Gone by Ghosts (Natasha Romanoff x OC)

~Epilouge~

Nat's POV:

United States, New York City 07/21/2009:

She leaned against the brick wall and observed the agents clearing out her apartment. How much would she give to be allowed up there another time? On that fire escape, on that couch, in her hands.

"Fury is going to be really pissed when he finds out you left the hospital already, you know that, right?", his quippy tone lifted her mood already. She painted a smile on her face and gave Clint a genuine hug. "I tried to get a job in that moving company!", he complained, crossing his arms and sitting on the side of the hood. She knew that he had tried to be part of the team, cleaning out Kate's apartment, but Fury didn't allow it. She punched his shoulder a little harder than just playfully.

"Everything was fine, you know? We did everything right and then-", she swallowed. She could feel his eyes on her profile, but she couldn't look at him or else her barriers would break down entirely. "Then all of a sudden, she was gone.", she ended her sentence a lot colder than before.

"She has to mean a lot to you.", Clint stated the obvious and the redhead nodded. He had expected another punch or rolled eyes, but apparently, the spy didn't mind him seeing her soft side today.

"She did.", she corrected him and looked at her best friend for the first time in a while.

"Don't even try that on me. I know exactly what you will do as soon as you get your gun back.", he said not putting up with a lie that obvious.

"And what exactly is that?", she asked with a mischievous grin.

"You will go looking for her behind Fury's back and get yourself fired or killed.", Nat rolled her eyes, but he continued. "I read the report. These guys are no joke, Tasha. We'll have to be careful."

This time the smile on her lips was genuine and thankful, but it faded when she saw the glorious duo walk towards them. Clint noticed the change and turned to look right at his boss, then he turned back, pressing his best friend's hand in support.

"Agent Romanoff, I am happy to see you are feeling better, but I don't remember allowing you to leave the bed yet.", he said in his typical stern voice. Natasha just nodded, then looked back to the apartment uninterested in more words of criticism. "Agent Hill, please escort Agent Barton away.", he ordered, and Natasha closed her eyes hiding the roll she couldn't suppress. "I'll tell him later anyway.", she remarked, feeling a need to oppose her boss.

"Not this time Romanoff.", he said in a tone that made her frown, look at him then turn to him. "You were right.", he whispered, and she simply raised an eyebrow. "I had an alternate motive for recruiting Agent Davis and apparently it has caught up with her."

"Who? What?", she asked quietly, confused, and vigorously. The answer she received was far from satisfying.

"She is in possession of information that not only our government has a high interest in, but others do too. Other governments, other people, and other organizations. One of which she had... crossed paths with before.", he explained, choosing his words carefully.

"Which one?", she asked concern, agony lighting up in her chest, thinking of what crossing paths had done to Kate's body.

"We don't know. But you need to understand that for that reason I too am to blame for endangering her. So, I too am responsible for retrieving her.", Fury admitted but Natasha only frowned.

"Yet, you will deny every single word you just said, if asked. And let me guess, there will be no official mission?", she asked sarcastically. She made her opinion clear, and he simply nodded, affirming her thoughts. He waved his hand over his head and Maria and Clint joined them.

"Agent Barton, would you be willing to work with Agent Romanoff to find and rescue Agent Davis?", he asked still looking at the redhead.

"Yes sir.", the confused agent answered.

"Good. Agent Hill.", he said her name and it was enough for her to step towards Natasha.

The pain in her blue eyes was close to her own and she reached out to the open hand where car keys waited for her. "Nice watch.", Maria commented kindly, remembering the look of them on Kate's wrists.

"Thank you.", she replied, barely a sound coming out of her mouth. The black-haired woman nodded then she stepped away. Natasha's focus followed Agent Hill to the street where she swung her leg over a dark blue motorcycle.

"Before you get started, I need you in Malibu, but we'll talk about this tomorrow.", Fury informed her then walked away.

"So, what're you gonna do now?", Clint asked and watched her think for a bit.

"Normally, I'd say a new haircut, but Fury doesn't like that right before a mission. So, I'll get her back. That way I don't need a new haircut.", she joked, still annoyed by Fury's ignorance.

"You mean we.", he corrected but she shook her head.

"No, you're useless. You're just eye candy.", she teased him. But in a way she still meant it. She wanted to find Kate. She needed to find her. She owed her that and so much more. Whether she could find her alive or not, she had to find her.

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