Work Text:
“Oh be quiet, you infernal machine.”
That morning seemed like any other to Double Trouble, who began their usual morning routine by grabbing the loudly ringing alarm clock off the nightstand and directly tossing it at the wall on the opposite side of their bedroom in order to silence it. The shapeshifter stretched their arms out and yawned loudly before climbing out of bed, heading to the bathroom for a cold shower and brushing their teeth afterwards.
All morning, Double Trouble had a strange feeling in their gut. Despite the day seeming completely ordinary, they had this nagging sense that something was about to happen. Something big.
A disaster.
After picking up the mail, dropping it on the kitchen table and turning on the coffee maker, Double Trouble stopped in front of a full-body mirror in the hallway.
“Might as well get in my exercise for the day.” Double Trouble shrugged. They took a deep breath and closed their eyes for a second, then began shapeshifting into various people in front of the mirror.
They transformed into civilians of the different kingdoms, the princesses, Horde soldiers, until eventually they stopped at-
“Huh.”
Double Trouble saw a pair of blue and yellow eyes staring back at them from the mirror, having shapeshifted into Catra. They paused for a moment.
“Wonder how Kitten’s doing.” Double Trouble said quietly. “Been a while since I’ve last seen her around.”
Double Trouble had one rule when it came to their line of work: Never get attached to your clients. But despite that rule, they still couldn’t deny they held some strange form of fondness towards Catra, and every now and then could feel just the slightest bit of guilt over having stabbed her in the back when the Horde fell.
But, it was just business. Nothing more. And in the end, Catra had turned her life around. She had changed and grown as a person and she finally ended up together with Adora. So if anything, Catra should be thanking Double Trouble for what they did.
And in fact, she had. Some time after Horde Prime's defeat, Catra had tracked Double Trouble down and thanked them for what they had done, having given her the initial push that she needed in order to finally clean up her act and change as a person. The two had remained on more or less amicable terms since then, although Double Trouble hadn't seen Catra for a long time now.
Double Trouble changed back to their usual self, then headed to the kitchen to pour themself a double espresso. The shapeshifter looked in the fridge and sighed.
“Boy, it’s emptier in here than… Urgh,” Double Trouble rolled their eyes. “Insert something witty here about things that are empty, my brain doesn’t cooperate this early in the morning.”
The financial situation had become an issue for the shapeshifter recently. They still managed to get by just fine, but still...
They could really use some extra cash right about now.
Double Trouble slammed the fridge shut, then sat down and started going over the mail while drinking their coffee.
“Let’s see… Bill, ad, bill, ad, ad-”
Suddenly, they heard knocking on the door and froze up. Who could it possibly be at this hour?
Probably a door-to-door salesperson or something. Better not open the door.
Soon enough, the figure knocked on the door again. Double Trouble stood up and sighed: Might as well get this over with.
“Whatever you’re selling, I’m not buying-” Double Trouble started, then stopped as they realized who was standing behind the door. “K-Kitten?”
“Hey, Double Trouble. Long time no see.”
It was Catra. She had a cautious, slightly awkward smile on her face, and in her arms she was carrying something; A young child with catlike features very similar to Catra’s own, except their eyes were both blue and they had blonde hair as opposed to Catra’s brown.
“What a coincidence, darling!” Double Trouble crossed their arms. “I was just thinking about you a minute ago.” They suspiciously eyed the kid in Catra’s arms. “What’s with the preschooler? You kidnap someone’s child, or-”
“What?” Catra looked a little confused. “Oh c’mon, you’ve seen Finn before!”
“Ohhhhh, right.” Double Trouble nodded. “Ya must’ve still been a baby the last time I saw you, kiddo.”
Finn buried their face in their hands, causing Catra to giggle.
“No need to be shy, Finn.” Catra said gently. “Double Trouble is just mom’s old, uh… F-friend.”
“Are we friends?” Double Trouble raised an eyebrow.
“We are if you let us in.” Catra snarked. Her expression shifted as she said: “I uh, I… I need a favor. And I didn’t know who else to turn to.”
“I’m listening.” Double Trouble said, hands on their hips.
“So uh,” Catra scratched the back of her head. “Adora and I have a reservation booked at a very high-end seafood restaurant in Salineas. Mermista apparently pulled some strings and got us a table.”
“Uh-huh.” Double Trouble tilted their head curiously.
“And it’s been years since we’ve gone on a date.” Catra continued. “And the place is booked full for months in advance, so we can’t really move the reservation.”
“And?”
“And…” Catra sighed. “We, we don’t have a babysitter for Finn.”
“No.” Double Trouble gasped, realizing what the favor Catra had been talking about was going to be. “You, y-you don’t mean-”
“Please,” Catra begged. “Could you look after Finn for today?”
“Ohhhh nononono.” Double Trouble frantically shook their head, completely flabbergasted. “A-are you serious, Kitten?! You KNOW I’m terrible with kids! Can’t you ask Bow or Glimmer, or-”
“They’re both preoccupied.” Catra explained. “Sparkles and Micah are away for some royal duties, and one of Arrow Boy’s brothers is getting married so he’s out of town too. Besides, he’s got his hands full with Quiver as is, putting her and Finn together would just end up causing chaos-”
“I still don’t understand how Glimmer agreed to that name.” Double Trouble muttered. “Who calls their daughter ‘Quiver?’ Okay,” They stared at Catra. “Then what about the servants who also live in Bright Moon? Surely one of them could look after the brat for a few hours!”
“Sparkles gave them all a paid vacation since she and Micah are away.” Catra sighed. “Also, my child is not a brat.”
“Scorpia?”
“She’s sick.”
“Entrapta?”
“You kidding me? Her lab’s full of dangerous equipment, her castle's a maze and she gets distracted so easily she’d lose sight of Finn within ten seconds!”
“P-Perfuma, Mermista? Sea Hawk? Literally anyone else on Etheria who isn’t me-”
“I’ve already gone through everyone!” Catra yelled. “They’re all unavailable. I got desperate, I-I didn’t know who else to turn to. You’re literally my only hope, Double Trouble. I wouldn’t be asking you otherwise.”
Catra gave Double Trouble a pleading look. Double Trouble pondered for a moment, then sighed.
“Sorry, Kitten,” Double Trouble shook their head. “But I’ve gotta draw the line somewhere, and that line begins and ends with me being a babysitter. No offense, but I hate children.”
“...Alright. Sorry to bother you.” Catra muttered. She turned around, getting ready to leave with Finn before saying very loudly: “I thought a nice paycheck would’ve incentivized you, but I guess you’re not interested!”
A nice paycheck.
Double Trouble gasped. They weighed their options for a while.
Being a babysitter sounded like the most unappealing job in the world to them. But, they needed the money. And it’s only for a day, right? What’s the worst that could happen?
“Wait.” Double Trouble said, causing Catra to stop dead in her tracks and turn her head with a very devious smirk on her face.
“Yes?” Catra asked in an oddly triumphant voice.
“I uh…” Double Trouble glanced aside. They sighed, then opened the door all the way and stepped aside. “Come on in. I, I might be interested.”
“Oh, thank you thank you thank you!” Catra followed Double Trouble inside of their house, then lowered Finn to the floor.
“Apologies for the mess.” Double Trouble said casually. “Wasn’t expecting any visitors today, so-”
“Hey, I live with Adora.” Catra reminded them. “So uh, y-you’ll do it?”
“For a price.” Double Trouble replied, in a tone that was all too familiar to Catra. “Double- No, triple my usual tax.”
Catra remained quiet for a second, then said: “Done!”
“W-wait, seriously?” Double Trouble asked while Catra shook their hand. They hadn’t expected her to accept so easily. “You’re not gonna try to negotiate the price down, or-”
“I told ya I’m desperate.” Catra shrugged. “Besides, money is no issue. Sparkles handed me the keys to Bright Moon’s treasury, I figured you’d need some… Y’know, motivation.”
“Uh-huh.” Double Trouble didn’t know whether to feel offended or flattered. “Well, I guess its settled then, Kitten! I’ll look after your darling little angel for the evening.”
“Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver.” Catra shot Double Trouble a grateful smile, then turned to Finn, crouched down to meet her child at eye level and affectionately ruffled their hair. “Okay sweetie, we’ll be away for a few hours. Make sure to behave and do everything Double Trouble tells you to, alright?”
“Mooom, I don’t need a babysitter!” Finn whined. “You could’ve just let me stay home alone, I-”
“Oh no way, Adora and I want to make sure Bright Moon’s still in one piece when we come back!” Catra laughed, placing a kiss on Finn’s forehead. “I’ll come pick you up in the evening, ‘kay?”
“Fiiiiiiine.” Finn pouted. They turned their head and spotted something in Double Trouble’s house which seemed to catch their attention, and immediately ran off to investigate. “Ooo, what’s that?”
“Looks like kiddo’s already settling in.” Double Trouble snarked.
“Yeah. Hey uh, I have to hurry, I promised to catch up with Adora in Salineas.” Catra stated. She asked Double Trouble: “Are you, are you sure this isn’t too much trouble? I know Finn can be a handful but-”
“I told ya Kitten, I’ll do it.” Double Trouble reassured her. “You and Adora go have fun with your date, I’ll make sure your little kittycat doesn’t get itself killed or anything!”
“Thank you.” Catra whispered, leaving the house and shutting the door behind her.
As soon as Catra had departed, Double Trouble heard a loud crash and Finn’s laughter coming from behind them and decided to investigate.
Double Trouble saw that Finn had tipped over a large vase in the corner, causing it to shatter into a million tiny pieces. The child was currently in the process of scratching the wall with their claws, leaving behind very prominent claw marks on the wallpaper.
“I’ve made a terrible mistake.” Double Trouble sighed, already having second thoughts about this. They grabbed Finn by the scruff of their neck and lifted them off the ground.
“Whoa!” Finn yelped.
“Listen here, crotch spawn.” Double Trouble prodded Finn’s chest with their index finger. “This is MY house, and you’re going to be playing by MY rules here, just like your mommy told you earlier. Now, be a good little kitten and stand absolutely still for a couple hours until- OW!”
“Tag! You’re it!” Finn slammed Double Trouble squarely on the nose with their hand, causing the shapeshifter to clutch their nose and let go of Finn. Finn bolted away as fast as they could, giggling like a maniac.
“Nrgh… Son of a-!” Double Trouble grumbled, rubbing their nose. “Ohh, when I get my hands on that runt..."
Double Trouble ran after Finn: They spent a good while chasing Finn around, but whenever they appeared to have finally caught them Finn would manage to get away every single time. Eventually, Double Trouble was left exhausted and Finn had completely disappeared out of sight, apparently being in hiding.
“S… S-so…” Double Trouble panted. “Y-you, you wanna play hide and seek now? Fine by me.”
Double Trouble collapsed on the couch in their living room, breathing heavily and rubbing their temples in an attempt to calm their nerves. They did a few short breathing exercises, reminding themself of what was at stake here: A nice paycheck.
“Ugh, I’m gonna need to put a leash on that kid.” Double Trouble stated. Then, they chuckled and shook their head. “I should’ve seen this coming, little hellspawn’s got Adora’s foolhardiness and Kitten’s penchant for chaos. I have to figure out a way to keep them under control, kid’s a total nightmare but there’s gotta be something that makes ‘em tick…”
Having caught their breath, Double Trouble suddenly realized that Finn was still out of sight. They stood up and began looking around the house trying to locate the child, to no avail.
“Where the heck did the brat go?” Double Trouble scratched their head. “They’re awful fast for someone with such short legs… Pspspsps! C’mere, kitty kitty kitty!”
No response. Then, Double Trouble soon heard mischievous chortling coming from somewhere.
“Alright, where are ya?” Double Trouble tapped their foot impatiently on the floor, looking around the living room. They heard the chortling again, and managed to locate its source: It was coming from under the couch.
“W-what?” Double Trouble was perplexed. “There’s no way even a child could possibly fit under there…”
Double Trouble crouched down and cautiously peeked through the gap underneath the couch. As soon as they did-
“BOO!”
“Ahh!”
Finn jumped up from behind the couch and startled Double Trouble, who fell backwards hitting their head on the floor. Double Trouble sat up wincing and clutching their head, giving Finn a nasty glare.
“Hehe, I spooked ya!” Finn laughed.
“Nothing funny about this, you impudent little whelp!” Double Trouble grumbled through gritted teeth. “I could’ve seriously gotten hurt! Haven’t your parents taught you any manners?”
Finn, who was actively clawing the side of the couch, tilted their head curiously and asked Double Trouble: “What’s a manner?”
“...You know what? Forget I asked.” Double Trouble sighed. They stood up, crossing their arms and observing Finn for a moment: The child was staring at the clawed couch with a weirdly satisfied, almost proud smirk on their face, after which they licked the back of their hand and rubbed it on their head, grooming themself like a cat would. “Hmm, you seem to like expressing yourself, eh runt? Maybe you’re more artistically inclined.”
“Huh?”
Double Trouble grabbed Finn, sat them on the floor, placed a blank piece of paper in front of them and then tossed a box of crayons in front of the kid.
“Here ya go, darling!” Double Trouble said. “Kids like to draw, right? This way, you’ve got a creative outlet without needing to destroy more of my stuff.”
“Wooow!” Finn eagerly tore open the box of crayons, grabbed a couple of their favorite colors and began doodling on the piece of paper. “Fun! Thank you, Dloub- Tobble Drub- Droul, uhh…”
“Double Trouble.”
“Yeah! Thanks!”
“You’re more than welcome.” Double Trouble wiped their brow, then turned around. “I’m gonna need a second cup of coffee. You stay right here, and don’t shove the crayons in your ears or nose or anything! Or do, I don’t care.”
Finn was too busy drawing to pay any mind to Double Trouble. The shapeshifter left the room, heading to the kitchen for a short coffee break.
“Ugh, who’d have though that babysitting could be such hard work?” Double Trouble muttered, pouring another double espresso into their empty cup. “I’d rather go back to risking my neck working as a spy for the Horde…”
Double Trouble finished their coffee, headed back to the living room and screamed: Finn had scribbled all over the floor with the crayons, and was now in the process of drawing on the walls.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” Double Trouble yelled.
“Drawing!” Finn replied very matter-of-factly, still doodling on the walls. Double Trouble angrily grabbed the crayons out of the child’s hands. “H-hey! That's mine!”
“I was gone for two minutes! How did you even manage-” Double Trouble was completely exasperated. They sighed deep, their demeanor afterwards being surprisingly calm. “You know what? It’s fine. Because Mama Kitten is gonna pay for the damages when she comes to pick you up. And once she hears what an absolute menace you’ve been all day, you’re gonna be grounded for the rest of your life!”
“You’re mean!” Finn pouted, upset about Double Trouble taking the crayons from them.
“You have no idea, darling.” Double Trouble flashed a smug grin. “And I also know that there are many ways to skin a cat.”
Double Trouble dragged Finn to the kitchen. They decided to change their approach in order to get Finn under control: Since the child wasn’t obeying direct commands, Double Trouble figured the best course of action was to take a page out of Catra's book and incentivize them to do so. Double Trouble opened the freezer, took out two ice cream bars and held one of them over Finn’s head out of reach.
“Here.” Double Trouble said. “You can have this, and I also won’t tell your mom what a complete and utter nightmare you’ve been, on one condition.”
“W-what is it?” Finn asked, greedily eyeing the ice cream bar above them.
“You start behaving,” Double Trouble crouched down to meet Finn at eye level and booped their nose. “And you stop breaking my shit.”
“Ah!” Finn gasped. “T-that was a swear!”
“A very astute observation, darling! I can tell you’re Adora’s kid-” Then, Double Trouble realized what they had just said, smacked their forehead with the palm of their hand and groaned. “Ah, shit.”
“Y-you swore again!” Finn whispered, seeming shocked and almost horrified by the shapeshifter’s language. Double Trouble sighed and stood back up.
“Please don’t tell your moms I said that word in front of you.” Double Trouble asked Finn.
“On one condition.” Finn crossed their arms with a triumphant smirk on their face. “You give me the other ice cream, too!”
Double Trouble stared at Finn with their eyes wide and their mouth slightly agape. Then, all of a sudden they burst out laughing.
“You’ve got some nerve, squirt!” Double Trouble shook their head, extremely amused. “But I gotta respect the hustle. Game recognizes game!”
“Yay!” Finn cheered as Double Trouble handed both ice cream bars to them. “Thank you, Drouble Tub- weh, your name is too long!”
“Dou-ble Trou-ble.” Double Trouble slowly enunciated every syllable of their name. “I guess its a mouthful for someone whose brain is still developing… Fine, you can just call me ‘DT’ for short.”
“Okie dokie, DT!” Finn said, before taking a bite out of the first ice cream bar. Double Trouble felt a strange sensation in their heart while they observed Finn, almost as if they were slowly warming up to the child.
When Double Trouble looked at Finn... They reminded the shapeshifter so much of themself when they were younger. That same, rambunctious energy and opportunistic behavior, which had inspired Double Trouble to take up acting all those years ago.
With a mouth full of ice cream Finn suddenly asked: “Hey DT?”
“Yes, darling?”
“How do you know my Catra-mom?”
“Oh, we uh…” Double Trouble paused for a moment, as they weren’t sure how much Finn knew of Catra’s past as a Force Captain in the Horde. “We, we used to work together for a while. We… Had this secret project we were working on, and I kinda sorta ended up betraying poor Kitten.”
“That doesn’t sound very nice.” Finn said bluntly.
“Maybe.” Double Trouble shrugged. “But, we managed to patch things up later on. And, if I hadn’t done what I did I’m not sure your mom would have ever ended up together with Adora so, you’re welcome kiddo!”
Finn wasn’t listening anymore, just eagerly finishing up their second ice cream. Double Trouble almost envied how unbothered the child was, living in their own little world. Not having to worry about bills, work... Anything.
“So,” Double Trouble started. “What do ya like to do on your free time, runt? I mean, basically all time that you have is free but, you know. What do kids these days typically do for fun?”
Finn’s eyes lit up and they excitedly shouted: “MONSTERS!”
“Huh?” Double Trouble tilted their head curiously.
“It’s what we always play with Quiver!” Finn explained, waving their arms. “We pretend we’re dragons or large beasts or something! GRAARR!” The child roared and stomped loudly on the floor.
“Hmm, playing pretend eh?” Double Trouble pondered. “That’s kind of like acting.”
“Yeah!” Finn nodded. Double Trouble observed Finn pretending to be a monster for a while, then eventually decided that they might as well humor the kid and play along.
“Ohhhh nooooo!” Double Trouble gasped very over-dramatically. “A ferocious dragon is after me! Whatever shall I dooooo?”
“RAAAWWRRR!” Finn roared, chasing Double Trouble around the house. Double Trouble figured that this would be a good opportunity to surprise Finn.
“Oh no, you’ve got me cornered!” Double Trouble cried. Then, they grinned mischievously. “But unfortunately for you, I happen to have an ace up my sleeve!”
“Eh?” Finn broke character for a second and stared at Double Trouble curiously.
“For the Honor of Grayskull!”
Double Trouble used their powers to shapeshift into She-Ra.
“WHAAAA-” Finn’s jaw hit the floor. “M-mom?! How did ya-”
“I am not your mom, you foul beast!” Double Trouble said, in character as She-Ra. “I am She-Ra, the Champion of Etheria, and I will take you down!”
“Aaaaahh!” Finn screamed excitedly, with the roles having been reversed and they were being chased by Double Trouble now. Eventually Double Trouble caught the child, lifting them off the floor.
“Looks like I won, runt!” Double Trouble gloated. Finn, utterly confused, pulled Double Trouble’s nose. “Ow! Hey, watch it buddy!”
“H-how?” Finn couldn’t believe their eyes. “How did you become my mommy?”
“Oh, you didn’t know?” Double Trouble lowered Finn back to the ground, then transformed from She-Ra to their usual self. “I’m an actor, darling! Getting into character’s part of my job.”
“Whoaaaa…” Finn’s eyes were sparkling. “C-can you be anyone?”
“Of course.” Double Trouble replied. “Observe!”
The shapeshifter began showing off their powers to Finn, transforming themself into various other people with Finn just staring at them completely awestruck. Double Trouble felt satisfied that they seemed to have finally found a way to earn the kid’s respect.
“And pièce de résistance…” To finish off the display, Double Trouble first transformed into Catra and then after a bit of focusing ended up transforming into an identical copy of Finn. “Well? How do I look?”
“Wow!” Finn gasped. “Y-you’re me! That’s, so awesome!”
Double Trouble transformed into their regular self, then bowed as Finn enthusiastically applauded them.
“Ah, the most beautiful sound in the world.” Double Trouble claimed. “Right after the jingling of gold coins, at least!”
“You’re so cool, Aun- Unc- Oh, hmm…” Finn crossed their arms, thinking intently. “Hey, DT?”
“Yeah?”
“If Bow is uncle, and Glimmer is auntie, then…” Finn tilted their head. “What are you?”
“Neither, darling!” Double Trouble playfully booped Finn’s nose. “Might be a bit hard for a kid to understand, but let’s just say I’m… Beyond the binary.”
“R-really?” Finn gasped. Double Trouble nodded.
“I never really liked labeling myself any one particular way.” Double Trouble said. “I mean, when you can do THIS,” They transformed into Glimmer. “I find that labels hardly even matter!” They transformed into Bow and finished: "There’s nothing that could possibly describe everything that is me.”
Afterwards they shapeshifted back into their usual form, while Finn looked on both astonished and also oddly pensive.
“That’s… That’s so awesome!” Finn whispered. “I-I wanna be like you when I grow up, DT!”
“Heh, sorry darling,” Double Trouble chuckled. “But I don’t think Adora or Kitten had the shapeshifter gene in them!”
“No, I mean like,” Finn fidgeted with their fingers. “Y-you, you’re so assertive and s-sure of yourself, a-and you know who you a-are and, and…”
Double Trouble noticed that Finn was trembling. Then, they saw the child’s eyes brimming with tears.
“Oh no, please don’t start crying.” Double Trouble sighed. “I, I’m not good with managing other people’s emotions, especially when it comes to children!”
“I-I’m sorry, I’m just, I-I…” Finn sniffled. Despite their efforts to keep their composure, the child soon burst out crying.
“Ugh, fine.” Double Trouble groaned, rolling their eyes. They led Finn to the couch and said: “Sit down, runt. And tell me what’s bothering ya.”
“I, I… I’m so c-confused!” Finn sobbed. “A-about myself, w-what I am… I-I feel like I don’t belong anywhere, I h-have no idea who I am or what I’m s-supposed to be!”
“What…?” Double Trouble muttered. They had no idea Finn felt this way, they couldn’t have guessed in a million years that any child would be having these thoughts about their own identity.
Any child… Besides themself.
“E-everyone else knows who they are.” Finn cried. “M-moms, Auntie Glimmer, Uncle Bow, Grampy Micah… E-even Quiver is like ‘look at me I’m Quiver, I’m a girl and I have cooties!’ B-but me, I… I-I feel so lost!”
“I… Wow.” Double Trouble said quietly, as what Finn was saying had brought back some very old, painful memories for them. "It's not fair, a child shouldn't have to be thinking about this kind of stuff."
Double Trouble was still having a difficult time processing that they actually felt empathy towards someone else, let alone a child.
They had always hated children. But Finn… Finn was different.
“I-I’m sorry.” Finn sniffled, hanging their head. “Y-you probably think I’m dumb, I-I know y-you don’t understand-”
“I do.”
“Eh?”
Finn wiped their eyes and turned their head towards Double Trouble, noticing that the shapeshifter had an uncharacteristically serious expression on their face.
“I struggled with those exact same thoughts, when I was your age.” Double Trouble stated. “I was really lost with my own identity, I didn’t feel like I fit in with anyone or belonged anywhere.”
“R-really?” Finn wondered. Double Trouble nodded.
“Nobody else understood me, I… I barely even understood myself. Who I was, who I was meant to be. For the longest time I felt like an outcast, like there was something wrong with me. Like I was a defect, a mistake. But then, as I got older…”
“Then, what?” Finn tilted their head inquisitively.
“I did a lot of soul-searching,” Double Trouble gave Finn a slight smile. “And I realized that ultimately, it doesn’t matter what other people think of me, what society thinks I should be or what I’m supposed to be. Because at the end of the day, labels like that… It’s all completely arbitrary. I don’t need to fit in or be like everyone else, and neither do you.”
Finn didn’t say anything, they were just staring at Double Trouble with their eyes wide and listening intently, seeming to take what the shapeshifter was telling them to heart. Double Trouble placed their hand on Finn’s shoulder.
“Finn,” They said. “You are the only one who gets to decide who and what you are. Don’t let anyone else define you or tell you what you’re ‘supposed’ to be. The only thing that matters is what feels right to you, what makes you happy.”
“B-but, I don’t know what that is.” Finn muttered sadly. “Nothing feels right to me...”
“You’ll figure it out, darling.” Double Trouble encouraged them. “Believe me, it took me years to feel fully secure about myself and finding what was the right thing for me, but I got there eventually. And one day you’re gonna find what feels right to you too, it might just take some time.”
“You think so?” Finn asked hopefully, managing to finally smile a little as Double Trouble nodded in response.
“Have you ever talked about this with your moms?” Double Trouble wondered. "Having a strong support network would help you out a lot, so you don't have to struggle with all this on your own."
“N-no.” Finn nervously fidgeted with the tip of their tail. “I-I’m afraid that they’ll get mad.”
“They won’t.” Double Trouble reassured the child. “I know Kitten well enough to know that she loves you completely unconditionally, regardless of who you are or how you decide to identify. Adora as well, she’s She-Ra after all. She’s like, the poster child of being a goody two-shoes! You've got nothing to worry about, Finn."
“...Thanks, DT.” Finn whispered. The child was feeling much more at ease now, but they still had a lot of questions about their identity on their mind. “I, I still wish I knew at least a little bit what I am. Who I am.”
“Hmm…” Double Trouble stroke their chin while staring at Finn. Then, they had an idea: “You wanna know what I think you are?”
“Huh?” Finn’s ears flicked.
“To me, it’s as clear as day.” Double Trouble said, pointing at Finn’s chest with their index finger. “The first thing that I see, when I look at you. Not a boy or a girl, not a child or a kitten or anything like that. You… Are Finn. And that makes you more special than everyone else on Etheria.”
Their words caused Finn to gasp loudly. For a while, the child remained silent: Then, all of a sudden they hugged Double Trouble tight with an extremely wide smile on their face, catching the shapeshifter off guard.
“W-whoa, hey, w-what, what are you…” Double Trouble stammered, having never experienced something like this before. Then, they had a realization and begrudgingly admitted: “Oh, that… That feels kinda nice, actually.”
Double Trouble never thought it would be possible, that this day would ever come. But now, Finn had managed to breach through the walls that the shapeshifter had built around their heart and made them come down.
For the first time in their life, Double Trouble felt genuine affection for another being. And a child, no less.
Double Trouble smiled as they hugged Finn back, happy that they had been able to offer them some comfort and advice regarding their identity. While holding Finn in their arms, Double Trouble started thinking that, just maybe…
Maybe children aren’t as horrible as they had always thought them to be.
Eventually, evening finally came. Double Trouble had just finished cleaning up the shards of the vase that Finn had shattered earlier, when they heard knocking on the door. Double Trouble opened the door and was almost shocked to see Catra standing there.
“Kitten!” Double Trouble exclaimed. “Come on in!”
“Hi, sorry I’m late.” Catra apologized as she stepped into the house.
“All good, darling.” Double Trouble replied. “I didn’t even realize it was already time!”
“Oh, huh.” Catra tilted her head curiously. “I uh, I hope Finn hasn’t been too much trouble for you.”
“Well, let’s see…” Double Trouble crossed their arms. “Kid broke my vase, scratched my walls, ruined my couch, doodled all over the place with crayons-”
“Oh, I am so, SO sorry-” Catra started, before Double Trouble burst out laughing.
“I’m just pulling your leg, darling!” Double Trouble shook their head with an extremely amused grin. “Finn’s behaved like an absolute angel, no trouble whatsoever. Very well-mannered, considering they’re your and Adora’s kid!”
“O-oh.” Catra sighed out of relief. “Well, that’s good to hear. Where is Finn, anyway?”
“Taking a nap on the couch, kiddo tuckered itself out.” Double Trouble explained. Catra was about to head to the living room to pick Finn up, when Double Trouble grabbed her wrist. “Hey uh, Kitten? Can I talk with you for a sec?”
“What’s up?” Catra wondered, following Double Trouble to the kitchen.
“It’s about Finn, I uhh…” Double Trouble glanced aside for a moment, figuring out how to explain everything to Catra in a tactful way. “I think the kid might be having a bit of an identity crisis, they opened up to me about how confused and lost they feel about themself, who they are.”
“W-what?” Catra whispered, shocked. “I, I had no idea! Finn’s never mentioned anything about that to me or Adora, how did you-”
“Peer support, I guess.” Double Trouble shrugged. “Finn’s been afraid to tell you two because they think you’ll get mad at ‘em. I uh,” They gave Catra a very serious look. “I can trust that this won’t be a problem for you, right Kitten?”
“What the- Duh, of course not!” Catra said loudly, feeling almost offended. “How can you even ask something like that? Finn could be a twenty-feet tall venomous centipede with bat wings for all I care, and it still wouldn’t make me love my child any less!”
“Okay, good. Just had to check.” Double Trouble smirked, relieved. “In that case, you and Adora should probably have a talk with the kid at some point, make sure that they know you love ‘em no matter what. I’m sure they’ll open up to you on their own once they feel comfortable, just wanted to let you know so you can prepare accordingly.”
“Thanks for telling me.” Catra said gratefully. “And thank you, in general. For looking after Finn.”
“Anytime, darling.” Double Trouble winked at her.
Catra and Double Trouble left the kitchen and headed towards the living room, where Finn was still napping on the couch. Catra smiled fondly, before nudging Finn with her hand.
“Wakey-wakey, sweetie!” Catra giggled, waking Finn up.
“Mmmpphh…” Finn yawned wide, stretched their arms and rubbed their eyes with their hands, before noticing that Catra was there and immediately getting excited. “Mom!”
“Hey, kiddo!” Catra embraced Finn tight. “Came to pick you up, it’s time to head home!”
“Aw, already?” Finn sounded disappointed. “C-can’t I stay, mom? Just for a little bit longer?”
“Sorry Finn,” Catra ruffled their hair. “But I promised your mom that I’d bring you back home with me. Make sure to thank Double Trouble for looking after you!”
“Okay.” Finn sighed, jumping off the couch. They turned to Double Trouble with a big smile on their face and enthusiastically waved their arms. “Bye, DT! Thank youuu!”
“Seeya later, runt.” Double Trouble said fondly. “Who knows, maybe next time your mom will let you stay overnight!”
“Yaaay!” Finn cheered, before dashing out of the living room. Catra turned to Double Trouble.
“‘DT?’” Catra raised an eyebrow, giving Double Trouble a very amused look.
“Kid had a hard time with my name, wanted to make it easier on them.” Double Trouble explained.
“That’s precious.” Catra teased the shapeshifter, whose cheeks turned red. Double Trouble and Catra followed Finn to the front door, with Catra giving Double Trouble one last grateful look before getting ready to leave. “Thanks again, for everything. I’ll make sure to get your payment sorted as soon as possible!”
“Pleasure’s all mine, darling.” Double Trouble replied. “And don’t sweat about the money, just handle it whenever’s convenient for you.”
“Byeeee, DT!” Finn gave Double Trouble one last quick hug. “I’m gonna miss ya!”
“I… Me too, Finn.” Double Trouble mumbled as Finn ran back to their mother, feeling somewhat uneasy. Then, while Catra opened the door-
“Kitten, wait.”
“Huh?” Catra turned her head, staring at Double Trouble confused.
“I uh,” Double Trouble started, rubbing their arm. “Listen, if you and Adora ever need a babysitter in the future I… I’m available. Just, gimme a call or something.”
“Wait, for real?” Catra asked, with an extremely smug smirk forming on her face after Double Trouble nodded in response. “Wow. Did my child manage to break through your defenses?”
“Ugh.” Double Trouble rolled their eyes before admitting out loud: “That would appear to be the case, yes.”
“Well then, thanks for the offer, I’ll definitely keep it in mind!” Catra said. “Finn seems to have taken a liking to you anyway, so it’ll make things easier for them as well.”
“Yay!” Finn cheered happily, elated about the possibility that they would get to see Double Trouble again in the future, which got the shapeshifter to smile again.
Right before Catra and Finn finally departed, Catra playfully teased Double Trouble one last time:
“Guess you don’t hate kids as much as you thought!”
“Yeah, I… I guess I don’t.” Double Trouble whispered, as they shut the door behind Catra and Finn. “Huh. Shit.”
Double Trouble slowly walked back to the living room, sat down on the couch and let out a content sigh, thinking about what a strange day today had been. What new discoveries they had made about themself.
Meanwhile, Catra and Finn were making their way back towards Bright Moon while holding hands.
“So… Did you have fun today, Finn?” Catra asked her child.
“Yuhuh!” Finn nodded enthusiastically. “DT is so awesome! We played a lot!”
“Well, I’m glad to hear it.” Catra said, before remarking: “I’m happy you two managed to get along so well! Seems like I didn’t know Double Trouble as well as I originally thought...”
“Mmhmm!” Finn hummed happily in response.
Then, Finn stared at their feet for a while lost in thought, before turning to their mother again and going:
“Hey mom?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“I… I wanna be an actor when I grow up.”