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artificialqueens · 2 years

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Masters of the Scene, Chapter 11 (Bitney Parent Trap AU) - Veronica

A/N: Click here for prequels and previous chapters, or here if you’d rather read on AO3.

Chapter Summary: Bianca and Courtney finally sit Adore and Danny down and ask them why they pulled the whole switch extravaganza. They’re surprised by their answers, and reluctantly agree to some ‘family time’ as a result.

***

“So…” Bianca began, folding her hands.

“So, we really need you guys to tell us what’s going on,” Courtney said.

Adore took a deep breath. She and Danny were on the sofa in the living room, facing both of their mothers, who sat opposite them in armchairs. After what had been a totally great breakfast—especially once Fame left—Bianca and Courtney had informed the kids that they needed to have a family meeting. At first, Adore was a little excited, even that they were thinking of the four of them as “family” was a great sign. Until they actually all sat down, and their expressions went serious.

The whole thing felt a little bit like a police interrogation—Bad Cop Bianca leaning forward, her elbows on her knees, eyes narrowed, while Good Cop Courtney sat back thoughtfully in her chair, a hand under her chin.

“What is it that you hoped to gain from this little stunt?” Bianca added sternly.

“And why did you feel like you couldn’t just talk to us directly?” asked Courtney. Though her voice was softer than Bianca’s, it was just as serious—in some ways, that was even scarier.

Adore glanced over at Danny, who was biting his lip. She knew that he expected her to speak first, to take the lead, but as much as they’d discussed this, she wasn’t actually sure what she should say. She wasn’t used to being tongue-tied; she just cared so much about saying the right thing, the thing that would make them understand, that it was paralyzing. After a few excruciating seconds, she was about to just start babbling anyway when her brother surprised her.

“Di-did you know that last night was the first time we’ve seen you in the same room together?” he asked, swallowing hard. “At least, that either of us can remember?”

“I…” Courtney began, then faltered, looking slightly ashamed. “No. No, I didn’t…realize that.”

Adore could see in her eyes that she was starting to beat herself up. And if she knew Mama, she was doing the same thing behind her serious poker face.

“We’re not trying to make you feel bad,” Adore told them. “But we want to be a family.”

“Adore-” Bianca said, clearly gearing up for a whole lecture.

“I know what you’re gonna say,” Adore cut in, pleading, “But I just mean…sometimes. Can’t we sometimes all spend time together? Once in awhile?”

“Breakfast was great, right? So…you can do it,” said Danny, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. “We love you both, and we just want…”

He looked down, and Adore could see the tears shimmering in his eyes. She reached out and grabbed his hand, then looked back at her mothers, challenging, sitting up a little straighter.

“You asked us what we want. This is what we want,” she said adamantly. “More time together, more time with you. Both of you.”

Bianca and Courtney shared a glance, and Courtney gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“We can try. If that’s what you guys really want,” Bianca said.

“Yes! We’re not saying that you have to be best friends or anything, but…it would be really cool if we could have some holidays together,” said Adore.

“Maybe even take some family vacations?” Danny offered. “If we’re out of town, it would be neutral territory.”

“And we want more visits,” Adore cut in to add, feeling like this was the time to put everything out there. “With both of you. Longer ones. And some one on one time, but also more time for Danny and I to be together.”

“Listen, my loves. We can look at the visitation schedule, but we do live on opposite sides of the country,” said Courtney.

“We didn’t choose that,” Danny said, voice breaking, and Adore squeezed his hand. She could already see the waterworks spreading, as Courtney dabbed the edge of her eyes with her sleeve.

“We’ll do better, okay?” Bianca said. “And we can also be better about calling and FaceTiming. Maybe we can have a regular schedule.”

Courtney looked over at her with a grateful smile, and that’s when Adore saw the perfect opening.

“Mum, can you and Danny stay here for the week?” she asked, giving Courtney her best puppy eyes.

“I-I don’t know, honey. A week is a long time, and we both have work-”

“But you’re off until the end of the month,” Adore reminded her. “That’s what you said.”

“And Mama’s off too this week,” Danny supplied helpfully.

“It’s a real imposition, love-” Courtney began, but Bianca interrupted.

“Well-”

They exchanged another uncertain look. Adore could feel her heart in her throat, waiting for an answer. Things were already going so well. They were getting along, and seemed to be totally united, and if they could just have a few more days, Adore was certain that they’d start to remember just how much they loved each other. Her eyes moved from one to the other, just barely catching Bianca give a little shrug before they both turned back to the kids.

“Look, let’s just…see how it goes, okay?” Courtney asked.

“Yes!” Adore cried, jumping up and pumping her fist. She ran to them, throwing her arms around both of them, Danny close at her heels.

***

At first, Courtney was a ball of nerves. What business did she have pretending that she could act normal around Bianca? It had been hard enough the first day, the first morning, and she’d nearly crumbled on multiple occasions. The whole thing was a recipe for disaster. But, it was for the kids, so she forced herself past the anxiety that felt like it was eating her stomach from the inside.

Because they were so, so happy. And seeing the joy on their faces all day made any suffering worth it.

The strange part was that after awhile, it didn’t actually feel like suffering. That gnawing in her stomach subsided, the nervous twisting of any tissue or napkin that ended up in her hands. She even stopped biting the skin on her cuticles and just began to have a good time.

Turned out, the twins’ happiness was infectious. They played a giggly game of rock, paper, scissors to determine who would choose their activities for the day. And when Danny won, Adore didn’t even pout or roll her eyes—she just went along with his suggestion of the bowling alley with a spring in her step.

Bianca was a terrible bowler, and she knew it, but she was also highly competitive, and took every swing incredibly seriously. Soon, they were all having a hard time keeping a straight face every time she missed and let loose a string of curse words that made the family in the lane next to them toss angry, dirty looks over their shoulders.

After her fourth gutterball, and fourth hilariously angry diatribe, Adore called out, “Watch your fucking language, this is a family activity!”

“This is a stupid fucking family activity, who’s idea was this anyway?” Bianca grumbled, sitting down heavily in one of the hard plastic chairs.

Danny raised his hand, a cheerful smile on his face, proclaiming, “Mine.”

“Oh…right.” Bianca reached out for Danny, who slid closer and rested a head on her shoulder as Adore got up to take her turn.

“I think you’re really improving,” said Courtney. “That last swing almost knocked one down.”

“Ha ha ha, fuck you,” Bianca said, and Courtney couldn’t help bursting into giggles, especially when she saw the dimples appearing in Bianca’s cheek.

It was getting harder and harder to remember that they’d been estranged for so much longer than they’d been together.

After the game, the four of them squished into a booth in the adjacent diner for fries and grilled cheese.

“Enjoy this junk while you can,” Courtney warned. “Because I went shopping this morning, and tonight I’m gonna make everyone a delicious and healthy dinner. Seitan kebabs with beet slaw and roasted Brussels sprouts.”

Bianca laughed, shaking her head. “Are you planning to disguise this nutritious food in a pizza? Because that’s the only way Adore will eat it.”

Adore looked up from her phone, where she’d been furiously typing something, brow furrowed.

“I like Brussels sprouts,” she said.

“Since when?”

“Since I tried the way Mum makes them,” she said, going back to her phone.

Courtney looked at Bianca with a victorious smirk, biting down on a French fry.

“Well…alright then.”

“Danny’s not allowed to eat them though,” Adore said.

“Why not?” Danny asked.

“Because I don’t want you farting in my bed all night. So either skip the sprouts, or you can sleep on the couch.”

Danny huffed, crossing his arms, although Courtney could see the sparkle in his eyes.

“Listen, the couch is better than your room in the city,” Adore added.

“What’s wrong with his room in the city?” Courtney asked her, unable to suppress her curiosity.

“Nothing’s wrong with it,” Bianca said, the exact same time Adore explained, “It’s a closet.”

“It’s not a closet! And put down your phone, we’re supposed to be having family time,” Bianca reminded her, “that youdemanded.”

“I’m working on a thing, for the family,” Adore said, then turned to Danny. “Don’t you think it’s a closet? There’s no window.”

“Well, it’s small, but…it’s cozy,” Danny said unconvincingly.

“Cozy for a jail cell,” Adore replied with a chuckle.

Bianca’s cheeks were starting to darken with embarrassment. “Adore, knock it off. You’re gonna make Courtney think that I can’t take care of you guys-”

“It’s okay,” Courtney cut in. “I understand how real estate works in New York.”

“Right.” Bianca caught Courtney’s eye, shoulders relaxing.

“Um…Mama, did you tell Adore about the expansion? And the new stores you’re opening?” Danny asked.

“New stores?” Adore lifted her head. “Where?

Courtney slipped an arm around his shoulders, proud of him for seeing how uncomfortable Bianca was and helping to build her up.

“Well, yeah, we’re tripling production next year,” Bianca said, clearly thrilled but trying her best to appear casual, as if tripling production on a clothing line was just a normal part of business that happened all the time, “so the idea is to open stores in a couple of new cities, just as a kind of marketing thing.”

“Tripling?! Wait, is one of the new stores gonna be in LA?!” Adore asked, now excited.

“Could be,” Bianca nodded and took a sip of her Diet Coke, the picture of cool nonchalance once again.

Adore looked across the table at Courtney, asking, “Did you hear that? Isn’t that awesome?!”

“Yeah, I heard,” Courtney said, shooting Bianca a grin. “Pretty impressive.”

Bianca smiled back, then cleared her throat and asked, “So…what do you guys want to do tomorrow? Please, no more sports.”

“Is bowling really a sport?” Courtney wondered.

“Yeah, there’s a ball and I hate it,” Bianca replied.

“You’re just mad that you suck,” Adore laughed, stealing a fry from her plate.

“Exactly!”

“Don’t worry, Mama, we’re not planning on any more athletic activities,” Danny promised.

“Good. So…what do you think? Beach day, maybe?”

“Well…” Adore and Danny exchanged a conspiratorial look, and then Adore continued, “Me and Danny are actually planning something kinda special.”

“But it’s a surprise,” Danny added.

“A surprise?” Always a skeptic, Bianca’s eyebrow immediately shot up.

“Yeah, so it would be really helpful if you could like, stay out of the house all day,” said Adore.

“All day?!”

Courtney was wondering the same thing. What could they possibly be up to?

“Well like…12 to 6.”

“Maybe 11 to 6,” Danny corrected.

“Okay, yeah, 11 to 6,” said Adore, then turned to Courtney and added, “Also you should know that it’s gonna be a cheat day. A little bit of dairy and some seafood.”

“Oh god,” Bianca moaned, putting a hand to her forehead. “You’re cooking? You’re gonna burn down my house, aren’t you?”

Danny laughed and reached across the table to pat her hand. “You can trust us! We promise. But we do need you to leave.”

“Where are we supposed to go all day?” Courtney asked.

“Well…you could go to the beach like Mama just said.”

“Or! There’s a very nice spa less than a mile away.” He suddenly whipped a brochure out of his cargo shorts and unfolded it, showing it to Courtney. “See?”

“How long have you been planning this?”

“Awhile,” Adore said.

“Yeah guys, I don’t know about…ooh, they have shiatsu and hot stone massages.”

“See? You should treat yourself. You deserve it,” Danny encouraged.

“You guys…are such manipulative little monsters,” Bianca said, and off Adore’s shrug, added, “Good thing I love a spa day.”

She sat back with a grin, which faltered just slightly when Courtney caught her eye. Would they really be able to get through a day alone together? Courtney took a deep breath, resigning herself to the fact that she needed to at least try. After all, she wasn’t going to be the one who dashed her kids’ hopes.

***

“Goodnight, Mum,” Adore said, hugging Courtney tightly.

“Goodnight, my love. Sleep well.” Courtney kissed her on the top of her head.

On the other side of the bed, Bianca was saying goodnight to Danny, and Adore couldn’t help but revel in the warmth of this very basic scene—her brother at her side and both of her moms putting them to bed. She knew they were probably too old for this kind of thing, but for once, that didn’t stop her. She just sighed happily, leaning on Courtney’s shoulder and inhaling her scent.

“Can’t wait until you see what we have planned tomorrow,” Adore murmured, and Courtney giggled.

“I’m sure it’ll be marvelous,” she said, giving Adore one final kiss before releasing her.

Even just thinking about it, Adore’s stomach filled with nervous, excited butterflies. She thought the plan was pretty magical—but would her moms agree?

Courtney and Bianca both began to walk around the bed to say goodnight to the other twin, leading to a very cute moment of them awkwardly trying to get around each other without touching.

Adore snuck a sly glance at Danny, who was grinning like a loon, clearly delighted by the whole moment too. She looked back at Bianca, who was doing her typical thing when she tried to hide her nerves, running her fingers through her hair.

“Hi, Mama…”

“What are you smiling about?” Bianca asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“Nothing. I’m just…happy to be with you.”

“Mmmhmm…” Bianca sat on the edge of her bed. “You gonna tell me what’s going on tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Is it gonna piss me off?”

“I hope not,” Adore said honestly, then added, “Actually, I think you’ll love it.”

“Hmm.”

“Because you love me, right?”

Bianca grinned, dimples deep in her cheeks as she pulled Adore in for a big hug. “With all my heart, pussycat.”

***

“So…what exactly are we looking for here?” Shangela asked, following Danny through the outlet mall. As requested, she’d picked him up at 9 am on the dot. When Bianca tried to ask her what was going on, all she said was that she was ‘just the driver,’ pulling away before Bianca could ask any more questions while Danny grinned mischievously, waving.

“Well…” Danny wasn’t exactly sure how much of the plan Adore had revealed to Shangela, but he knew that she was one of Bianca’s oldest friends, and someone he could trust. “We’re kind of trying to recreate…a night.”

“Uh huh…” Shangela raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for Danny to continue.

“Um…this date that they had. It was when they both came out. And we want to get clothes that are like…what they were both wearing.”

Shangela was silent for a few moments, then nodded. “Okay, so…who’s first?”

“Mum,” Danny said, smiling. “She was wearing a light pink dress.”

“Ah…what about this one?” Shangela asked, holding up a nearby dress, but Danny shook his head.

“It’s the wrong pink. See, the one she has here is lighter, and it’s…” Danny showed her his screen, zoomed in on a picture of Courtney. “It’s almost peach.”

“Okay. Pale peachy-pink it is,” Shangela said with a grin, turning to another rack.

“We just…really want it to be right,” Danny explained. “We want them to really remember that night.”

“I understand,” Shangela said simply. After a few moments, she cleared her throat and added, “You know…when they first split up, I didn’t really believe it.”

“You didn’t?”

“No.” She shook her head. “They just seemed so happy to me, so perfect for each other. And I know your mama, maybe better than anyone else…they really loved each other. I assumed it was just a fight, and they’d figure things out. For a long time, I assumed that they’d get back together. Hoped that they’d get back together.”

Danny was quiet, trying to collect his thoughts. On the one hand, it was so nice to know that Shangela recognized how special their relationship was, and knowing that she was rooting for them to get back together affirmed that he and Adore just might be on the right track after all. On the other hand…

“You’re using a lot of past tense,” he said softly.

Shangela turned back towards him, pulling him in for a hug before placing her hands on both of his shoulders.

“I’m glad that you guys have hope. I think it’s great. But…I just don’t want you to be too crushed if it doesn’t work out. Because it’s been a long time. And…you know…Mama’s engaged now.”

Danny nodded. She was right, of course. It was a longshot. They knew that already. He tried not to feel too deflated.

“Hey! What about this one?!” Shangie suddenly exclaimed, pulling another dress off the rack.

Danny looked at it—the perfect color, the right kind of fabric and even the right length. It could certainly work.

“Yes!” he cried, then looked up at Shangela with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem, kiddo.” Shangela said, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “Why don’t we get a couple of sizes and you can return the ones she doesn’t need?”

***

Courtney took a deep breath, trying to stop her hands from shaking as she tied her robe. What was wrong with her? Why was she suddenly so self-conscious? It was never like this before—if anything, her friends accuse her of being an exhibitionist. And as Willam said all the time, ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it.’

Of course, Willam was also the one who tried to convince her to get double-D tits back when she was contemplating surgeries.

“Come on! You’re going under the knife anyway, why not leave with a set of huge knockers? That’s what I’d do!”

“Well Bill, you and I are very different people.”

After considering all of her options, she opted out of any top surgery at all. Instead, she stuck with the boobs that grew on their own—after two years on HRT, she had a generous B cup, and that felt like plenty. Bianca certainly hadn’t ever complained.

It wasn’t self-consciousness, she realized, once she thought about it some more. It was the idea of being naked in the same room as Bianca—even turned away, facing the lockers. Even though they would be putting on robes to walk around. The intimacy of it freaked her out. Which was why she pretended to be answering some urgent text messages while Bianca changed, why she never once looked up at her. Why she’d waited until she’d left the changing room to take off her own clothes.

She headed towards the spa facilities. It was a huge place, and with any luck, they could keep a safe, comfortable distance from each other all day. But just her luck…as she turned the corner, Bianca was rising up out of the jacuzzi.

Courtney tried to look away quickly, but found herself unable to. The clingy white bikini had gone translucent in the water, and Courtney didn’t know how it was possible, but she was even sexier than she’d been back when they were together, luscious curves making Courtney’s vision blur. This was why she’d avoided seeing her change before…because that intense physical attraction that had been there before was back, so strong it nearly knocked her over. She could almost feel the wet fabric of Bianca’s bikini strings in her hands, pulling them until the bathing suit fell to the ground, pressing her against the cool marble walls.

It wasn’t until she’d paused to catch her breath, staring at the tile floor, that Courtney realized what she should have earlier.

Bianca was wearing a bathing suit. Everyone here was wearing a bathing suit.

Courtney felt like kicking herself. For years, she’d been going to a spa in Santa Monica, where nudity was basically a requirement, all members walking around without a stitch of clothing. But this wasn’t Santa Monica, this was the Hamptons. Of course ladies in the Hamptons would wear bathing suits in the spa. She was frankly surprised they weren’t in strings of pearls.

She backed out of the spa area, panicking. Normally, this would be a no-brainer—her usual underwear was black cotton panties and soft bras that could easily pass for a bathing suit. But of course, today she’d opted for a red lace thong and matching embroidered bra, both unmistakably lingerie. Why had she done that?

Who was she kidding, she knew why she did it—in case Bianca happened to catch a glimpse of her changing, that was why. In her haste to run back to the changing area, she nearly knocked over some poor girl attempting to restock the towels.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed. “I just, I realized that everyone wears bathing suits here and in my spa at home, we-”

“Do you need a suit from the gift shop?” the girl asked calmly, catching onto the situation right away like some kind of guardian angel.

“Yes! Omigod, yes, where-”

“I’ll bring a selection right away,” she said, checking the locker number on the key around Courtney’s wrist.

It only took Courtney a few minutes to change—she chose a paisley-print bikini that was more cute than sexy—but another five to stop her heart from hammering in her chest. By the time she made it back to the jacuzzi, Bianca was nowhere to be seen, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she sank into the water.

For the rest of the day, they managed to stay out of each other’s space, seeing each other only in passing in between getting scrubbed and buffed and soaked and rubbed. By the time Courtney had her final service, which was a 90 minute hot-stone massage, she was almost feeling relaxed. Afterwards, she lay on a chaise lounge in the quiet room, sipping some peppermint tea.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she nearly lept out of her seat.

“Sorry, sorry,” Bianca said, trying to keep her voice soft. “But we should probably shower and change. It’s almost 5:30, and I’m kind of freaking out about what the kids have gotten up to.”

“Yeah, of course,” Courtney said. “I can be ready in about 20 minutes, is that okay?”

“That’s perfect,” Bianca said, giving her a smile. “In fact, I’ll be generous and throw in an extra…7 minutes, if you want.”

“Wow. Thanks,” Courtney laughed, finishing the last of her tea, wondering why they’d avoided each other all day. But she also supposed it had been safer that way.

***

The ride home from the spa was quiet, both Bianca and Courtney feeling relaxed and maybe a bit afraid to break the peace. When Bianca pulled the car into the driveway, the first thing she saw was Danny, waiting outside the front door. He ran up to greet them, and then gave them solemn instructions to go directly upstairs to their rooms, where they were supposed to get ready and then await further instructions.

“No coming out until we say!” he insisted.

“You know this is my house, right?” Bianca asked, but went along with the plan, since at least there were no fire trucks or ambulances around yet.

“Your wardrobe for the night is on your bed.”

“Is the surprise a costume party?” Courtney asked, perking up.

“Mmm…no. But we do want you to wear what we put out for you. You can choose your own underwear.”

“Wow, thanks, how generous of you,” Bianca said drily.

“We’ll come get you when everything’s ready,” Danny said.

The outfit laid out on her bed was black pants—rather unseasonal for mid August, but she decided to be a good sport about it—with a pair of strappy black stilettos, a blue top that she didn’t recognize, and some chunky silver and black jewelry. She had to hand it to the kid; he wasn’t bad at styling. She got dressed and put on a simple face of makeup—just the essentials. She was finished and just beginning to get antsy when Adore knocked on her door, telling her it was time to come out.

When she saw Courtney, she knew immediately what they were up to. She was in a simple, pale pink silk dress, one strand of freshwater pearls around her neck. The memories came flooding back instantly. She looked at Courtney’s face, trying to see if she knew, too, but all she got was a small smile, no indication that she’d caught on.

Then, they followed Adore outside. The deck was covered in colorful Chinese lanterns and fairy lights, one little table set up, complete with a bucket of pink champagne and something under a cloche in the center. Courtney inhaled sharply, turning to look at Bianca with wide eyes, recognition clear as day all over her face, pink creeping into her cheeks.

“Did you know they were-”

“No.” Bianca shook her head.

“Please have a seat,” Adore said brightly, as Danny came out through the other doors, from the kitchen, holding a tray.

Courtney was hesitating, and Bianca resisted the urge to guide her forward with a hand on the small of her back. Instead, she took a deep breath and went to the table, pulling out her chair for her. Courtney sat down gingerly just as Danny placed two salad plates down in front of them.

“Your first course is an arugula and avocado salad,” he proclaimed.

“And,” Adore added, pulling a cloche from the center of the table to reveal a platter of raw oysters on ice. “Oysters with a chili ginger sauce, to share.”

“Guys-” Courtney began, looking like she would rather be boiled alive than spend one more second at the table.

“Enjoy!” Danny exclaimed, taking Adore’s hand and running back towards the kitchen.

Bianca looked from the oysters back up to Courtney’s face, which still seemed to be in a state of shock.

“I…”

“I know.” Bianca let out an incredulous chuckle, shaking her head. “It seems that the ulterior motive for this whole switch nonsense is, uh…becoming clearer.”

“Yeah.” Courtney swallowed. “I mean, I guess it makes sense…that they just want-”

“Right. We should just…go along with it, right? I mean they did…put a lot of effort into it.” She stuffed a bite of salad into her mouth, then looked back up at Courtney, trying to gauge her feelings.

“They did, but…so you don’t mind? Having our faces smashed together like Barbie dolls?” she asked. She was twisting a napkin in her hands, cheeks still red.

Bianca paused, taking a breath before saying, “We’ll be okay. It’s one night, right?”

Courtney nodded, green eyes locked with hers for a few moments, and Bianca swore she could feel her heart in her throat.

Then Courtney looked down again, shaking her head. “Oysters, though?”

Bianca began to laugh, deciding that this was the perfect time to crack open the alcohol. They were going to need it. She poured glasses of champagne for both of them, then lifted her own in a toast.

“To um…reliving a pretty great night.”

Courtney’s expression shifted slightly, and then Bianca found her own cheeks grow blazing hot.

“Not all of it, just, I mean…uh,” she stammered out, feeling like an idiot.

“Well that’s good…’cause I think we have our hands full with these two,” Courtney said, her face now wearing a cheeky grin. Apparently Bianca embarrassing herself had a soothing effect on her.

“Just fucking toast me,” Bianca groaned.

“Cheers.” Courtney clinked their glasses together, then took a very large swig of champagne.

“My point is…there’s worse nights they could’ve chosen. This one was….”

“I know.”

They exchanged a look, Courtney holding her gaze just a beat too long before awkwardly averting her eyes, picking up her fork. Bianca swallowed down another gulp of champagne, wondering if the rest of the night was going to make her feel as strange as she felt right then.

#rpdr fanfiction #courtney act #bianca del rio #bitney #adore delano #shangela laquifa wadley #bitney parent trap #lesbian au #trans character #kid fic #s6 #angst #fluff #masters of the scene #veronica

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