Chapter Text
Wanda took several deep breaths. This was it—her one chance to get out of here, to get away. There were no do-overs, no going back. This was the path laid out in front of her.
She took another deep breath as Pietro opened the door to his room, looking confused. It wasn't every day his sister knocked on his door, and indeed not every day she looked so frightened.
“Pietro… I need your help with something….” Wanda said, her voice quivering.
Wanda was way less put together than he’s used to seeing her, and Pietro would be lying if he said he wasn't worried.
“I… I need to get out of here, escape. I can't tell you my final destination, or where specifically I’ll go, can't risk telepaths or people who can tell you’re lying to find out… I… Please…”
Pietro frowned but nodded, hugging her. “Grab what you need. We’ll leave now.”
“Thank you!” she exclaimed and hugged him tightly back before leaving to pack the bare necessities and some of her spell books and tomes.
After they left, there was no trace of the brunette besides the stuff Wanda left behind. It was like she just up and vanished.
-
“Miss Shepherd!”
Wanda turned and smiled at the teen male who raced over, unsurprised at the sudden calling of her new last name. But, after all, it was a common occurrence in the town she found herself in.
The town was helping her get her American citizenship and helped provide a lot for her, including a house the runaway now called home and ran her daycare out of. Wanda was surprised by how helpful and welcoming they had been, but then again, when she came into town, she brought a child back to life before promptly passing out.
‘Wendy’ also healed the townspeople’s injuries and did her best with their illnesses, though most of the time, she teleported them to the nearest hospital. There was only so much she could do on her own, after all.
As Scarlet Witch, most just saw her magic blasts, the more… Destructive spells, the chaos. Now, all they know are her healing arts and… Wanda loved it. She loved not being looked at in fear and trepidation. People genuinely liked Wanda for her here.
“What is it? And Wendy is fine,” Wanda reassured, pulling herself from her thoughts.
“Ma said to come grab ya; dad was an idiot," the teen explained.
“Don’t call your father an idiot,” she chastised gently. “Alright, lead the way for me…?” Her twins, both barely four months by now, were asleep and should be sleeping for at least a bit longer. They’d be fine for a couple of minutes, and Wanda could just teleport home if one of the monitoring spells she put up went off.
Billy… Billy already looked so much like her, but also so much like their father, Victor… But Tommy, and her heart clenched, Tommy had white hair just like his uncle, and the most mischievous green eyes… She’d protect them from everything. The world would fall before she allowed Doom anywhere near her kids or them onto a battlefield.
Once back home from reattaching the farmer's finger, she fed her kids, now awake and grumpy kids, shushing them gently.
“ Hush, my darlings don’t you worry, mama is here now,” she murmured in Romani, rocking them both gently as she used her powers to clean up a bit around the house.
She adored her sons, and the townsfolk had long accepted the Romani woman into their fold. She’d do anything for any of them.
-
“ Billy! No fair! ” Tommy pouted as his brother used his powers to snatch his twin’s cookie. Time seemed to fly, and the twins were now seven years old.
Honestly, Wanda was constantly shocked by how fast they grew and developed. It felt like only yesterday they were tiny little bundles.
“Billy! What have I told you about your powers?”
“Only use them for good,” Billy pouted but handed his brother back the cookie.
The seven-year-olds were a handful on top of the nursery kids, but Wanda loved their energy. Tommy inherited his uncle’s speed, and Billy had very powerful magic he had gotten from both sides.
“ That’s right,” Wanda smiled and ruffled Billy and Tommy’s hair. “That is for both of you.”
“Yes, mama,” they said together.
“Good, both of you go then; the other kids will be here soon.” The two rushed off, Tommy pulling his brother along. Wanda smiled warmly at them, glad they were just as close as her and her brother.
Pietro… Wanda swallowed down the homesickness that boiled up. No, this was what was best for her kids, for her small little family. Even if the mage missed her twin with all, she had. It was safer for Pietro not to know where she was, so no one who would harm her kids could find them.
-
It wasn’t until her kids were 15 that Charles finally caught wind of them.
The twins were in high school by then. Billy was a huge superhero fanboy and nerd, while Tommy was the town prankster. The white-haired teen never did anything explicitly illegal, and everything was harmless fun. Mostly. Unless someone thought bullying Billy was a good idea. However, in those situations, people tended to look the other way.
“Hello, Miss Shepherd; I’m Charles Xavier. Are your boys around?”
“In school, let out in fifteen… Come in.” Wanda let him in, heart pounding. How could Charles have found her? She was so careful!
“It took less time to get here than I thought,” Charles apologized as he came in. “Wendy Shepherd, correct?”
“Yes, sir,” she nodded and followed him. “Tea?”
“Sounds lovely,” Charles looked around as he wheeled inside, making a note of the many children. “You have a lot of kids.”
“Watch them,” Wanda hummed, keeping up her act. There was a slight chance he didn’t know, after all.
Wanda had filled out a bit, not as fit from her Scarlet Witch days, and her long brown hair was cut to be halfway between her jaw and her shoulders. The mage also wore less makeup and a lot less revealing clothing. Wanda also really amped up her accent, and even after all these years, it's still hasn't ‘faded,’ and her sons even had a slight accent.
Hopefully, it'd be enough changes that Charles wouldn't fully recognize her.
“Ah, I see,” Charles nodded. “Now I’m sure you’ve noticed that they have very….”
“Abilities, mutants, like me,” Wanda nodded. “I know, magic and speed.” Charles looked surprised, and Wanda smiled.
“We Romani much more accepting, this town very accepting also.” Charles smiled and nodded. The two chatted, and Charles was quite endeared to ‘Wendy’ before her kids came home.
“ Ma? We’re home!” Tommy called. Although fluent in English and Romani, the boys spoke primarily Romani at home.
“ Hello dearies, I’m in the kitchen! Help the parents find their kids?” Wanda called back, and the two ran around doing just that as parents showed up.
Billy froze, eyes wide once he and his brother entered the kitchen.
“You’re Charles Xavier!” He beamed and went over. Tommy rolled his eyes good-naturedly and followed his brother, looking at Charles with a distrusting look. The speedster was incredibly protective of his brother and didn’t trust strangers.
Wanda smiled sadly. She never had it in her to suppress Billy’s interest and love of superheroes. It almost felt cruel to even think about telling Billy he couldn't like the things he did while letting Tommy love running and sports.
“That is correct, and you two must be Billy and Tommy Shepherd, correct?”
“Wow, yeah. I’m Billy; this is my brother Tommy!”
“Boys,” Wanda smiled and made tea for them. “Come, join for tea.”
“ Yes, ma. ” They said together and sat down with her at the table. Wanda gave them their cups.
“Now… I mentioned it briefly to your mother, but… I’d like to talk to you two about my school. She mentioned you already knew you were mutants, so we can skip that part….” As Charles talked, he noticed Tommy remained skeptical, but Billy seemed excited. “It’s obviously your choice, and as always, I do allow people to stay a week in the manor to see if it is for them if you wish.”
“Ma?” Billy turned to Wanda excitedly.
“ Only if you want to, my dear.”
“I’ll go with him,” Tommy promised his mother, knowing how much she hated leaving the town and the nearby city.
“Your mother is more than welcome to come as well,” Charles reassured. Wanda hesitated, then shook her head and smiled.
“Their experience. Just promise safety.”