Age of Glory | Pietro Maximoff

Chapter Thirty-Four: Walk It Off

Picture is Pietro Maximoff's uniform.

Music is the Sword Art Online Theme.

All rights go to their rightful owners.

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"If they hurt you, hurt 'em back. If you get killed, walk it off." ~Steve Rogers

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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

"Pregnant?" I ask, confused. "What do you mean I'm pregnant?"

Stephen grins a little. "Well, when two people really love each other-"

"Stephen Vincent Strange, don't get smart with me." I'm not in the mood for joking. If I'm really pregnant... "I just got a little sick, that's all."

"Ever heard of morning sickness?"

"Oh, yeah, 'cause whenever someone throws up randomly, I'm automatically pregnant. Is that it? Because it's not true. I have a sensitive stomach and I haven't eaten in almost 12 hours. That might have something to do with it."

Stephen shakes his head. "I thought I was just imagining it, but I know it now for sure."

"Know what for sure?"

"The sign of three," he mumbles. "Glory, I can sense life signs. I know when people are around me, no matter how small..." He trails off and looks to my stomach. "I sense four people in this room right now, not just you and I."

"Four? You mean..." I glance down to my tummy, wondering if it could be true at all. "No, it couldn't..."

"I'm not trying to pry, but have you had any physically intimate moments with anyone in the past week or so?"

I pause, thinking back over the past couple days, and one scene sticks out the most. "It was only a couple days ago. Can you sense a child that soon?"

Stephen smiles. "It's a beautiful thing, unborn children. They have their own heartbeat merely a week after conception. Very early on, they have their own brainwaves, completed organs, individual fingers and toes. They sneeze, they hiccup, they practice breathing. They're absolutely amazing, and from the moment of conception, I can sense a child. A person is a person, no matter how small."

"Why couldn't Wanda see them?"

"I'm guessing that she isn't as in tune to life signs yet. When she gets stronger, she probably will be able to."

I nod. "So that's what you meant yesterday by 'the sign of three'?" I ask, a small smile creeping onto my face.

He nods. "Yes, it was."

"Wait. Sign of three means me, Pietro, and the baby, right?"

He shakes his head. "A sign of three means you and your two children. Glory, you will bear twins."

I cover my mouth with my hands, smiling with tears in my eyes. Happy tears. "Twins? Really? Oh my realms!"

Stephen laughs, throwing his head back. "I was going to tell you earlier, but I wanted to wait. It seems as if you should be told now, though, considering the risks of going out to battle tomorrow."

My grin instantly fades away. "Oh no..." I place my hands on my stomach. "I'll put them in danger."

"I wish I could help," Stephen says, softly.

"You can't do anything to protect them?"

He sighs, looking down. "If I could protect people, do you think we'd be worried about this confrontation at dawn at all?"