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wapwani · 7 years ago

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Name Game

This is from the LMCTW-verse, and it’s spoiler-ish (in the sense it tells you where Zelena and Belle’s arc ends). It also references some (most?) of the other future-fics in the LMCTW-verse. This one is set after the fire imps and Lily, and before the one where Maleficent makes her speech to the Council about the anti-transformation law.

It’s also completely silly and mostly fluffy and is essentially a big game of happy families, told from Zelena’s pov.

“There’s my monkeys!” Zelena cried, swooping down to scoop her son and daughter up into her arms. She twirled around, making the toddlers squeal and giggle, then kissed their foreheads with a loud smack. “Have you been behaving yourselves?”

“Yes!” replied Alex, beaming.

“No,” Cleo said solemnly, her brown eyes wide. “Aunty R’gina said no magic inside.”

“And we did some magic inside, did we?” Zelena asked.

“Yiss,” Cleo said, the word hissing through her teeth as her chin lowered to her chest.

“Lily made fire,” Alex piped up. “An’ we put water on her.”

“Probably saved her-“ Zelena broke off, spotting the damage done to the front room. “Probably saved the curtains,” she amended, delicately wrinkling her nose at the charred tinge in the air.

“Aunty Mal said we did good,” Alex said proudly.

“And your Aunty Regina?”

“She gave us a cookie.”

“Ah. All’s well then.”

“Yes, no harm done,” Regina said, coming out of the kitchen to see what was taking her sister so long. She’d felt Zelena pass through the house wards several minutes ago, and watched her niece and nephew go haring off to greet their mother at the door. “Though we will have to upgrade the fire protection wards inside the house.” She smiled as she took Cleo from Zelena’s arms and kissed her cheek. “They nearly burned a hole through the curtains. Didn’t you, my little firefly?”

“Yiss,” Cleo said again, her voice small.

“We’ll make a fire mage of you yet, little one,” Regina said fondly.

Zelena laughed. “Make your aunty proud.”

“Hmm,” Regina said. “Come through. We’re out in the garden. It’s a double celebration now.”

They set the children down and watched fondly as they raced back through the kitchen and out into the garden.

“Is everything okay?” Zelena asked as they followed the children, at a more sedate pace.

“Yes,” Regina assured her. “Maleficent was right there in the room with them. Alex dumped a glass of water over Lily because he thought she was on fire. She and Cleo were playing - pretend they thought - but suddenly we’ve got double strength fireballs that nearly burned through the curtains. They were all more frightened than anything.”

“Two fire mages,” Zelena said with a grin. “The Mills line burns true.”

“Lily is a dragon,” Regina pointed out drily. “Here,” she placed a tray with plates of brownies and jugs of lemonade in Zelena’s hands. “It’s a birthday and first fire day now. You should see Maleficent. She’s practically floating on the pride.”

“You can hardly blame her. Four is young for fire.”

“Even for a dragon,” Regina agreed.

The rest of their family were gathered in the back garden. Belle sat on a blanket under the broad apple tree, Cleo curled up in her lap; Henry pushed a laughing Alex on the swing; Lily and Agatha Lucas played catch with the fire imps; Kate Stewart - looking slightly incongruous in slacks and a short sleeved shirt - and Maleficent peered and prodded at the hot coals glowing under the grill.

Regina paused for a moment to take it all in.

Zelena pecked her sister on the cheek. “You stay there gawping. I’m going to kiss my wife.”

“Don’t drop the lemonade!” Regina admonished.

The large table, set off to one side, was already laden with food and drink, but Zelena was able to find space for the icy jugs and warm brownies. She joined Belle and Cleo on the blanket, tipped Belle’s wide-brimmed hat back and kissed her. Belle smiled hello and leaned into her wife. “Everything okay?” she asked quietly.

“Oh yes. Just another day at the office,” Zelena assured her. Stuffy, demanding parents were just one of the hazards of a headmistress’s life; she was getting more adept at handling them, and she hadn’t needed to call on Agatha’s help for several months now. “It’s nice to see Kate here.”

“Hmm,” Belle agreed. “Agatha thinks she’s been working too hard.”

“Well - things are getting a bit hairy out in the borderlands,” Zelena said thoughtfully. “I just signed off on leave for Maleficent so she can help out the warlocks.”

“No talk of that now, darling,” Belle said with a quick glance at Cleo. “It’s a happy day today.”

“Sorry,” Zelena said softly. She kissed Belle again, then picked their daughter up. “Want to go play catch, darling?”

Cleo nodded, clambered out of her mother’s arms and ran over to her cousin and Agatha. The fire imps meeped excitedly at her and widened their circle so she could join them.

Zelena got to her feet and helped Belle up. They played catch for a little while, Zelena earning an excited “Aunty Zee! I made fire!” from Lily. Belle took a turn on the swing, Alex in her lap while Zelena pushed them and told Henry off for getting nearly as tall as she was. Then they joined the Major, Regina, and a frowning Maleficent by the grill.

“Don’t tell me our two resident fire experts can’t get the coals hot enough,” Zelena said, grinning.

Maleficent frowned at her. “Too hot is just as bad as not hot enough,” she said earnestly.

“Maleficent’s never grilled over coals before,” Regina pointed out. She nudged her mate affectionately. “It’s very different than just roasting a haunch of deer in a bit of dragonfire.”

“Please don’t go burping on my steaks!” Zelena pleaded, earning her a swat to the arm from her wife.

“We’re not having steaks,” Kate Stewart said gravely. “It’s a first fire day.”

“We’re roasting a deer haunch,” Maleficent added. “We’re going to do Lilith’s first first fire day right.”

“Ahhh,” Zelena said carefully, casting a worried look at Regina. “Really?”

“Really,” Regina said, nodding. “It’s the dragon way. And we’re all about upholding ancient dragon customs in this household.”

“We are,” Maleficent agreed solemnly. “So perhaps I should go dragon and do it the old-fashioned way after all? What do you say, Major - special dispensation for a special day?”

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Kate Stewart replied, taking a long sip from her tankard.

“I knew I liked you for a reason!” Maleficent said, rubbing her hands together gleefully. “I’ll just go get the haunch from the cold store.”

Regina sighed as she watched Maleficent hurry back indoors. “I wish I could get the Council to agree on striking that damned law.”

“It is ridiculous,” Belle agreed heatedly. “She risks her life safeguarding the city, and they still won’t see her as anything but a threat!”

“We’ll get there,” Kate said firmly. “There’s more and more people realising the pointlessness of the anti-transformation law.”

“You’ve been a good friend to us,” Regina said, her eyes warm. “To me, and my family.”

The Major flushed. “Ma’am,” she mumbled, touching her finger to her forehead in an estimation of a salute.

Regina placed a hand on the Major’s arm and gave it a friendly squeeze, while Belle patted her other arm, and Zelena spluttered “We’re not really eating dragonfire-roasted deer, are we?!”

Belle laughed and slipped her hand into the crook of her wife’s elbow. “Come along, darling. We’ll find you a nice steak in the cold store. Or - the children are having sausages too. Would you prefer that?”

“In a bun? With fried onions and mustard?” Zelena asked hopefully.

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Belle said soothingly. “Though you will eat some of Lily’s first fire day deer as well.”

“Yes, dear,” Zelena said with a sigh.

The deer haunch roasting went off without a hitch. The back garden was big enough that Maleficent could transform comfortably, with lots of room for the others to gather around to watch. Regina and Kate changed into their fireproof warlock uniforms so they could stand close to Maleficent, to hold up the haunch for her to breathe fire over. The fire imps danced excitedly around the big dragon’s feet, quick and careful enough that there was no danger of them being stomped on. Henry, Belle, and Agatha had taken charge of Cleo and Alex; the twins were fascinated by their aunt in dragon form and Cleo’s eyes went round with delight when the first blaze of purple-orange flames poured from Maleficent’s mouth.

Maleficent modulated her fire, burning hotter or cooler as needed, while Regina and Kate turned the haunch and called instructions back and forth.

Lily asked to be lifted up onto Zelena’s shoulders so she could see better.

“When can I be a dragon?” she asked her aunt.

“You are a dragon, Champ,” Zelena said, jiggling her playfully.

“You know what I mean, Aunty Zee,” Lily said mournfully, and Zelena sighed.

“Soon, my love. Your mother didn’t go dragon until she was nearly sixteen. But she didn’t have someone like her looking after her, and teaching her. You’ll be flapping your wings and scaly in no time.”

“Do you really think so?”

“I do. You’re going to be an amazing dragon, Champ. You’ll have the shiniest scales, and the pointiest teeth, and the best fire in the entire realm.”

“I hope it’s soon!” Lily said, hugging her aunt’s neck excitedly.

They ate in the garden, food piled on good porcelain plates, because this day was too special for flimsy paper. There was ale and cider for the adults, and pints of frosty lemonade for the children, two kinds of cake, besides the brownies and ice cream and cookies for dessert, and Regina relented and cooked Zelena a steak and an extra sausage to go with the small slice of deer she managed.

They stayed out in the garden as the sun set, Maleficent and Kate building a large fire for the family to gather around. It was time for quieter, gentler games now. Henry got his old broom out and took the children for rides around the empty fields behind the house. Belle and Agatha played an intricate game of cards, which involved a lot of quiet swearing and triumphant slapping down of cards. Regina challenged Zelena to a game of Nim and was promptly turned down.

“I’m far too full for thinking,” Zelena excused herself. “Play Maleficent. I’m sure it’s been literally days since you trounced her last.”

Regina’s smile was a little wicked when she said, “Oh, I’ll play her later.”

Zelena snorted. “Your sex life never ceases to amuse me, sister dear. Seduction by Nim. Mother’s hair would go entirely white if you ever told her that’s what you’re doing with all the Nim skills she taught you.”

Regina couldn’t make any retort to that, because the children had returned from their broomstick rides, windswept and demanding stories.

Everyone had their favourite.

Cleo always wanted to know the story of how the fire imps came to be.

Alex would invariably ask for a story from Belle’s childhood.

And Lily always begged to hear the story of the day she became part of her family. She’d climb into Regina’s lap to be cuddled, and listen with sleepy focus while Maleficent told how they had been woken by Lily’s dam pushing against the house wards, and found her in a box by the front door; how her first bath had been in the kitchen sink, with the fire imps dancing attendance; how she’d slept wrapped in Henry’s old baby blanket, snuggled securely between her mothers, who had stayed up all night, watching over her and keeping her safe.

“And who named me Champ?” she asked, which was unusual - she generally asked about the name Lilith.

“That was all Harry,” Zelena piped up before either Maleficent or Regina could say anything. “Because you were such a champion at finishing your first bottle.”

“And who called Henry Harry?” Lily asked, yawning and sleepy and eyes drooping, but very seriously.

“Yeah,” Alex said.

“Who?” Cleo added.

Henry grinned; he knew this story, he’d asked for it often enough when he was younger. “I think Aunty Zee should tell this one.”

Zelena sighed. “Oh all right. If I must. Picture this, Champ. Your mum was … well she was young and frightened, and she was having a baby! Your brother Harry that’d be. She was all alone, and it can be a bit scary to have a baby, when you’re young and frightened and on your own. It’s a good thing for your mum she had the most wonderful big sister in the entire world.”

Regina snorted, but allowed the story to continue.

“Well. Your brother, he was an impatient little thing, and he insisted on arriving a bit early. So your mum, she had to get herself to the hospital all by herself. I wasn’t living quite so close then - I was all the way over in Kingsrest, still living with our mum. So your mum - she was very brave, even though she was a bit frightened. She poofed her way over to the hospital, and she called me on the crystal, and I poofed right on over there.”

“She did,” Regina agreed. “Showed up in her nightgown and everything.”

“And I had to be very stern to the nurses and doctors-“

“-who didn’t want to listen to this angry woman in her nightgown who appeared out of nowhere barking orders,” Regina added.

“-and tell them,” Zelena continued ignoring Regina’s contribution, “that if anything happened to my sister or my niece, I was going to be very cross.”

“But Henry’s your nephew!” Lily said.

“Yes. Well. He wasn’t very good at following orders, was he? I was sure he’d be a niece. Not that I’m complaining. He’s the best nephew in the world. And I’ve got the best niece in the world too now, don’t I, Champ?”

“You do,” Lily agreed solemnly.

Zelena grinned and Regina kissed the top of Lily’s head.

“So, your mum did all the hard work, and she had Harry. And it tired her out, it did. So when they brought her back to her room, she held him for a little bit, but then she fell asleep. So I took him, in case he got lonely or cold. And he was the tiniest thing. Little tiny feet and hands. Wee little scrunched up face. But the biggest head I’ve ever seen on an infant.” (Henry snorted at that). “And every inch of him I could see - covered in hair. He had great big floppy curls just cascading down over his forehead. I was sure we’d need to get him a barber even before he’d had his first proper bath.” All the children were giggling now, even Henry, whose hair chose this moment to flop over into his eyes.

“And your mum woke up again about this point. But I have to say, I was a little distracted by my nephew. I was so worried about all that hair you see. I didn’t notice the records nurse come in. They like to bother new mums with all sorts of questions, and she was talking to your mum, and I wasn’t listening, because I was too busy trying to work out what do about all this hair. And the nurse was asking questions and jotting things down on this really official bit of parchment. And suddenly it occurred to me that your mum may not have had a really good enough look at him, seeing as she’d been so tired. And I didn’t want it to be a shock. So I looked up and I said ‘He’s so hairy’, just as the nurse asked ‘And what’s his name?’”

“And it’s a good thing your mum had had a bit of a nap, because she realised what was happening, and she stopped that nurse writing down what she thought she’d heard before it became your brother’s official name.”

“He was going to be called Hairy?!” Lily demanded, horrified on behalf of her brother.

“Very nearly,” Zelena said. “Because it turns out they can’t cross things off that parchment.”

“Oh no!” Lily said, still horrified.

“Yes. Well. Your mum saved him there.”

Lily turned and hugged her mother fiercely.

“It would have been all right darling,” Regina assured her. “We’d have worked something out. But we didn’t need to, because I managed to tell the nurse Henry’s proper name.”

“But that didn’t change the fact that his first name was almost Harry, and I almost gave it to him. And so he’s been Harry to me ever since.”

“Aunty Zee,” Lily said sternly. “That is a very silly story.”

“It is,” Zelena agreed sorrowfully.

Belle leaned over and kissed her wife. “And that’s why we love you,” she said softly.

Zelena beamed.

#lmctw #future-fic #lmctw spoilers #Zelena is a good sister/aunt/wife/mum #family fluff #written while half asleep - which explains a lot #this name joke though - that's been the backstory of it from the start #poor Harry

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