Baby steps

Are we out of the woods? Are we in the clear yet? | Next Fic | 4/4

The first three days passed incredibly slowly, in Catra's eyes. She'd wanted to stay by Adora's side and keep her safe... but... but watching as she struggled for breath, hooked up underneath a billion lines, all pumping something new into her body... it made Catra feel sick.

So she'd busied herself in looking after the kid.
Violet. She reminded herself.

Catra didn't have the first clue in how to look after a kid, and it was apparent. She'd only seen the eldest cadets, who weren't allowed to serve anymore, watch after the young ones when the warden didn't. She knew they needed feeding and changing and keeping clean, but that was about it. Sure, Catra had seen some of the war damaged cadets care for the young cadets on a deeper level, almost parentally, but she didn't really know how to love a child. She'd not experienced love, not until Adora. But that love was different.

In the measly five weeks she'd been back on Etheria with Adora, she'd seen the blonde parent and love her daughter with something Catra didn't think any Horde kids had. It surprised her, but also warmed her in ways she didn't expect. Motherhood suited Adora well. Not quite as well as the fighter lifestyle she liked to lead, helping the weak and protecting those that couldn't protect themselves, but it suited her.

Catra left Adora's bedside after the third day, after she'd washed her down. She'd washed her meticulously, scrubbing out the dirt and grime from her hair. She used a water comb that Sparkles had given her and used it to brush through the thick strands of blonde hair until it was smooth and free of knots. She scrubbed her body with a strawberry scented wash, being careful and delicate around the scar on her chest and side. After she'd drained the tub, she sat Adora up against her chest, using a hairdryer to dry her hair and re-brushing it into a braid. When Adora was sick as a cadet, or badly injured, she'd ask for Catra to braid her hair. It kept it out of her face, but kept it mostly off of her neck as well.

Despite Catra staying with Violet in the nursery, she always returned to Adora's bedside every four days to rewash her and her hair, brushing it into a loose braid. That was usually once Violet had gone for her full-night nap. Catra would meander to the nursery and take five bottles for the day and hole in her room to look after the four, turning five, month old. All things considered, Catra thought she was a fairly easy baby. Sure she cried and whined a lot, but nothing too loud. All Catra had to do was dangle something shiny in front of her, or hold her as they chilled on the balcony.

With every day that passed, all thirty-one, Catra could see the resemblance of Adora growing stronger and stronger. Sure, Violet's eyes stayed... well, violet, and half of her hair stayed red, but the rest of it slowly morphed into the blonde warrior. The eye shape was Adora, the sharp nose, the sly tilt of her mouth, even at a young age- all Adora. On the rare occasion when Violet would have a tantrum, Catra would be convinced that she'd glow slightly.

When Violet began to hold herself up without help, Catra prayed harder for Adora to wake up. She was heartbroken when they were in space, and Vi had grown so much. Now? Catra totally hadn't read any baby books, but if she had, then she'd know that from four months onwards really, was when they started to get interesting. They'd start to sit, then crawl, then talk.

Whatever god owned Etheria seemed to answer her hourly begs for her best friend (girlfriend now?) to wake up, for Adora began to show signs of coming out of her coma the following day. It still took her another four days to wake up, and in those days, the healers had managed to finally beat the virus from the guardian.

When Adora woke up again, it was to Catra by her face. "Hey, you," Catra whispered. Her tail gave away the pure excitement in her body, whipping happily behind. "Hi," Adora whispered back. "How're you feeling? The healers said you might feel a bit shit for a few days," Adora swallowed. "You could say that," She mumbled. Catra hummed, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I hope you don't mind, but I washed you while you were out," She said. Adora groaned. "Oh god, I'm sorry. That must've been so gross,"