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

Chapter 24: Masking the Moment

“She doesn’t want me here,” said Peter sadly.

“No sweetheart, she even said how much she wanted to see you.”

Peter exhaled heavily, “Then why can’t she stand to be in the same room as me.”

………………………………………….

Wanda coughed into her hand in her room, she felt awful. She chugged down some more water hoping it would supply some relief to her sore and aching throat. Her chest heaved in pain. Wanda stared at her reflection in the mirror on her bedside table. She had felt sick for the last fews days, she assumed it was just a cold, but she seemed to be getting worse. Her make-up was doing a good job of hiding her pale waxy complexion, as did strategic use of her powers.

She pulled out her chair and sat at the desk, leaning her head forward she rested her forehead on her hands. Wanda knew logically she was sick and should just go and ask for help. Her pride was getting the better of her, and even though on a level she knew she was being irrational. Her fear of being replaced by Peter reverberated through her body. It was controlling the majority of her decisions. She stood up wearily and went to change out of uniform throwing the discarded clothes into the laundry basket in the corner of her room.

Once she was changed she headed down the hallway to the small office that was set up. She knocked lightly on the door waiting for Steve to give permission for her to enter. The small study was out of bounds to both teenagers much to their annoyance. She heard Steve moving around inside the room, and then the door open to her.

“Hey Wanda you had a good day at school?”

Wanda nodded, “Is it ok if I pop out for a bit. Just want to go for a walk.”

Steve furrowed his brow slightly, he looked back towards the window, even though the winter months were approaching it was still relatively light out.

“I don’t know Wanda, I’m not sure you should be out on your own. Why don’t you take Peter or your mother with you?”

Wanda looked at the older man dropping her chin slightly and then said the magic word, “please Daddy.”

Steve melted in that moment, “OK Sweetheart, but be back in 30 minutes that’s it.”
Wanda knew she was being manipulative in her response, but it got her what she wanted. She headed down the stairs and grabbed her coat from the hook next to her school bag. Natasha poked her head around the door, “Where do you think you are going?”

Wanda carried on putting her coat on, “Steve said I could go out for a walk for 30 minutes, so I’ll be back in a bit.”

Natasha did a double take clearly unhappy with this, but Wanda knew she would not want to undermine Steve. “Ok be careful and make sure you are back within the 30 minutes.”

Wanda watched her press some buttons on her watch, she rolled her eyes at the older woman of course she was setting a timer. Wanda left the house and took a deep breath of the fresh autumn air.

Natasha meanwhile climbed the stairs in annoyance and headed straight for the study. She didn’t even bother to start the conversation with a greeting.

“Why did you let Wanda out on her own??”

Steve blushed slightly under the questioning, “It’s just 30 minutes Nat….”

Natasha narrowed her eyes and looked the man up and down several times. The realisation dawned on her and she rolled her eyes dramatically, “she called you Daddy didn’t she…”

Steve nodded weakly, “She was so sweet though.”

Natasha laughed weakly, “she can play you like a piano Steve. You know I don’t want her out on her own.”

Steve shrugged slightly, “That’s why she asked me. We have to give her some freedom Nat, and don’t worry I’m keeping an eye on her.”

He beckoned the woman over to the desk he was sitting at pointing towards the monitors. Natasha looked at the footage, and watched as Wanda walked down the street.

“Has Wanda seemed off to you? It’s like she is avoiding physical contact? I don’t want to push it on her, but it just seems strange she has always craved it before,” asked Natasha.

Steve nodded, “yeah she seems to be keeping her distance, maybe she is just trying to reassert herself as a teenager? We do both baby her a bit.”

They both watched the screens, Natasha slipped an arm around Steve and then dropped into his lap. She leaned forward looking at the pixelated screen, “has she just walked into a pharmacy?”

………………………………..

Wanda entered the brightly lit pharmacy, overwhelmed slightly by the amount of products on display. She headed over to the cold/flu section and started perusing the different brightly coloured packages. There were so many different types of Cough Syrups, dry, tickly, chesty. Which one was she supposed to get? Then there was night medicine and day medicine. Nasal sprays, throat sprays, and what was ibuprofen? She picked up several of the packets hoping to deduce what she needed.

Wanda just wanted the cough to stop, it was getting harder and harder to hide. She was struggling to maintain her powers. She knew she would slip soon. Her eyes scanned more boxes and she stopped on the words “cough suppressant.” She picked up the box, and then grabbed some throat spray as well. Content with her purchases she headed over to the counter. Wanda paid and stuffed the medicines into her coat pocket. She begrudged slightly how expensive they were. Steve and Natasha never gave her a lot of money just a bit for lunches. So now she couldn’t eat lunch at least twice next week.

She walked back into the house, ten minutes later feel thoroughly exhausted by the journey. Natasha greeted her from the kitchen, “Hey Sweetheart, did you have a nice walk?”

Wanda nodded even though she knew the older woman couldn’t see her. “yeah just went around the block.”

Natasha kept her eyes focused on the pan in front of her, upset by the lie but choosing to not call her out on it. She knew it was in her best interests to keep Wanda in the dark about the cameras so therefore could not show her hand prematurely.

“We are having Sir-fry for dinner. Do you want chicken or Steak?”

Wanda shook her head as she leaned on the kitchen doorway, “I’m not really hungry Mama, if it’s ok I’m going to just go lay down with a book.”

Natasha stepped towards the teen, who instinctively stepped back keeping a space between them.
“You feeling ok Malyshka?”

“Of course just a long day at school,” she replied. Natasha removed the pan from the flame and placed it on the side to prevent the food burning.

“Baby you have not been yourself the last week, what’s bothering you?”

Wanda shook her head, “honestly Mama I’m fine, just tired from school.”

“Ok Well Peter is playing on the playstation in the living room, why don’t you curl up on the sofa with a book then?”

“No I’ll think I’ll just be in my room,” replied Wanda.

“You have been locking yourself in your room all week. I would rather you spend some time downstairs Wanda.”

Wanda crossed her arms across her chest, “Steve is in the study what is the difference?”

“He is working Wanda, and when dinner is ready. we will eat as a family and then he will spend the rest of the evening with us.”

“You,” said Wanda simply.

Natasha looked at the teenager curiously, “you what?”

“You misspoke, he will spend the rest of the evening with you, not us,” explained Wanda matter of factly.

Natasha groaned at the sassy teenager, “You are spending the evening with us Wanda and that is final. I’m fed up of you hiding out in your room.”

“Fine. I’ll be in the living room then.”