A/N: This lil story is meant to be completely nothing but an excuse for a believable baby fic. Also, I do not pretend to understand multiverses or parallel universes. I simply researched a bit of the Marvel multiverse, took the general concept, and ran with it. I apologize if I got it horribly wrong and beg your forgiveness. Having said that, I hope you enjoy.
Melinda May had never been a heavy sleeper. Even when she was a little girl, the slightest sound could wake her. So when the sound of static charge filled her room, she was already reaching under her pillow. She leaped out of the bed taking aim at her uninvited guest.
"Who are you?" she said right before her eyes widened in shock.
Her own face stared back at her. She blinked but the woman's face didn't change. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her, she thought bitterly remembering her and Phil's undercover mission. Remembering the mask.
"I don't have time to explain," the woman said with an urgent desperation in her tone Melinda's thoughts of masks and HYDRA paused, "but you have to listen to me."
For the slightest second, Melinda lowered her stance. If this wasn't an imposter wearing a mask, how could she be looking at herself? What the hell was going on? Clenching her jaw, she raised her gun back up. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I have her," said her double, and Melinda lowered her gaze, watching her doppelgänger unzip her oversized jacket. Melinda's jaw fell open slightly. There, wrapped against the woman's chest, was a baby. "I need you to take her before I run out of time."
She gaped at herself. This had to be some kind of trick. She wasn't about to fall for it. "Run out of time for what?"
The woman removed a black pack from her back, tossed it down on the ground at Melinda's feet. "You'll need that."
"What are you-" But before she could finish her sentence her double stunned her into silence as the woman -as she lifted the baby from the wrap that had been holding the infant against her chest into the air. She brought her close and kissed the baby's cheek.
The look in her eyes was one Melinda would never forget. It was a look of love and grief. The tips of the woman's lips lifted as she allowed herself the smallest moment to look at the child before she softly murmured to the baby, "Hi, my sweet girl," her voice broke then and so did a bit of Melinda's resolve, and the woman swallowed before she murmured, "I love you so much."
Melinda's chest constricted at the sight of them. Then, a glint of gold caught her eye. Her other self was wearing a ring. What was this?
With one last kiss, the woman's eyes left the baby and locked on hers. Fierce determination replaced the love and grief in her eyes from before. "Put down the gun and take her. I've already said my goodbyes."
Take her? She couldn't be serious.
She left Melinda with no choice in the end. Her other self used her shock and disbelief to her advantage and knocked the gun from her hands. Melinda would have reacted if her other self hadn't used those stunned precious seconds that she watched her gun sail across the room to step forward and place the bundle gently in her arms. She stepped back, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Take care of her."
"Wait!" There was a moment when Melinda would explain it later, where time seemed to slow as they stared at one another. "What's her name?"
A tender smile graced her lips followed by tears that fell from the woman's eyes. "Leia. Her name's Leia."
The static noise returned. A thick band around her double's wrist glowed orange then bright, white hot. Melinda held the baby close and closed her eyes as the room filled with light.
Then as quickly as she came, she was gone.
The light had disappeared; There wasn't a sound that could be heard. Where her other self had been was now empty space. It was as if no one had ever been there. Except there had. The baby in her arms and the bag at her feet was proof enough of that. Her eyes drank the baby in. From her long dark hair to her tiny nose, to her rosebud lips... with a finger she ran it over her soft cheek the baby turned her head towards the touch instinctively. Small bits of the pieces began to come together. "Oh, God," she breathed. With her heart pounding in her chest, she retrieved the bag and pulled open her door. The sound of her bare feet echoed down the hall as she carried the baby as fast as she could. She needed Phil, but first she needed to wake Simmons.
Melinda hovered close by the examining table while the young bio-scientist scanned and re-scanned and just for good measure, scanned the baby again. When it was clear the child was, in fact, a baby, Simmons began checking over the baby girl. Melinda helped undress her so she could measure and weigh her. Then got her changed and fed with diapers and milk that had been left for her in the bag (her other self's words ringing in her ears, you'll need that). While the baby drank from her bottle content in Melinda's arms, Simmons had her recount her story at least a dozen times as her fingers danced over her keyboard.
"I'm going to have to take a small sample of her blood. It'll be from her heel with this." Simmons held up a small round tube. Pressing one end, she showed Melinda how it would only prick her skin enough for her to get out a few drops of blood. "I'm just warning you, she might not like it very much. I suggest you keep her as close as you can, hearing your voice knowing l you have her might help soothe her through this."
Melinda nodded, though she doubted it very much and swallowed. "Do it."
Simmons nodded.
Melinda looked down into the face of the tiny little girl. She was sound asleep again. One of her hands clutched one of her fingers in a grip that was startling strong. Melinda dropped a kiss to her dark hair without thinking and whispered, "It'll be okay."
Simmons removed the small sock from her foot then turned and grabbed the stick. She looked like she'd rather infiltrate HYDRA again rather than poke a needle into the baby's foot. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but this might hurt a little."
Melinda's heart twisted, guilt flooded her chest as the baby's face crumpled. Her sharp cry filled the surrounding room not happy at all.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Simmons said, squeezing the baby foot so she could fill the small tube that sucked up the droplets of blood.
The baby kicked her feet and Melinda kissed her over and over again while whispering words of comfort. Words like, "I know, it hurts. She's almost done. I'm so sorry, baby girl. I promise it'll be over soon."
"There." Simmons placed the tube down and worked quickly to cover the spot with a small round band aid and then her sock. "Time to see who you belong to, little one."
Melinda lifted the baby placing her against her chest and covered her with the white blanket she arrived in. "All done, baby girl," she whispered over the baby's soft whines and coos. She patted the baby's back in a gentle rhythm that soon had her content and back to sleep.
"You're a natural with her."
Melinda didn't know what to say to that, so she said nothing. There was a time in her life when she would have given anything to be a mother but then after Bahrain… she thought that part of her died in the building that day with the little girl.
It hadn't though, because if it had she wouldn't feel this inexplicable tug on her heart for the little girl in her arms.
The computer made a soft beep and Melinda raised her gaze to Simmons, who stared at the computer screen. "Simmons."
The young girl looked over at her, her mouth dropped open. Malinda let out a sigh, and that seemed to snap Simmons out of whatever trance she'd been in. Clearing her throat, she said, "The baby has the DNA of you, Agent May and," Melinda knew before Simmons could even say it who's name it would be, and she was right, "Agent Coulson."
Even though she felt this coming, his name let her in a soft, unbelieving whisper. "Phil."
Melinda felt a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine." She wasn't, not by a long shot, but she had to be, at least for right now. Until she knew what the hell was going on and what she would do. She raised her chin. "Get Phil…" No, she couldn't let this get personal. Not here. "Get Coulson in here."
In the ten minutes it took Simmons to wake Phil, Melinda paced the small room trying to come up with a way to break it to him that in another time and place they had been together and had a child. Frankly, she didn't know how he would take it. She was already preparing herself to take on the responsibility herself. It was her that her other self came to, after all. She knew S.H.I.E.L.D had always taken precedence in Phil's life. They were both married to the job, and it was one thing she admired about him. But for her there was no question that things would soon have to change. She couldn't see a path that included both her life as it was today and a baby.
The baby cradled in her arms shifted, drawing her gaze. Melinda's fingers caressed over her soft cheek, then she leaned down and kissed her forehead. She breathed in deep, the baby's scent already locked in her heart. There was so much that would change now. She wouldn't force him to make any changes of his own if it wasn't something he wanted.
She heard their footsteps and turned towards the door. He looked like he dressed in a hurry. A dark blue untucked tee-shirt and jeans. After many undercover missions where they had to pose as a married couple and share a bed, she knew he had his nights when he could be a heavy sleeper. Tonight had to be one of those nights. He looked as tired as she felt.
His eyes met hers then dropped to the baby in her arms and his steps slowed before coming to a stop just inside the door. He turned his head towards Simmons, who stood quietly beside her computer. "Simmons? What's going on?"
Simmons nodded over at Melinda. "I think it'd be best if I let Agent May explain."
"May?"
With one last glance at the baby, she took a deep breath and explained, "Two hours ago I was woke by a woman. She just appeared somehow up in my room." As she spoke, Phil started towards her. "I thought she was some Hydra agent with another one of those damn masks at first," she paused as he came close, "but then I saw the baby." Emotion swelled in her chest, remembering the way she had looked at Leia. Like she would never see her again. She left Phil's hand on her upper arm, and she cleared her throat pushing away the emotions that made her eyes burn with unshed tears. "She told me she was running out of time, threw me that bag, and gave me the baby. Then she was gone.
His brow furrowed. "Gone? Gone where?"
"I have no idea, but there's more." He looked genuinely concerned. His fingers pulsed around her arm, providing her comfort. "This woman, Phil, she was me."
"You? How is that possible?"
"Sir, I believe she came from a separate universe."
His head turned towards Simmons. "A multiverse? Simmons nodded, and he ran a hand over his face. "All right, I'm definitely awake now," he said, then dropped his gaze to the baby. "Why do I feel there's even more to this story?"
Melinda pressed her lips together and looked over at Simmons who took her cue. "After Agent May brought the baby to me, I analyzed her DNA. Her sequence is an exact match for Agent May... and you, Sir."
His expression didn't change; However, Melinda noticed his eyes soften. "Is she healthy?"
Simmons smiled for the first time that night. "She is, wonderfully so. I estimate her to be about three weeks old. She was awake for a little while before. She's bright and alert. From my research, she's a little small length wise for an infant her age but her weight is on track. Aside from finding a close enough match for her mother's milk, there is nothing to worry about."
He swallowed. Melinda knew him well enough to know he was just as affected as she had been underneath his calm exterior. "And we've ruled out any possible alien involvement?"
"As far as the baby is concerned, yes. Leia is one-hundred percent human." Simmons took a breath and met her gaze. "As to how she got here, that I can't explain just yet. I have a theory like I said before, but I'll need to speak with Fitz about it more."
Phil nodded. "Why don't you go wake him and the others. Besides working out an explanation for her being here, I want this place searched and scanned from top to bottom. Every nook and cranny."
"Yes, Sir."
"And Simmons," he called. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Sir," she said, offering him another smile, "and if I may say, congratulations."
When Simmons was gone, he closed the distance between them, standing beside her so he could get a better look at the baby. Melinda watched him, her eyes taking in every emotion that crossed his face. The fear she felt didn't seem to be evident in his eyes, but Phil had always been so much better at taking things in stride than she had.
He lifted a hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of the hand of the baby's softly. "Leia, huh?" He smiled at her and she couldn't help the way her own lips lifted. "I like it. She's cute as a button. Thank God she got her looks from you."
Her shoulders dropped. Of course he'd go and say things like that. "You accept it? Just like that?"
"What other alternative is there?" he asked.
She wanted to kiss him. To have him wrap his arms around her and hold her. In another reality, they had a life and a child and somewhere out there they lost it all. It was incredibly unfair to all involved but she couldn't imagine what it could have been like for them.
"She left a note in the bag. Their world was ending. This was the only way for them to save her. She doesn't say how or why only that she and her father loved her more than anything. That we were the closest alternatives to them." She swallowed past the tightness in her throat. She couldn't meet his eyes any longer and dropped them to the baby. "I don't know what she was thinking of bringing her here. I'm not cut out for this."
"I think you are." The sincerity in his tone had her looking up at him once more. He smiled and raised his hand like he was going to touch her face but then thought better of it and lowered it. "She seems to agree judging by how peacefully she's sleeping in your arms."
She let out a sigh, pushed away her disappointment and asked, "Do you want to talk about the elephant in the room?"
He could run from them but he couldn't run from the situation that was now theirs.
He frowned. "She's not an elephant, she's a baby."
"She's ours," she said.
"Oh, that elephant." He shrugged. "Can't really say I'm surprised." There he went dropping statements like that on her. It was true they'd been growing closer but close enough to where they married and started a family? She wanted to punch him or kiss him or both. "May I?" he asked, glancing from her to the baby.
"Yeah."
He took Leia from her with a gentle skill that surprised her. The sight of Phil holding a baby, their baby had her heart softening.
He smiled at her. A wide, happy thing she hadn't seen in a while now. "She's so light."
She rolled her eyes. "She's a baby not a bowling ball."
The baby yawned, drawing both of their gazes, then blinked her eyes open. He looked at their daughter, mesmerized.
"Hey, there, Leia," he murmured. The baby held his gaze a little longer. Nothing about waking to him holding her had startled her. Judging by the way her eyes began to blink heavily again, only further supported proof of her parentage. "Wow. I wasn't kidding, Mel. She looks so much like you."
She chuckled lightly, then reached up caressing the baby's cheek with the back of her finger. "I saw some of you, too." The tips of the baby's lips soon lifted at her touch and she smiled. "Right there. Same dimples."
"You know what this means, don't you?" he said. She tilted her head. "Your mother's going to kill me."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes but didn't disagree.