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Agatha casually swirls her magic around the house, preparing food and cleaning all while she lounges on the couch deep in thought.
The coven had finished the road. She had gotten her powers back. She had figured out Teen’s identity. She had even talked with Nicholas, and while she would never fully get over that scar, she had gotten a sense of closure and acceptance about what transpired with her son.
But the one thing that was most surprising to her that she got from the road was friendship. Somehow, throughout it all, the coven had become her kin. So much so that they were all going to get together at her house tonight. She thinks that the Agatha from just a month ago would laugh at seeing her like this. Trying to maintain friendships. But deep down she’s known that’s what she’s always wanted. To be loved. She had that now. Well, except from the one person she truly wanted it from.
Despite the road’s best efforts to push them together, Agatha and Rio still hadn’t figured it out yet. Sure there was tension. Glances. Longing. All mixed with a good amount of anger and fighting. She knows they almost ended up kissing multiple times, but whenever one of them drew closer, the other would always pull away for one reason or another. She remembers the end of the road. She hadn’t been able to tell what Rio wished for, or if it had even been granted. She just remembers the green witch looking at her before disappearing into the earth. That had been the last time she saw Rio, three weeks ago.
She wonders if maybe Rio had just given up on them. If maybe the earth witch determined throughout the trials that the coven leader really wasn’t worthy of all the love she had poured into Agatha in the past. Agatha’s heart clenches at the thought. She got so much she didn’t know she wanted from the road, but had lost the one thing she needed.
A knock at the door jolts Agatha from her thoughts.
“Jen.” Agatha says it with a half-hidden sigh. Out of all the coven members, she wasn’t sure if she’d really consider Jen a friend, but they tolerated each other more now she supposes.
The potions witch steps inside. “Oh no, am I the first one here again?”
Agatha shrugs, “Is that wine?”
Jen smiles and holds out the bottle, “Special brew by yours truly.”
The purple witch isn’t sure she likes the look on the potion’s witch face but takes the bottle anyway and sets it on the table. She’s incredibly relieved when someone knocks on the door again. She really didn’t want to make small talk with Jen.
“Alice!” Agatha greets the protection witch with an awkward yet genuine hug. The woman had almost sacrificed herself to save Agatha multiple times on the road and the coven leader felt more indebted to Alice than anyone else. Except Rio. She pushes the thought out of her head.
“I brought these.” Alice holds out some bags of chips. “Sorry I’m not much of a cook.”
Agatha just smiles and takes the chips. Jen and Alice greet each other and fall into conversation about their day job problems.
There’s another knock at the door and Lilia doesn’t even let Agatha open it all the way before she sweeps into the house. “I brought candy. I read that’s what children like to eat these days.”
The others just look around before Jen speaks up, “You do know we’re not children Lilia.”
The divination witch scoffs, “You’re 200 years younger than me. That makes you a child.”
Before anyone else can object there’s another knock on the door. Agatha opens it with her largest smile yet. “Hello Teen.”
“You know my name is Billy.” The boy wears a similar grin though.
“I know. Teen.”
Billy rolls his eyes but gives Agatha a quick hug. “It’s nice to see you Agatha.”
The purple witch doesn’t respond, feeling her throat tighten. She and the teen had some rough moments on the road that’s for sure. But at the end they came out with an understanding after Billy found out the true story of Agatha’s past and Nicholas Scratch. Billy realized that all Agatha really wanted was what everyone did. Love and acceptance. He figures considering who his mother was, he could learn from past mistakes and do that for Agatha. Besides, she had lost her son. He had lost his mother. They just fit.
“Billy, I brought you candy!” Lilia calls out.
“Uh, thanks Lilia.” The teen courteously takes a piece of chocolate that Lilia had all but shoved in his face.
“Alright! The gang’s all here!”
“Hold on. Where’s our green witch?”
Just like before, Agatha doesn’t have a good answer to that question. So just like before, Agatha deflects. “Jen, you know Mrs. Hart is no longer with us.”
“Sharon.” Alice and Teen correct.
“You know that’s not who I was asking about.” Jen gives Agatha an exasperated look. The purple witch just clenches her jaw and glares back. Then the potions witch realizes the truth. “You haven’t seen her since the Road, have you?”
Agatha doesn’t answer and just avoids everyone’s gazes. Her chest tightens as the words sink in.
“Is that pizza I smell?” Billy pipes up, eager to avoid drama before the party has even started.
Agatha capitalizes on the distraction from the discussion about Rio. “Yes Teen.” She pulls the pizzas from the oven.
“Woah I didn’t know you could cook, Agatha.” Alice stares hungrily at the pizzas.
“Yes well, when you’re trapped inside the Scarlet Witch’s spell as a 1950s housewife you learn the skill quite quickly.”
There’s an awkward silence for a second before Teen breaks it again and grabs a piece of pizza. They all follow suit and move to the living room.
Agatha lights the fire with her magic, and looks around the room. She’s reminded of the last time they all sat around a fire together. She feels more at ease with the group since then. But the warmth wasn’t the same without Rio there.
The group falls into small talk, catching up with each other’s lives. Jen had closed her shop and was working to go back into women’s medicine. Alice had landed a job as a bodyguard for a famous celebrity. Teen had gone back to school and reunited with his boyfriend. Lilia had started a psychiatry business.
“So Agatha, what have you been up to?” Jen asks, a strong hint of teasing in her voice.
Agatha could throttle the potions witch. “Oh you know, dabbling here and there.”
“Uh huh.”
“Perhaps I could look at your fortune to guide your path.” Lilia interjects, pulling out a crystal ball.
The purple witch scoffs, “I don’t need your fortune telling.”
Lilia doesn’t respond and just starts muttering an incantation over the crystal ball. Suddenly the lights start to flicker and the room starts to shake.
“Lilia! What are you doing!”
Lilia looks around in bewilderment, “It’s not me!”
Agatha’s stomach coils as a familiar feeling washes over her. It can’t be.
The ground in front of them opens up and everyone screams.
“Someone do something!” Teen yells.
They all look at Agatha but she’s just frozen to the spot, staring at the pit in her floor with wide eyes.
A second later a person emerges from the hole in the ground. Everyone else screams, but Agatha just glares at the green witch that appeared in front of them.
Rio turns and brushes dirt out of her hair. The others breathe a sigh of relief. Rio grins. “Heard you guys were having a party.”
“Do you always have to scare the living daylights out of us.” Lilia holds her chest.
The green witch smiles, “It is my preferred form of entrance.”
Agatha’s purple magic swirls around her fist. How dare Rio just disappear for weeks with so much left unsaid between them and then have the nerve to crash her party as if nothing happened! “How did you-”
“I was in the neighborhood!” Rio turns and grins at Agatha. The two lock eyes for the first time since the road. It makes the green witch soften a bit, but just makes the purple one all the more angry.
Agatha holds up her hand, ready to blast the earth witch to oblivion.
“Here we go again.” Jen mutters.
“Are these two ever going to figure it out?” Alice mumbles.
“Young love.” Lilia tuts.
“Okay!” Billy yelps as he jumps between the two women staring each other down. Both of them continue to stare past the boy as if he’s not even there. Billy scrambles and turns to the green witch. “Rio! Nice to see you! Have a seat! There’s pizza in the kitchen!”
He turns to the glaring purple witch, “Right Agatha?”
Agatha clenches her fist but lets her magic dissipate. She sends Rio one last glare before stalking back to her seat.
Rio smirks as Agatha turns around, though her heart twinges a bit. She knows Agatha is mad at her for disappearing. She had a good reason though. She hoped maybe the purple witch would be glad to see her despite everything. She should’ve known. Nothing was ever that easy between them.
The green witch sits down and plays with a flower, glancing at Agatha every now and then. The purple witch does everything to avoid Rio’s gaze.
“So…” Teen says, “What should we do?”
The others just shrug.
“We could play games!”
The rest of the coven groan a bit.
“Well I don’t see any of you coming up with other ideas!”
“Fine Teen.” Agatha relents, still wanting to make the boy happy. Besides, she needed a distraction from the woman staring at her across the room.
Teen nods in excitement. “Let’s see. Let’s start with…Never Have I Ever!”
“Oh that’s a good one.” Alice nods.
Agatha rolls her eyes but holds out hand to play. The others follow suit. Agatha pretends not to look at Rio’s hand.
“I’ll start!” Teen grins, “Never have I ever kissed a girl.”
Everyone else in the coven huffs and puts a finger down. Agatha purposefully ignores the smirk she knows is on Rio’s face.
“Never have I ever crashed a party.” Jen looks at Rio. The green witch looks at her in mock offense but puts her finger down. Lilia does too.
“Never have I ever used Tik Tok.” Lilia looks proud at herself for just knowing the platform.
Teen shrugs and puts a finger down. So do Alice and Jen.
“Never have I ever watched a true crime show.” Rio smirks at Agatha suggestively. “Though I can’t say I mind it as good roleplay content.”
The purple witch narrows her eyes at Rio, her magic boiling beneath the surface. Rio just tilts her head in challenge and Agatha bites her tongue and puts her finger down, refusing to rise to the bait. Jen, Alice and Lilia do as well and choose to disregard the roleplay comment.
“Never have I ever been arrested.” Agatha shoots back. “By normal humans at least.”
Rio rolls her eyes a bit sheepishly at the memory and puts her finger down. Lilia does too. They all glance at the oldest witch.
“What?” Lilia asks innocently. “I’ve lived.”
“Never have I ever been in love.” Alice says. The words echo in Agatha’s ears.
Teen shrugs and puts his finger down. Rio hesitates for a second but does as well. She supposes saying “She is my scar” had already made her feelings for Agatha obvious to the others.
Agatha can feel everyone’s eyes on her, but she just stares down at her hand. She feels Rio observing her every move. Everyone knew the truth, they just wondered if the coven leader would admit it. After another moment Agatha bites her lip and puts her finger down. She stares back in challenge at the coven, daring them to say something. Just because she’s admitting she had been in love in the past doesn’t mean she was now.
Luckily Lilia breaks the tension, “Oh no, I have no more fingers left.”
They all look at her in surprise. Lilia scoffs defensively, “Hey, I’ve lived at least 100 years longer than all of you, of course I’m going to have more experience.”
“That’s fair.” Billy says quickly. “What should we play next?”
“Kiss, Marry, Kill?” Alice asks.
Agatha groans. She knows where this is going and doesn’t like it one bit.
“What?” Alice says defensively. “That trial on the road was practically screaming for us to play this game.”
“That’s not appropriate for Teen to play with us.” Agatha points out, hoping it would get her out of the game. She wasn’t wrong after all.
“It’s okay! I’ll sit this one out!” Billy goes to grab another piece of pizza and call his boyfriend.
Agatha huffs as Rio just leans back in her chair in amusement. She risks a glance over at the green witch and immediately feels adrenaline shoot through her. Rio was just openly staring at her.
“Fine Alice.” Agatha quickly looks away from the earth witch. “You’re going first. Marry, kiss, or kill. Jen, Rio, Lilia.”
Alice blushes but tries to act nonchalant. “Kiss Lilia. Marry Jen. Kill…” She glances uneasily at Rio.
The green witch just shrugs, “I’m flattered.”
“Okay Jen,” Alice says, “Agatha, Rio, Lilia.”
“Definitely kill Agatha.” Jen says without hesitation.
The purple witch scoffs. “The feeling is mutual.”
Jen thinks for a second then her eyes sparkle a bit. “Kiss Lilia. Marry Rio.”
Agatha’s eyes flash with jealousy before she can hide it. Jen smirks, glad to have hit a nerve.
Rio grins and winks at Jen. “Maybe in another universe.” She feels Agatha’s glare, but she can’t help but play along in the moment. It was too much fun to mess with the purple witch. Plus she’s secretly pleased at the clear jealousy on Agatha’s face.
“Alright Lilia. Choose between Agatha, Jen, and I.” Alice asks the oldest witch.
“Easy. Marry you, Alice. Kiss Agatha. Kill Jen.”
“Excuse me?” Jen asks in offense.
Lilia shrugs, “Sorry, I’ve always hated potions.”
Agatha can’t help but smirk a bit at that, feeling vindicated. The potions witch frowns but shakes her head.
“Rio, your turn. Lilia, Alice, and me.” Jen asks with a sly grin, purposefully leaving Agatha off the list. The coven leader grits her teeth.
The green witch grins, playing along. “Well Jen, I’d definitely marry you.” Agatha is sure Rio only says it to get on her nerves. It works. “Kiss Lilia. Kill Alice.”
Alice shrugs, “Deserved it I guess. Okay Agatha last one. Lilia, Jen, Rio.”
The green witch leans in closer, staring daggers into the coven leader. Agatha shifts uneasily for a second before standing up. “You know what? This is a stupid game anyway. Where did Teen go off to?” She practically sprints out of the room to find the boy.
Rio rolls her eyes, Agatha’s actions spoke louder than words anyway.
“She just didn’t want to admit she wanted to make out with me.” Jen laughs, though immediately quiets at the glare she gets from Rio.
Agatha reappears with Teen and the wine Jen had brought. She determines she can no longer go through this night sober.
“Oh perfect! We can use that for our next game.” Jen grins.
“What.”
“Truth or Drink!”
“Oh I’ll get myself some water!” Teen pipes up.
Agatha rolls her eyes for the millionth time but lets Jen take the wine from her. She didn’t know having friends would be this annoying and personally invasive.
They all sit in a circle with the wine. Teen speaks first, as usual. “Lilia, who was this mystery person you were in love with?”
Lilia smiles coyly and reaches for the wine. She takes a sip and almost spits it out. “Why is it so strong?”
Jen just shrugs and grins. “Agatha, what is the Scarlet Witch really like?”
The purple witch tilts her head, honestly just relieved she hadn’t been asked about a certain green witch next to her. “Powerful. I’ve never seen anything like it. She could create magic from nothing.” She glances at Rio who is looking back at her in jealousy. Agatha just smirks. Payback.
“I can do that.” Rio shoots back, sounding unimpressed with the Scarlet Witch.
“Not like Wanda.” Agatha rubs salt in the wound. The earth witch was always on her nerves so it was nice to turn the tables for once.
Rio glares, green magic dancing in her eyes. “Wanna bet.”
“Okay!” Billy interjects again. “I’m sure you’re both powerful. Let’s continue!”
Rio just continues to glare at a smirking Agatha.
Billy looks between the two dynamite women. He was honestly getting tired of their will they/won’t they game. The two were clearly made for each other. Their levels of craziness matched perfectly. He decides to give them a push. “Rio, that person you said you used to love. Do you still love them?”
The green witch’s eyes snap over to Billy’s. The boy swears he sees his life flash before his eyes, but holds his ground. He was his mother’s son after all.
Agatha’s heart races. She knows what Billy is trying to do, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the answer. Sure, maybe there was still attraction between her and Rio. Obviously. But could Rio even still love her after everything? After all the decades of blame and hatred she held toward the green witch?
Rio leans forward, and Agatha thinks the green witch is just going to drink the wine to get out of the question. Then Rio looks up at her and the rest of the world fades away.
“Yes.”
Rio says it simply. As if the word doesn’t tilt Agatha’s world on its axis. As if it doesn’t steal the breath from her lungs. As if it doesn’t make her want to kiss Rio right then and there in front of the entire coven.
Agatha stares back into Rio’s dark eyes. She feels the gazes of the rest of the coven on them. It’s overwhelming. She does what she does best. She looks away.
Billy sighs internally. His chest tightening when he sees Rio look down in clear disappointment. They always had to make things complicated.
The game continues on for a few more rounds. The rest of the coven get more and more drunk besides Agatha and Rio since people purposefully are avoiding asking them tough questions at this point. Eventually Jen drifts off to sleep next to an already sleeping Lilia and Alice. The wine had been strong.
“That’s my cue to leave.” Teen gets up.
Agatha panics. She couldn’t face Rio now. Or ever. “You don’t have to.”
Billy smiles knowingly, “I have homework.”
Agatha’s eyes narrow at the lie but the Teen is no longer phased by the purple witch’s empty threats.
“Bye guys.” He gives them a small wave then heads out the door.
Agatha gets up quickly after and goes into the kitchen, eager to get away from the green witch. She hopes maybe Rio will just disappear the way she came.
Rio rolls her eyes and follows the other witch, casting a spell to silence their voices to those around them. She had a feeling one of their intense arguments was soon to follow and she didn’t want to wake the others.
The green witch leans against the doorframe of the kitchen and watches as Agatha pretends to busy herself with cleaning up the food. “So…are we gonna talk about this?”
Agatha whips around and glares at her. “Oh, so now you want to talk?”
Rio’s already glad for the spell she cast. “Agatha-”
“Don’t Agatha me. You disappear for weeks! And then have the nerve to show up here uninvited!” The purple witch tries to hide it, but the pain in her voice is evident.
The green witch’s heart clenches. She hadn’t realized Agatha had taken her disappearance so hard. To be honest, the other woman was so closed off with her feelings Rio sometimes didn’t even know if Agatha wanted her around or not.
“I disappeared for a reason.”
“Why are you always disappearing!”
“Because you’re always pushing me away!”
“I’m not!”
“Please, you couldn’t even answer a simple question in a game, Agatha. At least I’m not afraid to say how I feel!”
Agatha blinks, but doesn’t respond. She doesn’t have a comeback for that. The earth witch was right. Agatha was terrified of how she felt toward the woman in front of her.
Rio shakes her head. “This was a mistake.”
The green witch turns to go but Agatha catches her arm in a panic. “Wait!”
“What!” No one could make Rio Vidal angry like Agatha Harkness.
“You want to know the answer? You’re the answer! Kiss, Marry, Kill. You’re the answer to all three! You’ve always been the answer!”
Rio stares. Agatha’s chest heaves in anger and emotion and now terror as she admits how she truly feels for the green witch. How she’s always felt about Rio in all their time apart.
A beat goes by, then Rio smirks and leans closer. “And which one do you want to do now?”
Agatha bites her lip and looks at Rio’s. “Kill you.”
“Uh huh.”
“Hey, it’s the only one I haven’t done.”
Rio softens at that. In their time reunited, it’s the first time Agatha admitted that they had actually been married. Actually they still were married. They had been too busy trying to kill each other to ever get a divorce.
The green witch just pulls Agatha closer, “Sorry, that’s not an option anymore.”
Agatha looks at her curiously, something in the tone making her pause at the statement. “What do you mean?”
Rio bites her lip. Agatha swears she doesn’t stare at it. The green witch shrugs, “I gave up my job as Death.”
“What??”
“That’s what I asked for from the road. That’s where I’ve been the last few weeks. Dealing with the fallout of that. Turns out, a lot of people get upset when Death quits.”
Agatha’s mind races. She always knew Rio both loved and hated her job. Yet it was such a part of her identity, she never thought the green witch would give it up. She never even knew she could. Actually, Rio probably didn’t think she could either until she had walked the road.
“Why did you do it?”
Rio tilts her head, “Do you really not know?”
Do you still love her? Yes.
Agatha knew.
She pulls Rio in by the jacket for an intense and emotion filled kiss. Rio immediately responds and presses Agatha back up against the counter. Hands tangle in each other’s hair as the two lovers finally reunite after decades of longing. Agatha finally feels complete. The Road gave her her magic back, but this is what she truly needed.
After a while Agatha has to pull away for breath, “You didn’t have to do that for me.”
Rio just shakes her head. “I wish I had done it sooner.” She pulls back, “then Nicky…”
Agatha shakes her head and grasps Rio’s face. “That wasn’t your fault. Even if you didn't have that job…it was…beyond either of our control.”
Rio presses her forehead to the other woman’s and wipes at the tears forming in Agatha’s eyes. “I love you Agatha.”
Agatha lets the words wash over her and she pulls Rio in closer. “I love you too, Rio.”
The two witches fuse together again in a passionate kiss. Rio trails kisses up Agatha’s jawline to her ear. “Does this mean you’ll be my wife again?”
Agatha pulls back to look into Rio’s eyes. She conjures up the ring Rio had given her all those centuries ago. “Who said I ever stopped?”
The green witch feels herself being overcome with emotion surges back to meet Agatha’s lips. She tugs on Agatha’s button up shirt, tearing it open.
Agatha pretends to be offended, “What do you think this is? Seven minutes in heaven?”
Rio grins, “Actually, I was thinking of the more explicit version of Kiss, Marry, Kill.”
The purple witch rolls her eyes but starts tugging at Rio’s clothes in just as much earnest. They had a lot of lost time to make up for.
Rio was definitely glad she cast that silencing spell.