Chapter 7 – Retrieving the Captain

Natasha walked along the run down streets to Clinton and Rose's apartment. She'd decided to leave the pub earlier, she was sick fed up on guys hitting on her. For a minute she'd forgotten why she hated pubs.

When she reached the apartment it was around eleven o'clock and the apartment was dark apart from a dull light creeping out from the gaps around Rose's door.

"Rose it's me," she called as she closed the door.

"Right," Rose called back from her bedroom door. Natasha knew she was standing there, by the door with a dagger in hand; she'd have done the same thing. She shook her head at the thought before lying down on the couch and bringing the blanket up around her.

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew Clinton was stumbling through the door. Natasha looked up at him before groaning and throwing her head back.

"Hey Red!" he slurred. Natasha glared at him.

"Are you drunk?" she asked raising an eyebrow. Clinton smiled with the same shit-eating grin as Clint's. That only confirmed that he was.

"No…" he waddled over to Natasha and whispered, "I'm gonna tell you a secret. I'm very drunk but don't tell Rose or that Red girl… what's her name? Natasha that's it." Natasha could smell the drink off of him. With a sigh Natasha swung her legs over the couch.

"Come on you, you need to go to bed," she pushed him towards the bedroom.

"But I don't wanna," Clinton pouted. Natasha ignored him and pushed him into his bedroom. When he was changed into his PJ bottoms she pushed him into the bed and stomped towards the living room.

"Natasha," he whined just as she was about to leave.

"What?!" she snapped. Clinton looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Stay, please."

"No."

"Please." Natasha sighed and rubbed her temple. Dam it. Why did it have to be the Clint version? With one look that's all it took to break her. Even this Clint had a hold over her.

"Fine," she walked back to the bed and climbed under the covers, "but if you try anything you're dead."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I don't take advantage of pretty girls; bed's just too big… I want Bobbie back…"

"No. No you don't, you call her you'll regret it. Now go to sleep."

The next morning Clinton woke with one hell of a hangover. Rose took a great pleasure in making as much noise as possible to make it hell. It was around one when someone knocked on the door. Rose opened it and ushered the other members of the Order of the Eagle into the small living room. They took off their civilian clothes to reveal their suits underneath. Rose quickly changed into hers and chucked one to Clinton and Natasha. Once everyone was ready they took off the vent cover and slid into the jet.

"So what's going on?" Natasha asked.

"We're going to move Captain America," Rose said slipping on a headset before pushing some buttons on the control panels.

"How didn't I know about this?" Clinton grumbled.

"You were out of your face, you wouldn't remember," Rose shrugged. Clinton grumbled and went to sit in one of the pilots seats.

"Oh no you don't," Jane pushed him out the way and sat down, "you're still drunk, you drank too much last night!"

"And you didn't?" Clinton scoffed.

"No because I know a little word I like to call limits!" Jane stressed the word. Clinton rolled his eyes and stomped to the back of the jet.

"Whatever," he muttered. Natasha stared after him before going to sit down beside Darcy and Betty. She'd just sat down when Rose started up the jet ignoring Clinton stropping in the back of the jet next to Coulson.

Five minutes later they were out of New York. Before Natasha even knew what was going on they were over the ocean and going supersonic. Natasha turned to Darcy who was closest to her.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Natasha had full expected him to be in some remote area of America he is Captain America after all! Darcy turned round to face Natasha. She was obviously slightly hung-over from the night before. So Clinton wasn't the only one. Rubbing her face she started to speak.

"We're going to London to get Cap back," she muttered. Natasha looked at Darcy carefully. In her dimension they were together but this dimension Darcy seemed to be taking no interest. With a sigh Natasha sat back and looked out the window. She just prayed she got back soon. She's missing them, all of them. Her team mates, her friends but most importantly her family. She could only pray to whatever gods that exist that they're all still safe and still alive. She can't imagine what this is doing to them, especially Clint. Natasha had a fair idea though. Rosie would be blaming herself and would be beating herself up over it, Clint would be mopping around the tower pretty much a wreck, Tony and Bruce would be stuck in the labs trying to figure out how to get her back, Thor would be trying to help but be making everything worse, Steve would be trying to help Clint and the girls would be looking on helplessly as they all slowly fell apart.

Natasha pulled the balaclava over her face as the ramp was lowered. This time Rose, Clinton, Coulson, Hill and herself would all be going to get the Captain. The cargo door slowly opened and as soon as it hit the ground they walked out. The cold air hit Natasha like a ton of bricks. Yes she maybe be Russian but it doesn't mean she likes the cold! She followed Rose, Clinton, Coulson and Hill through the quiet streets of London. It was around twelve at night and the outskirts of the city was dead. They made their way through the back streets sticking to the shadows and weapons out. Natasha scanned the streets, if something went wrong she'd need a way out, a way back to the jet.

They'd been walking for five minutes when they came across what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Natasha looked up to the broken windows of the warehouse. They were hiding him here? In an abandoned warehouse in a rundown part of London? Out of all the places to hide a super soldier they chose a warehouse. Defiantly not her choice of hiding place but what did she expect when she heard they were going to London? To find him in Buckingham palace?

She watched as Clinton put a code into a security pad she'd failed to see and do a facial scan. When he pulled away there was a tell tail bling before the doors started to slide open. So maybe this wasn't just you average abandoned warehouse, she'll give them that. One by one they filled into the warehouse. As soon as Natasha was in the door slammed shut. As they went Clinton entered more numbers into pads and did more facial scans. Natasha guessed he was turning off security protocols. Not long after they arrived at another metal door. This time The Order of the Eagle Agents went forward and placed their hands on the scanner. Once again there was a tell tail bling and the door slid open. They all started to walk inside, Natasha more carefully than the others. When she was inside she was greeted by the sight of the Captain standing up shield in hand.

"Captain." Rose nodded.

"You're early, very early." he grumbled still half asleep. Rose shrugged.

"Change of plans. Get packed and let's get going," Rose ordered. The Captain nodded and went to get his bags he'd packed just before he went to bed, only a couple of hours ago.

Natasha studied the Captain carefully. Thankfully in this dimension he had the super soldier serum. So that part of history was ok. Maybe if she could pin point where it all went wrong she could help make it better. If she helped here that would wipe away a lot of red from her ledger. But it's not all about that. These people, not just the Avengers, shouldn't have to live in fear that they're going to get killed. No one should. She knows what it's like and it's the worst thing in the world.

"Widow what you waiting for? Oscorp? Let's get going!" Hill barked snapping Natasha back to the present to see everyone staring at her.

"Yeah I'm coming," she hissed before walking towards the door. They retraced their steps back through the "abandoned" warehouse with Natasha bringing up the rear. Rose fell behind and came up beside her.

"Do you know the Captain? In you dimension I mean," she asked carefully. Natasha looked down to her a faint smile pulling at her lips.

"Yes I know Cap; he's a member of the team I'm on. He's our leader." she looked to Cap's back.

"Widow I never got to ask… who are or… were my parents?" Rose looked up at her. Natasha was glad they both wore balaclavas. If they weren't she was sure she would have cracked and told Rose everything. Rosie has that kind of effect on her, on nearly everyone one who comes into contact with her. Pretty much everyone apart from villains instantly love Rosie and will bend to her will, you could call that her superpower.

"I have a feeling you'll find out soon enough," Natasha muttered. She was surprised she didn't know already. Tony and most likely Pepper were in the Order of the Eagle's protection. Rose nodded and continued to walk alongside Natasha in silence. Both girls immediately went on the lookout as soon as they stepped outside. Most of the transfers, extractions and evacuations go by without incident, Dr Banner's extraction being one of the exceptions.

They arrived back at the jet unchallenged. Fortunately Oscorp still didn't know about the Captain's whereabouts. They climbed back into the jet and Rose pressed the button to bring the cargo door back up. Once the door was in place the five removed their balaclavas. Rose quickly took her seat in the pilot's seat. As soon as she had sat down Jane took off and as soon as she was ready Rose took over.

They arrived back in New York not long after midnight. Rose drove the jet right into the river making the Captain gasp. Soon they were being lifted up into the hanger. Betty lowered the ramp and they walked out. The Captain carried his bags inside the mansion. They headed up to the main floor to find Bruce.

"Bruce?!" Betty called repeatedly. Bruce walked down the stairs half asleep.

"What's going on? Am I getting moved again?" he yawned.

"Quite the opposite Dr Banner. We've got you a new house mate. Dr Banner meet Steve Rodgers aka Captain America, Mr Rodgers meet Dr Bruce Banner aka the Hulk," Rose explained arms crossed. Steve moved forward and shook Bruce's hand.

"Dr Banner," Steve smiled.

"Mr Rodgers," Bruce smiled

"Call me Steve," Steve told him.

"Then call me Bruce," Bruce muttered.

"Right their talking let's go," Rose whispered.

"No. stay put," Clint hissed. Rose groaned and looked up at him. Seconds later Bruce and Betty disappeared up stairs. Steve picked up his bags again and went towards the stairs.

"Why don't you help him?" Natasha whispered to Darcy. Match making didn't suit her but if she was going to fix this dimension she might as well start with Steve and Darcy.

Darcy stared at Natasha for a moment before running up the stairs after Steve. Natasha smiled softly to herself. Being with the Avengers has made her soft and honestly if it's just around them she doesn't mind. You know how she knows it? She misses them like crazy and wants nothing more than to be with them. Clint especially. She wanted to be in his arms, kiss his lips and just be with him not this dimension's Clint her Clint. Having someone that looks exactly like Clint just makes it harder. Everything's just to god dam hard to try and ignore but she just has to get past it. She needs to sort this shit out. This dimension's version of her wasn't around long enough to stop this happening so it's her job to put it back to normal the best she can.

Hours later the sun was up and the New York streets were their normal busy selves. Deciding it would be the best time to leave Clinton, Rose and Natasha left the mansion in civilian clothes. They'd all agreed to leave the jet there in the mansion as it was nearly in the middle of all their apartments. They walked up the stairs to the floor their apartment was on in silence. Once they reached the top they froze as they saw the blond standing at their door. Rose was about to shove Natasha back down the stairs but it was too late Bobbie had already seen them. Clinton glared at Bobbie, lips pursed and immediately Rose knew she was going to have to do all the talking, great.

"Who's that?" Bobbie demanded glaring at Natasha.

"None of your business, Morse. Get lost there's nothing for you here, I've already burnt all your stuff." Rosie hissed warningly.

Bobbie was terrified of what Rose would do to her but she put on a brave face. She had to speak to Clinton. He had to know. This was just too important to leave him out off.

"Got yourself a little slut have you?" Bobbie smirked.

Natasha clenched her fists. This Bobbie may be more annoying than Bobbie the Bitch Morse in her dimension. Natasha was just about to punch her when Rose spoke up. Bobbie got lucky.

"No actually, she's my cousin." Rose growled. Natasha tried not to react to the word cousin. Really? That was the best she could come up with? Cousins?! Brilliant.

"You don't have any family!" Bobbie laughed.

"Well actually I do, Clinton's been helping me look for my family tree for months and Natalie here is my cousin, the only alive family I have left. Now get out of my sight before I do something I won't regret." Rose hissed. That wasn't a lie. Clinton had been helping her look for her family but the Red Room were good at covering their tracks. They couldn't find anything. No birth certificates for a Rose Stalingrad born in 1999 anywhere. They tried everything they could think of but nothing came up. Rose pushed Clinton past Bobbie and towards the door. Natasha glared at Bobbie one last time before walking past her making sure her shoulder hit her on the way past. Clinton had just unlocked the door when Bobbie called to him.

"I'm pregnant and it's yours."