Wanda and Strange

[x-scarletwitch.livejournal.com]

While in London, Wanda happens to run into Dr. Strange, who's in town on vacation and to talk to Romany. They go to lunch and end up talking about Amanda and father's.



Wanda stopped and peered into the shop. It was nearly hidden among the clothing stores and what not but it turned her fancy than most of them had. Ancient, dusty bookstores did that to her. And besides, the sheer amount of clothes she had just purchased (and thankfully sent back to the hotel) had to be balanced out by something.

Ducking in, she smiled at the clerk who cheerfully asked her if she could help. "Anthropology section? Thank you."

Deep within a rather dusty volume on Cambodian creation myths, the man coming out of the anthropology section (it was just a rather narrow row of high shelves, actually) didn't notice the woman heading his way until they'd almost collided. With a start, he stepped back, an apology already half-formed before he recognised who it was. "I'm most terribly...why, Ms Maximoff! What a coincidence! I thought you were back at the school!" He looked (and felt) absurdly pleased to see her.

She had very nearly fallen head first into the section devoted to the Middle East and she blinked at him, before smiling broadly, clearly glad to have run into him. "Stephen! And I thought you were at the college." She took a second to steady herself, grateful she had worn simple sneakers and not her normal heels. "I was, of this morning. I came out to have a chat with Amanda actually. And please, it's Wanda remember?"

"Yes, of course. Wanda." He smiled, and the expression brought a certain light to his rather serious face. It was sort-lived, however, as he nodded. "Amanda, yes. You coudl say the same thing brings me here, although I was more conferring with Ms Wisdom about recent events... And then I couldn't resist visiting a few of my old haunts - almost entirely bookshops, I'm afraid." He laughed a little ironically. "But tell me, have you eaten? I was just about to go find something myself, and I would be honoured if you joined me."

"There is nothing wrong with visiting bookstores. But I see you have saved me from wasting _more_ of my money." There was a teasing tone to her voice as she carefully turned around--the bookstore was rather tiny--to head towards the door. "Food would be fantastic. I am a little worried, though, for I might be paying Ms. Wisdom a visit soon. ~God help me.~"

"Just a moment while I get this..." Strange handed the book to the clerk, who rang it up and took the offered money with a rather suggestive smile at the pair of them which he blithely failed to notice. "Now," he said, returning his attention back to Wanda as he was handed his purchase in a brown paper bag. "If I recall correctly, there's a rather nice little cafe just around the corner... And why would you be concerned about meeting Ms Wisdom? She's rather intimidating, but under that fearsome exterior lurks a... well, a fearsome interior. But unless you've done her or hers some harm, she's not the sort to turn you into something unpleasant."

"I am going to miss London being in the States." Wanda shot Stephen an amused look. "Well, you have not exactly opened a Pandora's box in the midst of her family, have you? I am not regretting digging for Amanda but...well, what else is new? Where I go, chaos follows." There was an edge of something tired in her voice before she shook it off. "No worries on her doing anything to me. Besides what Amanda has told me, turning the leader of a caravan into a frog is simply bad
manners."

"Not to mention hell on the karma..." Was that a joke? Strange on holiday was noticeably more relaxed than Strange at work. Or maybe it was Wanda's influence. "It was... surprising, to say the least, that you found what you did. And Amanda wasn't the only one fooled by that man's lies. But Romany isn't averse to sense, and I believe Amanda has shown her the documents you found for her."

At the joke, which she had been pleasantly surprised to here, she started to relax slightly. "Good, my documentation is nearly infallible," she said. "At least in this case. As for finding what I
did...I am very persistent when I want to be. Which is most of the
time." Outside, a sharp breeze was blowing and Wanda took a minute to
enjoy it, though she did have to push back her hair as her pony tail
holder snapped. Again.

"I have to admit the prospect of searching for Amanda's antecedents didn't really occur to either Ms Wisdom or myself - we've been concentrating on her future, rather than the past. But I think it may be important for her to at least settle in her own mind how things stand. And I'm sure that'll be the case with her adopted family." He smiled a little at the chaotic tumble of Wanda's hair. "Here," he said, digging around in his pocket and pulling out an elastic band. "Try this." Secretly he thought it looked better down, but if it was in her way...

"It sometimes helps having another view on the matter, like mine in this," Wanda commented. "I tend to see things differently than some."
She took the offered elastic band with a smile and started to put her
hair back up again. It protested, this time snarling itself in the
band. With a sigh, she stopped to tug it loose. "It seems my lack of
mediating on this trip have done less than wonders to my powers...only
take a minute, I hope, to free this. Seems my hair is destined to be
down today."

"I could help?" Strange suggested hesitantly, the blush returning. He was somewhat responsible, after all, for the predicament.

The blush was _very_ cute, she decided, and grinned at him. "Be my guest."

Gently - almost as if she was made of blown glass - Strange untangled her hair from the elastic, ignoring as best he could the fact his face was crimson by now and people were giving them amused looks. And that her hair smelled rather good, as the wind insisted on blowing it into his face as he worked. "There," he said at last, holding up the offending elastic for her to see. "The culprit is removed. And perhaps, in the name of the relaxation you so obviously need... that late lunch? If you don't need to be anywhere in a hurry this afternoon, there's one or two other bookstores I could introduce you to, should you not know them already? I would very much like that, if it's all right with you...?" He asked the question in a rush, as if the words wouldn't actually be said if he didn't get them out then and
there.

Wanda beamed at him. "Thank you, that does feel better. And I would
love to." And she meant it. Even she was surprised at how much she
did find the idea enjoyable. "Really, I have no where to be and the
Cambridge scholars can be content enough with a simple call. No need
for me to stop by at all. And besides, I do not know London half as
well as I should. Or at least, the interesting parts."

Strange looked pleased. Absurdly so. "Then it would be my pleasure," he said.

~~~~

The cafe was empty enough to give a sense of privacy but just busy
enough, as well, so that there was enough back ground chatter. Wanda
appreciated places like this. "You have good taste," she commented,
taking another sip of her tea. Even as well stocked as the mansion
was, she missed good tea. A mental note was made to talk to Betsy to
find out where she purchased hers. "How is Amanda doing now? I spoke
to her briefly about the rest of the information but I have not seen
her since. And I heard enough about what happened on Muir to be
concerned."

Strange sighed, setting down his cup and the relaxed animation leaving his body language a little. Wanda was very good company and he seldom had the chance to enjoy a good academic conversation. "To be honest? I'm not entirely sure. Physically and mystically, as well as can be expected, given what happened. Emotionally? I don't know - she insists she's fine, that she's gotten used to 'dealing with things', as she puts it, but I don't know... Perhaps this time in Germany will do her some good - I know she enjoys being with these colleagues of Mr Dayspring's..." His expression showed he wasn't entirely approving of the Pack, even if the information he had on them was sketchy. "Manuel is doing marginally better, given the reduction in the headaches, but still... I worry about anything that has that particular creature's taint on it."

She crinkled her nose. "I wish I had been there," she said, shaking her head. "Yet I know everything that transpired on Muir would probably have only been made worse by my presence. Chaos powers and
reality warping powers...never the twain shall meet. But I have read
the...reports, especially that of this creature. And here I was,
thinking I knew the face of evil." Wanda paused and blinked. "Now
_that_ was enough melodrama for one afternoon. Seriously, though...I
worry. Not only for Amanda and Manuel but for all the students. So
many threats out there."

"I was referring to the woman calling herself Selene, but yes, New Year's wasn't exactly restful for anyone involved either." Tapping his fingers meditatively on the table, he looked at Wanda almost apologetically. "There have been times when I've considered recommending Amanda be removed from the school. When she isn't directly involved with one of these threats, she's healing the consequences of one, and it certainly isn't good for her. She's been exhausted pretty much since Halloween. Even the recharge she had in Arizona only lasted a few days before the next incident." He realised he was heading into territory that wasn't his to talk about, and changed focus slightly. "But the rewards still outweigh the problems, and she has come so far, emotionally speaking, so I haven't said anything to Mr Wisdom or his sister."

Pillowing her chin on one hand, she regarded him for a second. "Honestly? I cannot say that I blame you. I have only been at there
for a short period of time and I cannot believe how much actually
happens to these students. All in all, it is a _good_ place but one
that needs... to be watched. I think that is the underlying reason why I have stayed on. Feel that I can do some good there, beyond the
whole 'paying for thy father's sins' and all." There was a pause and
she groaned internally. She hadn't said that outloud, had she? For
some stupid, stupid reason she was actually worried what Stephen's
reaction to that little tid bit of information would be. First time
in years, actually.

She was... worried about what she'd said? Strange tried not to use his
powers in normal conversation, but that was fairly blazing out at him. It was confusing - either these particular parental sins were rather hard to forgive, or she didn't want to upset him. Or both. He was hesitant to make things harder for her, but he wanted... no, needed to know what was so concerning for her. And not from a sense of self-preservation, or even concern for his student. "Wanda, forgive me if I seem to pry, but you...your aura. You're upset... about your father? These sins you feel you need to pay for?"

Wanda gave him a thin smile. "I think the answer would be a resounding 'yes' to your question, Stephen." There was almost a hesitation but she realized he was asking out of general concern. "I
come from a rather...dubious heritage," she said, trying to figure out
how to tell say this without dropping Magneto's name. "Not _many_
people I know have a mutant meglomanic who attempted to kill the human
population as a father. Those are the sins that I am trying to pay
for. It is a debt that is not exactly light."

"Your father is..." Cutting himself off before actually saying the name, Strange dropped his voice and leaned forward. "He was at Liberty Island?" When Wanda nodded he fell silent for a long time, then said, at last, dark eyes fixed on her face rather than at the table top where his bashfulness tended to focus. "I have always believed, Wanda, that we are not our parents. And while I can understand your wanting to atone for what he did, and admire it, even, I do not demand it of you." He smiled almost impishly, suddenly looking years younger, a trace of the boy he had been. "If I was to follow in my father's footsteps, I'd be a simple grocer, and while that is nothing to be ashamed of, I doubt I would be sitting here in the company of such a charming and intelligent woman such as yourself."

Wanda relaxed almost visibly and smiled back. "I keep thinking that
the reaction will always be worse," she murmured, mostly to herself.
"Thank you, your words mean a lot to me. And the sentiment behind
them. Your reaction did matter to me." She smiled, a normal and
happy look coming back to replaced the slightly haunted one she had
just worn. "He has done a lot of ill in this world. I intend to do a
lot of good."

"Somehow I don't doubt you will." Glad she hadn't taken offence at what was, for him, a rather brash and bold statement, Strange felt almost giddy and winked at her. "And I have strange and occult powers, so I should know."

Had he said that at another time when she _hadn't_ been taking a sip
of her tea, she couldn't have choked. Laughing, she mocked glared at
him while coughing. "Stephen! Did you have to say that when I was
_drinking_?" she accused, playfully.

Offering her a napkin, he gave her an unrepentant look. "But it wouldn't have been as amusing if I had," he pointed out. "I'm told humour is all in the timing."

Taking the napkin, Wanda sopped up the tea and gave him a look. "So is revenge," she said sweetly, her smile suddenly growing as she got
what could only be called a devilish look in her eyes.

Strange swallowed heavily - the look she was giving him was most
disconcerting. "And what form would this revenge take?" he asked, aware that he was blushing again and the collar of his shirt suddenly felt too tight.

Oh, this was fun. "Oh, I'm not sure," she said, still retaining the
same tone of voice. "But I am positive I can think of something. I'm good like that." Really, though, she was going
to start laughing any minute now.

Strange made a noise that sounded rather like "eep".