Take Two
This is going to be of those reunion type stories only hopefully less confusing since not every single pairing has kids whose names you'll have to remember. Actually, for all the people in this story there are only (counts quickly) four and a half kids (yup, someone's pregnant). Oh, and there's one original character but that's it. Wanda mentions her in this chapter, she's the one with the Beetle (the car not the insect). And the rating is for later chapters and is subject to boosting.
Hopefully, the situations for the characters are original enough not to bore everybody.
And, finally, a list of the couplings: ROMY! Tam, Jonda, Lietro, Kiotr, failed Lancitty, Freddy/an OC you only hear mentioned once or twice, and I'm pretty sure that's it though this may get added to later.
Warning: Scott has a backbone in this and there is major Jean and Evan bashing, just not in this chapter.
Disclaimer: Whatever you recognize, I don't own. Whatever you don't recognize, I either own, or I don't and you just don't recognize it.
696969696969696969696969696969696969696969696969696969696969
"Brother dear, get the mail."
"Get it yourself."
"Pietro, I'm busy."
"I'm the guest here, I shouldn't have to-"
"Terry! C'mere sweetie!"
"Alright, alright. Slave driver."
"I heard that." Pietro smirked despite the overwhelming threat of having The Terriator (Terry for short) unleashed on him and took his grand old time getting to the mailbox posted at the end of their driveway. This gave him plenty of alone time since it was an exceptionally large driveway to match the exceptionally large house. It was no X-Mansion, of course, but it was big enough to boast not only a main house but also a large apartment/carriage house adjoining the garage.
The carriage house was where Pietro was staying during his visit to his sister and niece. He was currently enrolled in a university musical arts program in Virginia but made it a point to spend every summer in California with Wanda. The beach was just a hop skip and a jump away, practically at the back step. The house itself was a creamy yellow, one that his gothic sister had once been dead set to paint over.
Pietro had made it about halfway to the mailbox when the front door opened behind him and what could only be The Terriator was released. The speedster smirked maniacally and sped up. He got the mail and made it back to the house to slam the door on the poor dog before it could even bark. Piet laughed at the ratty Australian terrier as it clawed and whimpered at the door.
"Too slow, as usual!" Wanda strolled up to her brother, knowing full well why he was laughing maniacally at what was outside.
"You do that every day," she pointed out. "Hasn't this lapse of originality ever bothered you?" Before her brother could answer Wanda grabbed the mail and strode into the kitchen, barking an order over her shoulder loud enough to be heard upstairs. "Kelly, move! You're gonna be late for work!"
"I'm up!" came the debatable response from Kel's bedroom. Someone could be heard moving around upstairs in the silent house and Joan Osborne suddenly broke the silence.
'If God had a name, what would it be? And would you call it to his face, if you were faced with him in all his glory? What would you ask if you had just one question?'
Pietro leaned his back against the door and reveled in being part of this close-knit family. He could still remember when Wanda first left him willingly (kinda). Hell, he could still taste his tears. He didn't show his reaction to the abandonment to anyone, of course, but none the less he was the first one Lance came to comfort, despite Todd's obvious wailing just down the hall. He cried into Rocky's shoulder until he fell asleep in his arms. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone but Wanda, of course.
It turned out later that Tabitha and some other girl he knew vaguely had kidnapped her to California. Pietro laughed every time she described her reaction to waking up gagged and trussed up like a calf in Tabby's friend's little green Beetle with a rotweiler-looking dog licking her face. She stayed in California for three years, made a new life for herself, won a huge amount of control over her powers (meditation, it seems, was the needed element), graduated university at the top of her class, even adopted a little Japanese six-year-old rugrat.
The rugrat who was currently stomping down the stairs at the 'mature' age of fifteen.
It wasn't an easy new beginning, of course. She'd lived at a boarding house here in California too, then moved into her own flat once she got enough jobs to pay rent with a wealthy friend pitching in. Her neighbors below her were way too comfy with her for her tastes, considering Kelly had been living with her a year since then and at least one guy made it a habit to regularly show up naked to borrow the use of her shower. The guys still stopped by often, usually to mooch, but Wanda always humored them.
But, back to the rugrat.
'What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home?'
"You left your stereo on." Obviously, but it was Pie's uncle-ly duty to point out such things.
"I know."
"Just so you know."
Amused, he followed the teenager into the kitchen where Wanda had lain out their breakfasts. A plate of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, oranges, ham and grapefruit for Pie, and a bowl of Captain Crunch for Kel. Wanda leaned against the fridge and pawed absently through the mail while they ate, Pie being done in a few seconds.
"You're gonna give yerself heartburn."
"Yes, Mom." Wanda's nose crinkled at Pie's longstanding nickname for her and she looked up from the mail long enough to stick her tongue out at him. Before she could bury her nose in the bills again she noticed the music coming from upstairs.
"Go turn off your stereo. And hurry up, you're gonna be late."
"Gee, whatever will Greco do without me? I mean, it's not as though anyone else there can wash pizza pans."
"Stereo?"
"Later."
Wanda sighed and resumed her focus on reading the mail. With a sweep of her hand, the music upstairs changed and sent Kel running to turn it off.
'It's like, it's like, ooh, heey, what? It's like, wow! Ooh, heey, what? It's like, w-'
"Low blow!"
"Get dressed! Pietro, look at this." The speed daemon rushed to her side after putting his plate in the sink to clean later. An envelope with loopy calligraphy was passed on to him. "Open it and read it to me."
And with a wave of her hand I've been demoted to 'butler', Pie thought in amusement. The heavy paper was hard to tear open and the invitation inside was stiff to unfold, obviously expensive.
"Alright. Mr. and Ms Maximoff-. Are you even listening?" Wanda nodded from where she paced the tiles, nosing through the rest of the mail and waving him on. "Mr. and Ms Maximoff, you are invited to a- Hey, it's the X-Geeks!"
"Are you sure?"
"The Purofessa-sama?" Kelly, not sure if what she overheard was right, asked when she returned to the kitchen in her Greco uniform. Her mother squealed.
"You look so cuuuuute!" Wanda moved in for a cheek pinching just as Kelly freaked and took off, yelling back at her uncle to hurry up with her ride. At Pietro's amused smirk his sister shrugged and muttered something about 'moving her ass'. Pietro zoomed out the door and grabbed his niece. Dropping her off at work with only slight windburn on her part he returned just as quickly to Wanda's side. She was pouring some tea and asked him if he wanted some. He said no.
"Should we go?"
"I'll call Lance," the man of the house decided. "See if he got one too."
Wanda nodded absently and sat down with the morning paper to enjoy her morning pick-me-up.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
It been years since Lance'd ever talked to Pietro, so naturally he was happy to hear from him. After Wanda left they had gotten very close, maybe too close. Lance almost wished Pie would never leave.
But he did, and now he was getting in touch with him again as though they hadn't had a wedge between them for a good five years. Lance was understandably freaked out. Had anyone told him about he and Kitty? About how she had skyrocked to success and taken him along for the ride because a husband was good for her pop-queen image? About how they had only been together a year because there was only real feelings on his side? About how the divorce had only now been finalized but she had managed to gyp him out of really getting anything? What if he didn't know any of it? What if he wants to see him again? Were they ever really 'seeing' each other to start with? Would he-
"Lance? Lance, you alright? You dead?" Oh shit!
"No! No, I'm fine really. Just a little surprised you called. What'cha need?" Oh God, now it sounds like I'm trying to get rid of him! But Pietro didn't notice the blunder.
"You get anything from Xavier in the mail lately?"
"Uh, yeah, few days ago. Where're you now, anyway?"
"Um..." Obvious hesitation. "I don't think Wan'd like me to spill. Sorry, Rocky."
"You're with Wanda?"
"Yeah. So you going?" Huh?
"Huh?"
"To Xavier's?"
"Dunno, you?" Yeah, that's it, real smooth.
"Only if you guys are. We don't wanna be the only 'baddies'." We? W- Oh right, Wanda! Well, easy answer there.
"Great, I see you there." WAIT! WHAT'RE YOU DOING! You're ending the conversation, you idiot!
"Bye."
"Pietro, w... Never mind." Lance muttered the rest of his sentence to himself as he hung up the phone, ending its pointless buzz of the dial tone.
696969696969696969696969696969696969696969696969696969696969
Next chapter up has two of the other kids and some Evan bashing. Stay tuned and review, please and thank you.