Chapter 13

Barton landed the quinjet behind some trees in a field in front of a large farmhouse. He helped Natasha down and they led the way across the field. "What is this place?" Thor asked as they made their way up the stairs onto the porch.

"A safe house?" Tony guessed.

"Let's hope." Barton said, opening the front door. "Honey, I'm home." He called out, letting Natasha wander over to a chair near Steve. A heavily pregnant woman walked in from the kitchen looking confused. Her face lit up with a very large grin when she spotted Barton. "Hi. Company. Sorry I didn't call ahead."

"Hey." The woman kissed Barton familiarly, hugging him tightly.

Tony exchanged glances with Buffy. "This is an agent of some kind." He said.

"Gentleman and Buffy, this is Laura." Barton said.

"I know all your names." Laura said with a small wave.

The sound of happy children running in came from the foyer. "Ooh, incoming." A little girl and little boy came running in yelling for dad and attacked Barton. He picked up the little girl and the boy hugged him tightly around the waist. "Hey, buddy! How you guys doing? Ooh…." He was the picture of father and husband as he stood with his family.

"These are…. smaller agents." Tony said.

"Look at your face! Oh, my goodness!" Barton laughed at his kids.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" The little girl asked.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Natasha said, moving out from behind Steve. The little girl met Natasha in the middle and the red head picked her up in her arms.

"Sorry for barging in on you." Steve said to Laura.

"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed." Tony said.

"Yeah, well Fury helped me set this up when I joined." Barton said. "He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. I'd like to keep it that way. I figure it's a good place to lay low."

"Honey." Laura said, wrapping her arms around Barton's waist. "Ah, I missed you."

Something crunched under Thor's foot and he, Buffy, and Steve looked down to see he'd stepped on a toy. He shoved it under a nearby table, looking up at Steve with a slightly embarrassed look.

"How's little Natasha, huh?" Natasha asked Laura, gently touching her protruding stomach.

"She's…. Nathaniel." Laura said.

Natasha bent down towards Laura's belly. "Traitor."

Barton's little girl walked over and looked up at Thor. She must've decided he was scary, so she looked over at Buffy and smiled. Buffy squatted down to be eye level. "Hi."

"Hi. I'm Lila. You're Buffy. Auntie Nat and daddy have told me about you."

"Have they?" Buffy shot a look at the aunt and father in question, but they were talking with Laura.

"Yup. Daddy said that you've saved the world a lot."

"I have." She heard Natasha chuckle slightly and looked up to see her standing behind Lila.

"That's really cool. Will you tell me about it?"

"Uh…." Buffy looked up at Natasha for help.

"I think maybe you should ask your daddy if it's ok." Natasha said.

Lila nodded. "Ok." She bounced back over to Clint and Buffy stood up.

Thor suddenly turned and headed out of the house. Steve followed him out to talk to him, not saying anything to Buffy and avoiding touching her. Buffy looked away from his retreating form with a disturbed look on her face.

Natasha reached out of took Buffy's hand. "Come on. You can bunk in my room."

"You have a room here?" Buffy asked, following Natasha through the house towards the back.

"Yeah. Of course. I visit a lot." She opened a door and led Buffy into a small mother-in-law suite. "Even have my own bathroom thanks to Clint."

"Wow. Who knew an Avenger could have such a normal life?"

Natasha sat down on the bed and watched Buffy as she stared out the window. "What was your vision about?"

"What was yours about?"

"I asked you first."

"What are we, in fourth grade?"

"With the amount of testosterone flying around this group, we might as well be." Buffy chuckled. "Seriously, Buff. You and Steve were avoiding eye contact like you were whenever anyone tried to get you to acknowledge your feelings for each other. You both must've had some serious stuff going on in whatever that girl showed you."

"I'm still not even sure what it all meant." Buffy glanced at the bathroom. "Mind if I take a shower and get my thoughts together?"

"Go ahead. I'll go get you some clothes to wear. And a couple of towels." Natasha smiled and headed out of the room.


When Buffy stepped out of the shower, there was a fluffy robe waiting for her along with two towels. She thought she'd heard Natasha come in at some point during the 45 minute shower. She'd been so deep in thought that she'd forgotten that she'd washed her hair already and shampooed it four times. Her hair was going to be extremely silky since she'd also fallen into her thoughts after putting on the conditioner and hadn't rinsed it out until the water had started getting cold.

With a sigh, she decided to take her time to dry off and brush out her wet hair. Eventually she slipped on the robe and exited the bathroom. Natasha was sitting on the bed in a matching fluffy robe.

"Thought I could go next." She said.

"I think I ran out the hot water." Buffy replied.

"It'll heat back up by the time I get in." Natasha patted the bed in front of her and Buffy relented, climbing on and sitting cross-legged in front of the red head. "Steve told me his vision while you were in the shower."

"Where is Steve?"

"He's out being manly with Stark."

Buffy could hear the sounds of an ax being swung into blocks of wood with brute force. "What was his?"

"That's his vision to tell, not mine." Natasha reached over and squeezed Buffy's hand. "Talk. I'll just listen."

The blonde sighed. "My vision was telling me that I'm ready to give this up…. Being an Avenger. That if I tried, I would only make Steve and I miserable. And I think it was right. For years, all I wanted was to fit in and be…. Normal. Then I got my wish and Willow made all of those Slayers but somehow I was still alone. Somehow I was still the most powerful and I was definitely the only one with my experiences. Those girls…. They didn't understand the burden. What it's like to be the one everyone relies on the save the day. They've got each other, I've only had myself. Even my friends never understood it." Natasha nodded, waiting for Buffy to continue. "Then I became part of the Avengers and somehow I really did fit in. I wasn't alone anymore. I had a partner who got what it was like to be the only one of his kind. He accepted me for who I am and didn't try to compete or dictate how I should do things. I really started to enjoy who I am…. What I am. What that girl showed me…. Nat, I love being an Avenger. And I'm scared that settling down and having kids and being that perfect little housewife will force me to give that all up. I don't want to give that up."

Natasha nodded knowingly. "Do you think that's what Steve wants? To settle down and have kids and you to be a perfect little housewife?"

Buffy glanced out the window, but couldn't see the source of the wood chopping. "Yes."

"I swear, it's like you two were made from the exact some ball of clay. It's almost creepy. Talk to him." Natasha held her hand up to stop Buffy's line of questioning. "I'm not going to tell you what he told me. Like I said, that's his to tell. But you need to talk to Steve."

Buffy nodded. "What about you? What was your vision?"

The red head shrugged nonchalantly. "I revisited my training. I was reminded that I can't have a family of my own."
"God! And here I am complaining about not wanting one yet. I'm sorry, Nat."

Natasha laughed. "It's ok, Buff. You've got the possibility and you're willing to use it someday."

"I didn't know you were even thinking about it."

"I wasn't exactly thinking about it, but it's always at the back of my mind. I live vicariously thought Clint and Laura and one day, you and Steve will join that list. I'm an awesome aunt. Kids love me."

"You may not be able to have kids, but that kind of works out. You could still settle down. I mean, the other night at the party, you and Angel seemed pretty cozy."

"Yeah. I like him."

"He'd be good for you. Tortured soul seeking redemption…."

"Plus he's easy on the eyes." Natasha laughed. "But I think the best part is he can give as good as he gets. I hate guys that I can easily break."

Buffy laughed. "He is definitely not breakable."

"You sure it's ok? Me and him?"

"I'm positive. It would be nice to see him happy."

To Buffy's utter surprise, Natasha did something that she never did. She blushed and looked away. "What about his curse?"

"Wow. You must be pretty serious about Angel." Buffy smiled. "Honestly, Nat, I think you're safe from that for a while. If you're worried about it, you could always talk to Willow and see what she can do."

"If it comes to it, then I'll think about it."

"Good."

"Go. Go talk to Steve."

"Can I get dressed first?"

Natasha chuckled. "Sure. I'm getting in the shower."


Buffy walked out onto the porch dressed in tight jeans and a blue plaid, button up shirt. Apparently Laura had pulled the clothes out for her from her pre-family wardrobe she had stashed in the attic. Her brown knee high boots were supplied from that stash as well. She watched Steve and Tony chopping wood side by side for a while, listening to them argue.

"You think one of these days they'll manage to get along for more than ten minutes at a time?" Clint asked. He and his son were working on a section of railing along the porch.

Buffy chuckled. "Probably not."

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked.

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." Steve said. "I was kind of hoping Thor would be the exception."

"Yeah, give him time. We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him."

"'Earth's Mightiest Heroes.' Pulled us apart like cotton candy."

"Seems like you walked away all right."

"Is that a problem?"

"I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned."

"Well let's just say you haven't seen it yet."

"You know Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?"

"Well I guess you'd know. Whether you tell us is a bit of a question."

"Banner and I were doing research."

"That would affect the team."

"That would end the team. Isn't that the mission? Isn't that why we fight? So we can end the fight? So we get to go home?"

Steve ripped the log he was holding in half with his bare hands and threw the pieces aside. "Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die. Every time."

"I think that's my cue to separate them." Buffy said.

"Good luck," Laura said, walking up next to Buffy. "I can hear them all the way in the kitchen."
"They've always butted heads." Buffy said.

"You take Captain Defensive, I'll deal with Iron Hot Head?"

The blonde smiled at Mrs. Barton. So far, she liked Clint's wife. "Deal."

Laura walked over to the stairs with Buffy. She stopped on the middle step and called, "I'm sorry. Mr. Stark, uh, Clint said you wouldn't mind, but, our tractor, it doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might…."

"Yeah, I'll give her a kick." Tony turned to Steve as he was walking away. "Don't take from my pile." He passed Buffy on her way over to Steve and nodded appreciatively at her attire. "Yeehaw, Summers. All you're missing is a cowgirl hat."

"Go away, Tony." Buffy stuck her tongue out at him and he chuckled.

Steve set down his axe and leaned against it as he waited for Buffy to make it to him. He was in his blue Under Armor shirt and a pair of very tight fitting jeans. They must've been Clint's, but Buffy was not going to complain about the view she was getting. "Feeling any better after your shower?" He asked.

"Yeah. A little bit. Did Clint put you to work?"

"I asked him if there was anything I could do to help out."

"So, then you're free to go for a walk with me?"

Steve smiled. "Of course." He set aside the axe, propping it against the tree stump he'd been chopping wood on, and dusted himself off. They headed away from the house towards the open field. Eventually the field gave way to woods and the house was miniature scale. "What if I'm not right for you?" He suddenly said.

"What?" Buffy looked up at him, confused.

"What the Maximoff girl showed me…. I made you miserable, Buffy."

"How?"

"I wanted to make a life with you. I wanted kids and a house and maybe a dog, but in that vision…. We were trying so hard for that perfect life, but I couldn't give Captain America up and I couldn't get you to give up being the Slayer. I punished you for my misery by making you just as miserable as me. I know we've talked about life afterwards and we enjoyed our break from it after everything that happened with S.H.I.E.L.D. I know that I was looking at that house near the new HQ and pushing for the perfect normal life, but I know now that I can't give that to you. Not if it means that I make you miserable." Buffy laughed and Steve looked at her sharply. "What?"

"Sorry. I wasn't laughing at your vision. I was laughing at what Nat said to me earlier." She looked back at the house and realized they were on a slight incline. If they sat down, they would be hidden from view. So, she sat down and waited for Steve to do the same.

"What did she say to you that was so funny?"

"That it's almost creepy how similar we are." He obviously wasn't connecting the dots. "In my vision, the first part of it, we were in this perfect little 1950s home and I had on the perfect little 50s housewife dress, but I was covered in blood and grass stains and bruises. We were standing in the kitchen and you were yelling at me about going back on my word that I was ready to give up being an Avenger. I couldn't bring myself to care how mad you were because I was just as angry that you expected me to just stop." She took his hand. "I love being an Avenger. I love going on missions with you and fighting the good fight. I'm not ready to give that up either. And I'm not sure if I'll ever be. I thought you were going to hate me for not wanting the house with the kids and the dog and the white picket fence."

Steve smiled. "I could never hate you."

"Vision you sure seemed like he did."

"Well, he was an idiot." He pulled her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I love you, Buffy. I don't want to ever make you miserable. We'll get around to having what Barton has someday. When we're both ready for it." She leaned in and kissed him gently, but he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

As he pulled her on top of him, she laughed and pulled back. "We're out in the open."

"Then we'll be quiet so no one comes looking."

"Captain, you animal."

He laughed and pulled her lips back to his, laying back and bringing her with him.


Barton was sitting on the porch when Buffy and Steve made their way back to the house. They had their arms wrapped around each other as they walked and seemed to be back in perfect harmony. The sun was setting in the sky and it bathed the couple in a happy glow.

"You guys look happy again." Barton said.

"We talked." Buffy said.

"And then some." Barton laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows at them. At their embarrassed expressions, he added, "Laura and I sometimes hide on that hill when we need time to ourselves."

"Lovely."

"We have a visitor."

Buffy and Steve tensed. "Who?" Steve asked.

Barton stood up and nodded his head towards the house. "Our old boss." He led them inside where Nick Fury was helping Laura cook dinner. Bruce and Tony were setting the table while the kids were in the living room watching cartoons and coloring with Natasha.

Fury turned around. "Captain. Miss Summers."

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked.
"Right now I'm showing Mrs. Barton how to make chicken spaghetti."

"We haven't heard from you in months and you just happen to show up the day after we get torn apart by a psychotic robot?"

"We have a certain woman who shall remain nameless to thank for that." Tony said. "Her initials are Maria Hill."

"Can't say I'm shocked that she's been working for Fury this whole time." Buffy said.

"She hasn't." Fury said. "I can't pay her. But she has been working for S.H.I.E.L.D. while they've been rebuilding."

"Are you saying you're a freelance spy now?"

"Something like that."


After dinner, Barton was doing the dishes while Tony was playing darts by himself. Steve stood leaning his shoulder against the doorframe while Buffy stood in front of him leaning back on his chest. He had an arm around her shoulders and his free hand was playing with her hand. Natasha was sitting at the table listening to the conversation around her. Bruce stood off to the side trying to melt into the wall.

Lila ran over to Natasha and handed her a drawing before rushing off to be put to bed with her brother Cooper. "Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time." Fury was saying as he poured himself a glass of tea. "My contacts all say he's building something. The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked.

"Ah. He's easy to track, he's everywhere. Guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans though."

"He still going after launch codes?" Tony asked.

"Yes, he is, but he's not making any headway."

"I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare."

"Yeah, well, I contacted our friends at the NEXUS about that."

"NEXUS?" Buffy asked.

"It's the world internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth."

"So what'd they say?" Barton asked.

"He's fixated on the missiles, but the codes are constantly being changed."

"By whom?" Tony asked.

"A red headed computer witch."

"Willow." Buffy said with a smile.

"She's been tracking him and keeping those launch codes out of his reach." Fury looked over at Tony. "She might need some help with that, though."

"I might need to visit Oslo, then." Tony said.

"What about the trackers on the Slayers?" Buffy asked. "Are they still safe?"

"He's made a few attempts, but Willow's got that blocked. She's used magic on both the trackers and the codes."

"Ultron isn't immune to a techno-witch. Good to know." Tony said.

"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that." Natasha said.

"I do. I have you." Fury gestured at the gather Avengers. "Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. Here we all are, back on earth, with nothing but our wit, and our will to save the world. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Natasha said, shooting a playful look over at Steve.

Steve chuckled. "You know what, Romanoff?"

"So what does he want?" Fury asked.

"To become better. Better than us." Steve said. "He keeps building bodies."

"Not just any type of body…. People bodies." Buffy said.

"The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking, we're outmoded."

"But he keeps coming back to it."

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed." Natasha said.

Bruce, who had wandered from his corner, was staring at the picture that Lila had given Natasha. "They don't need to be protected." He said. "They need to evolve. Ultron's going to evolve."

"How?" Fury asked.

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?"


Steve and Tony followed Buffy down the hallway towards the front door. Buffy and Steve were back in their suits and ready for a fight. They had a mission now. They knew where Ultron was going to be and they were going after him again. "We'll take Natasha and Clint." Buffy said.

"All right. Strictly recon, though, Summers." Tony said. "I know you like that smash and crash fun, but let's try to keep it at a minimum."

"You just don't want to miss the fun."

Tony smirked. "I'll hit the NEXUS and give Willow a hand. Then I'll join you as soon as I can."

"If Ultron is really building a body…." Steve said.

"He'll be more powerful than any of us. Maybe all of us. An android designed by a robot."

"You know I really miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me."

Fury joined them in the hallway. "I'll drop Banner off at the tower. Do you mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?"

"She's all yours, apparently. What are you gonna do?"

Fury gave them a rare smile. "I don't know. Something dramatic, I hope."

As he walked off, Buffy look up at Steve and Tony. "I don't know about you boys, but it is kinda scary when Fury smiles." She gave a dramatic shudder and walked down the hallway.

Tony stopped Steve from following her. "Hey, I just wanted to tell you…. I'm glad you two are ok."

"Thanks." Steve said.

"Things always seem better when you two are together."

"I couldn't agree with you more on that."

Tony nodded and Steve gave him a grin before following Buffy out to the quinjet. "Have we heard from Thor?" Buffy was asking Natasha when he caught up.

"Nothing." Natasha said.

"He'll show. He always does." Steve said.