Work Text:
A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE SNAP
Eternals weren’t supposed to have kids.
At least that’s what Ajak had told them. For weeks Makkari didn’t think much of the signs, then for weeks she ignored them. But you can only ignore an ever growing bump for so long. A search for a long lost piece of art had led her to the ancestor of the painter, who was heavily pregnant, and already had little ones running around. She kept stroking her stomach, and when her husband walked out, Makkari ran. She got all the way to Ajak’s home but paused right in her yard. Only a moment later she turned and ran all the way home to the father of her unborn child.
It was early when she arrived back. He was already awake and groggily wandering around the kitchen scrounging for food.
“My beautiful Makkari has returned to me,” Druig said with a wide smile as soon as she appeared in the doorway.
He hadn’t even turned around yet, didn’t need to to know that it was her. When he did, unbidden tears burst from her eyes. His sleepy smile dropped into an expression of alarm. Before he could ask what was wrong she threw herself into his arms.
FIVE YEARS LATER-POST BLIP
Like her father, Niamh seems to never stop eating. Most of the time when Makkari comes home she finds them snacking together in various places around camp. Today they’re in bed together. Druig is out cold, one hand resting on her little leg, Niamh is awake and contently snacking on berries. She’d hardly been gone a week this time, and had intended to be gone longer. But she missed her little girl too much and she was finding no leads, so the speedster decided to come home early.
Makkari holds her finger to her lips when Niamh spots her, and quietly creeps over. She presses a kiss to her daughter’s head who remains quiet as instructed. The speedster takes a berry and throws it at her man. It hits his lips and he startles awake, causing Niamh to burst into a fit of giggles.
“Really?” Druig says, picking up the berry with an amused grin and popping it in his mouth. Makkari climbs onto their bed and leans in to kiss him hello.
“Mama,” Niamh signs and says insistently.
Hello my little one, Makkari replies as she pulls back from Druig. As soon as Niamh is in her arms, Druig tugs them to lay down with him.
“How was your trip?” He asks.
Oh! Makkari jumps up and plops Niamh on top of Druig. Both let out sounds of protest, but she’s back in a blink with her bag clutched in hand. She criss crosses her legs and sets her bag in her lap to sign, close your eyes to Niamh.
Their little girl readily does so. When her fingers start to split apart in an attempt to peek, Druig tickles her side and exclaims, “no peeking!” She squirms and giggles under his fingers, snapping her fingers closed again. Makkari reaches into her bag and pulls out a set of little earrings. With her other hand, she taps on Niamh’s head.
She squeals upon seeing them and slides off of Druig to get closer. When Niamh wouldn’t stop asking to have “earrings like mama” the couple finally caved and Makkari pierced her lobes when she turned five. She didn’t even flinch, and in fact asked for more, but they held firm on her not getting anymore until she’s older. The earrings Makkari had found were little gold flower studs. Immediately she starts trying to get her current earrings out with her stubby little fingers.
“Help?” Druig asks. She nods and he gently removes the current set.
And look, we match, Makkari points at her own ears where a matching set sits. That seems to make their little girl even happier.
Thank you, Niamh signs, and throws herself back into her arms.
“Look at my beautiful, beautiful girls,” Druig praises. Makkari pulls Niamh onto her lap and drops a kiss on her cheek.
“Hide and seek chase?” Niamh asks.
Hide and seek chase was as the name suggests. Players would hide and when found by the seeker they could run away and try to hide again. If they got caught/tagged they would then also become a seeker.
It’s Niamh’s favorite game and often other villagers would join in, all ages, either to help Niamh hide or to play themselves.
“What? You want to play hide and seek chase?” Druig gasps, feigning shock. Niamh pushes at his shoulder and Druig covers his eyes.
“One, two, three—“
Niamh squeals and Makkari scoops her up and bolts out of their cabin in a flash of gold.
“Ay! No powers!” Druig shouts, despite the fact he knows they won’t listen anyways. Makkari sets her down outside, and Niamh takes off. Villagers smiles as she runs past or jump out of the way.
“Niamh,” one says, who is under a canopy sorting food. She nods under the table and lifts the tablecloth. Suddenly she’s picked up from behind and she’s underneath the table with her mother. Niamh giggles and Makkari presses a finger to her lips.
“Where, oh where, have my ladies gone?!” Druig proclaims, already sounding close. “Where is my beautiful Makkari, and my beautiful Niamh?”
His boots stop right beside the table, and the two hold their breath. He waits a moment before walking away. Or so Niamh thinks until the tablecloth lifts and he cackles at finding them.
Run! Run! Makkari signs, making dramatics of being dragged out from under the table by Druig. Niamh, laughing, takes off. She heads for the treeline and crouches behind a tree with great big tangling roots. For a few moments she rests there, then darts out and crashes right into a pair of legs.
She squeals, expecting it to be her mother or father, or even one of the villagers. When she looks up to find a man with a strong face, dark hair with a gray stripe, and five other strangers behind him, she crawls backwards with a whimper.
The man cocks his head at her, and the others circle around.
“Hello there,” a golden haired woman gently says.
“Daddy!” She starts to cry, and Sersi crouches down to try to soothe the little girl. She struggles to her feet, and scrambles away. She breaks through the treeline, still calling out for her father.
“Niamh! Niamh!” Druig comes tearing out from behind a house towards her, but not before Makkari is on her knees at the girl’s side.
What happened? Makkari barely finishes asking before she recognizes exactly whose vibrations it is she’s feeling. Druig makes it to his girls, and tension immediately enters his body as his fellow Eternals break through the treeline.
“Makkari?” Sersi says.
“Told you,” Thena says.
Niamh tightens her arms around Makkari’s neck as they form a little semi circle around them.
It’s okay, it’s just mommy and daddy’s friends, Makkari explains.
“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” Kingo asks.
“We need to talk,” Ikaris says. Druig looks Ikaris up and down as he approaches, thoughtfully placing himself in front of Makkari and Niamh.
“Well look who decided to come back…”
“Druig, don’t,” Sersi chides.
“Have you just forgiven him then? Has he given you a good reason for up and leaving?”
“Like you didn’t do the same to Makkari at Tenochtitlan—“
Druig’s icy gaze warms to a seething rage. Makkari stands up, and Niamh clings to her legs.
“You shouldn’t speak of things that you know nothing about,” Druig replies, voice heady with cold rage.
“Neither should you—“
“You know what I know? That Sersi showed up on my doorstep in tears, desperately wondering if I knew anything about why you had left or where you had gone –”
“I’m sorry, are we just not going to address the child clinging to Makkari’s legs and that Makkari referred to her and Druig as ' mommy and daddy ?’” Kingo interrupts. Karun is trying to get a shot of Niamh, which is further upsetting the little girl.
“Get that camera out of my daughter's face,” Druig growls, and Karun’s eyes glow gold. He flings the camera into the woods and birds scatter as it crashes into a tree.
“Okay, no possessing peoples valets!”
“What do you mean daughter?” Sersi asks, not only out of curiosity, but in an attempt to steer the conversation in a different (hopefully) less hostile direction.
“I thought Eternals couldn’t have kids?” Gilgamesh says.
“Please tell me you didn’t actually have a kid with him,” Kingo says.
“She looks like them,” Thena observes, tilting her head to look at her. Niamh peeks out, and Gilgamesh gives a little wave.
“Can you put it somewhere? We need to talk.”
Her name is Niamh , Makkari signs with one hand, now also starting to get agitated.
“Call her it again and I swear—“
“Enough, please,” Sersi interrupts. “Everyone, let’s just back up for a moment.”
Why don’t we go inside? Makkari suggests as villagers begin to look on curiously. She scoops Niamh up into her arms as she stands, and when the little girl grabs at Druig’s sleeves, some of his tension finally seems to break. She reaches for him, and his reputation amongst the Eternals be damned, he opens his arms for her.
“Come here, beautiful,” he murmurs, just for his daughter's ears. She willingly goes into his arms and as they begin to walk, Makkari shoots Ikaris a look when he gets a little too close.
They never thought of their home to be small, it’s always been just enough for them, but with seven Eternals crowded in the living room and kitchen area, it suddenly feels too small. Niamh starts wiggling to get down, and reluctantly Druig lets her go. She remains wary of the strangers, but is too determined to get a snack.
“Definitely Druig’s offspring,” Gilgamesh says as she grabs for a bowl of nuts and dried fruit on the table. Makkari rushes over and lifts it down before she makes a mess. Immediately she takes it and runs to her parents room.
She’s a little antisocial, Makkari says.
“Definitely Druig’s offspring,” Gilgamesh repeats. Makkari goes to retrieve her.
Niamh, this is Sersi , Makkari introduces. Druig translates and interprets, so she can know how it’s said and signed, and continues to do so as Makkari goes through the rest of the Eternals.
And Ikaris , Makkari finishes.
“Not Ikarass?” Niamh innocently questions as she spells it out. “I saw Daddy spell it like that.”
Makkari shoots him a look and Druig shrugs.
“We really do need to talk, I don’t think it’s something your daughter should hear. Is there someone who can watch her for a few minutes?” Sersi gently says.
“We can put her in our room,” Druig says.
***
Druig can hardly comprehend the fact that they’re nothing more than fancy robots before they’re urging for both of them to come with them before the deviants arrive.
A hand waves in his face and he blinks out of his thoughts and realizes he’d only gotten his shirt half on. Makkari steps around in front of him, and helps him pull his shirt the rest of the way down.
What’s on your mind? She asks.
“I…” he furrows his brows, trying to articulate what it is he’s feeling. “I don’t understand,” he simply says as he sits down on the bed. “ If we’re nothing more than robots crafted by Arishem, it makes none of this feel real, I feel like the last thousands of years have meant nothing. And Niamh, what about Niamh? I just…” he trails off again, words once again failing to explain the hundreds of spiraling thoughts racing through his mind.
Makkari moves to stand between his legs and cards her fingers through his hair while he sits with his forehead resting against her sternum for a few moments. With a gentle tug he lifts his head to look back up at her.
I think we’re more than fancy robots, I think that we’ve evolved to be more than what Arishem created us to be.
“I hope so, I want to be more than his pawns. I want to be more than what he created us to be.”
No further words are said, and Makkari leaves Druig to finish changing with a kiss on his head. He comes out of their room to find Makkari and Niamh waiting for him.
Ready? Makkari asks, pulling on her leather jacket.
Ready.
“Ready!” Niamh exclaims as she wiggles her arms into her jacket. Black and leather, just like her daddy’s.
“She has her own little leather jacket?” Kingo says, when the three of them come outside.
Niamh tugs at Druig’s pocket until he unzips it and pulls out a small pair of sunglasses that she immediately puts on. The Eternals survey the little trio, all in their own leather jackets and shades. Niamh shoves a baggie of dried fruit and nuts in each of her jacket pockets before reaching up to grab Druig’s hand, then Makkari’s with her other.
“Oh my god,” Kingo finally says.
“Well? Are we leaving or…” Druig trails off, looking expectantly at the rest of them.
“Of all the two that could have reproduced…” Kingo sighs.
***
Within thirty minutes on the plane, Niamh seems to have warmed up to everyone, even Sprite seems a little taken with the girl. She had taken to Gil the quickest, then Thena, then slowly the rest of them. Sprite sparks little illusions in front of her while she sits on Gilgamesh’s lap who hands her pretzels. She’s restless though, like her mother, and soon gets up to wander around the plane, trying to get into compartments and asking what things are and do.
“And there’s the Makkari in her,” Thena says to Druig who watches on fondly.
“Where did you find that?” Kingo asks incredulously as she messes around with a rubix cube that has his face on it.
Shadow Warrior , she signs.
“Yeah Shadow Warrior, that’s me, how do you know–”
Don’t tell him, please don’t tell him, Druig pleads with Makkari when she lifts her hand to get Kingo’s attention. She rolls her eyes and continues waving at him.
She loves your movies.
Kingo’s smile in response is massive, and Druig’s groan is loud.
“We’re never going to hear the end of this…” he mumbles.
“She loves my movies? You love my movies?”
Niamh looks him up and down skeptically.
She doesn’t believe that you’re who she sees on the TV, Makkari tells him.
“This is me! I’m the Shadow Warrior.” He stands and goes over to the posters on the airplane wall. “See it’s me, same person.”
Niamh shakes her head and drops the rubix cube in lew of searching for something else to occupy her for a few minutes.
Druig almost always went with Makkari to see Kingo’s new movies, or found some way to buy or rent them for her. Although he and Kingo never particularly got on, he knows how close she and Kingo were. When Niamh was born, they didn’t go out to see his movies anymore, but once she took to them, Makkari had convinced Druig to take her to go to see the new one coming out. It wasn’t often they took Niamh out of the jungle. They’d gone out for doctors appointments, like when they had her hearing tested and it came back that she was deaf in one ear.
Half you, half me! Makkari had said.
Or Makkari had taken her on a couple short scavenging trips, a few of which Druig tagged along.
Niamh had been elated to see Kingo’s new movie on such a big screen compared to their little TV back home that only played VHS tapes, and sometimes DVD’s when they could get the finicky cord to work.
“Obviously she got all our best bits,” Druig softly jokes.
“She is going to be one hell of a rambunctious kid,” Sprite says.
She already is! Makkari interjects
“Do you want to say hi?” Kingo asks. Niamh looks at the camera, giving an annoyed look that is all too similar to Druig’s. Then, her eyes begin to glow gold. It’s too late by the time Makkari and Druig realize, and suddenly the camera is levitating out of Karun’s hand, then flying into the airplane wall.
“She has powers?!” Kingo shrieks. Gil doesn’t bother to hide his laughter, while Thena lets slip a quick amused grin.
“Sir, I don’t have very many back ups left,” Karun says, his tone dismal as a gray, rainy day.
“I like her,” Sprite says.
Druig is doing his best to remain stone faced for the sake of teaching Niamh that it’s not right to telekinetically throw people’s things, but it’s clear he’s amused and a bit proud. Makkari waves her hand to get the little girl’s attention.
“Telekinesis. I guess it sort of makes sense with my powers being of the mind," Druig explains, watching as Makkari lectures Niamh. "It’s only slightly alarming to come into your child’s room and find all their toys floating around the room.” It’s clear she’s not really listening though as she beams at the amusement she’s clearly caused Gil.
As they start to get close to arriving at their destination, night has descended around them. They’re unsure of the time zone they’re in, and if the darkness is subject to late night or early morning, but the last twenty fours and the dim lighting has led everyone to either doze off or sit quietly. Niamh clambers over the armrest onto Druig’s lap. He startles for a moment but quickly relaxes and drapes an arm around her back as she melts into him.
“It’s almost…unnerving to see Druig like this…” Sprite says.
Makkari blinks, coming out of her stupor. Like what?
“I don’t know…soft, cuddly…”
He’s always been like that, you guys just never saw it, or cared to see it , Makkari defends.
“And, he’d often only show it around you,” Thena says.
“Did…” Sersi starts to ask, then trails off.
What?
“He didn’t really leave you at Tenochtitlan? Did he?”
No. I knew for a while that he was going to snap soon. He needed to leave, it was killing him, not being allowed to intervene for thousands of years, watching and feeling all their pain. He needed some time, but other than that, I’ve always been with him.
“I always saw something between you too, but I wasn’t sure if anything came of it. Thena was the one who said you’d be with him.”
“I always suspected too, but I knew for sure when Gilgamesh and I came to visit, and he asked Druig to put me to sleep. I saw some of your earrings on his nightstand, and his shelves had quite a collection of trinkets, ones that I could only imagine you to be bringing him. And an undergarment that I was pretty sure wasn’t Druig’s…”
Pink tinges the speedster’s cheeks and she momentarily ducks her head in an attempt to hide it.
“So wait, exactly how long have you two…” Sprite motions between her and Druig. Makkari takes a moment to give him a fond once over before picking up an empty cup and throwing it at him. As soon as his eyes open, they immediately set on Makkari with an annoyed brow furrow. It’s clear there’s no real heat to it.
Tell them how long we’ve been married.
“I’m sorry, married—?“
There’s a smug grin on his lips as he answers, “three thousand years.”
“Karun, cut the camera, I’m going to be sick,” Kingo says. “Seriously? And none of us knew? None of you knew?”
“Ajak did,” Druig says. “Makkari accidentally referred to me as husband in front of her, but she said she already knew. We don’t know how long she’d known but, she knew…” he looks down at Niamh and softly adds, “and I wish she could’ve gotten to meet you, little one…” he strokes a hand down her braided hair (just like Makkari’s because it had to be just like mama’s).
“She would have loved her,” Sersi softly says, making Druig aware that she’d heard him and sitting down across from him. “And maybe she would have been able to give some answers about Niamh.”
“We wanted to go to her, and we almost did a few times but we were terrified because as she would say, Eternals aren’t supposed to have kids. We were terrified she’d tell Arishem, and if we aren’t supposed to have kids, then what would he do to her?”
Druig goes quiet for a moment.
“Sersi, please don’t tell him about Niamh. I don’t know if he knows but if he doesn’t, I want to keep it that way.” His eyes are glassy with desperation, the last time she’d seen a look similar to that was Tenochitlan.
“I won’t, I promise,” she reassures him.
***
“Druig and Makkari have a child.”
“What do you mean 'have a child?’” Phastos questions. In the past hour Ikaris and Sersi had explained that his entire existence was essentially a lie and now they’re dropping one last bomb that frankly he’s not sure if he has the energy to comprehend.
“Her name is Niamh, she’s five, and obviously it’d be too dangerous to take her with us. Is there any chance she can stay here with Ben and Jack?”
“I’m sorry, I’m still confused, they have a child? What do you mean they have a child?”
“She looks more like Makkari, but she acts like Druig,” Sersi says with a little laugh.
“Great, because exactly what we need is a spawn of those two trouble makers. I don’t…I thought Eternals couldn’t have kids?”
Sersi shrugs and a soft knock sounds at the door.
“That’ll be them,” Ikaris says. Phastos runs a hand down his face and Sersi gets up to get the door. Makkari steps in first, and a bright smile breaks across her face upon seeing him.
Phastos! She goes in to hug Phastos as Druig enters with Niamh in his arms. Makkari lets go of him as his arms drop from around her at the sight of Druig with an asleep little girl in his arms. She takes Phastos’ hand and pulls him over to meet Niamh.
“Druig,” Phastos says. He nods in response, shifting his hold on his little one.
This is our daughter, Niamh. Gently Makkari strokes Niamh’s hair and cheek until she awakens.
Niamh, this is Phastos.
Phastos gives a little wave. “Sersi was right, she does look like you.”
Her tired eyes look him up and down, then go between her parents as she says,
“I’m hungry.”
“And there’s the Druig in her.”
Makkari gives a small laugh, casting Druig a fond look. Ben comes down the hall from Jack’s bedroom, his eyebrows raise at the new set of guests.
“This is Ben, my husband,” Phastos introduces. “And—“
As if on cue his son comes bolting out of his room.
“I got my pajamas on!” He exclaims. “Can I have hot chocolate now?”
“This is Jack, my son. Jack,” he motions for him to come over. “This is Druig, Makkari, and Niamh. Niamh is going to stay with you and dad for a few days.”
“Hi,” he says waving. “Do you like hot chocolate too? My dad makes the best hot chocolate.”
“I think my daddy does,” Niamh says.
“Well, why don’t you two go into the kitchen with Ben, and you can see if his hot chocolate is better than mine?” Druig says. He adds in a whisper, “I bet mine will still be better.”
Niamh giggles and lets Druig put her down. She casts them a look but Druig shoos her.
I’m sure they’ll have something you could snack on too, Makkari adds.
That motivates her enough to follow after Jack and Ben.
I don’t know if Ben knows any sign language, but even if he only knows a small amount if he could try to use it. She’s deaf in one ear so she doesn’t always respond to someone speaking. And we just want her to keep using both languages. She—
“ Makkari ,” Phastos gently interrupts. “ She’ll be okay, she’ll be safe here. I promise.”
“He’s built the perfect safe house,” Ikaris says. “How about this? Some of your furniture has to be—“
“No, Ikaris!”
The side table snaps under Ikaris’ fist.
“Pottery barn, gifted to us by Ben’s mother,” Phastos says. Ikaris has the decency to look a little sheepish and Sersi pulls him away from all nearby furniture.
“We need to go,” Sersi gently says. Druig and Makkari give apprehensive nods and go to the kitchen to say goodbye to their little girl.
"Daddy!” She immediately says, hopping down off the stool she’d been sitting on. He and Makkari both squat down to her level. Your hot chocolate is better, she signs.
Druig smiles and presses his forehead to hers for a moment.
I knew it would be, nothing can beat my hot chocolate. But, he looks at Makkari. You might have to drink more of their hot chocolate for a few days. Mama and I have to go.
Niamh looks confused.
Go? She signs it slowly, her eyebrows lowered.
Only for a few days, then we’ll be back, Makkari tells her.
Then we can all go home and have my amazing hot chocolate.
Why can’t I come? She asks.
Niamh never had been apart from either of her parents. Even by five, many kids had sleepovers with other family members or were babysat for a few hours while their parents went to dinner. But one or both of them had always been with her. Druig and Makkari struggle with how much to tell her about them leaving. Especially when no matter what they say will be a lie, because truthfully one or both of them might not make it back. They just hope that if they don’t, Niamh won’t remember this conversation, or if she does that she won’t resent them for it.
Because it’s for a surprise for you, we’re going to bring you back something very special, Makkari blurts.
A cat? Niamh asks hopefully. She’d been begging for one for over a year now.
Maybe, Druig replies with a wink. Before they start crying, they squeeze her in a hug and try to ignore the pang in their hearts that it might be the last time they see her.
As they leave Druig catches a strange look on Ikaris’s face, one that he only later realizes was one of guilt and regret.
“If we don’t make it back, please get her a cat,” Druig tells Ben as they go.
***
Makkari had turned the Domo into her personal hoarding den. Everything from swords to books to sarcophaguses filled the nooks and crannies of the place they once all called home. She had told Druig about most of her exploits, and he found himself recognizing many of them as he wandered around while Phastos worked on a solution.
The one she had not told him about, which wounded him a bit, was the Emerald Tablet.
Druig stopped shaking the box of twinkies he picked up and stared at it in the grimy hands of Ikaris. Feeling the mind controller’s gaze on him, he made eye contact, and Druig nodded at the tablet and offered up the twinkies.
With a quick snatch, they both got what they wanted and Druig sauntered over to his woman to find out why on Earth she hadn’t told him that she’d finally found the Emerald Tablet.
For hundreds of years Makkari scoured the Earth for the tablet, and Druig almost always helped her look. Whether it be through translating rumors people had heard of it’s whereabouts or sneaking through pyramids to see if it lay with Pharaohs. Even after the group split, she had dragged him with her a handful of times to look for it. But then they had Niamh and he hadn’t heard her mention it for a while, so he thought for the time being the mission to find it was on hold.
Or not.
She cocks her head at him when he approaches with his hands behind back, then her eyes widen when she realizes what it is he’s grasping.
“Now how did you end up scoring this Emerald Tablet?”
She snatches at it, both of them knowing full well she could easily grab it from him, but she plays his game
“My beautiful, beautiful, Makkari…”
“God, I wish I never became aware of you too,” Kingo deadpans with a disturbed look on his face.
“I liked it better when I was completely oblivious,” Phastos adds.
“Phastos, the plan,” Druig says, ignoring their comments and seeking to steer the conversation away from the topic of he and Makkari’s relationship.
“Alright, here we go, a little Celestial 101…”
While Phastos continues to work, and Druig has gone to see if Ikaris finished off the twinkies, Kingo wanders over to Makkari, who is hiding the Twinkies behind her back and watching on mischievously as her poor husband aimlessly searches for them.
“He really cares for you and Niamh, doesn’t he?” Kingo says, taking a twinkie out of the box.
Makkari nods, smile widening as his frown begins to deepen. She sets the twinkies on the table behind her to sign.
I know you’ve never particularly liked Druig, but not only is he a good father, but a good man too. He cares and loves deeper than any one of us.
“I’m not going to pretend to be thrilled about you two and your demon spawn, but as long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Makkari silently laughs and throws an arm around Kingo.
Thank you. And I’ll try not to let her or Druig break anymore of your cameras , she signs with one hand. Kingo chuckles and brings her in for a full hug.
“This is very sweet, sir!” Karun exclaims, walking around them in a circle, camera in hand.
Druig walks over at that moment, and his eyes begin to glow.
“No!” Kingo exclaims. Druig stops immediately with a little smirk, only meaning to tease. Makkari wacks him upside the head which only makes his smile bigger, until he sees the twinkies behind her. His mouth drops open.
“You little thief,” he murmurs, like it’s just him and Makkari in the room.
Kingo quickly walks away before his eyes jump out of his face. He never really got the term “I ship it” until now, and he’s not entirely sure if he still fully understand it, but he does know that they’re a couple, and that he’d love to put them on a ship out to sea so he never has to witness their disgusting, off the charts, chemistry again.
***
Druig is gone, and Makkari’s will to live is coming solely from the thought of Niamh and the desire to pummel Ikaris to hell and back.
“I’m sorry, Makkari. I can only hope that Arishem will be kind and take Niamh into consideration. Maybe he will let you have her on the next planet.” If it weren’t for Ikaris choking her out she would scream again.
He throws her and she slides in the sand for only a moment before she’s back on her feet. He had mistakenly turned his back, thinking she was down for the count. She blasts him into Thena who kicks him across the beach. Makkari grabs him by the shoulders before he’s hardly touched the ground and takes off. She’s going to beat him until even Arishem can’t put him back together.
***
She keeps her hand over the spot in her suit where a picture of Druig and Niamh is tucked beneath. Perhaps her fellow Eternals think she’s wounded, and she is, in so many ways. And while that picture is tearing her apart, it’s also keeping her together. She can’t even begin to imagine how she’ll tell Niamh, and bless whatever gods or universe may be above, she doesn’t have to for long.
Through the wind and waves crashing, she feels him.
For a moment, she doesn’t want to turn around, because if she turns and he’s not there, she knows she will truly break down.
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees Thena smile and she feels his footsteps getting closer so she turns.
And there he is.
And everything is okay again.
***
The three sit on the couch each with their own plate of food.
“Wow, you three,” Phastos says. Druig tries to swipe a fry from Niamh’s plate but she slaps his hand away with a very offended expression.
Excuse you, these are mine, she signs.
“Definitely Druig’s offspring,” Phastos repeats.
If I had a dollar for every time that’s been said in the past week, we could afford another baby, Makkari says.
“You want another one?” Druig questions, a sly grin growing on his lips. Makkari looks him up and down with a smirk, but before she can respond, as if on cue the Eternals all at once exclaim,
“No!”
“You two are not allowed to have another one!” Kingo adds. “Hey!”
Niamh giggles as she floats the rest of his fries from his plate to hers.
“That’s my girl,” Druig praises, snatching one of the fries out of the air before they clatter down ontto her plate.
“Don’t encourage her!” Kingo exclaims. “Makkari!”
Your control is getting better, she praises. Niamh beams and Druig drops a kiss on her head.
“Not. Allowed. No. More. Babies, ” the movie star firmly says and signs. Phastos sighs and waves to get their attention. Once the little family’s eyes are on him he holds up a manilla folder with their names scrawled on it.
“What…” Druig begins to say.
“I found it in Ajak’s office.”
Makkari speeds over to take it from him then returns to sit next to Druig. With eyebrows raised in curiosity they open it up and find several pages. They have numbers in the top corner, and a date on the left hand side of the first page.
“What is it?” Kingo asks.
“Give us a minute,” Druig says as he holds it between them. After only a few seconds, Druig’s eyes widen.
“What? What?”
“Why don’t we stop hovering and let them read?” Phastos suggests. He manages to shoo them all out of the room, but from the kitchen they lean over to peek at them every once in a while.
“Why didn’t I get a letter? Is it some kind of will?”
“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
It had taken a while to get though the pages, and then to process everything within the pages. By the time they were done it was dark and Niamh was starting to drift off so they’d taken her upstairs to bed. The rest of Eternals still were patiently waiting for the two to explain what had been in the folder. And Druig struggled to remain patient as they explained twice what Ajak had told them in her letters. All he wanted to do was go upstairs and fall asleep with his daughter and his wife.
She knew about Niamh, Makkari told them.
I almost went to her when I found out but at the last minute I turned around and went to Druig. I was only outside her house for maybe a minute but she saw me.
“And then she saw us at Kingo’s movie premier a couple months ago.”
She said that previously Eternals couldn’t have kids, but we did exactly what Arishem said we couldn’t, we evolved. We’ve all grown to love, and she thinks that Druig and I having Niamh is like a marker that we have truly broken from what Arishem designed us to be, Makkari had explained to them.
“She thinks that Niamh will grow until adulthood, and then stop. She should be Eternal like us.” Druig’s smile was full of joy and relief, and when Kingo started to raise another question Druig gave a grumble and just shoved the folder into his chest, grabbed Makkari’s hand, and marched upstairs.
I want another one, I want another mini you, he signed to her in the dim light gifted to them by the moon and fairy lights strung along the headboard.
Everyone else said no!
I don’t care, I want more. He pouts like a petulant child.
What if I want a mini you? Makkari retorts.
We can have two of each, how about that?
Two of each?!
He cheekily grins and Makkari reaches over to push his shoulder. He silently laughs it all off for a moment, but then reaches out for her cheek. Knowing what he’s intending to do, Makkari inches closer, being careful to not disturb Niamh, and touches her forehead to his as his hand comes to rest on her cheek.
“Thank you, for giving me her, and for staying with me. I know I’m not always the easiest to be with, but I love you and everything we have together.”
Unbidden tears well in Makkari’s eyes, and they fall when she sees Druig’s eyes glassed over.
I love you, she presses over his heart. Niamh shifts between them, and for a moment they fear they woke her, but she just curls into Druig’s chest, and holds onto Makkari hand now sandwiched between.
Everything was better than okay now.
FIN.