Find My Way

Prologue

Natasha sat in the front seat of the Benatar, the ship they borrowed from Rocket the Raccoon. Clint Barton said in the co-pilot seat. Her shoulders pressed back as a surge of hope filled her. Hope she hadn't felt in five years, since Thanos snapped his fingers and took everything from her. Five years, since he destroyed all the stones- and ultimately destroyed their chance at turning everything back. 

But now... now she was on her way to Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone. With it, and the other five, they could create their own gauntlet and bring everyone back. 

She would bring Eliza home. 

Rhodey flew outside of the Benatar in his War Machine suit as he guided Natasha and Clint down in the ship. "Alright, bring it down low... right on that line... that's it. Down, down."

They touched down on the planet that held the Power Stone, Morag. Rhodey and Nebula unloaded from the Benatar, but not before looking at Clint and Natasha. 

Rhodey hugged Natasha. "Take okay, okay?"

She hugged him back with an excited smile. "Yeah."

He pulled back to look over at Clint. "Take the stone and come back. No messing around."

Clint nodded his understanding. "Hey-" he called out as Rhodey started to turn away. "You got this."

Rhodey's lips twitched. He looked between his two friends. "Let's get it done."

Natasha folded her arms over her chest as she backed up with Clint. "See you back."

"You guys watch each other's six."

She smiled and turned with Clint. They walked back onto the ship and found their seats in the cockpit. Natasha lifted the ramp and started up the engines. 

"Nebule input the coordinates for Vormir," Natasha pointed out as they lifted out of Morag's atmosphere.

"Does she not trust us to pilot?" Clint teased. 

She grinned as they pushed forward. They sliced easily through the air, cutting between the stars in seconds flat. 

"You're smiling."

Natasha hummed as she sat back in her seat. "I'm happy, Clint." She looked over at her partner. "We... we're going to do it. I can feel it."

There was almost a sense of disbelief in his eyes. "It's been five years without them... I started to think that-" he shook his head as he looked out at the stars. "I never thought we would get them back."

Her smile wavered slightly. "I never stopped believing we would."

He turned to look at her. It took just a moment for him to see the pain she was trying to hold back. "Nat-"

"Don't-" she looked away from him. She busied herself by wiping at her nose and under her eyes. "You lost way more than I did."

"That doesn't mean you didn't lose, Nat. Eliza was your family too. Pain is pain, no matter how big or how small."

The smile fell completely then. She looked up at the numerous buttons lining the roof of the ship. "I miss her so much, Clint."

He reached over to grab her hand. "I know."

"I kept leaving her. I was trying to protect her, but I can't pretend it wasn't what it was. I left her behind. I took her from her home, gave her a new home, then left her." She looked down at her hand tangled around Clint's. "I can't leave her again. Not like this."

"We're bringing them home. All of them."

She sniffled and squeezed his hand. When the threat of tears passed, she looked up at the pulling stars around her. She always imagined space travel to be different. She thought it would resemble Star Wars, but she assumed it was fiction for a reason.