The Perfect Girlfriend - Blackhill

Chapter 12 - Epilogue

Three years later...

She leaned on the window frame and looked out at Chicago's night sky, watching as the little snowflakes gently and soundlessly fell to the ground.

She always liked snow as a kid, it used to make her feel calm. It still did, but in the busy life she led, slowing down on icy streets was a luxury she sometimes didn't have, so she would always make herself choose clean roads over calmness.

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her and a gentle kiss falling on her shoulder.

She smiled and turned her head to get a second kiss, on her lips this time.

"What were you thinking about?"

Maria opened her mouth, but a squeak and a shriek got their attention. Jenny came running into the room, followed by her brother.

"Hey, you two are too old to be still acting like children!" Elena reprimanded them, avoiding the trajectory of their chase, trying not to drop the glasses in her hands. "I got you a glass of cider, Luke brought it and Sara's pouring it for everyone."

"Thank you." Natasha smiled, taking one of them while Maria took the other.

"They're growing up so fast." she sighed, looking at her nephew and niece playing around.

Elena chuckled. "Isn't that my line?" she pointed out. "I'm glad you two could make it home for a quick visit before the Holiday season this year. I heard things around New York are getting crazier and crazier."

"Yeah, but we both needed a break from the madness." Maria half smiled.

"I bet you did." she murmured. "How was Spain by the way?" she asked, smirking.

"Lovely." Natasha answered for the both of them. "No point in denying that what started with a chase around the globe for a derailed inhuman ended up being the best anniversary trip we could have asked for." she smiled and sipped her drink.

"I can't believe it's been three years already." Maria smiled too.

"Yes, thanks for inviting us, by the way." Sara chimed in, walking to them slowly, a little troubled by the size of her belly.

"You know the papers had to be dated as older." Maria rolled her eyes at her sister, whom never lost an occasion to reprimand them again and again about that. "We have technically been married for five years."

"You could have still invited us." Sara pointed out.

"So, when are you due?" Natasha tried to completely change the topic, nodding towards Sara's stomach.

"Oh, this little guy will hopefully come out any moment." she smiled, caressing her own stomach and looking down.

"So it's a boy?" Maria asked. "I can't wait. Someone to spoil again, since I can't seem to get Kyle anything he likes anymore."

"You always have Jenny." Sara shrugged.

"He's a teenager, you could give him the best present in the world and he'd still roll his eyes and sigh about consumerism just to make a statement."

"I think he is sensible and righteous, he's growing into an awesome young man." Natasha told them, smiling at Kyle, who was looking at one of his comic books with his sister peeking beside him. "You raised them well. Both of them."

"We did." Elena whispered, looking at her kids. "I don't know how, but we did."

"Well, you start trying to figure it out, because I'm going to need some advice really soon." Sara told her, trying to sound menacing and failing miserably.