Ida I

Ida had tried to stay away from events at all costs. She had really tried. She hadn't wanted to get involved in lives, pain, suffering. Those were human problems, and she was too long-lived to really have the energy to care about squabbles.

She has built this home for herself and Fenrir, and they'd been happy… well, they'd been content.

And then she had read an article about a little orphaned girl with green hair. A child passed from one home to another, because strange things kept happening around her and no one wanted her around.

A fate that had hit a little too close to her own story… and so she had become someone's Mom again. And laughter, joy and happiness had moved into her little home in the middle of nowhere.

And then Erik had appeared in-front of her door. Trying to hide his fear and self-loathing behind a mask of anger and bravado. And for that, too, she had a soft spot. She couldn't just let him into Lorna's life, but he stuck around. Got himself a room in town. A job on a farm. And whenever he had time off, he'd come to see Lorna.

At some point, it was easier to just offer him a spare room and let him do the work on her orchard, right?

And now here she was, a child in every bedroom, and wondering if after all these years it might be time to build an extension. Because if there was one thing she had learned, it was that family was forever. And Fenrir knew it, too. He had decided to camp out on the top of the stairs again, so he could protect all of them. A stark change to him mostly sleeping in Lorna's room.

Ida wondered briefly, if she should have been quicker on the take with Peter. She had honestly not seen it coming. Yeah, sure, he had helped Erik out, now he needed help, why SHOULDN'T he show up at their house and ask for shelter? And why wouldn't they help him?

She hadn't even clocked it, when he had asked about the spell. Even with Erik's reaction, it had taken her far longer than she liked to admit.

She was losing her touch.

At least their spell for a lost relative of Erik, Lorna and Peter had only come up with Wanda. Now she could reassure Erik there weren't any other secret kids out there. Because then they wouldn't need an extension, but a second house.

With a sigh, Ida gave up and exited her still steaming bath. Enjoying the warmth of the underfloor heating. This might be a farmhouse in rural Oregon, but Ida sure didn't like to live without her favorite amenities. Damn, she couldn't WAIT for the internet to be invented. Exiting into the master bedroom (the only bedroom on the first floor), she found Lorna fast asleep in their bed, even though it was only early afternoon.

Her poor little darling. She had always been such a smart girl, her Lorna. School had only started back up that Monday, and stress always got to her so much. It had been quite the year for the both of them, with them adjusting to Erik being around. She'd have to make sure to make some time to talk it all through with her. Carefully she grabbed a fresh nightgown and silently got dressed again, before sneaking up the stairs, past Fenrir and into the room that was now Wanda's.

Both Peter and Erik were sitting on either side of her unconscious form, silently looking at her like she was water in the desert.

"Boys, she's asleep. You staring at her isn't helping."

"I don't want her to wake up in a strange place and be alone.", Erik told her firmly.

"Did you even sleep last night?"

"Did you?"

No. But she needed less sleep than him. She sighed. Of course she understood why Erik wasn't leaving her. Still, it was worth a try.

"Peter, what about you?", she asked, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I slept."

"Yes. You were also electrocuted. You need some time to rest."

"I thought you healed me.", his petulant tone was a sharp reminder that he was still a teenager, powers or not.

"I healed the damage to your heart, yes, but…"

"The what?!", Erik's face went whiter than usual, and Ida chided herself. Of course Peter hadn't told him that, after she had told him to pace himself.

"The current affected his heart.", Ida explained.

"The thing was continuously on. They probably activated it, when they saw us.", Peter mumbled, "It was a stupid thing. I should have noticed."

"They expected you, Peter. Any longer and… Well, he's safe now."

Ida walked around the bed and came to stand next to Erik.

"Come on, Darling. You need a moment. Peter is here, okay? He's a familiar face. Just… come downstairs with me, yeah?"

"Peter could have died. If I'd been any later…"

"But you weren't and he didn't."

"I TOLD you they were expecting him and that he shouldn't go alone."

"You did. And he wasn't alone. We were there and he is fine. Come on, Love, let's take a moment."

She reached for his trembling hand and almost dragged him out of the room, down the stairs and onto the porch. Bedroom would have been better, but she wouldn't disturb a sleeping Lorna. Finally by themselves, she threw her arms around him and held him close, ready to let him unload all his fear and panic, before it boiled over in another setting.

"He is safe now. They are all safe.", she murmured into Erik's ear.

"They tried to kill Peter. They tried to kill my son. If I had known, I'd…"

"Peter is fine. There is nothing you could do."

"The people that did this are still out there. I am going to find them, I'm going to rip them all to bloody shreds!", Erik raised his head, his eyes wide with anger.

"You are going to do no such thing! We need you here, not out there getting yourself killed. And they WILL kill you. This time they won't lock you up. This time, you won't only lose ten years."

"If I don't protect you, they will come. They will kill the children. Experiment on them. And not just ours! Didn't you see their cells, those kids?! That is going to happen to more than just them. And it's nothing to you?"

"Don't you say that. Don't you put that on me! I care. I care about each and every one. Alex took the files, they will find the people responsible. But if you go out there and kill them, they will become martyrs and just another example of mutant violence. YOUR violence! You will NEVER change how they see you!"

"They will never stop being afraid, Ida! They will never stop coming into houses, killing, taking kids or simply burning them to death!"

"Erik…"

"And if the only way to protect my family is by making them so afraid that they will never again dare to lay a finger on any of you, then so be it! I'd rather they all view me as a monster to be afraid of, than to stand over your dead bodies and dig another grave!"

"If you leave us now, when we need you the most, don't you DARE think they'll forgive you! Lorna? She'd never recover! And Peter? Peter just stood over a body: his mother's. And you wanna run out on him to frighten people away from him instead of being the one standing right by his side?! And don't you start me on Wanda. She hasn't even really met you yet!"

"What they did to her…"

"Is over!"

"She told me I killed her. She recognized me. She called me Dad! Whatever they did…"

"Doesn't matter now! Don't you see that? We will figure out what happened. What she meant. But it's not about what anyone else did. It's about what you do right now. Because strangers will always treat them like shit. That's not what matters. The only thing that they will truly care about is what their Dad does!"

"What I'm doing is protecting them! That's my job! My responsibility!"

"Your responsibility is teaching them how to protect themselves! And to be there and catch them, when they fall. To tell them you love them. To mean it. To show them every single day. Your job is to make them believe it so damn much that if you tell them 'I love you' they'll roll their eyes at you and say 'I know'. Your job is to give them every tool they need to live good lives and if anyone comes for them, I promise you right now, I will stand right by your side and tear the whole damn universe apart, if that is what it takes, but going on a revenge murder spree will only accomplish ONE thing: they'll lose you. And they'll resent you for it."

"And it won't matter what they think of me, when they are dead!", angrily Erik stormed back into the kitchen and Ida had the sudden impulse to throw things at him. Maybe she shouldn't have let him into their lives. Lorna… if he left her… She'd be heartbroken, and it was all her fault. She should have told him to take a hike when he had showed up. Or… Oh. Hell no, this fight wasn't over. She was right behind him, only to find him next to the kitchen counter, frozen. With Lorna, Peter and Wanda standing by the opposite door. No one moved, no one spoke. The varying expressions on the children's faces broke her heart… she couldn't even imagine how Erik felt.

Lorna and Peter were supporting Wanda between them, who just looked… scared. Like a lost little girl, who had seen too much pain and expected more. Peter seemed to have folded in on himself. Like he was expecting another punch and trying to shield and Lorna… Lorna just looked mad.

Ida felt the sudden urge to tell the twins that their father might be an ass, but they would still always have a home with her… when Fenrir appeared behind them, slunk past and bit the unsuspecting Erik in his right thigh, wrestled him to the floor.

"Fenrir, stoppa!"

"Fenrir, no!", Ida and Lorna both yelled at the same time. Ida, much stronger than any human, threw her arms around Fenrir and bodily pulled him off a dazed and bleeding Erik, before grabbing his neck and dragging him onto the porch, down the steps and onto the green.

"Hvað varstu að hugsa?! Stay!"

Fenrir just looked at her, his eyes as green and unreadable as ever.

"Prick.", she hissed and stormed back towards the house, angrily she threw closing both doors behind her. The kitchen was empty. The kids had worked fast and had moved Erik to their bed, with Lorna trying to stem the blood flow with towels. Wanda had taken possession of her side of the bed, Peter was zooming around looking for more towels, and Erik looked suitably green in the face.

"It's okay, let me.", Ida carefully pulled a terrified Lorna to the side and stopped Peter in his tracks, "It's okay. He'll be fine."

"That looks pretty bad.", Wanda supplied from the bed.

"Give us a moment, will you?"

The kids looked at her, incredulous.

"He's not going to walk out like this, is he?"

Erik flinched. Good.

"Living Room.", Lorna offered, "That's my compromise."

"Fine. Put the radio on loud."

"No."

Ida sighed.

"Wanda, Darling, can you walk? Maybe you should…"

"I'll take her to the couch.", Peter interrupted her and scooped Wanda up in his arms.

"I can walk, you know?"

"And I can carry you. Now let me."

And off they went, without another glance. Lorna gave her father one last glare and walked out, too.

"Well, this is quite the pickle, you put me in. Because what do I do now? Heal you, so you can walk out on us?"

"That's not funny, Ida.", Erik just looked tired, his eyes closed and his head resting on the headboard.

"I don't know that I was even aiming for funny."

"And I'm not walking out on you."

"You were planning to, though."

"It's not the same."

"Do you know why I don't like to use my powers? My healing powers, I mean?"

"No. You never said."

"Because it's not really healing.", she sat down on her side of the bed, "It's time manipulation. I don't heal wounds. I turn back the clock to before the injury happened. Or forward until it's healed."

That got his attention, but Ida leaned her head back and looked at the opposite wall. Anywhere but his face.

"I could always do it. It's… well, I'll tell you more about that side of my family some other time. The problem is, once I start manipulating time, it's hard to stop. It's like… a maelstrom, a swirling vortex, it's… hard to control. It's my whole body in flux... 300 year ago I was living, well… not here, I was living with a partner. Someone I really loved. And I was pregnant. We were happy. So happy. One day, I came home from the market and found them dead. And the people that did it were carrying out every valuable thing they could find. I'm sure you can relate."

"And you turned back time?", Erik's voice was low, rumbly. He sounded sad. Yes. Sad. Was she sad? It was all so… much. He reached for her hand to comfort her, and she let him. She might be mad, but… he was Erik and he was there.

"I did, yes. I brought them back. And I turned the attackers to nothing. Before my eyes they turned into children, babies. Then they were gone. I… couldn't stop. Our cat that had died two years earlier? Back from the dead. I turned the whole damn world into a prehistoric volcanic nightmare. The whole world. All those people, millions of them. They never even existed now. Maybe they will one day, I don't know. My body was in flux, I… Erik, I lost control. I turned back the clock and accidentally reversed my pregnancy, too."

"Ida, I'm…"

"I left after that. Came here. I just wanted to be left alone. I NEVER wanted to get attached again. Never wanted to risk that again. Never… And now here I am. With people depending on me. And you're not only ready to walk out on us, but injured enough to need healing and me stupidly pregnant. And I've been worried sick all day. I've been worried sick all week! I don't want to do this alone, Erik. I could. And I would. But I really, really don't want to."

Finally she turned around to look at his ashen face, his hand still gripping hers maybe a little too tightly.

"You are pregnant."

"About 8 weeks."

"And you knew about that today and still went in to heal people."

"Of course. What would you have me do? Risk losing a living, breathing child for the potential of one? Did you think I would let Peter just DIE? Like he was nothing?"

"No. That's not you."

"And a little healing is fine. Big things? Please don't go and get yourself killed. Depending on how long it takes me to get there, I might have to turn back the clock for hours."

"Don't you dare!"

"Exactly.", she sighed, exhausted, "Now show me that leg of yours."

"Absolutely not! You are NOT touching my leg. I heal fast."

"Erik, I didn't tell you this so you'd be terrified of my powers."

"I'm not terrified. I'm also not risking our… baby. Not for something so trivial."

"Fenrir has big teeth."

"I heal fast, I told you. I have experience."

"You need stitches."

"I can do that, too."

"Hell no!

"Hell yes!"

"Erik…"

"You aren't touching my stupid leg. Not a chance. I deserve this."

"I won't argue with you there."

"The kids will feel better knowing I can't run."

"Also true. At least let me call the doctor to stitch you up properly."

"I can…"

"Please?"

"As you wish."

With a last shake of her head, Ida walked into the living room, where the kids were draped on couches. Quietly. She grabbed the list of important numbers and dialed their doctor. Damn. She really needed a new phone. Stupid rotary dial.

"Hi, Dr. Turner, it's Ida Northman. I'm sorry to disturb you on a Saturday, but we've had an incident out on the farm. No… an animal bite… yes, Fenrir. Yes, we have stopped the bleeding, but even I can see he'll need stitches. Thank you!"

She hung up.

"The Doctor will be here within the hour."

"Aren't you a healer?", Peter asked, snacking on more cookies.

"I am, yes."

"Are you punishing him?", Wanda asked, eating one of the last pieces of Donauwelle. With her hands.

"No. And don't let your father see you eating it like that."

Wanda huffed.

"He doesn't have the right to tell me anything."

"It's nice to see you up, Wanda. Welcome home. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"Is he leaving?! Can we talk about that, please?", Lorna interrupted them.

"He's not leaving, Lorna."

"Because Fenrir almost ate him.", Peter grinned, "Even the Doc immediately knew what was up."

"Fenrir didn't eat anyone."

"He tried to, though.", Wanda agreed.

"I don't know if anyone really knows why Fenrir does anything."

"I like him. He had the right idea."

"Wanda, I know your father didn't leave the best first impression, but…"

"I woke up to him yelling about how I called him Dad when I was drugged. And how he was going to kill everyone."

"Oh dear."

"And then Peter had to confirm where we even were for me."

"I admit: that could have gone better.", Erik was standing in the door, hopping on one leg.

"So I got up to watch you walk out. That was fun."

"Technically, I walked IN", Erik tried, but no one was finding that particularly funny.

"Why are you up? Do you WANT to bleed out?", Ida groaned.

"I really do heal quickly.", Erik plopped himself down into an armchair and put his leg on a stool, pressing a towel to it, "And I think I am needed here."

"Needed? No one here needs you.", Lorna hissed, "We were fine without you, Mom and I."

"I know that, Lorna. I didn't mean…"

"We were fine, too.", Peter pulled his legs onto the couch, "Until you told the whole world mutants existed by trying to kill people on TV."

"And then you did it again. But this time there was a speech, too. My Mom got so panicked, she locked me up in a mental asylum. I spent about a year in a straight jacket, so I couldn't use my powers."

"Wanda, I'm so sorry. I really didn't know. If I'd…"

"I don't need you to be sorry for me."

"That's not… Wanda, I don't even know where to start."

"You COULD start by just being here.", Ida offered, unsure if she should even be part of this conversation.

"I AM here. And I am not going anywhere. I promise you. I promise all of you."

"You promise?", Lorna asked, sounding skeptical.

"I promise. And once this leg is healed, I am going to build an extension. We'll need more space. Right? Because no one is leaving."

"Until you decide that we are safer without you?"

"No, Lorna. I won't go anywhere, unless you guys tell me to."

"So if we tell you to piss off, you will?", Peter narrowed his eyes.

"Yes. I'd get a room in town. And a job. And I'd work my ass off, until I'm allowed back."

"He did that when he first showed up here.", Lorna turned to the other two.

"And did he really work hard?", Wanda asked.

"Yeah. Took me to the movies and stuff, too."

"Did he stop once you allowed him to move in?"

"No. He's still a pretty good Dad, actually.", Lorna conceded, "He reads to me, too. Even though I can do it myself. So we can read cool books together."

The silence was pretty deafening. The kids were all looking at each other, and Erik was staring helplessly at Ida.

Interestingly enough, it was Peter, who finally said: "Okay. Fine. I'll give you a chance. If Ida doesn't kick you out, that is. Because the bedrooms are all taken now. And I'm not sharing."

"I'm not kicking him out.", Ida sighed, "Sometimes our first reaction, when we are stressed, isn't our best."

"I don't know enough about you to form an opinion.", Wanda shrugged, "And I don't need you to read to me. But we can give it a try."

"Then I thank you both. Lorna?"

"You were ready to leave me."

"I was an idiot and scared. There is NOTHING that scares me more than the idea of you being hurt."

Well, that was more honest than Ida had expected.

"Lorna, I've… lost people before. Many people. My whole family. I have seen things I don't EVER want you to even know about, let alone experience. I'd do anything. ANYTHING to keep you safe. To keep you ALL safe.", he looked at each of them in turn.

"You are not just talking about your parents, are you? Or the Holocaust? Because that I know about.", Lorna's voice was tiny and scared. And she was way too perceptive for her own good. Ida had never asked about Erik's past, and he had never asked about hers, but there were some things that didn't need saying.

"Her name was Anya.", Erik's voice quavered a little at her name, then turned his eyes to the twins, both their gazes glued to his face, "We were really young, your mother and I. When we… left the camp. When we got married. And when we had Anya. It was… we had both seen so much death and pain and Anya, Anya was life and hope and love and… Anya was everything."

"What happened to her?", Wanda looked transfixed, her eyes shiny. Ida understood her all too well, she, too, felt tears threatening to fall.

"The people in town found out about me. They set our house on fire, with Anya inside. I couldn't control my powers enough. They wouldn't… I couldn't get to her. Anya died. And I killed them all."

"You… killed the whole town?", the tone of Peter's voice was hard to describe.

"I did. I was sitting there, covered in blood and… well… your mother was horrified. She was scared and grieving and… She called me a monster and took off. I never knew what happened to her. Not until yesterday."

"That's why Mom never spoke about you?", Peter sounded mortified. Wanda? Wanda was mad: "That's why she locked me away and called me dangerous? You were grieving, in pain and lost control and she… what? Decided you were bad news, and I was the same, because…"

"Wanda… your Mom had a hard life. She was always hated for being different. I think she was just afraid to be different again."

"I don't care! She was my Mom! If she was scared of me, she should have called you or found people to look after me, that would LOVE me, not lock me away!"

"Mom loved you, Wanda."

"Oh, did she now? How would you know? What do you know about Mom and me, mh? You, who ran all over the world, too busy being BORED to even BE there."

"That's not fair! It's not my fault you chose to be a kid, rather than my twin!"

"I would have done ANYTHING to get away from her and her judgment. Do you know what it's like to live with someone that's afraid of you? Disgusted by you?"

"She wasn't DISGUSTED by you!"

"Don't you tell me what happened to ME! You don't have that right. Nobody does!"

"Oh, because reality is such a constant when it comes to you!"

"Enough!", Ida was DONE. She was all for letting people talk it out. Even a good yelling match, but there were lines one didn't cross. Not in this house.

"Peter, I understand you are grieving. But siblings can have different experiences with their parents, okay? Everyone is tired and hurting. We will NOT turn on each other today."

"Wanda", Erik continued for her, "I know I haven't been there, and I know nothing about your life, but you can tell me everything, okay? Whatever you did, whatever you will do: I'm here now. I'm not leaving. And I will never judge you. I promise you that, Wanda. You have a home. Whatever happens."

"Not to interrupt a moment here, but… the Doctor wanted to be here soon and Fenrir is outside.", Peter spoke into the silence.

Erik laughed wetly through the tears and even Wanda cracked a smile, as Ida muttered a quick, "Oh shit.", and hurried outside.