CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
HANDS OFF

SHE COULDN'T BREATHE. HER LUNGS felt choked, her throat was closed as a fist was tightly wrapped around her throat. She cried out, screamed as much as she could with the chokehold covering her throat. It was like a boa constrictor was growing tighter and tighter around her throat until her face started turning purple and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She could hear someone call her name, shaking her body.

     "Beth! Beth wake up!" Wanda shook the girl, having heard her cries from the next room over. She had used her magic to get into the room, immediately panicking when she saw the girl's face turning purple for no reason before realizing that Beth was dreaming. "Beth, get up!" Wanda was panicking, looking around before doing something irrational and shoving her wisps inside of Beth's head.

     To her surprise, she found herself in Beth's dream. She looked around before running forward, stopping when she saw Beth limp in the man's grasp. Her eyes glowed red before she yelled out, "Hey, asshole! Hands off!" The red shoots from her hands, hitting the man allowing his hand to fall from around Beth's throat. The girl fell to the floor and Wanda immediately ran over to her, kneeling down and shaking her.

    "Beth." She whispered the girl's name, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she felt tears suddenly to spring to her eyes when the woman didn't respond. "Come on, Beth. Come on." Wanda's jaw clenched as she looked up when she heard guns being loaded. Wanda looked around before glancing down at Beth before standing up with red replacing the usual color of her eyes. The chaos covered her hands as she looked at the group of men before throwing the magic and knocking them all out in an instant.

     A gasp fell from Beth's lips as she sat up, looking around before noticing Wanda standing there. She cocked her head slightly. "Wanda? Did I fall into your dream again?"

     "You're okay." Wanda immediately turned to the girl, kneeling back down beside of her. "Wake up."

And she did. Another gasp fell from Beth's lips as she sat up in her bed, a hand around her throat from where she had been choked. She gulped for air, coughing violently as she tried to catch her breath. Wanda placed a hand on the girl's back, watching Beth with worried eyebrows as she tried to breathe normally once again. Beth closed her eyes, swallowing thickly before turning her head to look at Wanda only to find tears in her eyes.

     "Wanda? What's wrong?" Beth brought a hand up to her cheek and wiped away her tears with a small frown, cocking her head slightly as she waited for the girl to answer. Wanda stood up, shaking her head and closing her eyes. Beth's frown deepened as she stood up as well. "Wanda?"

     "I just. . . you weren't breathing. You wouldn't wake up." Wanda shook her head as she looked at Beth before whispering, "I thought I lost you. I just got you, I can't lose you just as quick. I can't deal with anymore death right now. I just. . . I can't."

     "Hey. . ." Beth immediately went up to her, shaking her head. "I know I can't control my dreams, but I do pretty good at the not dying part. You're not going to lose me, Wanda. Not anytime soon, alright?"

     "You don't know that."

     "You're right, I don't." Beth nodded. She looked at the ground before grabbing Wanda's hand and meeting her eyes. "But me not dying is the only thing I've been holding onto since I was thirteen. So trust me when I say, as long as it's under my control, I won't be going anywhere." Wanda closed her eyes before nodding her head. "Come here." Beth pulled the girl into her arms, holding onto her as Wanda rested her head on Beth's shoulder. Beth held onto her and closed her eyes as she felt her shoulders relax and the burning to finally fade from her sore throat.

Beth couldn't go back to sleep, but she allowed Wanda to stay in her room and lay back down in her bed. Beth stood there, staring down at the pink magic covering her hands as she carefully waited for the water to boil. A bruise was now placed around her throat from her dream, her throat still sore from the screaming. When the kettle started to whistle, Beth was quick to pull it from the stove and pour it into a cup that held a tea bag. She grabbed her cup of tea before sitting down in the chair placed next to the window.

She silently sat there, sipping on her tea and watching as the stars and moon slowly started to disappear from the sky, being replaced with the colors of the sunrise. Her hands were cupped around the mug, watching as agents started their day, training and being prepared for any outcome. It seemed that Maria and Sage were training the soldiers that morning. Beth turned her head when she heard movement, looking up just in time to watch Wanda walk out of the room, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

     "I made some tea. Would you like some?" Beth questioned. Wanda looked at the girl for a moment, studying her as if to get it through her head that Beth was still actually there and that she hadn't died a few hours prior. She put a small smile on her face before nodding her head. Beth nodded before standing up and walking to the little kitchen she had before pouring the water into another cup with a tea bag placed in it.

     "Here you go." She handed the cup to Wanda, smiling at her before taking a seat on the couch beside of her. "You slept well, I hope."

     "Better than I thought I would." Wanda admitted. She then noticed the bruises around the girl's neck, going to touch them but stopping herself. "How's your throat?"

     "It hurts." Beth admitted with a nod. "But the tea helps. I'm sorry for scaring you like that last night."

     "Don't apologize." Wanda shook her head. "I was supposed to work with you today, see if we could learn some more about your new development in your powers. But after last night―︎"

     "I'd like to do that, actually." Beth admitted, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I want to know if there's a way to control it. To keep me from scaring you like that again. I can't be the reason for someone's tears. For someone's hurt."

Wanda looked at Beth for a moment before realizing something. The realization of what Willow and Natasha had suddenly clicked. The way they looked at one another, talked about each other. It was the same way that Wanda found herself talking about Beth and looking at her. Maybe she had known it deep down. But from the moment she had Beth in her arms, she had fallen for her. Spending months on end trying to find Beth, Wanda had never been so worried about someone in her life. But then Beth came along, and she was the only thing that had been on Wanda's mind.

She thought that it would go away once she knew Beth was safe, but watching the girl thrive, watching her live, and smile, and laugh, the thought of Beth only grew more and more. She couldn't control the words that flew from her mouth. She had just woken up, and the thought was so clear. They were taking steps together, but maybe Wanda had taken it a step too far. Maybe Wanda had just ruined everything.

     "Wanda, is everything alright?" Beth questioned with a small frown.

     Wanda blinked, moving away from her thoughts and meeting Beth's eyes before the words came flying out of her mouth without any warning. "I think I love you."