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

10. Chapter 10

The next day, things were back to normal, Beatrix and Harry were still practicing his magic, and there was a noticable improvement. Harry seemed to have a firm grasp on telekinesis, and was able to hold three objects in the air at once. Granted, he couldn't for long periods of time, but it was certainly something. He also had accidentally changed the colours of the apples, and Beatrix was trying to figure out what spell that was...

Currently, the staff was taking their lunch break. Ordinarily, Beatrix would send Harry off to eat with his mother, but today, Cerebella had different plans. Beatrix was surprised to see the greenette step forward with her lunchbox, smiling brightly before taking a seat near her and Harry. "Hey, guys! Why don't we eat our lunches together?"

Beatrix quirked a brow before shrugging her shoulders. "All right, sure, no problem." She replied.

The four sat eating their lunch. Harry was looking back and forth from his Aunts to his mother, clearly happy to be with all of them. "The little guy keeps getting better each day." Beatrix remarked, playing with Harry's hair. "His magic is strong, and his control is getting better."

"Well, he does have a good teacher." Cerebella remarked, Beatrix paused, then looked to the weightlifter questioningly.

"Uh... thanks?"

Cerebella chuckled. "Why the surprised look? It's not the first time I've complimented your teaching skills." She said with a beaming smile.

"Yeah, but there's usually some air of joking around you when you say it." Beatrix said with a shrug. "You're being a lot more genuine lately."

"Ah, c'mon, don't think too hard on it!" Cerebella exclaimed merrily, wrapping an arm around her crush in a friendly manner. "We're friends now, right?"

"R..Right..." Beatirx stammered out in response, her eyes darting back and forth. Feng was trying her best not to laugh at the magician's reaction. Harry smiled up at them, but didn't understand what was happening between them. 'This... this is kinda nice...' Beatirx thought. 'Wait. Is she-!?' Thankfully, her thoughts weren't voiced, as Cerebella smiled over to her son, who was now sitting in front of the two women.

Cerebella grabbed Harry and set him on her lap. "Hey, buddy... You doing all right?" She asked her child with a warm smile. Harry nodded his head.

"I learned a new spell!" Harry said happily, cuddling up to his adopted mother. Cerebella chuckled and held him tightly, wrapping her arms around him.

"I saw. It was a really cool one too."

"But I keep making things change colours..." he frowned, seemingly disappointed in himself. Beatrix chuckled and patted his head.

"Don't worry, little guy, we'll figure it out eventually." She said with a smile.

"Wait, YOU don't know what's causing it?" Cerebella asked, surprised. "I thought your whole thing was knowing magic!"

Beatrix shrugged her shoulders. "Nobody's perfect, Cerebella. Even in the areas we're strong in, there's only so much you can know, and it's not very likely you'll learn everything."

Cerebella nodded her head with a smile. "Well, you're smart, so I'll take your word for it." Beatrix quirked a brow, crossed her arms and gave Cerebella a smirk.

"My, you're certainly piling on the compliments lately." She observed. "Please keep it up, I never get tired of hearing how great I am." She teased.

"Well, you're really smart!" Harry spoke up, making the women look down at him. "And... you were kinda scary at first, but... you're also really nice!" The women blinked in surprise, then laughed, finding his sincerity adorable.

Cerebella looked over at Beatrix with a smile. "Hey, B... I really had fun hanging out with you that one time. I'd like to do it more often, if you're interested..."

Beatrix blinked. "So you're inviting me over to your place for a visit...?" She asked. Cerebella nodded her head, doing her best to stay cool.

"Yeah, totally. I uh... I just wanna hang out and have some fun... You looked like you might...enjoy the company, y'know?"

"Heh, sure." Beatrix smiled. "If I get to spend more time with Harry, I think I can put up with you for a little bit." Cerebella opened her mouth to respond, then her whole body seemed to deflate.

"You just HAD too, didn't you?" She sulked.

"Yes, and I don't regret it." Beatrix smirked in response.

Cerebella sulked slightly and Beatrix laughed, nudging her with her elbow. "I'm just kidding, Cerebella, of course I had fun last time. Have a sense of humour."

"Oh... Uh... Right. A joke. Gotcha. Uh... Hahahaha!" She laughed... at least, she thought she did, even if it was rather forced. Beatrix rolled her eyes.

"Don't hurt yourself." She teased lightly.

"Yeah, yeah..." Cerebella rolled her eyes, picking her son up and holding him close. Harry giggled as Cerebella rocked him back and forth in her arms. Harry smiled as his mother held him, smiling contently the entire time. Beatrix and Feng smiled at their interactions. No matter how many times they saw it, there was always something adorable about Cerebella and Harry's interactions.

It was clear that while Harry would accept a hug from pretty much anyone, the hugs he got from his mother would always be his favourite. When it came time to return to work, Cerebella returned Harry to Beatrix and rose to her feet, stretching her arms and grunting slightly. "Ah... Back to it now... Train hard, Harry!" She gave her son a toothy grin and a wink.

"He always does." Beatrix said, beaming with pride. "He puts everything he has into everything I teach him. He's a perfect little pupil." She patted Harry's head.

Harry blushed, liking being told he was doing good. It was a new experience to him, and he greatly enjoyed it, and it made him want to do better. The pair returned to their training, Cerebella smiling warmly at the two. "I've never seen Beatrix so... friendly." Feng commented.

"I know... and she's so sweet with Harry..." Cerebella smiled.

Feng smirked knowingly and nudged the weightlifter with her elbow, causing her to blush slightly. "Yeah, I invited her over... So that's uh... step one, right?"

"Yeah, it's a start." Feng shrugged. "Just keep spending time with her, and just maybe you two will find a connection that'll bring you together."

"Thanks Feng." Cerebella smiled, her face slightly red. "I'm just... I'm just not used to this still..."

"I can tell." Feng smirked, and Cerebella's face turned to an annoyed glare.

"What's gotten into you recently? You were always so nice before!"

"And Beatrix was always so mean before. Perhaps a cosmic imbalance has occurred..." Feng said mysteriously, waving her hands about. Cerebella was silent for a moment, then began laughing.

"You're such a goofball." She chuckled, lightly nudging her friend with her shoulder. Feng just grinned and focused on her practicing. Then a stray spell from Harry set her head on fire.

She was remarkably calm about the situation, looking up at her flaming head with a bland facial expression. "...Huh. Been a while since this stuff happened to me." Then another stray spell engulfed her head in a snowball.

"I'm sorry!" Harry called out as Cerebella drew a happy face on the snowball covering her best friend's head.

"It's fine, sweetie." Cerebella called, smirking at her friend, who was trying to get the snow off of her head, trying to say something, but the snow kept her from doing so.

"H...How did I do that?" Harry timidly asked, looking up at Beatrix, afraid he had done something wrong.

Beatrix held a hand up to her mouth and snickered softly. "I dunno, but it was hilarious." She replied. "Well, either way, you clearly have ice and fire magic down. Or the basics at least."

"Oh... Yay!" Harry cheered. The pair trained for another hour before the day's practice came to an end. Cerebella came over to collect her son.

"All right, you guys, let's head on back now!" She looked at Beatrix. "Wanna come over for dinner?"

Beatrix blinked in surprise, and was going to say 'No', but then she saw Harry look up at her hopefully. "Okay." The magician awkwardly replied, a smile on her face nonetheless.

"Yay!" Harry cheered happily, earning a laugh from the magician. The tiny boy's energy was so adorable...

"Cool!" Cerebella said with a fist pump, which Harry mimicked, much to both women's amusement. "All right, c'mon, everyone, let's get back now!" Cerebella, Harry, Feng and Beatrix made their way back to the two roommates' living quarters, chatting merrily all the while. Well, at least the former three were. Beatrix, despite everything, still felt a bit out of place amongst the group.

When they returned, Feng left to get food ready and found herself sitting with Cerebella and Harry. Beatrix bit her lip, unsure of how to start a conversation. Thankfully, Cerebella saved her. "So, how did Harry make the snow?" She asked.

Beatrix blinked, then chuckled. "Well, I figured we'd get into some bigger spells since he was doing so well, and fire and ice magic were amongst them."

"Wow, seriously?! That's awesome!" Cerebella gushed. "What other spells like that are there?!" Beatrix smirked and looked up thoughtfully.

"Lightning... Gravity... Healing... Honestly? SO many."

"How many of those do you know?" Cerebella asked curiously, and Beatrix's thoughtful face fell with a bit of a sweat drop.

"Well... not as many as i'd like people to believe. My magic is more focused on shadows and transportation along with illusions. I'm surprised how much power Harry has. Usually someone is highly skilled in one type, he seems to have a strong core in each one."

Cerebella grinned and hugged her son tightly. "Heh! I always knew you were my special guy, but this is really something else!" She said enthusiastically.

"Y-You really think so...?" Harry asked softly, to which his mother beamed and nodded her head in affirmation.

"I don't think so! I KNOW so! Just think about all the cool stuff you'll do when you're a grown up like your old lady!" She said with a grin.

"You really think I'll be able to do cool stuff when I'm older?!" Harry asked in surprise, as if this was a new concept to him.

"Well yeah! You have magical powers I can't even begin to comprehend! That's a special gift you have, and it makes you unique!"

"It doesn't make me a freak?" Harry asked, somewhat cautiously, but also somewhat hopefully.

Beatrix put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry... We've been over this. You're not a freak. You'll never be a freak. You're perfectly normal."

"I...I..." Harry sniffled slightly. "Thank you..." Cerebella tightened her hold on her child and kissed his head.

"Just try to remember that your power is cool, Harry... You're an amazing, gifted boy. Never forget that."

"Thank you, mama." Harry said happily, leaning into his mother's hug. Cerebella laughed and pulled him closer, cooing over his happy expression. Beatrix smiled at the two. It really seemed like they always had been a mother and son.

"Heh, he's too cute for his own good." Beatrix smirked, tickling Harry's chin, earning a laugh from the boy.

"I know. Trust me, I know..." Cerebella smiled, resting her cheek on his head.

She looked over at Beatrix, who was smiling sincerely at them, then back at Harry, who was cuddled happily into her bust. She smiled at the magician. "Hey, B... You wanna hold him for a bit?" She asked, taking the magician by surprise. She was hesitating, but the expression on her face just screamed 'yes'. Chuckling, Cerebella passed her son over to Beatrix, who took him with a warm smile. And the second Beatrix had Harry in her arms, Cerebella knew that this was the woman she wanted to be her son's second mother.

Harry looked up at Beatrix, then smiled, not feeling the same apprehension he once had around her. The magician smiled back and pulled him a bit closer. Harry decided to try something again and tried to hug Beatrix. Despite his best efforts, he was still too small, and only got his arms partially around her waist. "Aww..." Beatrix smiled. "You're a real hugger, aren't you?"

Harry cooed in response, and Beatrix chuckled softly, playing with the boy's hair. Cerebella watched the scene with a warm smile, adoring just how good her crush was with her child. Eventually, the two women heard the sound of soft snoring, and Beatrix looked down to see Harry was fast asleep, his head rested on her breasts. The magician put a hand to her mouth and laughed softly. "My, my... It's so much cuter when a sweet little boy does it than when Talliesin attempts to do it."

"Ugh... I can't stand that guy..." Cerebella groaned. "Where did Vitale even find that guy?" Beatirx shrugged with a slight frown.

"No idea... I don't know why he even wanted to join here, I mean, I guess he's got talents with puppetry, but that's about it."

"Then again, why did Vitale hire any of us?" Beatirx replied with a slight questioning tone. "The way I see it, it's better to just take the good with the bad and ignore the rest of it."

The two girls smiled, and Beatrix turned her attention back to the sleeping boy. Carefully, she pulled off her cape and used it to wrap him up tightly and snugly. "Aww... He looks like a snuggly little cocoon..." Cerebella cooed. Beatrix chuckled in response, gently caressing the boy's cheek and smiling fondly.

"He seems to like it too." She cooed softly before leaning down and kissing his cheeks and forehead.

"It's nice really, when I first found him, he was terrified of being held." Cerebella sadly remarked. "I remember the first time I kissed him he seemed so... confused by the concept... it was both so adorable, but also so heartbreaking..." Beatrix smiled sadly down at Harry, who had shut his eyes and seemed to be just enjoying the embrace of his teachers' warmth.

"Poor little guy..." Beatirx sighed. "Why do the good ones always have to suffer?"

Cerebella shook her head. "There's a lot of awful people in this world... People that'll step all over the good ones... People that just...deserve the worst life has to offer, but for some backwards reason, get the best..." Beatrix looked at her with a small frown, feeling that entire speech was very ironic considering her worship towards such a man... Still, best not bring it up...

"Yeah... Well... He's broken down, so now, all we can really do is help build him back up."

Harry now stirred again, having drifted off for a few minutes in Beatrix's arms. The magician smiled and handed Harry back to Cerebella.

"Sorry mommy... I didn't mean to sleep..." Harry mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Cerebella laughed and rested his tiny head against her shoulder.

"Don't worry sweetie, apparently magic can be tiring." She smiled.

Harry smiled back, then nuzzled in slowly to her embrace. Cerebella kissed his head, then grabbed the remote. "Well, might as well see what's on TV." She clicked through the channels, eventually settling on some live action show about two stepbrothers named Drew and Jerry.

Feng leaned out and smiled, looking at the two women who seemed much more comfortable with one another's company, and Harry just seemed happy to be held by the two women. Feng chuckled, things had gotten so... weird over the past few months. Cerebella became a mom, fell in love, made friends with Beatrix... who would've guessed?

She stepped into the room, setting down a plate of peanut butter celery sticks, taking one and handing it to her little nephew. "There. Try that." She cooed. Harry bit into the stick of celery, and his eyes lit up. The peanut butter made the celery taste really good...

He continued eating his snack happily. The tiny crunching sounds made both women smile. There was just the aura of sweetness in almost everything Harry did. Cerebella was running her fingers through her son's hair. It always seemed to soothe him, and she enjoyed it too.

Eventually, Feng left to prepare dinner, and Beatrix let out a soft yawn. "Ugh... I did not get enough sleep last night..." She mumbled. Cerebella chuckled.

"Heh... Yeah, I might have stayed up a bit late myself... Played with Harry and lost track of time... Heh..." Cerebella chuckled. Beatrix smirked lightly.

"I think Harry shares the sentiment." She pointed to the sleeping boy, and Cerebella smiled and kissed his head. Beatrix moved closer and gently ran her fingers through his hair before yawning softly. "Ugh... Mind if I just... close my eyes for a few...minutes...?" She mumbled before drifting off to sleep. Cerebella blinked, then laughed in amusement.

"Geez, B... Taking a nap in someone else's house? That's pretty..." She stopped when the sleeping Beatrix leaned over and rested her head on her shoulder.

Cerebella now blushed deeply and smiled widely. She looked down and saw Harry and snuggle up to her, deep into his nap. Cerebella sighed happily, and decided a few minutes couldn't hurt. So, she leaned her head slightly against Beatrix's and let her eyes slowly close.

Feng stepped into the room to check up on them, and put a hand over her mouth, giggling softly at the adorable sight before her, snapping a quick picture with her phone. They looked like a happy family, cuddled up to each other, cozy, safe and happy as could be. It was absolutely sweet. Silently, Feng tiptoed out of the room. An hour later, Beatrix awoke, groaning softly before remembering where she was. Then she realized her position: cuddled up against Cerebella with her head on her shoulder.

Her eyes darted back and forth nervously, before letting a smile form on her face. Cerebella seemed to be trying to tell her something, and she thought she knew what it was. Looking down, she saw Harry sleeping on Cerebella's lap, and very slowly picked up the tiny boy. She decided she wanted to hold him for a few minutes and rested the sleeping boy against her chest. Harry didn't seem to notice and snuggled up to what he thought was his mother.

"Mama..." The sleeping boy mumbled softly. Beatrix smirked and chuckled softly before kissing his head. She looked at Cerebella with a playful smirk.

"Careful, Cerebella. I just might steal your son at this rate." She joked softly. However, she didn't really feel like getting up just yet... So she decided to humour Cerebella for a bit longer. Smirking, she leaned her head against the tan skinned woman's shoulder again, noticing the content smile on her face and chuckling softly as she felt Cerebella's cheek rest atop her head.

Harry was now snuggled between the two women, seeming content as one could possibly be in a position most men would kill to be in. Both women subconsciously placed a hand on Harry's lap, accidentally grasping one another's. The two smiled in their sleep and squeezed each other's hands softly.

"Food's ready in five!" Feng called, jolting both women out of their intimate position and ruining the kind scene happening in the other room. Before either woman could speak, Harry's stomach growled.

"Heh. Looks like it's dinner time for you sweetie." Cerebella cooed.

Beatrix blinked, then rose to her feet, having been the only one to notice the accidental hand holding. She played it off like it was nothing. "Right. Let's go."

The trio joined Feng in the dining room and were greeted by a meal of plate tacos. "Heh... Nothing fancy, I know, but I kinda forgot to go shopping..."

"No complaints here, Feng. Food is food, after all." Beatrix said with a small shrug before taking a forkful of the meal. "Mmm... You prepared the beef perfectly..."

"Thanks Beatrix." Feng smiled. Beatrix nodded before casting a glance over to where Cerebella was spoon-feeing Harry, who seemed to be happily enjoying the meal. She had to admit it, she loved him. He was so cute, so sweet... She felt like she wanted to take care of him like a mother would. Cerebella placed another forkful of food into her son's mouth, grinning as she saw his expression light up at the food.

"I think he likes it Feng." She remarked.

Feng smirked pridefully. "Well of course. I am the best chef in the circus after all." Beatrix barked out a loud laugh, and Feng looked annoyed. "Something funny?"

"Oh, it's just the fact that you're delusional enough to think you're a better cook than me, that's all." Beatrix replied with a smirk, looking over her nails.

"Y'know, you have a really bad habit of starting things you can't finish." Feng remarked. Beatrix blinked, then laughed in surprise.

"Please, PLEASE tell me you're joking." The magician laughed. "Every time we've fought, you've lost. Horrifically."

Feng huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine then. If you're sooo great, why don't you and I have a little competition?" Beatrix smirked, intrigued.

"Oh? A competition, you say?" She rested her chin on her hands with the same type of smile a hungry alligator would give to its prey. "Do tell."

"We're both gonna cook a dessert. We're gonna get Harry and Cerebella to decide which one is better. And the winner gets to pelt the loser with pies."

"Sure." Beatrix smirked. "If you're really that willing to let yourself be humiliated in front of Harry like that."

"Let's go." Feng said in a flat tone, ignoring the food in front of her. Beatrix chuckled and followed behind the black-and-white haired woman. Harry and Cerebella looked to one another, then Cerebella laughed, pulling Harry onto her lap.

"Um... They didn't finish their supper." Harry said softly. Cerebella smiled and shrugged her shoulders before tightening her hold on her son.

"Well, they're off to do a bit of baking. So it looks like we're getting dessert tonight, huh?" She said to Harry with a broad grin. Harry perked up at that. Soon enough, Feng and Beatrix laid their food items before the two judges. A cart filled with pies for the loser sat near the voting table.

Cerebella carried Harry over to where a tray of brownies was sitting. Next to it was an odd-looking desert that seemed to be a mixture of an ice cream cake and donuts. Harry's eyes seemed to widen at the two desserts, and hunger he thought was subsided returned in full force. Cerebella felt the same way as she looked the two dishes over. "Wow..." Was all she finally said. "Okay Harry, which one do you want to try first?"

"Um... Whichever you think, mama." Harry replied softly, looking over the desserts with interest. Cerebella chuckled, then took a couple brownies.

"Mmm... That's really dang good, Feng." The acrobat smiled. "Think there's peanuts in here... Nice touch... Okay, now let's try Beatrix's dessert..."

Cutting a couple slices of the cake, Cerebella placed one slice on Harry's plate and another on her own. "Gotta be honest, Beatrix's fancy dessert is looking like a winner here, Feng." The magician smirked as Cerebella took a spoonful of the cake. "Mmm... Really good."

"Prepare yourself, Feng." Beatrix grabbed a pie.

"Buuuut I think ya used just a bit too much sugar. It's kinda...overwhelmingly sweet? I think Feng's brownies edge out because it's easier to just pick one up and eat it."

"Um... I think mommy's right... Sorry auntie Beatrix..."

Beatrix wanted to reply, maybe even argue, but she felt more angered than anything when she saw Feng's triumphant smirk. Now Beatrix was going to say something, but was silenced when Feng smashed a pie into her face and began laughing uncontrollably. Wiping the dessert off of her face, Beatirx opened her mouth to speak again. "Hol-"

Only to have another pie thrown at her this time by Cerebella. "You knew the rules, Merlin!" Cerebella laughed.

Beatrix sulked, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance as she glared forward in a grumpy manner. "Tch... Whatever. Not my fault your taste buds are broken..." She grumbled. The magician took her punishment surprisingly calmly, standing rock still as the other two women threw the pies at her, making no effort to fight back. By the time it was done, Beatrix was completely and totally covered in pie tins and their contents, now looking more like a big blob of cream than a woman.

"Hey, Beatrix? You still alive in there?" Cerebella asked with a laugh. After a few moments, a hand appeared from under the mess, giving a thumbs up. Harry giggled at the sight, and Feng and Cerebella laughed as well. They all had to admit, it looked ridiculous. It took Beatrix about fifteen minutes to finally get out of the cream and pie remains to a point when she could finally wipe enough from her face to speak.

"Ugh... Damn it... Did you have to pick banana cream?" Beatrix grumbled. "I don't even like banana..." Cerebella offered her a towel, which she took. "Yeah, thanks..." The two girls watched the magician towel herself off with huge grins, Feng's being clearly larger. Beatrix finished cleaning off and took a seat on the couch.

"I finally got payback for you knocking me into the elephant poop!" Feng cheered, feeling VERY satisfied right at that moment.

"And now you've given me reason to get even." Beatrix replied, somewhat hoping it would shatter Feng's moment of victory, but alas, it didn't.

"Yeah? Now I know what you hate." The juggler shot back evenly. "Who knows, maybe during a show you'll find yourself being set upon by an armada of pies."

"I swear if you do that..." Beatirx threatened, but trailed off, not wanting to scare Harry.

"I'll be sure to always have a pie on hand in case you get too big for your leotard." Feng teased. Beatrix huffed in response and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You guys don't know what you're talking about anyway. Here, I'll prove it." She grabbed her dessert from off the table. "Too sweet... My butt..." She took a forkful, put it in her mouth, realized they were right, then put it back down without speaking a single word.

"Well, it's not like yours is..." Beatrix began, taking a bite of Feng's brownie, then paused as she realized how good they tasted. She looked down at the tray, then back up to Feng. "How come you don't make these more often?"

"I make them somewhat regularly, you're just not around when I do." Feng shrugged.

"That's fair."

The group heard a soft yawn and looked over to see Harry snuggle into his mother's tummy. Cerebella giggled and held him up against her shoulder. "Looks like it's someone's bedtime." She said gently, rubbing his back. "Okay, Harry, say good night to everyone."

"G'night, auntie Feng... G'night auntie Beatrix..."

"Night. kid." Beatirx managed to smile.

"Good night, honey." Feng cooed. Cerebella nodded her thanks and carried her son over to her room. She gently pulled the blankets back and tucked him under them, pulling them back over him. She smoothed them out and smiled as Harry seemed to be drifting off to sleep in front of her, his tiny eyes closing as he snuggled into the warmth of the blankets.

"Good night, sweetie." She cooed, kissing him on the head, earning a happy coo from the boy.

"Night, mommy... I love you..." Harry mumbled sleepily before drifting off. No matter how many times Harry said those three simple words, her heart melted every time. Beaming, she made her way back downstairs where Feng and Beatrix were cleaning up the mess they'd made from the cooking contest.

"I just... how?!" She hear Beatirx talking, exasperated. "How do you make those brownies so sweet? It's flavour was better than most, but it also felt like there wasn't a mass increase in sugar."

"It's an old family recipe." Feng shrugged. "Honestly, I was taught to make them like that as a kid, I've always made them like that."

"Seriously. You need to show me how to make them like that." Beatirx insisted.

Feng huffed. "Uh-uh! That's my special recipe! No one's using it but me!" Beatrix looked annoyed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll pay you."

"No."

"I'll do all your chores for a month."

"Nope."

"A year."

"Uh-uh."

"Feng taught me." Cerebella said with a smirk. And the two women's heads snapped over to Cerebella.

"Bella, don't you DARE!" Feng ordered.

"What do you want for it?" Beatirx asked.

Cerebella tensed up at that. 'Oh my gosh she's asking what I want for it this could be my big chance okay I just have to ask her out... Just ask...her...out...'

"HERE IT IS!" She passed her copy of the recipe to a smirking Beatrix, and Feng pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

'You're a god damn coward.' Cerebella scolded herself.

Feng sulked and threw a pillow at Cerebella. Beatrix smiled at Feng. "Hey, don't worry, your secret's safe with me. And I promise I'll give you credit where it's due." This seemed to pacify Feng, and she returned to cleaning the mess. Cerebella chipped in too, and soon enough, the mess was clean, and the trio were seated in front of the TV.

As they kept flipping through the channels, no one could really find something that seemed worth watching. If anything, they were having more fun jumping through the channels and trying to piece together the movies that they kept landing on. Finally, they landed on a movie that made the three of them pause in utter disbelief.

"Wait... I think I know this movie." Beatrix finally said.

"That's a shark. With octopus tentacles." Feng said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, I think this is called 'Octoshark'." Beatirx replied.

"Isn't this movie banned in Little Innsmouth? I'm pretty sure the Dagonians took personal offense to it and tried to file a collective lawsuit." Cerebella said.

Beatrix snorted. "That's an urban legend. Well, the lawsuit part is, at least. Everything else is true." She explained. "Either way, guess we could hate watch this thing."

The three girls finished the movie, riffing and laughing all the while. Feng stretched as she rose to her feet. "Ugh... I need to go to bed..." She mumbled. "Night..."

"Yeah, I should probably get going." Beatrix agreed. "It's been fun...aside from the pies." Cerebella blushed slightly at the memory of Beatrix covered in cream.

"R-Right... Yeah, it was fun... Um... Wanna come say bye to Harry before ya go?"

"Sure." Beatrix smiled, and the two made their way to her room. The genuinely happy and calm atmosphere was shattered when they heard the sounds of Harry whimpering, clearly in the grasp of a nightmare.

Both women exchanged a sad glance. It had reached the point now where neither one of them was surprised to see it. Just deeply saddened. Cerebella reacted first, stepping forward and pulling her son into her arms, hugging him against her shoulder and jostling him gently to awaken him. Harry shot open with a gasp, looking around wildly before realizing his surroundings. "M-Mama...? Auntie Beatrix...?" He said softly.

"Hey sweetie, did you have a bad dream?" Cerebella asked soothingly, sitting next to her son and gently taking his tiny hands. Harry looked down then nodded. "Aww, do you wanna talk about it?"

"Um... it... it was dark. And... and there was a scary monster... it just laughed. And it was freaky. I couldn't move, and then I couldn't breathe..." Harry timidly spoke, still shaking somewhat. Beatrix sat on the other side of him and gently rubbed his head.

"Sounds scary... But it was just a dream little guy." She spoke soothingly, and Harry looked up at her.

"I know... It just felt real." He admitted.

Cerebella tightened her hold on him and kissed his temple, gently rocking him back and forth. Beatrix looked thoughtful. "Kid... I think it's time you started taking control over your dreams."

Harry blinked in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "T-Take control...? Of my dreams...?" He asked softly. Beatrix grinned and nodded her head.

"Your head? Your rules. Even if it feels like you don't have any control over your dreams, the fact is, you do. You just have to focus and really try."

"But... what if I can't?" Harry whimpered, his terrified tone heartbreaking to the two women.

"Well..." Beatrix began, trying to think of the right way to word all of this. "You have to believe in yourself. If you're afraid, you need to overcome it."

"How?" Harry asked, his tone one of someone who desperately wanted an answer to a question that had plagued him his entire life.

"Think on good things, sweetie." Cerebella cooed, kissing his head.

Harry cooed slightly at the kiss and rested his little head over his mother's breast, thinking hard about how to deal with the nightmare. How was he going to take control...? Beatrix looked at the boy and gently cupped his chin, tilting his head up to look at her. "Harry... You can do it. I know you can." She said gently.

"Y-You really mean it...?" Harry asked softly.

"Mmhmm." The magician nodded, with a smile. Harry breathed a few times and looked up at Beatrix and nodded. Cerebella cooed gently as she laid him back down in bed, pulling the blankets back up and gently rubbing his cheek.

"Do you want me to stay, honey?" She asked calmly.

"Um... I think I'll be okay mama." Harry replied, clearly nervous but also willing to try what Miss Beatrix told him.

"All right, sweetie. I'll be back up soon, okay?" Cerebella kissed her son's cheek. "I'm just gonna go and talk to Auntie Beatrix, okay?" Harry nodded and nuzzled back into the blankets. Smiling, the two women left the room and made their way back downstairs. Cerebella turned to Beatrix with a warm smile. "Thanks, B... I think you really helped him."

"It's no problem. I don't like seeing the poor thing in distress like that." Beatirx shrugged. "When you and Feng were gone for a few days, he asked me to stay with him due to the nightmares. Poor little guy's tough, but he's still got a ways to go."

"Yeah... I hate that..." Cerebella sighed, shaking her head. "Someone did that to him. His own family!"

"I saw." Beatirx nodded. "Have you talked to him about it?"

Cerebella shook her head. "No... As much as I want to, I think this is something he needs to do when he's ready. I don't wanna force it on him."

Beatrix hummed in acknowledgement. "The little guy's scared... That much is clear... It's gonna be a while before he's completely over what happened..."

Cerebella sighed. "Yeah... Well, at least he had a normal nightmare this time..." She joked lightly. "Monsters are what kids are supposed to have bad dreams about."

"Heh, yeah. It still amazes me how good you are with him." Beatrix smiled. "I mean, sure. You're one of the friendliest people here, but I always figured you'd befriend kids, then they'd leave and you'd keep the cycle going like that." She paused for a moment and added: "That sounded better in my head."

"Hey, I get what you're saying." Cerebella replied with a smile.

She looked down at the floor. "To be honest with ya... If I'd met Harry under different circumstances, I probably would have done that... Like, I probably wouldn't have gone out to an orphanage and adopted a kid..."

"Right." Beatrix nodded, showing she understood. Cerebella sighed and put a finger underneath her chin.

"But Harry... Living in the garbage... I just had to take him. I had to. He just had this whole air of...'please help me, please love me, please protect me'. Y'know?"

"No offence, but that kinda seems to be his air pretty much all the time." Beatirx joked. "And that's not exactly a bad thing, the kid's warming up to everyone, but that almost... energy I guess, he has is still there. It just makes you want to protect him." Cerebella cast a glance into her room, seeing her son sleeping peacefully.

"Yeah, I guess it does." She smiled.

The two women smiled at Harry, then Beatrix nodded. "All right, I should be off now, Cerebella. See you tomorrow." She said, to which Cerebella nodded.

"Right. Catch ya later, Beatrix." She replied with a wave. Beatrix walked off, and Cerebella caught herself staring at her backside as she left.

Cerebella bit her lip and forced herself to turn away, trying to hide her embarrassment. She quickly turned and headed back to her room, sitting next to Harry, pulling the sleeping boy close with a content smile on her face.

She gazed down at her sleeping child lovingly, moving a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, before kissing the little boy's forehead. How she loved him... Harry subconsciously nuzzled into his mother's tummy with a small coo, and Cerebella beamed down at him before climbing in next to him under the covers. "Mark my words, Harry... One day, Beatrix will be mine... Then you'll have two mommies..." She said softly, knowing he wasn't awake to hear her.

The next morning, things went as usual. Beatirx and Harry trained, but the magician noticed Cerebella seemed to be looking at her. Not like she used to, or how she had when she began training Harry. There was something different in her eyes.

The expression in her eyes was... confusing. It seemed to be a mix between...dopey and longing. Beatrix wasn't entirely sure what to make of it... It was fairly obvious that Cerebella seemed to have developed a small crush on her... But that look... It didn't seem to be one of a simple crush, Shaking her head, she decided to focus her attention on the up and coming star, Harry. "...All right, Harry... Now let's try the mind reading spell..." Harry tilted his head and let out a nervous groan. "Don't worry. It's different from the memory spell."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"Essentially, we'd be able to hear what the other person was thinking. We won't see memories, but we'll be able to hear what's happening currently in their mind."

"Oh. Okay." Harry said looking up at Beatrix. "How?"

"Well, first you need to focus..." The magician began.

Harry closed his eyes and focused as hard as he could. "Good. Now just look at the person who's mind you wanna read and get to it." Harry nodded, then looked at Cerebella.

"Mommy's thinking about when you got hit with all those pies... Um... I don't think she's laughing about it though..."

Beatrix paused, a bit confused by what Harry had said. Then her eyes slowly widened as she realized what Harry may be implying. She silently broke into Cerebella's mind, but the weightlifter seemed to notice and quickly shifted throughs. Beatrix was left bewildered as to what had just happened, but did catch part of a word.

"Lo-"

She lost the connection after that and blinked several times. Confused, she focused on Cerebella again. 'God she's so good with Harry, she'd be an amazing-oh no, she's looking right at me, okay, just act natural and get the pie image out of your head...Oh god why did it take me until after the fact to notice how ho-'

And the connection broke.

'Ah...' Beatrix realized, her face slowly changing to a smirk 'Well, I'd be lying if I didn't think she was kind of cute when she was flustered... Wait. How long have I felt that!?'

"Miss Beatrix?" Harry asked. "What are you thinking about?" Beatrix snapped back to reality as she realized Harry may have tapped into her memories.

She shook her head, "Um... On second thought, let's... not do that one anymore... HUGE invasion of privacy... Pretty rude when you really get down to it..." Harry tilted his head in slight confusion, but nodded regardless, deciding it best not to argue. The two practiced magic for a couple more hours before the day ended.

Cerebella was happy as she scooped up her son and held him close, giggling as he tried his best to hug his mama. He ended up wrapping his tiny arms around her neck and resting his head against her shoulder. It was the best he could do, and it was adorable. Cerebella kissed him on top of his head and looked to Beatirx. "Hey, Beatrix... Uh, were you in my head?" She asked.

Beatrix blinked, then scratched the back of her head. "Uh... Heheheh... Guess you figured it out, huh...? Uh... Yeah... I was teaching Harry a new spell..."

"Ah... Well, uh... No offense or anything, B, but I'd feel a lot better if you uh...didn't teach my son how to invade other peoples' privacy...?"

Beatrix blinked, then chuckled. "Yes, understood, Cerebella. I won't teach him that spell anymore." She agreed. "I honestly had the same thought when I...y'know..."

"...How much did you hear...?"

"Something about the pie incident." Beatrix said flatly.

Cerebella's eyes seemed to shrink as they darted back and forth. "It wasn't that funny." Beatrix flatly added.

"Heh, yes it was." Cerebella chuckled, seeming to lose the tensity in her body.

'Hm, maybe there's more to her than I thought...' Beatrix thought.

Cerebella patted Harry's back gently, then gave Beatrix a grin. "Well, thanks again, Beatrix. See ya around!" Beatrix tilted her head to the side as Cerebella walked off with Feng. 'Hmm... I wonder...' She mused to herself, putting a finger under her chin thoughtfully. 'Hmm... There's probably more to this than some simple crush...' Beatrix's expression turned rather annoyed. 'So help me God, if I find out she's just wanting to get me in bed...' She shook her head. 'Perhaps...a gift. Just to test her reaction.'

Cerebella and Feng were back at their place, Feng was holding Harry close in one arm as he assisted her with dinner. The two were making fish, and Harry was carefully turning the fillets over, Feng making sure he didn't get burned. Cerebella was taking a shower, feeling refreshed after another day of training. When she finished and was drying off she heard a knock on the door.

Blinking, she looked downstairs. "Cerebella, can you get it?!" Feng called. "I can't leave the food, it's a very delicate process!"

Cerebella chuckled and put her dress and thigh-highs on. Making her way downstairs, the greenette pulled the door open. And she found...nobody. "Uh... Hello?" She called out, confused. No answer."Ugh... Did we get ding dong ditched? What a pain in the-" Then she looked down.

Sitting on her steps was a small bundle of flowers, Cerebella blinked in surprise and confusion as she slowly picked them up. There was a small tag with a single letter on it. 'B'. Cerebella's breath hitched as her eyes widened in delight. Suppressing a squeal, she began jumping up and down on the spot in joy. Beatrix watched from a distance in surprise. She wasn't expecting that...

There was clearly no trace of lust in Cerebella's eyes. She looked more like a teenage girl that just got an autograph from a famous pop singer. She crossed her arms over her bust and raised a brow as she watched the other woman celebrate her simple gift. Honestly, in a way... it was actually kind of adorable. Beatrix shook her head. She didn't know why she had that thought. Sure, Cerebella had a pretty face, and beautiful eyes, and a nice butt and a great rack- "Uuuugh... Stupid, sexy Cerebella..." Beatrix muttered quietly to herself.

Inside, Feng cast a glance over to the door with a raised brow, not knowing what Cerebella could be so happy about now. However, she had a feeling it had to do with her crush, so she decided to ask later and focus on dinner with Harry. She smiled and kissed the tiny boy's head, making him giggle.

Cerebella took a seat in the living room and grinned dopily down at the bouquet of flowers. Flowers... From Beatrix... Wait... Was it really Beatrix though...? Cerebella had many, MANY secret admirers. That was the curse of being the very attractive star of the circus. So for all she knew, this was someone else entirely. Her mood dampened slightly at that, as she looked down at the flowers and sighed softly.

Still, it was nice. If they weren't from Beatrix... it was still a kind gesture from whoever did it. Maybe Harry had? No... it would've been more obvious. The little dear couldn't keep a secret like that if he tried. "Food's ready in five!" Feng called, snapping Cerebella back to reality.

"All right, coming!" Cerebella called out, rising to her feet and entering the dining room to join her family for their evening meal, smiling all the while.

Beatrix, meanwhile, was sitting in her armchair, absentmindedly stroking Peter's fur as the rabbit snuggled into her lap. She was deep in thought. Just how deep did Cerebella's affections run?

"Did she... Wait. Was she actually in love with me?" Beatrix blinked, thinking it over. "Why? I've been nothing but aggressive to her, until recently... Does this have to do with Harry?" Beatrix blushed after a moment, thinking about what that implied. Did Cerebella think she was some sort of second mother to Harry? Actually... that didn't sound too bad. She liked being 'Auntie Beatirx', but decided to wait and see. She had a feeling she and Cerebella may be doing an odd sort of courting dance in the future. But she had to ask herself. Did she feel the same way?

Well, she knew she was into the fairer sex... And Cerebella was certainly unfairly attractive... But honestly? At this point, it was hard to say for sure. She shook her head. She needed more time to try and scope it out. The last thing she wanted to do was rush gung-ho into a relationship. For all she knew, this was just a shallow acknowledgement of Cerebella's more impressive assetts.

"...Ugh... I need a drink..." She sighed. She smiled down at Peter, who was still sitting in her lap, enjoying the attention he was getting, while Hazel was eating some rabbit chow.

Beatrix chuckled softly. "Heh... Life's complicated, Peter. Must be nice to be a domesticated rabbit. All you have to worry about is mealtime." She joked. Peter looked up at her, and she lightly booped his nose, causing him to tilt his head. Beatrix laughed quietly. She really did love her bunnies...

Meanwhile, Cerebella was showing off the bouquet of flowers that had been left for her.

"So... who left them?" Feng asked with a raised brow.

"I have no idea." Cerebella replied with a dumb grin on her face. "But I think it was Beatrix."

"You think? Or you know?" Feng pressed.

"Well... There was a tag with a 'B' on it, so that has to be her right?"

"Maybe, but what if if was... Hubrecht?" Feng smirked, and Cerebella pouted, annoyed.

"Hubrecht's name starts with H, Feng." Cerebella said flatly. Feng snickered and put her hand to her mouth, giving her best friend a rather smug grin.

"Hey, we all love Hubrecht. He's a huge sweetie, and it's adorable. But he is SO bad at spelling. I'm pretty sure he might think his name starts with B."

"Aw, Feng, that isn't nice." Cerebella chided.

"Heh, well, why don't you tell me you're insane conspiracy theory about how it has to be Beatrix while we eat? The food's ready." Cerebella blinked in confusion, then remembered Feng and Harry had been making dinner.

"Right, right..." She mumbled sheepishly, sitting next to her son and gently taking his hand, giving it a friendly squeeze.

Harry gave his mother a smile before turning to his meal and digging in. The trio ate in silence, as Cerebella tried to figure out what to do about the situation. After dinner, Feng took her aside. "Hey, Cerebella... Maybe you should try asking Beatrix out on a little...outing. As friends. See if there's anything there between you two. I can watch Harry." She looked at her friend with a beaming smile. "I can tell Harry really loves Beatrix... Having her as his second mom would make him so happy..."

"They're so cute together!" Cerebella squealed, thinking back to when she got home to find Harry snuggled in Beatrix's arms.

Feng chuckled softly. "Well, tomorrow's our day off, so hey... Go ahead and aak her right now if she wants to hang out. Go to that new bowling alley or something."

Cerebella hesitated slightly. "So... Not like a date...?" She asked softly. Feng shook her head.

"No, just...two friends hanging out for now."

"Okay... yeah... I'll do that!" Cerebella nodded, trying to collect some confidence, but it was clear she was (for some reason) terrified. "I can... I can go do that..."

"Have fun." Feng smirked. "I'll be playing with Harry while you talk to your crush."

"Feng!" Cerebella whined. "Don't call her that!"

Feng just snickered. "Go on, get outta here and see Beatrix." She winked at Cerebella. "You know I'm rooting for you. You two would be good for each other."

Cerebella tilted her head, then smiled softly. "Thanks, Feng... I'm gonna go talk to her right now." Feng watched after her friend with a small smile.

Beatrix was just finished filling Peter and Hazel's bowls when she heard a knock at the door. She blinked, then approached the door and pulled it open to find Cerebella.

"Oh, hey Cerebella." Beatrix said, trying to figure out why the weightlifter was here. Had she figured out she was the one the who sent the flowers. "Uh, can I help you with something?"

"Well, uh... I was wondering if you wanted to go to the bowling alley tomorrow." Cerebella said, managing to maintain her composure.

"Like... you, me, Harry and Feng? Or you, me and Harry?"

"Actually... I was thinking just...you and me." Beatrix blinked at that, quirking her brow. Cerebella waved her hands. "J-Just as friends, just as friends..." Beatrix chuckled softly. So, Cerebella was asking her out on an unofficial date... Well, she did enjoy hanging out with the girl, and she didn't have any plans that night...

"Sure thing, Cerebella. Count me in." Beatrix replied. Cerebella perked up, beaming with happiness.

"Cool! I'll come get ya around... eleven?"

"Yeah, sure." Beatrix said with a faint smile. "See you then."

"Awesome! Great!" Cerebella said, laughing slightly as she took a few steps back, beginning to head towards her home. "I uh... I'm gonna go see how Harry's doing."

"Hey, Bella?" Beatrix called after a few moments.

"Yeah?"

"Your place is THAT way." Beatrix remarked, pointing in the opposite direction of where Cerebella had been going.

Cerebella chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, well, y'know, I figured, since it's such a nice night out, I'd take a more... roundabout way... Enjoy the view a bit, y'know...?"

Beatrix smirked in amusement as she watched her friend stick to her guns, before frowning in concern. "Wait, Cerebella, you're gonna walk into-!"

ZAAAAAP!

"...The electric fence."

Cerebella remained frozen for a moment, then blinked, her hair going off in all directions and her nerves frazzled. Beatrix blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing at the sight. Cerebella couldn't recall the last time she heard Beatrix laugh in such a genuine way. She sighed dreamily...

ZAAAAP!

And accidentally leaned against the electric fence again, which only made Beatrix laugh harder. Cerebella blushed as well as she could with her hair partially covering her face, before sheepishly taking a few steps away from the fence.

She stepped on a rake, and it snapped up and hit her in the face, causing her to let out a low groan of annoyance before hurriedly retreating back to her home. Beatrix watched with her brow quirked in amusement. Cerebella sometimes had bad luck that could give Feng a run for her money... And it was always just as entertaining.

Actually, she noticed that Cerebella looked really good with her hair down...

"Huh... She may not just be trying to get me into bed..." She mused. "Heh... she's kinda cute when she's flustered..."

Cerebella sighed, shaking her head as she made her way back to her place. She groaned, believing she had completely blown any chance she had at playing it cool.

Indeed, she had entered the house, where Feng was snuggling Harry on the couch, and the juggler burst into laughter at the sight of her hair. "Oh my God, Cerebella, you look like you just got caught in the eye of a hurricane!" Cerebella pouted and sat next to her, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up... But I still got her to say yes." She replied with a light smirk. Feng blinked, then grinned.

"Well, good for you." Feng chuckled.

"Mama? Are you okay?" Harry asked, looking shocked at his mother's appearance. Cerebella smiled at her son and kissed him on the nose.

"I'm fine, cutie, don't worry." She cooed, patting his head.

"You need to take a shower, or... something." Feng remarked, pulling Harry close again. "Don't worry, I'll take care of the little guy." Cerebella pouted in annoyance but knew her friend was right.

Making her way upstairs, Cerebella removed her dress and thigh highs and climbed into the tub, turning the showerhead on and letting the warm water wash over her. She fell into thoughts of her crush and smiled brightly at spending time with her tomorrow. She was certainly pumped up and eager for tomorrow to arrive.

Back downstairs, Feng was cuddling Harry, gently tickling him to make him laugh. Finally, the tiny boy looked up at Feng. "Auntie Feng?" He asked.

"What's up, honey?" Feng asked with a smile.

"Mama seems really happy about something. What's she happy about?"

Feng blinked, then gave the little boy a toothy grin. "Weeeell, I think it's best to let her tell you that herself. Not really my place to tell you, y'know?" Harry nodded his head in understanding and rested his head against her chest once again. Feng smiled, then looked thoughtfully at the TV.

'Cerebella's really acting on her crush.,. Maybe I should see if I can get a date with Minette at some point soon...' She thought.

Harry didn't understand why his mama seemed so happy, but he was happy that she was happy, and Feng was happy to be holding Harry close, gently rubbing his back. Harry was such a sweetie, and there was something nice about just relaxing with him in her arms, relaxing, enjoying the night... Harry tried to hug Feng, and sort of wrapped his arms around her partially and buried his face into her chest. Feng blinked, then realized what was happening and smiled down at the boy.

She heard his soft breaths and smiled softly, rubbing the back of his head. Someday, when she finally netted herself a girlfriend, she would adopt a child of her own... Her own sweet little baby to love and care for and cherish... The thought of it brought a huge grin to her face. Yes... Interacting with Harry made one thing clear... She wanted to be a mother someday.

But for now, she'd settle for being Auntie Feng. She smiled and kissed the top of his tiny head, making him giggle. While she wanted to be a mother, she knew she'd never find a baby as precious as Harry... After a few minutes, Cerebella re-appeared and snatched her son up, hugging him close. "Harry? Auntie Beatrix and I are gonna hang out tomorrow night, so you and Auntie Feng are gonna spend some time together okay?"

Harry smiled and nodded his head in affirmation. He liked that his mother was spending time with Auntie Beatrix. He wanted them to be close. He wanted Beatrix to be a part of the family. Sure, she was a family friend, but really, the closer she was with the rest of them, the better, as far as he was concerned. Cerebella smiled. "Heh... Glad to see you're cool with it."

She kissed his cheek. "But that's tomorrow, so let's have some fun tonight!" Cerebella laughed messing with harry's hair, making the tiny boy giggle. "You wanna play a game?" She asked, holding her son up to eye level. "We can play hide-and-seek!"

Harry perked up and smiled. Hide and seek was his favourite! Feng chuckled and rose to her feet. "I'll play too. Let's get to it." She said. They decided that Harry would be the seeker. Cerebella hid in the closet, while Feng hid under her bed.

Harry began walking around the small home, looking for his mommy and auntie. After about a minute, a familiar sound was heard. "Meow?" Harry looked around, then saw Kitty lying on the couch nearby.

"Hi kitty. Have you seen mommy?" Harry asked.

Kitty stood, stretched, then hopped off the couch and jumped up onto Harry's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek gently. Harry giggled softly and stroke his pet's head. "We'll go and find them together." He said. Kitty meowed in affirmation and purred as Harry walked through the house with him on his shoulder. Kitty's nose eventually picked up a familiar scent, and he turned to the closet door and meowed.

Harry walked up and opened the closet door, finding Cerebella smiling down at him. "You found me!" She laughed, hugging her son. She looked down and saw Kitty next to her. "Aww... no fair! You had help!" Harry giggled as Cerebella set him back down on the floor.

Kitty meowed at his owner, and she smiled and scratched his chin. "Heh... You're just my cheating widdle kitty cat, aren'tcha?" She turned to Harry."Well, ya found me, now you just have to find Feng." Harry nodded and began the search, but couldn't seem to find his auntie anywhere. The only place he hadn't looked yet was her room... But was he even allowed to go in there? He didn't want to do anything that would make Feng angry...

Cerebella watched Harry wander about looking for her roommate. He seemed so lost, but so determined to find her. It only took Cerebella a minute to figure out where her friend was hiding, but Harry seemed to be wandering through every inch of their home. Eventually, Harry timidly peeked into Feng's room, nervous that he may be doing something wrong, but he also wanted to find Auntie Feng.

He entered slowly, tiptoeing around the room. "Auntie Feng...?" He called out softly. "Sorry for coming in your room, but I don't know where else you could be..." He looked around slowly before hearing something. It sounded like stifled giggling coming from under the bed. Blinking, he knelt down and looked.

He was greeted by his aunt's smiling face. "Awww, ya found me! And it was such a great hiding place too." She laughed softly. Harry smiled brightly.

Making her way out from under her bed, Feng giggled and hugged Harry. "Okay honey, your turn!" Cerebella laughed, entering the room. "Go hide, and Feng and I will try to find you!" Harry nodded before running off to hide, the two women watching as he left.

"Where do you think he's gonna hide?" Feng smirked.

Cerebella shrugged her shoulders. "Only one way to find out." She replied.. Then she closed her eyes and began to count to twenty to give the boy a chance to hide. After the countdown, the two women began the search for Harry, who had made the decision to hide buried under the laundry in the laundry basket.

The two women were stumped for a few minutes. Finally, they heard giggling coming from the laundry room and smiled to one another. "Hmm... I wonder where Harry went..." Cerebella asked playfully.

"I dunno Cerebella, maybe he ran off." Feng shrugged.

Cerebella looked thoughtful as she stepped into the laundry room. "Hmm... I wonder if he's in...HERE!" She grabbed a container of laundry detergent and opened it. "Oh? Well whattya know? Where'd he go?"

Feng put a finger under her chin. "Hmmmmm...Oh, I know! Clearly, he must be in HERE!" She pulled open the garbage bin. "Shoot, I was so sure too..."

Harry giggled again, peeking out form a small hole under all the laundry. The two women smiled to one another and slunk towards the laundry bin. "Hey Feng, did you do the laundry yesterday?" Cerebella asked.

"No..." Feng frowned. "I don't remember doing THAT much..."

"Hmm..." Cerebella mused, poking a the laundry pile, earning tiny giggles. "I wonder..."

She lifted the laundry off of her son and grinned as he laughed uncontrollably. "Well, look who it is! Pretty good hiding place, hun." She picked her son up and hugged him close. Harry happily cuddled closer to his mother, smiling brightly as she held him close. Feng smiled warmly at how the interaction went down. Harry had been so much happier lately. Even though that timidness would very likely never go away completely, it warmed her heart that he was at least laughing more.

Cerebella struggled to untangle him from all the clothes, and eventually gave up, hugging the bundle close to her chest and kissing his tiny face. She loved this more than anything. She couldn't imagine what her life would be like without Harry in it. He brought her so much happiness... and maybe even brought her and Beatrix closer together.

She smiled softly at her son and messed up his messy hair playfully. "Well, little guy, it's been fun, but now it's time for cute little kids to go to bed." Harry nodded his head and let out a tiny yawn as he leaned against his mother's chest, getting a beaming smile from her as she carried him upstairs.

When she got back to her room, Cerebella sighed as she tucked her son in. The game seemed to have worn him out, and it seemed like he could drop off to sleep at a moment's notice. "If you have any bad dreams, come find Auntie Feng or me, okay?" She said soothingly.

"Okay mama..." Harry yawned. "Thank you for caring for me mama..." Cerebella leaned forward, kissing his forehead with a wide grin.

"I'm not the only one that cares about you, Harry... You know that..." She said softly, caressing her adopted son's hair. "Now you have a good sleep. I'll be up in an hour or so."

"Kay mommy..." Harry nuzzled closer into the blankets and pillows. "I love you..." Cerebella thought the effect of those three words would have worn off by now. Nope. She was still a gooey puddle at the sound of them.

"Love you too, sweetie." She whispered softly in his ear, watching him smile and drift off into a deep slumber. She gave him another kiss before going downstairs.

"Is the little guy asleep?" Feng asked.

"Yup, He's fast asleep now." Cerebella confirmed.

"Alright, there's something I wanted to ask you, but I didn't want Harry around to hear. What's your end goal with Beatrix?" Cerebella blinked, a bit confused by the questions before finally answering;

"I... I want her to also be Harry's mom."

Feng blinked and tilted her head to the side like a confused puppy. Cerebella laughed at her expression. "What, did ya think I was just trying to get her in bed?"

"Well, no, but... But I kinda figured your reasons would be more...uh...for you, y'know?" Cerebella sighed softly and took a seat next to her best friend.

"I mean... It's for me too, Feng... Beatrix is really an amazing woman, y'know...? Beautiful, smart, witty... Wouldn't mind cuddling on the couch with her one bit. But she proved to me that she's amazing with Harry, and...I want him to have a complete family dynamic." She chuckled. "I know the usual dynamic is mom, kid and dad, but really... Who cares? As long as you have two parents, your family's complete, that's what I think."

"Listen... I don't want this be taken the wrong way, but does this have anything to do with the fact that you never knew your parents?" Cerebella's eyes widened in shock and her face paled. Feng suddenly realized she may have said the wrong thing.

"F...F...Feng..." Cerebella murmured, seeming almost close to tears from the question. "I...I... No. It has nothing to do with that." Feng wordlessly moved and hugged her friend, trying to comfort her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up..."

Cerebella bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I...I have Vitale..." She mumbled, but Feng noticed how half hearted it was and looked st her sadly.

"But he doesn't pay much attention to you..." She said softly. Cerebella clenched her fists and tensed up. Feng could tell, deep down, her friend knew Vitale didn't care about her... "...Cerebella... You know my moms love you, right?" The greenette looked at her friend. "Whenever they see you, they always do their best to make you feel like part of the family. They know your parents are gone and Vitale's too...busy to give you much parental affection. That's why they always dote on you. They want to give you a taste of that experience."

"I know..." Cerebella whispered sadly. "It's just... Harry's so innocent, and his parents died, then his family abused him and abandoned him... When he found me, I could've been a demon pretending to be kind and he still would've loved me! But when I met him... I just fell in love. the first step to helping him was helping him overcome his abuse, then... well, frankly I didn't know where to go from there. Then when I saw Beatrix and Harry together... I just knew. That was it. I always thought Beatrix was kinda cute-"

"Really?!" Feng asked, surprised.

"Yes." Cerebella blushed.

Feng leaned back against the couch. "I mean... Hot and pretty are basically stating the obvious at this point, but honestly, cute is never a word I'd use to describe her."

Cerebella chuckled. "Well... Have you seen the way she reacts to some things?" Feng gave her a curious look, signifying she didn't really tend to pay attention to Beatrix. Cerebella smiled fondly. "Well, when she got mad that I outdid her, she always crossed her arms and sulked like a little kid... When something doesn't go the way she planned, she gets so flustered and can't seem to find words... I've seen ber blush and look a bit bashful a couple times... And...did you see when she slept on my shoulder last time she came to visit?"

"I mean... I guess." Feng conceded with a slight shrug. "But... do you really think..."

"And look at how she reacts when she's with Harry." Cerebella added. "She went from stone cold even around him, to a gooey mess whenever he tries to make her happy."

"Well, I certainly can't deny that Harry has made Beatrix a lot friendlier..." Feng smiled softly. "Yeah... I think I can understand why you fell for her... She really has changed for the better... She certainly took her loss in the cooking contest well."

"Heh... Yeah, didn't even get mad when you pied her. She took those pies like a real champ..." Feng noticed Cerebella's blush and grinned softly.

"Ooooh, getting funny feelings from your crush getting covered in pies?" Cerebella buried her face in a pillow to hide her embarrassment. Feng leaned right into her ear. "There's tissues in the bathroom in case you need them y'know."

"Feng!" Exclaimed a mortified Cerebella.

"What? I don't think you'd want to-" Cerebella clamped a hand over Feng's mouth, her eyes narrowed and her face darkened.

"Stop. Talking." Cerebella said in a hushed shout. "If Harry hears you and asks any questions I swear, I will-" Cerebella stopped when she heard Feng laughing. Annoyed, she asked:

"What's so funny?!"

"Ha! You! Your face is so flushed right now! I didn't even know you could get that embarrassed!" Cerebella exhaled roughly through her nose.

"Hanging on by a thread, Feng. Hanging on by a thread." She muttered before crossing her arms and looking away, face atomic red from embarrassment.

Feng just snickered. "Having dirty thoughts? Thinking about licking the cream off-MMPH!" Cerebella hit her in the face with a pillow. "Right... Shutting up now."

Cerebella rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Feng, you're kinda becoming like Beatrix. Like, Beatrix 2.0 or something like that." Cerebella was hit in the face with a pillow in response.

"You take that back!" Feng demanded.

"No." Cerebella smiled.

Feng swatted her in the face with the pillow a second time, and Cerebella countered by hitting her again. The two girls engaged in a pillow fight that got progressively more intense. By the time they were finished, the room was covered in a massive pile of feathers. Feng and Cerebella's heads emerged from the feathers, blinking. Feng sneezed, sending feathers everywhere. "Ugh... We broke our 'no pllow fights' rule..." Feng groaned softly.

"Wow... I didn't think we went through that many..." Cerebella blinked in surprise, looking around. "Well look at the time, I need to see how Harry's doing. See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah, no." Feng rolled her eyes. "I'm NOT cleaning this up by myself. You started this, this is YOUR issue!"

"But I need to check on my son!" Cerebella countered.

"Okay, we'll clean this up in the morning!"

Cerebella smiled and turned to make her way upstairs. "Oh, by the way, Feng? You TOTALLY started this whole thing when you kept instigating me."

"What? But... I... You..." Feng realized she really had no room for argument here, and her shoulders drooped. "Okay... I'll clean it up..." She conceded.

"Great! Glad we're on the same page." Cerebella smiled triumphantly.

"You sure you precious Beatrix isn't rubbing off on you as well?" Feng countered, but when she saw the look on Cerebella's face, she quickly looked around. "Uh, wow! Look at the time! Night Bella!" Without another word, Feng ran off to her room.

Cerebella snorted and made her way upstairs, reflecting on all the things Feng had said to her. Seriously, teasing her over her crush on Beatrix? "Seriously, what is WITH her?!" She huffed. "...Maybe she's giving me a taste of my own medicine or something... Ugh... She was saying some Talliesin level stuff..."

Cerebella sighed as she shook her head, walking back to her room. When she entered, she smiled to see Harry sleeping peacefully, thankfully not seeming to be having nightmares as he slept. Cerebella sat beside her son and gently stroked his head. "Heh, I don't think you have any objections to me and Beatrix getting together..." She whispered.

Mama..." He mumbled, leaning into her touch. She smiled softly before looking out the window, in the direction of Beatrix's house. Much to her surprise, the magician was standing right at the window. Rising to her feet, Cerebella pulled her own window open and waved to see if she could get Beatrix's attention. Beatrix blinked, then waved back.

Cerebella sighed and quickly got changed before crawling into bed, wrapping her son up in her arms. She yawned and nuzzled the top of his head, letting happy thoughts of her son and potentially Beatrix all together as a family.

The next day, she was awoken by the sunlight shining through her bedroom window. Groaning, she buried her head under her pillow to try and drown it out. The feeling of stirring next to her jolted her, however, and she [somewhat grudgingly] sat up and looked over at her son with a tired grin. "Mmm..." Harry mumbled before stretching his little arms and yawning softly. "G'morning mama..." He said softly. Cerebella chuckled and picked him up.

"Morning sweetie. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmhmm..." Harry yawned, leaning against Cerebella's shoulder.

"That's great to hear. You ready to spend the day with your auntie Feng?"

"Oh... you're leaving already?" Harry asked sadly.

"No, not for a bit." Cerebella replied, kissing his head, before sitting back down and pulling him close.

She smiled as her child snuggled in closer and gently rubbed the back of his head. "We still got a good...eh, four hours before I head off to meet Beatrix." Climbing out of bed, she gently set Harry down. "All right, let's just get you dressed real quick..." She changed him into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a cute cat joke on it. Afterwards, she got herself dressed up in her traditional orange dress and black thigh highs. Picking Harry up and holding him against her shoulder, she carried him downstairs to find Feng just finishing up cleaning the feathers.

"Auntie Feng? Why are there feathers everywhere?" Harry asked, looking around the room in confusion.

"Well, your mom decided to attack me last night with pillows. I wasn't able to defend myself, and she made a mess." Feng replied, her answer annoying Cerebella.

"Mama... why did you attack auntie Feng?" Harry asked, seemingly horrified by the idea.

Cerebella glared at her friend. "Your Auntie Feng's a liar. She was pushing my buttons last night and just kept at it no matter how many times I told her to stop."

Feng huffed. "And so you struck me. So violent... Oooh, I still feel the agony... Oh, the pain, the paaaaain..." She moaned dramatically.

"Um... I think you both did the wrong thing and should tell each other you're sorry..." Harry said softly before looking down timidly. "Or...that's what I think at least..."

The two women looked down at Harry, then to one another. It quickly dawned on them that Harry probably didn't get that they were joking... and he seemed genuinely saddened by what they had said. The two shrugged and nodded. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry." Cerebella apologized.

."Me too." Feng nodded.

Harry seemed to perk up a bit at that, and he smiled between the two of them softly. Giggling, Feng stepped into the kitchen. "Didn't have much time to cook, soooo... Bop Tarts it is!" She inserted the pastries in question into the toaster, and when they popped out, she took two, then passed two to Cerebella and two to Harry. She herself had strawberry. Cerebella was given grape jelly. And Harry got chocolate.

Harry quietly ate his breakfast, Cerebella was thankful that she didn't need to encourage him to eat anymore, that was something. Once they were finished with breakfast, Cerebella decided to enjoy some time with her son before she left, and seated herself with harry on her lap, playfully tickling him and laughing at his tiny coos and giggles.

Feng sat next to them on the couch, smiling from ear to ear at how cute they were together. It was just a nice, cozy family moment. But it had to end sooner or later. "All right, Harry." Cerebella passed the boy over to Feng, who took him with a grin. "I'm off to go and meet Beatrix. You have fun with auntie Feng."

"Kay mama!" Harry replied with a big smile. "Have fun playing with Auntie Beatrix!"

Cerebella smiled at his adorable look as she headed off. Feng held Harry close to her chest, and rocked him much like one would a baby. Harry giggled as Feng poked his little belly before the two decided to sit on the love seat and spend some time together. Cerebella had mentioned that Harry loved stories, and she had picked up some children's books to read to him, Feng picked up the first one, adjusted Harry on her lap and began reading.

"All right, this one's called Morton Hears a What..." She began. Harry smiled contently and nuzzled into his aunt's embrace, feeling truly content.

Cerebella stepped up to Beatrix's house and knocked on the door, waiting patiently for the magician to answer. "One second!" She heard Beatrix call out.

After several moments, the magician stepped out, and Cerebella blinked. Beatrix was wearing her hair down...Her long dark hair was running down her back... She looked...beautiful...

"H..hey Beatrix." Cerebella smiled.

"Hey to you too." Beatirx replied, slightly raising a brow at Cerebella's stutter. "You ready to go?"

"Go? Go where?" Cerebella blinked.

"Bowling." Beatirx answered flatly. "Are you okay?"

Cerebella blinked, then shook her head. "Uh... Yeah! Yeah, just...a little bit tired. Still waking up, y'know?" Beatrix gave a mischievous smile.

"So, d'you like what I did with my hair? Figured I'd try something different today. Same hairstyle every day gets pretty old, y'know?" Cerebella nodded stiffly.

"Hair looks pretty girl-GOOD. Your hair looks pretty good. Uh... You should wear your hair down more often... You'd...attract...people."

Beatrix blinked, then smirked. She figured today would be a good day to try and see how far this 'love' went. In response, she winked playfully with a smirk, noticing Cerebella's eyes seemed to widen in surprise and possibly excitement. "Heh. You too." She said with a smirk.

Cerebella blinked, then reached up and removed Vice-Versa from atop her head. She looked up at her ponytail the best she could and frowned softly. "You...think I should let my hair down?" She asked softly. Beatrix shrugged her shoulders with the smirk never once leaving her face. Cerebella liked that smirk...

"Why not? I've never seen you with your hair down before. Might be interesting to see a new look for you." Hesitantly, Cerebella undid her ponytail, allowing her long green hair to fall down her back. Beatrix blinked. "Whoa... Wow..."

"I dunno, I always felt like this was just... off." Cerebella admitted with a slight shrug. "Long hair has never really been my style I guess."

"Really? I think you look great." Beatrix said matter-of-factly. Cerebella gave a small frown and tilted her head slightly.

"You sure? You're not just saying that?"

"No. I'm serious." Beatrix replied honestly. "It makes you seem... younger."

Cerebella blinked, then wrapped a lock of hair around her finger. "Wow, thanks... Um... Maybe I'll give it a try more often..." She said shyly. 'Just for you.' She added mentally.

Beatrix smirked. "Well, no sense in burning daylight here. Let's head on out. I'm totally set to destroy you at bowling." Cerebella's fiery, competitive nature found its way back.

"Hey, that's MY line." She said with a grin, following after the object of her affections. Beatrix chuckled.

"Knew that'd bring your spirit back."

As the two left, Cerebella cast a quick glance over her shoulder back towards her place, knowing Feng and Harry would be alright together, she just hoped Harry would have as much fun as she probably was going to.

"...The end." Feng finished the first short story. Harry smiled up at her, and Feng kissed his tiny head.

"Auntie Feng?"

"Yes cutie?"

"What do you do with Mama in the show?" Harry asked curiously.

Feng grinned broadly. "Weeell... We don't always work together. Most of the time, Cerebella's way up on the tightrope while I'm down on the stage."

"Tightropes...?" Harry asked timidly. "But... But isn't that dangerous...? What if mommy falls off and gets hurt...?" He worried for his mother... He'd be devastated if he lost her.

"Aww, don't worry about Cerebella, sweetie, she knows what she's doing. Though she did fall off once... She made a hole shaped like her body, but she was just fine aside from that."

"Oh... okay then." Harry bit his lip, not liking the idea that his mommy may have gotten injured... "But you seem to be throwing things. What's that?"

"Oh, you mean juggling?" Feng asked, suddenly smiling widely down at Harry, who nodded in curiosity. "Well, that's my talent! I can throw things in the air and catch them. Wanna see?"

"Yes please!" Harry said, his eyes wide with hope. Feng giggled and kissed his forehead.

"Who could say no to that little face?"

Walking over to the shelf, she grabbed three books and began to juggle them expertly. Harry watched with great interest, intrigued by his aunt's skill. He had been so busy training with his auntie Beatrix that he hadn't paid much attention to what his mother and aunt were doing. So seeing it undistracted was amazing. "Hey, Harry! Toss some more in!" Feng chirped, grinning ear to ear. "I can juggle WAAAY more than just three books!" Blinking, Harry grabbed another book and tossed it in.

This went on for a few more times until Feng was now juggling eight books at once, tossing them back and forth, under arm and over arm, spinning them as they went, smiling as Harry watched with absolute amazement the whole while. When she finished, she began the process of catching each individual book, catching seven of them.

Wait. Wasn't there eight?

Bonk!

"Ow!" Feng exclaimed as the final book came down and hit her on the head.

Upon that slip-up, the rest of the books fell from her hands and crashed down atop her head, flooring her. Harry, concerned, rushed to his aunt's side and tried to help her up. Feng pouted as she rose to her feet, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ugh... I don't know what went wrong there... Usually I can juggle like...fifteen of those."

Harry approached and hugged her leg, looking up at her with an apologetic expression. "Sorry, auntie Feng... I must have done it wrong..."

"Nah, don't worry about it cutie." Feng smiled, picking him up in a hug. "Sometimes people make mistakes, that wasn't your fault." Harry looked up and smiled, nuzzling closer to Feng's chest. the juggler smiled and kissed the top of his tiny head.

"So, watchya wanna do now?" She asked, smiling at the tiny boy.

"Uh... Do you wanna play another game?" Harry asked, tilting his head slightly.

Feng giggled and nodded her head. "Sure, little guy, let's go see what we can find in the game shelf." She cooed as she carried her little charge off.

Meanwhile, Cerebella and Beatrix had arrived at the bowling alley, and were currently standing in front of a lane. Beatrix had first roll, and she bowled a strike. "Heh... Beat that, boobzilla." She taunted. Cerebella quirked a brow at the nickname, then smirked.

"Don't be jealous, Miss Hips."

Cerebella noted that Beatrix actually seemed somewhat annoyed by the nickname. However, aside from a slight frown she didn't show it too much. Cerebella aimed her throw and rolled it. It went straight down the centre, and struck the main pin. But that was all it hit. Somehow, the ball went through the front pin and then went through, not touching any of the others.

Cerebella blinked owlishly, then turned to look at Beatrix, who was giving her the biggest grin she had ever seen. She turned away with a pout. "A fluke, Nothing but a complete and total fluke." She said flatly. Beatrix put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a condescending smirk.

"Suuure. Why not just admit that you suck at bowling?" Beatrix rolled another strike and pumped her fist. "Yes! It's so good to finally be better than you at something!"

"So that's one too... I dunno, seven thousand?" Cerebella smirked, and Beatrix turned to look at her, annoyed.

"Two actually. I'm better at bowling and at teaching. Heck, maybe I'm even better at being a mother." Cerebella's eyes widened in horror at that remark, and Beatrix laughed at her reaction.

Cerebella looked blankly at the floor, having no idea how to respond. Beatrix's laughter ceased. "H-Hey... Hey, I didn't mean that... I was just kidding..." Cerebella said nothing. Beatrix frowned and approached slowly. She studied her friend, then hesitated for a moment before pulling her into a hug. "Cerebella... You are an amazing mother. I could never be half the mother you are. Harry chose you as his mother, not me. He asked you to be his mother. Don't let what I just said get to you. I'd never intentionally insult your skill as a parent..."

Cerebella was shocked. Not only because Beatrix was hugging her, but because of how genuine she seemed with what she was saying. After a few moments, Cerebella smiled and hugged her ex-rival back. "Thanks... I just get nervous sometimes..." Cerebella sighed. "I really want to be a good parent, I just... You were such a comforting presence to him while I was gone, that meant a lot to me. You were able to comfort him when he needed it."

Beatrix gave a slightly shy smile and looked down. "Well... Y'know... When a kid needs you... You have to be there... And it just... felt right... Y'know?"

"Yeah... I get what you're saying. I had that exact feeling when I first found him. That feeling that he needed me..." The two fell into a brief silence.

"Y'know... I've never actually had friends before." Beatrix admitted. Cerebella blinked and looked at her. "Yeah... I lived a pretty lonely existence before Harry came along... As much as I love my rabbits, pets can't match human companionship. You being my friend now... Even after all I've done... It means a lot. But... I'm also not used to having friends... So... If I ever put my foot in my mouth and say something wrong... Call me out on it, okay?"

"Yeah sure." Cerebella nodded. "You can start by not cheating at this game."

"Whoa. Hold on." Beatrix shot back with a laugh. "How is having skills cheating?"

"Magic is cheating." Cerebella countered with a goofy grin.

"Well, technically Harry was cheating when we played that one time. Wouldn't Vice-Versa count as magic? I'm pretty sure it does. Therefore, your son cheated more than I did. Ergo, you're really at fault here." Cerebella wanted to reply, but her mouth hung open in confusion as she tried to process everything that had just been said.

"I uh... You... Ugh..." Defeated, Cerebella grabbed a ball and rolled it down the alley, the ball rolling down the gutter. "Aw, c'mon..." She groaned.

Beatrix chuckled. "Hey, can't win 'em all, Cerebella. Bowling's just my game, that's all." Cerebella still pouted and Beatrix rolled her eyes in amusement. "Okay, okay... How about this... Let's just drop the whole competitive thing and play the game casually? Just having fun? Might make you a bit less grouchy."

"Fine, sure. But I'm not grouchy that you won, I know you're using your magic!" Cerebella countered, taking another ball and rolling it down the lane. At first, it seemed like a great throw, with a small spin and good speed, but then it suddenly curved off and went into the gutter. Beatrix did everything she could not to laugh as Cerebella felt like ripping her hair out. "I thought we agreed not to do that!" She snapped.

"I didn't do anything!" Beatrix laughed.

Cerebella crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Uuuugh..." She groaned. "Stupid game... Really has it out for me..." She muttered in frustration. Beatrix shook her head in amusement. There was something almost...endearing about Cerebella's petulance.

Finally, Cerebella managed to get a spare. It did little to even out their scores, but it was something, and Cerebella's 'proud' look was really cute in a childish way. She seemed like a little girl who had gotten a good grade for the first time or something like that.

Beatrix rolled her eyes in bemusement, then rolled another strike while not even looking at the pins. "Still can't top the circus' star bowler, Cerebella."

"Y'know what? Just let me have it, okay?" Cerebella replied with a flat expression, shoulders drooping slightly. Beatrix just chuckled and stood aside so she could take her enough, they had bowled themselves into boredom, and were stepping out of the building. "Ugh... Man, I'm starving... Wanna grab something to eat?" Cerebella asked.

"Sure." Beatrix nodded, feeling a bit hungry herself. "Where do you want to go?"

"You won, I figured I'd let you choose." Cerebella replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, But... I really don't care." Beatrix frowned.

"Oh, c'mon! We'll be here all day at this rate!" Cerebella groaned.

Beatrix shrugged her shoulders. "Well, let's just check out the first place we see then." She said coolly. Cerebella blinked, then nodded her head.

"Right... Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." She agreed. Beatrix gave the tanned greenette a large smirk and crossed her arms over her bust.

"And really... Would being here all day with me REALLY be so bad? I mean, I'm SUCH good company." She said this as she rubbed against Cerebella slightly with a teasing smirk.

"Uh-huh. Sure." Cerebella said with a flat look, although internally she was screaming like a high school girl whose crush had agreed to go to the prom with her. "GREAT company..."

"Are you really that bitter over losing to me again?" Beatirx asked mockingly. "It's alright to be second-best, I think Feng knows a lot about it. "

"Oh now that's just mean! She isn't even here to defend herself!"

"Exactly."

Cerebella huffed slightly before smirking. "Actually, was it not Feng that beat you in the cooking competition? Sooo... Who's second best again?"

Beatrix stared blankly. "...Well... You... She... Ugh..." She grunted in frustration, crossing her arms over her bust. Cerebella grinned triumphantly.

"Hey, think we should bring somsthing back for Feng and Harry? Bet they'd appreciate a little treat." Cerebella mused. Beatrix nodded her head.

"Yeah, the little guy doesn't seem to be eating enough. Even with all you and Feng have been feeding him."

"The poor little guy didn't get enough to eat... his 'family' refused to feed him." Cerebella scowled, eyes narrowing slightly in agitation. "I just feel like no matter how much I feed him... he'll never get over it all."

"Well, that or he'll end up as big as Hubrecht." Beatrix shrugged.

Cerebella put a hand to her knife and chuckled. "Harry? As big as Hubrecht? I don't see that happening at all. Kind of a funny thought though."

"Heh... Yeah, I guess it is." Beatrix agreed. Eventually, they reached a small diner and decided to settle for it. They took a seat and waited for the waitress.

"So, Harry do anything impressive with his magic when I wasn't looking?" Cerebella asked.

"For the most part we did some training, and tried some more telepathic communication. He's a fast learner." Beatrix replied. "Some people are just born with a stronger attachment to magic, and Harry's is... unbelievable at times. He learns faster than anyone I've ever seen."

"Do you think that had something to do with his family?" Cerebella asked.

"Maybe. Some people are given magic from magical parents and some are just born with it regardless of their families bloodline. If I had to guess, Harry's parents were pretty strong in magical prowess though."

Cerebella nodded her head in understanding. "Geez... If they were that good, it's pretty hard to imagine what could have happened to them..."

"Honestly? There's a very real chance they could have been killed by another more powerful wizard... There's always a bigger fish y'know."

Cerebella tensed up. "Wait... If someone did kill Harry's parents... Does that mean they might come back for him at some point?!" Exclaimed a panicked Cerebella.

Beatrix thought it over for a minute. She genuinely didn't know. Reforming or resurrecting the dead was possible, but extremely hard. And in Harry's case, even if they succeeded in bringing someone back to try and kill him, they wouldn't find him at his family's house. "I doubt it." Beatrix finally said. "I mean, magic is really, really unpredictable and all, but bringing someone back is nearly impossible. And if whoever killed Harry's parents is dead, most likely he was only after his parents."

Cerebella relaxed slightly, but still looked a bit on edge. "I'm still gonna be on my guard." She said seriously. "Anyone comes after my kid, they're getting their face pummeled into pudding."

"I'll be standing right behind you in that line." Beatrix replied with a shark-like grin. "I've been practicing all sorts of hexes that I'd just love to test out."

Eventually the two found themselves at the restauraunt they were at when they last came to town. The wordlessly looked to one another then nodded, wordlessly agreeing. They made their way into the resurfacing and sat down near a window.

The two didn't have Harry to make conversation easier, so Cerebella decided to break the ice a bit. "...Favourite...food." Beatrix blinked, then looked thoughtful.

"Hmm... I'm a bit partial to pumpkin pie, honestly... Especially with lots of whipped cream... Hmm... Favourite... colour?" Cerebella smirked lightly.

"Gotta go with orange, honestly. I mean, it's just a really nice, mellow colour... Makes me think of a nice summer sunset. Always a nice view... Okay, favourite...movie."

"Oh geez. Uh, Cocoa. Beautiful animation, amazing story and music." The magician answered.

"Really? I thought it'd be one of those magic heist films." Cerebella laughed. Beatrix noticeably groaned and buried her had in her hands.

"I HATE those movies..." She muttered. "People KNOW magic exists, and yet they still make movies where they completely re-write all the rules and abilities of magic!"

"And yet the movie with magical music doesn't?" Cerebella smirked.

"I don't mind fiction, so long as it's GOOD." Beatrix flatly responded. "Yours?"

"Actually, I'd say Book of The Living." Cerebella answered. "I always liked Lakia films' style."

This went on for several minutes, the two women just exchanging information about themselves. They actually found themselves enjoying it quite a bit.

Cerebella learned that Beatrix enjoyed dancing, disliked the Midnight books enough the burn them in her fireplace, and had dated a boy in the past before discovering her true preference. Beatrix learned that Cerebella enjoyed Sudoku, had an intense dislike of cockroaches, and absolutely couldn't stand quitters or people who were always angry.

Eventually the two realized that they had came here for food and placed their orders, both women realizing there were a lot of things they had in common. It was weird, considering how they had always gotten along in the past, to find out there was so much they liked... Well, they thought it was interesting. As they waited for their food they kept taking, discussing their routines, and their skills. Beatrix explained some of what Harry could potentially learn when she was asked.

Cerebella smiled widely as Beatrix described her son's potential to her. She felt proud. "Heh... My boy's really something, isn't he?" She said softly.

"He's going to be incredible." Beatrix affirmed with a nod. "His natural ability never ceases to amaze me. Maybe he'll even folllow in my footsteps one day." She teased lightly.

"What would that be like? Would he end up taking over your position?" Cerebella asked.

"Eh, more like he'd become an assistant or a partner." Beatrix shrugged, seemingly not being too annoyed by Cerebella's attempted dig.

The greenette smiled at the thought. "Heheh... I'd love to see my boy working for the circus someday... But there's no guarantee he'll choose that job."

Beatrix smirked. "Yes, yes, I know, he has so much potential... He could do anything if he sets his mind to it." She said softly. The two women smiled fondly.

"Weird question." Cerebella finally spoke up again. "Not saying this is what should've happened or anything, but what would you have done if you had found him? Y'know... instead of me." Beatrix was going to respond, but quickly fell silent once again. It was a good question. If she had found Harry, would she had even bothered taking him back with her? And if she did, would she have been as kind as Cerebella? Or even as kind as she was to him now? Or would she fall into the same pit her father did... and be no better than his family...

The magician rubbed her arm and looked down with a small frown. "It's...hard to say for sure, Cerebella... The fact that you were the one to save him is honestly a pretty big part of why I changed..."

Cerebella blinked. "Beatrix..." She said softly. "You're not thinking you'd have hurt him... Are you?" She asked softly. Beatrix sighed and looked down.

"Let's not beat around the bush here, Cerebella... I'm a bitch. I'm a massive, unpleasant bitch. And I've been a bitch for about as long as I can remember..."

"...Nope." Cerebella said coolly. Beatrix blinked in confusion.

"Nope? What do you mean nope?"

"Okay, well... you kinda were." Cerebella began, getting an annoyed and somewhat angered look from Beatrix. "But then I got to know you, and more importantly, you got to know yourself. When Harry arrived, you had been living in this almost... aura of self-loathing. I can't say why, and I won't claim to understand it, but there was something about how you viewed yourself that seeped into how you saw, well, everyone else. It was kinda toxic, and I don't think you'd disagree with me on that." Beatrix didn't reply, feeling like everything that was being said was deserved, but she wasn't expecting what Cerebella said next: "But I don't see that. At least, not anymore. You've changed Beatrix, and I think the hardest thing for you right not is realizing that you have." Beatirx still remained silent, genuinely taken aback by what had been said. Was she right? Was Cerebella... yeah. Yeah she was. Now that Beatrix thought about it, she realized why she understood what Harry had been feeling.

She smiled softly and rubbed her arm, looking down rather bashfully. A warm, fuzzy feeling was welling up inside her... And she liked it a lot. She looked over at Cerebella with a smile. "...Thanks... I... I don't know what to say... You... You're a lot more profound than I ever imagined you could be..."

Cerebella chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, I'm definitely not some ditzy airhead, no matter how much you wanna think that."

"Well, I believe that." Beatrix conceded. "And I'll be honest, I think Harry has been the major reason for any sort of change between us. Like, remember a few years back when we were doing that thing for Vitale? And we were trying to sabotage one another?"

"Oh please stop..." Cerebella moaned. "That was in the past. I thought you were... well, an idiot."

"And I you." Beatrix countered. "But ever since Harry showed up, things have gotten better."

Cerebella smilled softly. "Yeah... He really is something special... I haven't even had him for a month, but... It's kinda hard to imagine life without him now..."

Beatrix chuckled softly. "I'm sure many other new mothers have felt the same way you have." She said softly. "It must be a nice feeling..."

"It is... It's... It's impossible to describe... He just... All the love on that little guy's face makes it all totally worth it... y'know...?" She said softly.

"Kinda. I think I had a different experience when he asked me to stay with him while you were gone." Beatrix smiled, thinking back to that night. "He seemed like a lost... well, a lost kid, looking for his parents. He was just so cute."

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about." Cerebella smiled. "When I brought him home, he seemed so frightened of even letting me hold him. I feel bad for saying this, but he honestly seemed like a newborn baby."

Cerebella chuckled softly. "Heh... He cried quite a bit more back then too... He had two breakdowns in the span of one day a few days after I first adopted him..."

Beatrix noted the sadness in her tone and sighed softly. "Yeah, he had a couple breakdowns staying with me too... The poor little guy..." Both women fell silent, and it became apparent to both of them what the other was thinking about... The sheer horrors the Dursleys had put Harry through.

"He said you met them. What happened?" Beatrix frowned, realizing she hadn't been told what happened when Cerebella met Harry's 'family'. Cerebella's face seemed to take on a mixture of both anger and twisted enjoyment.

"They tried to hide what they had done. It didn't work." Cerebella replied simply.

Beatrix bit her lip and sighed softly through her nose. "Okay... So... How exactly did you figure it out, Cerebella?" She asked softly. Cerebella clenched her fists violently.

"Those bastards enjoyed it, Beatrix... They made a damn scrapbook full of pictures of all the stuff they did to him... They... They don't deserve to be called human."

Beatrix scowled at what she was hearing. "A scrapbook... A damn SCRAPBOOK... Disgusting low-life trash... I'm tempted to make a quick trip over there myself!"

"Hey, if it didn't entail leaving Harry again for a few days, I'd be down." Cerebella shrugged. "Sure, we left them alive, but... y'know?"

"Yeah... yeah I do..." Beatrix seethed. It was so much worse than she had expected. Not even her own family were that bad.

Cerebella looked down at the table. "So... You saw everything, you said...? Like... through a spelll...?" Beatrix nodded her head in a solemn manner.

"Yeah... I got a front row seat to it..." She affirmed. "And it was just as awful as anything you saw... Maybe worse. I actually saw it happening instead of just still images..."

"I just can't imagine how horrific that must've been for him." Cerebella sighed. "He's just a little kid! We get into a fight, we feel pain, but we're fine after, he was a tiny boy! How could anyone do that to him?!"

"Well, maybe it had to do with hatred for him, maybe they were just idiots." Beatrix shook her head, unsure if she should bring up the blood wards or not.

Cerebella clenched her fists and teeth, fuming with anger. "Ugh... Neither one's a good option... And both make me wish I'd strangled those things..."

Beatrix smirked. "Yes, the fact that they aren't dead showcases remarkable self control on your end. Well done."

"Yeah, But... was it?" Cerebella sighed.

"Do you want to look Harry in the eyes and tell him you killed his family?" Beatrix asked. "Abusers or not, how do you think he'd react to that?"

"That... that's a good point."

The two women fell into a brief period of silence as they ate their food. The topic of the Dursleys had spoiled the mood quite a bit, and now they were unsure of what to say.

"...Beatrix?" Cerebella asked softly, prompting the magician to look up with a hum of acknowledgement. "...Harry needs protection... Will you protect him if I can't for whatever reason?"

"Yeah. Of course." Beatrix nodded without a second thought about it. "I'd take care of him if anything happened."

"Thanks..." Cerebella sighed. "I... that's good to know."

"The poor little guy. He needed you to find him." Beatrix sighed.

Cerebella blushed slightly, but smiled nonetheless. "And find him I did..." She said softly, thinking back to the first time she mer her son. A day she'd never forget... "...He's hit a little growth spurt." She said proudly. "Now he has a little more meat on his bones, and if you look closely, he's a bit taller too." She smiled fondly. "That good, I'm glad. As much as I love him as a tiny cuddle bug, if he doesn't grow... well, I'm just..."

"I've never seen you so flustered." Beatrix smiled. "You seem to be nervous after every thought. You sure you're okay?

Cerebella smiled and nodded her head. "Yeah... I'm fine... Absolutely, totally fine." She assured. 'I'm here with you, after all... How could I not be?' She thought to herself.

Beatrix nodded. "Good. Glad to hear it. Well... I'd say we've finished eating now. Think it's best we pay the cheque and make our leave now." The two girls split the bill, and left the restaurant to head back to the Cirques de Cartes. Cerebella remembered her decision to pick something up for Harry and Feng.

Afterwards, the two walked back, mostly in silence. Beatrix was thinking about all they had talked about, and Cerebella was thinking about how much she had in common with the magician. 'She really isn't as bad as I thought...' Beatrix conceded mentally. 'But... what's she still hiding?'

"She's perfect. She'd make a great mother for Harry." Cerebella thought.

Both women looked over at each other, Beatrix with an expression of curious intrigue and Cerebella with a warm, tender smile. Their gazes locked for a few seconds before they turned away from one another. Beatrix found herself very intrigued with Cerebella. It was a bit difficult for her to explain, however... She was just fascinated with the weightlifter, and wanted to learn more about her. Meanwhile, Cerebella was fantasizing about the life she could have with Beatrix. Them cuddling on the couch, exchanging kisses, working together to raise Harry... And when Harry and Feng were asleep... 'No! No, bad Cerebella, bad! Don't think perverted thoughts... She hates pervs...' She scolded herself mentally. Beatrix noticed her blush and quirked a brow.

"You okay back there?" She asked.

"Huh? Yeah! Yeah... I...Uh... just... yeah. I'm good!" Cerebella replied with a dumb grin. Beatrix raised a brow, but said nothing.

"Okay." The magician shrugged. 'Man she's acting weird. Maybe she's serious...' Beatirx thought to herself.

The two women walked in silence for a bit before Cerebella noticed a street vendor selling kettle corn, a special seasoned popcorn. She grinned. "That looks like a good thing to bring home to the kid and best friend... Gimme a sec." Beatrix nodded, then waited patiently as Cerebella bought Harry and Feng their treat.

She came back with four decently sized bags, surprisingly enough, and handed one to her. She blinked, then slowly took it. "Thank you..."

The two continued walking back, munching on the kettle corn, both finding it was really good. "This is better than I expected." Beatrix remarked.

"Have you never had this before?" Cerebella asked.

"No, actually. I thought about it but never got around to trying it." Beatrix shrugged in response. "Now I kinda regret not trying it sooner."

Cerebella smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Better late than never I guess. Heh... That guy's always there y'know. Sells his kettle corn for a living."

"I'm honestly kind of surprised he hasn't opened a full shop or even corporation yet..." Beatrix mused before shrugging. "Either way, good stuff." The two women walked down the street quietly, not entirely sure what else to say, but still quite content to be in good company with one another.

Back at their place, Feng was feeding Harry the lunch they had made. She had seen Cerebella do it before, and she wanted to try it. Harry was currently snuggled into her arms, enjoying the meal they had made together. "Cerebella should be home soon." Feng said aloud, both to Harry and to herself. She was honestly surprised they were gone as long as they had, but still. If Cerebella was happy, who was she to judge?

She wondered to herself what happened on their little outing. Did it go well? Did they form a nice bond? Did they officially get together? At a glance, the two seemed incompatible. They had such radically different personalities and appearances, it was hard to imagine them together. Yet, as they say, opposites attract. Honestly, Feng found the idea of them coming together very, VERY romantic... Two rivals, brought together into romance by a mutual love for one little boy...

Still, shed be fine if they were gone a bit longer... She enjoyed having Harry all to herself, cuddling the tiny boy close, paying with his hair, enjoying his warmth... and it was clear Harry was enjoying their time together as well. He was so cute! The way he remained snuggled close to her, happily enjoying her presence, he really was an angel. "Heh, you're just a cuddly little cutie." Feng grinned.

Harry cooed softly in content and nuzzled in closer to her. Feng giggled and planted a kiss atop his head. Oh, how she loved her precious little nephew. Harry loved his auntie Feng almost as much as his mother... He loved his family so much... He hoped he could stay with them forever and ever... Feng smiled tenderly down at Harry, and her mind began to drift. Oh, how she wanted a cute, sweet baby of her own... And a nice girlfriend to help raise them too... Now she had more to be jealous of Cerebella over than just her figure.

Still, not much she could do at this point. She decided she'd just take all the time she could with Harry even if that meant trying to get Cerebella and Beatrix out of the house more often. Harry squirmed about, then sat on her lap, smiling up at his aunt. "Why are you so cute?" Feng cooed down at the tiny boy, earning a giggle from the boy. She kissed the top of his head playfully and pulled him close.

She pouted and groaned internally as she heard the sound of the door opening. "We're hoooome!" Cerebella called out, prompting Harry to hop out of Feng's lap.

"Mommy!" Harry cheered as he rushed to greet his mother, who grinned when she saw him and snatched him up in her arms, holding him under his armpits and twirling him around.

"Hey, hun!" She laughed as she held him up to eye level and pressed their noses together. "Heh... You being good?" She asked jokingly, already knowing the answer.

"Yes mama!" Harry said, trying to hug Cerebella.

"Well, I knew you'd be!" The weightlifter laughed, kissing his head. "I'm glad to see you and your auntie Feng having fun together. But I'm even happier to have you back!" Beatrix just smirked at the scene in front of her. The kid really was too cute for his own good.

Cerebella looked up at Vice-Versa, who nodded and handed the bag of kettle corn he was holding over to Harry. "Mama gotcha a treat!" She said with a grin.

Harry perked up and accepted the bag of flavoured popped kernels. "Thank you, mommy!" Cerebella grinned and kissed his nose before looking over to Feng.

"Hey, Feng! Catch!" Vice-Versa tossed the closed bag over to the juggler, who caught it one-handed.

"What? Oh sweet!" Feng exclaimed as she caught the snack. "Thanks Cerebella!" Harry was currently trying the snack, and he seemed to be enjoying it, as his face seemed to light up as he ate it. Cerebella grinned and hugged him closer.

"Thank you mama." Harry said happily, leaning into her hug.

"Don't mention it, did you and auntie Feng have a good time?" Cerebella replied.

"Uh huh! She showed me her juggling and we played games and..." Beatrix stood and watched the family interact with a small smile on her face. Yet she couldn't help but feel a bit... out of place. Was there room for her in this little family dynamic? This trio was the happiest she'd ever seen.

Still, maybe Cerebella was being sincere, and maybe... Wait. Did Cerebella want her to be Harry's mother as well?! Huh... She had always assumed that Feng would be Harry's mother... Was that why she was being so friendly? Or did she actually like her?

She shook her head and nodded in Cerebella's direction. "Well... It was great, Cerebella, but I really should be going now... My rabbits need to be fed."

Cerebella nodded her head with a smile and waved. "All right, see ya later, Beatrix! Let's have another outing soon, yeah?" Beatrix nodded and walked off. Cerebella watched after her and smiled warmly before turning back to Harry. "All right... Why don't you tell mommy all about your day now, Harry?"

Harry smiled and began telling Cerebella all about what he and Feng had done that day. Cerebella was happy that she and her son were so close...

The tightrope walker sat on the couch and smiled warmly at her child, listening closely to his every word. His energy warmed her heart... When he finished, she patted his head gently. "Glad ya had a good day, little guy!" She leaned down and kissed his forehead, getting a soft giggle from him.

Harry giggled and leaned in towards his mother's chest. She chuckled and decided it was time for him to take his nap. Cerebella kissed him one last time as she tucked him into bed. "Night cutie pie." She cooed.

The boy snuggled closer into the blankets and cooed softly. Smiling, Cerbella spared him one last glance before stepping out the bedroom door.

Cerebella was feeling great. She felt like she was getting closer to Beatrix than ever before. During their conversation, she felt a spark, a connection. Something. But there was something genuine and real, something warm between them. She didn't know where to go from here, but she hoped Beatrix felt the same way she did.

Beatrix sat in her armchair, absentmindedly petting her rabbits, who were asleep in her lap. She was deep in thought about Cerebella, and the time they'd spent together that day. Cerebella was interesting. Very interesting. She'd seen nothing but a ditzy hothead for years, but now she better understood the brawler. She was a little on the naive side... But she had heart. And a lot of it, too. She was naturally a very kind and loving person that understood far more than she let on.

Maybe the magician was wrong to assume her original intentions were only lustful. The brawler's affection seemed genuine, and now she was left wondering if she felt the same way. Oddly... the brawler made her feel... accepted. Something that she knew little about if she was honest. All her life she had essentially been used by someone else. Her father, the Medcis... But Cerebella wasn't like them. Or at least, wasn't any more. It wouldn't be fair to say she was 'using' her when she was the only one who knew how to properly train Harry without him getting potentially hurt (or anyone else for that matter) but the mentorship now felt more like a true friendship.

She smiled softly and stroked Hazel's ears, closing her eyes. Yes... Cerebella was a friend. A true friend... And she wanted to spend more time with her. Cerebella had invited her to her home on several occasions. But she had never invited Cerebella over to her house before... Perhaps that would be a good idea. She smirked slyly. "I wonder if Cerebella can handle the good stuff..." She mused to herself, looking over at her alcohol cabinet.

She figured that tomorrow night would be a good time to offer. If she offered tonight, she'd feel like she was rushing into things. Still, she figured if Cerebella felt the way she seemed to be acting, she'd agree to it any time. Beatrix just hoped she wouldn't get out of hand, the last thing she needed was a drunk weightlifter destroying the circus, or annoying others to no end.

Chuckling to herself, she continued petting her rabbits, thinking about what awaited her the following day...

The next morning, Cerebella woke up and yawned, stretching one arm as she held Harry close with the other. She smiled over at her son and kissed his cheek. This action caused the little boy to stir and awaken, and he happily rested his head on his mother's shoulder. "G'morning, mama..." He mumbled sleepily.

"Hiya, cutie." Cerebella smiled, pulling her son close as he woke up. "You look so cute when you're sleeping." Harry smiled and nuzzled closer, Cerebella enjoying the moment as she patted his tiny head. Ever since she found him, things really had been looking up.

She stepped out of bed and helped Harry get dressed before changing into her own traditional outfit of her favourite orange dress and thigh-highs. Grinning, she carried her son downstairs to breakfast. But just as she set him down at the table... She heard the sound of knocking at the door. She blinked and looked at Feng, who was still cooking. "I'll get it!" She said before making her way to the front door and pulling it open to find Beatrix.

"Oh, hey Beatrix." Cerebella blinked then smiled. "Can I help you with something?"

"Uh, I was wondering if you were doing anything later tonight, and was wondering if you wanted to hang out or soemthing." She mentally noted what sounded like a tiny squeal of extreme happiness from Cerebella, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Cerebella said with a huge grin.

The magician grinned and quirked a brow at the young weightlifter. "Great." She said. "But uh... I was thinking we could get out the drinks, soooo... Harry should probably stay home."

Cerebella grinned broadly. "All right! I don't get to hit the bottle very often. For some reason, Feng gets grumpy whenever I get tipsy."

Beatrix didn't reply, giving a slight shrug in reopens. The two stood there for a few more moments, then the magician wordlessly left, leaving Cerebella with a huge grin on her face. "Mama?" Harry asked, looking up at Cerebella. "Is everything okay?"

Cerebella smirked and kissed his head gently. "Yeah. I'm fine, Harry. Better than fine, in fact. Don't worry about me. Heh... I'm in a great mood." Harry smiled and nodded his tiny head, glad that his mother was okay. Feng, meanwhile, smirked when she noticed to lovestruck look on her friends' face.

"Another day with Beatrix, Cerebella?" The acrobat grinned in response.

"Not till later tonight, actually."

"Ah, okay." Feng nodded. "I think you'd better spend some time with Harry then, the little guy loves me, but I think he likes spending time with his mom a bit more." Harry looked up from where he was petting Kitty with a confused look on his face.

"Mama?" He asked.

Cerebella smiled, picked her son up and cuddled him close. "Hi, little guy." She cooed softly, rubbing his back gently. She felt him snuggle up and beamed. "Sooo, any idea what you wanna do until I go over to visit Auntie Beatrix?" The tanned brawler asked softly. Harry looked up at her with a smile.

"I just... wanna snuggle with you for a bit, mommy... Is that okay...?" He asked softly.

"Sure, hon." Cerebella smiled, sitting down and holding Harry close. The tiny boy nuzzled into her hug and smiled up at his mommy. No words needed to be said, the two just remained at peace where they were, the tiny boy being held safely by his mother. Cerebella gently ran a hand through his hair, making the tiny boy giggle.

When breakfast was served, Feng simply set it down in front of them with a smile, and Cerebella fed Harry one-handed, keeping him held firmly in her other arm. After finishing breakfast, she gently cradled the little boy in her arms as if cradling a newborn infant and smiled tenderly down at him as she moved into the living room. "Oh my God you're so adorable... It's just not even fair..." The young woman whispered softly as she cuddled her adopted child close to her bosom.

Harry just smiled up in response. His mama's kind words of affirmation were something he never realized he wanted so badly. Cerebella wrapped him up in one arm as she began gently tickiling his chin, making him laugh gently. "Augh... why are you so precious?!"

She kissed his cheeks and grinned broadly down at the little boy in her arms. "Heheheh... I am SUCH a lucky mom..." She whispered softly. Harry just laid in contentment. He always loved to savour his adopted mother's unconditional love... She had treated him with nothing but love since the day she'd found him...

"I love you, mommy..."

"Love you too, cutie." She cooed softly, making the tiny boy yawn. The pair thought things were only looking up for them, but little did they know that things weren't always going to be the picturesque future Cerebella imagined for the two... in fact, their bond was going to be tested in a way that would shake the pair to their very core.

But that was for another day. In present time, the mother and child were as close as could be... Cerebella spent the entire day with Harry, until nightfall came. "All right, Harry..." Cerebella set her son down. "You be good for Auntie Feng, okay? I'll be back very soon." She leaned down and kissed his cheeks.

"Okay mama." Harry smiled up at Cerebella. The weight lifter grinned and patted his head.

"Don't worry Cerebella, I'll take care of the little guy." Feng smiled, pulling Harry into a warm hug. Harry giggled at the hug and leaned into it.

"Well, don't have too much fun you two!" Cerebella laughed.

"Same goes for you." Feng taunted. "Tonight could be the beginning of something wonderful between you and Beatrix... or this cold be the night you burn it all to the ground..."

"Feng!" Cerebella exclaimed, shocked.

Feng grinned cheekily, pulling down her eyelid and sticking out her tongue. Cerebella, rather petulantly, did the same to her. Harry giggled. "But seriously, Bella... I'm rooting for ya. Go and win the pretty magician over." The juggler encouraged. Cerebella grinned and flashed a thumbs up.

"I plan to. ...Think I'll leave Vice-Versa behind, though... Can you make sure he gets his excercise? He gets a bit antsy if he can't lift weights."

"Yeah, sure." Feng nodded. Cerebella smiled down at her son one last time and left. Leaving the two in a brief silence. "You wanna make some dessert?" Feng asked, holding Harry up to eye level.

"Okay auntie feng!" Harry said happily.

Giggling, Feng picked her nephew up and carried him into the kitchen. "All right, let's do... chocolate cream pie, sound good?" Harry nodded with a smile.

Beatrix set out the bottles on the table, gently shooing away Hazel when she tried sticking her nose in one of them. She did not want a drunk bunny on her hands. When she heard the knock on the door, she moved to open it, and found Cerebella awaiting her on the other side. "Hey, Beatrix." She greeted.

"Hey Cerebella." Beatrix replied with a slight smirk. "C'mon in." Cerebella followed the magician into her small home. She had been here once or twice before, but things seemed calmer that when she was last here.

"How was your day?" Cerebella asked.

Beatrix shrugged her shoulders. "Eh... Pretty quiet, really. Just sort of hung around, spent time with my rabbits, made sure things were set up..." The magician turned to face the weightlifter. "You drink at all, Cerebella?" The tan-skinned woman blinked, then chuckled softly in response.

"Sometimes. Feng's usually pretty grumpy afterwards though. She thinks I'm 'annoying' when I'm drunk, heh... Can you imagine that?"

"...Yeah." Beatrix said after a moment of silence, partially questioning if this was a good idea, but then decided just to go with it. "Imagine that." Cerebella thankfully didn't seem to pick up on her hesitation or concern, or at least didn't say anything about it. The two kept talking for a few minutes, mostly just about whatever had been going on recently, but they both knew it was kinda hard to because they had talked at length for so long about it a few days ago...

What they did discover, however, was a lot of genuine enjoyment out of each other's mere presence. Even without saying a word, both women just felt... at ease. Eventually, however, the main event came up. Beatrix grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured two battles. "Wanna play a drinking game?" She asked.

"Sure..." Cerebella replied.

"It's called 'never have I ever'." Beatrix explained. "We take turns saying something we've never done. If we have, we drink."

"Okay, sounds fun." Cerebella smirked.

Both girls took a seat. Cerebella started. "Okay... Never have I ever... said anything bad about Hubrecht." Beatrix took a drink. "Aw, B, really?"

"What? He's too... touchy-feely. And he doesn't know his own strength either. I swear he almost broke my spine." Cerebella nodded, seeming to accept her answer. "All right, never have I ever... been groped by a pervert."

Cerebella took a sip of her drink and Beatrix chuckled. "Ah, no surprise there... Y'know how it works. The bigger they are, the more likely they'll be groped... You beat the hell outta the guy?"

"Yes." Was all Cerebella said, clearly not wanting to say more about the incident.

The game went on for a few minutes, and it was Beatrix's turn. "Never have I ever purposely embarrassed a friend." Cerebella paused, clearly not wanting to admit to something, then finally took a drink.

"Look, Feng was bugging me all week and I figured it was the best way to get her to stop." Cerebella huffed, annoyed.

The tanned brawler then looked thoughtful. "Never have I ever... yelled at a kid." Cerebella waited for Beatrix to take a sip, and was pleased when she didn't.

"Yelling at a kid's no way to get the point across." The magician replied with a shrug. "It's better to just... get a bit stern and talk to them. Don't scare them, but make sure they get it." Cerebella beamed. She loved that answer. "Okay... Never have I ever... broken someone's kneecaps."

Cerebella took a sip. "Vitale had me do it. You know I'd never be able to refuse." Beatrix nodded. "Okay... Never have I ever... kissed a girl."

Beatrix, much to Cerebella's delight, took a sip. "I'm all over the fairer sex... I had a girlfriend back in highschool, but my dear old dad put a stop to THAT pretty quickly... Homophobic bastard..."

"Wow... I..." Cerebella began but trailed off, not knowing how to respond to that. "That sucks..."

"You have no idea how much I hated him..." Beatrix shook her head. "Regardless, your turn." Cerebella thought for a minute, not sure of what to ask, but wanting to try for a lighter question.

"Never have I ever woken up somewhere I didn't know after drinking heavily."

"You're supposed to say things you HAVEN'T done." Beatirx smirked, not taking a sip.

"I haven't!" Cerebella protested.

Beatrix chuckled. "Would it be because Feng has to babysit you?" She teased. Cerebella stared blankly at her before her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yes..."

Beatrix chuckled, then had a thought. "...Never have I ever... considered myself to be attractive..."

Cerebella didn't drink. "Yeah, of course." Beatirx rolled her eyes. "Until you met Harry, I'm pretty sure 'I look good' was one of the three thoughts you had in your head."

"And the other two were?"

"Lift weights, I'm sexy..." Beatrix trialled off and shrugged. "My bad, guess it was just two thoughts."

Cerebella looked at her seriously. "You really don't think you're attractive? I thought you'd be proud of your looks." She asked. Beatrix looked away, arms crossed over her breast.

"Well... No... Not really... I mean... When I see other women who are clearly hotter, I guess I just... I dunno... Feel... kinda... ugly..." Cerebella grabbed her hand and looked her dead in the eye.

"Your dad put this in your head?" Beatrix didn't respond, but the look in her eyes said it all. "...Beatrix? You're not ugly, alright? You're freaking beautiful."

Beatrix didn't say anything. She didn't even look at Cerebella. "You really believe that?" Beatrix finally asked.

"Yes! Why would you believe you aren't?!" Cerebella asked in disbelief.

"I..." Beatirx wanted to answer, but she didn't feel like she could.

Cerebella sighed softly. "I mean... You have a really nice face, for one thing..." Beatrix looked over with a small frown. "And... Your hair's nice too. I love the colour... It shines really nicely in the candlelight..."

"C-Cerebella..." Beatrix said softly, taken aback at how sincere the brawler sounded.

"And your eyes. They're... They're so pretty... I... I could just look into them forever... And... Well... I could say all sorts of nice things about your body, but... That would just ruin the mood I'm going for... Heh... But... Beatrix... You're incredible to look at... But... You're also beautiful on the inside."

Blushing, Beatrix looked at the acrobat with wide eyes. Cerebella took a deep breath. "Beatrix, despite our differences and the fact that we used to be at each others throats for years, these past few weeks since you started teaching Harry...I've come to know an entirely new side of you, and I really like what I see. You're strong, smart, confident, and you've come to care more about Harry and I than I ever expected you to be capable of before. You're an incredible woman, and you didn't deserve to be hurt by that man who had the balls to call himself your father. If I ever met him, I'd pound his face in... But even that wouldn't be enough to satisfy me knowing he hurt such an amazing girl..."

Beatrix looked away, shoulders shaking violently as she bit her lip. "I...I...I..." She stammered, voice cracking. Cerebella frowned, then pulled her into a tight hug.

"Beatrix... You need to have yourself a cry, okay? I'm not asking you to. I'm telling you to. You need to let it out. You've held back for way too long.

Beatrix sighed, then downed her drink, then finally let it all out. She latched tightly onto Cerebella and cried softly into her shoulder, letting her pain and pent up emotions finally out. She never expected she would do this with anyone, let alone Cerebella, but it felt good. Beatrix let everything out, and she felt secure while being held by Cerebella. Maybe this was what Harry felt like when he finally opened up. Still, she let everything out, she cried and let it all go.

After about half an hour, the magician's sobs ceased, and she felt something swell up inside her as Cerebella continued to hold her, gently stroking her back and whispering sweet nothings into her ear. She felt warm... She felt her heart beating a mile a minute... Cerebella was... incredible... She was an amazing person... She couldn't believe this was the same woman she had hated so much not long ago...

Cerebella looked down at Beatrix, then took a deep breath. "Beatrix... The more I've gotten to know you, the more I've come to terms with my feelings." Beatrix looked up at her. Cerebella took a deep breath, and forced herself to confess to her crush. "...I love you, Beatrix... And... I really do mean that... Ever since the day I came back from that trip and saw you with Harry, I knew... I just knew that... That I wanted to be with you... I wanted to... get to know you better as... As more than a friend..." Beatrix's expression was unreadable. "...I understand if you're not interested... I just wanted to get it off my che-"

Then, before she could even finish her sentence, Beatrix practically tackled her, and her eyes snapped wide open as she felt the magician's lips press firmly against her own.

Cerebella was shocked by the sudden action, and didn't know if it was the alcohol or not, but she didn't care. The woman she loved was kissing her, and she kissed back. She felt her heart warm like she did when she held Harry, only this time, she knew what this was. This was true love. She loved Beatrix, and from what she could tell, Beatrix loved her back.

After a few moments, Beatrix pulled back, and her eyes widened in horror and shock. "I...uh...no...I...i..i..Ididn..." She mumbled, blinking frantically. Cerebella grinned and kissed her back.

Beatrix tensed up, her face turning completely red, and her eyes snapping wide open in shock. She briefly considered pushing Cerebella off... But then she began to relax and just melted into the kiss. The two women slowly wrapped their arms around each other and pulled each other closer. They stayed locked together for approximately five minutes, neither woman wanting to end the kiss. Eventually, both women pulled away from each other and gazed into each other's eyes.

"Heh..." Beatrix muttered.

"Wow..." Cerebella sighed, rubbing the back of her head.

"Uh..."

"Yeah..."

The two women remained silent for a few moments, then smiled at one another again. "So... I think... I think I need a drink." Beatrix finally got out, picking up the bottle again.

Cerebella just sat down, her face beet red. She stared at the table silently for a few minutes before speaking up. "So... Uh... Beatrix...?" She said softly.

Beatrix looked up at her with a slightly tilted head. "Yes, Cerebella?" She replied.

"Does this mean that...you and I are... Y'know... A thing now...?" Beatrix put a finger under her chin in mock consideration, then smirked, leaning down and kissing Cerebella's cheek.

"Looking forward to the first date, babe." Cerebella's joy filled her up completely, and she sat with a large smile on her face.

"Heh... Me too..."

The two women stared into each other's eyes, smiling warmly at one another. "Hey, so... Just so you know. I kinda hope this means you'd be Harry's..." Cerebella began but trailed off, not sure of what to say. Beatrix blinked for a moment, then her eyes widened as she realized what Cerebella was implying.

"Are you serious?" She asked.

Cerebella took a deep breath and nodded her head. "...I want Harry to have a complete family... Not just a single mom..." She explained before trailing off a bit. "And besides... I saw how you are with him... The way you held him when I first got home...? The way you comforted him when he needed you...? You're... You're the perfect woman to be Harry's second mom."

"I guess... it's just... There's Feng, and we've... like... just recently begun to like one another. Why are you..."

"It's when I saw you comforting him, that night when I returned." Cerebella explained. "He was just so peaceful, so happy. You seemed like a natural mother for him."

"Yeah... but... are you sure about this?"

Cerebella nodded her head. "Beatrix... You and I are dating now. You're my girl. Who else am I gonna get as Harry's second mom? That would be spitting all over our new relationship."

Beatrix nodded her head, both in understanding and acceptance. "Y-Yes... Yes, Cerebella... I... I would be more than happy to be Harry's second mother..." Smiling warmly, both women rushed forward and pulled each other into a tight embrace, resting their chins atop each other's shoulders.

"I think Harry's gonna be really happy." Cerebella remarked with a grin. "He really likes you."

"He does?" Beatrix asked, surprised.

"Yeah, he doesn't always know how to say it, but it's clear he really likes you." Beatrix smiled. Sure, Harry was always kind to everyone, and he was always kind to her, but there was something nice about knowing he cared for her that much.

Cerebella pulled away from the hug, putting her hands on Beatrix's shoulders and smiling as she gazed into her eyes. "...We should go and tell him... Right now."

Beatrix slowly nodded her head. "Y-Yeah... Let's... go back to your place and see... our son..." The magician whispered out the last part softly.

The two smiled at one another and got up, heading out the door. Meanwhile, Feng was resting Harry against her shoulder, rubbing his back. The tiny boy had a content smile on his face as Feng continued comforting him. He was almost like a baby, and maybe it was a bit immature to treat him like this, but Feng really didn't care.

Vice-Versa was lifting his weights in the next room, looking about as happy as could be. Then, the door opened, and Cerebella stepped in, Beatrix outside waiting for her cue. "Hey, guys. I'm back." Cerebella said softly. Feng looked up with a bright smile.

"Hey. How'd it go?" The beaming smile on Cerebella's face told her everything.

"Feng... I have something I need to explain to Harry. Can I have him?" Grinning broadly, Feng handed Harry to his mother, who took him with a loving smile.

"Hi, mommy. Did you have fun with Auntie Beatrix?" Harry asked innocently.

"I sure did, hun... But there's something I need to tell ya." She sat on the couch and kooked her son in the eyes. "So... You know how a lot of families have a mom, a kid and a dad?" Harry nodded. "Well... That isn't always the case. Some families have two dads or two moms. Because... Well, two boys and two girls can fall in love just like a boy and a girl. Your auntie Feng has a huge crush on a girl from another town, for example."

"Ooooh..." Harry nodded in understanding. "I hope she likes you too, auntie Feng."

Feng giggled. "Trust me... So do I."

Cerebella chuckled. "But the reason I'm telling you this is because... Mommy has a girlfriend now. And you have a second mom."

Harry looked up at Cerebella, confused, then looked up at Feng. "I don't think it's me, cutie." Feng giggled.

"Who?" Harry asked, still confused. At this point, Beatrix entered the small house, and Harry looked up in surprise. Harry blinked, almost seeming confused, before looking up at his Mama, then over to Beatrix.

"Mama?" He finally asked. Feng's smile widened in delight as Beatrix smiled and nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, if you... if you want to, you can call me mama." Beatrix said softly, her heart practically exploding at his adorable confusion.

Harry looked at Cerebella, then Beatrix. "I... I have... two mamas now...?" He spoke softly. Cerebella smiled softly and nodded her head.

"Yeah... You do." She said softly before setting him down on the floor. "Go see your other mommy." Harry looked back at her, then made his way over to Beatrix slowly. Smiling softly, Beatrix picked him up and cuddled him close to her breast, gently rubbing his back in a soothing manner. And Harry remembered the comfort she had shown him when his mama was out... The love she gave him... "...Mama..." Hs said softly, resting her head against Beatrix's breasts.

"Heh... you're so cute..." Beatirx said calmly, patting the tiny boy's head. She leaned forward and kissed the small boy's head. This is something she had wanted... but oddly she hadn't known she wanted this, but now that she had it, she never wanted to let go it. Feng smiled at the happy scene happening between the three.

She was glad that Harry had a complete family. And she was glad that Cerebella got the girl in the end. Giggling softly, she took a seat on the couch and watched the scene play out. "I'm glad you're already accepting of me, Harry..." Beatrix said softly. "Most kids your age would be reluctant to accept a new parent coming into their lives after they're used to it just being the one..."

"But... you're really nice." Harry said quietly. "And... you helped be understand what I am... thank you." Beatrix's heart melted at those words.

"Aw... you're so precious honey..." Beatrix cooed.

Cerebella stepped into the hug, embracing both girlfriend and son. "All right! This is really happening! Now we're a full family of three! Well, seven if you count pets and living hats. Heh..."

Beatrix quirked a brow, then rolled her eyes in amusement. "You're such a dork." She chuckled. "But then, I guess that's one of your appeals."

"Yeah?" Cerebella grinned. "Guess I could say the same about your smug attitude, Trixie."

Beatrix shrugged. "Well, they say there's nothing more attractive than a confident woman-Wait, did you just call me Trixie...?"

"Yes." Was all Cerebella said in response. Beatrix paused, blinking in surprise. She honestly didn't know how to react to the name. But eventually she shrugged it off.

"Well, I guess that's how it is, Cere." Beatirx replied with a smirk. Cerebella laughed. She felt so happy. She had a family. Harry had a family... This was perfect.

The two women gave each other another smile, then exchanged a quick peck on the lips. "So... First date after work tomorrow?" Beatrix asked.

Cerebella smiled. "Sure. Sounds good."