Howard
1991
"Just give her a chance!" Clint begged as he sat on a stool in her office.
"No, Clint! No matter how much you ask, I'm not going to give her a chance. I read about the Black Widow Program the Soviets are doing. It's just like HYDRA if not worst," Amy argued to her former protege and one of her dearest friends.
"But Natalia...She's different."
"I think her name is Natasha now."
"You train the impossible cases. Fury, Coulson, me...Why not her?"
"Because she's-"
"She's a good fighter. She actually reminds me of you. She just needs somebody on her side."
Amy sat back in her office chair and studied him. "Why is this so important to you? And don't bullshit me. Be honest."
Clint sighed. "I'm the one that recruited her. I saw what they did to her...It's-She can do so much good. She just needs somebody to help her."
"Fine," Amy sighed.
Clint fist pumped. "God, you're such a dork. What does Laura see in you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Clint teased, staggering off.
Natasha Romanoff was a slender young woman with long red hair. Amy began to train her, becoming her S.O. as she did to so many hopeless cases. But as Clint said, she could see something in her. "Wanna drink?" she asked her after a long day.
"Sure," Natasha said, her slight accent still hidden there. She was trying to perfect her English, but the accent still wouldn't go away.
They went to a bar a couple of miles away from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. "What do you drink? Vodka?"
"Wine will be okay," Natasha said, not enjoying the joke.
"Hey! Can I get a bottle of red and two glasses please?" Amy poured them each a hearty serving. "You need to loosen up. Drink." Natasha did as her S.O. ordered, taking a big gulp. "So, America as you like it?"
"It's better than I ever could imagine," Natasha said quietly.
"I know. My brother and I worked our asses off to make sure it happened. But there are still threats out there. Look, I know that people don't trust you at S.H.I.E.L.D. Don't listen to them. Do you think I had it easy? I was an orphan who had to work her ass off to get through school and pay through college. I worked my ass off to get where I am today. I lost my brother and my fiancee, and I'm still standing. I've been tortured, hurt, beaten, and I'm still standing tall. Whatever happened to you in that room...Don't let it define you." Natasha took another sip of her wine. "My brother made me promise to live. You want revenge? That's how you get it. You get revenge by living. You don't let them break you down. You fight tooth and nail to survive. You understand?"
Natasha nodded. "Yes."
"Good. Your accent is getting better by the way. Now...Wanna go dancing?"
Amy walked through her apartment, the small Christmas tree sitting in the corner as she sat on her couch in the comfiest and coziest clothes and a mug of hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps sitting on her glass coffee table. Her apartment was very cozy and comfortable. It was a three-bedroom, with two bathrooms, with a spacious kitchen and a small dining room table she never used. She owned it, having so much money from the war and from her small earnings from Stark Enterprises where she invested and was a silent partner that she didn't know what to do with it, not to mention her salary from the university and her salary from S.H.I.E.L.D. She was surprised that Howard co-signed her name as a small partner in his company. Even though they weren't on speaking terms he never kicked her off.
It wasn't until one evening that she was walking up to her apartment where she slipped on a sheet of black ice and broke her arm and dislocated her shoulder. She was about to go home by herself and drink her pain away in her favorite Christmas and Winter drink she heard a very familiar voice.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Looking up from where she was trying to pull her pants on with one arm, she could still see the handsome young man in his weathered face. His hair was now stark white (pun intended), but he still had the same old mustache.
"Home. What are you doing here?"
"The hospital called me and said that my 'daughter' fell and broke her arm. You still had me down as your emergency contact."
"I need to get that changed," she sighed, sitting on her bed. "Might as well make yourself useful since you're here."
Howard smirked and grabbed her jeans. Amy stepped a foot in, resting her good hand on his shoulder as he pulled his pants up. "You look like shit."
"And you look old as fuck. How long as has it been?"
"Not since Tony was ten. We got your gifts by the way. Put them under the tree."
"Good," she nodded as she placed her other leg in the pant hole. "How's the wife?"
"Good. We just gonna make small talk all night?" Howard asked, pulling the pants up to her waist and buttoning them, and zipping the zipper.
"I really didn't mean for them to call you. I'm gonna be okay. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."
"Amy...No matter what differences we have, you're still my best friend and you're still like my sister. Where's your shirt?"
"On the chair with my bra. I know...It's just...we both said really awful stuff...and we never really reached out to each other."
"I kept you on Stark Enterprise. That was me reaching out."
"Oh."
"For a girl so smart, you can be so stupid."
Amy watched him on the head as she shed her hospital gown. He pulled her bra on and clipped it and helped her put on her sweater. "I know...It's gotten worse with age. I'm really glad you're here, though."
"Me too...Come on. I'll drive you home."
Howard got her home and helped her side. "Nice place," he said as she walked into the kitchen. "How's your pain?"
"Alright," she said, making herself a cup of hot cocoa. Grabbing the booze, she unscrewed it and poured a healthy serving into her mug, and stuck a candy cane in it to stir it around.
"Listen...Maria and I are going on a trip in a couple of days. Why don't when I get back, we can get together and have a drink and talk things over."
Amy smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'll like that."
"Now let's get you to bed."Amy laughed and led him to her bedroom. She slipped out of her jeans and pulled on a pair of flannel pants and one of Bucky's old t-shirts that she still kept. She crawled into bed, chugging her hot cocoa. Howard tucked her in, causing her to laugh. "Comfy?"
"Yes. Howard? Will you stay until I fall asleep?"
"Of course," he smiled, sitting in a chair.
"Thank you. I missed you." Her eyes easily closed from the pain meds they gave her at the hospital and the alcohol she was drinking. The next morning, he was gone and her mug was cleaned and resting on her counter.
A couple of days later, she got one of the worst phone calls of her life. "Hello?" she asked, answering her phone.
"Is this Ms. Barnes?"
"This is her. Who's calling?"
"This is the Los Angeles Police Department. I'm sorry to inform you that your uncle passed away in a car accident last night."
Amy's stomach dropped. Howard... "Was my aunt with him?"
"I'm afraid so...I'm so sorry. I know his son is a minor..."
"I'm coming."
It was worse than she thought. Howard didn't look like Howard. His face was bashed in. Maria had bruises on her neck. Amy stood between them, silent tears dripping down her face. She went over to Howard, straightened up his tie, and wiped her eyes. Her best friend was dead. She could see a young teenager outside. She was going to keep her promise to Howard. She was going to care for Tony. Tony though was already in college at the young age of 15. He was a genius, like his late father.
While she finished the paperwork, she didn't hear the expensive shoes click-clack towards hers. "Ms. Rogers."
Amy winched at the voice, turning around. "Director Pierce," she greeted, glaring at the older man in front of her.
"I'm so sorry about your loss."
"Do you guys know who did it?" she questioned.
Alexander Pierce glared back at her, their mutual hatred for each other radiating off of them. "He's a founding member of S.H.I.E.L.D. You should have everybody out there looking for them!"
"It was a tragic car accident, Ms. Rogers. A drunk driver hit them."
"Bullshit. I saw the M.E's notes. I saw the bodies. Howard's face was bashed in. Maria's neck was broken. This was murder."
"Careful with your tone, Ms. Rogers. You never know who's next?" Pierce threatened, stalking off.
"It's Lieutenant, asshole," Amy muttered.
The funeral was short. Afterward, she was on a plane back to New York. While in her first-class seat, she grabbed a waiter and ordered the most expensive glass of scotch. "Cheers to you, Howard."