𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄━︎━︎ B. Barnes ✓︎

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐎𝐧𝐞

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:
WHATEVER IT TAKES

"DID WE GET THEM all?" Fallon anxiously asked as they all appeared once more back in their normal timeline.

"You telling me this'll actually work?" Rhodey questioned, glancing around the group. That's when Fallon couldn't help but notice Natasha not standing there beside of Clint. She frowned.

"Clint, where's Nat?" Fallon frowned, grabbing the groups attention. Clint didn't answer, instead, a broken look crossed his face and immediately Fallon felt tears swell, forcing her to close her eyes. Natasha Romanoff was gone. And there was no getting her back. They all sat out there on the lake, Fallon sitting beside of Steve as she stared blankly at the ground. Too much emotion was causing for the girl to shut down, and now she just felt numb.

"Do we know if she had any other family?" Tony was the one to gently break the silence.

"Yeah, us." Steve said sadly as he looked down at his hands, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"What?" Thor asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"I just asked him a question. . ." Tony pointed towards Steve whilst looking at Thor.

"Yeah, you're acting like she's dead. Why are we acting like she's dead? We have the stones, right? As long as we have the stones, Cap, we can bring her back, isn't that right? So stop this shit. We're the Avengers, get it together." Thor snapped.

"We can't get her back." Clint angrily spoke.

"Wh-what?" Thor frowned.

"It can't be undone." Clint shook his head, his arms crossed over his chest. Natasha had been his best friend, and he was forced to watch her die. Something that he would never be able to forget. Thor dryly laughs and looks at the man.

"I'm sorry. No offense, but you're a very earthly being. Okay? We're talking about space magic. And 'can't' seems very definitive don't you think?"

"Look, I know that I'm way outside my paygrade here. But she still isn't here, is she?" Clint snapped at the god.

"Now that's my point―︎" Thor starts but Clint interrupts him.

"It can't be undone. Or that's at least what the, great floating guy had to say. Maybe you wanna go talk to him? Okay? Go grab your hammer, and you go fly and you talk to him." Tears filled the mans eyes as he choked out his next words. "It was supposed to be me. She sacrificed her life for that goddamned stone. She bet her life on it." As a result of these words and out of anger, Bruce throws a bench across the lake before turning around.

"She's not coming back. We have to make it worth it, we have to." Bruce finally admitted it.

"We will." Steve assures with the nod of his head before glancing towards Fallon and grabbing the girls hand. She accepted the gesture as the duo stood up before walking away. "Fallon?" The girl hadn't spoken a word, she hadn't cried, her face was blank and void of any emotion. And she refused to accept the fact that the woman who had become like family to her was dead.