Mileven Stories

September Song (1995)

This one is slightly similar to the shattering thunder one shot I posted a few weeks ago, but it's also pretty different. I essentially remade it after a reader of mine on Ao3 requested that I write about El using her powers on Mike during their first pregnancy. Enjoy!
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El had been soundly asleep when she abruptly awoke from her slumber. She was disoriented, yet was slowly collecting what had woken her up.

Nightmares were cruel to her because they simply replayed real memories. The memories of her time being a prisoner against her own will. Locked away in solidarity and surrounded by white walls.

Just recalling that setting was enough to set her into a spiral of paranoia.

She desperately attempted to focus on her husband who was pressed against her back. If she could just listen to the sounds of his breathing, then surely she would find peace once again.

Yet, she couldn't stop her eyes from roaming across the dark room.

Her mind was playing tricks on her and making her believe she was somewhere unsafe. She even began making herself believe that there was a gray haired man standing in their doorway, watching her. Waiting for her.

El had to get herself away from here, but she didn't want to disrupt her husband's sleep. After she slowly detached from Mike's grip, she softly padded her way into the kitchen.

She was searching for comfort food when she suddenly felt a sharp jab delivered by her little girl's foot. Eleven was now seven and a half months along and was impatiently counting down the days they had left until she could meet their child.

Just when she reached up to grab the jar of peanut butter, she swore she heard a cold voice say her numerical name.

She turned and saw the silhouette of the man she had once called papa. As his image stepped closer to her, she felt another swift kick from her child.

Eleven raised her hand, prepared to launch her powers at full life threatening speed.

She started slowly, sending the figure's body backwards and pressing them tightly to the opposing wall. She was ready to take away his ability to breathe when her child's kicking became insistent.

El released her powers to hold onto her stomach, but before she could comfort her little girl, she heard a thud.

It wasn't a nightmare that had haunted her reality. It wasn't her imagination either. Her eyes had just focused on the figure when she heard his voice clearly.

"Baby, it's me. It's Mike. I woke up when I felt that you weren't next to me and I didn't know how scared you were, but it's okay. I just fell when you let me go. I'm clumsy, you know? Let me come over there to you, okay?", he pleaded.

That was when El realized just what had happened.

She allowed her pain to fester. She nearly lost control. Her past taunted her mind enough that she nearly hurt her own husband. The man that had saved her in more ways than one. Their baby's kicks must have been intentional in order to stop her from hurting him. To stop her from being a monster.

It was then that the last strand of El's strength broke and her devastation was released. Her cries were became brutally raw as they placed pains in her chest.