"Oh my God she is so cute!" Kitty squeed as Wanda held the baby out.
"She looks like a little Kurt," Rogue said with a smile.
"She takes after her Daddy, that's for sure," Wanda told them. She held her daughter close. They'd agreed to have visitors, though only a few at a time. Kitty had to be the first, dragging Rogue along with her. Not that the other girl didn't want to meet her niece.
"Ohhhhh can I hold her? Please?!" Kitty practically begged. Wanda gave a nervous glance to Kurt.
"Ja," he told her. "But carefully."
Wanda passed the baby over reluctantly. "Support her head!" She instructed, biting her lip as the little thing was transferred to Kitty's waiting arms.
"Oh my gosh," Kitty looked down on the girl in wonder. "She's so so tiny. Hi little sweetheart." Kitty smiled as the girl opened her eyes. The two of them stared at each other, as Kurt sat beside Wanda, putting his arm around her. "She's amazing," Kitty finally said.
Kurt turned to look at Rogue. "Do you want to hold her?"
Rogue's eyes widened, taking a step back. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Talia began to whine in Kitty's arms. Wanda reached out to her. "It's time for her to eat." Kitty frowned as she passed the baby back to her mother. Wanda looked around the room nervously as the baby started to cry.
Kurt stood up. "We should give them some privacy," he ushered the girls out. Kitty looked back, sad to be leaving the baby.
Once they were gone, Wanda opened her shirt and guided the infant to her breast. "There you go, my baby," she sighed. She smiled as she gazed down on her.
~&Q~
They tried to find some kind of schedule with Talia over the next days. Visitors were in and out, and pretty soon the entire institute had met its newest inhabitant. It was exhausting having people over all the time, and though they appreciated the excitement everyone shared over the baby, Wanda longed for time for just the three of them.
By the time Talia was two weeks old, they seemed to find something that worked. Wanda wanted so much to continue breastfeeding, but on Talia's two week doctor visit, she was underweight and it was suggested they supplement with formula along with the breastfeeding. Wanda cried for hours, that she couldn't provide enough for her daughter to be healthy.
However, this made it easier to split duties between the two parents, and Wanda appreciated that now she wasn't the only one who had to be on feeding duty for her. They alternated feedings, she'd breastfeed and Kurt would bottle feed. It turned out to be a godsend, and Wanda was grateful to have help.
It was amazing how quickly time suddenly seemed to be moving. By the time Talia hit her third week, Kurt had been called back to training sessions. It was only an hour or two a day, and she didn't mind having one on one time with her girl.
It was one of those afternoons, the X-Men were doing an extended training, leaving her alone. They'd taken the Blackbird to a remote location, not even on the school grounds. Talia had slept most of the morning, but by midafternoon was growing antsy. "Do you wanna go outside, my lovely?"
The girl had yet to be outdoors, in fact since birth she'd only ever left their little corner of the institute for check ups. Wanda smiled as she dressed the girl in what she hoped would be comfortable on an August day. She deposited the little one in a stroller, making sure the shade was large enough to protect her, and headed out to the back.
They walked along, Wanda enjoying the fresh air. She didn't realize how long it had been since she had been outside. A squirrel ran ahead of them, and Wanda smiled. "That's a squirrel, Talia," She knelt down beside the stroller, speaking to the slumbering infant. "And those are the birdies," she pointed to a few flying above. "There are so many amazing things around, my love. You'll get to know them all."
She felt her hair stand on end, suddenly, and stood up. There was a small gust of wind, and she narrowed her eyes, turning around. She took a step closer to the stroller, trying to place herself between whatever was out there and her child. "Who's there?"
There was silence. She summoned a hex bolt, holding the energy in her hand, looking around. Her other hand came up to rest on the stroller.
"Wanda," she heard the voice behind her, turning quick, ready to attack. "Chill!"
Wanda glared at her brother. "What the hell are you doing here?" She held up her hand, the blue energy pulsing around it.
Pietro put his hands up. "I didn't come to fight. I wanna talk."
"As if we have anything to talk about," Wanda told him.
"We do," he took a step forward. "Please."
She paused, then lowered her hand, the blue glow dissipating. His eye traveled to the stroller. "Lance told me, about the baby. He showed me a picture Kitty sent him."
"Oh?" Wanda asked.
"Yeah," he started. "It made me sad, that I found out about my niece from someone else."
Wanda narrowed her eyes. "Your niece? Is that what she is? A few months ago you were saying something entirely different."
"Yeah, well," he sighed. "I was wrong. I was stupid. I never should have said those things." He looked to her. "I didn't know how to respond to any of it. We've never had the best relationship, Wanda, but you're still my sister. And when you left, I felt like maybe it was just meant to be. But then I felt so horrible when Lance told me." He paused. "I came to say I'm sorry. And-" he pulled his backpack from his back, digging into it, coming out with a pink, stuffed bear. "To meet my niece?"
Wanda was wary. But she could feel where he was coming from. At times, they connected in ways that only twins could. She bit her lip, looking in at her tiny girl. With a breath, she reached in and pulled her out taking a tentative step toward him. "This is Talia Josephine."
Pietro smiled, moving close to get a glimpse at her. "Little TJ," he said. The girl's eyes opened, and trained immediately on him. He smiled wider. "Wow. My niece."
Wanda couldn't help but smile as well. He brought the bear up, holding it in the girl's line of view. "Uncle Pietro got this for you," he told her. She took a little breath, then closed her eyes. "Uh, maybe you'll appreciate it more when you're older."
"She's still in the eat, sleep, cry, poop stage," Wanda told him. "I like the bear, though. We'll put it in her crib."
Pietro nodded, then leaned in closer to the baby. He looked to his sister's face, then back at hers. "She looks so much like you, Wanda."
Wanda's brow quirked. "What?"
"Yeah," he looked between them again. "Your nose. Definitely your lips. You don't see it?"
Wanda looked to her girl. "I see Kurt."
"Yeah, well, duh. She obviously looks like Wagner," he said. "But past the obvious stuff, she's so much you."
Wanda couldn't help but smile. Talia was so clearly Kurt's child, she hadn't even tried to find herself in her. Though, it was silly to think her own daughter wouldn't take after her in some respect. As she inspected the child again, she saw what her brother pointed out. Removing the coloring and other 'Kurt' attributes, Talia looked incredibly like her.
"Can I, uh," Pietro inched closer. "Can I hold her?"
Wanda paused, before nodding and handing the baby over. Pietro held her delicately, smiling wide as he looked at her little face. "You lucky girl, getting me for an uncle."
Wanda rolled her eyes, then a thought came to mind. "You haven't heard from father lately, have you?"
Pietro drew the baby closer to him, looking to Wanda. "No, why?"
"I've been thinking, I want him to know about Talia," Wanda shrugged.
"Why the hell would you want that?" Pietro lifted a brow.
Wanda's brow furrowed. "He's her grandfather. He deserves to know about her, and she deserves to know him," she smiled gently as she rubbed a finger over the girl's cheek. "I think he'll absolutely love her."
Pietro scoffed. "Are you-" he paused, his expression changing, and he looked back to Talia. "There're things about our father you don't know, Wanda. Suffice to say, he doesn't deserve anything. Least of which, he doesn't deserve her."
Wanda shook her head. "Why would you say that? Of course he does."
Pietro sighed. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it. "She has a mommy and daddy who love her. She has her uncle. She doesn't need anything else," he looked to Wanda. "Don't worry about our father. Focus on her."
She was confused by his attitude about their father. Before she could say anything, he changed the subject. "I want to come around more, to see her and you," he told her. "I wanna do all the things a good uncle does with his niece. Play with her and teach her fun things," his expression changed as he scrunched up his nose. Gently, he held her out for Wanda to take her. "And hand her back to her Mommy when she needs her diaper changed."
Wanda took the girl from him. "I'll talk to the Professor," she told him. Talia began to squirm uncomfortably and whine. "Let's go get you changed."
~&Q~
Merry Christmas! :)
