Retribution ★ Avengers

Doesn't Have To Be This Way

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Marlena's voice was quiet. Miranda looked over at her, her green eyes filled with tears. Not only was Marlena dealing with the existence of a twin sister she never knew she had, she was dealing with the fact her mother wasn't her mother. It was something that'd taken a while for her to process on top of everything else going on, and even now she was still struggling tremendously. She just hoped Miranda would be able to help her understand whatever was going on.

"You were my daughter regardless of whether or not I'd given birth to you," Miranda answered quietly. "I didn't want to risk losing that bond by telling you."

"How could you even think something like that would happen?" Marlena asked her.

"I didn't want you to think of me as anything less than your mother." Miranda wiped her face and sat up. Marlena sat up beside her, scooting herself backward to sit against the headboard. The two were in the spare bedroom at Marlena's apartment, the one in which her mom and Greyson currently resided as they continued their search for a house.

"You were my best friend growing up," Marlena chuckled quietly. "You took care of me, you were there for me, and you did that alone for majority of my life. There's no logical reason for me to ever think of you as anything less than my mother. I am so proud to have been raised by you, Miranda Claire."

Miranda smiled and placed a comforting hand to Marlena's cheek. It'd been so long since Marlena had been able to share a moment like this with her mother; she'd almost forgotten the feeling of long nights spent talking with her mother growing up. "No matter what, you're always gonna be my baby."

"Even though we're technically only a decade apart now?" Marlena grinned and grabbed her mom's hand, squeezing it gently in her own. "Still, you look so much better than I do."

"Shut up, Marlena," Miranda laughed and wiped her face dry of tears. "You've had a rough couple of years, and you're also pregnant, so I think you deserve a hall pass."

"Tell me about it."

"Tell me something, baby."

"Yeah?"

"Um, what are you planning to do about your...sister?" Miranda spoke slowly, her green eyes filled with curiosity. Knowing her daughter had a twin sister was a bit unsettling for Miranda. There was another half to the woman Miranda had known since she was merely days old, and she didn't know what to do or think about it. There wasn't a doubt in her mind Alena would've been a welcome part of the family had her birth been discovered, but it was much the opposite, and Miranda wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"She has no one, mom, and that's the reason she lashed out in the first place," Marlena began tinkering with the fabric of her comforter. "She did some shitty things, and I don't know how long it'll be before I'm able to forgive her for removing me from a huge chunk of my children's lives, but she at least deserves a second chance. If I can't give her anything else, I can give her that."

"And how do Bucky and Steve feel about this?"

Marlena shrugged and bit her lip. "They're not exactly the happiest about it," she answered.

"I don't blame them, Mar." Miranda moved to lean against the headboard beside Marlena and pulled her knees to her chest, looking at her daughter with a serious expression on her face. "You and Bucky aren't together anymore, but he's still the father of your children, and you're willing to let them around the person that took them away from him."