DISCLAIMER: I don't own X-Men Evolution.

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            Wanda Maximoff leaned against the kitchen counter, a can of Pepsi in her hand. She had finished the cookies, a double pack of Strawberry Poptarts, and had some chocolate pudding. Her sugar craving partially sated, she decided to wash the whole thing down with soda.

            Suddenly, BAM!!! The front door slammed open. Wanda choked slightly and tossed her can away. She could hear the rain slamming outside. Intruders? In this house? Bringing her wards up, Wanda stealthily made her way out of the kitchen. It was the middle of the night! Right before she came in sight of the front door, Wanda almost pitied the thieves who'd dare to come and rob this house, especially in the pouring rain.

            Bringing her hands out, Wanda was about to blast the unwelcome guests into oblivion, but stopped herself just in time. Standing just inside the front door, dripping rain water all over the floor, was a very wet, bedraggled, and tired looking Pietro.

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            Pietro Maximoff had just finished doing what he did best; he ran. He ran for hours in the pouring rain, hardly getting wet at first. It was a game, who was faster, the rain or him? Turns out he was. But after a while, Pietro realized he wanted to get wet. He was cold on the inside, wasn't he? Well, now he would get cold on the outside too, get cold everywhere, until his body became frozen just like his soul was. Then he realized that, frozen or not, he was expected by a lot of people to be up and ready to fight tomorrow. Damn. So Pietro had run back home at around 5 AM, when it was still extremely dark because of the weather. About a block from home, he changed his mind and started to walk again, wanting to get wet for as long as he could. It was stupid, true, but since there was a good chance he would die tomorrow, he doubt it mattered whether or not he caught Pneumonia.

            Pietro reached the driveway and paused to look up at the manor. In the rain and in the middle of the night, the place looked almost creepy, yet it felt so much like home. Would he really have to hurt everyone inside there, in just a few short hours?

            Pietro opened the door a little forcefully, and it banged against the wall. He winced, hoping it didn't wake anybody up. He shut it and was about to make a run for his room when he saw something, or rather someone in the entrance to the hallway that made him freeze in his tracks.

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            "Wanda?!"

            "Pietro?!"

            Both twins had voiced the other's name in shock at the exact same time. Pietro saw that Wanda had her hands half way up, a fading blue aura around them, and realized that she had been about to hurl a hex at him. Good thing she stopped herself.

            "What are you doing?" Both of them asked in unison. They stopped for a moment, startled, then both said again,

            "I asked you first." Damn, this was weird. They both shut up for a while, and just looked at each other.

            Then Wanda walked up to her brother and hesitantly touched his arm.

            "You're freezing," she said softly.

            "I'm okay," Pietro said, shivering all the while.

            Wanda shook her head. "No, come on; we need to get you dry." Then she took Pietro by the arm and steered him upstairs.

            Normally, Pietro would have protested, shaking free and running off again. This time, however, the normally smooth Speedster gaped at his twin in astonishment and followed her blindly, wondering who this person was and what she had done with his sister.

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            Wanda dragged her brother upstairs almost mechanically. A small voice in the back of her head was screaming at her. What the hell do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to be wanting to kill this guy, not worrying if he's going to catch a cold because he's soaked with rain!

            Wanda ignored herself and continued. In truth, she didn't know why she was doing this. From the corner of her eye, she could see Pietro staring at her in disbelief. So he didn't get it either; good.

            On the last step, Pietro stumbled slightly, and this in itself was enough to show her how exhausted he was. Pietro, however, straightened up quickly and tried to pull away from her, muttering some excuse. Wanda frowned at him. He should never have gotten in such a state. What was he doing outside at this hour anyway?

            They reached her bedroom and she paused, uncertain. Then she shook her head slightly and opened her door, pushing Pietro inside.

               Pietro looked at her, even more surprised. "Wa-Wanda," he chattered, starting to protest.

               "Hush," she said, stepping out. She came back a minute later with a few towels and one of Pietro's pajama bottoms. All he was wearing now was a pair of boxers and a tee-shirt, which was what he slept in. Both articles of clothing, however, were completely soaked.

               "Change," she commanded again, turning to go out of the room. Pietro stared at her, still slightly in shock, but then stripped, dried himself, and put the pants on, the whole operation taking less than a minute.

               He sneezed despite himself, and Wanda came back just then with some sugar candy. She looked at her twin and frowned.

               "Sit down," she commanded, pointing to her bed. "You look exhausted."

               Pietro walked over to the bed, avoiding the broken glass, and sat down numbly, shivering again. He was still slightly out of it, not believing that his sister was actually trying to take care of him, and he was extremely tired.

               Wanda handed Pietro the candy. Whenever he did something stupid and exhausted himself like this, Wanda knew that he needed sugar in his body right away, or he would most likely collapse. His metabolism was like that.

               Wanda took one of the towels and started drying her brother's hair as he started munching on the candy. She sat down close to him, frowning more than ever. He was still shirtless, and when she touched him she could tell that the idiot was absolutely freezing.

               Wanda took the towel and started rubbing his arms and chest, trying to work heat into his body.

               "God, Pietro, you're freezing! Why'd you go out in the rain like that you idiot? You'll catch Pneumonia or something!" Wanda looked up from her admonishing for a moment and froze as she found Pietro staring at her, his intense blue eyes locked directly onto hers. Her twin, never tearing his gaze away, put one of his hands gently on her face and caressed her cheek almost reverently with his thumb.

               Something, almost like electricity, sparked in the small distance between the two. It was as if that mysterious 'connection' that people whose souls are one are supposed to have suddenly came into being for the two of them, in full force, after about 6 long years of laying dormant. Both gasped as they felt it; it was almost too much, but their gazes never shifted.

               The two stayed just like that, holding each other in their own way, for a long time; hours, minutes, neither knew, and neither cared. They couldn't have moved if they wanted to

               Both were staring each other straight in the eyes, looking into the same pits of sorrow, loneliness, and hurt despair they saw every time they looked into a mirror. No words needed to be said, and with the bond that had recently showed itself again, they both started to understand, all the while trying desperately to find the heart both thought they'd lost forever.

               Simultaneously the twins sagged slightly. They felt each other's exhaustion. This was simply too much, too fast. At the same time, at some unspoken agreement, both of them broke eye contact, and ended up panting, as though they had just participated in a strenuous physical activity. Yet the bond or whatever it was that revealed themselves to each other stayed, and it wasn't going to go away again that easily, for neither was willing to let it.

               Pietro's eyelids drooped. He really was exhausted; the candy only kept him from collapsing on the spot. Wanda saw this, and gently pushed her brother back on the bed, and pulled the sheet over him. She went to her closet and came back with an extra, heavy-duty woolen blanket to drape over him, for he was still obviously very cold.

               Sitting on the edge of her bed, she tucked Pietro in warmly with an almost motherly concern. His eyes were now completely closed, and his breathing even. It seemed he had gone to sleep already. Wanda started to get up from the bed but stopped in surprise as one of Pietro's cold hands grabbed hers suddenly. She came closer again and saw his eyes open, looking feverish.

               "I'm sorry, Wanda! I didn't mean it! He said-"

               "Shhh," Wanda said gently. "I know, Pie, it's okay. I know..."

               Pietro shook his head wildly, starting to chatter again. "No, but I didn't want to! I-"

               "Pietro!" Wanda said sharply, cutting him off again. It was no use getting him excited now; they could sort this out later. "It's okay now. I'm fine! Relax, Pie, please? For me..." she said, smoothing his hair back gently, trying to calm him down.

               It seemed to work; either that or exhaustion over took him completely, because Pietro shut his eyes and tried to sleep again. After about a minute though, Pietro shifted slightly, and still half-asleep, he said quietly, "Thank you Wandi."

            The use of her childhood name after so long, on top of everything else, was almost enough to break Wanda down completely. Almost. She paused for a few moments, waiting for Pietro to fall sleep. Then, when it seemed the coast was clear, Wanda bent down and kissed Pietro gently on the forehead. "You're welcome, Pie-Pie," she said softly, knowing he couldn't hear it. She turned and left the room almost immediately, so she didn't see the smile that appeared on her brother's face.

            Wanda was smart enough to know that nothing was actually resolved yet. The hurt they both had suffered was too great to be resolved in a few minutes of emotional exhaustion. There was also no telling what would happen in the battle tomorrow. Yet, that was all okay, because this was a start. For the first time in ages, Wanda felt almost complete. Her other half was back, not entirely, but back all the same. Pietro was her brother again, and for all she was concerned, at that moment, things were finally right with the world.

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Fini

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AN: Ta da! Told ya I'd update this. Sure, it took forever, (sorry about that), but I have reasons, none of which you want to hear I'm sure.

            Now, I know the last paragraph was kind of crappy; I added it simply for some closure, because I'm pretty sure this is going to be the end. This was a kind of good at the beginning, great in the middle, yet over-stretched at the end kind of fic. It's not much of an ending, but there simply isn't anything more to it. I never had a plot in mind while writing this, and to add one in now would just be forcing out the words instead of letting them flow, and that never turns out well. Sorry, that didn't make much sense; I just think my efforts would be better spent on some of my other writing, that's all.

            I offer my sincerest apologies to those of you who wanted more out of this fic, and my sincerest thanks to all of you who read, enjoyed, and of course, reviewed, my work. It's been a pleasure.