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Maya never really thought she'd have a family. Her birth family gave her up to the abbey in Athenas without a second thought, as far as she knows. The Order of the Impending Storm tried to live up to their name, making her the storm, a goddess to be feared, having everyone be scared of her and her Siren powers. The monks who raised her weren't a family to her, she was just a tool, a means to an end for them. And when she looks back on them, there's nothing of that time for her to cherish. After she left, she thought she was doomed to continued loneliness. In some ways, she didn't mind that. She's never been for relationships, emotional or physical. She was mostly alone yet not lonely.
But then she ended up in Pandora, and the Vault Hunters there became her family. She connected with poor Angel, because Maya knows what it's like to be used for your Siren powers. Her and Lilith developed a deep friendship, too. She cares for Krieg, though she sometimes worries that Krieg wants things from her she's unable to give him. But for now, they work. Her connections with the others aren't quite the same, but still, they are all family to her, and what is even better, she's part of their family too. It feels good. It helps her make the decision to go back to Athenas, to find out even more about Sirens, because she knows that she has a home in Pandora to come back to.
***
Maya never thought about becoming a mother. Given her disinterest in the things that result in children, and the way she was herself raised, she never thought it as something she wanted or something she should do. But sometimes, life ends up surprising you. This happened to her with Ava. The little orphan girl was trying to steel her book (one of the first things anyone interacting with Maya learns is to *never* touch her books), and when Maya caught her in the act, she was angry at first. She thought about just getting rid of her, throwing her away. But there was something... familiar about Ava. Something she'd felt with Angel, with Lilith. She couldn't explain it, but somehow she knew Ava could become a Siren someday. And it's not just that. They had seemingly the same love of books, the same survival instincts. Maya wanted to protect the little brat. So, she made Ava her apprentice.
Ava is stubborn and willful, and Maya learns a lot about herself as she starts to raise and guide her into the ways of a Siren. She's never really met parents, never seen how biological families are supposed to interact with each other. But after knowing Ava for a few months, seeing her developments, feeling proud of her, she thinks this is what motherhood is probably like. She doesn't mind that connection one bit.
***
Part of parenthood is protecting your kids, and Ava really doesn't make it easy. When she sees her in vault on Prometha, knowing something could have happened to her during the fighting, that something could still happen to her because of the Calypsos, a fear she hasn't felt before more grips her heart. She tells Amara, another Siren Vault Hunter, to gather the loot in the vault and Maya takes Ava out of there, kicking and screaming, but okay.
She waits until they are outside to really start lecturing Ava about how she should listen to her, and she doesn't hide the fear and worry and love in her voice.
"You are meant for great things, Ava, but you are not ready. If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself. I am trying my best to look out for you. You know I love you. Even if you don't always understand what I ask of you, you know I only want the best for you."
For once, Ava is quiet, not talking back. Eventually, she says in a quiet voice, "You love me?"
Oh. Apparently she wasn't as obvious about that as she thought. Well, emotions have always been weird to her. "Yes. Why do you think I adopted you?"
Surprising both of them, Ava runs to Maya and envelops her in a hug. Maya hasn't had many of those. Ava probably hasn't either. But it's good.
Before they can say anything else to each other, Amara gets out of the vault and tells them the Calypsos had been there, that they took something from the vault just now. Maya wonders what it could have been, and it worries her. But she's glad she took Ava out of there before they arrived.
That night, after they make their way back to the ship, things between her and Ava feel different. More open. She wonders if she should tell Ava that they great thing she is sure she is destined for is Sirenhood, but she's not sure Ava is quite ready yet. But she thinks she might be ready soon. She's glad she's here to see it.
As Ava gets up to go to sleep, Maya does something she hasn't really done before. She walks up to her to give Ava's forehead a kiss. Ava rubs at the kiss, supposedly annoyed. Her mouth says "Maya!" but her tone says, 'Mom'. Maya likes it, and smiles with mischievous affection.
"Good night, Ava."
"Good night, Maya," Ava says with fake grumpiness.
Lilith and Amara look on this odd display but Maya just shrugs. "I'm her Mom. It's my job to embarrass her."
Amara and Lilith share another look, but then they just laugh. Maya joins them again on the planning of the next vault assault, and Maya feels really and truly happy. She loves her family, and her family loves her.