At Last||Natasha Romanoff

twenty one

ONE YEAR LATER

"Scoot over!"
"Quit shoving—"
"I swear I'll blast you—"
"Shut up!"

"If the lot of you don't get yourselves in order, I'm gonna kick someone in the face."

Natasha peeked out from behind the velvet curtain with a small smile as everyone bickered and hissed at each other, struggling to get into a seat while Steve had taken it upon himself to direct everyone around.

It had been hard returning Earth to the way it was before chaos had reigned, but the heroes had managed. They'd rebuilt what they could, separating into smaller teams and working with different governments to reestablish order.

Of course, it would never be the same.

There were memorials and shrines honoring the women that had sacrificed themselves all over the place and every single one never failed to make Natasha grieve with fresh yet bitter intensity.

The rebalance of the world had come at a costly price, one Nyla-Rose and Nebula had willingly paid.

Tony had created a scholarship foundation for young women interested in journalism or astronomy throughout the following months, calling it the Nebula-Rose Foundation in honor of the fallen heroes. He'd also, with the help of Bruce, erected a memorial in front of the newly built Compound dedicated to them.

Two huge black amethyst pillars stood guard in front of the entrance. They were dotted with gray spots, but at night, when the sky grew dark and the sun went to sleep, the pillars were illuminated by a deep violet glow and the flecks turned to pure white, outlining Nebula and Nyla-Rose as constellations.

In this, Tony was able to create what he envisioned them to be: walking amongst the stars.

There were times where Natasha didn't think she could handle the absence of her daughter, but it was their family that was a constant reminder of what they gained from it. She had stayed with the Barton's for awhile after the world seemed to regain most of its normality until returning to the Compound once it had been fully restored. Natasha would often visit Tony as well, marveling over how tall and beautiful the young Stark was growing up to be, but the team was never fully together anymore.

Steve, Sam and Bucky were the only ones living in the Compound with her, Rogers claiming it was because they had nowhere to go, but she knew better. It was still home to him and it seemed Nat wasn't the only one clinging to past memories.

The trio was a great comfort to her although Sam and Bucky were still rough around the edges with each other and eventually, they became a dysfunctional family of four. Steve had been a great companion in helping her cope over time and they'd grown much closer than Natasha ever thought they would. Pietro and Wanda had become travelers of the weary earth, never settling in one place and eager for their next adventure. Bruce settled as he was in California giving lectures at different universities and Rhodes stayed on as government personnel.

"Someone needs to watch these bastards" as he'd so cleverly put it. They would all check in from time to time, something Natasha looked forward to, but it was a particular event that brought them all together. Even the Guardians of whom she contacted was able to make it.

A ballet recital for some of the children they'd had the privilege of watching grow.

Pepper was backstage with Wanda, hurrying around to fix last minute disasters and comforting the young ones as Natasha watched the events unfold before her. Bright tabletop bulbs shone softly on a few of the girls faces, the happiness and excitement far outweighing the anxiety of a public situation as such.