We're Assassins, Not Avengers

Thirty Four

Peter and Kayla were cuddling in bed, their son a few feet away. They may be relatively new to having a family, but already they'd give up anything to keep them safe.
A few floors above, Rose and Pietro were in Pietro's room. They switched off about every other day.
"I don't know if I said it yet, but I'm really glad to have you back," He said.
Rose laughed, "You have said it. Twelve times? But I'm glad to be back."
They were quiet for a few minutes before she spoke up again, "Thank you."
He turned in bed to look at her, "For what?"
"Everything. Being my best friend. Being the only person who stayed with me through everything and believed me when no one else did. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be locked in a cell with that creep while I missed my nephew's birth and all my friends and family thought I was crazy."
Bucky and Luci were returning to normal. There was a tension that hadn't been present before. No one mentioned it, but everyone noticed.
The coming months, Kayla wasn't allowed on missions. She'd roll her eyes but at least had Kias for company. Steve and Tony decided Rose was stable enough so she was slowly reintroduced to missions. Starting with staying back with Banner and working her way up until she was even able to part ways with her partners.
Kias had learned to crawl and all the baby proofing became necessary. The entire team was wrapped around his finger and it became a race to see who got to watch him.
Bucky moved into Kayla's old room so he and Luci were closer. It became obnoxious for Rose so she started staying in Pietro's room more often.
"You want to get this one?" Kayla muttered into her pillow, hearing Kia's crying through the baby monitor.
Peter climbed out of bed and shuffled down the hall.
"Hey, kid," He rubbed his eyes, "What's wrong?" After a quick assessment, he determined a diaper change was needed.
He continued to cry after being changed so Peter picked him up and carried him to the kitchen to make a bottle.
Kayla waited for Peter to come back to bed but after it'd been too long she got up to find him.
Upon entering the main area, she saw her husband fast asleep in the arm chair with Kias asleep on his chest.
She smiled to herself as she took Kia from his arms and put him safely into his crib.
It took a few tries to wake Peter enough he could walk back to bed but soon they were back in each other's arms, enjoying the blissful silence.
Rose wasn't as lucky, instead tossing and turning, blaming it on even the littlest noises.
With a huff, she finally decided to just get up. She tip toed back to her room, throwing on leggings and a tank.
A run across the grounds would hopefully either clear her frustrations or wear her out enough she could actually fall asleep. It'd been three days since she'd actually fallen asleep and she was sick of it.
Deciding on a dirt path that lead into the trees, she set off.

The trail seemed to be very popular if the worn in path was any indication. She followed it until she reached an arch that lead to a rose garden. A tall, elegant pillar stood in the very center with a bench in front of it. She took a seat on the bench, moving the white throw pillows to the side. The area seemed to have a reverence. After catching her breath, she gave the pillar a closer inspection and realized it was actually a headstone. Her headstone. 

Rose Anne Hawthorne

1997-2021

Friend

Daughter

Hero

At the base of the headstone was a vase of dead lilies and a small golden box. The box was filled with envelopes. The top one had a heart and Kayla written on it. She flicked through the stack until she got to the thickest envelope at the bottom. It didn't surprise her it was from Pietro. She couldn't bring herself to open it so she instead reached for the one from Clint.

Hey kid, 

I miss you like hell. We all do. It's hard to accept you aren't coming back, that no one will be calling me pops around the compound. I wish I had the chance to introduce you to my kids back home and Laura. They would have loved you as much as I do. 

It was short but the spots of moisture damage across the page broke her heart. She put the letter back in the box with the rest of them. It was surreal standing at her grave, reading what everyone wished they said before they thought she died. Of the two, she would have chosen death. Her time with Hydra was anything but pleasant. She put up a fight but still lost her own free will and became a slave to their demands, a weapon to be used.

When she got back to her room, she felt completely exhausted but still noticed a thick folder on her desk. She shrugged it off, deciding she'd look at it after a hot shower. Rose had a feeling that she still wouldn't be able to fall asleep after discovering her would be grave so she made her way over to her desk.
The paper on top made her stomach drop. In the top right corner was a picture of a man, his face was burned into her mind. The top of the page read Alexander Bernard Madison. Her first kill and would be rapist. The only one that wasn't calculated and deliberate. Her breath quickened as she scanned over the page, finding it filled with information about him: medical history, lineage, parents, occupation, the school he went to, and more. The date if his death in bold, a short description of how he was found in the frat house after sustaining a head injury from a glass bottle. His obituary was held to the page with a paper clip. 
She flipped the page and her breath hitched. Thomas Gareth. The second name on a long list she'd never forget. Her kill list.
She flipped through, finding all of them in the folder. She snapped the folder shut and tried to even her breathing. Maybe this meant nothing. Just a sick joke Tony thought would be funny.
She shook her head knowing he wouldn't actually do that.
Rose slipped the folder into the bottom drawer and locked it. She took a few deep breaths and headed to the best stocked bar on the compound.
Tony was sitting on a stool casually, a glass of bourbon in his hand.
He raised an eyebrow when she took the seat next to him.
"I need a drink," She sighed.
"Water?" He assumed, "You look like you're hungover."
She shook her head, "Something a bit stronger." She ignores his last comment.
He gets up and pours some liquor into a short glass but is hesitant in handing it to her, "You sure you should be drinking this early? And when you haven't been eating much?"
"I don't need a lecture on unhealthy drinking habits, especially from you," She snaps before throwing the drink back. She sighs, "I'm sorry Tony, I didn't mean it."
He shook his head, "Don't worry about it. I can tell you're going through something. We all have different methods of coping, however, you and I seem to be similar in that department." He refills her cup and this one burns a bit less than the last.