Stars Stripes and Metal

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Barton Farm, Missouri.

Ana knocks on the large dark brown door of the white country house surrounded by golden wheat. She inhales the smell of fresh coffee brewing. Even though is almost 6am, someone is awake. Probably Laura.

That is exactly who opened the door to Ana. Laura smiles sadly. "He said you would be here soon. Although if I'm being honest, he thought it would've been months ago. Come in." Laura shivers in the cool fall morning breeze.

"Thanks Laura."

"Have a seat. Or help yourself to coffee. I'll get the old man up."

Ana nods, grateful for the warm welcome. Ashamed to even need it. Ana looks around, smiling to herself at all the little touches of children scattered throughout the house. Children. Every time she thinks of her future... of a family and of the person she grows old with. It isn't Steve at her side. It's James.

Clint comes running down the stairs two at a time. Ana stands when she hears him. He sighs and walks to her, crossing the living room in 3 strides. Ana breaks down for the first time since leaving the compound as soon as his arms are around her. Tears soak his shirt as he lets her cry. As Laura watches sadly from the doorway.

"I know I know." Clint and Laura exchange sad glances. He moves Ana to the couch she was sitting on and sits next to he.

"What did he do?"

"He told me to leave. He told me he would rather lose me and not love me, which I know is a lie. Then love me and lose me. Honestly it makes no sense. Except he told me to go. So left, told them I turned off my tracker. Which Tony refused to do, so he's lying for me. But I disconnected everything. Told them not try to find me. Unless there's an emergency or an alien invasion. Or more robots."

Clint laughs, "please no more robots." He pushes her hair from her face. "There you are kid."

She smiles. 

"You'll be alright. You're tough." Ana nods in appreciation. 

"What's your plan?"

"Find James."

"Any idea where you're going to start?"

"Europe, the cities that have HYRDA locations first. If I can attract attention to myself I might be able to draw him out without having to try to hard. He'll come for me."

"He isn't the only person who will come for you. The Avengers will too. They probably have FRIDAY running 24/7 surveillance on every media outlet looking for you."

"Let them try. I have for 4 years experience slipping under the radar."

Clint laughs. "What do you have on James? I want to help."

 Ana smiles and pulls out the file on J. Barnes. Clint opens the file and watches Ana's face light up with when she sees his picture.

"That's him huh?"

"Yeah, in 1943."

Laura walks over and looks over her husbands shoulder. "He's handsome." She smiles at Ana. "Yes he is. But this isn't the James I knew." Ana takes the file and flips it forward a few pages. "This is my James."

She shows them a picture of James from more recently, although his face doesn't appear to have changed at all, his eyes are harder. Less kind. And his hair is long.

"He's still handsome." Laura voices her opinion.

"I think so too, his eyes. I've never seen eyes like his." Clint looks over to Ana. The way she talks about James is different than anything he has seen with her. She glows.