I couldn't let him get to her. No matter what happened, no matter what the cost, I couldn't let him get to her. He would destroy her. Her; the thing I cared about above all else, the one thing in this world that I truly loved. I couldn't let him get to her, but she was so far out of my reach, getting father every second. Soon she would fade entirely from view. No, I couldn't let that happen. I had to bring her back to me. I had to keep her safe. I struggled to reach up to her, to fight to get far enough up that I could be by her side as her protector, but the more I struggled, the farther away she became. Within seconds, she disappeared completely. No! Wanda! Wanda!
"Wanda!" I shouted and bolted straight up in the bed I had been thrashing around in. The blankets were strewn about and all the pillows had been thrown to the floor. My heart was still hammering, and I felt a cold sweat beading my body.
"You too?" a voice asked, and I jumped violently. Wanda was sitting in the window seat of my room, looking at me worriedly. Bright sunlight was streaming in through the window behind her, telling me it was at least noon. I let out an exhale and tried to relax, reminding myself that it was just a dream. The problem was that the dream had faded, but the nightmare still remained. Magneto was real, and he was coming after her. Even worse, I had no idea how to stop it from happening. Wanda must have seen my thoughts on my face because she came over to me and sat next to me on the bed. "I'm here, Toad," she told me gently. I wondered if she would reject to me touching her, but I was so shaken by the feelings I was experiencing that I had to make sure she was real. I slipped my hand into hers, and she let me.
"I hope you slept better 'n I did," I told her, but I knew by the look in her eyes that she hadn't. It must have been worse than I thought because she closed her eyes and laid her head on my shoulder.
"The professor isn't back yet," she told me which answered my unspoken question. "He, Scott and Logan left this morning with the jet."
"He'll be back," I told her gently. Neither of us moved for a long time, choosing instead to take all we could from each other's presence. I wondered if I could have stopped this, if there was anything I could have done to prevent it. Was there? None of us knew what Magneto had been planning. None of us knew to what extent he would go when he felt threatened. But I knew what he was capable of. I should have known he'd have some atrocious back up plan in case the memory-stealing didn't work. I should have done something. Maybe I could have stopped Tabby from helping Wanda regain her memories. If she had stayed blissfully ignorant… But I knew that was a lie. Tabby said she had been seeking answers long before they had teamed up. Wanda had known something wasn't right with her perfect world.
"What are you thinking about?" Wanda asked me, pulling me from my thoughts.
"If you could, would you go back? I mean to believing in the happy family picture." She was quiet as she thought about it, then pulled her head off of my shoulder to sit up straight. She looked at me for a bit, then away.
"No," she said finally. "I wouldn't. The idea of it was nice; having a father that had always loved me, all of the terrible memories washed away, replaced with good ones. I wasn't afraid anymore, because I couldn't remember what there was to be scared or angry about. But it just... I don't know. It felt…ugly. Wrong. Like I was living in a movie, but not reality. Even though I didn't have the memories, I still had these emotions that I couldn't understand. And the nightmares were terrible. No, I wouldn't go back. No matter what happens, I know the truth now. Living like this is better than living a lie." She stopped and looked up at me again. A faint ghost of a smile lit her lips, and her eyes lightened just a shade before she continued. "Besides, there are some things that I'm beginning to like on this side, things that probably never would have happened if I had stayed in the dark." A gentle hand came up slowly, as if unsure at first, then was cautiously placed on my cheek. I smiled at her, and she gave me a smile in return. But, as always, the moment wasn't allowed to last.
The door to the room I was staying in burst open to reveal that annoying kid, the one who could make duplicates of himself. His eyes widened to an impossibly large size as his jaw dropped.
"It's true!" he shouted.
"Jamie, get outta there!" I heard Tabby shout, and he was promptly the target of one of her explosives. He dodged, but just barely.
"Kitty said they were here! I just wanted to see," he whined. Wanda dropped her hand and scowled. I knew she wanted to do something, but was under strict rules to not antagonize any of the x-men. We all knew that all it would take was one mishap to dredge up old memories along with old grudges. Wanda had been the biggest threat against them, and the one reason they had ever lost to the Brotherhood. That had to hurt their pride still on some level, which they could easily take out on her now. There was a knock on the door frame before Tabby peaked her head in.
"Good ta see you're both up. Uh, sorry about Multiple, he's just a little stupid sometimes." Wanda just shrugged in response, though chose to stand as well and I followed in suit. "If you guys wanna grab something ta eat, I'll show you were the kitchen is," she offered.
"That's a nice way of saying we're to be escorted everywhere we go, in case we feel like snooping or picking a fight," Wanda remarked dryly. Tabby crossed her arms and jutted her right hip out, a move I was well familiar with by now; she was pouting.
"Now that's not fair. Professor X said you're our guests, 'n you should be treated as such. I just wanna show you around." Her arms dropped, and with them so did her act. "And, well. Maybe it might help the others to see us together, ya know, not tryin' to rip each other apart. Look, just think of me as your insider's tour guide to mutant mansion."
"Y'know, not that you mention it, food does sound pretty good," I said. I knew Wanda would be feeling the same way too. Tabby stepped out of the door way and held out a flourished arm to the left, indication which direction we should go.
"Next stop: Kitchen! By the way, how did you sleep?" she asked Wanda.
"You snore," Wanda said in a mild voice. Tabby's face scrunched up as we headed off to the kitchen.
"I do not! Toad, tell her I don't!" Tabby demanded. My eyes shifted from Tabby to Wanda and back. Tabs just rolled her eyes and threw one arm over each of us.
"Look, we can't go getting all awkward now, we were having such a nice time. We should get this out of the way right now before it gets any bigger."
"Tabby-" I started. I knew where she was going with this, and I knew exactly how blunt she could be. She cut me off before I could get any farther, saying the exact thing I was hoping to avoid.
"Let's put this out in the open, so we can all get over it. Everyone knows Toad and I used to get together sometimes. Everyone also knows the reasons we got together, right Wanda?" Wanda didn't look any more pleased than I felt with the subject. What Wanda and I had at the moment was still all up in the air, I wasn't sure what this conversation would do to it. I didn't even know if Wanda was the jealous type. She never spent time on any type of relationship before, not that I knew about anyways.
"Tabitha, what are you getting at?" Wanda asked her in a tired voice.
"We should all just accept everything that has happened, and that is happening, and move on with it," Tabby said cheerfully. "I'm happy for you, Toad. Seeing you with Wanda just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, like no matter what happens, there can always be a happy ending."
"And now what will you do?" Wanda asked Tabby pointedly. I flinched, not liking the way this conversation was going at all.
"What, now that I'm out a fuck buddy?" Tabby asked her.
"Tabs!" I protested, but she only shook her head.
"I'm being honest. Honesty is the best policy. And I don't like sugar coating things, it takes way too much effort. And she has a valid question Toad. I don't really have an answer to that, actually. But I will. And you should know that no matter what, I'll respect you and Toad and, well, whatever the fuck you have goin' on." All three of us stopped just outside of the kitchen doors as Wanda met Tabby's eyes.
"I can have your word on that?" she asked seriously. Tabby also dropped all pretenses and met her gaze with a straight face and honest eyes. After a second she gave Wanda a knowing smile, and took her hand in her own.
"Wanda, you know the reason Toad and I got together in the first place, don't you?" Of course she did. Tabby was right; everyone did. Gossip was like gold to people. "All he ever wanted was you. Why would he ever go back to the substitute when he has you?"
"Tabby," I said but she shook her head. I hated to hear her talk about herself like that. Wanda never broke eye contact with her, which meant neither of them could see the green blush I felt crawling across my face.
"I know. And I trust him. But I do appreciate you stepping down for me. It's very mature, Tabitha. You should know I think the world of you for handling matters this way. And I realize it was my fault he came to you in the first place. But I'm glad that he did. He has a great friend in you." What? I was so lost. Weren't women supposed to be petty, backstabbing and mean? Well, I guess normally, but these two women were definitely not what anyone would deem 'normal.'
"I'd like to remain his friend, if you'd let that happen. He means more to me than most would guess, and I'd hate to lose that because you saw me as a threat. I'd like to stay in this loop, if you wouldn't mind," Tabby said. I was astonished at how open and genuine they were both being. I would have never guessed that two people could interact this way about such a touchy subject. Just goes to show, I really know how to pick 'em.
"I'd like that too, Tabby," Wanda told her with a smile. "Toad has good taste." Tabby beamed at her, and pulled us both in to a giant bear hug. Wanda tensed up at first, but then slowly melted into it.
"That he does! Now Toad, would you tell her I don't snore?" she asked again as she let go of the two of us.
"Actually Tabby, you kinda do, yo." She frowned at me, and I put my hands up in defense. "Hey! Didn't you just say honesty is the best policy?"
"Well some things are best kept to yourself," she retorted back to me before pushing open the door to the kitchen. Wanda and I stopped short as we saw what we walked into. Kitty, Jean and Rogue were all leaning on or against the wooden table in the center of the room, with Nightcrawler dangling from the ceiling and Spike was in the corner going through the cupboards. Tabby, however, continued walking on normally, as if we hadn't just walking into a bomb about to explode. There's a certain feeling, when you come upon a group of people who were just talking about you and become dead silent when you happen upon them; I was definitely feeling it. By the rigidness in Wanda, I could tell she was too. "Spike, would you hand me one of those bowls?" Tabby was asking him.
"Why? Are one of those two losers gonna use it?" he asked acidly, never once tearing his eyes from us. Tabby crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at him.
"You know that the professor pardoned them, right? And you know that they're here as his guests, right? So why don't you show a little hospitality and hand me one of those fuckin' bowls already?" Spike clenched his jaw but did as she asked, all without ever looking away from Wanda or me. "I swear, people can be so childish sometimes!" Tabby said exasperatedly as she yanked the bowl from Spike's hand. "Wanda, Toad, you can come help yourself. I may be the tour guide, but I'm not your maid or your mother: feed yourself. Anything that's labeled, don't eat. Other than that, it's up for grabs."
"Well, it just got a little too crowded for me in here. I'm out," Kitty said and she straightened.
"Don't let the door hitcha on the way out," Rogue drawled and Nightcrawler also chose to bamf out. She stood up, but instead of leaving came over to where we were and helped herself to a bagel as we sorted through the cupboards. I had ever seen anything like it. There was so much food! None of it was spoiled, or rotten or even gross-looking. The pantry in the House was almost always empty, and when it wasn't ,that was even worse because there was no guessing on what was molding on those shelves. "Here, trah this," Rogue said as she offered a muffin to Wanda with a smile. Wanda looked at it cautiously, then up at Rogue. "It's not gonna bitecha." Wanda moved slowly, but took it from Rogue and took a bite. I was trying to figure out why Wanda would be so standoffish with Rogue, but didn't really care at that point because I had toast of my own as well as a danish in one hand and a glass of milk in the other.
"Thanks," Wanda said quietly. She still seemed to have every nerve buzzing. Rogue sighed and leaned against the counter top.
"Look, ah'm sorry 'bout havin' ta steal your power before. But that was a long time ago, 'n ah wasn't exactly in mah right mind. I wouldn't have done it at all if ah had been," Rogue said. Oh, that made more sense. I remembered when she had grabbed Wanda's face and knocked her out to steal her power and take it to Apocalypse.
"Ha, close one, yo," I said without thinking. Both women looked at me. "What?" I asked with a mouth full of now cereal. "It was." Rogue shook her head and looked back at Wanda.
"Differences set aside, ah know yah could use some extra help 'round here. Tabby can't keep ya outta trouble all the time. Ah'd like ta help, if you'd let me."
"Why?" asked Wanda. Rogue just shrugged.
"Let's jus' say ah know what it's like, ta be in a place where it's not exactly friendly territory."
"Psh, don't we all," said Tabby as she sat down beside me to polish off a can of yogurt. Rogue offered a gloved hand out to Wanda with a small smile.
"Yah up fer a ride?" she asked. Wanda watched her for a minute, before taking Rogue's offered hand in her own.
"I sort of have to be," she admitted with a small smile of her own. By now I was sure word of Wanda's predicament would be known by all. Word spread like wildfire around here.
"Hey, guys," said Jean, whom I had totally forgotten about during the whole exchange and of course the distraction of real food. All four of us turned to look at her. She had her right hand to her temple and her eyes closed, which meant she was doing that psychic thing of hers. Instantly my thoughts felt unsafe. "The professor's back. He's requesting that Wanda and Toad meet him as soon as you can in his study." She put her hand down and looked up, fixing her emerald eyes on all of us. Wanda stood up straight and locked her own eyes on Jean's.
"And what about you, Jean," Wanda asked. "Are you taking a side on all of this?" Jean's face remained totally calm, which made me wonder what she was thinking about. Or even worse, whose thoughts she was digging through. Did she carry the same generous outlook as the professor, or did she claw through people's minds just for the fun of it? Her eyes flitted from Wanda to me, then to Tabby and Rogue, finally resting on Wanda.
"I reserve judgment," Jean said coolly. "Now, the professor does need to speak with you. I would suggest finding your way there sooner rather than later." I stood up as Wanda nodded, and all four of us finished up whatever we were eating before departing. Wanda slipped her hand into mine as we walked, letting me know how nervous she was about what the professor had to say. I gave it a slight squeeze and offered her a smile which she tried to return. Tabby and Rogue were talking about something in front of us as they lead the way, which allowed Wanda and I to remain silent in our mutual worry.
"Here ya go," Tabby said as we arrived at a familiar double door which I now knew as the professor's study. "We'll be out here when you're done," she told us with a bright smile.
"Thanks," I told both her and Rogue, who just nodded and opened the door, closing it behind us as we entered. The professor was there, behind his desk as he had been so early this morning. We were alone again, which made me wonder where Scott and Wolverine were.
"Wanda, Toad. Good to see you. Have a seat," he said, and we did as he bid. "I trust things have been going well for you?" he inquired.
"As well as could be expected," Wanda admitted, to which he nodded his understanding.
"Good. I'm sure things will get better as time progresses." Wanda furrowed her brow at this, catching the implied meaning that we were both going to be spending more time here.
"Did you talk to him?" she asked. Her hands clasped together in apprehension, though she showed none of it on her face. The professor sighed and put his arm on the desk.
"I did." The way he said it made me guess that Magneto wasn't too happy that the professor was shielding the imminent target of his newest attack.
"And?" Wanda asked. The professor looked at her gently, but I could tell there was sorrow in his eyes.
"He is bent on his plans. Nothing I said would sway him. He was very clear that if you were ever to step out of my protection and pursue him as you have been recently, he would retaliate with the actions you so feared."
"Does that mean she's safe?" I asked, drawing his eyes to me to give Wanda time to process this. "I mean, as long as she's here, with you doin' your x-men sh-…stuff, then she's safe. Right? Magneto won't attack one of yours, would he?" The professor shook his head and leaned back in his chair.
"No. He unwillingly obliged to my demands that if you were to remain here and study under me, as I originally wished you to, then he would stop his plans immediately and treat you as just another x-man." Wanda's eyes were hard, and her voice was dark.
"So I'd have to stay here, a prisoner of the x-men, to save my life from my own father?" she demanded.
"Wanda, don't look at it like that. I've always wanted you to have a place here among my students. I think you could learn much from what we have to offer you here, and it would greatly benefit you."
"And all I'd have to do is learn to play well with others," she said darkly.
"I've seen your progress from your time with the Brotherhood. You've learned a vast amount of self control, as well as experiencing interaction with a team of other mutants your same age. I hope to build on the foundation to help you realize your full potential as not only a mutant, but as a human being. And you, Todd," he said, turning to look at me "are more than welcome to remain here as well. However, Magneto has no ill will towards you, so your choice is a bit different."
"I go where she does," I told him without hesitation. He seemed to expect that, and nodded his approval.
"I'm not saying that you must decide this matter right now. You may have as much time as you'd like," he told us.
"It's not like there's a real choice," Wanda spat bitterly. "Leave, and I forfeit my life to Magneto as he slowly leeches it away through my power. Stay and live, but I'll be forced to become and x-man and fight for yet another cause that I don't care about. I don't want to be on any team!" she exclaimed. "I just want to be my own person, free from all of this. I don't want to do any more fighting, not for you, not for Mystique, and definitely not for Magneto! I just want to live my own life, without having to look over my shoulder."
"I understand that Wanda, and I do wish I could give it to you. In time, perhaps this goal could be realized. But as for right now, the circumstances are very narrow. I've done everything I can to insure your safety but ultimately the choice is yours." Wanda sat silently for a moment longer, refusing to look at anyone.
"Couldn't you have mind-told him to leave her alone?" I asked as she mulled over her choice. The professor shook his head.
"It's extremely unethical, as well as against my personal morals, to interfere with someone's free will. That's part of the natural law of life, and I won't impede that freedom. Even if I had wanted to do such a deed, Magneto has gone to great lengths to ensure his thoughts, his will and his mind as a whole is shielded from my ability at all times." He gave Wanda a few more moments of silence before speaking again. "Wanda, you know you do not have to make this choice now. There are other pressing details I must attend to though. When you do come upon an answer-"
"I'll do it," she said, interrupting him. She turned to look him square in the face, her expression letting him know she wasn't happy about the choice she had made, but she had made one.
"You've made your decision?" he asked her, and also looked at her to make sure she was serious. She didn't even flinch.
"I'll become and x-man."