Home ¥ Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch

{Ch. 14} Sleep

The days began to feel more and more draining the longer I was trapped in that cage. Wanda visited me every day for weeks, which helped a lot. I felt better when she was here. However, she couldn't be there every second of the day, no matter how much we both wanted her to be.

Large dark circles began to form under my eyes from the lack of sleep I was getting. I began to feel weak, which was shown on the outside as my body becoming thin and grey.

I was laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering what I had genuinely done wrong for the universe to punish me this way? I was constantly targeted, constantly dealt cards that no one should ever have to experience. Was I a terrible person? Surely I must be. I was being punished for something.

The sound of the large metal door opening pulled me from my train of thought and I turned my head, expecting to see Wanda stepping into the room. However, it was dad. He had tried to visit me as much as he could, - as had Natasha - while also attempting to track down the person who was doing this to me.

"Hey, Zuko." He greeted, causing a smile small to appear on my pale face. I mumbled a greeting in return, feeling too drained of energy to actually think straight. The lack of sleep made me feel like I was on drugs.

As my dad got closer, I heard a long sigh escape his lips and watched as his face portrayed that of pain. "You look tired." He breathed out, wrapping his arms around himself.

"I am." I admitted, pushing myself into a sitting position with all the strength I had left and leaning myself against the wall.

"Have you been eating?" He checked, his eyes squinted as he examined my body. He could tell that there was something wrong and I honestly no longer had the energy to hide it from him. Wanda had noticed it too and it was becoming increasingly obvious that I was making everyone worry about me.

"Yeah." I lied, knowing if I told him the truth, it would only upset him more. Plus, I was eating. Small amounts every day just to keep me alive. Eating was just too much effort at this point. I couldn't be bothered. It wasn't like I was starving. I was eating enough to keep me going.

"Are you okay?" He asked, stepping closer to the blue barrier. I wanted to tell him to stop - to step back and ensure that he was safe. My whole body felt as though it weighed a thousand tonnes and I couldn't move.

Before I could even register what was happening, I felt hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't do this anymore. It was so exhausting to be like this every day. I was completely locked away and unable to do the things that kept me healthy.

"Dani." I heard him practically whimper. He too was now crying as he stared at me. However, that look was suddenly replaced with something that represented nothing other than pure rage. "Fuck this."

He spun around and began heading for the door, which confused me. However, before he could step out, Wanda stepped in. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, upon seeing the state he was in. Obviously something was wrong.

"I can't do this anymore." He seethed, attempting to step past her. However, she blocked his path and put a hand on his chest to calm him down.

"Talk to me. What's going on?" She questioned, allowing her eyes to drift past him for a second and to land on me.

"Look at her, Wanda! I can't do this anymore. I'm not going to fucking pretend I'm okay with it, because I'm not. She's depressed and she's not eating or sleeping, you said it yourself." He angrily almost yelled, gripping his hair with his non-metal arm.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, pushing him back by his chest once again. I could see in her eyes that she was worried about what his answer would be.

"I'm going to tell Fury I'm sick of him using my daughter as bait. He said two weeks and it's been seven!" He shouted, attempting to budge Wanda out of his way. However, the red-head stuck her ground. She placed her hands on his face and forced him to stay where he was.

"Stop, you know you can't do that! They're almost done with this and then she can be free. Who's to say he won't frame her again if you get her out, huh? What if next time, she ends up in jail for real?" She convinced, pushing him further into the room.

"I don't care! Look at her!" He yelled, causing Wanda to flinch slightly. Upon realising, he lowered his voice and pawed at the tears he hadn't noticed were falling.

"I can fix that." Wanda interrupted, finally gaining his attention. "Trust me, okay? I can fix it, if you just give me a chance." She assured, pausing to see if he was actually considering it. He was and he breathed out, heavily.

"I can't see her like this anymore." He whimpered, allowing his head to fall in his hands. His eyes were glistening with hot tears and Wanda wasted no time in pulling him into a tight hug.

"They've almost got him, okay? I'll see what I can do until then, but you have to trust me." She whispered, though I still heard it. He sniffled and lifted his head, storming past Wanda and out of the room.

For a few moments, she just stood there, anxiously running her hands through her red hair. I was so confused. I needed to know what was going on, but I couldn't even bear to ask. They knew something. Information that had been withheld from me.

Finally, she lifted her head and with a sigh, walked towards the barrier. I thought she was going to sit down, but instead, she raised her hands and allowed the scarlet mist to be released from her palms. The magic protruded right out of her body and towards the blue barrier.

I watched with confusion as the red magic surrounded every inch of the wall. She groaned and pushed forward, causing the mist to sink into the barrier. They were one.

Then, with another slight groan, she pushed her hands apart and formed a hole in the barrier. My eyes widened with shock as she allowed her magic to fade, stepping into my cell and shooting a scarlet energy ball up towards the cameras.

I began to furiously sob, knowing I was finally going to get the chance to feel someone again. She approached me with a look of worry plastered across her face, leaning down and taking my hands in hers. With strength I didn't know she had, she pulled me up and into her arms.

I practically sank into her body, feeling her warmth embrace me in the most magical way. She squeezed me tightly, showing me that she was really there. I felt my strength regain a little just by the adrenaline, reaching my arms up to wrap around her neck.

She smelled like heaven and I found myself taking several deep breaths just to ensure that I'd be able to remember this perfectly when it was over. Her whole body was so warm, which was extremely comforting considering I had been shivering previously.

We hugged for a good five minutes before my legs gave way and she caught me, holding me upright and leaning my weight against her. With care, she reached one hand down and delicately lifted me into her arms. Then, she placed me down on the bed.

I thought it was over - that she'd leave after that. However, she didn't. Instead, she lifted the blanket and laid down beside me. I breathed a shaky sigh of relief and immediately cuddled closer to her. She slotted one of her arms under my head, attempting to manage with the small amount of space we had.

I rested my head gently upon her shoulder and listened to the sound of her breathing. She did this because she knew that was the reason I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep because I felt more alone than I ever had in my entire life.

Now that feeling faded ever so slightly and as her hand came up to play with my hair, I found myself almost immediately fading into a deep slumber. It was the best sleep I'd ever had.

I dreamt of her. It was just the two of us, in her room, laughing about something she'd said. We were cuddling just as we were now and I felt completely relaxed and carefree. I felt safe with Wanda. I always did.