Chapter Nine

Erik

Erik had been taken by complete surprise when Marya had left Wanda with him. Sure he had been around his children on occasion, but this was different. There was definitely something more permanent about the situation, and it scared him. He didn't know what to say or how to act or how to handle what had happened. After all, the girl had nearly killed her brother with her new found abilities. That did concern him. Most mutations didn't come around until puberty. There was something unusual about the situation, and he didn't like it one bit.

"When do I get to go home?" Wanda asked suddenly, pulling Erik from his thoughts.

He sighed. That was the one question he'd been trying to avoid. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. He knew Django would fight for her, but he wasn't so sure about Marya. When he last spoke with her, she was still too upset to think clearly about what had happened over the course of the past week. He wouldn't lie. Being around his daughter was difficult. She had his face shape and his temper, but everything else about her screamed Magda. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed his late wife until he'd taken Wanda in.

As difficult as it was for Erik though, he couldn't imagine how Wanda was feeling. Marya wouldn't look at her, Django hadn't been able to speak with her, and she wasn't allowed anywhere near Pietro. Over the course of a few days she'd had everything taken away from her. It wasn't fair. But who was he to judge fairness? He'd been the one to leave the twins with his friends in the first place.

"Is Pietro gonna be okay?" Wanda asked after a few moments of dead silence. Every time his name came up, something about her changed. She went from whatever she had been before to a sad, lonely child.

"He will be," Erik was certain of that. He'd seen his son in the hospital awake and alert. The physical damage was minimal and the mental damage nonexistent. There was no reason why he wouldn't be fine in a few days. Wanda on the other hand… Something wasn't right. Her powers shouldn't have developed that early. It wasn't natural. Well… according to those humans who were aware of mutants, mutations weren't natural anyway, but still. It was odd even by his standards.

He frowned when he heard someone at the door. "Yes?" he asked as he opened it, revealing a red-faced Django.

"Where the hell is my daughter?" Django demanded. At that point in time, he didn't care about biology. He had raised the twins, not Magnus, and they were his children, not Magnus's. He knew Marya didn't see it that way, but it was the truth.

"Father?" Wanda asked Erik as she walked over to the pair. She glanced at the door and frowned. "Django?"

"Wanda, we're leaving," Django said.

"And Marya is fine with this arrangement?" Erik asked, raising an eyebrow. As far as he knew, Marya was still hell-bent on keeping the 'demon child' away from Pietro.

"She will be," Django answered. "Wanda, come. We're leaving."

Wanda started to walk toward Django, but stopped between the two men. She didn't know what to do. If she went with Django, she'd face conflict with Marya and probably Pietro too. If she stayed with Erik, she might never see her brother again…

"I have a better idea," Erik said suddenly. "Why don't you bring Pietro over here once he's feeling better and the twins can stay with me for a few days while you and Marya work things out?"

Django sighed. He didn't like the idea one bit. He'd never admit it, but deep down he had a strong fear that one day the twins would choose Magnus over himself. Magnus didn't deserve those children. He'd left them behind at birth. Besides, he was too focused on his mutant cause to give the twins the love they deserved. "I'll discuss it with Marya." He knew he had to pick his battles carefully. "Wanda, stay here tonight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Be careful going home," Erik advised before closing the door. "Are you okay?" he asked his daughter. It wasn't in his nature to be kind, but seeing the potential the girl had; he knew he had to be. She could prove to be a valuable asset in the future. Somewhere he wished he could see the twins as more than pieces to the puzzle he was creating, but he couldn't. Everything had to relate to the cause. If he allowed himself to get distracted even for a small amount of time, he would lose. Losing was something he couldn't afford.

"I'm okay," Wanda said. "Just sleepy," she added before slinking back into the hall of the small house Erik had claimed as his.

He knew he had to be patient. In time they would see if Pietro had powers as well. In time, Wanda would hopefully learn control. Before that day could happen though, he knew there would be another tragedy. He feared the next may actually kill his son. He couldn't help but think he was putting too much risk into the chance that the boy may be a mutant in the future. Still, he hoped it would be a good risk. In order to defeat the humans, he was going to need all the help he could get.