"Thal?"
"I'm so sorry, they pulled it out of me I tried," the young girl rambled into the phone.
"Hey, hey, hey, Thal, it's okay," Amara spoke into the phone later that same night in the back seat of a cab, "I need you to do a favor for me though"
Thalia hummed a confused 'okay'.
"Mom and Dad kicked me out, or more so I left I guess," Amara sighed. Kate put her hand on the girls leg while she listened to half of the conversation.
"What?" Thalia exclaimed sitting up in her bed.
"I'll explain all that later. But I need you to go into my room and pack as much as you can into my two suitcases, please, and then bring them down to me," Amara requested, "Wait actually have Don come bring them down. I don't want you getting into trouble too."
"Why aren't you coming home?"
Amara could hear her sister's voice cracking as she asked, heart broke into a million pieces.
"Thal, sweetie, I promise it's going to be okay," Amara fought back her own tears.
"No its Christmas Eve. Come home, Mar, please," Thalia begged, tears in her eyes.
"I can't, they saw Kate and I, they want nothing to do with me," Amara sniffled holding back her tears. Kate's hand moved to hold Amara's, giving it a squeeze that said 'it's okay'.
"It's all my fault!"
"No it's not," Amara said firmly, "You did what you had to, don't blame this on yourself, if anything it's my fault."
The two sisters went silent for a second, Thalia sniffling and wiping her tears on one end while Amara tried to steady her breath.
"I love you, Thal, I promise I'll be back to see you soon," Amara finally spoke up.
"I love you too," Thalia sniffled, knowing there was no changing her parent's or sister's mind, "Is there anything specific you want in your bags?"
"No, I trust you," Amara softly smiled before the two said goodbye and hung up the phone.
Kate wrapped her arm around Amara, pulling her to her, kissing the top of her head mumbling, "I'm sorry I dragged you into this"
Amara looked up at Kate with watery eyes, "I chose to come find you, I'll always choose you."
Kate smiled down at her before gently pressing her lips to Amara's for a short kiss.
The next morning Amara was sat behind the two archers who occupied the front seats as Clint drove them to his family home. Pizza Dog had his fluffy blonde head in her lap.
"Yeah," Amara sighed answering Clint's question about her father, "He went to school with Tony, they were like rivals, hence him also owning a tech company"
"And guess who her favorite super hero is?" Kate pointed at Amara.
"Oh my gosh," Amara playfully rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna go with Iron Man," Clint kept his eyes on the road.
"Yeah! Like what?" Kate teased Amara.
"You're pretty cool though too," Amara caught Clint's eye in the rear view mirror, the two of them sharing a smile.
"Thanks," he chuckled.
After a few naps and more random conversations Clint pulled up to his little farmhouse a light layer of snow over everything. The three hopped out of the car, Amara holding Lucky's leash as the dog dragged her out to the grass sniffing for a place to pee.
"Ow!" she held her ribs once the golden retriever found the perfect spot.
"I'll get you some ice once we get inside," Clint said as he and Kate pulled their bags from the trunk.
Amara followed Kate, who followed Clint into the house. He said his 'hello's', his kids all hugging him excitedly.
"I brought some strays home," he smiled, gesturing to Kate and Amara who stood awkwardly at the front door. Lucky already sniffing around the room, the kids' getting the dogs full attention.
Kate took a step forward first, "I'm Kate," she smiled, holding her hand out for Laura to shake, which she did, before turning to the other girl who still stood there awkwardly.
"Amara," she smiled stepping forward to put her hand out.
"I'm Laura, I've heard a lot about you," she looked at Kate with a smile, "Make yourselves at home, I'm going to catch up with this man," she turned and smiled at her husband, "But then I'll show you to your rooms"
"Room," Clint corrected, "They're a couple."
"Oh...oh okay," Laura smiled, her tone wasn't disapproving, almost more embarrassed she didn't ask.
"Actually yeah," Clint shook his head, "Two rooms, that's not happening under this roof," he kicked into Dad mode, looking at the two girls who were holding back laughs.
The girls went and sat with the three Barton kids, Nathanial asking Kate a bunch of questions about the dog. Lila and Cooper asked about what really happened in New York, Kate told the stories in a very dramatic retelling. Amara watched her with a smile, chin in the palm of her hand, the way she was interacting with the kids made her heart skip a beat.
"Kate?" Clint walked up behind the couch, "Will you come with me real quick?"
"Yeah, mhm," she hummed slowly standing up. She looked over at Amara to make sure she was okay. Amara nodded with a small smile.
"I'm going to start dinner," Laura smiled at her kids.
"Mac and cheese?" Nathanial asked excitedly, his older counter parts rolling their eyes.
"Do you want any help?" Amara asked looking over at Laura.
"Sure," she smiled at Amara, turning back to her kids she said, "You three go put on your Christmas sweaters"
A chorus of "yes mom," was followed by their footsteps running up the stairs.
Laura put Amara on chopping duty, the room was silent. Amara didn't know what to say to her.
"Uhm, can I ask you something?" Amara kept her eyes on the vegetables in front of her.
"Mhm," Laura hummed reading a recipe.
"How do you handle it? Like letting him go on these crazy missions?" she asked bluntly, setting down the knife looking up at Laura who looked back at her, "I just don't know what to do with myself when she's out doing these crazy things."
"I guess it's because I know he can handle. Of course it's scary! But I think more than anything though it's a trust thing," Laura tired to explain, knowing there was really nothing to help, "It's hard no matter what though."
"I don't want her to not do it, she's amazing. But I don't think I can not, not worry about her," Amara sighed picking up the knife again.
"And that's okay, it's okay to be worried about her. What they do is scary."
"Maybe Clint can teach me some moves so I can help, and not get as badly injured," she gestured to her side.
"I can teach you some moves," Laura smirked as Amara looked up at her slightly confused, "S.H.E.I.L.D taught me some pretty cool things."
"You worked for S.H.E.I.L.D?!" Amara's mouth hung open.
"How do you think we met?" she gestured towards the window where you could just barely see the two archers in the barn standing in front of a grill.
"Will you teach me how to use a gun?"
"That might be a little too much right now," Laura chuckled at the girl's excitement.