A/N* Quick note from me: If you haven't seen it already, my next project is up on my author page. It's not quite time to start on it yet but soon! I also realize that I skimmed over the five years but I felt like I only needed to show bits and pieces.
The Avengers compound looked like it had the last time she'd been there...but it had a dark, hollow feel about it. Everything was empty, her combat boots clicked against the tiled hallways, and sound echoed down them. Aubrey found her way to the main room and found Black Widow lounging on the same desk she'd seen in the hologram.
"Aubrey," she nodded, finishing a bite of peanut butter sandwich.
"Natasha," Aubrey returned the short greeting, eyes immediately straying to the thin file laying on the desk. "That's all?"
"It's as much as I could find" Romanoff's voice was quiet as met Aubrey's eyes "He doesn't want to be found."
Gingerly settling on a chair, file in hand, she flipped it open, peering over it at Nat.
"Just because he doesn't want to be found doesn't mean that he doesn't need to be found…..I would understand that more than anyone."
She quieted after that, skimming over the information.
First sighted in Mumbai, India.
Last sighted in Kyoto, Japan, left a scene of bodies behind Hiroshimi Casino. Main wounds come from Katana of new make. Secondary weapon is bow. Uses unmarked arrows.
More writing followed and she used a nearby pen to mark info of interest.
"Can you do it? Find him?"
Setting the manilla file back down onto the desk and letting out a sigh, she fiddled with a hairband.
"Maybe? Natasha, you have just as much training as I've had and you can't find him...how can I do better?-" when she didn't get an answer, Aubrey changed her tone of voice, starting again "- I'm going to try but there's only so much I can do."
"Thank you"
Before too long, she found herself chasing Barton across the world, from one Killzone to another. He left behind little evidence of his trace, with the exception of a trail of bodies. Aubrey knew he was in pain but her mind had a hard time justifying all the death, even if the victims were bad people. After a month of following him from one continent to another, she finally got a chance to corner him.
Clint Barton pulled his bloodied katana from the chest of someone who he'd been following for weeks. The man was from Madripoor and notoriously dealt with things from both ends of the spectrum...or he had. Wiping away the dark red substance, he felt his spine stiffen as light footsteps sounded behind him. The hideout had been hard to locate and even more difficult to get into. His mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was one of the man's lackeys.
"Your boss is dead. You may receive the same fate" His voice was gravelly from disuse as he strained to hear the lackey.
Surprise worked its way through him at the sound of a familiar female voice. "I don't deal in death anymore. I know you're hurting but this isn't how you help the world… If anything, you're digging a bigger hole.-"
He turned, finding Aubrey standing several feet from him, an uneasy look on her face. When he said nothing, she continued
"I know that you don't know me well, but I'm here on behalf of someone who does. This isn't how we fix the world, Clint. This only brings guilt and shame. You know it, that pressing feeling that you're running from and trying to fix. This won't fix it." She took a small step forward, his eyes noting the silvery shine of knives, throwing stars, and the bow on her back.
"Don't" he snapped. "You're not allowed to come here and just say that everything is okay. Because it's not.-" Pausing and sucking in a breath, Barton met Aubrey's eyes, pain flashing in them "-You're going to go back to Natasha and tell her that I've gone off the map and there's nothing else you can do. Tell her that and leave me be. Justice isn't doing the world much harm."
"I'm not-"
He cut her off "-You will, you have till the count of three."
And so, as the first number left his mouth, Aubrey stepped back into the shadows and headed back to the compound, Barton's message weighing heavily in the pit of her stomach.
"He's not coming back.-" Natasha finished for Aubrey, saving her from hafting to say the words. Silently, her head shook back and forth, knowing eyes watching her friend. "-but you found him….and we know his general location..maybe I should-"
"Natasha-" Aubrey's voice softened as she moved to stand in front of her "-The only thing that could help him is a chance….a chance to fix everything. It's been five years and nothing has changed…" the words died on her tongue, bringing back the gut-wrenching realization that this was it...They had lost when it had mattered most.
The only thing she wanted to do was go home.
When the other woman didn't answer her, Aubrey gathered her things and left, sniffling back the tears that threatened to fall.
Aubrey came to a smooth landing in front of Tony's house, a rare smile lighting up her face as small footsteps sounded on the wrap-around porch.
"Aunty Brie!" The girl screamed as she launched off of the porch and into Aubrey's open arms. She pulled Morgan to her, hugging the precious child tightly.
"Hey Squirt, did ya miss me?" she put the girl down, crouching to her level. Something warm bubbled up, a feeling that was hard to come by.
"Daddy never told me you were comin today" Morgan stepped back, her face the picture of happiness.
"Well your Daddy didn't know..it's a surprise" She wiggled her eyebrows as the girl giggled and took hold of her hand. Morgan pulled Aubrey up the porch and into the house. Pepper met them at the door, a sweet smile on the woman's face.
"Aubrey, it's good to see you" they exchanged a hug as Morgan scampered off to get her dad. His face relaxed at the sight of her and he pulled her into a tight hug before letting go.
"Finally decided to come back for a bit?" he leaned against the couch as Aubrey hung her coat on a hook and put her duffel on the floor.
"It's a surprise Daddy" Morgan walked back over to Aubrey and took a hold of her hand as if she was afraid her "aunt" would disappear at any moment.
"Yeah...It was time, and-" she looked down at the girl "-I plan on staying for a while". Tony's brow raised but Aubrey shook her head, not wanting to talk about Barton.
"Yay!" Morgan launched at Aubrey again, wrapping her arms tightly around her. Aubrey grinned, glad that she was missed. Her mind couldn't help but wander to the name of another little girl who might've greeted her the same way.
You said you'd protect us.
Never leave us again
You failed
Failure.
We aren't coming back.
The faces of those she loved spun through her mind, taunting her with anger and malice. She screamed for it to stop but instead, another figure came out of the murky depths. Bucky's face was tinted black and he shook his head back and forth before turning and leaving her. Alone.
She bolted up, coughing and spluttering. Grief rolled over her in waves and Aubrey felt like she was drowning. The sun had just started to rise and she hurriedly got dressed before heading downstairs. Everything felt wrong. This was her life now….devoid of hope that they would ever return...The walls started to close in and she suddenly needed to walk. Stumbling down the stairs, sliding on her windbreaker, tying her shoelaces before heading towards the front door. But pattering footsteps brought her to a stop. Morgan rounded the corner, face immediately brightening.
"Aunty Brie! Where are you going?" The girl pushed her brown hair out of her face, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"I'm going to take a walk, everything alright?" she crouched to the girl's level, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Something pinged in her chest but she pushed it down. She had Morgan, Tony, and Pepper. These people were her family now.
"Can I come with? It will be an adventure"
"I don't know, your daddy may want you to stay here."
"What do I want?" Tony ambled into the room, his hair ruffled and eyes tired. Morgan whirled around and ran over, giggling as he picked her up and hugged her close.
"I wanna go with Aunty Brie on a walk...can I?" She grinned at him. Tony's knowing eyes locked onto Aubrey. He frowned
"Your Aunt may want some alone time…"
"I could do with some company...If you're okay with her coming" The words came out as whispers and Aubrey puffed a breath out of her lips, holding back tears. Part of her wanted to be alone...but the other part wasn't sure if she could bear any more loneliness.
"Just make sure to take your cell and keep an eye on her….and don't go too far" he added after a moment's hesitation.
"Tony, you know I would never let anything happen to her."
"I do-" he set Morgan down, helping her strap on shoes and a coat. "- Have fun Morguna, and listen to Aubrey okay?"
"Okay" her voice tingled with excitement as she followed Aubrey out the door. They headed down to the lake and followed it into the surrounding forest. Morgan peppered Aubrey with questions about the trees and animals, she answered each one with care, noticing how the girl soaked up the knowledge. If she was anything like her parents then she had one heck of a brain. Aubrey pushed aside a branch and paused, crouching to Morgan's level.
"See how the leaves fall off when we move this branch?-" she waited until the girl nodded before going on "-So if someone were tracking us, this is something they would look for. Snapped branches, fallen leaves, tracks. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah...how do we make it so no one can track us?" Morgan fingered one of the leaves, her eyes scanning the bent branch.
"Well-" Aubrey sucked in a breath, unsure if it was something she should be teaching to a five-year-old. "-How about we find a clearing and I'll show you some things?" Morgan nodded enthusiastically and followed Aubrey with renewed purpose. By the time they'd gotten halfway around the lake, Aubrey stepped out into a small clearing. It came right to the edges of the lake, its waters lapping lazily on the shore. A fallen tree sat by the edge and she settled onto the trunk. Morgan had taken her mind off of the sadness, but now, as she sat there, it rolled back over her. It shuddered up her spine and weighed heavily on her shoulders. Morgan had gone quiet and was watching Aubrey with a cautious look.
"Aunty Brie…." she started, coming over and settling beside Aubrey.
"What's up squirt?" blinking away tears, she peered down at Tony's daughter.
"You know how sometimes you are sad...and go on walks-" Her voice lowered like she was afraid to keep going. Aubrey nodded encouragingly and after sucking in a breath, the girl went on. "-Daddy does that too. He gets sad...but why do you get so sad?"
"Well….Five years ago something happened and a lot of people lost their family.-" she paused, unsure how much Morgan knew. "- A lot of people lost some of their family but...I lost everyone."
"That's why you're sad?" She swung her feet back and forth, a puzzled look on her face "-But that was a long time ago"
"It was-" Aubrey agreed, pain seizing her chest. "- But I can't forget them….you might not understand this Squirt but when someone is grieving a loss, it comes and goes. Sometimes I feel happy and okay...but other times I wake up feeling like I'm drowning in sadness. I miss them all….I miss Bucky" the last words came out as a whisper and Aubrey's head tipped back. Grey clouds had rolled in and blocked the sun as if the world was crying with her. Mourning for all those lost. Morgan's small arms wrapped tightly around her waist.
" 'm sorry-" the girl whispered, burying her face in Aubrey's side. She picked the girl up and hugged her, resting her chin on Morgan's shoulder. A tear slipped silently down her face as she murmured
"It's alright. I have you, and your parents now. You guys are all I have left."
Morgan pulled back and her grin was identical to Tony's as she stated "I'm pretty great, right?"
Aubrey couldn't help but laugh. She was a mini, female version of Tony. "Yeah, you're awesome Squirt."
Morgan wiggled out of her grasp onto the grass, crouching down, fingering the dirt "can you show me how to sneak now?"
Sniffing the air, Aubrey gazed at the sky again. "How about we head back and I teach you something else? It smells like it's gonna rain"
Morgan's shoulders slumped and she reluctantly sighed "Okay...Bet you can't catch me!" with that she tore back on the path they had taken, headed towards the cabin. Pushing off of the log, she darted after the girl. Aubrey easily hurtled through the bush, catching up to Morgan and grabbing her around the waist. Thunder boomed in the background and fat drops of water started to fall from the sky. The girl screeched, giggling loudly as she tried to wriggle away. Aubrey tickled her, stepping out of the brush before letting the girl run towards the house. The raindrops fell faster and faster, beating against the ground in an odd rhythm. Aubrey bounded behind her, jumping up the steps and stepping through the door. Morgan barreled into her, grabbing her legs and wrapping herself around them.
"I got you!" she squealed, water dripping off of her and onto the floor. Aubrey wasn't much better, her clothes were soaked through and more booms sounded outside as the rain pounded down.
"You did, good job" Aubrey grinned, bending over and hoisting Morgan onto her waist. "Let's go get you cleaned up."
By the time she'd come back downstairs, the rain had slowed and Pepper was gazing out the window with a worried look on her face. Aubrey immediately felt the tension and stiffened
"Pepper, what's wrong?"
The woman turned, nodding her head towards the window "The Avengers are here….they have a theory…"
Aubrey felt her eyebrows rise as she gently set Morgan onto the ground. "Those aren't words to be tossed around" she growled, heading for the door.