Chapter 121 - Sixteen Years Late

The rest of the day passed slowly, her confinement settling in like a thick blanket. She drifted in and out of sleep with a restless mind. The shelter was alive beyond her door—muffled voices, distant footsteps, and the occasional burst of laughter from somewhere down the hall.

At some point, they brought her food. She barely touched it. The only visitor she had was Pepper, who peeked into the room late in the afternoon, hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure if she was even allowed to be there.

“Hey,” Pepper said softly. “I thought you might be bored.”

Morrigan sat up against the wall, stretching her arms over her head. “That obvious?”

Pepper stepped further inside, fiddling with the hem of the sweatshirt she now wore. “I, um… I wanted to tell you. Jenna and Livy are both gone.”

Morrigan blinked. “Gone? Like, gone, gone?”

Pepper nodded. “I overheard some of the staff talking. I think they are both being charged with assault.”

Morrigan glanced at Pepper’s arm, where the bandage was hidden by the sweater. “How's your arm, by the way?”

“It’s okay. It’s really not too bad,” she murmured, absently picking at it.

Morrigan grinned. “I still can't believe you actually did that.”

“Well… I didn't know how else to explain the blood. So…”

Morrigan processed that for a moment, then smirked. “Well, shit. Jenna and Livy are out of here. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

Pepper let out a small, relieved giggle. “But… that still leaves Tyler.”

Morrigan shrugged. “Yeah, but without even Livy around egging her on, I doubt she’ll do much. She was always more of a follower. She’ll just keep to herself now.”

“I hope so,” Pepper murmured, but there was still some uncertainty in her voice.

Morrigan watched her for a moment, then gave her a lazy grin. “Hey, even if she does act up, you can always threaten her with me showing up in the middle of the night to haunt her.”

Pepper giggled again, a little more freely this time. “I don’t think you’re a very scary ghost.”

Morrigan smirked. “No? Well, I think I’m terrifying.”

Pepper smiled, shaking her head, but warmth flickered in her eyes. Morrigan found herself feeling a little more relaxed. If she did end up leaving, at least things might be better for Pepper now.

There was a comfortable silence for a moment before Pepper finally said, “I should go before someone catches me in here. Sarah told me to leave you alone today. But… if you want, I can come back later.”

Morrigan yawned, stretching again. “Nah, I’ll probably just pass out again. But thanks for checking in.”

Pepper nodded, almost bowed, and with a soft, “See you later,” she scuttled out of the room.

After the door clicked shut behind her, Morrigan smiled and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling and letting her mind drift. Knowing both Jenna and Livy were gone was a huge weight off. She didn’t really care what happened to them, but at least Pepper wouldn’t have to deal with their crap anymore. That was something.

The quiet didn’t last long, however. A few minutes later a knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

Morrigan pushed herself up to see Sarah enter the room. “What now?” she muttered under her breath.

Sarah crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. “Pack your bags.”

Morrigan blinked. “Seriously? Already?”

Sarah nodded. “Something came through for you.”

Morrigan frowned, tilting her head. “What kind of something?”

“We have a home we can send you to.”

Morrigan squinted, subtly testing the waters. “Home, as in a house? Or home, as in another shelter?”

“Saffron has been in contact with someone. We were going to tell you soon, but with everything happening now, we decided to push up the timeline.”

Morrigan’s heart skipped. That had to mean Hilda, right?

But Hilda wouldn’t have gotten things moving until this morning at the soonest unless she lied about slowing her lawyer down the other day. Morrigan didn’t think things would—or even could—move this fast.

She forced herself to play it cool. “Can’t you just tell me now?”

Sarah sighed. “I’ll explain everything in my office. For now, just get packed.”

Morrigan studied her for a long moment, searching for any hints in her face, but Sarah didn’t give anything away.

Fine. Whatever. It has to be Hilda. They got word someone was offering to take me off their hands and jumped at it. Soooo… good news.

Morrigan didn’t waste time. As soon as Sarah left, she grabbed her tote bag from under the bed and started stuffing clothes inside. She didn’t have much, and she would tell them to just let Pepper keep the sewing set they had confiscated from her.

When Morrigan stepped out of her room, she found Sarah waiting in the hall. “Not taking your eye off me, huh?”

“Let’s just say I learned my lesson. Come on, let's go.”

Something about Sarah’s tone put Morrigan on edge. Why was she acting so ominous? Were the police waiting downstairs for her? She had no idea what was going on, but her gut told her something was about to happen—and maybe not for the best.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, a voice called out.

“Morrigan!” Cersi shot up from the couch, eyes wide. “Is it just me, or has this place been crazy lately?”

“Cersi,” Sarah tried to interject.

“I mean, half our residents gone—just like that,” Cersi snapped. “Jenna, Livy, now you, but you know it’s like that sometimes, people come and go, especially in places like this—”

Morrigan raised an eyebrow as she noticed Sarah pinch the bridge of her nose. “What have you heard?” Morrigan asked Cersi.

“Oh, this and that, you know how it is; nobody says anything, but Pepper was bleeding and went to the hospital, and now she’s back, but everyone else is leaving, and like I said, it's not too common, especially around here, Pepper mentioned you got in trouble though, but hey, win some, loose some I always sa—”

“Cersi.” Sarah cut in a little more forcefully. “Now is not the best time.”

“Morrigan’s leaving, though? Will she be coming back, or what’s the deal or—”

Beth swooped in from somewhere nearby and grabbed Cersi’s arm. “Cersi, I don’t think this is any of our business.” Before pulling her away, she glanced at Morrigan and gave a small, sympathetic nod. “Hey, thanks for watching out for Pepper. She needed a friend.”

Morrigan shrugged. “Yeah, well, Pepper looked out for me too. I’ll miss you guys.”

Cersi immediately started babbling about goodbyes, and how you never know when you might meet someone again, and how life can be funny like that. Beth just sighed and guided her away before she could say more.

Sarah let out a long breath and kept walking, leading Morrigan toward her office.

No cops were waiting for her—that was a plus—but someone else was, and Morrigan wasn’t exactly thrilled to see her.

Saffron, the social worker.

Morrigan didn’t have anything against her. She wasn’t rude or anything, but she still had a way of getting a little too involved in Morrigan’s life for someone who was basically a stranger.

“Morrigan, good to see you again. How are you?” Saffron asked.

“Uh, sort of fine. I guess that depends on what this is about.”

Saffron smiled. “Well, please take a seat. As Sarah probably told you, we figured out, um… arrangements for you now. First, I wanted to sit down and talk about it while we wait for someone else to arrive.”

Morrigan’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of someone?”

“Well, that’s what I’m going to talk to you about.”

Not seeing any other choice, Morrigan shrugged and took a seat. If this was leading to anything too annoying, she could just find an opportunity to do a disappearing act again and not come back next time.

Sarah sat behind her desk, and Saffron stayed perched at the end of it. “So Morrigan, have you talked to your mother recently?”

“Yeah, this afternoon. And a few other times since I’ve been here.”

“That’s good. I was speaking with her earlier today as well, and she does seem to be doing a lot better.”

Morrigan just stared at her, wanting her to get to the point.

“Has your mother ever talked about her own history with you?”

“Um. Not really.”

“Nothing about her own childhood or anything like that?”

Morrigan just shook her head slowly, wondering what this could have to do with anything.

“Well, turns out we found a family member who is willing to take you in. I’m sorry for springing this on you so suddenly, but—”

“Woah, woah, okay, stop right there,” Morrigan said, shooting up to her feet. “Listen, I don’t have any family, it’s only ever been me and my mom.”

Saffron winced slightly. “Yes… I’ve… gathered that.”

Morrigan narrowed eyes. “Okay… so who is it?”

“Your grandmother.”

Morrigan just stared at her.

Saffron pressed on. “We’ve been in contact with her for a little over a week now. I hadn’t planned to drop this on you all at once, but given that things aren’t working out here at Tiffany’s Youth Shelter, I thought it best to move things along and see how it goes.”

Morrigan caught herself staring past Saffron, focusing on a blank spot on the wall. Indeed, her mom barely ever said a word about her grandparents. The only thing Morrigan knew for sure was that their house had been left to her mother by her great-grandmother. According to Death, that happened because said great-grandmother knew no one was going to lift a finger to help pregnant seventeen-year-old Anna Livingston. Presumably, that included the very person Saffron was now planning to hand her over to.

“Now, a few things about that. She lives alone, not too far from here, but a bit outside the city.” She must have seen the conflict on Morrigan’s face because her voice softened. “I understand this is a lot to take in. But your grandmother has expressed that she wants to help. She regrets not being there sooner.”

Morrigan snorted. “Yeah? And where was she when my mom was struggling all these years? Where was she when she was seventeen and needed a place to go? Seventeen and pregnant with me, by the way. I—I never even got a birthday card from this lady. All of a sudden she wants to show up and take custody of me?” She scoffed, shaking her head. “I don’t even know her name.”

Saffron folded her hands in her lap. “Her name is Evelyne. You know, family history can often be complicated. But regardless of the past, she’s willing to take you in now. Wouldn’t you at least like to meet her before deciding?”

Morrigan crossed her arms, skepticism clear in her posture. “And if I say no?”

Saffron sighed. “Then we find another option. But considering your situation, this is likely the best path forward. She’s family, and she can provide you with more stability than another shelter or a foster home.”

Before Morrigan could respond, a buzzing sound broke the silence. She looked over to see Sarah checking her phone.

“She’s here,” Sarah announced. “I’ll go get her.”

“Thank you, Sarah. Just give us another minute if you would, first.”

Morrigan stared, slack-jawed, as Sarah left the room. This was a joke. A huge fucking joke. It had to be.

Her gaze then snapped back to Saffron. “Does my mom know about this?”

“No. And the plan is to keep it that way, at least until you’re settled.”

Morrigan felt the heat rising in her chest, anger boiling beneath her skin. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why?”

“Because we believe it would be for the best,” Saffron said evenly. “And it was at your grandmother’s request.”

Morrigan clenched her fists, breathing deeply to keep herself from outright yelling. It was just one gut punch after another. She was being thrown around by everyone deciding things for her, shoving her into this and it just felt so completely wrong.

“So that’s it?” Her voice was tight with frustration. “You all just get to make this decision and keep my mom in the dark?”

Saffron remained calm, her voice steady but firm. “Morrigan, I know this isn’t ideal, but your mother is still recovering, and—”

“And you think springing this on me is somehow better?” Morrigan snapped. She paced the few short steps the office allowed her. “She’s my mom! You don’t think she has the right to know that you’re just handing me off to some random woman I’ve never met?”

“She’s not random,” Saffron said firmly. “I know it’s not ideal, but she is your family.”

Morrigan let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Yeah? Well, family doesn’t mean shit when it’s someone I’ve never even met. Family isn’t some stranger who suddenly wants to play Grandma of the Year because she’s feeling guilty, or whatever this is. How does she even know about my situation? Let me guess—she heard it on the news like the rest of the fucking town!”

“Morrigan, calm down. I need you to take a seat and breathe. Getting worked up like this isn’t going to help anything.”

“Yeah, well, that’s easy for you to say.”

Before Saffron could respond, a soft knock sounded on the door. Saffron put up a finger that told Morrigan to wait and went to answer it. She cracked it open just enough to speak to whoever was on the other side in a hushed tone and then shut it again.

Morrigan felt her heart jumping in her chest, and the changeling, sensing her extreme agitation, was likewise acting up under its seal. Not painfully, at least. It only seemed to get wild when there was a physical threat present, but it was letting her know it wasn’t happy.

Saffron came back to the end of the desk and sat. “She’s here. But why don't we just take a moment to center ourselves?”

Morrigan sank into the chair, dragging a hand over her face. She didn’t want to meet this woman. She definitely didn’t want to go off with her. Best-case scenario, this was about to be the most awkward car ride in the history of awkward car rides. Worst-case… well, there were too many worst-case scenarios for her to even begin wrapping her head around.

Morrigan clicked her teeth. “Center myself, huh? That doesn’t change how screwed up this is.”

“Considering your lack of other options—and that you’ve ruined your ability to stay here at this shelter—I think you should try giving this a chance.”

“Like I have choice.”

“I know. But if you can keep an open mind, you may find some good in this. If you don’t give it a chance, you’ll never know if it could be worth it.”

Morrigan didn’t have anything to say. All she could really do at this point was keep cursing them all out, but she was tired of being in this position. Where everything in her world was so completely fucked up, and she felt like everyone was judging her for having a bad attitude about it. Did they expect her to just smile and say, Oh, well, okay then?

Saffron must have taken her silence as a sign and went to the door. Morrigan just stared forward. She heard whispering, then footsteps then—felt the presence of someone whom she didn’t know upon her.

“Morrigan?” an unfamiliar voice asked, carefully.

Morrigan tensed, refusing to look at her at first. But eventually, she did.

The woman standing halfway between her and the doorway wasn’t quite what Morrigan had expected. She wasn’t stiff or severe, like some rich old lady coming to whisk her away out of a sense of obligation. Instead, she had a calm, steady presence. She looked  younger than Morrigan might have expected. She had to have been at least in her mid-fifties—probably early sixties, not that Morrigan would know—but she didn’t appear that way. She looked… healthy for whatever age she was. Her face wrinkled but not sagging, and she was thin but not frail. Though, she had the same bright blue eyes that Morrigan used to see in the mirror—before she died and became a reaper.

Morrigan expected her to stare, to scrutinize, to size her up. Instead, the woman—her grandmother, apparently—just stood there, watching her carefully, like one might with a skittish animal, waiting to see if she would bolt.

“It’s good to finally meet you,” she said at last, her voice soft but even.

Morrigan frowned, hugging herself a little tighter as she looked away. “Yeah?” What the hell else was she supposed to say?

The woman exhaled, a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “My, you really do look just like her. Except with blonde hair.”

Morrigan rolled her eyes, the gesture prompting that same not-quite-laugh from her grandmother.

“What?” Morrigan snapped.

“I’m sorry. It’s just… I really feel like I’m looking at Anna again.”

Morrigan clicked her teeth. She could have said a lot of things—things like, Well, it only took you sixteen years. Or she could accuse her of being here only out of guilt or some last-minute sense of obligation. Or maybe she could just call her out for sticking her nose where it didn’t belong—because that’s what this really was.

She couldn’t quite bring up any of those words, though.

This was too weird. Too surreal. And simultaneously, so infuriating.

“Listen…” her grandmother said at last. “I just want you to know, I don’t expect you to be happy about any of this. I understand you’ve been through a lot. I just want to help in any way I can now.”

Saffron cleared her throat as the silence stretched on. “Well, Morrigan. As long as you agree to go with her we can have you out of here tonight.” She paused to give Morrigan a chance to respond, which she didn’t. “What do you think about that?”

“I dunno. Doesn’t really sound like I have a choice.”

Saffron smirked—which irritated Morrigan even more. “Well, I think that’s as close to a yes as we’re getting.”

She swallowed hard, hating the lump forming in her throat. Her voice came out quieter than she meant. “Can I say bye to Pepper first?”

Saffron and her grandmother—Evelyn—exchanged a glance.

Sarah answered from the doorway; Morrigan just realized she had been there this whole time. “Of course. Go ahead, and we’ll meet you in the living room in a bit, okay?”

Morrigan kept her eyes low as she reached down to snatch her bag off the ground. Then she shimmied her way out of the cramped office, not making eye contact with anyone on her way—especially not with her dear ol’ grandma.

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Chapter 122 - Stray