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

Chapter 16: Consequences

“It felt good though,” stated Wanda sadly. “I mean the drugs felt good. I felt free. Alive. I forgot about everything else.”

“It might have this time,” said Natasha calmly, “but it’s never the same the second, third, fourth or fifth time. You end up chasing that first time, and it takes more and more to get anywhere near that level. Tony would have explained this had he realised how seriously you had taken his words. It’s like putting a plaster on a gaping wound. Eventually you will bleed out.”

Natasha was trying desperately to make the teenage understand her words.

Wanda looked at the woman, “are you disappointed as well?”

Natasha looked at the sad heartbroken eyes in front of her and knew she couldn’t lie, “I am Wanda, you should have come and spoke to me about this. You knew buying drugs was wrong otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to hide it.”

Wanda looked down at her feet. Steve walked back into the room and sat down on the other side of Wanda. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder in reassurance. “I’m sorry Steve. I’m sorry Mama.”

Natasha placed a kiss to her forehead. She steeled herself for what she knew she needed to do next, “Wanda go get your hairbrush.”

Steve released his grip on the girl at those words, she turned to face Natasha, “Mama no…. You can’t mean that.”

“I warned you months ago, I clearly made a mistake not punishing you after the stone incident. I’ve let you get away with things for too long, and it’s only going to end with you hurting yourself.”

Wanda shook her head in disagreement, “Mama, I said I’m sorry!”

“Saying sorry doesn’t fix it you still need to face the consequences of your actions. I think on some level you knew what would happen when I found out. I don’t know if this was just one big test. I want you to remember this moment the next time you even think about doing something like this.”

“Technically you never expressly told me to not buy cocaine,” she muttered under her breath. Natasha’s eyes narrowed in fury, “I would think very, very carefully about the next words you say Wanda Maximoff.” She heavily emphasised the very’s as she stared down her charge. “I am also putting parental controls on your internet access, you have proven you can’t be trusted with it.”

Wanda stood up in anger, “You can’t do that.”

“You had fair warning Wanda,” exclaimed Natasha firmly.

“But I need it,” said Wanda the desperation showing in her voice.

“Why do you need it?” asked Natasha curiously. “I’m not taking it away, Steve and I are just going to monitor and control the content.”

“You aren’t listening to me. I need it! I can’t cope without it,” she practically shouted the last few words. Natasha was shocked by the reaction; she had expected righteous indignation from the teenager but not this overly emotional reaction.

Steve broke the silence, “What do you mean you can’t cope without it? What are you doing online?”

Wanda shook her head furiously, “that’s not your business.”