Saving Natasha

PART 89: TOXIC

WANDAS POV

The next day, Ava didnt show up for work. She never misses work, she's never sick. This work is her life. For her to miss work and not call ahead; very unlike the Ava we knew.

I rang Natasha and we arrange to meet at her apartment to check on her. We expected to see Ava open the door and were shocked when we saw Evan with a frustrated look on his face. He growls, "What do you want?"

"Good morning to you too, " Natasha returns, I could feel how tense she was and I knew it was taking everything in her not to pounce on the man and ruin him"We're just here to check on Ava. It's not like her to miss work. She does still live here right?" Evan rolls her eyes.

"Well, she's fine, " he barks in a defensive tone, "What are you? Her babysitters?"

Nat huffs in impatiently. When it comes to Ava, she was very protective, the two were practically sisters, they always have been and always will be, till the bitter end. To see her hurt or in a potentially unhealthy situation shattered her. "Listen fuckface, We're just checking on her" I subtly slapped her arm.

As Nat continued arguing with him, I looked in his mind.

His mind was full of fear, it contained a negative feeling and inklings of pure, no good pain. I saw looks of blunt force, not towards him, but towards Ava. I saw into the past, I could almost feel the stinging slap of a calloused hand on my cheek, and the many bruises she had endured from the past weeks. Not from missions, but from him. I could almost taste the salty tears Ava had shed that dripped onto her lips.

It was purely toxic.

She was being abused. Abused by a man that was small, ignorant, self-centered, and cowardly. A filthy, dirty disgusting man. It cleared Ava's attitude lately. Skittish, worried, anxious. It explained why she was always running out the door to get back home. Why she tense when someone wrapped an arm around her, unknowing that they were pressing onto her bruises.

I grabbed Nats elbow to restrain her from killing the foul man in front of us, and pulled her back slightly.

"We just wanted to check on her, if she's fine. We'll leave, " I say calmly, now knowing what I must do. The man grunted and slammed the door shut.

"Wanda, what the hell?" Natasha asks, in a curious tone. I felt the eyes of a confused Natasha lay on me as I looked dully at the floor. Almost in tears.

"We-we were right. She's being abused" I watched as Natasha flitted through 57 different emotions. Settling in rage. She turned back towards the door but I held her back.

"Remember Nat, we need a plan. We cant just rush in there" she pulled herself out of my grip and stormed down the stairs, I followed her closely. The car ride back was quiet, both of us wrapped up in our own rage.

We walked in the front door and Avery immediately came running, well, I guess you could call it running, over to Natasha, tears streaming down her face. Natasha knelt down and opened her arms for the young girl. She carefully lifted her up. I watched as her entire mood changed, her face lit up as she sat the little girl on her hip and brushed away her tears. She is going to be a great mother one day.

"Hey! no fingers in your mouth. Where's your paci?" She carefully pulled Avery fingers out of her mouth and walked into the kitchen looking for her paci. I could hear loud giggling from the kitchen and smiled. I walked in the other direction. Running straight into Tony.

"Hey, what's up Sabrina?"

"We need to have a meeting. Get everyone together. Now" he nodded and walked off. I trailed into the living room and sat on the couch, in the quiet, waiting for an idea to pop into my head, a way to save Ava, to help her.