Music is "I Believe You" by FLETCHER.

Picture is Claudia Doumit as Sarai.

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Apis Mellifera Carnica

Commonly referred to as the Carniolan honeybee or "grey bee," Apis Mellifera Carnica is a subspecies of the western honeybee, native to Eastern Europe. It is the second most popular among beekeepers, after the Italian bee Apis Mellifera Ligustica due to the fact that it defends itself successfully against insect pests while being extremely gentle towards beekeepers. Their queens are dark and difficult to find in the hive, giving her another layer of protection.

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Chapter Eleven: Carnica

A soft voice brings me out of the dark, one I've heard both in reality and dreams. Then I feel soft hands grasping mine. The two combined together forces me to open my eyes and take a deep breath in.

Wanda sits at the side of the bed, but it's not my bed. The bright, fluorescent lights overhead isn't the soft sunlight that comes through our dorm window. I don't smell patchouli and sage, nor do I hear Wanda's soft humming from the other side of the room. This room is harsh and bright, sterile and white. I'm not home; I'm lying in a hospital bed.

She looks at me with wide eyes as my gaze locks with hers. From what she's wearing, it's still the same day as I last remember. That's a good thing, I guess. Don't need another person in her life slipping into a coma.

Wanda smiles and grasps my hand tighter. "Oh my god, you're awake." She looks over her shoulder, seeing Loki standing in the hallway. "Get the others. She's awake."

Though dazed and confused, with a motherfucker of a headache felt all over my skull, I pull myself up. "How long was I out?" I sign, hoping that my flimsy gestures make any sense.

"A couple hours," she responds. "You collapsed and started seizing. Uncle Max called an ambulance, and we took you to the hospital. That's where you are now." She moves her hands to my face, looking into my eyes as if to search for something. "Are you all right? You really scared me, Sarai."

I lean my head back against the pillows and offer a side-smile, wincing at the bright lights. "Sorry about that. Can you...?" I trail off, gesturing to the lights overhead.

Wanda instantly knows what I mean and moves for the door, turning the lights down by over half. Though I can still see everything clearly, it lessens the headache behind my eyes.

"Thanks," I sign. "Are you okay? You weren't stung or anything?"

She laughs, shaking her head in disbelief. "You're asking about me? You're the one that fainted. But yes, I am fine."

"And the bees?"

"They flew away after you collapsed. I'd never seen bees swarm like that. Uncle Max says that a hive nearby was disrupted and flew into the school. The lecture hall door was cracked, and so they ended up near us. Weird timing, though, and they all swarmed around you." She shrugs. "So strange."

My eyes sweep the room carefully, looking for any signs of a tiny bee hiding in plain sight. Melizza is very good at doing that, but no matter where I look, I don't see her. My heart beats faster in worry. Does she know what happened? Does she know where I am? Is she hurt?

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Have you seen a little bee around here?" I ask. "A little honeybee?"

Wanda looks at me like I've gone crazy. "There were a lot of bees at the campus, but not here, no. Why? You friends with one of them?"

My thoughts turn back to the moments just before I collapsed. The man-made bees inside the titanium hive, the swarm of honeybees filling the lecture hall, the scarlet magic circling around Wanda and I: I remember all of it.

I blink my memories away and turn my attention to Wanda. She's staring at me, but not with worry or concern. Her green orbs are standoff-ish and suspecting. I think we both know that we're keeping secrets from the other. We have two options at this point: we can tell the truth or we can ignore all that's happened. We can break the ice or go back to the way things were.

But I know we can't do that. The cat's out of the bag. I've suspected Wanda as being more than what she claims ever since the first day I knew her. The way she left the restaurant with scarlet magic trailing behind her, that was the first tell. And I'm pretty sure she suspects me as well.

"Wanda," I begin, trying to find the words. My hands hesitate. "There's som--"

My signing it cut off by a rambunctious group of young adults bursting from the hallway, into the hospital room. All three groups of friends at the school--Tony's, Steve's, and Wanda's, aka the intellects, the fighters, and the outcasts--are here. Steve and Tony are in first, followed closely by Carol, Pepper, Rhodey, Bucky, and Natasha. Bringing up the rear are Sam, Loki, Clint, and Stephen.

Wanda thanks Loki for getting everyone, and the black-haired man nods once in reply.

"She's awake!" Tony cheers, a huge grin on his face. "Now I can throw a party!"

"No," is all Pepper says, her eyes shooting daggers.

As Tony pouts, Steve makes his way to the other side of the bed. His eyes show friendly concern. "You okay, Sarai?" he asks softly.

I nod, signing, "I just needed a nap. Decided to take it in the middle of class."

Steve cracks a smile and chuckles softly. "Yeah, you're gonna be just fine."

He pats my shoulder as Carol joins his side. She turns to the rest of the group that's piled in and laughs, "I think we're breaking about a twelve different fire regulation codes with all of us being in here."

"I appreciate it," I sign to all of them. "Even if you all end up in jail."

Clint signs back, "I heard you summoned a whole hive of bees just to get out of class. That's my level of dedication!"

"I can't say I wouldn't do the same," Bucky laughs, clearly understanding the ASL conversation going on.

"She's not a witch," Tony laughs, eyes flickering to Wanda suspiciously. "Or are you?"

Carol groans and shoos Tony away with her hand. "Go on, leave. Give the poor thing some space."

"Fine, fine," Tony mumbles. "Feel better, Sarai."

Rhodey gives me a nod and a smile, then follows after Tony. Sam, Bucky, Natasha, and Clint leave with Steve. As Wanda turns to her friends, Stephen and Loki, I turn to Carol and Pepper. Silently, I nod my head towards the door. A sly smile crosses the blonde's face, and she moves towards the door with Pepper in tow. Similarly, Stephen and Loki exit as well.

Once the room is clear and we're alone again, I reach for Wanda's hands and hold them tightly for a few moments. I don't sign anything. I don't move. I just listen to us breathing together. The truth has to come out, and I'm terrified of what she'll do. Wanda's as close a friend as I've had in a long time; I don't want to lose her.

I pull my hands away and start signing. "There's something I haven't told you yet, Wanda. It's not because I don't want to, but it's because I'm scared of how you'll react. I can't lose you."

Wanda smiles softly and brings her hand to my cheek. "You won't lose me. You can tell me anything." She sighs heavily. "Truth is, I've been keeping something from you, too, for the exact same reasons."

I was right. I knew it.

My brown eyes move up to her green, and I bite my lower lip. "Who wants to go first?"

Wanda opens her mouth to reply, but the door to the hospital room swings open again. Both of us groan in frustration, turning from each other to the unwanted intruder.

Rurik Maximoff waltzes in with a big grin on his face. "You're awake!" he exclaims with excitement. "Oh, thank god. I mean, I knew my lectures were going to give someone health problems one day, but this is ridiculous. How are you feeling?"

"She's fine, thanks Uncle Max," Wanda states hurriedly, shooting her uncle a warning glare. "Can we chat about her health later, perhaps?"

Maximoff's face falls to an awkward one. "I was interrupting something, wasn't I?"

"Kind of--" I begin to sign.

Wanda cuts me off with a firm, "Yes."

Maximoff laughs uncomfortably. "Whoops. Sorry. I'm just gonna...back up, slowly, and leave you two lesbians to do your thing."

"Oh my god, Uncle Max, that is not--!"

"--Say no more! I don't wanna know. I'll close the door and tell the nurse not to bother you. Use protection!"

The door shuts, and Wanda turns back to me with an exasperated expression. "Ignore Uncle Max. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"So, you're not a lesbian?" I sign with a smirk.

"Oh, no, I definitely am. He's one-hundred percent right about that. He's an old fart, though." I shake my head and laugh soundlessly. "So, where were we?"

"About to tell the truth," I state, all laughter and smiles fading away. "And I need to go first or I might throw up."

Wanda sits up in her chair beside the hospital bed. I push the covers away and sit cross-legged in front of her. We're less than a foot apart, which only makes this even harder to get out.

I tell her everything. My hands shake as I share how I first started hearing the buzzing sound, and how it only got worse throughout my first day at the dorms. I explain how I first met Melizza after she left for her brother, when he was having that bad night just over a month ago. I state how Melizza told me about my grandmother, the Queen of the bees, and about my mother, a witch who placed a protection spell over me to keep me from knowing my true powers. The bees couldn't find me, no one could, and then my mother died before she could undo her spell-work.

"Melizza said I had abilities," I conclude. "She didn't say what they were, but I guess I figured it out after a swarm of bees broke into the lecture hall." I heave a sigh, realizing I've been gesturing so fast I've forgotten to breathe. "I was terrified to tell you, Wanda. I wasn't sure I could trust you at first, and then I didn't know how. I know I sound crazy. I know I don't have proof right now. I don't know where Melizza is and I'm not sure how my abilities work. I wouldn't blame you for not believing me, but I had to try. I can't live that lie anymore."

Wanda takes my trembling hands into hers and smiles up at me. "I'd say that the swarm is proof enough," she whispers, moving one of her hands between us. She moves her fingers in a twitching way, and the scarlet magic I'd always swore I saw appears between us.

With eyes full of wonder, I look between her hand and her face. She gives me a look of pride. "You don't have to live a lie anymore, Sarai," she replies. "I believe you."

END CHAPTER ELEVEN.