Home Is Where The Heart Is
Wanda’s POV:
This tower has been a nice home since Pietro and I came to America, however it’s not the place it is the people. Janet and Hank like to use the labs to give my brother and I random science lessons. The lesson last week was a stink bomb that we planted on Thor, which Janet had planned out while Hank smiled and shook his head at his mischievous wife.
Clint likes to help us in training a lot in the gym, although a lot of his little wisdoms he gives us are for missions in the real world. Bobbi and Clint are going to be great parents, both were so nice and caring for us. Bobbi forcing us into the library for a few hours everyday, were the only reason Pietro and I managed to finish our schooling.
This tower is a nice safe haven for us all, however after a while it seems to close in on us. I am not trying to compare it to the hell hole I was in before but sometimes it is constricting… almost like a prison. The others go out and work jobs, visit other countries on missions, or for some even go to another realm. Pietro and I on the other hand are trapped inside, away from people who do not understand us and given this being such a large city there are plenty. The only time we leave the building is with supervision, or when we go to the paintball arena once a month. I think we both are ready for a change…..
Steve and Natasha come and check in on us before heading back to HQ, after only getting back a few hours ago. “Tell everyone we will be back for dinner, and please make sure Tony gets a shower in before everyone gets here.” Steve asks before they leave.
Tonight is a ‘family’ dinner complete with Coulson and his team along with all of us who live in the tower. I grab my cellphone from the coffee table in front of the couch I am curled up on and sigh as I check my messages. All of them being from Pepper who is reminding all of us via group chat that it’s Bruce, Betty, Clint and Bobbi’s turn to prepare dinner. I get up and Pietro looks over at me from his video game he was playing, “You okay sister?”
I nod and and slip on my shoes, “I think I am going to go to the gym, kill a little time before we have to make sure Tony is out of his lab.”
“Alright.” He simply says before returning to the game in front of him and I get in the elevator. I head down to the gym that Natasha uses when she needs to relax, she has brought me down here a few times before. I step out and make my way to the room surrounded in mirrors, a dance studio is what most will call it. I slip off my jacket and shoes as Jarvis turns on my favorite music to dance too.
I remember Natasha bringing me down here for the first time as I lose myself in the dance.
*Start of Flashback*
Natasha surprised me when she came to grab me from my own bedroom where I was trying out meditating that Bruce recommended to help with my control. She didn’t speak up until we get in the elevator.
“Alright Wanda, this room is special to me not many get to come in here, let alone see what I am going to teach you.”
“This isn’t like your torture chamber or something is it?” I speak up a little concerned and she gives a laugh as we reach the right floor and the doors open.
“No.” She steps out and walks down a hall and opens a door stepping in taking off her shoes. “This is where I come to do ballet, I have memorized your file and the way you fight so I think you will find this more productive than Bruce’s meditation.”
I slide off my shoes as well as I look around the mirrored room. “So dance? I didn’t realize you were a dancer Natasha.”
She smiles and walks to the center of the room as the music starts and she takes a graceful stance. “Not many do, it was my guilty pleasure when I was in red room. I thought this would help you for a few different reasons so come on.”
I step up beside her and begin to try to mimic her movements who turn out to be a lot like the fluid movements I use when controlling my powers.
*End of Flashback*
I get pulled out of the memory by the women in question when she clears her throat. “You are getting better, I am glad it has proven to be effective.”
I smile and stop, “Oh yes, hope you don’t mind that I come down here when I get tired of staring at the wall upstairs.”
“No go ahead, use it whenever you want. I was just coming to destress myself before tonight’s dinner. Something tells me, a lot will happen tonight.” She steps up beside me and and moves her body into a plie.
As we both move, used to each other and sharing the room I think over what she says. Natasha is skilled in reading people so she must be right about it. We dance on before I excuse myself wanting a shower before dinner. She keeps dancing as I leave and head up to my floor.
“Pietro, go make sure Tony gets in his shower, I am going to wash up and get ready for dinner.” I say noticing he was already dressed for the night.
He rolls his eyes and sighs, “Of course I will slowpoke.”
I roll my eyes in return and head into the shower limiting it to a quick one before pulling on my typical outfit. Once I was done getting ready I head upstairs to see if they need help with Dinner.
Clint’s POV:
I pull on my t-shirt as Bobbi steps out of the bathroom, after getting sick which is happening at random these days. She falls back onto our bed, her hair in a messy ponytail and my shirt is now starting to hug her swollen stomach more and more everyday. I give her a smile and kiss her cheek, “You look beautiful.”
She rolls her eyes and laughs, “What do you want Clint.”
I laugh, “Well since you asked…” I smile before getting a bit more serious. “I don’t want to raise our baby here… I want to get away from the city, I don’t want to raise him here.”
She looks surprised as she sits up in bed, “Clint… the tower, it’s a safe place… We can’t be sure that any other home will be even half as protected as this one… I understand wanting the space and letting him grow up like we both did but this is the safest place to raise him…”
I shake my head, “Fury is willing to help us make wherever we chose a safe place. I know we have enemies but this city is full of our enemies a place in the country won’t be.”
She sighs, “I don’t know Clint, we can’t just leave your friends. You are an Avenger, and we both need to be close to work.”
“I found a place that is only 30 minutes away by jet, which SHIELD is willing to spare to get us back and forth… Please…”
She nods, “Okay, but we aren’t moving until he is a few months old and we get the hang of parenting. Plus I am sure all of his aunts and uncles will be pissed if they don’t get to see him and spoil him before he becomes a walking terror like you.”
I laugh and give her a kiss, “Thank you we can tell everyone tonight. Now we better hurry we have to prepare dinner with Betty and Bruce tonight.”
She looks down at her outfit, “It might take a while for me to get ready.. I will be up when I am done. Now hurry up and get started we don’t want to deal with hungry Avengers.
I leave her to get ready as I meet Bruce and Betty in the common room kitchen to prepare dinner. About halfway through peeling potatoes for my homemade mashed potato recipe Bobbi joins us throwing an apron on over her sundress she chose. Once I put them to cook Wanda decides to come up and offer to help with the grilled Chicken Bruce was in the middle of fixing.
As dinner reaches various stages of prepared more and more of our housemates join us upstairs. Eventually Coulson shows up apologizing for the fact that his team had last minute things to do and couldn’t make it.
Pepper is the last to arrive as Steve was setting the last plate at the dinner table. “Oh this looks lovely, sorry I am late. Stark Industries is going through yet another expansion again..”
Tony smiles at his wife, “Well let’s all forget the stress of work and sit down. I am starving,” He jokes as we all take our usual seats. We wait patiently during the moment of silence for those who want to pray before we start to pile food onto our plates.
Bobbi groans and covers her mouth getting up from the table when the bowl of mixed veggies passes by her. Sif was the one to get up before I had the chance, “I will go help her.”
The two have been sort of bonding over the course of both of their pregnancies even though Sif’s is so much different than hers. Pietro smiles a bit, “Oh Clint Jr doesn’t like veggies?”
I shrug, “Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” I joke as I motion to the lack of veggies on my plate.
Once Bobbi comes back to sit down dinner continues peacefully, only stopping momentarily when Steve grabs our attention. “Well Team, and spouses, basically everyone who lives here. Natasha and I will be having someone move in on our floor soon, so we thought we should inform you so you are not shocked by the arrival.”
My mouth drops open along with most of the table before Natasha speaks up quickly. “It is not what you are thinking, I am not pregnant I swear.”
Steve blushes, “Oh no, I meant an actual adult. An old friend of mine turned up again and once he is cleared by SHIELD he will becoming to stay. The files will be sent to you all soon, so you can understand it all.”
Tony laughs, “Good thing we talk about this before Steve, you probably would have gave me a heart attack. I don’t know if the tower can handle a baby supersoldier with a baby god and baby assassin.”
I cough a bit, “Uh actually that’s what Bobbi and I want to talk to everyone about.” I say seizing the opportunity and Natasha gives me a knowing look. “Bobbi and I both agree that we will not be raising a baby in the city… I have already filed the right paperwork so once the baby is born and a few months old we will be leaving…”
Tony shakes his head at me while Pepper just looks sad, “Oh no you don’t.” He states.
“You can’t just leave, Baby Barton will need all of his aunts and uncles.”
“Tony is right, we are family, you can’t just up and leave.” Thor speaks up.
“We would love to keep him around family, but I am not raising a kid here in the middle of Manhattan. Come on, this isn’t a place for a little boy to grow up if he doesn’t have too..”
“I agree, being raised in Brooklyn in the early 1900’s was a lot better than what it would be now. Clint you should go where your family can go properly.” Steve speaks up.. “Although Natasha will be upset, we will visit as much as we can.”
“No, your kids are supposed to satisfy Pepper until I finally decide I want a kid. You have to stay.”
“No Tony.” Wanda says speaking up surprising us all. “No offense but this tower is like a prison to those of us who you qualify as ‘children’. So no let them go, no one needs to be trapped here.”
“Wanda.. Why didn’t you so anything before?” Pepper asks saddened by her revelation but Wanda shakes her off.
Tony sighs sitting back taking a sip of his drink as everyone returns to eating. Tony pushes himself away from the table in the middle of dinner and walks out. Pepper tells us not to worry about it so we finish dinner with a few light conversations here and there.
After dinner we all sit down in the living room, still no sign of Tony, when Pepper excuses herself to go find him.
Pepper’s POV:
I walk away from our group in order to find Tony. I know he was secretly looking forward to a baby in the tower 24/7. He knew Thor and Sif will most likely travel to asgard often with their baby so he was hoping Clint would stick around with his. It might seem selfish, but I know he wants to see if he likes babies before he decides to let us have one of our own.
Jarvis leads me to the giant office that houses all of the Stark family paperwork. I spot Tony sitting at the big desk that once belonged to his father looking through a folder. He looks up and smiles whenever he spots me, “Perfect timing Pep, I need your opinion on something.”
I nod and walk over to him sitting down in the chair beside him. “What is it?”
Tony opens the folder with a deed to a property in it. “Stark family estate, it’s where I was raised. I was happy to not be raised in New York City.. this place has so much land and it’s far from the city. We would be close to the Xavier school, so Wanda and Pietro will have help with their abilities. It’s massive Pep, with a remodel it would be perfect for all of us.”
I smile at him and kiss him, “Tony you are amazing. First you need to talk to everyone about moving, let them take a vote then start the reno.”
He smiles, “Let’s go.”
I get up and follow him back to the living room, “I have solved our problem!”