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#he’s at PRACTICE in CHICAGO 🙄
j-ustkeepgliding · 4 months
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The Flip Side Part 6
Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x reader
Word count: ~9.5k
Summary: Your motivation to continue working as a mobster in Chicago is dwindling after the birth of your daughter.
A/N: So glad to be going home soon! I can go places on my own and I can wear shorts without being stared at! Yayy! Will reread this later to look for the damned flipped dialogue🙄. Enjoy!
Warnings: angst, smut, being arrested, threats of violence
Unfortunately, Wanda was no stranger to stress and anxiety. Even before meeting you, she’d been an anxious person who’d often lose sleep or hair over certain things that brought her stress. She would say; however, that since meeting you this had gotten a lot worse. Your lifestyle and your very existence was a dangerous, unpredictable one that Wanda had accepted into her life without fully understanding it. She’d learned quickly that in order to cope with the stress, she had to practice both mindfulness and blissful ignorance.
Despite how well these have served her in the past, she knew that this wasn’t an option tonight. She’s not sure if she’s ever felt this stressed, and she’d ended up taking one of your meds when you told her about what was going to happen to you tomorrow. The idea of you being sent to jail for an indefinite amount of time for a crime you didn’t commit was making her blood pressure skyrocket. 
You’d told her everything that Bucky and Nat had shared with you. She knew you didn’t do this because you’d been with her the entire day that Jacobs was killed. She hadn’t realized that you had planned to target him, but now that she did, she wondered the same thing as you and the rest of your friends. 
Who wanted to beat you to it so badly just to frame you? 
The idea of anyone putting in that much work to get you in jail and out of the way was a little daunting, and no one wanted to consider the significance of this. Once your friends leave, you and Wanda are left sitting at the dining room table in silence as your wife tries to process the bad news. Boone is sitting by your side because he can tell you’re anxious and he goes between licking your hand and laying his head on your leg to comfort you. Natalya is asleep at this point, but Wanda has the baby monitor sitting on the table in front of her as she pets Fat Louise as she purrs in her lap. 
“How confident are you that your attorney can get you out of jail?” 
Under any other circumstance you would say that you had no doubt that your friend Gavin could get you out within hours. He was a brilliant attorney who was well-respected and you’d rarely seen him lose. That said, given the number of unknowns with your situation, it’s hard for you to determine what factors, or rather people could be working against you. This means that something that seems easy and straight forward might take a little more time and effort. You don’t want to tell Wanda this because she’ll worry with you, but she deserves to know the truth. You don’t want to tell her you’ll be out soon and take days to actually be released. 
“Hopefully within a day or two.” 
Wanda’s frowning as she mulls this over before shaking her head. She’s not going to stress about this particular detail for too long, at least she’s going to pretend like she won’t. She hates the idea of you being away from her, and being vulnerable in jail all by yourself. She also, belatedly, realized that you won’t be around to make her feel safe in her own home. The security system and the personnel downstairs were still there of course, but they weren’t you. You answer her next question before she gets a chance to ask it. 
“I’ll make sure that someone is keeping you as updated as possible. If Gavin’s busy then maybe Bucky or Steve will keep in touch.”
Wanda just nods in silence as she thinks about how much she hates this. She’s so stressed about all of this that she understands why it triggered a panic attack for you. She takes a deep breath and puts Fat Louise on the ground with a groan. You’re breathing deeply as you try to figure out how to deal with the antsy feelings that’s come over you. You’re just waiting around to get arrested, and the lack of control over the situation made you want to binge. 
You realize what you have to do as soon as you remember that Yelena had left a full bottle of wine behind. Wanda had asked her to because she’d considered drinking it, but now she knew it wouldn’t make her feel better. If anything, she’d be paranoid that she would miss you leaving. Wanda looks up as she watches you stand and head for the kitchen without a word. She’s not sure what’s you’re doing, but when you grab a knife and a bottle opener, Wanda’s on her feet. 
“Y/n? What are you doing?” 
Wanda walks towards you and just watches as you cut the metal off of the top of the bottle to reveal the cork before starting to open it up. You can’t remember the last time you did this and your hands are practically shaking in anticipation. You shake your head as you finish up and pull out the cork, but you don’t let Wanda fret for long. 
“I’m getting rid of this so I don’t think about it all night. Unless you wanted some?” 
Wanda shakes her head before watching as you pour the entire bottle of 0.5% alcohol wine down the drain. She watches you relax slightly once it’s gone and you put the bottle in recycling before taking another deep breath. You’re bracing yourself on the counter and you turn to Wanda with an apologetic look that she appreciates but doesn’t know what to do with. 
“I’m sorry, Wands. I don’t know how this happened, but we’ll figure it out.” 
After checking on Natalya and the dogs one last time, you and Wanda end up in bed exhausted but not anywhere ready to sleep. You know that as soon as you wake up, you’re going to have to leave your wife and daughter for a stuffy interrogation room followed by a cold jail cell. You resist the urge to text Gavin again just to be sure he’s on standby. He’d texted earlier just to reassure you that he would be ready to come to your aid, and after thanking him you’d had to tamp down the urge to share all of your fears with him. Instead, you put your phone away and make sure that everything is set up for your wife. 
You’d long ago given her access to your bank accounts and given her power of attorney. You’d insisted she keep her money from the restaurant separate for legal purposes, but you also made sure that she knew where all of your important documents were including your will and the numerous deeds for the buildings you owned. They weren’t in the bank or in the penthouse that might be searched tomorrow depending on how things went. You try not to worry about the many weapons that are hidden around in the various rooms of your home. You turn to your wife and wonder if she’d be willing to hear what you feel you have to say. Luckily your time together has been enough for her to be able to read you like a book. 
“I know what you’re going to say, Y/n. I’ll make sure that everything is taken care of. “
You’re still frowning by the time you lie down next to your wife. You hate the idea of cops in your house. You just hate cops period, but the idea of them searching for something in your house makes you nervous. Other than weapons they’re not much else of value. You have a safe with money, extra magazines and some jewelry. You hope that Gavin keeps them from coming here, but you’ll have to worry about that later. If they did end up here, you’re at least glad that you have the dogs to keep an eye on them. 
“Can you come over here, please?” 
A few seconds later you’re in your wife’s arms on her side of the bed. You sigh happily as Wanda kisses the top of your head. She’s very stressed right now, but she knows that there’s nothing she can do about it. She just has to let this run its course and once you’re arrested, she’ll talk to Gavin and figure out what his plan is. Then maybe their friends can figure out who’s behind all of this.
” I know this is scary, detka, but we’ll figure it out.” 
You’re still frowning after Wanda says this and she sighs in defeat before turning slightly so she can look at you. You speak up before she gets a chance to ask, and you meet her gaze with a worried one. 
“I hate that I have to leave you and Nat.” 
Wanda won’t lie. She hates this too. She can’t remember the last time you went away on business and left her in the penthouse alone. Definitely not since having Natalya, and that made the idea even scarier. She knew where all the weapons you kept in their home were, and she had five, well really three dogs that she’s sure would protect her and Natalya if necessary. She hopes it doesn’t come to this, and she reminds herself that she won’t be completely alone either way. She still has your friends and her brother. 
“I do too, but we’ll have Pietro to keep us company until you come back. Don’t take too long though.”
This brings a smile to your face which is what Wanda was aiming for, and she smiles victoriously. You know that she’s only partially kidding because despite loving and appreciating her brother’s presence he can be a lot sometimes, and she’d prefer your company on most days. You just hold Wanda for a while and try to relax, but you keep thinking about what could happen to you once you’re in jail. You hate it but you’re a pessimist and you have no idea how long you’ll be in there for. You know how risky it is for you to be locked up because it only takes minutes for your enemies to figure this out and try to use it to their advantage. 
The most important thing to you is your family, and you were going to ask Bucky or Steve to keep watch on them regardless of if Pietro comes to stay with Wanda. You don’t want to risk anything happening. You tighten your grip around Wanda’s waist without realizing it and she sighs slightly before squeezing your hand to get your attention. She can easily tell that you’re fretting, and she wants to help you feel better, if possible. She knows that this is not a situation that she is really prepared for. 
“You’re stressing yourself out, Y/n. Is there anything I can do to help you relax?” 
You want to say a lot of things that might help you relax. Only a couple are viable options given that you’ve quit drugs and alcohol so you just shake your head as you move as close as possible to your wife with a ragged sigh. 
“You being here with me is all I need, Wands. Thank you. For earlier too.” 
Wanda’s hold on you tightens as she kisses your head with a smile you don’t see, but you can hear clearly. Wanda’s more than happy to just hold you all night long. Especially since she’s not sure when she’ll be able to have you here again. She feels the same way about pulling you out of your panic attacks. As much as she hates them, she loves the feeling that she gets when you come back to yourself. It’s a combination of intense relief, pride, and a smidge of sadness. Regardless of how difficult things could be, she’ll be here for you tomorrow, the next day, and every one after that. 
“I love you, detka. You don’t have to thank me for that.”
You wholeheartedly disagree, but you’re not in the mood to argue with your wife. You just want to cherish the rest of the night that you have together. You look up at her and kiss your way to her mouth. Your first attempt is on her chin because you can’t see in the dark, and the second is on her cheek. When you finally find your wife’s lips you initiate a chaste kiss that eventually becomes heated. 
“I love you too, Wands. I don’t deserve how good you are to me.” 
Wanda’s protests are cut short as your hands begin to wander down from her waist to her hips. She hisses as you squeeze her thighs with a groan. Your wife’s thighs are probably one of your favorite parts of her body. You shift so you’re able to get a better hold of them as you continue to kiss your wife. Wanda’s breathing is slightly labored when she breaks your kiss and reaches down to catch your wrist as your fingers brush her inner thigh. 
“You don’t have to, Y/n.” 
No matter how much Wanda would love to do this with you she doesn’t want you to feel obligated. She also doesn’t want this to turn into something too desperate. She refuses to believe you won’t come back to her soon. She’ll make it happen somehow. It doesn’t matter who she has to go after. 
Your smartass response is paired with a smile as you try to pull your hand free. You never feel put upon with Wanda, and you would certainly never see sex as an obligation. 
“I know I don’t, Wands. I don’t have to do anything technically.” 
You don’t get the reaction you’d expected, and you frown as Wanda’s grip on your wrist tightens as she shoots you a stern look that’s lost to the darkness. She shakes her head before leaning in so she can speak directly into your ear. She feels you shudder as she speaks, and she feels you nod almost immediately. 
“That’s not true. You have to come back to me and Natalya, Y/n. No matter what. We need you. “
You feel tears welling up in your eyes as you nod again in understanding mixed with relief. You’ll make sure you’re back to your wife and daughter as soon as possible. No matter how much Wanda feels that she needs you, you’re certain you need the two of them more. You’re not sure where you would have ended up without Wanda. 
“I always will. You don’t have to worry about that, my dear.” 
Instead of offering a verbal response, Wanda kisses you again and she releases your wrist with a sigh. You don’t take this as permission to continue though, and you break apart for just long enough to ask. 
“Can I touch you, please?” 
Wanda doesn’t have the willpower to tell you no when she really wants you to do just that. She nods before she’s reaching out for your arms, squeezing your biceps with a smile as she parts her legs slightly. 
“Yes, please.”
You waste no time reaching between your wife’s legs to see if she’s ready. She jumps slightly and hisses as your fingers slide through her heat over her shorts. Wanda curses as you start to suck and bite her neck. You’re not shy about it but you make sure that it won’t leave marks as you sneak your hand past the waistband of your wife’s too small shorts. 
“Oh shit!” 
Wanda gasps as you slide your fingers through her wet folds, dipping them inside just enough for Wanda to tense up in anticipation. You moan at the fact that Wanda is practically dripping against your hand. You want to drag this out and do this right, but it’s late and you do need to sleep to prepare for tomorrow’s shit show. For this reason, you don’t hesitate long before you’re pushing your fingers deeper as you curl them against the soft spot that makes Wanda mewl desperately. She doesn’t hold back the loud whine as she starts to rock her hips toward you silently urging you to go faster. 
“Fuck, oh-oh God!”
Wanda tenses further as your free hand squeezes her breast. If you had more time, you’d take off her shirt, but you’re almost positive that if you stopped what you were doing to get better access to her chest, Wanda would not be happy. With this in mind, you continue to push and curl your fingers as Wanda’s breath starts to hitch. When her movements become more desperate, you use your thumb to circle her clit to push her over the edge. 
You muffle her loud moans with a kiss, and Wanda bites your lower lip with a groan as she takes in the feeling of her orgasm hitting her hard. She’s still panting when you pull your hand free, and she immediately reaches out for your hand before you can take it too far away. 
“That was amazing,” 
When you feel Wanda’s mouth around your fingers, you groan loudly and feel the pressure between your legs intensify. You wish more than anything that you could see what Wanda looks like as she sucks your fingers, but your imagination and previous experience are enough to get you painfully turned on. When she releases them with an audible ‘pop’ you imagine that she’s smirking at you in satisfaction. 
“But now it’s my turn, detka.” 
When you wake up the next morning, it’s earlier than you thought, but later than you could have hoped for given the circumstances. You leave your wife briefly to check on Natalya, but when you confirm that she’s still resting soundly, you decide that you need to take a shower. It seems silly given that you’ll undoubtedly get dirty, maybe even bloody in jail, but you want to face the police looking your best. You don’t want to appear as intimidated as you’re sure you’ll feel. 
Returning to your room, you see that Wanda’s still sleeping peacefully and you smile before retreating into the bathroom with an inaudible sigh. You’re not sure how much time you’ll have so you take a relatively quick shower, and immediately check your phone when you get back to the bedroom. You have no new messages and that makes you more nervous than you thought it would. 
Despite planning on staying home until the cops came to find you, you didn’t intend to let them up to the penthouse if you could help it. You don’t want them near Wanda, your daughter, or your dogs. Despite their lack of training for this particular behavior, your shepherds really didn’t like cops. Boone once barked and tried to lunge at one that you walked by, and Rogue actually bit one who was trying to grab you. 
“Hey, detka.” 
Wanda’s watching as you fluff your hair with a towel while looking for a change of clothes. She feels her smile widen when you turn to her with both of your towels in your hand. She doesn’t have time to sit up before you slide onto the bed to greet her. She giggles at you before meeting your lips in a quick kiss. She wonders how long you’ve been up, but she waits to ask this as you sigh before rolling onto your side. You close your eyes and reach out to pull your wife closer. 
“Morning, Wands. How did you sleep?” 
Surprisingly well despite knowing that she would be waking up this morning with very little time with you. She’s actually a little surprised that she didn’t have to wake up earlier to say goodbye. She’s at least grateful that they’d waited. She tells you some of this and you smile widely before considering your options. You’re a little hungry, but you wouldn’t mind staying in bed for a little bit longer. 
About ten minutes later you and Wanda roll out of bed to get dressed. You dress up a little more than you typically would, but you’re expecting company and Wanda seems to realize this as well. She wears her normal clothes before promising to meet you in the kitchen after she checks on Natalya. 
The dogs are fed and let outside by the time that Wanda wakes up Natalya. You’re warming up a bottle while juggling eggs and orange juice as you grab a pan from the cupboard. 
“Hey, I have her breakfast going. I was just getting started on ours.” 
Wanda nods before stepping in to help you and this time you don’t protest as she helps you cut the time down by half. You don’t want to show it but you feel slightly rushed and want to make sure you can eat and spend a little time with your wife and daughter before being carted off to jail. 
Boone’s sitting beside you as you eat when your phone vibrates beside you. You can’t help but stiffen and start to sweat until you grab it and see that it’s Bucky. Your feeling of relief only lasts for a second until you read the message. 
They should be there in about 15 minutes. 
You sigh heavily and type out a quick reply before setting your phone down. Wanda’s looks to you expectantly and you just nod before standing up to clean the dishes. 
“They’ll be here in 15 minutes.” 
Wanda isn’t surprised by the feeling of dread that overcomes her at this news. She’d been waiting for this moment for over 12 hours, but she hadn’t realized how ill-prepared for it she was. How did one really prepare to send their wife off to jail, even if only for a bit? Thinking back to last night, she’s not sure she’d change anything about it. She just wishes this moment wouldn’t come. 
You realize that your wife is tense with anticipation and you frown before abandoning the dishes for now. You set them back down before moving so you’re kneeling at Wanda’s side. You look to Rogue who is now at eye level on Wanda’s other side before putting a hand on her leg with a sigh. 
“I know this is scary, love. I’m not sure there’s much I can say to make it any easier, but just know that I’ll be back, okay?” 
Wanda reaches out to squeeze your hand as she wipes tears from her eyes. You hate how upset she is and you kiss her hand before giving her all the reassurance you really can right now. 
“I will be back, Wanda. I promise I won’t leave you.” 
When you and Wanda manage to get around to cleaning the kitchen you hear the obnoxious buzzer go off only a minute after you sit down on the couch with Wanda. You reluctantly pull away from her and Natalya to confirm that this is your entourage. 
“Hello?”
There’s a pause as you lift your finger off the button, and you turn down the volume quickly when a booming voice comes through the speaker. You frown at the familiar voice and the use of the word ‘we’. Of course, this wouldn’t be without excessive force. As per usual. 
“Y/N, Y/L/N this is Chief Donner with the Chicago PD, we need you to come down to the lobby.”
You hold back the strong urge to sass him and tell him that you’ll be down there at some point, but not anytime soon. You look to your wife who’s holding Natalya tightly in her arms. She’s gotten up at this point and you just take a deep breath before deciding to get this over with. Dragging it out would only be fun for you, but you’re sure Wanda would rather you cooperate so you don’t get into any further trouble. You’re not even going to bother mentioning how many times this man has threatened to come after you. He’s probably near gleeful to finally be able to knock on your door – so to speak. 
“I’ll be right down, Chief.” 
You walk over to where your wife is fretting, and you offer her a smile before leaning over to kiss your daughter. 
“I love you little one, be good for Mommy while I’m gone.” 
Wanda can’t help but tear up again and you quickly wipe them away with a serious look. You love both Wanda and your daughter more than you could put into words. You’re not sure what you’d do without them, and you’re not about to find out. You’ll be back soon, and you’ll figure out who the hell is after you. Maybe even while behind bars. You just needed Wanda to be careful while you were gone. 
“I love you so much, Wanda. I’ll be back soon.” 
You kiss your wife like you’re just going out to the store, but Wanda doesn’t accept this and quickly deepens it. She pulls you closer to her side so you don’t squish Little Nat, and you wrap your arms around the duo carefully. When you have to take a break to catch your breath, Wanda pushes you away with a sigh. This isn’t easy for her and she knows that if she doesn’t get you to leave now, she’ll be dealing with however many cops are downstairs coming up to find you. She turns away before shooting you a sad look. She steps back toward you when she realizes you’re frowning, and she kisses you one more time before smiling tearfully. 
“Go, detka. I’ll see you soon.” 
The ride down to the lobby seems to fly by and you regret leaving your phone with Wanda. You didn’t want them to take it from you and she’d agreed to keep it. Now, you wish you’d texted your friends to tell them what was happening. You assume that Bucky did it, but you couldn’t be sure. When the elevator dings as you arrive to the ground floor you take a deep breath before preparing for the doors to open. You put on as brave a face as you can as you stand up straighter. 
You’re not surprised to see the crowd of almost half a dozen cops waiting for you. You nearly roll your eyes, but the sight of your friends standing between them and you, makes your heart soar. You smile slightly as they turn to face you and you walk out of the elevator as if you own the building. Which you do. 
“Good to see you guys, at least some of you.” 
Steve, Bucky, Nat and Yelena had all wanted to make sure that you weren’t alone for this stressful, slightly traumatizing experience. You haven’t been arrested since you got sober and they have a feeling this won’t be a pleasant experience for many reasons. Bucky had already contacted your lawyer and he was already on his way down to the station. Yelena had volunteered to follow you once you’d been taken away just to make sure you got to where you were supposed to go. She wouldn’t put it past the cops to try and get some time alone with you. Given how long you’ve been in this business, you know all of the high-ranking officials, some of them on a first-name basis. 
You’re very grateful for your friends’ presence because it gives you just enough confidence to keep it together. You can do this. You’re not alone. Your friends, your family will be there for you. They’ll get you out of jail. 
“What can I do for you gentlemen?” 
Unsurprisingly they tell you what they found and then one of them moves forward to handcuff you. You don’t say a word, and you shoot your friends a smile before following them out to your ride. Your anxiety is building and it’s in this moment that you realize you forgot to take your meds. Well, you’ll either get them in prison, or you’ll just have to make do. 
“Y/N, Y/L/N, you are under arrest for the murder of Senator Jacobs. You have the right to remain silent…”
Wanda’s grateful for the fact that her brother shows up only 15 minutes after you leave. She realizes that someone’s briefed him of what’s going on because he doesn’t even ask about it. He asks if she’s okay, and she really doesn’t have a good answer for this so she just shrugs from where she’s sadly slumped on the couch.
Pietro frowns at his sister before he takes a seat beside her. He looks over to Natalya who is resting in her crib beside the dogs. He wonders if she’ll miss your absence, and if so how long it will take. You’ve been home more recently. But Natalya’s got to be used to you disappearing occasionally. 
“I know what you’re thinking, Piet.”
Pietro knows that despite his feelings towards you, there’s a good reason for what happened today. He doesn’t think that you killed anybody because not only do you leave that to your minions, but you wouldn’t be dumb enough to leave a gun for the police to find. The only reason you’d do that is if you wanted to get caught, or if you were drunk. Given that Wanda hadn’t told him about any concerns she had, he figured that something else must be going on. 
Last time he’d talked to his sister about you things hadn’t gone well, and to avoid having another argument about you he quickly shakes his head. He’d like to stay on his sister’s good side, especially if he’s going to hang out here for a few days, or however long it took for you to get back here. 
“Do you? Because I was going to say that everything will be fine. Y/n didn’t do this and she’ll be back before you know it.” 
Understandably, Wanda looks a little dubious as she turns to study her brother. She knows that he’s not your biggest fan. Hell, he’d tried to stop them from getting married, but Wanda had hoped that he’d come around sooner rather than later. She supposed this was later if he truly did believe this and wasn’t just telling her what she wanted to hear. She wouldn’t be surprised given that her wife was in jail for murder leaving her alone with their daughter. And their many fur children. 
“Oh yeah? How do you know that? “
In the back of her mind, Wanda knows that she’s giving Pietro a hard time, but she can’t help it. She’s still miffed that her brother has so little faith in you and she feels the need to be defensive about it. You’re not here to defend yourself, not that you would if you were. You’d stopped trying to fight with your brother-in-law a couple years after marrying Wanda. It never ended well and you felt defeated and Wanda always got annoyed, so it wasn’t worth the hassle. Pietro would believe what he wanted about you, and you could only do so much to change his mind. Wanda’s thinking about the last fight you had with her brother when Pietro responds with a sigh. He realizes he probably should have been more understanding of what you’ve gone through. He was trying to be better now, but he still had a very long way to go. 
He risks reaching out for his sister and putting an arm around her as you had done earlier this morning. Wanda sighs in defeat because she can’t be mad at Pietro right now. She doesn’t have enough energy to dedicate to worrying about you and staying pissed at her brother. 
“Well, Y/n has always been good at accomplishing whatever she sets her mind to. Especially when it involves you, so I have no doubt that she’ll come back to you soon.” 
Wanda turns into her brother so her face is against his chest. She sighs as she tightens her hold on him and considers what he’s saying. He’s right about you always doing your best to make sure she was happy. Whether that was by staying out of trouble as much as possible, or making sure that she had an attentive wife, you always did your best to show your love. This would be no different hopefully. Despite several factors being out of your control, Wanda believes what Pietro says. You have an amazing lawyer and a wonderful group of friends that would step into the line of fire for you. 
“You’re just being nice to her because I’m upset.” 
Pietro admits that this was his initial motivation when mentioning you, but he was serious about trying to treat you better. It was only about 6 years too late, but he was going to prove to his sister that he could get along with her wife. He didn’t dislike her, he just had trouble letting go of his instincts to protect his sister from pain and heartbreak. Unfortunately, he was so determined to do this that he failed to realize how it tended to make things worse and his relationship with his sister-in-law was nearly non-existent because of it.  
“No, Wanda, I mean it. She’ll be back, and once she is she’ll eventually leave for—”
Pietro trails off before he can finish his thought and he suddenly panics at his misstep. He hadn’t meant to say this and when he feels Wanda sit up, he realizes he should have just kept his mouth shut. Wanda frowns as she shoots her brother a confused look. Why does he seem to think you’ll leave her for good? You would never do that to her and Natalya. Her frown turns into a scowl as she crosses her arms in annoyance. Just when she thought Pietro was going to try to be decent towards you. 
“What the fuck does that mean? Why do you think she’ll leave?” 
Pietro’s eyes widen in fear and confusion because he hadn’t expected Wanda to get this mad about it. She had to know that you were trying to take a very large step back from the business. As in you were trying to set things up so you could leave altogether. This is a long-term goal certainly, but now that you and Wanda had Natalya, he couldn’t imagine that you wanted to return to your larger, more dangerous role. He scratches the back of his neck as he tries to figure out how to address his sister’s ire in the most efficient way possible. 
“I just mean that she’s taking small steps away from the business so she can leave for good. “
Wanda’s anger evaporates like smoke once she realizes that she and her brother are talking about something completely different. She shakes her head at her own insecurity and doubt towards her brother before offering him an apologetic look. Things are a little tense right now, and she couldn’t deny that watching you leave this morning had felt like a goodbye. She wanted to believe that you would be back soon, but there were no guarantees in life, no matter how rich or influential you were. 
“Sorry, Piet. I thought you meant something else. I guess that is a good thing.” 
That’s putting it lightly, but Wanda doesn’t have the capacity to think about that right now. No matter how much she’d like you to retire and just spend your time with her in the restaurant with Natalya. She knows that you couldn’t do that any time soon, and trying to would be riskier than any of them were prepared for. 
She misses her brother’s frown as he attempts to work out what Wanda had thought he’d meant. It only takes him a few seconds, especially when he noticed how flushed his sister is. Wanda gets up to check on Natalya to distract herself from what she’s sure is coming next. She briefly wonders how long it will be until she has news on you. 
You’re exhausted already and it’s barely 10am. The clock on the wall of the tiny interrogation room you’re in ticks annoyingly loud as each second passes. After being brought to the station, you’d promptly gone through the booking process that brought back bad memories. You’d been strip searched, had your fingerprints taken, and gone through a too invasive health check before being told that Gavin was here to talk to you. You’d said nothing on the way here, but as you sit in this uncomfortable chair with your arms and legs in shackles you wished you’d been a little less compliant. 
You think you’ve been waiting for an hour, but the clock tells you it’s only been 15 minutes before Gavin walks in to the room looking as calm and collected as usual. Thank goodness for him. 
“Y/n, sorry for the hold up. They had a lot of silly questions.” 
This comment is directed toward one of your guards that is standing in the corner of the room. You fight the urge to smirk at this as you shake your head and insist that it’s fine. You’re just glad that you’re not having to sit in silence anymore. You’re also very grateful when the duo leaves you alone with your lawyer. 
“I appreciate you being here, Gavin.” 
Your friend offers you a smile before he gets right down to it. He’s helped you multiple times in the past, but this is the first case of yours that you’ve been charged with murder. There has never been sufficient evidence to get you in a room like this more than a couple of times. He was sure that you were innocent because he believed you when you said you were at home with your wife and daughter when Jacobs had been murdered. This had also been corroborated with your building’s security team, but this wasn’t enough considering the fact that they’d found your prints on the murder weapon. 
He says all of this and watches as your frown deepens at the news that this case is not going to be as straightforward as you’d hoped for. You knew that DNA was always tricky to get around, but it wasn’t impossible. You wonder how they’re going to do this for only a second before Gavin fills you in on his progress so far. 
“We’re having the lab try to age the fingerprints, but that can take 24 – 48 hours. The only thing we could think of is that the prints were old, and maybe someone else used that gun to frame you. Hopefully once we get that information, we can prove that you didn’t do this and you’ll be out of here.” 
You like the sound of this plan, but you don’t like how long the timeframe is. It’s relatively short all things considered, but any time away from your family and in this hellhole is too long. However, you know you can’t complain because this is the best that Gavin can do. You’re impressed and you ask if he has anything else you should know, and he hesitates for a moment before saying no.
“Why did you hesitate?” 
Your friend frowns as he considers how to best break the news to you. Despite being a high-profile individual and the inherent risk that lies in housing you with other inmates, you’ve been denied solitary. You can’t stop the slight panic you feel at this and you are already thinking of ways that you can defend yourself. 
“You’re going to be housed with two other women.” 
You groan under your breath before nodding and pretending like this wasn’t going to bother you. 
“Thank you, Gavin. Let me know when we have more answers, please.”
When Gavin leaves, you’re escorted by your babysitters to a holding cell that, as advertised, has two women in it. You don’t even look at them at all as you figure out how you’re going to get out of this mess, or at least to a more private cell. 
“Why do you think that Y/n will leave you?” 
It didn’t make any sense to Pietro why his sister would think this. He’s focused more attention on your flaws than he should have, but he’d be blind not to notice how much you love his sister. You’d been through hell and back with her by your side, and you’d told your friends that sometimes you think you’d only been able to do it because of her. Having a definitive goal and proper motivation to recover had been enough, and for you that was your fiancée and your desire to have a life and a family together. You’d shown no indication that you were no longer interested in that. 
Wanda shakes her head as she picks up Natalya and wanders over to where the dogs are sitting on the floor in front of the couch. She smiles as she pets Rogue and Boone before sitting back down. She and her brother sit in silence for a while as Wanda rocks Nat back to sleep. 
“She’s doing so well right now, but I guess I always have this fear that she’ll relapse and our life together will go down the tubes.” 
Pietro can’t help but wonder how much of this fear his sister has is due to his behavior over the years. He hates that something he’d done for her own good is causing her more anguish than comfort and he promises himself that he’ll do better. His sister deserves better. Pietro shakes his head as gets on the floor and reaches for Wanda’s hands with a sigh. One is behind Natalya’s back making it a little awkward, but he doesn’t care. He needs Wanda to listen to him when he says this. Wanda looks to him with a frown and he offers her a smile that immediately makes her roll her eyes. 
“Wands, you know how hard she’s worked for you, for all of you. She’s going to be okay. She has her family’s support, and she’ll only be away for a day or so. Nothing more.” 
Wanda doesn’t respond, but she moves back so she can lean against her brother again with a sigh. She rests her head on his shoulder, and she tries to believe what he says. You’ve given her no reason to be worried, but any disruption to your schedule, your life, this extreme could be difficult to deal with. Hopefully it will be as temporary as you and Pietro think. 
“Well, if it isn’t Y/n. What did you do to wind up in here?” 
Your first instinct that you’d run into these women before was unfortunately right, and they were cornering you now as they tried to intimidate you. You just sit on your uncomfortable cot with your back to the wall, and as neutral an expression as possible. You know that these two are employees of one of your rivals – she’s a giant pain in the ass. You had limited run ins with them, but unfortunately, they remembered you and were aware of your existence in this too small cell. You look around the sparse, dirty room and wonder if you’ll be able to sleep here. The bars of the door are just big enough for you to bash your head against and maybe knock yourself out if necessary. 
“What do any of us really do to get here, Nikki?” 
The brunette just scowls at you before her friend, the taller and scarier one steps forward with a sinister smile. The last time you’d seen this woman, it had been at a drug deal and a fight broke out which was unfortunate for many reasons. Not only did you not get all of your product, but the redhead had punched you so hard in the gut that it hurt to sit for days. 
“We’ve been off the streets for a while, Y/L/N. Have you not noticed?” 
This question catches you off guard but you hide it quickly behind a flippant attitude that only angers them further. You have to hide your smug look because you’ve been in here for 10 minutes, and that’s a little fast to get beaten up. 
“Oh yeah, I have been looking for you specifically in between doing actual work.”
The duo stare at you like they want to say more, but as a guard walks by, they decide to keep it to themselves for now. You just watch with a sigh as they retreat and you try to relax for a split second. You’ve been so tense since you got here and you are just counting down the hours until you get out. It’s 23 to 47 by now, right? 
You take a moment to consider what your friends are doing right now. Were they working? Probably, Gavin was the only one who was working your case at the moment, and that was on standby while they waited for the lab to finish processing your fingerprints. Maybe they were trying to figure out who was framing you. It seemed difficult given the amount of evidence that everyone had. It unfortunately all pointed to you. 
This thought makes you pause and you wonder for the first time how your fingerprints could be on a gun you never used. Or at least don’t remember using. The first thought that comes to mind is that you were drunk, and you hate it but it’s a viable option. If you were drunk when you last used this gun it’s very probable that you don’t remember it. That said, you have been sober for years, and how would anyone just happen to find a gun of yours and preserve it well enough to pull this off?
You’re shaking your head at the ridiculous thought before you consider other options. These are honestly more disturbing than someone finding and keeping one of your guns for years. You consider how someone could get your fingerprint. Gavin mentioned aging the prints found on the murder weapon, and you realize that this means he’s thinking the same thing as you. Someone was framing you, but they were going to extreme lengths to do it. The premeditation involved in following you, and lifting your prints is a little daunting. You can think of a single person who would go to so much trouble. 
The two occupying the cell with you turn as you noticeably stiffen in your cot. Your eyes widen before you try to shake the ridiculous thought. There’s no way that’s possible. You’re just grasping at straws. Killing time with ridiculous theories. You take a deep breath before closing your eyes and trying to calm down. You try to picture the usual go-to for you when you’re feeling overwhelmed, and you end up smiling a little at the thought of your wife. 
“Steve? What are you doing here?” 
Wanda realizes that she’s being rude when Steve just smiles sheepishly at her as he steps off the elevator. Since you’ve left, she’s been on high alert, and the sound of the elevator going off made her jump up to go investigate. She knew that only a handful of people had access to it, but she couldn’t help but want to make sure she was prepared for anything. 
After checking her phone to see the camera feed for the elevator she recognizes the familiar face and releases the breath she’d been holding. She greets her friend and he follows her toward the kitchen for a drink. 
“I just came to check in, and give an update. Hey Pietro.” 
The older Maximoff waves before he stands up to greet the blonde. He’s also thirsty and when he sees his sister grab a couple of glasses, he takes this as a chance to get some water. Natalya is sleeping, but he brings her along to the kitchen as Wanda pretends not to fret by heading to the fridge. 
“Okay, that’s good. Do either of you want a beer?” 
Pietro and Steve exchange confused looks, and the former turns to his sister who’s clearly flustered as she shakes her head. 
“What am I saying, we don’t have any beer. There’s not a drop of alcohol in this place.” 
Wanda looks surprisingly distraught by this fact, and Steve is quick to step in and try to bring her attention back to him. The feeling of his hand on her arm makes her turn and she sees his reassuring smile and instantly believes what he says. 
“Wanda. It’s okay really. It’s good news.” 
When the trio are sitting at the table with Natalya in Wanda’s lap Steve tells the Maximoffs what he’d been told a bit ago. He’d been on standby today since Bucky is covering for him, so he can keep an eye on Wanda. You’d asked him before you were arrested to keep Wanda safe, and to stick annoyingly close until either you were out of jail or when they had more answers about what was going on. There was still very little progress on finding out who was behind all of this, and you were worried. You’d tried to hide it, but you’d been so anxious that your nervous tick had come back. He hadn’t seen it in almost a year. 
Steve takes a deep breath as he waits for either Maximoff to react to what he’s said. Wanda appears deep in thought and Pietro is just looking at his sister in anticipation. When almost a minute passes and she doesn’t speak, Pietro decides to take the lead for now. 
“So Gavin thinks that she’s been framed with either an old gun of hers or someone stealing her fingerprints?” 
It sounded far-fetched and Pietro had a difficult time working through this. He wasn’t the only one and Wanda just shakes her head a couple of times before looking between the two in front of her with a grimace. The idea of someone going to such extreme lengths to get you into jail makes her wonder what the master plan is. She doesn’t know enough about what you do to really hazard a guess, but she’s afraid that this isn’t the only thing that’s going to happen. 
“All of this just to get Y/n into jail? Does someone just want her out of the way for a while?” 
Neither Steve nor Pietro had an answer for this and they shrugged or shook their head in response. Wanda sighs in defeat as she considers what else Steve told her. The good news supposedly. 
“As long as the lab results show that the fingerprints are older than say last week, she’ll be free to go?” 
That was Steve’s understanding, and unless something else came up you should be able to get out if they couldn’t find any other evidence to pin the crime on you. Your alibi was pretty solid.
“That’s the hope.” 
Wanda just nods absentmindedly as she dares to wonder what you’re up to right now. She hates the idea of you sitting alone in a jail cell because she knows you’re counting down the hours until you should get out. Hopefully you are alone because Wanda can’t imagine how a reunion with any other criminals you’ve wronged will go behind bars. 
By the time dinner is brought to you and your cellmates, two of you have black eyes. You’d gotten into a fight about which cot you’d get of all things. They’d tried to get you to sleep on the floor just to spite you, and you’d decked the taller one, Tanner in the face. She’d punched you back, and now you were bruised and just sitting back on your same bed. You weren’t sure if you’d be able to sleep tonight. You’re a little worried about getting killed in your sleep with these two. They could gang up on you and smother you with a pillow or just strangle you with their bare hands. 
“Dinner, ladies. Good to see you’re all getting along.”
You look to the three trays the guard is holding with a grimace. Whatever it is smells gross and looks even worse, but you stand up nonetheless to grab your tray with a tight smile. You’re not going to eat this, but you’re not going to give it to the duo that immediately begin eating their meal. You go back to your side of the cell and sit down with a huff. 
This was going to be a long night. 
Yelena released an annoyed huff as she looked around the bar for her sister. She was running late which was a bit of a surprise, but she figured she just got caught up with work. She had a deal that she needed to supervise tonight and as much fun as that wasn’t, it was necessary to continue work even while you were locked up. In fact, it was probably more important just to make sure that things continued to run smoothly. Your absence couldn’t be noticed by your employees. Even if they were aware of it, things still needed to go according to plan in order to keep their loyalty intact. It was something that you might not care about too much at the moment, but it was still important. It only made their jobs more difficult, not to mention dangerous if people became less compliant. 
“Hey, sorry I’m late.” 
Natasha sits down on the stool next to her sister with a sigh as she looks around for the bartender. She really needs a drink and she only has a little time before she has to run and deal with this shit show that’s developed throughout the day. 
Unfortunately, people weren’t as ignorant of your arrest as they were hoping. Of course, it was on the news and this type of thing spread like wildfire among the minions. People were starting to get uncertain about the future and it was causing a lot of delays. She’d already had to convince three vendors that you would be out of prison soon and you would expect them to have continued to work in your absence. It was exhausting, but Nat had been able to confirm that everything would be set to go down in an hour. She just had to show up and make sure things went smoothly. 
“You look tired, sestra. Was the deal that bad?” 
Nat groans at the question and she reaches out for her drink with a shake of her head. She tells her sister how things have not even happened yet. She’d just had a lot to figure out on the front end, and it was certainly going to be a long night. Yelena frowns at this and as she watches her sister down her drink, she realizes what she needs to do. 
She doesn’t have much to do tonight and she can tell that Natasha could use a break. Or at least another drink. She glances at her phone to check the time and make sure that no one has called on her for anything before she reaches out for her sister. She slaps her on the shoulder making the redhead scowl before she turns to her with a questioning look. 
“Let me handle it, Natasha. It’s just making sure everyone behaves right? I do that all the time.” 
Nat’s already shaking her head because she should be there. She should be the one to make sure that everything goes according to plan. She is going to say this but Yelena speaks up first with a shrug and a smirk. 
“Seriously, sestra. You need to rest, you look exhausted. Maybe you and Bucky can relax together.” 
When a peanut comes flying at Yelena’s face, she has to duck to avoid it. She scowls at her sister who just laughs at her expression, and then what she says next. She figures that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to take the night off from this particular duty to try and figure out how things are going with your investigation. Maybe she’ll check in with Steve and see how Wanda’s doing.
“Natasha don’t throw those at me. You know I’m allergic.” 
An eyeroll is the only response that Yelena gets until Nat registers her sister’s words with a frown. She turns toward her before deciding that she could get another drink before heading out. She closes out for both of them as her last drink comes. 
“You are not allergic. You just don’t like them.” 
Yelena simply shrugs before she raises her glass to Nat’s with a smile. They drink in silence for a minute, both lost in their thoughts before Nat turns to the blonde with a grateful look. 
“Thank you, sestra.” 
Yelena waves her off before deciding that she should head out too. She has a bit of a drive and it’s better to show up early to these things. As she stands up with her sister she wraps and arm around her shoulders, only having to stand on her tip toes a little as she leads Nat to the doors. Tonight, would hopefully be a piece of cake compared to what you had to do tonight. Yelena knew how much you hated disruptions to your routine, and being thrown in a holding cell was certainly a disruption. God forbid you weren’t alone; you’d probably be too paranoid to sleep at all. 
“Not a problem. This will be easy as cake.” 
Nat laughs as she opens the door for them, immediately breathing in deeply so the cool air will rush into her lungs. 
“Pie. Easy as pie.” 
Masterlist
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quibliography · 9 months
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Storm Front by Jim Butcher
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Synopsis:  This novel is about a professional investigative detective slash wizard. Harry Dresden is struggling to make business ends meet when he gets a call from a woman named Monica Sells asking to hire him to find her missing husband. It's just the job he needs to cover next month's rent when he gets another call from Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, director of the Special Investigations Unit of the Chicago Police Department. This one is a grisly double murder but that isn't the most disturbing part. Someone out there is practicing black magic. And they seem to be more powerful than even Dresden.
My Quibs: I've been meaning to read Jim Butcher and I'm a big fan of noir so I was hoping this was going to be right in my wheelhouse. Although I just learned this novel was Butcher's writing debut so I might cut him a little slack. But I don't think I really need to since I generally enjoyed it. The main protagonist is more or less entertaining if not a tad cliche. I appreciate his attempt to balance being self-degrading and egotistical (about being the only one capable of epic levels of magic). Now that I think about it, it gives me El from Scholomance vibes, but luckily he isn't an angsty teenage girl. He's just a self-aware douchebag, which I guess is the foundation of a noir inspired PI. It wasn't the characterization of our hero that I had an issue with. It was Butcher's use of the femme fatale. So first we have Monical Sells. Like Dresden, she's pretty much a copy of the classic character: doe-eyed, vulnerable, sexy, etc. Fine. Then we get Lieutenant Murphy. She's confident and firm, but because she looks like a cheerleader? Being blonde and petit and cute gives her a complex and an attitude. Ooookay, fine I guess. Then we get Susan Rodriguez, a reporter who knows she's attractive and how to leverage it. 🙄 *le sigh* And then there's Madame Bianca St. Claire, Linda Randall, I could go on. Butcher just barely toes the line between objectification and appreciation. Dresden even says "She would have punched me in the mouth for being a chauvinist pig." And I may have been able to tolerate it if it was more equal, but besides our protagonist all the male characters are distinctly unattractive. From paunchy idiot cops to a thief who is "short, harried-looking [with] hair [a] listless shade of brown". We get it, Harry, you're super straight. Girls are pretty and boys are not.
Should you read it? If you like classic noir and gritty supernatural elements, sure you should give Dresden a try. I'm wavering on if I should continue the series though because it takes Butcher a couple more books before he finds his footing.
Similar reads? At least for his debut, Storm Front doesn't deviate from the dictionary definition of either urban fantasy novels or classic noir stories. It's not distinctive enough for me to find an equal.
(Spoiler Alert!) Haha. Spoil this novel? Impossible. Even though it's a mystery, Butcher follows the blueprint for detective mystery. It's like watching a procedural television series. You more or less know what's going to happen and should just follow along for the ride. Come for the banter, not the "captivating" plot.
What did you think of Storm Front?
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fighterkimburgess · 2 years
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Salty Ask List for One Chicago
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27
13. Hailey
Ok so I had written most of this and then tumblr lost it, and I’ve answered a few in the mean time so I’m not answering 10, 11, and 16. But let’s go!
1. What OTPs in your fandom(s) do you just not get?*
D*wsey. From like episode 3 of fire I didn’t like them, it just never sat right with me.
2. Are there any popular fandom OTPs you only BroTP?*
I kinda think Upstead would have been better as one? But again, opinion only so ymmv.
3. Have you ever unfollowed someone over a fandom opinion?
Yup. People saying Hank Voight is more abusive than Hailey’s sperm donor, I have and will unfollow for that. Is the man perfect? Fuck no he’s not even good. But he’s not abusive and it’s an insult to survivors to call him that.
4. Do you have a NoTP in your fandom? Are they a popular OTP?*
From what I know Brettonio used to be popular, and they’re my NoTP. They’re probably my only one Chicago one though!
5. Has fandom ever ruined a pairing for you?*
I’m not saying ruined, and idk if it’s fandom or over exposure, but I’m over Upstead. I don’t hate them, I’m just meh. I used to love them and it makes me sad that I didn’t have that excitement for the wedding that I did for the I love yous, but it is what it is. I’m glad for people who do love them though!
6. Has fandom ever made you enjoy a pairing you previously hated?*
I was gonna say no for this originally, but actually fandoms made me kinda like upzek! Not as an OTP, but as a glad it’s happened for the growth kinda thing.
7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?*
Not really!
Gonna out the rest of this under a cut.
8. Have you received anon hate? What about?*
Yuuuuuppppp. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
First time was for writing burgstead. I wrote A Bad Decision to kinda test the waters because I’d had the idea for Unintentional, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write a full length. It nearly scared me off writing it but I’m glad it didn’t.
Unintentional gets a lot of negativity on FFN, people saying I’m jealous of Burzek. Folks. C’mon. Also for some reason Kitty Love gets hate??? No clue why. But I’m a “delusional Brettsey” so who knows 🙄🙄
9. Most disliked character(s)? Why?
Archer for sure. Also Hope, she just pissed me off so many times.
12. Is there an unpopular arc that you like that the fandom doesn’t? Why?
I wouldn’t say like, but I’m not too mad about romantic upzek now. I appreciate what we got as a result.
13. Unpopular opinion about Hailey?
She’s not an innocent flower Voight corrupted. From her first few episodes she was willing to lie to make sure Erin kept her job. That’s not because Voight made her, it’s because she wanted to.
14. Unpopular opinion about your fandom?
Burzek and Upstead aren’t in competition with each other, there can be two successful relationships at a time on a show, especially a procedural.
15. Unpopular opinion about the manga/show?
Idk if I have one??
17. Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen
I wouldn’t have had Julie die after meeting Sylvie. It didn’t need to happen, and it was the second badly ending pregnancy that year.
18. Does not shipping something ‘popular’ mean you’re in denial and/or biased?
Not in the slightest! Again, ship what you ship. Multi shipping is a thing for a reason. Just don’t be a dick to people who don’t ship what you ship, or who ship the popular ship you don’t like.
19. What is the one thing you hate most about your fandom?
That people would stop shitting on Adam. Yeah he was an idiot in the early seasons. But he’s really grown up in the last few, he’s learned, and he’s trying to put his lessons into practice and do the right thing. The end of 9x06 just proved how he’s trying to do it even when he’s afraid he’s wrong and ugh. Just give him a chance folks.
20. What is the purest ship in the fandom?
Plouch. If you try tell me it’s anyone else I will call you a dirty liar and it’ll be true. Because they are the purest, sweetest ship. That moment after Infection when he picks her up from work?? The bombing? His heart attack? I love them so much.
21. What are your thoughts on crack ships?
HOOK IT TO MY VEINS. C’mon. It’s me. Seriously though, a crack ship written seriously is my damn kryptonite. It’s a reason I’ve got a Matt/Kim idea floating around my head. As well as a Jay/Sarah Reese potential oneshot I’m still thinking about. But maybe.
22. Popular character you hate?
I don’t really hate any characters! Except Archer in Med, but we all hate him.
23. Unpopular character you love?
Voight I guess?
26. Most shippable character?
Either Kim or Sylvie. I could ship them both with basically everyone (and do tbh)
27. Least shippable character?
Sean Roman. I ship him with his hand. Barely.
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j-ustkeepgliding · 4 months
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he’s literally at PRACTICE in CHICAGO 🙄 get a grip 🙄
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