I love this AU way too much not to write any more of it. So have a pre and post series of fics of the National Anthem timeline! Viva Tattoo Coven!

Rated T

PRE NATIONAL ANTHEM

"Let me see."

Cordelia's hand came up in the infinite darkness to grab at an errant wrist. "I'd like it if you didn't." The voice across from her, faceless, let out a little grunt of discontent.

"Come on, please. It can't be that bad."

"You don't know much, do you."

"I know enough." The voice let out a light laugh, and she felt the girl across from her shift closer. "Please, let me see."

Cordelia let her wrist go, and her hands shot down to the bed to grasp at her sheets as the woman before her rested her fingers against the bottom of her jaw, tracing circles against the corner of her mouth with her thumb. She found solace in the comforting touch, and unconsciously pushed into her hand, her heart in her throat. The girl gave her a comforting hum.

She lifted the rag that covered the alchemist's eyes, damp against her scarred eyes yet harsh and gritty to the sensitive skin. Cordelia let out a little gasp, and the girl paused.

"Are ya-?"

"Just take it off. Quickly. Don't let it-"

She yelped as the girl yanked it off suddenly, and was instantly embraced by two strong arms, covered in soft "sorry"s and stammered words. She dug her nails into the girl's back as the pain seared behind her eyes, her dead eyes.

"I'm okay." She breathed out. "I'm okay."

Her head was tilted back by hesitant touches now, and she held her breath as the girl inspected her for what seemed like the longest time.

"It's not bad."

"Why do I feel like you're lying to me?" Cordelia laughed.

"I'm not. It gives ya...I don't know. It's beautiful, in a way."

"What color are my eyes?"

The girl paused. "What do ya mean?"

"What color are they?"

"A light blue. Really blue."

"Oh."

"They're pretty."

"They were brown. Almost black."

"That must have been mighty pretty too, then."

Cordelia let herself smile, despite the way her eyes burned as the skin around them crackled. "Could you, uh, give me my fold back?"

"Does it help you in anythin'?"

"What?"

The girl shifted on the bed. "Do ya need it? I think ya should let it stay off. Ya have nothin' to be ashamed of. You're beautiful."

Cordelia felt herself blush, and knew it was past her ears. "I, no. Mother doesn't like seeing them and-"

"Who cares?" She paused. "At least keep it off when you're with me. Otherwise ya look like an invalid, and that's not ya."

"You sound like a horrible influence."

"I try."

Cordelia tilted her head to the side, her fingers creeping up the sheets and grasping onto a knee. She ran her hand up to rest on a thigh. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Misty. Misty Day."

"How did they find you, Misty Day?"

"They didn't. I found them."

"You're brave. To join the Coven, I mean. And to come in here and demand to see my eyes."

"I've been told I'm rather stubborn." Misty was close to her now, her breath mingling with Cordelia's. "Miss Myrtle'd told me to meet everyone, but she was too busy to give me a tour. So here I am."

"Meeting everyone and demanding the impossible." Cordelia teased.

"Yeah."

"Can I, this is going to sound weird, but can I touch you?"

"It depends. What's your name?"

The older blonde let out a laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry, that didn't even occur to me. Look at me, with my manners. I'm Cordelia Foxx."

"That's pretty." Misty took her hands in hers. "Go ahead then, Miss Cordelia." The alchemist raised her fingers to find forearms, and she ran them lightly up to the girl's shoulders, her head tilted away as she let the palms of her hands do the work. Her neck was smooth, the muscles jumping beneath her touches, her jaw strong, cheekbones high.

"I'm blonde, if you're wonderin'. Darker than ya, but blonde nonetheless."

"That's good to know." Cordelia laughed lightly. "You're rather frizzy."

"Ya should see me in the rain." Misty suddenly took in a sharp breath. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay." The older blonde smiled lightly. "I'd expect a few slips here and there."

"How did it happen, anyway?"

"What?"

"Your blindin'."

Cordelia paused. "It doesn't really matter."

"Somethin' illegal?"

"Something like that."

"Anythin' to do with the alcohol downstairs?" Misty laughed as Cordelia glanced at where she guessed she was, horrified. "That girl, Maddie? She told me already about the club. And that man was cleanin' glasses left and right in the kitchen. I come from the marsh, but I ain't completely stupid."

"So that's the accent then."

"I have an accent?"

Cordelia nodded, grinning.

"Anyway, it explains how ya guys can keep this huge place goin'. Speakesies. I've never been in a mansion before." She added softly.

"No? I've lived here most my life. The house runs in the, well, runs in the coven. I was about to say family, but we're far from a family."

"Your name isn't the same as your mama's. Why is that? Is it your daddy's?"

Cordelia bit her lip. She didn't speak, and instead held out her left hand for Misty to take.

"Oh. You're married."

"That's what they say."

Misty tilted her head at that, but didn't ask.

"That man you saw, cleaning the glasses? That's Hank. Hank Foxx."

"Huh."

Cordelia squirmed. "Yeah." She paused. "Not my finest hour."

"What do ya mean?"

The older blonde shook her head and stood shakily. "Doesn't matter." She reached for her cane and began tapping through her bedroom. "Come on, I'll give you the rest of the tour. I may be blind, but I can remember where everything is."

Misty stood quickly and crossed to her. "Let me help."

"I don't-"

"Hey. I get ya, you're tough and all, but I want to help. Let me." Misty murmured. Her hands were warm against Cordelia's, and the older blonde found herself without anything else to say. She held out her arm and Misty took it easily, tugging her towards the door. "Also you're real soft."

Cordelia blushed as she laughed. "Thanks. Just don't feel around my eyes too much."

"Because ya'd let me?"

Cordelia didn't answer.

"Ahm, I was told I'd sleep in, ah, Zoe's room? Where's that?"

"To your left. Past Madison and Kaylee's room."

"How many girls live here?"

"As students?" The older blonde paused. "With you here, five. Nan has to sleep by herself, she gets really bad migraines. She's a clairvoyant." She added. "I do have to warn you, Kyle likes to sleep with Zoe."

"Kyle?"

"He's our, well, mother calls him the coven's guard dog. He tends to be a little violent if you rub him the wrong way, but I assure you he's extremely nice."

Misty bit her lip. "And what do ya mean by 'sleep' with Zoe?"

"Oh, nothing like that. They're really close, and he can't stay too far away without getting really sad. That's all."

"You're sure."

"Yes Misty, I'm sure." Cordelia laughed lightly. "You should be glad you're on the farthest side of the house. Some people get up to things that...aren't really savory. And I'll have to ask you to stay away from the parties, when they happen. I don't let girls downstairs when they do. Or at least, I try not to let the girls downstairs. Now that I'm blind, they've taken to sneaking past my room."

"That's horrible."

"They're teenagers. They'll do what they want. And mother's not stopping them." The older blonde shrugged. "Here we are, your room." At Misty's astonished silence, she smiled. "I counted my steps."

"Thank ya." Misty replied.

"I think your bed will be the one closest to the window."

"Looks like."

Cordelia listened, her head tilted to the side, as Misty dropped what sounded like a bag in the farthest corner of the room. She heard her move back to her side, and goosebumped as strong fingers found her upper arm.

"Where do all these huge windows lead?"

"There's a balcony encircling the entire house. On both levels."

"Oh, that's nice." Misty breathed. "I have half a mind to eat out there."

"May I join you?"

She knew Misty'd turned to watch her. "Why?"

Cordelia laughed lightly. "If you don't want me to join you, just say so."

"No, sorry, I just-Won't they want ya eatin' with the girls?"

"Honestly, I'd like to feel sunlight on my face." She began to walk, cane ahead of her, Misty holding on tight to her hand.

"They don't let ya out?"

"Is that outrage in your voice? I'm not allowed to do much, my mother and Hank think that because I can't see, I don't need to have fresh air. Myrtle tries to get me out once in a while." She bit her lower lip. "I'm afraid to go down those stairs by myself, to be honest. And I'm afraid to ask the girls."

"Why?"

"They'd rat me out." At the sudden silence, she explained. "Fiona is very persuasive. And scary. When she asks you a question, you answer it. When she asks you to do something, you do it. She likes information, the girls give it." She shrugged half-heartedly. "Simple as that."

Misty squirmed besides her. "I'm startin' to think to think comin' here was a bad idea after all."

Cordelia held her tongue, and the wild blonde took that as enough of an answer.

"Where to then, Miss Cordelia?"

"Can you get me down the stairs?"

The older blonde led the swamp witch, or perhaps Misty led Cordelia, to the greenhouse, struggling to find her keys in her pockets and finally asking the newcomer to do it for her, listening as the padlock was unclicked and the door opened with a harsh squeak. Misty, with her hand at the dip in her back, let her go first, her cane swinging out as her hand trembled out to find the wall.

She found the light switch with some difficulty, and tilted her head as she turned it on, the lights above them, she knew, taking a little time to warm up. She heard Misty take in a sharp breath and she thought the girls must have gotten inside, somehow. Wrecked the place, like they wrecked everything else.

Her voice was tight. "Misty, what is it? Is there broken glass? I'd rather not step on it." There was no response and she couldn't feel the wild blonde by her side, no matter how big she made her hand motions. "Misty?"

"Ya trust me." Misty finally said, from somewhere in the back.

"Pardon?"

"Ya trust me. Somehow, ya do." The girl repeated quietly. "That's the only reason why you'd show me this place. Right?"

"When you're as blind as a table, you have to find someone to do things for you. Where are you?"

She heard a "sorry" and a rush of wind, and suddenly the wild blonde was at her arm again, her hand finding its apparently favorite spot down her back. She shivered. "Please don't leave like that."

"Why'd ya bring me here?"

"I do trust you. In a weird way. We just met but I trust you. More than anyone else here, at this point. It must be because I don't know you well enough yet." Cordelia replied with a light laugh, trying to diffuse the question with humor, unsure of herself. "The place is alright, then?"

"Of course. It's fuckin' beautiful Miss Delia."

The older blonde tilted her head at the nickname.

"Oh, sorry."

"No. No go ahead." She whispered. "I've just never heard it said with so much...-" She paused and shifted. "Could you find the chrysanthemums Kyle brought me last week? They must be dead by now, but I can probably bring them back. They don't bring me down here enough." She added in a grumble.

"Let me!"

Cordelia followed with her dead eyes as the girl hurried across the room in a cacophony of jingles and squeals of delight. Her voice was breathless, hopeful. "You're an alchemist?"

"What? Oh no. Miss Delia, don't slump your shoulders like that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let ya think I was. No, I, uh-" Misty moved back, flowers in hand. She put them down on the island in the middle and gently tugged on Cordelia's wrist until she followed, finally placing the palms of her hands against the cool wood. "I'm, ah, Myrtle called it necromancy."

"Oh Jesus Christ almighty, you're joking."

"I, no?"

Cordelia felt Misty shrink into herself, and she immediately regretted her words. "I just, you're extremely powerful, Misty. I don't think there's much I can teach you."

"Are ya kiddin' me? I have no idea what I'm doin'."

The older blonde held her hand out into the air, and Misty took it firmly. She brought the swamp witch to her, leaving but a few inches between them. "You have to be careful."

"Miss Delia?"

"You're powerful. Don't let yourself get caught up in the coven."

"Miss Delia-"

Cordelia pushed her away and turned back to her plants, as if she hadn't said anything, and Misty took the hint after a few tries at coaxing the alchemist back out. She lifted her hand and played with the flower's dying leaves, feeling the soul there, but Cordelia knew that the girl's eyes were fixed on her as their fingers brushed.

"Can I, then?"

"Sure."

Misty let her hand rest on Cordelia's shoulder in a show of thanks and the alchemist moved sideways, leaving her space.

"Don't leave?"

"Excuse me?"

"I, don't go too far." Misty blushed.

"It's not like I can." Cordelia smiled into the darkness, and retreated her steps, her thigh brushing up against the necromancer's. "Show me what you can do."

"Miss Delia?"

"Don't take it literally, Misty."

She felt the wild blonde shift, and knew she was nodding.

It was like the room had suddenly turned frigid, and yet it was too warm at the same time and Cordelia felt like crawling out of her skin. But as soon as it had started, it was over, and Misty was tugging her hands out to touch the chrysanthemums, full of life.

"Misty-" The alchemist laughed. "That's amazing."

Misty let her chin rest on the older blonde's shoulder, her hands still hovering above the headmistress's. Her voice was soft, and it sent a shiver down Cordelia's spine. "Does this conclude the tour?"

OOOoooOOO

"I really don't want to."

"Please. Please do."

"Misty-"

"It might have worked!" The necromancer said, voice wavering above her. Cordelia frowned, her eyes still closed, the darkness invading her.

"I don't think it did. Is it morning outside?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'd have seen it behind my eyelids. The sun." The alchemist found Misty's knee in the sheets and turned away, burying her face in her pillows. "It didn't work."

"At least open your eyes."

"Misty. It didn't. Work."

The wild blonde let out a torn sigh, full of anguish and Cordelia couldn't help the tears from running down her cheeks. "Please leave."

"Miss Delia-"

The alchemist pushed at her knee insistently, silently begging her to get out, her pushes becoming harsher the longer Misty hovered above her.
She felt the bed dip and suddenly strong arms were pulling her in. Her forehead found a sharp collarbone and her hands ran the expense of Misty's ribs as she embraced the younger witch back, crying earnestly now, her dead eyes seeing nothing.

"I'm so sorry." Misty whispered into her ear. "I tried I swear to ya I tried and there's nothin' I can do. What kind of shit necromancer am I if I can't even do this."

Cordelia didn't answer, burying herself deeper into the wild blonde. She heard another apology tumble from between Misty's lips and she so wanted to snap up and tell her to stop but she couldn't find the strength to. She was letting herself grieve, something she hadn't done since the incident, something she'd pushed back to be done later and now she couldn't stop.

She didn't pull away as Misty began kissing her forehead, down to her cheeks, lips full of grief as she too started to cry, for the alchemist or for herself, Cordelia didn't exactly know. Her breath was hot against her ear as she pulled her in tighter, sobs wrenched out of both of them.

Misty stopped crying long before Cordelia, but she kept speaking to her, soft words that didn't make much sense to the older blonde, punctuated by kisses to bare skin. She didn't pull away. She didn't want to. Now or ever.

She awoke hours later, dizzy, eyes dry, cheeks wet. She had no idea at how long she'd been out, all she was sure of was the warmth surrounding her.

Misty.

She didn't move, too afraid to wake the necromancer, too afraid to lose the death grip the girl had on her waist, her nails digging into her sides whenever she breathed in. She let her own arms tighten around the wild blonde, and instantly felt her shift.

"No, no no. No." Cordelia found herself stammering, her eyes shut tight as she pulled Misty impossibly closer, unwilling to let go.

"Delia-?"

"Shh, no, go back to sleep. Please." Was she begging?

"What time-"

"It doesn't matter. Please, close your eyes. It doesn't matter. Don't leave me."

Blue-green met cloudy blue and Misty scooted down to rest her forehead on Cordelia's. "I wouldn't dream of it." She blinked a few times, fatigue getting to her, but smile lazily as the alchemist nodded quickly. She reassured the older blonde with a quick nuzzle and tuckered down again, falling back asleep quickly, her breathing measured against Cordelia's chest.

Cordelia just wanted to sleep. And she did best with Misty by her side, and they must have spent the entire day locked up in her room because soon enough someone was banging on the door angrily, asking to be let in.

She found herself ignoring it, closing her eyes and her ears against the onslaught as Misty stiffened by her side, her fingers finding the alchemist's in the short expense of bed sheets between them.

"Should I-?"

"No. No." The older blonde shook her head wildly. "Don't mind it. Don't mind it, don't mind it it doesn't matter. It never did. Let him get angry and let him get tired he'll leave."

Misty nodded with some difficulty, wincing every time Hank Foxx's voice bellowed, punctuated by "baby"s and "honey"s and she wanted to open the door and tell him to stuff it but she didn't move, too afraid to lose Cordelia if she did, as fragile as she was.

The alchemist was right. It took him a good five minutes, but finally he gave up, muttering to a girl who passed by that his wife must have locked the door behind her, that he'd forgotten his somewhere, and Cordelia visibly softened in Misty's arms, eyes still closed, shrouded in eternal darkness.

"Ya okay?"

"Am I ever?"

OOOoooOOO

"Miss Delia, please."

"I-"

"You won't know until you've tried, darling girl."

Myrtle Snow's voice was soft, airy, and Cordelia found herself doing what she was told.

She slowly opened her eyes, the skin around them crackling and the air around her too warm. It was blurry. It was blurry but there was light and suddenly there were shapes and shadows and a wild head of hair.

Two of them.

"Myrtle-!" She coughed out, eyes now wide as she struggled to see.

But she was seeing.

Strong hands grabbed hers and pulled until she sat up, mouth hanging open as she struggled to breathe as her hearing went out and as she lost the feeling at the tip of her fingers. But goddammit she was seeing and she wanted to cry but she was afraid to hurt her new eyes if she did.
Myrtle was the same, she hadn't changed. The light reflected on her cat eye glasses and she was smiling wider than Cordelia'd ever seen her smile.

But it was the vision at the bottom of the bed that made her pause.

"M-Misty?"

The wild blonde grinned, scrambling up to hover above Cordelia, hands moving through the space between them gingerly, afraid to hurt her. Her blue-green eyes were full of life and sparks and the alchemist began to laugh lightly.

"You're, holy shit you're real."

"Miss Delia?"

"I'd begun to think you were a figment of my imagination."

"I'm very real." Misty smiled, taking the woman's hands in hers.

Myrtle breathed out. "It worked. By the gods it worked. I must let the Coven know!" And she was gone. In a flash of billowy skirts, she was gone, and she left Misty alone with Cordelia.

"You're real." Cordelia smiled up at the girl, letting her hands rest on strong thighs. "You're really here and I didn't go crazy and you-you saved me. My eyes. You saved my eyes."

Misty tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Wrong. Ya did go a little batshit, and Myrtle did all the work. I just helped her bring the nerves back. That was me."

"Thank you. I don't know what else to say but that and even then that's far from enough."

The necromancer shook her head. "I'm just doin' what I can."

"What you can for what?"

Misty tilted her head to the side but didn't answer, letting her thumbs trace the outline of Cordelia's eyes instead. "Ya were right, Miss Delia. Your eyes are almost black."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. They're beautiful."

OOOoooOOO

Misty tugged Cordelia down to the greenhouse whenever she could now, raced her down the stairs even through incessant glares from the others living in the academy.

Cordelia loved every moment of it, the running, the squeals the girl emitted when she caught up, the way she looked when she was in her greenhouse, their greenhouse now. She'd known a voice like hers belonged to quite the beauty but she'd never thought it belonged to a goddess.

And she never thought she'd fall down to her knees and pray.

POST NATIONAL ANTHEM

Cordelia knew by the way that Misty tightened her shawl around her shoulders and by the way she shifted beneath it, by the way she took in small breaths, that she'd gotten another inking done. The necromancer was suffering through dinner, she could tell that too. With a quick glance at Myrtle and the girls, she excused both herself and the wild blonde and led Misty up the stairs despite her soft bouts of disapproval.

She pushed Misty down to sit on their bed and watched her with dark eyes as she closed their bedroom door.

"Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"Don't try to fool me, Misty Day, I know you too well."

The wild blonde bit her lower lip. "You're not angry?"

"God no. At least now I know where you were all morning." Cordelia leaned in to kiss her deeply. "Where is it?" She watched as Misty painfully removed her shirt and threw it across the room venomously before dropping down onto the mattress face down, hackles raised, defeated.

The Supreme's breath caught in her throat and she couldn't help but climb up onto the bed next to her lover and straddle her. Misty turned so she could watch her from over her shoulder, blue-green eyes narrowed as she waited for a verdict.

Cordelia's cold fingers brought respite to her burning skin and she couldn't help the hiss that left her lungs. The older blonde traced up her spine, counting each scale and climbing up the tail that disappeared by Misty's ear.

"It's beautiful." She choked out.

"Ya mean it?"

The Supreme nodded with some difficulty as she raked her nails down the girl's tattoo, making her gasp out. She leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "Yes."

It'd been almost a month and Cordelia was still enamored with the girl's newest markings, pausing to bite at the alligator's tail that finished by her jaw whenever she could. She remembered how many scales it had but she always counted them, late at night when the rest of the household was asleep and when Misty's eyes were closing despite her fighting them not to.

But the necromancer's blue-green eyes were open now as she looked down at the Supreme between her legs, a wide grin on the older blonde's face. Misty raised an eyebrow. "I can trust ya?"

"It depends. You sure you want this to be your last?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm sure. Just be careful with me."

"You're a baby, Misty Day."

Misty feigned being wounded by her words, but she sobered as Cordelia raised the needle in her hands to her left hipbone. "It hurts the most on bones." She reminded the woman gently. "So ignore me if I start thrashin'."

"If you thrash, I won't be able to finish."

"I'll do my best."

Cordelia kissed the skin below her navel and began to work on the girl's last tattoo.

She was done an hour later, her hands spotted red held above her head as Misty kissed her deeply, having risen up from her place against their pillows. She pulled away momentarily, hovering above the necromancer. She let her eyes rake over her work and the girl's other markings. Her hands, her arms, her leg. "You need to get cleaned up."

"I'd rather kiss ya until we're both numb."

"Don't make me pinch you."

Misty grinned into their kiss and pushed the Supreme away before she could do as she'd threatened. She glanced down at herself and pressed her fingers to where Cordelia had marked her with her own name, her cursive handwriting neat.

Cordelia seemed to speak her thoughts. "You're mine, Chancellor Day."
The necromancer nodded heavily and kissed her Supreme.

OOOoooOOO

Madison's grip was tight on Zoe, but that was normal. The dirty blonde slept fitfully on her best days, racked with nightmares that left her reeling, but the taller girl was always there to hold her through the worst of it as Kyle rubbed smooth circles into her back, cooing himself.

He wasn't there now, having chosen to skip their afternoon nap to spend his time with Myrtle and the Coven's pets.

Madison's hazel eyes were open, her fingers wiping at the tears that'd fallen down her face as Zoe sighed sadly above her. She laughed bitterly. "I'm sorry. I should really get my own room." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"No. No you shouldn't. You're fine Madison." Zoe assured her, glancing down. "You just need some time to heal."

"Since when does 'some time' equal more than a month?" The dirty blonde snapped. She closed her eyes. "Sorry."

Zoe didn't reply as she let her nails rake patterns into the girl's bare shoulder. Madison let out a rather audible sigh and she climbed up the bed to face the younger blonde properly. She let her fingers tangle in Zoe's pigtails before pulling on them so that the girl shifted her head down.

"I mean it. I'm sorry."

Zoe smiled softly. "I know you are. You need to stop apologizing. A year isn't enough to get rid of ten years of horror, Madison. I get that."

"Why aren't you like me?" The dirty blonde asked forcefully. "Why aren't you thrashing in your sleep and seeing ghosts everywhere? Why are you so at peace?"

"I made my own peace." The younger girl explained. "And I wasn't at the academy during Fiona's reign as long as you were. I was there for what, six months? She practically took you in as a kid. I lived there and I got out of there. Simple as that."

"I should have left when you did. When Miss Cordelia did."

"But you didn't. And that's what makes you, you." Zoe replied quietly. "I wouldn't have you any other way." She let her forehead dip down against Madison's. "You're perfect the way you are, okay? Never doubt that."

"I love you."

The younger blonde nodded. "I love you too."

Madison's breath caught in her throat. "I mean it, Zoe. I love you."

Zoe smiled. "I mean it too, silly."

The dirty blonde nodded heavily. She took a sharp breath, meaning to speak again, but chose against it and instead leaned in and pressed her lips to Zoe's.

It was calculated, measured, almost lazy in form, but Zoe's fingers tightened around her back and Madison put all she could into it.

They broke apart, their breathing no more than what it'd been before, and Madison blushed as she nuzzled into Zoe's neck.

"You're about to apologize, I can feel it." The younger blonde laughed lightly.

"I didn't mean to."

"I don't mind."

"You don't?"

Dark hazel eyes met light ones. "I love you, Madison Montgomery, and yeah, it's complicated, all of this is. You, me, and Kyle." She paused to take a breath. "But you know you can always come to me, with whatever you need. It doesn't have to be sexual. It's not with Kyle. It never has been. I don't expect it, or want it, to be." She shrugged. "I don't remember what Misty called it. But terms don't really matter."

Madison cocked her head to the side.

"All I know is that I love you both, and that's all there is to it. Kissing is just," She searched her words. "Look, it doesn't matter. Do what you need to do. I love all of it."

The dirty blonde fixed her. "I don't think I get what you're saying."

"I don't think I know what I'm saying, to be honest." Zoe shook her head, laughing. "If you like kissing me, then go ahead. I like it."

"I don't want you to think I'm expecting anything else." Madison interrupted. "I don't want anything else."

"You just want contact. Affirmation of some sorts, that you're wanted." The younger girl watched as the dirty blonde nodded slowly. "And I want to give that to you."

Madison looked away, blushing. "Thank you, Zoe."

"Sleep, alright? You need it."

Madison burrowed into her neck, placed a small kiss there, and drifted off moments later.

OOOoooOOO

"Delia come on."

Cordelia glanced over her shoulder at Misty Day, sprawled on her stomach with her face down into the mattress. She grinned as she shook her head. "A few minutes, I swear to you."

"That's what ya said half an hour ago." Misty crawled to the edge of the bed to peer down at her lover sitting on the floor, paper and string crowded against her.

"It'll take as long as it needs to take." Cordelia bit her lower lip. "I want this to be perfect."

The necromancer rolled over onto her back, defeated. She gazed at the older blonde upside down, eyebrows raised. "I know ya get crazy durin' holiday season, but jesus, I didn't think it could be worse than Halloween."

"Misty."

The wild blonde glanced at Cordelia, and seeing her dejected look, flipped back onto her stomach and scrambled to sit besides the alchemist. "I didn't mean it like that. You're doin' a great job. And I'd help if ya hadn't banished me from helpin'. Ya know that."

Cordelia tugged away from her touch. "I just want them to be happy."
But Misty insisted, burying herself against her neck. "And they are, Delia, they so are. Ya never have to worry about that."

The alchemist shifted against her to look down at the necromancer. "You think so?"

"I know so." Misty kissed her softly, her fingers finding their way into blonde strands. "I know it and ya know it, stop thinkin' they're not happy. They're the happiest they've ever been."

"But you're sure."

"Oh my god Cordelia."

Across and down the hall, Madison was busy fluffing her pillow, her dark hazel eyes riveted on Zoe as she did so. The younger blonde glanced up from her book, feeling the incessant gaze on her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It's Christmas Eve."

"Yeah?"

"And there's a tree and stockings and cookies out for Santa Claus. This is surreal."

Zoe frowned. "I don't understand."

Madison climbed up onto the bed besides the girl and hovered up above her. "I've never had a Christmas. Not a proper one, anyway."

"Oh, Madison..."

"I never thought I'd have one in the academy, to be honest. Not with how it was run." The dirty blonde continued, tucking down besides Zoe. "I'm so afraid that the others won't like my presents, either. I'm rich, but that doesn't mean that I know what people like."

"Your ideas come from your heart, that's all there is to it."

Madison wriggled her nose, but didn't add anything else. Kyle entered the room, throwing them a big grin as he crossed to the bed.

"I put presents underneath tree. I hope you like."

Zoe pressed a kiss to his cheek and he burrowed on top of them horizontally. Madison oomfed beneath him, supressing a giggle as he moved around to make himself comfortable. He glanced up at them, dark eyes bright. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Kyle."

In the end, the rest of the council all received tattoos. Zoe had the initials of all those that she loved written on the inside of her wrist, and Kyle had his four-leaf clover drawn again, brighter and with the word "coven" written underneath. Madison opted for something more modest, hawk wings sprouting from her shoulder blades with the feathers running down her ribs and spine and ending at her wrists. She'd taken to wearing backless dresses to her premieres, she loved watching the crowds go crazy. The girls had even gotten Myrtle to cede, and the redhead had chosen a delicate dove for the skin between her thumb and forefinger, to be hidden by her gloves. True to her word, Misty didn't go past the six she had, while Cordelia cherished the words on her side.

(Misty Day's consist of her RISE knuckle tattoos, Benjamin Franklin's political cartoon "Join or Die" on her lower left arm, bear claw marks drawn around her upper right arm, the alligator crawling down her back with its tail ending on her neck, Cordelia's name on her hipbone, and the words "Till human voices wake us and we drown" down the side of her right thigh.)