Little Love

Chapter 1: Two Lines

She had only been going grocery shopping. It was that little act that had her entire world in shambles. If she hadn't gone grocery shopping, she wouldn't have seen the tests, wouldn't have thought about how her periods were a few weeks late, wouldn't have bought said-test just in case.

They couldn't have children. Of course, they could have children that she made, but she didn't want to exclude Bucky from something like that. And of course, Wanda had already been a mother, even if it was for a short while.

She stared at the positive test in her palm and felt her jaw shake. A sob threatened to escape, but she was too confused to cry, too shocked, too skeptical.

Staring back at her was a little pink line, a pink line that had stunned her stupid, shocked her into a state of complete unknown.

They were supposed to be getting married in a few weeks. They'd been together for years, meeting up not too long after Westview and falling so hard neither of them could admit it for months. If she wasn't so skeptical, she'd have thought they were made for each other. They were practically married already, shared an apartment and split the bills, but this?

She thought this wasn't in the cards for them.

Her hands were heavy as she tried to hold the test strip in the light, making sure she was reading it correctly. What would he say?

She knew he wanted to marry her, he cried when he asked. But a child was an entirely different subject. A child was....delicate.

And aside from the fact that Bucky had been told he was sterile, she wasn't entirely sure they could handle it. She smacked her palm to her forehead and willed herself not to cry.

They had been anything but careful. Why did they need to be if he was sterile? They never bothered discussing it, as they didn't feel the need to. Being parents had seemed like such an unachievable thing that they'd never really broached the topic.

They loved each other, and it was enough. But now?

Wanda let out a laugh. Was that the correct response to finding out you were magically with child? She didn't think so, but this, this unidentified, terrifying prospect had her reeling.

She stood, throwing the test in the trash, and began to pace inside the bathroom. Eventually she stood in front of the mirror, taking in her reflection for a moment before turning to the side.

Did she look larger? She didn't feel it, didn't see it. When she was pregnant the first time, she had been nearly out of her mind and could barely remember how she reacted. But she didn't remember how it felt. The little flutter deep within, like hope had bloomed. Without trying, she smiled, gripping the sink tightly.

She was going to have a baby. His baby.

Anxiety ripped through her like a claw. He would sense it in minutes, knowing that she was in turmoil. But would he know why? He was so gentle with her, so watchful. Surely he'd demand to know the source of her emotions. Would he think she was cheating? He thought he was sterile just as much as she did.

Wanda swung the bathroom door open in a hard motion, ran to their bedroom and sat on the foot of their bed. Shutting her eyes, she breathed in deeply, clasped her hands, then released and placed a palm lightly over her flat tummy.

"I'll love you," she whispered, the air thin, pressing the pads of her fingers into the fabric above her stomach. "No matter what you do to me and him. I'll love you."

She waited for him on the foot of their bed, heart racing as she listened for the door. When she heard the key slide into the lock, she jumped, feeling the tears well in her eyes.