Chapter 3
After everyone calmed down, the children and Rocket left Natasha to rest and Rhodey helped Tony into the room that he shared with Pepper for a nap. Laura suggested that everyone rest for a while before dinner started. There weren’t a lot of rooms but thanks to Morgan’s love of blankets and pillows those without a room slept comfortably on the living room floor.
Steve climbed into bed with Natasha and smiled when she curled next to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist, her head tucked into his neck, and his nose pressed against her head, inhaling a scent that was coconut from her shampoo from earlier in the week and something that’s only Natasha.
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Don’t do that again.”
“You know I had too. You would have done the same thing.”
“I know. We’re too much alike.” Natasha could only chuckle before pressing a kiss to his neck and settling in for her nap. Steve kissed her forehead but couldn’t bring himself to go to sleep. He was afraid that if he did, she would be gone. Natasha had become a huge part of his life; she was the first one to teach about the twenty-first century.
The first person he told about Peggy and Bucky. The first person he actually told about the extent of losing his mother. Natasha helped him when he lost Bucky after the fall of SHIELD, then again when he went back under the ice and the final time after Thanos snapped. She was the one who let he and Bucky go, making herself a fugitive just for him.
She was the one who told him not to give up hope to get the others back as much as he wanted too. In the twelve years that he has known Natasha, he learned that she was always there for him, he loved her, she loved him, and in losing her he lost a part of himself. The blonde could only sigh before finally closing his eyes, resting knowing that the love of his life was safe and alive in his arms.
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Pepper could only smile at the sight of Tony and Morgan curled up next to each other. The little girl was curled tightly onto her father’s left side, and Tony’s left arm was wrapped around his daughter tightly.
“You should rest too.” A voice said from behind her. The strawberry blonde turned around and smiled at Happy.
“I’m going to get everything ready for dinner. Sam and Bucky are going to fire up the grill.”
“No Pepper. Rest.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue but she could only nod before climbing in bed behind her daughter. Happy give her a thumbs up and closed the door.
“You okay?” Tony asked, slightly scaring her because she hadn’t known that he was awake.
“Yeah, just restless I guess.” Tony slightly frowned and moved his arm from around his daughter and let it slide under his wife so that he was holding both of them at once.
“I scared you and I’m sorry.”
“I learned a long time ago that I shouldn’t worry about you, but you were gone. Even though it was only for a day and a half it felt like a lifetime. I hated the thought of raising Morgan alone, she wasn’t going to have you around for Father’s Day or someone to walk her down the aisle when she got married.”
Pepper was full on sobbing now, but she stayed quiet, so she didn’t wake the four-year-old sleeping in the middle of them. She stayed strong these past twenty-four hours because she needed to be strong for Morgan, but now she was here admitting her worst fears to her husband.
“Pepper, I love you and Morg with all my heart; and I knew the moment I snapped my fingers what was going to happen. I rather live in a world where I’m not here then let you or her or anyone of our family members out there live in a world with a threat. I’m sorry for scaring you and I promise this time for real I’m done.”
“Okay. Okay. I just need a vacation now.” Pepper said with a shaky laugh as her husband pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Yes, because the last time we took a vacation we came back pregnant and Natasha and Rhodey almost fainted on us.” They both laughed at the memory of their friends’ faces when they told them that they were going to be godparents. Rhodey told them to stop joking and Natasha looked like she was going to faint.
“Another baby doesn’t sound bad you know.”
“Goodnight Pepper.” He said with a laugh in which she returned.
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Hours later the grill was fired up and everyone was laughing and having a good time. The Guardians are actually great story tellers and kept everyone laughing and Quill was a really good dancer that kept Morgan on her toes. Sam and Bucky managed the grill with chicken, streak, and corn on the cob while Maria, Pepper, and Laura made potato salad, lemonade, and cut up a variety of fruit.
Natasha and Wanda were sitting on the bench watching the men with smiles on their faces as they talked and laughed around the grill.
“I missed you,” Wanda said quietly, playing with the ends of her hair; but Natasha knew she wasn’t finished talking so she stayed quiet.
“I knew something was wrong because I couldn’t feel your energy on the battle field. I just thought you were inside hurt or something, but then when the dust settled, and I couldn’t find you Clint told me you were gone. I didn’t want to believe it, because you weren’t supposed to leave. You were supposed to be there, hugging me and telling me everything was okay, but you weren’t. I was scared and hurt. I didn’t have anyone but Clint now. All I could think I lost Pietro and then Vision, and now Natasha.” By the end of her speech Wanda’s face was full of tears and Natasha could only reach out and hold her hand.
Clint and Natasha basically became Wanda’s parents when Pietro was killed. When Natasha went to the farm, Wanda followed and was greeted with open arms by the Barton children, who were more than happy to have someone else added to their family, even Laura claimed the young girl as another daughter.
“I’m sorry for scaring you but I’m not sorry for doing it. There was only one chance to get you back and I was going to do whatever it takes. I love you Wanda, but I wanted you to be here even if I wasn’t. Okay?” the young girl could only nod her head and let Natasha gently pull her head onto her chest, as she rubbed circles on her back the red head felt Wanda started to calm down and finally her tears stopped.
“I love you and I’m not going anywhere.”
“I love you too.”
“Wanda! Come build a blanket fort for the movie tonight! Hi auntie!” Lila said from the pouch.
“Hi Lila!”
“Okay I’m coming!” with one last hug and kiss on her forehead Wanda made her way inside to help the kids make blanket forts.
“You’re going to make a good mother one day.”
“I hope so. I raised you and your three kids.” Clint could only chuckle and took over the seat that Wanda once sat in next to his best friend.
“How are you feeling now?”
“Same old. You?”
“Better now that I have you back.” The archer said as he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. When Clint spared her life all those years ago Natasha never thought that they would have ended up this close. Friends maybe but never partners for life. Clint knew her was like the back of his hand and vice versa for her; they shared secrets that no one, not even Laura or Steve, knew. He never judged her on her past mistakes, but helped her grow into the person that she became today.
“I never knew my father’s name; all my mother said was that he was terrible person, but never spoke his name.”
“Are you going find out more now that you know?”
“Why? Are you up for a road trip?”
“With you? Always.” They shared a smile before looking at the sight of their friends and family hanging out and laughing together. It felt right. It felt normal.
“I couldn’t have let you jump and leave your family. You have Laura, Lila, Copper, Nate, and Wanda to watch after.”
“But what’s life without you Tasha?”
“Life my beloved.” She said in Russian, in which he snorted.
“No, it’s not my red-head,” He replied in the same language. “You don’t seem to understand that you are the glue that holds us together. You were the only one who saw through the mess that our Civil War was. You’re one that dragged Tony and Bruce out of the lab long enough to eat with us. You got Thor through his toughest time when he lost his mother. You helped Wanda when she lost Pietro. You helped Steve get through to Bucky. You helped Rhodey during his physical therapy. You helped Peter deal with that asshole Flash. You helped Sam when the anniversary of Riley’s death came around. You helped Vison, in the best way you could, understand how humans feel. You helped me come back from Loki. You helped T’Challa negotiate trades with other parts of the world. You helped Rocket when he lost everyone that he cared about. Tasha without you there is no Avengers.”
Natasha was at a lost for words. She played a part in keeping the team together yes, but she didn’t realize that she meant this much to her teammates. Sure, they give her gifts here and there, but she never understood how touched they were to have her.
“Okay?” Clint asked after a few moments of her silence.
“Yeah, okay.” She said. Clint give her one of his rare wide smiles before he tugged her over and placed a kiss on her temple.
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Laura saw her husband and best friend outside having the conversation and smiled to herself. She took it hard when Clint took her the news of what Natasha did, hell the kids locked themselves in their rooms for the time being until the funeral and even then, they didn’t want to go. Clint took it harder then anyone. He lost a part of himself, his best friend, his partner, his everything. He didn’t come bed the first night, instead he stayed outside shooting arrow after arrow until he ran out and then collapsed on the ground and broke down. She knew there was nothing she could say to make him feel better, so she left him until the sun touched the horizon.
“Everything okay?” A voice asked from behind her. She turned around and saw Sam looking at her with concerned eyes.
“Yeah, I’m just looking at Clint and Nat talking.” Sam joined her at the window and smiled when the red head laughed wholeheartedly at something that Barton said.
“I’m glad she’s back, because I don’t know what Clint would have done.”
“Whatcha mean?”
“Natasha is his everything. The night he came home and told us what happened he never came to bed, he just stayed outside and shot arrows until he had nothing left, and then he fell and screamed and cried until the sun came up. There was nothing I could do for him. Words weren’t going to help him; I knew that much, and I-I couldn’t help him. He was broken Sam.”
“Laura-“
“I’m not the jealous type I promise and I know that Steve and Nat are together; but I knew that by marrying Clint I was marrying into their partnership too and I’m never going to tell him to choose between use anyway. I just didn’t know if I could’ve helped him had she not have come back.”
“Laura you’re a strong woman, but it’s okay to admit that losing Natasha hurt you too. If anything, that can help you and Clint overcome this. When I lost Riley, I was broken just like Clint, but I learned that talking about it made it better; not a hundred percent but it was something. If you ever want to talk let me know.”
“Losing her was like losing a sister. I-I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to cry because I had to be there for the kids and Clint. The kids lost their godmother. Their second mother. Auntie Nat. God! Lila was so hurt! They locked themselves in their rooms and didn’t come out for anything. I had to explain to Nate what was going on and no mother ever wants to tell their child that their family isn’t coming home.” By the time Laura got everything off her chest she realized that she felt better, and even though she was crying, it was as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders.
“You feel better?” Sam asked while handing her a tissue.
“Yeah, I do. Thank you, Sam.,”
“No problem. Now come on we have to gather everyone for dinner.”