Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
They won. No one could believe it. But they did. Clint sat down right where he was, staring blankly at the vast expanse of lifeless bodies lying around him. They won. But at what cost?
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you
Clint dragged himself to the living room and collapsed onto the couch. Laura gasped and rushed to her husband wrapping her arms around his torso. Cooper and Lila ran to him with tears glistening their eyes. Lila hugged him tightly, mumbling incoherently. Clint stroked her hair softly, trying to hold himself together for his family. Family... he lost a sister!
Clint broke down, unable to bear it any longer. He slumped onto the couch with his head between his hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I couldn't save her Laura... She's dead. I couldn't even bring her body back. This is all my fault. It should've been me."
Everyone was heartbroken to hear that their beloved badass aunt was dead. Cooper slid down onto the floor beside his dad. The small family silently mourned the death of a loved one.
There's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain
When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same
Now my heart feel like December when somebody say your name
'Cause I can't reach out to call you, but I know I will one day, yeah
Laura had a hard time getting Clint to do anything at all. He refused to let any of them get into trouble if he could help it. Day in and day out he would be in the fields target practicing like his life depended on it. Which it did. His family was his life and he couldn't bear the thought of losing another person after Nat and Tony. Lila would bring him food and Cooper and Nathaniel would do their Best to cheer him up.
Eventually, Clint would go back to his normal self. Somewhat. After Tony's funeral, Laura saw the broken look on her husbands face. It hurt her to no end. She knew Natasha deserved a proper burial just as much as Stark did and so arranged for one the next week.
Everyone turned up on their little farm house. Pepper simply hugged Laura and they exchanged a knowing glance. Morgan and Cooper bonded over their losses, putting a smile on Clint's face. A genuine one.
Banner stood by the sidelines not wanting to be noticed. His heart was broken beyond repair. He quietly sulked in the corner before running away from the living nightmare.
Everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody hurts someday
But everything gon' be alright
Go and raise a glass and say...
Here's to the ones that we got
Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
Of everything we've been through
Toast to the ones here today
Toast to the ones that we lost on the way
Clint gradually accepted the fact that Nat was dead and tried to move on. But small things reminded him of her. He knew there was nothing that would totally remove her from his life. And he didn't want to either.
The only way to truly keep her alive was by cherishing every last memory he had with her. Until the day he dies.
'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back, memories bring back you.