The conference room felt stifling, the weight of the discussion pressing down on everyone present. Lexi sat close to her father, her blue eyes flicking nervously between the heated exchanges. Tony was uncharacteristically quiet, his head resting in his hand, as if the words around him barely registered.

Rhodey's voice cut through the tension, sharp with exasperation. "117 countries want to sign this, Sam. One hundred and seventeen. And you're just like, 'No, that's cool. We got it.'"

Sam crossed his arms, his tone laced with defiance. "How long until they LoJack us like a bunch of common criminals?"

Lexi tuned out their back-and-forth, focusing instead on her father, who had started rubbing his temples. The discussion wasn't helping him; she could see the tension radiating from his shoulders. When Natasha's voice brought up Tony's uncharacteristic quiet, Lexi glanced up, her brows knitting in concern.

"It's because he's already made up his mind," Steve said, arms folded.

Tony gave a humourless laugh and stood, moving toward the kitchen. "Boy, you know me so well," he muttered. He poured himself some coffee, then turned back to the group. "Actually, I'm nursing an electromagnetic headache. That's what's going on, Cap. Just pain. Discomfort." He gestured vaguely toward the sink. "And who keeps putting coffee grounds in the disposal? Am I running a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?"

Lexi watched silently, noticing him pull a pill bottle from his pocket. Her stomach twisted as he downed a pill with his coffee, clearly trying to keep himself together. He took a breath, then pulled out his phone. She froze when he tapped it against the edge of the counter, and the lights dimmed as a holographic image projected into the air—a smiling young man.

Tony's voice softened, and a note of sorrow crept in. "That's Charles Spencer, by the way. Great kid. Computer engineering degree. 3.6 GPA. Had a floor-level gig at Intel lined up for the fall. But first, he wanted to put a few miles on his soul before parking it behind a desk."

Lexi's heart sank. She recognized the name immediately, and her throat tightened. "Dad," she whispered, her voice urgent but soft. She reached out, touching his arm. "Don't—"

Tony shook his head, brushing her off. "He decided to spend his summer building sustainable housing for the poor. Guess where? Sokovia."

"Dad, please." Her voice was louder this time, her blue eyes wide and pleading. But Tony pressed on, his focus fixed on the image.

"We won't know what else he could've done because we dropped a building on him while we were kicking ass."

Lexi's hand dropped back to her lap, her chest aching. She looked away, biting her lip hard to keep the tears at bay. She wanted to tell him to stop, to pull him back before the words hurt him as much as they hurt her, but she knew once Tony started, he couldn't be stopped.

Tony turned back to the group. "There's no decision-making process here. We need to be put in check. Whatever form that takes, I'm game. If we can't accept limitations, if we're boundary-less, we're no better than the bad guys."

The room lapsed into silence, everyone absorbing Tony's words. Steve stepped forward, breaking the stillness. "Tony, someone dies on your watch, you don't give up."

Tony's gaze sharpened, his voice edged with frustration. "Who said we're giving up?"

Steve's voice rose. "We are if we're not taking responsibility for our actions. This document just shifts the blame."

Lexi slid quietly out of her chair as the argument continued, her feet carrying her toward Wanda. The older woman sat on the edge of the room, her green eyes fixed on the floor. She looked as though she wanted to disappear. Lexi crouched down beside her, gently placing a hand on Wanda's knee.

"Wanda," she said softly. "Are you okay?"

Wanda blinked and glanced down, startled. Her green eyes met Lexi's blue ones, and her lips parted, but no words came out. She shook her head faintly, her hand clutching at the fabric of her sleeve.

"Hey," Lexi whispered, her voice full of concern. "It's okay." She reached out, gently brushing Wanda's hair away from her face. She looked down at Wanda's hands, trembling faintly in her lap, and Lexi could feel the weight of her guilt pressing down on her like an unbearable storm.

"Wanda," Lexi whispered, leaning closer. "Come with me." Before Wanda could respond, Lexi reached out and gently took her hand, tugging her to her feet. Wanda hesitated, glancing back at the others still engrossed in their heated debate, but Lexi's firm grip and the determination in her eyes left little room for refusal.

"Let's get out of here," Lexi said, her voice quiet but commanding. "Just for a minute."

Wanda allowed herself to be led, her fingers tightening around Lexi's as they slipped out of the room unnoticed. The hallway was quieter, the tension from the conference room muted behind the heavy doors. Lexi didn't stop until they reached a secluded corner near a wide window overlooking the city. The soft glow of the setting sun bathed them in warm light, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just left behind.

Wanda leaned against the wall, her head tilted back as she let out a shaky breath. Lexi stood in front of her, not letting go of her hand.

"Talk to me," Lexi said gently. "What's going on in your head?"

Wanda closed her eyes, the tension in her shoulders refusing to ease. "It's everything," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Lagos, Sokovia, the Accords... everything I touch feels like it turns to ash. Every time I try to do something good, I hurt someone."

"That's not true," Lexi said firmly, stepping closer. "You're not the only one who's ever made mistakes. My dad's whole career was built on them."

Wanda let out a soft, humourless laugh, shaking her head. "This is different, Lexi. People died because of me. Because I wasn't careful enough."

Lexi frowned and reached up, gently tucking a stray strand of Wanda's hair behind her ear. "Do you honestly think anyone in that room blames you for what happened? If they do, they're idiots."

Wanda opened her eyes, her green gaze searching Lexi's for any sign of insincerity. She found none. "You don't understand," she murmured. "I don't even know how to stop blaming myself."

Lexi stepped even closer, her hand still holding Wanda's. "You don't have to do it alone," she said softly. "No one's asking you to carry this all by yourself. You've got me, Wanda. Lean on me if it gets too heavy."

The raw emotion in Lexi's voice caught Wanda off guard. For a moment, she didn't know what to say. Slowly, she nodded, her fingers tightening around Lexi's. "Thank you," she said quietly, her voice breaking.

Lexi smiled, her blue eyes warm. "Anytime." She leaned back against the wall beside Wanda, the two of them standing in comfortable silence as the sun dipped lower in the sky.

═══*.·:·.☽✧ ✦ ✧☾.·:·.*═══

The argument was already crackling with tension when Lexi's frustration boiled over. The workshop, normally a haven for their shared genius and banter, now felt stifling and cold.

"You're letting them take everything away from us!" Lexi yelled, her voice breaking as her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"I'm doing what I have to do," Tony shot back, his tone sharp as the edge of his tools. "You think this is easy for me? You think I want this? I'm trying to keep us all alive!"

"By signing us away?" she fired back, her blue eyes glinting with tears. "This isn't up for debate, Lexi," Tony snapped, his voice strained. "The Accords are the only way forward. We need oversight, boundaries—hell, accountability. Otherwise, we're no better than the bad guys."

Lexi's jaw tightened as she glared at her father. "Accountability? That's rich coming from you," she said bitterly. "When have you ever let anyone tell you what to do? You've spent your entire life breaking rules and making your own decisions. Now you're going to let them tell you what you can and can't do? You're signing away everything the Avengers stand for!"

Tony stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression darkening. "You think this is easy for me? You think I want this?" His voice rose with frustration. "I'm trying to keep us safe, Lexi. Do you know what happens if we don't sign? They'll come after us—after you. They'll find a way to make our lives hell. Is that what you want?"

"What I want," Lexi shot back, her blue eyes blazing with anger and unshed tears, "is for you to stop pretending like you're doing this for us. You're not. This is about you—about your guilt. Sokovia, Ultron, Lagos. You're signing the Accords because you can't handle the fact that you screwed up, and now you're dragging all of us down with you!"

Tony's face twisted in pain and anger. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said through gritted teeth.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about!" Lexi yelled, stepping closer to him. "You keep making these choices without thinking about what it does to the people who care about you. You throw yourself into danger like you don't even care what happens to you—or us. You're always the hero, always the martyr, and it's tearing everything apart! You're not keeping anyone safe, Dad. You're just making yourself feel better for all the crap you've done!"

Tony's eyes flashed with hurt and fury as he pointed a finger at her. "Watch it. Don't you dare lecture me, Lexi Stark," he hissed, his voice cold and sharp. "You think you have all the answers? You have no idea what it's like to carry this weight. To live with the consequences of every decision, knowing that one wrong move could cost lives."

Lexi flinched at the tone he used in her name, but she didn't back down. "I do know what it's like!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "I know what it's like to lose people, to feel helpless, to watch you put yourself on the line over and over again without thinking about the people you're leaving behind!" Her voice broke as tears spilled down her cheeks. "That's why Pepper left you, isn't it? She couldn't take it anymore. And maybe I can't either."

Tony's face hardened, and he took a step closer to her, his towering presence intimidating. "You think you can throw that in my face and walk away?" he growled, his tone dangerously low.

"She left because you can't stop," Lexi pressed, her voice trembling with anger and hurt. "You can't stop risking everything—your life, our lives—for your guilt or your ego or whatever it is you're trying to prove. And you're doing it again now, signing the Accords without even thinking about how it's going to affect the rest of us."

Tony's hands slammed down on the workbench, the loud clatter making her jump. "Alexandra Maria Stark," he snapped, his voice like steel. "That is enough."

The use of her full name cut through the air like a knife. He never called her that unless he was furious, and it was like a slap to her already fragile heart. "You don't know the first thing about why Pepper left. And if you think I'm the problem, maybe you should take a long, hard look in the mirror."

The words struck Lexi like a physical blow, and she staggered back, her breath hitching as tears continued to stream down her face. "How can you say that to me?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Tony's anger faltered for a moment, but he didn't apologize. "Because someone has to tell you the truth," he said, his voice quieter but still filled with frustration.

Lexi shook her head, backing away from him. "I hate you," she choked out, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop them.

Tony froze, his eyes widening in shock and pain. "Lexi..." he began, but she didn't let him finish.

She turned and ran out of the workshop, her sobs echoing in the hallway as she fled to her room. Tony stood there, staring at the empty space where she'd been, his hands trembling as he realized just how much damage had been done.

Lexi locked herself in her room, collapsing onto her bed as sobs wracked her body. Her head throbbed with the intensity of her crying, but she didn't care. The pain in her chest was far worse, an ache that felt like it would never go away.

She buried her face in her pillow, muffling her cries as her father's words replayed in her mind. They'd fought before, but never like this. Never with this much hurt, this much anger. And for the first time, Lexi felt like the bond she shared with her father might never be the same.

Her body shook with the force of her crying, her throat raw and her head pounding as if it would split in two. She didn't hear the soft knock at her door or the creak of it opening. "Lexi?" Wanda's voice was gentle, laced with concern.

Lexi didn't respond, her cries too consuming to let her notice much else. Wanda stepped inside, closing the door behind her. The sight of Lexi in such a state made her chest tighten.

She approached the bed slowly, sitting on the edge. "Lexi," she said again, softer now, her Sokovian accent making her tone even more soothing. She reached out and rested a hand lightly on Lexi's shoulder.

Lexi stiffened at the touch but didn't pull away. Instead, she shifted, just enough for Wanda to see her tear-streaked face and red, swollen eyes.

"What happened?" Wanda asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Lexi opened her mouth to speak but no words came out, only a broken sob that seemed to shatter whatever fragile composure she had left. She buried her face back into the pillow, her cries growing louder.

"Oh, Lexi," Wanda murmured, her heart aching for the younger woman. She slid closer, wrapping her arms around her trembling frame. "It's okay. You don't have to talk. Just breathe."

Lexi's hands clutched at Wanda's arm as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality. Wanda rocked her gently, whispering soft reassurances in Sokovian, her fingers brushing through Lexi's brunette hair.

Minutes passed, maybe longer, but Wanda didn't let go. She stayed, her arms a steady comfort, her presence a quiet strength.

Eventually, Lexi's sobs began to subside, though her breathing was still uneven, her face still buried against Wanda's shoulder. "I-I can't..." she finally whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Shh, it's okay," Wanda said, pulling back just enough to look at her. Her green eyes met Lexi's red-rimmed blue ones. "You don't have to say anything if you're not ready."

Lexi shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "My dad and I," she choked out, her voice breaking again.

Wanda nodded, stroking her hair gently. "You and Tony fought?" Lexi gave a small, broken nod. "It was bad, Wanda. I said things... terrible things. And he—" Her voice caught, and she couldn't continue.

Wanda tightened her hold, pulling Lexi against her again. "I'm so sorry, Lexi," she whispered. "I know how much you love him. And I know he loves you, even if he's too stubborn to show it the right way sometimes."

Lexi didn't respond, just clung to Wanda as if her life depended on it. Her chest still ached, her head still throbbed, but for the first time since the argument, she felt a sliver of comfort.

"You're not alone in this," Wanda said softly, her fingers still brushing through Lexi's hair. "I'm here. Whatever you need."

Lexi's tears slowed, though her breathing was still ragged. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

Wanda gave her a small smile, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "Always, draga mea." She pulled a blanket over Lexi and stayed by her side, holding her until the exhaustion of crying finally pulled her into a restless sleep.

And even then, Wanda didn't leave. She stayed, determined to protect Lexi's heart in the way she knew Tony would want—but had failed to do that night.