Chapter 11: Every Little Bit Helps
Word traveled fast through the groups of heroes that Cody was back and Jana was free of Sinister. Everyone was obviously relieved, of course, but what Natasha and Clint in particular hadn't been expecting was Zoe's reaction to the news.
Which was to promptly start crying — except without realizing it. So she didn't know to hide her face until Nikki piped up. "Wow, Zoe. You always this choked up?"
"Oh, shut up, Nikki," Zoe said, wiping her face with the heels of her hands. "It's just nice for something to go right for once, okay? Go back to your stupid SHIELD-prep homework."
Nikki twirled the pencil in between his fingers and grinned crookedly. "Code breaking, Zo."
"Whatever. Nerd."
"Ooh, nice comeback. How will I ever recover from being teased for being smart and focused?"
"Just don't look in a mirror," Zoe said. "That'd put you back where you belong."
"At least my freckles are real."
"At least I don't have to work too hard to be unrecognizable."
"Gee, didn't take you for a human hater, Zo. Just because you have powers…"
"No, just you when you're being a dork, so … often."
"Better up my game if it's only 'often'."
"You know, you're lucky SHIELD doesn't have a maturity test - you'd never make junior agent."
"Yeah, have you met Peter Parker?"
"Which is probably why there's no screening for that," Zoe said before she shoved him in the shoulder.
"Alright, girls, you're both pretty," Clint said, chuckling to himself.
"Not true," Zoe said. "One of us is — and it's not him."
"True," Nikki said without missing a beat. "I left pretty in the dust, like, two years ago."
"Only according to that one creepy woman at your work," Zoe said dryly. "How old was she again? 50? 60?"
"Forty-seven and no, it was the hot guy on the team that went in on the SR mission last time."
"The older guy," she said, crossing her arms and sure that it wasn't something her parents wanted to hear about. "So does that make your codename 'Jailbait' or 'Cougar Chow'?"
"Seriously, Zo? You're crossing some lines here."
"Why? Because I'm winning?" Zoe shot back.
"So you want me to make jokes about the guy who grabbed your ass last time you were out with the Avengers?" Nikki shot back.
"Are you saying the old lady and the old guy were grabbing you?" Zoe asked.
"Just saying one of us has actually had a worse problem if you're gonna be deputizing 'Jailbait'."
"Assault isn't the same," Zoe said, waving a hand. "You were flirting back — since you know how old she was and referred to him as hot. Totally different."
"Um, he was hot. And thirty. Not as big a deal. She got dressed down by someone else."
"Mom — ruling. Is thirty too old for little Nikki?" Zoe said. "He doesn't seem to think it's problematic."
"There is no way that this is actually the conversation you both want to have right now," Natasha said. "And you both know the answer to that."
"And if you don't, Peter's getting a visit from the Black Widow to prevent, you know, problems," Clint said, leaning against the wall and watching the back and forth with a smirk.
"He'll be getting a visit anyhow," Natasha said. "Since it sounds like some of his lower-level agents don't understand the sexual harassment clauses of their contracts."
"Or how to count to, you know, at least eighteen," Clint said — mostly because he liked to wind his wife up when she had a cause to fight. "Twice as old as you, Nik. You know better too."
"They'll remember when they lose a couple of fingers," Natasha said.
"See?" Clint gestured toward Natasha. "Okay, so, Nikki, you and me are gonna have a chat. Zo… don't stop tattling on your brother when he thinks he can date grown adults, mkay?"
"I'm his big sister," Zoe said, one hand over her heart. "I am worried for his well-being."
"Well-being my second-favorite shoelace," Nikki muttered under his breath.
By that time, Zoe was half smiling as Clint and Nikki left. She'd needed that picking session … even if it had been irritating to start with. "So, how grounded is he, do you think?" she asked her mom offhandedly.
"Not as grounded as you'd like him to be," Natasha said. "Especially since he pointed out how upset you were — or relieved. Emotional at any rate." She tipped her head as Zoe shifted under her gaze. "What happened?"
Zoe lost her smile entirely. "I dunno," she said, rubbing her upper arm. "I grew up with Cody, okay? It hit harder than losing Kitty, you know?"
"Is that all?" Natasha asked, not at all looking like she believed that was the full story.
"Well, yeah," Zoe said.
"Zoe."
"Okay, so he was, like, the closest friend I had while I was in Westchester learning about my powers, okay? I missed him."
Natasha considered her for a moment. "And …"
"And what, Mom? I'm allowed to get emotional, right?"
"And I think it's more than that," Natasha said.
Zoe turned toward Natasha fully. "Like what?"
"If you think that I don't recognize my own patterns in my daughter, you're selling me short," Natasha said. "That was pure relief. And not over a friend."
"Mom, you're reading way too much into this because of the whole thing with Nikki-"
"No, I'm not," Natasha said. "I saw the reaction before Nikki did." She paused. "And it looked very familiar to me."
Zoe bit her lip, knowing where Natasha was going and yet convinced she was wrong. "Seriously, Mom, he's been dead a year."
"How long exactly?"
"A year, three months, and fifteen-" Zoe stopped. "Um. A while."
Natasha leaned toward her. "You're in love. Do yourself a favor: save yourself some heartache and either admit it and do something about it or cut all ties."
"What?" Zoe shook her head. "He just got back from over a year of slavery and that's your advice?"
"Pick a path, sweetheart." Natasha poured herself a cup of tea. "I'm not saying you have to act on it yet if you admit it … but you should make a plan of action at minimum. If you don't want to do anything but pine over him, cut your losses and move on. You don't need to be an X-Man. Ever."
"Harsh," Zoe said, though she was smirking.
"It's true, though," Natasha said. "But … you should probably see him in person before you decide. It's entirely possible that he's mentally damaged now and not anyone you'd want after being stuck with Sinister for so long."
"Wow, Mom, you think I'm that shallow?" Zoe rolled her eyes.
"It's not shallow," Natasha said. "You don't need to be burdened with a head case if that's what the situation is."
"With our family history? Are you nuts?"
She sighed patiently. "Not everyone can take a hit like your father." She shrugged. "Mentally-compromised Summers could be a disaster best avoided."
"At least let me find out—" She paused. "I mean, you and Dad were the ones who even knew he was alive. What's the word? They must have told the Avengers more than just 'he's back', right?"
"I haven't seen him yet, and Logan is being tight-lipped." She took a sip of her tea looking perfectly unconcerned. "That could go either way."
Zoe let out a frustrated breath and ran her hand down her face. "Are you sure… I mean…"
"See him first … then follow your gut. Don't second-guess yourself."
Zoe let all her breath out at once. "Okay. Don't tell Nikki, please?"
"Why would I? He seems to think it's alright for a 30-year-old to hit on him. He has no business bothering anyone who might have a chance at an actual love life."
"Love you too, Mom."
It was really just a matter of time before Alyssa ended up doing much of her studying at the Institute. She wanted James' help — and between team practices and playing catch up with Stark on how to fix the hole in his coding, James' time was once again at a premium.
Not that he was going to let that stop him. It really only meant that he had to clear her to come and spend time — a much easier prospect now that it was summertime and no one was really there that didn't live there.
The two of them had set up in the library, since that was where all the open reference material was, and it was incredibly quiet anyhow. Of course, even though she was getting the quiet she needed, she was more than a little distracted between the massive library itself, her boyfriend teasing her, people coming in to ask James an odd question here or there, and the open door where there seemed to be a fairly steady stream of people walking by.
"I'm starting to think I'll never get through this class at this rate," she had to tease him at last when he'd gotten her distracted with a solid kiss.
"Wanna go somewhere else instead?" James asked. "Study break …"
"Probably," she said, though she was smirking his way at that.
"I'm open to suggestion," James said before he closed his laptop and turned her way with his chin in his hand. "You've get all the references you were looking for?"
"I did, thanks," Alyssa said with a smile. She leaned over for a quick, mostly chaste kiss again before she got to her feet. "I'll let you pick."
"Yeah, that's not gonna help your study habits."
"Probably not," she said, letting her shoulders drop slightly even as her smile grew wider.
"Weather's nice," James said as he stretched out. "We can head out onto the grounds or … whatcha got in mind?" He left the laptop on the table and got to his feet to join her. "So do you need a break or just a change of scenery?"
"A break," she said, pushing her books with one hand away from her. "It's bad enough reading it once; writing about it is just painful."
"Fair enough," he said with a nod before he offered her his hand. "No one will bother your stuff here. Let's get a little fresh air."
She smiled as she took his hand and let him lead her out onto the grounds, smiling over at him the whole time.
"I suppose you haven't gotten the nickel tour, have you?" James asked, smirking to himself.
"Not really," she admitted, smiling wider. "You've neglected your duties."
He pulled her over a little closer, put his arm around her shoulders, and simply started to give her the rundown of where everything was — the archery range, pool, pond, riding arena and barn. The basics. They were headed toward the barn when Elin and Chance left the arena on a pair of horses, smiling at each other and clearly setting up to race.
"They're always so sweet together," Alyssa told James with a smile, tugging on his hand.
"They've been stuck on each other since the start," James said. "At least for as long as I can remember."
"That would explain a lot," Alyssa said, nodding to herself as she watched Elin and Chance, though she bit her lip when she noticed something new and turned to James. "When did he decide to get rid of the scar?" she asked with a frown. "I thought he was set on keeping it."
"Ah … it… wasn't ... ," James said, almost wincing. "You know, it's probably best if he explained it himself.."
Alyssa nodded lightly as they headed to the barn, smiling at the other couple as they caught up to them. "Nice day for a ride!" she called out to them.
"Oh, don't … try to talk to them. You don't want to know what they're up to," James said as he pulled her into the barn with him. "That is nothing that needs witnesses. Ever."
"I thought they were just riding?" Alyssa said.
"They're never 'just' doing anything," James laughed. "It's always attached to something else."
Alyssa let out a little laugh before she kissed his cheek. "Is that a family trait?" she teased.
"Yep," he agreed with a grin. "We like to multitask."
Alyssa smiled at that and laced her fingers through his. "Well, alright. But I do want to hear the story sometime," she said.
James closed one eye as she wrapped her arms around his middle. "Not my story to tell, but … maybe next time we double with them?"
She nodded. "Alright. That sounds good."
When lunchtime came around, there wasn't a big rush of people during the summer — it was more a matter of people ducking in to grab a bite and then go back out to whatever it was they were doing. Pool parties, horse races, picnics, whatever else was going on. And that was what Cody was trying to do when he ducked into the kitchen to grab something before he meant to head back out to spend the rest of the day on the lake with Chloe. His sisters were making it a point to spend plenty of time with him, and he really didn't mind in the least.
"Whatcha doin?" Lily asked even before her blonde head popped up past the level of the counter as she climbed onto a stool.
"I'm just grabbing some food," Cody explained, gesturing with one hand to the half-made sandwich as he finished laying out some turkey on the bread.
"I think you need some av-a … av-o-caaaado."
"Why do you think I need avocado?"
She shrugged up both shoulders. "Ummm…. yes. That's why my mom keeps tellin' me. I need more green stuff. And that's green."
"I think she means more vegetables in general," Cody said with a small smirk.
"I don't think so. She puts avo-av ...that on her sammitches."
Cody nodded. "I put lettuce and tomato on mine," he said, waving a hand to bring the ingredients over to she could see. He didn't use his powers too much in front of the adults, because he could hear telepathically how much it freaked them out still. But the kids seemed to think it was cool, and he liked their enthusiasm. Yes, part of that was the fact that he still sometimes thought the way Sinister wanted to about his gifts, but he was also a teenager who was already self-conscious enough without people hating his powers.
She nodded along. "She does that too, but the um… the green squishy stuff," she said, propping her head up with both hands.
"Think I need some pickles?" he asked.
"Uh-huh," she giggled. "Elin always puts pickles wif everyone's sammitches." she leaned forward. "'specially Krissy's."
Cody nodded with a smirk as he leaned forward too. "That's because Krissy hates them," he whispered to her.
She scrunched up her face, one eye almost closed as she did so. "That's silly."
Cody shrugged. "Some people like pickles, and others don't," he said simply as he finished making his sandwich and started to put his ingredients away again.
"What about dessert? You need dessert."
"I'm having dessert tonight after dinner," Cody said, his head still in the fridge as he put away the lettuce.
"Yeah, but what about dessert to go wit' your sammitch? You need some chock-lit pudding."
"That's a very sweet offer, but I actually just want the sandwich so I can eat it on my way outside," he explained softly, reaching over to ruffle her hair.
"But it's really, really good," she promised. "I can get it for you."
"I know it is, but I don't want any," Cody said. "Maybe later, okay?"
She let out a huff that blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I think you gonna be sowwy. Mama says Summeseses need it to stay sweet. Not like lit-tle girls. So you need it."
Cody took a deep breath and let it out as he shook his head at her. "No, thank you, Lily," he said — albeit very quietly.
Lily let out a long, almost groaning 'o-kay' before she hopped down and hugged him around the knees.
Cody couldn't help but shake his head to himself as he watched her trot off. He liked Lily, but she could be a force of nature sometimes. He picked up his sandwich and headed out the door, though he didn't quite get all the way there before he saw K, clearly having just gotten a hug from Lily on her way to play too.
"You're coming along well, sweetheart," K said before she popped up on her toes to kiss Cody's cheek.
Cody smiled her way and rubbed the back of his neck. "Not really."
"You're learning to say no - even if it's to the pushy preschooler. It's more than you could do just a short while ago."
Cody paused to think about it before he couldn't help but smile lightly. "Yeah… I guess I am," he said.
"You should be proud," K told him. "Your own father can't even say no to her."
"That's because she's relentless and adorable," Cody pointed out.
"And yet … you still managed. Keep it up, young man, and we'll be out on the range before you know it."
"I think I'd like that," Cody said with a small smile. "It's been a long time."
"Too long - and your brother's been distracted, so I'd love for you to show him up."
"I… don't want to do that," Cody said with a frown, shaking his head lightly.
She grinned wider. "And even more difficult than saying no to her," she said before she gave him another kiss on the cheek. "Only Summers I'll accept a 'no' from. And only for now."
Cody looked surprised before he broke into a little smile. "I wasn't — I didn't mean to say no," he explained quickly.
"Don't apologize! Just keep following what you want, please."
He nodded lightly. "Well, what I want is for my brother not to feel like he's getting outstripped shooting. It's important to him that he's good at it, and I can hear it when you bring it up." He tapped the side of his head. "That's all I was trying to say."
K smiled his way. "I know," she said gently. "But I also know that if I hit the button for competition, he works twice as hard to do better."
"He's distracted," Cody said with a small smirk. "And not just over the healing."
"I'm well aware of why," K said, shaking her head. "He's not that subtle."
"Even Mom knows. She's trying to be discreet."
"We all know," K promised. "Even if some are trying to ignore it."
Cody nodded and then pointed toward the door. "Well, I told Chloe I'd go swimming and fishing with her today…"
"Go on; have fun," K said, waving his way. "When you're a little better at expressing the 'nope', we'll talk about targets."
Cody couldn't help but smirk her way at that before he ducked out with a wave to go find his little sister, more than a little surprised and pleased with himself at the fact that there was progress when he'd been feeling like there wasn't much at all.