**A/N: Slight trigger warning, Wanda is going to get into her past at the Tower, and she mentions some suicide and some different mental health stuff, so please don't read if you don't want to...**

Peter woke up late on Saturday, finding himself in a nearly empty house. Apparently, Mom and Dad, accompanied by his Uncles Steve, Bruce, and Bucky, were at a conference all day, and Natasha and Clint had gone to a movie. Most of the new guests had left with Sam and Rhodey to see the city. Long story short, Peter found himself in the kitchen alone, sipping coffee and reading his father's discarded paper.

When Wanda wandered out of her room, squinting and confused, her first thought was that Peter was Tony. Without taking a closer look, she simply went to the fridge and pulled out the milk.

"Before you say anything about it, I haven't talked to him yet." Her voice caught Peter off guard, and she continued before he could inform her that she was mistaking him for someone else. "I'm not sure what I'm going to say yet, and I need to think about that before I say anything, so I'm not caught in the middle of a conversation unprepared."

The young woman readied herself some cereal. "I mean, it's not an easy thing to talk about. Peter probably doesn't even remember that much and then I was gone and I can't just... explain that away! My reasons aren't going to be good enough for Peter, and I know that! You've already made that perfectly clear, Tony. So just give me some time to just... fucking... talk to him!" She slammed the cereal box down, spilling some Cheerios and rounding to face a very confused and very startled Peter.

"I'm not my dad."

Wanda's face paled slightly, before she dropped to the floor and scooped up Cheerios. The two sat in the kitchen, nothing but the sounds of Wanda's hands sweeping up cereal and the clock ticking to fill the void.

"Is that why you won't talk to me?" Peter's voice was small and for a moment, Wanda thought she might have imagined it. "You don't want to explain why you left?"

"Listen, kid, I-"

"No, its fine!" Peter cut her off, suddenly finding his voice. Maybe it was because he was finally filling into his Stark ego, or maybe he was just done feeling cut off. After all, he had barely even seen the girl since her return to the tower, let alone talked to her. "You're right, I don't even remember that much! All I remember is that I had a big sister! Someone who wasn't old enough to be an aunt! And then she left and she didn't say anything and all I had was a stupid photo of the two of us standing in front of the New York Science Museum! And I hated you, for years! Part of me still does, so no, whatever your stupid reason, it isn't going to be good enough."

Wanda and he sat in silence again until the young woman heard the distinct sound of Peter crying. She moved towards him, hesitantly putting a hand on his shoulder. He pushed her back and looked up, brown eyes full of tears.

"Why? Go on, tell me why!"

"I- I- I was so scared. Peter, I was terrified. You were so young and you just... I was just a year older than you were when I got my own powers. You're Uncle Bucky was the one who saved me, but... I came to the tower to find a new family, one that made me feel safe and normal. And I was 13 when you came to stay with us. And I was so scared that you were going to be the new favorite of the family, that I would lose my new family. Peter, I know it doesn't make sense. I know, I just... Peter, something happened. Something you don't remember.

"We were kids, you were still 9, I had just turned 14. I was still trying to learn how to control my powers, especially when I got upset. Pepper had promised to take me shopping for a new dress, for middle school graduation. She promised and then you had fallen at the park with Happy and you had fallen, pretty badly. There was going to be stitches."

Peter remembered that... sort of. Everything before 11 was still blurry.

"Pepper canceled and I was so mad. I wanted to know why. I went to the med bay, only to find you all banged up and surrounded by family. I was so angry and then I was just engulfed in red fire and-"

"You tried to kill me?"

"No!" Wanda rushed forward, crouching in front of Peter and putting her hands on his knees. Peter tried to move back, but stopped when he heard her speak again.

"Peter, I tried to kill myself. I was so... so angry. Angry that for a brief moment, I hated you. And I thought I was going to hurt you. I ran away that night, Aunt Tasha found me first. She convinced me to come home for a bit, just to get the rest of my stuff. She and Clint set me up in a little place Tony and Pepper had in Honolulu, and I got a lot of therapy. And when that was done, I had a choice.

"I sat down with Tony and Steve and we talked about my options. I could come back to the tower, or I could travel around and continue training and saving things. In the end, I was too scared to come back. Too scared I would hurt you or the family. So I stayed away."

Peter nodded, not really knowing what to say. After all, what do you say to someone you hated a moment ago.

"Peter, I never got a mom and dad when I came here. I had Aunt Tasha and Uncle Bucky, that was it. I didn't want to take away your parents or... hurt you," Wanda said the last bit so quietly. Almost like she was broken. She hadn't meant to start crying, after all, this was about Peter, not her. But nonetheless, she was crying.

Peter leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her. Wanda tensed at the feeling, especially coming from someone who claimed to hate her.

"It's okay. I understand."

It was slow going, but the two talked. Apparently, Wanda and Natasha had been writing and calling all these years, Wanda keeping the older woman up to date on her own life, and Natasha keeping the younger woman up to date on Peter.

"I really do love you, Peter. I never stopped loving you."

Peter smiled, a familiar feeling of warmth spreading in his chest.

It was hours later, when the family returned from their outings. Natasha was the first one to notice the two teens, asleep on the couch. Wanda had an arm over Peter, snoring slightly, and Peter was curled up with his head on her shoulder, fast asleep.

"Shhh," she hissed, pointing. "I think they talked."