Planted Seeds

An hour and a half remained till school was over and Chloe needed to be picked. Aaron decided to go back home. In the living room, he heard conversation from two familiar voices.

"Man, a baby!" Stephanie squealed. "I'm gonna be an aunt! It's gonna be so much fun! We're gonna go on shopping sprees, buy you every single game in existence, and then…oh, I dunno, play more games!"

"Too much games is no good," said Cassandra, frowning. "Maybe training…?"

"Woah, woah, woah, Cass. Lay off on potential training till the little dude's born!"

Cassandra and Stephanie chuckled amongst themselves. They had already heard his presence from the door opening and smiled at the sight of Aaron.

"Hey, Aaron. How's it going? Work good?" Stephanie asked.

"It went well," Aaron lied, meeting Cassandra's eyes. Yeah, there was no need to tell Stephanie about his adventures. "Batgirl stuff go well for you last night?"

"Eh. We ended it early. Cass said she wasn't feeling well," Stephanie replied, shrugging. Her big blue eyes twinkled as her gaze returned to Cassandra. "That, like, never happens so I didn't want to risk it."

"Good call," Aaron said, sitting next to Cassandra. His shoulder touched hers and the bond between them connected. "How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," Cassandra admitted with a smile. "Make something for me?"

"Sure, princess hungry."

With that, he was up and off. The sight of his kitchen brought memories. Before, he was alone and now he was surrounded by friends and family. Some day, everything would be crowded.

'That would be something,' he thought to himself.

The scent of fresh herbs filled the kitchen as he skillfully chopped vegetables and tenderized meat. The familiar clinking of pots and pans echoed in the room as he orchestrated the meal with practiced ease.

Stephanie leaned against the counter, a small smile playing on her lips as she observed the chef's movements. "You're really spoiling us today," she teased, her voice warm.

Aaron glanced up and returned Stephanie's smile. "Well, you both deserve it," he replied. "Plus, I enjoy seeing your faces light up when you enjoy my cooking."

Stephanie nodded in agreement, her stomach grumbling in response to the delicious aromas wafting through the kitchen. "You're right about that," she replied, laughing with a small blush.

In no time, Aaron plated the lunch – a savoury chicken stir-fry with colourful vegetables and a hint of tangy sauce. He carefully arranged the dishes on the table, adding a side of fresh salad and some warm bread rolls.

"Bon appétit," he said, gesturing for the two women to dig in.

Cassandra and Stephanie wasted no time, their chopsticks gracefully moving through the stir-fry as they savoured each flavorful bite. Their faces lit up with delight, and they exchanged satisfied glances.

"Mmm, this is amazing," Stephanie praised between mouthfuls. "You've outdone yourself, as usual."

Cassandra's expression mirroring Stephanie's contentment. "It's always a treat when you cook," she added. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Aaron replied, a hand on his hip. "I'm glad you like it."

He went silent. Seeing Cassandra and Stephanie eating together, he saw a reflection of his secrets. The fact that it wasn't just Cassandra that was important to him but Stephanie too. That Stephanie was Chloe's mother. He frowned.

He was going to tell them. He was. But…when? He couldn't keep pushing the conversation. It had to happen and if not today then when? When? Months? A year? No, that wouldn't be fair to either of them, both Stephanie and Chloe.

His chest tightened. He had to tell her. He just had to.

He joined them on the table. Immediately, Cassandra could sense something was up with him as she promptly stopped eating. Stepahnie didn't. She merely smiled at him.

Aaron took a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation ahead.

"Stephanie, Cassandra," he began, "there's something I need to tell you both."

"What's up?" Stephanie asked, chewing through her food. "Did you accidentally use expired food?"

"No. It's..." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Chloe…you know how she was adopted, right?"

Stephanie blinked and nodded with an ignorant smile. "Yeah. So?"

Aaron took another deep breath, searching for the right words. "Well, Barbara did some research on her when she was doing a background check on me." Stephanie's brows furrowed, confused. Aaron continued, "They found Chloe's adoption papers and…even the papers Chloe's mother made to put her up for adoption."

Cassandra was silent, as was Stephanie. They didn't know. They still didn't know where he was going with this.

This was it. It was now or never. He steeled his resolve and let the words come from his mouth.

"Chloe is your daughter, Stephanie. She's the child you gave birth to when you were a teenager."

For a moment, there was silence in the room. Stephanie's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, and then finally to realization. Her eyes widened, and her hand instinctively covered her mouth.

"C-Chloe?" Stephanie whispered, her voice trembling. Her eyes went empty for a moment, her life flashing before her eyes, and she let out a ragged breath. "Oh my god, during No Man's Land…!"

Aaron nodded solemnly. "Yeah. You put her up for adoption and by sheer coincidence…she came into my care."

Tears welled up in Stephanie's eyes as memories flooded back. Her pregnancy, her ex boyfriend, how Tim took care of her, her immature attempt to be Robin, the hopelessness of her situation, and how young she was. She had thought of her daughter often, wondering what had become of her, and whether she was safe and happy.

"Chloe…" Stephanie muttered, choked with emotion. Two wet streams ran down her cheeks. "She's such a good girl. I had no idea she was... my daughter."

Cassandra reached out and placed a comforting hand on Stephanie's shoulder, offering silent support. "It's okay, Stephanie," she said softly. "We're here for you."

Stephanie took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "I... I don't know what to say," she admitted, her confidence breaking. She wiped the tears on her cheek with her rest but they were immediately replaced with another fresh set. It took everything she had to not start bawling and whimpering. "I never imagined..."

Aaron gave Stephanie a sad smile. "I understand that this is a lot to take in," he said gently. "But I wanted you both to know the truth. Chloe deserves to know her real mother, and I thought it was time to tell you."

Stephanie nodded, silently weeping. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice overflowing with emotion. "Thank you for taking care of her all these years. But…did you tell her yet?" Aaron shook his head no. Stephanie inhaled sharply. "Thank you, I…I'd like to tell her myself, if possible. I…don't want us to…I don't want her to think…"

Stephanie couldn't articulate her feelings. She stared at the floor, drawing in air as her vision went blurry from tears.

Cassandra squeezed Stephanie's shoulder, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "We're here for you, Stephanie," Cassandra said. "We will figure this out together."

Stephanie clung to her best friend and hugged her tightly. The blonde's tears stained her shirt. Aaron crossed his arms, eyes hazy and emotions bottled up.

Life was hard. No matter how many powers he got, no matter how much sex he had, it seemed that fact would never change.