Natasha sits on a tree trunk as she thinks about what Red Skull just told her and Clint. In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul, for a soul.
She tries to think of another way but she keeps coming to the same conclusion. Both of them are not making it out of this alive and it's going to be Clint that walks away if it's the last thing she does.
She knows that this is where she will die. It makes it so much harder when she thinks of what this will do to the people she loves. Her death will destroy JJ but she has no other option. She won't let Clint die and they need the stone.
"Maybe he's making this shit up," Clint says.
"No. I don't think so," Natasha says.
She knows Clint is in denial but there's no running from the facts.
"Why, 'cause he knows your Daddy's name?" Clint says sarcastically.
"I didn't. Thanos left here with the stone without his daughter. It's not a coincidence," Natasha says.
"Yeah," Clint says in defeat.
"Whatever it takes," Natasha says.
"Whatever it takes," he responds.
Natasha stands up and walks towards him.
"If we don't get that stone, billions of people stay dead," Natasha says.
"Then I guess we both know who it's gotta be," Clint says.
She knows that they know it's got to be her. He has a family and when they bring everyone back, they're going to need him.
"I guess we do," Natasha says.
Clint holds Natasha's hand and she reciprocates and they look at each other. It's only when she meets his eyes that she realizes that they're not on the same page.
"I'm starting to think– we mean different people here, Natasha," Clint says.
"For the last five years I've been trying to do one thing: Get to right here. That's all it's been about. Bringing everybody back," Natasha says.
She thinks of all the people they've lost. Her life for all of theirs'? It's no contest.
"Oh, don't you get all decent on me now," Clint says.
"What, you think I wanna do it? I'm trying to save your life, you idiot," Natasha says.
"What about JJ? Think about what this'll do to him. He's already lost so many people, Nat," Clint says.
He knows he's fighting dirty but JJ is her weak spot. She loves JJ more than she loves any other person.
"I'm doing this for him. He'll lose me but he'll get the rest of his family back. Let me do this for him, for you," she says.
"Yeah, well, I don't want you to, because I– Natasha, you know what I've done. You know what I've become," Clint says remorsefully.
"I don't judge people on their worst mistakes," Natasha says.
"Maybe you should," Clint replies.
"You didn't," Natasha points out.
Clint gave her this family. He could have so easily followed orders and took her out but he didn't. He gave her the opportunity to live and wipe some of the red out of her ledger. Now it's time to repay him for all he's given her.
"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?"
Clint asks.
She gives a small nod. She can feel the tears in her eyes. She wishes she could see her son one last time. She wishes she could explain to him why she's doing this and tell him how much she loves him. She hopes that Clint will let him know how much he has changed her life.Both Clint and Natasha lean their heads against each other for a long moment before Clint pulls back.
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Let's Go Back
FanfictionA Sequel to Come Back With Me Bucky and Steve finally got the life they always wanted with the loves of their lives. Everything was perfect until an explosion involving the tesseract leaves their children changed forever.
