Chapter 6

A/N: Quick note, normally in a battle between mutant powers a reality warper would always top a probability warper. After all, one makes something happen that was always possible while the other makes even the truly impossible happen. However, between Wanda's lack of training, and Sam's power being reinforced by her magic, which also has limited reality warping properties, at this point in time Sam and Wanda are each other's equal and opposite. Sam simply does passively and subtly what Wanda does actively and overtly.

Lemons are at the very end of the chapter, if you choose to skip them you shouldn't miss too much in terms of plot.

Sam looked out the window at the dreary grey of pre-dawn. Her fingers massaged the bridge of her nose while she pointedly ignored the small stack of papers she'd been writing. It was strange but as she looked out over the carefully maintained lawn of the Xavier's institute it didn't feel all that different than Scotland.

Jean was still asleep, her mind busy with a dream that Sam couldn't even pretend to understand. Instead she borrowed the very edge of Jean's telepathic senses. It wasn't anywhere near enough to sense thoughts, but it gave her a slight idea as to people's present location. More importantly though, combined with a witch's innate ability to perceive magic it allowed her to perceive a world unseen even by magical standards.

Her eyes rested on a few small puffs of magical energy buzzing around her head like gnats. "Nargles indeed." She said to herself. Shaking her head she bent back to her task.

"School shopping… Joy." Sam grumped. Jean just rolled her eyes at her wife's antics and locked the door to her car.

"Yeah, but, like, it's shopping, you know!" Kitty said while carelessly invading Sam's personal space.

"It is the mall. You can pick up whatever you want after you've got the school supplies out of the way." Jubilation Lee, a new mutant who was already thick as thieves with kitty, pointed out.

Sam sent Jean a look that clearly pleaded for intervention. Jean just gave her a closed eye smile that communicated she was still getting her back for last night. The witch sighed in defeat and followed behind her overeager escorts towards the mall.

Despite her outward appearance of calm, Jean couldn't help a small bout of nerves. This was her first time back in Bayville since they were outed as mutants, as well as since she'd broken up with Duncan. Either one would have left her guessing about which way her friends would jump on the issue, together it was impossible to guess whether she'd even have any friends left.

Kitty and Jubilee, as Jubilation preferred to be called, split off to do some window shopping while Jean took Sam to the bookstore where'd they be getting her math and science texts. The girl working the checkout gave Jean a tight smile as they walked in. Jean returned it but still felt a little down at the change in treatment.

"Come on, without you I won't know what to get." Sam said and pulled her towards the non-fiction section.

"Right, we'll need some basic texts on algebra, geometry and calculus to get you caught up in math." Jean said getting them started.

For about an hour they went from subject to subject trying to find what they needed. Along the way Jean also pulled out a few non-textbooks like Stephen Hawkings 'A Brief History of Time' and Richard Dawkins 'The Selfish Gene'.

"It's not enough just to learn the mechanics. You need to understand just how important this really is and how it relates to the world around us." Jean explained.

"Come to think of it, I remember seeing Hermoine read this one in the dorms." Sam mused while holding 'A Brief History of Time.'

"Well, from what you've told me about her she's probably trying to keep up with where she would be in normal high school classes." Jean said.

"Oh probably but this was first year." Sam said. Jean was brought up short, uncertain what to even say to that.

They exited the store arms laden with heavy book bags when Jean suddenly stopped and groaned. Three mutants she really didn't want to run into, and an unknown fourth were heading towards them by coincidence. She tried to lead Sam away while ignoring them when an unpleasant voice cut across the area.

"Hey, it's Jean. How you doin'?" Todd Tolansky, AKA Toad, said as he hopped in front of the girls. The temperature seemed to drop a few degrees as they were surrounded by the members of the Brotherhood. Bystanders were either watching from a safe distance or moving away from the brewing battle.

"Todd, Fred, Pietro… I suppose it would be too much to ask you to just forget you saw us?" Jean asked. While some of the hotter heads in the X-Men traded taunts with the Brotherhood regularly, Jean generally left them alone outside of missions. She was hoping that she'd have earned at least one day off from that.

"What, and leave two lovely ladies all alone? Where would be the sense in that?" Pietro asked, trying, and failing, to come across as suave.

"We're both taken," Sam replied with narrowed eyes.

"Well I don't see them around…" Pietro said sidling up to Jean.

Jean backed up into Sam. "We're taken all the same."

Fred frowned and walked up to Sam, "So who's the new x-geek?" Sam hardened her gaze but didn't back down from the large young man.

"Sam Potter… And you are?" Sam replied.

"Fred Dukes. You sure you know what you're doing hanging out with those losers?" Fred asked.

The girl that was with them finally snorted in derision, making her opinion of her current company known. Sam looked over at her and raised a brow. The girl wore a ridiculous number of bracelets, bangles and necklaces, and had a short red vest that showed her bra straps as a top.

"What? You got something to say?" The girl asked with a healthy heaping of attitude.

Sam shrugged and turned back to Fred, "I don't know who you mean, but I'm hanging out with my girlfriend." The three known members of the Brotherhood blinked and looked dumbfounded for a moment. "Now, if you don't mind, we've still got things to pick up."

Sam grabbed Jean's hand and angled to get them out of an opening between Todd and Pietro. The blond haired boy moved at superhuman speeds to block their path but caught his foot on a tile and slammed to the floor at full speed. The girls rolled their eyes and just kept walking through the now wide open path.

"Wanda!" Pietro gripped as he stood back up.

"Wasn't me," The girl replied apathetically.

The girls lost themselves in the crowd for a while before they turned to head for the exit. "I'm going to call Kitty and Jubilee, then we can get out of here." Jean announced.

"Who do you think you are!?" A loud voice caught their attention before Jean could make the call. They turned to see Lance Alvers, another member of the Brotherhood, in a shouting match with Jean's ex, Duncan Matthews, and a pack of jocks. Unfortunately Kitty was behind him looking depressed while Jubilee hurried towards her from off side.

"Looks like we won't get out of here that easily." Sam sighed as they walked towards the altercation.

"I think I'm a human, that's more than you and your little girlfriend!" Duncan replied.

Lance growled in barely contained fury, "Leave her out of this!"

"And why should I?" Duncan sneered.

"Because if you don't you'll piss me off." Sam answered with a false calm as she moved to subtly back up her fellow mutant.

"Sam…" Jean warned, already feeling her wife's hostility boiling hotter than anyone in the area's with the exception of Lance.

Duncan looked at Jean with an unreadable expression, "I haven't seen you around lately, Jean."

"I was out of the country." Jean explained lightly. "What are you doing, Duncan?"

Duncan shrugged, "Now that I'm not tied down to an uptight bitch like you I've got options. So I thought why not show this little bitch what she's missing not going out with a real man."

Lance growled but Sam snorted. "If you're a real man the human race is doomed." She retorted.

"Sam." Jean warned while trying to mentally soothe her wife's temper. Despite Sam's lack of visible reaction she could feel the girl trying to reign in her temper. Content to have some results at least she moved over to where Jubilee was holding Kitty hoping to help the girl deal with whatever had got her in such a funk.

"Now what's going on here?" Pietro asked as he and his previous group broke out of the crowd.

A few of Duncan's friends looked nervous now that they weren't the clear majority, but Duncan apparently wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet. "None of your business." Duncan bit out.

"Yeah well, Lance is our ride so we can't really have you beating him down too hard." Pietro stated arrogantly. Lance tched and shot the white haired boy a quick glare.

The sound of a cell-phone ringing suddenly cut through the tension. Duncan frowned and pulled out his phone. "Yeah… Yeah… I know… I know, I know… Fine. I'll be back soon." Duncan slammed the phone shut and slid it back into his pocket. "Lucky you it looks like I've got to go… This isn't over." He warned and then turned to leave, his group following after.

"Lucky… Right." Sam muttered as her anger simmered just beneath the surface.

Lance turned back to Kitty, "Kitty, I—" But before he could finish the sentence she burst into tears.

"Jubilee, we're going. You mind helping Kitty get to the car?" Sam ordered quietly. The younger mutant nodded and helped her friend up while Jean kept soothing her.

Lance looked after her then glowered at the ground and turned to walk past Pietro. "I'm going back to the house."

Pietro looked after the retreating girls, "But… Oh, all right. Let's go." Wanda rolled her eyes at his attempt to lead but followed anyways.

When they got back to the mansion Sam still had a scowl on her face. Kitty was a mess and soon had Rogue added to the small flock of girls trying to get her to calm down and tell them what happened. All anyone could pick up so far was that it started with something Lance said and then got made worse by something Duncan said.

Logan took one look at her and immediately dragged her down to the danger room. The room quickly morphed to look like an oriental dojo. "This is one of my favorites. Nothing but you and me. Now come on and show me what you got." Logan said while cracking his knuckles.

Sam hesitated a moment, but soon gave in to her anger and charged him. She was rewarded for her straightforward approach with a painful punch to the gut. Instead of feeling discouraged she growled and came in low this time.

For half an hour the more experienced mutant beat her black and blue while she barely tapped him at the best of times. Still she could feel herself getting better with each exchange. Best of all it worked some of her anger out, at least from this latest bout.

Finally she just collapsed to the floor unable to get back up again. Logan grunted and walked over to a bag she hadn't noticed before and produced two water bottles. Despite her near paralysis her power allowed her to catch the bottle he threw towards her. "Thanks."

"It's just water," He said and sat down next to her.

"I meant for this… For not going too easy on me." Sam explained.

Logan grunted, "Going easy on you isn't going to help you. Besides, you remind me of someone."

Sam raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

"Me." Logan said then sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I respect Chuck and what he's trying to do around here, but he and I don't always see eye to eye. He'd be telling you to let go of your anger and all that… I say use it. You've got every right to be mad. Just remember who your real enemies are and don't let it rule your life."

Sam grunted in acknowledgement. "You ever get so mad you blank out?"

"Many times. Not my prouder moments." Logan said.

Sam nodded. "I don't want to get that angry again… But something sets me off and it just builds up."

Logan nodded, "Just try and keep it pointed at the enemy."

"How?" Sam asked.

"Practice… Lots of practice." Logan replied. "Your connection with Jean will probably help, if you can let it."

She hummed in acknowledgement.

"Sorry, that didn't go exactly as planned," Jean said as she came into their shared bedroom. Sam was lying in bed nursing her bruises though she knew they'd heal up in about half an hour, her magic was well practiced in healing her after all. She just waved off the matter as not a big deal.

"I am curious what exactly happened with Kitty." Sam told her.

Jean sighed, "Lance tried to get her to leave the team. She got upset with him and he threatened to break it off between them. Then of course Duncan showed up and made it all that much worse. He essentially told her that Lance the best she could hope for was... Well it was rather crude."

Sam nodded having a good guess what the boy had probably said. "I hope you informed her that Duncan is a proper idiot?"

"Of course." Jean said with a slight smile. Her smile dimmed slightly, "I just… I can't help but think that what he was saying about me where I couldn't see him… And how I missed just how vile he can be."

Sam grabbed her arm and dragged her down into bed to cuddle. "It doesn't matter. He's in the past. I'm here, and you know my only dirty thoughts of you are wholly for your benefit."

Jean giggled and pulled her wife slightly closer. They each sifted through each memories and spent a quiet moment experiencing their day from each other's perspective. It had taken them a few weeks in London to get in the groove, but the distraction of taking in each other's memories was a real annoyance when they allowed the bond to really deepen while they made love. Instead they found the ideal was to talk about things a bit and then sync their memories up. More talking might follow, but either way it didn't feel as intrusive when they'd already told each other something first.

Sam could feel her wife thinking over the conversation she'd had with Logan. However she didn't pay exacting attention, instead she let her love have the time to really decide how she felt about it. That was another part of the bond; they'd had to learn to give each other private time to contemplate things.

Finally Jean decided to speak, or at least communicate. 'You know, you don't have to defend my honor. I can take care of myself.'

Sam blushed, 'I know… Mostly. It's just… When something hurts me, I get hurt, when something hurts you, you get hurt and that hurts me so much more.'

Jean kissed the nape of her neck, 'It's the same for me. I don't want to see you hurt either.'

They were interrupted by a banging on the door. "Jean, the Brotherhood are trying to break in to the mall, suit up!" Scott called through the door.

Jean was out of bed in an instant with Sam hard on her heels. "Jean!"

The redhead turned and gave her a hard look while mentally shielding over the link. "I'm not helpless Sam. We've dealt with the Brotherhood before, I'll be fine." Once she'd said her piece she pulled out her uniform and started stripping down.

"And what about that girl who was with them today? Do you know anything about her?" Sam shot back.

Jean grabbed her hand, "I know you're scared, Sam, but I've been doing this for a couple years now. This is my life."

"I know, but there's more than just you now. More than me even." Sam growled and rested her hand on Jean's stomach.

"I'll be careful. Protecting them will be my top priority," Jean assured her.

"If it was your top priority you'd stay here." Sam pointed out.

Jean groaned, "Sam, I am not putting my entire life on hold just because I'm pregnant."

Sam grit her teeth but she could feel her wife mentally digging in and the shield getting thicker. "I'm coming with you."

Jean sighed, "Sam, you haven't been fully trained. You aren't a member of the team. You don't even have a uniform."

"And none of that matters so long as you're going. We're a package deal now, Jean. You go, I go." Sam told her in no uncertain terms. "As to uniform…" She grabbed her wand and quickly transfigured her clothes so that they matched Jean's uniform with the sole exception of replacing her headgear with a full hood that magically obscured her entire face in shadows except her eyes. "This should work."

Scott was waiting for them at the van. "Sam—"

"Jean goes, I go. Period." Sam told him without a trace of hesitation. "I've been in combat before and I'll mostly try to stay out of your way. I won't let her go without me."

"Let her go, Scott." Professor Xavier said, surprising them with his presence.

Scott grit his teeth. "Fine. Get in the van." He stormed off to the driver's seat. Sam watched him go keenly aware that a storm was brewing.

Sam could admit she was impressed. The ease with which the team was taking out the Brotherhood was beginning to make her think she might have actually overreacted. Thus far she hadn't needed to do more than dodge a couple gobs of Toad's spit and give Quicksilver a good whack across the face when he thought she'd be an easy target.

She approached Jean now that they'd managed to down the lot of them when the nearest doors burst open. Her eyes tracked to the red trench coat that now adorned the girl they'd seen earlier in the day. Also she briefly wondered if the girl really needed so many ankhs. All levity left her thoughts when she saw the girl's expression, this was going to get serious.

"Who are you?" Cyclops asked.

"The Scarlet Witch!" She replied and then pointed with her index and little finger at Cyclops zapping him with a blue bolt. Scott tried to retaliate with an eye beam but instead the beam went wild and hit Ethan. Kurt leapt to the side but she hit him with another shot just as he tried to teleport. Whatever it did he didn't reappear within the mall.

Shadowcat disappeared into the floor while Rogue charged her head on. Rogue attempted to strike first, taking off a glove and grabbing at her. The Witch was faster and hit her with a bolt before she could grab her, the touch did absolutely nothing.

"Kitty don't!" Sam shouted but the phasing girl was already partway out of the floor. A bolt struck her and she was instantly trapped waist deep in the floor hands stuck at her side. Sam's heart skipped a beat as her mind caught up with their situation. Whatever this girl's powers were they were entirely unpredictable and affected her target directly, her worst fears personified. Her heart was gripped with terror and her stomach twisted into knots.

The girl pointed towards Jean and terror became rage. She jumped between them, action preceding thought. It was like lightning how fast that bolt of blue pseudo-fire crossed the distance between them but she was fast, and lucky. Her hand intercepted the bolt and slapped it away. The bolt instead hit a bench and one of the legs snapped sending it skidding across the floor.

"YOU WON'T TOUCH HER!" Sam screamed as she advanced on the girl one step at a time. Every step she parried another bolt sending them out to smash pillars and erode hand rails.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" The Witch screamed back as she continued to fling bolts with abandon.

Sam was vaguely aware of the rest of the brotherhood coming around, but Jean had a good handle on them. Scott's eyeblasts were targeting correctly again as well and they'd both flanked to protect her back from attack by the Brotherhood. In any case she was pushed to the edge of her seeker's reflexes just keeping up with the bolts.

Finally she got within reach of the girl and grabbed her wrists. A few bolts blasted holes in the ceiling but the debris luckily missed landing on anyone. The Witch screamed wordlessly and the floor around them began to crater.

Sam raged right back with a cry that shook the walls. Her eyes glowed green with power as she held back whatever power the Scarlet Witch was channeling. For half a second they were each other's entire world then a crackle of blue electricity surrounded the Scarlet Witch… And then they were one.

A startled gasp escaped Sam's throat as she suddenly woke up. It took a second to orient herself to the room and realize where she was. The Smallest Bedroom, Number 4 Privet Drive. Every detail was exactly as it should be, with the exception of one thing that was suspiciously absent… She just didn't know what it was.

"Freak, get up! I won't have you sleeping through and spending the year lazing about MY house!" Uncle Vernon cried out from behind the closed door.

Sam sighed and scuttled out of bed. She quickly pulled on a few of Dudley's hand-me-downs and rubbed a hand against her scar. Satisfied she was as ready as she could be she grabbed Hedwig's cage and her trunk and headed for the door. She certainly didn't want to miss her Fourth Year. After saving her godfather last year she was honestly as close to happy as she reasonably could be.

She opened the door and wandered out into a corridor of grey concrete walls. Reinforced doors with those special peeping slides built into them lined the walls. Her trunk was gone, as was Hedwig's cage, though the bird herself had taken a perch on her shoulder.

Somebody bumped into her from behind and she turned to face a balding doctor with a clipboard and a stern look. "Pardon me," She said quietly, hoping to evade his ire. Instead he just watched her… And watched… Until it went from creepy to slightly frightening. Sam quickly backed away and jogged down the halls looking for an exit. She'd need to find one if she was going to make it to Hogwarts this year.

"Can you help me girl?" She asked Hedwig. The owl hooted in indignation and then set off the down the corridors. Sam ran just slightly behind her, following her on every twist and turn. But just as she caught sight of a door with daylight streaming in from the windows above it she heard a sound that made her stop.

"Hedwig, can you hear that?" Sam asked. The owl hooted in confirmation and landed on her shoulder.

A brief search for the source of the crying led her to a set of white washed wooden stairs that clashed horribly with the austere architecture around it. Sam's heart leapt into her throat as she caught sight of the cupboard door and its small padlock. For a long moment terror gripped her and she didn't want to move any closer to the cupboard.

Hedwig suddenly pecked her and she could once again her the girl's sobs. Giving her faithful owl a smile of thanks she gathered her courage and approached the hated door. The padlock presented a problem but then she remembered she was a witch. Although she wasn't sure how she suddenly got a hold of her wand it didn't cause her any hesitation in her incantation, "Alohamora."

The padlock popped open and fell out the lock all together. Sam smiled tremulously and slowly opened the door. Next thing she knew she was inside the room, and naked though it seemed natural for some reason. Looking around she realized it was almost a prison cell, except there was only one reinforced door and no window at all.

Sobbing once again caught her attention and she turned to see a girl that looked approximately nine years old. She was naked other than a straitjacket and was struggling terrifically to try and get that off. Sam immediately crossed the room to her and helped undo the latches, freeing the girl from her prison.

"Hello, I'm Sam. Who are you?" Sam asked.

The girl looked up at her in trepidation, "Wanda." She said in a voice no louder than a whisper.

"Would you like to get out of here, Wanda?" Sam asked.

The girl nodded very rapidly.

Sam smiled, "Well I've got to go to Hogwarts. How about you come with me?"

Wanda gave her a shy smile and nodded again. Sam held her hand out to the girl but the girl gasped as she caught sight of the back of her hand. 'I Shall Not Tell Lies' was scored across it. "How did you get that?"

Sam paused, "I can't remember actually… I can tell you the story about how I got this one though!" She pointed at the one given her by the Basilisk, "I promise this one has adventure, friendship, danger and a happy ending and everything!"

Wanda nodded again and trailed along after Sam as the girl led her towards the door by her hand. For some reason her wand was back which made escaping the room insanely easy. Sam happily regaled the girl with the tale of her Second year as they wandered, still naked, out of the institution and out into thin forest area.

A hue and cry was raised behind them and Sam grinned, "I guess we'd better run then!" She shouted and they both started running, somehow pacing each other exactly despite their difference in age and height. "But then, we came back to find out that Hermoine had been turned to stone!" Sam shouted over the noise of their pursuers.

They broke out into an open field about thirty meters across. Just on the other side of it was the Hogwarts Express, billowing steam and whistling loudly. "There she is, Wanda, just a little bit further and we'll be there!"

"And that's when we discovered the page in Hermoine's grasp! She'd figured out that Slytherin's monster was a basilisk: A giant snake that could kill you with a look, or turn you to stone if you saw it indirectly!" Sam shouted as the sound of the crowd began to overwhelm them. It sounded as though they were right on their heels, but it was only a few more steps to the train.

Finally Sam all but threw Wanda onto the train before following herself. The two girls sat in the empty hallway of the train, giggling in relief as the repetitive tack, tack, tack of the train passing over the transitions of one rail to another filled the silence around them.

Sam got to the point where she and the Weasley twins had cornered Professor Lockhart when the train finally came to a stop. The two girls exited the train right at the entry gate to the Castle. They quickly passed through the outer walls and into the entry courtyard when Wanda froze. Ahead of them a man with grey hair and a harsh demeanor stood between them and the main door.

"Wanda. You should just crawl back to that hole I left you in. I have no need for anything as useless as you." The man said with a sneer that was classic Snape. "I don't know how you ever thought I could love a worthless piece of trash like you."

Sam squeezed Wanda's hand and narrowed her eyes at the man. "She's not worthless." The little girl's head shot up and Sam couldn't help looking down into her wide blue eyes. "Frankly, I think you're pretty wonderful. Tell you what, I always wanted a little sister… Would you like to be my sister?"

Wanda's eyes filled with joy and the sheen of unshed tears. "Yes!" She half-shouted, half-croaked and blushed in embarrassment.

Sam chuckled and raised her wand, "Then I swear on my magic that from this day forth, Wanda daughter of…" For some reason a name popped into her mind, "Daughter of Erik shall be my sister. She shall be my sister in heart, in soul and in magic! So mote it be!"

A wave of green light enveloped both of them and expanded outwards. It pushed Erik away as he held his arm up to shield his eyes. "This isn't the end! I'll be back! I'll always come back!"

"So will I." Sam promised into the quiet of the courtyard, her tone deathly serious.

"Now where was I… Oh yes, finally coming to the Chamber of Secrets itself!" Sam started back in on her story as she led the girl through the main doors. They continued straight on into the Great Hall itself, but for some reason set up as some sort of carnival or fair. Sam was slightly confused, but the big grin on Wanda's face was irresistible.

They played around on the rides for a while, giggling and giving each other occasional hugs of sheer happiness.

"What happened next?" Wanda finally asked as they sat in the shade of a small dining area.

"Gilderoy Lockhart, monster hunter extraordinaire happened." She said with a roll of her eyes. "Turned out he didn't do any of it. He just wrote down other people's stories then made them forget that they were the ones to do them! So of course he tries to obliviate the twins at the same time and they both cast shield charms. With Lockhart's wonderful spellcasting skills the curse went wide, struck the ceiling and exploded causing a cave in. I was the only one to make it into the chamber itself."

"Inside the chamber the specter from the diary was waiting. Poor Ginny had already lost most of her soul to the damn thing. He took my wand which I'd dropped in the cave in and then called out the basilisk. I was alone, defenseless and had my eyes screwed shut so tight it hurt… At that moment I believed I was going to die down there."

Wanda leaned forwards, eyes wide, barely breathing as though she feared a mere breath might make her miss a word. Sam smiled though, "And that's when Fawkes, the phoenix, came." The word phoenix resonated in her soul and suddenly she knew just what to do.

"Hedwig!" She shouted, needing no words to command her loyal familiar. The owl set off and Sam was right behind her, dragging Wanda by the hand.

"Fawkes swooped in and dropped the sorting hat on my head and then attacked the basilisk's eyes, blinding it!" They flew through the carnival at record speed towards one of the doors leading out into the Hogwarts hallways. "Despite Tom's taunting of how useless the hat was it dropped a sword long thought lost right on top of my head. Of course I grabbed the sword, even if I didn't much know how to use it."

They took a turn and then another turn, finally she saw her destination and moved all the faster. "I dodged once! Twice! But the third time I knew I couldn't avoid its bite! So I hefted the sword and caught it in the roof of its mouth as it came down. The sword killed it in an instant, but one of the poisoned fangs pierced my arm so hard it came off as I pulled away from the dead snake!"

Wanda gasped despite their fast movement. Then suddenly they stopped, a statue of a gargoyle standing in their way. "I pulled the fang from my wound and crawled towards the journal. Alohamora! Tom went form gloating about my imminent death to begging me to stop in a matter of minutes. Cockroach Clusters… Bertie Bots Every Flavor Jelly Bean… Lemondrops… I slammed that fang into the journal so hard it bled ink. Tom screamed and dissipated, his stolen life force returning to Ginny. Raisenettes… Oreos… Treacle Tart… Argh, I can't remember the password!" Sam finally cried out in frustration.

Wanda hesitated for a moment and then pointed to the gargoyle. A bolt of blue pseudo-fire encompassed it and reduced it to dust. Sam gave her a big smile, "Thank you dear, that was wonderful."

Wanda blushed and smiled wide, then frowned. "How did you survive?" She asked in a near whisper.

Sam smiled and led the girl up the stairs. "Fawkes saw my plight and he cried onto the wound. Pure fresh phoenix tears are a curative so powerful even basilisk venom is no match… Though it still scared obviously."

Sam paused just in front of the Headmaster's office and Wanda looked up at her in confusion. "We're going to see the headmaster?"

"No, dear. We're going to see a phoenix!" With those words Sam threw the door open and light poured out onto them. They were forced to squint but couldn't look away. In front of them was a primal fire, magma and starflames coursed beneath its surface and across its feather's respectively. It was like the most beautiful sunrise ever and neither could help weeping in awe at the sight of the majestic creature.

Suddenly it was a woman with green eyes and fiery red hair, and Sam was sixteen once more. She looked over to find Wanda her own age once more and looking at her with expression of unfathomable gratitude in her features.

"Time to wake up," Jean said and pulled them both out of the headmaster's office and into the unknown.

When Sam was aware of herself again she was holding Wanda to her shoulder as the young witch cried herself out on her shoulder. Jean was holding onto each of them and looked slightly drawn and tired. She instinctively tested out her bond and quickly confirmed that there was only one bond, the one with Jean. Whatever she and Wanda had experienced it had been temporary and was now over.

"Was it real? Did you mean it?" Wanda asked with a voice thick of emotion and hoarse from screaming.

"Every word. You are my sister now, Wanda. Forever and always." Sam told her. She smiled at the girl though took a moment to give Jean a quick kiss. 'Meet your new Sister-in-law.' She playfully sent her wife.

Jean's return smile was tired and slightly drawn. Sam could feel her guilt radiating through the bond and sighed internally. She wasn't looking forward to when they finally sat down to talk about what happened tonight. It may have worked out for the best… But it also proved that it was time to lay down the law about some things.

Sam looked around and realized that the Brotherhood was mostly laid out while the X-Men were finally getting themselves back together. "Wanda, X-Men, I think it's time to go home." Despite not being the team leader there was no argument with her pronouncement. Sam and Jean walked on either side of Wanda as they escorted her back to the van.

They were mostly quiet on the way back though Rogue kept sneaking not-so-subtle glances at Wanda. The looks weren't hostile, more like she had something she desperately wanted to ask but didn't dare put into words. Nonetheless, it was a very quiet ride.

They walked into the mansion in a state of fugue, none of them truly certain whether the mission was a success or a failure. Most not caring due to their exhaustion. "I see you have returned." Professor Xavier greeted them in the receiving hall closest to the garage. All of them stayed standing while Scott gave a quick report of their battle.

Xavier seemed honestly surprised at some parts and for some reason that bothered her. Still he did favor them a consoling smile, "The important part is that everyone made it home and there won't be further issues. Still, the difficulty was my fault. I clearly didn't train you for such scenarios. Wanda, I'll send Ororo to help you get settled in. Good night." The professor said before wheeling himself out of the room.

They were all slightly taken aback. "I thought he'd be more interested in having a new student…" Scott said what they were thinking aloud.

"He's not usually like this," Jean placated their latest addition. "I'm sure there's just a lot of stress from the all his meetings. They're really pounding him hard now that mutants are public knowledge."

The rest of the X-Men soon scattered while Sam and Jean waited with Wanda for Ororo to come. Once the girl was safely off with the African teacher they headed for their room. As soon as the door was shut Jean went and laid down on the bed.

"Get up Jean. We're not going to sleep until we've talked about this." Sam said her tone absolute. Jean whimpered slightly but stood back up radiating shame.

Sam grabbed her wife and pulled her head to her chest so that Jean's ear was right over Sam's heart. "Do you hear that? Hear how fast its beating?" Sam asked quietly and received a silent nod. "That's because when first figured out roughly what Wanda was capable of it stopped completely. Now it's just making up for lost time."

Jean sobbed quietly, but Sam just waited for her to collect herself. "I need to know what you were thinking Jean. I need to know why." Jean was utterly still for a long moment but finally nodded. Sam was flooded with memories of their earlier argument from Jean's point of view. She couldn't help a sigh because frankly she did understand.

Jean wanted to feel useful, to feel like she was home once more and doing what she always did. It hadn't helped that she still had all that pent up frustration and aggression from their encounters earlier in the day. So much of it were things that Sam could relate to, really she could… But none of it was worth the precious cargo she carried within her. Even all this time later she couldn't get the question 'just how improbable is a miscarriage' out of her head and every time it surfaced she shuddered in fear.

Sam gently kissed her wife on the lips and then scooted slightly away while taking hold of either side of her head. "No more. If we have to fight for our lives that's one thing, but no more going out looking for one. We are not going to put ourselves in that kind of danger on purpose again. Until the twins are born, our wills are written with careful instructions about guardianship and inheritance, then made bulletproof, ironclad and replicated in triplicate will we go back to our heroic ways."