Confronted with a sight very familiar to her by now – the official knock at the door, the shape of a peaked cap through the screen – Magda grit her teeth and pulled the bolts back on the door.

"Good morning Officer Pinkney, can I help you?" she said brightly. Put on her most motherly going-to-bake-you-cookies smile. The trooper at the door didn't fall for it, only peered at her and said

"Where is he?"

"He…?"

"Your son, Ms Maximoff. The one who causes trouble all over town. The one I'm forever coming here and talking to?" the officer said impatiently, "Is he home?"

"Why of course" somehow Magda maintained her sweet smile, "He's downstairs, why don't you come in?"

As she preceeded the officer downstairs, Magda heard an odd Plink! Plink! Plink! Noise from down in the basement, heard Wanda laugh and Peter say something rude to her. Wondered what the hell was going on this time, seeing the twins as she came in, Peter standing behind his sister who perched on a tall stool, his hands over hers on the controls of… was that a full sized arcade cabinet? Oh no…

"Morning, Peter" the officer said, planted his hands on his hips, "I was going to ask if you knew anything about a break in at the Hamilton Arcade last night, but I don't think I need to"

Magda saw a look of horror and panic flash across Wanda's face, the machine made a sad sound indicating that she'd just lost the game, and quickly Magda stepped between her children and the officer, switching effortlessly from Mommy Dearest to Mamma Bear

"What are you accusing my children of?!" she demanded, jabbed him in the chest with a finger, "Theft? How dare you! They were both home all night yesterday!"

"Yeah, dude" Peter gave the officer a challenging smirk, "Both of us. All night"

"It seems a little suspicious to me that a Pong cabinet was stolen last night, and now there's one down here" the officer told her. Magda didn't back down.

"This was their birthday gift!" she said indignantly, "Surely you've taken my son's details often enough to know that he and his sister were sixteen years old yesterday!"

"Then you don't know anything?"

"Of course not! Do you know how ridiculous you sound, accusing two teenagers of stealing an arcade machine?! How did they get it out – how did they get it home?!" Magda answered for them, planted herself firmly and scowled at the officer, "Neither of them can even drive, what do you think they did, levitated it?"

For a long moment, Pinkney looked between the two children, their ferocious mother, and the Pong machine which had begun to play a happy little tune, inviting them to try another game. Finally he said

"I know this was you"

"Prove it" Peter smirked, "Or make yourself look crazy back at the precinct, your choice"

"Have you finished harassing my children now?" Magda demanded, taking a step forward that forced the officer to back away, almost tripping over the bottom step, "You're lucky I don't put in a complaint against you. I presume you can show yourself out"

As soon as they had heard the front door bang behind him, Magda turned to the twins with an icy smile. She looked ready to kill them both on the spot.

"It was Peter's idea!" Wanda blurted out, yelped in pain as he pulled her hair

"Wanda carried it back!" he protested, doubled up as Wanda's elbow met his ribs

"Next year," Magda said quietly, "You're having a loud, messy, party here at home. You can invite as many hooligans as you want. If you want beer, I'll buy you beer. Just as long as I don't have to pay both of your bail"

"Mom, I –" Wanda began, silenced by her mother's palm held up in front of her

"I don't want to hear it, Wanda" she said, closed her eyes and drew in a deep, calming breath, "I thought you knew better than this"

"It really wasn't her idea Mom," Peter said, looking genuinely apologetic, "I'm sorry, do you want us to put it back?"

"Don't be ridiculous. After all, I can't afford one of those things… if that's what you wanted for your birthday" her smiled thawed at last, and she came over to put and arm around each of her children, "then I'm glad you've got it"

"Thanks for backing us up" Peter said, accepted his mother ruffling up his hair without complaint even though he'd only just got it to lie down

"I'm getting pretty good at that aren't I?" she chuckled, "You two are going to be the death of me. But I love you both"

"Would really get us beer when we were only seventeen?" Wanda asked

"Hell no." her mother replied "Two little criminals in the family is enough. Come on up and get a slice of cake, there's some left over from yesterday. Oh, and there's Twinkies"

Magda didn't understand why her daughter gave her twin a sidelong look before bursting into uncontrollable giggles, or why he scowled at her so hard, but for now she was simply satisfied that they hadn't ended up in jail on their birthday. Grabbed both of their hands to pull them upstairs, and hoped they'd never get too grown-up for motherly hugs and birthday cake.