Pietro Maximoff could have been emsuch an interesting character/em if he hadn't been killed off, so I decided to bring him back to life. I live for stories where the Maximoff twins go live with the Bartons, so of course I had to write one of my own.

Title comes from "Wait For It" from the Hamilton soundtrack.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers.

Waking up hurts.

Which is strange, considering Pietro previously thought he was dead. He thought that he wouldn't feel pain like that after death.

But his chest hurts, and breathing hurts even more but he can't stop gasping for air. "Hey, it's okay, kid," a vaguely familiar voice tells him. It's not Wanda, though, and Pietro needs his sister, needs her next to him-

"Pietro!" It's Wanda, and Pietro forces his eyes open so he can see her. The old man - the one he died for, who was rescuing Costel - is the one next to him, but Pietro barely notices because Wanda is running to his bedside, tears in her eyes. "Pietro," she whispers, throwing herself at him. Pietro gasps harshly in pain, but he wraps his arms around Wanda anyway, holding her to his chest, no matter how much it hurts.

"What happened?" Pietro rasps when Wanda releases him.

"You died," the old man - Clint is his name, Pietro thinks - says.

"But only for thirteen minutes," Wanda adds. "Does that mean I am older than you now?" she asks, smiling with mischief in her eyes.

Pietro rolls his eyes. "I was still born twelve minutes before you, even if you've lived a minute more than I have," he retorts. He shifts barely half an inch on the mattress and winces in pain.

"We used Dr. Cho's back-up Cradle to close your wounds, and you've been unconscious for a couple of days," Clint explains. "But you aren't at one hundred percent yet."

"I can tell," Pietro mutters. He doesn't know how many bullets hit him, but there were more than enough. His chest burns.

"I'll go get Dr. Cho," Clint mutters, getting up and leaving Wanda and Pietro alone.

"You are never allowed to do that again," Wanda tells Pietro firmly. "I felt you die. You need to be more careful."

"There was a little boy," Pietro explains helplessly. "Costel. Zrinka's little brother." He doesn't know how to explain to Wanda how he felt. He doesn't even quite know how to explain to himself how he felt. All he knows is that, when he saw the guns pointed at Clint and Costel, he couldn't let that happen.

"Next time," Wanda tells him sternly, "use your speed to get something to shield them, don't shield them yourself."

"Ah, you know I am reckless and never think," Pietro replies, grinning as he says the words Wanda has so often scolded him with.

Wanda rolls her eyes. "Just stay alive," she tells him, and Pietro has no problems with that.

Pietro clearly loathes his wheelchair.

Clint finds it fairly amusing, actually, watching the bratty speedster at the mercy of his sister's speed of pushing the wheelchair. Technically, Pietro could use his arms to push it himself, but the movement hurts his wounds enough that Helen's banned it for the moment.

The wheelchair is a precaution, Helen tells them, just until they make sure Pietro's well enough to walk around himself and able to keep his speed under control. When he runs, his heart and lungs work overtime, which he's able to handle with his enhancements. However, considering both his heart and lungs were riddled with bullet holes not too long ago, Helen wants to wait a little longer before he pushes them to that limit. Pietro hates it, but Wanda's very strict about him following all of Dr. Cho's orders. Clint has the distinct feeling he wouldn't listen to anyone but his sister, so he's glad she's on Helen's side.

"Clint?" Helen calls, striding up to the window where Clint is watching Pietro and Wanda playfully argue out on the grass.

"Something wrong?" Clint asks.

"No," Helen replies, shaking her head. She looks out the window, then over at Clint. "Pietro's going to be well enough to leave the medical center in a few days. But he'll need time to recuperate before he's well enough to start his Avenger training, if he chooses to do it. He could stay here, but I think it might be best if he doesn't."

"I might have a place," Clint says, looking back out at the twins. Pietro's gotten out of his wheelchair and he's sitting on the ground, throwing handfuls of grass at Wanda, who's using her powers to stop them from hitting her and turn them back around at him. They're too damn young, young enough that they could easily be Clint's own kids. "Let me make a call and I'll get back to you."

"Alright," Helen says, shooting one last look outside before turning around and walking off, her heels clicking.

Clint pulls out his phone and calls his wife.

Pietro's fingers are drumming on his leg. Wanda watches as they move, mostly at a normal tempo but with occasional bursts of speed as Pietro's control over his powers slips. Dr. Cho had told them it would happen, but she said he would get better as time went on.

"Are you alright?" Wanda asks Pietro softly in Sokovian.

He flashes her an attempt at a smile, but he's too pale and it doesn't reach his eyes. "I don't like cars," he murmurs back. Clint looks at them in the rear view mirror, but stays quiet.

"Why?" Wanda asks.

Pietro's fingers put on a sudden burst of speed, blurring for a moment before he controls them again. "It's...too slow," he replies slowly. "And small. The plane we took to get to Sokovia, that was small too, but it was fast. This car is not."

From the haunted look in Pietro's eyes, Wanda can tell he's thinking about the cells Strucker put them in. They were the same size, but she didn't mind it as much as Pietro did. For her, sitting still, it was large enough. But she remembers hearing Pietro crashing into the walls, barely able to stop running at first, and she knows his cell seemed smaller than hers.

"How much longer do we have to drive?" Wanda asks Clint, switching to English.

Clint shrugs. "About half an hour, maybe? You two okay back there?"

"We are fine," Pietro replies. Wanda shoots him a look, but his face is determined. Clint makes eye contact with Wanda for a moment. She discreetly nods and he looks away.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Wanda asks Pietro quietly in Sokovian. "We could stop and get out, if you wish."

"And then we will have to get back in," Pietro counters. "I would rather get it over with."

"If you're sure," Wanda replies quietly.

Pietro nods. "I am."

His fingers are a silvery blur on his leg.

The safe house doesn't look the way Pietro expected.

He's not quite sure what he had expected, actually, but it wasn't something this homey. It's a quintessential farmhouse, and Pietro can't quite believe he's going to be staying here.

He watches Wanda when they reach the steps up to the porch, his eyes tracking her movements as her fingers twitch and red tendrils of energy curl around his wheelchair, lifting it over the steps. It's not quite steady and Pietro's grip on the arms of the chair is tight enough that his knuckles go white, but Wanda sets him down safely.

He hates the wheelchair, but he knows he needs it, even if he'd never admit it. He can't control himself; he moves quickly when he doesn't mean to. Pietro tried walking three times, and invariably ended up running. The third time, he aggravated the damage to his lungs so much that a few of the wounds reopened and he had to go back in the Cradle to close them. Once she was sure Pietro wasn't going to drown in his own blood, Wanda slapped him and made him promise to listen to Dr. Cho.

But the wheelchair makes stairs difficult, which Pietro has the feeling might be a problem when he sees the flight of stairs inside the farmhouse. Clint doesn't seem to think anything of it. "Honey?" he calls. "The twins and I are here."

A lovely woman steps into view, hugely pregnant and smiling, if a bit cautiously. "Hi, honey," she says to Clint, kissing him. "The kids are playing in the back."

"I'll go say hi in a moment," Clint says. Turning to Pietro and Wanda, he tells them, "This is my wife, Laura."

"Did you know he was married?" Pietro asks Wanda in Sokovian.

Before Wanda has a chance to answer, Clint shakes his head. "No Sokovian, not when we're all talking together," he scolds. "Laura, this is Wanda, and the rude one is Pietro. Don't mind him."

"Go say hi to the kids," Laura tells Clint, pushing him gently. "I'll get Pietro and Wanda set up."

Pietro thinks he sees reluctance on Clint's face, but he doesn't say anything, only stepping out the back door. Laura looks at Pietro and Wanda with a smile.

"Welcome to Casa Barton," she says with a little half-laugh. "I hope it'll be your home soon."

A home is a strange thought, but not one Pietro thinks he'll have any problem with.

The tension and awkwardness during the first dinner is clear. Clint makes eye contact with Laura, who looks as lost as he feels. Cooper and Lila are eagerly talking to each other, while Pietro and Wanda sit silently on the other side of the table, eating and not saying a word. Clint gets the feeling they're talking to each other with Wanda's powers, but he can't be sure. Her eyes are lowered, so Clint can't see if they're red.

"Pietro?" Laura asks. Pietro looks up, his eyes wide for half a second before he relaxes. "Would you like some more mashed potatoes?"

"No, thank you," Pietro replies, pushing around the last few peas on his plate. Clint wonders if every dinner will be this awkward, but he hopes the twins will get over it. He remembers when he first brought Natasha to the farmhouse, which was arguably more tense than having the twins over, even though Clint had known Natasha for longer than he's known them. Now, she's Cooper and Lila's Auntie Nat, and Nathaniel is going to be named after her. Clint hopes the twins calm down the way she did.

Pietro reaches out for his glass of water, but his hand suddenly blurs with speed, overshooting and knocking the glass over. The water spills over the tablecloth.

"I'm sorry," Pietro mutters, looking embarrassed.

"No problem, sweetheart," Laura tells him, getting a few paper towels to put over the spill. Before she can, Wanda's eyes go red and she waves a hand over the tablecloth. The water rises and returns to the glass. Cooper and Lila look stunned.

"Thank you, Wanda," Laura says, admirably taking the show of powers in stride. Wanda murmurs something in Sokovian under her breath that makes Pietro smile a bit. Clint decides not to enforce the no-Sokovian rule.

"Is that magic?" Lila asks Wanda seriously.

Wanda blinks, looking a bit surprised. "It's my power," she replies. "It's not magic."

"My sister can move things with her mind," Pietro explains.

"And you can move super fast?" Cooper asks. Pietro nods jerkily.

Lila looks contemplative. "Is your sister better at controlling her power than you?" she asks.

Clint sees something panicked in Pietro's eyes. "Lila, can I have more peas?" he asks, hoping to distract his daughter. It works, but Pietro's body language remains tense through all of dinner.

Pietro's nightmare hits late that night. Wanda's sleep is restless with a sense of unease, but she doesn't wake until Pietro screams.

They're in the same bedroom; they wouldn't have to share if not for the fact that there's only one first floor bedroom, and Wanda flat-out refused to sleep upstairs if Pietro were downstairs. She's glad of it now, as she gasps awake and rushes to Pietro's side.

His eyes are unfocused, and he's clearly not fully awake. Wanda reaches for him, but he flinches from her touch. Slightly hurt but not entirely surprised, Wanda pulls her hand back and instead slips into Pietro's mind.

Panic and pain slam into her like a speeding train - or, more aptly, like a bullet. Clint and Laura burst into the room just in time to see Wanda stagger backwards and fall against her bed.

"You okay?" Clint asks her, going over to Pietro.

"He's so scared," Wanda gasps.

Laura sits down next to her. "He'll be okay," she says quietly, wrapping a comforting arm around Wanda's shoulders. "Clint can help. He's good with nightmares."

Across the room, Clint is hovering over Pietro, carefully not touching him, murmuring for him to breathe, telling him he's safe. Wanda wonders if he's done this before with Pietro, during nightmares she didn't know about.

Finally, after a few minutes that feel like years, Pietro's breathing starts to even out and he blinks, looking around.

"Did I wake you?" he croaks.

Clint snorts. "I had my hearing aids out. Didn't hear a thing. Laura woke me up," he replies. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes," Pietro mutters.

Wanda can feel that he's embarrassed. She gets up from her bed and crosses to his. "I didn't know you had nightmares like this," she murmurs in Sokovian.

"I didn't want you to worry," Pietro mutters in the same language. Switching to English, he thanks Clint, who nods and leaves the room, Laura behind him.

"You should have told me," Wanda scolds, sitting on the bed next to Pietro.

He sighs, lying back. "I didn't think they'd last as long as they have," he replies. "I thought they would be gone by now."

"Now I know, and I will help you with them," Wanda states. The beds are large, so she can easily curl up next to Pietro.

"I don't think I'll sleep much more tonight," he warns her.

"Well, I'm tired, so be quiet," Wanda retorts playfully. Pietro's laugh rumbles against her back.

She falls asleep to the feeling of him playing with her hair.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Clint asks Pietro.

"Dr. Cho said I could start using the wheelchair less, no?" Pietro replies. He hates his stupid wheelchair. If he's getting the opportunity to stop using it, he's going to take it. "I want to try."

"If you're sure," Clint replies with a sigh. "Shouldn't Wanda be here?"

"She's talking with Laura," Pietro replies. He can feel Wanda at the back of his mind. "If something goes wrong, she'll know."

Clint shrugs. "Your choice, I guess," he replies. He holds the wheelchair steady as Pietro climbs slowly out of it.

They're outside, just in case Pietro's control slips and he runs. He's hoping that won't happen. Carefully, he takes a step forward. It takes more concentration than it should, but Pietro manages to walk a few yards at a normal speed.

Then something, he's not sure what, breaks his concentration and Pietro is running. By the time he stops, he's at the other end of the yard and his chest is on fire.

He doesn't fall to his knees, but it's a close thing. There are trees a few feet away and Pietro tries to walk to them, hoping to lean against one, but he speeds up again and crashes into the tree instead. This time, he does fall.

"Pietro!" Clint calls, his voice echoed by Wanda's in Pietro's head.

"I'm fine," Pietro replies to both of them. He feels sore and stupid and embarrassed, but he's not badly hurt. He looks down, just in case, but there's no blood on his shirt. His wounds are all fully healed by now; his own stupidity can't reopen them.

Using the tree for balance, Pietro claws his way upright. Are you sure you're alright? Wanda asks mentally, but Pietro dismisses her. Carefully, focusing as hard as he can, Pietro takes a step forward. He doesn't let his attention slip for even a second as he walks away from the trees, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Clint meets him with the wheelchair about halfway back. "You did good, kid," he tells him soothingly. "I think that's enough for now. You shouldn't wear yourself out too much."

Pietro's humiliation burns almost as much as his chest, but he's trembling and he doesn't know that he can take another step without slipping into running. You did well, Piet, Wanda says. You don't need to be embarrassed. You- Pietro shoves her voice aside, cutting her off and pushing her out for the first time he can remember.

"You okay?" Clint asks, studying him.

"Fine," Pietro replies shortly. He sits down in the wheelchair and lets Clint wheel him back to the house.

Wanda is waiting on the porch, but Pietro avoids her eyes and doesn't speak to her. Wanda's always understood him, but now she can't, and at the moment, Pietro just wants to be alone.

"How's Pietro doing?" Laura asks Clint as she slides into bed next to him. "He was very quiet after you two came back inside."

"He did well," Clint replied, setting aside his book and turning to face Laura. "But I think he wanted to do better. He just wants to put all of this behind him."

"I can understand that," Laura remarks.

"Yeah, but he's got to work through it to get past it," Clint replies. "And I don't think he wants to do that part."

"He was avoiding Wanda," Laura tells Clint. "She was upset. You should have seen how tense she was when you and Pietro went outside."

"I wonder if her being here is such a great thing for them," Clint muses.

Laura frowns. "You're going to kick her out?"

"No, definitely not," Clint replies quickly. "But she could start her training with Steve and Nat while we get Pietro back into fighting shape. I just wonder how much her being here helps Pietro and how much it hurts."

"She's not going to want to leave," Laura cautions. "She won't leave Pietro, especially not now."

"She's bored," Clint counters. "She might go if she knows Pietro will be safe here without her."

There's a thud downstairs, then Clint hears the door open and close with a soft click. "Did he really think we wouldn't hear him?" Clint asks Laura, getting out of bed and going over to the window.

"I might not have, and you definitely wouldn't have if you'd already taken your hearing aids out," Laura replies, following Clint to the window. Pietro is outside, walking around slowly. Suddenly, he speeds up, stops, rubs his chest, and continues to walk.

"Should one of us go out after him?" Laura asks softly.

"I'm not sure," Clint replies honestly, staring out the window. "Do you think Wanda's awake?"

"I don't know," Laura replies, grabbing her robe and wrapping it around herself. "But I have an idea."

Clint watches as Laura steps out of the room. He hears a bit of noise from the kitchen and waits, curious to find out what's going on. Outside, Pietro speeds up again and stumbles when he slows, but he manages to go from running to walking almost seamlessly. As Clint watches, Laura steps outside, a mug in each hand. She calls Pietro over and steps back up into the porch. After a moment, Pietro follows her.

Clint ends up going back to bed before too long. As long as they're on the porch, he can't see them, so there isn't much of a point to standing at the window. If he switched his normal hearing aids for the high-powered ones he uses on missions, he'd be able to hear them, but he decides to give Pietro and Laura their privacy. Finally, he hears the door open and two sets of footsteps downstairs. Pietro goes to his room and Laura comes upstairs.

"How'd it go?" Clint asks when Laura enters the bedroom, slipping off her robe and crawling under the covers.

"Well, I think," Laura replies. "Hot chocolate helps everything. And we talked for a while."

"Is he okay?" Clint asks.

Laura sighs, looking up at the ceiling. "No, not yet," she replies honestly. "But I think he will be."

Pietro is almost never quiet, so the fact that he is tells Wanda that something's wrong.

"Pietro-" she begins while they watch Clint's children play, in charge while Clint and Laura are outside, then she cuts herself off when Pietro turns to look at her. What is there she can say? She doesn't even really know what's wrong.

"Is something the matter?" Pietro asks quietly in Sokovian, soft enough that the children won't hear it.

Wanda sighs. "Yes. Something's the matter with you."

Pietro blinks, looking surprised. He shifts slightly in his wheelchair. "With me?" he asks. Wanda watches as his eyes flicker around the room, like he's a cornered animal.

"You've been acting strange ever since you woke up after the battle," Wanda accuses.

"I died," Pietro spits back. Wanda recoils slightly. She doesn't think Pietro's ever used a tone like that with her. "I'm sorry," Pietro adds, running a hand through his hair. "I just- Things have changed, Wanda."

"I haven't changed," Wanda replies, stung.

Pietro looks down. "I have," he replies simply. Wanda wants to say something in response, although she has no idea what, but she's interrupted by Lila coming over and clambering into Pietro's lap.

"Read me a book," she demands, holding out a book.

Pietro looks at her in confusion. "Don't you know how to read?"

Lila shrugs. "I like your accent," she replies. "Momma and Daddy and Auntie Nat read to me."

"I am in good company, then?" Pietro asks, amusement in his voice. Wanda watches as he begins reading to Lila, only tearing her attention away when Cooper calls her over.

"Can you hold this in place while I glue it?" he asks. He's building some sort of model; Wanda isn't quite sure what it is. She takes the piece he's holding and is surprised to see Cooper's face fall slightly.

"Is something wrong?" she asks.

Cooper avoids her eyes. "I was hoping you could, you know, use your powers to hold it instead."

Wanda smiles indulgently - why not? - and wraps red tendrils around the piece she's holding. Cooper stares at it in awe. "Cool," he breathes, grabbing the glue and securing the piece. "You can let go now," he tells Wanda when it's ready. Wanda does so cautiously, but the glue is strong; the piece doesn't budge.

"Thanks!" Cooper tells her. Wanda grins at him before going back over to sit next to Pietro.

He's moved on to another book for Lila, and this time, he's doing voices for all the characters. His falsetto is horrible, but Lila thinks it's hilarious. Wanda doesn't sit down; she doesn't want to disturb them.

Pietro might say he's changed, but in the ways that matter, Wanda doesn't think he really has.

Pietro could have told Clint the offer for Wanda to begin training alone wouldn't go well.

"I am not leaving!" Wanda yells. She adds a few choice words in Sokovian that Pietro makes the executive decision not to translate. "How could you think I would leave Pietro here and go off to train alone?"

"Wanda-" Clint's been trying to speak for quite some time, but Wanda hasn't let him. Pietro decides she's yelled enough. Carefully controlling his speed, his hand shoots out and covers her mouth.

"Continue," Pietro tells Clint as Wanda struggles to peel his hand off her mouth.

"You're not being kicked out, Wanda," Clint explains patiently. "You don't have to leave. I just wanted to make sure you were aware that, if you wanted to start your training, it's open to you. Pietro can stay here with us for as long as he wants to. So can you, but if you want to leave-"

"I don't want to leave," Wanda retorts, holding Pietro's struggling hand away from her mouth. Pietro tries to reach for her mouth with his other hand, overshoots with his speed, and tumbles forward out of his wheelchair instead.

"Pietro!" Wanda cries, helping him up. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Pietro replies shortly, embarrassed. Clint holds the wheelchair in place as Wanda helps him back into it.

"Do you understand why I can't leave you now?" Wanda asks in Sokovian.

"I am older than you," Pietro retorts in the same language. The remark isn't as playful as it normally is. "I am getting better here. Clint and the others can help me if I need it. I know you're bored."

"You are my family," Wanda tells Pietro firmly. "I will stay here until you decide to come back to train."

"Are you doing that for me, or for yourself?" Pietro counters. "If you want to go, then go. I will be fine here. Do what is best for you, not me."

"You're welcome to stay here for as long as you like," Clint adds. He doesn't understand Sokovian, but he seems to have understood the meaning behind their conversation. "You can also leave when you want too. It's all up to you."

"I'm staying," Wanda says defiantly.

Clint nods. "Okay. But if you change your mind, you can start training whenever you want."

"I won't change my mind," Wanda states firmly. Pietro finds that he doubts that.

Clint is starting to wish he hadn't mentioned leaving to Wanda. She's been tense since he said it. Clint had thought she was feeling more at home at the farm, but now he's pretty sure all of that hard work has been ruined.

Clint can see Wanda and Pietro outside through the window. Pietro is practicing walking again. There's a tension between the twins, Clint notices. It didn't come from his offer to Wanda, although that might have added to it. Clint noticed it between them before that. Pietro is closing himself off. Wanda is trying to bring him back. It's a pattern Clint knows well. Bringing people back from horrible events is something he's been on both sides of. He's never died, but there have been some close calls. Pietro's frustration with himself is something Clint understands intimately.

Pietro speeds up for a second, then stumbles to a halt. Wanda immediately swoops in, taking his arm and helping him. That, Clint knows, is part of the problem. Wanda's urge to help her brother is understandable, even admirable. But Pietro wants things to go back to normal, and the best way to do that is to treat him normally. Wanda's babying is the opposite of what he wants.

"Clint!" Laura yells.

Clint turns away from the window. "Yeah?" he calls back.

Laura slowly comes down the stairs. Clint can see a wet patch on her pants. "We need to go to the hospital," she says in a remarkably calm voice. "My water just broke."

Clint's eyes go wide. It's the third baby, but the panic never lessens. "You're- Now?"

"Yes, now!" Laura snaps. "Call the twins inside. They can watch Cooper and Lila. I'll grab the bag."

"The bag?" Clint repeats dumbly.

Laura rolls her eyes. "I've had a bag packed for weeks," she replies. "I'll get it, you call in the twins."

Clint nods, stepping outside. "Pietro, Wanda!" he calls. Pietro looks up from his wheelchair, where he's resting. Wanda's eyes flash red for the slightest second.

"The baby," she says.

Clint nods. "Laura's water just broke. I need to get her to the hospital."

Wanda nods, pushing Pietro back to the house. "Will Laura be alright?" Pietro calls, worry on his face.

"She's done it twice before," Clint replies. "She'll be fine." He ignores the fact that he's worried to distraction already. Wanda, hopefully, is staying out of his head.

"Clint, we should go," Laura calls.

"Can you two watch the kids?" Clint asks Pietro and Wanda.

Pietro's eyes go wide, but Wanda just nods. "We took care of ourselves for years," she tells him. "We can watch your children. Go with Laura."

"You sure?" Clint asks, asking Pietro more than Wanda.

Pietro nods, although he doesn't look entirely convinced. "Go," he tells Clint. "Everything here will be fine."

"We'll keep you posted," Clint promises.

Pietro nods. "Go," he repeats.

"Clint!" Laura yells. Pietro grins, waving his hands towards her.

"We have things under control," Wanda promises. Clint nods, dashes over to give Lila and Cooper quick hugs and kisses, and then goes into the car to take Laura to the hospital.

Inside, he wonders if this will ever get any less stressful.

Sleeping, Wanda's discovering, is very difficult when Pietro's mind is whirring at top speed.

"Stop thinking so much," she whines in Sokovian. "I want to sleep."

"I'm sorry," Pietro apologizes quietly. "I'll go into the other room. You can sleep."

"You should sleep too," Wanda protests, sitting up. The room is dark, but she can make out Pietro's form among the shadows. He's still in his wheelchair, bent forward and clearly troubled. There was a time when Wanda would know why, but now Pietro is more private, keeping her away from thoughts he doesn't want her to see. He's never done that before.

"Laura will be fine," Wanda says quietly, guessing the source of Pietro's uneasiness.

"I know," Pietro replies. It's so soft Wanda can barely hear it, but she knows it's the truth.

Wanda sighs. "Then what's troubling you?" she demands. She can read Pietro's body language, even when she can just barely see him. He considers answering for a second, she can tell, then he decides against it.

"Nothing," he lies. "You should sleep."

"So should you," Wanda retorts. "Pietro, please. Tell me what's wrong."

"It does not concern you," Pietro tells Wanda quietly.

She shakes her head. "Yes, it does," she argues. "If it concerns you, it concerns me."

Pietro sighs, running his hands through his hair. "Dr. Cho called earlier," he admits quietly. "She wants to see me."

"And you're...scared?" Wanda asks. She's almost certain that's how Pietro is feeling, but what she can't understand is why.

"Not scared, exactly," Pietro replies evasively. "But... I don't know. It's late. You should sleep."

"I am worried for you," Wanda tells Pietro softly. "Do not shut me out."

"Wanda..." It's dark, but Wanda can still tell that Pietro is avoiding looking at her. Before either of them can say anything else, the phone rings. Pietro grabs it far too quickly, almost tipping over his wheelchair with his speed. Wanda watches him as he answers it. A slow smile spreads across his face.

"Wanda, go wake Cooper and Lila. It's Clint," he says softly, using his shoulder to keep the phone up and wheeling towards the door. Wanda can feel his excitement as she races upstairs.

Cooper sleeps lightly, so he's easy to wake. Lila grumbles more, but once Wanda tells her that Clint is calling, she wakes up. The three of them hurry downstairs, where Pietro is waiting in the living room.

"They're here," he tells Clint over the phone. Then he puts the phone on speakerphone and sets it on the table.

"Kids, you have a new little brother!" Clint declares. Wanda can't stop her smile from spreading across her face as Cooper and Lila cheer. Pietro is beaming, looking more like himself than he has for weeks.

"I'll send you a picture in a minute," Clint adds. There's muffled noise, then, "Mom wants to talk to you," he says. He must turn it on speakerphone, because a moment later they can hear Laura's voice.

"Hi, guys!" Laura calls, sounding pleased but exhausted. "Did you get the picture? Clint, did you send them a picture yet?"

"Doing it now," Clint says. A moment later, the tablet lights up with a new message. Pietro leans over to grab it, holding it out. The picture loads immediately, showing a fat little baby squinting at the camera. "Did you get it?" Clint asks.

"We're looking at it now," Pietro says, handing the tablet to Cooper. "What's his name?"

"Nathaniel Pietro Barton," Clint replies. Wanda watches as Pietro freezes.

"Named after two people who have saved his father's life," Laura adds. Cooper and Lila start pestering their parents for more information while Pietro, unnoticed by everyone but Wanda, leaves the room. Wanda looks at Cooper and Lila and decides Pietro needs her more.

He's in the bedroom, sobbing so harshly he's barely breathing. Wanda immediately wraps her arms around him, pulling him onto the bed so she can hold him more tightly.

"It's okay, big brother," she whispers as she cards her fingers through his hair. He's gripping her tightly enough that Wanda wonders if she'll bruise. "It's okay."

Clint offers to drive to the farm and pick up anyone who wants to visit baby Nathaniel in the hospital, but Lila and Cooper have school and Pietro can't think about being in a hospital without his heart racing. Wanda elects to stay home with Pietro too, dropping the kids off at the bus stop and then insisting that Pietro watch some horrible movie with her. Its plot and characterization are lacking, but it's a good enough distraction to keep Pietro from thinking too hard about anything else.

That is, until the phone rings and the caller ID says it's Dr. Cho again.

Pietro doesn't even realize that he's holding his breath until Wanda puts a hand on his shoulder and softly encourages him to breathe. He does, reaching out and picking up the phone in his trembling hands.

"Hello?" he greets, glad that his voice is steady. His heart is racing and he feels oddly cold, but hopefully Dr. Cho won't be able to tell anything's wrong.

"Pietro," Dr. Cho replies, and her voice is warm but Pietro feels colder than ever. Suddenly all he can remember is when he was at the facility and he reopened his wounds trying to run, hurting himself enough that his lungs filled with blood. Dr. Cho had put him back in the Cradle and Pietro's own panic had mixed with Wanda's and every breath had made him choke-

Pietro realizes abruptly that Dr. Cho has stopped speaking. She's clearly waiting for a response of some kind, but Pietro has no idea what he's supposed to respond to. "She wants to talk to Clint," Wanda breathes in Pietro's ear. He's glad that at least someone is paying attention to the conversation.

"Clint is at the hospital with Laura," Pietro tells Dr. Cho.

"The hospital?" Dr. Cho repeats, sounding worried.

"Tell her it's just the baby," Wanda hisses.

"Laura gave birth last night," Pietro adds. He's passed feeling cold and now just feels numb. Every time he blinks, he feels like he's back in the Cradle, trapped inside in such a small space-

"When he gets back, can you tell him to call me?" Dr. Cho asks.

Pietro nods before remembering she can't see him. "Yes. I will tell him." If Dr. Cho thinks his terse answers are strange, she doesn't mention it. Instead, she hangs up on her end. Wanda carefully plucks the phone out of Pietro's trembling hands.

"Are you alright?" she whispers. Pietro tries to focus on her face, but his vision has gone slightly gray.

"Outside," he manages to gasp through his closing throat. The house is large, but not large enough. Everything seems to be shrinking in around him. Pietro needs to be outside.

Wanda doesn't move fast enough. Pietro wheels his chair out of the room, going to the front door. He gets out to the porch, but it's not enough. He needs to be out in the yard. He wheels forward, then feels the front of the wheelchair drop.

He's forgotten about the stairs.

The wheelchair tips forward and Pietro falls with it, onto the ground with the metal over him. He tries his best to breathe, but he can't move. Then red tendrils lift the chair and Wanda is calling Pietro but she's so far away that he can barely hear her (or is she underwater? Is he underwater? Her voice is so distant). Pietro pushes himself upright and staggers further away from the house, into the yard. He doesn't get more than a few yards before he collapses, but it's enough. He's not confined anymore. He's free.

Wanda drops down to her knees next to Pietro, her worry churning into his thoughts. Pietro tries to soothe her the best he can. His panic is dissipating as he breathes in the fresh air. He's free. He's alright.

Wanda and Pietro are still sitting there when Cooper and Lila get home. Lila insists on having a picnic for their after school snack, which Pietro quickly agrees to. The expanse around Pietro is wide and open and free. He's alright.

The house, thankfully, still seems to be in the same condition as it was when Clint and Laura left. Clint admits he had felt a bit of concern at leaving Pietro and Wanda in charge for so long.

"I'm sure everyone's fine," Laura tells Clint when they get out of the car. Nathaniel is asleep in his seat. Clint plucks the whole thing out of the car without waking him, careful not to jostle him too much as he carries him into the house.

"I know," Clint agrees. Cooper and Lila should be in school; they won't get out for a few hours. Pietro and Wanda should be home, though.

"Welcome home!" Wanda calls from the living room as they enter the house. Clint looks around, but everything appears to be alright. He's a little worried as to what the kitchen will look like, but he'll take what he can get.

Pietro wheels into the front hall, peering curiously at Nathaniel. "He's so tiny," he says, sounding amazed. "I knew he was small from the pictures, but I didn't realize how small."

"Do you want to hold him?" Laura asks. Pietro's eyes go wide. Wanda steps out of the living room. Her eyes glow red as she uses her powers to pick up the bags Laura just put down.

"I'll take care of these," she tells them as she walks up the stairs, the bags following her. Clint shoots a look at Laura. He can't help but think that leaving them alone with Pietro is deliberate, although he doesn't know why.

"Thank you, dear," Laura calls up the stairs. Clint brings the baby carrier into the living room, Laura and Pietro following him.

"You really can hold him if you want," Laura tells Pietro again. "He does share your name, after all." Pietro, to Clint's surprise, goes white at the reminder. Clint glances at Laura, whose face has creased with worry. "Is something wrong?" she asks.

"Who is Nathaniel?" Pietro asks. "You said the baby was named after two people who..." Pietro doesn't finish the sentence, pressing his lips together.

"Originally, we were going to name the baby Natasha," Laura explains.

"That's Black Widow," Clint adds. "The redhead." Pietro nods distractedly, his attention more on Laura than Clint.

"She's saved Clint's life more times than I can count," Laura continues. "When I found out I was having a boy, we switched the name to Nathaniel."

"We like to name our kids after people who are important to us," Clint tells Pietro. "Cooper's full name is Cooper Philip Barton, after my old handler at SHIELD." Phil played it off when Clint told him, but Clint knew he was pleased.

"And Lila is Lila Jane Barton, after my mother," Laura adds. "For Nathaniel... You're important to us too, Pietro."

Pietro's smile is somewhat tentative, but it's real. Whatever worries he had, Clint and Laura seem to have assuaged them. "You are important to me as well," he replies. Gesturing to Nathaniel, he asks, "May I hold him?"

Wanda comes back in the room just as Laura settles Nathaniel into Pietro's arms, which Clint is certain is not a coincidence. She immediately goes over next to her brother, leaning over to coo at Nathaniel. Pietro's face is full of wonder as he looks down at the tiny baby in his lap. Clint looks over at Laura, who smiles.

Sure, things will be chaotic again soon, but a moment of calm is always nice.

Wanda doesn't like the expression on Clint's face when he finishes his call with Dr. Cho. Pietro is in the other room with Laura and Nathaniel, and Cooper and Lila have both gone to bed. Wanda, however, wants to know why Dr. Cho called, so she's been pretending to read a magazine as Clint talks to her on the phone. Now that Clint's done, she takes her opportunity.

"Something wrong?" she asks.

Clint frowns. "Helen wants to do a follow-up on Pietro at Avengers HQ," he replies. "And I guess Cap and Nat have been wondering about whether or not you two are going to join the team."

"I would like to join," Wanda says immediately. She's thought about this already. "Once Pietro is well. I have done bad things, and I wish to make amends." Wanda knows that she set the ball rolling for everything that happened with Ultron, and while Stark's choices were his own, everything might not have happened if she hadn't shown him the vision.

"What you did for HYDRA wasn't your fault," Clint counters softly, sitting on the couch. "You were manipulated."

"Stark is not going to be a part of the team, yes?" Wanda asks. She's not certain she'll be able to work with him.

"He's going to be in reserve, just like me," Clint replies.

Wanda blinks. "You're not staying on the team?"

"I want to spend more time with Laura and the kids." Clint shrugs. "I'll help out if you guys really need me, but I'm not going to be an active member any more."

"Do you think Pietro will join?" Wanda asks.

Clint snorts. "I think he'll follow you," he replies. Wanda knows it's probably true. "But I think he'd join regardless. Your brother likes to help people."

"He does," Wanda agrees, brushing over Pietro's mind. He's entertaining Nathaniel while Laura makes herself a cup of tea. Wanda personally thinks Nathaniel is too young to be interesting, but Pietro feels differently. He's barely left Nathaniel alone since he got home. Wanda can feel Pietro's joy every time Nathaniel looks up at him.

"But he's not ready for it anyway," Clint adds. "Dr. Cho said she doesn't expect to clear him for another few months."

"She..." Wanda bites her lip, remembering how Pietro had reacted when Dr. Cho called a few days before. She had never seen him like that before. It had terrified her. "I think Pietro is scared of her."

"Scared of her?" Clint repeats dubiously. "Why?"

"I don't know," Wanda admits. Once, she would have, but Pietro is no longer so easy for her to read. "Does he have to go back for her to check him over?"

Clint frowns. "I think he should," he replies. "I'll talk to him about it." Clint forces a calmer expression and grins down at Wanda. "Should we go back to the others?"

"Of course," Wanda replies, standing and following Clint out of the room.

A tiny part of her wants to crush the phone on the way out, but she knows it won't help anything.

The dream starts out almost happy.

Pietro is with Wanda. He can feel his speed thrumming under his skin. They've escaped HYDRA somehow, with no cells anywhere around. They're free.

Then suddenly, Clint is there, and he's holding baby Nathaniel, and there are guns trained on them and Pietro moves-

Then there's pain, and then he's in the Cradle, and then the Cradle becomes the HYDRA cell, and then Pietro's screaming must wake someone up because the next thing he knows, Wanda is staring at him with wide eyes and Clint is telling him in a lulling voice that it's not real, it was just a dream, everything is okay.

Upstairs, Nathaniel is crying.

Wanda just barely manages to get the trash can into Pietro's hands before he vomits, his entire body convulsing as his stomach rejects everything he's ever eaten, or so it seems. Clint rubs his back gently. Pietro tries his hardest not to cry.

"Nathaniel," he finally whispers. "Is he alright?"

"He's fine," Clint says in a calm, measured voice. "He's just not happy to be awake. Do you want to go see him?"

Pietro can only manage a pathetic nod. Clint is here, so he's alright, but even though Pietro knows it was just a dream, he can't quite shake the feeling of terror at seeing guns pointed at Nathaniel. Hopefully, seeing him in person will help.

With Wanda on one side and Clint on the other, Pietro slowly makes his way upstairs. Nathaniel is still crying noisily. Pietro has no idea how Lila and Cooper are sleeping through it. Then again, he reflects, perhaps they're awake and they simply haven't left their bedrooms. Between his scream and Nathaniel's, Pietro feels it would be very hard to sleep.

"Oh, thank God," Laura says when Pietro enters the bedroom. She shoves Nathaniel into his arms quickly. "I have to piss like a racehorse, but he only screams more if I try to put him down. Hold him for a second, would you?" Before Pietro has a chance to respond, Laura's darted off into the bathroom and Nathaniel is screaming in his arms.

"Hush, hush, little one," Pietro whispers, swaying back and forth tentatively. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Wanda start to move towards him and Clint grab her arm to stop her. Pietro ignores them and murmurs softly to Nathaniel in Sokovian, singing a soft lullaby he remembers his mother singing for him when he was a baby. By the time Laura returns from the bathroom, which takes a suspiciously long time, Nathaniel has fallen back asleep, cradled against Pietro's chest.

"You're clearly a baby whisperer," Laura tells Pietro in a low voice.

Pietro has no idea what that means, but he offers her a tentative smile. "He just wanted to go back to sleep," he replies, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Nathaniel's head. "I am sorry for waking him."

"You didn't wake him," Laura counters, shaking her head. "He was screaming before you were." Laura doesn't tend tiptoe around things, something Pietro appreciates about her. Wanda would never have said something like that. Clint probably would have, although maybe not quite so bluntly. But Laura doesn't treat him like he's going to shatter at an ill-placed word.

Speaking of Wanda and Clint, they've disappeared, the room empty but for Pietro, Laura, and the sleeping Nathaniel. "Wanda went back to bed," Laura tells Pietro, guessing his train of thought. "And Clint went to check on Cooper and Lila."

"I hope I didn't wake them," Pietro murmurs.

Laura shrugs. "They already would have been up, considering how loud Nathaniel was. For such a small baby, he's got quite a set of lungs."

"He's strong," Pietro says quietly. Laura holds out her hands and takes Nathaniel, putting him in his crib. He lets out a little sigh, but he doesn't wake up.

"Just like his namesakes," Laura replies. Pietro doesn't quite know how to respond to that.

"Hey, you ready to go back to bed?" Clint asks Pietro as he walks in the room. Pietro spares one more glance for Nathaniel, then nods. He manages to go down the stairs without falling, which he considers a success, and curls up on his bed while Clint leaves the room and shuts the door.

"Are you alright?" Wanda asks quietly. There's moonlight streaming in through the window, enough to see a shadowy image of her face. Pietro is glad of it.

"I think so," he replies. Wanda's breathing evens out before too long, but it takes Pietro much longer to fall asleep.

Pietro's face goes horribly pale when Clint tells him that Dr. Cho wants to see him at the Avengers headquarters. "I can't," he whispers hoarsely, shaking his head. He starts backing up his wheelchair slowly, moving away from Clint as if he expects to have to flee. "I can't."

"Why can't you?" Clint asks quietly. One of Pietro's hands goes to his chest, tracing what Clint realizes is the pattern of the bullet holes that used to adorn his skin.

"It's so small," Pietro chokes out. "And it hurts, it hurts so much-"

"You don't have to go in the Cradle, Pietro," Clint says in a reassuring voice, but Pietro doesn't seem to hear him.

"It's so small," he repeats in a broken voice. Clint approaches him quietly, reaching out and taking one of Pietro's hands. He gasps harshly, his eyes taking a long moment to focus on Clint.

"Let's go outside," Clint says softly. Pietro nods, half frantic. Clint wheels him out of the house, wheeling the chair down the makeshift ramp he's fashioned out of a few planks of wood. He wheels Pietro out a few feet into the yard, stopping when they're out of the shadow of the house.

"Is this better?" Clint asks.

Pietro nods. "I don't want to go back," he whispers. "Please don't make me go back."

"You don't need to go back in the Cradle," Clint replies. "But Dr. Cho needs to check you over. Would you feel better if she did it here?"

Pietro takes a long time to reply. "Is Wanda going to become an Avenger?" he finally asks.

Clint nods. "She told me she wants to join once you're well again," he replies. "Do you want to be an Avenger?"

"I want to help people," Pietro replies. "I... I think I would like to be an Avenger, yes." He looks up at Clint and squares his shoulders. "If I am to be an Avenger, I cannot be afraid of their headquarters, and I cannot be afraid of their doctor. I will go to the Avengers headquarters to see Dr. Cho."

"Wanda and I will be right there with you," Clint promises. Pietro nods. "And we can get one of the jets to fly us to the headquarters, so we won't have to take the car."

"Oh." Pietro looks surprised at the offer. "You don't need to do that."

"I'd like a shorter trip myself, honestly," Clint replies dismissively. "Faster we get there, faster we get back to the farm." It's not untrue, but both he and Pietro know that the real reason he's getting a jet is so that Pietro doesn't have to deal with the car ride.

"Will it take very long?" Pietro asks tentatively.

Clint shrugs. "I don't think so," he replies. "I think it's just a check-up."

"Do you think she'll say I can stop using the wheelchair?" Pietro asks, the first hint of eagerness showing in his voice.

"I have no idea," Clint replies. "Maybe? I know pretty much nothing about medicine, Pietro."

"When are we supposed to go?" Pietro asks.

"Sooner rather than later," Clibt replies. "I was thinking next week. We can go on a school day so Laura doesn't have to watch all the kids herself."

"That sounds like a good idea," Pietro replies. Clint can see how hard it is for him to be this brave.

"It'll be okay, Pietro," he assures him.

Pietro nods, but Clint doesn't think he really means it. "I know."

When they land on the roof of the Avengers' compound, Pietro goes so white Wanda is worried he might pass out.

"Breathe, Pietro," Clint advises quietly. "Come on, breathe with me. You're okay."

"How long do we have to stay?" Pietro asks, his voice shaking slightly.

"Not long," Clint promises. "Wanda just needs to meet with Cap and Nat and you need to let Dr. Cho look over you."

"I will not leave my brother," Wanda declares.

To her surprise, Pietro shakes his head. "Go to your meeting," he tells her. "I will go to see Dr. Cho with Clint."

"Are you certain?" Wanda asks, taking Pietro's hand.

"I'm certain," Pietro replied, squeezing Wanda's hand. "Go."

Dr. Cho is waiting at the door, as are Captain America and Black Widow. Clint and Pietro leave immediately with Dr. Cho, leaving Wanda with two of the most famous superheroes in the world. "It's nice to see you again, Wanda," Captain America says, smiling warmly. "Clint says you want to be an Avenger."

"I do," Wanda replies. "But not until my brother is ready as well."

"Of course," Black Widow agrees. "We just want to do a few tests to see what your powers can do."

"What sort of tests?" Wanda asks warily. She's gone through enough tests of her powers with HYDRA.

"Nothing invasive," Captain America promises. "But we have a few questions. How much can you lift with your powers?"

Wanda narrows her eyes and red tendrils of light pick Captain America up a foot above the floor. "I can lift you," she replies.

Before she can even think, Black Widow aims a punch at her head. Wanda gasps, moving to block it, and Captain America drops.

"We'll need to work on that," Black Widow remarks.

"Is it okay if we do some more tests like that?" Captain America asks.

Wanda looks at each of them. She knows Clint trusts both of them, especially Black Widow. If he trusts them, she supposes she will too.

"Lead the way," she says, and Captain America smiles and takes her to the training room.

Later, when Wanda returns to the jet, she finds that Pietro's wheelchair is no where to be found. "Dr. Cho says I don't need it anymore," Pietro tells her, a hint of something like pride in his voice.

"How was it?" Wanda asks, glancing at Clint. He grins at her, so Wanda assumes it must have gone well.

"It wasn't that bad," Pietro replies. "Dr. Cho is not so scary, is she?" There's still something haunted in Pietro's eyes as he looks at the building. "I still do not like it here, though."

"I think I might stay," Wanda admits in a burst. "Not right now, but soon. I practiced with Captain America and Black Widow and it felt good. I want to use my powers to help people." Wanda ducks her head. "I don't want to leave you alone, but-"

"I am not alone," Pietro interrupts. "I have Clint and the others. If you come here, I will miss you, but neither of us will be alone."

Wanda smiles tentatively. "I will miss you too," she replies.

"No matter what, you'll always have a home with us," Clint adds.

Wanda beams at him. "Thank you," she tells him. To her surprise, Clint pulls her into a hug, and Wanda buries her face into his chest. She feels his hand on the back of her head, and no one has hugged Wanda like this since she was a child and her parents were still alive.

"My turn," Pietro declares when Clint lets her go, and Wanda giggles as Pietro picks her up and spins her before putting her down.

"Dr. Cho said to take it easy," Clint warns.

Pietro scoffs. "I could do this in my sleep," he retorts. Something about this visit has helped him. Wanda doesn't know what it was, but he's better than he was. Considering she had been worried he would fall apart the second they reached the headquarters, she's glad things turned out differently.

"Should we go home?" Clint asks.

Wanda and Pietro look at each other. A smile spreads over Pietro's face, and Wanda can feel its mirror on her own.

"Yes," Pietro says, "let's go home."

The jet lands in the yard behind the house. Pietro thanks the pilot before he gets off, behind Clint and Wanda. He relishes the feeling of walking under his own power, his wheelchair gone. If nothing else, that's reason enough to be glad he went to Avengers HQ.

There's more than that, though. Something about going back to the headquarters feels like going full circle when Pietro wasn't even aware there was a circle in the first place. He had been terrified to do it, but going to the Avengers Headquarters has, surprisingly enough, made him feel better.

Clint and Wanda have already gone inside, but Laura is still waiting on the porch with Nathaniel. "How was it?" she asks.

"It went well," Pietro replies. Nathaniel gurgles. Pietro ruffles his downy hair.

"He's missed you," Laura tells Pietro, passing Nathaniel over to him. Pietro cradles the baby against his chest, grinning when Nathaniel lets out a satisfied little sigh and nestles against him. "And I missed my best babysitter."

"I missed you too," Pietro replies, kissing the top of Nathaniel's head. He follows Laura into the house. Cooper and Lila should be getting home any minute, but for the moment, the house is still in the calm before the storm.

"Are you hungry?" Laura asks, going to the kitchen. "We still have leftover chicken."

"Maybe in a few minutes," Pietro agrees absently. He sits down on the couch next to Wanda, Nathaniel still on his chest. Wanda smiles and sticks her finger in Nathaniel's grip.

"I'm glad everything went well," Wanda whispers to Pietro.

"So am I," Pietro replies. Wanda's eyes flash red for half a second and Pietro feels her brush against his mind. She must be satisfied by whatever she finds, as her smile only widens.

"The kids are home," Clint reports, and a moment later, the door swings open and Cooper and Lila come in, both talking over each other in an effort to tell everyone all about their day. Pietro does his best not to laugh. Wanda bites her lip to do the same.

"You're back!" Lila cries. "How was it? Did you see Auntie Nat?"

"Was Iron Man there?" Cooper asks.

"I didn't see Iron Man, but I did see your aunt," Wanda replies. Immediately, Lila and Cooper begin talking over each other again. Pietro snorts in laughter. Nathaniel grumbles and shifts on his chest.

"I think he wants you to stay still," Clint remarks. "I also think he missed you more than he missed me."

"What can I say?" Pietro teases. "Nathaniel has good taste." Clint laughs. Pietro grins, one hand rubbing Nathaniel's back gently.

He still doesn't feel exactly the same as he used to, and Pietro doesn't doubt there's another nightmare heading his way, but something that he didn't even know was unresolved feels resolved. Things feel right in a way they haven't since the Battle of Sokovia. And as Cooper and Lila throw themselves onto the couch to watch TV, Pietro feels like he's at home.