Chapter XVIII - The Home

"You are my sadness and my hope"

35 days before the tragedy

"I can't believe I was away for only over two weeks, and in that time you managed to get engaged and reconcile with our dad." Peter shook his head, dipping the spoon into his ice cream. "Next time I take my eyes off you, Dawn will get a sibling or you'll become a mutant queen or whatever."

Lorna laughed, eating such a large portion of vanilla ice cream that Peter wondered how much it must have made her brain freeze.

"I'm already a queen."

She winked at him. Peter had never seen her so happy before, and he had to admit that this kind of Lorna was the best one. He enjoyed spending time with her, and that had happened often over the past week. He was still bedridden, although he was able to walk more distance each day.

In any case, he had three sitters who changed every few hours. Five, if you counted Charles and Marcos, who checked on him a little less frequently. Peter only stayed alone at night, but even then he was not sure if his father was not standing over him like some kind of nightmare or Wanda was not levitating over his head. Once he had seen her come out of her own body and float above the ground, looking through some book. Two Wandas was a sight he would not forget for a long time.

"So are you and dad friends now?" Peter asked with a mouthful of chocolate ice cream. "Working out together, dining together, playing chess together? No more trying to kill him with your stare?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Peter."

"Oh, there it is!" He pointed at her. "You finally sound like my sister. I thought you were killed by this sweet girl I made laugh two minutes ago."

Lorna rolled her eyes and Peter could have sworn that the only thing that stopped her from punching him in the arm was his condition. Being battered had its good points. He grinned at his sister and popped another scoop of ice cream into his mouth, relishing the pleasant taste.

"We still have a long way to go. He gave me the costume and we went back to training. That's all."

"He also gave you a necklace."

"You're not jealous, are you?" Lorna smiled widely. "Did you also want a necklace? Should I tell father to get one for you?"

"Shut up."

Peter scooped some ice cream onto the spoon and threw it at Lorna. The brown substance went straight into her cheek. It hurt to laugh, but Peter bent in half anyway and laughed out loud so hard he could not breath. Lorna looked at him with undisguised anger, but after a moment she shook her head and rubbed the ice cream off her face.

"Once you've recovered," she drawled through her teeth, "I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll have to start a new recovery."

Before Peter had time to come up with a scathing response, someone knocked on the door. It was strange. No one ever knocked on his door. His family tended to enter his room without doing anything to prepare him for company. They invaded his privacy as if he had no chance of surviving without their supervision.

"I forgot to tell you that I invited someone to come visit you," Lorna admitted, rising from her chair to open the door. "I hope you don't mind. If you do, consider it a punishment for your stupid behavior."

"Stupid behavior," Peter teased her. "You sound just like my m-"

His voice caught in his throat as Lorna opened the door and Olivia appeared to them. Peter was always at a loss for words when he saw her. Even if he remembered her appearance perfectly and could recall it in his mind, which he often did, it still took his breath away. He was always struck by her beauty.

This time there was surprise alongside delight. He had not expected to see her. He had returned to Genosha a week ago, and she had not visited him until now. He had already given up hope, had already stopped thinking about her, and suddenly here she was in the doorway of his bedroom.

"I'll leave you two alone," Lorna said.

She snatched the empty box from Peter's hands and left. When the door closed behind her, the room went silent. Peter realized how unfavorable he must have looked. He was dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, partially hidden under a blanket. His hair was in a mess, he had not shaved since he had left his mother's house. It made him feel silly that Olivia had to see him in this state.

He admitted to himself that she looked as good as usual. She was wearing a white dress that matched her hair, and a dust jacket was thrown over it. Something had changed about her, though. She looked at him with uncertainty, even fear. She was still standing at the door as if paralyzed, so close and yet so far away.

Something prickled in Peter's chest, but this pain had nothing to do with the one that had been tormenting him for the past week. Looking at Olivia, something flashed in his mind, like the seed of a plan or a vague memory, but when Peter tried to grasp it, it slipped from his fingers and disappeared.

"Hi," Olivia broke the silence, looking down at her shoes. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Thank you." Peter leaned his head against the headboard of the bed. "Why didn't you come sooner?"

At first he had not intended to ask about it, but when the words left his mouth, he was glad he dared. He deserved the truth, even if it was going to break his heart. In truth, he had known it from the very first time he had looked into her eyes. He had known that sooner or later she would break his heart. So better it be sooner than later.

Olivia took a few tentative steps toward him, then sat down in the chair that had been occupied by Lorna until a few minutes ago. She folded her hands in her lap, playing with her fingers, and finally looked up at him. Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to flow at any moment. Peter hated seeing her like this.

"I thought you wouldn't like to see me," she whispered in such a quiet voice he hardly heard her.

"Why wouldn't I want to see you? You're my friend, Olivia. You're…"

He fell silent before saying something he would later regret. He hid his face in his hands for a moment, then took a deep breath and looked at the girl who had him wrapped around her little finger. She was crying. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Peter stifled the urge to wipe them off with his own hands and take her in his arms. He would do it if he knew she wanted it, too. He would do it, even if it was going to kill him.

"Didn't you see the sign posted on the door?" Faking a smile proved to be difficult but he managed to do it. "The one about not crying in this room? I had to put it up after my dad and Wanda tried to cause a flood in here."

Olivia giggled, wiping away her tears.

"That's a stupid idea."

"Since it doesn't work, it is indeed. Maybe Lorna is right and I really am an idiot." He moved closer to her. "Olivia… I've been waiting for you. I'm glad you finally came."

He did not know when it happened. One minute he was trying to comfort her, and the next he felt her body against his. Her arms were thrown around his neck. Her hair tickled his face. Her heart was beating right next to his. He hesitated for a moment and then put his arms around her. She smelled of flowers and coffee. Peter felt as if he was holding the whole world.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," she muttered, pulling back a little so she could look him in the eye. "Does it hurt much?"

"No," he shook his head, "I feel wonderful."

He simultaneously lied to her and told her the truth. The touch of other people hurt him, as if they had spikes instead of skin. His nerves were so strained that he could barely stand any physical contact. Yet despite the pain, he felt fantastic. When he pressed his forehead against hers, he stifled a groan and smiled instead.

Peter still thought that one day Olivia would break his heart but today was not that day.

33 days before the tragedy

Erik sat on the floor with his eyelids closed. He felt Charles' soothing hands on his shoulders, trying to take all the tension off him. For the past week, he had split his time between taking care of Peter, searching for the man who was responsible for his kidnapping, and training with Lorna. He had slept little. He had barely eaten anything. On top of that, he had been neglecting Charles, who had been understanding as usual but also kind of sad.

He felt like everything was falling apart around him. On the one hand, he had a better relationship with Lorna, Wanda was at full strength, and Peter was slowly recovering. On the other hand, there was a man out there who killed other mutants and stole their powers.

"It's personal," Erik realized suddenly.

"Of course, it's personal. He tried to kill your daughter and kidnapped your son. You want to find him not just because he's hurting mutants, but because he's tried to come for your family."

Erik turned to face his husband, catching Charles' hands, which became still in his grasp.

"No, Charles." He shook his head, the truth finally dawning on him. "It's personal for him. He attacked two of my children, but did not kill them. There's a reason the bomb missed Lorna's room and a reason Wanda and I were able to find Peter. Whoever he is, he really wants to provoke me. He is playing a game with me that I do not yet understand."

"Erik, darling, my life may revolve around you, but the remaining…" Charles paused, looking at his husband with eyes wide open. "Oh dear. I think I know who it is. It's the man who-"

"-told me about my kids, yeah," Erik agreed. "It's Jonathan Price."

How could he not have come up with this before? The pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together. Two months ago, Jonathan Price had taken him off the streets of Chicago and trapped him in some expressionless building. Erik remembered how he had not been able to use his powers back then, but he had been too stunned by the news of his three children's existence to fully understand what had been going on. Now he knew. He should have sensed metal in Jonathan's body or in the ground beneath them. He had failed because Price had stolen his power.

Still, he could not fathom why Price had sent him to get Wanda out of jail? What was the point of all this? Erik stood up and started walking around the room. He would not have known about his children if not for Price. Wanda would still be in jail if not for Price. Peter would not have confessed the truth about himself to him if not for Price. Lorna would have remained in Atlanta if not for Price.

It dawned on him so suddenly that he had to hold on to the wall to keep from falling. The truth was painful but undeniable. Erik ran his hand over his face as if to wash away all the feelings he was experiencing at the moment: fatigue, fear, anger. He looked at Charles hoping that the man had looked into his mind and there was no need to explain himself, but Charles seemed concerned and puzzled.

"Price wanted me to find my children and bring them to Genosha," Erik uttered his worst fears. "This fool gathered us all in one place to kill us."

What a clueless opponent he had. He appreciated Price's efforts and had to admit that he had really managed to get under his skin, but at the same time he could not help laughing at his stupidity. No matter how much power Jonathan Price had, he was still one mutant against a family of the most powerful mutants. He did not stand a chance.

"Lorna was right. The war is coming." Charles muttered in a grim voice, pulling up to the window. "We have to defend our home, Erik. Whatever it takes."

Erik smiled, walking up to his husband and putting a hand on his shoulder. He did not believe Price would win, but he was still going to spend more time training Lorna and helping Peter recover. They all needed to be ready when the final battle came.

Outside the window stretched long glades, a lake and a distant forest. For the past two years, peace had reigned in this place. This was the first time someone had dared to disturb that peace. Jonathan Price had no idea what awaited him. He thought he was clever because he had made Erik draw his children and other mutants to one place where, with a successful attack, they would all die at once.

However, Jonathan Price had not thought one thing through. It had not occurred to him that Erik was a dangerous player even in a game he did not fully understand, and with his husband and children by his side, he was invincible.

30 days before the tragedy

Wanda walked slowly ahead, supporting Peter, who clung to her arm and struggled to take steps. The wind could barely be felt, the air seemed heavy and hot. Even the presence of the lake to their right brought no solace on this day of July. Wanda was glad they had not gone out for a walk at an earlier hour but had chosen late afternoon. Otherwise they would have melted and blended into the grass like ice turned into water.

Peter wheezed beside her, but tried to keep talking the whole time. The smile never left his face. Wanda knew how much pain he was still in and it hurt her heart to see it. She admired him for how much effort he made to mask his true condition and maintain his characteristic cheerfulness.

But of all people, she was the one he could not fool. She saw the sweat beading on his skin, heard his heavy breathing, felt his deep-seated fear that he would fall to the ground if his sister did not manage to hold him tight. It all made the anger she saw in her father and Lorna's eyes every day grow in her as well. She felt the same way they did. That terrifying, inhuman lust to do harm to the one who had managed to break her brother - the one person whose light she could always count on.

"Wanda? You're drifting away again," Peter noticed, tightening the grip on her arm. "Where are you going in these moments?"

She shrugged her shoulders, looking at the water glistening in the light of the setting sun. This place was so beautiful that it was easy to forget all the pain that existed in the world outside of it. It was her home, but sometimes she had a terrible conviction that someone would one day try to take it away from her. She could not let that happen.

"I was thinking about the mutant who did this to you." She looked at her brother. "I know you've never killed anyone, and like Charles you abhor violence that leads to manslaying, but do you... Have you ever, maybe just for one second, wanted to go after Pine and hurt him as he hurt you?"

They stopped at the edge of the lake. Peter turned to look at the horizon, at the forest across the water. His gaze was irreverent, too serious for him. Wanda could not fathom what had happened in that building where Peter had been held. What had happened that had such a profound effect on him even if he did not remember it? It could not just be about physical pain.

There was something more underneath it all, something that had changed Peter in some way. What would happen when he finally understood what it was? How much would the truth affect Peter? How would he react if he found out what he really had gone through and how deep his trauma ran? Wanda trembled at the thought.

"Ever since I got home, I've been feeling this anger, which is something completely new to me," Peter spoke in a low voice. Wanda had never heard him so serious and sincere before. "Maybe that's what Dad and Lorna always feel. If so, I don't know how they can stand it. This anger makes me want to find that mutant and kill him with my own hands." He smiled at her sadly. "I guess I'm not a good person anymore."

"Of course, you are," Wanda assured him quickly, feeling her heart break for him. "You're the best of us, Peter. Don't let the pain overshadow your innocence and your kindness. These are just thoughts. Actions speak louder. And even if you did this, even if you killed him, no one would blame you."

"Well, I'll probably never get a chance. Dad wants to put his hand on that man, and I think you and Lorna do too, so I have to get in line and when it's my turn, there'll be nothing left." Peter shook his head. "I can't believe I'm joking about murdering someone. This family has a really bad influence on me."

Wanda smiled, enjoying the familiar look on his face. It was the Peter she knew. The one who always made her laugh and who lit up every moment with his presence. She could not lose him. She pulled him to continue on their way and they slowly moved ahead.

"Can I ask you something?" Peter said after a longer silence.

"Sure."

"Why haven't you tried to bring Vision and your sons back yet? What are you waiting for?"

She often asked herself this question. She could at least try, see if she was powerful enough to succeed. But she feared that if the attempt failed, she would break down completely and never try again. She already knew her limits, understood her power and her past that had shaped her into the person she was, but she still faced some resistance.

"I just don't think I'm ready," she answered, looking at her brother. "I still believe that when the time is right, I'll just know it. I'll feel it. It's silly, isn't it?"

"As the master of silliness, I can say it's definitely not silly."

He smiled at her in a disarmingly cheerful way. Wanda returned the smile without even thinking about it. They stopped again, this time in the shade of the trees. Peter breathed in the fresh air, croaking slightly in the process, and Wanda looked at him with undisguised sisterly love.

"You know… I'm not saying that losing Vision and the boys and being locked up in prison is something I remember fondly, but… If it wasn't for all the bad things that happened to me, I probably never would have met you, dad, Lorna, Charles, Dawn, Marcos... I'm really grateful for this family, Peter, and I'm really proud to be able to call you my brother."

Peter looked at her for a moment in amazement, as if she had told him that she was in fact an alien. Then, however, he drew her to him. Wanda laid her head on his shoulder, holding his back in the process, but Peter stood with his own strength. He placed his chin on the top of her head. They both looked at the sun setting over the surface of the lake.

"I love you too, sis."