- What's up, guys? I don't have much to say so let's just get into this next chapter.

Enjoy.

...

"Almost done, sweetheart. Just got to give this a good shake or two."

May put the lid on and screwed it on tight before she began to shake the baby bottle. Once the milk powder was properly mixed with the warm water, she gently pushed the rubber teat into her grandniece's mouth. Maybelle didn't waste any time and suckled away on the artificial milk at a rapid pace.

The middle aged woman grinned at the little girl. "I guess you were pretty hungry, huh?"

Maybelle's green eyes flickered up at her for a brief moment before she refocused her attention on the plastic bottle. May observed her adorable grandniece in silence. Though the baby girl greatly resembled Wanda, there were a couple of discrete physical traits she inherited from Peter...specifically his ears and nose. Having seen her nephew up close since he was a baby, it was easy to tell some of their facial features looked exactly the same.

Sometimes May still found it difficult to believe she was a grandparent. Every so often, the fifty year old woman would have to remind herself that this wasn't a dream. Her beloved nephew was now the father of two wonderful kids. Their family was starting to grow bigger and she couldn't be happier about it. May just wished Ben could be here to share these moments with her...but she had a feeling he was indeed witnessing all of this with a warm smile on his face.

The door to the nursery opened, making her look up from Maybelle. From the other side entered Maria with her grandnephew in her arms. William was sucking away on a green pacifier as he studied the room around him.

"Look, it's your grandaunt." Hill nodded towards May. She grabbed the boy's wrist and helped him wave his hand at her in greeting.

May played along and waved to him in turn. "Hi, William. Did you have fun hanging out with Maria?"

"We had a good time. I brought him with me outside for some fresh air. We walked around the lake and saw a few ducks swimming in the water."

"That sounds nice. Maybe I should take Maybelle out there tomorrow."

"How's she doing by the way?"

The older woman looked down at the baby bottle in her right hand. Barely five minutes have passed and already her grandniece managed to drink down half of the milk she prepared. "Just as hungry as always. I thought Maybelle would still be feeling full from her last feeding three hours ago but that's clearly not the case."

Maria chuckled as she removed the boy's winter clothes, leaving him in his comfy red onesie. She laid William down on his bed in the crib that he and his sister slept in. "She definitely takes after her father in that regard. It's little wonder why her diapers are always messier than her brother's."

"Don't remind me. Speaking of Peter, do you know if they got to Ukraine yet?"

"Yeah. Natasha called me while we were outside. All of them arrived at her family's farm in no time thanks to those magic portals Peter makes. I think they're still in the middle of unpacking their stuff."

May was relieved to hear they made it over to their destination without any problems. After being apart from each other for so long, she hoped Natasha's reunion with her family was a good one. Maybelle soon drank the last of the milk and pulled her lips away from the now empty baby bottle before a quiet belch escaped her mouth. The middle aged woman grabbed a napkin and used it to wipe some leftover milk off her chin.

"There you are, honey. Sweet dreams." She pecked her lips on her grandniece's forehead for a light kiss.

Putting Maybelle down beside her twin brother, the baby girl laid still with her small clenched hands held above her head. It wasn't long before she too drifted off to sleep. Unsurprisingly, William was already dozing off next to her. May glanced at Maria...who was deep in thought as she watched the two slumbering infants.

"Is everything alright?"

Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. She reached over to tap Hill on the shoulder with her fingers. That finally got the younger woman's attention as she blinked twice.

Bringing her mind back to the present, Maria gave May a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

Her boyfriend's aunt smiled back. "Just wondering if you were okay. You had this faraway look in your eyes."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. There was just something on my mind."

"Want to talk about it? If it's a private important matter, you don't have to say anything."

Hill laughed as she shook her head. "It's nothing serious. I was just thinking about how strange it is for me to be considered a parent now...even though I've never taken care of kids before."

May raised an eyebrow. "Never?"

"Before Maybelle and William were born, no. I mean I did help Erika play board and card games with her daughters on occasion but I don't think that really counts."

"I wouldn't say that. Taking the time to play with her kids is just another way of looking after them."

"...I guess that's true." She conceded.

A bit of drool fell out of the slumbering William's mouth. Maria grabbed a sheet of tissue and used it to wipe away the saliva. The older woman smiled as she watched the statuesque woman work. For someone who claims to have almost no experience in taking care of little children, she was doing a decent job of looking after her two precious grandkids.

"May I ask a personal question?" There was something May wanted to know.

"Go ahead."

"...Would you like to be a mother one day?"

Maria widened her eyes at the unexpected inquiry. Truth be told, the idea of being an actual mother was something that never crossed her mind. "I-I don't know. I've never really thought about it before. I'm not sure I'd even be a good mom."

She understood that feeling. "I wondered about the same thing myself once. When Ben and I were first given custody of Peter, we were worried that we wouldn't be able to raise him as well as his parents did."

"How old was he back then?"

"...Five years old."

Five years old...Hill could only imagine how terrible Peter must've felt at the time for the loss of his parents. It was probably confusing for him too considering most children that young didn't fully grasp the concept of death. It made sense why her boyfriend knew so very little information about his mom and dad. They unfortunately didn't live long enough to register in his memory.

She placed her hand on top of May's. "That must've been a tough time for all of you."

The older woman nodded her head. "It was...but we were able to recover from the pain together. Ben and I raised Peter to the best of our ability and while there were a few times when we didn't know what to do, I think we did okay in the end."

"I'd say you both did more than okay. He's grown to be a fine young man, one that I'm proud to call my boyfriend."

"Thank you. I'm happy Peter has someone like you by his side."

Maria smiled earnestly. "It's my pleasure. I'm still not sure if I want to have kids of my own just yet. Maybe in a couple of years or so...I'll be ready to take that next step with Peter."

"I understand." May said. "Personally, I think you'll make a great mom one day."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely. You're already doing well in looking after Maybelle and William. Besides, I wouldn't mind having more grandchildren to dote on."

...

Despite Natasha wanting to tell Melina about her and Wanda's relationship with Peter, her mother insisted that they have something to eat first. Attempting to get the older woman to change her mind would've been pointless so the three Avengers obliged and sat down at the table. They were feeling kind of hungry anyways and it was better to talk with a full stomach. Her мать's cooking was just as good as Natasha remembered it to be. The Solyanka soup and chicken sandwiches she prepared with her sister's help made for a simple yet hearty meal.

Melina encouraged them all to eat more, with her gaze focused on Spider-Man when she said that. She must've thought her boyfriend looked a little too skinny. Little did her mother know that Peter was hiding a strong fit body beneath the hoodie and long sleeved shirt he wore. He intentionally wore loose fitting clothes to better conceal his well toned physique.

"Here you are, Peter." Melina put two extra sandwiches onto his plate.

Spidey nodded in gratitude. "Thank you. These taste great."

"The soup is really good too." The Scarlet Witch drank a spoonful of the Solyanka soup from her bowl. "My compliments to you and Yelena for making this."

"You're too kind. We've made plenty so feel free to eat as much as you'd like."

Natasha ate up her first chicken sandwich and was about to grab another...when she noticed a Glock sitting behind the large bowl of soup. "мать, is that yours?"

The older woman looked to where her daughter was pointing. "Oh, yes. Sorry. I was cleaning some of our weapons just before you all arrived. Could you pass that over?"

She carefully picked up the gun and checked it over. Making sure that the safety was on, the Black Widow handed it over to her mother. Melina thanked her before she put the weapon down beside her plate with the barrel facing away from everyone and towards the fridge.

"Sorry about that."

The Scarlet Witch chuckled. "Don't worry about it. Natasha sometimes forgets to put away her weapons too after she's done cleaning them. Peter and I have lost count of all the combat knives she leaves behind on the kitchen counter."

Melina smirked as she glanced at her daughter, who just shrugged nonchalantly...whilst giving her friend a playful glare. It seems Yelena wasn't the only one who adopted some of her old habits.

"Better a knife than an unattended loaded gun, мать." The Black Widow muttered. "So when will Alexei and Antonia return?"

Her sister answered this one. "In about an hour, I think. It takes that long to drive to the town and back."

That meant she had at least an hour to speak to her mother about her romantic life with Peter. It was probably best for her to be the first to learn everything. Natasha wasn't sure what Antonia's response might be or if she'd even care at all but she knew Alexei's protective instincts as a father would've prevented him from hearing the details clearly. Melina was a lot more level headed and could tell the old super soldier later when he came home. After all, her mother was the one person Alexei listened to with all seriousness.

Melina turned her attention back to Natasha's boyfriend. "So what is it you do for a living, Peter?"

"I'm a biochemical and mechanical engineer at Stark Industries."

After he graduated from MIT with a master's degree in biochemistry and physics, Tony and Pepper offered him a job at their company. Peter accepted and works within their research department whenever he wasn't busy being Spider-Man. The amount of money they paid him was decent and fair. Peter didn't consider himself to be rich but he made more than enough to provide for his family...and the occasional luxury item or two should they ever decide to make such purchases.

"That's very impressive, given how young you are. I take it you're a man of science?"

"I am. Biochemistry and physics are what I majored in but I dabble in other fields of study from time to time." He explained.

The eldest of the three Widows grinned. "Sounds like we have something in common. I was once a chemist myself."

"Really?"

"Yes...but I've retired from being a scientist a long time ago. I'm more than content with my life as a farmer now."

"Being a farmer does seem like a nice way to retire." Peter said. "Maybe we can talk more about our work later, exchange ideas as fellow scientists."

Melina smiled. It would be nice to speak with someone who actually understood her past research. "I'd like that."

She then looked to the Scarlet Witch and began to ask a couple of friendly questions to get to know her better. Wanda told her some basic information about herself like where she was from and how she got her powers. Natasha added her two cents in by explaining how the two of them first properly met in Sokovia during their battle against Ultron. Yelena made a joke to Peter about how Melina was now going to try to secretly fatten him up too.

"Just be careful." The beautiful Russian blonde warned. "The amount of food she'll make for you might be more than you can eat."

Spidey chuckled as he ate his second sandwich at a quick yet careful pace. "I'm not sure if that's possible. I can eat a lot...in fact, I kind of have to."

"I know. Because of your enhanced metabolism, right? All I'm saying is don't underestimate her. That woman can cook up a storm without anyone noticing."

"Understood. I appreciate the warning."

All of them ate as they conversed with each other until eventually the chicken sandwiches were no more and there was very little Solyanka soup left. Melina drank a long sip of water to wash down the chunk of food in her throat. She used a napkin to wipe off the breadcrumbs from her lips.

"Ah, nothing like having a good warm meal on cold days like this. Now what was it you wanted to discuss with me?" The older woman asked, looking at her eldest daughter in the eyes.

Natasha took a deep breath. "Right. All I ask is that you listen to everything Wanda and I have to say first."

Melina raised a curious eyebrow but nevertheless nodded in agreement. Whatever she and her friend wanted to talk about seemed to be a matter of the utmost importance to them. She grew even more interested when they reached for both of Peter's hands. Yelena remained silent, knowing what it was her sister wanted to tell their mother. What she didn't know was how Melina would react after she learned about the kind of relationship Natasha shared with Peter and Wanda.

Either their mother would accept the love life that they had after taking some time to process it...or she'd point the gun by her arm right between the eyes of her sister's boyfriend. Yelena really hoped the latter scenario wouldn't happen.

"Wanda and I have been dating Peter together."

Melina leaned forward in her seat, narrowing her eyes at the young man. "...Go on."

...

Half an hour passes...

The eldest of the three Black Widows didn't know what surprised her more: Peter being Spider-Man or that he was in a romantic relationship with not only her daughter and the Scarlet Witch but also five other women. He was also a recent father too, due to Wanda giving birth to his twin children just a month ago.

Melina finally found her voice after a few minutes of silence. "...I'm not sure what to say. This is quite a lot to take in."

Peter's lips formed a small frown. "I'm sorry if this is a little overwhelming for you."

"It's alright. I appreciate you all being honest and taking the time to tell me everything now."

Unbeknownst to them, the snarky Russian blonde felt a sense of relief flow through her heart. She was glad Melina didn't try to point a gun at her friend's head after hearing everything. Yelena quickly though it over though and realized it was kind of ridiculous for her to believe such a thing would even happen. Her mother wasn't the sort of person to act rashly just because she heard something that might not be to her liking.

Whether or not Melina approved of the polyamorous relationship Peter has with Natasha and Wanda remained a mystery though.

The older woman gave her eldest daughter a reassuring smile. "I'm happy you and Peter are together. It's obvious you two really love each other."

"Спасибо, мать. I hope you're not upset by our love life."

"Upset? No, I'm just very surprised. Give me time to think things over. Needless to say, this will take some getting used to."

Natasha nodded in understanding. "Of course. We'll leave you to it. If you need us, we'll be upstairs."

She and the two youngest Avengers began to stand from their chairs. Yelena got up from the table too. Before they could leave though, Melina raised her hand to get their attention. "Wait...I'd like to speak with Peter alone for a moment if that's alright."

That caught everyone by surprise, especially the young Spider himself. He wondered just what it was she wanted to say to him in private. The Black Widow couldn't help but feel a little concerned for some reason. She looked at her boyfriend with inquisitive eyes, wordlessly asking if he'd like for her to stay.

Spidey shook his head. "It's okay. I'll come find you both after we're done."

"...Alright. We'll be waiting for you upstairs."

Natasha and Wanda both kissed Peter on the lips before they left the kitchen together. Yelena gave him a fist bump on her way out. She was going to take Fanny outside for a walk. The golden Akita had been napping on the couch in the living room while they were eating. It was long past time for her dog to get some exercise anyways.

"Thank you for agreeing to stay, Peter. This won't take long."

"No problem. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Personally, I'm glad you and my daughter are dating. It's obvious she loves you very much."

Peter felt his cheeks grow warm as he smiled back at her. "I love Natasha too. We've been through so much together that it's hard to imagine my life without her."

"You two are a beautiful couple...but I trust you understand why a part of me is worried. Not many relationships like yours tend to work out well in the long run."

"I know. My aunt May and some of our friends once shared the same concerns. Even I suspected things might end badly for us at first. Yet we've somehow managed to resolve every problem that's come our way in the past few years and we're still together."

Melina nodded out of respect to that. "That is an impressive feat indeed. I haven't seen Natasha this happy since she and Yelena were children living under our care in Ohio."

"...What were they like?" He asked, looking very curious.

"Loud and very spirited. Not a day went by where they weren't playing outside together. The two of them were also very competitive. Natasha and Yelena would often do these silly little contests or foot races against each other just to see who could win the most."

"Who usually won?"

"Natasha, mostly because she was older and bigger. Yelena got a few victories of her own though using nothing but her wits."

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips. It was safe to say their rivalry with each other was still going strong. During the week that Yelena stayed at the Avengers Compound, she often sparred against her older sister. Their training bouts were friendly yet intense, reminiscent of how Carol and Hela fought back in New Asgard.

"My girls were so cute back then." The older woman smirked at those precious memories before she placed her hand on his shoulder. "...Natasha entrusted and gave her heart to you, Peter. Promise me that you'll never do anything to break it."

His eyes grew serious as he met her gaze. "I promise. The intimate trust we share with each other means the world to me...and I'd sooner die than betray it."

Melina reached up with her other hand to finally ruffle his soft hair. Peter was exactly how both Yelena and Natasha described him to be: a good honorable man. His polyamorous relationship with her eldest daughter still concerned her a little but she was confident he would keep her safe and happy.

"You have my thanks...but I'm hoping it never comes to that. Now Wanda mentioned earlier you and her have two children together. I'd like to hear more about them if that's alright."

Peter happily obliged and began to speak of his two precious babies. Melina listened to her future son in law with rapt attention as he talked about the day Maybelle and William were born.

...

- At first, I was going to have Peter be a graduate from NYU like in the comics but I later figured him going to MIT instead would make more sense in this story.

- See you all next time, folks. If you liked it, feel free to leave a review.