User blog:Redknight910/WWYD Hornet SteveDuck

Prompt: You have been married to a honey bee for 18 years. Two years after you got married you found what you asumed was a baby honey bee on your doorstep and your wife eventually convinced you to raise her along with your biological daughter. Whilst your natural daughter grew up warm and kindhearted if a little docile, your adopted daughter became very headstrong and passionate, developing interests in art and mechanics. She also looks very hornet like and although she is a good person she has a short temper at times. At the age of 16 she is sent home for an extremely violent verbal tirade she released in response to being teased.

You and your wife enter her room to find her crying on her bed. She looks up and sobs "I'm sorry, I don't know why I feel like this! I'm a terrible honeybee, what am I dad?" (You've never told her she was adopted.)

Answer: I put a hand on her shoulder, which earns me a tight, sobbing hug. I start to carefully explain what happened, that we found her on our doorstep one night, and took her in. When her eyes go wide I quickly pull her into an even tighter embrace.

I tell her it was one of my best decisions, no matter how much trouble she gets in. She's my daughter, and I don't care who says otherwise. My wife comes in from the side and embraces her too.

"You're a good girl, sweetheart. You're a part of this family, just as much as your sister, and you better not forget that." She pulls away for a second and gives her a stern look. "Just because I didn't give birth to you, doesn't mean I don't love you just as much." She stare at us, frozen for a few seconds, then looks back at me.

"Did you... did you know my original parents?" She asks. I start thinking, and I know there are a few hornet couples that live in the area, a few of which were captured by local hive before finding a mate.

"I want to meet them!" She says hastily, then when she sees our expressions her eyes widen and she quickly shakes her hands. "No, no, not like that! I don't want to leave, you're my  real  parents. I just... I just want to know why they abandoned me..." We pull her into another embrace, this one much softer.

My wife spends the next few days getting in contact with all the hornet couples in the area, organising a little gathering. The hornets who haven't been captured by the hive are hesitant, but eventually agree.

When the day comes, we're waiting with both our daughters for the couples to arrive. Many of the solo couples are surprised to see my daughters, particularly the younger, taller one. She looks at each couple who comes in very closely, looking for some sign of recognition. When the last couple enters the inn we booked for the event, we get up on the stage. I decide to do the talking, since the audience is clearly divided into the wild pairs and the 'tamed' couples.

I tell them that sixteen years ago, one of them dropped a little baby girl at my door, and while we were and are happy to have her in our family, she wants to know who her birth parents are. And so I got my wife to organise this meeting, hoping that the girls parents would step up and let us know it was them that brought our second beautiful daughter to us. My hornet daughter is blushing furiously, but has a faint smile on her lips. Most of the hornets start looking amongst each other, until one speaks up.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, if the rest of you are too scared to tell them, I will." She growls, getting a few worried looks from her wild fellows. "It was Nari. Nari dropped her off on you." The biggest hornet in the room stands up, glaring at the one who spoke.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Why would you tell them that Darla!" She shouts, but my daughter cocks her head, looking closely at the tall woman.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Will I get as tall as you?" She asks, getting everyone’s attention. The tall hornet in particular is stunned. My daughter flies down to stand in front of her, looking up curiously. "You're the one who keeps annoying the hive, aren't you?" Nari looks down, eyebrows scrunched up and a confused look on her face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Yes. What of it?" Nobody can keep the shock off of their faces when my daughter hugs her birth mother.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Thank you." She says, looking up at her. The hornet looks up at me, and I can almost see her eyes glistening.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"We're talking about this once this is over." I nod, telling all the others that we have what we need, and thank them all for coming. Once the last hornet has left, we all sit down at a table, Nari and her husband sitting across from us. Nari huffs a deep sigh, then looks at us.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay. So here's the deal." She says looking between the four of us. "When I got pregnant, I couldn't think of anything worse than having a little one for the hive to leverage against me." She looks almost apologetic as she looks at my hornet daughter. "So, I had some of my friends go hunting for a couple to raise her. I didn't want her being at risk from the hive, and when they found you, a young couple with a little girl already, I knew you'd take care of her." Her husband puts a hand on her shoulder, and it's clear to all of us she's on the verge of tearing up.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"My wife and I didn't want to see our little girl get caught by the hive. We knew she'd be punished just for being related to us. Please don't hate us for it, or your parents for not telling you until now." My daughter definitely doesn't have an angry, or even disappointed look on her face. She looks happy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I know. You didn't do it because you didn't want me. You did it to protect me. Thanks to you, I have a good home, loving parents, and a great sister." She puts a hand on her sister's shoulder, who returns the gesture.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">" Older  sister. Don't forget older." The two share a laugh, and it's a heart-warming sight.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"This is better than I ever hoped." My daughters on the edge of tears, and looking at both her mother’s it's clear they're not doing much better. I ask Nari if she wants to organise visits, now that the hive knows about her and my daughter. She shakes her head, taking a deep breth to calm herself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"No, you're her parents, and I don't want you being associated with a troublesome hornet like me." She laughs. My wife reaches over the table to hold her hand.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Just because you're not the mother who raised her, doesn't mean you can't be her friend." Nari's eyes widen, and she slowly nods.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"O-o...kay. Yeah... alright. I'll try and come around sometime." She looks at her husband, who has a smile on his face. I stand from the table, thanking the both of them for everything. Both my daughters embrace her, leaving all of us a bit surprised, and thank her. My wife hugs her, leaving her a little stiff, and says she's welcome any time. The couple depart for their home in the woods, while we walk home, our daughters clinging tightly to us.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Thanks for doing this mom, dad. It means so much to me." We both smile, telling her that we're just as happy to know where she came from.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Her mother makes her first visit a week later, bringing her a present too. She hands her a tall spear, tipped with a metal head resembling a stinger. "Something all hornets, wild or hive, have with them. Keep it close." My daughter's ecstatic, and starts swinging the spear around. I make a comment about her not taking it to school and both her mother’s agree.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"She'll need some training for it, you know." My wife says with a smile. Nari looks up at her, a confident smile on her lips.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"That she will. And I happen to know one of the best spearmen around." She says confidently, pulling her own spear off of her back and thumping it against the veranda. "Me." We share a laugh at the drama of the announcement, but none of us disagree with it. Her training starts that weekend, spending her Sunday afternoons training with Nari. It's a good bonding experience for the two, and we're all there, giving her encouragement. Our other daughter even joins in after a couple of weeks. Her smaller size leaves her a bit behind, but she's definitely trying.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"She's still our little girl... isn't she?" My wife asks wistfully. I smile and nod, knowing every time she looks at us, I still see the same eyes looking back at me. Our girl's going to be a great woman, good and strong, even if she still has her other mothers temper. Once the sessions over the three of them come and join us.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"You did a good job raising these two." She says with a smile. "I even think this little bee could make a good spearwoman." My honey bee daughter smiles, and my other daughter gives her a thumbs up.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"It's... better than I thought it would be." Nari says with a faint smile. "To just let my hair down and forget I'm on the hives most wanted list." She laughs, and lowers the glass she was drinking from, looking over at our daughters and watching the two spar. "You really did a good job. Better than I ever would." Her husband puts a comforting hand on her shoulder. My wife gives her a warm smile.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Well, it wasn't always easy, particularly when we found out she was a hornet, not a honey bee. But we did what we could, and made sure we raised two happy little girls." Nari nods, a smile spreading across her face.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I'm glad I picked a good home for her." She turns back to us, and I can't even begin to associate the woman we've been seeing with the stories from the hive.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:12pt0cm;line-height:15.75pt;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our lives go on like that, even after the training ends Nari and her husband come over regularly to check up on us. The hive agreed to leave us alone, since she was raised by us and not 'that monstrous hornet Nari' as they put it. We even got them to agree to leaving her be while she visited us. Things are good, our little girls are growing up, and even or little honey bee's getting a bit more confident. Things really couldn't have gone better.