The Avengers stayed in Wakanda for the rest of the week, helping T'Challa and the different tribes clean up the mess that Thanos and his Children left behind. On one particular day, as the Avengers and Wakandans were in the field beyond the city collecting the rest of the dead aliens and a their own warriors, a spaceship landed outside the blue dome, causing all heads to snap over to it and stiffen. Claire let out a loud and vicious growl as she shifted into her wolf without hesitation. She trotted over towards Wanda and stood in front of her in her attack position.
She planted her paws into earth, digging her claws into the soil, anchoring her and lowered her head and barred her fangs. She wasn't going to let anymore aliens get the drop on her, not this time. Steve looked over at her and held out his arm towards her.
"Keep steady, Claire," he said as he looked over at T'Challa. The king met his look, and understanding the silent message, he tapped his comm.
"On my signal, open North-West section seventeen," he said.
"Requesting confirmation, my king. You said open the barrier?" the dome control technician replied, sounding unsure and nervous. T'Challa nodded, not taking his eyes off the craft.
"On my signal." The hatch opened on the ship, and Claire didn't wait for an order, and took off running towards the ship, growling and snarling. Her heavy paws pounded against the ground, her claws kicking up small chunks of earth as she ran, forcing herself to run faster. She panted heavily as she pushed herself to run faster, determined to get to them before they had a chance to get to her or her friends.
She was approaching the barrier, and a small gateway opened up. Claire pushed herself, roaring loudly, her wolf angry and seeing red. She slowly started to lose control over her wolf, having never pushed her this hard. Her wolf growled and snapped her jaw as she started to foam at the mouth. Her eyes never left the spacecraft, and she was curious as to why they haven't left yet. She was getting closer, only yards away now, when a figure stepped out and down the open hatch.
The figure lifted his arm up over his face, blocking the sun's harsh rays from hitting his eyes. When his eyes adjusted, he removed his hand revealing his face, and when Claire saw him, she full regained control and skidded to a halt. Tony Stark froze as Claire sped closer to him, desperately trying to stop. Claire stopped and sat inches away from his face staring at each other with wide eyes. Claire moved her head forward, sniffing the billionaire playboy philanthropist, before huffing and standing to move out of his way.
Tony sent a startled glare at her as he walked the rest of the way down off the ship. A few more figures appeared out of the ship and walked down the hatch. Claire recognized the teenaged boy dressed in the red spider suit, and she also remembered the sting of his webs when he shot her. When the boy looked over at her, she lowered her ears, narrowed her eyes, and growled lowly at him, showing her fangs. Peter jumped and moved away from her. Behind him stood a broad man with gray skin and weird red markings covering him. Claire mentally rolled her eyes at his lack of shirt and moved her attention to a tall woman with huge eyes and...antennas? Claire made a little chirp noise of confusion as the woman walked over to her with a smile on her face.
"Oooh! What kind of creature are you?" she asked as she reached her hand out towards Claire's head, itching to pet her.
"Umm...I wouldn't touch her. She bites," Tony said, gaining the woman's attention. She looked back over at Claire as she sent a growl towards Tony. Claire softened her gaze at the woman and leaned into her hand letting her pet her. She suddenly felt a presence in her mind, almost like an...awareness, and her eyes widened. The woman's antennas glowed a bright light and a big smile formed on her face as she laughed loudly.
"What's so funny?" Tony asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Pointing at Tony with her free hand and still laughing, the woman said, "She...she feels some very undesirable things about you Mr. Stark! She thinks you are a...tin man!" The woman burst into laughter again and removed her hand from Claire's head. Claire stuck her tongue out and panted happily, swishing her tail back and forth on the grass. Tony scowled at her while she sent him a wolfish grin.
Peter took careful steps closer to her, taking advantage of her happier attitude and stuck out his hand towards her.
"She's not gonna bite me, right Mr. Stark? You—you were just kidding about that?" Peter asked. Claire, seeing his hand moving towards him, changed her expression and growled again, but not a viciously as before, but in warning. Peter took his hand back a little, looking into her eyes. "I'm—I'm sorry I shot you. Sometimes, I get a little...excited." Claire growled again but laid down in the grass at Peter's feet and rolled over, showing her belly. "Does this mean you forgive me?"
Claire snorted in reply and Peter bent down and gently pet her soft black fur. Peter laughed as a contented rumbling vibrated through her body as he pet her. When he finished, she sat back up and walked around Peter's legs, rubbing her head against him and letting out a little whine. Peter bent down and wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging her.
"I'm glad you forgive me," he said in her ear. She mentally smiled at him. How could I not when you look like the cross between a baby and a teddy bear? I may be a beast, but I'm no monster.
"So...this is Earth," a man with unruly brown hair and a small brown mustache said as he placed his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest, smiling.
"It's too hot," a blue skinned mechanical woman muttered to herself as she stepped off the ship.
"I think I could get with Earth. What do you think, guys? Want to set up shop here for a bit?" the brown haired man—Star Lord—said turning towards the small group. Tony groaned and rolled his eyes.
"Listen Robin Hood, don't you and your merry gang of misfits need to scamper back to Sherwood's Forest right about now?" Tony asked, sounding like he was on his last nerve.
"Oh! Mr. Stark is getting grump, isn't he? Isn't he? Yes, he is. Yes, he is," Peter mumbled to her in baby talk and ruffled her fur, scratching her in all the right places. Claire couldn't help it, but she smiled a wolfish smile at him and wagged her tail.
"Kid, stop. She's not a dog, she's a person," Tony said looking over at them. His hand was pressed against his forehead and his eyes were closed. He opened his eyes and looked at Claire and sighed. "Where's Cap?"
Claire growled a little at him but stood up and led the way back across the field. As they walked, Peter paused a picked up large stick that broke off from a surrounding tree. Smiling, he took the stick and ran over to the front of the group where Claire was leading and waved it in her face.
"Wanna play fetch?" he asked. Her eyes snapped over to him and widened, locking onto the stick. Peter waved it slowly, watching as her eyes followed. He brought the stick behind him and then threw far from where they were walking. "Go get it!"
Claire sprinted after the stick, barking the whole way. When she arrive at where the stick landed, she tripped over her own feet as she tried to stop and grab it. A small cloud of dust shot up into the air when she landed, but she got up unphased and grabbed the stick before running back over to Peter.
She dropped the stick at Peter's feet and stood ready, lowering the front half of her body, wagging her tail. Peter threw the stick again, further this time, and Claire ran off again, this time outrunning the stick. She jumped up and caught it in her mouth and ran back over to Peter.
They kept playing, even as they got closer to the Avengers. Once more, Peter threw the stick and Claire ran after it. This time, the stick was caught by Wanda and she held the stick in her hands, waiting for Claire. The rest of the Avengers and Wakandans moved away from her, watching as Claire's hulking wolf came bound towards them. Wanda smirked, calling her bluff and held strong, standing her ground. Claire smirked also, and continued, only slowing down just a tad so that she didn't hurt Wanda. She them leaped into the air slightly, pouncing on Wanda and knocking them both down. Wanda let out a loud laugh as they both hit the ground, Claire being careful to not drop all her weight on her. The stick fell out of her hands and Claire forgot all about it. She nuzzled her red face and licked her cheek. Wanda squealed in delight and surprise as she tried to push Claire off her.
After a minute, Claire got up off her and walked around behind her, pushing her head against her back to help her get up. At that moment Tony, Peter, and the Guardians stood in front of the Avengers and Wakandans, and Claire shifted back into her human form and wrapped her arms around Wanda from behind and planted a kiss on her neck, just below her jawline.
Tony stepped up towards Steve, holding out his hand.
"Rogers," he said. Steve took his hand and shook it.
"Stark. It's good to see you."
"Yeah...you too. So...I'm guessing you stopped him."
"It was kinda close," Steve said looking over at Wanda and Claire. "We almost a lot more than we anticipated." Tony nodded and looked over at Claire, giving her a small uneasy smile.
"I gotta admit; it's good to see you, Padfoot," Tony said. "You too, Maximoff." They both nodded at Tony in acknowledgement and Wanda's eyes flickered over to the Guardians.
"Who are they?" Wanda asked, nodding her head in their direction, directing the question to Tony. He sighed and turned towards them. Before he could answer, Star Lord stepped up.
"Yeah, uh, I'm Peter Quill, otherwise known as Star Lord." He paused for dramatic effect and maybe even applause, though he was surprised when none came his way. The metaphorical cricket chirped in the silence. "Wha—come on. Star Lord! Best thief in the galaxy? Am I ringing any bells?" He sighed when everyone shook their heads. "Anyway, we're the Guardians of the Galaxy."
"'Guardians of the Galaxy'? Guardians of which galaxy?" Claire asked stepping away from Wanda. Quill just looked at her, an incredulous look on his face.
"This galaxy." Claire burst out into a loud fit of giggles that lasted for several minutes and collapsed into the grass. Calming down, she looked back over at Quill.
"No, come on, be serious. Which galaxy?"
"This one," he said again looking a little offended. Claire started laughing again.
"Oh, come on! You expect me to believe that you," she gestured to them, "guard our galaxy?! This is a joke, surely." Claire walked over to Mantis and held up her hand for a high-five. Mantis, not understanding the gesture, high-fived her, and instantly started laughing too.
"I...have never felt...such joy!" she cried between laughs, tears coming to her eyes. Wanda pulled Claire away and sat her down on the grass, rolling her eyes with a loving grin on her face as she watched the woman she loved roll around as she continued to laugh. Soon a continuous hacking cough took the place of the laugh and Claire stood up from the grass. Clearing her throat, she rested her arm on Wanda's shoulder and used her body to lean against her, adding a little bit of weight, careful to not knock her over.
"I'm good. Sorry," she said waving off the stares. Natasha rolled her eyes the figurative child and turned away, looking at the Guardians.
"So what brings you to Earth," she asked placing a hand on her hip.
"We were just dropping these two off," the gray man said. "By the way, I am Drax."
"They call me Mantis," said the woman with the antennas. Drax pointed over at the blue skinned woman, waiting for her to introduce herself. She sighed heavily and turned towards them.
"Nebula," she muttered. Claire nodded, but froze when Thor walked over with a raccoon and a tree?
"What the hell? Is that a raccoon?" Claire asked.
"Who called me a raccoon?" the raccoon, Rocket, asked as he clenched his little fists.
"Why is the raccoon talking?" Claire asked again as she subtly stepped in front of Wanda. Rocket walked over to her.
"Listen here, little orphan Annie," Rocket said stepping to her. Claire growled. "I am not a raccoon!"
"Oh yeah? Well, it looks like you are," she growled. Rocket growled back.
"You wanna go?"
"Bring it, trash panda."
"Trash panda?! That's it!" Rocket pulled a large gun that was strapped to his back and aimed it at Claire. Claire growled and shifted into her giant wolf, not fazing Rocket in the slightest. Wanda ignited her magic and stepped between Claire and Rocket keeping them separated.
"Okay, you both need to chill out," Wanda said. She turned towards Claire, knowing that Claire would be the better option to convince to stand down. Her magic disappeared and she gently placed her hands against the sides of Claire's snout. Claire looked past her and at Rocket and growled. "Hey, look at me. You need to chill out. Okay? Relax. You're going to tire yourself out, baby. Calm down."
Claire growled again as she tried to ignore Wanda's words. She tried to shake her head, but Wanda's hands kept her in place. She avoided looking at Wanda's face because she knew that if she looked into her eyes, she would melt and give in. She didn't want to give in; she wanted to rip that little rat to pieces. She growled again her eyes glowing. Wanda knelt down in the grass and stared into Claire's glowing purple eyes. She ran her hand along the fur on her face, rubbing her ear, which caused Claire's gaze to soften and let out a whine. Wanda looked at her, her eyes pleading with her.
"Please. I know you're feeling angry. I know you want to do something about it, but please, Claire; stop. Come back to me, baby," she whispered. Claire whined loudly and shifted back, pulling Wanda into her arms once she was normal again.
"I'm sorry, love." She looked over at Rocket and pulled away from Wanda and walked over to him. Sitting in the grass next to him, she held out her hand to him. "I'm sorry." Rocket nodded at her and shook her hand.
"Right, well, I think it's time we left. Guardians let's pack it up," Quill said, leading the Guardians away before another fight broke out.
The Guardians turned and left, heading back to their ship and took off. The Avengers finished what they were doing, before returning into the palace for the night.
○○○
The sun had set over the mountains surrounding Wakanda and the stars peaked out against the dark sky. Wanda sat on the bed, reading a book, a cup of tea in her hand. Claire stood by the large windows, looking out at the lights of the city. Celebratory music played in the streets and drifted up into the night sky, softly reaching their room. Claire turned from the window and pressed her back against it, sighing and closing her eyes. Wanda looked up from her book and looked over at her.
"Claire?" her accent was now barely detectable, and she didn't roll the "r" as much as she once did. Regardless, Claire loved the sound of Wanda's voice saying her name. No matter how she said it, she would always love her voice as well as every bit of the Sokovian. "Are you okay?" Wanda placed her book and mug on the bedside table and got out of the bed, walking over to Claire.
Claire opened her eyes and gazed at the beauty that stood before her. Wanda had changed out of her earlier outfit and into a pair of black shorts, a white tank top, and Claire's black leather jacket that was way too big on her, just like it was on Claire. The bright moonlight shone into the room, illuminating Wanda's green eyes, engulfing the forests in them in a silky silver light. Claire's hands came up to Wanda's cheeks and her thumbs slowly caressed her soft skin. Wanda smiled at the touch and brought her hands up and grasped Claire's wrists.
Claire smiled as the moonlight lit up Wanda's face, making her subtle blush stand out against the paleness.
"You're so beautiful," she sighed. Wanda looked down as her cheeks burned a bright scarlet. Claire moved her right hand down to Wanda's chin and lifted it, bringing her eyes back up into the moonlight. Claire leaned down and pressed her lips against Wanda's, shifting her hands to her waist. Wanda's arms reached out and wrapped around the back of Claire's neck, tangling in her curly red hair.
They soon broke the kiss and Wanda stood up on her toes slightly, pressing her forehead against Claire's. Claire let out a little chuckle and moved her hands farther south and lifted Wanda up off the ground with ease. She gasped and wrapped her legs around Claire's waist and her arms around her neck, anchoring herself so she wouldn't fall. Claire's hands sat on the backs of Wanda's thighs, gripping her tight, but not enough to hurt her.
"Don't drop me," Wanda begged, biting her lip again before pressing her lips to Claire's, sealing their distance with a passionate and hungry kiss. Claire's laugh reverberated through the kiss and she playfully loosened her grip on Wanda's legs eliciting a startled squeal from the Sokovian as she dipped down a tad before she tightened her legs and arms. She looked up and glared at Claire who only chuckled a deep chuckle, and unlike ever before, Claire's eyes turned to a dark purple; almost a violet or...maybe an indigo.
"I'll never let you fall, baby girl." Claire brushed her nose against Wanda's, walking over towards the bed. She sat Wanda down on the soft mattress and removed her hands from her thighs and Wanda untangled her legs from around her waist and sat up, kneeling up on the bed. She moved her right hand to run through Claire's hair and gazed into her eyes.
"I don't deserve you," she murmured.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't deserve to have someone like you, who loves me more than their own life, who would do anything to protect me without any regard for their own safety, who makes me feel safe and secure, who puts my needs above their own. You're one of a kind, Claire, and I'm glad you chose me."
Claire smiled and sat down on the bed next to her, her eyes back to their normal color. She reached over and grasped Wanda's hand and her smile grew. She looked over at the love of her life and felt...complete. Her life had been nothing but turmoil and filled with pain, but ever since she met Wanda, she had known only peace. Wanda made her feel safe. Wanda taught her to love herself. Wanda made her see that she wasn't what she was brainwashed into believing she was. Wanda helped her in ways that no one else could.
She studied Wanda's face, watching the way her nose crinkled a bit and how she would pause a bit when she said words that were difficult to pronounce in her American accent., or how when she spoke, her lips would curl upwards, or how her eyes would widen when she was excited. She watched as Wanda spoke, but she didn't hear a word as she got lost in her breathtaking green eyes.
"Claire, are you listening to me?" Wanda asked, raising her brow at her and smirking. Claire's face became flushed as she rubbed the back of her neck. Wanda moved to sit in her lap and pushed her down on the bed. "You were staring at me. Did you see something you liked?"
Claire sat back up and kicked back on the bed, scooting her and Wanda back and leaned against the pillows and headboard. She grabbed her hair and pushed it away from her neck and lightly kissed the soft spot behind Wanda's ear.
"I always do," Claire muttered.
"And what did you see?"
"You." Claire removed her lips from Wanda's neck and looked up at her. Wanda got off and laid in the bed next to her, grabbing Claire's left arm and draping it behind her neck. Claire brought her right hand over and wrapped her fingers around Wanda's, making her smile.
"What do we do now?" she asked, looking down at their hands. Claire inhaled deeply and turned her head, looking at the opposite wall.
"We get to go home," she answered, peace filling her at the thought of relaxing for once. "I don't know about you, but I think I've had my fill of this hero shit for a while. All I want to do is find a place somewhere, and just...live...with you." She turned back and looked at Wanda, smiling at her as she beamed at the thought of moving in together. Though they technically were already living together before, it still felt like an honor, and Wanda was happy at the proposal.
"Where did you have in mind?" Wanda asked, accepting her offer, as she settled into Claire's embrace, tiredness feeding into her. Claire too leaned back in the bed, resting her head on the pillows.
"I don't know. You got any place that you want to go?"
"How about...New York?"
Claire looked down at Wanda, still smiling, exhaustion lining her eyes.
"New York it is then."