Glimmer was lying to her mother. It wasn't something she was against as a rule, but it was harder this time because it was something that could easily go very wrong. Thankfully it was Sunday so school wasn't a problem, and her mom left But they had spent breakfast with a clearly overly agitated Adora and Lily had been completely quite like she did when they first came. But now it was likely she didn't want to share their secrete. Glimmer was trying to act normal but it was hard to not act a little bit strange.

She got a few strange looks from her mother, but in a stroke of luck, she was called away for something work-related so they could all breathe out. Adora was taking some food up to Catra and Glimmer followed. She was uncomfortable with all of this. She was hiding a girl in her room, and not even for fun reasons. She was doing it because Adora didn't think sending her still really injured...friend, away with no help would be good. And Glimmer did agree it would be a dick move. But considering how much pain Catra had put Adora through she didn't trust her. And she might be jealous, just a bit.

Catra might actually look worse that day. Her brown skin was tinged in grey and Adora had to dump a trash can with vomit it in it to the displeasure of all of them more than once. Glimmer felt slightly bad for being pissed at someone who looked like hell warmed over.

So she just sat with the other two quietly. As Catra at the toast and drank some of the juice. Trying to pretend this wasn't an unnerving or uncomfortable experience in the slightest.

Adora grabbed her phone from her pocket. She muttered something under her breath the only word Glimmer caught being "fucking" and "time"
"You okay?" Glimmer asked.
"I forgot we had a soccer game today." Adora said, "I hate not going but..."
"I'll be chill," Catra said turning so her feet dangled over the edge of the bed. Standing up she grabbed her head and slightly tumbled. But then stuck her hands over her head, "see totally fine."
"You're swaying." Adora said, "And you threw up like 10 minutes ago. And you still have an unhealed knife wound."
Adora sounded weary listing off these things.
"I don't want you to miss your shit," Catra said.
"I get that. You still like me and your trying to be nice"
"What? No, I don't! I just don't need you."
"Says the girl who limped all the way to see me, while bleeding from her gut."
"Hey, it was you or Scorpia and Entrapta. Scorpia is a great back up and Entrapta is a tech whizz but I don't trust them to stitch me up"
"Exactly you needed me, and now you're being nice because, you like me," Adora said with a kind of smug smile.
"I don't like you!" Catra retorted
"Whatever. But I'm not going to choose soccer over you." Adora said with a hand wave
"Again" Catra muttered sitting down laying her head in her hands with a groan.
"You attacked me." Adora snapped, but she looked almost more hurt than mad.
"I have a plan. Adora can go to her game, and I can look after Catra." Glimmer cut in.
"What?" Both of the other girls said.
"I can take care of someone with the flu. I can stop her from falling over. And you can fix the dressing before you leave." Glimmer surmised.
"Adora' Catra whined.
"Look. Adora you don't want to leave her without protection, I can watch her. Catra you don't want to feel guilty for keeping her from leaving. This solves both those problems."
Adora looked apprehensive but nodded.
"Fine by me then," Catra grumbled.

Adora left them listing off things Catra wasn't allowed to do with a head injury, and to be careful about what she ate. And even added things about Lily she already knew.
"Look I can do this Adora. Trust me?"
"Right. Course I do." Adora said, "Don't burn the house down."

Glimmer made her way back up to Catra's room after glancing in on Lily who was watching some cartoon on the big tv. She had decided she should get to know Catra, there had to be some reason Adora liked her so much. And they hadn't ever met under good circumstances.

Glimmer sat on the desk Chair and met eyes with Catra who was looking up from her phone which was beat to all hell and had to be fished out of the garbage where it had ended up after being left in her pants pocket.

"I don't need a babysitter," Catra said.
"I know. But we don't know anything about it each other." Glimmer replied.
"I'm catra, I like long walks on the beach and saving puppies." She said sarcastically making a face and batting her eyelashes.
Glimmer rolled her eyes, "Look you don't have to be a bitch about this. I figured we could give each other a second chance. Because we're not fighting right now. And Adora isn't here for us to fight for attention from."
"I don't fight for her attention"
"Yeah, you do." Glimmer said.
"Whatever."
"Look, you can ask me something first. Then I ask you. We both have to answer and have to be truthful. That way we can both have blackmail on the other person."
Catra looked apprehensive but nodded, "Why did you let me stay?"
"Oh um. Because I don't exactly want to be responsible for you like dying on the street. And Adora wanted you here." Glimmer said, surprised that was her first question, "How long have you known Adora?"
"Almost twelve years," Catra answered. She shifted to sitting all the way up wincing. "Are you dating Adora?"
"Yes, I am. What's your favourite colour?"
"Red. Have you had sex with Adora?"
"Wow, personal." Glimmer huffed. She felt her face flush red. She thought Adora was hot and all, but she was not ready for that yet.

"We have to answer and truthfully. Those were your rules right?"
"Fine. No, we haven't."Glimmer thought for a second. She really wanted to know if Catra and Adora had ever had a thing. The way they were clingy with each other, sleeping in the same bed, the fact Catra slept in just a t-shirt with her. But she also needed to know when she planned to leave. Asking if they were thing was probably more likely to get her blacklisted. Adora always ended up spluttering and saying Glimmer didn't get it when she asked, Catra would likely be just as wigged out by it. "How long are staying here?"

"Can't wait to get rid of me?" Catra teased, "I Don't know. It will depend if I heal quickly. Concussions keep fucking me up more the more I have. Also whenever you and Adora kick me out, or your mother realises I'm hiding out here I guess. Do you Love Adora?"
Glimmer, "Yes I do. Do you?"
Glimmer winced at her own question, but the answer and question had come to her so quickly she had not thought it through.
Catra looked blankly at her, "What do you mean?
"Adora. Do you love her? And you have to answer."
"Yes."
"Wait, what?" Glimmer was somewhat surprised that she had answered, and truthfully.
"Yes, I do love her." Catra looked away from Glimmer her hand drifting over where the knife had cut into her.

Catra's face wasn't made of the sharp edges of anger or pain Glimmer was used to. Catra looked like she was just a kid like the rest of them. She had seen her smile, and look sad and it did change Glimmer somewhat. It was easier to understand this person was someone Adora would do anything for. But Glimmer was still concerned, she knew how much danger Catra did represent, to Adora.

"As in like love-love?" Glimmer asked.
"Not your turn for a question. My question is, how bad do you think your mom will hurt us if she finds me? Like what should I brace for?"
"She might yell. But she won't hurt you." Glimmer said a pang of sadness ran through her that it was Catra's assumption she would get beat. It made her remember how Anxious Adora had been when she first met Glimmer's mom. But she did need to know if Catra and Adora were a thing, "Okay now, do you love Adora romantically or just like platonic love?"
"I honestly don't know. I can't say I stopped loving her. But it's just so fucked now. How has Adora been since we quit talking and the shit with Shadow Weaver?"
"On edge, anxious, flashbacks all that PTSD stuff. But getting better I hope. Have you and Adora had sex?"
Catra snorted, "No. Unless she got some in the past few months, I think she's still a virgin. Never did get as drunk as me at parties."
Glimmer watched a shadow pass over Catra's face and she seemed to stare off into space. "Uh umm, Favourite singer?"
"Taylor Swift." Glimmer answered
"God basic," Catra replied
"Don't judge." Glimmer said, a real smile crossed her face and she was pleased Catra returned the smile even if it was brief. "What was Adora like when she was little?"

"Oh god." Catra looked off into space again, "Really not that different. Always thought she could be a superhero, or a Disney princess one of the two. She had the whole orphan plus tragic backstory plus heart of gold thing going for her. Always the best at everything, super perfectionist, irresistible to all the adults and the other kids. And so fucking protective and wanting to control everything. Always loved all of it."
"Yeah, a of that sounds like my Adora." Glimmer replied.
"But what the hell would you know?" Catra said her face turning back into hard edges.
"That my question?" Glimmer shot back, "Then here you go. I know you broke her heart by what you did. I know she would do anything to protect people. I know you're wrong about her loving it. She doesn't even think she's worth it when she can't do things perfectly. I know she's struggling so much just like you are. I know she just as confused as all of us. And I know that heart of gold is real, and if any of us could be even close to as good as Superman she's second only to Bow in goodness."
Catra glared at her, "what's my question?"

Glimmer breathed in trying to calm herself down for a moment. "Did you ever like Adora romantically?"

Catra glared deeper, Glimmer didn't even know that was possible, a better look of scorn than her mother had.

"Yeah probably did. But other stuff always mattered more. She was my everything. I had nothing and nobody else. So I probably loved her in every way there was."

Glimmer swallowed deeply. A tiny bit of guilt twinged in her, taking away someone's everything felt kind of shitty. Even if she did rationally know it was Adora's choice and not her fault.

They both jumped when Lily came running in. She danced on her feet in front of Glimmer.
"What?" Glimmer asked
"Can I have a snack."
"Oh umm sure course you can."
"Can I have graham cracker"
"sure?"
"And chocolate milk?"
"Sure."
And she quickly turned and left as quickly as she had burst in.
"Okay, I don't think I ever had that much energy. Catra said
"Or maybe we're just getting old." Glimmer replied.
"Yeah probably," Catra said.
Glimmer looked at Catra who was laying back with a grimace on her face.
"I'm going to make sure Lily doesn't cover the whole kitchen in Nesquik."
"Have fun," Catra muttered with a hand wave.

Glimmer walked to the kitchen. Lily had actually managed to make her lunch with only minimal chocolate over the counters, most of it seemed to be smudged around her mouth. Glimmer sat down next to her grabbing a graham cracker.
"Hey!" Lily said.
"You aren't going every cookie do you?"
"No," Lily said
"Then let's share them."
"I'm in first grade, not kindergarten I know how to share."
"Uhu" Glimmer said smiling at Lily.
"Am I your family.?" Lily asked.
Glimmer's thoughts seemed to stop like she'd hit a brick wall.
"Ahhh," Glimmer said, staring at these big glassy eyes framed by her curls with milk smudges around her mouth. Her hand reached for a napkin without thought. As she leaned forward she realised that her now unconscious instinct to clean up her face meant that yes, yes she was.
When she leaned back she smiled at the younger girl, "You bet. You're absolutely my family."
Lily beamed and Glimmer brought her into a hug causing the little girl to giggle and squirm.
When she let her go she stuck her tongue out at Glimmer and then laughed her eyes dancing making Glimmer's heart swell.

Glimmer checked on Catra a little while after and Catra was still sleeping. Glimmer ended up watching Mulan in the living room with Lily who had smacked glimmer with her arm more than once as she bounced and waved her arms as he excitedly watched the movie.

Glimmer noticed Adora leaning on the Door frame watching them.
"Adora's home." Glimmer told Lily.
Lily jumped up and ran to meet Adora who hugged her.
"Glimmer watched Mulan with me."
"I can see that."
"She let me have chocolate milk."
"Sounds fun"
"She stole my crackers"
"Did she?"
"Yup"
"Have you had real food?"
"Is mack and cheese real food?"
"Yes."
"Then I did for lunch.'
"What about dinner?"
"It's only five Adora. The cooks are making Dinner tonight when mom gets home" Glimmer said.
Adora leaned in and kissed her deeply, Glimmer felt her heart flutter as Adora's arms pulled her tighter in. When their lips parted Glimmer smiled, it was the most amazing feeling even if Adora was sweaty.

"Aww," Lily said with a big smile, "I'm so glad you guys love each other."
"And we love you too." Glimmer said.
"Do you?" Lily turned to Adora.
"Of course I do. You, me, Glimmer we're family right?"
"And Bow?"
"And Bow." Glimmer agreed.
Lily glanced at the stairs but said nothing. It was likely meant to be unnoticed, even if it was clear what she was thinking Glimmer and Adora granted her the privacy not to bring it up. Glimmer also noticed her mother was left out of this list of family, she'd have to work on that.
"Finish the movie with me?"
"Well, I have to shower. You guys finish up. I'll be back down for food."
"You like food more than me?" Glimmer joked.
"I like food more than probably anyone. I would join the dark side for a cookie."

Glimmer rolled her eyes and sighed. Sitting watching the end of the movie, Glimmer felt good. Adora was still confusing to her in some ways, so much of her past and present was not something she really got. But kissing and hugging Adora, spending time with Lily felt like home. All of them together, It was right.