Quos amor verus tenuit

CHAPTER THREE: REUNITED

New Avengers Facility, 2023

Tony stopped his car when they arrived at the gates of the facility and pulled his car window down. His eyes glanced at Natasha for a second before drifting to the machine on his left, he had to extend his arm to click on the button. A few moments later, FRIDAY'S voice was heard. "Welcome to the Avengers Facility, please state your name."

"Tony Stark." He spoke into the microphone and an 'access granted' appeared on the small board of the machine.

"Welcome, Sexiest Avenger." FRIDAY said as it opened the portal. "It's been sad days without you here, Sir."

Natasha turned her head towards Tony, raising one of her eyebrows. "Sexiest Avenger? Sad without you? Really?"

"Where's the lie, though?" He shrugged and drove into the facility. "I mean, I don't think that I will ever have to change it, right? I'm the sexiest and the funniest."

"Oh, you absolutely are." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "That's obviously what everybody thinks. Although I do have some things that you don't."

"I know." He nodded in agreement and smacked his lips together. "I'd be such a hot woman." He paused, inhaled and quickly said. "Don't ever tell anyone I said that.

She laughed at him. "As long as you don't say anything about James, especially Steve."

"It's a promise, Red." He looked at her and gave her a genuine smile. He slowed his car, seeing Steve standing outside, and when he was about his level he stopped the car.

Natasha let out a soft sigh when she saw Steve standing there, looking beaten-up. He had barely changed, he hadn't even aged.

Tony rolled down the window again and looked up at Steve. "Why the long face?" He asked as he brushed his hand over his chin. "Let me guess: he turned into a baby."

Steve gave a slight nod. "Among other things, yeah. What are you doing here?" He hadn't noticed that Natasha was in the passenger seat.

Tony got out of his car and closed the door behind him before going to the trunk of his car. He ignored the soldier's question and said. "That's the EPR Paradox. Instead of pushing Lang through time, you might've wound up pushing time through Lang. It's tricky, dangerous. Somebody shoulda cautioned you against it.

With a sigh, Steve replied. "You did."

Stark looked at him with a surprised expression. "Oh, did I?" He asked, feigning ignorance. "Thank God I'm here. Regardless, I fixed it." He said as he held up his right hand with a device on it. "A fully functioning Time-Space GPS... I just want peace." He added making a peace sign with his fingers. "Turns out, resentment is corrosive and I hate it."

"Me too." The soldier said as he looked at Tony.

The billionaire paused before he began talking again. "We got a shot at getting these stones, but I gotta tell you my priorities, bring back what we lost? I hope, yes. Keep what I got, I have to, at all costs." He announced. "And... maybe not die trying will be nice."

Steve gave him a small smile and held out his hand. "Sounds like a deal." Tony looked at his hand and grabbed it to shake the deal out. He pulled his hand back and reached back into his truck to take something else out. He took out Cap's shield and held it out for him.

Rogers hesitated. "Tony..."

"Why? He made it for you." He said, talking about his father. "Plus, honestly, I have to get it out of the garage before Morgan takes it sledding."

Steve fitted his arm into the Shield which still looked good on him. "Thank you, Tony."

The said billionaire smiled at the older man and Steve did so, as well. None of them spoke, they just looked at each other. The scene was becoming a little awkward.

"Will you guys be gazing into each other's eyes for long? We've got a world to save." Natasha, who had gotten fed up, went out of the car to find them looking at each other, said with slight annoyance. The two men diverted their eyes to her, Tony smirked slightly whereas Steve's mouth fell open in shock. He hadn't expected to see her today, or at least right now.

"Nat..." He trailed off and put the Shield back in the truck before going around the car to where she was and pulled her into a hug. Natasha was surprised by his reaction, she didn't think he would take her in his arms. "I missed you." He breathed into her ear. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his body, returning his warm embrace. With her head on his shoulder and his arms engulfing her, it felt like home, he felt like home.

"I missed you, too." She whispered, closing her eyes and savoured the moment. She had missed his hugs, his voice, his smell, his big arms around her smaller frame. She was so happy to see him again that she forgot she lied to him for years. "How have you been?" She asked him once they pulled back.

"I've been good, how about you?" He said, putting one of his hands on her cheek.

Natasha smiled up at him and her brain chose this exact moment to remind her of their child. "G-Good." She said softly.

Steve didn't ask any more questions and pulled away to get his Shield that was now laying against Tony's car. The billionaire had pulled it out again and had closed his trunk before going inside and leaving the two lovebirds alone.

Rogers grabbed his shield and went inside, making sure that Natasha went along with him. "I'm really happy to see you." He told her as they entered the room where he and the others had previously tried to create time-travel.

She saw Tony and... Hulk and Bruce talk? She frowned slightly as she looked at the big green guy who was talking just like Bruce and who was wearing clothes. Steve chuckled when he saw the confusion on her face. "Yeah, that's new."

She nodded and Bruce smiled when he saw her. "Hey, Nat." He waved with one of his Hulky hands. "It's good to see you."

"Bet you don't even remember me." Scott said, coming from beside her and waving awkwardly. "We met at the airport, back then, in Germany."

"Yeah, I remember you." Natasha nodded. "You're Ant-Man, the guy who grows and shrinks, right?"

"Yeah, exactly!" Scott said with a smile, he was happy to know that at least somebody knew him. He beamed like a child on Christmas, he gave her thumbs up as he clicked his tongue.

She smiled awkwardly and looked over at Tony and Bruce. "When are we going?"

"Once I've built the machine and once the team is reunited." Tony said with a shrug as he removed his sunglasses from his face to look at her better.

"Who's getting Barton?" She then asked, he had went down the hill after losing his family. He had begun killing people and left rooms filled with blood and corpses. She had tried to keep an eye on him but he was frequently moving around the world. Rhodey had helped her track him but Barton had been too efficient. After some time, he told her to give up and after a while she did. She already had enough to worry about with James.

"We were kind of hoping you would." Steve said hesitatingly and he gave her an awkward look as he tilted his head. "If that isn't a bother, of course."

She let out a sigh as she looked outside of the huge window. "I don't know where he is. He keeps going on and off he radar, I can't know for sure when he'll show up next."

Tony let out a small gasp as he looked at Natasha. "Does he-"

"Yes!" She all but screamed at him. She cleared her throat when she felt everybody's eyes on her. Steve and Bruce narrowed their eyes at her and Tony. On the other hand, Scott didn't notice anything at all. Natasha then said. "Barton is not gonna be an option this time I fear."

"Why wouldn't I?" A voice from behind them asked. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Steve and Natasha turned around to find Clint standing there with Rhodey by his side. He was dressed in a black suit and had this new haircut that didn't really fit him. She was surprised to see him here and he looked as surprised as she was. She walked up to him and smiled slightly, she leaned and kissed his cheek softly. She turned around to look at the other men. "Well, I'm going to leave the time machineing to you." She informed them before going upstairs.

Rhodey followed her to the living room of the compound. "Hey, Nat." He called her out after her. "I didn't think you'd come." He said with a sympathetic smile and quickly glanced around in careful way. "How's James? Where is he?"

"At Tony's." She reassured him and smiled as she added in a lowered voice. "And he's been missing his uncle very much."

"I miss him, too." He paused and she sat down on the couch. "Already tired?"

"I woke up to Tony Stark in my house, begging me to come here. We've been in a car together for far too long. Do you know how long four hours are when you're in a car with him?"

"Trust me, I do." He chuckled and sat beside her. "Fine, I'll give it to you. Is that why you went up there?"

"Yeah. Also, I needed to be away from Steve." She looked at him. "He still doesn't know and I'm afraid as hell about his reaction."

"It's normal, Nat. It's because you're feeling guilty."

"You bet I am. This is not something small."

Rhodey grabbed her hand as he reassured her. "It's gonna be okay, I'm sure of it."

3 days later

Natasha was sat among the remaining avengers in one of the office-like rooms of the facility. "We found the how of this time heist, now we need to find the where and when." Steve said as he was standing in front of the holographic screen. They all gave information about what they each knew of the stones.

It took them some more days to settle it all.

They had all they needed by now, the how, the when and the where. They had split in different teams, Steve was with Tony and Scott whereas Natasha was with Clint, Rhodey and Nebula. Thor and Rocket was the third team.

They wrapped up for the night and all went to rest, tomorrow was going to be a big day for them and, hopefully, for the world.

"Can't sleep?" Steve's voice asked as he appeared beside Natasha on one of the balconies of the facility. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

She looked at him and nodded slightly. "I'm... terrified. What if something goes wrong?"

"What could go wrong?" Steve asked back, nudging her with his elbow a little bit.

"I don't know, one of us could die or- or could be stuck in the past. There's no way that everything is gonna go all right. I mean, have you seen our lives? When we think things are doing great, they just become worse." She said, looking back towards the ocean.

Steve looked at her and softly took her hand. "This is what life is all about. You shouldn't fear it, you should accept it. Whatever happens tomorrow, we have to remember that we're doing this, whatever it takes."

She closed her eyes slightly and repeated. "Yeah, whatever it takes."

He kissed her head softly. "Come on, we should rest."

Natasha was awoken by the clock situated on her bedside table. It was turned off before she could move. She opened her eyes and saw Steve laying under the sheets with her, both fully dressed. She smiled slightly at him but she couldn't help the fear that invaded her body. "Today's the day." She said.

"Yeah," Steve said. "Time to save the world.

True love will hold on to those whom it has held