Widow Sisters and Friends (Restoring Our Broken Hearts): Book 2

The Distance Between Two Hearts: Part 2

Summary: When SWORD asks for the Avenger's most powerful member for a highly dangerous mission, Carol naturally is the one selected to go. However, to her complete and utter surprise, she is paired with the one and only Monica Rambeau, and she has to rekindle old connections with one of the people that means the most to her while battling a completely unexpected yet sinister threat.

   Monica wished that she could say that seeing her long lost aunt was the last thing that she had expected to happen during the course of this day, but given the fact that she had lost her keys on the way here, had to take a detour because of road work, and had to assure the receptionist Sherrie for the millionth time that she had indeed not gone to high school with her, Monica honestly was not terribly surprised.

After all, everything seemed to be on the fritz today, so why not one more thing to pile onto the ever-stacking list of insanity?

Granted, when this case had come up, she had asked the Avengers for their most powerful member to join her.

Nevertheless, she had been desperately hoping for someone like Wanda perhaps. At least someone that she ended up having relatively good relations with in the end. But she could not deny that the Avengers had indeed understood the assignment and delivered on her request.

She could not help but just stare for several long moments, words not quite coming to her mind as she took in the sight of someone that had at one point been one of the most important people in her life. A person that had been one of the primary women that she looked up to. The coolest person on Earth and her one and only Aunt Carol.

But all of that was gone now, she had to quickly remind herself. She was getting too caught up.

This was also the person that had left her behind for all of those years and had abandoned her like she was nothing. All of the good times of days gone by were just bittersweet memories that were never to be relived in present times ever again.

But Monica still could not help but take her all in. Carol looked just the same as she always had. Monica supposed it was the powers that had kept her looking so young. She had the same kind, soft, slightly teasing brown eyes that always looked at Monica like she was the entire world, the same jacket from all those years ago, and even the same haircut. The same image of Carol that she had solidified in her mind from her childhood.

However, out of all of that, the jacket was what stood out the most to her. Monica did not even really know what to think about that. It honestly just stunned her that Carol even wore it at all anymore. It even seemed to be pretty worn since the last time she saw it, which was a clear indication of its use.

But it was still in amazing shape considering. On one hand, she was deeply touched, and on the other, she was endlessly hurt because that must have meant that Carol had a reminder for all those years and just did not choose to come back to them.

After a moment, it finally occurred to her that Carol was likely waiting on her to speak. Strangely, the blonde had an almost hesitant look in her eyes, and she did not look like she was going to say anything. She was obviously going to let Monica go first.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to take a detour on the way, and it made me get here a little later than usual," Monica finally mustered, having to conjure everything in her to actually make real words leave her mouth. Or at least acceptable words and not all the ones she wanted to say.

Carol shrugged, and Monica found herself waiting with bated breath to hear that painfully and soothingly familiar voice. However, she kept her eyes on the documents she had brought in as she sat at her desk and started sorting through them, avoiding giving an indication that she was so pathetically eager.