Wanda did not want to go to the farm. She did not want to be away from Natasha. She did not understand how the woman could send her away so abruptly with no warning. Realistically she knew that eventually she would have to go live at the farm, but it had felt far off, too far off to be concerned about it at least until now. Wanda tried to remain level. She would simply tell Natasha she did not want to go, and the woman would listen; she always listened. "I don't want to go to the farm."
The woman paused then wrinkled her brow at Wanda, "The farm is really nice-"
"I don't care about the stupid farm." Wanda said snappishly. That is not what she expected to hear from Natasha. She thought she would tell her that was fine, they did not have to go yet, or at least ask her why she did not want to go. "I'm not going, I'm staying here."
The Sokovian demanded, unwilling and unsure why Natasha had not listened and started defending the farm instead. Her fear at leaving the Tower and Steve and Sam and Sharon and Natasha spiked and along with it her old standby to protect herself from that fear, anger. But the redhead was having none of it, "Hey, watch your tone with me. It's unacceptable. It will be unacceptable with Clint and Laura too."
Wanda pushed her anger outward as Natasha brought up her future guardians, radiating it so the light bulbs burned a little brighter with her ire. Natasha looked at the pulsing lights with surprised then back at Wanda who declared defiantly, "I'm not going, and you can't make me."
"Wanda, whatever this is you need to calm down right now or there will be consequences." The Black Widow warned her, but Wanda was beyond listening to reason at this point. She realized belatedly that red wisps swirled agitatedly around her fingers, and she could feel her eyes smoldering red, trying to convey how desperately she did not want to be left behind. Now Natasha said harshly, at least harsher compared to how she normally spoke to her, "That's enough Wanda. Stop right now or there will be a punishment."
As soon as the word punishment left her lips, Wanda felt herself plummeting into a dark hole filled with terrible memories, her powers retreating protectively back into herself. At the orphanage, the caretakers and their wooden rods ready to strike against their hands or backs leaving mottled purple bruises, or with Hydra when they could be hosed down with freezing water for disobeying or worse shocked with the electrical prods that ripped violent, painful jolts through their bodies. It pulled up the memory of the charged arrow that Clint had affixed to her head and Wanda remembered the scream of electricity it sent wracking her brain. Would that be the punishment? No, it would most certainly not be that Wanda thought as she tried to grasp onto strands of logic, even as whatever physiological response her body was experiencing dragged her further down. Her voice tinged with that irrational fear, "Punishment?"
"Yes, punishment. If you-" Natasha stopped talking but Wanda had also stopped listening after she heard the word punishment again. All she could hear was a ringing in her ear and the sharp intakes of breath she tried to take, but her chest felt constricted, and she could not draw in enough oxygen. She vaguely heard Natasha say something in a muffled voice; it sounded like she may have asked what was wrong, but she could not comprehend over the panic coursing through her. She took a few steps back, attempting to reconnect with reality but she felt nothing but terrible dread that something bad was coming for her. Wanda gasped to pull air into her lungs and as she did the woman in front of her moved towards her. Startled by the sudden movement she hurried back further but ended up tripping on her own feet, landing hard on her backside.
Now even more prone, the girl shuffled back in blind fear, "No, no, no, no."
She halted when she realized that Natasha was no longer coming at her. The redhead stood frozen, her expression melting into the tenderness she usually associated with Natasha. Her breathing was still ragged but her eyes locked onto familiar green ones as the woman said with the utmost care, "Malyshka, it's okay. You're safe."
And for a moment she was safe. Safe with Natasha who would come a scoop her up in her arms and make everything better like she always did. The woman inched forward as she began to ask, "Wanda, is it alright if I-"
But then a loud, deep voice suddenly came in from her right, and she was immediately yanked back down into her terror. A strangled cry escaped her lips and with a singular desperation she wanted to get away. At that thought, Wanda felt the oddest pulling sensation like she was being tugged backward by a string. The yelp died on her lips as the Sokovian suddenly found herself no longer in the apartment. She blinked at the brightness of the late afternoon sun reflecting off the new white layer of snow that she was now lying in, feeling the cold and wet seeped through her clothing giving her instant chills. Looking around now more astounded than anything, Wanda found herself in a large park with open fields with gently sloping hills divided by gray paths and sporadic gatherings of winter barren trees. Unable to think of anything else to do, the girl called out, though her wavering voice seemed to be swallowed by the wind, "Tasha? Tasha?"
Quickly her bewilderment became eclipsed by fear once again, having no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. Her panicked breathing started anew as she tried to ascertain her location. She was still in the city, or at least it appeared that she was, but she could not see the rather obvious Avengers Tower in the skyline that surrounded the park. Needing to focus, she remembered Natasha helping her to breath during her last panic attack. The girl placed her hand against her stomach where Natasha had and took in a deep, purposeful breath, watching her hand rise with her stomach. You can do it.. There you go, that's it… match my breathing, a little slower.. Good, malyshka. She recalled the sound and feeling of Natasha's velvety voice in her ear and how it soothed her. Soon she felt calmer with the oxygen returning to her body.
Still shivering, Wanda climbed to her feet whimpering as her only-socked feet sunk into the snow. Looking around, the girl walked stiffly to the concrete path where at least the snow had not gathered, and her feet would not get any wetter though the snow had already soaked through. She glanced up and down the path, trying to figure out what to do. Wanda knew her powers must have brought her there however she had no idea how she had done it. And the thought of trying to replicate the experience and accidentally end up even farther away frightened her so greatly the girl could not even consider it. Instead the witch opened her mind, opening it to feeling of all the people in the city while searching for the feeling of one particular person she knew by heart. It was too much though and Wanda found herself swarmed with too many random thoughts and emotions to pick out her person from so far away. Wanda struggled to close the connection for a moment before managing to do so, staggering back and panting lightly from the effort.
"Are you alright, young lady? Where is your coat? And shoes?" An elderly woman in a long coat with a tan, fluffy dog at the end of a leash asked as she peered at her curiously through thick, round glasses.
Wanda's first thought was to just get away from the stranger, but she did not really seem threatening in anyway. She responded timidly, "I don't know, I'm lost. I need to get back home."
"Do you have a cell phone?" The woman asked to which Wanda shook her head no. She remembered something about Clint and Natasha saying they would get her one, but it had not happened yet, and she had not really needed one until now.
"I have one you can borrow. What is your home phone number?" She offered helpfully but it just put Wanda in more despair as she replied.
"I, I don't know it." She had only ever used Natasha's phone to talk with Clint on the occasion, she did not know any numbers.
"Oh dear, well- Oh officers! Officers!" The elderly lady suddenly redirected her attention and waved her hand at two uniformed men patrolling down the walkway towards them; one of the men was tall and thin with a clean-shaven face and the other shorter with more muscles and a black mustache. They approached, eyeing the two women with a critical gaze.
"What appears to be the problem ma'am?" One of them asked in a heavy New York accent.
"This young lady is lost and requires some assistance in getting home. She doesn't seem to have a phone or know her parents' numbers." She informed them while Wanda shied away.
The other looked her over and said in an equally thick accent, "We can get you home, kid. What's your name?"
"Wanda."
"What's your last name?" He followed up.
"Maximoff." She said in her quietest voice.
"Do you know what neighborhood you live in? What your address is?" The other officer inquired. Wanda shrugged, not knowing the answers.
The other officer turned back to the older woman, "Did you see what direction she came from?"
"No, she was just standing there like she fell from the sky." She said plainly.
"Alright, we'll take it from here ma'am." The taller man asserted, and the woman gave Wanda a kindly parting smile.
"You get home safe, dear." She told Wanda and began toddling off down the path with her little dog, leaving her alone with the officers; she tried to shrink away from the men further as they continued to ask her questions.
"Help us out, kid. Do you have any idea where you live?" The muscular officer asked.
She hesitated, not sure if she should tell them, but police officers were supposed to protect people and she wanted desperately to get back to Natasha. So the girl stuttered out, "I- I live at the Tower."
"The tower?" He raised an eyebrow for clarification.
"The Avengers Tower.. Please, I want to go home." Wanda half begged.
The officers glanced at each other, exchanging dubious expressions. When they turned back to her, the tall one said incredulously, "You live at the Avengers Tower?... Okay kid, cut the prank. Where are your parents?"
"..My parents are dead. I live with Natasha and Steve and Sam." She could feel herself start to tear up. "I want to stay with Tasha."
The men exchanged another look however this one was more one of concern. Then one of the officers, reached up to the radio clipped to his chest, pressing a button on the side so it made a little blip sound. He started speaking rapidly into it, his mustache twitching all the while, "Dispatch, this is Officer Roberts, badge 85-Victor-1, I have a 5150 at the west end of Central Park. Subject is a 12–15-year-old girl. Can you check for beds at Bellevue or Metro?"
He rattled everything off so quickly and his accent was strange, she could not really understand him. Wanda had been having a difficult time understanding either of them with their elongated vowels and dropped consonants. And she was so, so cold with the wind whipping through her wet sweater and leggings. As the one officer turned away to listen to the garbled voice that came through the speaker, apparently understanding and responding to it, the taller officer distracted her from trying to listen with even more questions, "Where are you from?"
"Sokovia."
"How did you get to New York?"
"On the jet."
"I mean, who brought you here?" It went on like that, him peppering her with questions. She did her best to explain that Clint brought her to America, but no he did not live with them. He left and that was when Natasha started looking after her. She had been in the city for a few months but did not know her way around because she spent most of her time inside. Yes, Tasha took good care of her. Getting tired of his questions and not understanding what they had to do with getting her back to the Tower, she interrupted, "When are you going to take me back home, please?"
Before the man could answer his partner turned back towards them, "Alright, we got a bus coming out to take her to Bellevue Hospital for an evaluation."
"I don't want to go to the hospital. I want to go home." Wanda immediately became alarmed.
"Kid, I think you need a warm bed to lie down in for a while. And looks like you could use a meal. Are you hungry?" Wanda shook her head vehemently as she started to cry and back away from the men. She had a bed at the Tower, not at some hospital, and Natasha was ordering curry for dinner with spring rolls. Before she could fully form a response, either man reached for one of her arms, stopping her from retreating. "Alright, just relax."
The girl attempted to jerk away from them but they held on firmly. She started crying harder and trying to wriggle out of their grasp more frantically, "No, let me go! Please, no, I want to go home."
"Calm down, kid. We're going to get you some help. You'll be safe at the hospital."
"No hospital, please! I want home! I want Tasha. Tasha!" Wanda's screams were escalating, and she worried that she may accidentally transport herself someplace even farther away. She considered shoving the men away with her powers though she feared how they may react when through it all, she suddenly heard a sweet, familiar voice rooting her to the ground.
"Wanda! I'm here, malyshka! Guys, I got her." The girl whipped around and saw Natasha running up to them. With renewed effort, she wrenched herself away from the officers who more so released their grip at the appearance of the redhead.
"Tasha!" Wanda ran to the woman, slamming her body into Natasha's with such need for her that she practically knocked the air out of her lungs. The spy easy absorbed the blow and did not hesitate to pull Wanda even tighter against her as the girl started sobbing into the crook of her neck and babbling in Russian, their most easily shared common tongue, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please, I want to go home. I'm sorry, Tasha."
Natasha kept her wrapped up in her arms, trying to get her leather jacket around Wanda as much as she could, talking back soothingly to her in their language, "It's okay, malyshka. It's alright. We'll go home. I'm so sorry I scared you, sweetheart. It's okay."
"You know this girl?" Wanda heard one of the officers ask from behind her and she tried to burrow farther into Natasha.
"What do you think, imbecile?" The Black Widow said shortly to him, some Russian still clinging to her English words, "Yes, I'm her guardian."
"I don't want to go to the hospital." Wanda whimpered.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Her tone of voice switched instantaneously when she spoke to Wanda, all sweet and honeyed. Natasha tried to hold her back to look her over, but Wanda did not allow for any distance; Natasha was warm and comforting and safe. She asked again, "Are you hurt, milaya?"
"No." Her answer was muffled against Natasha's skin. "But they said I had to go."
"Ma'am, do you have any sort of documentation for this child?" The other officers asked, sounding official and a bit like he was trying to be intimidating. The girl felt Natasha tense against her, protectively shifting her so Wanda was farther away from the men and getting ready to bristle at them.
Then another voice joined them, "Nat! Wanda!"
Wanda peeked over Natasha's shoulder from where she was hiding against the woman and saw Steve running up to them. He immediately took off his coat and placed it around Wanda's shoulders. It was nice, engulfing her with more warmth and smelling of cedar. Natasha placed her hand on her back over the coat to help keep it up, "Thanks Steve."
"Is she okay?" He asked worriedly, hovering around them.
"She's okay." It sounded soft like Natasha was actually talking to Wanda as she gentle swayed them for a moment. Then asked more pressingly, "Where is the SUV? Her feet. We need to get her out of the cold."
"Double parked. I passed your motorcycle on sidewalk on my way in." He pointed back in the direction from where they came.
"Holy shit, it is Captain America." The mustached officer mumbled under his breath.
Steve took that as his cue to address the men, stepping in between the women and the officers, saying in his very best Captain America voice, "Thank you for your assistance officers. We'll take it from here."
"Yes, of course. Sorry sir." They deferred to Steve even though Wanda knew it was really Natasha they needed to worry about. "When the kid said she lived at the Avengers Tower.. Well, we thought she needed a psych eval."
"She is with us. We just want to get her home."
Wanda stopped caring about what was going on around her. Her emotions were drained, leaving her feeling exhausted but safe as she sunk into Natasha and let everything else around her get fuzzy as the adults talked. She did not even care that her feet were wet and cold anymore.
"Malyshka," Natasha drew her attention. "Steve is going to carry you to the car, okay?"
"No.." Wanda had not realized that the police officers had left, and it was just them now. She tightened her hold on Natasha. "No, please."
She knew she was whining but did not want to let go of the woman; it felt like holding onto Tasha was the only way she would not accidently teleport herself away again.
"Wanda, he can get us to the car faster. You know you're safe with Steve too, yeah?" Natasha began gently pushing her away as Steve moved in position behind her.
"We'll be real quick kiddo." The man promised and before she could protest anymore, he picked her up in one swooping movement and began jogging down the path. Steve felt big and solid as he held her against his chest, and safe too, but Wanda was upset, and it was making her irrational. She wanted Natasha and so she cried the whole way as Steve ran with her. She sobbed once outside the park as Nat propped up the motorcycle she had left on the sidewalk, thinking the woman was going to drive off on it, but she just directed FRIDAY to autopilot it back to the Tower. Her tears slowed when Natasha climbed into the back of the black SUV and Steve set her inside so she could curl up with the Black Widow.
Steve hopped into the driver's seat, seemingly unoffended by her preference as smiled kindly at her, "See? Piece of cake."
As he started the car, Natasha pulled her legs over her lap, "Let me see your feet, baby."
She pulled off Wanda's wet, icy socks and let them fall to the floorboard. Her hands rubbed and massaged her freezing, reddened feet, feeling much warmer in comparison to Wanda's cold bitten toes. The girl rested her head on Natasha's shoulder, relaxing under her ministrations and slightly lulled by a soft tune the woman hummed. She knew there would be much for them to discuss in the near future, but for now Wanda was simply relieved to be back to where she belonged.