The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 37

Barton Home, USA

Spring 2015

There had been times when Nadine hadn't felt at home in her own home.

But for some odd, baffling reason, she felt perfectly comfortable in the Barton home. Clint's wife Laura was a remarkable woman that Nadine had liked immediately and their two children were a lively, cheerful balm to all of them.

It was perfect...almost.

The only thing she was missing was Nina.

And a sense that they hadn't just failed miserably...

But other than those two facts, it was a perfect sanctuary. There were tasks aplenty to give the Avengers purpose while still allowing them respite from the events in Johannesburg. Physically taxing chores perfect for working through their frustrations and draining their emotional wounds, allowing them an outlet to help them reset and get their heads back.

And so far it seemed to have worked. Already Steve, Stark and Natasha were effectively back to their normal selves. Banner was taking a little longer, but that was wholly understandable, really.

And Barton looked more at ease here with his secret family than Nadine had ever seen him.

She now felt rather silly at not seeing it sooner, though. Really, the cues had been there from the first time she'd met the man. Hell, that he'd been the only one out of the three who'd caught her in Prague to put together that she had a family she was protecting should have been clue enough. He'd recognized as much without even knowing her because he had a family of his own that he'd been protecting the same way. He'd been the one to point out that people like them could actually have a life beyond what they did professionally. And he'd been the one above all the others, save perhaps Natasha, most determined to help her find Nina.

Because he could imagine what she was going through. He could understand her focus and her desperate fear on a level the others couldn't. Because he'd be feeling and doing exactly what she was had it been one of his children taken.

She was kicking herself now for not seeing it sooner.

Maybe that was why she felt so comfortable here...it was an odd sort of mirror to her own life.

Of course, some of that comfortable feeling had faded when a dead man walked in the back door.

Nick Fury was a legend in the Intelligence Community and Underworld circles alike. He'd been wicked smart, ruthless when he needed to be and surprisingly unpredictable for someone operating within the confines of laws and government oversight. His 'death' had caused ripples around the world that were still being felt.

There had been whispers, of course, that his assassination had been a smokescreen, that the attempt on his life had failed and a conspiracy had been whipped up to help him disappear to operate under the radar, but they had remained whispers only. The reputation of the Winter Soldier was just as legendary, after all.

Well, those whispers had certainly been onto something.

And one look at his single, sharp eye had told Nadine that Fury was exactly as his reputation claimed he'd been. He was not a man to underestimate. Certainly not one to cross.

And she certainly should have expected he'd know who she was.

Though, he barely seemed to acknowledge her presence like she'd expected. At least until after dinner.

"So," the former director finally said, turning to Nadine, "I have to admit, I was surprised when I heard rumours that The Ghost was running with the Avengers. I'll be the first to say I thought little of it at first, but when Hill confirmed as much..." He fixed her with an unreadable, assessing stare. Nadine just stared right back from where she sat across from Natasha, schooling her features and her body to appear far more relaxed than she felt as she subtly shifted her chair to face the former director. After a moment he seemed to come to whatever conclusion he'd been searching for, leaning back in his chair.