Never Let You Die

5. Jolly

Natasha's POV

Carol had a way of looking at me... that I wouldn't know how to explain.

I remember the first time we sat at a table, across from each other, to eat a sandwich I had made for the both of us. She took too long to eat because she was staring at me. Like, really looking at me.

At first I thought that she was trying to read my mind, control my soul or something. I didn't know what her powers were at that time, and it was the same time that I found her annoying, so I just paid her no mind. Until she started easing my pain with every little thing.

She didn't stop once until she got me to smile. Which wasn't too far off from the first day we met.

I never talked to her about my past life. She didn't tell me about hers either. But I was dying to tell her, and I was dying to know. We only exchanged lame jokes, sparred, and she told me about some of her most amazing missions. She called them adventures. She was just like a kid sometimes, and that's what made me loosen up to her.

She made me feel like a kid too.

That's when I started noticing that the stares weren't because she was trying to read my mind. She didn't even have that power.

She was studying me, learning every detail of my face, my expressions. I know this because when she went on space again, she would notice my pain even through a hologram.

"Don't say you're okay when I know you're not, Romanoff." She would say with her deepest frown ever, because she was worried, "I thought we could trust each other."

Carol was hurting in that moment, and I didn't notice.

And when she said goodbye, those teary eyes were the ones that would belong to any heart broken person.

It was unbelievable, that I had to notice just now. That the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at me wasn't just because she was a silly girl spoiling another. The sparkle in her eyes were love... or at least just... care. As I said, I wouldn't know how to explain it.

Whereas, she can't lie to me. This person standing on front of me. She can't fucking fool me.

It might be the same hair, the same nose, same lips, same voice. She could walk and talk like Carol, but she's missing that sparkle. Either the sparkle was painfully gone, or this wasn't my Carol.

This was an impostor.

I put both of my hands on either sides of her chest and pushed her back real hard. She hit the wall and groaned after letting herself slip her butt on the floor.

"Hey!" Talos kneeled down to check on her, gently kissing her forehead, but she refused to stop glaring at me, "Are you okay, darling?"

I watched as Carol's image was switched to reveal the real appearance of the impostor. It was Talos' version of a woman. Beautiful, but an alien.

"Where's Carol?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

Talos helped the woman up. She dusted off her black dress before both of them looked at me, glaring.

"She's on a mission." Talos spoke, angry.

No doubt I had just pushed her wife to the wall.

"Well tell her to come back, right now." I demanded.

"Fine!" He grunted.

Call me grumpy, but that woman couldn't just kidnap me from my own mission, put me in a ship and then take off and leave me alone.

She would never leave me alone and stranded, would she?

Talos lifted his arms, pressed a few buttons on his bracelet and held out his arms towards me.

"Come in, Talos, I am very busy right now." That was Carol's voice, the authentic one, "I am scouting these neat skies."

I couldn't contain my smile.

"Understood but um..." the male alien spoke, "We seem to have a problem here."

"I am sure Earth has a much bigger problem than any of the planets right now."

I frowned. So there was trouble, which means we didn't get all the stone. Clint didn't get the stone.

"Carol." I sternly said.

"Uh... Nat?" I heard a crash, "dammit!" She hissed.

I walked closer over to Talo's communicator, "Are you okay there, Danvers?"

"Yep," she cleared her throat, "all good, just tripped a bit but all is good."

"Tripped? In the sky?"

"Don't question my talents, dear agent Romanoff." I could hear the smirk in her voice. And this is the Carol I truly remember. This is the feeling, the one the aliens can't copy.

I bit down my lip while sporting a smirk myself. I wanted to be mad. That Carol stopped my sacrifice, that we didn't get the soul stone, that I wasn't fighting back with my team, that I was stuck here on this ship.

But who stays mad at Carol Danvers? Clearly not me.

"Where are you, Danvers?"

"Around Avengers facilities. Waiting for Thanos' ship." She nonchalantly said, like it was her regular nine to five.

"Thanos?" I questioned, "Didn't Thor kill him?"

"He... will be finding his way back." Carol sighed, "The team still don't notice, I'm going to destroy him before he puts himself in this planet."

"Come get me." I demanded.

"Nope."

"Carol Danvers," I warned her, "come get me in this instant."

"Relax, Romanoff." She paused for a moment, silence on both sides, "Here, I got some good news."

I waited, still silent.

"That cringy looking green guy, the bulky one with the glasses?" She knew very well his name was Bruce. But he annoyed her. I don't know why, but he did, so she refused to respect him, "he did the snap. The good snap."

Joy, and peace all at the same time came into me like a blast. I smiled, my tears of happiness threatening to fall.

"I was going to do it but um... he wanted to play hero," this would be the part where she would roll her eyes. I almost giggled imagining her, "so that will leave him with a limp arm, how stupid." She blabbered, "but at least it's done, Nat. Everyone is coming back."

"Please, Carol." My voice broke when I began sobbing, "Come get me. I want to see it."

"Oh, gosh Nat. When you speak to me that way. Ugh, can't help but comply."

"Hurry, Danvers." I smiled in amidst of all my tears

"Fine. I guess five minutes won't hurt."

The communication was suddenly cut, and Talos took back his arm.

"Come on, Romanoff. Let's wait for your knight in glowing armor." He annoyingly said.

I chuckled at Carol's new nickname, like a silly girl I was. Carol Danvers did make me feel like a jolly kid.