3rd Person P.O.V:
"Off to bed you two." Erik ordered from his seat in Charles' office as the twins' faces fell.
"Awe, but Dad, we just got you back. Can't we stay up a little longer?" Peter asked with puppy dog eyes.
"No, I need to talk with Charles and you two have to get your rest so you can enjoy your birthday tomorrow." Erik smiled as the twins held a surprised expression.
"Didn't think I'd forget, did you?" Erik joked as they quickly composed themselves.
"Well no, we just, uh-we thought that you probably lost track of time being there and all..." Wanda began awkwardly, before her father spoke up again.
"Nonsense, this is an important day! You're both officially adults." Erik beamed, though Charles could see a slight sadness in his eyes.
"So, what do you want to do tomorrow? You both choose." Erik offered before Peter quickly spoke up.
"Ooo can we go to a baseball game?" He asked excitedly, causing Wanda to roll her eyes playfully.
Ever since they were kids, Peter had always dreamed of going to a baseball game with his father, just like they did in the movies.
The sport never really interested him, but just the idea of spending time with Erik was more than the speedster could ever ask for.
"If that's what you both want." Erik began, surprised by his son's request. "Isn't baseball a bit slow for you?"
"I mean yeah, but you don't go to watch the game. You go for the atmosphere and to spend time with people. It's what all dads do with their kids." Peter explained as if it was obvious.
"Wanda, do you want to go as well?" Erik asked, despite knowing she'd agree regardless, after seeing how excited her brother was.
"Yeah, sounds fun!" She smiled, only increasing Peter's happiness.
"Alright, we'll go tomorrow, as long as you both go to bed...now." Erik ordered lightly, but the twins hesitated, not wanting to leave their father's side.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Erik lied reassuringly, catching Charles' attention.
Trusting their father's word, Peter and Wanda uttered a soft goodnight as they gave Erik a quick hug, before Peter sped them up to their bedroom.
"So Erik, what did you want to talk about?" Charles asked with a welcoming smile as he closed the door to his office, knowing something was on his friend's mind.
"I assume you heard what Stryker said...about the twins." Erik began vaguely, earning a sigh from Charles.
"Erik, you mustn't take his words to heart. None of what he said was true. He was just trying to..."
"He was right. Wanda and Pietro will never be safe with me. They will never be able to have a normal life." Erik thought aloud, silencing his friend.
"Their mother wouldn't have wanted this, Charles. That's exactly why she left...to keep them away from this...from me." Erik continued, as he painfully stood up from his seat in an effort to steady his racing heart.
"What are you suggesting I do?" The telepath asked, refusing to search his friend's mind for the answer.
"Make them forget."
"What?" Charles asked in genuine shock, knowing very well what the man meant, but needing to hear him say it aloud in order to believe it.
"Take away their memories, Charles. Make them forget me, this place, their powers." Erik finished with a heavy heart, unable to look his counterpart in the eye.
"But Erik, this is their home. You are their father." Charles pleaded, shocked at his friend's request.
"I tried to be a father to them, but I've missed so much of their lives..."
"And you are a father to them. They love you Erik! They're happy here!" Charles insisted, hoping to get through to the man.
"But will they be safe? Can you promise me that they won't be hunted for the rest of their lives because of their abilities...because they're my children?" Erik finally looked up, desperate for his friend to say yes, but knowing the opposite to be true.
"Well no, but..."
"Then it's decided." Erik stated as he walked out of the office, not wanting to prolong the already difficult discussion any further.
"Erik, wait..." Charles began as he rolled after him, but the man kept going.
"Erik!" Charles finally yelled once more, causing the metal bender to stop dead in his tracks and turn around, now revealing his tear stained cheeks.
"I can't lose them. Not again. They're not safe with me as their father. But if their aunt takes them in, she can give them what I can't. She can give them a normal life."
Charles didn't need to read Erik's mind to know how much this decision was eating him up inside. He finally had a family again, but the risk of losing them proved to be too much to bare.
"How do you even know their aunt would want this?" Charles asked, not wanting to lose the children he began to think of as his own.
"I called her when Pietro and Wanda were busy helping Hank and Raven with the mutants. Her name is Mayra, she's Magda's younger sister. The kids met her a few times when they were younger, but she was only in high school when Magda died so the state wouldn't give her custody. She couldn't take care of them then, but she can now. She wants to."
"Erik, you realize if we do this, they could still remember. Something could trigger their memory and cause it to all come flooding back." Charles explained, hoping to change his mind.
"That won't be a problem. We will refrain from making any contact with them." Erik said in a monotone voice, as Charles grasped his head in an effort to deal with the suddenness of it all.
"I-I don't know, Erik."
"This isn't your choice. It's mine. We should do it now while they're asleep. It'll be easier that way." Erik said expressionless, despite his internal turmoil.
"Wait, my friend. Their birthday is tomorrow. At least give them that." Charles requested and Erik hesitated for a moment as he realized the first birthday they'd get to spend together would be the last.
"Fine, but we don't tell them anything." Erik concluded, before slowly making his way his bedroom for a sleepless night of contemplation.
And so the next day ended as quickly as it began. Charles, Erik, and the twins all went to a baseball game and had a wonderful time just enjoying each other's company.
After an extravagant meal and cake at the mansion, made by Erik, the metal bender quickly left and returned with two perfectly wrapped gifts.
"For your birthday." Erik smiled as he handed the twins each a small box, causing their eyes to light up.
"Is it a puppy?!" Peter asked excitedly, earning a strange look from his father and sister.
"Pete, this is the size of my hand. How could a dog possibly fit in here?" Wanda asked as the boy shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe it's a mutant dog that can change size." Peter thought aloud.
"I didn't realize a dog was something you wanted." Erik frowned slightly, hoping the boy wouldn't be too disappointed with his actual gift.
"What kid doesn't what a dog? It's like your own personal sidekick and best friend!" Peter exclaimed, causing a smirk to spread across Erik's lips at his son's particular word choice.
"I thought you said that you aren't a kid anymore." Erik remarked, earning a sigh from Peter at his slip up.
"I'm not. I meant kid as in the sense of your kid, not a general kid." Peter explained quickly as Erik felt a tinge of guilt at what was about to come.
Sensing this, Charles quickly spoke up in an effort to keep the mood light. "Why don't you open your presents. I'm eager to see what your father has picked out."
Within an instant Peter unwrapped his gift to find a metal watch, one that Wanda recognized.
"An old watch?" Peter questioned as he scrunched up his nose.
"It was my father's. He gave it to me when I was a boy. I thought you'd like something passed down from him." Erik explained, causing Peter's perspective to immediately change.
"Oh wow, thanks! I love it." The speedster smiled genuinely as he quickly put it on, admiring the silver in it. "It matches my jacket perfectly!"
"I'm glad. Now you won't lose track of time." Erik smiled sadly as Wanda finally unwrapped her gift to reveal a metal necklace with a infinity pendant.
"I unfortunately don't have anything from my mother or sister, but I hope you'll still like it." Erik explained as Wanda delicately ran her fingers over the intricate design.
"It's beautiful! When did you get this?" She asked curiously, knowing how preoccupied the metal bender had been the past few weeks.
"I made it. It's an infinity symbol to represent a father's endless love for his children." Erik smiled, proud of his handy work.
Unbeknownst to his children, Erik put a rare metal in both of their gifts, so no matter where they were in the world, he could still feel them and know that they were safe.
"Hey Dad, are you okay?" Peter asked worriedly, as he noticed a tear run down his father's cheek.
"Yes, I just love you both very much." Erik said with a pained smile as he quickly wiped his tears and grabbed the dirty plates off of the table.
"I'll clean up tonight." He announced and the twins furrowed their brows before giving each other a knowing look.
"Wait, is something wrong?" Peter asked nervously, causing Charles and Erik to stiffen.
"There is." Wanda noticed, scanning their faces for the answer.
"It's nothing children, really." Charles lied as he rolled towards Erik.
"Promise?" Wanda asked and Charles looked down for a second, debating whether or not he would actually go through with it.
He loved Peter and Wanda as if they were his own, but he knew the dangers that love brought them. They deserved to have a chance at a normal life and not fear for their safety and others. That's a burden they shouldn't have to carry at such a young age.
"Promise." Charles lied with a plastered smile, causing the twins to let out a sigh of relief.
"Time for bed, it's getting late." Erik announced as a smirk spread across Peter's face.
"Technically Wands and I are adults now, so we can stay up as late as we want." Peter began, before he noticed his father's unamused look and immediately caved.
"But then again, it is getting wicked late and I'm pretty tired anyway." Peter speed-talked, earning a chuckle from Charles.
"Night Dad!" The twins said in unison, hugging their father as they did every night. But little did they know that this would be their last.
Erik held them tighter as tears welled up in his eyes, never wanting this moment to end.
"Hey Dad, you're kinda suffocating us." Peter said breathlessly.
"Oh sorry." Erik immediately released tight his grip instead, placing a comforting hand on their shoulders.
"I just want you both to know that I spend every day so proud to be your father and I hope that I've been a good enough one for you. You two have given me my hope back...my life back. I'll never be as happy as when I'm with the two of you. I love you both so much." Erik concluded as the twins stared up at him with tears eyes before rushing into his warm embrace once more.
After what felt like an eternity, but also a second, the twins finally pulled back and headed towards their room.
"Night Dad, Night Charles." Peter waved before speeding off.
"Night, see you tomorrow." Wanda smiled, unaware of the effect those simple words had on the two men.
Once the children were gone, Erik let out a sigh as he cleaned the dishes in hopes of distracting himself from the endless pain in his heart.
"Am I doing the right thing Charles?" Erik asked after a few moments, unable to silence his self doubts.
"I believe so, my friend." Charles assured him, causing the man to turn around.
"Then why does it feel so wrong?" He asked, desperate to alleviate his pain.
"Sometimes the difficult decisions are the ones that need to be made." Charles said wisely, causing the metal bender to laugh to himself.
"You always were great with advice."
"What can I say, reading minds really helps with understanding people." Charles smiled as Erik finished the dishes.
The two sat in a tense silence, dreading what was about to come. A few hours had passed and neither wanted to make the first move, until Charles finally spoke up, knowing Erik wouldn't...couldn't.
"It's time." He announced as Erik merely nodded his head, following the telepath to the twins' shared bedroom.
Erik quietly opened the door to find both of his children sound asleep. Wanda was curled up on her side, while Peter was spread out like a starfish across the mattress.
"Are you sure?" Charles asked one last time, knowing there would be no going back.
Erik hesitated for a moment, wanting nothing more than to be with his children, but knowing that this was the only he way.
He silently nodded his head, not trusting himself to speak aloud.
The two slowly made their way to Wanda's bed first, thankful that the twins were still fast asleep.
Erik was barely holding himself together now. He didn't know what he'd do if they woke up before Charles could wipe their memories.
Distracted by his own thoughts, Erik finally noticed Charles place his hand on his daughter's temple, as the memories of her life with them and of her powers faded, one by one.
The girl whimpered in her sleep, as all of these precious moments disappeared.
Everything seemed to be going surprisingly well, until a now awake and panicked Peter caught their attention.
"Hey! What are you doing to her?!?" He questioned in shock, as Erik quickly turned to face him.
"Peter, go back to sleep." He ordered shortly, as he struggled to cover the sadness in his voice.
"No! You're hurting her!" The speedster worried as he watched Charles remove his hand from Wanda's forehead, having completed his task.
"Peter, this is for you own good." Charles tried to comfort, but the boy merely shook his head as he slowly backed up with a fearful and confused look spread across his face.
"Stay back!" He warned, with nothing to defend himself.
"Peter, trust me. We're not going to hurt you." Charles promised with a sad smile, but the boy only shook his head more.
"I-is this Stryker? Is he controlling you like he did Wanda?!" Peter's voice trembled, causing Erik's already fractured heart to break at the fear in his son's eyes.
"I assure you Peter, we are not under anyone's control. Just stay calm." Charles held up his hands defensively as to not frighten to already jittery boy more.
"Then tell me what you're doing!" Peter demanded, trying to sound intimidating, but failing to cover the tremble in his voice.
The two older man exchanged a long, knowing look before Erik finally took a step forward.
"You're not safe here. Neither is Wanda." He began vaguely.
"Wha-what are you talking about?" Peter asked, beyond confused.
"You will never be safe if people know that you're my children. You deserve to have a normal life; it's what your mother wanted." Erik's gaze fell to the floor, as he found himself unable to look his son in the eye.
"I-I don't understand..." Peter admitted as he stared intently at the two men before him.
"We need to take your memories, Peter..." Erik began calmly, but the boy quickly cut him off with wide eyes.
"Woah, woah, woah! No way!!!" He yelled as he unintentionally backed himself into a corner of the room.
"Yes Peter, I'm sorry." Erik insisted, but to deaf ears.
"You're not taking my memories, man!" Peter yelled, as he put a hand to his head, in disbelief of the scene before him.
"It's for your own good, Peter." Charles added, before the speedster came to a sudden realization.
"Wait, is that what you did to Wanda? Did you take her memories?! Is she not going to know who I am now? Who any of us are?" Peter asked as a few hot tears rolled down his cheeks at the thought of losing his sister...his twin.
"No Peter, of course not. I only took the memories of her time here, with Erik and I, and of her powers. But she will still remember you and everything before you met us." Charles said truthfully, hoping to calm the boy, but to no avail.
"This is all too much." Peter admitted as he found himself overwhelmed at the sudden news.
"Why would you do this? Do...do you not want us anymore?" Peter asked softly, a pained look etched across his features.
"Of course not! I would never...I love you both so much." Erik said genuinely, causing the speedster to look up at him.
"Then why?"
"Having these powers, although remarkable, come with a cost. And that cost is your safety. You can never have a normal life with me. There will always be someone or something trying to hurt you, or worse, they could..." Erik stopped, finding himself unable to finish the sentence.
"You'll be safe and be able to have the life I could never give you if we do this." Erik swallowed the lump in his throat as he stepped closer to the shaking boy.
Peter looked at his father fearfully before trying to speed away, but felt himself jerk back as his wrist was stuck in place.
He finally looked down to find the source of his entrapment...his grandfather's watch.
Realizing he was helpless, the speedster quickly looked back up at his father, desperate to escape.
"No, no, no...please don't do this..." Peter begged, as Erik and Charles moved closer to the panicked boy.
Peter desperately tried to remove the watch, but to no avail. The metal bender held him still as Charles placed a delicate hand to his temple.
"Please Dad, I don't want to forget this...I don't want to forget you..." Peter pleaded as the tears now fell freely from his eyes.
"I'm sorry, son." Erik apologized before the boy fell limp in his arms and into a peaceful sleep.
Erik gingerly carried Peter back to his bed as he rubbed a gentle hand through his silver hair.
"We did the right thing, Erik." Charles spoke up, trying to convince himself more than his friend.
"Did we?" Erik questioned as a sorrowful silence engulfed the room.
Erik eventually carried the twins to the car, as Charles wheeled himself in. It was a long, silent drive to Mayra's house, as the air was filled with both men's rampant thoughts.
Every so often Erik would glance back at the twins through his review mirror, desperately wishing that things could have been different.
After a few hours, the car slowly pulled up into Mayra's driveway. The house was small, but nice. Erik smiled slightly as he noticed that it looked like one of the houses from the sitcoms Wanda would always watch.
He quickly refocused his mind as he helped Charles out of the car and onto the front porch. Erik knocked three times before a woman in her early 30's answered the door.
She was obviously much older and more mature than the last time he'd seen her, but there were still traces of the young girl he once knew.
"You're here." Mayra smiled before hugging her brother-in-law. "It's so good to see you." She said as Erik returned the sentiment before pulling away.
"Where do you want me to put them?" He asked monotonously, in an effort to mask his sorrow.
"There are two bedrooms down the hall and to the left. The blue one on the right is Peter's and the pink one on the left is Wanda's. I wasn't sure what color they like so I just guessed." Mayra shrugged as she crossed her arms.
"Peter's favorite color is silver and Wanda's is red." Erik said instantly, causing Charles and Mayra to look up at him with sad eyes.
Noticing their stares, Erik cleared his throat as he spoke up again. "I'll go get them." He said shortly as he slowly made his way back to the car.
Whether he knew it or not, Erik took his time bringing his children into the house, desperate to have just a few more minutes with them.
He brought Wanda in first, laying her gingerly on the bed. He pulled the covers over her body before sitting down beside her.
He stared intently at her sleeping form, trying to burn every freckle and feature into his memory, for that's all he'll have left to remember them.
He finally placed a soft kiss to her head before wiping a hair out of her face and gently closing the door behind him.
Erik then brought Peter to his new room, just as he did with Wanda. As the now tucked-in boy lied peacefully on the bed, Erik couldn't help but remember all that he loved about Peter. His constant sarcasm, obsessive cravings for Twinkie's, undying love for his sister, optimism, and always seeing the best in people...especially in his father.
A single tear slipped out of his eye, as Erik left the room, softly closing the door behind him. He trudged into the living room, to find Charles going through everything with Mayra again.
"Remember, you can never mention us or their abilities. It is for their own safety." Charles warned and she nodded her head, fully understanding the severity of the situation.
"What do I tell them about the missing time gap in their memories?"
"Just say that they were in a car accident and got a head injury. They suffered from some amnesia and lost a year or two from their memories, but other than that they are perfectly fine." Charles said, before noticing Erik out of the corner of his eye.
"Are you ready?" Charles asked and the metal bender nodded his head grimly.
"Thank you again, Mayra. I don't know how I will ever repay you." Erik admitted, as he stood in the doorway with Charles.
"Please, you're family. I'd do anything for those kids." She said sincerely, relieving Erik's worries slightly.
"It's comforting knowing they'll be in safe and loving hands. Your sister would be proud of you." Erik said genuinely, causing a few tears to slip from the woman's eyes.
"She'd be proud of you too, Erik, and how you took care of them." Mayra added, shocking the man.
"Do you really think so?" He asked with wide eyes, not believing the thought.
"I know so." Mayra confirmed as Erik quickly cleared the lump in his throat.
The two men eventually made their way back to the car and to the mansion.
Erik would instinctively glance in the rear view mirror, only to find that the twins weren't there, but instead the memory of what once was.
"Erik," Charles began, hoping to comfort his friend, but he was immediately cut off.
"Please Charles, I can't talk about it. Not now." Erik said, swallowing down a few tears.
Charles looked intently at the man, never seeing him in such despair, before following his wishes.
When they finally arrived at the mansion, they found Raven and Hank sitting in the living room, having just returned from helping relocate all of the mutants they freed.
"Where have you guys been?" Hank asked curiously.
"Taking care of some personal business." Charles said vaguely, causing Raven to narrow her eyes.
"It's oddly quiet around here. Erik, where are the twins?" She asked skeptically, but to deaf ears.
"Erik? Erik!" Raven exclaimed, but the metal bender simply walked past them, in his own world.
"What's wrong with him?" Hank asked Charles with a furrowed brow.
"Raven, Hank, let's talk in my office." Charles ushered them away, giving his grieving friend the space that he needed.
Erik didn't know where he was going until he unknowingly wandered to Peter and Wanda's bedroom.
The absence of the twins' presence filled Erik with an overwhelming feeling of emptiness as he glanced around the room one last time. He turned to leave, before spotting something out of the corner of his eye.
Peter's silver jacket.
Erik must have forgotten to bring it with him to Mayra's house. Now it was only a reminder of the children he had lost.
Erik hesitantly grabbed the jacket, as he sat on the corner of the bed. He rubbed a gentle hand over the cheap material as a sob escaped from his lips, finally allowing himself to grieve.
Erik held onto the jacket tightly as his cries echoed through the now empty halls of the mansion...
The End
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...Of Part 1
Sorry, that was cruel. You will see these characters again, this is just the end of part 1. The rest of it will still be in this book and some new characters may possibly be introduced 👀
A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this chapter was so long. I honestly didn't know where to break it up and I didn't want to make you guys wait.
I can't believe we've actually gotten to this point. I've been waiting since I started this story to put this in.
New chapter coming soon! Hope you enjoyed. 😁
Wandavision spoilers below...
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