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Margot sang quietly to the little baby in the car seat nestled in the cart. The baby, Harper, her one and only, cried loudly, inconsolable. Margot tried not to cry in frustration, not in the middle of the arts and crafts store. It was late at night, but this was the only time she'd have to go shopping. So, she sang a little louder. A little Christmas lullaby, which had been working without fail until tonight. She couldn't blame Harper for the hurt she must be feeling. Her father, a superhero she would never name again, was from a different planet, one where babies imprinted on their close people in their first week of birth. It was an important bond that needed to be nurtured and guarded until they were teenagers. Ones who did not get those needs met turned cold and rejected society. Like her ex.
He'd assured her that they would be fine, that he'd be able to attach and everything would be normal. It wouldn't be like his home planet, but it'd be equivalent to human attachments, but it had never happened. And then when she'd gotten pregnant, he'd grown more distant and refused to help her in any means. He'd even shown disgust when her stomach started to swell. It had broken her heart and she couldn't handle the idea of Harper being around such indifference. So, she'd left before Harper was born, but with only Margot to imprint on, Harper was becoming more distressed as the days went on. She'd been hoping that being half human would help, but it hadn't.
She patted the bundle, trying to soothe her. "I know, I know, we'll leave just after I get that extra fabric for our matching scarf and hat." Harper got the hat, she'd have the scarf. It was a cute pattern, but she'd run out. The rattle she'd been chewing on was thrown out of her car seat and onto the floor. Margot closed her eyes and tried to get her composure and not look crazy in front of everyone when she broke down crying.
"Oops! Here you go." The voice was feminine, husky, relaxing almost.
Margot looked at the stranger, automatically going to take it. The woman was taller than her with the figure of a body-builder in a pristine, tailored pant-suit of gold and red. Her hair was in a perfect, elegant pony-tail, makeup on point, gaze sharp and calculating. She smiled warmly at Margot, but Margot was trying not to panic. Before her, holding Harper's toy, was a notorious villain, Melle Licious. She would have been in the villain syndicate if she'd cared about super-villainy. As it was, she was running her own business and making her own mark behind the scenes. Margot only knew this was her secret identity from having seen her picture once in her ex's files. The ones he kept in case he needed to blackmail anyone. The ones she'd burned to spite him before she'd left.
She stiffly took the rattle. "Th-thank… you…" She felt utterly frumpy next to her. Her shirt hadn't been washed in weeks with dried breast milk stains, her yoga pants were stained with who knew what and her bun had been falling out of the stretched ponytail holder since lunchtime. Not to mention the puffiness around her eyes, both from crying and lack of sleep.
Harper wailed. Margot turned her attention to her. She didn't have time to worry about a villain. She was going to end up being thrown out when some angry customer complained. She wouldn't blame them. She dug through her oversized purse for wipes to clean the rattle off.
"Hey, little miss, it's okay," Melle Licious cooed. "Your mama's getting your rattle ready for you." She smiled warmly and it took a second for Margot to realize she'd stopped looking for the wipes and was staring. It wasn't until Melle Licious winked at her that she jumped and fished out the wipes. She could feel her cheeks burning. Melle Licious smiled at Harper. "You're such a cutie." She leaned in to whisper. "And your mama's even cuter."
This wasn't happening. She ignored how much hotter her cheeks were getting and focused on cleaning the rattle.
Melle Licious continued to talk with Harper. "Want to see what I was getting? I was getting supplies for my Twelve Days of Christmas set. I needed some more rolls to make up my eleven pipers piping. See? These pipe cleaners will be their instruments. I know it's silly, but I love Christmas." She held up indoor snowballs. "And see these? My employees love having indoor snowball fights. It's fun seeing grown men turn into children again."
Margot put the wipes away and smiled at that. She knew Melle Licious had killed plenty of people, but seeing her do something so small and whimsical melted her heart a little. She understood why villains were villains, but she'd always disagreed with her ex's view that there was no humanity in them. Harper cooed and reached out for the pipe cleaners, garbling like she was talking to Melle Licious. She missed those days when Harper would babble to her. Now all did when she was awake was cry.
Margot gasped loudly in shock and horror. Harper had stopped crying! She was grabbing Melle Licious' finger and trying to suck on it. She'd imprinted! This had to be a nightmare. This couldn't be real. It had happened too fast! She just couldn't believe that Harper had imprinted on the villain who'd cooed at her twice!
"Are you alright?" Melle Licious asked, leaning in front of Margot's view. She lightly touched Margot's elbow. "Did I over step? I apologize if I misread the situation."
Margot blinked and started crying. It was too overwhelming. She was too tired and too strung out to handle any of this. She'd sworn off supers and by extent villains, but now she was facing a very serious problem.
"Whoa, hey, it's okay," Melle Licious whispered. She gently took the rattle and handed it to Harper. She took Margot's hands and rubbed the backs of them. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
A group of older women passed by, glaring at them. Melle Licious shot a warning glare back before turning her attention to Margot, all animosity gone.
"M-Margot," she sniffled. She squeezed her eyes closed, the embarrassment of falling apart like this overwhelming.
"Margot, that is a beautiful name. I'm Anne Gunne, how can I help? Are you alone?"
She removed her hands from Anne's gentle grip to cover her face. "I'm sorry, I just need a moment-" she choked on a loud sob and covered her mouth tightly.
"Sweetheart, take all the time you need. You're allowed to cry wherever you need to."
Margot shook her head. She was causing a scene. "I'll be alright, I just-" but then she looked at Harper, calmly chewing on her rattle and started crying harder. A loud sob escaped this time. She was loosing control. Everything was falling apart at the seems and she'd lost all her thread to stitch it back together.
Anne put an arm around her, muscles holding her. "Do you need some air? I'll help you outside if you'd like?"
She nodded. "I'm so sorry!"
"I like helping, it's not a problem. Can I take your little Sweet Pea, here? I promise to stay within a foot of you the whole time."
She nodded again, trying to calm herself. She followed Anne Gunne, hardened criminal and killer of superheroes, outside where it as snowing. They stood in the covered area, Anne rocking Harper gently.
"Margot, I'm here if you want to talk about it. I can also just rock your Sweet Pea for as long as you need."
The implication made her begin crying all over again. She pressed her hands to her face again and shook her head. "I'm sorry!"
Anne took her hand. "I don't need anymore apologies, I just want to know if there's anything I could do to help."
"She's imprinted!" Margot sobbed, covering her mouth and squeezing her eyes shut.
Anne Gunne frowned. "Imprinted?" She looked at Harper. "Sweet Pea, here? I'm sorry, I don't understand and I don't want to jump to conclusions."
"She… She couldn't imprint on her father like… like her culture does and it's made her- but now she's imprinted on you!" She couldn't stop crying and she could feel herself about to hyperventilate.
Anne took a long moment to parse out what she said next. "Sweet Pea has… imprinted on me… so, she's not human."
Margot shook her head, large, heavy tears staining her cheeks. "Her father is a- a super, but he didn't want her- us, so I left before-before she was born and she's never met him, but-but they feel it- her race, they know they're missing- and now-" she fell into more sobs.
"Oh, sweetheart…" Anne set Harper down next to them and pulled her into a hug.
Margot sobbed into her shoulder, comforted by the strength those arms held.
"You sound like you've been going through it. I'm so sorry you've been alone." She paused for a moment. "I know you don't know me, but if it will help, I'll do what it takes to help you with Sweet Pea, here."
Margot pushed away, shaking her head. "No! I couldn't ask that! That's- it's like being a parent. We'd need to live together and not just for a little bit, for ten to fifteen years! And you're-" she stopped herself. "I'm sorry!"
Anne's eyes narrowed, almost turning sharp, though the rest of her comportment stayed calm and concerned. "I'm what?"
Margot shook her head, covering her mouth. "Thank you for your offer, but I couldn't ask it of you."
Anne Gunne was scrutinizing her now. "I've never been recognized before," she whispered. "How did you know?"
She hesitated. She wanted to play dumb. Harper was within reach of Anne Gunne. Of Melle Licious. She didn't want to upset someone with a name of such a warning.
Anne put the palm of her hand to her forehead. "Oh, sweetheart, shit, I'm so sorry." She rose her hands. "I won't do anything, I promise. You're safe with me, same with Sweet Pea. If you want to walk away and never talk to me again, that's perfectly fine. I won't be offended."
Her hands shook, not just from Melle Licious discovering Margot knew it was her, but with everything else. She tried to take a calming breath. "My- my ex… He had… Files on a lot of you guys… With your true identities and other information… I discovered them… For a rainy day, he said, but that never felt right- like what a superhero should do? So before I left, I burned them…"
Anne Gunne's lips quirked into a gorgeously mischievous smirk. "You did?"
Harper cooed loudly, almost whining. Margot knelt down to rock the car seat. "It just felt wrong. He either needed to turn you all in or defeat you fare and square, not blackmail you guys."
She crouched next to her. "Thank you, Margot."
She smiled and nodded.
"Now, about Sweet Pea. I've always wanted to be a mom."
Margot snapped at attention, eyes wide, already shaking her head.
Anne placed a hand on her arm. "I'm serious. Look, I heard her nonstop crying and if she's like that where there's nice stimulation, I can't imagine what it's like at home or in the wee hours of the night. I can see how it's wearing you down. I'm not perfect, but I'm as close as you're going to get." She winked. "If I can help two beautiful women, then I'm going to."
She felt herself flushing again. "I don't know what to say…" She sniffled. "I don't really have much of a choice- I don't mean it like that- I just- I'm sorry."
Anne laughed gently. "You're quite alright, sweetheart. You have two hard choices to pick from, ignore the imprint and hope you can manage, but I'm guessing you don't know what would happen long term, or you move in with a complete stranger and hope things work out. I'm only easing the decision a little by letting you know I'm willing to help out. How about this, why don't we do our shopping together and it will give you time think things over."
"I'd like that…"
Anne stood, taking Harper with her. Margot led the way back to the cart. They went to the aisle of yarn where she picked the extra yarn. Along the way, Anne added her own things to the cart, along with a lot of little things for Harper. She'd only wink when Margot tried to protest.
Or when Anne bought everything for them. She repeated her earlier phrase, "If I can help two beautiful women, then I'm going to."
It shut Margot up. She'd never been flirted with. Her ex had been more silent smolder and spoke with physicality. And the small touches to her shoulder and back from Anne felt natural, but she wanted more. Of course, she wouldn't expect them to be a couple, she'd never been with a woman, but if she could have the smaller forms of affection regularly, she'd feel almost human again.
Anne was loading the groceries as Margot strapped Harper in. She held herself as she looked at Anne. "I'd like to take you up on your offer."
Anne smiled. "Excellent! I'll follow you to your place. We can stay there until we get you both moved into mine."
It felt crazy. It was crazy. But she didn't have much choice unless she could handle the heartbreak Harper would feel. She imagined her ex and her insides froze at the thought of Harper turning out like that.
Her breasts were swollen when they got home and Harper was starting to fuss. It was feeding time. As she got out of the car, she felt the sudden leak of her milk. "Shit," she hissed. "C'mon, Harper, let's go eat and then we'll bring the groceries in."
"That's a perfect name for her," Anne said, coming to their side of the car at the apartment complex. "We'll all go up and then I'll bring in the groceries while you feed our little Sweet Pea."
Our. It blindsided her. She felt the sting of fresh tears. She nodded and took Harper out and carried her into the building. It was a lack-luster apartment on the fourth floor. It leaked and had only chairs from the dining table for seating. She sat down and without thinking, began to feed Harper, pulling her shirt up and her breast free. She sighed as the let-down of milk ebbed and it hurt less. Harper ate greedily. Anne excused herself and brought back the groceries. She put them away as Harper fed.
"How long have you lived here?" Anne asked.
"Six months. My work doesn't pay much."
She scoffed. "Most don't, it's why villainy is so popular."
Harper was on the second breast and starting to fall asleep. Margot burped her and then started to rock her to sleep.
"Why don't you let me do that?" Anne said. "Take a break."
Margot wanted to protest, but Anne was already reaching for Harper. She relented and set about the breast pumps. Anne rocked Harper, pacing around the empty living room. They fell into a comfortable silence. Margot watched Anne rock Harper, checking her phone and sending off messages. She looked so much in control, Margot was envious. After a while, she put Harper in her crib in the bedroom.
"You barely have a mattress, sweetheart." She was frowning.
She was putting the fresh milk in the fridge and cleaning the device. "Yeah, sorry, this place is expensive for the work I could get right now."
"I bet it's hardly comfortable."
"It's not, but I haven't been sleeping much anyway because Harper hasn't been able to sleep."
Anne reached out to feel Margot's hair, which was now halfway out of its hold. "And the last time you showered?"
She felt the tears welling up again and wiped them away.
Anne clicked her tongue. "If you're up for it, you can go take one. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."
In a haze of disbelief, Margot took a shower. It was longer than her normal, letting the hot water fall over the back of her neck. She wrapped herself in a towel and put her clothes the laundry hamper outside the bathroom, too ashamed to admit that she'd have just worn them again if she'd been alone.
Anne did not hide how she looked over Margot's body, admiring it. She felt herself flushing once more and opened the dryer to look for some clothes, but it was empty.
"I folded them. You've only got one pair of clothes left."
She nodded, caught in her horrible habit. She washed her clothes with the household items and picked them out of the dryer as needed. She went to the table and sighed. All that was left was the shirt that had shrunk and warped in the wash a month ago, making it a lumpy, crooked crop-top that almost showed her under boob and the shorts that always rode up.
"I'll do the laundry while you get some sleep and before you try to tell me I don't have to, no, I don't have to, but I'm going because I can and you deserve to have clean clothes too. I'll join you in bed when I'm done."
To that, Margot flushed and nodded. She went into the bathroom to change and almost gasped. There was underboob definitely showing in places where it warped shorter than the rest of the shirt. And the shorts… They showed so much of her butt cheeks. They'd definitely fit better before she'd been pregnant. And her stomach… She hadn't lost the baby weight and even though it hadn't been long, she felt like it was never going to go away.
She hung her towel up and and went back out. Again, Anne drank her in, this time though, it had hunger in it. She raked over her curves and the exposed skin.
Margot thought now was the perfect time to ask. "Uhm… What… What will our relationship be?"
Anne Gunne smiled wide. "We're going to be so in love, you won't even remember there was a time without me." She went to Margot, lightly brushing the wet curls through her fingers. "Do you want to be loved like that, Margot?"
She flushed hard and nodded, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I've never been with a woman before…"
"Women are great. Much better than men. Don't worry, it'll happen when it happens, I'm not in a rush, unless you are." She winked. "Go get some sleep, sweetheart. You deserve it."
Margot nodded and went into the bedroom. She lay down on the mattress and was overwhelmed with the thought of Anne sleeping next to her. On the horrible mattress. She looked like she owned the best mattress one could buy and Margot and got this for free off a social media site. It was embarrassing having someone see her home like this. Her mind tumbled through many thoughts until suddenly, she was asleep, everything finally catching up with her.
Anne Gunne had already gathered all the clothes she could find of Margot's and put them in the washing machine. She set it to run once Margot went to her room. She was appalled to find only three yoga pants and five worn shirts. Margot obviously spent all her money on Harper. She had everything she needed, a full dresser of clothes, blankets, and toys. She was a healthy baby while her mama suffered. She couldn't imagine the lonliness and helplessness.
She knew exactly who Margot's ex was and there would be retribution, but for now, she bought tickets for a Christmas event tomorrow. And they'd go shopping Margot, who really needed new clothes in every category. And while they were out, her men would move them into her penthouse. They'd have to get a proper house, but for now, the penthouse would do.
She folded the clothes and undressed completely, cuddling her naked body to Margot's. She wrapped an arm around her soft stomach. She couldn't wait to get a hold of all her curves and taste every inch, but for now, she held Margot. And in two hours, when Harper woke up hungry, she kept Margot company, enjoying how she lingered on Anne's nude form.
She took Harper from her and rocked her to sleep, enjoying the sight of Margot fast asleep in a bed they shared. She couldn't believe her luck. She'd found a gorgeous wife and beautiful daughter in one night. She'd have to decorate for Christmas now, but that was alright, she had a feeling Margot was the type to love the holidays. She kissed Harper's head.
"Thanks for picking me, Sweet Pea, I hope I can do you and your mama proud."