Petra woke up to the delightful sound of the baby crying. She looked at the clock and groaned—10am. It might not seem early to most clio, but Petra worked nights, and so she had only gotten about three hours of sleep before the damn kid had started whining. Pia worked days, so there was no one else here to go check on him.
She laid there for about thirty more seconds before resigning herself and getting up, making her way to the nursery. As soon as she approached Axel’s crib he stopped crying, kicked his little feet and smiled.
“So all you wanted was attention, you little brat,” Petra said, leaning down and picking him up into her arms. She wanted to keep being annoyed that he had woken her up for nothing, but goddammit if that little smile didn’t cheer her up somewhat. This kid was making her go soft.
Petra wasn’t quite sure how two fucked up, broken, damaged clio had managed to create something so…pure. The whole time she’d been pregnant, she’d been secretly worried that she wouldn’t feel anything for him, wouldn’t bond with him the way a normal mother would. But from the moment he was born, Petra loved her son. He’d intruded into her life uninvited, ruined her body, and disrupted her sleep cycle, but she loved the little brat nonetheless.
She got him dressed in a little outfit with sharks on it that Pia had bought in town, carried him out into the living room and set him in his little rocker so that she could make some food for herself. She was just heating up some leftovers when there was a knock at the door. Petra frowned. Neither her nor her sister had many friends, and didn’t often get visitors.
She opened the door and was genuinely shocked to see Katrin, another woman she had “worked with” in the trafficking organization before bringing it down. Petra had sort of kept in touch with her a little bit after overthrowing the organization, but hadn’t heard from her (or anyone else from those days) at all in months and months.
“So you do live here,” Katrin said, putting her hands on her hips.
“How did you find out where I live?” Petra asked defensively. Since moving in with Pia she’d tried to keep fraternizing with other criminals to a minimum, one major exception notwithstanding.
“Cillian told me.”
“That fucker.” Petra rubbed her face in annoyance. Cillian telling her old friends where she lived was literally the last thing she needed right now, while she was trying to build a new life.
“Speaking of which,” Katrin said, leaning over and peering past Petra. Axel was still in his rocker, clearly visible from where they stood. “That’s his baby, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately,” Petra replied.
Katrin just laughed. “I never thought I’d see you with a baby.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you fuck without a condom,” Petra said dryly. “What do you want, Katrin?”
“Oh, you know,” Katrin said, walking in without being invited. Petra kind of wanted to toss her out, but refrained because they did used to be friends. And of all the clio Petra used to work with, Katrin was one of the least awful ones. “I heard about this job in Stonecraft. Thought maybe you’d be interested in making some extra cash.”
“No,” Petra said without even thinking about it. Axel started fussing again at the lack of attention he was receiving, so Petra went over, picked him back up and held him in her lap.
“What? Oh, come on,” Katrin said, visibly annoyed. “I can’t believe you of all clio are going all domestic.”
“You think I give a fuck what you think of me?” Petra asked.
Katrin rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I thought I was doing you a fucking favor, but apparently you actually enjoy playing Mommy.”
Petra hadn’t been lying when she said she didn’t care what Katrin thought of her, so she didn’t even get mad. She was more annoyed than anything, and that was more about Katrin’s general presence than anything she was actually saying. “Yep,” she agreed, looking down at Axel, who was staring at Katrin curiously. He had never seen a woman with purple hair before. She wondered how he’d react if he ever met his father. Probably be terrified, to be honest, which wouldn't be an entirely unfounded reaction.
Katrin was looking back at him, visibly disappointed. “Well if you ever get bored of changing diapers, get in touch with me,” she said, turning around and heading towards the door. She paused at the door and looked back, as if making sure Petra was really super sure she didn’t want in on this “job.”
“Thanks, I won’t,” Petra said pointedly. Katrin frowned, and then disappeared out the door without another word.
Once she was gone, Petra sighed and looked down at Axel, who looked back up at her and babbled a little. Taking care of him was boring and tedious and frustrating, but after living a life of violence and fear and horror, she found herself welcoming boredom and tedium and frustration. While she wouldn’t necessarily call herself happy, she had found a level of contentment with Pia and Axel that she had never really believed was possible in her life. So she smiled down at her son, and continued on with her boring, tedious day.
She laid there for about thirty more seconds before resigning herself and getting up, making her way to the nursery. As soon as she approached Axel’s crib he stopped crying, kicked his little feet and smiled.
“So all you wanted was attention, you little brat,” Petra said, leaning down and picking him up into her arms. She wanted to keep being annoyed that he had woken her up for nothing, but goddammit if that little smile didn’t cheer her up somewhat. This kid was making her go soft.
Petra wasn’t quite sure how two fucked up, broken, damaged clio had managed to create something so…pure. The whole time she’d been pregnant, she’d been secretly worried that she wouldn’t feel anything for him, wouldn’t bond with him the way a normal mother would. But from the moment he was born, Petra loved her son. He’d intruded into her life uninvited, ruined her body, and disrupted her sleep cycle, but she loved the little brat nonetheless.
She got him dressed in a little outfit with sharks on it that Pia had bought in town, carried him out into the living room and set him in his little rocker so that she could make some food for herself. She was just heating up some leftovers when there was a knock at the door. Petra frowned. Neither her nor her sister had many friends, and didn’t often get visitors.
She opened the door and was genuinely shocked to see Katrin, another woman she had “worked with” in the trafficking organization before bringing it down. Petra had sort of kept in touch with her a little bit after overthrowing the organization, but hadn’t heard from her (or anyone else from those days) at all in months and months.
“So you do live here,” Katrin said, putting her hands on her hips.
“How did you find out where I live?” Petra asked defensively. Since moving in with Pia she’d tried to keep fraternizing with other criminals to a minimum, one major exception notwithstanding.
“Cillian told me.”
“That fucker.” Petra rubbed her face in annoyance. Cillian telling her old friends where she lived was literally the last thing she needed right now, while she was trying to build a new life.
“Speaking of which,” Katrin said, leaning over and peering past Petra. Axel was still in his rocker, clearly visible from where they stood. “That’s his baby, isn’t it?”
“Unfortunately,” Petra replied.
Katrin just laughed. “I never thought I’d see you with a baby.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you fuck without a condom,” Petra said dryly. “What do you want, Katrin?”
“Oh, you know,” Katrin said, walking in without being invited. Petra kind of wanted to toss her out, but refrained because they did used to be friends. And of all the clio Petra used to work with, Katrin was one of the least awful ones. “I heard about this job in Stonecraft. Thought maybe you’d be interested in making some extra cash.”
“No,” Petra said without even thinking about it. Axel started fussing again at the lack of attention he was receiving, so Petra went over, picked him back up and held him in her lap.
“What? Oh, come on,” Katrin said, visibly annoyed. “I can’t believe you of all clio are going all domestic.”
“You think I give a fuck what you think of me?” Petra asked.
Katrin rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I thought I was doing you a fucking favor, but apparently you actually enjoy playing Mommy.”
Petra hadn’t been lying when she said she didn’t care what Katrin thought of her, so she didn’t even get mad. She was more annoyed than anything, and that was more about Katrin’s general presence than anything she was actually saying. “Yep,” she agreed, looking down at Axel, who was staring at Katrin curiously. He had never seen a woman with purple hair before. She wondered how he’d react if he ever met his father. Probably be terrified, to be honest, which wouldn't be an entirely unfounded reaction.
Katrin was looking back at him, visibly disappointed. “Well if you ever get bored of changing diapers, get in touch with me,” she said, turning around and heading towards the door. She paused at the door and looked back, as if making sure Petra was really super sure she didn’t want in on this “job.”
“Thanks, I won’t,” Petra said pointedly. Katrin frowned, and then disappeared out the door without another word.
Once she was gone, Petra sighed and looked down at Axel, who looked back up at her and babbled a little. Taking care of him was boring and tedious and frustrating, but after living a life of violence and fear and horror, she found herself welcoming boredom and tedium and frustration. While she wouldn’t necessarily call herself happy, she had found a level of contentment with Pia and Axel that she had never really believed was possible in her life. So she smiled down at her son, and continued on with her boring, tedious day.
