Author's Note – Enjoy!
Link to the Past – Bridge to the Future
Darcy slipped out of the lab as Tony and Jane haggled over appropriate bribes. She would have to remember to thank her friend later. Jane got it. It wasn't that Darcy didn't appreciate Tony or his attempts to 'cheer her up', but he tended to go overboard…way overboard. Right now, she wanted some kind of normality. The constant check-ups and sympathetic, sideways looks were beginning to unnerve her.
How was she supposed to go back to normal if everyone kept treating her like glass?
Okay, yes, she was having nightmares and bouts of insomnia, but still… Wasn't that was kind of to be expected?
And yes, it had only been a few days. She'd been held prisoner, trapped in that room, she got that, but she hadn't been assaulted or physically abused in any way, and she really, really wanted to breathe without people getting antsy. The crying jag had happened, and it was done. Could she please just relax? People murmured and whispered, but it wasn't like she was pretending it didn't happen. She just didn't plan to dwell on it…brood over it…whine about it. The idea made her grimace.
She figured if you worked with heroes then you accepted the bad and the good and got over it.
At least Clint had taken the hint. He turned her loose this morning and headed down to the gym levels of the Tower in order to do some shooting and maybe spar with Steve. She'd had to ask him about that one, but he said sparring with Steve helped him keep up with the superhuman villains. Her mind shied away from that thought. Clint was the 'normal' Avenger…no super serum, no suit, no nothing other than flawless aim. If she thought about it too long she would panic over the whole idea, so she put it in a box in the back of her mind and tried to forget the entire concept.
Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't, but she tried.
Of course, she knew he had JARVIS keeping an eye on her and sending up regular reports, but since he was doing the exact same thing for Coulson, she could overlook it. JARVIS stayed discreet, Clint stayed subtle, and she could pretend. It worked for her and kept Clint calm and happy…they were good. She wasn't going to complain – after all, he was the one helping her deal with the nightmares. If having the local AI keep tabs on her made him feel better about it, then so be it. Both of them got face time and free time and nobody got hurt.
A thought hit her. One face had been conspicuously absent over the past few days. Darcy stopped in the center of the hallway, head tilting to one side as she slowly flipped through her memory and tried to remember the last time she had seen Tasha.
"JARVIS?" Darcy put her hands on her hips. She could not remember seeing her red-headed, self-proclaimed big sister since the day of her rescue.
"Yes, Miss Lewis?"
"Where's Tasha?" Really, Darcy could just about smack herself. She knew Tasha had taken the kidnapping and Belova badly, but Darcy had been too busy trying to convince everyone she was fine to keep tabs on the whole household. Everyone else checked on her or 'dropped by' at least once a day.
There had been no Tasha.
"Agent Romanoff is currently located in the shooting range." The AI paused. "If I may, I should inform you that Agent Romanoff has spent a great deal of time there in the past few days."
"She's still blaming herself, isn't she?" Darcy sighed.
"I believe that would be an accurate interpretation of her actions."
Darcy gave herself a shake and headed for the elevator. "I guess I should go have a talk with her then."
Something deep inside of her began to hum – almost as though a sleeping part of her soul began to stretch and awaken. She pondered and mused over the sensations as the elevator carried her down to the range. Her thoughts were distracted as a light bell signaled her arrival. The doors opened.
"Go away." Tasha never looked around from where she stood, methodically reloading a gun.
"No," Darcy replied simply, refocusing on the task in front of her. The slowly wakening part of her roared to life as she took in Tasha's pale face, carefully blank eyes, and the tremor in her hands as she met Darcy's gaze. She only had a moment before Tasha glanced down, refusing to meet her eyes.
Darcy stepped up beside her. "It was not your fault," she told the other woman firmly. "If I have to remind you of that every day for a year, I will."
"Belova…" Tasha's voice trailed off. "She'll be back." Clouded green eyes lifted to look directly at Darcy.
A shiver ran down her spine, but she ignored it. "I kind of expected to hear that," she acknowledged. "There's not much reason of doing a…a…test run sort of thing without making plans for the real McCoy. And yes, I can see where it's something to worry about."
"You should worry!" Tasha snapped.
"What do you want me to tell you?" Darcy demanded. "That the whole idea of being held like that scares me? That I'm having nightmares over it? Then yes, I'm worried and scared and waking up shaking like a leaf." She stopped and took a deep breath. Calm down, she told herself. Not now. "But you know what? I remind myself that I have a man who will go through anything to get me back. I picture an entire team…family worth of kickass heroes who will take the world apart to find me – including my badass big sister. Yelena Belova came after me to get to you, but she's an idiot and in an attempt to challenge you? She's already lost."
"Why?"
Tasha's soft voice almost broke Darcy's heart with its uncertainty. She firmed her lips and reached out to touch Tasha's arm. "Because she's still stuck in the old, go it alone mindset. It makes her vulnerable and weak because she can't adapt and no one is covering her weak spots. You're better than she is because you're adaptable and you've learned how to be part of a team. You don't have to cover all the bases because the team will do it for you. You can concentrate on your strengths while she has to split her attention." Darcy shook her head. "You are so totally going to kick her ass."
A small huff of laughter escaped from Tasha before she could prevent it. She moved forward to give Darcy a quick, hard hug and then stepped away. "I need to-"
"Take a nap."
"No," Tasha demurred. "There are still-"
"You are going to take a nap," Darcy insisted firmly, overriding any attempt Tasha made at arguing. Taking Tasha's arm firmly in her own, she began hauling her out of the shooting range and into the elevator. "You can lie down on the couch and catch some sleep while I do my share on Phil-watch." Her eyes darted to a nearby camera. "JARVIS, let Clint know, okay?"
"Yes, Miss Lewis."
"God I love living in a place like this," she murmured before wrinkling her nose at all of the buttons on the elevator, "but he better wake up soon so we can go back to the mansion full time. I miss my balcony…and this back and forth thing is getting a little old."
Tasha let herself be pulled along, guilt still lingering in her eyes. "Clint would take you back tonight."
"Yep, but I'm not going back until you do." Tasha stiffened and Darcy turned a serious look on her. "I meant what I said. It wasn't your fault and I'm going to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it until you actually hear what I'm saying to you." They stepped out of the elevator and turned into Coulson's room. Both women automatically looked at the figure on the bed even though they knew JARVIS would have sounded an 'all hands' call if he had woken up. One corner of Darcy's mouth twitched up in a rueful smile. "I keep expecting him to be giving me that understated but thoroughly exasperated look of 'what did you do now'."
"He does it quite well." An actual touch of humor flickered in Tasha's eyes. "Clint and I have probably seen a dozen versions of it."
"I want to see the two of you talking one day," Darcy chuckled. "Both of you say more in restrained looks and eyebrows than most people say in thirty minutes of nonstop jabber. I can't even begin to imagine both of you together."
Tasha shook her head and let the younger woman convince her to lie down. Ordering the lights to half power, Darcy moved over and sat in the chair at Coulson's bedside. Silence filled the room as she relaxed and kept an eye on both of her friends.
"You know," Darcy said quietly to the still form beside her. She kept her voice low so as not to disturb Tasha, though she doubted the other woman had actually relaxed enough to sleep. "I seriously need you to wake up right about now. Someone has got to start running interference with SHIELD and I am not that person." Her lips twitched. "Especially not after I slapped Fury…although I think I got bonus points with Hill. She actually smiles at me when we meet. Clint says I'll know I'm in her good graces when I get permission to call her Maria." Thoughts of the other woman led her to consider another brunette. "Oh…I also need you up and running to help me with a different issue. I think we need to see if we can pull Betty Ross into our little group. I know that means getting around the oh-so-lovely General Ross, but…well, I think we need someone who is totally on Bruce's side."
She grimaced. "That sounded wrong. What I meant was we need someone Bruce knows is totally on his side. We're all here for everybody, but I don't think everyone believes that in their heart of hearts." Lifting up her hands, she began ticking off different points. "Tony still expects us to leave half the time. Thor is dealing with Loki fallout and Bruce…I think he thinks one day we'll get tired of him and Hulk and toss him to the wolves." She heaved a sigh. "Thor has Jane, Tony has Pepper, and the twins…they know the other will always be there. Steve," she paused, eyes thoughtful. "I wonder if Steve worries he'll wake up one day to find us all gone…"
"He would know we didn't disappear deliberately though, and I can't say the same for the rest." She leaned forward, resting her forearms on the bed. "Clint, Jane, Tasha, Thor, and probably Steve all trust me to be here for the long run. Pepper and Tony are mostly in each other's orbit, but they're beginning to expand that to include the rest of us. Bruce though…we need someone he accepts as solidly in his corner." Her eyes fixed on Coulson's face. "So, yeah, anytime now would be dandy, Agent iPod Thief. I've only got so many eyes, ears, and hands, even if they are superbly supported by JARVIS." A chuckle slipped out of her. "Besides, like I said, I'm doing the whole avoidance thing on Fury. He is totally going to be your baby."
She fell silent, letting herself relax and drift from one thought to another. Her mind finally settled on Yggsdrasil and her constellation of lights. The whole abduction thing had postponed her talk with the others about Heimdall and Lady Frigga, but sooner or later she would need to explain. Thor was being fantastic about letting her talk in her own time, but Sif and the Warriors Three seemed destined to drop in fairly often, so it was only a matter of time before something was said. She also had to figure out the whole scene with Lord Odin - that had really confused her after she'd finally taken a moment to think about it. He seemed awfully…content…happy even about Thor's officially adopting her.
Now she if she could figure out what that meant.
She shook her head. Maybe if she could determine more about the lights, then it would begin to open up ideas on all of the other mysteries Asgard apparently wanted to throw her way. Closing her eyes and straightening, she focused on her memory of the twelve spheres of light. Clint's remained the brightest in her mind with his bright gold and deep purple, his passion and strength always making her feel safe no matter what. Right next to his came Tasha's yellow light pulsating with red and purple flecks giving Darcy the feeling of carefully contained energy waiting to be released into action. Further up rested Jane's bright silver sphere with its hints of pink giving an effervescent excitement and restless searching sensation to the whole constellation. Thor's sphere remained near hers and his darker gold held familial warmth.
Eight unknown spheres remained to be identified, but with what she knew of the first four, she would lay good odds that most of the others involved the Avengers in some way. She let the lights flow through her mind, pondering each one. The three dim ones she dismissed for now. They didn't provide anything for her to consider. She mused over the low, steady one for a few moments. Its blue surface held thin lines of gold and silver crisscrossing like a web…or maybe a labyrinth. There came to her a sense of truth tempered by a calm maturity. There seemed to be some kind of shape in hovering over the surface, but she couldn't quite make it out. She thought about moving on, but this particular sphere held her and something within nudged her to stay.
A light began to flicker deep within its heart and the shape became clearer. It looked like…an elephant? Who on-?
"Are you okay?"
The unexpected question brought Darcy to her feet with a gasp. She spun around, only to give a startled laugh as she found Steve standing in the doorway. He started to smile sheepishly, hands coming up in a gesture of peace. Then he froze. Concern flickered in his eyes as they focused on a spot behind her, but he remained still. Darcy glanced back.
Tasha stood there, eyes flat and blank, gun pointed unerringly for the spot between Steve's eyes.
Darcy clamped down on her reaction as adrenaline shot through her. "Oh, okay, let's all calm down," she began saying, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Its okay, Tasha…it's just Steve. He startled me, that's all."
Something flickered in that flat gaze. Tasha blinked. Her shoulders relaxed slowly and she lowered her weapon bit by bit, almost as though she was arguing with an internal voice. Finally the gun slipped to point towards the floor and Darcy blew out a breath. Tasha blinked once more and then put the gun away. "Captain," she remarked quietly, nodding at him.
"Nat," he replied calmly. "Didn't mean to startle you."
A conflict of emotions appeared on her face briefly before she regained control. She lifted an eyebrow and then admitted, "I've been on edge."
"I know," he nodded. Darcy slipped back onto her seat, letting the two of them talk it out. She had no doubt they followed her every move, but she was trying to be as nondescript as possible. Tasha's stress level might be a family thing to her, but it could also affect her in the field and that fell under Steve's job as leader. As she watched, Steve's blue eyes narrowed a bit. "Do you need to get out on a job or….?" His voice trailed off, leaving the question open-ended.
Tasha considered before shaking her head. "Only if it's a necessary one. I'd be more of a liability at the moment."
"Okay," he agreed slowly. "You still need to push past this though." He rubbed his jaw. "No more range work," he ordered. "Starting tomorrow we need to change up your workouts. We'll split your days – ballet, meditation, and sparring with me."
Something in the spy eased, as though she had been waiting on something like this. "Agreed."
"Good," he smiled.
Darcy had no idea what had just happened, but since both of them were content with it, she could go with the flow. It certainly seemed like Steve was aware of Tasha's mindset and knew what steps to take to break through to her. Darcy could only figure it had something to do with both of them being soldiers – unusual as all get out, but still soldiers.
"Hello," Clint's curious voice floated into the room a few seconds before he ambled through the door. "We having a meeting?" He moved over to Darcy and brushed a kiss over her temple even as he shifted a concerned look between his partner and their leader.
"Nope," she smiled up at him. "Steve startled us and Tasha had a gun."
His eyebrows went up, but his voice stayed light. "No shooting Steve, Tash," he admonished. "He does half the paperwork." They all laughed. "Still, if Steve's managed to irritate you that much, I think JARVIS could make up a target for you." His mouth curved into a smirk. "Like the one he did of Tony."
"Hey!" Tony scowled as he stepped into the room. "No shooting me. It's a rule in any of my places." He tapped his chin with one finger. "Unless the ladies would like to start shooting kisses my way. I could make an exception then. I'll put up a sign and everything."
Darcy shook her head and shifted herself over to sit on the bed. Even as Clint took her vacated spot in the chair, she patted Coulson's arm. "Sorry, but it looks like the entire three ring circus is coming to visit now."
"I call ringmaster," Tony waved his hand as more of the group joined them.
"No," Tasha replied immediately.
"Aw," the billionaire whined. "Spoil my fun."
"You'd make a really good clown though," she mused.
He made a face. "I hate clowns."
"Well, Tasha's obviously the tightrope walker while I'm the acrobat and stunt performer," Clint told him cheerfully. "Steve's the strongman, Thor gets to do the light show, and Bruce is the guy behind the scenes who thinks the rest of us are crazy."
"So I can be ringmaster," Tony argued.
"No." Pepper, Clint, and Jane chorused. He pouted at them.
"Personally," Darcy chimed in mischievously, "while I think Tony looks dashing in a top hat, I think maybe he should consider how Pepper would look as ringmaster."
Pepper gave her a look promising dire retribution as Tony's eyes lit up and he muttered something about scheduling a costume party, but Darcy was too busy repressing a giggle as Tasha and Clint flinched in perfect harmony. She opened her mouth to toss something else into the mix, but someone touched her hand. She looked around…down…
…and met a hazy, confused pair of gray-blue eyes.