Karolina had been the first one up, she always was, perching herself at the table with a cup of coffee and toast smothered in ginger jam.

Nico came down next, planting herself on Karolina lap, hiding her face sleepily in Karolina's neck.

"Hey, baby." Karolina whispered against Nico's head.

Nico grumbled against the skin on her neck, and Karolina smiled, tickling Nico's lower back as she continued reading the news on her laptop.

Karolina was sure Nico fell asleep against her before Molly and Gert appeared, startling her.

"Gert, please stop." Molly grumbled.

"You need to understand that it's not like how the media portrays it to be." Gert said, following Molly as she grabbed a drink.

"It isn't going to go that far," Molly sighed, pouring herself out a drink, turning to Karolina and wiggling the carton at her questioningly

Karolina shook her head, planting a kiss on Nico's head.

"You don't know how far it's going to go."

"God, you're acting like your parents, will you stop." Molly snapped.

"Oh, shit." Nico whispered against Karolina's neck.

"Excuse me for wanting to look after my little sister." Gert snapped.

"It's just a date," Molly huffed, just as Chase entered the kitchen.

"A what?" Chase and Nico asked simultaneously, both sounding equally as defensive.

"You guys are impossible." Molly growled, grabbing her juice and leaving.

"It's hard enough for her to get a date, with her being who she us, and us being who we are." Karolina sighed, patting Nico's thigh for her to get off before standing and sitting the girl on the chair. "She doesn't need you guys giving her a hard time."

"What?" Chase and Nico snapped defensively, before staring at each other, probably due to them speaking at the same time. Again.

"I wasn't giving her a hard time." Gert defended. "I just wanted her to know that sex and virginity is nothing like on the TV shows and in movies. Especially with two girls."

"She isn't stupid," Karolina sighed. "And she's not the kids who dressed up in that dumb costume and tried to fight crime on her own, either. She's nineteen, she's hasn't been on a date or even kissed anyone, she has been too busy saving the world. Layoff, she knows what she's doing."

Karolina left then, finding Molly in her room.

"Have you come to have your say, too?"

"Yeah," Karolina smiled as she sat on the foot of Molly's bed. "Is she cute?"

That made Molly smile. "She is," she said, digging into her pocket for her phone, showing Karolina picture of a girl around Molly's age, her hair black with a streak of white in the front. She was grinning at the camera, her grin charming and eyes a soft, crystal blue.

"Way to go, Molly." Karolina nudged her playfully. "How'd you meet?"

"We ran into each at Avengers Academy,"

"Oh, so she has powers?"

"Yeah, she can control plants, but she is also in the tech department, she is an intern with Stark." Molly explained. "And she didn't know who I was, which is probably why she agreed to go out with me."

"Molly," Karolina tutted.

"No, it's true, people are afraid of us."

Karolina nodded, because it was true, people were afraid of them.

"Do you like her?"

"I do,"

"Good. You know your sister is just showing you she cares, right? And Nico and Chase, they are just protective." Karolina said. "They are morons for thinking you can't handle yourself, with you being the strongest in the group. But you're like a little sister, Molly, to all of us, not just Gert."

"I know," Molly sighed. "Gert is just overbearing, and Chase and Nico just added to that."

"I think they know they were too much." Karolina said. "Where are you guys going?"

"She wants to go see a movie,"

"Tonight?"

Molly hummed, ducking her head as she smiled nervously.

"How'd you feel about it?"

"Nervous, but in a good way, she gives me butterflies, Karolina, I've never had that before."

"It is a really good feeling," Karolina smiled. "When is she picking you up?"

"Seven, and I don't know what to wear."

"Nothing too flashy, it's just a movie." Karolina stood. "Let's have a look."

Karolina helped Molly pick out jeans and a nice shirt before heading back downstairs, settling on the sofa beside Nico.

"She's cute, the girl, and seems sweet." Karolina said.

"I'm sure she's sweet, but she better just watch herself."

Karolina smiled softly at her girlfriend, dipping down to kiss her, before planting a kiss in her forehead. "You're so big and tough."

"Fuck you," Nico grumbled, the smile on her face directly contrasting the words leaving her lips. She traced her fingertips down Karolina's jaw.

"Ew, homosexual activity." Chase joked, sitting down across from the girls with Gert.

"At least my girl gets off every time, multiple times." Karolina smiled sweetly at Chase.

"So does-" Chase glanced down at Gert, who quickly looked away. "What?"

"It was in the beginning of our relationship, you have followed my advice and you are so much better."

Chase smiled smugly at Karolina, wrapping his arm around Gert.

"Good for you, buddy."

Molly spent most of that day in her room, and bang on seven the door went.

Nico and Chase rushed to answer it, Chase with his arms crossed to flex.

"You must be Klara." Nico said, and Chase held his hand out to the frightened young girl, giving it a squeeze.

"Yes, sir, ma'am." the girl swallowed thickly and Karolina really felt for her. "I'm here for Molly."

"We know," Nico said, her jaw set as she glared at the her, and Chase pulled her in with their joined hands.

"How old are you?" Chase asked in a low voice.

"Twenty, sir."

"Twenty? Molly is only nineteen, are you aware of that?" Nico scowled.

"She is twenty in three months, ma'am. I turned twenty yesterday."

"Mm," Chase hummed. "And what do you do?"

"I intern for Mr Stark, I'm at the academy."

Neither Nico nor Chase had anything bad to say to that, and Karolina had to hide her smile behind her hand at the look on both of their faced.

"What is your intentions with Molly?" Nico asked, and Karolina decided that the girl had had enough interrogation for tonight.

"Uh, I-huh?"

"What. Are-" Nico started, but stopped when Karolina clasped a hand on hers and Chase's shoulders.

"Go make sure Gert isn't being overbearing."

"But-" Chase started.

"Now," Karolina cut him off.

The girl relaxed, but only slightly when the duo disappeared. "Thank you."

"You don't need to be afraid of them."

"How can I not be? He's really big." Klara breathed.

"Oh, he's not the one you should be afraid of."

"The little one?" she frowned.

"Don't let her hear you call her that." Karolina laughed. "but yes, she makes Chase look like a puppy dog."

"Okay," the girl nodded.

Karolina hummed, putting a hand on Klara's shoulder, smiling sweetly at her. "and Molly can bend steel with her bare hands, so if you do hurt her the witch, alien, tech genius and dinosaur will be the least of your worries." she said, that sweet smiling never faltering, even when Molly appeared at the top of the stairs. "Am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." she nodded quickly, and Karolina turned just as Molly reached the bottom of the steps.

"You look great, Molly." Karolina smiled, hugging her friend before moving aside. "You kids have fun now."

"What did you say to her?" Nico asked when Karolina closed the door.

"Nothing," Karolina scoffed.

"She looked terrified," Nico pointed out, her hands flattening against Karolina's stomach as she pushed herself into her toes to kiss her.

"I just made sure she knew what he was dealing with." Karolina whispered against Nico's lips. "Plus, she called you the little one so I wanted to scare her for you."

That made Nico grin widely. "That's my girl," she whispered against Karolina's lips.

"Will you stop pacing?" Gert sighed.

"She's a punk, I know a punk when I see one and she's a punk."

"She's a nice kid. Jemma teaches her, I called her earlier, she said she's good."

"She has a white streak in her hair," Chase said. "A. Punk."

Gert rolled her eyes at Chase, getting up from the bed and placing a hand to his chest to stop his pacing.

"She's a big girl, stronger than all of us, she will be okay."

"It's not her, it's Klara."

"She could take her, relax."

"She's just a kid, she shouldn't be-"

"We had sex when we were seventeen." Gert pointed out.

"That's different,"

"How?"

"Because Molly is little," Chase argued, his voice breaking slightly.

"Oh, babe." Gert sighed. "Karolina was right, she isn't that kid anymore."

"She will always be little Molly."

"You have to accept she will be doing more adult things." Gert said.

"I absolutely do not," Chase said immediately. "I will make sure she knows not to mess with her."

Karolina was working out when her phone chimed that signature tone, telling her that someone had opened the gate to the house.

She grabbed her phone and headed up stairs, rolling her eyes when she spotted Nico, Gert and Chase all crowded around the door listening.

"Guys," Karolina sighed.

"Sh," Chase shushed.

Karolina rolled her eyes, listening for a few feet away.

"Give me a sec," She heard Molly say, before the door opened and knocked each of their heads with a satisfying 'clunk', before it closed again.

Karolina couldn't help but crack up at her friends, all rubbing their foreheads. "All of you deserved that." she said, heading for the living room.

Nico came in a few seconds later, eyeing Karolina.

"What?" Karolina asked, a little smirk, on her lips.

"You look good." Nico commented, sitting down beside Karolina, throwing her legs over her thighs.

"I've just finished working out,"

"Exactly," Nico smiled, placing a hand on Karolina's cheek, pulling her face round to look at her. "We should go shower."

"After we hear about Molly's date."

"Okay," Nico whispered, leaning in to kiss Karolina but just before their lips could touch Molly came striding into the room, Gert and Chase following after.

"She didn't make you do anything you didn't want to?" Chase asked, but Molly ignored him.

"How was it?" Karolina asked.

"Really good," Moly smiled. "We had sex at the back of the cinema."

"What?" Nico and Chase snapped.

"I'm kidding. God, she was nervous enough to hold my hand never mind that." Molly laughed. "And she knows who we are and still wants to go out with me again, even after what you two pulled."

She glared at Nico and Chase, who didn't look the least bit sorry.

"When are you guys going out again?" Gert asked.

"Tuesday," Molly answered, heading for the kitchen. "We're going to do drugs at the skatepark."

"You are not," Chase said, following after her.

"She's kidding, right?" Nico said.

"Of course she is," karolina rolled her eyes. "Shower?"

"Definitely," Nico let Karolina grab her hand and drag her upstairs.

"You're both gross," Gert called behind them.