"Good plan," she murmurs and kisses the flushed cheeks with a grin.

And then they do, in fact, do one of those, and lie curled together afterwards, Piotr's hand stroking Kate's hair, Kate listening to his heart beat under her head on his chest.

Later, though, Kate wakes up and sees her hand resting through the pillow and feels her stomach drop out beneath her. She thought--she knew, of course she knew, but she'd hoped that maybe this time she--

It doesn't matter. (It's all that matters right now.) She phased, either way.

She takes her pill that night after a murmured explanation to Piotr.

It's just a delay. All she has to do is remember that. Just a delay.

For a little while.








She just doesn't know how long that might be.