Title: Fall in Light

Fandom: Avengers (Younger Avengers continuity)

Pairings: Carol Danvers/Peter Parker, James Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Ben Parker/Lindy Barnes, Amelia Danvers/Jake Barnes

Rating: T

Disclaimer: The Avengers and related concepts belong to Marvel Comics and Disney. All character concepts and designs of the Younger Avengers are protected under copyright law as sufficiently original derivative works and may not be used or reproduced in any form without express permission.

Author's Notes: Ben and Amelia are the children of Carol and Peter; Lindy is the child of James Barnes and Jessica Jones in an alternate universe where the Dark Reign of Norman Osborn extended; Jake is the child of James and Natasha in the same continuity as Ben and Amelia. This story takes place prior to the events in "The Next Generation of Superheroes".

The first year they were barely dating. Time Square Patrol was an excuse to spend the night together. Whether or not it was a date was up for debate - Peter would say it was their third, Carol would roll her eyes at the question - but something happened that night. Nothing overt, nothing apparent, nothing changed, exactly. If they'd been seated beside anyone else at midnight - Peter would say it wouldn't have mattered, Carol would roll her eyes at the question. But something happened. Something solidified.

The second year it was an anniversary. Not an actual one, since they'd been together longer than a year, once they decided they were together-together, and that was later. It wasn't the anniversary of their first date, or their first kiss, or their first anything, not really. But it was an anniversary anyway.

The third year they didn't have patrol. Ben had been born just weeks earlier and they were on official leave from the Avengers. He was too small to leave or bring so they stayed home. Midnight found the little family entwined. They may as well have been the only three people in the world; in the moment it wouldn't have mattered if they were.

The fourth year Amelia was on her way, though they'd just found out, and they didn't know she was Amelia. Peter secretly wanted a little girl and Carol not so secretly didn't; she'd, after a year, only just become comfortable with the idea of a child, the idea of daughter caught her heart in her throat. Or whatever the phrase was. To wit: she was terrified. But Amelia was contrary from inception and determined to be a girl no matter what her mother said.

The fifth year Ben, just two, and Amelia, just just six months, and called May those first years, were dropped at the mansion so their parents could return to their annual patrol. And so it was until Ben was twelve and allowed to join his parents much to his ten year old sister's dismay. When Amelia was twelve she refused to be left home. After that it became a discussion every year. A long discussion with much negotiating that more often than not resulted in Amelia getting her way.

The twenty-first year both children joined them and they were not children. Ben already had one step out the door and Amelia was determined, bordering on desperate, to be an adult. And she'd only agreed to the Christmas separation on the promise she could spend this night with Jake, and kiss him at midnight, and start the new year in his arms, at his side, and simply with him in every way she could imagine. In this she was also determined, bordering on desperate, but it was a simpler task. This year. The fear of all those other years that lay before them, all those promised separations, is what made this year so important, at least in Amelia's mind. Her parents had been together every New Years since they'd gotten together. Jake's parents were almost always apart.

There was far less urgency for Ben and Lindy. They'd been together not so much longer than his parents had been that first year, though their relationship was somewhat further down the path in some ways. In other ways they were just as tentative, if not more so. In the last month or two Ben had, for a variety of reasons, become more cautious. And Lindy, for a variety of reasons, had always been so. But while there was nothing easy, simple, or casual about their relationship, there was a contentment to it, and a raw ambiguity that allowed the relationship to exist unfettered. Or at least not so fettered as others.

"There are so many." The crowds filled the streets, as they did every year.

"New York is the place to be for New Year's Eve," said Ben as any true born and bred New Yorker would.

"What is the significance of the new year?" In Lindy's past holidays were few and far between; they were probably celebrated across her world just as they were here - but not in her history. She remembered snatches of Christmases from her childhood, but not New Year's, and nothing like this.

"Well, most people see it as a new beginning. If they made some mistakes over the last year or years, the new year is like another chance."

Lindy had been taught to let go of past mistakes immediately, to let go of the past entire. The past didn't matter, the future didn't matter, only the present and the task at hand. Now she was being taught differently and found this new layer confusing. "But it is not a new beginning."

There was something in her tone that made Ben listen closely. "What do you mean?"

"Why is the new beginning delayed to coincide with the new year? Why is today different? Time always continues no matter how it is measured. Why does the change not happen immediately after the mistake is realized? It is ... inefficient and lazy to wait! Why is it celebrated?" She turned wild eyes back to the square. "By everyone!"

The word was a screech. Ben had no idea why she was suddenly so upset; Lindy had no idea herself. But the reason wasn't as important as the fact of it; he pulled her into his arms. "Hey." Amelia would have clung to the embrace and fallen into sobs; Ginny would have pushed away and swallowed her tears. Lindy relaxed at once, settled against his chest, crying softly but as suddenly calm as she had been suddenly distraught. Ben held her close and waited for her to speak.

"...It ... can be ... so different."

Ben kissed the top of her head. "Sometimes people get scared of change, even if it's better. And sometimes they're even afraid to let go of mistakes because they think it would mean all their mixed up feelings wouldn't matter as much, wouldn't be important. Everybody wants to believe their feelings are important." Ben brushed his fingers through her hair as he spoke, quiet but clear, and matter of fact. "So sometimes people need a reason to do what they're afraid to do. A push. And sometimes they need to believe that letting go is just as important as holding on. You're right. The new year isn't a real new beginning but it's a symbol of a new beginning. And symbols can hold a lot of power."

"If you give it to them."

Ben smiled. "Exactly." Lindy's tears had dried but her eyes were still bright, and her frown thoughtful. Ben touched a finger to the bridge of her nose. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation.

Ben stood, pulling Lindy up with him. "Hold on." She obliged, hugging his waist as she did when they rode his bike. Ben winked and launched into the air.

"Show off." Amelia scrunched her nose at the sky, but her tone was affectionate.

"Do I detect envy?"

"No." Amelia knew Jake was teasing but she answered honestly. "When I was little I wished I could fly, but I like swinging and my abilities are special. My dad and I are the only ones with Spider-Sense and mine is stronger." Amelia realized belatedly she sounded both boastful and disrespectful of Jake's own far from unique abilities. "...I'm sorry."

"I understand, my sun." He kissed her nose and she breathed easy.

"It's almost midnight."

"Are you excited?"

"For midnight?"

"For the new year."

Amelia tried to consider the question but shook her head and answered with a tight hug. "I don't care as long as I'm with you." A quiet frown flickered across Jake's face but it was gone before they pulled apart again.

"For midnight, then?"

"Yes!"

Jake smiled. Amelia bit her lip.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Ask me again sometime. It's almost midnight." She turned to watch the gleaming ball poised over Time Square. Jake nodded and closed his arms around her. They counted down the last minute with the crowd but when the new year lit up Amelia didn't turn back to Jake. Instead she leapt up and touched his shoulder. "Wait here."

Jake blinked as Amelia jumped off the roof and swung three over to where her parents were perched, sharing their twenty first first kiss of the year. She flung her arms around both. "Happy new year, Mommy... Daddy..."

"What are you doing over here?" asked Carol.

"Is everything okay?" asked Peter.

"Everything is fine." She kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"...We love you, too." And she was gone. Peter looked at Carol in confusion. She shrugged and pulled him close again.

"Do you want to find Ben, too?" Jake asked, bemused.

"Nooooooo." Amelia shook her head. "I don't want to interrupt anything. It was risky enough with my parents but they're slowing down." She giggled and touched a hand to his cheek. "I love you, Jake."

"I love you."

She giggled again. "Kiss me!"

He leaned in to oblige, but paused. "Is it still a midnight kiss?"

"It's my first kiss of the new year, that's what matters." She'd barely finished speaking before he closed her into a long kiss.

Hours later, the city slept. Peter and Carol at home, Ben and Amelia with the Barnes since their family had houseguests and it wasn't a school night. Natasha slipped into the apartment and the bedroom she shared with James and woke him with a first kiss of the new year.