Starting Over

Ch. 36

Hi everyone! First, here is your long awaited update. I wanted to mention a few things before you read and for any new readers. I've already established that this story does not follow the events of the MCU after Age of Ultron ( civil war, infinity war, and endgame do not happen in my story.) I wanted to mention that this also includes the events of Black Widow. However, there may be some parts of the story that mention what was seen in the black widow movie. Especially regarding Yelena's character and Natasha's relationship with her family. There will be no obvious spoilers, but I do recommend you watch the movie because it was amazing. (Hands down one of my favorite marvel movies!) I hope you all enjoy this chapter, thanks for reading!

Wanda awoke to the taste of metal, her mouth extremely dry as she liked the dried blood from her lips. How long had she been out this time? If possible her body felt worse than before the side effects of the sedative far worse than before, but not nearly as bad as how her mind felt. Her thoughts swirled in a mixture of red, matching the swirls of blood on the concrete floor. The bodies had been removed but the sticky liquid was a reminder of just how much of a monster she thought she was. Had her family realized she was missing yet? Surely they did. Wanda's thoughts are interrupted as the door flies open, she flinches at the sound of the metal making contact with cinderblock.
"You're awake, time for food." A guard says sliding her a tray across the floor. She expects him to leave to drop the try and flee from the monster he knows she is, but she's valuable to them. The guard watches as Wanda stares at the tray.
"Not negotiable." He adds pushing the tray closer with his boot. He harshly grabs the chain pulling her to her feet. Her back makes contact with the wall and suddenly she's 13 in Sokovia again, her small body pressed onto an exam table as the guards hold her in place. She can't help the whimper that escapes from her lips.
"Let the witch go." She hears a voice say in Russian. She's thrown off by the language, all of the other guards have spoken to her in broken English. The guard harshly let's go of her. "You're dismissed."

Meanwhile, Natasha dials the number she has memorized by heart.
"Natasha? It's the middle of the night... is everything okay?"
Natasha's breath hitches as she desperately wants to pour her heart and soul out to the woman on the other end of the line. "Tash?"
"I need your help, Laur. They've taken Wanda....Tony can't track her.... I don't know what to do anymore." The shake in the spy's voice had the older woman worried to a point she's not sure she's ever been. Natasha has always been calm and collected, even when pushed to a breaking point.
"What can I do to help?" Laura asks. Natasha hears the bed creak and is positive Clint has woken up and is currently trying to listen to the conversation as well.
"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, Tony can't pin point the exact location. You're the best I know for the job."
"I'm on it, I still have the shield software.... I'll contact Nick and see if he or Maria can help out too." Laura replies
"Do you want us to come get you?" Clint asks "We can come get the girls."
"I..." Natasha starts ready to decline, before Steve interrupts her.
" hey, just till we get it sorted out. It'll be good for them to be away from this mess." He says placing a comforting hand on her waist.
"I don't want to be away from them. What if..."
"Do you trust me?" He asks bringing his hand up to cup her cheek. She nods. Leaning her forehead to rest on his chest.
"Nothing bad will happen to them. Laur and Clint will take good care of them." Steve takes phone from her shaky hands
"If you guys could come get them that would be great." He replies
"Of course, I'll fire up the jet." Clint says "We'll be there as soon as we can, Tash." He adds for good measure, whether for himself or the comfort of his best friend he is unsure.

Wanda takes slow breaths as she makes eye contact with the man who has both seemed to save her but could take away her life just as quickly. She takes in the sight of the man who was once her fathers best friend, once the man who her mother loved. The metal on his arm glistens in the small light from the window.
"You've got to eat." He says picking up the tray setting it in her lap. Wanda doesn't budge. "It's not too bad you know, could taste a lot worse." The man, sighs before picking up the apple on the tray. "At least eat the best part..."
Wanda takes it from him, rolling the apple between her palms. She's hungry, really hungry but the satisfaction that her life is in her hands is too good to give up. If she doesn't eat, she won't live and then they can't use her. Wanda feels the weight lifted off her wrist and she looks up to find that Bucky has undone her handcuffs.
"I'm trusting you won't use your mind trick thingy on me." He lets out a small chuckle and Wanda's eyebrows furrow with confusion of how he is so at ease so relaxed with her, a monster.
"Why do you believe that I won't?" She asks
"Do you know who I am?" He replies. She ponders her response for a moment
"Yes."
"Do you trust me then?" He says this time in English and he voice doesn't sound at all like how she imagined it, still every bit as American. She doesn't answer but his question sparks another.
"Can I show you something?" Wanda asks. The man looks confused before she brings up a hand, finger swirling in red. He doesn't flinch, doesn't look scared. Wanda realizes he hopes this is the end, he hopes she'll kill him, at least this version of him does. She decides this isn't how they'll die. She brings her finger tips to his temples, pouring her heart and soul into his head as she watches his eyes glow red. 

Bucky's head dances with visions of his childhood. He watches as his best friend becomes a hero. He watches a small redhead, fiery and strong, resilient. He knew them, he knew them. Then he sees the witch distraught as the other two pull her into their arms, lulling her back to sleep with stories and lullabies. He watches like a bystander, a shadow on the wall. He sees a smiling baby, red haired and blue eyed and a laughing little girl with two blond pigtails and an adorable button nose. His heart feels happy, he can feel their joy. The feeling is gone as soon as it began and he's back in the cell with the witch. She's teary-eyed, looking at him with hope.
"Do you remember them?" Wanda asks, voice cracking. The man slowly nods his head.
"Will you help me?" She adds "We need to go home"

Clint and Laura are there as promised, sooner than expected. Natasha holds Luna close to her chest humming a lullaby, the baby's hands wrapped around her tank top strap. She hasn't put the baby down since she decided it was okay to send them with Clint and Laura. Steve has Lia in his arms, whispering reassurances into the little girls ear, as she cries not wanting to leave with her beloved aunt and uncle. The couple stands back giving them space. Steve sighs as he realizes that their delaying the inevitable, transferring a still crying toddler to Clint's arms.
"No, wan' mama." The little girl says holding her arms out for Natasha when she's seen that her mother has given her younger sister to Laura.
"Shhh, baby, you're okay." Natasha shushes the girl a hand on her cheek.
" no wan' go mama." The girl gets out in shaky words, sobbing heavy in between each. Clint sees the tears in Natasha's eyes.
"Nat, we don't have to take them yet. It's okay." He says over the child's cries.
"No go back, mama," The girls shakes her head. "no go back." Luna oblivious to her sisters cries plays with Laura's necklace. Natasha's heart breaks at the mention of the girls fears, she scoops the girl right back into her arms.
"Malyshka, you are not going back." She says drawing soothing circles on the girls back. "Never, alright?"
The little girl nods into her mother's neck.
"We'll stay in town, The kids will be fine with my parents." Laura adds  "Nick has a safe house here we can use."
"Are you sure Laur?" Steve asks
"Of course, Steve. Plus this way I'm closer, for when we find Wanda." Laura adds. "Clint?"
"Yeah, sounds good." Clint replies his eyes never leaving Natasha and Lia, the worry he feels right now is extreme. Natasha's his sister, in everything besides blood. She's also his best friend, he'd like to think that he's pretty good at reading her by now. He knows she's blaming herself. Lia has finally managed to calm down a little, when Yelena enters the room.
"I heard crying..." She says before she catches sight of the little girl in Natasha's arms. Yelena had never wished for children, she thought about them once when she was young before realizing she'd rather have a dog. She doesn't mind being an aunt though and she can see why Natasha loves being a mother so much, she's a natural at it, even in a way Melina wasn't. This doesn't stop Yelena from running a hand over her nieces back and with some encouragement from Natasha the little girl realizes her grip on her mother to be transferred into her awaiting aunts arms. Lia's hand finds one of her braids twirling it around her finger as the younger spy hums her favorite song.
"Do you want to go play, solnyshko?" Yelena asks raising her head from atop the little girls. "Mama will still be here, promise." Natasha nods at the little girl, who reluctantly nods.
Steve seeing the tension in Natasha's shoulders pulls her back into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head.
"You okay, love?"  He asks, and she squeezes the arms he has wrapped around her in a gesture of thanks.
"I'll be better soon." Natasha hums as he places a kiss to the top of her head.

"Can you help me?" Wanda asks again. The mans eyes look glossy, like he's on the verge of holding back tears. Wanda hopes that's a good sign.
"Yes." Bucky's quick to reply
"Thank you." Wanda says letting out a sob of relief. "Thank you."
"You're their kid?" Bucky asks. Wanda nods.
"I'm going to find a way to get us out of here."