Mother and godmother are two very different things.

Maleficent sighed as she sat and watched Aurora chase after Diaval in some sort of game that resembled tag but Maleficent wasn't sure what the actual rules were. Not that she cared.

A girl her age needs a mother to talk to.

Diaval Said You Loved Me, Is It True?

Her mind whirled with the thoughts of the previous night. Aurora had expected her to say no. Not to mention the poor girl had cried herself nearly ill.

She expected me to get so angry I would leave her, then she thought someone like me couldn't love her. Whatever that man did, I hope he is paying for it.

She thought bitterly

Maleficent wouldn't deny that she loved the child but she wasn't mother material, hell, she couldn't remember her own mother. An Aunt? Perhaps. A mother, no.

She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by something cold and wet hit her square in the face.

Reaching up to wipe away the substance she glanced over at the suddenly silent Aurora, eyes narrowing slightly.

That was until Diaval started to laugh.

he had to be the one to start this..

She thought, moving to stand and walk over to where they were. She could feel Aurora watching her, barely breathing.

"Real mature."

She commented as she walked into the stream, kneeling as though going to wash the mess off into the stream.

Neither expected her to catch Diaval off guard with her own projectile of muck.

"You two really didn't think this through."

"Hey! She's the one who hit you!"

Aurora seemed to still be holding her breath as if waiting for the aftermath.

"Oh is she?"

Maleficent narrowed her eyes at the girl before adding "what shall we do about it?"

she saw the way her ward's lips twitched.

She wants to laugh but is Frightened.

She thought as she made her way over to the girl, seeming to debate a moment before gingerly wiping some of the dirt along the girl's cheek. The girl already was dirty, it wasn't going to add to it but it did earn a sheepish grin.

"Come on, we need to get cleaned up."

Diaval watched in silent amusement as Maleficent slowly worked Aurora's hair into braids. He had expected Maleficent's reaction, just not the face full of mud it earned him.

He knew something had to happen to ease Aurora's reserves about her godmother, even if the previous night had seemed to break down some of the barriers.

"What are you gawking at?"

Maleficent jarred him from his thoughts, though he just grinned.

"Oh, nothing."

She said she didn't know how to care for a child, yet she was doting on Aurora like a mother lion last night. I just hope that this camping trip brings them closer and maybe brings Maleficent out of it.

Ignoring her mumbling, He thought back to all the times she had heard Maleficent make a comment about her injuries and scars.

It was half the reason she saw herself unable to care for Aurora, though he wasn't sure how much of that was truly about that and not about wanting to blame Aurora for what Stefan did.

Why can't she see that she isn't broken? That just because that man hurt her so badly doesn't mean anything about who she is?