Holding onto Hope (mlb/marvel crossover sequel)

9

A few weeks later, I am flying over Paris, too high to be noticed, and watching the people down below, just going about their normal lives. How different they are from everyone else's. I have a lot of these moments. Just realizing how little I am. Like an ant in a colony. One tiny thing.

I don't want to go back to my apartment. It will mean that I have to check in with Tony, and the rest of the avengers. Besides, Adrien hasn't stopped calling my number and texting me ever since he found out I'm the girl his cousin broke.

I flap my wings, and dive down, landing on the very top of the Eiffel Tower. The sun will be setting soon, and I will have to hide. Besides, I am extremely tired.

I don't remember the last time I slept, or even went home. Two days after Peter and I fought, he called things off. That made Paris storm for a few hours. After I stopped crying, I just got up and left. I haven't been home since. Sometimes I'm the true, real me with the wings and the perfection and the immortality showing, but other times I'm undercover, still looking like the plain old me I used to be.

I watch the sky until the sun goes completely down, and sigh. It's hard to keep my eyes open. I could go back to New York if I wanted. It is still bright there. Right now, it should be 2:30 pm. Not 8:30 like how it is here.

I decide to do that, so I stand up and just jump off the building, opening up a portal just before I hit the ground. I open one up in front of my dad's house, and I make myself look more human. As I walk up to the front door, I see my reflection in the tinted glass and am surprised.

I don't look at all like how I feel.

My hair is in its normal smoothed back, shiny state, and my eyes look alive, even though I am more tired than I have ever been. Stupid perfections. Stupid immortality and it refusing to let me look bad for once. The only thing that isn't perfect are the dark circles around my eyes, and my cracked lips from dehydration.

When I get up to the front door, I knock, and a few seconds later it opens to show my mom. Her red hair is in a messy bun on top of her head, her eyes look tired, and her clothes are dirty. Morgan is on her hip, slightly bigger than the last time I saw her. The baby is screaming, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Marinette?" Pepper exclaims, smiling. "We have been so worried about you." I smile, pushing away my own feelings/needs, reaching out and grabbing Morgan. "I just needed some... time." I say, rocking the crying baby.

"Is she alright?" I ask, staring down at the little miracle in my arms. The best thing that has ever happened to me is becoming an older sister.

"She's just teething. I think she's in pain." "Oh, poor baby. Here, I have something that can help. And get the binky she got at the hospital, the hollow one you can stick your finger in." Pepper leaves, and I continue to rock the child as I wait for our mother's return.

In a few minutes she does, and I take it from her, walking over to the sink and filling it with water. I make the water freeze, and put it in Morgan's mouth. She sucks on it, and eventually stops crying in a few minutes.

"A trick I picked up on while I babysat this little girl named Manon. It gives the baby something to chew on, and it works like normal food. Also, no risk factor for choking on the ice. It works with frozen rags too, just fold it and wet one of the corners with milk, then freeze it. It works like a charm. You can also use water for the rag too, if you want. Water never hurt anyone. Just don't completely freeze it. It can hurt the baby more than help if it's completely frozen."

I smile down at the baby, and continue to softly sway. Pepper looks at me like I'm a wizard of some sort, and I just softly laugh at her expression. "Go get some sleep. I can watch her for a few hours. By the way, Mom, where is Dad?" "He's at the Avengers base. Doing some training with Peter. I heard about you two, and I'm sorry." I feel my heart clench at the mention of his name, but just sigh. "It's okay. I can't give him everything that he wants in life, which is why it didn't work out. I'm... getting better you could say."

I feel bad for lying to her, but I don't want to make her worry even more about me. "Go get some rest Mom. I'll watch her, and I have my phone if we go anywhere or you need me for anything. Okay?" She just nods, and smiles. I watch as she walks upstairs, and hear her bedroom door open.

I quickly open up a portal right next to where my phone is charging in my apartment in Paris, grab it, and close the portal.

"There, now I actually have it." I smile down at the baby who sucks on the binky, no longer crying about the pain in her gums.

"It'll be okay. We'll be okay, huh?" I begin to slowly walk around the room, and say to the child, "Do you want to go to the park?" She makes a little cooing noise, and I smile at the baby. I walk up to her room, and gently set her down in her crib.

I go over to the closet and get out a stroller, and a bag made for baby things. I pack everything I need to, including formula, and send a quick text to Pepper. I grab an extra blanket, put it in the bottom of the stroller along with the bag, and go and grab Morgan. I gently place her in the stroller, buckling her in, and open up a portal to Central Park. I make sure no one is around to see me, and hurry and step through, pushing the stroller and closing it behind me as if nothing happened.

I walk, pushing the stroller, and don't think about anything. I refuse to. I need a break. But with no one to talk to, I feel tired again. Stupid stupid stupid.

I go and sit down on a bench, and take the baby out of the stroller, slightly rocking her. After a few minutes of this, my phone goes off. "Hello?" I say, answering it without looking at the caller id.

"Hey, you finally answered."

"Adrien? Why are you calling? It's late over there."

"Only 11. And what do you mean 'over there'? Aren't you in Paris."

"No, I'm visiting my family. Why?"

"I just feel like we should talk. When do you get back?"

"I don't know. I have to go though, see you later." I hang up before he can answer, and put Morgan down in the stroller. I put her blanket around her, and stand up, going to leave.

I push the stroller behind a tree, making sure that no one is around, and open up a portal, pushing the stroller into the baby's room and stepping in after it, closing the portal.