7. Lorna I

Their game plan of being friendly, but not obvious, worked surprisingly well. Peter and Wanda settled in at school, they actually kept their friends. Sometimes Peter was a little too fast. Sometimes he was bored. Sometimes he just wanted to be left alone.

Wanda had good days and bad days. Mostly good days, though. Sure, there were times when someone annoyed her and maybe that someone might be a little unlucky. Maybe Wanda even knew stuff about people she shouldn't… and yes. The nightmares continued. But things settled in. Became normal and quiet. Slow. In a good way.

In late September, a truck arrived by their door, send by Xavier and holding all the things from Magda's house. Most was stored away. Peter used many of his old things to personalize his new room. Wanda started over.

They even had the Millers over for dinner twice! Even Gertie's two oldest brothers, who were already out of school. And her Grandma, who Lorna really liked. They had been over at their house once, too. The Millers had less money, though, and her parents didn't want to make them feed them all too much. Still, it was amazing and Lorna loved it.

Now that she knew that Gertie was probably very aware of her powers, Lorna considered talking about it with her. But she hadn't had the courage yet. Maybe soon.

In late November, Mom and Dad sat them all down in the living room and told them they were having a baby. That… was unexpected.

Lorna was beginning to realize that the arrival of her siblings had changed her life irrevocably. At first, it had just been amazing and fun and oh so cool. But slowly, she had the realization that Peter and Wanda wouldn't just bring someone to talk to or hang out with. They brought their own issues. Their own struggles. Her Dad suddenly showing up had been great on so many levels. He had time for her. He made her Mom happy. And the moment Peter and Wanda had arrived, they had brought trouble right to their door. That didn't mean she didn't like them or didn't want them in her home, she very much did… but she also wasn't used to her problems not being her parents' first priority. And it was strange and uncomfortable to see. At least she was the baby of the family. Until they pulled the rug out right under her.

"You are having a baby? For real?", Lorna asked, horrified.

"Yes, for real. Somewhere around late April.", Dad explained.

"Do we need to have a conversation? How many unplanned kids are you planning on having?", Peter contemplated.

"What makes you think the baby was unplanned? Or any of you for that matter?", Dad sighed. Lorna had trouble figuring out what was happening with her parents. Were they annoyed? Were they mad? Had they expected another reaction?

"The fact that both you and my birth mother were married to other people at the time?", Lorna told him sharply.

Dad actually blushed and nervously scratched his beard.

"Well, you were an unexpected blessing. And still very, very wanted. Okay?"

"By both of us.", Mom chimed in, reaching for her hand, "I chose you as my daughter. Your Dad chose to come here and be your Dad. We both very much want and love you. Don't you dare think anything else."

She didn't, actually. That her Mom loved her was the one constant in her life. The one thing she could always count on.

"I know… I was just teasing. A little."

"We weren't an accident?", Wanda asked, wide-eyed, "The way Mom… We weren't?"

"Oh no! We wanted a second child for years ", Dad hurried, "We waited a long time for you."

"I just wonder, because the timing is weird.", Peter shrugged, "I don't mind being someone else's big brother. Could be cool. Think of all the insane shit we could teach them! Oh, Lorna inherited Erik's powers! Maybe it's time for another speedster!"

Mom tried very hard not to look horrified, but Lorna saw it anyway.

"We know the timing is… less than ideal. I was already pregnant when you guys came here. We weren't expecting our family to grow THIS fast. But we'll adjust. All of us. Right?"

"You've been sitting on this for two whole months?", Lorna felt betrayed. Seriously?!

"We… As your Mom said, we knew the timing wasn't ideal.", Dad sighed.

"I'm still not sharing my room.", Peter told them confidently, then wavered a bit, "Am I?"

"Will we have to share?!"

"No, Lorna, you won't. We've talked to a local architect. He'll draw up plans for an extension. We'll probably add a nursery downstairs. And a whole new floor on top of yours.", Dad reassured them.

"That's going to take a bit, though. Probably in spring. So no one panic, please.", Mom added.

"Are you guys getting married now?", Peter asked.

"I don't think that's a discussion for everyone to have.", Dad told him sternly.

"I think you stepped in it.", Lorna grinned.

"I'm a fugitive.", Dad reminded them.

"And I do have papers, but I doubt they'll hold up under too much scrutiny.", Mom added.

"How do you do that anyway?", Peter wondered.

"I change my name every 50 years or so and put the same spell on me that I did on your Dad."

"How has no one noticed so far?!"

"I keep a low profile."

"Wanda, Liebes, are you alright? You haven't said a thing?"

"I'm… processing."

"We know it's a big thing. A big change on top of a year of big changes. We'll do everything we can to make sure everyone still gets everything they need.", Mom reassured them.

"Babies need a lot of attention. You'll be tired all the time."

"I need less sleep than a human. We'll be fine."

"The baby will only be half human. Maybe they won't need much sleep, either.", mischief was returning to Wanda's voice.

"Thank you, Wanda. That's the kind of terrifying idea I really needed today.", Dad groaned loudly.

"Do you think there are mutants that never sleep?", Peter asked jovially.

"Sure! And normally they say mutations surface during puberty, but we are second generation. I was six.", Wanda grinned widely at him.

"I was five!"

"I was two.", Lorna added.

"Can you imagine having a toddler that NEVER sleeps?!"

"And again: Thank you, Wanda. That's really what we needed to hear."

"Better to be prepared for anything.", Wanda shrugged.

"Maybe having children with a mutant was a bad idea.", Mom sighed.

Dad actually flinched, wiping the smile off Mom's face.

"Hey.", she told him, scooting a little closer on the couch, "I was joking. Don't worry. I knew what I was getting into."

"Can you imagine a toddler that never sleeps?"

"Then we'd get a nanny. Don't worry too much, mh?", lovingly she tried to smooth out his brow, "Look at us! We can do anything."

"I can change diapers in one second flat."

"No. You can't.", Dad said sharply.

"But… that way, the smell doesn't have time to reach me!"

"No. Nein. Nie. Not happening."

"Fine."

"Are we allowed to tell people?", Lorna asked.

"Nobody's business.", Dad huffed.

"Erik… remember our attempt at being social?"

"Fine."

Good to know where Peter got it from.


The very next day they all filled into their new Van to drive to the Thanksgiving Festival in town, even poor Fenrir decided to make himself as comfortable as possible to tag along. It was always a comfort to have Fenrir around. He'd been running next to her, when she had learned to ride her bike. When she'd gotten tired, he had carried her on his back. And when she was sad, he'd curl up all around her so she knew she was safe and loved. Peter had excitedly told her and Wanda that Fenrir was Mom's brother… and Lorna had laughed. She knew that. She'd always known it. It wasn't a secret. Just because Fenrir was intelligent, didn't mean his mind didn't work like a wolf's, though. And Mom had always told her to never, ever forget that. The way he had bitten Dad had been proof of that.

"Hello, Northmans!", someone yelled, as they had found a parking spot and piled out.

"Hi!", Mom yelled back, but Lorna didn't even see who had spoken. A common occurrence when the town got together.

"Alright, what do we do first? I want cake. I want Cotton Candy. I want…. ooooooh, something smells nice!"

"Are you hungry-hungry, Peter? Or is it more of an appetite thing?", Mom sighed and locked the car, "Because if you're hungry, we should start with real food, not sweets."

"Ida, I'm 18! Not a toddler!"

"So?", Dad asked.

"You can't tell me no, anyway.", Peter grinned, pulling out a wad of cash, "That's what happens, when you give allowances."

"Well done, Peter.", Mom condescendingly patted his cheek and Lorna laughed loudly at his fake cheery face. Peter was always a riot.

"Thanks.", he grinned cheerily and hurried off to the side, at maybe a slightly higher speed than normal.

"He's such a Mama's Boy.", Wanda sighed and linked arms with Lorna, who was slightly perplexed by that. She and Wanda were… fine. They weren't fighting or anything, but… Lorna felt like she hadn't really gotten to make a real connection to her new sister yet. And they weren't very familiar with each other. But Mom and Dad linked arms, too, and together they walked in the direction Peter had hurried off in, with Fenrir taking the rear, quietly menacing as ever.

"What was he like, Peter, when he was a kid with powers?"

"It was maddening. He wasn't THAT fast, though. He keeps getting faster all the time. He got his powers almost a year before me and… I was so jealous. Still am, a little."

"His powers are so damn cool.", Lorna agreed wistfully.

"We didn't know what was happening, though. And our mother was… terrified."

"It's probably not easy to parent a five year old speedster. Mom has her own powers and when I got mad and stuff happened, she could at least do something about it. Your Mom was all alone."

"Her choice.", Wanda said sharply and Lorna flinched. There it was again. Right there. The reason her and Wanda were… yeah.

"Sorry.", Wanda sighed, "That was uncalled for. Again."

"I don't like being snapped at."

"No. And you have every right to be mad at me. I come into your house, your family… and am rude to you."

"I don't mind you being here. I'm ACTUALLY quite happy about it. You could be a little less mean, though."

Wanda laughed out loud.

"Yes. I guess I'm a bit mean. Sorry. My mother is a difficult subject and I always get very… antsy, when it's about her."

"You got mean about Dad, too."

Had it been two months? Yes. Had Lorna really gotten over Wanda calling her cold? No. No, she hadn't. She could hold a grudge just fine.

"You know… it's… difficult. My mother was scared of me. Peter, too. He was scared a lot. My powers are… I'm scared, too. And then they locked me up and hurt me and… Dad saved me. And told me I was perfect the way I was. That first time we woke up to his nightmares, I was just… I have nightmares. And he does, too. And I… He's very important to me."

"He's very important to me, too.", Lorna frowned.

"I know that! But you have your Mom, too. You grew up with her. I only have Dad."

"That's not true! You have Mom, too!"

"She said it herself, she doesn't like to get attached."

"To strangers. You are not a stranger."

"It's different."

"It's not.", Lorna insisted, "I still remember life before her. Not much. But I remember. And I remember meeting her and… so many people had sent me away. She told me, she never would. No matter what I did. Whatever happened… I was HERS. So yeah, I understand how you feel about Dad."

"I never thought about it that way.", Wanda looked around thoughtfully, "But people were probably scared of you, too."

"Yes. They were. When I came to live with Mom, it got better. But before then, I was scared a lot. And when I'm scared, things happen. "

"I'm trying, Lorna. I really am. It's difficult to find a place for myself. But I'm working on it."

"You could just be you. Only less mean."

"But I don't really know who I am. I haven't been me in a very long time. And suddenly I'm 18 and an adult and… I was never even really me. And I don't know how to be this. Whatever I am."

"And your role models are Dad, who is… Ehm… a bit antisocial…"

"Fair."

"And Mom, who doesn't like to get attached and can be a bit…"

"Mean?", Wanda offered.

"But in a funny way!", Lorna tried to defend her Mom, thinking back to the way she had just talked to Peter. Mom had a habit of making mean comments and making them sound like jokes… mh. She'd have to think about that.

"So I'm going to have to work on the funny part!", Wanda tried to lift the mood, as they FINALLY reached a grinning Peter, holding up two cotton candies.

"There you go, girls!"

"Nice!"

"Will you be happy with that for a bit?", Mom asked, stealing a tiny piece of candy from Lorna.

"It tied me over!", Peter declared, "I saw some of the others, too."

"Do you want to go off with your friends?", Dad asked, voice neutral.

"No. I'll see them on Monday.", Peter brushed him off.

"Guys…", Lorna had a sudden idea, as she saw Dad's happy face, "We could go find the photo booth. They make portraits you can pick up in a couple of days. I want one. With all of us."

"Excellent idea!", Mom actually jumped excitedly. Were pregnant people allowed to do that?

"Ey, no jumping!", Peter had the same idea.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I get to be a concerned big brother. That's my ONE job."

"Your job", Dad told him sternly, "Is being Peter. Anything else is a no."

"Dad.", Peter actually stood still for a second to look at him, "It was a joke and not that serious."

"I don't take anything concerning either of my children as not that serious."

"We know, Dad, we know.", Wanda sighed, "And we love you for it."

"Picture time!", Lorna yelled, already bored by everyone and their issues.

This was how they found themselves off to the side of the town square, with Mom and Dad in the back, Lorna in the middle between the twins and Fenrir lying by her feet half an hour later. Laughing. Smiling. When the small town of Ulvheim changed forever.


The first thing Lorna noticed was both her parents behind her freezing up. Then, suddenly, there was a loud, screeching sound, a boom and yelling. Everyone turned towards the noise, people started running. Lorna felt both Peter and Wanda grab one of her hands. "Maybe we should…", Dad started, when a loud scream of "Theo!" reached them.

It was like Lorna, Wanda and Peter moved in unison. The River. The River next to the school. People were still yelling, trying to organize. Lorna saw it then: a car in the water. Theo's car. He had gone over the bridge.

There were men in the water.

"I can't get it open!", someone yelled.

"He's unconscious!", someone else.

On instinct, Lorna reached out with her powers to grab the car, but she couldn't… it wasn't enough! The car was too heavy, the water too much. Bubbles. She was holding it in place, stopping it from going down further, but she couldn't pull it up!

Suddenly, the car moved. With one swift motion, it was pulled upwards out of the water and onto the road.

Mom and Dad were standing right where it landed, Dad's hand outstretched. With the whole town there to see him.

"Fuck it.", Peter let go of Lorna's hand and appeared next to their Dad. People were staring, moving back in fear or shock or… Lorna didn't know.

Dad opened the driver's door and pulled an unconscious Theo out onto the pavement. There was blood.

"Peter.", Dad simply stated, the silence surrounding them deafening.

Peter nodded, bent down and lifted Theo into his arms. And then, just like that, they vanished.

Theo's parents ran out of the crowd, pale and horrified.

"Where is he?!", his Mom yelled.

"Peter took him to the hospital.", Dad explained calmly, pointedly not looking at anyone around them, "They should be there by now."

Lorna, Wanda and Fenrir moved, people letting them pass. Whispering. Shocked.

"We can drive you.", Mom offered, helplessly looking at the car, "We aren't parked too far away."

But there was already a car driving up. Theo's aunt. Lorna recognized her, like she did most people in town.

Theo's parents both looked forlorn for a second, before running towards the car and leaving. People were still staring. Lorna could hear them whisper loudly. Mutants. Washington. Stadium. Lehnsherr. She heard it all. Wanda was still holding on tight to her right hand. No one approached them. It was the most surreal thing that had ever happened to Lorna. They knew. They all knew. Mom's spell couldn't protect Dad from THIS. His face had been everywhere for months. It was over.

Suddenly she felt her Dad reach for her left hand and looked up to see him give the attempt of a reassuring smile. It didn't work. Mom was on the other side, taking Wanda's right hand. Fenrir walked in front of them, making sure everybody made a path for them. Looking menacing and somehow even bigger than usual. They had to walk through the whole giant crowd to get back to their car. Whispers surrounding them. She saw the whole Miller Family standing to the right side, saw Gertie give her a cautious smile. It gave Lorna the strength she needed to raise her head high and keep walking. They might be scared. The might hate her now. But Gertie, her best friend, had smiled at her. Gertie didn't hate her. And they had saved Theo. That was something.

They reached the Van and interestingly enough, it was Dad that drove this time, instead of Mom. Only when they had pulled out of their parking spot and were on the road home, did Wanda break the silence.

"What do we do now?"

"We go home. Peter will probably already be there.", Mom responded, her voice was slightly shaky though. Dad was staring at the road. A muscle twitching in his jaw.

"And then?", Lorna asked, terrified. She didn't… she didn't want to leave! She didn't want everybody to know… She didn't want life to change. At all.

"Then you can take a shower. Have you done your homework? Then TV would be an option.", Mom replied and Lorna stared at her, before turning her gaze to Wanda, who looked just as horrified.

"That's not what she meant.", Wanda clarified.

"I know what she meant.", Mom croaked, then cleared her throat, "But I mean it, too. We are going home. We see if Peter is there. We find out how your friend is doing."

"Ida…", Dad protested.

"We are NOT leaving.", Mom insisted, "This is our home."

"And I'm a fugitive. I'm the face of The Mutant Threat. You don't think they'll just let us be, do you?"

"You saved a kid. That's all."

"That never matters."

"Erik. If ANYONE thinks they can come for this family, I will personally turn them to mush."

"They've been able to capture and hold me before. They…"

"You. By yourself. Yes. All of us? Not a chance."

"They can't ward against me.", Wanda agreed, "They tried with a straight jacket and drugs, but even then… it's tough. They can only shoot me."

"Shooting you is what I am afraid of.", Dad's voice sounded slightly higher than normal.

"They can't shoot Peter. If we are together, they can't do a thing. Electricity is a problem. Maybe gas.", Wanda conceded, "And he tires, when he goes fast for too long. But I mean it, Dad, if we stick together, there is no way some government agency is getting anywhere near us."

"We would be on high alert for the rest of our lives."

"We would be that, too, if we left.", Mom sighed, then suddenly yelled, "Stop!"

Dad came to such an abrupt halt, he had to have used his powers. Peter was standing in front of the car, waving at them, before coming around to open the door and slip into the middle seat between Lorna and Wanda.

"Peter! I could have hit you!", Dad sputtered.

"No, I would have moved out of the way."

"God, damn it."

"How's Theo?", Wanda coaxed.

"Oh, he's okay. Hit his head. Laceration. Probably a concussion. But they are going to let him go home tomorrow."

"Oh, good."

"So, what are we talking about?"

"What to do next.", Mom sounded tired and weary. Lorna felt a little bad for her.

"So Dad wants to run and everyone else wants to stay?"

"Oi!"

"I am right, though, aren't I? Man, you are so predictable."

"What's your vote, Peter?", Lorna asked.

"Oh, we are having a vote now?", Dad sounded exasperated, but at least he started driving again.

"No. Because we would already win.", Lorna smiled at him, "Even if Peter were to agree with you."

"Peter is the one you are all relying on protecting us.", Dad grumbled.

"You are?"

"At least no one can shoot you as easily as us.", Wanda explained.

"So what? Peter never gets to sleep again or they'll set our house on fire?"

Everyone froze. Oh. That… Lorna hadn't really thought about… Anya.

"Erik, Darling, that isn't going to happen.", Mom reached out to carefully touch the hand that was holding the gear stick.

"You don't know that!"

"Fenrir can sleep on the porch. He won't mind. And NO ONE gets past Fenrir.", Mom insisted, and Lorna turned around to look at the giant wolf in the back seat. He was looking at all of them, his green eyes as intelligent as ever.

"Fenrir?", she asked quietly.

He turned his head to look directly into her eyes, then blinked once, slowly.

That settled it for Lorna.

"Let's… Let's give it a couple of days, okay?", Mom pleaded, "We'll see what happens. Let us give them a chance. Maybe they'll give us one."

"I dropped a stadium on the White House and threatened to kill the president."

"And they locked you up for a decade. Without a trial. If they really want to start that kind of publicity nightmare, I have A LOT of money to throw at them."

"Fine.", Dad finally agreed, "But if anyone makes a move against us, I won't let it slide."


The first thing that happened was Dad going around the homestead and placing metal items in strategic places. Knives. Nails. Anything he could use in a pinch, if he were to be attacked by people conscious of his powers. Then he steadfastly refused to sleep inside. Fenrir was on the porch by the front door. Dad had set up camp in the back, on his rocking chair. It was cold. It was windy. But Dad was stubborn. Mom actually went and got the down comforter out of the cupboard that was normally reserved for winter months.

Mom had tried to get him to bed and at some point had simply given up. Wanda, Peter and Lorna had stayed up long past their normal time, nervous, too. At some point Lorna had gone to bed, but when she couldn't sleep, she had gone downstairs and taken Dad's side of the bed. There was nothing better than her parents' bed, when she was too anxious to sleep.

That Sunday was spent doing… things. Lorna had to help Mom clean the windows. All the windows. But of course Mom wasn't nervous. Dad had started digging holes and burying more metal. Wanda had apparently redone her whole room. Peter decided to make their cake for Sunday. It turned out to be chocolate muffins, but Lorna was looking forward to them A LOT.

By 2 pm, everyone froze, when the sounds of a car came closer to the house. It was the Miller's truck, driven by Beau and with Gertie in the seat next to him.

"Lorna!", Gertie jumped out before Beau had even really parked.

Lorna was almost swept off her feet when Gertie barreled into her.

"Hi!", both waved, a little awkwardly, "Ehm… we have a bio test tomorrow and the twins and I wanted to study together…?"

"You want to study for bio?", Wanda looked at him with wide eyes, standing in the open door.

"Well, yeah. Didn't we agree to that?"

"Sure…", Wanda looked from Beau to Peter, "But…"

"You can sit at the kitchen table.", Mom interrupted Wanda, "If you need provisions, we have fresh cranberry juice, too. If I remember correctly, that's Beau's favorite."

"It is! Thanks, Mrs N!", Beau grinned widely and walked up the stairs, bag in hand and chatting happily with Peter, as he followed him, "I really need your help. Honestly. This test is going to break me."

"And you, Gertie?", Dad asked from the side, a little harsher than normally, "Do you want to study, too?"

"No, Mr N, I'm just tagging along!", Gertie didn't seem fazed by his tone.

"Wanna go up into my room?"

"Yes, please!"

They walked in and were halfway up the stairs, when Gertie asked in an exaggerated whisper: "Do you think we can have juice, too?"

"Gertie?", Lorna asked later, as they were sitting on her rug, listening to a new tape Peter had brought home the week before, "Does everyone at school know now?"

"Yeah, but I think they did before, too."

"Are they scared of me?"

"Scared? Why? You aren't… going to do anything, are you? Bad, I mean?"

"I don't think so. But sometimes stuff happens."

"I know. I was there.", Gertie grinned.

"Are they scared of my Dad?", Lorna hated how small her voice sounded. How tiny. She wasn't tiny, damn it.

"Because he's the stadium guy?"

Lorna sighed loudly. She knew they had made that connection. Had heard it. Still, she'd hoped.

"Yeah."

"Some, maybe. I don't know. Everybody talked about it at church this morning."

"Oh."

"Mrs Stone, you know, from the gas station?"

"Yeah?"

"She was saying some really mean things. Then my grandma told her to shut up. No really! I have NEVER heard Grandma talk like that. She said it wasn't very Christian of Mrs Stone to talk like that and that she should be a bit more careful who she was judging, when she was out there breaking the 6th and 7th Commandment, maybe she shouldn't add another. After that, people were busy talking about Mrs Stone instead."

Lorna laughed. She LOVED Gertie's grandma so, so much.

"I heard a lot of adults talk about how Your parents are good neighbors and the rest isn't anyone else's business. And he saved Theo, so… yeah."

"Is he okay?"

"I think so. His parents don't go to our Church, though. They are catholic. Lorna? Is this why your Dad only showed up now? Because he was in prison?"

"Yes."

"Beau said, he didn't even do what they locked him up for. That he was innocent, and they didn't care, because he's a mutant."

"Yeah… that's true."

"That's so sad. Really. For him. And you and your Mom. And the twins? I can't imagine not having my Dad around. I'm glad he's here now."

"Girls!", Dad's voice carried up from downstairs, "Muffins!"

"Have you ever noticed how parents always tell you to just come and talk to you instead of yelling, but then do it themselves?", Lorna asked, as they both got up.

"All the time."

Dad had extended their table to fit Beau and Gertie and was now standing by the stove, heating up cocoa for everyone, as Peter placed way too many muffins on the table.

"Are we supposed to eat them all?", Beau asked, eyes wide.

"We really need a bigger table.", Mom mumbled, as she walked by carrying an extra chair.

"There is a car outside.", Wanda suddenly said from her place at the table, "Did someone see it drive up?"

Lorna sprinted towards the window, Peter was already outside. Best power. Still.

"That's Theo's folks.", Beau came to stand next to Lorna, "See?"

And of course he was right, as Theo's parents and then Theo himself exited the car. Poor guy was wearing a giant band-aid on his forehead.

"Stay inside.", Dad told them so sharply, no one disagreed. Mom took over stirring the pot, obviously trying to appear calm. Still. Everyone tried to listen. It was no use.

About three minutes later, Peter was back, carrying two chairs unlocking the table to put another extension in.

The Wilson's walked in, wearing their best clothes and looking a little nervous, with Dad following behind.

"We have guests.", Dad stated simply.

"Hello!", Mrs Wilson waved at them, "We brought cake. As a thank you."

"Theo!", Wanda obviously decided to be brave about the whole thing, "So good to see you!" She walked over and hugged her friend, mindful of his head.

"Thank you. I just have a little headache.", Theo replied and hugged her back with gusto.

Peter returned with one last chair, and together they all sat down. Coffee, tea, hot cocoa, muffins and the Red Velvet Tres Leches Cake Mrs Wilson had made. It didn't take more than five minutes, before everyone seemed comfortable and happy, and Lorna wished life could always be this way.