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Khan Family Residence, 714 Grove Street, Jersey City, New Jersey, December 18, 2012

It was just past 2 p.m. when the rented Honda Accord reached Grove Street, parking across the street from 714, the light-blue two-story house looking almost normal along with the other houses save for the large doorknob padlock one saw on new unsold houses that prevented anyone from turning the handle to a door. Jessica Miriam Drew put the rental in park as she looked across the street and to the house that her iStark map app had led her to as she then looked to her companion, Kamala Khan very quiet. Meek, almost huddling into herself, and practically avoiding looking at the house she had grown up in.

It had been nine days since HYDRA had broken into the Khan family household and executed Kamala's parents.

The nineteen-year old woman had been working side-by-side with Kamala Khan these past few days since the (supposed) fall of HYDRA, their victory at the Battle of the Trisk and the Second American Civil War merely just a hurtle conquered. One only needed to look at history, especially that of World War II, to know that wars left a horrendous mess afterwords, and it was generally up to both the victor and the defeated to pick up the pieces. Sometimes that mess was bombed cities and towns (okay, very usually it was bombed cities and towns), damaged infrastructure to make a country run. Thankfully, the battle against HYDRA had been very local; only Teddy Roosevelt Island and the Potomac River had sustained any real physical damages save for a few instances of small HYDRA cells in other locations on December Fifteenth and of course the Office of Naval Intelligence building a few days prior when struck with a massive illusion strike, a stampede, several computer viruses, and a supersized grenade. But what HYDRA had left in its wake was thousands of people with broken lives due to Loki's Scepter, hundreds altered and genetically manipulated thanks to PROJECT: ARGUS, and something like tens of thousands left dead from silent strikes, discrete murder, blatant executions, and God knew what else concerning any who stood in HYDRA's way. Jessica had been a victim of that, and she had made victims because of it. Kamala had been a victim as well, the young teenager still reeling from the loss of her parents. Days working at Kamala's side had helped somewhat, but Jessica knew there was one thing that every child ultimately needed to do, be it young or old; see to their parents when they finally passed on.

Jess knew what her friend and sister was thinking; she was afraid of what she might find, afraid of what she might feel.

"Hey, you're not alone." The photographer said quietly as she took Kamala's hand, getting the fifteen-year old to look at her, the young teenagers' face pure misery. Jessica had rented the car and taken the young woman on the road trip to make the arrangements for her parents and their funeral. Kamala hadn't even known where their bodies were until Jess suggested her contacting her Imam. "I know you're dreading this, which is understandable. But we both know that you need to do this. Okay?" This was going to be hard on the young woman, and Jess was dead determined to be there for her. Kamala had held Jessica when they had sat in the waiting room of Walter Reed, not knowing if her mom was going to make it or how badly she had been hurt. Jennifer Walters would have been right there with them if she hadn't been bed-ridden. So Drew elected to go in her mom's steed, knowing that Jenn was going to take Kamala in when she needed someone there, just like she had with Jessica and her sister. That meant Kamala was her sister now, and Jess had absolutely no issues with that.

"Okay." Kamala gulped as she looked to the house for a long moment, and then to her. "How… how are we going to get in? They have security locks, and I doubt the police are just going to open it up for us."

"I imagine that the windows of the second story will prove that one of them will be unlocked." Jess replied softly. She wasn't looking forward to breaking and entering, but she certainly wasn't going to break something to enter. This was Kamala's house, for all intent and purposes. "I can climb walls, and we can find an entrance that way. The less we disturb, the better." It had been eight days since STRIKE Team DELTA had been sent to the Khan Residence to apprehend or kill Kamala Khan, and whatever investigation needed to be done had likely been concluded days ago. Whatever forensic evidence was needed for an investigation (likely tainted by HYDRA, Jess thought to herself) had already been collected and cataloged once the scene was discovered and created by… whoever was the jurisdictional police agency for Jersey City (likely the JCPD). Going in was dissuaded for thieves and opportunists, and Jessica didn't think Kamala needed the bureaucratic nightmare of trying to process a request of entering her own house and having some cop (whose loyalty might be questionable) watch over and reminding the young woman she had a time limit while some other component of the New Jersey government tried to take custody of the fifteen-year old orphan. No, they weren't going to do this the proper way, but it was still right in Jessica's mind. They would do it the proper way later, when things were calmed down. But for now, this was for Kamala, not some government puke to check off a few boxes and throw a few timelines to drag their feet just so they could see a minor grieve and wonder why she couldn't just go home.

This was about family, this was for family, and Jessica wasn't above bending a few silly laws made to create a few more desk jobs to help those that really mattered.

She still hadn't told the young woman how HYDRA had known of the Khan's address. Jess wasn't sure how to admit to that.

Together, the two women approached the house, Kamala leading with small steps as Jessica directed her towards the back of the house; no need to look like they were breaking in by anyone just driving by. Grove Street was a nice street with a nice neighborhood, and the photographer didn't doubt that this would be the kind of neighborhood that would call the cops if something suspicious was seen. If they could gain access to the house without having to force a door or break a window, the standard street cop probably wouldn't inquire further without any evidence of a crime happening unless the pair of them were physically seen inside the house. The front door had one of those large key-accessed padlocks that made it impossible to use the doorknob due to its curved locking mechanism and large access box, what one saw on new houses. There wasn't any police tape, so technically this shouldn't be a crime with no tape or any kind of sign on the front. That's what Jessica was hoping for at least.

"Hey, climb on, and I'll piggyback you up, okay?" Jess smiled to the young woman as Kamala looked dubious at first as she looked up to the second story side window of her house where vinyl siding ruled and no climbing points or apparatuses were available. "I can stick to walls, so this should be quick and easy." The former CIA recruit reminded the Pakistani-American woman, who did slip her arms around her shoulders and mounted herself onto Jessica's back like a little kid getting a piggyback ride. Jessica hardly noticed the weight of a teenager on her back as her hands went to the wall, electrostaticly attaching herself to the vinyl surface as she put one foot to the wall and then the other, her hands and feet 'clinging' to the surface with ease, even with the additional weight of Kamala Khan on her back. Jess went up a few points, crawling up the wall much like someone doing a bear crawl on the ground but doing so vertically, Kamala gulping a little as Jess took her time, knowing the young woman on her back wasn't use to such things. They reached a window with ease, the photographer using her clinging fingers to test the access of the second story window to see if it were locked… and found it able to slide upward. Figured as much, the young woman thought to herself, having learned that particular lesson under the Scepter. How many times had she visited a house so much like this one to do murder for the squid? No, don't think of that now, this is for Kamala, Jess reminded herself as she slid the window open fully, telling Kamala to watch her head as the nineteen-year old crawled in through the window, twisting slightly to attach herself to an interior wall to avoid knocking off a small table set in front of the window, crawling up the inside wall in the house to clear the window and giving the both of them a place to stand as Jessica put her feet onto carpet before sliding the window back down to make it look like nothing was wrong.

Jessica found herself turning around to see Kamala standing in a bedroom. Hers, in fact.

The bedroom was about the same size as Jessica's in her fathers' house back in San Bernardino, probably ten by ten to make a nice-sized room for a single occupant. The sight of it being oriented towards a female teenager was of no surprise, a little on the 'girly' side, but the motif was most certainly that of an American teenaged woman in love with pop culture; video games on top of an X-Box 360, action figures displaying anime and cartoon characters on a wall shelf, a desk with a rather impressive laptop with a few remains of snacks and energy drinks decorating its' top, posters of movies and (no surprises) Avengers covering the walls, and a few pieces of bedroom-related furniture such as a dresser, a nightstand, a full-sized bed (with Iron Man blankets), and a vanity desk with large mirror along one wall. The bedroom was most certainly an ode to the Twenty-First Century and being a teenager, and Jessica had a bit of a nostalgic moment thinking of her own room as well as that of her sisters Sarah and Libby. She actually snorted when she saw a full compliment of Avengers action figures on a shelf just above the laptop, the original six standing heroically, watching all in their plastic gloriousness.

Kamala just stood in the center of the room, quiet. Too quiet.

"Was I being childish?" The young woman finally asked, perhaps rhetorically, perhaps not. Jessica understood as she look in the room, seeing it for what it was; a shrine to being a teenage fangirl. It was of absolute no surprise that Kamala would want to be an Avenger (like just about every other teenage American with a pulse) compounded by the fact that she and she alone had been picked up to be a teenaged intern for Avengers Tower. That magnificent dream come true for a fifteen year old who knew superheroes existed and reveled in the fact, that perfect age where belief and possibility existed. Like a Disney Princess movie come to life.

"No." The photographer replied honestly, seeing Kamala look at her. "My room in SanBer looks a lot like this. A little more clothes, a little less action figures, but pretty similar, honestly. Libby has boy band posters all over her walls, and Sarah's got more than a few things pertaining to Dwayne Johnson." That had the younger teenager snort. "This was the room for a young woman who believed in something better, something greater. This was your sanctuary, where you could be all you wanted to be without judgment or reserve. Your heart on display, and it was going in the right direction." That had the younger woman look thoughtful at Jessica. "I don't see a bunch of rap stars or professed drug-users who magically get away with it all adorning your walls, or a bunch of violent movies or music decorating your stuff. You have heroes littering your room because that's what you wanted to be. Nothing childish about that, Kamala."

"I guess I hadn't really thought of it that way." Jess knew what the real issue was; Kamala's childhood was over. Violently. Murderously. Now she was at that cusp where she was an adult whether she liked it or not, a too-young child forced to look at things differently forever. "Before the Avengers, we had comics and movies who told us what heroes are and what one was suppose to be. An inspiration, a guiding light, a victor who fought for what was right no matter what." Kamala slowly moved over to one of her action figures, and Jess saw that out of all the DC comic book characters that she had (such as Superman, Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern, and the Flash), she had picked up Batman. The similarities wasn't lost on the photographer comparing Kamala with Bruce Wayne, who had watched his parents killed in front of him when he was a child. But there was another figure amongst the members of the Justice League of America that Jessica hadn't thought of in a while, having grown up past Saturday Morning cartoons when she was thirteen. Yes, she watched JLA when she was a kid, and she remembered the members that led the comic book industry for something like seventy years. But the symbol of the lightning bolt on… ugh, what was his real name? Wally West? Barry Allen? One of the Flashes. It was the same as Miss Marvels'.

"Why the Flash?"

Kamala looked to Jessica for a moment, a little befuddled.

"Miss Marvel and the Flash have the same lightning bolt on the chest. Same color, too. So… why did you pick the Flash?"

The fifteen-year old girl set down Batman and picked up the Fastest Man Alive.

"Did you know… he's actually faster than Superman?" Kamala began softly. "Think about it. Superman was one of the most powerful figures in all of the DC Universe, only a few weaknesses, and superior to everybody in just about everything; strength, durability, flight… perfect, right?" The action figure in her hands had gentle fingers holding it. "Barry Allen and Kal-El got into a race just to see who was faster, friendly competition. But think about it… Barry was the only man on the planet Earth that had a skill that was more than a match to the Son of Krypton. No one else born on Earth was as strong, had the heat vision, the hearing… just one human being amongst billions could say that he could stand amongst the Gods that were the Justice League and say that he had something about him that said without question that he was an equal. Imagine being able to match Superman in something. What would you say if you could say you were the equal to something that the Man of Steel could do? That a human being could achieve such a thing? I thought… I could do something like that. That amongst Super Soldiers and Iron Men and Gods… that a normal human being could be seen as an equal."

Jess saw Kamala still looking at the Crimson Racer in her hands, but the CIA-trained woman knew the timeline wasn't quite right with what the young woman had told her. Captain America's revival and Thor's visit to Earth hadn't been known before May Eleventh, nor had the Hulk, Hawkeye, or the Black Widow been known to the public. Only Iron Man had been publicly acknowledged, and even then, with the knowledge of the Avengers, Clint Barton was most certainly a 'Mark I' human being with an impressive skill but no powers (Jess kinda figured that Nat was likely something more than advertised but respected and feared her a little enough not to ask). No, it wasn't about the Avengers.

"What was her name?"

"Whose?" The Pakistani-American woman asked, looking up from the action figure.

"The bitch that made you want to build an illusion machine because she made you feel like shit for being a Muslim and a Middle Easterner." Drew figured it out; Kamala didn't want to be seen as an equal amongst the Avengers, because she never had a problem there when interning over the summer. Jessica had been there when Kamala had been first introduced… and that had been it. Her Mom had found her, Tony was ga-ga over the young woman, and all the scientists and Doctors just brought her into the fold, seeing a student to mentor into something more. Even the Black Widow had taken a shine to the spunky teenager from Jersey City without any real issue. No, Kamala hadn't invented an illusion machine to impress the Avengers and show what a human could do. There was some High School girl who probably stepped all over Kamala due to her dark hair, dark eyes, dusky skin, headwear, and avoidance of swine and shellfish. Jessica never saw Kamala with the 'traditional' (oh, what was the actual name?)… hajib? There were a couple of names that Drew wasn't sure pertained to which, always seeing the young woman with a beanie on her head to observe her religious recommendation to cover her head out of respect to Allah, but never the traditional shawl thing that most people recognized. Kamala had wanted to be seen as an equal in High School, amongst the petty dominance of feminine superiority. Jessica remembered those days well when she was in High School, though she hadn't had nearly as many issues as the girls who were larger, or geekier, or flat-chested or whatnot. Kamala, with her dark skin, different religion, different attire requirements, never seen with anything less than a full t-shirt and jeans of some kind, certainly wasn't out flouting her body to gain attention. But that had earned her attention from those who did, making the young woman feel ashamed for who she was.

That's why Miss Marvel. The girl who wanted to be anything… but herself.

"Miss Walters asked me the same thing. Who was young, blond, popular, and pretty." Kamala replied softly, shaking her head. "Wanted to be like Zoe, y'know? To be able to fit in and belong, not be judged for what I am or what I believed. Just… be less complicated."

"You did. With us." Jessica replied with a smile, getting the younger teenager to look at her head. "Did anyone in the Tower ever take a look at you and say those things that Miss Blondie or whoever the fuck she was said? Hell, there's American soldiers who deployed to the Middle East in the Avengers. Did they ever give you a moment of grief?"

"…no. Not once." Kamala replied, looking a little more… thoughtful. "I remember when I first met… when I first met Sam and Nate." Jessica hadn't met either Samuel Thomas Wilson or Nathaniel James Dugan until she landed on the Gungnir and been free of the Scepter. Yes, she saw them in that SHIELD bunker in New Jersey, but she had hardly been in a talkative mood. "I was nervous. Miss Walters told me that I was pretty much one of four new inductees, in which one was War Machine. Think about it; a Colonel in the Air Force in an Iron Man suit, a Lieutenant Commander that was a Navy SEAL, a First Lieutenant Search and Rescue Parajumper… and then me. I was…"

"Worried?"

"Yeah." Kamala put the Flash down, frowning. "I'm sitting in a conference room with three members of the American military who had all been deployed to the Middle East to fight terrorism and insurgents, and I'm a Middle Eastern Muslim who, while born in America, I knew that would be apparent at the very get-go. And I'm sitting there looking at them like a lost kid from a tour group." That had Jessica snort a little. "But… Nate? Nate just barged in and said something to the effect of 'you must be some prodigy' and asked what I had done. So I showed them." There was a smile growing on her face. "It was… just that easy. They didn't really care about my age or my ethnicity. They weren't asking me to prove myself either, because… I guess I already had if I was sitting in the same room as them. Oh, they ribbed me for still being in High School, but I could tell that they were including me, not excluding me. I totally made Dugan carry around a swear jar as a joke one day."

"That's hysterical." The boys probably got a bit of a kick out of that, letting Kamala rib them back just a little. Camaraderie amongst new Avengers who would be trusting one another to watch each others' backs, to stand alongside one another. Yes, it would have been very apparent that the New Jersey teenager wouldn't be 'on the ground' for missions; too young, lack of physical skills or expertise, that kind of thing. But Kamala had ended up a part of mission control; she aided the fight for those who were fighting, being their voice on the radio, intel when they needed it, gear and innovations to make them better. Kamala had been chosen just like they… and they had accepted it. "Y'know, not that you're the sort to rub it in," Jessica said as she slipped an arm around Kamala, "but I bet if you saw Miss Blondie now? She'd be kissing your ass and asking for an autograph. I doubt she'd apologize for the way she treated you because she probably doesn't even see it or consider it bullying. But if you think about it now, in a year's time… you're in college, and she's still in High School. Yeah, she's Queen Bee in Coles Academy, living the dream. But while she and her little tart friends are prowling High School halls to walk upon and torment girls her age so she can feel like she matters in life, you're going to be at some University campus talking with brainiacs, aspiring engineers, computer gurus, and people that will lead us into the mid-21st Century while she does… what? Become some trophy wife or spousethlete?"

"Spousethlete? Really? Did you just make that up?" Kamala asked, but there was a smile.

"Please, I go to school in SoCal where basketball and football are huge. Want to know how many guys are drilling hoops? Want to know how many girls are in the stands trying to gold dig some potential rising star because they can't make another meal ticket save through their bodies?" Jessica had been raised by Jennifer Walters to be the kind of woman who achieved through merit, and saw such women as that in a very dim light. It was one thing to be with someone and support their endeavors, but just seeing some woman whose sole occupation seemed to be being a pretty face and body next to some big name athlete or movie star struck too close to what her own birth mother did. The young woman had swore she would never end up like Alisa Drew; porn star, trophy whore, child abandoner. It would be a cold day in Hell before Jessica ever sought anything in her egg donor. "Kamala? You're a wonderful person, smart as hell, and you're not just going to change the world; you already are. I know that we tease you a little and say that you're the next Tony Stark," which was certainly saying something, "but the truth is you're probably better. I think, because of your parents and the way they raised you, you have a better foundation. I think you'll do things right, not becoming a weapons manufacturing warmonger like Mister Stark did, though I do understand that because of September Eleventh that was a big motivation, so I don't actually fault him when so many people were doing something similar.

"You have the opportunity to do all the things that everyone wishes for and then turns around and doubts or hampers when it's about to become reality." Jess continued, looking at her young friend. "If you can be anybody? Be Kamala Khan. That's the gift your parents gave you, and there's none better."

The fifteen-year old girl replied by giving her a hug.

"I'm ready now." Kamala admitted, looking to her bedroom door and what laid beyond. "It's going to suck, it's going to hurt… but I'm ready. Thank you for being here for me."

"Anytime, sister." The older teenager told the younger one as they stood together to brave what may come.

"Also… swear jar." That just had Jess roll her eyes.


Recovery Room, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, December 22, 2012

[Miss Walters, you have a guest.]

Jennifer Susan Walters had spent something like the past six days in the Military Medical Center known as Walter Reed, and was thoroughly sick of it. Being stuck on a bed, nearly bed-ridden by injuries that included broken bones, a concussion, and an impaled kidney certainly meant that not only would the road to recovery would be a long one, but so would the hospital visit. Mostly what kept her there was the condition of her right kidney, a small part of her intestinal tract, and her right hand, all which had surgery. She was missing a small part of her kidney and small intestines, and her right hand now looked like a pin cushion with the seven metal rods sticking out of the sutured flesh. She had six days of not getting use to it, barely able to twitch her fingers. Or get out of bed without assistance. Or have a decent meal. She completely tempted to have someone smuggle her in something that wasn't apple sauce or fake-bake chicken or… whatever it was the hospital was serving her. Her daughter was sympathetic, but even Jessica Miriam Drew wasn't about to violate the Doctor's orders. Major Maria Hill hadn't either despite having to suffer two days of hospital care and food

"Who is it, JARVIS?" Jenn asked. She was more-or-less recovered from her fight with Captain Emil Timothy Blonsky, known as the Abomination, but the doctor's were concerned with the possibility of Acute Kidney Distress. It had been six days since the operation to fix the damaged tissues of her organ and the removal of some of the damaged tissues to her small intestines thanks to the normally benign bacteria within the digestive tract that didn't work out quite so well in the blood stream or other locations. Really, she just wanted a real meal and to be home (or anywhere else other than a hospital) for Christmas. Jessica Drew was sitting at her usual work station, something in between personal secretary, personal assistant, home care attendant, and all-around Godsend. The announcement of a guest surprised the both of them; very few people got to see Jenn save for those of Avengers, Inc. and a few select others spearheading efforts to corral HYDRA.

[It's the President of the United States], JARVIS replied from the Iron Man Mk. XVII "HEARTBREAKER" suit, still present even after six days in the hospital. Even the staff had gotten use to it.

"Um, wow. Holy shit." Jessica replied as she looked to Jenn as mother looked to daughter, both a little surprised. This was certainly unannounced. Kamala was sitting in the other chair, working on her laptop, when her head popped up from what she was doing at the announcement. "Are you seriously getting a Presidential visit in a hospital?" Tony had handled the Presidential meeting several days prior considering he had personally saved the President's life when some asshole named Aldrich Killian had kidnapped him right from Air Force One to burn him alive above an oil tanker. Jenn didn't doubt there would be something in regards to what happened on December 15th, but most certainly not at a hospital. Such things were generally done with press conferences, dozens of cameras and reporters, and generally in front of the White House. "Um, Kamala? We're probably going to need to step out for a bit." The young woman next to Jessica nodded, looking a little awed at the thought as Jenn watched them both move to leave the room practically arm-in-arm, glad to see them bonding together well, especially all that they had both suffered. Kamala had been able to formally identify, claim, and see to her parents with Jessica's help, and Jenn was making funeral arraignments with the help of Sheikh Abdullah, who was a member of the Islamic Masjid of Jersey City, where the Khans had gone for Sallat. Kamala and Jessica had come back from their road trip a few days ago all the better for it. Jenn watched them leave as the HEARTBREAKER suit also turned to leave, following the young women as the door closed for but a moment or two to reopen and admit a man.

And Jennifer Walters found herself entertaining the leader of the free world from her hospital bed.

"Mister President." Jenn did her best to be as dignifying as she could while laying in a hospital bed wearing a cheap medical gown and covered in a thin cotton blanket with several casts on her and her right hand containing several metal protrusions. Which was saying hardly dignifying. Yet in walked the former junior Senator from Illinois who had secured his second term six weeks prior in a classic blue suit with the American flag pinned to his lapel, looking every inch a President should look. Jenn didn't doubt that the hallway outside was flooded with Secret Service Agents and a few Marines.

"Miss Walters." He took a nearby chair and pulled it towards the bed, sitting on her left-hand side, though she could see his eyes grace where her injuries were, most especially her right hand. It was pretty hard to ignore that. "I hope that you are recovering well."

"A few more surgeries, and I might qualify as the Bionic Woman. Not exactly my goal." Jenn replied, feeling cooped up and restless in a bed that she was only allowed to get out of to use the bathroom. "But all things considered, I got off very light and lucky. Too many Americans died that day and in days prior thanks to HYDRA, losing their lives from the shadows or fighting to stem back their efforts. I survived, all limbs are more or less attached, I got my family back, and I'm taking in a young woman who will have to bury hers. It doesn't feel right to complain when I know of the things that HYDRA did to us and those we swore to defend and protect."

"I know what you mean. They went after me instead of my entire family, and yet there were men who lost their lives when AIM captured me." Advanced Idea Mechanics had used some sort of genetic modification called Extremis based off of a plant to help regrow limbs much in the same fashion as regeneration. There had been interesting side effects to the process that included rapid healing, accelerated metabolism, hyperthermic properties, and the possibility of blowing up spontaneous combustion-style if they got too 'hot'. AIM had used wounded veterans, mostly those with missing limbs and forgotten by the system, to experiment and create a small army of enhanced soldiers for their beck-and-call. All who possessed Extremis save two were now dead, and those two were amongst the Avengers, one being Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, and the other Doctor Maya Hansen, who had co-invented the genemod following a recipe given to her by a drunken Tony Stark over a decade prior. "The things happening beneath our notice is unforgivable. I had people in my very administration in on it, knowingly and willingly aiding in a plot that would have killed hundreds of thousands very easily, and might have sparked the very thing we both fear; nuclear war." That wasn't an unreasonable assumption if the Helicarriers had gotten to their operational height and started attacking the United States Navy. Other nations would have been alarmed. Some would have retaliated for all the right reasons, whether it was for the right reason or not. Seven days after the Second American Civil War, Jenn still couldn't figure out how HYDRA thought their overthrow plan was ultimately going to work unless their plan was to rule from the radioactive ashes. "Still, that leaves us in the here and today."

Jenn had a rather sinking feeling what this meeting might be about.

"Miss Walters, a significant portion of the American Government was tainted by HYDRA, and dozens of members are now fully locked out from all political actions and decision-making, several being arrested for full collusion while others will be under heavy investigation to ascertain their actual role in things." The President continued. "I am now left with a fairly-fractured government in a time when I need us to be at are full and best, too many gaps and holes in the process to start fixing things and making them right. I've already tapped several people over the past week with the thought of joining the Cabinet and other key positions, having them vetted and approved by three Congressional Sub-Committees. Unfortunately, I have been reminded several times day for the past week that there's one position that needs to be filled as soon as possible."

"Which is?" Oh, she knew, she knew without being told. But it needed to be said. She needed to hear it for herself.

"The Vice Presidency."


Avengers Tower, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, December 24, 2012

Twas The Day Before Christmas…

As the song said; it was the most wonderful time of the year.

On the eighty-eighth floor of the world-famous Avengers Tower, a celebration unlike any other was occurring. While other businesses had office parties for Christmas that would let a plus one (plus little ones) be included in such things usually a few weeks before Christmas, such things were oriented towards business practices; a little bit of drinking, Secret Santas, perhaps Christmas bonuses.

None of them ever had Tony Stark as a host. He delivered a party unlike any other.

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Tower, were the decorations of the season, from pretty to power, Kamala Aisha Khan wrote a parody of a few Christmas songs and poems to put on her personal page of the Avenger website, trying to do something festive for the holidays. She already had some photos uploaded including getting Captain Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes to wear ugly Christmas sweaters and Santa hats, Volstagg the Svelte to pretend he was Santa with Jessica Campbell Jones dressed up as a moderately-skimpy Christmas elf, and even badgered Doctor Henry Jonathan 'Hank' Pym to do a Masterpiece Theater-like sitting of It's A Wonderful Life. The tree had been delivered and decorated thanks to all three Drew girls, Sarah Felicity Drew and Elizabeth Katherine 'Libby' Drew visiting along with their father and grandfather, Jonathan Drew and retired Sheriff Morris Walters, having come from California thanks to a Bombardier Challenger 300 owned by Stark Industries. There were other family members present who were joining in from a variety of locations; the Barton family from Des Moines, James Rhodes' parents from Virginia, Sam Wilson's father from uptown in Harlem, Doctor Elizabeth Ross from West Virginia, Patricia 'Trish' Walker who lived in Upper West Side, and Maria Hill's mother from Toronto. The eighty-eighth floor was quite populated with people and festivities as meals were had, jokes and stories were told, and the day reached its midway point when an announcement came from JARVIS that had everyone eagerly coming together for one more present.

The elevator arrived upon the floor to bring forth Doctor Robert Bruce Banner pushing a wheelchair containing Jennifer Susan Walters, freshly released from the hospital and returning home for the holidays.

"Mom!" Sara and Libby practically bolted for the wheeled lawyer, stopping short to give her gentle hugs considering that she had a cast around her right leg, an external brace throughout her right hand and wrist, another cast on her right forearm, and a few other mementos of her fight against Emil Blonsky. This was the first time the two younger Drew girls had gotten to see her since Jenn was in Walter Reed and was to be released on Christmas Eve. The Chief Executive Officer of Avengers, Incorporated was dressed in a too-large UCLA sweater and gray sweatpants, whatever injuries or concerns she had forgotten at the sight of her daughters as she returned the hugs as best she could. Everyone else was gathering closer, smiles appearing on all their faces as the last remaining Avenger finally came home to celebrate the holidays, so many people there it was actually crowded. And no one minded. The girls gave way to the next recipient, former Sheriff Morris Walters, who took a knee to hold his daughter, an emotional moment for a father seeing his little girl hurt while at the same time having done something so profound. Their were whispered words between the two mixed with some quiet tears, and everyone pretended to ignore Jenn's response to whatever her father said when she whispered back I would do it again in a heartbeat. It had been a difficult period of time since the Fifteenth of December, everyone dealing with the repercussions and consequences of HYDRA's attempt to usurp America and the world; from the damages, the detainments, the deaths, and the debris of all in its wake. Everyone was at Avengers Tower to celebrate Christmas together, bringing their families with them so that they could celebrate the living, remember the fallen, and enjoy the season as it should be.

"Hey, everybody." Jenn looked up from her wheelchair, now being pushed by her father. "When did everyone get so tall?" There was a little chuckling from some of the people as the CEO of the Avengers looked at the sight in front of her, seeing all those who were there. "It's good that all of you could come to celebrate the holidays together, friends and family joining one another. Seeing you all here…" The recovering woman paused for a moment, her voice hitching slightly, "this means more than it normally would. It's been one hell of a year, so I'd say we deserve a good holiday or three with each other and enjoy it as we should."

"Here, here." Doctor Henry Jonathan 'Hank' Pym replied, his arm around his daughters' shoulders as Hope Madeline van Dyne slipped her own arm around her fathers' waist. It had been released a few days prior of what happened to Doctor Janet Michelle van Dyne and her heroic sacrifice to save Los Angeles that was a prior attempt of HYDRA's to assert their control over the world. Now Hope's mother was known for her heroism as well as Hopes' own contributions. For a woman who had lost her mother when she was a little girl, it certainly looked to be a comfort that the daughter got to see her departed mother for the hero that she was.

"Did my shipment come in?" Jenn looked over to Virginia 'Pepper' Potts, who merely pointed out several presents under the gigantic Christmas tree that Thor decided to rip out of the ground somewhere and deliver himself when someone explained to him what Christmas was and what the tree was for. It was actually surprising that it fit in the large living area considering he had evidently absconded it from Norway. Presents had been brought from visiting family members, and there were more that had been shipped from Wal-Mart and Amazon with last minute orders from various members. "Good. Because I'm pretty sure Thor hasn't stopped looking at all the pretty boxes the entire time they've been here."

"Gift giving is tradition in Asgard." The Allprince defended himself, making a few of the other Asgardians chuckle.

"My cousin can't help himself. Put a gift in front of him and he'll squirm like a little boy." Lady Sifjar Vilisdottir replied with a bemused smile, shoulder-bumping the God of Thunder.

"Well, you're in luck." Jenn smiled. "My family had a tradition where we all got to open one present on Christmas Eve, and it was always something crafted or hand-made; something made for the person in question. And I felt that this would be a good time to share that tradition with all of you. So all those presents with the rather bland brown wrapping paper? Captain? Yours is the one with the star on it."

"Careful, Cap. I smell a trap." Darcy Katherine Lewis called out, getting a few chuckles as Captain Steven Grant Rogers went to the fifteen-foot Christmas tree and saw the brown-wrapped packages that surrounded the other presents, obviously meant to be picked first. The ninety-two year old blond man found his amongst others, obviously seeing that there were around twenty or so presents wrapped in the same bland brown paper more akin to packages and grocery store paper bags.

Steve picked up the one that was addressed with a large white five-pointed star within a circle as he brought it out from the tree, trying to remember his last Christmas. Bastogne, Belgium, what would later be called the Battle of the Bulge. By that time, the fighting in the Ardennes Forest had almost been turned to the favor of the Allies after nearly two-weeks of constant hammering by a silent strike by German counteroffensive forces. Christmas Day had been spent fighting, and the only thing that he could give his Commandos was a cup of hot coffee; certainly a treat when supplies were rare and they were waiting for the Third Army and General Patton to come in hard and strong. Less than a month later in Switzerland, a mission involving a train occurred where a Swiss Doctor was on-board and would supposedly cost the life of his best friend.

"You okay?"

The voice brought him back, and Steve found himself shaking off memories and looking over to Jessica Miriam Drew, who was touching his arm and looking at him with concern.

"I was remembering… December 25, 1944. My last Christmas." Steve didn't mean to say it out loud, but everyone heard. Now everyone wanted to know. "We were in Belgium fighting the German counteroffensive we called 'the Bulge'. They poured everything into it, and our lines were almost overran several times. There was this one guy, Scorzeny, who almost won that whole damn war by dressing up about twenty Germans in American uniforms and giving off false radio reports. Christmas that year was fighting."

"And coffee. Where did you steal that joe from again?" That was James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes, who had a ghost of a smile. "That was the first cup of coffee we had in like two weeks. And it was hot, too."

"I stole it from the Belgians." That had Sam snort. "You're right, Jenn. I spent my last Christmas with my family. There might not have been a tree or presents, but I had all I needed on Christmas that year." Jessica leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek, making Samuel Thomas Wilson cough out room, much to everyone's amusement. Steve started opening the present, undoing the wrapping neatly as he reached the cardboard box and peeled off its tape to open it up, about half the rooms' occupants peering a little to get a glimpse as Cap smiled and pulled something out.

It was a World War Two-styled brown leather bomber jacket, complete with a wool under collar… but it was much more than that.

The left breast had a black nametag sewed onto its surface with the word 'AVENGER' upon it, while the right one had 'ROGERS' stitched in white. On the right shoulder was the Avenger logo, like a unit patch, while on the left was the New York State flag with a 'Brooklyn' scroll above it and 'Original' scroll underneath. Those with prior military service recognized the style, similar to the uniform many of them once wore but done upon a jacket that still held a prestige to it. Steve looked at it, thumbing the patches upon it.

"Thank you." Steve said with a smile as Jenn nodded and looked to someone else.

"Tony? The one with the helmet."

"If it's Cap pajamas, I'm going to be disappointed." Tony Stark replied flippantly as a couple people chuckled, but there was a curious smile upon his face. He found his own present quickly, but unlike Steve, Tony ripped into the paper like a little boy on Christmas morning. He opened up the box and pulled out… the same style jacket that Cap had gotten, except that his had 'STARK' for a nametape and 'Santa Barbara' above the California State flag . "Y'know, I'm digging the look." Tony didn't waste time putting it on, not ashamed at all to show off a little. "Retro style, good taste, and just personalized enough to know you're not stealing mine." That had a couple more chuckles. One by one, the original six Avengers were called out, getting the same kind of jacket that was sized for them but personalized. Natasha was a bit amused to see that hers had the Russian Federation flag on it instead of the American one, Jenn having opted out of getting the red flag with its sickle and hammer of the Soviet Union she had been born to. What had surprised her was that her city of birth was on there… the correct one of Yekaterinburg. Bruce's birthplace of Santa Rosa was labeled along with the Golden State flag, Clint's as Des Moines with the Iowa State flag, and Thor was highly amused to see that the the banner of his origin was in Futhorc, the ancient Norse language that spelled out Asgard while giving his place of birth as Valaskjalf; the long hall of the Allfathers. The jackets were donned, and they seemed to be enjoying the gifts quite well.

"Kamala? The one with the lightning bolt." That had the fifteen-year old girl gulp a little, everyone thinking that those were the only ones. But when the Pakistani-American girl petered her way to the Christmas tree for her very first Christmas present ever (as Muslims didn't celebrate it), it was obvious that it wasn't just the original six that would be getting such a present. Kamala had to sit as she unwrapped her present slowly, much like Rogers had done as Doctor Doreen Green sat beside her and put an arm around her for encouragement, the sight of a Jewish woman and a Muslim one sitting next to one another on Christmas a strange one… but something that had Jenn a little misty-eyed about. Kamala opened her present and pulled out the same jacket, though smaller than the others, but in the same style, with 'KHAN' on its right breast and 'Jersey City' as its location above the New Jersey State flag. The only thing it lacked was the 'Original' scroll underneath the flag.

"I… oh…" The young woman was obviously tearing up at the sight, Doreen leaning in and whispering something to her as the young woman nodded and smiled. It was very apparent to everyone with eyes and braincells what it meant; Kamala Aisha Khan was an Avenger, no questions asked. No matter the age, the ethnicity, the religion, where one was born, what powers they did or didn't have, any of that… the Avengers accept all who could prove themselves worthy of the name. Having Kamala opening hers after the original six was a wise choice, acknowledging her efforts amongst their group. If it hadn't been for the young woman, HYDRA might have won. That organization most certainly had underestimated her severely, and she had monopolized on that.

Colonel Rhodes and Lieutenant Wilson came next, showing 'Norfolk' above the Virginia State flag and 'Harlem' over the New York State flag for each man respectively. Kamala got the three of them together to do a selfie wearing their jackets, all of them smiling. When they first came together, Kamala had jokingly referred to them as Avengers 2.0, the next generation of guardians and defenders for all. So when she got the two men to do a picture together, she had told them for Nate, and the selfie had been taken. Jenn knew those smiles had sorrow in them, but they were doing for the man who couldn't be there with them today, the man who had given his life for team and country. Those smiles were a promise.

"Doreen. The howling wolf." The Veterinarian was like Kamala in the same regard approaching the Christmas tree, a little apprehensive for several reasons. Being Jewish, she didn't celebrate Christmas, but Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights. Yet this was a present earned by the woman who had been captured and controlled by HYDRA, the first released from the grasp of the squid, the woman who had asked to fight back not for her sakes, but for that of another. She had faced her worst fear alongside men and women dedicated to preventing that same fear from taking over, and her contributions had been noted and appreciated. She had been tested and judged, and found worthy by those who had defended Earth from an alien invasion, unanimously accepted by the original members for permanent membership. So when she opened the box to find the very same kind of jacket with the name 'GREEN' and the birthplace of 'Ann Arbor' above the Michigan State flag, ginger-haired woman both laughed and cried. Bucky came next, 'BARNES' written on his along with 'Brooklyn' over the New York State flag, and when he put it on, everyone could see that there was significance to it with him; he was becoming a part of the Avengers of his own free will after decades under HYDRA. When it became Jess's turn, the photographer found hers easily enough, depicting a storm cloud, and she opened the package just as slowly as Doreen and Bucky had, the three members who had their lives violently ripped away and altered by HYDRA. Though she knew it was coming, Jessica held onto the jacket that said 'DREW' along with with its California State flag and 'Santa Barbara' above it, her thumbs caressing the Avenger logo on the left sleeve for a moment before putting it on. Kamala captured the moment with her phone as well as taking a picture of them together.

Several more jackets were given out. Jessica Jones picked up the one with a westward wind blowing to find hers of similar style, baring the New Jersey State Flag and the city of Newark on a scroll above it. Hope Madeline van Dyne took her own box marked with a wasp (though Sam teased her and said it was a hornet) that had the California and the scroll of San Francisco above it. Maria Jacoba Hill got a box marked with a Spartan helmet that had the Canadian Flag and a scroll that read Vancouver over it. Everyone was enjoying their gifts and showing off as the support members opened theirs to find the same style jackets minus the Avenger logo on the right shoulder. Jenn smiled and saw that everyone was in a festive mood, as it should be. She looked over to Tony, still wearing his new jacket while Virginia 'Pepper' Potts kept her arms around his. Stark saw the look as he leaned over to whisper something in Pepper's ear, the Chief Executive Officer of Stark Industries nodding as Tony took a nearby of glass of champaign and a fork and struck the glass gently a few times to call everyone's attention to him.

"It's good to have everyone under one roof once again, especially for the holidays," Tony Stark began, "with friends and family both near and very very abroad." That got a chuckle from the Asgardians and most everyone else. "It's been a hard year for us all, but looking from where I'm standing now, I see reasons to say that it was worth it. To finding out who we are, to finding out what we can do, and then finding out who will be standing at our sides when we do so. I use to joke about having everything, but I was a blind poor fool then. I look around this room, to those who stand here today, to those who stood at our side both great and small, and remember those that couldn't be here today that helped us in our time of need, and now I know better.

"Normally, we give out gifts in the morning of Christmas, but what I have wasn't meant for Christmas, delivered to me this morning." Tony looked over and saw that Pepper had in her hand a manila envelope in her hands. "A week ago, I went to the White House to meet with the President. To thank me for saving his life and our country, he told me in no uncertain terms 'whatever I want'." There was a whistle of surprise coming from Clinton Francis Barton as he had his arms around his son and daughter, his wife standing next to him. "So I asked from him a boon.

"But not for me."

Pepper Potts moved forward carrying the protective envelope as she handed it to the youngest Avenger, surprise evident on Kamala's face as she took the document protector hesitantly. Her eyes went to the manila envelope and then to Jenn, who nodded once with a smile as the young woman slowly undid the red cord around the tying point of the envelope, undoing the security and opening the flap as Jenn felt her fathers' hand go to her shoulder, daughter looking up to father with a smile. Everyone watched on as the teenager pulled out from the envelope a stapled set of papers that looked to be official documents. Kamala held the papers in her hands as her dark eyes grew wider and wider as she read the top and began working her way down.

"What is it?" Doctor Jane Natalie Foster asked as she snuggled next to Thor, her voice curious. Everyone saw Kamala's mouth move for a moment without words as her eyes finally came up, glistening.

"They're… they're approved adoption papers. For Miss Walters to adopt me." The young woman replied as she sniffled, Jessica Drew slipping beside her and whispering something into her ear for a moment or two before Kamala finally replied I know, smiling as she moved to give Tony a long hug before giving one to Jenn, weeping a little as the lawyer held her tenderly. Everyone in the room was applauding (Loki perhaps not as enthusiastically as everyone else), as Jessica watched her brand-new sister stand up from her hug and thanked everyone, wiping away her tears as Captain Steve Rogers moved beside Jess, the photographer leaning on him a little as she watched on.

"What did you say to her?" Steve asked quietly as he slipped his arm around her waist, holding her gently.

"I told her her parents could rest a little easier knowing that she would be loved as a daughter and sister should." Jessica replied with a smile, and that had Steve do a bit of a double-take. "What?"

"When my mother passed away… Bucky's mom took me in. She said the same thing; that I would be loved like a son and brother should be." The ninety-three year old man replied, his voice thoughtful. "Becky did just that, she raised me like a son, and Bucky and I were brothers. I very much doubt I would be here today if it hadn't been for Rebecca Barnes. She's was a good woman through-and-through."

"I'd say, she turned out some of the best heroes we've ever had." Jess looked over to James Buchanan Barnes, who was more than close enough to have overheard the both of them. She was happy to see that he did. "I'm glad we're able to celebrate Christmas together. It's been a rough year for everyone, so I think we could all use some time to rest and recover." She punctuated her point by slipping more towards him and wrapping her arms around the Super Soldier. "Better than stolen coffee on the warfront?"

"Much better."


Author's Notes: Vice President Walters? OMGWTFBBQ? You're not going there, are you? Jenn Walters as Veep?

The Bionic Woman - Back in the… Seventies? There was a show with Lee Majors known as The Six Million Dollar Man, where an injured astronaut had gotten several surgeries and components to turn him into something more than a man. The show was successful enough to make a fem-sequel, The Bionic Woman. Played by Lindsay Wagner, it lasted three seasons and was quite popular (it was the only sci-fi program in the UK to reach the No. 1 position in the ratings in the 20th Century, thus being more popular that Star Trek in England), and spawned three spin-off TV movies and a remake in 2007. In the show, Jaime Sommers was tennis player who got injured in a skydiving accident, and that somehow made her a candidate for cyborg conversion. Originally showing in the Six Million Dollar Man, the surgery wasn't successful as the bionic implants were rejected, and Jaime was to have died. The episode and the thought of a 'bionic woman' was so popular that ABC retconned her death and made into a show. Surprisingly enough, this was around the same time as Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter, starting just over two months after WW(TV), yet the idea and $6M Man episode precedes it, making Lynda Carter and Lindsay Wagner some of the very first women to star in their own action-oriented works. The first action heroine (since you asked so nicely)? Diana Riggs, who played the iconic Emma Peel in the television series The Avengers as a female spy/adventurer, martial artist, and a feminist role model, chic British pop culture icon, and a sex symbol (which, hysterically, Diana Riggs was a conservative traditionalist woman, that's irony for you!).

I probably don't have to explain why Jewish people or Muslims don't celebrate Christmas, do I?

Futhorc - The actual name of the runic language of the Danes, the Scandinavians, the Icelanders, and the Norsemen.

Valaskjalf - I identify this as the longhall of the Allfathers, and I did pull this out of one of the Sagas, probably by Snorri Surlson.

Actually, the Canadian Provinces have Provincial Flags like American States have State Flags, and the one for British Columbia is one half the Union Jack (the UK flag) while the lower half is a setting sun in front of three wavy blue horizontal lines. Likewise, I wouldn't expect most people to recognize the Provincial Flag of Sverdlovsk Oblast, where Yekaterinburg, Russia is. The Sverdlovsk flag is almost one-half white/one-half blue with a white line and green bottom border. Technically, when Nat was born (for this story), Yekaterinburg was known as Sverdlovsk and was actually the location that Tsar Nicholas and his family were exiled to during the Oktober Revolution before the Bolsheviks were executed (despite popular belief, Grand Duchess Anastasia did not survive; this was likely a story done by the Soviets to net in Pro-Tsarists and sympathizers for collection and permanent removal).

Yes, more than Nat knows that Clint has kids. You'd think after three years of being in the Avengers someone might have noticed that Clint has a family or that he might visit them from time to time? I just assume that the Barton Farm was in New York somewhere so he wasn't flying every weekend or so.

Yes, Loki is still around. More on that later.