I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

For Good

Wanda directed the items of the household, which were apparently moving independently, into their proper place. Among them was a crib that carried two baby twin boys, one dark haired with a more conservative demeanor, while the other was white-haired and a real bundle of energy. She sighed as she watched it move up the stairs.

Then she returned her energy to the box she had lettered: SENTIMENTAL. This was mainly filled with photos, though there were a few exceptions at the bottom, which she was going to save for last. First up was a family picture of herself, her brother, and her father. She hung it up on the main hallway, leaving room for the others.

Following was one of her and the Brotherhood, then one of her and the Avengers in civilian identities, then one of her on her wedding day, then one of her and the children on the day they were born. Looking at them made her feel misty-eyed. All the people she had known, good or bad, had made such a real impact on her. Her father and her brother, who taught her about family and how you made your own. Her first group of friends, who taught her that sometimes the good could be the bad and the ugly. Her second group of friends, who taught her that you had to take control of your own life.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend

She didn't know whether she was a good person, or if they had made her one. But she knew that they had changed her for good.

Maybe she'd never see them again. Never again meet the people who had made her so much of who she was. That was sort of fine, because that would be like re-meeting an old teacher: it ruined her image of them. Best to keep the ones you admire on a pedestal, where they can live forever, then make them mortal, where they can leave you.

They fail you. They let you down. Or worse. The only people in this world she could ever completely trust…are the ones she made. My little boys. A tear escaped her eyes. My Thomas and William.

Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

In the end, who knows if she had become a better person? If she had really ever changed from being the Brotherhood Witch of the West to being the Good Witch of the Avengers. She remembered all the people she had saved, and thought so.

Now to her room. A small place, but cozy. She put a picture of her and the boys and Vision (with an illusion over him so he looked normal) on her dresser, and a picture of herself at Pietro's wedding on her counter. Then she settled down for a nap, dreaming of the life she had. A nightmare, but it had good parts…and a hopeful ending.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But I Have Been Changed…For Good.

AN: The End! But if you liked this, I want a review. Because this is the prequel to another, longer fic, and I won't start it until this fic has 25 reviews.

Look for my upcoming fic, a tale of heroism and high school, under Children of the Atom!