Chapter 35
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January 20th 1995
It has been five months since Melinda, Clint, Natasha and Phil became S.H.I.E.L.D Strike Scorpion and since they have they been working together and since they have been working their mission they have experienced everything that Fury warned them about. Fury on the other hand knows, without a doubt, that if those four weren't as good at what they do as they are then he would have assigned them all to different bases after pranks that have done and stunts they have pulled.
It is a Friday night and Maria and Peggy are the only one's home as Natasha and Melinda are on a mission while Tony is in LA.
"Come on Mom, please." Maria begs as she is in her parent's office trying to get her mother to agree to let her go to a party.
"I've already said no. You're not going." Peggy tells her daughter.
"Why not?" Maria asks annoyed.
"Why not?" Peggy asks, "You're fourteen years old Maria you are not going to a party being thrown by high school students with no adult supervision." Peggy tells her daughter sternly.
"That's not fair! Tony was at collage at fifteen. He went to collage parties!" Maria says annoyed, "I should be able to go to a High school party."
"You're not going; I've already told you." Peggy tells her daughter.
"AGHHH YOU SUCK! IF DAD WAS ALIVE HE WOULD LET ME GO." Maria says before running out of the office.
After her daughter leaves Peggy sighs and rubs her eyes, knowing that Maria has now started her troubled teenage years.
After giving her daughter a little bit of time to calm down Peggy heads upstairs to talk to her.
"Can I come in?" Peggy asks her daughter from the doorway.
"If you have to." Maria respond from where her head is buried in her pillows.
"Look, I know you're angry with me, but I'm just doing what's best for you." Peggy tells her daughter as she sits down next to her.
"Everyone is going; I'll be an outcast if I don't go!" Maria tells her mother.
"Missing one party won't make you an outcast." Peggy tells her daughter.
"How would you know? It's been forever since you went to school." Maria tells her mother, "I'll be a loser if I don't go."
"Maria, I very much doubt that everyone is going, even if you think so, and you could never be a loser." Peggy tell her daughter, "I know you don't like my decision but it's not going to change. You're not going, especially after the way you spoke to me earlier." Peggy explains, "Now, I'm going to get started on dinner, should be ready in half an hour some I want you to come downstairs in twenty-five minutes."
"Fine." Maria responds, still not sounding happy.
"Good." Peggy responds and she gets up and leaves.
A few hours later Maria figures that her mother will be asleep so she gets up, and being as quiet as possible, changes into some cool clothes and heads over to her window which she climbs out of and down the side of the house.
Just as Maria touches down on the ground one of the outside lights come on and Maria freezes where she is.
"Inside, now." Peggy tells her daughter as she come out through one of the doors, sounding angry.
"Yes Mom." Maria says before she hurries inside, knowing, without a doubt, that she is in serious trouble.
March 11th 1995
It has been two months since Maria tried to sneak out to a party and after completing her two weeks grounding it has become clear to Peggy that Maria is testing her limits, wanting to see just how much she can get away with, something which Peggy was expecting considering everything.
After a recent mission Natasha, Phil, Melinda and Clint are stranded by bad weather in a tiny, one room, safe house. All four of them having some minor injuries.
"We've got to do something to pass the time otherwise I'm going to go insane." Clint says.
"I could fly us out of here. The weather's not that bad." Melinda tells the others, ignoring Clint.
"Our orders are to stay put until the weather has passed." Phil tells Melinda, knowing that only Melinda would describe the current weather as 'not that bad', although Natasha would likely say something similar if she was listening instead of looking underneath floorboards.
"And you always follow orders, I forgot." Melinda says, rolling her eyes.
"Got it." Natasha says, sounding glad.
"Please say it's something to help with boredom." Clint requests.
"It's scotch and playing cards." Natasha comments as she walks back over to the other thing holding the items.
"Won't last long, but will help for a bit." Melinda comments when she sees the scotch.
"You two are being rationed." Phil says, looking between Natasha and Melinda as he takes the scotch.
"That's how you meet isn't it! Drinking contest and you two were the last ones standing in a bar full of bikers." Clint guesses, as he has been trying for almost a year to guess what the connection between Natasha and Melinda is.
"Really?" Natasha and Melinda say together.
"That's your latest guess?" Melinda asks.
"Yep." Clint confirms, "Am I getting warmer?" he asks.
"No." Natasha and Melinda say together.
"I'll figure it out." Clint comments.
"Sure you will." Natasha says sarcastically, "So, poker?" she asks the others and they all nod so Natasha begins to shuffle and deal the cards.
As the four of them start to play poker Clint is playing more attention to the others than the game as in the last year he has figured out two things for sure, one, Natasha and Melinda have some kind of deep bond, and two Phil and Fury know about it, whatever it is. Clint isn't exactly sure why they are keeping their relationship, whatever it might be, a secret but he is determine to figure it out.
May 29th 1995
It has been two months since Natasha, Melinda, Phil and Clint played poker together in a tiny safe house and to Clint's annoyance he still hasn't gotten a straight answer about what Melinda and Natasha's relationship is.
"Okay, tell me why we're stuck in the desert doing crappy surveillance out of a van while Nat and Mels are off doing god knows what?" Clint asks, sounding annoyed.
"I lost a bet." Phil explains, completely lying because the truth is that he told Natasha and Melinda that he and Clint would handle the surveillance so that they could go see Tony for his birthday, but he can't tell Clint that.
"Right." Clint says with a frown, "What's their deal?" he asks.
"What makes you think I'll answer that?" Phil ask curious.
"So you know." Clint responds.
"I didn't say that." Phil quickly says.
"Actually you kind of did." Clint tells him, "Come on Phil! Tell me."
"I can't." Phil responds, 'It's not my place to." He says, causing Clint to frown.
"Will Nat ever tell me?" Clint asks.
"I don't know." Phil admits and he and Clint drift into silence.
While Phil and Clint are running surveillance Melinda and Natasha are pulling into Tony's workshop/lab as they know it's more a secure entrance than the front which makes it a better choice just in case Tony has a visitor as both Natasha and Melinda know that he doesn't take people he just met into his lab.
"He's not here." Melinda comments as they get out of the car, Natasha is holding bags of food, and Melinda is holding alcohol and ice cream.
"It's still early." Melinda comments and the two of them head upstirs. As they climb the stairs Natasha and Melinda hear voices so they both pause in the stairwell.
"Oh come on, Tony." A female voice says, "I'm sure I can help you think."
"If you're around work is going to be very far from my mind." Tony's voice says, causing both Natasha and Melinda to exchange looks and roll their eyes.
"So don't do work. Let's go upstairs." The voice responds.
"Oh how I would like that, but no." Tony's voice says as he opens the door and leads the girl out of the house and closes the door behind her.
"You know you could be a little nicer, you're the famous Tony Stark and you probably just broke her heart." Natasha says as she walks out from the stairwell, with an amused look on her face.
"How long you two been here?" Tony asks curious as he sees his sisters.
"A few minutes." Melinda explains, "We have birthday booze and burgers." She says.
"Ohhh, nice." Tony says and the three of them head over to the couches so that they can enjoy Tony's twenty fifth birthday together before Natasha and Melinda have to leave before the public party that Tony is throwing.
September 8th 1995
It has been a little over three months since Tony's birthday and since then Melinda, Natasha, Phil and Clint have been working basic constant missions, one of which has resulted in hurting her ankle pretty badly which has resulted in her being ordered to take a few days' rest, much to her dismay.
As she lies on the couch reading Natasha hears the door open with force.
"Mom? Maria?" Natasha asks concerned as she reaches for her hidden weapon, but then she sees Maria storm past.
"MARIA ANA CARTER-STARK, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW." Peggy yells after her daughter, but Maria keeps running, or more specifically storming, upstairs.
"Maria storming upstairs, that's new." Natasha comments.
"Not lately it's not." Peggy says as she walks over to her oldest daughter, "The last few months it seems to be her favourite thing to do." She explains, with a frustrated sigh, as she sits down next to Natasha.
"What do you mean?" Natasha asks her mother.
"Maria's been testing her boundaries lately, getting in trouble, and apart from storming upstairs her other favourite thing to do is say that if Howard was here then he would let her do whatever it is that she wanted to, or did, do." Peggy explains, looking sad.
"Oh, Mom." Natasha says sadly.
"Do you know if he's found anything?" Peggy asks as she knows that Natasha, has been checking in on Howard's progress.
"Not as far as I know." Natasha answers.
"He needs to soon. She needs him, maybe more than ever." Peggy saying it being clear to Natasha that not only Maria needs Howard but Peggy does too.
"What happened today?" Natasha asks her mother curious.
"Maria and a couple of her friends were caught smoking." Peggy explains.
"Maria smokes?" Natasha asks surprised.
"From the little Maria said in the car it was her first time trying." Peggy explains.
"I know I'm not Dad, but why don't I try talking to Maria. There are some things that are just easier to talk to a sibling about." Natasha tells her mother.
"That would be helpful, thank you Tasha." Peggy tells her daughter as she is trying to help Maria, trying to get through to her, but she hasn't had much luck.
"You don't have to thank me." Natasha assures her mother as she gets up and limps upstairs.
As Natasha approaches her sisters room Natasha hears loud music playing and honestly she has to admire her sister's music choice.
Reaching her sister's doors Natasha knocks as loudly as she can.
"GO AWAY MOM." Maria's voice yells.
"I'm not Mom." Natasha informs her sister as she opens the door.
"Oh, Tasha." Maria says as she turns off the music, "What do you want?" Maria asks her sister.
"To talk." Natasha explains.
"Of course." Maria mutters bitterly.
"What's going on Maria?" Natasha asks her sister as she sit down next to her.
"Nothing." Maria says as she avoids looking at her sister.
"I know that's not true." Natasha says and Maria frowns.
"I really hate having a human lie detector as a sister." Maria tells Natasha, telling the complete truth.
"Look, I know that I've been busy, and that I haven't been around much, but I am still your big sister and I'm always here for you." Natasha explains, and Maria snorts, "Hey, I'm telling the truth, even when I'm on the other side of the world, me, and Mel, and Tony too, are always here for you." She assures.
"Of course, you're always together." Maria mutters, sounding bitter.
"That's what's wrong." Natasha realises, "You're feeling lonely and left out because when we were teenagers Mel, Tony and I had each other, but you feel like you don't."
"I feel like I don't because I don't have anyone." Maria says, "Sharon's great and I love spending time with her, but people at school give me a hard time when they see me with her. Say how I must be a looser to only have a ten-year-old friend, and I don't go to school with any of the hockey team, which isn't even the same now that I'm captain" Maria explains, as a few months earlier she was named captain of the state team which she loves as she loves leading, but the dynamics are different now, "I'm just trying to make friends and all I keep doing is disappointing Mom." Maria says, looking sad.
"Oh Maria, you're not disappointing Mom. Your behaviour has been disappointing but you aren't a disappointment." Natasha explains.
"I don't know what else to do." Maria tells her sister, "I want them to like me."
"That's normal, but Maria you need to be yourself. If you pretend to be someone you're not, if you act in a certain way to make someone like you then that's not friendship." Natasha explains, "Take it from someone who has spent a lot of her life pretending to be someone I'm not if a friendship is based on a fake personality then it will just leave you feeling hollow."
"I already feel hollow." Maria admits, "After losing Dad and Jarvis, Maria, Daisy, everything feels hollow. I miss them Tasha and I just don't want to be alone."
"Oh Ria, I know." Natasha tells her sister before hugging her, "You're not alone, Mom's here for you, always, and so are Tony, Mel, Sharon, her parents, and I." Natasha promises, "And at school what you have to do is find people who like what you like." Natasha explains, "Be brave enough to be yourself, Ria, because who you are is an incredibly cool person." Natasha says and Maria nods into her sisters' shoulder.
"I need to apologise to Mom." Maria tells her sister, "I've been mean."
"Yes, you do." Natasha confirms.
(Line break)
After spending a few minutes hugging with her sister Maria heads downstairs, with Natasha walking behind her,
"Mom." Maria says, "I'm so sorry for the way I've been acting the past few months. You didn't deserve to be treated the way I've been treating you."
"It's okay Maria. You're forgiven." Peggy assures her daughter before hugging her, a hug that Maria fully gives in to and as she watches her mother and youngest sister hug Natasha herself he promises herself to be there for Maria more and to do more to help Howard find out who tried to kill him so that he can come home.
November 16th 1995
It has been two months since Maria apologised for how she had been acting lately and ever since then she has been trying to be a better daughter, and she has taken Natasha's advice, and since doing that Maria has realised that she is happier.
It is a Thursday and Natasha and Clint are at a safe house in Budapest prepping for a mission.
"Why'd Fury send just us in. Isn't it a bit below Scorpion?" Clint asks Natasha.
"Yep. It's a simple drop and retrieval and the only reason we've been assigned this is because you and Mel decided that it would fun to release three dozen baby chickens in lobby of the Triskelion." Natasha tells Clint, as they got this mission for punishment and Melinda and Phil have to give a lecture on potentiality at the academy, looking far from happy with him.
"It was worth it." Clint says with a smirk.
"Okay, let's go." Natasha tells Clint and the two of them grab their stuff and head out of the safe house.
Twenty minutes later the simple retrieval mission that Natasha and Clint were hoping to go on has turned into Natasha and Clint ducking for cover behind a table in a coffee shop as they fire back at a team of, clearly trained, people.
"Okay, maybe this is our kind of thing." Clint tells Natasha as he fires a bow then ducks again.
"You think?" Natasha asks, giving Clint an annoyed look, "We've got to get the civilians out of here." Natasha says as they are at least five civilians terrified for their lives in the coffee shop.
"I'll get them out. Cover me." Clint requests.
"Will do." Natasha says and she keeps firing back as Clint runs for the people.
For the next few minute Natasha fires at the enemies while Clint gets the people out. Once Clint has gotten the people out he runs back towards Natasha, but he doesn't get to him as he gets hit.
"CLINT." Natasha yells and she hurries over to him, firing back as she does, and then once she gets to him Natasha pulls Clint behind cover, "You'll be good. It's not that bad."
"Yes, it is." Clint responds with a gasp he got hit in the lower chest.
"Okay. it is. But you've got to hold on. I'll get you out of here." Natasha tells Clint, realising that he is someone who has become so very important to her and she's not ready to lose him.
"I don't know if I can do that." Clint answers.
"Yes, you can." Natasha tells him and as she starts firing back, so that there is only one three enemies left, and notices Clint's eyes drifting shut, "You've got to stay awake." Natasha tells him then she gets an idea, "Mel's my sister."
"What?" Clint asks shocked, his eyes opening.
"Mel's my little sister, that's our big secret." Natasha explains as she shots the second last person, "Oh and Tony Stark's my brother." She adds as she shoots the second last person.
"How's that possible?" Clint asks, struggling to speak as Natasha ducks for cover.
"It's a long story, and I'll tell you all about it when we get out of here." Natasha says as she stands up and shots the last person, "but you're going to have to hold on."
"Well, I'd say I've got a pretty good reason too." Clint responds and as Natasha stands up properly just as local police and medical personal burst into the café.
"I'm Agent Natasha Romanoff, with S.H.I.E.L.D and my partners' been hit." Natasha says, showing her badge and as she does the medical personal run towards her to help Clint.
Three days Later
It has been three days since Clint was shot and he has made it through surgery, and has woken a few time but hasn't been coherent for long. Due to safety concerns Natasha moved Clint from the hospital to the safe house.
"You've been sitting there every time I've woken up." Clint tells Natasha as he once more wakes up.
"Well my partner got himself shot. I've got nowhere else to go." Natasha explains.
"Good point." Clint responds, "So Mels is your sister." He says to Natasha, "I should have guessed that."
"You really should have." Natasha admits with an amused look on her face.
"And Tony Stark, the Tony Stark, is your brother." Clint says, sounding completely shocked, "How is Tony Stark your brother?" he asks
"It's a long story, and I guess I should tell you it." Natasha says.
"I'd like to hear, if you'd tell me." Clint says.
"I will." Natasha says, "To begin my name, my real name, is Natasha Alianovna Carter-Stark, and I'm the oldest daughter of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark." Natasha explains.
"As in founders of S.H.I.E.L.D Peggy Carter and Howard Stark?" Clint asks shocked.
"Yep." Natasha confirms.
"Bloody hell." Clint says shocked, and with an amused look on her face Natasha, for the first time ever, begins to explain all about her family, how she came to be with Peggy and Howard, and Phil's connection to her family. The only thing she leaves out is the fact that Howard is still alive.
November 23rd 1995
It has been four days since Natasha told Clint all about her family and her and since then Clint has had a lot of questions which Natasha spent the flight back to DC answering. As it is thanksgiving Natasha is driving Clint from the S.H.I.E.L.D bunks where he still lives, to the house as now that he knows the truth Clint is going to spend Thanksgiving with the Carter-Stark's, Phil and Rhodey.
"Thanksgiving with your family, this is a big deal right? I'm thinking this is a big deal." Clint comments as they drive.
"It's not a big deal." Natasha says, "Mel and Tony both bring their friends who know the truth to thanksgiving and now I've told you the truth so the invitation has been extended to you." Natasha explains.
"Oh, okay." Clint responds, still suspecting that it is biggest deal than Natasha would have him believe but at the same time he figures that it is better not to question it.
A little while after Clint asks Natasha whether being invited to Thanksgiving is a big deal and the two of them have arrived at the house and are walking inside.
"Where is everyone?" Clint says when he and Natasha walk into the living room and no one's around.
"Kitchen." Natasha says, leading the way, "Jarvis used to cook thanksgiving dinner. So, since he died we work together to cook it." Natasha explains, "though don't let Mel do anything. She's a horrible cook." She tells Clint.
"Noted." Clint says amused and the two of them walk into the kitchen.
"Clint, welcome to a Carter-Stark thanksgiving." Natasha says once they are in the kitchen, "You know Mel and Phil. Arguing about what to add to the turkey is my brother Tony and friend Rhodey, my Mom, Peggy Carter, is making the pies and making the cranberry sauce is my sister Maria." Natasha introduces, "And arriving soon will be my cousin Mike, his wife Lisa, and his daughter Sharon." Natasha explains, "Everyone this is Clint."
"Hi." Clint says.
"Nice too met you." Peggy says, "Tasha do you want to get started on the sides?"
"Sure." Natasha answers, "Do you want to help me or should you stay away from anything edible with Mel?"
"I can help." Clint answers
"You know I can help, I'm not that bad." Melinda argues.
"After last time you're not going anywhere near the food." Tony informs his sister.
"What happened last time?" Clint asks Natasha curious.
"Mel would have given us all food poisoning if we weren't such good observes." Natasha explains.
"I see." Clint says with an amused look on his face and for the first time every Clint joins in on a Carter-Stark Thanksgiving and he loves every second of it.
January 26th 1996
It has been two months since Thanksgiving and ever since Clint has realised that being in the field with Melinda, Natasha and Phil, is so much better now that he knows the truth.
For months Natasha has been looking for a chance to sneak away and see Howard, something which is rather difficult when she does most missions with Melinda, as she doesn't want to risk her sister following her, but after going on a mission with just Clint Natasha has the perfect chance.
Just like last time Natasha disables and avoids all the security at Howard's newest safe house before heading inside, and once more she finds a gun at her neck.
"Tasha. I'm glad you here I think I've got something. I need you to see." Howard says before hurrying over to his newest wall of paper. As she follows her father Natasha has a chance to look at her father and realises that he has clearly shaved and cut his hair since the last time she saw him, but if anything doing so has made him look even further from okay as the bags under his eyes and the weight he has lost are even clearer.
"Dad, when was the last time you ate, you slept?" Natasha asks concerned.
"Don't know, yesterday, last week, doesn't matter." Howard says, frenzied, "You've got to see this." Howard says as he reaches out and pulls Howard's hand.
"Of course it matters." Natasha tells him.
"Not now, look I found this." Howard says, pulling a piece of paper off the wall and handing it to Natasha, "Look, look, look." He says.
"I'm looking." Natasha says, "A ghost story? What does this have to do with anything?" Natasha asks.
"Not a ghost story, the people you've had look into what happened, they were killed with a soviet slug, no ruffling." Howard explains, "You told me that."
"Which fits with the story." Natasha realises and she continue to read the paper, wanting to understand everything she can, but to be honest she is pretty sure that only Howard would be able to make sense of the notes as to her it seems like mostly gibberish.
"It's him. He's the one who tried to kill me. I'm sure of it." Howard says, sounding hopeful, "Now all we have to do is find out why he came after me, and stop them and then I can go home." Howard says.
"That might not be as simple as you think." Natasha says and Howard looks disappointed, "If this is right then then he's not going to be easy to track, and it's going to be even harder to figure out who he's working for." Natasha tells her father, "And if we're going to have a chance you're going to need to be at the top of your game." She tells her father.
"I'll just have more coffee, I'll be fine. We're close Tasha, I can feel it." Howard tells his daughter.
"Okay. I'll look through this. Figure out where I should look, but Dad, you need to get some sleep." Natasha tells her daughter, "Don't make me sedate you." Natasha tells her father.
"Guess some sleep wouldn't hurt." Howard mutters, there being no doubt in his mind that Natasha would do just that.
"Good. While you sleep I'll look into all this. See what I can find and once you are awake you're going to eat and then we're going to talk through this all." Natasha explains, "Okay?"
"Okay." Howard says and he heads over to the cot that is in the corner of the room and the second he is lying down he is fast asleep.
"Okay. Let's see If I can make sense of this." Natasha comments as she starts to look through the papers, thinking that this might be the first chance they have of being on the path to bring Howard home, but at the same time she doesn't want to get her hopes up as it would make things so much harder if the lead goes nowhere.
March 22nd 1996
It has been two months since Natasha found out that Howard has a possible lead about who tried to kill him and after not even five minutes of looking though Howard's notes Natasha came to the conclusion that her father is the only person on the planet who would be able to make sense of them, although, upon thinking about it she realises that Tony might be able to. After spending a couple of days with Howard Natasha returned home and, after avoiding some questions about where she is from Clint, she started to work on finding the person that she learnt goes by the name "The Winter Solider" but she has had practically no luck, and because of that Natasha decided not to tell Peggy that there is a lead until she has something solid, which at this point doesn't seem like it's going to happen anytime soon.
It is a Friday night and as they have been working in California lately Natasha, Clint, Melinda and Phil are arriving at Tony's house in Malibu.
"Are you sure that Tony's okay with this?" Clint asks curious.
"Yep." Natasha and Melinda say together.
"It was his idea." Natasha explains as Melinda opens the door and walks right in.
"Just go with it. It's the best way to go when it comes to Carter-Stark's." Phil informs Clint.
"Good to know." Clint responds.
"Finally, we were about to start drinking without you." Tony says when he sees his sisters, Phil and Clint.
"No we weren't." Rhodey comments.
"Hey Rhodes." Natasha says with an amused look on her face as he's wearing something stupid which is likely Tony's fault.
"Tasha."
"So, I have Pizza, other food, and plenty of alcohol." Tony comments.
"Sounds like a good night to me." Melinda comments as they all head over to couches.
"Just not truth, dare, or shot." Phil requests, "It's too insane when you three play." Phil says, looking at Natasha, Melinda and Tony.
"That sounds like an epic game." Clint comments, grinning.
"Ohh, I like you." Tony says with a grin, "Tasha you have good taste in partners." He informs his sister.
"Glad you approve." Natasha says amused.
"You agree, don't you?" Phil says, looking at Rhodey as they all sit down in various places around the room.
"Of course, but you and I both know that that's likely not going to stop them." Rhodey says.
"True." Phil admits, "Team?" he asks Rhodey, knowing that the two of them are going to need to team up against Melinda, Natasha and Tony, to try and prevent each other having to do anything to insane, the question is whether Clint will give out insane dares or not.
"Food first, then drinks." Melinda says and that's exactly what they do. Together the three oldest Carter-Stark siblings, Clint, Rhodey and Phil eat, drink and while Tony and Rhodey get to know Clint, Clint gets used to truly spending time with the others, he starts to get to know them.