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Gawain seemed surprised by something, but whatever it was, it did not keep him from leaning in to offer her a kiss. She felt his words against her lips, raising an eyebrow. Not wanting to stray too far from her comfort zone, Rebecca leaned over toward a nightstand and rifled around a drawer for a hand mirror. Pun aside, given who her partner was, they usually had a nearby mirror on hand somewhere.

Checking her face in the reflection, the change was quick to spot. After checking her cheeks, mouth, and hair for changes, she settled on her eyes. The heart-shaped pupils were a minor change, but wholly appropriate. ”Ah guess Iris coods feel th’ loove,” she suggested. Brushing Gawain’s hair, she met his eyes again. ”Ah wonder if they have any effect. Maybe they’re loove eyes? Dae ye feel mair in loove when ye look in mah eyes, Gawain?”

Becca beamed, stepping over to the cake as Maya called for everyone's attention. As Maya explained why they were skipping the gender reveal, Becca chuckled and found a knife. For all they knew, sometime after the birth, things could change if their child took after Maya. That was even assuming the gender assigned at birth might end up being wrong some time down the line. All in all, it did not seem like the right thing to glorify today.

That said, they were proud of the name. Even if that changed down the line, they had a good starting point to work with thanks to a certain special someone. "Right. Thenk ye aw for comin' today an' celebratin' wi us. It means a lot, really. We spent a lot ay time considerin' baby names these last few months, bit thenks tae a suggestion frae our first daughter, Kalos, we've finally figured it out."

Carving into the cake, Becca pulled a piece away, revealing a rainbow interior. "Sae Ah hope ye're aw ready tae meet Iris when she gets here in a few months." The cake was a late clever decision; if you were going to name your child after the Greek personification of the rainbow, why not go all out.

It was inevitable; Iris was going to be a little star at the Mansion. Xavier’s was a close-knit community and Becca and Maya had friends, some of whom were like family. Iris would never go without attention.

Love would be ever present, as well. Both parents were already full of love, and Kalos had come around to be ready for her little sister’s arrival. They had a family.

Over the years, there was a lot of uncertainty and maybes for Rebecca. Now, she finally felt past that. When Rebecca looked at her future, she saw this family. She could see herself happy with her two daughters, being there for them through anything.

And in every vivid, perfect image in her head, Maya (or Gawain) was right there by her side. It just felt right now. Being Maya’s and Maya being Rebecca’s in turn; it just fit.

Maybe that was why, when Maya proposed, the wide-eyed surprise was brief, quickly replaced by a content smile and a look of adoration.

”Yes, Maya. Of coorse Ah’ll marry ye. Ah’d want nothin’ mair.”

Rebecca would not have minded if Maya just slept with her head in Rebecca’s lap. Having her presence so close was natural; they could sleep beside each other, work together, or just exist in a space. It all felt easy and right.

Listening to Maya talk to the baby in her tummy always put the broadest smile on the Scot’s face. ”Ye cannae blame her; she jist had a day where she was th’ center ay attention. Mist be aw worked up, the wee lass.”

Becca’s baby bump was Maya’s obsession in recent months, and Becca loved it. She adored knowing her partner was as excited and committed to their future as she was. ”Ye’re gonna be an amazin’ parent. Ye know that, right? Kalos an’ Iris are sae lucky. Sae am Ah,” she added, as the woman fortunate enough to be Maya’s co-parent.

The pair were almost so focused on getting things ready for the baby, the notion of a baby shower almost slipped through the cracks. Thankfully, it was hard to say no to all the people who loved and supported you. Maya and Becca did want to celebrate the impending birth of their child with friends. The potential of being gifted things for all their babying needs was, of course, a side benefit.

The mutation for the day was not an active hindrance, but it came with its own complications. Growing from a host of locations like her shoulders, wrists, thighs, and back, Rebecca had small clusters of crystals in blues, greens, purples, and pinks. One even emerged from the center of her forehead in seafoam green. After making some targeted wardrobe decisions, including a strapless top and shorts, Beccca helped set things up as much as Maya would allow her. When she was shooed away, she defiantly grabbed a cookie and started munching on it.

It was a lowkey, "come if and when you want" event, and everyone lived busy lives. Rebecca was already a lucky woman, so any guests today would just be... well, icing on the cake.

But not a gender reveal cake, because come on, seriously?

Becca was reminded that taking a dip in the hot tub was a no-go with her condition, so she was enjoying the heat of the water on her dipped legs, rocking her head to the throwback beats when she was approached by a friendly, familiar face!

”Andrea Gordon, fancy seeing ye it a party loch this!” Rebecca met a great many faces living in New York and working the jobs she worked, but some were easier to remember. Green skin and snakes were a fantastic calling card; a lot easier than “that blonde I met at a wine tasting.” The teacher scootched to offer a place at the edge of the pool.

As expected, the baby bump was noticed right away, though Becca also caught the moment of attention her physique earned. She grinned, willing to not explain her state. Why not enjoy seeming like a proper amazon for the day? ”Ah’m gettin’ close tae five months noo. Time’s certainly flyin’ in ‘at regard.”

The redhead watched the snakes in Andrea’s hair freed from their ties, fascinated by them. She almost missed the polite question. ”Ah’m enjoyin’ it aw right, though Ah suppose it’s nae fer me. Ah’m stickin’ around in case th’ mansion teens need me. E’en if th’ current mansion teens include two ay mah de-aged ex-girlfriends who suddenly seem tae be thick as thieves,” she joked lightly, seeing no reason not to make a joke about it. It was absurd, right? Absurd and true.

”Hoo abit ye? Ye an’ th’ wee snakies enjoyin’ th’ festivities?” Becca might have temporary physical mutations, but she found people who lived with them far more impressive. Andrea’s mutation was even more unique, with the snakes having some minds of their own.

Reaching up toward Andrea’s scalp, she absentmindedly proposed, ”Dae they loch attention? Ah’d be willin’ tae trade tummy touchin’ fer some snake scritching. Heck, maybe mah wee ain woods kick?” Everyone wanted to touch a pregnant woman’s stomach, which was normally a bit intrusive, but maybe she could use that to her advantage?

Training to use your powers was an important lesson for the X-Men and mutants in general. Sam had to learn control of the finer aspects of his powers, which were exponentially stronger than he remembered. When Becca finally had her baby, she would be doing the same; going out into some desert somewhere and test her magnetic abilities, keeping far away from buildings and cars she could destroy. Great power and great responsibility were cliches, but there was a real difference between being an unstoppable force versus a controlled power.

Valkyrie was good, all things considered. She did not feel the heat of the knob as she smashed it. Her hand felt numb to the outside world, though she could feel her hand internally. The stone was exterior, but within her hand, it felt like she had normal human parts, if not a little more sturdy.

A ramp from the window was a good solution. Safer than any other options they had on their plates. ”That’s guid. We’ll gie ‘em tae th’ next floor an’ gie ‘em tae th’ groond.” At least they had a plan.

Thermal sight was a challenge for Rime in the circumstances, but he was willing to give it a shot. ”Dinnae strain yerself. Jist try tae focus yer vision; limit it, loch squintin’ tae shut it some ay th’ world.”

The effort went rewarded with another victim and her cat. The Danger Room liked cliche, sympathetic victims. ”Well, ye found her! And we cannae spend aw our time on thes floor searchin’ wi’ people spreadin’ th’ fire mair. Gotta save who we can.” If they spend their time scanning the first floor, people could be dying on the fifth. The unfortunate truth: saving everyone was the goal, but not always possible.

Valk would not fight Rime taking the lead, particularly with his powers. They made their way up the stairs, which thankfully held up for them. They carefully proceeded through the halls and Valkyrie called out to victims to call if they were trapped. A shouting voice from a room prompted Valkyrie to push open the door, immediately shielding herself with her hands against the burst of heat.

The man in the room was pinned by a hot wooden beam. At the end of the hall, there was also a large window. This was promising. ”Rime, ramp doon our first rescues. Ah’ll help free thes man an’ gie back wi’ ye.” This was a logical place to split up, and they would stay close.

Which was good, as two men with flamethrowers and flame-retardant suits were running down the stairs toward their floor.