A/N: Happy hump day! Please leave a review. Thanks for checking out my story and special shoutouts to the multiple Guests and RFK22 for their support! :)
Jennifer tries to make sense of her current predicament, laying on a soft space. Her eyes open to reveal the bright lights above and the muffled voices surrounding the room. She sits up abruptly which causes her forehead to pulsate.
Barton rotates his gaze around the currently team, scattered throughout the room;
"So. Who's talking first."
Walters shuts her eyes briefly. With regret on her tantrum she's careful to keep her focus down. The voices gives her all of the information she needs to pinpoint where each team member is currently positioned.
Jennifer looks up, instantly regretting her decision all eyes falling onto her;
"I'll go,' She forces laugh, 'You'll all gang up on me if I don't...I um."
She looks upward over the awkward silence. Her eyes immediately connect with Romanoff's. The red head holds her stance outmatched only by the protective and threatening stare down from her disheveled husband standing behind her.
The lawyer chooses to direct her remarks toward the couple;
"I got some news earlier- two pieces of bad news actually, so I needed to blow off some steam,' with a brief rotation of her head she eyes Thor, 'Can I eat that?"
Thor narrows his focus as he moves his bowl away from her grasp and shakes his head 'no.'
Jennifer shuts her eyes and lifts a hand on surrender;
"Anyways! None of this is meant to be an excuse, it's an explanation; I found out that my number one enemy had all charges dropped. That I can't pin anything directly to -this individual. I'm not knocking the call. I believe I can say that I respect it but don't agree with it. I knew I was getting angry, so, I went to my quarters to call John and found my daughter doing some kind of eye challenge. She described to me as coming from Izabella.
Long story short, my daughter now has powers and was training unbeknownst to me. At this point I lost it. Between my enemy breaking free and a mild heart attack from my inexperienced teenager, the brunt of my rage was targeted at both Natasha and Izabella.
Not wanting to hurt either of them, I searched out the one I knew could handle my punches, I said some shit while I was in my red zone, we broke the window, I swung at him, he swung at me, at some point you all felt the need to intervene, and now we're here."
The team waits in their positions, glancing toward one another for feedback. Rogers speaks first with a softer expression then the rest;
"Obviously no one got hurt."
Stark glares at the older man;
"Really?! 'No one got hurt?'"
Pepper taps at his elbow in Steve's defense, "He just! Means. That it could've been worse. Do you have to pick a fight with Steve every chance you get?"
"I'm not picking a fight-"
"Yeah, Okay."
Tony holds his focus, "It doesn't change what happened. She lost control and took our guy out with her- you weren't there."
"From what you've shared, it doesn't sound like you were quick to intervene." Natasha speaks up from the ground, seated on her heels beside Banner. She's turned only slightly, dividing her attention between an excessively silent Bruce and Jennifer.
Stark lifts his hand to defend himself;
"The kids were in the room. If I started panicking -"
"You've handled worse then two hulks, my god."
Thor lifts his head towards Clint after his remark;
"Yes?"
Barton shakes his head, "Seriously? Seriously!"
Steve twists his mouth with a heavy sigh;
"It doesn't matter; We're about to go our separate ways-"
Jennifer covers her mouth, eyes wide as she addresses the group;
"Which is why! I would love to talk with my family here. If you don't mind."
Stark pulls up a chair with the back of his foot and settles in with arms crossed. His eyes fixated on Walters as Pepper pushes his shoulder;
"She means without us."
Clint nods, "No, I'm with Tony on this. I don't think we should leave."
Natasha stands with an eye roll, moving to hold the door wide open. She waves, urging Steve to lead the team out;
"Let's go. Out. Now."
Rogers and Pepper stand and urge the rest of the group toward the exit. Jennifer looks away from a glaring Stark and a stare down from Thor. She speaks up as they file out;
"Nat? I mean...you're family too."
Romanoff tilts her head, ready to grin until she spots her husband glaring in protest over being left. She mouths a familiar Russian term in his direction and lets the door close behind her.
Walters shakes her head, "What did she say?"
Bruce stands up from the ground with a heavy exhale;
"She told me to...'suck it up'...at least. That's the polite translation."
"Look, I really didn't mean to-
"-We don't need to talk about it-"
Jennifer takes an inhale and shuts her eyes tight with impatience;
"Okay! I recognize how you feel about it but I need to air my thoughts."
She follows his pacing. He's dressed in the outfit she found for him. It's an odd comfort to Banner's cousin that proves to her there's no grudge.
Pointing to the chair in front of her she mumbles;
"Can ya sit down for two minutes."
He obliges with the knowledge that she won't give up until she gets her way.
Jen nods with approval over his complying;
"I am so sorry for what I said. I wouldn't do anything to Natasha or to those kids and I am so sorry for being a threat. You know I wouldn't hurt them."
His expression remains hard to read, translatable only when he chooses to speak;
"Are you mad at me for running."
She sits back in her position as if a gust of wind was taken out of her sails. Her expression changes from wide eyed apologetic to a darker sadness. Her mind races in pace with his as she replays the moments. Swallowing hard her voice softens with a nervous grin to hide the water filling in her eyes;
"Wow. I uh. Yes,' after her abrupt response she looks upward, 'I was angry with you for running. That day you saved my life-I was grateful but I felt abandoned."
His eyes flick upward, hands over his mouth;
"And after."
She forces a laugh, subtly swiping her fingers under her eye as if to check for displaced makeup;
"Afterward...You disappear you run you hide...for years. And I get it. I understand why you run when things go to hell- I do. But it was just me.
I finally get a wedding invitation- which wasn't even from you just so you can vanish, again. I get a call about Blonksy and Natasha and after that, I thought-"
"Jen-"
"-I wasn't expecting you to disappear, again. And look I've done my own share of running and dodging you. I realize there's shared blame here. But there were times when I needed you, you weren't there and I had no idea how to reach you."
"I'm sorry,' his expression softens, 'I'm- still not used to being in one place. I don't know how to be 'normal'."
She tilts her head over his forced laugh and the nervous tugging at his fingers, "And I get that. I just. I want Lucy to know you the way I do. Not just some abstract figure in the paper who occasionally saves the world with his team of misfits...We only have each other doc. And I miss my brother."
He nods, cautious as she stands up and fearlessly wraps her arms over his shoulders. She squeezes hard enough to break his blank expression;
"Geez that's a tight hug."
She chuckles, "Too bad."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"What's the plan if the room explodes."
Steve narrows his focus toward Stark;
"We don't have to worry about that."
"Oh really. And since when are you the expert in hulk temperament."
Natasha paces with subtle glances toward the door's upper window to ensure things are kept in one piece. She steps to pivot and grins over seeing the two share a warm embrace. She lowers her focus back toward her shoes as she paces, arms folded tightly.
Barton reaches into his pocket to find his buzzing device, swiping it open. Natasha studies his features after a subtle but recognizable noise. He looks up to make eye contact and points over his shoulder;
"I gotta go. Are you good-"
She nods, "Yeah, we're fine."
Rogers steps forward after sending Barton's demeanor change;
"Can I keep you company on the walk over? I have to stop by Fury."
Clint tilts his head, gradually forming a hesitant nod, "Yeah, sure."
Thor steps meaningless down the hallway. He steps more purposefully away from the group seemingly on his own mission.
Stark shares a silent telling glance with Romanoff with shrugs her shoulders over his odd behavior. He mouths;
"What the f-"
Pepper muffles her chuckle as she sits on a ledge beside Tony, hand quick to cover her mouth. He turns his head to study her, eyes narrowing.
She shakes her head and puts her phone away with her chuckle slipping out once more. Tony glances between a confused Natasha and his hysterical wife;
"Are you going to share with the rest of the class."
She shakes her head 'no', "It's something with Darcy that Happy just texted me about."
He shrugs, "We want to laugh too."
Pepper holds her cheeks, "Okay, so, Agetha has powers. Apparently she was screaming, throwing a fit so he starts his thunder storm, she leans over just decides to shoot an electric shock through her brother. Well the power's out. Darcy tumbled down the stares half-naked to adjust the power box and turn on backup...Well. Happy was in the room when the lights came back on, and he's seen more then he would like to see. So he's requesting the day off."
Tony's laugh is lighter then Pepper's, mind on his business;
"Tell him he can have a week starting tomorrow...is he expecting Jane to take Antonia?...Hell no. She'll get electrocuted by Pikachu. He can wait until we get home."
Pepper bites at her lip, lifting a hand to brush his shoulder while his slips over her knee.
Natasha steps back to her steady pace. She stared vacantly toward the ground. The replicated tile holds a pattern she's memorized. Two squares and a rectangle repeated over the floor she's walked over multiple times.
Her eyes narrow, blinking twice with her head hanging low. She clutches her arms tighter over a chill, briefly glancing upward. Her eyes open in a fog as the room spins. Natasha gasps subtly over the seemingly level ground somehow breaking through with a deep crack.
"Nat?"
"You good there Little Red?"
She exhales, feeling an arm helping to hold her up. Pridefully she pulls from Tony's aid;
"Yeah thanks, I'm good."
Pepper tilts her head, "You almost fell over there. Are you dizzy hon?"
Natasha forced a grin, choosing to hold her stance to prove she can stay on her own two feet;
"I'm really fine."
Tony twists his jaw as he makes the connections;
"You zoned out. You didn't hear us calling you, you start tumbling, but you're 'fine'...are you seeing things?"
"Yes-No."
Pepper's compassionate stare is enough to twist Natasha's stomach, hating the reason behind the attention she's receiving from the Starks.
The group turns toward the door as it opens. Tony points to the red head with eyes fixated on the doctor;
"Little Red took a tumble."
Bruce steps through first with his focus on Natasha;
"Are you okay?"
If Natasha could stab the engineer, she would. She breaks her glare as her head turns back toward her Vrach, "I'm fine Bruce, he's being dramatic."
Natasha refuses to break her focus in an attempt to assure him. She latches her arm under his elbow. Her expression stays soft in an attempt to ease his worrying.
Jennifer locks her fingers solidly together;
"So! You all staggered like ants. Where's the team? No one felt the need to guard me?"
"Well we had Natasha guarding the door," Pepper smirks.
Tony points over his shoulder;
"I assume you and Lucy are disembarking here?"
Walters moves to toss the stray lock from her shoulder;
"I guess so."
Pepper offers a smile and takes Tony's hand;
"You ever think about staying in New York?"
Jennifer lifts her eyebrows to widen her eyes;
"No, I have a great job in Cali."
Romanoff pulls an inch away from the doctor to study his expression as she calls toward the human she-hulk;
"You know, if you're worried about Lucy, I might know of a great training program. She could learn her abilities with a great team of mentors."
Tony nods, "Ah. Cool. More kids."
Pepper gives him a hip check;
"Tony."
Jennifer nods thoughtfully, eyes narrowed;
"So, leave her, on the east coast...with you."
Natasha shrugs, "She's fifteen. A change of pace might be what she needs. And Bruce can help boost her grades."
Banner shakes his head over not being asked directly amongst their conversation. He mumbles, unable to the form of a sentence.
Tony chuckles, "Wow. 7 phds and that's what you come up with?"
Pepper taps his shoulder angrily;
"Shut up."
Jennifer nods with her gears turning as she walks silently;
"Hmm...how about, a Bourbon first. Pepper? Is there a bar on this damn craft?"
She nods deviously;
"No, but I love how you assumed I would know that..."
"How about a bribe,' Tony speaks up, 'You come with us to NY, and I will share my favorite hole in the wall."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Thor stares vaguely toward the medical room, his eyes wide over the tension placed within the room.
Maria stands up from her place, adjusting her jacket once she spots the stalking Demi-god. With an eye roll she snatched her bag from Clint and points to the opened door.
Thor waves toward the frustrated agents. He grins toward the archer with a wave;
"Is all well my friend."
Clint grits his teeth and moves toward Thor with a swift slamming of the door.
Thor lifts his hand, turning to face Rogers as he enters the hallway;
"Where's Agent Barton."
Thor points behind him with the raising of his thumb;
"It would appear he and his companion do not wish to be disturbed."
The Captain chooses to ignore the warning, knocking courteously on the door;
"Clint? Maria?"
He grumbles with a swear to tell off his intruder. Steve turns his head toward Thor who whispers in response;
"An, argument perhaps?"
Steve nods, "None of my business."
"Perhaps we can slip parchment under the door."
"No, Thor. We are not passing notes."
"Your telecommunication perhaps."
"No, Thor. If they're not answering we'll give them a few minutes. We just need documents from inside the room."
Barton creeks the door open just enough to eject the files, each page from the folder tosses individually. The two men jump over a toss of a tablet hitting the ground before the door slams shut once more.
Thor chuckles and looks down over the mess without a motion to lift anything. The demigods laugh is contagious as Rogers' grin turns into a chuckle.
Behind the closed door a frustrated archer gradually breaks his stern expression over the sound on the opposite end. Maria forces a hold on her own expression, finally breaking with hands over her face. Any private conversation would have to wait.
Guiltily Clint cracks the door open once more, sound creaking. He eyes the two-some, sensing the concern from Steve who looks up first;
"Don't mind us."
Maria shakes her head, blank faced through her sarcasm;
"Oh, I didn't even hear you two outside the the door. Wow. You're so quiet. Aren't they quiet?"
Barton nods, "So quiet."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
