The Wolf And The Spider

Chapter 1~ To Set Things Right

Melody's POV

"Come on, Dad. Why can't you just forgive him already?" I whined the same question I had been whining about for months.

"His best friend killed my parents, your grandparents, and he didn't tell me even though I have a right to know. You had a right to know, Melody. Now stop asking," my dad said in a vain attempt to shut me up. But I had Stark blood running through my veins. I wasn't stopping for a damn thing.

"Are you seriously telling me that it's any different than you lying to me about the Easter Bunny, the tooth fairy, or Santa Claus?"

"I don't see the correlation between murder and children's fairy tales," he said, not even looking at me.

"But it's exactly the same thing. You were guarding my childhood innocence and my belief in your primitive form of magic despite my being part witch. Steve was guarding you against the harsh reality of what happened to Grandma and Grandpa. Both of you were protecting someone you cared about from truths that weren't ready to be heard. Remember how crushed I was when you explained that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Santa Claus weren't real?"

"That's still not the same thing," he sputtered, turning to look at me.

"Isn't it?" I asked before turning around and heading to my room. I knew I had struck a chord with him and he'd realize that it was time to forgive Steve. Of course, I thought Dad had a right to be angry, and I was too for a while but my dad was taking this too far. Steve was just as much family as Grandma and Grandpa was, and I didn't want to go without any more family than I had to. I made it to my room and pulled out my laptop. It would take a while for my analogy to fully sink in and I might as well be productive while I waited.

I had just finished another chapter of the book I was writing when F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced my dad was on his way to my suite.

"Well that was faster than I expected," I mumbled to myself, closing my laptop and waiting for my dad to show his face.

"Hey, Tails... I've been thinking about what you said... Maybe you're right, and it's time to welcome them all home. And maybe it's time for me to forgive Steve," he said, walking into my room and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I agree. But you do know that I don't blame you for being angry. Hell, I was angry for a while too. But Dad, I don't want to grow old and bitter and I don't want you to either."

"How did you get to be so smart?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

"Well, I have a literal witch Queen as a mother and a 'genius billionaire playboy philanthropist' for a father. If I was stupid you'd have to disown me," I said with a smirk, which he mirrored.

"Touche, kid. Touche. Shall we go find the rest of our screwed-up family?"

"We shall, but first there's something I have to do. Shouldn't take more than an hour or two."

"Just don't kill anyone." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Mom hasn't sent any orders for me to kill anyone. Relax. Love you!" I grinned, teleporting straight into the belly of the beast. Thaddeus Ross's office. He spat out his coffee upon seeing me materialize into his office seemingly out of thin air.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" he screamed.

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you make sure that Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson, James Barns, Clint Barton, Wanda Maximoff, and Scott Lang are no longer war criminals in the eyes of the United States of America. And, see, I know you'll do this for me because there is no way you got all 193 countries in the U.N. to agree to the Sokovia Accords just like there is no way you got the majority of those countries to agree to this. That is, without bribery. And considering you are seen as a war hero, I don't think you want that becoming public knowledge, which it will if you don't get the criminalized Avengers out of this tight spot. So, have we got a deal? You make sure my friends are seen as the heroes they are and I'll make sure nobody ever knows that you aren't the hero you say you are. And should you not take my deal, I'll have the entire Transmonian army destroy and claim this entire planet as Transmonian territory. Are we clear?" my eyes began glowing and he visibly gulped.

"D-deal. We have a deal, Ms. Stark."

"Excellent. Have a nice day, Mr. Ross. I'll see myself out." I smiled and teleported myself into my dad's lab.

"That was fast," he commented.

"Yes, it was. How's it coming with finding the others?"

"You're not the only one who's fast, Tails. I've found them. All of them."

"Then let's bring them home," I smiled.

Two days later

Melody's POV

Being a Stark had plenty of perks, but being able to track down six of the most well-hidden fugitives in the world in two days and have them on the privet jet on the way home was definitely the biggest perk yet. And I had seen plenty of other perks in my 16 years of life.

"So... this is really awkward..." Sam said, trying to end the silence.

"Yeah, but what can you expect? Shit hit the fan and we're just now cleaning it up," I answered and he smirked.

"Good to know you're still sarcastic."

"Me? Sarcastic? Never," I grinned. It got quiet again, but I was so tired of the silence. So I said something, knowing it would most definitely piss my dad off.

"So you're Bucky Barnes. A whole war started over you. You must be something pretty special, huh?"

"That's not the word I would use," Dad grumbled.

"I've heard the words you would use. We aren't going there," I snapped, glaring at him.

"I'm sorry, but aren't you a Stark? Shouldn't you hate me?" he asked.

"I am a Stark, and no I don't hate you. I don't hate anyone unless they give me a reason too."

"But I killed your grandparents."

"Yes, but you did that before I was born and before I knew you existed. And it wasn't really you; you were brainwashed. So that doesn't count. You have a clean slate with me, Barnes. So don't fuck it up," I smiled.

"Language," Steve said.

"English," I shot back, "Would you like me to say it in Greek?"

"I see what you mean, Steve. She is quite a spitfire, isn't she?" Bucky chuckled.

"You have no idea," Dad rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure it's embedded in my genes. There is no escaping the snark, the sarcasm or the cynicism. You're welcome."

"God, it's good to be home, Melody. It is good to be home," Sam sighed, completely content.

"It's good to have you home. All of you. Things aren't the same without you guys," I replied.

"How are we going home? I mean, how aren't we criminals anymore?" Scott asked.

"Oh, I am really good at blackmail, as it turns out," I answered honestly and everyone laughed at me. "Guys, I'm serious. I blackmailed Thadeous Ross. Turns out I have more influence on my mom's side than I thought."

"Why am I proud of you right now?" Clint asked.

"Because she's 16 and blackmailed the U.S. Secretary of State successfully," Wanda answered.

"That's so unpatriotic," Steve groaned.

"Then it's a damn good thing I'm not an American. But I feel as though it is very patriotic these days. Dad, don't you agree?"

"She's not wrong," he agreed.

"Clearly you went wrong somewhere when you were raising her," Steve retorted.

"Oh please. You love me just the way I am. Just be happy nobody died," I shot at him.

"Have you killed people?" Scott asked.

"That's a story for another time, Lang. Just leave it at that," I told him and he nodded slowly.

"Mr. Stark? We've landed," the pilot's voice said over the speakers.

"Guys," I said, opening up the doors, "Welcome home."