Bruce, Bucky, and Sam were watching the platform for Steve's return. Bucky had a feeling that Steve wasn't going to come back, so he was surprised when a figure showed up. Looking more closely, however, the person wasn't as tall as Steve and not as broad in the shoulders. Puzzled, Bucky looked at Sam, who shrugged. Bruce, however, stared at the figure, his hand on the lever.

"No way," he said. His heart was hammering. The figure reached to remove their helmet, and Natasha's face was exposed.

"Holy shit," Sam said, recognizing her. Bruce moved towards her quickly.

"Hi," she said, smiling up at him. Bruce pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling himself start to cry.

"Nat," he said. "Nat, Nat, Nat." He felt like he was stuck on repeat, but he didn't care.

"I'm okay, Bruce," she promised, a couple of tears leaking out of her own eyes too.

"Come on," Bucky said, patting Sam's shoulder. "Let's give them a minute." They both turned, and that was when they saw the figure sitting on the bench. Bucky knew instantly who it was. They walked toward him, leaving Natasha and Bruce behind them.

"I can't believe it," Bruce kept saying, patting her head and arms affectionately. "I just...I thought you were gone. I tried so hard to bring you back, and here you are. What happened?"

"I jumped off a cliff, and instead of dying, I kind of just floated, like I was on water. To Clint, I looked dead, though, but I couldn't tell him I was alive. He left me there, and then Steve showed up. He let me use his pym particle to get here."

"Where is Steve?" Bruce asked her.

"He went to 1945," Natasha answered. They both caught sight of Sam talking to an old man then, and Natasha covered her mouth with her hands.

"Is that...?" Bruce started. She nodded and stepped forward. The elderly Steve saw her and smiled.

"You made it," he said. Natasha moved in to hug him.

"You look happy," she noted once she pulled back.

"I got to live my life," Steve said, smiling. Sam was standing there holding the shield that Steve had used countless times, a shocked look still on his face.

"I'm glad," Natasha said, kissing his cheek.

"Now go live yours," Steve told her.

"I will," she promised. She squeezed his hand one last time before rejoining Bruce.

"I'm glad you're back, Nat," Bruce said, looking at her intently. "Words can't even express...I'm just so happy."

"Me too," she smiled. She squeezed Bruce's hand tightly, knowing that they had a lot of talking to do once things settled down. There was just one other person she needed to see first.

...

Clint sat beside the rock he had used to mark Nat's makeshift grave. It was the first thing he had done upon returning from Tony's funeral. He wanted Nat to have just as much recognition. He and his family had stood around and shared favorite memories and stories of Nat together. She would have loved it. Clint rested his back against the tree, feeling the wind on his face. It still seemed surreal that she was gone. He couldn't get the image of her lying on the ground dead out of his mind either. It was affecting his sleep and ability to think at times. He stared off into space, thinking, when his younger son appeared before him.

"Dad?" Nathaniel said, poking him.

"Huh?" Clint asked, returning to the present. His son looked at him. "What's up, buddy?"

"Mum says lunch is ready," Nathaniel answered.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks," Clint said, reaching out to pat his son's shoulder. He would never know what their experience was like when they were gone from The Snap, and he hoped that they didn't remember it. They didn't seem to. Nathaniel walked ahead while Clint struggled to his feet.

"I know you did this for me," Clint said to the rock on the ground, hoping Nat could hear him. Nathaniel had painted Nat's name on it along with a flower. "But I still feel empty without you here." He turned to follow his son then, and he wondered how he was going to get through the day when he heard Nathaniel shout in excitement. Clint's head snapped up, and he saw a figure standing halfway from the house waiting for them. Nathaniel was running as fast as he could. Clint stared and blinked. Then he looked harder.

"No," he said to himself. It couldn't be. The figure bent to pick up Nathaniel and spin him around. Then Clint heard his son's words as he shouted with glee.

"Faster, Auntie Nat, faster!"

"Oh my God," Clint said, bursting into a run. "Nat?! Nat!" He saw the rest of his family come out of the house and shriek with amazement. Nat and Nathaniel hit the ground laughing, the spinning having made them dizzy and fall. Clint did a baseball style slide on his knees down beside them, grabbing Nat's face with his hands while Nathaniel squeezed her around the middle tightly.

"Nat?" Clint said, surveying her face. "Nat?"

"Yes, Clint. I'm Nat," she smirked.

All the emotion he had been feeling since her death rose to the surface, and he choked as he pulled her up and hugged her tightly.

"You're crushing me," she coughed, patting his back. Clint released her and let her breathe. He wiped at his eyes. By this time, Lila and Cooper were upon her, and Nat hugged them tightly and rocked them back and forth. Then Laura went in for a hug.

"This is the best surprise ever!" Cooper shouted.

"We thought you were gone," Lila said. "What happened?"

"It's a long story," Nat answered.

"Well, you're just in time for lunch," Laura said. "Come in and tell us about it."

"I'll be right behind you," Nat assured her. "I just want a minute with Clint."

"Okay," Laura nodded knowingly. She herded the children into the house. They went reluctantly. They were afraid if they looked away Nat would disappear again.

"Surprise," Nat said to Clint once they were inside.

"How is this possible?" he asked her. "That red faced jerkwad said a soul for a soul. How are you here right now?"

"You were right in that he was messing with us," Nat told him. "I didn't actually die although to you it looked like I had."

"And I left you there," Clint said. Somehow this made him feel worse.

"You disappeared after I fell," Nat explained. Clint remembered then he did come to in the middle of a shallow lake with the stone in his hand. The mountain had been nowhere to be seen.

"But I saw you..." he started. Her face. The blood.

"It wasn't real," she said firmly. "I was going to be stuck on Vormir forever until Steve showed up."

"Steve?"

"He returned the stone, and he found me. Well, I found him, but it doesn't matter. I'm here now," Nat smiled.

"I'm so sorry," Clint managed to say around the lump in his throat.

"For what? It was my decision. You and the others are my family, and I would do anything for my family. It was also the best thing I could have done to get rid of the red in my book," Nat told him, squeezing his arms tightly. "My sacrifice to bring everyone back was the ultimate atonement. I do not regret doing it. I feel free now."

"I hear what you're saying, but it still didn't feel good," Clint said.

"Well, then it's a good thing I didn't actually die, isn't it?" she asked, tilting her head at him and smiling. He couldn't help but smile back at her and chuckle. He had missed her so much.

"I saved you a seat, Auntie Nat!" Nathaniel called. "Beside me!"

"No, she's sitting beside me," Cooper interrupted.

"If she's sitting with anyone, it's me," Lila corrected.

"See? It was worth it," Nat said, gesturing. She went inside then, and Clint watched from the doorway as she made Nathaniel laugh as she gave him a noogie. Laura joined him as Nat explained her solution to the three children.

"I can sit beside two of you," she reasoned, "but the person who sits across from me gets the best view." This caused a kerfuffle between the children over who was going to sit across from her. Lila won.

"It's good to see you smiling again," Laura said, patting Clint's chest before going to sit at the table herself. Clint breathed in deep and exhaled. Nat caught his eye and winked, and he laughed. He couldn't ask for a better ending and a new beginning.

"Come on in, the water's warm," Nat called, teasing. He laughed again and went to join them. This was indeed the best surprise ever, a surprise to remember.

I may or may not add to this. I'm not sure yet. Thank you to those who did review. It meant a lot to me! I hope this chapter was just as good. If you like my ideas/writing, then don't hesitate to check out A Proper Goodbye and A Ghost Named Natasha ;)