We Are Operation Animal (Avengers/X-Men Crossover)

Chapter 32

"What about this one?" Natasha handed me a picture of a beautiful little blue house.

"Where's this one at?" I took the photo from her and examined it a little more. The door was a bright yellow color and it was warming, welcoming.

"Just outside of Salem, Oregon. There's technically two bedrooms but the office could be turned into a bedroom for one of the kids."

The green hedges were perfect squares and that yellow door....

"A yellow door?" I quirked a brow up as I looked over to her.

"It's cute." She shrugged her shoulders. "And it makes for a good hiding place." The picture of the blue house with the yellow door was taken from my hand as she pulled another picture from her folder. "This one is in Elko, Nevada."

"It has too many bushes."

We were sitting in my room, side by side on my bed going through a file of her off-grid locations.

I went through three more pictures of different safe-houses Natasha had across the U.S. before she took all of the pictures from me and sighed out.

"You're being too picky, Jazz."

"None of these places will be home-home." I let out a frustrated breath and ran my hands through my hair.

"Do you want me to go get Alex? Maybe it would be better if you two do this together." She suggested. "It is a big decision."

"No, he's got the kids." I rubbed my brow and groaned gently.

"You don't have to make this choice alone though, Jasmine." Natasha spoke softly. "Don't feel like all the pressure is on you."

I nodded my head softly and took the file from her. I went through the pictures again, just glancing over them, before I spoke.

"I just wished we had our home back. The one in the beginning, the one we first had when Tellan was a baby."

"I know you do, hun." Natasha brushed her hand across my shoulders comfortingly. "But we can't always have what we want."

"It seems like I can never have what I want."

"That's not true. You have Tellan, Addie, and Alex."

"You know what I mean." I rolled my eyes at her.

"Jasmine." Natasha took the file from me again and put it one the bed in front of us. "I learned a long time ago that with you, things naturally go the way we don't want them to. But we make it. We've made it so far and we aren't giving up. Now you're going to pick a damn house or I'm going to have Barton drop you somewhere without telling you."

Our eyes stayed locked for a while before I sighed out and picked the file up.

"The blue house with the yellow door."

"That's the one you want?"

"I don't want to take it from you."

"Don't worry about it, Jasmine." Natasha got up from the bed and took the file from me. "It's okay, I promise. I stayed there, literally, once. I only have the safe-house for emergencies. And you'll be safe there. I'll be back in a little bit. I've got to talk with Fury and Clint."

I nodded my head softly and watched as she left.

As the door clicked shut, my eyes fell back down to the little blue house with a yellow door.

•*•*•

"You're going to break my hand, Jasmine." Alex chuckled a little as I squeezed his hand. It was hard for us to actually hold hands the proper way since I was in the middle seats with Addie and Alex was in the back seats with Tellan.