|| LONGING || EDITTING

|| Chapter Thirty - Two ||

Jumping in the air and swinging her flaming fist into the face of Ultron's machine, it stumbled to the floor and she didn't hesitate to stomp on its neck - effectively beheading the machine before scolding the horizon to see if anyone needed help and as if it was in slow motion, she saw Clint running toward a little boy and she flew as fast as she could. The pair reaching the boy at the same time and at the sight of Ultron heading toward them without an ounce of reluctance, Clint tried shielding both of them but Arizona weaved out of his grip and used her wings to shield them, being well aware that the bullets could pierce the back of her legs and her back in doing so. Pietro, standing in the distance, saw the scene, and with a look of determination, he sped toward them, shoving Clint from Arizona's grasp before pushing her away from the spray of bullets by using her wings, letting him almost cry as his flesh on his palms burnt then came the numbing pain.

Arizona harshly thudded to the ground, landing on her front when the scene folded out as slowly as it could - the Fireball's flames died out and she turned her head reluctantly with wide eyes which widened even more at the sight of Pietro, his icy blue eyes going from Clint to Arizona as he said, "You didn't see that coming..."

His voice was tight, heart-wrenching with the pain that followed with it as the sound of his lifeless body hitting the ground echoed in Arizona's head, her crawling over to him in shock, her hands trembling as she pressed them against his seeping-bloody-back, "P..." She gulped, "Pietro?" She barely whispered, arching her brows as her teary emeralds glistened with grief. She gently shook his body, ignoring the warm substance painting her palms before she let out a weak, shaky breath, "I'm sorry..." She mumbled under her breath, Clint gently placed the boy on the ground and made his way to Arizona who began to breakdown - her hands harshly slapping her face, leaving Pietro's blood to mould into her pale cheeks and Clint immediately sprung into action by wrapped his arms around her torso alongside having Arizona's biceps tucked in as well, "No!" She roared in grief, pushing all her weight in front of her as she tried to reach her teary and bloody face, "Let! Me! Go!" She cried out.

"Ellie, get your ass down here now," Clint said through the communicators.

Steve and Ellie ran, side - by - side, toward the pair as they watched Arizona scream and sob like a child having a tantrum in Clint's arms, but getting closer and closer to them, the pair slowed down to a mere stumble, Ellie's eyes blurring as she pressed a hand to her mouth in shock at the sight of Pietro's scattered-bullet-invested body, "I have to!" Arizona sobbed, trying to claw at her own face, "I have to!" Her voice shaking with grief as tears ran down her cheeks.

"I have to!" Arizona screamed out as she jolted awake, sweat layering her skin and fiery hair damp against her flesh as she looked around. The said girl gulped, wiping her hair from her face and looked at the time on her alarm.

It had been a few days since Arizona saw Peter, it had been a few days since Ellie ended up keeping three criminal Avengers from being caught, it had been a few days since Rhodey was flown to Columbia. Everyone seemed in a damper mood, something that was rare in the Avengers compound but it was quiet -- too quiet. Tony had gotten in touch with Pepper a few hours after Arizona had pressed the button to alarm them of her panic attack and she was ready to return, only if Tony knocked down the Ironman stuff a notch. Arizona didn't know that Pepper would be returning anytime soon as her mind was plagued, plagued by what day it was.

It was the day Pietro had been dead for three years and it was haunting her. Tony walked in already dressed as it was almost mid-day, making Arizona rub her face as she puffed out some air. He gave her a lipless smile as he took a seat beside her and frowned seeing her jumpy self, "You haven't been sleeping, have you?" She gulped and he put a hand on her leg that was underneath her covers, "It's okay, Zo," He reassured her, "We going today?"

She nodded as she slowly got out of bed, "Yeah, only if you want to come, though, I'll walk if not,"

He scoffed, "Of course I'm coming, kiddo," He ruffled her head and she gave him a small smile, "Come on, get up, get dressed and let's go," Arizona stood up and walked over to her closet as Tony headed toward the door, "Hey," She looked up at him, "Just take it one day at a time, okay?"

Arizona clenched her jaw, knowing that the next few weeks were going to be rough, "I will," Her voice solemn and quiet. He nodded before leaving, Arizona let out a tired breath, brushing her hair out of her face and then getting changed.

--xXx--

Standing in front of the engraved stone, Arizona had her hands respectfully clasped together in front of her with her head down as her eyes repeatedly read his name, read the year he was born and the year he died, and read the smallest message Wanda asked Vision to engrave on it. It was the day of grief... And knowing it had three years since she last saw Pietro had Arizona cold to the bone. Tony put a hand on Arizona's shoulder, his head faced off to the entrance of the cemetery, "Ellie's here,"

Arizona's head whipped up, her eyes sparkling with shock, Ellie was alone - after much convincing toward the trio who were lounging around her apartment once all their asses were kicked by Ellie. She looked up from the ground and froze seeing Arizona beside Tony, in front of Pietro's grave, her brown hair was cut shorter than Arizona remembered - it now going an inch above her shoulders in smooth curls. It parted in the middle and her perfect brows arched before continuing her trekking toward Pietro's grave, "Eleanor," Tony nodded at her.

Ellie placed her small batch of flowers on the ground in front of Pietro's grave, her eyes on the white roses from Arizona and the small bouquet of flowers, Ellie gently brushed the petals as though they would break under her touch, "Wanda's already been here?" Her voice tough despite her entire persona was dropping and Tony nodded, making small talk with the woman heartbroken to his side. It didn't take long for Ellie to see that Arizona was trembling, "Tony could you leave us alone for a minute?" Said Fireball whipped her head to Tony with wide eyes who glanced between the pair before reluctantly nodded then walked away. "Ever since he died..." Ellie's entire facade dropped and her voice was evidently weak, Arizona closed her eyes, not bearing her own heartache let alone Ellie's as well, "There's been something missing in my life," She looked at Arizona with tears in her eyes, "It doesn't help that you haven't looked at me or said a single word to me since he died,"

Ellie moved to stand in front of her but Arizona looked away, trying to find Tony to calm down her racing heart as her thumb circled the button in her hand, "Arizona, say something to me," Ellie ordered, her voice tough again but Arizona remained silent, she didn't know what to say nor did she know how to take the predicament she was now in. The brunette sighed, "It wasn't your fault," She said softly but saw Arizona shake her head solemnly, "It wasn't, Arizona, you can't blame yourself," Arizona looked down, her letting out a shaky breath as her chest began to hurt, "Arizona?" Ellie questioned worriedly as Arizona pressed the button.

"I'm sorry," Her voice weak and quiet, Arizona feeling as though weights were lifted from her shoulders, "He died protecting me an - and -"

Ellie grasped her biceps, leaning down to lock eyes with her, "Arizona if you weren't there and it was only Clint with the boy, Pietro would've done it anyway, you cannot blame yourself for something that he decided to do,"

She looked up at Ellie, slowly backing away from her touch before gulping, "You could never know that..."

Tony walked up to them, gently pulling Arizona away from Ellie with a stern expression toward the grieving brunette, "I think that's enough," He said calmly but his words held a fatherly tone in them, "Arizona, just breathe..." His voice trailed to silence the further he and Arizona walked away from Ellie who watched with regret as Arizona struggled to breathe before looking at Pietro, wiping away stray tears.

"I miss you, my love..."