A/N: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. You know, I was enjoying my holiday daze. I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and are having a great start to the new year. At the very least, here's a new chapter to kick off the new year with. As always, please excuse my grammatical missteps. Of course, you should be used to it by now ;)

A quick shout out to all the reviewers! I do read the reviews, probably a little too intensely haha. And thank you to all the followers ,old and new. You are rad :)

I own nada, at least when it comes to Maleficent copyrights . Bon Lecture!


Aurora had dragged herself out of bed in the fading light of the late afternoon. Now, she stood at the kitchen counter again, like she often did, except now she had a certain guest observing her from the bed.

Maleficent had been awake for a while now, even longer than Aurora herself. Aurora had awoken to dazzling green eyes staring at her. Apparently, the blonde had been talking in her sleep, and from the feel of the still drying rivulets on her cheeks, she may have been doing more than merely speaking.

Upon realizing Aurora had woken up, Maleficent immediately took up a more guarded posture, even while the two girls lie in bed. There was still a softness in her eyes, however, as she reached to touch the remnants of tears on her companion's face.

Aurora turned her face away before Maleficent had the chance to puzzle any longer. Uncomfortable with the slew of emotions inside of her, Aurora turned her back to Maleficent and awkwardly got out of bed, guilt over her abrasiveness being added to the confusing menagerie of feelings she was experiencing.

Maleficent watched. She watched as the other girl pulled on yet another dull colored dress and brushed the back of her hands across her cheeks to dry them. She watched as the small girl took a fish from the line drying above the fireplace and made a show of packing it in salt before hanging it up again. She did the same thing for the rest of the fish Maleficent had brought her, moving back and forth from the fireplace to the coupled water and salt barrels by the counter and back to the flames again. Aurora paced the floor without saying a word, and Maleficent just watched as Aurora hung up the last fish and rubbed her hands down her apron.

"It's too cold to hang them up outside." Aurora said ,finally breaking the silence but still not looking towards her guest. Instead, Aurora stood staring into the flames of the still burning fire and sighed. "There's no way I could keep a smokehouse running , you know. It's much too enough wood to keep the fire burning..." She cleared her throat uncomfortably, her hands sliding up and down her dress in a smoothing motion.

Hearing the silence that followed, Aurora turned around and finally addressed her guest directly. "I'm sorry. I … you know." The poor girl began tearing up again, and hurriedly try to dry the tears before they escaped her lids. "I'm sorry, I'm just being so silly." She sniffed, giving a self-deprecating chuckle . The laugh caught in her throat and cracked, replaced by sob. Maleficent stared shocked at the woman's tears and finally moved from bed to... do something to make her companion feel better, she sure what yet.

Aurora was still wiping at her eyes and looking away in an attempt to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, I really don't do this… I mean I really don't cry. " The blonde girl steadied her breathe , or at least tried to. "It's just that, well really I haven't thought of that day since…" lost in the memory, Aurora acquiesced and gave into all out crying, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly. "I'm just really not alright, with feeling these things, Maleficent, I must not allow myself -"

The sobbing girl's statements were soon cut off by the feel of Maleficent's warming presence looming near her, and the feel of an already familiar grip around her waist. Maleficent awkwardly held Aurora at arms length, not really sure what she should do. But realizing Aurora's sudden reduction of noise with the new contact, Maleficent warily and softly pulled Aurora closer to her body, letting the smaller girl rest her head against her chest. Aurora's hands moved from their protective perch in front of her face, and slowly slid down over Maleficent's sides to complete the embrace. "I'm supposed to be strong."" Aurora whispered miserably , the weighted syllables taking on a in a wavering tone as her grip around her counterpart tightened and her sobs slowly subsided.

"Strong," Maleficent repeated softly and soothingly, seemingly just to make a note of the word. She could feel Aurora's lungs heaving against her torso, the shaky breaths being taken in and noisily expelled into the air around them. She had cried before, of course. But she had never felt another human being and felt them crying. It was like feeling the breathing of a rabbit in your arms, except bigger ,and somehow more fragile.

Maleficent had a sudden ache in her heart for her friend, and it hurt. Instead, she gently began brushing her fingers up and down Aurora's back, recalling the calming motion Aurora had applied to herself. It didn't seem to matter much where the motion was applied, Maleficent thought, as continued her sweeping motion, hearing Aurora's breathing level out and the tired body relax against her own.

Aurora was breathing almost completely normal now, except for the occasional grating inhale. Her hands had traveled up higher on Maleficent's back, exploring the welcoming contours and curves. She breathed to the metronome of Maleficent's strokes on the back of her head and back, breathing deeply as the woman dragged her fingers back up her spine to start the descent over again. It had been a very long time since she had let someone see her cry. She thought sadly of her lack of comfort in general, the lack of love in her life.

But Maleficent was here, as miraculous as it may seem, and the way they were holding each other seemed vaguely familiar, reminiscent of a feeling she had not let herself long for or dwell on at all. But as a matter of fact, she was feeling it again, because of a wild girl who lived in the forest no less. And she couldn't make herself pull away. She didn't want to.

"I've been so very… alone." Aurora confessed , to herself as well as to her new friend, melancholy and regret lacing her words.

"Alone." The horned woman repeated, something in her chest twinging at the pain in Aurora's voice. She understood it somehow; somehow Aurora was speaking what Maleficent felt. Her own eyes began to water on their own accord, but she warded them off. She wanted to say something very badly, but she didn't know what or how. So , she simply stated "Aurora." and held the smaller girl closer, for as long as she could stand.

Neither knew how many minutes had passed, but it was considerably darker outside by the time Aurora finally pulled away.

Maleficent opened her eyes, not knowing when she closed them, at the break of contact.

"Well," Aurora sniffed with a goofy smile as she wiped away the remainder of her tears. "This is the most crying I've done in...forever."She sniffed,looking up at her most valued friend and smiled again. "Thank you." she said earnestly.

Only receiving silence and a puzzled frown from Maleficent ,Aurora laughed good naturally . " You're supposed to say 'you're welcome'." Aurora grinned, emphasizing the polite phrase. After a beat, Maleficent simply pulled Aurora into another embrace ,burying her face into the golden hair. Aurora laughed again and heard Maleficent happily whisper "You're welcome," before reluctantly pulling away. As was quickly becoming routine, the two girls stared at each other in an attempt to express their feelings to the other. Soon, however, Maleficent noticed the darkening sky outside and her face hardened.

"Do you have to go?" Aurora asked instinctively, seeing Maleficent's expression as she stared out the window. "Can't you stay...just until morning?" Aurora asked, knowing that the preoccupied girl wouldn't understand, but trying anyway.

Realizing that she had to leave soon, Maleficent turned back toward Aurora and stared at her with a rather sad expression.

"It's alright, " Aurora smiled sadly , " Just be safe…"

Maleficent just kept staring at Aurora as the smaller girl avoided eye contact.

"You really should stop staring at me like that," Aurora finally laughed halfheartedly. "It makes it really hard to think about anything else…"

Maleficent continued staring.

"You should go." Aurora implored.

Green and yellow irises bore into her.

"Really." Aurora began feeling a familiar warmth. She averted her eyes in embarrassment.

"I mean really if you want to go home you should go now. Before it's dark Maleficent," she continued. " I mean...unless you don't want to go?" She inquired hopefully.

But when she looked back , Maleficent was frowning at the window again and shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.

Aurora smiled and pulled Maleficent in for a hug before leading her towards the door.

Maleficent savored the feeling of Aurora in her arms again but willingly followed Aurora towards the exit, knowing she really should leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow, though, yeah?" Aurora asked.

The taller woman didn't reply but instead reached her hand up to cup the smaller girl's cheek. Aurora blushed at the feeling of Maleficent's fingers gliding softly across her skin. Maleficent kept staring intently at the reddened girl, and smiled. She waited for Aurora to stare back , and when Aurora finally worked up the nerve, Maleficent grinned broadly. Satisfied, she dropped her hand from the heated face and made a small nod with her head before turning sharply and running off around the side of the house and into the woods.

Aurora sighed and closed the door, surveying the expanse of her domain, which seemed much emptier now without a certain forest dweller to fill it.

Spotting the small pot of soup she had taken from the fire earlier, Aurora moved to heat herself up some supper. Along the way, she spied a curious lump of fur poking out from behind the container. Stepping closer, she laughed as she discovered that there was still a creature of the forest dwelling in her home.

"Hello, little rabbit sir." She cooed as she picked the calm creature up. "It's so nice of you to stay and keep me company." Pacing to the table, she grabbed a carrot from the vegetable basket and placed it on the floor along with the animal.

" I think I'll call you...Phillip." Aurora laughed, thinking of the boy of the hunter whom she had known as a child. He had been her first kiss, and a disappointing one at that. But he was kind, and he came to visit every so often, usually to ask for some tailoring to be done.

"You know, you remind me of him a lot , now that I think about it." Aurora said after she had reheated the soup and was grabbing a bowl and for her dinner. " Very quite, nice, moderately cute." Aurora glanced down at Phillip the rabbit as she took her seat near the table. "Except you're much more interesting." She said thoughtfully and turned her attention to her food.

Later that night, after she had made sure everything was in it's place and taken care of- Phillip fed and in his basket, logs on the fire, windows closed- Aurora stood in the middle of her cabin and let out a breathe of relief. But as her thoughts strayed from menial tasks to her inner depths, she realized that she was still yearning for her friend-with her heart as well as...other parts of her being.

"This is really getting ridiculous, " she rolled her eyes at herself. But then, remembering the feel of Maleficent's warmth and wetness and the sound of her cries...

Aurora staggered to her bed and threw off her dress.

"What a mess," Aurora thought gleefully, jumping into the tangled mess of sheets left from the two bodies earlier that evening. She lay still for a moment and reveled in the memory of the day. She thought of Maleficent and smiled. She could still smell some of the other girl's scent in the sheets. She breathed in deeply and let her hands wander, recalling images of the girl who was here just mere hours before-the curves hidden below sheets, the warmth radiating from beneath them, the smile that warmed her heart and the eyes. Oh dear the eyes, Aurora thought. Aurora thought of the eyes and she was lost.

Maleficent lounged in her cave with darkness surrounding her. She was lying on her nest of animal furs, trying to process the day. She couldn't get the image of Aurora's bare body out of her mind, for whatever reason. It must be because it was so strange to see her out of her garb, she reasoned, knowing it wasn't the truth. She had the strange feeling again, in her mating area but she didn't want to release it herself. she wanted to ask Aurora to do it. Every time. She would ask Aurora at next light, she decided. And every time after that. and Aurora would ask her and she would do it gladly, happily. She couldn't wait, Maleficent smiled to herself and turned to go to sleep. As she was drifting away, she was fairly sure she heard the echo of a familiar scream of ecstasy.

But it was probably just a dream.


AN: Oh, so many feelings, so little ways to express them.

So, here's the part in the author's not where I spell out a little bit of the pathos behind my characters.

Aurora probably has an ocular fixation. I probably would too if I were staring into some amazingly magical orbs.

On a more problematic note, she's a classic case of a person who distracts themselves with physical work so as not to dwell on the mental; Basically, she avoids her emotions by concentrating on tasks at hand. It's a pretty handy survival technique- especially for a kid who has to basically care and look out for herself. Except , you know, there is the inherent and basically imminent mental and spiritual issues that usually accompany repressed emotions and traumatic experiences. As they say, you can't run from yourself. But no worries, both she and Maleficent with be sorting out their personal demons soon enough.

At any rate, more strange sex scenes and awkward encounters to come. Oh goodie.:)