Disclaimer : don't own those characters, all belong to the MCU, only the idea of the story !

English is not my first language, so I may have let some mistakes slip.

And it could become a multi-chapter story if you guys are interested in what could happen next, just let me know...

Enjoy, and please don't hesitate to tell me what you think about it !

Once the battle's over

"You didn't see that coming."

In the middle of the battle in Sokovia, Natasha found herself close enough to hear Pietro's last words. Not knowing what was happening, she still noticed the lack of amusement in the boy's voice that usually went with this sentence of his. When she turned around to see where the voice came from, she saw Pietro's blood-stained shirt first, before seeing him fall in a heap on the ground, a few feet away from Clint that was shielding a young boy with his own body. He didn't get up. Pietro wasn't moving, his unseeing eyes staring into nothingness. Natasha locked eyes with Clint and for a second, everything went still. They had lost one of their own.

Suddenly, a wave of power hit them all, breaking every fight around. Hints of scarlet were flying everywhere, shaking the ground. Wanda. Natasha broke away from Clint's stare and looked around her, expecting to see the other twin, but she was nowhere in sight. Still, she knew that the scarlet wave couldn't be created by anyone else than Wanda. She remembered that the girl had volunteered to protect the core in the church. Then how could her powers be felt from that far away ? It didn't make sense. Something clicked in Natasha's mind. She must have felt it. Maybe the rumors about twins' connection were real after all. She didn't have the time to dwell on that thought for long, as the battle raged once again, full force. Her mind was taken away from the broken pair of twins. Her fighting instincts overflowed her and in the blink of an eye, she was back on the battlefield.

A few hours later, Sokovia exploded. Natasha was on one of the floating boats with most of her teammates when it happened. She glanced at Clint, lying down on three seats, his eyes closed. Steve and Thor were in a corner, talking in hushed voices. Tony landed next to them and watched the rumbles fly in every direction, knowing that the city exploding was most of his doing. Her eyes fell on Pietro. He was still where Clint had laid him down on the ground. Someone had closed his eyes, something that Natasha was glad about. Even with her being a soldier and a spy, she always had troubles with corpses 'open eyes, even more if she knew those eyes. Looking at Pietro made her think about Wanda. It was odd for the twins to be apart, so she expected the girl to be next to her brother, but she was nowhere to be found, neither was Vision. She started to go to Steve to ask if knew where they might be, but she saw the android emerging from the cloud of dust covering the remnants of the city, carrying the young girl in his arms, her hair flying around her. Everyone's gaze fell upon them when he landed on the deck. The robot let Wanda go as soon as his feet touched the ground. Natasha saw her face, even paler than usual, her eyes empty. She made a few steps towards Clint, or most likely her brother, but her knees buckled underneath her, and she collapsed. Natasha tried to reach her in time to catch her before she hit the ground, but Steve beat her to it. He lowered her gently on the floor. Clint reached them and kneeled beside the fallen witch, quickly checking her vitals.

"She is exhausted, she needs to rest", he said before going on "she used so much of her magic that it drained her out."

Vision interrupted, "I found her next to Ultron's carcass". This piece of information made everyone look at each other.

"Did she…" Natasha started before closing her mouth.

Thor bent down and picked up something from Wanda's loose fist. It was a mix of metal and wires, in the shape of a ball, holding it up for everyone to see, a confused look on his face.

"Yes, she did. She killed Ultron", Tony confirmed after inspecting the item in the god's hand. "That's his core, kind of like its heart."

Everyone fell silent. Wanda had torn Ultron's heart from the robot's body. A body made of vibranium, the strongest metal that could be find on any planet, just like Captain's shield. Not everybody could do that, and that was an understatement.

"No wonder why she passed out then"

Everyone agreed to let her rest and Steve scooped her up and placed her where Clint was just laying, next to her brother.

The team gathered to talk about what would happen next, before each going their own way, but still staying close to one another. Natasha and Clint where talking quietly when the spy saw something moving on her right. She put a hand on the archer's knee.

"I think Wanda's waking up".

He turned around to face the girl, that was indeed moving. He started to get up to go to her, but Natasha held him back, shaking her head no. They saw Wanda sit up, before moving to her brother side. She took one of his hand in hers and combed her other hand through his silvery hair, all of that without making a sound. It was heartbreaking for the two friends to watch and they decided to give her privacy and moved further in the jet, closer to the rest of the team, Clint informing the rest that the girl seemed to be physically fine.

When the jet landed on the Avengers compound, Wanda hadn't moved, her fingers still played with Pietro's hair her face an emotionless mask. She was not crying, not breaking, like everyone expected her to. She followed silently when Thor placed Pietro on a stretcher, still holding his hand.

Doctor Cho was waiting for them on the tarmac. She ordered the two guys that were with her to wheel Pietro away. That's when all hell broke loose for Wanda. When the men placed their hands on the metal of the stretcher, she began to scream for them to back off, sobs started to wreck her body and she repeated endlessly "no, no, no, Pietro".

Steve tried to reach her, but as soon as his hand connected with her shoulder, her cries became louder, her hand grasping her brother's harder, refusing to let him go. But the Captain didn't back out. He circled her tiny waist with both of his arms and lifted her effortlessly. She started to kick around wildly but weakly, as exhaustion was still very much there despite her attempts to fight it. Her screams for her brother didn't lessen, her breath came out in short gasps, her face covered in tears that had been held back for too long. She wouldn't calm down. Her hands started to shine dangerously, scarlet halo surrounding each of them, with more and more brightness with each second passing by.

Natasha saw that and went closer to the girl, trying to get her to look at her in the eyes, whispering soothing words in both English and Russian. It was no use. Wanda's body started to shake harder, her screams deafening and heart-wrenching. Who could blame her ? her brother was gone, her other half wasn't there anymore. The scarlet cloud grew brighter, threatening to leave the girl's hands if she didn't calm down soon. That's when Doctor Cho came in. She plunged a syringe in Wanda's shoulder when she saw an opening in her flailing limbs. The scarlet mist dissipated soon afterwards and for the second time that day, Wanda Maximoff went still in Captain America's arms.

"It's a mild sedative. It prevents her from hurting herself, and us by the same occasion". The doctor explained. "She will wake up in an hour or so and should be calmer".

Clint moved forward before asking: "Where will she stay ?"

It was Natasha that answered, surprising everyone, including herself. "I'll take care of her, put her in my room for now, until hers is ready."

Looks were exchanged before Tony nodded. With the help of Steve, Wanda was delicately placed on top of Natasha's bed. Everyone except the spy left the room, leaving the two women together. Waiting for the younger to wake up, Natasha started to search through her closet to find something Wanda could wear. With one looked towards the sleeping figure, Natasha settled for the smaller clothes she owned, the girls being much tinier than she was. She laid some grey sweatpants and a light blue shirt on the bed. Once that done, she checked the time, she should still have around half an hour before Wanda would wake up, more than enough to take a shower.

Under the scalding stream of water, Natasha let her mind wander. She couldn't help but feel protective of the girl laying in the room a few feet away. Sure, she hadn't forgotten what the twin had made all of them endure, the memories that Wanda brought back still carved at the back of her mind. But, seeing Wanda in such a distraught stress made her reconsider how she saw the broken girl.

Sighing, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. She dried her hair rapidly and dressed in an outfit very much like the one she had prepared for Wanda. She returned to her room, to see that the younger girl hadn't moved. She went to the window and stared at the landscape, lost in her thoughts once again.

Hearing shuffling behind her, she turned around and her eyes met two wide green ones staring back at her. Natasha sat on the bed, not touching the girl, trying not to startle her.

"Hey, are you feeling any better ?" she asked in a gentle voice.

Wanda didn't answer but lowered her head. Natasha could see tears rolling down her cheeks and crash on her lap. The spy didn't know how to react, but she decided to follow her instinct and wrapped Wanda in her arms, the auburn head on her shoulder. At first, Wanda tried to move away, but soon she let go and clung to Natasha for dear life, one of her hand clasping the front of her shirt while she sobbed. Natasha just held her, trying to convey as much warmth as she could in her embrace, whispering words of comfort in the girl's ear.

Wanda finally calmed down and her head withdrew from the older woman's shoulder. Natasha cupped her jaw, lifted her head and wiped some of her tears with her thumbs in a soothing motion.

"How about I drew you a bath?" she asked sweetly.

Wanda just merely nodded, not meeting her eyes. Natasha stood up and went back to the bathroom, she headed for the tub and started to fill it with warm water. She added some salts, the room filling with a pleasant flowery scent. She went back to the bedroom, Wanda still hadn't moved. She took her hand and the fresh clothes in her other. She led her to the bathroom and laid the pile of clothes on the edge of the sink.

"I'll be just next door, don't hesitate to call if you need anything". As she turned around to leave Wanda alone, the girl caught her wrist, and finally looked at her, her eyes pleading: "Stay, I don't want to be alone". It was the first word she had spoken since waking up.

"Okay, let's get you out of those clothes."

She still had on the outfit she wore to the battle. The red leather jacket came off first, leaving her in her black dress. Sitting Wanda on the edge of the tub, Natasha helped her take off her boots and ripped black socks. Natasha's fingers then unbuttoned the top of the dress, that was surprisingly in a good state, except for a few stains of blood and dust.

Natasha knew she probably wouldn't like what she would see underneath the dress, but she didn't expect what she really saw. She knew the twins had been on their own since they were ten years old, and that they were just finished with Hydra's experiments on them when the Avengers arrived in Sokovia. Wanda stepped out of her dress, revealing her more than frail body. Natasha could see every rib protruding, she could count each of them, the same went with her collarbone, shoulder blades and spine, painfully sticking out. The rest of her clothes went off, and Natasha helped the girl lower herself in the hot water. Her whole body was littered with bruises and scars, some older than other, some bigger, some wider, some more healed than others. The worst was her back where white lines crisscrossed on most of the delicate milky skin. Natasha gritted her teeth when she saw the girl's thighs, bluish and purplish stains on them. It didn't take a genius to guess what had happened. Wanda didn't let go of Natasha's hand and the spy had to hold back her own tears at that point. She had seen first-hand what war and evil people could do to people, but seeing it from that close, on somebody she knew was much worse.

Natasha didn't ask, Wanda didn't talk. They stayed in silence, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. The red-head held a washing clothes and started to run it on the younger girl's body, washing away the dust and everything left from the battle. Wanda began to relax under the soft touch and she closed her eyes. Natasha reached for Wanda's head and removed the tie that held her hair back. Her auburn hair came tumbling down her back, hiding most of the maze carved on her back. Natasha run her hair through it a few times before gently wetting it. Wanda remained motionless, letting Natasha wash her hair like she would do with a small child. She felt a kind of protectiveness towards the girls sat in front of her, a kind of feeling she couldn't explain but felt anyway. She went on until she saw the girl's shoulders relax. After a little while, Natasha wanted to suggest getting up, so the water wouldn't turn cold, but as she opened her mouth to do it, Wanda started to speak instead.

"I wish Vision hadn't find me", she said, just above a whisper.

"Then you'd be dead" Natasha answered, searching the younger girl's face.

"But I would be with him". Wanda finally lifted her face and her eyes met Natasha's. The spy saw so much pain and fear in those green eyes that for a second, she wished she could forget that image, but Wanda needed her, and she wouldn't back out now.

Natasha sighed but didn't answer. The girl wouldn't hear anything she had to say right now. She had to grieve first, and then she could understand. Seeing that Natasha wouldn't say anything, Wanda turned her face away once more, looking down.

"Okay honey, how do you feel about getting up ?"

It wasn't really a question. Natasha held out her hand, and Wanda caught it, using it for support as she got up and stepped out of the tub. Natasha wrapped her in the fluffier towel she could find and helped her in the fresh clothes she had laid out. They moved to the bedroom and Wanda sat on the bed, eyes once against lost in the emptiness in front of her.

"Now you need to eat something, would you prefer go to the kitchen, or stay here while I prepare something for you"

As Wanda was not answering, Natasha assumed the latter and left the room quietly, leaving the girl alone with her thoughts.

She made her way to the common room, where the other Avengers were gathered, some eating, some just there talking. When the boys saw her arrive they turned their gaze to her.

"How is she?" Steve asked, leaning against the counter

"Very shaken up, she goes from crying to saying nothing and staring in the blankness, I came to get her something to eat."

There was a moment of silence, each thinking about how they could be of any help. Natasha broke the tense atmosphere.

"I don't know what they did to her, but she is in a bad shape, guys if you could see…"

Natasha's shoulders slumped forward as she rested her head on her hands, propped on her elbows on the counter next to Steve. The super soldier put a comforting hand on her back, rubbing it slightly.

"To what extent?" Clint asked gently

"It's bad, obviously very malnourished, beaten, and I guess whipped or something, considering the marks on her back, but I suspect there were more, even if I hope I am wrong, but I don't think I am. And that is only the physical stuff."

Silence fell upon them once more, everyone taking it in. The reactions were various around the room. Steve lowered his head, closing his eyes. Tony sighed and went to the window, folding his arms against his chest. Clint got up from the stool he was sitting on and went to Natasha, wrapping her in his arms. Her head fell on his shoulder.

"She'll be okay, she's here now, not there anymore" he tried to comfort her, even though they both knew it would be a long path till recovery.

"I need to find her something to eat"

"I'll help you, what do you think would be best?"

"I don't know, something light"

Clint went to the cupboard and picked some stuff that he placed on the counter. He then took a plate and disposed the fruit pieces on the plate. He took a bottle of water and put it next to it.

"Is that okay?"

"It's perfect, thank you" she took the plate and the bottle and placed a friendly kiss on his cheek.

"Take care of her"

Natasha went back to her room and pushed the door open with her foot, as her hands were both full. She found Wanda where she had left her, perched on the edge of the bed, immobile with her eyes turned to the New-York sky line she could see from her post on the bed.

She sat on the other side and put the plate between them. The girl hadn't moved so she placed her hand on her shoulder. Wanda flinched away slightly, eyes flashing red for a second before turning green again when she recognized the red-head.

"There you go", Natasha said, pointing to the food. Wanda looked down and up again.

"It's for me?"

"It is"

Wanda took the fork and started eating slowly. Natasha didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable by staring at her while she ate so she stood up and started to tidy up a bit around the room and then took a book and settled on the armchair near the bed but at the other side of the room. Still she kept an eye on the Sokovian girl. She noticed an odd habit that she seemed to have. She divided everything in two pieces, one a bit smaller than the other and only ate the smaller piece. Natasha didn't feel the need to mention it, so she let her be. When she was halfway through the chapter she was reading, she stopped hearing the rattle of the fork against the porcelain of the plate. She looked up and saw that Wanda had stopped eating. She got up and went to her side, she had only eaten half of what was already divided in two, making it a quarter of the plate.

"Is that all you're gonna eat, darling"

At the question, Wanda suddenly looked up, with fearful eyes.

"I am sorry, I can eat more I promise, I am sorry" she took back the fork, but before she could do anything more, Natasha covered her hand with hers.

"No, no, it's fine, you ate what you could and it's perfect, don't worry, you don't have to do anything you don't want."

Wanda seemed conflicted, she searched Natasha's eyes to see if she was telling the truth, or just playing a game with her, to trick her.

"I swear it's fine, honey, you did good".

Wanda finally let go of the fork and Natasha took the plate away from her lap and placed in on the desk. One look at the girl told her that she was beyond exhausted.

"Now go to sleep, you'll feel better afterwards"

Wanda complied and lied down on the bed. Natasha tucked her in, much like a mother would do with her child. She kissed her forehead and moved towards the door, thinking she would sleep on the couch in the common room. But she hadn't made three steps that a small voice reached her.

"Stay, please"

Natasha turned around and moved back to the bed. She saw the girl's pleading eyes and made her mind. Gently, she slipped under the covers and lied down next to the girl. Wanda curled up against the older woman and Natasha wrapped her arms around her the smaller girl's back.

"Sweet dreams, sweetheart, everything's gonna be okay" Natasha said, as she began running her hand in the long dark curls.

Wanda clung tighter to her, feeling safe.

"Thank you for being there" she whispered just before falling in a deep slumber, hopefully but unlikely nightmares-free

"Always"