Better Days

WANDA POV:

It had been a little over a week since my nightmare conversation with Nat. Within that time, all of Tasha's injuries had completely healed as well as my ankle. 

I had mostly got over my separation anxiety with her and I was getting more sleep each night. I still had nightmares 3-4 times a week but it was better than 7 days a week. I also was no longer self-harming which meant that I was getting happier. I still felt urges sometimes but they were getting better and I was also getting better at talking to Nat when I needed something instead of keeping it all inside which was good. 

My training had been getting harder too and I was finally breaking a sweat when we trained. Nat let me practice my powers on more than just bean bags which was amazing and I felt like I was gaining more control over them. 

The entire team and Pepper were eating lunch in the kitchen when FRIDAY announced to us that there was an incoming call from SHIELD. This usually meant that there was a mission. I was excited because I could go on this one. I wasn't sleeping, hurt, or weak anymore so I could go!

We all gathered in the conference room as we listened to Nick Fury give us details on the mission. He said it was going to be an all-hands on deck type of mission since it was going to be difficult and potentially dangerous. Apparently the few men that had escaped from the last mission with the weapons had regrouped and needed to be shut down.

"Avengers, suit up," Steve said and I rushed to my room to get dressed. 

"Okay, I should be back in a couple of days at the most, Pepper will be here if you need anything, I'm goi-" Nat rambled on once we got to our room.

"What? I'm going," I said, cutting her off.

"No," she said slowly. "Not this one Wanda, it's too dangerous."

"Then why do you get to go?" I complained, not ready to step down from the meeting. Even though I wouldn't admit it, I was scared she would get hurt again.

"Because I'm the adult and I have had much more training than you. This mission is just too dangerous, sorry." She didn't really sound sorry as she slipped on her catsuit and headed down the hallway.

"Natasha!" I shouted as we continued down the hallway, me stomping behind her. "Why won't you let me go on missions? First it was because I was too weak and on the feeding tube, then it was because I was sleeping and had a broken ankle, now it's because the mission is too dangerous? This is ridiculous! When will I ever be able to go on a mission?"

"Wanda," she turned to face me. "I'm not having this conversation with you right now. Go find Pepper, tell her that it's just you and her for the next few days, I'll text you when I get there. I love you, goodbye," she said as she kissed my head. 

Instead of arguing with her, I shut my mouth and said goodbye, waiting for her to turn the corner. I then sprinted to my room, grabbed the outfit I wore in Sokovia, and then ran to the Quinjet. Steve and Tony were standing next to it, checking to make sure that they had everything. I crept onto the jet when they weren't looking and got myself settled behind some crates in the back. 

I was curled up in the corner, behind boxes of blankets, food, water, basically tiny survival kits, which I knew that the team didn't use unless they were rescuing hostages. This wasn't one of those missions so I shouldn't be discovered. 

I heard as all of the other Avengers quickly got on board and then felt as the Quinjet took off. I listened to their plan of attack, trying to remember the details. I realized that I hadn't really thought of a plan other than sneak onto the jet. 

All I had with me was an outfit and my phone. That was it. Hopefully Pepper didn't come looking for me and text Nat, then I'd be screwed. When we showed up, I didn't know what I was going to do. If I got off, Nat would see me and I would most likely be in trouble, but if I stayed on the jet, then there was no point in coming with. 

She had told me back at the compound that she might be gone for a few days, how was I going to hide for that long? Oh well, I'll figure it out. 

I felt the jet landing and thought that there was no way we had arrived already. No one got out of their seats to leave the jet so I briefly wondered if Nat had realized that I was in the jet and I held my breath as I tried to scoot further into the corner. Nat didn't move though and soon the door opened and I heard a familiar voice. Clint. So apparently he was coming on this too, just another person I had to hide from. I had missed him though and I wished I could rush out and hug him, but that would kind of give me away so I just had to stay hidden.

It was a pretty long ride and by the time we arrived, I had formulated some sort of a plan. I would get off of the jet after everyone else left and try to stay out of sight. If I needed the help of someone, I would find Vision because he would probably keep the secret for me if I asked. Then, I'll just follow all of them around for as long as they are here and then sneak on the jet before we go home. Once we get home, I'll sneak out, change back into the clothes I'm wearing, and then just act like I missed them all immensely. 

Steve started barking orders at everyone, and soon, everyone was off the jet and running around outside. I could hear a lot of yelling and gunfire. I quickly slipped into my "battle outfit" and exited the jet. 

It was absolute chaos.

There were people running around everywhere. All I had gathered from listening to the short mentions of the mission was that we were here to stop something. Not exactly sure what it was but I think it was some group that was forming that we had to break up. Not exactly sure how we planned to do that but I could take out some bad guys. I just had to be careful not to get caught.

I couldn't see anyone from my team but that didn't stop me from kicking ass. I knocked out several men as I made my way through the giant warehouse that they were all in. 

I had a brief moment of panic when I realized that the team could leave without me and they or myself would never know but I saw Steve running in a distance so I knew I was safe. 

I fought for a long while, trying to figure out exactly what we were doing, but it was hard when I didn't have a comm. When I was in Sokovia, I had a comm to help me figure out the details along the way or if the plan changes but I had absolutely no idea what was going on. 

I had just turned a corner in the hallway when I heard a voice. "Oh, there better be a good explanation as to why you are here little witch." I whirled around to see the Iron Man suit standing there, with just the face-plate lifted so that I could see Tony's angry and disappointed face. 

"I'm here to help," I told him, blasting a man who came from behind Tony. 

"Does Red know you're here?" he asked and I shook my head. 

"Please don't tell her!" I begged. "This can be our little secret! Please Tony!" I did not want to get Nat involved. I knew she would be mad at me.

"Sorry, not gonna happen little witch." He tried to approach me and without even thinking, I had fired a blast at him, sending him back a few feet. I gasped when I realized what I'd done but luckily I didn't hurt him as he was still in the suit. 

"Excuse me," he growled as he approached me again. I tried to put up a force field around myself so that he couldn't grab me but I was too slow as he grabbed onto my upper arm. I didn't know what he was going to do and I started to panic slightly. The face-plate lifted back over his face and I could hear him talking. "I have a little witch here who I'm pretty sure is not supposed to be here," he said sarcastically. "She's safe," I heard him say, probably to Nat. "Center of the warehouse. Okay." It killed me that I could not hear the other end of the conversation.

I heard someone coming up behind me and I whipped around to see Clint running towards us. "Perfect," Tony said as he let me go and Clint grabbed me. Then Tony took off, heading back into the fight. 

"Let's go," Clint said gruffly as he kept a tight grip on my bicep. 

"No!" I shouted as I tried to pull out of his grasp. "I can help!"

He stopped and looked at me. "You're already in deep shit with your mother, don't give her more to be angry about." Then we resumed walking.

"Not my mother," I grumbled as I started to drag my feet. 

When we got out of the warehouse, we were met with the continued chaos of the battle. "Stay here!" he ordered as he let go of me to shoot down some guys with his arrows. 

I knew I was probably going to get into more trouble but I saw a group of guys running towards the woods so I ran off to go stop them. "Wanda!" I barely heard Clint yell as I ran towards the guys.

I was able to knock them all out before Clint managed to get to me. "You have lost your damn mind kiddo!" He didn't say anything more as he gripped my arm, much tighter this time, and marched me to the Quinjet. 

He pushed me inside and made me sit down. "Stay here! I swear if I see you step one foot out of this jet, you will be in some serious trouble with me. Do you understand?" He was yelling, I don't think I've ever seen this side of him before. I nodded and he stepped off of the jet to continue the fight. 

I didn't know what to do so I just sat in the chair that he put me in, twirling the rings around my fingers, getting more and more worried about what was going to happen when Nat got back. I don't know why she wasn't the one to come and get me, probably too mad to even see me. 

I sat there for hours before the sounds outside got quieter and quieter. The door to the Quinjet opened and Nat walked on first. She didn't so much as look at me as she walked to the back on the jet, sitting on one of the chairs. She was followed by Vision, Clint, Tony, Steve, Rhodey, Thor and Sam. I hadn't noticed Thor or Sam in the conference room or the jet earlier. I wonder if they came here themselves and were just coming home with us. 

Most of them looked at me with disappointed or pitying looks as they sat around the jet. I was upset that Nat hadn't engaged with me whatsoever since we got on the jet so I got up and made my way over to her once the jet was in the air. 

"Nat," I whispered once I was in front of her. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," she said quietly. "I'll start, what the hell were you thinking?" Her voice was now at yelling level and it made me step back slightly.

"I wanted to help," I muttered.

"No, you wanted to come on a mission, there is a big difference! You don't listen to a thing I tell you do you? You made a stupid decision Wanda. Not only did you sneak on the jet and put yourself in danger, you used your powers on Tony and then ran away from Clint! You really don't think, do you?"

"I do listen to you Tasha, I wanted to help! I'm capable!"

"No you're not!" she roared and I felt hurt. She didn't believe in me. The entire jet was silent as Tony flew us out of there.

I felt anger cloud over me. "Well you're no more capable than me!" I shouted and Nat raised her eyebrow at me. "You're just a mindless, killing machine! You don't care about anyone! You are a hypocrite and you are always doing terrible things to other people! No wonder no one loves you! You never care to listen to other people and you kill without thinking! Don't think I don't know how many people you've killed! It disgusts me! I thought you were supposed to be good but you aren't! You call yourself my mother but you aren't and you never will be! I don't want a heartless monster for a mom! You are a fucking bitch!" I finished yelling and realized I messed up. I turned around to see everyone staring at me with terrible expressions but the worst expression was Nat's. She looked almost like she would start crying as she looked right through me. 

"Nat," I said, my voice dropping. "I'm so sor-"

"Let's go!" I heard a sharp tone behind me and Clint dragged me away before I could say anymore. He dragged me to the back of the jet and got in my personal space, speaking to me right at eye level. "I don't know who the hell you think you are, young lady but that was completely disrespectful! All I really want to do to you right now is to pull you over my knee and give you a good spanking but I'm not going to do that because that's Natasha's job and I'm not the one you called a heartless monster or any of the other terrible things you said to her. I swear, if you say one more thing to her that is not the most polite thing you've ever said, I will pull you over my knee, I don't care who's watching." He was speaking to me with such anger in his tone, you would swear he was speaking to an enemy, not a friend. Well, I guess right now I wouldn't really be considered a friend.

"I'm sorry Clint, I really am," I said as I held back my tears. 

"It's not me you need to apologize to." I looked over and saw Nat sitting there, not crying but looking upset. 

"She doesn't want to see me!" I said as the tears started falling. "I ruined everything! I'm such a bitch!" I said as I buried my head in my hands. I cried even harder when Clint didn't start comforting me. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I looked up to see Nat. She was touching me after everything I did to her? 

"You need to calm down," she told me quietly.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I choked out, coughing with the force of my sobs.

"Shh, breathe," she told me as she sat on the chair next to me. 

She didn't hug me but she was rubbing my back so that was a win. I knew I ruined all of her trust and that it was going to take me awhile to gain it all back. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry!" I mumbled over and over again as I took in shuddering breaths. 

I felt my breathing get faster and harder as I continued to apologize. Nat grabbed my arm and dragged me off of my chair and into her lap. I couldn't grip onto her suit like I could when she wore a shirt so I grabbed onto her hair as I cried into her shoulder. "I'm a terrible person! I'm so sorry, please don't hate me!" I begged between sobs. 

She rubbed my back as she shushed me, trying to get me to calm down. This was the most pain I had felt in a long time. I was terrified I had just ruined all of my relationships with everyone. They would never trust me again and I said such terrible things to Nat. Everyone probably hated me now. For the first time since the jet ride to Clint's house, I felt like dying again. I couldn't live in the compound if everyone hated me and I could never forgive myself for what I said to Nat.

Natasha held me for the rest of the jet ride which was much shorter than the one on the way here. It was so short in fact that I hadn't even stopped crying as we landed, although it did slow down slightly.

"Where are we?" I asked carefully as I sat up from leaning on Nat.

"Safe house," she muttered as she removed her hand from my back. "We still haven't completed the mission so we need to stay here for a few more days. Let's go." She didn't seem mad as she spoke to me but she definitely didn't seem happy. She just seemed empty which made me feel even worse than if she was mad at me.

I wiped at my still falling tears as I followed Nat and the team out of the jet. I really messed up. Everyone was purposefully avoiding my eyes as they walked around me. Even Vision avoided me and he was physically incapable of holding grudges.

I followed them into the safe house and walked down the hall with Nat. She threw her stuff on a bed and then turned to look at me.

"I'm so sorry Nat, I didn't mean what I said. I know you're mad at me and you have every right to be," I said, trying to stop my tears. 

"I'm not mad Wanda. I'm disappointed and scared. What you did was extremely dangerous. I had no idea you were there, we were going to blow up the warehouse before we found out you were there. We were preparing to do that and then Tony told me that you were there. We would have blown you up, left, gone back home, and then we would have never known what happened to you. Do you understand how scary that is?" I nodded and went to say something but she continued. "You have to think before you make these decisions Wanda. I did not make you stay home for fun, I made you stay home because this was a dangerous mission and you just threw all that out the window so that you could feel like part of a team. Not only that, once you were found, you used your powers against someone on the team which I know I have already told you was unacceptable. Then, when Clint had you, you disobeyed him and ran away. And finally, to top it all off, instead of feeling remorse and calmly talking to me about it, you let your anger get the best of you and you said some things that I really hope you regret. Your decisions today were stupid Wanda and made me see that you are definitely not ready to be an Avenger yet."

I felt my heart sink as her lecture went on and it was all the way to the floor by the time she finished. She didn't think I was ready to be an Avenger. I sure as hell regretted what I said in the jet but I knew I could never completely make up for it. 

"I'm so sorry Nat. I was extremely stupid and I wasn't thinking straight. I will never be able to forgive myself for what I told you in the jet, never. I am so, so, so sorry and I feel absolutely terrible. I don't think any of those things and you are my mama. I understand if you never want me to call you that again but I want you to know that I see you that way, as my mom, and I'm never going to stop seeing you as that, even if you make me stop calling you that." I didn't call Nat 'mama' on a regular basis but it had become quite a regular thing when I was upset. If I woke up from a nightmare and felt vulnerable, I couldn't really stop it from happening.

"Wanda, I may be a little upset with you right now but that doesn't mean I don't still see you as my daughter. You never have to stop calling me mama, there will never be a time I ask you to stop doing that, I promise. I still love you even though you made some stupid decisions. Once you're punished, you will have a clean slate and we will go back to normal okay?"

I nodded miserably. I didn't want to be punished but I knew I deserved it. I just really didn't want to have to stand in a corner in front of the team, it was going to be embarrassing. 

"Okay, here's what's going to happen. You are going to be punished and then you will stay in this house for the rest of the time we are here. Once we get home, you will not have a punishment since it will have been dealt with here. I have been extremely lenient with you since we started living together but I want you to know that some of the things that have flown around here will no longer work. We can talk about that more in detail later but for now, we are just focusing on this last stunt you pulled. We would have been having most of this conversation on the jet if you had not acted the way that you did but that obviously didn't happen so we will have it now." 

I listened to Nat as she talked. She paused and had me sit on the edge of the bed facing her so that we could talk, then she continued. "First, when I tell you that you are not coming on a mission, I expect you to listen to me. I do not want to have to make you have a babysitter, that's why I was trusting you let Pepper know that you were staying home instead of myself intervening, but I will if I think that you need one. Second, I'm sure you already know what you did was dangerous but I want you to really understand. If you had gotten hurt, we had no way of knowing and we could have left without you, ending in your death." I released a sob at that.

"I know I'm being harsh Wanda but it's true. We had no idea you were there, heck, we could have even killed you. Third, I don't know how many times I need to say this but I want to be very clear," she made sure I was paying attention, "You are to never use your powers on someone in this team. If you do, what happens today will feel like a walk around a park, got it?" I nodded. I didn't understand how she could make standing in a corner worse than it already was but I wasn't going to test her.

"And last, you need to be able to control your emotions. That lash out that you had in the jet can not happen again. I understand that you get upset easily and I'm not mad at you for crying, not at all, but the yelling at me and the team was completely unacceptable and something that I have been letting slide more often than I should have. That ends today." I sniffed as she finished. "After we're done with your punishment, you will go apologize to the team for everything. Alright, let's get this over with," she mumbled as she scooted to the edge of the bed.

I got up and started to walk to a corner of the room. "What are you doing?" she asked me as I got closer to the corner. 

"Going to stand in the corner," I told her, slightly confused. 

"Oh no honey, that's not your punishment," she told me. "You're getting a spanking." I felt the chest leave my lungs as I heard her. I didn't think she was actually serious about using corporal punishment on me. I was way too old!

"Nat, I'm too old," I said, trying to get out of the childish punishment.

"Stop, do not even try to talk yourself out of this. You have gone way over the line this time, this is not up for discussion. Now come here," she crooked her finger at me, beckoning me closer but I was frozen in place.

"Wanda, do not make me come get you." This snapped me out of my trance and I slowly walked up to her. She pulled me until I was standing in between her legs. "You will go over my knee, I'll spank you until you've learned your lesson, you'll apologize to the team, and then you'll have a clear slate. Since this is your first time, I won't spank you bare but this is one of the only times that will be allowed, got it?"

"Yes Nat, I'm sorry!" I told her one last time, hoping it would soften her before the punishment. I had been spanked as a child and it was never pleasant but it also wasn't terrible. I was extremely embarrassed to be going over Nat's knee, not to mention at 16, but I knew that I 100% deserved what I was about to get. 

Spanking starts now!!!

She pulled me until I was leaning over her knee. I was still only wearing my dress and jacket from the battle so I felt Nat pull my dress down until it was covering my bottom completely. I knew I was lucky to be getting punished with coverage but I still felt upset to be in this position. 

She wrapped one of her arms around my waist while the other one rested on my lower back. "Wanda, try to stay as still as possible and don't reach back to try to stop me. I am the one who determines when this punishment stops, not you. You are to under no circumstances use your powers on me during this punishment. If you do, this will get much worse really fast. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I cried out. The spanking hadn't even started and I was already crying.

"Okay, I'm going to start now." I felt her arm on my back lift up, only for it to come down hard on my backside. I winced as I felt my leg kick out. I quickly tried to keep my legs under control as the spanks continued to land. 

Nat didn't say anything as she punished me and somehow, that made me feel worse than if she was lecturing me. 

"Ow! I'm sorry Nat! I promise I'll never sneak out to a mission again! I'm sorry! Please stop!" I begged throughout the punishment even though I knew I deserved it. It hurt much more than I remembered though and I was not enjoying it.

At one point, I couldn't take the pain anymore and I flung my hand back to try to cover myself. Nat quickly grabbed it and pinned it to my back as she continued. "Do, not, reach, your, hand, back," she told me, each word accompanied with a smack.

"I'm sorry!" I cried as I kicked my legs, trying desperately to make the burning stop. All this accomplished was me getting my legs pinned down with one of Nat's legs. I was now almost completely restrained as the smacks rained down on my backside.

"Please! I'm sorry! I'll be good!"

I felt her tilt me forward the slightest bit as she started targeting my sit-spots and upper thighs. This hurt even worse than my butt and I started yelping as I tried to escape her grasp again. 

"You will not put yourself in danger just to be a part of the team. When I tell you to do something, you listen. I don't care if you don't like what I tell you to do, you need to do it because I am your mom and I'm just trying to keep you safe. You will not yell at me or any member of the team, no matter how angry you get and you will never, ever use your powers on someone on this team again or you will find yourself right back here. If you ever use your powers on someone from this team again, you will be getting a bare spanking with a hairbrush, I'm not messing around with this Wanda. Am I understood?" she lectured, never pausing in spanking.

"Yes! I promise! I'm sorry!" At this point, I had gone limp over her legs, sobbing into her leg. I felt a few more hard slaps on my thighs and then they stopped, her hand now rubbing my back.

"Shh, it's over sweet girl." I sobbed in relief at her soft tone. I thought that I would never hear that again after what happened in the jet so it was such a relief to hear her calling me sweet girl again and talking to me like nothing had changed. 

"I'm so sorry mama, I'll never do it again!" I cried. I felt her hands shift under my armpits as she lifted me up, pulling me into her chest. I held onto her and just sobbed, not because of the punishment but because I was so glad and relieved that she was offering me comfort. Most of my guilt was gone from sneaking out but I still had a lot of guilt from calling her all of those names on the jet. 

Spanking ends now!!!

She was still wearing her suit so I couldn't grip onto her clothes but I wrapped my arms around her neck as I cried into her shoulder. 

I calmed down and pulled away. "I should probably go apologize to the guys before they find a way to send me away," I mumbled.

"What? Hey, they aren't going to send you away," Nat told me, gripping my hands.

"Clint wasn't too pleased with me in the jet and none of the other guys would look at me after I said all those things."

"Clint knows you've been punished, he'll forgive you. He's very protective over me, sometimes too much. The other guys just didn't know what to do, they aren't great in awkward situations. I promise you that they will all forgive you though. Let's go apologize." I blushed when she said that Clint knew I was being punished but I should have guessed that he would know. Him and Nat were close, he probably knew what would happen the second he found out I snuck out. 

Nat gave me one last hug before we left the room, leading me out to the living room where all of the guys were sitting around, some still in their suits. 

It felt like it had been forever but it had been less than an hour since we landed at the house. 

All of them looked up at me when I walked in and I realized I probably looked pretty miserable with my red-rimmed eyes, messy hair, and tear tracks down my face. "I'm sorry everyone. I shouldn't have snuck out to try to help with the mission. It was a stupid decision and I take full responsibility for it. Tony," I said, turning to him. "I am so sorry that I used my powers on you. I was scared and I didn't think it through. It is not an excuse and it will never happen again." He nodded and gave me a weak smile and I turned to Clint. "Clint, I am sorry for running away from you." Clint nodded but didn't smile. "It will never happen again. And everyone, I am sorry for the scene that you were forced to witness on the jet. It was unprofessional of me as I let my emotions get the better of me. I'm so sorry for everything." 

There was a mumble of acceptances of my apology from the entire team except for Clint. He looked at me but didn't say that he accepted my apology or that it was okay like everyone else. He just sat there staring at me. I felt the tears well up in my eyes at that so I quickly turned away to look at the rest of the team before I started balling again.

"Alright, let's go," Nat said softly to me once everyone was done talking to me. We went back to our room where she got changed. "Get changed into something more comfortable," she told me as she slipped on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. 

"Um, I only have the clothes I was wearing before the battle and they're still in the jet," I mumbled, worried it would make her angry at me again.

She sighed but responded with, "Here, put these on." She tossed me a similar pair of sweats and a shirt to put on and let me change as she put away her suit.

While I was changing, I couldn't get the look that Clint gave me out of my head. "Clint hates me," I spoke up once I was dressed. Tasha turned to face me.

"What?" 

"He didn't accept my apology. He just sat there staring at me with an angry look on his face. He really hates me Nat and I don't think I'll ever regain his trust."

"Wanda," she told me softly as she gripped my shoulders. "Clint is very protective of me, has been since he found me. Give him some time, he doesn't hate you, I'm sure he just doesn't want to say something that he'll regret. He loves you, he really does, just give him time. My guess is that he'll be back to his old self by dinner tonight."

Nat was right, Clint was back to talking to me at dinner time after he gave me a small lecture about controlling my emotions. He told me that he knew I had been punished and made sure that I understood that what happened was never to happen again. He also told me that if I ever said all those things to Nat again, that it wouldn't only be Nat who punished me. I shivered at that but then he pulled me into a hug and I knew I had been forgiven.

NATASHA POV:

The entire team had been notified about an incoming call from Nick Fury so we all huddled into the conference room to see what he needed. Apparently, the men who escaped the last mission, the one I almost died in, had traveled to another location and were planning something even worse than last time. They were expecting us this time so there would be no messing around.

Wanda had listened to the meeting because we hadn't known that there would be mission information and by the time we realized, it was too late to kick her out so she stayed. 

We had both gone back to our bedroom and I was deciding how I was going to break the news that she wasn't going. I decided to just go for it. "Okay, I should be back in a couple of days at the most, Pepper will be here if you need anything, I'm goi-"

"What? I'm going," she insisted. 

"No, not this one Wanda, it's too dangerous." Of course there was a small argument over it but I stood my ground and she actually got over it pretty quickly. I told her goodbye and then headed off to the jet. 

I didn't have time to go find Pepper before I left but I trusted Wanda, she would go let Pepper know. Wanda was 16 so I didn't necessarily need Pepper to spend every minute with her, I just wanted her to stay in the same building in case of an emergency. I would text Pepper with the details later but Wanda would be fine for the time being.

"You ready?" Steve asked as I came up to the jet. 

"Yeah," I knew he was a little wary about me going because of what had happened last time, especially since it was the same people. "I'll be fine Rogers," I huffed as I tapped him on the shoulder as I walked into the jet. 

The team discussed some of the plan while on the jet but we really weren't sure exactly what to expect so it was going to be difficult to plan exactly what we were going to do, we could get a general idea though. 

We swung by the farm to pick up Clint on the way there and Sam and Thor were en route to the battle. We still couldn't get ahold of Bruce so for now, we'd have to do it without him.

We got there and immediately jumped into battle. There were way more men than we expected but they knew we were coming so I guess it only makes sense that they would prepare for us. 

Our plan had changed and now we were planning on blowing up the warehouse to stop the main flow of men. The weapons were also being stored in the center of the warehouse so it would be easier to just blow up the entire thing instead of trying to recover the weapons. 

We continued to take out men while Tony tried to find the best place to put the bomb. Everyone from the team was making their way out of the warehouse so that we didn't get injured when Tony came on the comms with some interesting information.

"I have a little witch here who I'm pretty sure is not supposed to be here." I felt my heart drop when I heard this, my mind immediately going to the worse possible outcomes.

"Is she hurt? Where are you? Is she safe?" I asked.

"She's safe." I felt relief by that but anger was quickly clouding over my emotions. 

"Tony, where are you?"

"Center of the warehouse."

"Okay, Clint, can you go get her?" I asked, knowing Clint was closer than me.

"Yup."

"Okay, Tony, Clint can take her and then we'll continue the mission."

"Okay," he responded and I took a moment to breathe. Wanda was in the center of the warehouse, right where we were about to place a bomb. If Tony hadn't found her, we would have blown her up and never known. I bit my tongue to hold back tears at that thought.

I tried to do my best to focus as I took out more men from outside. 

"Clint took Wanda and I'm placing the bomb now," I heard Tony say over comms after a few minutes. 

"Okay, thanks Tony," I said over comms.

"No problem, now let's blow up these sons of bitches!" We made sure everyone was out of the warehouse and then we tried to detonate the bomb. Nothing happened.

"What's going on?" Steve asked.

"I don't know, it should be going off," Tony said as he tried to detonate it again. "FRIDAY, what's going on?"

"It appears that the bomb is inactive, it will not detonate. Sorry sir."

"Damn it!" we all heard Tony cuss.

"Okay, new plan team, take out as many men as you can and I'll go try to recover the weapons. Vision, you're with me," Steve said as he took off running.

Tony and I ended up fighting side by side and I started shouting while killing. "What happened to Wanda?" I asked.

"Well I found her taking out some guys as she made her way through the warehouse. I talked to her for a minute, giving her a second to explain herself. She said she wanted to help and she wanted me to keep it a secret from you. I went to grab her and she pushed me back using her powers. I grabbed her before she could do anything else though. Then she went with Clint."

"She used her powers on you?" I asked, shocked as I felt the anger building up.

"Yup, I'm okay though. She didn't hurt me, just surprised me a bit."

"Doesn't make it okay," I growled as I took out more men.

"I got the weapons!" I heard Steve yell over the comms. "Forget the men, we'll take care of them later, get to the jet!" I took off running towards the jet as another wave of men came out of the building. Where were they all coming from?

I was pissed with Wanda by the time I got to the jet so I walked in and chose to walk straight to the back of the jet, not wanting to say something I would regret. I was already mad, but then to hear that she used her powers on Tony, that was too far.

Clint came and sat next to me. "How'd dealing with Wanda go?" I asked.

"Well, she ran away from me on the way back here because I had to deal with a few guys. She took off running towards the end of the woods to take care of a group of men even though I told her to stay put. She thought that she was being helpful and didn't want to come back to the jet but she eventually gave up and let me bring her here. She's still in the seat I left her in so I don't think she moved." I sighed as I rubbed a hand through my hair.

I knew that I was going to give her a spanking, that was already decided when I found out she had left the compound, but I didn't know if I should add another punishment on top of that. 

Clint had moved towards the front of the Quinjet and I looked up to see Wanda standing there sheepishly. "Nat, can we talk?"

"Sure, I'll start, what the hell were you thinking?" I started calm but my anger quickly shone through as I remembered how terrified I had been.

"I wanted to help," she muttered and I had to hold back from rolling my eyes.

"No, you wanted to come on a mission, there is a big difference! You don't listen to a thing I tell you do you? You made a stupid decision Wanda. Not only did you sneak on the jet and put yourself in danger, you used your powers on Tony and then ran away from Clint! You really don't think, do you?" I knew I was being harsh but I was mad. I made sure not to tell her that she was stupid because it wasn't true and if she heard that from me, she would really take it to heart and be super upset. Her actions were stupid but she wasn't stupid.

"I do listen to you Tasha, I wanted to help! I'm capable!"

"No you're not!" I yelled and immediately regretted it by the way her face changed. She looked crushed. All of the small talk in the jet had stopped and it was now completely silent, only the sounds of the engine.

I watched as Wanda's face morphed into one of anger and then listened as she started screaming. "Well you're no more capable than me! You're just a mindless, killing machine! You don't care about anyone! You are a hypocrite and you are always doing terrible things to other people! No wonder no one loves you! You never care to listen to other people and you kill without thinking! Don't think I don't know how many people you've killed! It disgusts me! I thought you were supposed to be good but you aren't! You call yourself my mother but you aren't and you never will be! I don't want a heartless monster for a mom! You are a fucking bitch!" Once she finished, she was breathing heavily and staring at me. I was frozen and trying to hold back tears as I processed her words.

I watched as her eyes softened and she said, "Nat, I'm so sor-"

She didn't get a chance to finish though as Clint pulled her away. I knew what she was going to say but it didn't stop me from feeling hurt. All of the things that she said were my worst fear. I never wanted her to think any of that about me even though I knew it was true. Clint had been watching the entire thing and only snapped out of it once she started to apologize. 

I kept a general eye on Wanda and Clint to make sure that he didn't do anything irrational but I was honestly frozen. I only snapped out of it when I heard Wanda's cries come from the corner of the jet.

I slowly peeled myself off of the chair and walked over to where she was crying into her hands. I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to be somewhat comforting. "You need to calm down," I told her quietly. I didn't feel mad, or even upset, I felt blank and it was scarier than either of the other two emotions. 

She continued to apologize but I still felt blank. Clint had walked away, giving us some time alone, and I honestly think he needed it to calm down, he looked pretty angry. "Shh, breathe." I sat down next to her and rubbed her back.

The apologies continued so I grabbed her wrist and moved her until she was sitting in my lap. She needed to calm down before she made herself sick and it pained me to watch her cry like this. 

I could hear her panicked breaths as she gripped onto me, crying into my shoulder. I just did my best to keep her calm the entire ride. She didn't move from my lap once throughout the entire ride and I didn't mind as I held my girl. 

We landed at the safe house and I explained to Wanda where we were as we got off the jet. 

She followed me into the house and to our room. This safe house only had five bedrooms to split between the nine of us so Wanda and I would be sharing. I didn't mind as we slept in the same bed at home anyways.

"I'm so sorry Nat, I didn't mean what I said. I know you're mad at me and you have every right to be."

"I'm not mad Wanda. I'm disappointed and scared. What you did was extremely dangerous." I then went on to list everything that she had done wrong in the past few hours, making sure to really emphasize how dangerous it was. I ended it with telling her that she wasn't ready to be an Avenger yet. Technically her decisions today weren't the only distributing factors to that decision but they did help to make my case as to why she shouldn't be an Avenger.

She apologized again and I was only partially paying attention until something she said caught my attention. "I don't think any of those things and you are my mama. I understand if you never want me to call you that again but I want you to know that I see you that way, as my mom, and I'm never going to stop seeing you as that, even if you make me stop calling you that." 

I wanted to pull her into a hug at that statement but I stayed staring at her. I know how long it took her to even feel comfortable calling me that, she wasn't even completely there yet. She would usually only use that word when she was extremely upset, usually after nightmares, but she used it nonetheless. She hadn't had a mother figure in so long that it took her a long time to feel comfortable around another woman. She finally did and I never wanted her to think that that was not okay.

"Wanda, I may be a little upset with you right now but that doesn't mean I don't still see you as my daughter. You never have to stop calling me mama, there will never be a time I ask you to stop doing that, I promise. I still love you even though you made some stupid decisions. Once you're punished, you will have a clean slate and we will go back to normal okay?" She nodded as she tried to hold back tears.

I had decided that I would spank her, make her stay at the safe house with a babysitter for the rest of the time we were here, and then she would go back to normal life. Her apology and attitude now was enough to show me that that would be enough. It was also her first time getting a spanking from me so it would probably be good enough.

I explained to her what was going to happen so that she knew what to expect for the next few days. I also explained to her that some things would be changing from here on out. I have been very lenient with her, letting her get away with cursing, yelling at me, even using her powers on the team, but that was all going to stop after today. I was her mom, I needed to raise her right, so I was. I had to give her a warning though otherwise it would not have been fair to her.

She started crying as I continued to talk but she needed to understand the severity of her actions today, especially using her powers on the team. That would not fly here and I wanted her to know that. 

I finished my long lecture and she got up off of the bed and started walking towards the door. I was confused so I asked, "What are you doing?"

"Going to stand in the corner," she told me and she seemed confused too. I realized I hadn't actually spelled out what her punishment was going to be. 

"Oh no honey, that's not your punishment. You're getting a spanking." Her jaw dropped as her eyes grew wide when I told her this. She really didn't think I was going to let her get away with all of this by just standing in the corner right? That was not going to happen.

"Nat, I'm too old," she pouted.

"Stop," I told her, putting a hand out. "Do not even try to talk yourself out of this. You have gone way over the line this time, this is not up for discussion. Now come here." I beckoned her over as I tried to remember what Laura did for me. I didn't want to do this wrong and hurt Wanda so I relived the memory of Laura and me, copying a lot of the things that I remember her telling me. When Wanda didn't move, I used another one of Laura's saying, "Wanda, do not make me come get you."

This made Wanda start walking towards me and I was immediately relieved that she wasn't as stubborn as I was at this age. I decided not to spank her bare since this was her first spanking but I made it very clear that it will probably never happen again. 

Spanking starts now!!!

I pulled her over my knee, made sure she was in the right position and that she understood the rules, and then I started. 

She was crying before it had even begun so I knew that her tears were not going to be very accurate in me determining when this punishment would be over. She was also apologizing almost instantly. Laura had never lectured me in the beginning which I hated because it meant that I focused on the pain more. 

She flung her hand back after a few minutes but I grabbed it and pinned it to her back, never pausing in applying swats to her backside. "Do, not, reach, your, hand, back," I told her, giving her sharp swats after each word. She also started kicking so I pinned them down with one of my legs as I continued. 

Her begs for me to stop and her heartbreaking cries made it very difficult for me to continue but I thought of how scared I was when I found out she was in the warehouse that we were about to blow up and I found the strength to keep going. The apologies continued as I tilted her forward to reach her sit-spots, these would give her a nice reminder for the next couple of days whenever she sat down.

Since her sobs were starting to get heavier, I wanted to start wrapping this up so I started lecturing. I had completed most of the lecture before I started but I wanted to really drive it home. She had gone completely limp and was crying into my leg as I finished the spanking.

"Shh, it's over sweet girl," I told her as I rubbed her back. 

"I'm so sorry mama, I'll never do it again!" I felt a warmth spread throughout my chest as she called me mama and I pulled her up so that she could cry into my chest, making sure I kept my legs parted for her scorched bottom. 

Spanking ends now!!!

We stayed like that for a few more minutes until she pulled away, saying she should go apologize to the guys. "I should probably go apologize to the guys before they find a way to send me away."

Did she think we were going to make her leave. I wasn't letting her leave let alone making her leave. "What? Hey, they aren't going to send you away."

"Clint wasn't too pleased with me in the jet and none of the other guys would look at me after I said all those things."

I assured her that they would forgive her and that Clint was just protective. I followed Wanda out to the living room where the guys were sprawled around the living room, some hadn't even changed yet.

She gave an extremely heartfelt apology, one that even I was impressed with. Most of the guys gave her small smiles and told her that it was okay, all except for Clint. He still glared at her and I glared right back. We would be having a conversation if he didn't shape up. I get that he was upset with Wanda, I was too when I found out she left the compound, but Clint knows that once they're punished, they're forgiven. At least that was always the rule with me when I lived there.

Wanda turned around once she was done and I saw the tears in her eyes, probably from Clint's demeanor, so I led her back to our room so that she could calm down again. We also still needed to change. 

She explained to me that she didn't have clothes so I threw her a pair of my sweats and a t-shirt, they were big on her but they mainly fit and they were more comfortable than her dress. I changed as well but made sure to turn away when she was changing, wanting to give her privacy.

"Clint hates me," I heard her say quietly. I turned to face her and saw that she had gotten changed. 

"What?" I asked, wanting to see what she thought.

"He didn't accept my apology. He just sat there staring at me with an angry look on his face. He really hates me Nat and I don't think I'll ever regain his trust." I swear, I was going to kill Clint if he didn't make up with her by this evening. He was the one acting like a child now, not Wanda.

"Wanda, Clint is very protective, has been since he found me. Give him some time, he doesn't hate you, I'm sure he just doesn't want to say something that he'll regret. He loves you, he really does, just give him time. My guess is that he'll be back to his old self by dinner tonight." He better be if he didn't want to feel my anger. 

Wanda seemed to relax slightly at that and I was glad to see that by dinner, Wanda and Clint were back to talking and smiling to each other.