Bound By Purpose

A Place in the New World

"Would you like a drink Ms. Moore?" Turning from the plane window to my personal stewardess I kindly shake my head. She smiles and kindly leaves me to myself. It's been a few months now, since DC and I've finally found myself back in the world. Tony has been extremely patient, allowing me to stay in his private home in upstate New York. I haven't seen anyone except Tony and his lovely girlfriend Pepper, who've I've grown very close with over the last few weeks. I'd gotten to test my own Iron Man tech as well. He'd let me help design a prototype for myself too which had been a lot of fun until he had to go off with the team who has been busy cleaning up a lot of the Hydra agents that resurfaced after the hellicarriers crashed. I had tried to bring myself to go with them multiple times, but each opportunity I found that I couldn't take the step out the door. 

It wasn't until I discovered a letter from Rebecca that I pulled myself back together. I hold that lovely written thing in my hand now. Forgiveness. Understanding. I'd found it when Maria Hill had brought me an archived box of things from my days as an agent. Everything in it had gone public, but there were a few files on people I was close too. Coulson and May for one... Doing well and leading their own team, I'd found out later that after Nick had left the cemetery that day he'd gone to reassign them. Of course there were things on my parents, but everything I'd already read... then I came upon the small SHIELD file compiled on Rebecca. Because of her ties to Bucky, her own husband, and I it'd be odd if they didn't have things on her. That lovely girl is still alive and well in a New York City retirement home. She'd included a letter that reaffirmed her love for me, and the forgiveness and understanding she'd given years ago. Just like Steve's had done after the war, her letter made me realize that I have more to give, and that I should spend my time being of help to the people I'd made relationships with. In my mind that had to start with Clint. He'd been the one person I hadn't got anything on, and the one man I truly wanted to catch up with.

It took awhile to find him. Nobody knew where he was when they weren't off on missions. I had to dig a little bit but I eventually was helped to my destination by Maria Hill. He had settled... On a small farm, west of Des Moines. I'd packed and gotten permission to use one of Tony's private jets before the evening had come.

Now as we descend on Des Moines I'm hoping for a good reunion. I'd second guessed myself a little on whether or not he'd want to see me, if he even knew that I was still out here and not buried somewhere again. I have no idea what either Tony or Steve say when they're out there all together, but Tony had assured me that I wouldn't be bothered if I didn't want to be. Part of that sounds so not me. Since when did I become such a shut in unwilling to talk. I had a right for a little break I think, and hopefully soon there won't be need for any of us. With my time with Tony, he'd shared a lot of his ideas with me, one of them being his plan to create an AI service that could replace all of us. I smile at the memory. He had to dumb it way down for me and was very vague about it all, but I could see the persistence as well as the tiredness in his eyes. I think that all of us who live this life of world saving are tired.

We've landed.

I toss up my hood and throw on my glasses as the stairs to the ground are lowered for me. I was expecting the cameras that had plagued me the past few months. This had been the one low point of living within the sphere of a Stark. The media knew who I was and any time I'd walked into Avengers tower there were questions on my place on the team, when I went to his house it was about our relationship. Now its the same. I think about turning back so not to put Clint's secret in danger, but I'm stopped when I make it to the base. There's nothing but the cool spring breeze and the pavement. Nobody had made this movement public. As I'd asked, there's a car waiting for me, fully equipped to a Stark's liking. Heck I'd hardly have to drive it. When my bag is displayed in the back I carefully lower myself in the front seat and am greeted by a familiar voice. JARVIS. I smile.