See Chapter One for Disclaimer
Six Months Later
Maddie rolled her eyes, a pro, after all this time, at multi-tasking. She fumbled in her bag for her house key, phone perched precariously between her shoulder and ear. She hopped up her front steps, sneakers scuffing against the pavement as she almost missed a step.
Maybe she wasn't THAT great at multitasking.
"Yes," Maddie interrupted the loud ranting, I'll be at the thing, and yes, I'll wear a dress. We've already had this conversation, and I've promised to be on my best behavior, what else do you want from me?" Maddie dropped her bag on the ground and squat down next to it, moving her phone to one hand so she could peer into her cluttered handbag, listening as she searched.
"Yeah, well, my attitude, considering you've decided to make my pen names useless by outing me in front of a bunch of strangers as a famous author, when I very much enjoy being a low level reporter, is about as good as its going to get." She snapped, grinning when her house key finally revealed itself. She wiped her hands on her dark jeans as she rose, leaving her bag, for the moment on the ground.
"I know how hard it's been, benny," Maddie attempted to placate, "with your best client refusing to do book signings and press tours, but you also know when you signed me that I didn't want to be famous. I just wanted to write. I'm only losing the pen names because you asked me to, because I know how helpful it will be for you." Her front door opened after only a few moments of fumbling, and she grinned, tossing her key back into her bag and kicking the whole thing into the house. "Yeah, whatever. No thanks necessary." She huffed, following her bag inside, shutting the door behind her and locking it quickly. After a moment, she unlocked it.
"Just promise me I won't have to stay any longer than absolutely necessary…okay deal." Maddie moved her bag to the entry table in her foyer, toeing off her sneakers, and pulling her hoodie over her head.
"I'll even throw in a few dances." Maddie smirked. She rolled her eyes at the huffy response she got to that statement.
"Yeah, I've got a date. He's super hot too, so get off my back." Maddie padded towards the living room, shoulders sagging in relief at the thought of hanging up and not having to deal with dumb benny for at least two hours.
"Yeah, I'll see you tonight. I hate you. Bye." Maddie hung up on her boss, and threw her phone, covering her eyes with a loud groan, waiting for the thump that meant her phone had hit the wall. But the thump never came.
Instead of the thump, someone cleared their throat…very loudly.
Which wouldn't have been so weird had the throat clearing sounded female, because Maddie didn't exactly live alone.
But the sound very obviously came from a male, and her roommates were female…so it was weird.
Maddie's eyes snapped open, and she stared blankly at her empty kitchen.
"Over here," The voice said dryly, and Maddie turned, eyes widening at her definitely NOT empty living room.
"You have a date?" Pietro Maximoff, looking much too comfortable on her couch, wiggled his eyebrows.
A super hot date?" Pietro's sister Wanda, seated next to him, crossed her arms.
"Please….I'd love to meet him." Maddie shot a grimace at Steve, who was holding her phone in one hand so tightly that she was surprised it hadn't snapped in two yet.
"Nope." Clint poked Steve's thigh, too lazy to move from the spot he'd claimed on Maddie's loveseat. He shook his head meaningfully when Steve looked down at him. "Trust me, no you don't."
"I would." Steve's eyes narrowed, his arms crossed, his gaze snapping back to Maddie. He tossed her phone back to her. "I'd love to meet him."
Maddie chose to ignore Steve in favor of glaring at Clint, who blinked innocently at her. "Clint Barton, you rat." She huffed. "Why did you let these people in my house?"
"It's not my fault." Clint raised his arms innocently. "They forced me to tell them."
Maddie blinked at the dumb idiot, and Clint sighed again. "They asked nicely, and I figured it was a good time to get the gang back together," He finally admitted, Maddie's lips tightened.
"You did, huh?" She stepped forward slowly, her unwanted intruders watching her approach warily. "You didn't think that maybe I'd be busy? That I'd have other," Maddie paused and raised an eyebrow meaningfully, "guests?"
"The thought occurred to me," Clint shrugged, crossing his arms. "But then I decided I didn't care."
Maddie shook her head, pausing at the sound of her front door opening and closing.
A moment later a young woman appeared, wearing a white blouse and black skirt, holding a pair of black heels in her hand. Her bright red hair was falling out of what might've once been a neat bun. She squinted at everyone, then turned to Maddie.
"Whoa," She said numbly. "I've never seen so many people in our living room before.
Maddie smirked tiredly. "Ken," She huffed, "Meet my past."
"Sup." The woman greeted, before turning away from the group to move down the hallway. "Your past is hot, Mads," She called over her shoulder, and Maddie chuckled.
"I'm aware," She agreed dryly.
"And yet," The woman paused in front of a doorway to wiggle her eyebrows mischievously at Maddie. "The future is hotter."
"Agreed." Maddie scrunched her nose at Clint, and he grimaced.
"Gross." He shook his head, but Steve perked up.
"Are you referring to the hot date Mads has tonight?" Steve directed his question to the woman, who seemed much more willing to speak than Maddie. Maddie made a face, but stayed silent.
"That would be the guy." The woman confirmed with a grin. "Hottie, is his name, and he and Maddie have been hopelessly attached since I've known them. I, on the other hand, am Maddie's very single roommate." She leered at Steve.
"No you're not." Maddie shook her head. "That's a lie."
"I could be single," Her roommate amended, still staring at Steve.
"Except you're not," Maddie watched her roommate wiggled her eyebrows at a very uncomfortable Steve with a smirk. "Kennedy." She finally said sharply, giving Steve a break. "Go away before I ground you."
"Hmph. Fine." Kennedy shot Steve one last wink, then flounced into a room and slammed the door shut.
"She's fun." Pietro said brightly after a moment. Maddie turned to Pietro, smiling.
"She is, isn't she?" Maddie agreed, arms crossing. This was one estranged Avenger she was more than happy to see. "Hey Pie."
"Maddie." Pietro grinned and stood up from the couch, moving forward to wrap a friendly arm around Maddie. She grimaced, because physical contact, but let it happen, because she HAD missed Pietro, a little bit.
Maddie's front door opened and closed once more, and Maddie grunted. "Who is it NOW?" She called out, and two deep chuckles had her relaxing.
Her annoying, estranged, ex co workers, made a face at the two men that joined the party, both of them wearing navy uniforms, very similar to that of a police officer, although there were no labels or identifying marks. One of the men, the taller of the two, took off his aviater sunglasses with a smile.
"Is this a bad time?" He asked lightly, his question directed at Maddie.
"Yes," Maddie answered immediately.
"The more the merrier!" Clint spoke over her, shooting the two newcomers an easy smile. "Hey guys. Good to see you."
The tall one flicked his long hair out of his eyes and returned Clint's smile. "Hey Clint. Who're your friends?" Though the question was vague, his eyes lingered on Wanda, who smiled slowly. Pietro coughed pointedly and plopped back onto the sofa, and Sam
"My old team," Clint waved at the group. "We're in town for a gala. You guys too?"
The tall one nodded, but the shorter one turned to Maddie, his blue eyes narrowed. "Are these individuals here by your invitation?"
Maddie crossed her arms and glared at her crowded living room, staring challengingly at Clint. "Nope." She answered promptly. "Not one of them."
The blue eyed man took in the room assessingly. "You want me to get rid of them?" He asked.
"Cas," The tall man chuckled. "These are the Avengers."
"I can take them." Cas said bluntly. He looked at Maddie, his arms crossed. "Shall I?"
Maddie thought for a moment, seeming to consider her friends proposal, but then she sighed. "No," She finally said, a little regretfully. "We'll let them be…for now."
"Wonderful." Sam Wilson rolled his eyes. "Mads, who are these guys?"
"Ugh, Introductions." Maddie waved a hand at the two men, and they moved to take a seat at her kitchen island, sinking onto barstools, Sam with relief and Cas still warily staring at Maddie's full living room. "Right, Tall One's Sam Winchester."
"Nice name," Wilson smirked.
"Yeah, you're hilarious." Maddie rolled her hands. "And the other one is Castiel, he was my roommate when I was in Kansas."
"You lived in Kansas?" Wanda asked, surprised. Pietro scrunched up his nose.
"Why?" He asked bluntly.
"I travel for work," Maddie made a face at Pietro. "I was in Kansas for a few months because of that. Now enough with the interrogation." Maddie pointed a finger. "Because If anything, I should be the one interrogating YOU."
"But we're boring." Wilson whined. "I'd much rather talk about what you've been doing the last few years."
"Or WHO you've been doing," Tasha muttered under her breath.
Clint shoved Tasha, and she shrugged. "What? It's a valid question."
"It's a valid question I refuse to answer," Maddie shook her head quickly.
"That's not something I really want to know," Wanda spoke up, and Steve nodded in agreement.
"I actually know the answer to that question," Sam raised two fingers," and Maddie threw her phone at him, the device smacking him in the side of the head.
"Ow!" He rubbed the spot and shot Maddie a betrayed look.
"Keep your whore mouth shut Winchester," She warned lowly. "Or there's more where that came from."
"What did he do now?"
In the midst of the interrogations and the phone throwing, the opening and closing of Maddie's door went unheard. But the new voice was unmistakeable.
"Sam's being mean to me," Maddie accused immediately, and the man who appeared, smile wide and wearing the same type of uniform as the other two non-avengers, had eyes only for Maddie.
Sam huffed loudly. "She threw her phone at my face."
"Eh," The man smirked. "Might be an improvement," He toed off his shoes and the ended up in a heap next to Maddie's, dropped a bag that thumped loudly and leaned against Maddie's purse, and then moved towards Maddie, not paying attention to the living room. "Leave Mads alone Sam, before I beat you."
Maddie shot Sam a smug grin, then her hand shot out, pausing the new guy from getting any closer to her. He frowned, almost a pout.
"What gives?" He asked.
"We have an audience," She said, looking obviously to the Avengers.
The man followed her gaze, stiffening nearly immediately. "That's a bigger audience than I'd expected," He said surprised, and Maddie nodded, her hand still on his chest.
"Yep," She rolled her eyes. "Apparently today is break into Maddie's house day."
"To be fair," He shot her a smile, "Your door is unlocked."
"Specifically for the three people I was expecting," She argued. "You, Scarf Man, and Lefty. Not for these idiots."
"And these idiots are?" He asked, and Maddie sighed.
"Right. More introductions. On the loveseat is Clint, you know him,"
"Clint," The man nodded and Clint made a face.
"Next to Clint is Natasha Romanoff, the couch is Wanda, Pietro Maximoff," The man's eyebrows rose, but he nodded at the twins, and they nodded back. Wanda smiled suddenly and shot Maddie a wink.
"Yeah I know," Maddie answered Wanda's unspoken question. "The guy on the end of the couch is Sam Wilson, and Steve Rogers is the idiot standing up." Steve's arms crossed as he considered the man in front of him, and his eyebrows lowered, his eyes squinting.
"The Avengers." The man nodded slowly, watching Steve with confused caution. Steve's glare just deepened. Sam Wilson shot Steve a confused look, and Clint stared at Steve and Dean in turns, a large smile on his face. "Right." Dean said slowly, moving a slight step closer to Maddie. Steve's fists clenched. "I forgot you knew them."
"Yep." Maddie crossed her arms sulkily. "Idiots, this is Dean Winchester, Sam's older brother."
Dean waved and smiled awkwardly. When no one said anything he turned to Maddie. "I'm gonna go change," He informed and Maddie checked the watch on her left hand.
"Smart move, we've gotta leave soon." She hesitated, and Dean waited to hear what else she had to say. As the pause lengthened, he didn't seem bothered, content just to watch her think.
"For the sake of full disclosure," she finally began slowly, "We do have a Code 23 on our hands."
The Avengers blinked dumbly, and Sam and Cas shared a look, but Dean's eyes widened dramatically, then narrowed into slits. He turned back to the Avengers assessingly, his eyes focusing on the men, passing Clint and Steve by, lingering for only a moment on Wilson, and then pausing on Pietro.
"Hmm." He said coldly as he stared Pietro down.
Pietro leaned back, looking confused. Wanda snickered into her hand.
And finally, Dean moved down the hallway, entering a door on the right and slamming the door shut behind him.
Whatever could CODE-23 mean?
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~CLC~