smirked, "So you know the problem."

"No, I don't." Elliott huffed, "I've tried everything. I've leveled the scoops; I've done rounded scoops. I've meditated before, during, and after, I've visualized. At this point I'm about to give the gods a blood offering."

The supreme bit down on a laugh, "None of that. Go get another flask and try again."

Elliott threw her a look, "You haven't given me any direction."

Cordelia chuckled, "Go try again."

Elliott rolled her eyes jokingly, but complied, heading over to grab another flask. In the meantime, Cordelia grabbed all of the measuring tools and put them away in the drawer behind her. Elliott returned, once again looking over her notes, before she reached to the side, fumbling for a second before coming back empty handed, "You took my spoons."

"You don't need them." Cordelia said, biting down on a grin when Elliott threw her a look.

"I need to measure things." Elliott stated, "Give them back."

"It's not like baking a cake." Cordelia explained, "It's about intent. Go with your gut."

"My gut thinks it's going to explode." Elliott said, obviously not amused.

"It won't explode." Cordelia laughed, Elliott shaking her head.

"You say that now." She said seriously, before meeting her mother's gaze once again, "You're really going to make me do this?"

Cordelia gave her an incredulous look, "Will you just trust me?"

Elliott bit her lip, looking back down at her notes for a moment before letting out a sigh and nodding. She moved equally as slow as the first time, and Cordelia could see her doubting herself, but she didn't say a word, she just let her go until the last ingredient, watching her daughters face fall when she still didn't get reaction she wanted, "It still didn't work."

"Baby steps, dear." Cordelia said with a smile, "Let's go again."

Elliott huffed but complied, grabbing yet another flask and gathering the ingredients. She set them all down on the table and looked back at her mother, waiting for some sort of instruction.

Cordelia chuckled, "What's your first ingredient?"

"Coriander seed." Elliott said without glancing down, and Cordelia had to wonder how many times she had done the same potion with no success, given that she didn't even need the paper she was so carefully studying before.

"What are its properties?" Cordelia asked, watching Elliott search through her mind for a moment.

"Protection, health…" Elliott said, still searching, "And immortality."

"No sweetheart, not all of its uses." Cordelia laughed, "What does it do for this potion?"

"Oh." Elliott said, her cheeks catching fire, "Health and protection."

"Good. Now focus on that as you prepare it." Cordelia instructed, watching as Elliott ground it up, "What's next?"

"Bay Leaf." Elliott said, "For protection and healing." Cordelia simply nodded, then waited for the next step, but she didn't even have to ask. "Juniper berries, banishes anything detrimental to good health." Elliott continued, going down the list: Raspberry Leaf for healing, Sassafras powder for health, Echinacea to increase the potions potency, Vanilla Bean to restore lost energy, Aloe for protection, and water for purification.

As Cordelia watched, it became clear why Elliott was getting so frustrated, she obviously knew the material, that much was for certain. Potions was a delicate balance, you had to follow a certain set of rules while also not letting the rules consume you. If you lost focus on your intention, everything failed, which was why most witches didn't even begin to approach potions until their second or third year, after they learned incantations. While the measurements and tools were helpful, they could also be a detriment if the witches got too focused on specifics.

Cordelia grinned as Elliott poured in the water, watching the potion change from a deep red to a bright green, "There we go."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Elliott muttered, looking up at her mother, "That's all it took?"

"Yep," Cordelia laughed, "You could have been doing this the whole time."

"How come Misty and Zoe couldn't do this?" Elliott asked, "They spent hours with me, and they still couldn't figure it out." Cordelia smirked, but Elliott couldn't understand why, "What?"

"Nothing," Cordelia said, "They just didn't have experience with it, that's all."

"That is not all," Elliott pushed, "That doesn't explain the look on your face."

"I have more experience teaching; this is their first year." Cordelia said, biting down on a laugh, "There's a reason they say those who can't do, teach."

Elliott threw her a look, "That makes no sense, you can do it."

"I can," Cordelia said, nodding, "But that doesn't mean I always could. I had to work for it."

Elliott had an idea of where the conversation was heading, raising an eyebrow, "Work for it how?"

Cordelia smiled, "The same way you just did."

"Of course you did." Elliott scoffed, "You couldn't have warned me before I started this whole mess?"

"I told you that there was a reason most girls don't take potions their first year." Cordelia said incredulously, Elliott rolling her eyes.

"Yea," She said, "But I'm working on third year incantations. I thought I would be fine."

"Natural and acquired talents are two completely different things." Cordelia explained, "You are naturally inclined towards spells."

"Same shit, different shapes." Elliott argued, "Potions are just spells in liquid form."

"Their energy and sustainability come from different places. Potions have a shorter duration; they get their energy from the things that make it." Cordelia explains, "Spells get their energy from the person performing it, that's why they last longer. Humans gain and lose energy constantly, It's not a finite resource."

"You would think that would make them easier." Elliott huffed, Cordelia chuckling in response.

"It actually makes it more difficult." Cordelia laughed, "You control your energy in a multitude of ways, and your spell conforms to that in order to work. For potions, there are a lot of things that you can't control, hence why you need to be the one to make adjustments."

"Ah," Elliott said sarcastically, "My control issues are creeping up once again."

Cordelia chuckled, "Then this is a great way to work on them."

"Well then, I should probably get back to work." Elliott said, depositing her glasses in the sink and looking for fresh ones.

"Nuh uh, its already 11." Cordelia argued, "You're done for the night."

"I just need to do it one more time to make sure it wasn't a fluke." Elliott pleaded, her shoulders already dropping from the defat she knew was coming.

"And you can, tomorrow." Cordelia said.

"Just one more?" Elliott pleaded, Cordelia laughing as she shook her head.

"You can't fool me," She chuckled, "I know you. If I give you an inch, you'll take a mile."

"I will not." Elliott said indignantly, Cordelia smiling.

"If I let you do one more, you'll want to do another one, and then you'll be out here all night." Cordelia argued, "You have school tomorrow."

Elliott shrugged, "I'll drop out."

"No, you will not." Cordelia laughed, assuming Elliott was joking, that was until Elliott threw her a look, her voice growing sterner, "Elliott, no, you are not."

Elliott stuck out her tongue, "Party pooper."

"Are you going to want to quit every time something gets hard?" Cordelia asked sarcastically, Elliott smirking.

"You mean if I'm not immediately good at it?" She asked, "Yes."

Cordelia laughed, "That's not going to work."

"It's worked so far." Elliott shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Cordelia was so caught up in the banter she hadn't even been paying attention to what Elliott was doing, regaining her composure and realizing Elliott once again did not listen to her, and was in fact trying the potion again, "I told you not to do that."

Elliott chuckled, "I was hoping I could distract you."

"Put it away." Cordelia said, trying to be stern.

"I'm already halfway done." Elliott said, adding another ingredient.

"I don't care. I told you that you were done." Cordelia argued.

"You know most parents would be thrilled that their kid was studying, right?" Elliott asked, and Cordelia had to fight to keep herself from laughing, "Not yelling at them to stop."

"Most kids would be thrilled if their parents told them they could stop." Cordelia shot back, Elliott shooting her a look.

"Then it looks like we are stuck in a conundrum." Elliott sassed, "Because I'm not most kids."

"And I'm not most parents." Cordelia responded, crossing her arms and motioning towards the sink, "Put it away."

Elliott glanced between Cordelia and the potion, weighing her options, but Cordelia could see her decision written all over her face, "Don't even think about it."

"I'm not thinking about anything." Elliott said indignantly, reaching for the flask, But Cordelia was too quick, transmutating over to the work bench and then over to the sink, dumping the flask and the other ingredients down the drain. Elliott pouted, "I was almost done with that."

"That's not the point." Cordelia said, "You need to listen to me."

"I'm going to be up until at least midnight anyways." Elliott argued, "So why does it matter what I'm doing?"

"It's not good to study right up until you go to bed." Cordelia said, "You need time to process and relax."

Elliott scoffed, "You sound like a teacher."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and motioning with her head, "Inside, now."

Elliott rolled her eyes but complied, muttering under her breath and stomping her feet as she went, heading straight for her room. Cordelia trailed behind, shutting off the lights and chuckling to herself at the teenager's antics. Cordelia had always imagined what it would be like to be a parent, the good and the bad, even when she was a little girl. She spent years upon years imagining the fights they would have and how she would handle them, but not once did she ever stop to consider that she might end up with a child who she would have to pull away from her studies, kicking and screaming.

It shouldn't have been that difficult to anticipate. Cordelia had been similar when she was Elliott's age, always making sure she had the best grades and was the best possible student. The universe always had a funny way of forcing you to confront yourself, and as much as Elliott didn't want to admit that her and Cordelia were alike, they really were.

So alike, in fact, that after a brief conversation with the girls that were still awake downstairs, Cordelia found herself standing in Elliott's doorway, hand outstretched, "Give me your notes."

Elliott glanced up from her position on the bed, phone in hand, "You are actually insane. You know that, right?"

"Am I?" Cordelia asked, throwing Elliott a look as the girl rolled her eyes, Cordelia humming to herself, "Where are they?"

Elliott bit down on a bashful smile, reaching behind her pillow and coming back with a stack of papers, "Here."

"And your book?" Cordelia asked, Elliott biting her cheek as she reached under the bed, pulling out the spell book and handing it to her mother, "Thank you."

Elliott grumbled in response, giving her mother an unimpressed glare as Cordelia chuckled, "Goodnight, sassy pants."

"Goodnight." Elliott mumbled, dramatically throwing herself down on the bed as Cordelia laughed and closed the door.

The supreme headed back to her room, walking in and spotting the remnants of their shopping trip and a shoebox on the bed that she had forgotten she pulled out, the doubt surrounding its contents plaguing her once again. That morning she was so sure, she even went and bought a tape player, but given Elliott's mood and the events of the day, it didn't seem like the right time, and honestly Cordelia wasn't sure it would ever be. Still, she opened the lid and shuffled through its contents. There were a few ultrasounds, Elliott's footprint, some photos her parents had sent, and two tapes that Cordelia could never bring herself to watch. Even now, when Elliott was in her care, she couldn't help but feel that same pang of guilt every time she opened the lid.

Elliott's parents had wanted an open adoption from the very beginning. In fact, it was one of the reasons Cordelia chose them. She thought that maybe, just maybe, if she could be there in some capacity, still be able to watch her grow up, it would make the situation at least bearable. But once Elliott was in her arms and her decision was made, everything changed. She couldn't bear the idea of looking at her child's face and knowing she couldn't have her, that knowing while she was her mother, she wasn't her parent.

Elliott's parents kept trying, sending photos and videos and birthday invitations, but Cordelia never responded, and eventually, they stopped. Cordelia had assumed they'd just given up, but looking back on the timeline, she knew that wasn't true, and she cursed herself for it. If she had swallowed her pride, if she had just tried to be in her life, she would have known, and things wouldn't have worked out the way they did.

Maybe that's why Cordelia was so hesitant to show Elliott, like she was unleashing pandora's box. It was easy for Elliott to excuse the things that happened when her own memories were all she knew, but once she had something she could attach the stories to, that could all change. Still, Cordelia didn't want this to be another secret she had to keep, she didn't want to be afraid of her daughters reaction. If anything, it was to be expected. Elliott didn't have a choice in what happened to her, the only one to blame was Cordelia.

The supreme grabbed the tape player and hooked it up, popping one of the unmarked tapes in the VCR and turning on the tv. If she was even going to think of showing it to Elliott, she should at least know what its contents were. She hit play as she was shuffling through the box, looking at photographs and trying to remember when they were sent, when she heard her own voice on the tv, "Turn it off."

Cordelia's head shot up, staring at the screen and seeing a much younger version of herself, and hearing a laugh that must have been Elliott's mom, "Just let us do it, you might want this someday."

It must have been when she was in labor, although Cordelia didn't remember much of it, she didn't even remember them filming her. She watched for a moment as the two went back and forth, always referring to Elliott as "baby", since at the time Cordelia still hadn't decided on a name. The camera panned to a pacing Fiona, her face set into a scowl as Jane called her "grandma", and Cordelia let out a laugh before the tears started falling.

She quickly moved to switch off the tv, maybe she wasn't as ready for this as she thought. It seemed easy in theory, but obviously there was still some things she hadn't dealt with. She grabbed the tape out of the VCR and threw it back in its case, tossing it back in the box and closing it, only to hear her bedroom door slam open, Elliott storming into the room.

"Give me my notes." She demanded, "I need them."

Cordelia glanced up, wiping at her cheeks as she let out a chuckle, "No."

Elliott moved to argue, her mouth opening and then closing again once she took in the scene in front of her, "Why are you crying?"

"Don't worry about it." Cordelia said, waving her off, but after Elliott didn't respond she glanced up, her daughter giving her a look, "Really, you need to go to sleep."

"That's not how this works and you know it." Elliott said, Cordelia chuckling, "Who made you cry?"

"No one made me cry." Cordelia replied, walking towards her daughter, "I was just looking at some old stuff."

Elliott tilted her head, "Why would you look at it if it was going to make you cry?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes, laughing, "Well I didn't think it was going to make me cry, it just happens sometimes."

"Well, you should avoid it." Elliott laughed, "That's what I do."

Cordelia rolled her eyes, giving Elliott a playful shove, "That's not helpful."

"It wasn't meant to be." Elliott said, giving Cordelia a cheeky smile, "What was it?"

Cordelia bit her lip, debating with herself on whether or not to be honest. She didn't know how Elliott would feel about it, but it seemed like a good time to test the waters, "Just a box of stuff your parents sent me."

Elliott's face faltered, but it was only for a second before she smirked again, "You really didn't know that would make you cry? I know that would make you cry, the guy down the street probably knows it too."

Cordelia threw her another look, "Once again, not helpful."

"Once again," Elliott said sarcastically, "It wasn't supposed to be."

Cordelia narrowed her eyes playfully as Misty walked in the room, the Cajun oblivious to what she walked in on, "Y'all alright?"

Cordelia chuckled, "Yes, we're fine."

Elliott smirked, "Yea, genius over here decided to look at my baby stuff and was surprised when it made her cry."

"Ya have baby stuff?" Misty asked as Cordelia made a face at Elliott, before refocusing her attention.

"Just a few things that Elliott's parents sent me." She answered, only to glance back as Misty was moving towards the box.

"I want ta see!" Misty said excitedly, "I bet ya were the cutest baby."

"Misty, wait…" Cordelia began, looking over at Elliott for any signs of discomfort.

Misty didn't slow down, already lifting the top of the box off. Cordelia kept her eyes trained on Elliott, who waved her off, but Cordelia couldn't help but notice that she didn't move an inch, staying on the opposite side of the room. She tried to remain neutral, not wanting Elliott to feel pressured to look, but only a moment later Misty was waving around an ultrasound and asking, "What am I lookin at?"

The supreme moved towards her girlfriend, glancing at the image for a moment, then pointing, "Well there's her head, and those are her feet."

Misty stared at the picture and frowned, "Looks like an alien."

Elliott laughed at that, shuffling her feet back and forth as she contemplated her decision. It shouldn't have been difficult, it's not like the contents of the box would change anything, but like she had said, she tried to avoid anything that would elicit a strong emotional reaction, and she wasn't exactly sure what that reaction that might be. She didn't know if it would make her angry, or sad, and she really didn't want to find out. Still, she didn't want to run from it either. Whether she liked it or not, it was a part of her life, and it was out of her control.

It amazed Elliott that only a few minutes prior, Cordelia was crying over the contents of the box, yet now here she was, smiling ear to ear as she explained the photos to Misty, like all she needed was someone to do it with her for her mood to completely change. Maybe the supreme was just being brave for her girlfriend, or maybe it actually made a difference, but Elliott found herself shifting closer and closer to the women, until she was standing right at her mother's side.

Cordelia glanced over at her and smiled softly, then looked back at the ultrasound in Misty's hand, "This was the one I was telling you about. Look at your thumb."

Elliott glanced at the image and laughed. Cordelia was right, Elliott's thumb was so far in her mouth it looked like she didn't even have a hand. She felt Cordelia's arm wrap around her and pull her in as Misty shuffled through the box, and Elliott realized there were far more photos than Cordelia had led on. There had to be at least fifty, spanning from her newborn photos to her second birthday.

Elliott expected to feel sad or angry when she looked at the photos, some sort of emotion she couldn't easily pack away, but she found it didn't hurt as badly as she thought it would. Maybe it was because she had a family now, or maybe it was because she didn't really remember much of the time she had with her parents, but between Misty's gushing and Cordelia's smile, there wasn't much room for grief. Bittersweet, maybe, but not grief.

"Look at ya bangs!" Misty squealed, and Elliott glanced over at the photo in her hand. Based on the other pictures, it had to have been taken shortly after her second birthday.

Elliott grimaced at the photo, her frizzy curls chopped so close to her hairline it looked like a botched bowl cut, "That was a poor choice."

Cordelia laughed, "Not like you had much say in the matter."

"It wasn't their choice," Elliott said, seemingly unlocking a memory she didn't know she had, "I cut them myself."

"You remember that?" Cordelia asked in disbelief.

"I mean, I guess so." Elliott said, shrugging, "I would like to think they wouldn't let me look like that willingly."

Misty scoffed, "Well I think they look adorable."

Cordelia and Elliott laughed at that, glancing over the few remaining photos. There was a few from when she was born, including one of Fiona holding her, although the women laughed at how uncomfortable she was, and another of Elliott as a toddler, holding onto a German Shepherd.

"That's Tucker." Elliott said, a smile gracing her features, "I think he was the family dog, but I'm not sure. He was someone's dog."

"He looks like ya best friend." Misty said, "Those dogs are loyal."

Elliott laughed, "Not as much as Max, he follows me everywhere."

Cordelia laughed, "Max is more clingy than loyal."

Elliott chuckled, "You're right, he'd sell me out for a bag of treats."

"Well, a bag of treats is still a high price." Cordelia joked, "I was thinking one."

"What are these?" Misty asked, pointing to the tapes that had been thrown on the bed.

"Some videos her parents sent me." Cordelia explained, "One is from the hospital and I think the other one is her first steps, but I'm not sure."

"They sent you videos?" Elliott asked, Cordelia nodding in response, "That's dedication."

Misty glanced between the two women, "Can we watch them?"

Cordelia looked over at Elliott, but Elliott was looking back at her, shrugging her shoulders, "I don't care; it's up to you."

Cordelia bit her lip and glanced at the clock, "It's getting late. Why don't we save those for another day?"

Misty's face fell and Elliott was quick to shoot her a look, "Yea, we can do that."

Misty took the hint, quickly fixing her expression as Cordelia glanced over at her, smiling at the supreme.

"I should probably do the final rounds, make sure all the girls are in bed." Cordelia sighed.

Misty shook her head, already walking towards the door, pressing a kiss to Cordelia's cheek as she passed, "I'll take care of it."

The supreme smiled gratefully at the swamp witch as she walked out the door, then refocused her attention on Elliott, "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Elliott said, Cordelia tilting her head.

"Are you sure?" She asked, Elliott nodding and chuckling a little.

"Yea, really, I'm fine." She laughed, "Why?"

"Nothing." Cordelia said, shaking her head, "I just thought… I wasn't sure how you'd react."

"Me either." Elliott said honestly, "It wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be."

"As bad?" Cordelia pushed.

"Well, when you said you had photos, I assumed it was like five, not fifty." Elliott joked, obviously trying to deflect.

Cordelia paused, a knot forming in her stomach. She knew Elliott meant it as a joke, but the response was very telling, "Does that upset you?"

"Mama, I was kidding." Elliott sighed, "Why would it upset me?"

Cordelia had a few ideas, but she also didn't want to open up an insecurity that wasn't there, "There could be a lot of reasons."

"Like?" Elliott asked, trying to get somewhat of an idea of what the supreme was thinking.

"Why don't you tell me?" Cordelia asked, and Elliott sighed.

"Mama, you obviously have some idea in your head," Elliott began, "So why don't you tell me instead of me randomly guessing."

Cordelia stared at Elliott, willing her to crack, but Elliott just stared back, brows raised expectantly, and Cordelia couldn't help but feel like maybe this was all in her head. "You really aren't upset that I wasn't there?"

"No." Elliott said immediately, "I'm not."

"Why?" Cordelia asked. It was never a secret that Elliott's parents wanted an open adoption, and that Cordelia said no, but before that night the two had never really discussed the specifics of it, how hard her parents had pushed and kept pushing.

"Because as talented as you are, you aren't a fortune teller." Elliott deadpanned, Cordelia pursing her lips.

"I have visions." She shot back.

"Not of me." Elliott retorted, "And you didn't have them then."

Cordelia huffed, "So?"

"So," Elliott began, "It doesn't matter. You did what you thought was the best for both of us at the time."

"That doesn't mean it didn't hurt you." Cordelia responded.

"No, it doesn't, but you have to stop punishing yourself for something that happened sixteen years ago." Elliott said, "I'm here now, and you obviously aren't just doing it out of obligation because you are way too clingy for that."

Cordelia's face dropped in shock, scoffing after a moment, "I am not clingy."

Elliott smirked, "You sure about that?"