Ivy here.

By the time I got to Clint's farm, it was late at night.

Clint and the rest of the Avengers sat around the kitchen table, no one looking at each other.

Mrs. Barton looked exhausted when I answered the door. "Another friend of Clint's?"

"And Ariel's, Mrs. Barton."

I sent Jack and Miranda the address. I knew they were going. Thank you for helping me with that, by the way, Edward. You're a terrific friend.

She opened the door silently.

I offered her a hand. "Ivy Williams, Mrs. Barton. It's nice to meet you."

"And you as well. So how do you know them?"

"I have the ability to travel between universes. They just sort of found out about it."

She jerked her hand back in surprise.

"I know, I know. I'm also an old friend of Miranda and Ariel and the others. It's complicated."

She let me in without a word.

Poor woman. What a day she must have been having.

Natasha turned to see me. "I take it she wasn't there?"

"No. She was."

"What happened to your hand?"

"I... punched a wall."

Somehow, my stupidity didn't surprise her. It probably came from her having trained me for a while. "Why did you do that?"

"Sharon's with HYDRA. What a day."

No expression registered in her eyes. "Let me see it."

"You don't sound surprised."

"That's not what's important." She inspected my hand. "You should have gone to a doctor for that. You know one, of course?"

"Yeah. I stopped by his house, but he was away." The pain had been barely noticable, to be honest. I had other things on my mind.

"Did you know?" I sat down next to her.

The others didn't seem particularly thrilled to see me, or hear my news. Can't say I blame them.

What a day today had been.

"No. I never even suspected. Then again, HYDRA was inside S.H.I.E.L.D., so any suspicious behavior would have been ignored."

"I can't believe I never suspected her."

"And I can't believe we never suspected Jasper Sitwell. She was very good at what she did."

I glanced around at the faces around the table. "Where's Clint?"

"He and Ariel had a bit of a fight."

Behind me, someone burst into laughter.

I twisted in my seat.

Miranda leaned on the wall, bent over, shaking with laughter.

"Oh, sorry to startle you. But, um... a bit of a fight? They screamed at each other for an hour and they're both off sulking somewhere else."

Ah, family drama. The worst kind. I know a bit about that.

"Is everyone upstairs?"

Miranda nodded. "Even Ariel. She sat down in the corner two hours ago and hasn't moved since."

Unsurprising. "I think I'm needed upstairs, Natasha."

"Let me know if you need help with anything. Are you going to talk to her?"

"Eventually."

Miranda here.

Ariel was, in fact, still sitting in the corner, facing the wall.

Ivy gave her a bright smile. "Hi, Ariel."

She turned and glared. "I'm mad at you, too."

"Oh. Right. Sorry, I'd forgotten." She sat down behind her.

"Go away."

"Not until you turn around and talk to me."

"You're really making me angry right now."

"The feeling has been mututal on many occasions."

She was sharper than usual. Strange. What had happened when she was "dead"? A lot she hadn't told us about yet.

Ivy's tone was hard. "I have a bit of a rough day, Ariel. I've been betrayed, attacked physically and emotionally, and had a series of spectacular failures in a row. My brother hates me right now, Ariel. As does someone I used to consider a friend. I'm not going to end my day with another failure."

She grabbed Ariel's collar and pulled her around to face her.

Ariel's face was stained with tears.

Ivy's tone softened. "Don't stay angry. It's not good for you. Go talk to him right now."

"He should have told me."

"Probably. However, your reaction is not going to help matters. We've all got enough on our plates right now without solvable family drama."

She stood up and left silently.

I cleared my throat. "Isn't that my job, to do that to you?"

"Get everyone in here. We need to talk."

It took a few minutes to assemble everyone, and they all glared at Ivy. All except for Edward, who looked resigned and exhausted. Having a crush tends to lessen a person's flaws and mistakes. Particularly when said crush is a red haired knock out. Seriously. It'll be a lucky guy to catch Ivy. Very lucky.

I sat on the bed. Edward and Jack took the matress on the floor. Ariel stood in the doorway, face a little calmer.

Ivy remained standing. "Look, guys. I'm sorry. I messed up. Big time."

"You can say that again," muttered Ariel.

"But I'm going to ask that you don't interrupt what I'm going to tell you. Roughly, I think you should all know what happened while I was gone."

She told us everything. About the Doctor, living on Knowhere, having twins, about Sharon and Sharon taking her daughter.

"So you still have one of them?" Ariel's voice was quiet.

"Yes. He's in London right now."

"You have a good babysitter?"

"Of course I do. Someone who knows the situation very exactly. Mary Watson."

"From Sherlock?" The words burst out. "From Sherlock? Have you met Sherlock Holmes?"

"Yes."

"You. Me. London. When this is over. We're planning a trip. You're showing us the highlights."

"Anything."

I'd take her up on that.

"But I'm tired of secrets. No more secrets."

"Agreed," muttered Ariel, crossing her arms.

"Is everyone else agreed?"

"Do you think one of us might be with HYDRA, like Sharon?"

"I don't want to." Her eyes settled on Edward. "But Edward..."

His face went white. "I'm not. I know I came here with her, but I'm not, I'm not."

"And I want to believe you. I also have no reason to not believe you. But... would you be alright with me confirming it?"

"How?" He glanced wildly around the room, gaze settling on our faces. "You don't really think so?"

"I do have to consider the possibility."

She was right. It was a logical conclusion to come to, as much as I didn't like to consider it.

"Just know that once this is over, I'm going to have to find out." She looked exhausted. "In the meantime, if you are... I don't know. I don't want to really think right now."

Edward stood. "I'm sorry. I need to go clear my head."

"If anyone has any secrets they'd like to come out with, now's the time."

"If he actually is HYDRA, aren't you worried he'll try to kill you in your sleep?"

"He could. Except for that there are six superheroes downstairs he'd have to get past first. Assuming he does that, the Doctor would hunt him down. Or the Guardians. Or... Sherlock Holmes. Which ever. He's not stupid. If he had any plans to kill me, I'm confident that he's smart enough to abandon them in favor of saving the world. And now you all would know it was him. Edward is smart enough to realize that. Besides, I don't think he is with them."

"Then why say anything at all? You saw how hurt he looked." Ariel's face was expressionless, but her tone dark.

"I have to consider it."

"He couldn't be."

"Why not?"

"What about any of us?"

"Oh, you definitely could. But I am giving you the benefit of the doubt because I think you're safe. HYDRA wouldn't have known to plant spies when I was eight or nine – when I met you all."

Jack made a small choking sound.

Ivy's face fell. "Oh. Oh. What happened?"

"We went to Agent Carter and we left a letter explaining about you. In the 40s. They would have had years."

Ivy buried her face in her hands. "This day just worse. I can't believe it. This day actually got worse."

Poor Ivy. Poor Ivy.

"I need to go." She jolted to her feet and ran out.

Even though I was angry, I felt sorry for her.