Wow, it's been a really long time since I updated this. Sorry everyone. This particular chapter has been giving me a lot of trouble, and I'm still not fully happy with it. But, this is how it wanted to be written.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: All rights are reserved by Marvel and Disney XD. I only own Maggie.

It had been an excellent day. In fact, Maggie couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun shopping. Ladened with bags containing various clothes and accessories, they somehow managed to make their way through the crowds to a small bistro Jan was familiar with.
"Do you think we went a little overboard?" Maggie asked, looking at the bags that surrounded them. Jan put down her fork, fixing the teenager with a shocked stare.
"What? No way! This is smaller than my usual shop." Maggie blinked, almost dropping her own fork.
"Smaller? How much do you normally buy?" Jan seemed to think it over and shrugged.
"Enough to keep me stocked. A woman needs to be prepared for every eventuality." Maggie laughed.
"Well, yeah, I suppose so. My mom used to say things like that all the time. 'You never know when you're going to need it'. I'm not sure I'm going to need half of these things though. I mean, it's not as if I'm going to be going to any fancy parties any time soon."
"You don't know that. You could be invited along to some."
"By who?" Jan almost looked hurt.
"Well, by me. Or Tony."
"Oh yeah." Maggie looked sheepish. Jan simply smiled and patted her hand.
"You're hanging around with the bona fide party animal now Maggie. I'm going to take you to all the swankiest parties." Maggie laughed.
"I can't wait, though you know I'm not old enough to drink, right?" Jan waved the comment away.
"No one said anything about drinking. Speaking of which, how's the iced tea?" Maggie took another sip and gave the thumbs up.
"Better than I thought it would be. I've never had iced tea before now." Jan grinned brightly.
"Just stick with me Mag. I'm going to introduce you to everything! Now come on, finish up. We've got loads still to do!" Maggie giggled at the excited gleam in the older woman's blue eyes. Finishing the last of their meals and drinks, they gathered their bags and got back to business.

...

Janet hadn't been joking.

After lunch, they had visited a salon and both had whatever treatments they wanted. Jan had her usual manicure, while Maggie was given the full works. She barely recognised herself in the mirror after the salonist had finished, and was very happy with the short, bouncy bob she had been given. Jan seemed to glow with pride for the teenager, returning the excited hug that she was suddenly given.

Afterwards, the two had visited other stores, though Maggie couldn't guess what for. Bags containing dresses and pyjamas were added to the ever growing load. Jan was in her element, walking with practiced ease through the crowds. Behind her, Maggie felt she was beginning to tire. She stopped for a moment, calling to the older woman.
"Can we stop for a moment? I'm beat."
"Already?" Maggie frowned a little.
"Jan, I'm not used to this like you are. Honestly, I'm tired. Are we nearly done?" Great, now she felt like a whiny child. Jan's eyes glimmered with sympathy, a soft smile gracing her face. She nodded.
"Yeah, we're nearly done. There's just one more thing I really want to get. I promise I won't be long." Maggie tried to hide the groan, but ultimately failed. Jan laughed.
"Tell you what, why don't you have a sit down with these while I go in there." She pointed to the jeweller's across the street. "I'll be, like, five seconds. Promise." Maggie felt her eyebrow quirk, not entirely believing her friend. She sighed and nodded.
"Ok. Don't be too long." Jan grinned.
"Scout's honour!" Maggie sat down, bags gathered around her like a makeshift barrier, while Jan made a beeline for the jewellery store. Or was that Wasp-line, Maggie thought with a chuckle. She absently watched other shoppers, keeping an eye out for anyone she recognised. People moved too quickly for her to really get a good look, though.

...

After almost fifteen minutes of waiting, she felt herself becoming impatient.
"Come on, Jan," she said with a sigh, slumping forward and resting her chin on her hand.
"Been a while in there, hasn't she?" The teenager jumped, head whirling to look to the speaker. A man stood by the bench she occupied. She hadn't heard him approach. There was nothing really remarkable about him. He was tall, with short blonde hair and of a slim, athletic build, dressed in normal clothing. But he still seemed to have an almost military air about him. Maggie suddenly felt uncomfortable. Why? He was just some random stranger. She realised that she hadn't answered him.
"Yeah. I'm sure she won't be long, though." Her tone was carefully guarded, if a little clipped. He just smiled. For some reason, that set her on edge. She shifted a little, heart beginning to race as he sat down on the bench next to her. He seemed unaware of her discomfort. Or if he was, he didn't seem to care. Maggie cleared her throat, shuffling further from him. The man looked at her hoard of bags.
"Quite a pile you've got there."
"Yes, I do."
"It would be hard to run with that much." His tone was conversational, but seemed to hide something. Maggie tried to swallow the sudden lump that had formed in her throat, adrenaline pounding in her veins. The teenager felt the fire within her beginning to stir as she became more on edge. Jan, come on. Please…
"I'd just leave them." The man chuckled, brushing a hand through his blonde hair.
"I suppose that would solve it. The name's Clay. What's yours?" He held his hand out, waiting for her to take it. She didn't, keeping her hazel eyes carefully set on the stranger.
"Maggie." He smiled again.
"Nice to meet you Maggie." Silence fell between them, until Clay broke it again.
"Listen, Maggie. This may sound strange, but you're in danger." She said nothing, now even more nervous. When he got no response, Clay continued.
"I work for an organisation that can keep you safe. We can help you learn more about yourself, including how to use your power." Maggie grit her teeth together.
"I don't know what you're…"
"Fire." Maggie swallowed again, blood turning to ice.
"H-how'd you…"
"I know enough, Maggie." Maggie shook her head, not believing this guy.
"I...Who are you?" Clay didn't flinch at her defensive tone, remaining calm. Stoic, even.
"A friend. Listen to me Maggie. We can protect you. We can train you to be more than you are. We can help you make a difference."
"I-I…"
"Take some time to think about it."
"I...No, thanks. I have friends that can help me. I'm safe with them."
"They can't keep you safe forever. We can help you to protect yourself. Here," he reached into his coat pocket and handed something to her. She plucked the card from his fingers with a shaking hand. Turning the plain card over, she noticed a number on the otherside.
"Should you change your mind, let us know." He stood, pushing his hands into his pockets. "It was nice to meet you, Maggie. Take care." With that, he walked away, merging with the crowd. Maggie gulped, looking back to the card in her hand, pushing it into her pocket. A few seconds later, Jan appeared from the shop entrance.
"Hey! Sorry. I got sidetracked. I saw something that I really liked and...are you ok?" Jan frowned, noticing the shaken appearance of her young friend.
"Y-yeah, just...Can we go now?" Her hazel eyes held a hidden plea, one the older woman couldn't deny.
"Yeah. All done now." Maggie nodded, standing from the bench. Her legs felt a little like jelly. Jan's frown deepened.
"Maggie, what's wrong? What happened?"
"N-nothing...just...I just had a weird conversation with some random guy, that's all. It doesn't matter. How are we gonna get all this back to the mansion, anyway?" Jan spotted the change of subject and went along with it. The teenager didn't want to talk about it yet.
"Already got it covered. I called Happy. He's coming for us." The teenager nodded, heaving a sigh.
"That's good then. I was worried we'd have to walk."

...

True to her word, Happy arrived a few minutes later. The two women only had a short way to walk. Once the bags were stored away, with much teasing from the chauffeur, they made themselves comfortable. It didn't take long to get back to the mansion. The journey was a quiet one, something that had Jan a little concerned. She would have to talk to the teenager later. Right now, the question was: How on earth were they going to get their bags to their rooms?

So, is the plot beginning to thicken? We'll have to wait to find out!