Alright! An update! I hope you guys enjoy this one, don't forget to tell me what you like about it, or if you liked it at all. If you spot any mistakes, please tell me, I have a headache and probably didn't notice what I did and what I did not do, so any help would be appreciated.

Croix heard soft snoring in her sleep, and felt something clinging to her. She didn't want to open her eyes just yet, feeling exhausted. After struggling in vain to sleep again, she opened her eyes and glanced at Chariot who was clinging to her with both arms and legs.

"Chariot, wake up. You have a class to teach." Croix yawned, and tapped her girlfriend's shoulder. The latter just snuggled closer, refusing to let go. "Chariot. I know you're awake."

"No, I'm not." Chariot said with a muffled voice.

"Then how did you talk just now?" The lilac haired witch smirked.

"I'm sleep talking."

"Wake up so I can kiss you, Char." Croix tried again, and she beamed at how easy it was to convince her girlfriend to open her eyes. She pouted at her, before leaning in to give her a kiss. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"

"You're too comfortable to let go of."

"What am I? Your personal pillow?"

"Yes."

"My role has been reduced from girlfriend to a pillow, great."

Chariot giggled, then kissed her cheek, before sitting up. She rubbed her eyes, and smiled when Croix hugged her from behind and rested her head on her shoulder. The redhead leaned back into the embrace, not ready to go back to work yet.

She wished they could still have more days together, with no work or anything. Her separation anxiety was a problem, and while she didn't want to talk about it, she knew that her lover was aware of it.

She sighed, and turned to Croix. She gave her a loving look, then nuzzled closer.

"I wish I could stay here. I'll miss you." She said, relaxing as her lover stroked her hair.

"I'll miss you too, but we can't stay in the tower forever." Croix said, kissing her forehead. She felt the same, she didn't want to spend the day alone, but if they spend all of their time together and only focus on each other, it'd do more harm than good. They both had a lot of healing to do after all. "You'll get bored of me."

"That's not true!" Chariot pulled away and pouted.

"Fine, I'll get bored of you."

"Hey!"

Chariot hit her with a pillow, making her laugh and try to protect herself in vain.

"Seriously though, we need to resume our lives. We can't put everything on hold forever." Croix stated, and while it was a hard thing to accept, the redhead nodded.

She smiled slyly, with a playful glint in her eyes, and quickly stole a kiss from the lilac haired witch before running to the bathroom.

"I'm taking over the bathroom!"

"Oh no, what would I do? Wait for centuries so I can empty my bladder?" Croix said dramatically, and fell back to bed.

She was exhausted and felt a bit sick because of the unbalanced levels of magic in her body, but she wasn't too worried because it was normal process. She just need rest. Chariot on the other hand was concerned about it, and didn't want her to stay alone at home.

Eventually, they both agreed that it's for the best. They are too attached to each other, and the spell binding them didn't help.

It was going to be hard being separated, but they knew it was healthier this way. Now without the threat looming around, they were free to do anything. They needed to work on that, pick up the pieces and make something better. It was time to focus on their lives, spend some time alone, but still sleep in each other's arms at the end of the day.

Croix decided she should get a phone for Chariot, so that they could message each other during the day.

Chariot came out the shower, and changed into her uniform. She started brushing her hair, thinking of what to eat for breakfast, and if she should be the one to bring lunch to Croix today. Holbrooke had one of the elves do it since the two still needed to recover.

The students were still a bit traumatized by what happened, but the professors thought it's about time to get back to class so that everyone eases up into going back to the routine.

The redhead turned in confusion when her hairbrush was taken away from her, she gave a questioning look to her lover, who smiled in return and took her by the hand, guiding her back to bed.

The two sat down, and Croix started to take care of her hair instead. She started to silently braid it, while the younger witch started humming to herself, enjoying the calm and intimate moment. It was moments like these that they both loved, moments where they could communicate without saying a thing.

This is what love meant to them. It wasn't about kissing, it wasn't about talking all the time, it was about how comfortable they around around each other and how well they understand one another.

"You're ready to go now." Croix said with a proud tone, and she watched smugly as the redhead stared at herself in the mirror and appreciated the look she gave her. The lilac haired witch wasn't that good at this stuff, but since she used to have long hair, she found it too annoying to not be kept in a braid or ponytail every now and then.

Besides, Chariot looked adorable with a braid.

"I love it." Chariot said with a bright smile, melting the lilac haired witch's heart. "I love you."

Once Chariot left, Croix found the tower to be incredibly lonely. It's been a while since the last time she stayed alone. Usually she didn't like being alone, her mind tends to run wild when everything is silent.

She frowned, then stared at her tablet. She looked at it thoughtfully, then clicked on it, making it play some music in the background.

Today's goal? Today's goal was to make sure that she didn't succumb to her self-destructive thoughts when alone. It would be a hard one to achieve, but she believed in herself. She might not be the greatest person alive, but she knew she was a genius.

Alright, looks like her Ego when it came to her abilities was still intact.

She started by washing the dishes from breakfast, and she was glad there was no dishwasher because she knew she'd be tempted to use it instead of her own hands. She was trying to be productive, but technology had a strong effect on her.

She tried to clean around a bit, arrange some of her notes, and start working on a new project.

Unfortunately, she had to stop every now and then because she'd get easily tired. She would start feeling feverish and weak after every action.

She sighed and rested on the bed, with her laptop on her lap. She was annoyed by the fact that she couldn't work, and she couldn't wait for her magic to fix itself soon.

It hasn't been that long but… She already missed Chariot.

Speaking of Chariot, she was finally done with a staff meeting. She couldn't focus too much because all she could think about was how Croix was doing. The spell didn't warn her of anything, and she didn't feel any unpleasant feelings, but she still wished she could be beside her.

Maybe she was right and this attachment could get unhealthy… Hopefully, she can used to it with time.

It's just that… after being separated for so long, and witnessing her die… She always felt scared that Croix could slip away the moment she wasn't looking.

She slowly made her way to class, and observed her surroundings. She was glad that the damage inside the building has been fixed, she didn't want to be reminded of everything that happened. She just wanted to have a peaceful day.

Chariot noticed that the road to her class has been strangely silent. Usually, she would hear her students chatting from miles away, and she would especially hear Akko's loud voice from a building away, so this came off as odd to her.

She reached her classroom, and tried to sneak a peek carefully, but she noticed that the room was dark and that the windows were covered.

She stared in confusion and stepped into the room, and the moment she did, the curtains covering the windows fell down, and the light came in to show her all of her students in place and Akko holding up a hand written sign with her friends that read 'Thank you Professor!'.

The redhead stared in confusion, not sure what to make of this. Her brain was still processing what was happening, or what the sign meant.

"A-Akko? What is this?" She asked, and smiled when her favorite student jumped from the table towards her.

"You and professor Croix are the reason this school is safe! That's why everyone decided to welcome you back to class and thank you!" The brunette beamed, and her professor felt her heart melt at the gest. She always thought that her students found her incompetent and boring.

The fact that they were doing this for her made her eyes water.

"Akko, you and Diana are the ones who did it. Croix was the one who helped you, I didn't do anything." She said, resting a hand on her student's shoulder.

"I don't agree professor, you shouldn't think so lowly of yourself." Diana crossed her arms, and gave her a stern expression. She was having none of this. "You've been hiding for too long, it's about time you get the recognition you deserve." She added in a low tone so that only Akko and Chariot could hear her.

Turning to the rest of her students, she felt a warm sensation in her chest. It wasn't burning, it wasn't the spell indicating that something was happening with her soulmate, it was just a warm feeling that she feels whenever she's with Croix or when she watches Akko succeed at performing a spell.

It was happiness, and before she knew it, she was openly crying and reassuring her students that she was fine… just happy.

It took the whole class about ten minutes or more to make her stop crying, except for Akko who made her laugh with tears.

Today was turning out to be a good day, despite her fears and anxiety. She hoped that her lover was having a good time too… Or at least a good time that did not involve her inventing something instead of resting and recovering.

Diana spent the class fondly watching her professor. She hoped that no one noticed how attached she had gotten. After everything that has happened, she considered her and Croix as parents figures to her.

It wasn't that she replaced her mother, of course not. No one could ever replace her.

It was nice to have a family again. She didn't feel like she voiced her feelings properly, there were just too many things to say and she didn't know where to start from.

Well, perhaps she could start by visiting Croix. She must be lonely, sitting in that tower.

Barbara didn't seem to notice, but Hannah did. She eyed her friend, who seemed so fixated on the redhead. Frowning, she went back to silently taking notes.

After the lesson was over, she frowned at the sight of Akko walking towards them. She was grateful that she brought Diana back, but that didn't mean she liked her.

"Hey Diana!" The brunette said with a grin as she hugged the prodigy, who smiled back and gently patted her back. "Do you want to eat with us? The green team are joining us today!" She suggested, and Hannah felt her eyebrow twitching.

Since when were these two best friends? Just how much did the prodigy hide from her and Barbara?

"I have something to do." Diana gave her an apologetic smile, then turned to her team. "Girls, you go eat without me." She said, before leaving the classroom.

Akko was a little bummed, but still waved at her friend.

The prodigy didn't have classes until much later, so she thought she could pay her professor a visit. She passed by the kitchen and had lunch packed for both of them. The Elves didn't seem to mind having one less task to do.

Meanwhile, Croix was sitting in the tower, brainstorming what her next work would be. She frustratingly scratched her head, not able to focus.

She hasn't thought about it for a while, but magic was still declining. Akko didn't find the words because of everything that has happened.

Was she the only one still thinking about it? About the words?

If she thought too much about them, would she go back to her younger bitter self? Or would she stay a dreamer unaffected by those older demons?

She didn't know as she was still struggling with everything that has happened to her so far.

In that moment of endless thoughts and vulnerability, he came to mind, and his red eyes stared back at her.

She gasped as she heard a knock. She let out a sigh of relief, then scolded herself for letting her thoughts get to her.

She was stronger than this, stronger than him. He's gone and she's still here.

She took a sip from the cup of water next to her, then moved towards the door. She expected Chariot, but instead found Diana waiting there.

"Oh, hey." The lilac haired said, surprised. It was a pleasant surprise though, she liked having her around. "Come in."

Diana smiled and walked in, with their lunch in hands.

"I thought that maybe I could bring you lunch instead of the Elves."

"Don't you have classes?" Croix asked, smiling.

"I don't have them until much later." Diana said, then looked at her, hesitant. "I am not interrupting you from something, am I? I can leave." She said, and the woman noticed the hint of vulnerability in her voice, and it made her heart sink.

"Of course not. I'm always glad to have you around, Diana." She said, gently patting her student, a gesture that the latter grew to love.

When Croix first came to Luna Nova, Diana was wary of her and didn't trust her. She didn't like the way she seemed to know too much, or how she merged magic with technology.

However, as time passed, she became fond of her. She understood and witnessed some of the pain she had to go through, and she saw how deadset she was on protecting the people she cared about.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, finishing her plate. Luna Nova's budget got a raise as a 'thank you' for stopping the darkness. Croix was also let off the hook, no longer under any danger of being executed. Because of that, the food was finally more than just a combination of potatoes, something that Akko was happy about.

"I'm feeling bored." Croix said, taking a bite of her food, before realizing what she meant. "Oh, you meant physically." She paused. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck."

The prodigy winced, but she expected it would be something like that. The magic being unbalanced in a witch's body could have major after effects, and cause her to be sick. She knew that she suffered from a similar case after overusing her magic before.

She lowered her gaze, before inquiring. "Will you still teach here after you recover?" Her question made the other witch stop eating, and stare back at her.

"I enjoyed teaching here. After all, I'm glad that so many students are interested in my inventions, especially with the decline of magic." She answered, but lowered her tone at the last part, suddenly losing her appetite.

Diana gave her a knowing look.

"Is it about the Grand Triskelion? Are you worried about it?" She asked, and the older witch just nodded, not up to talking about it.

It was not her responsibility to bring back magic, she knew that. In the past, she would have done anything to be the chosen one, the one who would restore magic to the world, but now she knew that she wasn't meant for that.

Besides, you don't achieve greatness by being chosen, but by working towards it yourself.

She will still surpass the Nine Olde Witches, with the shiny rod or without it.

However, the threat of magic disappearing was still there, and they needed to find the words… Or at least, help Akko find them.

"I was wondering if it's not too late to start attending your class." Diana said, then tucked a hair behind ear, still refusing to look up. She was nervous of her reaction, which was strange because the other professors never made her feel this way. Perhaps it was because she felt a much stronger connection to her.

If she looked up, she would see Croix beaming so brightly that she could outshine Akko in that moment. She looked so proud.

"Of course! I can teach you everything you've missed until now!" Croix said, slamming her palms on the table, grinning. "We can start right now if you want!" She stood up, only to be stopped by her student.

"W-wait! Perhaps not right now." Diana stuttered, surprised by the sheer excitement that was coming from the woman. "I thought I'd talk to you about something else first."

"Oh." Croix said, and sat down before leaning a bit forward to show her interest. "What is it?"

Diana took a deep breath.

"My Aunt is organizing a party, and she told me to invite my friends, and… I thought I would invite you." She said, trying to keep her tone in check. Daryl and Croix obviously hated each other, especially since the last time they talked.

"Your Aunt? You mean that b-?" Croix mentally slapped herself, stopping her mouth from running wild. She nervously rubbed her neck and looked at her apologetically. "Sorry."

"Considering the dangers she put everyone through… I don't blame you." Diana sighed, looking away.

They both thought back to those events, to how Diana almost got possessed… well, she did get possessed, they just didn't know at the time.

"Can I come in a hoodie?"

"Sure."

Croix smiled, but then her thoughts wandered back to something that happened during those events, something that Diana said.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Croix scanned her student's face for confirmation, and after she nodded, she said what was on her mind. "Back then, when you woke up, you called me mom. I wasn't imagining that, right?"

Diana's eyes widened, and she felt her cheeks reddening as she remembered how she blurted it out to the professor.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have asked about a touchy subject." Croix gave her an apologetic smile, before standing up to put away their plates. The prodigy remained frozen, not knowing what to say.

She remembered what she told Akko before, when she was stuck in her own head, too scared to face the world again. Those words were true, but they were so much harder to say here.

She rested her hands on her lap, before closing them into fists, clutching the fabric of her skirt.

"I love you." She said.

Croix dropped the plate and turned to her with a shocked expression. She opened her mouth, then closed it since no words would come out.

Diana wasn't offended by her silence, and instead stood up and turned to her, this time meeting her gaze.

"When you were in a coma, it reminded me of my mother, that was the first time I made the connection. I felt a stronger connection to you." She said, and watched as the professor slowly walked towards her with an expression she couldn't make out. "As time passed, you have done more to me than my own aunt did. You protected me, reassured me, opened my eyes. I know my mom would have liked you." She said, now looking down. "I know she wouldn't mind if I looked up to you."

The response she received wasn't a vocal one, but it was one that made her feel lighter.

Croix pulled her into a hug, and Diana slowly wrapped her arms around her waist, burying her face into her chest. She gripped tighter as she felt a few tears escape her eyes. The lilac haired witch rested a hand on her head and smiled softly, almost motherly.

"I love you too, kid."

They stayed like that for a while, until Diana had to leave for her next class. Croix waved at her with the same smile, and the thoughts from earlier vanished.

She felt at peace.

She moved to the desk, and started working on the SSS system that she destroyed. She wrote down notes, and drew her plan. She was going to make it better, stronger.

She was so motivated, that she didn't notice how time passed. Before she knew it, Chariot was already home.

Chariot walked in, and hugging Croix when she came to greet her. She was exhausted, but the embrace of her lover breathed life into her again.

She pulled away a bit so that she could kiss her.

Croix smiled into the kiss, and moved her hand to caress her cheek. Once they pulled away, she grinned and rested her forehead on her lover's.

"Hey, how was your day?" She asked, and took her hand to lead her to the couch.

"It was a good day, but I missed you." The redhead answered, then noticed the mess on the desk. "Croix, did you spend the day working?" She asked, bemused.

"I only worked a bit. I felt motivated." The witch said, and pulled her loved into her lap after she sat down. She hugged her close, and the redhead felt the same warm sensation from earlier. She silently played with her lilac hair, breathing in the smell of shampoo used on it. "Diana visited today."

"Oh! I asked the Elves about your lunch, and they said that she brought it to you. That was sweet of her." Chariot smiled warmly, proud of the students she had. They were kind souls, and she was happy that she managed to protect them.

"You know what was really sweet? She said she loves me." Croix pulled away, and showed her the brightest smile the redhead has seen all day. "It made me so happy."

Chariot's heart warmed, and she looked down at her with pleasant surprise. She knew of their student's feelings, but to know that she said them outloud took her off guard.

She was proud nonetheless, that Diana was learning to express herself to others.

"Who wouldn't love you?" Chariot said softly, leaning down to kiss her. "You're the most amazing person I know."