3/28 Instance: Battle Lines and Baby Booties

[Starfish]

Timelined current.


Hepzibah: "Yeah baby, I will...." Hepz smiled at Hector's voice as she held her cell phone to her ear. "I love you. I'll call you when I'm leaving..." She smiled again. "Ok... bye." The phone slipped into her jacket and 'Jessica' resumed her meandering through the mall. Hector had dropped her off at the mall and left her to her own devices while he went to 'take care of some business'.

Hepzibah: Hec had finished up whatever it was he had to take care of and would come by to pick her up whenever she was ready to go. The slim platinum blonde with bright green eyes drew a few stares as she window shopped, finding herself drawn to the baby boutique. She put a hand against the window and stared at the tiny layettes and Easter outfits.

EmmaG: Emma sighed and put the bags down for a moment as she looked at the list she'd made, "Okay, fancy a trip to the art store for Pietro?" She looked at Catrin, "He said not to but I think he needs a distraction..."

Catrin: She nodded, "Yes that sounds like a good idea..." She gave the girl a smile and picked up the bags, "I'll carry these for a bit, give your hands a rest.... it's mostly my stuff anyway." She looked up and down the hall, "Which way?"

Hepzibah: Hepzibah shook her head. She hadn't been sick in over two weeks. It was just a fluke, a stomach virus... she was not... Hepz's mind drifted off and she found herself staring at the tiny baby things. Well, I could always bring them back for a refund. Rationalizing with herself, she looked over her shoulder afraid someone she knew might see her going in, then slipped inside the boutique.

EmmaG: Emma led Catrin down the hall, slowing down as they passed a shop displaying baby things. "Aww look, they have easter outfits - how cute!"

Catrin: She laughed and stopped to look, "Aww, I wish they'd had these things when Pietro and Sophie were little..." She giggled, "Of course I think they both would have destroyed any evidence by now... shall we go in and look around?"

EmmaG: Emma chewed her lip, "Er... okay... but don't tell Pietro - he'll get all paranoid..." She laughed as they headed into the store.

Hepzibah: A beautiful silver baby rattle caught her eye and Hepz couldn't help but smile as she shook it gently. On the next shelf, she found ultrasound frames and annoucement cards. Hepzibah knit her brow staring at the ultrasound frames. She knew all the wait and worry would be over for her and Hector if she just got up the courage to go to the medlab for fifteen minutes. Sighing, she shook her head and picked the rattle back up.

EmmaG: Emma made a b-line straight for the tiny baby shoes, they were adorable! To think someone's feet were once that tiny! She picked a pair up to examine them, they had little ears on! She held them up to Catrin.

Catrin: "Aww, that's sweet!" She smiled and joined Emma at the shoes, "Emma if you ever have children, you have to promise me you will buy these things and take lots of pictures so I can see." She gave the girl a smile and reached to pick up a stuffed animal, chuckling a little at the blush that followed her comment.

Hepzibah: The sales lady approached Hepzibah, asking if she could show her anything, was she looking for a gift, was she expecting, etc... Hepz found herself uncharacteristically flushed at the attention and the questions. "I think I'd like this please." She handed off the shiney rattle and the gift box it came in to the girl and followed her to the register. She was signing 'Jessica Reyes' to the sales slip when she heard a familar voice and went cold.

EmmaG: Emma put the shoes back down again, "I will, I promise... we'll have to make sure we stay in contact." She gave Catrin a smile, looking around the store to see if anything else caught her eye. Something, or rather someone did.

Catrin: "I should hope we would anyway, unless you plan to stop talking to Pietro altogether..." she saw the change on Emma's face and followed her gaze, "Emma? What's the matter?" She frowned, the woman at the register could have been her twin. A younger version, certainly, but it was eerie....

Hepzibah: Don't turn around... don't turn around... Hepzibah found Emma's scent among the many baby-powder covered smells in this place. It was no denying it was her. Grabbing her bag hastily, Hepz made for the door. If she was lucky, Emma hadn't seen her yet.

Catrin: "Emma?" She put the stuffed animal down and went to put her hand on the girl's shoulder but before she reached her, Emma had hurried off after the woman. Catrin picked up the bags and followed her.

EmmaG: "Hepzibah." Emma said, when she was in ear-shot, "Not going to stop and say hi?"

Hepzibah: Hepz stopped in her tracks. For a moment she considered just running, but isn't that what she'd always done? Run? Instead, she stiffened up a bit and turned around. Her expression was guarded as she shoved her purchase into another bag. "Hello Emma..."

EmmaG: "I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now..." Emma told her, "But Pietro made me promise not to call you." She folded her arms, "How have you been?"

Catrin: Catrin stepped out of the shop and paused, wondering whether or not to join Emma or just watch what was going on. It seemed Emma knew the woman that looked so much like her, she frowned and set the bags down.

Hepzibah: "Alright," Hepz's answer was as guarded as her expression. It was a forgone conclusion that Emma knew about the deal with the photo album. She tighened up her grip on her bag. "And you?"

EmmaG: "I've been better." Emma replied, the tension in her voice obvious, "We're all a little bit worried right now. I know you know why."

Catrin: Slowly, Catrin edged forwards, "Emma? Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Hepzibah: Hepz's sharp retort went silent as she saw Catrin approach. She looked so much like her it was truly frightening. It was as if Hepz was looking at her future self. If she'd been in her feline form, her tail would have been swiping and her ears ticking. Taking a step back, Hepzibah held back a growl. "I'm no one."

EmmaG: "No one?" Emma scoffed, "Don't sell yourself so short, Hepzibah." Emma looked at Catrin, "This is the woman that's managed to break Pietro's heart several times over and whose charming boyfriend is holding a photo album hostage." She turned back to Hepzibah, glaring at her.

Catrin: "Oh... I see..." She held out her hand to Hepzibah, "My name is Catrin Maximoff. I'm Pietro's mother... I can't deny I've been wanting to meet you for some time though your appearance... is a bit of a shock, I'll admit."

Hepzibah: A low, feral growl did escape Hepz at Emma's accusation. "You don't want to go down that road with me girl," she warned, all but hissing at her. She turned her attention to Catrin, unnerved. Seeing photos was one thing. Seeing her in person... how could two people who never met look so much alike. "I could say the same thing about you..."

Catrin: "There's clearly a lot of tension here..." She looked between Emma and Hepzibah, frowning a little and dropping her hand, "Perhaps we should move this conversation to somewhere that does not contain nosey bystanders?"

Hepzibah: "Sorry, but the last time a Maximoff wanted to speak to me in a more private place, I woke up in a four foot x four foot cage." It was all she could do not to morph into her feline appearence. The feral was screaming in the back of her mind, clawing at it's own cage.

Catrin: Her expression darkened. "I am not my husband, Hepzibah. Do not make the mistake of thinking I am anything like him." The manequins in the shop window beside them rattled unnervingly for a moment before Catrin regained her composure, "I left him because I knew what he was doing. I would never..." she shook her head.

Hepzibah: You left but you did nothing - yeah, you're Pietro's mom alright. Hepz's eyes got fierce as they morphed into cat's eyes for a moment. "It's been my experience that birds of a feather flock together." She felt the tremors with her ultra attuned senses and looked about cautiously.

Catrin: "Birds of a feather? Let me tell you something, Hepzibah. People change. It happens. Magnus changed. He is not the same man I married. I know what he did to you, to your friend and to my son. I am not and have never been in a position to do anything about it but I will not allow you to accuse me of being cabable of the same." She took a couple of steadying breaths.

Catrin: "If you look at the photos in that album your boyfriend is keeping, you'd be able to see the difference. Magnus knew how to smile, how to love when those pictures were taken." Her voice wavered slightly, "Now all he knows how to do is hide in his work and his job requires him to have no compassion..." She looked away, it was like telling her younger self all of these things. If only someone had warned her back then....

Hepzibah: "Fine," Hepz deadpanned. "You're a saint. Your son is Jesus Christ and Magnus is just a poor tortured misled and lost soul." She turned to leave. "All I see in those photos is how fucked up Pietro is." She reached for her cell phone. Now would be a good time for Hector to come get her.

EmmaG: "Take that back!" Emma had found her voice again, "How dare you?!" She glared at Hepzibah, she was sick of this. It wasn't fair.

Catrin: Catrin caught Emma by her shoulders, "Everyone is entitled to their oppinion, Emma. No matter how wrong or skewwed it is." She said levely, pulling the bags towards her with her teke. "I had hoped that someone my son fell so completely for would turn out to be someone I could learn to like myself but it seems that isn't likely to happen here." She picked up the bags, "Emma, I think we should leave... perhaps conscience will at least deem it neccessary to return my property to me."

Hepzibah: "I belonged to another man! Your son never loved me. He was in love with an illusion. A personality forced on me after he and his father murdered me in every sense of the word!" Hepzibah was seething as she clutched the cell in her slender fingers. "And Hector has already told Pietro he will gladly give the album back. Pietro only has to do one thing and he knows what it is."

EmmaG: "Oh yes, because it's perfectly fair to ask him to leave his home and his friends so he can get his little sister back!" Emma couldn't believe this girl! "I'm glad Pietro doesn't like you anymore, if you can be this selfish. I thought you were nice, I'm sorry I even met you." Emma pulled herself free of Catrin and walked away down the hall.

Catrin: Catrin sighed and looked after Emma for a moment before turning back to Hepzibah, "If you believe he loved the 'illusion' then I am truely sorry for you, Hepzibah." She said quietly, "Good Bye... Please pass on my regards to your boyfriend and ask him to take care of that album. I no longer have the negatives for those photographs and I would like them back."

Hepzibah: Hepz was done talking about this. Because of Pietro she had been stolen away from the man she loved. Tortured, raped, and made into such a complete wreck it had taken her months to even start to get back to normal. Let Emma be Pietro's blindly devoted lacky if she wanted. Hepz knew better. In answer to Catrin, she only shook her head and turned back around. "That is completely up to Pietro."

Catrin: Catrin shook her head, "No, Hepzibah. That is up to you." She turned and followed Emma down the hall.

[stjohn]

lol, no, it's up to pietro, will be interesting to see what Hec does when he learns his gf was accosted by pietro's people though... Lord knows he has a ton of lighters

[JackSkulls]

I don't know who to side with

[stjohn]

The good guys! Of course

[Raven Hare]

Hmm... Guess it depends on whether you like bad good guys or good bad guys!