Peter had lost both of his girls to their respective co-parents, and he... missed them.
The part that startled him most about that was that he wasn't even so put off by it; he felt a little sad, and a little confused, and a lot proud.
He still had one of them, though. And so when the time came, he led Aindric back to the park, talking to him all the while about things that actually mattered to him, like political theory and the foolishness of world powers in times of war.
Karla came forward slowly, unsure how to say goodbye to this child that she had barely seen and the father that she couldn't stand. She knew what she wanted to do, to say. She wanted to tell him that his mother loved him very much, had chosen to carry him and bear him and raise him up. Wanted to apologize for her distance and her reaction and anything else she might have done that had caused him pain.
But he was a Wiggin. If she said any of those, did any of those things, would he simply be amused by her over-emotional outbursts? Would he give her a long-suffering sigh and point out that he knew all that already? Be embarrassed by her?
And what of Peter? Would he take that moment of vulnerability and use it against her?
She didn't know. Couldn't tell. And so it was a very quiet and subdued Karla who separated herself and walked over to them both.
Oh, grand. Peter looked up at the new arrival, and bit back a snarky comment. He had no real interest in getting into a fight with Karla over this, though the cynical part of him wondered if that was what she wanted.
You know. Let's play 'upstage the other parent'.
He didn't say that either.
"Karla," he said instead, acknowledging her with a brief nod of his head. "Glad you could make it."
Okay, that was a terrible lie, but at least he was trying.
Aindric looked up from past his father's leg. She wasn't getting any snarky remarks from him, either: he could recognize the that wan smile as something unusual from his mother.
Karla flicked a glare Peter's way, half-amused at the lie, half-exasperated. "I wasn't going to miss the chance to say goodbye," she said neutrally.
She might have avoided the kid a lot this past weekend, but she wasn't going to let him go without a farewell.
She turned towards her--their--son and her smile got a little bigger. Fortunately, almost four years of interacting with Wiggins was standing her in good stead. She knew not to crouch down in front of him, or fuss, or try for any hearty pep talks. Just honesty, as much as she thought she could get away with in front of Peter.
"I...I don't entirely know what to say to you," she admitted softly. "Or how. I know you're probably smart enough to think rings around me and anything I try to say, you've probably already thought of. Do you mind, then? If I say some of those things anyway? I don't want to be tiresome, but..."
Some future version of her called him 'son.' She didn't just want to send him away.
Aindric ignored the hearty eyeroll Peter was indulging in, because that wasn't useful, dad. Instead he sighed heavily, not so much at Karla as at the situation at large.
"I don't mind," he said. She was tiny and gearing up to maybe cough up those platitudes adults liked to indulge in, sure. But she was still his mother, and he was hardly going to object to getting some of her time.
"I'm sorry," Karla said. She idly wondered if the future-her felt the same way as present-her did about apologizing and if Aindric knew how rare it was for her to do so, especially so baldly.
"I'm sorry for my reaction," she added, knotting her fingers. "When I found out who--" Her eyes darted to Peter and narrowed as she saw him rolling his eyes. He was lucky she was being mature right now. Ass. "Anyway, I'm sorry this was how your first trip to Fandom turned out. And if you come back next year, I'd like to spend more time with you. Get to know you as you, and more than an extension of...your parents."
Well, one of them. Karla had no idea if there was anything of her in him beyond the Jewel.
Aindric wasn't much used to apologizing from either parent; when it happened, it was almost disorienting. Finally he muttered a "Thank you," which sounded almost petulant when he was really gunning for 'appreciative'.
"I know you have a hard time not kicking him sometimes," he added. For good reason! "So nobody blames you."
Regular!Karla would have responded with, 'That's because he's a jackass.' But Mature-Parent!Karla simply replied, "Glad to know I'm still mostly me in the future."
And not completely insane. Just insane enough to think that Peter was an acceptable person to have sex with.
Ugh.
While thinking the thing about Peter being a jackass. Really hard.
"Oh, and what a blessing that'll be for everyone involved." Peter had been trying, okay? But there was only so much set-up he could endure before he finally had to give in and say something.
"Are we?" Peter said, though at least he didn't roll his eyes this time.
He glanced back at Aindric. "And remind my older self to wash your mouth out with soap or something," he added. "And that apparently, he's a saint in the making."
"I'm keeping up fine," Peter said testily. "Aindric? Take care." He took a breath. "Don't take candy from strangers. Annoy your mother and help your father. And remember you're capable of great things."
The part that startled him most about that was that he wasn't even so put off by it; he felt a little sad, and a little confused, and a lot proud.
He still had one of them, though. And so when the time came, he led Aindric back to the park, talking to him all the while about things that actually mattered to him, like political theory and the foolishness of world powers in times of war.
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But he was a Wiggin. If she said any of those, did any of those things, would he simply be amused by her over-emotional outbursts? Would he give her a long-suffering sigh and point out that he knew all that already? Be embarrassed by her?
And what of Peter? Would he take that moment of vulnerability and use it against her?
She didn't know. Couldn't tell. And so it was a very quiet and subdued Karla who separated herself and walked over to them both.
"Hi," she said quietly, giving them a wan smile.
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You know. Let's play 'upstage the other parent'.
He didn't say that either.
"Karla," he said instead, acknowledging her with a brief nod of his head. "Glad you could make it."
Okay, that was a terrible lie, but at least he was trying.
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So he returned it.
"Hey, mom."
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She might have avoided the kid a lot this past weekend, but she wasn't going to let him go without a farewell.
She turned towards her--their--son and her smile got a little bigger. Fortunately, almost four years of interacting with Wiggins was standing her in good stead. She knew not to crouch down in front of him, or fuss, or try for any hearty pep talks. Just honesty, as much as she thought she could get away with in front of Peter.
"I...I don't entirely know what to say to you," she admitted softly. "Or how. I know you're probably smart enough to think rings around me and anything I try to say, you've probably already thought of. Do you mind, then? If I say some of those things anyway? I don't want to be tiresome, but..."
Some future version of her called him 'son.' She didn't just want to send him away.
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"I don't mind," he said. She was tiny and gearing up to maybe cough up those platitudes adults liked to indulge in, sure. But she was still his mother, and he was hardly going to object to getting some of her time.
Well, right now, anyway.
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"I'm sorry for my reaction," she added, knotting her fingers. "When I found out who--" Her eyes darted to Peter and narrowed as she saw him rolling his eyes. He was lucky she was being mature right now. Ass. "Anyway, I'm sorry this was how your first trip to Fandom turned out. And if you come back next year, I'd like to spend more time with you. Get to know you as you, and more than an extension of...your parents."
Well, one of them. Karla had no idea if there was anything of her in him beyond the Jewel.
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"I know you have a hard time not kicking him sometimes," he added. For good reason! "So nobody blames you."
Well, he didn't, anyway.
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And not completely insane. Just insane enough to think that Peter was an acceptable person to have sex with.
Ugh.
While thinking the thing about Peter being a jackass. Really hard.
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Or, okay, maybe not her side, but whatever. She'd take it.
"Do at least try, Peter," she added sweetly. "We're saying goodbye."
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He glanced back at Aindric. "And remind my older self to wash your mouth out with soap or something," he added. "And that apparently, he's a saint in the making."
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There. That was the important stuff.
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