I would just like to take this moment to say thank you to all the readers and reviews! Every time I get a review I get so excited that all of you are joining me on this very long and strange journey… As for drama, oh my dears… there is an insane road ahead. Just you wait.

Okay this is just a shorter quick chapter the next one will have more interesting stuff, kinda a filler chapter. DOn't Hate.

Chapter 38

Pizza, Bonding, and Awkwardness

Todd ate his piece of pizza cautiously, waiting for someone to speak or something the happen. The pizza had arrived, it was now two in the morning and not a single person was sleeping, and the focal point seemed to be the women sitting next to Todd, who kept staring at him, suddenly he realized everyone was now looking at him.

"Well… are you going to introduce us to your mom?" asked Fred, Tabitha beamed beside him.

"Toddles are you nervous," she beamed, Todd swallowed and gave a weary smile.

"Uh, mom, this is… Tabitha, Freddy, Wanda, and you've already met these three… guys my mom… Nadia," said Todd.

"So w've heard about you once in a while," said Tabitha, scooting closer, "But I'm pretty sure most of us thought you were well… you know."

"Dead," said Wanda, she seemed to be slightly Leary of the women before them, "So where have you been… and what was with Toad's hygiene?"

"Did you really once punch out a sailor?" asked Fred.

"Where do you live?"

"Is it truly better to be feared?"

Todd felt like running off and dragging him mom with him as a serious of questions flooded them both. It dawned on him that he'd mentioned, offhandedly, his mother and certain sayings and small stories… but he had never mentioned her in present tense, and so many of his teammates had no parents, or had terrible pasts with parents that they'd probably assumed his mom dead or just another lacking parent. Some of the questions he'd never even thought anyone would ever ask. The only one of his housemates who'd ever showed mild interest in his past was Fred, whom seemed to be asking more detailed questions. Todd was happy that Fred had listened, but geesh.

"What's up with Mortimer?" asked Fred, everyone dwindled off in their questions.

"Whose Mortimer?" asked Kitty with a crinkled nose, Todd paled.

"Toad's Mortimer," said Fred.

"Really?" smirked Lance, Todd suddenly wished he hadn't come down for pizza, "So it's not Todd?"

"I can answer your questions," said Nadia, Todd was a little annoyed at how amused she seemed, this was going to bite him later, "Yes I did punch out a sailor.. No I do not think fear is a good way to earn respect, I said that out of sarcasm. Yes, I am not American. No my son was not born a tadpole. Yes I do in fact know how to fly an aircraft… but no I do not know how to operate a missle launcher or whatever that strange name is involving a detonator. Mortimer, what on earth have you told your friends… I have never gone para.. sailing is it? And I am also curious about, 'Todd?"

"Hey, can I help it if I elaborate a little?" asked Todd nervously.

"You said your mom smacked a man with a shark," said Lance, "I held onto that image for a very long time."

"Okay so I elaborated, but it was a really big tuna fish," said Todd defensibly, "I was five."

"Forget that stuff… Morty, tell us about your name choices?" asked Tabitha, who'd taken up residence laying across the floor, "I mean I dig Toddles but there are so many new name options to choose from."

"Thank you Fred," said Todd, Fred looked away casually and Todd looked at his mom, who had a curious look on her face.

"It's my middle name… and it's easier to write and causes less teasing, yo," said Todd quickly.

"Your middle names not Todd," said Nadia with a brow raised, "You used to like reading this book with a character named that but that's not your middle name."

"….. Hold up… it's not?" asked Todd with wide eyes, "Well then there is a bunch of falsified legal papers that are even more false that I thought, yo."

"What's wrong with Mortimer, anyways… and how didn't I ever think of using your grandmother's maiden name to find you," said Nadia in deep thought, "It's what I used."

"Mortimer," Pietro snickered, "Nice name."

"Pietro's middle name is Django," said Wanda casually, Pietro froze.

"Nice," laughed Lance, Todd smirked.

"Shut up 'Dominic," said Pietro.

"Dominic?" asked Kitty with a raised brow as she looked at a red faced Lance, "Oh my god is Lance not your name!"

"Lance is my legal name Pietro!" snapped Lance, "Kitty it's not my name…. it's not I swear."

"It isn't…. now," said Pietro, "But your birth certificate says otherwise."

"Oh Django, it's on!" snapped Lance, Todd watched as his housemates began to argue with each other, he gave an uneasy smile at his mom, it was official the evenings conversation was over.

TO BE CONTINUED