When Wanda Maximoff woke up, she was instantly bombarded with memories of her life from this alternate universe. She soon learned that she was an orphan again. To her greatest despair, she also discovered that her twin, Pietro, had died alongside her parents the day when the mortar shelling from Stark Industries had hit their home. Like in her old reality, she was ten years old when she lost them, but this time she was the only survivor from the tragic event. With no other living relatives, Wanda had ended up in the orphanage for four years until she took to the streets and became a local thief.

After she relived the memories of her family's demise, Wanda had felt the familiar rage and despair filling her completely that she had unleashed a psionic blast that nearly destroyed the abandoned building that she had been staying in. Wanda was shocked when she realized that she still had her powers, which was strange considering that she hadn't even gone through the Hydra experiment in this reality yet.

In the previous world, Wanda had gained her abilities at the age of seventeen and when Hydra had confiscated the sceptre after Loki's failed attempt to invade Earth. If Wanda remembered correctly, the Battle of New York happened on May 1, 2012, which was just two months from the current time. The moment she realized this, Wanda immediately started making plans to leave for America with every intention to join the Avengers, fight off the New York invasion, and take the scepter before anyone could use the mind stone.

So after using her ability to manipulate people's minds, Wanda was able to acquire the things she needed before she left Sokovia three days later. She bought a plane ticket bound for New York and she never looked back. It was time for her to return to the only family she had left, even though they don't know her yet.

As soon as Wanda arrived in Manhattan, New York with her small luggage in tow, she knew at once that the Avengers Initiative was already active. How did she know this? It's because Wanda had seen a certain blonde-haired captain running around the same park she was currently in. She had initially stopped by the park with the intent to view the Avengers Tower close by. So seeing the Captain's familiar figure was quite a shock to her.

As Wanda sat there on the bench and watched Steve Rogers run past her for the second time, she couldn't help but remember the moment she first met him in her previous life. She had been so full of righteous rage and hatred that she hadn't hesitated at all to use her powers to mentally exploit the Captain's and the other Avengers' weaknesses. At that time, Wanda had been ruthless and hellbent on destroying the Avengers that she didn't care at all whom she had hurt in the end.

Now, however, she only felt a sense of apprehension when she thought about the team. Wanda didn't exactly know how to approach them. She knew that the team would probably be suspicious about her, especially if she tried to join them. In her previous life, Steve Rogers was the one who asked her to join the team. Sadly, in this reality, the Battle of Sokovia hadn't happened yet, which was the event that initially forced Wanda and her brother to work together with the Avengers.

As she thought things through, Wanda knew that the Avengers team would outright refuse her if they learned her real age. So she had made sure to have someone with the right expertise erase all the information about her and got herself a new identity. Wanda decided to rename herself as Scarlet Maksimov. A twenty-four year old immigrant from Bulgaria. Of course, she would have to do something to Tony Stark's AI once she joined the team. She knew that J.A.R.V.I.S had the capability to find out the truth and Wanda would make certain that didn't happen.

Other than that, Wanda was confident that she could pull this ruse off. It's a good thing that Wanda looked mature for her age with an hour-glass figure and features that could pass for a twenty-plus something woman instead of a sixteen year old teenager. In fact, Wanda was actually a twenty-four year old woman who came from another universe. So she knew she wouldn't have any problems acting older than her real age.

Wanda was so deep in thought that she nearly missed her chance to talk to Steve Rogers when he ran past her. The blonde man was so quick that Wanda had to yell to draw his attention.

"Wait!" She called out to him while she abruptly stood up from the bench she was sitting.

At her shout, she watched as the super soldier came to a complete stop and swiftly turned to face her. Instantly, Wanda felt her heart lurched the moment her eyes met a familiar pair of electric blue orbs. There was a flutter in the pit of her stomach as she slowly walked towards the man, who had been her teammate, Captain and close friend. Unable to help herself, Wanda allowed her eyes to closely inspect the man in front of her.

Steve Rogers looked the same. He was still tall as ever that he easily towered over her slight frame. The Captain was all broad shoulders and bulging muscles beneath the white shirt that didn't fail to emphasize his incredibly fit body. Then, there was his handsome face to consider. A face that turned heads and drew the attention of every woman within the vicinity, like a bee to a pot of honey. With his blonde hair, bright blue eyes and perfectly asymmetrical features, Wanda wasn't surprised to notice a generous number of women frequently eyeing the Captain as he ran his laps around the park.

However, this time the super soldier was clean shaven and the lack of facial hair made him look younger - and dare she say - far more handsome than he had ever right to be? Without the scruffy beard, her eyes were drawn towards his high cheekbones, the fine jawline, the little cleft on his chin and those sensuous lips that Wanda had often found distracting in the good old days when the man had still been training her and she was still helplessly crushing on him. She had to admit that she preferred to see the Captain this way.

Steve Rogers looked good. Too good, in fact, that Wanda Maximoff had suddenly lost the ability to speak. At the same time, the all too familiar feelings she felt years ago began to resurface at the forefront of her mind as she stood there gaping at Captain America like a complete and utter fool.

Once upon a time, before Vision came into the picture, Wanda Maximoff had a 'thing' for Steve Rogers. Call it a crush, or infatuation, or even puppy love, but to Wanda she called it a 'problematic distraction', wherein she had to constantly pretend that Steve Rogers' proximity didn't affect her at all.

For years, she had suppressed those emotions because she had been afraid of rejection and also because the man himself kept on treating her like a child. It annoyed the hell out of her every time Steve Rogers called her a 'Kid' and Wanda would likely have snapped at the Captain if it weren't for Vision.

Vision, who had been the very reason Wanda had travelled to this alternate reality with the hope of being reunited with him. However, as Wanda's gaze remained locked on the blonde man in front of her, she could not ignore the undeniable attraction she felt towards him. Vision might as well be a distant memory, not when she was standing right in front of the man she had secretly harbored feelings for years.

"Do you need something Miss?"

The sound of his voice abruptly brought Wanda back to the present and she couldn't help but feel mortified when she realized that she had been silently staring at the Captain for a very long time.

Wanda could feel her face heating up when she saw the slight tilt on the corners of the Captain's mouth. On the outside, Steve Rogers looked serious, but Wanda had known him for years that she recognized it when the man was secretly amused by something. Once more, she felt her heart leap and Wanda suddenly had the urge to fidget on the spot.

Ugh, stupid teenage hormones! She inwardly grumbled. Hold yourself together Wanda Maximoff! You might be stuck in a sixteen-year old body, but you are a twenty-four year old woman for goodness sake! So act like it!

Straightening up her spine, Wanda forced herself to close the distance between her and the blonde super soldier, who now looked mildly curious. Wanda tightened the grip on the small luggage on her left hand as she came to a halt right in front of the tall, blonde man.

Standing this close to him, Wanda tried not to feel nervous, especially when she now had the Captain's full attention.

"So sorry to bother, but I really need someone's help…" Wanda said with a heavy accent, "You see...I just arrived in this City an hour ago, but my friend - who was supposed to meet me at this park - changed her mind and texted me to meet her at another place called, 'Silver Lion'. I don't know where the place is located and my phone doesn't have a GPS capability to use the Google maps app and search the location. So if you have time to spare, would you mind giving me the direction to this place?"

The lie came so easily for Wanda and she felt mildly guilty for deceiving Captain America, but this was necessary. This was just the first step in her plans to join the Avengers team.

"I don't mind helping you Miss," Steve Rogers said, "But sadly, I'm not from around here as well. So I'm afraid I won't be of much help with giving you directions to the place you are looking for."

"Oh, I see..." came Wanda's murmur while she pretended to look disappointed. A moment later, she wasn't surprised to see when the Captain looked apologetic towards her.

"It's alright...Maybe I can ask someone else for directions. Thank you for taking the time to speak to me though," Wanda said with an understanding smile, "And I'm sorry for interrupting your morning run."

"It's fine. I mean…" Steve replied hastily, "I don't mind the interruption. I was almost done running my laps anyway..."

If Wanda knew any better, the Captain looked unsure of himself. In fact, he looked like he quite didn't know how to act around her. After seventy-plus odd years being stuck in an ice could probably do that to you.

Wanda was also curious if this was the first time the Captain had spoken to a woman after waking up. Knowing him, Steve must be too busy adjusting to the twentieth century that he probably didn't have time to meet other people, much less other women who weren't his old flame.

At the thought of Peggy Carter, Wanda wondered if Steve had seen her yet because in the old reality Wanda knew for a fact that Steve had married the woman when he had travelled back in time. After learning this information from Clint, this was also the reason that had driven Wanda to search for her own happy ending. If Captain America found his own happiness in the past, why not her as well?

"Hold on a sec...I think I can actually help," Steve stated all of a sudden and Wanda watched as the Captain took out an Iphone from his pocket and extended it to her.

"I'm still new to this technology," He told her, looking slightly embarrassed over the fact.

"But you told me that you could use a phone to locate the place so I am lending you mine."

Steve Rogers looked so endearing in that moment that Wanda resisted the urge to do something about it.

"Thank you for this," Wanda said softly as she took the phone from him, where her fingers accidentally brushed against his palm. Just a soft fleeting touch, but it was enough for her to feel the slight tingle at her fingertips where their skin made contact. Once more, she could feel a blush suffusing her cheeks at the brief touch.

From the corners of her eyes, she could sense the Captain's gaze on her while she started to look through his phone. Wanda felt momentarily self-conscious, but she tried her best to act normal.

"I don't want to take up most of your time so I will make this quick," She stated, glancing in his direction.

The moment she did, Wanda was a bit surprised to see him surreptitiously scanning her face and the rest of her figure. Even though Wanda was dressed simply in a pair of blue jeans and a black cardigan over her white blouse. She knew that her practical clothes didn't fully hide her feminine assets and Wanda was curious about what the Captain thought of her in that instance.

At her words, the Captain jerked his gaze back to meet hers.

"Don't worry. I'm not in a hurry to go anywhere so you can take your time with your search," was the Captain's quick response. However, when he realized that she had caught him staring at her, Wanda saw the light blush that gradually crept up his cheeks.

"Thanks!" came her reply and she focused her attention back to his phone. With her heart thumping wildly against her rib cage, Wanda pretended that she hadn't just caught Steve Rogers checking her out. Still, a warm feeling had flooded through her limbs at the realization that the Captain wasn't totally immune to her in this reality. Wanda bit the insides of her cheek to stop herself from smiling.

In her old universe, the man had always treated her like she was a kid, and later on, his subordinate, teammate and friend. In that life, she knew that she didn't have a chance in hell to even make the man notice her. Now, however, with no history between them. Wanda inwardly wondered if she could use this chance to do something about her feelings.

So it was for this reason that Wanda ended up secretly adding her contact info in the Captain's phone while she also memorized his number with every intention to contact him later.

"I know where the place is now," She stated loudly as she looked up at Steve. "I think I will be able to find my way there. So thank you so much for helping me."

"Your welcome, Miss. I'm glad to be of help," the Captain responded.

"Here, I'll return this to you." Wanda said, pointing towards his phone.

"Alright," Steve replied.

However, before the Captain could reach out and take the phone from her hand, Wanda swiftly made her move before she lost her nerves. She simply wanted to test something, to gauge the Captain's reaction if she did something unexpected. So it was without thinking that Wanda ended up stepping close to the Captain until there's only a few inches that separated them.

With her eyes locked into his, Wanda slowly reached forward and carefully dropped his phone into the pocket of his pants. Of course, that wasn't the only thing she did. In fact, Wanda dared herself to briefly brush her hand against the Captain's upper thigh before lingering on his right hip. If Wanda hadn't been carefully watching for a reaction, she would have missed the sudden hitch in his breathing or the way his irises dilated as he stared at her in stunned silence.

"There...Now, it's right where it belongs…" Wanda stated in a husky voice while she slowly stepped back from him, but not before her hand wandered elsewhere. Now that she had touched him, Wanda couldn't resist letting her hand trail over his side and provoke another reaction from the stoic man. The heat emanating from his body seemed to seep into her skin even when she had merely brushed her fingers against him. This time Wanda could see how her bold move had almost rendered the Captain speechless and he seemed to have stopped breathing altogether. As she allowed her hand to drop, Wanda suddenly felt embarrassed about what she did.

Despite her daring behavior, Wanda was a mass of chaotic emotions on the inside. Her heart felt like it was about ready to burst against her chest and her stomach felt like there was a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering there. And by now, her face probably resembled that of tomato as she skittered further away from him.

"I am sincerely grateful for your help...but I think it's time for me to leave. I don't want to miss meeting my friend," Wanda said quickly, "So I will have to say my goodbye...and I hope you have a wonderful day Sir!"

Not waiting for the Captain to reply, Wanda hurriedly bolted out of there and was about to pretend that she hadn't just made a move on Captain America, when the man in question finally found his voice.

"Wait!"

Wanda immediately froze. She had just taken a couple of steps forward when she heard his call. Slowly, she turned half-way to face him until her eyes met his once more.

"You forget to tell me your name," Steve Rogers stated simply. His words weren't a question but a fact.

Wanda knew that it was a bit rude of her for leaving without a proper introduction, but she hadn't been thinking clearly at all after what she did. She blamed it on her poor impulse control whenever she was near him. She swallowed her suddenly dry throat while she turned fully to face him.

"I'm sorry for failing to introduce myself from the beginning," Wanda said in her heavily accented voice, "So allow me to start over again... Hello, My name is Scarlet. Scarlet Maksimov to be exact. I'm from Bulgaria."

"It's nice to meet you Miss Scarlet," came the Captain's polite response as he strode towards her. "My name is Steve Rogers and I'm from Brooklyn."

Wanda watched as he extended his hand towards her.

"It's nice to meet you too Steve," She said with a tremulous smile while she hesitantly placed her hand around his for a handshake.

This time, Wanda couldn't help but notice the spark of interest in the Captain's gaze as he looked at her, and Wanda instantly knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from trying her luck with him in this alternate reality. However, she sorely hoped that he wouldn't figure out the truth before she had the chance with him.

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm glad to be back with a new story! Anyway, this story will be Rated M in the future. As for the pairing, I don't know if Steve/Wanda is going to be the end game in this one to be perfectly honest. I've considered pairing her with other characters, like Loki for example or even Tony Stark and Stephen Stange. I've also considered Peter Parker and Bucky Barnes. But knowing me, I might end up pairing Wanda with most of them. LMAO. Anywho, thanks for taking the time to read and please don't hesitate to leave a review and tell me what you think!