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Sabrina the Teenage Therapist, Volume 2

Summary:

A "Mind Games"-verse anthology:

Since returning from Angola, Sabrina's life has changed a thousand different ways. Therapist, student, hero, mother-to-be... How will she navigate her wild and crazy life?

Chapter 1: A Dinner Engagement

Chapter Text

Sabrina smiled warmly, looking around the table in her parents’ apartment. Even though she had finally moved out – officially – she and Max still came here for dinner at least twice a week – sometimes more often, especially on the nights when she worked late at the Agreste Rehab Center and Max spent half the day consulting with one of the other hero groups. Today, he had been in Athens, helping the Olympiad to set up their new conference table and holographic projectors; tomorrow, he was scheduled for a trip to New Atlantis, to discuss the new space-plane designs. Her stomach churned uncomfortably, despite the consistent sensation of happiness and contentment exuding from the baby. She swallowed, forcing back her anxiety at the thought of Max leaving. Looking around the table, she took in the nervous-but-excited faces around her, allowing herself to tap into what they were feeling. Her parents’ happiness permeated her own emotions, and the anxiety ebbed the slightest bit. Coming here was always such a trip down memory lane. She had moved out, almost two months ago, but still this felt so much like home: comfortable, familiar, welcoming.

But this was the first time she and Max had come over for dinner since Claudie’s return from the cosmonaut training facility in Moscow. Warring with the happiness and excitement, Sabrina could also sense a level of palpable anxiety and nervousness around the table, especially coming from her parents and from Claudie. A hint of guilt coming off of Claudie. Trepidation from Max. Nervousness from her parents. Sabrina breathed slowly and deeply, releasing her own fluttering nervousness into the air.

This was her family. All of these people cared about her – and about Max. Whatever they were feeling, they wanted what was best for them.

“So you have been in space?” Sabrina’s father asked curiously, passing Claudie the chicken.

Claudie nodded, her guilt starting to increase. “I didn’t want to be away for so long of a stretch – if I had realized that I would be leaving Max entirely without supervision for two years, I might have put off my application to ESA for another year or two, until he was in university.”

“No,” Max insisted, his eyes widening. “As I told you then, I was capable of looking after myself while you were in training. Mme Lê kept an eye on me when I needed it, and my friends made sure I was never lonely.”

Claudie raised an eyebrow at him. “And I am glad of that fact,” she agreed. “But it is different having a parent home. Especially with as long as I was away.”

“We have been happy to have Max over for meals and look after him over the last year since the kids started dating,” Sabrina’s mother assured Claudie, giving Max a fond smile. “You raised a wonderful son.”

Claudie smiled. “Oh, I know,” she agreed. “I wouldn’t have been willing to apply to ESA when I did if I didn’t trust him to look after himself.”

“So how did you come to be an astronaut?” Sabrina’s father asked.

Claudie shrugged. “It had always been my dream to become an astronaut. When Max was born, I had to put those plans aside to raise him, but once Max was in collège, I thought that maybe the time was right. So, I applied, and I was a little surprised when they admitted me into the training program.” She sighed. “Later than I expected, but still, I was able to follow my dream eventually.”

Sabrina’s mother hummed. “I suppose having children can cause one to put one’s plans on hold,” she mused, her eyes darting in Sabrina’s direction. “Though we hope that will not be the case.”

“And it certainly doesn’t have to be the case,” Claudie agreed, studiously avoiding looking away from Sabrina’s mother, though her eyes darted toward Max. “But it does take a lot of work to raise a child. Especially if you end up raising them alone.”

Sabrina’s stomach clenched at the thought; under the table she found Max’s hand. His breathing hitched, but he gripped Sabrina’s hand tightly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Her mouth set in a thin line, Sabrina forced herself to breathe: in slowly, hold, out even slower. It was okay. Max was okay. He wasn’t going to get hurt. Finally, she exhaled, releasing her fear and anxiety into the atmosphere.

“Of course, having a partner to share the burden certainly relieves some of the stress,” her mother pointed out, patting her father’s arm. “I don’t know how I would have managed without Roger, you know.”

“Most of the time while Max was growing up, I didn’t have that kind of support, unfortunately,” Claudie told her sadly. “Max’s father left us when Max was a baby, so I had to raise him by myself. Sometimes, I really wished I’d had someone to help me, especially when Max was little.” Finally, she glanced over at Sabrina with a nervous smile. “But I’m absolutely going to make sure the next generation has someone to help them out.”

Max frowned. “I have absolutely no intention of abandoning my family,” he informed Claudie, pursing his lips. Guilt, shame, and indignation warred for dominance in his emotions.

“I wouldn’t dream of suggesting that,” his mother told him in return, though her own sense of guilt shifted into embarrassment and then to relief.

Sabrina raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between them. “It really is okay,” she assured Claudie. “Max and I are on board with what we’re doing, with how we’re going to handle being parents – or at least as much as we can be, when the baby’s still…” She gestured vaguely to her abdomen.

Claudie let out a breath. “I know,” she replied, giving Sabrina a sympathetic smile. “But…” She let out a breath. “I hope I never have to see someone go through the challenges I faced. Not when I can do something about it.”

Sabrina smiled. “I’m glad our baby will have her grandparents in her life.”

“Do you know what you’re having?” asked Claudie, cocking her head to one side.

Sabrina shook her head. “Not yet – we decided to let it be a surprise,” she explained. Max hummed, and Sabrina stifled a laugh. “Of course, there really is a lot we already do know about the baby,” she added.

“Oh?”

Sabrina nodded. “I know that when I eat sweets, the baby gets happier. When I’m getting overtired, the baby starts getting cranky. But most of the time, her overwhelming feeling is contentment.” Claudie’s eyes widened. Sabrina rubbed her belly and smiled softly. “My miraculous. I can feel the baby’s emotions – all the time. It’s… it’s a really amazing, special feeling.”

Claudie’s eyes widened. “I bet.”

“No one ever needs a pregnancy test, when Sabrina is around,” Max joked, squeezing Sabrina’s hand.

“I… try not to pry,” Sabrina protested. “But sometimes I can’t help sensing it.” She stifled a laugh. “Sometimes, my friends will actually ask me to check!”

“Is that… a concern for girls your age?”

Sabrina smiled. “Let’s just say that I’m not the only one expecting a baby.”

Her father grimaced. “Andre’s office did a study,” he interjected. “They just released it within city hall this week – I’m surprised it hasn’t leaked yet. But in the four months since the Tarasque’s defeat, neonatal care has gone up by almost four times the figure from this time last year.”

Max’s eyes widened. “I had noticed a trend… but I calculated it to be a fluke, an outlier, a factor of small sample size after I had not measured the previous data.”

“No fluke.” Sabrina’s father shook his head. “Though it could be an outlier year. But around the year that your child is old enough for school, Paris could have a serious problem on its hands.”

Sabrina’s stomach clenched.

“Whatever happens will happen,” her mother interjected, patting her father’s arm. “It’s best not to speculate on what that future might be like. I’d much rather live in the here and now, with the grandbaby we’re going to have in just a few months!”

“Absolutely!” Claudie agreed, grinning eagerly. “With luck, I will be fairly close to home, at least for the next couple years.”

Sabrina’s father hummed. “On that note, now that you’re back from space,” he began, giving Claudie a curious look, “what are your plans now?”

“Truthfully, I haven’t given it too much thought,” she admitted. “At least not the specific details. Startrain has already offered me my old job back, though after actually piloting to the stars, I’d as soon not return to driving a train. I have been asked to speak at four different collèges and lycées in Paris alone this autumn, and I have an invitation to guest-lecture at the University of Paris in the spring term. I am also still employed by ESA – I will be serving as their liaison to the French government, at least for the next year, since I am the most recent French astronaut to serve a mission aboard the ISS. After that, I would like to take another trip to the ISS, though perhaps not such an extended stay.” She shook her head ruefully. “I had no idea my time would be in such great demand after getting back to terra firma!”

Max grinned. “If you are going to be serving as liaison to the French government, perhaps we can arrange a more permanent liaison position for you…” Sabrina’s father furrowed his brows, and Claudie cocked her head to one side. “My colleagues and I have been designing a permanent Moon base for the last year,” he explained. “One that would be shared and manned both by the heroes and by the various space agencies. We will need someone knowledgeable and experienced in the field of aerospace to serve as a liaison between the two groups – ideally someone who has experience on both the civilian and hero sides. And I can think of no better option than you.”

Claudie’s eyes widened in surprise, and she sat back in her chair. “You want me to work alongside you on something of this scale? To design an entire habitable base? I’m honored, of course, but I can’t be the best option available. I piloted the capsule; my understanding of its functionality is limited at best, at least in comparison to our flight engineer. Wouldn’t you be better served by one of NASA’s or ESA’s astrophysicists?”

Max nodded. “We will include others in the process, of course,” he assured her. “But they cannot learn how the portal system works or where the heroes’ portals go. Certain of our other technologies likewise cannot be shared with the larger scientific community. And the heroes will not work with the civilian space agencies in the same way that we do with each other – secret identities and hidden locations will prevent it. But I trust you to keep those secrets and make the proper connections with the civilian agencies on our behalf.”

Claudie started but nodded. “Of course; I would be happy to help however I can.”

Sabrina grinned. “Think of it this way: if you’re working with Max, then you’ll always be able to come home for dinner!”

Her mother arched an eyebrow. “Then why is it that we only see you for dinner a couple times a week?” she teased.

Sabrina flushed.

It was near the end of the meal that Max cleared his throat. The anxiety and nervousness that had been hiding below the surface for the last two days suddenly spiked. “There is something that I had always intended to do at some point, though recent events have brought it far more into our minds than we had imagined,” he announced, squeezing Sabrina’s hand. Glancing back and forth between Sabrina’s parents and Claudie, he grimaced. “I know you wish we had done this sooner, before Sabrina became pregnant, but we cannot go back in time and change that. All we can do is move forward with the circumstances in which he find ourselves.”

Sabrina’s father grinned, giving Max an encouraging nod.

Turning to face Max as he slipped out of his chair in front of her, Sabrina’s eyes widened in anticipation. Was this really what she thought it was? A couple weeks ago, they had sat down to talked about it after dinner, but this… She swallowed back the butterflies fluttering in her stomach, feeling moisture welling up in her eyes.

Max took both of her hands in his own, swallowing hard. “Sabrina,” he whispered, “you are my best friend – I could not imagine living my life without you. When we were separated, that was the hardest six weeks of my life – the only thing on my mind was how to get back to you. Now that we are together again, I never want us to be apart again. And now you are going to be the mother of my child. So will you be my wife?”

Sabrina sniffled, tears falling from her eyes. “Yes.”