Chapter Text
1. Hanging By A Moment - Lifehouse
Wanda doesn’t remember when it started to happen. After Sokovia, after whatever Hydra did to her with the scepter, after Ultron, after everything that she had lost and gained. Here she was again, in a version of the Avengers compound that she didn’t recognize.
She could hear them; Steve and Natasha talking about an op that they were going on. Tony talking to J.A.R.V.I.S.. It meant that there was no Vision - no Ultron, and then it only took a moment for her to reach out far beyond her mind.
What is it, sister? She heard Pietro's voice fill her. She wanted to cry, and she didn’t know if it was from joy or fear. How did she end up in a place where there was no Ultron and Pietro was alive?
Nothing, she thought to him. A nightmare like from when we were children. That was what she would always tell her Pietro if he would ask.
Do you want me to send in your reformed soviet soldier boyfriend to chase away your nightmares once we get back? She heard him, and then she just shook her head no.
She thought nothing back, I will Wanda. He’s looking miserable without you from across the Quinjet.
No, it’s fine, she pushed forward towards him. Just come back safe, both of you.
I’ll let him know, maybe it will stop Wilson from glaring at him. I still don’t understand how you put up with the Soldat.
She let Pietro’s words fade and started to look around the room that she was in. It wasn’t anything like how she remembered her room at the compound. This one has a big bed and his and hers clothing shoved into the small closet. There were pictures of her with the team by the windows, her with Steve and Nat. One of her with a blonde woman who had dark makeup that she didn’t recognize making funny faces. One of her with Clint, Pietro and Thor. And finally a few of her with James, he wasn’t her James though. He was holding her with her face buried in his neck and he had a wide smile on his face. Another one of them with his hair cut short and his old Hydra arm in the picture, he looked so much younger with short hair.
“Hey Wanda,” she heard from down the hall. She moved away from the pictures, the happy memories that this Wanda got to have. She moved her eyes out of the room to see Peter Parker. “I’m making lunch before I meet Mr. Stark in the lab. You want anything?”
“No, thank you Peter.” She said and then saw him nod. If she gets hungry she's sure she could bug someone in the kitchen later. It wasn't like anyone else but her and Stark's chef did any of the cooking.
“Okay, well Cap just told me that your brother and Mr. Barnes should be back tomorrow. Apparently their mission got extended by a day,” He said quickly. She is disappointed that she won’t get to meet this version of James. That would mean that this version of James knew about her slipping into different times and realities.
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know Peter.” The young Parker gave her a nod and a smile before walking down the hallway.
Wanda had spent the rest of the day walking around the compound doing her best to avoid the members of the team. She saw Steve and Nat and gave them a small wave. Bruce was most likely on his side of the labs on the floor below where her room was but she didn’t see him. She could hear Thor’s booming voice talking to a blonde woman who he called Carol from the outdoor training facility.
Everything here was peaceful in a way that she didn’t think it could be. It was a different type of peace then the one she knew back home.
So after dinner at the compound with Tony making capsical jokes and Thor eating more food then Steve, Nat offered to watch a movie with her as Wanda hears Peter in the background.
“No thanks Mr. Stark. Happy said that he would drive me home. Can’t have Aunt May getting worried.” She hears Tony’s reply of, Sure thing kid. See you next week. Before the Parker boys' footsteps fade away.
“Wanda?” Nat asks. She lifts her head up. “Movie?” Holding up a DVD with the cover of Pretty Woman on it.
“Sure,” she answers with a nod.
“Great, I’ll make popcorn and then drag Steve in here. You know he’s never seen it?” She gives Natasha a small laugh back. Yes, she understands how Steve has never seen this movie.
“Well at least Yelena isn’t here to complain about something cheesy that's going to happening.” She can only agree with Natasha’s statement not knowing who Yelena is. She must be someone else on the team that she's never met before.
So she sits through the movie with Steve and Natasha and lets her mind wonder a little while Julia Roberts gets swept off her feet. Afterwards she heads back to her room before finding what she assumes to be her Stark phone that everyone on the team has. She looks through her messages and send one to James.
I missed you today. It’s too quiet without you here. She looks at the sent message and then locks the phone. She moves to get ready for bed, looking over to see the small pile of books on James’ nightstand. The Hobbit, The Martian, The Lonely City. Somethings never change. She rifles through them and reaches for his copy of The Lonely City and opens it to find not only his handwriting but hers as well. She runs her fingers over the dog eared pages and looks at the way that their little notes co-exist peacefully on the page. His more messy than hers, his y’s still have that extra loop to them that only she would know. She leaves the book on the bed, brushes her teeth and then sees what she used to wear to bed before reaching into the little closet and pulling out one of James’ shirts and then lets it pool around her after putting it on. It’s still too big on her but greets her like the arms of the man who isn’t here to hold her.
There is a small buzz from her phone and she opens it to see a message from James. I miss you too, should be home by morning. Barton says hi.
She locks her phone and climbs into bed, opening the book and reads through her and James' notes to one another in this universe, to see how much of this James and her’s are the same.