Agony (Wanda Maximoff)

Chapter 48

||We end this ... together.||

The kids hung around Wanda while Pietro and Clint went to the barn to grab a few things. Wanda sat on the living room floor and allowed the children to play with her hair and rings. Lila twisted Wanda's hair around her tiny fingers while Cooper juggled her rings in the air, but failed miserably when they all fell onto his head. 

"Hey, Coop, come on, pick those up and give them back to Wanda." The young boy did as his mother told him, and he gathered all of Wanda's rings from the floor and handed them to her. The children ran off, and Wanda pushed herself up and joined Laura in the kitchen. It had been weeks since they've seen each other, and Wanda missed her company. 

"They're getting so big," she said, helping Laura dry the dishes. Laura chuckled, wiping her forehead. 

"Yeah, they are. Sometimes I can't believe it, you know?" But she didn't know, she didn't know anything about kids. All she did know was that growing up was something she hadn't enjoyed. She was surrounded by so much anger and fear, it wasn't anything worth enjoying. 

Laura placed the last plate in the cupboard and turned to Wanda. It looked as though Laura hadn't slept in days, which she guessed was partly due to Clint being away. Trask wasn't just affecting the Avengers, he was affecting everyone around them as well. She hated that. 

"He's going to come back," Wanda said to her, grabbing her hands. They were callous, from all the cleaning and cooking; years and years of tiring work etched into her skin. 

"That's what he always tells me, and I try and believe, but every day that he's gone, I think of the worst. When one battle ends, another begins. That's just the way it is." As happy as Laura seemed, she hid this secret part of herself from her children, and sometimes Clint, because Wanda knew if she told Clint to stay and never leave, he would do exactly that. "Anyway, I did promise those two out there I'd give them a slice of pie." 

Laura handed Wanda a plate with two slices of cherry pie and gave her two forks. They were two large slices, and the plate felt heavy against her hand, so she dug the forks into her jacket pocket and headed outside. 

The moon was shielded by a thick cloud, giving the night an eerie feeling. Wanda had to steady her walk as she stepped through the thick grass towards the barn. Using her hex, she pulled the barn doors open, afraid if she used her hand, the plate would fall. 

Clint and Pietro were leaning against the tractor, talking, when she walked in. 

"Cherry?" Clint asked, and she nodded her head. "You know, kid, this might be the best pie you'll ever taste." Wanda set the plate down on the small table in front of them and handed them their forks. She watched Pietro as he took his first bite--a tiny gleam sparkling in his eye as he savored the delicious dessert. 

She stepped away from as they continued on with their conversation, and she shut the barn doors behind her and headed back into the house. But something stopped her--a sound, far off in the distance she was surprised she even heard it. 

As the thick gray cloud began to move past the moon, the night filled with light, and deep in the woods, Wanda saw a shimmer. Her interest was peaked, and she thought about telling Pietro, but decided against it. She'd go alone to find out what it was. 

Quietly, she worked her way towards the woods, taking the long way so she could intercept whatever she was seeing. Her movements were silent and quick, and she easily blended in with the dim night. She climbed a tree once she got deep enough into the woods, and she sat high enough to see down below. 

Minutes later, the sound of feet stepping on dirt and leaves caught her attention. It was so dark from where she was, she could see her hex traveling under her skin. She was anxious--ready to find out what was moving towards her.