They had been a young team still trying to learn to trust and rely on each other when the truth about Howard and Maria Stark's death and the person responsible shoved a wedge between some of the core members. Steve wanted to save his best friend. Tony wanted justice for his parents' murder. Natasha was trying her best to keep everything from falling apart. That wasn't an easy thing to do while she was also trying to keep Tony from falling apart. She'd long suspected that he'd been suffering from PTSD following the Battle of New York, but he kept shrugging it off. Starks don't have panic attacks, he'd told her after having a damned panic attack. Natasha laid into Tony relentlessly for three straight days after finding out about AIM and Aldrich Killian, and his little solo adventure that nearly got Pepper killed. "Why didn't you call your team, Anthony!" She yelled at him. "Why didn't you fucking call me!?" She'd demanded repeatedly. "Why would you go in to a situation like that without a suit, training, or backup you fucking blockhead!"
Tony had made the mistake of telling her that he eventually connected with Rhodey. Which earned James Rhodes another punch in the face, and a warning. "If he is ever in that much trouble again and you don't call me, you will be in traction for at least six months." As she was walking away, Tony helping Rhodey off the floor Natasha had heard him tell Tony, "We can't be friends anymore, man. Your cousin scares the hell out of me and won't stop beating me up." Natasha had simply smirked. Pepper she took out for a girls' night, because lord knows she needed it after what she went through. Pepper told her how it had felt to use the armor, and for a moment Natasha thought that maybe she'd given in and let Tony build her a suit of her own. Then she quickly decided she wouldn't be able to live with him if she did.
One of the things that Natasha had insisted on after finding out about Tony's little Macgyver mission into the AIM compound, was that Tony had to train with her outside of the suit. He hated the idea, but Natasha insisted that he couldn't always rely on his tech, which is why he ended up strapped to a metal bed frame. So twice a week they met in the gym of Avengers' Tower, and Natasha trained Tony in hand to hand combat, and every once in awhile she would throw in weapons training. At some point, she wasn't sure when, Steve had started joining them in the hand to hand. As it turns out, Steve had gotten the suggestion from Peggy, and it seemed to help.
Slowly the team started to find their footing again and soon Maria Hill was coming by with a new mission. A handful of off the grid HYDRA bases remained following the new HYRDA's takedown. It was a common enemy they could fight together, that would hopefully reestablish the bonds that had been growing between them before the Winter Soldier slash Bucky Barnes. There was only one problem.
"What do you mean he won't come out?" Tony demand as he stared at Bruce Banner.
"I mean, the other guy, refuses to come out." Banner replies.
"Why is he refusing to come out?" Steve asks in a much calmer and more patient manner than Tony.
Bruce is quiet for a moment. He'd been working on finding a way to work with the Hulk, trying to find some kind of balance between them. Finally he looks at them and says, "He's scared."
Tony blinks slowly. "Scared? The giant green rage monster inside of you is scared? Of what?"
"Not a what." Bruce replies. "A who."
"Ok," Steve says, intrigued by the idea himself. "Who is the Hulk scared of?"
Bruce hestatates, embarrassed by the answer. Finally he admits, "Director Carter."
Natasha blinks and Tony starts howling with laughter. "The incredible Hulk is afraid of Aunt Peggy?"
"Tony stop laughing at him." Natasha tells her cousin who is now doubled over on the sofa unable to breath from laughing so hard. "When she's pissed at you, you're afraid of her too." Then she looks at Bruce and asks, "Is this because of what happened on the helicarrier?"
"She only wants to protect you." Bruce replies.
Natasha nods her understanding. "I know that, but whatever threat she made is getting in the way of the team. As long as the Hulk knows that we're allies, he has nothing to fear from her. We're a team Bruce, you're both safe with us."
It was a start. One by one the last of the HYDRA bases fell, and with each victory the team became stronger. The final base was in Sokova, and according to recon intel it came with the added bonus of finally locating Loki's scepter, which had gone missing following the Battle of New York. Natasha's money was on it having been stolen by Rumlow, the treacherous bastard, she hoped he was suffering in whatever circle of hell if he was in. The mission was tough, the castle the base was housed in was well protected, force fields, tanks, and more soldiers than any of the others. Nothing they couldn't handle though. The issues came from Tony's bots, which the people of Sokova didn't trust, even feared, and from the enhanced kid who showed up on the battlefield. Clint got hurt, which always turned a mission sour for Natasha, even the ones they complete successfully. Cap reported another enhanced kid in the castle, and that's just what they were from the sound of it. Clint and Cap both agreed they were maybe sixteen at most.
With the scepter recovered and the base shut down, the Avengers headed home right away.
Clint had already been sent back for medical treatment. He sent her a message telling her that he was fine, that he was in good hands with Dr. Cho, and reassured her that if she wanted to stay and help she should. So Natasha stuck around to help SHIELD with the clean up. She even got the bonus of working with Sharon, which they hardly ever got to do. The two Carters assigned teams to repairs, rubble clean up, medical, and food services, while they worked one on one with the people giving help and relief where they could. The redhead in her black SHIELD uniform and the blonde in her white SHIELD uniform were quite the pair working side by side, showing the people of Sokova the true nature of SHIELD. As she worked Natasha was watched by the frightened and sceptical people around her, as well as by two frightened and confused kids in the shadows.
Natasha stuck around for a couple of days before finally having to return to New York. She checked in at the Tower to make sure the boys hadn't killed each other, and to make sure Clint was alright. Apparently Dr. Cho had grafted new synthetic skin onto Clint's wound and he couldn't wait to show it off to her. Natasha brushed her fingers over it and said, "That's cool, but Laura will be able to tell the difference."
Clint frowned. "How? It looks and feels just like real skin. It even itches like real healing skin."
"I'd know if it were May." Natasha said with a shrug and then she smiled. "Hundred bucks says Laura notices the difference."
"You're on." Clint replied and shook Natasha's hand.
Her next stop was Queens. She and May had video chatted and texted while she was working the relief mission, but she knew May wouldn't stop worrying until she was able to physically see and touch her. That had been another thing she'd slowly been working on rebuilding, her relationship with May Parker. May hadn't taken it well when she'd found out the truth about Natasha's work, about her being a SHIELD agent and an Avenger. Natasha couldn't blame her, not after losing Ben in the line of duty. But the two women had kept gravitating towards each other, even after Natasha had moved out of her apartment in Queens and into Avengers' Tower, they kept running into one another. Finally they both agreed to give it another go after May had had a long heart to heart with Angie.
Natasha stayed the night with May, and before leaving to head to Brooklyn to see her mothers asked if May would like to come to a party Tony was throwing. "You don't have too. I know the whole Avenger thing still makes you nervous."
"I think I might like to actually." May replied while combing her fingers through Natasha's hair.
"Really?" Natasha couldn't help her excitement.
May laughed and nodded. "How fancy is this party?"
"Not very." Natasha reassured. "It's just to blow off steam and spend time with people."
"Send a car for me and I'll be there." May promised.
Natasha kissed her, and relented to the fact that she was going to be late getting to her mothers.
When she finally makes it to Brooklyn it's late afternoon and Natasha looks a bit sheepish as she calls out, "Ma?" While shrugging out of her jacket and taking off her boots. "Mum?" When there was no immediate reply Natasha frowned. Heading into the living room she called out again, "Ma? Mum?" Then she heard movement upstairs, and rolled her eyes. Apparently she and May weren't the only ones spending the morning together. Flopping down on the sofa she waited and then smirked as her mothers came down the stairs. "Aren't you two getting kind of old for that sort of thing?"
"What sort of thing?" Peggy replied as if nothing whatsoever was happening upstairs.
Angie on the other hand snorted and shook her head. "Nope, not at all, will never be too old for that sort of thing, especially when your wife is hot."
"Ma, that's gross. Your wife is my mother. Mothers can't be hot." Natasha teased as she let her Ma pull her off the couch and into a hug.
Angie laughed as she pulled back to check Natasha over as she always did when her daughter came home. "So what you're saying is I'm not hot any more?"
"You're as lovely as the day we meet, my darling." Peggy was smirking. "I still quite enjoy watching you walk across a room." She let her chocolate brown gaze flicker to her wife's behind and then added, "I bet you could still fit into your old waitress uniform."
"I'm leaving now." Natasha teased, as she playfully pulled away from Angie and walked towards the door. "Nice seeing you both."
Peggy was chuckling as she grabbed Natasha as she walked past, pulling the girl into her arms. She hugged her gingerly at first, just in case, Natasha was known for trying to conceal injuries, but when Natasha didn't react as if she were hurt Peggy tightened her embrace. "Alright then, poppet?"
Natasha nodded. "Clint got hurt pretty bad." She admitted, and instantly felt her mother hold her a little closer. "But Dr. Cho patched him up. Otherwise, everything's good."
Pulling back, Peggy rested her hands on Natasha's upper arms and looked into her daughter's eyes. "Everything's good?" She asked. "What's the matter, poppet?"
"Nothing, really." Natasha said softly, a little annoyed that her mother was so good at reading her, and yet also comforted by it. Working with Sharon on a SHIELD mission had really pointed out to Natasha that she'd been working far more as an Avenger lately than a SHIELD agent, and it just didn't seem to feel right to her. "It's just, I don't know. It's just that…"
Angie could see that Natasha was getting flustered and had an idea it was work related. "Steak and potatoes for dinner." She told her family. "I'll grab some drinks after I've put it on."
Peggy gave her wife a grateful smile as she pulled Natasha back over to the sofa. Once they were seated next to one another, she said, "It's just what, darling?"
Natasha sighed as she leaned back into the sofa, letting her head fall back, and grabbing a pillow to cuddle. "I've been more of an Avenger lately than a SHIELD agent and it's starting to feel weird."
"Why does it feel weird?" Peggy shifted a bit so she was slightly turned so she was facing Natasha. With her elbow on the back of the sofa she rested her head on her hand, while playing with Natasha's hair with the other.
It took a moment before Natasha could answer because she had to think about it. Sitting so casually with her mother on their sofa in their home, it made it easier for Natasha to think. "I never thought I'd do anything else but be a SHIELD agent."
"You still are one." Peggy reassured. "You becoming an Avenger hasn't changed that. What's changed, I think, is that you've been able to find a greater sense of purpose working with the Avengers than you had with SHIELD, and you weren't expecting that."
"I think the Avengers are growing past what Fury had in mind." Natasha admitted. "It feels like we're becoming our own thing away from SHIELD in away, and that's kind of scary, and kind of exciting too."
Peggy smiled, nodding her understanding. "It feels like the Avengers are growing up."
"Sort of, I guess so." Natasha sighed. Turning her head to look at her mother she asked, "It's alright that I'm choosing the team isn't it?"
"Is that where your uncertainty is coming from?" Peggy asked, eyebrow raised, but voice soft. "My silly poppet, you choosing the Avengers over remaining at SHIELD full time is not you choosing the Avengers over me. If you choose to leave SHIELD all together, as long as you were doing what you feel is right for you, I would be absolutely fine with that, love. There are no obligations between us when it comes to SHIELD." Cupping her daughter's cheek, Peggy smiled. "I am incredibly proud of you, Natasha. Not just because you work for SHIELD, but because you worked hard to get where you are. I raised you to know your own value, Natasha, that no one else's options…"
"Yeah," Natasha said, cutting her mother off as she twisted around on the sofa so she could put her head in her mother's lap. "But yours do, Mum. I do know my own value, I do, but you options and Ma's, they will always matter to me." She sighed softly and closed her eyes as he mother combed her fingers through her hair. "And sometimes I just need to come home and hear you tell me what I already know, it's just how it works."
Peggy chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss her daughter's forehead. "Well, who am I to argue if that's just how it works."
When Angie returned she came in with a glass of whiskey for Peggy, and two bottles of beer for herself and Natasha, setting Natasha's on the coffee table because she refused to sit up and vacate her head from mother's lap. It was nice for the three of them to just sit and talk about anything and everything. Natasha's love life was one of Angie's favorite topics, and was pleased to know that this time around things with May seemed to be going well. She absolutely understood May's side of things, she'd had to deal with Peggy's career choices herself, but what mattered to Angie was Natasha's happiness and May made her happy.
Natasha brought up a few details about the mission, mainly about Clint getting hurt and that the size and depth of the wound had scared her. Dr. Cho had a new healing process that helped patch him up, but Natasha was still shaken by it. Clint was her best friend, as good as a brother to her, so Peggy did her best to comfort her little girl as she spoke. She tensed up however when Natasha told them about being the one who talks the Hulk down, Peggy wasn't sure she liked Natasha's interactions with the beast. Just mentioning Natasha and the Hulk together drudged up memories of Natasha waking up screaming, covered in a cold sweat, gasping for air, with that wild frightened look in her eyes.
"Mum." Natasha said softly, catching the look in her mother's big brown eyes. "It's fine now, the Hulk isn't going to hurt me."
Peggy huffed. "If you say so my darling. But I, as your mother, stand by my threats, and my rights to cause harm to those who harm you."
Angie laughed and shook her head. "The Hulk can take down humongous alien spaceship whales, but turns into a big green chicken shit over a little ol' gal from Hampstead England who wears fluffy pink slippers around the house."
Peggy smiled as she teased, "Are you saying that those boys our daughter works with have nothing to fear from a certain tell-it-like-is girl from Brooklyn?"
"Oh hell no, I ain't sayin' that at all." Angie replied. "I'd knock Thor on his ass with his own damn hammer if he hurt my angel."
Natasha laughed and rolled her eyes. "No one but Thor can lift Mjolnir, Ma."
Before leaving late that night Natasha told her mothers that Tony was having a party on Saturday night to celebrate their recent successes, and invited them to come. There were still members of the team Peggy hadn't meet and scared yet, and Angie hadn't met anyone at all yet. She told them Tony had even invited the Howlies. "Unless of course it's too late for you, I mean, it's like after six o'clock and I would hate for you to miss Jeopardy and your bedtime."
"I think she's callin' us old again, English." Angie pouted.
"How on earth did I ever end up with such a cheeky child!" Peggy teased back while Angie laughed.
The night of the party Natasha watched from one of the balconies over the many areas of the common room. There were more people than she expected but among them were some familiar faces. Her Howling Commando uncles were playing pool with Steve and Sam. Bruce was trying not to look like he felt out of place and failing. Rhodey was talking to Sharon by the bar. Maria Hill seemed to be doing jello shots. Tony and Pepper were off in a corner talking. "I don't know half the people here."
Clint snorted. "That's more than I know." Picking up the bottle cap from his beer, which he'd placed on the railing after he'd open the bottles for himself and Nat, he held it between his fingers and narrowed his eyes. "How much you wanna bet I can hit Stark from here?"
"I don't make bets I can't win." Natasha replied before taking a drink. She lingered in hiding until May arrived and then headed downstairs to greet her. She had the biggest smile on her lips as she kissed her girlfriend hello. Then she proceeded to start introducing her to everyone.
"Finally." Maria signed thankfully as Natasha and May appoched her, Tony, Thor and Rhodey at the bar. "More women to talk to."
Rhodey moved so he was standing slightly behind Tony upon seeing Natasha. "Tony, keep your crazy ass cousin away from me."
"Which one?" Sharon asked from behind him making Rhodey jump and yelp. Thor laughed.
Natasha smirked. "Don't be such a pussy, Rhodes."
"You kiss your mama with that mouth, Carter?" Rhodes replied.
"She does actually." Came an accented reply.
Natasha spun around with the biggest smile on her face. "You came!"
Everyone who already knew each other greeted each other warmly, and Natasha introduced those who didn't. "Thor, these are my parents, Peggy and Angie Carter, and my girlfriend May Parker."
"I am greatly honored to meet the mothers and paramour of the Black Widow." Thor replies with a bow. "She is a most trusted ally and dearest of friends."
"We're still working on getting him to talk normal." Tony teased as he handed his aunts a couple of drinks. "Aunt Peg, Aunt Angie, you remember Rhodey."
"It's a please to meet you Thor." Peggy greeted the blonde 'god' and then smiled at Tony's friend. "Of course we do. It's nice to see you again, Colonel."
"You as well Director Carter." Rhodey replied.
"So what's the issue between you two?" Angie asked, looking between Natasha and Rhodey.
"Oh it's nothing." Tony replies. "Natasha just keeps punching him in the face. It's no big deal."
"Natasha!" Peggy tries to sound stern but it comes out as a laugh.
"What?" Natasha replies. "He keeps screwing Tony over so he gets punched in the face. He'll learn eventually."
"Yeah," Angie laughs as Peggy shakes her head and chuckles. "Best word of advice we can give any one is not to mess with our Huey, Dewey and Louie."
"Who are these Huey, Dewey, and Louie of which you speak?" Thor asks.
Maria laughed, "They're not people, Thor, they're animated ducks."
"They're nicknames, big guy." Natasha explains. "Ma's been calling Sharon, me, and Tony that since we were kids."
"Ah." Thor replies. "I wish to learn more about these ducks."
"Come on, Point Break, I'll hook you up." Tony smiles and leds Thor away.
"Director Carter, can I ask you a quick question?" Maria tosses in when the conversation lags.
"No work crap, Maria." Natasha grumbles.
"I know, but it's just a quick one." Maria replies.
Peggy smiles at the younger woman and nods. "Go ahead Maria, what is it?"
"How on earth did you put up with Hank Pym?" Maria groaned. "He's been calling me all damn day bitching that he was alerted to someone accessing some of his old research. I keep telling him we don't have an old robotics research of his, but he keeps yelling about SHIELD never changing."
"As far as I'm aware Hank took all of his work with him." Peggy frowned, thinking back to the bad break between SHIELD, Howard, and Hank Pym. "I wasn't even aware he was working on robotics." She hummed softly and then smiled reassuringly at Maria. "I'll give him a ring on Monday morning, see if I can't sooth out his feathers a bit, if he won't talk to me I'll try reaching out to Hope."
"Ok, enough shop talk." Angie said, noticing the twinge of sadness in Natasha's eyes at the mention of her childhood friend. "I can hear Dum Dum clear across the room. Come on English, time to prove you can still drink the 107th under the table."
"Wait," Maria says as she, Natasha, May and Sharon watch the older couple walk off. "Are they serious?"
Natasha laughed. "Oh yeah, come on, you have to see this."
"You go on." Sharon said, spotting someone she wanted to talk to. "I'm still traumatized from the last time when Dum Dum passed out and fell into the bbq grill."
Out of the corner of her eye Natasha watched as Sharon made her way over to Sam Wilson and frowned a bit. But the moment was quickly forgotten as she was swept up in the party again. Natasha always loved hearing the stories her mother and uncles would tell, and now with Steve back, there were new ones.
"Alright Pegs, settle somethin' for me." Dum Dum said, his words slurred a bit. "Whose a better kisser, Cap or my Lorraine."
Peggy choked on her drink and then punched Dum Dum in the arm.
"Wait, you kissed Lorraine?" Steve stared at Peggy with wide eyes.
"It was before you and I were a thing." Peggy replied with a huff.
Steve started to laugh. "So, when you picked up that pistol and shot at me, where you mad because she kissed me or because I kissed her?"
"I thought you said you weren't kissing her." Peggy replied. "That it was just her kissing you?"
"You shot at Steve over a dame?" Angie laughed hard.
"Can't speak for Aunt Lorraine, but unless he's gotten better since we were on the run from Rumlow, Steve sucks." Natasha said without thinking, killing all the laughter instantly. When she realized what she said she covered her mouth and mumbled. "Shit."
"Rogers!" Peggy glared at Steve. "You'd better have that bloody shield of yours nearby!"
After walking May down to the car, she had to get home to Peter and insisted that Natasha stay and continue enjoying the party with her friends, Natasha returned to the common area and instantly spotted Sharon and Sam. They looked awfully cozy and Natasha needed to know why. She kept an eye on her cousin until Sharon was on her own and then walked over and grabbed Sharon by the hand, pulling her into a little nook on the upper balcony where they could talk. "What is going on with you and Wilson?"
"Me and Wilson?" Sharon squeaked.
"Yes, you and Sam, what the hell Sharon?" Natasha demanded.
Sharon blushed.
"Are you kidding me?" Natasha said, staring wide eyed at her cousin. "Sharon! You were suppose to be out there looking for Barnes! You need to find him before Wilson finds him for Cap."
"There's been a change in tactics." Sharon huffed at the redhead. "Sam and I kept crossing paths, and we figured we'd have better luck finding him if we worked together."
"And when did working together turn into fucking each other?" Natasha asked.
"Not too long ago actually." Sharon blushed harder. "You're not allowed to be mad at me, Nat! You're the one who told me to give sleeping with the enemy a go, remember?"
Natasha opened her mouth to argue and then closed it when she realized that Sharon had a point. She smirked instead. "So, how is he?"
"Nat!" Sharon laughed.
By the end of the night, or more around the wee hours of the morning, after everyone else had gone home to their beds, the core six remained along with Sharon, Sam, Maria, and Rhodey. Tony had taken Pepper to the airport at some point during the night, and returned with a ton of Chinese takeout. They gathered in the main seating area and talked, laughed, and teased each other. It was the perfect way to end what had been a really great night. Natasha couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a good time, or had been able to just relax with her family and her friends. Clint started something about Thor's hammer, and Natasha rolled her eyes from where she was cuddled up with Sharon on the soft. "And here it comes, who needs a tape measure when you have a magic hammer."
Maria snorted beer through her nose but none of the boys seemed to notice.
"Nat, you wanna give it a go?" Clint asked once all the boys were finished making fools of themselves.
Natasha held up her beer in a sluate and shook her head. "No thanks, no office to Thor, but I don't need a magic hammer to tell me my worth. I know my value."
Of course they couldn't have a totally perfect night. Apparently Tony and Bruce had been working on a secret project based on an old Hank Pym theory. A project that resulted in an evil death robot overlord. The thing appeared like some nightmarish metal marionette, the damn thing even creepily sang that no strings on me song from Pinocchio. They should have seen this coming, they should have known Tony would do something like this after finding out about his parents, but he hadn't shown the same manic behavior he had in the past. They thought he was ok, Natasha thought he was ok, but clearly he wasn't. He turned his fear into a mechanical monster that wanted to kill them all. She'd also thought the team was ok, that they were solid again and in an even better place than before, but they were right back to sniping at each other and mistrusting each other.
"Cap's right." Natasha says as she pushes away from the wall. "Tony, you wanted a suit of armor around the world, but the armor is useless without a human heart inside of it. What the world needs is us, we're the protection it needs, we're the protection it has. That is, has been, and will always be our purpose." She looks each and everyone of them in the eye. "So get yourselves in check, boys. It's time to do our damn jobs."
Steve smiled proudly. "You heard her boys, suit up. I've learned over the years that's it normally best to do what a Carter says."
Something wasn't right. They'd tracked Ultron to a shipping yard off the coast of Africa. He had the two enhanced kids with him, a boy with white hair and a girl with red. The kids seemed to have something against Tony, and the way the boy kept looking at the weapons stockpile, Natahsa would have to guess it had something to do with Stark Industries pre-Tony's kidnapping. They were fighting mercenaries, and bots, and those kids after talking Ultron down failed. But now, Natasha couldn't explain it, but something wasn't right.
Natasha walked up the stairs slowly, and pauses in the doorway. Her chest is tight, and she can't take in a full breath. She runs her hands over her black skirt, and tugs at her black suit jacket, the collar of her white blouse feels tight around her throat. She takes a breath, the air is cold and crisp. She steps inside and makes her way across the entryway, her black heels clicking against the stone loudly like heavy thumps. She hesitates crossing the second threshold. This doesn't feel right. She closes her eyes and takes a breath. She steps through the archway and begins walking down the aisle to the front. There's no one in the church yet, just two easels with enlarged pictures she picked out herself. Sharon handled the flowers. She stands there alone. Her heart is breaking, she can't breathe! Something's not right. She closes her eyes, she takes a breath. She opens her eyes and takes her seat in the first pew. People arrive, she can hear their whispers.
"She must have been such a disappointment."
"Couldn't even protect them, after all they gave to her."
Natasha doubles over in her seat, her stomach knotted up in pain. She closes her eyes, takes a breath. She opens her eyes. A boys' choir sings, Natasha turns towards the aisle and watches. The first coffin is draped in the Union Jack because full honors were given. Steve and Tony bear its weight on their shoulders, and place it gently down in the front. Steve takes a seat behind her. Tony walks back up the aisle. The second coffin is draped in white roses, Sharon has taken Steve's place beside Tony, baring its weight as they walk it down to be placed by the first. Something's not right! Natasha closes her eyes, she takes a breath.
"My aunts didn't need to die." Sharon's voice is hard and cold. Natasha opens her eyes and looks up, her cousin stands at the marble podium, she is angry, her Carter brown eyes burn with fire. "They could have been saved." Sharon had Peggy's eyes, eyes now locked on Natasha. "You could have saved them."
"You should have gone after him yourself, Nattie." Tony says as he uses his phone to throw up holo-video of the Winter Soldier murdering his parents. "You should have put an end to him."
Only it wasn't Howard and Maria in the images. It wasn't Howard's face he was beating in, or Maria's throat he was crushing. It was Peggy. It was Angie. Her mothers were dead. SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT!
"Nat!" Clint's voice was panicked as he gently shook Natasha trying to snap her out of whatever the hell that girl had done to her. "Natasha, damnit, come on!" He gently slapped her cheeks, then less gently slapped them. "Someone give me a goddamn phone!" He doesn't know who hands it to him and he doesn't care. He dials a number and as soon as he hears the voice on the other end he says, "I can't explain right now but I need you to say her name, please, I just, I need you to say her name, I need you talk to her. She needs to hear your voice."
Clint pressed the phone to Natasha's ear and the voice on the other end tries to hide her sudden panic and concern. "Poppet?" Peggy's voice was clear and gentle. "Nattie, darling, it's Mummy. Are you there? Natasha, love, answer Mummy please."
Natasha's eyes start to flutter, her breaths become less shallow, and she whimpers softly.
"Poppet?" Peggy continues. "Alright my darling? Talk to Mummy, Natasha."
"Mum?" Natasha replies groggily.
"Yes my darling, it's me." Peggy says. "What's going on, Nattie? What's got Clint so frightened? What's happened to you, love?"
Natasha whimpers softly again. "Don't know. Something, something's in my head." She sits up on her own, taking the phone from Clint and holding it on her own. "Are you alright? Is Mama alright? Are you safe? Mummy, are you ok?"
"I'm fine, poppet, Mama and I are both just fine." Peggy reassures, her heart breaking at the pure terror in her little girl's voice. "We're safe, we're fine, darling. Angie, love, talk to Natasha."
"Hey baby, you ok, angel?" Angie's voice asks. "You got your Mum a bit frazzled over here baby girl, what's going on?"
"Not sure." Natasha said honestly, her eyes darting around the quinjet. How the hell did she get on the quinjet? "I'm alright now. I'm ok." She wasn't, but at least she was awake and out of that nightmare. "I'm going to kick Clint's ass for this." She sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "I need you both to go someplace safe, just, please, stay safe. I'd tell you not to worry but it would be a waste of breath. I'll check in as soon as I can, I promise. I love you, both of you. Stay safe."
After hanging up, Natasha threw the phone at Clint. "Why would you do that to them!?"
"Because you wouldn't snap out of whatever the hell that little witch did to you and you kept muttering something about them being dead." Clint replied. "I had to do something!"
"Well, now they're freaked out and they're going to worry." Natasha huffed at him, but that didn't stop her from leaning into him when he sat beside her and put his arms around her. "Where are we going?"
"Some place safe." Clint replied.
The Barton farm was almost as good as the faded red brick brownstone. The first time Clint had brought her here Lila was a newborn, and Laura had been incredibly sweet about him bringing home a mission weary redhead who couldn't go home herself just yet. Clint had gone straight into dad mode and took charge of Lila and Conner, giving Laura a much needed break, and time for her and Natasha to get to know one another. The two became close almost instantly, and Natasha knew that some days Clint wondered if it had been such a great idea to let the two women he spent most of his time with bond that closely. Today wasn't one of those days. Natasha was still shaken up by her vision, though she was fully out of the nightmare that kid had put her through, her mind flashed with the images from it.
"Honey?" Clint called out as he helped Natasha into the house. "I'm home! And I've brought company."
Natasha pushed away from Clint, not wanting Laura and the kids to see her weak. She watched Clint light up at the sight of his very pregnant wife, and then turned to watch the array of reactions from the rest of the team. She was smirking at Tony's comment about little agents when she heard her name.
"Daddy, did you bring Auntie Nat?" Lila asked her father. "You promised you'd bring her with you when you came back."
Clint hummed softly as he set his daughter on her feet. "Did I bring Auntie Nat? Hmm, I don't know, I had this strange redhead with me. You might want to check."
Natasha hid for all of three seconds before allowing herself to be caught and scooping Lila up into her arms. "Hi there ladybug!" Lila's squeal of joy at seeing her, and Laura's warm hug chased away the lingering flashes of her nightmare, at least for now. After Natasha reassured Lila that the rather large men in weird costumes were her friends, Lila slipped out of Natasha's arms to greet them. Natasha turned to Laura and smiled, "How's little Natasha doing?"
Laura bit her lip and admitted, "It's little Nathaniel I'm afraid."
With a pout firmly in place Natasha leaned in close and whispered to Laura's belly. "Taitor." Then pointed behind her to the rest of her team who were all looking at Lilia like she was something strange and perhaps dangerous. "Do you see the sausage fest I already have to deal with?"
"Nat!" Laura laughed as she gently slapped the other woman's arm, before curling her fingers around Natasha's upper arm in a comforting way. "Are you alright, Nat?"
"I'm fine." Natasha lied. "Or as fine as can be expected anyway."
Laura hummed knowingly and shook her head. "You're room is clean and waiting for you. Why don't you take a shower and get some rest before dinner?"
Natasha wasn't about to sleep any time soon. "A shower sounds amazing."
Showers could be just as bad as sleeping when it came to the mind running away with thoughts and getting lost in emotion. So Natasha made sure to put on music to occupy her mind. It didn't help much, while it kept her from dwelling on her nightmare, it couldn't distract her from what had actually happened. Thor said something about the girl doing it, that she had somehow been able to manipulate their minds. None of them talked about what the girl had made them see, but Natasha had a feeling that if it were anything like what she saw, then the kid had used their greatest fears against them. Gods and monsters didn't scare Natasha, a world without her mothers in it, not being able to keep them safe, that's what scared Natasha.
When she walked into her room she couldn't help but smile at the pile of clothes laid out for her on the bed. Laura must have brought them in while she was in the shower. After drying her hair she slipped on the leggings, the soft purple t-shirt, and grabbed a hoodie out of the closet. Then she went downstairs to help Laura and play with the kids.
"I thought I sent you upstairs to rest?" Laura said when Natasha entered the kitchen.
"I'm fine, Laura." Natasha reassured.
"You didn't look fine when Clint brought you in." The other woman pointed out as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Natasha took over making dinner without responding to her friend's concerned glares. Not until she was sure they were the only two in the house, the guys were outside thumping their chests, and the kids were playing upstairs. Natasha moved around the Barton's kitchen as easily as her own or her mothers', as she did so, she said, "There's this kid, has these weird powers, can make people see things."
"What kinds of things?" Laura asked gently.
"My mothers' deaths." Natasha whispered.
Laura moved to the other woman without hesitation and pulled her into her arms. She did her best to reassure Natasha, reminded her that her mothers were alright after Natasha told her about the phone call. Natasha confessed that what made it all so much worse, was knowing she would have to face that fear one day. Laura told her it was true, but that when the time came it wouldn't be Natasha's fault. She reassured her friend that she could never be a disappointment, no one doubted that Natasha would take care of her mothers, that she would keep them safe to the best of her ability and then some. They had the whole softly spoken conversation, still holding onto the embrace, until Clint walked in. "Everything alright in here?"
Laura smiled, "Everything's fine."
Natasha pulled away from her friend's embrace and smirked as she tried to wipe away a few tears. "I'm trying to steal your woman Barton go away, you're throwin' off my game."
Clint could tell Natasha was upset, he also knew Laura had it handled, so he chose to ignore the tears. "Don't you have your own woman, Carter?"
"Who says I don't want a harem?" Natasha teased. "All of the most beautiful women and men I want when I want."
"I'm not joining your harem." Clint replied.
"I wasn't going to ask you to." Natasha's eyes were finally clear and bright as she teased her best friend. Coming here was almost as good as going home because it was home too. "I said beautiful men and women."
"You're mean." Clint pouted.
Laura laughed as she kissed him. "Don't pout, I think you're very handsome. I don't even mind the icky feeling fake skin."
Natasha laughed triumphantly. "I told you! Pay up Barton!"
Natasha wasn't surprised when Fury showed up, but she was disappointed. She'd been hoping for just a little more time to recuperate from the girl's attack before she went back out into the field, but it didn't seem like she was going to get the chance. Ultron was at Dr. Cho's, so that's where Natasha was sent along with Steve and Clint. Tony had his part to play in the plan. Thor took off. Bruce was trying really hard to stay calm. They headed to Seoul, to Dr. Cho's facility, and ended up in a car chase with Tony's murder bot, because honestly when was there not a car chase when they were trying to save the world.
If her mothers knew half the things she actually did on mission they would never let her out of the house again. Riding a massive storage crate between a flying truck and the quinjet was one of those things. She was almost safe, almost back on the jet, when she feels the painful metal grip on her angle. "Fuck!"
Ultron takes her back Sokova and locks her in a cell.
Tony is beyond livid when he gets back to Avengers' Tower and is told that they lost Natasha. His fear was already riding high at an eleven and hearing that his creation had his cousin, it just jack it up to a thirteen. He had to find Natasha, he had to rescue her and bring her home safe and sound to his aunts. He couldn't lose Natasha, it would break him beyond repair to lose Natasha. That was his priority now and no one was going to get in his way. "Nat's biosignature in embedded in Jarvis' programming. The only way we're going to find her is if we bring him back!"
"No, Tony, this is a bad idea!" Bruce argued. "You can not put Jarvis into this thing!"
"I'm not going to lose, Nat!" Tony looks Bruce in the eyes. "She has been in my corner through the best and worst of my life since the day she came into it. I will not lose her. Now either help me, Banner, or get the fuck out of my lab!"
Bruce has never seen that look in Tony's eyes before, that kind of devotion and love. He nods. Steve isn't so willing to see past Tony's mistakes. They fight because of course they do, and then Thor shows up and wakes up the machine inside what Wanda, the little witch, had called the cradle. They switch from physically fighting each other to arguing over what to do with it. Thor insists that it's the only thing that can defeat Ultron now, and help against an even bigger threat later to come, but all Steve sees is another threat, one that could be greater than the one they're already facing. No one is listening to each other, no one is willing to bend, and they're all about to break.
"That is quite enough gentlemen!" Peggy Carter's voice cuts through the chaos. Her heels clack against the floor, crushing broken bits of glass as she walks towards them. "There is a high level enemy hostile out there plotting world destruction and you lot are standing here fighting like preschoolers!" She looks at each and every person in the room whether she knows them or not. "You are all better than this!"
"Peggy…"
"Shut up Captain Rogers. I am speaking." Peggy said it as an order and watched as Steve stood at attention. She walked over to the red and green robot, for lack of a better word, and looked up at it's face. "You seem to be the reason this team is here bickering between each other rather than out there fighting Ultron and searching for their missing teammate."
"I'm afraid I am, Ms. Carter." Vision replies.
"Jarvis?" Peggy questions, blinking in surprise.
"Not quite." The robot replies and then looks up at the others. "Nor am I Ultron. I am, just... I am." It looks down at Peggy again and tilts its head a bit. "Natasha is Sokova, in the HYDRA base, she is alive."
"Is that supposed to convince us you're on our side?" Steve asks it.
"I am on the side of life." It replies. "I am on the side of returning a child to her mother. Is that not the side you are on, Captain Rogers?"
Steve just stares at it, but then he looks over at Peggy. "What do you think?"
"I have never gone wrong trusting in a Jarvis before now, and if this vision of Ultron's has even a small piece of Jarvis in him, then he deserves a chance." Peggy replies, and then once again turns to look at Steve. "I also think that you of all people should know better than to judge something, or someone, before they've had a chance to prove themselves." Stepping over to where Thor had placed his hammer Peggy picks it up and walks it over to him and holds it out. "Now if you lot will stop wasting bloody time, will you please go rescue my daughter and save the damn world."
No one moved. The Avengers all stood there staring, eyes wide, mouths agape.
"What?" Peggy asked, confused, still holding Mjolnir.
Steve smiles as Thor takes his hammer. "I'm not surprised in the least."
When Natasha comes to she's laying on the floor surrounded by parts and pieces of machinal things. It's freaky really, like something out of a horror movie. She tries to move carefully so she isn't noticed, but she's barely able to open her eyes before it's talking to her. She isn't paying much attention to him, he's rambling about looking beautiful and becoming stronger. Natasha's focus was getting the hell out of there, but how was she supposed to do that locked in a cell with murder bots all around her. Thankfully she didn't have to worry about it for too long. Something was happening outside the castle base where she was being held that drew Ultron away, and not long after his departure Clint showed up. What surprised Natasha, what made her jump to her feet and search out a weapon, was the girl with him. "What the hell's going on?"
"It's alright, Nat." Clint reassured her as he picked the lock on her cell. "The kids switched sides."
"Ultron wants to end the world." Wanda says softly. "We do not want to harm anyone else, we don't want to help him end things. We just wanted… We just…"
"Stark weapons killed their parents, Nat." Clint tells her. "They're not the bad guys, just confused and hurt kids is all. She helped me find you, her brother's helping Cap clear the people out."
Natasha stood there for a moment once out of her cell and just looked at the girl. "Stay the hell out of my head."
Wanda nods. "I'm sorry."
"Lets go." Natasha replies.
Once clear of the base Natasha wastes no time jumping into battle with her team. She and Clint work alongside the kids, doing their best to keep them focused. The boy seemed ready and willing to do anything, but the girl was hesitant and scared. The more she watched them the more Natasha realized these were soldiers, they were just kids with freaky powers who were being used. For a moment, huddled behind cover Natasha found herself thinking about Dottie Underwood, a child used and abused, turned into a weapon and nothing more.
"I didn't say we leave." Natasha said as she stood beside Steve after catching up to him. Tony is trying to make this right, trying to find a way to protect the earth below them. Thor and Hulk, and something Steve called Vision were fighting Ultron. Clint and the kids were still working on the civilians. She and Cap were taking a second to catch their breaths."There's worse ways to go." She looked out over the clouds, puffy and white and thought about all the times she would look up as a little girl and wonder what it would be like to reach out and touch a cloud. "Where else am I going to get a view like this?"
"It is a very pretty view, poppet." Peggy's voice cut in over their comms. "But I think I can give you a better one."
Natasha gasped, her eyes getting wider as she watches an old helicarrier rise above the edge of the flying city. "Mum? Are you on that thing? What are you doing here?"
"It's your Mama's book club night, I was dreadfully bored, so I thought I'd bring the ol' girl out of mothballs and put her to good use." Peggy replied.
"Are you talking about yourself or the helicarrier?" Natasha teased.
"Now look here you cheeky little monkey." Peggy replied with amusement.
Natasha laughed, her eyes full of wonder as she watched evac boats launch from the helicarrier. "You're amazing, Mum, you know that?"
She'd always worked with Fury, even in the beginning when her mother was still at SHIELD, when she was still the Director, Natasha hadn't gotten to actually work with her. Getting to do so now, even in the midst of the chaos and pending doom, it was amazing. Her mother's voice in her ear was strong and confident as she called out orders, and for the first time since the shipping yard, Natasha could breath and she no longer felt the constant trembling under her skin that she hadn't been able to shake.
When it was over, when Ultron was defeated and they were flying away from what used to be Sokova, Natasha hadn't lost anyone. In fact she got to stand and watch her mother command a freaking helicarrier, safe, sound, alive, and honestly rather enjoying herself. She knew without any doubt that her Ma was waiting at home for them, and that when they got there Natasha would listen and watch as Angie gave Peggy hell over this. Natasha was going to get to go home to her faded red brick brownstone and be with her mothers. The little witch however, her home was gone, her brother was gone, she was all that was left.
Walking over to the girl Natasha sits beside her and speaks in Sokovian. "I know this isn't going to help right now, it's all to fresh, raw, and confusing, but your brother died a hero. Nothing that happened before that matters, that does, that matters, he matters."
Wanda turned to look at the older woman with shock on her face. She didn't know what to say.
Natasha smiled at the girl and put her arm around her. "What's your name little witch?"
"Wanda." The girl replies. "You speak Sokovian?"
"I'm Natasha." Natasha tells her. "I speak Russian and Hungeraian, so Sokovian wasn't hard to pick up." She smiled at the girl again. "Close your eyes Wanda, get some rest."
Peggy didn't know all the details about what happened to Natasha. She knew that the child had powers of some type, and that she'd used them on Natasha. She knew that it was the cause of Clint's phone call, and Natasha's frightened state over the phone. Peggy's instinct to protect her child from the girl with the weird powers was strong, but she remained where she was, watching and smiling. The girl had hurt Natasha deeply and yet there sat her daughter comforting the girl despite it. Peggy had never been more proud of the woman her little girl had grown into.