Chapter 11
Wanda sat down. "I was able to remove some memories and relocate the others. I didn't replace them because you didn't ask me to, and I refuse to do something that someone hasn't permitted me to."
"Thank you," Mikayla whispered. Wanda would never know how much that meant.
"You're my friend, Mikayla, and that wouldn't have helped you. I was able to lock away some of the memories like I did at the farm and the Halloween party." Wanda took a deep breath. "HYDRA did plant some words and ideas in your head." Mikayla started tearing up. Clint rubbed her temples before a panic attack hit. Everyone watching felt the tension increase. "I saw the mission they gave you. They were going to have you kill the Avengers."
"So, the visions were real?"
Wanda nodded. "They were, but they're gone now."
Mikayla bit her lip to try and stop herself from crying. She'd asked Wanda to help her but didn't know what to expect. Now that Wanda was finished, thoughts came rushing to Mikayla's mind. How could her teammates ever face her again, knowing she was supposed to kill them? She knew there was no way Clint would want to stay married to someone who was a danger to him. 'I need to go,' Mikayla thought. 'I need to be where I'm not a danger to anyone.'
Clint knew precisely what his wife was thinking. "You're not going anywhere, babe. We'll get through this. I'll get you whatever help you need." He carded his fingers through her hair. "I've told you before. There's nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you. Let's focus on the positive. Mikayla, look at me." Clint took her chin and tilted Mikayla's head up to face him. "You beat them. You didn't give in and do what they were trying to get you to do." He picked up one of her arms so she could look at her hands. "You've still got your hands. Your hands, Mikayla, not theirs." Clint drew her close and tightly hugged her, whispering words of reassurance in her ear. Rather than overwhelm her, the rest of the team left the waiting room, leaving only Clint, Wanda, and the two doctors to help Mikayla.
"So, you promise don't hate me?" Mikayla was dumbfounded, shocked that he could still love her after what he'd just found out.
"I don't hate you. None of us hate you."
"Do you hate me?" Wanda spoke, afraid she'd chased away one of her best friends.
Mikayla sat up a little straighter as Clint moved away from her. "No, I could never hate you, Wanda." Mikayla reached her hand out, and Wanda clasped her forearm. "You're my friend. You did what I asked, and you're helping me heal."
"Doctors, the Wakandans have arrived," Friday announced.
"Thanks, Friday," Bruce said. "Go ahead and send them up." While waiting for their guests, the doctors examined Mikayla's vitals. "Your vitals look good, Mikayla. I want to scan your brain, which I expect will be fine. Of course, we'll wait and consult with Shuri and her team." Mikayla nodded. Bruce placed a hand on her shoulder. "Clint's right, you know. You won. Plus," he smiled, "we didn't discover any more super serum, so you would've had an issue taking out some of the team." He leaned down and whispered. "The other guy likes you too much to let you do any damage. He admires you for putting up with Clint."
"Hey!" The group, including Mikayla, laughed as Clint reacted to that news. Clint was okay with it, seeing as it enabled Mikayla to relieve stress.
"Greetings, friends," T'Challa said, smiling as the Wakandans entered the room. "Mikayla, I am so pleased to have you back with us. Chewie has been asking me when he'll see you and Clint again. He was so honored to be able to participate in your wedding ceremony."
"We're glad she's back, too," Clint said. "Thanks for coming back to help us." He nodded toward Shuri and her team.
"I am always happy to help a friend." Shuri smiled as she squeezed Mikayla's arm. "How is your head, Mikayla?"
"Hurts, but better, I think. Wanda used her, her powers. Said she removed the words and the visions."
While talking, Shuri took out her handheld scanner and ran it over Mikayla's body. "I am glad we don't have to employ the cryo chamber, as I'm sure you are, too." Mikayla nodded. Shuri finished her scan and motioned for one of her staff to come over and review the results with her. "I have good news for you. The scan came back clear, but I would like to run a test to make certain. Your kind doctors gave me the words that were implanted. The scan showed no other words planted, but I'd like to say the words to see if you have any reactions. That is how we ensured Sargeant Barnes was cured."
"Clint? Stay with me?"
"Of course, babe. Wanda, too?" Mikayla nodded. "Ready?"
Mikayla took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Ready." She tried not to tense up as Shuri repeated the words.
"Caves, nothing, sound, tram, blood, tour, athletes." Shuri paused after each word to see how Mikayla would react. Clint could feel Mikayla tensing up after each word Shuri repeated. When Shuri finished, Mikayla was still in her hospital bed, not having a response to any of the words. Shuri smiled. "Do you know what this means, my friend Mikayla?"
"She's free." Everyone turned around to see Bucky standing in the doorway. "Though you handled the news better than I did."
"This is true," T'Challa spoke up. "Ayo told me he cried like a baby."
Bucky nodded. "I did, not gonna lie."
That's all it took for Mikayla to start crying. 'If it's a good enough reaction for Bucky, it's good enough for me,' she thought.
Clint drew her close and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing circles on her back. "Let it out, babe. You won."
Mikayla threw her arms around Clint, buried her head in the crook of his neck, and didn't come up for air for several minutes, busy crying all the tears she didn't realize she'd been holding back. Clint heard her mumbling, "I'm free, not controlled." She repeated these words in between bouts of tears.
Clint pulled her away when she finished, keeping an eye on her as she sniffed and gathered her thoughts. With his thumbs, he wiped the excess moisture off her face. "Hey."
"Hey," Mikayla smiled, then yawned. "I don't think I've ever been so drained."
"I bet. Are you ready to try and get some sleep?"
Mikayla nodded. "I'll try." She looked over at Shuri and Wanda. "Thank you, thank you both."
Wanda gently hugged her. "I'm glad I was able to help you, my friend. Get some rest."
"I'll do my best."
Wanda hugged her again, followed Bucky out of the room, then Shuri spoke up. "I'll be here for a while, consulting with Doctor Cho and Doctor Banner. My team and I have come up with some possibilities for helping you with your hands." Before Mikayla could respond, Shuri walked away toward the labs.
"Staying?" Mikayla asked.
"I'm not going anywhere." Clint helped Mikayla get comfortable, then lay beside her, cradling her in his arms and watching her until she fell asleep.
Mikayla stirred and tried to turn over but felt like she was being held in place in a vice grip. It took her a few minutes to realize the vice was named Clint Barton. He'd enveloped her in his massive, well-toned arms as if to protect her from the world around them. Opening her eyes and blinking to bring her surroundings into focus, the first things she saw were Clint's clear, blue eyes. "How long?"
Clint smiled. "At least twelve hours, probably closer to fourteen." He kissed her forehead after brushing back her bangs. "Dreams?"
Mikayla shook her head. "Not a one. God, I can't remember the last time I slept that deeply. Bruce didn't give me any of his concoction, did he?"
"Nope, that was all you, babe." Clint smiled. "Bruce did come in earlier, said your vitals are looking good, thinks it's time you got up and walked some, at least stretch your legs. Think you can do that?"
"I'm feeling pretty invincible now, so let's give it a shot."
Clint smiled, then climbed out and stood next to the bed. Mikayla started to swing her legs over the side, but Clint put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Not yet. Stay there, and I'll be right back." Clint walked around the curtain, returning shortly carrying a robe and slippers. "I didn't think you'd want to be flashing anyone."
"Always looking out for me, Barton," Mikayla joked as Clint helped her don the robe, then knelt to put on her house shoes.
"You know it, Barton," Clint joked back, elated his wife's personality appeared to be returning. "Ready?" He asked Mikayla as he stood. She nodded, so he crooked his arm, helping her to stand. Once she linked her arm with his, the couple slowly walked around the bed and toward the waiting room. With his free hand, Clint pushed the door open, leading Mikayla into the next room. As soon as they entered, a loud cheer was heard. Mikayla looked around, and the entire team was in attendance, either using noisemakers or just shouting. She noticed even Morgan was happily cooing. "Welcome back, Mikayla Barton." Clint leaned in, and the couple kissed.
"What a grand day for a festive celebration! We are beyond excited to have you back with us, Lady Mikayla." Thor stepped forward and tentatively held out his arm. Clint nodded, so Mikayla let go of her husband's arm, then linked her small arm with Thor's massive one. The two friends spoke as they walked out of the waiting room and down the corridor.
Natasha grabbed Clint's arm before he could follow the rest of the crowd, trailing behind Thor and Mikayla. "Good night's sleep?"
"Best either one of us have had since she got back." Clint took a deep breath and released it. "She's on her way back, Tasha."
"You knew she would be." Natasha still had a grip on Clint's arm. "Fury and Hill think they've found a lead."
"Where?"
"Where else?"
"Seriously? Budapest? Nothing good ever happens in Budapest."
"I know. Like I've said before, it's a lot like Sokovia. It's not special, but it's on the way to every other place that's special."
"How solid is the lead?"
"Tenuous, at best. I'm leaving this evening to check it out."
"Tash."
"No, don't 'Tash' me. Your mission is to make sure her recovery keeps moving forward."
Clint stopped, put his hands on his hips, and let out a long sigh. "Fine. You'll let me know?"
"As soon as I confirm, you'll be the first." Natasha knew better than to take revenge without him. "Now, let's go catch up with the rest of the crew."
Clint and Natasha met up with their teammates in the main living area. Thor and Mikayla were parading around the room in wide circles, Thor walking at a slower pace than usual, allowing Mikayla to keep up with him. "I never realized I could miss someone so much," Clint said as he kept an eye on his wife.
"Not even me?" Natasha smirked, heading toward the kitchen.
"Not even you, Nat." Clint bumped her shoulder as he reached around her to grab a water bottle and a protein shake from the fridge. He turned around, and Misty was standing across the island from him. When he saw her, Clint motioned her to come around the island; Natasha left to join the others in the living room.
"I wanted to talk to you first," Misty said, then took a bite of an apple.
Clint sat down on a barstool. "What's up?"
"Is she okay, Clint? Is her brain, her mind, clear?"
"From what they can tell, yes. Misty, there's no medical person I trust more than Bruce, and he trusts Shuri. So, if they say she's good, I believe them. Here," he patted the barstool next to him. When she sat, he spoke again. "She'll need to start seeing a therapist again. Bucky said, looking back, that's what helped him the most. He told me he reluctantly went to his sessions, but after some bumps along the way, he recognized they helped. Mikayla's going to be dealing with what they had planned for her. Also, even though all the drugs are out of her system, she'll probably have to deal with the aftereffects, so she might be moody, anxious, and forgetful. Before you ask, the slight memory loss is normal from what Bruce told me and will go away." Clint smiled. "We've got her back, Misty, and she's on the road to recovery."
Misty threw her arms around Clint. "Thanks for bringing her back, Clint." Misty sniffed as she held back tears. She released Clint and leaned on the island. "What's the verdict on her hands? I heard she said no to Tony's metal hands he offered."
"She did. I can't say as I blame her. The surgeon called. She wants to do the surgery next week, but Shuri said her team may have found a way to help her, so we're waiting to see what the Wakandans say."
"Did I hear that someone's escaped her hospital room?" Tony blustered as he came into view.
"Over here, Tony," Mikayla called from the living room. Thor and she had stopped walking, and the two were sitting on one of the couches. Clint and Misty hurried over to join them. Clint sat beside Mikayla, and Misty made herself comfortable in a chair. "And I didn't escape, more like released."
"Potato, po-tah-to. Either way, you're out among us, which is good. Now we can have celebrations for everything you've missed, which in my calculations, would be your birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas."
"I missed all that? I was gone that long?" Mikayla sank back into the couch, suddenly overwhelmed and wanting to check out.
Clint noticed the glazed look fall over his wife's face, so he immediately put one hand on her arm to ground her and another on her cheek. "Hey, babe? Focus on me, on the here and now. Come on, look at me, Mikayla." Slowly, she turned her head and looked at him. "That's it. I've got this. I've got you, okay?" Mikayla nodded. Clint turned to look up at Tony. "Stark, I know you mean well, but it's not a good time."
"But Clint, celebrations."
Clint squeezed Mikayla's arm to reassure her. She nodded, so he stood and went over to Tony. "Tony, no, just no. She's not ready for everything to be thrown at her. We need to ease her back into things, make sure she's not overwhelmed."
Tony sighed. "Fine. Even though I've been told I can't do anything small and without making a production of it – "
"All that's true," Bucky whispered.
"Shut it, Robocop," Tony shot back. "As I said, I'll make an exception for Maid Marian."
"Thanks, man." Clint punched his shoulder and whispered something in Tony's ear. Tony nodded, then Clint joined Mikayla back on the couch.
Mikayla laid her head on Clint's shoulder. "I know I've asked this about five thousand times before, but I will be okay, won't I?"
"And I'll tell you what I always tell you. You've made it this far, so I have no doubt you'll make it back." Clint kissed Mikayla's temple. "I do have a surprise for you, though." Clint looked up toward the hallway. "Pepper?"
"We're here." Everyone looked toward Pepper's voice. She emerged into the living room carrying Morgan, dressed in a dark blue frilly dress. Mikayla heard another voice she'd almost forgotten about. "It's okay, go on," Pepper said calmly.
Two sets of footsteps could be heard, then a tiny voice. "Mikayla?"
Mikayla's face brightened when she saw who it was. "Katie! Philip!"