Chapter 1
January 1973
"One day Hank, we'll all be together again."
Hank looked around at the ruined stadium and destruction that surrounded them, keeping a watch on the secret servicemen nearby. He didn't know if he'd ever be ready to face Erik again or live under the same roof, but maybe Raven would come back to them someday.
"And what about Logan?" Hank asked. God only knew where Erik had thrown him. God only knew if Logan was even still alive after that. Charles opened his mouth to answer and in the blink of an eye they were no longer outside the White House, but in a familiar cluttered basement.
"Peter?"
The silver-haired speedster smirked, stopping to help Hank move Charles on the couch.
"Where's the other guy that was with you? The one with the claws?" He questioned.
"Would you mind looking for him?" Charles asked and in a blink Peter was gone again. After a minute he returned, a purple helmet in his hands.
"I looked all over DC and I couldn't find him. Or that blue lady that was on the tv. Or Magneto." Peter looked genuinely regretful that he hadn't been able to find any of them. He held up the helmet to Charles. "I did find this though."
"I'll take that, probably best the government doesn't get their hands on it," Hank said, taking the helmet from Peter. "Can't wait to run tests on this thing."
"You guys can stay here for a little bit if you need to," Peter told them. "I'm sure my mom won't mind." That got a harsh laugh in response from a girl on the stairs. She had long auburn hair braided with red and black ribbon that matched her red and black jumpsuit. Her bright blue eyes regarded Charles and Hank with a cold intrigue, something about her reminding Charles faintly of Erik.
"I think Mother will mind," she said. "Well little brother? Why have you brought these men here, aren't they a little old for you?"
"Oh fuck off," Peter retorted. "That's not what this is. They're like us."
"Your sister has powers too?" Charles perked up. Instead of answering, Wanda wiggled her fingers, a red light swirling around them and the helmet as it shot into her hands.
"Fascinating, you're siblings and yet your powers have no similarities," Hank said, almost awestruck.
"I'll do you one better, we're twins," Wanda told him.
"And you're not that much older than me, thank you very much." Peter disappeared in a blur and was back with two Ding Dongs, one of which he gave to his sister.
"It's been theorized that mutant siblings would have similar abilities if not the same-" Hank turned to Charles who nodded thoughtfully.
"But we haven't been able to find that many siblings and Alex's brothers are too young to manifest," he finished. Noting the look on the twins' faces he added, "Hank and I have doctorates in genetics. We are mutants and we try to research, to provide answers for our own, but unfortunately, there's only been so much we could do."
"You never told me your powers, though I'm assuming he can turn blue," Peter commented with a nod to Hank. "Which is like, really cool, by the way." Hank seemed shocked that someone other than Charles genuinely found his mutation interesting. Charles scrunched up his face as he gazed at the twins.
"I can't read either of you," he said after a few moments. "I'm a telepath. I can read minds, emotions - control them even. But you two, I can feel you but it's like there's a barrier with you Wanda and Peter your thoughts are just too fast. A side effect of your respective mutations most likely-"
Can you even hear me like this?
Yes! That came from Wanda, her mental voice having a trace of some kind of Eastern European accent. And from Peter-
Holyshitwhatthefuckthatissocoolitsalmostcreepybutdefinatelycoolimsorryifipissedyouofftheotherdaywaityousaidyoudidnthaveyourpowershowcomeyouhavethemnowdidyouandthatmetalguybreakupagainwhywere-
Charles fell back on the couch as he pulled out of Peter's mind, rubbing his temples. He would not be going near that boy's head again unless absolutely necessary. Charles sighed as he tried to suppress the migraine he felt coming on.
"Wanda! Pietro!" They heard the little girl calling from upstairs.
"We're down here Lorna!" The twins shouted back in unison. A few seconds later a little girl in a princess costume dress marched down the stairs, gazing at Charles and Hank warily.
"Is your sister also-"
"That's a good question," Peter answered before Hank could even finish his sentence.
"Her hair is naturally green but we dye it brown and she hasn't developed any powers like us," Wanda explained.
"She probably won't manifest for a couple more years yet," Charles told them. The twins exchanged a confused look.
"Our powers 'manifested' when we were younger than she is now," Peter said, picking Lorna up and placing her on his hip.
"Really? Usually, people manifest at or shortly after puberty." Charles regarded the twins with kind, searching eyes.
"There's got to be another contributing factor," Hank mused.
"Uh, Lorna's adopted?" Wanda added.
"No, that's not it," Charles said. "Your mother is human, yes?" He received a trio of nods. "What of your father?" The twins exchanged another look.
"Our father died when we were babies. Mom won't talk about him," Wanda replied.
"She did say once that she knew a guy who could control metal," Peter added absentmindedly.
"Pardon?"
"Yeah, after our powers manifested she mentioned once that she knew a guy who could control metal. But she only ever brought it up the once and I kinda just forgot about it until you mentioned that Erik guy," he continued on, oblivious to the shocked and calculating expressions of Charles and Hank, or the suspicious one from his sister. "Do we need to call you a taxi or something so you can get back to the airport? Or I could run you? It's not far."
"It'd be safer if I drove. There's probably going to be lots of police and military swarming all over," Wanda objected. "The last thing we need is one of us getting caught, especially if you're taking that thing with you." She pointed at the helmet, which Lorna was now sporting as if it were her princess tiara. "I mean, Mom's in a mood right now-" Having another episode, or having a mental break down was really what it was - a result of whatever trauma she'd experienced in the War - but she wasn't about to tell that to these strangers, mutants or not. She knew Pietro and Lorna knew what she meant. "-so she might not mind the three of us taking the car out for a bit," Wanda suggested.
They wrapped Erik's helmet in an old shopping bag just in case and crammed into Ms. Maximoff's car. The twins and Lorna listened eagerly as Hank and Charles told them of other mutants they had encountered over the years and their mutations, some more bittersweet than others. There was something in the siblings that reminded Charles of him and Raven all those years ago, the growing up with only each other and a distant, alcoholic mother. At least the Maximoff siblings had grown up in a more loving and certainly less abusive home than he had. If only the school had been open for the twins, if only Charles had been able to find them sooner. But Lorna-
"Peter you still have my card yeah?" Charles asked, Peter holding up the card in question. "That's the address for a school that Hank and I used to run. One that I hope to be starting up again. It's a school for people like us, for mutants. I know it's a little too late for you two, but if there's anything you ever need - if you ever need a place to stay my doors will always be open to those in need. And when Lorna's powers manifest hopefully I'll have the school up and running to take her as a student."
"We'll have to talk to our mom about it but I don't see her saying no," Wanda said.
"Ok so would it be ok if I ever crashed at your place because I'm the only guy in a house with three women and it sucks sometimes," Peter asked.
"Drama queen." Wanda rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Alright then, I'd like to see you live with three or four other guys and not complain. Just you and four guys in a house, how'd you like that? You wouldn't last two days," Peter retorted.
"Brother dearest, please. Haven't you noticed: men fear me and women want or want to be me. If I was the only girl in a house with several guys I'd have them all under my thumb in two days," Wanda replied.
"See this is the kind of shit I have to deal with," Peter stage-whispered to Charles and Hank as the car pulled up beside a white jet with a large X on the side.
"If either of you needs a place to stay, as I said my doors are always open," Charles assured them. "And if either of you ever needs to be bailed out of jail, you have my number." He and Hank bid the three siblings goodbye and boarded the jet. They were well on their way to Westchester when Hank spoke up.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"We'll definitely be seeing those three again," Charles murmured.
"And I'll be damned if I didn't spend all those years in the CIA and I'm not able to lift a DNA sample off that helmet."
"I hope Moira's alright," Charles said, not wanting to address the suspicions he shared about the Maximoff twins. He had seen a woman who looked a lot like Wanda in Erik's head years ago. He might've mentioned it once in front of Hank when he'd been in a drunken stupor. He had a sister, he knew what it was like to lose a sister and he still took her away from me. Charles was a geneticist, one of the best. All of the pieces were there in front of him, just waiting to be put together. And Charles and Hank would figure it out, one way or another.
Charles was sure of one thing as the plane touched down in Westchester: Logan had known exactly what he doing when he suggested getting Peter to help break Erik out. Someone in the future had made that decision, whether it was Logan or Charles or even Erik himself. Someone had decided that the Maximoff twins needed to cross pass with Charles, someone knew that Charles would see those kids and take them under his wing. Someone had decided they needed Charles and Erik in their lives.
There was only so much he could do to help Erik, but Charles would be damned if he didn't help the man's children.
When the twins and Lorna returned home their mother was sitting at the table, an empty glass in front of her and a far-off look in her eyes. The news showed footage of Paris and DC, but the sound was turned off.
"Sit down," she instructed hoarsely. "There's something I need to talk to you about." Peter and Wanda sat down across from their mother, Lorna in Peter's lap.
"What's this about? What's wrong?" Peter asked quietly. With one arm he gripped Lorna close to his chest and with the other he held Wanda's hand tightly.
"Mama, you're scaring us," Wanda pleaded in Romany.
"This is about your father," their mother replied. "I've lied to you about him. He didn't die when you two were babies. He is very much alive, and ten years ago he had a tryst with Lorna's mother that resulted in her. That's why she was brought to me after Arnold and Suzanna died."
"Why are you telling us this now?" Peter's thoughts were racing, more so than usual. So many questions bubbled up in his head but that was the one he could voice. He and Wanda had been twelve when an older blind lady had shown up one night with a five-year-old Lorna, green hair and all, and spoken with his mother for what felt like forever. The lady, Irene maybe, had then left and his mother had told him and Wanda that they a new baby sister. He'd been a little apprehensive at first but had quickly accepted it and moved on. Now he wished he'd asked more questions.
"Because-" His mother's voice cracked and the next words were barely more than a whisper, but they were ones that would haunt Peter for the rest of his life.
"Your father is Erik Lehnsherr."