One year isn't long enough to get over the death of her sister. Maybe she never would.

So when she sees their holographic faces in the middle of Pepper's living room, her breath catches in her throat. Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff. Earth's fallen heroes.

At first, she regrets not getting Alexei an invite. He would've loved this, seeing Captain America's face all three-dimensional and patriotic. But then she thinks about it, and sees the amount of alcohol behind the bar that Happy's running, and decides that it's just as well Alexei isn't here. That would have been so embarrassing.

Bruce greets her first, and she'd tempted to interrogate him about what exactly Natasha meant to him and why he abandoned her by disappearing into the unknown after Ultron and yes, Laura did tell her everything and she would certainly avenge her sister's broken heart. But he's so sad, and he is rather large and strong, so eventually she subsides and she settles with polite small talk.

Sam and Bucky speak to her briefly, but they seem to be too busy reminiscing about the great Captain America to pay anyone else much heed. Yelena's particularly eager to meet Wanda, but she's nowhere to be seen. So instead, she asks Happy for a beer and finds herself a quiet corner in which to mull over her thoughts.

She's quickly interrupted though, because little Morgan is handing our cheeseburgers, and Yelena takes one with a grin.

'Thanks, Morgan.'

Pepper's next to approach her, and introduces herself while smiling approvingly at the cheeseburger. Yelena introduces herself as Natasha's sister, expecting an interrogation, but Pepper takes it in her stride.

'I'm sorry for your loss,' she says gracefully. 'Natasha was special to all of us. She was a rock, kept everything together. When Tony was in space, and in the years after. I mean, we retreated out here, had Morgan, but she never stopped fighting. Now, meeting you, I think I understand her better.'

Yelena doesn't fully understand what she's getting at, but she's halfway through a mouthful of cheeseburger (which is surprisingly tasty) so she can't ask for clarification. But Pepper sees the confusion on her brow, and elaborates. 'Family was the most important thing to her,' she explains. 'Nat fought so hard to get everyone back. She was thinking of you, I know she was. She wanted you back.'

'How did you know I was blipped?' Yelena has finally swallowed enough to speak without spitting out bits of cheeseburger everywhere.

Pepper smiles. 'You would've been here fighting alongside her if you weren't.'

Yelena frowns a little. Pepper wasn't wrong, but she was a little perturbed that Pepper had read her so easily. But Pepper is still smiling. 'You know,' Pepper says after a brief pause. 'When I first met your sister, she was undercover. Fury sent her to babysit Tony. I was jealous.' She's comfortable admitting this now, many years later. It seems completely ludicrous now.

'Now this is a story I have to hear.'

Later, well past sundown, Clint is running all over the Stark homestead until he eventually finds Yelena and Pepper under a large oak tree, laughing.

'You speak Latin too!' Pepper is exclaiming when Clint approaches, and Yelena nods, too hysterical to use words.

'What on earth?!'

'Oh, sorry, Clint!' Pepper says, turning to see him. 'We didn't realise how late it had gotten. Here, she's all yours. I should be getting back too.'

And with that, Pepper touches Yelena's hand in a gesture of goodbye and hurries back towards the house, leaving Yelena wiping away tears of laughter and a completely bemused Clint staring at her.

'Glad you've made a new friend.' His tone is somewhat suspicious, which sends her into fits of laughter once more.

He shakes her head and grabs her wrist. 'Come on. Laura will be waiting.'

She's still giggling when they get to the car, and Laura raises an eyebrow.

'She made friends with Pepper.' Clint's scowling at this point, his confusion replaced by irritation.

'Ah.' Laura nods, as if this makes all the sense in the world, then turns to Yelena approvingly. 'Always good to make fun of the boys. Keep at it.'