Barton Family Farm

"See, you were worried for nothing." Clint said to his wife as she examined his injury. An injury that had been far worse when he first gotten it but had now healed almost completely thanks to the Cradle. He remembered when Fury had had him place AJ in the Cradle when she first woke up. She had been so cold that Clint had felt the need to check her pulse to see if she was even alive. Fury hadn't said much about her, just that she was unique and very dear to the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. "You can't even feel the difference, can you?" He teased his wife. But she had reason to worry. When he worked with the Avengers -- his life was on the line. S.H.I.E.L.D had been equally as dangerous, which was why he kept his family a secret from the world. Clint enjoyed his privacy and loved the fact that his family was safe, but now the rest of the team knew. And given Tony's attitude, he must not be too happy that Clint had kept it a secret.

Laura sighed and lowered Clint's shirt. "If they're sleeping here, some of them are going to have to double up." She told him, and Clint couldn't help but laugh.

He pressed his hand to his wife's shoulder while chuckling, shaking his head as he said. "Yeah, that's not gonna sell." Clint walked into their shared closet to put on something more comfortable and warm. He could hear Laura following after him as she hurried as best as she could while in her third trimester of pregnancy.

"What about Nat and Dr. Banner?" Laura asked, causing Clint's brows to pinch together. "How long has that been going on?"

"Nat is with Jordan, Laura." Clint reminded her.

"Someone needs to tell Dr. Banner that." Laura said, making a face that caused Clint to chuckle. "Oh come on, Clint. Don't tell me you haven't seen the way he looks at her?"

Clint shrugged on his flannel shirt as he looked to Laura. "Yeah, I've seen it -- but I also know that Natasha is head over heels in love with Jordan. I think Banner's fond of Nat and how she's helped him control 'The Big Guy' -- but I don't see anything past that. It's like Steve and Adge," Clint said. "There are no romantic feelings involved, just gratitude and admiration. Plus, they've been through a lot together," Clint sighed when his wife looked at him in amusement, watching him struggle to explain Natasha and Bruce's dynamic. "What I'm saying is, if he has feelings for her, they sprung from gratitude."

Laura giggled. "Oh, honey." He rolled his eyes with a smile. "As for Steve and AJ," Laura started to say, causing Clint to raise a brow. "He looked a looked quite upset when he found out that she knew about us."

Clint didn't say anything. AJ had kept his family a secret to protect them, and no matter how close she and Steve were -- AJ had always told Clint that it wasn't her secret to tell. But AJ keeping things from Steve never ended well. "I'll talk to him."

Laura walked over to Clint, standing in the closet with him. "It was bad...wasn't it?" She asked. "Nat seems really shaken and Adge...she's trying to hide her pain, but the house is more than a little nippy right now." She commented, and Clint nodded his head with a sigh. AJ wasn't herself right now, and when she wasn't in control of herself, she wasn't in control of her powers. "It feels more like December than May right now." Laura added.

"Ultron has allies," He began to explain to Laura. "These, uh...kids. Punks, really." He added. "But they carry a big damn stick. Nat and Jay took a serious hit." He rolled up his sleeves and looked down at his wife who wore a worried expression. "Someone's gonna have to teach them some manners." He said before walking past her.

"That someone being you?" Laura followed after him. He looked over his shoulder briefly as Laura said, "You know I totally support your avenging -- I couldn't be prouder." Clint sat down at the small table they had in their room next to the window that overlooked the front yard. Steve was making his way over to where Tony was chopping up some firewood. They needed as much warmth in this house as possible with AJ's powers out of whack. "But I see those guys -- those Gods ,"

"You don't think they need me?" Clint asked, tugging on his boots.

"I think they do ." Laura disagreed. "Which is a lot scarier." She admitted. "They're a mess."

He sighed and looked out of the window to see Steve and Tony speaking. From the look on Steve's face -- the conversation wasn't exactly friendly. "Yeah," He agreed with his wife. "I guess they're my mess."

Laura stood behind him, running her fingers through his hair. "You need to be sure," She told him softly. "That this team is really a team and that they have your back." Clint stood up slowly, turning to face his wife as she looked up at him with a sad smile. "Things are changing for us," Laura reminded him as he moved to rest his hand on her growing belly. "In a few months time, you and me are gonna be outnumbered...I need," She sighed as she looked up at Clint, trying to find the words to say. "Just be sure." She decided on.

Clint smiled down at her. "Yes ma'am." He promised before leaning down to press his lips against hers. Afterwards, he pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before looking back out the window at Steve and Tony were.

Laura moved her hand to where his injury once was and said, "I can feel the difference."

He chuckled, shaking his head, and moved to rest his hand on top of hers.

He knew that Laura would always worry, and she she did have a point -- in a few months time, they would have another child to look after. Clint knew that this mission, the fight against Ultron, would be his last. He couldn't keep doing this to his family. After Ultron, Clint was retiring.

_

The cold water against her skin caused AJ to sigh. She craned her neck to the side so that the water could hit every surface of her body. She remembered when she first moved into her apartment in Brooklyn that she'd jump when she stepped into her shower. The water would be ice cold because the damn water heater never worked properly. But now she relished in the cold. It helped heal her body, it made her feel stronger. And at the moment, AJ felt weaker than she had in years. No, not weaker, vulnerable.

AJ took in a shaky breath, washing her hair as she tried to push away the visions Wanda Maximoff put in her head. But all she could see was Bucky dead on the ground and Tony standing next to her while promising that she was safe now. No, no. She shook her head and gripped onto the shower head, trying not to see the lifeless look in Bucky's eyes or the blood pooling around his head and all over his face. Don't worry, Adelyn. He's gone forever now. I did it. I saved you. The shower head shattered and frozen bits of it fell around AJ, causing her to let out a yelp.

"Adge?" The door was open , and Bruce and Natasha hurried inside the bathroom as AJ crumbled down onto the floor of the tub, wrapping her arms around her knees as she brought them to her chest. No, no, no. He can't be dead. No! "Hey, hey," Natasha said softly as she slid open the curtain to wrap a towel around AJ. She opened her eyes and saw Natasha was trying to help her while Bruce stood a few feet back, observing everything. "It's okay." Natasha said, trying to help AJ stand up. "I got you."

"Uh," Bruce said awkwardly. "We need some assistance."

AJ let Natasha usher her out of the bathroom and into Lila's room while Kai and Andrew walked into the bathroom. Her nephew calling out for her to make sure she was okay.

"I got her, Andy." Natasha assured him.

She could faintly hear Laura telling Clint that she had been meaning to call a plumber to the house anyway because of the bad pipes, to which Clint grumbled that they didn't need a plumber when he could fix it. It was their way of trying to make AJ feel better about damaging their home. But it didn't.

"I'm sorry." AJ whispered as Natasha helped her sit down on the bed.

"It's no problem." She said back, grabbing more blankets to wrap around AJ.

"I just," AJ started to say as her eyes filled with tears.

"You don't have to talk about it." Natasha told her.

AJ shook her head, pressing her lips together as tears fell. "I can't take the silence." Her voice broke. "When its quiet...all I see is him, dead. I can't, I can't lose him again,"

Natasha had tears in her eyes too as she gripped AJ's hand. "Well how about we talk about what we both saw?" She suggested. AJ sniffled and shook her head, not wanting Natasha to have to relive what her own vision. "I was back in the Red Room." Natasha went on anyway. "Where they trained me...where I was raised, and I saw," She closed her eyes for a moment before clearing her throat and continuing on. "My graduation ceremony."

AJ sniffled, not knowing what Natasha was talking about.

She forced a smile and shook her head. "They sterilized me." Natasha confessed and AJ's eyes widened in shock. Natasha had never told her this before -- she rarely spoke about her time in the Red Room. "It's efficient." She tried to play it off with dark humor, but AJ could see the pain in her eyes as she inhaled deeply. "It's one less thing to worry about...the one thing that might matter more than a mission...not having it makes everything easier. Even killing." AJ held onto Natasha's hand, giving it a squeeze. "The nightmares of my Graduation Ceremony finally went away when I met Jordan...kinda sucks that she can't know where I am." Natasha said with a forced laugh.

"I'm sorry." AJ said back in a whisper. "I'm so sorry they did that to you." Natasha forced a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Thank you." She said softly. "For making the silence go away."

Natasha then chuckled in earnest. "Swapping traumatizing memories really helps break the silence." AJ bit down on her lower lip and closed her eyes as she gave into a small smile. "We should bring Tony and Steve up here; I'm sure they have a lot to say too."

"Tony having something to say?" AJ huffed out. She rolled her eyes.

Natasha smiled and let go of AJ's hand. "I'm going to get you some fresh clothes, okay?"

AJ nodded and watched Natasha walk towards the door. "Will you tell Clint and Laura that I'll pay for the damages?"

Natasha looked over her shoulder and let out a throaty chuckle. "I'm sure Tony has already wired money into their account for you." She smirked. "That guy is always trying to save you."

AJ inhaled shakily at her words. No. She couldn't let him do that anymore. AJ needed to be her own savior in order to keep Bucky safe. She couldn't keep letting Tony play the figurative 'big brother' to her. And even though she loved him as much as she loved her own brothers back when they were alive -- she needed to distance herself from Tony. Because if Tony ever hurt Bucky to protect her, she wouldn't survive it.

_

"Thor didn't say where he was going for answers?" Tony asked Steve as they continued to chop firewood.

Natasha had gone out and explained what had happened in the shower, and both men had moved towards the house to go to AJ, but the redhead had stopped them, saying that she had it handled. Every cell in Steve's body had told him to go be with AJ because he knew the flashes of the vision Wanda put in his head were ripping him apart inside. He couldn't imagine how AJ felt.

But he and Tony had both felt the temperature drop lower and lower and had known that the only thing they could do was keep the rest of the team warm with a fire until AJ turned back to normal. He looked over to the house and saw Clint with his two kids.

He sighed. "Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things." Steve grabbed a log and set it down on the chopping block. "I was kinda hoping Thor would be the exception."

"Yeah, give him time." Tony said with a grunt; he picked up a large piece of log not as gracefully or effortlessly as Steve. "We don't know what the Maximoff kid showed him."

Steve swung the axe down at the wood hard, splitting it in half.

"Earth's mightiest heroes." Steve said a little bitterly as he quoted Ultron. "He pulled us apart like cotton candy."

"Seems like you walked away alright." Tony noted.

Steve didn't like his tone. He held the axe in his hand and looked to Tony. "Is that a problem?"

Tony shrugged and said, "I don't trust a guy without a dark side." He swung the axe down onto the wood, splitting it in two as well. "Call me old-fashioned."

"Well, let's just say you haven't seen it yet." Steve retorted with a glare.

"You know that Ultron is trying to tear us apart, right?" Tony reminded Steve.

"Well I guess you'd know." Steve shot back. Tony had made the damn thing. "Whether you'd tell us is a bit of a question." He swung the axe down hard again.

"-Banner and I were doing research." Tony snapped at Steve.

"That would affect the team ." Steve snapped back.

"That would end the team!" Tony raised his voice. "Isn't that the mission?" He asked as Steve walked over to pick up another piece of firewood. "Isn't that the 'We Fight' so that we can end the fight? So we get to go home!"

Steve felt anger fill his body. Dropping the axe he held in one hand, he picked up the log and ripped it in half with his hands alone. Tony was one of the smartest people he knew -- surely he couldn't be that clueless. "Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die." Steve told him. " Every time."

The sound of footsteps coming up from behind Tony caused Steve to look in that direction. "I'm sorry," Clint's wife said, holding onto her belly. "Mr. Stark, Clint said you wouldn't mind but our tractor doesn't seem to want to start at all. I thought maybe you might,"

"Yeah," Tony cut her off. "I'll give her a kick." Tony looked to Steve before walking away. "Don't take from my pile." He told him, pointing to the small section of wood he had managed to chop. Steve looked over at his own pile and fought the urge to smile.

When Tony was gone, Clint's wife still lingered. "Um, Capta," She sighed. "Mr. Rog,"

"Steve." He said with a smile, causing the woman to nod with a little laugh.

"I know that Nat said she has everything handled with Adge, but," Oh, Clint's wife was on a nickname basis with AJ too? How long had she known about this -- about Clint's secret life? "Clint told me that you're kind of her go-to guy when she needs to be calmed down, and as much as I want to believe that Nat has it under control...my kids are running around in their winter coats right now."

"I'll go talk to her." Steve said with a soft smile.

"Thank you." She said before walking away from Steve.

He glanced at the pile of wood one last time before making his way to the house. They could cut down every tree in the world to start a fire but it wasn't just a matter of keeping everyone warm. If there was a sudden drastic drop in temperature, Ultron would know that it was AJ and the Barton family would be in danger.

He walked up the stairs and saw Andrew sitting outside of one of the rooms. Steve figured it must be where AJ was. They didn't really go into detail about what they had seen in their own separate visions, and to be honest, Steve really didn't feel like digging into his own. But AJ needed him and he was going to be there for her.

"She's not letting anyone in." Andrew said as Steve walked up to the door. "Apparently she turned Lila's favorite doll into a popsicle and despite the fact that she knows we have on our wrist bands," he said loud enough for AJ to hear through the door. "She doesn't want to risk anyone getting hurt."

Steve could picture AJ on the other side of the door giving her nephew the finger and couldn't help but smile. "Why don't you go downstairs and make her some coffee. That might warm her up?"

Andrew sighed and pushed up off the ground. "Fine." He said just as Natasha walked up the stairs with a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt in hand.

Steve looked at her in confusion, brow raised in question. He had already seen Natasha grab AJ some clothes. "Apparently she doesn't want to wear the clothes that were on the quinjet." She said with a small sigh. "She'd rather wear one of Clint's dirty old flannel shirts than a designer top."

His brows furrowed together in confusion, but he took the clothes from Natasha. "I got her." He told the redhead. Natasha gave him a look that read, good luck, and walked back down the stairs.

Steve knocked on the door before he entered the room, seeing AJ wrapped up in a blanket. "Cold?" He smirked, causing AJ to roll her eyes.

"You're such a smartass."

He walked over to where she sat and handed her some clothes. "You wanna talk about it?" He asked. AJ shook her head and motioned for him to turn around so she can get changed. "Why don't you want to wear your own clothes?" He asked as he spun around. "I thought you loved that leather jacket Tony got you."

"That's exactly why I can't wear it." AJ huffed as she pulled on her jeans.

"Because you love it?" He asked with a smirk. He could picture her rolling her eyes again but instead was met with AJ kicking the back of his leg hard enough to make him wobble forward. He chuckled and shook his head, already feeling the room warm up from her mood change.

"Because it was from Tony. " She finally answered, stepping in front of Steve as she buttoned up the last few buttons of the flannel shirt she was now tucking into a pair of Natasha's jeans. Steve gave her a confused look. "I didn't just see Bucky and Loki...Tony was there too."

"In your vision?" He asked. She nodded her head slowly, eyes filled with worry. "What was he doing?"

She closed her eyes and bit down on her lower lip. Steve felt the hair on his arms raise. He quickly grabbed AJ's hand, encasing it to try and show her comfort, or at least let her feel the warmth of his skin against her own. AJ inhaled deeply before she opened her eyes, and the room's temperature started to rise slowly. Steve had noticed that skin to skin contact with AJ during her nightmares helped her get her powers back under control. It had been after AJ told him about all that Dr. Reinhardt had done to her while she was his prisoner and her nightmares had become more violent. Steve knew that if he pulled her tight against his body that the heat from his own skin would help defuse the cold she was putting out. He couldn't explain how it was possible -- but it worked.

"He killed Bucky."

Steve's brows furrowed together.

"And I know it wasn't real but," She shook her head. "We both know about..."

Steve shook his head, stopping her from saying anything further. Yes, they did both know that Bucky had killed Howard and Maria Stark -- but Tony could never know.

"He killed him to save me...I can't let Tony keep saving me." She whispered. "From myself, on missions, even just saving me some time by sending Pepper's assistant shopping for me. No more big birthday parties, no more--"

Steve stopped her again. "Jay," He said her name softly, letting go of her hand to rub his own hands up and down her sleeved arms. "Breathe."

She closed her eyes and did as Steve instructed. Breathing in and out slowly. Finally, when she had calmed down, AJ moved into Steve's arms and pressed her head against his chest. "He can never know, Steve." She whispered. "We have to protect Bucky."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around her tighter. "We will."

_

Tony walked into the barn, slowly looking around at everything before his eyes landed on the tractor Clint's wife had told him about.

"Hello Deere," He said, amusing himself as he walked over to the tractor and began to fiddle with it. "Tell me everything," He said. "What ails you?"

"Do me a favor," Someone said in the barn, causing Tony to drop the wrench he had picked up. He looked over his shoulder in annoyance. Of course Fury was here -- he helped set up Barton's top secret farmhouse for his top secret family. "Try not to bring it to life." Fury said, no humor in his tone.

Tony shook his head, seeing now that this had been a set up. "Why, Mrs. Barton, you little minx." He said to himself before looking fully at Fury. "I get it -- Maria Hill called you, right? Was she ever not working for you?" Tony asked as he walked over to where Fury stood.

"Artificial Intelligence," Fury stopped him from continuing on talking. "You never even hesitated." He said as he walked forward with his hands in his coat pockets. Fury dressed like a stereotypical Bond villain. Tony had yet to decide if he should believe that Fury was one of the good guys, given his choice of clothing. Or maybe it was just the eye patch.

"Look, it's been a really long day." Tony said, stepping forward to meet Fury. "Like Eugene O'Neill long -- so how's about we skip to the part where you're useful."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you're going to shut him down." Fury ordered Tony.

"You're not the director of me." He said back, deciding against making an eye patch joke.

"I'm not the director of anybody." Fury agreed as he sat down on a stack of hay. "I'm just an old man who cares very much about you."

Tony shook his head, squaring his jaw as his mind flashed back to the vision he had had when they first went to Sokovia. When the girl got inside his head. All of them...dead. Because of him. Tony licked his lip before looking back at Fury. "And I'm the man who killed the Avengers." He told Fury. "I saw it," He watched as the man's facial expression changed. "I didn't tell the team -- how could I? Saw them all dead, Nick. I felt it -- the whole world too." He added as he slowly backed away from Fury. "Because of me." He inhaled deeply. "I wasn't ready...I didn't do all I could."

"The Maximoff girl, she's working you, Stark." Fury said. Tony shook his head over and over. "She's playing on your fear."

"I wasn't tricked; I was shown." Tony argued. "It wasn't a nightmare; it was my legacy." He said with a shaky tone. "The end of the path I started us on."

Fury pushed down on his knees as he got off of the pile of hay and stood. "You come up with some pretty impressive inventions, Tony." Fury said. "War isn't one of them."

Tony walked over to the tractor, picking up a rusty wrench and greased it up with a towel. He hit the wrench against it a couple of times in his hand. "I watched my friends die." He shook his head before looking at Fury. "You'd think that'd be as bad as it gets, right?" He scoffed and looked away. "Nope. It wasn't the worst part."

"The worst part is that you didn't." Fury answered, somehow already knowing what Tony was thinking.

Tony took in a shaky breath. "They...they're bodies were mangled...piled on top of each other, Adelyn," He couldn't finish. Why ? She had cried when he tried to save her from the fate all their friends met. Why did you do this to us, Tony? And then she had died right there in his damn arms. "My Dad...she was his most prized possession." Tony told Fury. "He kept her safe through everything -- he did everything he could to bring her back and...I'm going to be the reason why she dies."

Fury shook his head. "Adelyn Frost," He chuckled. "That woman can survive anything." Tony shook his head, disagreeing. "-Did she ever tell you what happened in New York when Loki brought in his army? What happened up in the Tower after he threw your ass out?" Tony's brows furrowed. No, she hadn't. Something had happened? "Loki tried to use the scepter to brainwash her...but it didn't work."

He took a step back. "That's impossible."

Fury chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "Frost said that he couldn't control a heart that was made of ice." Tony shook his head and blew air out of his nose. Of course she'd say that. "But she had one thing right. Her heart was protected by her ice -- her powers, though they get a little out of control at times, they always save her in the end. The woman is nearly as indestructible as Thor. She can handle herself."

Tony frowned. "My dad,"

"Loved her like a sister." Fury finished. "I know. He did everything he could to preserve her so that one day she could wake up...but the duty to protect her doesn't fall on you, Stark."

"Who will protect her?"

Fury laughed. "She will." He answered. "Don't ever let her know I said this, but Adelyn Frost is a badass motherfucker." Fury said causing Tony's eyes to widen. "She can handle her shit."

"I'm telling Steve."

Tony was sure Maria had told Fury about Steve and his disapproval for swearing, given the fact that the man started to laugh. "Come on," Fury told him. "I heard Laura tell the kids that she was making pot roast."

"Pot roast?" Tony mused. "How very Martha Stewart."

_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Andrew asked his aunt who simply laughed softly at the question. He had asked her the same question at least six times since her 'incident' in the shower, and her answer was always the same. Yes, I'm fine. The first three times , it had been a lie , but after talking with Steve, she felt more comfortable and in control. Steve wouldn't let anything bad ever happen to Bucky and that's what she needed to hear. Bucky will be safe, Steve told her. I won't let anything happen to him again. He had promised.

"I'm fine." AJ told Andrew, motioning around the room at everyone. "No one is wearing any of their winter jackets anymore -- the kids even took off their mittens." She tried to joke, but Andrew frowned. Bruce had brought in some wrist bands for Laura and the kids so they wouldn't be affected by AJ's cold if things got out of control again, but she finally felt like she had a handle of things. Steve's promise to keep Bucky safe and her own determination made it easier to breathe and block out all the noise of her vision.

"You want more?" Laura asked Andrew, holding out a plate of more pot roast, but he politely declined only to have Kai take the plate from him.

"Your cooking is amazing, Mrs. Barton." Kai told the woman while shoveling the food into his mouth. "No wonder why Barton kept you a secret." He winked, and AJ rolled her eyes. Seriously? The man flirted more than anyone AJ had ever met -- Bucky included.

She walked away and moved to sit down next to Natasha at the table, smiling as she watched Fury explain to Cooper why he wore an eye patch. She laughed when Cooper asked to see what was under the eye patch only to have Laura usher her son away from the adults so they could discuss their next move.

"Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time." Fury told them. Lila ran into the room and over to where AJ and Natasha were sitting at the table, offering them a picture she drew. AJ smiled as she looked down at the painting of a blue sky with a giant orange butterfly in the middle. Natasha smiled as well, pressing her hand to Lilas cheek, both of them thanking her for the drawing before the little girl ran back over to her mother. "My contacts all say he's building something." Fury continued on. "The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing."

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked.

"Oh, he's easy to track." Fury told them. "He's everywhere. The guy's multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit." AJ blew air out of her nose as she tried to hold in a laugh, hiding her smile by moving her hand just in front of her mouth. "It still doesn't help us get an angle on any of his plans, though."

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Tony asked, causing AJ's eyes to drift over to him. He was keeping his distance from her, sensing her change in demeanor as soon as he walked in the room. Tony was smart, he knew when to walk away and when to say something.

"Yes he is," Fury said as he began to chop of some carrots. "But he's not making any headway."

Tony scoffed at that. "I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare."

"Well, I contacted outside friends at the Nexus about that," Fury said, only to have Steve interrupt him.

"Nexus?" He asked. AJ's eyes landed on him, watching him lean his shoulder against the wall as he kept his arms crossed over his chest. She had to close her eyes as her mind drifted back to the days Steve and the Howling Commandos went over battle strategies. Bucky was always the one slouched somewhere, his eyes always on her, not Steve. When the team finally knew they were together, AJ always sat next to Bucky while he sat on Steves left, having to now at least look like he was paying attention so he wouldn't get flack from everyone else. He still did, of course.

"It's the world Internet hub in Oslo." Bruce said from behind AJ and Natasha, causing her to open her eyes and look over her shoulder at him. "Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on earth."

"So what'd they say?" Clint asked. AJ looked over at him briefly to see that he was fiddling with one of the play darts that Tony was still currently playing with. AJ learned the hard way never to go up against Clint while playing darts at the bar. You'd lose every time.

"He's fixated on the missiles." Fury explained. "But the codes are constantly being changed."

"By whom?" Tony asked, moving out of the way at the last second as Clint threw two darts, hitting it right on the bullseye. Tony looked over at Clint and narrowed his eyes to which Clint simply shrugged in reply.

"Parties unknown." Fury answered Tony's question.

"We have an ally?" Natasha asked.

Fury shook his head. "Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing." He let them know. "Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"I might need to visit Oslo." Tony said, peering into the room. "To visit our unknown,"

Natasha interrupted him. "Well, this is good times, boss. But I was kinda hoping that when I saw you that you'd have more than that."

"I do." Fury said, picking up his cup of beer. "I have you." They all collectively looked around the room at each other. "Back in the day I had eyes everywhere, ears everywhere else. You kids have all the tech you could dream up. Here we all are, back on Earth with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing him and his mission. And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All of this," Fury motioned around the room. "Laid in a grave."

AJ sighed, rubbing her fingers against her temples. It felt like every other year someone was out to destroy the world by trying to gain global destruction. Loki, the Chitauri, Hydra, a pissed of A.I with serve daddy issues. Would their world ever know peace? Or was it just fight after fight until they all died? AJ looked over at Steve to see his expression was matching everyone else's in the room. Maybe they were all thinking the same thing? When will it end?

"So stand." Fury told them all. "Outwit the platinum bastard." Fury sat down next to AJ.

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk." Natasha said with a tiny smirk as she looked at Steve.

He smiled in amusement as he looked at Natasha. "Y'know what Romanoff," He started to tease back but Fury stopped him. It made AJ frown. It was good to see Steve being playful. Natasha brought out that side of him at times.

"So what does he want?" Fury asked the team.

Steve's face changed as he pondered Fury's question. "To become better." He said. "Better than us -- he keeps building bodies"

"Person bodies." Tony said in a sharp tone. "The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking; we're outmoded but he keeps coming back to it."

"When you two programmed him to protect the human race; you amazingly failed." Natasha said to Tony.

"They don't need to be protected." Bruce said from behind Natasha and AJ. He was looking down at the drawing Lila had given them, studying it. "They need to evolve." Bruce finally looked away from the painting and at the team. "Ultron is going to evolve."

"How?" Fury asked.

"Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?" Bruce asked.

Oh. Oh shit.

_

They were in London again. Steve, Bucky, and the rest of the Howling Commandos had taken out a Hydra base just outside of Italy and traveled all night and day to get back to London. Bucky had been worried when AJ told him that she couldn't accompany the team and was staying back in London with Howard to go over a new weapon the Howling Commandos had found in their last raid. He saw how AJ's eyes grew big when they came into the lab with the weapon and explained what it could do and how Howards smile had spread nearly all the way across his face. He looked like a gleeful child on Christmas and hurried over to them to take the weapon. AJ looked reluctant when she looked over the weapon, reminding Howard about the last time he used on of Hydras 'toys', and the man scoffed in return.

He loved watching AJ in the lab. How she'd hide the glasses she had to use to read some of the smaller print while going over codes that she and Howard were trying to break and how she'd wear her hair up in a bun, using a pencil to keep it together. The place AJ looked most herself was in the labs, going over equations with Howard as they continued their mission to try and replicate the super soldier serum. It was one of the reasons she was able to stay with the team -- her promise to replicate the serum that made Steve who he was now. Colonel Phillips and the S.S.R agreed to let AJ stay but only on that condition.

But she was working herself to death and was more than a little bit grumpy. Bucky liked when she'd get cranky though because he made it his mission to make her smile. And inevitably, he'd get that smile out of her.

He found her in the labs, but surprisingly, she wasn't working away. No, she was hunched over the desk with her face resting against a notebook, her hair splayed over her shoulders, and the sound of light snoring. Bucky grinned, knowing she'd deny ever snoring. But he loved it. He loved her. He was just worried that if he told her that; she'd get scared and pull away. But they had been together for nearly a year and he wondered if she was waiting for him to say it. He had chickened out when it came to making the first move...maybe she was waiting again to say it. In a week they'd be on another mission to the Alps on a lead that Hydra would not only be transporting weapons; but Zola as well. Bucky swore to himself that he'd say it before he left. If he didn't say it soon, AJ would beat him to it. Well, he hoped that if he didn't say it that AJ would beat him to it. She loved him, right? Of course she did...right?

Now Bucky was starting to doubt himself.

He knew that AJ cared about him a lot. He felt it in the way she kissed him, saw it in her eyes as she pity-laughed at one of his terrible jokes, and heard it in the way she'd say his name. She loved him and he hoped that she felt, saw, and heard his love as well.

Bucky quietly walked over to where AJ was slumped, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head causing her to stir lightly. "Sleeping on the job?" He whispered in her ear, nibbling a little bit on her earlobe causing her to giggle.

"Don't tell anyone or they'll take me away." She mumbled sleepily as she slowly sat up, tilting her head up to look at Bucky. He grinned down at her and pushed her hair behind her ears, wanting in that moment more than ever to tell her that he loved her. But she yawned and stretched her arms out and asked him to fetch her a cup of coffee that Howard had made earlier. And he, of course, did as she asked without complaint. "Thank you." Her voice rasped as he brought her a mug of coffee, bending down to kiss her before handing it over. She grinned and lifted her chin up a bit to meet him in the kiss. "Thank you." She said again, but this time he knew it wasn't for the coffee. Bucky grinned and took a seat next to her. "Did you boys bring back anymore toys for Howards?" She asked while sipping her coffee.

Bucky chuckled when she made a face, probably at the staleness of the drink. If it was the same junk they served the soldiers, it would have the same shit taste. "Just a couple." Bucky answered her question. "Steve doesn't like bringing them back." He admitted causing AJ to raise her brows in surprise. "He's worried that the S.S.R is getting in over their heads."

"Well that's a given." She said in a dry tone causing Bucky to chuckle. "Howard already wants to try and design weapons using that weird blue energy Hydras weapons have."

"And you don't think he should?"

AJ shrugged, sighing a little. "I think Steve is smart in wanting to destroy the weapons." She said, not needing to say anymore for Bucky to understand. She then smiled, moving forward a bit. "Did you bring me anything back?"

Bucky raised his brows and smirked. "Besides myself?"

AJ playfully narrowed her eyes and Bucky laughed, pulling her present out of his pocket. She sat up in her chair and closed her eyes, holding out her hand for him to drop her present in. He placed the gift in her hand and watched as her eyes opened and a smile spread across her face. "How did you manage?" She asked him, quickly opening the treat and splitting it in half to share. It was a type of sweat that they had shared while in Italy after he was rescued from Zola and his men. AJ had loved the sweat and still talked about it to this day and Bucky made it his mission to find her the little cake.

"I know my girl." He said with a smile as she handed him his half of the cake. "There was a woman who was one of Hydras prisoners and she offered to repay us for rescuing her and when I mention the cake; she said that she had been making them since she was a little girl."

AJ grinned, taking a bite of the treat and closing her eyes as she let out a happy moan. "So good." She said after swallowing. "I love it, thank you."

I love you; that's what Bucky wanted to say. "Frosty," He started to say, taking a deep breath as he looked at her. "I,"

"New toys to test out!" Howard said loudly as he came into the lab causing both AJ and Bucky to jump, startled by the noise. "Come on, Frost -- we got a lot of work to do!"

AJ rolled her eyes and made a face when she looked back at Bucky. "I'll see you at dinner?" She asked and Bucky smiled softly, nodding his head.

"Always." He told her causing AJ to chuckle. Bucky got up, pressing a kiss to her forehead before turning away and walking towards the door.

"Buck?" AJ called after him causing him to look over his shoulder. "I like the whole scruff look you've got going on." She smirked, motioning to his face hair. He laughed, shaking his head at her words. Bucky had yet to shave; she was the first stop he made when he got to the base.

"'Thinking of growing it out." Bucky joked and AJ raised her brows in interest.

"I wouldn't complain." She winked.

He felt his stomach clench and his cheeks warm as he watched AJ smirk. God, he loved her.

And then he woke up.

Bulgaria

Bucky rolled on his side, letting his eyes adjust to the morning sky. He should have told AJ he loved her the day at the docks before he shipped off. He should have told her at Camp McCoy. He should have told her the first time he met her. Bucky should have told her every single day, every single night. He should have told her he loved her the second he remembered who she was. But he hadn't. He'd only said it a couple of times and that wasn't enough.

The Avengers were in quite a bit of trouble over something that had happened in Johannesburg, South Africa but from what he could tell; AJ and Steve weren't involved in the battle that went down between that giant green monster looking thing and Iron Man. But none of the footage showed AJ or Steve. She's in danger, his gut told him. Bucky nearly grabbed his backpack and left Bulgaria to find a way to South Africa but he knew it was a long shot that they'd still be in a place they were most definitely not wanted. There was a warrant for the green guys arrest; Bruce Banner, he believed the man's name was. But AJ and Steve's names were not mentioned. But he still felt something deep in his gut that told him AJ needed him. He was just too chickenshit to go to her. He was scared that he'd hurt her. And if he ever hurt her again...he wouldn't forgive himself. And she shouldn't either.

Bucky loved AJ more than he could possibly explain but his fear of hurting her kept him away. Someday when he got his nightmares under control...he'd go to her, he'd find her. But now, sadly, he needed to stay away.

He just hoped she'd understand.