Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            Draping the striped throw blanket over the back of the couch with a placid sigh, Natasha Romanoff- Hill quirked an amused yet curious eye at her wife who was currently straightening up the throw pillows for the 10th time in 15 minutes; Natasha would know, she was keeping count. Gently strolling over to force busy hands to rest on her hips, Natasha took the opportunity to caress her wife’s cheeks with both hands, “Masha… there’s nothing to be nervous about,” she whispered with kind eyes. 
 “I’m not nervous,” Maria argued with a frown, unconvincing her wife.
 “Yes, you are. I’ve watched you fluff that same throw pillow for almost 20 minutes,” Natasha softly chuckled, “you always meticulously clean when you’re nervous.”

            “I didn’t know that you were keeping a list of all my faults,” the brunette snapped while attempting to pull away from her wife who was agreeably more agile than she.  
 “Oh Masha, I don’t consider it a fault. You meticulously clean when you’re scared, nervous, bored, or really excited it’s like you don’t know what to do with yourself. It’s adorable,” Natasha cooed, scrunching her nose adorably at the woman across from her, “but really… there’s nothing to be nervous about. We did completed paperwork, did the house check, tested for our licenses, and even met the kid. This is great, we’re almost at the end.”

            Maria sighed, knowing hat her wife was probably right as she usually tended to be in most situations. They did everything, they waited diligently for 2 years and now how they were- about to receive a real kid because despite what Natasha says Liho the cat and Lucky the dog did not classify as actual kids. Overall, there really wasn’t a plausible reason to be nervous because they were ready, Natasha was amazing with kids and she… well Maria could cook and keep living things alive so together, that was sufficient enough to work for a child. Maria remembers the first time they met Wanda, it was only about 4 weeks ago but at that moment they knew. 
 Natasha happily wriggled in her seat to the beat of the music while Maria kept a steady hand on the wheel and another on her wife’s knee. She glanced over to her out of her right peripheral, shooting her a skeptical glance and small smile when Natasha just stared back at her.
 “Come on Masha, sing with me. You’re nervous but have to lighten up, kids can sense that kind of behavior you know.”
 “A few kids call you Aunt and you think you’re an expert,” Maria half-heartedly joked, earning that signature smirk from her wife. 
 “Well, for your information, Mrs Romanoff-Hill, that is exactly the case.”

            “If you say so,” Maria muttered under breath just as Natasha turned up the radio. Though she was extremely nervous, she tried her best to quell it- she didn’t want Wanda reading any negative energy that would inevitably make her more anxious than she already was. After getting out the car, with Maria being a true gentleman and opening her wife’s door, the two approached Mrs. Witford, Wanda’s caseworker. 
 “Hello ladies,” she brightly grinned while taking the time to shake each of their hand, “I’m so glad you could come out today to meet Wanda. I informed her of your visit, and while nervous, she’s just as excited to meet you two as well.”
 “Thank you for having us Mrs. Witford,” Natasha smiled back while placing a hand on the small of Maria’s back.
 “If you’ll follow me, I’ll direct to where Wanda currently is.”
 The group home was spaciously large, definitely big enough to accommodate for children of all sizes without creating congestion in the main area. Traveling upstairs and down the hall, Mrs. Witford led them to the sun room at the end of the hall.

             Wanda was by herself, comfortably sitting on the cushioned ledge with a book in hand. 
 “There she is. I’ll give you guys some time alone,” Mrs. Witford whispered lowly and excused herself.
 The two looked at one another with raised brows to see who was going to go in first. Brazenly taking the first step inside, Natasha took two steps forward then reached back to grab her wife’s hand as they carefully approached the teen, “hi Wanda, I’m Natasha and this is my wife Maria.”
 Wanda looked up at the sound of her name, her eyes were just as bright and beautiful as the picture in her file; she gave a silent wave.
 “What book are you reading?” Maria asked while sitting on the opposite side of the book bench.
 Wanda chewed on the cuff of her jacket sleeve then rolled the book over to the front cover.
 “The Outsiders by S.E Hinton huh? Are you an avid reader?” Maria probed, watching as Wanda continued to chew on the worn cuff.
 She looked back over at the cover then fervently nodded her response.

            “Do you have any other books you like to read?” the brunette kept questioning as now she had an in with the girl. 
 Placing the book on the seat of the nook, Wanda rose up to shuffle towards the bookshelf in the corner when she accidentally knocked the book onto the floor with her knee, the spine crashed on to Natasha’s toes before splaying open on the floor. Jumping up to her feet, Natasha cradled the top of her shoe, “Blyad'! chto zakryt' bol'no (fuck! That shit hurt!),” she cursed.
 Wanda had froze in her spot, looking curiously at the couple with her finger tapping her lower lip, “ty tozhe govorish' po russki? (you speak Russian too?)… like me?”
 “Yeah, Romanoff-Hill is our last. My last name was Romanova before I anglicized it, I’m Russian born and raised,” she proudly smiled.
 “You too?” She questioned Maria with a point of her finger.
 “No, I’m sadly not as intriguing as my wife here. I’m just white but I do know some other languages such as Italian. Your accent is very cute.”
 “Thank you,” Wanda shyly mumbled around the jacket sleeve in her mouth. Her eyes flickered up at the two, “do you still want to see my books?”

            “We’d love to,” Maria gently smiled, avoiding the knowing smirk Natasha was giving her. 
 The anxiousness surrounding the meeting almost completely dissolved by the second hour. Wanda had went through her complete book collection, all 5, with great detail, all the while chewing on her jacket sleeve though Nat and Maria chalked that up to being nervous. By the third hour, they went outside to walk the length of the neighborhood while making small talk about random things such as the pets in the home and food. For lunch, the group home ordered out for pizza and allowed Natasha and Maria to partake with everyone. Wanda sat a few seats away from the other kids, barely engaging with any of them. Once again, Nat and Maria just assumed that Wanda was naturally shy and preferred to be alone. Hour 5 is when they had to leave but not before giving Wanda their number.
Visitation occurred every Thursday, and for the last 3 weeks, Maria and Natasha called Wanda every other day for less than 15 minutes to talk - asking simple things like what she did that day or if she received a new book. The little conversations helped with the bonding process. And now, it was time to bring her home.

            The knock on the door made Natasha excitedly rock on the balls of her feet while Maria just sighed, she was excited but nervous. Visiting Wanda in the group home was a different ball park than her staying in their home… she just hoped as first timers, that they could do well by Wanda. Natasha beamed as she opened the door, confidently holding Maria by the waist though her joy made her squeeze harder than necessary. 
 “Hi Mrs. and Mrs. Romanoff-Hill, it’s so nice to see you both again,” Mrs. Witford greeted.
 “Hi, Mrs. Witford, come inside please,” Natasha gestured while stepping inside to let them in. Wanda follows suit, taking the time to exam the foyer then slipping off her shoes.
 “I’m sure as you know, Wanda is a bright girl. These next two weeks may be some of the most physically exhausting weeks you’ll endure; there’ll be multiple visits medical and with me. Here’s her file with everything you’ll need to know and have in order to file out certain forms. I’m sure you two will be successful,” she smiled as Natasha took the forest green Manila folder.
 “Thank you Mrs. Witford, we appreciate everything,” Maria smiled, she was definitely more comfortable handling the face to face relations.

            “Of course, all my information is located in the file as well. If you need anything, just let me know,” the older woman dismissed herself and walked out the door.  
 Natasha turned on her heel to gaze at her wife, this was officially real. They let Wanda get acquainted with the main area- she wandered around the living room, looking at every object lining the wall while simultaneously running her fingers across every surface. Sometimes her face would scrunch up when she came across a certain fabric but it quickly disappeared as she moved on to the next item.
 “Wanda sweetie, if it’s okay, we’d like to show you to your room,” Maria interjected when Wanda stood in the middle of the floor, seemingly done with her processing of the living room.
 She let Maria take her dark green canvas backpack and Natasha the black trash bag and lead her up the stairs. Once on the landing, they made a left and stopped at a room two doors down on the left.

            Everything looked brand new- the bed with its dark grey bedspread, the black wooden computer desk, the black coated dresser, and bedside table… all of it. There was a stuffed light green turtle sitting in the middle of the bed next to a sleeping golden haired dog.  
 “Lucky, out! Not today!” Natasha chastised the big dog as Wanda cautiously stalked over to the bed. Releasing a sad whine, Lucky stood on the bed and stretched before trotting out the room, his nails clicking against the floor as he did so. They watched as Wanda gently reached a finger out to trace against the outline of the turtle’s head, a soft smile gracing her face as she grabbed it and pulled it to her chest.
 “We remembered you said you like turtles. The aquarium is a little drive away so hopefully this will suffice until we can make the trip,” Maria softly stated while rubbing her palms together. God she was so nervous.
 “He is mine? Thank you,” she softly whispered against the stuffy’s shell.

            “We’ll let you get situated for now. The bathroom is the first door on your right. We’ll be downstairs preparing lunch and afterwards we can show you around. Is that okay with you?” 
 Wanda didn’t look up at the two women by the door, she was too preoccupied with staring at the turtle in her lap but still… she nodded in response.
 “Okay good. If Lucky bothers you, you can kick him out of your room. Same with the cat, she likes to follow him around,” Maria informed the teen then left.
 Walking into the kitchen, Maria grabbed a skillet and Natasha a pitcher with some glasses. The two moved in comfortable silence, that was until Natasha wrapped her arms around Maria’s waist and hugged her from the back, “we have a kid now.” 
 Maria chopped the carrots on the cutting board, leaning her head back so that it rested on her wife’s, “yeah, th-this is actually happening. We have a kid now,” she blinked in disbelief.

            Natasha placed a tender kiss to Maria’s cheek, swaying her from side to side slightly as a mischievous smirk grew on her face, “yeah, we got a kid now. So now the question is… who do we tell first?”

Chapter Text

          “Nick for sure since he’s the only one on my side of the family that even has the privilege of being in my life. With all the people on your side of the family, it’s gonna take a while to tell them all,” Maria reasoned while flipping over the sandwich of the grilled cheeses that they were having for lunch.  
 Reaching up to drop a sweet kiss to her wife’s cheek, Natasha rested her chin back on the projection of her shoulder as Maria pulled out her phone. “Call him then. Better yet, we should do FaceTime so we can see everyone’s reaction.”
 “I knew I married you for something other than your great looks,” Maria hummed while the FaceTime tune trilled on her device.
 Shifting so that she was standing on Maria’s left, Natasha’s face broke out into her signature smirk, “yeah, I always thought it was because I’m a great fuck.”
 “Nat!” Maria admonished with furrowed brows.
 “Romanoff… you kiss your wife with that mouth?” the raspy baritone of Nick Fury questioned incredulously.

            “That… among many other things,” she husked out with a cheeky grin.  
 “As much as your sex life intrigues me, as your boss, I can deduce that that is not the reason you decided to call me during the middle of the day. So, pray tell, what exactly is going on?” 
 Natasha beamed at her wife from her peripheral, barely bottling up her excitement while Maria just rolled her eyes at her. Telling other people made this that much more real, and by god she was nervous, but at least she had Natasha. “We called to tell you that… today… we officially became foster parents,” the brunette shyly divulged.
 As part of the fostering process, Maria kept her boss informed on the grand progress of things to account for any changes taking place within the job. But as her friend, Maria confided in Fury throughout the entire process such as little things they gradually learned about Wanda and the things they did in visitation days. A small smile crept along his lips at the admission, it was a long time coming for them. “Well no shit. Our prestigious Romanoff-Hills have finally become parents. I’m proud of you both. But I’m curious, who did you tell this news to first?”

            To many others in the organization, Nick Fury was a hard ass who followed corporate rules but simultaneously broke them if the situation warranted it. To those close to him though, he was a fairly easy going person despite how intimidating his black eyepatch could be. He also didn’t like to be the last one to be told any form of news- good or bad.   
 “You Nick,” both women answered in annoyed tandem.
 “That’s what I like to hear. Romanoff-Hill, I’ll see you both in 8 weeks, maybe longer, pending upper management approval.”
 “Fury wait,” Natasha’s brows dropped in confusion at the statement, “we’re only supposed to have 6 weeks off.”
 “I’m seeing 8 on your paperwork. If there’s a mistake, I can have someone from management rectify that issue but it may take some time to process… perhaps 2 extra weeks?” he smirked.
 “Thanks Nick, we’ll see you in a few weeks when Wanda’s all settled,” Maria waved.
 “Looking forward to it. Send the child my best regards,” Nick said before he hung up.
 It was also well known that Nick Fury had an immense soft spot for Maria and Natasha, doing whatever it was he wanted to ensure that their well beings were up to par and that they were happy.

            “Well that’s one down, about… 25 more to go. Who’s next?” Maria questioned, removing the food and pan off the stove. 
 Scrolling through her contacts list, Natasha gazed up at her wife in thought, “I’ll call my family first then we call the Avengers after lunch.”
 Maria rolled her eyes again at her wife for the second time that day, Tony chose that name for the squad years ago and for some reason it stuck; Maria always thought it was a stupid and very corny name. The line trilled twice before the hardened face of Natasha’s little sister popped up on screen followed by her parents, “Natalia! What is the honor?”
 “Hi Yel, mama, papa. Maria and I have exciting news, we finally have a kid and her name is Wanda.”
 “No way!” Yelena gasped, “are you serious? When? What does she look like? Where is she from? What does she like to do?” the blonde rambled on which made Maria laugh.
 “Today like about 30 minutes ago, she’s from Sokovia, she’s 15 and about 5”4 with wavy brown hair and gorgeous big green eyes, and she’s into books.”
 “Oh, Natasha that is wonderful news! When do we get to meet her?” Melina questioned with wide eyes.
 “So proud of you both,” Alexei beamed back.

            “Wanda’s case is considered special but we hope in about 3 weeks when she’s a bit more settled,” Maria responded, heating up some tomato soup on the stove.  
 “Great! You go spend time with her. We will talk  later and catch up! We love you both,” Melina smiled.
 “Bye everyone,” they both waved.
 There were lot of smiles and congrats sent their way and they weren’t even finished telling everyone they had in mind, the unconditional support of loved ones only solidified that they made the right decision. They were going to go get Wanda for lunch when the teen slowly trailed down the stairs behind Liho who was following Lucky as he seemed to be playing a riveting game of follow the leader. The golden haired dog calmly led Wanda to the kitchen island then trotted towards the table and plopped down under it. Liho jumped onto the seat right above Lucky and made herself comfortable by wrapping her fluffy tail around her body. Natasha took notice of the teen first, “hi Wanda. We made grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup? That okay?”
 Nibbling on her lower lip, Wanda advanced towards the table and shrugged her shoulders, “I guess so. I like bread and I like cheese but I’ve never had them cooked together before.”
 “There’s a first time for everything,” Maria interjected as she placed the food in front of Wanda.

            Inspecting it with her eyes, Wanda eventually picked up the sandwich and took a hesitant bite, causing her face to break out in a wide smile. “It’s… good. I like it. Can I have another one?” 
 “Sure, you can have as many as you like. They’re on the counter, under the microwave cover,” Maria directed her. “I know we’ve asked each other a lot of questions during the visitation days but is there anything else you want to ask us or know about?”
 Wanda quietly ate her sandwich unprovoked like she hadn’t heard Maria’s question. The brunette was going to ask again when Wanda lifted her head up, “you both are lesbians?”
 Maria was a little off put by the question as it had the possibility of going a number of different directions but many of the online forums said that foster kids would be curious and that it was best to answer any questions they had to the best of your ability. “I’m a lesbian and Nat is bisexual.”
 Wanda glanced at her with curiosity swimming in her large eyes, “what is that?”
 “A bisexual?” Natasha questioned for clarification to which Wanda nodded. “A bisexual is someone who has the capacity to form attraction and/or relationships with more than one gender. So in my case, I’m attracted to both men and women but more so women.”

            “Mhm. And you are married to each other yes?” Wanda questioned next. 
 “Yes we are. For about 5 years now,” Maria slowly answered.
 “Oh. That’s cool,” Wanda nonchalantly claimed while sipping at her soup, “In Sokovia, there was lesbian and gay but neither was allowed. You could be punished if people found out.”
 “I understand, Russia was the same especially when I was young. It was extremely dangerous if anybody found out your sexual identity but we’re in America. My family accepts me for who I am and at least now I have Masha,” Natasha entwined her fingers with Maria’s, “are you done eating? We want to finish giving you a tour of the house?”
 Wanda nodded, popping to her feet which caused Lucky to hop to his paws and Liho too. Nat and Maria showed Wanda the hall office, foyer, and backyard, giving her time to analyze the space before they moved on. They noticed that with each room they went into, Wanda trailed her finger over every item, sometimes scrunching up her face then moving onto the next one. However, after touching an object that she didn’t like (based on the face scrunch), she would run her fingers through the ends of her hair as if “resetting” her touch receptors. It wasn’t too odd per se but it was something they would write down to bring up with her doctor.

              After showing Wanda the top floor, they headed back downstairs to find something else to do for the day. 
 “You have many rooms but only have a dog and cat? Did you always want kids?” she probed with what could only be described at innocence in her voice. 
 “Yes. It was one of the very first things we talked about on our second date. We wanted to know what our stance was before progressing further in the relationship,” Natasha seamlessly answered. Working as a detective had its perks such as not being thrown off by unsuspecting questions.
 Walking down the steps, Wanda continued with her blunt interrogation, “how many did you want?”
 “Uhhm we’re not sure of the exact number but maybe 2 I guess,” Natasha replied while walking in step with her wife. 
 “Lesbians can have babies,” Wanda moreso nodded to herself then looked up at Natasha, “did you want them to look like you or Maria?”
 “I mean technically yes, both Maria and I are capable of carrying a child, but we wanted to go the foster care route to help those in need. It’s something we want to do and can sufficiently provide so here we are,” she shrugged.

            “Okay,” Wanda replied back. “What else are we doing today?”  
 “Since it’s your first day here, we thought we could stay inside and watch some movies and eat spaghetti for dinner. Sound okay to you?”
 “Okay,” Wanda agreed and dropped herself onto the couch.
 The rest of the day went off without anymore invasive questions from Wanda. They watched two movies together before Natasha dismissed herself to the kitchen to prepare dinner; Maria noted the way Wanda tapped her fingers against her thigh in a nonsensical rhythm with her eyes glued to the tv. Wanda enjoyed dinner, which they both had a feeling she would because Natasha was the one who cooked, giving a small thank you as she went upstairs to shower. Natasha stored the extra food away while Maria washed the dishes, her good deed for the evening as a thank you to her wife for her excellent cooking skills. Once done with the kitchen, they headed upstairs to their room and took a quick shower together to not waste time in getting Wanda set for bed. The forums said to ask if the child had a bed time routine and if not, to help them establish one though Wanda was a teenager, making her more self-independent than say a 4 year old.

             Knocking on Wanda’s bedroom door, Maria waited a few seconds then poked her head around the corner with a small smile, “hey kid. Are you ready for bed?” 
 “Da,” she whispered while holding her turtle stuffy to her chest.
 Natasha held a secure embrace around Maria’s hips as they walked up to the side of the bed, “did you have a bedtime or sleep routine back at the group home?”
 “No,” Wanda shook her head from under the comforter. 
 “Alright,” Maria somewhat sighed. These standard questions were supposed to be a guide into navigating the foster world but they weren’t helping as much as she hoped they would. “Well… is there anything you would like us to do for you before you go to bed? I know you’re 15 but this is your new home so you can request anything you want.” 
 Thinking to herself for a second, Wanda climbed out from under her comforter and rummaged around in her canvas backpack for something then crawled back into bed. Brushing her hair from her face, she held the book in front of her with open eyes, “can you read to me? My mama and papa used to read to us when we were younger. They didn’t do it at the group home though, too many kids and I was probably too old anyways.”

             That was a simple request, simple enough that even Maria couldn’t possibly fuck it up. Gently taking the book, she flipped open to the first page, “do you want me to read to you or Natasha?”  
 “Both,” Wanda answered while climbing under the comforter and drawing the turtle close. Natasha pulled the comforter around her shoulder with a large smile, “how about Maria reads the first chapter and I’ll read the second?” 
 “Yeah,” Wanda vehemently agreed, hitting her chest with a closed fist. The sound made Natasha worry but the look of pure happiness on Wanda’s face made her keep her comment to herself, at least for the night. She situated herself against the headboard next to Wanda as Maria settled herself on the opposing side, “The Giver by Lois Lowry. Chapter 1: It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he had felt…”
 Natasha dreamily stared at Maria as she read on, there was just something incredibly soothing about her reading a child to sleep though felt she was a bit biased as she loved most of the things her wife did.

             They made it to chapter 4, 26 pages in, when Wanda’s soft inhales made Natasha pause in her reading. Wanda looked rather peaceful tucked into bed with the head of her teddy pear poking out from between the covers. Shutting off the lights, Natasha placed the book on the bedside table so Wanda would know where to find it in the morning. As they were by the exit, Liho silently darted into the room and jumped on the bed near Wanda’s head with Lucky only a few seconds behind her. He took his time to gingerly climb onto the bed and lay at the bar, by Wanda’s feet. It was so precious that Nat had to take a few pictures before they left the door ajar behind them. While they lay curled around each other in bed, they took the time to list all of Wanda’s “interesting” behaviors to one another. 
 “I don’t think it’s anything serious. We all self soothe in different ways like you with cleaning. I’m sure Wanda’s fine but if you want, we can bring it up at her upcoming doctor’s appointment,” Natasha surmised while Maria just sighed.

            She wasn’t around kids nearly as much as Natasha was. 
 “I’m sure you’re right Nat because you usually are. I’ll try not to worry about it any more but we will be bringing it up with the Doctor and maybe Helen if we get the chance.”
 Softly yet passionately, Natasha kissed Maria on the lips, silencing her for a moment, and pulling away with a moan. “Masha? You worry too much. Wanda’s okay so let’s get some sleep. I love you,” she mumbled while laying her head back on Maria’s chest.
 Despite being slightly flustered, Maria reached over and cut out the lights, running her hand through Natasha’s locks, “I love you too Mrs. Romanoff-Hill. Sleep well.”

Chapter Text

            God, there were times when living in New York felt ethereal such as now Natasha thought, taking the time to admire her sleeping wife. Sometime through the night, they had both rolled over and shifted positions with Natasha no longer laying in her wife’s chest but now the opposite; Maria had herself tucked under Natasha’s chin, strands of dark brown hair tickling the rim of her nostrils. With little beams of sun streaming through the slots in the curtains, Natasha openly admired the woman sleeping before. Hard-ass Maria Hill is what she was known as around the squad room and in the office, years before her and Natasha had even met, but Natasha found a way to break through that hardened exterior just enough to steal her heart. She was one of very few (5 at the most) allotted the chance to see Maria at her most vulnerable. She lightly chuckled when Maria snuggled closer into her chest, “Nat… you’re staring again.”  
 “Shit, how could I not? You’re just so pretty when you sleep.” Maria hummed a sound of acknowledgement ignoring her wife’s words in favor of sleep however, Natasha could feel the small smile dancing on her face as she nuzzled closer.
 “What time is it?” the brunette nodded.
 Tossing a lazy arm behind her, Natasha grabbed at her phone and looked at the time displayed on the screen, “uh almost 6:30 in the morning.”

            Maria hummed again, “Is Wanda okay? Is she still sleeping?”  
 “I don’t know babe,” Natasha honestly answered then began playing with the sticking strands poking her in the face.
 “Then why are you awake?” Maria adorably grumbled.
 “I was going to go for my morning run.”
 Leaning up on her elbows so that she was eye level with Natasha, Maria kissed her wife with closed eyes, “okay. Please be safe love.”
 Natasha thought it was silly that Maria said that to her every time she went out for a run because not only was she a police officer, she was also a highly skilled combatant and martial artist who could easily defend herself. But still, it felt good that her wife cared enough about her well being to remind her of the simple things. “I will Masha. Are you making breakfast or am I?” she questioned while scooting off the bed.
 “Depends on what time you get back and what time Wanda wakes up.” After a beat of silence she spoke again, “I’ll make breakfast that way you can just shower when you get home.”
 “Aww Masha, you’re too sweet on me,” Natasha lightly teased and dramatically swooned.  
 “Yeah but only for you,” she shot back with an equally playful smirk.

             Natasha grinned at that because it was completely true. She quickly got dressed in a pair of running bottoms, a sports bra, and matching windbreaker then slipped out the room with one more kiss from Maria. She quietly tiptoed towards Wanda’s room, peeping a head through the open slit to see Lucky and Liho still sleeping around Wanda’s body. Natasha did a curt whistle causing Lucky to poke his head up, shake himself awake then hop off the bed. The movement caused Wanda to shift in her sleep, letting out a small moan of displeasure as she did so but fortunately Liho woke up and curled up onto her chest which seemed to placate the sleeping teen. With a small smile, Natasha pet Lucky on the head and made her way downstairs with him following suit. She strapped his leash to his collar, made sure she had her phone and house key then left for her jog.

———

            Running, while strenuous for some, gave Natasha the energy and momentum she needed to start her day; the smell of fresh air and hot blood flowing through spent muscles was a feeling that could rarely be beat. As she step through the front door, Natasha unhooked Lucky’s leash, flinging it into its respective cabinet then followed him into the kitchen where the spicy aroma of cinnamon flowed. Maria was at the stove, dipping bread into a cinnamon-y egg bath while Wanda sat at the table with Liho in her lap, babbling on about something Natasha couldn’t discern at the moment. “… and Toph was trying to help Aang relax by giving him a massage with the earth but it was too aggressive so it didn’t really help.”  
 “Good morning Wanda,” she waited with a smile.
 Wanda glanced up at her with her large eyes, still letting the black cat, “dobroye utro Natasha. Where did you go?”
 “Nat usually goes for a run in the mornings. Not every day but at least 4 times a week,” Maria answered while flipping over a piece of bread.
Natasha sincerely rolled her eyes at her wife, she didn’t work out nearly as much as Natasha did. “Did you sleep well last night Wanda?”
 “Mmhm I slept okay,” she nodded then lifted her eyes to look at Natasha, “Maria says we’re going to the store today. And then the doctor’s office tomorrow because I have an appointment.”

            “Yep that’s the plan for the next two days,” the redhead confirmed. According to all the forums and websites they read, this was probably the easiest part of the first week as new foster parents- attending numerous appointments. “Enjoy your breakfast. I’m going to shower and then join you guys after.” 
 Maria nodded while Wanda went back to petting Liho who was loudly purring at the affection. Stripping her clothes once she made it to her en suite bathroom, Natasha’s took a moment to think to herself and ultimately decided to send the picture of Wanda sleeping with the pets to the Avengers group chat and her family chat to allow everyone to at least see what Wanda looked like. Almost immediately after the image was sent, her phone started pinging with comments and replies from loved ones though she would worry about speaking to them after her shower and maybe breakfast too. Once dressed in simple blue jeans and a red and black striped shirt, Natasha made her way back towards the kitchen where it was just Maria with a folder in hand and Lucky eating from his bowl. 
 “Wanda went upstairs to get dressed so we can go to the store. I’m just reading through her files again before we leave,” Maria informed her as she sat at the table.

            Wanda’s file was light in terms of reading material but slightly heavy in content. They knew she was 15 years old and had been in the American foster system for a little over 3 years now due to an unfortunate car accident that took the lives of both her parents. Wanda’s file also mentioned that she had a twin brother, Pietro Django Maximoff, who passed away at the age of 14 from an undiagnosed condition called Cardiomyopathy. There hadn’t been any family for the state to contact so therefore Wanda (and at the time Pietro) had become wards of the state and were subsequently bounced around from multiple group and foster homes until they find permanent residence or age out the system. As far as the Romanoff-Hills knew, none of those temporary homes provided any harm to Wanda’s physical well being which they supposed is wishful thinking until the doctor could confirm that little fact for them. It was a tragic life but hopefully having Wanda here with them would keep her safe. Maria heaved as she gently flung the folder onto the table; her life wasn’t all puppies and rainbows not when she grew up with an abusive, alcoholic father who resented her for her mother’s death. Wanda had nobody- no mother, no father, no twin brother, and she wasn’t even in her home country; she was truly alone. It made Maria’s heartache to think about the traumas that Wanda’s already had to go through.

            “Her file says she’s allergic to cherries… we’ll have to make sure to bring that up with the doctor so he can provide us a script to get some Epi-pens,” Natasha said in order to bring her wife back. She leaned forward, brushing the edge of Maria’s ear with her nose, “I know Masha; I read it too. We can talk about it later if you like.”  
 Maria simply nodded then moved upstairs to get herself ready, she couldn’t let Wanda see her being upset. Maria disappeared upstairs and then about 5 minutes later, Wanda took her spot at the kitchen table, “I like your red hair. Is it natural?”
 “Yep,” Natasha smiled while popping the p at the end of the word, “I’m as natural a redhead as you can get. Though I think when I was 11 or maybe 12, I dyed the ends of my hair blue.”
 She watched Wanda’s eyes widen in intrigue, “do you have any pictures I can see? Can I dye my hair?”
 “I think my mom has some pictures, I’ll call her later and ask for her to send them over. And about you dying your hair, we’ll have to see about that but the answer is not a no,” she grinned as big as Wanda did.
 The two of them gravitated towards the front door to put on their shoes with Maria meeting them out by the car a few minutes later. They loaded themselves into the car, Maria was driving while Wanda sat in the middle backseat and Natasha in the passenger.

            The redhead turned on the radio, using this moment to respond to her overly excited friends via text message. 10 minutes in, Maria gently nudged her with her elbow and gave her a side eye as she nodded towards the rear view mirror. Wanda was bobbing along, mouthing the words and using her left hand to absently tap on her thigh. It was a behavior Maria noticed last night when they were watching the movies; Wanda would absently tap when there was music playing. Maria didn’t want to be concerned as it didn’t seem like a destructive behavior so she simply just let Wanda be. The grocery shopping itself was pretty simple: Wanda stayed within their sights, she picked up items she liked, and even held conversations with the two women occasionally asking them about things they preferred such as jam or jelly. Natasha noticed how even though Wanda was very compliant, she seemed to be having issues with her eyes; she’d been blinking a lot and occasionally rubbed her fingers over her eyelids since they stepped foot into the building. 
 “Wanda, are you alright sweetie? Is there something wrong with your eyes?” Natasha softly inquired while putting a bunch of bananas into the cart.

            Wanda blinked at her thrice with wide eyes but shook her head no. Other than that little incident, Wanda seemed to be in good spirits which is what made Maria ask, “how about we head to the bookstore before we head to the house? Hm?” 
 “Really?! Can we?!” she shouted at a higher volume than her speaking voice to which Natasha just gently rubbed her back. “Sure, it’s really not a problem. It’s on the way to the house and we don’t have any frozen foods so why not?”
 After scanning everything and paying for them, the trio took the cart outside and loaded up the car, Wanda bouncing in excitement the entire time. As they pulled up to the bookstore, Wanda excitedly looked out the window at the brown building, shaking her hands at her side. “How many books can I get?” she asked the duo with big, green eyes.
 Putting the car in park, Maria looked at Wanda through the rear view mirror, “how many do you want?”
 “Uhhh… I don’t really know,” Wanda mumbled.
 “How about this,” Natasha interjected, “you have 5 books back at the house so why don’t you get between 3-5 more that way you have a nice little stack to get through before we have to buy some new ones.”

            Wanda nodded at the suggestion, flinging her door open to let herself out then slamming it shut. Maria and Natasha hung back as Wanda perused each section of interest, silently nibbling on her lower lip with eyes narrowed in concentration. They ducked off to self help books leaving Wanda in her own blissful bubble. They found 3 great books for foster/ adoptive parents- Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison, Welcome to the Roller Coaster by DD Foster, and The Foster Parenting Toolbox by Kim Phagan-Hansel- books they hoped would help them greatly even though they felt they were doing okay for now. When they found Wanda, she had 5 new books cradled to her chest and was adorably grinning as she showed them off to the two women. They purchased everything, allowing Wanda to have her books placed in a separate bag so that she could keep it in the seat next to her on the ride back to the house. She darted up the stairs, barely shucking off her shoes before doing so, with Liho and Lucky trailing behind her. Maria and Nat laughed at Wanda’s energetic energy, concerns about last nights behavior brushed off as Natasha went to make lunch.

            That night, after dinner was eaten and everyone was showered, Maria tucked the thick sheets around Wanda’s shoulders while Natasha got comfortable with book in hand. Even though she received 5 new books, Wanda was very adamant about them reading The Giver to her; she wanted to read her new books on her own a few times before she let them read it to her. She passed out around the 6th chapter, the excitement of the day wearing off and hitting her full force. Liho and Lucky curled up in the same spots they did yesterday when they both rose to their feet and headed out the door. They quickly fell asleep too.

            Maria patiently breathed through her nose while Natasha rubbed her thigh in soothing circles with one hand and the other scrolling through her phone. Her phone had been blowing up since yesterday, no doubt from people wanting to find out more about Wanda. The teen in question had been brought back to the office by herself with the Doctor while Maria and Natasha had to wait in the hallway. Dr. Mark Edwin had said it “was standard protocol to ask teens questions without their parents in the room as sometimes their presence hindered the child from telling the complete truth.” Natasha had to pull Maria away 1). because she knew how factual that statement was, it happened all the time in the interrogation rooms and 2). it was something about the tone the doctor had recited the information in that came off as condescending. If not for that fact that she needed to keep Maria cool, Natasha would’ve verbally bit the Doctor’s head off herself. When the nurse opened the door to allow them re-admittance, Maria schooled her face to a less expressively irate one for Wanda’s sake while Natasha visually inspected the teen over, giving her tender eyes when Wanda looked up at her.

            “Well everything seems to be in order with Wanda here- her physical came back in top shape,” Dr. Edwin stated, flipping over some forms, “we have no concerns about her as most of her vitals were right where they needed to be.”  
 “How is she on vaccinations?” Natasha questioned while running her hands through Wanda’s hair; the action seemed to relax the teen as she leaned into Natasha’s hand.
 “Surprisingly, she’s only behind on two of her vaccinations. We can do both of those today as well as the flu shot if you’d like.”
 Maria nodded at the information, narrowing her eyes to glare at the doctor then turned to Wanda, “is that okay with you?”
 “Yes, that’s fine,” Wanda easily agreed, “needles don’t scare me like it does other people.”
 Maria turned back towards the doctor with arms crossed over her chest, “Wanda says it’s okay so you have the go ahead,” she reluctantly replied. They were one step closer to never having to see this doctor again.
 Punctuating his files with a sharp dot, Dr. Edwin gave a charming grin on their direction, “I’ll have Nurse Lovett get everything set up. It’ll just be a few minutes.”
 Though she was more focused on Wanda’s well-being, Natasha flicked her head good-naturedly towards the doctor as he exited the room. She bit down a watery smile when Wanda leaned over and placed her head on her stomach, “am I going to the same school or a new one?”
 “It’ll be a new one,” Maria supplied for her while discreetly glaring at the door, “the house is a bit further from your old school. Does that bother you in anyway?”

            “No, my old school was uh… obychnyy. A new school might be more interesting,” she shrugged.  
 Maria glanced at Natasha who mouthed the word ‘ordinary’ over Wanda’s head. That was the last question she asked before the doctor and nurse rolled in a small metal cart with blue paper covering it and 3 little tubes. As Wanda had said, the needles didn’t freak her out, matter of fact, she didn’t react to the needles piercing her skin but did cringe when the bandaids were applied over the bleeding wounds. 
 “That was perhaps the easiest vaccinations I’ve ever had the pleasure of administering,” Nurse Lovett airily chuckled then escorted the cart and used needles out the room.
 Wanda fidgeted with the flesh colored bandaids, her index finger skimming over the breathable holes in the top layer before she frowned, “can I sit in the car?”
 Natasha handed off the car keys, caressing Wanda’s cheek in the process, “sure sweetie. We’ll meet you out there after we set up your next appointment.”
 Climbing off the table, Wanda chewed on her lower lip as she exited the room. Maria waited until the door clicked close to angrily huff to herself and roll her eyes, “that Dr. Edwin is such a jackass. I don’t like the way that he speaks to us… like we’re incompetent invalids.”
 “I agree. His tone is rather pompous especially for a family doctor,” Natasha attested which stunned Maria for a moment. Usually Natasha was the more level- headed of the two in lower level situations like these.

            Pecking her wife on the lips, Maria gave her a tight smile and unfolded her arms. Less than 5 minutes later, Dr. Edwin can back in the room. “Alright, I’d like to order some blood tests for Wanda in the next two weeks. Do you two have any concerns with her health?”  
 Maria shot Natasha a look stating she would ask the questions for now. “It was stated in Wandas file that her twin brother passed away from cardiomyopathy. Is there a genetic component to that and if there is, is there anyway for us to test if Wanda may have it?”
 “We can send you to a specialist who can perform an ECG and echocardiogram on her heart to check for any serious discrepancies,” he nodded to himself. “Were there any other concerns you wanted to bring up today?” 
 “Yes as a matter of fact there is,” Maria stepped forward, “we’ve noticed that Wanda’s been exhibiting… I guess you could say strange behaviors.” 
 “Strange behaviors such as what Ms. Romanoff-Hill?” Dr. Edwin sighed a bit exasperatedly. 
 Maria was certain that she was going to knock his lights out, refraining from not doing so only  because her wife discreetly massaged the back of her bicep. “It’s Mrs.Romanoff- Hill. And some things that concern us about Wanda’s behavior is how she touches every item when we show her a new room but then after touching an object, she runs her fingers through her hair. And the other night, she was practically beating on her chest when Nat and I agreed to read her a story before bed.” 
 “And she has a bad habit of chewing on the cuffs of her jackets and long sleeved shirts,” Natasha interceded into the conversation.

            Boh their faces twisted into a grimace as Dr. Edwin shrugged his shoulders, not even bothering to look up from his clipboard. “Eh, there’s not much I can do about that as it just sounds like a case of the nerves from being in a new situation. And I’m sure her beating on her chest is not as severe as you’re stating. I don’t know if you know this but it’s common for those in foster care, well any child really, to visibly showcase their anxiousness and/ or discomfort when there’s been a changing in their environment and this is a big change for Wanda. I’m sure these ‘odd behaviors’ are nothing more than that. Perhaps there’s something, besides the new household, that’s making her experience feelings of uncomfortableness and that’s the only way she can cope without making it known to you two. Now what exactly it is that’s making her uncomfortable is for you guys to figure,” he smirked. “Now is there anything else I can do for you two today?”  
 Taking a calming breathe, Natasha wrapped an arm around Maria’s waist and dropped the current subject for now, “Wanda is allergic to cherries. Is it possible for you to write us a prescription for Epi-pens?” she asked through gritted teeth. 
 “Now that is something I can help you with,” he mirthlessly chuckled while quickly jotting down the script on the prescription pad. He ripped it off and stuck it out on both woman’s direction with a chauvinistic smile. “Will that be all today ladies?”

            Natasha gave him a perfunctory smile, dripping in pseudo-sweetness, “yes, that will be all,” she snatched the prescription from his hands, still holding the fake smile, “thank you.”  
 Dr. Edwin scoffed but said nothing as he headed out the door. Natasha shoved the prescription in her purse with an annoyed huff then glanced up at a Maria. “You okay Masha? I could see how much you were holding back from punching that dick in the face.”
 Maria sighed and rested her cheek on top of Natasha’s head, “you know me so well,” she dryly joked, “let’s get out of here and take Wanda home.”
 Natasha pulled away with a playful smirk, “better idea… let’s go get ice cream.”
 “Or even better idea,” Maria argued as she guided them towards the door, “cheesecake.”
 “Ooo we haven’t had cheesecake in a long time,” Natasha half smiled, “do you think Wanda will like it?” 
 “I don’t know. I’m not sure but if not, then we can get ice cream. Deal?” 
 Passing the receptionist desk and giving the nurses a genuine smile (it wasn’t their fault the doctor they worked with was a dick), the two made the short trek to their car.
 “It’s a deal Masha,” Natasha eventually confirmed while holding the door open for her wife. The first thing they were going to do once they got home after their excursion was find Wanda a new pediatrician.

Chapter Text

            “Hey sweetie, are you alright?” Nat questioned the teen once she was firmly seated in the passenger seat. 
 There was a small pout playing on Wanda’s lips, her eyes downcast as she fiddled with the bandaids on her arms, “can I take these off?” she asked on an exhale.
 “No sweetie, you need to keep those on for a little, you can take them off after we get cheesecake,” Natasha stated while glancing at Wanda over her shoulder, “have you ever had cheesecake?”
 Judging by the disgusted expression Wanda was currently wearing, Natasha took the answer as No and chuckled out loud.
 “Eww,” Wanda scrunched up her nose, “what kind of cheese comes on the cake? Or is it not a real cake and it’s just cheese in a cake shake? American doesn’t sound good or taste good either, it feels fake. And if it’s cheddar then what kind of cheddar? Cake is sweet so maybe not sharp and extra sharp right? It’s too pointy and mild…  is subtle so maybe they put that one?” she expectantly asked Natasha with wide eyes, though she didn’t wait for an answer before she started speaking again, “ooo… mozzarella doesn’t have a taste and it’s smooth, you can make that into a cake. Syrniki has cheese and that’s a cake, well actually it’s a pancake but still cake. Is cheesecake like a Syrniki?”

            Maria shot Natasha an inquiring glance, only following part of the conversation as her main focus was on the road. Wanda had a lot to say and as long as she’s been staying with them; she never spoke that much in one sitting. 
 “Cheesecake is sort of similar to a syrniki but not quite the same,” Nat softly explained, “it’s made differently everywhere you go but really it’s made from soft cheeses like cream cheese or ricotta and sometimes has a bottom layer made out of grahams crackers. But again, depending on where you go, all of that may differ based on who’s making it. The one thing everyone can agree on with cheesecake is that it’s a delicious dessert.”
 “Okay,” Wanda smiled, “I wanna try it.”
 “Good and if you don’t like that, we can always just get ice cream,” Maria interjected.
 Leaning back into the seat, Wanda nibbled on her bottom lip, “yeah but in a bowl, not a cone. Cones are too messy.”
 “I agree,” Maria nodded in the mirror causing Natasha to playfully roll her eyes; that was certainly true for someone who liked to clean when experiencing any large emotion.
 They pulled into the parking lot of The Cheesecake Factory, Wanda and Natasha on the left side of the booth and Maria by herself on the right. After each ordering their own slices of cake and thanking the server while handing over the menus, Maria directed her attentions on Wanda. “So kid, tells us about your previous foster and group homes. Wanda?” she softly called.

            Wanda was busy staring at the table to their left, one of the ladies was telling her friend a story in an animated fashion, her long acrylic nails clicking together to advance the story. The sound held Wanda’s interest away from her new foster parents.  
 “Wanda sweetie,” Natasha gently nudged her shoulder, gently smiling at Wanda when she jumped back into reality.
 “Yes? Sorry, were you speaking to me?” the teen innocently asked, glancing at Natasha from under her long lashes.
 “Yes, we wanted to know more about the previous foster and group homes you’ve lived in,” Natasha reiterated gently for the teen.
 “Oh. Well the first foster home I went to was with the Bakers; it was 4 months after our parents died. They were good, nice people, they had two of their own kids. Sometimes they took Pietro and I to an empty field so we could have a picnic. Pietro liked to run, he was fast,” she affectionately half smiled, “so he would run and play the American football or… uh… soccer with the other kids. We were there for 3 months.”
 “Pietro liked to run huh?” Maria inquired with a neutral tone, “while he was playing with the other kids, what were you doing? Did you join them?”
 “No. Sometimes,” Wanda shrugged, “if I wanted to but most of the time, I would sit by the tree and read one of my books. I like reading.”

            “We’ve noticed and were happy to indulge that hobby,” Natasha chirped into the conversation.  
 She paused momentarily, taking time to help the server pass out the cheesecake slices before giving another succinct thank you. “Tell us more,” Natasha prompted, taking a forkful of her s’mores dessert to the mouth with a delighted grin.
 She and Maria both watched on as Wanda poked at a small portion of her cake, her face calculating in thought. When she deemed it acceptable, she cut off the tip of the triangle, shoving that piece into her mouth. It was hard for the two women to discern whether or not Wanda enjoyed it or not, her face remained blank even after she swallowed the small piece and she didn’t state her opinion.
 “Wanda, what about your other homes? How were those?” Maria continued; this was more so for her benefit and she was not afraid to admit that. She needed to know more about Wanda’s other homes, how they treated her, and how Wanda responded and processed all that. Biting on her lower lip, Wanda internally processed what she just ate. The texture wasn’t that bad, it was actually the right amount of smooth without being disgusting and there were also no banana chunks (she picked the fresh banana cream cheesecake), which was even more pleasing as banana chunks were slimy and made her mouth feel waxy; she was leaning more so towards the side of liking it. Clearing her palate with a drink of water, Wanda got back into the conversation, “we went to another family after that but I don’t remember them because we were only there for two weeks. Then we went to a group home and they let us stay together even though they said they don’t normally do that because we were opposite sexes. I think it’s because it was our first time being in one.”

            Ever so discretely, oceanic blues stared into electric greens as both Romanoff-Hills knew the real reason they were kept together but neither had the gumption to break it to Wanda; more often than not, agencies tried to keep siblings together, especially twins, as it would be better for them in the long run.  
 “Then we were sent to another home… we stayed for about a month,” Wanda concentrated. She took another bite of cheesecake, “I don’t really remember what they were like either but I guess they were not too bad, no bad memories. Then another family and them back to the group home. A different one, not like the one before. They made us sleep in different buildings but we could see each other during the day.”
 Natasha was taking mental notes, compiling and saving information for later usage but relived that so far, Wanda and Pietro hadn’t been physically harmed in the system.
 “Everything was okay until the next time the social worker came. She said that Pietro and I had to be separated because the last foster home said he needed more attention.” Wanda lifted her head to look at Maria now. “Pietro liked to run because he had a lot of energy but when he didn’t burn through that, he would sometimes argue with the foster parents and they said that wasn’t fair to me, to be neglected like that. So they had to separate us because Pietro was holding me back. I didn’t think so but they wouldn’t listen and brought me to the new home anyways.”
 “Did you guys ever get back together?” Natasha asked with concern coating her every word. She couldn’t imagine being away from Yelena that long during childhood (even if her younger sister was as annoying as a mosquito in the southern heat) and they weren’t even twins.

            “Yes,” she nodded, “the next foster home we were reunited. He had been there for a month when I arrived. When I asked him how he let them stay, he said they used to yell at him when he first arrived but then he did everything they asked him to do without complaining and that made them happy. So I did the same thing and everything worked out until we went to the next house… the uh… we went with the… the Bryers, like the ice cream they said. There were a lot of kids there so the Bryers yelled a lot, sometimes they would hit too even though they’re not supposed to. Since Pietro and I were bigger and could take care of ourselves, we would usually just stand off to the side. If they ate at 3, Pietro and I would eat at 2 so that the Bryers could take of the little ones and also not have extra mess to clean up.”  
 “Did they ever yell or hit you and your brother?” Maria furrowed her brows in intrigue.
 “No hitting,” Wanda hummed, ignoring her slice of cake on the table, “just yelling and sometimes shaking when we didn’t listen but that stopped when Piet and I started looking after ourselves. Then we went to another group home before Piet passed away… they were all good homes.”
 Natasha and Maria would argue that people pleasing and staying out someone’s way didn’t make a home a good one but if it saved Wanda and Pietro from being separated again and any abuse that the foster parents would dole out, then it would just have to be- for now.
 Natasha stroked some of Wanda’s hair, eyes soft, “sorry about your brother sweetie. You can tell us more about him whenever you feel up for it.”

            “Did you like the cake?” Nat decided to change the subject and reference Wanda’s partially eaten dessert. 
 “Yeah… the cake was okay,” Wanda unconvincingly replied. Truth be told, she did enjoy her cake but after a few bites the texture started to bother her; it was all the same and very under-stimulating.
 “You want to try some of mine?” Nat offered, sliding the plate towards Wanda, “it’s Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Galore.”
 Wanda took a small spoonful, the chocolate satisfied her taste but the marshmallow on top was too sticky for her liking; she didn’t like sticky things or being sticky. She glanced up at Maria when the brunette slid her plate across the table. “This is Oreo Dream Extreme. I don’t usually eat many sweets but when I do, I go all out.”
 The Oreo dream better suited Wanda’s palate; the sliced Oreo pieces added varying textures to the dessert which was more stimulating.
 “Here… let’s switch. I’ll take your banana and you can have my Oreo,” Maria offered after seeing Wanda’s eyes light up with the Oreo cheesecake in her mouth; it was cute and she was partially glad that she made that happen.
 They decided to just let Wanda eat, asking no further questions, for the time being. Maria did not stop the eye roll she gave her wife who was proudly smirking at her as she bit into the banana cake.

———

            Once back home, the first thing Wanda did was greet Lucky, who happily reciprocated her actions with a powerful tail. Moving further into the foyer, she haphazardly shucked her shoes, ready to play with the excited dog. 
 “Wanda, please keep your shoes by the door,” Maria gently hollered from the kitchen island. She watched out her peripheral as Wanda headed back towards the front door. She sat at the island, flipping open her laptop to schedule the blood test and heart exams for Wanda. They figured it would be best to do the heart exams earlier than the blood test to try and detect any issues as soon as possible. As Maria called around to find a pediatrics specialist, even going as far as to enlist help from her good friend Helen Cho, Natasha strolled down the stairs with the blur rope leash in hand and dark rim sunglasses sitting on top her hair.
 “Hey love,” Maria happily greeted her wife (she never got tired of saying that), “Wanda’s appointments are set up for all appointments: heart is in a week and blood tests are set for a week after that. Then…” she sighed, “two days time is her dentist appointment. After all that though then she can meet the family.”
 “Great then the other Avengers can stop blowing up my phone with questions,” Natasha playfully rolled her eyes, “I don’t know why they don’t burn up your phone with commentary.”
 “Because unlike you, I don’t indulge their every whim,” Maria smirked against the kiss Natasha placed on her lips.

             “Malenʹkiye podrobnosti Masha (little details Maria),” Natasha chuckled as she pulled away to look in search for the dog’s leash, treats, and poop bag. “I’ll be back, I have my phone on me,” she announced as she headed towards the foyer to put on her shoes. “Lucky!”
 Less than 3 minutes later, the raucous tell-tale sign of multiple clicking paws and socked feet descended down the stairs to reveal Liho, Lucky, and of course Wanda. “Can I come with you?”
 “Sure sweetie, I’m leaving now though so you better be ready,” Natasha ticked her head.
 “I am, I just need to put on my shoes,” Wanda stated as she rushed past the redhead to the pair of shoes she tossed off earlier.  
 Natasha’s brows furrowed in confusion as she clipped the leash onto Lucky’s collar, “thought we told you to leave your shoes by the door.”  
 “Yes I was going to but then I got distracted by something else… sorry,” Wanda sheepishly grinned, slipping her shoes on. Truth be told, when she went to go put away her shoes, she got distracted by the blue car zooming out the living room window which reminded her of the blue sweater she had upstairs with the thick black stripes which then made her brain bounce to the black socks she had with the hole sun them (she really had to toss those in the trash) but then thinking of the trash made her have to actually throw away some loose papers on her new dresser which is how she found herself occupying the space in her room and heading down when the dog was called; she was just about to place her sneakers on the rack. Her train of thought wandered a lot and she forgot things often but the other homes didn’t like that so she would hold that information for herself.

            “S’okay, it happens,” Nat brushed off, grabbing hold of Lucky’s leash and giving Liho a long scratch down her back. “Masha! I’m taking Wanda with me!”  
 “Okay, you both be safe! Stick together!” Maria hollered back from inside the kitchen; Wanda found this way of communicating somewhat cute but only because it was Natasha and Maria doing it.
 “Come on kid,” Natasha gestured towards the door, scooping her keys off the hook.
 The walk itself was refreshing, Wanda asking halfway through if she could hold Lucky’s rope leash while they walked around the block of the neighborhood. Natasha did have to gently correct Wanda though when she almost made a right instead of going straight on their neighborhood. When they made it back to the house, Wanda released Lucky from his rope handle, kicking off her shoes to happily follow the excited retriever towards the backyard. Wanda moved so quickly that Natasha didn’t have time to remind her to leave her shoes by the door on the metal shoe rack. It wasn’t a pressing issue, it just made the foyer neater and less of a tripping hazard; two very important things to her wife. Dinner was delegated to Natasha that night, which she didn’t have a problem with at all as everyone knew her cooking was the superior of the two, while Maria went to pick up the Epi-pens from the pharmacy.

            “What are you making tonight?” 
 “Marinated beef tips with broccoli and mashed potatoes on the side,” Natasha singsonged while checking on her boiling potatoes.
 Maria pecked her cheek, smiling happily at her wife’s concentrated face, “sounds good. I’m gonna run out for a bit to the pharmacy to pick up the Epi-pens.” She rounded the kitchen to head towards the living room to speak to Wanda who was watching an episode of Malcolm in the Middle. “I’ll be back Wanda.”
 “Where are you going?” she questioned back with curious eyes.
 “To the pharmacy to pick up your Epi-pens. Shouldn’t take more than 25 minutes all together,” Maria shrugged.
 “Can I come with you?” she perked up; knowing the area did wonders in reducing her anxiety.
 “Sure, I don’t mind kid. Don’t forget a jacket, it’s a bit chilly out.”
 Wanda nodded, moving to the foyer to put on her shoes and jacket she had hanging by the door. Maria gave her wife one more kiss goodbye before her and Wanda headed out. On the car ride there with soft music playing in the background, Wanda animatedly told Maria about an episode of that show she was telling her about the other day… that uh… Avatar: The Last Airbender. She was going on and in about Koh the Face Stealer, an ancient spirit with the ability to steal faces of those who show emotions and personally use them by “blinking.” It didn’t make sense to Maria but Wanda looked rather adorable, all excited and flapping her hands, as she went into great detail about the episode and the characters.

            Not that she had any time for it really, but Maria found the premise of the shot rather intriguing and was tempted to watch the series. After getting the pens and filing back into the car, the two headed back towards he house to eat dinner and hopefully go to bed without much problem. After dinner and everyone was clean and dressed, Natasha and Maria went about their usual routine of putting Wanda to bed by reading her 3 chapters out of The Giver book before tucking her in. As they were getting ready to leave, Natasha’s phone dinged, indicating she received a message. Once she opened it up, a bright grin danced on her face as she turned the phone around for Wanda (and Maria) to see. “Look, my mom found the pictures of my blue hair.”  
 Immediately Wanda sat up against the headboard, latching onto the phone with interest, “cool. Uhm who’s that again?” she pointed to the curly headed little blonde girl, frowning at the camera.” She knows Natasha has a sister but can’t quite put a name to the face.
 “That’s my baby sister Yelena,” Natasha fondly swooned, “she was cranky because she had to wake up from her nap to go to ballet practice.”
 Wanda gasped, “you did ballet?”

            “Yep sure did. And also various forms of martial arts and skateboarding,” Natasha cheekily smirked, “Madame B, my ballet instructor, was a hard ass and she hated my blue hair but I was also one of the best in her class. She gave me grief but also contributed to the person I am today, which may not be a great thing but we’re still determining that. I had my blue hair for 2 years, after that, I went with electric green.” 
 “Ooo…” Wanda owlishly blinked, “do you have pictures of that too?”
 “Yeah, once again I’ll ask my mama if she can send them over. I’ll tell you more about it in the morning if you’d like. For now, get some sleep,” Natasha offered as Wanda shimmied down under her blanket, drawing her turtle close.
 Maria tucked the corners of the comforter in, using her thumb to stroke Wanda’s cheek, “night kid. Sleep well.”
 “Get us for anything,” Natasha reminded her as she cut out the lights and left the door ajar for the animals sake and their own peace of mind.
 That night before hey went to bed, Nat made work of finding a new pediatrician while Maria spoke to the overly excited Avengers group about their time with Wanda and then Helen, who she was turning to for advice.

            The groan threatening to pour from Wanda’s lips was just barely concealed under Natasha and Maria’s quiet mutterings. They had shown up 40 minutes early to fill out paperwork for the dental appointment and within those 40 minutes, Wanda was silently suffering. The constant exposure to the fluorescent lights of the waiting area were not only giving her eye pain and headaches but was also making her nauseous the longer she sat there. The lights also illuminated the obnoxiously bright hues in the paintings of the sea creatures decorating every wall. And to make matters worse, the plastic of the chair adhered to the skin on the back of her thighs thanks to her above average body heat. Overall, Wanda was in sensory hell though she said nothing as her new foster parents completed the paperwork needed for her to be seen. She gave Natasha a natural smile (though Wanda knew it was tight) when she turned in the paperwork to the receptionist and asked if she was okay. 
 “Yes, I’m fine. Just a little nervous,” Wanda half- truthfully answered. Suppressing all her natural urges (rubbing and blinking her eyes, biting her lips/ sleeves, and wanting to bounce her leg) was steadily causing her anxiety to spike but she didn’t want to tell them that. She didn’t want Natasha and Maria to deem her weird and kick her out; she quite liked living with them. Leaning in close, Natasha cradled Wanda’s cheek with concern, “do you want one of us to sit in the back with you while the dentist does their job?”

            “No,” Wanda shook her head, “I’ll be okay by myself.”  
 “Alright. We’ll be out here if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” Natasha reminded her, settling into her chair.
 Less than 2 minutes later, Wanda was called back by a male dental assistant and lead down the hall to room 2. Anxiously waiting by herself for the dentist to enter, Wanda took the quiet opportunity to try and regulate her racing heart with deep breathes which was made a bit difficult with the lights humming overhead. Frustration started to seep inside herself and before she knew it, the dental assistant entered with a blue tray of items and a matching mask. She placed a medical bib over Wanda’s neck, the coolness of the metal providing a small reprieve.
 “My name’s Rita and I’m a dental assistant for Dr. Rickter. He’ll be with you shortly,” she gently smiled at the teen behind her mask to which Wanda reciprocated the action. “How’s your day been so far?”
 “Okay,” Wanda slowly spoke, “we had to wake up early so we could make the drive and fill out paperwork.”
 “Ugh, that paperwork is so long, and understandably so because it asks for important information,” Rita agreed, setting up all the necessary equipment while she spoke, “Luckily you won’t have to fill it out at your next appointment so that’s a win. Your accent is pretty cool by the way, where are you from?”
 “I am from Sokovia,” Wanda glanced up to make eye contact, “it’s a small country in Eastern Europe.”
 “Cool, I’ll have to check it one day,” Rita beamed back. She looked over her shoulder when she heard light commotion coming from down the hall, “oh sounds like the dentist is on his way. It was nice meeting you Wanda.”
 “It was nice meeting you too,” Wanda shyly waved back, slightly grateful that the interaction was over.

            She settled into the chair just as the dentist and a new assistant entered, “hello, my name is Dr. Don Rickter. You may call me Dr. Don or Dr. Rick, whatever makes you happiest. This is my dental assistant Tanya,” he’s pointed to the smaller brunette to his left. “Your name is Wanda correct?”  
 “Mhm,” the teen nodded.
 “We’ll be responsible for your x-rays and cleaning today. Do you have any questions for us?”
 Shyly, Wanda shook her head no.
 “Alright let’s get your tests done so we can get on with your cleaning and send you on your way,” he stated with a kind smile that made his eyes scrunch under the mask.
 The x-rays went particularly well thankfully which meant that Wanda could get her cleaning and be out of office. Getting back into the dental chair, Tanya helped Wanda reposition herself and turned on a tv that was set directly above Wanda’s head. The only downside was the blinding light on a swivel that was shoved in her face. The light overpowered the soothing sounds of both the tv and the mechanical whirring of the toothbrush currently in her mouth. With everything going in, Wanda eventually grew restless and though she didn’t fidget, she did uncomfortably squirm in the seat so much that the new dental assistant quickly grew frustrated with her. By the time the appointment was over, Tanya’s scowl was visibly evident, even through her mask.
 “Thank god that’s over,” Tanya scoffed in a hushed tone when she and the dentist moved over to the sink to discard their used gloves.

            Wanda’s attempts at keeping her fidgeting to a minimum were futile as she listened to the low tones of her oral caretakers, her mood quickly shifting at Tanya’s words.  
 “Tanya, stop that,” Dr. Rickter gently admonished while shaking his head, “there are many people who don’t like doctors, dentists included.”
 Tanya rolled her eyes in both sassiness and annoyance, “that’s fine but at least they let us do our jobs with no issues.”
 “She’s a child,” Dr. Rickter reminded her.
 “15 is hardly a child Rick. What 15 year doesn’t know how to sit still?” she hissed.
 The words clawed at Wanda’s chest, radiating a singing pain similar to when she was 6 and broke her ankle from tripping over a storm drain when Pietro was playfully chasing her up the street and she had to limp all the way back home on the broken bone. And though it physically hurt, Wanda kept her emotions to a minimum, wanting nothing more than to just go back to Natasha and Maria’s home where she was beginning to feel a sense of safety. Dr. Rickter sighed, stealing a quick glance Wanda’s way with the hope that the teen hadn’t heard everything that just happened. He did have to agree with Tanya though, Wanda’s appointment wouldn’t have taken as long as it did if the teen would’ve quietly sat in the seat instead of wiggling around like a decapitated chicken. But unlike his assistant, he had more couth and bedside manners than to discuss that before a patient especially a young one.

            “Alright Ms. Maximoff,” he obligatory smiled, guiding her towards the exit, “you did good. Avoid eating and drinking anything for about 30 minutes to give the fluoride time to adhere to your teeth. Do you have any exciting events planned for the rest of the week?”  
 Wanda didn’t engage him in any of the small talk, her normal anxiety, and now embarrassment, amplified 3 fold. She barely registered Maria’s hand soothing rubbing small circles on her shoulder blade as Doctor Rickter, Natasha, and the receptionist softly spoke, organizing future appointments. Wanda’s eyes remained downcast, her fingers twiddling with each other and her teeth slotting into her lip like a puzzle.

 “I tried my best not to be weird but Tanya hates me anyways. I can never do anything right.” 

The two sentences continuously circulated through every exposed crevice in her mind, bombarding her already overworked senses and emotions; her eyes burned and her skin uncomfortably itched and tingled. It was all too much… she didn’t even realize when they made it into the foyer of the house.  
 “Thank god that’s done with,” Natasha sighed, flopping herself onto the couch, “I think I’m gonna take a nap.”
 An amused half smirk danced across Maria’s face as she draped a blanket over her wife’s lower body; Natasha had a tendency not to sleep well some nights especially when she forced herself to work overtime so it was nice that she was voluntarily taking a nap.
 “That’s perfect, I have some old files I need to sort through before I have to head back in for work,” Maria stated, moving around the kitchen to collect said files and returning to the living room to nest around the coffee table.

            Wanda hovered in the hallway, still anxiously chewing on her lower lip and twiddling with the tips of her fingers. She eventually shuffled her way into the living room, lifting her head when the television was cut on. 
 “Hey kid, you alright?” Maria questioned in concern upon noticing Wanda’s bloodshot eyes and nervous energy, “you look tired. I think you’d benefit from a nap too.”
 The sound from the tv, the soft whistle of the A/C, the prickling hair on her neck, and Maria’s voice, not necessarily the question, were too great on Wanda’s shot nerves but she tried her best by taking deep breaths. “N-no… I don’t want to take a nap.”
 “You sure you’re not tired?” Maria continued in worried fashion, “did you sleep well last night?”
 “No,” Wanda vehemently shook her head from side to side, “I’m fine, I don’t want to sleep,” her chest was throbbing as well as her head.
 Half lifting her body to allow her to better angle her head, Natasha noticed the telltale signs of someone who’s body was in fight or flight, “Wanda, are you okay sweetie? Did something happen to you today?”
 With eyes screwed shut, Wanda continued to shake her head, tugging at the collar of her shirt so that it rested over her lips, “n-no, nothing happened… I just- I don’t want to!” she hollered, unexpectedly bursting into a fit of tears.
 The sudden outburst of emotion had both Natasha and Maria rushing to their feet in extreme concern, both unsure of what caused the sudden, intense emotional reaction. Maria craned her neck downwards in order to get a better look at the teen while Natasha attempted to rub soothing circles on her back.

            Natasha gazed up at her wife in confusion and alertness when Wanda aggressively flung her arm from around her shoulder, now sobbing and flailing her arms about, keeping anything from touching her person. Maria was really at a loss of words as Wanda desperately screamed- some words in English while others were, what she assumed, was Sokovian and maybe Russian. Any time Natasha or her got close enough to touch Wanda, the girl would angrily push them away with enough force to send them back a few inches so they quickly decided the best course of action would be to just let her cry it out. After 10 minutes, Wanda’s yelling and screaming slowly fizzled out and the flailing of her arms did as well, slowly wrapping around her midsection though the tears still kept coming. Both Romanoff-Hill’s waited until Wanda seemed to be relaxed, her tears stopping and her body a bit more lax before they tried to approach her. 
 “Hi sweetie,” Maria lowly spoke, “are you feeling better?”
 Wanda’s eyes remained shut and her breathing ragged as she stood still, either not hearing the question or not understanding it. Slowly, Wanda began to crack open her eyes, which were red and glassy but alert, to look at her feet; she gently lifted them just enough to stare back at Maria and Natasha.
 “Hey sweetie,” Maria warmly smiled into Wanda’s doe eyes, “do you feel better?”

            Wanda just blankly stared back as if processing the question. Natasha crouched down to be right in Wanda’s eye line, “u tebya vse normalʹno?” she asked the same question in perfect Russian which got a curt head nod from the teen. “Khocheshʹ vody?” 
 “Da,” Wanda whispered in a hoarse voice.
 Turning around to look at her wife, Natasha kept speaking in a low voice, “can you get her a glass of water please Masha?”
 Maria easily complied, filing a glass cup halfway with water and calmly sped back to her wife and foster daughter who was now sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the wall.
 “Here you go,” Maria offered, assisting Wanda in sipping the cool beverage until she pulled away.
 “She said she wants to go to her room,” Natasha stated as she gingerly grabbed Wanda’s right hand, “can you help me?”
 Surging forward to grab the glass then Wanda’s left hand, Maria lifted in tandem with Natasha and carefully helped Wanda up the stairs and towards her room where they placed her on the bed.
 “Take all the time you need hon, we’ll be downstairs if you want and it need anything,” Natasha whispered, brushing Wanda’s hair from her face. When they went to check on her 15 minutes later, Wanda was asleep with Liho on her chest and Lucky resting on her stomach.

Chapter Text

            Closing the bedroom door with a small click, Natasha and Maria quietly made their way downstairs, both shaken by the unexpected turn of events. Wanda seemed to be doing alright this morning, just as nervous as she tended to be during appointments, so this sudden outburst really was coming out of left field. Plopping down on the couch, Natasha drew Maria into her lap so the brunette’s head rested on her shoulder, “Nat, what the hell was that?” 
 Natasha shrugged, knocking her shoulder against the rim of Maria’s ear, “I dunno know.”
 “Do you think it was a tantrum?” the brunette craned to look at her wife; Natasha was definitely more knowledgeable in working with children especially those that had been abused and traumatized.
 “No, I’ve seen a tantrum, Lila’s used to get pretty bad when she was in the terrible twos stage. Wanda’s outbreak wasn’t a behavioral disruption like it didn’t seem purposeful,” she responded in thought, “it might be related to her trauma?”
 Though Wanda made it through the system physically unscathed, there was still emotional and mental trauma that came along with being in the foster care system. They hadn’t had any time to delve into that aspect of her yet as they were currently concerned about making sure Wanda was settling in well.
 “Ah where there’s questions, there’s Google,” Natasha stated, pushing Maria off her to grab the laptop positioned on the coffee table in front of them.

            Maria scoffed, annoyed at Natasha’s antics, but quickly settled into the space next to her to view the screen. They started with basic questions regarding tantrums and quickly crossed out all the bullet points stating what a temper tantrum was because those didn’t pertain to what Wanda had just done. From there, they ventured down a rabbit hole, clicking on multiple links which lead them to a page about temper tantrums vs meltdowns. Upon reading the differences, Maria’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as that’s exactly what seemed to happen with Wanda; she didn’t have a tantrum but a meltdown.  
 “Cho has professional experience with children right?” Natasha asked out the blue.
 “Yeah,” Maria nodded, “so does Sharon and Sam. Why?”
 “Maybe we can ask them to recommend some good child therapists in the area. It doesn’t hurt to have Wanda speak to a professional in regards to her mental state,” Natasha suggested as there was nothing wrong with therapy; she herself went for years (and still does sometimes).
 “Yeah, it would be best for her,” Maria sighed; parenting was proving to be the hardest task she’s ever encountered. She giggled when Natasha wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling her in for a hug and pressing her cheek into hers. “What do we do when Wanda wakes up?”

            “Leave it alone and give her space. It sounds like a meltdown is an overwhelming experience,” came her wife’s muffled reply, “so we give her space but comfort her at the same time.”  
 “Okay,” she whispered back. “We should start planning the cookout, it’s in two weeks.”
 “Ugh don’t remind me,” Natasha whined causing Maria to smirk, “I have to text everyone the date and when I do then all hell breaks loose. It’ll be nonstop phone calls and texts and I’m tired Masha,” she finished with a pout.
 Kissing those pouty lips, Maria pulled away with a nonchalant expression on her face, “you got it Nat and besides if you handle damage control, I’ll make it up to you,” she grinned.
 Natasha’s eyes widened then quickly shut as she imaged the ways her wife could possibly make this up to her; there were… endless possibilities.
 “Deal,” she finally replied once she got her overexcited nerves to relax, “I guess we can work on creating the menu so we can slowly buy stuff these next two weeks.”
 “Mhmm,” Maria nodded, grabbing a pen and blank piece of paper from inside one of the Manila folders.
 Natasha gave her wife an incredulous look, not understanding her need for such archaic methods, “Masha, why are you using pen and paper when we have phones?”
 Without looking up, Maria began to list a few items on the paper, “in case we need to remove anything and I also thought it would be easier for Wanda to add whatever she wanted as well.”

———

           Wanda slowly came too, registering the light pressure on her body from the legs resting on top her; she found it very soothing as there was still residual anxiety coursing through her. When she fully awakened, using a fist to rub at burning eyes, guilt and shame immediately flooded through her like a bursted dam. She hadn’t meant to break down especially from being asked a simple question; it was just a natural reaction to the world around her, always has been. For the most part, they didn’t happen often, the only time they had picked up in frequency was when she was in that one foster home by herself. Being in a new environment without Pietro there to ground her led to a lot of breakdowns from overstimulation and unprocessed frustrations. Wanda released a heavy sigh, stroking Liho’s fur and enjoying the soft feeling on her fingertips. She laughed through her nose as Liho began to purr, stretching out her paws in her sleep to knead at her chest. Wanda was content to just stay in her room for the time being so that’s what she did; petting both Lucky and Liho for physical comfort while nibbling on her lower lip. It was in her room where she remained until her stomach loudly rumbled, shattering the little world of peace she created as now she would have to face reality and discomfort. Quietly traipsing down the stairs, pet free, Wanda slowly made her way into the kitchen, shuffling along the edge anxiously. And of course, both Natasha and Maria were situated in various parts, Natasha at the table with a pen and paper in front of her and Maria at the counter.

            “Hi sweetie, are you hungry?” Maria greeted her first, “I made chicken quesadillas.” 
 Taking the plate of food with a contrite smile, Wanda parked herself at the table across from Natasha, taking a small bite as she kept her eyes averted; she wasn’t sure if she should broach the topic or just leave it be. She continued to pick at her food with rabbit bites, her urge to eat slowly dissipating as she overthought the situation. Maria gave Natasha a concerned look that wasn’t reciprocated as the redhead carefully placed a hand on Wanda’s shoulder. “Do you feel better?”
 Wanda timidly nodded, not wanting to lie because the truth was she really needed that cry; it helped release a lot of pent up energy she didn’t know she was harboring.
 “That’s good sweetie,” Nat rubbed her back in large circles, “all we’re concerned with is your well-being. Do you want a hug?” she proffered with arms wide open. 
 Wanda moved to step into Natasha’s outstretched arms, trepidatiously wrapping her own around the woman’s waist. She was stiff at first but swiftly snuggled deep into the embrace, Natasha’s toned arms providing her with all the pressure she needed. This was… different than the other homes she’d been at. After a breakdown, the foster parents would either ignore her, figuring getting to the root of why she reacted the way she did pointless, or they would scream in her face at what they deemed a ‘childish’ behavior. Either way, neither reaction bode well for Wanda’s confidence or her spirit; it’s probably why she hadn’t felt completely comfortable in the last set of homes she was placed in.

            Natasha and Maria were patient with her so far, even if Wanda herself didn’t fully comprehend why she was the way she was. A broken smile tugged at Maria’s lips as she watched her wife interact with their foster daughter; Wanda clearly needed a hug just as much as she needed to cry. Natasha was always better with kids, it always took Maria time to open up enough to form a meaningful relationship with children but not Natasha; her naturally stoic demeanor always dissolved when kids were involved. It was something Maria found easy to love even if she did feel a bit left out at times. She drew herself out of her daydream when she heard Wanda whisper a sweet ‘thank you.’  
 Natasha pulled away with a boyish grin, “it’s no problem kid, hugs are free around here- you can get them whenever you want. Can we talk to you about something though?” she shifted the conversation.
 Wanda nodded, sitting back in her seat to finish her lunch while the three of them conversed.
 “Our friends and family want to meet you,” Maria said as she bit into her own quesadilla, “so we were thinking of doing a cookout for your official meet up. Is that something that would interest you?”
 Wanda had read the term before and knew by context clues what the word meant, an American cookout sounded fun; food and games were universal. “Is there going to be food… and games?” she glanced up inquisitively.

            “Yes,” Maria laughed through her noise at the curious expression the teen was making, “we’ll have video games, the guys on Nat’s team love Mario kart, Mario Party, Pico Park, Super Smash Bros, and of course Call of Duty,” she playfully rolled her eyes. 
 Wanda chewed on her lower lip, absently nodding then furrowing her brows, “I only know Mario party. Can you teach me how to play the other games?”
Wanda figured Natasha’s friends would be nice enough to show her the ropes of the games but she wanted to learn how to play beforehand as not to be unprepared.
 “Yeah, we’ll teach you to play sweetie, we have those games and more that you might like,” Natasha agreed. “We’ll also have some board games as well as card games dispersed around the house.” 
 Maria noticed that though Wanda’s body language seemed more upbeat, she still hadn’t actually said if meeting family over a cookout was something she wanted to do. “So I take it you’re fine with the cookout idea?” 
 “Yes,” Wanda fervently nodded, “I like the idea,” she confirmed for the brunette.
 Maria internally sighed a breath of relief, she didn’t want to be selfish but she was keen on the cookout; they hadn’t hosted one in over 2 years so this would be a great way to get back into that. She grabbed the two pieces of paper on the table, sliding them in front of Wanda’s vision, “here’s the rough menu we have along with an ingredients list. They’ll be on the table so feel free to add whatever you want to them  and we’ll see what we can do.”
 Wanda let her eyes rove over the menu, unsure if she was ready to alter it just yet; she’d have to leave it alone until then.

            After finishing her lunch, Wanda placed her plate in the sink and followed the two ladies into the living room, needing the comfort of human interaction. Though her feelings of shame had dissipated, she was still feeling upset with herself for the way she acted mainly because it was something she hadn’t intended for the day. She squeezed to the right of Maria and the left of Natasha, chewing her lip as they sat in comfortable silence. “I’m sorry,” the teen started, “for my breakdown earlier and for the pushing.” 
 With Wanda providing an opening for the conversation, Natasha expertly took hold of it. “You don’t have to apologize, we know it wasn’t a choice. Have you experienced a break down before?” she made sure to use the same wording Wanda had as not to through her off; they could explain it was a meltdown at a later time.
 “Yes, back at the other homes,” she nodded with naturally large eyes gazing up at the redhead.
 Maria leaned her shoulder into Wanda’s, “do you know what causes you to have a breakdown? That way we can work to avoid it, or them, in the future.”
 Wanda wasn’t sure how to explain it, sometimes she had breakdowns when she was extremely frustrated or when her body was just… active… when all her senses were firing at once and everything bothered her. She didn’t know how to express that but nobody she stayed with before had ever cared enough to ask her this type of question so damn it, she was going to try her best to get the words out.

            Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to formulate her thoughts, eventually she just settled on saying what was on her mind and hoped that they could all figure it out together, “sometimes it’s just too much.”  
 “What’s too much?” Natasha quickly asked in concern. What is it living with two gay women that was too much? She hoped it was something else and that that jackass of a children’s doctor wasn’t right.
 “Everything,” utilizing hand gestures to emphasize her words, Wanda creased her brows, “sometimes my senses are… busy, overworking- and it just becomes too much.”
 “They’re overactive which makes you overstimulated that’s okay,” Maria soothed, “is there anything we can do to help you when you’re having a breakdown?”
 “I don’t want anything touching me,” the Sokovian shook her head, “and I-I want it quiet… if that’s okay?”
 “Yeah, yeah sweetie, we can do that for you,” Natasha eagerly agreed, content that Wanda was giving them information that would help them better assist her.
 “Yeah,” Maria chimed in,“we have a lot of empty rooms in the house so we can make one of them sort of a quiet room for you.”
 “Thank you,” Wanda happily whispered with a small blush to her cheeks.
 Natasha grinned, brushing hair behind the teen’s ear, “my mama sent me the picture of my green hair. You want to see?”
 Wanda nodded, leaning over Natasha’s shoulder to view the pictures on her phone. As they scrolled through the photos, Natasha began to tell stories about her time doing ballet such as when she started and why, and some of the more memorable classes she had such as the first time she went on pointe and tried to do a pirouette only to slip and fall face first into the wooden floors. While Maria was enthused with the anecdotes, she did have to get to work completing the files in her possession which is what she did as her wife vividly recounted her extensive childhood. Natasha then shifted the stories to the Avengers, giving Wanda basic information about each one so that she wasn’t meeting them blind at the cookout. As Maria typed up a debriefing report in regard to one of her rookies, she felt a light tug at the base of her scalp. Glancing eyes up, she saw Wanda’s index and middle fingers working in tandem with her thumb to wrap around her fingers. When the twirl became tight, she released it only to repeat the process all over again. It was cute but what made the action even cuter was the fact that Wanda didn’t even seem to realize what she was doing.

             Life in the Romanoff-Hill (Maximoff) household had been placid for the last 4 days as Wanda grew more situated. She hadn’t had any more meltdowns though there were days when her mood would randomly sour only to brighten back up in a few hours and Natasha had begun to introduce Wanda to the video games they had stored away. She didn’t play often, more so wanting to read the new books they purchased at the bookstore, but the days Wanda did join Natasha in gaming, she had a blast. Maria would opt to sit on the sidelines, encouraging Wanda with praise and kind words. Some days she wanted to join in but she knew that Wanda had a closer bond with Natasha which once again, she was fine with because of her own personal difficulties with opening herself up. With it being Saturday morning, both Natasha and Maria were awake, having been used to getting up early throughout the week for years so now it just tended to bleed into their weekend habits as well. They were sitting at the table, Natasha in Maria’s lap as they both sipped away at fresh coffee trying to figure out what to do for the day. They could go to the aquarium, something Wanda had stated she wanted to do when they first met, but they were saving that for later. There was also the Zoo or Luna Park: the Zoo was more feasible but like the aquarium, they were saving that for a later time. And Luna Park… today was too short notice for that.  
 “Hey Nat,” Maria called out with a light tilt to her head, “why don’t we go to Brighton Beach?”
 A gasp fell from Natasha’s lips as she sat straight up, “Little Russia?”
 “Yeah,” Maria chuckled, “we used to go every other week. It’s your culture and will probably resonate greatly with Wanda.”
 “Little Russia,” Natasha giggled to herself, flinging her body to her feet and almost knocking the coffee mug out of her wife’s hands. “I’ll go find our reusable bags,” she softly yelled while darting out the kitchen and down the hallway closet.
 Maria walked over to the cabinet with her mug cradled close, grumbling about how reckless Nat could be for someone who was very agile, when she heard the slow clicking of nails on wood. She kept her back turned, pretending not to hear all the sounds Wanda was making: the opening and closing of the cup cupboard, the sound of liquid pouring into a mug, the pot clicking as it went back into place, and the soft exhale Wanda released after taking her first sip. Maria silently laughed to herself then schooled her expression to one of a more serious tone, “ahem,” she cleared her throat, “what is that you’re drinking young lady?”
 Wanda’s head poked up at the sound of the clearing, leaving her to sheepishly smile, “uhhh… tea?”
 Placing a hand on her hip, Maria teasingly smirked, “mmhm, smells more like coffee to me. You know the rules.”

            A few days ago, Nat and Maria told Wanda that she couldn’t have any coffee when she saw them drinking it one morning as she was still growing and an excess of caffeine wouldn’t do well for her system. The teen had then declared that unfair and propositioned a compromise- she could have coffee twice a week at most, not including the weekends where she could only have one cup. (If Wanda drank coffee on Saturday then she couldn’t have any on Sunday and vice Versa, no matter how much she plead). It was something that the two women agreed to which left Wanda feeling rather triumphant that day. 
 “But Maria…” Wanda drew out, her accent making the name sound adorable, “it’s Saturday. We agreed the weekends don’t count.”
 “That we did,” Maria said behind the rim of her mug.
 “So you can’t lecture me because I followed the rules,” Wanda playfully sassed, giving Lucky a scratch behind his ears.
 Maria was going to say something else when Natasha reappeared in the kitchen with 2 canvas bags hanging off her left shoulder and an insulated bag on her right. “Morning sweetie,” she greeted Wanda with a warm smile. She turned to Maria and cocked her head, “Masha, you look like such a mom.” 
 “I mean, that is the role I signed up for. I guess it’s only befitting,” she snarked back though her tone conveyed she took no offense to the statement. 
 Wanda quietly watched the interaction, they reminded her of how her Mama and Papa would behave, childishly at times but always full of love. She continued to nurse her coffee but then remembered the bags Natasha came in with, “Natasha? What’s in the bags?”
 “Nothing yet lyubimaya,” the redhead beamed, “but it will be soon with stuff from little Russia.”

            “Little Russia?” Wanda parroted in confusion. 
 “Yeah it’s a neighborhood that has mostly Russian and Ukrainian inhabitants living there, it’s like Chinatown,” Nat easily explained, “they managed to make their own little Russia right in America. Do you want to go?”
 Wanda slid out of her chair, apparently ready to head there now. “Can we get sweets and jewelry?”
 “Yeah we can get whatever you like but you need to get dressed first,” Nat laughed.
 Another sheepish smile grew on Wanda’s face along with rosy-ing cheeks at the revelation. She slid out the kitchen and upstairs to be room to find clothes for the day as did Natasha and Maria. When ready, the three of them made their way to the subway, it was easier than having to make the drive to Brighton Beach. As Natasha looked over the subway map, Wanda stood by Maria, chewing on her sleeve as she tapped her bicep to get her attention. The brunette looked down at Wanda with gentle eyes, wanting to pull the fabric out of Wanda’s mouth but knowing she did that as a form of comfort, “hmm?”
 “How long is the ride going to be?” Though Wanda was initially excited for the trip, she had never been on the subway before and was feeling a bit nervous about being confined to such a small area with random people about.
 “The trip there is only about 45 minutes but we also left early on a Saturday, so there shouldn’t be too many people on the train, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Maria tried to placate.
 Wanda nodded, that’s exactly what she was worried about.

            “Natasha and I are here and we can sit in an empty cart if we can find one,” Maria offered.  
 Wanda gave her an anxious closed lip smile, exhaling through her nose then shifted closer to Maria, gripping onto her shirt sleeve. Maria tried to contain her giddiness at the gesture though based off of Natasha’s knowing side eye, she wasn’t hiding it well. She smirked when her wife hip bumped Wanda, who glanced up with wide eyes, but then smiled. They took the Q train, squished beside each other for Wanda’s comfort, growing more excited as they approached their destination.  It was as if they were transported right in the middle of Russia, from the smells of freshly made foods down to the decorations, for Wanda and Natasha it felt like home. The trio migrated from stall to stall, Natasha and Wanda conversing and pointing at different objects together in fluent Russian. Maria straggled towards the back, taking pictures of the two interacting and of the environment. Wanda was speaking in Russian, flapping her hands at her side when she let out a sharp gasp. She darted forward towards a stall with bell peppers angled at 45°, chives and cheese adorning the top. “Maria! Come look!” she eagerly shouted, catching the woman off guard as Wanda was definitely closer to Natasha than her.
 Regardless, Maria made her way to the front of the stall where Wanda was practically bouncing in her spot, “look! It’s Sarma!”
 “Sarma? What’s that sweetie?” she questioned when she made it to the teen’s side.

            “It’s Sokovian!” Wanda happily said, eyes surveying all the colors presented, “the stuffing is made from ground meat, rice, and raw onions then wrapped in pickled cabbage leaves and cooked over sauerkraut with smoked meat and tomato sauce. It tastes amazing! Can I get one please?” 
 Natasha glanced from Wanda to Maria, having lost them for a brief second amidst the bustling crowd. Wanda had a hopeful look in her eye and seeing as it was Saturday, Maria didn’t see any harm in indulging Wanda with her country’s dishes.
 “Sure sweetie,” Maria shrugged with nonchalance.
 “yay,” Wanda whispered to herself while pointing out the the sarma she wanted to the vendor.
 When he dropped the food in the bag and handed it to Wanda, Natasha gently tapped his hand to gain his attention, “još 2 molim,” she stated in perfect Sokovian, fortunate that the language was similar enough to Russian that she was able to pick it up quickly from listening to the folks around here.
 The vendor nodded, placing two more Sarmas in a bag and handed them off to Natasha while Maria gave him the appropriate amount of money. Wanda watched the entire transaction with blown eyes, overeagerly sprinted the small distance to Natasha to tug on her arm, “you’re going to try it?”
 “Yep! Let’s find a place to sit,” Natasha ushered her towards an empty table a few steps away.

            Wanda softly squealed when Maria made her way back with three water bottles in hand, ready to eat her meal. Maria took her sarma out the bag then shot Wanda a quirked eyebrow, raising the food to her mouth. Wanda copied her movements, anticipation coursing through her as Maria counted down, “1…2…3!”  
 The two took a simultaneous bite, an instant beam of a grin adorning Wanda’s face at the familiar taste and an impressed expression on Maria’s. In all the excitement, Natasha managed to snap a few pictures of the two eating and laughing with one another. The remainder of the trip was more so the same with the little family eating foods together and purchasing items for later use. They decided to head home when the sun rose high in the sky, the beaming rays causing Wanda to uncomfortably blink and shield her eyes. When they made it to the front door of the house, Natasha slipped the insulated bag off her shoulder and handed it to Wanda, “can you help Maria unpack please? I’m going to walk Lucky.”
 Wanda hummed a response, clutching the bag to her chest as she followed Maria through the foyer into the kitchen. Maria made sure to tell Natasha to be safe when the redhead breezed past the kitchen entrance, Natasha giving her a teasing eye roll as she leashed the dog and went out the door.

            The silence in the kitchen wasn’t suffocating, in fact, it was very peaceful after being out in public for a better part of the day. Maria was in the process of placing a box of tea in the cupboard when Wanda’s question made her standstill. 
 “Maria, what was your childhood like?” 
 It was a simple question but it wasn’t the simplicity of the question that struck her, it was the baggaged answer in response to it. Sucking in a breathe through her teeth, the brunette slowly spun on her heel, her eyes falling to Wanda who was still assisting with the groceries, oblivious to the implication she just asked. Wanda didn’t turn back to face the woman until she heard the audible huff exiting her nose, her face contorting into a look of confusion and anxiety; she had done something wrong by asking that question.
 “Maria?” she gently probed, “I said something wrong?”
 Maria’s shoulders dropped with a deflated sigh; Wanda had a right to ask questions and know the background of the people taking care of her, it was her fault that Maria’s dad was a piece of shit. “No sweetie, you didn’t say anything wrong,” she grimaced, “my childhood growing up wasn’t the most… ideal.”
 Pausing in putting away the jelly, Wanda stood at the pantry, gazing at Maria with intrigue, “why not?”
 Clenching her fists, Maria willed her vocals cords to loosen, the memories of her childhood beginning to plague her, “my mother passed away a few hours after giving birth to me and my father blamed me for it ever since. He was always a heavy drinker but he eventually grew to be a full blown alcoholic by the time I was 6 which led to the start of physical abuse along with the verbal abuse he was already dishing out. It was like that for years until we finally had a falling out when I was around 17 and then a few months later, I joined the Marines.”
 “Do you know where he is?” Wanda owlishly blinked at her, having long forgotten about the remaining groceries.

            “No, we haven’t spoken since then and to be honest, I don’t really care where he is,” Maria stated bluntly, “he doesn’t deserve to be apart of my life especially since I’m happy with what I have; I don’t need him or that part of my history tainting the family I have now.”  
 Wanda contemplated her next move, wanting to provide Maria with comfort but not sure how so she settled for the easiest thing there was. Stepping forward until she was a few inches away, Wanda wrapped her arms around Maria’s waist and rested her head on her chest. Maria’s arms immediately wrapped around Wanda, the woman had long grown accustomed to the loving touch thanks to Natasha and those around her (lord knows her father never cared for her). She brought one hand to rest on Wanda’s lower back and used the other to cradle the girl’s head to her chest, feeling a grin grow on her face as Wanda hummed and snuggled further into the embrace. Maria made sure to thank Wanda when they finally pulled away.
 “You’re welcome,” Wanda beamed, rocking on the balls of her feet, “do you want to watch Malcolm in the Middle with me?”
 “After we finish with these,” Maria stated holding up the canvas bags for visual.
 “Okay,” Wanda complied, finally putting away the jar of jam that was standing in front of her.
 The two continued to work in silence, completing the task and cleaning up. Maria had just returned from storing the bags in the hallway closet when she spotted Wanda hovering by the coffee pot.

             Wanda turned to her with a begging smile on her lips, “can I please have coffee?”  
 Maria wanted to say no, it wouldn’t benefit Wanda in the end to indulge her every whim. But this was also probably temporary so Wanda deserved at least one family that spoiled her a bit so despite her beliefs, Maria found herself agreeing to the request with one simple statement, “make enough for me too.”

Chapter Text

         Exhaling a worked puff of air through her nose, releasing a satisfied hum at her work. The coffee table in the living room was spotless, the fresh coat of furniture polish making it glisten in the glow of the sunlight. Petting over her shoulder, she contently observed Wanda running around the backyard through the sliding glass doors. With Natasha setting up Wanda’s quiet room and Wanda needing a break from helping, Maria gently suggested to the teen to take the animals to the backyard and entertain them while she worked on cleaning the house; it was easier to clean with no one around to interrupt her. She continued to watch Wanda, smiling proudly when the girl convinced Lucky to jump through a makeshift hoop she constructed from cardboard, paper, and tape. Where the girl got those items was a mystery to the brunette (she was certain they didn’t have any cardboard laying about but obviously that was wrong as Wanda had to have gotten it from somewhere). When a comfortable pair of arms wrap around her waist, Maria allows her upper body to fall back into her wife, “how’s the room coming?” 
 Resting her forehead against Maria’s shoulder blade, Natasha shrugged with a neutral expression, “mmm… it’s coming. Fortunately I got some of Wanda’s input before she stepped out so that’s been helping greatly. I think I’d be even further along though if I didn’t have to stop every 3 minutes to answer an incoming question.” 
 Maria heartily laughed at that as Natasha had been doing a great job of upholding her side of the deal. And Maria knew the Avengers, how they tended to be when in ‘excited-mode’ and with 8 of them in the group chat and with the redhead’s side of the family added into that mix too… it was no wonder Natasha was ready for the cookout.

            “They won’t stop bothering me Masha,” she shook her head, “your end of the deal better be good,” she teasingly sighed.  
 “I think it will be,” Maria smirked over her shoulder. “What type of questions are they asking you?”
 Natasha scoffed, lifting her head to rest on top Maria’s chin, “all about Wanda of course. Which I don’t have a problem with, I’m glad they’ve taken a liking to her already; I just wish they’d leave me the hell alone and bother you for a change.”
 “No, no, no. I told you from the very beginning not to give into them otherwise something like this would happen,” Maria reminded her, “this is punishment for not listening to your wife.”
 Natasha didn’t argue, a part of her knew Maria was correct in this scenario, so she focused on the teenager happily chasing the dog around in the backyard while the cat ran after the two of them. Fortunately, Wanda hadn’t had any meltdowns within the last few days which is why Natasha was making sure to complete the room for the teen as soon as possible that way they’d be prepared for when another one struck. Lucky and Liho helped greatly in soothing Wanda when she was beginning to show signs of distress; she would stroke their fur (and if need be, they would lay on top of her unprompted) which had a strangely calming effect on the teen the two women recently noticed.

            They promised themselves they’d google it to see if there was a word for that, something pressure or weight related, and if there was anything they could do to simulate that comfort that Wanda needed at times. It was late at night when the two finally had time to themselves; Wanda had went down without any issues (not that there were ever any), falling asleep less than 2 chapters into The Giver. With the house comfortably silent, Maria researched pressure related to the body while Natasha typed away on her phone. The brunette cast an inquisitive side eye when her wife ground out a disgruntled grumble of a sound, furiously clacking away on her device.  
 “You know what? Fuck it!” Natasha said after a minute of angrily typing, “I’m calling them.”
 Maria leaned onto Natasha’s shoulder, for comfort and to be on screen, while the device rang. It took less than 3 rings for the screen to fill up with 8 obnoxious, grinning faces (despite how late the current time was).
 “Nat! I was wondering when you were finally going to call!” Clint beamed at her, all bright eyed and mischievous.
 “Yeah, we’ve got some questions and some shopping to do… your slow typing has been impeding us,” Tony chimed in, wriggling down into his sheets, “and speaking of… we got the kid a gift.”
 Natasha didn’t hold back her scoff of annoyance; she had specifically told everyone not to buy Wanda any gifts as her and Maria didn’t want the teen to be even more overwhelmed. “I told you not to.”

            Tossing his hand up in a defensive position, Tony shook his head and sucked in a breath of air, “you told me not to, which I abided by, but the Missus here had other ideas.”  
 “Yes she did and I’m not afraid to admit it,” Pepper’s blonde hair poked into the frame before Tony repositioned the camera to show both their faces. “You can yell at me all you want but you know that doesn’t work,” Pepper smirked.
 “Ugh…” Natasha groaned leading her wife to take over the conversation.  
 “Hi Pepper,” Maria cut in, secretly amused at the Avengers antics because she already knew that they wouldn’t heed Natasha’s (and her) statement about not purchasing gifts. Hell, they did the same thing when they brought Wanda home. Turning her head towards the brunette, Pepper smiled with her teeth this time as she spoke, “Hi Maria. How’s everything for the cookout coming along?”
 “It’s great,” Maria nodded, “we’re excited for you guys to come over and Wanda is too though she’s a bit anxious about the entire idea.”
 “Nervous about what? We’re chill dudes,” Rhodey interjected causing all the others to murmur or nod in agreement.
 “You guys are like chihuahuas that have been injected with sugar and caffeine except for Steve and Thor,” Natasha stated, “you guys are like that but add steroids to the mix. Wanda’s an anxious person which is why I told you guys not. to buy. gifts,” she punctuated unhappily.
 Maria slightly raised her eyebrows, silently siding with her wife on this, “speaking of… what did you guys get her?”

            Now it was Tony’s turn to grin, “we got her something nice, don’t worry. Can’t say the same for my companions though.”  
 “We haven’t gotten her anything yet because we don’t know what she likes hence the questions,” Steve stated, speaking for the first time since being on the call.
 Thor, being ever the civil man he was, politely interjected himself into the conversation, “yes, I am in agreement with Steven. What does the little one enjoy or like to do?”
 “She’s not little Thor,” Natasha snorted through her nose despite how she was feeling, “she’s 15.”
 “Yes I am well aware Natasha,” he replied with the same golden retriever energy he always had, “so what does the little one like?”
 Seeing that her boys were not going to give rip on the conversation, Natasha and Maria found it best to just embrace their behavior instead. “Wanda’s a quiet kid that reads quite often. She’s read the Outsiders, The Giver, Of Mice and Men and Where the Sidewalk Ends… to give you a general idea of what type of books interest her.”
 “Oh! She also likes um… Avatar,” Maria chimed in; Wanda often told her about the series whenever she was in a good mood.
 The brunette watched as Bucky frowned, seemingly lost in thought, “she likes the movie with the blue people?”
 “No not that movie, it’s a show. The little boy is bald and has a blue arrow on his head,” Maria clarified, shuffling around to find her laptop. She quickly googled the show then pulled up some images for everyone to see, “this is the show. Wanda tells me information and facts about it all the time.”
 The guys nodded in tandem, making their own personal note of the information so they could do with it what they pleased.

            Unsatisfied with the little bits of info he received, Bruce cleared his throat to quiet the conversations, “alright books and Avatar. What else you got?”  
 Natasha thumbed her lower lip in thought; if the guys were going to buy Wanda gifts, she wanted a few of them to benefit the teen in some way. “You can get her something creative I guess like color pencils or even a colorful puzzle. She likes soft items too if that’s a route anybody wants to venture down… and…”
 “Sunglasses. Wanda’s eyes are beautiful but also very light so she needs extra protection when we’re out,” Maria suggested, anything that would better assist Wanda.
 “Oh man, Laura and I are gonna have a field day shopping for the kid,” Clint chuckled to himself.
 “Please,” Tony rolled his eyes, “Pep and I will clean the house with you two. We already got her a gift but we can get more.”
 “Well damn, save some ideas for the rest of us man!” Sam shouted through the phone which jumpstarted multiple conversations at once.
 Over the noise and excessive talking, Maria gently procured the phone from her wife’s hand and pulled her close, “well as nice as this should’ve been, we’re tired so we’re going to bed. Don’t call or text us unless it’s something important. You guys claim to be smart so you should be able to find an answer to any questions you conjure up. Goodnight.”
 A chorus of good nights and byes resounded through the microphone though the Romanoff-Hills didn’t stay on long enough to listen as they snuggled under the covers.

———

            Mid-Wednesday morning, Natasha victoriously cackled from her spot on the couch, Pokémon decorated controller in hands as her body flopped backwards into the cushions. Wanda slightly pouted as she inspected her own controller while Maria didn’t dignify her wife with a glance as she rose up from the couch to answer the door.  
 “Natasha, you’re cheating. I thought you said the green shells were erratic and didn’t have accuracy,” the brunette heard Wanda from the foyer.
 “It’s not cheating if you know how to direct them,” came Natasha’s smug reply.
 Maria rolled her eyes to herself; Natasha was never a gracious winner. Wiping her clammy hands on the thigh of her sweatpants, Maria turned the handle to the front door to reveal Wanda’s social worker. “Morning Mrs. Witford, to what do we owe the pleasure?”
 At the mention of her social worker’s name, Wanda’s attention was immediately drawn towards the door, her eyes widening in unease. Anxiety immediately grasped her heart, tightening her chest; she wasn’t able to hear the words exchanged by Maria and Mrs. Witford, furthering her internal panic. Wanda didn’t hate her social worker, she knows she could’ve gotten an extremely apathetic one like many of the other foster kids she’s been in contact with; it was just something about Mrs. Witford that rubbed her the wrong way. A part of her always felt that Mrs. Witford could be better at her job.

            Natasha stood up to shake the social worker’s hand and apologize for their current state of dress before moving into the topic of conversation, “is everything okay?”  
 Mrs.Witford smiled brightly, though a little tight, and smoothed down a part of her shirt, “everything is alright. I’m just here on routine business.”
 Before she had the chance to continue, Wanda slid up to Natasha’s left, imperceptibly leaning against the redhead. “Surprise visit?” she inquired with a small glare in her eyes. She was hoping it was that; she greatly liked living here and didn’t want to be taken away.
 Natasha discreetly raised a hand to Wanda’s back, rubbing large circles against it as Mrs.Witford airily laughed at her question, “yes dear, just a surprise visit.”
 Wanda hummed to herself as Mrs.Witford began her speech. “First, I’m going to do a home inspection, ask you two some questions, conduct an interview with Wanda and then I’ll be on my way.”
 Natasha and Maria, being new to this process, of course let the social worker take the lead and followed behind the older woman. They observed as she surveyed each room with a keen eye, jotting down her over various while asking questions pertaining to some of the items in the rooms.

           Natasha easily slipped to the back of the line, by Wanda, as Maria provided Mrs. Witford with an answer for why there was padding and various pillows in the downstairs room adjacent to the backyard.  
 “We converted one of our extra rooms for Wanda’s comfort; a place for her to get away when she needs her own space,” Maria said as Mrs.Witford led them towards the extra spare rooms in the back. 
 Natasha internally praised her wife for her response; they had come to the agreement that while Wanda’s behaviors were out of the ordinary, they wouldn’t discuss it with her social worker until they had a definitive answer. Wanda was beginning to relax with them and there was no way the Romanoff-Hills  were going to jeopardize her comfort (and possibly her safety) for something so trivial as slightly different behavior. Saddling up next to the teen, Natasha gave her bright eyes before nudging her shoulder, “hey, are you okay?” she inquired in soft Russian, loud enough for only Wanda to hear. 
 Wanda was chewing on her index finger, absently trailing behind while her eyes looked almost lost in thought, “mmhm. I’m fine.” 
 The response was much too quick and soft to be believable so Natasha tried again. “If you’re upset you can tell me, I won’t get angry with you.”
 Wanda leaned her head on Natasha’s shoulder, pouting behind her finger with a half groan, “I don’t want to leave… I like it here.”

            Though her eyebrows raised and her hand rubbed circles in Wanda’s back, Natasha didn’t offer any words of comfort because then she’d be lying; none of them knew what was going to happen in the future because this set up was only temporary and she wouldn’t do that to Wanda. Leading them back towards the living room, Mrs.Witford sighed as she shuffled the papers under her right arm, “the house appears to be in order, everything is as safe as it can be. I’d like to interview Wanda privately if you don’t mind. Is there a room I can do that in?” 
 Natasha directed the pair towards Wanda’s quiet room, giving Wanda a reassuring smile as she closed the door. When she made her way back towards Maria, the brunette grabbed her hands in concern, “what were you-“ 
 “Wanda was telling me how she didn’t want to leave,” Natasha immediately supplied for her, lifting her eyes to watch Maria’s physical response, “she said she likes it here Masha.”
 “Of course she does,” Maria sighed, drawing away one of her hands to run her hair back. While she was happy Wanda was growing more comfortable here in their home, Maria hated to think of the consequences this would have on the teen in the future when she was inevitably moved to a new home. Not having anything else to say to that, Maria placed a gentle kiss to the top of Natasha’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

            The interview lasted all of about 15 minutes, Wanda softly bounding upstairs shortly afterwards (not a glance their way) leaving the three women alone in the living room to have a discussion. Gracefully sitting on the loveseat with one leg crossed over the other, Mrs.Witford offered a small smile, “as I stated even I first entered this morning, this will be the portion of the visit where I ask you how you’re doing with a new addition in your home. So… how is that going?” she leaned forward.  
 Natasha ignored the similarities between this and talking with her therapist; sure she was fine with her now but at the beginning Natasha could honestly say she’d rather slit her wrists with a rusted knife than speak to Dr. Quinn.
 “It’s definitely a new challenge and a careful transition,” Maria replied, resting a hand on Natasha’s thigh, “but we’re enjoying having Wanda around. She’s a sweetheart and rather resourceful.”
 “She’s great at video games too,” Natasha chimed in to which Maria lightly swatted her thigh and Mrs. Witford held in a laugh. “It’s true though. We’ve been playing together as Wanda’s developed a new slight interest in them; it’s helped her open up.”
 Jotting down the conversation into her notes, Mrs.Witford nodded in thought, “that’s nice to hear. It seems that you’re developing a strong relationship with Wanda, in however manner you both choose to do that, which is splendid. It’s hard to bond with foster children especially during the first month of them staying with you. With that being said, do you two have any concerns that may need to be addressed?”

           Quirking an eyebrow up, Maria lets confusion grace her face (a ploy on her part as she knew exactly what the social worker was asking of them), “what do mean by concerns?”  
 “Concerns such as any behavioral issues you may be experiencing, issues with receiving financial support from the state, any other accommodations you may need, things of that nature. I can try my best to help rectify those problems,” Mrs.Witford explained a bit more in detail.
 Once again, both Natasha and Maria internally acknowledged their personal agreement to opt out of divulging any of Wanda’s quirks, knowing that they’d be written off as problematic and the teen would be put into a far worse situation.
 “Nah, we haven’t had any of those problems yet fortunately,” Natasha said while her eyes knowingly glanced at Maria’s.
 “Once again that’s great,” Mrs.Witford beamed, jotting down their responses for her report, “is there anything else you guys need while I’m here then? Any questions about anything?”
 “I don’t think we have any questions at the moment,” Natasha somewhat brusquely answered, partially wanting the woman to leave so she could continue spending the day with her family.
 “Oh there is one thing actually,” Maria cut in as they rose to their feet and head towards the foyer, “Wanda mentioned the other day in passing that she may want to dye her hair. If that’s something she does decide to go through with, do we have your permission to do that with her?”
 “Yes, Wanda had permission to dye her hair and to cut it if she wants, I’ll put it in her file. Thank you for the time,” Mrs. Witford says while shoving her items into her oversized purse. Just as she’s about to stroll out the door (much to Natasha’s delight) but then abruptly turns on her heels causing the redhead to internally frown.
 “I don’t think I’m supposed to be telling you guys this,” she divulges in a low tone, “but this is the happiest I’ve ever seen Wanda in any foster home. Even when her brother was still alive, it was hard for the two to completely assimilate to the new homes. She seems comfortable,” she pauses, eyes fluttering between the two Romanoff-Hills, “you two must be doing something well.”

            “Thank you for the kind words,” Natasha gives a closed smile, “we’d like to think we’re doing well by Wanda too.”  
 “And you are. You shouldn’t doubt that,” Mrs.Witford almost sings, “I’ll call you a few days in advance so we can schedule your next visit. Until then, don’t be afraid to reach out to me. You both take care”, she finally waved as Maria shut the door behind her.
 Natasha pushed her against the door with her chest, dropping a soft kiss to her lips before drawing away, “you did good Masha.”
 “As did you,” she praised with a soft kiss back on her lips.
 Natasha semi-purred against Maria, sliding her hands under her shirt and scraping her nails lightly done her back. Just as Natasha’s hands were beginning to venture back towards the front, Wanda poked her head from the top of the staircase, “is she gone? she whispers.
 Natasha can’t help her light chuckle, her smile morphing into a smirk at Maria’s wide eyes; her hands inched around Maria’s chest, thumbs just barely grazing the underside of her breasts. Sending Natasha a firm glare, Maria forces her hands from underneath her shirt and turns to give Wanda her attention, “she’s gone sweetheart. Were you hiding up there?”
 Rounding the corner, Wanda began to twiddle with her fingers while carefully descending the stairs, “no... but yes? I had to go to the bathroom but then I just stayed there when I was done.”
 Mrs.Witford made Wanda anxious in an entirely different way: she was typically the first one Wanda saw when she was being bounced from home to home and she was also the person in charge of her file.

            It’s why Wanda made sure to never divulge any serious issues with the older woman and it usually worked out pretty well. The other homes she stayed at never mentioned her breakdowns to Mrs. Witford (they were just grateful she was out of their home) or discussed any of her other “strange” behaviors so Wanda made it a point not to do so either. The last thing she wanted to do was be labeled ‘a problem child’ as she was already having enough troubles getting adopted as is; she didn’t need to add another reason to that list. Now that she was gone though, Wanda felt herself slowly relaxing. When she made it all the way down the staircase, she parked herself in front of her foster mothers and tilted her head, “um… can I have a hug? Please?”  
 Natasha almost cooed at the request, immediately crossing the small distance between them and wrapped the teen in a warm hug. When Natasha released Wanda, her arms were swiftly replaced with Maria’s lean ones; both hugs felt safe and soothed Wanda in a way she needed. Without releasing her, Maria rocks the teen from side to side, “what do you want to do?”
 Wanda relaxed against the embrace, Natasha’s soothing circles on her back making her body begin to go limp, “can we continue playing Mario kart?”
 “Fuck yeah! I’ll get the game booted back up,” Natasha stated as she moved towards the gaming console in the living room. Wanda watched from Maria’s arms as Natasha disappeared into the living room, her lower lip poking out into a small pout. “Maria?”
 “Yes sweetie?” The brunette absently responded.
 “Can we have popcorn?” she sweetly requested and although Maria hated the feel of kernels in her teeth, she helped Wanda prepare two bags in the microwave and carry them towards he living room for their snack.

Chapter Text

          The week and a half honestly flew by with little incident. Wanda’s heart exams tested negative for any conditions, though she would need to see a cardiologist yearly to monitor her heart. Wanda’s blood tests occurred the Tuesday after that week and also came back negative for any health conditions. And as a way of celebrating, the little family went to the park per Wanda’s request. Overall, everything was goin well and the only event left for the week was the cook out which is how Nat found herself at the store on Friday to finalize their menu. As the redhead walked down the condiments aisle, her phone buzzed in her pocket and she answered without looking at the caller ID. Her boys had finally heeded her advice about finding their own answers for any questions they had which left her phone bother free for the better part of a week. 
 “Hello?” she mindlessly spoke as she read the label on a ketchup bottle.
 “Natalia!” came the excited shriek through the device causing the redhead to chuckle affectionately. Yelena was the only one who, after all these years, insisted on using the Russian form of her given name. “Hi Lena. What’s going on?” 
 “I have some questions for you sestra but first, how are you doing? I haven’t heard from you since-“
 “Since Wanda came into our home,” Natasha finished for her, “I know. Masha and I have been busy with her medical appointments and making sure she’s been acclimating properly. You know how the foster system can be.”
 On the other side of the phone, Yelena’s eyebrows furrowed in slight understanding. While she herself was adopted, she had been adopted when she was a few months old as opposed to Natasha who was in the foster system until she was 4 years old. So really she had no personal memory of the system, only what her sister and parents told her about it. “I know… Mama and Papa tell me all the time,” the blonde playfully groaned. “It is good that you are giving back and providing for others. Wanda is fortunate.”

            “Yeah, I’d like to think we’re doing okay as first time foster parents,” Natasha smiled. “She’s a pretty amazing kid.”  
 “Since we haven’t spoken in weeks, can you tell me more about her?” Yelena asked with childlike interest.
 It was one of Natasha’s favorite things about her baby sister, the way she wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable about her interests; Wanda was the same way. Scooping the large bottle of ketchup in the cart, Natasha propped the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to the next aisle. “I guess the most noticeable thing about Wanda is that she’s shy. She’ll absorb everything you’re saying, and it’s so obvious too, but she won’t say anything. She just looks up at you with her big green eyes that makes you just melt. She also likes to watch sitcoms like Malcolm in the Middle but her favorite show is Avatar: the last Airbender.”
 “Oh like you and your turtles and me and my ponies?!”
 “Da, just like that sestra,” Natasha grinned, “she’s a sweet kid. I promise you’ll love her when you meet her tomorrow.”
 “Oh about that…” the blonde trailed off, making Natasha abruptly stop in the aisle.
 “You’re not canceling, are you Lena? Masha and I-“
 “Natalia please,” the blonde scoffed with an eye roll, “no, I am not cancelling. What I was going to say is that Kate Bishop is coming.”
 Kate Bishop was Clint’s friend and young protege before she was introduced to Natasha then Yelena. The two met at an archery range and Kate was so enamored with Clint’s skills that her puppy dog behavior allowed her to immediately attach herself to his side. And Clint being Clint, he took the young woman under his wings and they’ve been friends since that moment. Whenever Kate and Yelena got together, uncontrolled chaos was the norm. Natasha hadn’t seen Kate in months and to be honest, she wasn’t sure what the brunette was doing in that time.

            “That’s great Lenochka. Are you guys coming to the cook out together?”  
 “Yes, I will be driving so we will be there early to help set up… and to meet Wanda before anybody else,” the blonde cheekily grinned. “Clint tells me your Avenger friends are bringing gifts so of course, I’ll bring a gift too. What’s Wanda’s clothing style?”
 Though Natasha didn’t want to encourage more gifts, there was nothing wrong with getting Wanda more clothes as that would always be a need. Placing assorted vegetables in the basket, Natasha forces herself to think of the best way to describe the teen’s style, “It’s like yours but different… it’s darker. It’s not emo but um the other one,” she snaps trying to get the word off her tongue.  
 “Grunge? Goth?” Yelena offers for suggestions.  
 “Honestly I’m not even sure. I know there’s a difference between them all I just don’t know what. Lemme just send you a picture so you can decide hm?”  
 “Okay,” the blonde hummed. Her phone pinged with an image of Wanda and Maria in Little Russia at a food stall. Yelena scrutinized the picture but was able to effectively decide which style was more Wanda’s: emo.  
 “I have the perfect gift her! I need to go to the store! I’ll see you tomorrow Natalia?”  
 “Yeah I’ll see you tomorrow Lena,” Nat grinned.  
 She heard her sister happily sigh before saying, “goodbye, I love you too.”
 Pleasantness spread through the redhead as a result from the conversation had with her little sister; Wanda was going to be so spoiled tomorrow. As the thought hit her, Natasha had to remind herself to finish shopping and to inform Wanda of what was going to happen tomorrow.

———       

            Wanda spit out her toothpaste into the sink then rinsed her mouth out with water before exiting the bathroom. Trudging to her room, she twiddled with her fingertips in an attempt to soothe herself. She calmed down slightly as she saw Natasha and Maria, with The Giver in her hand, waiting on the bed. The Sokovian offered the redhead a small smile when she pulled the covers back for her to crawl in and clutch her turtle to her chest. With her hands in the blankets, Wanda resort to chewing on her lower lip while Maria read. The couple finished three chapters, Natasha shooting her wife a strange look when they noticed that Wanda was still very much wide awake- an usual thing for the teen as Wanda tended to fall asleep during the chapters. Natasha shifted slightly, just enough to gaze down at Wanda’s face while she spoke, “are you not tired yet?”  
 Wanda continued to nibble on her lip, staring blankly in front of her while silence filled the negative space around them. It took another moment of internal ponderance before Wanda spoke with a shaky voice, “do you think they’ll like me?”
 Though simple, Maria struggled to understand the full implication of the question. “I mean… everyone wants to meet you.” 
 “Yes… but will they like me?” Wanda repeats, her voice breaking in the middle. 
 “Shit why wouldn’t they like you? You’re probably the coolest person in this house at the moment,” Natasha confidently declares.
 “No I’m not,” the teen lamely challenges back because she knows that Natasha is lying to make her feel better. She kept to herself and Pietro in their previous homes but that didn’t stop the parents and other kids there from labeling her strange or a ‘weirdo’ as they called it. What if Natasha and Maria’s families felt the same way? And what if Natasha and Maria finally realized that they felt the same way too and decided that Wanda wasn’t a good fit in their home anymore? With this being the first home in over a year she genuinely liked, Wanda just knew that her heart couldn’t handle that form of rejection.
 “Sure you are, don’t be your worst critic,” Natasha advised. This wasn’t the first time Wanda made a self-deprecating comment in their presence; her self esteem was rather low and Natasha often wondered how that came to be.

            “They’ll like you sweetheart,” Maria confidently said, directly looking into Wanda’s eyes. 
 “How are you so sure?” Wanda softly challenges, Maria was lying to her too. 
 “I know because we’re aware of the company we keep. Our friends and family are quite frankly, knuckle-headed goofballs, but their intentions and actions are always well intentioned,” the older Romanoff-Hill affectionately smirked. “I know it’s only been three weeks but believe me when I say we would never intentionally put you in a threatening situation; threatening in this context meaning anything that makes you uncomfortable or is inherently unsafe to your being. Everyone will like you for a variety of reasons because like my wife so lovingly put it, you’re pretty fucking cool.” 
 While Wanda stopped biting her lip, it was apparent that she was still worrying over what tomorrow would bring so with the idea of sleep tossed out the window, Maria slithered out of bed and put her hands on her hips. “Get up and come on,” she instructed, her face playfully stern; she was cooking up something.
 Wanda frowned but did as she was told: getting up out the bed, with her turtle cradled in her elbow, and followed behind the tall brunette. It took Natasha a minutes to follow suit, wholly entranced by the pseudo-hard ass Hill demeanor; Hardass Hill was hot. In the short time it took Natasha to catch up with the two, Wanda was already situated on the couch, with an adorably cute expression of confusion, while Maria stood above her, draping one of her favorite blankets over the teen. It also wasn’t a coincidence that the blanket happened to be the softest one in the house.
 “Come Nat, we’re watching movies and shows until we’re tired or fall asleep, whichever happens first,” Maria declares in a tone that leaves no room for debate.
 Natasha plopped down to Wanda’s left, giving her a warm smile while getting comfortable. With the two settled, Maria handed Wanda the tv remote, “pick whatever you want us to watch. I’ll be back,” and with that she disappeared into the kitchen.

            Wanda scrolled through the list of movies and eventually decided on The Incredibles.  
 “Nice pick,” Nat praised her lightly to which Wanda sheepishly grinned.
 The movie made it 10 minutes in before Maria came back with her hands full of treats: mugs of steaming tea, a bag of chocolate covered pretzels, club crackers, a bag of pretzel sticks, a small tub of vanilla frosting, and a bag of green grapes. She handed each of her girls a mug with a gentle reminder that the beverages were hot then passed out everyone’s preferred snack. Wanda received the chocolate covered pretzels while Nat got the pretzel sticks and frosting. The Romanoff-Hills discovered Wanda’s love for the treat at the end of last week by complete accident. Nat was at the kitchen table eating her pretzels sticks dipped in frosting while Wanda was having a sandwich. The redhead offered Wanda a few sticks and while the teen liked it, she found it too sweet and didn’t like the feeling of frosting on her fingers. She then said that she preferred the chocolate covered pretzels because they were crunchy and just the right sweetness; which is also how they found out that Wanda had an affinity towards crunchy snacks.
 “Thanks Maria,” the Sokovian shyly thanked as her hand dug into her snack bag.
 Maria offered her a nod in return, “you’re welcome sweetie. Good movie choice by the way.”
 The trio enjoyed their movie night, watching a total of 3 and a half movies together before Wanda and Natasha drifted off to sleep; Maria amusedly scoffed at them, wondering how she was the one stuck watching Shrek. Even through her slight annoyance though, she managed to sneak her phone out to get pictures of this moment. Wanda was still wrapped in the blanket with her teddy in hand and curled into herself a bit with her head slumped on Natasha’s shoulder; the redhead in question, had her cheek resting on top of Wanda’s hair with her mouth agape. They were beyond cute and Maria would definitely be showing these pictures off tomorrow. Deciding to leave the television on while they slept, Maria got comfortable and hoped that sleep would greet her tonight.

           Natasha hefted the coal bag over one shoulder as she transferred it from the shed to the backyard, dropping it at her wife’s feet who was standing at the grill. They had a few hours before guests would be coming over and at least 3 before Yelena and Kate showed up to help out. 
 “Do you think we should cancel?”
 Natasha paused int bought for a moment because she understood her wife’s concerns; Wanda not having gotten enough sleep last night increases the chances of her not only being tired but also getting overwhelmed at today’s event. “No. I already asked Wanda if she wanted us to postpone today but she declined; she says she wants to do it so we’re going to trust her word.”
 Maria hummed a sound of discontentment but didn’t argue; Wanda knew her person so they had to respect that she would voice her discomforts when they arose. The brunette glanced over her shoulder to glance at Wanda eating breakfast through the patio doors. She did look tired but that was also part of the reason they decided to have the party at their house: to give Wanda a comfortable place for her to rest (napping or otherwise) and have access to her own space.
 “It’ll be an amazing day for everyone Masha, I promise.”
 Natasha’s positive grin made one form on Maria’s own face at the statement; there really wasn’t anything to worry about. Natasha leaned in to give her wife a loving kiss, one that reminded her of the first time they’d ever met. “Let me finish with these bags so I can go fill the coolers with ice and drinks.”
 Maria allowed her wife to walk away, quickly diverting her attention back towards Wanda when she had the chance.

            Wanda anxiously carded her fingers through Lucky’s fur. Last night, Natasha told her that her sister and a friend would be coming over early to help with the preparations ; the knock on the door alerted them to their presence. She inhaled deeply, repeating her mantra to herself: don’t be weird, you can’t be yourself today. Wanda heard the faint musing of voices steadily building louder until she swiveled her neck to see two other women with Nat. She knew the blonde from Natasha pictures and stories, that was Yelena so the other one has to be Kate.  
 “Hi Wanda! My name’s Kate Bishop, I’m a friend of Nat and Lena,” the brunette waved with an energetic voice.
 Wanda gave a small nod, staring at the brunette with open eyes, “hi Kate.”
 “Well it was nice to meet you. I’m going to help Maria with the cooking, if she’ll let me that is.” The woman all but bounced out the room with Natasha following, giving Wanda a playful wink as she guided the other women towards the backyard. The living room was quiet, neither woman saying anything to each other before Wanda took the initiative. “I like your rings. Do they mean anything?”
 The smile that appeared on Yelena’s face told Wanda she said the right thing because almost immediately, Yelena approached her with her rings out on display. “This one doesn’t have a meaning,” she pointed to the leaves on her index finger, “I just liked the way it looked. The one on my middle finger is my initials: YB for Yelena Belova. And the black and red beaded ring on my pinky are the black widow spider colors which represents Natalia and I.”
 Yelena then went on to explain (in her thick accent) the rings on her other hand but all Wanda could focus on was the question bouncing around in her mind. “You and Natasha don’t have the same name?”
 Yelena shook her head fondly then glanced up in Wanda’s direction, “nyet, we were both adopted but still sisters.”
 The blonde thought it was cute the way Wanda visibly perked up, leaning in closer to her space but she didn’t mind like she normally would.
 “Natasha’s adopted?”

            “Yes, it’s part of why she decided to be a foster parent because she knows what it’s like to be in the system. Mama and Papa will tell you more if you ask them about it.”  
 Wanda nodded again, storing that piece of information away for later. “Why do you have an accent and Tasha doesn’t?”
 That earned a hearty chuckle from the blonde as she leaned in to nudge Wanda’s shoulder, “same reason you have accent. We came to America when we were older and while Natalia worked to remove her accent, I didn’t because I didn’t care what others thought.”
 “Pietro was the same way,” Wanda admitted, “he didn’t like to practice his English when we were kids.”
 “Who’s Pietro?” Yelena side eyed the teen, “Nat didn’t tell me about him.”
 “Pietro was my twin brother, he died last year from a heart condition. Do you want to see his pictures?”
 It was something about the look in Wanda’s peridot eyes that made Yelena give in with no issues; Nat was right about that damn puppy dog look. Yet still, the blonde followed with a bright smile and a vibrant, “sure”. Excitedly popping up from her seat, Wanda suppressed the overwhelming want to flap her hands, her fingers barely twitching from the need. Though she hid her natural response to positive emotion, that didn’t dimmer the excitement Wanda had at showing Yelena a few of Pietro’s pictures or the other items in her room. It wasn’t much but Yelena held the same energy the entire time causing some of Wanda’s anxiety to dissipate. The teen pouted when Yelena’s interest was drawn away towards the knocking coming from downstairs.  
 “Ah that must be the others. Davay Vanda, let’s see which Avenger it is,” the blonde suggested, leading the teen downstairs. “I bet it is Steve, he is always either early or on time. Never late.”
 And to on one’s surprise, Yelena was correct in her assumption about who was behind the door. Steve and Bucky gave boyish grins as they stood behind the threshold, colorful gift bags in hand.

            “Hi Yelena,” Steve waved, turning his attention towards Wanda, “hey pretty girl. I’m Steve and this is Bucky. We work down at the police station with Nat, it’s nice to meet you.”  
 A red blush bloomed across Wanda’s face at the compliment, rosying her cheeks which made her freckles stand out. “Hi Steve, hi Bucky.”
 Bucky stepped past the duo when Yelena made an opening for him and Steve to enter, “hey and welcome. We brought you gifts, is that okay?”
 Wanda pulled her lip into her mouth, nodding in curiosity as she followed everyone into the living room. Bucky then gave her a brightly colored gift bag and the intrigue was too great for Wanda not to go diving. Inside was a 4-pack of stretched canvases, a 4-pack of panel canvases, and a beautiful set of water colors with brushes included. She was inspecting the packet of canvasses when Steve approached with his gift bag out, “I got you something too; it can go with the canvasses.”
 Steve’s gift bag contained a plethora of acrylic paint tubes in assorted colors along with an extensive set of color pencils. Wanda was busy looking over the items with Yelena when Natasha entered the room to greet her fiends with a hug, “hi boys.”
 “Hey Nat, food smells great,” Bucky said as he pulled away though his hands remained on the redhead’s waist.
 “Maria’s on the grill so you better make sure you eat,” Nat playfully chided with a chuckle. Her eyes widened when Wanda lifted a few tubes of acrylic over her head. “Look Tasha, they gave me paints!”
 The nickname was new though Natasha paid it no mind in favor of complimenting her friends, “that was sweet of you both. Thank you.”
 Wanda whipped her head towards the two men with true gratefulness, “yes, thank you for the arts. I’ll put them in my room.”
 “Let me help you,” Nat offered, grabbing the bag with the canvases sticking out.
 “We’ll be in the backyard eating and drinking beer, as America intended.”
 Bucky playfully shoved Yelena’s shoulder at her statement, all three heading outside while Nat helped Wanda place her first gifts. Thor was the second one to arrive and to Natasha’s contentment, his overly large stature didn’t frighten Wanda, in fact it had nearly the opposite effect. The teen openly gasped at the man, her eyes glued to his biceps, “wow Tasha… his arms are bigger than my head!”

            Natasha and Thor deeply laughed at the statement, Wanda’s pure amazement at Thor’s, admittedly sculpted body, entertaining.  
 Natasha affectionately brushed a strand of hair behind Wanda’s ear, “yeah, he certainly lives up to his name lyubimaya (darling),” she agreed with her foster daughter.
 “Yes little one, I do live up to my name and I have a present for you.” The long haired blonde pulled out the gift he had been hiding behind his back, his face cracking into a large grin at Wanda’s fallen mouth.
 “It’s Momo!” she loudly gasped, easily accepting the medium sized stuffy to her chest.
 Natasha quirked a curious eyebrow in Wanda’s direction but made sure the teen didn’t see it; Wanda was acting strangely. Whenever the girl was truly excited about something, she would ramble on with nonstop flowing facts while flapping her hands and bouncing on the balls of her feet. She did none of that, only giving Thor a thank you which was genuine.
 “Yes well since you like the first gift as much, I have another smaller one to give you.” This time, Thor pulled something from his back pocket to offer Wanda: it was a little metal hammer with intricate carvings along the blade that fit into the palm of her hand. “This is Mjolnir, the hammer of mighty Norse thunder god Thor, he who I was named after.”
 Wanda giggled at Thor’s theatrics as she twirled the hammer between her fingers, enjoying the way the deep carvings in the blade and handle felt against her fingertips. “I’ll go put MoMo in my room next to my turtle that Tasha and Maria gave me and I’ll put the hammer on my dresser for now. Maybe I’ll put it on my backpack, on one of the zippers?”
 “Splendid!” Thor loudly exclaimed, both he and Natasha watching Wanda disappear up the stairs.
 Maria poked her head through the back door, having her Thor’s powerful voice from outside. A gentle smile drew on her face as she approached her friend and wife, giving the latter a hello kiss. “Hey Thor, Jane couldn’t make it?”
 “No, no, my Jane is away at some university giving a dissertation to the youth of America. She sends her regards,” the long haired blonde fawned. 
 Maria’s hand found solace around Natasha’s waist, Thor was so in love; it was good for him, Jane was good for him and vice versa.
 “I will see her next weekend so it is quite alright,” he dismissed, “is there any food ready?”
 Maria rolled her eyes but pointed towards the back with her chin, “yeah there’s some food out there and more on the grill if that’s not enough.”
 A curt nod had Thor seeking out food, leaving Natasha and Maria alone. Natasha gazed up at her wife with a forming frown which got Maria’s attention, “are you okay? Did Wanda say something?”
 “No,” Natasha shook her head, pulling out of Maria’s hold, “but she’s not exhibiting her usual behaviors and I don’t necessarily understand why. It could just be she’s nervous but I don’t think that’s it. Spend some time with her and you’ll see what I mean.”
 If Natasha was sure something was going on with Wanda then Maria was going to take it at face value.

             It was when Rhodey, Sam, Tony, and Clint arrived (the latter two bringing their families) that Maria picked up on Wanda’s unusual behavior. As for the Sokovian, she was  beginning to panic; she could cover her behaviors for a few hours around a small number of people but mot a group this big, they would find out just how weird she genuinely was and tell Tasha and Maria. Now she had to play a role for a large group of people and honestly, she was already tired from the inadequate sleep from last night. When the guys shoved bags of gifts in her direction, it only served to further Wanda’s anxiousness and overwhelm her.  
 “She doesn’t have to open gifts now or today if she doesn’t want to. Leave her be and go eat some food,” Maria chided (mainly the men) as they left the gifts in the foyer and headed outside with lively conversation.  
 “Sorry about them,” she sheepishly stated when she gave Wanda her attention.
 Wanda kept her eyes on the floor, trying to take deep calming, breaths. “It’s okay… thank you.”
 “Are you okay?” Maria purposely loaded the question behind 3 words in hopes of getting Wanda to open up like she normally would.
 Instead Wanda presses her nails into her palms and gives a tight smile, “yes, I’m okay.”
 “Would you like something to eat?”
 That gets the older brunette a nod so Maria wraps an arm around Wanda’s shoulder with a small smile, “alright sweetie. I’ll serve your plate.”
 Walking with Maria, Wanda draws her lip between her teeth to chew on it. When they make it outside with the others, she releases it and leans closer into Maria where she felt most comfortable. The teen automatically followed the woman around like an attached duckling as Maria fixed her a plate; her nimble fingers coming to twirl the ends of her (admittedly longer than she would prefer) hair but as always, Maria didn’t care. Maria notices when she turns around to hand Wanda her plate, that the her scleras were reddening and her eyes were glassy. “When you’re done eating and I’m not here, come find me okay?”
 Wanda blinked then nodded at Maria while taking the plate, scanning the area for an open place to sit. There was an older looking lady with brunette hair sitting with a small brown haired boy, he had to be her son. Normally Wanda would avoid being around strangers, if she could, but there was something very inviting about this lady- Wanda couldn’t discern if it was her kind eyes or even kinder smile but it was something. Taking the spot to the lady’s left, Wanda greeted her with a shy smile, “hi.”
 “Oh hi dear! You must be Wanda.” The unexpected hug had Wanda draw in a surprised breathe though she quickly found herself relaxing into it; it was a great hug. “I’m sorry hon, I’m a hugger,” the lady drew back but kept her hands on the teen’s shoulders, “I’m Laura, Clint’s wife. It’s nice to meet you.”

            “Hi Laura.”  
 “How do you like living with Nat and Maria? Have you guys done anything exciting?”
 Wanda scooped a spoonful of food into her mouth and nodded, “we’ve been to little Russia and Maria tried Sarma, it’s from my home country of Sokovia. We took pictures.” She cut herself off knowing that if she continued, then she would spew everything about that day… and that wasn’t normal. But Laura didn’t think anything of it, only giving Wanda a warm smile, “that’s nice honey. I’ll have to ask Nat to show me some pictures from that day.”
 “How long have you known Tasha and Maria?”
 Laura fondly waved her hand in the air in a nonchalant gesture. “Nat and Maria have only been married for 5 years but I’ve known them since before then. I’ve probably known Nat for 10 years, when she was still in the academy, and Maria for… 12 years? We used to work side by side before my career ending injury.”
 Wanda’s glassy eyes twinkled with intrigue, momentarily ignoring her food in favor of asking Laura more questions, “you got injured? What happened?”
 “It involved my knee and getting a surgical replacement. Couldn’t do much field work after that so they stuck me behind a desk but even that couldn’t alleviate the pain so a few years later I was forced to quit. Eat your food honey before it goes cold.” The smirk on her face was one of jest, Wanda’s eyes widening as if she’d forgotten about her food all together. “I’ll tell you the full story another day.”
 Laura watched over Wanda as she ate, having grown accustomed to the action since having children of her own. Wanda stayed relatively silent while eating her meal, blinking rapidly and wiping at her eyes, but said nothing else to the former agent. Laura basked in the ambiance, eyes bouncing from friends and family happily conversing amongst each other about everything and anything. She gave an inquisitive hum when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder and her name, “hmm?”
 “Do you know where Maria is? She wanted me to find her when I finished eating,” the teen tells her.
 Quickly scanning the area, Laura spots Maria talking to Pepper (with a sleeping Morgan in arms), Rhodey, and Yelena and points in her direction, “she’s over there hon. Leave your plate here, I’ll take care of it.”
 Wanda did as she was told, leaving the plate with Laura and making her way to Maria as the woman had instructed her to do earlier. She shyly smiled when Maria waved her over with a  tender smile, “Wanda… this is Rhodey and Pepper and Morgan, Tony’s wife and daughter. Rhodey was in the military for over 20 years and now works down at the police station with Nat while Pepper is the CEO of an upcoming company.”

            Everyone noticed Wanda’s bloodshot eyes, it seemed to have gotten worse from the last time Maria saw, her but no one commented on it although Pepper did send a concerned glance Maria’s way. “Hi Wanda,” she spoke in a low tone since she was by her child’s ear, “let us know how you like the gifts and if there’s anything else you need or want.”  
 With a polite smile, Wanda nodded and turned her head towards the floor to hide the fact that she was excessively blinking; her eyes burned, a combination of a lack of proper sleep and the natural brightness of the sun.
 “Pepper, you’re going to spoil her,” Maria chided and pepper grinned.
 “What’s the point of having money if you can’t use it to dote on others hm?” The blonde fired back, earning a nod from Yelena and Rhodey who tacked onto the original statement. “Right! As a matter of fact, I was just telling my friend the same thing- what’s the point of money if I can’t-“
 Gently placing her hand on Wanda’s shoulders, Maria shook her head and said that they’d be back and if Nat asked for either of them to tell her they were inside. The brunette guided Wanda upstairs to her bedroom and shut the door behind them much to Wanda’s confusion. “How are you sweetheart? I know this is a lot to take in. Are you feeling overwhelmed?”
 “No, I’m fine.” It was easier to lie for pretenses than to be honest with Maria. Truth was, Wanda was ready to collapse at any moment; this facade she steadily maintained for the past few hours had depleted her already low energy tank. She just had to wait a few more hours then she could unravel the mask and truly be herself in her own space but until then she had to keep this up.
 “You’re doing great and this will be over soon,” Maria lightly praised. It was obvious Wanda was lying about being okay, what Maria wanted to do was diffuse a breakdown before it turned into one so the best idea she had was to give Wanda a moment of quietness. She pulled Wanda into a gentle but firm hug, “how about we take some time to ourselves up here?”
 Wanda melted into the hug without reciprocating it, just closing her eyes as the pressure to her body soothed her. After 10 minutes, Maria begins to remove her arms, moving slowly to give Wanda a chance to adjust and to stop her if she wanted. “Let Nat or I know when its too much okay? And you don’t have to open any gifts right now if that’s not something you want to do.”
 Blinking again, Wanda sighed with a nod, “I will Maria.”

            Once Maria made sure Wanda was actually fine, the two of them made their way downstairs, Maria immediately heading towards the backyard while Wanda hovered in the living room; she had to resultiate herself before she went back into a large crowd. She squeaked in surprise when a deep voice rang out from behind her.  
 “So you must be Wanda, Nat and Maria’s new charge. My name is Nick Fury.”
 Wanda spun on her heel, looking at the man emerging from the shadows with large eyes. His overall demeanor was stoic and gave that of someone in charge, if the all black outfit (with leather trench coat) and matching eye patch didn’t already give that impression. He strolled up until he was standing side by side with the short teen, hands clasped peacefully behind his back while looking outside at the cookout taking place. “Why aren’t you out there with the others?”
 Wanda glanced up at him then shrugged her shoulders at the question. “I don’t know,” she eventually mumbled.
 “Mhm,” the man hummed.
 They stood in peaceful silence, and while Nick seemed intimidating, standing here next to him didn’t feel stuffy or controlling. 5 minutes passed when Mr. Fury decided to speak, “Nat and Maria told me a few facts about you. Needless to say, you bring them happiness; a different type of happiness they have with each other. I like to see that for my friends.”
 Wanda stared up at him as she listened to his words, a small smile appearing at his last statement; Tasha and Maria made her happy too, she felt safe enough to finally be herself. She curiously tilted her head when he presented a small, black gift bag. Reaching into it, she felt the small item, wrapped her hand around it and pulled it out the bag. She pleasantly gasped, and Fury proudly chuckled as she examined the little figurine, “it’s the Novi Grad Church!”
 “A little piece of your home to carry with you,” he retorted. Fury’s smile grew when he felt a pair of gentle arms wrap around his stomach, and though he wasn’t much of a hugger, he hugged Wanda back.
 “Thank you Mr. Fury.”
 “I like you kid, you can call me Nick,” he corrected her without harshness.”
 “Okay,” Wanda ended the hug, “thanks Nick,” she genuinely beamed, holding the church in her palms with care.

            “Here’s my personal card. Call me if anything. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a chicken breast with my name on it,” he dismissed himself.  
 Wanda’s fingers grazed over the figurine, her body moving on auto-pilot to put this gift with the others in her room. When she came back downstairs, she answered the knocking on the front door, staring up curiously at the two people on the other side.
 “Privyet, my name is Melina and this is my husband Alexei. We’re Natasha and Yelena’s parents.” Her accent was as thick as Yelena’s.
 Oh, they were Tasha and Yelena’s parents… figures. There was something distinctly European about their features that clued Wanda in.
 “I’m Wanda,” she sized them curiously for a minute, “is it true that Tasha and Yelena are adopted?”
 “Hello Wanda, it’s pleasure to meet you,” Alexei grinned, stepping into the house and strolling to the living room with Melina behind him and Wanda not too far behind. “Yes, the girls are adopted; we were always very up front with them about that. We fostered Natasha then adopted her when she was 4 and Yelena we got as baby-not newborn, few months and we have been a happy family ever since.”
 “What made you chose to adopt them?” Wanda softly inquired. She wanted to know more about Natasha’s background, for similarities sake. She knew whatever information they provided her, she couldn’t use to her own benefit and better her chances of getting out the system because it was far easier for a toddler to get adopted than a 15 year old. Melina crossed her legs at the knees, leaning back into Alexei’s arm with a wistful gaze, “we will be honest with you too. Initially we had no intentions of adopting Natasha, we were only going to foster her. The first few months she was very quiet, afraid to do anything wrong so she kept to herself and didn’t ask for anything, even if she needed it.” 
 “We read her books every night, same thing for Yelena too. One night, we reading this book to her about animals, brand new book that let you feel the animal, and she wouldn’t stop touching it and then she says, “I never touch animals before.” So of course, Melina and I researched zoos and found one that let you touch and feed the animals so we took little Natasha. You know, she was so excited that she cried? Mhm, she cried and when we finally calmed her down she kept saying thank you. From that day, we promised that we would give her the best life we could, we would let her experience everything that she wanted and then some so we adopted so we could keep our promise.”

            “And Yelena was adopted from a friend,” Melina said as she handed Wanda a small bag. She wasn’t focused on the girl’s reaction as she continued to speak, “she was struggling and could not care for a baby so we agree to adopt Yelena from her. We promised her 3 things that day: Yelena would keep her given name, we would keep her safe, and that she would be loved. And with that, we brought baby Yelena home a few months later and Natasha became a big sister.”  
 In the bag was multiple sets of rings, in a variety of shapes and colors… Wanda didn’t have enough finger space to where all of them at once. Alexei nudged his wife with his elbow, laughing to himself, “the best one there is. They’re very protective over each other.”
 “Pietro was my twin brother, he was only 12 minutes older but he never let me forget. He was a good brother,” Wanda shares, doing her best not to overshare.
 “Good man. It’s an important role to have,” Alexei agreed.
 Yelena printed into the living room less than a minute later, jumping into Alexei’s arms as he expectedly picked her up. Maria and Natasha followed in at a much more sedated pace, Melina giving both women a big hug and a motherly kiss to their cheeks.

———

            Natasha flopped onto the mattress, all freshly showered and worn form the days events. Her concern for Wanda dissipated and was replaced with confusion when the teen’s demeanor changed almost instantly when the last guest walked out the door. She started chewing on her lip and twiddled her fingers, the tension in her shoulders dissolving now that it was just the three of them; her normal behaviors. It was as if Wanda had been playing a character that was different to her usual person and Natasha couldn’t wrap her mind around why Wanda did it. It didn’t matter the redhead told herself, Wanda was still getting comfortable and if that was one of her coping mechanisms then so be it… for now. Currently, the aforementioned teen was sleeping soundly in her own bed, tucked in with her turtle and new MoMo teddy bear, only one of the many expansive gifts she received today. Maria climbed into bed under the covers, playfully kicking her wife just to see the way her body bounced when she fell back down. “Today was fun.” 
 “Yeah,” Natasha sighed, crawling up to lay completely on top of Maria, “it was. Everyone liked the food but they enjoyed meeting Wanda more… they’re happy for us.”
 Maria carded her fingers through Natasha’s hair, humming in contentment, “yeah. Wanda had a good time too so that’s great for us. And another plus is that we now have multiple babysitters; I know Melina, Laura, and Clint would jump at the chance to spend one on one time with her,” she chuckled.
 “Same thing can be said for Yelena and Pepper,” Natasha tacked on but then groaned, “we just have to make sure to tell them not to buy her anymore guys; the amount she received today was egregious.” 
 Before showering and going to bed, Wanda had shown them the gifts she had already unwrapped- the painting supplies from Steve and Bucky, the rings from Melina, the MoMo and Mjolnir keychain replica from Thor, and the figurine from Nick. Wanda was particularly excited to show them that one, it daintily stood in the palm of her hands as she explained the history. ‘Sokovia is a very religion based country. The church is in the exact center of the capital city of Novi Grad; they built it that way so that everyone could be equally close to God.’ 
 Maria found the idea to be beautiful; giving everyone equal opportunity to bask in what they believed in.

           The rest of her gifts weren’t as sentimental but still had a lot of thought put behind them. Tony and Pepper got her two expensive pairs of sunglasses- a pair of aviators and some round rimmed frames. It was exactly what the Romanoff-Hill’s had asked of their friends and neither was surprised by the fact that they were more costly; it was how they showed they cared. Speaking on the same side of expensiveness, Rhodey got the girl a pair of wireless, Bluetooth headphones and a red leather jacket came from Yelena (the style was similar to the ones Natasha had in her own closet). Bruce had erred more on the educational side of things, gifting Wanda at least 8 books (they didn’t get a chance to properly count but it was a lot) on Greek and Roman mythology with a few of them being fictional. Sam delved more into Wanda’s interest, like Thor had, by getting her the complete comic book volume of Avatar: the last Airbender and the complete DVD box set. Maria grinned when Wanda exclaimed that now they could watch the show together from the beginning and the she could see Koh for herself. Everybody else left more practical gifts like as a bamboo pillow, that Alexei swears is the same as sleeping on a pile of baby lambs while the Carter-Cho’s dropped of their gift of a small, navy blue weighted blanket. And then there were the Barton’s, who went above and beyond as usual. When Clint handed Natasha the simple gray backpack, she just quirked an eyebrow in his direction.  
 “Laura and I didn’t know what to get her until Nate suggested a backpack. We looked into online forums and they positively reinforced the idea. It has a ton of zippers and pockets for her items, so she can use it as either a school bag or a to-go bag. We also ordered her a medium sized suitcase for her belongings in case she has to… you know. That should be getting here soon. We can either drop it off when it arrives or you can come to the farm and get it.”

            Clint understood, to an extent, what it felt like to have to constantly be on the move and to have to hold onto the very little personal belongings you had. Foster care was different than living on the streets but Clint knew all the same what it meant to not truly belong somewhere. Natasha had to admit that she had gotten overwhelmed by his words and simply thanked him with a hug and kiss to his cheek; hopefully Wanda wouldn’t have to use either item anytime soon. Wanda was appreciative for every gifts she received and when the excitement of the day completely wore off, she showered and went to sleep with a chapter from The Giver. Natasha’s fingers brushed over Maria’s wedding ring, where it barely left her finger in the last 5 years. “Clint wants use to visit the farm, I think we should go.”  
 “Not anytime soon, we still have to get Wanda registered for school in the upcoming week,” her wife gently reminded her.
 Natasha craned her head to look up, “we have time, we don’t have to be to work for another 5  weeks. We won’t have to cook and Wanda can play with the animals; it’s a win-win,” she grinned.
 The farm was always a nice getaway from the robust, stressful city life and Laura’s cooking was phenomenal. Shit, it looks like they were planning a trip to the Barton family farm. “Dammit Nat, we’ll text them in the morning. But we have to start planning after the school paperwork is done.” 
 Natasha reached up and planted a tender kiss to Maria’s lips then one more as her hands found respite on her hips, “yay. We’re going to the farm.”
 “Yeah yeah, we’re going to the farm,” Maria teased, “I love you, let’s go to sleep.”
 Natasha stretched over, cutting off the lamp and bathing the room in total darkness while resting her head back under Maria’s chin. “I love you too Masha.”

Chapter Text

            “Thanks Mash,” Natasha sleepily smiled from her spot on the couch as she took the steaming mug of coffee.  
 Maria offered her a similar sleepy smile then carefully leaned over the mug to give her a chaste kiss, “you’re welcome Nat.” She inhaled as she took a seat next to her wife.
 They both decided when they woke up that yesterday had been enough excitement for the weekend and that today would be a nice quiet day to chill which in their case usually consisted of spending most of the day lounging on the couch. Natasha held her mug close as she placed gentle kisses around Maria’s face, just basking in the comfort of her wife. Maria was enjoying it too until she heard the muffled footsteps that could only belong to their younger housemate; she craned her neck backwards to catch a glimpse of a semi-pouting Wanda making her way towards them. “Morning sweetie, why are you awake?” Considering the time Wanda went to bed last night, 6:45 in the morning may have been a bit too early for her to have been up. Wanda rubbed at her eyes and flopped in the small space between the two women (the Romanoff-Hills glancing at each other with slight amusement as she did so) before Wanda glanced up at Maria, “Lucky woke me up; he kept licking my face and pawing at me. I couldn’t fall back asleep.”
 Natasha shook her head at Lucky’s rambunctious behavior, “he probably just wanted to play with you. I’ll give him a walk so he can burn of some of that extra energy until we’re ready to play with him.”
 Wanda nodded at the redhead with that semi-pout still on her face, annoyedly staring at where Lucky was walking down the stairs. 
 “Maria, are we doing anything today?” she hoped the answer was no because yesterday had been especially taxing on her body.

            Much to her satisfaction, Maria said just that while sinking into the cushions.
 “Nope. Today is a chill day which for Nat and I usually consist of eating junk food while catching up on the new tv and movie releases. As always, you’re welcome to join us or do your own thing.”  
 “I think I’ll do my own thing like try the paints from Steve and Bucky,” Wanda honestly told the brunette Romanoff-Hill as she wanted a little bit of time alone before being with others again; she just hoped she didn’t hurt Maria’s feelings by saying that. Maria rose from her seat with a small stretch to relax tired joints, “that’s not a problem kid; I’ll make us breakfast to start the day. What do you want?”
 “I don’t know,” the teen shrugs.
 “That’s okay too,” Maria assured her while making her way to the kitchen, “how about some scrambled eggs with toast and fruit?”
 “Okay,” was Wanda’s simple response. 
 “Can you feed Liho for me please sweetie?” Maria questioned a little loudly as she walked to the kitchen. 
 Wanda nodded and went upstairs to her room where she knew the cat would be and gently coaxed her downstairs so she could give her her morning serving of wet food. Maria made breakfast pretty quickly, setting Wanda’s plate on the table with an empty mug by it (the teen could decide what she wanted to drink) with a similar looking plate for herself across from Wanda’s table setting. For Natasha, she homemade some oatmeal and added fresh fruit, raisins, and a swirl of honey just the way her wife liked; on chill days, Natasha opted for a meal that required ‘practically no chewing’, taking lazy day quite seriously. Wanda entered the kitchen and headed for the tea boxes with a small thank you to Maria for the breakfast before making her drink and sitting at the table. She quietly hummed to herself as she ate her breakfast which caused Maria to affectionately smile her way. “Wanda, do you like oatmeal?”
 Maria saw the way Wanda’s eyebrows knitted together in light disgust. “No,” she shook her head, “it’s too lumpy an-and slimy… I don’t like how it feels in my mouth.”
 It was Maria’s turn to knit her eyebrows, but more in disagreement than disgust, “maybe the oatmeal you’ve tried has been too thick. Nat likes her thinner so it’s a more soupy consistency, would you like to try some?”
 The people pleaser in her was inclined to say yes for obvious reasons but Wanda felt brave enough to go against that by telling Maria, “no thank you.” 
 Maria brought her toast to her mouth and shrugged her shoulders at her, “well whenever you want to try it, just let me know so I can make it for you alright sweetie?”
 “Mhm,” Wanda hummed as she continues to eat her breakfast.

            The two of them finished before Natasha came home, Maria taking the used plates and sending Wanda off with a nod of her head. When Natasha made it through the front door, she unbuckled Lucky’s leash, stored it in its appropriate place, and parked herself on the couch.
 “Thanks again Masha,” she sheepishly thanked as she accepted her bowl of oatmeal being handed to her. 
 “Always Nat.”
 Natasha shoveled a spoonful of fruity oats into her mouth and looked over at Maria, “is Wanda joining us?”
 “Nah, she wanted to use the art supplies Steve and Bucky got her,” Maria pulled the blanket over their legs, “she might join us later though.”
 “Okay…” Natasha conceded, “so what are we watching first then?”
 “How to Get Away With Murder?” Maria suggested with a raised brow. She and Natasha liked to critique the legalities of the show and how realistic is was compared to their jobs. 
 “How to Get Away with Murder it is,” Natasha grinned with oatmeal poking out from the side of her mouth to which Maria just scoffed.
 “Ugh, Melina would be disgusted.” 
 “Mmmhm, Mama used to pop us in the mouth for doing that as kids, more so Yelena than me,” Natasha grinned.
 Upstairs, Wanda was busying herself with setting up her canvasses and getting her paints ready. When she was certain she had everything she needed, she sat crossed leg on the floor and pulled the canvas into her lap with a subtle hum; unsure of what exactly she wanted to paint. She could paint a character from her favorite animation or what she believed the characters in her favorite books to look like… but none of those felt right either. So instead, she picked up her paintbrush and just let her body decide what to do. By the time the painting came to be, a depressive sadness washed over her as she studied the finished product; she didn’t want to be alone right now. Sealing away her paints (because she had a feeling Lucky would get curious and Liho would walk through the mess), Wanda grabbed her turtle and cradled it close as she walked down the stairs to find her foster parents. Standing at the end of the couch, Wanda waited until her presence was known instead of announcing herself which luckily didn’t take long.
 “Hi sweetie, you ready to join us now?” Maria questioned while shuffling around to eventually pat the now open space between her and Nat. Wanda nodded, holding tight to her stuffy as she climbed onto the couch, giving Nat a small smile when she tossed the blanket over her. Natasha pretended not to notice the glassy look in Wanda’s eyes and Wanda pretended not to notice how Nat gave her the softer blanket.

            “What are we watching?” 
 Natasha opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by Maria’s response, “we’re going to rewatch Shrek since you both fell asleep less than halfway through.”
 Natasha poked Maria in the arm with a light chuckle but relaxed into the couch once the movie started with Wanda following suit. It was about 29 minutes into the movie that Maria remembered what they had to do for the upcoming week. “Wanda sweetie, there’s somethings we wanted to talk to you about.”  
 Wanda looked up at a Maria to convey that the woman had her attention.
 “This week we have to get you enrolled in school. And Clint invited us to visit his farm when he was at the cookout, though it wouldn’t happen this week. Maybe in the next 2-3, if you were interested in taking his offer.”
 “Clint has a farm?” Wanda’s voice was light with interest, “with what animals?” she loved farm animals (animals in general) ever since she was 4 and met her very first goat; it belted in her face which made her giggle. 
 “Oh they have a few horses, cows, 2 jack stubborn goats, a handful of chickens and a few pigs,” Natasha listed then paused, “not as many as Mama and Papa though.”
 Now Wanda’s interest was thoroughly piqued as she leaned into Natasha, “Alexei and Melina have pigs?”
 “Mhm, they own a pig farm,” Natasha attested with a nod, “Mama always claimed that pigs were highly intelligent creatures so when Yelena and I moved out they bought 4 just to start out with. And now they have a whole farm.”
 “I want to go to the farm,” Wanda decided quickly, really only for the animals and nothing else, “can we visit the pigs at Melina and Alexei’s farm one day too?”
 “Yeah, one day,” Nat continued, “we can organize that a few weeks from now if you’re still interested.”

            Wanda settled back into the cushions and drew her turtle close and rubbed her cheek against its head; though she was excited about the farm, there was a deep breath of remembrance constricting her lungs. She jumped slightly when Natasha nudged her in the side with her elbow, “how did your painting turn out? Did you finish it?”  
 The redhead let the subject drop when Wanda gave her a half hearted grumble and turned her body more into Maria’s side. She brought a hand up to rub against her back, “it’s okay, you don’t have to tell us about it if you don’t to. You do whatever feels most comfortable for you.”
 The trio watched movies and shows with Wanda alternating between curling into Natasha’s shoulder and Maria’s side while she continued to rub her cheek against her turtle’s head, enjoying the soft texture on her skin. It was when they all finally headed upstairs to do their nighttime routine that Maria and Natasha discovered what dampened Wanda’s mood. Wanda was shutting her dresser draws when the Romanoff-Hills gently knocked on her door to read to her like they did every night that they saw the painting leaning against the edge of the bed frame. It was of a boy with wavy brown hair, stunning blue eyes, and a boyish grin hanging off a tree branch. Natasha’s eyes carefully examined the entirety of the painting, her fingers ghosting over the face; Wanda watched both women with the same amount of care.  
 “Wanda, who’s this?” Maria gently inquired without removing her eyes from the portrait.  
 “That’s Pietro… he used to like climbing trees,” she mumbled around her lip between her teeth. “I found his pictures. Do you… you want to see them?”
 Ever since he died, Pietro had been something Wanda held close to her heart. The other placement homes had known she had a twin (she’s assuming they bothered to read her file that is), they’d just never seen him; every picture she had was priceless so she kept them somewhere safe.
 “We’d love to if you’re willing,” Natasha replied, peeling her eyes away to watch Wanda strolling towards her backpack. She dug around in there for a little before pulling out a small stack of photos and nervously holding it out towards Maria who was closer to her. The two of them slowly flipped through the pile, listening intently as Wanda recounted facts and memories every so often. Maria herself was in awe; the painting looked just like Pietro and captured his happy spirit much like the photos did.

            “He’s beautiful hon. From your stories, he sounds like a great older brother.”  
 “Mhm,” Wanda agreed with Maria while gently accepting her photos back, “he was great. We took care of each other.” 
 The idea of siblings always intrigued Maria primarily because she of course didn’t have any herself (that she knew of); the bond between siblings was different than that of a best friend. Wanda quickly stored her photos back in their respective place then crawled into bed with her teddy bears surrounding her, ready for her story. Natasha made a note to remind herself to take Wanda to the store to buy a photo album. As for now, she tucked the blanket around the teen’s shoulders and laid down next to her as Maria geared up to read the next chapter; they’d have to pick a new book soon as there wasn’t many chapters of The Giver left before they finished it. And as usual, Wanda was laid to sleep that night without any issues. As Maria pulled the covers tight around Wanda’s shoulders, Natasha couldn’t help but stare at the teen’s slumbering face; it always amazed her how easily Wanda would fall asleep and stay asleep with no problems. She wishes she was that way; sometimes her job, and insomnia in general, really kicked her ass. “Lucky… behave,” she reminds the pooch as he readies himself to climb on the bed to lay in his spot by Wanda’s legs. He whines but gently does as he’s told- jumping onto the bed with what would be a pout; Liho doing the same after crawling from under the bed. With all their “children” safely tucked in for the night, Maria and Natasha turn in to do the same.

            Maria sleepily groaned, brushing fallen hair from her face as she raised herself on her elbows. Her half lidded eyes didn’t have enough time to come into focus before fiery red hair blurred across her vision. “Nat?” her voice was rough with settled sleep, “what’s going on?”  
 Natasha stops momentarily to make eye contact with her wife, a tiny smile playing on her lips despite the frenzy she was in less than a few seconds ago. “There was an emergency at Pepper’s job. She had to go in to handle it and needs someone to watch Morgan,” she whispered, well aware of how early it was.
 That got Maria to sober up some, “oh. I’ll g-“.  
 “It’s okay, I’ll go since I’m already up,” she interrupted then resumed rushing the room to find appropriate pants. Satisfied with her thrown together attire, Natasha swiped her gun and badge from the bedside drawer then leant down to give Maria a hard kiss. “I’ll text you when I get there.”
 “Be safe Nat!” Maria reminded her wife (like she always did); she may not have been as reckless or impulsive as Yelena but she was damn near close. Natasha affectionately chuckled from the bedroom door at her daily reminder, “I will Masha,” she heavily whispered, “I love you, have a nice day.” 
 “I love you too Nat,” Maria exhaled, now fully awake at 5:55 with nothing to do. She laid in bed for a while- just laying there and becoming more awake. It was just her and Wanda for an indeterminate amount of time… it was just her… and Wanda. The thought sent a jolt down her sleep addled spine. Unlike Natasha, Maria didn’t have healthy family moments to reference- no loving parents or even a sibling in the mix. She herself didn’t have much of a childhood, it was really about making it through the next day when she was young unlike Natasha and Yelena who were able to experience true childlike enjoyment when they were children. Natasha was definitely the more “fun” one in the relationship and better with… young people; Maria knew that. She usually filled in the areas that Maria lacked (in personality and life) catching and reassuring her so without Nat around, Maria felt a little… lost, for lack of a better term. Needless to say, now that it was just her and Wanda, she didn’t know what they could do to occupy the day; every idea she had was family oriented so she wouldn’t feel comfortable excluding Nat. Rising out the bed with a sigh, Maria lightly stumbled into the kitchen to at least make herself a cup of coffee while she mulled over a possible list of activities she and Wanda could do that wouldn’t offend Natasha.

            She hovered over her mug in thoughtful silence, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes when Wanda shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes with a large yawn. As the girl approached the kitchen sink, Maria mentally humored herself at the lack of Wanda’s animal shadows. “Morning hon,” she said with a tiny laugh.  
 “Morning Maria,” the teen stretched while looking around the room only for a small frown to form on her lips, “where’s Tasha? Is she running again?”
 Crossing the room with a shake of her head, Maria reached out and began brushing down Wanda’s hair, the brown waves oddly tangled with a few strands sticking up in the air; Thor’s hair did the same thing after long hours in the precinct. “Pepper had an emergency and needed someone to watch Morgan since Tony’s at work with the others. So no school registration today. She’ll be back later today, I think, so it’s just you and me.”
 Despite it being a new day, there were still remnants of yesterday’s sadness etched into Wanda’s skin and if she were being honest, it brought out her clinginess; so a day with just her and Maria sounded perfect. She tensed when Maria finger combed a particularly tangled knot but glanced up at the woman all the same, “you and me,” she parroted, “cool.”
 Not wanting to keep Wanda cooped in the house Maria made the teen an offer, “would you like to go out for breakfast? We can go to either a diner or cafe.”
 Wanda’s eyes brightened a bit, “yes.”
 “Great. We’ll get dressed and meet back at the door okay?”
 Wanda nodded and went upstairs to do as she was told before heading back downstairs and into the foyer where Maria was buttoning her sweater. She looked at her phone when it buzzed, a small exhale falling from her lips, “Nat made it to Pepper’s.” The brunette spared her a small glance that was diverted back towards her buttons, “you should grab a sweater or jacket, it’s breezy outside.”
 Wanda rushed back upstairs to get a jacket but had a tough time deciding between which one; she could wear one of her old ones or the new one Yelena got her. The old ones were a tad more worn but we’re comfortable and familiar; but the leather jacket was eye popping and a gift. Looking over the jackets, Wanda grabbed the red one and mentally supported her decision by stating that the jacket went better with the dress she was wearing.

           Maria gave her a once over and a nod to indicate that she was good to go. She snatched her purse and keys off the table and locked the door behind Wanda, having already fed both the pets beforehand. Wanda quietly climbs into the passenger seat and begins fiddling with the radio station until she finds something mildly entertaining and taps along. Maria starts the engines and gently pulls out the driveway, periodically glancing at Wanda to check on her. Once they’re about 5 minutes on the road, Wanda bites down on her lip as she thinks of the best way to ask her question. “Maria?”  
 “yeah hon?” she answers without removing her eyes from the road.
 “Does it ever make you sad that you’re the only person left in your family?”
 Maria didn’t know what to expect when Wanda called out for her but it certainly wasn’t this. Her brows knit together in slight confusion as she allows herself to take her eyes off the road to look at Wanda. “Wha?”
 Wanda’s twiddling her fingers, not looking up at the woman as her head tilts to the left, “does it ever make you sad that you’re the only person left in your family?” she repeats then in a softer voice says, “I’m the only one left of my family.”
 Maria just blinks, unsure of how to proceed so that she doesn’t upset Wanda further; finding a reputable therapist would have to be next on their list of things Wanda needed. “Does that… fact bother you?” 
 “Sometimes,” the teen admits with a noncommittal shrug, “there are days when I really miss Pietro, like yesterday, and that makes me extremely upset.” 
 “You don’t miss your parents?” The brunette balked with swiftness; she regretted how it came out but her point still stood.
 “Of course I miss Mama and Papa too but… we were twins…” she pauses to give herself time to lock eyes with Maria, her voice extremely soft, “it’s different.”
 And Maria figures it is. At least when their parents died, Wanda had Pietro to reassure and support her and vice versa but when Pietro passed… that left Wanda all alone.
 “I think I would be more sad if I was missing something good… like you. I told you about how my father was abusive and how I never knew my mother so I guess I was doing myself a favor when I left that environment. And in the end, struggles and all, I met Nat and her family.” A warm smile dances on her lips while she reminisces about her time with her wife. “They were fully accepting of me from the beginning and never doubted my intentions with Nat though I didn’t know at the time myself. And while it’s not the same as Nat or Yelena, Melina and Alexei offered me parts of my childhood I was deprived of. So if anything, I’m grateful to be the last member in my family because it reduced the amount of baggage I was bringing Nat into.”

            Wanda hummed in thought, her and Maria had that in common: being the last ones left but Maria was able to find a new home with loving and caring people; she was a tad bit hopeful that she too would get the chance to re-experience that. And if she was fortunate enough to re-experience it, she hoped that it was with Tasha and Maria. The short remainder of the car ride was replaced with music from today’s radio hits and Wanda’s random tapping as Maria pulled into a parking lot and put the car in park. “We’re here. You ready?” she glanced at Wanda with an expression the teen was unsure how to decipher. The Sokovian nodded, grabbing her jacket off the front seat and followed Maria inside; since it was an early Monday morning, the place wasn’t too packed. The hostess was polite as she asked Maria what type of seating she preferred then guided the pair to an open table with menus and silverware in hand. “This is your table and your server will be right with you. Have a nice day,” she said while placing the menus and wrapped silverware on the table below.
 Maria gave her an appreciative smile and a simple thank you before the woman walked away and she turned her attention towards Wanda, “is a booth okay?”
 The teen nodded silently then hesitantly opened her mouth to speak, “Mhm. Uhm Maria… can I sit next to you?” her clinginess and need to be close to someone was making her nervous but she had enough trust in Maria to ask. As for the older Romanoff-Hill, the request was rather quiet but she heard it all the same and felt a bit honored that Wanda wanted to be close to her. “Sure sweetie. Do you want inside or out?”
 “Inside please,” was Wanda’s slightly muffled response as she chewed her finger to which Maria easily complied (ignoring how unsanitary it was for the teen’s finger to be in her mouth) by stepping out the way to allow Wanda to scooch inside and then sit on the end. Wanda carefully inspected her menu as Maria did the same, their waitress approaching them less 10 minutes later with a morning smile, “hello, my name is Jessica and I’ll be your server today. What can I get you started with today?”
 “We’ll take two iced coffees and two waters please,” Maria answered for the two of them which made Wanda smile to herself as Jessica jotted down the order.
 “Alright…two coffees and two waters. Can I get anything else for you? Are you ready to order?”
 “I’m ready to order Maria,” the teen whispered from her side, “can I have the chicken and vegetable omelet please?” she politely asks the waitress.

             “Sure,” she nods, “and for you ma’am?” 
 “I’ll have the stuffed strawberry French toast with hash browns on the side.”
 Jessica wrote everything down with a quick nod and then she was off. With the two of them alone again, Maria decides to partake in light conversation to make up for what happened in the car ride. “What’s your favorite school subjects?”
 Wanda twiddled with her fingers then gave Maria a shy smile, “I like science and reading,” she sheepishly replied.
 “Mmm, I didn’t much have a favorite subject. In high school… just ones I preferred over the others such as math. It just made sense in my head.”
 “I’m not that good at math,” Wanda admitted; in the past, math homework had brought about a great deal of frustration and breakdowns which often got her yelled at. Math was still an issue but eventually she learned how to cover her struggling.
 “That’s okay, if you need help with homework, Nat’s and I are there.” Maria’s smile was bright and welcoming… it was something that Wanda was beginning to really enjoy seeing these days. “We’ll get the school situation squared away by tomorrow hopefully.”
 Wanda deflated a little; it wasn’t that she hated school, she just wished that sometimes she could fit in better and that was easier when Pietro was by her side. “Okay.”
 Seeing that Wanda was no longer interested in discussing school, Maria shifted the topic back a little. “You know, you showed us your gifts but I don’t think Nat and I got a real chance to ask you what your favorite part of the cookout was.”
 “I liked the food.”
 “Well thank you,” Maria half smiled, “the guys loved it too; they all loved the Sarma.”
 Wanda’s eyes sparkled along with the warm smile on her face, “they did?” She had been far more occupied with how she was presenting herself over the foods everyone else was eating.
 “Yep,” Maria smiled back after popping her ‘p’. “I think Steve, Bucky, and Sam ate most of them. Sam wants to try more of your home foods actually.”
 Wanda fervently nodded, resembling a child who was just told the biggest secret ever and in charge of safe guarding it. “Okay. We can make a list for him.”
 Maria sipped at her coffee before responding. “Sounds like a plan. What else did you like?”

            “Mmm…” the teen pondered in thought just as their food arrived; when they said the diner wasn’t busy, they weren’t playing. After a curt thank you to Jessica, both women began to eat their meal, Maria pouring ketchup on her hash browns and Wanda cutting into her omelet with a little wiggle. Maria nudged he twin her elbow and a tiny smirk, “don’t ignore my question. What else did you like about Saturday?”  
 Wanda chuckled through her nose around the food in her mouth, “I liked meeting Yelena and Kate. Yelena didn’t complain when I showed her my pictures and or my books. She said she likes them and would either have to borrow them or get her own copies and Kate has a lot of loud energy… she reminds me of a happy Pietro.”
 “A happy Pietro…” Maria repeated, “like in your pictures.” 
 “Mhm,” Wanda nodded with a full mouth. 
 Maria just stared at Wanda with soft eyes; she begins to wonder what it would be like if Pietro also loved with them, how different everything would be. It was already pretty exciting having Wanda around but from the sounds of the few stories Wanda’s told them about him; Pietro seemed like a firecracker, almost like a Kate-Yelena mix churned to 5. It sounded like a lot but Pietro could also be the key to brining Wanda out her shell; unfortunately though, neither her nor Nat would ever know the true influence Pietro had on those around him. “Oh sweetie, speaking of…” she rustled around in her back pocket then pulled out her phone once she found it, “I got some pictures of that day. You want to see them?”
 Wanda nodded then reminded herself to use her words, “ye-yeah… yes please.”
 Maria chuckled and leaned in close, her shoulder pressing into Wanda’s as she held her phone between them to see. Wanda quietly surveyed each video and photo, listening to Maria explain the context and eventually asking some questions of her own. She cooed a soft hey when Maria ended the slideshow with a picture of her and Nat sleeping against each other on the couch. “That’s from Friday right? When we had our movie night?”
 “Yeah, it is. You and Nat just looked so adorable,” Maria actually cooed at her and pinched one of her cheeks. “I haven’t even shown Nat yet.”
 “Can we make a copy?” the teen’s eyes glistened, “I want my own please.”
 Maria tucked her phone back into her pocket sis he could finish eating. “Yeah, we’ll print the mouth when we get a chance. Finish eating your breakfast.”

            The two of them engaged in small chatter as they finished off their meal, Maria ordering a cinnamon roll afterwards while Wanda declined to order anything else as Jessica cleared their plates. And though she declined more food, she didn’t reject when Maria cut off a piece for her. With no clean silverware on hand, Wanda was forced to use her fingers to pick it up which wasn’t a problem for her or Maria until afterwards. much to her misfortune, the piece she had eaten had come from the middle of the cinnamon roll, where all the cinnamon sugar and icing had melted together. At the immediate feel of the sticky texture, Wanda’s face contorted as she looked for napkins to wipe her waving fingers. This of course didn’t go unnoticed by Maria who grew concerned at Wanda’s sudden mood shift, “what’s wrong sweetie?”  
 Wanda’s still somewhat frantic as she looks for a napkin on the cleared table. “It’s sticky,” she says in a low tone as she tries to conceal the whine that wants to fall out, “I don’t like being sticky…” The sensation of stickiness quite literally made Wanda want to vomit and crawl out of her skin; it may have been an overreaction but in her mind, it was an appropriate response. Maria gave a curt nod and slid out the booth so that Wanda could go wash her hands. As she watched Wanda enter the bathroom, she took the alone time to reflect on Wanda’s statement as she took to finishing off her morning dessert. She didn’t like being sticky… it made sense. When they suggested they get ice cream after her doctor appointment, she said that she proffered a cup over a cone, probably to avoid the sticky feeling of melted ice cream and it also made sense why she wasn’t fond of Natasha s’mores cheesecake with the melted marshmallows. It was moments like those and other little comments that should have given Maria and Natasha further insight to Wanda’s person. As she re-approached the table, Maria filed that information to the back of her mind to share with Nat when she got home; another thing they could be aware of to help Wanda be more comfortable and to avoid a potential breakdown. She subtly analyzed Wanda’s face and though the teen looked a little flustered, overall she was okay. “Is there anything you want to do while we’re out?” While she was concerned with Wanda being comfortable in her surroundings, she also wanted to give her the chance to get out and live. She could see that Wanda was unsure by the way she kept her eyes diverted and bubbled on her lip, a habit that she partook in quite often.
 “I don’t know,” she eventually mumbled. Being out the house sounded nice but there was also a strong urge to just cuddle with Maria on the couch but she wouldn’t tell her that.
 “There’s an interactive art museum uptown. How does that sound?” Maria finally suggested.
 Art. Wanda liked art. “Okay… let’s go to the museum,” she smiled.

            After breakfast was paid for, the two of them loaded themselves back into the car and rode to the museum, which took about 15 minutes to get to. Wanda curiously looked around the front lobby at all the little trinkets laying around while Maria paid the tickets for their entrance. She gave a small smile when Maria came up to her side, “I bought the tickets. You ready to go in?”  
 With Maria standing so close, the urge to hold her hand burned in the front of Wanda’s mind but she let that thought slip. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
 “Let’s go.”
 Inside, there were many rooms branching off the main room containing exhibits of their own. The main room itself was dimly lit with classic paintings adorning the wall. What made it interesting was that the paintings would light up as you walked past them in a set of organized colors that led to the separate rooms. Each era was its own color; the renaissance paintings would light up in various shades of red while the modern art era was soft shades of green. Wanda and Maria took time walking around the room just to see what colors would pop up. When they eventually decided to explore deeper into the museum, they went with the first room on the left. Their expressions fell flat when they saw that there wasn’t much in the lowly lit room besides a big black encasement with a large black circle cut out the middle. Maria ventured towards the exhibit front of the exhibit while Wanda slowly traipsed around the room curiously. She tilted her head like a lost puppy when she came across a small clear box on a pole that had the word “BLOW” bolded in white letters. Leaning forward, Wanda did just that and blew into the contraption only to abruptly stop when she heard Maria gasp in surprise. Worried she did something she wasn’t supposed to, the teen snapped her head towards her caregiver and let out a soft “oh”; there were large bubbles floating around the room, one of which was barely above Maria’s finger as she reached to admire. Maria’s voice was soft as she said, “do it again sweetie,” wanting to capture the moment on video. As Wanda blew into the blow box, giant bubbles formed from the larger encasement, elegantly floating around the area before disappearing with a wet pop. They played in that room for a few more minutes before walking down the hall to see what was next. The next art exhibit room only had a large white screen across the back wall and what appeared to be a projector directed at it. As usual, in a new environment, Wanda was uncertain of what to do and with no one else around to emulate, she nervously stood at the back and just looked around as she drew her lip between her teeth and began to twiddle her fingers. “Maria?”
 “Mmm?”
 “What are we supposed to do?”
 “I don’t know. Let’s go to the screen and see if we can figure it out together,” she encouraged with an equally encouraging smile over her shoulder. 
 Wanda hesitated on her feet, that expression made her really wanted to hold Maria’s hand now but instead she forced herself to stand by the woman as they looked at the blank screen. 

            “I don’t know what we’re supposed to do,” Maria honestly stated, “maybe if we just… wave our hands?”  
 As Maria waved her hands from side to side, the screen splattered itself with orange painting strokes that matched her movement; she chuckled to herself at the discovery. “I guess we’re the paintbrushes.”
 Not that she was unconvinced, Wanda stood tall and jumped up, painting the screen area in front of her a deep lavender, just to try for herself. She jumped up again and giggled when the lavender was replaced with a deep pink. Seeing as she was much taller than Wanda, Maria kicked her leg up, a steely blue on the upstroke and a forest green on the down stroke making her smirk. She glanced over at Wanda who decided to try new forms of painting such as rolling herself against the screen to create a rainbow back wind. When the teen rolled back is when Maria pulled out her phone to capture the moments as she wanted Nat to see everything they experienced today; she made sure to take a few videos as well. When the novelty of this particular room began to dull down, Maria let an excited Wanda guide them to the next room. Just like before, the room had no conventional lighting- just a multitude of led light balls on strings hanging from the ceiling filling the room. Curiosity got the best of Wanda’s mind so she went with it, reaching out to feel the texture of the balls, her eyebrows shooting up at the soft feel and the light changing from blue to green. “Maria, it’s soft and changes colors when you squeeze them,” she happily relayed to the woman a few steps behind her, her free hand flapping slightly.
 Maria of course knew, unbeknownst to Wanda, as she managed to capture the entire interaction on video. “That’s kind of of cool, isn’t it?”
 She didn’t receive a verbal answer as at this point, Wanda was too far interested in the room to pay her any mind not that she was offended at all. While the Romanoff-Hills knew bright lights bothered Wanda’s eyes greatly (not that she verbally expressed that to them), colorful lights seemingly grabbed her attention just as easily. The lights being soft balls (Wanda loved soft objects) only further added to the appeal of the room and with Wanda’s hand flapping; it made sense to Maria why the girl didn’t answer her, it was essentially a sensory heaven. The brunette drifted a little off to the side to give Wanda space to create and adventure, a little more lax with concern for safety as they were the only two in the room. She hummed to herself as she tapped the balls, not really interested in creating anything more than just watching the colors change. Time contently passed by without worry, Maria being drawn back to Wanda when the teen softly asked if she could borrow her phone to take pictures. Maria handed it over and followed behind Wanda to see her creation though she realized that she didn’t understand it. Wanda had utilized a large portion of the area (which was fine as once again, there were no other people around) to change the lights to various light hues of blue and green with some red and orange sprinkled in; it was pretty. Maria took her time to stroll through the entanglement of lights, being mindful not to touch any of them as not to disturb whatever image Wanda had planned. When she made her way back to Wanda, the teen had a sincere grin on her face and was rocking on the balls of her feet. “Do you like it?”
 “Yeah, I do,” she agreed as they strolled into a new room, “does it represent anything?”
 Wanda shrugged and mumbled a response, the only word Maria could make out was “Pietro.” Not understanding what he had to do with this context, Maria just nodded. The next room was very much like the first room they entered except this one utilized the technology of Virtual Reality which Wanda had to opt out a few minutes in because the VR was making her nauseous. So she just stood by and watched as Maria’s painting came to life on the floating screen in the middle of the room. She took pictures of Maria enjoying herself because this was supposed to be something fun for the two of them to do together and really it was. They spent the least amount of time in the VR room, Maria tapping out after 15 minutes due to feeling bad that Wanda was being left out. She could come back any time with Nat or anyone else but who could say the same for Wanda; she deserved to have good experiences. “You ready to move on Wanda?”
 “Yes, I’m ready,” the teen confirmed for her.

            Maria tucked a lock of hair behind her ears and took to engaging in small conversation as they approached the threshold of the new room which was probably the most popular based on the amount of people meandering around. There were 4 white sculptures, each in a corner of the room, standing on pedestals. The crowds of unfamiliar people increased Wanda’s anxiety so she stayed where she was with Maria at her side. It wasn’t until multiple little gasps and woahs from the various groups that made Wanda’s curiosity pique; she wanted to know what was happening. Gently sliding her hand into Maria’s, she cautiously dragged the older woman over to a dome sculpture that was rotating in a circle with a strobe light reflected at it; at the right angles, the strobe light gave the impression of movement. The visual aspect enthralled both her and Maria, both women stuck in a daze like trance as they watched on. They viewed two of the other sculptures (the last one had far too many people hovering about) with just as much intrigue before deciding to call it a day. And though Maria noticed that Wanda was still holding her hand, she didn’t bring any attention to it but did give a small squeeze. Wanda was quiet as they walked towards the main entrance to leave, the fingers of her free hand grazing over the green jewel on Maria’s ring finger. “I-uh-I’m sorry. Pietro and I used to hold hands… we liked the physical contact,” came her voice in a low whisper.  
 Maria brushed off the apology with a frown, “apologies are unnecessary. When was the last time you got the chance to hold someone’s hand?”
 “Umm… when Pietro died,” she muttered back.
 “It’s like Nat and I say, hugs are free so is handholding. Really any form of affection you want or need is free so don’t ever apologize for initiating or asking okay?” she better clarified.
 “okay Maria.”
 The end of the conversation was well timed, the SUV only half a feet away. Wanda sighed to herself and reluctantly released Maria’s hand so that she could unlock the car and they could leave.
 “What do you what to do when we get home? Besides eating lunch.”
 Wanda’s  voice remained light as she answered, “can we watch Avatar?”
 “Sounds perfect to me,” Maria agreed.
 When they got home, Maria quickly warmed up some leftovers for lunch while Wanda took Lucky for a walk, after promising Maria that she would stay in the neighborhood. After lunch, as agreed, Maria popped in the first Avatar DVD into the dual player and unboxed the weighted blanket to lay on the couch along with what she was now dubbing ‘Wanda’s blanket.’ She comfortably seated herself on the couch with Lucky laying on the ground and Liho resting on the arm furthest from her. When Wanda came downstairs from using the bathroom, she wrapped the soft blanket around her body then squished herself into Maria’s side, basking in the comfort and affection.

            In turn, Maria threw an arm around Wanda’s shoulders, holding the girl in close while they watched the show together. 5 episodes in and Maria had to excuse herself to the restroom, draping the weighted blanket over Wanda’s curled body before settling back in next to her. Somehow the heaviness of the blanket had a calming effect over Wanda as less than 20 minutes later, she was dead asleep against Maria’s side. The older Romanoff-Hill snorted to herself because the pets always following behind Wanda, were just as asleep too. Slowly reaching towards the coffee table for her phone, Maria went to her notes and searched the one labeled, ‘Things for Wanda.’ After todays little outing, she added lights (preferably color changing or strobe), another weighted blanket to add to her quiet room, a cell phone and then made sure to highlight looking for a child therapist. Every time they thought they figured something out, there was just something else to add to the list of things they needed for Wanda. With a bit of teamwork though, Maria hoped that she and Nat (and maybe the others) would be able to figure somethings out before they had to go back to work in few weeks time or at the very least, before they went to visit Clint’s farm. But as her eyes fluttered shut, Maria told herself that they could worry about all of that tomorrow.

Chapter Text

   Maria groaned at the incessant shaking being done to her body, her eyes easily cracking open to take in the sight of her grinning wife, “hi Masha.”The redhead leaning down to give her a soft kiss to the lips when she was more alert, an even softer expression dancing across her face at her wife’s grogginess. The brunette stirred without noise, blinking away sleep and attempting to sit up but paused when she felt pressure and n her right side. Wavy brown hair came into view when she looked down, her mind catching up to the day’s events. “Wanda,” she whispered to herself, her eyes awakening at the sight of familiar vibrant hair, “Nat, you’re home. How was your day with Morgan? Everything turn out okay?”
 “Yeah, everything’s okay. Pep solved the emergency at Stark Industries with no issues, really the only reason she was away for hours was because it was time consuming but she’s home now,” the redhead stated in a low tone, being considerate as not to disturb the teen sleeping on her wife. It was all so domestic, coming home to find her wife and (foster) daughter asleep on the couch with the pets sleeping at their feet; part of Natasha beloved it’s what they deserved after the lives they’ve lived, Maria especially.
 Maria tiredly wiped at her eyes with her free arm, becoming more alert by the second, “mmm that’s good to hear.” Searching around the area for a clock and not finding one, Maria softly plopped back against the cushions and gazed at her wife, “what time is it?”
 “A little after 3.”
 “oh!” blue eyes widened at the fact, “it’s been over an hour, we need to get up.” 
 “Hey no no no no,” Nat declined while gently pushing Maria back into the couch, “don’t wake her, let her sleep so more so we can talk. How was your day? You guys do anything exciting?” she mused. She had been worried about Maria ever since she left the house that morning due to knowing the anxieties her wife felt about being a parent; it was something that they discussed in detail when they were dating and in further depth when they got married. It took a lot of encouragement from parenting classes, family and friends, and extreme reassurance on Natasha’s part for Maria to feel even an ounce of confidence in this endeavor. Maria wanted to pout but refrained because sometimes Natasha was just the sweetest. “okay. Wanda and I didn’t do much today, we just got breakfast at a diner then went to the interactive art museum.” 
 “Tell me more Masha.”

            Maria softly grinned at the intrigue in her wife’s voice, caving in with no fight. “The diner we went to was about 20 minutes out but worth it, the food was really good as well as the service. While we waited for the our meals to come to the table, I showed Wanda a few of the pictures and videos I got of her and everyone at the cook out. She loved the one I got of you two sleeping together on the couch.” She suppressed the laugh she wanted to release at Nat’s confused expression. “What picture are you talking about?”  
 “The one I snuck of you two during movie night. I’ll show you when Wanda’s awake, after I get my phone freed.”
 Natasha audibly huffed, digging in her pocket for her own device. “That’s fine; I got a picture of you and Wanda too.” Her tone was playfully teasing, her hand stretching out to show her wife the picture she stole less than 10 minutes prior. She continued to stare at the picture when her eyes brightened in realization, “now we have matching pictures. Did anything else happen today?”
 ”We didn’t do anything else but I did learn a bit more about Wanda today. She was entranced with the light exhibit so i wanted to put something that incorporates light in her room like a fairly lights or led strips. I don’t know, we can look into that. I also think we should get her another weighted blanket for her calm down space so she doesn’t have to lug this one around whenever she wants it. We have to get her an official therapist, psychologist, counselor- just anybody who’s trained for her to speak to. And lastly, something which you’ll love, is physical affection. Wanda craves more but is either too shy or scared to ask, I think any form of affection is fine… I didn’t really get a chance to ask.”
 The brunette gasped in surprise at her wife surging forward and engulfing her in an awkward embrace, “you’re really great with her. I’m proud of you and you should be proud of yourself. I told you you had nothing to worry about,” she said as she pulled away.

            “Thanks love,” Maria accepted. There was a self-deprecating comment to be made but Maria didn’t say it as she was proud of herself for handling today on her own. It was silly considering how she’s the Commander of an entire legal operation and used to being in charge of hundreds of potential rookies but somehow, the thought of spending a few hours alone with Wanda terrified her more. That was earlier today though, at least now she could say with less hesitancy that she wasn’t as frightened to do it on her own. With Wanda in mind, Maria gently reached over and softly shook her until she roused. She gave the teen time to wake, leaning forward to give her wife a small kiss; Wanda’s eyes fluttered open, catching the two women’s lips meet. Natasha’s the one that notices she’s awake and doesn’t say anything about the wishing look to her eyes, “hi sweetie.” 
 “Hi Tasha,” she exhales and sits up move the weighted blanket to her lap, “is Morgan okay?”
 “Yeah she’s fine,” Nat nodded.
 “Pepper too?” came Wanda’s other soft inquiry.
 “Yeah Pep too, she handled everything with ease. It’s just what she does.” The redhead got up to sit next to Wanda, kissing her forehead all the while gauging the teen’s reactions to make sure she wasn’t uncomfortable. “Maria just got done telling me what you guys did today. You wanna tell me more about it?”
 “Um ye-yeah okay,” she floundered from the unexpected physical affection but sat up nonetheless to talk about the day. She recounted everything in great detail, asking for Maria’s phone halfway through so that she could show nat the pictures in accordance with her re-telling. Maria and Natasha listened, the latter providing feedback and commentary when she felt necessary.

            Natasha’s green eyes sympathetically hovered to the review mirror to observe the teen in the backseat for the 12th time since the drive began. Wanda was nervous, her right leg seemingly bouncing without thought as the Sokovian looked out the widow; trees and people colorfully whizzing by. Turning her eyes to her wife, Natasha was partly relieved to see the same concern written on Maria’s face, though not as subtly as her own; the teen’s unconcealed anxiety coiling a knot in their stomachs. But as badly as the new parents were feeling, they were obligated to provide Wanda a steady education despite how it made her feeling. When the outline of the school drew into the horizon, the repetitive soft thudding of a bouncing leg only moved faster. “Wanda we’re here. Are you ready?”  
 “Mmhm,” the teen softly agreed though that was far from the truth. 
 “Great, we’ve got all your needed school documents,” Maria stated over her shoulder with the files in hand. 
 Wanda refrained from sighing; this was one of the few times she despised their efficiency. As implausible as it seemed, she was hoping that they’d forget the files and wouldn’t realize until they reached the school, essentially prolonging the registration as they would have to return home for the documents. Thinking about it now, it really was just wishful thinking on Wanda’s part. Climbing out the car, the teen situated herself between the two women who were currently discussing something that Wanda wasn’t paying attention to. She nervously chewed on her lip, stopping in tandem with Natasha to gaze at Maria when the brunette dropped a soft “damn it.” 
 “You okay Masha?” the redhead asked with concern on her face and in her voice.
 A sheepish half smile was on Maria’s face when she glanced up. “Yeah everything’s alright, I just forgot my gun at home and my badge in the car.”
 Natasha quirked an amused eyebrow, tilting her head; Maria was never one to forget anything as important as her gun and badge but there was always a first time for everything. “You want us to wait for you out her while you go to the car?”
 “Nah,” the Maria waved off with the car keys in hand, “you guys go ahead, don’t keep the principal waiting.”

            Natasha shrugged, pulling Wanda along by tossing an arm over her shoulder; the woman tried her best to keep the teen engaged, speaking in perfect Russian, but knew Wanda was far too nervous for that and silently walked beside her. The physical process of getting Wanda registered was fairly simple: Natasha handed over the appropriate folder encasing all of the correct paperwork to a Ms.Handley and patiently wait for the principal while she processed the paperwork. Overall, it took less than 5 minutes for the principal to exit his office with a soft smile in greeting. “Morning, I am Principal Clyde Roberts. It’s nice to meet you.”  
 Natasha took his outstretched hand with a welcoming smirk, “morning Principal Roberts. I’m Natasha Romanoff-Hill and this is Wanda Maximoff.”
 Wanda gave the man a small wave with a tight smile, fighting off the urge to stand behind Natasha.
 “Pleasure Ms.Maximoff,” he smiled in her direction, “it’s always exciting to meet a new student at Crestmoon Valley High.”
 Nervousness still overtook Wanda’s vocal cords so she settled for a simple nod at the man’s statement; this time stepping into Natasha’s arm. If principal Roberts noticed the teen’s nervousness, he was polite enough not to comment. His eyes did widen though when he saw the green jewel resting upon Natasha’s left ring finger. “I don’t mean to pry but your wedding ring. Are you still married?”
 Natasha cast a small glance at their ring, warmth radiating through her from the loving memories of her wife. “Yes, I am.”
 “Is your husband here today with you? We can wait for him before we begin the tour of the school.”
 With a discreet chuckle, the redhead shook her head no with an impish smirk, “we’ll be waiting for eternity then.” She felt, rather than heard, Wanda puff against her arm in a semblance of silent laughter. She puffed up internally with pride, happy that she broke through a bit of Wanda’s protective exterior.

            “My apologies, is your husband deceased?”  
 While Principal Roberts was a smart man (Natasha assumed), he wasn’t all that bright she noticed. She was beginning to second guess whether this school was appropriate for Wanda but ultimately, there was a reason this school was their top choice for her. As for Principal Roberts, he assumed Natasha was just like the new aged widows in today’s society: those who said they were still married and wore their ring despite their husband passing. It didn’t settle in his mind that Natasha’s implications meant something else. Natasha kept her composure as she eventually answered the question, “no Principal Roberts, my husband is not deceased because I do not have a husband. I have a wife and her name is Maria and she will be joining us shortly.” 
 “Oh.” 
 The tonal drop and facial change (none too subtle) alerted Natasha to what type of conversations may be approaching. She and the principal stood staring at one another, a saccharine smile spread across her face. Eventually, Maria was brought to the room by help of Mrs. Handley. At the sight of the showdown, her entire demeanor morphed into one of hardness, despite not knowing the full situation. “Hello, I’m Maria Romanoff-Hill, Natasha’s wife and Wanda’s other foster mother. I assume you’re Principal Roberts?” 
 It took a moment for the Principal to register the situation, straightening his back while breathing through his nostrils as he gained his composure but once he did, that look never left his face. “Glad you could finally meet us. I guess now we can start the tour of the school,” his voice was tight as he turned on his heels to lead the way with Maria directly behind him followed by Wanda and Natasha as the caboose.

            While Maria bombarded the Principal with astute inquiries, Wanda sighed, bringing her index finger to her lips to chew on it. Her large green eyes glance at Natasha when the redhead began to rub circles on her back. “I heard you laugh. You liked my joke?” 
 “Mhm, it was funny Tasha,” she answered around her finger, the timeouts tracings of a smile dancing on her lips. 
 With a warm grin, Natasha gently bumped her shoulder into Wanda’s and gave the teen a playful wink. The tour continued with few hitches, both Natasha and Maria holding back their opinionated thoughts whenever principal Roberts unsubtly gave them a small sneer. They followed the lumbering man around, listening and absorbing information about the school when they all settled before a large brown door. 
 “Though we are not a performing arts school, our art program and all involved are rather… up to date. It is something we pride ourselves on,” Principal Roberts recited then opened the door with a grand gesture.
 The word art had caught Wanda’s attention though she hesitated to step forward. Out of pure instinct, she looked towards Natasha and Maria for confirmation, gaining a bit more confidence when she received an encouraging expression from each woman. She gave them both a cautious glance as she strolled up next to her Principal, nervously biting her lip; her surprised gasp would’ve been a cause for concern for the two foster parents if they hadn’t known what was on the other side of the door. They trailed behind, letting Wanda take in as much of the room as she could. The art room was rather spacious and housed various forms of visual arts: small sculptures in the left corner, a multicolored wall of a variety of different paint bases, even the ceiling tiles were home to students paintings. Perhaps it was the atmosphere or just having Natasha and Maria around, but something gave Wanda enough courage to ask her Principal about the un molded block of clay perch in the corner of the room. And when he answered that question, she asked him another, the whole time rocking on the balls of her feet, a subtle show of her excitement. And that was the reason, the reason the Romanoff-Hills were willing to deal with Roberts bullshit… because this school would make Wanda happy. After the tour of the art room, there wasn’t much left of the tour to give which brought the quartet back to the main building.

            “Open house is this Friday from 12pm-2pm. Wanda will receive her class schedule and be able to meet with her teachers and other classmates. Until then, if you two have any further questions, please feel free to give us a call.” Principal Roberts tone was even but the grin he gave was tight and didn’t reach his eyes like a genuine smile should have. Natasha pursed her lips into a thin line, narrowing her eyes slightly as she shook the man’s hand, “yes, thank you for your time and personable energy Principal Roberts, it was appreciated.”  
 Roberts upturned the corner of his lip, ready to say something in response when Maria walked into his line of sight, donning a flat expression as she placed an arm around Wanda’s shoulders. “Bye Principal Roberts, see you Friday,” Wanda softy waved at him, causing him to change his tune slightly.
 His voice was strained as he gave a polite nod, “it was a pleasure for me as well Mrs. Romanoff-Hill and… Mrs. Romanoff-Hill. That won’t get confusing,” he sarcastically joked. 
 “Well if it makes things easier for you, you can just call me Commander and my wife Detective. No confusion needed,” Maria pettily smirked and began to walk towards the car with Wanda, Natasha trailing a step behind them. They were cordial to Ms.Handley, saying a thank you and to have a nice day as they collected a few papers and brochures on their way out. Driving back home, Maria checked on Wanda through the rear view then gave her wife a cursory glance as she reached for her hand. Natasha side eyed her, answering her unspoken question with a shake of her head no. Understanding that they’d speak later, Maria audibly sighed, looking over her left shoulder at the teen in the back seat. “What’d you think of the school sweetheart?” 
 Wanda, who had been previously staring out the window, looked up at Maria. “I like the art program and how it had almost everything you could imagine. He said the other departments, like theater and music, were just as good too. Is that why you’re sending me there?”
 “That’s exactly why we chose it,” the brunette nodded, “we don’t know what you want to do with your life or many of your other interests yet but we figured we could at least support your interest in the arts.”
 Wanda shifted in the backseat due to being a little overcome with emotion; they always did this, thought of her when she was never expecting it and Wanda wasn’t complaining. Though a few of the foster homes she’s been in had been nice to her, her parents were the last parental figures to have her needs in mind… at least before Tasha and Maria that is. She could feel her eyes beginning to water and was beginning to regret not blinking them away fast enough when Maria’s face turned into one of worry, “hmm, you okay? Your eyes bothering you again?”

            Natasha’s verdant eyes stared at her in the the mirror with a similar look of concern, “are you overwhelmed or overstimulated?”  
 “No, I’m not, I promise I’m fine Tasha,” Wanda responded then gave Maria attention, making sure to make eye contact with the woman, “I-I’m okay Maria, thank you.” 
 They pulled up to the house roughly 7 minutes later, Wanda kicking off her shoes in the foyer and following the other two into the kitchen and sat at the table. She scratched behind Lucky’s ears when the dog happily trotted up to her and declined the offer for lunch, her insides still far too tangled to accept any food. Not liking the idea of Wanda not eating, Natasha tied to compromise, “how about a snack instead? Just something to hold you off for a while.” She took the teen’s shrug as a positive answer and began to saunter towards the pantry in search of Wanda’s favorite snacks. The kitchen was fairly quiet, being filled with white noise from the coffee maker and the sound of chocolate covered pretzels dropping into a ceramic bowl.
 “I like the school… but I don’t think I want to go there,” Wanda softly admitted while holding Lucky around the neck for comfort; she knew she was probably coming off ungrateful but she wanted to explain her current thoughts. Maria was slightly confused by the admission because they both saw how excited Wanda got when she saw the arts room, a type of excitement that was hard to fake. “You don’t want to go to the school, why?” she coolly inquired while watching her wife put the package of chocolate covered pretzels back in the pantry.
 “I like the school, it’s nice- it’s just that…”Wanda hesitated, twirling her thumbs around the other then sighing, “I don’t like how rude Principal Roberts was to you; I don’t want to go if he’s going to treat you that way.”
 Natasha laughed through her nose, placing the bowl in front of Wanda with a tiny smirk on her lips, “you’re a sweet kid, you know that? You like the school so you’re going to go there.”
 Wanda’s peridot eyes enlarged at the statement, a strong sense of justice coursing through her; why would she go to a school that didn’t care enough to pretend to respect her foster parents? It was absurd. “Tasha, you’re not listening to me,” she was close to whining but somehow managed to keep her voice steady, “the way he was treating you wasn’t fair.”

            “You’re not wrong and I agree, it wasn’t fair of him. What also wouldn’t be fair is to deny yourself the rights go to a good school just because your principal is a bit of a hard ass.” Natasha paused momentarily at the sound of knocking on the door. She gave Wanda, who was pouting, a nonchalant shrug then used both hands to cup her cheeks and place a tender kiss to her forehead before walking to the foyer. Wanda visibly soaked in the affection of the loving kiss, sighing to herself then looking at Maria with doe eyes. “Maria, you understand right?” 
 The older Romanoff-Hill squatted on the balls of her feet so that her eye line could be parallel with that of Wanda’s. “Yeah, I understand and like Nat said, you’re not wrong; Principal Roberts was being a bit of a dick. And you’re still going to Crestmoon.” She raised a wagging finger when Wanda opened her mouth to protest. “Listen, as the guardians in your life, Nat and I can and will handle him with no issues. The only thing we want you to worry about is what we’re going to do this weekend since it’s the last weekend of summer break.”
 Wanda gave a resigned sigh; she would go to the school but would remain adamant on her negative position towards Principal Roberts even if it was an internal take. At the sound of loud commotion, her peridot eyes glanced at maria with worry but the older brunette wasn’t phased, only rolling her eyes as she held an arm out for Wanda. When the teen slid into a loose side hug, Maria guided them towards the living room where Natasha was lovingly being scolded by her mother, “… and you shouldn’t slouch so much but it is getting better.”
 “Thanks Mama,” she dragged with a tone of bored even though everyone knew it was just a facade.
 “Hi Melina,” Maria waved from the entrance of the living room, “how are the pigs?”
 “Ah, the pigs are well. Meatball and Appetite are as hungry as always, reminds me of Father,” she playfully winked, cupping both of Maria’s cheeks and giving her a kiss to the forehead. “We must feed them constantly,” she continued while giving Wanda the same affection she gave Maria. Wanda preened at the simple gesture; something about a forehead kissed just seemed right; the tight side hug that came from Alexei shortly after also felt quite right. Maria gave Wanda a soft squeeze while speaking, “what brings you guys over?”
 “Natasha keeps asking us to send this pick and this one so we decide to bring photo album instead,” the huge Russian man grinned as he held out a flower decorated spined book, “make it easy for us huh.”

            Light green eyes lit up at the mention of a photo album that contained pictures of Tasha and Yelena and despite how upset Wanda was still feeling over the matter with her principal, she had to admit that Alexei grabbed her attention. Stepping towards the man with a half step, Wanda couldn’t peel her eyes away from the book. “You brought pictures of Tasha?”  
 “Mmhm,” he happily nodded, tucking the book back under his arm while moving towards the couch. “Come,” he patted the cushion to his left, “we see and you can tell us about what you did today.”
 Wanda dutifully accepted the invitation, taking the seat next to Alexei with Melina sitting on her other side and pointed to the first picture of the book. “This was Natasha at 2 and a half, few weeks after we bring her home.”
 The tiny redhead was sitting on the couch with her knees pulled up, an obnoxious green teddy clutched to her chest with wide green eyes staring at the tv in wonder. “Oh… Tasha was so cute,” Wanda cooed at the image.
 “Yes, her and Yelena were the cutest babies and toddlers ever,” Alexei agreed. “Oh! Here is another ballet picture of Natasha doing an arabesque and that is little Yelena doing a plié in her toddler class.”
 Natasha sat on the arm of the loveseat, her head resting on top Maria’s as they both silently swooned at the way Wanda was bonding with their parents even if Natasha was slightly embarrassed from the mini anecdotes. “wanda seems happy,” she whispered to her wife.
 Maria leaned up a smidge, her brows jumping up with speech, “she does. She likes being here and I do like having her around.” She used her thumb to rub circles on Nat’s knee.
 “Same Masha,” the redhead murmured back then pecked a gentle kiss to Maria’s temple.
 With a sigh of relaxation, Maria settled back against Natasha’s thigh and watched as Wanda animatedly detailed her day. She wasn’t angry about the day’s events or about the other mini lecture she received from Alexei and Melina basically reiterating the same thing her foster parents had already stated to her; in fact, Wanda was feeling rather… comfortable. She continued looking at pictures with Nat’s parents, making a small attempt to leave when something caught her eye on the next page. “You have pictures of Maria in here too?”
 “Of course,” Alexei boasted with a proud grin, “why would we not?”

            Wanda shrugged at the man, “I don’t know.” 
 “She is just as much ours as Natasha and Yelena,” Melina soothed. She gave Maria a small wink and her response was to smirk back.
 “I’ll be back, I have to use the bathroom,” Wanda politely excused herself from the room. Alexei nodded, place holding the page by dog earring the corner. When he looked up, Natasha was grinning at Maria and grinning like they had a secret. “What are you two doing over there? What is so funny?” 
 It usually took a bite of baiting, a repeat of the same question with the answer being “nothing” on the Romanoff-Hills side which was why Alexei and Melina were surprised when both women raced over towards them; Maria squeezing herself between the married couple while Natasha dropped herself into her mother’s (the woman always swore that they were never too old to sit in their mother’s lap). The redhead pulled out her phone, peeking over her shoulder for the third member of the home, “we didn’t want to embarrass Wanda but look,” she demanded while holding out her device. “This one of her and Masha cuddling together during a nap yesterday is probably my favorite,” she cheesed. 
 Maria’s eyebrows shot up in mock offense causing her to fight with the phone in her pocket, “if that’s the case then let me show you mine,” she proffered while scrolling through a few pictures until she got to the one she wanted. “This one of Wanda sleeping on Nat’s shoulder during movie night is my favorite.”
 They scrolled through their camera rolls, the banter between the two women playful as they searched for pictures of Wanda to show their parents. Neither Alexei nor Melina put a cessation to the antics, both far too jovial and in awe at all the pictures they were being shown. Alexei finally butted in when Natasha gave Maria a little shove, his large hands wrapping around the brunette’s tone arms. “Natasha, keep your hands to yourself. Do not hurt my favorite.”
 Maria poked her tongue at her wife, Natasha rolling her eyes as she put her phone away; the sentiment didn’t hurt, everyone that knows the man knows that it’s Yelena that’s his favorite. “What about your baby girl, your little blonde menace?”
 Alexei pulled Maria to his chest with a heart laugh and while that action would’ve bothered her if it were any other person outside this family, Maria just laid an arm over his stomach.

            Peeping her head around the corner, Wanda secretly observed the way Melina and Alexei doted on the two women from her spot in the hallway. There was an air of innocent love surrounding the quartet, something Wanda figured Maria only truly got from those two… it was like she really was theirs. After hearing the small details Maria opted to divulge to her about her past home life, Wanda felt that the woman deserved a family that genuinely loved and cared for her without cause. Growing tired of creeping, she eventually strolled back into the room and took a shy seat in the open spot next to Alexei admits all the boisterous laughter.  
 “Hey sweetie,” Maria stretched across Alexei to stroke Wanda’s hair, “you’re back. You missed all the fun.”
 “What were you talking about?” she curiously asked.
 Natasha settled into Melina’s chest, glancing over at her, “ah nothing much kid, we just finished showing Mama and Papa some pictures of you.”
 Wanda’s eyelashes fluttered rapidly, her breathing quickening a tad as well, “really?”
 “Yes,” Melina agreed, “and we loved them. We wish we could take some home with us so we could add it to this book… would be nice.”
 It was sudden, the way Wanda threw her arms around Alexei’s midsection (as best as she could without slapping Maria in the face), the large man certainly wasn’t expecting it. “Thank you.”
 She would’ve given Melina the same treatment if not for Natasha snuggling into her mother with a whimsy grin.
 “You are most welcome little person,” Alexei chuckled as he patted her arm.
 The loud ringing of someone’s phone abruptly broke through the familial stupor.
 “That is us,” Melina stated, patting Natasha’s thigh as a way of telling her to get up, “your father and I have to go, we must leave in time to feed the pigs and give them their medicine; Svin'ya and Tort are sick.”
 Natasha huffed while climbing off her mother’s lap, helping the woman pack up then guiding her to the door. Alexei assisted Melina in putting on her coat before fixing his own with a shrug.
 “We have more albums. Maybe next time we get lunch in the park and look at them hmm?” Melina offered.
 “Or maybe you guys just come to visit the farm so you can see all of Melina’s children together huh,” Alexei suggested, the loud snort he did after made Wanda giggle aloud.
 “We’ll plan for a few weeks down the line, after Wanda is settled in school and we’ve been to Clint’s farm,” Maria interceded.
 “Oh you’re going to the archer man’s farm first? You know his pigs… not as cool as ours,” Alexei teased. He had no malice towards Clint, he was actually rather grateful for the man, being there for both Natasha and Yelena when times were low and they couldn’t be there themselves. “Have fun at farm, tell Barton I say he still hasn’t won challenge.”
 “Will do,” Maria agreed as she waved them off.
 “Do svidaniya uvidimsya pozzhe! (Goodbye, see you later)”, Wanda excitably waved before Maria closed the front door. She spun on her heels, trailing after Maria into the living room, “are we really going to visit their farm?” she happily leaned against Maria when the woman’s hand combed through her hair.

“Yeah in a few weeks time though.” And as she said it, she hoped that it would remain true. A rush of sadness hit Maria at that moment, a reminder that they were only foster parents and this situation with Wanda was temporary; she could be whisked away without a moments notice. Maria was drawn from her thoughts at Wanda’s soft voice telling her okay .

            “What’s the challenge Alexei has with Clint?” Wanda looked up when Natasha entered the room again with her bowl of chocolate pretzels.  
 “Clint has made claims of being a master marksmen but Papà had some disagreements about that so they made a challenge: Papa gives Clint a super specific shot to make and he has to make it on the first try. He hasn’t lost yet,” she smirked, “it’s been 2 and a half years.”
 “Cool,” the teen whispered to herself herself in amazement, mindlessly taking the snack bowl again.
 Natasha tilted her head in question, “you still upset about your principal?”
 “Mmm, yeah,” Wanda sighed, “I still don’t like his behavior today but I’ll get over it I guess.”
 “What are we doing this weekend?” Natasha then asked, leaning over to steal one of Wanda’s pretzels.
 “The aquarium. Do you-“ Wanda answered quickly but then cut herself off, shying at the question on her lips.
 “Speak your mind kid,” Maria encouraged.
 “Do you think Yelena would like to come? A-and maybe Kate too?” The Sokovian had taken a strong liking to Yelena and Kate (even if she only spent roughly 15 minutes with her) when she met them at the cookout and wanted to spend more time with them. Her shyness came from not knowing whether or not both women felt the same way about her.
 “I’ll call Yelena and ask,” Maria volunteered because despite Yelena’s somewhat chaotic energy, Maria enjoyed engaging with the younger woman on a multitude of topics.
 “And I’ll call Kate, it’ll give us a chance to catch up,” Nat. “In the meantime, eat something and drink some water. Take car wolf yourself lyubimaya.”
 “Okay. I’ll be reading in my room,” the teen declared, taking her bowl up the stairs with her.
 Both women watched her retreating form before pulling out their phones, Maria winking at Natasha as her line rang. “we also have to get her a phone,” she whispered.
 “will do,” the redhead replied.
 “Oh Hi Kate, how are you?” “Lena, tell me about your day?” they spoke into their phones in unison. Before the conversations even started, the Romanoff-Hills knew that both women would say yes to Wanda’s request; it was hard for any of them to tell her no.

Chapter Text

      Natasha sat on the floor, sipping her coffee when her eyes widened in recognition at the words on one of the loose papers, waving it wildly in the air, “mmm… Masha! I found it!”  
 The brunette stretched over, taking the paper and adding it to the pile in front of her, “thanks babe. Lemme know when you find the car insurance documentation.”
 It was an early Thursday afternoon, and after a cozy breakfast, the two Romanoff-Hills resigned themselves to sorting out their paper documents including wills, resumes, receipts, etc. something they did with the change of each season. Being employees of the state, the descriptions of their jobs meant that their work days were robust and bustling with things to do; days like this ensured that they kept up to date on the important legal and financial aspects of their marriage.
 “Last document then we break for lunch, I’m hungry.”
 Looking at her watch, Maria had to say that she was hungry too; the last time they had eaten was at breakfast and that was roughly 7 hours ago. They listened to music while Natasha prepared lunch, smooth jazz playing in the background. She made a variety of pinwheel sandwiches, ham and cheese, Italian, turkey and cheese, and spinach and bell peppers but really they each had their own preference: Natasha would take the ham and cheese, Maria the turkey and cheese and also spinach, and Wanda would take the Italian and one of each other flavor pinwheel. “You wanna eat in the backyard? It’s not too cold out there.”
 “Yeah, I’ll bring Wanda down,” Maria offered, kissing Natasha’s temple as she stored around her. Ascending the stairs, Maria realized that they hadn’t heard or seen Wanda since the teen joined them for breakfast and at the time, she had a persistent attitude. It wasn’t anything too serious or alarming but it did slightly hinder their ability to freely converse with the teen who only seemed to get more agitated with their words.

            Wanda frowns, stabbing at her breakfast a bit more aggressively than intended, “why can’t Kate or Yelena stay with me?”  
 Maria had just told her that she and Natasha were going to a foster parent support meeting this upcoming Friday and that Helen and Sharon Carter-Cho would be staying with her; Wanda’s attitude had quickly made a reappearance at that. The plan had been organized at the last minute but to be fair, Nat and Maria hadn’t found the support group until last night.
 “Yelena can’t stay with you because she and her friend Polina are visiting some other friends out of state and Kate is at a martial arts tournament,” Maria explained. She mentally stepped back when Wanda’s minty doe eyes stared at her with an overwhelming amount of disappointment. “They’ll both be back in time for the aquarium this weekend,” she reassured the teen.
 Wanda shakily nodded, her gaze going back to her breakfast but then quickly attached itself to Natasha, “what about Melina and Alexei?”
 Natasha shook her head with pursed lips, “Mama and Papa are out of the country; they’re visiting a family friend in St. Petersburg.”
 Wanda toyed with her fork again, sighing in exasperation. She wasn’t complaining, complainers were troublemakers, but she also knew she would feel more at ease with herself if the people that were staying with her were people she’s already met. “Why can’t any of the others stay with me?”
 “Sorry kiddo,” Maria ran a hand through the teens hair, “they’re all working.”
 “Does having Helen and Sharon stay here with you bother you that much? We can find someone else.” She and Maria shared a knowing glance over Wanda’s head; there wasn’t anyone else they knew that they could call on short notice but if Wanda was uncomfortable with the situation, they were willing to figure it out.
 Wanda took a bite of her strawberries, shoulders slumped forward as she continued to mope, “no, I’m fine. It’s okay.”

     The Romanoff-Hills had double checked with Wanda at breakfast one last time before she departed for her room. While they were just laying in bed, enjoying the quiet morning and each others company, Natasha had said that she caught Wanda awake at 2 this morning: something about how she had a hard time staying asleep sometimes and that she opted to do something quiet or read in the moonlight. Perhaps it was the fact that she didn’t sleep well that contributed to Wanda’s sass, whatever it was, Maria was just hoping that there was an actual solution. “Wanda,” she called behind the door then knocked softly before trying again, “Wanda, sweetie come eat lunch.”  
 Wanda was sitting crossed legged on the floor, rocking back and forth, using her bed like a backrest while she read one of the Greek mythology books Bruce had given her. She looked to be grossly involved in the novel, her eyes never lifting from the pages. As serene as she looked, she needed to eat. “Wanda, come eat.” Maria approached her to tap her shoulder, “Wanda?”
 The touch mad Wanda twitch with irritation, immediate anger flooding through her once she was out of her book realm. She puffed through her nose, her body moving on autopilot to slam the book close, the sudden noise making Maria purse her lips together. “Why do you- what- ugh!”
 Maria observed Wanda’s small outburst, giving Wanda the space she needed to let out her frustrations; a well decided choice as shortly after her little scream, Wanda flung her book on the floor. The teen took big breathes in and out, calming herself down before she lashed out on Maria. When irritable, she was more prone to anger and yelling statements that she didn’t mean. Her mind was always moving, up and down, and back and forth… having her thoughts quiet down long enough for her to focus on reading was an extremely difficult so when she did get there and it got interrupted, she would get furious. Maria kneeled next to her so that they were equal heights, “how do you feel now?”

            “Angry,” the teen frowned.
 “And why do you feel angry?” Years in the field helped her develop problem solving skills and listening feedback; skills Maria was highly grateful for as she was currently utilized them to handle this situation.
 “…you interrupted my reading when I didn’t want to stop,” Wanda mumbled.
 “I stopped you so that you could have lunch, it’s been a few hours since breakfast,” Maria explained, “are you not hungry?”
 Wanda sat quietly, processing her internal systems, “…I am. I have to use the bathroom too,” she sighed.”
 Maria nodded, tapping the girls shoulder, “how about you use the bathroom then join us in the backyard for lunch? Nat made pinwheels.”
 Wanda nodded to the plan with some reluctance, she liked Natasha and Maria bit really just wanted to be alone. At the outside table, she barely ate her food, taking rabbit bites until she asked if she could eat alone in her room. It wasn’t them that was the issue but Wanda herself; now that her anger subsided, embarrassment towards her previous behavior was all that Wanda was feeling. Dinner was a copy of lunch (emotion wise); Wanda ate half her plate as it was all that she could stomach. At bedtime, before Natasha and Maria could even open the book to read to her, Wanda was holding her turtle and apologizing. “I’m sorry for today Maria. Sometimes I get too angry and items itself out but I’ve been getting better at controlling my outbursts.”
 Natasha had gotten a rundown from Maria after lunch about Wanda’s angry outburst; “We’re you punished for your outbursts at your other foster homes?”
 “No, I didn’t have them a lot but the few times I did, I was either yelled at or shaken really hard.” Anger was an emotion she had to be careful with in the past. Being a teenager, a repeated history of anger and violence severely limited the number of placement homes available… and regular homes as a teen were hard to come by.
 “You have your room downstairs, we can add items that help you calm down during times of anger if you want,” the redhead suggested. Since they were providing Wanda with a calm down room  it only made sense to completely utilize the area to be able to handle any big emotion shed experience. “As long as you’re not violent or destructive, we won’t be upset with you for expressing or being angry.”  
 Maria hummed in accordance to the statement, “do you still want us to read to you tonight?” 
 With a shy nod Wanda replied, “yes please.”
 After reading two chapters, Natasha placed the book on the bedside table and leaned in close to Wanda, “Go to sleep. Tomorrow morning we’re going to the store to buy you a phone, go to the school open house, and then while Masha and I are at the support group meeting, Helen and Sharon will be here with you.”
 Having an itinerary for tomorrow really helped Wanda mentally prepare for the next day, something she was sure Natasha and Maria didn’t realize was impactful for her. “Night Tasha, night Maria.”
 Maria kissed her cheek and Natasha her forehead, “night sweetie, sleep well. If you need or want us for anything, remember we’re down the hall.”

            Maria examined Wanda’s schedule with one hand while her free hand combed down the teen’s braid as they walked through the crowded halls that were bustling with families and new student energy. She wasn’t a fan of large crowds and unnecessary noise, so this was grating on her nerves. She glanced to her left where her wife was trying to show Wanda how to use her new phone; they had woken up early this morning and after struggling for an hour to get Wanda out of bed, they were on their way. Given their current background and setting, Natasha’s attempts were rather moot as Wanda wasn’t even looking at the screen. “Nat, Nat,” she gently called, giving the woman a shake of her head when greens eyes made contact, “she’s not listening,” she mouthed.  
 The redhead took that in stride, sliding the phone into her back pocket and moving onto something else. “Which class are we going to first lyubimaya?”
 Wanda tilted her head in thought with a hum then leaned over Maria’s arm to get a better peak at her schedule, “I guess we can go to geometry? It’s the closest.”
 Neither foster mother objected to the statement which made Wanda preferred l; if they went to geometry first then they could be done with it for the day. “Can we go to the art room?” she asked softly as they maneuvered through the crowds of incoming families.
 Natasha tried to contain her grimace after having to twist her upper body away from a rather oblivious family that would’ve ran right into her otherwise. “Yeah, we can go to the art room after we’ve met a few of your teachers; I want to get to know them.” Natasha had an innate ability at being able to read peoples emotions and body language which in turn helped her figure out their intentions because everybody has one. Mr. Harvey was an older 5”11, well dressed man appearing in his early 40’s with a kind smile; after short a conversation that included subtle amicable interrogation, Natasha determines that Wanda will be fine in his class. She determined the same thing about her reading teacher, Mrs. Scayfair; she was actually really sweet and managed to get Wanda to engage in a conversation about the list of required school books they’d be reading in class throughout the year. The redhead skimmed over the book list with intrigue as they re-entered the hallway, her ears listening to the conversation happening between her wife and foster child.
 “How’d you about your reading teacher?”
 “Mhm,” Wanda hummed, “she’s okay… can we go to the art room now?” she whined a little.
 Maria took a firmer approach to the request, her voice having a hard tone to it as she spoke, “Wanda, we’ll go to the art room after we visit more of your teachers. So with that being said, which class are we going to next?”

           Natasha saw the frown forming on Wanda’s face, “chemistry,” she mumbled with a side eye. Once they started in that direction, Maria staggered her speed so that she could fall in step with Natasha, both of them keeping their eyes on Wanda. “She’s got a lot of attitude today.”
 “She’s a teenager Masha, do you expect anything else?” the redhead reasoned with a tiny tease to her voice. Wanda was a sweet kid who usually went with the flow, something the first time parents greatly appreciated as it did help ease their anxieties with the new situation. Wanda’s current attitude and behaviors today helped to solidify 2 points: one was that she was a regular teenager and with teenagers came moodiness and angst and the second was that Wanda was acclimating just fine; the Romanoff-Hills were creating an environment that responded well to Wanda’s needs which allowed her to be comfortable enough to do what teenagers do without fear of repercussion. Natasha quirked a humored eyebrow at heir foster daughter who was only a few feet up ahead, impatiently tapping her fingers against her stomach, “are we going to see the chemistry teacher or not?”
 She laughed through her nose, tucking the reading list in her purse, “we’re coming kid. Give us a sec.”
 Despite herself, Maria couldn’t help the tiny smirk on her lips, “teenagers and their moods.”
 “Mhm,” Natasha hummed in agreement; maybe a nap would smother the flames of Wanda’s teenage attitude. 
 Mrs. Munson was an older blonde haired woman who leaned more towards the stout side. Her room was sparsely decorated and the few decorations she did have adorning the classroom were subtle and dimly colored. The main concern that arose however was the fluorescent bulbs used to light the classroom, even standing here now was a slight bother for Wanda’s eyes. Maria was getting ready to bring that up when another parent beat her to it. “I don’t want to be that parent but sometimes my boy struggles with his focus and bright lights don’t help which is all this classroom is. What do you do to help students with that particular problem?” The father’s polite tone was a visible contrast to his gruff demeanor but it was obvious he truly cared about his son’s classroom performance. Wanda watched her teacher with interest; she had the same question dancing on her tongue and was too afraid to ask it as she didn’t want to draw attention to her person. If the classroom stayed this bright year round, she would most likely end up complaining to Tasha and Maria nonstop which she feared would make them grow annoyed with her and further lower her chances of adoption. Her mind always routed back to adoption and though she tried, it was a thought Wanda could never completely absolve herself from. She looked a little surprised when Mrs. Munson flung her head back and laughed with a hand on her stomach.
 “I’m glad you guys hate them too! Maybe if enough of us complain to the school board with me, they’ll change them back. Fortunately after the first three weeks, we’ll primarily be in the lab which has more comfortable lighting. The days that they’re in here though, the lights stay off.” She flicked the lights off to demonstrate her point, bathing the room in a warm blue light thanks to LED strips perfectly hidden around the room.

            Wanda’s eyes immediately latched onto the LED strips, the color holding her interest as her eyes flickered to her teacher and she subconsciously leaned forward.  
 “Trust me, I care as much about my students success as you do personally. All I want is to give your kids the tools and building blocks they need to thrive.” Mrs. Munson kept a genuine and encouraging smile as parents and students alike crowded her area, asking in depth questions and taking a syllabus. Natasha exited the crowd with little strain, scanning over a yellow paper syllabus while Wanda looked amazed. Maria’s hand was combing the ends of Wanda’s braid, one of her eyebrows arched in a bemused manner, “Nat, when the hell did you get in there?”
 Natasha handed her syllabus with a cheeky grin, “it helps being small. Next class Wanda: you can choose either History or French. Art room is last,” she sternly reminded and with that, Wanda deflated. She brought her sleeve to her mouth, gently chewing on it as she always did when she needed to self soothe or needed more stimulation, with minty eyes surveying her schedule, “mmm, history?”
 With a simple confirmation, the small family headed in the direction of Wanda’s history teacher, Natasha making her chuckle as she “whispered” something in Russian. Mrs. Anderson’s room was decorated in the same stereotypical manner every high school teacher had, Maria thought to herself. It brought back memories of her time in history, sitting listlessly at her desk while her teacher droned on about a war that happened over 50 years ago. History was as boring now as it was then. There wasn’t anybody else in the room, Mrs. Anderson preferring to have a one on one session with each family; it took more time but was also more practical for her to get to know her students. Wanda had just finished perusing the entirety of the room, dragging her finger along things only to play with the tail of her braid when she came across something she didn’t like, when Mrs. Anderson started speaking. “Hello, I’m Mrs. Anderson. I’ve been a teacher here for over a decade and teaching in general for over 15. You are?”
 Maria was first to shake her hand, simply because she was the closest, “I’m Commander Maria Romanoff-Hill.”
 “And I’m Detective Natasha Romanoff-Hill,” Natasha shook her hand once it was free, “and this is Wanda Maximoff, our foster daughter.” 
 Wanda silently waved a hello Maria’s right side. Mrs. Anderson’s mouth formed a quiet ‘o’ shape, her eyes taking time to look at the two women. She had some… opinions on same sex families and even stronger thoughts on allowing them to adopt America’s children, now wasn’t the the place to voice those though. “It’s nice to meet you all,” she falsely smiled, easily detected by both police officers.

            “Wanda,” she stepped around her desk, “do you like history? Do you find it interesting?”  
 “No… not really. It’s very boring,” Wanda mumbled behind the fabric in her mouth. A gentle push to the left had her perfectly positioned behind both Natasha and Maria, her doe eyes enlarged slightly in confusion at what just happened; not that Mrs. Anderson noticed. Their sharp perception picked up on how Mrs. Anderson eyes minutely hardened at Wanda’s statement and they wouldn’t allow it.
 “History is not boring,” she argued with dropped brows, “it’s mentally enriching and provides the brain stimulation. As interesting and engaging as I make the class, it does work better for those that are less feeble minded.”
 Maria pushed forward with a definitive step, still blocking Wanda with her body, “Wanda is smart and not the type of person you’re perceiving her to be. She made a personal statement and as her teacher, you should know belittling her, especially in front of us, is more harmful to your job than anything else.”
 “If you have any other issues or qualms with Wanda or our family, take it up with us,” Natasha interjected with a firm tone. “We’ll be on our way now.”
 Mrs. Anderson watched them leave with a sneer, this introduction further fueling her disdain of the two women. Maria swiveled on her heel, gently guiding Wanda out the room by her shoulders with Natasha trailing behind them. In an effort to comfort Wanda, Maria pulled the teen into a light embrace once a few feet away from the history class. Wanda reciprocated it, wrapping her arms around Maria’s waist and inhaled deeply. When she pulled away a few seconds later, she glanced at Maria then Natasha, “I don’t think I like her,” she beat them to the question.
 Clicking her tongue, Natasha caressed the girl’s cheek, “I can’t say I disagree kid.” Mrs. Anderson had a lot of faith in her teaching skills and while there was nothing wrong with that, it made her come if as a tad sanctimonious; she also had to work on handling her tone around others. “Do you want to switch to a different history class?”
 It took a few minutes of thought and introspection, however Wanda’s answer was a shock to no one. She kept her eyes down as she give a weak nod, “yes please.”
 “We’ll set up a meeting with your guidance counselor during the first week to see if we can get you switched out and placed elsewhere.”
 Wanda simply shrugged, “okay.”

            “Come on kid,” Maria bumped her shoulder, a playful gleam in her eye, “one more class then the art room.”  
 Wanda’s eyes lifted to look at her with little sparks, “the art room,” she repeated in a wispy voice, “okay.”
 Getting to Wanda French class was quick, every one of them having a basic idea of the school layout, they weren’t expecting the large crowd gathered outside the room.
 “Mm Maria,” Wanda pouted, her shoulders dropping with her words, “Tasha, go see what’s happening.”
 Natasha did as asked, slipping through two people and disappearing into the crowd completely, Maria and Wanda waiting, the former doing so more patiently than the other. When she does comes back, her eyes widen as she searches the immediate area, “where’s Wanda?” panic edging her voice in the middle. At the sound of her name, Wanda peeped out from behind Maria, having unconsciously stepped behind the woman to play with her hair.
 “Well apparently your French teacher has a thing for visual flair. She transformed the room into the streets of France and even has traditional foods for everyone to enjoy. Do you want to wait?”
 Wanda shrugged, continuing to play with her other foster mother’s hair. The trio waited, and the longer they did, the more Wanda could feel herself getting impatient. Waiting in long lines always did that to her especially since this wasn’t even a line, just a disorganized crowd of people barreling into the room at random intervals. Her fingers worked faster in Maria’s hair, twisting and knotting strands then undoing it to repeat the process again. The Romanoff-Hills happened to glance at each other at precisely the same moment, eyes communicating what they should do next. “This is going to take forever. Why don’t we just call it a day and head to the art room to meet your teacher?”
 Wanda shifted to the balls of her feet, “really Tasha?”
 “Yeah, I’m bored standing here and after this we can finally go home,” Maria chimed in because really, she was ready to leave the second they got here. Unfortunately for Wanda since her teacher wasn’t there, the school wasn’t allowing anyone to enter the art room without supervision and therefore closed it off. “It’s closed,” Wanda stated, tone just as down as her face.
 “It’s okay kid,” Natasha reassured her, “you’ll be back on Monday so don’t be too upset.”

            Wanda’s eyes were glassy from unshed tears but she agreed nonetheless, dejectedly dragging her feet as she followed her mothers out the school. Back home, Natasha worked on making lunch while Wanda sat on the couch, watching tv and scratching Lucky behind his ears. With Natasha in the kitchen and Wanda on the couch, Maria was the one left to answer the door when it received 3 loud knocks. “I thought you guys were showing up later today.” She gave Sharon then Helen a quick hug then took their coats and hung them up in the foyer.  
 “We were but then we changed our minds. We figured it would make more sense to hang out with Wanda prior, just to get to know her better before you guys ditch us.”
 “Can’t ditch you if you know the plan,” Maria teased. Sharon poked her tongue out at her like a petulant child and though she was older, Maria retaliated in the same manner. “Nat’s in the kitchen making lunch and Wanda’s watching tv.”
 Sharon nodded, rubbing her hands together as she headed into the kitchen, the prospect of food always excited her, especially good food. Helen opted for greeting Wanda, Maria deciding to trail after her so that her presence provided Wanda that familiarity. As Maria expected, Wanda considerably sized the Korean woman up when she sat next to her with a bashful face. “Hi Wanda, I’m Helen. Nice to meet you.”
 Wanda’s grip on Lucky tightened though Maria was the only adult to notice. “Hi, nice to meet you too and thank you for the weighted blanket. Do you work with Tasha and Maria too?”
 “Mmm, sometimes but not… exactly,” Helen struggled, her answer confusing Wanda and making her forehead crease. “You don’t work together? So then what do you do?”
 “I’m a world-renowned geneticist and the leader of the U-GIN Research Group. We’re currently working on a top secret device that could revolutionize the world; the idea is that the machine recreates living tissue.“  
 Wanda had no clue what the U-Gin research group was but out of all that information, she pieced together that Helen was a doctor. “How does that help police officers do their job?”
 Helen caught Maria’s entertained smirk from her peripheral; she was quickly picking up on Wanda’s curious and intuitive nature. “That specific device doesn’t help them. There are times when the NYPD comes to us to help with an investigation because of how well we’re able to sort and process DNA samples and information.”
 “Your job sounds incredibly tiring but cool. What does your wife do?” 
 Helen took the compliment for what it was because it was very truthful; she was smart and her job could get very mentally taxing. “Sharon works in the NYPD just under a different department, homicide.”

            Wanda had never heard the term homicide prior to this and not wanting to look stupid by not knowing its meaning, she settled for nodding and cuddling Lucky. She could always just ask her foster parents or google it later, if she remembered. “How long have you guys known Tasha and Maria?” Wanda was realizing that this was a question she’s asked most of Tasha and Maria’s friends, the ones she’s gotten to talk to for more than a 2 sentence conversation that is. Maria and Natasha had lives before Wanda was randomly thrust into the mix and each of their friends were a puzzle into that world. There were less than a handful of families that Wanda had cared just enough about to take interest in their past lives. Only problem was while she tried, her previous foster parent didn’t care about her as a person to treat her with a little decency. Natasha and Maria did though… it was obvious that they were pouring their all into being foster parents.  
 “I’ve known Natasha longer, for maybe about 4 years and Maria for 2,” she moved in a way that she was better able to see Maria. “2 years, would you say that’s correct?”
 “Yeah, 2 years sounds about right,” Maria answered. Her eyes then shifted towards Wanda, “our two branches rarely intersect,” she briefly explained.
 Maria’s answer sent Wanda into full inquiry mode, the teen asking both women questions about their jobs and the few times they do cross paths and what happens then. Helen was in the bulk of explaining how the FBI could take over a case despite how long the NYPD had been working on it when they heard a little scuffle coming from the kitchen. “Sharon stop!” Shortly after, Natasha popped her head around the corner, mini red braids hanging with the flow of gravity, “lunch is ready, everyone come eat.”

———

            Sharon glanced over her shoulder towards the door, listening closely; a large grin growing on her face at the sound of two car doors shutting followed by the start up of the vehicle. “Hey Wanda,” she called for the teen who looked at her with waiting eyes, “we have something for you.”  
 Then she exited out the front door with a light air to her step. Wanda silently raised her eyebrows at Helen, becoming flustered at the thought of receiving more gifts; the first few were more than enough. She was going to protest but stopped when her eyes caught sight of the yellow box in Sharon’s hands, “what’s that?”
 The blonde handed her the yellow box, giving her a chance to read over the label. “They’re legos kid, you ever play with them before? Do they have them in Sokovia?”
 There wasn’t an answer as Wanda was highly intrigued with her new gift, her focus on the colorful bricks inside. She tore her eyes away when someone said her name again, “hm? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
 Sharon shrugged her shoulders, lazily crossing her arms over her chest, “that’s no problem kid. I asked if they had these in Sokovia and if you’ve ever played with them before.”
 “No,” Wanda shook her head while getting to her feet, still with box in hands, “we don’t have these in Sokovia but I think I heard of them on the American tv shows. May I open it?”
 “Sure,” the blonde confirmed, stepping into the living room to help her wife move the coffee table to the side so they had more special area on the rug. They stood back, two sets of expectant eyes glued to Wanda as the teen carefully unpackaged each color. Once all the colors are free and displayed in front of her, her fingers run over the edges of a few of the pieces, gawking at the bold colors with growing energy. Helen tilts her head with a minuscule smile on her lips, “do you like them?”
 It’s the first time Wanda’s heard her talk since lunch she’s much more quiet than her wife, choosing more to observe than to speak. It startles her at first but Wanda quickly determines that she had already determined earlier that she liked the tone of Helen’s voice; it’s soothing and there’s peaking of an accent on certain words and letters. “I do.”
 “We have a few more if you want to see those as well,” the brunette proffers and Wanda nods.
 The two women headed towards the foyer to get the other legos they stashed over there while Wanda waits patiently on the floor. She gives Lucky a little pet when he trots up next to her, curiously sniffing the new items on the floor. “You can smell them but can’t eat them Lucky,” she advised the dog who whimpered when he accidentally stepped on a green lego block. “Come here,” she swiped her arm across the legos, bringing the majority to her left so that there was a clear space for the dog who got the memo and laid next to her. Sharon teetered into the room, hiding the box behind her back. “Here,” she bluntly said as she drew the gift from behind her back and handed it to her. 
 Wanda took the box and gasped at the picture on the box. “Oh, the Great Wave! Did you that this style of art is known as Ukiyo-e? Ukiyo-e is a Japanese printmaking technique that was popular in the 17th through 19th centuries that artists used to produce woodblock prints and painting of women, plants, animals… stuff like that. Ukiyo-e translates to "picture[s] of the floating world.”Hokusai, the artist of this painting, had been artist six the age of six and then became an apprentice when he was 18. After his teacher died, he chose to study Japanese and Chinese styles, and also a few Dutch and French paintings.”

            In all her joy, Wanda didn’t realize until after she spewed the facts that this might’ve been overwhelming, and quite odd, for others. Her eyes drifted up with caution, nervous for what the two women would say or do. “I-“
 “Damn, those were some interesting facts,” Sharon eventually said, “where’d you learn that kid?”
 There was authenticity behind her words, authenticity that reassured Wanda that what had happened was okay. “I don’t know. I like to read and I like art so it just kind of happens,” she claimed.
 “What do you know about this?” Helen intruded, pulling her Lego set from behind her back.
 Wanda rocked in the balls of her feet, letting out a squeal of some sort. “It’s the eastern air temple! Maria and I watch the show together; it’s been a lot easier since Sam gave me the DVDs. There were 5 known air temples and this one is apparently the most spiritual of them all. Thank you, can we build both today?”
 Sharon and Helen shared a look of quirked eyebrows and amused smiles, Helen falling prey to Wanda’s green eyes, “we don’t see why not.”
 “And here I’ll make it even better, while you set up the legos with my wife, I’ll make us all hot chocolate. That alright with you?”
 “That’s fine,” Wanda agreed, so excited that she had accidentally woken up Lucky from his slumber when her flapping hands brushed against his back. Sharon was equally as happy, using this bonding moment as a good excuse to get into Nat’s fancy Russian chocolate. The blonde chopped the chocolate squares by hand, the saucepan of milk slowly heating behind her and the sounds of Wanda giggling with her wife drifting in from the living room. She melted the chocolate in the microwave (stirring it every 30 seconds until it was smooth) then carefully whisked it, beautifully blending milk and chocolate together. Sharon was getting mugs from the cabinet, moving a glass cup that was in the way when she jumped back with a scowl; the glass shattering on the floor in the process. She hadn’t been expecting anyone to be next to her or even in the kitchen for that matter. “Wanda!”
 “I’m sorry!” the teen apologizes at the same time, eyes staring at her with trickling fear.  
 The sound of breaking glass and startled gasps had Helen rushing towards the kitchen to see what the commotion was. “What happened babe?” she questioned from the kitchen entrance.
 Wanda swiveled on her feet to face Helen, “I’ll clean it up.”
 “No, don’t worry, I’ll clean it,” Sharon sighed, surveying the area to see just how far the pieces went; there were some that went a sizable difference, landing beyond the kitchen entrance.

            “Wanda… there’s glass in your foot.”  
 Minty eyes drifted downwards and just like Sharon said, there was a piece of glass sticking out from the top of her left foot. Hands slid under her armpits and gingerly carried her over the threshold and placed her on the floor of the living room. She kept her head down, noises from the kitchen and in the hallway filling her ears as both women busied themselves with tasks. Helen was by her side in less than a minute after locating one of the many first aid kits the Romanoff-Hills had spread around the house. The doctor was efficient, removing the glass and cleaning the surrounding area. One thing caught her attention throughout the whole ordeal, while she did do her best in being gentle with the wound, the glass had been wedged in a sensitive body part with a decent amount of blood leaking from the cut… and yet Wanda showed no physical signs of pain; no heavy breathing, crying, or even scrunching of the face. It was as if Wanda hadn’t even registered the minor injury she just sustained. “Wanda, does your foot hurt?”
 Wanda’s eyes looked up, “I’m sorry for breaking the glass, I didn’t mean to.”
 There wasn’t a confirmation or declination to the question, just an apology that didn’t need to be said; Helen made note of that to share with Nat and Maria when they came home. “What we’re you doing in the kitchen?” was her next question. During the middle of their Lego setup, Helen had set off to use the bathroom and when she came back, Lucky was the only one in the living room. Wanda held out her hand, showing the dog bone shaped treat in her palm, “I was getting Lucky a treat and I accidentally scared Sharon, sorry.”
 “Don’t apologize, you did nothing wrong,” Helen dismisses with a small smile. There was apprehension on Wanda’s face as she looked at the bandaid on her foot, apprehension she didn’t verbally express with the older woman. “Thank you for wrapping my foot.”
 “You are welcome. As a doctor, cleaning wounds is as simple for me as reciting the alphabet.” Helen’s grin elicited a softer smile from the teen; Wanda was still apprehensive but was starting to relax again, she liked the Carter-Cho’s. “Can you walk for me?”
 Wanda rose to her feet and did a mini test strut, she didn’t understand why Helen was so concerned; her foot hadn’t hurt when she initially got hurt and it didn’t hurt now. She wondered if it was the Doctor side of her coming out or if this was just how Helen naturally was.

           “It doesn’t look to be bothering you so I think everything is alright,” Helen finally decided and Wanda nodded.  
 She sat down amidst the legos and tried to calm her mind so she could figure it what set to build first. Sharon came to join them shortly, deftly carrying three mugs of steaming chocolate, handing one to Wanda then her wife. “Alright kid, which set first?”
 Wanda gave a semi- confident point before saying, “the air temple please.”
 The initial building process, the first 10 minutes or so, Wanda sat silently observing wife and wife; their relationship was different from her foster mothers. Natasha and Maria had an interdependent type relationship- neither one of them lost themselves, their identity, to it; they were still individuals who relied on each other for emotional stability when the time came. Helen and Sharon’s relationship was something of the same but different; their energies were more relaxed, laidback, as they supported each other with no questions. The best way to describe the difference is that the Carter-Cho’s made her feel welcomed and less anxious while the Romanoff-Hills radiated comfort and safety, at least that’s how Wanda broke it down in her mind. She watched Helen piece together 2 bricks with a look of concentration, a smile gracing her face once she heard them click, “it’s the last week of summer vacation, are you guys going to do anything before the start of school?”
 “We’re going to the aquarium tomorrow… I’m excited.”
 “There’s a nice aquarium upstate that allows you to pet some of the animals,” Sharon stated, “we went when we first started dating. What’s your favorite?“  
 “Turtles!” came the fast answer from the teen, she was bouncing as best as her position would allow, “Tasha and Maria bought me a turtle for my first day here. He stays in my room and doesn’t have a name.”
 “You gonna give him one?” the blonde inquired.
 “I don’t know,” Wanda honestly shrugged, not having given it much thought.
 “I’m cliché, dolphins all the way.” Sharon shot her wife a (playful) warning glance when she giggle at the statement, “mines is a clown fish, most people don’t know that they’re omnivores.”
 “The jellyfish exhibit and the ray exhibit have an area where you can pet them, Nat likes jellyfish and Maria likes otters. Make sure you stop by there tomorrow,” Sharon helpfully advised; if at all possible, Wanda grew even more excited for tomorrow’s adventure.

            Natasha and Maria strolled inside an hour and a half later, having a small second to hang up their coats in the foyer before being intercepted by their friends. For some reason, they were immediately worried about what could’ve happened but seeing as they trusted their friends to keep Wanda safe, they had the benefit of the doubt.  
 “We want you to know everything is okay and we had a great night,” Sharon stated, trying to assuage any bad thoughts the foster mothers had brewing.
 “Yes it was a great night though Wanda did get injured. Nothing serious but she did end up with a shard of glass in the top of her foot that’s I cleaned and bandaged,” Helen finished.
 Sharon ran a hand through her hair, letting it sit on the crown of her head, “sorry the kid got hurt on our watch, we’re usually pretty good at these things.”
 Maria stepped around them to place her shoes where they needed to be, “Wanda’s fine right?”
 “Yes, the glass didn’t hit any veins but will most likely scar,” Helen answered.
 “Then everything’s okay,” Natasha reassured them with a shrug, “she’s a teenager. Cuts and scrapes are apart of life.”
 Natasha and Maria weren’t ones to play games: if they said something then they meant it; it was a very reassuring quality about them. Maria guided them towards the door while Natasha went to remove her own shoes, “thanks for staying with her, we appreciate it.”
 Sharon tossed her friend a two finger salute, “our pleasure, kid’s really bright. If you want us to stay with her again, we’d be up for it. Night Maria.”
 “Thanks. G’night guys!” Natasha waved from the doorframe after mysteriously ending up next to Maria. Sharon’s quick to get them into the car then get it into gear, smoothly pulling out the driveway. Tonight had been one of different emotions: from excitement to fear back to excitement. Overall, the Carter-Cho’s were just relieved that Sharon hadn’t pulled her gun on the teen; Nat and Maria would kick her ass if they knew she shoved the barrel of a gun in their kid’s face.

            Natasha and Maria were intrigued with how fast Sharon, and therefore Helen, rushed to their car; knowing Sharon, it means she did something they wouldn’t be happy about. Their answer came in the form of Wanda and Lucky sitting on the floor surrounded by loose Lego bricks; Liho expertly walking around and ever each piece so that she could crawl into the teen’s lap. 
 “Hi Maria! Hi Tasha! Look, they brought me Legos!” she held up a half built creation, “how was the meeting?”
 Natasha gave a soft kiss to her forehead, Maria slowly lowering to her knees to sit beside the teen, staring at all the tiny pieces that she knew they would eventually step on. “Meeting was good. The information is useful and we also did a few hands on activities. Besides the legos, how was your night?”
 A brief look of panic flashed across Wanda’s face and to try and hide it, she bowed her head, “um Sharon was making hot chocolate and I scared her then which made her drop the mugs and break them. There was a piece that got stuck in my foot… Helen cleaned it and wrapped it. I’m sorry, it was an accident.”
 “We know, it’s fine. Don’t apologize for things that aren’t your fault,” Natasha dismissed the apology, “what are you building?”
 Wanda nodded at Natasha’s statement to not apologize if she wasn’t at fault; it was a habit she developed from living in multiple foster homes, constant apologies ensured that those around her were less angry and less likely to lash out at her, physically and verbally. “It’s going to be Lucky, we already built the other two sets.”
 “Sets?” “Ah fuck,” the two said simultaneously. Getting the joking tone, Wanda giggled at Natasha’s over exaggerated eye roll. She gently placed Liho on the ground then walked over to the coffee table, reaching behind it for the finished products. “It’s the Air temple and The Great Wave.”
 Both sets were magnificent to look at, the details from the block pegs adding a sense of animation to the whole thing.
 “Nice job lyubimaya,” the redhead complimented, grinning when Wanda’s cheeks pinkened at the praise, “are you gonna take them apart or leave them as is?”
 Examining the sculptures, Wanda let herself think for a little, “… I’ll keep them today and then take them apart tomorrow after the aquarium…” she trailed off, placing the structures on the table.
 “I like your plan, sounds great,” Natasha further encouraged, liking the growth of Wanda’s character.
 “I like them; Helen is nice and smart and Sharon makes me laugh. Are they going to come over again soon?”
 “Shit as long as they don’t bring anymore Legos.” Wanda giggled again at Maria’s disgruntled face; it was obvious she cared deeply about her friends and enjoyed spending time with them. Legos, on the other hand, seemed to be an unrequited enemy. “Where are you going?”she asked when they both rose to their feet.
 “To take a shower. Then we’re going to eat dinner and watch tv while we prepare for tomorrow. That sound fine with you?” Natasha inquired. Having a plan for activities seemed like the best parental thing to do so Wanda knew what to expect until it was time for bed, at least that’s what they said at tonight’s meeting anyways.
 “Da, its okay, I’ll clean up the Legos,” Wanda offered and Maria couldn’t be more pleased; legos were fun but she knew from experience what it was like to step on one while barefoot and she’d rather not be assaulted by them in her own home.

Chapter Text

      Maria was soft as she and Nat strolled past Wanda’s room, not wanting to disrupt the teen’s slumber if they didn’t need to; it was only 5:30 and the aquarium didn’t open for another 5 hours, until 10:30. Natasha yawned as she grabbed pots from the cabinets to make breakfast while Maria went straight for the kettle to make Earl Grey tea; she wanted to lower her caffeine intake without cutting it out completely.  “What are we eating Masha?”  
 Maria inhaled a large sip of her tea, holding the liquid in her mouth as she thought to herself. “I don’t know,” she swallowed and eventually shrugged, “chef’s choice?”
 A wide grin adorned the redhead’s face, “draniki, fried eggs, oatmeal, and fruit it is.”
 When Natasha was done making breakfast, Maria gratefully accepted the plate of food her wife offered her along with her mug, Natasha took her bowl of oatmeal, they headed into the living room together to watch tv. It was their moment of quiet before the day started, before Wanda and the pets were up and in need of attention and affection and before friends and family were awake to badger and annoy them all day. Their moment of relaxation drawled on for a while longer, Maria quietly laughing at the tv screen when something frightened them out of their reverie. Wanda pounced on the back of the couch, a wide, toothy grin eating her entire face, “dobroye utro!”
 Natasha brushed sleep ridden hair from her face with a small smile, shaking her head when the hair fell right back down, “dobroye utro Wanda, where are you coming from?” Based on the position of her body, it wasn’t possible for Wanda to come from upstairs, a  speculation that was confirmed when Wanda sheepishly gazed at her. “I was in the calming room; I was too excited and had to do something.”
 “Did you get any more sleep?” Maria inquired from over her shoulder.
 Brushing more hair from her face, Wanda gave a neutral answer, “I think maybe another hour?”
 Wanda’s sleeping patterns were really strange, at least to the Romanoff-Hills, so as usual, they were willing to accept any amount of sleep she received with no arguments. From speaking with her, they knew it wasn’t an active effort to stay awake and because it wasn’t her fault, they never got upset with her.

            “What time does the aquarium open again?” 
 “10:30, we still have a few hours. In the meantime, eat breakfast,” Maria instructed.  
 Wanda went into the kitchen to make herself a plate before coming back to join her foster parents on the couch. She sat next to Natasha, silently joining the pair in their tv watching. She was eating her fried eggs when she glanced over at Natasha, who had taken another spoonful of her oatmeal. Curious as to how it would taste, wanda cocked her head to the side and gently tugged on Natasha’s sleeve. “Can I try some of your oatmeal please?”
 Natasha scooped a serving then held the spoon towards Wanda’s lips; the teen hesitating momentarily. She eyed the hot cereal with a bit of skepticism: it didn’t look mushy or bland, there wears fresh fruit and raisins… Wanda liked raisins. Biting the proverbial bullet, she opened her mouth and accepted the food she asked for. She chewed quietly, everything was just right, and after a long pause, she offered Natasha a thumbs up, “I like it.”
 Maria had a self satisfied smirk; she had told Wanda from the start that she would like the way they prepared oatmeal, Natasha liked being able to see and taste each oat. “I’ll make you a small bowl then.”
 There wasn’t much to do after breakfast besides watching the dishes so Maria had suggested for Wanda to either pack for school or to pack for the farm. It sounded like a good idea at the time but as she stared at the copious amounts of clothes in the closet, Wanda found that she didn’t want to do either activity as there wasn’t enough time; the aquarium opened at 10:30 and it was currently 7:39. If she started packing now, then she would surely forget to change for the aquarium, knowing that she would get lost in the activity. And if she forgot to get dressed then it would take her a few minutes to do so which would make them late which affected how long they would be able to stay at each exhibit. So no… she wouldn’t pack either bag right now only because they were going to the aquarium soon. After what felt like days but had only been hours, everyone was dressed and Natasha and Maria were packed, the trio made their way towards the car. Wanda requested if she could play music, Natasha connected her phone to the Bluetooth system in less than a minute, the car filling with the sounds of Rather Be by Clean Bandit. Wanda bopped along, singing softly while her fingers thrummed against her thigh; she was so carefree, Maria snapped a picture. Once they park, Maria gets out the passenger seat and rounds the car to get to Wanda, opening her door and holding a hand out; a hand Wanda excitedly takes. They meet Kate and Yelena by the entrance, Yelena placing their personalized helmets on the bike. Kate waved and Wanda’s eyebrows lift with interested, her peridot eyes analyzing the bike with fervor, “you ride motorcycles?”
 “Yeah, have for years,” Yelena whipped her head, riding herself of helmet hair, “Natalia taught me. You still have your bike yes Natalia?”
 Electric greens stared into honey greens, “yeah, mines is in the garage; I don’t ride as much anymore.”
 Truth was, Natasha loved her motorcycle, she’d done it up herself. The only reason she  barely rode it nowadays was for safety reasons; she’d made the decision after they went through the foster certification process. She couldn’t account for the dangers of her job but she could do all she could outside of work to keep herself safe and alive.

            Yelena winked, smirking at the teen as she kept her voice low, “I’ll take you for a drive one day.”  
 After a quick peruse of the aquarium map, a small argument about where to go first, and a coin flip later, Kate got to make the decision of where to go and to no one’s surprise, she chose the shark exhibit. Wanda walked further ahead, between Kate and Yelena respectively, buzzing quietly while craning her head to look at all the fish in the tunnel. Upon entering the exhibit, Kate’s eyes begun to sparkle, her mouth moving faster than her eyes. “Did you know that depending on the ecosystem, sharks may predate alligators even though they’re both considered some of the oldest creatures on Earth? However, the Coelacanth beats them both, they’re known as living fossils and scientists thought they were extinct until 1983.”
 “No,” Wanda shook her head with a cute smile, “I did not know. Do you know anything else about sharks?”
 “Yeah!” Kate nodded energetically, clasping her hand in the teen’s and dragging her over to the model display of a great white’s jaw, “there are 4 different shark tooth type categories that all depend on a species diet. Nurse shark and angel sharks, the less aggressive of the species, have dense flattened teeth. Blue and bull sharks eat softer prey like squids and flounders; they have needle like teeth. Great whites have pointed, triangular teeth that are great for eating dolphins and seals. Then there’s filter feeders like the whale shark, who mainly eat krill.”
 “Fun fact: Mako sharks being able to swim over 40 miles an hour has gained them the title of most athletic shark,” Yelena interjected, nodding when Wanda looked at her in surprise. “Yes, it’s true, shark week with Kate Bishop taught me that.”
 Maria shared an amused side eye with Natasha, a small smirk on both their faces as Kate, and Yelena, dragged Wanda around the room, spewing shark facts. Kate tended do that that when it pertained to something she had a strong interest in as did Yelena and Wanda; Natasha and Maria found it absolutely adorable how they were bonding, Maria was quick to snap a photo of the three of them.
 “That‘s a lemon shark,” the archer pointed at a yellowish shark swimming by, “they’re named for their yellowish hue.”
 Maria furrowed her brows in worry when Wanda jerked forward, being suddenly pulled along her wrist by Kate; she was going to tell the younger woman to be a bit more gentle. Kate was used to towing strong people behind her with no issue i.e. Steve, Bucky, Thor, Yelena; Wanda was on the lighter side and didn’t need to be tossed around as if she were a rag doll. In the end, the teen didn’t seem to be bothered, if her quite literally bouncing next to Kate was any indication.
 “They’re viviparous which means they give live birth as opposed to laying eggs like many other sharks do.”
 Yelena looked over her shoulder, shooting Maria a playful smirk for reasons unknown, a smirk that morphed into a wide grin when Natasha held up her phone to take a picture.

            Wanda’s hand was securely clasped in Maria’s while they strolled through the tunnel of fish, her eyes were latching onto every fish, every coral, every predator in proximity; it was becoming a little overwhelming. She stepped closer into Maria’s side, looking over her shoulder with curiosity at the sound of Yelena cackling and Kate’s giggles; they were making fishy lips at the animals and Natasha was taking pictures like a proud parent. Thanks to Natasha and Yelena’s intensive ballet training, they were able to make their way through most of the exhibits before having to stop for lunch. The otters were in their own area, Maria swooning at the little, furry creatures while they drifted in the water, holding hands. Wanda managed to get a picture of her and Natasha pointing at the animals with a childlike smile. The jellyfish exhibit did involve a touch tank, one that Wanda was initially hesitant about- not because of the potential of getting stung but moreso because she was wearing sleeves and she didn’t want them to get wet, she hated the way it clung to skin. Natasha touched the head of the jellyfish first, as a form of encouragement, followed by Kate and Maria going up together. Wanda stayed at the back, nibbling her lower lip; she wanted to try but couldn’t bring herself to do it.  
 “Are you going to touch the fish?” Yelena questioned with arms crossed over her chest.
 “No, I don’t think so… I don’t want to get my sleeves wet,” she felt childish the moment the words tumbled from her mouth, Yelena wasn’t judging her though. 
 “I can help you.” Yelena rolls up her sleeves in a way that they cuff above her elbow without rolling down, allowing her enough length to dip in the water without worry of wet sleeves. With this new development, Wanda does a little jump and speeds towards the open tank, almost into Natasha’s inviting arms. The texture was revolting; it was slimy and wet and felt like firm jello. It was something Wanda wouldn’t do again but at least she could say that she tried and didn’t like it. There were other touch tanks that she preferred more such as the starfish tank and the seashell tank; those ones she played in with no issue. Kate was the one who broke them for lunch, her loud exclamation of “I’m hungry” triggering everyone else’s hunger.

            Wanda sat on the bench, squeezing her hands between her legs. Maria was ordering lunch for everyone, mainly because she felt it was unnecessary for all 5 of them to be at the register when one person could get it done. She was having a nice time, however a few minutes ago she could feel the shift in her body; her skin was beginning to get that staticky feel and little things were starting to annoy her. “Natasha,” she gently called, not intending to interrupt Yelena’s rant about straws harming the turtles of the ocean.  
 “Hmm?” the redhead hummed, looking at Wanda from a side view.
 “Can I get a hug please?” 
 Natasha smiled at her, Wanda reciprocated it back, and then there were powerful arms engulfing her in a firm hug. Others may have found the pressure too constructing, Wanda was the opposite; the pressure soothed her in a way and helped her calm her nerves. Maria came back to the table a few minutes later with a tray full of food, appropriately distributing everyone’s order. Natasha released her when Maria gave her her food, “eat please.”
 “Hey Wanda?” Kate pointed a French fry in her direction after a gleeful moment of silence, “did Pietro have a favorite sea animal?”
 “Pietro didn’t have a favorite sea animal, he did like elephants though,” the Sokovian fondly responded. “I think a seal would be his favorite because they’re loud too.”
 Chit chat and photos from the day get shared as the quintet finish off their meal, garbage going in the trash and empty trays stacked neatly on top of each other.
 “I wanna see what’s in the gift shop,” Kate blurts out.
 “Yes,” Yelena nods, “I want a snow globe.”
 Perusing the shop, everyone walked out with a wanted gift: Kate with a shark plushie, Yelena with an aquarium shirt and a snow globe for her parents, Nat with a dolphin shirt, Maria with an otter crew neck, and Wanda gets a whirlpool lava lamp and a book about turtles- all the proceeds going towards wildlife conservation efforts. The sea turtle exhibit was the last place to visit on their list, a very deliberate action on Maria’s part. Wanda watched the turtles up close, the tip of her nose touching the cool glass and moved her head from side to side as if swaying with the turtles, content with just watching them swim by.

———
            They absently strolled past a restroom, Yelena abruptly stopping them as she turned to Kate, arms crossed over chest, “eh Kate Bishop, use the bathroom before you get on my bike.”
 Kate rolled her eyes but still shoved hrr plushy into Wanda’s arms, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “Yelena,” she spoke through gritted teeth, bright blue eyes darting around the room, “that only happened twice, one time I was drunk and the other I was sick.”
 “Yeah yeah, enough with your reminders,” Yelena dismissively waved off with her hand and her own eye roll, “let’s use the bathroom.”
 Wanda hummed to herself, transferring all the items in her hands into Natasha’s unprepared arms, “hold these please? I need to use the bathroom too.” Once her hands were free, she speed walked into the restroom, easily catching up to Yelena and Kate as there was a decently sized line of other women waiting outside the stalls. Maria was quickly typing on her phone with learned ease, Natasha’s (purposely) loud sigh drawing her attention away from the screen. “Yes dear?”
 Green eyes narrowed at her, Maria just barely holding in her laughter, “you know I hate when you call me that.”
 “Fine. Yes Natasha?” she corrected herself, sliding her phone in her pocket; she was done sending text messages for now anyways.
 “Nothing,” the redhead twisted up her face, “I’m just bored and my feet are tired.”  
 “When we get home, you can rest your feet on the coffee table while I make dinner if you want?” she tried to compromise with her wife; normally she would offer to rub her feet but after all the excitement of today, Maria just wasn’t feeling up for it especially since for them, a foot massage (like most massages) almost always led to sex. Natasha pouted, her body deflating but was quickly corrected to present a show of nonchalance, “that’s not what I was implying.” 
 “Mmm,” Maria smirked, playfully stealing Kate’s shark from her arms, “whatever you say Detective Romanoff.” She stumbled backwards a bit from the push to her shoulder, a laugh falling from her lips and Natasha getting ready to do it again. “It’s Romanoff-Hill, Commander.” The teasing nickname and natural rasp of her wife’s voice causing Maria to bit her lower lip in an attempt to extinguish the kindling of desire she just stirred in her; it helped a little. Her eyes analyzed the area, a sigh of relief escaping through her nose at her find. “There are picnic tables over there,” she pointed in the opposite direction of where they were facing, “we can sit.” 
 Natasha hummed a sound of acknowledgment, walking up to the first empty picnic table she saw and depositing the teddy bears in front of her while she pulled out her phone. Maria straddled the bench, her trunk directed more towards the restroom so she could wave down her family once they exited. She gave a polite smile to a husband who sat down on the bench a few feet across from them with a baby in a stroller, his wife handing over her purse as she headed into the bathroom and left them alone. The baby nibbled on a cookie, his interested gaze set primarily on Natasha. Clumsily climbing out of the stroller, as he was only sitting to eat and not strapped in, the toddling tot made his way over on steady legs, eyes bright the closer he got to the red headed Romanoff-Hill. With an affectionate smirk, Maria tapped Natasha’s shoulder then leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “you have an admirer.” 
 The younger Romanoff-Hill clutched her phone, rolling her eyes as annoyance  radiated off of her; it wasn’t unusual for men  (and sometimes women alike) to stair at the couple with lust tinged eyes. Being a lesbian presenting couple, and Nat being a redhead, people often projected their weird sexual fantasies on them and sometimes felt emboldened enough to approach them about said fantasies. Assuming that was the case now, Natasha aggressively swiveled around only for her eyes to widen and her mouth to drop open, a slight curve playing on her lips.

            The baby’s eyes visually widened, his shoulders scrunching up to his ears as he let out a sweet giggle, those big brown eyes of amazement never leaving Natasha’s face. “Oh hi, little man! What’s your name?” she cooed in sotto voce earning her another round of sweet giggles; he couldn’t have been any older than 18 months. A toothy grin spread across his little face, “hi.” 
 Wanda exited the bathroom first, only because Kate was kind enough (and practically forced her) to cut in front off her, searching the area on tiptoes. Her foot hovered, her step halted as she looked on with pain swimming in her eyes; Tasha and Maria were cooing around with a baby and they looked so… happy. They were never that happy when she was around but in reality, it made sense though; most people wanted to adopt babies or toddler, not 15 year old foreigners… it was the truth and it hurt just as much a lie. She stayed parked near the bathroom entrance, subtle tears falling from her eyes as she discontentedly watched from a distance. A man with brunette hair and cheeks tinged pink awkwardly jogged towards them; Maria  instantly recognizes him as the infant’s father. Little arms stretched up, hands making a grabby motion, “up please.” 
 Both women melted at the little voice (that dropped the l in the word and made it sound like peas) and Natasha had no choice but to comply with the simple request. As she slid her hands under his armpits, his father finally made it to their side of the bench, “I am so sorry for him disturbing you.”
 “It’s okay, he’s not bothering us right babe?”Natasha assured, perching the infant on her hip and bouncing her knees. His little fingers played with the ends of her hair, completely ignoring his embarrassed dad standing in front of him.
 “Yeah, this sweet little boy was just enamored with my wife and wanted to say hello,” Maria tacked on, giving the infant’s tummy a few tickles; he laughed loudly, trying to block where Maria’s fingers would go next.
 “I’m Jarrod and that’s my son Noah, he’s extremely friendly,” the now named mystery man stated as Natasha transferred his son into his arms. Noah dropped his head on his dad’s shoulder, playing with one of the buttons adorned on his shirt, “Daddy pwetty,” he muttered then slid his thumb in his mouth.
 “Yes she is pretty,” he whispered in response. He glanced up at the Romanoff-Hills with another blush to his cheeks, “he also favors redheads.”
 Maria bit her tongue, ready to make a joke at Natasha’s expense but she refrained as it also wasn’t appropriate for little ears to hear. “I’m Maria and this is my wife Natasha,” she indicated with a flick of her head, “pleasure to meet you both.”
 “Same, I’m glad he chose you two. He knows about stranger danger, it’s it’s simplest form and doesn’t just walk up to anyone,” Jarrod caressed his son’s hair affectionately, “only certain people and we haven’t exactly pinpointed what attracts him to people.”

            Maria nodded, two sets of Romanoff-Hill eyes drifting over the man’s shoulder to a thin woman rushing towards them, much like Jarrod had.
 “Did he run off again?” Concern laced the woman’s words making it obvious who she was in relation to this whole thing.
 “Yeah, he did,” Jarrod shook his head, “sorry. This is my wife, Elyse. Honey, this is Natasha and Maria,” he appropriately pointed.
 Elyse gave a little wave with a sheepish grin; she was far less embarrassed about this than her husband. Her cheekbones were high and had a light dusting of freckles, her teeth bright, her smile was friendly and her hair a shade and a half deeper than Natasha’s; the mystery of why Noah liked her so much solving itself. Elyse grinned from ear to ear when her son excitedly perked up at her, his brown eyes an exact replica of her own. “Mama, hi!”
 “Hi baby boy! You know better than to wander off,” she lightly reprimanded.
 “Mmm,” the toddler nodded, “I sorry.”
 “Really, he wasn’t any trouble at all,” Maria reassured them again with a kind smile.
 Elyse rested a hand over Noah’s cheek, cradling his head close to her shoulder, one of his hands sliding under the collar of her shirt. “Thank you for being understanding; most people look at us with disdain when he wanders off, they think we’re bad parents.”
 “It takes a village,” Natasha shrugged, giving Noah’s curly hair a ruffle and earned another toothy, though sleepy, grin.
 Jarrod gave his watch a quick glance then pursed his lips, “we better get going, it’s way past his nap time; a cranky toddler makes those around them want to commit mass homicide.”
 “We’re leaving now, say buhbye to your new friends Noah,” Elyse encouraged in a soft voice.
 “Bye bye,” Noah waved with his entire hand.
 Natasha and Maria made sure to both wave bye as the little family went back to their table to retrieve their belongings. Once properly strapped into his stroller, Noah kicked his little feet and let his head droop to the side. Wanda startled with a gasp when a hand rested against her lower back, wiping away her tears with a softness that made it seem as if she were only rubbing at her eyes and not actively crying.
 “You standing here is creepy, very unsettling,” Yelena’s familiar Russian drifted to her ears.
 “I wasn’t creeping,” she lamely argued in the same tongue, twisting the rings on her fingers with nervousness.
 “You were and not very well either.”
 Guilt burned at Wanda’s cheeks, her head dipping down while she twisted the ring on her middle finger, “I… sorry.”
 The blonde kept her hand on Wanda’s back, looking over her shoulder for Kate to make an appearance. “It’s fine, I do not care,” she said without a care, “do you know where Natalia and Maria are?”
 Kate marched out the bathroom 15 seconds later with an annoyed look on her face as two women exited from behind her; she quickly stepped to stand beside her two friends. “Jeez, some people are just so rude. They couldn’t have said excuse me or even better… just wait for me to move forward two steps?!”
 “People are rude, it’s human nature Kate,” Yelena flatly stated with a playful eye roll.
 “Yeah, well it’s annoying. I’d much rather- OH! There’s Nat and Maria,” she suddenly pointed.

            Yelena gently grabbed Kate’s wrist and guided both of the younger women to the picnic table, Wanda trudging with reluctance. “We’re ready to go sestras!”  
 Maria hummed in agreement, unstraddling the bench and collecting the stuffed plushy to hand over to an awaiting Kate.
 Wanda stayed silent, breathing in slowly to keep her sadness at bay. Yelena removed her hand, affection getting replaced by Natasha who absently brushed the teen’s hair down as she listened to Kate tell Maria what she was going to name her new plushy. “Did you enjoy yourself today?” she questioned, her eyes focusing on Wanda after. When she caught a glimpse of teary eyes, she craned her head towards her in a discreet manner, “are you alright? Is something wrong?”
 “No, I’m sorry. I-I’m just tired.”
 “Let’s go home then.”
 Wanda nodded, letting her body easily walk in tandem with Natasha as they all headed for the exit. After hugs and goodbyes were exchanged outside, Kate and Yelena hopped onto the blonde’s motorcycle and drove off while the small foster family loaded into their car. Music played from the radio and when Wanda remained sullen in the back, Natasha’s eyebrows furrowed as did Maria’s at the radio silence the teen was exhibiting.
 “We’ll make dinner, why don’t you go upstairs and wash up hm?” Maria said as soon as they entered the house. She sighed when Wanda moped up the stairs, the dip in her mood worrying her and Nat; it was a daily event, sometimes occurring multiple times a day. They were well aware of the fluctuating emotional habits of teenagers, Wanda’s moods however, always seemed to be changing and they never knew what they were going to get. “Are we doing something wrong? This morning, Wanda was excited and buzzing around the room and now she looks on the verge of tears.”
 There was a look of understanding cemented on the Russian’s face, a hand coming up to rub large circles on her wife’s back, “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t anything we did. I don’t know, I’ve noticed that Wanda is very sensitive which can make her extremely emotional; it’s not any of our faults or hers Masha.” 
 “I suppose you’re right,” Maria huffs, a tight expression tugging at her lips. Parents across the board, no matter what race or creed, have made numerous comments about the trials and tribulations of parenting: it’s not easy, not everyone is fit to be a parent, being a mother is the hardest job you’ll ever have. She didn’t expect herself to be a perfect parent, that was a ridiculous thought in and of itself, she did think she’d be better at all of it though. “I just care about her and want her to have a good life… maybe like how it was before her family died.” 
 “I know,” Natasha sympathetically pouted, her hand still rubbing circles on the brunette’s back, “we’re first time parents, still learning and adapting; there are those that would argue that we’re doing well so far.”
 Feeling marginally better (Nat’s words always tended to do that), Maria reciprocated the sympathetic smile and nodded. “I’m going to take a shower.”
 “okay love.” Natasha watched her wife walk out the room, eyes fixated on the spot where her wife was. She felt for her wife, she had the same compunctions however, her own familial experiences better prepared her for moments like these. There was a bitter smell wafting through the air, Natasha sucking her teeth when she realized that it was dinner starting to burn.

———

            Wanda twisted her spoon, the contents dropping onto her plate with little interest as she stared blankly at the table. She’d eaten roughly two and a half bites the entire meal and said nothing despite both Natasha and Maria trying to engage her within different points of the dinner with no success. After they’d finishing eating, Maria began collecting plates with knitted brows. She grabs the edge of Wanda’s barely eaten plate, giving her shoulder a gentle nudge with her hip, “are you done with your dinner?”  
 With a small glance towards her, Wanda gives a silent nod, her head remaining on the wooden table.
 “Would you like something else to eat instead?” Wanda had an off habit of not eating enough sometimes, or not eating at all; the crazy thing is… it never seemed intentional, just something that happened.
 “No, thank you,” the Sokovian softly declined the offer.
 Natasha and Maria shared a glance, those were the only other alternatives they could think of as they were not going to let Wanda go to bed without a sufficient meal.
 “Then can you try and eat a few more bites please?” Natasha urged in a soft voice and though she didn’t want to, Wanda picked up her spoon and brought a small helping to her lips. Maria resumed washing dishes, Natasha clearing the table when Wanda’s accented voice gave them pause: “do you wish you received a toddler or baby instead of me?”
 Maria was rooted in her spot, a questioning glance being shot Natasha’s way, the redhead communicating in response with her face twisted with its on perplexed expression. Neither of them were able to pinpoint Wanda’s thought process with the question; as much as they could remember, neither of them have ever made mention of babies and/or toddlers in the teen’s presence excluding when she first arrived to their house and asked about their sexual orientations.
 “No… not really,” Natasha carefully elongated in an even tone. She took the  seat directly beside Wanda; offering eye contact so the teen knew she had her full attention, “why do you think we would we prefer a toddler or baby?”
 Wanda dejectedly shrugged, twiddling her fingers as her eyes landed back onto her bowl of food, “everybody wants a baby; they’re cute and young so you get to raise them as your own.” Her eyebrows scrunched together, her nose crinkling as peridot eyes turned to Natasha, “do you think you would be happier with one around?”
 Natasha’s lips came together in thought, “I don’t think we’d be happier one way or another.”
 “Our home is open to everyone in need,” Maria chimed in, her taking a squat. With her height and Wanda sitting in a chair, she was almost perfectly eye level with the teen, “and we mean everyone, not just babies. We want to provide a safe and nurturing environment even if it’s only temporary.”
 Wanda internally scoffed; that statement was hard to believe when she’d witness firsthand just how content they were with that toddler earlier today. Adopting/fostering a toddler was easier than a doing the same for a teenager, everyone preferred the easier option.

            Natasha grabbed one of Wanda’s hands, ceasing the twiddling her fingers were doing, and gave a gentle squeeze. “What made you ask about babies?”  
 Wanda refused to make eye contact, instead shifting uncomfortably in her seat and looking anywhere besides her foster mothers soft gazes.
 “Come on lybumiya, you can tell us what’s on your mind,” Natasha encouraged.
 Wanda was silent, momentarily sucking her lip between her teeth then letting it drop. “at the aquarium today,” her eyes drifted over to Maria, “I saw you guys with the baby. You were so excited and-and smiling, you didn’t stop smiling. You’d be much happier with a baby around,” she declared, unwavering towards her stand.
 Wanda’s adamance shot a twinge of hurt across Maria’s chest, her heart hurting for her; clearly at her young age, all Wanda was searching for was acceptance and familial love something she spent ages doing herself when she was a young adult. “Not happier, just more energetic,” she carded her fingers through brune wavy locks. “We kept an upbeat energy so Noah knew that we were friendly and not angry with him; babies and toddlers have great emotional awareness so it was important for us to portray ourselves appropriately so that he was comfortable. We like having you in our home.”
 Natasha shifted forward, vibrant eyes firmly locked onto Wanda’s as she spoke, “it’s hard to believe anything someone tells you when you’re constantly bounced from family to family, but we mean it Wanda: you’re a great person and having you in our lives for this short period of time has made us better people.”
 Maria continued combing through Wanda’s hair, oblivious to the large frown she was sporting on her face due to the angle she was towering over from, “we love you kid.”
 Wanda tensed in constricting disbelief, she eyed them both suspiciously but only found pure sincerity. “But I don’t-“
 Maria lightly shushed her with a finger on her lip, “and one thing you need to know for sure is that we love you for who you are and not who you think we want you to be.” 
 The Sokovian timidly reached over, wrapping her arms around Maria’s waist; the brunette reciprocating the hug (even if the current angle made it slightly difficult and a little awkward). Natasha viewed them with an affectionate smile then effortlessly caught Wanda when she flung herself into her arms, “I love you guys too.” There was a wistful excitement to her breathy voice then she melted against Natasha when the redhead hugged her half a fraction tighter. She tapped her back, causing sanding to pull away, “eat a little bit more please so we can go to bed, it’s been a long day.”
 After consuming half her plate, Wanda was out to bed with a few chapters from her book and a kiss from each mother.

            There it was… Crestmoon Valley High. Wanda’s heart dropped to her stomach and it took everything within her to not regurgitate the delicious breakfast Maria made this morning. She was starting sophomore year as a new student with new parents; she had grown accustomed to this type of situation months after being in the system, that didn’t mean this was an easy process… all this without her twin. Natasha caught Wanda’s anxious form in the rear view mirror which made a remorseful frown develop on her own face. “You okay kid? You have everything you need? Backpack, supplies, phone, money?”
 “Yes,” Wanda gulped with a small nod, “I have everything.”
 Maria rotated in her seat so that she was staring at Wanda who was tapping her hand against her thighs, “you nervous?”
 Another silent nod from the teen.
 “It’s okay, just take a deep breath sweetie.” Maria exaggerated the technique for Wanda’s benefit, the teen following suit though her initial breathes were broken and shaky. “You’ll be fine sweetie. Nat and I will be home, you have our numbers, just call or text us if you need to.”
 “Yeah and we mean anything,” Natasha added as she leaned over the front seat, “even if you think it’s stupid.”
 “okay,” Wanda mumbled after giving them a less than convincing smile; it was just school, she would be fine.  
 Natasha’s smile was more graceful as she stretched to tap Wanda’s knee reassuringly, “I took the liberty of adding everyone’s numbers to your phone, in case of emergency and by some weird chance you can’t reach either of our phones.”
 “Everyone?” Wanda parroted with wide eyes.
 “Mhm,” Maria hummed, “Kate, Yelena, the Avengers, Laura, Nick, and even the Carter-Chos. Anything you need, you have their contact.”
 Looking at the time, Natasha gently shooed Wanda towards the door, “go on kid, you got 10 minutes until the first bell. You don’t want to be late.”
 Wanda briefly hugged each foster parent, Natasha kissing her on the temple and Maria pecking her cheek. “We’ll be here after school to pick you up,” Natasha reminded her. With them having leave from work for a few more weeks, the Romanoff-Hills decided to both take Wanda to school and also pick her up. Once their leave was completed though, Wanda would have to start taking the subway or the city bus. Wanda exited the vehicle with her bag over her shoulder and her phone in her hand, “bye Tasha, bye Maria.”
 “Bye sweetie, have a nice first day. We love you.”
 It was the second time Wanda had heard them say that, her eyes lighting up despite her nerves. “I love you too,” she breathed them was off.

            Natasha stayed over Maria’s shoulder, both pair of eyes following Wanda as she disappeared into the building. Wanda glanced down at her schedule, which was now in her phone, a suggested idea from Tasha who said that it would be easier than having to pull out the physical schedule every time she needed it; Wanda would admit that this was far more convenient. Skimming over her schedule, Wanda deduced that she had enough time to stop at her locker before her first class. With it being the first day and her not even starting classes yet, Wanda didn’t have much to store, only putting her later class supplies away and lightening her backpack load. The first bell rang over head and begrudgingly Wanda fell in step with the other students in the hallway, drawing her lip in her mouth when she made it to class. There were still tables with open seats, Wanda strategically choosing one that was in the middle of the classroom: not too far away from the board yet not awkwardly close to the teacher. She went over the syllabus as well as rules and expectations for the class. Afterwards was time for English which was more or less the same, she introduced herself with fun facts and told the class to be ready as they would be doing ice breakers throughout the week to get to know each other; the unrehearsed, simultaneous cacophony of displeased groans was evidence that nobody wanted to embarrass themselves in front of the entire classroom. Reading with Ms.Scayfair had been the same as English, only difference was her handing out the reading list for the year and discussing the overall theme of each section. She allowed herself to be a little enthusiastic for her next class: Creating 2D Art. Even if she didn’t like her teacher, or vice versa, nothing would ruin her joy over the art room. Hiding her grin, wanda found an open sit  as table with students that appeared to be easy going, who wouldn’t be bothered that there was a new kid sitting with them, 4 to a table. The teacher stood up when the bell rang, a pleased smile on her face, “morning class, nice to see your smiling faces, I’m your art teacher Mrs. Agatha Harkness. I apologize for not being at open house, truth is as much as I love my students, I haaatttee meeting your parents. They’re honestly the worse,” she chuckled like a 1950’s housewife (or a witch depending on your opinions of her), many of the other students laughing in turn. “Let’s go over the syllabus so I can answer any questions you guys have. Sound alright? Good.”

            As the bell rang to dismiss them, Wanda found that she was very much so liked this class, as well as her teacher. Lunch, however, had been the opposite ordeal. Not knowing anyone and not having made friends in any of her classes, the teen was truly alone amidst the crowd of excitable students. Any energy she had within her immediately disappeared, increasing her nervousness and also inviting her tears. The best thing to do, she decided, was to go somewhere… didn’t matter where, just as long as it wasn’t the cafeteria. Wanda wandered around the school, no predetermined location in mind, which is how she ended up by the auditorium. She wandered around there too, there were very little people around and anyone that did notice her, didn’t care enough to kick her out. A little storage room, far in the back by the stairs, with the room being dark is was difficult to spot- that’s where she sat, inhaling deeply as the tears grew fatter in her eyes. She pulled out her phone, contemplating whether or not to text Yelena or Kate; she wanted to text Tasha or Maria, deciding against it as she didn’t want to worry them. History was perhaps the class Wanda dreaded most; she didn’t like Mrs. Anderson and Mrs.Anderson didn’t like her. She sat in the middle of the back row, chewing on her lip to ease herself while Mrs. Anderson performed the attendance. There was contempt in her eyes as she briefly paused then called out Wanda’s name, the teen noticed her demeanor and looked away. Tasha and Maria will get me switched out, she repeated to herself for the remainder of the class. I won’t be here long, they’ll get me out. Her last two classes, French and English, were the same as the others: an extensive overview of the syllabus and instructions to prepare for “fun” icebreakers throughout the week. By the time she saw her foster mothers SUV on the car lane, she was about ready to keel over from the mental exertion of the day. She scuttled into her seat, both her foster moms looking at her with soft eyes.  
 “Hi sweetie,” Maria spoke first, waiting until her foster daughter was buckled in before driving off. “How was school?”
 With a sigh, Wanda shook her head and the message was instantly understood; both wives shared a somber look, that was becoming a common behavior amongst them. Fiddling with the volume button, Natasha quietly hummed to herself, “do you wanna to play your music over the Bluetooth?”
 “no thank you,” she softly muttered, eyes downcast while twiddling her fingers. Once home, Wanda slips off her shoes and deposits her backpack by the door before going upstairs to shower. Natasha fixed her mouth to tell Wanda to properly set her shoes in the foyer then berated herself into saying nothing as now would not be an appropriate setting. “What do you think happened?”
 Maria approached her from behind, her chin resting in the crook of her shoulder while draping her arms over her the redhead’s body. “Mmm, I don’t know babe. Maybe nothing happened and it’s just the stress and anxiety of a first day at a new school.”
 Natasha was certain that she was going to go gray with all the stress and worrying a child brought, secretly thought she was loving it.

             Chatting idly in the kitchen, Maria peeling vegetables while Natasha stirred a pot on the stove, their peripherals caught sight of Wanda sulking by, heading in the direction of her calming room. Opting to give her her quiet space, they resumed their cooking with no pause. When dinner time came around (and Wanda was ushered from the calming room), the mothers pulled out an ipad, the current page showing a list of random faces and little blurbs underneath. Wanda curiously tilted her head to the side and gave a little point at the screen, “what’s this?”  
 “We did extensive research today and found a few child therapists in the area,” Maria started, “we’d like for you to read it over and make a pick.”
 Pointing at herself, wanda frowned and glanced around the room, “I get to choose? That doesn’t seem right.” In her group homes, the directors had staff appointed therapists (some better than others) that would come to them; similar situation with her other foster homes, the parents picked who she saw.
 “The therapist is going to be someone you speak with about your life; you should be involved in the process of who you feel comfortable divulging that with,” Natasha simply explained.
 Peridot eyes perused over the list, agitation increasing from the task at hand. Wanda slightly pushed the IPad away from her, huffing and shaking her head. “Can’t you pick?” she whined.
 “No, it’s better if you pick sweetie,” Natasha declined then slid the tablet back towards the teen.
 “Okay that one,” Wanda pointed to a dirty haired blonde with large glasses, Dr. Daniel Boyd. The choice was too quick to have been well thought out. Wanda was exhausted so if they kept pushing, a meltdown was sure to ensue: they had to pick their battles.
 “Thank you,” Maria swiped the tablet and did some tapping, “his next open slot is this Wednesday after school.”
 Wanda nodded and went back to eating her dinner. She ended up washing the dishes, much to Natasha and Maria’s surprise as they hadn’t brought up the topic of daily chores yet. Just like after her shower, she disappeared into her calming room. Maria and lucky went for a night walk and Natasha fed Liho dinner, leaving out Lucky’s food for his return. When Maria came back, it was nearing Wanda’s bedtime. She was curled on the floor, a pillow under her head and turtle in her arms, the lava lamp from the aquarium illuminating the room in a soft azure glow. Natasha pecked her forehead and Maria drew the blanket up to her shoulders and dropped a kiss in the same spot as her wife. Maria wanted to move her, wanted to wake her so that she could sleep in a comfortable bed but Wanda needed to be in her calming room, whether awake or asleep. Hopefully tomorrow’s school day was more exciting.

Chapter Text

   Natasha was very wrong about following days to come. School pick up on Tuesday went almost the same as Monday, Wanda sliding into the car with one hand pressed to her chest. She buckled herself in with her free hand, listening to Natasha’s question, “hi sweetheart, did you have a nice day?”  
 With the same sullen expression she wore the day prior, Wanda shrugged before mumbling an “I guess.”
 As Natasha pulled out the car lane, Maria took notice of the brightly colored edges peeking through Wanda’s fingers. “What you got there?”
 There’s a distant gleam in Wanda’s peridot eyes and Maria waits patiently for a response, a few seconds later the teen clumsily shoves the papers to her. “They are permission slips you need to sign.”
 Maria quirked a brow as she accepted the messy crumple of papers, “did you just get these last period? Why didn’t you put them in your backpack?”
 “No,“ wanda shook her head, lifting her eyes to look at maria for the first time since entering the car, “I didn’t want to forget to give it to you; if I can see it, I won’t forget.”
 “Mmm”, the brunette hummed in acknowledgment because yeah, Wanda would forget to do little things such as verbal instructions or misplacing her phone (not that she was really a big phone user anyways). She didn’t think it was necessarily a problem, Wanda knew herself better so if that was her reason then Maria would not argue. “First week of school is always slow, what’ve you been doing in your classes besides going over the syllabus?” she asked to keep the conversation going; this was the most Wanda’s talked about school in the past 48 hours.
 The teen twiddled her fingers, drawing her lip between her teeth with a small frown, “we did ice breakers.”
 “What’s been your ice breakers?” Nat joined along into the conversation while making a left turn.
 “That I am a twin.” It was a simple fact that she used for every ice breaker in every class; using the same answer throughout the day made Wanda a little less anxious.
 “Your first therapy appointment with Dr. Boyd is tomorrow,” Maria switched the topic because this was more pertinent, “you have to finish the intake. We did the beginning but the rest requires you to fill out.”
 When they got home, it seemed like Wanda did everything under the sun besides the paperwork: she walked Lucky around the block twice, brushed Liho, packed for the farm and showered; she fluttered around with such speed that it was a wonder she didn’t make herself sick with all the back and forth she was doing. Natasha had to remind her twice to sit down and complete the paperwork during all her fluttering about and each time, Wanda would say okay then somehow find a new task to complete. She managed to complete the paperwork after dinner, singing softly to the music she had playing through her Bluetooth headphones; it was Natasha’s suggestion after seeing Wanda fidgeting on the couch and the girl declined wanting her weighted blanket. Music worked well to help redirect her when her mind needed it and apparently, it worked just as well for Wanda too. That night, unlike Monday, Maria and Natasha were able to tuck the teen into bed and read a chapter from her book before wishing her a good sleep. Early in the wee hours of the night, Maria heard Wanda softly tiptoe to her calming room.

———

            Wednesday was the breaking point, the Romanoff-Hills oblivious to this impending fact as they gave Lucky an early morning walk. Natasha was jogging a few feet ahead when she abruptly stopped causing Maria to jog up to her in concern, “what’s going on?”  
 Natasha held a finger up to her lips then a few seconds later muted her phone, “Mama and Papa are inviting us to lunch today.” She tapped the microphone on her screen then proceeded to put it on speaker, “Maria’s here.”
 “Maria, dubroye utro!” Melina energetically greeted through the phone, “we were just telling Natasha how we would like to see you two for lunch today.”
 “Lunch,” Maria muttered to herself while pulling at her own phone to peruse her calendar. “We have to go see Wanda’s guidance counselor for a meeting but after that, we’re free.”
 “Excellent,” Alexei cheered, “we will meet up at Ronaldo’s when you two are done. Good bye my little love bugs.”
 “Bye Alexei.”
 “Bye Mama and Papa,” they spoke in unison, the beeping signaling the end of the conversation.
 Natasha glanced at her wife, stressed bright blue eyes staring back at her with indifference. “Let’s finish our walk then go home and start getting ready, I guess,” the redhead shrugged.
 An arm wrapped around her wrist and drew her towards Maria’s jacket covered chest. “I still haven’t made it up to you for doing damage control for the cookout,” she murmured low in the redhead’s ear, the heat of her breath contrasting against the chill fall air and sending a shiver of warm excitement down Natasha’s spine, “I think we have enough time before the meeting.”
 Natasha gasped in annoyance when Maria pulled away from her, only to walk ahead with Lucky pattering along. She wasted no time in settling into a brisk jog and catching up with the two of them. After their walk around the neighborhood a few times, Maria made work on her promise.

            Cool and composed on the outside, Natasha and Maria sat across from Wanda’s guidance counselor Ms. Alan, inner  selves swelled with nervousness. The possibility that Wanda would be stuck with Mrs. Anderson was very plausible outcome and one that they didn’t dismiss. Reaching a hand across the table, the older woman greeted them with a smile, “Good morning Mrs. Romanoff-Hill and Mrs. Romanoff-Hill, nice to meet you. What can I help you with today?”  
 “Hello, we’re Wanda Maximoff’s foster mothers,” Maria introduced, “and we were wondering if it were possible for her to be switched into a different history class.”
 Ms. Alan drew her lips together, not really shocked or angry, “may I ask the reason, if any, for the request?”
 “Yes. During open house Mrs. Anderson made a disrespectful comment regarding Wanda’s intelligence and quite frankly, if she’s going to be making those comments outside of classroom hours, then imagine what she’ll say when Wanda’s around her peers.”
 “I see,” Ms. Alan absorbed the information, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. “Has there been any other students that have complained?”
 Natasha shook her head, “none to our knowledge.”
 The guidance counselor’s face dropped into a frown; it was obvious that neither woman was going to like what she was going to say. “We don’t have any official grounds to remove Wanda from her history class.”
 Natasha stared at the woman with a scowl, not that it was her fault but I also felt that the woman was doing the bare minimum. “Even if she made a derogatory comment directly to Wanda’s face?” she challenged.
 “With no other formal complaints against the teacher or physical evidence supporting your claim, there is not much I can do.”
 “Are there any other alternatives? Can she do it online instead?” Natasha was wracking her brain to find other options, not willing to accept that this way the way it had to be.
 “No, she can’t, we don’t offer it as a virtual course so she’ll just have to stay in this class. It’s a prerequisite for graduation and the only history course we currently offer at this grade level. It’s also a prerequisite for other history classes, she cannot move up without having the credits from this course.”
 There was an air of absoluteness in her time, an air that told Natasha and Maria that they’d lost. Shuffling together some papers that were on her desk, Ms. Alan gave a large sigh, “I’m sorry, really. We’ll set Mrs. Anderson up in a sensitivity training course and also start up a formal complaint with the principal so there’s a physical record.”
 Natasha nodded with resignation as she and Maria stood up, her wife glaring as they watched the counselor piddle around.
 “I apologize for the troubles she’s caused your family. If you have any other complaints or anything else you’d like to discuss, here’s my business card with my information.” She handed each a card, Natasha snatching both while Maria gently pushed her to the door.

            Natasha dipped her fry into her pile of ketchup, twirling it around but not actually eating it.  
 “Natasha,” Melina called in that tone that meant she was going to scold her oldest, “sit up straight and stop playing with your food.”
 Mumbling in Russian, Natasha did as she was told, sitting up straight but still playing with her fry.
 “How was the meeting?”
 “Melina,” Alexei drawled, giving his wife a side eye; they were both professionals at reading body language and both his children’s demeanor told them that the meeting didn’t go as planned. The older Russian returned his expression with silent defiance, “Natalia, Maria what was the outcome?”
 “We- they wouldn’t switch her out,” Maria morosely revealed, a melancholic glint on her eyes as she felt a hand on her left knee, a thumb drawing slow circles around the joint.
 Melina’s brows knitted together, her hand waving off a dismissal, “it’s fine. You will not always be able to achieve every task you set out to do. You tried your best.”
 “It’s not that Mama,” the redhead urged, Melina sending her a quirked brow in intrigue. “It’s just… Wanda’s been struggling this entire week with school and this was the one thing we could for sure help her with.”
 “School can be difficult, some children have a hard time adjusting,” Melina reasoned.
“Ah yes, remember Yelena. My little firefly,” he cooed, “for two years, after school she would come home and cry. She say everything was fine and there wasn’t any problems and so there was nothing I could do, it broke my heart.”
 The redhead almost forgot about how the transition from elementary school to middle school was rough on Yelena in a way none of them understood; all through 6th grade and half of 7th, Yelena would sob into her pillow or in the arms of whichever family member was around. She couldn’t understand how school could be hard enough to make a person cry everyday.
 “What is the reason for the switching of the classes anyways?” Alexei inquired, they had very little context about Wanda’s situation.
 “During open house, Wanda’s history teacher, Mrs. Anderson, made a statement about her intelligence.”
 “She called her stupid?” Alexei asked with complete disgust. “She is supposed to teach and encourage.”
 “I know,” Maria aggressively agreed, “the worse thing about the situation is Wanda was standing right there, she said it to her face.”
 With more context for the situation, Melina was far more enticed into getting violent; as children, Natasha and Yelena were subjected to similar treatment and just like then, Melina wouldn’t stand for that kind of behavior.

            “They say the class is a requirement and that they also don’t offer it online, so either way, Wanda has to stay where she is.”  
 Melina knows that for Natasha, it’s more than not being able to help Wanda, that this all circles back to being a failure, a personal childhood issue she’s always struggled with. After lunch, as both married couples approached their cars parked side by side, Alexei wrapped his huge arms around Maria’s waist and hoisted her into a bear hug, Melina doing the same to Natasha and cradled her head to her shoulder. Maria relaxed in Alexei’s embrace, it had taken her years to get comfortable with his touch (the touch of men in general) and even longer for her to accept one of his hugs. He rubbed her back in large circles, giving her a gentle squeeze, “this isn’t easy but you’re doing well,” Alexei praised.
 “My big girls,” Melina cooed and Natasha couldn’t help to let out an airy laugh. “You still have to come visit the farm.”
 “I know Mama,” Natasha smiled, “we’ll plan it. Not for this weekend though, we’re going to Clint’s.”
 “Ahh archer man, take pictures for us.”
 “When you come to the farm, bring Steven and uh Bucky with you. They are fun to have around the pigs,” the big man teased. He really did love having Steve and Bucky around (and Thor), they were some of the few men that could rival his size; despite his older age, Alexei liked to wrestle.
 “Okay Alexei, we’ll ask. No promises of course,” Maria conceded, exhaling deeply when she was finally released.
 Melina pecked Natasha’s forehead, “bye, thank you for coming to lunch,” she gave Maria a forehead kiss too. “Tell Wanda we say hi.”

———

           Therapy, or at least after therapy, was when the day boiled over and Wanda couldn’t contain her emotions anymore. She’d eaten a few bites of dinner and taken a shower and was watching tv in the living room with Liho when her foster mothers took a seat beside her. It had been a rough week for Wanda, Natasha could tell by the way Wanda was rocking back and forth and tapping her thigh; the behavior that was typically delicate and unnoticeable, was fast and jittery. Oh Natasha hated what they were about to do. “Wanda sweetie, we had that meeting with your guidance counselor about switching you into a different history class and unfortunately, she’s not able to do that.”  
 Wanda’s not sure when the tears start but eventually does become well aware that she’s sobbing- loudly. Her emotions are big and over dramatic, always have been since she developed memory and just like always, she couldn’t stop if she wanted to. It was a culmination of many things: sheer exhaustion from having to hide her physical behaviors (such as her finger tapping, rocking, and biting), a rough day at school (icebreakers in front of the entire class would forever be the arrow that shot her), she didn’t like Dr. Boyd, and now this, being stuck with Mrs. Anderson who downright despises her; all of it of came crashing down on her. It’s not until her sobs die down to a soft blubber that the cotton in her ears lightens up so that she can faintly hear her foster moms asking her a question. Muddled and sniffling, she nods at the question of wanting a hug, unable to push the words out her mouth. Maria’s in front of her with arms open so she accepts, crawling into her lap while the brunette squeezes her tight. “You’re okay sweetie, you’re safe,” Maria reassured, caressing Wanda’s head close.
 Warm eyes grazed over mother and foster child, Natasha loved how comfortable Wanda was with her wife. They were quickly coming to understand that Wanda’s emotions were like that of a toddler: large and hard to control once the fam bursted. It’s one of the few reasons they wanted to get her into therapy so that she could get professional help and also develop coping skills. Natasha teases Maria that night after they put Wanda to bed, playfully encouraging the wife that doubted her abilities to parent.

           Wanda sat quietly in first period chemistry, she only had to make it two more days then it was dark time. One of the good things about it being Thursday was that there was no more need for I’ve breakers, a personal win in Wanda’s book. Her face fell when the teacher passed out a bingo type sheet to everyone and instructed them to turn towards their table mate- that was their lab partner for the year. Her table mate was a black girl that had beautiful braids in her hair and sometimes wore oval glasses, Wanda couldn’t remember her name.  
 “Hey, I’m Jazmin. You’re Wanda right?”
 “Mmhm,” Wanda nodded, drumming her index finger against her thigh under the table.“I remember seeing you at open house… with the redhead and that tall brunette. Is… the redhead related to you?”
 Wanda was nervous to divulge her home life mainly because she’s never told anyone at school before. And while she didn’t care about Natasha and Maria being gay, other people didn’t have the same sentiments and might hurt her because of it. “That’s Natasha,” she inhaled deeply, “she’s my foster mother. The tall lady is her wife Maria, my other foster mother.”
 She expected Jazmin to be disgusted or to ask invasive questions, to Wanda’s relief Jazmin just shrugged. “My good buddy Josh was a foster kid, he was reunited with his parents a few years later. Have you ever seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite?” she read off the worksheet.
 “No. D-do you have any siblings?” Wanda followed suit, jumping from one conversation to the next was easy for her; her brain always had multiple trains of though flowing at once.
 “Yeah, I have a few.” Jasmin perused the paper, her eyes suddenly squinting at Wanda as if analyzing her. A few seconds later a large grin broke out on her face, “I have another box; you have a face full of freckles. Your foster moms are really pretty by the way.”
 That made Wanda smile.
 “I really loved Natasha’s hair, that braid was so badass, it was so freaking cool. Did she do your braid today?”
 “Yes,” the Sokovian perked up. Natasha had offered to do it this morning and Wanda said yes because she loved when people played in her hair. The braid was a bit more intricate than a simple braid, apparently a skill Tasha picked up in ballet. Continuing with the assignment for a few more minutes, the students ceased when Mrs. Munson collected and escorted them to the lab. She explained a few of the devices and some experiments they’d be doing in the future, experiments that got the students excited. Wanda blushed when Jazmin called her accent cute and Jazmin beamed when Wanda told her that she liked her. When they returned to the room to collect their personal belongings, Jazmin asked Wanda about her schedule and compared; apparently they also have history and lunch together. “Do you want to join me and my friends for lunch today? You’re not obligated to say yes.”
 Wanda accepted her schedule back and nervously agreed, “um ok-okay.”
 “Awesome!” Jazmin’s energy was very vibrant. “We’re going to get along great.”
 Although Wanda was far more introverted, she felt that they’d get along fine too. It was a similar dynamic between her and Pietro, though it would reverse depending on the situation.
 “I’ll wait for you by the math lab so we can walk to lunch together.” She abruptly stopped walking and turned around making intense eye contact with the Sokovian, “if I do or say anything that you don’t like or makes you uncomfortable, just let me know.”
 Yeah, they were going to get along just fine.

            Initially worried about how Wanda’s day went, Maria audibly sighed as she saw the tiny grin on the teen’s face, Natasha grabbed her knee in excitement. Wanda entered with bashful cheeks, buckling herself in then pulling out her phone, “can I play music?”  
 It was a small victory but a victory none the less. “Sure hon,” Natasha agreed, quickly disconnecting her phone from Bluetooth so that Wanda could connect her own. She nipped and sang along to all the songs that came on, Maria and Natasha joining her a few times which made Wanda’s grin grow wider; Wanda had a terrible week and seeing her in good spirits now was reason for them to sing with her in merriment.
 “Eat a snack,” Natasha encouraged when they made it through the front door. Wanda kept humming her song, strolling into the kitchen to get cheez its then sitting at the table. Lucky ran up to her, his tongue hanging hazardously from the side of his mouth as he “smiled.”
 “I made a friend at school today, her name is Jazmin. She saw you two at open house and thinks you’re pretty.”
 Natasha gave Maria an exaggerated look of surprise before jumping up on the counter and crossing her legs. Maria pecked her lips then spun herself around so that she was leaning against her wife’s chest, Natasha draping herself over her shoulders as they happily listened to Wanda recount her day. “We had lunch together and I met her other friends. We also have history together too! She helped me change my schedule before lunch.”
 “What?” Maria was utterly perplexed. If they weren’t even able to get her switched from one class to another, how did Wanda manage to do it?
 Natasha nudged her in the shoulder blade with her forehead, giving a breathy laugh. “What changes did you make kid?”
 Taking that as a go ahead, Wanda enthusiastically sprinted to her backpack, returning to them with a neon blue paper and large smile. “Here,” she handed off the paper.

            Natasha read over Maria’s shoulder, everything looked the same as her original schedule except-
 “You signed up for Italian?”
 Not expecting that reaction, Wanda’s bright smile erased completely, her eyes glossing over and her lip found residence between her teeth. “I’m sorry, please don’t be mad at me.”
 “Oh no no no, shh shh,” Maria jumped into action. She held Wanda and rocked her slightly. “I’m not mad at you sweetie,” she pulled back, bending her knees enough so that she was eye level with the teen. “I was just shocked. Why Italian?”
 “I didn’t like French, it wasn’t interesting so I wanted to take something else... now we have something,” she replies and Maria’s not quite sure what Wanda’s talking about.
 “What do you mean?” Natasha asked out loud.
 Peridot eyes raised towards Natasha, “Tasha and I speak Russian and Sokovian together, that’s ours.” Doe eyes shifted back to Maria, “you and I can speak Italian together, that can be ours.”
 The brunette wrapped the teen up in a strong embrace, kissing the crown of Wanda’s head as the teen hugs her back, “that’s one of the nicest things someone has ever done for me. I’m happy to help you learn.”
 When Maria lets Wanda go and excuses herself from the room, Natasha ruffles her hair and kisses her forehead, “you’re one of the sweetest kids I’ve ever met and I’ve met many.”
 Wanda blushes, “you really would’ve like Pietro then.”
 “I know I would,” Natasha genuinely says as she cups Wanda’s cheeks, “are you all packed for the farm?”
 “Yes, I think so.”
 “You can tell me more stories about Pietro while we play Mario Kart,” the redhead offered, holding a hand out.
 Sliding her hand into to the open one, Wanda used her free hand to take her snack bowl with her. “Okay. Do you want to hear about the first tooth he ever lost?”
 “I’ll listen to anything you want to tell me.”

Chapter Text

          Jazmin hopped down the steps of the building, drawing her jacket tighter around her body to protect from the chilly gust of air, “what are you guys doing for the 3 day weekend my fine freckled friend?”  
 “We’re going to Clint’s farm, he’s Tasha and Maria’s friend,” Wanda rocked on the balls of her feet. She had been excited all morning but now that the school day was coming to an official end, her excitement sky rocketed and it was getting harder to hide it.
 “Is it like… a real farm with actual animals or just a barn in the middle of nowhere that he calls a farm?” her eyebrow quirked in questioning.
 “Mmm, a real farm,” Wanda shook her head and giggled, “Tasha said they have pigs, chickens, horses, and even some donkeys!”
 “Nice,” Jazmin chuckled with her friend, “my parents were able to take the day off. We’re just gonna have a family day-hang out by playing board games and eating junk food while watching movies. Pretty chill day,” she shrugged.
 Wanda hummed in agreement; family days with Tasha and Maria were nice, it was always just a relaxing lazy day. “Oh, I see Tasha and Maria. I will see you later.”
 As Wanda began to walk off, Jazmin gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back, “I’ll see you later. Have a fun and take lots of pictures, I’ll text you when I get home okay?”
 “Mmhm, I’ll take pictures. Bye,” Wanda waved and hurried to the car, not wanting to further hold up the already waiting car lane.
 “Hi,” she greeted her foster parents a bit out of breath.
 Maria bobbed to the music playing through the speakers, Natasha grinning at Wanda as she watched the teen she’d her back am from her body. “Hi sweetie, you all set?”
 “Yeah, I’m ready to go!” The Sokovian beamed. They had checked Dover her bag the night before to make sure she had everything she needed/wanted and placed the bag in the car, that way they could just head to the farm after picking her up from school.
 “Alright Masha, we’re ready whenever you are.”
 “Mhm,” she looked up at the rear view mirror, “Wanda buckle up please.”
 Wanda quickly fastened her seatbelt, Maria shifted the gear into drive when she heard the click of the belt.
 “I brought you a snack,” Natasha turned around and offered 15 minutes into the ride, “Clint’s farm is only about 45 mins to an hour away but I fired you light be a little hungry you know, teenagers.”
 The Sokovian hummed and gratefully accepted the bag of salt and vinegar chips, resting back in her seat and playing on her phone. Her eyes enlarged at the outdoor scenery that was separated only by a car door. As Natasha and Maria unloaded the car, Wanda climbed out the car and took everything in; it was gorgeous and bright thanks to the late afternoon sky and surprisingly, it didn’t smell as bad as she expected.

            She slid her bag onto her shoulder after Maria offered it to her, the three of them heading towards the front door. That’s when nervousness bumbled its way forward. She had already met Clint and Laura, they liked her just fine, her nerves were stemming from the idea of meeting their kids. Wanda wasn’t like Pietro, outwardly boisterous and amicable, especially around their peers; she always struggled to connect which is why she was grateful to at least have Jazmin. Biting her bottom lip, she braces herself and did her best to stay calm so she didn’t have a breakdown; it been about a week since her last one and to have one here would just be humiliating.  
 “Oh Nat!” Laura gasped, dripping the dish she was holding in the soapy water below, “I didn’t know you guys were here yet.” Quickly drying her hands off with a dish towel, she shouted for her husband and grinned wide, arms open as she drew Natasha in for a tight hug. When she got to Wanda she paused for a second, those kind brown eyes staring at her gently and letting her know she wasn’t in trouble. “Is it alright if I give you a hug dear?”
 The teen nodded with overeagerness and easily relaxed into the hug; she wouldn’t say she craved it but she definitely remembered how nice the hug last time had been and was keen to receiving more during this weekend trip.
 “Nat, I would’ve brought the bags in if you would’ve texted me you were here,” she heard Clint admonish her foster mom.
 “Relax, it’s only 3 bags old man, we’re more than capable of carrying them in as you can see,” the redhead teased, rolling her eyes in jest.
 “Yeah, yeah,” he engulfed her in a hug, “it’s called manners, learn some. Hi kiddo.”
 “Hi Clint,” Wanda shyly waved at the man.
 They wander further to to the house, making their way upstairs or at least Nat and Maria did with their bags, Clint stopping next to Wanda. “Hey kid about the sleeping arrangements. Would you like your own room or to bunk with Nat and Maria? We can put an extra bed in there for you if that’s what you want.”
 She could only imagine that she was comparable to a deer in headlights, eyes wide and mouth agape; out of all her excitement and readiness for the trip, she hadn’t even thought about the sleeping arrangements. “I-I’m fine with whatever you have available.”
 Clint’s face shifted ever so slightly, he was well familiar with this ploy; either as not to seem like a burden or to appease him, she was going to let him make the decision instead. He’s done it far too many times in the name of survival. “Whatever you want kid, it’s no problem at all.”

            “I- um… I’ll take my own room please.” She only chose that option for two reasons: the first was to give Tasha and Maria the privacy to be a married couple and the second was that if she had her own room, she also had her own quiet space to decompress in. Clint nodded, taking a second to look up at the stairs, “great. I’ll show you to your room.”
 Obediently following along behind Clint, they made only made it to the first step until they were interrupted. “Do you want to play with me?”
 She inquisitively looked to Clint for guidance, the little boy waiting patiently.
 “Nate buddy,” Clint sighed, “Wanda just got here. Give her a minute to settle in and then ask again later, maybe she’ll say yes but it’s also okay if she says no.”
 “Okay dad,” Nathaniel beamed, his childish grin flashing towards Wanda, “bye Wanda. I’ll ask again later,” he stated before running off elsewhere.
 “Here’s your room,” Clint exhales while Wanda examines it from the door way then steps in. “Thank you.”
 “Mhm. Can I talk to you for a minute? It’s nothing serious,” he says to clear any negative thoughts before they formed.
 Natasha had already finished unpacking, their room already having most of their own clothes in there from years of crashing at the Barton’s. She hovered on by Wanda’s room door, wanting to do a check in with the girl but stopped to listen as Clint spoke in a low voice. While she trusted Clint (he was her best friend after all) and Wanda hadn’t shown or verbalized any discomfort about being alone around men, Natasha still takes the precaution of being close.
 “I just wanted to say that Laura and I are happy you’d decided to come, Nate too,” he chuckled. “It probably doesn’t mean much but while you’re here, we’d like for you to be comfortable; you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do and can say no to anything. The bathroom is down the hall to your left and whenever you’re situated, come find me and I’ll give you the grand tour of the house.”
 “I will. Um thank you Clint,” the teen bashfully thanked; her nerves were still getting to her.
 “Mhm, I’ll leave you be then kiddo.” Clint exited the room and rounded the corner, instantly bumping into his friend who made no effort to move.
 “You might have to get your eyes checked too grandpa, I think they’re fading as we speak,” she smirked, chuckling at the shoulder check Clint gifted her.
 “Don’t worry Nat, I’ll get my eyes checked when I get to be as old as you.”
 “Laura’s gonna be disappointed when she hears about you bullying her favorite person.”
 “I didn’t know you were Maria.” He lunged forward, avoiding Nat’s attempt at pushing him over and sprinted down the stairs. The scowl on the redhead’s face was enough evidence that he won this round.

           Everyone in the room had lax energy, fraternizing amongst each other except Wanda, who stood awkwardly by the stair banister and observed the way both families interacted: Maria was sipping coffee with Laura in the kitchen, chatting away about who knows what, Natasha and Nate were racing with his homemade Lego track, and Clint was preparing a simple lunch. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do, wasn’t sure where she fit into all of this. Dejectedly, she sat on the last step and peered through the banisters, soothing her nervous self by chewing on her lip-a go to soothing technique since she was at least 3 years old. Wanda had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard the front door open and the two new voices in the room; it was only when she was addressed by name that she stared up at the people peering at her.  
 “Hi Wanda, I’m Cooper and that’s my younger sister Lila. Our parents told us a little bit about you, how was the drive?”
 “Hi. The drive was okay.” She took Lila’s hand when the girl extended it to her, giving it a quick shake as the older girl gave a friendly smile. “We saw you at the cookout but didn’t get a chance to say hi.”
 Wanda didn’t feel it appropriate to say anything when Lila plopped right beside her, slightly squishing her against the bars; it was relieving in a way. “How’s it been living with Auntie Nat and Aunt Maria?”
 “It’s good, better than a few of the other homes I’ve been in. I like living with them, they’re good foster parents.”
 “Yeah they’re kind of scary to some people,” Cooper interjected, “but really they just care a lot, maybe too much. Damn it Lila,” he cursed under his breathe after taking a quick glance at his watch, “we have to feed the chickens.”
 Lila frowned at the statement, “shit you’re right. Uh okay. Wanda, do you wanna come with? We can show you around the farm if you’d like.”
 “Yea-yeah, I’ll go with you.”
 “Alright, give us 5 minutes to say hello to everyone and then we’ll meet you back here,” Lila devised.
 Wanda nods and slips her shoes back on. Don’t mess up, don’t mess up, she repeated in her head. Cooper jogged up to the door, slipping into his shoes without having to bend down, “Wanda, you ready to go?”
 “Mhm,” she hums then semi-normally follows the two older Barton kids out the door.

———

            Wanda was sitting in the living room, clean and refreshed after a hot shower when Nathaniel ran up to her in his pajamas, smelling of (artificial) strawberries. He tossed out a tiny hand, wiggling his fingers when Wanda just stared at him. Eventually though she conceded and gave him a firm handshake. “Hello Wanda, I’m Nathaniel Peter Barton, it’s nice to meet you.”  
 Though thrown off by the interaction and eyes a tad bit misty, Wanda greets the little boy back, “Hi Nathaniel, it’s nice to meet you too.”
 “Daddy says we have to greet new people when we meet them,” he plainly stated and that’s all the explanation Wanda needed for that behavior.
 “You’re not new anymore so can we play now?” his cheeks brightened as did his toothy smile.
 “Sure, what do you want to play with?”
 Running over to his toy chest in the corner of the room, Nate came back with 3 containers of clear slime: one rainbow, one red, and the other a bright green. “Here, it’s my slime, they’re all fun to play with.”
 Any of her energy went out the door from the stickiness of the slime on her fingers, it made her inhale deeply as she tried to ground herself. Nate was having such a great time squishing it and slamming it on the table and he even made the effort to include her in his playtime; she was willing to push down her discomfort for him. She kneaded the green slime a few times, only to give the appearance that she was playing with it. “You say your middle name is Peter?”
 “Yeah,” he nodded, “Auntie Nat and I have the same name and me and one of daddy’s police friends has the same name. He died though,” he said with the nonchalance that only a child who didn’t understand death could have.
 “That was my brother’s name, or at least that’s what his name translates to, Pietro. He died too,” she glumly revealed. It had only been about a year since her twin passed, the grief still gnawing at her heart most days, only letting it consume her if she let it.
 “Oh that’s sad. Was he cool?” large brown eyes gazed at her, “I bet he was. Only cool people have the name Peter.”
 “Yes he was cool and a great brother,” she squished the slime down, “I bet you are too,” she gave him a playful smirk.
 “Eh,” Nathaniel shrugs, “I’m okay. Cooper and Lila say I’m annoying,” he deflates.”
 “That’s how little brothers are supposed to be,” she winked at him.
 Nate gives her a large grin and an energetic nod, sitting up straighter to them her about this beetle he saw crawling around in the barn two days ago.

            Playing with Nate, despite the sticky slime, had been very enjoyable; dinner per se, at least in Wanda’s case was the opposite. Due to the chilling weather outside, Clint figured it would be best for everyone if they had soup for dinner- “cold weather, hot soup,” he stated as he gave Nate a bowl. Soup would’ve been great, if not for the fact that Wanda hated soup; she considered it to be boring like many of the other foods on her invisible list. So as everyone loudly conversed at the table, Wanda sat with her chin touching her chest and absently played with her meal. There was too much stimuli occurring and as usual, her brain struggled to filter the important from the unimportant and she was the one left to suffer. The constant chatter, the buzzing from the tv in the living room, and the neighbor’s dogs barking outside were hitting her at full force and while she had the strong desire to just leave the room, she couldn’t without coming off as rude.  
 “Wanda sweetie,” Laura called her in a hushed voice, “you’re not eating your dinner. Is there something else you’d like instead?”
 Being perceived sends a flood of guilt over her, her eyes glistening as all she wants to do is be in her space.
 “N-no, it’s okay. It’s good,” she shoves a few spoonfuls in her mouth. It takes a little too long for her to swallow it all which makes her embarrassment sting at her cheeks. Maria leans in close, “it’s alright sweetheart, no one is angry or will be angry that you didn’t eat the soup. Would you like something else to eat instead?”
 Providing the option that there was an alternative meal usually worked to get Wanda to eat, a win in Maria’s eyes regardless of what the teen actually ate. Wanda glanced to her left to surgery the rest of the area; besides Maria to her left and Laura directly in front of her, no one else at the table seems to be paying attention to them.
 “Ye-yes please,” she manages to mumble out loud enough for Laura to hear. With a satisfied nod, Laura gets up to fix something else for her to eat and comes back with heated up leftover spaghetti and vegetables. “Is this better?”
 “Ye-yes thank you Laura.”
 As the female Barton sat down to resume her dinner, a proud smirk naturally came over her lips when she saw Maria patting Wanda’s back and Natasha kissing the top of her head as she walked by the kitchen to dispose of her finished plate.

Chapter Text

             Laura softly pattered around the kitchen, humming her and Clint’s wedding song as she placed the ingredients for breakfast on the counter. It was mid-shoulder dance, when she turned in her heal to grab the fruit that she started with a small yelp, “Wanda!”  
 “sorry. Hi Laura,” the teen sheepishly waved at her, her other hand rubbing at her eyes.
 Just like herself, Wanda was still in her sleepwear: an oversized, long sleeve black shirt and dark gray sweatpants, it was the (more prominent) bags under her eyes that alerted her that Wanda either hadn’t slept last night or received very little. “Hi honey, good morning. What are you doing up so early?” Even her farm kids didn’t willingly wake up at this time of day, the only reason she was awake was to ensure that there was enough time to make enough food to feed 8 people.
 The teen fiddled with her cuffs and shrugged, “I just am.”
 “Well since you’re awake, would you like to help me with breakfast?” she smiled brightly.
 The teen gnawed on her lower lip and began tugging at the sleeves of her shirt, using them to hide her hands. “Uh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea, it’ll taste bad if I help.”
 “No, it won’t taste bad honey,” Laura waved her off, “it’s okay if you can’t cook, I’ll be here assisting you so everything goes well. Alright?”
 Wanda still thought it was a bad idea, the little bit of reassurance she received just now made her more willing to try. That and Laura really seemed like she wanted her to help, she didn’t want to disappoint her.
 “Umm okay,” Wanda nodded, letting her lip slip from between her teeth, “I’ll help you.”
 “We’re going to be making pancakes, I have a few different add-ins for that,” the older woman pointed to the area of the counter that had a small variety of ingredients- chocolate chips, powdered sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and an assortment of fruits. “Can you chop up the fruits for me?”
             Wanda nodded, shifting herself in front of the empty counter space as Laura grabbed her a knife and a wooden cutting board. They didn’t exchange any more words for the next few minutes, Wanda slicing fruit as Laura made the pancake mix from scratch, humming her wedding song softly again. She finished mixing the dry mix together and took a minute to sit down at the table, her knee beginning to bother her from the consistent standing. Wanda continued slicing, taking a chance to glance at the sitting woman, “Laura, how long have you known Tasha and Maria?”
 “For a few years now, I think I told you 10 years for Nat and 12 for Ria. I met Ria a year and a half after I joined SHIELD, she was Clint’s Commanding Officer and he wanted to introduce me to his family. Meeting Hard-Ass Hill in person was slightly nerve wracking, Ria can and is a quite intimidating person, especially when meeting new people. After talking to her for 15 minutes though, I discovered that people mistook passion for intimidation. Ria’s the way that she is at work because her job is to keep thousands of agents safe, a daunting task that she does better than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
 Wanda nodded, her interest in the anecdote taking precedence over her task of chopping fruit, “Tasha can be that way too.”
 “Her job entails working extremely close with abused and battered people, women and children especially. You have to have thick skin and a no-shit demeanor to last as long as any of the members on their squad has.”
 “Mhm,” the teen hummed. Her foster parents had explained the intricacies of their jobs to her once, or at least the differences in what they do: Maria’s department was on par with the FBI while Tasha’s was more similar to that of the state police department. Maria’s job was to protect the United States from all possible threats on a National and global scale, Natasha protected citizens on a state level and sometimes had assistance from SHIELD. It was a lot of new information to sort through but they told her all that was important for her to remember was that they were both in law enforcement so they were able to help anyone. “How’d you meet Tasha then?”
            “Oh that story is far less exciting,” Laura chuckled to herself. “Clint was on an assignment, working undercover on a drug smuggling case. He had them surrounded and had already called for backup and was going in when one of the other guys' guns fell and went off. The head honcho, a newbie of sorts, assumed his base was being raided so he immediately began firing his own weapon causing others to do the same. Backup arrived, a shoot out occurred but SHIELD managed to subdue everyone and confiscate the shipment before it went out. As they were clearing the building, apparently a wounded Nat appeared from an alleyway and revealed herself to Clint. She had been tasked with going undercover and infiltrating the group to get information for a sting. Clint liked her energy and invited her to join SHIELD, then I met her almost 7 months later where I invited her to stay in our home for a while.”
 Wanda moved into chopping the nuts, having finally finished slicing all the fruit. “You lied,” she frowned, you said that it wasn’t an exciting story.”
 That got a chuckle out of Laura because in their line of work, that was a 3 on the excitement scale of events.
“Why did Tasha stay with you and not her parents?”
 Laura decided to keep the truth vague, Nat had spent many years healing from that episode of her life and to bring it up so casually with her foster child was a violation of itself. “Nat went through something traumatic and wasn’t coping well and was going down a few wrong paths. Clint and I wanted to help her get back on track, the first place to start was to have her move in with us so we could personally help her.”  
 “Oh… that was nice of you guys,” Wanda hummed, “technically you were her foster parents?”  
 Laura sat back, never having thought of it that way. Sure they met Nat when she was in her early 20s and they guided her through those tumultuous years but to be considered her foster parents? It wasn’t necessarily… wrong. “Mmm, yeah. I guess we were,” she warmly grinned, Wanda giving her a tiny smile back.
 Her smile faded when Laura released a pained groan, pulling a bent knee towards her body. “Laura, are you okay?” she dropped the knife on the cutting board to rush to the woman’s side, “I can get Clint or-or Tasha? Maria?”  
            “No hon, I’m fine. I’m fine,” she rubbed her knee joint under the table, “sometimes my knee hurts when I stand too long. I injured it during work, a car exploded, and it didn’t heal the way it was supposed to. I got knee replacement surgery and it just… it’s been this way ever since.”
 Wanda eyed her with worry, Laura brushing some hair behind her ear, “I’m fine sweetie really. You ready to help me make pancakes?”
 45 minutes later, there were two plates of stacked pancakes (assorted flavors), sliced fruit, and freshly squeezed juice. Wanda was at the stove, waiting for a pancake to cook and Laura sipped on water at the table and humming. Nat and Maria softly came downstairs, entering the kitchen with flushed cheeks and looking a bit disheveled; giving them each a knowing smirk, Laura left the implication hanging in the air. She would tease them about it later.
 “Morning sweetheart,” Maria pecked the top of the teen’s head, Natasha doing the same as her wife pulled away. There was a smile on Wanda’s face as she soaked in the affection, turning her gaze away from the stove for a minute, “Laura made breakfast. I helped so I’m sorry if it is not good.”  
 Natasha’s eyebrows knitted in the middle, her sight directed at Wanda, “I know the pancakes will taste great, stop being hard on yourself for no reason baby.”  
 Maria and Laura are oblivious to the words the redhead is exchanging, both brunettes better versed in other languages than Russian. Whatever it is that Natasha did say has Wanda guiltily drawing her shoulders in on herself, her lip sitting between her teeth, “sorry Tasha.”  
 Natasha gets up and ruffles Wanda’s sleep tousled hair, whispering something else in Russian that gets her to perk up slightly. Since she was standing anyway, she prepares a plate for Wanda, Laura, her wife, then herself in that order, serving coffee as the beverage (Wanda getting a glass of water on the side). The 4 of them are having breakfast in the relative silence of the early morning, Clint joining them roughly 10 minutes into their meal. He placed a soft kiss on his wife’s cheek, “hi honey,” then greeted the rest of the room, “morning ladies.”

————
            “Thanks Ria,” Laura gratefully accepted the mug of coffee, sighing in contentment at the now empty house. The Barton kids had crowded around their favorite aunts, overexcited that they were able to spend the weekend with them. All three spoke at them, barely giving their aunts the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation. As of now, the three of them were giving Wanda the farm life experience, Cooper managing to convince the Sokovian to join them in their morning chores. Natasha and Maria are certain that the only reason Wanda agreed to join them was because of her people pleasing mature (the Barton children were not aware or even took notice of that habit) which caused her to do tasks despite her discomfort. That was on their list of concerns to bring up with her therapist, when the opportunity arose.
 “Are you enjoying your new lifestyle? Wanda’s such a sweet kid,” Laura complimented.
 “She is,” Maria warmed, cupping her mug in her hands and breathing peacefully. She carded her fingers through her wife’s hair, the redhead resting her head on her shoulder, “I feel like she’s tricking us by being this easy.”
 Laura and Natasha laughed, Laura understanding that logic. She had always wanted at least 2 kids, Cooper being an easy baby was what encouraged them to try for another baby so close in age. Lila was a beautiful, healthy baby but unlike Cooper as an infant, she had GERD and colic and as a result, she was a fussy baby who cried for long hours of the day and wouldn’t settle. “Kids can definitely lull you into a sense of boasted confidence but from what I’ve seen, she’s doing well with you too. I do want to ask, with no intentions of prying, does she sleep well?”
 Natasha’s eyebrows knitted in the center of her forehead, her lips pursing together, “for the most part. Are you asking because of the circles under her eyes?”
 Laura nodded with a hum, really not trying to pry; she just wanted to make sure Wanda was handling her new home alright as well as her friends.
 “Wanda’s sleep schedule is a bit sporadic and somewhat unpredictable: most nights she’ll sleep with no issues while other times, she falls asleep but then is up during the little hours of the day or she’s running on days with no sleep. We’re not sure if it’s trauma related, a Wanda thing, or just a teenage thing,” Natasha easily admitted.
 “There are times when Cooper and Lila struggle with maintaining a decent sleep schedule but that’s usually only during exams and finals week. Does Wanda’s sleeping habits bother you?”
 Maria shrugged, not having an answer one way or another. “Not bother, just slightly concerned. She just recently started therapy so if it is trauma related, she has a professional to digest that with. I think one of our bigger concerns at the moment is working on her tendency to people please and also increasing her self esteem: she’ll do anything anyone asks of her to ensure that they don’t get angry or disappointed with her, even if it makes her uncomfortable and whenever she does speak about herself, it’s usually negative.”  
 “She says that she was yelled at and even shaken in some of her previous foster/group homes for being herself,” Nat added into the conversation, “we’ve assumed that those reactions, coupled with what they’ve probably yelled at her, have lowered Wanda’s confidence substantially.”

            Laura gave them a small pout, gently setting her mug on the table. “I’ve noticed she’s reluctant to do things she thinks she’s not good at. Keep trying to encourage her, it’ll get better; she feels comfortable around you two.”  
 For the first time that morning, Natasha grinned from ear to ear, and played with Maria’s ring. “Good, we like having her around Laur. This parenting stuff is a little scary and we’re having a great time connecting with her.”
 “I can tell,” Laura replied, giving them another one of her knowing smirks though this one was more to herself; they’d definitely be seeing more of Wanda around the farm for the next few months. Their kids had formed a relationship right away with the Sokovian teen, Nate especially. As the three women sipped their coffee and conversed amongst each other, the kids were in the chicken coop, collecting eggs from their respective quadrants. Wanda released a frustrated grunt, she dropped another egg; this was the 4th one in 10 minutes. She wouldn’t have been so angry with herself if there were a good reason to be dropping the eggs: startled by the roaming chickens, slipping on wet dirt, or even her basket being overfilled except none of that was the case. Wanda was dropping eggs because she was a clumsy, idiot who couldn’t even collect chicken eggs correctly.
 “Wanda!” Nate came bustling around the corner, the top of his basket keeping his eggs from colliding onto the floor. “Did you get all your eggs? I finished mine! And I only dropped one!” he beamed at her.
 “Ye-yeah, I’m done,” she sheepishly stuttered, eying the broken eggs on the ground.
 Nate’s gaze followed hers, his grin diminishing slightly. “Oh it’s okay, they’re just eggs,” he brushed off and slipped one of his hands into Wanda’s, “the chickens lay at least 50 a day.”
 Wanda’s embarrassment diminished a sliver while they exited the chicken coop; she wanted to believe Nate but as always, she knew she messed up at something a literal 5 year old could do. “Okay,” she mumbled, the 5 year old dragging her back to the front of the coop to gather with his siblings.
 “Lila, we did our eggs! I can bring them inside!” the youngest Barton offered his services, snatching Lila and Cooper’s egg baskets from their hands. Not wanting to get angry for Nate’s childish energy (because he was a kid after all), Cooper ruffled his brother’s hair with a loving grin, “nice work buddy. You can take the eggs to Mom, just be careful.”
 “No running!” Lila shouted after him, shaking her head lovingly.

            “All that's left to do on our list is milk the cows and groom the horses and donkeys” Cooper stated, taking the lead to the barn. He rocked from side to side as he walked, his big rubber boots adding difficulty to his gait. “Have you ever milked a cow before? Do they have cows in Sokovia?” He jumped when Lila slapped him across the arm, a frown on his face as he looked at his sister, “what’d you do that for?”  
 Lila rolled her eyes,” you sound like an ass,” she slapped him again.
 “You're an ass,” he mumbled, hitting her back. “It was a question, I don't know much about Sokovia you know. It's not a country they teach about in European history… well besides the obvious.”
 Wanda observed them with a warm expression; their sibling bickering brought back memories of her time with Pietro, the two of them arguing in their mother tongue about trivial things. She only ever argued with him because Pietro started it and she wasn't one to back down from her older  brother, especially when he was wrong and he always was. She blinked away the tears that gathered in her eyes, chewing on her sleeve as that always calmed her down, “wh-what’s the obvious?”
 Lila brushed against Wanda's shoulder when she noticed the younger girl's glistening eyes; she stayed against Wanda's side when Wanda seemed to soak in the affection. “Mmm, the only time they really mention Sokovia in school is during the Holocaust section of European History. After that, it's never mentioned again. Well I lied, they also talk about the wars that ravaged Sokovia too,” Lia tacked on.
 “Mmm, Sokovia is beautiful. We have many cows, goats, and sheeps and festivals to celebrate our history,” Wanda smiled behind her chewed sleeve. “But I've never milked a cow before.”
 Lila smiled through her nervousness, initially unsure of how bringing up the Holocaust and her home country would make Wanda feel as she didn't even know if Wanda was jewish or not and if the holocaust was a sore subject for her. “Coop is great at milking the cows so there's so much he can teach you.”
 Milking the cows went well, okay in Wanda’s case. Unlike the chicken eggs, wanda didn't let a single drop of milk miss the bucket. As a reward, Expresso, a male calf, tried to engage and play with her; he had a favorite ball that wanda would roll and he would chase after with clumsy enthusiasm. As the buckets filled, Nate brought them into the house to his dad, dragging his favorite person (Wanda) along to assist him in the process. It was almost enough for Wanda to convince herself that she wasn't wasting everyone's time by being here and that she was liked… almost enough. The thought still bounced around in her head as Nate babbled about what first grade was like and what his friends did over summer; she nodded absently to show that she was semi listening, not willing to hurt little Nate’s feelings. Horse grooming, with supervision, was easy: dust and brush the fur, clean hooves (clean and polish), and brushing the mane. It was when Lila and Cooper left Wanda to groom Toffee by herself that Wanda began to make mistakes. She hadn’t completely cleaned the dirt from her hooves before applying the durasole and she also forgot to apply the hoof polish before sending Toffee back into her stall. She managed to do the same thing to Johnny Cash (forgot to dust sand from his body) and Lincoln (she spooked when he kicked his leg away from her), the irritation of constantly forgetting and making mistakes getting to her. Keeping her emotions inside, she took a deep breath and gnawed on her sleeve again.

            “Hey Wanda,” Cooper greeted her with brushes in his hands, “how'd it go with Lincoln? He’s a big guy.”  
 “I-I… I didn't get to finish. I was cleaning his hoof and he kicked his leg and I-I got scared. Sorry,” she mumbled, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
 “It's fine,” Cooper dismissed nonchalantly, “he’s a giraffed horse who likes to play around. Word of advice,” he leaned in with a smirk, “they can't kick you when you're holding one of their legs, especially a back leg. All that's really left to do is feed the pigs, we put their food in a trough, As long as it's evenly spread then we don't have to monitor them. Would you like to help?”
 It was only one more thing, one more and then they would be done for the day, she could do that. “Ye-yes. I’ll help with the pigs.”
 Nate came over to help, he was everywhere on the farm and showing up randomly but Wanda found she liked it; he was a good distraction. Lila handed her (and Nate) a handmade bag of pig feed- a mixture of grains, fruits and vegetables, and little bits of protein. The mix just had to make it in the trough and then Nate would release the pigs so that they could eat-simple. As she shook the feed as evenly as she could into the trough, clumps dropped on the floor and that was the final straw for her. Nate came bounding up to her, mouth open to ask if he could let the pigs free when a half empty bag bigger than him was shoved into his arms. “Wanda? Are you okay?”
 “I think I’m done Nate, I’m sorry,” she mumbled, leaving the feeding barn and heading inside.
 Standing on his tiptoes, Nathaniel shook the bag the way his mom showed him, slow and careful until the trough was full and even. He held onto the empty bag, strolling over to the barn doors and releasing the latch, freeing the pigs who instinctively knew where to go. He gave Butters, the smallest of their pigs, a gentle push in the right direction, his older siblings coming up to him with concern.
 “Hey bud, where’d Wanda go?” Cooper questioned while surveying the area for the other teen.
 Nate kicked the ground, tucking the empty feed bag into the open space of his work overalls, “she went inside, she said she was done.”
 Cooper and Lila shrugged at each other, figuring Wanda needed a break from all this farm life work that she wasn't used to. “Okay, is there anything left to do?”
 “Nah that's it. Jonathan invited us to hang out so I guess we just have to shower.”

——

             “Aunt Ria, have you seen Wanda?”  
 Maria looked up from her book, sliding her bookmark between the pages to hold its places as Lila sat beside her. “No honey, we haven't seen her since she came in this morning. She hasn’t left her room since then, Nat’s trying to talk to her now but I don't think it's going to work.”
 Natsha appeared less than a minute later, shaking her head while walking down the stairs, “no go Masha, she won't even speak to me through the door. I don't know what else to do.”
 “Don't worry Auntie Nat, I think I can help.”
 “Natasha carded her fingers through Lila’s hair, hoping that whatever Lila had in mind would work. “Alright sweetie, if you think you can help her then go ahead. If not then don't worry, we'll try and handle it.
 “No Auntie Nat, I got it. I promise,”Lila smiled, accepting the kiss to her cheek before heading off to find her older brother. She explained her idea to him, he was reluctant as always but agreed to go along with it if it meant that they could get Wanda to join them. Wanda was curled in the fetal position on her bed, hidden under the covers and silently crying to herself. You’re worthless. You can't do anything right. You should just give up. It was torturous and on repeat, she couldn't deflect her thoughts so it was eating at her.
 “Wanda.”
 The Sokovian jumped, lifting her head from under the cover towards where the sound of her name came from. “Co-Cooper, Lila, what are you doing?”
 Cooper crawled through the window and assisted his sister in climbing in after him. “Why’d you run away?”
 “Yeah, Nate told us you were done and we haven't seen you since this morning, which was a few hours ago so we’re concerned,” Lila agreed. “Why are you crying?”
 More tears spilled down Wanda's cheeks, her shoulders shrinking in on themselves, “I tried but I ruined everything today. I ruined it and I-I’m sorry.”
 Lila sat next to Wanda, looking her in the eyes, “nothing was ruined today. I think it went pretty well and Nate liked having you around, it helped him do his chores. Did you enjoy yourself?”
 “Mmm… yeah, yeah I did,” she sniffled.
 “So then you have nothing to be upset about,” Copper assuaged. “You should come out with us, our friend invited us out. It'll be nice.”
 Wanda contemplated the option, being around new people in a new setting always spiked her anxiety and she hated that feeling. But this was probably good for her, a distraction was warranted. “Okay, I'll go. I need to clean up first.”
 “Take your time, you have about 30 minutes before our friends get here.”

------  

            “Bye Mom, bye Dad! We’ll be back!” Cooper shouted from the foyer. “Wanda’s coming with us!”
 The Romanoff-Hills were surprised to see the aforementioned teen trailing behind the Barton kids, fully dressed and reaching for her jacket. “um , is it okay if I go with Lila and Cooper?”
 “Sure hon, do you have your phone? Is it charged?” Natasha inquired before her teen left the house.
 “Mhm, I do and it is.”
 “Well then have fun with Cooper and Lila. If you three need us for anything, give us a call.”
 “Will do Auntie Nat,”Lila tossed on her jacket, “we'll keep Wanda safe.”
 When the three returned an hour later, it was in a blur of colors darting up the stairs from excitement. They were about to enter the upstairs bathroom, only stopping because Nate blocked the entrance.
 “Ugh, Nate, move out of the way!” Lila grumbled.
 In response, Nate crossed his arms and shook his head, “nu-huh. What are you going to do? I want help.”
 “Nate, we’re doing teenage things and since you aren't a teenager, you can't be a part of it.” That logic usually made Nate stand down but today, he was very adamant on joining in on whatever it is his older siblings were planning to do.
 “But I want to help,” he frowned. 
 “Aw Nate,” Wanda cooed, giving Lila and Cooper a pout, “let him help guys.”
 Cooper shook his head, not giving into his youngest sibling’s antics. “No bud, sorry,” he said, pushing Nate again, the little boy staying in place.
 “I’ll tell mom if you don't let me help.”
 Cooper and Lila sighed in annoyance, that was the one card they couldn't beat, not yet anyway.
 “You're so annoying. Get in there,” Lila shoved him through the bathroom door, Nate grinning like a mad man for winning the argument. He did what he was told, which helped the three teenagers exponentially as this was a lengthy process that they had to make sure they were doing correctly. A few hours later, they all grinned triumphantly and were ready to show their parents the final product.

            Lila traipsed halfway down the stairs, “Mom, Dad, you guys down there?”  
 Clint rubbed Laura’s back, muting the tv, “this ought to be good,” he whispered in her ear. “Yeah Li we’re down here!”
 “Auntie Nat and Aunt Ria too?”
 Clint glanced over at his friends with a quirked brow and tiny smirk, anticipation building inside him. “Yes, they’re down here too!”
 “Great, I want to show you something.” The teen happily came down the stairs, a bright smile on her face as the room fell into intrigued exclamations. “Do you guys like it?”
 Her brown hair now had an ombré mix of juniper and smoky green dye on the ends, complimenting her eyes.
 “You look amazing honey!” Laura gushed. “Is that what you were doing today?”
 “Mhm. But wait, it gets even better. Wanda you can come down.” Lila turned to her aunts with a guilty face, “don’t be mad. Wanda said you guys said it was okay.”
 Maria’s brows dropped in confusion, her head coming into a tilt, “why would be mad?” Her head directed itself to the stairs, her mouth forming an ‘o’ as both she and Natasha sat straight up.
 “Do you like it?!” Lila bounced, Wanda’s hair was the one she was the most excited for.
 Unlike Lila, Wanda’s entire head was dyed in a light reddish-orange, far lighter than Natasha’s. “Wanda, you look gorgeous!” Maria genuinely praised.
 “Yeah, hon. You look great, how do you like it?”
 Wanda was already shy but with all the extra attention on her, she remained quiet and simply nodded, shuffling her way over to her foster mother.
 “It wasn’t the exact color we were aiming for, it’s a little light but she looks good either way,” Lila explained for all, then introduced her brothers one at a time. Cooper wasn’t as adventurous as Lila so he settled for a dark parole streak in his hair and Nat’s hair was fire engine red thanks to a paste that could be washed out and not actual dye.

           Natasha and Maria congratulated everyone else, the lack of attention steadily easing Wanda as she stayed squished between them.  
 “I think we should take a walk,” Maria offered to everyone in the living room, “it's chilly and we can watch the sun set.”
 Nate jumped up, he loved playing outside with us family. Laura went upstairs to help him get dressed in warm clothing, the rest of the Barton’s going to their respective rooms to do the same. Natasha kissed the top of Wanda’s head, eyeing the job the kids did; it really wasn’t bad. As they casually walked along the length of the lake, Wanda held onto Maria’s hand, daydreaming and focused on crunching leaves under her feet. Wanda was a complex individual, Maria and Natasha were taking their time to understand what technique and mechanisms worked better for the teen. They’ve noticed that Wanda would alternate between needing a routine and just going with the flow and doing what she wanted. Right now was a routine moment- around this time, back home, they would have taken Lucky for his daily afternoon walk. Once they circled back to the house, both families gathered together to have a movie night- Nate getting fists pick since he was the youngest and bound to fall asleep first so it was only fair that he got to choose the first movie. Maria, Wanda, Nate, and Natasha (in that order) were on the couch, Laura was in Clint’s lap on the loveseat and Lila and Cooper sat on pillows on the floor. Throughout the movie, Wanda twirled a lock of hair around her fingers then unraveled it just to twist it around again, her eyes every so often admiring the new color. Natasha settled into the couch, awkwardly  reaching above the couch to squeeze her wife’s hand, both of them hoping that Wanda’s new look is the confidence boost she currently needs.

Chapter Text

           Maria walked into a kitchen brimming with morning energy and people, feeling refreshed and relaxed mainly due to the late nights festivities she and her wife engaged in. Cooper was assisting with breakfast, him and laura standing in front the stove as she gave him directions, both of them genuinely smiling. The only other people on the kitchen besides herself of course, were Wanda and Lila, half eaten plates sitting in front of them as they both stared at Lila’s phone. “Look at this video!” she requested from Wanda, whatever playing on the screen sending them both into giggles. “And that’s pretty much it.” 
 Maria had barely took a seat at the end of the table before a mug of steaming coffee was placed in front of her. “Here you go Aunt Ria. And the omelet I’m making for you is almost done,” Cooper informed her with a morning smile before heading back towards the stove.
 Lila handed her phone off to Wanda for a second, her attentions now on her aunt, “morning Aunt Ria, did you sleep well last night?”
 For a brief second, the brunette was sure that her niece knew something but ultimately dismissed the thought; she and Nat had made sure to be extra quiet for their sleeping companions. “Yeah hon, I slept… very well,” she stated simply, “how about you?”
 “Mmm… I slept as well as I could I guess,” the teen shrugged, “after texting my friends and checking assignments for the upcoming week.”
 Maria hummed into her coffee, “and what assignments do you have for the upcoming week?”
 “Uh just some minor assignments, maybe a quiz or two in English about the Great Gatsby. Nothing I really have to worry about; it was boring but I read through it completely.”
 “It’s not boring,” Maria shook her head, a teasing scoff falling behind her words, “it’s a classic.”
 “Aunt Ria, he uses too many words to describe everything. It’s boring,” Lila reasoned with her aunt. She punctuated her sentence with an eye roll then shoved the last bit of food into her mouth.

        Maria patted the top of her niece’s head, smiling and giving her a small wink,  “agree to disagree kid.”  
 Lila amusedly snorted through her nostrils, picking up her empty plate and heading towards the sink to wash it. With Lila gone, the woman now had time to focus on her foster daughter, the one who was scrolling on her niece’s phone and looks as if she hadn’t slept last night or at least not well. “Wanda,” she called for gently, the Sokovian not paying her an ounce of attention. “Wanda,” she tried to call her again, receiving the same reaction as before, prompting the woman shuffle over into what had been Lila’s seat. “Hey,” she combed ginger locks from Wanda’s face, “good morning kid.”
 Peridot eyes flickered over to her, a light glint casting over her features, “morning Maria.”
 “How’d you sleep last night? Did you sleep?
 Wanda shrugged, giving a noncommittal hum, “yes, um it was okay. I- I woke up a few times… bad dreams,” she mumbled in a low tone.
 The way her shoulders began to curl in on themselves, Maria wasn’t sure if she was feeling embarrassed or guilty about the admission. “You handled them by yourself? Nat and I are only a few doors down, you can come get us.”
 Shaking her head no, Wanda kept her eyes diverted on the phone in her hand, “it’s okay. I didn’t want to bother you.”
 Maria glanced over her shoulder, giving the Barton clan a once over: Laura was still positioned in front the stove, removing a tray of pastries from the oven with Lila and Cooper having an animated conversation with her. With them occupied, Maria had the small amount of privacy she needed in the moment. Sighing softly, she swiveled around to find a nervous Wanda staring up at her, the tips of her fingers rubbing together. “I’m not upset with you, you’ve only known us for a month. Trusting us is going to take more than a few weeks, I know that better than anyone here. Nat and I want to provide everything we can for you, if you need us during the day and/or in the middle of the night, just come find us. We’re not going to get angry with you and you’re not bothering us.”

            The concept was simple overall but difficult for Wanda to grasp. When their parents passed, when times were rough (either from nightmares, when her personality was too much for their foster parents to handle, when Pietro was too much for them to handle, etc), she at least had Pietro and he had her. When he unexpectedly passed away, she discovered rather quickly that most of her foster parents wanted nothing to do with her besides revive a check, leaving her feeling completely alone. So she learned to cope with nightmares, her anxiety, and any other struggles that arose… because she had to. She didn’t have to do that anymore, according to Maria; she had been doing it for the last few years now, she couldn’t let go that easily. “Okay,” she eventually hummed unenthusiastically, picking at her plate with a minuscule frown.  
 “Okay,” Maria parroted, picking up on Wanda’s reluctance with ease. “What’s the plans for today?”
 “Clint said he would take us to shooting range by barn… strel… uhm archery,” the teen reminded herself.
 “Oh archery?” Maria questioned with a raised brow, “I didn’t know you had an interest with that sport.”
 Wanda peered at Maria, contrition far removed from her features as she crinkled her nose. “I don’t really,” she snorted lightly.
 “Dad agreed to take me shooting weeks ago,” Lila interposed in the conversation, a glass of orange juice in hand. “I thought it would be fun to invite Wanda with us since you guys are visiting.”
 “Invite Wanda where?” the distinctive rasp of none other than Natasha Romanoff-Hill floated through the room, the woman having just entered from the back door and already dressed for the day.
 “I invited Wanda to archery with me and dad; she said yes.”
 “Oh,” the redhead hummed, pecking the top of Wanda’s head then gave her wife a soft morning kiss. “Your dad should be coming in soon, we were baling the hay so he’s putting the tractor away.” She rolled her eyes at Laura, the woman pointing at a chair with a plate of food in hand. “Thanks Laur,” she grumbled.
 “You’re welcome Nat,” the matriarch Barton smiled to herself, “enjoy.”

           Laura laid a tray of cooked baked pastries on the table, Clint strolling in a few minutes later as everyone enjoyed the delicious treat. He gave an airy snort, pecking Lila and Cooper’s foreheads then giving his wife a soft morning kiss. He inspected the room, his eyebrows dropping into a frown, “where’s Nate?”  
 “He hasn’t come down yet. It’s rather concerning given how early he usually wakes,” Laura admitted, biting the corner of her lips in thought.
 “No, no I got it babe,” Clint offered, traipsing up the stairs.
 “Everyone eat,” she told the room, trying to direct her worries elsewhere. “How are the pastries?”
 A chorus of muffled “they’re great” and “they taste amazing” rung throughout the room, a relieved type of sigh escaping the matriarch Barton. Everyone chatted together about their day, multiple conversations happening at once all while enjoying the peach pastries. Wanda frowned to herself as she swallowed another bite of the pastry, a weird itch in the back of her throat forming. She attempted to clear it, the itch becoming more persistent ignoring the solution her body was trying to achieve. The sound made Natasha side glance at her in concern, the redhead pointing with her lips for her to drink some water. She perked up at the idea, having forgotten about her water, and took gentle sips; the cool liquid soothing her throat… and doing nothing to alleviate the itch. She managed to ignore the itch for a few more minutes, listening to Lila explain photos of her friends, unaware of the tiny coughs escaping her mouth. Lila leaned over her own shoulder towards her Aunts, Wanda preoccupied with eating the rest of her omelet. “Hey Aunt Ria, Auntie Nat,” she whispered politely as she interrupted their conversation, “Wanda’s not okay.”
 They both snapped their heads towards their foster daughter, seeing that Lila was right: Wanda’s skin had broken out into red bumps and her coughing was more aggressive. The Barton’s sat in quiet watch as Natasha and Maria rushed to the girl’s side in an instant; Maria guiding her head backwards to open her airways, Natasha examining the welts on her arms. “I think she’s having an allergic reaction. Laur, do you have an allergy meds?”
 Laura nodded, brushing hair from her eyes, “yeah, yeah, I’ll go get it,” she said before speeding off into the living room.
 Despite the semi-urgency of the situation, all three adults remained rather calm; decades of police training and experience instinctively kicking in.

            Laura returned in less than a minute, handing over the packet of Benadryl, “just give her one tablet with some water.”  
 After administering the tablets and water (with a bit of struggle as Wanda scratched her welts and didn’t initially want anything to do with the pills), the Romanoff-Hills guided her to the nearest bathroom. She was confused as to what was happening, but was gradually feeling better as time passed. Maria took a warm wash cloth to her face, gently wiping around her eyes and mouth; the warmth of the cloth soothed Wanda’s irritated skin causing the teen to lightly exhale. She was then shuffled upstairs to the room she was boarding in and gently urged into bed; she did ask questions then. “Maria, Tasha…” she raspily questioned, “why are you putting me in bed? I’m not tired.”
 Natasha grabbed a book from her bag, Maria settling in next to their foster kid. “Benadryl is known to cause drowsiness and considering your sleep schedule this weekend, we just want to be cautious and you comfortable.”
 Accepting the answer, Wanda relaxed into the sheets, readying herself for the story. As Natasha read to her, she leaned against Maria and stretched her neck up to reach her ear; her mind running on a different train of thought. “Everyone has a nickname for you but me.”
 There was Masha, Ria, Love Bug, on very rare occasions Ree; truth be told, Maria only every heard her full name in professional settings or by acquaintances. Everyone in the Barton house called her by a nickname; she supposed that simple difference would embolden Wanda’s feelings of isolation and being different. If having her own nickname for her made Wanda feel like a bigger part of their family then she could call her almost anything she wanted… within reason. “Mmm, do you have a name you want to call me by?”
 “No.” Wanda hadn’t thought of it because she wasn’t even sure if Maria would agree.
 Maria pondered for a moment, trying to figure the best way for Wanda to formulate her own nickname for her without having to explicitly give one. “Mmm… tell me what my would my name be in Sokovian.”
 “We do not have Maria’s in Sokovia, not really. Maria is another name for Miryam, we have many Miryams because of our high Jewish population and… Mia is a popular nickname for Miryam. I like that that one, can I call you Mia?”
 “Mia huh? It has a nice ring to it. I guess from today on, I’ll be known as Mia… just for you kid,” the brunette smized.
 Wanda’s grin was sheepish and filled with nervousness and happiness. “ok-ay Mia then. Tasha and Mia.” She liked the way it rolled off her tongue.
 “Mhm,” Maria agreed, eyes scanning over Wanda’s arms; the welts decreasing in size and redness, evidence of the medicine doing its job.

            Wanda dozing off with a yawn was also evidence the Benadryl had counteracted her allergic reaction. Natasha’s reading tapered off, Maria settling the blanket higher on her chest before they both departed, leaving the door ajar behind them. Walking through the house, they found themselves in front of the old bench swing on the porch. They snuggled up together, under the porch blanket, letting the chill fall air nip at their faces as their adrenaline wore off. Their moment of silence was interrupted by Laura, a deep frown etched into her face. “There you guys are. I just wanted to let you guys know that Nate is sick; he’s been throwing up nonstop since this morning so Clint is going to stay with him. Which means he can’t take the girls archery shooting this weekend, sorry; I’ve already told Lila.”  
 “Oh, that cuts into our Barton time. Hope little man gets better soon,” Natasha cooed.
 “He’ll get better-3 kids, 18 years on a farm, these things happen,” the matriarchal Barton stated with a bit of nonchalance. The emotion in her eyes shifted, as well as her tone, to one of maternal softness. “How’s Wanda doing; is she okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
 “It’s fine Laura, we didn’t know either. Benadryl kicked in and put her to sleep. The welts were going down before she slumbered off, so we believe she’s okay,” Maria replied; a small smile of gratitude tugging on her lips at the way Laura visibly unstressed. “Okay, that’s great,” she ran a hand through her hair, “I’m-I’m going to make everyone hot chocolate,” she went back inside.
 Maria hummed in displeasure due to her wife squirming next to her, “what are you doing love?”
 “Just need to get my phone out my pocket, need to do something really quick.” The really quick thing that needed to be done was leaving Mrs. Whitaker a voicemail about the event that transpired today. “Give us a call back when you receive this message.” When she was done, she didn’t place her phone back in her pocket as a question had came to her and she needed concrete answers. After some quick typing and a little reading, her internal question was answered. “Wanda did have an allergic reaction and it was to the peaches. Apparently peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, and almonds are all in the same family so therefore closely related.”
 “Interesting to know; I wasn’t aware to that before 5 seconds ago.” Maria exhaled, rubbing her hands across her face, “but now that we’re are aware, we know what ingredients to look for.”

           Sighing contently, fresh outdoor air wrapping around their lungs, the Romanoff-Hills opted to use this time to unwind and fully decompress after the small medical scare that occurred that morning. Soft creaking from the wooden porch forced Natasha to crack one eye open, a blasé expression and phone in hand. “Cooper went out with his friends. Can I hang out with you guys?”  
 Natasha raised the blanket, both women moving over to provide the perfect amount of space for the teen to squeeze into; her doing so with a pleased squeal. Lila’s form of hanging out consisted of her watching TikTok’s; a form of social media they weren’t heavily involved with. While she did a great job of detailing the context of each video, it was just something they could never see themselves fully investing their time in. Their niece was far more inept with the site, quickly scrolling away on videos that failed at capturing her interest. She paused on one video, scroll away quickly in disinterest, not quick enough though for the caption to evade Natasha’s sight, “what’s neurospicy?” She looks to her wife then her niece, Maria’s expression mirroring her own confusion.
 “Oh, that’s just what some people who are neurodivergent all themselves, I thinks it’s just supposed to be a fun word,” she shrugged with indifference, oblivious to the fact that she was further confusing her aunts.
 “And what’s that kid?” Maria inquired further.
 “Neurodivergence?” she questioned, eyes brows raising with her question. “Uh… it’s people whose brains naturally function differently, at least that’s how my friend Lydia explained it. She said things like autism, ADHD, dyslexia- that’s what she has- and a bunch of other stuff falls into that category.”
 “Neurodivergent,” Natasha repeats, “got it. Thanks for keeping us old people up to date Lila-Bear.”
 “Ugh Auntie Nat,” Lila scoffed, “you haven’t called me that in years.”
 With a mischievous smirk, Natasha pulled her niece into her side then squeezed her tight, “you’ll always be my Lila-Bear.”
 “I know, I know,” the teen petulantly conceded with a sigh.

              All Maria could do was laugh at the duo, simultaneously making a note to herself to do more research on neurodivergence. The front door barely opened, Lila visibly brightening at the person walking through. “You’re finally awake!” she shouted to a groggy Wanda who was gingerly being ushered outside by Laura. Natasha was gentle as she grabbed the girl’s arm, rotating it around for a thorough inspection, “how are you feeling?”  
 “I am okay,” Wanda answered with honesty, “my throat is no longer itchy. Laura said Clint is taking care of Nate because he’s sick.” She squeezed herself into the slot by Maria’s right, “so no archery. Can we play with the animals instead?”
 “Sure. Oh! I can even take you horseback riding if you want!” Lila happily offered; she loved her aunts and brothers dearly, having Wanda around was an entirely different experience that she was going to take complete advantage of.
 “Riding?” Laura injected herself into the conversation with worry only a mother could possess. “Wanda, sweetheart, have you ever been horseback riding before?”
 Stiffening slightly, Wanda shook her head no; afraid that because she had no prior riding experience, Laura would tell her she couldn’t participate. She forced herself to accept the fact that she couldn’t learn to use a bow and arrow today, having a second event cancelled would surely lead to a breakdown. Crossing her arms over her chest, Laura clicked her tongue, thinking to herself. “You two are going to need adult supervision, for Wanda’s safety as a first time rider. I can’t do it, I have to take over your father’s chores for the day while he’s with your brother.”
 Before either girl had a chance to deflate at the news, Maria offered herself. “I’ll go with them. No need for another activity to get cancelled when there’s enough adult supervision around.”
 Lila quietly cheered to herself, Wanda eagerly waving her hands in excitement as the three of them rose up and headed to the stables.

            “I’ll help you Laur,” Natasha proffered, rising from the chair with a quickness Laura wasn’t ready for. The matriarch Barton had no time to protest the help as Natasha was already forcing her way inside the doorway. Lila popped onto her feet, over enthused to take a new friend horseback riding; she didn’t even wait for her aunt and said friend to follow in time with her. Maria did the same, sliding her hand into one of Wanda’s to guide her towards the stables. “Did you know you that you are mildly allergic to peaches?” she lightly mused though her question was pertinent.  
 “No,” the teen shook her head, “today is the first day I have ever tried peaches; we do not have them in Sokovia.”
 “Mm, you may also have a mild allergy to nectarines, plums, apricots, and almonds; they’re all within the same family as peaches and cherries.”
 “That’s a lot Mia,” Wanda said with a frown.
 “Don’t worry about that right now kid, let’s go see which horse you’re going to get to ride,” Maria reassured her with a simple pat on the back.

——————

            A loud ringing disrupted Laura and Natasha’s vegetable harvesting, the redhead pursing her lips together as she paused in pulling a carrot from the dirt, “hello?”
 “Hi, this is Ron calling from the Agency.”
 “Hi Ron,” she blinked, her mindset transitioning over.
 “Hi, hi. We have a 7 year old boy and a 10 year old girl, siblings, we’re trying to place, removed for severe neglect.”
 She glanced over at Laura, who ceased picking ripe tomatoes, mouthing for her to “go, go.” With an appreciative smile, Natasha silently excused herself to an area of the field that was more secluded.
 “We have a room. Can you tell me more about them?”
 “Unfortunately I can’t. It’s Sunday and I don’t have any background on them as I’m only helping the department and they don’t have anything?”
 Internally, Natasha was agitated but also understanding of the predicament Ron most likely was in. Lack of knowledge in the system wasn’t unusual. “Right right,” she agreed, keeping her annoyance at bay as she planned ahead. “Do they get any visits?”
 “Mmm yes, 1 unmonitored visit with dad a week.”
 “1 unmonitored visit,” she mumbled to herself, using her thumb knuckle to apply pressure to her nasal bridge, “let me call you back, i have to discuss with my wife.”
 “Yeah yeah, that’s… that’s fine. Just call me back when you get a chance. Bye.”
 “Okay, bye.” She found Maria easily, the tall brunette was assisting Wanda with getting onto Butterfrost, one of the smaller and more docile of the Barton horses. “Hey kid, you look good up there, natural,” she complimented from behind the wooden gate.
 The amount of nervousness shining in her eyes wasn’t even to deter Wanda from giving her foster mother a shaky thank you while she clutched onto the leather reins.

            “Hey Mash, can we talk for a minute?”
 “Sure. We’ll be around the corner if you need us,” she made sure to tell the girls before following her wife around the corner of the stables. “What is it?”
 “The agency called to see if we were able to take a 7 year old boy and a 10 year old girl, siblings… neglect.”
 Exhaling in thought, Maria raked a hand through her hair to see if the scenario was feasible. Having 3 kids in their house abided by their personal rule of 4 kids max at a time (barring certain caveats) in the house; keeping a healthy 2:1 ratio between kids and parents. They also had many rooms… they could do it. “We have the space… I think we should do it Nat. What’s your opinion?”
 “I think we should say yes too,” she nodded with apprehension. “We have the space and even if it’s for a short period of time, we can provide them a safe space together, they at least deserve that. Yeah we should do it. I’ll call back and let them know we say yes.”
 Maria stood by her wife’s side while she called back the agency, her mouth dropping into a firm line at the quirk in Natasha’s eyebrow; it was a subtle nuance, one that indicated that Natasha didn’t like whatever was being said to her. “We understand, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day as well.”
 “What did they say?” Maria asked immediately after her wife pulled the phone from her ear.
 “They said they found a home for the kids and will keep us in mind.”
 With an endearing pout, Maria drew her wife in for a hug, resting her cheek on top of her head, “there’ll be more love.”
 “I know. I’m going to finish helping Laura,” she leaned up to softly kiss her wife, “make sure to take pictures of the girls for me.”
 “Will do,” Maria responded with a smile.

———

            “Hey, click on that one.”  
 Natasha nodded with a hum, doing as she was told. Her and Maria were currently doing research on neurodivergence, having put Wanda to bed a little over an hour ago; their natural curiosity for knowledge they didn’t know currently at work. They found a website that explained neurodiversity and also listed other conditions and disorders classified under the term; at this moment, they had fallen into a rabbit hole of information. “Anxiety disorders frequently have intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. Often, anxiety disorders involve repeated episodes of sudden feelings of intense anxiety and fear or terror that reach a peak within minutes (panic attacks). Common symptoms include:  

• •Feeling nervous, restless or tense
• feeling tired or weak
• Having trouble sleeping
• GI problems
• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

“Sounds exactly like Wanda,” Maria remarked with a small chuckle.
 “Yeah, minus the GI problems, which makes sense as she was already diagnosed with Generalized anxiety disorder. So some of this should be really familiar.”
 Scanning the screen, Maria found some pieces of information that were fascinating.
 “Apparently anxiety disorders are twice as common in women and are also comorbid with ADHD and depression. Mmm, click on ADHD.”
 The information presented gave base knowledge of the history of the disorder, what it was, and statistics. The room fell into a focused silence- both women silently reading the information to themselves.

            The shared laptop was shutdown approximately two hours later and then only because of Maria’s bloodshot eyes. She lay on her back, eyelids shut (the constant screen time has her eyes burning), Natasha mindlessly fidgeting with her wedding ring when her husky voice emanated over the bed. “Do you think Wanda shows signs of depression?”  
 The brunette quirked her left eye open, analyzing her wife’s body language and facial expression. “I don’t think so my love. I-We know depression and that she doesn’t have.”
 Sterling green eyes agreed without refute; they did know what depression looked like, Maria experienced extreme bouts of it yearly. In those months, it was hard to get her out of bed, to eat and care for herself. And when she did get out of bed, if she did go to work, she never clocked out- literally and metaphorically. Natasha, with the help of Fury sometimes, would have to storm through the office and haul a hysterical Maria into the car to force her home, her mind focused only on paperwork that she argued needed to be done immediately or otherwise she didn’t earn the privilege to sleep. Wanda didn’t display those same characteristics, those traits, and Natasha knew that before she asked the question; she just needed someone to quell that part of her. Her head came to rest on her wife’s shoulder, weaving tiny braids with the strands of hair she had access to. “Hey Masha… Maaasshhaa,” she sung with a tilt; a serious look in her eye but a twinkling gleam of a contrasting emotion there.
 “Yes love?”
 “How do you think our lives would be right now if Pietro were here with us? 2 teenagers and twins at that.”
 Maria chewed on her bottom lip, contemplating the inquiry with effort; she really want to picture it for herself: a house with just them to just them and twin teenagers. “I think Pietro would’ve taken to you easily, like Wanda did, but maybe with a little more effort? He would be into sports, maybe a captain or captain of the track team. That statement is based on Wanda’s descriptions of him and not because he’s a male,” Maria audibly argued with herself. “Personality wise… he’s a spitfire with a dry sense of humor. And the two of us,” she side smirked at her wife, “wouldn’t stand a chance. He and Wanda would charm a leprechaun out it’s gold and play us like a fiddle. We’d be busy, running around the city from sports, tutoring, school, social worker visits, and all the other miscellaneous extracurriculars the twins participate in. You and I would be exhausted but we don’t let them know that; we’d be tired and would prefer it no other way.”

            With statements like those, Natasha always pondered how Maria couldn’t see how she would be a fit mother to children in need; she was truly amazing. With a chaste kiss, Natasha pulled away and let her chin rest against Maria’s clavicle; her eyes conveying warmth and adoration. “I can’t argue in any of that Masha. Based on some of Wanda’s personal anecdotes and his pictures, Pietro would be our athletically inclined child- possibly track or swim team. He’d play video games and hang out with friends just like a typical teenager. He’d be charming, him and Wanda definitely working together to work against us.” Her eyes shifted up to look for her wife’s, her voice developing a more serious intonation,” we’d have to keep him separate from Kate and Yelena though.”  
 Maria glanced down at her with questioning eyebrows, unsure of what her wife was implying. “Why?”
 “Because the three of them together is a doomsday bomb. Can you imagine the amount of shit they’d get into? There’d be no one of reason to discourage an impulsive idea.”
 Maria gave a heartfelt laugh, squeezing her wife closer to her as she snuggled them down into the mattress, “fuck, the thought alone is terrifying. I would want to experience it; I’d like to see the cartoonish situations they’d get themselves in.”
 “That would be the day. Hopefully he’s resting peacefully.”
 “Yeah… good night Nat, I love you.”
 “Night Masha, I’ll always love you.”

Chapter Text

            Maria parked in the driveway, breathing in a sigh of relief; she liked visiting the farm but sometimes it was nice to just be in your own home. “We’re here kid,” she called over her shoulder to the distracted teen in the backseat. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Natasha chuckled in her chest and made her way to the back, gently removing  the headphones from the teen’s ears, “we’ve arrived lyubimaya.”
 With a sheepish smile, Wanda gave a soft thank you and accepted her headphones back, snatching her backpack from the seat beside her to follow Maria inside. She dumped it in the foyer, on top of her freshly kicked off shoes, taking her phone and headphones upstairs.
 “Hey, hey, hey!” Maria softly shouted after her, the teen pausing on the step with a confused head tilt. “Clothes from the farm in the laundry room so I can wash them okay?”
 With a voiceless nod, Wanda retreated up the stairs and it was then that Natasha took it upon herself to fall against the couch, resting her crossed feet on the coffee table. “Do we have any plans today?”
 “None that I’m aware of,” Maria shrugged. Her eyebrow quirked up as she knocked her wife’s feet to the floor, “get your feet off my furniture.
 “If my great memory serves me right, we picked this table out together Masha,” she amusedly chucked, her feet returning to the spot they had just been.
 Maria scoffed with fake disgust, a tiny smirk contradicting her, “Wanda does Legos there Nat.”
 Whatever reasonings her wife had was not working in her favor, Natasha ignored each one, her laugh growling heartier with each contort of Maria’s face. She carressed her cheek sympathetically though she still giggled in her face, “do you wanna play Mario kart with me? We can rematch.”
 Maria was all for her wife’s antics even though she always put up a facade of annoyance. “Fine,” she sighed, “I want the light up controller.”
 Natasha sweetly pecked her lips, pulling away with a playful smile (the one that made her eyes light up and her youth shine), “okay Masha.”

            After two hours of merciless teasing (some sexual but most of it in good fun), Natasha placed her and Maria’s controller back inside the entertainment system.  
 “Did Mrs. Whitaker respond to us yet?”
 The redhead shook her head with a tight flat frown, “no but it’s okay because it serves as physical document and only works in our favor.” As not only foster parents but officers of the law, it was pertinent to both Romanoff-Hills that they did things correctly. “I’ll reach out to her later this week,” she assuaged her wife, petting her shoulder softly.
 “Okay, let me get started on the laundry I guess.”
 “I’ll let Yelena and Kate know we’re back, I think she wanted to speak to me about something before we left but I don’t remember.”
 “Mmkay.”
 As Maria separated the dirty clothes basket into 3 piles, she shook her head with slight exasperation; Wanda did not add her farm clothes like she instructed her too. She was finding life with a teenager to be comprised of many little irritating moments like this and while it was a welcome lifestyle change, Maria couldn’t help but feel inclined to bouts of frustration. Softly marching up the stairs, she knocked twice on Wanda’s door, opening it herself after waiting for almost 3 minutes, responseless. Upon opening the door, she understood why: Wanda had made herself rather comfortable, sitting crossed leg on the hardwood floor with one of the books Bruce gifted her in hand; her teeth showily chewing on the cuff of her long sleeve shirt. It was a habit Maria despised, found it far too unsanitary, yet no matter how many times she reminded her, it just never seemed to click for Wanda. It took Maria a few attempts to get the girls attention; she was transfixed like she tended to be when with a good book, however Maria eventually did get peridot eyes to settle on her face. “Hey, I told you to put your clothes in the washer, did I not?”
 Wanda paused her sleeve biting, her eyes taking on a contrite glaze, “you did.”
 “So why didn’t you?” Maria inquired, her arms crossing in that signature way they did when she was displeased with a person’s behavior.
 “I forgot,” came the gentle admission and just like that, Maria’s irritation with her teen dissipated because of her honesty.

            “It’s alright kid, I know. Put them in the wash now.”  
 Wanda nodded as she gathered her worn clothes, chewing on her sleeve and humming to herself while Maria trailed behind, only to ensure that what she asked was done. After dumping her clothes in the washer, she mumbled something to herself, something that Maria couldn’t hear. “What was that hon?”  
 “It’s a cow farm… there’s gonna be cows outside,” she repeated in a drawled  southern accent, before ambling off back to her room.
 The phrase left Maria in a state of utter perplexity because what the hell was Wanda talking about? Yeah life with a teenager is definitely a strange experience, simply put. Laundry occupied at least two and a half hours of her time, including separating and folding, and somewhere along the line Natasha crafted a simple lunch, her and Wanda already sitting outside and eating by the time she found them. The redhead was listening with purpose, Wanda rambling to her in Russian, most likely about the book she was currently reading (book was the only word in Russian that Maria could translate from the conversation). She was going to inject herself into the conversation when the doorbell rang and since she was the only one standing, she went to retrieve it. Lucky’s  tail happily wagged at the sight of his other parent, him patiently waiting to be allowed in. He bounced on the balls of his paws, eagerly accepting the gentle pets to his head, “hi Lucky, hi boy. Go inside.”
 He trotted away, his calm demeanor dissolving the moment he was in the house. Maria didn’t care, she turned back around to accept the black cat in her arms, “hi Liho. Thanks again for watching them for us.”
 “It’s not a problem Maria,” Helen waved her off with a coyish gleam.
 Sharon had far less couth with the other woman, damn near tackling her into a side hug, “don’t worry about it Maria, we were available and we like your fur kids. Speaking of, where is the kid?”
 Maria laughed quietly at Sharon’s excitement, using her head to point towards the backyard, “she’s eating lunch with Nat in the backyard.”  
 “Sweet! Thanks,” the blonde shouted over her shoulder; Helen shrugged her shoulders at Maria in reference to her wife, she was used to and loved her wife’s personality.

           The Carter-Cho visit was short lasting, the couple leaving for their home after only staying for 20 minutes; they were mostly caught up with Wanda’s life over the past week or so and the new experiences she developed. Before departing, they loudly reminded the Romanoff-Hills of their availability if (really when) they needed someone to watch the foster teen. From there, the rest of the day was rather uneventful-Maria finishing laundry and cleaning, Natasha once again calling Wanda’s social worker to report the incident yesterday and still not reaching said woman. It was pissing off her nerves, equivalent to a smug perp who almost had the upper hand in a case. Dinner time broke the lull of the day- Wanda had taken 3 half bites of her plate then refused the rest stating meekly that she couldn’t eat anymore. The option to switch meals did nothing to persuade her decision either; she didn’t bite at the chance to have popcorn, chocolate covered pretzels, or spaghetti- the few foods they knew she couldn’t resist. She declined all the options, politely yet adamantly, Natasha didn’t want her to sleep without a full meal but other than force feeding her (an option that was not feasible) they weren’t going to get Wanda to eat so they excused her from the table anyways. Wives shared their worry about Wanda’s behavior, thinking something of it but not wanting to create a scenario out of something that may not have even been there. When they went to tuck her in for the night an hour and a half later, Wanda was already bundled in blankets, turtle stuffy in arms, and fast asleep.  
 “Let her sleep Nat, maybe she was just tired and didn’t want to eat,” Maria proffered in a hushed tone.
 With reluctance, Natasha grabbed her wife’s hand and nodded, kissing her cheek gently. “Maybe you’re right Masha, we can check on her later tonight.”

——————-

              Natasha semi startled awake, groggily reaching over her arousing wife, slurred Russian expletives falling from her tongue. Beside her, Maria groaned with the same exasperation as the redhead,“Naaatttt… answer it.”  
 “it better not be the guys or Fury,” she grumbled, more to herself and more of a sentiment than a statement. “Hello.”
 Maria couldn’t hear the other participant on the phone but seeing as how Nat didn’t immediately hang up, that ruled out every one of the other avengers.
 “Uh… yeah, we’re available. Okay… okay, yes we’ll see you then.”
 Sleep had rid itself from Maria’s system, interest filling into that spot as she too rose from the bed, unconsciously mirroring Natasha’s movements. “Who was it?”
 “It was the agency for late night emergency placement; she’s 4,” the redhead rambled, yanking on a random, faded shirt sleeve shirt (that once belonged to Maria when they had only been dating). She whipped her head to the right, emerald eyes making eye contact with calm blues, “I’m sorry… I said yes. I just assumed that since we agreed to take in those 2 siblings this past weekend that we were in agreement to take her in as well.”
 Maria reacted differently than Natasha’s anxiety led her to believe. “Nat… Nat, Nat!” She caressed her cheeks instead, a groggy but genuine smile dancing on her lips, “it’s okay babe; our house is always open for emergencies. Did the agency state when they’d be here?”
 “Mmm in about an hour she said.” Natasha couldn’t help but to relax into her wife’s palms.
 “An hour,” the brunette repeated, “okay. We can get a lot done in an hour, how do you want to play this?”
 “You make sure the room is all set, it’s been a while since we’ve been in it. I’ll warm up the leftovers for her.”
 “Deal.”
 They separated with a short kiss, Natasha descending downstairs and Maria strolling herself to the “kindergarten room” as they dubbed it, located directly across from their bedroom. There wasn’t much the room required, only a light dusting needed, Maria getting the tools to do so with ease. As she stepped into the hallway to head to the downstairs cleaning pantry, her legs moved on autopilot, halting outside of Wanda’s door. She poked her head through the opening carefully, relieved that Wanda was still sleeping, dog and cat surrounding her as usual. Forcing the door to narrowly remain cracked, she moved on to finish what she started.

            After completing their tasks, wife and wife waited on the couch, tv playing in the back without really watching it, when soft tapping sounded on the door. They were greeted by a lithe man (his features conveying the immense stress he was enduring), his hand on the thin shoulder of a 4 year old who was way too small for her age. “Hi Detective, Hi Commander,” the social worker sighed with overexertion. “Thank you and apologies for the late notice… it’s… she needed a home now.”  
 Natasha briefly glanced at the toddler, “of course.”
 “Here’s her file,” he handed over a folder with papers askew, a testament to how rushed and last minute this case was. “My contact information is in there for whatever information you need and my name is Jon Arin.”
 Maria’s grip was firm, her blue eyes off balancing the intensity with understanding, “it was a pleasure to me you Jon, despite the circumstances. We understand, take care.”  
 A slightly appreciative smile briefly crossed Mr.Arin’s lips, as did an exasperated chuckle, “thank you Commander, thank you Detective. I hope you have an easy night.”
 He gently ushered the small girl, who had yet to raise her head from the ground, over the threshold and departed with a final wave.
 “Wait,” Natasha unexpectedly said aloud, carefully tucking the file under her arm then darting after Mr. Arin’s vehicle.

            Maria hummed to herself, taking this moment to examine the small child: aside from the obvious malnutrition, she also had bruises and grime on the minute amount of skin peeking above the clothes that were currently swallowing her body. She aptly assumed that the rest of her body had to be worse; her hair was also tangled and unkempt, appearing as if it had never been cared for. Wherever this little girl had came from, it was tangibly visible that she had never been loved. Maria crouched to meet the toddler’s height, though keeping a respectable distance and her voice low yet friendly. “Hi, my name is Maria and the lady with the red hair is my wife, Natasha. Welcome to our… home…” She hadn’t noticed the girl’s apprehensive fear until it burst over, the little girl quite literally shaking as she tried to hide within her small frame; Maria was at a standstill on how to appropriately react. “I-.”  
 The husked voice of her wife drew her gaze away, “Masha, what happened?”
 The brunette shrugged while raising to her full height, a mixture of confusion and fright etched on her face. “I don’t know,” she murmured low enough as so the toddler didn’t hear them, “I was welcoming her to our home then she started shaking. I didn’t do anything else.”
 “Hey Masha, you’re fine. You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise,” the redhead assuaged her wife, easily detecting that this was due to her initial anxieties about being a good parent peeking through. “You’re alright, let me try to see if I can talk to her.”

            Maria stared ahead, nodding absently while Natasha stared at her wife; internally fighting against herself. Her wife was stuck and from previous experience, the only way to release her from her semi-comatose state was with physical affection and verbal assurances; given any other circumstance, Natasha would have already had her wrapped up on the couch cradling her close as they rocked together. Not this time though, this time there was a little girl who (maybe) needed similar reassurances and comfort, to know that this was a place that she could feel safe. Making an executive decision, Natasha left her wife to her self, not before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek, to tend to their new house mate.
 “Hi sweetie,” she crouched, voice low and sweet. Her hands laid flat on her knees, a deliberate move to display that she had no weapons to cause harm. “My name is Natasha and that pretty lady over there is my wife Maria. We’re happy to have you here. It’s okay if you’re scared, being in a new place is really scary huh? Are you hungry?”
 There was a tiny nod, and it took every once of police training for Natasha to not show any visible emotion to the response, knowing that an extreme shift in emotion (whether positive or negative) would only serve to frighten the girl more. “Would you like something to eat?”
 The girl didn’t make eye contact, gave no other physical indication that she was even listening to Natasha besides offering another tiny nod.
 “If you follow me, I can show you where the kitchen is and the pantry- that’s where we keep most of our snacks. Would you like to see?”
 The toddler was overly anxious, but her trembling had long stopped, at least since Natasha had started to speak to her. Hazel eyes jumped from the redhead to the brunette, the gaze not holding for more than a second before shifting back to the redhead. A blanket of serenity overcame her when the red-haired lady, Natasha(?), nodded at her with a big smile. “You’re okay, it can be just the two of us for now.”

            Natasha glanced at Maria, half checking her over while the other half nonverbally communicated if she was alright with the situation; Maria understood that her presence for the girl was overwhelming (her own current feelings overwhelming her as well), so she easily complied with a curt nod. “It was nice meeting you sweetie, if you need anything, Natasha will help you. I’m going to go to bed, I’ll be upstairs if you need anything from me too.”  
The toddler wretched her eyes shut, turning her body away from the brunette Romanoff-Hill; it was clear she held a deep dislike for her, the reasons yet to be justified of course. Either way, Maria was relieved to be departing… just for tonight as she was sure that in the morning, she’d be a better foster parent.

            ——————

            Wanda groaned miserably in her sleep, twisting and contracting herself into a fetal position hoping that would quell the cramps radiating across her stomach. She opened her eyes as she sat up, one hand clenching her stomach while the other made a fist. Her stomach had been a mess for the last few hours; initially it started as nausea then progressed into stomach cramps somewhere in the night, leaving her now with both cramping and nausea. Her body jerked forward, her throat constricting as she felt her body’s cue that she was going to throw up; she couldn’t, wouldn’t, let her body get the best of her. She groaned again when her body jerked forward, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to breathe away the nausea. Instead, after 10 laborious minutes, she didn’t have the energy to fight; she succumbed to the nausea and hurled over the side of her bed, her face a mixture of disgust and salty tears. Gazing at the rancid mixture on her bedroom floor only served to spike Wanda’s heart rate and anxiety. She had to clean it up before Natasha and Maria saw, that was a good reason to get rid of her; she was certain they wouldn’t but vomiting on yourself when you’re 15 was as valid a reason as any. Her vomit was warm on her hands, the chunks of partially digested lunch and bits of dinner on her fingers, the sensation of it all encouraged more vomit from her stomach, as well as tears, to expel from within her. The nausea, and the wiggly feelings inside her body were beginning to overwhelm Wanda, and despite her fright, she needed Natasha and Maria’s help at the moment. Begrudgingly shuffling to the master bedroom, Wanda contemplated whether she should enter… another roil of her stomach hastily dismissed the thought and sent her hunched over form over the threshold, “ta-tasha? mia?”  
 Maria had been laying in bed, mentally reciting the few reassurance affirmations she learned in therapy many years ago; however, Wanda had her attentions immediately. “Hey sweetie, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

            The teen shook her head, tore between accepting the comfort or running away from it. “No… no I-I’m sorry. don’t yell at me.”  
 “What’s wrong? What happened?” Maria inquired, ignoring the apology, opting to focus on the way Wanda was gingerly caressing her stomach.
 “I-“ the word had barely tumbled from her lips before another pang ripped through her stomach, vomit quickly making it ways up as she sprinted to the conjoined bathroom. Vomit splashed against the bowl as she heaved, though she wasn’t by herself for long; Maria was one step behind her, pulling her hair out the way. After she was sure Wanda was done (after a few empty heaves), Maria guided her to sit on the edge of the tub, a warm washcloth in hand to clean her face. As she did so, Maria couldn’t help but see the parallel of her father but that’s where it ended. While he could tolerate his alcohol, there were many nights where it fought back and won, his only prize was spending the night practically living in the bathroom and a skull splitting headache. When the cloth gently wiped the area of her lips and mouth, peridot eyes opened to gaze at Maria; eyes filled with disgust and remorse, far different than that of her father’s. The one time Maria did help him, gently wiping his face as he hopelessly sat on the toilet lid, he had said “she was Elizabeth’s twin.” It was the only nice thing he had said to her in her 18 years of life trapped with him. She didn’t let herself dwell on that memory for long as she placed the back of her hand on Wanda’s forehead, checking her neck as well. “You don’t have a fever kid. Do you have any other symptoms?”
 Wanda didn’t answer the question, only clutching her stomach tighter as she fell onto the bed in the fetal position.
 “Wanda? Are you listening sweetheart? I’m going to get you some water; how many times have you thrown up?” Maria’s words were interlaced with concerned empathy.
 “My stomach hurts Mia,” she mumbled.
 Maria half frowned, brushing brown locks from the teen’s face. “I know hon, I’ll be back with some water so we can figure this out.”

———

            Natasha watched from her position leaning against one of the kitchen counters, the small child jerkily shoveling noodles into her mouth with her right hand as she sat on her knees. She found it suspicious that she had yet to see the girl use her left hand, let alone move her left arm since she’d arrived; she had her speculations of course, given the background the child came from. When she started to choke, face reddening with each harsh cough, is when the redhead sprung into action, rubbing large circles on her back while her other hand guided a glass of water to her lips. “Drink slow sweetie, take your time,” she gently advised.  
 After a few slow gulps, the girl turned her head away from the glass, a clear indication that she didn’t want anymore.
 “Are you all done?” A meek nod was received as an answer.
 Natasha gave her a small smile, moving slowly as she guided the girl to the kitchen sink. The girl waited patiently there, curiously watching the redheaded woman drag the chair she was previously sitting in over to the sink.
 “You can stand on the chair so it’s easier to wash your hands,” Natasha explained, cutting the water on herself as even the chair couldn’t help the little one reach that far. She observed the little girl, mainly to see what life skills she learned and how developed they were. And then it made sense as to why she wasn’t utilizing her left arm… it was in a cast past the elbow, most likely a Greenstick injury given her age. Natasha pumped soap on a napkin then ran it under warm water, “I’m going to help you okay?” she made sure to say aloud. She gently wiped down tiny fingers and thin cheeks until they were almost gleaming from cleanliness. She knelt down in front the girl, feeling far more comfortable know that she wasn’t looming over her. “It’s late so we have a few options, you tell me which one you want to do. Option one,” she held up one finger, “we take some water and I can show you your bed upstairs, our second option is that we can watch tv in the living room. Which would you like to do right now?”
 There was a blank look on the little girl’s face, which made Natasha believe that she had shut down, but then her little eyebrows creased together in concentration and she pointed to Natasha’s two fingers.

             “Option 2? Okay. Let’s take some water with us in case we get thirsty in the night; the bathroom is down the hall. Is there anything you want to watch?”  
 The newest member in the house shook her head no, a lie that the redhead lady wasn’t aware of. There was a show she wanted to watch but she didn’t know this lady, even though she was already nicer than her mommy had been, she still didn’t know her or trust her.
 “It’s okay if you don’t know,” Natasha softly reassured, “I’m sure we can find something.”
 It had took Natasha a few minutes to find something: crossing off Cocomelon and Baby Einstein immediately mainly because Nate kept her up to date on all the newest shows and those two were NOT allowed in her shared home. Eventually she decided on Masha and the Bear, the English dub of course, and settled down a few inches away from her. After an hour or so, she started to doze off, bucking up slightly at the sound of light footsteps in the kitchen but the toddler was still next to her so she figured it was Maria doing a check in from afar. “Hey, you ready for bed now?”
 She shook her head no, big eyes warily glancing at the tv, “… stay please.”
 It was the first and only phrase she had said since entering the house and damn it, Natasha was going to abide by it. “Okay, you can stay here; I’ll get you a pillow and blanket.”
 “you stay too?” came a soft plea with those same large eyes.
 A small smile graced Natasha’s face, “yes, I’ll stay with you; I’ll get a blanket for myself too.”
 There were extra pillows and blankets in the downstairs closet, Natasha grabbed 2 each and quickly made her way back to the couch, handing over a set to the little girl. She fixed her makeshift bed on the loveseat, giving the entire 4 seat couch to the small child. “Good night. If you need anything, I’ll be over here,” the redhead spoke quietly while settling down. She didn’t expect a verbal response from the child; she was just content to provide some form of physical comfort.

Chapter Text

            Natasha woke up slowly, blinking and yawning as she sat up with Masha and the Bear still playing on tv and their newest housemate sleeping on the couch. With her asleep, Natasha tiptoes up the stairs hoping to use this time to check in on her wife. She was a little surprised to find their bedroom empty, maybe she’s with Wanda, she thought to herself; however, Wanda’s bedroom was also empty which further stumped the redhead. She was downstairs all night so if they left the house, she would have heard them with no problems. One by one, she checked each room upstairs, most of them unused but clean (a habit of Maria’s) and finally located both ladies in the second bathroom; the one that was furthest from all the bedrooms. They were both seated on the ground, the teen asleep on her wife’s shoulder, the latter watching some tv show on low volume. “Morning Masha,” the redhead smiled warmly at her wife. “what happened?” she inquires with concern, silently just watching her wife.  
 Maria yawns with a tight stretch, making sure not to jostle the teenager sleeping on her shoulder; it was a rough night for the both of them. “Wanda came looking for us last night- said she wasn’t feeling well and spent most of the night throwing up… which is why we’re here,” she yawned again, smack her lips before sighing. “She doesn’t have a fever and isn’t experiencing any lower right stomach pain so I don’t think it’s appendicitis which is always great. How was your night love?”
 Natasha chuckled at the brunette with affection, crossing her arms and leaning against the door jamb, “you’re so thorough…”
 “Well that’s what I’m known for… and being an ice bitch,” she stated nonchalantly. Maria was well aware of her nickname around the office, it’s not like she cared though because that demeanor is what’s kept all those under her (and above too) safe from extreme harm over the years. Natasha reminisced to a few hours earlier; considering the late night placement and all that ensued because of it, Natasha would say that last night was not as bad as she envisioned it would be.

            “it actually went well Masha,” she replied, sitting crossed leg on the floor but still keeping a distance between her wife and the teen. “She wanted to stay downstairs and watch tv so that’s what we spent the rest of the night doing, after she ate a meal first. That’s also when I learned that her left arm is in a cast and she’s also got very visible bruises.” Natasha exhales heavily then blinks to herself before just staring softly at her wife. “Her file says her parents used the home as both a trap and a whorehouse- a call to the police was made by one of the drug dealer’s own children. She was neglected and abused- physically, verbally, sexually- and forced to live in a crib in a locked room. The most fascinating aspect of it all is that she’s potty trained,” she stated, her tone changing from candid to inquisitive.  
 Maria had been rubbing her eyes but paused when she heard that final sentence, skepticism plastered all over her face. With severe abuse and neglect cases such as this, the child or children (depending on how young they were) were never potty trained; they were usually forced to spend life in an overly soiled diaper shuttered in a room. “Really… are you sure?”
 The redhead shrugged, carding a hand through knotting strands, “that’s what Mr. Aron said last night when I asked him, though I don’t know how accurate that statement is; I didn’t get a chance to give her a tour.”
 Maria’s eyes tingled with melancholy, both sympathy and empathy coursing through her for the tiny child, paralleling life mirroring her own childhood. “Take your time Nat and please don’t worry about us; I have Wanda and you have the little one.”
 Guilt manifested itself in Natasha’s chest and she couldn’t help but to frown, Maria was having none of that though.
 “I’ll make breakfast,” Natasha proffered, easing to her feet and dusting off her pajama bottoms. “Do you think Wanda will be able to keep it down?”
 A quick glance at the sleeping teenager had Maria shaking her head in disagreement, “I don’t think so.”She was relieved that Wanda was finally asleep but did hope that she would be able to stomach a few bites of food when she woke up; she doubted Wanda had any actual food remaining in her system. She watches as her wife does a short stretch and is descending down the first 2 steps when an important question makes its way forward. “Wait, what’s her name Nat?”
 Natasha paused for a moment, meeting her wife’s curious gaze with one of gentleness, “her name’s Daisy; I’ll be back with breakfast.”

——————

            The kitchen was filled with soft noise, a result from Natasha’s gentle self humming, as she worked on finishing making breakfast. She glanced away from the stove, briefly checking in on Daisy who was parked in front of the tv watching Masha and the Bear again; Natasha didn’t like utilizing a screen as a babysitter but it kept the child occupied and away from the kitchen, one less thing for the woman to worry about. Natasha hummed in question at the buzzing coming from her phone, wiping her hands off on a dish towel before flipping it over; it was a text from Clint.  
 
“Morning Nat. We figured out what was wrong with Nate, his school sent out an email to all the parents stating there’s a stomach flu outbreak. Are any of you experiencing symptoms? I think we kept him pretty well quarantined.”
 “Good to know,” she responded back, “I do think Wanda caught it somehow. We’ll work it out.” She thought to herself silently about whether she should let him know about the newest addition… they would be busy again for the next few week so it was best everyone knew why. “Hey before I forget, we have another foster kid staying with us. Let the others know not to come around for a while… and if they have to, just let us know beforehand.”
 “Alright! How old’s the kid?”
 “4- we’ll call her baby girl D for now.”
 “Cool 😎 ! Take care Nat. Text us!”
 “I will. Bye old man.”
 “👎… not cool Nat.”

That earned a chuckle out of Natasha and lightened her spirits a bit. She placed Maria’s food on a serving tray along with a mug of coffee, 2 bottles of water and crackers, stopping by the living room before making her ascension. “Morning sweetie. I’ll be right back, I’m going to give Maria this tray and then we can eat breakfast. Can you wait right here for me?”

            Daisy hesitantly nodded her head, large brown eyes attempting to hide themself from her gaze. Natasha moved in quick step up the stairs setting the tray of food on the little table housed in the hallway. Though the door was shut, she could hear the clear sound of Wanda throwing up on the other side. She winced a she knocked on the door, waiting with bated concern that lifted when Maria firmly told her to “come in.” Natasha gently pushed opened the door, her plump lips forming into a sympathetic pout at how miserable Wanda looked hunched over the toilet bowl; she had lost some color, her skin pallid and eyes bleary. Without speaking, she offered a bottle of water to Maria, who opened it and gently urged Wanda to drink it after telling her to breathe. She frowned and Natasha grimaced at the wet cough that followed after a few sips of cool water. Wanda coughed some more, covering her mouth with the collar of her shirt. “Than-thank you Mia,” she sheepishly smiled. She gratefully accepted the cup of mouthwash Maria handed over to her, swishing it around in her mouth and spitting in the toilet. She clutched the water bottle to her chest, cradling it as she rested her head back on Maria’s shoulder, the woman brushing her hair behind her ears. At the rate Wanda was declining and with how much she had already thrown up, she was going to need more than just water to rehydrate and replace lost electrolytes. The issue that arose was that they didn’t have any electrolyte drinks/ supplements… so Natasha would have to remedy that by going to the store. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, pondering the best course of action; she didn’t want to take the toddler out of the house but she also knew she couldn’t leave her here, not with how contagious the stomach flu is. “fuck,” she whispered to herself; she was going to have to take a Daisy with her. She crouched to her knees, keeping eye level with her wife, “Masha, I’m going to have to go to the store to get supplies… I’m going to take Daisy with me.”

            With pursed lips, Maria shook her own head, unsure of the outcome the trip would bring but the toddler couldn’t stay behind with her; even if they were on good footing, she herself had already been exposed to the virus. “I know you’ll be okay Nat, you’ve already got her best interests at heart. Keep her and yourself safe love.”  
 Upset with the fact that she couldn’t physically seek comfort from her wife, Natasha kissed the emerald of her ring, Maria doing the same to her own- a little tradition they formed when they were still dating: a physical representation of saying I love you. “We will Masha. Is there anything you need from the store?”
 “Nothing much, just body wash and shampoo thank you.”
 Natasha was familiar with the brand of hair care products Maria used (it always left the taller woman smelling like melon and honey) so it would be no issue to locate in store. She craned her neck to ask Wanda if she needed and/or wanted anything but she had already drifted back to sleep. “Okay I’ll get Daisy ready. I know it’s disgusting but eat your breakfast,” she stated, laying the food tray close but near the door jamb. “If there’s anything else you can think of that we need, just text me.”
 “Thanks Nat… we will,” Maria tiredly grinned, “you text me too if you need anything.”
 Natasha nodded, making a gentle descension along the stairs, reflecting a calm demeanor as she thought about what to do next. As she had instructed her, Daisy was still waiting patiently on the couch for her, her body balled up as she watched the the tv. She greeted the girl with a warm smile much like she did last night and also made sure to kneel into her eye level. “Hi Daisy, thank you so much for waiting for me, you did a good job. Are you ready to eat breakfast?”
 Daisy shakily nodded, confused but excited because she was going to eat again… her mommy never gave her food like this- two times! She happily followed behind Natasha into kitchen, she struggled to climb up the chair with her one arm but she didn’t cry or make a sound… her mommy hated when she did that. So she did the best she could to remain silent, kicking her legs until she found the momentum she need to hoist her body onto the chair all on her own. Natasha had seen everything, ready to intervene in a moments notice if Daisy needed it. When the child was seated (on her knees again- she’d have to find a seat helper or something for her) was when Natasha spoke to her. “For breakfast, we are having pancakes,” she pointed to the round things, “and fruit. This is a blueberry, this is a raspberry, and this is a grape. Would you like to try one?”
 Daisy nodded then hesitantly reached for the felice grapes (Natasha had quarter cut them while preparing breakfast) and put it in her mouth, “mmm.”
 “You like?” Natasha smiled, “I like them too, my favorite fruit are the green grapes. Speaking of, for our drink we have apple juice.”

            Daisy was a sticky mess by the time she finished eating, her hands being Natasha’s fault as she was more concerned with the child eating than using proper table etiquette. “Are you all done?” she asked softly, waiting for a response before doing anything. After receiving a confident nod, Natasha collects the dishes and quickly washes them in the sink then sets them in the drying rack. “Alright sweetie, we have to clean you up because we have to go to the store to get more stuff for the house. Do you remember Natasha telling you that?”  
 Daisy nodded but was lost about what a store was; her mommy said there was no reason to leave her room, if she did then she would get in trouble. Natassa wasn’t mean like her mommy… she let her eat and she didn’t have to stay in a room. Natasha was aware of Daisy’s lack of verbal responses, she could give them, but rarely used them so nonverbal responses were all she needed. “We have to clean you up before we go. I’m going to give you a bath… have you ever had a bath before?”
 Daisy’s eyebrow’s curved in thought and she told Natasha yes with a nod; sometimes the big kids would give her food, a bath, and clean clothes to wear. She followed Natasha up stairs, trailing behind her into a room she hadn’t seen before- there were toys and colors everywhere. Natasha gently placed 3 shirts on a bed, all with their own graphic design. “Hey Daisy, I thought it would be cool if you got to pick what you wanted to wear. Do you want to wear any of these shirts?”
 The 4 year old tottered towards the clothes, studying each one carefully. She chose each part of her outfit- the top, the bottoms, and even her socks. Each part of the selection process took over 10 minutes, Natasha waiting patiently throughout because she wanted Daisy to have control somewhere in her little life. As for the bath toys Natasha had spread out, Daisy didn’t particularly look interested in them so she just grabbed them all and lead the child to the bathtub she already filled with warm water. “Do you need help taking off your shirt?”
 Daisy nodded and raised her arms over her head, allowing Natasha to remove the oversized shirt from her stiff body. Natasha wrapped her cast with ease then deposited the child into the warm water. The redhead bit back a wince, keeping a calm external demeanor at the horrendous markings of Daisy’s past on her little body. There were deep scrapes along her back and upper shoulders, marks that resembled cigarette burns every where; there was barely an inch of skin below her neck that was left unscathed. There were also bruises of varying colors, most of which were very fresh, the smallest one the size of one of Natasha’s fists; she also had a black eye that thankfully wasn’t swollen. The most nauseating part of all of this was that, amidst all the bruising, there were distinct handprints and bite impressions on Daisy’s malnourished thighs and stomach. Taking a blue rubber ducky, the redhead tries to engage the toddler in play but Daisy had no interest in participating, she accepted the ducky but would only hold it. Natasha gets her clean, the water is extremely dirty by the time they finish bath time but she makes sure the child is spotless because while her scrapes didn’t require stitches, they did need some form of medical care.

            Getting her dressed took 5 minutes, Natasha setting her in front of the tv while she went to change. She checked in on her wife and Wanda: Maria was mumbling the story of what sounded like their wedding day to a barely conscious teenager. After a quick goodbye, she loaded the car up with her and Daisy (and the blue rubber ducky that she had yet to let go of). Daisy stood by Natasha’s side as she grab a cart, the redhead glancing down at her in thought: should she walk or ride in the cart? Most 4 years would be walking by the cart right? But Daisy isn’t like most 4 year olds, she didn’t even look her age. After a quick deliberation, Natasha decided to just let Daisy walk, opting to believe that she needed to stretch her legs. Daisy held onto the fabric of Natasha’s pants, holding the ducky with her casted hand and following in tandem obediently. After 15 minutes of walking, her little legs were beginning to hurt and she didn’t want to do this anymore but Natasha would get angry at her if she cried so she kept going. She kept walking until she physically couldn’t anymore, halting in the middle of the aisle and releasing the woman’s pants. Natasha was aware of Daisy letting her go so she immediately halted pushing the cart to identify what the issue was. “Daisy are you okay?” She dropped into a crouch, examining her over as there shouldn’t have been anything around them to cause her harm, “what’s wrong?”
 Daisy’s eyes were watery and sniffled, anxiously looking anywhere but at Natasha’s face, “no more.”
 “No more what sweetie? No more shopping?” she tried to infer based on what little she’s had to go off of but Daisy shook her head no to that so it had to be something else. What else were they doing besides shopping? All they had done so far was walk the aisles… “no more walking?”Yes, she nodded.
 Ah that made sense, Natasha thought. Daisy spent most, if not all, of her life stuck in a crib; she hasn’t built up any excess stamina, endurance, or muscle so walking nonstop for 25 minutes must have been exhausting. “That’s okay sweetie. Would you like to sit in the cart then and give yourself a break?” Yes, she nodded once more.
 With that permission, Natasha gently hoisted Daisy into the child seat area where Daisy looked marginally less tense.

            Natasha shopped and pushed the cart with the toddler in it, narrating every action she performed and described every item she came across to Daisy; she was hoping to expand the child’s interests because she had yet to say anything else after the two words she uttered earlier. Natasha wondered what her biological parents had done to her that caused her to become apathetic; she made no efforts to interact with the environment- no perusing, babbling, kicking her feet, or fidgeting- she just stared at the ground and clutched the blue duck to her stomach. As of right now, Natasha knew she knew at least 6 words and used them appropriately so she had a grasp of language but didn’t utilize it as her primary form of communication. Fortunately, check out at the register was probably the highlight of the trip. As Natasha loaded the groceries onto the conveyor belt and made light conversation with the cashier, the cashier decided to include Daisy too. “Good morning sweetie! Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?”  
 Natasha continued loading the conveyor belt, laughing to herself internally because she clearly wasn’t a New York native. Daisy didn’t respond (no surprise there), this didn’t deter Abigail the cashier from continuing with the one sided conversation. “I love your duck, he got a name?” she continued scanning the items on the belt, trying to engage conversation where one wasn’t happening though surprisingly, Daisy was looking at her through her periphery.
 “Well, and this is just for your ears only, I have a ducky too. You wanna see?” she asked then rummaged around in the draw underneath her register. There was intrigue as Daisy tilted her head to the right, Natasha had to admit she was intrigued too. Abigail pulled out a dusty green rubber duck, one that was a little bit smaller than the standard size ducky Daisy was currently holding. She held the duck out to Daisy with a small smile, “his name’s Wilbur and I think he’d be great friends with your little ducky.”
 The toddler hesitantly accepted the duck with a shaky hand and muttered a soft thank you before putting her head back down.

             Natasha chuckled an airy laugh through her nose, shaking her head in amused disbelief. Abigail finished ringing up their items and as Natasha went through the questions on the card reader she couldn’t help but inquire, “you aren’t from around her are you?”  
 Taking no offense, Abigail grinned and handed over the receipt, “no ma’am. My family and I moved here from Georgia not too long ago.”
 She clicked her tongue in understanding; the accent and Abigail’s overall demeanor were indicative of someone raised in southern hospitality. She accepted the receipt, shoving  it in her pocket, “ah that makes sense; thank you for your help today.”
 Abigail practically beamed liked the sun, “you’re welcome ma’am. Bye little one,” she waved them both off as they exited the store.
 The redhead loaded Daisy into the car, double checking that the harnesses to her car seat were secure then quickly loaded the groceries into the trunk. The radio played softly in the background as she drove and once they made it home, she deposited Daisy in the living room again and turned on the tv. Once she unpacked the groceries and got everyone situated, she’d do more than use the television as a babysitter… that’s what she kept telling herself at least. She was going to head upstairs to drop off the drinks when she paused in the doorframe, thinking to herself but then snatched up Daisy’s file for her wife to read. She wasn’t surprised to see Wanda asleep yet again, Maria watching low volume videos on her phone. “Hey we’re back. I brought you some options… I don’t know what flavors or brands she prefers.”
 Maria accepted the bag with weary eyes, “thanks love.”
 Natasha picked up the breakfast plate which was now mostly empty, “she ate the toast?”
 “Mhm. She ate an entire piece… then threw it up about 45 minutes later.”
 Natasha frowned, humming in displeasure at the statement. “Is it normal for her to be throwing up this much in 36 hours?”
 “Mmm, I had the stomach flu a few times. Once when I was 16; it lasted for 6 days, 3 of which were spent hugging a toilet.”
 Natasha didn’t want to think about how much of that was contributed more towards neglect than the stomach flu itself; there was no point in upsetting her wife over something so trivial.
 “The length between her vomiting is getting longer so I think she’ll be fine within the next few hours,” Maria’s tone optimistic and Natasha just nodding. “Stomach flu is apart of childhood. What?” she questioned upon noticing her wife’s frown.

            “Yelena and I never had the stomach flu,” she replied with a shrug, “though it always seemed like she had strep throat.”  
 “How come I didn’t know you never had the stomach flu?!” asked Maria incredulously.
 “I don’t know how that would come up organically in conversation. What, am I supposed to randomly just say, I’ve never had stomach flu before?”
 “I mean yes that works… that was perfect actually,” the brunette quipped with a smirk, thoroughly pleased with herself. The redhead laughed, soaking in the merriment of the moment; both Romanoff-Hills reveling in the fact that they could still make the other laugh. Maria’s laughter died down first, Natasha following a few seconds behind. “Here’s Daisy’s file. I figured now would be the best time for you to look it over.”
 Maria accepted it with her free hand, resting it on the floor next to her, “thanks Nat, I will.”
 “Mhm, I’ll bring you lunch and more water after I show Daisy around the house and let the animals out. Pay attention to your back Masha… stretch.”
 “I will Nat, go away,” she playfully shoo’d, watching intensely as her wife did just that. She enjoyed how Nat fussed over her, childhood trauma made it difficult for her to accept outright. Tired of viewing a screen, she got to work busying herself with reading Daisy’s file.

——————

            Wanda awoke with a pathetic groan, a downright disgusting taste permeating her dry mouth as her throat burned and nausea rested in her stomach. The teen shifted uncomfortably until she was sitting up by herself; Maria sitting not too far away, her blue eyes conveying relief for some reason. “Hi kiddo, how do you feel?”  
 “Okay,” the teen mumbled to herself in Sokovian as she took everything in. “My stomach still feels… ” she struggled to find the words in English but Maria seemed to follow along with no issues.
 “It’s okay sweetie, take your time. Do you think you feel well enough to tolerate any fluids? You need to replenish your electrolytes otherwise you’ll dehydrate.”
 Wanda wasn’t really sure if she could handle it but understood that it would help her get over this sooner so she just nodded. Maria gave her options to choose from but none of it sounded or looked visually appealing: Gatorade would be too sweet, the pedialyte and electrolyte looked really thick so she didn’t want that texture in her mouth, and the other beverage, she had never heard of so didn’t know what to expect from it. Sensing her frustration, Maria offered a solution, “how about you try the pedialyte; you only have to sip a little and then you can chase it with water.”
 Begrudgingly, the teen did just that, gagging harshly on the electrolyte beverage but then managed to swallow it down with a look of disgust. Maria laughed softly, quickly handing over a bottle of water that Wanda sipped slowly as she rested her head back on her shoulder, “thank you, where is Tasha?”
 “She’s busying herself around the house I think,” Maria replied, gently brushing loose hair strands behind the teen’s ears. “I’m not really sure.”
 “you stayed here with me?” Wanda’s disbelief was palpable as she stated at nothing.
 “Yeah sweetheart, I stayed,” she removed the bottle from Wanda’s hands, putting it aside for later. “I think that’s enough water for now, don’t want you throwing up again.”
 An appreciative smile grew on the teen’s lips, the gesture and the nonchalance of Maria’s words letting her know that it wasn’t really a big deal… but it was for her. She didn’t get sick much- more than Pietro but still less than the average person- and only 2 of her previous homes cared enough to stay or even check on her during that time. She settled into Maria’s body heat, her mind and thoughts less busy than it usually was. Her eyes fell upon the file by the door, curiosity and sadness filling inside her. “there is a new kid?”
 “Yes, got here late last night/early this morning,” Maria replied honestly, Wanda would find out once she was feeling better anyways so why lie now.

            “ho-how old are they?”
 “She’s 4.”
 Wanda’s heart dropped into the pits of her stomach, her eyes watered as the burn of rejection boiled within, one of her greatest fears becoming a reality. They got a toddler, basically a slightly older baby that could be raised as if she were their own child… they’d get rid of her soon enough, no matter if she liked living here or not. She screwed her eyes shut, willing the sting of bile down with no luck. Wanda shook Maria’s hand off her shoulder, the foster mother not caring as she placed it back on the teen’s shoulder and assured her over the toilet. After a few painful dry heaves, Wanda sat back on her heels, angrily wiping away her mouth with the back of her hands. “Thank you… why are you not with her? I can take care of myself.”
 “I don’t doubt that sweetheart,” Maria sighed as she held Wanda’s braid back, “I know you can. I chose to be here with you because I wanted to. Now relax… you’re okay.”
 With a sniffle, Wanda rested on her heels again, somewhat deflecting eye contact as Maria sighed; she was completely aware of the implications Daisy’s premature presence was already creating. Once Wanda had gotten past the vomiting stage and therefore free from the confines of the bathroom is when she and Natasha will sit down and discuss every feeling and issue Wanda was experiencing; it was a done decision.

———

            Daisy wandered closely by as Natasha gave her a tour of the house, keeping her hands (and ducks) by her side as her eyes did all the exploring. She had seen her room, the bathroom, and Natasha and Maria’s bedroom which “is always okay for you to go in there but sometimes you may have to knock.” There was one other room she got to see but nobody lived there yet so Natasha moved on, halting at another room where the door was closed. The redhead pressed her ear against the door, noting the sounds of dry heaving and Maria speaking softly. “We have another kid staying with us,” she crouched to the toddler’s height, “her name is Wanda and she’s 16… a bigger kid.”  
 Daisy perked up at the fact that there was another kid here besides her- the older kids that visited her mommy’s house were always nice to her; they gave her food and a bath and never hit her. She stepped forward, her brown eyes gleaming with hope as she spoke, “we say hi?”
 It broke Natasha’s heart that she had to say no; this was the most interest and emotion (besides fear) that Daisy had shown since her initial arrival. “I’m sorry sweetie, we can’t right now. Wanda’s not feeling well so I don’t want you to get sick too. When she’s feeling better, we’ll come say hi.” Natasha couldn’t tell if that answer truly satisfied the child or if she was just complying to avoid punishment, she’d figure it out in due time. “It’s been a very busy day, do you want to take a nap?”
 The toddler nodded with certainty and followed Natasha to her bedroom; she allowed the woman to place her in the bed and to pull the blanket to her chest.

            “it get dark?” she questioned, her voice shaking as she looked around the room. “I don’t like.”  
 “You don’t like it dark?” Natasha clarified out loud, though she was mainly making sure she processed Daisy’s statement correctly. She drew the blinds up enough to allow drops of sun in and also made sure the window itself was locked. “Is this okay for you?”
 Daisy looked around the room, satisfied that it wasn’t dark anymore. “thank you… you stay here? pl-please?”
 “Yeah, I’ll stay here with you sweetie. Do you want the door open or closed?”
 “close it.”
 Natasha nodded with a gentle smile, “okay sweetie, let me close the door and then we’ll take our nap.” She did as she said then settled in the rocking chair set in the corner of the room. It took over 20 minutes of constant staring but eventually brown eyes drifted shut and Natasha felt herself relax. Today was a mental struggle with one kid, she could only hope that it would get slightly easier when Wanda was feeling better.

Chapter Text

            Maria sympathized for the teenager, her own personal experiences, though not the same, were very similar. So she did what she wanted someone to do to her when she was this age: she scooped the teen up (who squeaked in surprise) and settled her into her lap, leaving her hold loose so Wanda had the choice of terminating it. After a few minutes of just waiting to see what Wanda was going to do, she tightened her hold, cradling the teen to her chest. “It’s okay hon, I get that this is difficult for you; Tasha and I are here for you either way.”
 Wanda allowed herself to relish in the physical comfort, partially because she loved physical contact and also because she just really needed a hug. She hadn’t sat in someone’s lap in over 6 years, she’d forgotten how safe it felt. Although stiff at first, she did eventually relax, practically melting into Maria’s chest as the woman began to rock them back and forth; it was childish she kept telling herself but was something she very much so needed for the time being. “I like being held like this,” she exhaled shakily, releasing a few of her worries in that breath. She brought her hand to her mouth, unconsciously beginning to chew on her sleeve. “Where did you learn? Your dad…didn’t… so who held you? Was it Melina?”
 Maria chuckled softly into the teen’s hair, an amused grin on her face; Wanda was far too emotionally observant for someone who was only 15. “Yes. But would you be surprised if I said Laura too?”
 “Laura?” The teen gasped around the chewed sleeve, “but-but aren’t you older than her…” her nose scrunched, “and bigger?”
 “Mhm, I am,” Maria affirmed, her smile growing wider by the minute, “though that doesn’t really matter; Laura was the first person to ever hold me this way.”
 “Why? Did you ask her to?”
 “No, not at all. It had been a rough two weeks at SHIELD and I was overworking myself to rectify all the issues that occurred, meaning I wasn’t eating or sleeping properly. I was working on paperwork in my office when Clint burst through stating that Nat was injured-“

           “Tasha was injured?” Wanda gasped as she sat up, withdrawing herself from Maria’s chest so that they were now face to face. “Was she okay? Did it happen during a case? Was she in the hospital?” 
 The interruption didn’t deter Maria from continuing with her anecdote; Wanda had a minor tendency to interrupt in conversation. She did it frequently enough that she and Natasha noticed but not enough to be considered rude behavior… at least Maria didn’t think so. She shrugged as she locked in to Wanda’s gaze, craning her head to the left. “I didn’t know, all Clint said was that she was injured and that I had to follow him so of course I did. In retrospect, I should’ve picked up that he was lying; he wasn’t driving with the concern one would have after hearing that their close friend has been injured,” she laughed through her nose. “But in my mind fog, the only thing I was concerned about was getting to Nat. When we finally arrived at the farm, Clint shoved me towards the dinner table so we could all eat together and as he and Nat washed the dishes afterwards, Laura and I sat on the porch. It was fall time so-“
 “it was cold during this time?” wide eyes stared at Maria with interested, “or uh… uh brisk is the word?”
 “Beginning of fall so it was chilly,” Maria smiled softly. “We had a blanket wrapped around us but it was still kind of cool. I didn’t expect her to pull me into her lap and cuddle- like she physically lifted and cuddled me.” Maria didn’t hold back her laughter and Wanda swore she would remember how it sounded forever; it was light, carefree, and full- a sound she’s never heard from her before.
 “Melina followed a few months after; she was giving me a tour of the house and we stopped in Nat’s room. I asked her why there was a rocking chair in each room, I had saw 5 other ones prior… she explained by cradling me into her lap. That’s what she used to do for Nat and Yelena when they were home. I didn’t complain,” she exhaled nostalgically, “it was one of the best hugs I’ve ever received.”
 The teen fell back into Maria’s chest with a soft thump and an even softer exhale. Despite everything she’d been through, not that Wanda herself knew all the details, Maria still had plenty of good people to rely on in life; for that she was grateful. “They did good, your hugs are nice Mia.”
 “They did well, sweetheart,” the woman politely corrected before responding with appreciation, “and thank you.”

            She felt a nod against her chest and a blossom of pride; she’s felt she’s made progress with her personal traumas so the recognition by someone other than family was reassuring.  
 “Mhm… yes, they did well,” the teen corrected, still chewing on her sleeve.
 They sat in the bathroom for a long time, so long that Maria’s legs had fallen asleep; Wanda was comfortable, hadn’t thrown up in an hour and a half, and didn’t disengage the cuddle so therefore Maria was content. She hummed in response to the light tap on her forearm, eyes glancing down at the top of the girl’s head, “yes?”
 “I want to take a shower, please.”
 “Oh yeah, yeah… go ahead,” Maria said as she shuffled around to give Wanda enough space to get up. Once she was up, Maria herself stood up, stumbling with a wince; a reaction Wanda noticed with concern. “Are you okay Mia?”
 “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine; just been sitting on the tile for too long. I’m okay,” she gently reassured.
 Wanda stared at her oddly for a few seconds then nodded in understanding. “I’ll be back, I need clothes.”
 Maria departed without a word and began limping to her bedroom, collapsing on the edge of the bed with a large exhale. She’d forgotten how much physical and mental energy went into caring for an ill loved one especially since Nat rarely got sick. With another sigh and a heavy push, she guided herself back onto her feet and begrudgingly trudged to the shower. The warmth of the steam was truly refreshing, providing her with renewed energy. She dressed in sweatpants and a mismatched SHIELD sweatshirt, walking to Wanda’s room to check in on her. Peeking around the crack, Maria saw that the teen was sleeping on her bed, head using her sea turtle as a pillow with the sheets sloppily bunched around her stomach. Tiptoeing out of the room as quietly as she entered, Maria contemplated taking a nap of her own but instead she regaled herself to cleaning and disinfecting the bathroom she and Wanda just spent the last few days together in.

——————

            The wooden chair creaked softly as it rocked back and forth underneath Natasha as the woman mutely streamed a show on her phone. Her attentions turned towards the bed at the sound of soft whining, Daisy having woken up from her short nap (short as in less than an hour). The whimpering ceased when the tiny toddler sat up completely, hands grasping her ducks as fearful eyes scoured the room. Natasha continued rocking back and forth, patiently giving Daisy all the time she needed to adjust. It took the tiny tot a long 10 minutes to self regulate and gain her bearings, her fearful gaze diluting slightly as she finally peered at the redhead.  
 “Hi Daisy, remember me? Natasha,” she gently reintroduced herself.
 Daisy nodded, responding with a soft “yes… you Natassa.”
 The redhead warmly smiled at the attempt, “hi sweetheart. I thought we could play with some toys before we have dinner. Is that something you’d like to do?”
 Daisy avoided eye contact as she remained silent, giving Natasha nothing to work with so she opted for a different approach. “Let’s try it and if we don’t like it, we can find something else to do okay?”
 She didn’t want to take away Daisy’s choices but she figured reducing some options would make it easier for Daisy to explore the environment more. For what it was worth, Daisy did nod (with hesitation) then slowly crawled from underneath the covers, her body shaking as she struggled to maintain her balance without using her hands (both preoccupied with a duck). Her little feet trailed behind Natasha as they headed into the playroom; she surveyed all the toys with little interest. Everything was neatly organized, all toys stored away where they should be all thanks to Maria’s organizational hand. Natasha thought to herself for a moment, trying to decide which toy would be best for the given situation; she needed something that was interesting but not overwhelming. She pulled out a plastic bin off of colorful wooden blocks: each one with a different imprinted letter on one side, a number on the opposite, a shape, and a random animal, and say crossed legged on the floor. Daisy copied her movements, positioning herself in a W sit as she eyed what the older woman was doing. “These are wooden blocks,” Natasha stated while holding one up for demonstration, “you can do a lot with them; we can spell or count or even name our animals. Let me show you.”
 Carefully looking for specific blocks, she found the seven she needed to spell out her full first name. “N-A-T-A-S-H-A… that’s my name Natasha. Why don’t you give them a try?”

           Daisy stared blankly at the wooden blocks, her body language conveying disinterest and her affect flat. Natasha tried to make the blocks as fun as she could, spelling different names, colors, and even made a tower and then gently knocked it down (which she quickly learned Daisy was not a fan of- both the action and sound of falling bricks made her lip quiver as she startled, covered both ears and held in a cry). So she apologized as nicely as she could before moving on to another play activity that was far quieter and easy enough to handle on both ends- coloring. She approached the cowering child with caution and took a seat right across from her so she could see her entire, unarmed body. “Hey, knocking those blocks down was scary huh?”  
 With ducks covering her ears, Daisy simply nodded, cracking her eyes open enough to see the redhead in front of her. She wasn’t angry like her mommy would be and she didn’t hit her like her mommy did either.
 “I’m sorry; I didn’t know knocking the blocks down would scare you. If you would like to try something else that isn’t so loud, we can do that… or we can just sit here too. You let me know when you’re ready okay?”
 Time stretched while the two of them sat silently on the floor; Natasha didn’t make any movements and Daisy’s body didn’t unfurl. It took another 10 minutes for Daisy to self regulate and when she did, she slowly lowered her hands from her face to stare around the room. “You.”
 Natasha’s brows jumped up in question, utterly perplexed by what the girl was trying to communicate with her. “Me what sweetie?”
 Daisy’s brows furrowed together as did her lips, she really was her best to say she was wanted. “Mmm you… um… you do,” she huffed, her frustration steadily growing.
 “I do…” the redhead parroted out loud, “I do… I do… oh. Would you like for me to choose the next activity we do?”
 A noise of relief tumbled from Daisy’s lips as did a sigh at being understood, “you do.”
 “Okay sweetie okay, I get what you’re asking- I pick, am I right?.”
 “Yes.”
 Natasha exchanged a large grin with the toddler who gave her a small one back in return.

            After seeing Daisy’s reaction to the blocks and sound, she decided on a far quieter activity- coloring. She selected an animal coloring book for a few select reasons: it was more common knowledge than Disney princesses and it would give her a chance to test if Daisy could accurately identify animals. She shuffled over to the little art table settled in the corner of the room and began to color the koala bear purple. Daisy shuffled with, her eyes transfixed on Natasha.  
 “These are crayons, you can use them to color, draw, or write your numbers and letters,” the redhead explained softly, offering the toddler a yellow crayon.
 Daisy didn’t know what any of that meant so she just stared intently at the outstretched crayon. She hesitantly accepted the crayon with a struggle; her hands were too small to hold both a duck and crayon at the same time which Natasha immediately took notice of.
 “If you want, you can place your ducks on the table or in your lap so you don’t lose them while you color,” she gently advised.
 Her blue duck went into her lap as she held the green one with her casted arm; she didn’t attempt to color herself though there was a moment where Daisy leaned in closer to see what the redhead was doing. Minus the scratching of the crayons on the table, the room was entirely silent which bothered Natasha slightly. She hummed to herself quietly, the humming turning into soft singing as she became more entranced with the activity; with a quick glance to her left, she noticed that Daisy’s eyes were relaxed and her shoulders weren’t as tense as they tended to be. After roughly 15 minutes, Natasha decided to end the activity, “alright Daisy, all done for now. Now we clean up so we can eat dinner and get ready for bed.”
 “Okay.”
 Daisy was slow to assist in clean up but fortunately, there wasn’t many items that needed to be put away anyways. Dinner was similar to breakfast: Daisy mostly ate with her hands (ducks on the table in front of her) and there was a mess afterwards, she was fed and full though which is all that truly mattered. Natasha helped her wash her hands in the kitchen sink before leading her towards the stairs to clean the rest of her body off but Daisy had stopped them halfway up the stairs. “Natassa…” she cried in anguish, “my ducks!”
 The redhead facepalmed, disappointed in herself for forgetting the girl’s ducks, the only toys she’s taken a liking to so far. “Oh I’m sorry sweetie, you stay right here and I’ll get them for you.”

            She was swift in her retrieval of the toys, gingerly placing them in Daisy’s outstretched hands. “I’m sorry again. Now let’s go get you cleaned up before bed okay?”  
 “Okay,” Daisy parroted, cradling her ducks close as she slowly climbed the stairs. She was wiped down with a warm wash cloth and changed into a pair of long sleeved green pajamas decorated with celestial bodies. Natasha helped her brush her teeth and wash her face before stepping outside to let Daisy use the potty. As she’s waiting outside for her to finish up, she receives a text stating Wanda missed her therapy appointment and would they like to reschedule. A frustrated groan tumbles from her mouth; she forgot all about Wanda’s therapy session today being so preoccupied with caring for Daisy. She quickly sends a message to see if they can reschedule for Thursday late afternoon, receiving a confirmation a few seconds after. With a sigh of relief, she shoves the phone into her pocket to continue with the nighttime routine. “Hey Daisy, are you all done? she knocks on the bathroom door. She smiles and enters when she hears a soft voice saying “all done.”
 Natasha gets her in bed and asks if she wants door open or close.
 “Open and cwose.”
 “Mmm so closed but not all the way? Like this maybe,” she demonstrates, leaving the door ajar.
 Daisy nods her little head at the demonstration, “yeah, please.”
 “Okay we’ll leave it like that sweetie. You remember where the bathroom is and if you need anything at all, you can come get me or Maria… anything at all okay? You ready for your bedtime story?”
 “Yes please.”
 Perching herself on the edge of the bed, Natasha offers a warm smile then flips open to the first page. “Oh, the places you’ll go by Dr. Seuss. Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!”

————————————

            By the the Maria finishes cleaning and disinfecting the bathroom, it’s approaching dinner time and she curses at herself for not noticing sooner. She hadn’t been worrying about it, more focused on making sure Wanda was recovering well, so she hadn’t taken anything out to defrost. Maria rushed into the kitchen, checking the fridge to se show much leftover spaghetti there was; it was enough for everyone in the house but best for Wanda to eat something that wasn’t so flavorful. She’d have to ask the girl what she’d prefer to eat instead of jumping the gun; Wanda wasn’t a picky eater per se but she did have her moments of refusal. Maria sighed as she wasn’t accustomed to having to put this much mental effort into preparing a simple dinner; Natasha was content with almost anything she made so this was unfamiliar territory. She quietly made her ascent up the stairs to 1) see if Wanda was awake and 2) if she was, what did she want for dinner. Her knuckles rapt on the door softly and she entered when she didn’t receive a response. Wanda had been awake, sitting crossed leg on her bed as she twiddled with her fingers.  
 “Hi sweetheart, I didn’t know you were awake.”
 The teen’s head slowly lifted so that their eyes met; Wanda looked beyond exhausted and the darkening circles under her eyes didn’t do her any justice. “Mia,” she sighed with relief. She’d been telling herself to get out of bed but no matter how many times her brain relayed the message, her body just couldn’t comply. “Mia, it’s too quiet… I’m bored.”
 “Mmm,” Maria hummed, her arms crossed over her chest nonchalantly. “It is kind of quiet, would you like to take a walk with me?”
 “Yeah… yeah I think I would,” Wanda quickly agreed, rising to her feet almost instantly.
 Maria laughed at her antics but was happy she said yes. “Okay, I’ll let you get changed, just meet me downstairs when you’re done.”
 Her instructions were met with a nod so she took that as her cue to get ready herself. Since she was already wearing long sleeves, she opted to toss on a simple topcoat to hide the fact that she was still technically in pajamas. After getting herself ready, Maria got Lucky ready, attaching his leash to his collar and making sure there were poop bags readily available; Wanda barreled down the stairs less than 5 minutes later. “You ready to go?”
 “Yeah Mia, I’m ready,” she smiled with only her lips; she looked so tired Maria thought to herself.

           The weather was enjoyable as they meandered down the sidewalk: not too hot or chilly and there was a perfect breeze whistling by every so often to remind them that autumn was just around the corner. Wanda leaned against Maria’s left shoulder, the woman’s right side occupied by Lucky’s walking form. Wanda hums to herself before her eyebrows furrowed together in contemplation, “no, I wouldn’t relive my teen years. Would you Mia?”  
 “What?” Wanda was a great kid who had a tendency to be in her own world sometimes, starting sentences in odd places with no context; this was one of those moments for sure.
 “Would you relive your teens years again? I was reading a book and the characters were reminiscing over their teenage years together and how they would do it again. I wouldn’t, would you?”
 Another hard hitting question, Wanda had a knack for that too. Maria glances at  the top of Wanda’s head with an amused eyebrow quirk, “do you ever ask Nat any of these intraspective questions?” she lightly jests.
 Wanda was quiet for a moment, taking some time to formulate an answer and shrugged. “no, not yet; I think you’re an interesting person.” She continues to walk in tandem with Maria, reaching over to scratch the top of Lucky’s head. “Plus we spend more time together anyways,” she stated factually.
 “Sorry about that kiddo, it’s just been awful timing- you not feeling well and then Daisy joining our family on short notice. You’ll get to spend more time with her soon, I promise. Until then though, I’m here for you.” Maria truly did feel bad for the teen especially since she was closer to her wife than herself.
 “I like hanging out with you Mia,” Wanda grinned at her, “so would you relive your teenage years or not?”
 Maria rapidly blinked to herself, having forgotten that Wanda ahead even asked her that. She pretended to think for a moment, her teenage years something she’d hidden long ago. “No I wouldn’t. I mean, sure I made mistakes but I’ve learned and never want to experience those years again.”
 “Mmm, that’s not surprising, I’d be more concerned if you did want to relive your teen years,” Wanda stated. Peridot eyes gazed into blues as she tilted her head, “I wouldn’t want to either. I would only do it again if Pietro were there too… so we could do our teen years together.”
 Maria paused as Lucky cleared his bladder, holding eye contact as he completed the task. “Tell me more about your brother hon.”
 She didn’t miss the uptick in Wanda’s body language, her excitement to share about he brother more than obvious. “really? What do you want to know?”
 “Well… maybe you can start by telling me what he was like: funny, serious, a nerd, etc.”
 Wanda bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to think of where to begin. “He was the best older brother ever- only by 12 minutes- and he always reminded me and Mama and Papa.”
 Maria mainly listened as Wanda detailed Pietro’s person, sprinkling in a few minor comments here and there to show interest as they continued to walk the block.

            By the time they arrived back at the house, the sun was setting and the night was getting cooler. Wanda fed Lucky and Liho their food but refused a meal herself, no matter how gently Maria encouraged her to eat something. So instead Maria gives her a snack and reminds her to eat it if she’s hungry at any point today and to also drink water. She was aware of the shift in Wanda’s demeanor as they approached the house on their return from the walk, dropping from excitement to dread in a matter of seconds… she knew it was because of Daisy but wasn’t sure how to address it without severely upsetting the teen in some way so she didn’t. Draping herself over the kitchen counter, Maria scratched the back of her head and simply sighed; nurturing a sick, ignored teen and an abused toddler at the same time was not for the weak. She went into the fridge, only to melt slightly at the bowls and note in the fridge- “Hoping for a chance to see tonight my love :) in the meantime, make sure you and Wanda are eating”
 She grabbed the bowl marked with the M, heated it up in the microwave, and enjoyed herself. She mindlessly scrolled through her phone then thought to check her messages to which she frowned. Amidst the many messages from her friends, there was one from Wanda’s therapist office sent an hour ago stating they missed the appointment today and needed to reschedule; Nat had already replied to rescheduled for the next day and a confirmation text was also received. How was with the girl all day and still forgot about her appointment said a lot about her mind space- how the hell was she gonna do all this with a toddler in the mix now? She was in charge and cared for over 500 employees, surely she could do it with Natasha’s help. Cleaning up after herself, Maria headed to her bedroom to get ready for the night. She showered, brushed her teeth and washed her face before slipping into one of her old (Clint’s actually) graphic tees and sweatpants. When she slipped into Wanda’s room after, the teen gasped in pure surprise. “Oh… you are still going to read to me?”
 “Mmhm, it’s part of our routine,” Maria replied in short, gently guiding Wanda to her bed.
 “Why about Daisy?” Wanda questioned as she climbed into bed and laid head to pillow.
 Maria flipped to the bookmarked page, holding it open along the spine, “I’m with you and Nat’s with her.”
 Wanda frowned but didn’t pout as she asked another series of questions. “Mmm, so Nat’s not gonna read to me with you?”
 “I’m not sure. What I can do is text her to meet us in here,” she thoughtfully suggested.
 Maria didn’t have time to even grab her phone from her pocket as Natasha came speeding in 20 seconds later. Wanda rushed  into a seated position, happiness radiating throughout her face. “Hi Tasha!”
 “Hi milyy,” Natasha breathed out. She took a seat next to her wife, taking a moment to kissing her cheek. “Are you feeling better?”
 “Yeah I’m feeling a lot better, I haven’t thrown up all day.”

            “Oh that’s great to hear kid, I was getting worried about you.”  
 “Very true,” Maria chimed in as she searched the page for where they last stopped.
 “So school tomorrow and also therapy; we had to reschedule because we forgot,” Natasha sheepishly admitted, “sorry.”
 Wanda didn’t let her disappointment for therapy show; she really didn’t like her new therapist but this would be her second one she’s gone through so she would just have to suck it up. “okay… it’s at the same time?”
 “Yep.”
 “Thanks for letting me now tasha.”
 “No problem, I think it’s my turn to start off so let me see where we’re at.”
 Wanda fell asleep about half an hour later, looking very peaceful as she slept with Liho and Lucky by her side (the two animals forcing their way in halfway through the reading). Maria settled the book on her dresser and exited slowly as did Natasha, leaving the door ajar behind them. After checking on Daisy quickly (she was still asleep thankfully), they finally ended up in their room, Natasha wrapping her arms around her wife so they toppled onto the bed together. “I’ve missed you soooo much Masha, I don’t wanna let you go,” she declared, dropping an excessive amount of kisses on her cheek reminiscent of Pepé Le Pew. Maria giggled, basking in the affection before tapping her wife on the thigh to get her to stop. “I’ve missed you too Nat, how’s it been with Daisy?”
 Natasha propped herself on her elbow, lovingly staring down at her wife’s face. “Well… her rubber ducks are her most prized possessions, she doesn’t ever let them go or out of her sight. And she likes food… I think, she’ll eat and try whatever she’s given without complaint. But I think that plays more into her abuse and neglect than her actual personality. She also doesn’t engage in play but was interested when I was coloring and singing.”
 Maria smirked, “what were you singing?”
 Brushing aside some hair, Natasha chuckled and shook her head, “I only sang one song- can’t help falling in love by Mr Elvis Presley.”
 “Mmm, Clint and Laura’s wedding song? That’s a good one.”
“Yeah, how was your time with Wanda?”
 Maria settled into the sheets, crossing her legs at the ankles and clasping her hands over her stomach. “She’s really a great kid; only difficult part was she wouldn’t eat dinner today. I gave her a snack though so if she does get hungry she has that and she knows she can go to the kitchen anytime.”

           “That’s okay, Wanda will be okay,” Natasha reassured as she turned out the light then lay next to her wife.  
 Maria rolled over so that her and Natasha were nose to nose, “she isn’t a big fan of Daisy though.”
 “That’s ironic because when I mentioned that we had a teenager in the house, Daisy’s face actually lit up and she kept requesting to meet Wanda.”
 “Nat, do you think taking in Daisy was a bad idea? I mean, we’ve already had to separate her and Wanda which separated us and Daisy only seems to like you so far so it’ll be difficult for me to form a relationship with her and-“
 “Masha, breathe,” She stated as she cradled her wife’s cheek in her hands and rubbed her thumb softly against her. “No I don’t think it’s a bad idea. We’re just going to have to learn and adjust to having a toddler and a teenager in the house is all.”
 “We both forgot about Wanda’s appointment,” Maria pointed out, “what if we forget more important events?”
 “I’m sure it’ll happen but it’s not the end if the world. We’re learning and so are they, we’ll figure it out. And if we can’t, we still have our parents and friends to help.”
 Maria gave a shaky exhale, those negative thoughts expelling themselves at her wife’s reassurances. She leaned forward to softly place a kiss on Natasha’s plump limps, “I’ve missed you Nat.”
 “Trust, I’ve missed you too Masha. Let’s get some rest, night my love.”
 “Night Nat.”