Sorry this took so long to update. Been going through a bit of a "writing is getting boring" and "why do I have such a hectic life with no time to myself" phases. School's almost over for the semester, and I'm back to writing out this story! Enjoy :D

Disclaimer: Nothing seen in media belongs to me

Chapter 4: A Talk Between Two Strangers

"Ok, so let me see if I get this straight," Roberto da Costa, the Avenger known as Sunspot, said. "The Red Skull not only has Professor Xavier's actual brain and his near all powerful psychic powers, but is now getting ready to take on the world's mutant population and do what he did a few days ago."

"And targeted Scarlet Witch specifically for that purpose?" Hyperion asked with disbelief. Captain America nodded.

"Well, there's a shock," Hawkeye said with a sigh, resulting in all heads in the room turning towards him. Wanda couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt when she heard that. But she couldn't really blame him; this wasn't the case for Peter Parker though.

"Dude…that was kind of harsh."

"I didn't mean it like that," Clint replied, wanting to clarify himself. "I just meant that since Wanda is known for being the one that almost wiped out mutantkind, it only makes sense that the Skull try and go after her. He must believe that if he gets his hands on Wanda, he can force her into recreating the hex or spell that would actually get the job done this time."

"That makes sense," Bruce Banner nodded his agreement.

"Um, Wanda…?" Sam Gunthrie asked with a bit of nervousness. "You can't actually do that again…right?" All eyes turned back to Wanda, who sighed to herself. She should have expected a question like this to show up sooner or later; of course there would be concern about whether or not there was a possibility of repeating the actions of that day when she said those damned three words. She herself had been wondering about that for some time. After questioning herself on that detail, thinking about it and her powers, she had come to a conclusion, one that she was comfortable with and gave it to her fellow Avengers.

"No, I'm confident I can't. My hex abilities are done at a completely random sequence. I've been wondering the same thing for a while, and I think I can safely say that it's very, very unlikely that I can recreate that kind of event again. The amount of power behind that spell, it is more than draining both physically and mentally. I don't think my mind or my body, or even my powers and abilities, would be able to withstand the strain of trying to conjure up that specific spell for such a long period of time. To try to control that much chaos and random probability in order to recreate one specific result from a possibility of billions of other choices…no, I doubt that I can ever replicate that kind of incident again."

"That's what ya say," Rogue muttered, casting a look at Wanda's direction.

"Hey, if she says she can't do it, then she bloody can't do it," Spider Woman snapped back.

"That's enough, both of you," Captain America interjected before Rogue could reply. "Rogue, I think you should give Wanda the benefit of the doubt; she says that she isn't able to perform that specific spell again without major repercussions, so let's trust her word." He turned to take in the sight of all the other main team and Uncanny Avengers. "All of us." At those words, the rest of the assembled heroes either nodded, looked uncomfortable or simply looked away. Cap sighed; he knew that having Wanda back as an Avenger would be a difficult path, but hopefully, she'd be accepted amongst the others again. It would just take some time, he guessed.

"Anyways," Tony Stark, the co-leader of the main team of Avengers and the Avenger known as Iron Man, said, trying to get everyone's attention back onto the main purpose of the meeting today between both teams. "I think we should get back to the topic at hand here, people." At that point everyone nodded their agreement, and the real meeting continued on again. After the incident with the Red Skull and his S-Men just a few days ago and how badly the Unity Squad had dealt with it for the majority of their intervention, Tony Stark had been approached by Steven and Alex about the situation, and all three had come to an agreement, which they had decided to bring up to the rest of the two Avengers teams for approval. What they had decided was that from this point forward, both the main Avengers team and the Unity Squad would be working together in the events of situations as this. With both as separate entities but with an uneven membership for each team, it would be necessary for back-up for the Unity Squad to be at a moment's call they were overwhelmed again. With so many members on the main Avengers team, it had been decided that any and all Avengers would be on permanent call should the Unity Squad need any form of back-up or assistance against any opponent they went up against. The decision was done mainly in part to ensure that the Squad had a better chance when the Red Skull next attacked, whenever that could be. Of course, this now also applied in reverse: should Stark and Steve's Avengers find themselves in any need of assistance, the Unity Squad would also respond to distress calls they may send.

For members of both teams such as Thor and Logan, this really meant no difference to them at all. For the rest of the members of both teams, this was a well-received notion, and was quickly accepted by both the Squad and the Avengers and standard protocol.

The meeting went on for another 20 minutes before Steve, Tony and Alex finally closed it and the teams were satisfied with the results that had been derived from the meeting.

Wanda was glad at that; she tried to ignore it, but the fact that she would occasionally get that sideways glance after she had said she was sure that another "No More Mutants" moment wasn't going to occur continued to chip away at her mind and soul. She needed to get out of here, and go somewhere else…but where? The Mansion was the same kind of atmosphere, even with all the warm and pleasing memories that came with it…it sometimes brought up the sorrow of a life no longer existent. Well, maybe she could go about around New York; she had rarely had a chance to just forget it all and explore. Besides, with all that had changed in the last few years since the Avengers fell apart and came back together until now, there was bound to be some new sights in a city she hadn't been in for so long to grab her attention, right? So, ignoring the rest of the heroes in the room, Wanda quietly got out of her seat as everyone else was leaving already, having forgotten that Spider Woman, Captain Marvel, Wolverine and Spider-Man were there with her, and headed out of the conference room. Jarvis had prepared a delicious gourmet lunch for after the meeting, but Wanda wasn't in the mindset to mingle with the same heroes that regarded her with caution. She wished that Pietro was here…he was out there somewhere with their half-sister Lorna with a new project about X-Factor with Maddox. That left her feeling quite alone at the moment, being that Pietro was always the one being she trusted with a shadow of a doubt.

Little did she know, she wasn't quite as alone as she thought.

"I wish we could help her," Jess sighed as she and the other three watched the Scarlet Witch walk away.

"You know this kind of thing takes time," Carol added, a small sad frown on her face as she looked on. "I kind of know how she feels, not feeling like you can trust anyone."

"But did Rogue really have to go and say what she did?" Jess replied, a small bit of anger in her voice as she stared on at Rogue, who was in conversation with Thor and Black Widow.

"She may have been a bit…harsh sayin' it," Logan replied, "but I understand where she's comin' from. After all, it was our kind that came out the whole thing of 'No More Mutants' moment, remember? Can' really blame her for bein' on edge about it. A lot of us are a bit nervous that it may happen again. Hell, I'm nervous. You, Webs?"

"Peter?" Carol asked as the Webhead didn't respond, his lens never leaving Wanda's retreating form. "You in there?"

"Huh?" he replied as his attention returned to them. "What happened?"

"You alright, Peter?" Jess asked. "You seemed a bit distracted."

"Uh, no no, I'm good," Peter replied quickly. He again turned his lens-covered eyes back to Wanda. She was heading back to the elevators and was leaving. He heard what Wanda had said about the possibility of another House of M incident and a "No More Mutants" repeat happening again. He didn't understand why, but he had believed her as soon as the words had left her mouth. Perhaps it was that oh so tiny sense of fear he had seen in her eyes when she spoke about it. She said that her hexes were chaos and that controlling it was like trying to control the shape of water. He could definitely understand why Rogue didn't believe her, but if Wanda said it could never be repeated, then Peter was inclined to believe her. He was pretty sure she didn't want to strain her mind, body and powers to the point of killing herself to repeat that whole thing again. Others might not believe it, though, which would do a bit to isolate her from everyone else. She must feel pretty alone right now, Peter thought to himself.

Though…he did say to himself he was going to try and strike up a conversation…

"Um, I need to go do something," Peter said as he pulled down his mask. "I'll see you guys later." And with that, he left the conference hall, leaving behind his three friends with surprised looks.

The elevator Wanda had been waiting for arrived, and Wanda stepped inside. She didn't need to press any buttons, being that the elevator only had to stops-the Stark Tower Lobby and the Avengers first level. She also didn't think anyone would be joining her on the elevator, so she was quite surprised when she saw a hand-a gloved and red hand-interrupt the closing doors and was even more surprised when Spider-Man entered the elevator only a second afterwards. What was Spider-Man doing on the elevator when he could swing in the skies above the streets?

"Hey, room for one more?" Peter asked with a smile as he stood and a comfortable distance from Wanda while the doors closed, thus sending them both down to the Tower lobby.

"Um, sure I guess," Wanda replied hesitantly, staring at the Webhead with a mixture of surprise, curiosity and uncertainty. "Although, asking me when the doors are closing really doesn't give me much chance of an opinion, does it?"

Again to Wanda's surprise, Spider-Man turned to face her, and she noticed the surprised expression on his face…well, part of it, being that his mask was only partially removed. "Wait…did you just try and make a joke?"

"Um…no?"

"Really? Seemed like you were trying. It was a good try, though," Peter offered with a smile.

"Thanks…I guess," Wanda said quietly as she turned away from Spider-Man. Silence rang through the elevator for a few dozen seconds, a silence Wanda found herself torn between wishing it could continue, and wishing it could end. She couldn't figure out anything to say, though. It was ironic, really-earlier, she was wondering about how Spider-Man saw her after everything that had happened, and yet here he was with her unable to bring herself to properly speak to him.

"You know, one could get the impression that you don't want to talk to them," Spider-Man said, bringing Wanda's attention back to him. She could see that he had a small smile on his face. She also saw right away that it was a rather gentle and understanding smile. "I guess not much has changed since we talked that one time in Ku'un L'un, huh?" he asked.

Wanda didn't understand why, but a small smile graced her lips. "You'd guess right, Spider-Man. Especially after Rogue's…input earlier."

"Forget about Rogue," Peter replied. "She'll come around eventually."

"Captain America likes to say that a lot, and about everyone too."

"If you keep working at it, it's bound to happen. I know that sounds kind of pointless and repetitive and whatnot, but trying to make up for your past and not letting anything keep you down, it'll show everyone that you genuinely mean good by your words. But remember-what's in the past is the past. You can't change it, no matter what." Peter found himself looking at the ground, and Wanda could see the tension that sprang up in his body. "I wish every day that I could somehow change what happened in my past, but I can't, but I also can't let the past dictate who and what I am. You just got to take that experience and learn from it as best as you can. Scars remind us where we've been-they don't have to dictate where we're going."

Peter looked back up from the ground and back at Wanda. Her expression was one of surprise. He wondered if any of what he had said had gotten through to her. Sure, Wanda definitely needed to show that she genuinely wanted to make up for all that she had done-hell, she deserved that kind of chance, what with all she had done for the world as an Avenger-but it wasn't wise to let her past guide her and torment her along the way. No, she had to learn from those experiences, no matter how painful, and Peter knew from experience, albeit not on her level.

"That was…very deep of you, Spider-Man," Wanda said, having taken in every word that he had said. "I never would've expected something like this from you at all, especially with what I've heard about you." She really did appreciate his words-a lesson, she realized, that she could definitely use in times like this right now.

"I try went I need to," Peter replied with a smile. To his utter surprise, Wanda grew a bigger smile on her lips.

"Although, you still lose points on originality for that Criminal Minds quote at the end," Wanda replied with a slightly teasing voice.

"Oh crap, you knew about that?" the Webhead chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

The elevator then chose to ding at that moment, signaling that they had arrived on the Stark Tower Lobby. Exiting the elevator, the two Avengers walked through the lobby, ignoring the stares they received from the Stark employees and came out of the tower, ready to go their separate ways, Wand to the Mansion, and Peter off towards whatever direction his web lines shot at.

"We should do this again sometime."

Wanda looked at Peter in surprise. "Do what?"

"This," he replied as he readjusted his mask again, gesturing between them. "You know, talk, make conversation and whatnot."

"You'd…you'd like have another conversation with me?"

"Sure. I mean, I don't know you that well and you don't know me that well-all we have in common between us are the Avengers and Jess & Carol. Let's, you know…try and get to know each other a bit better."

"Um…ok, sure." Wanda felt surprised at this notion. "No one' tried to do this with me since I came back."

"Well, remember what I said last time?" Peter asked. "You matter. Don't forget that-you matter, just as much as any one of us. And remember…if no one else, you have a friend in me. And yes, I quoted Toy Story just then." And with that, he shot off a web line and swung off to do what a Spider-Man does best, leaving the Scarlet Witch standing there staring after him, a small smile of joy and comfort on her lips.

People who tend to feel unwanted and lonely and hated by the general populous tend to grab out and secure themselves with the first thing that shows them love and compassion and caring. Whatever they cling on to, it becomes their anchor.

Neither Peter nor Wanda knew it, but he was slowly becoming her anchor.

XXXXX-A/N-XXXXX

I feel weird about this chapter…I felt like Peter was a bit OOC in a few instances.

Well, there we go. It may not have been as long as I wanted it to be, but remember, these two have just started speaking to each other on a friend to friend basis, and the romance won't just immediately pop up. What did you guys think of the conversation though? I'd be glad to hear any and all feedback, as it's welcome. Any constructive criticism is welcome too :D

Thanks for reading and be sure to leave a review. And be sure to check out my "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" story, too :D

Next chapter coming soon, so until next time readers.