Disclaimer: I don't own any characters.
Mr. and Mrs. Havlent often came by to visit her as she healed and Jane Foster also came by to check up on her but the more she came the more casual the visits seemed. Even Bobbi came once and awhile to eat ice cream with her. They were becoming fast friends but that wasn't hard with Maria.
The days passed by and Maria got better every day. Clint was often with her as were the other Avengers. During her recovery time it gave her and the other Avengers the perfect opportunity to get to know each other. She loved hearing stories from Thor and Panther. She could sit listening to them for hours talking of tales. But Hawkeye pointed out that she was missing school time and Captain America agreed it was very important so Hank began to tutor her, covering various subjects.
"This sucks." She complained with a purse of lips. "I thought this was supposed to be healing time, like time off."
"Yes but seeing that you can talk about legends and folklores I'm pretty sure you can still keep going to school. At least from bed." Hank smiled.
She pouted her lips but nodded. Tony was able to get into the data bases from her school to see what the classes and teachers were doing and then Hank gave her the lesson plans and such.
"Are you sure this is legal?" Hank raised an eyebrow at Tony.
"Giving a child an education? Of course."
Hank rolled his eyes.
"You know you guys could have just gone to my school and asked for my missing work?
"But what's the fun in that?" Tony smiled. "Besides when you go back were going to tell them you went on vacations. Remember we really don't want people knowing what really happened." She nodded thoughtfully.
The others were surprised by how smart she was. Hank started with Math then went to English, History and Science. She was very bright and had little struggle except in concentrating. She often got side tracked. She loved History and tried to keep that subject going for as long as she could.
A couple days into the tutoring Hawkeye came to Hank as he was finishing. "Can I step into the School House for awhile?"
"Sure." Hank said in surprise. Hawkeye pulled up a desk chair and sat on it backwards. He looked at Maria then spoke. Hank and the others in the room, Tony, Cap' and Thor blinked in surprise when it wasn't English. Maria smiled and answered easily in the same tongue.
"Is that Japanese?" Tony asked. Hawkeye nodded. They continued to talk for awhile till Hawkeye switched into another language.
"French." Hank said. They didn't stay on that language for that long till they switched again they went to another two languages but only spoke few phrases. Finally Maria got tongue tied and laughed.
"Ugh it's been awhile." She smiled as Hulk walked in with Panther and Jan.
"Let's hope your aim isn't as bad as your tongue." He smiled. Hulk hung an electric target board that was Tony's.
She smiled. "That's not something I'm gonna lose easily." Clint took some stuff from his belt and carefully put it on her lap. They were different knives.
"You're not seriously going to have her do target practice are you?" Hank asked pulling Clint a little away from Maria so she wouldn't hear.
"Well yea. Why not?"
"Why not? Maybe because it isn't a very valuable skill." He answered angrily. "Because she should study instead of learning to throw knives or guns or how to kill someone."
"It is valuable, she needs to learn how to defend herself and she can do both."
"For how long?"
Suddenly the others bursted clapping. They turned and saw that Tony had put the board into Moving Targets Mode and she hit the four dots in four tries.
"Very impressive." Tony smiled.
"Uh, thanks." she said embarrassed. "But it was moving slow anyways."
"Aye, but hitting a target is hard as it is." Thor rumbled "And a moving target is even better."
"I can see Hawkeye taught you well." Captain added and smiled at Clint. Clint smiled back.
"Of course. Who else should teach her except the best?"
"Conceited much." Maria smiled. Hank frowned at the way Tony was smiling. It was the same look he had when he had talked to him about Ultron.
"Let's keep trying and see how high of a score you can get." He said slyly. She nodded enthusiastically.
"I know what you're thinking, Tony." Hank growled one night. They were downstairs in the lab, Tony was going over some files and he was doing some more research.
"If it's about how to find the Living Laser than yea."
"No, I mean earlier today, I saw how you were looking at Maria."
"Wow stop right there Hank. I know that you think I'm way too much of a player but that is just cold for you to think I would stoop that low."
"Not like that." He said exasperated. "You know exactly what I'm talking about."
"Believe me Hank, if I knew well I would know."
Hank sighed but turned to Tony sternly. "Just don't bug Maria. Don't try to take her DNA or experiment on her or anything. She needs to heal and you would just stress her out and mess up her health."
"Be reasonable Hank I wouldn't do anything like that." He only earned himself an eye roll. "Speaking of her health, how is she doing, really? Don't tone it down. I'm not Clint."
He hesitated. "She is doing well but I admit I was worried. Her head trauma was worst than what I let on and had to get a couple of stitches, not just on her head. But pretty good considering she was knocked down by a wooden beam and the building was exploding around her and all. Are you okay? Tony?"
"Peachy. It's just, I can't help but . . ."
"Take the blame."
He nodded.
"Like I told Clint and everybody else; there's nothing you could have really done. We all make choices and mistakes. This is one of hers."
He nodded again.
Maria loved being in the mansion. It was big but it had a sense of comfort to it and safety. It was bright and luxurious with all she could want, like a palace. And the beautiful gardens and lawn. And she was with Clint. It was always hard for him to be with her with S.H.I.E.L.D. and as an Avenger, but now it was easier. He would come sit next to her talk to her about things. She would be a little sad when he would leave for a mission.
"Be careful?" she would say a little bummed.
"Aren't I always?" Then he would kiss her on the head. "I'll be back soon."
But then when he would come back he would give her a play by play.
She had always dreamed of living with Clint and Natasha. They had told her that once Hydra was gone that they could live together somewhere and only leave or go on missions when it was of extreme importance. Clint thought somewhere in the West Coast, she thought about California, somewhere nice in LA. He thought more of Venice Beach, getting himself a slap in the head from Natasha. But she wasn't so sure now. She didn't say anything but she didn't really hate Natasha. She wanted to talk to her to see what was going on. What knife they had hanging above her head. But she never got time to ponder it too much.
The Avengers seemed to have taken a liking in her. If Clint wasn't there someone else was and no matter who it was she was entertained. She practically told her life story to them but they all avoided subjects of her dad and what happened to her mother. She thought at first they just wanted to keep an eye on her but she enjoyed it so she didn't mind as much. But she didn't know it was more than that. She had grown onto all of them and they began to care for her as one of their own.
"Are you sure she's fine?" Clint eyes narrowed. It had been more than two weeks since the incident and she was tired of staying in bed. Hank thought it was fine now for her to move around by herself without help.
"Nay, Hank Pym. Perhaps we should wait a few more days. We needn't hurry her recovery for she may hurt herself more." Thor precaution.
"But we can't keep her in bed for too long either." Hank reasoned.
"How do you feel?" Captain America asked her.
"Annoyed at the moment." She sighed then more loudly. "Can I pleases get off the bed? I can do it myself now."
"What do you think Tony?" Wasp asked. He was in his pressed pants and silk shirt.
"I think we let her give it a shot."
"Fine." Clint growled. "But don't downplay anything." He warned her. She gave him a dimpled smile.
She sat up and tore off the blankets. "Can I get these off to?" she glared at the EKG patches.
"Sure." Hank took them off of her.
"Gratis." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Immediately four pairs of arms shot out. "Are you serious?" she scolded. "I'm not a baby or some little horse. I can do it my own and don't need you guys there to catch me before I even try. If I fall I jump right back up, K? Sorry for screaming but I'm getting Crazy Fever or something for being stuck in here."
Thor, Clint, Tony and Hank looked to the side abashed. Wasp was laughing and Captain America smiled at her. They took a step back. She glared from them to the ground as if though she was calculating what to do. She pushed her feet down slowly her toes touching the rug. Then she put her feet down leaning against the bed. She winced at her ribs but kept her breathing steady making sure her feet were firm against the carpet. She stood up and after a moment took a step forward. She could see Clint's hands in fist trying not to reach for her. She took another then another.
"Easy." Hank said cautiously. "How do you feel?"
"I'm not gonna lie sore but better than in bed." She took another two steps then stopped "And a lil bit dizzy." She took some more steps and lurched forward a bit.
"Easy I got you." Clint said grabbing her arm and shoulder firmly. She turned and smiled, she knew he did. They began to walk some more. She turned to the others.
"Yup I feel good." She beamed.
"So far. Don't try to overdo it." Hank said but had a small smile.
"He speaks true." Panther said. "Perhaps you should rest."
"Oh no I'm out now and not going back." she shook her head. "If I rest it's going to be in the kitchen." And with that she turned and slowly started walking. Wasp shrunk down as Captain opened the door and she fluttered down the hall waiting. The others looked at Clint meaningful.
"What?" he said defensively "You saw her face." And he followed her.
"He goes head to head with Hulk and goes to face Hydra but is scared by a teenage girl." Hank sadly shook his head.
Hulk chuckled. "She can have a scary face."
It took longer than normal but she made it without stopping. She sat at the table and Thor handed her a cup of water
"Thanks." She smiled then gulped it down. She felt good being out and about. Her felt a little sore but in a good way like when you work out a muscle. Her rib was hurting but she ignored it.
"You feel good. Not to dizzy." Hank asked.
"Nope." She popped her 'P' with a smile. After another glass of water she began to get up.
"What happen?" Clint asked lending and arm.
"I want to go to the garden." They walked outside and walked around the garden. She sat at the edge of a small pond and scraped her fingers on the surface. Small golden coy fish swam around. "They're so pretty."
"Straight from Japan." Tony smiled.
"And the stones straight from Greece." Clint retorted.
"No." he frowned.
She smiled. "Everyone knows it's from Rome, jeez Clint."
They laughed except Tony. "Nice try. Argentina."
They were out there for awhile. Finally she stood and stretched wincing at her ribs. "Let's get some food please."
"She can go back to school next week." Hank told Clint. They were in her room with Tony as she slept, the moon shone through the window. The lights were off except for a lamp on her wardrobe. "But should be exempt from P.E. or soccer for awhile."
He nodded. "She's not in season yet."
"So is she going to move back with her grandparents?" Tony asked.
Clint hesitated. "I don't know we haven't really talked about it but." His head went down slightly and a shadow came over him. "She probly should. I wanted to keep her close for awhile and she wanted to stay here but this isn't normal. She needs to go back to her grandparents, her family."
Tony and Hank looked at each other in utter surprise. "Clint." Tony gasped. "Are you sure? You know it's no problem for her to stay."
"I know but it's what's right."
"Clint, you're her family to." Hank said gently.
He looked at them opening his mouth but then closed it looking at her with a sigh. "But she can't be around this. I can't raise her to be a hero automatically. She needs to decide for herself."
They nodded but Tony had a smirk. "Good luck convincing her."
"I don't want to." He smiled slightly but it was mostly sad. "I want her to stay."
