Project Motherhood: Cerebella

by Gamer95

Cerebella discovers a small child living alone in the garbage one day and takes him home to raise him with love. Will this boy be the key to her realizing the Medici's true colours? Will contain a surprise second mother later. CoWriter: SkorchNTorch

9. Chapter 9

About two weeks had passed, and things were pretty much as good as you could hope. Harry and Beatrix kept on training, and Harry was making steady progress. However, the magician did have to remind him a few times not to be so hard on himself when he messed something up, and it took Harry a bit to fully take that to heart. Besides that, Harry had begun to get to know some of the other performers a bit better. While Cerebella tended to keep him from Talliesin, he had gotten to know Regina and Hubrecht a bit more. Against Cerebella's better judgement, she had let Regina show Harry her lions, and to everyone's shock, he had effectively pacified them within a few moments, having the two giant cats purring contently as he petted them like they were kittens.

It seemed Harry truly did have a way with cats. Those lions were his best friends next to Kitty. It was actually cute how close he was to them. Of course, it also probably helped that Regina was always watching, and everything was terrified of angering her. Still, she had let Harry help Regina train them, and they seemed to listen to him even better than her.

Cerebella had joked that Harry might he trying to take Regina's position if she wasn't careful, and Regina had given her a look that Cerebella believed was the look one would see before death, and that was just her playful glare. But aside from that, even Regina had to admit, it was nice having Harry around, and Cerebella was being a wonderful mother to him.

One day, however, their routine took a sudden change when Cerebella and Feng were called over to Vitale's office. The two girls walked side by side, Cerebella as giddy as a schoolgirl. "Whattya think he wants, Feng?! D'you think he wants to go out to lunch with us or something?!" She said excitedly. She was too hyperactive to notice the sad expression Feng gave her.

"Doubt it." She replied flatly, Cerebella raised a brow at Feng's lack of energy but didn't say anything. As the two walked into Vitale's office he set the phone down and turned to the pair.

"Ah, there you two are." He commented.

"Hi, Vitale!" Cerebella said eagerly, putting her hands on the table. "What do you want us to do? I'm all set!" She was hoping Vitale would at least ask how she was.

"Hmm, eager to please, are we? That is what I love most about you, Cerebella. Now then... There's a small business in Maplecrest that owes us fifteen thousand dollars in loan debt. I need the two of you to collect."

Feng mentally groaned, but knew better than to voice her complaints. She HATED to do this kind of work, and Cerebella was too oblivious to understand what it really was...

Wait. What about-

"What about Harry?" Cerebella suddenly asked.

Vitale briefly looked confused before an expression of rememberance dawned on him. "Ah yes, the boy... So he's still with you, is he?"

"Of course... I'd never get rid of him, Vitale. You know me better than that." Feng frowned at her friend, very much doubting that. Then she remembered.

"Beatrix is his backup babysitter, isn't she?" She asked. "We could just leave him with her for a couple days while we're gone." Cerebella perked up slightly, relieved she wouldn't have to leave her son alone.

"Good. The two of you are leaving tonight." Vitale said, settling the matter beyond any doubt. Cerebella nodded and left the office, Feng following behind her.

The two girls returned to the tent, where Beatrix was teaching Harry some minor transfiguration magic. He was successfully turning an apple into an orange. "Perfect job, as per usual." Beatrix said with a smirk. She then turned and saw the approaching duo. "Oh, hello Cerebella. Feng. What's up?"

"Hey, Beatrix." Cerebella knelt down and pulled her son into a tight hug, smiling lovingly as he cuddled up to her. "So, Vitale gave Feng and I a mission... We're gonna be gone for a couple of days... And since you did agree to be his backup babysitter if Feng's not available..."

Beatrix blinked in surprise then looked down to Harry with a small smile. "Sure." Beatrix shrugged. "I'll watch the kid." Cerebella gently picked up Harry, holding him close and smiling sadly at him.

"Harry, Feng and I are gonna be gone for a few days..." She paused when she saw his upset face. "Hey, we'll be back, I promise."

Harry snuggled in closer to his mother's embrace with a worried expression. He didn't want to be separated from his mama... He wanted to go too... Cerebella noticed his sadness and kissed his head. "Hey, don't worry, kid. Miss Beatrix is gonna be there with ya. You like her, don't ya?" Harry nodded slowly. "Heh... It'll be okay, buddy..." She looked at Beatrix. "Hey, would you be all right if Harry brought Kitty with him? A little extra reminder of home might do him some good."

Beatrix thought it over, not sure if a cat and her rabbits would mix too well, but at the same time, she figured this would be something Harry needed in order to not emotionally shut down. She decided that she could make it work. "Yeah, of course." Beatirx nodded. "I don't know if your cat and I are friends or not, but if it helps the little guy, I have no issue with it." Cerebella gave a loud sigh of relief.

"All right, B. So we're gonna be leaving later tonight. We'll stop by and drop him off before we go." Beatrix nodded her head in affirmation.

"All right. Are you two going to have dinner with him, or will you need me to cook for him?" She asked.

Feng and Cerebella looked to one another, then back to Beatirx. "I'll make sure he's fed before I drop him off." Cerebella answered.

"Alright, I think we're done for now then Harry." Beatirx said, looking down at Harry before smiling. "I think your mama wants to spend some time with you."

Cerebella gave him a toothy grin before nuzzling his cheek gently. "Darn right I do." She cooed. "Can't leave without making sure my special guy knows I love him!"

Feng cast a quick glance over to Beatrix, and was surprised to see her genuinely happy. She seemed to find the sight before her adorable. That... didn't seem right. Feng didn't know if Beatrix was capable of emotions besides bitterness and anger. Then again, Cerebella had been telling her that she seemed to have changed...

Feng shrugged and followed after her friend. If Beatrix truly had changed for the better, who was she to complain? All that was on her mind now was squeezing in as much time with her nephew as possible before they left.

Later that night, Beatrix sat in her den, reading a book. Peter and Hazel were running about, playing and getting up to their usual rabbit mischief. Then, she heard the knock that signified that it was time.

Opening the door, she smiled down at Harry, who was standing next to Cerebella and Feng. "Hi, little guy." She said in a friendly tone. "C'mon in." Opening the door more, Harry, Cerebella and Kitty entered her room. Peter and Hazel seemed interested in the newcomer pretty quickly.

Kitty approached the two rabbits and sniffed at Hazel, curiously trying to analyze this strange new creature. Hazel sat calmly and watched Kitty sniff at her. Beatrix chuckled. "Well, that went better than I expected... So, you're on your way now, huh?" Cerebella nodded her head.

"Yeah... Thanks a ton for watching him, Beatrix." She knelt down and pulled her son into a goodbye hug. "Okay, baby, mama's going now... Be good for Miss Beatrix, okay?" She kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"Bye mommy, bye Auntie Feng." Harry timidly replied, waving awkwardly as the two women waved back, then turned and left to get the job dealt with. There was a silence for a few moments until Beatrix spoke up.

"Hi, Harry, I think we're gonna have fun tonight." Beatirx spoke, eating a timid look from Harry in response. It made sense why he was nervous, every time the two had interacted, Cerebella was nearby.

Beatrix sighed softly and patted his head. "Hey... I know you're nervous about being away from your mom... You're pretty recently adopted, and she's always been there with you... But you can trust me, all right? You know I'd never do anything to hurt you."

Harry looked at her. "I know... I just... Do you think mommy will be okay...? When I met Mr. Vitale, he... he made me... kinda scared... Would he make mommy do something dangerous...?"

'Oh boy.' Beatrix blinked, trying to think of an honest answer that wouldn't traumatize him. Finally, Beatrix figured she had made enough of an answer that was both true and false. "Well, sometimes Vitale works with people who aren't very nice, and sometimes they do bad things that may hurt people. Your mom's job is to go and make sure that they can't hurt people anymore."

She wasn't...,lying, per se. Not everyone who worked with the Medicis was an innocent, naive victim. Vitale just...happened to be worse. Much, much worse. Harry looked even more worried. "M-Mommy's not gonna get hurt, right?!" He said in a panic. Beatrix blinked, then shook her head with a light smirk.

"Nah. Your mom's a tough woman. She can take on pretty much anything."

"Oh, okay..." Harry said, looking away slightly, feeling awkward about the whole thing. Suddenly, he felt something up against his leg, and looked down to see a rabbit looking up at him. "Oh. Hi..."

"That's just Hazel, don't worry, she's friendly." Beatrix smiled.

Harry knelt down slowly and reached his hand out to the rodent, who sniffed at it curiously before nuzzling her head beneath the boy's outstretched hand. Harry giggled softly at the feeling, already liking the small rabbit. Bunnies were kind of like kitties. Fluffy and warm and really really cute.

Beatrix smiled down at the sight, Peter and Hazel hadn't really met any of her other co-workers, but Hazel seemed completely intrigued with Harry, now letting herself be scratched and petted while Peter watched curiously from a distance. Of the two, he was always more nervous than anything.

Kitty, at that moment, had developed an interest in Peter. Approaching the apprehensive rabbit, the small cat sniffed him before nuzzling up against him. Peter looked at Kitty as if he was staring at an alien, eyes wide and ears twitching rapidly. Kitty purred lightly and brushed up against the male rabbit. Peter looked at his owner with an expression that very clearly said 'What is this thing and what am I supposed to do with it?'

Beatrix snickered and motioned down to Harry, who was contently petting Hazel. Peter's face, however, clearly read: 'Woman. You've lost it.'

Whether he was thinking this of her or Hazel, she didn't know, but she was just glad her rabbits seemed to be okay with the cat's presence. She decided to sit down and just watch Harry interact with the pets. Kitty eventually lost interest in Peter and decided he would rather play with Harry and Hazel.

Beatrix couldn't help but let out a gentle laugh as Kitty and Hazel now seemed to be chasing one another around Harry, making the tiny boy giggle cutely at the sight. Sure, she may have been seen as 'cold' but even Beatrix had to admit, it was pretty darn cute.

She felt a small weight in her lap and smirked lightly as she patted Peter on the head. He always was the more introverted of the two rabbits... She watched over Harry, absentmindedly stroking her pet's head. Eventually, Kitty and Hazel tired themselves out and laid on the floor, cuddled up to each other. "Uh-oh, Peter. Kitty's after your woman." Peter responded by touching his nose to hers.

She gently set Peter down on the floor again, and the rabbit slowly made his way over to Harry, seeming somewhat skittish, but also curious as to who this newcomer was. Eventually, he stood a few feet away from Harry and looked at the tiny boy. "Hi there." Harry said happily, and Peter tilted his head.

The boy reached out his hand to pet the rabbit, but he flinched away slightly, prompting him to retract his hand. "Oh... Sorry, bunny... Did I do it wrong...?" He asked timidly.

"You're fine, Harry." Beatrix called out. "Peter's just shy, that's all. Heh... I betcha you can relate nicely to that, can't you?" Harry blinked.

"Um... Is it bad to be shy...? I can try to stop..." He said softly.

"No... I mean..." Beatrix sighed, rubbing her face at her own idiocy for assuming someone like Harry would understand what she said. "It's fine to be shy, everyone is at one point in their life, and in your case, you have reason to be. But don't worry, Peter can just be a little nervous around new people. He'll warm up to you."

Harry nodded to show he understood, then looked back to Peter, who still seemed apprehensive about this tiny human. Beatrix got an idea of how to help. She quickly got up and entered the kitchen, before coming back out with a leaf of lettuce. "Here." She handed it to Harry. "He's open to bribes. Try feeding him this."

Harry held out the lettuce and Peter seemed to snap to attention. Beatrix couldn't tell if he was thinking 'Really woman?' or 'Oh hey, lettuce. He can't be that bad.' But considering the fact that he hopped forward and began eating the crunchy green leaf, Beatrix figured it was probably something along the lines of the second.

She watched as Peter slowly approached Harry before crawling into his lap and settling down. The boy's expression of delight was enough to make the corners of her mouth turn up. "Well, well..." She said with crossed arms. "It took me a month to get him to sit on my lap. You're quite the little animal whisperer, aren't ya?" She said with a wink.

Harry blushed and tried to hide it, but with the rabbit on his lap, it wasn't exactly possible. By now, Hazel had noticed the food and suddenly dashed over, hopping up next to Peter and taking a few chunks. Beatrix watched in genuine surprise. He was really good with animals.

Kitty decided he wanted in on it as well and nuzzled up by Harry's side, purring happily. Harry loved it. His furry friends, all spending time with him...

Beatrix just chuckled and shook her head, feeling like she could've left Harry with Kitty, Peter and Hazel, and he would've been alright. But then again, if Cerebella came home and saw she was gone, she probably wouldn't live to see the morning.

Not that she wanted to leave Harry alone. She did very much enjoy the boy's company, which was weird for her, as she normally found kids to be frustrating to be around. But Harry...Harry was well behaved and had been hurt... She could relate to him on a personal level. The fact that he was pretty cute helped too.

After a few minutes, the animals all seemed to find other things to do and all went their separate ways. Now, Beatirx sat down across from Harry and smiled. "So, what do you wanna do?" She asked.

Harry blinked at the question, then looked thoughtful. "Um... Whatever you want to do is fine." He eventually settled. Beatrix nodded her head.

"All right then. How about...you grab a seat, and I can read you a book?" She offered. Harry perked up. His mommy and auntie Feng had read him several books, and he enjoyed all of them. Beatrix noticed his reaction and smirked. "All right, so these aren't exactly 'kiddy' books like your mom probably reads... Ever hear of To Kill a Hummingbird?"

"N..no..." Harry whimpered. "Why...why would someone want to kill a bird?"

"Oh, don't worry, that's the title." Beatrix said, taking the book off the shelf and sitting next to him, with a little bit of space between them though. "It's actually about a man who tries to help those that are being hurt." Harry seemed to have interest when he heard that, and Beatrix gave him a slight smile. She knew she would have to, um, 'alter' some of the stories' events and dialogue (the last thing she needed was Harry asking Cerebella what certain words meant, or saying them without understating their true meaning).

She pulled the book open, and began to read it, just to gauge how the boy responded to it. Honestly, she wasn't sure what compelled her to pick this of all books... In hindsight, it seemed more likely to bore him than anything else. However, much to her liking, the boy actually seemed enthralled by the story. He didn't fully understand though... The idea of racial discrimination was very foreign to him... "I don't really get it." Harry said softly. "Why do these people get hated so much just because they have animal parts? I met a lady with kitty ears and a tail... She was really nice."

"Well... it's like the magic you have." Beatirx softly replied. "Some people are afraid of what's different, of what they don't know. And because of this, they feel the need to attack those they don't like." Sadly, her explanation seemed to work a little TOO well, as it seemed to bring up memories of Harry's past.

He looked down at the floor sadly, hugging his teddy bear close. The magician frowned before reaching over and patting his head gently. "But not everyone is like that..." She said gently. "For every person out there that would hate you for your magic...there's about thirty others that would love you just the same."

Harry looked up with a small smile, and Beatirx decided to continue the story. She also noticed Harry had moved a little closer to her as she read, and she made no movements to try and distance herself from him.

She reached the story's midpoint before deciding that that was enough for the night. She had a couple nights with him, there was plenty of time to spend with him. Placing in a bookmark, she closed the book and set it down. "Well... It's getting late, huh...?" She stretched slightly. "C'mon, little guy. Let's get you ready for bed." Harry nodded his head and followed Beatrix into another room. Kitty, Peter and Hazel followed after them, not wanting to be left behind. "This is the guest room. Go ahead, change into your pajamas and make yourself at home." She said with a friendly smile. "I'm just down the hall if you need anything."

"M'kay. Thank you, miss Beatirx." Harry nodded, and Beatirx noted that he seemed nervous, and it occurred to her that Harry may not have ever slept without Cerebella near by. She bit her lip, knowing she couldn't just climb in next to him and expect him to be okay, but she decided she'd stop by in ten minutes or so, just to make sure all was okay.

Harry climbed into bed and tucked himself in, making himself comfortable and looking over at Beatrix with a small nod. Kitty let out a meow and hopped up onto the bed, climbing onto the boy's chest and situating himself. Peter and Hazel had the same idea, almost seeming to sense the boy's fear. They hopped up onto the bed as well and laid on the foot of it. Beatrix blinked, then smiled softly at the sight. "Heh... Hey, your mom may not be here right now, but you're still not alone. Your best buddies are here with you too."

"Mmhm." Harry nodded. "Goodnight Miss Beatrix."

"Heh. Goodnight Harry." Beatrix said with a friendly wave, closing the door mostly but leaving the door open somewhat to let some light in. She'd be back in a few minutes to check on him. Harry yawned and nuzzled into the blanket, feeling comfy, if a little lonely from his mother's absence. Still, Miss Beatrix was nice.

He closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep, the soft sound of Kitty's purring lulling him into a peaceful slumber. When Beatrix peeked in to check on him, she was happy to see him sleeping soundly. She came in to check on him a few more times. Each time she did, she found him still sleeping peacefully. Feeling confident all was well, she gave herself a mental pat on the back.

Later that night, however, Harry had the worst nightmare he'd had yet...

Normally he'd see his family, hurting him, yelling at him, it was terrifying. But this... this was different. Creatures that seemed like they were made of shadows were swirling around him. Every time he tried to call for his mama, he couldn't speak, he felt like the shadows were holding onto his vocal chords, and were burning his entire body from the inside out. Now, they began dragging him, dragging him into the darkness, the faint greyish light growing dimmer and dimmer.

As the last of the light faded, he found himself surrounded by pitch darkness... That began to twist and morph into faces. Familiar faces...

Twisted, demonic versions of his former family, all glowering down at him with pure, unadulterated loathing. "Freak... Useless waste of air... Running away from the pain you deserve?!" Vernon growled in his face

"How DARE you... You KNOW this isn't the life you deserve!" Petunia snarled. "You're a freak! You shouldn't even exist! You think you deserve to be HAPPY?! How dare you!"

"Hey freak! That stupid mom of yours is here! We beat her up! Look!" Harry looked over...and he saw his mommy, his hero, lying flat on the floor, beaten, bloody, bruised, unmoving...

"Mommy!" Harry screamed, feeling like a whirlwind was tossing him about. The whole world seemed to be twitching and shifting, figures around him glitching into black-robed people with scary masks, and a strange bald man off in the distance. Then, he was falling.

Harry couldn't scream, he couldn't wake up, he couldn't do anything... he wasn't strong enough to do anything.

Outside the dream, little Harry was whimpering and crying, softly calling out for his mother as the nightmare grew more and more intense. Kitty, Peter and Hazel noticed, and they attempted to calm the boy down with nuzzles and purrs. Noticing that didn't work, Kitty ran for the door and began to meow as loudly as he could in an attempt to get Beatrix's attention. But it was to no avail...

However, Harry himself did end up getting his babysitter's attention when the nightmare grew so intense that he started screaming in terror.

Beatrix had been relaxing in her room, enjoying some calming music when the terrified scream managed to get to her room. "What the f-" Beatrix exclaimed, feeling frazzled until she realized who was screaming. Without a second thought, Beatrix was in the hall, then at Harry's door. Throwing it open she saw Petr and Hazel were trying to do something to wake him up.

Kitty meowed up at her, and she hurriedly rushed to the boy's side, eyes wide with panic and uncertainty. "Harry?! Harry, you gotta wake up, kid!" She grabbed his tiny shoulders and shook him gently, and like flipping a switch, the boy's eyes shot wide open. He looked around, panicking and hyperventilating.

"Mommy?! Mommy, where are you?! Please tell me you're not hurt, mommy... Please, please, please..." Beatrix gave him a gentle shake.

"Harry...It's okay. Your mom's fine. She's just on a trip, remember? She's coming back in two days."

Harry's breathing was erratic and shaky, and slowly he looked around, seemingly coming back to reality, feeling gravity once again. After a few panicked head turns, he looked up at Beatrix.

"M...Miss Beatirx?" He mumbled, not sure if he could talk to her about this.

"Hey, it's me, hon." Beatrix said softly, gently putting a hand on his leg. "You're okay, it was just a bad dream."

Harry whimpered and buried his face in his hands. Beatrix winced slightly and gently rubbed his shoulder. "It was so dark... And there were scary monsters everywhere... And mommy was all beat up, and I was falling, and...and..."

Beatrix noticed he was about to cry and her eyes widened. "Hey, little guy... Listen... If there's anything you want, then I'll do it for you. What would cheer you up?"

Harry hesitated. "Um... M-Mommy and auntie Feng always...hold me when I have a bad dream... C-Can you...?"

Beatrix blinked. "Aw, kid... I'm not..." She froze at the pleading look on his face, then sighed softly. "...Okay, come here..."

Beatrix gave a quiet sigh as Harry awkwardly sat on her lap. She gently wrapped her arms around him, but didn't know where to go from there. After a few minutes, Beatrix pulled him a little closer. This felt nice... Actually, this felt really nice!

She carefully picked him up and hugged him closer to her bosom... and she just felt...right... She was kicking herself for not holding him sooner... He cuddled up closer to her and buried his face into her chest, still trembling violently, and she took in all the little details that made him adorable... His tiny size... His light weight... His cuddly nature... And now that she looked at them, his pajamas were adorable as well. She didn't even realize how tender her expression had become. Gently, she began rubbing his back, rocking him back and forth, running her fingers through his hair... She wanted to try all of these affectionate gestures.

Harry was so... warm. There was something about holding him that just melted her heart. He was so precious, and she felt like some sort of repressed feelings of a need to have someone to love seemed to appear... She didn't know why, but she wasn't going to question these. After a few minutes, she gently set Harry back and smiled. "There. Feel better?" She cooed.

Harry sniffled and nodded his head slowly in response. Beatrix smiled softly. "I know what might cheer you up... Wait right here." She left the room, and Harry clutched the blankets tightly. Beatrix returned with a tray containing cookies and a glass of milk. She set it down on the nightstand. "Here... I know kids love this stuff, so yeah..."

"Thank you, Miss Beatrix..." She took a seat and watched him take one of the cookies. He looked at it for a moment before dunking it in the milk and eating it.

"Like it? I made them myself." Beatrix said with a wink. Harry smiled back.

"They're really yummy..." He said softly. Beatrix watched her pupil eat his snack with a fond smile, and when he was done, she grabbed the tray. "There... Better?" She asked gently. Harry nodded. "Good... Sleep tight." She got up to leave...

"M-Miss Beatrix...?" She turned to face the scared boy. "C-Can I...sleep with you tonight...?"

Beatrix bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. She wanted so desperately to say yes, but she didn't know how he'd feel about it, or Cerebella for that matter. Regardless, she felt like she needed to say yes, and truth be told, she wanted to. "Sure." She said with a small, warm smile.

She stepped forward and carefully climbed into bed next to him. She slowly, hesitantly, snaked her arms around him and hugged him tightly against her bosom. At that moment, Beatrix felt a spark flow through her. A spark that she felt somewhat guilty about... A connection with little Harry... She wished she had found him instead of Cerebella... But then, that didn't seem right... She was fairly close to the weightlifter at this point, which never would have been the case had Cerebella not found Harry... Still... The idea of being his mother... It melted her heart... Feeling a little bold, Beatrix leaned down and gently pressed her lips against Harrry's cheek, letting the kiss linger for a few seconds before pulling away.

Harry looked up in surprise, and for a few moments, Beatrix was nervous she had overstepped her boundaries, but then she saw him blush and give a small smile, trying to hide it, but the tiny boy did nuzzle a little bit closer to her nonetheless.

She felt warm... This felt right... She just hoped Cerebella didn't see this as her trying to steal her child... Tightening her hold on him, the magician made herself comfy. She gently rubbed Harry's back, trying her best to keep him comfortable and happy. He let out a soft coo of content, a clear sign she was doing well. She closed her eyes, then hummed a soft tune. She didn't know where it came from, it just came into her head. Leaning her head down, she hummed it softly directly into his ear.

It seemed to work magic, as Harry dropped off to sleep once again, gently breathing with what sounded like a high-pitch snore. Beatrix smiled and let sleep overtake her as well. Honestly... she could get used to this. He was like a cuddly teddy bear.

The two of them slept soundly side by side, the little boy wrapped up safely in the magician's arms. He had no further nightmares, and slept with a content smile. The next morning, the sun rose, and Beatrix sat up slowly. She blinked at the small weight in her arms, and was briefly confused to see Harry, before remembering. "Oh. Right. I'm babysitting..." She mumbled. Picking him up, she carried him downstairs, thankful it was their day off. She looked at the clock. "Hmm... Cerebella should be awake by now... I'll call her up... Harry'll want to hear her voice after that nightmare..."

Harry slowly began to stir in Beatrix's arms, and began squirming when he realized someone he didn't know was holding him. After a few moments, he saw it was Miss Beatrix and calmed down. "Hey little guy." She said with a smirk.

He blinked in confusion before his memory caught up with him. He smiled softly and snuggled in closer to her embrace. "Hi Miss Beatrix..."

"So, did you sleep better after I stayed with you?" The magician asked gently. The little boy nodded and rested his head against her breast. Beatrix blushed, but smiled nonetheless, and kissed the top of his head once more. "Glad to hear it, kid... Now, let's have some breakfast. Then we'll see if we can get in touch with your mom."

"Really? Yay..." Harry said in a sleepy cheer. Beatirx couldn't hold back the chuckle she was trying to when she heard that. The kid was too precious for his own good... Making her way into her kitchen, she sat Harry on one of the chairs and looked around, trying to figure out what they were going to make.

She decided on a simple meal. Pulling out some eggs and a loaf of bread, she put the bread in the toaster, then cracked the eggs into the pan. Harry waited patiently for his babysitter to finish cooking the meal, looking around the place curiously as he waited. Kitty, Peter and Hazel chose that exact moment to come into the room. Harry perked up when Kitty jumped into his lap. Peter and Hazel tried to get their owner's attention by rubbing against her legs, but she was focused on her cooking. Soon enough, Beatrix was finished preparing eggs on toast. She cut Harry's into little pieces for him, then set it down in front of him with a smile.

"Thank you." He said genuinely, looking up at Beatirx with his large emerald eyes.

"Aw, you're welcome." The magician patted his head. "Now eat up. Once we're done, I'll try and call Cerebella and see how she's doing."

"Okay!"

Cerebella woke up with a groan. She blinked when she noticed Harry wasn't cuddled up to her, then remembered he was back with Beatrix. "Ugh... C'mon, Feng, time to get up now... I wanna get this job done as soon as possible and get back to my kid." Feng sat in bed and yawned with a stretch.

"These beds are amazing... I wouldn't mind staying at this hotel again sometime..."

"Yeah, I gotta agree." Cerebella smirked cracking her neck. "But still, I'd rather have Harry over a comfortable bed, so let's get to work."

"Fine..." Feng sighed dramatically, pulling herself out of her bed and struggling to wake up. "You have any idea who this guy we're after is?"

Cerebella shrugged. "Some creep called Grunnings. Apparently one of his workers borrowed a loan from the Medicis and we need to ask him for information."

"Grunnings? Isn't that a drill company?" Feng asked. Cerebella nodded her head in affirmation.

"Right. Shouldn't be too hard to find the place... I mean, those buildings always have a giant drill plastered right on the billboard."

Feng sighed and rubbed her face, not liking being used as extortionists, but she didn't have much of a choice. Cerebella didn't understand exactly what they were doing, or she refused to acknowledge it. To most of the workers at the circus, they knew what the Medicis were, and they didn't care, or didn't have much choice. Then there was Cerebella, who seemed more than happy to do whatever Vitale ordered.

Honestly, the only one that was more oblivious than her was Hubrecht... And that wasn't by much. She loved her best friend, but it was honestly quite trying at times... The two girls left the hotel for the day, when Cerebella felt her cell phone buzzing. Blinking, she reached into her cleavage and pulled it out. She turned to look at Feng. "Beatrix is call-What's with the weird look?"

"You...keep your cell phone...in your cleavage...?"

"Well where else am I gonna keep it? This dress doesn't have any pockets."

"...What else is in there...?"

"My wallet, my house key and a picture of Harry."

"...Answer your phone..."

Smirking lightly, Cerebella answered the call. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hello, Cerebella. I trust your job is going well?"

"Oh, hey, Beatrix! Yeah, it's all good. We should be home at around... eh, ten PM tomorrow, give or take. Everything going well with Harry?"

"Yes, he's settling in quite nicely. But...he had a pretty intense nightmare last night, and you were hurt in the nightmare... He was pretty upset, and I think he needs to hear your voice to really get over it."

"What?! Of course! Put him on!" Cerebella exclaimed. There was a few moments of silence, then she heard a tiny voice.

"Hi mama."

"Hi, sweetie!" Cerebella cooed. "I heard you had a bad dream last night. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Miss Beatrix was there, and... and i think you're okay."

"Of course I am silly!" Cerebella laughed. Her expression took a more serious turn. "Now, why don't you tell mommy all about your bad dream, huh?" There was silence on the other end for a few moments.

"It... It was so scary..." Harry whimpered. Cerebella frowned sadly at how scared her son sounded.

"Aww... What happened, sweetie?" She asked gently. She sat listening patiently as Harry told her everything about his horrible nightmare.

Cerebella sighed after listing to the explanation and shook her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you through it, honey. But I'll be back soon alright? I promise, I'll be back home soon." She said softly, trying to console her son. The line went silent, then Harry spoke up again.

"Okay mama." Harry replied.

"So, tell me more about your time with Miss Beatrix. You having a good time with her?" She then spent several minutes listening to Harry talk about the time he'd spent with his babysitter, smiling warmly all the while. But when he got to the part where he explained how Beatrix had comforted him after his nightmare, she was taken aback. "Really...? Beatrix held you...?"

"Yes, mama. She's holding me right now, too... Just like you and auntie Feng. It's really nice... I like it." Cerebella smiled softly.

"Well you tell Beatrix I really appreciate that, okay, buddy?"

"Yes, mommy!"

"Atta boy. Well, I gotta go now. I should probably be back tomorrow night. I love you, honey."

"Love you mommy!" Harry replied before Cerebella hung up. Beatirx smiled down at the small boy and wasn't expecting what he said: "Mommy said she's thankful for you helping me." Beatrix's eyes widened in surprise. Cerebella said that about her? She was just trying to comfort a traumatized child... Still, it felt nice.

"Hey, don't worry about it." She said with a smile. "So, what do you wanna do today? Do you wanna practice some more magic? Or would you like to continue the story?"

Harry thought about it for a couple seconds. "Um... Can we read the story...?" He asked softly. Beatrix grinned and patted his head gently.

"You got it, kid..." She tightened her hold on the boy and carried him into the living room, where she grabbed the book and set him on her lap to continue the story.

Back with Cerebella and Feng, Feng was looking at her best friend with great concern. "Oh my gosh, he had a bad dream...? Is he okay?"

"I think so." Cerebella nodded. "Apparently Beatrix was comforting him, and he sounds happy."

"Beatrix? Seriously?" Feng asked in disbelief. "She... comforted him? She didn't yell at him?"

"Feng, Beatrix cares about Harry." Cerebella flatly replied, a little annoyed. "I know you don't like her, and we're not best friends or anything, but give her some slack."

Feng winced and rubbed her arm. "Right... Sorry... Jerk move, understood..." Cerebella sighed softly, then clapped a hand on Feng's shoulder.

"Honestly, Feng? I kinda like Beatrix ever since she started training Harry... She's helped him out a lot. And he's helped her too. Beatrix has even helped me a bit. Remember the day you went to visit your moms, and when you came back, I apologized to you?"

"Of course." Feng said with a small smile. "It meant a lot to me..."

"Well... If it weren't for Beatrix, I probably wouldn't have ever noticed..."

"Huh..." Feng muttered, rubbing her arm. "Is Harry okay?"

"Yeah, apparently he's doing okay." Cerebella nodded in response.

"Well, I think that's what's most important." The juggler said matter-of-factly. "Well, here we are." The pair stopped before the large Grunnings building. Feng turned to Cerebella. "Okay, so we're just gonna talk to the guy. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Cerebella nodded. The pair entered the building, and made their way to Grunnings' office. Feng knocked on the door. "Enter!" The two women did so.

Grunning was a large man, muscular and strong, with a tatoo of a drill on his arm. The man smiled before blinking and becoming nervous. "What are you Medici legbreakers doing here?!" He exclaimed in a panic.

"You took a loan from the Medici's, you didn't pay it back." Cerebella said simply. "That's why we're here."

"W...W...We don't have it!" The man exclaimed, sweating nervously. Feng and Cerebella looked to one another with a flat expression before looking back to the man.

"Yeah... That's not gonna work."

Grunning winced, then looked down. "I...I wasn't the one who made that deal in the first place... It was that fat bastard Vernon Dursley..."

Cerebella quirked her brow. "Vernon Dursley? Huh... So this guy took out a loan in your name, huh?" Grunning nodded in affirmation.

"The man's very well off... Here. This is his last paycheque. I fired him as soon as I found out... He always saved his money well... You should be able to extort the rest from him."

Feng and Cerebella looked to one another then nodded, knowing there wasn't much more they could do here, so they took the address and left, the man sighing in relief as he saw the two go. 'Karma's gonna hit you hard fatass...' He thought to himself. 'After what you did to this company, everything coming your way is well deserved...'

"Well, I guess we've gotta go to this... 'Privet Drive' now?" Feng asked, looking at the paper she was holding.

"Yeah, c'mon Feng, let's get this over so we can get home." Cerebella nodded.

The girls hailed a cab, and they took it to their destination. When they stepped out, Feng shivered. "Geez... It's like we just walked into a Midnight Zone episode..."

"Too right... Feels like we just walked into a cult." Cerebella agreed. "Gives me the creeps... Let's get this over with." The two girls searched for the fourth house on the street. Little did they know, they were about to encounter a very important figure in Harry's life pre-Cerebella... And this figure was NOT important in any positive way...

Both women had an inexplicable feeling of something seeming... off as they approached the house on the address. To Cerebella, it was as if she was remembering a troubling memory she had suppressed, and as for Feng, it was like seeing an old enemy she hadn't seen in years or even decades. "Hey, Bella?" Feng spoke up finally. "Does this place..."

"Feel weird?" Cerebella finished her friend's thought. "Yeah, it does."

"Have you ever been here?"

"No. But I'm kind of getting a deja vu vibe from it."

The girls looked around. It didn't look like it was any different from the other houses on the street... The garden looked well kept to the point of looking creepy, the house was blander than a square of white bread wrapped in cardboard, yet something about this house made Cerebella and Feng feel... angry. Sighing, Cerebella looked up at Vice-Versa, who nodded and knocked loudly and firmly on the door. The girls heard loud stomping and what sounded like cursing and screaming before someone threw the door open. "WHAT DO YOU-" The fat, blobby walrus man stopped in the middle of screaming at them and was now staring at Cerebella, who quickly realized he was checking her out.

She rolled her eyes as Vice-Versa grabbed his chin and made him look into her eyes. "Eyes up here, buddy."

"Er, right. What do you want?" The man asked.

"You took a loan from the Medici's in your ex-employers name." Cerebella stated flatly. "Issue is, you didn't cover your tracks well enough. Oh, and you didn't pay it back. So we're here to-" Before another word was spoken, the door was slammed in their faces. They blinked, then knew they had the right place.

"I think Vice-Versa's got this." Feng commented as she and Cerebella backed up .

The hat in question cracked its knucles, then threw a punch strong enough to shatter the door entirely, splintering the wood and having it clatter unceremoniously to the ground. The two women smirked before stepping into the building. The man was trying to run up the stairs, when Vice-Versa grabbed his ankles. "C'mon, tubby, don't make this difficult. Just pay up what you owe, and we'll leave quietly." Cerebella promised with a stern glare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" The man protested. "I left that job for better employment!"

"Uh-huh." Cerebella replied in an annoyed tone. "This doesn't have to end badly for you, but it will." Feng, meanwhile, was looking around the house for a safe or anything that would lead her to where the money was hidden. She stopped when she saw a drawing in a frame. There were four stick figures, labeled 'Mommy', 'Daddy', 'Me' and 'Freak'. Feng felt disgusted, what kind of bully would call their own family-

"Oh my God." Feng breathed.

Harry had called himself freak when Cerebella had first found him... No,.. No, it had to be a coincidence. There was no way they just happened to stumble upon her nephew's tormentor... Shaking her head, she continued her search, when something else caught her eye. It was a photo album... An open photo album... Curiousity getting the better of her, she took a look at it.

The pictures in the album all depicted a fairly traditional happy family... But there, in the background of the vast majority of them, was Harry, in varying states of misery or pain. Curled up bleeding on the ground, working tirelessly, seemingly locked outside in the middle of a storm... She flipped through the album, finding her beloved nephew in every picture, and then she got to the very back of the album...

She didn't know what was running through these people's heads when they decided to make this... But they had an entire section in their photo album dedicated to the various ways they tortured Harry!

Cerebella was still trying to get an answer out form the obese man when a photo album came flying out of nowhere and smacked him right in the face, sending pictures flying. "Feng! What was-"

"YOU BASTARD!" Feng screamed in absolute fury. Cerebella looked from the man, then to Feng, then back to the man.

"Feng, I think you're taking this job a bit too... seriously..." Cerebella began to say but trailed off when Vice-Versa held up one of the pictures of Harry, clearly having been abused. She remembered something he had said when they first met.

'I was scared... I had to get out of there...' Slowly, Cerebella turned back to the large man, fury filling her body. She didn't care about the money right now. She wanted answers.

Her expression was not the usual one of explosive anger that one would expect. Instead, it was one of cold, focused fury. She stepped forward calmly, then grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and slammed him violently into the wall.

"...You son of a bitch... What the HELL is WRONG WITH YOU?!" She roared, gritting her teeth in pure fury. The man struggled to free himself.

"Unhand me at once, you harlot! Let me go! You know NOTHING!" The man bellowed. Cerebella pushed him harder into the wall.

"No, I don't... That's why I'm gonna ask again... What the HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Who do you think you are, doing stuff like that to a little boy?! Am I gonna have to beat some BASIC F*CKING MORALITY INTO THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS?!"

"Don't preach basic morality to me! You work for the bloody Medicis! You help them destroy lives on a daily basis! And what do you care anyway?! It's none of your bloody business! You don't even know the damn freak!"

"I'M HIS MOTHER!" Cerebella shouted, and for once in his life, Vernon Dursley was left in a shocked silence. Cerebella didn't wait for him to respond, she didn't care what he had to say. She wheeled back and punched him straight in the jaw, knocking him back into a wall. The forceful impact caused a noticable crack on the wall as the walrus-like man staggered to his feet.

"The freak's mother died years ago! What are you-" Vernon began, only to be silenced by a left hook. At first, Cerebella thought Vice-Versa had hit him, but was surprised when she realized Feng had.

"Shut up!" Feng demanded. "We don't want excuses! Why'd you hurt him?!"

"Why- That's not- I don't- HOW THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU EVEN HAVE THAT DAMN FREAK?! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN CONSIDER TAKING IN THAT HIDEOUS-" Cerebella punched him in fhe gut.

"MY SON...IS NOT...HIDEOUS." She snarled furiously. "I found him living in the garbage! After he ran away from YOU! HIS FAMILY! BECAUSE YOU WERE HURTING HIM! JUST LOOK AT THESE PICTURES! IF HE HADN'T RUN AWAY, YOU WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM, YOU SICKO! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU DO THIS?!"

"Why...? Why?! WHY?! IT'S BECAUSE I HATE THAT DAMN FREAK! I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM, I HATE HIM! I HATE HIS ENTIRE BLOODY KIND! DAMNED BRAT BELONGS IN THE BLOODY TRASH! SHOULD HAVE KEPT HIM THERE TO GET CRUSHED BY THE BLOODY GARBAGE TRUCK! THIS THING IS AN ABOMINATION, AND I BLOODY WISH I HAD KILLED HIM!" Vernon was blinded by his rage.

Feng and Cerebella were left in shocked silence, for a moment, the fire in their eyes was gone, but not long after, something else replaced it. An icy-gold feeling of death coming over them. Now they didn't remember why they had come. All they knew now was that the man in front of him had to die. Vernon seemed to realize the same thing, and frantically began to try and get away.

Vice-Versa grabbed him before he could escape, and held him up to Cerebella's face. "You're...evil... You're a f*cking MONSTER, you fat disgusting slob... I...am going...to beat you so badly, you'll be sipping your meals through a damn straw for the rest of your life!" Vernon squeaked in response. The two women looked at him with such pure, unbridled hate in their eyes that even he could not will himself to speak.

"I'll... I'll give you the money...! I'll do anything you want, just please, PLEASE let me go!" He tried to plead for mercy...but the girls weren't having it.

Anyone who happened to pass by the Dursley's house would claim they saw what looked like a petite woman and a voluptuous woman beating the living daylights out of a sentient bean bag chair. But those who knew who the Dursley's were, or some of their, 'tendencies' were far more likely to simply smirk and keep on walking. Back inside, Cerebella gave another powerful punch to the fat man's face. She didn't enjoy this like she did with some of the fights she had been in though.

She was enjoying it for much different reasons... This was not about getting money. This was not about a fun fight... This was about justice for her child. By the time the pair had ceased their assault, Vernon Dursley laid sprawled on the ground, twitching in agony from the beating he had been subjected to. Cerebella scowled and grabbed him by the collar again. "You listen to me, lardass... I love Harry. And I'm proud to have adopted him. If I ever see you anywhere near him... I'll KILL you."

Vernon was wheezing for breath, but faintly nodded, signalling he understood. At this point, Feng looked over at a bag that was filled with money. "Hey, Bella? I found the cash." She remarked. "And a lot more... we're taking it." Tossing the bag over to her friend, Vice-Versa caught it and slung it over its non-existent shoulders. As the two turned to leave, they heard an obnoxious screech.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

The two girls turned to see who had spoken, and scowled. There was the woman from several pictures of the child torture... Holding him over the hot stove was one of the least awful things she'd done to him... "Perfect timing, you good for nothing toothpick of a woman." Cerebella cracked her knuckles. "I got a bone to pick with you too... This is gonna be BAD."

Petunia stumbled back slightly. "Y-You stay back, you...you WHORE!" Cerebella's scowl deepened. "You have no right to come in here and assault us!"

"Ha. Jokes on you. I totally do." Cerebella said flatly. "You abused my son."

"What?! I've never even met you!" The thin woman streaked. Cerebella held up a picture of Harry in response, and the woman seemed baffled. "Wh...Who's that?!"

"Y'know what. Forget the explanation. You know what you did." Cerebella shook her head before looking back to Feng. "You want in on this?"

"No, I'm good, I'll be outside." She shook her head and left with the bag of money Vice-Versa handed to her.

Cerebella smirked after her before turning to her next victim with a vicious smirk. "Oh, this is gonna be a blast." She said, grinning ear to ear.

"Get away! Get away now, or I'll... I'll scream! And the neighbours will hear it! They will! And then they'll call the police, and you'll be hauled off!"

"Yeah? Well it just so happens the Medicis are in good with the police, so I'm not too worried. Now brace yourself, 'cause this is gonna hurt!"

Before Petunia could scream anything else, Cerebella punched her right in the nose, Then the eye, then the other eye, then the jaw... Really, by the time she was done, there wasn't much left that Cerebella hadn't beaten black and blue. Cerebella sighed deeply, breathing heavily. "I'll only say this once. Try anything to hurt Harry, try to go to the police... you'll regret it."

The greenette stomped on Petunia's ribcage, fracturing it. "Seriously... You're his freaking family... How could you just treat him like the dirt beneath your boots?!"

"Please just leave... Please, I'm sorry, leave me alone, I won't go near the fre-boy again, just don't hurt me, I'm begging you, I'm begging you..."

Cerebella snorted. "Now how many times has my son tried to beg you assholes for mercy? Did you ever give it to him? I doubt it. Sub human garbage..."

Kicking the horse-like woman one last time, Cerebella sighed, knowing that was enough. She turned and quietly left the house. Passing by her friend, she didn't say anything and just kept walking. "Hey... Bella?" Feng called. "Uh... you okay?" There was silence for a few moments, then Cerebella finally spoke.

"Let's just get back to the hotel."

The two women walked in silence. Their mission was complete. They could go home that night. The train ride back was at midnight. They would return by the next day. They entered their hotel room and sat down on their beds, neither one of them feeling particularly up to conversation. Feng noticed Cerebella looking through something, and her eyes widened. "You still have those pictures with you?" She asked. Cerebella said nothing, flipping through the photos she had stolen from their album. She hated looking through these horrific images of her suffering child... But she just had to know what her son went through...

After looking through all the pictures, Cerebella set them down with a blank expression. "...He's five, Feng... He's only five years old... He's just barely out of being a toddler."

Feng didn't say anything, unsure of what to say to all this. Finally, she simply said: "I know..."

"And they treated him like a slave! They beat him! They starved him!"

"I know..."

"He ran away because he was so scared of what they'd do to him! They could've killed him!"

"Bella..." Feng began, but trailed off. Eventually getting up and hugging her friend, while Cerebella slowly began to break down. "Let it out. You need to."

Cerebella looked up at her best friend with tears in her eyes. She gave Feng a small, thankful smile before burying hee face into her shoulder. "My baby..." Cerebella said in a shakey voice. "My... My little...baby boy..." And then, she lost any and all composure she had, breaking down in her friend's arms. Feng was having a very hard time keeping it together herself. While she wasn't sobbing like Cerebella, tears were still flowing freely down her face.

"Why? What did he ever do to deserve this?!" Cerebella practically whimpered.

"Some people are just cruel Bella... It's just reality." Feng quietly replied. "You saved him though, you found him, you've raised him... You've been everything they never could or would be. This won't be easy, but you'll be there to help him get over this, each step of the way. You've already started, and he's thankful." The two women remained where they were for a few minutes until finally letting go and sitting on their beds, feeling exhausted.

"Heh... Thanks, Feng... You're the best friend a girl could ask for..." Cerebella said softly. Feng gave her best friend a beaming smile and nodded.

"No problem, Bella... I'm sad too... Those pictures are just...horrific... Just thinking about..." She stopped herself, not wanting to upset her friend more. But Cerebella was having similar thoughts... She was now imagining what it must have been like from her son's perspective... How terrified and in pain he must have been... The young woman felt her heart break just imagining it...

"Honest question: what are we gonna do with the pictures?" Feng finally asked. "I, for one, think showing them to Harry would be an awful idea. Even if we wait till he's grown up, they'll only bring those fears back."

"I agree." Cerebella nodded. "But we can't pretend like we never saw them..."

"That's not what I meant." Feng replied. "We can tell him about what happened, what we saw, it'll help him overcome all this. It'll probably terrify him at first and he'll mostly likely be afraid that they'll try and find him-"

"Feng! Not helping!" Cerebella snapped, angered. Feng just remained silent and calmly continued.

"-but it will help him to know that this is behind him." She concluded. Cerebella blinked, realizing what Feng had been getting at.

"Feng, I'm sor-"

"Don't." Feng shook her head. "You were trying to protect Harry, don't apologize for that."

The two women fell into silence. Cerebella looked down at the pictures again and felt pure, unbridled hatred welling up inside her, crumbling one of them in her hand. "...We'll send an anonymous tip to the police station... The police will see the pictures, recognize those bastards, and then... then their asses will get hauled off to jail where they'll hopefully get-"

"Ugh... Don't finish that sentence please... I REALLY don't wanna think about what goes on in those prison cells..." Feng shuddered slightly.

"Right, right... sorry..." Cerebella sighed, she remained quiet for a moment, then spoke up again. "I'm gonna take a shower, after that, I'll order some food while you take one, then we can call Vitale and tell him the jobs done, then maybe we can get in touch with Harry, make sure he's doing okay."

"Cere, it's only been like three hou..." Feng began but trailed off when she realized what Cerebella was getting at. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

The greenette nodded and entered the washroom. Feng sighed deeply. 'Harry... I don't know what those things were thinking... But you're gonna be okay from now on...'

Back at Beatrix's house, the magician had finished reading the book to the little boy. She closed it and smiled softly at him. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the book, kid... What do you wanna do next?"

Harry looked up at her with shy, timid eyes, then nuzzled himself closer to his position on her lap. "Um... I wanna snuggle... Is... Is that okay...?"

Beatrix blinked in surprise. Sure, she had comforted him last night when he had a nightmare, but she assumed that was mainly due to the fact that there was no one else he could turn to, and now he wanted to be held by her just because? 'Doitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoitdoit.' Began racing through her mind at a mile a minute. Donning a small smile, she gently pulled Harry onto her lap, her heart beating a mile a minute as he snuggled into her chest, letting out a content yawn. 'Why is he so cute~?' Beatirx thought to herself.

She felt warmth flowing through her heart as she held the little boy tightly against her bosom, gently rubbing his back. Harry closed his eyes and smiled in content. He couldn't believe this was the same woman that had scared him on his first day here... She had been so mean back then, but now...? She was a part of his family. That was what he decided. Miss Beatrix was just as much a member of his family as his mommy or his auntie Feng.

He was nervous to tell her though... He decided he would. When he was ready. He wasn't sure how Beatrix would react. Beatrix for her part, was feeling rather content, holding the warm boy in her arms. She understood why Cerebella loved this so much... he was certainly cuddly, and there was a sense of comfort he brought, almost a sense of security. She gently patted his back, enjoying this feeling.

Then the phone rang.

Blinking, she reached over and grabbed the phone. Checking the caller ID, she blinked when she saw Cerebella's number. "Huh... Your mom's calling again." Harry perked up, and Beatrix chuckled. Pushing the button, she held the phone up to her ear. "Hey, Cerebella. You're calling again quickly. Miss your boy that badly, huh?"

"Beatrix...? Put Harry on, please... I need to talk to him..." Beatrix was taken aback at the tone in Cerebella's voice. She sounded...absolutely heartbroken. As if she was about to break down in tears...

"Sure..." Beatrix said, handing the phone over to Harry.

"Hi, mommy!" Harry said happily.

"Ar...Are you okay?" Cerebella stammered.

"Mommy? What's wrong? You seem sad..." Harry said, concern clear in his voice. "Did... Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no you did... you did NOTHING wrong. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Cerebella said, barely holding back tears.

"Mommy?"Harry grew concerned at the tone in Cerebella's voice, and he began to tear up himself. "M-Mommy...?" He asked with a shakey voice.

He heard his mother take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "Harry, I...I met your... I met the ones that hurt you... The big fat guy... The scrawny lady... I know everything, Harry... I know what they did to you..."

Harry went silent and began to shake slightly, which greatly worried Beatrix, who gently pulled him back into her embrace. "Kid... Hey... It's okay..." She said softly.

"Harry... I'm coming home, okay...? I'll be back tomorrow night... It's gonna be okay... ...Harry... If you ever wanna talk about it...mommy's ready to listen, okay...?"

"mm..." Was all Harry could get out.

"I love you sweetie." Cerebella re-affirmed.

"Mmm..." Cerebella sighed deeply and hung up the phone, tears now running down her face again. Back at the circus, Beatrix didn't know what had happened, but she tightened her grip on Harry, gently running her hand through his hair, trying her best to be comforting.

"What happened, kid?" Harry whimpered softly in response, and Beatrix frowned sadly. "C'mon, little guy, it's okay... You can tell me..."

"Mommy met my...my old family..." Beatrix's eyes widened in surprise. "She knows... She knows all the...the bad stuff they did to me, and... And..." Beatrix thought she'd be far more panicked at the prospect of her charge breaking down in tears... Yet somehow, when it did happen, she managed to retain her composure.

She felt weird if she was honest. Normally the sound of a crying child would annoy her to no end. But Harry, his tears weren't that of fussiness, it was that of absolute, broken terror. She held him close like she had seen Cerebella do, and tried her best to calm him down. Sadly, she was at a loss for words. "Hey... Hey, it's okay..." She finally got out. "It'll be okay. Your mom's taken care of it..."

"Wh...What if they find me?" Harry whimpered, almost paralyzed from fear. Beatrix frowned, her eyes narrowing somewhat. She took a gamble and kissed his head.

"Harry, Cerebella would never let them near you. Neither would Feng, or Regina, or Hubrecht... or me."

Harry looked up at her with wide eyes. She was looking him straight in the face, not even noticing how tender her smile was. "You're safe here, Harry... We're...mostly all here to protect you. Talliesin's a loser." She said, trying to brighten up the mood with some humour. Harry stared at her for a couple seconds more before pressing himself against her as tightly as possible, burying his face into her chest. Beatrix tightened her hold on him, gently rubbing the back of his head and smiling softly. She felt the warmth in her heart grow even warmer... She cared for this boy. Truly and genuinely cared for him.

"You wanna take a nap? Or would you like to hear another story?" Beatrix asked, gently adjusting the boy on her lap.

"Um, another story please... if it's okay..." Harry replied shyly. Beatrix smirked. She had taken down most of his walls, but there was still a little bit more to go.

"Sure." She smiled, holding Harry in one arm, she walked back over to the shelf and looked around, finally finding one, a fantasy story called 'The Tobbit'.

She seated the boy on her lap and kissed his cheek. She wasn't sure why. It was sort of a...just because thing. He let out an adorable coo sound, so she was pretty sure he appreciated it. Cracking the book open, she began the story, closely monitoring the boy's reactions to see if he liked it. Much to her liking, he seemed to be enjoying it. Eventually, however, she heard the sound of soft snoring. She blinked, then looked down to see Harry had fallen asleep in her arms. She chuckled to herself and kissed the top of his head. ...She liked doing it, okay? Harry stirred in his sleep and cuddled in closer to her, warming the magician's heart. And then, he spoke in his sleep... "Love you...miss Beatrix..."

Beatrix gave a small gasp in surprise. To most, being told they someone loved them was almost passe, but Beatrix hadn't been told that too much. She had never heard her father say it... And here was Harry, the tiny boy she terrified and nearly kidnapped when he first arrived, peacefully snuggled into her arms, saying he loved her. This was something she never expected. "Heh... love you too, little guy."

She meant it, too... Harry had been a real eye opener for her... An absolute life changer. If it hadn't been for him, she would still be stewing in her own anger and hatred. She leaned down and pressed her lips against his forehead, smiling softly as she pulled back and looked at his sweet sleeping face. She couldn't help it... She had to give gim three more kisses. She noticed the boy was shaking slightly, and she gently removed her cape and wrapped him up in it, turning the green article into a makeshift blanket.

Carrying him into the room where he was sleeping, she saw Kitty, Hazel and Peter all look up simultaneously, either hoping for food, attention, to see how Harry was doing, or all three. Gently setting the bundle on the bed, Beatirx pulled the blanket up over him until it was at his shoulders. Harry mumbled something inaudible as she turned over in his sleep. Beatrix watched with a sad smile, having a bad feeling in her gut that tonight would be another night of bad dreams... well, she'd feed the animals, then come back and make sure he was okay.

Leaning down to give the sleeping boy another kiss on the forehead, she looked down at the pets with a small smile. "C'mon, guys... Let's go and get you fed." Leading the animals out of the room, she spared the sleeping Harry one last glance, then made her decision. She was going to sleep with him again tonight. After filling up the pets' bowls, she watched them eat with a light smirk. Sighing softly, she made her way upstairs with them in tow, having finished eating. She entered the room to find Harry crying in his sleep.

Beatrix moaned sadly and quickly made her way over to the boy, wrapping him up in her arms. "Hey, Harry? Harry? Wake up!" She said, trying to stir the tiny boy of his sleep. Suddenly the tiny boy shook awake and gasped in shock, looking around before seeing Beatrix.

"M...Miss Beatrix? Did I wake you up?" He whimpered.

Beatrix shook her head. "No... I was just feeding the animals." She explained. "Are you okay, little guy? You were crying... What were you dreaming about?"

"Th-They found me, and... And they burned everything up... The big tent... All the food stands... Our... Our houses... And... And..." He began whimpering.

"And?" Beatrix prodded gently.

"And everyone here... Auntie Feng... You... M-Mommy... Everybody... You were all... You were burning and... And..." It became apparent he was going to cry.

"Aww... let it out kiddo." Beatirx sighed, gently putting Harry against her shoulder, letting the tiny boy cry into her shoulder. Beatrix sighed, rubbing his back. She knew from experience that when someone was abused, there was a very likely chance they'd turn out cold and aggressive, or they'd be broken. She and Harry were two prime examples of that...

These people had truly shattered him... All she could do was help pick up the pieces the best she could... Gently, she rocked him back and forth. Finally, the little boy's sobbing ceased and he looked up at her with huge, teary eyes. She gently dabbed at them with a nearby tissue and kissed his cheek. "Okay... Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna sleep with me tonight, I'll get you through the bad dreams, and your mom will be back home for you before you go to bed tomorrow."

"M'kay..." Harry mumbled, still half asleep and half terrified. Beatirx smiled and carried the tiny boy back to her room. Wordlessly, she set him under the blankets before climbing into bed. Wrapping him up in her arms, Beatrix pulled him close, letting him quickly drift off to sleep once again.

He nuzzled into her embrace, and she studied his facial reactions closely, watching as he went from scared and upset, to smiling softly as she rubbed his back. She felt the small weight of the animals walking around and over her legs and chuckled softly, watching as they settled down, curled up and went to sleep. This was...perfect. Harry was perfect... He was such a precious little thing... Holding him brought feelings of joy and love the likes of which she didn't even know existed.

Beatrix smiled and kissed Harry one last time before drifting off to sleep, peacefully holding the tiny boy in her arms who was peacefully dreaming of his family. His real family. That night, Harry didn't have any more nightmares, feeling content and safe. The next morning, Beatrix yawned as she slowly woke up, blinking a few times then remembering the tiny boy asleep in her arms.

She looked down at him and beamed with delight. He was completely at peace as he slept in her arms, innocently sucking on his tiny thumb. She sat up and hugged the boy close, gently rubbing his back and resting her cheek atop his tiny head. She smiled softly as she felt him snuggle in closer. The pair stayed like that for several more minutes before Harry stirred in his sleep and looked up at her with his big green eyes. "Morning, hun. Sleep okay?" Beatrix asked before kissing his nose.

"Mmhmm..." Harry mumbled with a tiny smile on his face as he woke up. "I didnhave bad dweams..."

'Okay. That might be the cutest thing I've ever seen or heard.' Beatrix mentally noted as she stood up and stretched, still holding Harry in her arms. "Well that's good to hear. Cerebella's probably desperate to see you, I think you're gonna be hugged a lot tonight."

"Mama's coming home?!" Harry asked, suddenly seeming much more awake and excited.

"Tonight. She should be home tonight." Beatrix reassured the tiny boy.

Harry then remembered the talk he'd had with his mother on the phone the night prior and looked down, an ashamed expression appearing on his face. Beatrix noticed, and gently cupped his chin in her fingers, tilting his tiny head up to look at her. "Hey, what's wrong? Aren't you excited to be with your mom again?"

Harry nodded his head slowly. "I am... But... It's just... Last night when I talked to her, she said she loved me, and... and I didn't say it back... I think I hurt mama's feelings..."

"Hey, she wouldn't think that." Beatrix said as reassuringly as she could. "Both of you were going through some tough stuff, she knows you love her. She would never think otherwise."

"Really?" Harry asked, looking up with his emerald eyes. Beatirx smiled, remembering that he was still a very little boy who needed to be reassured on some things.

"Definitely." Beatirx kissed his nose.

Harry let the softest of smiles come to his face and pressed his tiny head against her shoulder, nuzzling in the best he could. Beatrix chuckled softly and petted his head. "You're quite the little cuddler, aren't you? Heh... I've gotten more hugs from you in two days than I have the entire rest of my life combined." Harry just let out a content hum, loving the feeling of being held by Miss Beatrix. The young woman walked downstairs. "Okay, what say we go have breakfast?"

"Okay Miss Beatirx. Do you want me to make something for you?"

Beatrix passed and looked down at Harry in surprise before finally saying: "Did... did Cerebella..."

"No, mommy only let me help auntie Feng cook." Harry shook his tiny head.

"Oh, and then..." The magician trailed off, realizing where Harry must've learned how to cook. "Well... how about you help me?"

Harry perked up at that and nodded his tiny head up and down eagerly. "Yes please!" He said excitedly. Beatrix chuckled and carried him downstairs.

"Hmm... Since this is our last night together, how about we do something special and make some... pancakes?" Beatrix offered. Harry smiled and nodded his affirmation, getting a chuckle from his mentor. Beatrix pulled out some pancake mix, as well as a few things to mix in. Chocolate chips, blueberries, several different kinds of nuts, whatever she thought would enhance the flavour.

Beatris held Harry as he mixed the ingredients together. They decided to try a type of pancake made up of just about everything. Beatrix had to admit, there was something adorable about how focused Harry seemed on the task.

Soon enough, all that was left was for the pancakes to bake. The duo sat in a kitchen chair and watched their breakfast cook with content smiles. "Heh... You did good, kid." Beatrix said. "Even if you are covered in batter." She poked the boy's batter covered nose playfully and he giggled.

"You have some on your face too!" Harry poked at her cheek, and she chuckled.

"Well what do you know? I guess I do." She dabbed at her face with a cloth.

Beatrix used her magic to flip the pancakes, and Harry seemed to love it. This was such a weird feeling for the magician. In the past week or so, she had made amends with her rival, become friends with her, and actually found herself caring for a little boy. Maybe Harry was what this place needed all along, a sort of positive energy to bring everyone together. Well, maybe not everyone, but Beatrix didn't feel the need to mention that.

She just focused on preparing breakfast. Soon enough, their meal was done, and she set the pancakes down on a plate, serving up some for herself and her charge. The two ate their breakfast in a comfortable silence. Beatrix watched over Harry to see if he enjoyed his breakfast, and the bright-eyed smile told her that he very much did. When they finished, they washed up their dishes, then Beatrix looked down at Harry with a small smile... and found that he was reaching up to her with his tiny arms to be picked up.

It was such an adorable sight Beatrix thought her heart was melting in her chest. Bending down, she gently scooped the little boy up and held him comfortably. "How about I read you some more of the story, then we can try something new with your training?"

"Okay." Harry said, smiling up at his instructor. Beatrix chuckled and patted his head.

She carried the boy over to her favourite armchair and grabbed the previously discarded book off the sidetable, cracking it open to the last page they read.

Meanwhile, Cerebella and Feng were on the train ride home. Feng noticed Cerebella staring distantly out the window and squeezed her arm gently. Cerebella smiled weakly at her friend before focusing her attention outside again. She was not at all over the horrors those sub-human beings had inflicted on her child...

"Hey." Feng said in a soft tone, that made her sound much older than she actually was. "If you need to talk about it-"

"No." Cerebella cut her friend off. "No, I'm fine." Feng paused, then sighed, nodding and not pushing.

"Well, we'll be home soon, and you'll have Harry in your arms again."

Cerebella smiled softly at that fact. 'I'm coming home, Harry... Mommy's coming back for you...' She clenched a fist tightly. 'And no one will EVER hurt you like that again...'

The two girls sat in silence and stared forward. Then, Feng spoke. "If it makes you feel any better... I feel the same way..." Cerebella turned to look at her friend. "I love him too, Cerebella... Probably nowhere near as much as you... But I still love Harry with all my heart... Seeing those pictures was just... I... I totally get you... Okay? I know I'm not his mom, but I am a part of his family..."

Cerebella sighed deeply and nodded. "Thanks Feng... I just..."

"I get it." Feng reaffirmed. "You were upset, it was natural." The two women fell back into silence. Cerebella looked back out the window, hoping her son was okay, and that she'd be able to help him get through it all.

She remembered the day she first found him in that alleyway and smiled fondly. He was so delicate and frail back then... Just a tiny little bonerack... She was so glad to have found him. To be given the opportunity to be his mother... She couldn't wait to get home and hug her child close...

Later that night, Harry and Beatrix were going to go over their new training method. "Okay, Harry... Do you remember when I taught you how to read memories?" She asked gently. Harry nodded, although hesitantly. He remembered when Miss Beatrix had looked into some of his memories and seen a bit of what he had been through. It was scary...

"Uh huh..." He timidly replied.

"Okay, we're gonna try that again, but I'll show you how to control it." Beatirx calmly began. "First, you need to focus on a happy memory. Then, open up your mind."

Harry nodded, then closed his eyes as hard as he could and focused. Beatrix gently pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes as well... Harry tried to focus on the happy memories... He really did... But this particular spell made him very nervous, and that, combined with what his mother had told him on the phone yesterday, made it all but impossible. He couldn't think about the happy memories... And as a result, he wound up causing Beatrix to see firsthand all of the horrors Cerebella had seen in the pictures.

Beatirx was frozen in horror as she saw the abuse. the beatings, the torment, the verbal abuse, him being left out in the cold while the others were inside. How he was forced to do manual labour no one his age should even think about doing...

If she was able to, she would've snapped him out of it much sooner. But the magician, for what might be the very first time, was frozen stiff in fear. Thankfully, (although 'thankful' may not be the right term) Harry couldn't take it any more and opened his eyes, severing the connection. He saw Miss Beatrix, frozen in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape, and did the only thing he thought was logical.

He ran.

Beatrix snapped out of it and gaspec, rushing after him as fast as her legs would carry her. "H-Harry, wait! Come back! Please!" She called after him. Harry ran into a closet and closed the door, hiding himself away and curling up in a tight ball. Beatrix stopped outside the closet and bit her lip. "...Harry... Harry, I'm... I'm so sorry... I had no idea... I... We can forget all about that spell if you want... Please... Just come out, and we can sit down and talk about this, okay...?" There was a pregnant moment of silence... And then, the door slowly pushed open and the little boy stepped out, looking down at the floor and looking like he was about to cry. Beatrix took a kneeling position and hugged him tightly, holding him close to her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Harry..."

"You... You saw it... And... And mommy and auntie Feng know all about it... I didn't want anyone to know..." The little boy whimpered. Beatrix tightened her hug. Her own father was horrible, but his punishments mostly involved yelling and slapping... She'd never been outright tortured like Harry had...

"Harry... Listen to me... You have nothing to be ashamed of. Absolutely nothing... What happened to you is not your fault..."

"But it is! I'm a freak!" Harry exclaimed in response, his broken tone heartbreaking to hear. Beatrix tightened her hold as she made her way back to her room. Sitting on her bed, she began rocking him in her arms.

"Don't think that... Don't ever think that..." She cooed softly. "You're not a freak, you're very talented, and very special. You have your mommy and Aunt Feng, and me. None of us think you're a freak. They were so wrong to think that. They were so wrong to even begin to think that..." Unfortunately, her words weren't as effective as she had hoped as Harry continued crying into her chest. Beatrix figured this was the best case scenario for him, and that all she could do was let him cry it all out.

She gently rocked him back and forth in her arms, listening to his sobs, feeling his tiny, frail body tremble violently, and her heart began to hurt immensely. "Shhhh... It's okay, Harry... You're gonna be okay... I'm right here, and very soon, your mom will be too..." She whispered softly into his ear. When his sobbing finally ceased, Beatrix carried him back downstairs and sat in her rocking chair, hugging him tightly. "Okay... Why don't we sit down and just wait for your mom to come back, huh?" She saw a tiny nod of affirmation and chuckled. "Hey...Harry... I love you... You know that, right?"

I love you too Auntie Beatirx..." Harry mumbled, nuzzling in close to Beatrix's embrace. The magician's eyes widened in shock when she heard what Harry said. She looked down and wanted to ask if she heard him properly, but decided to just keep him warm and safe.

"Aunt Beatirx, huh?" She whispered. "You are SO adorable."

She heard the sound of the little boy's soft snoring and looked down to see he had fallen asleep in her embrace. The magician smiled softly, then carefully removed her cape and used it to bundle up the little boy in her arms, gazing tenderly down at the tiny sleeping child.

The train ride had finally ended, and Cerebella and Feng were finally back at the Cirques de Cartes. The two women were on their way to different destinations, Feng to cook and Cerebella to pick up her son. The two exchanged smiles. "Go get that beautiful little baby." Feng said before entering their house. Chuckling, Cerebella made her way to Beatrix's house. When she arrived, she decided to peek into the window, hoping for a glance of her son. What she ended up seeing, however? Well... It made the butterflies come back tenfold.

Beatrix was peacefully sitting on her bed, gently cooing and rocking her sleeping boy in her arms. Beatirx seemed more calm and relaxed than anyone had ever seen. She was cradling her son like a newborn infant, making sure he was comfortable. Her black hair seemed to shine from the faint light a lantern was giving off. It was a truly magical sight. Slowly, Cerebella made her way to the door and slowly knocked on it, feeling nervous for reasons she couldn't explain.

Beatrix heard the knock, then smiled down at the sleeping child in her arms before rising to her feet. She leaned down and planted a kiss on Harry's forehead. "Time to go home, hun..." She said softly.

Cerebella had noticed the kiss, and the feeling in her stomach grew stronger. She put a hand over her chest to try and calm herself down, but to no avail. She was just... so amazing with her son... He looked so at peace in her arms, and she was looking at him with true love and adoration, and she looked so beautiful in the candlelight...

It was then that she came to understand what these feelings were...

...Love.

But... Beatrix?

Cerebella was desperately trying to put something together to explain it, but... she did feel like she was falling in love with her. Not like the love she had with Feng, but this was more... passion. She appreciated all the magician had done, and she was so cute with Harry...

She was jolted out of her thoughts when the door was opened, and the woman she was thinking about was standing before her. Her smile was not of malice, cockiness, or even amusement... But of serenity. Cerebella opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out other than "Uh... Uh... Uh..." Beatrix quirked her brow, then her smile turned to one of amusement.

"Careful there, Cerebella. You're gonna catch flies if you stand with your mouth hanging open like that." Cerebella clamped her mouth shut and gulped slightly.

"Oh, uh..." Cerebella muttered. "Hey, um... Was Harry any trouble?" Beatirx smiled as she looked down at the tiny sleeping boy in her arms. She kissed him gently on the forehead before she replied.

"He's a little angel, Cerebella. He couldn't be trouble if he tried."

"I mean... he sounded..." Beatrix frowned when she picked up on what the weightlifter was talking about.

"He's had some really bad nightmares... like, it's truly terrifying." Beatrix sighed.

Cerebella bit her lip as she looked at her son. "You're... You're really good with him, Beatrix... I... Um... Thank you for watching him..." She reached out her arms slowly to take her son. Beatrix smiled and carefully handed the tiny sleeping child over to his mother. Cerebella smiled lovingly down at her son, then jostled him very gently to wake him up. Harry let out a soft whine at the sudden awakening, then looked up sleepily, eyes widening when he saw the smiling face of his adoptive mother.

"Mama!" He said with as much energy as a half-asleep boy could.

"Hi precious." Cerebella cooed, giving him a long kiss on the forehead. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too mommy."

"Aw, that's so sweet." Beatrix smiled at their interactions. Cerebella blushed.

She looked at the woman, who was giving her a rather teasing grin, and realized it was intended to make her feel bashful and embarrassed. "Uh... Heh..." Cerebella chuckled. "Well... I'm just gonna take my kid home now... See ya later, Beatrix..."

"Bye, auntie Beatrix. Thank you for everything." Harry said gratefully.

"Auntie Beatrix, huh?" Cerebella smiled as she rubbed Harry's back, enjoying the feeling of her son curling up into her arms and cooing adorably. "You two seem to have gotten along well."

"She's really nice." Harry said. "She read me stories and held me when I got scared... she was like you mama!"

Cerebella looked surprised at that, then looked at Beatrix, who smirked lightly. "So, Cerebella... Would you say I've proven my worth as a mother?"

Cerebella's face turned slightly red. "Uh... Yeah, totally, B... You'd make a totally awesome mom to my-YOUR kid. Heh... Little...slip of the tongue there..."

Cerebella laughed slightly, then the silence returned between the two. Thankfully, said silence was broken by Harry yawning and snuggling back into Cerebella's arms. "Heh." She smiled. "I think it's time I put him to bed."

"Yeah..." Beatrix nodded, questioning if she should ask her about the phone call.

Cerebella smiled at Beatrix. "So uh... He have dinner already?" Beatrix nodded her head. "Good... Good..." She rubbed her son's back gently.

Beatrix hesitated before speaking. "Cerebella... I was trying to work on the memory spell with Harry, and... Well... Cerebella, I know exactly what they did to him... I saw... everything..."

Cerebella looked at her with wide eyes, then began to tear up. "Yeah? Well... Me and Feng know all about it too..." She said softly, tightening her hug on her boy.

"Listen, I don't know if you want to talk about it now or some other time... but..." Beatirx trailed off awkwardly.

"I think I should put my baby to bed, we'll talk about it some other time." Cerebella replied, kissing Harry's head, noticing Harry had tensed up.

He relaxed at the kiss, nuzzled into her chest, and went to sleep in her arms. Cerebella smiled, then heard a soft meow. "Heh, of course, Kitty. I could never forget you." She cooed as her pet hopped onto her shoulder and mewled cutely. She she smiled softly before turning to walk away.

Beatrix watched after her with a small smile before going back inside. Cerebella stepped into her and Feng's home, where her roommate was preparing their dinner for the evening. Feng looked over and smiled sadly before approaching. "Mommy and auntie are home now, baby... No more scary dreams and no more pain..." She cooed softly before kissing Harry's forehead gently. The sleeping boy cooed and Feng giggled. "Go put that poor baby to bed now, Cerebella."

Cerebella carried her son to her room, gently tucking her son into bed. She smiled and stroked his hair. She sighed contently.

She leaned down and kissed his head, giving him a loving smile as he slept soundly. Then, she sighed and fell deep into thought about her feelings... Of all the people in the world to fall in love with... why did it have to be her sworn rival who absolutely hated her until very recently? She began to ponder why the thought of Beatrix brought intense desires to the forefront...

But... she couldn't explain it. She had heard that love, just like life... found a way. And now that she thought about it, was Beatrix really that bad? She was certainly pretty, and good with Harry... In fact, she really seemed to care for him.

In fact... The more she thought about it... The more things started to click for her... She deduced the reasons why she was falling for the magician, and it made sense... However... She wanted a second opinion on the matter... And she knew just the girl for the job. Leaning down, she kissed Harry's forehead. "I'll be back, hun..." She said softly. Then, she went downstairs where Feng was cooking.

"Oh, hi, Cerebella! You're just in time! I'm almost finished-"

"Hey, Feng?" Cerebella cut her off. "Uh... I... I kinda...think I...fell in love with somebody..." Feng blinked, then grinned slyly.

"Oooh, do tell." She said, intrigued. "Who is it? Is it that guy you talked to on the train? Or was it that super cute girl who took our order at that restaurant? Ooh! Is it-"

"It's Beatrix..."

Feng opened her mouth to reply, then froze. After a few moments, she closed it. Then got a drink of water, and splashed herself with it. Shaking her head, she took a sharp breath before turning back to her roommate. "Come again?"

"I... i think I'm in love with Beatrix." Cerebella repeated herself. "She just... I... I don't know how to explain it. But we've gotten to know each other, and it feels like there's really something there."

Feng stared at her friend in disbelief before taking a seat. "Wow. Wow... This is not a dream... You and Beatrix... That's... Just surreal..." Feng turned to look at her friend. "Do you know why?"

Cerebella took a deep breath. "Well... I always did think she was kinda hot..."

"Well, that's like saying that water's wet. But her attitude was always a major turn off, right?"

"Well... Yeah, before Harry came along... But he softened her up, and... well... I saw some new sides to her... Feng, she's got a really sharp wit, and she's got drive and determination, and she's a damn good fighter... She's actually pretty fun to hang around, and... And oh my god, Feng... I saw her interacting with Harry when I went to pick him up... She was... She was amazing with him..."

"Really? How so?" Feng questioned with a raised brow.

"She was holding him like a newborn infant. Talking calmly and sweetly to him. I could hear him cooing in his sleep. She seemed so relaxed and focused on him that nothing else mattered. She was acting like I do when I take care of Harry, it... it was so sweet."

"Huh." Feng said, thinking it over. "Does she know, or think the same thing?"

Cerebella looked down. "I doubt it... She just recently stopped hating the ground I walk on... Her liking me kinda seems like a pipe dream..."

Feng looked thoughtful. "Hmm... Beatrix is gonna be a tricky one to win over, that's for sure... Stubborn as a mule, bit of an ego, probably has pretty high standards... Buuut, I do have some good news for you."

"Yeah? What would that be?" Cerebella asked.

"Well, I happen to know for a fact that she's into girls."

"Really?" Cerebella asked surprised, her eyes widening somewhat.

"Yeah, haven't you seen how she looks at Regina?" Feng replied, and Cerebella seemed surprised by that.

"Wait. What?" She relied in surprise.

"Yeah, every sp often you can see her looking at Regina. At first I thought it was out of respect or looking for instructions... but there was something about HOW she did it, it couldn't just be respect..."

Cerebella looked down at the ground. "But Feng... I don't look anything like Regina... In fact, I pretty much just look like those 'bimbos' she's always complaining about..."

"You are NOT a bimbo, Cerebella. You're just a little bit on the naive side." Feng said gently, patting her friend's shoulder. "Here's what you should do... Try to be subtle. Drop a few hints every now and then. Be a good friend, help her when she needs it, try to get close to her without being too obvious. Learn as much as you can about her. Find out what she likes, what she doesn't like, everything you can, and use it. Give her the occasional present, be there for her when she's down, then wait until the right moment, and just tell her your feelings. Let her know you love her and you want to be with her."

"Okay, and what if she isn't into me?" Cerebella asked. Feng thought it over then shrugged.

"Use Harry as leverage."

"Feng! That's horrible!" Cerebella retorted with a laugh. "She'd only say yes to be with Harry!"

"But that's a way to get closer to her." Feng reasoned.

"Okay, but seriously." Cerebella laughed. "I'm not totally sure what to do. We train in different things, and it isn't always easy for us to spend time together. At this point, I don't think she'd say yes if I asked her out on a date either."

Feng shrugged. "Days off are a thing. And so are lunch breaks. Try and stay close to her, that's a good way to get...well, close to her."

"Feng... What if she doesn't want me around? What if she tells me to go away? What if I wreck what we have now and-" Feng clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Cerebella... You hung out with her all day long like, two weeks ago. You enjoyed being around her, and clearly she liked being around you if she willingly stuck around."

"Yeah, But-"

"Look. Just stop." Feng groaned, rubbing her face. "Love isn't always easy, Bella. Sometimes things take time, you need to calm down and just... feel, so to say. What I mean is you can't immediately assume you're in love with her after a few warm moments, but if you keep trying to bond with her, or even just get to know her, then that should help you figure out what's happening."

Cerebella bit her lip, then sighed. "I'll try, Feng..." She heard a soft mewl, and she looked down to see Kitty curling up on her lap. "Heh... Beatrix treat you nice too, Kitty?"

"Mew?" Kitty looked up at her curiously and received a scratch behind his ears in response. Cerebella smiled softly as she stroked her pet.

"Things will make sense eventually, Cerebella... And remember, if things don't work out with Beatrix, there's plenty of other fish in the sea." Cerebella chuckled.

"Fish in the sea, huh? You saying that because you're still smitten with that dagonian waitress at that restaurant we went to in Little Innsmouth that one time?"

Feng blushed. "Ugh... Why do you always tease me about her? Not my fault she's my dream girl... But hey... You're lucky. Your love isn't like, two towns away."

"And probably seeing someone." Cerebella added, only to be hit by a banana. "Ow. I deserved that. But totally worth it."

"Shut up..." Feng grumbled. "Food's ready." The two sat down and ate their meal in relative silence, Cerebella found herself thinking of Beatrix, and of the pictures they had seen. It was horrific... But she didn't know how to approach Harry on the subject without terrifying him into mute shock.

She shook her head and focused on her dinner. She'd cross that bridge when she came to it... Harry could talk to her about it when he was good and ready... After eating, the girls rose to their feet. "...Hey, Feng? We should go check on Harry now... He's probably having a nightmare right now, and he needs to be with his family..."

Feng bit her lip, then nodded her head. "Right... Let's go... I wanted to visit the little cutie for a little bit anyway." She agreed, following Cerebella upstairs.

The two made their way upstairs and looked sadly at the open door. Harry was lying up in bed, rubbing his eyes, clearly having just woken from a bad dream. "Harry? Sweetie?" Cerebella calmly said as she and Feng entered the room. "Are you okay?"

"I...I just had a bad dream, mama..." He mumbled, looking down at his sheets. Cerebella cooed and sat on one side of the bed, and Feng sat at the foot of it.

"Well, don't worry, hun, you're safe now." Cerebella cooed, pulling Harry into a hug.

Harry snuggled into her embrace, smiling softly as he clutched at her dress. He then noticed Feng approaching, and he perked right up."Auntie Feng!" He said happily, reaching up with his little arms for his aunt, who giggled and gently took him from Cerebella, holding him close and stroking his back.

"Hi, cutie pie." Feng giggled. "I missed seeing your cute widdle face! It's great to be back with you." Harry giggled and leaned into her hug. Feng lifted him up and tucked his head under her chin. "Don't worry, baby. You won't have any more bad dreams while we're here!" Harry went quiet for a moment, then looked down, nervous about something.

Both women caught on, knowing what was on his mind. Cerebella moved closer and gently patted Harry's back. "It's okay, Harry... We'll talk about it when you want to talk about it." Harry looked at her with a small, grateful smile, and she kissed his forehead. Feng did the same immediately afterward, and Cerebella rose to her feet. "Why don't we make this an impromptu sleepover night? I'll go throw a snack together and we'll all spend the night in my room together and watch a movie or two."

"Okay mama." Harry smiled. Feng chuckled and held Harry close.

"Sounds fun!" She remarked. Cerebella smiled as she left the room. Her son enjoyed being with them, that much was clear. And it was also clear he was beyond thrilled to have them back home.

Cerebella left the room, leaving Harry and Feng alone. Feng gave her nephew a sad smile and a kiss on the temple. "You poor baby..." She cooed softly.

"A-Auntie Feng...?" Harry asked softly. "Did...Did you find out about-" Feng gently put a finger over his mouth, then nodded slowly with a sad expression.

"Yes, honey, but remember what your mommy said. You don't have to talk about it until you're ready." She said softly. "Until then, we're gonna work on keeping you safe and happy."

"Thank you..." Harry mumbled, somewhat burying his face in her chest. "It's scary..."

"Oh... poor thing." Feng cooed softly, sitting with her back on the headboard and resting Harry's head against her breast. "Don't worry cutie, me and your mama are gonna make sure no one ever hurts you again... When you're ready, you can talk to us about it. Until then, don't worry." Harry slowly looked up at Feng, then smiled, his face expressed genuinely thankfulness for her understanding and compassion.

Feng gave him a bright smile, then a kiss on both cheeks, followed by his forehead, then pressed her own forehead against his gently and looked into his eyes. "You're just too precious... How could anyobe hurt such a sweet little face...?" She said softly. Harry looked up at her, then snuggled in closer.

"I love you, Auntie Feng..."

"I love you too, cutie pie." Feng smiled, kissing his head.

"Hey! Don't hog my son completely. " Cerebella said, coming back into the room and sitting next to her friend. "It may have only been a few days, but it feels like it's been FOREVER since I got to hold my widdle guy!" Feng laughed but also knew if she handed him over, she wouldn't get a chance to hold him for a good long while, so she decided not to.

Cerebella narrowed her eyes, then smirked and grabbed the white bird off of Feng's head. "Hey! Archibald!" Feng protested as the bird scarcely reacted.

"You hog my Harry, I hog your little bird friend. That seems like a pretty fair trade off." Cerebella scratched the bird under the chin and it stared blankly at her.

"If it's affection you're looking for, you're not gonna find it from them. They barely react to anything. Now pass me a bag of chips, would ya?"

"Hm. No, I'm busy with Arc-" Cerebella began but trailed off when she saw that the bird didn't seem to care about what was going on. It barely even seemed to acknowledge Cerebella. The green-haired woman huffed in annoyance and handed Feng a bag of chips.

"Geez, no wonder I keep forgetting these two exist. They don't do anything other than sit on your head all day." Feng shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, they're kinda tied to my emotions. They just sorta... make facial reactions based on how I feel." Cerebella looked at her, then carefully set the bird back.

"Feng, can I PLEASE have Harry?" She asked sincerely. "I-I wanna hug my baby..." Feng's expression softened, and she relented, carefully handing Harry over to his mother.

"Mommy..." Harry said happily, leaning into his mother's chest as she wrapped him up tightly in her arms. Nuzzling the top of his head, Cerebella sighed in relief, now holding her tiny baby boy again, nothing could take them apart. She was so happy right now...

"Mommy's here, Harry..." She whispered softly into his ear, kissing his forehead. "Mommy loves you..." Smiling, Feng set up the TV and put in the movie. The trio laid tucked into the bed, lying beneath the blankets and happily enjoying the movie, Cerebella and Feng feeding Harry from their respective bags of chips. When the movie ended, Cerebella looked down at her son to find that he was fast asleep, cuddled up close to her chest, using her breasts as makeshift pillows.

"Daw... So cute." Cerebella smiled, wrapping her arms around her son. "Well, I don't think I'm going anywhere."

"Me neither." Feng smiled, leaning back and smiling at the sleeping form of Harry. His tiny snores could be heard as Cerebella patted his back comfortingly. Cerebella felt like she couldn't possibly be happier, she had her son back, she may be in love... This was perfection.

Feng smiled softly as well. "Guess we'd better turn in, huh?" She curled up beneath the blankets and closed her eyes softly, "G'night, Cerebella..."

"Night, Feng." Cerebella said, tightening her hold on her son and making herself comfy. She leaned forward to kiss his temple. "Love you, Harry." She whispered in his ear, smiling as he snuggled in closer. Content, the weightlifter closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, Beatrix was thinking over a few things, mainly what she had seen happen to Harry... She had been trying to make sense of it, and she thought she'd come to a logical conclusion...

Blood wards. While an effective way to ward off outside treats, they ran off of the emotions of those inside them. If negative feelings existed, the wards would enhance them rapidly over time... And it was very clear that Harry's family hated him. As a result, the wards increased their hatred to horrifying, dangerous levels, and it reached the point where they just wanted to make the boy suffer as much as possible, consequences a mere afterthought.

"What the fu..." she sighed, pressing her nails into her face and accidentally cutting herself when they moved downwards in anger. "Who would POSSIBLY be stupid enough to do that?!"

Beatirx had studied dark magic before, and to an extent, she had even studied blood magic and demonic magic. She absolutely, positively REFUSED to use the latter two due to the extremely dangerous and outright monstrous effects they always had. She had heard more than enough stories about the one magician who thought they could understand it, or control it or-

It never mattered, they died. Every time.

Beatirx had been lucky to skim the surface but had enough mental fortitude to pull back and sever the connections before they could take hold. She refused to let herself become a monster. But it was clear someone wasn't smart enough to do the same thing.

She wouldn't have minded so terribly much that some idiot got too big for their britches if they had been the ones to suffer for their own shortsightedness...

But they got off scot-free. Harry was the one to pay the price for it. Little tiny Harry, who just wanted to live like a normal child. Little, tiny Harry, who did everything he could for acceptance snd validation.

...Little tiny Harry... Who just wanted to be loved like a child his age should, and instead was forced to drink chemicals, take beatings with nail filled bats, nearly get drowned in scalding hot water... Oh God... How was he alive...? He came so damn close to being killed multiple times... At the very least, he should have been crippled...

She clenched her fists, and several of her knives were hurled into a nearby board, fuelled by fury. How could anyone, ANYONE treat such a sweet little thing like that?!

She had known terrible people. Her father, her employers, even herself to an extent... but they seemed like angels compared to the people who put Harry where he was that lead to what he had gone though.

She didn't care if it was malice or just plain gross negligence on this individual's part... They would pay dearly if she ever got her hands on them.

She sighed softly and took Peter and Hazel into her lap, stroking their fur gently and smiling as they nestled into her. She hoped Harry would be okay... No... She prayed he would be okay... All she could do now... was try to help him recover...