Brooke looked to her mother, unsure if she should be more excited or confused. Her mother took the opportunity to explain in more detail, smiling slightly as she did. “Amy came by a few days ago after giving me a call to let me know you’d be staying with her. It was a bit of a shock, but once she’d revealed herself I kind of had to accept that magic was real, and from there she explained what was going on. I wanted to come by sooner, but we’ve been so busy trying to get everything sorted as quickly as possible that it just wasn’t an option without risking causing trouble. Fortunately, Amy is very good at what she does, and so we’ve already got the immediate stuff worked out!”

 

Her mother stepped back a bit, getting a better look at her daughter before looking over at Ms. Zwavel “Gosh Amy, I know you’re already sick of me thanking you but thank you so much for helping my daughter with clothes. I was worried she’d still be wearing the same old stuff I could never get her out of!”

 

Turning back to face Brooke she winked, her eyes holding a playfulness Brooke hadn’t seen in years. How had she changed so much? They’d only been apart for a few days! Then again, she supposed she was one to talk. Speaking of which, if her mother already knew there was no point in hiding it. A fact which she found herself endlessly thankful for.

 

Her mother was preparing to continue when Brooke’s human form faded, putting her four armed, horned and clawed appearance on full display. A part of her was glad the magic bra somewhat compressed her chest. She wasn’t eager to talk about how she’d let her years being raised as a boy warp her perspective of femininity.

 

The thought was interrupted by an excited gasp from her mother as she stepped forward, hands immediately beginning to trace her  daughter's demonic features. “Oh my gosh you are absolutely beautiful! Oh my darling little girl, how did you turn out so lovely?!” She turned to Ms. Zwavel. “Wait, is she done?” A shake of Ms. Zwavel’s head earned another gasp. “My word you’re going to be absolutely gorgeous aren’t you? Gosh, I remember going to museums when I was younger and I always loved the marble statues, and now I have the best one in the world as my daughter! Gosh gosh gosh, and these horns! Absolutely stunning! Oh and you have such a lovely smile! Are your teeth crystal too? They seem darker than your horns! My goodness, I’m so jealous!”

 

The gushing continued even as Ms. Zwavel ushered them inside, and Brooke found herself little more than a giddy, blushing puddle as she was showered with affirmation and praise by her mother. It really was quite overwhelming, and she was still wearing her school clothes! Not that her mother had let the concealing clothing keep her from discovering the muscles Brooke was hiding underneath.

 

This of course led to even more gushing, but the form it took was more than a little confusing to Brooke. “Oh goodness, and these muscles! I’m so happy for you dear! I felt so bad watching you wither away over the years. You’d been such an active little girl! You loved to run and jump and play outside. Gosh, I still remember how scared I was every time I saw you climbing a tree! Of course that man managed to crush every ounce of enthusiasm you had for physical activity. You looked so excited when the idea of playing sports came up. The look of disappointment in your eyes after only a couple weeks was absolutely heartbreaking… I’m so sorry I didn’t step up sooner…”

 

Brooke waved her four hands, both in an effort to dispel the gloom that was quickly collecting over her mother, and to draw attention to her own confusion. “Wait wait wait… what? I… absolutely don’t remember that at all. Basically all of my childhood memories are of spending time inside with you. I certainly don’t remember ever being excited about playing sports.”

 

Her mother gave a sad smile. “Well you weren’t excited about playing sports exactly, you were excited about running around with friends. You were excited about the idea of working together and having fun as a team. I still remember what you said when I asked what was wrong afterwards. You didn’t like having to play against people. You didn’t like how mean everyone was to the other team just because they were the opponents. You especially didn’t like the parents who took everything so seriously. You’d only been there for a couple games and they’d already managed to ruin it for you by making it all about them.”

 

Brooke sat in silence for a moment, the hint of a memory trickling to the front. Digging through the memories of being pushed and tripped and bullied at whatever sport her father had thrown her into she eventually came to ones where she hadn’t responded with exasperated acceptance. Back before she’d decided that was just the way things were. A memory of confusion and fear and disappointment. 

 

Had that really been how it had all started? Had she really once been excited, only to have that excitement crushed out of her by the boys who took things way too seriously? The more she thought about it the more right it felt. Memories of running and giggling and climbing. She thought about her time out in the yard. How much she enjoyed exerting herself. She’d assumed it was all part of the transformation but… The transformation was based on who she was, wasn’t it? So didn’t that mean she was already the type of person to want that?

 

A thought hit her like a load of bricks and she shot to her feet with a big grin. “I’ll be right back, I have to go change.” The older women were clearly confused but neither made any effort to stop her so she hurried off. She was out of her sudo-uniform and into her exercise clothes faster than ever before. She was so quick she was already back in front of them by the time she realised just how embarrassing it was showing off so much of her body to her mother.

 

She pushed down the embarrassment as she urged her mother towards the backyard. This was more important. Apparently Ms. Zwavel had already figured out what was going on as she hurried off ahead while Brooke guided her mother to the back door at the leisurely pace of a confused woman trying not to stare at her new daughter in some very tight clothing.

 

By the time they made it out back Ms. Zwavel had already prepared a pair of toys. Brooke stared at them in dumbfounded awe. Of course she could play with two at once. She just hadn’t considered it until that very moment! The fact there’d only been three, and she seemed to completely ruin one after a single session did also factor in, but if Ms. Zwavel was setting out two Brooke wasn’t going to complain!

 

After patting her mother on the shoulder and directing her to one of the patio chairs Brooke made her way over to her targets with a giddy excitement that she was certain was obvious on her face. Ms. Zwavel for her part appeared greatly amused, not bothering to say a word as she made her way over to sit beside Brooke’s mother. 

 

All it took to get the two machines running was a touch, but she didn’t go running quite yet. This wasn’t just for her. This was a show for her mother. A chance for her to see just what her little girl could do. Brooke wanted to put everything she had into it. She got down on all six limbs, her little tail wiggling from side to side as she repositioned each of her limbs little by little. She didn’t actually know what she was doing, but as far as she could tell her body did and she was perfectly happy to let it guide her. Finally, as the robots stalled some distance away she launched herself forward.

 

A second of airtime felt like an eternity, she found her front arms reaching out to grasp the ground just that little bit faster, then drawing themselves in to diminish the impact before letting go, passing off to her back arms as they pulled her forward until her legs caught the ground and were dragged into position to push off once more. It was such a smooth, effortless motion that she barely even registered what she was doing. 

 

The robots began to move as soon as she did, and they made clear they had no intention of being caught easily. She dashed around the yard with wild abandon, claws digging into soft soil and sending clods of dirt flying as she went. Her extra limbs were a great help with her manoeuvrability, allowing her to rapidly close the distance anytime the robots changed direction. She chased one then the other, bouncing between the two as she giggled in delight. The burn of her muscles, the warm sun, the cool breeze, the rush of air as she moved, it all came together to fill her with a unique delight.

 

She landed on one of the toys, planting it into the ground with her weight before kicking off to go chase the other, only to find the first toy back up and moving by the time she had captured the second. She bounced from one to the other, chasing and swatting and pouncing far longer than she’d let herself play before.

 

She wasn’t just enjoying the exhilaration of running, or the way an extra toy added to the experience. She was bubbling with the joy of having her mother back. Not just in terms of the last few days, but in terms of the last few years. Seeing her smile so fully, hearing her speak as though she wasn’t scared someone might hear her, seeing her with the posture of someone who wasn’t afraid to be seen. She was sure Ms. Zwavel had worked some kind of magic, those kinds of changes don’t happen in only a few days, and Brooke couldn’t be more grateful.

 

As she ran she thought about the mother in her early memories, compared to the mother in her memories from a month ago. She felt her blood boiling as she recognised just how much her father had managed to crush the spirit out of both of them, and how every little sign of despair she’d seen in her mother could be linked to ways she’d seen him treat her. She’d let herself fall into complacency, her reactions dulled by the gradual buildup as he’d grown bolder with time. Now that she was looking back, she was angry with both herself and him.

 

As she finally found herself running out of energy she turned back to the house and paused. Her mother was watching her with such absolute delight it made Brooke’s heart ache. The memory of her mother sitting on Ms. Zwavels couch, blaming herself for not doing more flashed through her mind. She was doing the exact same thing her mother had been. They were both taking on blame for what her father had done, and he definitely didn’t deserve the help. 

 

As she stood up and stretched she smiled back at her mother, walking towards her with a confident swagger that seemed to come naturally to her demonic form. It wasn’t easy to push the thought aside, that she could have done more, could have changed something for the better, but she’d do it. She knew it wasn’t right, and she’d put in the effort to quash all those stupid thoughts and direct her anger where it belonged.

 

The hug she got from her mother once she was in lunging range certainly helped. As she wrapped all four of her arms around her mother and carefully rested her head on her mother's, she let herself relax. She let herself focus on the hug her mother was giving with all her heart. That wasn’t the hug of someone who blamed her for not doing more, and she hoped her mother could feel the same from hers.

 

Of course the moment couldn’t last forever, and as they pulled apart she found her mother wide eyed. “You’re completely dry!” Brooke couldn’t help but giggle. “My goodness, do you just not sweat?!” She turned to Ms. Zwavel with a teasing smirk. “Are you suuuuure there’s no way to get turned into a demon?”

 

Ms. Zwavel chuckled as she shook her head, smiling with a look that said they’d had this conversation more than once. “Unfortunately I’m quite sure. Also unfortunately, not all of us are spared the torment of underboob sweat. Your daughter is just lucky.”

 

That was enough to finally nudge a thought loose that had been bubbling up since her mother had appeared. “Wait… you…” She looked at Ms. Zwavel. “She’s not where I got the… demon-ness from?”

 

Ms. Zwavel shook her head with a complicated frown. “No. I checked and unfortunately she’s entirely human. Which, of course, means you got your demonic lineage from… that man.” 

 

Brooke stared at her with blank eyes. Her mind had redirected all resources to processing the seemingly impossible fact she had just been presented with. “Dad is… Dad’s a demon?”

 

Ms. Zwavel scoffed with such scorn Brooke wasn’t sure her words wouldn’t have cut the man in question to ribbons if he’d been present. “No. No he is not. He may have the theoretical potential to become a demon, but he absolutely won’t be if I have anything to say about it. Which. I. Do.”

 

Brooke was drawn back to her mother at the sound of her giggling, Brooke's confusion only growing at the smile her mother wore as she spoke. “That was part of what we were getting set up. Amy has been doing her best to guarantee he’ll be getting exactly what he deserves and not a thing more.” She paused, looking at the face of barely contained wrath sitting across from her. “And let me tell you, her best is very impressive.”

 

Brooke looked from her mother to Ms. Zwavel then back again, then back to Ms. Zwavel, took a moment to confirm that yes, that was a blush on her cheeks, then back to her mother. There was something going on there and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know what.

 

Thankfully, Sarah was more than happy to interrupt by barging into the house with a big smile on her face and not a clue as to what she was walking into. A fact that became obvious by the look on her face upon seeing a human woman sitting on the couch between her mother and friend in their true forms.

 

“Uuuuuh… what’s… what’s… goin’ on?” Her eyes dashed from one person to another, not quite able to put together the details to formulate a conclusion.

 

Ms. Zwavel gave her a moment, but finally decided to spare her daughter the blown gasket she seemed to be tumbling towards. “This is Ms. Bernard, Brooke’s mother.”

 

Now it was Brooke’s turn to look confused. “Uh… Missus?” A look of confusion that only grew at Ms. Zwavel’s snort of derision, which earned her a glare from the woman in question.

 

“Well… that’s something else Amy has been helping me with. I… I’m planning to get a divorce. Amy has offered to be my attorney.” The look on her face was… complicated. She was clearly excited about the idea, but Brooke could see the familiar fear in her eyes, the fear her father had cultivated in both of them for as long as she could remember.

 

“That… That is so, so good to hear…” The words didn’t feel quite right, like they were too quiet, too understated for how big a deal it was. She wanted to jump up and down and shout and cheer that they’d finally be able to get away from him in more than just a physical sense. That they’d finally escape the cloud he left hanging over their home even while he was gone. She had so much more to express, but it was all drowned out by sniffling and tears. 

 

He’d always seemed too big and strong to stand up against. Like his reach was too long to try and run from. But Ms. Zwavel was a demon. She had demon friends and who knew how much experience. What could a corrupt landlord in a small town do against that?

 

She nuzzled into her mother’s shoulder. She didn’t even remember either of them moving, or the start of the hug but apparently they had, and she didn’t mind one bit.

 

Things calmed down from there. Ms. Zwavel excused herself to start dinner, and Sarah made her way upstairs to work on homework. Brooke supposed she could also start on homework, but she really, really didn’t want to. They weren’t actually talking about anything as they sat in the living room. They were just enjoying one another’s company, holding one another gently, and slowly processing the whirlwind they’d just gone through.

 

Dinner came quickly, and discussion moved to the mundanities of life. How was school, how was work. Though Brooke was surprised to learn her mother had secretly been building up a nest egg by publishing under a pen name. Brooke and Sarah spent some time trying to weasel more information out of her about her writing but failed to get anything concrete.

 

With dinner done the Zwavels dispersed, and the Bernards once again found themselves in the living room. Though unlike before dinner, they were cuddled up under some cozy blankets, with a big bowl of popcorn and a cheesy movie on the TV. It was odd. There were so many important things going on, so many new experiences to share and discuss, but at that moment Brooke couldn’t imagine breaking that peace and quiet with any of it. 

 

They’d have plenty of time to deal with serious things in the future. At that moment, all Brooke wanted to do was spend a night with her mom.