Wanda and Nathan

[x-scarletwitch.livejournal.com]

Wanda finally acts on Angelo's information and goes to confront Nathan before his arranged meeting. Stubborn is not the word to use in this situation.



Waving hello to a few of her students, Wanda let the crowd of people sweep her along down the sidewalk. It was an area full of coffee shops, bars and used bookstores; a veritable college student haven, really. Students and teachers, which meant her presence was not unexpected, especially for a professor that tended to be a bit more social than some of her other colleagues.

As the crowd dispersed at the corner, she slipped in the door of one of the coffee shops, keeping as low a profile as she could. Sneaky stuff wasn't her forte but this was an ambush and if she gave Nathan any indication she was there, the chance he would just leave was high. Spieing him near the back, she nodded to herself and started to slowly make her way there, making sure he wouldn't pick up on her telepathically. Her powers had their advantage.

Nathan was brooding over his coffee, mentally rehearsing what he was going to say to Tara when she got here. This wasn't going to turn into yet another one of those conversations where she asked all the questions and did all the talking. That didn't do either of them any good. Someone approached the table and he looked up - only to freeze in his chair, his expression tightening as he saw who it was. Wrong academic.

"Wanda."

"Nathan." Tugging out the chair across from him, Wanda slid bonelessly into it, resting her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands. "Simply shocking, running into you. Here. At this particular time."

He wasn't even going to ask. Because he just did not want to know. "Remy and Pete have been teaching you bad habits, or I'm getting sloppy. Maybe both." Probably both.

Wanda shrugged one shoulder while she kept staring at him. "I have always been a quick study, let us just put it that way," she said, then paused as one of the girls behind the counter ran out with a cup of tea - one of her students and one who recognized her as a regular at the shop. Wanda thanked her and paid her before turning back. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

Nathan just raised an eyebrow, not liking her tone at all. "Discussing subjects of interest with a woman who's no threat to me," he said coolly.

"Then if she's of no threat, perhaps then I will join you. I am always up for discussing subjects of interest, after all. And she is a colleague." She settled back against her chair, calming her temper as she took a sip of her teat.

"See, though, this is one of those strange conversations where you actually need an invitation, Wanda." It was rude, but he wasn't feeling polite. Psyching himself up to see Tara took a great deal of effort - there was a reason he did it this rarely - and Wanda was screwing with his zen.

Glancing around, Wanda gestured helplessly. "Oh, look. I happen to be a paying customer and this happens to be one of the only free tables around. I suppose I will have to stay exactly where I am for the time being, invitation or no." It was not like Trask had given them a truthful invitation of her own when the mess had started, Wanda was reasoning. It was very good logic and she'd beat Nathan to death with it if she had to.

"Do you expect her to talk to me if she comes in and finds you sitting here?" Nathan asked irritably, his eyes flickering towards the door. The problem was, as soon as the words were out of his mouth he started to wonder. If she thought Wanda was here to talk, she just might.

"I honestly have no idea and I really cannot say I care much." Another sip and then a sigh. "Punching a person in the nose apparently has an adverse affect on their relationship with you," Wanda said wryly. "But either way, it should be fun."

"So why are you here, Wanda? Really."

For a second, she just stared into the depth of her tea, watching the ripples across the surface. "Because I found out that a friend was secretly meeting with a woman that he had been terrified of me meeting," she said, tilting her head sideways and locking eyes with him. "Do you remember that argument we had? You were so convinced she was dangerous that you wanted me to have nothing to do with her. Your fear was inspiring, let me put it that way. So I asked myself what you would do if our roles were reversed."

"I wasn't thinking clearly that night, Wanda," Nathan pointed out. "My subconscious was probably getting good and aggravated in preparation for pulling that defensive trick the next morning." He couldn't help a faint shudder at the memory, even months later. His mind turning itself inside out was not an experience he ever wanted to repeat.

"I see the trend is continuing," she replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Why the secrets, then, if she's not dangerous? And I swear upon the cute little shoes I bought this morning, if you say 'Because I knew you would react like this', I am shoving something hard and pointy up your nose. Because the only reason I am this angry is because you were sneaking around!"

Nathan looked up at her, meeting her eyes fully for the first time since she'd sat down. "Because it's my job, to deal with her," he said slowly. No irritation in his voice this time. "Think of the knowledge of the Askani like stones thrown into still water. You, and I, and Jean... we thought we were the stones. We could predict the ripples, at least to an extent. But there was a fourth stone all along. We've been missing the ripples she's caused, all this time... we need to keep things simple for now, Wanda. In order to map what she's done, and what she's planning to do. There's no chance of responding until we know. The more we muddy the issue, the longer that's going to take."

Her tea was starting to get cold but she didn't care, just kept holding the cup while she talked. "The funny thing is that we agree," Wanda said slowly, reacting to his tone and lack of general irritation. They seemed to only wind each other up when both of them were going. "We both know there's very little chance she'll talk to either Jean or myself. You, it's you she's interested in. Talk to her, keep an eye on her. But, Nathan, do not shut us out. Keep us informed, let us each do the things that we are good at doing. There is no reason for secrets when letting us in will do nothing but good."

Nathan looked back down at his coffee, his mouth twisting. There was resistance to Wanda's argument written all over his face, even if he didn't say anything right away.

Wanda simply stared at him, lines forming around her eyes as she struggled to keep her irritation in check. "Would not this be easier if Jean and I joined forces with you instead of constantly badgering you?" she asked.

Hell, that was just what he would need, for Jean to find out about this too. "What in God's name makes you think anything about this is or could ever be easy?" Nathan shot back - under his breath. He was not having a screaming argument with Wanda in public. "It's not. She scares the hell out of me. She wants so much." Things he couldn't and wouldn't give.

"I know she does, Nathan, and to be honest it scares me that this woman scares you so much. Look at all you have faced but this woman makes you stop in your tracks?" She glanced over his shoulder and mused, "You worry about us getting in above our heads if you let us help you. I wonder how much trouble we will get in if we simply forge ahead without each others help."

"I'm looking for the lesser of two evils here, Wanda." At least that was the logic he'd started all this with. Like all of his logic, it was probably questionable in some way or another. "She doesn't have anything to hold over your heads - you and Jean, I mean. Might be better not to give her anything." His mouth twisted again. "And she's awfully good at finding those things..."

Wanda wiggled her fingers at him slightly. "I escaped through a bathroom window, successfully thwarting her efforts to gather me into her girl loving folds and I punched her in the nose," she said lightly. "I think if she really wanted to find something to latch onto, I may have already given it to her." There was a sigh and then a grimace as she sipped her cold tea. "Have you ever wondered how long the two of us could go in circles around each other?"

"I suffer from a lack of directness these days," Nathan said, almost distantly. "It's all the political crap. It starts to take over."

The distance caused her to glance up at him and she frowned. "You feeling alright?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "It's not been a really great summer," he said, somewhat flatly. "Or a great 2007, on the whole. I'm fine, I'm just... tired."

"Seriously, Nathan, I want to help but all I am going to end up doing is running myself into the ground if I keep running into the wall you put up. For my own protection or no." Wanda gave him a look. "Maybe if you let us help, the exhaustion would ease."

"I'll let you know what I can." It was a scrupulous choice of words, there was no other way to describe it. He raised an eyebrow, going on before she could respond. "That's the best I can offer, Wanda. There are things I'm trying to get her to tell me that I-" His throat tightened, but he went on bleakly. "Well, they're things that are more personal. Or could be. I'm not sure yet, because she won't talk about them yet. But it's easy enough to do the math and figure out that she was eavesdropping on Askani back during the years that Askani was speaking to my mother."

Wanda studied him for a moment longer and then sighed softly, this time in sympathy than irritation. "I am not surprised but I am sorry," she said and then nodded once. "If that is the best you can offer, well, then I suppose I will have to take it. Only if you promise me this. Secrets are dangerious, Nathan, and are likely to get you killed. Let someone know the next time you come to meet this woman. I promise I won't interfere unless you ask me to or without proper warning, at least. I am, after all, the least of your worries considering what will happen if your wife finds out."