Take Me Home

Winter

The outrage that poured out after Wanda's statement was loud. She quickly quieted them back down.

"He wasn't there. She was hallucinating." Everyone exhales worried that Loki was the villain behind everything. They honestly wouldn't put it past him. "She...she was in bad shape. I'm going to assume before you," she says looking towards Luke and the others. "got there. She-" Wanda pauses closing her eyes as her mind replays what she saw.

Nia shivers, her torn clothing nowhere near enough to protect her. She's strapped down to the table again, she hears the slow beep of the heart monitor. Her body twitches, electricity still running through her. She sees movement out the corner of her eye. She swallows thickly so scared to move.

"Darling." The voice whispers. She sobs turning to face him.

"You're here."

"I am." Loki says. He goes to touch her face but she can't feel him. "I brought someone to see you."

She turns her head sobbing when she sees who it is.

"You came for me!"

"I'll always come for you!" The man says.

"I miss the lake house. I want to see the lake house again."

"Then let's go." He says with a smile.

"I-Will you bury me there?"

"I'm not burying you anywhere! Let's go home!" He says a bit desperately.

"Aren't you listening? I'm not coming home."

She watches as he backs up, Loki going with him and they fade into thin air. She closes her eyes letting out a sob. That's when the machine turns on again, her body bowing up as the pain makes her scream. She sees sparks around her, the pain of electricity burns making her sob.

"She was dying." Wanda says her voice cracking, "she started to hallucinate." tears are coming down her face. The feeling of pain and hopelessness she felt from Nia was soul crushing. "I don't know how she survived..the pain." Wanda shivers looking away.

"What else did you see?" Tony asks but Wanda shakes her head.

"Nothing good."

✨

A few hours later everyone stands in the air hanger

watching Luke, Derek, Valda and Milo leave.

"Piccolina," Derek said before he got on the plane. "When I come back...I want to take you on a date?" He leans forward as if to place his forehead against hers. A particular steel blue eyed man pops into her head. The soft feel of his lips against hers. She take a step back from Derek.

"Derek-I-I'm- i c-can't." Derek watches her stiffly for a minute before striding away. She tries to hold back the tears in her eyes, not flinching when Vincent places his arm around her.

She keeps her arms wrapped around herself, she knew at some point they would leave but it was so hard to say goodbye to them. Especially when she didn't know when they'd be back or if they even would. She knew how the elders were and if Luke wasn't taking her...that means she might never go back.

✨

The next day she spends time with Peter while Loki hovers in the background. He tells her how his Aunt May died and MJ finally became his girlfriend. She rubs her head when she gets brief flashes of people who might be who he's talking about but no real memories. She nods along to his stories laughing hysterically at certain parts.

Tony, Bucky, Damien and Sam walk in after a few hours and just sit there listening.

"Will you play for me?" Peter asks.