Grant

Chapter Sixteen-Freedom

Chapter Sixteen

Freedom

"Grant!" Janie shouts and rushes over to me while I kneel and happily accept her embrace. Thomas is next and while his hug is a surprise, I accept it all the same. When they pull back, Janie frames my face and looks me all over. "Are you okay? Your face was all firm and glassy last time I saw you." She says worriedly as I take her hands off my face with a little squeeze.

"I'm fine, kiddo. Thanks for worrying about me." I assure her and she smiles.

"She said you killed the nightmare. Is he dead?" Devon asks a little hesitantly as he moves forward. With everyone else's eyes on me, I slowly stand and nod.

"Yes. Yes, he's dead." I confirm with Natasha still a little way behind me leaning against a pine trunk. My words hover over the group before they react.

"Dead, he's really dead?" Ramona says with her sister staring at me in awe. "He's dead!" They turn to one another and embrace while laughing. Devon grins and nods to me.

"Not bad." He allows as Victor falls to his knees and cries with a wide smile on his face. Kenny just stands there blinking while the two at my feet have tears in their eyes.

"So...he can't hurt us anymore?" Janie asks while Thomas signs something similar. My head shakes and I sign back as I respond.

"No. He'll never hurt you again." I tell them and both bury their heads in my clothes as they cry. My eyes look around the group at the little moments of joy with each other and suddenly my mind comes to terms with Natasha's question.

Killing is wrong. Killing shitbags to protect others, well, it may not be right but it's definitely worth it.

Natasha and I spend a few hours with the group until she calls me back and we head back towards the facility. Apprehension fills me as I see Victory waiting at the doors. Natasha smirks at me before sliding past her which leaves us alone and staring at one another. Regret, not for what I'd done, but for how I made her and the others feel rises up in me.

"Victory, I...I apologize for dragging you all into this. I didn't mean to make a mess for everyone-" I'm interrupted by her throwing her arms around me, one over my good shoulder and the other around my waist. I return her hug instantly with relief and confusion.

"I understand." She whispers and lets her fingers dig into the little hairs on the back of my neck to keep me close. "I understand why you did it and I'm not mad at you. I'm just glad that you and those kids are okay." Victory pulls back and frames my face. Her green and brown eyes, inverted from mine, bore into me and I know she means what she says.

"And Tony?" I ask and she sighs before we both pull away fully.

"Tony is stubborn, hard-headed, and cares too much about everything. He'll come to terms with this just like he's come to terms with everything else." She assures me before the others come to mind.

"What about Steve? And Bucky? And Liya? And Sam?" My sister shrugs.

"All of them were soldiers. They know what it is to be at war, even if the war is in you. They'll be fine." She says and considers me a moment as I hesitate in asking about the last person on the list. "He's gone to his Aunt's. Seeing carnage like that, especially for such a soft soul, he'll probably need the most time, Grant." I nod along with her words, but in truth she hasn't said anything I didn't already know. If this destroys things with Peter then I'll truly regret everything. "Go on. You should go see Tony." I press a quick kiss to her cheek as I head inside.

"Thanks, Victory." I bid before heading towards the workshop where Tony is most likely to be. The doors open and I slip in to find Pepper and Morgan clearly trying to cheer him up. Guilt bites at me that I'm the reason that he needs cheering up. "G!" Morgan yells and runs at me. Grinning, I lean down and scoop her up with my good arm.