A/N: next chapter is nothing but fluff. this chapter was supposed to be but it basically wrote itself.
Maleficent regretted letting Aurora stay up late when the teen seemed not only half dead but also in a bit of a mood. Maleficent had half the mind of postponing the trek out to the woods to set up camp but decided against it.
After all, it would seem too much like a punishment to Aurora and Maleficent certainly wasn't going to be that harsh because of a few barely thought out, snappy comments from the half-asleep girl. Now making her take a nap as soon as possible was another story.
After sending her off to collect firewood Maleficent allowed herself a moment to lean back against a tree and shut her eyes.
"She has been a little beast all morning." She commented, earning a chuckle.
"You both look dead today. What happened?" Diaval asked, and so Maleficent told him everything that she and Aurora had spoken about.
"She has nightmares too you know. She told me that the day you went to talk to her aunts." Diaval told her in return "she probably needed her godmother and was afraid to ask."
Maleficent opened her eyes then and sighed, moving to sit up.
"Of course she tells you these things."
Maleficent retorted, sighing.
"She should have told me if that was the case. I'm not that much of a witch."
Diaval smiled at that and looked up from where he was driving the last stake into the ground.
"These next few days should help with that. She won't have much choice but wake one of us up if she becomes overly frightened." He said, earning a nod.
"Diaval?"
Aurora began later that day as they walked along the stream, her eyes trained on the minnows that zipped by.
"Hm-mh."
"I think godmother may be upset with me."
She confessed, earning a chuckle.
"I think your godmother needs a nap above everything else. Why do you think she's upset?"
Aurora paused mid-step as she remembered both the previous night and that morning.
"I was a bit rude this morning. I didn't mean to be but she kinda went all quiet and…"
Diaval's hand ruffling her hair made her stop and look up.
"I think she was less upset and more letting you simmer down." He replied, "if you had upset her, she would have let you know."
His answer caused her to stiffen slightly. What would Maleficent be like if she got angry?
She relaxed when Diaval pulled her into a sideways hug.
"You know, even if she ever does become upset, you never have to be afraid of her right? She loves you too much."
She loves me?
Aurora wondered if that was true, after all, Maleficent had never really told her she did. Sure she had taken care of her and had been kind but was that the same as love?
Had her father loved her?
Did Diaval love her?
She didn't dare ask but she was sure she loved both Maleficent and Diaval equally.
Maleficent could see that something was wrong as the evening progressed and Aurora remained quiet, staring into the fire or wandering a distance away.
"Go talk to her. A girl that age needs a mother to talk to and you are her godmother." Diaval said as he knelt by the chair where Maleficent sat, earning a sigh.
"I am not her mother. Being a mother and a godmother is a very different thing." Maleficent retorted, earning a chuckle.
"Go talk to her."
Maleficent sighed and forced herself to her feet, walking over to where her goddaughter was sitting.
"Are you alright Beastie? You've been quiet tonight." She prompted, taking a seat beside Aurora who glanced over at her with red-rimmed eyes.
"I'm alright, godmother."
Maleficent narrowed her eyes at her slightly as she retorted "you've been crying, Aurora."
She watched her goddaughter bite her lip, eyes training on the ground.
"I don't want to talk about it,"
Maleficent reached over and gently tucked a stray hair behind her goddaughter's ear.
"Alright but you can talk to me about anything at all." She said.
A heavy thick silence came over them for some time before Aurora finally spoke again.
"I'm sorry about this morning."
Maleficent just chuckled and put an arm around her, pulling her closer.
"I forgive you." She said before adding "besides a snappy comment here and there is nothing to hold a grudge over."
She knew that this wasn't what was bothering Aurora. If it was the words would have been a balm to her, not make her expression darken but what could be causing her goddaughter to be so upset?
"Come on, let's go for a walk. I think we could both use it."