Chapter Text
“My Nate, my baby boy… as beautiful as I imagined you. You're growing up to become such a lovely kid"
Wanda slowly combs the strands of hair of the little boy sleeping on her lap, his short reddish-brown hair as soft as only a baby can have. His small shirt and pants only highlight his innocence a little more and the omega smiles wide as she goes back to combing the baby fiery locks with her fingers. The morning just peeks out the window of the wooden house but Nate is an early riser and he woke up as soon as he could, probably to greet Carol before she went to work at the garage for the rest of the morning
"Little Pete!"
The alpha's voice, her alpha, echoes in the still-small house. Wanda smiles in bittersweet manner when she looks at her son again and remembers the name "Nate" is just a nickname and not his real name. For everyone else, her friends and acquaintances along with relatives but especially for Carol, ‘Nate’ name is Peter.
'Nate is the name I wanted for our first boy. Not just Nate but Nathaniel. A reminder of the great love I had, a reminder that the most important persons in my life carried the same name and no matter what, they would always be with me'
"Little Pete!"
Carol calls again as she enters the room that she shares with Wanda and is the same where the little boy, barely two and a half years old, sleeps. She freezes in the doorway, wide-eyed when she sees the sleeping baby and Wanda staring at her with not-so-gentle eyes. Carol puts her index finger against her lips and walks slowly towards the bed where her omega and son are. With a loving smile, she strokes the baby cheek over and over again
"He woke up early today. A little too early for his sake" Wanda whispers trying to hide a smile "I told him to go back to sleep and he barely put up a fight"
"I thought so" Carol says with a deep voice, one that is not much like her usual tone and made Wanda feel butterflies in her stomach "I was thinking… maybe today I… could take him with me to the garage"
The omega immediately looked up, her protective instincts appearing almost instantly and she almost seemed to be tightening the embrace in which she holds her son. Carol gave her a pained look, almost shy. Traits that would never be representative of an alpha but that in Carol were more common than expected
"I know you say it's dangerous but I promise I'll take good care of him"
“Carol…” Wanda sighed “The garage has tons of dangerous stuff just lying around and Peter is two years old. Accidents can happen"
“Love, you know I'll take care of Pete with my life and...I want to give you time to keep working on the garden and the orchards. They've been awfully lonely lately with only Darcy taking care of them and I know how much you love and cherish them"
Wanda looks at her son one more time. Of course she is afraid of what might happen to him but she knows she can trust Carol like she trusts her own shadow. The alpha would die before she let something happen to Peter. Even something as small as a flesh wound is ‘too much’ for the retired air-force Colonel
Deep down, the omega knows she's a bit overprotective but...who can blame her? Peter is her whole world. Holding him is like holding the lifestream itself. The treasure that pirates look all over the planet. The very little thing that puts purpose into her life
"Okay" Wanda says under her breath, unconvinced but letting herself be carried away by her instinct. That one never fails her and perhaps it increased when she became a mother. Carol jumps with her fist up in the air and then leans down to take Peter in her arms. The boy barely moves, soothed by Carol's sweet, honey-like scent
"Promise to call me if anything happens, ok? No exceptions"
Carol does a rather comical military salute managing to get a laugh out of her omega before leaning in to give her a brief kiss on the corner of her lips and rub her nose against the spot behind Wanda's ear leaving her scented for the rest of the day. Wanda smiles with closed eyes and wraps her arms around Carol's neck to do the same
"I love you" Carol whispers
"I love you too"
Wanda was surprised at how easy those words came out. They used to scare her, as much as the dark and the sadness and now they flow so easily. A calm river stream. In her heart, Carol was everything to her; like two parts of one whole their lives were intertwined in an infinitely beautiful dance that seemed to never end. Her devotion towards her partner radiated from every inch of her being like the heat from a furnace and lit up any room she entered with its warmth
Before Carol walks through the door, Wanda insists again
“Peter's bag is in the kitchen. You know how to make him a bottle, right? Please don't forget to feed him, Carol. I know you lose yourself in your work but-"
The alpha tries not to burst out laughing and even more so when Peter already shows signs of starting to wake up
"I know, love. I know. I'm not that useless"
With one last smile, Carol says goodbye and Wanda soon hears the front door closing followed by the engine of her lover's old truck roaring along the dirt road to get lost and leave her in complete silence sitting on the bed with fresh clean sheets
Certainly, this is the future that she had waited for since she was a child. The idea of a family of her own always fascinated her: she saw her parents loving each other every day and she fantasized about one day living in the same way. Wanda wanted to share everything she had learned while she was a child, she wanted to heal bloody knees and give forehead kisses to the little ones running around the yard of her house. She too dreamed of being a great dancer, her face appearing everywhere and her name would be cheered many times through countless theaters
The war had taken so many things away from her: her dreams, her home, her beliefs, her parents...
Natasha
Although Wanda always imagined her perfect future, Natasha was the constant factor that never went away. Her best friend since they were kids. The woman that her parents asked her to start a family with. The perfect, loving and protective alpha
There is a very popular saying that goes: Tell destiny about your plans and watch it laugh at you
Wanda learned it the hard way
She gets ready for another long day of work. The city where they lived, Arkala, located at the south region of the country was slowly rebuilding after the tragedy. There was a pessimistic atmosphere after the war, people didn't want to smile and everything seemed colored in gray but Wanda has hope for the future. She hopes the colors would slowly fill everyone's life again.
In the same way they came back into her life
"Darcy should be here soon" Wanda whispered as she looked at the huge clock on the kitchen wall. Carol usually spun around the room with enthusiasm, describing every detail of her plans for making the house a cosier home. She talked about wall colours and furniture and lighting fixtures that would bring light to dark corners. She even went into some of the finer points, like where she wanted to place house plants or how they could pick an area rug that would tie everything together in perfect harmony. Her excitement was infectious, and soon Wanda found herself swept up in Carol's vision as if it were her own
Looking out the kitchen window that led to the backyard, Wanda smiled again at the memories
The sun hits her face and a silver necklace on her neck shines like the moon does at night
~
"Do you like to play here, sweetheart?"
Carol says with a wide smile as she squats down, getting on the same level as Peter who was looking at the garage with curious eyes. In a way, he reminded her of Wanda and Carol couldn't help but kiss his cheek with deep love before carrying him in her arms
The garage was her pride and joy, a beautiful array of gleaming tools and meticulously polished surfaces. She could spend hours working away in there, satisfying an urge not just to fix things but to make them better than ever before. The hanging lights cast a warm golden glow over the entire space as if it were basking in its own glory; the walls lined with shelves full of gadgets and containers that she had lovingly collected over the years. It was an impressive set up, one you'd expect from someone with such dedication to their craft – maybe even magical on some days
A beautiful red Mustang waits under a cloth cover while Carol placed Peter in a crib away from danger but close enough where she could easily watch him. The alpha gave her son a stuffed tiger (specially made by Wanda) and Peter immediately let out a happy little squeal
"Here you go, little Pete" Carol ruffled the little boy's hair in a loving gesture "Wait for mom here, okay?"
Peter squeals again as he puts the stuffed animal in his mouth and leans back in the crib. He's surely tired and wanting to sleep as he had missed a couple of hours of glorious rest. The boy loved to nap until late but Carol really wanted Wanda to have some time for herself. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to play a little more with her lovely Peter
Carol stood with her hands on her waist, examining the parts of the Mustang spread across several milk crates. She had spent hours tracking down the right pieces and now she was ready to assemble them all together. In one hand, she held a socket wrench and with steady movements worked methodically around the engine bay, hardly pausing for breath as each part clicked into place. After fitting everything together again from carburetor to fuel line filter, she took a minute to step back and survey her work with admiration before wiping away an oily streak on her forehead that had gathered while working over an hour in concentrated labor
Taking took off her gloves and found a cloth to wipe the dirt from her hands. She stood there, rooted in place by something she could not name but felt deeply nonetheless: an overwhelming desire to fix this car as if in some way it would repair the broken part of herself that had been left behind with her brother's death. Carefully, thoughtfully, like someone assembling a complex machine from thousands of pieces – she nestled newly acquired tools into their respective places on oily shop rags and adjusted once unfamiliar tools until they felt like an extension of her own hands.
As the last piece clicked into place, and the car provided its first growl in response to her hard work, she celebrated with a loud cheer and patted herself in the back. She could not help but feel a sense of accomplishment at having saved something so broken – just as she was trying to do with herself
A small whine pulls her out of her train of thoughts
"Mom" Peter mumbles in a little voice on the verge of crying, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands. The stuffed tiger long forgotten at the corner of the crib
"Shh, shh. It's okay, buddy. Let me clean up and I'll be there with you"
Carol put her tools away before walking over to Peter and taking him in her arms. Her scent filling the entire garage to try to calm the baby down and the alpha sighed in relief when she realized it was working perfectly because Peter's sobs were reduced to tiny whimpers and then nothing. The little boy sucked his thumb into his mouth and continued scanning the place with the same green curious eyes from before when Carol showed him the garage for the first time
"Hey, Pete... you know mommy doesn't like when you suck that thumb" Carol remembers very well when Wanda tried everything to try to get rid of that habit but it was still present and maybe for a long time now "But it's okay. I'll let you do it just because you're adorable"
Peter giggled as if he knew what the alpha was saying and laid his head on Carol's shoulder, lulling himself to sleep thanks to the warmth of his mother's body
Someone knocked at the edges of the garage door, looking for attention. Carol turned around to see who it was, although she thought she still had more than half an hour until the first customers arrived. A tall woman, almost as tall as Carol, slowly cleared her throat. Her hair cut short up to her chin covered by a Eldman Blues baseball cap and rather casual clothing. She was not the type of person that Carol expected in her garage and less in a place like Arkala
However, just wearing a cap from Carol's rival team made the alpha lift an eyebrow
"Good morning" Carol greeted with a wide smile as she always did with any other client "How can I help you?"
The woman removed her cap briefly before nodding in Carol's direction. Somewhat confused dark green eyes made Carol feel something warm on her chest. She was ignoring the heavy peach scent that was fighting her own honey one, a clear indication that she was an alpha just like her
"Uhm... I'm looking for miss Carol Danvers. Do you know where I can find her?"
Carol stood stock-still, face blank with surprise as the unmistakable sound of her full name reverberated through her ears. This was a small town, with not too many people and Carol was well known around but nobody really called her by her full name. She frowned at the woman who had called out to her in such a familiar way, their eyes meeting without recognition for a heart-stopping moment before she came back into herself and hastily nodded in her direction. The smile held on only slightly longer than it should have but nonetheless seemed more genuine now
"It's me" she replied with the same calm smile she had greeted the alpha "How can I help you?"
"Oh! So it's you." The alpha giggled and smiled "Someone told me I could find a job with you. The army just gave me a discharge and I don't know where to start"
"And who told you that I can help you?"
"Mhm... Steve Rogers"
Any mistrust that had crossed Carol's body at that moment was forgotten just by the sound of said name. Steve was such a kind heart, always helping others even if they were strangers
"Of course! He is an old friend"
"Excellent. So… can you help me?"
Carol didn't need another employee or someone to help her but she couldn't let go of this poor person just like that. Especially in a country that wouldn't recognize her efforts as a soldier and would probably hate her as they hate everything that had to do with the great armed conflict of just a few years ago. She probably could never adjust to an ordinary life
And Carol genuinely wanted to help her in one way or another
“You think you can help me around here? I have a job for you but I think I could use an extra hand with fixing these machines"
The alpha smiled wide and nodded excitedly
"Of course, I'll help you in any way I can"
"Perfect, just give me a second and I'll come right away"
Peter had already fallen asleep since several minutes ago so Carol laid him down in his crib, snuggling him against his tiger and grabbed her full set of tools to take where the alpha waited for her, just like a child, standing at the same point where Carol told her to wait
"Your son is such a cute boy" she said "How old is he?"
"Barely two years" Carol replied with a proud smile. The same one that probably all parents used for their children. Then, wanting to lighten the atmosphere, Carol joked "And soon I will instill him in my love for the Reds"
The alpha chuckles and shrugs, the movement of her shoulders makes her leather jacket slip down her arm
"Arkala Reds, huh? I always knew the best team were the Blues"
Carol burst out laughing and handed a couple of car parts that she picked from scattered boxes
"Help me pack all this on the crates- Wait… did you tell me your name?"
"Nope" The alpha shook her head from side to side. Red locks swinging under her baseball cap “My name is Romanoff. Natasha Romanoff"
~
"Lately you reek of Carol" Darcy gagged as she covered her nose "You usually carry her scent everywhere but now you really stink"
The backyard behind the wood house was large enough to house a couple of acres of orange and apple trees alongside a garden full of white carnations. Wanda felt a deep pride in this place: not only because it was the perfect spot for Peter to grow up but because she had built it from scratch and little by little she saw it rise up to the sky. It was something that she had built long before meeting Carol so it had a special sentimental value in her heart
Darcy always helps her take care of the garden and fruit trees. A faithful friend of Wanda, the younger woman did not object to any request from her friend even though they were always fighting and pushing each other like two little children. Now, while they were both dressed in the gardening suit, Wanda couldn't help but feel offended when Darcy walked behind her as they tended the carnations
"And how do you know?" Wanda whined "You're a beta"
"Well, that's why you should worry!" Darcy growled with her arms crossed across her chest, staining her suit with mud "If I can smell that then surely half of town does too"
"You are making things up"
"Aha, yeah. Of course. You'll come to me saying ’Hey, Darcy. Guess what? I'm pregnant!' And then I'll laugh out loud and tell you I told you so!'"
Wanda is surprised for a moment and abandons a half-cut carnation
Pregnant
That makes her thoughtful, her face a map of her internal deliberations as she considered the implications of such a life-altering event. Her body was still like a meadow in the morning light and she could almost feel how much trust she had in something larger than herself — like things would turn out one way or another, but either way, it would be for the best. Peter was the only kid she wanted and starting a family with Carol seemed like a distant idea
"Shut up and get back to work. Carol is about to come home"
Darcy laughed out loud. A choked and annoying sound like only she knows how to do it
The engine of Carol's old truck roars along the dirt road and Wanda quickly moves away from the garden, throwing tools and other stuff to greet her alpha and especially her little Peter
"I told you. They're already here”
The beta pouts as she closely follows Wanda toward the front entrance of the house
Carol gets out of the truck with Peter giggling happily as he bites his favorite tiger's ear
"We're home, people!" Carol yells. Peter tries to copy the word but he just ends up babbling a bunch of words
"Hey there" Wanda replies, her smile growing bigger as Carol gets closer with Peter. The omega immediately takes her baby in her arms and greets Carol with a long kiss on her lips
The truck's door makes a loud thud indicating someone else just got down. Wanda peeks out over Carol's shoulder with curiosity and suddenly feels her legs turning into jelly
"I want you to greet someone who will help you with the garden" Carol speaks excitedly as she points towards the person walking to the entrance
Wanda feels everything is spinning. Her entire world slowly crumbles and small dots of light appear behind her eyes. Her breath is cut short and perhaps her paleness is obvious when Darcy takes Peter out of her arms and grips her shoulder
"Wanda, are you okay?"
"Guys, this is Natasha Romanoff"
Natasha raises a hand to greet with a smile
The same one that Wanda remembers so clearly
With tears in her eyes, Wanda loses consciousness