I had been in an abusive relationship before joining the avengers, Steve and Natasha had found me sitting outside my apartment complex bruises up and down my arms and bleeding profusely. I had told Brett that I was pregnant that night, to say he wasn't happy was an understatement.

I paced around the living room, avoiding all of the broken glass from the night before, Brett would be home any minute, I knew I was in for the beating of a lifetime, not only had I not cleaned the house top to bottom but I was also carrying his child. I wanted to keep the baby even though it would be a constant reminder of the abuse that took a toll on my body.

The front door slammed open and I could already smell the bourbon on his breath. I took a deep breath in and out.

"What the fuck is all of this? I told you I was having guests over and you don't even clean the fucking house?" he yelled as he got closer to the living room, suddenly he was standing right in front of me staring me down.

"I'm sorry, I have some news for you." I mumbled looking down at my wringing hands. I rested a hand on my stomach gently and slowly looked back up at him. Before he could comprehend what was going on and what I was trying to tell him I felt the sting of his hand on the side of my face, my hand instinctively flew up to cup my cheek which only caused him to become even angrier. Before he could get another slap in I quickly blurted out what I wanted to tell him.

"Brett, I'm pregnant." Instantly my hand covered my mouth as I saw steam emitting from his ears.

"I always knew you were a slut and this just confirms it," he threw a punch into my ribs before hitting me right in the stomach. I doubled over in pain and clutched my stomach, "get up bitch! This is not my baby and I'm going get rid of the problem, or I will just get rid of you." He snickered as he threw a punch into my face. I cringed and fell to the floor where he proceeded to kick me in the ribs and stomach. My arms instantly went to protect my unborn child as he continued to wail on my body. He suddenly stopped and picked me up by my arm roughly and shoved me out the door. I heard the lock click after he slammed the door shut. I was alone, I was bleeding and I probably looked like a mess. My hands went to rub my stomach and I hoped that he had not made me lose this baby.

Steve and Natasha had helped me up off the steps and helped get me to a hospital. I could never have been more grateful for someone to find me after a beating than I was that day. I had lost the baby that day and Natasha had been the one to sit there and comfort me as I sobbed into her shoulder. These two people I hardly knew and I had already opened up to them without ever actually meaning to.

Since that day Steve and Natasha had become the only people I felt that I could trust. Steve was one of my closest friends and Natasha was like the mother I never had. I didn't have any special talents so Nat trained me in combat so that I could go out on missions with them. Stark tower was huge the first time I saw it I was almost too scared to even sneeze in it. I guess the three years that I was with Brett had really done a number on my mental health. But Stark tower had quickly become my home, I felt real love and I was sure that none of them would hurt me. Bruce scared me at first but he is teaching me all I need to know about science, and I'm actually really enjoying our little sessions even if I am a slow learner Bruce has all the patients in the world for me. Tony took a liking to me straight away and I now see him as another father figure, he has taught me everything there is to know about the arch reactor for if he is ever immobilized and in need of help. Clint was just like an older brother and now we have a little banter going.

Tony had decided to throw a party after one of the missions went exceedingly well, we had infiltrated Strucker's base in Sokovia and apprehended Loki's sceptre. After a few beverages, courtesy of Thor, that would have rendered any normal human immobile Clint thought it would be a good idea to question the likes of Thor's hammer.

"But it's a trick!" he exclaimed twirling a drumstick between his fingers.

"Oh, no. It's much more than that." Thor told him handing Steve a drink to hand over to me. Already I was feeling the effects of the alcohol on my system and everything was looking a little bit fuzzy. It was the first time since I had been with Brett that I had even touched a drink and it was a great feeling.

"Uh, "Whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power!" Whatever man! It's a trick." Clint said baffled as he looked way too relaxed sitting there beside Maria.

"Well please, be my guest." Thor told him reclining back into the couch with an amused smirk on his face, this night just got a whole lot better than anticipated.

"Really?" Clint asked getting up from his spot on the floor and placing the drumsticks where he once sat. he was met with snide comments from Rhodes and Tony.

"Yeah."

"Oh, this is going to be beautiful."

"Clint, you've had a tough week, we won't hold this against you if you can't get it up." We all snickered under our breath at what Tony had said.

"You know I've seen this before, right?" Clint grabs Thor's hammer as his face contorts with the strain to lift it. "I still don't know how you do it." I giggle at the look on Clint's face, it looks somewhere between concentration and constipation. He laughs as he lets go and steps back.

"Smell the silent judgment?" Tony snidely asks. Clint flashes him and incredulous look.

"Please, Stark, by all means." Clint takes a few more steps back as Tony walks up to the hammer unbuttoning his suit jacket and making it seem like the sun shines out of his ass. I giggled again but this time at Tony, he reminded me slightly of a gay uncle, but I would never say that out loud, he was too proud of himself to be stuck with the gay uncle title.

"Never one to shrink from an honest challenge." I swear the level of testosterone in the air of this room is suffocatingly high, all they want to do is one up each other. "It's physics, right?" Tony asks as he grips onto the handle. "So, if I lift it, I then rule Asgard?"

"Yes, of course." Thor told him smugly.

"I will be re-instituting Prima Nocta." Tony attempts to lift it only to be faced with disappointment, not letting this get to him he suddenly has a brain wave, I mentally face palmed myself, how much alcohol do these people need in order to be this mentally unstable? "I'll be right back." He runs off quickly and comes back wearing the hand to the iron man suit. Again, he attempts to lift it but to no avail, I felt myself rolling my eyes at him. Rhodes joined in also with the war machine hand.

"Are you even pulling?" Rhodes asks putting as much effort as he can muster.

"Are you on my team?"

"Just represent! Pull!"

After their failed attempt Bruce has a go, he tries to turn into the hulk but the amount of alcohol in his system prevents him from doing so.

"Huh?" Bruce seems perplexed at the discovery of the effect that the alcohol has on him changing. Steve is the next one to roll up his sleeves and attempt it. I almost had high hopes that he might actually get it up.

"Let's go, Steve, no pressure." Tony said slightly snidely. Steve grabs hold of the handle and takes a deep breath.

"Come on, Cap." Steve starts pulling on the hammer and manages to budge it a little. The look on Thor's face was priceless, I almost wish I had a camera, but when Steve still fails to lift it he lets out a breathy chuckle.

That was the night the Ultron had taken off and threatened to make the Avengers extinct. Since then Steve had taken to training me harder and longer, when one day I finally snapped. We had been hiding out at the Barton farm after the incident with Ultron and his two new little minions. Both with powers given to them by Strucker. The girl was able to show everyone their worst fears and the boy just ran really fast. Clint's kids were absolutely gorgeous and it kind of made me sad about losing my baby a few months prior. And his wife, Laura, had another one on the way, little Nathaniel. Every chance I got I was helping her around the house, I helped her cook, because god knows how much these boys eat, helped her with the kids and even helped her with normal household things. I was happy to actually feel useful for once. Steve had been using the barn as a sort of training room for the two of us.

"Come on, harder, widen your stance! Kick, punch." Steve instructed me moving my feet with his before we started sparring. He kept shouting orders at me left, right and centre, I swung at him and when I connected with his ribs I singed his shirt. Pulling back from him I looked at my hands and then back at Steve, I slowly started to back away from him as he reached out for me. Quickly I turned around a sprinted out of the barn almost running into Tony on my way.

"What was that all about?" Tony asked, but I was too far away to hear what Steve had told him.