Journeys In Love Chapter 9: Can I Still Stay? Part 2, an avengers fanfic

Google Translations (Bulgarian/Russian):
Plyusheno meche. = Teddy bear.
No Nat. Nat, prestoi = No Nat. Nat, stay.
Nat, lekuvam? = Nat, treat?
Da, mozhete da pocherpite = Yes, you can have a treat.
Chakai tuk s Vanda. Sega se vrushtam. = Wait here with Wanda. I'll be right back.
Mne zhal' = I'm sorry
Cherveno chudoviste, cherveno chudoviste.. = Red monster, red monster..
Vse v poryadke, malen'kaya ved'ma. Glubokoye dykhaniye. Davayte snachala uspokoimsya. = It's okay, little witch. Deep breath. Let's calm down first.
Zdraveite, Anya. = Hello, Anya.
Podoydi syuda, malyshka. = Come here, malyshka.

Wanda's day did not improve, and much to her disappointment she realized that the next day did not look any better, nor the one after that. In fact, one could argue that things were getting worse as one unfortunate circumstance piled on top of the other, until the poor girl felt crushed underneath the pile. When she asked about Vision, hoping to seek him out for the comfort of his company, she found out he had not returned with the other Avengers. He had volunteered to stay behind in Bulgaria with Colonel Rhodes for a while longer to oversee some extradition things, whatever that meant, and Steve had not been able to give her a good estimation for when he would return. She hoped her companion would return soon because she could use the comfort of connecting their minds.

It was a new activity they started to explore together, and it had been kept a secret, which would probably be the cause until she gathered the courage to tell Natasha about it. It was not an issue of them doing something wrong that compelled her to hide it. The connection they forged was consensual for both parties, and it did not feel wrong, but that did little to quell her fear of how the others would react given their invasive and unsettling introduction to her powers. Their connection was not remotely similar to what she had done to the Avengers, the pathway she created with Vision that allowed them to communicate felt light and golden and easy, as if her magic recognized the Mind Stone embedded in his forehead like an old friend. It was also very unlike the link she had shared with her brother, which had felt more like an anchoring tether, similar to cords braided together that weaved and entrenched themselves into each other, where one connection was weightless, the other was steadying. So far, both positive connections she'd created with people she genuinely cared about felt peaceful and comforting, and it made her wonder how it would feel to have that connection to her mother, whose presence alone was already both of those things and more. It started out as a curiosity but was quickly growing into a feeling of need.

This need was especially unhelpful today when she could not even have Vision to reduce anxiety with their fledgling connection, leaving her feeling unmoored and inexplicably nervous throughout the day.

To his credit, Steve had tried to help her cope. He had gathered her for some training before his sparring with Sam since the Falcon was getting a slow start to his morning. Captain America had her do an easy cardio routine, then he walked her through some basic fighting moves, and her favorite part was when he showed her how to wield his shield. After lunch, Sam and Sharon joined them, and Wanda shifted into a more observational mode until they finished training for the day. When they filed out of the gym, Steve did not seem to mind the little witch trailing after him back into the residence. They ended up in one of the entertainment rooms, Wanda tucking herself underneath Steve's arm as they watched some episodes of The Brady Bunch until dinner was ready.

Steve and Wanda were setting the table and Sam and Sharon were blatantly flirting with each other while they finished making a stir-fry for dinner when Natasha came in with Anya, holding her hand as she toddled next to her. Upon entering the Bulgarian pointed at Sam and said, "Plyusheno meche."

"What did she say?" Sam raised an eyebrow suspiciously as if the child were accusing him of something.

"She said teddy bear." Nat reported with an amused laugh.

Sam smiled and knelt down by Anya, "That's right. We got you a teddy bear."

With Anya slightly distracted, Wanda snuck to her mother's side. Nat wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple as she greeted her warmly, "Hi, malyshka. How was your day?"

"Good. I hung out with Steve. He showed me some moves with his shield." The little witch filled her in on her favorite part of the day.

"That's nice. It's a good skill to have." Her mother replied, giving her another quick peck on the cheek before pulling away, much too quickly in the witch's opinions, grabbing the milk from the refrigerator to fill up a sippy cup with it, yet another garish baby item that had found its way into their home. Wanda shifted away as the little girl returned to Natasha and started reaching up for her drink before the woman could spin the lid on it correctly.

At least when they all sat around the kitchen table she got the other spot next to Natasha, though her attention had to often be turned to Anya as the littler girl needed help cutting up her food into smaller bites or would come close to knocking over her plate several times that Nat would have to rescue. The atmosphere was light, and Wanda found herself smiling at her teammates' conversation as she alternated between eating teriyaki glazed peppers and pushing around her chicken on her plate with the chopsticks she was practicing with, an act that resulted in a few mishaps. Nat expertly maneuvered her own chopsticks without dropping a bite once and if the little witch did not know any better, she'd say she was showing off.

"What a good girl you are! Finishing all of your food." Sam stated out of the blue, drawing her attention with his sudden enthusiasm as he praised Anya. "Good little girls clean their plates."

"She does have quite the appetite. I think it rivals Steve's." Natasha playfully brushed a hand over the girl's sandy curls.

Wanda looked down at her own plate, the good mood that had dared to buoy up in her quickly dissipating as the little witch found that most of her food was still sitting there, while Anya's plate had been cleared almost entirely and she was still stuffing the remaining bites into her mouth. Anya did not seem to understand the conversation, so she simply pointed at Sam, again saying, "PlyusIheno meche."

The little witch had stopped paying attention to them, suddenly feeling small and inadequate. She rarely cleaned her plate of food without the assistance of Steve. Had she been bad this whole time? Her stomach churned uneasily at the thought, dampening her appetite after she had been willing to eat a few more bites. Now the bite of chicken in her mouth felt rubbery and the remaining vegetables on her plate looked slimy and Wanda struggled to swallow.

But she wanted to be good too. She had to be good.

After multiple attempts to pick up a piece of chicken, it kept dropping from the chopsticks before she could get it to her mouth. Her technique only got sloppier though and her frustration grew with each failed attempt.

"Do you want me to get you a fork, milaya?" Natasha asked her with slight worry furrowed into her brow.

"No." She protested with a little too much force, shaking her head. "It's okay.. I'm tired. Could I please be excused?"

"You're not hungry?" The worry deepened.

"I'm just tired." Wanda repeated evasively, trying to balance the line between being sympathetic so Natasha would not press her to eat more, and casual so Natasha would let her be excused without a fuss.

"Alright." Her mother agreed a little slowly and Wanda stood with her plate.

Naturally, Steve perked up, asking with his hand held out for it, "Are you going to finish that?"

The teenager paused, gripping her dish a little tighter, "Can I take it to my room?"

Internally cringing at the slight lift of surprise in her mother's brow following her request, Wanda could only hope that Nat would not read too much into it and she would let it slide despite the request being out of character. Because part of her recognized that it was foolish to think she was bad for not finishing her plate, and she did not want to seem childish in front of the whole team, which would be embarrassing. And she did not want to worry her mother. She knew she had never asked to eat alone in her room before, but it was not completely unprecedented since she used to eat in her room all the time with Natasha when she had first come to stay with them, though they had not done so since coming to live at the Compound. She waited to see how Tasha would respond. After a beat, the redhead nodded.

"That's fine.. How about I keep you company?" For a brief moment, the girl felt her chest lighten as Natasha stood and grabbed her own plate to join her.

However the feeling was short lived as Anya released a wail, "No Nat. Nat, prestoi."

The tiny Bulgarian tried to stand in the booster seat she was strapped into and reached her little hands out for Natasha. The Black Widow flinched, quickly turning back, and sitting to settle the child. The burst of crocodile tears was immediately placated when the woman returned to her seat. Mama could only offer a contrite smile, "I'll come see you as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay." Wanda gave her a tight-lipped smile and turned before her expression gave away her emotions, shuffling off to her room.

"Nat, lekuvam? " She heard Anya ask as she went.

"Da, mozhete da pocherpite." Natasha said something in Bulgarian then went on in English, "Good girls can have treats."

The little witch kept moving, unable to ignore how the cheerful words felt like a knife in her heart.

By the time Natasha made it to her room, Wanda had already snuck her plate back to the kitchen and put her leftovers into a Tupperware container, pushing it towards the back of the fridge so it would not be too noticeable, years of living on the streets where food had to be earned and was never guaranteed forbidding her from attempting to destroy the evidence by throwing away the rest of her meal. The little witch was ready for bed, curled up on her side and rereading Little Women when the knock on her door frame finally came. The teenager looked up, "Hey, sweetheart. How ya' doing?"

"Good." Wanda lied as she propped herself up more and set her book on the nightstand as her mother approached.

"Good." Nat echoed and smiled. She sat on the edge of the bed and Wanda leaned into the embrace the woman wrapped her in. "Today's been pretty different, huh?"

"Yes." The girl concurred, nuzzling her cheek against Tasha's collarbone. Different seemed an inadequate word to describe the day. Words like terrible and distance and painful came to mind when she tried to define it, but they were far off now with her mother here and slipping her fingers into the hair at the base of her skull. "Mama, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"I'm sorry, darling, but you can't. Anya had a hard time sleeping in her cot last night, so she'll be with me again tonight. She isn't the best bed partner, and I don't think you'd sleep very well in my bed tonight." Natasha pressed her nose into her daughter's hair. "But Sam and an episode of Peppa Pig are occupying her now. I can read to you for a bit?"

"Please." Wanda was just glad her mother did not have to rush off. She gave enough space for the older woman to pick up the book she had been reading and slot in next to the little witch.

"Page?"

"64." She supplied her head already back on Mama's chest and totally relaxed against her.

Her mother picked up at the top of the page, her dulcet voice washing away her worries. Valiantly, she stayed awake for as long as she could, trying to listen and to get in the missed presence of Natasha from throughout the day, trying to soak in their time at the end of the day because she did not know when Mama would be free for her again and that scared her. But inevitably the steady cadence of her reading lulled her into that space in between consciousness and sleep. Wanda may not have had Mama to herself at the moment, but Steve said that the little girl would only be staying until they found her family. Her only source of comfort now was that in a few days, maybe a week, the Bulgarian would be gone, and she would have as many nights as she wanted wrapped up in her mother's arms as she wished. With that thought and that feeling of deep contentment only Mama could bring, Wanda drifted off to sleep.

"FRIDAY play Peppa Pig." Natasha requested with a hint of desperation in her voice as she collapsed onto the couch, Anya skipping over to stand directly in front of the TV to watch her show in flagrant disregard to Nat's warnings for the girl to stand a healthy distance away from the large screen. She did not have the energy to fight her on this point currently though. The children's cartoon irritated her more than the others and yet it was the one that Anya seemed the keenest to watch. Even with her general annoyance over the pig-themed show, it was at least a reprieve from the wealth of energy that the toddler possessed. The tiny blonde had her charm of course, but Nat had come to find the daily ins-and-outs of taking care of a very young child were exhausting, and strangely boring.

There was never a lack of activity. At times, Natasha struggled to even come up with things to occupy the girl and her fleeting attention span, but the activities she did come up with quickly grew dull for her. The Black Widow could only muster up the enthusiasm for playing with bubbles or engage in limited conversation, which was less conversation and more Nat telling Anya the names of items that she held up to her so many times she found herself stifling groans and resisting the urge to tug her hair out. The rest of the Avengers did their best to help with looking after their Bulgarian guest, but the language barrier often proved to be too much, and the redhead would quickly get roped back into the babysitting duties. Besides that, the only other person at the Compound Anya showed a liking for was Sam, who she had taken to calling Mechka after the teddy bear he had presented to her the first night. A fact that irritated Sharon since it had been her idea to buy the toy and she received none of the credit.

Natasha watched and grimaced a little as the girl munched on some cheese crackers in a small pink bowl Nat had given her as an after dinner snack. She was fully convinced now that the little girl ate more than Steve based on the snacks and second helping during mealtimes she required, which always seemed to result in messes. Like presently, orange crumbs fell onto the carpet around her feet. Something she was looking forward to when the toddler's family was found was no more finding piles of crumbs or gooey mysteries from her in the oddest nooks and crannies. But that was nothing when she considered how find Anya's family would mean Nat could get back to her normal schedule with her own. That was definitely the biggest downside to babysitting, missing her own daughter while she cared for Anya.

Initially she tried to integrate their care, but between the age difference, the language barrier, and their general wariness of each other, Wanda more often slipped off to spend time with Sharon or Steve. Her little witch always said it was fine before she hurried away, but the mother knew that on some level it was not. As much as she could not be around she saw the signs of her struggling- the tension squared in her shoulders, her withdrawn mood at dinner, and perhaps most worryingly the teenager had started to carry around her things again. It was not uncommon for Wanda to have her blanket nearby but now more often than not it also included her shark Steve, Little Women and The Hobbit.

Natasha tried to check in with Wanda as much as possible, but ultimately would end up distracted, busy, or physically pulled away by a small hand asking once again for her attention. When the guilt started to take over, she told herself it was temporary, just another day or two and Anya would be back with her family and Nat could get back to hers. Unfortunately, a day or two turned into a week and now it was over two weeks since Anya had first arrived, and it felt like there was no end in sight. Her head fell heavily onto the back of the couch, her eyes shutting momentarily as if to gather some energy.

"Hey, how's it going?" Steve's voice made her eyes snap open. Lifting her head, she watched as he walked around to join her on the sofa.

"I'm watching Peppa Pig for the third time today." Nat raised a wry brow, "How do you think?"

The man squinted his eyes in an exaggerated expression of thought, "I think that depends on how much you like Peppa Pig."

"Let's assume I don't." She leaned forward and dropped her head into her hand, sending him a wane smile. He slid over to put his arm around her. Natasha tuned out the cartoon and gratefully rested against him, though as she did she turned her head to the doorway, her neck craning as if she might catch sight of her daughter, "Where's Wanda?"

"In her room." The captain exhaled. "She seemed alright. Just reading again."

"Nat, Nat pig!" Anya suddenly exclaimed, spinning around to make sure the spy was paying attention.

The Black Widow feigned excitement, "I see the pig. What sound does the pig make?"

"Oink! Oink!" The little girl declared and then shifted her gaze back to the screen, becoming immersed once again before Nat had to respond.

"She is pretty cute.." Steve grinned, "Are you thinking about adopting another kid?"

"She's cute but not that cute." The Widow joked, knowing the little girl would not understand her even if she was listening.

Her partner laughed but gently pushed more seriously, "I mean, what is the plan if we don't find her family?"

Natasha sighed. The thought had of course crossed her mind as time had stretched on, and she too had been wondering when they needed to start exploring new avenues in regard to finding a home for the tiny Bulgarian. She stumbled through an answer the best she could, "I don't think we're there yet. But there are systems in place to take care of children and find them homes."

"Won't that be hard? Giving her up? She's pretty attached to you, Nat."

"It won't be easy, but she'll adjust. Then she'll find a home. She'll find another family." The redhead knew that the system did not always work like that, some kids still fell through the cracks, but they could make sure this one would be alright.

"What about the Barton's?"

"No, the time has passed for that. They're in a good place. I couldn't ask them to take on a kid and disrupt that now." She shook her head with conviction and Steve quickly conceded with a recognizing nod.

"You're right.. I just wanted to make sure you would be okay." He leaned in to briefly brush his nose against hers, making her chest warm. Natasha understood what he was implying. Her valiant captain worried that she had become attached and would struggle to let Anya go when Tony finally tracked down her relatives.

"Steve, I was serious. I can't take on two kids. One of them has to go." The woman said a little teasingly but then dipped down to a more tender tenor, "And she needs me more..."

They both knew who 'she' was. The little witch chewing on her thumb while she read Little Women tucked underneath her plaid blanket in her bed. She rested her head against Steve's shoulder as she continued, "Someone told me before, 'never let them take your heart'… And Wanda is my heart, Steve. With her it's just.."

She trailed off, not really sure how to put her feelings into words, that ineffable draw she felt towards the little witch, that unending warmth, things she did not feel about Anya despite her being perfectly loveable. Steve did not need her to explain further though, "Yeah, I get it.. She's something else."

The mother hummed in agreement. Tilting her head up, Natasha pressed her lips to Steve's cheek, the man then turning for their lips to meet. She smiled into their kiss, realizing that she had been missing her boyfriend as well during this time. And based on her body language he had missed her too.

"Nat, Nat ovtse!" Anya blurted abruptly.

Nat huffed before turning away from Captain America and said brightly, "Da, ovtse! Sheep! What does the sheep say?"

Why were they suddenly out of cheese crackers all the time? Wanda thought with frustration as she moved through the residence in search of her mother. Normally the Sokovian was not a fan of nighttime snacks, nor was she usually up at this hour. She used to be, back when she first moved into the Tower. Nightmares would wake her, and she'd struggle with falling back asleep, but she would often be too scared to wander out of her room, unsure if she was permitted to or not. Then Nat started staying after her nightmares and once they started co-sleeping Wanda had no trouble sleeping through the night. Eating also used to be a problem of the past which Nat and Steve had helped her work through by being patient and never pushing her to eat more than she could bear, and mealtimes had not been such a source of anxiety in months. Now she could barely eat anything, which led to her being hungry at odd hours.

And right now she wanted her favorite cheese crackers. Maybe Mama would know where they were, or Wanda could at least tell her they needed more from the store. Her reasoning was flimsy, but it was enough of an excuse to go find Natasha. Subtly Wanda sensed out where she was and started towards one of the entertainment rooms. As she approached, she heard the plinking, happy music of children's television programming and nearing the open door the Sokovian could hear Tasha speaking, her words becoming audible, "..there are systems in place to take care of children and find them homes."

Wanda froze just before coming into view and catching Steve's reply, "Won't that be hard? Giving her up? She's pretty attached to you, Nat."

"It won't be easy." Her mother sounded like she would be dreading such an event before she went on more confidently, "But she'll adjust. Then she'll find a home. She'll find another family."

There was a pause then Steve asked, "What about the Barton's?"

"No, the time has passed for that. They're in a good place. I couldn't ask them to take on a kid and disrupt that now." Tasha's voice was resolute in saying this and Wanda took a step back.

"You're right.." He sighed then added with more softness towards the woman, "I just wanted to make sure you would be okay."

"Steve, I was serious. I can't take on two kids. One of them has to go." She trailed off and Wanda could imagine the endeared smile on her mother's face towards the man then turning it toward the little blonde girl in the room with her as she went on in a more serious, heartfelt tone when she said, "..And she needs me more."

Her statement was met with reflective silence. With her breath held the witch took another step back then turned on her heel and rushed back down the hall, through the living room and back to the safety of her bedroom. As soon as her door snapped quietly shut, Wanda gasped, gulping in lungs full of air and yet it did not feel like it was enough. The panic that seized her made her frantically pace around her room as she tried to stem the overwhelming tide of her emotions. This could not be happening. Tasha and Steve could not have possibly been talking about Wanda, could they? She crumbled onto her bed, grabbing her stuffed shark, and burying her face into its fur to catch her tears.

Everything felt like it was shattering as the Sokovian's mind raced with the possibility of having to leave the Compound, leave Natasha, her Mama. If she had to go, the Barton's farm would have been her second choice but that sounded like it was no longer an option. Still maybe if she talked to Clint and promised to not be a bother, he may let her stay. Or maybe Sharon could take her in. That way she would not have to leave the Compound and she would be able to see Tasha. Or maybe that was not a good idea after all, thinking of how it may end up being too painful.

Maybe the best case scenario was she went to an orphanage, or foster home, or wherever the child services in the States would send her. Wanda shuddered as she thought of the orphanage where she and Pietro had stayed at after the bombing that took their home and their parents. Nat's statement that she could not take on two children was a sentiment too familiar for the girl. People would often come in wanting a boy to help with manual labor or a girl to help with the household cooking and cleaning, but no one coming in had the resources to take two children. When the orphanage tried to separate the twins, they had fought so viciously to stay together that they eventually gave up and allowed them to languish in the system. They would have rather stayed together and endured the abuse than be apart before they eventually ran away. It would just be Wanda now, so she would not have to worry about that, and the Avengers would probably make sure she went to a safe institute.

The break would be debilitating but it would be clean and maybe she had it in her to pick herself up off the floor one more time, or maybe she didn't. Wanda wondered how much heartache a person could take. She had already lost the entire family she had been born into and now she would lose the one that she had only just found too. Her breathing had finally leveled out, and she lay prone on her bed in the boneless collapse that usually came after a panic attack immobilizing her. Despite the fatigue, Wanda's mind still spun around in thought. Perhaps it was not too late for her, maybe she could find a way to stay even if her mother could not be her mother anymore. Natasha had seemed more tired recently as she had to chase after Anya for much of the day.

The little witch could help Mama- no, she could help Tasha with the baby or learn to help with the baby, and that way she would not have to leave. It was the barest thread of hope, but she clung to it all the same. It was the only thing that gave her the will to gather her strength to move once again. Rubbing her hands over her cheeks, Wanda wiped away her salty tears as she tried to figure out what to do now that she was on the precipice of being alone again. It felt like she was falling down into herself, and she knew she did not want to be alone tonight.

With great effort, the teenager pulled herself out of her bed and went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She studied her reflection in the mirror, trying to decipher if her face held any traces of her crying. Her eyes looked sad and glassy, but not to a noticeable extent except for a trained eye. Tasha would have caught it from across the room, something that used to bring comfort to the little witch, trusting that her mama would know when something was wrong just like she would know how to fix it. She decided she looked normal enough for Sharon to not suspect anything or ask questions that would force Wanda to lie, or worse, tell the truth. Grabbing her blanket and stuffed shark from her bed, Wanda ventured out of her room once again, this time heading to Sam and Sharon's hallway. The little witch knocked on what was considered to be Sam's room, but the couple shared it almost all the time and Sharon's room was virtually unused so it was a safe bet she would find the agent there.

"Come in." She heard Sam's voice call out and she opened the door to peer in.

"Hey, Wanda. What's up?" The Falcon asked from where he sat against the headboard and Sharon wandered out of the bathroom as she finished rubbing lotion on her arms.

Her eyes fell on Sharon expectantly, asking with an upward lilt to try and stop the melancholy from coming through, "Sharon, could we have a sleepover tonight?"

"Yeah," The agent immediately agreed with a bit too much enthusiasm. "That sounds fun. We can watch a movie in my room now if you'd like."

"Yeah, okay. Singing In the Rain?" Wanda pressed into Sharon's side as the woman came up and slid her arm around her shoulders.

The blonde smiled, "Of course, sweetheart. You go ahead over. I'm going to say goodnight to Sam really quick."

"Okay." She dipped her head and mumbled goodnight to the man who waved at her as she just went one room over to wait for Sharon.

Once the woman joined her, they settled in to peacefully watch the movie with Wanda grateful for the ease between them as Sharon seemed to sense she was not in the mood to talk. They simply lay in the darkened room with the flickering blue glow from the television until the little witch fell asleep with her head on the woman's shoulder.

"Hey milaya. Have you seen Sam? I need him to sit with Anya for a minute." Wanda looked up from her book and at Natasha who had appeared in the library with the toddler perched on her hip and holding a bowl of cheese crackers that she ate from. Tasha must have been particularly desperate to come looking in the library since Sam did not usually frequent it.

So that was where they went, the teenager thought to herself in resignation.

"No." She watched as the woman deflated a little in disappointment, not moving but glancing around as if she were thinking of where to go look next.

Before Wanda could really think about it, she blurted, "I could watch her."

"Could you?"

The Black Widow did not ask this with dubiousness, rather with a bit of grateful relief. Wanda remembered Nat and Steve's conversation she overheard last night and thought that maybe helping with Anya would be her ticket to stay. She nodded over eagerly, "Yeah, I can help."

"Thank you, milaya. That would be great." Natasha set the toddler down next to the coffee table in front of the armchair Wanda sat in. The redhead placed a Stark pad in front of Anya and pulled up a matching game to occupy her. Immediately the little girl started dragging her finger across the screen to pair up the different colored shapes together, not paying attention as Tasha said to her, "Chakai tuk s Vanda. Sega se vrushtam."

The Black Widow then gently grabbed Wanda's chin, tilting her head up to kiss her forehead with a smile that warmed her chest and made her think everything would be okay for a moment, "Thank you, little witch."

And with that she left the children alone together. The Sokovian sat on the edge of her seat, nervously watching Anya but the three-year-old seemed to pay her no mind as she was absorbed in her game, her other hand almost mindlessly feeding herself crackers. She seemed occupied but Wanda vigilantly kept her eyes on the child as a minute passed, then five minutes, then fifteen. The teenager started to relax a little and almost turned back to her own reading distraction when Anya looked over to her, "Nat?"

"She'll- she'll be back." Wanda told her, not quite sure how much she would understand. She realized that the game Anya had been playing was over with a 'You Did It!' message surrounded by stars on the screen and her bowl of crackers was empty. The Bulgarian moved on from her depleted entertainment and shifted her attention elsewhere, which happened to be the small stack of Wanda's books and magazine she had been carrying around with her. As the little blonde's sticky, crumby hands headed toward her favorite shark-themed National Geographics, Wanda could not help but call out with more force than necessary, "No. Those are mine."

She swiped them away from the girl and almost immediately Wanda regretted it. Tears started to swell in the girl's hazel eyes and she began to sniffle a bit. She backtracked, trying to put on a calming voice but it just came out as desperate, "No, no don't cry. I'm sorry. Mne zhal'."

Unaffected by the apology, Anya pouted and sniffed, clear signs that she was about to cry. Then Wanda in her desperation came up with a plan. Baby Nate had liked her magic and it cheered him up. And Anya liked her teddy bear so maybe a little display would calm her down before Nat got back and scolded her for upsetting the toddler.

"You like your bear? Mechka?" Wanda asked in a cheerful tone that felt horrible and phony. "I can show you a bear."

The witch twisted her fingers around and created a simmering, red bear only a little bit bigger than Anya, making it rear up on its hind legs in the cool way she had seen bears do in one of the nature documentaries she'd watched. Unfortunately, Wanda had made a grievous miscalculation. The little girl did not seem to think this was interesting or cool as Wanda had and immediately let out a terrible shriek, staggering back a few steps to get away until she fell back on her bottom. When she hit the ground, her scream stopped abruptly, and she blinked in confusion in a short second of silence before starting to absolutely wail. The shocked teenager leapt away from the distraught child, the bear dissipating as white hot guilt and fear traveled down her spine. This was it, this was the end. She had messed up beyond repair now. There would be no way she would be allowed to stay.

Then Natasha came rushing in with wide frantic eyes with Steve right behind her having a similar expression. She glanced back and forth between the girls, Wanda frozen in terror and Anya reaching up from where she still sat on the ground crying, "Cherveno chudoviste, cherveno chudoviste…"

"What happened, Wanda?" Nat asked worriedly as she went to scoop up the baby and gently shushed her, bouncing her in a soothing motion. Wanda's lower lip trembled as her green gaze turned to her, "Wanda?"

Unable to hold back her own distress, the little witch sobbed, "I'm s-sorry. I didn't m-mean to. I'm sorry-y."

"I don't understand, milaya. What happened?" The woman implored her.

"P- please, I'm sorry." She could only cry.

Tasha looked to Steve then moved her eyes meaningfully to the teenager, "Steve.."

Captain America seemed to understand he was to get Wanda, but Wanda understood as well. Her fear felt like a crushing force, and she desperately did not want to be taken away. The thought barely formulated in her mind when an unwelcome feeling of being yanked backward took over her body and she disappeared into a cloud of red smoke.

Natasha headed back to the library feeling moderately refreshed. She had taken a shower in record time, not bothering with her hair but rinsing off and getting into a new set of clean, comfortable clothing. She had really just needed a moment to herself, and she was thankful her sweet daughter had offered to help her, despite her reservations toward their little house guest. Wanda had seemed especially low today and she hoped maybe she could get both girls to settle down and watch a movie together. Anya would stand right in front of the screen, but she was certain that Wanda would be more interested in cuddling on the couch than watching the film.

"Hey, Nat." Steve caught her right as she was about to head down the hall that led to her destination. She paused with an expectant look taking in the big smile on his face as he continued, "I just heard from Tony. It sounds like he has a read on Anya's family. There is a maternal aunt in Connecticut."

"Really? He's sure?" The redhead felt her own smile growing on her face.

"He hasn't made contact, but he seemed pretty certain."

"Thank God." Natasha sighed, feeling like finally there was an end in sight.

"Are you going to tell Wanda?" Steve asked with some eagerness.

"I might wait until it's a sure thing." She said thoughtfully, "I think this has been tough on her and I don't want to get her hopes up."

"Yeah," The captain dipped his head in agreement. "It's been a strange couple of weeks. I know I'll be glad when things get back to normal."

"Me too." Natasha moved into his personal space. As his arms came up around her, she pressed into his chest as if she could sap some of his strength for herself from him. The Widow found herself relaxing a little more- she was clean, Steve was holding her, she would get back her time with Wanda, things were going back to normal.

Then a sharp scream from down the hall pierced through it. Sharing a quick, startled look with Steve, Natasha ran down the corridor and burst into the library to find Anya weeping on the ground and Wanda frozen with a look of abject horror on her face. When the little Bulgarian noticed her, she reached out in the older woman's direction, babbling in Bulgarian, "Red monster, red monster.."

"What happened, Wanda?" Nat asked worriedly as she went to scoop up the baby and gently shushed her, bouncing her in a soothing motion, knowing the noise was distressing to her daughter. When other people had strong emotions, it was difficult for the little witch not to pick up on them, so she hoped in calming Anya she could calm the older girl as well. She looked at her baby and became concerned when she seemed to remain caught in her fear, "Wanda?"

"I'm s-sorry. I didn't m-mean to. I'm sorry-y." She stammered out, tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"I don't understand, milaya. What happened?" The woman implored her.

Wanda could not seem to answer as she replied between sobs, "P- please, I'm sorry."

Tasha looked to Steve who had stumbled in behind her and looked as alarmed as she felt then moved her eyes meaningfully to the upset teenager, silently asking him to help her, "Steve.."

He understood the unspoken request to go to Wanda, but as he took a step towards her the girl took a step back. Except she did not simply move away from him. As the little witch took that step back, it seemed she stepped into a cloud of red smoke that swallowed her up and when the smoke dissipated so had Wanda. Natasha stared at the spot where her daughter vanished from, panic suddenly firmly gripping her throat. No, no, no Not again. Please, not again, Natasha thought as a terrible feeling of helplessness crashed through her.

"Nat? What the hell just happened?" Steve turned to her entirely stunned. While he had been a part of the rescue effort last time Wanda had accidentally teleported herself, the captain had not seen it happen firsthand. Stopping to explain it to him was not among her priorities. As she hurried out of the library, and down the hall calling out in vain, "Wanda? Malyshka, are you here?"

She called for her until she reached Wanda's bedroom, hoping that she had simply taken herself there; however the room was as Wanda-less as the library and so was her own room when she frantically looked through it. Steve found her in the hall, having gone another direction shouting and looking for the little Sokovian with the same urgency as Nat. When they met the man asked, "Should we go search the grounds? Maybe she is back in Central Park, like last time?"

The mother took a deep breath and gathered herself. She was flailing, all of the worst case scenarios cycling through her mind and it was not going to help her find Wanda. She needed to remain calm, "FRIDAY is Wanda on the premises?"

"Yes, Agent Romanoff." The AI informed them.

"Thank Christ." Steve muttered, his shoulders dropping a little as he swiped his hand over his face.

"Where is she?"

"Miss Maximoff appears to be hiding. Privacy protocol does not allow me to-"

"Safety override, Widow code 28-Bravo-631-Tango-Foxtrot. Where is Wanda?" Before FRIDAY could finish Natasha cut her off, directing the new order more urgently.

"Miss Maximoff is in room 202A. The supply closet in the private gymnasium." The disembodied voice immediately supplied without further resistance. She released a breath of air, knowing where her daughter had gone was enough of a relief for now, but she still very much wanted to go make sure she was alright. Before she could charge off though she realized that she still had Anya perched on her hip. The Bulgarian's tears had quickly subsided after Tasha had picked her up and she just allowed herself to be carted around as the adults desperately searched for Wanda.

"Here." She passed the little girl off into Steve's arms. "I'm going to take care of Wanda."

Captain America blinked at the child suddenly in his arms, "What do I do with her?"

"Give her a cookie, put on a cartoon. She's a toddler, Steve. It's not rocket science." She snapped at him. Her patience for anything besides her daughter had evaporated and she left him to fend for himself, a small voice in her head telling her she would have to apologize for her shortness later.

Natasha hurried through the residence and down the stairs to the gym the floor below them. As she moved across the sparring ring, the mother forced herself to slow down. As much as she wanted to rush in and hold Wanda, she did not want to startle her and have her poof away once again. She was not sure if Wanda could tell she was approaching but her hiding place was compromised by the sounds of crying coming from the closet. Softly, she tapped on the door, "Malyshka?

"I'm sorry!" The teenager yelped and continued crying in earnest.

"Wanda, baby, what happened? I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened." Natasha pleaded with her through the wooden barrier.

"I-I hurt-t the b-baby." Wanda sobbed, confusing Nat even more.

"Honey, Anya is fine. She's completely fine and with Steve now.. Can I come in, baby? Please?"

Her request was met with silence. The Black Widow hesitated for another moment, not wanting to startle the girl further away from her. But she had to get to her daughter so cautiously she pulled the door open, flipping on a light switch to illuminate the space. The closet was rather large, full of extra weights, mats, and other equipment to help with their training. She could not see Wanda, but she could hear some muffled sniffling coming from behind some mats propped up against the wall. Maneuvering through the clutter, Nat reached the mats looking behind them to find Wanda with red eyes and wet cheeks. She crouched down, her heartbreaking a little at the sight, "Hey malyshka. Come here baby girl. It's alright."

She slowly extended her hand toward her little witch, revealed when Wanda gingerly placed her own hand in it. Still moving slowly, Natasha helped pull her out from her hiding place. When Wanda started to mumble apologies again, the redhead gently soothed her, "You're not in trouble. Vse v poryadke, malen'kaya ved'ma. Glubokoye dykhaniye. Davayte snachala uspokoimsya."

She wrapped her arms around Wanda's waist, the girl falling helpless into her chest as Natasha got them reclined against a wedge shaped mat she used to train Wanda in gymnastics, shifting the girl to sit across her lap. With the Sokovian's cheek pressed to her chest, Natasha nuzzled into her hair, "You feel my breathing, baby girl? Can you match my breathing?"

Her ragged breathing became steady pulls as she breathed in time with Natasha. The woman praised her, "Good, malyshka, good.. When you're ready, you want to tell me what happened?"

Wanda sniffed, and after a pause began speaking with a slightly trembling voice, "Anya finished her game an-and her snacks, and she was going to- I didn't want her to touch my magazine. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, milaya."

"And she got upset, so I thought she might- I thought maybe my magic would distract her, like with Baby Nate. I made a bear, but it scared her and she f-fell down. I hurt her with my magic." She ended in a whimper.

"Oh Wanda, it was an accident. You didn't hurt her with your magic. She got startled, that's all." Natasha held her tighter. The spy anticipated her words to put the little witch at ease, that the last bit of tension lingering in her frame would melt but that was not the case. She stayed rigid and Tasha could just see her lips twisted in a pout. Before she could ask what was wrong, Wanda's hand came to urgently grip at the scooped collar of her shirt, tugging it lightly.

"Can I still stay?"

Natasha's heart stuttered in her chest, "What?"

"Can I still stay with you? I know you can't keep both of us, but I can help with the baby. I'll do better next time, I promise. I want to stay with you, Ma- Tasha, please." Wanda began to cry again. At first Natasha was too shocked to understand what her daughter was saying to her. As much as Wanda clung to her, the mother held on just as tightly, like the girl might vanish from her arms.

"Where would you go, my love, huh? You're not going anywhere." Natasha felt her own tears slipping down her cheeks into Wanda's dark hair. "Wanda, you're my baby, not Anya. We're going to find her a family. You're staying right here, malyshka. With your family. With me."

"Mama.." She said with a sharp intake of breath.

"You'll always have a place with me, milaya. I'm so sorry I haven't been able to be around, but nothing will change that you're my little girl." The mother murmured as she unconsciously began to rock them. Wanda let out a sob of relief and as her crying tapered off, the tension in her body went slack as well. The hand that had been fisted in her shirt relaxed, her fingers shifting up to tap lazily against her collarbone. Tasha pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Mama."

There was that blissful easiness that came with holding her daughter. Natasha exhaled and shut her eyes, feeling a wave of gentle tiredness come over her. Anya still insisted on sleeping in her bed, but she kicked in the night, so the woman had not been sleeping well. With Wanda, peaceful and warm against her, she was ready to slip off into unconsciousness. Pressing a few more lethargic kisses into her daughter's hair, she hummed, "How about you and I have a nap, hm?"

"..In the supply closet?" Wanda asked uncertainly after a beat, her tone questioning but strangely not completely opposed to the idea. The Black Widow opened her eyes to her surroundings once again, a little surprised to still find them amongst the barbells and punching bags. She had become so wrapped up in soothing Wanda that she had nearly forgotten them were still tucked away in the utility room. Honestly she had needed this reconnect with her daughter almost as much as Wanda had needed it. There had been so much distance that had crept between them in the last couple of weeks, it was no wonder the little witch thought that she would be the one to be sent off Nat realized guiltily. Guilt would not help Wanda now though and the mother set the feeling aside.

She chuckled lightly, "I suppose a bed would be better. Come on, milaya."

The mother and daughter clambered to their feet and slipped back upstairs to snuggle up in Wanda's bed for the rest of the afternoon. When they woke for dinner, the pair had been encapsulated back into their happy bubble from before Anya had arrived.

At dinner however, Natasha was dragged back into looking after the small Bulgarian. There was a little sheen of sadness in Wanda's green gaze when her mother got pulled away once again, but there was more understanding and the knowledge that this would be temporary made it more bearable. Anya did not leave the next day or the day after that. The following day though Tony finally was able to arrange a meeting and Pepper got the paperwork squared away and Natasha drove Anya with Sam a couple hours over to the city where Anya's aunt and uncle were flying in to meet them. The little girl held Nat's hand as they entered a private lounge in the airport and froze when she saw the nervous looking couple who immediately stood at the sight of the child, seemingly holding back from rushing to her.

Anya tilted her head, her little voice floating up hopefully, "Mamo?"

"Zdraveite, Anya." The woman with similar blonde hair that just started to go silver and the same hazel almond eyes knelt and held her arms open. The little girl barely hesitated as she let go of Natasha's hand and stumbled into the embrace, wrapping her arms around the woman's neck. Silent tears began to roll down the woman's cheeks as she explained to the Avengers' whose eyes were misting over as well, "I look a lot like my sister."

The emigrated Bulgarians had not even been aware that Anya's parents had died. Since moving to the States it had been difficult to keep in touch, so it had not been unusual for them to not speak for months at a time and official channels had failed to inform them. It had been terrible to have to be the ones that broke the news to them but by the end of their meeting, it had been heartwarming to see the little family ready to head off and start a life together.

Natasha smiled at the memory of Anya waving over her aunt's shoulder at her as they left to catch their flight back to their home in Connecticut.

"Mama?"

The mother turned her head to see Wanda standing in the doorway of the living room. It was late and the teenager would usually be in bed and looked like she had been in bed moments before her standing there with her eyes fighting to stay open and long hair mussed around her head. Natasha had just gotten back to the Compound and while Sam immediately headed back to his bedroom, the woman had stopped to enjoy a moment of solitude, sitting in the rocking chair that had been left by the fireplace. A loving smile bloomed on her face for her sleepy daughter, and she held out her hand, "Podoydi syuda, malyshka."

Wanda shuffled towards her, and Natasha pulled her to sit across her lap when she got near. Her daughter rested her head on her mama's shoulder, curling into her body as Nat wrapped the girl in her arms. They began to rock gently in the chair, the mother humming her Russian lullaby, and everything felt peaceful and perfect, both of them lulled by the motion and song. Nat rested her head against Wanda's, thinking of how she would not want to rock any other child to sleep besides her little witch.

Hope you enjoyed the second half. Please leave a review if you feel so inclined :)