After Dust
Chapter 1:
Sharon was running. Chaos had erupted on the street as people began to disintegrate before her very eyes. People were running in all directions in panic. Cars were losing control as their drivers disappeared. She skidded around the corner and up the three steps into the cafe she was meeting her parents at and threw open the door.
"Sharon!" She turned at her mothers voice. She reached for her just as her mother started to collapse into a pile of ash.
"Amanda!" Her father was on his knees as Sharon stared at the collection of ashes in her hand. "No!" Screams were erupting in the small cafe as more people began to disappear.
Sharon fell to her knees next to her father. His arms wrapped strongly around her as he broke into sobs. "What's happening?"
Sharon stared out the large windows as chaos ensued. "They lost."
—
"What time are you heading out?" Sharon asked as she rummaged through her make up bag.
"Couple hours." Steve answered as he carried his duffle into the living room before backtracking to the bathroom and leaning on the doorframe. He openly stared as she swiped mascara across her lashes.
"Like what you see?" Sharon smirked.
He smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were still in your underwear."
"You didn't mind my underwear last night when you were pulling it off me." She smiled innocently as his cheeks flushed pink. "But if it bothers you, I can go put some clothes on…" She took a step to pass him, but his arms caught her instead. "That's what I thought." Her hands wrapped around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. His hands gripped her tightly as they stumbled into the bathroom counter. He lifted her effortlessly onto it as her legs wrapped around his waist.
"How long are you going to be gone again?" Sharon asked. She pulled Steve's shirt over his head.
"Only a week." One of his hands entwined in her hair while the other pulled her closer so he could savor the feel of her warm skin against his.
"Hey lovebirds." The voice of Sam Wilson suddenly called out. "I'm not sorry I'm early, I was hoping to catch some of Cap's famous blueberry pancakes before we head out." The two pulled apart.
He rubbed the back of her neck gently as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry." She kissed him softly before giving him a small smile.
"It's okay, but if he does it again, I'm taking his key back." He smiled widely before kissing her one last time and making his way out to greet Sam.
"I interrupted something, didn't I?" Sharon heard Sam ask as she finished her make up, got dressed, and went out to meet the boys. Steve was behind the stove making blueberry pancakes while Sam sat across from him at the island.
"How much longer do you have on probation Carter?" Sharon had been on probation with the CIA since she stole Sam and Steve's gear in Berlin. She had been transferred back to the United States immediately and put on strict probation instead losing her job. She was pretty sure the only reason she didn't is because of her ties with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Steve. It took almost a year to get back into the field, but she was still under strict restrictions. One of them being she wasn't allowed out of the country.
"I actually quit my job a couple months ago." She smiled.
"What? Why didn't you tell me? What are you doing now?"
"I didn't want to say anything until everything was in order. I've been working with Fury and Hill on a new initiative called Secret Avengers." Steve gave her a large smile as she sat down on the stool next to Sam.
"Secret Avengers? You're an avenger now, but secret? So your a spy again. I didn't realize the Avengers needed more spies on the team."
"Well someone has to save the world while you guys are distracting it." Steve laughed at Sharon's smart remark.
"Damn Carter, is that sass coming with us since you are no longer with the CIA?"
Sharon sighed. "Unfortunately, no. Hill is having more trouble than she expected getting me off the no-fly list."
"Your old boss Everitt Ross giving her trouble?"
"No, Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross is." Sam made a face at Ross' name. "Yeah, he really enjoys that an ally of Captain America is on the no-fly list."
—
"Sharon!" She turned at her father's panicked voice. "What do we do?"
"I need you to go home Dad. Go home, check on the family and wait for my call." She tugged at his arm to stand up.
"No!" He pulled his arm from his grip. "I'm not leaving your mother."
She kneeled back next to him, her hand on his shoulder. "Dad. She's gone. I don't know what's happening, but I need you to go home. Things are going to get bad very quickly and I need you to go home, lock the door, and be safe."
"I can't leave her." He responded helplessly.
Sharon glanced around the restaurant. Everyone was in a state of shock and panic. Many were crying over their loved ones ashes. She stood suddenly and moved to the counter. "I need a bag, can I please get a bag." The shocked employee nodded and ran out of sight before coming back with a box of freezer bags.
"Thank you." She moved back to her father and shoved the bag into his hands. "Hold this open." She began furiously scooping the ashes into the bag until she couldn't scoop any more off the floor. She threw her arms around her father and pulled him in for a tight hug.
"Now I need you to go home."
"I love you Share-bear." He was crying again.
"I love you too Dad. Now go." She walked him quickly out the door and to his car. Once he was out of sight she headed for Fury's hideout. She called, but was met with no answer. Next she called Maria Hill, but received no answer. Panic started to set in as the number of voicemails she received pile up: Steve, Sam, Natasha, Wanda, Tony, Coulson. When her phone rang on its own, she almost shouted for joy.
"Carter."
"Sharon, thank God! It's Clint. I need you to go to my house." Sharon froze on the side of the street at his panicked voice. "Cooper and I went on a camping trip for the weekend. I can't get ahold of Linda. Please, I need you to go to my house and check on my family."
"I'm on my way, I'll call when I get there." She turned and ran back to the apartment. There was no way she was going to make it out of the city with the car so instead she straddled Steve's motorcycle, bee-lined her way through traffic, and was out of the city in record time.
An hour later, Sharon found herself in front of the Barton's home. She jumped off the bike and ran up the stairs to the porch. She could hear one of the kids screaming from inside. She pounded hard on the front door as she tried the door handle.
"Linda? It's Sharon Carter! Clint sent me to check on you." She moved to the window and peered through the curtains. She could see Nathanial standing in the middle of the room crying. "Linda?" She asked one more time before she overturned the flowerpot next to the door and dug for the spare key. She opened the door quickly and had Nathanial in her arms within two strides. He clung to her tightly as he continued to cry loudly into her neck.
"Shh, it's okay." She bounced him as she rubbed his back. "Shh." Her heart stopped when she moved around the room to find a shattered plate of food next to a pile of ashes. She held Nathanial tighter. "Lila?" She called out as she moved around the living room. She headed up the stairs, praying that she wouldn't find another pile of ashes. "Lila?" She gingerly entered Lila's bedroom. She checked the entire upstairs before moving back to the main floor. Nothing. She had to be in the house somewhere.
"Lila? It's Sharon, it's okay to come out." There was a noise and before Sharon could reach for her gun, Lila was running out of the front hall closet and clinging to Sharon's middle.
"Hey, it's okay, I'm here." She kneeled down and hugged Lila to her. They stayed there for a long time until Lila settled enough to pull away from Sharon. "Do you remember me?" Lila nodded as Sharon wiped her tears. "Can you tell me what happened?"
"I was upstairs reading and mom was making lunch. I heard a crash and when I came downstairs she was gone. I couldn't get Nate to stop screaming and I got really scared and hid in the closet." She began tearing up again. Her eyes shifted over Sharon's shoulder to the pile of ashes on the floor.
"Hey." Sharon said softly as she blocked Lila's view of the kitchen. "Nate's settling down. How about we go upstairs and put him down for a nap and wipe up those tears. Then we can call your Dad?" She ran a hand through Lila's hair. "How does that sound?" Lila nodded. Sharon led Lila upstairs and to Nate's bedroom where she changed his pull-up and laid with him in his small bed. Lila grabbed a handful of books before curling up with the two of them while Sharon read. It wasn't long before both kids were asleep.
Sharon slowly untangled herself and quietly headed downstairs. She moved to the kitchen and began cleaning up the spilled food as well as the abandoned food on the table that Linda must have been setting out for lunch. Next, she found a decorative canister from the cupboard and began scooping up Linda's ashes. When she was done, she set it out of sight from the kids before wiping up the remaining remnants of what had happened to their mother from the floor. When that was done she started on the dishes.
She realized as she stood at the sink that her hands were ashen colored from both her mother and Linda. They started to shake. She clenched her fists tight as she tried to suppress her growing emotions. She scrubbed hard at her hands, trying to rid herself of her grief.
"Sharon?" She turned to find Lila standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Can I help?"
"Of course. Do you want to dry while I wash?" She choked back her tears, not wanting Lila to become upset again. They stood in silence while they washed and dried the dishes. They both jumped when Sharon's phone rang loudly.
"Carter."
"Sharon, is everything okay?"
"Clint, hold on just a moment." She gave Lila a large fake smile. "Sweetie, why don't you go change your clothes quick while I talk to your dad and then it'll be your turn." Lila glanced down at her shirt and shorts which were wet with dish water before darting upstairs.
"Clint." Sharon sighed. "We only have a few minutes before Lila will be back down."
He gave a heavy sigh. "Lila's okay. What about Nathanial and Linda?"
"Nathanial is fine, he's taking a nap right now and Linda…" Her heart constricted and tears sprang to her eyes. "She's gone, I'm so sorry." She turned back to the sink and brought a towel to her eyes as Clint's sobs echoed through the phone. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Lila will be back any second. She's scared and really wants to talk to you, but if you don't think you can handle it…"
He cleared his throat roughly. "I'm okay, it'll be okay." He answered just as Lila appeared in the kitchen again. She was eager to speak to her Dad.
"Okay, here's Lila." She handed the phone over as Lila's face lit up at the sound of her father's voice. Sharon busied herself putting the dishes away to avoid listening to the conversation.
"Dad said he'll be home in a few hours." Lila announced as she handed Sharon her phone back.
"That's great." Sharon spent the rest of the afternoon trying to keep Lila busy. First they watched her favorite movie until Nathanial woke up from his nap. After that, Lila led Sharon outside to the chicken coop to feed the chickens before playing on the swing set with Nate.
Sharon itched to check her phone and make more phone calls, but she knew she couldn't. Lila was old enough to know something was wrong and Sharon wasn't going to do anything that would lead her to ask questions and become more upset than she already was.
They played outside until it was almost dinner time. Sharon had Lila help her cook dinner while Nathanial watched an episode of his favorite show in the living room. After dinner, Sharon gave Nathanial a bath while Lila got ready for bed and picked out another movie to watch. The three laid down in Nathanial's bed again to read books. Sharon and Lila took turns reading pages as they all cuddled on the small bed.
Sharon was so at peace watching Lila read to her brother that she almost forgot what had happened earlier in the day. She needed Lila and Nathanial just as much as they needed her. She held them lovingly as if they were her own. When Nathanial had finally drifted off to sleep, she kissed his forehead, turned on his nightlight, and cracked the door before heading back downstairs with Lila.
"Sharon?"
"Hmm?" She looked up from pouring two small glasses of milk.
"What happened to my mom? My dad wouldn't tell me on the phone." Sharon slowly set down the jug of milk before leaning down to be closer to Lila's eye level. She gently tucked Lila's hair behind her ear.
"I really think your dad is the person to talk about this, but," she gave her a small smile, "how about we watch our movie and eat our milk and cookies and if your dad isn't home by the end of the movie, I'll answer any questions you have. How does that sound?"
"Okay." Lila gave a small smile before grabbing the plate of cookies and heading to the living room. Sharon let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she put the milk away and brought the two glasses out to the couch.
Sharon had to hand it to Lila, she put up quite the fight to stay awake throughout the entire movie. It wasn't until halfway through, when she curled up to Sharon, that her eyes started to get heavy. Sharon rubbed her back softly until Lila's eyes finally closed and Sharon's soon followed.
—
"Hey."
"I love you."
"That was unexpec-" He cut her off.
"I don't have a lot of time to talk. We encountered a threat in Berlin trying to get the stone from Vision." Steve's voice was different to Sharon. She'd never heard him so worried. "A threat named Thanos is coming to Earth. He's trying to collect Infinity Stones and if he gets them, he could end life throughout half the galaxy."
"Steve… I… where are you?"
"We're headed to Wakanda."
"Wakanda… I can't leave…"
"I know."
"How long do we have?"
"A day or two. Maybe less." Someone was talking in the background. "I have to go."
"I love you Steve."
"I love you Sharon."
"Sharon." Sharon blinked her world awake. She turned to see Clint standing over her.
"I'm sorry, I must have dozed off."
"It's okay. It's almost midnight. I'm going to take Lila up to her bed." He said softly as he pulled his daughter into his arms and headed upstairs. Sharon stood up and stretched before moving to the kitchen. She cleaned up the glasses of milk and plate of cookies before checking her phone. Only missed calls from family. Her heart felt tight at what that could mean. She turned at the sound of Clint coming down the stairs.
"Thank you Sharon."
"No need. It was my pleasure to help. How's Cooper?" Tears welled in Clint's eyes. He shook his head silently. Sharon crossed the room and pulled him in for a tight hug.
"I have something for you." Sharon said as she pulled from him. She crossed the kitchen and pulled the container of Linda's ashes from the cupboard. "I couldn't throw her away." She handed the container to Clint. He held it tightly to his chest.
"Thank you."
"How long have you been off house arrest?"
Clint gave a small laugh. "Only a few weeks. Cooper… Cooper and I had been planning for months for this camping trip. That's why we went so far from home." He rubbed his eyes. "Nat messaged me that something was going down soon. But I never imagined something like this. Had I known…"
"Have you heard from her since?"
"No. Have you heard from anyone? Cap?" Sharon shook her head.
"I should have been there! When Nat called… I knew I should have found a way to get out of the country and meet them. But I didn't want to blow it just coming off probation and Cooper…" He took a deep breath to hold back his tears. "Cooper was so excited. I was going to teach him to shoot moving targets…" He rubbed his eyes harshly.
"I know-"
"No, you don't know!" He burst out suddenly. She had never seen Clint like this. He was always cool, calm, and collected. "You didn't let your team down. I've been stuck here helpless since The Raft and when I can finally help again I decide to go camping! I'm an Avenger! I should have been there!"
Sharon watched him. He was breaking down before her eyes. "I wish I had found a way to be there too, but we can't go back now. We are here and people are going to need us."
"It's over! They lost and now we have to live with it. And what is there to live for? To fight for?"
Sharon felt anger bubbling inside her at his words. "There are two children upstairs that are worthing living and fighting for." She felt fire in her eyes as she stared at him. "And you're not the only one living with the consequences of Berlin. I can't leave the country either and I love those people fighting for us just as much as you do. You're not the only person that lost someone today. As far as I know, I have lost everyone except for you and my father. But I'm going to keep fighting because that's who we are. We are the hope when there isn't any left in the world. And if you don't want to fight for those two kids upstairs then I will because they saved my life today just as much as I saved theirs."
He was openly crying now. "I'm sorry Sharon. I just… today…"
"I know." She pulled him in for another tight hug. "I know."
"It's late, I can make up the couch for you if you want to stay." Clint said when he was finally ready to pull away. He continued to wipe his eyes.
"That'd be great. I'm going to go make a few calls." Sharon excused herself and stepped out onto the porch. It was a cool night and for a moment Sharon stared up at the endless night sky. How many other people were doing this exact thing, wondering what was happening in the universe they can't see? She slipped her phone from her pocket, no calls. Her fear suddenly hit her full force. What if they were all gone? What if Steve was gone? Did he die in the fight? Or fade into the wind? She felt so helpless. So alone.
Hot tears rained down her cheeks as her breath became more ragged. Clint was right on some level. They lost and now they had to live with this new world. A world without her mother, Linda, Cooper, and maybe even Steve. Her knees felt weak.
Her heart leapt into her chest as her phone suddenly buzzed. She didn't recognize the number. She hastily pulled herself together enough to answer.
"This is Agent Carter."
"Sharon, thank God."
"Steve." She crumpled at his voice. Her knees hit the porch hard as she curled in on herself. The last 24 hours hit her full force.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Sharon choked out as sobs wracked her body.
"I wanted to call sooner, but everything went so wrong."
"I thought… I thought you were… you were dead." Sharon stammered.
"I'm okay. We're okay."
"I'm so scared Steve."
"I know, I am too. I was so scared that you wouldn't answer. That you were gone…"
"I wish I was with you. I can't…" Her sobs were getting harsher. "I can't leave. I can't leave the country. I can't help you. I feel so helpless."
She could hear Steve choking back tears on the other end. "You can help at home. They are going to need as many strong people as possible. You can be strong there."
"I don't know how."
"You're a Carter," he gave a small laugh through his tears, "you don't know how to be anything but strong." They fell into silence as they both tried to reign in their emotions.
"How bad is it Steve? Who did we lose?"
He was quiet for a long time. "Bucky. Sam. Wanda. Vision. T'Challa. So many people Sharon…"
Fresh tears fell silently down her cheeks. "Nat?"
"She's okay." Steve answered quickly.
"Is she?" Sharon turned at Clint's voice. She hadn't heard him step outside. "Is Nat alive?"
Sharon nodded as she slowly pulled herself to her feet. "Nat's alive." She watched as tears of relief filled Clint's eyes.
"Can you tell Cap to have her call me?"
"Steve, I'm with Clint, can you have Nat call him? He's been trying her for hours with no answer." His phone buzzed a moment later. He sighed in relief as he stepped back into the house.
"How's Clint doing?"
Sharon sighed. "He's trying to be strong. He was out camping with Cooper and called me to come check on the family. Linda was gone when I got here. I took care of the kids until he made it back an hour ago."
"Oh God. Anyone else?"
"My mom and I can't get ahold of anyone. Fury. Tony. Hill. Coulson. Nothing." They were quiet again for a long time. "When do you get to come home?"
"I don't know." She expected him to not have an answer. "I don't think any of us will be leaving Wakanda any time soon. Not until things get sorted out."
"I understand. I miss you."
"I miss you so much Sharon."
"I should go, it's late and Clint will need help with the kids in the morning. I love you."
"I love you too."
Thanks for reading and please review. Stick around for the conclusion in Chapter 2.