A/N: I'm going to be honest, you guys yelling at me for like dropping things like "a familiar face" as if *I* ever actually gives you any answers to anything is cute. We should not forget that I drop things that a lot of the time doesn't even get answered so like you guys calm down xD

Also, still, be aware Black Widow spoilers on like 10 ish chapters, so like remember to read at your own risk because I am dropping a few hints along the way as well.

And yes, we are speeding up every chapter again because ya girl needs us to move forwards in time xD

I also have work which I'm low key very anxious about. And while that kind of feeling sometimes makes me very productive on the writing end, I have a feeling this time it will only make me feel more shit until I maybe start feel better...? maybe? hopefully

Red

Laura didn't sleep that night. The three women ended up walking around on the first floor for the first five hours before they settled on the floor. It was impossible to sleep now that none of them were here. It did help to know they were all together, but Laura was feeling uneasy about the whole thing.

Pepper was sitting up against a wall while Wanda had curled up on top of a few blankets a few feet away from Laura who was leaning against her own wall.

She was starting to feel tired, but she didn't want to sleep until the rest of them were back at least. Part of her hoped they would be back in a few hours, the other hoped they wouldn't return before they had Natasha.

Laura jumped when she watched Wanda shoot up from the floor and red blinded the entire room before the back door shoot up.

Wanda was on her feet already walking across the floor meeting the group at the door with the blanket she had been sleeping on in her hand.

Maria was hanging over Clint's shoulder, swearing loudly as she stumbled through the door.

"What happened? Where is Steve?" Pepper was on her feet as well, grabbing Maria who was jumping around on one leg.

"Good question, both of them." Maria said between her teeth, looking thankfully at Wanda who put the blanket over her shoulders. Laura shot her husband a look, but she just nodded towards Maria before walking into the kitchen.

"Let's just say it didn't go exactly as planned." Maria said with a heavy sight gliding down a wall with Pepper's help. She was covered in what Laura was guessing was dirt, and it looked like she had been rolling around in the grass or something... plant-y… Her hair seemed to support that story as well with dirt across it, and Laura could pluck out a few leaves.

"Hang on Maria I'm going to get a first aid kit," Laura mumbled, walking out into the hall to find one of the many first aid kits they owned. She was not sure what she had expected but she couldn't say it was getting a limping Maria back.

She walked back to find Clint handing out a few drinks, mainly beers, not that she was complaining, right now alcohol sounded like a good idea.

"Okay should we remove your suit or?" Laura started, looking at Maria who groaned back at her.

"Get this dumb boot off first." She said, letting out a small groan again when Laura started to move the zipper down. It turned out that was easier said than done. Maria's leg was swollen, and it seemed like a miracle that the boot even fit in the first place.

"So, what happened?" Laura asked again as she looked on the blue ankle in front of her with a frown.

"Like I said, a very good question and I am not quite sure what the answer is." Maria said, lifting her beer to her mouth with a sigh. Laura could see Wanda look at her with a frown in the corner of her eyes.

"Maria fell. It was quite comical; she just fell down a ditch." Clint said behind her. Laura turned her head to see Clint wear a smirk as he spoke, and Laura couldn't do anything but sight at the two of them. His voice also seemed light of mischief which Laura wasn't sure how to interpret.

"I thought I saw something, and then all of a sudden the ground beneath me disappeared." Maria said with a sigh before jumping when Laura put an icepack on her ankle.

Laura couldn't imagine Maria Hill trip like that. This was like the most badass woman in the world. But then again, badass usually did come with a cost.

"That's why Steve isn't here. He went after whatever she thought she saw. And I mean if any of us would survive alone it would be him so." Clint added with a dry voice.

Of course, Clint was right. Steve was of course, very capable, but the whole point was that they were together. And bring Natasha back. And now they had neither going for them which Laura really did not like.

They sat there for another hour in silence, Laura cooling down Maria's very, very sprained ankle, and the rest just resting up before the kids would wake up. It wasn't anything any of them felt like talking about. They knew the decision had been made and no matter how much the three that hadn't gone hated that they couldn't really do anything about it.

It was almost dawn when they finally started to really move again. They had a lot to do today, and while all of them wanted to do anything but work in the house, they needed to focus on the task, which involved cleaning out the rest of the house, and deep cleaning the garage. None of them sounding very fun.

Laura was just about to help Maria up from the floor when she heard a soft laugh. She turned her head to the door noticing everyone else listening as well.

Was that Natasha?

Pepper was the first one to walk to the back door, opening the same time Steve opened it, almost crashing straight into him.

"What is going on here?" Natasha said with a small frown. A smile was seen in her corner, and she seemed like she was a few seconds away from laughing at them.

"What do you mean with what is going on here? You just disappeared!" Pepper scolded, looking at her girlfriend with an angry look.

"You are aware we have beds, right?" Natasha continued calmly, ignoring her angry girlfriend completely as she stepped into the room with a smile looking at all of them who had been sitting on the floor for the entire night.

"We were looking for you, idiot." Clint said, not as angry as Pepper had been. He handed Natasha a beer as well and she laughed softly again before popping the cap up with a zipper on her jacket.

"You can't honestly call falling down a ditch looking for me?" Natasha said, turning to Maria with a grin. "Listen, as nice as looking for me is, I am fine. But thanks." She continued chipper.

Laura turned to Maria for a second, meeting a deadly cold glare from the woman before turning to Steve. He too seemed way too happy right now. He was smiling as well and didn't seem to remember the worry that had been in him earlier.

"Where have you been?" Laura said walking over to the redhead, feeling some annoyance start to fill her.

"Well, it was true what I said to Wanda. I thought I saw somebody I recognized. And I still don't know if I am right or not. It doesn't necessarily mean bad news either. And I could be wrong. But I followed for a while before I decided to drop it. They didn't seem like a threat, and I didn't feel like making it worse than necessary. But then it was quite late anyway, so I got something to eat at a restaurant and then just spend some time walking around. Clear my head you know. And as I was walking along the edge of the forest, I saw you three. And that's when Maria decided to head plant into a dark ditch." Natasha said with a small laugh, looking at all of them as she finished her story.

"So, you just, didn't want to call any of us back, no?" Pepper said with an annoyed voice. She didn't seem as worried anymore, but it was definitely some anger there.

"My phone died." Natasha said softly back, looking at her girlfriend with a smile.

"She is telling the truth," Wanda said with a small voice as she looked at Natasha carefully. Laura had that feeling as well, but as she saw some red reflect in Wanda's eyes, she knew it was true.

Natasha nodded conformingly looking between them.

"Listen, I didn't mean to make any of you worry. And as you too headed home Steve caught up with me, we were together the whole night." Natasha said with a serious voice before walking over to Pepper with a small smile. "And nothing happened." She added softly, looking up at Pepper before reaching out for a small kiss.

Laura watched as Pepper's shoulders fell and she deepened the kiss carefully.

She let out a small sigh, turning to the rest of them shaking her head.

"Well, I guess everything is okay then?" She said with a weak voice before Clint walked over to her kissing her softly as well. She looked up at him as he rested his head on hers looking over towards Natasha and Pepper.

"Don't worry, I'll make her pay for that. I have three kids, a Maria Hill and a Wanda Maximoff, I can prank a superspy." He said with a whisper, making Laura laugh softly. She would really love to see that.

The rest of the morning went pretty smooth. There were some complications with not having any furniture to sit by when making breakfast and lunch, but other than that it was okay.

The kids wanted to spend most of the day playing outside, which worked out well since they had to work inside the houses today anyways.

Maria with her injured ankle watched over the kids while the rest of them cleaned over the house and garage together. With all of them together it all went by so quickly, and Laura was starting to wonder if they could get away with going into town and look for a dining table already today.

Laura had just finished cleaning out the apartment over the garage with Wanda when they heard some loud laugher outside. They both walked out to find Natasha laughing with Pepper and Lila out on the lawn in front of the house. They all looked so happy as they ran around. Even Pepper seemed to have let go of her previous annoyance, tackling Natasha to the grass with a laugh.

"At least Natasha is happier now." Wanda said with a soft voice, turning around again to walk up into the apartment. Laura looked at her surprised before following her confused.

"What do you mean?" Laura said. She personally wouldn't describe Natasha as looking "happy" most of the time. She hadn't been with her that much either, but still, that was an unexpected comment.

"After she got home with James, she has seemed very happy. I feel it when I pass her." Wanda continued calmly, looking around in the small room.

"You can feel things like that?" Laura said with a small frown. She had never understood what Wanda's power was really capable of and didn't know feeling… feelings… were one of them.

"Yes and no. Natasha and I have spent a lot of time together and the more I know a person the easier it comes. I don't actively use it, but it's like it gives me the ability to read that person easier. If that makes sense." Wanda said turning to Laura with a smile. "I did go into her mind yesterday, but I already had a feeling she was telling the truth, and she has allowed me to do it more recently." She added with a small quick smile.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Laura said with a nod. "You lie in the same way Natasha does by the way." She added, watching Wanda blush.

"What?" She said, looking away from Laura making her laugh.

"You look exactly like her when you lie. Same face, same small face movement." Laura said with a light voice, making Wanda shake her head. "that's why I could tell you were lying in the car yesterday because I know Natasha.

"Guess I will have to work on that." Wanda said, hiding her face from her. "Should we maybe talk about the interior here instead?" Wanda said with a partly flustered voice making Laura laugh again.

Wanda had agreed to take a small apartment above the garage, and she and Laura talked a while about what to do with the space. They had moved a bed into the room, but other than that and the already built kitchen, it was empty. Laura wanted to fill and decorate this room as much as any of the other rooms and was excited to see what Wanda would do with the space. They had decided that Wanda with Clint and Laura was going to go to town to find some new furniture while the rest hang back with the kids to make some dinner.

Laura hadn't been to the new town yet, but to her understanding, it was bigger than the one close to their old home. She was excited to walk around and explore, but it was also scary walking into a new city like that. She knew nothing about it at all, and this was like a first impression. She wanted it to be nice. She wanted it to live up to everyone's expectations.

Since they had the trailer for another two days, they decided to get the biggest pieces done if possible. That included a dining table, and at least look at a few coffee tables and couches. Laura had never filled and made a new layout for the entire house before. The old one had already a few things in it, and the floorplan was quite easy to figure out. This new house was not only a lot bigger, but also came completely empty.

"What about this one." Clint was looking at a big dining table in a dark wood colour. They had already been in the store for a while and honestly, at this point, it all seemed kinda similar.

"It looks nice, better than the other one." Laura said with a small smile, still looking at couch Wanda had pointed out to her earlier.

"I think we should go for it. Wanda?"

She could hear Clint talk to Wanda, and while they talked about that Laura continued to circle the sofa. Her head was still thinking about what Wanda had said about Natasha. That she was happier now than what she had been before. But why? Why was she so happy now? What had happened in those months that was good? For Laura the months apart had been a living hell, and she couldn't imagine what Natasha got out of it that made her in any way happy.

Laura was well aware that Natasha had had a hard life, but in the later years with Pepper and everything, she thought things were getting easier. Had she been thinking about this all wrong? Had she done something wrong? She wanted nothing but make Natasha feel happy and loved, but if she hadn't been that before… had it been their fault?

"Laura!" Laura turned to Clint who looked at her unamused.

"What?" Laura said with a smooth voice, looking at her husband.

"I asked if we should go with this table and then we can do that couch you like." Clint answered, nodding at the table Wanda was standing by.

"Yeah sure, that can work." Laura said, smiling back at him before walking over to them trying to push the thought in her head away.

"Wanda also found this coffee table; I think you will like it." Clint continues as he noted down the information about the table.

"Sounds good. I'm sorry for being distant." Laura said, giving Clint a quick kiss.

"It's okay." Clint said with a small hug before taking her hand. "Come on, let's find something to fill our giant bedroom with."