A New Age [4]

The Farm

Chapter 6 

Clint set the jet down in a field behind a row of trees. After the field there was an old style farm house and a barn. The crew disembarked the jet and set off towards the house. Clint was leading and holding Nat up slightly; Tony followed looking around in confusion; Thor was still a little dazed; Abi and Steve walked next to each other and Bruce brought up the rear.

"What is this place?" Thor asked as they walked up the steps to the front of the house.

"Safe house." Abi told him with a smile.

"Let's hope." Clint said giving her a smile in return. Perks of being a telepath; Abi knew what was coming.

"Honey?" Clint asked as they walked in. "I'm home." A pregnant woman with long brown hair walked around the corner and looked in confusion at the Avengers. "Hi. Company. Sorry, didn't call ahead." Clint said.

"Hey." The woman said as she kissed him quickly.

"This is an agent of some kind." Tony said to Steve and Thor.

"Gentlemen, this is Laura." Clint said leaving out both Nat and Abi who already knew her.

Abi had accidently found out about Laura after New York when she was going through Clint's mind to make sure Loki was really gone. Afterwards he had let her stay on the farm for a couple of weeks to get used to society before she moved on to Washington.

"Hi. I know all your names." Laura replied with a nervous smile. The others all smiled and Tony held up a hand.

"Ooh. Incoming." Clint said as they heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Dad!" A little girl screamed as she ran into Clint's arms who picked her up.

"Hi, sweetheart." Clint greeted her. A boy ran in as well and Clint ruffled his hair. "Hey, buddy. How are you guys doing?"

Abi had to stifle a laugh at Steve's face as he looked in shock at the children.

"These are smaller agents." Tony said as Clint caught up with his kids.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" the little girl asked.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Nat said as the little girl ran up to her.

"Hey kiddo." Abi said as she high fived the boy before ruffling his hair. "Haven't you grown."

"Sorry for barging in on you." Steve finally said.

"Yeah, we would have called ahead, but we were busy having no idea that you existed." Tony added.

"Yeah, well, Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off SHIELD's files. I'd like to keep it that way." Clint said. "I figure it's a good place to lay low."

Laura pulled both Abi and Nat in for a hug. They stepped back and Nat put her hands on Laura's bump.

"How's little Natasha?" Nat asked.

"She's... Nathaniel." Laura told her and Nat's smile dropped and she bent down.

"Traitor." Nat whispered while Abi laughed.

Thor suddenly turned and walked out. Abi and Steve exchanged a glance before going after him.

"Thor?" Steve asked.

"I saw something in that dream. I need answers. I won't find them here." Thor said turning to look at them.

"You know she just showed you what you fear." Abi said.

"I need to be sure." Thor said before he swung his hammer and flew off.

Abi turned to her brother. "Do you want to talk about yours?" She asked. When he looked at the floor she continued. "I was in your head, Steve. I know what she showed you."

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Bucky hadn't fallen off the train?" Steve asked her.

"Every single day." She muttered.

"Ultron was right, Abi. How can we live without a war?"

"We can't." She muttered. "We were forged in the fires of war. You became Captain America and I became Hydra's puppet. But we're the Avenger's, Steve. There's always going to be another fight. There's always going to be more people who need our help. We'll probably never have something like Clint has here. Hell, we're not the same people who wanted that in the forties. But we can make this work. We can always find a way to make this work." She smiled at him before walking back inside.

Steve went to follow her but Peggy's words ran through his head and instead he went for a run.

Abi walked upstairs and found Nat.

"Do you want to talk?" Abi asked leaning on the door frame.

"You saw it all?" Nat questioned.

Abi nodded and sat next to her on the bed. "Do you want to know something?" Abi said. When Nat didn't reply she continued. "What they did to you; they also did to me." Abi looked at her hands. "I only remembered recently. God, when I look at everything Hydra put me through it makes me wonder why I'm still holding on."

"Well that makes two of us." Nat smiled at her slightly. "I used to want nothing more than to have a family. After the op... I lost that sense of purpose. I look at everything Clint's built and I can't help but feel jealous. If you could get out and settle down would you?" Nat queried.

"If it's with Bucky." Abi said with a smile. "You and Bruce?"

"Maybe."

Abi stood to leave. "I wouldn't wait to long." She said before walking out.