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The nursery was warm.
Soft light filtered through the curtains, painting everything in gentle gold. The gentle creak of the rocking chair filled the room in a slow, steady rhythm, and the faint scent of baby powder lingered in the air.
Allison lay on her back in the crib, wide awake now.
Tiny hands waving.
Soft little noises bubbling out of her as she kicked her legs..
Nova leaned over the crib, smiling—soft, tired, but real, gently brushing a finger across Allison's cheek.
"Hey, baby girl..."
Allison responded with a small, happy coo.
Thea stood right beside Nova, one hand resting on the crib rail, the other lightly tracing circles over Allison's stomach.
"She's got your eyes," Thea murmured.
Nova glanced at her.
"She's got mix of ours."
Thea smirked.
"Yeah, but mine are cooler now."
Nova rolled her eyes.
"You're never letting that go, are you?"
"Not a chance."
Allison squeaked again, grabbing blindly at the air.
"She's staring at you like you're the most interesting thing in the world."
Nova smiled softly. "I am the most interesting thing in the world."
Thea snorted. "Yeah, okay."
Nova glanced at her. "Excuse you, I literally carried her for nine months."
Thea leaned down slightly, lowering her voice like she was telling Allison a secret.
"Don't listen to her, I'm clearly the favorite."
Allison made another soft noise, her little hand grabbing blindly.
Nova laughed quietly. "She can't even see properly yet."
Thea grinned. "And she's still reaching for me. That says a lot."
Nova rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
Thea leaned down and carefully scooped her up, cradling her against her chest like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And maybe it was now.
Allison settled instantly, tiny fingers curling into the front of Thea's shirt.
Thea's expression softened.
Nova stepped closer, one hand resting lightly on Thea's lower back.
Nova watched them.
Something in her chest tightened.
Not fear.
Not this time.
Something steadier.
Thea looked down at the baby, then back at Nova.
"See she likes me more."
Nova scoffed.
"She literally just ate. She likes whoever's holding her."
"Nope," Thea said, rocking slightly. "Definitely me."
Nova stepped closer, brushing her fingers along Allison's cheek.
"Traitor."
Allison made a soft coo.
Thea grinned.
"See?"
Nova shook her head, but she was smiling.
For a moment—
It was just them.
No hunters.
No pack.
No bestiary entries.
No claws.
Just—
A family.
Thea leaned in, brushing her fingers gently over Allison's tiny hand.
The baby wrapped her fingers around Thea's instantly.
Thea froze.
Nova smiled.
"She knows you."
Thea swallowed slightly.
Her voice softer now.
"Yeah?"
Nova nodded.
"Yeah, Allie knows who her mama is."
A quiet settled over them.
Not heavy.
Just... full.
Thea leaned her forehead lightly against Nova's temple.
"We made her."
Nova huffed a quiet laugh.
"Biologically speaking, yes."
Thea nudged her gently.
"You know what I mean."
Nova didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
She just leaned into her slightly.
Her breath caught.
Then—
The door opened.
Softly.
Neither of them noticed at first.
Moira Queen stepped into the nursery quietly, pausing just inside the doorway.
And she saw it.
Thea holding the baby.
Nova close beside her.
The way they moved together without thinking.
The way they fit together so naturally.
The way Allison was calm, content, safe between them.
Moira's expression softened.
For just a second.
A small smile touched Moira's lips.
For a moment, she just let herself watch.
Then—
Her eyes sharpened.
Because now that she was closer—
She could see it clearly.
The posture.
The tension.
The way Thea held herself.
The way Nova kept watching her.
Something had changed.
Moira stepped fully into the room.
"I was wondering where my girls were."
Nova and Thea both turned.
"You two look... comfortable."
Nova straightened slightly. "Hey."
Thea didn't move much—still holding Allison. "Hey, Mom."
Moira crossed her arms loosely.
Moira approached slowly, her eyes flicking between them.
Still calm.
Still composed.
Still very observant.
"I was wondering when I'd find you."
She reached out, gently brushing a finger over Allison's cheek.
"She looks content."
Nova nodded. "She just woke up."
Moira hummed softly.
Nova shifted slightly.
Subtle.
But noticeable.
Moira's gaze flicked to her immediately.
Then back to Thea.
"You're both acting strange."
Thea raised an eyebrow.
"We're literally holding our kid. That's normal."
Moira didn't smile.
"Not that."
A beat.
Then—
Her voice sharpened just slightly.
"This morning."
Nova went still.
Thea's grip on Allison tightened—just a fraction.
Moira stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
Reading every reaction.
"The way you were sitting."
Her eyes flicked to Thea.
"The way you moved."
Then to Nova.
"The way you were watching her."
Silence stretched.
Moira tilted her head.
Then asked, calm and direct—
"What did you do?"
The room shifted instantly.
The air tightened.
Nova's heart started beating faster.
Thea felt it.
Heard it.
Everything suddenly sharper.
Moira's eyes flicked between them again.
Waiting.
Not guessing.
Not accusing.
Just—
Expecting the truth.
Thea glanced at Nova.
Nova met her eyes.
A silent conversation.
We tell her?
Now?
Or later?
Moira's voice cut through the silence again.
Softer this time.
But more dangerous.
"So."
Thea immediately tensed.
Nova felt it.
Moira crossed her arms lightly.
"Thea."
A pause.
"So."
Thea immediately tensed.
Nova felt it.
Moira crossed her arms lightly. "What did you do?"
Thea blinked. "What?"
Moira raised an eyebrow. "Don't."
Nova tried to keep her face neutral. "Don't what?"
Moira gave her a look.
"You both came into breakfast acting like you were hiding something."
She gestured vaguely.
"You were flushed."
Nova coughed.
Thea snorted under her breath.
Moira didn't miss that.
"And you," she pointed at Thea, "looked like you'd just discovered caffeine for the first time."
Thea blinked.
"...I always look like that."
Moira tilted her head. "No."
A beat.
"You don't."
Silence.
Nova shifted Allison slightly, bouncing her gently.
Moira watched that too.
Then she stepped closer.
Close enough now that her voice dropped just slightly.
"Something changed."
Thea glanced at Nova.
Nova didn't look back.
Moira caught that.
Of course she did.
"And I'd very much like to know what it is before I find out the hard way."
Thea exhaled slowly.
"Mom—"
Moira held up a hand. "No vague answers."
Her tone wasn't harsh.
But it was firm.
Controlled.
"No deflecting."
Her eyes flicked between them again.
Sharp.
Knowing.
"What. Did. You. Do?"
Thea looked at Nova again.
This time Nova met her eyes.
A silent conversation passed between them.
This is it.
Thea swallowed.
Then looked back at her mother.
"...Okay."
Nova adjusted Allison in her arms again, steadying herself.
Thea ran a hand through her hair.
Then started—
Carefully.
"You know what Nova is."
Moira didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Nova blinked slightly at that.
Thea nodded slowly. "Right."
She stalled.
Just for a second.
Her fingers tapping lightly against her thigh.
Moira noticed immediately. "Thea."
Thea exhaled.
Then pushed forward.
"...I asked Nova to do something."
Nova tightened her hold on Allison slightly.
Moira's gaze sharpened. "What kind of something?"
Thea hesitated again.
Then met her mother's eyes.
"...Something that changes things."
The room went quieter.
Heavier.
Moira didn't interrupt.
But she understood this wasn't small.
Nova swallowed.
Thea continued. "I knew what it meant."
A beat.
"And I asked her anyway. Even when she told me all the risks and cons. She tried to talk me out of it, but I convinced her."
Moira's gaze flicked briefly to Nova.
Then back to Thea.
Sharp.
Measured.
Waiting.
"Thea."
A warning now.
Thea held her ground. "...I asked her to turn me."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Allison stilled in Nova's arms.
Moira didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't speak.
And just like that—
Everything changed.
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Moira didn't move.
Not a flinch. Not a breath. The air in the nursery seemed to fold in on itself, thick and soundless, like the moment before glass shatters.
"Define turn."
Her voice was level. Controlled. But there was something underneath it—steel drawn tight.
Thea shifted Allison slightly in her arms, instinctively supporting her head, fingers gentle despite the tension tightening through her shoulders.
"You already know what it means."
"I want to hear you say it."
A beat.
Thea lifted her chin just slightly. No backing down.
"...She bit me."
Silence.
Allison made a soft little hum, her tiny hand curling against Thea's shirt like she could feel the tension humming through her.
Moira's gaze flicked to the baby for half a second—just enough to ground herself—then snapped back.
"And you survived."
Not a question.
Thea nodded once. "Yeah."
Moira's eyes moved—slow, precise—taking in every detail.
Thea's posture.
The way she stood.
The way her weight settled—balanced, grounded differently.
Then Nova.
Always Nova.
Watching. Ready. Positioned just slightly closer than before—subtle, but deliberate.
Moira exhaled slowly through her nose.
"You know the mortality rate."
Thea didn't hesitate. "Yeah."
Moira's jaw tightened.
"And you did it anyway."
Thea opened her mouth—
Nova cut in.
"I tried to talk her out of it."
That shifted the focus instantly.
Moira's gaze locked onto Nova like a blade finding its mark.
Nova didn't look away.
"I told her everything. The pain. The risk. The possibility she wouldn't make it through the bite at all."
A flicker—just a flicker—of something crossed Moira's expression.
Fear.
Gone just as quickly as it came.
"And yet," Moira said quietly, "you went through with it."
Thea stepped in before Nova could answer.
"I convinced her."
Moira's eyes snapped back to her.
"I made the choice. Not her."
Nova's jaw tightened slightly but she didn't contradict it.
Moira studied her daughter like she was trying to reconcile two versions of the same person.
"You gambled your life," Moira said. "On something you cannot undo."
Thea's grip on Allison shifted—not tighter, just more secure. Protective.
"And I won."
That landed harder than it should have.
Moira's expression didn't change—but the silence that followed stretched thin.
"Winning," Moira said slowly, "implies you understood the stakes."
"I did."
"No," Moira cut in, sharper now. "You understood parts of it."
Thea's eyes flashed.
"I understood enough."
"Enough to die?" Moira pressed. "Because that was the other outcome, Thea. There is no second chance. No cure. If it failed—"
"It didn't."
The words came quick. Firm. Unshaken.
Moira's gaze hardened.
"That doesn't make the decision less reckless."
Thea exhaled, something shifting in her posture—not defensive, not guilty.
Resolved.
"This isn't a phase."
Nova felt it—the way her heartbeat evened out, locked in.
"This isn't rebellion."
Moira didn't interrupt this time.
Thea took a small step forward.
"This is permanent."
A beat.
Her eyes flicked briefly to Nova—then down at Allison.
"And I did it to protect you. Both of you."
That hung there.
Heavy. Honest.
Dangerous in its sincerity.
Moira's eyes flicked to Nova again.
"And what exactly did you turn her into?"
Nova didn't hesitate.
"Not a werewolf."
A beat.
"A werelioness."
That word landed differently.
Not familiar.
Not something Moira could immediately categorize or control.
Her gaze narrowed slightly.
"And that distinction matters because...?"
Nova stepped forward just enough to stand fully beside Thea now.
"Because it means her abilities, instincts, and control curve are different."
Moira's eyes flicked between them.
"Explain."
Nova exhaled slowly.
"I took her out earlier. Into the woods. Away from everyone."
Thea smiled—actually smiled, the tension easing just a fraction as she looked down at Allison.
"It was so cool."
Moira blinked once.
That... was not the reaction she expected.
Thea shifted Allison slightly, bouncing her gently as she spoke—completely at ease now.
"I can hear everything. Like—way farther than before. Heartbeats, movement, even breathing patterns if I focus."
Nova watched her, something softer threading through her expression now.
"I showed her how to isolate sounds. Filter them instead of getting overwhelmed."
Thea nodded quickly.
"And my reflexes— I caught a branch mid-air without even thinking."
Moira stared at her.
Not impressed.
Not reassured.
If anything—more concerned.
"And strength," Thea continued, adjusting Allison with effortless ease. "I'm stronger. Faster. Everything just—feels sharper."
Moira's voice cut through it.
"And control?"
Thea stilled.
Just for a second.
Nova answered this time.
"That's what I'll be working on with her."
Moira's gaze snapped to her.
"Working on."
"Yes."
"How long?"
"As long as it takes."
Silence again.
Thicker this time.
Moira took a slow step closer.
"You're telling me that my daughter—who willingly risked her life on an irreversible transformation—is now operating on instincts she does not fully understand."
Thea opened her mouth—
Nova spoke first.
"I'm telling you she won't be alone in it."
Moira's eyes flicked between them again.
Then—
Soft.
Small.
Perfectly timed.
A little coo.
Allison shifted in Thea's arms, her tiny hand flexing, brushing lightly against Thea's collarbone.
The tension cracked.
All three of them looked down.
Moira's expression changed.
Not softer.
But deeper.
More complicated.
"And what does this mean for her?"
Thea answered immediately.
"It means she's safe."
Moira didn't look convinced.
"Or surrounded by things she won't understand."
Nova stepped in, voice lower now, calmer.
"It means she has more protection than she did yesterday."
Moira's gaze shifted to her.
"And more risk."
Nova didn't deny it.
Instead—
"It looks like Allie and I are Thea's anchor."
The word settled.
Anchor.
Moira looked at her daughter again.
Really looked.
Saw the difference.
The stillness under the movement.
The awareness behind the eyes.
The way she held Allison—not just gently, but deliberately.
Moira exhaled slowly.
And chose.
Not anger.
Not chaos.
Control.
"If this is what you've done, then we proceed carefully."
Thea didn't move.
Nova didn't speak.
Moira's eyes locked onto Thea.
"You will train. You will learn control. You will not treat this like a novelty."
Thea nodded once.
"I won't."
Moira's gaze flicked to Nova.
"And you will make sure of that."
Nova met her eyes.
"I will."
A beat.
Then—
Moira looked down at Allison again.
Her voice dropped.
"If this puts her in danger—"
Her eyes lifted back to Thea.
Sharp. Unyielding.
"I will intervene."
Thea held her gaze.
"...I know."
Another silence.
Then—
Moira stepped back.
Walked to the door.
Paused.
Thinking.
Then opened it.
And left.
The door clicked shut softly behind her.
And just like that—
The pressure dropped.
Not gone.
But bearable.
Thea let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Nova tilted her head slightly, lips twitching faintly.
"Well... that went well."
Thea let out a short, breathy laugh.
"Define well."
Nova gave a small shrug.
"You're still here. I'm still here. Nobody got stabbed."
Thea huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head.
"Low bar."
Nova smirked faintly.
"Effective bar."
Allison made another tiny sound, her fingers curling tighter against Thea.
And this time—
The room held something different.
Not tension.
Not peace.
Something in between.
Something new.