Wanda kept to herself mostly at the institute. The others were adjusting, albeit slowly, to her being there. Before she knew it, another month had passed, putting her firmly into her third trimester. School had ended for the summer, leaving Kurt with far more time to spend with her. She'd not attended enough to pass the grade, meaning she'd be left behind when she returned. If she returned.
Everything seemed to be moving so much quicker. Her belly had grown larger, her feet were swollen to the point that she no longer fit into anything but flip flops, and there were nights she didn't sleep at all. She was worn down, and worst for her, she and Kurt no longer shared a bed every night. She missed having him close to her.
"Hi!" Wanda looked up from her book to see Kitty standing in front of her. "Are you busy?"
Wanda shrugged, putting the book down. Kitty had still been pretty distant, so it was odd to have her reaching out like this.
"I was thinking, like," Kitty began. "Don't you need baby stuff? We should go shopping!"
"Uhhh," she looked around. "I dunno."
"C'mon!" Kitty prodded. "It'll be fun!"
Wanda sighed. She really didn't have anything for the baby, and it would be good to start stocking up. She was just over a month from her due date, when else would she have the time? "Alright."
"This'll be so fun!" Kitty smiled.
~&Q~
It was far more fun than Wanda expected. She found herself fantasizing about her daughter as she picked out little outfits and toys. Kitty helped, picking up a few frilly pink dresses and hair bows. Though, as advanced in her pregnancy as she was, Wanda didn't have the energy to go all day. After a few stores, they'd found a table in the food court for a quick bite and rest.
Wanda let out a breath, pushing her food around. "Aren't you hungry?" Kitty asked. "I thought pregnant people like, were always starving."
"I was," Wanda told her. "But the baby's so big, she's pushing on my stomach. I can't eat that much at a time."
"Weird," Kitty quirked a brow. She played with her fries. They were silent for a while, Kitty avoiding looking at her. Wanda recognized the girl was trying to befriend her, but she wasn't sure she had all that much in common. However, she appreciated the effort. "So, uh…do you have a name yet?"
Wanda shook her head. "No," she sighed. "We can't agree on anything. Kurt keeps coming up with these super German names, and her last name is already Wagner. She doesn't need to be German McGerman. I think, though, he just wants her name to reflect her heritage."
"Then, like, why not pick her first name after yours?" Kitty suggested. She furrowed her brow. "What are you, anyhow?"
"I was raised mostly here," Wanda started. "My mother was Romani, but died when we were very young. My father is Jewish."
Kitty smiled. "I didn't know you were Jewish!"
"Well, not practicing, really," Wanda told her. "We just observe the holidays."
Kitty nodded. "My family too," she told her. "Who'd have thought a staunch Catholic boy like Kurt would end up with a Jewish girl?" Kitty took a sip of her drink. "So, like, is the baby going to be Jewish or Catholic?"
Wanda shrugged, her hand going to her stomach. "I don't know. We haven't really discussed it."
Kitty paused. "Have you considered, like, going with a Hebrew name? There are some nice ones."
"Maybe," Wanda shifted a bit as the baby moved from sleeping on her stomach to poking her bladder. "Ow, jeez," she stood up, looking around. "Where's the bathroom?"
~&Q~
The rest of the day was quite nice. Kitty helped her bring everything to her room, and now Wanda sat amongst the bags and bags of baby items. She was far too tired to actually do anything about them, so just lay back on her bed to rest her eyes.
A knock on the door turned her attention and she smiled at Kurt peeking in. "Busy?"
"No," she beckoned him in with her hand. "Come lay with me."
He smiled and crept in, stepping over her shopping and curling up beside her in bed. "I can't stay too long. The Professor might-"
"I don't care what the Professor thinks," Wanda sighed, pulling him close to her. "I just want to be near you."
Kurt wrapped his arms around her. The baby poked around, making his hand drift to her belly, feeling as she turned within. "Mien schatz. We'll meet you soon."
Wanda put her hand over his. "Very soon. Only a few more weeks." Her mind wandered to what Kitty had mentioned. She imagined it would come up eventually, why not now? "Kurt, how do you feel about raising the baby Jewish?"
His brow went up. "Vas? She needs to be baptized."
"No she doesn't," Wanda told him. "According to Judaism, the baby's religion is passed down from the mother. So, she'd be Jewish."
"Nein," Kurt shifted onto his elbow. "My daughter will be baptized, Wanda."
Wanda furrowed her brow angrily at him. "She's not your daughter, Kurt. She's our daughter. We need to decide, not you."
"Wanda," Kurt's brow furrowed as well. "How can I let my daughter miss out on her own salvation? Baptism is the only way she'll make it to heaven. I can't let her-" he paused. "Do you know what happens to unbaptized people in the afterlife?"
Wanda sighed. She always knew how close held Kurt's religious beliefs were, and they were far more precious to him than hers were to her. Still, she didn't feel it fair to let him make this decision alone. "Am I not going to heaven, then?"
Kurt paused. He sat up, looking away from her. Wanda pushed herself up, then stood. "Ok, so it's heaven for you two and hell for me then." Wanda threw her hands up. "You are being ridiculous."
Kurt shook his head. "Nein," he told her, standing up. "I can't talk about this anymore. I want her baptized."
"And I don't," Wanda stood as well. "So what are we going to do?"
Kurt closed his eyes and muttered something in German. "I can't back down."
Wanda glared at him. She turned away. "Then we're done talking."
She heard him sigh then a bamf. Turning, he was gone. Wanda frowned and climbed back into bed.
~&Q~
I got SO many awesome reviews, I decided to post another chapter quick as a thank you for the feedback! It's great to read people are enjoying my fic, and I have a feeling you'll like it more as we go on. Thanks again!
