I'm curious to see how many scenes you recognise from Wanda's life as the story unfolds :) Let me know what you think!

Part One: The Story Begins

31. October 1970

A thunder tore the silence of the night. Suddenly the howling of the wind increased, like that of a wolf on the brightest night of the full moon, before the cloud cover broke and brought all its weight down on the slumbering world.

A shudder ran over her body. With trembling hands she clutched her thin arms and rubbed at the cool skin, only to throw the suffocating blanket off her form seconds later and heave herself out of bed with the greatest of difficulty. Pain flashed through her body and elicited a stifled gasp, but the instinctive desire to catch a glimpse of them did not let her rest and instead drove her hastily forward. Still, she grimaced as her feet touched the floor and her muscles protested - a soft hiss escaped her lips and she leaned forward, breathing heavily, until she clenched her teeth firmly and pulled herself to her feet by the wooden post of her bed.

The soft rustle of the heavy duvet filled the room for a moment before his tired voice echoed over to her with questioning, "Iryna?"

A few seconds passed in which he seemed to become aware of the situation, then he suddenly jumped to his feet in an haste and crossed the narrow room to hurry to her side.

"What are you doing?" his words sounded scolding, yet not surprised, "you're supposed to be resting, darling."

Dismissively, she shook her head, yet relieved to accept his offered arm for support.

At her silence, he frowned. "Iryna?"

"I need to go check on them," she finally stated quietly and set off with determination; using him as a support at her side.

He let out a soft sigh. "Darling, they are fine. They're asleep and so should you be. The midwife said you need to rest."

Another painful stab went through her. Groaning, she leaned forward and clung to his arm, but before he could have said anything, she shook her head. "No, I have to see them. You will have to tie me to the bed to separate me from them."

She could feel his tension without having to look at him. He hesitated, his eyes unblinking on her hunched form and struggling with himself not to just drag her back to the room behind them. But then he let out a frustrated sigh before gripping her arm tighter and leading her purposefully towards the adjoining room.

"But only for a moment," he said authoritatively, silently pushing open the door in front of them, "and then you rest."

Silently she nodded; a relieved smile on her lips even as tears welled up in her eyes. It was supposed to be a day of joy for her. One of the best days of her life - and yet it came with a bitter aftertaste that made the worry in her heart weigh so much more than the pure happiness that abruptly filled her.

Carefully, her husband escorted her to the soft rocking chair in the entrance of the room. He helped her to sit down gently, as if one wrong touch would break her, before turning away and hurrying over to the two small cots.

Despite the tension she could see in his form, a smile spread across his face at the sight of them, beaming with pride and affection. In a gentle voice he whispered soothing nothings to himself as he carefully lifted the sleeping baby from the cot. Without waking it, he rocked it back and forth in his arms for a moment before looking over at his waiting wife.

She was expecting him with a radiant smile on her lips and despite her weakness, which was so effortless to see, she seemed more alive and beautiful than ever. A warm feeling spread through his heart and he himself fought tears of such fresh and overwhelming joy as he handed her the little figure and looked down at them both.

"Here is our Pietro for one," he breathed softly, stroking his son's dark hair lovingly for a moment before hurrying to the second cot and lifting his daughter in his arms. "And our Wanda, of course."

Helplessly, he surrendered to the tears that escaped his eyes. He bore them with a quiet laugh, letting his wife gently wipe them from his face as he knelt in front of her chair to show her the sleeping girl.

For a moment they enjoyed the silence between them - the intimacy and peace - until her eyes fell on the clear symbol that stood in such contrast with her daughter's innocence that goose bumps ran down her body once more.

"Olek," she breathed softly, and all at once despair returned to her heart with such force it threatened to tear her apart, "what are we going to do?"

He too frowned - suffered with her and cursed both their fates before resolutely straightening his shoulders and summoning a smile to his lips. He was her husband. The father of both their children. And therefore it was his responsibility to protect his little world.

"We're enjoying this, my darling," gently he stroked her cheek and dried her tears, "and what tomorrow brings, we'll see."

It was all he could say to her. The promise, to face the consequences of their choices together, silently between them. And she only nodded, for she too was at a loss for words.

Silently they looked down at the sleeping twins - their peaceful innocence a frightening contrast to the two Dark Marks emblazoned as a clear warning on both of their skins.