Natasha and Steve landed the quinjet outside the farm. Natasha felt sick in her stomach. The chance that her best friend was dead was 50/50.
"Hopefully none of them are dead", Steve offered some hope. "There's 5 of them, odds are 2 or 3 are dead", Natasha told him while looking out at the house. No one had come out yet. That was a bad sign. Natasha had never been one for building up false hope. She did it enough as a kid. Natasha inhaled a deep breath and opened the quinjet ramp. Steve followed her to the farm house. Phone lines were down so there was no way of contacting Clint ahead of time. Of course Natasha had tried other sources of communicating but nothing worked. She got no answer.
Natasha knocked on the door to the Clint's house. Memories of Clint bringing her here for the first time came flying back. She had thought he was going to kill her. She had been more shocked to find kids here. She's been at least once a month ever since then. She's aunty Nat.
"Clint? Laura?" Natasha called out as she looked around the kitchen and living room. "Aunty Nat?" Lila called out from upstairs. The little girl came down armed with her dads bow. Her eyes were red and dark circles surrounded them. The kid hadn't slept in days. She looked just like Clint did when he was up for too long.
"It's me. It's Aunty Nat", Natasha said as she hugged Lila. Lila burst into tears. The grip the kid had on her was like Lila was holding onto her for dear life "Where's copper and Nathaniel?" Steve asked her.
"Upstairs", Lila mumbled into Natasha. "I hope you don't disappear too", Lila told her. Natasha felt sick. Clint's gone and Laura's gone. Her best friend is gone. Natasha had known this would come eventually. In their line of work the chance of death was high with each mission. Only this they were both gone together. She felt like shutting down but the urge to stay strong for the kids was too strong.
"I won't sweetheart, I promise", Natasha promised the young child. Copper came down holding Nathaniel. Nathaniel cried out for his mom. Natasha took him from Copper and rocked him in her arms. She was still very much confused as to what to do.
"He's hungry but we don't have any food left", Copper told her.
"There's food on the quinjet. I'll bring it in", Steve announced as he headed back to the plane. Natasha nodded in acknowledgement.
"Is mom and dad coming back?" Copper asked Natasha. She sighed as she shook her head. "I don't know. I'd love to say yes that we're going to get them back and everything will be great again but Thanos is the real deal. I think he actually did kill half the population. You will be going back to the avengers facility with me in a few days. We'll find a suitable home for you", Natasha told them.
"No, we want to live with you", Lila argued. She is stuborn just like her dad. Natasha smiled at them and nodded, "okay you'll stay with me".
Steve returned with pasta. It would do to fill everyone up.
"I'll start dinner", Steve reassured Natasha.
"Dada?" Nathaniel asked. How do you explain to three kids about death? How do you tell a two year old that mommy and daddy aren't coming home? Natasha did the only thing she could think of. She did the opposite of what she was trained to do. She told them the truth, told them about the entire battle and how when Thanos snapped his fingers half of the population in the galaxy died.
"I hate Thanos. Can't I learn to use this so that I can kill him with it?" Lila asked while still gripping onto the bow. The only thing left that reminded her of her dad. Natasha laughed, "as much I would like to see that, I don't think your mom would approve. Even though she is gone we will still respect her wishes". Lila pouted. They all ate in silence around the table, eating the pasta Steve yawned after finishing her dinner.
"Can I go to bed?" She asked Natasha. Nathaniel and Cooper fell asleep too. "Well that was easy", Steve admitted when he reached the living room again. Natasha sat on the couch, she curdled her legs up to her knees.
"Clint why?" Natasha asked nobody. Steve stood back unsure how to deal with a grieving black widow. She could be dangerous in some moods. Normally they'd call Clint in to help her. "I will avenge you and Laura. I kill the son of a bitch who killed you and Laura", Natasha vowed to herself.
"We should get everyone onto the quinjet", Steve said as he carried Cooper and Nathaniel towards the door. Natasha nodded and lifted up Lila. She followed Steve to the quinjet and strapped the children in.
"We'll have to get their will, it might say what they wish to be done with the children in the event of their death", Steve told her as he piloted the helped carry one of the kids inside.
Pepper smiled at them, "thank god they made it". She held the door after everyone came in.
"Where's Clint?" She asked when everyone was staring. Natasha shook her head and looked towards the floor. "No and Laura?", Pepper asked. She hated the thought that the three children were left phrased with a snap of Thanos fingers.
"I'll get rooms set up for them. It will help with their grief if they have somewhere that's just theirs," Bruce offered and Steve went to help him. Natasha sat down on the couch beside Lila. She lifted the sleeping girls feet onto her lap.
"I'm going to bed", Pepper announced then went to her room.
"Mommy?" Nathaniel called as he woke up. Natasha stood up, careful not to wake Lila. "Shh Nathaniel, it's okay aunty Nat is here. It's okay. It's still night time, back to sleep," Natasha rocked the 2 year old in her arms.
"No mommy!" He screamed frustrated at his mom wasn't coming back. "Mommy a not here anymore little hawk", Natasha whispered to him. She sat down on another couch as she held the boy close to her. Natasha sighed with relief when he finally fell asleep.
Natasha had just dozed off when she heard soft crying. She opened her eyes to see who it was. Cooper was lying down on his side staring into the open. Natasha put down Nathaniel and sat on the ground beside Cooper.
"Dad was going to teach me how to use the bow", he told her after a moment of silence. "He was best at what he did. He would have been a great teacher", Natasha told him.
"I miss them. Are you going to get them back?" He asked. "Oh trust me we'll try" Natasha reassured him. "I can't guarantee anything though".
Pepper flicked on the lights causing all of them to groan at the sudden invasion of light.
"Sorry", she went straight for the coffee. Pepper started working through some stuff on her laptop. Natasha got the kids breakfast ready before Pepper called her over.
"We got access to Clint and Laura's will. It says that in the event that they both die Cooper, Lila and Nathaniel's guardianship is to be placed in the hands of ms. Natasha Romanoff," Pepper read out the will. She felt sick at the thought that she might need to get access to Tony's will. Although she already knew what was on it, everything was to be left to her. Pepper was brought out of her thoughts by Natasha's heavy breathing and terrified expression.
"I don't know the first thing about raising children. Why would he do this to me?" Natasha asked her. Lila climbed onto Natasha's lap with her spider teddy bear. Natasha held the child close to her, wrapping an arm around her to stop her from falling.
"I miss daddy too," Lila hugged her little spider teddy.
"How did you know I needed a hug?" Natasha asked the little girl. Lila shrugged, "I didn't but daddy always said when Aunty Nat is sad give her cuddles". Natasha smiled at the thought of Clint sending a young child over to a sad possibly lethal assassin. The trust Clint put in her terrified her.
"Are they really gone forever?" Lila asked as she rested her head against Natasha's chest. She relaxed when she could hear Aunty Nat's heartbeat.
"I'm afraid so sweetheart. Thanos does the have the power to bring them back but he's evil and from another world", Natasha didn't expect to tell her that much.
"Who would you rather they go to?" Pepper asked Natasha. She held Lila close to her and sighed knowing Pepper was right. "No one else", she admitted.
"Exactly", Pepper smiled at her. "We'll figure it out", Pepper reassured Natasha.
Natasha looked at herself in the mirror, dressed in a black dress with lace at the top and a black fur jacket over it. Her makeup and hair done to perfection. Natasha got Nathaniel into his black shirt and black shorts and boots. She lifted him up and carried him into Lila's room, "you ready sweetheart?" She asked the young girl dressed in a black summer dress. She brushed her hair and put a purple bow in it.
"Purple was your dads favourite colour", Natasha commented. "I know", Lila took a deep breath before heading downstairs and meeting Cooper and Steve downstairs. Both of them dressed in black suits. Natasha wiped a tear away from her cheek as she led the children out to the car. She and Pepper had set up a small service for Clint and Laura for the children's sake. Natasha couldn't be more grateful, she needed it too. She never understood religion until now. Until you try to tell a 7 year they'll never see their mom again.
"You'll see them in heaven", she reassured Lila.
Natasha placed the flowers down on the grave as Steve said a prayer for them. Natasha took a deep breath as she stood up to speak, Nathaniel refusing to leave her arms.
"Clint, Laura I can't begin to express how grateful I am for everything you did for me. Clint you saved me, saved my life. The two of you gave me this amazing family. I'll forever be grateful that I could be Aunty Nat. Clint the trust you put in me terrified me. You raised a young gentleman who cares for everyone around him, a young lady who can read an assassins emotions and knows exactly how to make anyone feel better and a little boy who is just as loving and stubborn as you were. I'll miss you Clint, my partner. Laura you were the best friend I never got to have as a kid. You taught me so much. I only hope I can do half the job you did raising your children. Long live strike team delta", Natasha almost finished the eulogy before looking up at the kids, "we'll see you in heaven".
Lila and Cooper placed white roses on the grave. Natasha stood back and let them take their time to say goodbye. Cooper took Lila's hand and led her back to the car.
"We set up rooms for you. You can see them when you get back", Natasha told them as Steve drove them home.
"Aunty Nat I don't want to move. I love my school and friends", Cooper told her. She hadn't considered that. "Me too", Lila chipped in. "Okay we'll stay here for a week or two then I'll move back to the farm with you guys and stay with you there", Natasha agreed.