Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You hadn’t been able to rest ever since the blip that had exterminated more than half of the universe. Your mommy Wanda had been one of the many people the blip had taken. Your other mom Natasha, had promised you that she was going to do whatever necessary to get Wanda back. 

“Mama, how are you going to get mommy back?” You asked your mama who was packing a bag. 

Natasha did her best to reassure you, but she was unsure herself. She was a part of the Avengers and they had always found a way to save the world. “Come here baby.” She said as she opened her arms and stood waiting for you to enter her embrace. 

“I don’t know, baby. Sometimes, it’s okay to not know what to do. Right now I need to go to the Avengers compound and get together with the team. We’re probably not the only ones who have lost someone.” Nat said as she held you securely in her arms. She could feel your fear and sadness radiating off of you, and she just wanted to have her family safe and happy again. 

“Mama, can I come with you? I… I don’t want to be alone. I promise to be good and stay out of the way.” You looked up at her with tears shining in your eyes and the best puppy dog eyes you could muster up. 

At first Nat shook her head. It was clear that she didn’t like any option. She didn’t want you to be left at home alone even though you were now fifteen and able to care for yourself. “Okay, go pack yourself a bag. I need you to stay in either mine or mommy’s room at the compound. There’s no telling what I’ll need to do in order to get mommy and everyone else back, and I don’t want you to get hurt.” Losing Wanda was one thing. To be honest she still hadn’t dealt with the pain of losing her wife, she hadn’t processed it. She needed to stay focused on the mission and keep you safe. 

“Thank you mama.” You said as you hugged her tightly before running to your room to pack your bag. You made sure to pack your favorite stuffie. It was the first stuffie that you had ever gotten and your moms had gifted it to you when you were adopted. 

Walking into the Avengers compound always amazed you and you ran to Tony and hugged him when you saw him. “Uncle Tony!” 

Tony let out a surprised breath as you had practically knocked the breath out of him. “Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?” He asked as he hugged you back. He took one look at Natasha and he understood. 

You looked up at him sadly, “we came to help get mommy back and everyone else.” 

“I came to help. Y/n, is going to stay here and stay out of trouble.” Natasha said as she gave you a firm knowing look. “Y/n, here are the keys to our rooms. Remember what I told you. Stay out of trouble.” 

You sighed as you pulled away from Tony. You looked at your mama, “are you sure there isn’t anything that I can help you with?” You felt helpless and you didn’t want anything to happen to anyone else you loved. 

“Y/n, I need you to stay here and be good. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew that something happened to you. I promise to do everything to get your mommy back. Please. Please just trust me.” Natasha said as she tried to pull you into her arms. She was doing her best to get you to listen to her. 

You felt a surge of emotions as your fears of abandonment and loss were surfacing, frustrated tears fell down your face as you backed away from her open arms, “I want to help. I’m not a kid anymore! I don’t want to lose you. You always get hurt and I don’t want to lose you too.” You took your bag and the keys and ran towards the room. You knew that you were acting childish; but you didn’t want anyone else to see your outburst of emotions. 

“Y/n! Y/n, come back.” Natasha called out to you. She felt her own emotions surfacing and she wanted to chase after you, but they didn’t have time. They needed to find a way to get everyone back and defeat Thanos. 

“Nat, come on. Y/n, will be okay. They just need some time to calm down.” Tony said as he placed a comforting hand on Natasha’s shoulder. 

Everyone sat around the table at the Avengers compound throwing around ideas. Tony felt frustrated with the idea of time travel that Scott Lang and the rest of the team was proposing to him. It seemed crazy and ludacris to even attempt. 

“So you’re calling it a plan. To me, it sounds like an exotic suicide method. Not to mention, it’s impossible.” Tony said as he ran his hand through his hair. 

Steve piped in, “Tony, the Stones exist in the past. We could get them and bring them here.” Cap was always the one who had the most optimism. Nothing was ever impossible, especially in times like these where it all seemed impossible. 

Natasha gave a pleading look to Tony, she knew that the plan sounded crazy. But she would attempt anything to get everyone back. “We can snap our own fingers. We can bring everybody back.” 

Tony shook his head, “or screw it up worse.” Has everyone lost their minds? Were they really proposing to listen to this Scott guy and travel through time? 

“I don’t believe that we would make things worse.” Steve said as he crossed his arms. He never understood how Tony the man who literally invents some of the best gadgets was often so close minded. 

“Gotta say it. Sometimes I’ve missed that giddy optimism. Sadly, all your high hopes won’t help me if there’s no logical, tangible way for me to safely execute said “time heist.” I believe the most likely outcome would be our collective demise.” 

Scott argued back as he tried to get everyone on board, especially Tony Stark, “Not if we strictly follow the rules of time travel. No talking to our past selves. No betting on sporting events…”

Tony could not believe this guy. “Stop, Scott. Stop. Are you telling me that your plan to save the universe is more than loosely based on Back to the Future?” 

Scott clenched his jaw before giving a very uncertain, “no…” He knew that his theory sounded crazy, I mean Tony was right about him taking notes on one of his favorite movies; but no one needed to know that. 

Tony could see right through the man in front of him. He could see the literal BS and he wasn’t having it. He wasn’t going to be a part of this absurd plan. “Good. Because that would be horseshit. Scientifically speaking, your brother’s picture doesn’t disappear just ‘cause you went to the dance with your mom. That’s not how quantum physics works.” 

Natasha slammed her fist onto the table breaking some of the tension between Scott and Tony. She knew that Scott’s theory seemed off the wall crazy, but why couldn’t Tony see that they needed to take action. They needed to at least try. “We have to take a stand.” 

Tony felt his shoulders drop as he looked sadly at his friend Natasha. He knew how she was feeling, but he didn’t want to take a chance on something that could make things worse and cause more harm. He couldn’t watch anymore of the people he cared about get hurt. “We did stand. And yet here we are.”

Chapter Text

You knew it was wrong to spy on all the adults but you needed to know what their plan was to get everyone back. You had placed a bug and tracking device on your mama when you had hugged her earlier. If your mom ever found out you knew that you would be grounded for life. 

Time Travel. Your mom and the avengers were planning on traveling through time to get some stones that were supposed to defeat that scary big purple guy. You paced back and forth as you continued to listen to the adults talk. 

Although you had shared everything with your moms, you had made a recent discovery that you had powers. You were somehow able to become invisible including your clothes, you had also discovered that you had some form of power that made it possible for you to blast objects away from you. You were planning on telling your moms, but then the blip happened, and you didn’t want to stress out your mama Nat. She had enough to deal with. 

“Y/n? I’m sorry about earlier. Can I come in?” Natasha knocked on the door as she heard you pacing in Wanda’s room. She knew that you were taking everything hard. 

You removed your earbud from your ears and hid all your tech from out of sight. “You can come in.” You said as you did your best to look normal and not like you were just eavesdropping on your mom. 

Natasha eyed you suspiciously as she walked in, “hey baby, we’ve come up with a plan to get everyone back. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but everything is going to be okay.” Nat knew that she shouldn’t make promises that she wasn’t sure she could keep. 

You stood up and began to pace as you looked at your mom with disbelief, “you don’t know that! You don’t know if things are going to be okay.” You yelled as you tried to calm down. You couldn’t reveal to her that you knew what their crazy plan was. 

“Y/n.” Natasha felt her walls begin to crumble. Wanda had always been better at calming you down or knowing the right things to say. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry. Detka, I don’t know if things are going to get better. But I have to try. I have to try for you, for Wanda and for everyone else.” She hated crying but she was scared shitless and she felt like she was already losing you. 

You felt like shit for making your mom cry, “I’m sorry mama… I’m just scared. I know you probably are too. I just wish you could see that I’m not a child. I want to help. I can help.” You said as you walked over to your mom who was trying to wipe away her tears. 

“No, y/n. You’re not just any child, you’re mine and mommy’s. You are worth fighting for. I made a promise to you and Wanda, and everyone in that courtroom that I was going to do everything it took to keep you safe. One day you will understand my love for you.” Natasha said as she pulled you into her arms and held you as you broke down. 

You tried to fight in your mom’s arms. Everything felt like it was closing in on itself. You felt like you were saying a goodbye that was meant to last forever. Was your uncle Tony right? Was this really a suicide mission? Eventually your walls crumbled and you broke completely and sobbed uncontrollably. 

“Y/n, I love you. Please stay here. Pepper and Morgan are going to come pick you up and you’re going to go and spend the night with them. When we get back we will be one step closer to getting mommy back. Please promise me that you will stay out of trouble.” Natasha said as she wiped your tears away as you started to calm down. 

You bit your lip as you let out a defeated sigh, “I promise, just as long as you promise me that you come back all in one piece.” 

Natasha took in a shaky breath, “baby, I can’t promise you that…” 

“Mama, promise me that you will be okay. Promise me that you’ll come home.” You said stubbornly as you looked at your mom with pleading eyes. 

Natasha nodded her head, “I promise that I’ll be okay. We will all be okay.” She would be okay as long as you were okay and safe. “I’ve gotta go. I love you.” She said as she hugged you tightly before grabbing her things and walking out of the room. 

You punched the wall as your mom walked out of the room. “Stupid Thanos! Stupid Blip! Stupid. Stupid. Stupid everything!” You felt determined to keep your mom safe. There was no way that you were going to just sit around and do nothing. You had powers. You could help them. 

Making up your mind you grabbed your stuffie and focused on turning invisible including your stuffie friend. Being invisible helped to sneak into the room where the platform was. Quietly you grabbed an extra time suit that you saw laying around and put it on. You were gonna be toast if your moms ever found out about this. 

You stood quietly on the platform as you saw everyone join. You held your breath as you listened to your uncle Steve give his classic motivational speech. 

“We lost friends. We lost family. We lost a part of ourselves. But today we have a chance to take it all back. You have your teams and you have assignments. Get your stone, and get back here. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs.” 

Steve says as he grips his shield tightly in his hand. “Most of us are going back to places we know. That doesn’t mean we know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. Improvise, if you have to.” He says as he looks around at his team… his family. “This is the fight of our lives. And we’re going to win. Whatever it takes.”

Everyone stays quiet after such a moving speech. It takes everything inside of you not to clap and ruin your whole secret plan. 

Smart Hulk taps in commands with HIS PENCIL. LIGHTS ILLUMINATE EACH PAD. “Tracking beacons engaged.” He says as he steps onto the platform as he joins his team. 

Natasha also looks around at all the members in her team… in her family. She does her best not to get emotional, “See you in a minute.” 

Smart Hulk talks scientifically as he starts counting on his fingers, “actually, it’ll be closer to seven or eight microseconds, give or-” 

SUDDENLY, THEY STRETCH AND VANISH, SHRINKING AWAY. WHOOSH. THE QUANTUM CONSOLE STOPS VIBRATING. HULK’S PENCIL SLOWLY ROLLS TOWARD THE EDGE...AND DROPS OFF-

Chapter Text

You groaned as you felt nauseous the moment you landed on the ground. Thankfully your mom and Clint still had no idea that you were with them. On shaking legs you stood up and took a look at the giant mountain in front of you. 

Man, I should not have skipped out on leg day. You thought to yourself as you silently beat yourself up. It was going to be a challenge to maintain the power of being invisible as you exerted yourself up the mountain. 

“Really starting to regret my choice here.” Clint panted as he realized that they had only climbed about midway up the mountain. 

“Yeah. I’m gonna bet the raccoon didn’t have to climb a mountain.” Natasha said as she chuckled at the thought of Rocket. 

“I don’t think technically he’s a raccoon…” Clint said as he tried to make small talk to distract from the pain in his calves. 

“Whatever. He eats garbage-” Nat said as they both laughed as they continued to climb. 

It took everything inside of you not to laugh at the banter between your mom and Uncle Clint. Clint and his family were really close to your mama Nat since they had been friends for years. You loved seeing their interactions with each other. 

You could see the exhaustion and sadness in their faces as things got quiet as they didn’t know what to expect at the top of the mountain. Uncle Clint seemed darker and more lost in his head; you had overheard that his whole family was taken in the blip and that he had done really bad things to deal with the pain of losing everyone. You just wanted to hug him and tell him that

things would be okay; but you didn’t even know if things would be okay. 

You, Clint, and Natasha all looked up when you all heard a deep voice talking to you. The figure was hooded and felt ominous. 

“Who are you?” Natasha asked the hooded figure. She did not have a good feeling about everything.

“Consider me a guide. To you, and to all who seek the Soul Stone.” 

“Great. You show us where it is, and we’ll be on our way.” Nat said as she still had her weapon drawn at the figure wearing black robes. 

The figure removed his hood revealing himself as the Red Skull, “if only it was that easy…” 

You brought your stuffie up to your chest as you tried to figure out what the Red Skull was implying. Why was everyone making such a big deal about these stones?

“What you seek lies in front of you. As does what you fear.” Red Skull said as he pointed a single boney finger down towards a well. 

“The stone is down there?” Nat asked as she looked towards the well. She didn’t understand why the Red Skull was speaking as if he was a narrator for a secret mission in a video game. 

“For one of you. For the other…” He said as he smiled as he could see the wheels in their heads begin to piece his words together. “The Stone demands a sacrifice. In order to take it, you must leave behind that which you love. A soul for a soul.” 

You were the first to understand what he had meant and you began to feel panicked. One of them was going to have to die in order to get that stupid soul stone. You didn’t want your mama Nat or Uncle Clint to die. You could hear Clint argue with your mama as you left them behind you, you had begun making your way towards the edge of the cliff. 

“If we don’t get the stone, billions of people are going to stay dead.” Natasha said as she looked at her best friend. Exhaustion and sadness shone through her beautiful features. 

“Then I guess we both know who it has to be.” Clint said matter of factly. 

They both take each other’s hands into their own as they try to find the right words to say in their final goodbye. 

“I’m starting to think we don’t mean the same person.” Clint said as he held on tighter to Nat’s hand. 

Nat could feel her tears fall down her cheeks, “You think I want to do it? I’m trying to save your life, you idiot. You have a family. Think of Laura and the kids. God, I don’t want to leave y/n and Wanda but Wanda was always better at being a mother. Y/n will be okay and as long as she’s okay and you and everyone else is back, I know that it will all be worth it.” 

“Nat. You know what I’ve done. What I am now. Your life’s worth ten of mine-” Clint said as he begged his best friend to change her mind. He could see the determination in her eyes and he hated it. There was no way that he was going to let her off herself. He didn’t deserve to live, not after all the pain he had caused. 

“I don’t judge people by their worst mistakes.”

“Maybe you should.”

“You didn’t.” 

You watched as your mama Nat and uncle Clint fought each other to make their way towards the edge of the cliff. Hot tears stung your cheeks as you watched them struggle; you had already made up your mind that they were both going to return back home. 

You couldn’t contain your powers anymore and you felt the invisible force begin to waver. You could feel the ground crumble beneath your feet as you stood right at the edge. 

Natasha and Clint stopped fighting when they heard someone sniffling a few feet from where they were. Their eyes grew wide in surprise and fear as they saw you standing too close to the edge. 

“Y/n! What the hell are you doing here? Baby, get away from the edge!” Natasha screamed as she got up and tried to reach you. 

You shook your head as you held out your hands, “no. I’m not going to let either of you die. Mama, I love you. Tell mommy Wanda that I love her and that I’m sorry.” You gave your mom a sad smile as you used the last of your powers to push yourself off the ledge of the cliff. 

“No!!! Y/n!” Natasha sobbed as she jumped into action along with Clint. She had managed to grab onto your stuffie’s hand that you were holding onto. “Please hold on, y/n. Don’t let go, baby.” 

You looked up sadly at your mom, “it’s okay, mama. Thank you for being my mama. Let go, please.” You knew that your mom wasn’t going to willingly let you go. You had gotten your stubbornness from her. 

Natasha could see determination and fierce bravery in your eyes and she swore under her breath, she didn’t want to lose you. “No, I won’t let go. Just hold on. Please. I can’t lose you.” She pleaded with you as she tried to pull you up. She could feel Clint holding onto her so that she would have a better grip on you. 

“Whatever it takes.” You whispered as you took a deep breath and let go of the arm of your favorite stuffie. You could hear your mom scream and cry for you as your body made its way down. Images of your life surrounded by your moms came to mind and you found comfort in the memories. There was no pain as your body slammed into the ground. Everything went blank in your mind as the world of Vormir turned white. 

Natasha sobbed as she felt like her whole world had crumbled. She needed her wife Wanda. She needed you. She didn’t want to believe that you were truly gone. All she had left was the tiny stuffed animal that you had brought with you. It was a reminder to her that you had just been a  child… a reminder that her innocent baby had been the price to pay. 

Guilt and sorrow surrounded the two avengers as they felt the weight of your sacrifice. 

Nat opened her eyes as she realized that they had been transported down to the base of the mountain and they were sitting in a small pool of water. The water was a clear reflection of the sky, if things weren’t so sad and twisted, it would be a beautiful sight to behold. 

Empty and hollow sobs escaped her throat as she watched the golden soul stone wash up and land into her waiting hand.

Chapter Text

AVENGERS COMPOUND

The pencil finally clatters to a stop on the conference table.

WHOOSH!

Clint and Natasha materialize alongside the others, their faces pale and hollow. The vibrant chaos of the Compound seems distant, muffled by the deafening weight of what’s just transpired.

“Did we get them all?” Bruce—Smart Hulk—asks, his massive green hands trembling slightly as he surveys the room.

But neither Clint nor Natasha can answer. They drop to their knees, the air ripped from their lungs as reality crashes down.

“What’s wrong? Clint… Nat? Are you okay?” Steve rushes to them, his voice tight with concern, already fearing the answer.

Natasha’s head slowly lifts. Her eyes are glassy, red-rimmed, her lips trembling as she forces out the words.

“She’s gone…”

Silence. An unnatural, terrifying silence falls over the room.

Bruce’s brows knit together in confusion. “Who’s gone?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper as he mentally counts every head in the room.

Clint’s hands shake as he holds out the Soul Stone, glowing ominously in his palm. He presses it into Steve’s hand like it burns him to touch it. His jaw clenches, his voice breaking.

“Y/N… She followed us. She… she sacrificed herself for the stone. It should have been me!” Clint yells, slamming a fist against his chest with a guttural cry of anguish.

Steve’s knees nearly buckle as the words hit him.

Tony frantically pulls out his phone, his fingers trembling. “No. No. That’s impossible. Y/N is with Pepper. I’ll call her right now—she’s fine. She’s fine!” His voice rises in panic as he dials.

The phone connects on speaker.

“Hey, Tony,” Pepper’s voice comes through, laced with confusion and a growing sense of worry. “I’ve been looking for Y/N. Is she in Nat’s room? I can’t find her anywhere.”

Tony’s heart shatters. His eyes blur with tears as he tries to steady his voice.

“Hey, Pep… Plans have changed. I’ll call you back.”

Before she can ask anything, he ends the call. His shoulders sag under the weight of the truth.

Natasha stands on shaky legs. Her face is pale, haunted.

“I… I need some air,” she chokes out before stumbling toward the exit.

One by one, the others follow her outside. No one speaks for a long time. The crashing waves against the shoreline are the only sound, carrying away their collective grief.

Tony is the first to speak, breaking the suffocating silence.

“Did Y/N have any other family?” His voice is rough, almost a whisper.

Natasha stares out at the water, her knuckles white as she grips the railing.

“Other than us… no,” she says hoarsely.

Thor paces restlessly before spinning around. His eyes burn with frustration.

“Why are you doing this?”

Tony wipes at his face, his defenses rising. “What? I’m just asking a question.”

“Why are we talking like she’s dead?!” Thor shouts. “We have the stones. We can bring her back! Don’t you see? This doesn’t have to be the end!”

Natasha flinches, her heart breaking all over again. Clint clenches his jaw, his fists shaking at his sides.

“We can’t,” Clint growls, his voice barely contained.

Thor steps forward, incredulous. “What are you talking about? Of course we can!”

Clint whirls around, eyes blazing with grief and fury.

“It can’t be done! You think I wouldn’t tear the universe apart to undo this if I could?! The red floating guy—he told us. It can’t be undone!”

Thor’s fists curl, his godly pride refusing to accept it.

“No offense, Barton, but you’re a very… earthly being. Magic, gods, the impossible—it’s what we deal with. You’re telling me we can’t fix this?”

Clint’s voice rises, breaking with raw emotion.

“Then why isn’t she here, Thor?! Why isn’t she standing next to us right now?!”

Silence.

And then, with a roar of pent-up grief, Bruce picks up the bench beside him and hurls it into the water. It skips once, twice, before vanishing beneath the waves.

“She’s not coming back,” Clint whispers. “We have to make it worth it… or it’s all for nothing.”

Steve, his own eyes wet, nods. “We will. For her.”

AVENGERS COMPOUND – THAT NIGHT

Natasha staggers into her quarters, her legs barely carrying her to the bed. Her eyes fall to your sweater, folded neatly next to her pillow.

Her breath catches.

She picks it up, pressing it to her face. The faint scent of you still lingers, and the dam finally breaks. Silent sobs wrack her body as she clutches the fabric to her chest.

How was she supposed to tell Wanda? How could she tell her wife that their daughter—their bright, beautiful, fearless daughter—was gone?

How do you tell someone that their heart has been ripped from their chest… and there’s no bringing it back?

THE SOUL WORLD – ELSEWHERE

Wanda stumbles through an endless darkness, her bare feet making no sound against nothingness.

“Natasha?! Y/N?!” she calls out desperately, her voice echoing back at her.

Panic coils in her chest, her magic failing her for the first time in years.

“What’s happening? Where… where are they?!” she cries out, her voice raw.

Her knees hit the unseen ground as a gut-wrenching pain blossoms in her chest. Tears pour from her eyes as the memories begin to flood back.

The Snap. Thanos.

Her hands clutch her head as she sobs.

“I… I have to get back to them! Please! I have to get back to my family!”

But there’s only darkness. And silence.

And the overwhelming fear that she’s already too late.

Chapter Text

“And I am Iron Man”

The faint hum of energy pulses through the air as Tony snaps his fingers wearing the gauntlet. Outside, the world holds its breath.

And then—

WHOOSH!

In an instant, Wanda Maximoff feels the rush of life crash back into her body. Her knees buckle, and she gasps for air as the blinding sunlight replaces the cold, endless darkness she was trapped in just moments ago.

Her heart pounds in her chest. Her mind reels.

She’s back.

But before she can gather her bearings, the pain in her chest flares again—sharper, heavier.

“Y/N…” she whispers, a dreadful sense of wrongness flooding her.

Her feet are moving before she knows it, sprinting through the destroyed halls of the Compound. The place is in ruins, smoke rising from the battlefield outside. Her breath catches as she turns a corner and nearly collapses again when she sees—

“Natasha!”

Natasha is sitting alone by the shattered remnants of a staircase, her face hidden in her hands, shoulders trembling.

“Nat!” Wanda rushes to her, falling to her knees in front of her wife.

At the sound of Wanda’s voice, Natasha lifts her head. Her face is pale and streaked with dried tears. Her lips part, but no words come.

Wanda cups Natasha’s face, her own tears falling freely now.

“I’m here, baby. I’m here,” Wanda chokes out between sobs, pulling Natasha into her arms. “I’m okay. I’m here. Where’s Y/N? Where’s our girl?”

At those words, Natasha goes rigid in Wanda’s arms.

Wanda feels it immediately—the hollow stillness, the absence of hope.

“Nat?” Wanda pulls back, her heart pounding so loudly she can barely hear her own voice. “Where’s Y/N?”

Natasha’s lips tremble. Her hands reach for Wanda’s, clutching them tightly as if trying to hold her together by sheer force.

“Wanda…” Natasha swallows, her voice breaking apart. “I—I’m so sorry…”

A sob breaks free from Wanda’s throat before she even hears the words.

“No… no, don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it, Natasha.”

Natasha crumples against her, her voice raw and full of agony.

“She’s gone… Wanda, she’s gone.”

Wanda shakes her head violently. “No. No, she’s not. You’re wrong! She—she’s just hiding, right? She’s hiding like we taught her. I’ll find her, Nat. I’ll find her!”

Natasha grabs her wrists, forcing her to stay still.

“She followed us… to Vormir.” Natasha’s voice trembles with each word. “We didn’t know—she stowed away. And when it came time to… to make the sacrifice… she didn’t hesitate. She jumped, Wanda. She jumped before we could stop her.”

Wanda’s scream echoes across the Compound, a raw, heart-shattering wail of grief and denial. Her magic explodes outward in a violent surge, red energy cracking through the air and shattering what little glass remained in the broken windows.

“No! NO! You were supposed to protect her! You promised me!” Wanda beats against Natasha’s chest with her fists, her sobs choking her words.

“I know, I know—God, Wanda, I tried! I tried to save her! I tried to trade my life for hers, but she wouldn’t let me!” Natasha cries out, holding Wanda through the storm of her pain.

Wanda collapses fully against her wife, the weight of the universe pressing down on her chest.

“Our baby… our baby is gone…” she whispers through ragged sobs, her fingers clutching at Natasha’s suit like a child lost in a nightmare.

Natasha rocks her gently, her own tears falling into Wanda’s hair.

“I’m so sorry… I’m so, so sorry…”

LATER THAT NIGHT – THE QUIET AFTER THE STORM

The Compound is eerily quiet now, the aftermath of the final battle leaving everyone hollow and raw.

Wanda sits alone in what used to be Y/N’s room. Her trembling fingers trace the spine of one of your favorite storybooks, the little doodles you’d drawn in the margins bringing fresh tears to her already swollen eyes.

She picks up your favorite stuffed animal from the bed and presses it to her chest, breathing in the faintest trace of your scent.

Natasha stands in the doorway, her eyes red and exhausted.

“She was so brave,” Nat whispers. “She knew exactly what she was doing. And she did it… to save us. To save you.”

Wanda turns her head slightly, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

“I don’t want to be saved if it means losing her.”

Natasha steps into the room, kneeling beside her wife.

“We’ll find a way to live through this,” she murmurs, her voice cracking under the weight of her own doubt. “We have to. For her.”

Wanda leans into her, their broken hearts beating together in the deafening silence of grief.

Outside the shattered Compound, the sun begins to rise—a new day dawning over a world forever changed.

But for Natasha and Wanda, it’s a sunrise without their daughter.

Chapter Text

TIME SKIP – ONE WEEK LATER

The Compound lies in ruins, but today it stands as sacred ground. The aftermath of the final battle left scars on the earth and the people who fought for it. Amid the broken stone and twisted metal, a platform has been set up overlooking the peaceful lake beyond the compound.

Rows of chairs stretch across the grass, filled with heroes and civilians alike. Today, they gather not as Avengers or politicians, not as gods or soldiers—but as mourners, as friends, as family.

A soft breeze ripples across the water as the sun glistens high above, almost as if the heavens themselves were offering their quiet farewell.

Two memorials stand side by side at the front of the gathering.

One bears the name Anthony Edward Stark, beneath an arc reactor engraved with the words “Proof That Tony Stark Has a Heart.”

The second… the second is smaller, built from pieces of polished stone shaped into a delicate heart.

Y/N Maximoff-Romanoff.

Beneath it, the inscription reads:

“A soul too bright for this world. She gave her life so others could live. Forever our daughter. Forever our hero.”

The sight of it brings fresh tears to Wanda’s eyes as she clutches Natasha’s hand.

Natasha stands beside her, head bowed, dressed in her formal tactical uniform with a simple black armband stitched with a red hourglass—an old Black Widow symbol—this time, worn for mourning.

Wanda wears black, her long sleeves covering the faint burns on her arms from the final fight. Her eyes haven’t known rest since she returned. The grief still lives there, raw and endless.

Morgan Stark sits in Pepper’s lap nearby, holding a small bouquet of wildflowers. Too young to understand the full weight of today but old enough to know that something precious has been lost.

Steve steps forward to the podium first. His voice is steady, but his eyes betray his heartbreak.

“We stand here today… because of them,” he begins, his voice thick with emotion. “Because Tony Stark believed in a better world. And because Y/N… a child who should have had her whole life ahead of her… made the most selfless choice any of us could imagine. She gave us all another chance.”

He looks out at the crowd, his eyes landing on Wanda and Natasha, his voice barely holding together.

“She wasn’t just a hero. She was family. And we will never forget her.”

Bruce steps up next, his massive green form subdued as his voice rumbles low.

“I spent my whole life believing that strength was measured by how big you could be… how much you could fight. But Y/N—she showed us all that real strength comes from the heart.”

Thor says a few words after that, his normally booming voice soft, laced with regret that he couldn’t stop this fate.

Finally, Natasha and Wanda rise together.

Natasha speaks first, her voice quiet but resolute.

“Y/N was our light. Our joy. She had this way of walking into a room and making everything brighter, even when the world felt dark.” Her lip trembles. “She was… fearless. And that fearlessness… that’s why we’re all standing here, alive and free.”

Natasha can’t go on. She steps back, her hand covering her mouth to stifle a sob.

Wanda takes a shaky breath and steps forward, her red-rimmed eyes glistening with fresh tears.

“Our daughter believed that love was the greatest power in the universe,” Wanda says, her voice cracking but strong enough to be heard. “And in the end, it was love that saved us all.”

She looks down at the small memorial stone, her fingers brushing the carved heart.

“We love you, Y/N. And we will carry you with us… always.”

A long moment of silence follows before Morgan Stark toddles forward, placing her tiny bouquet of flowers at the base of Y/N’s memorial.

“I love you, too,” Morgan says softly before retreating back to Pepper’s side.

The sound of the lake lapping against the shore fills the silence, and as if on cue, dozens of flower petals are released into the water, drifting gently away with the current.

Tony Stark.

Y/N Maximoff-Romanoff.

Heroes. Legends. Family.

Their sacrifice written in the very fabric of this new world.

LATER THAT EVENING – BY THE LAKE

The sun dips low as the day fades into twilight.

Wanda and Natasha sit together by the water’s edge, Y/N’s memorial just behind them. They don’t speak. Words feel too small for the ocean of grief between them.

Natasha wraps an arm around Wanda’s shoulders and presses a gentle kiss to her temple.

“We’ll keep living for her,” Natasha whispers, her voice raw but certain.

Wanda leans into her, her gaze lost in the setting sun.

“Do you think she’s… at peace?” Wanda asks softly.

Natasha closes her eyes, a tear slipping free.

“I think… wherever she is, she knows she saved the world. And she knows how much we love her.”

The lake reflects the final light of the day, a golden path stretching toward the horizon—endless, like their love for the daughter they lost.

And in that moment, with grief still heavy but hope flickering faintly, they sit together and remember.

Chapter Text

SIX MONTHS LATER – NEPAL

The air atop the mountain is thin, cold, and unnervingly still. The ancient monastery stands quietly against the jagged cliffs, its prayer flags fluttering weakly in the wind.

Natasha tightens her grip on Wanda’s hand as they step into the courtyard, their boots crunching against the worn stones.

The path to this place wasn’t easy. Not physically, and certainly not emotionally. But the possibility—the hope—of finding some semblance of peace had pulled them here.

Wanda glances at Natasha. “Are you sure about this?”

Natasha swallows hard and nods. “We have to try. For her.”

They approach the center of the courtyard, where Wong and a few remaining Masters of the Mystic Arts wait.

“You understand this journey is dangerous,” Wong warns gently. “What you’re asking… no living soul should walk that path lightly.”

“We’re not afraid,” Wanda says quietly, her red magic already glowing faintly at her fingertips.

Wong nods solemnly and begins to chant, his hands moving in practiced, fluid motions. A portal begins to form, but this is no ordinary portal. The air shifts, heavy with ancient power. The world around them darkens, the colors fading into silvery greys and muted whites.

The Veil between life and death parts before them.

Natasha exhales shakily, looking at Wanda.

“Together?”

Wanda gives her a soft, tearful smile and threads their fingers together.

“Together.”

They step through.

THE SOUL WORLD

It’s… beautiful.

An endless, tranquil field bathed in a warm, golden light stretches out before them. The sky glows with a constant, soft sunset. Time feels irrelevant here—both eternal and fleeting.

The air carries a gentle hum, like the universe itself is breathing peacefully.

And then, across the field, they see her.

Y/N.

She stands atop a small hill, bathed in the golden light, her form radiant and impossibly beautiful. She looks just as she did the day she left them—young, vibrant, and whole. Her smile is soft, her eyes full of a calm, infinite peace.

“Mom? Mama?” she calls gently, her voice carrying perfectly across the distance.

Natasha’s knees buckle, but Wanda holds her up as they both start running—faster than either thought possible—up the hill toward their daughter.

When they reach her, Y/N throws her arms around them, solid and warm despite the fact that she’s no longer of their world.

Tears spill freely down Natasha’s face as she clings to her daughter.

“Sweetheart… my baby girl…” Natasha whispers, her voice breaking.

Wanda cups Y/N’s face in trembling hands, pressing kisses to her forehead, her cheeks.

“I thought I’d never hold you again,” Wanda sobs.

Y/N pulls back just enough to look at them both, her small hands resting on their cheeks.

“You don’t have to be sad,” she says softly. Her voice is clear, full of a wisdom far beyond her years. “I’m okay. I’m at peace.”

Natasha shakes her head through her tears. “But we—we didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

Y/N smiles, her thumbs gently wiping away their tears.

“You don’t have to. I knew, Mama. I felt how much you loved me. I always knew.”

Wanda’s lips tremble. “We love you so much, sweet girl. Every second, every breath… we miss you.”

Y/N takes their hands in hers and places them over her heart.

“I’m always with you. In here.”

The sky above brightens, and Y/N steps back slightly, her figure beginning to glow even brighter, as if the world itself is gently calling her home.

“I have to go now,” she whispers.

Natasha chokes on a sob. “No, no, just a little longer—please!”

Y/N gives them both one last radiant smile.

“I love you, Mom. I love you, Mama. Don’t be sad forever, okay? You gave me the best life. And I’m happy. I’m really happy.”

With a final wave, her form slowly drifts upward, becoming part of the golden light that surrounds them.

And just like that… she’s gone.

BACK IN THE MORTAL WORLD – THE MONASTERY

Natasha and Wanda stumble out of the portal, their eyes full of tears but their hearts somehow… lighter.

Natasha pulls Wanda into her arms, holding her close against the rising morning sun.

“She’s at peace,” Wanda whispers against Natasha’s shoulder.

Natasha presses a kiss to Wanda’s hair, her voice steady for the first time in months.

“And now… we try to be, too.”

Above them, the prayer flags dance in the breeze.

And for the first time since the loss… the grief doesn’t feel quite so heavy.

The End