Chapter 4

Bittersweet

Todd had set out to finally confront Wanda and tell her the truth, the only problem was, there seemed to be no time to talk to her. When she wasn't in the bathroom or something, Pietro was there with a list of sibling oriented things they could do, at one point they'd actually gone to the Zoo... and were promptly kicked out. Thankfully do to the door knob mysteriously breaking in the closet Pietro had gone in to get the vacuum, Wanda was finally free of him.

"I can't believe I had to lock him in a closet to get some alone time," sighed Wanda as she collapsed on the couch behind where Todd sat in his bean bag.

"Pietro's been in the closet for years, this will just set him back a little," smirked Todd, who beamed when he heard Wanda snicker.

"I told him the handle broke and I needed to go find a screwdriver," said Wanda.

"Uh... hey Wanda, can I talk to you," Todd bit his lip as he went to get out of his bean bag.

"Sure... issues?" asked Wanda as the bean bag refused to let him go.

"I think someone... you have got to be joking, yo!" yelled Todd, again trying to get off the bean bag.

"What?" asked Wanda, standing up and walking towards him.

"I swear to.... I'll kill him!" yelled Todd, grabbing at the bag.

"Why wont it come off?" asked Wanda, tugging at it.

"Because I put super glue on it," said Pietro walking down the stairs.

"You super glued him to his bean bag?" asked Wanda, still tugging at it.

"I think your new codename should be Turtle," said Pietro with a smug smirk.

"How'd you get out?" asked Wanda, brow raised as she gave another tug at the bag.

"Kicked it.... Toad, what are you doing?" asked Pietro looking behind Wanda.

"Getting out so I can kill you," said Todd sliding out of his shirt.

"Ha! It's still.... crap!" yelled Pietro, darting away as Todd unzipped his jeans and hopped after him in his boxers.

"....." Wanda sighed and sat back down.

Wanda looked at the clothes laden bean bag and smirked, but it didn't last as he mind began to try and decipher the nightmares of the night before. It was about her scars, and.... it seemed to be there only explanation, but not a logical one. She felt the cushions go down and she looked to see Todd had returned, a determined expression on his face. Pietro was no where in sight for once, she raised a brow as he took a deep breath.

"How'd you get dressed so fast?" asked Wanda, as he seemed to be trying to think of something to tell her.

"Huh? It's been an hour since that happened...." Todd caught her shock flicker across her face.

"Oh..." she glared at the table.

"Wanda, there's.. ohm something I need to tell you and its important," said Todd, biting his lip as if he wasn't completely sure he should tell her.

"What?... Come on, spit it out," glared Wanda, as he was taking too much time to speak.

"Its... its about your nightmares.... you see... well, I shouldn't start that way, yo," said Todd, "I would've told you sooner... but ohm... I kind of wanted you to stick around... I know I shouldn't have, but..."

"Stop your rambling Toad.." said Pietro with a glare, who then smiled at his sister, "Hey why don't we ditch swamp breath here and go to the mall?"

"Pietro..." Todd was cut off.

"Stop it Toad!" growled Pietro.

"It's not right..."

"You didn't have a problem with right or wrong before now," snapped Pietro, "So.. just shut it!"

"She has a right to know, yo! It might stop the dreams..." said Todd.

"Or make them worse..." Pietro and Todd's argument was put to a stop.

"Pietro, just back off. What is it Toad?" asked Wanda, with a sigh.

"It's nothing, just a stupid idea, come on lets go," said Pietro quickly grabbing her arm.

"Pietro!" yelled Wanda, pushing him away.

"Wanda, please?" asked Pietro and a flicker of desperation ran across his face, enough that was only meant for her to see, but it was enough to make Todd rethink what he was about to do.

"I want to hear what he has to say," said Wanda, her eyes narrowed.

"... okay," Pietro dropped her arm and walked up the stairs, slower then he normally would.

Todd watched him leave, slightly taken aback. He'd half expected Pietro to stay there and argue everything he'd say, but this... this broken confidence was a little scarey. Then another thought accrued to him, Magneto hadn't even talked, let alone threatened, him not to tell her. Todd looked backed towards Wanda, realization hitting him, the only thing stopping him was Pietro.... and he'd just given up. Todd's whole being tensed, perhaps it was a mistake after all? When there'd been a guard over it, he'd been less scared, but here it was, the secret was ready to go, but... he wasn't.

"Ohm... Wanda," Todd sighed looking into around nervously.

"Will you just spit it out," grumbled Wanda.

"Your nightmares are real.... that's... that's why you can't remember things like how you got here..." said Todd quickly.

"...." Wanda stared for a moment and the she started to laugh, "Good, one..."

"...I'm... I'm not kidding," said Todd looking her in the eyes, "You were locked in an Asylum, and Mastermind erased it... giving you.. happy memories or something.... and I ain't much of a good friend not to tell you.... I'm sorry."

"... your... your serious..." Wanda's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah... and... but... Wanda?" Todd watched as she stood up, her face blank, he suddenly flinched, expecting to be hexed.

Wanda watched this and looked around the room, her nightmares and dreams.... were supposed to be real.. but... A flash went across her eyes, not of the Asylum, but when Mystique brought her here, the couch, the cowering, Pietro's fear, there scared faces... Agatha.... The Bridge... A blurred image of Mastermind even... her head was spinning and she couldn't hear Todd's voice anymore, this was unreal. She found herself walking up the stairs, Pietro sat at the top. She looked at him, waiting for him to laugh and say 'Got Yah!'... but it didn't came, his expression was a mixture of fear, angst, and anger. It cemented it, even more so when the image returned of a child's version of his expression fell into her vision.

"Pietro... is it true?" asked Wanda, she barely recognized her voice.

"Father put you there when your powers got out of control... and I.... I..." Pietro looked away and nodded.

Pietro watched his sisters face go blank as she walked to her room, the door didn't slam, but slowly clicked. The sound of her sliding against her door could be heard. All three occupants of the house held the same lost look and crumpled stance, all wondering the same thing, "Was it for the best to know?"

It was quite in the house as of the previous week. Lance and Fred had returned from the store to the awkward silence. Now even after the passing time, neither of the three involved had been seen anywhere near each other. Wanda didn't leave her room until everyone else had gone to be, her screams were more frequent at night, but her door was always locked. Pietro's normal chatty self seemed to havve gone on vacation; if he wasnt in his room he sat around sulking, and if Todd walked in, he would emediatly dissapear. Todd's peppy nature was gone and he spent most of his time in the basement or in the yard. Every night he and Pietro would rush to Wanda's door and when they couldn't get in, they'd avoid each others gaze and flee quickly to their rooms. Lance and Fred had finally stopped going to the room at night, but this was getting on their nerves, as well as Mystique, who'd been filled in on what was going on.

"You better talk this out!" yelled Mystique as Todd and Pietro had accidentally walked into the room at the same time.

"Whatever," both let out the same grumble and exited the kitchen.

"Pietro..."Todd tried as they both cleared the living room.

"Just back off wart," snapped Pietro zipping up the stairs.

"I can't believe..." Todd grumbled as he walked up the step and headed to Pietro's room, he knocked after a few minutes, "Pie.... can we talk, yo."

"About what?" asked the door being flung open, his eyes narrowed.

"About... well what happened last week?" suggested Todd, a little happier that Pietro at least opened the door.

"Which part; you telling my sister? Her freaking out? The fact she wont so much as acknowledge me? What?" asked Pietro, in dark voice, but something else in it cause Todd to back away, sincerity.

"Pietro... I know that telling her wasn't planned out the best, I mean, it could have... well went better..." said Todd.

"Better? How? She would have hexed us and be done with it, your right at least.... you know what if I had my way Mystique would have minded her own... nevermind," Pietro went to slam the door, but for once Todd was faster, as his foot blocked it.

"Pietro, what if Mystique had never got her? You were gonna leave her there!?" yelled Todd, walking in, his eyes narrowed.

"Leave, you don't know anything Toad. Everything would have been great if she'd not interfered at all," said Pietro, "It would have worked out fine!"

"How's that? She'd spend the rest of her life in the place for crazies, you'd be an Acolyte? What? Cause right now, you ain't making headway?" said Todd, pushing past Pietro and shutting the door.

"She wouldn't have been there much longer," snapped Pietro, "And I wouldn't have been here either."

"... what?" asked Todd as Pietro's face fell and he sat down.

"I... she was only supposed to be there for ten more months... ten... that's all..." said Pietro, biting his lip, "I had it all planned. My father put her in there with only certain visitations.... I wasn't allowed... so long as I was under age. But in the ten months, I would have been eighteen, and I wouldn't need permission because I was her brother."

"Wait... so... you," Todd sat down across from him, "You were gonna get her yourself? Then.... leave?"

"... go.." Pietro glared at the ground.

Todd left without fighting to stay. As he went to his room to think, he began to wonder about what could have been. If Mystique hadn't gotten Wanda and Pietro had... what would have happened? She would have still tried to hunt down her father.... or maybe not, it all depended on how Pietro would have handled her after getting her... his thoughts began to weave what would have happened, and in his room Pietro did the same. It was a long night, but Pietro walked to his sisters room and knocked. He heard movement inside and the door handle move, then stopped.

"Who is it?" he voice was softer than normal, he had a small amount of hope.

"Wanda, its me..." his hope was diminished as he heard the door lock and her return to the other half of the room, "Wanda please talk to me..."

"...." he heard a sigh as if she was going to but stopped.

"Please... I'm sorry okay, just please open up...." he returned to his room after nearly five minutes of staring at the door.

Wanda stared at the door, but no more sound came, the house was silent. She picked up the book she'd taken the night before, it was the crappy scrapbook that no one really knew who was updating... maybe they all were, she knew she had once. She flipped threw its duct taped pages and horrible pictures, these memories were nothing to her anymore... they'd been a lie, all of it... That's what she kept telling herself, but her conscience refused to give in.

TBC

Oh what will happen next I wonder? More Angst? Family? Friendship? Words of Advice? X-men? Okay.... NO X-men, got it :D