Golden Age of Childhood
Erik arrived at the small yellow house that his ex-wife and children lived in. After Anya their relationship just wasn’t the same it had changed both of them and whilst they still loved each other it wasn’t the same kind of love. Erik would still die for Magda or kill for her if it were necessary. As far as human women went she was an exception. She had given him the three most important gifts in his miserable life.
Anya had come first when they were both so young. They had clung to each other in the aftermath of the camps. Erik had saved her from one of the evil guards who was trying to kill Magda and her little sister. They had been inseparable after that and being teenagers they had thought the most logical step would be marriage. Anya’s death had torn them apart, it had opened Erik’s eyes that most humans couldn’t be trusted. It wasn’t just evil nazi’s that turned on their fellow man it was the men at the steel mill as well.
He and Magda had parted ways after burying their only child and he had left her a P.O. Box to get ahold of him if she were to need anything. He checked it religiously between hunting down the lowly scum of the earth as well as sending her money. It had been about three months after the tragedy that he got a letter with an address asking him to come see her.
He had raced to her home in the United States where she had immigrated. He had been scared that something bad had happened but his worry was unfounded. Magda had opened the door to the yellow house he was so familiar with and had given him a big hug. It had surprised him greatly but he returned the hug as she looked up at him with tears. Magda was pregnant with the twins, they didn’t know at the time that she was having twins but they were both overcome with joy.
Wanda and Pietro had come screaming into the world just short of six months later. Wanda had his auburn hair and Pietro had a shock of silver hair. The nurses had tried to reassure the parents that his hair would probably darken to a normal blonde color. Erik and Magda had known better Pietro’s hair had something to do with his mutation.
Snapping out of his memories he knocked on the door and the door flew open before he could finish. A little silver haired speedster was grinning up at him showing his two missing baby teeth.
“Vati!” The boy was bouncing with excitement and launched himself into Erik’s arms stealing his fedora. The child put the hat on his head and it fell over his eyes.
“I think this hat may be a bit too big for you” Erik teased, setting the rambunctious ball of energy down. Magda had come up to the door and she looked exhausted. Erik couldn’t help the sting of guilt, he should be here with his family. Magda didn’t want that though, she actually agreed he was doing good work tracking down nazi’s and bigots and taking them out. He was doing this for his family and for mutant kind.
“How are you Mags” he asked, walking into the house looking around for his daughter.
“Wanda manifested her powers while you were gone, she’s a bit upset” Magda elaborated with a frown. Erik’s smile turned down, why would she be upset? He had taught the children early on that any mutation they might get would be a gift.
“She blew up the television set and now she’s afraid she will hurt someone” Erik frowned.
“What happened that made her blow the television up?” He asked hoping he could figure out the trigger so he could help her master her powers.
“You know how she likes her silly little television shows, they had interrupted A rerun of I Love Lucy for an emergency broadcast. Her temper tantrum made the television blow. I’ve barely been able to coax her out of her room” Magda explained and Erik could see why she was exhausted now.
“I don’t know why she thinks it’s scary. I thought it was neat Vati” Pietro exclaimed munching on a twinkie.
“Pietro Django Maximoff, what have I said about sweets before dinner!” Magda scolded the little boy who had the audacity to grin.
“Erik he doesn’t get that Audacity from me, this is your child” Magda cried exasperated.
“Pietro you need to listen to your Mama, you only get one” Erik stepped in backing up Magda.
“You’re both square” the child whined. The two adults shared a look.
“I’m going to talk to Wanda, Pietro you listen to your Mama or we won’t go get ice cream after dinner” Erik could see the five year old’s dark eyes light up at the prospect of ice cream. Magda mouthed a silent thank you as he climbed the stairs to his daughter’s room. He knocked softly, taking time to smile at the drawing of flowers she had taped to her bedroom door.
“Go away Mama I’m not hungry” Erik could hear the tears in the child’s voice and it broke his shriveled heart.
“Wanda, Liebling, it’s Vati. I’m going to come in” he called to the child.
“NO! Vati I’ll hurt you” she cried.
“Then I will be hurt because I’m not going to let you hurt alone” Erik retorted opening the door and stepping into the tiny pink bedroom. There were dolls and books strewn around the room. If it were Pietro he wouldn’t be concerned but Wanda had always been a neat and orderly child. She was hiding behind the dollhouse he had gotten her for her fifth birthday. He came to squat in front of the sobbing child.
“Wanda, tell me what is the matter” He asked and reached to pick her up even as she pulled away. Once she was held close to his chest frozen in fear he sat down on her bed.
“Liebling everything is okay” he ran a hand through her auburn hair.
“No Vati my powers are bad” she whined softly.
“They most certainly are not bad, your powers are beautiful and a part of you” he answered back quickly. He wouldn’t have any of this self loathing nonsense.
“How is blowing stuff up beautiful Vati?” She asked still not placated.
“Tell me what were you thinking when the tv blew up, my darling?” he asked.
“I was so mad that I couldn’t watch my show that I just wished the TV would blow up so I didn’t have to see the stupid news” She confided. Erik just held her tighter trying to send her all his love through his sheer will.
“Did you know that when my powers manifested I was angry?” He asked his daughter who was still snuggled into his chest.
“You were?” She asked, her voice still raw from sobbing.
“Yes I was very angry Leibling and do you know what happened?” He prodded separating tangled curls with his fingers as he held her.
“What happened Vati?”
“I destroyed a gate. Do you think my powers are bad?” Erik proved her gently and she looked up in surprise. She clutched at the necklace he had made her for her most recent birthday.
“No you make pretty things and stop bad people like the ones that hurt Oma and Opa” She looked righteous now with her conviction that her Vati wasn’t a bad person. Peter may have gotten his audacity as Magda would say but Wanda had inherited his conviction.
“So what makes you think your powers are bad leibling. My powers can destroy but they can also create” he told her pulling her in tight for a hug.
“How do I make mine create instead of destroy?” She asked Erik.
“We will just have to practice. We don't know exactly how your abilities work. Do you want to try something?” He asked an idea springing to life in his head.
“Yeah!” He had managed to completely cheer up the distressed child.
“You remember the porcelain doll your brother broke? Do you still have it” Wanda frowned when he mentioned the doll she had been very upset when Pietro had broken the doll. It had taken Magda close to an hour to console her.
“Yes” she mumbled, getting a hat box out of the closet that held the pitiful remains of the broken doll. Erik had known that Wanda wouldn’t let her mother throw it out. Magda had been exasperated to say the least when she had called him to tell him all about the twins doll drama.
“Okay Wanda I want you to wish as hard as you can that the doll is unharmed. Wish it as hard as you wished for the television to blow up.” Erik whispered knelt behind his daughter. Wanda screwed her face up in concentration and her tiny tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth. Erik couldn’t help but stare in awe as the little doll began to float and knit itself back together. Within seconds the doll was like new.
“Wanda, open your eyes” he nudged her in awe. The girl’s eyes fluttered open and she gasped in happiness grabbing for the doll and clutching it to her chest.
“Thank you Vati” she jumped into his arms and he lifted her up and did a little spin.
“Now why don’t we go eat dinner? I think your mother made something good” He grinned. She nodded and he carried her back down to the living room where Magda was sitting with a restless Pietro.
“Mama Vati helped me!” Wanda shouted excitedly showing her mom the now pristine doll.
“I told you that your Vati would know what to do; you don’t get your dramatics from me. You get all of that from your Vati not me” Magda laughed getting up to kiss her daughters cheeks.
The family sat down for dinner and Erik soaked in his time with his family. He hated being away from them but he wanted them to be able to live in a safer world. He didn’t want his family to ever experience the things he went through as a child. If he had it his way they would have a normal upbringing.
What Erik didn’t know was this would be his last family dinner for the next ten years. He would be framed for the murder of the first mutant president and be locked beneath the pentagon in a glass prison.