Chapter Text
Hope squeezed her eyes shut tight and raised her hands to the sides of her head, squishing her palms into her lobes, trying to stop the ringing in her ears.
It didn’t take long for it to subside, she dropped her hands and opened her eyes, startled to find that she had no idea where she was. It was like she was within some sort of large short tunnel Inside a lab with a weird looking vehicle beside her. She assumed it must have been somewhere inside of Pym Tech. But she didn’t remember her parents bringing her there. She didn’t remember anything about that day, actually.
Feeling chilled air hitting her legs, she looked down. She wasn’t wearing any pants! Observing her clothing, she was standing in a large pair of shoes with black trousers puddled around her ankles, along with some underwear nestled inside of them.
She awkwardly stepped out of the adult sized clothing on the floor, only to realise that her upper body was swimming in a large t-shirt which luckily was long enough to cover her private parts.
“Mom!” Hope called out in panic as her eyes started to well up.
She began padding around the floor in loose socked feet, careful of some tools that were laying on the ground. She was looking for a sign of her mother. As she turned to search behind her, she abruptly stopped. Further in the tunnel there was a little girl huddled against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest inside of an oversized shirt.
She had long brown, messy hair and appeared to be a couple years younger than Hope, and was staring up at her with pure terror in her eyes.
Hope quickly used the back of her hand to dry her eyes. She had to be a big girl and not frighten this little kid more than she already was.
“It’s okay.” Hope forced a smile. “Don’t be scared. We’re at my dad’s lab.” She nodded. “We’ll find a grown-up to bring us back to our parents.”
The little girl studied Hope, then turned her head to examine their surroundings. The girl looked like her dad did when he was solving advanced mathematical equations – deep in concentration. Finally she looked back at her, giving her a simple nod.
Hope held her smile as she approached her, offering her hands to help her up.
The girl timidly took them as Hope pulled her to her feet. The girl nearly tripped as she fell into Hope’s body.
“Oh, be careful.” Hope helped her step out of her giant boots, socks, and oversized pants.
Once she was safely out of her pile of clothing, Hope adjusted her small companion’s oversized shirt that was slipping off her shoulder. Realising that the shirt was way too big to stay on the tiny girl, Hope brightened at the idea. “Wait, I know what’ll help.” She slid the band out of her hair, letting down her ponytail, as she used the elastic to bunch up her collar, making it small enough that it didn’t fall down her body.
“There.” Hope stepped back to look at her handiwork. It looked kind of silly, like a tail, but it did the trick.
The girl looked down at her shirt, then back up as she ever so softly muttered, “Tank you.” She brought her hand up to the tie, gently petting it like Hope had just pinned a solid gold medal on her lapel.
“You’re welcome,” Hope instinctually said. Her parents made sure she always responded with politeness. “I’m Hope, by the way. What’s your name?”
The girl tucked her head as she practically whispered, “Maria.”
“Maria?” Hope repeated for clarification.
The girl nodded.
“Okay.” Hope extended her hand to her. “Let’s go find our parents.”
Maria slowly took her hand. As soon as their palms touched, Hope clamped down, claiming her as she instantly started dragging her out of the tunnel and into the large lab that they found themselves in.
“Mom? Dad?” Hope walked the place. “Doctor Ryan?” She named one of her dad’s work colleagues whom she’d met on many occasions. “Hello?”
“Hope?”
She looked up, finding her dad standing at the top of a set of stairs. But he looked different. He looked old, and very confused.
“Dad?”
Hank scurried down the stairs towards them, confusion turning into anger. “What the hell happened?” he demanded an answer.
Hope’s heart stopped in response to his attitude shift, but her fear failed in comparison to Maria’s. Nails dug into Hope’s hand as the little girl hid behind her, hugging her tightly around her waist.
Hope instinctually used her free hand to reach behind her and hold her securely.
Hank must have noticed the girl’s response as he stopped in his tracks. “Is that Maria?” He pointed at her.
“Yes.” Hope nodded. “You know her?”
Hank sighed while dragging his hand down his aged, wrinkled face. “Hope, what did you do?” He asked in exasperation.
“I didn’t do anything, Daddy. I promise. I didn’t touch anything. I know the rule.” She did know the rule. He yelled at her if she didn’t keep her hands to herself around his things.
“You do, perhaps, but adult you sure doesn’t.”
He pulled some sort of small screen-device out of his pocket. He pressed it a few times before putting it to his ear. After a moment he spoke into it. “Yeah, we have a situation. I need you at the lab as soon as possible.”
As he continued communicating with whoever was on the other end of the line, Hope was able to turn around to face Maria. “It’s okay,” she softly whispered to her. “My dad’s gonna find your parents. He’s here to help.”
Maria shook her head.
“No, he will. I promise,” Hope insisted.
“Just Dad.”
“What?”
Maria looked up at her, her big blue eyes piercing into her as she quietly said. “I just have a dad.”
“Oh.” Hope thought it over for a moment. “You don’t have a mom?”
Maria shook her head.
“Who reads you bedtime stories then?”
Maria scrunched her face as she asked, “What’s that?”
“Hope,” Hank called to her.
Turning to look at him, he waved her over. Like a reflex, she nodded, making her compliance known before turning back to Maria. “I’ll be right back.”
She stepped away and went to her dad. Hank crouched down a bit to get closer to her level, giving her a better view of just how old he looked.
“Dad, I swear I didn’t do anything.” She started to tear up again. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no. Stop. I know.” He gently squeezed her shoulder. “Mom’s on her way over. She’s gonna take care of you guys while I fix this.”
Hope wiped her now runny nose with the back of her hand. “Fix why you look so different?”
“Yeah.” He nodded with another sigh.
“What about Maria? We have to find her dad.”
He glanced at the mentioned girl, before fumbling out, “When Mom gets here, she’ll help Maria. Okay?”
Hope nodded. “Okay.”
“In the meantime, why don’t you go take her to the couch over there and wait for Mom,” He awkwardly said as he straightened to his full height, gesturing at the area.
It was odd. He was often gruff with her but not awkward. Maybe he really was mad at her.
Hope stiffly nodded, hating that she let him down again as she walked back to Maria.
“Come on.” She took her hand before towing her away. “We gotta wait over here, out of the way.”
Hope sat on the sofa with Maria climbing up beside her. Once Maria was settled, she clasped her hands in her lap and looked out over the lab in front of her.
“Want to play ‘I Spy’?” Hope asked, not knowing what else to do since she didn’t have any of her colouring books with her.
Maria looked at her as she asked, “What’s that?”
“You don’t know ‘I Spy’?” Hope gawked. Everyone knew that game.
Maria shook her head.
“How old are you?” Maybe she was too young to know it, Hope wondered.
Maria, lifted her one hand, presenting all her fingers.
“Five?” Hope asked.
Maria nodded.
“Well, I’m seven and a half, so, I’ll teach you. My principal says I’m good at teaching the little kids stuff on field days.” Hope looked out over the lab excitedly, not allowing Maria to respond as she started explaining. “So, you first find something that you can—”
“Ah!” Maria jumped to her feet, on top of the sofa, as she coiled up to the backrest.
Hope looked at her in startled concern as the girl was gazing out in sheer horror towards the back of the lab. Turning to follow her eye-line, she saw an ant in its embiggened form, making its way across the floor to another section of the lab.
“It’s okay.” Hope turned back to the girl who now had tears streaming down her face as she silently cried in fear. “It’s just one of my dad’s ants. She won’t hurt you.”
“Big,” was all Maria could get out before she hid her face in the backrest.
“Yeah, my dad can make small things big and big things small.” Hope said excitedly, thinking back on the experience, “Like, one time, he shrunk me!”
Well, that seemed to have been the wrong thing to say, for Maria started bawling into the sofa. “I don’t wanna be turned small,” she whimpered through muffled sobs.
“No, no, you don’t have to.” Hope shifted closer to her. “Don’t worry, no one will make you small.”
Maria peeked out to look at her. Hope smiled and nodded, encouraging her to believe her. Maria sniffled as she studied her. After a moment she mumbled, “I don’t want the ant to get me.” The girl evidently trusted Hope about not getting shrunk, but was still frightened about her dad’s odd lab assistant.
“If she comes anywhere near you, I’ll send her away. I promise.”
Maria stared into her eyes like nobody ever had before. She didn’t say anything or nod her head, instead she slowly sat back down, but this time, she kept her thighs flush with Hope’s. Their bodies now pressed up against each other.
Hope instinctually put her arm around her shoulders, protecting Maria from her fears, before she continued to explain the game, ‘I Spy’.
Janet had never driven so fast down the highway. She was at her new home down the coast when she’d gotten the call from Hank. Thank god she wasn’t in Wakanda.
Pulling up to the portable lab, she hurried to the quantum bridge floor.
“Mom,” Hope jumped up from off the lab sofa, which was situated near the entrance, and ran to her as soon as she walked off the elevator.
“Hope,” She cried, falling to her knees to meet her.
Hope stopped short of crashing into her arms, as she stood before her. “You look different too.” She cocked her head. “Your hair’s grey.”
“I know, my sweet Jellybean. I’m older than you remember.” She reached out, pushing long brown hair behind her dear daughter’s back as her eyes welled up. It was her girl, the one she knew before she got stuck in the quantum realm.
“Why are you crying?”
Janet sniffled before shaking her head. “It’s nothing. I just missed my little girl, is all.” She lovingly ran her thumb over Hope’s beautiful, childly face.
“Mom, Dad won’t tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t know if he knows what’s going on.” She continued to swipe her thumb over her cheek. “But that’s okay. Because he’s really, really smart and will figure it out. Right?”
Hope nodded. “Right.” She always had faith in her dad’s big brain. He was the smartest father in the world.
Hope glanced back, over her shoulder, at her new friend. “Dad said you’d help Maria.”
Janet gazed over to where Hope had been looking. She saw her daughter-in-law in the tiniest, thinnest body she’d ever seen a child have, watching the two of them from the couch.
Janet rose to her feet, her knees cracking in the action, before she slowly made her way to the girl who looked like she was being swallowed up by the huge sofa.
“Hey.” She smiled really big as she gracefully sat down next to her, shifting her body to face her. She placed a hand to her heart. “I’m your Mama Janet.” She said as non threatening as she could, “And, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to look after you and Hope for a little while.”
Janet had to do everything not to cry and reach out to the girl. That was her Maria. She was so precious. So small. So vulnerable. She just wanted to scoop her up and hold her forever.
Maria studied her for a moment before looking over at Hope, who’d wandered over with Janet. Hope smiled while nodding, encouraging her.
Janet took in a long inhalation, doing everything she could to hold herself together. Her two girls were already bonded as she noticed that their particle frequencies were still matched up even in those young bodies and at those infantile ages.
Maria looked back at Janet before softly saying, “Okay.”
Janet nodded. “Okay,” as she repeated. “We’re gonna get you two home and find something for you to wear.”
“Some of my old clothes will fit you,” Hope cheerfully offered like she was happy to share with her.
“I’m sure they will,” Janet tried to say as naturally as possible, hoping she’d find any of Hope’s old clothes that’d fit either of them. “But first I’m going to go talk to Dad quick.”
“He’s up there,” Hope pointed to the bridge’s control deck.
Janet got to her feet. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”
She then wandered up the stairs to find her ex husband.
Seeing him slouched over a computer, she instantly asked, “What the heck, Hank?”
He raised his head to look at her. “They were working on the Quantum Flyer when something happened.”
“Yeah, something sure did happen.” She crossed her arms.
“I think it was this stupid diagnostic test.” He angrily gestured at the computer. “It activated the bridge on its own.”
“Okay, but why are they children?”
“I’m trying to figure that out,” he said in clear annoyance towards her questions.
She hated how vague he was being. He never let her into his thought processes. “Is it quantum time travel?” she asked in exasperation.
“Some sort of that, yeah. Their particles have clearly shifted back to earlier versions of themselves.”
“Well, can you fix it?”
“I gotta find the event data first.” He gestured at the monitor.
Janet sighed. “Okay.” She ran her hands through her hair. “I’m assuming SHIELD doesn’t know their deputy director is out of commission yet.”
“No.”
“Would you let them know?”
“Me?” He aggressively pointed at himself. “Why me? You’re the one who’s involved with them,” he spat with vitriol.
“Because I’m going downstairs to look after my daughters who are literal children.” She raised a brow, threatening him not to argue with her.
He sighed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll call them.”
“Good.” She forced a smile, finding every interaction with him more unbearable since the divorce. “I’m taking the girls to the manor. I don’t want to keep Hope from the only home she knows.”
Hank nodded, clearly understanding her rationale. He probably didn’t mind regardless since he practically lived at the lab full time anyway. Their family home mostly sat empty now that Janet moved out.
She left Hank to his work as she called down the stairs once she began her descent. “Okay, girls, we’re leaving.”
“Can we get McDonald’s on the way home?” Hope called out to her.
Janet almost burst out with laughter at her request. She’d forgotten there was a time when Hope would have been fine being caught dead at that particular fast-food restaurant.
“We’ll see.” She chuckled at Hope who met her at the bottom of the stairs. It probably wasn’t a bad idea, there most likely wasn’t much food in the kitchen to cook something decent. She’d have to get Luisa, the manager of the estate, to go grocery shopping for them.
“I want a happy meal!” Hope bounced like she knew her mother just needed a little more convincing. “Chicken nuggets!”
Suddenly Janet was concerned with the ethics of feeding her vegetarian daughter meat when she was in a state that was before her plant based lifestyle. She shook her head, only Hank would put her in a position that’d have her facing this odd moral dilemma.
“Pleeeeeeas.” Hope clasped her hands together in prayer formation as she begged.
“Okay, okay,” she caved while pushing ethics aside for her daughter’s adorable pleas. She swore she wasn’t this much of a push over back when she was a young mother.
“Yay!” Hope cheered before running back to Maria, who was still on the sofa. “Come on, Maria. We’re getting McDonald’s.” She took the hand that she didn’t have balled up in a fist, and helped her off the sofa.
Why did Maria have her hand in a fist like that? Janet wondered.
Hope pulled Maria to the elevator in a run. Janet smirked as she saw Hope flashing her in the process as her little butt cheeks poked out from under her shirt in the movement.
She chuckled at her little pantless girls as she met up with them at the lift. “We’re doing drive-thru,” she insisted.
As Janet pushed the button to open the doors, Hope whispered to Maria, “It’s cuz we don’t have panties on.”
Maria smiled at Hope who was snickering.
Janet chuckled at them, “Yes, no panties, no ball pit.” She guided them inside the elevator.
The door shut behind them, beginning one of Janet Van Dyne’s oddest yet most precious adventures.