Hey guyssss! Welcome to the next chapter, which as usual I'm making up on the spot so we shall just roll with the plot. Anyways, hope you all enjoy!
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This was it.
I have been trying for days to get my children back, and every time I became closer and closer. I could feel the connection, but it was just so far away...
But tonight I am determined to push myself for however long it takes to get them back. I've left them alone for long enough.
As usual I waited until America was in a deep sleep before beginning, as I didn't want her finding me in an exhausted state again.
I think she's noticed that I've been more tired these past few days, but I just assured her I haven't been getting much sleep. Which was partly true.
As I have done all the previous nights, I open the Darkhold, and lay it onto my bedroom floor, getting rid of my Astral Form for now as I needed all the power I could muster.
I feel my power rush through me, as I quietly start to chant the ancient spells. As I do, the tips of my fingers turn black. A side effect I had noticed that happens only when I'm using the Darkhold. It goes away one I close the book.
Flashes. Flashes of worlds. Flashes of so many different universes. But not the one I was looking for...
I feel sweat start to trickle down my face as I push my powers further. I could feel them, I know they are here somewhere...
Suddenly, I hear two familiar voices. Their faint. But they're there.
"Mom! Mom! Help up please!"
"Mom! Help us!"
My boys. It was my boys, and they were calling for me.
For a split second, I catch a glimpse of them together in a room. They look slightly older than they did when I got rid of the hex, but they still had the same faces and similar clothes, with Billy in jeans and a red t-shirt, while Tommy was in a green tracksuit.
I open my mouth to call their names, but I'm suddenly sucked away from the blurry picture, and I feel myself fall back onto the floor, breathing heavily.
I felt exhausted. More exhausted than normal. I could barely shut the book and crawl back into my bed, before darkness overtook me.
But I had done it. I had reached my boys! Now I just needed my powers to grow so I could get them home...
~~~
"Wanda? Wanda can you hear me?"
I felt groggy and exhausted. My body felt like I had been hit by a truck.
That voice isn't America's... But it's also familiar.
"Is she gonna be okay?"
That was America's voice. Oh god I passed out again. America was probably worried sick about me.
I try to force my eyes open, feeling a migraine already coming on.
"She's waking up!" I hear America's voice cheer, although it sounded super foggy and far away.
"Wanda? Wanda can you hear us?" The male voice repeats, and I see another figure leaning over my bed.
I groan at the pain in my head, letting my eyes adjust to the light.
The first thing I see that shocks me, is the man standing in my room. The man who I thought cared for me, until he didn't call once after the battle with Thanos. The man who my brother sacrificed his life for. The man who took care of me when no one else did when I first came to the Compound.
"Clint?" My voice is raspy like I haven't used it for days, and I force my eyes to fall onto the familiar man.
"Hey, Wands. You gave us a fright for a minute." I see Clint give me a half smile.
Wait a minute. How was Clint here?
"Mama!" I feel a small figure jump onto my bed. "I'm so glad your okay! You didn't wake up all day despite everything I tired to do to help, so I found your phone and called the first number I saw, and explained what happened and I found where we were and gave the location to Uncle Clint, so he could come and help you." She explains in a rushed voice.
"H-How long have I been asleep?" I ask cautiously, pulling America down so she was laying on my chest.
"Three days." Clint replies, handing me a glass of water. "Your kid and I were worried sick. And also would you like to explain to me what the fuck has happened?" His voice turns slightly sterner at the end, and I feel myself blush into the glass.
"That's a long story." I cough uncomfortably, still hurt that Clint didn't try and call me.
"I've got time." He shrugs, taking back the empty glass and giving me 'the dad look.'
I tell him everything. Westview, The Hex, Vision, Billy and Tommy, SWORD, Agatha, America... The list goes on, and by the end of it he was dumbfounded.
"So let me get this straight? You accidentally enslaved a whole town into a sitcom nightmare. You brought the toaster back to life and had two boys who are somehow ten years old. Then a witch shows up, you battle, take down the hex, and then come here and find America who had fallen out of a portal in the sky?"
I nod, distracting myself by running my fingers through America's hair.
"Jesus, Wands..." Clint puts his head in his hands.
"I'm sorry..." My voice breaks slightly, although I try to hold back my emotions.
"You could have called!" He tells me, raising his voice. "I thought you wanted space, seeing as you weren't responding to my texts, or Sam's. One call, Wanda! And I would have been there in a matter of hours! But no! You decide to enslave a whole fucking town instead!"
I can't stop a tear from falling down my face at his harsh words. "You we're with your family..." I protest, weakly. "I didn't want to take you away from them again..."
"Your my family too, Wands! Do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard about Westview?!"
I bite my lip to stop myself from sobbing in front of America, who was hiding her face in my chest.
Clint's eyes soften slightly when he sees my pained expression, and he gently sits down on the edge of my bed.
"I just wish that the first call I had gotten from you in months, wasn't your daughter that I knew nothing about, sobbing over the phone to a stranger in hopes of help because her mother was passed out with a high fever, and wasn't waking up."
My heart breaks at the thought of America being so scared that she found my phone and called someone she didn't know to come and help me.
"God I'm such a shit Mom." I mutter, wiping away a tear that had made its way down my face. "And a shit person. What Avenger enslaves a whole town?"
"Wanda Maximoff." Clint's stern voice jolts me slightly. "You are NOT shit Mother, or person. I'm sorry I let this happen, but that girl clearly loves you to bits, and I'm sure Billy and Tommy did too. We've all done things were not proud of, but that doesn't mean that you are any less of an Avenger, or a good person."
I feel myself tear up at his words. God why didn't I call Clint sooner.
"I'm so sorry, Clint." I whisper, as I catch sight of America looking up worriedly at my tear stained face.
"I'm sorry too, Wands." Clint leans forward and pulls me into a firm hug, which I quickly return.
"Group hug!" America announces, making me chuckle wetly as she joins in.
After we all pull away, I turn to look between the two people in my room.
"So, wanna tell me what went on while I was... unconscious?" I'm not ready to tell America that the book was exhausting me, and Clint definitely didn't need to know.
"Well, I got a call from America here who was crying, saying that you weren't waking up and it had been hours. So after I asked who she was and where you were, I stole a jet and made my way here." Clint explains, looking around my room.
"And then he got here and I told him what was wrong, then he helped me care for you." America finishes, sharing a smile with Clint.
"She's a good kid." Clint smiles at me and America. "And she clearly loves you very much. She was worried sick."
I hate myself for making my daughter worry about me that much.
"Uncle Clint is really fun! He played on the trampoline with me, and made me loads of food!" America exclaims, excitedly. "He also slept in here with me, so I wouldn't have to leave you alone at night!"
I smile, happy that someone else took care of my girl when I couldn't. "Thank you, Clint."
"I'll do anything to help you, Wands. Just wish you had told me about your secret family sooner." He jokes, pulling the side of my top up slightly, as it had slipped down a bit.
Ever the gentleman.
"Things were just a bit hectic." I let out a slightly forced laugh, pulling America into my lap.
"I've heard." Clint scoffs, throwing me a granola bar out of nowhere.
"You haven't eaten for days." He points out, sounding so much like a Dad.
I open the bar, only just realising how hungry I was, and take a large bite.
America turns her head to steal a bite, but I hold the granola bar away from her mouth.
"Umm! Excuse me, missy! That's not yours!" I scold her teasingly, poking her stomach.
"I literally made you burgers an hour ago!" Clint tells her, dumbfound.
"This girl could eat for the country." I tell him, making America laugh.
"Yah, but I'm hungry again!" She protests, making a grab for the granola bar, but before she can get it, Clint pulls her off my lap.
"Your Mom hasn't eaten for a few days kiddo. Let the woman have a granola bar." He jokes, leaving time to quickly finish the snack.
As soon as Clint let's her go, America scrambles back into my lap, making herself comfortable.
"Thank you for taking care of me, but I'm sure your family needs you." I reluctantly tell the archer, not wanting to keep him from his family for more time than necessary.
"Wanda. My family are fine. It's you who needs me right now." He assures me, honestly.
His words nearly make me cry again, so I just nod. Afraid that if I open my mouth I will start sobbing relentlesly.
"And we are still having a little chat about things." He raises an eyebrow, immediately making me feel like the 17 year old girl I was after Ultron again.
"You know I'm not a child anymore." I tell him pointedly.
"That doesn't mean I can't still give you a good talking to. I want to make sure that toaster treated you well for a start." Clint shoots back, making me roll my eyes. "And it definitely doesn't mean that I will no longer care for you."
"Hey, Ree. Why don't you go and watch TV for a bit?" I suggest, wanting to get this 'talk' over with.
"Nooo!" America immediately whines, clutching onto me tighter. "I'm staying with you."
I don't have the energy to argue with her, so I give in. Guess we will just have to wait until America falls to sleep.
"I'm gonna go make you some proper food." Clint tells me, standing up from the bed. "You catch up with some hugs from your daughter. She was really worried about you."
With that, Clint walks out of the room, leaving just me and America.
"I'm so sorry I put you through that, baby. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." I promise my daughter, kissing her head gently.
"It's okay, Mama. I know you were trying to get Billy and Tommy back, but I'm glad I got to meet Uncle Clint." She tells me with a small content sigh.
"Oh so he's already got you hooked on the Uncle thing?" I joke, ignoring the fact that she knew why I had passed out.
"I heard that!" Clint calls from the kitchen.
"Thought you were deaf?" I retort, a small smirk on my face.
"Very funny, Maximoff." I hear Clint sigh in annoyance, which made America giggle.