Can't Ask, Don't Need, Won't Acknowledge

Chapter 5: Understanding

Natasha couldn’t breathe, they had searched the entire farm, the teenager was no-where to be seen. Clint was frantically phoning around the area in hope that someone had seen her. Laura was resting her hand on Natasha trying to calm her, “she can’t have gone far Nat, we will find her.”

Nat looked at her harshly, “she is still wanted by Hydra! How can she be so reckless? We can’t even call the police to find her.”

“I’ve got a lead,” stated Clint rushing towards them pocketing his cell phone in his Jeans, “nearby town, a young girl has turned up out of the blue, not a local.”

“That’s a lead?!” snapped Nat. Laura pulled the irate woman into her, “it is around here, this is a local community, we are not in New York anymore.”

Clint pulled his coat on, “I’m going to go check it out, you guys wait here, in case she returns.”

Wanda sat in the diner trying to determine her next move. She was an idiot. An irrational emotional idiot. She took a deep calming breath to centre herself. Wanda had not thought this through. She had no Id, no money and left in a rush with no plan. Maybe she was a stupid teenager. She had no one to call, no-one could help her. Wanda played with the packet of sugar she had liberated from the cup on the table. She moved the packet between her fingers industriously, it provided a welcome distraction from her thoughts. The packet dropped to the table when it reached the end of her hand. Her hands shook slightly in stress. Wanda reached out to the cigarette packet on the table, and pulled one out of the carton. She lifted it to her lips and lit it with the lighter off the table. She took a slow pull on the lit stick. The smoke calmed her down. So this was the plan, chain smoking and drinking coffee, she thought to herself sadly.

Clint entered what he thought must have been the 10th different diner in this town, he wasn’t sure why the town had so many, surely the population of the town was not high enough to keep them all in business.

Clint glanced towards the diner bar spotting the young witch through the plume of smoke coming from her direction. Wanda turned at the sound of the bell going off as he strode into the building, “Clint…” she whimpered.

Clint stared at the girl, “do you want to explain to me what in the world possessed you to leave in the middle of the night like that?! Natasha is in pieces.”

Wanda cringed at his words, “I’m doing what is best for you all…Nat is better off without me.” She stubbed her cigarette in the ask tray, as if to punctuate her point.

“How can you possibly think that?” questioned Clint, taking a seat next to the girl, signalling the waitress for a drink.

“I am just a living reminder of her pain, What I did to her? What Ulton and I did to her…”

Clint realised in that statement what caused the young girl to run, “you were eavesdropping last night.”

Wanda took umbrage to that, “I was not eavesdropping….” she replied indignantly.

Clint raised his eyebrows at the teenager, “you need to come home and talk to Nat…”

Wanda shook her head slowly, “I don’t have a home.”

“Yes you do, and you have a family that loves you. That wants to care for you, chastise you and I guarantee after this stunt… punish you.” Wanda went slightly red at that, “now come on let’s go home.”

Wanda just shook her head again. She turned her attention back to her now empty coffee cup, "I am fine here."

"Nat is your legal guardian Wanda, unfortunately you are a minor. You have to abide by her rules," explained Clint.