Chapter Text
May stood still in front of the bathroom door, a crying sister on the floor of the room, Mary, who had called her 30 minutes prior to tell her thats she's...pregnant?
How could she be? Dread piled up in her throat as she heard her younger sister sob from the other side, she thinks she know why, what happened that night.
But she didn't wanna believe it, she couldn't. But it was so...obvious.
Mary was in a not so serious relationship with Richard as May was with Ben, more of a situationship then anything..which lend May to be very conflicted but nonetheless.
This is her sister, who needs her.
She opened the door and in a instant she was met with a sight that made her stomach drop.
"MAY! PLEASE I-I I MESSED UP!" Mary was surrounded by pregnancy tests, all..positive, weeping on the floor, her mascara smudged all over her cheeks, clearly about to have a another panic attack if she didn't have one already
"Hey! Hey hey I'm here, what happened...?" She hesitated, kneeling down in front of her sister, searching her face for any cuts or injuries.
"The..R-Remember the Stark expo? I..."
"Mary."
"May..."
"Don't tell me you..." The look on Mary's face told her everything, she hated how it always did. She sucked in a breath.
"Did he..force you? or-"
"GOD NO!" Mary cut her off, putting her hands up to stop May so she doesn't even finish that thought which doesn't make May flinch.
When they were younger Mary wasent well mentally and May was left to deal with it while their Dad worked at the diner they were running and their Mom was busy, making some good cash per say. So May was left to take care of her sister, her best friend.
'May I-I messed up!' 13 year old Mary cried as she was surrounded by their mothers buss. The cuts from the bottles shards digging into her palms..
But she thought that was over, it was draining taking care of her sister whose only younger by a couple months.
Not that she minded, she'd do anything to stop her sister from spiraling. Mary had healed, got with Richard who introduced May to his bestfriend Ben. May liked Ben, really liked him and they hit it off! She never liked Richard though, he reeked of bad news and hard whiskey, he was like a Tony Stark copycat, currently working on Parker Industries which is why he and Mary never established what they are and well...May saw this coming.
'Me and Richard are going to this years Stark Expo!'
She saw her falling under Tony's radar
'May? Can you tell your sister I cannot attend? Yknow, business stuff.'
Saw it when Richard left it to her to tell her own blood that he has to bail on their first ever probably real date since they met.
It sickened her. But she was gonna help her sister, no matter what.
"What happened?" May asked as she started to wipe the make out and dried tears away with make up remover "I was alone, at the bar, he approached me.." She trailed off, her words stuck in the back of her throat but she continued when May gave her a reassuring smile "He flirted while still giving me the option to back out, asking me why I was alone and I flirted back, caved in on a instant, telling him that I...got stood up."
She winced, looking up at her older sister for any sort of disapproval but was met with the same concerned stare she couldn't quite place ever since they were young.
"It's gonna be okay, I'm a nurse. I can fake some documents or..-"
Mary cut her off, again. "MAY! You can't risk your job!? Are you kidding me!" But May grabbed her wrist "Are YOU kidding me! You love Richard, I know you do and maybe a baby will help! Think about it! You want this child dont you?"
"Well yes but Richie.." Marys lip trembled, leaning into her sisters arms once more for comfort
"I know, I know.." She whispered "Let me take care of it. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Good, now let's get you cleaned up."
--
May finally arrived back at her own apartment, throwing out the trash that contained the tests and evidence of her sister being pregnant. She was gonna fix this, she HAD too.
May feels like she's 17 again, driving back to her job ready to get fired after she bailed mid shift to go help her wasted sister not got assaulted by a creep at a club she's clearly not suppose to be in!
She parked her car on the sidewalk, Ben's still working, she could tell him..but he wouldn't understand. Mary was her sister, Richard was Ben's in everything but blood. It isn't the same to be related and feel like you are, just isn't.
One requires a pure platonic bond the other requires experience, fighting, messy sobby snotty nights. Bottles crashing, screaming. Ben just wouldn't get it.
May rushed to her room, already typing out fake documents that should be printed before Ben gets back. She bit down on her finger nails, she couldn't keep this up.
But! As long as it was just Mary and Mays secret, dont tell anyone, not even the real father. Everything would be fine.
--
Something something August 2006. May can't remember the date but the year burned her eyelids.
Peters turning four soon, she and Ben are going to Richards apartment this weekend for Peters birthday.
May remembers when happened the year before on Peters third, Mary caved and told Richard everything. Three years of a secret gone to waste, Ben looked at her hurt but just nodded.
She broke down later that night about the full truth and he kissed her and hugged her tightly and they watched a movie they night, living like it was just the two of them in their own little world.Just them, the rest static.
But now its next year and May won't ever forget the day where Mary called her telling her that she found a bruise on Peter when she went to check up on him, blue, purple, fresh. A pinch, like a man just used him a stress toy.
She noted how she specificed it was a man, Mary knew who, she knew who too but May didn't know why she wouldn't admit it.
Not the way where it seems like she's gonna ignore it, like she has a plan of her own. May doesn't know if she wants to find out.
--
"Thank you two for meeting me. It's the only time of week where Richard is busy working before Pete's birthday.."
She looked around, paranoid. May recognized this pattern, stored it in the back of her head when Mary was stuck being lovebombed by a man who stalked her so he could get with her. The silent abusive, threats in stares not in fists, taken out on the little ones because babies bruise easy less believable a hard working business man was leaving little bruises on a three year old. Almost four.
"I don't plan on ever marrying Richard."
May noted how Ben sucked in a breath, not like he knew what was coming, what was happening.but that he could tell and just wouldn't admit it, choosing to be naive instead of accepting.
"I was hoping when I pass, you two will be under immediate care under Peter." She slid over a folded towards the two which Ben immediately picked up and looked over to May. May reminded herself..they were a team, a couple so she nodded.
"Why now?" Ben spoke up "Before Peters..." Trailing off.
"Richards planning something."
The room instantly stilled, Only sound was Ben attempting to catch his breath before he nodded.
Ben was smart, a amazing cop in training but when it to personal matters he found himself stuck at times, which was very reasonable.
May grabbed Ben's hand and then nodded, grabbing the pen and signing it.
...
Mary was murdered the next night and May thought she'd never smile again.