Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last conversation. You are absolutely fantastic. This is another conversation between the two timelines. I decided that the Barton family conversations needed to be in their own section.

Good news: I now have a beta reader again for this story. Katruna has taken over beta duties and I am very appreciative.

Conversation 26: It's Good to Hear from You

Lily bear 2018: Mom, is this really you? Are you OK? Are you really in the future? Mr. Fitzsimmons said you were, but Ana let me see the video. You just disappeared.

Counselor Laura from 2023: I'm OK, Lily bear. Although me and Ana are going to have some words when I get back.

Ana 2018: Dir. Stark-Rogers was distracted and did not activate the childproofing protocol for those files until Lily accessed the files. Access locks have firmly been put in place, and she is unable to watch again.

Counselor Laura from 2023: We are definitely going to have to have a conversation about accessing things you shouldn't even try to access when I get back. Lily bear, I'm fine. I'm not really in our future. I'm in 2023 in a different timeline.

Lily bear 2018: So time travel is definitely more like Star Trek than Back to the Future?

Counselor Laura from 2023: It really is. I know you're worried, but this isn't like what happened with Ross. The Avengers here are taking excellent care of me. I have my own room at the compound with a hot tub.

Lily bear 2018: Is Uncle Tony with you?

Counselor Laura from 2023: Tony is with me but not your Uncle Tony. He's a little different. He has his own daughter [redacted].

Lily bear 2018: That's different, although I'm sure he's a good dad. He's excellent with Afia, Flash, and [redacted].

Counselor Laura from 2023: Different dimensions, but some things are constant. Are you OK?

Lily bear 2018: Yes, especially now that I can talk to you. This made me remember what happened with Ross. It was days before Uncle Phil and Aunt Melinda got you back. I'm scared this will be like that again.

Counselor Laura from 2023: But your Uncle Tony did get me back. Trust me, this is a lot nicer than the accommodations I had with Ross. Is Uncle Tony the one taking care of you right now?

Lily bear 2018: Dad came to New York with Nate. He got here really early yesterday morning from California. Although before that, Uncle Tony picked us up and brought us to the lighthouse. He stayed with us until dad got here except for when he was in that emergency meeting. Then Simmons stayed with us.

Lily bear 2018: BTW, she threw up on my shoes. I think she's pregnant.

Counselor Laura from 2023: If she is, it's probably really early. She's not ready to tell people yet, so respect her privacy.

Lily bear 2018: Yes, mom.

Counselor Laura from 2023: It is good to know that Tony came and got you. I'm glad your dad is with you. I'm sure your Uncle Tony, Fitz, James, and the princess will get me home soon.

Lily bear 2016: Connor is mad at you. It's why he wouldn't come to talk to you when Afia got us. He said he would watch Nate.

Counselor Laura from 2023: He's a teenager. He's always going to be mad at me.

Lily bear 2018: He's mad at Dad too. He blames him for you being missing. He punched dad, and more importantly, dad let him. He doesn't want Uncle Tony and dad to send us to Malta with the other kids. He says he's not a baby. He's definitely acting like one right now.

Counselor Laura from 2023: I don't entirely disagree. It was a version of your father that brought me to this timeline, but that's because he needed my help. But I'll be back soon. So that's still no excuse for Connor hitting your dad. Tell him he's grounded for at least the next two weeks. Ana, I expect you to institute the grounding protocol.

Ana 2018: Of course, Laura.

Lily bear 2018: Did they need your help because of Thanos?

Counselor Laura from 2023: How do you know about him?

Lily bear 2018: I'm friends with baby bird. She tells me things, or rather, she texts me pictures. She drew a picture of you and Dad hugging at the compound. I thought it meant the two of you would get back together, not that you would end up in another timeline. I should've warned you. I'm sorry.

Counselor Laura from 2023: Sometimes, baby bird's drawings don't make sense until after the fact. Then sometimes we make different choices, which means her drawings don't come true. [Redacted] sees potential timelines, not the future, as it must be. Nothing is written in stone.

Lily bear 2018: OK. Dad wants to talk to you. But I love you, don't forget that.

Counselor Laura from 2023: I won't, baby. I love you too.

Purple arrow 2018: I'm sorry. I'm sorry I left. I am sorry that I left you there alone. I'm really sorry that you accidentally got kidnapped by some other version of me. He is another version of me?

Counselor Laura from 2023: He's a broken version of you. He is a man who's wife and children disappeared out of existence when he had his back turned. He blames himself for ignoring the emergency phone calls of Fury, May, and Coulson. Although I totally understand why he ignored Coulson's phone calls because he didn't actually know he was alive again.

Purple arrow 2018: Well, it's nice to know Phil being a dick is a universal constant. He still hasn't called me after his last alien kidnapping Friday. I know his kid is missing, but he could still check-in.

Counselor Laura from 2023: I thought things were better between you two. Which kid? Do you think you would remember to send a text message if one of your kids were missing?

Purple arrow 2018: Daisy. She's with Loki and Thor. And I probably wouldn't remember to do anything. Ana is going to give you a readout of what happened here after you disappeared. It's been a crazy two days.

Counselor Laura from 2023: Thank you. That would be useful. I feel like I missed a lot.

Purple arrow 2018: Things are better with Phil. We've talked a lot, especially since the separation. He's on your side, by the way. He thinks I'm a fucking moron for leaving, and he's right. I was stupid; I shouldn't have left.

Counselor Laura from 2023: You had your reasons for leaving. Sometimes you have to take care of yourself.

Purple arrow 2018: They weren't good reasons.

Counselor Laura 2023: I killed somebody. You have the right to be upset about that. It's OK that you needed some space to process. I respect that.

Purple arrow 2018: You killed somebody because you made a deal to protect me, so that's another body on me. It doesn't matter that he was some domestic terrorist trying to hurt little kids. I didn't want you to become me. I'm not a good person, but you are.

Counselor Laura from 2023: I know who you think I am. You always put me on this pedestal of normalcy. You didn't want me to be a part of your world. But I can't love you and not be part of this world. I can't pretend that there aren't special children that need me, that there are heroes that need me. Maybe it was an accident that I was brought here, but I am needed in this 2023.

Counselor Laura from 2023: At a minimum, I need to do at least two interventions and maybe help Tony Potts work through his Howard issues. It has to be easier the second time around, right?

Purple arrow 2018: Maybe it's good that more time passes in the other timeline between windows than here. I am a little confused about that. I got an explanation from Hunter when he came to get me. But I think that made it worse because it was Hunter. He's married to a genius but still doesn't understand half the things he says, and it gets even more confusing when he repeats it.

Counselor Laura from 2023: I thought Afia got you?

Purple arrow 2018: She got the kids. I was reading through the alternate history of 2023 elsewhere.

Counselor Laura from 2023: It's hard sometimes to understand who you're married to, but it's essential to figure it out.

Purple arrow 2018: Sometimes, it takes longer than it should.

Counselor Laura from 2023: You don't need to worry about me. I'm OK here. Just concentrate on making sure that what happened here doesn't happen there.

Purple arrow 2018: Protect the kids?

Counselor Laura from 2023: Protect the kids. Thanos can't happen. He can't get those stones.

Purple arrow 2018: I know. I've been reading through the reports. I actually spent all night going through them. I'm not sure my other self's presence would have made a difference. I just throw arrows.

Counselor Laura from 2023: We all make a difference by everything we do. Little ripples can become waves. Remember that.

Purple arrow 2018: Hey, we're about to lose the window, but we'll talk soon.

Counselor Laura from 2023: OK. Tell the kids I love them.

Purple arrow 2018: I will. I love you, and I'm sorry. Nate says to bring him chocolate.

Counselor Laura from 2023: It's OK and no chocolate.

Counselor Laura from 2023: Talk to the Princess about Tony Potts's plan.

Xxx

Purple arrow 2023: So is this the time to tell you that I somehow ended up with a copy of all of those conversations you just had with your friends and family in the other timeline?

Counselor Laura: I thought that was a possibility. Also, Friday just changed your name in my address book a little.

Purple arrow 2023: Friday also sent them to Stark too because Ana told her to. I can hear the cursing from the air vents. He's not happy.

Counselor Laura: Oh shit. Everything?

Friday 2023: I apologize, but I did not know you would discuss such a sensitive subject. However, I did not show him the detailed file regarding Ana Jarvis's death despite his multiple requests. However, he would like to speak with you in his lab right away.

Counselor Laura: I will try texting first but let him know I'll talk to him in a minute.

Purple arrow 2023: Do you want to talk about it?

Counselor Laura: My marriage is really fucked up, and I really miss my kids. Also, Tony is probably furious at me because, apparently, things are really different in this timeline.

Purple arrow 2023: All good marriages are complicated.

Counselor Laura: This is our second separation. Third, if you count when he sent me divorce papers when he went to go after Ross. I'm willing to tell you about it eventually as long as you don't keep avoiding me. But not right now; I have a Stark to diffuse.

Purple arrow 2023: I'm done avoiding you.

Counselor Laura: Good because you have some notes to write about everything you know regarding what Simmons did. I need to get back to my kids, and I need your help.

Purple arrow 2023: That is something I will always help you with.

To be continued…

Maybe I had a little too much fun comparing and contrasting the two Clints.