A/N: Hope you are enjoying this story and enjoy this next update! -Cat

Chapter Sixteen

Steve

"That man has no regard for lawn maintainence." Tony says shaking his head. We turn away from Thor's dramatic exit, and walk back towards the drive, "I'm gonna miss him though…. and you're gonna miss me. There are gonna be a lot of manly tears."

He clicks a button and his exotic car pulls its self up to the curb. I look at him, he really is unexplainable, "I will miss you, Tony," I say, genuinely meaning it.

"Yeah?" Of course, he sounds skeptical, "Well," He shrugs, "It's time for me to tap out. Maybe I should take a page out of Barton's book, build Pepper a farm." He gets this far away look in his eye. "Hope nobody blows it up," Back to old Tony though.

I smile at him, "The simple life?"

"You'll get there one day," He says to me. And I honestly think he is being genuine in his hope for me.

I look away, "I dunno," I shrug, looking back at my friend, "Family, stability. The guy who wanted that went into the ice seventy-five years ago. I think someone else came out."

Tony nods, starts to get into his car and hesitates, looking back at me. "You alright?"

I look around. I can smell the fresh grass, hear them running drills in the background. I take a deep breath, I shrug looking at him, a small smile pulling at my lips. "I'm home,"

She stands alone. Since Sokovia she has totally isolated herself. I was worried. Barton told me not too.

"Nat will be fine. Trust me. This is the best place she could be. She needs… to know she isn't alone." Barton looked up at me. I had stopped him as he was preparing to catch a helicopter back to his home and family. He was well deserving of a rest.

"Maybe you should stay a while... for her," I suggest. Looking at his bags, "You seem to be the only one she really trusts. I don't think that will change now." I feel rage. An unbridled rage coursing through my veins at Banner. For leaving her. I trusted him. I told him to look after her and he ended up hurting her worse than I could have predicted.

Barton was already shaking his head, "Laura will kill me if I miss Nathaniel's birth. I gotta go home. I have had my fill of Avenging. And as far as Nat goes... You'd be surprised who she trusts." He hefted a bag on his shoulder and I grab the other for him, he looks at me, as if appraising me, "Besides, she's got you to look after her."

As I watched the chopper fly away into the horizon I realize that Barton hadn't questioned my interest in Natasha's well being. Hadn't even blinked an eye. Natasha and Clint weren't like that. They questioned everything.

Now I stand looking at her. Her arms crossed, looking totally alone, closed off. She is here. She is staying here. Barton's lofty words float through my mind, 'She's got you to look after her.'

"Wanna keep staring at the wall, or do you wanna go to work?" I say. She turns and looks at me, I can't help but let a smile pull at my lips as I look at her. I would be lying to say I am not thrilled she is staying here… with me. They can all leave, Banner, Thor, Tony, Barton. I realize I only need one other Avenger to feel whole. To feel like I am home, "I mean it is a pretty interesting wall."

She rolls her eyes, walking towards me, "I thought you and Tony were still gazing into each other's eyes." Her strength astounds me. "How do we look?" She asks taking the tablet from me, walking briskly at my side.

"Well, we're not the '27 Yankees," I say. She doesn't even look at me when I make the reference. I can be completely myself with her and she never bats an eye. Maybe pokes fun but never makes me feel out of place.

She doesn't look up from the tablet before she responds, "We've got some hitters,"

"They're good," I look at her, "They're not a team."

"Let's beat 'em into shape." She says glancing up at me, smiling.