Summary: Madison regards Nick's blanket.

Note: Takes place a few days after "Pride".

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Dependence

It had been a few days since Madison's confrontation with Nick at and outside the club. Since then, Madison had refused to talk about it with anyone. No matter how much Vida, Xander, Chip, or Leelee, Phineas after they heard about it, tried to ask her about it, she'd either change the subject or walk away depending on her level of annoyance. Vida, fearing what would happen to Nick's gesture of love had Madison had a hold of it in her anger, kept the rose in a vase in the hallway on the table in the hallway that connected their rooms. Madison was too busy being surly and spending all her available time in her room to pay it much notice.

As for Madison, all her time in her room was spent thinking about Nick and trying to not think about him at the same time. She was furious. She had no doubt that Vida especially, if not the group as a whole, had some prior knowledge to the event. Due to Xander and Chip's surprised expressions at seeing Nick that night, she figured it was probably just Vida since, even in Madison's distraught state, she could tell Vida was more shocked by how the reunion was spiraling downward and not so much by the fact that it was going on at all. A part of Madison felt bad, her sister had obviously worked hard to make everything go well—talking her into wearing that outfit and the makeup. In her time of private reflection, Madison could see that Vida only wanted the best not only out of that night but for Madison in general. Even still, her anger towards Nick and her questioning about everything kept her from going to Vida and telling her she wasn't mad at her, just at Nick.

As Madison continued going from thinking of him and wishing she could stop, she thought about the blanket buried deep in her closet. She pulled it out, holding it on her lap as she sat on her bed. She regarded the blanket as if it were Nick himself she was looking at. She felt anger, resentment, but as much as she wanted to, she knew she didn't feel hate towards the object or Nick. Madison sighed and leaned back in her bed as she further reflected on everything. God help her, she did still love Nick. That was the one thing she hated---her inability to move on from him. Madison sighed and cast her eyes at the blanket again. She suddenly saw it as a means to an end---this blanket had been her reason for believing Nick would be back, and the object of her disdain as each day passed without him. Before deciding to hide it away in the closet, she had clung to it like a child clinging to its blanket. Yes, she was just like those toddlers who'd drag around their baby blanket with them, not caring how dirty or tattered it became. She had become the Peanuts character, Linus. All that was missing was her walking around with her thumb in her mouth.

Madison knew she needed to be rid of the blanket, this object of all her hopes and dreams involving Nick, once and for all. She needed to be rid of Nick. Throwing it away wouldn't be enough. The blanket had developed too much meaning over time, its removal couldn't be easy, and it had to be symbolic and effective. She had to be sure it returned to its owner and he knew exactly why he was getting it back.

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Walking back into the mystic forest brought a wave of nostalgia and longing to Madison. How she wished it was back when things were, at least on an emotional level, simpler. Sure, it came with the drawback of fighting evil everyday but at least she was actually happy in those times fighting alongside the others. She sighed as she continued on her way; blanket in hand, towards Rootcore, the one place she knew he'd be.