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Chapter 17 Learning

They moved to a three-bedroom suite in a long-stay hotel in the city that was a reasonable walk from the tower. Wanda and Peter were both flabbergasted at the extravagance – but neither Steve nor Natasha saw a reason to rent anything for such a short time. The two teens were taken aback at the luxury.

The internship started well, mostly. On the first day, Peter left the tower at 5 PM – just as they had agreed – but he was the wrong shade. He looked a bit green. "What's wrong with you?" Natasha asked, her concern palpable as she reached up to feel his forehead. No fever, but he still looked peeked.

"I think I'm just hungry," Peter said, pulling away. "I'll be fine."

"Why would you be hungry? When did you have lunch? And you had several snacks with you." She knew – she had overseen the packing of said lunch and snacks.

"Well – "

Her eyes narrowed at him. "You did eat lunch, I'm assuming. Because going this long without eating with your metabolism would be extremely stupid, bordering on downright dangerous. And that is not what you're telling me is it?"

He flushed with embarrassment. "There's not really an official lunch break. And there wasn't a good stopping point – I tried to ask a few times –" He stopped talking when Natasha grabbed his arm and began leading him away from the building. It was only a few blocks to the restaurant where they were meeting Wanda and Steve for dinner. The young woman looked frightened at Peter's appearance but said nothing as Natasha handed him over to Steve.

"I will be back. Order without me. Make sure he gets something to eat – and something sugary to drink - right away. And hold onto him - he's about to fall over."

"Where are you going?"

"To kill Tony."

"It wasn't really Mr. Stark's fault," Peter said, weakly.

"She'll figure that out on her own," Steve assured him.

After a speedy return to the tower, she found Tony in his own lab, away from the Interns. She entered without knocking and stood across from him, glaring. He offered a happy whistle. "Why, hello, Mama Spider. What have I done to displease you today?"

"Why do your interns not receive a lunch break? Peter has gone almost nine hours without eating – you know how dangerous that is with his condition!" He looked up, appearing equally concerned himself.

"Is he okay?"

"He will be. You, on the other hand—"

"I will speak to the supervisor for the interns, Dr. Theymans. They should be getting a lunch break. And a shorter morning and afternoon break, at that. I'm not with them all day, as you can imagine, so I didn't realize that was happening. My bad."

Natasha growled at him. She was slightly deflated because if he was taking responsibility, she had no more reason to yell at him. And she wanted to yell at him. "If this happens again –"

"It won't. Scouts honor." She stalked out of the tower and headed back towards her family for dinner. She thought about visiting Dr. Theymans herself, but she knew from Tony's reaction that he was going to take care of it – and she would much rather have dinner with her family. She calmed herself as she walked, well aware that her agitation would not only upset Peter, but be very troubling to Wanda. The young witch had gotten a heavy grasp on not reading the minds of others, but emotions were still a struggle – and she could get easily overwhelmed when someone she was close to was experiencing heavy sentiments.

When she arrived and joined them at their table, Peter already looked a lot better. "I'm sorry," he said to Natasha, as she sat next to him.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," she told him calmly. "But Pete, you need to speak up for yourself. If no one else is offering a lunch break, you take it anyway. You know how your blood sugar and metabolism work. You can't go that long without eating. I don't care who thinks they're in charge." She didn't say anything else, but she was still muttering angrily to herself about power-tripping scientists.

He had already eaten several appetizers and imbibed three full-sugar drinks when their meals arrived.

"Despite almost starving, how was your day?"

"It was so cool!" Peter said, excitedly. His enthusiasm was catching, and he even had Wanda grinning after a moment. He told them about the work he'd been assigned and they smiled and nodded along, with only Natasha able to keep up with most of the conversation.

While Peter spent his days in labs inventing and creating, Wanda began reading for her fall semester classes. She read in her room, in the suite's living room, or even by the pool – but she also spent a lot of time at the main branch of the public library. A week into their stay, Natasha met her at one of the nicest cafes they'd visited so far and they spoke for a while about the books Wanda was reading and the classes she planned to take at the start of fall.

"I was planning to go to a private spa this afternoon to get my hair done – perhaps my nails. Would you like to go?"

Wanda looked uncertain. "No pressure, Zayka. It's totally up to you. But I thought you might like some pampering. We don't get to do that often."

"The hairdressers – are women?"

"They are."

"I can stay with you? The whole time?"

"Of course, Myshka. But only if you want to."

"I would like to try."

"Alright then." Natasha paid for their lunch, left a sizable tip, and led Wanda from the restaurant. The spa she had already called earlier in the week – and given lot of heads up in case Wanda did want to join her – wasn't far.

It was one of those places where as soon as you step inside, you can be completely unaware that you are in the city. They had gone far beyond Natasha's request – the spa was even quieter than usual – chimes and water fountains were the only sounds that could be heard once the door closed. It looked as though no other customers were in attendance. Her observations were confirmed when the owner greeted them at the door and closed it behind them, pulling the curtain. "Welcome back, Natasha."

"Nice to see you, Amelia. This is Wanda. Wanda, Ameila owns this place. I've known her for a long time."

"Very nice to meet you, Wanda. Welcome." She bustled about. "Well, if you ladies follow me, I have my best hair stylists waiting for you. Trixie was able to come in for you, Natasha – and I thought that Grace might be just the person for Wanda."

Natasha could feel the vibes of fear from Wanda. The teen wanted to grab her hand but was also clearly a bit embarrassed to do so in front of strangers. "Would it be alright if we did mine first – or at least got it started - and Wanda could watch?"

"Of course." The owner brought a chair over for Wanda so she could sit next to Natasha while the older woman discussed what she wanted. Natasha spoke to the stylist for several minutes, settling on the color and cut she wanted. She wanted to go back to her traditional, natural red and allow it to keep growing, so she was only having it trimmed and styled after having it dyed back to her natural color.

Natasha looked at Wanda as the woman worked on her hair. "Do you know what color you'd like to go with? Do you want to keep what you have?"

"No," Wanda said, laughing. "I don't really care for the blonde. It's pretty – but it doesn't feel like me. My natural color, I think."

"And what is that, dear?" Grace asked. "I can start mixing color for you."

Wanda went silent, so Natasha picked it up for her. "Wanda has beautiful strawberry blonde hair."

"Lighter than yours?"

"Much," Natasha said with a wink at Wanda. "But still definitively red. I don't think we have pictures… "

"That's alright," Grace said. "Let me go and get you some samples and you can decide what looks right to you." Wanda looked through the strands of red and eventually, with much consultation with Natasha, chose what she felt was closest to her natural color.

She allowed Grace to begin her hair and seemed calm enough. Natasha continued talking to her, trying to distract her. The only small setback happened when Grace took her over to the sinks and tried to push her chair back to rinse her hair. Wanda jolted upright, eyes wide.

"It's alright, Myshka. Grace just needs to wash your hair. I am right here." Natasha sat on the other side of Wanda and took her hand. "You're safe," she reminded her in a soft whisper. The rest of her hair appointment went well – and she gave a genuinely happy smile when she ended up with smooth, bouncy, strawberry locks at the end.

Natasha and Wanda were able to sit next to one another to get their nails done – and that seemed fine with Wanda. Once they were finished, Natasha kissed her cheek and stood. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to pay. Wait here, yes?" Wanda nodded.

Amelia was waiting for her at the front desk and Natasha could tell she had been studying Wanda the whole time. "That's the little girl who was on the news? That dickhead Secretary of State had her tortured?" She was incredibly grateful that the woman thought enough to speak softly so Wanda wouldn't overhear. The woman's expression was one of absolute disgust.

"Yes," Natasha said softly. "But we don't like to talk about it."

"Can't blame her there." She waved away the woman's wallet. "It's on the house, dear. Anything that child wants or needs – you just call me. We'll make it work."

"Thank you, Amelia." It was, in all, a successful day. Wanda was happy, almost glowing – and that had a very positive effect on everyone.

Steve saw them upon entering "Lovely ladies! How lucky am I to be surrounded by all this beauty."

"And don't you forget it, Rogers." He hugged and kissed Natasha and ran his ringers through her hair. "I get my wife back."

"My hair does not define me."

He shrugged. "It's kind of trademark. They even use it on dolls." Wanda giggled from the placed she'd taken up on the living room sofa.

"Are you saying, Captain, that you would not love me without my red hair?"

"On the contrary. It's just a sight for sore eyes, that's all." He kissed her again and turned to Wanda. "And you look like a regular princess." Wanda blushed.

"I wouldn't go that far," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"I would. You look beautiful, Wanda. Mostly, because you look happy. It's a great look on you."

"It is," Natasha agreed. "But Steve, don't you have somewhere to be?" He looked at his watched, smiled once more at them both, and sped away to meet Peter at the tower. Natasha sat next to Wanda and hugged her. "I'm glad you came today."

"Me too. Thank you."

"Of course, Milyy."

The summer was going rather smoothly, with only a few weeks for their move, when things went pear-shaped. Wanda was leaving the library on a Thursday in late July - just before noon - when the screaming began. She dropped her bag and books in fright. Although her anxiety soared, her training kicked in and overrode the initial panic. She looked around, assessing the situation, and saw that a full-sized airplane was flying straight for the city. Without thinking, she flew up to meet it and used her magic to slow it, then stop it. The people on the airplane were crying from the sheer terror. Their emotions were almost heavier than the plane.

Wanda hefted as much stamina as she could manage and gently guided the plane to the closest open area, which was luckily only a few miles away. By the time she set it gently on the grass, she was exhausted. She stumbled away from the craft, hugging herself as she sat on a rock that edged the park. She was in central park, she was pretty sure. Just a few minutes of rest and she could get back up and go home. Or maybe call a taxi. She wasn't sure she would make the walk at that point. She would have to check on the library books she'd left behind later. Her mind was tumbling every which way.

The minutes of peace and quiet that she'd imagined were, of course, too much to ask for. It took a while, but eventually three personnel from the plane – pilots, maybe, approached her. "Thank you," the first man said, sobbing. He'd spoken before she could politely ask them to leave. She found she didn't have the energy to respond. "You saved over three hundred people on that plane," the woman said. "And countless others on the ground. Words are not enough –"

"She was only happy she could help," a familiar voice boomed from behind her. She jumped slightly but didn't have the energy to turn and see Steve standing there in his dark Captain America gear.

"Captain America," one of the men breathed. "It's an honor." He then looked between Steve and Wanda. Wearing the clothing of a typical college student did not set her apart or make her immediately recognizable. But next to Captain America, they placed her instantaneously. "You're the young one. From Sokovia," he said, in awe. She nodded and smiled weakly, not looking up.

"We need to give Ms. Maximoff some space," Steve said, his tone inviting no room for arguments or delays.

"Thank you again."

"Thank you."

"God Bless." Once they were gone, Steve moved to stand in front of her, blocking her from the view of anyone in the plane or the crowds that were gathering to see what had happened. He wanted to kneel down and hold her hands, hug her. But none of that would do her a favor in such a public venue, especially with the media already gathering, swarming like locusts. Steve didn't want to give them more of a story then they already had.

"Can you stand on your own?" He asked, quietly.

"Not yet," she said, her voice shaking. Steve heard movement behind him. He turned to see Spiderman swinging his way towards them, still a few hundred yards away. From another angle, he watched as several official-looking SUVs pulled up. One continued beyond the plane and approached them. From it stepped Natasha and Maria Hill. Natasha was not dressed in any kind of gear or uniform. She wore jeans and a pretty blouse. With her purse in hand, it looked like she was on her way to a lunch date.

And she had been, Wanda realized. She said nothing as the retired Black Widow filled in the spot next to Steve and put a hand to Wanda's cheek and gently guided her eyes up. "Are you okay?" She shook her head. "What am I talking about? Of course you're not okay." She let go and picked up one of Wanda's trembling hands.

"No stamina anymore," Wanda eventually said, her voice barely loud enough to hear.

"That needs to change," Steve said.

"This is not the time," Natasha chided him. She reached into her purse and came back with a small round tube. She opened it and shook three flat circular wafers into her hand. "Glucose. It should help enough to get you out of here on your own feet." Wanda took them all and drank half the water bottle she was given.

Maria looked from the plane to Wanda. "What happened? Where were you?"

"Can we talk later?" She asked, weakly.

"Yes," Steve said firmly, looking directly at Maria, offering his stern opinion.

"Fine," Maria agreed. "It's going to take forever to sort out witness statements from over 300 people anyway." She sighed. "One thing that would help right now. Where did you start off from – before you flew to the plane?"

"Library," Wanda said. "My books. Bag."

"Got 'em," A voice said, as Peter approached and handed the small bundle to Natasha. He stopped next to Wanda. "You okay?"

She nodded, regretting it as her head throbbed. "Thank you."

"Okay," Natasha said. "Let's get you out of here." She sunk down into a crouch and looked at Wanda carefully. "Do you think you can stand yet?"

"I think so," she said. With one hand on Steve's arm and one on Natasha's, she stood.

"Just stand there for a minute," Natasha said. "Tell me when things stop spinning."

"I'm okay," she said, after a moment.

"We're just walking over to the car. Right there. Think you can handle that?"

"Yes." Holding onto Steve's arm, she walked slowly to the vehicle and he was able to help her slide in to the passenger's seat. Natasha slipped into the driver's seat.

"Hill?" She called.

"I'm good," she assured the retired agent. "I'll catch a ride back with Baker." She walked off purposefully toward the airplane. Steve stood at the driver's window for a moment, studying both women.

"I'm going to stick around for a while," he told them. "At least until we know what caused it to go down. We could be looking at a bigger problem."

Natasha smiled knowingly at him. "Okay. Just try to remember before you sign on to any big missions – you're retired." He agreed. "And don't lose Peter."

"Never would."

Wanda fell asleep almost immediately, lying against the window. She woke only slightly when they arrived back at the hotel and Natasha guided her to the suite and into bed. She slept for almost two days.

What she wouldn't know until later was how worried her family was in those two days. Peter didn't want to go to his internship, afraid to leave her. Natasha and Steve finally convinced him, knowing that sitting around wasn't going to help him or distract him from his anxiety.

"This can't keep happening," Steve said, as he stood in the living room, arms crossed. "We don't even know when she's going to wake up. If-"

"She's going to wake up," Natasha told him. "Helen was here. You heard her. It's exhaustion. And yes, we need to talk to her about it – after she recovers." They took turns sitting with her and pacing her bedroom, waiting for her to wake.

She eventually woke back to full consciousness and cried in pain as the sunlight hit her eyes. She turned towards the wall, trying to block the light. She felt the bed shift and heard a familiar voice. "Welcome back," Natasha said, softly. "How are you feeling?"

"My head," it was about all Wanda could say. Natasha stood and walked around the room, blessedly pulling the blinds and curtains until the light was gone. She left the room and returned moments later, gently helping Wanda to sit up.

"You need to drink water and take a pain reliever. Otherwise, your head isn't going to feel better. You're probably dehydrated, on top of using all that power when you're not used to it." Wanda obediently swallowed the pills and drank her water before falling right back to sleep.

A week after she'd rescued the plane – and however many buildings it would have crashed into – Wanda sat up in bed, Natasha next to her and Steve across. "Wanda, we need to talk."

"I'm sorry about the plane. I didn't know what else to do."

"No one is angry with you. You did the right thing with the plane – you saved hundreds of lives, maybe more," Steve told her.

"But when you use that much power – it knocks you out for days – and it's not healthy. What happens if one of these times, you use too much? We don't know that it won't kill you. It takes so much energy."

"What are you suggesting? I shouldn't use my powers?" Her voice became irritable at that.

"Of course not." Natasha took her hand and squeezed it. "We know that when you were training – you had a lot more stamina – and could use your powers for a lot longer without hurting yourself. So, you need to get back into training."

"I don't want to fight anymore," she said, tears streaming to her eyes.

Natasha pulled her close. "No one is suggesting you train to go on missions again – or anything like that. But you need to get back in shape so that when you do use your powers, you don't cause yourself harm. That's all." Wanda did not seem pleased at this turn of events, but she did not argue.

It took almost a week for Wanda to get back on her feet – and she was still weak and tired. She was surprised when Natasha woke her before eight and cajoled her out of bed. "I know you don't want to go to the tower – but Tony's out of town – and you need to get back into training. Technically, we can work on it anywhere. But since we're this close to the gym literally designed for you, we should take advantage of it while we can."

"Don't want to," Wanda grumbled, burying her face in her pillow.

"I am well aware," the older woman responded, offer a sympathetic smile. "You have made that abundantly clear, milyy." She sat on the edge of the bed and brushed Wanda's hair from her eyes. "Look at me, please." Wanda did, almost causing Natasha to laugh with her disdainful, annoyed look that would suit a normal teenager. Wanda didn't normally have the freedom to behave like the normal teenager she was, so when it popped up, it made Natasha and Steve happy – even when it also annoyed them.

"Wanda," she said calmly. "I know you have no interest in using your powers or training anymore. But let's be realistic. You're not going to curl up in a ball and not use them if something big happens. So, you need get build more stamina so that when emergencies do happen, your powers don't knock you out for a week – or worse."

Wanda groaned and tried to roll away from her but Natasha pulled back the blankets. "Fine," the younger woman finally said.

"Thank you. You get dressed – I'll make you breakfast."

Wanda was trying not to look nervous as they walked into the Tower. Since their biometrics were already keyed into building security, it took them no time at all to enter through one of the private entrances. She gritted her teeth as Friday welcomed. They took the elevator directly to the training facilities. The Avengers had their own gym – and no one else was there, or expected, that day. It helped Wanda to relax when she realized that they weren't going to be interrupted or observed.

Natasha was encouraging and patient, but Wanda felt like she could fall over by lunch time – and she'd barely used her magic; she'd mostly done light cardio, minimal weight training, and yoga. They both showered and changed in the locker room and found their way to the lab where Peter was working. Although she felt slightly childish doing it, she held on to Natasha as they traversed the building.

They didn't need to be buzzed into the lab – both of their credentials opened every door in the place. An older man with gray hair, glasses, and a lab coat saw them standing just inside the entrance and looked perplexed.

"Who let you in here?" He demanded. "I think you're in the wrong place."

"We're looking for Peter Parker."

"Interns are not allowed to receive visitors at work," he said, shortly.

"Is that so?" Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He paled as he realized who he was speaking to. They had never met before, but she wasn't a stranger to most people in the world, let alone those who worked for Stark and the Avengers.

"Oh, dear. Mrs. Romanoff. I am so sorry. I didn't mean –"

"You might want to ask for more information before spouting off, in the future," she suggested, not unkindly.

"Of course. You're right. Of course. You wanted to see Mr. Parker?"

"I'm taking Peter to lunch, then home. He'll be back tomorrow."

"Was that cleared with Mr. –"

"It was cleared with me."

"Oh. Yes. Well. We'll see Peter tomorrow, then."

A few moments later, Peter joined them, carrying his bookbag, looking confused. Once they were outside of the lab, he spoke.

"Nat, why does Dr. Theymans look like he's going to cry?"

"He didn't realize who she was at first and tried to question her authority. It didn't go well for him," Wanda whispered. They both laughed at that. Wanda stayed awake through lunch but was very grateful that'd gotten takeaway because she was in bed quickly after.

Wanda continued training with Natasha every other day and within two weeks, she no longer felt like she needed to nap for the rest of the afternoon once finished. She found she was almost enjoying herself. Almost. She still had flashbacks when they did any kind of sparing, so she avoided that. On a Sunday, as they walked leisurely around central park, Natasha broke news that Wanda had been dreading.

"Tony's returning to New York today. So, we'll find somewhere else to train. I have a few ideas –"

"Can you keep him out of the gym and make him stay away from us when we come and go?"

"I can arrange that," Natasha assured her. "But are you sure? It's not a problem to find another place."

"It's fine," Wanda said. "As long as he stays away from me." She was tired of being chased away from places she had every right to be.

"I'll make sure he understands."

The following day, Wanda was surprised when Steve joined them on the sojourn to the tower. Wanda laughed when he stayed outside the gym complex and looked to be pulling out his sketchpad. "Do we really need Captain America guarding the door?"

"I don't know if we need him," Natasha responded. "But we have him. You know, it takes a few times for things to sink into Tony's thick skull. And you don't need to worry about that."

The summer passed mostly in calm order. Tony broke his promise only once. Towards the middle of August, Natasha was preparing dinner when, out of habit, she checked locations on her phone. Peter was still in the lab. It was 5:30 – he should have been walking home, if not already home. She sighed. "Steve?" He looked up from his book and, after seeing her expression, crossed the room to stand with her. "Can you please go and get Peter? It looks like he hasn't left the lab. And although part of me would delight in kicking Tony's ass, it just doesn't feel like the right time." He laughed and kissed her.

"Very pragmatic, doll. I'll get him. Let him know I'm on my way so we don't pass each other."

Natasha sent the text message, but Peter hadn't been able to look at it by the time Steve arrived. He went first to the intern's lab where the young man usually worked, but he wasn't there. The scientist in charge directed him to Tony's lab. Steve walked into the lab and stood inside the doorway, arms crossed. It took Tony less than a minute to notice him.

"Hey, Cap, you're just in time – "

"I'm just in time to save you from Natasha. Peter, it's time to go."

"Sorry, Mr. Stark," Peter said, lifting his bookbag to his shoulders. He did not appear at all sorry. He looked quite pleased and relieved to be leaving. Although he did seem to be enjoying his internship, both of his parental figures noticed how tired he was at the end of the day – and the fact that he was in bed by ten most nights.

"Oh, come on, Cap!" Tony whined.

"My orders are very clear – and I really don't want to be on my wife's bad side. Besides, Peter has been here long enough. I'm sure he's tired. Good night Tony."

Natasha and Steve wanted to do something special before the school year started. They knew that Peter and Wanda deserved the world – but at the moment, they just wanted to choose one special thing. "I don't think either of them have been to the beach," Natasha said, looking up from her laptop. "Maybe somewhere quiet, like the Maldives?"

"That sounds pretty perfect."

That evening at dinner, Natasha brought up the subject. "How do you feel about leaving next week, and taking a week to go on vacation, before heading back to the UK?"

"That is fine with me," Wanda said.

"I'm having fun with my internship, but I wouldn't say no to a break," Peter said. "Where are we going?"

"That is why we're talking about it. Have either of you been to the beach?"

"Does stopping at a gas station in New Jersey count?"

"No."

"Then no. Wanda shook her head.

"Are you interested? We were thinking possibly the Maldives. It's a bit quieter there – not a ton of tourists – but beautiful beaches, and several lovely options for where to stay." Neither teen had a bit of hesitation about going. There were smiles all around.

Natasha smiled when they arrived and saw a car already in the driveway of the rental. It did not bring a smile to Wanda's face, who was not privy to the same information. "Who do you think is here?"

"I think you should go check it out," Natasha said, smiling. "Go on, Steve can get the bags." Wanda walked cautiously towards the house, Peter close behind. She opened the front door and cried in surprise.

"Sam!"

"Hey, Wanda!" He said, crossing the room to hug her. He lifted her, swinging her lightly around the room. "Girl, you look wonderful. It is so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," she said, wiping away tears at the unexpected joy of seeing him. "You remember Peter."

"Of course," Sam said, reaching out to shake his hand. "How's it going, man?"

"Pretty good, all things considered."

Natasha appeared, hugging Sam. She spoke to Peter and Wanda. "Clint, Laura, and the kids will be there tomorrow. I think Sharon and T'Challa are hoping to stop by toward the end of the week. And someone else should already be here." With no warning, Cassie came running through the back door, covered in sand, Scott close behind.

She threw her wet, sandy self against Wanda, then Peter, greeting them enthusiastically and telling them how amazing the house and the beach and the pool were. "I think you might speak faster than Peter," Wanda teased her. But Cassie went on, ignoring the joke in her enthusiasm.

It was a beautiful, relaxing week with sun, sand, and more family time than they'd ever hoped would be possible again. It was the perfect way to transition into a new chapter.

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