Right and Wrong

by Synsidar

In this story: Wanda M. does "it" again. then Wanda does "it" too! Byrne's handling of the twins is refuted. Vizh apologizes to Wanda M. for his part in her years of torment. Wanda and her helpers work hard to make Becky comfortable. Becky and her friends learn about feminism and love. The story continues directly from "Magic's in the Air," but stands alone.

"Omigod. My doll is alive. Omigod!"

"Are you sure, Viv? Maybe the doll is possessed, or being animated?"

"No, Mom. Her skin-see? It's pink now. Real. She has eyebrows. And you can see her blonde hair under the dye I used."

"All right. So she's alive- Thanks to Tommy." The five-year-old boy had picked Becky up, thinking she was scared, and given her life in the process.

Wanda, Wanda M., Viv, and Holly LaDonna stood in the living room of Wanda's house, staring at the 11 1/2 inch woman at the bottom of the stairway.

"Hey!" Becky shouted. "I can hear you. I asked you who you are!"

"All right, Becky," Wanda replied. The four women came up to the former doll. "I'm Wanda, this is Holly, that's my daughter, Viv, and that's my sister, Wanda."

"Uh? You and your sister have the same name?"

"Long story. Never mind. Anyway-we're all glad to meet you. We know who you are."

"You should. I'm Becky, America's Dream Girl." She looked behind the women. "I'd like to sit down in one of those chairs behind you."

Becky walked briskly, but walking somewhere still took the doll-sized woman longer. And when she reached a brown recliner: "Can I help you?"

"Yes, Miss. . . Holly, is it? I can't jump that high."

While Holly helped Becky get comfortable, the two Wandas and Viv discussed matters. "She's apparently okay now," Wanda told them, "but she's going to need food or water eventually. Or she'll need to use the bathroom. What do we do?"

"I don't know," Viv answered. The 20-year-old synthezoid looked sheepish. "I don't have anything she can use."

"I was wondering about that," her mother said. "No housewares? No furniture sets?"

"No. Mom. It's not, like, I played with Becky. I just wanted to see how outfits looked on her."

"We'll need to buy some things," Wanda decided. She checked her watch. "A bit after 8. Viv, you have your credit cards, right?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Then you and Wanda go to Toys R Us and buy a full set of Becky accessories. If Toys R Us is out of stuff, then go to Walmart or Target. And while you're getting there, I'll look online for things. I'm concerned about finding a toilet."

"Mom, dolls have toilets now. That shouldn't be a big problem."

"They do? Well, then-"

"Wanda? Becky wants some water," Holly told her.

Crap! The first problem. "Uh. . . There are measuring spoons in the kitchen, Holly. Maybe the teaspoon will work as a cup."

"Okay."

Wanda quickly discovered that dolls didn't have working appliances, or much actual tableware. They did have lots of clothes. While she was looking at furniture, Viv called.

"Mom? The Becky line of home furnishings and accessories are just decorations. Like movie props. They can't actually be used."

"Darn. Well, then. . . You'll have to buy whatever furnishings there are that can be used. If Becky doesn't like them, tough."

Wanda decided that her sister and Viv could handle buying things. She returned to the living room, where Becky was talking about how wonderful her boyfriend was.

"Mark hunts, and fishes, and surfs, and plays basketball, and knows karate, and races, and cooks. He can do anything!"

"Mark sounds like a wonderful guy," Holly agreed.

"Absolutely! We're going to be married, and have enough kids for a basketball team, and horses, and a pool, and parties. Life will be wonderful!"

Such grand plans the girl had! "Wanda? Can I talk to you? Over there." Holly motioned to the kitchen.

"Sure."

As soon as they were out of Becky's earshot (they hoped), Holly said, "Becky is weird."

"That's not really a surprise, but- Weird, how?"

"She's hardly talked about anything besides her boyfriend, Mark. Who isn't even here. She's hasn't asked me questions about anything!"

"You're right. But. . . Anything is better than having the mind of an infant. We'll have to talk with her more and find out what she doesn't know."

As they returned to the living room, Wanda heard a sound. She looked up, and saw Tommy and Billy on the landing, nearing the stairs. She immediately rose up to stop them. "Boys! You're supposed to be in bed!" At least they had their pajamas on.

"We just wanted to see what Becky-"

"No, Tommy! You're not going near her!" The sudden anger, bubbling up, shocked Wanda. Remember, he's five years old, she told herself.

"Auntie? Did I do something bad?" Tommy's lower lip was trembling.

"No. . . You didn't do a bad thing. Just. . . I don't know. . ."

"I'm sorry, Auntie. The lights went out, and I thought Becky was alive, and I picked her up, and she talked to me, and I put her down, and. . ." Tommy looked up at her helplessly.

That was the disconcerting thing about Tommy's power: that he could transform a doll into a human being unintentionally, by just thinking about it. "Don't feel bad about it, Tommy." She patted him on the shoulder. "You boys go to bed and have a good night's sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

Back downstairs, Holly was running out of things to talk to Becky about. "Wanna go upstairs and watch TV? MTV might have some new videos."

When they reached the stairs, Becky consented to being carried up them. "Jumping up the stairs would be hard!"

Once Becky was seated in front of the TV, watching the latest music videos, Holly and Wanda went into the hallway. "I hope Wanda and Viv come back soon," Holly said. "Talking to Becky is wearing me out."

"They should be back soon. So-you're not a party girl?"

"No! All Becky wants to talk about is whoever's hot, and Mark. Maybe it's because she doesn't have anything else to talk about, but- Sheesh!"

They went back into the rec room, and sat down by Becky. "This video is good," the small woman commented. "I wish Mark was here to see it."

"Um. . . Becky? Do you have other friends that you chat with?" Wanda asked.

"Yes! Leah, Justine, Stacey, and Robyn! I love talking with them. Can they come over?"

"I don't know where they are right now, but- I'll see."

Viv floated up into the rec room through the floor. "Mom, we're back. We got some stuff Becky can use."

Down by the door were two shopping bags and a large box. "What's in the box? Wanda asked.

"A dollhouse! Five feet high, with 30 pieces of furniture. It originally cost $200 but it was an online return, so we got it at Walmart for only $160!"

Only $160? For a dollhouse? Wanda wouldn't have spent that on a dollhouse, but- Maybe Becky would like it.

"We found a toilet that actually flushes at Toys R Us," Wanda M. informed her sister. "The bowl opens up into a bin underneath. It's amazing what they're making nowadays."

The purchases were brought upstairs, where the women got to work. "Putting this dollhouse together is going to take awhile," Wanda M. informed the others. "Holly, will you help with that?"

"Right!"

While Holly worked with Wanda M. on assembling the dollhouse, Wanda and Viv went through the other purchases with Becky. Wanda quickly saw that they'd had trouble finding actual tableware.

"Yeah. We couldn't really find much, Mom. The Our Generation accessories are terrific, but they're too big for Becky."

"I'd like to have sets, so I can have parties," Becky commented.

"We'll work on that," Wanda promised. "Right now, I just want you to be able to eat decently. Um, are you hungry?"

"No."

"All right. If you do get hungry, we've got yogurt. Or I can put cheese on crackers."

Becky didn't respond, and seemed uninterested in going through the accessories, so Wanda turned her attention to the dollhouse. "How are things going?" she asked her sister.

"We could use some help," Wanda M. admitted. "According to the instruction booklet, putting everything together will take two people two hours. There are a lot of little pieces that snap together."

Wanda checked her watch. "It's nearly 10:00. Viv, let's help them finish so everyone can go to bed."

The added hands helped, but it was 10:30 by the time the dollhouse was all put together. A spiral staircase went from the bottom to the top floor.

"Becky? You look tired. Would you like to go to bed?" In Becky's situation, Wanda thought, she's be worn out."

"All right." She looked up at the women gathered around her. "Thank you for putting the house together. I just-I just wish Mark was here. Or my friends. I miss them!" She looked at strands of her hair. "And I want to get this green color out of my hair."

"I'll see what I can do about having some of them come over tomorrow," Wanda assured her. "We can fix your hair tomorrow too."

"Here's a nightie for you," Wanda M. said as she handed the garment to Becky. "There's a closet on the third floor that you can put your dress in." Becky pulled off her dress, revealing a sleek, toned body, and also revealing that she had no underwear.

"Oops," Viv said. "I guess we didn't think of buying that."

"We can deal with that tomorrow," Wanda told her. Becky walked upstairs, put away her dress, and got into bed. "I'll leave this cup of water next to the bed," Wanda said. "And there's a night light, so it won't be too dark in here."

"Thank you. Good night," Becky responded. She closed her eyes.

"That didn't go too badly," Holly said, as the women clustered in the hallway.

"Yes, it could have been worse," Wanda M. agreed. "She seemed so. . . tired. I hope she has more energy tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is another day," Wanda said. "Wanda, you've got to go to work tomorrow. Let's get to bed. And Holly-is it too late for you to drive back home?"

"Yes, it is," Holly admitted. "I'm not a night owl."

"I have room," Wanda M. said. "You don't hog the covers, do you?"

"You don't kick, do you?" Holly responded.

"Ha!" And with that everyone retired for the night.

Wanda checked on her husband. Vizh was still lying on the bed where she had put him, still wearing his suit. That was the norm; he didn't move around and didn't feel the need to shift position when he was in recharging mode. Falling asleep, though, was not normal. He appeared to be functioning properly, though.

She was about to undress when a thought struck her. Tommy's power-she had seen very little of it being used, but she and Vizh had speculated on how it might function. She had a theory, and could test it in the morning, after Tommy got up. If it was accurate, she could save herself a lot of trouble by having the right things. Walmart was still open, so she drove over there and shopped.

Wanda awoke a bit after seven. She saw that Vizh was awake, and dressed. "You're up. You're okay, then? Everything's fine?"

"Yes and no. Last night, I had what could best be described as a religious experience. God spoke to me."

"What did He say to you?"

"That magic was my family's curse, but was also my family's salvation. That my familial bonds could be a source of great strength, but also a cause of weakness. That I should use my aura wisely."

Huh. The entity that Wanda M. had dealt with weeks ago had said the same things about magic. "Did you see anyone? Was he speaking telepathically?"

"No. I seemed to be adrift in a luminous space. The voice emanated from inside me."

"Your experience seems to be similar to Wanda's."

"Yes. After God (so to speak) finished talking to me, I felt my aura, my connection to Wanda and the boys-and I realized just how badly I'd failed her when she needed me the most." Vizh sat down heavily on the bed.

"Failed her how?"

"After I was abducted, taken apart, and then put back together, and the children began to vanish mysteriously-you remember that?"

"I do." Wanda had perfect recall of her flesh-and-blood life, whenever she cared to retrieve the memories, but there was a remoteness, as if all those things had happened to someone else. "Go on, dear."

"Well, I believe, based on what I know now about my bonds with Wanda and the boys, that I was the cause of their disappearances."

"You were?"

"Yes. My bonds to the twins had been broken, and they were too young to deal with the resulting pain and discomfort, so they fled to safety. Wanda could pull them back for a while, but eventually she couldn't. Then everyone told her the twins weren't real, and I agreed with them. I let them tell her lies, hurtful lies, instead of helping her find them. Damn it all!"

"Vizh, Vizh. . . I can't speak for Wanda, but I don't blame you for what happened then. If I did, I wouldn't have married you. I recovered from the breakdown, Wanda did, and the kids are back. . ."

"They are, but Wanda's wounds from her mistreatment haven't healed. I need to tend to those."

"I won't disagree with that. But- you're sure you're okay?"

"Yes. All that data processing yesterday pushed my systems to their limits, and the physical separation from Wanda and the twins might have weakened me. So-I ended up falling asleep, but that should be a one-time occurrence."

"That's good to hear."

"I'll take Wanda to work this morning and help heal her."

"Good. Things happened while you were asleep, though. Tommy brought Viv's doll, Becky, to life."

As she explained what happened, her husband was startled at first, but he quickly fit the development within a framework. "Becky is magically alive, not biologically alive. I don't think the differences are huge, but the takeaway is that Tommy can't create life. He transforms. We'll have to test that, but-"

"We were thinking along the same lines, Vizh. I got some things last night to test his power on."

"Let's do that after they have their breakfast. I'll see if they're up yet."

Viv had already left, to resume work on her college physics project, With Holly leaving, Wanda M. going to work, and Vizh going to the White House for a meeting, today seemed to be a good day for housework. Aside from a phone call into CNN about Annie's performance yesterday, Wanda's schedule was open.

Wanda M. woke up around 7:30 am. "Ah. Plenty of time to get ready for work." She decided to let Holly sleep while she showered, did her stretches, dressed, grabbed an energy bar, and checked on the kids.

Vizh and the boys were in the dining area when Wanda M. made her way there. "How do you like your oatmeal, boys?"

"I wanted Cocoa Puffs!" Billy complained

"And I wanted Sugar Frosted Flakes!" They weren't getting sugary cereals anymore, though. Wanda had decided they weren't getting enough outdoor exercise. Until the threat of being attacked was gone, playing outside the house would require constant surveillance.

"You want to grow up to be big and strong, don't you?"'

"Yeah!" they both cried.

"Then you have to eat the right foods."

Whether an energy bar was a right food was debatable, but Wanda M. hated taking time to make breakfasts, and having to clean up afterwards. Throwing away a wrapper was much easier.

She had time to wash the boys' bowls and spoons before it was time to leave for work. No sign of Holly; she'd have to go tell her goodbye.

Wanda M. went back to her bedroom, where Holly was still asleep, face down. She gently shook the young woman's right shoulder. "Hey! Hey, Holly. Time to get up!" A little more shaking did the trick.

"Wha-? What is it? Oh, Wanda!"

"Good morning. I couldn't leave for work without telling you goodbye!"

"It's that late?!" Holly checked her watch. "Oh, gosh! I'm sorry, Wanda."

"Oh, nothing to be sorry about. I sleep in whenever I get the chance. But it was great to see you again! I hope you can come back sometime."

"Oh, I will." Holly gave Wanda M. a quick hug. "Have a great day!"

"You, too!" She was heading out the door when Vizh stopped her.

"Wanda, let me drive you to work today. I have something to talk to you about."

"Oh?" He didn't look grim, which was a relief. She could always tell when a lecture was coming.

"About us and the boys." Vizh put Wanda's moped in the back of the SUV. Wanda M. gave him the work site address, he punched it in, and they were off.

"Seeing Holly again was great. We had fun together, but then I had problems with PPD, and then we went back to the West Coast Avengers, and things just went to hell. . ."

"That's actually what I want to talk to you about Wanda. Getting out of hell." He didn't have his lecture face on, Wanda thought, but he seemed different.

"Last night I became aware of my spirit, and of the pain in yours. I'm responsible for so much of that pain, because I stood by while people tortured you over the children, and then we let you torture yourself for years."

Wanda M. quivered slightly in her seat, but said nothing.

"If magic is my-my family's salvation, then it can be yours too. I want to heal you." Vizh let his aura sweep out to embrace her. He had never had faith in anything till last night, but now that he did, he knew that faith was power. Wanda needed faith in herself-in her ability to do the seemingly impossible.

"Vizh. . ." Her eyes went wide. He'd had the same experience she'd had! And now he had power- She could feel the pain from all those awful memories ebb away.

Both were silent for minutes, as they luxuriated in the feeling of shared trust. Why should they ever doubt one another again?

Vizh finally withdrew his aura, ending the magical moment. Reality called, but they knew they could do this again, if the need arose.

The SUV pulled up to the lot where Burchett was working. Vizh got Wanda M.'s moped out and checked to make sure her helmet was attached. She walked up to him and planted as affectionate a kiss as she could manage on his right cheek.

"Vizh, thank you. Oh, thank you so much." She hugged him hard. "I feel better than I have in. . . Years and years."

"Let's keep that going. Have a good day at work, Curly!"

Back at the house, Holly had gotten herself put together and made her way down to the dining area. "Good morning," Wanda said. "Do you want any breakfast?"

"No, thanks. I overslept, and I have things to do before I go to work this afternoon. So I'd better be going."

Tommy and Billy came into the room, each carrying a glass of ice water.

"Oh! I hardly got to see you little rascals while I was here. But I suppose you were too young to remember me."

"We 'member you, Holly!" Tommy cried.

"Yeah! We seen you lotsa times! We had 'ventures with you and Mommy!" As he raised his glass, water sloshed out onto the table.

"'Ventures?"

"Adventures, he means-"

The table interrupted, in a small, tinny voice. "Ooh, that water's cold!"

"I'm sorry, table!" Billy grabbed a napkin from the holder on the table. "I'll mop it-"

"No, Billy. Not the napkin. I'll get a paper towel."

As Wanda mopped up the small spill, Holly marveled. "Huh! The table talked, without Billy really doing anything!"

"Yes, the furniture is getting talkative. They don't have much to say, but-" Wanda shrugged, as if to say, "What can you do?"

"Wow. You have a bunch of stuff going on here! If people see what Tommy and Billy can do, they'll freak out. If they see Becky, they'll freak out!"

"Perhaps we should go public with everything and have a freakout party?" Wanda laughed wryly. Holly smiled. Visiting here was as exciting as visiting Wanda in Leonia had been! But Billy's mysterious comment about adventures-?

The boys had left the room before Holly asked Wanda, "How could they have seen me lots of times or had adventures with me, when I wasn't with them?"

"I don't know, but it's the first clue I know of that things were happening while Wanda was gone for three years. Holly-could you come back next weekend?"

"I suppose so. I have next weekend off. . ."

"I'll talk to Stephen and see if he can make a teleportation spell for you, so you won't have a four-hour drive."

"Oh! That would be great! So I'd just wish myself from place to place?"

"Basically. I don't know how much a five-year-old can remember, but any insight we can get into that three-year gap is worth pursuing." They exchanged good-byes, and Holly was off.

Rain was falling when Vizh returned. "How did your mission go?" Wanda asked.

"Very well. . . I think. I felt a connection to her, and her mood definitely improved. So we'll have to see." He sat down at the table and gave his wife a plaintive look. "Wanda and I are bonded through the children, perhaps for the rest of our lives. She. . . deserves to be happy, and I'll do whatever I can to make that happen. But we have our own lives to lead too."

"So that's what we will all do. Live life from one day to the next, because no one lives happily ever after."

There was silence. Then, "Vizh, let's see what Tommy can do with those things I bought last night." While her husband went to get the Walmart bag out of the foyer closet, Wanda went up to check on Becky.

The little woman was seated in front of the TV in the rec room, watching the Today show. "How are you this morning?" Wanda asked. "Want anything?"

"Someone to talk to," Becky answered, without turning her head. "Mark. Or Leah. Or Robyn. Someone."

"I'm working on that," Wanda told her. "I'll be back."

In the dining area, a bra, a pair of panties, a dinner plate, a container of disinfectant wipes, a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, and some other daily necessities were lying on the table. Vizh brought Tommy over to the table.

"Tommy, Becky needs some things. I hope you can help." She pointed to the bra. "Can you change that into bras that are the right size for Becky?"

"Sure, Auntie!" He looked at the white 32B bra and it disappeared, replaced by a stack of miniature bras.

"Excellent! Can you do the panties, too?" Another flash. "The toothbrush?" After Tommy changed all the items into piles of Becky-sized goods, Wanda asked him, "Are you feeling okay? Tired at all?"

"No, Auntie. That was easy. Can I go watch my tablet now?"

"Yes, dear. Thank you for the help."

Vizh waited until Tommy left, then commented, "That was impressive."

"Yes. And you were right. He didn't even have to think about what he did."

"No, the power does the work. As though there were a genie listening, responding to wishes. That has implications."

Wanda gathered up the supplies and put them in a box. "Well, knowing that Tommy can do that convinced me that we should provide Becky with some friends. Caring for three of the women might not be any harder than caring for one."

"You're right. By the way, Senator Gutierrez called. He wants to meet with me before the White House council meeting this afternoon. I'll have to do my meeting prep and then leave in about 40 minutes. Are your plans for the day the same?"

"Yes, they are. If it stops raining, I'll let the boys play out in the backyard for 30 minutes." She went over to the foyer closet and brought out the two dolls she'd bought last night.

"These are Robyn and Stacey, two of Becky's friends. As far as I could tell, they don't have designated boyfriends." She grimaced. "If two minutes after they come to life, they ask where the guys are, I'll be upset. Becky's fixation on Mark is bad enough."

"You'll have to see. Maybe there's a different direction they could take, something new and fulfilling."

That was an idea. What could she give oversexed young women to think about besides men?

While Vizh went off to do his meeting prep, Wanda took her box of supplies up to the rec room.

"Here, Becky, these are for you." She put the supplies in front of Becky's house.

The young blonde turned from the TV to see what Wanda meant. Her eyes widened. "Oh, wow! Thank you, Mrs, Wanda!"

"You're welcome. But you can just call me Wanda." She picked up a tiny brassiere. "If you don't mind, I'd like to find out right away whether these undergarments fit."

"Okay." The bra and panties fit perfectly, as Wanda had expected, although Becky needed some help with the bra straps. Once Becky was dressed again, Wanda smiled, it was good to see her looking decent.

"Robyn and Stacey will be coming over later," she told Becky.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Will Mark be coming too?"

"No." Becky's disappointment convinced Wanda that providing Becky with a Mark was the wrong thing to do. Falling in love, much less having babies with a man, should not be a programmed function.

Wanda left, after filling Becky's water jug and seeing if the toilet had worked. It had.

She caught Vizh on his way out. "I hope your day goes well, honey."

"Me too. It's unfortunate that saving the world has become politicized, but that's American politics today." He kissed her on the cheek and left.

The CNN phone call was twenty minutes away. Wired wanted an e-mail interview, but over three days. There was enough time to take a quick look at books on feminine independence, empowerment, and love.

The CNN phone call was short; the producer hadn't found anyone willing to argue that spending the money on Annie's brain was wrong. So Wanda made her point that a synthetic brain, even if it cost over $1 million, was much better than simply keeping a victim's body alive until it died.

The rain continued; until the early afternoon, the forecasts said. So Wanda busied herself with housework: changing the bed sheets, vacuuming, dusting, emptying wastebaskets.

After finishing the housework, Wanda pulled up her e-mail, then stopped. Was she putting off having Tommy bring Robyn and Stacey to life? Going outside with the boys should come first, but- Tommy's power unnerved her. Better to admit that, and deal with it, than to lie to herself.

She looked outside. The rain had stopped. Now was the time for a precious 30 minutes of outdoor fun. Then the dolls could be changed.

Wanda sat on the back deck and watched while the twins ran around, and kicked balls. The soccer balls went "Oof!" The Nerf balls they threw at each other went "Ow!" which they thought was hilarious. She didn't take her eyes off them during their play time. If some attacker seized on a moment of distraction to abduct a child, she'd never forgive herself.

After the boys went back inside , Wanda got the two dolls she had bought. Robyn had light brown hair, while Stacey was a brunette; otherwise, they were identical to Becky. She laid them on two hand towels and went to get Tommy.

"Could you do something for me?"

"Aw, I'm playin' Pong. See?" The old arcade game was running on his tablet.

"I'll pause it for you," and did so. "Now, come with me." She led him to the dining room, where the dolls were lying. "Tommy, will you bring these two dolls to life for me?"

The boy glanced at them. "Okay."

Wanda turned from Tommy to the dolls, and found that they were now doll-sized human beings, breathing and blinking.

"Can I go now?"

"Yes, Tommy. Thank you." The boy left. Bringing something to life was apparently no big deal for him, which wasn't fine. Wanda saw no way to make it a big deal; five-year-olds weren't philosophers. Doing what he did should be harder, though, she thought.

The two little women were sitting up, looking at her. "Who are you?" Stacey asked.

"I'm Wanda. I run this household. And you are. . .?"

"I'm Stacey, and this is Robyn. We're friends of Becky's. Are she and Mark around?"

"Um, Becky's upstairs. I'll take you there." The two friends were silent as she carried them upstairs. They clearly weren't biological life in any normal sense, since they were born as women, already knowing things about themselves, but not knowing just how they were different-Wanda wanted that information.

Becky was sitting on the love seat, watching Ellen, when her friends and Wanda came into the room. "Robyn! Stacey! Glad to see you. Have a seat!" Wanda placed the women alongside her.

"Ellen has a good show today! When it's over, I'll show you my house." Wanda glanced over at the house, and saw that Becky had put away most of the supplies. "Are my friends going to be staying here?"

"Yes, they are," Wanda replied.

"Then they'll need their own houses, I guess."

"Maybe. I have an idea, though. Just watch TV while i get the rooms."

Wanda descended through the floor to the lower level, and got the rooms she had bought at Walmart. If the women found them acceptable, they'd be cheaper and easier to take care of than the house.

The women stayed focused on Ellen, chatting about the guests and their clothing, while Wanda placed the rooms on the two polished wooden boards placed alongside Becky's house. Each board had a bedroom, vanity set equipped with a bathtub, kitchen, and dining room. At the next commercial break, Wanda invited the three friends to inspect the setups.

"Oooh, nice!" was Robyn's assessment. "I love taking long, hot baths!"

"That will do," Stacey decided. "I'd like a house, but maybe when I'm married. . ."

"Thank you, Wanda," Becky told her. "That was nice of you. Will Leah and Justine be coming? And. . . Mark?"

"I don't think Leah and Justine can come over. Mark won't be coming."

"No! Why not? I love Mark. He's my. . ." Becky's loud voice had attracted the attention of her friends. They came over to see what the problem was. "You know how much I love Mark," Becky told them. "He's my everything! I can't imagine how I'll go on without him. . ."

Becky was passionate, but her love for Mark wasn't real. It had been programmed into her, while her two friends didn't have her problem. Could Becky's programming be countered or eliminated? Wanda decided to try.

"Becky?" The trio looked up at her. "I'm sorry that you're sad right now, but- Love is for souls, not bodies! I can show you what that means. I'll be back," she told them.

Wanda went to her bedroom and got her reading tablet, then went back to the rec room. "Here." She sat on the love seat and turned off the TV. "Would you rather sit beside me or on my lap?" Becky decided to sit on her lap. "Have you heard of Betty Friedan?" They hadn't. "Have any of you read Sapphic Love Letters?" They hadn't. "Let's read about what women can do for themselves."

The little women were more interested in feminism than Wanda had thought they'd be. The boys had only been bored when she'd read stories to them, but maybe that was just them. The few interruptions that occurred from the boys wanting snacks and from phone calls were quickly handled. When she reached the end of the book, Wanda was enthusiastic: "Women can do just fine by themselves and don't let anyone tell you that they can't! We don't need men for anything except, well, making babies."

"Have you had babies?" Robyn asked.

"No, Robyn. I can't do that." Though I wish I could, she thought. "You can have babies, I'm sure, but it's something to do when you feel the time is right, not because someone else wants you to."

They moved on to the other book. Wanda asked her pupils if they knew Ellen DeGeneres was a lesbian. They did, but they weren't sure what that meant. What it meant, Wanda proceeded to explain, was that women could love each other as deeply and as romantically as a man could love a woman. She began to read letters and poems to make her point.

The women responded enthusiastically, so Wanda stopped after a few minutes. She didn't want them to be carried away. "Wanda, if you're done reading to us. . . could you get this color out of my hair?" Becky asked. At that moment, Wanda M. entered the room.

"Hi, Wanda."

"Hi, sis. You look tired."

"Just a bit. My muscles are sore, but- I had a great day at work!"

"So sit down and tell me about it." Wanda told the little women she'd be back with them in a few minutes, gave them a tablet to play with, and returned to her sister.

"I had a little trouble with the rain at first. I had to cast a hex every five minutes, because the clouds moved. But then it occurred to me that I could ask the clouds to not rain on us. And that worked!"

"The clouds spoke to you?"

"Not exactly. I could hear a bunch of voices in my head, saying 'Yes.' But it worked! And i was able to sense that a tree we were going to plant was diseased, and I was able to cure it!"

"That's wonderful."

"Yeah. Mel was thrilled! And I got along fine with everybody, and Marcy asked me if I wanted to go out after work tomorrow evening. So-a great day! I did break a couple of fingernails on rocks"-Wanda M. examined her hands ruefully-"so I'll have to clip them. Otherwise- And how did your day go?"

"Pretty good. The boys played outside for a bit, I got some housework done, had the CNN segment, worked with Tommy on his power, talked with the ladies about love. . ." Wanda checked her watch. "Coming up on dinnertime. Let's get the dye out of Becky's hair."

When Wanda announced that Becky was going to get her hair done, her friends decided they wanted their hair done too. "Wanda, let's do their hair in the master bathroom."

The women liked having their hair washed and treated. They were full of ideas on how to style and decorate each other's tresses, and had lots of ideas for Wanda and her sister too. Too bad a woman couldn't go to a salon every day. Soon the little ladies were back in the rec room.

"I'll make the boys dinner," Wanda M. volunteered. "I've hardly seen them today."

"Okay. Ladies, do you want anything to eat?" They surprised Wanda by saying yes, they wanted cheeseburgers, fries, and Cokes. That wasn't Wanda's idea of healthy eating, but it wasn't the right time to object.

"I have to go to Walmart to get some more undergarments and other things for our roomers, so I'll pick up the food on the way back."

"Will Vizh be back soon?"

"I think so. He hasn't called to say just when."

Vizh had just landed on the doorstep when Wanda returned from her shopping trip. "Honey! How did your day go?" she called out as soon as she got out of the SUV.

"I'll tell you about it, after we sit down somewhere." He looked pensive-an uncommon sight.

"Was there a problem?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'll put this stuff away, and have Tommy resize the food I bought, and then we can talk."

Wanda decided that giving Robyn and Stacey bras and panties to wear could wait until the morning. She put the clothing and supplies in the closet, and went to find Tommy. He, Billy, and Wanda M. were working on a page in an "I Spy" book in the boys' bedroom. "Tommy? Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Auntie."

"I have some food here for the ladies. Could you make it the right size for them to eat?"

Tommy took the McDonald's bag, looked inside, said "Okay," and handed the bag back.

"Thank you!" As she went upstairs, she saw that the cheeseburger, French fries, and Coke had been converted into six miniaturized servings each, all in their original packaging. If having Tommy attend to the ladies' meals was that easy, how could she not do something harder?

The ladies were watching a fashion show on E!. Their knowledge of fashion was amazing. Designers, pricing, labels. . . She might learn a lot from them. After watching them for minutes, she gave them the food, warned them not to spill on the love seat, then left the room.

"Wanda?"

"Yes, sis?"

"Now that you're back, I'm going to take a hot bath. I'll be in there a while, if something comes up."

"All right." Wanda found her husband in the living room, still wearing his business suit. She sat down on the sofa by him. "What happened today?"

"A foreign policy shift. The Administration wants regime change in various countries around the world, so- When the Avengers confront megalomaniacs who want to 'take over' areas, we should redirect them to the targeted countries."

"'Redirect'? You mean, let them take over some countries?

"Exactly. North Korea, Syria, most of the countries in Africa. Iran would be on the list, but it's too big."

"Vizh, that- That's crazy!"

"That was my reaction, although I couldn't say it. There would be so much death and destruction!"

"And-would a megalomaniac stop with one country?"

"Pence and his advisers think that could be handled with threat assessments. If the villain doesn't stop with one country, then take him out-after the regime has been eliminated."

"That's still crazy!"

"Yes." Vizh sighed. "After the meeting ended, some NSC staffers wanted to vent, so I listened to them vent for over an hour at the Blue Elk."

"What a terrible way to spend a day!"

"Absolutely. That's why Gutierrez called; he wanted to warn me about the topic. I wanted to think about more pleasant things while I was sitting there, so I pondered the possibility of having Tommy make me human."

"Human?!"

"I know I haven't talked about this before, but- With Tommy bringing the doll to life, and my recognition of the bonds I have to Wanda and the boys, and the chess affair, I just think a change would be good. I'm sure Tommy can do it."

"Probably. "

"We don't know exactly how his power works, but my sense is that a god acts through him. That's reassuring."

The suddenness of the idea of possibly becoming human had been shocking, but the idea certainly wasn't bad. Wanda was comfortable in her synthetic body, but she could be just as comfortable in a human body, maybe have her own children, her own bonds with Vizh. . . "Yes, let's consider it. You know that if you become human, I'm going with you."

"I wouldn't do it without you." He kissed his wife lightly on the lips. "We'll have to discuss it with Viv and Wanda. We have too many responsibilities to take a leap into the unknown. But- I think the change would be liberating."

Maybe, she thought. "I'll be thinking about that the rest of the night, Vizh. But I still have some work to do. E-mail, the interview with Wired. . ."

"And I have to produce a report about today's meeting for the Avengers. I'll see you later."

Dr. Strange had sent an e-mail, Wanda discovered, explaining that he was in another dimension the previous night when the Earth had been transformed briefly, so he didn't know what had happened. He was looking into it. She was working on the interview questions when Wanda M. came in.

"Wanda? The boys are in bed, and our three new tenants-I don't know what to call them-are asleep too. They cleaned up after themselves. I'm going to turn in too."

"Have a good night."

Wanda M. had thought on and off all day about what Vizh had done for her that morning-how wonderful it was that he would actually fault himself for her breakdown and all the problems that followed it. He had faith in her! She yearned for that spiritual tonic.

So, instead of going to sleep, she was standing in the doorway of his and Wanda's bedroom, barefoot in her nightgown. He was sitting on the side of the bed, in his pajamas.

"Vizh?"

"Yes, Wanda?"

"This morning, in the SUV. . . What you did was amazing and wonderful and. . . I'd just like to feel that good about everything before I go to sleep."

Expressing his love for her required no effort. He still couldn't see his aura, but he felt it extend to envelop her, and touch her spirit.

"My. Oh, my god. . ." She sagged at the knees. The emotions, so intense! Memories of love and lovemaking went by in seconds, but one image transfixed her: the most beautiful baby girl she had ever seen. "Diana?" Was that the baby girl she thought she might have years ago?

The infant, as if she heard Wanda M.'s whisper, reached out and smiled. Asking to be born? Oh, yes, Diana, she thought. Yes, you darling girl, I want you.

"Wanda? Are you all right?" She opened her eyes and found herself on her knees, with Vizh prepared to lift her up.

"I-I think so." But after that tremendous high, she felt weak, drained. "Something wonderful happened, darling. I'm not sure exactly what. . ." She struggled to her feet. "Could you help me? I don't know if I can make it to my bedroom."

If I have Diana inside me now, I'll find out soon enough, she thought, as Vizh helped her get into bed and under the covers. Then she was asleep.

Vizh was back in the bedroom, sitting on his side of the bed, when his wife rose up through the floor. "All done with your work for the night?"

"Yes. I feel good about my talk with the little women. Maybe we can figure out how their minds work, and get them to think about themselves." Wanda began to undress.

"Wanda stopped by to wish me a good night, and I wished her one too, with my aura. A little too vigorously, perhaps. . . I could use some more practice."

"You want to try using your aura on me again?"

"Yes. But I don't want it to be a scientific experiment. Let's have some fun." He looked at her, naked except for her panties, and smiled. Wanda knew exactly what he meant.

After several minutes of intimacy, Wanda straddled her husband. She made sure he was comfortably nestled inside her, than began to sway back and forth, When she had been married to Vizh before, their sex had been loving and tender; now, it was loving and fun. She began to move faster.

"Now," he said. That was the signal. She expected to feel something-but not disorientation. The world dissolved around her.

"Huh? What's going on. . . ?" She was now sitting fully clothed in an office, empty except for a desk, chair, and tablet. The device displayed a question, INITIATE CHILD PROCESS?, with YES and NO buttons below it. Below the buttons was a list of personal names that began with AARON.

Child process was a computing term, she knew, but how could this be a computing question? Vizh couldn't be doing this, and if he wasn't- The only explanation that made sense at the moment was that Vizh's god was doing this. It was communicating with her, asking her if she- If she wanted a child?!

That seemed crazy, but no other explanation came to mind. There was no HELP function. She called out,"Hello? Anybody? I could use some help here!" Nothing. She would have to decide for herself.

Since becoming pregnant in the human sense was impossible, the child had to be code, whether the code was running on a device or would be implanted inside her. How would the god benefit from her carrying sentient code within her? She had no idea. It was giving her the option of declining, and if it merely wanted her body, surely it could take her over, as she'd been taken over so many times before.

If she were to just consider the question: Yes! A hundred times yes! If she picked NO, she could be throwing away an opportunity for her own child that she might never get again. Talking with Vizh about being human wasn't the same as being human. She was sure Vizh wouldn't be upset. He knew she wanted a daughter of her own. Gods worked in mysterious ways, but she felt safe in assuming that this god wouldn't hurt her. She touched the blue YES button.

The question was replaced with an instruction: SELECT PROCESS NAME. She could now scroll through the list, which began with AARON and ended with ZSUZSA. She knew she wanted a daughter, so the male names could be ignored. But- What were APHRODITE, ASTARTE, and ATHENA doing there? She scrolled down to the Ks and saw KALI. No, the situation was strange enough already. Selecting the name of a goddess would just raise confounding questions.

When she was pregnant years ago, she'd considered Diana for a daughter's name, but that was Wanda Maximoff's choice. She wasn't that woman anymore. She liked names beginning with the letter K. . . KARLA seemed good. She touched the name on the tablet's screen. The words PROCESS INITIATED flashed on the screen. Then the world dissolved again.

When Wanda's world resolidified, she wasn't disoriented. Instead, she experienced the ebbing sensations of an orgasm. Her body hadn't missed her. She'd barely had time to react to the change in location before her system monitor issued an alert: SENTIENT CODE NOW OCCUPIES SPACE PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED TO OS BACKUP. More alerts followed instantly; ENERGY LEVEL FALLING BELOW 20 PERCENT! SHUTDOWN ADVISED! She had time to tell her husband, "Vizh! Something wonderful happened, but low on energy! Recharge!" before she shut down, wondering what she would wake up to.

Synsidar/SRS/Steven R. Stahl

The writer does not claim ownership of any of the characters in this story.

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