Chapter 2

When she woke up, the room was lite only by the blue lights of the computer and med tube, casting an eerie glow on all the objects around her. At first she wasn't sure exactly where she was. She glanced around confused, casting her mind automatically for Pietro.

She connected with the unnerving blackness of his mind and all her memories came rushing back. Sighing, she stood and stretched, glancing around, but the Vision seemed to have disappeared during her nap.

A loud growl from her stomach ruptured the silence, and she realized it'd been at least a day since she'd last eaten. Resigning herself to the inevitable, Wanda patted the med tube in quick farewell, and left in search of the promised food.

The med ward was now almost completely deserted. Vaguely, Wanda wondered what time it was, the loss of it added to the sense of unreality she still continued to feel. She followed the corridor straight down, as Clint had advised, coming to a stop outside a large mess hall. Only a few unknown S.H.I.E.L.D agents were clustered around the tables.

Grabbing something quick, she took a seat at an empty table near the back. Eating alone in such a large room was slightly unnerving. Her mind kept jumping to Pietro and the events of the battle with Ultron. Guilt crept up through her chest, constricting it. She couldn't help feeling responsible, at least in part, for what had occurred. Without her and her brother's support of Ultron, maybe the Avengers could have stopped him sooner and Pietro would still be alive.

Her power crackled on her fingertips at the thought and she shook her head to clear it. As little as she wanted to admit it, she needed company. Someone to talk too. Pietro had been her only real confident for so long she wasn't sure how to coop without him.

Suddenly craving his proximity, she emptied her tray and headed back towards the med bay.

When she stepped into the private room, she was surprised to see she wasn't alone. Steve Rogers, Helen Cho, Clint Barton and the Vision were all huddled near Pietro, clearly in the middle of a conversation.

They turned at her approach, conversation cutting off abruptly. Steve broke apart from the group and approached Wanda, who stood framed in the doorway.

"How you feeling?" Steve asked and Wanda gave a halfhearted shrug. "Good, it'll get better. First fights always the hardest." He leaned in speaking more urgently now. "Listen, Clint's told me you're in but I need to hear it from you. Are you ready to be part of the team? To be an Avenger?"

She'd expected something like this. Sooner or later she would have to officially declare herself. She found herself automatically looking to Pietro. What would he have wanted? To fully devote herself to this would open up a whole new world of possibilities. One where they could actually help people. There was just one thing she had to know.

"Stark. Is he is charge of this?" She would not work under him. There were certain things her past and pride could not allow.

"No, he's the money, but I'm the boss. You'd be training under me and Romanoff as soon as the new facility is up and running." Steve grinned at her and she found herself smiling faintly back.

"Then yes, I'm in. Both of us." Steve smiled wider, clapping her on the shoulder and leading her into the group.

"Now that we're all on the same page, I can let you in on the orders from Fury. He's the head of this whole division. I know he'll be greeting you personally as soon as he can. But for now he wants us all resting and recovering while Stark gets the new headquarters up and running."

"New headquarters?" Wanda asked, pulling on the jacket she'd left draped over her seat.

"Old one is compromised, Fury figures it'll be better building one somewhere a little more inconspicuous anyway, so Starks on it right now. Should be done in just a few months." Steve exchanged a look with Clint, "That means we need some place for you and your brother to stay safe until it's complete."

Her hand instantly rose up to touch the metal tube. Steve's eyes darted to it before meeting hers.

"Your brother needs extensive medical care, it takes a lot of energy to run these machines. He'll also need to be under constant monitoring by Dr. Cho. There's a small S.H.I.E.L.D facility we can hold him for now. Problem is, it's a small compound. You'll have to be stationed in another location."

Wanda's eyes widened as his words registered in her head. She'd only just gotten Pietro back! She needed to be with him. It was where she belonged.

"I can't leave my brother." She blurted out, taking a step back.

Red electric current thrummed across her fingertips, creating a crackling in the air. Several of the computer monitors flickered briefly, screens going fuzzy. Dr. Cho took a startled step backward, fear flashing in her eyes. Wanda noticed; the crackling grew louder as she struggled to control it, panic and shame welling up inside her.

Vision stepped forward fearlessly, grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him.

"Focus on me." He said, eyes burning into hers. "Focus." Wanda met his stare, trying to focus on retracting the power; just as she'd practiced so many times with Pietro.

The Vision's eyes whirled with tiny gears and Wanda found herself counting them, monitoring their movements. It was a pattern. She was almost certain she could figure it out, if she watched long enough.

"There you go, kid. You got it." Clint's voice beside her startled her, causing her to lose track of the pattern. It was then that she noticed the tingling had stopped and all the monitors had returned to normal.

The reality of the situation hit her and she clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry." She stumbled back into Peitro's tube and gripped it as support. "I didn't mean for that to happen." She met Steve's eyes, trying to make him understand. He appeared calm and collected, stepping up to her and replacing the Visions hand on her shoulder with his own.

"No worries, everyone's got to learn somehow. Now we know what we need to practice, right?" Wanda nodded, lips pressed tight together.

"Yes, Ms. Maximoff, it was a perfectly reasonable reaction after the traumatic stress of the previous hours. Quite understandable." Vision spoke up soothingly. Wanda found herself staring at him as he talked, mentally recalling the pattern she'd been observing. She found herself wishing she'd had more time to follow it.

"And it won't be forever, okay?" Steve said, pulling her attention back to him. "It's just for a couple months. I'll see if we can work out some visiting times and everything."

"Yes, okay. I'm sorry." She spoke to everyone, but her eyes lingered on Dr. Cho. She hated causing such fear in someone. It reminded her that she was different. Dangerous. She'd never really worried about that with Pietro around; at least they'd been different together.

And they would be again. It was only for a few months.

"Where will I be going then?" She asked, mind made up.

"Actually, you'll be staying with me and my family." Clint spoke up, flashing her a brief little grin. "I figured my place would be better than any S.H.I.E.L.D facility."

"Thank you." She said surprised, "That's very kind."

"It's the least I could do. After everything..." He trailed off, leaving a moment of silence in his wake.

"Alright Maximoff," Steve said, checking the watch on his wrist. "We'll leave you to your goodbyes. Meet you in the loading dock in five minutes."

Wanda bobbed her head in acceptance and watched them file out. Leaving her to the quit beeping of the machines around her. She took a seat beside Pietro, fingers hovering over the glass above his face.

"I love you, Pietro." She whispered, leaning over the glass to trace the familiar features of his face with her eyes. She bent forward, planting a gentle kiss on the glass above his forehead. "We will be together again soon, I swear it."

Her breathe fogged the glass and she wiped it away with her palm; fingers lingering on the glass for a moment longer, before pulling away. She glanced back once from the doorframe, sending her probe out one last time to connect with the darkness that was now her brothers mind, before setting off towards her new future.