REALITY || MARVEL

ᴱᵖⁱˢᵒᵈᵉ ᶠⁱᵛᵉ ᴾ.² ⁻ ᴼⁿ ᵃ ᵛᵉʳʸ ˢᵖᵉᶜⁱᵃˡ ᵉᵖⁱˢᵒᵈᵉ

“Maybe it’s because they’re half your DNA.” Veronica offered an answer. While Wanda could have completely rewritten Veronica's personality she didn’t. She left everything the same just like she did with Vision, except obviously she was in control. 

“Maybe they're just immune to your powers.” 

Wanda groaned. “That’s just great. I swear putting Freya to bed wasn’t this hard.” Wanda was with Steve and Freya for the 5 months Aurora wasn’t around. Helping him take care of Freya. And Freya was never as fussy as the twins as a newborn. 

Veronica raised an eyebrow. “Who?” 

Wanda then realized that she had erased all of that from Veronica and she didn’t know who Freya was. Or any of the others. Wanda shakes her head dismissively. “No one.” 

“What’s that dear?” Vision asked jokingly as he waltzed back in the room with the twins' binkies stuck in his ears. Wanda chuckled. “That’s not where those go.” She pulled them out of his ears and cleaned them on her shirt. “So noise cancellation is not their primary function?” Vision joked and Veronica shook her head. “I’m afraid not.” 

Veronica takes a binkie from Wanda and gives it to Tommy as she gave the other one to Billy and for a brief second everything was quiet till they spit their binkies out. 

Wanda sighed as she leaned into Vision. "Vis? What are we doing wrong?" 

"Oh, don't worry, dear." Vision responded, as he planted a kiss on her forehead. "We'll figure it out. Perhaps we all need more time to get to know one another." 

"Maybe. Or maybe we just need some help. Ronnie is helping us all she can but it’s still not enough." 

“Hey you two need to relax.” Veronica told them as she reached in the crib to pick Tommy up. “All first time parents have it hard. You’ll get it, till then I’ll always be here to help.” 

Suddenly the doorbell rang and the front door swung open. "Hiya, kids!" Said a woman who appeared to be around Wanda's age, maybe older. Vision panicked from getting caught in his regular state so Veronica handed him Tommy to lift and cover his synthezoid face and morph into his human appearance. 

"Oh, I was just on my way to Jazzercise when I heard your new little bundles of joy were on a sleep strike." Agnes told them, not having noticed Vision or Veronica. 

"Oh?” Veronica was surprised and confused at the same time. She thought they were supposed to keep the twins a secret since they were born in a matter of 24 hours, from conceivement to birth. “Who told you that?" 

"Uh, my ears." Agnes responded and pointed to her ears. Agnes set her sights on her. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” She offered up her hand. “My name is Agnes.” 

Veronica frowned. There was something almost familiar about Agnes but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Still, she knew to be courteous and shook Agnes hand. “Veronica. Wanda’s sister in law.” 

Agnes smiled. She knew exactly who she was. Their conversation was still fresh in her mind. She doubted that Veronica had been there long enough to extract any type of information from her. So she made a mental note to pull Veronica out of Wanda’s control at the end of the episode for a progress report. 

"Anyway, Auntie Agnes is here and I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve." Agnes told Wanda who instantly breathed in relief. "Oh, Agnes, you're a lifesaver." 

"Very well.” Vision agreed reluctantly. “But be careful of their belly buttons and remember to support their heads, and when was the last time you washed your han…” He trailed off and rethought the whole thing and decided against it. There was something about Agnes that weirded it out, and Veronica felt it too. “Actually, you know what? It would be... Just... Maybe we better not." 

Agnes paused, her sudden happy and cheerful demeanor gone and replaced with confusion and fear. All an act. 

"Do you want me to take that again?" Agnes stuttered as she turned to Wanda, waiting for an answer. 

"I'm sorry?" Wanda asked hesitantly. "You want me to hold the babies.” Agnes asked and grabbed her bag. “Should we just take it from the top?" 

Vision and Veronica exchanged confused glances. 

"Oh, don't be silly.” Wanda said with nervous laughter. “Vision, let's let Agnes give it a try." 

Agnes’ laughter and cheerful demeanor returned once more and the twins resumed their loud crying. "Fussy babies, meet buns of steel.” Wanda’s eyes went wide and she laughed at her friend. “We dare you to stay awake." 

Vision took Veronica by the arm as Agnes approached the twins and rocked them. He motioned Wanda over. “What was that?” He questioned and Wanda furrowed her eyebrows. “What was what?” 

“That thing with Agnes.” Veronica reminded her, frowning at Wanda. “I think she was just confused.” Wanda said dismissively. “She seems fine now.” 

“But what she said and the way she looked at you.” Vision and Wanda chuckled amused. “How did she look at me?” 

Veronica crossed her arms. “She looked at you as if…” Veronica trailed off because she spotted Agnes spraying perfume over the twins while rocking the cribs with her feet at the same time. “Lavender.” Agnes informed them when she saw them all staring. “It’s supposed to have a calming effect. Ralph sprays it on me every night but there’s no taming this Tiger.” 

Veronica shakes her head and turns back to her friends. “It’s so strange.” Vision muttered. “That’s not fair,” Wanda hissed quietly. “It’s not Agnes fault that she has an unusually high libido.” 

Veronica frowned at Wanda. Concern and confusion written all over her face. “Did you really not see what we saw?” 

When they heard the faint sound of glass touching they saw Agnes rifling through the liquor cabinet in the kitchen. “Oh don’t mind me. I’m just looking for your dark liquor.” 

Vision blinked. “What?” 

“Not for me, for the twins.” Agnes laughed. “What kind of babysitter do you think I am?” 

Veronica blinked. Once. Twice. She then whirls around to Vision and Wanda and points to Agnes. “Clearly she is not babysitting. Like ever.” 

Wanda sighed. “You guys. The boys haven’t slept and neither have we. We need a break and Agnes is just being neighborly, that’s all.” 

Suddenly the crying stopped. “Do you hear that?” 

“Hear what?” 

“Absolutely nothing!” Vision cheered quietly, Wanda gasped as the group turned and headed to the cribs. “They’re empty?” Veronica questioned. “Then where are the twins?” 

"Mommy? Daddy?" The voices of two young kids came from behind them. They all turned around to see two young boys around the same age, maybe 4 or 5 years old. 

“Kids.” Came Agnes deep sigh from the kitchen where she sat on the counter with a glass of whiskey in her hand. “You can't control 'em. No matter how hard you try."