Wakanda

"Calm down, Hun," Laura said, as she rocked their infant son, Nathaniel, in her arms. "It's not like you haven't dealt with an obstinate child before. Have you forgotten your older son?"

Clint smirked. He felt all his tension and irritation wash away in the company of his beautiful wife. "God, I miss you! " Laura always had a way of talking him off the ledge. "How is it that you can stay looking so gorgeous after being up night after night with our son? I look horrible!" Clint rubbed his callused hands over his face, feeling how weary he really was. Losing night after night of sleep was wearing thin on him. Somehow doing it for an infant or one of his children didn't bother him as much, but Wanda was different. Not that he minded getting up, it wasn't that but it was the helplessness he couldn't take. Getting up with babies almost always had some sort of fix. You fed them, changed them or rocked them and eventually you soothed them enough so they were content. But with Wanda, he couldn't do a damned thing to soothe her or comfort her. She wouldn't let him or Steve comfort her.

Laura smiled sweetly and moved to lay down the infant. "You don't look horrible, Clint," she said as she kissed the baby's forehead tenderly and moved to grab her phone, leaving the room quietly.

Clint enjoyed observing the bits and pieces of his home as she moved from one room to another. Standing outside their son, Cooper's, room, Laura placed a finger to her lips encouraging him to be quiet as she entered. Laura entered the room and moved her phone so that Clint could see the sleeping form of their oldest child. Cooper was curled up fast asleep, a look of peace and tranquillity on his face. Clint's heart ached in loneliness as he looked at his boy. He missed the child so much. Cooper was so full of life and he relished every moment he spent with his son.

"He's getting so big," whispered Clint. Laura nodded and smiled, pulling up the child's comforter and tucking him in. "What are you feeding him?"

"Not vegetables, that's for sure," she said, walking back to the door and exiting the room.

"Still giving you a hard time about that, huh?"

"That's an understatement. I threatened to feed him his uneaten broccoli for breakfast."

Clint frowned. "Why do you do that?"

"Why do I do what?"

"Threaten and not follow through. It wouldn't kill him to eat broccoli for breakfast, you know."

Laura glared at him. "Do you really want to get into this right now, Robin Hood?" The look on her face was adorable and made Clint laugh out loud.

Laura continued down the hall into their daughter, Lila's, room. Clint smirked when he spied his little girl. She was the resident artist of the family, never far from her markers and crayons. Lila was fast asleep sitting up with a marker clutched in her hand and a piece of paper on her lap. As he watched, Laura carefully disarmed the little girl of her drawing instrument and laid her back in the bed. Lila stirred a little but quickly rolled over while Laura covered her up and switched off her side table light.

"She's a monkey," commented Clint, still chuckling at the scene. "How many times have I told her to go to sleep and not stay up colouring?"

Laura smirked as she brushed a light kiss on the small child's head before leaving the room. Once outside Lila's room, Laura looked into the camera and blinked back tears.

"How much longer, Clint? I miss you so much. The kids miss you, and it's getting harder to pacify them to your long absence. Cooper is really pushing the limits, and Lila asks about you every day..."

Clint felt his heart skip a beat. He wished he had an answer for her but he didn't. It wasn't safe for him to go home yet, not until he got the go-ahead from Fury that he'd been granted an immunity of sorts. He didn't want to risk exposing his family to danger and there was no way he wanted to risk going back to The Raft. Fury had assured him it wouldn't happen because he was a civilian, but Steve thought it was best to wait anyway. Clint was officially done with the whole Avenger business. His family needed him and he just wanted to be with his wife and raise his kids. Deep down, he loved being a farmer just as much as he did being an Avenger. He was content with his life.

"Laura, you know I can't answer that yet."

Laura nodded and sighed. "I know you can't but you can't blame a girl for trying."

Clint smiled at her, "I love you, Laura."

She returned the smile. "I love you too, Robin Hood."

They continued talking as she walked into the kitchen. It was their favourite part of the day when they could talk, just the two of them with no interruptions. The time difference landed at a good time for them…his late morning and her early evening. He called every day and talked to his kids and then spent several hours talking to the love of his life. He cherished the time more than she even knew.

Laura poured herself a cup of herbal tea and sat down at the table, sighing as she did.

"Long day, honey?" asked Clint.

She nodded. "Every day is long without you."

His heart pinched. Every day was long for him too. "I'm sorry, Laura…"

She waved his words away with her hand. "Clint, you don't have to apologize to me. I understand that you are doing your best. How's Steve doing?"

Clint leaned his head back and rested it against the comfortable sofa he lounged in. "Oh, he's doing alright, I suppose. I mean it's tough for him. He's not used to sitting around and waiting. It's not in his nature. Heck, it's not in my nature either. I keep thinking about everything there is to do on the farm and it drives me batty."

Laura took a sip of her tea and smirked. "I don't think it's in any man's nature."

Clint chuckled. "Steve's from a whole 'nother era. He still can't wrap his head around the 21st century and all its peculiarities. The guy is just plain archaic in his thoughts and ideas. And here in Wakanda where half the soldiers are women, Steve definitely has his challenges. I swear it's insulting to the women here for a man to be any kind of gentlemen. It kinda makes me laugh at the guy."

Laura giggled. "I can only imagine."

Clint sobered. "It's not all that bad here though. Be a perfect spot to vacation. Steve keeps busy working out and spends a lot of time by himself. He doesn't talk much about what happened between him and Stark. I've tried to get him to open up but he just asks me to drop it."

"What about the girl?"

Clint scratched his head thoughtfully. "She's hurting, Laura, and she won't let us in. Steve soaked a lot of himself into her after the Ultron incident. He said she'd come so far and was trusting him and doing so well, but that event in Nigeria really got to her."

"But you said it wasn't her fault."

"It wasn't her fault; she just reacted. I mean she's a kid and she's really powerful but there's no way she could have known what to do. Steve blames himself."

Laura was quiet as she sipped her tea. "From what you told me, if Wanda hadn't shielded him, he would have died."

"People would have died either way. Wanda needs to realize that and accept it."

"Aw, Clint, she's just a girl. She can't help the way she feels."

Clint sat up and reached for his mug, taking a sip of black coffee wishing it was an ice cold beer instead.

"It's not that I don't feel sorry for her; I do, but man, that attitude of hers is enough to drive me to the brink. Steve ignores most of it or avoids her. She stomps around the place in the mother of all bad moods 24/7. I'm so close to dealing with her myself."

Laura grimaced at her husband, knowing his tone of voice. "And deal with her how exactly?"

"Pull her over my knee…works with Lila."

Laura looked aghast. "Oh, for heaven sakes, Clint, you can't do that. She's a young woman…"

"Young woman my ass, that girl has the maturity of a 10-year-old most days! If Lila did half the stuff she did, she'd be over my knee so fast, her head would be spinning. C'mon, Laura, you know me."

Laura nodded. "Clint, you said she was what? 16? You can't treat a teenage girl the same way you would an 8-year-old. It's not appropriate, and if it was Lila was 16 and acting out like that, I wouldn't let you."

Clint made a face and groaned. "This is different, Laura."

"Is it?"

Clint ran a hand through his hair and chuckled. "Never could win an argument against you, Love." Laura smiled. "Well, what would you suggest I do with her continuous rebellion?"

"Have patience, Clint and plenty of it. From what you've told me, that girl has been through hell and back; she's lost her parents and her twin brother. That would be hard on anyone, let alone a 16-year-old girl. She deserves a little understanding and sympathy, don't you think? What if it was Lila? How would you want her to be treated?"

Clint thought about it for a few moments before conceding to his wife. "I guess you're right. But I can say this, if Lila ever acted as insolent as Wanda, I wouldn't blame a guy for spanking her."

Laura shot him a look that made him laugh out loud. "You'd break every bone in the guy's body and you know it."

Clint nodded as he laughed. His wife knew him well, but Clint wasn't convinced that in this case, Laura was right. Wanda needed some strong guidance and something a little out of ordinary to shake her out of her funk. He was doing his best to stay patient with her and he would continue to preserve. He owed her that much. And if the truth be known, if anyone was going to put his foot down, that person needed to be Steve. He'd been the one to sign on as the young witch's guardian, and Steve needed to be the one to step up to the plate. Clint planned to go home to his family and Wanda wasn't part of that plan. As much as he cared about her, she didn't belong in his life. Wanda was an enhanced individual, much like Steve and she belonged in his world and not Clint's.

***Island***

Steve stopped running and bent over, resting his hands on his knees as he caught his breath. He felt so alive and in tune with his body when he ran. The wind in his hair and the sounds of nature filled him with some much energy. Wakanda was truly a place of wonderment and delight. The chirping of a flock of birds above him caught his attention and he looked up to admire their beauty. It was so peaceful and serene. It was like a little slice of heaven. It was no wonder the Wakandians worked so hard to keep their existence a secret from the world. They had no desire to let outsiders know how prosperous and advanced their civilization was. It was like they existed in their own time and world. They had their own rules and their own ways of doing things and life was peaceful.

Steve startled a bit when a group of children came running past him, giggling and laughing as they did. Steve couldn't help but smile. He didn't really understand children, and he had to admit he'd been very surprised when he'd discovered that Clint had a family and kids. Not that Clint wasn't a good guy, he was for sure; it was just the archer always seemed so rough around the edges. Seeing the man with his children made Steve appreciate the man in a whole other way. Steve's heart ached a little whenever he saw children. He and Peggy never had the chance to get close enough to pursue marriage and children. He liked to think that given a chance, they would have been good parents together.

"Mr. Steve?"

Steve looked up upon hearing his name and was pleasantly surprised to see young Shuri walking up to him. She was a beautiful girl who always had a pleasant smile on her face. Steve had come to like her very much, especially with all she had done to help his friend, Bucky. T'Challa and Shuri were working diligently on a platform to help deprogram Bucky's brainwashing. They said they had high hopes for his complete healing. "Hello, Shuri," said Steve, warmly greeting her. "Nice to see you."

Shuri smiled at him kindly, "Thank you. You're very kind."

She walked quietly beside him for a bit, and Steve wondered what was weighing on her. "As much as I enjoy your company, I can't help but think something is bothering you."

She smiled again. "You're very astute, Mr. Steve."

Steve chuckled, knowing the teen girl was teasing him.

"I don't mean to be a bearer of bad news, but I feel like I must tell you my worry for your ward."

Steve frowned. "Has Wanda done something wrong, Shuri?"

Shuri waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, and please do not mention this to my brother. He will be angry with me as he told me I should mind my own business. However, he is a man, and he doesn't see things as I do. I mentioned it to my mother, and she agreed with me that I should bring it to your attention, so I am."

Steve stopped walking and turned to look at Shuri with concern.

Shuri sighed. "She uses her red energy to manipulate things. I have often watched her from afar when she does it. She goes off by herself and finds an open area. It is very alarming, and I do not think she wants to do it. She looks tortured as she does it. Her face is distorted and tears fall down her cheeks, yet she hides away and does it day after day."

Steve furrowed his brows. "Manipulates things? What do you mean?"

Shuri looked down at her hands sadly. "I will show you. Follow me."

Steve followed Shuri quietly deep in thought as she led him on a hike to a place where he had not been before. It was hidden in a wooded area about 20 minutes from the main compound where they were staying. After walking a bit, the treed area opened into a beautiful meadow with pretty wildflowers growing in abundance all around. The stunning scene took his breath away. The beauty of Wakanda was breathtaking and so untouched by pollution and greedy business tycoons. It was reminiscent of life a long time ago.

"Over there…" Shuri pointed towards the waterfall. Steve could see Wanda in the distance manipulating the water. Shuri and Steve stood in silence while the girl whirled the liquid in a variety of ways, including submerging herself in it. Steve's heart skipped a beat when Wanda disappeared into it, but Shuri grabbed his arm. "Wait. She'll be fine. I've seen her do it before."

Sure enough, the water receded and dropped into the basin around her once more. Wanda then lifted rocks and trees from the ground and sent them flying towards the water. Steve heard her scream in frustration and pain.

"How often does she do this?"

Shuri shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. I noticed for the first time last week but today was more worrisome than before. Look closely at her arms and legs. I haven't seen her injure herself before."

Steve frowned at her words. "Oh, my," he muttered as he noticed the injuries on Wanda. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Why hadn't he noticed what she did during the day? He thought she stayed in her room for the most part. Whenever he checked on her, she was always held up there, refusing to come out of her room. He took a few steps towards her to stop her but Shuri stopped him.

"Best not to disturb her. When she's like that, it's like she's in some kind of trance. I tried once to engage her and nearly lost a limb in the process."

"She tried to hurt you?"

"The red energy came in my direction until I backed off. Later, I asked her about it and she denied seeing me or knowing I was here. She doesn't seem to be aware of herself when she is like this."

Steve turned to stare at the scene before him. Wanda continued to hurl debris all around, some of it landing in her hair and scratching and scraping her face and extremities.

"It's much worse today," commented Shuri, concern in her voice. "She didn't seem so angry the other days. I should get T'Challa." With those words, Shuri took off running towards the main house. Steve stood speechless. It was like Wanda was standing in the middle of a tornado and he felt helpless to stop it.

"Shuri, wait…" Steve tried to stop the girl but it was no use. Shuri was gone just as quickly as she appeared.

Steve turned back to Wanda. The girl's face was twisted in a mixture of pain and anger, her entire body tense as she wreaked havoc with her surroundings. The teen's feet lifted off the ground as the energy built up around her. Steve felt his heart rate pick up. In all the time he had known Wanda, he had not seen her so powerful and so disconnected. Any other time, she seemed like she had some kind of control of her powers. Now it was like she possessed and being controlled. It was terrifying to watch. His gut told him that he needed to be snapped out it…that he somehow needed to put her out of the spell she was under. He needed to try.

"Wanda!" he shouted towards her. He held up his hands and began to make his way into the violent energy storm. Debris and branches beat against his face and body as he pushed his way towards her. "Wanda, stop it! Do you hear me? You need to stop it this instant!" His voice was swallowed by the energy. Wanda's eyes glowed red as she surrounded herself in a red sphere of magnificent, powerful energy.

Steve pushed closer to her and continued to call to her. "You must stop this, Wanda. You must take control!" He struggled to get closer and reached out to touch her.

The touch caused the teen to spin around and face him, her face enraged and contorted. Steve's eyes widened in horrified disbelief. He had never seen her so disconnected, not since her brother died in Sokovia. It was like she was back there, reliving the moment when Pietro was killed. Wanda held her hands out towards him and the red energy was blasted in his direction.

"Wanda! NO!" he shouted, ducking and rolling onto his haunches to escape it. Steve had felt her power before when she's sent him flying down several flights of stairs. He knew she was powerful…probably more so than he. And without his shield, he really had no way to project that energy away from himself. Wanda had the ability to seriously injure or kill him.

He held up a hand to her. "Stop it! Wanda, you must stop this now before it consumes you."

Wanda's auburn hair floated around her head like a halo. Her face was pale and her eyes haunted and vacant. Tears ran down her cheeks in torrents.

From behind him, an arrow went sailing through the air catching Wanda in the shoulder. Steve spun on his heel to see Clint loading his bow once more.

"Clint! What are you doing?"

"Stopping the little witch!"

Wanda flinched from the impact of the arrow and toppled the ground. All at once the energy dissipated and everything stilled. Stones, branches, dirt and debris fell like bricks making a loud thud noise.

Clint stood poised to take another shot but Steve stepped in front of the girl protectively.

"Are you nuts? You could have killed her!"

Clint stood his ground. "I never miss a target, Steve. I aimed for her shoulder; I hit her shoulder. She'll be fine."

Steve glared at him but turned to examine the teen girl lying on the ground. She was sobbing, holding her shoulder. Steve immediately fell to his knees at her side.

"Stay still. You'll be okay. Let me help you."

Wanda pushed him away. "No, let me alone!" She grimaced as she tried to stand up and toppled to the ground once more. Her hair was a tangled mess around her shoulders and her face was scratched and bruised. Tears still rolled down her cheeks. She looked bewildered and unsure of her surroundings.

Steve brushed a hand over her head as Clint dropped his bow to his side and returned the arrow to his quiver. He walked over and looked down at the girl with a sad expression on his face. He felt horrible wounding her but it was his gut reaction when he saw her attempt to injure Steve.

"She could have torn you apart."

Steve shook his head. "She wouldn't have done that."

Clint looked at the quivering girl. She looked so helpless now, devoid of the power she displayed seconds ago. She sobbed and shook making him feel like a monster.

"You need to let T'Challa contain that energy. You can't…"

Steve raised his hand to quiet his friend. He looked at Wanda shaking and crying. He carefully scooped her up in his arms and held her close to him. "It's a part of who she is, Clint. We need to help her learn to harness it. Taking it away or subduing it for her is not going to teach her self-control."

Wanda struggled to be free of him. "Let me go!" she moaned and as she did she flinched in pain. "Owww, it hurts so much."

"I know it does, sweetie; we'll make the pain go away soon, I promise. Hang in there."

Steve began walking and Clint fell into step walking quietly beside him. The pain had distracted Wanda and disarmed the energy that had taken control of her. It was terrible but Steve had to admit he was relieved. He hadn't been sure he'd be able to disarm her by himself. She was so incredibly strong and powerful…a force to be reckoned with.

"Thanks, man," said Steve softly as they walked.

Clint smiled and patted him on the back. "Don't mention it."