At long last, the month of May rolled around. May, the month Hope was due. In a few short weeks, she would have her baby girl in her arms. And she was beyond ready, because she was thirty-eight weeks pregnant and was showing no signs of labor at all. She was huge, uncomfortable, heavy… standing was almost impossible for her. The frequent urination returned, and her feet and ankles were swelling. And god, she just could not get any sleep at night. There was no way she could get comfortable, and every time she'd lie down, their baby would decide to put on a show and do somersaults from within, her little legs jabbing and kicking Hope in the ribs. Long gone were the flutters at this point. God, she was so happy and ready to have her baby soon… it just wasn't soon enough.
One afternoon, she sat in the nursery in the rocking chair, feet kicked up on the ottoman. One hand rested on her belly, pressed against her side, below her ribs, where her baby continued to torture her in that same spot. In her other hand, she held her What to Expect book, thumb saving her page as she held it closed and by her side. Her eyes were fixed on Scott, watching him work on the crib tirelessly. He'd been at it for hours, now, only stopping to use the bathroom or help Hope with whatever she needed. She'd offered to help, but he wouldn't let her get up, which honestly, Hope was glad about because the thought of getting up was not appealing. Standing was almost impossible for more than two minutes.
As she watched, she got a huge kick in her ribs, enough to make her gasp. It got Scott's attention and he turned with worry. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she said breathily. "She just kicked me… really hard."
With a soft smile, he made his way over to her and knelt next to the chair, his hand finding the spot where the baby had kicked. Sure enough, he could feel her little foot pushing out against his hand. "Aw, hey," he chuckled lightly. "Come on, little lady, don't torture your mom." He rubbed the spot gently.
It was enough to draw a little laugh from her, though it was light and breathless, for the baby was still pushing her foot out against her ribs. "It feels like she's going to rip me open right there." In reality, though, her whole belly felt like it was going to burst because her skin was so stretched and itchy. Every movement their baby girl made would make it even worse. "God, I'm so ready to not be pregnant anymore."
"I know," Scott told her. "But hey, it could be any day now. You're considered full term, so anytime, you could go into labor."
It sounded promising, but there were no signs at all. The baby hadn't dropped, she hadn't had too many Braxton Hicks contractions, she wasn't dilated, and she wasn't effaced just yet. She just sighed. "Yeah… not soon enough, though."
"We just have to have patience," he assured her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Can I get you anything?"
"My baby out of me?"
He laughed. "If I could, I would, you know that. Anything else?"
She shook her head. "No, but thank you," she said. "You go back to your work."
He smiled and kissed her again before getting up and returning to the crib. He was almost done by then, only a few more pieces left to put together. Before long, he finished, and he made sure it was sturdy and safe before he stepped back to admire his work. In his head, he imagined if their baby would be there asleep in that crib, and the thought made him smile. He couldn't wait.
Hope watched as he studied the crib, and her smile matched his. Looking around the room, she realized how much they'd gotten done for the baby, like the wall paint, the furniture, and so on. There were only a few things left to do, such as buying toys and clothes, and then they would officially be done. And Scott had done most of it, and he has every reason to be proud. Hope adored it.
"Congratulations, Daddy," she murmured lovingly. "You did so well with everything."
"Thanks, babe," he grinned at her. "Now, all that's missing is a baby."
"I know. I wish she was here already."
He went over to her and kissed the top of her head. "Like I said, we just have to be patient. How? I have no idea."
She couldn't help but giggle. "We can keep each other sane, I guess."
"Fair enough," he nodded. "Now, can I get you something to eat or drink?"
"Mmm some water?"
"On it." He got right up and made his way out of the room to get what she wanted.
Hope watched him leave with a smile on her face. She stroked her belly and felt her daughter move inside. She giggled and lifted her shirt to reveal her belly, popped out belly button and all, and she ran her hand across it. "Daddy's so sweet," she whispered. "We're so lucky to have him. He's gonna spoil us both, especially you. You're his world, baby girl. His world and mine. If only you'd actually get here so we can snuggle you in our arms. Like, seriously, please hurry. You're making me huge and I'm ready for you."
Scott was on his way back to the nursery with a glass of ice water when he heard her soft voice, and he curiously peered inside to see his beautiful fiancée stroking her belly slowly and whispering to their baby. He stood there for several moments, enraptured, captivated, as she continued.
"I'm gonna tell you a secret," she said. "I was very scared when I first found out you were in there. I didn't see myself as a mom. But something sparked in me… and I wanted to protect you. I promise I'll give you everything I have… just please get here. You're making Mommy feel like a whale."
"Oh, that's nonsense," Scott piped up, causing her to turn and blush. He stepped inside and handed her the glass. "You're beautiful."
"And huge," she retorted. "Like, look at me. I look like a whale, I feel like a whale…"
He shook his head and knelt next to her. "You're literally full of life, okay? Not huge. You're gorgeous." He ran his hand along her belly before kissing it. "Hi, baby girl. Daddy's here. Beautiful girl."
She smiled while watching him kiss her belly all over and talking to it. However, in the midst of it all, she gasped and tensed up, because the baby girl kicked hard. "Ow!"
Scott jerked away. "What's wrong?"
"She's using me as a punching bag! And she uses my bladder as a recliner. I want her out."
"Anytime soon, babe," he assured her once again. "Who knows, maybe you'll go into labor in the next few days."
"God, I hope so," she let out a breath. "I'm so over this pregnancy thing. Becca told me that now would be a good time to start doing things like walking to help induce labor naturally. We better get that started, ASAP."
Scott smiled. "Well, why not now?"
Hope thought about it, not wanting to get up just yet, but she wanted the baby out as soon as she possibly could. So, she nodded. "Okay, let's go." Then she began to sit up with Scott's help. But as soon as she was on her feet, she stopped. "Right after I go pee." She then grumbled and darted off quickly for the bathroom. Well, as quickly as her body could allow.
Scott just watched her, smiling still, wishing that he could help a little more to make her more comfortable. Sure, he was giving massages, helping her around the house, bringing her everything on a silver platter, and so on, but somehow, it didn't feel like it was enough. He was trying hard, though. It was the best he could do. Only a few weeks left…
"Come on, baby boy, up you go." Becca said sweetly as she lifted her son out of his car seat and into the baby carrier strapped to her chest, so she could keep him close. She couldn't help but giggle as she saw how slightly groggy he was from the nap he just woke up from, with those sleepy, heavy eyes, and mouth hanging slightly open. God, he was so cute. She just had to kiss his little forehead over and over again. Once he was situated against her, she grabbed her purse, locked her car up, and began her long walk across the hospital parking lot.
She had consciously parked further away for two reasons; the first reason was to give those who needed closer spots the space to do so. She was only there to pick up Jack's newest prescription after all, and having working in hospitals before, she knew how crowded they could get. Parking was always a nightmare.
The second reason was to get some well-needed exercise. She wasn't necessarily out of shape, though she had lost some strength after her episode, but her therapist had recommended that she become more physically active. It would slowly build her strength back up, and help give her some endorphins to help her mood. She and Jack had been taking Porter on walks in the morning lately and they seemed to be helping. Overall, she was doing better and was feeling good about that. She wanted to always be there to take care of her boys but she couldn't do that if she wasn't taken care of; she understood that now.
She stopped in front of the hospital doors and stood there for a moment as a few passersby shuffled around her. This building, this environment… it had been her escape for many years when she was a doctor. She felt in control here; it was her domain to care for those who needed her, and then Hydra took that from her… twice. It became a place where she dreaded to go because she had finally been on the other side. She knew what it was like to be a patient. However, her nightmares had been subsiding; she didn't feel sick to her stomach standing there, now. However, she was a bit anxious, and she was sure Porter could feel her heart beating. She wasn't going to let the fear of this place control her anymore, not if she wanted to move on with her life.
Yes, this building was a place of heartbreak and pain and fear, but it was also a place of healing and hope and life. Jack recovered here, Scott was saved here, Porter was born here… She had to learn to accept the good with the bad, and with Jack by her side—as her husband, now—she finally felt ready to do so. He had offered to go pick up his prescription on his own, but she asked him to let her do this herself. She needed to face this.
"Okay, little man," she smiled down to her son. Beneath her chin, she could feel him turn his head at the sound of her voice. "You ready to go in? Just a quick little stop to pick something up and then we go home." Her feet didn't move as people continued to walk around her. She wasn't necessarily frozen in place, but she just couldn't quite make herself move just yet.
She took a deep breath. Okay. Come on, Bex. You can do this. Just walk up to the desk, hand them the paperwork, wait until they give it to you, and then leave. Simple. I did grab the paperwork right? She tried to sift through her bag and find the prescription. She knew she had it, and she knew she was stalling, but she just needed a few more seconds to collect herself. If she had it in her hand when she walked in, she could get it to them quicker and be out of there sooner.
And then, she really wished she hadn't stalled…
The sound of glass shattering from overhead broke her concentration, and someone let out a scream. Becca's knees immediately hit the concrete as she wrapped her body protectively over Porter and a symphony of shards crackled around her body. She felt broken pieces bouncing off her back and Porter was screaming in her arms, having been startled by the sudden sounds and falling motions as Becca hit the ground, wailing in her ear as she held him closer. A loud thud in front of her forced a small squeak from her chest, and with a glance she could see a man in black standing with his back to her. Had he jumped from the hospital window?
Another crashing sound had her ducking her head again as Porter let out another terrified scream. This time she felt sharpness cut though her arm, and she could feel herself bleeding. Another thud, and there was a second man there, and it was then that she noticed at red symbol on their shoulders- Hydra. The second man who had jumped was holding something, a vial of some sort. They'd stolen something from the hospital labs! Oh god, what if it was something for the Yellow Jacket suit? She had to do something, but what could she do with her son in her arms?
"Freeze!" she heard someone shout. An officer had just left the hospital and was now pointing a gun at the two Hydra men. Becca and Porter were on the ground between them, the former protecting the latter with her life. "Drop your weapons and put your hands up!"
The two men exchanged smug glances and laughed. A narrow sliver of metal extended from one man's shoulder like another arm—or a stinger—and a beam of light hit the officer in the shoulder. He let out a shout as he hit the ground and placed his hand over the bleeding wound. Becca was in tears now as she watched the to men begin to jog off. She hugged Porter closer into her chest as he continued to cry and scream. She hushed him gently and stroked his hair. They were getting away. They were going to escape. They were, weren't they? Oh, god, what was she going to do?
"Somebody help!" she shrieked into the air.
Something whistled through the air as it hit one of the men, bouncing off him with an echo as he fell to the ground. The second man was suddenly sent flying backwards, as if a train had hit him.
"Looks like we made it this time." Why was that voice so familiar?
"Looks like it, Cap," Out of nowhere, Ant-Man suddenly grew to full size, and Captain America jumped off a car to stand next to him, shield in hand. Becca let out a sob of relief. Scott was here! So was Steve! Thank god!
"Scott! Steve!" she cried out.
"Becca?" Scott was shocked to see his friend with her son on the ground. He wanted to run straight for her to make sure she was all right, but she was too far away and Hyrda was standing between them. "Shit, are you okay?"
She nodded quickly and ignored the pain in her arm. She didn't care about it, and there were far more important things to worry about. "I'm fine! Cap!" she shouted. "The man you hit has a vial of something! They stole it from the hospital!"
"On it!" Steve called back.
The man with the laser on his shoulder turned to glare at her, the weapon now pointed in her direction. "You bitch!" Just as it was beginning to charge power, Captain America's shield flew through the air and cut the weapon off at its joint.
Scott sprang forward and began to charge at the man he had hit before. "Becca! Take cover!" With out a second thought she pushed herself off the ground and ran to hide behind the support beam of the hospital entrance. She kept trying to hush Porter, rubbing his back and quietly promising him that everything would be fine, but she didn't take her eyes off the men who might come after her.
"You sure you got this Scott?" Steve asked.
"Don't worry, man. I may have just gotten back in the game, but I can still take a few hits. Can't let you have all the fun!"
Steve shook his head. The point wasn't to have fun or get hit, it was to… oh, forget it. There were more important things to deal with at the moment.
As Steve grappled with one man for the vial, Scott threw a punch and hit the second man in the chest before shrinking to evade a counterattack. Man, it felt good to be back into this! Janet sparing with him had really helped, and while he wasn't back to one hundred percent, he could definitely take out a grunt like this. Scott grew again to sweep the man's feet out from under him and stood over him as he hit the ground. When he went to reach down and grab the man by the cuff of his shirt, the man swiped back at him and Scott put up his arms to defend himself and pulled back. The grunt was holding a shard of bloody glass in his hand. Had the falling glass hurt Becca? Now he was really mad.
Scott didn't hesitate to shrink back down again and prepare himself. He waited for his opponent to stand up, look around for a moment until he was lined up just right, and then Scott jumped and grew at the same time as he effectively kneed the man right below the belt and he dropped like a rock, wailing in agony. No one hurt his friends. No one! There was no holding back when it came to them.
The sound of screeching tires drew his attention away, and he looked to see that Steve had his opponent pinned to the ground. But as a black van drove past, the sliding door flew open and the man on the ground tossed something into it with his free hand. The van didn't even slow down as it began to drive away.
"Shit!" Scott began to sprint towards the van, but he stopped after only a few strides when he realized there was no way he would catch him.
"On, no, you don't!" Scott turned in response to the shouting, only around to see Steve's hand in the man's mouth as he quickly pulled out a small pill. "Scott, check your guy!"
"Oh! Right!" Scott was fortunate to find that the man he had probably prevented from ever having children still had his mouth open as he continued to writhe in pain on the ground. He reached in and began to move his fingers around to feel for the cyanide pill. "Ew, ew, gross!" When he finally found it, he quickly took it out and threw it on the ground before quickly wiping his hand on his suit. "Well, that was disgusting."
"I just radioed Sam," Steve announced. "He's following the van and Clint's coming to pick these guys up."
"Awesome," Scott panted, now out of breath. "That's great man. Good work out there… yeah…"
Becca continued to watch as the men in the parking lot began to catch their breath. Had they done it? Were they safe? Did they get the vial back? She couldn't hear anything over the sound of her son still crying in her arms.
"Shh, shh, it's okay, baby," she looked down to sweep her fingers through his hair and soothe him. "It's over, now. Everything is…" She stopped when something wet touched her fingers, and her heart stopped. She looked at her fingertips and found them covered in red. She pulled Porter back from her and was terrified to find that her son wasn't screaming in fear. He was screaming in pain. Porter's forehead was covered in blood that was rolling down his face from a small gash just below his hairline over his right eye. The gash was small, but she could tell it was deep.
"Porter!" she frantically tried to brush away the blood to get a look at the cut, but with every movement, her heart broke at the though of her touch causing him more pain. "Porter, baby, I've got you! Mommy's going to fix it! Oh, god!" She used het jacket sleeve to try and stop the blood.
"Becca!" Scott ran over after hearing her scream. "What happened? What's wrong?"
"Scott! Porter's hurt! I think the glass cut him. Oh, god, he's hurt! There's so much blood!"
"Holy—Come on! We have to get him inside!"
Becca couldn't feel her legs as Scott tried to pull her off the ground. She couldn't stand. She couldn't hear Scott speaking to her. She couldn't even see as her burning tears began to blur her vision. This couldn't be happening. This had to be another nightmare.
"Ma'am, are you all right?" a woman's voice asked. "Let me see your baby."
"Don't touch him!" she shrieked at who she quickly realized was a nurse reaching for her child. Scott must have called her out while she had been trying to help Porter. "He's my son!"
"Ma'am, I'm a nurse. I can help him. Please just let me—"
"No—!" Becca pulled Porter into her chest and cried along with him. "No! You can't take him! I won't let you!" She shut her eyes tight and chanted in her mind to wake up. This wasn't real. This wasn't real!
"Becca!" Becca opened her eyes again to see Scott's face in front of hers, his helmet open so she could see his eyes and the beads of sweat on his face.
"S—Scott! Don't let them t—take him! Pl—please!"
"Becca," he said. "It's okay. They're going to help him, and you, too."
"They're g—going to take him f—from me…" she sobbed.
"They're going to make him all better, Becca. Just like before, when he had trouble breathing. He's going to be okay. I promise."
"Scott…"
He reached out his arms before her. "It's okay. I've got him."
Tears continued to roll down her cheeks as her grip began to loosen around her only child, who had yet to stop crying. Dream or not, she trusted Scott. He had just saved them both, and she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her son. The weight of her son continued to leave her arms as she made certain that Scott had him. She held her breath when she watched the man carefully hand her son over to the nurse and cried when she looked into his eyes. She bit her lip to fight back sobs and she felt like her heart was breaking.
And then…
"Mama!"
The world shut down around her. She thought she had imagined it. "Mama!" No. That was real. That sound… that beautiful, yet desperate and fearful sound escaped her son's throat again as the nurse stood and began to walk away. That sound was real and it made her burst into tears again.
Becca let out a wail like a banshee. "Porter!" Scott quickly jumped in front of her and wrapped his arms around her to keep her in place as she was trying to get up. "That's my baby! He said 'mama!' He's calling me! Give him back! Porter!"
"Becca, stop! It's okay!" He could feel Becca's nails digging into his back through his suit as she tried to claw her way out of his grip. "He's going to be all right! We have to take care of you!"
"Give me back my son!"
"Becca! Hang on! You're hurt, too! Don't move around!" She didn't listen. She only continued to fight harder as the sounds of her son's cries became more distant.
She felt a quick shot of pain in her arm just then, and she looked to find another nurse pulling a needle out of her arm. She began to lose all her strength within a few seconds and slumped into Scott's arms, but her tears didn't stop. The last thing she remembered was looking down at herself, blood rolling down her arm from her own cut, her knees scraped up and swollen from when they had hit the ground, and the sound of her own voice.
"Porter… Porter… Porter…"
Her eyes fluttered open a little while later, and the first thing she noticed was how groggy and heavy her body felt. Her mind struggled to comprehend what was going on for a while, until she realized the last thing she remembered. Within two seconds, she shot up in the hospital bed, eyes wide open, now, frantic. Her heart raced as she searched for her family.
"Porter!"
A hand came to her shoulder, making her jump and ready to fight back. "Whoa! Easy there, babe!" She immediately recognized that voice and relaxed when she saw that it was Jack next to her. "Hey," Jack whispered. "Becca, it's okay. Just relax." He rubbed her back and kissed her temple. "Everything's all right."
She opened her mouth, ready to gush before him about what had just happened and asked were their son was, but all that came out was a sigh of relief when she found Porter right there in Jack's arms. "Oh, thank god," she said breathily. Within a few seconds, she was in tears as she examined him immediately. The blood was gone from his face, no longer dripping from his wound, which was now closed up with only two small stitches. It was still a bit red, and he was whimpering every so often. Otherwise, he was completely fine, much to her immense relief. She reached forward to slip her finger into his little hand, trying to control her emotions. "Hi, baby boy."
"He says, 'I'm okay, Mommy,'" Jack smiled softly, looking down at their son. "Our little warrior, just like his mom."
She let out a long breath and nodded in agreement. "Oh, definitely." It was at that moment that Porter turned to look at his mother, meeting her gaze, and he whined a little bit. He leaned forward, reaching for her, and then Becca heard that beautiful sound again.
"Mama."
Jack gasped and looked at Becca in shock. Did his son just say his first word? Becca let out a sob and reached for Porter, taking him into her arms, holding him close, and rocking him with what little strength she had. It was very difficult to keep the tears from falling. Jack watched, bewildered and in love.
"Oh, my god…" he breathed. "He said 'Mama'!"
"Mama's here," she whispered in a broken voice while stroking his hair. "I'm here, baby. It's okay." She then peppered his little face with kisses, careful to avoid the wound on his face. "I'll always be here. Always."
Jack smiled and gently hugged them both. "And Daddy will be, too. Forever and always." He then pressed a kiss to her temple, just as she leaned into him.
After such a hectic day like that, all Becca wanted to be with was her family, and thankfully, that was what she got, and she needed nothing else.
Scott let out a huff as he unlocked the door and walked into his home. His whole body ached after just a few hours, and it took forever just to walk up the front porch stairs. He should have taken Antony 2 at least half of the way. It was late in the evening now, so Hope was probably asleep, and all he wanted to do was shower and crawl into bed with her. He was a bit too eager, though, because he accidentally slammed the front door a little too hard. He cringed at the sound, and he felt a sharp pain in his neck when he lifted his shoulders and let out a groan.
"Scott?" Hope called out from the living room, very much awake. The sound of the door had startled her, but the sound of him in pain concerned her more. She shot up (as far as her huge belly would allow), eyes wide and went to go find him. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he replied. "Sorry if I woke you."
"You didn't. We were waiting for you in the living room," she said as she stroked her belly. She rounded the corner and watched Scott trudge into the kitchen. His helmet was off, and she could see his hair was soaked in sweat. There weren't any bruises that she could see, but she didn't relax just yet.
She watched him toss his helmet onto the table with a loud clatter before he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. "Why are you still up? Shouldn't you be in bed resting?"
"You really expect me to go to sleep before you get home on your first night back out?"
Scott forced a shrug, and she could tell he was holding back a wince. He sank into a kitchen chair with a thud and let out another exhausted groan. Hope just stood in the doorway and watched him gulp down his water before pouring a small amount in his hand to splash onto his face. A sigh left him as he rubbed his face tiredly. Hope went up behind him and bent down to kiss his head.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm exhausted and sore as hell," he admitted. "I might have overdone it a bit."
"I told you not to push yourself," Hope frowned.
"I know, I know. I had to find my limits though. Steve was there too to help out if I needed it. Too late now, though. At least Becca and Porter are okay."
Hope was shocked and walked around to face him. "What?"
"Becca just happened to be there with Porter…"
"What was she doing at the hospital? Is Porter sick?"
"No, they were just getting Jack's prescription," Scott explained with another sigh. "They both got caught in the crossfire, though. Cut by falling glass."
"Oh, god. Are they both okay?"
"Yeah. I made sure of it before I left. Just a few stitches for the both of them; nothing too serious."
"Oh, thank god," Hope let out a breath of relief. "I'm glad everyone's in one piece and safe."
Scott let out a chuckle. "Yeah, for the most part."
"So, what happened?" Hope asked as she made her way to the fridge, as she was beginning to crave something sweet.
Scott swallowed another gulp of water. "Hydra lifted something from the hospital. Some sort of vial, or something. They got away, but Steve and the others are tracking them."
"I hope they catch the bastards," Hope growled before shoving a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.
"Now, now," Scott laughed. "Don't use such language around the baby. You know she can hear us."
"I'm pregnant, tired, hormonal, hungry, my best friend and her son just got hurt, and my fiancé just got out of a fight and is now sitting in front of me in pain. I can say what I want. Besides she won't know what it means."
"All right," Scott surrendered. She clearly wasn't in a joking mood, and quiet frankly, neither was he. He reached back to scratch the back of his head and could feel the sweat dripping down his neck. He hadn't even fought that long. He felt gross, tired, and sore...
The sound of Hope's ice cream spoon clattering on the floor snapped him to attention. "Oh, god, Scott!" she almost shrieked.
"Whoa! What? What's wrong?"
"Your arm!" She put her food aside on the table before taking his arm and turning it just enough so that he could see it. There, where his damaged skin was, a small piece of glass was stuck in his arm, a small amount of blood trickling from it. Scott was stunned immediately. How had he not felt it? When did this happen? Scott thought back to the fight and quickly realized that the piece of glass the Hydra grunt was holding didn't have Becca's blood on it, but his. He hadn't felt the cut because it was where his nerves had been damaged.
In an instant, Hope hurried to their bathroom and brought back her first aid kit. Scott heard her mumbling to herself, but couldn't quite make out what she was saying. She placed dishtowels under his arm and slowly tried to clean the space around the cut before using tweezers to start removing the shard, none of which Scott could feel. He didn't say anything as he watched his fiancée work, not only because he didn't want to break her concentration, but because she fascinated him. She was so focused and calm as she worked on him, though still clearly frustrated. Once it was out, she went to stop the blood with pressure and gauze.
"You've got to be more careful, Scott," she shook her head. "You keep saying you'll be okay, but then you go and get hurt again."
Scott frowned, and with his free hand, he stroked her arm as she worked. "I know," he said. "And I am being more careful, but what do you expect me to do? I can't live in a bubble. I can't stop the world from happening around us. Dangerous things happen to everyone and the world will continue to be dangerous with or without me as Ant-Man."
Hope continued to work but didn't look up at him as she took in his words. She wasn't asking him to stop being Ant-Man. The truth was that he brought an odd sort of exciting chaos into her world. He was unpredictable, tactless, and unprofessional, but he was fun, brave, and so caring. He made her laugh, and he made her feel so happy… she didn't want to lose him because of a stupid mistake he made. She loved him, but he was right. With or without him as Ant-Man, or even her as the Wasp, they couldn't protect each other from everything.
"Can't you just ask the world to take day off from danger?" she jested.
Scott chuckled and brushed her bangs from her brow to look into her eyes. "You know I would if I could. And you should know that I worry about you just as much as you do about me. Believe me, Hope, I am doing everything I can to be careful, but safety isn't guaranteed in anything."
She sighed, nodding her head. "You're right," she told him. "I guess we just have to grow accustomed to always worrying about each other." She finished sewing up his arm and wiped her hands clean before rubbing her stomach again. "And her too."
He took her hand and kissed it, right on her knuckles, with a gentle smile stretched across his face. "The world is a harder and scarier place now thanks to her. Stakes are higher. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I promise I'll do everything I can to be here to protect my girls." With that, he let go of her hand to stroke her swollen belly where their daughter rested. "Gotta protect our little princess."
Hope fought the tears in her eyes at his words. She knew this was a promise he would most definitely keep. "Our little princess who is almost here," Hope added. "Just not soon enough."
"Patience," he assured her gently, pulling her close so he could kiss her belly then her lips. "I love you… love you both."
"And we both love you," she smiled softly, kissing him again. In the soft glow of their happiness together, she finished patching up his arm with bandages and placed a small kiss on top. "There. All done."
He returned the smile and pulled her down for one more kiss. "Thank you."
That night, they rested in the comfort of each other's arms. They occasionally spoke over more things in the nursery, whispered in each other's ears how much they loved each other, but most of the time they just looked at each other in happy silence. Eventually Hope ended up falling asleep in bed. Scott made sure she was comfortable in every way before finally going to bed himself. He couldn't cuddle her with her gigantic pregnancy pillow in the way, so he held her hand, stroking her knuckles lovingly as he slowly drifted off, with visions of his family dancing happily in his head.
