Forever and Always

Chapter 34

        Clara's eyes snapped open. She took in a big, deep breath, and looked around. Where am I? Clara looked around. She wasn't sure where she was. Then it hit her. It's her apartment. Back in Brooklyn.

           "Wait a minute..." Clara touched her hand to her side, but instead of feeling a sticky substance or any pain, her stomach was completely fine. Now that she thought about it, she felt amazing. But she was still very confused.

           How did I get here? What happened to the battle?

          "Welcome back, Clara-bug." Clara stiffened up when she heard a male voice behind her. She realized what was happening. Slowly, she turned her head, and sitting on her couch, watching TV, was her dad. 

           "Dad?" She stayed where she was, and she watched as he paused the TV and stood up. He came towards her, his hands stretched out, but she took a step back.

           "It's okay, Clara-bug, I'm here." Clara looked down at his hand.

          "Am...am I dying again?"

         "Well that depends..." a new voice, a facial one as well came from a dark doorway. Clara looked from her dad to the doorway, and from the doorway emerged Nat. Clara felt her jaw drop as Nat came out of the darkness. She wasn't in the uniform she last saw her in though. Instead, she was in black jeans, a black tank top, and a black leather jacket. She was smiling, and she leaned against the doorway. Clara felt herself move away from her dad and towards Nat.

         "Nat?" Clara stared her up and down. "I thought I'd never see you again." She hugged Nat, resting her chin on her shoulder. She felt Nat's arms wrap around her. Clara could feel her dad watching from her living room.

         "Wait...wait am I dying?" She pulled away from Nat, and looked from Nat to her dad, concerned. "What about Bucky? I...I can't leave him when I just got him back." Nat looked upset, but she couldn't be a direct answer.

         "I'm sorry Clara. It all depends on what happens in the next minute or so. Until then, we are just gonna have to wait." Clara could tell that Nat wanted to tell her more, but she wasn't sure what to say.

          "Clara, honey, come sit down." Her dad signaled towards the chair. Clara, however, was reluctant to sit. The only reason she sat was because Nat touched her shoulder and smiled comfortingly. Together...all three of them sat down on the couch. Clara sat there awkwardly next to her dad, and Nat was pacing in front of the TV.

             "Nat?" Nat stopped pacing and stared at Clara. "Why did you have to die?" Clara felt tears start to well up in her eyes, but she man eyed to push them back.

             "Like we said, whatever it takes." Nat sat down on the coffee table, and placed her hands on Clara's knees. "Plus, everyone's time comes eventually. When it was me and Clint up there, we'll Clint still had so much more to live for. I knew that was my time." Clara understood, but she didn't like it.

            "None of us even got a proper goodbye. If one of us connected the dots, if one is us realized why Gamora was murdered on Vormir, maybe we couldn't avoided you dying." Nat lifted a finger and wiped away a tear rolling down her cheek.

              "Clara, if we did figure it out, how would we have gotten the stone? It's hard to accept, but it was the only way." Clara sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her wrist.

           "I wish it wasn't." Clara was able to stop herself from crying, snd she looked around.

           "It's a nice place you got for yourself, sweetie. I'm so proud of how far you've come." Clara stared at her dad. He had that warm smile on his face.