Where your loyalties lie (Two New Bartons book 2) (completed)

A long, long drive - Pietro

When the ship's captain announces over the PA that we're nearing our destination, we start making our way back down, along with every other passenger on the ferry. I nearly lose sight of Clint several times, and the large crowd is making me nervous, so I'm glitching between normal and super speed. 

"Relax," Clint says, as I grab his wrist about halfway to the level our van is on. "You're going to cause a scene, and that is one thing we do not want." 

I nod, forcing my heart rate down. My go to calming technique - thinking to Wanda - is a no-go. She's still blocking me. 

When we finally reach our van, my grip on Clint's wrist must be breaking off his blood supply, but he doesn't mention it. 

"You go around the other side," he says, unlocking the van. 

I force myself to let go and move to the passenger side. I pull open the door, and hear a pair of quiet voices fall silent. So they're awake then. 

I look back as I slide into my seat. Wanda is huddled in the far corner, wrapped in a blanket and my jacket. There are tears falling down her cheeks, and Lang looks like he's trying to comfort her. It's clear she hasn't told him the reason for the tears, because he doesn't look at me in any special way. 

"Hi," he says, moving over. "You must be the brother. Scott Lang."

He holds out his hand, and I shake it. 

"Pietro Maximoff."

He turns to Clint, who is trying the coax the ancient engine on. Clint looks up, shakes his hand briefly, introduces himself, then goes back to fighting the van. 

"Don't mind him," I say, "He's just grumpy cause he has to spend another couple of hours stuck next to my awesomeness." I lean in closer to him and whisper, "I can be very annoying when I want to."

Lang nods, and I turn back to the front just as the engine bursts into life.

"Yes!" Clint whoops. 

We took so long getting down here that the ramp to the outside is already lowering, and the first cars are moving. 

"Buckle up," I say, and Lang sits down. I peak over my shoulder and see him next to Wanda again, whispering to her. Her eyes are lowered and, when I try to think to her, the wall I'm met with is even stronger than before.

Clint pats my leg consolingly, before driving out into sunlight. 

As we drive, I try to listen in to Wanda and Lang's conversation. At first, it's difficult because they're whispering, but the longer we drive, the louder and more cheerful they get. I struggle to keep the jealousy down. Lang is doing a better job at cheering Wanda up than even Clint. I can't figure out how he's doing it, but after a while, they're both laughing and joking together. 

"How's he doing it?" I hiss to Clint. 

"I have perfect vision, not hearing," he whispers back.

"But you're a father, too. Don't you know all the tricks?"

"Yeah, but Wanda's not my daughter."

"She's not Lang's, either," I remind him. "And you're the closest she's got to a father."

He sighs. "What upsets you the most? The fact that she's upset with you, or the fact that you can't do anything about it."

I think about it for a second, then say, "I don't know."

"Because he can do something about it. And I think that annoys you."

He's right, of course. But I can't tell him that. Instead, I say, "What? Why would that annoy me?"

"Because that used to be your job, and you're scared she doesn't need to you to do it anymore."

I bite my lip.

"You're jealous of a guy you barely know, simply because, for the moment, your sister prefers him to you. But that will pass. She'll need you back before long. You just need to be patient."

I nod, my heart sinking. Patience has never been my forte. At all.

We stop just before the French/German border to stock up on caffeine, and Lang falls asleep again soon after. Wanda covers him with a blanket and leans back against a pile of pillows, watching him. 

About ten minutes later, Clint stops at a red light and I turn around and say to Wanda, "Wanna switch? It can't be comfortable back there."

"I'm fine," she says quietly, her eyes trained on the floor.

"No, come on." I flash, and Wanda's buckled into the front seat and I'm at the back with Lang.

She never once looks me in the eye, but I can tell that, after talking with Lang, she no longer thinks she's a monster. The unexpected side effect of this is that she's mad at me again. Before she can get up, the light turns green and Clint is moving again. 

Finally, we reach the airport where we're meant to be meeting Cap, Sam and Barnes. Other than us, it's completely deserted.

I try to wake Lang, but without much success. After shaking him twice, I give up lean back into Wanda's pile of pillows to wait. 

Word count: 866