Mama, Wanda could not help but think of Tasha as such and presently she did not care if it was wrong to do so; she was too excited for the woman's arrival. Normally, the thought would only surface when she was barely awake when her guard was down, or when she was upset with her emotions out of control, and she could disregard it as fleeting mistake from her subconscious. But now the word rang clear and true in her head as she dashed to greet the woman she had come to consider her mother. She briefly paused in the doorway to the outside, watching as the quinjet landed on tarmac away from the buildings. She only waited for it to touch down because she figured Natasha would not like her running towards the moving plane. However as soon as it was safe, Wanda took off across the cold, brittle lawn, her running only slightly encumbered by the too-large boots she had hastily stepped into that she was pretty sure were actually Sharon's.

As the hangar door to the jet lowered, Natasha almost immediately appeared with bags in hand, striding down the ramp with a warm, radiant smile on her face that matched Wanda's. They met where the asphalt met the grass, the spy setting down her bags as Wanda rushed at her throwing her arms around the redhead's neck. Catching her eagerly in her arms, the older woman lifted her off the ground a little as she swung her around from the momentum. The little witch's magic surged outward as well to greet the woman, skittering up the sleeve of Nat's jacket to settle in the crook of her elbow. She pressed her faced into the side of the woman's neck, inhaling her warmth and subtle amber scent that immediately brought her comfort. Her feet still hung a couple inches from the ground and Natasha was holding her too tight and yet not tight enough.

"Hi malyshka." The Black Widow eventually murmured into her hair.

"Hi." Wanda replied as her feet touched the ground again but did not pull away.

Natasha did not pulled away either, rocking them a little and bringing her hand to the back of Wanda's head, her fingers lightly scraping against her scalp, "You didn't miss me, did you?"

"No." She played coy like the spy but her clinging to the woman betrayed her true feelings.

"Hmm.." Natasha hummed contentedly then gently pried the girl off of her enough to see her face, "Alright, let's see you."

Wanda let the redhead look her over as if she were inspecting to make sure every freckle was still in place. She gave her estimation, "You haven't been eating enough."

How the Widow could possibly know that was beyond her, it had only been a couple days of her not eating well. The witch grinned and shrugged sheepishly, then kissed the woman's cheek before placing herself back against Nat's shoulder. This seemed to activate some mode in Tasha that made her fuss and tut sweet nothings at her in Russian as she peppered the side of her head with kisses. Wanda basked in the affection, basked in the affection of her mother. It was enough for now, Wanda supposed. She might only ever have Natasha like this for these precious few months, but it was more than she could hope for, more than she thought could be possible when she thought about the despair of a little orphan girl locked away in a cell that seemed so distant now. So maybe this short, wonderful time would be enough for her, maybe.

"Now, are you hungry?" Natasha asked in a business like tone as she finally pulled away from her again, "I brought your favorite Thai from the city."

Glancing at the bags the woman had set down, she saw one of them was an overstuffed brown bag inside a white plastic bag that she had come to recognize as standard takeout packaging. Nat must have picked it up in the city on her way home. Wanda nodded with excitement, a question on her lips that Tasha answered before she had to ask it, "With the spring rolls. It should still be warm, unlike you. You should be wearing a coat."

Wanda realized she only had Natasha's blanket wrapped around her shoulders and shivered a little. She then realized that said article had been pilfered from the woman's closet without her permission. The girl started pulling the cover off of herself to give it back, "Sorry, Steve found it in your closet. He thought it would be okay for me to borrow."

"It's alright, milaya." The redhead stopped her movements and wrapped the blanket back around her. She asked knowingly, "You like it?"

"Yes, it's soft." Wanda admitted, rubbing her cheek against it.

Natasha gave a small, perhaps reluctant grin, her statement making Wanda smile brilliantly, "You keep it.. Now let's get inside."

The Black Widow picked up her duffel bag and Wanda helped by picking up the food. Tasha slung her arm around her shoulder as they walked back to the residence, asking, "So what have you been up to, hm?"

Wanda told her a little about her sleepover with Sharon and Steve playing catch with her, saving most of the details for later. As they walked up, they saw Steve leaning against the doorframe. Dashing ahead the last short distance, the teenager announced to him, "Steve, Tasha brought green curry."

"That's great! Saves us from having to figure out dinner." He said with enthusiasm then inquired to Nat, "How was the mission?"

"Fine, easy as pie." Natasha said airily as the stepped inside, Wanda toeing off the boots where she had found them. She turned expectantly to the Avengers, waiting for them to start heading up stairs however, Natasha and Steve were unmoving, sort of looking at each other with words clearly unsaid between them. Her eyes darted back and forth from Steve then to Natasha as she remembered the tense energy they shared in the days leading up to the Black Widow's departure. Wanda had been too upset over Tasha leaving that she had not given it much consideration, though now the uncomfortable feeling was sharply in focus. Her lower lip tucked worriedly into in mouth, and she wondered what had happened between them. Natasha turned to her with a reassuring smile, "Milaya, you go ahead and help Sharon and Sam set up for dinner. I just have to talk with Steve for a moment."

The witch stayed put, until Natasha prodded her. "It's alright, baby. Go on, we'll be just a minute."

She could not help but shuffle forward to the woman and press in for one more hug, Natasha tenderly pinching her cheek as she pulled away. Whatever was going on with the adults did not diminish the glowing feeling that Natasha emitted towards Wanda, so it must not involve her she thought. Trusting them to figure it out, the girl headed to the stairs with their dinner.

/

Wanda came into view almost immediately as the door to the jet lowered open. She was running across the lawn in shoes too large for her and only a blanket wrapped around her, and a smile stretched from ear to ear. Natasha smiled too, her heart practically skipping at the sight of the girl sprinting to her. Briskly walking down the ramp, the agent headed towards Wanda, feeling equal excitement that the teenager displayed for her return. She set her bags down when she realized that Wanda was not slowing down and extended her arms for her as the little witch threw her arms around Natasha's neck. The redhead caught her around the waist, swinging her up off the ground in exuberant greeting.

As Wanda collided into her, her magic also jumped out, snapping to her skin so quickly that it nearly stung like a static shock. Natasha did not have to tell her to ease up as the red swirls crawling up her arm quickly soothed over her skin. She did not quite know what Wanda felt when she did this, but for Nat it was warm and connecting and strangely soft, not at all feeling like it could blast through robots or tear through vibranium. She had missed the sensation over the last few days and was relieved to feel it once again, relieved to have the weight of Wanda in her arms. Her little witch, her sweet girl, her baby.

Natasha continued to hold the teenager suspended in the air, wanting to feel the fullness of having her so completely in her arms once again for just a bit longer, "Hi malyshka."

"Hi." The reply was happily mumbled into her neck. Lowering the girl the short distance back to the ground, Nat mindlessly swayed with her, one of her hands shifting to slide her fingers into Wanda's silky hair at the back of her head.

She asked with a teasing tone, "You didn't miss me, did you?"

"No." Wanda's contrary response made her smile wider.

Natasha hummed with amusement then gently pulled Wanda away from her, cupping her hands around the girl's face to inspect her, "Alright, let's see you."

Wanda only looked slightly worse for wear since she had left with darker circles under her eyes and almost imperceptibly paler skin. She wondered if the Sokovian would have gotten worse if she had been gone any longer and she pushed down her worry. At least she seemed relaxed now, her green eyes bright as she looked back at Natasha who gave her assessment, "You haven't been eating enough."

The witch's expression turned a bit reticent, and Natasha knew that she had been correct in her conclusion. Wanda ticked her shoulders up in a helpless shrug as she leaned in to kiss the woman's cheek and tuck herself back against Nat's shoulder as if asking for forgiveness. Natasha hugged her tightly after the gesture, pressing her own kisses against the girl's head and murmuring to her in Russian- telling her nonsense things like if she did not eat enough she'd blow away in the wind and generally fussing over her that made Wanda snuggle in farther and giggle. The spy cleared her throat a little and went on with feigned seriousness, "Now, are you hungry? I brought your favorite Thai from the city."

Her smile widening, Natasha could practically hear what Wanda would ask in her mind which she answered unprompted, laughing lightly, "With the spring rolls. It should still be warm, unlike you. You should be wearing a coat."

The Black Widow then realized that it was not a blanket around Wanda's shoulders but her Burberry wrap, her rather expensive Burberry wrap. Seeing Wanda swathed in it, she could tell it had become one of those items that the girl had taken a shine to and joined the ranks of her favorite things- her SHIELD sweater, her sapphire ring, her stuffed shark. She got the feeling that even if it made its way back into her possession, the teenager would seek it out again and again. As if Wanda could tell what she was thinking, she started to pull off the shawl with some regret, "Sorry, Steve found it in your closet. He thought it would be okay for me to borrow."

"It's alright, milaya." The redhead stopped her movements and wrapped the blanket back around her. She asked knowingly, running her hands up and down Wanda's arms, "You like it?"

"Yes, it's soft." Wanda admitted, rubbing her cheek against it. Any chance that the woman would reclaim the wrap diminished to nothing at the sight of her taking comfort in it. Natasha internally sighed at herself, realizing there was very little she would not do to make the little witch happy and comfortable.

"You keep it.." Her words brightened the smile on the girl's face, reminding her of why these little concessions were worth it. "Now let's get inside."

Wanda picked up the bag of food as Natasha reached for her travel bag. The redhead slung her arm around the girl as she asked, "So what have you been up to, hm?"

"Sharon and I had a sleepover last night. She painted my nails." She said holding out her free hand that was stuck between their bodies to show the dark purple color her fingernails were now painted. "We watched The Notebook.. but I don't know if I liked it very much. And Steve taught me how to play catch with a baseball and glove."

Suddenly she broke off, "Steve! Tasha brought green curry."

The Sokovian hurried ahead the last little distance to get back to the warmth inside. Steve who had been watching them approach, leaning against the door frame with an affectionate smile plastered on his face shifted to the side as he let her pass, saying enthusiastically, "That's great! Saves us from having to figure out dinner."

"How was the mission?" He turned his questioning gaze to Nat and their conversation from before she left came rushing back to her. His adamant insistence and her stubborn denials and how she had been so certain she had been right then and now, now she felt hopelessly lost when she thought about everything.

"Fine, easy as pie." She stated lightly, though meeting his eyes with her own serious look. Natasha knew they needed to talk though she had not expected to have their conversation so immediately upon returning. But there were too many things to be said from before and now even more from after her trip. At least their brittle anger from their last discussion had flaked away, and there was a soft, contrite current that flowed between them. Breaking her stare with Steve, the redhead turned to Wanda who was looking at them with her lower lip caught in her mouth and a little worried crinkle in her brow, clearing sensing something was amiss. Natasha gave her an easy smile to try and assuage her concern as she said, "Milaya, you go ahead and help Sharon and Sam set up for dinner. I just have to talk with Steve for a moment."

The little witch remained unmoved, and Natasha prompted her again in a serene tone, "It's alright, baby. Go on, we'll be just a minute."

Wanda seemed to nod a little however instead of heading to the stairs went back to Natasha, sneaking in for a quick hug that Nat easily returned. As the girl pulled away, Nat briefly trapped the apple of her cheek between her thumb and index finger with a soft smile then let her go to start making her way up the steps. The Russian watched her go until her had entirely disappeared. After she was sure Wanda had gone she quietly asked, "How was she?"

"She did okay-" His words sounded off and hesitant though and she interrupted him with the flat demand.

"Just tell me Steve."

He sighed, "She hasn't eaten much since you left, stayed in her room a lot. I think having Sharon come back yesterday helped.. The worst was she had a nightmare the first night, didn't really say much about it just that she thought you were gone. She was so upset I thought something might have actually happened to you. I almost broke protocol and called you.. I took her to your room to sleep and she settled down though."

As Steve filled her in on the last few days Natasha felt a terrible churning sensation, thinking of Wanda distraught and asking for her only for her to never come. The woman rubbed her brow as she admitted, "You would have had a better reason than me.. I almost called just to say goodnight."

She had expected Wanda's separation anxiety but what she had not anticipated was her own separation anxiety. On her whole journey to the safehouse, Natasha had felt a sense of unease, all of it stemming from worrying over the little witch, questions real and imagined bubbled up in her. Was Wanda still crying? Had she eaten breakfast? Would she be able to sleep? What if she had a nosebleed? The agent paced around the apartment she had been set up in like a caged animal until finally she resorted to having a couple shots of vodka to calm her nerves. Despite knowing that some time apart would ultimately be good and necessary for them, Natasha had despised every moment of it, feeling as though she were abandoning the teenager in some way.

"It wasn't a good time." Steve said in understanding, "But for the first time, not the worst it could have gone."

The woman crossed her arms over her torso, dipping her head in agreement but still feeling bad about the whole experience. Then looking at the floor, she released a shuddering breath, "Steve, I.. you were right."

There was a frozen second of time before the captain asked cautiously, "About?"

"I can't let Wanda go live on the farm. I'm not strong enough to do the right thing.. I need her here. She's my-" Natasha's words dropped off as she completed the thought desperately in her head. She's my daughter. Her chest filled with a crushing love for Wanda as she finally spoke the feelings that had been steadily building in her since she had left the Compound. Though really it had been building far before then- every ignored heart ache at the thought of Wanda leaving, every night the girl spent pressed into her side to keep away a nightmare, every hard won smile, every time Wanda looked at her with her big, green eyes and placed her unwavering trust in Natasha- their relationship had become something more than she could have dreamed of. Her voice cracked under the weight of it as she looked up at Steve with glittering eyes, "She's mine."

Steve rushed forward then, wrapping his arms around her, engulfing her in his warmth and support. Pressed into his chest, tears gently escaped down her cheeks as she gripped the front of his shirt and released the pent up emotions that overwhelmed her. She quickly stifled the tears though, and she whispered against her partner, "I don't know what I would do without her."

He inhaled deeply then expelled heavily before deciding on his words, "Keeping Wanda doesn't make you weak. You're so strong, Nat. Loving Wanda only makes you stronger."

"She deserves more than me." Her voice sounded quieter, tinged with unusual, lingering self-doubt.

"That's not true." Steve corrected her. "She deserves to be happy and safe and loved. Nat, you do that for her in spades.. And you deserve to be happy too."

A small but genuine smile pulled at her lips as she thought about how happy Wanda made her; all of the excuses and refusals her mind created drifted away in favor of imagining a life with the little witch. She could not fight what was in her heart any longer. Still one last string of doubt plucked inside her, "What do I say to Clint and Laura? What if Wanda doesn't-"

"Clint and Laura will understand, you just have to talk to them. And talk to Wanda." Steve moved so he held onto her upper arms, shifting her back slightly so he could look her in the eyes, "How could you think Wanda wants to leave?"

The words made her smile, knowing they were true yet feeling like they were too good to actually be, "Sometimes I just think I don't know how to do this."

"Do what?"

"..Be her mother." Would Wanda even want that? To call Natasha her Mama in the way the woman felt toward her. She supposed it did not matter what Wanda called her, it would not change her feelings for the girl.

"You have been doing it, Nat. I think you've been doing it since you got her out of medical when she first arrived." Steve stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping away any remaining tears. Leaning into the touch, her gratitude and affection for Steve bloomed in her chest then wilted slightly from the guilt of her harsh words during their unexpected fight.

"I'm sorry about what I said before." Her apology felt thick in her throat, "We are partners. You, me, the team, we can be a family."

He smiled broadly at her, his blue eyes twinkling, and she knew all was forgiven. Steve leaned down and she tilted up to press their lips in a welcoming kiss. Natasha melted for a moment, allowing herself to go lax against him as their lips moved together on the verge of becoming heated. Breaking away Steve kept his forehead pressed against hers as Natasha said slightly rueful, "We should get upstairs. Wanda will be waiting."

"Yes, she missed you. I missed you." He said as they pulled apart from each other.

"I missed you guys too." Natasha grinned as he picked up her bag ever the gentleman. She added though with teasing compliant, "Did you have to give her my Burberry wrap though? I'm never going to see it again."

"The blanket?" He inquired. She rolled her eyes at his cluelessness and nodded as he went on to defend himself, "Sorry, she was upset, and I thought having something of yours would help."

"I don't have a problem with that, but you gave her like a $1100 security blanket."

"Why does that cost $1100?" He suddenly became alarmed, "Why do you even have it?"

"It's cashmere, Steve." Natasha rolled her eyes again at him and started toward the steps. "And Pepper got it for me for Christmas a couple years ago."

"Jesus." Captain America cursed under his breath though not soft enough for Nat not to hear.

She turned around to look at him with feigned shock, "The Lord's name in vain. That's like five Hail Mary's, Rogers."

"$1100 for a blanket." He ignored her jibe and continued to be incensed. "What is the world coming to?"

The Black Widow did little to smother her grin of amusement at his indignation as they walked up the steps together. More would need to be discussed and done to make things official with Wanda. She would have to figure out when to talk to the teenager, maybe speak with Clint first though it did not matter. For now Natasha was simply happy to be back home with her family.

/

When Natasha and Steve rejoined the rest of them in the kitchen, Wanda was relieved to see the easy, sparkling adoration had been restored between the couple with them gently bantering about Steve saying a swear word or something. Selfishly, the little witch eagerly slotted back into Tasha's side while Steve took the woman's bag to her room. With the last of the Avengers present, they quickly settled into a familiar dinner routine, passing around cartons and tubs of fragrant, spiced foods and the newly returned agent told them a bit about her mission before they talked about what had been happening around the Compound. Everyone politely leaving out how melancholic the youngest of them had been, which she appreciated though Natasha of course would know about it. She always just knew about those things. Wanda kept her foot hooked around Nat's ankle as they happily chatted, and the woman good-naturedly pestered her about how much she ate. Then they cleaned up and decided to have a team movie night, or what started as a team movie night. Vision had declined claiming that he wanted to finish some reading. Sam and Sharon who looked very cozy with each other excused themselves not too long into the film, as did Steve saying he had an early training session with recent recruits in the morning that he wanted to be well rested for.

So it ended up with just her and Natasha in the entertainment room, the redhead laying against the back of the couch and Wanda laying with her back pressed into the front of Tasha. Wanda's blanket was draped over their legs, and their hands were intertwined over her stomach as the little witch's magic lazily weaved in between their fingers while the movie played. The Sokovian found herself not really following along with the film about a princess in love with a masked man with a sword, and there was a giant and some other guys too that maybe kidnapped the princess but that was as much as she had gathered as drowsiness descended upon her. She had not slept well the past few days and with Tasha lovingly wrapped around her she felt relief in finding sleep rapidly approaching. Not caring to finish the movie, the girl turned in Natasha's arms to curl against her chest, her fingers reaching to toy with the necklace she had given back to her earlier.

The woman idly kissed her forehead and resituated her arms around Wanda to hold her. The little witch felt utterly content and relaxed as her breathing started to deepen. On the edge on consciousness, she breathed out, "I missed you, Mama."

/

"I missed you, Mama." Wanda murmured into her skin. The words made Natasha's heart jump in her chest and a warm pleasure flush through her body, like everything was aligned completely and perfectly. At the same time she felt the teenager tense against her, the even, steady breathing she had been doing was now short, ragged and subtly panicked.

She ran her hand down Wanda's back, speaking to her soothingly, "Wanda, honey?"

The girl jerked herself away in a flash, practically falling off the couch as she rushed out of the room and leaving Nat feeling a little dazed and concerned and elated; concerned about why Wanda had become upset but unable to stop the brimming joy at hearing her use that name for her. Realizing that she needed to go after the little witch, Natasha pulled herself up off of the couch and hurried after her, guessing she would go to take refuge in her bedroom. While uncertainty and a bit of fear hovered at the back of her mind, she also had a strange sense of calm come over her. Steve had been right. The Widow had been caring for Wanda all this time and now she felt capable and ready for this moment.

Natasha tapped on Wanda's door but immediately pushed her way inside before she could answer. The Sokovian spun around to look at her from where she was pacing the length of her bed. Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears with her hands wringing together anxiously in front of her. Upon seeing the redhead, she blurted out in agony, "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for, malyshka, hm? It's alright." Her voice crooned to her trying to take a step towards Wanda however she matched Nat with her own step backwards and she whimpered, causing the older woman to stop.

"I ruined everything." Her girl sounded so dismayed.

"Ruined what, darling? Nothing is ruined." She desperately wanted to understand as she asked slowly, "Are you upset because you didn't mean to call me that?"

"No." Wanda said forcefully as the tears that swelled in her eyes caught up with her panic and began to fall. Despite the harshness of her answer and amid all of her distress, the spy was relieved that was not the reason she was so troubled.

"Okay, okay.. Tell me what it is, milaya. It'll be okay, I promise you." She inched closer without the little witch shrinking away.

Wanda took a few shuddering breaths in an attempt to calm herself down, "I'm sorry. I know you have real life to get back to, more important things than me-"

As the teenager repeated a sentiment she had said before in a flailing moment of panic, Natasha's heart plummeted into her stomach. She closed the distance between her and Wanda in an instant, not giving her a chance to shy from her. Nat grabbed her at the elbows, shaking her slightly as she urgently pressed the girl for information, her tone hurt and imploring opposed to angry, "Why would you say that, huh? Why would you think that?"

She wept, "I, I didn't mean to hear in Malibu. I'm-"

"Wanda, that's not true, milaya." Natasha cut off the apology that the girl nearly issued. A wave of nauseous came over her knowing that Wanda had heard her say those words, words that were entirely false and yet she had said them. Suddenly the reasoning for the Sokovian's sudden withdrawal and rapid decline after returning from California became a lot clearer. Her claim to be sad over Pietro had only been a fraction of her grief, perhaps the larger part had been Natasha making her feel unwanted, unloved. Something like horror clawed in her throat at having been the cause of that pain. Looking at Wanda pleadingly to desperately convey the veracity to her words now as her own tears starting to form, "I didn't mean it. I could never meant it, I was just- Nothing is more real or important to me than you are, Wanda. You understand? Nothing, baby girl."

Wanda blinked at her as she tried to comprehend what Natasha was telling her. Stroking her hair with one hand, the Black Widow encouraged her softer now, "Tell me what you want. Whatever you want you can have it, my love."

With tears still spill down her cheeks, words began to spill from Wanda's lips as she put her faith in Natasha once again, "I don't want you to send me away. I don't want to go stay at the farm. The farm is nice. I like the fields and the horses and how big the sky is. I like Copper and Lila and Nate. I like Clint and Laura.. But I love you. I want to be with you. Please Mama, I love you."

At first it sounded as though she had rehearsed the beginning in her head but as she went on she became more desperate and impassioned. Natasha cupped the girl's cheeks, her thumbs swiping away the continually falling tears as she unburdened herself of her feelings. The woman's knees felt weak, and tears began to leak from her own eyes with the powerful emotions that tumbled through her, wanting to soothe Wanda and express her own love for her daughter. She spoke roughly from somewhere deep in her gut, "Of course, milaya. You aren't going anywhere. I could never send you away, I couldn't send my h-heart away. We'll be together. I love you so, so much. I love you too, malyshka."

Natasha pulled the girl to her as she made her own confessions, Wanda's tears turning into something more of sobs of relief to be in her mother's arms as she buried her face in Nat's neck and clung frantically to her. Overwhelmed, the woman lowered them to the ground, leaning against the bed as she pulled Wanda into her lap, and they held onto each other. Natasha pressed sporadic kisses to wherever she could reach around Wanda's head and rocked her, making gentle hushing sounds as the girl slowly calmed down. She felt Wanda's fingers tapping against her collarbone as they were wont to do as if tapping out a secret code just for her. After her tears had seemed to totally subside, the little witch's voice called to her, quiet and raspy from how hard she had been crying, "Mama.."

It was part question and part declaration that the Black Widow could easily answer with everything she had, "Da, moya lyubov. Ya tvoya Mama."

Her voice cracked with emotion as she made the claim. Wanda sighed peacefully, though there was a slight whine at the end as she tried to get impossibly closer to her mother. Without any real thought, a familiar lullaby started vibrating in her throat. Wanda nuzzled into it and finally relaxed that last little bit of tension she had been holding onto. Natasha relaxed too despite the ground not being the most comfortable place. Her body felt to slack to stand with Wanda and she could not bring herself to let her daughter go yet. She just wanted to hold onto her and hold onto this moment for as long as she could.

/

Translation: *Da, moya lyubov. Ya tvoya Mama. = Yes, my love. I'm your Mama.