Cold as Ice - WinterWidow One-Shots

Nasha Doch

Summary: After Ultron, it takes exactly six months for Natasha to start referring to Wanda as her daughter and two weeks for James to start doing the same.

Request by @LCorbett04 Natasha and Bucky adopt Wanda after Ultron. I did make some changes since Wanda is over 18, but I hope you still like it!

Italics represent Russian

They arrive back at the Compound well after dark and bone-tired, but James is still waiting for them. It's been days―almost two weeks― since he's last seen Natalia and if Laura's phone call is anything to go off of, this mission had not gone as planned. He's a little miffed as to why Natalia didn't call him after the whole team dropped by the Barton's, but as soon as he lays eyes on her, he thinks he might know why.

"I'm okay," she mutters, reaching out for him as soon as he's near enough.

James pulls her into his arms and nods at Steve as he passes. Looking just as exhausted as Natalia, Steve hardly manages to nod in return.

He'd seen on broken news coverage the destruction that Ultron had left behind. An entire city was destroyed, but not the entire country or even the entire world. He'd sat with clenched teeth the entire time they had been gone, but he didn't offer his help. It wouldn't have done them any good.

"Laura called me," James admits softly, combing his fingers through her hair. "She said―"

"Later."

Natalia cuts him off and pulls away from him as the Compound door opens. They both turn and while James expects to see Sam, he doesn't expect the girl that follows him. Clint is at her side, but Stark and Banner are nowhere in sight.

"Natalia?" James turns to her questioningly, eyes lingering on the girl.

"She's joining us," Natalia tells him vaguely. The girl's eyes flicker to them and James feels something cool press against his forehead. He knows immediately what it is.

"She's a telepath," he mutters. His eyes narrow and the cool pressure disappears quickly. The girl ducks her head and looks away, but James knows she's still lingering near his head. "What the hell happened, Natalia?"

"She was experimented on by Hydra," she says. Her fingers find his and she squeezes. "I figured we might be able to help her get out."

By we, he knows she means mostly him. Natalia may have been familiar with Hydra, but she was never under their direct control. That's all James. Fortunately, he knows Natalia wouldn't drop this on him if she had no intention of helping as well.

"I'll talk to her in the morning," he promises. The clock in the common room reads three o'clock in the morning and James has every intention of sleeping in. "You should get some sleep."

Natalia doesn't argue as he tugs her down the hall to his room. She changes silently and within just a few minutes, she tumbles onto his bed. She's asleep before James even turns off the light, but that doesn't mean she sleeps peacefully.

* * * * *

By the following morning, James has put two and two together. The telepath had messed with Natalia's mind and the resulting nightmares were some of the worst James had ever seen her have. He's so angry with her for it that he waits days before following up on his promise to speak with the girl. It's only after Barton leaves that he is forced to meet her.

"She's young, James," Natalia says, pulling him down to the training room. "Stop blaming her for me. I don't."

"You've always been better at forgiving than me," James grumbles, which isn't actually true. Natalia is notorious for holding a grudge. When it comes to things related to Natalia, though, James has her beat. He's killed people for touching her and he's tortured people for even thinking of hurting her. The telepath is lucky that she's already earned Natalia's devotion.