It was noon before Rarity and Scootaloo had the chance to tell any of their friends about their decision to move forward with adoption. The Crusaders were congregating around their favorite lunch spot. Scootaloo had been late to school, thanks to meeting with Autumn, and despite trying to furtively sneak in a conversation during a history lesson, lunch was their first opportunity to talk about where she was yesterday and this morning. She didn’t really want to explain her whereabouts yesterday, quickly glossing over her visit with Lilly, but she did describe how she and Rarity had visited foal services office that morning.
Sweetie Belle let out a high pitched noise that could only be accurately be described as a “squee”. She instantly pounced on Scootaloo with a hug so fierce a bystander might have mistaken it for an attack rather than a spontaneous display of affection. “We’re family now, Scoots!”
Scootaloo gently pried Sweetie off of her. “Umm. not really,” she said quietly.
“What are you talking about?” Apple Bloom chimed in.
“Rarity can change her mind for a year before they make it official, so until then I’m still just a foster kid,” Scootaloo said with a grimace. All morning long she had tried to hide her disappointment. When Autumn told them that finalizing her adoption included a mandatory year of observation and when Rarity’s protest was quickly dismissed and she acquiesced Scootaloo just smiled and nodded. On the walk to school where Rarity assured her that the year long gap between her decision and being officially adopted was just a formality, Scootaloo tried to pretend that it wasn’t like every other time she had heard that speech. And now she was pretending that she didn’t truly believe that six months from now she’d be looking for yet another place to call home.
“Rarity isn’t going to change her mind,” Sweetie Belle said, interrupting Scootaloo’s morose.
Scootaloo didn’t have it in her to explain to Sweetie that ponies who started to adopt her always ended up going back on that decision . Inside she was practically screaming Ponies always change their mind, you two are the only ones who don’t! But Sweetie and Apple Bloom didn’t deserve that kind of sniping, they were her friends, and though she doubted a great many things in life she never doubted that. “I’m still not calling you Auntie Sweetie.” she said hoping to end the current line of inquiry.
“I know,” Sweetie replied with a roll of her eyes.
In response, Scootaloo fixed her friend with a firm stare. “I will never call you Auntie Sweetie.”
“I know, geez Scoots you don’t have to tell me twice.”
“Never.” Scootaloo repeated with a perfectly deadpan expression.
Sweetie threw her forelegs up in surrender. “Okay! Fine. Though it wouldn’t kill you to say it just once,” she pouted. But before she could dwell on her disappointment Apple Bloom wrapped a foreleg around both of them. “This is great!” she exclaimed with a big smile.
“You’re not jealous? Cause now that we’ve got Scoots, my family is pretty awesome” Sweetie asked, causing Scootaloo to blush and Apple Bloom to roll her eyes.
“ Nah, I’ve already got a great family, and now you’ve got one too… not that they weren’t great before, I mean….” Apple Bloom waved her hooves desperately grasping at an elusive way to save face. “If you two are family, that just means the Crusaders are closer than ever!” she finished.
Having broken the news to her friends, Scootaloo quickly set about trying to find the quickest way away from the conversation. “How bout we see if we can get a game of hoofball going? I think Lily and Twist wanted to play, if we can get Rumble then we can play three on three,” she said dashing off before her friends could possibly object.
While Scootaloo was informing her friends of the result of her decision, Rarity was doing the same. Left entirely to her own devices, Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have been her first choice of friends to tell; she would have rather talked to Fluttershy, or maybe Applejack, but if Scootaloo was going to be a part of her life now that meant that Rainbow needed to be a bigger part of it too.
“Wow, you really adopted her? Just like that you're her mom?” was Rainbow’s stunned reply after Rarity informed her of the events of the morning.
Rarity balked at Rainbow’s remark, for a few reasons, not the least of which being the agreement to put the mom label on the shelf for now. “It’s not quite that simple. There’s a year long evaluation before foal services will complete the adoption,” Rarity said with no small trace of annoyance. Like Scootaloo, it wasn’t so much the wait as it was the implication that she was going to be judged. “As it is now, I’m merely her foster parent.”
Rainbow took a bite of her apple. “That still seems like a big deal.”
“I suppose it is,” Rarity conceded.
“How’s she doing? Do you think she’d like a flying lesson or something?” Rainbow tried to phrase the question as just an offhanded remark, but the fact that she stopped eating her apple as she asked the question gave her away.
I dare suggest that she wants more from you than a flying lesson, Rarity thought, but held her tongue. Though she still harbored a healthy amount of resentment, she had already acknowledged that Rainbow’s reasons for not adopting were sound. But Scootaloo was in a vulnerable state right now, mixed messages were practically guaranteed to do more harm than good. “I’m sure she would, but I fear this whole ordeal has been a lot for her to process. To be perfectly honest with you dear, I think she needs time to come to terms with the fact that you don’t want to adopt her.”
Rainbow Dash bristled openly, setting her jaw and tensing her shoulder muscles. “I-”
“I know, dear. I’m not here to pick a fight with you, and I think she very much still wants you to be a part of her life. Just give her a little time.”
“Okay, but like how much time? I meant it when I told her I want to spend more time with her.”
“I know you did, but you need to let her approach you. She’ll do it when she’s ready.”
“But shouldn't I show her that I was serious? I don’t want her to think I’m blowing her off,” Rainbow protested.
Another biting remark along the lines of you mean like all the other times you actually did blow her off nearly escaped Rarity’s lips but again she held back. “I hate to say it, Rainbow Dash but I fear that you may be somewhat of a sore point for her right now. She’s already going through a lot and well being reminded of...how much she wanted you to adopt her would do more harm than good.”
Rainbow Dash groaned. Whether out of guilt or annoyance Rarity couldn’t be quite sure. “Fine, I guess you’re her mom now, that means you probably know what’s best for her.”
Rarity had no response.
Pinkie reacted to the news as she reacted to most things, offering to throw a party which Rarity made her promise not to do until the adoption was finalized. Twilight seemed intent on studying both her and Scootaloo as part of some sort of analysis with regard to cross race adoption until Rarity pointedly reminded her that she was not a research subject. After that, Twilight was her usual overly helpful self offering both full use of the library as well help navigating any bureaucracy. Rarity briefly considered asking for some sort of royal decree waiving the one year observation period; but then it occurred to her that aside from being unfair to the other ponies struggling through the adoption process, it would be unfair to Scootaloo.
It was apparent that Scootaloo craved some semblance of permanence in what had been a chaotic young life. But there was a reason that the appropriate metaphor was to “put down roots,” roots grew over time. Trees took nurturing before they became an inextricable part of their environment. And so if Scootaloo was ever going to feel like she truly belonged, then Rarity needed to take it slow.
Fluttershy’s reaction was the most predictable. She took in all manner of houseguest, albeit none of them ponies. She offered Rarity the usual platitudes about making sure she took some time for herself and letting Scootaloo find her own comfort zone rather than forcing anything, and of course she offered to fillysit or talk if Rarity ever needed anything.
Which left Applejack. Rarity found her heart thumping faster than normal as she approached Sweet Apple Acres and it had nothing to do with the walk. It was because the word family was not one thrown around lightly at Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity has already seen the lengths Applejack would go to in support of any of the Apple clan, and that knowledge made her feel inadequate.
She knew that she wanted Scootaloo as part of her family, as much for her benefit as Scootaloo’s, but so far it had been on her terms. She hadn’t had to sacrifice anything other than some sleep, being late with a few orders and a few bits for dance lessons. What if one day she had to give up something she really wanted? Applejack would say yes in a heartbeat.
Applejack let out a low whistle as Rarity finished her story. “Wow, that’s a mighty big thing there, Rares”
“Yes, well I figured you should know,” Rarity replied.
“Mind if I offer you some advice?”
“Please.”
“Being a parent ain’t like other things. You got a good head on your shoulders, even if you spend far too much time conditioning that mane on top of it-”
“Now just because I refuse to wash my hair only once a month with Mane and Tail-”
“The point is,” Applejack cleared her throat, earning a sheepish silence. “It ain't gonna be like taking care of Sweetie for a weekend. Yeah, there's going to be some more give and take than a few nights of fitful sleep and-”
“Is it worth it?” Rarity blurted out before Applejack could finish her thought. She immediately chastised herself for the callousness of her question. Regardless, she looked toward her friend for an answer anyway. “I mean..." she stuttered, hoping to mitigate how terrible the question sounded in her head.
In response, Applejack let out a soft, gentle sounding chuckle. “It is, sugarcube. I’d give anything to have my parents back, but I wouldn’t trade my relationship with Bloom for anything else, if that makes any sense.”
Rarity returned home from Sweet Apple Acres to find Scootaloo puttering around the kitchen, a blank expression on her face. Scootaloo didn’t seem upset, but she did seem troubled.
“Is something wrong, dear?”
Scootaloo wheeled around. If there was any evidence that Scootaloo had warmed up to Rarity, it was that she didn't shy away from an honest answer. “I just thought things would change. I’ve never really had a choice and I kinda thought that by making one, things would be different.”
“In what way?”
“I just thought maybe this place would start to ..” Scootaloo’s voice grew faint, as though her words could blow away the wisp of smoke that was her hope. “..feel like home.”
Rarity couldn’t hide her feelings of disappointment, biting her tongue to prevent her from making any audible noises. Ever since she first invited Scootaloo to stay with her, she had endeavored to make the boutique a welcoming place; to hear that Scootaloo didn’t consider it home was more than a little hurtful. But she also couldn’t entirely blame her for not embracing the boutique. For Scootaloo, more than most ponies, perhaps more than anypony, home was a loaded word. “I see.”
“Yeah, I mean it’s nice and all, but it still feels like your kitchen. And outside is your living room and your dress shop, and even the bedroom upstairs feels like yours that you let me stay in.”
“Well, the dress shop is mine,” As soon as Rarity said that, she noticed Scootaloo’s shoulders begin to slump. “But maybe we can do something about the rest of the house?” she added hastily.
Scootaloo tilted her head to the left ever so slightly. “What do you mean?
“Let's see…” Rarity’s eyes darted back and forth, glancing around for something that didn’t have her own personal flourishes. Unfortunately, there were very few things in her carefully cultivated and arranged kitchen that fit that criteria. Finally she got an idea. Rarity picked out a drawer near her stove roughly equal to Scootaloo’s height and quickly emptied its contents onto the counter. “There! This is now your drawer.”
Scootaloo looked skeptical, but she also didn’t scowl. “A drawer?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“I understand that this place may not feel like yours, but when I moved it it didn’t really feel like mine either. Remember when we said that we would work together to make this a place you feel welcome?” Scootaloo nodded. “So, here’s a start, and if it’s been a few more days and you’re not feeling more at home, we can try something else, okay?”
But Scootaloo still wore the same perplexed expression. “Start what?”
“That’s your drawer and you may put your things in there,” Rarity said, thinking her point had been obvious.
“But all my stuff is already in the guest room.”
“That’s your room now, Scootaloo.”
Scootaloo let the correction roll off her with a small shrug. “It’s not like I have any kitchen stuff anyway.”
Rarity was forced to concede that Scootaloo was right about that particular point. “Home isn’t just about four walls and a roof, it’s also about the little things. I dare suggest I have more than enough silverware, why don’t you pick out some that you like and that can be your very own set for your very own drawer in what is now your kitchen.”
Scootaloo didn’t seem convinced that selecting some kitchen utensils was going to… do anything really but she didn’t feel like arguing. She began to rummage through the silverware drawer until she found some pieces that didn't look like they came from a dollhouse. “Can I have this one?” Scootaloo asked holding up a rather spartan looking spoon.
“You may have whichever ones you wish.”
“But what if I take your favorite stuff?” Rarity may have been generous but she was also very particular, and Scootaloo really didn’t want a fight about spoons and knives to be the reason she was sent packing early.
“I dare suggest that I am not so petty as to be upset over something as trifling as a fork.” Rarity softened her voice. “I would very much like you to feel that this is your home as much as mine. If some silverware would help you do that, that seems like a worthwhile sacrifice.”
Scootaloo just sighed, but continued to pick out a few of the less ornate pieces that Rarity had collected over the years. But as she collected a full set, mismatched though they were, Rarity could swear she saw Scootaloo release some of the tension she carried around constantly. She even noticed the faintest hint of a smile as Scootaloo organized her drawer, offering a satisfying hmm and affirmative nod as she closed it.