Vignette Summary: After ruining Mia and Maya's plans for Maya's 16th birthday, Mia decides to give her aunt a piece of her mind.

Tags: Angst

Word Count: 1,754

Date: Sunday, March 8th, 2015

Time: 11:12 am

Location: Mia's Office, Fey & Co. Law Offices, Los Tokyo

"So, you've been having a good week?" Mia asked.

It was Sunday morning and Mia had just made her weekly call home to Maya. It was a tradition Mia started years earlier, once she realized it was nigh impossible to organize routine in-person meetings. Aunt Morgan almost never let Maya leave and Mia was still banished.

"Busy," Maya complained. "Aunt Morgan has me up at six am for training now. I hate it."

"Oh, really? Why did she change it? You always did your morning sessions at seven."

"She said that I'm almost 16 and I'm still not ready to take over for Mom. That I need more time to practice."

"She can't push your training up an hour every year. You can't even take over until Mom's been gone 20 years. At that rate, eventually you'll have to get up at 11 pm for training."

"Nooooooo," Maya moaned.

Mia laughed. "Aunt Morgan won't do that… I think." Her aunt was the most stringent person she knew, so Mia couldn't completely put it past her.

"Can you talk to her?"

"You think she'll listen to me?"

Maya sighed. "Yeah, you're right." Maya brushed the frustration aside and resumed her typical sunny demeanor. "How was your week?"

"Busy too."

"Do anything fun?"

"Do you count work as fun?"

"No."

Mia laughed again. "Figured. Barely had time to catch my breath, honestly. I worked and helped Reina a bit with her wedding planning. I'll visit Diego today though."

"I thought you normally visited him on Wednesdays."

"Usually. I had a trial this week and I was stuck working on that." She exhaled. "I used to go on Saturdays too, when Maria was still alive, but it's been too hectic at the office."

"I think he'd understand. You said he used to work a lot too, right?"

"He did. He just doesn't get many visitors."

"Really? Only you?"

"Yeah. Well, he has a grandmother he hasn't met yet. It's a long story," Mia added before Maya could ask. "She comes in once a month. His other grandparents and his dad have passed. His aunts and cousins are back in the Dominican. A few people from the firm visited him but that was way back when he was first poisoned. His friends… I never met any of them and I don't know who they are or how to reach them. He has hundreds of contacts on his phone, but I can't tell who was a past client and who was a friend."

"That's so sad," Maya lamented. "What do you do when you're there?"

"Just sit and talk to him. Chat with his nurses and doctor. Sometimes, I bring flowers or read him the newspaper."

"Can he hear you?"

"I don't think so. He never reacts. I figure I can catch him up on current events in case he can though."

"Maybe I can come with you some day? Then, he'd have another visitor."

"Thanks, Sis, but it's okay. We barely see each other as it is, and it's depressing being there. Week after week, nothing changes."

"He'll wake up," Maya reassured her.

Mia cleared her throat. "I hope so," she said quietly. "Anyway, I don't know why I brought that up. It's not fun phone talk."

"I asked about it."

"Have you decided what you want to do for your birthday next week?"

"Oh. Um… I have some bad news."

"What are you talking about?"

"Aunt Morgan said I can't go anymore."

"What? No, she can't do that. I've already booked the hotel. I marked off my calendar for the whole weekend."

"She said I can't afford to miss that much training time. Pearl and I are going to make a cake together at least. She's super excited to decorate it."

"Aunt Morgan's so full of shit."

"Mia," Maya said through giggles. They were never supposed to curse but Mia broke the rules sometimes, now that she was out of the Village. It always made Maya giddy when she did.

"This is low, even for her." Mia thought for a moment. "Can you run next door and call me back?"

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to give her a piece of my mind."

"I thought you said she wouldn't listen."

"Well, she just pushed me too far."

"I'm kind of scared now."

"You should be. She's about to get an earful. Now, run next door. I'll wait for your call."

"O-okay," Maya agreed.

Mia waited near her office phone for about five minutes until it rang. "Hello," she answered.

"You wanted to speak with me," Aunt Morgan said.

"Yes." Mia stopped for a moment, trying to soften her words. "You're unbelievable," she settled on.

"How do you mean?"

"Don't be coy. Maya and I had this planned for a month. Is she really so far behind that she can't go away for 48 hours?"

"She's not where you were at her age. Where I was. Where Pearl will be soon."

"Don't say that," Mia requested. She knew her aunt was being truthful; Aunt Morgan wouldn't compliment her otherwise. Maya was at the Branch Manor though. She could overhear the insult.

"You asked me, and I told you the truth. If she's going to be the Master, she'll have to train much harder."

"She's going to be the Master no matter what. It's one weekend," Mia pleaded.

"The town council has to approve the nomination."

"They always do. I guess… except…"

"Yes, there have been exceptions."

Even 15 years later, Misty's selection was still a sore spot for Morgan. It's no wonder as Morgan had been acting Master nearly that whole time. A role with most of the responsibilities but none of the respect.

"I've already booked the hotel," Mia said. "I don't think I can get a refund."

"Isn't that what your prestigious law career is for? Money?"

"I have my own firm. It's not as lucrative. Not yet."

"Oh, dear. Maybe it wasn't worth abandoning your duties, traditions, and faith then."

"You'll allow me back?"

"I beg pardon?"

"You're trying to shame me for leaving. Again. Will you allow me back to see Maya?"

"No," Morgan refused.

"Then, don't bring it up. Someone had to figure out what happen to Mom."

"Your mother?"

"Why do you think I became a lawyer? Everyone drove her out of the Village and no one even cared to look for her."

Morgan paused. This was new information to her. When Mia left eight years earlier, Morgan had no idea why she chose to pursue a law career. She only knew that the decision irritated her. However, as someone who didn't know Misty's exact whereabouts, but continued to speak to her on the phone at times, Morgan wondered if she would have dissuaded Mia from leaving on such a fool's errand, had she known Mia's reasoning. Likely not, Morgan decided. Mia was far too stubborn.

"I didn't know," Morgan said. "I always assumed your father got the notion in your head."

"Dad can have a say in my life when he decides to be part of it."

"We're in agreement on that point, at least." Morgan paused once more. "No one drove your mother away. She left of her own volition. If she wants to be found, she will be. If she wants to come back, she can."

"So, you and the other villagers didn't create a hostile environment after DL-6?"

"We had a right to voice our displeasure when the Village's reputation was disgraced overnight. Your mother's mistake nearly lost us everything."

"You all should have been nicer. Those years were already hard enough on her."

Morgan laughed derisively. "I dare say those years were harder on me. No matter the circumstances, she shouldn't have left. I would have never done that to my children."

"Instead, you let them walk out the door."

"I didn't get a choice in the matter. My wretched ex-husband and cousin wouldn't allow me to visit them," Morgan said sternly. "There's been a hole in my heart since that day."

"I'm sorry," Mia apologized. As angry as she was, she knew that was too far. "They're grown now. Have you seen them since?"

"Iris has refused. She wouldn't say why. Maybe she'll come around. Dollie… well, I thought she had died and, by the time I knew different, you had put her behind bars. I had tried channeling her for years."

"She had to be put away," Mia insisted. "After everything she did."

"You did what was best for you. You always do. It's in your blood. I suppose I'll be able to channel her someday soon."

There was a tense silence. Mia wanted to fight back against her aunt's insults, but this conversation didn't go how she expected, and the wind was knocked out of her.

"It seems you have only called to insult me," Morgan eventually replied. "After everything I did for you both. Are you finished slinging mud at me or is there something else you wanted to say?"

"I'm sorry. Maya and I are grateful for everything you did after they left. Please just do one more thing for me. It's her birthday."

"No." Morgan wasn't lenient in the best of times, and she especially wasn't after receiving a litany of disrespectful comments from her niece.

"Fine. But, in a couple of years, you won't have a choice anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"When Maya turns 18, you won't be her guardian anymore. She'll make her own choices. She said she'd like to work with me."

"She's going to renounce the title?"

"No. She'll do both."

"She can't divide her responsibilities like that," Morgan protested.

"You won't have a choice. When she lifts the banishment rule, you won't be able to stop me from coming home either."

Morgan knew Mia was right. By the time Maya was 18, she'd be able to come and go as she pleased. By the time Maya was 22, she'd be the next Master. What little power Morgan had left was slipping through her fingers.

"Well?" Mia asked after more uncomfortable silence.

"That's years from now. Not today."

Mia scoffed. "Whatever. Just put Maya back on the phone."

"No, we're having lunch now. You may call her another day. If you recall, the council meetings are on the second and fourth Sunday of every month."

"I remember. The meeting isn't until -"

Morgan hung up.