"What if they're scared of me?"
The Quinjet was parked in a back cornfield of the Barton Farm. Clint had already left to greet his family, however, Wanda hesitated at the door off the plane.
"Wanda, they won't be. I can promise you that Lila and Cooper are so excited to meet you. Laura has been texting me non-stop that those kids have been bouncing off the walls."
Wanda didn't know what that meant, but she wasn't in the mood to ask. She assumed that by Nat's tone of voice it meant something good.
Wanda shoved her hands into Nat's red leather jacket she was wearing. She insisted on keeping it on over top of her T-shirt and shorts, even though it was thirty degrees outside.
"Do they know I have powers? That I hurt you and the rest of the Avengers? I don't think they'll want to play with me if they know what I did."
Nat took her hand. "Laura has talked with them. They know your story, probably not in full details, but it definitely hasn't changed the fact that they want to meet you so badly."
Wanda nodded.
Just as they were about to leave the plane, a small girl peeked her head around the corner.
She was wearing a pink sundress with cowboy boots, and she too had French braids in her hair.
"Auntie Nat!" She bounded towards Natasha, and Wanda took a hazardous step back. She really didn't trust anyone, not even a little girl her age.
"Hi, Lila!" She picked the little girl up in her arms and spun her around. Lila laughed.
"Wanda, this is Lila, Clint's daughter," Nat said, putting Lila back on the ground.
Wanda smiled shyly, hesitantly stepping up in front of Nat, who put her hands on her shoulders.
"Hi, Wanda! Do you want to come and see all of the animals? We have chickens and dogs and even ponies!"
Wanda smiled. "You have horses?"
"Yeah! Let's go, come on!" Lila grabbed her hand to pull her away, but Nat stopped her. Wanda was thankful.
"Woah, Lila. I know you're excited, but don't you think she should meet your mom and brothers first?"
Lila pouted.
Nat grabbed Wanda's hand and they walked off the ramp together, with Lila running ahead.
"Mommy! Cooper! They're here!" Lila said, running to Laura, who had baby Nate in her arms.
Laura handed Nathaniel to Clint and jogged over to Nat.
"I missed you!" Laura said to Nat. Wanda felt awkward standing off to the side. As Nat replied and they had their boring adult conversation, Wanda took a moment to look around. There was a white farmhouse and a barn, and a pasture off to the side. In the pasture were a few horses. One was a little pony, and the others were bigger. Wanda caught herself smiling at them.
Nat snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Wanda, this is Laura, Clint's wife." She pointed to a boy a few years older than her. He had dark hair and a bright, friendly smile. "And this is Coop!"
She gave a quiet and timid hello and turned her attention back to the horses nearby.
Nat gave a small smile to Laura. She's getting there. She mouthed to Laura and Cooper. They nodded, understanding.
Lila appeared at Wanda's side.
"Do you want to go and see all of the animals now? We can start with the horses!" Lila had so much excitement, it scared Wanda. Quite frankly, all she wanted to do was keep hold of Nat's hand and stare at the horses from a distance, but clearly, both Lila and Nat had other ideas.
"Go on, milaya. Lila won't bite. I'll be right here."
Wanda nodded, and Lila grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her towards the fence.
Nat watched them from a distance, as Lila enthusiastically pointed to each horse, giving their names. Every so often, as Lila chatted her ear off, Wanda's attention diverted back to Nat. She kept checking to see if she was there; that she hadn't left her.
Laura turned Nat's attention from Wanda back to her.
"So, what's her story? Clint tried to fill me in, but he didn't seem to know very much."
Nat sighed. "Her parents died when she was very young. I don't know how young, she never said, but she said she doesn't really remember them. The twins were captured by Hydra for experiments. She's got the power to control minds and move objects. Her brother had super speed, but Clint probably told you what happened to him.
Laura frowned. "Yeah, that's horrible. Poor Wanda. How is she doing?"
Nat filled her in on Wanda's personality. "She's painfully shy, but she's starting to open up. I can't even imagine what she went through at Hydra. If it was anything like the red room, then she's doing better than I ever did."
Nat and Laura watched Wanda look back for the fifth time in five minutes. Nat gave her an enthusiastic wave. Wanda had barely enough time to wave back before Lila was showing her how to feed grass to the ponies.
"She seems to really like you, huh?"
Nat smiled. "I think she just prefers females. All the people at Hydra were men, especially the doctors. She was so afraid of Banner, we had to have him leave the lab when we gave her a physical."
Laura shook her head. "Give yourself some credit, Tasha. You've got a potential bond forming with that kid. She feels safe with you, I can tell."
Nat looked back over at her. "She reminds me so much of me as a kid."
Lila waved them over, and Nat and Laura made their way to the fence.
"How do you like the ponies, Wanda?"
Wanda climbed off the fence from where she was petting the bigger horse. Natasha was surprised she wasn't scared of them. She was scared of almost everything.
"I like them." Wanda beamed. She was about to say something else, but Lila interrupted.
"Do you want to try riding one? I can show you how, Wanda!" Lila bounced. "Please mommy, can I?"
Laura looked to Nat, who looked to Wanda.
"I don't know how. What if I fall off, or get scared and hurt him with my magic or something?"
Lila shook her head, laughing. Wanda was so surprised Lila could be so comfortable around a girl like her.
"First of all, it's a she. Second, all you have to do is sit on top of her. Auntie Nat can hold the lead rope. She used to take care of the horses sometimes when she visited here."
Wanda was surprised. Natasha didn't seem like an animal person, much less a horse one.
Nat crouched down to Wanda and Lila's level.
"Wanda, you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable. But it is easy, we can take it slow."
Wanda nodded.
"Okay, but can I watch Lila first?"
Lila cheered, and Wanda found herself instinctively raising her hands to her ears to get rid of the noise.
Laura and Nat glared at Lila. She lowered her head.
"Sorry. Okay, let's go!"
In fifteen minutes or so, Lila was on top of her horse, a white mare named Nelly. She kicked the horse forward, and she barely moved, plodding along slowly. Wanda thought it seemed easy enough, plus she wouldn't even have to control Nelly; Nat would lead her around for her.
"Okay, Wanda, your turn!" Lila said, hopping off with some help from Laura. She took her helmet off and handed it to Wanda. Nat helped buckle it up for her.
"Are you ready, sweetie?"
"Yeah, I think so," Wanda said. She took her jacket off and put it on the fence.
"Can I lift you up onto Nelly?"
Wanda nodded and Nat lifted her onto the saddle. The stirrups didn't quite reach her feet. She was a little shorter than Lila.
"What do you think, milaya?"
It wasn't as high as she thought. Wanda barely had to look down at Nat, who stood beside Nelly with the lead rope in hand.
"Can I walk forward?" Nat asked. Wanda nodded, and they slowly walked. Nat grinned. Wanda was beaming, a smile bigger than one she had ever had before. It made Nat's heart so happy to see Wanda having so much fun.
They went a few steps forward and Nelly stopped suddenly, lowering her head too much on some grass. Wanda laughed; the first true laugh she heard since she met her. Nat laughed too.
"Come on Nelly." She pulled the lead rope. "You're so lazy!" Wanda giggled as they made their way back to Laura and Lila.
"How did you like it, Wanda? Lila ran to meet them, and Nat helped her off the horse.
"I loved it! I want to go again!"
Nat chuckled, squeezing her shoulder.
"Maybe later, Wanda. You have all week." Wanda nodded.
Laura took Nelly from Nat. "Why don't you three go on into the house. There are some muffins on the counter. I'll put Nelly back out into the pasture."
"Bye Nelly! See you tomorrow!" Wanda called after Nelly.
"Bye Wanda! It was nice to meet you, new friend!" Nat answered back high- pitched, giving Nelly a fake voice.
Lila and Wanda squealed with laughter.
"What?" Nat said, returning to her original voice. She crossed her arms and looked away. "That wasn't me."
The three of them headed inside, with Lila and Wanda chatting a few paces in front of Natasha. Nat felt a smile turn the corners of her lips upward. Wanda still had a long way to come, but it was like night and day from the shocked little girl on the Quinjet the morning before.
---
When they got inside, Clint and Cooper were in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Baby Nate was in a cradle, sleeping off to the side.
"Did you ride one of the horses, Wanda?" Cooper said, hopping off the bar stool. Wanda flinched at the sudden movement, but quickly relaxed.
Lila answered before Wanda could get her answer out.
"She rode Nelly, and really liked it, right Wanda?"
"Why don't you let Wanda answer for herself, milaya?" Nat gently scolded Lila. Wanda felt a pang of jealously that she almost immediately brushed off. That was her nickname.
"Yeah, I liked it. I've never been on a horse before."
Clint laughed. "Well, now you can say you have."
Lila three muffins off the table and handed one to Nat and Wanda.
"Can I show Wanda my bedroom?"
Wanda looked up to Nat.
"Of course, I'll be right here."
Wanda nodded. Nat was starting to be able to know exactly what she was thinking.
Lila and Wanda headed up the stairs to her bedroom.
Wanda thought the room was amazing, nothing like she'd ever seen before. It was painted purple, and everything matched. She had toys lined up everywhere. Stuffed animals on shelves, dolls in toy boxes, and even a small toy farm set up in the corner. Wanda took it all in.
"I like your bedroom, Lila." Wanda gave a small chuckle, slightly in awe. "You have lots of toys."
Lila smiled proudly. "Come here, I have something really funny to show you."
They walked over to the other side of the room. Underneath the window were a dozen or so Barbie dolls, all set up in a row. Lila plucked a few of the dolls out of the line. They were all doll versions of the Avengers.
"This one is my daddy, and here is Captain America, Iron Man, Falcon, and look!" She showed her the only woman in the group. "Here's auntie Nat as a barbie."
Wanda laughed. The doll's facial features actually sort of looked like her, in doll form of course. The hair was a bit shorter, but other than that it actually looked like Nat. So did the Hawkeye, Captain America, and the rest of them.
"That is funny. Imagine being so famous that you are turned into a doll?"
Lila laughed. "Maybe you'll get turned into a Barbie one day, too. My daddy told me you helped save them."
Wanda shrugged. Nat and Clint told her that too, but she really just saw it as making up for causing them so much pain and grief.
A moment later, a knock was at the door, and the rest of the family entered Lila's room.
"Wow, Lila," Nat said, taking a seat on the end of the bed. "Your room has changed a lot since I came here last. It looks nice."
Thanks," Lila said, taking a seat beside her. "Daddy let me and Cooper change our rooms up a few months ago. We got to choose new paint colours and everything."
Lila bounded off the bed again.
"So, what have you guys been up to up here?" Laura asked. Clint walked in too.
Wanda showed Nat the dolls of all the Avengers. "Look," She said shyly, handing the dolls to Nat. "It's you!"
Natasha chuckled. "What? That doesn't look like me! Or Steve, or Tony, or you're dad for that matter. She said to Lila. Nat held the Clint doll up, a confused look plastered to her face. "I don't see the resemblance."
"Hey! Clint said, snatching his doll. I think it looks like me!"
Nat shook her head. "That doll is better looking than you, and that's not saying much." She turned to Laura, laughing.
"Where did you buy these?"
Laura shrugged. "Santa brought them last Christmas." She gave a wink.
Lila collected all the dolls, setting them back up in a line. "We are going to play wedding. Auntie Nat, who do you want to get married to?" Lila held up all the male dolls. She pulled out Clint, throwing him on the other side of the bed.
"Maybe treat your dad with a little more respect than that," Nat said, laughing.
Wanda pulled out the Captain America doll, handing it to Lila.
"Here, she wants to get married to Steve."
Lila laughed. "Perfect."
Nat went red. "No! Maybe I want to get married to this one? He's much better looking than Steve." Nat plucked a generic blonde doll out of the pile.
"I highly doubt that!" Cooper called from the hallway.
Wanda shook her head. "No. Steve." It was that simple.
Meanwhile, Laura and Clint were laughing their heads off.
Nat sighed. This family was going to be the death of her.