Hey guys! It's Friday! Thanks for waiting, and thanks to Chan123, T2 Angel, Jelsamaleval, I luv Milarion 1201, here since 2015, Torry-Riddle, Long time fan, avidreader, Soreidy27 and Luinwen-2013 for reviewing! As always, I hope you'll have a good time reading this!

"Let's gather some food for tonight," the fairy said softly, before heading toward the heart of the Moors.

They walked side by side in a comfortable silence for a while, until Maleficent remembered her servant was supposed to be off spying this afternoon.

"What news of the humans? Have they given up yet?" she asked with a sneer.

At this, he stopped dead with a gasp.

"I have to go back."

"I beg your pardon? You just came back," she protested.

She knew it was awfully childish of her, but now that she'd finally found the strength to let him close again, she wanted to enjoy every moment of his presence.

"They were talking about capturing me to get to you, but then the wind made them close the window, and before I could find another place to listen from I saw the storm and I thought you were in trouble."

Maleficent stiffened and cast a nervous glance in his direction. She was tempted to forbid him to go back, not only for her own selfish desire, but also to avoid any chances of him getting hurt.

"I don't like that," she said thoughtfully.

"Mistress, if you don't send me back we won't know what they plan to do."

The fairy took a few minutes to think this through. It was indeed too dangerous to let them have the element of surprise, and she certainly couldn't afford to watch over her servant all day and night to keep him from harm. Therefore, if the humans already knew about Diaval spying on them they would have set up some of their ugly traps to capture him earlier today. She shuddered at the thought of her precious pet in the hands of those humans, but if she thought about it rationally, she was forced to admit that he should be safe going back.

"Alright, go. But I want you back at the nest before nightfall," she said, granting him his true form.

That would leave him the rest of the afternoon to find out what he needed to, which was more than enough time. She wished he could have spent that time with her, but if the humans were planning to capture him, they had to know what was coming. His safety was more important than any of her petty desires.

She watched him warily as he sped off toward the village, trying to dismiss the feeling of dread that came with the thought of sending him into the midsts of their enemies.

Maleficent was back at her nest shortly before sunset with a bag of food and a skin of water. She was feeling so much better that she had actually spent her afternoon among the fair folk to help fix the damages caused by the storm. Once again, abandoning herself to Diaval had been surprisingly soothing. All her rage and bitterness had been muted, and her sorrow was no longer raw and restless. It was still there, withdrawn into a corner of her mind and waiting for another moment of weakness to strike, but it had been eased into something bearable.

She smiled to herself while dividing the food in two different bowls, glad to share her meals with her raven once again. It wouldn't be easy to deal with her feelings once they would go back to their close companionship, but it was worth the trouble. He would numb her pain with his affection and distract her from the grief, just like he did countless times before. She needed him to play that role, she realised with resignation, else today's drama was sure to happen again.

The fairy glanced up at the darkening sky with a weary sigh. Ever since Diaval went back to the village, she'd been having a hard time chasing away images upon images of her raven in a pool of his own blood, slowly agonizing to death. It had started as one of those silly thoughts so easily dismissed, but now that the sun was almost completely gone beyond the horizon without him returning, her mind was reeling with the worst scenarios imaginable. Unsurprisingly, her distress quickly turned into anger and she silently cursed her servant for worrying her so much.

She had draped her coat around herself and was about to leave the nest to look for him when she saw the familiar shape of Balthazar entering the clearing and walking toward her.

She climbed down to greet him, wondering if he came all the way to her tree only to scold her about today's unexpected storm. The tree warrior's loyalty had never faltered - even when she crowned herself queen of the Moors - but it didn't stop him from reprimanding her like a child whenever he felt the need to do so. Thankfully, he was always careful to wait until there was no one around.

She turned to him only to see an arrow protruding from his extended hand. A few more steps and her insides froze at the sight of the black feathered shape from which the arrow was in fact coming from, and she all but ran to him.

"No," Maleficent whispered brokenly when she realised the bloody lump before her was indeed her dear servant.

No. Please. She couldn't lose him. Not after everything she had lost already. Not when she had finally allowed herself to let him close. She reached for his feathers with a trembling hand, ignoring Balthazar's intent scrutiny, and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding when he stirred under her touch. His beady eyes focused on her at once and he chirped weakly. The corner of her lips went slightly up while she scratched at the base of his head in greetings.

Balthazar tilted his head to the side when she murmured reassurances to the wounded bird. He hadn't seen her so gentle and caring since before her wings were taken. It was good to know her old self wasn't as deep as everybody thought beneath the heartless and bitter behaviour.

"I'm going to remove the arrow, Diaval. It will hurt," Maleficent warned somberly.

She examined the wound with careful hands. The arrow was lodged near the junction of his wing and body. The head was broken down easily enough, but caused Diaval to squirm in pain.

"Shhhh. It will be over soon. Don't move," the fairy soothed.

Diaval cawed in distress but forced his rigid body to stay still while she extracted the arrow. The pain in his wing was so unbearable he thought he was going to faint. He could feel himself drifting away as a result of his blood pouring abundantly from the wound, but it didn't last more than a second, and then his flesh was knitting back together, leaving behind only a dull throbbing. He looked up at his mistress and crooned his thanks. The raven didn't know exactly when it happened, but he realised he was now safely tucked in her hands, her thumbs idly smoothing his chest feathers.

"Thank you, mistress," he said as soon as she granted him his human form.

A sudden dizziness took hold of him the moment he was on his feet, but a hand on his shoulder prevented him from losing his balance. Something was passed into his hands and he leaned on it gratefully, before realising it was Maleficent's staff. Then he felt her warm hands pulling at his shirt and froze while she inspected the wound on his shoulder.

"It might scar," the dark fairy remarked, before tugging the fabric back into place and taking a step away from him. "Are you alright?"

He nodded sheepishly and Balthazar nearly frowned at the soft smile the two exchanged. He had never been particularly happy about the young fairy shackling a wild animal to her, but upon seeing them interact together, maybe there was more to it than what he had anticipated. She was clearly relaxed around him, a far cry from the stiff and defensive demeanor she'd been constantly exhibiting ever since her wings were stolen. It seemed the bird was helping her heal, the tree warrior observed approvingly.

"What happened?" Maleficent demanded sternly.

Diaval recognised the fury tightly concealed in her voice and lost no time explaining.

"They had archers waiting for me at the border on my way back. They shot me down but I managed to hide in the Moors. Then Balthazar drove them away and picked me up." He turned to the tree warrior. "Thank you. You saved my life," he said earnestly.

Balthazar only nodded in response and kept his eyes on him for a few seconds, before turning to Maleficent and speaking in the old tongue of the fae. She let out a long sigh and looked warily at her servant while answering, "I know. I'll find a way."

Diaval tilted his head to the side and caught her eye, wondering what they were talking about. Before he could ask, however, she addressed him in a soft voice.

"You need rest, Diaval. Dinner is inside" she said, nodding toward her nest. "Go."

He blinked incredulously, unable to believe his mistress was willing to reveal so openly that her lowly servant was in any way welcomed in her nest. He couldn't help but gape in surprise, until Maleficent raised an insisting eyebrow to remind him he had just been given an order. That greatly helped, and the raven turned man hurriedly bowed his thanks to his mistress and gave a solemn nod to Balthazar, before making his exit.

The fairy and the tree warrior watched Diaval walk towards the nest in an awkward silence. Maleficent was wondering how long it would take her old friend to start reprimanding her about allowing an outsider into her nest so soon after Stephan's betrayal. It wouldn't be his first time acting like an overprotective parent, but that was to be expected as he practically raised her.

Her mind drifted back to reality when she noticed her servant was struggling to climb the tree with her staff and his wounded shoulder. She blew away a swirl of magic and her lips curved up as he yelped in surprise at the gentle nudge that sent him inside.

"Thank you for bringing him back," she said as soon as the raven had disappeared behind the climbers of the ivy plant.

The tree warrior nodded absently in response. He still couldn't believe humans would risk awakening the wrath of the Moors by crossing the border with iron weapons. This kind of incident had not happened since the end of the Dark Days, after most of the Great Fairies were cowardly killed by humans' assassins. Something was going on, and it seemed rather worrisome.

"The humans are getting bolder," he remarked.

Maleficent met his eyes and recognised the inquiring expression he would use whenever he suspected her to know something he didn't. She sighted warily and didn't think twice before sharing the news.

"They intend to capture Diaval to lure me out of the Moors," the dark fairy revealed quietly.

The tree warrior followed her gaze to the nest for a moment and clenched his jaw. It was indeed very much like humans to use innocent creatures in order to achieve their ends.

"Would that work?"

She turned to him and understood the underlying question behind his words. Would she risk her life to save Diaval? Maleficent lifted her chin and withstood his scrutiny while answering on a defying tone. "Yes."

She was the protector of the Moors after all, and Diaval had become one of the many souls she would defend at her own peril. Wings or not, it would always remain her duty.

The tree warrior averted his gaze and mumbled something in irritation. He wasn't annoyed she cared about the bird to the point of risking her life for him - she would do so for most of the fair folk. That was what protectors like them were sworn to do.

What he was mad at were those humans. It seemed they weren't as dumb as they looked, and were starting to realise they wouldn't be able to get to her directly. Such coward creatures. They truly had no sense of honor.

Whatever they were preparing to attack his people, he would make sure the Moors would be ready to strike back. Maybe it was time to remind men what kind of fate awaited unwanted trespassers in the magical land…

He nodded to the young fairy and was about to turn to the forest when he heard her addressing him.

"You don't... disapprove," the fairy remarked slowly.

Maleficent nearly winced at her own voice. She hadn't meant to say that out loud, but she'd been too baffled to hold back her astonishment. The situation didn't make any sense. She knew from experience that when he disapproved of something, the tree warrior was never shy to speak his mind - she lost count of the times he did so as she grew closer to Stefan - so why would he stay silent after finding out she shared her nest with her servant?

She steeled herself while he stared down at her, hoping he would eventually take the hint, ignore her last words and leave, but he had never been one to make things easy for her. After several minutes, she finally gave in and clarified her meaning by letting her eyes travel to her nest, before meeting his once again. His confusion turned into surprise and his expression somehow softened. She hated how the situation felt like she was asking for his opinion, but if she was honest with herself, she was truly curious to know what he thought about her new companion.

"I do not approve of enslaving innocent birds," he stated with a stern expression.

Maleficent frowned at him. That was something he had told her already. Was it really the only thing he disapproved of concerning Diaval?

"I freed him months ago. He wants to stay," she replied thoughtfully, before turning toward her nest.

A long silence followed, during which Balthazar kept his eyes on the young fairy. She looked wary and uncertain, almost vulnerable. He could advise her not to get too attached, but he suspected it was too late for that. Besides, considering how much her heart had hardened, he wouldn't be the one discouraging any form of bonding with another creature. It could only do her good. Especially since the black bird didn't seem half as untrustworthy as Stefan had been. He wasn't a man, nor did he live among them, and to him Maleficent wasn't just an occasional distraction. He had chosen to serve her over his own freedom, and was spending every single day by her side. Some would say it was because her magic gave him a way to be something more than a simple bird, but from the few times he had overheard him, he could tell the bird cared deeply for his mistress. Maybe even as much as she seemed to care for him.

"A good lad," he grunted reluctantly, ignoring the startled look his comment triggered in the fae.

He wasn't one to give away praises, but something was telling him that just this once, Maleficent needed him to voice his thoughts. He could tell she was wary of letting the bird close enough to help. She'd been hurt once. She didn't want to make the same mistake again. Unfortunately, in order to patch her wounds, she would need to expose them to a trusted confident, and the raven seemed to be the most likely candidate to play that role.

"You do what it takes to get better. No more storms," he instructed on a resolute tone, before turning away.

In the end, trusting him or not was her decision and hers only, but this time, nothing would keep him from monitoring the situation very closely.

"I'll keep an eye on the bird," he added as he disappeared among the trees before she could protest.

Maleficent reeled over to him and was about to give him a piece of her mind about minding his own damn business, but he was already gone. She let out an exasperated sigh. She hated when he did that. Although, she had to admit that it was a relief to know the tree warrior had her back on this. It helped to make peace with her decision of embracing the growing closeness with her servant.

She walked to her nest, still unable to believe she had actually escaped the scolding about getting attached to a foreign creature. Balthazar had accepted the whole thing without so much of a comment and had even implied that he appreciated her feathered pet. She was seriously wondering if this day could get any weirder...

A minute later, the rustling of leaves alerted Diaval his mistress was back, and he respectfully scooted away to a corner of the nest so she could have her space. A few months ago, he would have played his fancy gentleman part to help her in, but after having been banned from her nest for so long, being here somewhat made him a bit nervous. He wasn't sure what attitude to adopt with her right now, so he tried for their usual banter.

"I'm not sure you throwing me inside was entirely necessary," he mumbled moodily.

"Someone had to make sure you got in before morning," she replied, lips curving up slightly.

Their eyes met, and the warmth in there made the wounded raven relax unconsciously. He smirked back at her, all too happy to finally see her in such a light mood.

Maleficent sat down right next to him, ignoring the large space he had left available, and frowned when noticing he had actually waited for her to start eating. She barely refrained from rolling her eyes at his antics and scolding him like a child. He was certainly famished after today's events, but it seemed that spying almost daily on a castle full of pompous lords and ladies had made him too courteous for his own good.

"How do you feel?" asked the fairy.

"Still a bit shaken, but I'll be alright," he provided quietly.

Diaval's heartbeat fastened as she casually leaned against him while reaching for her bowl. Finding her sitting so close had come as a delightful surprise, and he was relieved to see her so at ease with his proximity. It was almost as if the last few months had never existed.

"You're not to fly for the next week," she said, breaking him out of his musing.

"Yes mistress. Thank you for the food."

She nodded in response and they ate in a comfortable silence, exchanging small talk now and then. It was only when his mistress started to pile up their bowls together that Diaval got the nerve to ask the one thing he wanted to know since he came back.

"How do you feel?" he asked cautiously.

Maleficent paused and raised her eyes to meet his. "Better," she conceded softly.

As she literally went from lashing out in agony to quiet contentment, she supposed it was quite the understatement, but he didn't need to know the details. It might not last long, though, a voice reminded her somberly. She tried to focus on cleaning up the dishes in the hope to distract her mind from such thinking, but Diaval seemed to have followed the same line of thought.

"Mistress, please talk to me next time you feel down. Turn me into anything you like best, and we'll find a way to make you feel better. You shouldn't try to go through this alone. Not when you have me."

She nodded, her features softening at his pleading voice. She couldn't believe how desperate he seemed to be allowed to soothe her pain once again. The thought had never crossed her mind before, but it must have been difficult for him to witness her misery getting worse day after day without being able to do anything about it.

The fairy let out a weary sigh. She wished she had realised sooner how much she needed him to ease her sorrow. For both their sakes.

"I will," she replied softly, her eyes meeting his.

Diaval's heart skipped a beat when he recognised the longing in her eyes. He's been waiting for that look ever since spring had started to make his mistress look so miserable. After all this time, he was thrilled that relief finally seemed to be within reach for the both of them.

His movements were slow and his body tense as he rolled back his good shoulder to snake an arm around her waist. The raven turned man was watching her intently, ready to withdraw at the smallest hint from her, but her demeanor was nothing short of keen and peaceful as she leaned into him. He relaxed as soon as she was tucked against his side and couldn't refrain a deep sigh of contentment at the delightful warmth that spread through his body. Right at this moment, he realised how empty his life had been those last few months.

The dark fairy smiled, amused by the way his rib cage had heaved almost dramatically in pure bliss. It seemed he had missed curling up with her at least as much as she had...

She closed her eyes and let the embrace of her raven work its own special magic on her. His heartbeat, his familiar scent and his strong arms around her were making her feel whole and loved again. She had no idea how it was possible, but he was healing her from the inside.

For once, she was tempted to follow Balthazar's advice and focus her time and energy on recovering, especially if it meant abandoning herself in the arms of her servant every single night.

"I want you here with me tonight," she said in a whisper.

"Of course, mistress," he replied with a nod.

She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder, revelling in the moment. A feeling of fondness for him warmed her chest as he held her tighter and gently lowered his head on top of hers. But for the first time in months, she didn't try to shoo the emotion away. By now, she knew there was no point in doing so.

"It is not an order, you know," she added as an afterthought. It's never been an order.

She didn't know what was getting into her all of a sudden, but she had this strange urge to make sure his actions came from some kind of affectionate feelings for her, and not only out of duty. Such thoughts were foolish, but it would make her feel better, and this was precisely why she was in his arms right now, wasn't it?

He caught her eye and slowly took her hand into his. He was aware he was breaking the rules, but by the way her slender fingers interlocked with his instantly, he could tell she didn't mind.

"There's nowhere I'd rather sleep, Mistress" he whispered earnestly.

She took a deep breath and refrained from doing anything rash - like letting show how much his words pleased her. How was she supposed to remain cool and indifferent when he made her shattered heart melt back together in a torrent of love and yearning? Those feelings had been the ones to scare her away a few months ago, but now she could almost let herself enjoy them. At the worst, she saw them as a mere inconvenience that could be dealt with. She just had to keep herself from doing anything that could lead him to think she liked him more than was acceptable. He did have the power to hurt her, but as long as he never figured that out, he shouldn't constitute a danger to her. The thought of Diaval being a threat to anyone did sound absolutely ridiculous - he was the sweetest and most caring creature she ever knew - but losing her wings to a loved one had taught her to never again take anyone for granted. She would end up utterly consummated by pain and rage if...

"Mistress?" Diaval called, putting an end to her darkening thoughts.

He had noticed a slight frown on her face, and suspected her to be brooding again. She'd been doing that a lot, lately, and it always seemed to make her more miserable by the second.

"Can we read a book?" he inquired, in the hope to distract her.

She raised her eyes to him and a small smile tugged at her lips. He always knew when to divert her attention from painful matters. Even when he was left in his raven form, he would fly into nearby trees or somehow make a fool of himself anytime he noticed her mood darkening too much. Despite the usual scolding he would get for making such a racket, it had saved her from losing herself in sorrow more than once. She could just hope he knew how grateful she was for that.

In any case, the dark fairy would have gladly welcomed the distraction if only he hadn't been stifling a yawn while asking her. His eyes were also tired and he looked like he was putting extra effort in keeping them open. The day must have been particularly draining for him.

"We may tomorrow, if you wish. Tonight you need rest. Lie down," she instructed, reluctantly pulling away from him.

Diaval gave a small pat to the glowing flower above and obeyed. He watched as the flower obediently closed, plunging the nest into darkness. His mistress was soon curling back against his side and he took her into his arms. The first thing he noticed was that she got thinner since they last slept together, and the raven-man made a mental note to get her to improve her eating habits in the future.

She had laid her head on his good shoulder, one hand resting on his chest and the other under his head. A pleased sound rumbled deep in his throat as she started to scratch at the base of his skull.

Maleficent couldn't help a light chuckle at the peculiar noise coming from her servant. She closed her eyes, allowing herself a small smile. She had forgotten how easy it was to relax in her nest without an aching back - or heart.

However, sleep didn't come easily to the fairy. Today, she had finally given up trying to deny her feelings and had let their closeness grow back to the way it was. But when it should have been a simple relief to enjoy, it was in fact bringing up more uncertainties than anything. This was unknown territory for them, and Maleficent realised she didn't even know what exactly that made them. She couldn't lie to herself into thinking of him as a mere servant or even a simple pet any longer.

Her mind was restless for almost an hour, raising more questions than answers. Would his arms be able to ward off her grief forever? How long until her feelings made her crave for more? How much more could she ask of him before crossing the line? Were his devotion and caring nature the only reasons for his willingness to comfort her? Didn't he resent her at all for pulling away from him for so long? What had she become for him?

The beginning of a headache made her twitch in irritation and an annoyed sigh left her.

"Mistress?" She heard him whisper. "Are you still awake?"

The fairy opened her eyes and found him staring back at her.

"I can't sleep either," he admitted sheepishly.

She raised an eyebrow, wondering if the same kind of thoughts were plaguing his mind as well. By now, he should have been long asleep, especially after the eventful day he'd had.

"Is something troubling you?" Maleficent asked while shifting to better face him.

The raven turned man pressed his lips together in a thin line. He had been going through the best ways to travel safely from the Moors to the human kingdom. The thought of getting killed or captured without Maleficent even knowing about it was enough to keep him awake despite his exhaustion. He couldn't stand the idea of not returning to her when she needed him most.

"I was thinking about how to avoid getting shot at again the next time you'll send me to the kingdom," he confessed softly.

Of course, he trusted her to find a new set of wings to do her bidding in no time, but he was afraid she would lose herself even further if she thought her faithful raven had chosen to abandon her. She would think of herself as broken for good and unlovable when she was anything but. He tightened his hold on her as if to protect her from such silly notions. Despite what she may already be thinking, she was far from unlovable, Diaval thought fiercely. The deep feelings bubbling inside him anytime he looked at her were proof of that.

"Don't be daft," Maleficent replied, rolling her eyes at him. "After what happened today I won't send you anywhere without appropriate protection."

How could he not know she would never let those filthy humans hurt him again? How could he not know she cared for him way more than any information he might carry? Guilt rose in her chest when she realised it certainly had something to do with how distant and cold she'd been to him, lately. She let her hand comb through his hair for a moment, as if it would help to make amends for her past behaviour, and scratched at his favorite spot.

"Protection? With magic?" Diaval asked idly, closing his eyes under the lovely caresses. He tilted his head to the side in order to grant her better access and managed not to moan in pleasure while his thumb drew circles on her waist.

"Yes. I'm not sure what kind of spells to use on you yet, but we've got a week to figure it out."

She saw the excited glint in his eye, the same that would always appear whenever gleaming things or magic were involved, and cut him short before he could start chattering endlessly about how he would like her to enchant him - surely with the mention of something glittering in the process. She would need his input on this, but right now was no time for such things.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. In the meantime, you should try to get some rest."

"Yes, Mistress," he complied obediently.

The raven turned man was about to relax into slumber when he remembered she hadn't been able to find sleep either. What if something was bothering his mistress? Maybe it would help her to talk about it.

"What about you? Is there something on your mind?"

By the way Maleficent tensed, he could tell she didn't want to talk about it, so he closed his eyes and didn't push the matter. He had nearly fallen asleep when he heard her voice addressing him.

"I've been pushing you away for the last few months," she started slowly, meeting his gaze. "Do you know why?"

Diaval's heart skipped a beat. He would have never hoped to be given an explanation about his mistress' suddenly distant behaviour of late, yet it seemed to be where this conversation was heading. She sounded careful and reluctant, but her eyes were determined. He was truly touched by her willingness to go through what he knew would be an uncomfortable topic just for his sake.

"No, Mistress."

Maleficent took a deep breath to prevent herself from backing away. She'd been this far. She knew what she had to say. The only thing left was to actually say it.

"Our bond has grown beyond the ties of a mistress and her servant. When it had come to my attention, I was reluctant to let that happen."

Obviously, it was an understatement of the real reason, but there were things she couldn't reveal to him.

"I understand, Mistress."

Of course he would, she thought fondly, and felt guilty for taking advantage of his forgiving nature again. She'd been doing it far too often since the day they met.

"Today, I realised it was in my best interest to accept that fact instead of fighting it, but I still have no idea what that makes us."

Diaval looked at her, wondering if he could take the risk of telling her the truth. As far as he was concerned, she was his mate. That fact had become clear when nesting season came without the usual call of nature urging him to choose a life partner. His heart already belonged to his mistress. It always would. He had found his place in the world, and it was by her side.

Lost in his daydreaming, he reached for her hand without thinking, but stopped short of touching her when he remembered he wasn't supposed to make any moves towards her. The fact that she had tolerated his boldness of late didn't mean he should push his luck.

The dark fairy glanced at him when she felt his fingers brush tentatively the hand she had resting on his chest, and frowned as he pulled back immediately. She seized his withdrawing hand and rolled her eyes at the delighted smile that spread on his face. She was glad his deference prevented him from straying too far away from the rules she had carefully set up with him, but now she wondered if it wouldn't be more effective to allow him some freedom about such things. Having him actually choose to give her tenderness and affection would make the whole thing infinitely more pleasurable than when he was merely following her command. It would make it feel real. As if they were...

"What am I to you, Diaval?" She suddenly asked in the hope to distract her mind from such thinking.

The raven-man frowned. The moment seemed to be the perfect occasion for him to tell her he considered her as his mate, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. At least not so bluntly. She had just let herself get close to him - this time, apparently, for good - so the last thing he wanted was to scare her away. He had to be smart about this.

"I'll always be your servant, Mistress," he started, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "But if I may speak freely…" She nodded. "I've been thinking of you as family for a while."

Family. Was it what they had become? Her parents died long before she could remember what it was like to have a family, but she imagined the notion wasn't too far fetched. They practically lived together after all, and even though they sometimes had some disagreements, they cared for each other very much. Wasn't it what families were all about? A sweet smile graced her lips and she closed her eyes. Family. She liked the thought of that. It wasn't too revealing nor too fickle a word for the deep bond that had grown between them.

"I think it quite suits our situation," she admitted on a sleepy voice.

Her words made his face lit up with a wide grin. He couldn't believe she found the term appropriate. It could only mean she felt the same as he did! He thought his heart might explode with the exhilaration of officially having a family of his own. She might never want to be his mate, but at least they were a family, and to him it was pretty much the same.

The dark fairy peeked at him through her eyelashes. "Wipe that giant smirk off your face and go to sleep, already," she growled in annoyance.

She knew the slight smile on her face had ruined the effect when she heard his careless chuckle, but she didn't care much. She was just glad her approval seemed to make him so utterly happy.

"Of course, Mistress," he obliged at once. "Good night," he added softly, drinking in the blissful feeling of holding the creature he loved most against him.

Her face relaxed into a peaceful smile, eyelids fluttering close once again.

"Good night, Diaval," she whispered.

Her peace of mind restored, Maleficent welcomed a well deserved sleep while trying to dismiss the fact that a family of two unrelated individuals from both gender sounded an awful lot like mates…

So I was going to involve some kissing in this chapter but I'll let Maleficent some more time to settle with the situation. From now on, their relationship should evolve a bit more easily. Next chapter we'll have a bit of action going on and dig deeper into fairy life and culture. I might write another smaller Maleval fanfiction before starting to work on it, though.

Also to answer Long time fan, I don't think I'll make them have sex on this particular story (or maybe I'll imply it somehow at some point), but I'm thinking about writing another fanfiction derivative from this one but purely smut.

Again, many thanks to DancingKitKat for her help and support.