Timelined a few days after All Chad's Fault
<Hope> There was screaming. Not a terror, people were about to die screaming... but a scream from tiny lungs. Hope stared at the tiny human from the doorway. Where were her parents?! Shouldn't they be here to deal with this? "Hello? Anyone?" Hope looked toward their bedroom. Shower? Ew. She didn't want to think of showers.
<Hope> Boldly, Hope stepped into the nursery and crossed the room to the crib, peering over at the tiny human. The idea of using powers to figure out what to do struck her, but it was a baby. You couldn't use powers on a baby!
<Hope> Quickly, Hope looked around once more for the parents. Shinobi was gone to class, or she'd make him pick her up. As it were, she was alone...ish. Panic rose, making it difficult to breathe. But it was just a baby. Just Miriam. She reached into the crib and carefully mimicked what she had seen so many women do. She held the infant in her arms, though awkwardly.
<Hope> The screaming stopped. Hope stared at Miriam staring back at her. There was a gurgle... then a smile. Hope smiled back, grabbing the blanket and carefully wrapping it around Miriam while holding onto her. "There... that's better."
<Shaw> Even with water running, Sebastian heard the crying, and tried to hurry upon hearing Hope's voice. The crying quickly stopped, but he knew Jessica wasn't back yet. Curious.
<Hope> Hope and Miriam smiled at each other for several moments before Hope moved to the rocking chair. "You were just lonely. Is that it? Spoiled already," she teased, rocking gently with the baby.
<Shaw> He turned off the water and fetched a towel, listening. Even more curious, but he smiled to himself.
<Hope> "And you have your daddy's eyes. They look better on you." She grinned as the baby seemed to agree with her.
<Shaw> Sebastian smirked, locating some casual clothes and deciding they could have a few moments to themselves.
<Hope> Hope rocked with Miriam, shifting the infant so that she rested on her shoulder. There the kid couldn't see her face. Troubled at first, thinking of the life that never would be, Hope's face then turned to a soft smile again. Maybe these things weren't so evil.
<Shaw> He finger-combed his wet hair on his way to the nursery, pausing just in the doorway to watch. This was something he'd never really expected to see.
<Hope> She nuzzled the baby, rubbing Miriam's back gently. Completely oblivious, she let her mind wander. "At least you don't have his nose," she blurted out.
<Shaw> "Yet." He wandered into the room, taking a glance out the window.
<Hope> Hope jumped, keeping a careful hold on the baby. "I should really use the telepathy thing more, shouldn't I?"
<Shaw> Miriam snuffled at the sudden movement but settled back down, finding some of that tempting bright hair with a little fist. "Yes... it might behoove you." Sebastian smirked, still looking out the window. "How is that gift coming along? You seem to have no problems with control, although you have had some prior experience at least."
<Hope> "Sometimes it can be exhausting... not being able to turn it off. I get stuff from Shinobi all the time that I'm not meaning to. It's not so bad though." She made a face as some of her hair was pulled.
<Shaw> "His shielding seems to have improved." He gave her a surveying glance, but she seemed to still have things under control. "Are you shielding against him when you pick up things?"
<Hope> "Some things," she gave him a look. "But overall... not really. Not usually. Enough to know he's not gay," she smirked at him.
<Shaw> Sebastian just chuckled and looked back out the window. Perhaps he'd give that contractor a call and see about getting started on interior work.
<Hope> "Do you uh, want your kid?" she asked awkwardly, watching him still.
<Shaw> "She seems quite happy with her big sister," he said, turning to walk toward her slowly. "Don't you think?"
<Hope> "She's attached to me...I don't know what to do with this." She glanced over at the child on her shoulder.
<Shaw> "That's a good thing, little Stark." He cocked his head, not talking about the girl's fist in Hope's hair. "Don't you think?"
<Hope> "So... why? Why would this be good?" She wasn't sold on either yes or no camp, but she didn't want to make a decision yet.
<Shaw> "She'll grow up knowing you as family. Isn't that a good thing?"
<Hope> "She'll have a family. That's plenty..." she rubbed Miriam's back soothingly. "I don't know if me being in it is good or not. And no, I don't want a lecture about it. It's just facts. So whether it's good or not will remain to be seen."
<Shaw> "I'm not lecturing. Why would you think it wouldn't be?" Sebastian moved over and smoothed Miriam's dark hair, caressing her cheek with his finger.
<Hope> "Because I'm like a magnet for bad things," she laughed, watching him with his kid. "And I don't want them to fall on her."
<Shaw> "You sound just like Jessica. Tsk." He shook his head at her with a wry grin.
<Hope> "There's a reason we sound like that," she reminded him softly.
<Shaw> "I don't believe in curses, love." He bent and kissed the top of Hope's head, then Miriam's, then moved to lean against the wall, arms crossed.
<Hope> "Shame. Maybe you could tell me how to break one." She nuzzled the warm baby a bit, adjusting the blanket.
<Shaw> "And how are you cursed at the moment? I would say it took something of a minor miracle, point of fact, to get Tony to agree to that pardon."
<Hope> "Actually... Shinobi did that himself." She smiled to herself. "Tony said that anyone willing to risk Guantanamo Bay for me was alright in his books. Guess that means he halfway trusts him. You speak Stark. I think it means he tolerates him."
<Shaw> "Mmm, yes, tolerance is a good word." He smirked, studying the crib and the duckies on the wall. "He handled himself well." It was still more than a little surprising.
<Hope> "Amazingly well. I was impressed. Tony says he went so aggressively because I am aggressive. Same thing he said here. Do you buy that? Or do you think he enjoyed it?" She looked over at him again.
<Shaw> "A free opportunity to antagonize someone, specifically after I told him not to? Of course he enjoyed it," he said with a laugh. "He thrives on it."
<Hope> She sighed a bit. "Yeah... I have that gene too."
<Shaw> "Indeed you do." Sebastian smirked, then shrugged. "As do I, of course."
<Hope> She laughed. "See? You are my second dad." She smiled up at him warmly this time.
<Shaw> "Of course," he gave her a toothy grin.
<Hope> "Daddy Shark," she snickered at him.
<Shaw> He laughed and slid down the wall to sit. "So I'm told." Stretching out a leg, he nudged her foot with his own.
<Hope> She nudged his foot back. "You fit the part. I won't tell anyone your secret though. That you care." She smirked, amused with herself.
<Shaw> "Shhhh, it's a lie." Still chuckling, he watched her with Miriam. Oh, he certainly cared. More than he should, likely.
<Hope> And so did she. Hope played with the baby's hair, nuzzling her. "She's cute when she's sleeping."
<Shaw> "She's always cute, even when screaming at four in the morning," he deadpanned. "Truly."
<Hope> "You have to think that. You fathered her," she pointed out, kissing the baby.
<Shaw> "This is also a base truth." He stretched and poked her again, just because he could. "I'm going to officially recognize Shinobi soon," he started, taking a moment to sigh. "As my legitimate son."
<Hope> "Do you think that's premature?" She questioned, studying him. "He doesn't know the whole truth."
<Shaw> "I've been thinking about that, rather a lot. I'm unsure which is the best course to take, but I feel as if I'm simply dangling a carrot for his continued good behavior. Yet, he's given us nothing but good behavior, in truth..." Well, aside from a few incidents at the beginning.
<Hope> "I'm not saying anything about how he acts. I'm concerned about his reaction when he finds out." She was very concerned about that. She was personally invested in that reaction.
<Shaw> "That's precisely what I mean. If, when he knows, he believes the offer to be a member of the family was simply a tease, it could be worse." He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling his stubble. "Of course, I'm assuming he wishes to continue to be a Shaw."
<Hope> She rocked with the baby silently, thinking about it. "It might work better this way," she conceded. "That he is family. We do care. And if he chooses to leave the family, it's his choice. The way he told Tony that he was a Shaw though..."
<Shaw> "So I heard," he said with a grin. "I was quite proud of that. A Shaw must always know how to put a Stark in place." Sebastian nudged her again.
<Hope> "And my place is always the place of honor," she smirked back, nudging his foot.
<Shaw> "Oh, but of course." Sebastian gave her the shark grin again.
<Hope> "Well duh," She flipped a bit of her hair that wasn't caught in baby hand. "I have perfectly symmetrical features and hair like Ariel."
<Shaw> "I do believe Miriam agrees with you, at the very least on your hair." He tilted his head and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "So when she reaches her Disney princess phase in two years, well, here you are. How convenient."
<Hope> "Correction. You have Paige for that."
<Shaw> "She's Elsa." He smirked. "So, we have both of you."
<Hope> "She could be Cinderella. Put a wig on Bobby. He's Elsa."
<Shaw> Sebastian made a face. "No. By that reasoning, we should give Shinobi a wig... Mulan?"
<Hope> "Just call him Ping. Mulan's man name," she giggled. She giggled a lot.
<Shaw> "Mmm, I believe you've pinpointed his new nickname." He nodded.
<Hope> "You tell him it was me and I might have to destroy you," she warned.
<Shaw> "Oh come now, one must give credit where credit is due."
<Hope> "Except where that makes ones' very wonderful boyfriend unhappy. He's going to hate that name."
<Shaw> "Very wonderful?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow.
<Hope> She blinked, then smiled. "Yeah. Good adjectives for him."
<Shaw> "Are they now?" He might need scotch, considering the way this was trending.
<Hope> "Hey, he puts up with me," she pointed out, shifting the baby slightly. "He deserves a medal."
<Shaw> "Well, there is that," he admitted, poking her again.
<Hope> "If you can detach your child... I think it's lunch time." She carefully got to her feet.
<Shaw> He straightened and rose swiftly, moving to pry tiny fingers from Hope's hair. "Little Stark, it's impossible to miss that you seem... most improved. Dare I say... happy?"
<Hope> She smiled as Sebastian got his kid, quickly wiping that smile off when her face could be seen. She began her sentence, but stopped and grinned. "Yeah. I'm happy."
<Shaw> "Wonderful. Then I'm happy for you." He settled Miriam against his chest and pulled Hope in for a one-armed hug.
<Hope> Hope couldn't help it. She snuggled into him and hugged him. "Thank you for that."
<Shaw> "You're welcome." Sebastian gave her a squeeze and kissed the top of her head. Oh yes, he was in far too deep.