Fic: I Don't Want to Wait (Part One)
July 4
At one point, about two hours into the day, Ginny Stark leaned over to quietly tell her boyfriend, "This is probably the only party of the year when my mother doesn't have a business agenda."
She said it because at the time her mother was making the point that the annual Fourth of July Gathering was not, in her valued opinion, the best time or place for a discussion of Anya and/or Rikki getting pregnant.
Anya thought it was the perfect time and place for the discussion since so many of the brightest minds in the Avengers' extended family were all so conveniently gathered. And their most powerful magic-users since she was still trying to convince Rikki magic was the way to go. That suggestion was met with a chorus of "Whatever you do, do NOT bring this up around Wanda!" and Reed Richards' counter offer, "You can give birth to Rikki's clone."
"I don't want to give birth to Rikki's clone," Anya shot back, entirely unnecessarily in her (valued) opinion -- it should be obvious -- and explained, with some annoyance as it should also be obvious, "I want to give birth to Rikki's baby that is somehow mixed with my DNA to make it our baby, geez, aren't you a supergenius?!"
"I... could have a pow wow with all the supergeniuses..." Reed suggested.
Anya nodded, but asked for clarification, "Which supergeniuses? Because I want there to be at least one lady supergenius unless one of you men has been pregnant before."
Reed looked flabbergasted at first. Then he suggested his wife.
"That's fine. I'm not picky." Rikki hid a smile; Anya was totally picky. "But...WHY DON'T WE KNOW MORE LADY SUPERGENIUSES?"
She asked her question very loudly and it was at this point that Pepper walked swiftly over to suggest they arrange a different venue for the discussion, arriving just in time to hear, and be somewhat disturbed by, Thor's response.
"My wife! But she would likely make your womb supernova."
Anya spread her hands wide. "See, Rikki? Magic is clearly the safer option."
Rikki sighed. She secretly agreed with Pepper that this was not the time for this talk but kept it to herself.
"At least take it somewhere private."
Anya frowned. "If you're bothered by this, maybe you should move to a convent."
Pepper was unmoved. "It's a party, not a science conference."
"I've been to science conferences," Tony chimed in. "And they'd be better off if they were more like parties."
Peter raised his hand. "I agree." He lowered his hand. "I'm sorry."
Anya giggled. Tony swelled. Carol rolled her eyes. Pepper gave up.
Ginny was right that her mother didn't have a business agenda, but she was not entirely agenda-less. Carol was the presumed host of the party, she had been since its inception, but Ginny and Trick were leaving on their trip just days after the gathering and whatever her personal feelings about it, Pepper intended this to be a send off. The only problems were Ginny's aversion to the spotlight, and everyone else's agendas.
It was the fourth of July, Independence Day, and Steve Rogers' birthday, and Rikki's, on the fifth, though she preferred to celebrate quietly. This year, with all the baby talk, quiet wasn't a viable option.
"Here."
Anya peered into the box Amelia had placed between herself and Rikki. "American Baby?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have a subscription to this?"
Amelia shrugged. "I don't know. Someone thought it was hilarious." Tony, once he'd stopped laughing himself, had offered to track the source but she didn't care. Mostly. He probably did it anyway but she didn't care about that either. Mostly. "But there's no reason you shouldn't benefit."
Anya smiled and pulled the smaller girl into a hug. "Thanks, you."
Wanda was invited, which meant everyone was a little bit on guard, and Steve Wilson had been assigned specifically to watch her.
"Hello! I brought bread pudding."
"Hello. I'm glad you could make it." Carol smiled and pointed Wanda in the direction of Pepper, who was rearranging everything Carol and Jessica and their families had set up before the party, as she did every year. But Carol didn't know what table bread pudding would go on anyway.
"Oh. Bread pudding. That's lovely, how colonial."
Wanda beamed. "I wasn't sure what to bring and it can be a dessert or a side or a bread!"
"Of course, how clever." Pepper glanced at the tables. More than half the guests had arrived and the dessert table -- overflowing last year -- was empty except for a few side dishes that couldn't fit in the allotted space. Pepper sighed. "Wherever you like."
It was the last scheduled party before most of the younger Avengers scattered to college and other pursuits.
"Cole slaw from the Hills." Pepper pointed wearily toward four similar slaws. Peter placed the bowl between them.
"Shrimp ring from Banners."
"Well, at least that's different." She moved a few salads and Carol placed the shrimp platter on the table. Pepper shooed Peter and Carol away to clear the path for their son as he carried some kind of jello salad, from the Rhodes, to her tables.
Peter touched Ben's shoulder as he passed. "Where's Amelia?"
"Meeting Henry at the gate."
Peter scowled. Carol pushed him a few steps more.
"He's too old for her."
Carol nodded. "So you've said. Twenty-eight times."
"I haven't said it twenty-eight times," Peter protested.
"You're right. Twenty-eight times since I started counting."
Peter harrumphed.
Amelia bounded over with Henry in tow. "Look Daddy, Henry brought macaroni salad."
"Of course he did."
"It was Amelia's suggestion."
"Of course it was."
"We made--"
"Of course--!"
Carol steered Henry, with Amelia, toward the tables, "See Pepper for where to put it," and Peter away from them all. "Behave yourself."
"He's too old for her."
"Twenty-nine. Too old to do what?"
He crossed his arms. "They're cooking together."
"She wants you to like him."
"I'd like him better if--" Carol raised an eyebrow. Peter sighed. "If she didn't want me to like him."
"Jake!" Amelia squealed at the appearance of the Barnes family, returned from Russia just in time for the party. Carol shot Peter a somewhat smug smile as Amelia ran into Jake's waiting arms. She waved at James and Natasha as Lindy carried their dish over to Pepper and met up with Ben for a quieter but affectionate reunion.
Peter pursed his lips and continued to glare.
It was Jamie's second year arriving with the Asgardians, each carrying a large dish straight from Odin's kitchen. Pepper signaled for someone to bring out another set of tables.
"Steven, I have been pondering." Thor threw an arm around Steve and gave him a brotherly squeeze. "Where do you think the wedding should be?"
Steve froze.
Jamie choked.
The Warriors Three started laughing. Sif glared at them and stepped next to Thor. "They are adults now," she said, very seriously. Thor nodded and switched his embrace from Steve to Sif.
"That is why she is my main advisor."
"You're not married," Fandral pointed out to Sif.
Volstagg slapped his knee. "She's not an adult!" The two chortled but Hogun looked wistful.
"I'm not ready for Liv to be an adult."
"We're not adults!" protested Jamie. All five Asgardians answered at once, the result was unintelligible. Also loud. Jamie hid behind her mother as others started looking over to their group.
Steve raised his hands. When they'd quieted he said very calmly, "It would only be right to have two ceremonies, to reflect both girls' heritages."
Jamie squeaked. "Daaaaaaaad," she hissed, peeking around a giggling Sharon. Steve winked. Jamie sighed with some relief and let her mother lead her away so her father could smooth things over with Thor. She hoped she'd never be too grown up to get comfort from her parents.
And it was the first gathering since New Year's Loki attended himself -- in disguise, of course, as Dziah the model and Johnny Storm's on-again off-again paramour. On one hand it was annoying Johnny hadn't kept Becky occupied, and out of Regina's and therefore his sphere, as long as he'd hoped. On the other hand it was easy to get an invite to this otherwise exclusive event.
"Why aren't you interested in the baby?" From someone other than Wanda, this question might be met with confusion, frustration, and some amount of annoyance by way of fear -- never actual fear, to be clear -- that she appeared to know both who he was and what he was doing. Coming from Wanda it was still frustrating and annoying but in place of confusion was a begrudging admiration.
"I assure you the 'baby' is of utmost interest."
Wanda shook her head. "Not that one, the other one."
Loki smiled. "That one, too."
Wanda shrugged. She was unconvinced, but equally unconcerned. There were so many ways the day could play out and all of them promised to be exciting.
At one point, about two hours into the day, Ginny Stark leaned over to quietly tell her boyfriend, "This is probably the only party of the year when my mother doesn't have a business agenda."
She said it because at the time her mother was making the point that the annual Fourth of July Gathering was not, in her valued opinion, the best time or place for a discussion of Anya and/or Rikki getting pregnant.
Anya thought it was the perfect time and place for the discussion since so many of the brightest minds in the Avengers' extended family were all so conveniently gathered. And their most powerful magic-users since she was still trying to convince Rikki magic was the way to go. That suggestion was met with a chorus of "Whatever you do, do NOT bring this up around Wanda!" and Reed Richards' counter offer, "You can give birth to Rikki's clone."
"I don't want to give birth to Rikki's clone," Anya shot back, entirely unnecessarily in her (valued) opinion -- it should be obvious -- and explained, with some annoyance as it should also be obvious, "I want to give birth to Rikki's baby that is somehow mixed with my DNA to make it our baby, geez, aren't you a supergenius?!"
"I... could have a pow wow with all the supergeniuses..." Reed suggested.
Anya nodded, but asked for clarification, "Which supergeniuses? Because I want there to be at least one lady supergenius unless one of you men has been pregnant before."
Reed looked flabbergasted at first. Then he suggested his wife.
"That's fine. I'm not picky." Rikki hid a smile; Anya was totally picky. "But...WHY DON'T WE KNOW MORE LADY SUPERGENIUSES?"
She asked her question very loudly and it was at this point that Pepper walked swiftly over to suggest they arrange a different venue for the discussion, arriving just in time to hear, and be somewhat disturbed by, Thor's response.
"My wife! But she would likely make your womb supernova."
Anya spread her hands wide. "See, Rikki? Magic is clearly the safer option."
Rikki sighed. She secretly agreed with Pepper that this was not the time for this talk but kept it to herself.
"At least take it somewhere private."
Anya frowned. "If you're bothered by this, maybe you should move to a convent."
Pepper was unmoved. "It's a party, not a science conference."
"I've been to science conferences," Tony chimed in. "And they'd be better off if they were more like parties."
Peter raised his hand. "I agree." He lowered his hand. "I'm sorry."
Anya giggled. Tony swelled. Carol rolled her eyes. Pepper gave up.
Ginny was right that her mother didn't have a business agenda, but she was not entirely agenda-less. Carol was the presumed host of the party, she had been since its inception, but Ginny and Trick were leaving on their trip just days after the gathering and whatever her personal feelings about it, Pepper intended this to be a send off. The only problems were Ginny's aversion to the spotlight, and everyone else's agendas.
It was the fourth of July, Independence Day, and Steve Rogers' birthday, and Rikki's, on the fifth, though she preferred to celebrate quietly. This year, with all the baby talk, quiet wasn't a viable option.
"Here."
Anya peered into the box Amelia had placed between herself and Rikki. "American Baby?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have a subscription to this?"
Amelia shrugged. "I don't know. Someone thought it was hilarious." Tony, once he'd stopped laughing himself, had offered to track the source but she didn't care. Mostly. He probably did it anyway but she didn't care about that either. Mostly. "But there's no reason you shouldn't benefit."
Anya smiled and pulled the smaller girl into a hug. "Thanks, you."
Wanda was invited, which meant everyone was a little bit on guard, and Steve Wilson had been assigned specifically to watch her.
"Hello! I brought bread pudding."
"Hello. I'm glad you could make it." Carol smiled and pointed Wanda in the direction of Pepper, who was rearranging everything Carol and Jessica and their families had set up before the party, as she did every year. But Carol didn't know what table bread pudding would go on anyway.
"Oh. Bread pudding. That's lovely, how colonial."
Wanda beamed. "I wasn't sure what to bring and it can be a dessert or a side or a bread!"
"Of course, how clever." Pepper glanced at the tables. More than half the guests had arrived and the dessert table -- overflowing last year -- was empty except for a few side dishes that couldn't fit in the allotted space. Pepper sighed. "Wherever you like."
It was the last scheduled party before most of the younger Avengers scattered to college and other pursuits.
"Cole slaw from the Hills." Pepper pointed wearily toward four similar slaws. Peter placed the bowl between them.
"Shrimp ring from Banners."
"Well, at least that's different." She moved a few salads and Carol placed the shrimp platter on the table. Pepper shooed Peter and Carol away to clear the path for their son as he carried some kind of jello salad, from the Rhodes, to her tables.
Peter touched Ben's shoulder as he passed. "Where's Amelia?"
"Meeting Henry at the gate."
Peter scowled. Carol pushed him a few steps more.
"He's too old for her."
Carol nodded. "So you've said. Twenty-eight times."
"I haven't said it twenty-eight times," Peter protested.
"You're right. Twenty-eight times since I started counting."
Peter harrumphed.
Amelia bounded over with Henry in tow. "Look Daddy, Henry brought macaroni salad."
"Of course he did."
"It was Amelia's suggestion."
"Of course it was."
"We made--"
"Of course--!"
Carol steered Henry, with Amelia, toward the tables, "See Pepper for where to put it," and Peter away from them all. "Behave yourself."
"He's too old for her."
"Twenty-nine. Too old to do what?"
He crossed his arms. "They're cooking together."
"She wants you to like him."
"I'd like him better if--" Carol raised an eyebrow. Peter sighed. "If she didn't want me to like him."
"Jake!" Amelia squealed at the appearance of the Barnes family, returned from Russia just in time for the party. Carol shot Peter a somewhat smug smile as Amelia ran into Jake's waiting arms. She waved at James and Natasha as Lindy carried their dish over to Pepper and met up with Ben for a quieter but affectionate reunion.
Peter pursed his lips and continued to glare.
It was Jamie's second year arriving with the Asgardians, each carrying a large dish straight from Odin's kitchen. Pepper signaled for someone to bring out another set of tables.
"Steven, I have been pondering." Thor threw an arm around Steve and gave him a brotherly squeeze. "Where do you think the wedding should be?"
Steve froze.
Jamie choked.
The Warriors Three started laughing. Sif glared at them and stepped next to Thor. "They are adults now," she said, very seriously. Thor nodded and switched his embrace from Steve to Sif.
"That is why she is my main advisor."
"You're not married," Fandral pointed out to Sif.
Volstagg slapped his knee. "She's not an adult!" The two chortled but Hogun looked wistful.
"I'm not ready for Liv to be an adult."
"We're not adults!" protested Jamie. All five Asgardians answered at once, the result was unintelligible. Also loud. Jamie hid behind her mother as others started looking over to their group.
Steve raised his hands. When they'd quieted he said very calmly, "It would only be right to have two ceremonies, to reflect both girls' heritages."
Jamie squeaked. "Daaaaaaaad," she hissed, peeking around a giggling Sharon. Steve winked. Jamie sighed with some relief and let her mother lead her away so her father could smooth things over with Thor. She hoped she'd never be too grown up to get comfort from her parents.
And it was the first gathering since New Year's Loki attended himself -- in disguise, of course, as Dziah the model and Johnny Storm's on-again off-again paramour. On one hand it was annoying Johnny hadn't kept Becky occupied, and out of Regina's and therefore his sphere, as long as he'd hoped. On the other hand it was easy to get an invite to this otherwise exclusive event.
"Why aren't you interested in the baby?" From someone other than Wanda, this question might be met with confusion, frustration, and some amount of annoyance by way of fear -- never actual fear, to be clear -- that she appeared to know both who he was and what he was doing. Coming from Wanda it was still frustrating and annoying but in place of confusion was a begrudging admiration.
"I assure you the 'baby' is of utmost interest."
Wanda shook her head. "Not that one, the other one."
Loki smiled. "That one, too."
Wanda shrugged. She was unconvinced, but equally unconcerned. There were so many ways the day could play out and all of them promised to be exciting.