The next morning, Jennifer and Jane didn't show up for work and school respectively. Belle and Beast were worried, as Jennifer had never missed a day of work. Ben and Mal had tried to convince them that it was probably nothing, but as Jennifer was their oldest friend, Belle and her Beast couldn't help but worry.
So, that is how the former king and queen found themselves standing in the middle of the Fairy Godmother's kitchen, observing a very strange scene.
Jennifer was slumped against the bottom of the sink, asleep, with her arms wrapped tightly around her also sleeping daughter. Jane had her head resting on her mother's chest, gripping tightly to her as though she was afraid she was going to lose her.
It was a strange sight indeed, and the dried tear tracks on their faces didn't help the image much. Belle recovered first and moved forward, crouching down beside her friend.
"Jennifer?" she called softly, gently shaking the other woman. Jennifer's eyes fluttered slowly before opening and focusing on the former queen.
"Belle?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
"Yes, it's me. Are you alright?" Belle question in return.
"What do you mean?" Jennifer was completely confused until she realized her position and surroundings.
"You didn't come in to work today, and..." Belle trailed off, not wanting the words to come out wrong.
"And you're asleep on the floor like a peasant." Beast broke in. Belle glared up at him and put a finger to her lips, gesturing to a miraculously still sleeping Jane.
"Jennifer, where is Jason?" Belle questioned softly. Jennifer averted her eyes, gently stroking her daughter's hair.
"We're...having an inter-family spat." she finally answered carefully.
"Which means?" Belle pressed.
"I'd rather not say."
"You know, talking about it will surely make you feel better, really-"
"Belle, you may be a former queen, but that does NOT give you free access to all details of my personal life!" Jennifer snapped, causing the monarch to flinch. Jane began to stir as Belle stood and stepped back.
"Mommy?" her sleepy voice came. Jennifer continued to stroke the girl's hair, allowing her to wake up a bit more.
"Darling, why don't you head upstairs to your bedroom? I'm sure your bed is much more comfortable than this floor." she said softly. Jane opened her eyes more fully, only sparing Belle and Beast a small glance.
"Can I go get in your bed?" she asked shyly, not used to having the former king and queen at her house and certainly not used to them hearing conversations such as this. Jennifer nodded and, with a kiss to her head, sent her daughter off to her bedroom. She then pushed herself up off of the floor and stood to face her friends.
"I won't be in for a few days, and Jane won't be at school either." she stated with a tone of finality.
"Jennifer, what is going on? All of a sudden you're skipping work, allowing Jane to skip school, keeping secrets? What's happened to the Fairy Godmother we all know and love?" Beast asked.
"I'm going through a hard time, and so is Jane. Not that it's anyone else's business." Jennifer snapped. "I understand that you are concerned, but there is a fine line between concerned and just plain nosy. As I said, just because the two of you were the rulers of Auradon doesn't mean that you have full access to everyone's personal lives!" Belle and Beast both gave a single nod, their expressions giving nothing away.
"Alright. I suppose we'll...see you when we see you then." Belle said shortly. Jennifer stayed silent as they walked out before sighing and pouring a glass of orange juice for Jane and a glass of scotch for herself. Normally she didn't drink, as it wasn't something the "heroes" did on a daily basis, but she felt that the situation allowed it. She slowly made her way up the stairs and into her bedroom where she found Jane curled around Jason's pillow. Her heart went out to her little girl, and she could feel tears building in her own eyes as she continued her journey to the bed and offered the orange juice to Jane.
The teen took it after a moment and sat up, taking a grateful sip, as her throat was unbelievably dry after a long night of crying and puking. Not a fun combination. Jennifer carefully sat down on the other side of the bed, taking a small sip of her drink as well.
"Thank you mama." Jane said quietly, setting her glass down on the nightstand.
"You're welcome." Jennifer replied in the same quiet tone, placing her own glass on the other nightstand. She carefully manuevered herself to lie down next to her daughter, who immediately moved into her side.
"Are we gonna be okay mom?" Jane's quiet voice broke through the silence. Jennifer gently hugged the girl, placing a kiss to her head.
"Yeah baby girl. We're gonna be okay." she answered. "No matter what happens between me and Jason, you and I are going to be okay. And we are going to raise that little baby of yours, and we're going to make sure that he or she knows that he or she is loved no matter what." Jane gave her mother a shaky, watery smile.
"Thank you mama. I love you."
"I love you very much my darling child." Jennifer replied. "And I know that you will make a wonderful mother."
"Only cause I learned from the best." Jane countered, hugging her mother tighter. "Mama...did you ever...find out who my biological father is?" She didn't want to say 'real' father. Jason was her real father in all the ways that counted. Jennifer was silent for a long time, worrying Jane slightly. Finally, she spoke.
"Yes darling, I did find out who he is." Jane's interest immediately piqued.
"Who is it?" she asked curiously. When her mother didn't answer, Jane lifted her head and found tears in the older woman's eyes.
"Baby girl, I'm just...not ready. Please understand." Jennifer begged. Jane nodded.
"It's okay mama. Does daddy know who it is?" Jennifer shook her head.
"Does...he know that I'm his daughter?"
"No! No, I never told him after I found out." her mother said adamantly, not wanting her daughter to think that her father didn't want her. "I just didn't think it would be right to uproot his life as well as yours."
"It's okay. I understand, I promise." Jane assured her, causing the distressed woman to calm down just slightly. They stayed silent a little while longer before Jennifer broke the silence.
"I'll tell you tomorrow darling." she said and felt Jane nod against her. "And I promise I'll answer any questions you have."
"Will you tell me about him mama? Please?" Jane requested. Slowly, Jennifer nodded, running her fingers through her child's hair.
"He used to call me Blue J. The letter J, not jay like...Jay." she recalled. Jane smiled.
"Cause you always wear blue and your name starts with J." she stated. Jennifer nodded.
"He was sweet and kind. One of the best men I ever knew. I loved him very much."
"How old were you when you met him?"
"Fifteen. We dated for three years, but he broke up with me a few days before my eighteenth birthday." Jane gasped.
"Why?" she asked. Jennifer smiled a humorless smile and gave a half shrug.
"To this day, I have no idea my love. He never gave me a reason. So, I have to admit that I looked in an old book and...sort of erased my memory of him. I'm not proud of it, but I was just so hurt that I didn't think I could take the memories. A month later, I found out I was pregnant with you, and I had absolutely no idea who could've been your father." she explained.
"What did grandma and grandpa do when you told them?" Jane asked. She'd never met her grandparents, and her mother rarely spoke of them.
"They were furious. They never even knew I'd had a boyfriend. My mother said I should give you up for adoption, and my father...well, his suggestion was quite a bit less humane." Jennifer said, still cringing at her father's callous and horrible attitude toward his unborn grandchild.
"How did the spell wear off?" Jane then questioned eagerly, wanting to know every detail. Jennifer laughed quietly at her enthusiasm.
"Well, I made sure I had one special friend who would be able to keep me away from things that could make the spell wear off. Her name was Viola. She was a fairy, and I trusted her more than anyone until I met Belle and Beast. Anyway, Viola managed to keep me away from everything that could make the spell wear off, but...she was killed by King Stephen's men during their hunt for Maleficent. I was married to Jason by then, and he convinced me that it would be a good idea to take you and go swimming in the Enchanted Lake while he was at work. You were two years old then. As soon as I got in the water with you, the spell wore off, and I remembered everything. I remember I started crying, and you reached up and started wiping my tears away, asking me what was wrong." she smiled softly.
Jane laughed and reached up, wiping away her mother's current tears.
"I remembered that he had to be your father, and I just cried and cried and cried until you hugged me and told me you loved me. You made everything better, and I thank God everyday that he gave me you." Jennifer told her daughter, who hugged her tightly.
"I love you mommy." she said in a small voice. Her mother laughed lightly and hugged her back.
"I love you too my darling girl. And I promise, I will tell you his name tomorrow."
So, what did you think? Who do you think Jane's father should be? And who's the father of Jane's baby?