Chapter Text
Sterling felt like she had been trampled by a herd of elephants. How was anyone supposed to deal with the weekend from hell, let alone the love of their life breaking up with them.
Wait.
Love of her life
Oh no. She didn’t realise how deep she’d gone down the rabbit hole. Though thinking about it, thinking about her. It still made Sterling feel warm. Even if it was accompanied by a sharp pain in her heart. It looked like she wasn’t going to be getting over April soon.
Taking a note from her girlfriends. Or rather ex-girlfriend if they were even ever classed as such she buried it. She would deal with that later and try to come to terms with the other bombshell that had exploded in her face.
Her parents. Or Aunt and Uncle had lied to her. Her entire life! And Blair, how did they even have twin powers if they weren’t twins? It made no sense. But did having those conversations really even make sense anyway. Maybe it was just because they were so insync so it wouldn’t change anything now that they were…… cousins.
It even hurt to think about that. No Blair was her sister, her twin and that wouldn’t change even if they hadn’t technically shared a womb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2 months later
Sterling had taken to calling her parents by their christian names, which they couldn’t really complain about. Though the look on Debbie’s face told Sterling exactly how she felt about it. The first time Anderson had heard it he had been about to reprimand Sterling until Debbie grabbed him arm and gave a small shake of her head. Sterling was glad about that, she needed to work through this in her own time.
The twins were closer than ever, most nights they shared a bed and held hands. The way Sterling had always imagined they did in the womb. The thought that followed about Blair technically being her cousin no longer stung, it was more a dull ache in her chest. They had agreed that it wouldn’t change anything between them, but something like that was always bound to leave a scar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Going back to school had been a struggle. Debbie and Anderson had given both girls a week off school, claiming they were sick. There’s not really an excuse for “I’ve lied to my daughters all their life and now they know one of them is actually my niece and they’re not really twins.” They had also left Sterling to her own devices. She had locked herself in her room for the first few days not letting anyone in.
Eventually Blair had enough and literally kicked down the door - she’s so dramatic - and after looking smug that it had actually worked she curled up in Sterlings bed behind her. As soon as Sterling felt her warmth she had turned in her arms, placed their foreheads together and cried while Blair stroked her hair. Later she would find out that Blair had also been crying silently, though hers was more to do with the fact that Sterling hadn’t kicked her out, she had feared that the new knowledge they had, had changed their relationship.
The rumour mill had thrown so many stories around about why she had left from the lock in. Luke hadn’t helped by saying they were back together which in turn made April simmer with rage. Blair hadn’t left Sterling’s side for a solid week. She played bodyguard and wouldn’t let anyone close. She even went so far as to “break up” with Luke for Sterling…. again. Luke was obviously confused and really wanted to talk to Sterling about it, but when Blair’s retort of,
“Beat it dumbass she doesn’t want to talk to you”
Didn’t even spark a language warning from Sterling, Luke, with his puppy dog eyes turned and walked away.
Sterling had avoided April like the plague, the only time she would be remotely in her presence was during classes with assigned seating. Ellen was quick to try and address the issue privately with Sterling to which Blair would not budge. Somehow Blair had become Sterlings mouth piece for all these types of conversations, turning to Sterling and using their twin power to know exactly what she wanted to say but couldn’t, or wouldn’t. Blair didn’t mind, it made her feel important and close with Sterling.
Catching skips had come to a complete halt, Yolanda had said she didn’t have anything at the moment which Bowser parroted to the girls. So Sterling had nothing to occupy her time with, Blair did her best by continuously finding new tv shows for them to watch, but that even tan fry eventually and Sterling was finally lost in her own thoughts.
This often led to her crying in her room while watching some crappy rom-com and eating a pint of yogurt from Yogurtopia. It was better to be lost in someone else’s love story than to focus on her lack of one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Christmas break approached Sterling was finally ready to face a few things, namely her biological mother. Though she knew that she needed to address a few things with her parents first, because she had come to the conclusion that they were in fact still her parents, they had raised, cared for and loved her all her life.
One evening while they were eating dinner as they did every night Sterling broke the heavy silence that filled the room.
“I wanted to talk to you guys about a few things.”
Debbie and Anderson looked at each other and both rested their cutlery on their plates before turning to Sterling. Blair looked up and turned on her twin powers to get the heads up,
What are you doing?
Talking about… everything.
Everything everything? Or just the whole mum bombshell?
Everything everything
Blair let out a breath, nodded and leaned back in her chair before reaching over the table to offer her hand to Sterling for moral support, which Sterling gratefully took.
“So I’ve been doing a lot of thinking….” Sterling started, “and I’m really grateful that you gave me the space to do that.” She looked between her parents while she spoke, and paused, taking a steadying breath she dove into her rehearsed speech.
“First off I need to tell you a few things about me and one including Blair, and then I’m going to address the other stuff, but please don’t interrupt and hold your questions until….. well afterwards, I just need to get everything out.”
There was a pregnant pause in the room while Sterling looked between her parents who were looking at each other before Anderson spoke up, “This sounds like a conversation for the Living Room. Why don’t we all retire and sit comfortably.”
Blair was up in an instant, moving to Sterlings side, she whispered “you got this Sis” as she gently squeezed her foreman with a smile.
Once everyone had settled in the living room Sterling found it difficult to get started, she looked at Blair, back to her parents and back to Blair before standing and beginning to pace back and forth.
“Ok, so the first thing I need to tell you is about me and Blair and what we actually do for Bowser at Yogurtopia.” She quickly explained how her and Blair were helping Bowser with catching skips and how it had all started with them crashing the truck into a runaway skip that Bowser had been chasing.
Shocked doesn’t even being to describe the expression on her parents faces, but they remain quiet as she requested. The next part is the easy part, she hoped, “Secondly I’d like to start calling you mum and dad again, I’ve been thinking that being a mum or a dad isn’t just genetics, it’s more about who’s been there for you and you guys have been there for me all my life and I don’t think of Blair any differently so why should I think of you any differently, so if it’s ok with you I’d like to start calling you mum and dad again…. I said that already.”
Sterling breathed out and made eye contact for the first time during her monologue. She watched as a lone tear traced its way down her mother cheek and she barely held back a sob. She saw her father squeeze her mother’s hand in reassurance and nodded his consent before saying “Nothing would make us happier.”
Now it was time for the big one. Sterling started pacing again but paused in front of Blair long enough for a quick squeeze of her hand, encouraging Sterling to be strong. Sterling took a deep breath, stopped pacing and turned to face her parents.
“I’m bisexual.”
Silence.
It seemed to last an eternity.
Sterling’s eyes flashed to Blair’s,
Is it a good thing they’re quiet?
I think they’re processing, give them a sec Sterl.
She turned back to her parents, her father opened his mouth and closed it. Opened it again,
“Ahhh….” closed it. Turned to his wife. Before standing to leave the room, but as he walked past Sterling he placed his hand on her shoulder and said in a hushed tone, “It’s a lot Sterling. Especially in our circle. I love you, and nothing will change that but give me time.”
Better than I expected, Sterling shot to Blair. A hum of consent came down the connection.
Sterling turned to her mother and felt Blair come to stand behind her left shoulder. They both looked down at their mother, still sitting on the couch, her hands in her land. She was the picture of the stepford housewife, hands folded neatly in her lap, hair pulled back without a single lock out of place, and her pristine white jeans topped with a light blue button down shirt tucked in.
That was until she started shaking with laughter, at first it was just her shoulders and Sterling shot Blair a look of absolute panic, thinking she was crying, only for it to be interrupted by their mother’s laughter. Both daughters turned to stare at their mother wide eyed. Blair stepped up to Sterling’s side and linked their hands. Sterling gripped onto it for dear life, “Mum?” She questioned.
Debbie wiped a tear from her eye, as her laughter finally slowed down.
“Oh honey, it was bound to be one of you. With me as your mother and where I grew up. We really weren’t ever meant for this stepford life. Though I’m going to be honest I though it would be you Blair. It just goes to show though,” with this she lifted herself off the couch and cupped each of the girls chins, “you’re both definitely my daughters.” She pulled them both into a hug which the both accepted without question.
They stood there for a long time. Sterling feeling like a weight had been lifted off her chest that she had been suffocating under for the past few months. Her parents knew and they didn’t hate her. After a time her mum spoke again, “Never hide who you are girls, I know in the past with Big Daddy we’ve tried to,” she paused trying to find the right word, “curb your point of view Blair and we’ve held you at a high standard Sterling, but you’re both so beautiful.” She pulled back again to look at her daughters, before she turned her attention fully to Sterling, “Thank you,” she placed a kiss on her forehead, “Don't worry about your father I’ll bring him around.”
With that Debbie went to leave the room, but not before Sterling said “Thanks mum.” Debbie paused, turned her head, placed her hand over her heart and smiled before following Anderson upstairs.