The Son

TEN ~ A Mom

I didn't realize I was pregnant until we were on our way to the states... I was 4 and a half months pregnant with twins and I was barely showing. Doctors said that there was a fraction of a chance that you both would make it and it was too late to do anything about it so we went through with it, knowing that either one of you or both of you wouldn't make it. Then when the time came both of you came out but neither of you cried. Clint and I knew you wouldn't but it hurt. It hurt so much." Her eyes were glazed over and tears threatened to fall from my own eyes. She blinked and then the glaze went away.

"What happened after that?" I asked quietly.

"Fury happened. He came to us and asked us if we wanted to do anything about the both of you. By that he meant did we want him to bring you both back. We didn't ask how but we said yes. Two hours later both of you were back in my arms. Wrapped in warm blankets and crying and moving and you were both so, so beautiful." I was captivated by my mother's voice and her words. It was hard to believe that The Great Black Widow would do any of these things. It's hard to believe anything she says actually. She cried over me? Over us? She thought we were beautiful? It sounded like she loved us, but how did that feeling go away? Because I certainly haven't felt that love in a long time.

Then Coulson spoke up, "I can elaborate on the 'How' part. Fury brought the both of you back the same way he brought me back. GH 325. The blue alien. When we went to their base we found files of everyone they used it on before the base was destroyed. It was a short list but your name and your sisters was on it. You two didn't have any side effects like the others before you did but you were a little sick. That's why they took you away when you both turned two. They didn't actually need both of you though. So they took Clover because she was healthier than you and SHIELD kept you and turned you into a weapon. Telling you lies about your parents so you wouldn't seek them out. I was one of those liars, but I'm telling you Claire it was for your own good." I squinted at him.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that any good came out of me becoming a spy—"

"Aside from the dozens of people you saved?" Coulson interrupted.

"—and instead I'm going to ask what the hell happened to my sister and where can I find her?" I continued.

"The research team let her go when she was five years old. We kept tabs on her throughout her SHEILD experience. Fury dismissed her when she was fourteen and placed her with a family in Michigan. I don't know where she is at the moment. We lost her whereabouts when SHIELD fell." Coulson reported.

"Okay, my sister, Clover... What's she like?" I asked.

"Like you, just smarter."

"Could you elaborate on that?" Asked Claire with her teeth clenched. Coulson answered.

"She's a lot more level headed. Wouldn't raid a Red Room base on her own whether it was a trap or not." I rolled my eyes. "She was a prodigy and worked in the labs with other scientists."

"I was young back then." I grumbled.

"You're young now," Corrected my mother and I glared.

"I am a legal adult, I pay my own rent and I make my own decisions."

"And as we can see most of those decisions haven't really gone anyone's way." My eye twitched. It was amazing how she could just flip the switch. Just when I was feeling sorry for her. "Now tell me more about Clark, was antsy? Did it look like he was hiding something?" I squinted at her and bit my tongue before I said something vile enough to get my ass beat. I may not be afraid of her but I know she could give me an ass whupping if I went too far. Taking an unnoticeable deep breath I answered her.