Summary: (Pre-cannon, sorta witches among humans AU) Eda's got what they call a gypsy soul; she's a ramblin' woman and she was born for leaving. That was never a problem — Eda was never that attached to any of the people she dated — until Raine came along. But this isn't a fairytale, and Raine doesn't change Eda. And once again, Eda is back to leavin'.

Angst Warning: ANGSTY

Mature/ Trigger Warning: Break-ups, depression, losing a loved one, watching a loved one leave, losing love, running away, anxiety, depressive thinking, suicide, major character death, alcohol abuse/poisoning

She'd trade Colorado if he'd take her with him

Lately, Raine felt as if Eda was drifting away. They used to spend hours texting and calling each other and stayed awake well into the night, wondering who would hang up first. They used to share stolen kisses in the moonlight and sneak away from parties and meetings to hang out in their favorite spots. Okay, you get the point. But now, they texted for an hour, two tops. They rarely ever called each other and their kisses were getting more and more rare. Eda was always skipping things, but never with them. They knew Eda wasn't cheating on them, Eda didn't do that. But she was doing something worse. She was getting ready to leave.

The truth was, Eda wasn't good with long-term relationships. She stayed a few weeks, maybe months, but once the fun got out of the way, once it started to get serious, she would leave. Raine knew they were lucky. The two had been together for a year and a half. That was almost a year longer than most of Eda's past relationships. But still, Raine thought they would change Eda. That's what happened in books and fairy tales.

But this was real life.

And when Raine came home from their small job the next day, they knew they were right. They saw it in Eda's face before she even brought out her bags and grabbed her coat and scarf. Raine looked up at the love of their life and they knew. No amount of pleading would stop Eda from leaving. That was who Eda was. Raine just never thought that Eda would be leaving them.

Closes the door before the winter lets the cold in,
And wonders if her love is strong enough to make him stay,

"You're really leaving?" Raine whispered, hating the way their voice broke as Eda zipped up her jacket and wrapped her neck in her scarf. Eda sadly stared at Raine and without saying a word, broke their heart. She nodded. Raine wanted to yell and scream at her. But no, they mustn't. This was who Eda was. Raine should have known this was going to end this way. But they had hoped their love would be enough. That was a foolish thought.

"You'll find someone better," Eda laughed bitterly. "Someone who doesn't run away when things get too tough."

I only want you, Raine thought. They only wanted Eda, no one else. No one would bring Raine the joy Eda brought.

Raine watched as Eda pushed open the front door and the wind came sweeping in. Eda turned and smiled at Raine. Raine knew that would be the last time they would see Eda's smile in real life.

She's answered by the tail lights
Shining through the windowpane

"Goodbye, Rainestorm," Eda gave Raine a goodbye kiss, and then she was gone, out the door and into the cold. The door swung back open due to the wind. Raine locked it, staring through the window.

Come back! Raine wanted to scream but they didn't. They just watched as Eda started her car and the taillights lit up the front room through the small bay window they were watching Eda out of. Raine watched as Eda's headlights faded into the night.

He said I wanna see you again
But I'm stuck in colder weather

Eda promised that she would come back again, once she as out of what she referred to as "colder weather" whatever she meant by that. Raine knew that was a lie. Eda would always be trap in her little world that was cold as ice and darker than the darkest nights. And maybe that was no one's fault. Eda never knew real love.

Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then

"You won't be coming back," Raine muttered to the window they watched Eda vanish through. It was all they had left of her. "And you won't ever be calling again either."

Raine laughed bitterly. How could they ever think that things would work out between the two of them? Eda wasn't a lover; Raine was. They were two opposites. It was a wonder they even lasted this long.

She said you're ramblin' man
You ain't ever gonna change
You gotta gypsy soul to blame
And you were born for leavin'

"I lost you," Raine laughed hysterically. "I lost the love of my love."

Raine didn't know how long they stayed there. All they knew was that it was long enough for the sun to slowly begin to rise, making the sky a milky pink and the snow start to sparkle like crystals.

At a truck stop diner just outside of Lincoln,
The night is black as the coffee he was drinkin',

Eda didn't stop driving until she was states away from Raine. Then, sitting in her car at a small little road stop dinner out in the middle of nowhere, Eda burst into tears. Why did she have to be like this? She loved Raine, more than she would ever like to admit. Why couldn't she have just stayed? People always worked through the tough times, so why couldn't she?

Eda ordered the only wine she knew would help her forget about them. Apple blood, darker than the darkest of wines. Just a few sips and you would be drunk like you took ten shots. Eda wasn't going anywhere for a while. She booked a hotel down the street where she would be staying until she had enough energy to move to a new town and start the cycle all over again.

And in the waitress' eyes he sees the same 'ol light shinin',
He thinks of Colorado
And the girl he left behind

Maybe the apple blood was a bad idea. The waitress who was serving her had the same eager, young, innocent eyes that Raine had. Well, that they had before Eda ruined them. Such a messy, horrible word. But it fit. Edalyn Clawthrone was the type of woman you'll sell an arm and a leg just to kiss her. Like that Eric Church song. She's as pretty as a picture and every bit as funny as she is smart. Got a smile that'll hold you together and a touch that'll tear you apart. When she's yours she brings the sunshine. When she's gone the world goes dark. Yeah, she's heaven on the eyes... before she's hell on the heart.

Eda was the type of girl that began your world then ruined it. She should have never dated Raine in the first place; Raine was pure, innocent, kind. And she broke them. She broke the only person she ever really, and truly, loved.

He said I wanna see you again
But I'm stuck in colder weather

Maybe this time will be different, Eda thought to herself. Maybe I'll actually call this time.

Oh, who am I kidding? I never call.

And it would be better this way, anyway. If Eda called, she would have to explain herself. And she didn't even know what was wrong with her. She wanted Raine back, but it was hard. Too hard. And Eda didn't know how to deal with things that got too hard, her parents left her to fend for herself in that area. So Eda ran. And her running now broke someone she loved.

Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then

So Eda drank, hoping to wash away the memories of Raine, even for the night. But no matter how much she drank, she kept seeing Raine's face, breaking, shattering as she turned from them and headed out into the night. How many broken hearts had she left in her wake only for this one to shatter her very soul?

And why was Raine so different?

Eda knew. Because Raine was the only one who tried to help, to fix her. The one who showed her what love was really about, not just another person trying to hook up with her and boast to their friends. Because Raine actually loved Eda and they showed Eda the true meaning of love, as cheesy and corny and cliche as it sounded. And that's when Eda realized she had the ability to love, to really love.

Because she really loved Raine. But she left them too. Nothing changed in the end because Eda was still damaged beyond repair. And maybe Raine would be better off anyway, without her. She just dragged them down. This way, Raine would fly as high as the stars, chasing their dreams and being treated the way they should. The way they couldn't with Eda around.

She said you're ramblin' man
You ain't ever gonna change
Got a gypsy soul to blame
And you were born for leavin'(born for leavin')

"I guess I was born for leaving!" Eda muttered bitterly to herself. "I'm never going to settle down, I'm never going to have kids. I'm going to die alone in a crummy apartment because I had issues."

She was such a freak.

And Raine didn't deserve a freak. No one did, except for other freaks, perhaps. But not even the freakiest freaks deserved Eda. No one deserved someone as damaged as her.

Well it's a winding road
When you're in the lost and found

Eda paid her tab, a bottle of the expensive wine tucked under her arm. She thanked the waitress and the hostess multiple times, her speech slurred. They should have told her to stay. But it was late and they were tired and they weren't thinking straight. And off she went into the dead of the night, drunk as a skunk.

Eda's head was pounding, the world was spinning as she got behind the driver's seat of her car and just stared out into the dark, quiet hallway. Eda always thought things were prettier at night. So did Raine. Eda turned on the radio, hoping to drone out the deafening silence but all the stations were playing sappy/flowery music or love songs. It hurt and Eda turned off the radio, rolling down the windows as she drove away from the parking lot and into the night.

You're a lover I'm a runner
We go 'round 'n 'round

Raine stayed under their covers for the entire following day. Their other friends came and tried to get them to come out from under them, but Raine refused. They just wanted to be alone with their thoughts. Raine soon got their wish as their friends soon left them alone. But it wasn't what they wanted. As soon as they closed their eyes, they would see Eda's face.

"Why?!" Raine screamed into their covers. "Why did you leave me?! Didn't you love me?! Didn't you know I loved you?!"

But it was no use. Raine was a lover, Eda was a runner. And lover and runners only went round and round unless you stopped it. And Eda did stop it when she left.

And I love you but I leave you
I don't want you but I need you
You know it's you who calls me back here

Raine dragged themselves out from under the covers and pulled out their phone. With shaky hands, they called Eda, ready to beg her to come back. They couldn't live like this, maybe if the two of them worked together they would be able to figure out. But Eda didn't pick up.

And she never would ever again.

Oh I wanna see you again
But I'm stuck in colder weather

Raine gave up after a few tries and angrily slammed their phone into the nightstand that stood beside their bed. They cursed at themselves, that phone caused a small fortune, but luck was on their side for once and their phone was perfectly fine.

Raine dragged themselves into the bathroom where they took a sleeping pill and fell asleep moments after their head touched the pillow. Sleeping would help. Sleeping would make them forget. And they wanted to forget.

Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then

Two broke hearts, states apart. Still deeply in love with each other. If this were a fairy tale, or another normal romance story, the two would realize their mistakes and run to each other, meeting somewhere in the middle and probably kiss in the rain that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

But it isn't a normal romance story. And it's certainly not a fairy tale. This was real life. And no, Eda and Raine never met up with each other again. They didn't get back together or kiss in the rain. In fact, Eda would never date, or kiss, another living soul ever again.

Cause I'm a ramblin' man
I ain't ever gonna change
I gotta gypsy soul to blame
And I was born for leavin' (born for leavin')

Only in stories do lovers and runners get together. In real life, someone who's always leaving isn't going to get a happy ending. Especially not those who knew she made a mistake and wants to go back, even if she knows that her lover will be 100% better off without her in their life. Add in too much alcohol and a bunch of regrets, and you got a recipe for disater.

A horrible disaster, if one may add. One that will affect anyone who was even remotely involved.

When I close my eyes I see you
No matter where I am

No one knew how Eda managed to get to her hotel without crashing. Later, when the police would respond and check her alcohol levels, she was way over the legal amount. It was a miracle that she arrived in one piece, stumbling into the empty hotel lobby where she checked in and stumbled to her room. No one knew it at the time, of course not, but that would be the last time anyone saw her alive. By the poor hotel clerk who was missing her own lover who was always off to make more money and was waiting until she had enough money to leave the hotel behind and travel the world with her husband. The hotel clerk checked Eda in, told her room number and when and where breakfast was every morning, and wished her a good night. Eda nodded back, thanking her, and stumbled away but not before returning the good night to the clerk. The clerk smiled, most people didn't return her greetings and well wishes. If only she knew that would be the last known words of Edalyn Clawthrone, she may have said something, anything. But alas, no one knew what was going to go down that night.

I can smell your perfume through these whispering pines

Raine wouldn't learn of the news a day later, in the middle of the following night, when they woke up to their phone going off like crazy. They would reach over to see who was calling them in the middle of the night and see an unknown number. They would brush it off until they saw it was the tenth missed call from the same number and when they answered the next time it called, they would receive news that shattered their heart.

Edalyn Clawthrone, the love of their life, was found dead in a hotel bathtub with water dark with blood, a bottle of apple blood unopened beside the tub. Police and local officials claimed she must have been drunk, of course she was, the test they did came back that her alcohol levels were almost double the legal limit. No one knew how she made it to the hotel in one piece but she did and in her drunken state, she drew a bath, a bath that would end up killing her. And in her death bath would she mistakenly use a razer and cut too deep and end up dying slowly, alone, in a hotel bathroom.

But Raine knew the truth. It wasn't a mistake. No, Eda may have been drunker than a skunk but she knew what she was doing. The cuts on her arm were jagged and wild, like a drunk person had indeed done them, but there were enough that Raine knew they were done on purpose. Raine knew Eda better than anyone. They were the only ones who knew that Eda had killed herself, on purpose in that hotel bathroom, all alone. The marks on her skin were more than enough proof.

And then there was the letter.

I'm with your ghost again
It's a shame about the weather
I know soon we'll be together
And I can't wait till then
I can't wait till then

The letter was addressed to Rainestorm. After what happened, no one was allowed to call them that anymore. It took Raine months before they opened the letter but they finally forced themselves to, on the day that would be Eda's twenty-eight birthday. The letter was sloppy and to the point and there were watermarks all over it but Raine was able to get past all of that and Raine was able to read the last thing they even had of Eda.

My Rainestorm, the letter began so formally and Raine couldn't help but smile through their tears. I'm sorry for all I did to you. The year and a half with you was the happiest year and a half of my life. You showed me the real meaning of love. I'm sorry I wasn't the person you deserved. By the time you'll be reading this, I'll be dead.  Goodbye, Rainestorm. I love you.

P.S. Find someone who you deserve; because I was never that person. Stay strong, my beautiful Rainestorm.

Then it was signed, simply, with the girl who broke you

Raine never loved anyone after Eda, through. Because Eda was the only one they wanted. Some people blamed Eda for her downfall and claimed that Raine was better off without her. But Raine knew that, had Eda had even a few more days, she would have found her way back to Raine.

Because Raine was the only person that gave her warmth when she was stuck in colder weather.