Starting Over

Ch. 38

Bucky keeps to himself the next few days. He can't let any of the guards know what he or the young witch are planning. He goes about his days as usual, training and complying except this time he feels like he still has a piece of himself. He was relieved when they revealed that they would not wipe his mind. Living in a haze for years had left him uncertain of who he truly was but the opportunity to get a small piece of himself back was worth anything they might have him do, at first. Still the reminder that they could turn him into a robot at the snap of their fingers, left him on edge. He beat his anxiety and frustrations out into the punching bag in front of him, formulating a way he might help the girl escape. After he did that he would be free to do whatever he wants.

Wanda sighs as she wakes up feeling surprisingly less groggy and her body no longer feels heavy. She opens her eyes to find herself in the comfort of her own bed. She looks around confused as the smell of chocolate chip pancakes drifts through the air, she can hear chatter coming from kitchen. She jumps out of bed quickly, running down the hallway before sliding into the kitchen. "Mama" the words leave her throat at the sight of her mother and her family. She lets out a sob of relief. Wanda looks around confused as it seems that no one has noticed she's here yet. She makes her way towards Natasha grabbing onto the older woman's bicep.
"Mama?" She says shaking her arm. No response. "Mom.... Nat.... Please... can't you see me?!" She cries
No response. She makes her way to where Steve bustles around the kitchen as usual. She quickly makes her way towards him.
"Papa?" She says hands grasping for his shirt. "Please.... Why is this happening to me?" She tries to tap into his mind with her magic and is left with nothing. She lets out another sob sinking to the floor as her family continues on without her.

Wanda gasps as she sits up quickly, unable to catch her breath from her nightmare. What are they doing to her? She can't seem to place the man whom she had never seen before but he's familiar. Wanda frowns as she looks over her clothes, now covered in stains and small tears, blood. She runs the cuff of her sweater over her cheek to her nose, trying to find some form of the scent that usually lingered among the fabric. It was one of the first piece of clothing the teen had borrowed from Natasha. She felt some tears forming in her eyes and she sniffed them away. She wanted nothing more than to be at home. How long had she been here now, days? Weeks? What if they've forgot about her? Her thoughts are interrupted by a guard coming into the room.

Natasha awoke from stirring of the child against her chest.
"Mama, 'm hungry." The little girl says
"Alright, let's go find you something to eat." She replies placing a kiss to the girls forehead. She feels Steve's hand tense around her waist, as his eye lids flutter open. He gives her a sleepy smile as always and still manages to make her heart skip a beat. She places a soft kiss to his lips before moving out of his grasp. He reaches out for her again.
"I'll be back in a minute, promise."

Natasha makes her way down the familiar hallway with ease, silently hoping that there's no one in the kitchen. To dismay, Melina is already up for the day. Natasha continues her way around the kitchen, Lia resting on her hip. She continues to go about her business as usual, but she feels Melina's eyes linger. Natasha finishes the girls breakfast and settles her at the table, with a plate of scrambled eggs and a sippy cup of orange juice. She places a kiss to the girls head before going to make herself some coffee.
"Are you going to keep ignoring us?" Melina asks as Natasha stirs cream into her coffee. "It's been days Natalia."
"I don't know what you want me to say, Melina!" She replies louder than intended, causing her daughter to look at her from the table with wide eyes. She lowers her tone. "Alexei was supposed to watch her, watch them. I trusted him. Do you know how many times I've trusted you, both of you, and have been let down? I don't know how much trust I have left to give."
"We're your family." Melina says
"I think we're lying to ourselves when we say that don't you." Natasha starts and she feels tears burning her eyes but bites her lip to keep them at bay. "None of that was real, not really. What parents continue to let their children live in a hell like that?"
"We tried, despite our situation we tried raising you the best we could, You, then Yelena.... We tried to teach you, to make you strong so you would survive. Look at you, look how far you've come." Melina replies
"No! You don't get to take credit for that, absolutely not. I did this myself, I've made this life for myself. You taking me under your wing as some sort of protégée had nothing to do with how I made it." Natasha says
"Natalia..." Melina starts
"I'm not Natalia anymore!" She replies and she feels little arms grab her leg and she lifts the girl into her arms. "I haven't been for a long time." She adds walking back to her bed room, where Steve is waiting.