"Hello cherie." A lanky shadow fell over the patch of sunshine she was sprawled in. Sharing a house with a pack of boys, didn't leave her much choice in the way of space. Whichever one had bothered her was going to pay. She didn't even bother to open her eyes.

"What do you want, and how likely do you think it is that I'll help you if you if you keep blocking the light?"

The shadow moved over two steps. "I hear the belle femme is often in your company."

Wanda looked up, peeved. Gambit had been one of her father's goons. To her, at least, this was not a point in his favor. Add that to the fact that Magneto had once sent his orders to the Brotherhood through him and there was no reason to want to see the mutant again.

"Who?" She decided to sit up for the rest of this conversation.

"Rogue, ma cherie. Have you seen her?"

"You know where she lives, don't you."

"Yes, but this Cajun has found the inhabitants of the Institute to be a trifle, difficle. I would like to speak to her outside."

"If I remember, I'll let her know. Go away."

"But,-." Gambit was cut off by the sudden blast of blue hexlight that Wanda wielded.

"Go away." Laying back down, and closing her eyes, Wanda dismissed him as effectively as if she had shut a door in his face. Her father had a similar knack for the trick.

No sooner had the Gambit gone, Pietro was hovering over her demanding who had been there. So much for relaxation and privacy.

"Gambit wanted Rogue." Maybe if she just told him he'd run off somewhere.

"Why?" There was an undercurrent of emotion in his words.

"What do you care?"

"Last I heard, he had left Father."

"And I suppose that is inconceivable that someone would ever leave Him. After all, Magneto is perfectly capable of disposing of those closest to him. He doesn't need help."

"Hey! You know, it wasn't all fun and games once you'd gone. We didn't have cops and principals demanding to know what kind of home life had developed your violent temper, and that was a relief, let me tell you, but things still sucked."

"Yeah, I suppose being abandoned, locked up and drugged was a reasonable response to a kid's anger. How silly of me."

Pietro was furious now. "You were out of control, calling attention to us! Because of you, I-." His eyes went wide as he choked on the words.

"What?" He didn't answer. "Pietro, what happened when I was gone?"

The words came slowly and quietly. "He started getting other mutants to join. Some of them were just as belligerent as you used to be, but they were older." At this, Pietro stopped talking and thought. Wanda, remembering a little of what Rogue had said, stayed quiet. "Father said that we had to protect ourselves when they started attracting attention. They were weak and knew too much. Anyway, after, Father said that since I was older and could control my power, I had no excuse to screw up."

A small burble of hysteria finished his reminiscence. "You, dear sister, got put away, I would have been put do-."

Wanda was no fool, and could read between the lines as easily as anyone else. Whatever it was that Pietro couldn't tell her was terrifying him. He looked as lost and alone as she had felt at her old alma mater.

Perhaps this was why she moved to stop him from finishing his thought with one of the few genuine gestures she had ever given him.

Nothing, not even a fierce hug from his sister would let Pietro forget what his father could do. Despite how much he cared for Wanda, there was no way he could go against his father. Rebellion was not for Magneto's children; how could he make her see that? If getting involved with someone whose loyalties had proven shaky and someone who apparently had joined the Acolytes and left them could hurt her, he had to somehow get her away from all that.

Damn! After the whole Apocalypse disaster, he had thought so much of their baggage had been laid aside. Had Rogue done something to Wanda when she touched her? And to think, he had once liked the bitch.

But for right now, Wanda was hugging him. Maybe something of their old closeness had not died when she had gone away and he had moved on.

"Hey! Pietro, man! Phone for you!" Toad bounced out into the backyard. "Yo, sweets, how 'bout hug for me?"

The connection ruined, Wanda hex Toad horribly so that he lay there, twitching. When she stalked up to the house, Pietro was already inside, standing nervously with his ear to the receiver.

"Yes, I understand. Alright, sir. Yes." His hand was shaking when he hung up.

"What's was that?" Wanda's voice seemed more understanding, but that would change if he told her the truth of his conversation from his father. Her loyalties were more with Rogue than they were with him. Pietro had his orders.

"Nothing much. Father had to leave town."

"That's good."

"Yeah." In a burst of speed, Pietro left the house. First he had some information to collect.