A/N: Hi everyone! So sorry I haven't been updating lately! I've been EXTREMELY busy with stuff! Hope you enjoy this chapter! One more after this, then it's the end! Hope you enjoyed it!

And to my guest reviewer, Alara, no I don't read or watch Fullmetal Alchemist, but I based Baylee's reaction to being called 'short' off of Hancock where he Mary have trigger words that make them really angry. Thanks for your review! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers.

Chapter 13: Mistakes

It had been a week since Jackson and Reilly had moved into the Avengers Mansion, and it seemed to the other Avengers that Clint's charming cousin and their youngest team member were getting closer and closer. Because the world didn't need saving every day, and "there are other people that Fury can send out to do stuff, too", the team hadn't done much for the past week, pretty much hanging out in the mansion the entire time.

So today, Tony was just sitting around and talking with Pepper, who he'd convinced needed a couple of weeks off work, when Baylee and Jackson walked into the room. Shouting. Or rather, Baylee was shouting while Jackson repeatedly apologised for something.

"I'm guessing Natasha kicked them off their floor," Tony muttered to Pepper, who nodded in agreement as they turned to listen.

"I can't believe you would even say that!" Baylee shrieked.

"I already said that I'm sorry. What more do you want from me?" he retorted at half the volume of the younger girl.

"I don't know? Maybe a time machine so you can go back and fix your huge mistake!" Tony snorted at the creativity that Baylee had. Pepper shook her head at him and got up from the couch. She stood between the two teens in attempt to stop the yelling.

"Hey, what's going on, guys? What're you fighting about?" Pepper asked calmly.

"He said that my family apparently don't give a rat's ass about me because they shipped me off to a spy agency where they wouldn't ever see me again and I could get killed or raped or something!" Baylee half-screamed to Pepper, now on the verge of tears.

"I said I was sorry!" came Jackson's slightly quieter voice. Pepper looked at a loss for words and obviously wasn't expecting their fight to be about something like that.

"You're hiding something," and even voice sounded from the doorway. Everyone looked over to see CLint and Natasha walk into the room without Reilly, who was probably down for a sleep now. "I think it might be time, Baylee."

Baylee looked down as they got closer to her, and when Natasha walked right up to her and pulled her face up to look into her eyes, she felt that Clint was right, that they did need to know.

Gently removing Natasha's hand from he race, she walked over and sat down on the recliner across the room. After a client minute, she nodded to herself and looked up at the questioning and curious eyes.

"Okay. Well, yes, my parents did send me to a spy agency where I could potentially get killed. But I didn't beg them not to or anything. Even after all they'd done for me, I didn't really have much to say goodbye to there, anyway. I felt like it was time to start fresh and actually make some real friends," Baylee explained to the group.

As soon as Baylee started talking, Natasha and Clint were concentrating thoroughly on what she was saying, knowing that anyone like her would not give the full story. Once shed finished, it was only a second before the two turned to look at each other and start a silent conversation of their own.

"Well, you've kept a very big secret from us, Baylee. How exactly did you get in touch with Fury, may I ask?" Clint asked inquisitively, his voice soft and reassuring.

Baylee took a moment before answering. "Someone from SHIELD came to talk to my dad for some reason and happened to walk past my room. Apparently he somehow spotted my stash of knives in various well-hidden locations and alerted Fury, initially thinking that I was going to kill my family or something. I didn't lie about that, because he eventually offered me a job and I took it."

Clint nodded and looked back at Natasha for a second, before she nodded and broke their eye contact. Tony and Pepper had been silent for a while now, as had Jackson, and the first two didn't plan on speaking anytime soon.

Natasha walked over and sat on the recliner opposite Baylee, looking at the young girl.

"Do you remember them? Did you ever know them?" she asked quietly. If she didn't ever know her blood parents, Natasha could sympathise with her about that.

The teen shook her head sadly as she looked down again. Pepper gasped and Tony had a very sad look on his face.

Natasha looked over at Jackson, who was still standing in the same spot as before. He was so much like his cousin; neither knew when to stop sometimes. This time he'd gone too far, and the look on his face told her that he felt absolutely terrible about it now. Both she and Clint had noticed as soon as Baylee and Jackson met that there was something different between them than normal people, and as the week progressed, the feelings were getting stronger.

Everyone in the room felt their hearts break as Baylee let out a quiet sob and glistening tears streamed down her cheeks. Jackson caught Natasha's eye desperately and she nodded in Baylee's direction, signalling that he should come and sit with her.

He took hesitant steps over to the petite girl that currently resembled a lost child, terrified and miserable. He sat down in front of her, not moving his stare from the tiled floor. Jackson could hear Baylee whimpering, her body curled up and leaning on her side, and he struggled to keep tears of his own from spilling.

Finally looking up at her, Jackson felt the watery streams drop down his cheeks, completely devastated, and a hatred grew inside of him at his own actions. He knelt up to softly stroke her light brown hair, carefully brushing her gorgeous curls out of her face so she could see him. Baylee lifted her chocolate eyes to his green ones, stared for a second, then slapped his cheek before turning away.

Jackson was shocked for a second, but then fought with determination as he stood from the ground. He wrapped his hands around the middle of her arms and lifted her up from the recliner, trying his hardest to keep Baylee from kicking him. Her aim was true for many of the kicks, and Jackson was sure that there would be bruising tomorrow, but after the short-lived struggle, Baylee finally gave in.

Jackson picked her up from the couch, supporting her whole weigh as he held her upright, and wrapped his large arms around her small form. He could feel her tears soaking though his t-shirt as a new round of crying began. He stroked her hair, muttering near-silent words to attempt to calm her down.

As Baylee's crying quietened, Jackson could hear the others leaving the room to give them some alone time. After the elevator doors closed, the blonde moved the two of them to sit down on the recliner, Baylee curled and still clinging to his chest.

Her tears eventually came to a stop and he could no longer hear her whimpering. Jackson decided to start talking then.

"Baylee," he murmured to catch her attention. She let out a breathy sigh and hummed to show that she was listening.

"I am so, so sorry about saying that your family didn't care about you. I had no idea that you had such a lonely childhood or that you were adopted. If I did know, I wouldn't have commented on it. As I said last week when Stark was annoying you, I'm gonna look out for you, but it'd be a hell of a lot easier if I knew what was going on. And I know that I made a huge, stupid mistake, and I'll understand if you don't forgive me," Jackson muttered to her, reassuring yet upset.

Baylee looked up at him, her eyes slightly red from crying and shiny lines down her cheeks made by tears. They just stared at one another for a minute, Jackson hoping to the gods that she would forgive him, because he didn't know what he'd do without her around.

Suddenly, Baylee unexpectedly moved forward, making Jackson freeze as she pressed her soft lips to his. She pulled back only a second later, which led Jackson to think that maybe he imagined it. He stared at her wide-eyed.

"Did that just happen? Or am I dreaming?" he asked dazedly. Baylee shook her head and smiled slightly, confirming that it was real, before kissing him again, passionately this time. Jackson could taste her honey-flavoured lip balm and her salty tears on her lips as they moved against his own.

A few minutes passed before their little make-out session ended, and they both smiled at each other, Baylee shyly and Jackson almost ecstatically. The two of them sat on the recliner just staring at each other.

"I forgive you," Baylee smiled, and this time Jackson kissed her first.

Yay! They kissed! I'm actually pretty happy with how this chapter turned out! Only one more chapter left now! And there will be a sequel, but it may not be until after Christmas! In the next chapter, Natasha, Baylee and Pepper have a Girls' Night Out, where they will each reveal one secret! Please review!