Meet the Parents
Umm, yeah this one got away from me a bit. Did I mean to write an 11 page chapter? No. Did I do it anyway? Apparently! Also for those who like Baby Kate, I am debating on moving my Baby Kate stories from my drabble collection series into its own series. Thoughts? Also if anyone has anything for that they would like to see just let me know and I'll see if I can make it happen! Happy Day of the Sith!
Morning came both too soon and not soon enough for everyone. Natasha and Kate were both under the too soon while Wanda and Yelena seemed to be the early birds for the day. After being changed once Yelena dragged her out of bed, Kate sat on Natasha’s lap sleepily sucking her pacifier as she leaned against the redhead. Her head rested on her collarbone as she started to doze off again. Natasha for her part was nestled into a corner of the couch, head tilting back as she too started to nod off. Wanda snickered from her spot in the kitchen as she let Yelena ‘help’ her make breakfast.
“What are we makin’?” Yelena asked as she crawled up onto a stool.
“I was thinking egg sandwiches. What do you think?” Wanda questioned as she got what they needed onto the counter.
“Sounds yummy! What can I do?” Yelena said eagerly, jumping a bit in place.
“Here, push down in the middle of the bread with this spoon so we have a little hole. Don’t tear the bread though, it’s going to look like a little pool, ok?” Wanda instructed, handing her a spoon and setting the pieces of bread on the counter.
“Ok!” Yelena agreed, carefully patting down the bread. She cheered when Wanda praised her, moving onto the other slices until they all had a shallow spot.
“Ok, I’m going to crack an egg in each one, see? Now I put some seasoning in this bowl, sprinkle some over each egg,” Wanda instructed as she cracked an egg onto each piece.
“Like this?” Yelena asked, grabbing a bit from the bowl and putting it over the egg. It was a little more than Wanda would have done but she wasn’t going to complain.
“Good job, liebling. Now put that on the other eggs and then we’ll put a bit of cheese on it,” Wanda said as she got a sheet pan ready, lining it with parchment paper.
“Yes, cheese!” Yelena chirped, throwing more seasoning around as she danced in her seat.
“Ok, that’s enough,” Wanda laughed as she used her powers to bring the shredded cheese over. Showing Yelena how to put it around the edges, she let her finish their prep work before carefully levitating the sandwiches onto the tray and into the over.
“Well, now while that cooks, we have another important part of cooking to do,” Wanda said with a clap of her hands.
“What’s that?” Yelena asked curiously while eating a few stray pieces of cheese.
“Clean up. It’s important to always clean up after you cook so you have a nice clean station for later,” Wanda informed her while handing a paper towel to the blonde.
Yelena let out a small groan but complied, helping Wanda clean up the counter and put the unused ingredients away before giving a squeal when the oven went off. She stood back as Wanda took the tray out of the oven, oohing and aahing at the sandwiches.
“Ok Lena, can you go get Nat and Kate for me? I’ll get our plates ready.”
“Can we have a couch picnic? Pretty please?” Yelena pleaded, hands clasped together.
“Well, I guess that should be alright. Very well, go and get some napkins from the table while I get these plates ready. Then we can get drinks for everyone and have a couch picnic,” Wanda agreed, shooing the girl off with a grin.
Yelena went and grabbed a large handful before trotting back, holding them up proudly as Wanda filled two mugs with coffee and two sippers with milk. Using her powers, she carefully moved the plates and cups into the living room, setting everything down before turning to face the two on the couch. Both she and Yelena let out small aww’s at the sight. Natasha and Kate were completely out, Kate’s head resting under Natasha’s chin as the redhead held her close. Natasha had moved them into the crook of the sofa, small snores coming from both of them.
“They're so cute!” Yelena cooed, bouncing a bit on her toes as she held herself back.
“They are, but we have breakfast ready so why don’t you GENTLY wake them,” Wanda suggested. Yelena giggled as she climbed up on the sofa, carefully positioning herself before falling onto Natasha’s shoulder.
“Wakey wakey!” she shouted as she body dropped onto her sister.
Natasha jolted awake, barely keeping from lashing out as she held Kate protectively. Thankfully only Wanda noticed, the brunette shooting her a concerned look as Kate let out an unhappy whine. The tiny brunette glared over at them sleepily as she rubbed her eye.
“Katie, it’s time for breakfast, we made egg sandwiches!” Yelena told her with a smile, lightly tickling her friend to make her smile. Kate perked up a bit as she saw the food, head tilting curiously as she studied it.
“Yummy?” she asked, sliding onto the couch and reaching for a plate.
“Yeah, there’s even cheese! I helped make them,” Yelena preened as they were both given a plate. Wanda had already halved their sandwiches, so it was easy for them to each pick it up.
“So, you like it?” Yelena asked as she watched Kate take a bite. Kate chewed for a bit before looking at Yelena with a grin, little bits of egg and bread crumbs on her cheeks.
“Yummy bread!” she chirped, taking a big bite.
“I’m glad, it’s so good,” Yelena said happily as she dug into her own breakfast. Wanda and Natasha chuckled as they all enjoyed their food, soon everyone had empty plates and were sipping on their drinks. Natasha was wiping the girls faces clean when the door opened, a booming voice ringing through the room.
“Where are my girls?!” Alexei shouted excitedly as he entered, hands full of suitcases as Melina followed behind with a large bag.
Needless to say, there were two different reactions from the girls. Yelena let out a happy scream and raced over, throwing herself at her father in a tackle hug. He easily caught the small girl, swinging her around before sitting her on his arm. Kate had instantly dropped to the floor, crawling under the table to hide, Buddy held tight as she anxiously sucked on her pacifier. Wanda kneeled next to her, trying to coax her out as Natasha shot an incredulous glare at her parents.
“Seriously? We talked to you yesterday and you saw how nervous she was, and you barge in like a freight train? What the hell did you do, drive all night?” she griped while walking toward them.
“We did actually, sleep is for the weak,” Alexei grinned, eyes focused on his youngest. It had been so long since he had seen her like this, even longer since she had been so open with her affection. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t missed her like this.
“Mama, I missed you!” Yelena grinned, reaching out to her mother. Melina sat her bag down so she could take her, holding the girl close and running her hand through her hair. She was still in a bit of shock seeing her so young, her mind flashing back to that fateful dinner so long ago.
“I missed you too, darling. Now, why don’t you introduce us to your friend, hmm? I would love to meet her,” Melina cooed, giving one last squeeze before setting her down.
“Ok! Kate is over he… Kate? Where’d she go?” Yelena wondered as she turned, not seeing her friend on the couch. A tiny whimper answered her, making her eyes widen as she spotted the toddler hiding under the table.
“Katie, it’s ok! That was just my Mama and Daddy, he’s kind of loud but really fun and Mama is super nice! She makes mac n cheese and it’s so good,” Yelena soothed, crouching by the table to look under it. Kate looked up at her, tears staining her cheeks making Yelena’s heart clench sadly.
“No hurt?” she asked softly, words muffled around her passie.
“Nope, they never hurt! Well, sometimes I have to go into time out but only for a few minutes. And it’s almost always cause I was gonna get hurt and they don’t want me to,” Yelena admitted, holding a hand out to Kate.
“Pomise?” Kate asked, gingerly taking the hand and letting herself be pulled from under the table.
“Double pinky promise!” Yelena swore, holding out her pinky. Kate looked at it in confusion but linked their pinkies together.
“Ok, well my Daddy is over there with Nattie so we gots to let them talk cause it’s good manners, but this is my Mama!” Yelena introduced with little jazz hands.
Melina gave a small snort of laughter as she kneeled down next to them. Her eyes softened as she watched Kate hide behind Yelena slightly, sharp eyes noting the bruises and skinniness that no child should have. Her eyes watered slightly but she forced back tears as she gave a small smile to them. Her girls deserved better, this time she would BE better.
“Hello sweetheart, my name is Melina. I am Yelena’s Mama, as you heard. We spoke a little bit last night on the phone. Could you tell me your name again, please?” she asked gently, hoping to put her at ease.
“Kate,” Kate mumbled, burying her face in Buddy.
“What a pretty name. I can see why Yelena likes you so much, you seem like a very sweet girl,” Melina said.
“She is! And she’s super fun, Mama, we played at the park and I showed her the slide and we went down it like a zillion times,” Yelena told her, reaching an arm out to hug Kate close to her side.
“I see, well that does sound fun. Maybe we can go there again sometime. Would you like that?” Melina asked them, her smile growing bigger as her daughter rambled.
“Yes! Yes yes yes, can we go now?” Yelena asked eagerly.
“Not yet, darling. First, Kate would you like to meet my husband? His name is Alexei, he’s a bit loud but really a big teddy bear. He loves to play games,” Melina told her, moving her hand to hide her mouth as if it was a big secret. Her heart dropped when Kate eyed her warily.
“No horsie, please,” Kate whispered, body trembling slightly. Melina wasn’t fully sure what she meant, but her quick mind had a few ideas of what she meant. She made sure her hand was hidden as she clenched it into a fist, using all of her Widow training to keep a straight face. She wondered how many ways she could torture someone and heal them to do it again before their nervous system shut down.
“No horsie, sweet girl, only games you want to play. Would you like to meet him?” Melina asked, holding out a hand. She was surprised when Kate stepped fully into her, hesitantly wrapping her tiny arms around Melina’s neck with a nod. Behind them, Natasha gaped in surprise before shaking herself out of her stupor. She knew Melina had a way of making you feel calm even if you weren’t, and was glad that Kate seemed to at least somewhat trust her. Or trust them to keep her safe, at any rate.
“Alexei, this is Kate. She’s a friend of Yelena’s. She’s a little sore so be gentle, please,” Melina told him, giving him a stern glare over Kate’s head. The large man flinched slightly but smiled back with a small salute.
“Of course, my lovely wife. Hello there, little bird. I am Yelena’s Daddy. Have you ever heard of the Red Guardian?” Alexei asked with a grin. Kate just looked at him like he was crazy, eyebrows scrunched in bafflement.
“Red garden?” she asked, looking at Melina for an answer.
“Do not worry, my dear, just ignore this silly man,” Melina told her warmly, shooting Alexei a glare when Kate wasn’t looking.
“Daddy, you aren’t a guardian. You work at the knight place, remember?” Yelena reminded him.
“Knight place?” Alexei asked.
“Yeah, cause a knight has to have a shield!” Yelena huffed, hands on her hips as she gave Alexei her biggest duh face.
“Oh, yes… well for now we are umm on a break from work so your Mama and I can see you!” Alexei fumbled.
“Down, please?” Kate asked, giving a small thank you when Melina set her down. She toddled over to Alexei, Yelena close behind her. Staring up at him, she put on her best brave face and squared her shoulders.
“Hi,” she said quickly, moving behind Yelena when he kneeled next to her.
“Hello again little bird, so tell me, has my Natasha been treating you well?” he asked with a grin.
“Yeah, we gots new beds and a dinosaur puzzle,” Kate told him, perking up slightly when he laughed.
“Oh, those are all good things! My little firefly told me you went to the park too, was it fun?”
“Uh huh, we went down the slide and on the swings. I went really high but not as high as Lena, it was scary,” Kate babbled, starting to feel at ease. This man was big but he was a bit goofy, making her feel safe around him when Yelena was there.
“Ah, the best parts of any playground! Why don’t you show me some of the things they got you? Yes?” he ventured, standing up and holding out his hands for the girls. Yelena took his hand and eagerly pulled him, wanting him to go faster to see what they had gotten. Kate followed behind them, opting to walk alone to keep some distance. The women watched them go before turning to each other.
“Perhaps we can make some tea and you can tell me what happened,” Melina suggested, her tone making it clear that it wasn’t optional.
Natasha sighed but nodded, moving to make the tea as Wanda got the mugs ready. Melina took a seat at the table, watching silently as they got everything together. Soon they were all at the together, teabags steeping from their respective mugs.
“Now,” Melina stated, hands folded in front of her, “what on Earth happened to turn our two lovehawks into little chicks?”
“Someone got a hold of alien technology, maybe even Asgardian and sold it off to HYDRA. They used it to make a machine to keep their soldiers young and fighting fit. Kate and Yelena were on a mission to gather information for what they were up to, easy in and out mission. None of us know how but the machine got activated and now… here we are,” Wanda explained, trailing off at the hand while waving a hand in the air.
“I see. And where is the machine now? Did they manage to bring it back?” Melina asked, tone even as she kept her emotions in check. There would be time to be angry later.
“Sort of. From what I understand it’s in a few… lots of pieces. Tony and Bruce are working on it right now, along with some other techs from SHIELD. I think Peter may even be helping them when he isn’t in class, or planning to anyway. They haven’t had any luck but considering it’s only been a couple of days I’m not surprised,” Natasha told her, eyes falling shut as she rubbed her temples.
“I see. I will go and take a look at that later. Maybe I can be of some assistance. What of your Wakanda companion? T’Challa?” Melina questioned.
“We have already sent specs over and his sister Shuri is planning on looking over them when she returns. She is currently out of the city visiting a friend of hers,” Wanda said.
“Oh? A friend? Or… a friend?” Melina wondered curiously.
“From what I understand Riri is just a friend… for now,” Wanda gossiped with a small grin.
“Oh my god, you two. Is this really the time?” Natasha complained lightly. Seriously, those two were some of the worst gossips she knew, and she meant that with love.
“Oh hush, Natasha, don’t be a party pooper. Your lovely girlfriend and I are just, what is the saying, dropping the tea?” Melina scolded.
“Spilling the tea. And I thought you were here for Yelena?” Natasha mocked petulantly, slouching in her seat.
“Natasha don’t slouch. I have told you many times you will get a back hunch,” Melina reprimanded before getting back on topic.
“Yes, Yelena. Until I have seen the machine there is not much I can do. I assume you did a full check over when they arrived, what did the doctors say?” Melina inquired.
“Yelena is as healthy as a horse, same as when she was that age in Ohio. A little small for her age but nothing major, she’s always been petite. As for Kate, well here let me grab the tablet. It has her current and past medical. We are taking her back in a couple of days to do a recheck, probably the first of many I’m assuming. Worst thing we’ve been dealing with so far is an extremely severe diaper rash, she was bleeding and scabbing when they first brought her in. It’s already getting better, I’ve been putting heavy layers of cream on her and changing her more regularly,” Wanda told her, handing one of the tablets over after she brought the files up.
“Changing, so she is not doing any toilet training yet then?” Melina asked, mouth thinning as she scanned the files.
“No, we thought she may have been and has gone when we’ve taken her but doesn’t tell us if she needs to. So far she’s only wet in it but I’m not sure if that’s because we ask her if she needs to or just that she can hold off from soiling herself,” Wanda admitted.
“Hmm, not surprising. Most children from a bad home life take longer to toilet train, and especially with her having been a micro premature baby, they can sometimes take even longer. I would not worry much about that side. What else should I know? I can see she has a few… triggers,” Melina said carefully.
“Yes. She had an uncle who would play games with her. I won’t go into detail, I’m sure you can fill in the blanks, but apparently his favorite was ‘horsie’ but based off the memory, horses don’t wear clothes,” Wanda seethed, eyes flashing red as the memory she had seen came to mind. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she tried to calm herself before she lost control.
“Did he…” Melina trailed off, horror filling her.
“No, he didn’t ever do anything internal, however he would touch her in her private areas while rubbing her on himself,” Wanda said coldly, taking multiple deep breaths.
“I don’t suppose you happen to have a name?” Melina asked darkly.
“We do, but it doesn’t matter. He died over 15 years ago so there’s nothing left for us to take vengeance on,” Natasha said quickly, rubbing her lovers back soothingly.
“Well, that is disappointing. It has been a while since I was able to put my torture tactics into practice. What do you have planned for today?” Melina asked with a small pout, barely noticeable if you didn’t know her.
“Nothing so far, we just finished breakfast when you two got here,” Wanda motioned to the plates on the coffee table.
“Three,” Melina said absently.
“Three?” Natasha asked slowly, not knowing what she meant.
“Alexei Jr is here as well, you know he gets lonely if we leave him at home,” Melina told her.
“You brought…your pig… into my house?” Natasha asked, annoyance filling her as she stared at her mother.
“You have a pig?” Yelena asked, making the three women turn to the door. They hadn’t noticed the trio coming back, Lucky and Fanny trotting behind them. Natasha felt a bit guilty as she realized the dogs had been with the boys the last couple of days, she had forgotten about them for a while since the other Avengers had watched them while they went shopping. Sam must have kept them for the night before sending them back up.
“Yes, he is named after your Daddy since they are so much alike,” Melina told her youngest, ignoring the half-offended look Alexei shot her.
“Piggy?” Kate asked, head tilted as she looked around.
The door opened then, a large black and white pig trotting out. Fanny ignored it, used to seeing pigs from her earlier visits, while Lucky stared at it in a mix of wonder and horror. While he had visited Ohio with his adult humans, they hadn’t introduced him to the pigs without a fence between them. The hog looked around, sniffing as he took in his surroundings before setting his eyes on the girls. Kate still had some egg on her face, and his nose easily picked up on it as he made a beeline for her. His charge made the girl let out a scream as she bolted, running to Wanda and trying to hide behind her as Alexei Jr trotted after her, thinking it a great game. Lucky didn’t know what to do, Fanny wasn’t panicking and the pig wasn’t being aggressive and he was always told to be nice to other animals but his human was scared. Whining anxiously, he circled around everyone and barked as he couldn’t decide whether to panic or defend his person. Wanda tried to grab a hold of Kate who in turn kept running around her legs trying to escape the happy pig as he followed her. Alexei Jr for his part thought that this was the most interesting game of tag he had had in a while. Suffice to say chaos had filled the kitchen as all of these things happened at once.
“Enough!” Natasha shouted, reaching down and scooping up Kate as she darted past her. Kate threw her arms around her neck and held on tight, pulling her legs up to get as far away from the pig as she could as Alexei stood on his back legs to try and get close.
“Get!” she snapped, glaring at the pig until he backed off. Honestly, what was Melina thinking?
“Oh Kate, no worries little one he just wants to say hello. See, he is very nice pig. Alexei Jr, come sit. Good boy, now stay,” Melina ordered once the pig was sitting at her side.
Kate peeked out from Natasha’s shoulder, sniffling slightly as a couple of tears fell. She watched Alexei Jr cautiously as Natasha kneeled down so they could see each other better. Holding out a hand, she let him snuffle it, giggling when his nose tickled her palm.
“It’s slimy,” she noted, wiping her hand on Natasha’s sleeve.
“Thanks Kate, love having that on my shirt,” Natasha sighed, chuckling at the cheeky grin she got.
Seeing his person was no longer scared, Lucky calmed down and came to give a few tentative sniffs. Deciding the giant pork chop was ok, he gave him a few licks on the head before joining Fanny on the couch. All that excitement was enough for him, time to have a nap. Kate gave Alexei Jr a few more pats on the head before wiggling onto the floor, following Lucky onto the couch. As nice as the piggy was, she preferred the dogs. Yelena on the other hand came up for her turn, letting Alexei Jr sniff her hand and then rubbing his head happily, even reaching down to play with his hooves.
“Well, maybe we can take them to the museum. Last time we visit the girls took us to the science museum, now with them so small it will be even more fun, da?” Melina offered while taking a few pictures with her phone. She would need these for her photo album.
“I guess that would be fine. What do you think, lyubov?” Natasha called.
“Sounds like a crazy and fun day. Let’s do it.”