One | Steve Rogers

28

" I will help you," Lauren says, " But for now, you're gonna have to pretend a little longer."

Lauren's eyes glow gold, and as do the woman and her wife. Frozen in place once again, with false memories in their minds.

She lets out a sigh, but continues to walk. Her surroundings, as happy as they seem, are equally unsettling. She comes across a community pool, but sees no children swimming or playing. In fact, she sees no children throughout the entire town. She turns her head to the right, and sees a bright red car parked outside of a beautiful yellow home, and seconds later, Vision speeds out the front door. With one more deep breath, Lauren walks to the house, only to be greeted by a nosey neighbor.

" Hiya, stranger!" A brunette woman exclaims, " What's a gorgeous gal like you doing in weather like this?"

As the woman speaks, Lauren can practically hear the artificial canned laughter followed soon after.

" I'm here to see a friend," She says.

Before Lauren can take another step, the woman speaks again.

" Well, hello there! I'm Agnes," The woman says with a chuckles, " Now we're friends. Here to see me?"

" Not at the moment... Agnes," Lauren says, then gives her a short grin.

Without giving Agnes time to interrupt, Lauren walks away and to the front door where she knocks twice.

A moment passes, and someone answer the door.

Wanda Maximoff with a bowl of fruit attempting to cover her round belly obvious to anyone who looks.

Their eyes meet, but Lauren does not recognize the person standing in front of her. She sees someone else entirely.

" Wanda, aren't you gonna introduce me to this foxy young thang ova here?" A woman from inside the house says.

The woman walks over and smiles along with Wanda.

" Geraldine, this is Lauren, my... friend," Wanda smiles.

" I'm Geraldine, spelled just like it sounds," Geraldine says, " And it sounds fierce!"

The faint canned laughter resumes, and Lauren gives a faint smile.

" Lovely to meet you, Geraldine," Lauren says, then brings her eyes back to Wanda, " May I come in?"

Wanda gestures inside, and Lauren walks into the home.

" Now, Wanda, I was hoping you wouldn't mind sharing your office supplies with your good friend," Geraldine says as she walks into the obvious nursery.

Wanda panics and puts down the bowl of fruit, only to grab a vase to hide her belly. Lauren trails behind as they all walk into the room.

" Is that what I think it is?" Geraldine asks as the very real stork poses, as if to blend in with the fake one on the wall.

" The stork? Well, yes, I-I can explain," Wanda says.

" No! The crib," Geraldine says as she excitedly turns around.

And not one second later, Wanda lets out a gasps and starts breathing heavily as she drops the vase to reveal her belly.

" It's coming. The baby's coming."

" You're pregnant?"

" Yes, Geraldine. It appears so," Lauren says.

She and Geraldine grab one of Wanda's hands and guide her out of the room. Geraldine goes to the couch and moves pillows to make room.

" Now, let's get you comfortable. Okay?" Geraldine says.

" I think I'm gonna lay down right here," Wanda says as she goes down to the floor," Vision ran to get the doctor. He'll be back soon."

Wanda lays down on the floor, and as her contractions continue, the house comes alive. The vacuum cleaner cleans by itself.

" No, no, no. There's not enough time for that. Relax, relax," Geraldine says as she positions a pillow behind Wanda's back," You know your breathing, right?"

Wanda begins her practiced breathing as Lauren is there to hold her hand. The paintings on the wall begin to spin manically as the fire place burps itself a flame. The baby is coming, and it's not going to wait. Geraldine questions her surroundings, but not enough to the point of suspicion. She's there to deliver the baby as Lauren in there to hold Wanda's hand as she screams in labor.

But soon enough, Wanda gives birth to her baby. A little baby boy.

As Wanda holds him in her arms, Vision rushes in with the doctor, thinking he had missed the birth of his child. He ignores Lauren, and only focuses on his son.

And then one son became two.

After labor, Wanda seems miraculously fine. She stands up with ease and holds one of her baby's with Vision as Lauren holds the other baby.

" 20 fingers and 20 toes. You've got two healthy baby boys on your hands," The doctor says.

" Thank you, doctor," Wanda says as she smiles at her son.

" All in a day's work," The doctor says, then turns to the two women, " And thank you for your assistance, young ladies. I think you might have what it takes to be a nurse."

The three women share an all knowing glance at his words. Lauren's attention returns to the baby in her arms. She knows that this reality is all a deception, she can't help but feels drawn to the child named Billy. She looks down at his little face, and feels thoughts poking around his tiny head. Thoughts that shouldn't be possible at his age of 30 minutes.

Vision goes to walk out the doctor, and pays no attention to the following conservation. She's too enchanted by the baby. But one sentence in particular brings her back to the fake reality.

" He was killed by Ultron, wasn't he?"

Lauren's head slowly raises, but she only sees Wanda's tilted head with tear stained eyes.

" What did you say?" She asks, " Who are you?"

" Wanda... I'm just your neighbor," Geraldine says with a nervous smile.

" Then how did you know about Ultron?" Wanda asks with a menacingly sick stare.

Geraldine stumbles for an answer, and for the first time since arriving, Lauren sees something unaltered. Wanda's powers. Wanda creates her energy orbs in her hands to attack.

" You're not my neighbor. And you're definitely not my friend. You are a stranger and an outsider. And right now, you are trespassing here. And I want you... to leave."

Wanda uses her powers and pushes Geraldine, not only out of the house, but out of the reality, back to the real world.

Once Wanda realizes what she's done, she pieces everything back together, to make it seem as if nothing had happened. Tommy begins to cry, and Wanda quickly turns around, only to find Lauren soothing her children.

Lauren had been quiet on purpose, not to disturb the creator of the reality. She puts Billy back into the crib with his brother, then brings her eyes up to meet Wanda.

" What are you doing?" Lauren asks gently.

" I'm... protecting my family," Wanda whispers.

" And why didn't you through me out, as well?" Lauren asks.

" Because.." Wanda says as she walks towards her, then brings her hands up to cup the woman's face," you're my only friend."

And while on the inside of town, things seem fine and under control, on the outside of town things are far from it.

An astrophysicist and an FBI agent find themselves binge watching WandVision and having loads of questions, along with a new one-- how the hell did Mage come to be a star of the show?