How To Raise A Witch

The Decision

Another trigger warning here
Also this may be inaccurate for some, so i apologize in advance

"Can't you drive faster?" Bucky's foot tapped against the floor, a rythmatic 'thud' the only noise filling the vehicle. The weight of the situation was weighing on the two of them, like a thick blanket was thrown over their shoulders.

"The car physically cannot reach a higher speed," Nat snapped from the driver's seat.

"Are we even sure we're going to the right spot?"

"Where else could she go?" Nat was fairly sure she was right- it was what she would do. If she was wrong...they couldn't be thinking about that. Not now. Too much was at stake.

As they arrived at the forlorn camp grounds, you could immediately tell someone was there, and who that someone was. Red gleamed in the windows of a far away cabin, and the two broke into a sprint across the field.

"Wanda!" Bucky wanted to break the door down, but her roaring power made that impossible. They both were banging on the door, calling out her name to no avail.

"Wanda, sweetheart, please!" Nat begged, teror creeping into her voice.

"They were wrong. they we so wrong. Please let us help!" Bucky called as both of their fists slowed. what if she was...? Nat slowly turned around, slumping to the ground with her back against the door. Bucky followed suit, leaning his head back against the door as he sat. "If youre still in there, if you can still hear me-" He gulped. "I want you to know something. We get it. Everyone thought we were monsters too. Steve and Clint fought for us, though. And now we'll fight for you, okay?"

"We care about you, a lot more than you realize," Nat's voice broke as she spoke. "You may feel all alone right now. Thats okay, I did too. But you aren't. You will never be alone again. I won't pretend to know how losing him felt, but I do know that he was all you had left. And it must hurt so much right now."

"But we want to help you. We will do whatever we can to ease the pain. We'll be your family, us and Clint. You don't have to fight on your own anymore." If youre still fighting at all. The words hung in the air between them, making tears prick at Bucky's eyes. She was so young, so innocent, so much like his own little sisters. She couldnt be gone, she was too strong to just give up like that. He knew that, didn't he? "Please just let me in," It came out a broken whisper, one left unanswered. They waited and they waited, but no one came out.

"I think- I dont think we were fast enough," Nat muttered, standing up. They both stmbled down the creeking porch steps, leaning heavily into eachother with tearful eyes.

"She...she killed herself, didn't she?" Nat nodded. "I...I let her slip so far-"

"We let her. We all did," Nat had known this was coming. And she did nothing.

Inside the cabin, Wanda was shaking, the glass discarded on the floor. She hadn't cut too deep before they came, really only deep enough to hurt. Blood was sweping from the wound, coating her thigh. As she sat there, listening to the floorboards creek, she caught herself fighting the urge to throw open the door and run into their arms, to never let go. She realized too late that she wanted to fight.

She wanted to live.

So it was a damn good thing she had so many people looking out for her from above.

The two froze at the sound of a door creeking open. Spinning around, the breath was wrenched from their lungs. Wanda was a bloody, fumbling mess. But she was an alive mess, which was good enough for them. Running forward, Bucky managed to catch her as she passed out.

He sat on the steps with her cluched to his chest as Nat wrapped up her wrist using a first aid kit that had been in the back of her car- apparently she kept those in everyone's cars. He decided not to question why.

Clint was pacing outside when they arrived back. He had gone to her room to ask her about Laura's suggestion, and she wasn't there. He searched the entity of the tower, and she was just gone. He asked around, no one had known where she was. Hadn't even seen her.

So, he did what any normal human being would do. He lost his shit. He was practically pulling his hair out by the time they pulled up. He didn't wait for an explanation, just took her out of the car and got her to the infirmary so fast even Pietro would applaud. All that could be done was re wrapping her wounds, but it was good enough for him. So he sat, unwilling to hold her hand in fear of making it worse, forcing tears back as Nat explained what happened. Bucky had stepped out halfway through, but told them to come get him when she woke. When Nat finished explaining, she also took her leave, a faint smile ghosting her lips for the first time since the meeting. She may not be psychic, but she had a damn good feeling she'd have  a second neice by this time next year.

"Im sorry," Clint whispered once he was alone with her. "Laura's gonna kill me and she hasn't even met you yet," he chuckled. "I'm so dead.  She'll love you, though. God, I'm pretty sure she already does."

Back at the Barton household, a heavily pregnant Laura Barton sat her kids down with the ghost of a hopeful smile on her lips.

"Alright, babies. I need to talk to you about something." They both stared at her, waiting for her to continue. "Daddy has this girl he works with, her name is Wanda." The two children nodded. "Now, Wanda's only sixteen, and she doesn't have a home."

"Doesn't have a home?!" The young Barton daughter cried. "Everyone deserves a home, Mommy!"

"I know, Li. I know. Which is why I'm talking to you. Uncle Tony said she can't live in the tower, so-"

"You want her to live here," Cooper finished.

"Yes, but there are some things you need to know. Wanda's brother passed away protecting your dad, so she's not in a very good place right now. She doesn't think anyone can love her-"

"That's ridiculous! Anyone can be loved!" Lila cut in once more.

"You see, she doesn't know that yet. So we're going to have to show her. Wanda could have very, very bad days, and sometimes you just can't stop that. But we were hoping, if you two are alright with it, that we could help her. That we can be her new family, because she doesn't have one right now," Lila jumped up from her chair, eyes glowing.

"I always wanted a sister!" The eight year old yelled, clapping gleefully.

"I'm down," Cooper said calmly. So Laura sent a text to Clint, giving him the all clear. Later that night, when the two kids were tucked into bed, Laura walked outside, placing a hand on her stomach as she looked up to the sky.

"I'll never replace you. But if she'll have me, I'll take her in as one of my own. And thank you, for looking out for my husband." She spoke, not only to Pietro, but the whole family. As if in response, a shooting star fell from the sky like a coin rolling down a slot, and Laura smiled. They would be okay, she'd make sure of it.