AN: Hello Darkfogfox here. I just wanted to thank everyone who has been reading, commenting and giving me feedback on my story. A special shout out to Eikaros, Michele Bishop, Paolo GUtarra and WizBiz709.
This will be the LAST Chapter of this story. I've really enjoyed writing it and appreciate the positivity and feedback. I do intend to start another story next Saturday about Hannah and Barbara with regular chapter updates. Once again thank you for reading and without further ado, the last chapter.
XXIV. Stopping The Cycle
The room in utter silence, shook with the after tremors of Daryl's voice as everyone except Diana shrank away toward the front door. Diana looked down in her arms at the newly fixed suit. She wanted to put it on and feel the fabric shield her from the venom in her Aunt's voice, but something stopped her. Diana realized that she had always wore the suit as a means of feeling stronger than she actually was but now that wasn't the case.
She loved the suit, but it wasn't necessary for her to stand up to her Aunt and her hypocrisy. She didn't need to a suit of armor to face her fears, all she needed was the confidence and knowledge of who she was. She was THE Diana Elizabeth Cavendish: witch who NEVER let others tell her who she could and couldn't be. Instead of shying away, Diana produced the photos that Barbara had found in the attic.
"I understand that you are at a difficult age, but I've had enough of you defing me, Diana. Wearing a men's suit to a public event, kissing another girl on the lips and refusing to put forth any effort to change from these destructive, unnatural behaviours. Your mother would be ashamed of you." Aunt Daryl spat.
"Then she would also be ashamed of you too." Diana stated plainly, trying to not let anger take over her voice.
"WHA-that's absurd." Daryl said in a progressively louder voice. Maril and Merril stood to the side supportively agreeing with their mother.
The rest of the gang sat down against the door as Sucy produced more mushrooms from her pockets, handing them out as a snack.
"So how about you explain to me who Alice was." Diana said holding up the photos for her Aunt to see, with no response she continued.
"The truth is you're the same as me, only you'd rather put me through hell then admit that." Diana said, with fire in her voice.
Aiming her firely glare at both Maril and Merril. "How's that for having balls?"
Aunt Daryl burst out laughing at Diana's accusation. Wrapping her arms around her sides as Diana watched on in with growing anger. Diana waited as her Aunt guffawed at Diana's statement. But as her Daryl laughed, Diana saw something in her Aunt's eyes that she didn't expect: fear.
"HAHAHAHA. OH. Oh. Diana haha. She's my old college friend. That's priceless. You really think that I could ever be a disgusting suffering Sappho like you." Aunt Daryl sneered, revealing her true nature, a bundle of fear mixed with superiority and insecurities.
"Well, if she's just your college friend, when why do you had a locket with her picture in it?! Why did you buy her an engagement ring and write out how you were going to purpose to her?!" Diana said not even trying to control her anger. It pissed her off, that Aunt Daryl could verbally abuse her, force her to see a quack therapist and still insist that this was solely Diana's cross to bear.
"Hahaha. Ridiculous. A woman. Hahahaha. I would never-"
The black box slammed against the floor cutting off the older woman's sentence. The diamond ring showed clear as day sparkling with the light from the grand light fixture above. The locket lay open on the floor with Alice's smile softly peering out.
"You say you've had enough of me acting out. Well I've had enough of you being a hypocrite!" Diana said pulling out the proposal note as Aunt Diana's laughter grew quieter.
"Jenny, from the moment you came into my life, you have completely changed my worldview."
"Please, Diana stop." Daryl said laughter sizzling out, turning to anger.
"You have shown me what it truly means to love someone without regret and without caring what other people think."
"Enough Diana."
"Because of this I know that you are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."
"I said, ENOUGH!"
Will you marry me?" Diana summed up, determined to finish the note to its conclusion.
"DAMN!" Amanda accidentally blurted out.
The room was silent as Aunt Daryl stood there. Diana couldn't remember the last time her Aunt had been this quiet.
Tears silently streamed down Aunt Daryl's face as she breathed in preparing to speak. "Do you know what your grandmother said to me when I told her that I wanted to marry Alice?"
Diana didn't respond when she saw the layers of hurt in her Aunt's eyes.
"She told me that I was sick, disgusting and that if I didn't change, her and the entire family would disown me. So I went to into a conversion therapy for four years."
Diana stood there in shock. She had no idea but now it all made sense the repeating cycle of abuse and torment. Her Aunt was repeating many of the same things that had been done unto her.
"After it all, I was a broken woman who had lost every scrap of herself after being broken down so many times."
Diana slowly started to step closer to her Aunt. She had never seen her this vulnerable before. This was her real Aunt and she wasn't the same proud woman that Diana had always thought she was. She was a broken person who had spent all of her time trying to break down other people because that was all she knew. When she tried to hurl insults at Diana, she was really verbally beating up herself. It wasn't right but Diana couldn't help feeling bad for her.
"I'm sorry Diana... I am a hypocrite and I know that it's not fair to you." Aunt Daryl said softly, painfully trying to come to terms with the truth.
"So don't be like my grandmother, be better than her." Diana said, pleadingly.
Aunt Daryl looked away, sadly. "That's not going to happen overnight."
"I know, I won't be able to forgive you for all the pain you caused me overnight, but you and my cousins are the only family that I have. Maybe it's foolish, but I want things to be better and I believe they can be." Diana said plainly.
Aunt Daryl attempted to dry the tears from her eyes and walked over to Diana and hugged her.
After Hannah and Barbara decided to shoo away the rest of the witches give Diana and Daryl some time alone, the rest of the day was spent with long periods of soft conversation punctuated by silence. Diana had never spent so much time with her Aunt and her cousins that didn't involve heightened anger. She still hated them for all of the hurt they had caused her, but Diana had met what she said. They were the only family she had left and with both her parents were dead, Diana wanted to try for a better relationship with them. Diana fell asleep that night, thinking about how long this road to repairing her relationship with Daryl would be.
The next morning Diana got up and opened the windows to her room. The morning breeze washed over her and Diana set her sights on a new goal or rather a new promise. She would try as long as her Aunt was willing to try in repairing their relationship. After looking at the clock, Diana grabbed the white suit out of her closet and started to put it on, just like she had for the ball.
After Diana finished tying her tie and smiled as she admired herself in the mirror. The suit still fit her just as good. She walked back over to the window and looked out upon the gardens. The Sunday brunch was starting up with around thirty or so people milling around the tables and chairs greeting others and finding places to sit. Diana smiled as spotted her group of friends hanging around one of the tables in the back of the event.
She could even pick out Akko with her fancy dress and ribbon infused hairdo. Everyone looked stunning with formal attire enjoying tea and cake.
Diana decided to finally walk down and join them. As walked down she thought about how far she had come. Three weeks ago she couldn't have imagined that she would have been able to change her life this much. She smiled about how different of a person she had become, she was now living life as the person she always dreamed of living.
As Diana opened the french doors to the patio that lead out to the gardens she smiled. Breathing in the fresh sunny air, Diana noticed her Aunt greeting all of the guests as they arrived. She remembered how last night at dinner they had both promised each other to cut ties with Doctor Klein and go to family therapy together. Diana was confident after her had Aunt smiled at her with more warmth than she had ever shown Diana, that it would be a promise that she would keep.
Diana walked over to the table with all of her friends and decided to sneak up on Akko as the rest of the group played along. Akko jumped in her chair was Diana wrapped her arms around her. Everyone laughed as Diana sat down next to Akko. As everyone else teased Akko for her reaction and started chatting about school.
Diana smiled warmly, eyes glazing over as she thought about how lucky she really was.
"Hey, Diana what are you thinking about?" Barbara asked. Everyone stopped talking.
Diana was honest. "I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have such supportive friends. Thank you for everything."
Akko jumped onto Diana and kissed her. "Hey don't thank us yet! We haven't even graduated from Luna Nova or gone on a spring break trip or gone to…"
As Akko rambled on about possible future adventures, Diana smiled knowing that their story wasn't over yet it was only beginning.
THE END