Surprise spacemom!

[princess_sparklefists]

By now, most people in New York are used to superheroes flying through the city. One of the Avengers hovering outside of someone's bedroom window at an apartment building in Brooklyn, just barely after sunrise... is a little less common, probably.

Carol knocks on Anya's window again, a little louder, and looks down at the pair of hipsters who are watching her from across the street. She waves.

"My friend's asleep," she explains. "Or possibly not home." Pause. "I promise this isn't an Avenger problem, despite the costume. Everything's fine... civilians..."

Even if this is the second apartment she's visited this morning, because it turns out Anya's moved since Carol went to space. She freaked out the elderly British man who now lives in that apartment, and had to call Jess for her actual address. This day is already going so well for Carol.

She knocks again, harder. Come on, spiderbaby. Up and at 'em.

Comments

[notbackingdown]

Spiderbaby just had finals a couple of days ago and was out patrolling the rooftops of Brooklyn until like an hour ago, okay? She thinks she is entirely allowed to sleep in without being harassed by adults. But if the knocking won't stop, there's no way she can sleep, so she throws open the window without actually opening her eyes - mostly because she's pretty sure there is only one person who could be knocking on her window.

"Jess, I swear if the world isn't ending, I'm gonna kill you."

She's wrong, incidentally, about who she thinks it is.

[princess_sparklefists]

Carol drops her altitude about half a foot and moves closer to the window so that she can lean inside, arms folded on the edge of the windowsill. Okay, she wasn't planning to screw with Anya, but if she's going to make it so easy...

"Really? I could have been anyone. I could have been an incredibly polite supervillain. Though I guess that explains why Jess was able to tell me exactly which window to knock on..."

[notbackingdown]

Anya shoots up in bed, and it's probably a near miss for whacking her head into Carol's, given Anya's bed is situated right next to the window. On the list of people Anya was not expecting? Carol's pretty close to the top.

"Carol! You're... Not in space!" This may be a pretty obvious revelation but let's not tease the sleep-deprived girl too much, okay?

[princess_sparklefists]

Carol snorts, and actually ducks through the window now, touching down on the floor beside Anya's bed. "Yeah, I... got back last night. And it turns out when you're in space, you don't exactly sync to a normal Earth schedule, so... sorry for waking you up? I just wanted to say hi."

Because that's not weird or anything. But things came back to her while she was away, and it was lonely out there. There were people she missed, and Anya's very near the top of the list.

[notbackingdown]

Carol barely has time to touch down and get those words out when a very sleepy spiderbaby (in Black Widow pyjama pants, she is so pleased she scored these, because they're boutique and nice and expensive, but Natasha gave them to her and how awesome is that?) launching herself out of bed and around her neck.

Her arms around Carol's neck, not all of her. She's hugging, not attempting to murder.

"I missed you! You're such a jerk, why did you go to space in the first place? I'm so glad you're back!"

[princess_sparklefists]

Carol hugs her tightly, grinning - a part of her had wondered if Anya would be upset at her for leaving, actually upset and not jokingly so. She couldn't have blamed her if she was, but... she much prefers this.

"I just needed a little... space... Heh. I'm sorry, I swear that was accidental. Some space to myself, to remember who I was." Pause. "I remember now."

She remembers Anya, too. If that wasn't obvious.

[notbackingdown]

"Yeah, I kinda figured, what with the showing up in my room at like 5 in the morning to say hi." Anya is not sniffling, that's your imagination. No, really!

...Okay fuck it, sorry Carol, she's crying on your costume a little. She'll be okay in a minute, she's just. Really glad you're back.

"Also that was an awful pun, you suck."

[princess_sparklefists]

"It just came out!" she says defensively. And she will do Anya a favor and ignore the crying, because it's just going to embarrass both of them and if it goes on for too long Carol might get a little teary too. No one needs that.

"Also, it's 6:15. But I will buy you breakfast if you want...?"

Jessica may have suggested she do that, if she didn't want Anya to murder her. This raises some questions about how much she and Anya have been hanging out since Carol left, but she'll ask about that later.

[notbackingdown]

So much, Carol. They have been hanging out so much.

Anya gets herself mostly back together and lets go, dropping down to the ground and casually scrubbing at her face. Ah, Jess, you have given Carol good advice. "...Well, if there's breakfast, I guess I can be awake for another couple hours." She yawns and runs a hand through her hair. (She does not miss detangling.)

"Wait, how'd you know where I live? Did you get, like, x-ray vision while you were in space?"

[princess_sparklefists]

"What? Why would... No. I asked Jess, like a normal human being." And then flew here. Less like a normal human being. Shh.

She ruffles Anya's hair (which is much longer than Carol remembers, seriously, how long has she been gone?) and grins. This is the problem with being adopted by a military person, Anya. They have no respect for your need to sleep.

"Put on real clothes and I'll buy you all the coffee you want."

Carol's uniform, meanwhile, shifts into something more casual with a thought. Because why bother with actually changing clothes when you have weird Kree magic?

[notbackingdown]

"Oh. That makes sense too, I guess." Anya looks a little sheepish as she moves around, picking clean (or mostly clean) clothes out of the sprawling mess that is her room. She very clearly does not have a problem changing in front of Carol, given that she starts without a thought.

She's probably picked up a few scrapes and scars that she didn't have last time Carol had a chance to see them, but... it's hard to tell if that happened since space or since Carol forgot.

Anya does shoot Carol a little glare when she shifts her uniform into something normal.

"Have I ever mentioned you suck? 'Cause lemme tell you, the number of times I've had to patch my suit, I think it's more 'patch' than 'suit'. Also clothes are expensive." Which she was always aware of, but without her dad's income... sure, she got his savings and his life insurance, but she's trying to save that stuff for, y'know. Emergencies. It's most of why she moved out of her old apartment and into this little studio - the rent was too high to justify staying.

[princess_sparklefists]

"It's not my fault your powers just aren't as cool," she says, lips twitching and not quite hiding a smirk. "Next time try standing next to an exploding alien wishing machine - that really helps."

She pauses a moment, considering if the offer's going to hurt Anya's pride, and then decides she can always say no like a big girl if it does. "You know, if you wanted a costume change... I could talk to Janet. I don't have proof, but I'm pretty sure she's the reason the Young Avengers don't look like a bunch of sad cosplayers anymore."

[notbackingdown]

"Man, getting stabbed in the park just doesn't get the same results. I want a do-over."

Anya chokes a little as she's pulling her shirt on, because "sad cosplayers" is absolutely the best description of the Young Avengers' original costumes, and she finds that fucking hilarious. "Madre de Dios, I have never heard more perfect words. Sad cosplayers. Wow."

She doesn't answer Carol's offer right away, instead opting to pull on shoes, make sure she grabs her wallet, phone, and keys, and shoo Carol out the door so she can lock it. It gives her time to consider the offer. On the one hand, she likes to be able to handle herself. On the other hand, she really really needs a replacement for her costume, because the one she's got is literally this close to falling apart at this point, and she's not skilled enough to make a new one.

"Yeah, I mean, if she's bored one day or something, I wouldn't turn it down," she says finally. It's enough of an acceptance while still keeping her dignity.

[princess_sparklefists]

Carol expected that. It's enough permission that she can shove a new costume at Anya in a month or so and neither of them have to be embarrassed by it.

She slings an arm around Anya's shoulders and starts toward the stairs, towing Anya along with her. "Good. We finally got Jess out of the skintight spandex, so you're my next project. Spider-Man's a lost cause, but you, we still have a chance to save."

[notbackingdown]

And that's what Anya expected anyway. She knows Carol will talk to Jan, but at least this way they can pretend no one's getting any sort of charity.

"Hey, this costume's got history!" Anya protests. "Arachne gave it to me, it's like... a legacy or something."

She wants out of the spandex, Carol. Get her out of the spandex. Please.

[princess_sparklefists]

"Uh-huh," she says, heading down the stairs quickly. "Legacies are great and all, but there's no excuse for spandex. I say this as someone who spent years in a glorified bathing suit. It was a mistake, and we all need to move past those dark times."

[notbackingdown]

"Well, I can't really argue with you there," Anya agrees, trotting down behind Carol. This is familiar, this is right, this is... something she hasn't done in a year or so. Welp. At least Carol actually remembers her now? That's always a positive step.

"You're basically in a glorified full-body leotard now, though, is that really much better? I mean, apart from the wedgie potential of your swimsuit."

[princess_sparklefists]

She stops on a landing, and turns back to face Anya. Do not knock her new costume. New costume is awesome.

"It's a flight suit. It'd fit body armor, if I needed it."

[notbackingdown]

"Yeah, but when you don't actually need body armor, does it really matter?" Anya is the most innocent.

You love her, Carol.

You're basically her mom.

You couldn't possibly hold a grudge or anything for her saying silly and completely true things, right?

[princess_sparklefists]

She smacks Anya lightly in the back of the head, and then continues down the stairs, grumbling.

"Go tell Captain America he wears a glorified leotard, then talk to me."

...not that Cap'll do anything to her. Besides look somewhat bemused. But still. It's the same principle and she is offended.

[notbackingdown]

"Uh, he totally does?"

Anya feels no shame whatsoever. Whoops.

"Get me into the tower and I'll tell him his boots make him look like tinkerbell. Because they're really kind of lame."

She wouldn't actually say these things, to be clear. She respects him too much, thanks to Rikki, but she can still express the sentiment.

[princess_sparklefists]

She glances over her shoulder, gives Anya an amused look. "You could walk into the tower any time you want, you know. Everyone likes you. Tony likes you. Go insult the ninety-year-old whenever you feel like it."

[notbackingdown]

Anya, honestly, looks startled by that assertion, and shakes her head after a moment. "No way, I've barely met any of them! I doubt they'd even remember me."

Distract from her awkward, distraaaaact...

"I mean, you seemed to have that down pretty well last time."

[princess_sparklefists]

"Ouch," she says, a hand over her heart. "How long are you and Jess gonna keep rubbing that in?"

They're out on the street now, and Carol swivels in a slow circle, realizing... she doesn't know this neighborhood. At all.

"...you know a place that's open this early?"

[notbackingdown]

"Probably forever!" Anya replies cheerfully. She can be cheerful about it because Carol remembers now. So now it's just fodder to tease and use as blackmail to get what she wants!

She rolls her eyes a little at Carol totally not planning ahead. "Yeah, there's a place a couple blocks down. Really good pancakes."

[princess_sparklefists]

"I'm so sorry for making an enormous personal sacrifice to save all your ungrateful asses. I promise I'll never do it again."

Smiling wryly, she gestures down the street. "Then lead the way. They don't have pancakes in space. Or bacon. It's awful."

[notbackingdown]

"Good, glad we're in agreement."

Anya starts down the street, waving to a few people who live on her block that she's friendly with. Most of the social people around like the tiny Puerto Rican girl who moved in a few months ago. After all, she's friendly and helpful and smart - what's not to like?

"No bacon in space makes sense, since no pigs, but they didn't have pancakes?"

[princess_sparklefists]

"They have things like pancakes," she says with a shrug. "It's not the same. And definitely no syrup, so what's the point?"

She smiles, watching Anya wave at the neighbors. It's good to know she's got people around here - even if they're just casual acquaintances, it's something.

"You like it here? I tried visiting your old apartment first, before I called Jess... The new tenant was not amused."

[notbackingdown]

Anya laughs, her nose wrinkling a little. "Wow, that was dumb. Yeah, I moved out of there a while ago. Not long after I got back to New York, actually. Rocky transferred to Harvard, and I didn't feel like finding another roommate."

It was kind of... heavy, though. Leaving that apartment for good. She and her dad had searched so hard for the perfect apartment, spent so much time deciding what they'd do with it when they finally moved in. It was the last place she'd seen her Papá alive, too.

But that was the past, and in the present? She has pancakes and coffee with her favorite Avenger to enjoy.

"So... what'd you do out there, anyway? Flirt with any cute aliens?"

[princess_sparklefists]

"Hah! No. I did play matchmaker for this cute alien girl. Sort of. Anyway, she's a queen now, so I think it turned out okay..." She shrugs a little, grinning. "Anyway, I'm kind of dating someone on Earth now. Or I was. It's been a year, so I should probably... talk to him about that..."

She forgot about that. And now she is kind of dreading it. Saying you're okay with your sort-of girlfriend going to space for a year is one thing, but when she's actually gone and you haven't talked in a year...

She wouldn't blame him if he didn't wait around for her.

[notbackingdown]

"Aw, cute alien queen? That's awes--"

Wait. Anya stops in her tracks, gaping at Carol.

"You have an Earth boyfriend? Since when? Who? Oh my..." she segues into Spanish at this point, possibly just voicing her shock and possibly scolding Carol for not telling her. Does it really matter which, at this point?

"See, you're not allowed to lose your memory anymore because given that I'm not an Avenger? I miss out on like every important life development."

Tell her about her step-dad, Mama Carol.

[princess_sparklefists]

Carol stops when Anya does, and just stands there with her head tilted slightly, waiting for her to run out of indignation and actually let her talk. She's more amused than anything else. You know she can actually understand you when you lapse into Spanish, right, spiderbaby?

"It's Rhodey. War Machine. I don't know if you've met him, but I promise I'll introduce you if he still wants to date me after a year in space."

[notbackingdown]

No, Carol, you have neglected to mention to your child that you speak her native tongue and can actually understand 99% of what she says in said native tongue. (The other 1% is weird localized slang, but that's a whole other thing. And also usually completely inappropriate.)

"You better call him after breakfast, Mom, seriously. Go to space for a freaking year? Why aren't you taking him to breakfast?" Not that Anya minds, of course, it's nice to be more important than the boyfriend. But still!

[princess_sparklefists]

Mom. She called her mom. That's enough that Carol pauses, staring at her like she needs to make sure he heard that right. She shakes it off momentarily, and smiles a little.

"Well, for one thing, I don't know where he is right now... I'll call him. Later. I care more about his sleep than I do yours."

That last part is a joke. Mostly.