Saying goodbye to someone you love is never easy. When we lose someone we love, we lose a piece of ourselves. When the Avengers lost her, they felt as if they had lost half of their hearts. And that damn video. She had known, somehow and some way, that it was going to be her last mission. She had recorded a message for her team -her family- and left it in the hands of Nick Fury. And now, the usually stoic man stood before the group with a frown that marred his severe features, brows furrowed. One hand resided in the pocket of his black fatigues, the other held a flash drive in his open palm.
"Before I play this," he started, standing before the defeated looking group. They looked harried, haggard, worn, defeated. A few looked as if they had gotten little sleep, others looked as if they had gotten no sleep. Even his best agents, usually stoic and calm, always held together in the face of death on a daily basis, seemed broken and tired with downcast gazes and pursed lips. "I'd like to say something about Jacqueline Howlett-Rogers. She was brave, strong, and believed in this team when no one else did. She was fearless, standing tall in the presence of danger, laughing in its face with a maniacal glee." A few of the Avengers couldn't help the grin that lifted their lips at those words. "She was a damn good agent and an even better friend." With a nod, Futy looked down at the flash drive once again and gripped it tightly in his hand. "I know that Rogers had asked that she be buried at the compound, and she will be, but she'll have her own memorial erected right next to Agent Coulson's. An eternal flame will burn there, as well, reminding us of what she left behind. The best parts of her in each of us."
The dark skinned man then turned to his second, a beautiful woman with piercing blue eyes and dark hair pulled back neatly. Blue met brown and her superior nodded, the motion indicating for her to dim the lights in the briefing room. She reached forward and pressed a small button on the console in front of her, watching as shades lowered over the windows and plunged the room into near darkness. Nick then inserted the flash drive, a screen lighting up at the front of the room. Static whispered for only a second and then they saw her.
Beautiful and brighter than any star, Jacqueline Howlett-Rogers lit up the screen with a beaming smile. Heterochromic eyes danced in the soft lighting before her, reflecting pools of blue and crimson. The scar that ran from her hairline to her cheek crinkled a bit around her left eye with her smile. Hair of ebony cascaded freely down her shoulders, reaching the top of her collarbones in length, smooth and glistening. She looked so soft, so alive.
"Hey guys," the woman spoke, her voice soothing their aching hearts if only for a moment. What they each wouldn't give just to see her and hear her once again. To feel her warmth in the form of a hug. To hear her heart beat again. "If you're watching this, then I was right. I had this gut feeling screaming at me that this mission would be the one. That this mission would be the last. And damn, call it woman's intuition, but I was spot on!" She let out a humorless chuckle at her own words, brushing a strand of her ebony hair behind her ear. "Look, I only made this so that way I could die knowing that nothing was left unsaid. And yeah, I bit the dust. And I'm sorry that I'm leaving you all behind. But, at least this way, maybe I can give you guys some form of closure.
"To make a long story short -although, it doesn't really matter since I'm dead now- I just wanted you all to know that I love you. Each and every one of you means so much to me in one way or another. And you guys, you dysfunctional and ragtag group of mismatched puzzle pieces, are my family. My brothers, best friends, therapists!" She snorted out a laugh at the last one, a few of the others even chuckling along with her. "You're my father, my teachers, my husband. You're my heroes! All of you have impacted my life in one amazing way or another."
Each and every one of them stared at the screen, watching, listening with rapt attention. In this room resided not the Avengers, but a family. Sisters and teachers, brothers, mentors, and best friends. And in the back of the room stood a father. Dark and disheveled hair, whiskey eyes filled to the brim with a pain like no other, barrel chest heaving for breath and a heart that shattered more with each passing second as he watched his daughter. Took in her final words as though they were gospel, hanging onto each and every syllable and savoring the sound of her voice.
"I joined SHIELD when I was just seventeen years old," she started, telling them her story. Telling them all her version of events. How she had met each and every one of them. How she had come to love and care for them all. "My dad had "adopted" me just ten years prior. Fury, of course, had heard about me and what had happened to me. He believed I could be an asset to SHIELD. So, dad of course supported whatever decision I made. And I feel that I made a pretty damn good decision when I agreed to train with Nat and Clint." A stray tear rolled down her cheek as she thought back on that time. A time when it had been just her and Logan against the world before spreading her wings and flying. A time when she had left her father's side for bigger and better things, stepping out into the world to discover herself and the life she wanted to lead. It was obvious from the way she spoke that she had been thankful to Nick Fury for offering her that chance. Because of him, Jack had learned a great deal. She had grown as a person, became stronger and smarter. She learned all that she could and had access to some of the greatest minds in the world through SHIELD's resources.
"Looking back on that day, I was terrified," she admitted to her family with a small smile. "I had never left my dad's side for ten years. And then, outta the blue, this badass in a trench coat comes along and offers me this amazing opportunity." Nick couldn't help but to let out a chuckle at the way she described him. But of course, leave it to Jack to make the man grin from beyond the grave. "And then, of-fucking-course, I met two more absolute badasses! Both of which had taken me under their wings and trained me. Although, most of my training for the longest time consisted of me eating the damn mats!"
Nat and Clint shared matching smirks at their departed friend's description. She hadn't been wrong. Nat had always said that the young woman had raw talent but lacked finesse. The redhead had made it her ultimate duty to teach Jack the art of hand-to-hand combat, regardless of how bruised and beaten she had become in the process. It had taken a great deal of time for Natasha to get through to the ebony haired woman that she needed to act on instinct instead of thinking. Nat had managed to get Jack out of her head, to stop her from second guessing herself at every turn and just react. And her efforts had paid off eventually.
Clint had realized from day one that the young woman was shit with a bow and arrow. She had seen him training and had begged him to teach her. She had managed to convince him after showing him her skills with throwing knives. The blond archer was impressed, watching as she had hit a perfect bullseye each and every time a blade flew past her fingertips. His partner had warned him that it wasn't the same as the bow, but Clint had paid her no heed. However, after wasting well over a quiver of arrows, and missing every shot by almost a mile, it was plain to see that Jack was shit with a bow. But that had made their training all the more intense as Jack had never trained with anyone other than her father. She had been used to close combat. Clint had taught her how to fight from a distance and draw out an enemy that you couldn't see. How to bring them to you and draw them in for the kill.
The two SHIELD agents had quickly found themselves attached to Jack. She wasn't jaded and cynical, regardless of her past. She had a bright outlook on the world and saw the good in people. She never had to look for it either, just saw it and latched onto it, dragging it through the blood and death and cynicism to the surface.
"From that moment on, my family had started to grow. I had my dad and the others at the mansion, sure. But, this was different. These were people that I had met on my own. They respected me more than tolerated me. They treated me like an equal and not like I was made of glass," Jack spoke on screen. She bore a sad smile on her face and shook her head. Her eyes landed on them once again. "I had learned so much from Nick, Maria, Nat, Clint, and Phil. God, I miss that man. He was just the sweetest, and so unassuming! Ya know he kicked my ass one day?! Yup! Made me eat dirt in the blink of an eye." Clint let out a loud bark of laughter at that, remembering that day as well. Nat just smirked as she looked at her partner and dearest friend. "I shook his hand, asking if he was a desk jockey for Fury. Nope. He twisted my arm behind my back, kicked my knees, and planted me face first in the dirt. I knew from that moment forward that he was not one to be trifled with, no siree!" The rest of them laughed slightly, shaking their heads in fond exasperation at the dark haired woman. "Phil taught me how to be unassuming. How to seem aloof and non-threatening. That was a great skill to learn. And then, I met Tony freaking Stark!"
Said man grinned to himself. He could remember the day that he had met Jack. Natasha was undercover as Pepper's shadow, observing from a distance. Meanwhile, Jack had played an unassuming young woman who had been behind the scenes, working tirelessly to make sure that the man didn't kill himself. When it had come out that 'Natalie' was actually a SHIELD agent, Jack had made herself known to the man. She had been compiling all of Howard Stark's old research for Fury, hoping to save the man's life somehow. Their very first meeting had not been great, but damn was it memorable.
"I remember the day I met you in person. You had said, and I quote, 'Aren't you a little ray of sunshine?' And from then on, that was what you called me. Sunshine. It was more of a jab at me than a nickname for the longest time, but it was still a name I answered to with pride. Especially after getting to know you and seeing a side of you that so few get to witness," the young woman on screen explained. She had a sad smile on her face, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She reached up a hand and wiped a stray tear as it fell from her lashes and down her cheek. "You were hilarious, Tony. Even when I didn't laugh at some of your jokes, there were times when it was really hard not to crack up laughing at you. Like, I had to physically bite my tongue to stop myself. Your pop culture references were always the best, and I loved that we could have full on conversations about the most ignorant things! And when you would yell at me for singing some dumb pop song from the nineties! Oh man, I loved the way we bickered. It was always a highlight because there was never any real heat behind it. It was all in good fun between two friends."
Tony could feel his lip quiver at the memories of her that flooded his mind. The sound of her voice over the comms as she would sing loudly and off key, breaking off into a maniacal cackle when Tony would start bitching at her. How she would storm into the lab with food in one hand as she jabbed him in the side relentlessly until he would eat. The way she would dance into the room with a beaming smile on her face. How she was curious about literally everything around her, always wanting to learn and having an insatiable lust for knowledge. And if she didn't know something, she would ask or defer to the professionals. She would listen with such rapt attention, getting lost in what she was learning as her mind worked a mile a minute. She was genuine and so unabashedly Jack. It was hard not to love her in one way or another. And Tony did love her. Jack was the annoying little sister that he said he didn't want but secretly loved having around. And while the moniker of Sunshine had been a jab in the beginning, it soon became true. Because she was an absolute ray of sunshine. Bright and warm, but dangerous when provoked. And Tony had loved her fiercely. She was so much more than an agent, she was his family. And just like his parents, she had been torn away from him far too soon.
"And of course, you had to give me absolute hell when Steve came into the picture!" Jack let out an inelegant snort of laughter, her family grinning at the familiar sound. "I had been in love with that man since I learned about him. And of-fucking-course you knew about that little crush! But Steve had come into my life during a dark time in my career. I had just gotten back from that mission in Mongolia. The sex trafficking ring that I broke up. I was in such a dark headspace that your teasing didn't even register for me at the time."
Tony frowned as he remembered that time. Jack had been out on a mission and had come back badly hurt. Her left arm had suffered terribly, the doctors proclaiming that had it not been for her rigged up super soldier serum, they would have needed to amputate the limb. Tony had visited her, even bumping into Natasha a time or two. He had been told about Steve and thought that maybe if he teased Jack enough, he'd get a reaction out of her. However, she hardly spoke during her short stay in the hospital. Natasha and Clint couldn't even get her to eat. And poor Clint had made the fatal mistake of provoking her, the younger woman lashing out and throwing one of her beloved blades at him. Barton was lucky that she had been doped up on pain medication, had her aim been a little more to the left, the agent would have most likely lost his ear. When he had said as much to Jack, raising his voice almost three octaves in surprise and fear, the little shit had only shrugged and stated, "Not like it would've mattered much since you're deaf anyway."
It wasn't until Fury had been to see her that her spark had returned. He had told her that Steve wasn't dead, but alive all that time. He was awake and he wanted Jack to meet the man. Fury had felt that if Steve had met someone like him, someone who had their own super soldier serum running in their veins, someone less breakable, the man may just feel a bit more at ease.
"I still remember the day I met Steve," Jack spoke fondly, a loving smile on her face. "Fury had told me he was alive and needed me to meet with him. God, this is so cheesy, but he was even more handsome in person than in his old photos." Across the room, Steve felt his cheeks flush at her praise, but smiled nonetheless. "I, of course, had already had a crush on the man, but the minute I looked into his eyes, I was gone on him. I was ass over teakettle in love. And from that day on, I just fell more and more in love with him." Jack then let out a loud bark of laughter as a memory seemed to strike her. "I remember, on our first actual date," she started through a fit of giggles. "I ordered some really good looking salad. I was so nervous for some reason! I reached for the dressing, and when I looked at Steve, he had this huge grin on his face! I didn't realize why until he asked me, 'Do you always put hot sauce on your salads?' And lo and behold, I was slathering my leafy greens in Frank's Red Hot! But, my dad didn't raise no punk bitch, no siree! Without missing a beat I said, 'I love Frank's Red Hot. I put that shit on everything.' And then ate the whole damn salad!"
Steve laughed loudly through a few tears as he remembered that day. He had been nervous, as well, never having actually been on a date before. The two had gotten close in the time leading up to said date, and had even gone out for meals together before. They had crashed on each other's couches, binge watched television shows and movies, and held each other when the nightmares and memories had become too much. But for some reason, Steve had still been nervous that day. However, seeing Jack just as nervous as he was had brought him some form of comfort. He was well aware of the fact that she never put hot sauce on her salads, and had even tried to say something to her. However, he found it hard to say anything when she was rambling on in nervousness and just looking so adorable as she went on and on about a new show they might like.
God, what Steve wouldn't give to be back there. To go back in time and smother her with his love. To change the past and take her fucking place. He couldn't help but to wonder what would have happened if he had gotten to her in time. If he had been in the right place at the right time. But Jack had always said there was no use wondering 'what if'. Now, all he could do was move forward, trudge through his daily life as half the man he was with his heart missing from his chest. How the hell was he supposed to move forward though? How was he supposed to go back to the life he had lived before Jack had stormed into it? She had been such a bright spot in his dark world, waking in a time that wasn't his own.
The day they had met would forever be seared into his memory. He'd never forget the broken looking young woman with haunted eyes who had literally lit up when she had seen him. Her moniker of Sunshine had never been more apt than in that moment. Because she had seemed to just wake up, her smile shining brighter than the sun as it broke through the storm clouds and just warmed his broken heart. God, Steve had thought to himself. Had he ever seen anyone or anything more fucking beautiful? He tried to think, but nothing had come to mind. Not even Peggy.
"I remember asking you once, after we got engaged, why you didn't say anything," Jack spoke, referencing Steve. "And all you said was, 'I can't help the fact that you ramble when you're nervous.'" She snorted out another bout of giggles, a few tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks. She then settled, taking in a deep breath. "I'm so glad I met you, Steve. Got the chance to know the real you, to love you and be loved by you." No, Steve felt he was the lucky one. Being loved by and having the chance to love someone so inherently good and kind and strong and just so fucking beautiful. Someone who kept him grounded and on his toes all at the same time. Someone who knew how to read him and knew him better than he knew himself. Someone who anchored him into reality and comforted him down to the depths of his very soul. Someone who saw the blood on his hands and still held them so tenderly.
"And you're actually quite lucky, because our resident big green rage machine is quite the charmer! Shoot, he's dazzled me a few times -unintentionally, of course- and if I hadn't been in love with you, my sweet Brucie Bear very well could have been my hubby!" Bruce chuckled under his breath, cheeks flushing. He reached up, removing his glasses from the bridge of his nose before -not so discreetly- wiping his eyes. Steve clapped him on the shoulder with a grin of his own, knowing how close he and Jack had been. "I loved talking with you, Bruce. You're an absolute teddy bear and such a gentle and kind soul. God, I'll miss running into the lab and having you help me hide because I played a prank on Tony or Steve." Jack let out a small giggle, Bruce smiling along with her as they both seemed to remember the same thing. "Remember that time I hacked JARVIS and got him to play 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' every time Tony walked in the room? Man, that was great! And the best part is, he still doesn't know how I did it. I always said I'd take it to my grave and, well, I guess I did."
Smiles turned to frowns, lips quivered, tears pricked at the corners of their eyes. Silence. And then, "Bruce. I need you to remember something. For me? Okay?" Jack took a deep breath, said scientist watching, listening, waiting. "You and Hulk are two sides of the same coin. You see him as destructive and dangerous. I see him as a hero and teammate. As family. You need to remember that Hulk is just as much a part of this crazy family as you. He saved Tony's life, Bruce. He saved my life. And Big Green," she started, addressing Hulk himself at this point. Bruce could feel his alter ego whining in the back of his mind, his heart just as broken as 'Puny Banner's'. "I love you, buddy. You and Bruce both. Okay? So, make sure you play nice!"
Bruce could feel Hulk in the back of his mind still, continuing to whine pathetically. He knew his alter ego had a soft spot for their Wild Card. Instead of shrinking back in fear, staying clear of his path of destruction, Jack had giggled gleefully when she had first met Big Green. Hulk had been confused, to say the least, that this tiny woman would greet him so joyfully and even go so far as to hug him! And when the battle of New York had transpired, Hulk was in awe. He watched as the young woman had torn a Chitauri alien in half with her bare hands before beating another one with his comrade's dead body. And when Tony had managed to make Bruce lose control, Big Green making an appearance, she had put the fucking fear of God into the big green rage machine after he had ruined her new shoes. Hulk still shudders in fear at the memory of Jack chasing him about the tower with her twin katanas before making him scrub her shoes clean with a toothbrush.
The screen cut to darkness, and each one felt as though the breath had been sucked from their lungs. That couldn't be it. It couldn't be all. Steve stood, staring at the screen for a moment with hopeful eyes, willing the darkness to light up with her face just one more time. And it did.
"Damn thing," Jack grumbled, leaning in close to the screen as she fiddled with the camera on the tripod. She then leaned back, looking at them all once again with a soft smile. "Anyway, I really hope you're here right now, Thor." Said man stood behind Steve, thunderous eyes gazing longingly at the picture of his Midgardian warrior, a true Valkyrie if ever there was one. "I met you when the team first got together, and honestly, I was a little bit in awe of you!" The blond deity chuckled. "Thor, you're wonderful. You're kind and caring and sweet. You've always had my back when I needed you and you're my best friend. My brother." She tucked another strand of hair behind her ear, cursing under her breath about the long tresses.
"I'll never forget that first morning at the tower," Jack started with a chuckle. "You had eaten a whole family size box of my poptarts. I wanted so bad to be mad at you, but you had looked so pathetic! You had this kicked puppy look and I just couldn't bring myself to yell at you. So, I made breakfast! And when you were finished with everything, you pushed your plate toward me and shouted, 'Another, please?!' Ha!"
The entire team grinned as they each remembered that morning. Jack had woken up and made her way straight into the kitchen, grumbling about coffee being the elixir of the gods. Thor sat at the bar as he watched her, munching happily on the last pop tart before his eyes had widened in fear when Jack had bellowed, "WHERE'D MY DAMN POP TARTS GO!?" The Thunder God had looked to the pop tart in his hand, to the empty box on the bar, and then to the team who all had either a smirk or grin on their face. He had then swallowed audibly, watching with wide eyes as the lithe woman had stormed from the kitchen and into the rec area. Steve stood off to the side, wheezing in laughter at his wife, her hair a tangled mess atop her head as she wore a pair of Iron Man pajama pants and a shirt with his shield in the center. Her feet were covered by a pair of slippers that looked like Tweety Bird and she was littered in bruises, a frown marred her soft face until she noticed how guilty poor Thor looked.
"It was so hard to be mad at you that morning, especially after all we had faced just the day before. So, I just patted you on the back and told you not to eat all of my pop tarts anymore and took my grumpy ass to the kitchen to make breakfast. I don't even think you tasted half the food on your plate! You literally inhaled it! Like Barton that time I made baklava. Only difference was, you didn't choke on your own damn tongue half way through!"
Clint let out another loud cackle as he, too, recalled that memory. Jack had been in the kitchen baking and had decided to try a Mediterranean dish of chopped nuts baked in a golden dough and drizzled with syrup. Clint had enjoyed the pastry so much that he had shoved several pieces in his mouth all at once and choked. Jack, being so helpful (read: laughing her ass off), had fallen over with tears in her eyes as Nat punched Clint in the chest. The action had caused half chewed food to spew from his mouth and airway before littering the kitchen floor. The redhead had been unimpressed, to say the least, while Clint whined and Jack had continued to laugh until she couldn't breathe, face red and tears streaming down her cheeks. Clint, needless to say, had learned his lesson that day and had decided to chew his food before putting more in mouth. He did not want to repeat that, thankyouverymuch.
Jack settled from her outburst of giggles, looking at the camera with nothing but raw love and adoration in her gaze. "Thor, I wanna thank you. When I felt like giving up halfway through the battle of New York, tired and weary, you came to me. You told me I couldn't give up. That my friends and family needed me. You told me that I was a Valkyrie come alive, that my strength gave you strength. And I fought ten times harder because of that." And God, he had been so right. Thor had seen her, doling out death, soaked in the blood of her enemies whilst using her own body as a shield to protect the innocent and her loved ones that day. The way she had moved, dancing as she twirled her blades in an expert fashion, her small knives flying from the tips of her fingers faster than he could blink. She had been a true warrior that day.
The ragtag group watched on for a moment, gazing longingly at their fallen comrade and family as tears filled her heterochromic eyes and a sad smile graced her face. "I, of course, can't forget my first hero and the number one man in my life. My best friend and mentor. The man who saved me and loved me as though I were his own flesh and blood." Jack sniffled, and each set of eyes moved toward the back of the room, almost following the young woman's gaze.
Logan Howlett was in shambles. When Steve had called him just the day prior and broke the news, the man had said not a word over the phone. He hadn't even hung up. He had shattered the bits of plastic and glass in the palm of his calloused hands, ignoring the healing flesh and dried blood. Hopping on his motorcycle, the Wolverine had sped from the mansion to the compound, breaking every traffic law in the book. He prayed to a deity he didn't believe in, hoping that this was just some sick joke his daughter had decided to pull. However, when Stark had taken him to the morgue, when Logan had seen her cold body laying there on that slab of metal, eyes closed and lifeless, unable to hear her heartbeat, he had flown into a rage. He had stormed through the compound, roaring in agony as he finally came across Steve. He had really only blamed the man for all of a few minutes, asking the blond why he hadn't kept her safe like he had promised. Why hadn't it been anyone else? Why did it have to be her? Why, God damn it?! And Steve, broken and in shambles, simply allowed the much larger and stronger man to take his grief out on him. He had said nothing, made no move to stop Logan when he had reared back before slamming his fist against the super soldier's jaw. And when his friends, his family, had tried to step between the two, Steve had stopped them. Because why would he stop Logan from beating the absolute fuck out of him when he felt that he deserved it? Why would he stop the physical pain when it numbed the heartbreak? Even if only for a moment?
Once the dust had settled and Logan had put the beast back in his cage, he collapsed next to Steve. The blond had struggled to push himself into an upright position, Logan lending him a helping hand. The two men had said not a single word, the Wolverine allowing himself to show the anguish he felt by clinging to a man he called his son. And there, in the middle of that room, the men had cried. They clung to one another like a lifeline, holding onto a piece of the woman they loved as they openly wept at her loss. And God, they both loved her fiercely and openly, as a daughter and wife. As a friend and teacher and hero. They had fucking loved her and now they mourned her. They mourned the love they had lost, the life that had been taken far too soon. And while Steve felt as though he had lost the other half of his heart and soul, Logan felt as though he had lost everything. Because Jack was his everything. He trained her, fought for her and with her, nurtured her, protected her, gave her a name and a home. And by God, she had done the same for him. They had given each other a name, a home, a purpose, a family. Logan felt a pain that none of the others could ever understand. A pain that he wouldn't even wish unto his worst enemy.
He felt the pain of losing a child.
Logan took in a deep, shuddering breath. This was the last time he would hear her voice, see her face. He listened with rapt attention, soaking in the words that left her lips and committed them to memory. Because that's all she would be anymore: a memory. A beloved memory to look back on when the days got hard and he needed something to get him through the day. A beloved memory to laugh and cry with.
Jack took in a deep breath, seemingly looking right at her father. "Thank you, dad. Thank you for raising me, and loving me, and treating me as your own child. As though you helped to create me. And in a way, you did! You made me the woman I am. Or, was. You trained me, taught me, helped me to become strong and fearless. You taught me to stand tall and stand up for what I believe in. You taught me that, no matter the odds, I could do and be anything or anyone I wanted to be. And for so long, I wanted to be just like you. And I'll never forget when I told you that, you looked at me and said, 'I want you to be better than me, ya little asshole'." Jack chuckled at the memory, Logan even going so far as to crack a grin. Because he did want her to be better than him in every possible way. And she was. "Thank you for everything, dad. All I ask, now that I'm gone, is that you don't hide."
She then seemed to address the room, looking around through the lens of the camera as though she were there. "All I ask of all of you is that you never forget that I love you. I will always love you. Each and every one of you. I love you, Nick Fury. I love you, Maria Hill. And though you're not one for sentiment, I love you, Tasha. I love you, Clint. I love you, Bruce. I love you, Hulk. I love you, Tony. I love you, Thor. I love you, dad. And Steve, soldier, I love you more than anything. And if I had to give up loving you in order to have another chance at life? Well, that's no contest right there. I wouldn't take that chance because a life without loving you, having been loved by you, that's not much of a life at all."
They watched on as Jack seemed to grin to herself with a nod, looking off into the distance. "Right at this moment, as I record this, you're all off doing something. Nat is training with Clint. Laura and the kids even came to visit! Tony is tinkering in the lab, and I'm pretty sure Pepper is pissed at him. Thor is in the kitchen eating pop tarts. Not mine, thank God! Bruce is in the library, reading. Nick and Maria are briefing for the mission. And Steve, you're actually sitting just down the hall. I made you go take a nap before this mission!" She giggled before a much softer look took over her face. "Can I ask a favor? Remember my last birthday? How you all sang 'You Are My Sunshine' instead of 'Happy Birthday'? Can you guys sing it with me one more time?"
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," Jack started, voice soft as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
Tony was the first to join in, followed by Bruce and Thor. "You make me happy, when skies are gray."
Natasha and Clint followed suit, with Maria and Nick. Even Logan had joined. "You'll never know, dear, how much I love you."
It wasn't until the final line that Steve had mustered up the strength to join in. "Please don't take my Sunshine away."
As the last line ended, so too, did the video. The last image being Jack's beaming smile before the screen went dark once again. Silence reigned as the dysfunctional family sat around the table trying to process it all. Each set of eyes still gazed at the black screen, each wishing to see her again. Each wishing to hear her voice and feel her warmth and hear her heart beating. Each one hoping, praying, begging that this was all just a fucking nightmare. And each one felt the disappointment of reality crashing upon them. The reality that they would all now have to live in a world without Jack. And with that reality, the storm clouds had settled over the Avengers, and their ray of Sunshine was no longer there to dance in the rain as she chased the storm away.
So, I've written this fic twice before. However, as I feel that my writing has gotten better, I decided that, maybe the third time is the charm! I won't lie to you guys, I did cry in several parts of this as I wrote it, like an absolute blubbering baby! Like, honestly, Jack is my baby and she was on of the very first OC's that I breathed actual life into. I worked so hard for so long to give her a story and make her take shape and to become a real fucking person on some level. Anyway, I just wanna let you guy all know that most of my activity on here will be like, nil come August. I am so proud to say that I was accepted into nursing school and I'm very much looking forward to it! But, as always, I love you all! Much love and stay safe out there ladies and gents!