Whatever It Takes [Wanda Maximoff AU]

13- An Overdue Conversation

I wandered through the halls of the Avengers facility, I had managed to sneak away from the meeting of leaving for a place that Steve hadn't given any hints as to where.

Just as long as we kept our distance from the government.

I turned into one room and noticed it was decorated almost exactly like my room, Cole, was engraved into a metal strip on the outside wall.

This would've been my room when I decided to become an Avenger.

I sat down on the bed and closed my eyes. Thinking of everything that had happened over the past few years.

First it was memories of Sam, Nat, Steve, and I traveling discreetly around the world in search of the terrorist organization known as ISIS and hurting them where ever we could.

Then it shifted to Leipzig, to the decimation of the Avengers. Where we battled each other for hours until it finally ended with Steve and Buck escaping and the rest of us getting arrested by the government, that was when I first met up with Wanda again.

A female laugh echoed through my brain and my memories changed again, this time to when I was still in recruitment for the Avengers years ago.

"You know you can always stay." Wanda said to me looking at the ground after an awkward silence.

I shook my head. "I'd love to, but I have people back home. I have to protect my city."

"You could do that with the Avengers." She said in her Sokovian accent I had always admired.

"It wouldn't be the same. There would always be limits and sometimes I'd need to be somewhere different and my city could be going through the same thing. I can't be in two places at once."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "You don't know that, you saw the tests we did. You have limitless potential. I don't need the tests to know that."

"Wanda, after this week you're one of my best friends, but I have to do this." I said as she let go of my hand as I turned and boarded the Quinjet that exploded to life.

I had watched as Wanda turned around sadly and walked off.

***
A soft knock was heard from the doorway, I opened my eyes and sat up.

Wanda stood in the doorway and gave me a small smile.

"Hey." She said quietly as we locked eyes.

"Hey." I said pulling my eyes away.

"Can I sit?" She asked pointing at the bedside next to me.

I sighed and nodded in defeat.

"I suppose we're overdue for a conversation."

She sucked in a breath before she started. "Look Carter, I'm sorry. I don't have an explanation for why I did it, and I know it hurt you, it hurt me too, I missed you so much over the past years and as soon as I got you back I just ran off and I'm sorry."

I didn't even know how to reply to that but it was going to be an extremely short conversation if I didn't say anything.

"You still left. You were supposed to stay with us, stay safe."

"We were safe." She argued with me.

I looked up at her. "Oh it's 'we' now, anyways you sure look like you were safe."

"Don't play that game, don't forget about when you left me." She said starting to defend herself.

"I left to protect my city and my family. You left to play hide the USB with a robot." I said to her.

Her face grew red and she got serious.

"He kept me safe." She growled standing up.

"Yet, we were the ones who saved you."

"He understands me!"

"You wanted someone to understand you.... I just wanted you."

Her face fell and grew soft.

"We could've protected you better than him. I could've."

She grew instantly angry again as she went to defend Vision.

"Protect me better? He has an infinity stone in his head, he can fly, he's bulletproof, he's can phase, he has super strength, he has super intellect. Look at you, you're a teleporter."

My face dropped as I felt like I was shot through the stomach.

Wanda immediately stood up as my face broke.

She reached for my hand desperately as I pulled it back.

"Carter... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"I think you've said enough." I said to her.

She nodded sadly as she stood up and walked out of my room.

"I'm sorry." She whispered again as she left.

I groaned and fell to my bedside and buried my face in my hands.

Footsteps crossed my room.

"How much did you hear?" I asked.

"Enough." Natasha's voice said as she sat down next to me and rubbed my back.

"You know, I hate to tell you but as much as you want someone to feel the same way back. Sometimes it just doesn't work. Not in our job."

"You mean like you and Steve?"

I could feel Natasha roll her eyes. "Shush. Steve loves Peggy and that's how it will always be."

"I'm going to spend the rest of my life alone."

Natasha pulled my in as I rested my head on her shoulder.

"You'll always have us."