Sophia Strange: The Newest Avenger (Steve Rogers x OC)

9 - Returning the Stones

"You have everything?" Sophia asked, nervously looking down at the ground. Anything not to look Steve in the eye.

"Yeah, I've got it. Everything's good." Steve said, looking at her worriedly.

"You have the extra Pym Particles? For Nat?"

"Yes, and a spare one of Tony's bracelets to get her back. Sophia–what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing is wrong. Just... do what you have planned, everything will be fine." She said, quickly glancing at him then away as she awkwardly patted him on the arm before stepping away to stand next to Sam.

Steve moved to stand on the platform after talking with Sam and Bucky. He kept glancing to Sophia who seemed to refuse to look at him in the eye.

Soon he was gone, back in time to return the stones. Sophia quickly turned away, taking a few steps into the woods and squeezing her eyes shut.

He's coming back. He's coming back. He said he'd be back. He's not coming back. He's staying. He'll stay with her.

Her mind was going a hundred miles a minute. She barely heard the men barking back and forth at each other, having already resigned herself to what was going to happen.

"Where is he? Get him back!" Sam shouted.

"I'm trying! He blew past his time stamp!" Bruce shouted back.

Suddenly Sophia felt a hand on her shoulder. "Soph?"

It was Bucky. She shook her head. "Don't, Buck. I can't. He said he'd be back, but... she's going to be there. We aren't going to see him again..."

Suddenly there was a sound and then a voice. "Sorry, took a little longer getting two back."

Sophia and Bucky spun around to see Steve standing on the pad... with a very much alive Natasha Romanoff by his side.

"Hi guys, I hear you all missed me," she said with a grin.

Sophia was speechless, tears flowing down her cheeks as she stared at Steve.

Steve quickly came down the steps from the pad and over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Sophia, what is it? I wasn't that late, I–"

"I... you... she..." she couldn't seem to find the words. "You came back," she said as she placed a hand on his armored chest.

"Of–of course I came back. Oh... oh, Sophia, you thought... no, sweetheart... no...." He pulled her into a hug.

"What's that about?" Natasha quietly asked the others who stood by her after having hugged and greeted her.

"That... is a long story," Bucky said with a grin.

Steve pulled back from the hug and Sophia wiped the tears away. "Hey, I have someone you need to meet," he said with a grin before pulling her towards the rest of the group. "Natasha Romanoff, may I introduce you to the newest Avenger and a good friend of ours... Sophia Strange."

Natasha smiled at the other woman. "I understand I have you to thank for talking this guy into making sure I was brought back."

Sophia nodded and smiled. "It's great to meet you, Nat. I've heard so much about you."

"Uh oh... that could be bad."

"Oh no, all good things. Well, they say that you and I are a lot alike. Neither of us take any crap from the boys."

Nat grinned. "Oh, if that's the case, we're going to get along well," she said, pulling the other woman into a hug.

Steve shook his headbut smiled at the two women together. Other than Bucky, Nat was one of his oldest friends. Sophia was certainly his newest, but there was more he hoped for there. "Yeah, a little too well, I think." All the men laughed together and both women smiled as they all walked back towards the almost finished Compound and they began catching Nat back up on everything that had happened.

"Where's Clint?"

"At the tower. He wanted to come, but with the unknowns as to if we could get you back or not, Laura and the kids came into the City to hang out with him and keep him busy," Sophia explained.

"So how are you adjusting to life as an Avenger?"

"It's, uh it's really good. I love my new family. Training has been hard, but good."

"I look forward to seeing what you can do."

"I think you probably deserve a few days off, Nat, before you get back into the swing of things," Sam said.

"Days off? What are those?" Nat chuckled along with everyone else.

*****

As the Quinjet made it's way back to Avengers Tower, Natasha looked over at Sophia. "So... you and Steve?" she asked quietly.

Sophia looked to see that Steve was busy talking with Bucky and Sam as they piloted the jet. Bruce was nearby but studying something on a tablet. "Um, no?"

Natasha smirked. "Right. Sure."

"I mean, he's a great friend, a really great one. But that seems to be all he's going for right now, so..."

"Steve Rogers is one of the sweetest... and slowest... men I know. You may need to hit him over the head with a rock to get him to take action... that is, if that's what you want."

Sophia blushed and shook her head. "I don't want to mess up what we have."

Nat watched the other woman a moment before nodding her head. "Alright, I won't push... yet... because we're still getting to know each other. But, Sophia, you need someone to talk to, I'm here, okay? Clearly you've become a part of this family while I've been gone. And clearly I owe you a big debt for being such a big part of making sure I made it back here."

"What was it like? Coming back?"

"Honestly, it was like waking up after being asleep. I remember the falling... then darkness... then I opened my eyes and Steve was standing over me calling out my name."

"Sounds like what it was like for a lot of people with the snap. Didn't feel like time had passed."

"I'm just glad it wasn't five years."

"It only took as long as it did because Bruce, Scott, and Hope had to rebuild the quantum machine. Well, let's be real... Bruce and Hope did all the work... Scott was there for moral support and because I don't think he was ready to let Hope out of his sight."

"Ladies, we're about to land," Sam called out from the front of the jet.

A few minutes later the back hatch was opening and almost before Nat had touched foot on the ground Clint had her in his arms, hugging her tight. "You're a big jerk, you know that?" He mumbled out.

"I learned from the best, what can I say?" She chuckled.

"God, I'm so glad you're back," he laughed back, tears in his eyes as he looked at her. Soon Laura and the kids came over and joined in the reunion. After a few moments of privacy, everyone else crowded around as well to welcome her back.