Music is "To Build A Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra.
Picture is Georgie Henley as Ksenia Aspen Wanda Maximoff.
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Recommendation: "Alice" by LauraEdsss.
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"The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over."
- Margaret "Peggy" Carter, Agent Carter
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CHAPTER TWO
When we get to the house, it doesn't take me long to realize that Nat, Bucky, Lorna, and Sam were already there, standing behind the door and ready to shout, "Surprise!" as soon as I walked through the door. Ksenia's face breaks into a smile, and she shouts, "Auntie Nat!"
"Ksenia, shhh!" she hushes, picking up her niece. "We're gonna surprise your mommy. Wanna throw some glitter on her?"
Ksenia gasps. "Yes! Gimme!" Nat hands her the small vial of golden glitter, telling her to wait until I walk through the door.
I roll my eyes and hook arms with Pietro. "I hope they realize I can hear them."
"Just let them have their fun," he chuckles. "It makes them happy. Besides, you know how Ksenia gets around glitter."
"I'm never going to get it out of my hair. Maybe you can just run me through the hallway and past them." Pietro just laughs as we walk up to the front door, as and he pushes it open, he shoves me inside. "Pietro!"
I turn to look at him, seeing him with crossed arms and a smirk. "Surprise!" Everyone shouts a greeting behind me, making me jump as the lights flicker on. Sam and Bucky stand behind Nat with birthday whistles going off, party hats on their heads. Nat holds Ksenia and they throw glitter over me. Lorna hovers a camera over the group of us, taking pictures of my reaction. "Happy birthday!"
I knew what they were planning, they do the same thing every year, but it still makes me smile. "You guys!"
Ksenia continues to throw glitter in my direction. "Happy birthday, Mommy!"
I take her from Nat's arms and hold her on my hip, taking some of the glitter from her vial and sprinkling it over her auburn curls as she giggles. "Thank you, sweetie! Did Auntie Nat give you the glitter?" She nods vigorously. "You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think you should go chase her with that glitter," I whisper, giving her a sly smile.
Ksenia nods, returning that same smile, and looks towards her favorite avengers. "I'm gonna get you, Auntie Nat!" I set her down and let her loose on her Aunt as they chase each other around the family room.
I turn to Wanda as she pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me tightly. "Happy birthday, sestra."
Bucky pats me on the shoulder as I pull away. "Not every day someone turns thirty-one. How does it feel?"
"Old," I laugh, and everyone joins me. "I've never felt better."
"Well, dinner is almost ready," Wanda says, moving to grab Vision's hand. "You can thank our master chef here." Her green eyes shine proudly up at her fiance, who wears the face of a young Edwin Jarvis.
"Let's go sit in the garden outside until it is finished," Lorna suggests, giving me a smile. "It's a beautiful night." The small group of us make our way from the hallway in the front part of the house to the back porch, each taking a place among the chairs and swings and ground cusions.
The back yard is one of the best places to be in the cool of autumn evenings. Over the past five years, I've built up a beautiful scene, I must say. When we moved in, it was fairly simple. Just a few trees and bushes with loads of wild flowers. Now we have a large paved porch and a intricate swing-set that Steve and Pietro spent an entire weekend building. It was a good bonding expierence for the two of them. We even have a small area with a huge picnic table for when we have family cook-outs, which is basically every weekend.
Pietro settles into one of the chairs next to me, sneaking his arm around my shoulders. Wanda and Vision sit on the ground cusions next to us. Steve, Bucky, Bex, and Nat relax on one of the outdoor sofas; Lorna and Sam on the other. Ksenia, in her boundless energy, bounces up to Natasha, asking, "Can you push me on the swing, Auntie Nat?"
Natasha grins back at her, scooping her up as the little girl squeals. "You betcha!" She turns to face Steven, signing, "Steven, do you wanna push?"
Steven shakes his head and walks over to me, little arms folded and head resting on my knee. "You want up, buddy?" I ask.
Again, he shakes his head, a grumpy look on his face. Bucky jumps up from his seat and goes to grab Captain America's shield from inside the house. I point Steven towards him, and he turns around to face his uncle. "Hey, Stevie, you wanna play with the shield?"
Steven's eyes grow wide with excitement, which is unusual for him. Bucky chuckles, handing him the heavy shield.
"Thought as much. Be careful, it's heavy. You want me to teach you how to throw it like Captain America?" Steven nods swiftfully. "Okay." Bucky ruffles his hair and leads the younger twin away towards the open area of the back yard.
"He's still so quiet," Sam comments, turning to Pietro. "Obviously Glory had an affair, because there is no way that is your child, Maximoff."
Pietro smirks, and instead of running around him or doing something physical like he normally does in retaliation to Sam's sarcastic remarks, he simply says, "Well, Wilson, at least I can keep a girlfriend and marry her. How many girlfriends have you had since we got married? Twelve?" He shakes his head. "It is a real shame."
"Ouch," Steve hisses, eyes closing as he makes a pained face.
"Very funny," Sam rolls his eyes, crossing his arms.
"I do believe that's called a burn in the 21st century still, right?" Bucky shouts from across the yard with a smirk. "Nice one, Maximoff."
"Yeah! That's hilarious, Barnes! Don't forget I know a shitload of embarrassing stuff about you!"
"I'll shut up now!"
"Damn right." Sam shouts, slumping farther down into his seat beside Lorna. "Everyone's a comedian."
Lorna laughs and pats Sam on his head like she would a small, furry animal. "There, there. You will be okay."
I shake my head at my family. "Hey, when is Mom supposed to be here?"
"She's due back any time," Bex says, curling up to Steve. "She'll be home soon."
I nod, and turn to smile at Sam and Lorna. "How's avenging these days? I heard you guys had a bit of a problem over in Montreal?"
Sam waves his hands, as if it's nothing. "It was nothing we couldn't handle. Just some idiot who thought being a villain was a good idea. Yeah, um, no."
I laugh and turn to Lorna. "How about you, Lorn? How are you liking it? I heard you work closely with the X-Men as well as the Avengers?"
She nods proudly, her chin-length green hair bouncing. "Charles asked me to put together a team of the best. We operate under the name X-Factor. I got Havok and Iceman to join right away. Eventually, I got Pheonix and Cyclopse to join us as well. We now also have Beast, Angel, and Mystique."
"What does the X-Factor set out to do?" Steve asks, intrigued.
"Simply put, we protect mutants from hate crimes. Murder, bullying, any act of violence and the X-Factor is there to stop it." Lorna smiles proudly. "I feel really good doing the work I do. Ever since Erik died... I've been struggling to find my purpose. I really had a hard time figuring out why I was here."
Sam laughs softly. "I know the feeling."
"And it's not that the Avengers aren't great..."
"It is just not the same," Wanda finishes for her, and she looks up to her with a nod.
"Yeah. Not since the entire world thinks you, Glory, Pietro, Steve, and the twins are dead," Sam adds with a shrug. "Tony isn't there anymore. Rhodey... And I know Barnes and Romanoff try," he looks over to Bucky playing with Steven and Natasha pushing Ksenia on the swing, "but it's just not the way it used to be. It feels more like a job than something I can be proud of.
"It's not the same out there in the world anymore. Supers are free again, not under the Sokovia Accords or the Registration Act, but there are still hate crimes and horrible shit that happens every single day." He nods over to Lorna. "I really respect you and what you're doing, Lorna. If I can do anything to help, I'm game."
She nods and gives him a smile. "Thanks."
Wanda hops up from the ground, pulling Vision with her. "We will go check to see if the meal is finished."
Lorna turns back to her brother and I. "Any plans to come back into the light any time soon?"
I laugh outloud and shake my head. "No. We love it here. We love our life here. I don't think I ever want to leave."
Pietro shrugs. "Maybe some day..."
I turn to him with an eyebrow raised. "Piet, we talked about this. It's safer for the twins to grow up in secret. As long as everyone thinks we're dead, then we can have a safe life."
"The world is getting scarier every day, возлюбленная," Pietro says. "Some day, it might need us to come back."
"That doesn't mean we have to come back," I reply with a nervous laugh. "We've fought the good fight. We've done our share. You died for this world. I moved to another universe. Steve spent the better part of a century defending this world. Wanda was chained up in a prison cell with a shock collar around her neck and a straight jacket on. Or do you remember none of that?"
Pietro looks down like a scolded child. "I remember."
Wanda comes to the edge of the patio and shouts, "Dinner is served!"
Sam hops up and rushes for the house. "Thank God! I'm starving!"
I sigh heavily and place my hand on Pietro's arm. "This isn't the place to talk about this. We'll continue this later, okay?" Pietro just gives a nod and a small smile. "I don't want to fight on my birthday."
He chuckles and kisses me softly. "Happy birthday, возлюбленная. You are going to adore the gift I am going to give you."
I raise an eyebrow with a smirk on my face as I lean in to get closer to his face. "Oh, really? What is the nature of this gift, Maximoff?"
He smirks and moves his lips dangerously close to mine, but then pulls away at the last minute, standing and walking towards the back door of our house. "You will just have to wait."
I gasp in mock shock and fold my arms grumpily, much like Steven does on a regular basis. "You're not fair, Pietro!"
He shrugs, and I walk - or stomp - over to him. "You will live." He runs over to me in a flash of blue light and picks me up bridal style. "Let us go eat some cake!"
"Cake later, dear brother," Wanda chastises from inside the house. "You are a terrible influence on your children."
Pietro runs us back inside the the kitchen where Wanda and Vision stand, preparing the last details of my birthday meal. "I try to be." He sets me down and rushes to take Steven off of Bucky's shoulders. "You ready to eat some cake, little man?"
Steve smiles at his father and nods vigorously. "Cake!"
I walk over to Wanda as Bex puts some music on, playing one of my favorite songs: "Autumn In New York" by Frank Sinatra. The mood of the crowded house instantly changes from normal family get-together to birthday party extravaganza. Those who are over twenty-one are served my favorite wine, a white whine from the city of Provence, France. Those who are under-aged have plenty of fruit punch, courtesy of my sister. Pietro doesn't hesitate to give both our little ones birthday whistles, and they spend the next few minutes chasing each other around with them.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Bex on the phone. She turns to me and mouths, "Mom," and gives me a thumbs up. I return the gesture, glad that she's finally gotten a hold on our mother.
"This is really some party," I whisper, giving Wanda a side hug as she pulls the dish out of the oven. "You really outdid yourself this year."
She turns to me, shedding her oven mitts with a grin. "I finally got it right! Year after year of disaster, I finally perfected the surprise birthday party, da?"
"Da," I reply with a chuckle. I glance at the main dish, mouth instantly watering. "Please, tell me that's Bouillabaisse."
Wanda laughs and gives me a nod. "You know it is. I have to say that by now, after six of your birthdays, I have gotten to be quite a masterful chef when it comes to French dishes."
One of the most famous dishes from southeastern France, from the city of Marseille, Bouillabainsse is a stew I've come to adore here in Europe. Though it's not traditionally Sokovian, or even from Eastern Europe, it's something that Pietro and I came across on our honeymoon in Paris over five years ago.
The French dish has four different types of fish, several types of shellfish, and a wonderful saffron sauce is to die for. I ask for it nearly every birthday or special occasion. When you pair it with the white wine from Provence, there is nothing better. Pietro doesn't particularly like shellfish, but like a good husband, he puts up with traditional French cuisine for me, just like I put up with some very... interesting Sokovian dishes that he loves.
I dip my finger onto the very edge of the bowl, lifting it to my mouth to give it a taste. "Mmm! You did great, Wanda."
"You owe most of your thank to Visi-" Wanda gasps and swats my hand away from the dish. "Be patient! You are nearly as bad as my brother."
"Well," I mumble under my breath, "I did marry him after all."
"Quit being a smartass, Glory, and go sit down! We have the birthday throne all decorated. It's even bigger than last year!"
The birthday throne is something we Maximoffs do every year to the chair at the head of the table. It's decorated with streamers and confetti and a big sign over it that says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" along with the birthday person's name. It might seem silly, but the little traditions that we've made are things that we all get excited about, whether it be the birthday throne or the Bouillabaisse or family get-togethers on Saturday evenings. Every family has the little things they do that are inside jokes.
"I think mini-me has beaten you to it, Glory," Natasha laughs, pointing to Ksenia in the birthday throne.
I put my hands on my hips and raise an eyebrow at my daughter. "What do you think you're doing?"
Ksenia just laughs and gives a sneaky smile, one that belongs to her father. "Nothin'."
"Is it your birthday? Are you turning thirty-one?"
Ksenia laughs, her giggle sounding like wind chimes. "No! That's you, Mommy!"
"Then why," I creep over to her and pick her up from the seat, "are you in my seat?" I start to tickle her sides, and she breaks out into uncontrollable laughter. "You wanna sit on my lap at dinner?" She nods in a reply, her blue eyes going wide. "Alrighty then. Nat, can you get Ksenia's punch? She's gonna sit with me."
"Can Auntie Nat sit beside us?"
I turn to Nat, and she nods. "Of course she can! We only see her every few weeks, so of course she can sit by us."
Natasha takes the seat next to Ksenia and I, and the rest of the family starts to find theirs. Wanda and Vision, with the gentlemanly help of Steve, carry over the portions of the meal. First the French bread, then the tossed salad, and finally the Bouillabaisse. The smell of seafood and fresh herbs enter my nose, a smile breaking across both Ksenia and my face.
Steve laughs at both of our excited expressions as he and Vision take a seat at the other end of the large table. "Like mother, like daughter."
Meanwhile, Wanda places a small plate of plain fish and fruit in front of Steve's place between Pietro - who is beside me - and Bucky. "There you go, little man," she says, placing a kiss on his unruly dark curls. "Just how you like it."
Steven is the pickiest eater I've ever had to deal with; he only eats certain things. We're not sure if it's an allergy or what, but he makes it painfully clear what he won't eat. Wanda always makes something special for him so he can enjoy the meal with the rest of the family and not feel left out.
He turns to her and signs, "Thank you, Aunt Wanda."
She smiles and signs, "You're welcome," back to him.
Bex takes a seat next to Natasha, in between her and Steve. "Did you get a hold of Mom?"
She nods. "She's on her way home. Should be here in a few minutes. Traffic into Sokovia is a little crowded tonight. She said to start without her and that she'll be home in thirty minutes, if the traffic behaves."
I nod, and after everyone is seated, Steve blesses the meal for my birthday and we dig in, starting first the the bread and salad. The meal tastes just as good as it did in Paris. Maybe even better with Wanda and Vision's touch to it. Ever since the Paprikash disaster a few years ago, Vision has set out to become a better chef, despite not being able to taste anything. "It's all calculation and equation," he had told me once. "The perfect amount of the ingredients for the perfect cook time and it will come out just fine."
I help Ksenia put her salad and and Bouillabaisse on her plate, helping her to eat without making a mess all over her shirt. It is her favorite, after all. Natasha seems to think it's hilarious to give her Avengers merchandise when she visits. This time she gave her a vintage Captain America T-shirt, since Captain America has always been her favorite male superhero. Black Widow and Captain America have been her favorites ever since she was small. Maybe some day we'll be able to tell her the truth about her parents, uncles, and aunts.
For now, it's too big a secret to tell a five year old. Can you imagine? What if she told a friend at school, and then that friend told someone else, and pretty soon the entire world knows that we're alive and where we live. I both can't put the weight of that secret on her shoulders and can't risk what might happen if I do. Someday, but not today.
For now, Captain America and Black Widow are her heroes; Steve and Nat are her favorite uncle and aunt. For now, that's all they need to be: separate.
"Mmm!" I exclaim. "Vision, Wanda, wow. This is so good. You guys might as well be master chefs."
Wanda blushes, and Vision says, "Thank you, Ms. Glory. I am glad you enjoy it." He pauses. "I must say, birthdays still perplex me. Celebrating another year that has gone by seems... counterintuitive. Why celebrate another year of getting older and closer to the end?"
"Because it's what you do during the year that you celebrate, Vis," I reply, balancing Ksenia on my knee as she continues to eat. "What have you learned? What have you accomplished? What have you changed to make yourself a better person? If you focus on just getting old and closer to death, then yes. Birthdays are depressing. Focus on the good in life and birthdays are an anniversary of becoming better. At least, that's how I look at it."
He nods, a small smile coming across his face. "That," Bucky interjects, "That and no one ever stays dead in this family." He shrugs with a funny expression on his face while the entire room breaks into laughter."
END CHAPTER ONE.
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This chapter is dedicated to Anton Yelchin, a fantastic actor who played Pavel Andreievich Chekov in the most recent Star Trek movies, who passed away on June 19, 2016, from an automobile malfunction at his home in Los Angeles.
Beam him up, Scotty.
We miss you, Anton. May you rest in peace.
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Author's Note
Hey guys!
I know I just made a A/N about my new schedule for the summer and forward, but I've decided to change it. I made a post on my profile, but I don't think anyone sees what I post there. Make sure to check there every now and then to get my updates and new story ideas.
I'm getting really ahead of this book, almost six chapters are written already, so I've decided to change the updated for AoM from one chapter per week to two chapters per week! Again, I may change this in the future, but for now, this is what I am able to do. Come fall time, when college starts, I might have to cut some things. But for summer, I can write lots! Below is the new schedule:
Monday: 300 Words | The Avengers Imagines
Tuesday: Age of Miracles
Wednesday: 300 Words | The Marvel Cast Imagines
Thursday: Rumors of War
Friday: 300 Words | The Star Trek Imagines
Saturday: Age of Miracles
On hold: Different Call
I will be putting Different Call on hold until further notice. I just haven't had the inspiration to write it lately, so until I get ideas and finish Age of Miracles, DC is on hold.
The amount of imagines I post depends completely on you guys. I will post at least one per update day, but I may not be able to get to them all. Be patient and I will get to your request eventually :)
I also have a new book out! It's a book of Star Trek imagines, and I think you guys will really like it. I'm a huge Star Trek nerd, so I was going to get around to it one of these days. Anton's tragic death pushed me to not hold out anymore. So go check it out! If not for me, do it in his memory.
What do you think of the new schedule? Like it more? Less? Now I'll be posting something every day, with the exception of Sunday :) I'm so excited, but tell me what you think! I love feedback!
One last thing: I will be out of town from this Friday, June 25, until Friday. July 1. I will be update this Friday for my Star Trek imagines, but until next Saturday's Age of Miracles update, I'll be unable to even be on WattPad. So anyone who messages me, I'm sorry but I'll be offline :)
Love you guys!
Your friendly neighborhood author,
- SaveTheBrooklynboys