Warning: this chapter kind of delves into hurt/comfort or angst territory (I never know how to properly categorise these things) with mentions of depression so read at your own discretion.

Cass' always warm smile was a familiar comfort when she opened her front door. Since Hiro and Tadashi were at the university science camp thing, I didn't have to worry about being interrupted or overheard.

"What's the problem, hun? You look… distressed." Cass poured me a steaming mug of cocoa, sitting me down at the kitchen counter. Two marshmallows floated on the chocolatey surface, just the way I liked it.

"You could say that… I needed to talk to someone I trust about this. And I trust you more than anyone. I'm so lucky to have you in my life. You practically saved me and I didn't know what I would have done where I would be if I hadn't met you."

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I know I was just your social worker at first, but I see you as more. You're like a friend, heck, even a daughter to me." Describing our relationship like that made my heart lurch a little, understandable considering what I'd been thinking about. "You can trust me with anything, Rapunzel."

"No judgement?" I asked hesitantly.

"None at all," she assured me, sitting opposite me with a cup of peppermint tea. The minty smell was soothing, even from a distance.

I took a deep breath. "Cass, you know what… incest is, right?" The word felt forbidden, like a curse, soft as it left my lips. Her eyes narrowed but she didn't make a sound, instead nodding and waiting to hear me out.

"Well, I think, and please don't freak out, but I think… I think I've developed a massive crush on my mom. There, I said it!" I braced myself for her to strike me, to splash her tea on me, to throw my out on my ear. Instead, she just prompted me with an attentive "go on…"

"My mother is beautiful in every way imaginable. She's physically gorgeous and one of the most nurturing people I know, even if we were separated for seventeen years. My feelings were small, dismissable at first, but they keep growing. I've caught glimpses of her changing before and it got me really excited. She walked in on me changing yesterday after not seeing my naked body since I was a baby and while we laughed it off at the time, I kind of liked the way she stared at me and took me in. I might be crazy, but I swear she slowed down to get a better look. Last night I missed my curfew and she spanked me as a punishment. Granted, she had some drinks and so had I, and she apologised after, but I didn't dislike it, and I think she didn't either. In fact, I would even say I liked it. It felt… intimate. Maybe it's because we've been separated for so long but now we've been reunited it's like our feelings of love have become more than just mother-daughter? And I know it's wrong and people see it as disgusting and unnatural but wasn't that what people used to say about being LGBT too? I just… I don't know what I should do. You're the wisest person I know, I thought you might be able to advise me on how to move forward with this. If you don't, if you hate me and never want to see me again I completely understand." I waited with bated breath for her answer as she seemed to consider her next words carefully. After what felt like an eternity, she broke the silence.

"Rapunzel, I want you to know I see you as part of my family. You understand that, right?" Her facial expression was somehow serious yet soft at the same time. I nodded, and she took a quivering breath.

"When Baymax pointed out that you're intersex the first time we met at the station… there was… well, let's just say my heart ached for you when you said that was one of the reasons your aunt hid you away."

It seemed every word she spoke was difficult for her, so I bottled up my own curiosity and let her continue at her own pace.

"I meant it when I said it's more common than you think," she continued, briefly glancing down into her lap. I noticed this gesture and the connection made itself clear, like a spark being lit, the strike of a match. If I was hearing that from anyone other than Cass, I may not have believed them.

"You mean you're…" She gave me a small nod, a faint indication of a smile gracing her lips.

"I can only imagine how isolated you must have felt, honey," Cass went on, not meeting my gaze, her eyes instead fixated on some far off point. "Even with support from my family, I felt so scared, so uncertain, so afraid every time I had to change in a locker room or go to a public pool or the beach. Eventually, I learnt to accept myself for who I am, but that took a long time and a lot of help." She reached across the counter, taking my hands in her warm, soft ones. "I'm so, so sorry you didn't have that support growing up. Even that day at the station, I felt I should have said something right off the bat, to make you know for sure you weren't alone. I was just…"

"You had no reason to," I cut her off, giving her hands a squeeze. "I know how scary it is being the way I am… the way we are. I don't hold it against you at all for not saying something back then. You hardly knew me at the time. That was for you to tell me if and when you felt ready, and I'm glad you felt that you could."

Her thumb brushed my cheek, the small gesture filling me with nothing but love for the woman who helped me get back on my feet and reunite me with my true family. "In the two years I've known you, how did you get so wise?" I could sense the pride and joy in her voice. Another moment of silence befell upon us, but not uncomfortable. I was so glad I could trust Cass with anything and everything.

"But, about what I was saying about my mother?" I had to work hard to keep my voice steady. I still didn't know what Cass thought of me, of my feelings towards my mom. She hadn't looked entirely repulsed by me which was a start. It also led me to believe there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Right, here comes the hard part." Another deep breath ensued as she braced herself for what came next. "My sister, Elizabeth. Lizzie. Tadashi and Hiro's mom. She was older, about three years older than me. Growing up, we were thick as thieves. She was always so fiercely protective of me, especially when kids our age in the neighbourhood found out about me being intersex. At the time, not much was known about it. It was never talked about and as far as I knew, I was the only person in the world like that. I'm sure you understand that feeling." I nodded silently.

"My sister was the most empathetic person I knew. Whenever I was picked on, I only shed tears in private, not wanting to worry anyone or be a burden. She always cried on my behalf, even though she was older, even though she was normal. Annoyed the heck out of my parents who didn't understand it.

As we grew older, our bond strengthened. She would always tell me 'there's nothing wrong with different'. I had just entered middle school and had the roughest first day to date. That night, I sobbed into my pillow, trying to muffle my sadness. We shared a room, but she was supposedly watching a movie with my parents in the living room so I thought she wouldn't hear me until she came in for bed an hour later. Apparently, I wasn't being discrete enough. I heard the door open and curled up harder, expecting it to be my parents coming to offer useless advice, but no. It was her. I tried to shrink away, to tell her to leave, but she sat by me until I calmed down, repeating that phrase over and over. Even until today, it's become my own personal mantra." Her eyes teared up at the memory, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards.

"I think it was into my late teens when I realised my feelings towards my sister had changed. I loved her unconditionally, but in a way I realised sisters shouldn't. In a way the world taught me I shouldn't. As we both matured, our bodies changed, hormones were raging and I couldn't deny what I was feeling. We shared everything growing up, and had seen each other naked countless times. We were used to each other. But once I realised what I was feeling, I made sure to hide away more. I stopped changing in front of her, never got too close to her, afraid of making her uncomfortable or unintentionally exposing my own feelings before I was ready. Even then, I would still catch glimpses of her. Coming out of the shower in a towel, swimming in a tight swimming suit. Every day my attraction grew, but I continued to stifle it, trying to deny it.

By the time we were both in college, we were still inseparable. She moved out of our parents' home and into this apartment, though at the time it was less decked out, being a college student and all. I moved in with her a year after, studying social work in college while she studied business. Eventually, we both graduated and she bought the property downstairs, turning it into her own bakery.

At the time, I thought I was just seeing things, but I swore she kept trying to steal glances at me like I did with her. By this time, we were both adults and I thought my hormones would have regulated, but the feelings I had were strong as ever. Letting it fester and build over years and years made me become just a big bundle of confusion and misery, and my sister was beginning to notice the change. I was always the more confrontational one, so one night, I sat her down and told her… well… everything." She paused, bringing the mug of tea to her lips, perhaps to try to swallow a lump in her throat.

"I was so ready for her to slap me. To scream or cry or throw me out on the streets for thinking that way. I had already packed a bag in preparation. It sat in my room near the door, ready to grab at a moment's notice. Instead, she just hugged me. She wasn't disgusted at the idea, she wasn't repulsed by even sitting near me. She confessed that she had been feeling the same, felt the same fear I did, but was too afraid to say anything. She was glad I was the one who took the plunge. After that night, our relationship changed in a way that I never thought possible." A warm blush spread over Cass' cheeks, as if she was embarrassed to admit this. Her gaze dropped to the floor.

"What about-"

"Their father? I'm getting to that.

We never knew what to define ourselves as. A couple? Our feelings were much more than just sex so it seemed appropriate but still odd, especially seeing as we'd never get to get married. We decided to take things one day at a time, until some obstacle was thrown in our way. A year or two later, an obstacle did come. Quite a massive one.

She came home one day, a bundle of nerves. She had been like that for a while, but that day in particular seemed worse, so I questioned her about it. She was hesitant to tell me, but eventually admitted to meeting someone. A man. A few months ago. Who she was madly in love with. He was a product designer for a nearby tech company and he had been going to her coffee shop each and every day. Their conversations started short, but eventually their feelings for each other grew undeniable and… they kissed.

She said she felt terrible. As if she was somehow cheating on the both of us at once. I was honestly a little heartbroken at first, before she assured me that it didn't take away her feelings for me. They were just… shared now.

I didn't want to limit her opportunities. I always knew that above all things, she wanted to be a mother, to have a family and couldn't have that with me, even with my penis. Although I have one, I got checked and wasn't fertile. So I told her to go chase her man. Surprisingly, she wasn't happy with that answer. She told me she wanted to be with the both of us, no matter how wrong it seemed. She didn't have the heart to give either of us up."

Cass paused for a really long time, her eyes glossed over, lost in thought. After a full minute of silence, I almost spoke to prompt her on, only for her to find the strength to continue.

"Eventually, she set a date for him to come over and meet me. He was charming, I'll admit, but I had no interest in men at all, and he respected this as soon as I made it clear. We had a nice home cooked dinner but it felt like a rock in the pit of my stomach thinking of what we were about to confess next. Eventually, my sister couldn't take it anymore and blurted out that we were together. The poor guy choked on his meatloaf.

Once the initial shock wore off, we sat down and discussed it. It was a long night full of about a dozen heart attacks and some tears, but eventually we decided it could work as an open relationship. I told them I would be alright with them getting married, because I knew that above all things, Liz wanted a family, and who was I to keep that from her? She spent time with the both of us, and eventually I formed a close friendship with him as well. We continued living under the same roof, making the appropriate renovations for when they were to expand our family. They got married, had Tadashi and Hiro and, well, three years later... I guess you know the rest."

"You know that I know-"

"I know Tadashi told you what happened to our family that night, yes. One of your first nights here if I'm not wrong. I don't mind. We all see you as family so you have just as much a right to know as we do."

Cass fell silent, tears gleaming like pearls that threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. I could see Cass' vision fixed upon what I assumed was an old family portrait of them hanging on the kitchen wall. I had noticed it when I stayed there before but never stopped to inspect it. Tadashi and Hiro were so young, maybe six and two respectively. Cass looked younger too, her hair far longer than I was used to seeing. The stress of parenting two little kids hadn't weighed down upon her at the time. The woman who I assumed was her sister Lizzie stood next to her. She was taller, with her longer brunette hair balanced on her head in the constraints of a bun. Their features were similar - round face, big eyes, small button nose, kind smile, just like Tadashi and Hiro. I wondered if she still saw glimpses of her sister in herself and her nephews. Her husband towered over all of them. Apparently he was a Japanese American, his parents being the first of his family to immigrate to the United States. His features were more oriental in nature, with jet black hair Hiro and Tadashi inherited.

"That's why their death took such a toll on you."

She nodded, her expression pained. "I lost my two best friends that day, one of whom was the love of my life. She was my anchor, my rock, my stability. It would be an understatement to say their deaths devastated me. It was so, so much more than that. I was so close to… " her voice got caught in her throat and spots on the counter below darkened with spots of tears. Taking a shuddering breath, she forced herself to finish her story. "I was the sole guardian of Tadashi and Hiro. My parents were long dead, their father's family mainly in Japan, and the ones here couldn't speak much English. It overwhelmed me. Sent me into a spiralling depression. For a period of time, I could hardly look at myself in the mirror, could hardly look the boys in the eyes, because every time I did I only saw her.

There was a particularly bad night. A few months after they were gone. I could hear Hiro crying out for my sister. He was still too young to fully understand that his mother's absence was permanent. Tadashi has always been a fantastic older brother, by his side before I was. I felt dejected, unequipped, unprepared. At the time, I thought Tadashi was a better guardian to Hiro than I could ever be. In hindsight, it was ridiculous. He was a kid. They both were. But at the time, my inadequacy was all I could see.

Instead of joining them, I left. Locked up behind me, got in my car and drove to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was the middle of the night and the roads were quiet. I was so close to doing something really stupid. Something I'd never be able to take back. Looking back, I still chide myself for even thinking of that."

So that's why she hates the bridge, I thought.

"How could I have been so selfish? She didn't choose to leave her kids, to leave me, yet there I was, about to willingly abandon the only family I had left, who depended on me and who would continue to until they're adults. That night, I made a pledge to myself, a final promise to her, that I wouldn't leave them even when the going got tough, even when I felt the world could open up and swallow me whole. I had to be there for them. They were the only living memories of her I had left"

She let out a strangled sound, a mix between a sob and a laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm such a mess. Where was I going with this? I had a point." Her voice fell silent for a moment. "What was I speaking about?"

"...your point?"

"Yes! My point! Gosh, I'm all over the place today, aren't I?" She took a tissue I offered her from my outstretched hand, dabbing at the blotchy spots on her cheeks. "My point is you never know what is going to happen in your future. You don't know when someone will leave you unexpectedly, whether by choice or not. You'll never know how they're feeling unless you take the first step to ask them, or to tell them. My sister's death was premature, but I was so glad I told her about how I felt when I did. If she was gone before I had the chance to, I don't know what I would have done. I wouldn't have changed a thing about the relationship my sister and I shared. It made the both of us happy, so fuck whatever else the rest of the world had to say." Cass rarely swore, so that sudden uncharacteristic expletive shocked me. To my surprise, her lips were tugged upwards in a smile, practically beaming. She reached out to cup my cheeks, her thumbs stroking underneath my lower eyelids even though I wasn't the one who was crying.

"Rapunzel, dear, my advice to you is go for it. In your own time and at your own pace, of course. If your feelings for your mother are true, suppressing them will only make you feel worse. Trust me, I put myself through that for years, it's better to just bite the bullet and do it. If she doesn't accept it, doesn't accept you for you, then that's on her, but at least you gave it a shot. You're now an adult, free to make your own decisions. The worst thing that could happen is it severs your relationship, but if you're willing to take that risk, I will back you all the way. And if she does accept it, then you both will feel like the luckiest women in the world. It might take some time to make things work. You'll be navigating uncharted waters, but you'll be doing it with the knowledge that you'll never be alone." Cass was absolutely gushing, love radiating off her.

"We have that trip to Norway tomorrow. We'll be out of town for the Christmas period and back after New Years."

"Maybe you can find the right time to tell her on the trip," she suggested. "And like I've said, if you ever need me, just give me a call. Even if we're in a different continent, the offer still stands."

I gave her a warm smile, my heart far more at ease after knowing I'm not entirely alone, in more ways than one. "Thanks Cass. I will."

XXX

"Hey, you're back!"

Mom quickly shut one of the drawers in her closet. It was the bottom left drawer, the contents of which I was very much aware of. Whether she planned to take something out or was putting something back in, I couldn't be sure. I shook my head, trying to keep those thoughts out until I spoke to Mom properly about… everything.

"How was Cass? I haven't seen her in a while."

I hoped I didn't look too frazzled. "Yup. She's fine. Really good I think. We had a good talk."

"I'm glad." Mom gave me a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering for a little longer than what I considered to be normal. Or maybe I was just overthinking it and that kiss was of a perfectly acceptable length.

"Mom, would you ever consider dating anyone again? After everything that's happened, I mean."

"I suppose so." She continued to talk to me as she methodically folded away clothes, putting them neatly into her suitcase. "But we've talked about this before. The right girl will come round, or they won't. It would be nice, but for now, I'm content with where I am. There's no rush. And plus, I have you."

"And Mom… what if I were to start dating, but the age difference between us was… considerably large?" My voice trailed off as she gave me an odd look.

"Well, you're eighteen. You're old enough to make these decisions. For me, as long as you and your partner are happy, then that's fine with me. Why? Are you dating an older woman?"

"What?"

"Did something happen with Cass that I should know about?"

"No!" I insisted. This was going downhill fast. Abort, abort.

"You look off, honey, is everything alright?"

I nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine… I just… I wanted to talk to you about something."

A flicker of recognition flashed across her eyes. I don't know if recognition is the right word, but it was as if she knew what had been on my mind for the last few days. It was unnerving, but the look was gone before I could press on about it. "Go for it. You can talk to me about anything, you know that."

"I know, I know, I-" My voice got caught in my throat, earning a questioning look from her.

Just say it.

I can't. What if it ruins everything? It might ruin the trip.

The trip.

"Just a little bit nervous, is all," I lied through my teeth. "My first trip away, first time on a plane, first time seeing snow, it's a lot of firsts."

Mom cupped my cheek like she always did, her thumb stroking over the curve of it acting as a familiar comfort. "It is a lot of firsts, but it will be so amazing. I know you're gonna love it. Being in a new country can be scary but also exciting. Plus, being with the Krysis will make it all the more fun! Just wait until you meet their grandmother in Norway. She's a real character." She paused to glance at her watch before turning her attention back to me. "It's getting late. We have a long day of travel ahead of us. You should get some sleep."

"Yeah, okay," I said in agreement, hoping I wasn't blushing too much. "Night, Mom."

"Goodnight, sweetie," she said as I closed her door behind me.

"One step at a time, Rapunzel," I mumbled under my breath. "One step at a time."

A/N - Hello lovelies! I really hope you liked this chapter. I write this story fairly out of order and this was one of the first chapters I wrote because I really wanted Cass to have this arc and for her to be of help to Rapunzel. Honestly, I was close to scrapping it because I wasn't sure how it would be received but decided to keep it since I'd already written it and also want the story to unfold how I want it to.

The next chapter will be the beginning of their trip. Arianna and Rapunzel stuck together in a cabin in the Norwegian mountainside? I wonder what could happen? Until next chapter, wear a mask and stay safe.