Hello. Back for chapter number 7. Sorry for the wait. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and oi hope it its you right in the feels.
but for now enjoy the story.
Two days past since Wanda's disastrous date but she still hadn't left the house to go see Xander at the lake if he still went there nor make any effort to find him at his home (even though he had told her that his house was on the other side of the lake from the bartons). She couldn't help it. every time she thought about it the only thing that came to mind was the fact she was an Avenger and he was just a normal citizen and she didn't want him to be off put by the fact she was 'weird" as most people saw her to be. That and he would be in danger around her. it wasn't like she had a secret identity; working with the avengers gained her public notoriety; Xander would definitely be put in danger if she became involved with him.
yet the selfish part of her yearned for that special companionship with him. every time he was around her heart beat went faster and she could feel her cheeks becoming pink. She felt hot all over and had a strange feeling within her that she couldn't quite identify. She hadn't admitted it to anyone aloud because she was embarrassed about it, but she was able to identify that she was attracted t Xander because of it.
unfortunately it was her selfless side that kept her from going outside in the first place. The less contact she had with the outside world the better. Being a superhero was hard enough; trying to keep someone specific safe would only be a distraction. Hell she had been ready to die herself when Sokovia's capital became a meteor and the only reason she survived was Vision, whom was able to save her only because he knew where she was and there was no danger (aside from the aforementioned meteor crisis.) Wanda just couldn't have that on her conscious.
But would it be so bad to…. Wanda stuffed her face in her pillow groaning loudly. Why was she so at odds with herself? Here she was in her room currently trying to suffocate herself in her pillow because she couldn't make up her mind about what she wanted in her life and no amount of self hypnosis (even if she could affect her own mind) could help and she didn't have anyone to talk to about the situation; Clint kept everything off the record to keep his family safe while Tony was publicly known as Iron Man and the head of a major company with a girlfriend who had seen many dangers but survived through it all.
In short Wanda had two different examples of people who were able to have a normal life with two different situations with how they handled their professional life with their personal life. Oh what was a young woman to do.
Wanda proceeded to kick her limbs around like a spoiled brat screaming into her pillow with immense frustration. This was getting her nowhere. She needed to figure out what to do because if she didn't the lack of a decision was going to put her in a straight jacket. After a few moments she calmed down but didn't move from her position still faceplanting her pillow and breathing heavily. "God damn it" she muttered in annoyance before rolling over facing the ceiling instead. Sadly the change in scenery did nothing to ease her mind. how ironic she was here to get her mind off of the trauma she was facing and while that was definitely working she was now facing the problems of being a normal teenager and sadly couldn't seem to deal with that either.
Oh would everyone be laughing at her right now. she couldn't help but think dryly. At least Clint and Laura had stopped asking about Xander or her date with him.
Her musing was interrupted by a quick knock on the door. "Wanda?" came Lauras call from the other side of the door "are you awake? Its almost lunch time!" she told the young sokovian who rolled over and sat up on her bed in response. Wanda hadt even left the room for breakfast today having slept in heavily the past two days and she was obviously hungry because of it as her stomach began to rumble at the mere mention of food. blushing lightly she responded 'Yes Laura 'll be right there!" she said as she leapt from herbed and got dressed and prepared to leave her room.
After getting dressed in blue jeans flip flops a black tank top and her red jacket, Wanda left the room going to meet the others for lunch. She bounded down the stairs to the living room where to her surprise she saw Clint looking like he was waiting for her, a slightly grimm expression on his face "Hey kid" he said a sad undertone in his voice "Clint?" she asked surprised by the somewhat sulln mood surrounding her former teammate "what is it?" she asked Clint smiled sadly before plaving a hand on Wanda's shoulder "after lunch we ill have to pack your things; Cap wants you back by tonight."
Wanda involuntarily gasped, realizing that her allotted time with the bartons was coming to an end. She had been so lost in her daze that she had nearly forgotten that her stay was temporary (not that she would want to be a burden to the Bartons) and to be quite frank, she was not ready to leave the cozy retirement home she had come to like, but she knew she would have to. So rather than complain she nodded before saying "Understood." She gave the archer a smile before the two walked into the kitchen together where the rest of the Bartons were sitting with plates of food in front of them. the air was thick with sadness according to Wanda's senses; none of th bartons wanted her to leave and it showed. However Wanda just smiled through the emotions and sad "Good afternoon everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."
It honestly made Wanda's heart ache to just feel the heavy emotions in the air but during the dinner she decided not to dwell on it instead talking to her hosts like it was just any other day (and playing with Nate, whom she adored almost more than anything else; she was going to miss him the most) talking biut the plans that they had for the remainder of the summer, since it was approaching June the kids wanted to go on a vacation with their now retired father, who seemed more than happy to oblige his eager kids. god only knew the man could use one and definitely not to Europe Wanda mused as they had had quite a few adventures there before they had arrived in sokovia. Maybe Clint should try the beach. That was one of Wanda's most wanted destinations in the world now that she was close to the ocean in Newyork, at least compared to the inland country of Sokovia. Maybe she should talk to Steve about it when she returned later on today ( since he was the only person at the compound that might know anything about New york beaches)
Lunch seemed especially special though despite it just being some sandwichs coutesy of Laura. And Wanda finished hers slowly just to avoid seeming eager to leave since of course she wasn't. she wanted to stay, but her duty as a hero came first at this very moment. besides it wasn't like she couldn't come visit again whwn she had some downtime. It would be a good chance to meet up with Xander again as only she could find him before she left.
Finishing another bite of her sandwich she turned to Clint, who was slowly finishing up his own meal as well. "Hey Clint" she asked rather shyly (much to her embarrassment Clint looked at her "Yeah kid?" he asked "Do you think we can stop by the lake real quick. She asked trying to prevent her voice from warbling "I want to see if I can't see Xander before I leave."
Oh how she would come to regret asking that question for Clint got a mischevious look in his eye and he turned to Wanda with a smirk on his face "you wanna say goodbye to your boyfriend huh?" he asked snarkily.
Wanda's cheeks exploded with pink and much to her irritation her voice jumped up a few octtaves as she squeaked "H-he's not not boyfriend." And it really was a squeak. Her voice hadn't sounded that high since she was a toddler. She gave him a glare but he jut smirked right back. He had stared death in the face multiple times, so a teenager with a huge blush on her face wasn't going to scare him in the slightest even if she did have hypnotic powers (and Wanda knew full well what happened the last time she tried that on Clint.) "are you sure, I've noticed that you keep that picture with you by your nightstand." Laura said with a smirk that was errily similar to her husband, while the older kids just made kissy faces and noises in Wandas direction. Clearly they picked up their love of teasing Wanda from their parents.
"Laura!" Wanda cried outraged "I told you that in confidence" it didn't help that her squeak hadn't gone away, making her sound more like a whiny brat than and angry teenager not that one could tell the difference at the moment with her enraged glare and rich pink cheeks showing her emotions.
Everyone at the table just laughed. "Wanda's got a crush!" the kids chorused getting up and dancing around continuing with their kissy face antics. Al Wanda could do was lower her head and hide her blush with her hands "I do not!" she whined in response, even though they all knew that was a lie. Maybe she should rethink her decision to com visit. They would probably think she was only here for Xander, which didn't sound like a bad thing if all the Bartons were going to do was tease her about their relationship. But they weren't dating at all. they had only gone out once and it ended in disster thanks to Wanda's insecurities. Heck Clint knew this why would he be thinking positively about this?
Answer? because he just loved to get on Wanda's nerves Damn him. he resistance to hypnotizing them all was slowly slipping away. Wanda just sighed in irritation trying to will her blush away while everyone else just laughed at her expense. After a few moments Wanda was able to rid herself of her red cheeks and she sat in her chair like a confident woman glaring at her Avengers teammate and said slightly angrily "I just want to say goodbye to a friend." She emphasized the word to get her point across" so I would appreciate your support on the matter." she said folding her her arms her body enveloping in red mist slightly just to intimidate everyone into shutting up."
Clints eyes widened showing that he had clearly gotten the message and rapidly nodded his head. even though he was an old man (thank you Pietro) he di know when not to push his limits and this was one of those times. Pissed off teenagers were not something he wanted to deal with right now so instead he muttered a quick 'Of course Wanda, we can go check out the lake before we leave." He said.
Thankfully the rest of the lunch was quet after that other than a bit of small talk and very hyper requests for nutella as a dessert (which Wanda was all too ready to agree with; even after being caught like a kid with her hand in the cookie jar it was all she could do not to go out and snack on it again. after having the quick chocolate dessert, Wanda made her way back to her bedroom where she quickly got her cloths together along with any other essentials that she needed.
Just as she was about to finish packing however she spotted the perfectly preserved sketch paper that Xander had given to her when they first met. Wanda had made sure that it wasn't damaged in any shape or form when she placed it on the nightstand and she didn't want it to get damaged in transit on the way t New York either. perhaps it would be better off here until she was ale to find something to keep it safe.
It was odd really. Xander had told her that it was hers and for just a piee of pper with a picture of her on it, it was already a valued possession to Wanda and she couldn't imagine it not being with her or somewhere safe. Of course the Barton homestead qualified as being safe; Laura said the room wouldn't be touched except for the occasional dusting and Wanda just need to find a safe place to put it.
Smiling, Wanda took the sheet of paper and opened the drawer on her nightstand gingerly slipping the piece of paper in there before closing it. There. It was certainly going to be safe there until Wanda returned.
Smiling Wanda grabbed her bags and took them downstairs, going slow to avoid tripping with them on her person. The last thing she needed was to accidently hurt herself on the last day of the trip and put her self out of commission before she actually began her Avengers training. Though the extra few days of relaxation might be worth it to be honest, but she needed to be mission ready before a disaster striked not after. The Ultron offensive was bad enough and she didn't want that to happen again.
After she managed to make it down stairs without tripping over her own two feet, Wanda was surprised by Clint who strode right over to the Sokovian girl and took her bags from her giving Wanda a warm smile "come on Wanda don't tell me you were going to carry all these heavy bags to the quinjet by yourself" he said "Ill help you out" he said before walking out of the front door.
Wanda smiled her heart dropping slightly at the idea of not being around Clint or his family. They treated her like family; they actually admitted to feeling the same way on their picnic on her second day here. She was really going to miss it here. She truly felt like she was part of a family here. Not just on a team of individuals with super powered abilities but a true genuine family, something that she oh so desperately wanted to be a part of.
"Wanda!" Laura called causing said girl to turn to see Laura Cooper and Lila walk into the room, sad smiles on their faces "You didn't think that you would just leave without saying goodbye did you?" Laura asked, prompting the two kids to run over to Wanda and tackle her nearly knocking her over, but she was able to stand her ground and return the kids hugs with one of her own. Wanda couldn't help but smile holding the to kids in her arms. They truly felt like here younger siblings.
After they let go of Wanda, she found herself in Lauras arms. Wanda was quick to return this hug as well, feeling a sense of safety and security in Lauras arms not unlike that of her own mother causing Wanda tro sniff lightly as she tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Thank you for having me she whispered almost to herself.
Laura smiled "You will always have a home here." She told Wanda before the girl eased herself out of the warm hug. Giving the family one last nod, Wanda went out the door to meet up with Clint.
Home. The very word made Wanda feel warm inside. The Bartons truly had become her new family. Would Clint and Laura accept the idea of her calling them mom and Dad? The very idea made her heart jump and her body shake with aniticipation but she was too scared to ask them. It didn't help that she had frozen when they called her family. Shaking her head Wanda gathered her wits and walked out to the quinjet to meet up with Clint. Regardledss of her feelings there was definitely one thing that she needed to ask before they left. She ran up to Clint who was coming off of the jet free of the bags he had taken from Wanda, clearly able to secure her belongings on board. "Clint" she called running up to him. Clint looked at her "Yeah he replied as she managed to sprint the short distance from the farmhouse to the jet "Before we go, would it be alright if we went to see Xander really quickly? I want to apologize to him before we leave since I don't know if or when I'm going to be able to see him again."
She half expected Clint to grin and give her more grief but to her surprise, he frowned and said "If it means that much to you we'll go see the Dawsons." He said causing Wanda to blink Dawson? Xanders's last name was Dawson? Wait a second, if Clint knew that that would mean….
You knew who Xander was all this time? And youre telling me this now?!" Wanda screamed slightly outraged her eyes red with fury. Why was it everytime she felt safe and happy Clint said something that made her want to hex him?
Clint raised his hands in surrender realizing the magnitude of his mistake but he really didnt want to end up like he did with Loki, or worse thinking he was a six year old girl. "Sorry Wanda it kind of slipped my mind, especially since we were having too much fun teasing you about it." Wanda raised her hand threateningly getting ready to flick him into the jets front console so Clint quickly continued "but I can see that this means a lot to you so I can buy us some time to go visit them." He said "they wwont mind, " he told her.
Wanda and Clint left the quinjet making their way over to the lake where Xander had met Wanda before, where Wanda was quick to notice the bench which made Wandas heart ache all the more. She made her way over to it, tryin to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill. To her surprise there was a envelope on the bench where she had been sitting two days prior. The most surprising part was that her name was on it, written in what must have been Xanders handwriting because no one else here knew Wanda's name. gingerly pickin it up Wanda eyes roamed the envelope anxiety weighing on her heart. Why was this letter here? she had told Xander that she was staying with Clint and Laura so if Clint knew Xander why hadn't Xander come to deliver this to Wanda directly? Sighing Wanda supposed that she would only get answers by opening the letter. Carefully she ripped open the envelop not wanting to tear the paper concealed within it, before slipping the paper out of said envelope.
She tossed the envelope away, before scanning the letter, her eyes widening as she read each word on the page.
Wanda,
I wanted to give you this in person, but to be honest I was afraid to face you. You seemed to have a lot on your mind and despite our date, it wasn't my place to intrude on your life since you didn't seem comfortable sharing it with me. I don't mind that since we don't know each other that well, but im going to be honest with you. You deserve that much from me at least. I feel there is a connection between us; whatever that may be I'm not sure but I'd like to explore it with you. The thing is, I'm not going to be here by the time you read this letter as I am going out of state to college to pursue my dreams. Hope to run into you here again sometime.
From,
Xander
Wanda read over the letter several times tears ready to fall, before she took the paper and crushed it within her hands, furious that Xander virtually admitted to liking her but was abandoning her all in the same breath. What a coward!. She threw the crumpled ball off paper as hard as she could letting her anger get the better of her before she turned and stomped off in a huff screaming in outrage at having been treated like she had. The worst part was he didn't even tell her where he was going so she couldn't be followed even if she wanted too.
Clint watched her go relieved that he hadnt been the target of her anger ut couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor girl. Xander could have at least said this to her directly instead of through a letter regardless of his fears. But then again he didn't know the boy all too well so it wasn't his place to judge him after all. "Wanda we can go too his house see if his parents are—" Clint began but the enhanced girl whirled around her body flaring with red auras and a look of absolute fury all over her face. "Shut your damn mouth Barton!" she roared "I don't want anything to do with him! He has the nerve to get me to like him then just leave?!" she shouted angrily "ugggh!" she cried "I can't believe I actually - AHHHHHH!" she roared her powers going out of control, the wind whipping around her as her powers flared with a menacing explosion before she all but ran back to the homestead clearly wanting to leave as soon as possible.
Clint sighed heavily before her slapped his forehead and ran his hand down his face. So much for Wanda having time to heal. Now she was returning to New York with a completely different attitude. One of a very homicidal teenager. Steve was not going to be happy about this. Grumbling under his breath Clint followed Wanda out of the clearing and back to the homestead. He prayed that Wanda would calm down otherwise it was going to be a very turbulent flight on the way back to the compound.
The trip back, much like the trip to Missouri, was tense and silent, though for a different reason than when Wanda had left New York. There was little Clint could say to her to cheer her up about that matter; he had pissed her off by letter her know he was familiar with Xander in the first place. The last thing he needed was her pissed off while on the quinjet. Wanda was tense enough as it was, sitting there with her hands I her lap balled into fists her teeth gritting so tightly it was remarkable that they hadn't shattered.
Yep she was definitely angry. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to explain what happened to Steve. Steve had his own issues with romance and wasn't the best equipped to handle them; in fact no body on the team was, since they were either naïve on the matter, couldn't really relate or went way to far off on the subject to be able to explain it to Wanda properly.
In short Avengers and dating did not really mix. So Wanda was not going to have a mentor on the subject for quiet a while. May god help those who are caught in her wrath.
The good news for Clint however was that the trip was rather short; he had managed to get to New York a little quicker by obviously flying faster. Wanda was so caught up in her anger that she hadn't really noticed that Clint was all but speeding (and most likely breaking several air traffic control laws in) in an effort to get her off his hands before through threw a hypnotic temper tantrum in the wrong environment.
Before long the view shifted from the open air thousands of miles in the air to the airspace of the Avengers compound much to Clints relief. Before long the commlink crackled to life and the familiar voice of the War machine could could be heard over it "This is Rhodes, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with this morning?" he asked in a clearly fake over the top customer service tone of voice causing Clint to Snigger. "Nice to hear from you too Rhodes." He quickly cast a side glance at Wanda who didn't do much as twitch from the interaction going on between the other two "Im happy to say the plan was a success and I'm just brining my dear friend home from the holidays." Once again Wanda didn't respond.
"good to hear Clint, just bring the jet down to Hangar 1. The captain will be waiting for you."
"Roger that!" Clint responded as he piloted the quinjet to its intended destination, slowly easing it into the hangar until he managed to land it safely. Quickly putting in the appropriate command, Clint shut down the engines, listing to them whirr into silence, before turning to Wanda who remained as still as a statue.
"Wanda?" Clint asked gently, but the sokovian didn't respond. She just continued to stare at her lap, not doing anything to acknowledge Clint's words. Biting his lip Clint reached out to the girl, gently placing his hand on the poor girls shoulder and shook it gently, trying to get Wanda's attention "Kid are you still with me?" he asked a slight teasing tone in his voice.
Wanda finally looked up at Clint and for the for the first time, Clint saw that she had been crying tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were red and blood shot showing that she had been crying for quite a bit of time. How had he not noticed this?
When Wanda finally spoke the words that came out of her mouth shocked Clint to his core "I don't want you to leave Dad."
Ok, Any thoughts on that? I hope you enjoyed that twist.
Till next time.