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

Chapter 8: Change of Scenery

“You aren’t even hearing my side of it! Do you even care?” shouted Wanda, the ends of her hair were starting to glow red.

“Of course I care; I am always here if you want to talk. But one of your rules is to respect Adults.”

Wanda stopped glowing red at that, “Don’t you think I’m going to talk to Stark about inadvertently upsetting you?” Asked Natasha, keen to capitalise on the girl calming slightly, and being more open to rationale thought.

Wanda looked the woman in the face and saw the sincerity. “Yes.”

Natasha gave her a brief hug and kissed her head. “OK Sweetheart, take some time to get settled, Friday will call you for dinner.”

………………………………………….

They all met in the living room before dinner, there were handshakes and hugs all around. A younger looking male approached Wanda, and held his hand out awkwardly, “Hey I’m Peter, Peter Parker. It’s great to meet you, I saw the videos of you fighting in Sokovia you are amazing!”

“Um thanks,” replied Wanda equally as awkward starring at the teenager, having not yet taken his outstretched hand. Peter dropped it down to his side. Wanda cocked her head to the side, “Why are you here kid?”

“Kid?” replied Peter, “I’m the same age as you.” He puffed his chest out, “I’m also Spiderman.”

Wanda smirked, “So you are the boy swinging around New York in the full body spandex? Rescuing Cats from trees, and helping old ladies crossing the street.”

Peter blushed slightly, “I’m going to be an avenger, that’s why I’m here.”

Wanda laughed at him, “you are cute.”

She held her her hand out to him, “I’m Wanda, Wanda Maximoff, codename Scarlett witch.”

Peter took it gratefully, “Looking forward to working together Wanda. Mr Stark said you might be coming to the same school as me, Midtown science.”

Wanda huffed, “Yeah that’s not happening.”

Peter’s smile faded slightly, “Oh ok.”

Wanda looked at the hurt boy’s expression, “Oh I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant I’m not going to school. I agreed to do online course, but I have researched it all. I’m just going to do my GED to appease them.”

Peter nodded, “I wonder if Mr Stark will let me do that as well, it saves travelling to Midtown every day from here.”

“So how did you end up here?” questioned Wanda changing the subject away from that topic.

“Mr Stark found me, spoke to my Aunt May who looks after me, she thinks I’m here on a science internship. It’s almost like a shared custody agreement. What’s your deal?”

“I am just training to be an avenger, it’s better than Strucker and Hydra.”

………………………………………………

The evening was winding down at the table, “it’s great to have you guys back. It’s not been the same here without you.”

The others all agreed with Tony wholeheartedly. Natasha piped up, “it’s great to be back, looking forward to seeing the work you guys have done while we’ve been away.”

Tony looked down the table, “Parker I think it’s time you headed to bed, we have an early morning tomorrow with training.”

Peter stood up, “fine, fine good night guys.”

Natasha glanced over to Wanda next to her, who was sat between her and Steve. Wanda just glared at her, daring her to say anything. “Wanda you too, we have had a long day of travelling.”

“I’m not tired ma… Nat,” replied Wanda, picking up her glass of water and taking a sip of it. Natasha leaned in closely to her charge and whispered, “it wasn’t a suggestion, you can either get up and politely excuse yourself or I can stand up, and tell everyone it’s Wanda’s bedtime, and I can carry you to bed...” She finished with a raised eyebrow.

“You are evil mama…fine…” she whispered. Wanda stood up in resignation, “good night guys.”

“Night Wanda.”

…………………………………………………………

“How do you cope with that?” she turned to Peter as they left the dining room. “We are powerful in our own right not little children who need to be coddled.”

Peter just shrugged his shoulders at Wanda, “they aren’t that bad? Maybe a bit overbearing.”

Wanda stopped walking down the corridor, “a bit?’ she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Well you know we aren’t exactly a normal family. You are being hunted by Hydra, and I have a bunch of people I have put in prison. Plus, all the people they have after them, who would use us to just get to them.”

Wanda sighed at the reason, “I hate it when you use logic.” Peter smirked but wrapped his arm around his pseudo-cousin.

“I am a genius you know.”

Wanda slapped his head playfully. “careful you are starting to sound like Tony.”

Parker grimaced at those words, sensing the tension behind Wanda’s words, “Tony isn’t that bad you know.”

“Let’s agree to disagree,” she replied shortly.

“Please give him a chance Wanda.”

She shook her head at him, “He murdered my parents. Whatever way you spin it. Good night Spider-boy.”

Wanda didn’t spare Peter another glance as she shut the bedroom door behind her.

……………………………………………………..

“How is the taming of the shrew going?” Joked Tony to the table.
Natasha glared at him, “See it's things like that, that make me want to hit you Stark.”

“Give it a rest Tony,” moaned Pepper from the other side of the table. She turned her attention to Natasha.

“How is it really going?” asked Pepper softly.

“It always feels like two steps forward and one step back,” explained Natasha. Sam spoke up, “I could have sworn she went to call you mama earlier.”

Natasha nodded, “yeah she switches between Nat and Mama. I was Mama at the farm, but back here, I think she feels embarrassed.”

Pepper nodded in understanding, “is there anyway we can help?”

Natasha looked thoughtful, “How do you feel about being Aunt Pepper?”