Authors note: The first chapter is basically Lorna being an aunt and Wanda being a mom. Beware, I guess.
Lorna sat on the bathroom floor, waiting impatiently. The timer on her phone was set for two minutes only, but it felt like it was counting down for an hour. Her nervous eyes looked at the sink above her, where she placed the stick.
It was negative. She wasn't that stupid, you know. They had used protection. It had to be negative. She probably just had food poisoning last week and her period was just being a bitch. She couldn't be… Lord, she couldn't even think of the word.
Her phone beeped, and Lorna was up in a flash. She sighed, briefly closing her eyes. "Calm down, Dane. Just calm down. You'll be laughing at yourself in an hour."
Lorna snatched the test away from the sink quickly, holding her breath.
If you'd tell her this where things would go after all these years- she'd call you an idiot. She'd tell you to fuck off and close the door after you while you were at it.
"You idiot," Lorna said to herself, looking at the bathroom mirror. "You fucking idiot."
Wanda Maximoff welcomed herself in, knowing very well that the apartment door wasn't locked. Lorna didn't bother with that since she could defend herself if there was an intruder and... She often felt too lazy for that.
This was new for them both. They were sisters, yes, but none of them had ever called each other for a non-fighting evil situation. If Wanda needed to vent, she'd usually call Pietro. She admitted that Lorna often was an outsider to them- the twins. And none of them made an effort to change that, which was among Wanda's regrets. This has been bugging Wanda for a while, so when Lorna texted her:
My place. ASAP.
We're not fighting some bad guys by the way... Personal crap. Come, please?
Wanda took the chance to change the situation and got there as fast as she could. Her sister needed her, and there was nothing more important at the moment. Although, Lorna hadn't been stopping by New York for a long time ever since Krakoa... But they'd talk.
"Lorna?" Wanda called out, trying to figure out where she was while placing her bag on the couch. "I tried to come as fast as I can.."
"In here." A calm voice replied. It came from the bathroom. Wanda could sense that something was off, but she didn't push yet. It was probably why she was there anyway.
She walked towards the door. "Hey."
"Hi." It was still closed.
"How are you doing?" Wanda asked rather awkwardly.
"Uh.. I've been better. You?"
"Same old.." Wanda waited for a sign of life before addressing the elephant in the room. "Are you going to open the door?"
"Uhm."
"That's one way to start."
"I don't know how to continue."
"Continue what?" This was getting confusing. "Lorna, I need you to be more specific."
"After opening this door. I don't know how I'm going to continue my life."
"Okay... Why?"
Wanda heard her sister sigh over the door. Lorna must have been leaning towards the door. Suddenly, Wanda saw something being slipped under the door. It was white.. A toothbrush? A pencil? It was a stick-
Oh.
This time, a sigh escaped from Wanda's lips when she faced the white stick that had two lines on it, indicating pregnancy.
"Oh, Lorna..."
"You think I'm an idiot, don't you?"
"Don't be silly, of course not."
"Well, I do. Because after opening this door, I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to do. Or how I'm going to continue living while this stupid stick says that I'm knocked up."
Wanda shrugged. "Lorna, we'll figure this out."
"It's a baby, Wanda. How do you figure out a baby?"
"Well..." Wanda began. "I figured out two. If you count in reincarnation. If I figured it out, I think anybody can. This family has seen worse."
"It's not just that.."
"Then what?"
"I don't know if I want to keep it either."
Wanda nodded. "Okay. That's okay. Whatever you want to do, it's alright. But I really think you need a face to talk to."
Wanda went on after she was met with silence.
"Come out, Lorna. I'll make some tea. You don't have to tell me everything- I just.." Wanda paused for a second. "I don't want you to be alone."
The door opened, and Wanda's eyes met with her puffy ones. No words were exchanged for a second because both knew what was needed at the moment. Lorna hugged Wanda tightly, not being able to help it as a small sob escaped her lips.
"I don't know what to do."
Wanda returned the hug and gently stroked her hair.
"It's going to be okay. It'll be okay."
Wanda made some tea and the pair were seated on the couch. For twenty minutes, but still, no words were exchanged. Wanda sighed, putting her cup down.
"I know I told you that you didn't have to tell me everything. But you do realize that you need to tell me something, right?"
Lorna nodded. "Yup."
"How far along do you think you are?" Wanda decided to ask since she could sense that Lorna was too lost to maintain a conversation.
"No idea. I'll have to visit the doc. Next?"
"Okay.. When did you get suspicious?"
"I was supposed to get my period two weeks ago. I got suspicious last week when I puked for three mornings straight."
"Alright.." Wanda moved to the next question. "Are you going to tell the father?"
Lorna snorted. "You and your common courtesy. You didn't ask who the father was- just whether I'd tell the guy." She sipped her tea. "Hoping I'd tell you about the father."
"Well, obviously. If you don't want to answer, it's fine. But if you do..."
Lorna looked at her, raising one of her brows.
"Lorna, I'm not going to turn it into a parade. At least tell me if I know him-"
"It's Alex's." Lorna blurted out, saying it out loud for the first time.
"No." Wanda gasped. "No you did not."
"The stick says otherwise." Lorna reminded her sarcastically.
"Oh god- Lorna!" Wanda exclaimed. "Out of all the men in the world, did it have to be him? Again?"
Lorna groaned into a pillow.
"What the hell is it about Alex fucking Summers? I really wanna know."
"I don't know. I was drunk, okay? So was he. We were two exes looking for some fun. It was comfortable for the night."
"Wait a minute." Wanda furrowed her brows, recalling. "Did it happen during that event in Krakoa last month? Oh yes- It did! You told me you would stay for drinks."
"Yeah... I was already tipsy at that point. Alex was already eyeing me from behind you. I think I was trying to get rid of you."
"Oh, Lorna.." Wanda sipped more tea. "How do you feel about this?"
"I don't know. I mean, Alex and I.. We were together for a long time. But things didn't work out and then we were separate. Then we became friends. Then we hooked up. And now we're here."
"Are you going to tell him?"
"Wanda.. I have no idea. The thing is.." Lorna looked down at her abdomen. "I don't know what I should do yet, let alone tell Alex. Keep it or not. If I do tell him, it has to be after I figure it out."
"I get that."
"How do you know if you keep a baby or not? Is there some sort of a manual? A quiz?"
"I'm afraid not. Well, as different as it was from your case, when I was pregnant.."
"So we're not going into the Mephisto thing then.. Okay." Lorna sipped her tea.
Wanda ignored her, rolling her eyes. "I just remember wanting them. I was happy being pregnant because I wanted them in my life."
"Hm."
"I pictured it. Having kids around. Being a mom. It was like a scene playing in my head and I wanted to make it happen. I wanted to be a mother so bad, I was impatient during the whole ordeal."
Great, now Lorna felt worse. "You're making me feel like I'm evil. I don't feel any of that. Wanda, this wasn't a planned pregnancy, unlike your pregnancy juju."
"Okay, how about this: I actually have plans with Billy and Tommy tomorrow. Why don't you tag along?" Wanda ignored her once again.
Lorna furrowed her brows. "How the hell would that help?"
"Well.. It can give you some perspective about your future if you choose to keep it. And if you don't like it…" Wanda paused to find gentler words. "You can pick otherwise."
"Get an abortion."
"Yup."
Lorna thought about her offer for a second. It wasn't like she had a better idea.. And maybe it would give her more perspective like Wanda said. Which was something she terribly needed to make a decision as soon as possible. With the life growing inside her, she didn't have so much time to make a decision.
"Fine. I'll tag along.." Lorna began. "What are the plans anyway?"
"We're all meeting at my place to cook some dinner, watch movies. It's just a bit of fun, nothing too much."
Lorna nodded. "You leaving tonight?"
"Well.." Wanda's sentence trailed. "I think I can stay over. If you want me to. And we'll go together tomorrow."
"I'd like that." Lorna smiled. "I really would."
God knew she needed the company.
In the morning, after a night of Chinese food and House MD episodes, the sisters were in the bathroom. The brunette held back Lorna's hair as she puked whatever she had inside, trying her best to comfort her.
"Okay.. Let's freshen you up now. Come on." Wanda carefully grabbed Lorna by her shoulders and helped her walk over to the sink.
"I hate everything."
"I know." Wanda opened the sink. "Splash your face. Where do you keep your towels?"
"The cabinet there." Lorna obliged, then brushed her teeth after splashing her face a couple of times.
"There." Wanda handed her the towel. "Feeling better?"
"Nope. It's like this little shit is enjoying this."
Wanda sighed. "Don't call it that, Lorna."
"Well, it's making me puke, making me question my morals, gives me anxiety, thinks my body is its home and half belongs to my ex-boyfriend. I think, for now, it's a deserving nickname." Lorna said.
"...God."
Shortly after a drive, the pair were at Wanda's apartment. Lorna's eyes scanned the apartment. It looked a bit more different than it did the last time she was here.
"When are the twins coming?"
"In a couple hours. But I'll start cooking before they arrive."
"Why? I thought you would do that together."
Wanda paused. "It gets a bit chaotic when it's all three of us in the kitchen," She said awkwardly. "You'll see."
"Having kids," Lorna smiled sarcastically. "Already sounds greaat."
"Ha-ha," Wanda mocked her sarcasm. "Start chopping the carrots after you wash your hands. I'll be in the kitchen."
After three hours, Lorna and Wanda were decorating the cake and the lasagna was already in the oven for a while. While she was mixing the frosting, it occurred to Lorna to finally ask. "Hey, when are they getting-"
The green haired woman was interrupted with the familiar sight of someone running into the kitchen, correction, running at the speed of sound into the kitchen.
"Tommy, we've spoken about this a million times, no running in the house." Wanda complained.
"Hey mom! Oh, aunt Lorna is here too? Cool!" Tommy hugged Lorna after ignoring Wanda. Lorna smirked at her nephew and returned the hug. He did take some of her habits, like ignoring Wanda.
"Hey Tom," Lorna began. "Where's Billy?"
"He's picking up Teddy before coming." Tommy said, tasting the cake frosting they had been working on, which resulted in Wanda pushing his hand away gently.
"Not yet, honey. And that's nice. I haven't seen Teddy for a while. Tommy, go add another serving to the table, will y-"
"I gotta run!"
"No running in the house, Tommy! I'm serious!"
"Gotta love the sound of the sound barrier breaking, mhm?" Lorna smirked at Wanda with mockery, eating a spoon of the cake frosting. Wanda pinched her playfully. "Not yet, Lorna."
"It's more delicious this way."
"It's supposed to be in the cake."
Lorna ate another spoon. "Yeah… I'm knocked up and conflicted. You're letting me have this today."
Wanda rolled her eyes. "Oh god."
"What?"
"I just realized that if you keep this baby, you'll excuse yourself from everything for nine months."
"It's really making me emotional how well you know me."
"Big sisters know best. But seriously, you were throwing up like crazy this morning. Don't eat too much of that. Now, I take this side and you cover that side with the chocolate frostin-"
"I can't BELIEVE you did it in front of EVERYONE!" Billy entered the kitchen rapidly, obviously mad, followed by Teddy.
"What the heck is wrong with that?" Teddy responded in disbelief.
Lorna's eyes widened while she applied the frosting and her lips formed a straight line. Well, this was getting awkward.
"Hi Teddy, hi Billy." Wanda said with the most monotone voice, obviously trying to ignore the fact that the pair were mad at each other to make things less awkward.
"Hi Miss Maximoff. The kitchen smells delicious." Teddy pointed out awkwardly.
"It's lovely to see you after such a long ti-"
Wanda was once again interrupted by Tommy running into the kitchen. "Mom, can I have some cake? I'm hungry. Aunt Lorna, you look tired. Oh, hey Teddy. Billy looks mad."
"Thomas. No running. In. The. House." Wanda said, word by word, getting a bit impatient.
"I'm fine." Lorna responded. (Her stomach was acting up again, but it didn't stop her from eating the frosting- Fuck, is this how pregnancy was?)
"Don't be all cute to my mom now, Teddy." Billy rolled his eyes.
"Honey, do we have to do this in front of everyone?"
Lorna looked at Wanda awkwardly, who was starting to struggle managing between cooking, Tommy and Billy.
"Well, you were comfortable with taking personal matters into public an hour ago. I'm sure we can manage!" Billy argued, which resulted in Teddy sighing loudly.
Tommy snorted and ignored the two, walking towards the cake. "Mom, cake."
"Lorna and I made a great lasagna. It's in the oven. You're not getting cake. You're not a child, Tommy- Stop insisting for cake." Wanda carried the tray on the counter.
"Can I at least eat some frosting?"
"No!"
"But aunt Lorna is eating it."
Lorna paused, the spoon still in her mouth.
"Lorna, stop eating the frosting for the love of-" For the hundredth time, Wanda was interrupted again.
"I still don't understand why you're mad at me!" Teddy yelled at Billy.
"Did it occur to you that maybe that's the problem?" Billy yelled back.
"Oh my god- Billy, you're killing me!"
Wanda walked over to the couple. "Guys, what's going on?"
Lorna passed the spoon to Tommy, who smirked and placed a kiss on his aunts cheek before eating a spoon of frosting. "This should be fun."
"Don't eat all of it, Tom. I still need to decorate the cake while your mom is in the couples therapy session…" Lorna said, then muttered to herself. "Having kids seems really fun so far."
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Mom, it's fine." Billy refused to elaborate.
"No, it's not. We were all going to have dinner and have a movie night- but you both are arguing in my kitchen. Tell me what's going on."
"Mom, it's just.. Personal."
"Yes, miss Maximoff.. I'm sorry about this. I didn't want to do this here, but well.." Teddy's eyes slipped towards Billy.
"Personal?" Wanda repeated Billy sarcastically. "Personal? Honey, you're arguing in my kitchen."
"Because he-" Billy started, stopping himself. "Nevermind." Billy walked out of the kitchen.
Tommy passed the spoon back to Lorna.
"Billy, come back!" Wanda started to walk after him, but briefly came back when she saw Tommy and Lorna. "You two! Stop eating the frosting. Especially you." Wanda pointed at Lorna before walking out after Billy.
"Why you?" Tommy asked.
"I…" Lorna paused, struggling. "I had food poisoning last week."
Teddy walked toward the pair in a gloomy manner. "I'm sorry we were.. You know."
"We don't know, really." Tommy raised both his brows. "But it'll be fine. Billy gets like that sometimes. You tried to not have an argument here, I saw it. But Billy can.. You know."
"What happened anyway?" Lorna asked while covering the rest of the cake.
"This isn't the time, and Billy was right. This is a personal matter and.. I was wrong."
"About what? God." Lorna was also getting impatient. "Tommy- enough with the frosting. Your mom is gonna bicker me about it if this cake isn't covered enough."
"One last spoon?" Tommy asked. "Pleaaaasseee."
"Fine." Lorna gave up. "Teddy, just go and talk. I've had my fair share of relationship arguments.." Her mind slipped to all the stupid arguments she and Alex had. Most of them had a really easy fix, now that she thought of them. "The only solution is talking and understanding each others needs, and working to fulfill them. It can't be more simpler than that."
"Yes, but I was wrong."
"Then apologize! It's not like he's going to hex you."
"Yeah. Billy gets mad, but never hexes. Trust me, I know." Tommy nodded.
"Wait." Lorna raised both her hands. "What's that smell.. Oh no, no, no." She grabbed a pair of oven mittens and opened the oven. "Shit!" Lorna said in between all the smoke.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"Burnt lasagna. Your mom is going to kill someone. We were supposed to take this out when Billy came, we got distracted."
"Well, can we fix it?" Teddy asked.
"Honey, I know some people call me the mistress of magnetism but I don't think I can unburn a lasagna. Wanda's gonna be so pissed. All we have is cake."
"I think they're coming." Tommy said.
"Oh wait.. This.. This smells.." Lorna's face went sour. "Oh fuck-." She rapidly placed the lasagna on the counter and ran for the trash, puking her guts out.
"Okay? Now both of you just talk.." Wanda walked into the kitchen with Billy, only to meet with Lorna who was still puking, Tommy who still ate frosting and Teddy who was sad and confused.
"Is that..?" Wanda pointed at the lasagna.
"Mhm." Lorna nodded, raising her head from the trashcan.
"That we were supposed to.."
"Mhm."
Wanda smirked. "Great. Lovely. I just-" Her words slowly turned into an exhausted laugh.
"Miss Maximoff.. Are you okay?"
"You know what, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm doing great! All I wanted to do was to spend some good time with my sons. That was it. Because I missed them. They're super grown up now and seem to have their own lives- which is great, but it includes less of me. But it's fine, because I get to see them once every couple weeks. Right? You'd expect that day to be great. But noooo."
"Mom, it's just a lasagna."
"It's not just a lasagna, Tommy! It's not. I've been trying to make everything perfect for you guys. Everything. Look around the house. It's all I've been doing because I don't get to spend a lot of time with you. And when I do, it's just- It's like the harder I try to make things perfect, the harder I fail." Wanda sighed. "Look at the fucking lasagna. And out of all days, it's when Lorna is here.." Wanda helped Lorna off the ground slowly. "I told you to not eat all that frosting, Lorna. You're pregnant. You've been throwing up all morning-" Wanda stopped talking when she realized what she just said. "Oh no."
"She's WHAT?" Tommy exclaimed.
"I'm just.. So confused right now." Teddy muttered.
"Aunt Lorna, is that true?" Billy asked.
Lorna looked at Wanda vindictively. "Thanks, sis."
"Lorna, I'm sorry.."
"But that's.. Great news. Right?" Billy asked.
"It would be, Billy. If I was keeping it." Lorna left the kitchen.
She sat on the living room couch, her legs crossed.
She thought about everything that happened so far. Tommy's childishness, Billy's relationship problems, Wanda's exhaustion.. And she was a single mom as well, just as Lorna was going to be. She thought about how she would handle them if she were their mom and she… She couldn't see herself doing a good job. She couldn't see herself able to run at everything like Wanda. As chaotic as things were, Wanda had managed to calm Billy down, didn't she? Lorna wasn't like her. She wasn't emotional enough. Wanda was always the more emotional one. The more motherly one. Hell, she was more of a mother to her than a sister sometimes.
Lorna wasn't like her. She would do a shitty job. The events in the kitchen? If she was the mom, she'd probably just lock herself in a closet.
The thing was that… Lorna still didn't feel it. The mom feeling all the women in films described. There was absolutely nothing except for confusion, anxiety and not knowing what to do.
"Hey."
"Hey." Lorna answered.
"Can I join?" Wanda asked calmly.
"Sure." Lorna made some room.
The sisters were silent for a couple seconds. "Lorna.." Wanda began.
"Wanda, I'm not keeping it. I'm going to do a shitty job. Don't be a pro-lifer."
Wanda sighed. "You're so hard to have a conversation with."
Lorna shrugged.
"Don't let my meltdown affect your decision, okay?"
"Why not?"
"Lorna, have you looked at me?"
"Emotional, nurturing, motherly. All the things I'm not- and even you have meltdowns."
"Oh please. You are emotional. Even more than me, sometimes. You're just a lot better at hiding it.. Most of the time. What I meant was.. Just think about all the things I've done ever since Billy and Tommy were first born. All my mistakes. 'No more mutants,' remember?"
"Wanda, I know you're not perfect. But you're trying to be, and even in that case; you're still a better mom than I would ever be. I think of how you reacted to everything there. All that domestic chaos and.. I don't know how you do it. Fight crime, go home, start single parenting. How do you do it? Witchcraft?"
"I don't know, Lorna. All I know is that I love them. I would do anything to be with them, even though they hang out with me less these days.. I just love them, Lorna. That's the magical part. It doesn't feel like work. It's just there. It's like.. " Wanda took a brief pause to find the right words. "Whenever I'm without them, I think of being with them.. And I feel this warmth running through me. It makes me happy. They make me happy-"
Wanda was yet again interrupted by Tommy's running. "Hey mom, hey aunt Lorna. We ordered pizza. Well, I ran for the pizza, actually. But here." Tommy passed them the plates.
"No running in the house, Tommy." Wanda sighed, but he was already gone to the other side of the room. "Good talk." She looked at Lorna in defeat, with a tiny smile.
"How do you just.. Make sure you do things right? That you don't fuck it up?"
Wanda snorted. "Making 'sure'? Lorna, there is no making sure in parenting. I have been telling Tommy to stop running in the house for years. Do you think he listens?"
"Doesn't look like it." She said with a tiny smile.
"The thing is.. You give it the best you got. And hope that it works out."
"That sounds stressful."
"Oh, believe me, it is." Wanda bit the pizza. "But when I look at them… I forget all about it."
Lorna smiled at her, looking down.
"Now, I'm not saying all these just so you keep the baby." Wanda pointed out. "It's your choice, and either way I'll support you. I just want you to be sure about your decision. Whatever you pick, I don't want you to regret it."
"I know." Lorna nodded. "I love you."
Wanda's breath hitched. They hadn't said it since forever. "I love you too."
"So…" Billy walked towards both women with Teddy. "Since something even more personal got revealed tonight, I think we can talk now."
"Yup." Lorna nodded. "Can't get more personal than that. What's been happening with you two?"
"We have an announcement," Teddy said, looking at Billy.
Tommy watched them curiously from across the room, eating his pizza.
Billy sighed as a smile formed on his face. "We're getting married."
"What?!" Wanda jumped from her seat, her lips forming a huge smile as well. "Oh my- Congrats, both of you!" She hugged them tightly. "Oh, I have three sons is just..I can't, Tommy, get over here!"
Lorna smiled at the scene before her as Tommy joined. It was funny how a couple seconds and a single sentence changed the whole thing. Wanda's whole mood. It was like nothing had happened before. Everything else was forgotten in the room, there was only love. Lorna watched as Wanda embraced the twins and Teddy. It was almost…
Her right hand went to her lower abdomen.
Warming to picture. With a little boy or a girl, who would grow up to be just like her cousins.
Lorna smiled.
She did make a decision, after all.
She got off the couch and joined the group hug. "Congrats, guys. I'm so proud of you. Both of you."
"But what was the fight about anyway?" Tommy asked. "I'm still confused."
"He proposed publicly. I just wanted it to be more private. It pissed me off." Billy admitted. "But it was still romantic. I was being dramatic."
"You were right.. But you really were being dramatic." Teddy said.
"You know what- it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're getting married." Lorna said. "Wanda, do you have wine? You guys should raise a toast."
"In the kitchen."
"I'll go get it." Lorna nodded. "By the way…" She paused before leaving. "You both better have this wedding after I can fit to a smoking hot dress, or else."
"Wait…" Billy said. "Does this mean…?"
Wanda smiled, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "Yup."
"Oh, I'm totally bullying aunt Lorna into making one of the names Tommy."
"And what if it's a girl?" Teddy asked.
"Tommiana. Duh."
So, this fic will go month by month. I'll divide some into parts depending on whether the story needs it. Guess who's finding out that they're becomibng a dad next chapter? Review if you wanna. x
