“What color are the birds on Earth, Father?” Luna looked across the table to Pietro.

“There are all color birds. Any color you want.”

“Are there yellow ones?”

“Yes.”

“What about black ones?”

“There are black birds, too. Crows, and ravens.”

“White ones?”

“White birds are called doves.”

Satisfied, Luna went back to the picture she was creating.

“Would you like me to bring you a book of different birds next time I come?”

“Yes. Birds and all the other animals. And the insects, too.”

“That would take several books, Luna.”

“I can read books by myself now. I can have several books.”

Pietro watched the light-haired little girl. She’d been much smaller last time he saw her. He thought about her frequently, but he’d missed her going from a baby to a little girl. ‘I’m seven,’ she’d proudly told him when he met her. Seven. It had been seven years since he and Crystal were ‘happily’ married with a little baby. Thinking about Crystal, it seemed like much longer, but thinking about Luna he wondered how seven years had gone by too fast for him too realize.

He’d planned to come to the moon with his sister. When she’d declined his invitation, though, Pietro went anyway. Crystal had not been the one who ferried him there, so she was mildly surprised to see him alone. He’d explained it, and said that he came to see Luna, with or without Wanda. There had been no prearranged time frame for his visit, so a few days became a week, and a week was now becoming two.

Pietro found the moon rather unstimulating. He knew the Inhumans’ city well, and there was nothing new to see. He had nothing to do there except play with Luna, and even that grew tiresome. His conversations with Crystal were brief and on point. Still, he hadn’t yet asked to leave.

“When will you come back next?” Luna asked, bringing him back to the room they were in.

“I haven’t even left yet, Luna.”

“I know. But I want to know when you’ll be coming back. So I can be ready.”

“I’m not sure when I’ll be able to come again. I don’t know what will happen on Earth.”

“It’s not going to be as long as last time, will it?”

He still felt the guilt for not seeing her more often. Part of him was sickened at the thought of turning into his own father, but another part was afraid of it as well. Was it better to let her grow up without his influence, or would a bad influence be better than none at all?

“It won’t be that long again. I promise.”

“Good.”

“Do you want me to bring you anything else from Earth? Besides the books?”

“What else could you bring me?”

A good question. The Inhumans’ technology was entirely different from, and far superior to, that of Earth’s. So that knocked out most of the usual gifts.

“Would you like clothes? Clothes like the little girls on Earth wear?”

“Yes!”

Crystal wouldn’t be happy about that, Pietro knew. She seemed to suspect an ulterior motive underneath Pietro’s visit. Truthfully, he had none besides seeing his daughter. But he could hardly be angry at her for thinking it. She was, in her own way, trying to protect their child. And he was growing tired of fighting.

“Is this a good picture?” Luna held up her drawing for him to see.

“It’s very accurate, Luna.” Pietro said. He knew that Luna didn’t remember much about Earth. She had not lived there long enough. And though the time she did spend there was hardly peaceful, she seemed to have forgotten any bad memories about her father’s home. Now it was a source of wonder.

“I’m going to find Mama and show her.”

“Alright.”

Pietro watched her leave the room. She looked so much like Crystal, even at her young age. If she was lucky, he thought, she would take after her mother in other ways too.

- - -

. Lorna Dane’s Quarters, X-Mansion .

“You know your brother is going to kill me if you get married before he comes back.” Lorna warned.

“He won’t be happy no matter what. He already thinks Mort’s bewitched me.”

“How ironic.”

Wanda smiled at the unintentional joke. “Pietro just doesn’t realize that things have changed. He remembers Mort the way he was years ago.”

“I hope Mort doesn’t revert later on.” Lorna leaned back on the black couch. “Bad habits don’t stay away forever.”

“No. It’s not like that,” Wanda explained. “It’s not so much that he’s changed into a different person as he’s ... come into his own, I suppose. He went through so much as a child, and then with Magneto, he got lost under everything else. Now he’s getting better.”

“I guess you’re not going to tell Magneto. About getting engaged.”

“He’d just try to stop it. I’ve let him be a part of my life long enough.”

“Do you have a date yet?”

“No, not by far. But, I think it may be sooner than later. I can’t offer any explanation besides this feeling. I just feel like I need to do this soon, or it will never happen.”

“You already know what my advice is, but I’m not arguing with you. It’s your call.”

“Yes. It is. That’s why you’re the only one who knows so far. I have a favor to ask of you. Will you be the witness to my marriage?”

“You’re not going to have a ceremony?”

“I haven’t talked to Mort about it yet, but I don’t want one. Who would we invite even if we did?”

“Didn’t you have a possessive brother last time I checked?.”

“I won’t let him blame you, Lorna. I promise.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that line before.” Lorna looked up to the ceiling, half-rolling her eyes. “I just don’t want to have to try and explain, ‘honest, your Honor, it was self-defense.’”

“Homicide doesn’t become either of you. I’ll tell him when he comes back, and I’ll take full responsibility.”

- - -

. Attilan .

Crystal didn’t look happy. But then, she rarely did. Arms crossed at her ribs, she looked as uncompromising as ever.

“I’m not asking to take her away forever, Crystal,” Pietro said. “What’s wrong with letting her visit Earth?”

“She’s a little girl, Pietro. She doesn’t understand some things. You’ve lead her to believe that Earth is a fairy land when it’s really a polluted, warring planet.”

“You think I wouldn’t take care of her?”

“You and I have very different ideas of how to raise her. Where do you plan to bring her to?”

“I’ll rent an apartment near my sisters. Wanda wants to see her again too.”

For a moment, Crystal didn’t say anything. “She’s your daughter too, Pietro. But I don’t want you to take her this time. Come back again.”

“When?”

“In a week, a month, whatever time you need to make arrangements for her.”

“Fine. If that’s what you want.”

“Have you already told her about your plans?”

“No, Crystal, I thought I’d talk to you about it first.” Pietro turned and sped out of the room. How had he and Crystal ever gotten along? He didn’t pursue the thought. Instead he thought he’d at least be able to take Luna back to Earth. Luna would never think of him as father who forgot about her.

- - -

. Wanda’s Safe House .

Even though the season was quickly turning to spring, it could have been the dead of a dry, windy winter as far as Mort’s skin was concerned. His knuckles were chapped and even cut in a few places, which would have probably been bad on a normal person. Mort was not used to his hands feeling so dry. It was like he couldn’t touch things properly that way, like he was wearing some kind of fingered body suit made from stiff cotton.

It was too much. He went to the bathroom and opened the sink cabinet doors. Wanda must have some kind of moisturizer thing somewhere. He didn’t care if he smelled like lilacs, he just had to get the incessant annoyance to stop. He found something in a white bottle that said ‘for dry skin.’

He was slathering it on when Wanda came home. He quickly finished rubbing it into his skin as best he could, put the bottle back, and went out to see her. She was sitting at the kitchen table.

“Hello,” he said.

She smiled. “Hello. Mort, did you have any plans for getting married?”

Mort looked at her and sat down. His stomach still knotted in nervousness thinking about the “M” word. “Plans? You mean, for a ceremony?”

“Yes. Did you want to have a ceremony?”

“Well, I guess so. I hadn’t really thought about it. Do you?”

“No, I’d rather not have one. I’d rather just get a license and be married.”

At least she still wanted to get married, Mort observed. “That’s fine.” Truthfully, he had a few fantasies about showing the world (and Wanda’s family) that he was finally wedding his love. It would have been a recorded accomplishment. But ... whatever Wanda wanted, Wanda would get.

“Had you thought of a date?” she continued.

“No. Why? When are you thinking of?”

“As soon as possible, actually.”

Mort suppressed a cough. “What? When do you mean, ‘as soon as possible?’”

“I think the earliest we could would be twenty-four hours after obtaining a license.”

Twenty-four hours? Was she serious? “Oh.”

“I know that’s quite soon. I’ll understand if you’d like to wait.”

“No, no that’s fine. I’ll take care of it first thing tomorrow. You really want to, this soon?”

“Yes, I want to do it now. Before anyone else finds out and tries to stop it. Lorna wants me to wait for Pietro, but he’ll only be unhappy. And I don’t like having my personal matters spread around like high-school gossip. I want to be married as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am. I don’t have any better reason than that, and I know it’s not a very good reason to rush into a marriage. I just feel like this needs to happen now. That is, if you really are willing to stay with me all the way.”

“What?” Toad looked almost indignant. “Of course I am.”

“I didn’t mean it as an insult. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into. I have a brother who won’t like you, a father whom I don’t like, the Universe’s Sorcerer Supreme watching me as a mystical threat, and a family of ghosts, Mort. I’m not a prime catch, anymore.”

Mort still seemed offended. “It’s not like I’m not about to go fishing around for more or anything.”

“I know. I didn’t mean it that way. Would the day after tomorrow be alright then?”

“Yes. Of course.” God, now he was getting married in one day. Which was good, but sudden. He’d wanted to do things first. He wanted to find a way to get them their own house, more of a reputation at the school, he wanted to have a ring.

Still, he couldn’t say no. Wanda would be his and no one would be able to change it.

- - -

. County Courthouse .

. 42 hours later .

Of course, the day epitomizing the achievements of Mort’s life couldn’t go smoothly. For such a simple plan, he wondered how it ever went awry. He was supposed to meet Wanda and Polaris at the Courthouse at ten o’clock in the morning and be married by the Justice of the Peace. It was not a difficult course of action.

The trouble probably started, Mort reflected later, when he decided to try to get a set of wedding bands before their marriage. The jewelers opened at eight, so there would be plenty of time to buy a common, gold wedding set. When he got to the store, there was yellow tape surrounding it. The store had a minor break in without injuries, but the police still called it a crime scene. So, there went the first option.

He found a set of rings at another jeweler’s, but by then he’d lost some time. It was going on 8:30. He wished he’d gotten clothes the other day, because he didn’t have anything respectable enough to be married in. Not that it particularly mattered to him, but he wouldn’t have Wanda feel the least bit embarrassed at being seen with him. Besides, she had nice things. It would only make sense they both look decent.

The second mistake (or first mistake perhaps, since the CSI Jewelers wasn’t his fault), was going to the clothing store. He had no idea why sales clerks offered to help him, as they never had before. Did he somehow look like he would give them a good commission? Normally he couldn’t get people to look at him in the street. But, whatever the reason, he suddenly had a thirty-ish woman wearing a skirt suit and a chopstick through her hair asking him how she could help him. Wanting to get out of the store and to the courthouse as soon as possible, he just asked for something he could wear to a formal dinner.

Quick and easy, right?

Irritatingly, the woman seemed intent on taking all day long. Walk around slowly, look at this and look at that. Finally, after a few failing attempts to be nice, Mort took a serious tone. “It’s your job to tell me what’ll fit and sell it to me. I don’t have all day, alright?” After that, he was out of the store in a whole of six minutes with something presentable to wear. It was 9:21.

It wouldn’t take him more than twenty or twenty-five minutes to get there, so, God-willing, everything would work out. He’d stop at the house quickly to change and then head straight for the courthouse. He’d be able to make it.

Mort arrived at the courthouse at 9:52. Bypassing the stairs with an all-purpose leap, Mort found Wanda inside. He was relived to see her standing next to Lorna, because he’d been half afraid that something else would happen. But everything was working. Wanda had the license, Mort was well dressed, and Polaris was there as a witness. Finally.

As soon as they walked through the doors and stood before the Justice of the Peace, Mort felt nervous again. This was finally it. He was going to be legally married to Wanda forever. For as often as he’d envisioned it, he was still apprehensive. But he focused on Wanda, beautiful as always in her red dress, standing next to him.

The three of them were asked to show their ID. Wanda had a not-quite-legal driver’s license that Xavier had given her when he sent her to the safehouse. Polaris showed hers as well. Mort reached into his pocket for his and felt a frozen, empty fear when his hand didn’t find anything.

He left his license at home. When he’d stopped along the way to change clothes ...

Mort looked up with wide eyes at Wanda. “Wanda, I left mine at the house.”

She looked concerned, but not angry. She was about to speak when Mort cut her off.

“I’ll be right back. I can make it in ten minutes!”

Without looking back, Toad ran outside, ignoring the motorcycle, and leapt up to the first rooftop he came to. It would be faster without traffic, and unless he ran into Spider-man, he’d have the roofs to himself. Of course, the clothes he was now wearing weren’t suited for hurdling chimneys, but he just needed to make it there and back without tearing anything. When he ran out of roofs, coming into the suburbs, he took the longest bounds he could along the ground. Stupid, stupid Toad. How could he have forgotten his identification on the day he was supposed to get married?

When he saw the house, for another icy moment Toad wondered if he had the key. But it was there, thankfully. He swung the door open, waking the cat, and stomped into the bedroom. His wallet was on the bed. Before he left, he checked to make sure what he needed was inside. He looked like a mess again, he knew - all that work for nothing - but he didn’t have any time to brush up.

- - -

Wanda guarded her watch while Lorna apologized to the court officer for the delay and tried to convince him to wait a few moments more. Everyone looked up when Mort calmly walked back in through the door. He handed his license to the Justice, muttering, “sorry ‘bout that.” He knew he was a disarrayed, sweaty mess by now, and he looked over to Wanda apologetically.

She was smiling softly at him, though, and held her hand out for his.

Inwardly doubting her judgement, Wanda steadily vowed to be Mort’s lawfully wedded wife. It had been a very different scene when she’d first been married, years before, but Wanda put those memories aside. Her new life was taking shape.

Mort was already holding her hand when their vows were said so he put the new ring around her finger, touching the ring with the heart-shaped stone. She was wearing two of his rings now. No one would ever be able to doubt her love for him now, he knew. Likewise, Wanda undid the clasp of the chain that held Mort’s ring and re-clasped it around his neck.

Then, in keeping with older tradition, they kissed. Despite the fact that they’d been together for a short time now, it was still one of the first kisses they’d had. He hoped he’d never get used to it.