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13

3rd Person Pov

Clint closes the conference door behind him, "She's out of the Tower right?"

"She's at SHIELD, wanna tell us why we're having a meeting behind my daughter's back?" Bruce inquires.

Clint reveals a worn folder, the folder that Emily was hiding in the vents. "She's been keeping secrets. Like super big secrets, for example, her birthday is next week. It's all in here."

Natasha speaks first, "She's entitled to a few secrets, Clint."

"Like the fact she was affiliated with Hydra?" Clint retorts.

" Hydra?" Steve echoes in disbelief.

Tony shakes his head, "But she took down Hydra bases. Hill confirmed that."

"Doesn't mean she couldn't have worked with Hydra at some point, " Clint counters.

"You make it sound as if she had a choice, " Natasha refutes, "She was forced to do those things. Brainwashed even."

Bruce finally speaks after taking everything in, "You're saying she did those things without knowing it."

"I'd bet on it," Natasha firmly states. "Classic Red Room trick."

Steve looks up from the file he was reading, "How about these names?"

"Those...look like the ones she mutters in her sleep, "Bruce comments after studying them.

Tony glances at the names, "That's the Project Insight List. She mutters strangers' names in her sleep?"

"I think it would be wise to let her tell us in her own time, " Thor suggests, "If she truly doesn't remember then she needs to learn by herself."

"She should trust us enough to help her, " Steve protests.

Natasha sighs, "Truth of the matter is that her first instinct is to keep secrets, it's how she was raised. There's no changing that. She's been lied to, manipulated, and controlled."

"Are you speaking from experience?" Tony inquires.

"All I'm saying is that she wants to feel in control and we should allow her that," Natasha reasons."The fact that Clint even found this, will tell her that we don't trust her which is the last thing she needs to feel. What she needs is for us to treat her like a normal kid."

Everyone is silent after she says this so Tony coughs awkwardly, "I think we've missed the big point here, which is that we have a party to plan."

"No, I think you mean Bruce has a party to plan, " Clint corrects.

Bruce's eyes widen, "You can't expect me to plan a party by myself."

"Well, I mean, you have a while to get everything together, " Natasha teases.

"How am I supposed to do this?" Bruce complains.

Tony shrugs, "Struggles of being a single dad."

"I thought the point of living here was that I didn't have to do this alone, He points out.

Thor pats Bruce on the back sympathetically, "I'm sure that her first ever celebration of birth which will most likely definitely define all her future celebrations is safe in your capable hands."

"No pressure, huh?" Bruce mutters.

"Yeah, good luck, "Tony compliments. "I'm sure a man with 7 PhDs can plan a teenager girl's first birthday."