I don't own the Avengers or Harry Potter.
I do own my OC, please don't use her or copy her character.
Warning this fic will be AU and will be Fem Harry, there will also be Bad!Dumbledore and Dumbledore and most of the Weasley's bashing. I would also like to thank Aeroza for being the Beta Reader for this story.
But Fem Harry is not a horcrux in this fic.
Each chapter will be between 1500 and 2500 words long.
Previously
"How about it, Taylor, I'll sit with you on the floor and we can play together?" Natasha offered.
"Okay." Taylor nodded.
It didn't take Kinsley very long to put most of her sister's fears at ease, she shared her toys and included her without any issues and got their Mom and Bobbi playing too. Though Taylor's fears were not put permanently to rest for the first time that she could remember she felt happy and mostly safe.
There is Always Hope - Chapter 7
March to November 2007
It had been nine months since Bobbi and Maria had found Taylor in England, and got her back to her parents and sister. There had been many ups and downs as the Barton-Romanoff family got used to having it's fourth member back. Taylor had quickly gained trust in Natasha - her Mom, and her Aunt's Bobbi, Maria and Melinda, she also learned to trust that Kinsley practically worshiped the ground that she walked on and was always happy to play with her and share her things.
In fact the trouble with her little sister seemed to be trying to get some time away from her, when their parents weren't monitoring her as closely as they had been when Taylor had first arrived. However it was very slow progress at first with getting Taylor to trust Clint - her Dad and her Uncle Phil, as such when Natasha started taking on missions again a month after Taylor had come home she had to make sure that either Maria, Bobbi or Melinda was around to help Clint with Taylor.
All of Taylor's injuries had healed up nicely; her sprained ankle had stopped hurting first, and she had got the cast off her left wrist after six weeks. The doctor had shown her Mom how to do strengthening exercises on her wrist to build the muscle back up. Her back had scabbed over and now she had lots of scars running down her back, her parents had offered to see a plastic surgeon to see if the scars could be helped and made smaller.
When she refused they compromised by using a cream that would encourage the scar tissue to heal and regenerate, Taylor had agreed to this as it was unlikely the scars would fully disappear with this treatment. She wanted the scars to remind her of how she had got here and that she was strong enough to survive.
The malnourishment that had come from being starved and eating very little food for the first six years of her life, that was the thing that was taking the longest to fix. The doctor had given her parents a diet to get her weight and height back on track again, as well as vitamin supplements that she would have to take for the foreseeable future. It was however lucky that they had caught it now and it was promised that she would be able to catch up with her age group and then grow normally.
Over the next few months Taylor's trust grew in her Dad and Uncle Phil, so by the time July 31st came around Taylor's 7th birthday they were able to have a proper party for her. Without any worries that she might shy away from the men in her life, it was the first birthday party Taylor had ever had and she thoroughly enjoyed it.
Natasha and Clint loved having their oldest back with them where she belonged, though for a little while it felt like they were walking on eggshells around her and trying to get to know her. There was also Kinsley to consider, they had to make sure that she felt included so that she did start to resent her sister.
Surprisingly though it was Kinsley that took to all the changes the easiest, she didn't mind sharing her parents with her older sister and absolutely loved having her around. There were of course a few small problems, but Natasha was of the opinion that Kinsley was just young enough to accept all the changes easily and add the fact that she had grown up being told all about her older sister her whole life definitely helped.
November had seen Kinsley's 4th birthday, and they had a small party a lot like they had done for Taylor's a few months ago. It had also been when they had finally persuaded Taylor to show her intelligence in her studies, they had been homeschooling her as they wanted to give her time to adjust to everything.
December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Kitchen, 08:33
It was coming up to Christmas and the apartment was lit up and decorated with tinsel and other Christmas decorations, Clint and Natasha were determined to make it special as it was Taylor's first Christmas with them.
"Breakfast girls," Natasha called.
Pancakes were always a good way to start the day, or so Clint thought and as it was his turn to decide on breakfast pancakes were a common choice with both him and Kinsley. Taylor seemed to have developed a taste for a traditional English breakfast with sausages, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns while she was living in England so she would always choose that when it was her turn.
They heard the sounds of both girls leaving their rooms and running through to the kitchen, though it was a rule to walk inside Natasha didn't enforce it all the time.
"Pancakes! Yay." Kinsley squealed as she scrambled up on to her chair, Clint quickly stepping up to help her so she didn't hurt herself.
"Morning Mom, Dad," Taylor said, sitting down more calmly than her sister.
"Morning Tay," Natasha replied, with Clint echoing her.
"Would you girls with some fruit with your pancakes? I have strawberries and bananas cut up." Natasha asked, already knowing that Taylor would have some and Kinsley would refuse.
"No thanks, Mommy." Kinsley predictably refused.
"Kins, you should have some fruit. I'm going to have some." Clint said.
"Yes please Mom." Taylor requested.
Clint had grabbed some fruit and put some on his plate and his younger daughter's plate along with her pancakes, which already had maple syrup on. He shared a glance with Natasha as Taylor replied, her impeccable manners were left over from her time with the Dursley's. Apart from that time a few months back when she had started testing them, to see if they would live up to their word.
However after she was satisfied that they wouldn't hurt her or abandon her manners had returned and her room was always tidy, even when she would play with her toys they were always put away by bedtime.
After giving Taylor some fruit, Natasha sat down and ate her own breakfast, when they were all done Clint and Natasha got up to sort out the breakfast dishes.
"Girls, go and get dressed please. Call if you need any help." Clint told them.
"Okay Dad." Taylor agreed.
"Yes Daddy." Kinsley shouted, already running out of the kitchen.
"Kinsley, please don't run in the house." Natasha called after her, rolling her eyes at her younger daughter's exuberance.
"Sorry Mommy!" Kinsley shouted back.
Natasha sighed, "I'm not going to win with her am I? I tell her not to do one thing, then she goes and does another thing she know that she isn't supposed to do." She murmured to Clint.
"She's four Tasha, it's normal." Clint said, laughing at Natasha's pretend upset face at his words.
"Is it all still okay with Taylor's Christmas present?" Natasha asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, Bobbi is going to pick it up a week before Christmas and keep it until the 25th. She will bring it with her when she comes over on the day Maria, Melinda and Phil got her presents to go with it, so we will be all sorted." Clint confirmed.
It was only a couple of weeks until Christmas and both of the girls were excited, Kinsley had a list a mile long like she had done last year. They had already got both of the girl's presents sorted out, so now it was just a case of making sure neither of them found the ones that were in the apartment.
"Mommy? I need help with my dress… please." Kinsley called from her room.
"Okay, I'm coming Kins." Natasha replied walking out of the room toward Kinsley's room.
December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Living Room, 14:09
"Snap!" Taylor said happily looking down at the cards that were between her and Kinsley.
Kinsley huffed but pulled the pile of cards towards her and restarted the game, "I am still going to beat you Tay." She said with all her four year old stubbornness.
"Okay, if you say so Kins," Taylor said teasingly.
Natasha and Clint were sitting on the couch watching the girls play, this was what they had hoped for ever since Taylor had been found. She was so much better but she was still having some difficulties, this was just proving how much she had improved. Their children's childish giggling was interrupted by Natasha's phone ringing, both girls looked at their parents. They knew that quite a lot of the time phone calls would mean one of their parents going away for an unknown amount of time. What with Christmas so close this made them more nervous than normal.
"Romanoff," Natasha answered.
"I need you to come in. There is a mission that has just come up and it needs someone with your skill set Natasha, I'm sorry I know you were hoping to have this time off." Came Nick Fury's voice.
"I understand, I will be on base soon." Natasha agreed.
"The mission should finish before Christmas Romanoff." Fury said before hanging up, not giving her a chance to reply.
"I'm sorry girls, I have to go into work. But I have been told that I should be finished before Christmas, I will do everything I can to get back okay?" Natasha explained to her daughters, who were both watching her unhappily.
"I don't want you to go Mommy." Kinsley said, coming over and hugging her.
"I know you don't sweetheart, I have to go and help people you know that it is important." Natasha explained, again this was something that both she and Clint had told their children before.
"Can't someone else do it, just this time Mom?" Taylor asked quietly from where she had moved to lean against her Dad's side on the sofa, this also proved just how far she had come since being back with her parents.
"No Tay, not this time. My skills are a bit different from everyone else and Nick, you remember him? He needs my skills to do this job." Natasha told her gently, going over to hug her eldest.
"Yes I remember him." Taylor replied.
"Okay, I have to go get ready." Natasha said, getting up and leaving the room.
"Girls wait here, I need to go speak to your Mommy quickly. Maybe you can play the rest of your game?" Clint suggested, then left to go and join Natasha in their room.
December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Master Bedroom, 14:32
"Hey Tasha, do you think you will be back in time?" Clint asked after closing the door to their room.
"I don't know, I don't have any details yet… just that Fury wants me in now and he said that the mission should be over before Christmas." Natasha told him, checking her gun.
"I'm sure it will work out Tasha." Clint said.
"I don't want to miss this Clint, it is Taylor's first Christmas with us. Hell it is basically her first Christmas full stop as the Dursley's didn't let her celebrate Christmas!" Natasha exclaimed, checking her go bag before zipping it closed.
"Tasha! Focus, it will be okay. You'll do this mission and get back home in one piece before Christmas, but you need to focus, I don't want to have you come home injured. Taylor and Kinsley will be fine while you are away, I promise." Clint told her firmly.
Natasha took a breath and then nodded, "Okay, the quicker I go the quicker I can get back." Natasha agreed and then headed out the door of their room.
December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Hallway, 14:41
"I love you girls, I will do my best to be back for Christmas okay? You two be good for your Dad please?" Natasha requested, hugging first Kinsley and then Taylor.
"I will try Mommy." Kinsley said seriously.
Taylor just nodded in agreement, "Be careful Mommy." She asked.
"I know you will Kins and yes Tay I will be very careful. See you later Clint." Natasha said before going out the door and heading for her car to drive to the nearest SHIELD base.
I am so sorry that it has been so long since I have updated this story! I have just seen that it has been almost a whole year! My life has been super busy, but now life normal life has basically ground to a halt so I am hoping to get some more chapters out soon.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I would love to hear what you think Taylor's Christmas present will be and if Natasha will make it back for Christmas?
Firefly