AN: Thank you for reading! I should have mentioned in the first chapter that this story is completely written. I am just posting it. I will post the third chapter soon, and then I will post every Saturday unless something changes. I'd love to hear what you all think! Happy reading!
"Here you go," Natasha said, setting a bowl of pasta in front of Wanda.
The faux teenager picked up her fork and started to move the pasta around one noodle at a time.
"You went and spoke with Stark," Wanda spit out in a harsh tone, her mouth a thin, straight line. "What did he find out?"
"Nothing at the moment."
"Did you or anyone else ever consider that perhaps there is no cure to this? And if there isn't any cure, what happens to me?" Wanda asked, now stabbing her noodles.
Natasha watched Wanda for a moment. There was something off about the woman, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
"What do you want to happen?"
"I'd get a choice?" Wanda asked, brightening up slightly, her shoulders and back much straighter.
The moment that Natasha looked over at her, Wanda looked away with a scowl. Natasha, though, watched Wanda with a quizzical look.
"I am not sure what you mean, Wanda. I know things are a bit frigid right now, but even if we never get you back to your real age, it won't change anything once we figure out how your powers work for you in this body," Natasha explained. She reached over and rubbed Wanda's arm. "Is that something that you are worried about? How your powers work and what we are going to do with you?"
Wanda shrugged and continued to pick at her food. Natasha moved over to the table and sat down beside her, putting a hand on her back, "Hey, are you okay? You haven't been eating a lot, but you have done more than pick at your food, too."
As Natasha rubbed her back, Wanda felt herself leaning into the touch. Her chest felt warm and the heaviness that had been monopolizing the pit of her stomach lifted, even if only slightly.
"Is there something wrong with the food, Wanda? I will be the first to tell you that I am not the best cook. I can get Steve to sit with you and run out and pick something else up."
Wanda turned her head up and squinted at Natasha for a moment before she shook her head, "The food is fine … why would you do that anyways? Go out and get me more food when there is perfectly good food sitting right in front of me …"
"Sometimes people just want something different than they have at home. You are healing and already not eating enough, so if there is something you want, I will either try to make it or go and get it."
Wanda let out a short, huffy laugh and shook her head, leaning into Natasha once more before she quickly straightened up, "I am okay with this. I am not really hungry at the moment. But I will eat more tomorrow. I am sure that you are bored though, you don't have to watch me every single second of the day. You can go train or hang out with the others. I promise that I won't do anything. Watch tv or maybe read a book. I have several books in my apartment, so I can go …"
"Nope," Natasha said, popping the 'p' as she stood up and moved back into the kitchen. "The moment I leave you, you end up trying to overexert yourself. You did it again today when I went to talk to Tony. I came back and you were going to do a load of laundry! When I say to rest, that is exactly what I want you doing, Wanda Maximoff."
Wanda looked down, wiggling in her seat a bit as she twisted her fork around in her hand.
"I just don't think that it is necessary for you to be so … worried. I am fine. You know that I am fine. Being a bit sore – come on, Nat, you know that it comes with the territory. Sometimes we get hurt. We are Avengers."
Natasha's eyes narrowed and she moved back to the table with her own bowl of pasta. She sat across from Wanda and leaned near across the table, staring daggers at the woman across from her.
"You better be glad that you are not actually a teenager, Miss Maximoff," Natasha threatened in a stern tone.
Wanda gave off a nervous giggle, once more shifting in her seat awkwardly, as if she had ants in her pants.
"What do you mean by that?" Wanda asked her, completely unable to make eye contact. In fact, Natasha found it almost hilarious how hard the little witch was staring at her bowl of pasta.
"I mean that if you were really a teenager, I think I would have swatted you by now for your inability to listen."
This time, Wanda's head shot up, her mouth hanging open, "What?"
Natasha stifled a laugh, biting the inside of her right cheek just a bit as she watched the blood leave Wanda's face.
"Yep, I would have swatted you by now. And if you even thought about putting yourself in danger like you did with the coms … I would have one hundred percent taken you over my knees and spanked your naughty little butt," Natasha joked.
Wanda's face suddenly filled back with color, turning a magnificent shade of red. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open even wider now.
"Natasha!"
Seeing the look on Wanda's face, Natasha could no longer hold back her laughter. The tinkling, jovial sound that came from Natasha caused Wanda to look at her sharply, her brow furrowed above her eyes.
"You would really do that?"
It took Natasha several moments, but once she stopped, she continued to smirk at Wanda, "Let's just say that it is a really good thing you are actually an adult."
Wanda went back to eating her food, albeit slowly. Natasha continued to smirk slightly at the look that Wanda had given her. She went back to her food, moving one hand around the bowl, and then quickly eating it. Less than two minutes later, she was finished eating, and looked abc at Wanda.
"Since you have to take it easy, and I refuse to let you do anything else, do you know how to play poker?"
Wanda instantly shook her head, though her body deflated a bit.
"Good. Then I will teach you."
Hearing that, Wanda instantly smiled, "Yea?"
Natasha nodded, "Yep."
"Okay, I am finished," Wanda said, pushing her half full bowl away and towards Natasha. The Black Widow picked up the bowl and shook her head slightly, but said nothing to Wanda. She had never really paid attention to how much Wanda ate, and now she wished that she had.
She grabbed her bowl as well and took them into the kitchen, placing them near the sink. Perhaps they should have made sure that the Scarlett Witch knew that she was allowed to eat as much as she wanted … Natasha shook her head. From now on, she was going to definitely make sure that Wanda actually ate.
Walking over to a drawer that she had long ago labeled the junk drawer, she pulled it over and grabbed a deck of cards.
"Are you sure that you are well enough right now for this? Maybe you should take a nap first," Natasha said, reaching across the table to feel Wanda's forehead.
Wanda leaned into it slightly, and then just as quickly pulled back. "Nat, I haven't had a fever at all. You are being a bit dramatic."
"Hmm," Natasha said, sitting back down in her seat across from Wanda.
Wanda moved her arms off the table and settled her hands in her lap and watched as Natasha shuffled the deck of cards with expert precision, her hands moving with grace and finesse. It surprised Wanda to notice that, despite how graceful the simple task was, Natasha's hands were littered with scars. Even so, her nails were expertly polished, a bright, vivid red.
She was intrigued by the game, but she had never played poker before. Sensing Wanda's curiosity, Natasha looked over at her, still shuffling the cards as she did. .
"Alright, Wanda," Natasha began, her voice steady. "The first thing you need to know is the basic hand rankings. The highest-ranking hand is the royal flush, followed by a straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and the lowest-ranking hand is a high card."
Wanda nodded, her eyes still focused on Natasha's hands as she continued to shuffle the deck. Natasha then dealt two cards facedown to Wanda and two to herself. She explained, "These two cards are called your hole cards. They are yours alone and will remain hidden from anyone else who is playing – obviously right now, that is just me. Now, let's move on to the next step."
Natasha placed five cards face-up in the center of the table. She explained, "These are the community cards that everyone can use to make their best five-card hand. The goal is to make the highest-ranking hand possible using a combination of your hole cards and the community cards."
Wanda looked at her two hole cards and the five community cards, trying to make sense of the combinations she could form, although it was all crowding in her head. Natasha noticed her almost blank expression and quickly explained. "To make a hand, you can use one, both, or none of your hole cards. It all depends on what you think will give you the best chance of winning. Now, let's talk about the betting rounds."
Natasha explained the different betting rounds, from the pre-flop to the river. She outlined the importance of strategic betting, reading opponents, and managing one's chips. Wanda absorbed the information, her determination evident in her eyes.
"We aren't even playing with chips though …" Wanda said, looking around the table.
"Nope, but next time we will."
"There will be a next time?" Wanda asked, surprised.
Natasha looked at her oddly and nodded, "Why do you think that I am teaching you how to play something that I enjoy? For shits and giggles? Of course there will be a next time. I need a formidable opponent … and that will be you."
"No one else plays with you?" Wanda asked, her sweaty palms clutching the cards in her hands. She took one hand away and wiped it against the leg of her pants, and then did the same with the opposite hand.
"Tony enjoys a good game. Steve, too. I just think it would be nice if you could join us on those odd nights, and others we can go against one another if it ends up being something that you like playing," Natasha said with a shrug.
Wanda smiled timidly and nodded before whispering, "I would like that a lot."
With the basics covered, Natasha decided it was time to put theory into practice. "Okay, Wanda, let's play a few hands. I'll guide you through the process, and we'll see how it goes.. Remember, poker is not just about the cards; it's about understanding your opponents and making calculated decisions – this could really be important for you later, too. And not only when Tony talks you into playing."
Wanda laughed, though she was trying to pay really close attention to the game at hand. At the moment, it felt far more complicated than Natasha seemed to think it was.
As they played, Natasha demonstrated the art of bluffing, the significance of betting patterns, and the importance of maintaining a poker face.
"Nope," Natasha said quickly, "I can see the twinkle in your eye and the smirk on your face from here. I am folding because I know that you have a good hand."
Wanda smiled shyly and then let out a short laugh, "I am trying to hide it. I mean, I could hide it for real if I wanted to use my powers to change your perception. But what fun would that be?"
Natasha snorted, "That would be cheating, brat. No cheating at poker. Well, the exception might be if we go a couple rounds with Tony and Steve in a few weeks. After I know that you have the game down. Then we will talk about that."
They continued to play.
Hand after hand, Wanda began to grasp the strategies involved, though she definitely had trouble bluffing her way out of most hands. She did surprise Natasha with the fact she was picking the game up quickly otherwise.
As the night wore on, the atmosphere around the poker table grew more intense. Natasha looked over at the clock that was on the wall, "Shit. We have been playing this for hours. Are you hungry? You really need to rest soon, too."
"Nat," Wanda groaned a bit, leaning her head over the back of the chair so that she could stare up at the ceiling, "Seriously, you worry far too much. I am fine."
"I will be the judge of that. Do you want a bath tonight, or tomorrow? Remember, we are having lunch with the guys and Pepper tomorrow."
"Yea, I remember. Tomorrow is okay. I am not hungry now."
Natasha nodded, standing up to go to the fridge, "A glass of orange juice then and you can go to bed.
Wanda gave a bemused smile and then just shook her head, "You seriously are just worrying far too much. What were the others thinking when they gave you this task?"
"Gave me? It was a mutual decision. Besides, you actually listen to me – at least a little. You don't listen to them at all."
It was all Wanda could do to hide the smirk on her face as her face flushed red.
"Are you sure that you are up to having dinner with everyone?" Natasha asked, staring up and down at Wanda, feeling her head for what Wanda felt like was the millionth time, causing her to roll her eyes and brush Natasha's hand away as she ducked her head.
"Nat, seriously, you are overthinking this entire thing. It has been several days. Again, I haven't run a fever. Today I haven't been sore. I haven't even so much as moved without asking you first. I am good, I promise."
"Hmm," Natasha mumbled, staring at Wanda up and down. "You know that dinners with everyone last a while …"
Wanda shook her head and then smiled at Natasha, leaning into her without thinking, "You worry too much. I am really looking forward to this."
Natasha instantly put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze, but then Wanda backed up quickly, looking away and wringing her hands before finally forcing a smile back on her face, "Come on, I bet Pepper already has dinner ready."
It took a few moments, but Natasha nodded and followed Wanda out of the room.
Pepper Potts bustled around the kitchen, trying to make sure that everything was finished and ready to go on the table.
As the aroma of freshly cooked dishes filled the air, Pepper smiled, knowing how much everyone always looked forward to a home-cooked meal. Just as she was about to set the table, Natasha walked into the kitchen, followed closely by Wanda.
"Do you need any help? From me, not the kid over here," Natasha joked.
Wanda sighed, "Pepper, tell her that she is being dramatic. I keep telling her that I am fine. I am feeling a lot better."
Pepper looked at her and smirked, "Maybe try that on someone else. I wouldn't have even let you come to this dinner, but Nat said that you needed to be around other people besides herself. I think you should be in bed."
Natasha snorted, "See."
"I am looking forward to the meal, Pepper. And the drinks. A drink would be really nice," Wanda said, changing the subject quickly.
"Oh, you are not drinking while you are this age and size, Wanda," Natasha said quickly, her widened eyes moving over to Pepper.
"I have to agree with Natasha on this one," Pepper quickly chimed in. "You are so young right now, I don't think that it is a good idea for you to be drinking.
Wanda laughed heartily, her laughter echoing in the room. "I may be young, but I've been drinking for years. It's a Sokovian tradition, you know."
Tony Stark strolled into the room, a mischievous grin on his face as he watched them all gathering the food to take to the table. He grabbed a plate from Pepper and said, "I heard the words 'drinking' and 'Sokovian tradition.' Did I miss something?"
Wanda raised an eyebrow at him, and in a droll voice, said, "Oh, Tony, you always manage to show up at the right moment. We were just discussing my impressive drinking skills. I was letting them both know that I would have no issue drinking Natasha under the table – I bet I could you as well."
Tony snorted, shaking his head and then took a seat, setting the plate on the table as he did, "Well, I have to say, I've witnessed Sabrina's drinking prowess firsthand. I am not sure that she could drink Charlotte under the table, though. I think the last time I tried, I died a little."
Wanda blushed slightly, "Well, let's focus on the food for now. I'm sure Pepper's culinary skills are even more impressive than my drinking."
Pepper smiled brightly at the compliment and began serving the dishes she had prepared.
"This is really good, Pep," Tony said, winking at her.
"No flirting at the table," Natasha joked. "But this beats the pasta that I made last night, huh Wands?"
Wanda looked over at her quickly, "It wasn't bad at all."
Natasha laughed and reached over, patting Wanda's arm, "It is okay, kid. You are just trying to be sweet – we both know that cooking is not my strong point. But that is okay. It hasn't killed either of us yet. Now, if Wanda here doesn't start listening to me more and resting, she is going to be on bed rest another week."
The woman reached over and rubbed Wanda's back after the girl tensed up and glared a bit at the spy.
"It is okay, Wanda. We will find some recipes and make something together once you are allowed to do more. Something from the motherland perhaps."
Wanda relaxed a bit and leaned back into Natasha's hand that was still rubbing her back.
"Awe, look at the mother hen. I knew that you would take to watching the little witch until she's all grown up."
"Oh shut it, Tony," Natasha said.
Not a single person missed the fact that she was smiling faintly as he said, though.
The conversation went on between them, Wanda now more listening than actually speaking.
"I am not sure what Ross wants out of us," Natasha said to the entire table. "They want us to do everything on their timeframe, but honestly, I think even then they will try to blame us for not being there to help. All reading that draft did was let me know that we will be at fault either way."
"Half will blame us for not helping and the other will blame us if we do. But we cannot in good conscience help people. We have to help people. We have a duty to help people," Steve said, moving to the edge of his seat in frustration, shaking his head.
Wanda looked down at him, eyes a bit heavy.
"Ross doesn't like not being in control. He worries about my powers. I am glad that no one let him know how I am right now," Wanda muttered, piercing another piece of food with her fork.
"Sabrina is right, unfortunately," Tony said. "Ross definitely cannot know about this situation. He would use it to his advantage."
Natasha stiffened as she listened to the group talk. Her teeth were gritting together as she listened to the others discuss the Accords and Ross.
Had they not saved more people than had been harmed? New York would have happened regardless.
She shook her head back and forth, frustrated.
"Nat," Pepper's voice came through, causing Natasha to turn towards her with brows raised in question.
Pepper pointed across the table at Wanda, causing Natasha to look over at the girl.
"Oh," Natasha said, and quickly moved her chair back.
Wanda was sitting in her chair, fork in hand, but her head was against the back of the chair, asleep. Her mouth was hanging slightly open and her breathing was steady and deep as she slept.
"I have been telling her not to push herself, but she just doesn't listen," Natasha said softly, taking the fork from Wanda's hand and setting it on her plate. She moved around a bit more, standing before she bent down and put an arm under Wanda's legs and then behind her back, listing her up easily.
Instantly, still asleep, Wanda curled towards Natasha, nuzzling her face against the Black Widow. Her right hand tucked against Natasha's stomach and the other instinctually went to the spy's shoulder.
"I am going to go put her to bed. She thinks she is invincible just because it has nearly been a week since she was hurt."
"And think," Tony said with a smirk on his face, "She listens to you better than anyone."
Natasha smiled and looked down at the momentary teenager. She then looked back up at the others, "I will see you all tomorrow."
She turned and left the room with Wanda.
"And here I was joking about her being a mother hen. She really is turning into one," Tony said.
"I think it's adorable and sweet," Pepper said, her eyes moving from the doorway Natasha had just gone through, back to the table. "It is good for Wanda to have someone she can rely on."
"I didn't know that Natasha could be so …" Steve stalled, looking towards Tony.
"Gentle?" the Iron Man said. "I mean, she regularly threatens me, so I definitely didn't know it either."
"Oh, both of you hush," Pepper chastised them lightly. "Natasha is taking care of Wanda while it is needed. They both probably needed it. Wanda will be back to normal soon enough, and maybe it will give her someone she can trust more."
"True," Tony said, "Hey, are you going to eat that?"
Pepper rolled her eyes playfully, and then handed Tony her plate.
"Ms. Romanoff, Miss Maximoff is having a nightmare," FRIDAY's voice said overhead. Natasha's face went pale even as she jumped up out of her bed, where she had been reading over Tony's latest Accords packet. Natasha headed to the hallway, where the sound of Wanda's distress caught her attention instantly.
Entering the dimly lit room, Natasha saw Wanda's troubled etched face illuminated by the moonlight streaming through her window. The young Avenger was drenched in sweat, her brow furrowed with anguish as her mouth opened in silent screams. Blankets were tangled around her body, one corner of it twisted around left hand. There were sparks of red coming from her right hand. Natasha approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her.
Gently sitting down on the edge of the bed, Natasha reached out and lightly touched Wanda's shoulder, trying to wake her from the grips of her nightmare. "Wanda, wake up," she whispered softly, her voice empathetic. She gently shook the young woman's shoulder back and forth. "It is okay, sweetheart, wake up for me."
Wanda's eyes fluttered open, and for a brief moment, she seemed disoriented and fearful, her powers crackling around her, making both her and Natasha's hair fly in the air. Natasha didn't move much, though, not wanting to set Wanda's senses into overdrive and cause her to lash out with her powers. Instead, she moved her hand around carefully and started rubbing the small of Wanda's back, trying to bring her out of her nightmare completely.
It took Wanda several seconds, but as her gaze met Natasha's soothing green eyes, recognition flickered in her own. She sat up quickly, wrapping her arms around her trembling body, desperately seeking solace with someone at that moment. Tears rushed down her face.
"The bombs were in the house again," Wanda stammered almost incoherently, her hands clenched around the material of Natasha's shirt. "They are dead and Pietro is dead. And Sokovia … the bombs and the experiments … Hydra … shot …"
Natasha's arms wrapped around tightly around Wanda, holding her tightly against her with one arm. She set her chin on top of Wanda's head, rocking her gently back and forth as she untwisted the blankets from Wanda's legs with her free hand.
"It was just a dream, Wanda. A really bad dream," Natasha whispered, her voice filled with soothing compassion. "You're safe now. You're not alone. I am right here and I won't leave until you are feeling okay."
Wanda's tears subsided gradually as Natasha continued to hold her, murmuring random nonsense words in her ear to help calm her down.
After some time, Wanda's breathing steadied, and her grip on Natasha loosened. She pulled back slightly, looking into Natasha's eyes, flushing red right before she looked away, no longer able to keep eye contact with the woman. "Thanks, Nat," she murmured, her voice still trembling. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I am sorry about everything."
Natasha's brow wrinkled above the bridge of her nose and she shook her head, her fingers brushing away a stray tear from Wanda's cheek. "Hey, kid, Wanda. Listen to me. We're a team, remember? We all take care of each other when we need it, even if we all act like our relationships are one big joking matter. I get having nightmares. I promise that we all have them, and it is okay. You don't see the shit that we have seen without having nightmares occasionally. It is okay that you had a nightmare and it will be okay if you have another one. I don't care if you are this age or if you are your real age, you can always come to me. Do you understand that? You don't have to go through a nightmare alone."
Wanda nodded, leaning back into Natasha heavily.
After several moments of silence, with Natasha rocking her back and forth, she quietly asked, "Do you think that you can go back to sleep?"
There were no more words leaving Wanda as she tried to steady her breathing, but she was able to nod.
Wanda did lay back down, her body gradually relaxing into the mattress as she felt the steady thrumming on her back. Natasha stayed by her side, and moved her hand up and started gently stroking her hair until the young Avenger slipped back into a more peaceful slumber.
Wanda peeked her head out of her room and looked around before she stepped out into the hallway and then went down to the kitchen. It was a bit earlier than normal for her to be up, and she hoped that Natasha would stay asleep so that she could retreat back into her room.
Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached up into the cabinet and grabbed a cup.
"You just can't help yourself, can you?" came Natasha's voice from the doorway of the kitchen, causing Wanda to jump.
"Natasha! You scared the shit out of me!" Wanda snapped, and then she looked away, biting her bottom lip as her face turned red.
"Yes, I can see. Sweetheart, why are you up so early?" Natasha asked her.
Surprising them both, Wanda looked up at her, frustrated, and glared, "Stop that! Stop being nice all the time and trying to take care of me. Stop calling me sweetheart and kid. We both know that this isn't going to last!"
"Wanda, I think that you are overthinking things. I care about you. I told you that last night. It doesn't matter if we figure out what happened on that mission – I will still be here for you," Natasha told her sincerely, her brow creased slightly as she did. "I am not sure where this is coming from."
"No, you don't get it!" Wanda said, throwing her hands up in the air and then quickly bringing them down so that she could wrap them around herself. "I know how to take care of myself. You shouldn't have tried to help last night. I will go back to having to worry about everything myself and I would have been fine!"
"Ah, there it is," Natasha said, leaning against the door frame, one delicately manicured eyebrow raised at Wanda. "You are embarrassed about last night. And for no reason."
"What?" Wanda sputtered. "No I … you are just … I just wanted some water …"
"You are embarrassed and that is okay, but it isn't going to run me off. You should know me better than that, Wanda Maximoff. You need someone looking after you right now, and even when you don't, I will stick around to help you or just be around for you. It is what we do. As fucked up a family as we might all be, we are still all a family," Natasha told her.
Wanda looked down at the floor, her forehead wrinkled as she tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Now, are you done with the self deprecating pity party, kid?" Natasha asked, causing Wanda's head to snap up. She glared at Natasha fiercely with narrowed eyes.
"You are incorrigible, Natasha."
Natasha snorted and then laughed, shaking her head, "You are one to talk. Seriously, though, Wanda. It was just a nightmare. I have them sometimes, too."
"You don't need someone to tell you things are okay," Wanda mumbled.
Natasha walked over and instantly over to Wanda and wrapped her arms around the other woman. Wanda tried to back up, but it was with very little effort before she fell into Natasha and then wrapped her arms around her as well.
"I am sorry that I am hard work," Wanda whispered.
Natasha laughed and patted Wanda on the back, "Let's chalk it up to being a teenager right now. Just remember when you are older again that it is okay to ask for help, kid."
"Never going to stop calling me kid now, are you?" Wanda mumbled into Natasha's chest.
"Nope, probably won't ever happen."
"Figured."
Natasha gave her a squeeze, "It is going to be fine. I mean, shit will probably be a bit rough sometimes, especially with the Accords that we are trying to deal with right now, but otherwise, everything will be okay."
"You can't promise that. No one can promise that."
There was silence for a moment and then Natasha pushed Wanda gently back by her shoulders, "You are right. I can't promise that. But even if shit hits the fan we will figure it out, okay?"
Wanda nodded, "Okay."
"Good. Now, let me get you something to drink."
Natasha sat down at the table with a defeated look. She leaned over it on her elbows and looked across at Cho and Tony.
"You are sure that there is nothing that we haven't looked into?" Natasha asked, already knowing the answer.
"You know that I have looked into every single avenue that I could possibly think about. There is nothing. We can't figure out what they did to her," Tony said, his shoulders slumped down possibly lower than Natasha had ever seen them.
"We have to look at this differently now," Cho spoke up. "Miss Maximoff is not going to be able to age back to where she was. We have to tell her and figure out where we go from here."
"She has been acting a lot younger," Natasha added. "The first day or two she acted like her normal self, but since, she has been acting more along the lines of a fifteen or sixteen year old."
Cho nodded, "It could be a side effect of what they did to her."
There was a knock at the door and a few seconds later, Pepper walked in, sitting beside Natasha.
"Tony told me this morning about Wanda," Pepper said. "I was trying to be here sooner, but I was caught up in a meeting. We are going to have to figure out how to tell her. We are going to have to put a plan in place for her. She is already an illegal immigrant here. She doesn't have papers, a passport, nothing. If she is underage, even if she technically isn't supposed to be …" the woman trailed off.
"We can't risk someone trying to take her away from us," Natasha said. "None of us want that to happen and honestly … she wouldn't be able to handle that. She is only now starting to adjust to living with us."
"You have grown attached to her," Pepper stated, looking at Natasha.
"We all have. She has been with us for over eight months," the Black Widow pointed out, staring at Pepper with a fierce look.
"Natasha," Cho said, "We do have to figure out where we go from here."
"We can't do anything without asking Wanda. We can't break her trust like that. Now now when we have finally managed to get through to her. We have to take what she wants into consideration," Natasha told them.
"I agree with Charlotte," Tony said. "The little witch didn't trust anyone at the beginning. She doesn't trust many of us now. Only Charlotte. She seems to like Pep and Barton okay … if we don't bring her in on this decision, it will backfire."
"Decisions have to be made quickly to keep Wanda off of Ross's radar," Natasha said, sitting up. "I will talk to her. Bring her in on this topic. Before we go further. I can go and talk to her now and then let you know what she wants to do."
"I can help you, Natasha," Pepper told her, reaching over and putting a hand on the woman's arm.
Natasha shook her head, "No. I will go and talk to her. And then I will come back and talk to you. I assume you will be the one to help with any paperwork that we will need, since no matter what Wanda decides something will need to be done. You know, since Stark is virtually useless with anything actually helpful like paperwork."
"Hey!" Tony said, sitting up quickly.
It caused the three women in the room to laugh, but it was not hard to tell that none of their hearts was actually in it.
"Okay, I am going to go talk to her now."