As usual Fiona gazed out of the window as she washed the dishes. However, her typical mindlessness was absent as she watched her son. Farkle was laying outside in the sun, his girlfriend draped over him. They had been rolling around laughing for quite a while. She could tell they didn't know she was watching them, just as she liked it.
"Should I tell 'em to take it elsewhere?" Shrek nudged her, chuckling.
"No," Fiona nudged him back, "Leave them be. It's sweet." They fell into silence. Her washing, handing the dripping plates to him, him drying. Both watching the young adults outside. "I really think he might marry her," Fiona finally spoke.
"What?" Shrek did a double take between her and the scene before them, "Really?"
"Mm," she hummed, nodding, "Look at them. Do you not think so?"
"Well," he furrowed his brow, "she's not an ogre," he spoke bluntly. Referring to the tall, pale, long-haired elf who currently had her hands on their son's cheeks, grinning at him while he spoke at her with one hand around her waist, the other making exaggerated gestures in the air beside them.
It was Fiona's turn to suddenly screw her face up in confusion, looking between them, "What do you mean?" She desperately tried to keep her voice low enough to not capture the attention of those outside. Though they lived on a swamp, they weren't surrounded by other ogres. The majority of their children's – and their – interactions were with those of a multitude of species. It never crossed Fiona's mind as a surprise when they made friends and other relations with people different to them. She had always found it sweet that their mixed species family left their children in a positive way.
Her husband still watched them in silence, mouth slightly open, trying to find the words to describe his thoughts. "I just thought he'd, yanno, go away and find a good ogre wife the right way. Forget all'a this."
She turned to him, an eyebrow raised, "The right way? Last time I checked there wasn't any right way." She pushed a plate into his hands.
"No- uh I don't mean that. Just normally ogres would have their leaving day and find another ogre out in the world…" his words faltered as he spoke, realising the invalidation of his argument.
A smile slipped onto Fiona's face, "He did go away, they all did. They're only back visiting this week," she glanced at him, "And the fact that they're still together proves my theory," her smile faded as she watched his sceptical expression. Shrek had never elaborated on his expectations of their futures, only listened to hers. She'd always thought he agreed or just didn't have any. The corner of her lips curved upward playfully once again, "You didn't do that."
The obvious flaw in his argument left a small smile on his own lips before it disappeared just as quickly. He took a breath to counter her point but she interrupted him. "Why does he have to be with an ogre?" A playful back and forth about the subject didn't seem as interesting to her as her husband's own expectations for their children.
Shrek shrugged, the ogress could tell he was desperately trying to be more nonchalant than he actually was. He gestured vaguely to their child outside, "He's always… always been so… yanno…"
"Like you?" Fiona provided a suggestion.
"Uh-"
"Independent? Stubborn?"
"Okay," Shrek masked a chuckle, waving her off, "I always thought outta all of 'em, he would be the most drawn t'being with an ogre."
Fiona raised her eyebrows a little in surprise. It was becoming more and more evident that Shrek indeed had thought about their children in the ways of the future, even if it was subconscious. "Why not the others?" she poked into his theory some more.
"Ah… I uh- they're just… yanno nevermind," Shrek clattered the dried plate into the cupboard a little harder than the others.
Fiona giggled at how she had her husband cornered. "You're an ogres ogre, and you married me," she circled back to her main point, "I was a human princess, and I married you."
"That was… that wasn't normal circumstances. Yanno, we- us, we're different," he tripped over his speech, "Besides, you're an ogre!"
"I wasn't," she gave him a sly look. Sure, it had been over twenty years but she doubted he would have forgotten that.
Shrek heaved a sigh, "I know," he admitted his defeat, his shoulders still tense, his snatching of the spoon she handed him a little too rough.
Fiona giggled once again at his obstinance. "It's more a surprise to me that he's the first to find true love," she lowered her voice even more, "Because he is like you."
Shrek snickered at her, patience with the conversation worn out.
The smile lingered on Fiona's lips as she transferred her gaze outside. Her expectations for their children had varied over the years but one thing that remained the same was her guess that Farkle would be the most aloof. She found she had to remind herself over and over that independence didn't equal loneliness. It was surprising how often she did have to learn the same lesson, given her own experiences. She hadn't been shocked when she learned of Farkle's relationship, back before their leaving day, but with every letter from him, and every visit over the years since, she grew more and more surprised that he continued to fawn over her.
"I'm glad. If she's waited this long for him, then it means he's found someone who will always be there," she spoke wistfully, "The way he talks about her, Shrek. He doesn't take anything seriously, but he does her. I still see you in him."
The ogre seemed to turn from obstinate to awkward in response to her comparison. She watched him for a moment. No matter how many thought - secretly or otherwise - that her choosing to spend her life with him and having children with him was a mistake, she adamantly thought otherwise. He passed on many wonderful traits to their children, especially Farkle.
"Hey," she captured his attention, "He succeeded."
Shrek paused for a moment, looking out at the pair, a wiry smile creeping onto his lips, "Aye, he did. Which means we did something right, for at least one of 'em."
She nodded her agreement, "As long as they find true love and happiness, then any way is the right way," she took the cloth from him, drying her hands and placed them on his chest, "Just like us." She pulled him down a little to kiss him and he didn't object, she could sense the smile that still lingered. No matter the expectations they had for their children, their happiness was truly the only thing that mattered to both of them, of that she was sure.
"Ew you guys," their son's loud voice ended their embrace, "take it elsewhere would ya!"
They broke apart, looking out the window. The pair were sitting on the ground next to each other, watching them. Farkle smirked, his girlfriend giggling at them, she waved.
"Aye alright," Shrek called back, "how about we swap and ye earn ya keep around here, hm?"
"Nope, gotta walk her home," he stood, brushing himself off, holding out a hand to help his partner, "be a gentleman, just like you taught me, dad," the younger ogre paused, exaggeratedly furrowing his brow in confusion, "or wait, that was mom." He winked at them.
Shrek waved them off, chuckling.
"Bye Renna," Fiona called out to them, waving, gaining a similar gesture from both before they turned and headed out.
Shrek leaned closer to Fiona again, lowering his voice, "Ya, see 'em at their wedding hm?"
. . .
Welcome new OC Renna, wow. I can never fully decide if the triplets are OCs or not. Because even though their existence is established in canon, they don't really have any personality beyond a few hints of traits. So maybe I'm doing the dreaded thing of creating an OC for another OC. Oh well! I love exploring this universe, no matter how many OCs I end up with… maybe you disagree… But I'll be back to canon characters in the next update, don't worry ;)
Also, I'm normally pretty pedantic about the order of these and not grouping similar ones together. But hey, this is the next one I had ready after disappearing for a bit. That's growth.
Credit as always to rawshark for theorising about this one, lending me a line, and making it fit into the BNOW setup!