You Didn't See That Coming? ~Hawksilver~ #Wattys2015

8

(A/N: Wanda's POV again, continuing last chapter. Btw thanks for all the great feedback on the story, I really do love hearing from you guys and am glad to hear you're enjoying the story.)

I sat at my brother's bedside holding his hand and looking at his face for a long time. I continued to think: how how will we build a better life? By joining the Avengers? Maybe. Clint seems to be very accepting towards us. Or, more accurately, we seem to be very accepting towards him. As a family. As a friend. As someone who will watch our backs as long as we look out for him. In many ways, Clint and we have a sort of inseparable bond. Already, he's the best friend I've ever had. The thing about Clint is that most would say he doesn't know how lucky he is to have all of this, his family and home. But he does know and he appreciates his wife and kids so much. Clint makes me wonder why we ever joined Ultron in the first place.

I rest my hand on Pietro's head, reading his thoughts. I saw something new this time.

We were surrounding each other in Avengers Tower. Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Thor, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Sam Wilson, Rhodey, Vision, him, and me. But I wasn't in my own body. I was watching it like from a movie. Tony was telling us this was the end. He told us there was no more future for all of us. His eyes turned completely black, whites of the eyes and all, and he said in an almost metallic voice: "which one of you first?" He circled all of us, and we remained frozen in fear of what would happen. "I know: The Mighty Thor will be the first to fall." He picked up a gun and shot at Thor's chest. Pietro ran to push him out of the way, and neither got hit. "You idiot! Kid, stay back. You won't be getting what he's getting. Firework, hold him down, would you? Thanks." he ordered an empty suit, and it walked over to Pietro. Suddenly, it split down the middle and something pulled Pietro inside the suit, closing again and encasing him so he couldn't move. "Where was I? Oh yeah." Tony aimed a gun at Thor, and I closed my eyes so I wouldn't see it happen. Thor fell to the ground, dead as can be. "Next will be Natasha," Tony said. He pointed the gun at her and she fell as well. One by one, Tony Stark shot down all of the Avengers until only Pietro and I remained. "Your turn." He pointed it at me and I was shot, but the scene kept going because I wasn't really there. He simply smiled at the suit and said, "Go on, Firework. Give us the show of a lifetime." And the suit Pietro was encased in exploded, along with the rest of the building. The dust settled and all of NYC was leveled, with not a trace of life left.

I gasped and exited his thoughts. There was a feeling of pain in my heart and mind. Just another nightmare.

All this time, I've been telling people he doesn't have many thoughts. It's not true. Pietro's mind is constantly echoing through worst-case scenarios, suicidal thoughts, old memories, and worst fears. It broke my heart. I don't know why I even bother trying to read him, because whenever I do it just breaks me into another million pieces.

"Pietro," I whispered, "This is the part where decent loved one would tell you that you can let go and it will be okay. But no. I can't tell you that. Your life has too much ahead for me to let you leave so soon, Pietro, even if you want to. We have never gotten as close as we have now to finally building a new life for ourselves. We're home, Pietro, don't be afraid. I know telling you this won't help, but you don't need to be afraid. No more nightmares. Just get some rest, peacefully, okay? I love you, my brother, but I swear you break my heart with all these terrible dreams." I kissed his forehead, and Steve cleared his throat from the door behind me.

"I thought you said he had no thoughts," he said quietly.

"Steve, get out of here. Leave me alone. His mind is none of your business. It's mine, I'm his sister. But it's not yours."

"Clint wants me to bring you to come see the new baby," he said, smiling just a little. "Says you should get out of the house. He also says that if you don't want to come, he'll understand because your brother is in such bad shape-"

"No," I said, "I mean, yes. I'll come with you. I love children," I stood up and walked outside with Steve.

Later

"Wanda," Clint said, hugging me excitedly. "So glad you could come. How's Pietro?"

"Fine. Can I see the baby?"

"Wanda!" Lila shrieked, running outside, grabbing my hand, and dragging me into the hospital room. Laying on the bed was Laura, looking proud and happy as can be, holding a small bundle of blankets in both her arms. "Come see my new baby brother!" I slowly made my way over to Laura's and the baby's side.

"He's so precious," I whispered, and he wrapped his fingers around one my fingers as I rest my hand on his blanket to see his face.

"His name is Nathaniel," Laura said. Of course, I knew that because of Cooper, but it was still a new thing because now Nathaniel had a face I could picture. "Nathaniel Pietro Barton." A sort of weight was lifted from my shoulders, and I looked at her. "It was Cooper's idea, because Pietro saved Clint's life. I love the name, too."

"He's an angel," I said.

"You want to hold him?" Laura asked, and she gently lay him in my arms.

"Hi Nathaniel," I said in the gentlest voice I could, smiling as bright as the sun just like Laura and Clint were. "Aw, you're such a sweet baby! You're going to grow up to be a heartbreaker, aren't you, cutie?" His parents, siblings, Steve, and Natasha laughed.

"He's cuter than Cooper was," Natasha said, playfully nudging Cooper.

"Thanks," Cooper said sarcastically, but the smile didn't leave his face.

"But I was cuter than Nathaniel as a baby, right Auntie Nat?" Lila asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

"I'd say it's a tie," she said, with a shrug.

"You named your son after him?" I said, happiness and flattery filling me.

"Wanda, don't even mention it. It's the least we could do," Clint said, putting his hand on my left shoulder blade both comfortingly and appreciatively. I handed Nathaniel back to his mother and we continued to chat for a while.

Clint pulled me aside after about an hour.

"Steve told me he heard you talking to Pietro in his sleep," Clint said. "He said you said that he had to keep going even if he didn't want to...you can read him?" I nodded. "And he doesn't want to live?"

"No, it's not plainly like that. It's that he knows he'd be at peace if he didn't make it. It's that so many things are haunting him and he wishes they were gone. It's not plain and simple like suicidal thoughts, it's just...fear." Clint pulled me into a sudden hug.

"He shouldn't have done that yesterday. He shouldn't have risked himself for me."

"If he didn't, Nathaniel wouldn't have a father."

"And that is exactly why my third child's name is Nathaniel Pietro Barton," Clint said, separating the hug. "Listen, you and your brother are welcome in our family. The kids love you, Laura is dying to meet you a little more, and I already am seeing you and your brother as my younger siblings."

"Thank you, Clint," I said, "Thank you for accepting Pietro and I. It means so much." We walked back in to spend more time with Nathaniel.