Two Weeks Later – Queen Mansion, Late Afternoon
The Queen Mansion had shifted.
Not dramatically. Not publicly. But enough.
The days had found a rhythm—slow and strange and new. Like the whole house was exhaling from tension it hadn't known it carried.
Thea, for once, wasn't climbing out of windows or sneaking through back doors at sunrise. She wasn't slurring her way through brunches or ignoring texts from publicists. She was home.
And Nova?
Nova was still adjusting.
To the way her body felt different. Heavier. Warmer. Hungrier.
To the ache behind her eyes some mornings. To the nausea that came and went like a moody cat.
And to Thea—hovering, present, gentle in ways that made her ache.
That Afternoon – Kitchen Island
"If I smell eggs one more time, I swear I'll shift just to kill a chicken."
Nova's head was buried in her arms, cheek against the cool marble countertop. The baggy T-shirt she wore—faded black, with a vintage Starling City band logo—belonged to Thea, and swallowed her whole. It draped over the curve of her belly like a secret she was still getting used to. Nova's hair a half-tangled mess. She looked like a girl who'd fought a war and lost to her own stomach.
Thea stood nearby with a half-burned piece of toast and a mug of peppermint tea she hadn't let Nova smell first.
Thea stood nearby with a half-burned piece of toast and a mug of peppermint tea she hadn't let Nova smell first.
"You literally begged for eggs last week," Thea said, cautiously sliding the mug forward.
"That was before the betrayal."
"Betrayal... by poultry?"
Nova groaned. "You think you're funny. But you're not."
Thea grinned and leaned in to kiss the crown of her head.
"Still not leaving."
Nova turned just enough to peek up at her, one cheek squished flat.
"Even if I cry because you ran out of pickles?"
"Especially then."
Nova blinked. "...We're out of pickles."
Thea froze.
"I'll order some," she said immediately, reaching for her phone like the house was on fire.
Evening – Upstairs
Thea had taken to reading pregnancy blogs. Quietly. In secret. She never made a big deal of it, but Nova had caught her once—scrolling with narrowed eyes like she was studying for the SATs.
They lay curled together in bed now, Nova's legs across Thea's lap, the faint hum of the city beyond the balcony windows. Her hoodie was oversized. Thea's, again. Her fingers kept resting on her lower belly like she was still trying to believe there was something there.
"Do you think it'll have claws?" Nova asked suddenly.
Thea blinked. "...You mean, like, in the womb?"
Nova made a face. "Oh god. No. No, I mean when it's older."
"We're not declawing our kid, Nova."
"I'm serious."
"So am I. If our tiny chaos spawn ends up with fangs and rage issues, I will personally enroll them in Howl Control 101."
Nova snorted.
Then softened.
"You're really not scared?"
Thea brushed her fingers across Nova's knee. Gentle.
"I've been scared of a lot of things. Rehab. Headlines. My own reflection."
She paused. "But this? You? I'm not scared of loving you."
Nova looked down at her belly again. Still barely a bump. More imagined than seen. But it was enough.
"I don't want to be a disaster," she whispered.
Thea reached across the space between them and slid her hand over Nova's.
"Then we'll be disasters together."
✦ – Breaking News ✦
3 Weeks Later – Queen Mansion, Early Morning
The Queen Mansion was unusually quiet.
Sunlight streamed in through the massive windows, painting gold across the marble floors. A kettle hissed softly in the kitchen. Somewhere upstairs, a radio murmured from Thea's bathroom—some indie playlist that Nova had once called moody bisexual music and that Thea had taken as a compliment.
But downstairs, in the private study, Moira Queen stood stone-still with her phone in one hand, face pale.
The notification had just come in.
"QUEEN HEIRESS EXPECTING!
"Queen Scandal: Thea Queen Impregnates Mystery Girl?
Oliver Queen's wild little sister at center of shock pregnancy story. Sources claim young mother is underage, possibly a minor."
Scandal at the Queen estate?
Full details — including leaked photos — inside."
— TMZ Exclusive
Moira's fingers tightened around the phone. Her jaw clenched.
The story was already spreading like wildfire—shared, re-shared, dissected on every gossip podcast and morning show. And with it:
leaked photos from a grainy long-lens shot of Nova at the OB/GYN building.
Upstairs – Thea's Bedroom
"Thea—"
Nova's voice echoed from the hallway as she opened the door, towel around her neck from a shower, cheeks still flushed from the steam.
Thea sat cross-legged on the bed, flicking through something on her phone. Her face was unreadable. Her jaw, locked.
"What is it?" Nova asked, already feeling it in her gut.
Thea looked up. Her phone screen was still glowing.
"They know."
"...What?"
Thea didn't answer.
Instead, she held out the phone.
Nova took it.
Read the headline.
And felt her whole body go still.
Her breath caught in her throat. Her stomach—already queasy—rolled sharply.
Nova sat on the edge of the bed, Thea pacing behind her, barefoot, jaw clenched.
"They think I got you pregnant," Thea muttered. "They actually wrote that."
Nova lifted her head slowly, eyes rimmed red from sleep and stress.
"You did get me pregnant," she said quietly. "They're not wrong about that."
Thea stopped pacing.
Nova's voice cracked a little as she went on.
"They just think I'm some random girl you hooked up with at a party. A mistake. A one-night scandal." She swallowed. "Not the girl you hold every night. Not the one you call 'yours.'"
Nova whispered, "And like I'm some teenager you knocked up at a party."
Thea exhaled sharply, crossing the room in two long strides. She knelt in front of Nova, took her face in both hands.
"You're not some story in a trash headline."
"Then why do I feel like one?"
Thea shook her head. "You're mine, Nova. My girl. My partner. The mother of my child. And if they can't see that, then screw them."
Nova leaned forward, resting her forehead against Thea's. Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"I just wanted this to feel real. Not... dirty. Not something we have to defend."
"It is real," Thea said fiercely. "They can twist whatever they want. But we're not hiding. Not anymore."
Thea stood immediately. "We're fixing it."
"It's already out."
"So we make them choke on it."
Downstairs – Kitchen
Moira had poured herself a glass of something expensive but untouched. She stood at the island as Nova and Thea entered the room—barefoot, tense, hand-in-hand.
Nova's heart was still racing. She couldn't tell if it was the pregnancy or the fear or both.
Moira looked up.
She didn't yell.
She didn't snap.
She just exhaled like the weight of the world had landed back on her shoulders.
"They've twisted it," Nova said immediately, her voice sharper than usual. "They're saying Thea—"
"I know," Moira replied, setting the tablet down. She was calm, but there was unmistakable steel behind her eyes.
"We're issuing a statement through legal. We'll clarify your age, confirm that you live here, and make it very clear this wasn't some reckless scandal or random hookup. The story they're telling isn't the truth and slapping a cease and desist on every tabloid dumb enough to post it."
Nova flushed crimson.
Thea coughed. "God, can they phrase it worse?"
"They will," Moira said flatly. Then she softened. "But I also know what they're trying to do. They see two young women, one from a famous family and the other with no public background, and they want to reduce it to scandal."
She met Nova's eyes.
"We're not going to let them."
Nova crossed her arms, uneasy. "But who even leaked it? We've only told—like—three people."
Moira hesitated, then answered honestly.
"I don't know. Yet. Could've been someone at the clinic, or someone saw the appointment on the hospital logs and sold it. But trust me—we're looking into it."
Nova's jaw tightened. Her hand found Thea's under the kitchen counter.
"It's not just gossip," she said. "It feels like they're trying to rip this apart before we even know how to handle it."
"They are," Moira agreed. "Which is why I need both of you to stick close, and stay calm. This isn't going to blow over in a day."
"They're painting me like some party girl," Nova muttered. "Like I just hooked up with Thea at a party and—" she gestured vaguely, "—oops."
Thea leaned in, her voice steady and sharp.
"You're not a one-night anything. You're my girlfriend. You're the mother of my kid. And if they can't get that through their heads, screw them."
Moira raised a brow. "That the tone you want for the press statement?"
Thea smirked. "Give or take a few F-bombs."
Moira sighed, but a small smile tugged at her mouth.
Thea flinched. "You're not mad?"
Moira met her daughter's eyes. "Do you think I expected this?" Then, softer: "Do you think I'm not proud of how you've handled it?"
Nova blinked. "You are?"
"You've been living here for months," Moira said. "I've seen how Thea has changed. I've seen how you've tried to protect each other."
She glanced down briefly at Nova's stomach. "This wasn't planned. But it's not a mistake."
Nova almost cried right there.
Thea's hand slipped into hers again, grounding.
"This baby," Moira added, "isn't a scandal. It's a beginning."
Later That Day – Guest Room
Nova curled up in the corner armchair, still wearing Thea's oversized band tee, the one that made her feel wrapped in armor.
Thea knelt in front of her, both hands on her knees.
"You okay?"
Nova hesitated.
"Not really."
Thea didn't try to sugarcoat it. She just nodded.
"We'll get through it. Let them scream. Let them post. You're not a headline to me."
Nova blinked hard, biting the inside of her cheek.
"You sure you're not regretting this?"
Thea's eyes softened. She reached up, brushing her fingers along Nova's jaw.
"I don't regret you."
She kissed her softly—light, grounding.
"They don't get to define us," she murmured. "We do."
✦ Thea's POV: Old Flames and New Lines ✦
The text came in while she was refilling Nova's hot water bottle:
💬 Casey: Heard the rumors. Tell me it's not true. Come out tonight. We'll talk.
Thea rolled her eyes.
Nova was curled up on the couch in one of Thea's oversized T-shirts, belly barely rounding, lips pink from the strawberry popsicle she'd been craving all day. Her lashes fluttered as she napped, warm and soft and safe under Thea's blanket. She looked like home.
Thea didn't reply to the text.
But Casey didn't give up.
By the time Nova stirred and padded to the bathroom, her phone buzzed again:
💬 Casey: You're not seriously playing house with some girl who saw dollar signs and spread her legs, right? Come drink. You need it.
And then:
💬 Casey: She's using you, Thea. Everyone sees it. This isn't you.
Thea's jaw tightened.
She grabbed her keys.
✦ Later – Rooftop Lounge, Downtown ✦
She didn't wear makeup. Didn't dress up. Just her worn jeans, black boots, and Nova's scent still on her hoodie.
Casey spotted her first, lounging on a velvet couch with two other ex-party regulars—Benji and Mara. Expensive drinks. Loud music. Nothing had changed.
"There she is!" Casey smirked as Thea approached. "Didn't think you'd actually show."
Thea stayed standing. "Make it quick."
Benji raised an eyebrow. "Damn, Queen. We miss one party and suddenly you're a tabloid headline."
"Knocked up some girl with a sob story," Mara said, sipping her drink. "Ballsy."
Thea didn't blink. "She's not 'some girl.' She's my girlfriend."
Casey scoffed. "Come on. This chick shows up out of nowhere, gets pregnant by the Queen heir, and suddenly she's living in the mansion? You really think that's love?"
Thea stepped forward, voice flat. "I think you're all full of shit."
That shut them up.
"Nova didn't ask for this," she said coldly. "She didn't want the press. The drama. The spotlight. She's been through hell, and all she's done is survive. She's strong. She's kind. And she's carrying my baby."
Benji leaned back. "So that's it? You're done with all this?"
Thea smirked. "I've been done. You just didn't notice."
Casey's voice dropped, more sincere. "We're worried about you, Thea. You used to be fire. Untouchable. Now you're, what... playing house with a teenage sob story and skipping every party?"
"No." Thea's eyes hardened. "Now I'm finally awake. And you can either grow up and accept that—or keep drinking your way into irrelevance."
Mara raised her hands in mock surrender. "Damn, alright. The queen has spoken."
"Damn right she has," Thea muttered, already turning for the elevator.
✦ Back at Queen Mansion – Later ✦
Nova was half-asleep again when Thea slipped into bed behind her. Thea wrapped her arms around her from behind, pulling her in tight.
Nova murmured, "Was it bad?"
"Worse," Thea whispered. "But none of it matters. I'm right where I'm supposed to be."
Nova's fingers curled over hers.
"They think I used you," she said quietly.
"They don't know me," Thea replied. "They sure as hell don't know you."
"You're not scared?"
Thea pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "Of them? Never. Of losing you? Every day. But I'm not going anywhere."
Nova breathed out slowly. "Then I can breathe too."
And for once, she did.
🜃 Queen, Not a Party Girl
Thea's POV
The Queen Mansion had been unusually quiet for a Saturday. No press at the gates. No Moira poking in with tea and thinly-veiled suggestions. No town car waiting to drag them to another appointment.
Just her and Nova.
And for a second, Thea thought maybe—just maybe—they'd earned a quiet day.
Until her phone buzzed.
Group chat: THE GIRLS™️
"T, come out tonight. The brat will be fine."
"You deserve more than some knocked-up charity case."
"You're Thea. You could have anyone."
"Come party. She'll be fine with her glow and her hormones or whatever."
Thea blinked.
Charity case?
Are they serious?
She was half a second from archiving the whole thread when Nova shuffled into the room, barefoot and quiet, wearing one of Thea's baggy black t-shirts—the one that said Queen of Nothing in cracked white letters. It hung loosely around her chest, but not around her belly. At five months, she was officially showing. Really showing.
The bump curved beneath the hem like it had always belonged there.
She looked beautiful. Exhausted. But beautiful.
Thea smiled. "Hey, babe. You okay?"
Nova didn't answer.
Her face was pale. Her lips bitten raw. Her eyes—
Red.
Not wolf-red. Not full shift.
Just that eerie, glassy almost glow. Danger-close to the surface.
Thea's stomach dropped.
"Nova—?"
Still nothing.
Nova turned without a word, waddling toward the bathroom like her legs were too heavy and her heart was too full.
She didn't even take her phone.
She just left it on Thea's desk. Screen unlocked. Messages still open.
Thea hesitated. She wasn't one to snoop.
But the look on Nova's face—
The glow in her eyes—
The silence—
She knew something was wrong.
So she picked up the phone.
And her breath caught.
Not just one message.
Not just one name.
All of them.
From girls Thea had known for years. Party friends. Rich girls. Brat pack royalty who thought charity meant buying shoes for someone's fundraiser and slut-shaming anyone who looked at their ex.
"Hope you're enjoying the Queen family credit card, sweetie."
"Slut your way into an inheritance much?"
"Tell Thea we'll still take her back when you bail. You will bail, right? That baby isn't her problem."
"Stop trapping our girl and do us all a favor and disappear."
Thea's blood boiled.
Her grip tightened on the phone. Her vision tunneled.
She didn't even realize she was storming down the hall until she found her mom in the sitting room, flipping through a briefing packet.
"Mom."
Moira Queen looked up. Calm. Curious.
Then she saw Thea's face.
"What happened?"
Thea thrust the phone toward her. "Your 'dinner gala' friends' daughters and my old friends have been harassing Nova. For weeks. And she didn't say a word. She's five months pregnant, her eyes were glowing, and she didn't say a goddamn word—because she didn't want to make it harder for me."
Moira took the phone.
Read a few texts.
Her mouth pressed into a thin line.
"Names," she said coldly. "I want names."
Thea didn't hesitate. "You already know them."
Moira nodded once, sharply.
Then she stood.
And in her quiet, surgical tone, she said:
"No one talks about my granddaughter's mother like this and gets to keep a seat at my table."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Thea added, quieter but just as sharp:
"Do you think we should... let people know who Nova is?"
Moira raised a brow.
"Meaning?"
"That she's a Hale," Thea said. "That she's not just some foster kid or random nobody I got pregnant at a party. She comes from a bloodline. She had money. Power. Even if most of it's gone."
Moira's eyes narrowed slightly—thoughtful now.
"You think that would stop them?"
Thea shrugged, jaw tight. "I think it might remind them not to underestimate her."
There was a long pause. Moira tapped one finger against her thigh, considering.
Then—
"We'll discuss it," she said. "After I've spoken with their mothers."
Thea didn't smile.
But she nodded.
Because if anyone knew how to burn down a reputation in three phone calls or less—it was Moira Queen.
🜃 "You Should've Told Me"
Thea paced the hallway for a full five minutes before she could knock.
When she finally did, it was soft. Barely there.
The bathroom door cracked open.
Nova stood in the doorway, cheeks flushed, hair damp, eyes still red-rimmed—but not glowing anymore. Her maternity shirt was wrinkled from where she'd curled into herself. Her bare feet looked small against the tile.
"You okay?" Thea asked, voice low.
Nova nodded. "Yeah."
"Can you come sit with me?"
Another pause.
Then Nova stepped out.
She followed Thea down the hall and into their shared bedroom. Thea sat on the edge of the bed, hands in her lap, back ramrod straight.
Nova sat too, careful and quiet, like she didn't know if she was in trouble or not.
Thea didn't say anything at first.
Then—
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Nova froze.
Her breath caught. "You saw them?"
Thea's jaw tensed. "All of them."
Nova looked down at her lap. Her hand drifted to her bump, a nervous reflex. The room felt too still.
"I didn't want you to worry," she whispered. "You already have so much on your plate and... they're your friends."
"Used to be," Thea echoed. "And if you think I'd pick a bunch of bitter party girls over you, you're out of your mind."
Nova blinked fast. "I just didn't want to cause drama."
"Nova," Thea said, grabbing her hand. "You're carrying our baby. You live with me. You've seen me ugly-cry over reality shows. I've held your hair back when you had morning sickness in the middle of the night. You don't get to protect me from this stuff anymore."
Her voice cracked just slightly.
"We're a team. You don't have to go through things alone—ever again."
Nova stared at her.
Thea leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Nova's.
"I love you, Nova Hale and I love our little girl."
Nova giggled—a soft, watery sound that broke whatever was still stuck in her chest.
Thea pulled her into a hug. Tight. Warm.
Nova melted into it, burying her face in Thea's neck.
"I love you," she whispered. "Even when you're mad."
"I love you more," Thea replied. "Especially when you're honest."
⏳ A Few Days Later...
By Monday morning, no one was whispering anymore.
Because Moira Queen made damn sure of it.
The Queen family didn't just issue a PR statement.
They made a declaration.
"Miss Nova Hale is not just the partner of our daughter. She is a young woman of strength, character, and legacy.
The recent harassment she endured is unacceptable, and we are taking immediate legal action against those responsible."
—Official Statement from the Queen Family Foundation
By noon, every major gossip site had a new headline.
NOVA HALE: NOT A NOBODY
Heiress to the Hale Estate, With Direct Family Ties to the Waynes of Gotham
Queen Family Issues Harsh Warning to Cyberbullies
It was everywhere.
The same girls who had texted Nova slurs were now radio silent. Their families—old money, but not Queen-level money—had suddenly become very, very interested in backtracking. Apologies poured in. Some public. Some frantic and private. All ignored.
Thea deleted them one by one.
She didn't even look up from her phone as she muttered, "Too little, too late."
Moira wasn't subtle either.
One of the offenders' mothers had the audacity to approach her during a board meeting at the Queen Foundation and was met with a cold, surgical smile.
"If you ever allow your daughter to target mine or her partner again, I won't just have you removed from this board. I'll ensure you can't buy your way into another. Try me."
Robert Queen, quiet as ever, didn't say a word.
But his signature was on every document that followed:
Restraining notices. Network bans. Legal notices.
And behind it all—Thea.
Furious.
Protective.
Unapologetically loud about the fact that Nova was hers.
Nova had stayed off social media for the most part, only peeking when Thea insisted she check the updated headlines.
She curled deeper into Thea's side on the couch, clutching her bump with one hand and Thea's shirt with the other.
"You didn't have to do all that," she said softly.
"Yes," Thea replied, brushing a kiss to her temple. "I did. You're not just mine, Nova. You're a Hale. And people needed to remember what that means."
Nova blinked at the screen again.
Thea Queen Defends Partner Nova Hale Against Harassment
Wayne-Hale Connection Confirmed by Queen Family
It felt strange to see it all out in the open.
But safe.
Solid.
Real.
She leaned into Thea's arms and whispered, "Thank you."
"Always," Thea said. "Now come on. Let's go nap. You're growing a legacy in there."