Thank you for all of the lovely reviews and comments. I usually respond to them individually and haven't had time this weekend - but will get to them early this week. Thanks for reading and leaving your thoughts.

Chapter 14 – Complications

Later that night, after quite a bit of dancing and lots of delicious food, the Avengers present gathered around the fireplace. Tony flicked his wrist at Steve and Natasha. "So, where are you going on your honeymoon? Hawaii? Paris? Brazil? I have a great place in Tahiti –"

"We're not going on a honeymoon," Natasha responded, rolling her eyes at Tony. "One, we're still fugitives. Two, we are not leaving Wanda and Peter here – or anywhere else."

"She's right," Steve replied, reaching out to rub her silk-stocking clad toes. She was curled comfortably into his lap, her shoes forgotten over the side of the sofa.

"The children will be safe here," T'Challa said.

"We know that," Steve assured him. "Your hospitality has been beyond compare – and we can't thank you enough for it. But we're not comfortable right now leaving them – even if it were completely safe. It's not the right time."

Peter looked up from where he was sprawled on the carpet in front of the fireplace, playing a game of chess with Cooper. "Seriously? You were just married and you want to drag us around?"

"We can't be avengers right now – and we certainly can't be private citizens under our own identities. What else is there to do?" Natasha teasingly asked him, and Wanda - who was curled into a nearby chair. She had almost been sleeping before this line of inquiry had begun. "Did you really expect us to leave you here? Or with Fury?" The last was a joke, one that amused her greatly.

"I heard that, Romanoff!" Fury bellowed from across the room where he had been speaking with Sam and Laura. "Do I look like a babysitter? You claimed those kids – you keep them." The exact reaction Natasha had been wanting; she smiled.

"See?" She said.

"I'm not a child," Wanda answered.

"No one said you were," Natasha soothed.

"He just did!" The older woman shrugged, giving her that one.

The day after the wedding, T'Challa's mother hosted a lovely lunch in the gardens to say goodbye to Maria, Nick, Tony, and Pepper. Most of the adults sat at a long table, eating a delicious meal and drinking the best vintages. Wanda slipped away from the table after she realized that all of the children were gone. She smiled as she came upon the girls in the corner of the inner garden, playing a game on the flagstone with colorful marbles. Nathaniel was in the grass beside them, tearing up the blades and giggling at himself for doing so. "What is Nathaniel doing over here?" Wanda asked, crouching down by the toddler.

"He was bored too," Lila informed her. "He came with us." Wanda heard another rhythmic sound and peaked around the hedge closest to her – Peter and Cooper were dribbling a basketball on the decorative stone slabs just behind them. She stood up again, lifting Nathaniel as she did. She felt something turn – something go wrong enough to almost suck the air from her lungs. Peter felt it too, she knew as soon as she saw his expression darken. They both turned quickly to see an invasion begin.

The world seemed to move in slow motion, then speed up quickly enough to make her queasy. She screamed after a bullet barely missed Clint as the man rolled out of his chair at the end of the table. The other adults sprang to life quickly, Natasha immediately locating and distributing several guns. She had them hidden everywhere. Peter and Cooper were now standing beside Wanda, next to the little girls, who were wide-eyed as the real shooting began.

Wanda pushed Cooper towards his sister and created a red bubble around the children, handing the baby to Lila before stepping outside of the perimeter to give herself more control. An explosion hit the dome of the bubble almost as soon as it was solid, causing Wanda to wince and Peter to spring into action of his own. He attacked the closest men, confining them in his webbing and leaving them helpless on the ground. Wanda sent dozens of hexes at the attackers – near and far - helping until she realized that it was weakening her too much and too quickly. She considered her chances of getting the children to safety – none of her options were feasible. Finally, she accepted that she was doing the best she could – all she could in that moment.

She deflected weapons, grenades, and bullets that came near her or the children. Peter helped keep away the things aimed directly at her. Someone was getting their sadistic jollies by trying to directly hit the children. After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, the men had finally stopped streaming in from the palace. Steve had gotten to his new shield and was using it to fight several men at once. T'Challa had somehow ended up with his suit and was holding off a bevy of men. Tony didn't have his entire suit, but he had plenty of weapons. Pepper was beating a man with what looked to be a silver serving platter. Surprisingly, Laura was wielding a gun with the practice and confidence seen in Sharon and Maria.

Wanda sank to her knees as her vision swam, keeping the bubble of energy surrounding the children while the rest of the Avengers fought. After one of the enemy soldiers was all but decapitated by Steve's new shield, she turned to face them. "Close your eyes," she ordered softly. She should have thought of it sooner, she realized in a tired haze. Lily and Cassie did, clinging to one another – and the baby. Copper stood behind, hugging them close. Nathaniel whined his objection to being held in one spot, but he quieted when Wanda shushed him. Finally, she heard the melee stop – and Steve's, T'Challa's, and Tony's voices rose above the remaining din. She didn't move. She remained there until she felt someone approaching. She knew right away that it was Natasha.

"Wanda, it's okay. You can take it down." Slowly, she let the energy fade. Cooper and Lila rushed at her, hugging her. She tried to hug them back but she was feeling a bit listless, something her own guardian noticed. Laura appeared, face streaked with dust and tears. She hugged and kissed Wanda, whispering things that the young woman didn't quite understand. Then she took the children and disappeared. Wanda was left, collapsed into a sitting position, staring at the plants that made up that corner of the inner garden, her brain trying desperately to keep up with what was happening.

Natasha saw the expression, the hunch in her shoulders, and knew that she'd used too much power – that she'd gone too far. She sank to the ground next to the young woman and wrapped her arms around her. "It's okay, sweetheart. You did a great job – everyone is safe."

In the end, Steve needed to lift her into his arms and carry her to her bedroom. Wanda was completely out of it – she never saw the spilled blood and dead guards all over the first floor of the palace. Despite itching to be involved in the investigation, Peter dutifully sat with Wanda while Steve and Natasha went back to the macabre scene to figure out what had happened. Maria and Sharon were already interrogating one of the surviving perpetrators of the attack. The questioning and investigation of the scene kept them all busy for hours.

When Steve and Natasha returned, Peter stood from his spot on the chair in Wanda's room. "We have to go," Natasha told him. "T'Challa's guards were massacred. We don't know if these forces were sent through official channels, or if they were paid off privately. But they were not looking to take any prisoners."

"They're just trying to kill us now?" Peter asked.

"That appears to be the new plan," Steve told him. "Or at least one person's new plan. We need to go – all being here together is too dangerous for everyone."

Before nightfall, they all had made plans to leave. They goodbyes they were able to say were painful. When Wanda woke, she was in the car on the way to the private royal airstrip. She didn't ask where they were going – she had neither the energy nor the care. She heard them all talking, but no one tried to converse with her – which was good, considering she was having a difficult time focusing.

"Do you want to try to walk?" Steve asked, once the car stopped. Wanda nodded, which hurt her entire head, so she winced. Steve exited the car first and reached back to help her. She was able to walk to the plane, but he still had to support most of her weight. Once they were in the air, Wanda found the energy to speak.

"Are the children ok?" She saw their terrified little faces every time she closed her eyes.

Natasha reached over and squeezed her hand. "They're fine – not a scratch."

"Where are they?"

"Clint and Laura took their kids and went one way – Sam decided to stick with Scott and Cassie and they're headed another." Wanda nodded. She had been unconscious through the goodbyes. Natasha studied her carefully. "How do you feel?"

Wanda shrugged and shook her head; everything hurt, but she was also kind of numb. She wasn't sure how to square that information. She eventually agreed to take painkillers and she tried to fall asleep, but that failed, so she spent the remainder of the trip in silence, thinking about their situation.

The peace they'd built in Wakanda hadn't been likely to last long – she'd always known that. But it still hurt. It was the closest she'd had to normalcy in her life. Peter was also particularly quiet on the flight, quietly reading or staring out the window, not really saying anything unless he was asked a direct question.

They traveled to three different locations in two days before Natasha finally insisted they stop. Steve wanted to keep going to further obliterate any possible trail, but his partner knew Wanda couldn't handle any more travel. He knew it too, when he stopped in his own grief long enough to look. "She has to stop, Steve," Natasha said quietly. He looked at Wanda, sitting next to Peter, and observed how glassy her eyes looked. He nodded, despite being uncomfortable. They left the train in London and checked into a very nice hotel.

"Call for food before you shower, okay?" Natasha asked. Steve nodded, leaning down to kiss her before she could keep walking. She kissed him back and then broke away, leading Wanda into the suite they'd checked into.

"I will help you shower and change, but then it's into bed," Natasha informed her. Wanda rolled her eyes but didn't argue; she knew she didn't have enough energy to fight. And in all honesty, a shower and bed sounded luxuriously perfect. Once Wanda was refreshed and clean, she burrowed into soft pajamas and allowed herself to be tucked into bed.

They remained in London for another three days while Wanda rested and Natasha and Steve planned for their next move. On the third day, Wanda got out of bed for more than just necessity. She showered, changed into something that was not pajamas, and walked into the small living space of the suite. Natasha looked up from her laptop and smiled in greeting.

"Good morning."

Wanda looked around for a clock as she realized that she had no idea what time it was. Natasha clearly understood that. "It's just after nine," she told her. She finished typing and stood, walking to the small kitchen area. She turned on the tea kettle and picked up a plate, which she carried back to Wanda. The younger woman accepted the plate and immediately began spreading a small amount of cream cheese on a bagel. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until there was food directly in front of her.

"Where are Steve and Peter?"

"Shopping," Natasha told her. "We didn't bring much – and we certainly didn't bring enough warm clothing to spend the winter in Ireland."

"Is that where we're going?"

Natasha nodded. "Yes. I'm waiting for Maria to arrange a drop for our new identification papers. The new house is not far from a university – do you want to stay your own age and enroll?"

Wanda's eyes lit up before she even had a chance to properly consider it. Once she did – she nodded. "I thought you might," Natasha said, handing her a catalog from a pile of things on the table. Wanda took it – it was a course catalog for the university.

"12-15 is a normal semester – but you do not have to take that many," Natasha told her. Wanda nodded as she began flipping through the book. "Maybe start slow."

They had lived in their sleepy little town in Ireland for two weeks. The weather outside was dreary – storm clouds and rain as far as the eye could see. According to the forecast, it would stop soon – and they all hoped it to be true. The landscape was gorgeous – and they would like to explore it without galoshes and rain coats.

Wanda was curled on the living room sofa, reading a classic novel. Peter was playing a video game, on mute in respect for not being the only person in the room. They both startled when they heard a loud thump from upstairs. They both moved slightly, prepared to spring into action. They stared at one another as they waited to hear more, to discover what was happening. The next crash rattled the walls and Wanda reached up silently to still a watercolor above her head. She gingerly reached out with her mind, just to peak – just to be sure. The red mist retracted quickly and her eyes widened. Then she blushed deeply.

"Are they okay?"

"Fine," Wanda said, her voice clipped and higher pitched than normal. His eyes widened with realization at what she had discovered. His face flushed to his ears.

"Are they?"

"Don't talk about it," she ordered. Another loud noise.

"Library?" He asked. "They're open until 6."

Wanda nodded and stood, going into the kitchen. She picked up a piece of red chalk and scrawled a quick note on the decoratively framed blackboard in the kitchen. Went to the Library ~ W&P Peter picked up another piece of chalk – this one blue – and added to the bottom: this place needs soundproofed; I'm irreparably damaged ~ P. Wanda smiled at him in amusement and handed him an umbrella, grabbing one for herself before opening the door and leading the way.

When Natasha and Steve were finished, they dressed and walked together into the kitchen. It was almost time to start dinner and she'd asked him to make hamburgers – one of the few things he was very good at in the kitchen. Her eyes filled with mirth as she took in the note. "Not sure if I should feel guilty – but I'm kind of proud that he knows how to spell irreparably."

"This wasn't an issue before," Steve said, looking both confused and guilty.

"I have a feeling the palace's walls were thicker than these," Natasha reminded him, smirking. He blushed deeply and she chuckled, going to the refrigerator to pull out the ingredients for their meal.

Three weeks after they arrived in Ireland, the news broke. Natasha had been waiting for it – but she thought she'd receive warning. Instead, while watching the morning news on a Tuesday, they were hit with the headline. Scarlet Witch tortured and gang raped by high ranking military officials, including secretary of state Ross. The guards – lower ranking military men – were also mentioned in the stories. But the headlines were all about Ross and his part in the despicable acts. The newscasters questioned Wanda's whereabouts, but they had nothing. There was a grainy photo taken in Germany – but it wasn't of her.

Luckily, Natasha saw the headlines before anyone woke that morning – and quickly disabled the internet and cable. Sure that Peter wouldn't accidentally see anything, she went up the stairs to Wanda's room. The younger woman was preparing for her second day of classes. Her door was already open, and she was in the process of fixing her hair using a curling iron and the mirror above her dresser. She smiled in greeting when she saw Natasha, but her expression fell as soon as the older woman closed the door.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The video hit the news this morning," Natasha told her. Wanda set down the curling iron before her hands could begin to tremble.

"We knew it would come eventually," Wanda said simply, not turning towards her. She sat on her bed and sighed. She visibly steeled herself, closing her eyes for a moment. "It will become old news in time."

"It will," Natasha agreed. "But it may take some time." Wanda nodded. "What do you want to do about Peter?" Peter didn't know that the video existed – and also didn't know many details about Wanda's captivity. They wouldn't be able to protect him against the ugly truth now.

"I don't want to talk about it," Wanda said. "Tell him whatever you think is best." She picked up the styling wand, finished the few strands that were left, and then unplugged it. She clasped a necklace around her throat, slipped on rings and bracelets, and grabbed her backpack and jacket from the bench at the end of her bed. "I'll be back this afternoon. Classes end at 2."

"Are you sure you want to go?" Natasha asked.

"I can't let them have any more of my life," Wanda said simply. "Besides, no one knows who I am here."

"That doesn't mean you won't be faced with it," she warned her, gently. Televisions would be tuned to the coverage all over campus – people would be discussing it at every turn.

Wanda nodded. "I know. See you later." She left the room – and the house – much quicker than normal. Natasha sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her. She walked past Peter's room and saw that he was still in bed, playing with an iPad.

"Is something wrong with the internet?" He asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for school?"

Peter shrugged. "I like to watch last night's comedians while I get ready. It's how I get my news," he said with a smirk. Natasha smiled sadly at him.

"Internet's out," she told him. "Come downstairs as soon as you're ready." She didn't say it, but her expression clearly indicated that they needed to talk, which immediately send Peter into a cold sweat.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong right now," she told him honestly. "An older incident came up that we need to talk about. We'll talk downstairs," she said, walking to her bedroom to make sure Steve was awake. He was – and ready to go.

"Why do you look like someone stole your Widow's bites?" Steve asked, teasing.

"The video dropped last night or early this morning," she told him. His expression fell and his eyes grew dark with a deep rage and deeper sadness. "We have to talk to Peter about it before he sees it for himself." He nodded solemnly and followed her down the stairs.

Peter had already known something was wrong when he'd seen Natasha upstairs, but when he walked into the kitchen and felt the tension, his skin prickled. He sat at the breakfast table where a toasted bagel with peanut butter had already been set out for him, along with a glass of milk. His stomach wasn't feeling up to it, but it kept him occupied, so he began nibbling at the breakfast food. Natasha was sipping tea while Steve tapped his fingers against his coffee cup.

"Okay, what's going on?"

"Do you know where Wanda was, after the battle in Berlin?" Natasha asked. It was better to just get right to the point.

Peter nodded. "She was arrested – she was in the Raft with Sam and Scott and Clint – until Steve and Bucky got them out." Natasha nodded.

"Has she said anything about what happened there?"

Peter paled. He had clearly heard something. "No," he said. "I heard things – from other people – when they didn't know I was listening. But she didn't tell me anything. And that's her choice – I mean, I don't want to know anything unless she wants me to know."

Natasha sighed as Steve's hand fell to rest on her knee. She pursed her lips before looking Peter in the eye and continuing. "Unfortunately, it's not an option anymore. It's not her choice. There was video of what happened. It's been released to the press."

"Who would do that?" Peter asked, almost knocking his glass over as he motioned wildly with his hands. Milk sloshed over the sides before the glass resettled. "Why would anyone?" His face was red and they saw an emotion that he normally didn't embrace often; anger. "Didn't they do enough to her already?" Steve and Natasha had no answer for that – because yes, they had done enough damage to Wanda to last a lifetime. And it didn't seem to be stopping yet.

They offered him the general story, indicating what had happened in as little detail as possible. They explained who had been involved – and what the repercussions were going to be. "Hopefully, they'll take Ross to court over this," Natasha said. "If they do, it could mean the possible appeal of the Sokovian Accords. T'Challa is already working on it from his end – he's gotten a lot of world leaders on his side."

Peter's eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle fell together in his brain. Devastation crossed his expression and tears sprang to his eyes as he looked between Natasha and Steve. "Did you?" He couldn't even ask the question.

"It was ultimately Wanda's decision," Natasha told him. "She knew what the stakes were. She gave her permission. I was willing to destroy the evidence."

"But you are the one who gave it to the media?" Peter asked, his voice filled with confusion. He didn't want this to be true – didn't understand the world in which this was true.

"Peter, listen to what Natasha just said," Steve said gently. "Wanda knew. She made her decision."

"Did you really give her a choice?" He spat. "So, we're just using Wanda to get out of hiding? How is that okay?"

Natasha's eyes didn't leave his and her expression was stoic but then softened a bit. "Do you really think we gave her no choice?"

"No," Peter cried, laying his head on his arms. "It's just not fair." He dissolved into tears, his brain spiraling through all of the unfairness that had plagued his world since he'd become Spiderman. Natasha and Steve sat with him, occasionally rubbing his back or giving him a hug.

Natasha tried to speak to him softly, reminded him to breathe – but a panic attack came anyway – and left Peter exhausted. The teen allowed himself to be led back to his bedroom and tucked into bed and eventually cried himself to sleep.

"Does he really think we would do this without Wanda's permission?" Steve asked.

"No," Natasha said calmly. "He wants someone to blame. He'll calm down. Can you stick around here? I'm going to go take a walk around campus – I can't imagine Wanda's morning is going well." Steve nodded and sat in Peter's desk chair while Natasha went to find her jacket and purse. Twenty minutes later, she was walking down the winding paths of the picturesque university. She found herself in a garden area outside the building where Wanda's current class was being held – and sat on one of the iron benches.

"You didn't have to come," Wanda said half an hour later, when she found Natasha and sat next to her. The older woman could see that her eyes were raw from crying.

"How are you holding up?"

"I hate people," she said softly.

"Yeah, sometimes people deserve it."

Wanda shook her head and closed her eyes, sucking her breath between her teeth. "Most are fine. But some claim I was asking for it – or that I liked it – some such nonsense."

"You know that's not true."

"It doesn't make it less disgusting," Wanda answered.

"No, it doesn't."

"I can't help but hear them. I tried listening to music – but I can still hear them."

"Superpowers suck sometimes." They talked for another half an hour until Wanda said she had to go – or she'd be late to her next class. Natasha gave her another opportunity to bail, but she didn't take it. She pecked the older woman on the cheek, squared her shoulders, and walked to her next class. She was not going to allow this to break her. Not again.

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