Gray in the White and Black

day xxxv

Wanda winced as the gauze was taken off her wound. "Almost done," Natasha told her, while she cleaned the wounds. Wanda closed her eyes. "You're gonna be able to get out of here today," Natasha told the younger girl.

"Really?" she asked, turning to look at Natasha. The older woman nodded. She looked over at the woman.

"You'll have to take it easy. And I'm sure your dads and Peter won't let you leave their sights, but yeah. You'll be free. And you guys have your group therapy today."

Wanda smiled, letting Natasha finish with her wound.

After thirty two days of torture and worry, Wanda was so glad that she could finally breath. Wanda had seen a new Peter in the last two days. She had seen the old Peter shine through

In those thirty plus days, she had been shocked by a collar, injected with serums meant to hurt her from within, molested, branded, raped multiple times, and mind controlled into hurting the people she loved. The men who had hurt her, Peter, Steve, and Tony had been killed, but that didn't stop the nightmares. They were gone, but what they had done was still with her. She felt like she couldn't breathe whenever something got too close to her neck. She had a fear that the doctor had placed a second chip in her head and Hydra could make her hurt her family again (Tony reassured her multiple times that there was nothing was there). She hadn't summoned her power in fear.

Even though she knew the men in her life weren't going to hurt her, but she couldn't stop the flinching unless it was with Tony, Steve, Clint and Peter.

"Wanda?"

"I-I'm sorry," the young girl whispered, looking at her hands.

Natasha placed her hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's okay. It's not something you can get over quickly. But don't forget, I'm here. If you ever need to talk, I'm here."

Wanda gave her a nod. "I'll remember that." She closed her eyes.

x

"Pepper," Tony whispered, leaning back in his chair. He could see Wanda and Peter in the kitchen in the security tapes. He had wanted to keep an eye on the kids. He had to know they were going to be okay.

"Tony," Pepper replied, and Tony had to smile at the surprise in her voice. "Tony, are you okay?"

Tony watched as Wanda flinched when Sam got to close. He watched as Peter was ready to defend her. "I'm not."

"Tony-"

"I shouldn't have called," he whispered, turning away.

"No, Tony. Talk to me, please," Pepper pleaded, and Tony wanted to. He wanted to tell her everything he was feeling. He wanted to tell her about how useless he had felt. How he didn't feel like a hero. About how he failed. But he couldn't get it out. He couldn't tell her. "Tony. Talk to me."

"I love you. I need you in my life. I need you in my life. You help me become a better man," he said, leaning back.

"No Tony, you make yourself a better man. You are the best version of you," Pepper replied, her voice holding so much conviction. He could hear a certainty.

"I let those kids down. I let Wanda down."

"Life let those kids down. You have done everything you can to protect them, and that's the man you are That's what makes you great."

Tony turned back to the monitor. He saw Peter as Wanda gave a small smile. Wanda returned the smile back, as she continued to eat her own food. He felt tears filled his eyes while he watched her. "They're the strong ones."