Fighting A New War (Book Seven of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Chapter Nine

I still can't believe this was only nine chapters. I could have sworn the movie was longer than that.

Oh, well. This is the last bit of the movie!

***

"Did you two become my own personal shadows after the battle?" Jessie smirked as she walked with the Maximoffs through the New Avengers facility. "I'm fine, you two."

And she really was. After just over a month in the cradle, Jessie had been functioning normally. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except that the Maximoffs had barely left her side.

"Bad Wolf," Pietro began.

"The Avengers call me Jessie," she interrupted, turning to them. "If you would rather call me that, it's fine."

"That is the name I knew when you saved my life, I would prefer to keep that one," Pietro shook his head. "I owe you my life for that."

"Oh, life debts," Jessie complained. "Pietro, you don't need to do that."

"But if you ever need anything, anything at all," he gave her a look, "let me know. I would never refuse."

"Even if it involved me dying?" Jessie raised an eyebrow.

The two Maximoffs exchanged looks. "That, I might have a problem with," Pietro admitted.

"Good thing I don't plan on dying anytime soon," Jessie smirked.

"Bad Wolf," Wanda looked at her. "Please . . . be careful."

"I will be," Jessie promised, giving her a hug. "If you ever need help with your powers, I'm a phone call away."

"Good luck, Bad Wolf," Pietro hugged her tightly. "I can never repay you."

"You can repay me by staying alive," Jessie answered, heading for the door.

"Anything, Bad Wolf," Wanda reminded her. "We mean it."

Jessie turned to look at them slowly. "I'll keep that in mind," she nodded before leaving again.

First it was Thor, now it was the Maximoffs. Why did everyone suddenly act so grim around her?

***

"Say hi to Auntie Nat!" Laura Barton Skyped with Natasha on her phone.

Natasha smiled fondly when she saw the new baby's full name: Nathaniel Pietro Barton. "Fat," she teased.

"One of our tech boys flagged this," Fury said, and Natasha turned to see him walking over to the silent redhead gazing out the window. "Splashed down in the Banda Sea. Could be the Quinjet. But with Stark's stealth tech, we still can't track the damn thing."

"Right," Saleen took the pad, looking at what had been found.

"Probably jumped out and swam to Fiji. He'll send a postcard."

"Wish you were here," Saleen said glumly.

"You sent me to recruit him, way back when," Natasha walked up. "Did you think this would happen to me?"

"You never know," Fury shrugged. "You hope for the best and make do with what you get. I got a great team."

"Nothing lasts forever."

"Trouble, Miss Romanoff.. No matter who wins or loses, trouble still comes around."

Saleen looked down below as a group of five headed for the doors outside. "Nothing lasts forever," she repeated quietly, watching the Doctor as he argued with Tony and Steve, Jessie laughing with them. "Yeah."