Wanda found herself feeling distinctly uneasy. When she met Sam for the morning run, he informed her that there would be no training that morning. "Cap's calling a meeting, senior staff only," was the only explanation he would give. "I'll catch up with you around lunchtime."

'Senior staff' was a euphemism that Wanda immediately understood to mean, everyone except her. Which likely meant the team was discussing Wanda's future. She wandered the halls aimlessly, an anxious skip in her heart and a catch in her throat. She took care to avoid going anywhere near the conference room. In her heart, she knew she was good enough to be a member of the team. But the real question still remained: did the team want her?

Unable to assuage her anxiety, Wanda wandered into the kitchen. It was long past breakfast, and for the moment, the large dining area was deserted. She stared out the windows at the meadow and the line of trees beyond. What if they said no? What if they didn't want her? What could she do? Where could she possibly go?

"It's a nice view, isn't it," said a voice behind her.

Wanda whirled around, startled, and was even more astonished to see Tony Stark standing just a few steps behind her. She froze for a moment, and her next instinct was simply to take flight. She began to turn away, ready to bolt, but Tony held up his hands in a gesture of pacification.

"Whoa, whoa, don't run off," he pleaded. "I was hoping I would run into you this morning. I think it's time you and I had a little talk."

As Wanda regarded him warily, he quickly added. "I promise, I don't bite. I just want to talk. That's all." He gestured to one of the nearby tables. "Will you sit?" he asked hopefully.

Entirely unsure if sitting with Tony Stark was a good idea, Wanda reluctantly seated herself at the table. Tony took the seat across from her.

"I know what you're thinking," Tony said, after an awkward pause. "Yes. The teachers and the principal are having a meeting behind our backs. They're trying to decide whether or not to kick us both out of school." He smiled nervously. "But I like to think that our fate rests in our own hands."

Wanda said nothing, staring at Tony with evident distrust, if not outright hostility. Tony regarded her thoughtfully, and sighed.

"You don't like me," he observed. "That's okay. Most people don't. I'm not out to win any popularity contests. But I like you," he said quietly. "I know you probably don't believe that, but it's true. You seem like a nice kid. And you have an amazing power. I'm actually quite jealous."

Wanda continued to stare at him coldly, the ice unbroken.

"Please don't glare at me like that," Tony pleaded. "I've seen you shred killer robots into scrap metal with that stare. I'm on your side, I promise. And believe it or not, I've actually come to apologize. Sort of." He shifted uneasily in his chair. "And boy, is my inner sociopath giving me a thrashing right now," he muttered.

He straightened up, trying his best to deal with his disagreeable task. "Look. I understand you have some kind of beef with me, because of what happened to your family. I get that. I'm not here to debate whether I'm personally responsible for every missile that was ever fired at a target. I just wanted to say, I don't hate you, Wanda. And as for what happened to your family, whether it was my fault or not, I truly am very sorry. I can't change what's happened. I don't have a time machine to go back and fix everything and make it right. I think one of those stupid Infinity stones actually has control over time, but it's not in my pocket at the moment, and I'm really rambling now, aren't I?"

Tony looked at Wanda pleadingly. "Come on. I usually like my monologues but this one's getting ugly. Can you give me something? Anything? Any reaction at all. Please?"

Wanda's glare turned from anger and distrust to one of deep, abiding sorrow.

"This is my fault," she said in a barely audible voice.

Tony frowned in puzzlement. "Your fault? What's your fault?"

"If I hadn't... attacked you," she said haltingly, "If I hadn't made you see things, you would never have created Ultron. And Pietro would still be alive. My brother is dead. Because of me."

Tony looked at her in genuine dismay. "No. No no no no no NO," he protested. "This is not your fault. Wanda? Look at me. Look at me, please. This is NOT your fault, you understand? Not your fault. At least... not entirely your fault." He sighed. "Look. I can't come up with alternate versions of reality. I don't spend my time worrying about the might-have-beens. I'm just crazy enough that I might have eventually come up with Ultron on my own. Yeah, you gave me a nudge, but I was already headed down that path. So, don't own that, Wanda. That one's on me. Entirely on me. And I'll tell you something else. Maybe the death of your parents leads you to Strucker. Maybe you end up with him anyway, even if your parents don't die. But look, really look, at where you are, right now," he pleaded. "At who you are. At what you can do. You are one of very few people in this world who actually has the power to save the world. Not many people can say that. And you have an opportunity here, in spite of all the terrible, awful things that have happened to you, to do something of lasting value. I'm begging you, don't throw that chance away, just because you're feeling guilty about your part in all this."

"Are you saying I shouldn't feel guilty?"

"Not unless it's leading you to a better place, a more constructive place," Tony answered. "You've probably guessed, I'm not big on guilt. I think it's a waste of time and energy. If your guilt is helping you arrive at better-informed decisions going forward, then fine. If not, crumple it up, and throw it in the waste paper basket. Neither you nor the world has any use for it."

Tony leaned back in his chair. "Maybe we've both made mistakes. Maybe a lot of them. I'm willing to say, right here, right now, I've made mistakes. Okay? You'll never hear me say that again, by the way," he added. "But we have a choice here. We can let our mistakes own us, and let the world burn. Or we can learn from what we did and move on. I don't know about you, but I'd like to choose the path where you and I go out there, and at least try to make the world a better place. I want you to consider, really consider, staying with the Avengers. Because at the end of the day, it really is your choice. You can turn your back on the world. Or you can do something amazing. Be amazing, Wanda. Trust me, I've been there, it's an awesome feeling."

Tony's hubris was so ridiculous that Wanda couldn't keep a flicker of a smile from her face.

Tony was delighted by her reaction.

"Finally, a smile. That's a start, right?" He sighed with relief. "Look. You don't have to like me. We don't have to be friends. I'm not really the cuddly type anyways. But I would like to work with you, Wanda. Side by side. Saving the world. It's gotta be better than than a mutual hate-fest, right? So, what do you say? Can we agree that regardless of what mutual ugliness we have in our pasts, we can still work together going forward? Want to give it a try?"

Wanda regarded Tony for several agonizingly long moments, considering his words, mulling over his arguments. No, she still didn't like him. But what he was saying made sense, and she would be foolish to disregard sensible words. Slowly, reluctantly, she gave the barest nod of her head. "Okay."

"Thank you," Tony said, with uncharacteristic- and genuine - humility. "Thank you, Wanda. I know you're probably regretting that decision right now. But I promise you, down the road, you'll see it was one of the best decisions you've ever made. And I want to promise you something else. Just between you and me." His voice lowered into a confidential tone. "I know you're hurting right now, and I know you're questioning, well, pretty much everything, really. But if there's anything I can do to make this situation better for you, to make it easier, come talk to me. I promise, I'll try to make it right. We'll work together. Figure things out. Get the job done. Maybe even have a beer afterwards. This is your team now. Maybe even more your team than mine. If I can make it right for you, I will."

He sighed heavily, and then slowly got up out of his chair. "Okay, that's it. That's all I really came to say. Just wanted to welcome you to the team. And, that we're happy to have you."

He started to head towards the door, then stopped and turned back. "Oh, one other thing," he added. "I just heard from my legal team this morning. We're not out of the woods yet, but it looks like our gamble is finally paying off. Extradition charges against you have been temporarily suspended. That means, you can actually set foot outside the campus, and not worry about being immediately arrested. That's good, right?"

"You... did that for me?" Wanda asked dubiously.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Why would you do that?"

Tony gave her the closest thing to a friendly smile that he could manage. "Why wouldn't I?" he said. "You're an Avenger. And we take care of our own. Welcome to the team, Wanda."

Tony walked out of the room, leaving Wanda still in her chair, speechless with amazement.

"Let me get this right, Doctor. You're saying it's safe to trust the Vision."

Steve Rogers was standing in an anteroom adjacent to a large examination room, where a team of researchers had a bemused Vision hooked up to massive banks of monitoring equipment for most of the morning. Doctor Erik Selvig looked up from his laptop and gave Steve a wry smile.

"I'm saying your biggest fear about the Vision is unfounded. Yes, the Infinity Stone powers his sentience. But it's not the seat of his consciousness. Most of what makes the Vision who he is - how he thinks, how he acts, how he reacts - that's driven by the Jarvis protocols, not the stone itself."

"If we were to remove the stone -"

"I really wouldn't recommend that. It could be tantamount to murder." Selvig's smile turned sympathetic. "I understand your concerns, Captain. I assure you, I do. There's probably fewer people on this planet, except for possibly Agent Barton, who truly understand what a baleful influence an Infinity Stone can be on the human mind. But there's the rub. The Vision's mind isn't a human consciousness. He's not susceptible to the sorts of temptations that would afflict you or I. If I were a religious man, I would say that the Vision is a creature without sin - an innocent. Maybe even a saint. He may not be human, Captain. But he's no danger to you. And he could be a very powerful ally."

"I see." Steve was mulling over Selvig's words carefully.

"If I might borrow from another religious phrase, 'by their fruits shall ye know them'. Look at what the Vision has done. He has worked beside you in defense of the world. He helped you defeat Ultron. He has no ulterior motives, and he expects nothing in return - save, perhaps, the opportunity to work by your side again."

Steve looked out through the window into the examination room. Maria was chatting with the Vision, in a relaxed, casual fashion.

Let it go, Rogers, he thought somberly to himself. "Thank you, Doctor. That's what I needed to hear."

As Steve walked into the room, he could overhear parts of the conversation.

"I assure you, Lieutenant Hill, I have no need for personal quarters. I am an android. I do not sleep."

"Call me Maria, please."

"Very well, then, Maria."

"You may not need sleep, but your human colleagues do; and if I might suggest, it's not fair to just prop you up in a corner somewhere. One of the fundamental human drives is the occasional need for privacy. You might find having a room of your own provides any number of advantages you might not have considered right away. And frankly, you seem quite human to me."

"Why, thank you," the Vision answered, apparently moved by the sentiment.

"Captain." Maria turned and acknowledged Steve's presence. "I was about to assign living quarters for the Vision in the residence wing. Unless you direct otherwise."

"That's fine, Maria. By all means."

"Am I to take it, my provisional status is being revoked?" The Vision asked.

"It is," Steve confirmed. "And welcome to the team."

The Vision inclined his head gratefully. "Thank you, Captain."

"I don't suppose you've seen Tony Stark anywhere around?" Steve asked Maria.

"Not recently. I'm sure he's around somewhere. I could page him, if you like."

"That won't be necessary. I'm sure he'll turn up."

"He's stepping down, isn't he?"

Steve sighed. "I think he's taking a page out of Barton's book. He'll be there when we need him. The rest of the time..." he paused. "I think Tony has a life of his own that he wants to get back to. I can't fault him for that."

"I guess I can't, either." Maria nodded somberly. "Don't mention this to Stark... but I think I'm actually going to miss him."

"Yeah," Steve agreed sadly. "So will I."

"There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

Natasha peeked around the shared doorway, relieved to find Wanda laying on her bed, staring pensively up at the ceiling. Wanda sat up quickly.

"Where have you been?" Natasha asked, coming into the room.

"I was in the dining room earlier," Wanda answered. "Talking to Tony Stark."

Natasha's heart almost leapt up into her throat. "Oh, dear. And how did that go?"

"Better than I expected," Wanda said thoughtfully. "Surprising."

Natasha sat on the bed beside Wanda. "Surprising in what way?"

"I think... he actually apologized to me. Said he was sorry. Yeah. That was the look on my face, too," Wanda grinned at Natasha's astonishment. "He welcomed me to the team, and said if there was anything I needed, he would try to help me with it."

"Wow," was the only thing Natasha could think of to say.

"I know. I'm still kind of in shock myself."

"Well, do you think you could stand some more good news?"

It was Wanda's turn for her heart to backflip. "Please tell me," she begged.

"You're officially an Avenger now. Not an Avenger on probation, not an Avenger in training. A full, active member of the team. Steve wants to start working with you. Beginning first thing tomorrow."

Wanda shrieked with joy. She threw herself into Natasha's arms and hugged her so tightly she could barely breathe.

"I don't know how to thank you," Wanda said, when she finally released her.

"You can thank me by being the best Avenger you know how to be," Natasha answered.

The two women looked at each other for a long moment, and each realized the same thing: they had found each other. Wherever they found themselves in the world, as long as they were together, they would be home.

"I wouldn't be here, if not for you," Wanda said, blinking back tears. "I wish Pietro could see me now."

"I think your brother would be very proud of you," Natasha answered. "Almost as proud as I am."

They hugged again, for several long minutes, each just happy to be with the other. When they separated, Natasha smiled. "Well, we have the rest of the afternoon free, so I think you and I should go out and celebrate."

"I would love that," Wanda declared. "But can it wait for a little while?"

Natasha shrugged. "Sure. Why? There's something you need to do?"

"Actually, there is," Wanda nodded. "I need to go say 'thank you' to the man who saved my life." Seeing Natasha's puzzled frown, Wanda explained, "When we were in Sokovia, the church we were in collapsed on top of me. The Vision flew in and got me out, before I could be crushed."

Natasha's eyes widened. "He never mentioned that."

"He wouldn't. He never seeks to inflate his own importance in front of other people." Wanda smiled shyly. "How about, I meet you in the lobby in, say, one hour?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Good. Don't leave without me." Impulsively, Wanda hugged Natasha again, then got up and scampered from the room. As Natasha watched her go, she felt another piece of her heart thaw, then melt.

"My baby sister," she whispered softly to herself.

A few minutes later, Wanda entered the examination room to find the Vision finally freed from an interminable array of cables, wires and monitors.

"Hey," she said shyly. "Maria said I might find you in here."

"Miss Maximoff. It's good to see you again." The Vision's smile seemed quite genuine, and startlingly human.

"Call me Wanda, please."

"Very well then, Wanda."

"So, are you free now? You can go wherever you want?"

"It seems I have been released on my own recognizance," the Vision answered, with a self-effacing smile. "But I haven't the faintest idea where I should go."

"No one's bothered to show you around? Everyone just left you here? That was very rude of them."

"I'm sure they have more important things to attend to."

"Would... would you like me to give you a quick tour?" Wanda asked hopefully. "I could show you where everything is, and maybe... we could talk. Get to know each other a little better."

"I should be delighted," the Vision answered.

Wanda shyly offered the Vision her hand. "Well, come on, then," she urged him. "I have some time before I'm meeting my sestra. I'm new here too, but at least I know where to find everything."

"Your... sister?" The Vision frowned in puzzlement. "Forgive me," he said haltingly. "But I thought you had no living relatives."

"I thought so, too," Wanda admitted. "But, I was wrong. I'm home now. And so are you. Come on. Let me show you."

Hand in hand, Wanda and the Vision left the room, together.