The sunlight shone through the thin pane of the truck's window as Wanda leaned back in her seat, eyes closed. She couldn't remember how many hours had passed by since she and Clint had loaded up the truck bed with her stuff and they'd driven off. Perhaps six or seven? It wasn't important.

They'd hardly spoken on the drive there, instead listening to soft country music (the singers all had Southern accents too thick for Wanda to follow the lyrics) and the humming of the truck as it bumped along the road. There had been a few times when Clint had spoken up, trying to start conversation, though Wanda had simply replied with a hum, grunt, or one-word answer. She didn't feel like speaking, as her mind was running far too fast to follow.

"Would rolling the windows down feel better?" he asked her now, taking his eyes off the road for a brief moment to look at her. When she merely shrugged in response, he hit the button and both front windows rolled down. Almost immediately she was hit with the pungent scent of grass, dirt, and--was that manure? Wanda shuddered, certain she didn't want to find out. She'd never lived out in the country before. Yes, Novi Grad had been a small city (compared to Manhattan, that is), but it certainly hadn't been a country town, nor was it out in the middle of nowhere, like Clint's home was.

Suddenly, the road turned to gravel, and the radio was overpowered by the grinding of the wheels against the tiny bits of gravel as the truck bounced along. Clint rested one hand on the car's windowsill as he focused on the road, tapping out a random beat. "The kids'll love you," he shouted over the grinding noise. 

Wanda smiled, leaning her head against the edge of the window. She had been told about Clint's three kids: Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel. She already knew she would take a liking to Nathaniel, as his middle name took after her own brother: Pietro. It was a sweet and noble thing to do, and she adored the action. She wondered if the children looked much like their father, which caused her to study the archer's face. He had a nice jaw, and his eyes were focused and steady. His hair was a bit of a mess, as per usual. It was adorable.

At long last, they pulled into a long driveway. A massive homestead came into view, and Wanda let her shoulders relax out of utter relief. The house looked inviting and comforting, which made her smile. It was surrounded by a large plot of land, and a barn hid in the back. Clint parked at the end of the driveway and hopped out, helping Wanda climb out of the tall vehicle before unloading her bags. She only had three duffel bags, and they were filled with clothing, photo albums and various other decorations. Nothing much, as she hadn't had much to begin with. She remembered Clint's look of sympathy when she came out holding the three bags, each one hardly even half full. "That's all you've got?" was all he'd said.

Before the pair even got to the door, they were met by two tiny figures bolting down the steps and running directly toward them. A small girl and boy were whooping and cheering excitedly, hugging the legs of each of them. Wanda smiled genuinely, recognizing them as Lyla and Cooper, Clint's children. "Hi!" Lila greeted the older girl, a wide smile on her face. She wore her brown hair in two identical braids, and it made her look even younger than she was. 

"Hello," Wanda said quietly, patting Lila's head with a gentle smile. She was almost instantly reminded of herself at that young age: bright-eyed and naive, with a positive outlook on the world. Oh, how she wished she still felt that way.

"Let's go inside, kiddos," Clint called, and the children whooped, ducking inside excitedly. It was then that Wanda noticed Clint's wife, Laura, standing on the porch with baby Nathaniel cuddled into her arms. Laura was a beautiful woman with a kind smile, and it was obvious that she was perfect for her husband. "C'mon, Wanda." 

The witch snapped out of her reverie, nodding as she followed Clint into the house, giving Laura a polite smile as she stepped inside. Indoors, the home was far more homely-looking. There were afghan rugs draped on the floor and the walls were covered with family photos, which is what caused Wanda to smile. As a young girl, she'd promised herself she would cover her home with wedding and family photos when she got older. Clint then led her down the hall toward the guest room, which was a nicely-sized bedroom with red sheets on the bed and soft pink curtains. She set her bag on the bed, and Clint followed suit with the other two.

"We're gonna need to do something about your appearance," he told her in a gentle tone. "If you're gonna do some hiding, you'd better change yourself up. This place isn't on the database but it won't do you much good if you plan on heading to town anytime soon." 

She nodded, before looking up as Laura spoke: "I've got some blonde hair dye, if you'd like to use it. It's leftover from my blonde phase." She let out a laugh, leaning against the doorframe. Wanda nodded in response.

"That would be lovely."

"Let's go, then." The older woman led the way down the hall toward the bathroom, where a box of blonde dye was waiting on the counter for them. Wanda sucked in a breath, letting Laura put on gloves before starting.

She listened to Laura tell the story of how she and Clint met, which was truly an adorable story, as she worked, staring at their reflections in the mirror. Wanda had never had her hair dyed before, and was curious as to how she would look as a blonde. Would she look ridiculous? Or wonderful?

It wasn't until after a one-hour shower that she stepped out and allowed Laura to blow dry her hair after she got dressed once more that she got to see the finished product: it turned out to be wonderful. Her face seemed less thin and bony now, and her eyes had more color. She smiled at her reflection, turning to look at Laura. "Thank you," she told her quietly, biting her bottom lip with a shy smile.

"Of course. You look epic." Laura grinned at her. "I've got dinner waiting on top of the oven. Do you like spaghetti?"