Julia arrives at The Station with her newborn and gets a surprise in the form of her best friend. There is much hugging and maybe a little crying.
⚠ mentions character death.
For Julia Wicker, it had been a really long day already before she found herself standing in the middle of Golden Gate Park with Hope still cradled sleeping in her arms. If Julia looked annoyed as the officials appeared and “explained” the situation, it was at least 50% exhaustion. A mother should be able to rest after giving birth and having a psychic tether to her baby severed. This wasn’t nearly what she had in mind for the rest of her day.
When she got to the apartment they’d told her would be hers, she hoped fervently it came with a good place for an infant to sleep, because she was ready to drop into a bed of her own and get some sleep. She pulled out the key and unlocked the door with her free hand, trying to hold back a yawn as she walked into the apartment. It was probably a miracle that she didn’t drop her daughter when she came face to face with Quentin Coldwater.
“Q?” Her voice cracked on that one syllable. He couldn’t be real, right? How the fuck could he be here?
Quentin had been notified that someone was moving in and he was a little disappointed since he’d been enjoying his solitude and now that he and Rey were together, it was nice having the place to themselves when she stayed over. Which was quite a lot but he wasn’t complaining.
When he heard the key in the door, he put down the book he was reading and went to open it and his mouth fell open. “Julia?” he said, not quite believing what he was seeing. “How did you…when….where did you get a baby?” Obviously a lot had happened since he’d been dead.
“Do I really have to explain where babies come from?” Julia answered the last question first, somehow actually finding the voice to speak it. She was still staring at Quentin in shock. It had been months and now he was standing here as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t died.
“How are you... you’re alive?” Introductions could be made in a moment, but right now she had so many questions about how this was even possible.
He grinned at her, happy to hear her voice, to hear that tone she took when he said something she found utterly ridiculous. “Of course I know where babies come from, it’s just that you weren’t pregnant the last time I saw you,” Quentin stepped forward and hugged her, baby and all and then moved back.
“Yeah, I”m alive. I don’t know exactly how it happened but I went to the Underworld and met with Penny, our Penny, and I got the metro card that they give you so you can go to wherever your next stop, apparently you can find your way back to something you need to finish,” he shrugged. “I didn’t get very far though, hell I don’t even remember where I was going but I ended up here and the government met me and basically I got a second chance, a new life, I get to live here. I have a job working at an Occult Shop which is pretty cool. There’s a lot of stuff to tell you about the place but right now, I’m just fucking glad you’re here.”
Julia wanted to cling to that hug, to Quentin, and never let go again. A part of her was afraid that once she let go of him, he would vanish. It was hard to believe he was really here. They’d seen and gone through a lot in the last few years, but this was something else.
If she let herself really think about it, she was probably going to totally lose it, so she just gave an answering nod as he told her the basics. “I want to hear all about it, Q, I totally do, but first maybe we could find a bassinet for her.” She gestured to the infant in her arms. “And maybe a shower and a nap for me.”
“Yes, we should but for now, let’s just put you both in bed and we put pillows around her, if that works?” Quentin didn’t know anything about taking care of babies but he’d seen people do that in movies and on TV so that might work. “I can call Pepper, she knows all about babies, she can help me find what you need and I can get it while you’re napping.” Pausing for a second, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “There’s so much to tell you but rest first. Let’s go pick out a room, I’m the only one here so you get your choice.” Then with a smile, he led her back into the apartment to show here where the other bedrooms were.