#sarah pauslon imagine

[cabensonsgirly]

👼Think About Your Hero, When You’re At Ground Zero (Wilhemina Venable)👼

Wilhemina Venable x fem!reader

👼Posted on AO3: Read Here👼

Co-Authored with @billiedeannovak even though she'll deny it.

Apologies for typos, words are hard.

👼Wordcount: 5577👼

👼Taglist: @mrsdeanhoward 👼

👼Content: Fluff, lil bit of smooching, mentions of pregnancy, soft!Mina, very soft Mina, children, it’s just wholesome- thought y’all needed a break from my fucked up work👼

👼How could a woman like her think that you’re a role model? She’s so much more than you in every aspect, hell, you admire her as well… although you’re unsure whether it is as pure as your daughter’s admiration.👼 

The early morning sun shone through the gaps in the blinds, painting the walls into a white and gold zebra, the hues varying the more the sun rose in the sky. Your alarm had yet to go off so you were sleeping peacefully, rolling onto your side and hugging the blankets closer to you, that is until you felt a weight bounce onto your bed and start shaking you “Mama! Mama mama mama! Mama wake uuppp!!! MA-“

You groan and roll onto your back, cracking your eyes open slightly you make out the figure of your daughter. You yawn and stretch before rubbing the sleep from your eyes then move to sit up against the headboard, your daughter moving to sit on your lap with the biggest grin. “Mama is my birthday! Did you know is my birthday today mama?”

You laugh lightly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead “I did indeed know it’s your birthday, beautiful girl. What does my precious Violet want for breakfast?” She hums and taps her chin, a gesture reminiscent of Winnie The Pooh, before looking at you like she just came up with a ground-breaking revelation. “Can I have waffles and fruits please mama?”

You smile softly and brush some hair out of her face before gently tapping the tip of her little nose with a finger “What lovely manners, of course you can. But first you need to put tidy clothes on because it’s your special day, so you’re coming to work with me, then I’ll put your glitter spray on your hair after braiding it after we’ve eaten. Off you go, Violet, I’ll start making breakfast.”

Violet kisses your cheek quickly before clambering off the bed and running to her room, you hear her singing her little heart out “Well I tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen.”  You can’t help the smile that spreads across your face, your daughter had been a constant joy since she was born and even though she could be a handful, you wouldn’t trade her for the world.

You get dressed in your usual business attire, black slacks, light lilac blouse, black blazer, and of course lilac shoes to go with the blouse. You slip your phone into your pocket then make your way out to the living room/kitchen where you start getting the ingredients together for breakfast. “Working nine to five whatta way to make a living. Barely getting- Mama can I help make waffles!?”

You laugh quietly, adoring how your daughter goes from singing to eagerness to help cook, stopping herself midsentence like she were a dog stopping walking because it spotted a squirrel, not that you see your daughter akin to a dog. “Of course, sweetie. Pull your stool up and you can put the fruit salad together, how does that sound?” Your daughter races into the kitchen, pulling her stool behind her making the wood scrape along the floor before putting it at the kitchen island next to you, climbing onto it before pulling the salad bowl close to her.

She had chosen a strawberry themed outfit, a light pink dress with strawberry images scattered over it with a delicate white collar, a white bucket hat with strawberries on it, and white slip-ons with bows on top. To put it simply, she was looking very cute and very tidy, you were hoping she would remain tidy so that your boss wouldn’t think you were a neglectful mother, although your boss wasn’t supposed to be in today. “Where’s your apron, sweetie? I’d hate for your outfit to get messy when you got dressed so well by yourself.”

Violet looks at you in shock before down at herself then gasps “I FORGOT APRON MOMMA.” She hops down from the stall, wipes her hands on a tea-towel before going to the pantry where she opens it to take her apron off the hook at her height. She slips it over her head then starts tugging at your one “Momma gotta put apron on too so boss lady don’t get upset if momma axdentally get stuff on her clothes.” You shake your head smiling “She mightn’t be in today, sweetheart but good idea. Better to be safe than sorry,” you wipe your hands on the tea-towel before heading over to where your daughter is, taking the apron off the hook you put it over your head. You tie your daughters one so that it won’t slip off before doing your own, you pick her up and carry her to the stool where you place her down gently.

“Right, now that we have our aprons lets get started properly.” Your daughter nods eagerly and starts tipping the fruit you had cut up for her into the bowl, occasionally popping one or two pieces into her mouth. “Violet, honey, if you keep that up you’re not going to have any room for the waffles.” She pokes her tongue out at you before mixing the fruit.

You chuckle lightly as you get the last of the waffles out of the press, stacking them onto a serving tray “You gonna put your salad on the tray too, honey? Good girl, what a beautiful looking salad. You go take a seat on the other side of the island and I’ll join you soon, okay? I’ll get some whipped cream and maple syrup as well as a drink of your choice, what would my princess like?”

Violet wipes her hands on her apron then fumbles at the bow at the back to untie it before she takes it off and places it on the island. She hops off her stool and races around to the other side where she then climbs onto one of the seats, a huge grin on her face “I like some strawbey milk please momma.” You nod and do a bit of a curtsey “Of course, your majesty” which earns a giggle from your daughter.

You pour her a glass and place it in front of her before getting the cream and maple syrup, placing them on the tray you move it closer to where Violet sits where you then press a kiss to her head “I’ll be right back, okay? Just sit tight.” She nods and thanks you for the milk before you disappear to head to your office where you stashed one of her gifts. She had been begging for a day pass to an arcade which you purchased and wrapped neatly in soft pink paper with a purple bow, there was also some money in there so she could either save it or have a mini-shopping spree in the weekend with you.

You return to sit next to your daughter “What’s that momma?” You wink at her and whisper “It’s a present for a princess. Have you seen one around here?” Your daughter giggles, her cheeks taking on colour “Right here momma!” You pretend to look confused “Where?” She whines, trying not to laugh as she points at herself “Meeee momma! Me the- I’m the princess momma.”

You gasp in faux surprise “Oh my goodness! There you are your majesty! I was wondering where you got to. I have something just for you” you reveal the gift from behind your back and hand it to her, she thanks you profusely- mainly just saying thank you over and over. She opens the wrapping carefully and lets out a squeal of excitement and hugs you tight “thank you momma for the bestest present ever.” You kiss her head “Anything for you, princess. How about we tuck into these waffles and that yummy salad you made?”

After you and Violet had your fill of breakfast you tidied everything up and put the leftovers in the fridge “Go brush your teeth please, sweetie.” Your daughter raced down to the bathroom while you packed her bag with things to keep her, hopefully, entertained while you were working. She comes skipping back to the kitchen where you’re waiting for her with a hairbrush, her glitter spray, and a couple of hair-ties with a strawberry on them. “Teeth brushed momma. See!” She grins showing off her teeth, you smile softly and kiss her head “Good girl. Righto honey, let me give you a hairstyle fit for royalty.”

Violet climbs back up onto the seat and sits still as you brush her hair gently, carefully brushing out any knots that had found their way into her hair before doing dutch-braids “Let me know if I’m pulling too tightly, honey, okay?” Your daughter giggles “Yes mama, I will. You’re always so gentle with me mama.” You smile and tie her hair before spraying it with her glitter spray, strawberry scented of course. “There we go your majesty, a style fit for a beautiful princess.” Your take your phone out and turn it to front-facing camera so she can see herself, a big smile breaking out on her face “Thank you!! It looks so pretty and nice and sparkly mama!”

You help her get down from her seat before you both head out to the car, locking the door behind you both. You unlock the car and help her into her car-seat, handing her backpack to her before you make your way into the driver’s seat “All set?” Your daughter nods “Yup!” Before you head off to work.

The ride to work wasn’t quiet to say the least, your daughter belting out every song that came on, kicking her legs happily against her car-seat. You pulled into the parking lot and parked before getting out to help Violet out of her seat “Ms. Venable shouldn’t be at work today, but I still expect you to be on your best behaviour, okay?” Violet nods and clings to you until her feet hit the ground, you hand her backpack to her then take her hand and head inside.

Violet looks around the place and points at everything asking “what’s that? What about that? What’s that one momma? Mama what’s that? What that do? Can I push that button? Mama what’s that?” You can barely keep up with her questions, laughing to yourself at how inquisitive she is, you can only hope she remains like this as she grows.

You make it to your desk outside your boss’s office and pull the seat in front of your desk next to you which Violet gladly hops up onto, dumping her small backpack on the desk. “I be just like you mama, going work all day. Oh mama! Just like in the song! Nine to five!” You laugh and sit next to her, pressing a kiss to her head after removing her hat “That’s right, sweetheart. If you do a good job, you can have an extra treat after dinner tonight.”

After that you both get into work mode, respectively, your daughter was busy connecting the dots occasionally asking for help to find the next number or to open her juice for her but otherwise working like a diligent worker bee. You must have zeroed in on your work because you failed to notice the sound of a cane hitting the ground with each step of your boss. Your daughter had moved to sit on your lap while she worked, seemingly more content to be closer to you.

“I thought I told you that you weren’t having a day off.” You look up to see Ms. Venable looking down at you, an indiscernible expression on her face. Your cheeks colour and you gulp slightly “You did. I’m still working, Ms. Venable but I couldn’t get anyone to babysit her and it’s her birthday… She’s turning five so I wanted it to be a special day for her and I know you don’t car-“ She raises a hand silencing you before she leaves without a word, heading straight to her office.

You slump back in your seat, turning Violet around to face you. You gently boop her nose with your finger, smiling brightly when she screws her nose up “The big five today, huh? What would you like for your special b-day lunch?”

Your daughter hums in thought before clapping her hands together in revelation “Sushi!! Pleeeassseee mama! Pleasepleasepleaseplea-“ You laugh lightly and hush her “Okay, okay, sushi it is for my little birthday princess.” You get out your phone and start looking for a sushi place that has delivery when out the corner of your eye you see your boss standing there. You put your phone down and turn to look at her, frowning slightly. “Have- Have I done something wrong, Ms. Venable? I know you don’t like kids being here but I really- Oh-“

She places a light purple box down on your desk with a deep purple ribbon. “For your daughter. Your lunch is one hour but only because it’s her birthday. Don’t go thinking you’ll get one hour breaks every day.” You stare at her unable to even process what she’s said, you blink in an attempt to.

Violet hops off your lap and rushes to Ms. V where she hugs her legs tight, looking up at her with big eyes that sparkled with adoration. “Thank you, Miss Mina for my birthday gift and so mama can have lunch longer with me. You’re so kind Miss Mina.” You blush deeply and stare mortified at your daughter, whispering frantically “Violet it’s Ms. Venable! Ms. Venable! Not Miss Mina! Ohgod.”

You dare to raise your gaze to meet Wilhemina’s, even more surprised to see a faint smile tug at her lips; she’s looking down at your daughter, a hand gently stroking her hair which surprises even herself. She doesn’t even know this child yet this- small human has seen her as human instead of something broken because of her cane. “Miss Mina, hm? Is this what your mother calls me when you’re at home?”

Violet giggles and nods, grinning brilliantly. “I see. Well, Little Miss Violet, you may call me that but only when it’s the three of us, understood? Otherwise you’ve got to address me like your mother does because if you’re here, you’re going to have to work too, hm? I have something very important for you to do, can you do that for me?”

Your daughter nods eagerly, letting go of Wilhemina where she all but bounces up and down in excitement. You watch the scene thoroughly confused by what’s happening. Wilhemina pulls out a small book from inside her blazer and a miniature set of colouring pencils; you notice her cheeks have taken on a deep pink hue and that her faint smile has become more noticeable. “I need you to finish at least one of these pages to the best of your ability. If you do really well, you might even get a bonus on top of pay. How does that sound?”

Violet eagerly takes the pencils and book, thanking Wilhemina profusely, although she only repeats “thank you” until she ran out of breath before running to her seat next to you, climbing up onto it and putting the book and pencils on the desk. She frowns in concentration as she starts work on the first page.

You look at her and smile, you were so grateful for having such a wonderful daughter in your life. You look back at Wilhemina “Thank you, Ms. Venable. I-“ She shakes her head, smiling shyly “You work hard, it’s the least I can do.” Before she turns to leave, you get up and walk after her, reaching out you touch her hand lightly to get her attention. She stops and turns to look at you, first annoyed then confused “Yes?”

You open your mouth to speak then look down before taking a deep breath you muster up the courage to meet her gaze once more. “I mean it. Thank you. I appreciate what you’ve done. Even though my daughter hasn’t met you before today she really looks up to you, admires you for what you’re doing. I’m glad she has such a wonderful role model. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.”

Wilhemina blushes and blinks a few time in surprise, both her hands gripping the top of her cane tightly, one atop the other. She nods slightly “Well- Well as I said… You’re a great worker, you only take days off when you’re dead, dying, on fire or unless I send you home. You’re efficient and you work to a high standard. Just think of it as an early bonus. And Yn?”

You blush lightly “Thank you, Ms. Venable. Oh- yes?” She takes a deeper breath, looking into your eyes “Your daughter already has a wonderful role model as her mother.” She smiles softly at you then leaves to enter her office, leaving you blushing deeply and very confused as to what just happened.

As the day drew on you noticed that Violet was getting increasingly sleepy “Hey sweetheart?” Violet looks up at you, struggling to keep her eyes open “Yes mama?” You stroke her cheek affectionately “I’m going to get grandma to come get you so you can get some sleep. We’ll open your special treats tomorrow morning, I promise.” She nods and rests her head on her arms on your desk as she dozes off. You give your mom a call and ask her if she would mind taking Violet home and looking after her until you returned, she said yes, so you pack your daughter’s things up.

“My little princess? Grandma’s here, come on sweetheart- there we go, good girl.” Your daughter clung to you, head lulling against your shoulder as she dozed. You put her in her car-seat and kissed her goodnight before thanking your mom again and returning inside.

You run a hand through your hair as you sat back down at your desk, filling out some paperwork and making sure that the accounts were looking balanced. You put the paperwork into a folio and looked up to see if Wilhemina was still in her office, which she was, so you stood up taking the folio with you and entered her office. “Ms. Venable? Here’s the paperwork you wanted done. I’ve also balanced the accounts and filled the orders you requested; they should be delivered by the time you arrive tomorrow morning.”

You hand her the folio and turn to leave when you hear her speak, almost nervous “Why- Why didn’t you tell me?” You turn back to face her, stepping closer to her desk slightly “What do you mean?” She still doesn’t meet your gaze “Why didn’t you tell me you had a kid? I don’t-“ She lets out a shaky breath “I don’t hate kids. They’re- They’re the only ones who look at me as me instead of someone broken.”

You take a seat in front of her, looking down at your hands in your lap “Ms. Venable I- I just… I didn’t want you to think I want special treatment and I… Did think you disliked kids. But… Seeing how you were with Violet today” you smile a bit “I knew that was far from the truth. You treat her better than some people I use to consider close friends. I… Would trust her alone with you. Not- not that I’d ever just-“ you trail off, blushing deeply. Wilhemina looks at you, biting her bottom lip slightly before speaking softly “Thank you.”

----

The following day you return to work with Violet once more. “Okay sweetheart, just sit- Violet! No!” You drop your bag and chase after your daughter who had broken out in a full run straight towards Wilhemina’s office.

You catch up to her but it’s too late as she’s already made it around Wilhemina’s desk and clambered onto the woman’s lap, thrusting the invitation in her face. You open the door, your face a deep red from embarrassment and from running.

“Miss Mina I am cordel- cordal- cordel- Cordelia inviting you to my birthday party! Everything on the invitation and- and it’s going to be super pretty and fun. And seeing as you are royalty” she gestures to Wilhemina’s cane “You can be the special guest” she nods seriously “Here is the invitation and it has your name, see” Violet points at the big “MiSs MiNA” on the top “I wrote it all by myself too! With the purple pens and stuff you got me!”

You go over to her desk, opening your mouth to speak but Mina quirks a brow at you before returning her attention to Violet. “You’re cordially inviting me to your birthday party? As royalty?” Violet nods “Because you have a royal sceptre! Like they do in the movies!” Wilhemina blushes and smiles softly “I see. Would that make you the princess?”

Violet nods again “And mama is a Queen too! You can be a Queen with mama!” You go wide-eyed and stare in shock, looking between your daughter and boss. “Ms. Venable I-“ She takes the invitation from your daughter and looks at it before placing it on her desk “Yn, I’ll need you to reschedule my appointments that I have for this weekend. Tell them something more pressing came up, and that I will see them as soon as convenient. It seems I am going to a royal party that day.”

Your daughter squeals in excitement, throwing her arms around Wilhemina as she hugs her before sliding off her lap and running back to where your desk is, leaving you there dumbfounded. Wilhemina looks at you, laughing at your expression “Go on, you still have work to do today.” You nod and turn to leave, as you go to close the door you hear Mina say, “I could hardly say no to the daughter of a Queen.”

During the day, whenever you weren’t on a phone-call or talking with Wilhemina about business, your daughter would gush about how much she likes Wilhemina and how excited she is that the woman is coming to her party. You knew Violet admired Wilhemina for who she is and what she has done in life, but you also knew she still looked to you as her role model too and not just because you’re her mother- although you still struggled to believe that, more so when Wilhemina had pointed it out. How could a woman like her think that you’re a role model? She’s so much more than you in every aspect, hell, you admire her as well… although you’re unsure whether it is as pure as your daughter’s admiration.

----

Violet was running around the house throwing bright purple streamers all over the place, the wee munchkin had decided last minute to have a purple princess party citing “It’s Miss Mina’s favouritest colour!” So, here you were blowing up a large number of varying purple balloons, making sure the tiara cake was iced with purple buttercream instead of strawberry red, every single thing had to be purple; you didn’t even know there were this many shades of purple but here you are.

“Mama!? Where’s Miss Mina’s crown!?” Violet calls out from where she’s standing on the couch in the lounge, you glance up at her from where you were now sorting the food out in the kitchen, seeing your princess standing tall with her own tiara on “It’s on the bench by the door, sweetheart, you put it there so you wouldn’t lose it.” She gasps loudly and hops down from the couch before racing to the entryway where she grabs the crown and runs back into kitchen putting it on the island “I put here so no one else touch. That means you too mama! This Miss Mina’s!” She gives you a stern frown which makes you struggle to hold back a quiet laugh, you throw your hands up in defence “Yes, your majesty.”

By the time midday comes around, your house has half a dozen or so children running around chasing each other in a game of tag where the rules seem to be constantly changing, “No Violet! You can’t cast a princess spell on me to make me the tagger!”

“But I just did ‘cause I was the tagger and so now you are!” You hear a loud whine before a smack then raucous laughter “Tommy went for a trip and hit the grass! The grass is now it!” You shook your head, baffled by this ever-evolving game knowing you had no hope of keeping up with any of the kids. Not too soon after Violet comes racing inside without shoes on “Sweetheart, where are your shoes?” She looks down and wiggles her toes before giggling and looking at you “The worms stole them, and we can only get them back if Tommy has a princess wand.”

You nod and give her a serious look “I see this is a very dire situation, your majesty. Just as well we have this princess wand right here” you take one off the island, crouching down to match your daughter’s height “I entrust you with this all-powerful princess wand that grants Tommy the ability to defeat the worms. Will you accept this responsibility Princess Violet?” Violet gives a firm nod “Yes” before taking the wand and thanking you as she races back outside to her friends.

As you stand up you hear the doorbell ring, wiping your hands on the apron wrapped around your waist as you make your way to the door. You unlock then open the door, immediately blushing when you see who’s standing in front of you “Ms. Venable you’re- I- Please, come in” you step back to allow her to enter before shutting and locking the door behind her.

“Let me take your coat” you help her shrug off her coat before hanging it on the coat-stand then lead her into the kitchen/lounge “You’re welcome to sit-“ you’re cut off when you hear an excited squeal “MISS MINA HERE” and before you know it, your daughter is standing in front of you both, jumping up and down “Miss Mina!! I got a crown for you!!” She climbs onto one of the seats to grab the crown from the island, standing on it carefully she turns to face Wilhemina. You hold your daughter so she doesn’t fall off the seat “Violet honey, you know you’re not supposed to stand on these.”

Wilhemina chuckles lightly which makes the rose on your cheeks darken “I am here, Princess Violet.” She places a gift bag on the island, her hand brushing against your lower back before she clasps both of them together in front of her. “I can put your crown on please Miss Mina” Violet says with the biggest puppy eyes you’ve ever seen your daughter muster. Wilhemina moves closer to the young girl, dipping her head slightly so that the crown could be placed “I now crown Miss Mina as Miss Queen Mina!” Violet declares as you help her back to the ground, a massive grin on her face as she looks up at you both.

“Thank you very much, Princess Violet” your daughter does a curtsey before racing back outside to join her friends. You turn to face Wilhemina, noticing how her cheeks have taken on some colour “Are you blushing, Ms. Venable?” The older woman rolls her eyes and scoffs “No- Not at all, it’s just rather warm in here, that’s all.”

You laugh lightly and step closer to her “Of course. Here let me-“ You bring your hands up to straighten the crown “I doubt you’d want it to be anything other than perfect” you breathe out quietly, letting one of your hands fall back to your side while the other ghosts against her cheek, “It’s fit for royalty now, your majesty.”

Wilhemina brings her hands up to cup your cheeks before capturing your lips in a soft kiss; you feel your cheeks heat up upon feeling her lips on your own, a soft gasp escaping you as you melt into the kiss, enjoying how soft her lips feel on your own and the faint floral taste of her lipstick.

“Mommy? Tommy’s crying again his mommy said he couldn’t have a princess wand- you have pwurpwle lipstick on your face.” You blush lightly wiping the corner of your mouth with your thumb to remove the lipstick. “Miss Mina your pwurpwle lipstick all messy. Mommy can Tommy have princess wand too?”

“Of course he can have the princess wand, they’re not just for girls, okay sweetheart?” Violet nods and bounces back outside again. You let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Mina, laughing lightly at her smudged lipstick “God, we need to be more careful, we’re a right mess.” You wipe the smudged lipstick from around her lips with your thumb, smiling shyly when she presses a kiss to it. She blushes and nods “We do. Until- never mind” she steps away and moves around the island to busy herself in the kitchen, even though she has no clue where anything goes or what she’s doing.

You follow after her and lean against the bench, picking up a small bowl of plain icing and eating it with a teaspoon, you hadn’t eaten anything all day. You notice Mina watching you when you go to lift another spoonful to your mouth “I’m sorry. Did you want some? I’m starving and-“ you gasp quietly when she cuts you off with a kiss, your lips parting as her tongue slips between them, delving into your mouth. She moans softly before pulling away, her eyes fluttering open slowly “That is some good icing, Yn.”

You stare at her in surprise, making her chuckle and shake her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips “How about we get you something healthy to eat? What would you like? I’ll order it for you and get it delivered.” She makes her way around the island, resting on one of the seats which her back thanks her for.

You sigh “I was just overwhelmed with prep, I can- I can take care of myself.” She snorts and looks at you with a raised brow in disbelief, almost like she’s trying hard not to chuckle at what you’ve just told her. “Mhmm… You can take care of yourself, yet you’ve been trying to eat from an empty bowl for the past five minutes since finishing off the very healthy lunch of icing.”

Your eyes dart to the now empty bowl of icing, you embarrassedly drop your spoon into the bowl before carrying it over to the dishwasher “I was just- making sure it’s empty. And-“ you turn around to find Wilhemina a lot closer to you than expected, when had she moved back over to you from sitting? “I was up all-night baking and wrapping gifts, putting together little party favours because my daughter expected a special guest and I would’ve hated to disappoint a five year old. She can be a handful, you know?”

Mina hums softly, swiping her thumb lightly over the corner of your mouth to remove some of the icing before licking it off her thumb. “I was just making sure it still tastes nice.” She smiles softly, cupping your cheek tenderly “Yn, look around you- look at the kids. I don’t think they’ve stopped smiling and laughing all day, except when Tommy couldn’t have a princess wand. Cut yourself some slack” she chuckles and lets her hand fall from your face “Which is coming from someone who very rarely does such a thing. Your daughter looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars. You could never disappoint her.”

She turns her head to look at the kids who were currently playing ‘duck duck goose’ before looking back at you “She can, I’m sure, but with a mother like you, I’m sure she’ll do well in life.” You wanted nothing more than to fall into her arms and give into the exhaustion, your shoulders slumping slightly, a sigh rolling off your lips “Thank you, Wilhemina.” Saying her first name felt so natural, it almost surprised you. Gently squeezing her hand, you gesture to one of the chairs in front of the kitchen island “You’re welcome to take a seat wherever. Maybe the living room is more comfortable for you. I just need to finish this up,” You nod to the dishes in the kitchen.

Looking at the time you couldn’t help the chuckle escaping you, “You know, five years ago I drove myself to the ER,” you shake your head as you continue to load up the dishwasher, “I had no one to take me, and I didn’t want to give birth by myself. My parents were in Beverly Hills at the time.”

Wilhemina moves back to the kitchen island where she takes a seat, resting her cane against it. “I remember you applying for your job not too long after that, you looked like hell, but I could tell that without this job you’d lose everything. It certainly puts things into perspective” she drums her nails of her right hand on the bench “even when someone hits the bottom” she smiles softly and shakes her head a bit “they’re capable of clawing their way out and becoming a wonderful person just like you. I meant what I said the other day, Yn.”

You look at her with a confused expression, your cheeks taking on some colour “What did you say?” Her smile brightens “You’re a wonderful role model for your daughter. She’s lucky to have you.”

“I’d be lucky to have you.”

[agathasangel]

I’ll Be There To Save You- Part One (Cordelia Goode and Daughter!Reader)

Summary: you’re a young witch trapped in a lab for most of your life. But one day, Cordelia came to save you and bring you home, and give you a family.

Warnings: Mom!Cordelia, Platonic!Cordelia, Trauma, Healing, Very Emotional. Also it kind of switches weirdly between Cordelia’s and Y/N’s perspectives.

When Cordelia learned that there was a lab keeping a young girl, doing cruel experiments on her because she had “special abilities”, she was absolutely horrified. Apparently, as a little girl she was able to move things as well as start fires with her mind, and she was seen as “dangerous” because of this, despite insisting that she didn’t mean to start any fires, and being distressed at the thought of having hurt someone, she was still locked up.

“Zoe, Queenie, can you two teach for me today? We have a new student, and I have to go get her myself.”

“It’s that girl from the lab, isn’t it?”

“Yes it is, thank you girls for telling me about it. I need to get her right now.”

Cordelia started her car and drove for hours upon hours, as day turned to night, to get to where she needed to go.

Meanwhile, you sat in your room, dreading every second that passed, just like you always did. Everything was terrible there, and you didn’t know what horror awaited you that night. The staff often forgot to feed you, and the doctors were cruel in their experiments, barely regarding you as a person. They thought you were evil. You had tried escaping a couple of times, but were always caught and disciplined so harshly that you decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Still, you dreamed of freedom.

Cordelia pulled into the parking lot and walked in. 

“I have an appointment to see (Y/n)?”

“I’m sorry, you can’t. Unfortunately, she is quite dangerous, as she-”

As Cordelia’s eyes wandered around the walls of this building, she saw the logo of Delphi Trust.

Witch Hunters. That girl would wind up dead if Cordelia wasn’t able to get her,

“I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this, but it seems I have no choice.”

Cordelia snapped her fingers and the woman was put under a mind control spell, and gave Cordelia the exact location and key she needed to visit (Y/n). She quickly found the room that the girl was kept in, and unlocked it.

You saw a woman stand before you that you didn’t recognize. You cowered, hiding your face from the woman as she approached you.

“Who- who are you? What are you gonna do to me?”

“I’m getting you out of here.”

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. When the woman grabbed your hand, however, her eyes went dark with rage.

Cordelia saw everything, every cruel thing you had went through, right from your eyes. She ran, dragging you with her, finding the doctor who brought you here, and put you through the most pain.

She found him, you behind her. You were afraid that this was a trick, that she and the Doctor were going to do something truly terrible to you. Instead, she killed him. Without even touching him, just a flick of her finger and he dropped to the floor. 

She was magic too.

The woman turned back to you, and you were so frightened. You hated that doctor, but what did she want with you? Would she kill you too? The older woman shut the door and picked you up, carrying you out. She was able to use her powers of Concilium to make anyone who tried to question her walk away. You were so confused. You had no idea what was going on, and started to cry as you went out the door.

“What- what’s happening? What are you gonna do? Please- please don’t hurt me...”

“No no no baby… I’m not gonna hurt you… shhh… I’m so sorry I scared you like that. I just- the way people hurt witches, because they’re afraid of our power. Your case is the worst I’ve ever seen, when I- when I touch people, I can see the truth. I can see through their eyes. I saw all your pain, sweet girl, and it filled me with the strongest anger I’ve ever felt. But- you’re safe now. You need to be with people like you and me, that’s where we’re going. You won’t be an experiment there, you’ll learn and make friends- oh you’re shaking, come here…”

The woman pulled you into a big hug.

“My name is Cordelia, by the way. Cordelia Goode.”

“Cordelia.” You repeated quietly.

“Alright, honey. Get in the front seat, I gotta start driving if we wanna get away from this place.” You nod, and Cordelia started the car. You couldn’t remember the last time you were out of the lab, let alone in a car, you don’t even think you’ve ever sat in the front before. The kind woman started the car and drove away. 

“It’s late and I’m tired. And you must be hungry. Let’s get a hotel room and some food and I’ll take you to your new home in the morning.” You nodded. Cordelia went through a drive through and bought you a meal that you practically inhaled, not having eaten in days. Then she found a motel to stay in for the night. You came in. Cordelia gave you a pair of her pajamas to wear, as you were still wearing a hospital gown when you came in (she told the lady at the front desk that you were a sick patient that she was taking out for a night). they were so soft and comfortable, it had been so long since you’ve even gotten to wear real clothes.

“Bed?” You pointed at one of the beds. 

“Yes, sweet girl, that’s a bed. Do you want that one?” You nodded and jumped on, and tried to get comfortable. It was way more comfortable than your bed at the lab, which was basically a table. But you still had trouble getting comfortable. Cordelia turned out the lights and you gasped, startled at the total darkness.

 Later, you still couldn’t sleep.

 “Hey, (yn), do you want to come sleep in bed with me? You seem scared.” So you did, and Cordelia held you. 

“Do you want to see a trick?” You nodded. Without getting up, she turned the lights on and used telekinesis to grab the hotel’s tv remote, turning it to the music channel. 

“Maybe some music will help you sleep?” She said, turning off the lights again.

“I can do that too!” you say, excited.

“I know. You were moving things in the car, I saw you. You can show me everything tomorrow. Sleep.” And you and Delia held each other tightly and you fell asleep.

The next morning, Cordelia woke up and got dressed, and took you to quickly get breakfast before getting in the car and taking off.

“I’m so glad you’re coming home, (Y/n). You’ll love it. I can’t wait to see you grow into an amazing young witch, just like you’re meant to be.”

It was a long car ride, and you and Cordelia got to know each other. She told you about the academy, what you would do every day, and learn. She told you about the Coven.

“Most witches master a few skills. It seems that you are already capable of telekinesis and pyrokinesis, which is quite impressive considering that you have never been taught.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I have no doubt that you are going to become a very talented young witch once you’re settled. And in every generation, there is one witch destined to become the supreme. This witch masters many skills, some say all of them. And she is the leader of the Coven.”

“Is- is that you?”

“Yes, darling. It was quite the surprise to everyone actually. My mother was a supreme as well, which hardly ever happens. She knew though, and she hated me for it. So I hid, and no one else ever had the idea that I was actually powerful until we were desperate.”

“Wow.”

“And now, the academy is flourishing. And it’s full of girls just like you, waiting to embrace you.”

“I can’t believe it... I’m gonna have a real home. Thank you, Cordelia! You’re... You’re amazing.”

By the time you got back to New Orleans, it was dark and you were asleep. Cordelia shook you to wake you up, and you screamed.

“Honey, it’s me... you don’t need to be scared. I know it’ll take you a while to learn to trust, but I’m totally safe. Come in with me. I’ll give you the tour tomorrow.”

You were ashamed to admit this to Cordelia, and never told her, but you were secretly terrified to go into the house that night. What if she was lying? What if it was just a cruel trick? What if she wanted to hurt you? But Cordelia led you into the house, probably knowing what you were thinking.

“It’s okay, sweet girl. Come in.”

It was the most beautiful house you had ever seen. Granted, you didn’t have much to compare it to. You lived in a lab for years, and your childhood home from before that wasn’t much better. But this place? There was magic in the air, paintings, a grand piano, and you just felt good.

“You look happy. Let’s have some tea, and then go to bed.”

Cordelia made some tea, and you searched around the kitchen for food. You ate and drank your tea, and Cordelia showed you to a guest room.

“You can sleep here tonight. Most of the girls are either asleep or have gone out, but I’ll move you into a new room tomorrow. My room is right there if you need me.”

You couldn’t sleep. Being alone, in this new place was scary. When you finally did manage to go to sleep, you had a nightmare. You were back in the lab, and being punished for running away again. You woke up in tears with Cordelia standing over you.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“He- he was- I ran away- he hurt me- I-”

“You had a nightmare. I’m right here, I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. Why don’t you come sleep in my room tonight. I think maybe you’re afraid to be alone, is that it?”

You nodded.

“I’m sorry, Cordelia.”

“You don’t need to be sorry, (y/n). I don’t mind at all.”

So Cordelia showed you her room, and you got in the bed. She held you close, and you finally began to drift off.

“I love you, (y/n).”

That woke you right up. You couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said that to you before.

“You- you love me?”

“Yes. You’re such a sweet girl. And you’re family to me. Now get some rest.”

[lucyintheskywithxanax]

Betelgeuse Above The Horizon

Pairing: Cordelia Goode x Fem Reader

Request: “don’t cry” and “this is all my fault” for delia x reader?

Summary: reader comforts Cordelia after she failed to rescue Queenie from the Cortez

A/N: thank you to the anon who requested this <3 I hope you’ll like it. No warnings ; this is your typical hurt/comfort fic

Word count: ~ 3 000

You closed the back door behind you as gently as you could. It was a hot summer night, and most of the girls slept with their windows open. No one liked to be awakened at 2:30 am.

You looked up at the clear sky and flashed a wistful smile at the stars. The moon had set half an hour ago and there was a perfect spot behind the greenhouse that blocked most of the city lights. You walked quickly, the cool grass tickling your bare feet, clutching a pillow to your chest.

You had been suffering from insomnia for the past couple years. Some nights were fine, but there were others when thoughts would keep buzzing and buzzing in your head and sleep would elude you entirely. So on those nights, you had taken to study the stars.

It was beautiful, looking up at the darkest time of night to see the twinkling, jeweled immensity of the sky. It soothed your heart.

You had barely got any sleep in the past week. Too many thoughts. Most of them were about Cordelia. Yet again tonight you had lain in your bed turning and tossing and seeing her face behind your eyelids, remembering something she had said to you today, or how close her hand had been to yours when she had put her empty glass in the sink. You were falling hard for your Supreme and it was driving you crazy.

You had contemplated making a move a few days ago, but rather quite abruptly changed your mind. For Cordelia had come back alone from the Hotel Cortez.

She had been gone longer than expected. When one of the girls came into your room to tell you Miss Cordelia was finally home, you all but ran downstairs to welcome her. When you reached the landing of the stairs it dawned on you that the girl had not mentioned Queenie. A feeling of dread settled in your chest, and expanded when you took one look at Cordelia. Her shoulders were slumped, her face pale and sad. She looked so exhausted you were afraid she might collapse where she stood, so you rushed to her and laid one hand on her shoulder for support and comfort. She met your gaze briefly, and your heart broke at the sadness and shame you could see in her eyes.

Cordelia was always so strong. So brave and so powerful. She was the last light to shine when everything else had succumbed to darkness. To see her look so defeated did not only sadden you; it felt terribly wrong.  

Zoe walked in with a bright smile on her face and sang, “Welcome back Queenie!” She had meant no harm, of course, had not yet realized. Cordelia’s face fell, and so did Zoe’s. Your grip on Cordelia’s arm tightened.

Cordelia lowered her eyes. Her chin trembled. Then she glanced back up at Zoe, eyes watering, and shook her head.

She did not say much, merely asked if she was needed for anything before she announced she had sleep to catch up on. You followed her up to her room without thinking, stopped awkwardly in her doorway. She turned back to look at you, patiently waiting, and your heart broke again at the sadness that was her smile.

“Er, is there anything I can do… ?”

She shook her head. Her hair was duller than usual and looked thinner around her tired face.

“Thank you, Y/N.”

You clutched your pillow tighter as you walked along the greenhouse, and sighed. There had been a constant, dull ache in your heart ever since Cordelia’s return, that you could not get rid of. It tinted everything you did, thought and felt, covered the world in a clear, grey light like the light in winter and lent it sadness. You flashed another wistful smile at the stars.  

You rounded the corner of the greenhouse and suddenly stopped. A light was on, and you could just see the shape of a woman sitting among the plants. You heard a voice, too, a faint mumble, and a few notes of mellow jazz music.  

You hesitated, stroking your chin on the top of the pillow as you stared at the shape. It was barely visible, but your heart recognized it.

You set the pillow down by the door and walked into the greenhouse.

Cordelia raised her head at the sound of your footsteps. Her eyes were red as if she had been crying. You offered her a smile as you walked up to her.

“Hey,” you said.

“Hey there.” The smile she gave you in return had none of its usual warmth. If anything, it made her look sadder still. “You’re up late.”

You shrugged. “So are you.”

She was leaning over a green plant in a pot, her fingers distractedly stroking one of the long drooping leaves. You gestured towards it.

“What’s this?”

Cordelia took a long time to answer. “A friend of mine once told me she thought those leaves have healing properties. That they could soothe, any kind of ache.” She paused, swallowed. When she spoke again her voice was higher and trembling slightly. “I tried brewing them in multiple ways, but all I can make out of them is bad tea.”

“Um,” was all you could answer. The sadness in her voice was like a slap in your face. Again it hit you, how wrong it was, how terribly wrong it felt. Shame and defeat should never have anything to do with Cordelia.

You dug your fingers in your arm to stop yourself from pulling her into your arms.

“It’s too bad that friend of mine isn’t here anymore,” Cordelia went on. Her hand tugged at the leaf, so hard you thought it would tear. “Misty, was her name.”

“Where is she?” you asked carefully.

Cordelia lifted her head as she gave a sad, almost cruel, little laugh. Her eyes briefly met yours, big and dark and lost.

“Why, she’s dead. Another girl I couldn’t save.” Cordelia slammed her hands on the table, making you jump. “Another girl I failed. You know, sometimes I do believe my mother was right about me. She would have been able to save them. I know she would.”

You swallowed around the lump in your throat, watching her, at a loss for what to do or say to comfort her. She was your strong rock, she had always been so. Now all you could do was stand still as your heart clenched for her and your brain grappled with words.

Cordelia closed her eyes, forced herself to take a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and gave you another sad smile. A tear rolled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped with shaky fingers.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a sad laugh.

Before you knew it, your hand was extending towards her.

“Come on,” you said. “Come with me.”

Cordelia’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked like she was about to protest, but then her hand slipped into yours. You gave her fingers a squeeze, the warmth of her skin spreading all the way to your heart and head.

You shut the light in the greenhouse, led Cordelia out and into the starry night. The air outside smelt of grass and of that distinctive, earthly smell that always comes with summer.

You picked up the pillow, and led Cordelia to your usual stargazing spot.

“You know what I do when I can’t sleep?” you asked in a whisper.

You dropped the pillow, gestured for Cordelia to sit down. In the dark her hair glowed faintly. There was a glint of light from the stars in her eyes.

“I watch the constellations.” You smiled, not sure she’d see it, but knowing she would hear it in your voice. “I’ve become quite good at finding them. I could tell you.”

There was a pause, silence only broken by the fastening beat of your heart in your ears. The darkness seemed to have sharpened your senses, for you could feel Cordelia’s presence as if it were hugging your soul.

You waited nervously, until finally came her answer: “I’d love to.”

You beamed.

“Ok ok,” you said, “lie down, use the pillow for your head.”

You lay side by side on the grass. It tickled your neck and ears, and you had to readjust your position several times until you were satisfied. Your arm touched Cordelia’s. You contemplated removing it, chose not to. Cordelia did not move either.

As children do, you pointed out constellations to her, trying to give precise directions but failing miserably. The tightness in your throat relaxed when Cordelia, unable to find Capella, finally let out a genuine laugh.

The touch of her skin against yours was like a fire in your arm, but a fire that causes no pain, only brings warmth.

“Scorpius is my favourite,” you said, tracing your finger over it.  “Especially when it’s so close to the horizon. It looks like the tail of a giant animal hiding behind the Earth.”

Cordelia laughed again. You heard something move, and then felt the warmth of Cordelia’s fingers as they laced with yours. Sparks flew to your head, and your heart purred.

“I didn’t know you were so well versed in astronomy,” Cordelia whispered. “You put your own Supreme’s knowledge to shame.”

You didn’t miss the bitterness in her words, the way her voice wavered slightly at the end of her sentence. You gave her hand a squeeze, and moved your arm so that more of your skin was touching hers. Something warm fizzed in your stomach.

“You know what?” you said suddenly, without thinking. “In all my time of stargazing, I found you in the sky.” You pointed across the sky from Scorpius. “See Orion here? See the bright orange star on the left? That’s Betelgeuse. That’s you.”

Cordelia scoffed sadly. She raised her free hand to wipe her cheek.

“You’re the arm that raises Orion’s weapon,” you told her, a soft, dreamy smile tugging at your lips, “one of the biggest stars we know of, and the day you turn into a supernova – which will only be in a few thousand years, a blink of the eye, mind you – you’ll be visible from Earth even by day. You’ll shine in our sky and everyone will look up at you in wonder.”

There was a pause, as you absentmindedly stroke your thumb over Cordelia’s and grinned at the star, and then a sob burst out of Cordelia, low and painful. You turned to her quickly in confusion.

“Oh, no, no,” you mumbled, propping yourself up on your elbow, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean – oh, please don’t cry.”

Cordelia was swiping at her eyes urgently, probably unwilling to let you, one of her girls, see her in that vulnerable state, but the tears were coming too fast, and her shoulders were shaking with sobs.

That was the last straw. Before you knew it, you had scooted over and she was in your arms, one of your hands coming to rest on her back, the other one running gently in her hair. She didn’t protest, and hid her face in the crook of your neck.

“Poor Queenie,” you heard her say. She wasn’t trying to control herself anymore: her voice came out weak and broken, heavy with guilt. It made tears pool in your own eyes. “She trusted me to get her out of that horrible, satanic hotel. She looked so relieved to see me, so confident, and I… I failed her,” she finished in a breath. You felt her tears on your skin and held her tighter.

“Now she’s trapped for eternity, just as Misty is, because I was too weak to save them. I can  – “ She choked on a sob, let out a pitiful wail that clawed at your heart. “I can f-feel their despair and anguish and it’s all my fault.”

“Hold on, no.” You pulled away a bit too abruptly to look at her, and cupped her face. Her skin was wet and hot under your fingers. It took all of your self-control not to kiss it dry.

When you spoke, your voice was firm and verging on angry. “Now you listen to me. None of it was your fault. Bad things happen all the time, and sometimes they simply cannot be fixed.” You paused to take a breath, stroked your thumb over her cheekbone and caught another tear. “You cannot save everyone, Cordelia. It already means so much that you try.”

“But I – “ Cordelia started. You cut her off.

“And your mother, Cordelia, your mother.” In the dark you rolled your eyes and winced. “I didn’t get to know her, but from what I’ve heard she wouldn’t even have tried to save any of them. She wouldn’t even have cared. “

Again, Cordelia’s mouth opened to protest, but you had had enough. So, without thinking, you leaned in and kissed her silent.

It was nothing more than a peck, a mere touching of lips, but it felt better and sweeter than any kiss you had ever given. You pulled away, baffled by your own action, to blink at Cordelia. Her eyes were wide, mouth slightly opened. It seemed to you she had stopped breathing.

“I – “ you started, but words vanished from your brain.

Cordelia blinked. Another tear rolled down her cheek. You leaned in again, kissed it away. Her skin was soft and warm and smelt like summer.

Slowly, Cordelia tilted her head until her mouth met yours

It seemed to you the world had stopped turning. The stars had frozen in the sky and held their breaths as they watched.

You pressed closer into Cordelia, one of your hands coming down to grip at her arm, the other cupping her cheek, wiping the tears that were still clinging to her skin. Her lips were soft and wet and more intoxicating than the most intoxicating of wines. It made your head spin. Or maybe it was just the world, which had started turning again.    

When Cordelia broke the kiss, you kept your eyes closed for a few seconds, savouring the taste of her still on your lips. Afraid you would open your eyes and find her gone. That had happened so many times before when you had awakened from dreams.

But here she was, her hair a faint halo in the dark, her eyes bigger than the sky, and oh, how your heart swelled when her lips curled up into a soft, fond smile.

You cleared your throat. “Well,” you said, your voice husky. “That was unexpected.”

Cordelia chuckled. She bit her lip, raising one hand to touch your face.

“I’m glad you couldn’t sleep,” she whispered.    

“Um.” You kissed her palm. “Me too.”

For a while you kept silent, staring into each other’s eyes, a goofy smile on both your faces. And then Cordelia’s smile flickered, and here was that sadness again, clouding her eyes.

“Hey,” you whispered, lifting one hand and running the pad of your index over her brow. You leaned in and kissed it until the creases of worry disappeared. You cupped her cheek and smiled at her. “It’ll be okay. None of this pain will last.”

For a moment Cordelia just stared at you, and then she gave one almost imperceptible nod. One of her hands slipped behind your neck to pull you close and plant soft, chaste kisses on your lips. Again, the stars held their breaths. From somewhere far away came the sound of fireworks, or maybe it was just your heart celebrating. Cordelia nibbled at your lower lip and gently licked it, her tongue hot and wet, and she released a breath through her nose that tickled your cheek and sent tingles down your spine.

She closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow, and you lay yours on her chest, humming contentedly as you listened to her heartbeat. Around you all was quiet. One of Cordelia’s hands absently ran through your hair.

“I’ll visit her once in a while,” Cordelia whispered. “Queenie. To make sure she’s okay, and that there’s nothing more I can do.”

You hummed. “I’ll come with you if you’ll have me.”

Your eyelids were getting heavy with sleep. You pressed your nose against Cordelia’s chest, breathing her in.

“We should stay here and watch the sun rise,” you mumbled after a while.

Cordelia dropped a kiss on your forehead. You kissed her chest in return.

“Even though I may fall asleep,” you added.

She chuckled. “That’s alright. I’ll wake you.”

You lifted your head to look at her. She was staring at Betelgeuse, and she must have felt your gaze, for she tilted her head to meet your eyes. Slowly, like the sun or the moon rising, her soft, warm, glorious smile crept up her lips and chased the sadness from her eyes.

“Here we go,” you grinned, reaching out to caress the corner of her mouth. You propped yourself up and kissed her. “No more tears tonight. Let me love you under the stars.”