"So you basically fought a tentacle monster." I nodded my head as I held my cup of coffee in front of my face.
I was currently sitting in the lounge area of the Avengers living quarters. I sat at the table with Sam and Bucky. I caught them up to speed with what happened the previous day.
"Those are words that I thought I'd never hear being said." Bucky stated. He leaned against his chair with one arm over the chair.
Sam scoffed, "You and me both, Buck. Why do all the interesting things happen to you, Mel? You get sent to a different reality, you get to fight villains from an alternate universe, and now this." I gave a tight lip smile and shrugged.
"I'm still shocked about Wanda. Stephen said that the book she was using corrupts one's mind. I didn't recognize the Wanda that fought side by side with us against Thanos anymore. She called herself the Scarlet Witch." I said with a solemn look on my face.
Bucky looked down at the table while Sam gave a long sigh, "Vision's death was tough on all of us but it was worse for her. I know what she did to Westview was wrong but this…what you've told us," Sam shook his head, "I don't believe it. Wanda killing a kid to take her powers just so she can find her made up kids in a different universe?"
"I didn't want to believe it either, Sam, but it happened. She looked me in the eyes and asked me to help her. She tried to manipulate me by dangling the fact that I've been trying to get back to the world the stones sent me to. Wanda's gone and I think it's for good." I said glumly.
We sat in silence until my phone buzzed in my pocket. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and saw it was a text from Pepper.
'Just found out about a last minute late meeting this afternoon. Could you pick up Morgan after school? Happy's busy at the same time.'
A small smile grew on my face as I typed a response.
'Sure. I can pick her up. I'll even make her dinner.'
'Thank you, Mel. You're a lifesaver.'
"I see that smile. Is it about Morgan again?" I looked over at Bucky who had a knowing smile on his face.
"Yeah, Pep just texted me saying she has a late meeting and can't pick up Morgan. I'll have to tell Banner I'm not working that late today in the lab." I said and put my phone back in my pocket.
"How's she doing, anyway? It's been a while since she's stayed the night with you here." Sam asked.
"Good, I went to her school yesterday for a little concert her class put on. As for staying the night, Pep agreed that she could stay one night here." Sam chuckled.
"Does Pepper even know what goes on when Morgan stays here?" I put my finger up against my lips and both Sam and Bucky laughed.
"I hope you know that you're the cool aunt. Every kid has that aunt or uncle that's the cool one and you're Morgan's." Sam pointed out.
"I'll take it considering I never thought I'd be an aunt in the first place. Only child here." I said and pointed to myself.
"So Sam, if I'm the cool uncle what does that make you then?" I let out a laugh at Bucky's comment. Sam turned and gave an evil eye to Bucky. Bucky had a smirk on his face in response.
"Alright, I see how it is. You know you wouldn't even know my nephews if you didn't know me." Sam countered.
"Alright, you two have your little spat. I'm gonna get to work." I said with one last chuckle. I stood up and took my coffee with me.
"See you later, Mel." Sam said goodbye and Bucky gave a wave.
"You should have seen her, Tony. Wanda was a completely different person. She's let her grief take full control of her. She hasn't moved on past Vision and she only made it worse with Westview. I know she didn't mean any harm there but it led her off to a dark path. A really dark path." I said to the gravestone in front of me.
I had left work early to Morgan but first I decided to stop by Tony's grave. I'd visit occasionally just to sit down and talk as if he was still here.
I twirled a piece of grass between my fingers, "She wanted me to help her kill a fourteen year old girl. She's still just a kid but…" I looked up to the gravestone, "a kid with an unbelievable power. She can open portals to the different universes. She's the answer I've been waiting and looking for. I need America's help to get back to Bruce. She can do it. She just has to learn how to control her powers first." I heard my timer on my phone go off.
I pulled up my phone and dismissed it. A lump grew in my throat as I stared at the lock screen. This was the same phone I had with me back in the other world. The sim card had to be changed and so did the number but everything else stayed the same. The lock screen was still that picture of Bruce and I. It was the only thing I had to remember his face by besides just my memories.
I gave out a hard sigh and put my phone away, "That's my queue to get out of here." I mumbled as I stood up. I walked up to the gravestone and placed my hand on top of it. I gave a sad smile before walking to my car.
"You have two options. I can either make dinner or make it a pizza night?" I asked Morgan from across the kitchen counter. She had her knees on the barstool as she colored in her coloring book.
She paused her coloring and scrunched up her face in thought. "If I pick pizza can we stay up and watch a movie?" I looked over at the clock in the kitchen.
"Fine, but as soon as the movie is over it's bedtime. I don't need your mom lecturing me again about your bedtime. Deal?" I put my hand out.
"Deal." Morgan grinned and shook my hand.
"Alright. Go pick out the movie and I'll order the pizza." I told her.
"Okay!" Morgan climbed down from the barstool and ran over to the entertainment center. I took out my phone and called the nearby pizza place. I turned around to face the window where the sun had started to go down.
I was about to press the dial when I happened to look up. My blood ran cold seeing Wanda standing just outside the cabin. "Morgan, stay here. I need to go outside." I told her and headed for the front door.
I barged out of the home and stormed over to Wanda, "What the hell are you doing here?!" I demanded.
"So hostile, Mel. Relax. I'm only a thought projection though don't be mistaken my magic can still reach you." I gripped my phone tightly as I glared at her. I was on high alert right now. Morgan was just in the house behind me and I couldn't trust Wanda anymore. Morgan's my goddaughter and I will protect her with everything I have.
"What do you want?" I asked bitterly.
"I'm here to see if I can change your mind." My glare intensified.
"I'm not helping you kill America." I repeated my earlier statement.
"You are so stubborn, Mel. You always have been. You've been through a lot just as I have. You've lost as much as I have. Your father shot dead in front of you, your best friend died before your very eyes, and you were ripped away from the love of your life. I saw you at Tony's grave earlier. You say I haven't moved on. That's rich coming from somebody who still talks to their best friend's grave as if they're still alive." My lower jaw trembled in anger as she spoke.
"I have nothing to say to you." I said with a silent rage in my voice.
"Well I have a lot to say to you. You didn't tell us much about your husband besides the fact that he was a hero. You failed to mention that at some point in your life with him. You tried to start a family." I felt my body go numb. How did she know that? The only person that knows that is Pepper.
"I know how that feels, Mel. Wanting to have that child that you so desperately want. What if I were to tell you that there is a universe out there where it's real?" I slowly shook my head.
"You're lying." I manage to muster out.
"No, I'm not. I know you must have dreamed about it and I bet your husband did too. There is a world where you never miscarry your first child. I found that world, Mel."
"Stop." I said weakly.
Wanda ignored me, "This version of you had a baby girl. She's only a couple years younger than Morgan Stark. She looks exactly like her father."
"Stop." I said with pain now evident in my voice.
Wanda continued, "Do you want to know what you and Bruce named her? Caroline Martha Wayne. She was named after both of her grandmothers."
"I said stop!" I yelled, finally snapping. My body shook and tears threatened to spill from my eyes.
"You could have that life, Mel. I could give it to you once I have America's powers. You could swap with the other you and live out your life with your husband and daughter. You could have a family of your own instead of playing family with Tony's."
I know she's manipulating me and she's just trying to weaken me. I hate to say it but…it's working. I can't say she's lying because I've had that dream. I know Bruce had it several times himself. I always thought it was just a dream, but now I know it means something else. There's a world where I didn't miscarry my pregnancy.
My mind then went to the other me. If I did what Wanda wanted me to and I swapped places with her. It would just hurt the alternate me. She'd be in the same situation I am. Pulled away from the ones she loves most. I couldn't do that.
I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. I opened my eyes with renewed vigor. Crackling sounded in the air as my blue electricity danced around me.
"I'm not so easily manipulated, witch. I'm not helping you." I practically growled out.
"Are you forgetting that my mag-"
"Yeah I heard you the first time, but if you wanted to hurt me you'd have already done it by now. I know a villain bluffing when I see one. Know that I'm not bluffing when I say this. You come near here or Tony's family again, then I promise you I will end you. Rule be damned, I will not let anything or anyone hurt my best friend's family. Morgan may not be mine but she's my goddaughter and I love her like she's my own. You may be powerful, Scarlet Witch, but so am I." I told her in a dangerous tone.
Wanda gave me a blank stare that held frustration in her eyes, "Fine. Just know this, Mel. When I do get America's powers I will make sure that you will never see your husband or that world again." Wanda then vanished in red smoke.
My chest raised and fell with angry breaths. Something must be happening that's not going Wanda's way. That was her getting desperate. Steven has her on the ropes.
"Aunt Mel?" I spun around to see Morgan behind me.
"What are you doing out here?! I said stay inside the house!" Morgan looked startled at hearing me yell.
Morgan's face began to grow upset and she started to let out the whimpers of crying. My anger suddenly vanished realizing what I had just done.
"Morgan, I am so sorry." I immediately got down to her level. She let out cries as tears ran down her cheeks.
"I'm so sorry, squirt. I didn't mean to snap at you." I gently pulled her to me and hugged her.
I held her tightly as she cried against me. I ran a hand through her hair and kissed the side of her hair. I put a hand behind her head and my other under her as I scooped her into my arms as I stood.
"I'm sorry, Morgan. I got angry and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have done that. You did nothing wrong." I comforted her. Her cries turned into sniffles as she clung her arms around my neck. Her head rested on my collarbone and I could feel the dampness of her cheeks on my skin.
"I'll order the pizza, we can watch your movie and we can have ice cream after the pizza. How does that sound?" I asked in a calm voice. I rubbed her back as she sat herself up in my arms.
Her eyes were red, her cheeks red and wet from the tears, and her nose was running. She gave another sniffle before nodding her head. I gave an apologetic smile and pulled up the end of my shirt to wipe her face. I didn't care about getting snot or tears on my clothes.
I was woken up to the feeling of someone shaking my arm. I groggily opened my eyes and turned my head to see Pepper standing over me. I opened my mouth to talk but she held a finger to shush me. I closed my mouth as Pepper pointed at something. I followed her finger and I saw Morgan curled up next to me on the couch fast asleep. I didn't even realize we both fell asleep on the couch.
I carefully removed my arm from under Morgan and replaced it with a pillow. I got off the couch as Pepper placed a blanket over her daughter. I looked at the tv screen to see its screen saver after the movie ended. A pizza box with a couple of slices left and two empty bowls sat on the coffee table.
Pepper gestured to me to follow her. I followed her outside the cabin and onto the porch. I let out a sigh as I ran a hand through my hair.
"Pep, I can explain." I started to say. Pepper held her hand up causing me to stop.
"Mel, I've told you in the past not to give her sugar before bed. I am grateful that you are in Morgan's life and I am more than appreciative that you help out. But I need you to follow the rules I have set in place for her." Pepper scolded me.
"Pep, I did it for a reason. Wanda visited." Pepper froze in place. I had told her about Wanda earlier in the day.
"What? When?" She asked urgently.
"Around sunset. She was thought projecting, which basically means she was harmless. She came here trying to change my mind about America. She manipulated me for a second, Pep." I could feel my jaw tremble again, "She found a world where I didn't miscarry. That version of me has a little girl with Bruce. She's not much younger than Morgan and her name is Caroline Martha Wayne. She's named after mine and Bruce's mothers." I could feel my eyes water again as I retold Pepper what Wanda had told me.
"Mel." Pepper said softly. She walked over and wrapped her arms around me in a hug. I hugged Pepper tightly as tears silently ran down my cheeks.
I waited a few minutes to calm down before I spoke again, "I told Morgan to stay in the house when I went to confront Wanda. After Wanda's spell ended I found Morgan outside behind me. I was still angry with Wanda and I snapped at Morgan. I took my anger out on her and yelled at her." Pepper pulled away from the hug to look me in the eyes.
"I scared her, Pep. She's never seen me that angry and it scared her. I apologized and I felt bad. The ice cream was my way of trying to make up for it." Pepper rubbed her hands up and down both my upper arms.
"It's okay, Mel. Morgan's a tough kid. She's like her dad in that way. Nothing you could ever do or say would make Morgan think any less of you. She thinks the world of you and I think it has to do with how much you remind her of Tony. You and Tony were always so similar and there were some days that I could have sworn you two shared a brain." A grin appeared on my face as a chuckle came past my lips.
"You are just as part of this family as we are. I know you're having a tough time being away from Bruce but you have hope now. The chance of you going back is greater than ever now with America showing up. You have always been strong, Mel, and you proved it again by turning down Wanda's tempting offer. You just have to stay strong a little longer."
I nodded, "Thanks Pep. I needed to hear that." I cleared my throat, "I'll huh…head back home now." I said with a clearer voice now. I walked past Pepper to head to my car.
"Or," I stopped, "You could stay in the guest bedroom tonight. I don't think you should be driving in your condition right now."
I turned back around and gave her a smile, "Does that mean I'm making breakfast then?" Pepper gave a smirk and nodded.
"You got it." I rolled my eyes but with a smile on my face.