Fiona was crouched at the kitchen station, intently staring into some cupboards. She had a new mission on this quiet Sunday, something she'd been meaning to get to for a while. People had offered to help, but no, they would only get under her feet. She needed to do this alone. "Four… five…" she mumbled to herself, as she dragged out the small bowls from the dark nether at the back, "Oh... broken…" she mumbled some more, "...do we even use...?"

Despite her family being gathered in the main room, they ignored her constant mumblings, everyone keeping to themselves. Besides, she enjoyed her in-and-out listening to the children's chatter, far better than them trying to help in the small area. Her clumsy teenagers were the main culprits for the breaking or loss of the kitchen stock, she didn't need them hovering over her, ready to cause more harm to their unsuspecting kitchenware.

Her bubble of concentration was burst at her daughter shrieking and laughing.

"What?" she exclaimed at her brother.

Fiona turned, seeing the three of them grin at each other, Felicia opening her mouth in disbelief.

"He's hot right? Look!" Farkle did his best impression of what she guessed they were looking at. It was a book of some kind.

A small smile slipped onto her face, watching them, undetected. Felicia and Fergus were sat next to each other on the couch, Felicia's knees tucked up and leaning on her brother. Farkle was propped up on his knees on the floor, an arm resting on the legs of each sibling. Shrek looked like he had them completely tuned out as he was reading a newspaper in his chair, ears not even perking up at the shrill noise - she imagined he'd be dozing off soon.

"No," Felicia's nose wrinkled in disgust as she peered at the picture again, "He's human."

Fiona's smile turned sly, "And what's wrong with being human?" she forced herself into their conversation.

They all turned to her, shocked at her sudden input.

"There's nothing wrong with being human," Felicia explained, "But dating a human…" she trailed off.

Fiona glanced at her husband, his being the key input, alas his attention was still held elsewhere. She had to fight their side of the debate herself.

"Why?" she was curious, "I thought what people looked like didn't matter."

The boys stayed quiet, looking questioningly to their sister.

"Well… it doesn't. But it's more than that. It's… it's… weird," she struggled out a response.

"Weird," Fiona repeated, growing more and more invested in the topic at hand. She chewed back a chuckle.

"Would you date a human?" Felicia forced the conversation onto her brothers.

Fergus shrugged though looked unconvinced, while Farkle also wrinkled his nose, "Nope. They're far too little," he raised an eyebrow, mostly at his sister, "If ya know what I mean." He laughed loudly at her inherent disgust.

"Hey," Shrek chastised his rowdy son, not even sparing a glance their way. He nudged the teenager with his foot, just hard enough to knock him off balance.

"Well," Fergus began, looking to his father who had unwittingly invited himself into the conversation, "Dad always said you can't trust humans," he passed over the blame.

The newspaper was clutched just a little tighter, he didn't look up.

"Survival 101," Farkle confirmed, digging the hole a little deeper.

"Yeah, it was dad's number one rule," Felica added.

Shrek's attention was finally pulled away, he sheepishly shrugged at her, "Ye can't!"

They all looked from their father to mother and back again. They knew exactly what they were doing.

Fiona met Shrek's guilty eye, shaking her head. She put her hands back on the stack of plates, scooting them over to make way for her continued task.

"That was about surviving the pitchforks and torches, I know that," she confirmed, to their dismay, "What I'm talking about is a little different," she explained herself, distracting her hands, finding herself far too invested in such a silly topic, "What if you meet someone who's genuinely nice, without the pitchforks and torches?"

Their silence only troubled her.

"Dad, would you want Felicia to date a human?" Farkle asked, attempting again to split her team.

Felicia didn't protest, she watched him, eyebrow raised.

"Uh-" Shrek looked back and forth, "Date whoever ye want, like I care…" he forced as much nonchalance into his voice as he could. Fiona turned away to stack another plate, though she caught the glimpse of her husband winking at them and shaking his head at their daughter. They stifled laughter, making sure she didn't know about their joke.

"It's not like I'd only date ogres," Felicia brought up a point Fiona knew she thought was appealing.

"Just not humans…" Fiona finished the thought for her.

"I mean, I don't know," her brow crossed, she sighed her annoyance at the corner she'd been backed into. "It's not like I'm looking to date anyone anyway." Her tone was somewhat smug.

"Yah, we all know that you an-" Farkle's mocking works were silenced by a sharp kick to his ribcage. He laughed it off.

Felicia glanced self-consciously at her mother before shrugging, "Not interested."

Fiona could only assume she was referring to the new boyfriend she secretly had and thought her parents didn't know about. The mother mentally reminded herself about the heart to heart she needed to have with her daughter about that. Clearly there were more heart-to-hearts to be had.

"Besides," Fergus piped up, "What human would even want to date us?" he asked. "And I don't mean that in a self-hatred way," he soothed Fiona's suddenly creased brow, "Just as a fact. Humans hate us."

"You hated dad when you first met him," Felicia backed Fiona into a corner - they knew the story well, "Right?"

"That was different," she attempted to defend herself, despite knowing they had her.

"Exactly! This is different," Fergus acknowledged his point, "We're different. I don't suppose there's many more humans who secretly turn into ogres at night that have a different perspective on our species."

"What he said," Farkle threw a thumb in his brother's direction.

"That's what I mean!" Felicia enthusiastically joined in, "People of other non-human species… they get it! We're all shunned in the same way, even if they hold the same viewpoints as humans about us."

"They have the capacity to understand."

"Humans don't."

"Yeah!"

Fiona blinked at her family of monsters who were watching her expectantly. They were smart. Shrek even seemed to agree with them - he stayed quiet. They were all born into their species and knew nothing different. Sure, the kids had a different perspective than their father, but it was all one in the same. Humans = bad news.

"Dude, are you sure we shared a womb?" Fergus began berating his brother, their attention drawn swiftly away.

"Yah, Felicia's fat ass was on my cord - stopped me from getting any braincells."

"You're welcome."

She watched her daughter's smug confidence, Farkle's easy demeanour, Fergus grinning at them both. Fiona knew she should be pleased that they were comfortable in their own skin, so much so that they were willing and ready to set boundaries for themselves. But… she couldn't – at least not in this context.

Her family meant the world to her, not just those under her roof. Her children meant the world to her mother and cousin too. They were family. She was sure the triplets held no negativity against their extended family because of what they were. Sure, they lived as ogres, and they thrived as ogres, but it was important to her that they didn't forget what was a part of them - both royalty and humanity.

She returned to her task, though she could tell her husband hadn't resumed his reading - he was watching her. She ignored him for a moment, letting her thoughts marinate in her mild frustration. Those thoughts were interrupted as the casual air of the house was halted by some shuffling, the unnatural rustling of the newspaper, a couple whispers. She knew what was happening behind her - her husband capturing the kids attention, a hushed thought exchanged with a couple words and eyebrow movements, and the eventual-

"Mom…"

"C'mon…"

"You know we don't mean anything about our family."

"I know," she shrugged, she did, "It's okay," it was.

They were silent, she could feel their gazes burning into her back. Fiona fought with herself to find why she was so bothered by the particular topic. It's not like she wanted her children to end up with humans, she didn't particularly care who they ended up with, as long as it made them happy. Just… it was easy for them to forget she was human. She was born human and raised human. She had to learn ogre, even if it came naturally. Perhaps there was still more for her to learn.

She turned to them, meeting her husband's safe gaze - the one who understood more than anyone how much she had to learn. There were some deep conversations that Shrek would dismiss, not wanting to be a part of it. But in that moment, he only furrowed his brow - trying to understand himself why she was so upset.

"I think it's time for a family talk," Fergus spoke matter-of-factly.

"Now?" Farkle mumbled under his breath.

Fergus kicked his leg out, attempting to knock his brother off balance again, "Yeah, now." Farkle only grabbed his foot, pulling him into a slouched position on the couch. They glared at each other for a moment, Fiona almost thought it was enough of a distraction for them to forget about the task at hand. But their gazes softened and still landed on her. This was too important.

Fiona watched as her daughter scooted herself and her brother over and patted the seat next to her. Normally, Fiona was eager to delve into a topic with her family, she loved hearing her children express themselves - this one… she couldn't help but realise she was the target of the talk. They had something they needed her to understand. The nervousness swept over her. Her humanity hadn't come up in conversations much. Sure, royalty and their relationship with humanity had been the focus of a few family talks, but her specifically, not so much.

The ogress obliged to her daughter's offer. Situating herself. She glanced at the open book sitting in Felicia's lap. The human that sparked the whole debate was something she was very familiar with - a man, adorned in armour, a helmet in one hand, a sword in the other, with sweeping dark hair.

Felicia leaned against her, hugging her arm, "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong," she laughed airily, waving them off, "I just think you're making a tiny sweeping judgement."

They watched her, waiting for more, not accepting her judgement of their judgement.

"Well, I was human," she said it, "and like you said, when I met your dad…"

"Mom, we know," Felicia cut off her explanation.

"You're different," Farkle explained, leaning back against the arm of Shrek's chair. "You're like… um, not… yanno..." he paused, hand splayed in the air, waiting for his thought to fall into it .

"Not representative of…" Fergus found what he was looking for.

Farkle gestured to his brother, "Not representative of humanity, right?"

"Dad?" Felicia dragged her father into the conversation.

"Aye," Shrek nodded his agreement of their argument, prompting an eye roll from his daughter at his lack of input.

Fiona sighed, "I know I'm not. But I was... primed to hate ogres specifically, and I still managed to fall for one," her gaze landed on her husband, the corner of his lips turning upward ever so slightly. "Your dad's survival 101 is for that, survival, life is different."

Shrek's faint smile faded.

"It's a different kind of survival though, mom," Felicia leant away from her mother, so she could meet her gaze, "If I even expect a human to respect me and treat me as an equal, then I'm much more likely to get hurt."

"Healthy skepticism," Shrek encouraged her. Fiona threw him a small glare.

She took the book from her daughter's lap, "Okay, so perhaps you're skeptical, and being sensible. He doesn't look like anything you'd want. But what if he was kind and nice to you…?" her daughter only watched her, brow creased, unconvinced, "Or... what are some qualities you want in a partner?"

Felicia only shook her head, "I told you, I'm not interested," she flicked at the hair on her shoulder.

Fiona gave an exasperated sigh, ears drooping a little. Now they'd looped her into the conversation, she was adamant that her point would be made.

"Felicia," Shrek intervened, suddenly appearing on Fiona's side, "we know about yer little friend. Answer ye mother's question."

Fiona glared at him, "Shrek…"

"Dad!" Fergus exclaimed.

Felicia glared, mouth agape, transferring her burning gaze to Farkle - the wrong sibling - who was laughing quietly at the transgression.

Fiona only shook away the interruption, "Honey, ignore him," she nudged her daughter, "Go on…"

"Well I don't know…" Felicia shrugged, indignant, slumping back into the couch, "Why me? Ask them…" she gestured to her brothers.

The older ogress looked to both of them. They looked back at her blankly.

"I agree with Fel," Farkle only pushed things back on his sister. Fergus giving a nod.

Fiona helplessly looked to her husband for support, for anything. He shrugged at her, "Hey, the more they rule out the better, I say. It's not like they hate humans, right guys?" he emphasised the last part suggestively.

They all agreed in varying levels of acceptance and belligerence.

Fergus shrugged, "I mean, it was life experience that shaped you, maybe life experience will catch us too," he spoke uneasily, trying to please her - she could tell.

Farkle gave him a brief sour face and Felicia scoffed at his comment. Even Shrek raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Though Fiona only watched her son in thought for a moment. Just as she was about to give in to defeat, she realised as she looked to their confused, amused, and annoyed faces… Fergus was right - though free, their life experience was barely bigger than hers in the tower. They were teenagers. They had so much more learning to go. They didn't even have the capacity to know what true love meant. She… had been a teenager, sure, but she didn't have to navigate the world like they did. For her, a picture of a knight was enough. Just a picture showed her imagination a million wonderful things… but nothing of the reality. Knights from everywhere came flocking to her because she was a teenage princess. Being a teenage ogre… well, she knew nothing about that. A picture of someone completely unlike them was enough to make them write off a whole species.

She closed the book and put it in her own lap. She smiled softed, "Okay. I get it, I do."

She watched as her family looked to her curiously. "I did sweep away ogres with the same brush, so I understand."

"A little worse of a brush," Farkle intercepted.

"Okay," she agreed, "but a similar one. Having an open mind, it's important. That's all," she shrugged, "Even if it's just listening to someone else's story before you throw them away."

The tense air in the room seemed to lift, as her children all took on expressions of begrudging acceptance.

"Hey," Shrek caught their attention, "If I'd stuck too much t'ma own code, none of ye would exist."

Fiona smiled at him appreciatively, he returned the gesture. "Don't judge people before you get to know them," she spoke softly.

"Unless they show you who they truly are very quickly," Felicia countered.

"Yes, of course," she agreed, pushing her arm through Felicia's, holding her hand, "You just need to let them show you first."

Her children looked unconvinced, but they'd listened. She realised that's all she needed in that moment. And what they needed was for her to listen to them. "I'm proud of you for having boundaries and looking out for yourselves," she confirmed her understanding.

She knew at their age she didn't know what a boundary was. She was ready to marry just anyone who showed up. They were lightyears ahead of her already, she just needed to be patient.

. . .

Wow, when I started this I did not intend for it to be this long. The family talk came out of nowhere for me and Fiona.

I think a lot about this family's general relation and attitude to humanity. They're in a strange position of one side of the family being human and taught to hate ogres, and the other side being ogre and taught to hate humans. That's gotta cause some clashes and misunderstandings somewhere, even if they understand and empathise with both sides.

Special thanks to Fauxgre for lots of theorising and conversations!