Against The Clock {Wanda Maximoff A/U}

Chapter One- Home

One week later...

I looked out the window watching the trees flew by as we drove down the narrow cement highway that cut directly through northern New York's dense forest.

Wanda twitched a bit in her sleep as she rested her head against the window.

It was early in the morning and we had been driving a few hours already on the way to reunite with my mother who I hadn't seen in what to her was seven years but for me it was only two.

I gave a small smile.

I knew we didn't have a lot of time. Maybe a month at most but the visions, the memories, the nightmares from what had happened to me were getting worse and I needed to get to the bottom of it.

I took the turn Happy had told me to take and began to drive uphill on a dirt road until we came to a driveway with an iron gate blocking it off.

"Wow, Tony really set her up for life." I said to myself as I looked at the beautiful house that laid behind it.

My mind wandered back to the battlefield where I watched Tony take his final breaths. Although I didn't know him all that well, he was a hero and a good man.

I stepped out of the car without waking Wanda and typed in the gate code before pushing it open.

I pulled up in front of the garage before waking Wanda.

"We're here." I said to her.

She immediately pulled the visor down so she could look in the small mirror. "How do I look?" She asked me softly.

I smiled at her. "Stunning."

She was just as nervous as I was. I could almost feel the anxiety coming off of her.

We got out of the car and grabbed our bags from the trunk. We walked up the steps and the door flew open.

"Carter." My mom breathed in shock. Her hands reached out and touched my face. "It's really you."

I put my hands on her hands as I melted into my my mothers touch that I had not felt in so long.

A tear fell from my eye. "I missed you mom."

"Oh, sweetie." She said pulling me into a hug. "I missed you too."

My mother looked past me and at Wanda.

I felt Wanda flinch from my moms gaze.

Wanda was scared, my mom had likely seen the news of Lagos and everything else that happened.

"Mom, this is Wanda Maximoff... she's my." I was cut off.

"I know who she is, come here sweetie." My mom said hugging her.

"You're not scared of me?" Wanda asked her.

My mom scoffed. "Because you have powers that people don't understand? You were a child. You did what you could to try and save people. Accidents happen."

Wanda gave a small smile.

"Come in, come in." My mom said ushering us into the house.

"It's a beautiful house, mom."

"Tony, when he found out you escaped from prison." My mom glared at me. "Which I am not very happy about, he immediately had me moved here. Away from any possible threat."

"I'm very happy for you mom and I'm sorry for making you so worried." I said to her. "But Tony, he's gone."

My moms eyes widened before they dropped in sadness. "I'm sorry, I can't imagine what you guys are going through. The hero business is messy sometimes isn't it."

I nodded and rubbed a comforting hand on Wanda's back.

"So, you left around seven years ago with Captain America. Turned around and you're a fugitive on television for fighting Iron Man at an airport in Germany. Then Tony told me you were in Russia?" My mom asked.

Wanda's eyes shot open as I began to shake.

My vision blurred as visions shot through my eyes.

I was strapped to a medical bed rolling down the hallway, my powers weren't working. Silver energy was pumping through a tube as they injected it into my system.

I stumbled and regained my vision.

"We don't talk about Russia." Wanda said to her.

"Were you there?" My mom asked her.

Wanda shook her head. "No, but I should've been. Carter still has no idea what happened there."

"Then you disappeared for five years." My mom finished deciding the subject would be saved for later.

"I didn't disappear." I said looking between Wanda and my mother. "I died."

My mom kinda sat there in shock for a minute before she opened her mouth to speak.

"Come, there some people I'd like you to meet." She said guiding us to the living room where a middle aged man was watching football on tv and a little girl was sitting on the floor playing with blocks.

She had blonde hair like my moms, and it took me a minute before I realized the blocks were moving and she wasn't touching them.

"Carter, this is my husband. Ian Jackson." She said introducing him as he stood up and shook my hand.

"It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm a big fan of your work." He moved to Wanda. "You're also awesome."

"You married a nerd." I said to my mom.

They both laughed.

"That's me." He said chuckling.

"Kaylie, why don't you come say hi to your brother." My mom said before the little girl stood up and hid behind her.

I crouched down. "My name is Carter." I said smiling at her. "This is Wanda."

Kaylie looked down shyly.

"She'll warm up to you guys soon." My mom reassured. "You guys hungry? Want some food?"

"I'd love some." Wanda said walking to the kitchen with my mom.

I looked out the window into the forest. Someone was looking back at me, a silver suit. Dark hair.

I walked closer to the window and came face to face with myself.

"It's happening. He's coming." My own voice said ripping into my head.

I stumbled backwards and shook my head and he was gone.

"Carter, are you okay?" My mom asked.

I nodded.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

I chuckled. "Just happy to be home."