The next day came and Cerebella was still in great spirits. When she had woken up, Harry had been snuggled close to her, clutching her shirt like a blanket. It was so adorable, Cerebella didn't want to move. But when Feng had told her Beatirx was looking for her, she was quick to get out of bed.
She felt Harry stir as she got up, and she kissed his tiny head gently as he looked up at her with tired, bleary eyes. "Mmm... G'morning, mommy..."
"Morning, Harry. Have a good sleep?" Cerebella asked with a tilted head and a beaming smile. Harry nodded and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Mama has a really pretty singing voice..."
"She sure does." Cerebella replied, kissing Harry's head, earning a happy coo. This was great, she had a family now, Harry had a family now! What more could they ask for? "I wonder if..." She began but frowned and shook her head. While Vitale had been her parental figure, she couldn't see him as Harry's grandfather... Still, he didn't seem to have any issues with her keeping him, so who was she to complain?
And hey... Maybe someday, he'd be open to the idea... Surely he'd come to love Harry like he loved her... Right...? ...Vitale loved her... He did... Her mood slightly dampened, she made her way down to the door, and the sight of her girlfriend brought her spirits back up almost instantly.
"Hey Cere." Beatirx grinned, seeing her friend do an almost 180 from when she began opening the door until now. "Sleep well?"
"Yeah, and so did Harry." She smiled. "Your song put him right to sleep and he had a peaceful rest. It was just what he needed."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Beatirx smiled at the tiny boy still waking up. "Morning, baby."
Harry looked over with a tiny smile. "Good morning, mama..." He said softly before yawning cutely. Beatrix chuckled softly and held her arms out.
"May I?" She asked. Cerebella smiled and handed Harry over to his second mother. Beatrix took him and cuddled him close. "Still sleepy, hun?"
"Hi mama..." Harry mumbled, yawning as he continued to wake up. Beatrix grinned and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Glad to see you slept well." She grinned, patting his back.
"Your song really helped." Harry mumbled.
"Yeah, I don't know what you were so nervous about, you've got a really good voice!" Cerebella added.
Beatrix looked bashful, a look that Cerebella thought was absolutely adorable on the magician. "Thank you... I just... don't really like singing in public..."
Cerebella grinned and pulled her girlfriend into a one-armed hug. "Then I'll just have to get a karaoke machine. It'll just be the four of us singing. No judging from strangers or anything!"
"I don't know how to sing." Harry said absentmindedly, and Beatrix held him up in front of her.
"Well, I can teach you." She smiled at him.
"Really?!"
"Of course, hon." Beatrix grinned, kissing his head before handing him back to Cerebella, who happily took him back.
"But that's for some other time. For now, we're all gonna head out and have fun as a family! Just the three of us!" The acrobat exclaimed excitedly. Harry perked up and smiled brightly, ready and willing to spend time with his adopted mothers. He was overjoyed at getting to spend more time with mama Beatrix.
The look on his face mad both women's hearts melt. He was so excited to be spending time with his parents. It was like they had been together when they adopted him in the first place. Beatirx smiled and kissed his head again. "Yup. I think we'll have some fun together today." She said with a grin.
Cerebella bounced him in her arms and kissed his nose. "Well, if we're gonna go out, the first thing we need to do is have ourselves a good breakfast."
"Sounds good." Beatrix nodded as she stepped into the house, giving her lover and son a warm smile as she did so. Feng was preparing food in the kitchen.
"Morning!" She called, not looking back over her shoulder. The three seated themselves at the table, and Cerebella hugged Harry before handing him over to Beatirx, who was happy to hold her son. Harry smiled happily up at Beatrix, the magician noticing he finally seemed to have some more meat on his bones, as he wasn't as light as he used to be.
She smirked lightly and poked his nose. "You're getting to be a big boy." She remarked. Harry beamed at the praise, much to her liking.
"Heh... He sure is. These past few weeks have been really good for him." Cerebella agreed. "He's less jumpy, he's smiling more... I'm glad he's out of his shell."
"I still remember when you found him. It didn't seem like he'd even talk to Feng, let alone me." Beatrix remarked.
"I was afraid he wouldn't talk to anyone." Cerebella admitted. "The little guy was so terrified of... well, everything. I honestly didn't really know what to do."
Harry fidgeted slightly, feeling guilty about making his mother worry. Beatrix noticed and petted his head gently. "It's not your fault, hun. Don't feel bad."
"Yeah, only ones to blame here are the walrus and the llama." Cerebella agreed. "But they're a thing of the past now. No one will hurt you like that again."
"Thank you." Harry said, looking up at the two.
"Just relax, hon." Beatrix smiled. "Everything's gonna be alright." Harry believed that. For the first time in a long time, he believed that things would turn out alright. His mommy had saved him, and his Mama cared for him too. So this is what a family was like... He enjoyed it, and he loved his mama and mommy.
Feng set down four plates of bacon, eggs and hash browns, smiling brightly. "Breakfast is up!" She chirped before taking her seat, nodding to acknowledge everyone's thanks. The group ate their breakfast in good spirits, and Beatrix really had to note just how much better it was eating with others than alone with Peter and Hazel. Talking in between bites was...gratifying. She enjoyed hearing the others talk about their days and she liked throwing in her own two cents.
Harry didn't have too much to say, he just liked being with his family. "So what exactly do you have planned for today?" Beatrix finally asked.
"Oh. Uh... well, I was..." Cerebella began.
"You have no idea, do you?" Beatrix asked flatly with a smirk.
"That obvious?"
Beatrix chuckled softly. "Well, lucky for you, I planned for this. I packed up a picnic basket last night, so I can just go on over and get it."
"A picnic, huh? Good idea! You guys should take some stuff from the fridge, too... We have WAY too many leftovers." Feng offered. Cerebella grinned.
"Awesome! Thanks, Feng."
"Thank you, Auntie Feng!" Harry said, looking up at Feng, who grinned and patted his head.
"Daw... you're so sweet." She cooed, making Harry blush. Beatrix smiled at the interaction. Harry really seemed to care for all of them. He was too sweet for his own good.
After breakfast, Beatrix went to collect the picnic basket while Harry and Cerebella gathered up the leftovers in the fridge, making sure to leave some cake for Feng at her insistence. Harry and Cerebella waited outside Beatrix's door for her to come out, and when she did, Cerebella's eyes widened. "Wow... That's a big basket of food."
"Well, you eat a lot." Beatirx shrugged.
"Hey!"
"What? I don't mean that as a bad thing." Beatrix blinked before smiling and playfully poking Harry's tummy. "Besides, my little man's still a bit too skinny..."
Harry giggled softly while Cerebella was still grumpy at her girlfriend's words. "Tch... Calling me fat..." She grumbled. Beatrix chuckled softly.
"Oh, only in the right places." The magician replied with a smirk that was teasing in more ways than one. Cerebella caught on and blushed atomic red.
"Wow... Uh... Thank you, I guess..." She mumbled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. Beatrix just kissed her in response.
Harry giggled at their interaction and the two women smiled down at him. "There's that sweet little laugh." Cerebella cooed. Kissing Harry on the forehead.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going." Beatrix smiled at the two.
"I know the perfect place to have our picnic!" Cerebella said with a grin. "You're gonna love it!" Beatrix smirked at her knowingly, amusement twinkling in her eyes.
"It's the city park, isn't it?" Cerebella looked at her with a sheepish expression and chuckled softly. "Quite predictable, but also a great idea. The tables will work nicely."
"Yeah, we could take a table by the duck pond! It's nice to watch the ducks while you enjoy some good food, y'know?" Cerebella said excitedly.
"Sure." Beatrix smiled. She liked seeing Cerebella this happy, there was something... not childish, but something loveable about it. Harry seemed to agree, thinking it was a little bit funny.
The three arrived and sat down at the table, looking out over the cool blue lake. It was picturesque.
The ducks floated about, their quacks filling the air. Harry seemed to really love looking at the aquatic birds, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by his mothers.
"Heh... Like watching the ducks swim around, Harry?" Beatrix asked in amusement. Harry nodded his head slowly, mesmerized by the birds.
"They're so pretty... Especially the ones with the green heads..." He said softly. Cerebella grinned and kissed his head.
"Makes sense. He does really love his rubber ducky."
None of them noticed that a duck had wandered up to their table... and had stolen some of the food they had put out. "Wha- HEY!" Beatrix exclaimed in surprise as she saw the duck waddling off with it's wings spread wide. Harry just laughed at the sight. Cerebella grinned but was a little annoyed as well, but she didn't have the heart to tell Harry that.
"Well, it's just one sandwich, no big deal, we have plenty of others." Cerebella said with a smile, clapping an arm on the seething magician's shoulder.
Beatrix huffed. "It's not the sandwich, it's the principal of the matter. I made this picnic for us, not some pesky ducks." She said crossly.
"Well, I brought a bag of bread crumbs. Maybe we can feed the ducks that and they'll leave us alone." Cerebella offered, holding up the bag in question.
"Sure, let's do that after we eat." The magician grumbled. Cerebella laughed. Beatrix sighed in defeat and nodded. The two sat back down at the table and heard Harry laughing. Beatrix felt a bit embarrassed... but also felt justified in her outburst. This was for their family... Not the ducks.
The ducks were eating the sandwich remains in the water, and the sight made her scowl slightly. "Aw, don't hold a grudge against the ducks, Trixie, that's not healthy." Cerebella said jokingly.
"Yeah, mama, the duckies need to eat too." Harry agreed. Beatrix exhaled through her nose and patted her boy's head gently, allowing a small smile to form.
"All right, all right, let's just eat." The family of three began their picnic, and Beatrix was happy to admit that she was having a wonderful time.
She and Cerebella took turns every now and then feeding Harry, who seemed happy to let his mothers feed him. He loved seeing them so happy. They enjoyed there time together, there was a feeling of sincerity and acceptance, as if this was real now. They were a family. Cerebella loved it, feeling joy that not only did the little boy she loved with all her heart have a full family, but the woman she loved was returning her feelings.
After lunch was finished, they decided to take Cerebella up on her suggestion from earlier and feed bread crumbs to the ducks. Harry put some in his hand and held it out. A small duckling quacked and waddled its way over to Harry, intrigued at the promise of food. The baby bird began to gently take the crumbs from the boy's hand.
Harry seemed mesmerized by the tiny animal, and his parents thought it was adorable. A few moments later, a few more duckings wandered over, curious as to what was going on, and noticed the food and they too wanted some food. Beatrix didn't notice the duck from earlier wander up until it proceeded to take all the bread chunks she had. "Wh...hey!"
She glared after the waddling duck, who turned back and quacked several times. She interpreted it in a way that made her feel very grouchy indeed. "He laughed at me! That smug little waterfowl laughed at me! You saw that, didn't you?!" The magician exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at the duck. Much to her dismay, Cerebella laughed softly into her hand.
"I...I can't..." Cerebella laughed. "I'm sorry... just..." Cerebella kept laughing into her hand, and Beatrix sighed in annoyance, watching the duck waddle off into the distance in defiance and victory. She looked back flatly but smiled when she saw Harry still feeding the ducklings and even a few bigger ducks. He didn't seem afraid, he seemed to be enjoying himself greatly.
Some of the ducks even gave him a gentle, friendly nip, which got a giggle out of him. After the bread was gone, most of the ducks waddled off, but some of them decided to stick around, waddling about at the family's feet. Harry thought they wanted to be friends, and Beatrix just didn't have the heart to tell him they were most likely just hoping for some more food.
She wasn't paying attention to Harry as she watched the ducklings walking around, and when she looked up, she saw Harry petting the duck that was giving her so much stress. Harry seemed happy, and Beatrix swore the duck had a smug 'What are you gonna do?' look on it's face. She gave it a death glare, which only seemed to amuse the duck.
Cerebella was just highly amused at the situation. "Geez, Trixie, you really have it out for that duck, don'tcha?" Beatrix just huffed and stuck her nose in the air.
"He's a dirty thief and I won' forgive him without some sort of compensation." Harry's delighted giggles sounded out, and Cerebella smirked.
"He's making Harry laugh. That compensation enough for ya?" Beatrix's face softened slightly. Harry's laugh WAS extremely adorable...
Eventually, the larger duck decided to go irritate someone else and waddled off. Cerebella picked up Harry and sat him on her lap, gently laughing at his giggles. "Daw... your laugh is so sweet." She cooed.
Harry smiled at his mommy, feeling extremely happy about his circumstances. He loved being with family... It was the greatest thing ever for him... "Duckies are nice. I like them." Harry said softly. Beatrix's annoyed expression softened.
"Well, I suppose someone has to."
The three decided to just enjoy the nice day, sitting together, enjoying one another's company. Cerebella finally relinquished Harry over to Beatrix, who gave her son a happy squeeze and kissed his head.
Harry cooed and snuggled into his mother's arms, closing his eyes contently as he rested his head on her shoulder, smiling from ear to ear. Beatrix beamed down at him and rubbed his back gently, then noticed the sound of soft snoring and smiled. "Guess it's his naptime... Let's just hang here for a bit so he can sleep. Then we can move on with our day."
"Sure." Cerebella nodded, smiling down at her sleeping son. He seemed so happy, so peaceful. It was great to see after all he had been through... It made her happy to see him enjoying himself, it felt like he was back to being a little boy again, at least in some regard.
The two women sat back and admired the pond of ducks, smiling in content. They turned to look at each other, both smiling from ear to ear. "These outings are nice... Let's try and make them a regular thing, okay?" Beatrix said.
"Yeah... I'd like that... I'd love to build some fun memories..." Cerebella replied softly. "I think he'd like it too." She smiled down at her sleeping son, snuggled in her lap.
"Heh, I think so too." Beatrix nodded, gently rubbing his head. Harry cooed softly in response, making Beatrix giggle. "Such a cutie..."
The magician gently rubbed his back, smiling softly at the little boy in her arms. The two women sat there in a comfortable silence for a little while. Cerebella leaned over and rested her head atop Beatrix's, causing the magician to blush slightly at the close proximity, though her smile remained. "...Cerebella? When's Harry's birthday?"
Cerebella began to reply, then blinked. "I... I have no idea." She finally admitted. "I was so busy taking care of him and trying to get him to trust me I guess I never asked."
"And I doubt he'd tell you, it probably never meant anything good for him." Beatrix sighed.
"Yeah..."
She looked down at the boy with a small frown, trying to remember. "I think I did see it... somewhere before... Oh... Oh that's right..." Her voice trailed off.
"Cerebella?" Beatrix asked, concerned.
"The worst picture in that damn album... It was... It was how they 'celebrated' Harry's birthday... There was a little note written on the damn picture... It said... July 31st... The freak's birthday..."
Beatirx exhaled angrily but managed to contain herself. "Alright. Wait. That's not too long from now! That's... a week form tomorrow."
"Oh, yeah! It is!" Cerebella said in surprise.
The two women exchanged a grin. "We'll have to make sure we do something for the little guy." Beatrix remarked.
"Too right. We should throw a party for him!" Cerebella exclaimed. Beatrix smiled and nodded her head.
"Dibs on cooking his birthday dinner. Feng can do the cake." The magician said.
"You're gonna have to talk with her about that." Cerebella smirked.
"I don't care, she can fight me, I'm doing it." Beatrix replied matter-of-factly.
"Well, good luck." Cerebella laughed.
"Ah, she already gets to cook for him every day anyway. It's only fair that she should let his mom cook for him on his big day, don'tcha think?"
Cerebella chuckled and nodded her head. "Yeah, you make a good point there. Oh, hey, he's waking up now." Harry stirred in Beatrix's arms.
"Mmm... Mama...?" The little boy mumbled sleepily.
"Hey hon." Beatrix smiled, adjusting her son in her arms. "Did you have a good nap?"
"Mmhmm..." Harry yawned, still waking up. Beatrix smiled and kissed his head.
"I'm happy to hear that sweetie." She cooed softly, playfully bouncing her son in her arms.
Cerebella watched the two interact with a smile before looking thoughtful. "So, what do you guys wanna do now that we've finished up with the picnic?"
Beatrix tilted her head, then looked thoughtful. "Huh... Well... We could take Harry over to the playground for a bit."
"Alright." Beatrix nodded, standing up and holding Harry close. Harry smiled up at Beatirx, enjoying her embrace. The three packed up and made their way over to the playground that was nearby. Thankfully, it was empty. It was perfect in a way, just the three of them.
They carried Harry over to the swingset and set him down, Cerebella giving him a gentle push. He winced slightly as the sudden movement gave his tummy a weird feeling... But that feeling quickly went away and was replaced with a feeling of wonder and magic as the swing moved higher and higher. He smiled widely. It was as if he was flying! It was incredible! He loved the feeling of the breeze in his hair, the sight of the ground beneath him getting slowly closer only to get further again... It was fun!
Cerebella and Beatirx watched Harry's hesitation turn to curiosity, then to excitement. He seemed to be greatly enjoying himself as he swung back and forth. Beatrix watched to make sure he wasn't going to fall off, and thankfully, Cerebella didn't seem to be pushing too hard.
The two women smiled, happy to have made the boy so happy. His smile and laughter was truly infectious, and they found themselves giggling along with him. After an hour and a half, Cerebella decided to stop the swing, grabbing her son off and twirling him around before hugging him close to her breast. "Fun, huh?" She asked. Harry giggled and nodded. "All right, wanna check out the other stuff the playground's got? That slide looks fun, huh?"
"Okay, mama." Harry smiled up at Cerebella, who carried him over to the slide and set on him the top of the slide. Beatirx stood near the bottom to catch him. Cerebella gently pushed him forward, then took a step back as Harry slid down, laughing the whole way. Beatrix scooped him up and handed him back to Cerebella so she could send him down again.
The two women were truly amazed at just how much joy the little boy got out of the simplest, most mundane things. It was absolutely adorable... Eventually, they decided that they were finished with the playground, and went to take a walk around town, searching for a good way to spend time.
Harry was happily snuggled into Beatrix's arms as they walked through the small town. The two women saw the bowling alley where things had begun, and smiled to one another, remembering the memories. Harry seemed more curious than anything now as he looked at the two.
"Whattya say, Trixie? Go a few rounds of bowling?" Cerebella asked with a light smirk. Beatrix chuckled softly, and decided not to make it competitive.
"Sure. That would be nice." She replied, amused. The two women and their son entered the bowling alley and got themselves set up to play.
To Beatrix's annoyance, Cerebella took Harry when she wasn't looking, and she had a feeling she would have him on her side. Beatrix just scoffed with a slight laugh and rolled her eyes. "You really seem to think I'm gonna kidnap him." Beatrix smirked.
"No... I just like holding him. Also, he's on my team."
Beatrix huffed and stuck her nose up. "Well then I get him next time. But for now, I suppose I'll be willing to settle for having Vice-Versa on my side." Cerebella's living weapon hopped off her head and landed on the floor, hand-walking his way over to his teammate, who patted his head lightly, eliciting a content lean. "Huh... I never noticed it before, but Vice-Versa's kinda cute... He's like a low-maintenance pet in a way..." Beatrix mused.
"Yeah, he's really something special." Cerebella smiled. Beatrix and Vice were up first, and low and behold, Beatrix got a strike. "Hey, no magic." Cerebella said flatly.
"I'm not using magic, it's just skill." The magician rolled her eyes.
"She's right, mommy. I didn't feel her use any magic. Um... Are you sure we can win this? Mama and Vice are really good at bowling, y'know..."
Cerebella grinned. "Sure, Harry! We're gonna crush it!" She rolled her ball and it was very promptly crushed by a falling meteor.
Cerebella stared in confusion and disbelief, then looked to Beatirx, who seemed equally confused. Heck, even the three men who were playing next to them looked over in confusion.
"What..." Cerebella began.
"What just happened?" Beatrix asked.
"Dude..." One of the men blinked.
"Um... I think that was bad luck..." Harry said softly, rolling his ball and knocking down four pins. Cerebella shook off her shock and patted his head gently.
"Good job, hun... Good job..." She murmured gently, getting a bright, happy smile from the boy, who was delighted at the display of affection and wanted to do his mother proud.
Beatrix smiled at their interaction. If their skin and hair colour wasn't so drastically different, most people would probably have thought Harry was Cerebella's biological son. Still, adopted or not, the compassion Harry had for Cerebella and herself was adorable.
Yes... She was a very lucky woman indeed. Very lucky to have a loving, caring girlfriend and a little boy that readily accepted her as his mother... Chuckling, she rolled her ball, and it bowled over the pins in a perfect strike. Cerebella was visibly grumpy at that, and Beatrix clapped her shoulder gently.
"Hey. I'm just... good at this." She smirked.
"Or you're still using your magic." Cerebella rolled her eyes, having trouble accepting that.
"Sure, you keep believing that." Beatrix smirked.
"You are!" Cerebella huffed.
"Sure." Beatrix laughed.
"She really isn't though... If she was, I'd feel it..." Harry shyly insisted. "And... And I'd never lie to you, mommy..." Cerebella slumped slightly, but smiled at her son and picked him up.
"Yeah, I know... You're a good boy like that..." She said softly, nuzzling his cheek before kissing his head and setting him back down... just in time to see Vice-Versa roll a strike.
"Mommy? I don't think we're gonna win this game..." Harry said softly.
"Ugh... Well, I guess that's how it's going to be." Cerebella sighed. "But still, I have you, so I win in the end."
"What?" Harry asked, confused.
"Don't worry about it, hon." Cerebella smiled down at her son. "It's a joke between your mama and I."
She rolled her ball, and it curved back around and hit an employee with the nametag 'Stevie' directly in the face. "Ouch!" The man said with a large smile.
"Oh geez! Uh... Sorry, guy!" She called out, concerned. Stevie turned to her with two black eyes, a busted nose, a split lip and multiple missing teeth.
"I'm okay!" He said in a rather grating voice, not losing his smile. "People throw those at me on purpose all the time!" As if on cue, the owner of the building ran up and slammed a bowling ball directly into Stevie's face.
"DIE, STEVIE, DIE!"
Regardless, the last few frames went by, and... yeah, it was no contest. Beatrix and Vice-Versa won. Harry didn't seem to mind, though, he was just having fun. Cerebella was trying to hide her annoyance however.
She was visibly pouting, and Beatrix chuckled softly. "C'mon, Bella, it's only a game. Don't be a sore loser." She said before kissing her cheek. The display of affection cheered the greenette right up, and she kissed back, getting a chuckle from Beatrix. "All right, now... Where do we go from here?"
"Hmm... Oh wow. It's dinner time already? We've been out for quite a while now... Wanna go and get some food at a restaurant or something?"
"Sounds great." Beatrix smiled. "Hey hon? Where would you want to eat?"
"Oh uh... I... I just wanna be with you." Harry thought then finally answered.
"Aw... That's so sweet Harry." Beatrix grinned, kissing his head. "But where should we go, Cere?"
Cerebella looked thoughtful. "Well... Nothing overly fancy... Um... Why don't we just try the first place we come across?" Beatrix seemed content with this. They found themselves eating at a local burger joint. After ordering their food, the three family members got to a dinner conversation. "So, any plans for Harry's magic training?" Cerebella asked.
"Yes, I was thinking we'd work on the patronus charm." Beatrix replied. "Its purpose is to to create a spiritual familiar that can protect you."
"Familiar?" Cerebella asked with a raised brow.
"Oh, right. You wouldn't know." Beatrix shook her head, as if remembering something. "To put it simply, a familiar is a sort of ghost you summon based on something you care deeply for. It protects the castrr."
"Huh." Cerebella blinked, thinking it over. "What do you think Harry's would be?"
"Well, some users create a spirit animal, some have projection of a person. It varies."
Cerebella was now interested. "Wow... So every wizard has their own familiar?!" She asked excitedly. Beatrix shrugged her shoulders and nodded.
"Yeah, more or less. My familiar is a rabbit... Because for the longest time, my rabbits were the only thing I really cared about." Beatrix replied.
"Wow... I can't wait to see what Harry's looks like!" Cerebella exclaimed. Harry himself was interested as well. He wondered if his mothers would find their way into his Patronus...
Harry sat with Beatrix this time (much to Cerebella's annoyance, but Beatrix justified it as she had him during bowling, this was only fair). The waitress came by and took their orders, and Beatrix smiled down at Harry. "You having a good day?" She asked.
"Uh-huh! The ducks were really nice!" Harry replied, and Beatrix hid an internal scream.
"Uh-huh... Yep... Nice..." She muttered to herself. Their food trays arrived, each one containing a simple burger and fries. Beatrix reached for one of her fries... And something grabbed one of them. She looked over to see that same duck that was giving her trouble earlier. It quacked twice before running out the door and flying off with a bunch of her fries. "...There is no way." Beatrix said in pure disbelief.
Cerebella was desperately trying not to laugh at the situation. There was something kind of cute about Beatrix when she was angry, but Cerebella couldn't quite figure out what it was. She also couldn't believe that same duck had decided to follow them all the way here...
"Maybe he'll follow us back home." Cerebella laughed.
"I swear, if he does..." Beatirx seethed in annoyance.
"Heh... He'll be like a pet that comes and goes..." Cerebella chuckled softly. Harry smiled at the idea of it. Having a pet ducky would be cool, even if it only came to visit.
"Oh joy. Wouldn't that be nice." Beatrix drawled dryly before eating her remaining fries with an exasperated look on her face. Cerebella just laughed.
"Are you really gonna let a duck get the better of you?" She asked with a smirk.
"No. But I don't want to traumatize Harry..." Beatrix muttered, wanting now to destroy that duck... but knowing it would probably terrify and upset Harry. So she kind of had to accept it for now. But if she ever saw that duck, and she was alone...
No, no, she couldn't do that to Harry... Tempting as revenge was, she did not want to be responsible for Harry losing something he enjoyed. The right thing to do was to suck it up and just tolerate the waterfowl that was now drinking from her soda-wait, what?
Cerebella was laughing again, and Harry patted the ducks head as it turned and hurried back out honking obnoxiously. "You're gotta be kidding me..." She muttered. "Cere? Take Harry. I'll be back in a minute." Handing the tiny boy over to Cerebella, Beatrix stood and made her way outside.
Beatrix's girlfriend and son watched in confusion as Beatrix walked outside. The sound of a scuffle between woman and duck was heard... And then Beatrix walked back inside, covered in honey and feathers and looking ready to blow a gasket. "...That duck is way too clever for his own good."
"Mama? What happened?" Harry asked, somewhat confused.
"I..." Beatrix began, but saw the duck honking victoriously as it waddled away. "I can't explain it..."
"Well, looks like you're in no condition to hold Harry." Cerebella grinned. "Don't worry, I'll hug him for you." Beatrix huffed in annoyance, now beginning to wonder if that duck and Cerebella were working together to try and drive her insane. If so... it was working.
The group finished their food, and stepped out into the evening air. Beatrix smiled, admiring the nice summer night, before noticing something off with Cerebella. "What's the matter? Why so on edge?" She asked, concerned. Cerebella looked at her seriously.
"I'm worried we might get jumped and I won't be able to stop them from hurting Harry."
"Has... Has that happened?" Beatirx asked, a bit confused by the odd fear.
"Yeah, it did." Cerebella frowned. "Awhile ago, the two of us were coming to town. It was Harry's first time, and we got attacked by some gang." Beatirx stared, slack jawed in disbelief.
"Did... was he hurt?" She finally got out.
Cerebella shook her head. "No... A really big guy showed up and helped us. It was pretty freaking awesome, not gonna lie... He was like... made of musical instruments."
Beatrix sighed in relief. "So... What did those creeps want, anyway? Just your money?" Cerebella scowled.
"They wanted to have their way with me, and they held Harry hostage to get me to go with it... If that guy hadn't shown up..."
"That guy?" Beatrix asked.
"He was named Big Band, he was this giant of a man. Beat the living crap out of them, then checked up on us..."
"Thank God he was there... Or I might have spent the past few weeks hunting those bastards down..." Beatrix growled.
"Yeah... he gave me his number..." Cerebella mused.
"Heh, I thought you only had eyes for me." Beatrix smirked.
Cerebella chuckled and shook her head. "Not like that, Trixie. It was more of an...emergency number. In case I needed his help with something."
"And you're positive you trust this guy?" Beatrix asked a bit sternly. Cerebella frowned and nodded her head seriously.
"He's a good guy... I can tell. And he gave me some really good advice..."
"Which was?"
"To know who I could trust, and who I could rely on." She smiled at the magician, then added: "That kind of helped me warm up to you training Harry a bit... and that led to this." Beatrix let a small smile form on her face. Cerebella sometimes was as innocent as Harry...
Still, she kind of wished she completely took this man's advice to heart... If she had, perhaps she would come to understand that Vitale was no good for her... Well... There would be plenty of time to discuss that with her later... She would have to be very careful about getting her away from Vitale though... She... didn't want to lose what she had gained... If she lost Cerebella, she would be right back at square one... She would just be the cranky, miserable bitch again...
If Cerebella was pissed at her, that was one thing. The two had hated each other for awhile, and while it'd hurt losing the ground she had gained, and the relationship they had forged, she figured she'd get over it eventually. But losing Harry? That made her nervous. Losing her son, the little boy she had been training, send things back to square one with him, with him terrified of her... She didn't want that.
Cerebella noticed her demeanour change, and she put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a concerned look. "Hey... What's the matter?" She asked. Beatrix hesitated for several seconds, not sure how to explain it to her. She never was any good at expressing her emotions, and she was just now getting used to it.
"...I'm...worried." She finally admitted. "I'm scared that I'm gonna say or do something to ruin this whole thing... And... I don't wanna lose you two..."
Cerebella was taken aback. She smiled and leaned forward and kissed Beatrix's cheek. "Hey, don't worry. You're not gonna lose us." She said softly. Beatrix looked down, then smiled at Cerebella.
"Thanks." She sighed. "I'm... I'm still new to all this."
"Yeah? Well... Me too." Beatrix looked over at her surprised. "Yeah, you're my first lover... I've... never even been on a date until I met you..."
Beatrix was shocked to hear this. "Seriously...? Never...? But... That doesn't make any sense...! You're so... unfairly beautiful! How did no one ever ask you out?!"
"I mean... I guess I never really thought about it." Cerebella frowned. "I was so busy with the show, and then... I dunno. There were some people I was interested in, but time moved on, people moved, and I forgot about it."
"Well, that's a reason." Beatrix remarked.
Cerebella chuckled and nodded her head. "Heh... Guess it's for the best that my girlfriend's a co-worker... That way, you're always by my side."
Beatrix blushed slightly as Cerebella wrapped an arm around her, but smiled despite her bashfulness. "Heh... Yeah... Always with you..." She said softly.
"So, Harry, how're you..." Cerebella looked down at the boy in her arms and smiled softly when she found he was fast asleep. "Heh... He's so damn cute..."
"He is, isn't he?" Beatrix cooed, gently pinching Harry's cheek lovingly. Harry cooed softly and squirmed for a moment, then nuzzled back into Cerebella's arms. "Weird question, has he said anything about his birth parents?" Cerebella looked confused.
"His... what?"
"Not the ones who hurt him. His actual parents, has he said much about them?"
"They died with he was a baby."
"Oh..." Beatrix said softly. "I...I see... So then he never got the chance to know them...?" Cerebella nodded her head sadly, and Beatrix sighed. "Cerebella...?" Cerebella looked over at Beatrix. "Do you have any stories with your parents...?" She asked tentatively, not wanting to be pushy.
Cerebella sighed. "Not really... My mom wasn't really abusive or anything... She just sorta went to work a lot, left me slone each time, and then she died and I ended up on the streets..."
"Wow... I... I had no idea." Beatrix said quietly. "I'm sorry..."
"It's... it's not your fault." Cerebells shook her head, looking away slightly. "She wasn't mean or anything, but that didn't mean I had much of a connection with her. I kinda wish I did though."
The magician looked down at Harry and sighed softly, stroking his head gently. "I guess we've all got family problems..." She said sadly. Cerebella gently grabbed her hand.
"Yeah... But we have a new family now. We're all gonna help each other through these issues... And everything is gonna turn out okay in the end." The acrobat said softly. Beatrix smiled at her lover, then leaned over and kissed her.
The two heard Harry giggle, and smiled down at the tiny boy looking up at them happily. He seemed to have just woken up and seemed to be looking at them adoringly. The two smiled at one another, then Cerebella slowly handed Harry over to Beatrix, who happily took him.
She cuddled him close, smiling as he snuggled up and rested his head on her shoulder. "Mama..." He said softly, closing his eyes in content.
Beatrix teared up slightly, smiling warmly at her child. "Yep... Mama..." She replied simply, rubbing his back and resting her chin atop his tiny head. Cerebella beamed at the sight, happy to see just how much Beatrix loved Harry. It was abundantly clear to her that she had made the right choice in falling for her.
Eventually the two had returned to their home, and Beatrix came back with Cerebella to her home. "Hey, today was great." Cerebella smiled. "I really enjoyed it, and so did Harry." Beatrix looked down at the happy boy who nodded in agreement. She smiled herself and kissed his tiny head.
"Well, I enjoyed it too." She replied. "Even if that cursed duck wouldn't leave me alone..."
She then felt something land on her head and tensed up. "What...Don't freaking tell me..." She groaned in annoyance.
"QUACK!"
"It followed us back. It actually followed us back. Oh my god, I'm being stalked by a duck." Beatrix griped.
Feng (who had been reading) cast a glance out the door and saw the duck walking around in front of their door. "Uh... did we get another pet?" She finally asked.
"No! Do NOT let that thing in!" Beatrix exclaimed.
The duck rushed inside and waddled his way up to Feng. He looked up at her with a quack, then flapped up onto her lap and nestled down, looking up at her. Feng giggled and scratched under the bird's neck, getting it to relax into the touch. "Aww, he's kinda cute..." She cooed. "And I don't have a real pet, soooo..."
"NO." Beatrix said, with genuine anger in her voice.
"Too bad. If he wants to stay, he's staying." Feng smirked.
"Feng I swear I will kill that bird and make you eat it if you try and keep it as a pet... I am not joking with you."
"You'd really do that? You'd traumatize Harry like that?" Feng replied, knowing she was going to win this debate.
Harry looked up at his mama with puppy dog eyes. "Please don't make auntie Feng get rid of her new ducky, mama. She needs a pet too."
"What about those birds on her head?! Don't they count?!" Beatrix protested in a rather whiny tone of voice. Cerebella shook her head at that.
"Nope. Cute as they are, the little guys are pretty much just a glorified decoration. I tried to hold one of them. It didn't even react when I took it from Feng."
"...Ugh..." Beatrix groaned.
"Even if you say no, I'm keeping him." Feng said, patting the duck's head.
"I don't even care anymore." Beatirx finally said, shaking her head and walking away. She handed Harry back to Cerebella and left to get a drink.
"Are you seriously going to keep it?" Cerebella asked.
Feng smiled and hugged the duck, who leaned in with what appeared to be a smile. "Yeah... I'd like to have a pet too. You got Kitty, Beatrix has her rabbits... What's the harm in me having a duck?"
"Heh... Well, Harry's friends with him too, so it works out nicely. You'll just have to look into what ducks need to eat... And if he'll be cool to hang out in the bathtub if he wants to swim..."
It sounded like Beatrix was banging her head against a wall in another room, but no one went to check. "Hey so... I need to talk to you about something." Cerebella said, looking too Feng. She motioned for her to follow her, setting Harry down. Feng seemed confused, but followed her into another room.
"Is everything okay?" Feng asked, concerned.
"Yeah. It's just, Harry's birthday is soon. I wanted you to know."
Feng's concerned from quickly morphed into a huge, beaming grin. "Oooh, that's amazing! What are we gonna do for it?!" She squeed quietly.
Cerebella chuckled and patted her back. "Nothing too major... Probably just a little get together with family... But Feng... Harry's birthday... That was the day his relatives beat him the worst..."
Feng blinked, realizing what Cerebella was getting at. "The poor baby..." She muttered sadly.
"Look, I don't think Harry would want to do something massive, but I just wanted to let you know about it. I think Beatrix was going to make the dessert for him."
Feng huffed in disappointment, snapping her fingers. "Actually, Cerebella, my plan was to make his birthday dinner. Feng can do the dessert." Beatrix walked in sporting a large bruise on her forehead.
"Okay, Beatrix, you really shouldn't let that duck get to you so much." Cerebella said flatly. Beatrix snorted and crossed her arms over her bust.
"Easy for you to say, you're not the one losing your food to that little bastard..." She grumbled, looking into the living room to see Harry playing with Kitty and the duck.
"I swear. That duck isn't... A duck. Something is controlling it. Someone wants me to suffer." She scowled.
"You? No..." Feng said in a mocking tone. "Who would EVER want you to suffer? Who have you EVER hurt?"
"I'm about to hurt you." Beatrix replied coldly. "And I won't hesitate either."
Cerebella put a hand on Beatrix's shoulder and gave her a stern look. "Hey. Take it easy there, Beatrix. I get you're mad, but you can't threaten people like that." Beatrix exhaled through her nose and crossed her arms, saying nothing and just seething quietly. The duck was being hugged by Harry, and she swore those beady little eyes were mocking her.
"Fine. Whatever..." She muttered. "I wanted to ask, what food does Harry like? Has he said anything in particular?"
"No. He's eaten whatever we've given him." Cerebella frowned. "I think he's happy enough to get food in the first place that he isn't questioning what it is."
"Right." Beatrix sighed, remembering what she had seen in Harry's mind.
Her annoyed gaze softened as she looked at how happy the little boy was, and she exhaled through her nose. "I'll think of something good for his big day."
Cerebella smiled, then frowned a bit. "Man... I wish I didn't suck so much at cooking... How can I help make his birthday memorable...?"
"Honestly I think just keep doing what you've been doing." Beatrix shrugged. "You've really made the kid happy. I think it's safe to assume he's going to be rather apprehensive about celebrating his birthday, so if you show him that he doesn't need to be scared, I think that's the best thing to do."
Cerebella smiled at her girlfriend. "Think we should invite Regina and Hubrecht?" She asked. Beatrix shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
"Sure, I don't see why not... Huh... Y'know, I just realized that they don't know we're dating just yet... We should tell them at work tomorrow."
Cerebella grinned widely. "Good idea! Heh... Maybe Talliesin's inevitable nosebleed will be severe enough to put him in the hospital for a few days..."
"I hadn't thought of that..." Beatirx muttered. "Ugh... why can't he just get knocked down and stay down?"
"Hey, maybe he's like you." Feng shrugged, earning looks of 'Excuse me, what?' "Maybe he's had a troubled past and no one to talk with, and he turned his confusion and anger inwards, and it screwed him up and..." Feng trailed off as a huge grin formed on her face and she began laughing. "I'm sorry... I can't... I can't say that with a straight face..." She laughed.
The other two girls snickered as well. "Talliesin... Having depths... That's the funniest thing I've heard in all my life..." Beatrix snickered in glee.
"Heh... Yeah... The closest thing that guy has to a tragic backstory is that he probably got beat up a few times for peeping into girls' locker rooms." Cerebella snickered.
"Yeah, but seriously... yeah..." Feng shook her head. "I hope things go well for you two."
"Thanks, Feng." Cerebella smiled at their friend.
"And hey, you'll always have me, and the duck."
Beatrix's smile faded, and she grimaced in annoyance. "Don't wreck the moment with your jerk of a pet..." The magician grumbled. Feng snickered.
"Well, you guys are pretty even now. Feng has something she can lord over you the same way you used to lord stuff over her." Cerebella remarked.
"What, the bake-off incident wasn't enough?" Beatrix retorted with a huff.
"I guess." Feng shrugged. "I'm still keeping the duck though."
"I hate you." Beatirx said flatly.
"Good, not much has changed then." Feng replied.
"Okay then..." Cerebella sighed. "So... what do you guys have planned for Harry?"
"Well, I'm gonna bake the cake for sure." Feng commented. "Y'know, since I won the bakeoff and am therefore the superior baker." Beatrix huffed indignantly.
"Real cheeky, Feng... Real cheeky..." She muttered. "Well, I know I'm making his dinner... But we got a week to iron out all the details."
"True." Cerebella nodded, then cast a glance over Beatirx's shoulder to make sure Harry was still okay. He was still sitting with the duck and kitty, enjoying their company. It was honestly kind of adorable... Cerebella smiled at him before turning back to the others.
"So Feng, what're you gonna name your new pet?" Cerebella asked in a curious manner. Feng blinked, then looked thoughtful, trying to figure it out.
"Hmm... Well... For some reason, I kinda like the sound of Donald... Yeah... Donald the Duck. That's what I'm gonna call him." She decided.
"Heh. Why don't you tell Harry?" Cerebella smirked. Feng nodded and headed back out to the main room to play with her pet. Cerebella turned to Beatrix. "Hey... so... about tomorrow..." She said nervously.
"Whatever happens, happens." Beatrix said matter-of-factly. "Do you love me?"
"Yes."
"Then that's all that matters to me." Beatrix smiled. "Well, you and Harry."
The two women smiled at each other, then pulled each other into a kiss. The kiss lasted a bit longer than it did usually, and they pulled away and embraced one another tightly. "...You really are beautiful." Cerebella said softly to the magician, pressing her forehead against hers. "You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. Don't ever tell yourself otherwise..."
"Same to you." Beatrix replied softly. "I didn't know what I was missing for so long, and you showed it to me. Thank you." Cerebella smiled and kissed Beatrix again. She was right... Cerebella had been miaowing something... and Beatrix helped her figure out what it was.
The two broke the kiss and just embraced each other, resting their chins on each other's shoulders. Feng looked over and grinned mischievously. "You two need a room?" The acrobat called out with a toothy grin, getting a blush from her best friend, who opened her mouth to retort, only for Beatrix to beat her to the punch.
"I think that's a great idea. C'mon, Cerebella, we'll go use my room." She grabbed the blushing greenette by the arm and pulled her out the door.
Feng blinked in surprise, then shook her head and laughed. She walked back out to the main room and picked up Harry. She didn't care what they did, as long as she got to be with Harry. "Hi Hon." She smiled. "You wanna make some desert with me?"
"Okay!" Harry said with wide eyes.
She carried him into the kitchen and decided to make a simple yet exciting dessert with him... A mixture of chocolate and vanilla pudding with peanuts crumbled in. As soon as the pudding was done, Beatrix and Cerebella came back in. Their faces were red, they looked rather flushed, their hair was a mess... Yet they looked happy as could be.
"Mommy? Mama?" Harry asked, confused. "What happened?"
"Uh..."
"Um..."
The two looked to one another, then looked back to Harry. Unsure of what to say. "We'll tell you when you're older, sweetie." Beatrix finally said.
Harry blinked in confusion, but nodded his head and decided not to pry. Feng, on ths other hand, was snickering into her hand with an impish grin. "Well, ladies, you two have had your fun, but now why don'tcha have some dessert? Harry and I made this really nice little pudding. Come have some."
The two sat down with Feng and Harry, finally catching their breath and eating the dessert. "Wow, this is really good." Beatrix remarked. "Like, really good."
"Thanks." Feng smiled. "But I can't take all the credit, Harry helped a fair amount."
"But you were the one who was in charge Auntie Feng." Harry said, almost protesting in a sense.
"Yes, but the nuts were all your idea, remember." Feng said with a smile and a wink. Harry nodded his head in affirmation, acknowledging his part.
"I know, but you were the one who made the actual pudding. You did more than me, auntie Feng." He insisted. "But... I'm glad I could help make it better..."
"Oh, you really did." Feng said with a smile. "Honestly, Harry, I think you have the makings of a great little chef later on in life! We need to really work with you on this."
"Oh... okay." Harry blinked. "Um, how?"
"Well..." Feng began, but trailed off. "Y'know what? I'll get back to you on that hon." She smiled, taking another bite of the pudding. "Hey, just saying... maybe try and keep the noise down next time."
"Wait. You think anyone heard that?!" Cerebella suddenly asked, eyes widening.
Feng laughed aloud. "Kidding! I'm kidding! You were in Beatrix's house, how could I have possibly heard you?!" Harry tilted his head in confusion.
"I really don't get it..." He said softly. Beatrix and Cerebella both gave Feng a warning glare to send a very clear message... They were not at all ready to give Harry the talk.
"We're gonna keep it that way for a good, long while, hun." Cerebella said softly. "It's uh... grown-up stuff. Nothing important for you to worry about."
Harry nodded, seemingly understanding, and went back to his pudding. Feng felt two death glares boring into her, and she didn't need to look up to know who was giving them to her and why. She chuckled sheepishly and continued looking away. When they had finished dessert, Harry found himself being hugged between Beatrix and Cerebella.
The two women held their child close and gazed into one another's eyes. "Hey... Beatrix... Wanna sleep here for the night...?" Cerebella asked softly.
Beatrix's face turned red, and she smiled bashfully. "Um... Well... I'd like to, but... I have to take care of Peter and Hazel... They get antsy if I'm not there..."
"Bring 'em here then! They got along with Kitty from what I've heard, and I don't think Donald will bug them or anything. Honestly? The more, the merrier."
Beatrix cast a quick glance at the duck, clearly thinking 'I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you'. But when she saw Harry's hopeful face, she knew she couldn't say no. "Alright, alright." She admitted, with a nod. "I'll bring them over."
She stepped outside with a sigh and made her way over to her house to pick up her pets. Cerebella smiled warmly and picked Harry up, holding him close.
"All right, our first night together as a family!" She cheered. Harry smiled at that. A family... He... had a full family... Two parents... An auntie... Pets... He was overjoyed.
A few minutes later, Beatrix arrived with a small pet carrier in hand. "Heh... Sorry, guys... Hazel always puts up a fuss when I try to put her in this thing..."
She set the carrier down and opened it. Hazel tore out like a maniac, looking around sporadicly, looking for something, ANYTHING she recognized. When she saw Harry the rabbit deemed to calm down and hopped over, remembering the tiny boy from when he stayed with Beatrix. "Hi Hazel." Harry said happily.
The little bunny ran up to him and hopped into his lap, curling up and relaxing slightly. Giggling, Harry gently petted her fur. She leaned into the touch happily. Peter, meanwhile, stepped out rather timidly, looking around at his new surroundings. Donald saw the rabbit and approached with a quack. Peter looked up at him with wide eyes. Flying up slightly, Donald landed on top of Peter and nestled down on him, as if trying to hatch an egg. Peter tensed up briefly before visibly relaxing, finding the feeling rather comforting.
"Aw... I didn't know Harry was so good with animals." Cerebella smiled, watching her son gently petting the small rabbit.
"I know." Beatrix nodded. "When he stayed with me, he had befriended them within minutes, and it took me months to do that. He really has a way with making them feel safe. It's honestly adorable."
"Well, even Regina admitted he seemed to be able to make the lions act like kittens." Feng added.
The three women smiled fondly at the little boy as he interacted with Hazel. By this point, Kitty had joined as well, and squirmed into Harry's lap next to chuckled before noticing Peter and Donald. "...Feng, why is your duck sitting on my rabbit?"
Feng looked over and snickered. "Because they're friends now."
Beatrix blinked, watching their weird interaction before finally shrugging slightly. "Well, alright then." She finally said, unsure of how to feel about this, but also decided against questioning it. That duck was trying to take everything from her... she would keep that duck at a blades length. If that duck tried to take Peter or Hazel... It wouldn't survive.
She saw the look on that duck's face. Smug as a duck could reasonably be... Man this little bastard was irritating... Peter seemed to sense her anger and gave her a weird look. Sighing and rubbing her temples, Beatrix walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Harry, gently putting her hand atop his head and rubbing his hair.
Harry let out a happy coo and leaned into it. Beatrix smiled and playfully messed with his hair some more. Harry giggled at the ticklish feeling, and Beatrix let a soft laugh escape. She loved hearing his tiny laugh, it was such a precious voice. It made her so happy that she was able to make him laugh.
Chuckling, Cerebella joined them, taking a seat on the couch on the other side of Harry. "All right, this'll be great. Our first night together as a family."
"Yes... That is a rather nice idea..." Beatrix agreed softly. "...But if you start snoring, I'm gonna put an actual cork in your mouth."
"Mommy doesn't snore." Harry assured her. "She moves a lot though..."
"Heh. I'll take your word for it." Beatrix smiled down at Harry. Even before they had become friends, she would admit she found Harry's want to protect Cerebella adorable. Something about someone so small trying to defend someone so strong... heh, it was just cute.
Cerebella, on the other hand, looked rather embarrassed and displeased with herself. "Uh... I...really move around a lot...?" She asked softly.
Harry nodded his head. "Yeah... You roll around and change the side you're laying on..."
"Oh... Um... I don't bug ya while you're sleeping, do I...?"
"No." Harry shook his head. It was hard to tell if he was lying or not, but Cerebella didn't care. Smiling, she picked up her son and held him close.
"Well, you just let me know if I ever start bugging you." She remarked with a grin.
Smiling, Harry nuzzled into his mother's embrace. Beatrix chuckled softly as Hazel and Kitty, now that Harry was occupied with his mother, focused on her. She took the rabbit and kitten into her lap and petted them absentmindedly as she watched her girlfriend interact with their child. She hoped she could turn out to be half the mom Cerebella was.
It didn't take long for Harry to grow sleepy, and the two decided to put him to bed. It was still relatively early in the night, so they'd be up for a bit, but Harry needed his sleep. Once he was tucked in under the blankets, the two turned to each other. "Well, I hope he has a good night's sleep." Beatrix remarked.
Cerebella chuckled softly and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, don't worry... He says he always has a good sleep in my bed... Heh..."
Beatrix smiled softly at the sleeping boy before looking thoughtful. "Cerebella... Do you have any plans for getting him his own room?"
Cerebella frowned, then answered. "I've thought about it." She remarked. "But... whenever I let him sleep on his own, he had terrible nightmares again. When he's older he'll probably have his own room, but I don't want him to think I don't care about his fears."
Beatrix nodded with a soft hum. "Right... That makes sense... So just sleeping in your bed keeps the nightmares away or something?" She asked.
"Pretty much." Cerebella replied with a shrug. "Heh... He said the bed reminds him so much of me that it makes him feel comfortable and safe..."
Beatrix was going to make a snarky remark, but when she looked down, she saw that indeed, Harry seemed much happier in Cerebella's bed. He was snuggled under the blankets with a soft smile on his face. He seemed so content, and so safe... Beatrix realized Cerebella was right. "Heh, I think you're right." She admitted. "When he stayed with me, he really seemed happier when he slept with me."
Cerebella chuckled softly. "Heh... Well... I guess this... what we have between us now, I mean... was meant to be from the start... If Harry was already that close to ya..."
"Hmm... He really is a sweet little thing... Holding him for the first time, the night he had that nightmare... It was..." She sighed softly. "It changed my entire outlook on life..."
"Well, he seems to have that effect on people." Cerebella smiled. "It really seems like most of the people who he meets are just... happier when he's around."
"Well, hopefully everyone." Beatrix muttered. While Cerebella figured she was talking about Harry's old family, Beatrix was more referring to the man who Cerebella considered a father, and who she couldn't tell didn't care for her the way she or Harry or Feng did.
How badly she wanted to make Vitale's indifference towards her clear, but... She loved Cerebella... She really, truly loved her... She wanted to stay with her... Were these feelings overblown? Perhaps so... But hey, that was the honeymoon phase for you. She just prayed her inaction wouldn't become something she'd wind up regretting...
"Well, now what?" Cerebella finally asked.
"I'm fine with making sure Harry sleeps safely." Beatrix smiled, gently sitting down on one side of the bed. Cerebella grinned widely and sat on the opposite side. The two women gently placed a hand each on Harry lovingly, making sure he knew he was safe. The tiny boy cooed softly in his sleep, clearly happy with the gesture.
Smiling, both women leaned over for a kiss, pulling away with a small blush. "Heh... So this is gonna be our first time sleeping in the same bed, huh?" Beatrix chuckled.
"Well... In one way, yes, in another, no..." Cerebella replied rather bashfully. Beatrix smirked in response and winked at her.
"We'll have round two soon enough." Cerebella blushed. "Still, I can't believe Feng kept that damn duck as a pet..." Beatrix growled slightly.
"Oh, c'mon. It's just a duck." Cerebella smiled at her. "It's not that bad."
"That's not a duck, that thing is pure evil." Beatrix insisted. "That thing isn't a normal duck, it's some sort of unholy creature."
"Geez, I had no idea you hated ducks that much..."
"He ate my sandwich!" Beatrix responded, before becoming aware of just how petulant that sounded. It was certainly not lost on Cerebella, who gave her an amused grin.
"Oh dear. What a monster. I wonder what other unspeakable horrors that duck will commit? What if he treks a little bit of water on the floor? How inconvenient!"
"Hey, I'll have you know it was a good sandwich."
"I'm not denying that, but I'll be honest with you B. You should be careful with your hatred of that duck, people might think you're more insane than usual." Cerebella laughed.
"It's justified and that duck is going to get what it- I'm sorry, what was that last part?" Beatrix began, eye twitching but suddenly snapped back to reality. "You think I'm crazy?"
"We're all crazy, Beatrix. That's why we work in a circus." Cerebella said rather cheekily. Beatrix gave off a slightly annoyed huff and pouted.
"I... I do NOT look crazy... Do I...?" Cerebella snickered and grinned at her. "...This is about that one time with the peanuts and the turtles, isn't it?"
"Yeah, when you get drunk, you REALLY get drunk." Cerebella replied.
"So do you!" Beatrix deflected, trying to defend herself.
"No... I don't." Cerebella smirked. "When I drink a lot, I get really mellow. It's weird..."
"According to who?!"
"Feng." Cerebella shrugged.
"And what makes you think she isn't just saying that to not hurt your feelings?" Beatrix asked, and Cerebella was left in silence, unsure of what to say.
"Well she did seem a bit grumpy after the last time I got drunk... Oh man... Am I an annoying drunk...?" Cerebella mused to herself. Beatrix smirked.
"Most likely. You're pretty damn boisterous when you're sober, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if those traits got amplified under the influence."
"Ugh... why?" Cerebella muttered. "Why did you lie to me Feng?"
"My guess is she was trying to protect you, or she just enjoyed how weird you got when you were wasted." Beatrix smirked. That answer didn't help Cerebella's mood, and Beatrix laughed slightly. "Oh c'mon. EVERYONE is weird when their drunk. Imagine what Harry would be like."
Cerebella blinked, then frowned at her girlfriend. "Okay... Under no circumstances should alcohol be within his grasp. We better keep it high up."
"Agreed. And explain to him to stay away from unfamiliar glasses of liquid, He may drink some alcohol thinking it's apple juice or something... Heh..."
"What's funny?" Cerebella asked.
"Well, he'd be a sweet little drunk..."
"Heh, yeah. He'd probably just get sleepy and wanna hug someone..." Cerebella admitted with a grin. "But still, we can't let him drink."
"Agreed." Beatrix nodded. "He's too sweet to let him become self-destructive."
"Is that even possible for him?" Cerebella asked. "Even recently he seems terrified of disappointing anyone, I don't think he could be self-destructive..."
Beatrix sighed softly. "Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up and making you hate it when you least expect it... Who knows what could happen when he's older?"
"Well then we're gonna have to make sure we're always there to show him the way..." Cerebella said softly, gently squeezing her son's hand.
"Well, let's just enjoy him while he's still a sweet little thing." Beatrix smiled, gently running a hand through her sleeping son's hair. The tiny boy continued to softly snore, clearly content with the love he was receiving.
The two women smiled as Kitty, Peter and Hazel ran into the room, hopping up onto the bed. Kitty carefully padded his way over to Harry and squirmed his way into his arms, careful not to wake him. Hazel curled up on his chest. And Peter laid down by the boy's side.
"Well, are you tired?" Beatrix asked.
"Not really, but I think we may as well turn in." Cerebella smiled. "Even if it's just so we can hold the little cutie." Beatrix nodded in reply and got into bed on one side of Harry, Cerebella getting into the other. The two women wrapped their arms around the tony boy and smiled contently.
They gazed into each other's eyes, and as they looked at each other, one thought ran through both of their heads... 'This is perfection, pure and simpls.'
"...I love you, Beatrix..." Cerebella whispered.
"I love you too, Cerebella..." The magician replied.
The happy family settled down for the night, enjoying the comfort that each other brought. They all drifted into a peaceful sleep. Harry for his part, didn't have any bad dreams that night, and was beginning to believe he may not have them any more with his mama and mommy by his side.