Natasha slowly crossed the threshold of the room, and observed the curled up body on top of the bed. Wanda was laying on the bed her knees up to her chest, trying to comfort herself in the foetal position. Natasha approached the teen, she gently sat down next to the forlorn figures. She carefully placed her hand on the girl’s back and start running her fingers up and down Wanda’s spine. “Hey baby,” she cajoled.
Wanda turned her head towards the older woman without really moving her body, causing her back to arch more. “Careful Wanda,” said Natasha quietly, as she pulled the teenager into her body so she was facing the same way. Natasha moved further onto the bed, allowing Wanda to attach to her like a limpet. She buried her head into Natasha’s chest. Natasha soothed her, by stroking her hair with one hand and patting her lower back with the other hand. Wanda sighed in contentment as her free hand fingered the button on Natasha’s blouse. She placed a kiss to the crown of Wanda’s head, “Thanks for letting me in Sweetheart.”
Wanda just nodded, well as much as she could nod in her current position. “I promise to tell you everything.”
Wanda sighed but realised she needed to extract herself from Natasha’s hold to continue this conversation. She pulled herself away and sat up crosslegged facing the older woman. “Ok..” Wanda muttered taking the moment to bring her thoughts together.
“You need to tell me everything about Siberia,” stated Wanda firmly.
Natasha rubbed her temple, “I can tell you what I know but the only people who know truly what happened there where Steve, Bucky and Tony.”
“Ok,” replied Wanda. “I can speak to Steve. Do you promise to stop hiding things from me?”
Natasha nodded, “there will be times I just want to protect you, but I will do better to try. I won’t ever lie to you though.”
Wanda looked at the woman thoughtfully, “You need to start treating me more like an adult.”
“Ok? What does that look like to you?” questioned Natasha.
“It means I’m a full member of the Avengers. I have the autonomy to make my own decisions with your guidance. I can see Vision….”
“Hold up,” said Natasha. “You are still only 16.”
“17 soon,” replied Wanda.
“I know sweetheart. Look I agree to discuss things with you before hand. Even I can recognise I have become slightly more dictatorial recently,” stated Natasha. “But you are still 16, you can’t have that level of autonomy not with the agreement we made with Ross.”
Wanda looked at her thoughtfully, “Ok I want corporal punishment off the table.”
Natasha cocked an eyebrow at her, “that’s never off the table, you just need to make decisions that means it does not happen.”
Wanda scrunched her face up, “But Nat it’s so embarrassing…”
Natasha shook her head, “I realise that but ultimately you know how to avoid that.”
Wanda rolled her eyes but could see the logic in Natasha’s words much to her irritation. “Then you need to let me see Vision…”
Natasha sucked air through her teeth as she pondered her answer, “Ok….”
Wanda smiled in reaction which made Natasha’s chest lighten despite her trepidation. “But we need to talk about things Wanda, if you start closing up, clamming up, or if I sense issues. I will put a stop to it.”
“You worry too much Nat,” stated Wanda with a soft smile.
“Maybe,” replied Natasha. “I can’t help it. I mean look at that cute little face.” She playfully squeezed her cheeks together, causing Wanda to giggle.
“You are ridiculous Mama,” laughed Wanda. Natasha’s heart lifted at hearing that word leave Wanda’s mouth, it never ceased to amaze her how that one word had the ability to effect her every time she heard it.
“Maybe,” Natasha joked again. “Now come on you should get into bed. We are up early in the morning.”
Wanda looked at her questionably as Natasha pulled back the duvet and patted the mattress in invitation. “Where are we going?”
“Wakanda,” replied Natasha. “You want answers, so we are going to go and get them for you.”
Wanda threw herself back into Natasha and wrapped her arms around her neck. “Thank you…”
Natasha just tightened her grip around the witch, savouring the moment. “Ok little witch, get some sleep.” She stroked her hair as she lowered her onto the pillow. Natasha placed a kiss to her forehead before tucking the duvet around the teenager.
“You don’t need to tuck me in,” said Wanda but there were no irritation in her voice.
“I know, sometimes I need to do it for purely my own benefit,” replied Natasha.
……………………………………………………………………………
Tony nursed the glass of Bourbon at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. This day had felt so long, and it had tired him. Pepper moved behind him and rubbed his shoulders. Tony visibly dropped his shoulders and gave in to the ministrations. She placed a kiss to his cheek, “How you doing Tones?”
“I’ve had better days,” replied Tony without his usual snark. Pepper frowned but wrapped an arm loosely around his neck.
“I’m proud of you,” whispered Pepper into his ear.
“How’s Peter?” questioned Tony.
“Pouting in his bedroom,” stated Pepper as she poured herself a glass of Bourbon from the decanter on the table. “I’ve told him we will discuss it further in the morning, as I wasn’t quite sure what to say to him.”
Steve walked into the room, “Do you mind if I join you?”
Tony just open hand gestured at the bar, while Pepper poured him a glass of bourbon as well. She gestured towards the ice, but Steve shook his head, “Neat, please.”
Pepper nodded and placed the glass in front of him. “Thanks Pepper.”
They all sat their quietly sipping at their drinks enjoying the warming burn as it made it’s way down to their stomachs. Natasha entered the kitchen and smirked as she surveyed the three of them. She walked around to the other side of the bar, grabbed a glass, and filled it with ice before pouring the bourbon into the glass. Natasha took a long sip before finally opening her mouth, “well today was interesting…”
“That’s one word for it,” replied Pepper with a tightness to her voice.
Natasha’s smile dropped slightly, “come on Pepper we need to clear the air between all of us. This tension is not good for us, and it’s not good for the kids.”
Pepper nodded, “I know you are right Nat.”
Tony put his glass down, “How did it go with Wanda?”
Natasha took another sip before answering, “it actually went well, who knew that Tony Stark would be an expert in teenager girls.”
Pepper wrinkled her nose, “did you have to word it in such a creepy way?”
Natasha just smirked. Steve jumped in, “she can’t help it.”
An awkward tittering of laughter overtook the bar. Pepper finally interrupted the laughter, “God, what were we thinking? Taking on teenagers…”
Tony shrugged, “Pepper is always picking up strays it’s how she found me.”
“I'm taking Wanda to Wakanda tomorrow to see Bucky,” stated Natasha. Steve turned to her in shock, “I thought we agreed we weren’t going to tell Wanda about Siberia.”
“We made a mistake Steve, we keep underestimating her,” replied Natasha.
Pepper cut in, “and we keep treating Peter like an adult when he isn’t one. Steve why would you even mention Siberia to Peter…”
Steve scratched at his beard awkwardly, “I’m sorry guys I misread the situation and then didn’t explain it properly. He’s so mature sometimes, and then the next second…”
“I think you just described every male on the planet, “ replied Pepper with a knowing smirk, toasting her glass towards Natasha. They both recognised the gesture of solidarity for more than just that. It was an acceptance and apology for their earlier tiff at the restaurant.
“She has a point,” echoed Tony. “The truth is Peter and Wanda talk, so we all need to be a united front when dealing with them.”
Steve nodded, “you have a point Tony. I know we have different styles and different ways but we need to have the same concepts especially as we all live together.”
Natasha coughed slightly, “maybe we need to move out.”
Pepper looked at her in shock, “What? No Nat, we are a family.”
“I know we are Pep, but I also think it would be good for Wanda to escape from the Avenger lifestyle for a bit. I need to show her more of the positive sides of life rather than constantly fighting the bad,” explained Natasha.
Tony spoke up, “that’s the most sense I think I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth Romanoff.”
Steve bolted up, “what does that mean for us?”
Natasha glanced over to the man the regret showing on her face, “It means we will need to be apart for a while. Ross won’t let all of us leave, he needs you here to be the face of the Avengers. I need to put Wanda first.”
Steve sadly cradled his glass and downed the last of the amber liquid. “I know you are right, let’s not make it forever though.”
Natasha reached over and clasped the hand Steve had left on the table. “It’s just temporary. We have been pretending to be other people, and before that she was an Avenger, and an orphan. She needs to be her, and find her place in this world.”
Pepper nodded along, “I don’t like it, because we only just got you back, but I understand why…”
Tony sighed, “I’m going to miss the witch…”
Natasha coughed in annoyance, “And me…”
Tony just smirked at her, “I’m sure I’ll learn to miss you.”
“It’s ok Tony, you will still get my credit card bill,” snapped back Natasha with a smile.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” replied Tony warmly. “So you leave in the morning?”
Natasha nodded, “We will be back next week for the conference with Ross, but I was thinking of going to Europe for the week, then the meeting and then Wakanda.”
“I thought you were going Wakanda tomorrow,” stated Pepper.
Natasha ran her fingers through her hair, “I think we should go there when we can spend enough time there and it would be nice if Steve could go to, so we can catch up after the conference, before we leave again.”
Tony nodded, “You could take Peter with you Steve, He loves talking to Shuri, and it might allow the kids to clear the air a bit.”
“I think we are finally getting the hang of this parenting stuff,” joked Pepper awkwardly.
“Considering our own track records with parents I think we are excellent,” said Tony with his all knowing grin.
Steve lifted his empty glass to allow Pepper to top him up, afterwards he raised his glass. “Here’s to the future…” They clinked the glasses together, before the conversation turned merry as the alcohol continued to pour.
………………………………………..
Natasha for once in her life was grateful for the experiments carried out in the Redroom, as she didn’t have the hangover that Pepper currently had. The woman groaned as Natasha handed her the cup of coffee.
“Why did we drink that much?”
Natasha shrugged, “sometimes it’s nice to let loose a little.”
Pepper grimaced as she nodded in agreement, realising her error a fraction to late, “It’s not fair that I’m the only suffering. Steve has the serum, Tony’s liver can break down alcohol like its water.”
“I don’t think we have met a truly sober Tony Stark.”
“Lies, lies, lies,’ muttered Tony from his place across the table, his dark sunglasses hiding his glazed over eyes. “I still feel it, i just choose to ignore it.”
Steve snorted in laughter, from his place at the table. Wanda walked in dressed and ready for the day. She approached Natasha and kissed her cheek to distract her while she grabbed the coffee out of her hands and sat down next to Tony to everyone’s amusement.
“I could have just made you your own coffee,” stated Natasha in faux annoyance.
“It tastes better when it’s yours,” replied Wanda with a smirk.
“Cheeky shit,” muttered Natasha under her breath.
“So what’s the plan?” asked Wanda taking a drink of her appropriated beverage.
Natasha poured herself another coffee before turning to the teenager. “We are heading off in a few hours to spend the week in Europe.”
“Seriously?” questioned Wanda. She turned to Steve, “Where are we going first?”
Steve coughed awkwardly, “I’m staying here it’s just you and Nat going.”
Wanda looked confused, “But why not?”
Natasha coughed and spoke up, “Steve has to stay and sort some stuff with the accords.”
“Is this because of me?” asked Wanda.
Steve stood up, “of course not sweetheart. I just need to stay and do some Avenger related stuff. Don’t worry.”
“Shouldn’t we stay then?” questioned Wanda innocently. Steve shook his head, “No, go have fun with your mom. We have the conference in a week we can catch up then.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” was Wanda’s response.
Natasha deciding now was the time for her to lead the conversation, “we are taking a sabbatical Wanda.”
“A sabbatical?” repeated Wanda, not truly understanding the foreign word.
Tony decided to respond, “you are taking a long holiday away from the Avengers.”
Natasha looked a Tony in slight annoyance, “it means we are taking a break for a year. We will still train but while travelling and enjoying the world.”
“So what? This week on our own and then Steve joins us,” stated Wanda firmly.
“Not exactly,” replied Steve. “I will be staying at the compound as an Avenger. I will come out and meet you at times.”
“No,” said Wanda abruptly.
Steve look at her thoughtfully, “Wanda, you would be missing out on a wonderful experience. You and Nat seeing the world together. It would upset me if you lost out on that.”
“But you will be missing out,” stated Wanda, “I was hoping we could talk… you know…”
She went all bashful and trailed out at the end of the sentence. Natasha decided to save her from her own teenage awkwardness, “We can all talk after breakfast about it, but for now pancakes or waffles?”