One Last Chance |6| The Ascension

Chapter Two: The Hand In The Addams Family Was Better Than This

"How does it feel?" the Doctor asked later, catching his wife stretching her remaining hand, an uncomfortable expression on her face.

She raised her eyebrows. "It feels like someone chopped off my good arm with a meat cleaver and left me with a hand that has all the dexterity of a sponge on a stick."

He smiled. "You know, we actually used Stormbreaker."

Her lips twitched in amusement. "That makes it all better."

"It is really that bad?" he asked sympathetically, rubbing her shoulders gently.

She sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know. It's difficult. It's like for five thousand years I've done everything with my left hand, and all this one's ever been good at is holding yours. And now I'm having to learn how to do everything all over again, except this time it's in expert mode. I can't even wear half the dresses I used to, 'cause the straps just fall off my shoulder. This is just life stuff, though. What happens if something bad happens, if the Daleks show up or something? I don't know if I can fight like this."

"You won't have to," he assured her. "Wands and I'll take care of it all. You need to focus on looking after yourself."

"I'm scared," she admitted, her voice quietening. "I keep thinking something's going to happen to you and I won't be able to do a thing to stop it."

"Relax," he soothed, pressing his lips to her temple. "Everything's going to be alright. Thanos is gone. He can't hurt us anymore." His eyes widened. "Tell you what you need—a distraction."

McKenzie started to smile. "Are you flirting with me?"

"I most certainly am," he grinned, offering her his left hand. "Let's go!"

***

Wanda smiled into her phone, or rather at her brother's face onscreen. "Okay, I know what you're going to say, but... you were right. This is probably exactly what I need."

Pietro smirked. "What, you didn't see that coming?"

"You're so predictable," Wanda teased.

He raised his eyebrows. "Hey, let's stick at the part of the conversation where I was right. I'm going to get T-shirts made. 'You were right' - Wanda Maximoff, 2030."

"And annoying," she added, rolling her eyes.

"It's one of my most attractive traits," he joked. Then he frowned. "Can I hear music?"

Wanda nodded. "They're dancing. Something called 'Glenn Miller'."

Pietro's eyes widened in understanding. "They danced to that at Amy and Rory's wedding," he explained. "It's like their special song or something."

Zoë appeared over his shoulder. "Yeah, that's what they told you. It's actually just the only song he can properly dance to."

Wanda laughed. "You mean he can really dance?"

"Go take a look," Zoë encouraged. "But fair warning, they're probably being sappy and cute and disgusting, so observe at your peril."

"I will bear that in mind," Wanda nodded. "How've you been?"

Pietro tilted his head. "It's been pretty normal for us. Clint and Natasha keep asking after you, but asides from that, nothing new. Zosia and Steve are being disgustingly cute."

"Isn't that their natural state?" Wanda joked.

Zoë snorted. "Yeah, but this is worse. I guess she really missed him and the kids while we were all dead, but now they almost never leave each others' sight. They're turning into Mum and Dad."

"It's terrifying," Pietro interjected.

They both looked round suddenly as the smoke alarms went off. "What's that?" Wanda asked, her eyes wide.

"Oh, just the usual," Zoë replied, looking remarkably unconcerned. "Daisy and Izaiah are probably wrestling again. Either that or the new girl got startled. I'd better go check it out." She looked back to the camera. "Talk to you later, Wands."

"Bye, Zo," Wanda returned. Then she raised her eyebrows at her brother. "New girl?"

"Yeah, Cap, Zosch and the kids went on this mission, somewhere in the Americas," he explained. "Mexico, I think. There were reports of a powered individual causing lightning storms, destroying stuff, etc, etc. We kinda thought it was Thor. But then they came back with this kid, maybe eighteen, called Gabriella Diaz."

"She has lightning powers?" Wanda echoed.

"Izaiah called her Sparks last week, and the kid's hair is still sticking up," Pietro enthused. "She's seriously powerful. And that's not even the best bit. The word from the kids is that Daisy has a crush on the Mexican Thunderbolt."

Wanda gasped. "That's terrible." She caught her brother's surprised expression and made a face. "No, I mean, it's great for them, of course it is. But I remember that girl being born. I remember before her parents were even together! If she's grown up enough to start dating then that means..."

Realisation dawned on Pietro's face. "Oh God..."

"We're getting old!" Wanda exclaimed.

~~~

Ah, the millennial horror. Although, in this fic, the Maximoff twins are Gen Z, being born in 1997. Which makes them eighteen in AoU, twenty-four in CA:CW, and twenty-seven in Infinity War through to now. Weird to think about. Though if they'd survived the snap, they'd be thirty-three at this point, in 2030, which is even weirder.

Anyway, to "The Rings of Akhaten"!