It was amazing what a difference a little affection could make to someone's mood. The whole team was noticing a difference in Rebecca's demeanor since Maya (and Gawain) came into her life. Maya was able to do what she once accepted was impossible: she allowed Rebecca and Jesse to be together again. Truly together, with all the hugging, kissing, and intimacy "together" allowed.

Was SUPER still a major threat hiding in plain sight? Yup! Was there still a giant tear in reality a few miles away? You betcha. The world was still going to hell in a handbasket, but it was all somehow easier to process when she could take occasional visits into the Mirror World.

In fact, life in general just felt easier. She was working harder without the same burnout that had grown commonplace night after night. She must have been eating better, because her clothes were fitting just a bit more snugly (and she was starting to think she might be pushing into yet another cup size.) Her head felt clearer, her heart was more full, and...

Reeeetch.

Okay, so not everything was perfect. Rebecca leaned against the wall, not straying far from the toilet she was becoming well-acquainted with.

"Jesse," she called up to the bathroom mirror pathetically, "Call Combatant. Tell her I'm ready to die now. She'll love it." Maybe she was being a little melodramatic; it was not that bad, but Rebecca did not handle sickness well.

Things were definitely looking up... if not at the X-men headquarters, then definitely in Jesse and Becca's marriage. The smaller miracle of the other mirrorwalker was not exactly what they had been praying for... but it was hell of a lot more than they had dared to hope. And boy, did they make the most of it.
Days flew by faster, between the occasional conjugal visit, and the definite inter-dimensional drama that was unfolding downtown. It was still not easy to be a mutant, but the married couple tended to gloss over some of the minor problems in favor of taking advantage of the possibilities the other world (and its inhabitants) had to offer.

Except, right now, Becca was puking her brains out.

"Maybe you ate something you should not have" Jesse guessed, leaning against the side of the bathroom mirror as he watched his wife, a lot paler than usual, sitting on the floor. "Did you eat something on the other side? Maybe they have... dunno, different kinds of bacteria or whatever. Do you feel like you have a fever?..."

Jesse was doing what he could to support Rebecca, despite a mirror standing between them. Rebecca’s bad habit of getting snippy or sad with Jesse was subsiding now that they had occasional windows of precious contact. Without the cloud of frustration and doubt clouding her mind, she was being reminded again how wonderful a spouse she lucked into finding for herself. Maybe he could not hold her hair back, but he was emotional support as he also did his best to help her diagnose her problem.

Food could make sense. As a first guess, it was almost probable. ”I don’t kno—” Reeetch. ”I don’t know. It’s totally possible. I feel like I’ve been eating different foods when we go over there. But if it’s bacteria, you’d think we’d be hearing about mass-illness on the news.” It was not impossible, but it was less likely the other dimension’s fault than it might be the fault of a particularly unclean Korean barbeque.

She thought about the fever question, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. ”I think I’m good with fever, but I don’t know, darling. I’ve been feeling like rubbish for the past few days.” Rebecca was trying to ignore it, but she had been lethargic and uncomfortable for most of the week. ”Maybe I’m just sick and it’s catching up with me. I’ll call over to the base an—”

Another sentence interrupted by another heave. She amended her plan in her most pathetic voice. ”New plan… can you pop over to the base to let Cait know I’ll be out of the office today?”

Becca looked completely miserable. Jesse rested his forehead against the glass, wishing he could help her. It was one of those moments where small physical contact - holding her hair, wiping her forehead, or bringing her a glass of water - would have been soothing for the both of them.

>> ”I don’t kno— I don’t know. It’s totally possible. I feel like I’ve been eating different foods when we go over there. But if it’s bacteria, you’d think we’d be hearing about mass-illness on the news.”

"True." Jesse admitted. It was not out of the realm of possibility though that Becca reacted like this to something she ate, or came in contact with, on the other side. Food poisoning or allergies were still a better explanation than some kind of an exotic illness...

>>”I think I’m good with fever, but I don’t know, darling. I’ve been feeling like rubbish for the past few days... Maybe I’m just sick and it’s catching up with me. I’ll call over to the base an—”

Jesse winced. It was astonishing that she still had something to throw up... even though she was mostly dry heaving at this point. Whatever it was, it would be out of her system soon...

>>”New plan… can you pop over to the base to let Cait know I’ll be out of the office today?”

"Sure." Jesse nodded "Um... stay here. I'll tell the kid to bring you some water."

It was a short trip, done through the mirrors, but it still felt longer than he'd have liked. By the time Jesse returned, there was a glass of water on the bathroom floor next to Becca.

"Everything's under control at the office" he reported "How are you feeling? Are you hydrated enough? Still no fever? Do you think you should eat some bread, for the stomach acid?..."

Jesse was everything she needed him to be, even in a limited capacity. He took the trip to the office, and along the way asked Astrid to bring her mother a glass of water. Rebecca knew it was important to stay hydrated, but she was honestly happier to clean out the lingering taste of vomit from her mouth.

With the X-Men safely under the watch of her second-in-command, Rebecca’s body relaxed as she slumped against the wall. Jesse was still in caretaker mode, asking for status updates. She smiled, happy to oblige him. ”I think I’m getting better slowly,” she admitted, before adding, ”I don’t feel dehydrated, there is no fever, and bread doesn’t sound appealing unless it’s wrapped around bacon and pickles.” It was an odd pairing, but even mentioning it made Rebecca tingle. ”Since those don’t sound like stomach sickness foods, I’ll probably hold off for now.”

Rebecca finally got to her feet, approaching the mirror until she could press her forehead against the cool glass. ”I love you, Jesse. Thanks for looking out for me. My stomach doesn’t feel as bad anymore. I just feel like I got my ass kicked. I’m tired, I feel gross, and I’m soreness in…”

Suddenly, something clicked in Rebecca’s head. Something that had her heart racing, but she had to keep herself from jumping to conclusions. Until she knew for certain what was wrong with her, she wanted to keep her assumptions to herself.

Rebecca pulled away from the mirror, brushing a lock of red hair behind her ear. ”Honestly, I think I might need a walk and some fresh air.” Her voice was now unexpectedly distant, like a two-thirds of her mind were busy with other matters. ”Could you possibly keep an eye on Astrid? I won’t be gone long,” she promised.

Her lips pressed against the glass. ”Thank you, Jesse. I love you.” It bared repeating, and at least when she kissed the glass, he did not have to deal with her vomit-breath.

Becca did look a little better, now that she had thrown up everything humanly possible. Jesse was glad to see Astrid had brought some water for her mom. She had to be worried too.

>>”I think I’m getting better slowly. I don’t feel dehydrated, there is no fever, and bread doesn’t sound appealing unless it’s wrapped around bacon and pickles. Since those don’t sound like stomach sickness foods, I’ll probably hold off for now.”

Jesse made a face at the mention of pickles and bacon. Ugh. If she was having thoughts like that, she had to be getting over the nausea. Or she was just passing it on to him, really... He smiled as she got up to walk to the mirror, and rested his hands on the glass as well.

>>”I love you, Jesse. Thanks for looking out for me. My stomach doesn’t feel as bad anymore. I just feel like I got my ass kicked. I’m tired, I feel gross, and I’m soreness in…”

She paused, and for a moment Jesse thought she was going to throw up again... but it must have been some other idea that struck her, because she suddenly decided she needed fresh air. Whatever her illness was, it was getting better, or taking a whole other turn.

>>”Honestly, I think I might need a walk and some fresh air. Could you possibly keep an eye on Astrid? I won’t be gone long. Thank you, Jesse. I love you.”

"Yes, sure..." Jesse blinked, watching his wife leave in somewhat of a hurry. Maybe fresh air was much needed. It couldn't hurt, could it? Jesse moved out of the bathroom mirror, checking on Astrid and reassuring her that everything was okay, before he found a place in the living room, waiting for his wife to return.

Rebecca tried to prioritize logic over emotion, even if recent events made it harder to define the line between the two sides of her mind. She knew it was possible she was just wishful thinking, but the facts lined up. She had to temper her expectations, because she was dealing with thoughts and hopes she abandoned a long time ago.

Her walk to the pharmacy was quick. There was a location a block away from the apartment, and the entire trip, she was looking over her shoulder to make sure her loving and, at times, doting spouse was not following her in nearby windows. She needed a moment of privacy as she made a purchase and slipped a small box into her purse.

As much as Rebecca wanted to act nonchalant in her return, nerves and excitement were starting to ebb away at her patience. Steps into the apartment, she was already announcing to Jesse, wherever he was, ”I need a moment in the bathroom.” Her quick steps were followed by the bathroom door slamming behind her.

Before anything, Rebecca lifted mirrors off the walls and leaned them against the wall, facing away from her. She trusted Jesse, but she needed a very important moment to herself.

Becca was back from her walk sooner than expected, and did not look any more relaxed than she had before. In fact, if anything, she looked nervous, and headed straight to the bathroom, declaring that she needed a moment alone. Jesse watched her close the door, and stayed out. Illness did all kinds of embarrassing things to a human body, so if Becca wanted to deal with things alone, he would spare her the embarrassment. Still, he lingered, waiting to see if she would emerge soon, or hear if she was throwing up again, or watch the clock and see if he needed to alert Astrid if Becca did not give a sign of life for too long.

Minutes ticked by. Jesse stayed put, but it was no easy task.

Tears were streaming down Rebecca’s cheeks. She needed to talk to Jesse, but a conversation through a mirror would not do. They needed time together face-to-face; it was the only way everything was going to feel right, and she wanted to do this right.

Reaching down into her purse, Rebecca eventually found a pen and a set of post-it notes. Occasionally, it paid to be overly prepared. Uncapping the pen, she did her best to steady her hand so she could write out her message legibly.

Please take Astrid to the base so she can get some training time with someone on the team. When you’re done, please meet me at the X-Mansion on the other side of the Rip. I’ll talk to Maya Gawain. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side. I love you, Jesse.

-Becca

He was the only one she liked hearing her nickname from, so she was not going to shy away from it now. Rebecca had almost forgotten what day it was, and how it corresponded with Mirror’s gender-shifting, but beyond the one scribbled-out name, the note was neat and legible.

Rebecca posted it on the wall in front of the leaning mirrors, knowing Jesse would see it eventually. Wiping away her tears, she quietly slipped out of the bathroom and out of the apartment entirely. She had to hurry if she wanted to beat Jesse to the Mansion.

Jesse must have spaced out, or nodded off entirely, because he only looked up when he heard the door click shut. At first, he was not sure what he heard, but then he saw that the bathroom door was open slightly, with no movement inside.

"Becca?..."

No answer. Jesse, nervous from the sudden development, slipped through the mirrors until he found himself in a tilted surface in the bathroom. Alone, but for a hastily written post-it note.

Please take Astrid to the base so she can get some training time with someone on the team. When you’re done, please meet me at the X-Mansion on the other side of the Rip. I’ll talk to Maya Gawain. I’ll be waiting for you on the other side. I love you, Jesse.

-Becca

Jesse's stomach sunk. A note? She didn't even tell him what was going on? Why would his wife slip away like that? Especially when she was not feeling well?... A thousand possible scenarios ran through Jesse's head, one more horrible than the other. His first instinct was to run after her and catch up... but that would have left Astrid unsupervised.

It took him long, too long, to get the kid ready to go, and then walk her over to the base; by the time he dropped her off, he was bouncing with nerves, hands shaking as he turned immediately, and all but sprinted all the way to the rift. They had mastered the art of crossing unnoticed by now, and even if someone saw him, Jesse would not have cared. He could shift later. He needed to know his wife was okay.

It felt like an eternity before he made it to the Mansion, to the room that was their usual... meeting place, flustered and out of breath, looking around for his wife.

"Becca?... What the hell is going on?"

Gawain was kind enough not to ask questions when Rebecca arrived at the Mansion. She rushed to and from the rift, punctuated by the tedium of getting through the Rip Checkpoint. The delay concerned her, but when Gawain led her into the Mirror World, she was left alone.

It was not necessary to wait long, and Jesse reached her location, breathing heavily from running all the way from one universe to another. He was concerned, and Rebecca could not blame him. In retrospect, if their positions had been reversed, she might have hunted her spouse out of the apartment. She could only hope her news would be worth the wait and the stress.

Rebecca took slow steps toward Jesse, her lips curling into a smile. The moment she looked for words, she could feel new tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. Before she could speak, she had to cup both hands against Jesse’s cheeks so she could kiss him tenderly. Every time they returned to the Mirror World, she was overcome by the need to share kisses and hold Jesse, so she could expend the need that had been building up in her since her last visit.

When she pulled away, she reached into her pocket and held out both hands. Rested atop her palms was a pink and white plastic stick. Near one end was a small window marked with two parallel pink lines.

”Jesse… we’re pregnant.”

Becca was waiting for him in the mirror world. It was always jarring to see her in there, on the same side of the mirror, with the illusion that everything was normal, and there was no barrier between them. Jesse paused, looking her over, searching for signs of what was amiss, what merited the rush and the note. She looked... okay. Jesse's gaze finally landed on her face, and he noticed that she had a tearful smile, something he had not seen for a long time. It gave him pause, now completely confused, and all he could do was stare, even when she kissed him.

>>”Jesse… we’re pregnant.”

Jesse stared some more. First at his wife, then at the stick. Then back at his wife, wide-eyed, and opened and closed his mouth a couple of times without saying anything. And then he did, although what came out first was not exactly poetry.

"Wha... with a baby?..."

Rebecca was not sure what kind of reaction she was expecting from Jessie. She was hoping her partner would be overjoyed at the new journey they were getting ready to share.

She received stunned surprise, which she immediately deemed to be the best possible option as Jesse tried to process the way Rebecca's news had changed his world. It was totally precious. "No, Jesse, I'm going to have kittens," she replied sarcastically, but her words were already interrupted by laughter and her smile was spreading from ear-to-ear.

"Yes, Jesse." Rebecca pressed her forehead against her lover's shoulder. "We're having a baby. A real, part-you, part-me baby." Even saying it out loud caused her stomach to flutter. Two months earlier, having a new child was a thought they never entertained because it seemed like an impossibility.

>>"No, Jesse, I'm going to have kittens,"

Oh, sh*t. Wrong reaction. Totally the wrong reaction. Jesse's mind flailed at him as he blinked, realizing that this was one of the moments he would never get to live down. Becca, however, did not seem to mind. She was smiling, a bright, happy smile, which left no doubt about how she felt about the news.

>>"Yes, Jesse. We're having a baby. A real, part-you, part-me baby."

Jesse swallowed, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by a whole lot of emotions, most of them warm and fuzzy, with a tiny side of HOLY HELL I GOT THE LEADER OF THE X-MEN PREGNANT. Becca leaned against him, and Jesse wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and burying his nose in her neck.

"We're having a baby..." he muttered, and he found that he liked the sound of that. A slow grin spread out on his face. "We're having a baby!..." he pulled back, grinning like an idiot, and then yet another thought popped into his head, earning a look of sudden worry "Becca, you are pregnant..."

Moments where Rebecca just felt like a “normal woman” were few and far between. She was the leader of a team of vigilantes, and so much of her identity had been wrapped in her role, it was nice to share such a typical moment with her spouse.

She loved listening to Jesse reaffirm that they were having a baby. She could hear the excitement in his voice. They were sharing a moment together that would be another change in their lives, and they were both overcome with joy for what was going to come next.

Or at least, that was how it sounded at first, but Jesse’s tone changed unexpectedly. There was a look of concern on his face that suddenly had Rebecca feeling uneasy. She tried to play it off playfully, but her words became more uncertain the longer she spoke. ”Heh, yes, having a baby does mean I’m pregnant in this instance. Hence the pregnancy test. That’s… is that… I mean, is there a problem with this? With me being pregnant?” Was there something she did not know about Jesse? She wondered if there was a family trait she should be concerned with, but that sounded impossible since Jesse had no known family to cause concern.