Chapter 1

2009 Russia, Unknown location of abandoned warehouses

The hallway was pitched black but for some budding sunlight from the golden hour that flooded patches of uneven concrete that had seen better days. The sounds of a struggle or fight echoed in the empty place. If the fight sounds didn't lead the way, the curses in Russian did. Fucking bitch was a frequent word. The limited vocabulary was quite sad.

Ibrahim "Abe" Mazur aka Zmey followed the sounds at a very quick walk, not exactly running but close enough to it. His guardian Pavel looked irritated as he kept pace with his employer who just speed up to annoy him, he was sure.

The air was crisp but warm enough for the activity. Abe felt a rush of excitement as he neared his query that he had been hunting. The strong magic that sent his sister-in-law and child away had jerked him out of a sound sleep three months ago had returned.

About two months ago, Abe had heard whispers of an illegal magic tattoo parlor operation that fled from the States after the Alchemists had 'shut it down'. He came to see for himself and to stop it. He wasn't a huge fan of the Alchemists, but as a favor to a friend, he agreed that magical tattoos were not good business.

Abe felt he was nearing the source of what had tugged sharply at his magic or at least he hoped so for Janice's sake at least. Abe knew she missed her sister terribly.

Keeping to the shadows of the small doorway, by some crumbling wooden boxes, Abe and his guardian watched with slight amusement and awe at the sight of the 'deadly ballerina' as his contacts whispered about the unknown woman who seemed to have a knack for foiling Russians upstart schemes. She had coasted at the edge of knowing about the Moroi world but when a few of her 'friends' were using the magical tattoo, she went on a hunt.

"Who hired you?" Natasha loosened her grip slightly enough for the man she was strangling to answer. She was getting tired of this cat and mouse game. She was tired period. It had been three months to the day when she woke up in Russia 25 years old again and still recovering from when she got shot by the Winter Soldier in Odessa. Thankfully she had her citizen I.D. on her or at least a Russian sort, which indicated it was 2009 again. It didn't help her that the technology was decades in the past. It helped that her injury had healed enough to be on 'light' duty, else she'll be further up a creek.

When Natasha woke up, she thought she was in hell as the blinding white pain of death transported her to Russia. She quickly changed her mind when she noted the blue lightening fading into a symbol that was burned into the dirt of a small clearing in the Russian forest. It looked a little like when Thor used the bifrost bridge, but not exactly. The out of the way cabin, dusty falling apart cabin. not so much. So Natasha went and did what she did best, survive. Thankfully she wasn't naked when she arrived.

She quickly learned that there was no Shield, no Red Room, nothing that indicated that she was still in her own world. If anyone knew of magic, she didn't have the funds to go and find out. Natasha quickly kept to herself, even as she made a name in the underworld for herself as the 'deadly ballerina'. She kept to small burglary and some fights, once in a while she played bodyguard for some rich snobs who quickly learned that she was not to be touched. Then whispers of the mobster Zmey reached her ears along with this stupid tattoo parlor.

The few 'friends' that she made quickly became frustrating as these 'magical' tattoos popped up in the fight ring. Unlike the rest of the population, Natasha knew that magic was dangerous so she set off to find the source. So she decided to play bait and switch. Two birds, one stone.

It was terribly easy with her skill-set. This was the 'night' she'll learn how the tattoos worked. That is until she took out two of the unexpected men and now she was slowly getting information from the third.

"When Zmey gets here…" The last man coughed out a weak threat. Natasha didn't spare a glance toward where she heard that 'Zmey' and his bodyguard had slipped into the room behind some crumbling wooden boxes.

"I'm going to what?" Abe knew that the woman knew he was there. It was the perfect cue. He knew his face was cold as his eyes were sharp. With a tilt of Abe's head, Pavel started to pack up the evidence. The Alchemist hierarchy did need their 'evidence' after all.

"You know he's one of mine. He need to help clean up." David was let out of the vise grip of the 'deadly ballerina' and breathed slowly. If he didn't know any better he'll thought she was a newly turned Strigoi. He was definitively going to ask for another assignment. Maybe he'll go to Iowa and see if Alice had a low key assignment that she'll give him. Working for Zemy was dangerous. Besides he needed a touch-up on his fading lily, it was slowly turning gold again. Being a double-agent sucked.

Abe knew he was staring but he couldn't help it. It was like he was seeing Rosemarie Hathaway, no not his daughter, but Janine's younger sister all over again. Well at least when 'Natasha' was taking down the two Alchemists, disregarding her current brown bob cut. He quickly changed his option on further review.

The two men who were knocked down got up and made a behind rush attack but Natasha was quicker, they got distracted by her low, seductive "Hello boys" as she smiled disarmingly making them pause.

The Rosemarie he knew wasn't a killer, but as he watched the young woman dressed in tattered street clothing who had light brown hair, kick both of the middle-aged Alchemists with a perfectly executed split kick which had started with a plie that turned into a saute or at least a twist on them. Can't exactly do fight ballet. The two men went down hard and didn't move. His heart sank, she might have looked like her mother, but used her dancing skills that turned her into Janice. Abe didn't know what made her turn into a deadlier version of himself when he was younger. It made him feel sad. He made a note to exact revenge on whoever did this to his niece. She was family after all.

Her voice brought him out of his musings of how much she looked like Rosemarie as the dawning sun turned her hair back into the flames that usually crowned her head. "Take a picture Zmey or should I say Ibrahim 'Abe' Mazur? You're quite the shadowy figure around these parts, not to mention the whole world at times. In exchange for keeping my silence about this 'magic' I want passage to the United States." Natasha spoke like the SHIELD agent she once was. Firm, direct and too the point. She didn't have time to play games.

Zmey let the young lady's jade green eyes bore into him as he thought over his answer, just for show of course. He mentally rolled his eyes at his hovering guardian Pavel who had stepped closer when David took over the packing and had left. Such a worrywart.

Natasha knew more about him, but something told her that he knew more about this 'magic' then anyone else she had meet. So she kept silent. The lily tattoo on the men were a clue, and she was going to get answers.

Abe nodded his agreement then asked. "To go back to family?" Abe knew that she knew that Natasha had no family and popped up three months ago. He only knew of her because he was involved in her mother's escape in the first place.

Natasha kept her silence and slipped into the shadows to disappear since he agreed to her demand, she'll know how to contact 'the Snake' when Abe's voice rang out in the silence as the other people had already left. Or at least Pavel gave the illusion that he had gone. Natasha wasn't fooled in the slightest. The other men were out for several hours at least.

"Natalia Alianovna 'Natasha' Romanova, you are the splitting image of your mother, despite the brown hair. You were born December 3rd, 1984 at 6:49 p.m. in a small cabin near Stalingrad. Your mother, my Janine's older sister Rosemarie, cursed up a storm since you destroyed her ballet career, but when she held you. That didn't matter anymore. Ivan Dragomir, whose eyes you inherited suggested using a contact of mine in the Alchemists to hide you until it was safe for you to come into our society. We didn't know the magic was a portal, but when we tried to get you and your mother back, it didn't work until now."

Abe held still as a gun was aimed in his direction, a slight hand-wave from Abe made Pavel scowl in their direction before he even took one step. It didn't help a second gun was aimed at him. He didn't even know she was armed.

"That doesn't prove anything." Natasha couldn't or wouldn't let the hope that started to sing in her veins loose. It was too much, too fast and she could feel her gut wound that still needed to be watched despite her 'weak super soldier' body that she woke up with started to bleed slightly. It didn't help that she didn't get enough nourishment. If she didn't have a new super-soldier like body, she probably been looking at high malnutrition and dehydration. But she was a product of the Red Room and she never quit. She survived more then that.

"You are stronger and faster then humans but not as strong as a Strigoi. They like blood as all vampires do as you know from the stories."

Abe didn't know what made his niece, Natalia collapse abruptly, but he doubt it was his words. What shocked him was the sudden appearance of a huge, blonde hair, blue eyed man with a sharp looking
brunette woman who spoke in a crisp British accent who grabbed Natalia's gun where it fell, as this Steve popped out of thin air to catch Natalia from hitting her head on the floor. He noted the slight blue light and the faint portal outline on the floor that looked remarkably like the one near the cabin.

"Steve what in the world did you do this time? Time travel is one thing, this is a whole another thing darling." Peggy kept her cool and banished the mirror image of her her neighbor coming in with Mike in her arms. Natalie Rushman was the splitting image of the woman in her Steve's arms. If she strained her thinking more, other images from other timelines popped up. Her slight headache was turning into a migraine.

Abe closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, the woman still had her gun aimed at him. Even as Steve tried to talk her down, she just shot him a look. "Pavel prepare the jet for take off and please make sure we had adequate supplies for my niece and her friends. You are Natalia's friends right?" Abe did note Pavel's glare at the situation, but Abe had it well in hand. Pavel was such a worrywart.

"I'm not, but he is. Peggy Carter. Yourself?" Abe was beginning to see that his niece's life was very interesting.

"I am Ibrahim 'Abe' Mazur. Natalia's my niece. I'm also called Zmey." That didn't register on the humans since even the human government and its people knew of Zmey. Curious.

"That answers nothing." Peggy said as Steve held Natalie like he was thinking she'll disappear. Which she did, as she died. Peggy loved Steve but trouble magnet was his middle name and she didn't like it.

"If I told you you are in a different world of your own and I'm a friendly vampire?" Abe was running out of ideas as the humans and they were humans right, followed him towards his car both of them on high alert. The downed Alchemists had been moved a while ago by David who had dumped them in a heap on a trolley he found.

Abe breathed a sigh of relief that the sun was high enough to send the Strigoi away from the area. Not that the humans knew anything about them. Once settled in, the car drove quickly to the waiting jet. Steve wasn't fooled by the man's act, but if he was held at gun point and had the guts to send away his bodyguard, well he'll be acting the same.

As for the family relation, "You don't look like Natasha."

In answer, Abe pulled up a rare picture of Abe with Janice and her sister. "I'm 'married' to Janice, Natalia's aunt. Janice was the younger of the two. Rosemarie was older."

Steve and Peggy didn't made a sound or any sort of reaction, they were trained better then that, but the resemblance between the two sisters and Natasha was uncanny, so they yet it go for now.

"How much vodka do you have?" Steve asked thoughtfully once he had put Natasha down. He would deal with the multiple timelines in his head demanding attention when it was not so hectic, even if they were fading. He had a feeling his dreams would be entertaining.

"A few cases. Why? Going to drink it all?" Abe asked wondering why he was trusting these people. They were human after all. But they cared about his niece, Steve maybe a little more so, but there was Peggy though so.

Steve was amused at the thought, but shook his head. "No, I can't get drunk. It's for Peggy and Natasha." Unlike Peggy he knew he couldn't leave this timeline. He gulped at the thought of telling her.

"Tea would be better." Peggy sighed as she got comfortable in the car, Steve had carefully laid Natasha down on a seat, half propping her up with his torso. Her headache was beginning to go away.

First Steve came to her in 1949, explaining from his return from the ice to the final battle, they were about to retire to bed, then she had the impression that she somehow was in three or four places at once, but it'll be alright. It was probably Steve's fault anyway. Something to do with multiple time lines or something such rot. If the images she had were fading had anything to do with it.

"I can arrange that." Abe knew it was going to be a very long flight. He got his guests settle in the lounge of his Gulfstream G650 and excused himself to make a call in his office but got sidetracked by paperwork. His private doctor was seeing to Natalia and his guests. He did wonder why Steve mentioned he couldn't get drunk. Was he once a alcoholic?

A quick knock jerked him from his endless paperwork, making Abe glance at his clock. It had been two hours since his niece and co came aboard.

"Enter."

Pavel opened the door for David, who after a quick shower, nap and food decided to report on what he found out about his niece. It wasn't pretty. He left Natalia's friend Steve to watch over her in the meantime. The man didn't even blink on what Dr. Lop found on Natalia. Peggy just nodded as it had confirmed something. These people were strange humans even for a rouge Alchemist.

They did agree to a physical but both refused flat out on getting their blood drawn. As for Steve's higher rate of heartbeat, etc, it was 'classified.' Not wanting to push the two when the last Dragomir was not awake, Doctor Lop got to work on writing his report.

David sat down with a tired sigh placing a folder on the desk. The other men were still out and will be when delivered to the Alchemists. Abe wordlessly poured him a stiff drink and was slightly taken back by how fast David drank it. David usually liked to savor his drinks. "I take it the way you drank that, what the doctor had found was troubling?"

David debated if he could ask for another drink before saying. "Yes and no. Natalia is in remarkable shape considering she's still recovering from a gut wound that looks about four months old. She's been set up with I.V. because of her low malnutrition and dehydration. The doctor put in a light sedative and painkiller so she'll be asleep until we hit the coast of the United States.

From the x-rays the doctor did, her bones have been broken and repaired multiple times, her blood work shows the normal Dhampir characteristics but its her reproductive system. It's fully intact but, it looked like it was taken out at one point in time, but she'll be able to have children. She had at least one, possibly before it was. It was really well done. It is hers but it doesn't make any sense. It's almost seamless." David wasn't a doctor and it was baffling. Peggy seemed to know something about it but and he quoted 'it wasn't his concern' when he tried to asked about it. "She doesn't have anything else wrong with her."

Abe knew there was a good reason he put in a fully functional medical bay in his jet. It was because his daughter was so good at jumping in first, questions last. He had a feeling that Natalia and her friends would be the same. "What's the earliest bone break?"

"Twenty-two years ago. There is faint scarring on the left wrist that comes from daily handcuff usage." David gestured to the folder, "Doc gave details of the whole thing."

Abe noticed that David hesitated on his next words so he nodded slightly towards Pavel to take over. Pavel needed an outlet. There was a reason why he was Abe's guardian after all. "David, you had fought her and been a teacher for a time before you joined Alice's rebellion. What's your take on her fighting skills?"

David gave a harsh laugh. "If you asked me to spar with her, I would say no. She's good. If you hadn't come in when you did, she'll probably had picked me apart with words and then slaughter me without remorse. Someone or someplace taught her to kill. If I didn't know any better, I would call her a Strigoi. But at the same time, she's not just a trained killer or even spy, which is how she got so far. She's kind. She gave the guys a chance to come clean and when they refused, well you saw what happened."

"That's not kindness." Pavel pointed out, very troubled by what he had learned and didn't learn throughout this whole saga.

"There was a few woman who were going to come to get magical tattoos, I don't know what Natalia did or say to get them to cancel but Natalia was the only one of the group to show up. Her first words were, 'I'm sorry were you expecting more? They have other engagements. Don't bother looking for them either. They are well away from here."

Abe felt his long years. He had a feeling that Natalia wasn't going to be a typical Dhampir, content with the life of a Guardian. She was clearly not ready to enter into their society.

He excused both David and Pavel, to Pavel's annoyance but Pavel perked up on his assignment of 'getting to know' the other guests.

Grinning madly, Abe e-mailed Kit and Hattie Morgan on their 'new' assignment. Ironically they would be 'guardians' again, but he had a feeling that they would enjoy this assignment. There was a reason sought him out when they deserted their Moroi for each other, he had connections all over. For being a 'royal' family, the Badica were not a pleasant family to work for.

Then Abe poured himself a drink and went through Natalia's file. He had to use his sand garden for a bit to get his magic back to normal.

Abe had to go back to his paperwork to forget the images and details the doctor's report left him feeling sick. Then Abe remembered once his gaze fell on his cell phone. Dialing the phone number that had been memorized thirty years ago but rarely called, he took a deep breath as it was picked up. Thank heavens for the Bartons. Or Barton he should say.

Fortunately or unfortunately, someone else then Edith Barton nee Sage answered the phone. "Barton residence, Clint speaking."

"I'm sorry I must of dialed the wrong number. I'm looking for Alice Barton."

On the other end, Clint mentally cursed. So his Doppelganger Aunt Alice was correct. "You must be Abe. What's your connection to all of this?" Clint knew but he wanted to be sure.

"What is this?" Abe was slightly confused.

"My friend, Na" Clint was cut off by the sound of a loud thump.

"Not my books! Clint, come corral my darling grandnieces and nephew, they're making a mess." Clint rolled his eyes at the glee in Aunt Alice's voice. She didn't expect a whole clan of people to pop up in her garden, most of them under the age of ten. She missed having family around.

Abe was left with the dial tone when Steve popped his head around the corner, "I didn't know that Clint had an aunt. Also Natasha's awake." He had a peek at the controls while Peggy successfully got out much information about this new world they were in from Pavel and David as possible.

Steve didn't fool anyone but they let it slide since Abe quietly commanded that the guests had somewhat free range on his plane. It was a small one anyway.

Abe followed Steve back to the lounge were Natalia was setting up nursing a energy drink and some food. She still looked tired but her color was better.

Pavel held out a glass of vodka as his employer took a seat snagging the vodka as he did so. He would have been amazed at Natasha's recovery, if he didn't read her medical file. It had been only about five hours since her collapse.

It was Natalia who broke the silence. "Ok Steve what the hell did you do this time?" There was a faint nod of exasperation as Peggy and her exchanged glances as Steve grinned sheepishly. Nat had taken a seat where she could see all the exits, while Abe was on another armchair while Peggy and Steve were on the couch. Pavel was standing guard.

"Well, can this wait until we get to Iowa? We're headed towards the old farm. Clint's and co are here too and I don't want to repeat myself more then once. All I can say is we are here permanently and we can't go back. I'm sorry." Pavel had to look away at Steve's patented look of sorrow. Peggy and Natasha inwardly sighed.

Abe noted a slight light gleam in Natalia's eyes but she hid it away as she nodded. Peggy kissed Steve as a way of forgiveness. He still turned bright red, making Natalia snicker quietly. At least somethings never changed. Steve and his embarrassment was one of them.

Natasha sighed as her quick mind absorbed what Steve had told her. She was dead in her original reality after all and somehow she had dragged her friends with her. She ignored the sting of guilt and opened her mouth to explain to her 'Uncle' as the pointed photographs and birth certificate that had been presented to her when she woke up. Her very vibrant dreams she had about other lives, she'll think about them later.

Natasha debated on how much she'll tell these new people but before she could do so, Peggy Carter beat her to it. "Do they still handcuff you to your bed at night so you don't run away?" She asked innocently. Natasha knew it wasn't. Ripping off the bandaid was she? She noted that there were only four people on board that she didn't know. Carter she knew from Steve's stories and SHIELD.

So she gave the bare minimum, Steve told her that they had a medical file on her. Natasha gave a brittle smile as everyone but Steve tensed, he just closed his eyes and appeared to be napping. "No, the Red Room has more unique methods to get us to stay after the first six years. Getting to sleep without one is a sign of 'trust.' Since I made my first kill at age seven, it was granted 'early.' I'm not a Red Room espionage operative anymore. I was S.H.I.E.L.D. for far longer, an Avenger just a little under ten years. Now I'm here." Natasha was all quiet innocent nothing to see here.

Abe felt his blood boil. "Tell me where is this Red Room now?" His voice was deadly calm as his mind raced through what he knew of the world and what he had learned recently.

"Dead and gone." Natasha didn't want to spill all her secrets. She was a spy after all. Still her heart warmed at the thought of family taking care of family. Her heart ached at the thought of her little sister. Oh Yelena where are you?

The sentence ended with a yawn. "It'll still be some time until we land in Iowa. I believe we are all due for some sleep. I for one haven't been up this late in quite some time." Abe suggested smoothly and in minutes everyone but Abe was asleep. He was too busy hunting.

Meanwhile in a small house in Ann Harbor, MN, James "Bucky" Barnes and Yelena Belova were in a stand off with an older woman who stood frozen on the bottom step as her mouth had opened in shock and revealed her fangs causing the two to pull guns on her. The duo were not concerned with the faint blue light and etching of a portal on the hardwood floors.

"If Fanny was here, we could sic her on the lady." Yelena suggested causally as she looked around the tidy but filled with photographs living room. Another sudden sound made her pull her knife.

"I'm more concerned with the dead face of my grandfather." Bucky replied as Guardian Dean Barnes rushed to Emily Mastrano's defense with his own gun. The Mexican stand-off ended when Emily spoke.

"I believe if we all sat down for breakfast or in my case dinner, of the bacon, egg and pancake sort, we can work this out. Guardian Barnes put away your gun please." Emily requested and was slightly amused that the older man automatically put away his gun. It must have been because of how she said it.

The younger woman had a harder time to comply as they walked towards the kitchen and sat down. A older woman near mid-thirties was already there, cooking up breakfast. "I see that we have company Emily." She had pretty Asian features, and moved like she owned the kitchen. "I'm Edna Molie."

Bucky mock-complained as he walked the short distance, a light, don't mind us tone in his voice. "Yelena you could always kill them after being fed. Then I'll have to kill you because of bad manners and I don't kill anymore. So please for the sake of my, what the heck?"

Bucky stopped talking and just stared at his whole left arm. Then he glanced in the mirror that was over the stove once Emily had moved away to get something out of the fridge. Edna didn't blink an eye at this strange situation. "What the hell is going on?"

He looked like just before he fell off the train into his worst decades of his life. Uniform and all. Man he looked rough. Also needed a shower.

"Same." Yelena peered at her way early twenties, instead of her late twenties reflection before some moved into the mirrors reflection. At least she was clean.

She glanced over at Bucky's sharp intake and he spun around. "Becca?" He croaked in disbelief as his little sister, Rebecca Barnes appeared and sat down near Dean. Even with the make-up covering her bruises, and her indication of early pregnancy, she was the splitting image of his younger sister at 22.

His sister's lack of acknowledgement of her knowing him hurt, but still, "What did Proctor do to you?" Bucky growled, eyes cold. Marrying his sister and then this happened?! Even if he knew she wasn't his Becca, she was still his little sister.

Dean tensed at the dangerous air around the man who looked like his cousin Jamie, that is before he died on duty before he was born. Becca came years later, a surprise baby that eased the hole Jamie left when he died.

But then again, having a version of a dead cousin around would be either a blessing or a burden as Dean and Rebecca Barnes were the last members of their Dhampir family, as their parents either died on duty or other ways. Their mom died giving birth to a stillborn Hannah and his Moroi father was not a father at all. Ever. In fact, maybe this Barnes could help with Becca's 'problem.' After all his dad was 'friends' with the man who lead Becca on enough to conceive a child.

Rebecca 'Becca' Barnes was confused at the over protective bearing this man had towards her. He looked like Jamie if he didn't die so young and she always wanted an older brother since she and Dean just started to have a relationship since he was a Guardian and she wasn't.

"Tell me what do you know about Randall "Rand" Ivashkov?" Dean asked in Russian. Becca tensed and fainted as her mind 'screamed' Jimmy.

As he caught his clearly hurt and battered little sister, Bucky's Russian was flawless but curiously blunt, as in he didn't like speaking the language. "This was the scum that knocked Becca up?"

But before Dean could answer, Emily, who was kind enough to take her in when Dean asked her too, set down breakfast, Edna gesturing toward the seats. "Eat then we'll discuss what is what. After all you two burned a symbol into my hardwood floor." She said dryly as everyone who wasn't seat sat down after Bucky gently set his little sister, and It was his sister, dang it, on the couch with a blanket tucked around her.

"I could eat." Yelena said eyeing the loaded table. After her blood transfusion from Bucky, which only came because he was the only one nearby, she was more hungry. Not as hungry as Bucky but still more then usual.

As everyone put away their weapons for forks and plates, and started piling high the food, Emily introduced herself, her guardian and what was what. She hoped the two strangers would follow suit.

"Lovely. I am Emily Mastrano and you are lucky my husband John is out on business for a few days. This is Guardian Dean Barnes. If you know your Russian fairytales, then you know of the Moroi, I am one of them. Guardian Barnes is a Dhampir. Half Moroi, half human or really Moroi now a days."

Bucky had no clue what she was talking about, Yelena on the other hand, perked up. "The Moroi and the Strigoi!? I learned of them in the school" Yelena said smoothly or as much as she could while eating. "They're real? How do you feed?" Yelena didn't want to kill if necessary, only for Bucky's sake, he was such a stuck-up now a days.

Edna waved her hand lightly. "Let's just say there's a transaction between Emily and I."

"Well I'm Yelena Belova and this grumpy man is James Buchanan Barnes. He answers to Bucky. Oh stop glaring at me. I won the last staring contest so nah."

Bucky swallowed. "I won. You sneezed." Yelena clearly disagreed with that as the two started bickering, both very chill with the whole vampire thing for some reason.

Emily observed that the man who told them to call him Bucky, eat as much as a Dhampir or even more so. Yelena who was just human, eat enough for a Dhampir. Their world was explained in more details by Emily who only ate a small plate since she did just get done feeding.

Unlike the rest of the Moroi who had regular feeders in their houses if necessary, her feeder had a small house on the edge of her property. It suited them both. Less awkwardness all around. Or as Edna explained to Dean once, "It's my job, not my main joy." Emily wondered what people would think if they knew the art that graced their homes came from Edna. The 36 year old woman was a amazing artist. The feeding was in exchange of all rent and such.

Yelena waved a piece of toast around. "That's all very interesting. I'm wondering why your daughter has my sister's eyes."

"Jill?" Emily asked, a chill going down her spine in either excitement or dread. "She has her father's eyes. It's a trait of the Dragomir family. Excuse me, I need to make a phone call."

But before she could even move her chair back, a phone started ringing. It wasn't hers. It was Yelena's ringtone. The Christmas song, All I Want for Christmas Is You started playing. Yelena slummed in her seat. Darn that Clint Barton! No wait, it was all Kate Bishop's fault. She was the one to set their ring tones in hopes that they'll be friends. She couldn't even change it. It was annoying.

"What do you want Barton?" Yelena said in Japanese in hopes her hosts had no idea what she was saying. Bucky ignored her, but she knew that he was listening, his eating slowing and stilling as he listened to the conversation on both ends.

"If this is a fucking joke, I'll murder you. Natasha or no Natasha." Yelena's eyes got wide as Barton sent her a few pictures as 'proof.' "Holy kitty. Well that explains the eyes." She let Bucky see the pictures. His face grew soft.

"So who wants to go to Iowa?!" Yelena said cheerfully her attitude doing a complete turnaround.

"What's in Iowa?" Emily asked wary.

"Answers. Plus Steve." Bucky grumbled. He knew it had to be Steve's fault somehow. Thankfully Peggy was with him.

In Iowa, Alice Barton nee Sage sighed in relief at the intact book shelf. Having a younger man around was quite handy. When she woke up this morning, she didn't think she'll have more family. Sinking into the comfortable teal couch she closed her eyes and remembered how the day started.

After all everyone else was taking a much needed nap before Abe and co and Clint's friends arrived. It'll be a full house once again. She couldn't wait.