Two of a Kind | Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 21: One More Step

Wanda boarded the Quinjet with Natasha close behind her. It didn't take much convincing for Wanda to go back to New York, especially once she mentioned getting Jemma. Scott decided to go with them, having explained that he wanted to go back to his family. The two women agreed and allowed him to come alone, agreeing that they'd drop him off first. Natasha sat in the pilot's seat with Wanda in the co-pilot's seat, and she began to fly the ship out of Arizona and back to New York. Wanda bounced her leg and played with her rings as her nerves started to get to her. She was trying hard not to think of what would happen to Jemma if they were too late. Would she be arrested? Would Ross torture her for information on their whereabouts?

Natasha noticed her behavior and looked at her.

"Hey, everything is going to be fine. We kept Jemma off all the records, there's no way they can know about her," Natasha said. Her words did nothing to quiet the worry in Wanda's thoughts.

"She called and texted my phone in the days leading up to my arrest. They know we've been in contact, at least they assume we've been in contact. They'll come for her, and they'll use her to lure us in. And you and I both know it'll work. We need to get there first, Nat. We have to."

Natasha only nodded. The cloaked Quinjet quickly flew to New York, and the trip only took a couple of hours. The dropped off Scott, wishing him well, and flew to Jemma's apartment building. Landing on the roof, still cloaked, Wanda made her way to the open hatch. She would have to go down and get Jemma, not wanting to risk giving out their location by using her phone. She exited the jet and walked through the little door on the roof, taking her inside the building. Wanda quickly ran down the steps, until she got to the floor of the apartment she called home. It felt weird that she was back, and Wanda remembered the exact reason why she left, and it left a bad taste in her mouth. Running down the hall until she got to the familiar door, Wanda knocked hard as panic and urgency settled into her.

Jemma opened the door and only stared at Wanda. She didn't say anything and she didn't move. Wanda stepped forward and grabbed Jemma, pulling her into a tight hug as she relaxed a little.

"Oh, my God, Jemma. Thank God you're safe." Jemma didn't hug her back but stood in the doorway. Griffon, hearing Wanda, ran over to the door and rubbed his head against Wanda's leg, meowing happily. Wanda pulled away from Jemma, staring into her brown eyes. "Come on, we need to go." She walked into the apartment and grabbed Jemma's packed bag and turned back to the door, ready to leave, but Jemma stopped her.

"Wait. So where are we going? You never told me."

"The rest of the team is in Arizona. We need to go and meet them."

"And where are we going after that? Surely you're not planning on staying in Arizona," Jemma said, placing her hands on her hips. Wanda sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I don't know where we're going next, Jemma. I don't have the whole plan, but I do know that you need to come with us. If they find you, they'll use you to get us, and it'll work. Who knows what they'll do to you? I can't let them hurt you; not after everything, not after Lily. Now, please, we need to go. They may already know we're here." Jemma sighed but followed Wanda out of the apartment, but not before saying a quick goodbye to Griffon.

"What about him? Isn't he coming?" Wanda asked as Jemma locked the apartment door, leaving the cat behind. Wanda knew how much Jemma loved that cat, and she didn't want Jemma to choose her over the feline.

"I called my parents after I got off the phone with you. Told them I needed to go on the road for a little while and didn't know when I would be back and asked if they could take him for the time being. They're on their way to come get him."

Wanda led Jemma up the steps leading to the roof. On the roof, Wanda could see Natasha standing on the hatch of the still cloaked Quinjet. She and Jemma quickly made their way on board as Natasha went back to the cockpit and took off, heading back to Arizona.

Jemma placed her bag down on the floor and placed her hands on her hips again, pacing the floor while Wanda stood in front of her. Wanda opened her mouth to speak, but Jemma held up a finger, silencing her. Instead, she watched as Jemma paced, mumbling and finally laughing.

"Jemma?" Wanda asked looking at her with caution. Jemma continued to laugh before she turned her back to Wanda and leaned her head against the wall. After a minute, she turned back around, no longer laughing, and glared at Wanda.

"Where...the hell...have you been?" she asked slowly, the anger that she had been feeling for over a week started to come back. Wanda once again opened her mouth to answer but Jemma cut her off. "I've been calling and texting you, and you didn't answer. It's bad enough that you snuck out in the middle of the night and don't tell me, but then I don't hear from you, and I'm left trying to figure out why. Why? Why after all this time do you do this to me? Why?" Jemma was now yelling, not bothering to lower her voice.

"After not hearing from you for a few days, Clint comes knocking on my door looking for you, and when I tell him you weren't there, he looks confused, and I start to worry more. He told me that he would find you, and I haven't heard from him either. Then one day I turn on the news, and I see that you were in a fight with the Avengers and were arrested and I couldn't believe it. I knew this was over the Accords and I worried about what they would do to you. And, a week later, two weeks in total, I finally get a phone call from you that just leaves me with more questions instead of answers. So, I think it's time you explain yourself."

Wanda played with her rings, feeling small under Jemma's strong gaze. She sighed and looked towards Natasha who actively tried hard to not look at her. Wanda cleared her throat before speaking.

"The night I left; I went to stay at the compound. I took a cab and Vision let me in."

"Why did you leave?"

"I left...because I thought it was best." Wanda dodged the real reason she left, knowing it would make Jemma angrier; she hated it when Wanda got in her head.

"Bullshit. Now tell me why you left."

"I left...I left because that night you were having a nightmare, and...I didn't mean to, I only meant to try to help. I looked in your head and saw your nightmare. I saw Sokovia, I saw you and Lily together, and I saw the roof cave in and crush her, and...I saw me. I caused the roof to collapse, I caused Lily's death. That's why I left; because I am the sole cause of your unhappiness. I took away everything that you loved, and I am the reason that you're here," Wanda sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand, blinking away the tears; she was done crying.

"After Lily's memorial service I promised her that I would protect you and keep you safe, and all this time I thought I was doing that because you were getting better, we were getting better...but then...then I saw your dream...and I realized something; I was the only one getting better. You were still struggling with grief, and me being there was only hurting you. I really care about you Jemma, and I know that leaving hurt you, but me staying wasn't good for you either. So, I left. I got your calls and your texts and listened to every voicemail, but...I couldn't bring myself to call or text back, then all this shit with the Avengers happened and before I knew it, I didn't have a chance to talk to you again. I know it won't do much, but for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you through that, and I promise that I'll try not to do it again."

Jemma only stared at her, then she shifted her gaze to stare at the floor. She took a shaky breath as she processed Wanda's words, finally receiving a reason for Wanda's disappearance.

"If you're mad at me, I can stay out of your way and give you some space—"

"I'm not mad...anymore, but I'll need some time...to think." Jemma turned from Wanda and walked towards the back of the Quinjet and sat on one of the seats. Wanda sighed and ran a hand through her hair and walked to the cockpit, sitting in the co-pilot's chair. Natasha sighed and looked over at her.

"She'll forgive you, kid," she said quietly.

"Maybe, but not anytime soon."

"Like she said, she just needs some time. Just give her time. It'll be okay, I can guarantee it." The two sat in an uncomfortable silence as they flew back to Arizona.