Natasha glanced up as Steve re-entered the living room, her green eyes sad when she saw him alone.

"You guys okay?" She asked quietly when Steve returned to be beside her.

The others also glanced at him before looking away to give him a bit of privacy should he want it. Steve shook his head.

"No." He admitted heavily. "But... we will be."

We have to be.

The words were unspoken but Natasha's eyes filled with understanding and she nodded. Steve straightened, shifting unconsciously back into soldier mode and he addressed the question he had had since he returned.

"Where's Tony?"

"He started yelling after you, but you probably heard that." Natasha answered grimly. Steve just nodded so Natasha went on.

"Then the exhaustion, stress and his own starved condition finally caught up with him and he fainted."

She paused as though she wanted to sigh.

"Bruce gave him a sedative. He's probably going to be out for the rest of the day."

Steve bowed his head; so many things were going wrong lately and each one was like a physical weight he could feel being added to his shoulders. But then a voice piped up.

"You guys take care of him. And I'll bring a Xorrian elixir when I come back."

Steve turned to stare at Carol Danvers as the woman strode determinedly out of the room, each step filled with purpose.

"Where are you going?" Steve called after her. Carol didn't even look back.

"To kill Thanos."

For a moment, despite the fact that the only thing he and the woman shared was the fact that they were both blonde, Steve felt as though he was staring at his younger self as he watched Carol stride away. When he had lost so much less. And had had so much less to lose. For a brief moment, he wondered if he had looked as borderline obnoxious as the woman looked to him now.

'Maybe that's the reason Tony didn't like me; besides the fact that I was friends with his dad.' Steve thought as he, Natasha, Bruce and Rhodey hurried after Carol.

"Hey." Natasha called.

Carol stopped and looked back at the other woman impassively but that didn't deter Natasha.

"You know we usually work as a team here, and uh, between you and I, morale's a little fragile." Natasha explained delicately.

Carol continued to just stare at them expectantly so Steve added meaningfully, "We realize up there is more your territory but this is our fight, too."

"You even know where he is?" Rhodey piped in and Carol shrugged.

"I know people who might." She answered but another voice interrupted.

"Don't bother."

Carol turned while Steve looked passed Carol to where the blue-skinned woman he had learnt was a cyborg named Nebula had appeared at the other end of the hallway.

"I can tell you where Thanos is." Nebula explained, not meeting their eyes as she stared into empty space so lost was she in her own memories.

"Thanos spent a long time trying to perfect me. And when he worked, he talked about his great plan. Even disassembled, I wanted to please him. I'd ask, where would we go once his plan was complete? His answer was always the same. 'To The Garden'."

Rhodey's brows shot up.

"That's cute. Thanos has a retirement plan."

"So where is he?" Steve asked, cutting across Rhodey's sarcastic mutter as he walked over to where Nebula had joined Rocket at the dining table.

Rocket took over explanations as he clicked on the hologram again and he showed them a projection of the Earth once more.

"When Thanos snapped his fingers, Earth became ground zero for a power surge of ridiculously cosmic proportions."

The hologram shimmered as it mimicked the energy surge that was released from Wakanda and which had spread across the entire galaxy.

"No one's ever seen anything like it… until two days ago. On this planet."

Rocket clicked the hologram control again, zooming to a planet far from Earth. Steve didn't know and he suspected he had no way of knowing where the planet was - but that didn't matter.

"Thanos is there." Nebula finished for Rocket, her tone certain.

"He used the stones again." Natasha murmured as she leant in close to the hologram, her gaze thoughtful.

"Hey, hey, hey…"

Bruce broke in, speaking for the first time since Tony had arrived as he looked around at his friends worriedly.

"We'd be going in short-handed, you know?"

Rhodey clearly agreed with Bruce as he added warningly, "Look, he's still got the stones, so-"

"So let's get him."

All eyes turned to Carol once again but she was unfazed as she said as though it were obvious, "We use them to bring everyone back."

"Just like that?" Bruce asked skeptically but Steve found himself agreeing with Carol.

"Yeah. Just like that."

Carol turned to meet his eyes, and an understanding passed between them. Now that he could get a good look at her eyes, Steve realized that he had been wrong: this woman was much older than she appeared. Almost like him. But she still had the same fire he had had, and seeing that hope rekindled his own determination. They could do this - there was always a way.

And Steve was somewhat proud as Natasha added insistently, "Even if there's a small chance that we can undo this… I mean, we owe it to everyone who's not in this room to try."

"If we do this," Bruce rebuked, "how do we know it's gonna end any differently than it did before?"

"Because before, you didn't have me." Carol answered so confidently that they all paused to stare at her yet again.

"Hey, new girl." Rhodey eventually broke in with a mixed tone of skepticism and reprimand. "Everybody in this room is about that superhero life. And if you don't mind my asking, where the hell have you been all this time?"

"There are a lot of other planets in the universe."

Carol shot back, before she tilted her head and matched Rhodey's stare.

"And unfortunately, they didn't have you guys."

Rhodey's brow quirked before he glanced at Steve, who just shrugged. But it was Thor who made himself known next as he strode up from where he had quietly been watching the entire exchange from a corner of the room. Carol turned around at the sound of his approach and she met his stern stare with her own while Thor reached out his hand and… Stormbreaker came flying into his open grasp, stirring up Carol's hair as it sped passed her shoulder with barely an inch to spare.

But it could have been a mile wide for all that it affected the blonde, whose only reaction was a slight condescending narrowing of her eyes before her lips curled up into a tiny half-smirk.

Thor nodded as a different understanding passed between him and the blonde woman.

"I like this one." The god of thunder declared.

The smirk on Carol's face became more prominent, while Steve turned to the rest of the team. Bruce sighed but gave in while Rhodey nodded to signal his own, even if a little unwilling, agreement to the plan. Steve met each of their eyes firmly before he gave the official order.

"Let's go get this son of a b*tch."

Arianna strapped on the twin short swords that had been T'Challa's last gift to her, checking that they were secure in their holsters around her thighs. The vibranium hummed a little against the fabric of her suit, but unlike before the battle of Wakanda she felt very little reassurance.

Movement from the doorway made Arianna tense but she didn't look up from where she was strapping in the last of her regular knives into her suit.

"If I were you, I'd take more of the pulse knives - regular ones don't seem to have much effect on Thanos." Natasha observed.

Arianna shrugged as she straightened up, smoothing the minute creases in her suit as she did.

"They're also not as accurate and there's no guarantee that it'll be just Thanos waiting for us."

Natasha nodded her head once in acknowledgement before she tilted her head. Her gaze was too examining and too concerned for Arianna's comfort and it made her a little snappier than she had intended as she finally turned to face the older woman properly.

"Can I help you?"

"You can help yourself." Natasha answered and Arianna hated the worry that coloured the former redhead's words.

"Nothing can help me right now." Arianna replied brusquely as she made to leave the room.

Natasha shook her head.

"Only because you won't let it."

Natasha straightened away from the doorway, moving to block Arianna's path completely and forcing the brunette to meet her gaze.

"I won't pretend to understand, Ria, because I can't and you know that I can never understand. Not really. But even so, I know that what you're doing isn't healthy."

"I'm not doing anything." Arianna argued, her tone warning.

But Natasha ignored it as she stared at Arianna grimly.

"You're doing exactly what you've always done since damned Russia: pushing away the people you love and who love you most because you're hurting and you're afraid of losing them. You're not taking care of yourself and focusing your entire energy on one thing, not eating or sleeping or anything else, because you don't want to think about what's hurting you. You're going out ready to die because you'd rather do that than fail again."

Arianna had tensed from the start of Natasha's reprimand but she snapped at Natasha's next words.

"I would have thought you would have learnt better after all these years."

"So maybe I'm still as weak as I was then."

Arianna's tone was as harsh as her glare even if Natasha remained unruffled by the younger woman's outburst.

"So maybe I'm no better than the girl I was then, but you're right, Nat, you don't understand. You don't know how it feels to have your child, your baby, taken from you. You don't know how that punches a hole right in the middle of your heart, a hole that's like a blackhole in space because it sucks you in and it's all you can think about. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't think because every time I do, I hear his little heartbeat, I can feel his small hands curl around my finger, and I can hear him calling me, calling for his mama and his papa."

Natasha's expression softened while Arianna's voice cracked.

"I know what I'm doing isn't right, but is it so wrong that I want to escape what happened? You say that I should have learnt better by now but there has never, not even Borisyuk, been anything that has left me so… so lost. We were fighters who would put down our lives to save the world and I was a mother - now, I'm neither. We survived a battle that cost half the universe their lives and..."

She trailed off, unable to say the words. Instead, she turned her head aside, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed tightly as she fought either a scream or a cry. Natasha sighed before she reached out to her friend, her sister. Arianna didn't move but she also didn't shake Natasha off as Natasha wrapped her arms around Arianna tightly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make light of what's happened." Natasha murmured. "I'm not saying it's easy, Ria, but we need you. Steve needs you."

Arianna stiffened while Natasha pulled back and stared at the younger woman with sympathetic but stern eyes.

"And I need to know you're not going out there to die. Even if we fail and we can't bring them back. I need to know your head's on your shoulders and your heart's in this, because Steve and I can't lose you. Not now, not after everything else."

"Nat, if there's any chance that I can bring my son back, I'm taking it." Arianna answered quietly but without any room for argument. "Even if it means my life in exchange."

"And I won't deny you that."

Natasha was earnest as her eyes searched Arianna's.

"That's your choice. But I need to know that if there's no chance, you will come back with us. I need your word, Ria, that I'm not going to lose my sister today because she chose death. That you're not going to let your emotions cloud your judgement."

It was the look in Natasha's eyes that had Arianna lowering her head. They both knew what the redhead was referring to.

It had only happened once, in Budapest. The one and only time, until now, when Arianna had almost lost herself to her emotions after they had discovered Clint had been captured. It was Natasha who had brought Arianna back to her senses and not once since the harsh scolding she had received that day had Arianna fallen prey to her own emotions during a battle. Not once since that day had Natasha feared for the younger woman's ability to maintain a cool head; but now, Natasha did. It was clear in her eyes.

Arianna closed her eyes and she took several deep breaths. For the first time since Thanos's attack, she filled her lungs completely and then let out all the air before repeating for a total of ten times. By the time she'd exhaled for the last time, her mind was clearer even if her heart was no lighter; and she opened her eyes.

"I promise."

The newly-refueled Benatar exited the Earth's atmosphere with only a small bump before the ship tilted from it's vertical position facing out away from the Earth and into a horizontal position - if there was even a horizontal versus vertical in the black expanse of space.

Arianna glanced around at the interior of the spaceship again, forcing herself to be interested as she knew she would have been if their circumstances had been any better. It was difficult but she saw the approving glance Natasha shot over her shoulder as she glanced at the younger woman seated behind Steve. Thor and Rhodey were stockstill in their seats beside her at the back of the cockpit, although Arianna noted that Thor was not strapped into his seat the way she and Rhodey were. Clearly, he felt he had nothing to fear in that department. Steve and Natasha, in the middle row of the ship, were also strapped securely as was Carol in the co-pilot's chair and Arianna didn't doubt Bruce and Nebula, who were on the front, lower levels of the cockpit, were equally secure.

Rocket was too small for Arianna to see but she assumed he was just as secure in the captain's chair although his snarky attitude definitely made her reconsider her opinion.

"Okay. Who here hasn't been to space?" Rocket called as he drew the ship level.

The four humans at the back of the cockpit raised their hands, all slightly puzzled by the question. Rhodey was the only one who spoke aloud as he questioned Thor in a low voice, "Why?"

Thor didn't need to answer as Rocket growled warningly, "You better not throw up on my ship."

Arianna and Natasha exchanged glances while Nebula called, "Approaching jump in 3.. 2.. 1."

Arianna's hands tightened automatically on her seatrest as she was flung back in her chair from the force of the spaceship suddenly leaping forward and disappearing into a portal in the middle of space. It was like being on an extremely fast, extremely turbulent rollercoaster and by the time they arrived on the other side of the portal (or was it several portals?), Arianna could see why Rocket had forewarned them even if it was only to protect his own spaceship. She hadn't felt this nauseated since the first month or so of her pregnancy and it was potentially a good thing that none of them had eaten anything heavy before leaving with the exception of Thor who didn't look the faintest bit affected anyway. Rhodey, on the other hand, could not be described as quite so unruffled.

While the humans recovered, Carol unbuckled herself and left the cockpit; seconds later, she appeared in front of the spaceship, once again glowing like a golden lightbulb.

"I'll head down for recon."

Her voice called over the speakers before she disappeared down toward the planet where, hopefully, they would find Thanos.

The rest of the team unbuckled and got themselves ready to exit the moment they landed while they waited for Carol to report back. Thor picked up his Stormbreaker while Arianna moved to help Bruce get back into the repaired Hulkbuster. Steve watched her go, his brows furrowed just slightly although he kept his expression otherwise neutral.

Natasha, who had been checking the planet's atmosphere on a tablet, saw his guarded expression when she glanced up absently and she murmured softly, "This is gonna work Steve."

He exhaled heavily as he watched Arianna disappear from the cockpit and down to the ship's lower levels.

"I know it will." He answered softly before he looked grimly at Natasha. "'Cause I don't know what I'm gonna do if it doesn't."

Her gaze softened and she said in a low voice, "Just don't give up on her. Or on yourself."

Steve nodded his thanks for her concern but he didn't otherwise comment. Besides, they were out of time once again as Carol returned but she sounded puzzled as she reported over the speakers.

"No satellites, no ships, no armies, no ground defenses of any kind. It's just him."

Bruce frowned with Arianna below the deck while in the cockpit, Rhodey, Natasha and Steve looked puzzled. But Thor was unmoved and as stern as he had been since the last time they'd fought Thanos, and Nebula would have been pale with determination if she had still had the ability to change skin colour as she answered quietly.

"And that's enough."

*A/N Happy new year everyone! I am so grateful to all of you who continue to support my writing, you have made me feel incredibly blessed. In return, I hope everyone who reads this is gifted with good fortune in the new year. May you all stay healthy and don't forget to stay safe as we ring in the new year.