Chapter 2: Overlap

CLEAN UP ON AISLE SEVEN

She exhales, she’s holding a grapefruit in one of her hands. She’s standing in the produce section of a grocery store. Her eyes dart around confused. “Where am I?” she whispers to herself. She swore she was just at the edge of a rocky cliff. Awaiting her fate, her due punishment is to be sent back to the Raft. Now she’s standing there clueless at a grocery store. Everyone around her is minding their business and doing their own shopping. She looks to her side there’s a cart full of groceries in it.

“Okay,” she breathes out confused. She puts the grapefruit in the cart and begins to push it, her eyes dart around nervously. She’s not sure where she’s at but she figures she can at the very least, check out and pay for the groceries.

She heads to the self-checkout, and carefully scans her groceries she panics and just hits the cash button. She reaches for her pocket and she’s sure she’s cheated as she just puts the cash nervously in.

Her mind is slipping in and out. In and out of some autonomous mode. It’s as if something deep within her knows what to do. Where’s she’s going. She’s heading to a nice vehicle, a sports car of some sort. She puts the groceries away. Her mind is abuzz, buzzing, she can’t yet figure out what she’s thinking, or knowing.

She hops into the driver’s seat and pauses. The car is really nice! Wanda scoffs looking around the dash, admiring it. “Yes…quite nice,” she says as she turns it on. She looks back and begins to back up. She’s driving, her mind goes into an auto-mode again. This place looks like New York. “I’m back in New York,” she whispers to herself. She’s driving…This isn’t where I live. Where Am I going? She thinks to herself.

Home

A voice whispers it sounds a lot like her own voice. She swallows, panicking, as she suddenly pulls to the side, ignoring the honks of horns of irritated people behind her. She turns her car around and drives to where she thinks she believes is home but realizes it’s not in the right direction either.

“Damn it,” she swears pushing the breaks. Others are honking behind her she suddenly drives once more pulling to the side before turning off the car. Her eyes dart around. “This isn’t right,” she whispers to herself. “I’m not supposed to be here…something happened,” she says taking her keys and stepping out of the sports car, she begins to leave it behind as she nervously walks around.

“Maybe…maybe I accidentally did something,” she states looking at other pedestrians around her, all minding their own business, a few glancing at her as they pass.

Confusion starts to overwhelm her. Her eyes dart around searching for answers but none seem to be coming. Her confusion starts to grow into anxiety. The thought of her accidentally creating another Westview incident scares her. “I can’t do this… I-I need to fix this,” she whispers in panic. Her fingers wiggle in anticipation before suddenly she’s pulled off to the side and into an alleyway. She’s suddenly pinned to a brick wall as she stares up confused. A stranger before her. He’s tall, and pale, with dark hair, and blueish-green eyes. He’s wearing a suit and a nice jacket.

“What…who…who are you?” she asks as she tries to push him back but he holds her steady against the wall.

“My name is Loki and I’m from the TVA and I need you to calm down,” he whispers lowly and quickly.

“What? Why?” Wanda asks confused, tilting her head. The name rings a bell but she can’t pinpoint why at the moment.

“Well…why not? It looks like you were about to have a breakdown and I’ve heard that you and breakdowns are something no one wants,” he answers with a small knowing smirk. Wanda swallows a bit offended as she glares a bit, cocking her head even more.

“Who are you?” she asks again a bit bitterly.

“Me… I just told you my name is Loki from the TVA. The Time Variance Authority,” he answers.

She turns her head to the side as she sees him suspiciously. She thinks it sounds fake but with all the acronyms agencies she’s joined herself she can’t question it.

“Yes…okay but…what are you doing? Why are you here?” she asks once more.

“I’m here because your timeline has accidentally got integrated with another and now you are in this weird strange overlap,” he stated.

“What?! How is that even possible?” she asks confused suddenly believing him.

“I know…I don’t really know either look the fact remains is that you… Wanda… is fighting the flow of this overlap while most people are just going with it. So I need you to go with it and not fight it, okay?” he asks as she shakes her head lightly, trying to soak everything in. “Especially not having a nervous breakdown that will just completely complicate things,” he decided to add. She scoffs suddenly as she crosses arms feeling a bit offended.

“Okay…” she manages to utter, still very confused.

“Good, We’re clear?” Loki suddenly asks with a nod.

“Yes…but I mean,” she feels him finally let got her shoulders and steps back. “-what if someone else starts acting up? I mean I can’t be the only one who can possibly feel out of it, sense it,” she whispers seriously looking around nervously.

“Of course but they’re not as dangerous as you and by comparison by the time they figure it out and try to do omething about it. We’re hoping to fix this little mix-up,” he answers a bit more calmly.

“You mean disaster,” Wanda corrected.

“You say ‘to-mae-toe I say to-ma-toe’ ….is fixed,” he decides to make light of the situation. Wanda this time perks a brow, once again tilting her head. “Though until then… just go with it,” he reminded.

“But I don’t want to go with it!” she hisses to him angrily.

“Come here….let’s go,” he says suddenly grabbing her shoulder, and then they vanish. She’s suddenly driving her sports car again. Loki is in the passenger seat. Her eyes widened as she focused on driving.

“Where am I going?” she asks again, eyes on the road.

“Back to your current residence,” he answers messing with some object he has in his hand.

“And that is?” she asks still concentrating on driving. He smirks.

“You’ll see,” he states. “Just let her…the part of you that knows this reality take over,” he advises.

Wanda swallows as she glances at him glaring. She continues to drive but she soon realizes a part of her does know where she’s going and so she just lets herself drive. She suddenly pulls to the side and parks. She leans forward and looks around confused.

“Where am I? Why do I feel nervous?” she asks before letting herself get out of the car. She hears Loki chuckle as he steps out of the car as well.

“Ha ha you feel nervous?” he questions amused.

“Yes!” she hisses.

“Well you’re bout to feel worse and I need you to remain calm,” he suddenly states as she stops to look at him, eriously.

“How?” she whispers nervously. He sighs before looking up.

“I have to go so I’m going to give you a brief heads up,” he nears once more, grabbing her shoulders and starts to whisper. “Look you’re married, you’re a mother, and you’re loved. Ultimately this is everything you always wanted deep down, is it not?” he questions staring into her eyes. Wanda swallows as she stares back.

“Yes..how did you-”

“TVA it’s my job to know, remember,” he answers quickly with a toothy smile. He looks to the side.

“Look there is a strong possibility that your…partner might start to sense things are off and I need you to keep him from doing anything stupid like you were about to do,” he decides to warn.

“Why?”

“Why?!” he repeats in shock. “Because you’ll just completely slow us down, the ones who actually has the ability to fix this damn thing. So keep your husband, satisfied and clueless, got it?” he adds.

Wanda swallows and nods.

“I get it,” she answers nervously.

“Good!” he says turning her forward. “Now go!” he orders shoving her forward. “And don’t forget your bags,” he adds and she suddenly carrying her groceries. “Oh, Wanda,” he suddenly says as she turns and looks over her shoulder. “- try to enjoy yourself…this won’t last,” he says before disappearing. She sighs as she nods. She continues to walk towards the house and knocks on the door nervously. Don’t act nervous. Don’t act nervous, she chants in her head.

The door finally opens as she steps inside the large townhouse-looking building.

“Mom?” a young boy with glasses is at the other side. He’s got green eyes, he’s wearing khaki-colored slacks, a white blouse, and a sweater vest. His dark brown hair is combed back and gelled.

He’s a very well-groomed boy. “Why are you at the front door? Why didn’t just magic in like you always do?” he asks. Her eyes widen as she steps in and takes a good look around. She shudders a smile. “Hey Mommy are you alright?” he asks again as he pushes up his glasses and looks up at her concernedly. She swallows and nods.

“Oh… yes, of course…I just.. you know we got to look normal every once in a while, right? We don’t need the neighbors getting suspicious,” she decides to answer. He releases a lopsided smirk.

“I’m pretty sure they already know we live here, Mom but okay,” he says as he starts to head back upstairs.

Kitchen?

She turns and she realizes she suddenly knows where it’s at. She steps in and sighs as she places her bags in the counter and starts to put away groceries. Who is he? My son? What’s his name?

Ichabod.

Wanda stops and looks up and away. It sounds like her own voice answering her questions as if something deep within her knows the answers. “Oh,” she releases as she feels the need to start dinner.

Refrigerator, Salmon.

“Oh….okay,” she breathed out, realizing that something deep within her, an instinct, an inner voice is guiding her. She realizes this is what Loki was talking about when he meant her. He must have meant from the other dimension and she seems to understand the situation she’s in better than she does at the moment. She’s keeping her calm.

She’s letting her cook autonomously. She realizes she finds cooking a relaxing distraction. She actually knows how to cook in this reality. She smiles happily.

“Hey Mom!” she hears a girl sing. Wanda turns this time a girl walks in. She’s older than her son. She looks like a teen. Her eyes are piercing blue, her hair is a light brown. She dresses alternatively, like a Goth or Lolita style? She’s not sure, neither version of her is sure.

“Oh,” she breathes out confused. The girl stops texting on her phone and looks up at her.

“Hey did I startle you?” she asks concernedly.

“Uh yes,” Wanda just answers.

Ophelia

“Sorry… oh I just wanted to let you know that Tommy and Billy won’t make it this weekend,” she suddenly starts. Her heart beams as she smiles at the thought of Billy and Tommy.

“Tommy and Billy?” she asks tentatively.

“Yeah, some birthday party, a friend of theirs, some X-men I think. They’re both too guilty to tell you so I guess I’m the one to do it,” she says heading for the fridge. She opens it and pulls out a drink.

Her mind goes blank for a moment but she scoffs out a smile.

“Well tell them both that I’m disappointed,” she says motherly and turns looking back at the stove.

“For not having the courage to tell me themselves. And instead forcing their younger sister to do it,”

she adds as she spices up the salmon.

“Ha! I’m texting them right now. Smells good by the way!” she says as she heads back out of the kitchen.

“Good! Should be done in ten minutes!” she adds happily.

“Yum!” Ophelia lets out before walking out of the kitchen.

A daughter…Billy, Tommy, Ichabod. I have four children! She thinks happily before covering her mouth excitedly.

Dessert for Ophelia is in the fridge.

She suddenly remembers the Raspberry Chocolate cake she had bought. She realizes it’s one of her daughter’s favorites. A memory pops in her head. A little girl with pigtails not wanting to eat a piece at first, then a young girl sneaks to the fridge sneaking a piece. Another image of her as a teen, eating at a restaurant. Her daughter walks in and straight out telling her it’s her favorite. Wanda shakes her head and smiles. She has memories of the other Wanda. She nods taking comfort in the thought for now.

Soon dinner is done and she feels herself go in some strange autopilot as she heads to the room next door. It’s the dining room, a grand table, a gilded chandelier, the interior matches the rest of the house. She begins to set the dinner table with prepared plates.

“Dinner is ready!” She bellows happily. She realizes she’s set four plates on the table. She tilts her head letting out a small. “Hmph.” Soon her kids start to show up, Ophelia followed by Ichabod as she conjures up drinks last minute as she sits down taking a drink of iced tea.

“Dad’s not here yet?” Ophelia asks. She suddenly chokes a bit on her tea.

“Uhmm no…running late?” She thinks of the most generic lie ever told. Ophelia rolls her eyes.

“Dad’s always running late,” Ichabod says bitterly as he picks up his fork and starts to lazily poke at his food. “He promised us to build our new Lego kingdom but he keeps putting it off,” he finishes sadly as she frowns. She feels for her son and she gets a bit upset.

“Then I and your father will have to have a little talk,” she says sternly. She sees her son look at her wide-eyed. He has her eyes. He smiles softly as he continues eating his food and her heart melts a bit as she releases a soft smile of her own. Who is their father anyway? The door suddenly swings open.

“Sorry I’m late,” he suddenly announces. Wanda’s nerves rise as she stands up immediately. Almost about to go into self-defense mode.

“Strange!”