Chapter One: Encounters of Deja Vu ...
Lima, Ohio - December 1st, Two-thousand something
High school graduation had been an event that now seemed over a decade away as close to ten years ago had passed since the lone man had set a single foot in his home town, standing there now all the time that elapsed seemed to have blurred itself together all ten long years of it mushing together in a large wad of snotted up tissue. It had been roughly two months since he had been discharged from the army, then weeks he had a few options and went with the easier choices his mind could formulate like go missing without bothering to telling a damn soul where he'd be going that was what he was hoping had been the catalyst that drove a rift between him and his former high school flame Rachel to part ways. He hadn't been expecting her to have some man in her bed, but they had been trying the long distance thing for a few years and he didn't exactly learn.
What took years to achieve in Lima seemed to be an overnight thing at the NYADA school in New York City. The large and fast paced moving city of New York City consumed her faster than even he had imagined possible
He had changed since graduation to a man with purpose and honor until he was injured during a routine inspection while overseas losing every guy he served with when a bomb detonated. Now a man without a purpose he wandered the streets of his home town frowning visibly at the ground before the first snow chose this very moment to fall. He had stepped out into the field plenty of times and even got himself hurt more than once but then all the time he spent recently in the medical ward did seem kind of fuzzy
"Finn?" The soft voice of an older woman reached his ears as her hand came to rest on his shoulder. She seemed surprised at the sight of her son standing infront of the family home as if uncertain he was welcome. It killed her inside to have the thought of him thinking he wasn't loved by them
It jarred him from his thoughts the thoughts that he could have sworn belonged to someone else. "Hi Mom, sorry I didn't call you sooner. I've.. I've just been thinking about stuff lately." He offered before turning giving the woman a hug but the look in her eyes seemed to register something in his mind. Something was different about him and it wasn't just his appearance
"Oh don't worry about it.. Come on the boys are home.. And so are your nieces." She offered giving his shoulder a squeeze before leading him home.
A new home had been built at the corner of his street, replacing the Johnson's place after it went up in a blaze due to faulty wiring of a string of tree lights in his freshman year at school, he had spotted it as he walked past. A beautiful red haired woman of roughly twenty-six had been making her way home carrying a bag of groceries. Her emerald eyes caught his own for a moment a spark firing up between them before she broke the contact and hurried on inside. Her crimson colored curls bouncing as she rushed back inside closing the door behind herself.
"Nieces?" Finn stammered arching his brow at his mother as he walked making his way towards his old home. He hadn't even thought about housing let alone possible career choices at least not since Rachel broke his heart, at least he did have some sort of degree to his name not that he was expecting to use it until he was thirty something.
"Yes, nieces.. Kurt and Blaine adopted twin girls Stephanie and Andrea. You really missed out while you've been gone sweet heart." His mother's voice doing little to soothe him. He was suddenly antsy and curious similar to what he felt like before getting placed on an assignment.
"I missed out on a lot.. I know I've missed out on a lot. Mom, what's the deal about the red head? Do you know of any job vacancies I can probably take?" He asked his eyes glued to the ground as he walked.
"Ahh.. You saw Natalie i take it then.. She's a quiet girl moved in at the beginning of the school year. Works at the high school as an English teacher and volunteers her time with the Glee group after school." Carole offered as they approached the door. "Everyone will be thrilled your home Sweet heart.." She added with a warm smile. "Burt might have an opening at the shop you can fill until you find something."
"You think so?"He asked his eyes closed for a moment the nagging feeling in the back of his mind telling him he wasn't who he thought he was ringing clearly. 'Clint..Clint, can you hear me?' The soft feminine voice filled his mind for a moment causing his heart to stop.
"Finn, are you feeling okay? Of course everyone will be happy..." His mother soothed as she opened the door Burt beaming at both of them before pulling in his stepson into the house for a hug.
"You've sure as hell grown some since the last I saw you.. Filled out into a good man right?" Burt teased before leaving Finn to handle the new onslaught of attacks by family.
Time seemed to have stopped and he couldn't help but feel as if this was perfectly okay. He could live a lie even though he still had no clue as to what it was. 'Clint..Clint, promise you'll get better.' The voice echoed in his mind closing his eyes to muffle it only in time to brace himself from the hugs of two little five year old girls. "I knew I was a ladies man but twins?" He teased only to hear Kurt laugh in the back ground. 'I can handle this..' He thought with a soft sigh.
Natasha had been shocked to see him again so soon. Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she caught his cool silver gaze from a distance. Fury had told her he was converted into a sleeper agent his memories suppressed as he was forced to take on a life that wasn't his own in hopes to foil something possibly going down in small town Lima Ohio that could potentially jeopardize the world.
She wanted to laugh in Fury's face when he told her his reasonings behind separating the world's best pair of assassins. The red head quickly countered that it would be best for her to go undercover and assist Barton should the need arise choosing to become Natalia Rushman. She resisted the urge to go with Barton to piss Fury off since she had been busy lurking in the shadows since his return to main stream.
Sure Coulson followed him during his outings in the mountains, Hill monitored events in New York City, and here she lingered in the small town trying to get to know people. Making friends and making sure to hell that she blended in.
As she closed her door her back pressed to the cool wood as her knees shook. He didn't recognize her. He couldn't pick up their silent exchanges like before her heart slowly sinking. "Clint.. You should have said no.." She hissed as she raised her hand to her face.
The file resting in the counter of her kitchen read: Finn Hudson
