A/N: As random as the plot for this chapter is, its inspired by true events, which I can explain in the endnotes to avoid any 'spoilers' haha! I have also included in this chapter an AO3 user, Lottie_27's request. She had suggested to include Liho aiding Wanda in her recovery, maybe with panic attacks. Here it is, and I hope you all enjoy reading xx

As soon as April approached, the snowy, cold months were immediately replaced with rainy and stormy weather.

Wanda decided she hated American Spring. It was supposed to be a time of flowers, and trees growing their blossoms. Warm weather was supposed to come, and little baby animals were supposed to be born, too. That's what TV made it out to be, anyway.

Really, all it was rain and thunderstorms.

Wanda was deathly afraid of the thunder, but she tried her hardest to keep her fear to herself. She knew she shouldn't be afraid of it. It was just weather; completely harmless. But she couldn't help it. Every time a crack of thunder would echo through the air, she would try and usually fail, to not flinch. She hoped no one noticed, but the whole team pretty much knew, although they refrained from saying anything so she could keep her pride.

Usually, after dinner, the young girl would retreat to her bedroom upstairs to read or play by herself. However, on stormy nights, the team often casually invited her to stay with them, so she wouldn't have to be alone. They knew Wanda would never specifically ask to stay with them; she was too shy, and often internally worried that she came across as too needy, so more times than once her parents and the rest of the team had to pay extra attention to her body language to make sure she was comfortable.

So, one night when it was particularly stormy, Sam suggested that he could help her build a huge blanket fort in the living room, and Wanda gratefully accepted. She had nodded her head eagerly, although internally scolding herself for being too desperate.

"Only if you want to, too."

Sam smiled. She was so shy sometimes, afraid of being too dependent, despite her fear of being alone.

He stood up to grab the lone blanket off the back of the couch when Yelena popped her head around the corner.

"What are you guys doing?"

Wanda ran to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the sitting room.

"Do you want to help us build a blanket fort?" She asked excitedly.

She turned to Sam with raised eyebrows, who laughed.

Yelena gave him a confused look.

"A blanket fort? What the hell is that?"

Sam scoffed, chucking her a fleece throw.

"A fort made from blankets. Come on, Yelena. Put two and two together."

She caught the blanket, rolling her eyes.

"Sure. I'm in," She said, taking a seat beside Wanda on the couch. "Sounds fun, actually."

A menacing crack of thunder and lightning roared and lit up the windows, causing Wanda to wince beside Yelena.

She frantically looked at her aunt, hoping she didn't notice. If she did, she didn't mention it. Wanda didn't want them to know she was afraid. She didn't even tell Nat or Steve. It wasn't like the fireworks last summer, where she was scared because she didn't know where the noise was coming from. She had genuinely thought that the loud firecrackers were weapons like in Sokovia. Thunder should be different. It was just weather, nothing dangerous. Nothing that could hurt her. But, despite the many times she had tried to put that thought into her head, she couldn't help but be reminded of the loud noises from the war back home. The thunderous cracks from the storm were almost identical to the sound of bombs dropping in the distance, or army helicopters flying overhead. Although she didn't remember much from before Hydra, the aspects of war were something she could never forget, and never will.

"We're going to need more blankets, then. Right?" Yelena asked, gesturing to the single fleece one beside her. "Wanda, why don't you run up and grab more?"

Another crack of thunder rang through the air, causing Wanda to jump again. This time, Yelena noticed.

"Or how about you stay here. I'll go." She offered, noticing the girl's hidden fear. She mentally scolded herself for even asking Wanda in the first place when she could just as easily go and retrieve them.

Yelena stood up, and Wanda shot up from the couch beside her, grabbing her arm.

"No, it's okay! I can do it. I'll be right back." She eagerly said.

Her biggest fear wasn't the thunder itself; it was everyone finding out about how scared she was of something so harmless. She felt pathetic. Guilty.

Yelena caught on to this quite quickly, realizing the Wanda's gaining independence was important to her. She didn't want to feel like a burden, despite the amount of convincing Nat, Steve, and the rest of the team gave her.

"Are you sure, детка? I can come with you?"

"No," Wanda said, her voice slightly irritated. "I'm fine. I'll be right back."

She stomped out of the living room, and Liho got up from his spot in the corner to obediently follow at her heels, as per usual. Ever since he had come back home from Peter's, Liho had latched onto Wanda just like the first day she had received him as a Christmas present. Everywhere she went, Liho would follow. Even at night when she had nightmares; it wasn't just Wanda joining Nat and Steve in bed, not wanting to be alone. Liho would also join them, resulting in a pretty crowded bed most nights.

Sam scoffed.

"Geez, what's gotten into her?"

"I think she's finally had enough of the baby-ing," Yelena said, her eyes lingering at Wanda's crossed arms and pout as the doors to the elevator closed. Liho sat beside her obediently, staring straight at Yelena.

She looked at the dog, and the lack of emotions in his eyes made her feel like he was holding a grudge against her, too.

…

As soon as the elevator doors shut and she was out of view, Wanda sighed, backing up against the wall. She bit her lip, fighting away tears.

What's gotten into you.

She was mad. Upset, with everything. Everyone for babying her, treating her like she could break at every moment. But more importantly, she couldn't find any reasons why they shouldn't. She had good days, of course. But Wanda couldn't help but feel afraid all the time. Of stupid things, too. Like thunder. She was turning nine in a few weeks. Nine-year-olds shouldn't be afraid of that. Especially when they're like her and have been through so much more.

Another crack of thunder brought her out of her thoughts, and the lights flickered a few times.

Wanda felt her heart drop for a moment, and she had just enough time to take a deep breath before the lights went out again, this time not coming back on. The elevator screeched to a halt.

She stood silently for a moment, waiting for the lights to come back on and the elevator to move again, but it didn't. It was pitch black, and she could hear the thunder from outside. Thunder meant lightning. Lightning meant the power probably went out.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, what happened?" She called out into the silence. There was no answer, and her breathing hitched. Beside her, Liho pressed up against her leg.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you get Mama?" Her voice cracked; this time slightly filled with more panic.

Still no answer. The power must have gone out, which meant she would be trapped in the elevator until it came back on.

She let out a shaky breath, lowering herself to the ground. She tried to focus her mind on what she should do, but it wandered, focusing instead on her environment. The small space, pitch dark, and rolling thunder in the background. It felt all too familiar, and she couldn't push those thoughts away, feeling herself be drawn back into a past memory…

Wanda's eyes snapped open, and she looked around, expecting her vision to eventually come back. It never did. She was strapped to a wall by her wrists.

Where was she? The last thing she remembered was some neighbour helping her catch a runaway Liho.

'Mama?' She called out. No answer.

'Daddy?' Still no answer.

She squinted her eyes, hoping to see something. Anything. But it was so dark her vision couldn't even get accustomed to it.

Wanda flicked her wrist, lighting the room up in a dim scarlet tinge. Nothing was even in the room, if she could even call it that. It was small, about the size of an elevator, and completely cement. She pulled and pulled, but the restraints were too tight. She was trapped, and she couldn't get out.

In the back of her mind, she could hear another crack of thunder, and her vision changed…

Six-year-old Wanda was situated underneath a bed, in the dark. Pietro was with her, and they were breathing heavy, noises of dropping bombs and gunshots echoing in the background. It rang in her ears, and she prayed it would stop. It never did. Not for a while, anyway.

She was crying, screaming for her parents with no answer. She hugged Pietro, who was also crying.

Wanda squeezed her eyes shut. They're not bombs. It's not guns. It's just thunder. Just weather, like Mama and Papa say. Just pretend it's a rainstorm…

As the memory faded, her thoughts shot back to present and she buried her head in her hands. She couldn't breathe. Every time she took a shallow breath, it got harder and more exhausting. It felt like she was drowning, but she was nowhere near water. She couldn't think, couldn't scream and yell for her parents. It's never been this bad before. Ever.

Stop. Stop. I just want to go home.

She fought another flashback coming on, but she heard Sam's words in the back of her head. Sam always gave the best advice when she was scared. He had helped her a lot lately, especially during moments when she just couldn't seem to escape her nightmares.

"If you're ever scared and nobody is there to help you, think about where you are currently, not where you've been. Think of the things around you; things you can hear, smell, touch, and see."

She lifted her head from her knees to look around, her breathing still heavy.

Well, I can't see anything.

She felt her fingers sink into Liho's golden fur beside her. She couldn't see him, but she felt his head on her lap, and she focused on the rhythmic panting of his breaths and took some deep breaths of her own.

One deep breath.

Two deep breaths.

By the third deep breath, she was able to pull herself together and wipe away her tears. She was at home. Sure, she was stuck in an elevator and it was pitch black, but her beloved dog was with her and she wasn't in any immediate danger. It was enough to keep her dark thoughts that were itching at the back of her brain away.

She leaned into Liho, wrapping her arms around his soft body, and she felt her chest lighten, even if just a little bit.

"Good dog, Liho." She whispered, sniffling. She didn't know why she said it, but he had helped her.

Now that her mind was slightly clearer, she stood up on two shaky feet, gripping the railing. Liho obediently shuffled over, and she leaned on him for balance.

Think Wanda, what can you do?

She welcomed her magic to her fingers, creating a glowing ball of red to dimly light up the whole elevator.

She read over the buttons, hoping to find something that could help. She was never taught about it; what to do in case of an emergency, which button to use, or what it would do, but she settled on the red button with the bell. It seemed like a worthy choice.

Hesitantly pressing it, it let out a startling alarm, and she let out a scream before calming down. The elevator shook from her sudden movements. She was really on edge, and all she wanted to do was get out of here.

It rang for a few moments, and a thousand different scenarios filled her head.

Would this call the fire dept?

What was she supposed to say? That she was trapped in an elevator and she couldn't get out?

"Wanda…can you hear me?"

It was a familiar voice, and she let out a relieved sob. Tony.

"Tony?" She managed to say.

"Thank God, baby witch, we've been waiting for you to press that button for ages! It was the only way we could reach you. Are you okay?"

Tony sighed, sitting back in his chair. Nat and Steve shined a flashlight on him. They were situated in the control room.

"I can't get out."

"We know, kiddo. We're working on that. The power has gone out in the whole city, but we've got backup generators that we're working on setting up."

"Okay." She choked out. She had no idea what that meant, but she didn't care, as long as she could get out soon.

"I want Mama," She whispered, not expecting Tony to hear.

"Okay, baby witch. She's right here."

There were a few minutes of silence, and she could hear Tony's muffled voice through the speaker.

"Malyshka, hey."

"Mama." She felt hot tears stream down her face again.

"Hey, you're okay, Wanda. Everything's okay, you're gonna get out."

"I'm scared," She admitted, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. She knew deep down she shouldn't feel embarrassed, but she couldn't help it.

"I know, milaya. I know. Talk to me."

Wanda took a deep breath, her eyes darting around, despite the fact that she couldn't actually see anything.

"Wanda?" Nat called into the silence after she failed to answer for a moment.

"About what?"

"Anything, malyshka."

Anything to keep her from slipping into panic again.

"Uh, okay. Liho is with me. He's b-being a good boy," She stuttered, her voice tripping on her tears, " He's not barking or anything."

Wanda could hear Nat let out a relieved chuckle through the phone.

"That's good. Keep talking, malyshka."

"Where's daddy?"

"He's working with Tony and Bruce to get the backup generators to work. That's like extra electricity for emergencies like this."

Wanda nodded, although Nat couldn't see her.

"Is…Are they going to be fast?"

"Yeah, sweetie. I think they've almost got it."

Wanda sniffed.

"Good. I want to get out. I'm sorry, Mama."

"For what, baby?"

"I never told you I was afraid of the storms. It's scary."

Nat didn't have time to answer, because the lights flickered back on. The elevator shook, and Wanda let out a startled scream.

When the doors open, it felt like a thousand- no, a million pounds was lifted off her back.

Nat was there waiting for her on the other side outside of the control room, and she couldn't help but crash into her arms.

"Mama," She whispered into her midsection. Nat bent down to meet her level.

Nat rested her chin on her head, stroking her hair and whispering comforting words in Russian.

Wanda lifted her head to look her in the eyes.

"I did what Sam said. It worked. I was scared, and crying and thinking about the Red Room and the war in Sokovia but I got out of it. Liho helped me,"

Nat just hugged her tighter.

The door to the stairwell opened, and Steve came jogging over towards them.

"Hey, sweet pea. Are you okay?"

Wanda nodded, abandoning Nat's embrace to instead hug her dad.

"Yeah," She said quietly. "That was scary though."

Steve lifted her up.

"I know, kiddo. You were so brave."

Wanda rested her head onto his shoulder.

"Can I stay with you and Mama tonight? I don't like the storm." She admitted again, flinching as another crack of thunder and lightning lit up the sky.

"Yeah, of course, kiddo," He smiled, going to place her on the ground, but she stayed latched on to him, refusing to abandon him.

"How about some hot chocolate before though, since the power's back on?"

She nodded, and they headed to the stairwell.

Liho, instead of following Steve and Wanda up the stairs, sat by Nat. He looked at her, giving a small whine.

Nat scoffed, placing a kiss on the dog's head. Liho just stared at her, his brown eyes bulging and his tongue hanging out. She rolled her eyes, grabbing his collar to pull him up the stairs.

"I almost just said thank you to a dog," She muttered to herself.

But she couldn't deny it. She was thankful for Wanda's furry friend. Without him there to ground her when she slipped into a flashback, things could've been a lot worse.

Nat stood up, following Steve and Wanda up the stairs. Liho followed at her side loyally, and Nat looked down at him, rolling her eyes again. But she couldn't help but smile.

As much as she hated to admit it, Liho the dog was definitely growing on her.

A/N: So I thought this probably needed some explanation, like "Kate what the hell?" Honestly, as random as this is, the idea popped into my head when my family and I were talking about our trip to America from a year and a half ago. For my sixteenth birthday, we went to Manhattan, and it was in July. There was a city-wide blackout, meaning no one in all of New York City had power, and it was kind of chaotic. People were trapped in elevators because the power went out, and it lasted a good day before the power came back on. Obviously, in that case, firefighters worked as hard and fast as they could to help people out. Also, I feel like with all the elevators there probably is in the Avengers compound, this could definitely happen, as it could anywhere with elevators. Would Tony have an emergency system put in place if this ever were to actually happen? Probably. But oh well, it's all for fun. Hope you liked it!
On another note, (congrats if you've read this far I applaud u lol) I think I'm going to start posting once a week instead of two. Not only am I getting much busier with school but I've started work again on the weekends, so I'm mainly just planning ahead for the future haha. Also, I kinda have been wanting some extra time to edit and let the chapters 'sit' in case other good ideas pop randomly into my head, ya know? ANYWAY thanks for reading my literal essay of an authors' note lmao

ALSO GUYS I'm really excited because I finally made a Tumblr account haha! If you want to check it out the link is in my profile!