[Viv's Voice]: "A famous comedian once said, 'Families are like fudge -- mostly sweet, but there's also some nuts in there.'
Now even though that was said to make people laugh, it also holds a good point. No family is perfect, everyone has their quirks, their differences. Some might think them a bit odd, even dysfunctional perhaps. But it's actually those differences that make the family better, and in the end, it can help them become stronger. Together.
That's something I learned through a series of events that really helped me see things differently...
My name is Vivian Vision, but I am known to most as Viv. And this is the story of how I gained and lost a new family..."
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***Apartment, Bedroom***
The sun had just risen halfway above the horizon and was already shining vividly through the curtains of the room.
In the bed laid a young girl, a teenager. But she was different. With the body of vibranium and the skin color of red pink, hair of green and purple ends and a shiny yellow gem in the middle of her forehead. All of these were the features of Vivian Vision. Teen-synthezoid and Next Avenger.
As the light outside grew brighter, the illuminated numbers of the alarm clock that set on the bedside table turned to 8:00 AM, and it began to beep repeatedly. This caused the teen-synthezoid to turn over onto her back and groan a little before lazily opening her eyes. Taking in a letting out a deep breath, she sat up straight and looked toward the part of the room that was painted orange by the rising sun outside and couldn't help but smile.
Tossing back the covers, she got up from her bed and walked out of her room, to the kitchen of the apartment. As she neared it, she could hear the sounds of a TV show and kitchen utensils clinking. Also the smells of food cooking were there. Though she didn't eat food, Viv could still smell it and enjoy the smell of good food.
Exiting the hallway and entering the kitchen, she saw a scarlet-haired woman watching a show on the countertop TV with a glass of orange juice in hand. A smile came to Viv's face as she saw this before looking to the screen and analyzing the entertainment. Within a few seconds, Viv recognized it as The Dick Van Dyke Show, recognizing the titular actor as he played Rob Petrie, and his beautiful co-star/TV wife, Mary Tyler Moore. Viv soon identified the episode as 'Coast To Coast Big Mouth', the episode where Laura Petrie had let it slip that Alan Brady, Rob's boss, played by the ever humorous Carl Reiner, was bald. This was one of her favorites, and she wasn't the only one.
When it came to the part of Laura going to apologize to Alan and he hurt his already casted leg/foot, Viv laughed and so did the other woman who still had her back facing her. But when she heard Viv laugh behind her, the woman turned to face her and revealed herself to be Wanda Maximoff. Upon turning, she smiled at the presence of the teen-synthezoid.
"Hey Viv!" She greeted gleefully, still coming down from the laugh attack of the show.
"Good morning, Wanda," Viv replied with a respectful nod and a smile of her own.
"How did you sleep?"
"Quite well, thank you. You?"
"Oh, it could've been a little better, but I'll live."
The two laughed at that and Wanda continued with her cooking and Viv took a seat at the counter and turned her attention to the show as well.
As she watched, Viv would occasionally look to Wanda and smile as she saw her laugh at something funny on the show, which she too would laugh at. And when she sat down to eat, she and Viv would have moments where they would smile and laugh together. So much so that attention would drift away from the TV and more between them.
It was moments like these, the little things between her and Viv that made her happy to be here. And also happy for the decision that was made three months ago after what had been dubbed "The Blip", the second SNAP which had brought everyone back who was wiped out ten years ago.
It happened during the victory party at the Stark cabin. After seeing Viv and learning she was made with bits of the Vision's code, and that Viv was to him as a daughter to a father, Wanda had become intrigued. And because of her love for Vision, she felt concern and a sense of responsibility towards the teen-synthezoid. So during the party at the cabin, she pulled Bruce aside and had volunteered to help take care of Viv. Like a mother, of sorts. Though Bruce, and a few others as well, were surprised at this -- mainly Tony -- they agreed that it would be a good idea for the "girl" to have a mother's care in her life.
So when they asked Viv if she would like to stay with her, she was so happy and accepted by hugging Wanda and then Bruce. Admittedly, Bruce was a little sad to see her go, but he was also happy as he knew this was good for her.
That was about three months ago. And now here they were, playing mother and daughter and having fun at it. Viv didn't call Wanda "Mom" or anything like that, though, as she was a little hesitant to call her that. But she did consider her to be motherly. The name part would come later though...hopefully.
Either way, though, it was safe to say that Viv was happy here. With Wanda.
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The day went on, noon came and went and the afternoon came around. Viv had spent most of the latter of the day in her room reading, but she did go for a walk to enjoy the outdoors for a time.
It was a good way to pass the time. Of course, she was in her human teenager form, so no one could tell she was a synthezoid. It was as if she was like everyone else, a normal human teenager.
As she walked down a sidewalk in town, she passed by a coffee shop. But something inside caught her eye and she backed up a little to look again.
Inside, sitting at a booth was a nice looking family; a father, a mother, and their daughter. The girl seemed to be at least 12 or 13. But it wasn't that which piqued her interest. No, it was the smiles and the seemingly great conversation going on amongst them. They just seemed to be having a great time. Together.
Not wanting to be creepy, Viv walked on but the image of the happy three together replayed over in her mind. Literally. She had taken a small recording of the happy moment through her eyes, and replayed it a few times.
But the more she did, the more her thoughts began to go to her "father". The Vision. She knew she was made with parts of his programming and was considered his daughter, yet, she never really got to know who he really was. Or how much he meant to the Avengers...or to Wanda.
Wanda. The woman who had become a mother figure to her. Before going to live with her, Viv had learned that Wanda was a lover to Vision, someone he cared for very much. Even to the point of sacrificing himself to destroy the Mind Stone and prevent Thanos from wreaking havoc on the universe.
Viv wished she could have gotten to know him as well as Wanda had. Maybe if he was still here, the three of them would be a family at this moment.
Then, Viv had an idea. A nice little idea. She had to get home.
Finding a secluded alley, she changed into her synthezoid form and flew back to the apartment.
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***Viv's Room***
Once Viv had gotten home, she was clear on what she wanted to do. Hopefully, though, Wanda would like it too.
Now, she was currently busy with a certain...project.
She sat in her room at her desk, which was very orderly. On it was a lamp that was screwed onto the side, a cup for pens and pencils, and a little shelf that held her books, a few pictures of her friends, and some clear sheets of paper -- printer paper, construction paper, and notebook paper -- for whichever might be needed for a certain task. In this case, a sheet of white construction paper.
From one of the drawers on the desk, Viv had pulled out a sketching set with multicolored pastels and a sketching pencil, of which she was sketching away on the sheet with.
"Hey, Viv!" A voice called, followed by a knock at her bedroom door.
It was Wanda.
Hearing the door opening, Viv swiftly flipped the paper over and turned around as Wanda had just stepped in. "Hey, Wanda."
The look Viv had on her face was equal to a kid who was hiding something and containing laughter along with it. Catching this right away, a knowing smirk came to Wanda's face and her curiosity was sparked.
"What're you up to?" She asked.
"Nothing," Viv replied with a shrug, the innocent smile still on her face.
"Mhm." Wanda didn't believe that for one minute.
Looking past Viv to her desk, she noticed the pastels and paper.
"Oh, you're sketching?"
Knowing the jig was up, Viv sighed and nodded.
"Can I see it?"
Viv instantly held up a hand in a 'halt' type of way. "No!"
Wanda froze with eyes wide at Viv's objection. For a moment, she was worried she had stepped over a boundary, but the half smile from Viv said otherwise.
"Sorry. It's just...it's a surprise," she said nervously, "I don't wanna spoil it for you."
At that Wanda felt a smile picking at the side of her lips, and it showed. "A surprise, f-for me?" The woman made the gesture of pointing to herself, her interest was definitely piqued.
Again, Viv nodded and her smile showed some anticipation. "If you give me...twenty to thirty more minutes, I'll be done and I'll show you."
Her smile widening, Wanda nodded and began to walk out. "Okay. I'll be waiting."
Viv laughed at that. With that, Wanda left and the teen-synthezoid turned around and went back to work on her sketch.
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***Living Room***
True to her word, twenty-seven minutes went by and Viv had left her room with the completed sketch in hand and walked into the living room to find Wanda sitting at the dining table, on her laptop.
"Wanda?"
The Sokovian Avenger looked up and smiled at seeing her charge. "Ah, the artist enters!"
Viv dramatically took a bow as if she was on a stage before coming up laughing.
"So, did you finish this piece of art you've been working on?" Wanda asked.
Viv nodded and shifted from side to side on her feet. "Yes..."
Wanda could tell Viv was nervous, and her motherly instincts kicked in.
"Hey" she called Viv, leaning forward, "it's okay. I'm sure its a lot better than you think."
Though her nerves(if she did have them) were shaky, she took in Wanda's words and tone. It was one of a motherly nature. Caring, loving. This eased her nerves a little, leaving a more comfortable feeling.
Taking a breath, Viv nodded and handed the paper over to Wanda, lowering her head as she did. She took it and her eyes went wide with wonder as she examined it.
To her surprise, it was a picture of them! Her, Viv, and her lost love, the original synthezoid, Vision. The three of them, together, like a family photo. The attention to detail, the use of colors and shading. Like a skilled artist.
"Oh my gosh..." Seeing this beautiful art piece, Wanda's heart took a beating and her breath hitched. When she finally caught it again, she looked up to Viv and back to the sketch. "Viv, this is...this is great!"
Viv's head came up and a hopeful smile came to her face. "You really think so?"
Wanda nodded and "Yeah, are you kidding me! Wow! You have some really good drawing skills. It's so lifelike."
"Thank you. You really like it?"
"Yes. It's beautiful...you did a wonderful job, Viv." As she said that, a curious thought came to Wanda. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you do this sketch?"
Again, Viv looked down at her feet and put on a nervous smile. "Well, I saw this family while I was out today. It was a mom, and dad, and their daughter. They were in this little diner, just having a good time. They....they seemed so happy, and it made me think how nice it would be if.....if my father were still alive and here with us. Maybe...maybe the three could've been like that family I saw."
Having heard these words, Wanda felt her heart squeeze and her eyes began to tear up. To know that Viv would have wanted that, not just with Vision, but with her as well...it made her feel loved by the teen-synthezoid. And right now, that meant everything to her.
Wiping away a few tears Wanda set the sketch down and walked over to Viv and pulled her into a strong hug, which Viv returned almost immediately. Both women gave all the love they could into that hug. As of right now, they were the most important person to each other. Wanda saw Viv as her daughter, even though it hadn't been talked about. It didn't matter.
"You know, if he was still here, your father would be very proud of you, Viv." She whispered to Viv, "I know I am."
At that, Viv smiled and felt her hybrid heart beat happily. "Thank you...Wanda." She almost said "Mom", but Viv just couldn't. The desire was definitely there, but there was still something there holding her back. She needed more time. But she would...one day.
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***Viv's Room***
Night had come along and everyone was winding down. Viv was currently in her bed, reading one of her favorite novels and listening to music. Just relaxing.
"Knock, knock." She heard. Looking up, she saw Wanda smiling in her doorway.
"Hey, Wanda." She greeted her.
The older woman took this as a sign that it was okay to come in. She approached the bed and asked, "Clocking out?"
Viv nodded in reply. "Almost. Just going to finish this chapter."
"Nice..." Wanda had then sat down on the edge of the bed, bobbing her head lightly. As she sat there, Viv noticed there was some hesitance within Wanda's demeanor. This aroused concern within her.
"Is everything alright?" She asked.
"Yeah, I just...I was just wondering..."
Viv saw that Wanda was a little uneasy trying to find words. Sensing this, she set the book down, sat up, and put a hand on Wanda's arm. "What is it?"
Wanda took a breath and let it out before looking to Viv. "If there was a way for you to actually meet him, your father, would you like to?"
The question surprised Viv. Her mind went back to the conversation earlier when she had shown Wanda the sketch of the three as a family. What confused her, though, is why Wanda seemed so worried about asking about it. But the more she thought about it, the more she allowed her thoughts to come through.
"Well, I have always thought about meeting him, and I suppose any girl would want to meet their father," she replied, thinking it over, "Even though I'm not human, it has been a dream of mine for a long time. So yes, I suppose I would..."
Her words, though a bit iffy, were still from the heart. And from this, Wanda seemed to be satisfied. "Well, that's good to know."
As she said this, she smiled almost innocently. This confused Viv a little, but she brushed it off.
Standing up from the bed, Wanda leaned down and kissed Viv on her forehead. "Night, sweetie."
The teen-synthezoid smiled back at that. "Goodnight, Wanda."
The older woman then left the room, leaving Viv alone with her thoughts.
'What the heck was that about?' she wondered.
A little later, Viv finished the chapter in her book, marked it and set it on her end table before turning out the light. As she powered down into sleep, Viv began to dream. She dreamt of her father, Vision, and Wanda as a happy family. Similar to the Petrie family. Only she was a girl, not a boy. And a synthezoid, not a human.
But little did Viv know that after that night, things would soon turn to...chaos.
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BOOM! First chapter done and done!! Viv lives with Wanda and the two seem quite homely and happy. But there's more to come. ;)
I've been wanting to release this fic for a while now and I'm glad to finally get it underway! Hope you guys like how it's started off, and trust me when I tell you, things are going to get real and emotional in this fic. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE lmk what you think!!! 🙏🏽 😁
Hope your week gets off to a good start. See yall soon! ✌🏽💙😌