CHAPTER 20 – A FINAL GOODBYE

(Noone's POV)

Nine Months after Varya died Pepper is in labour, they still haven't found Steve. Clint spent three months in a hospital psych ward, the next four months in SHIELD intensive therapy to get him out of the catatonic state he had been in. Natasha stopped taking care of herself and focused solely on finding who killed V and took Steve, Bruce left the city to a small village outside of India and lived on his own with minimal contact to anyone. But for the birth he had come back to the city. Helena had been staying at the farm with the puppy who Varya had named after her and Penny the pony to look after them, but had left them in the care of a neighbour to come here for the birth. Fury and Hill didn't talk about it just went back to the emotionless cold hearted people they were before they met her. And Liam was travelling the globe bringing down anything to do with the red room that he could find. Everyone except Liam had come together for the birth, they were arriving one by one to the hospital and told to wait in the waiting area.

Helena hadn't seen anyone since she moved to the farm, Barton obviously had barely even spoke to them, Natasha had done her best to stay in contact but she couldn't visit the tower because it was too painful. And Bruce had spoken to no one as well. So when they walked in it was awkward. Helena arrived first and sat down in the waiting room, then Fury and Hill arrived. Helena had been given time off work from SHIELD, so she hadn't spoken to either of them since then.

"Helena, hi." Hill said when she walked in.

"Commander Hill, Director Fury." She greeted.

"Agent Wells." Fury said in greeting. They were alone for about five minutes before Banner arrived.

"Um, Hi-hi Helena, um Fury, Hill." He said awkwardly taking a seat.

"Hey Bruce, it's been a while. How are you doing lately?" Hel asked him.

"Not as well as I'd like to be but I haven't hulked out in three months so a lot better." He said seriously. The other three hadn't realised how bad he had been and didn't know what to say.

"How have you all been?" Bruce asks. Everyone's silent for a moment before Hill answers.

"Busy, captain America being kidnapped isn't exactly good PR." Hill said, they all knew what she meant so none were offended.

"Well, the farms pretty cool, lovely people around there, though as much as I love it I hope some other arrangement is made soon so I can move back." She says debating whether or not to mention something she has been thinking about. "I'm thinking of moving back to England." She says. Everyone just looks at her.

"Helena, I hate to be blunt but why? You're baby sister is about to be born and you have no more family there, your Father and step mother are here." Fury says.

"I guess it's the only place that made normal sense. My life was fine and happy before the red room, and my mom's murder, I just figure I can be happy again." She explains.

"Hel, you've changed since you left, things will never go back and you'll end up even more miserable. Ok and more importantly think about it, Varya's dead, but would she have wanted you to lose everything because of her?" Bruce says a tad harshly but only to make his point. They are silent after that for ten minutes before Natasha and Clint walk in.

"Hey guys, look who can speak again!" Natasha says when they walk in. Everyone looks to Barton as though looking for proof.

"Well, I hear it's a girl, congrats Hel." He says, in a quiet and unsure voice but still a voice.

"Woohoooo." We hear from the side of me, I turn to see my dad there.

"Hey dad, how's Pepper doing?" Hel asks, after everyone congratulates tony and wishes him luck.

"She's doing okay, everything I say pisses her off at the moment, she's a very angry pregnant person. Anyway she screamed at me to leave so I'm gonna give her a couple of minutes before going back. And congrats Bird Brain! You speak!" he says, Barton just smiles awkwardly a bit. "Oh and Natasha, can I talk to you for a sec in the other corridor please?" he asks. She nods so they walk around there.

"What's up Tony?" she asks.

"Well, two things actually one how's Barton doing?" he asks, she sighs a little.

"He's getting there, he speaks a bit now though timidly, he can't be alone in a kitchen though, he starts cooking or something and all of a sudden just literally drops what he's holding and collapses to the ground. He curls up and it can take an hour to get him to get up again. He doesn't sleep much though, he wakes up kicking and screaming. It's a struggle in the morning to even get him dressed." She explains.

"What about you how are you doing?" he asks.

"Well, if I had been looking after him the entire time the last nine months, probably a lot worse but since I wasn't with him the first three I used that time to help myself, and I'm actually doing ok. Obviously quite horribly. But in my own way I'm doing ok." She responds he nods thoughtfully before hugging her tightly.

"I'm so sorry." he says. She hugs him back.

"I know." She replies.

"Oh and Nat, one more thing." He says.

"Yeah?" She asks.

Two minutes later Tony heads back to the hospital room and Natasha to the waiting room, she has tears in her eyes from whatever it is that they spoke about last.

"So, I'm sorry to bring this up but I really need to know. Any leads on Steve?" Bruce asks.

"No, I've been working as hard as possible but I haven't found anything." Natasha says. Clint who was sitting in a chair in the corner, pulls his legs up to his chest and begins rocking back and forth. Natasha walks over to him and crouches down in front of him, "Clint, what's wrong?" she asks him carefully.

"Why did Steve have to go? When's he gonna come back?" he asks in a very quiet voice though everyone in the waiting room heard, which was because it was only the before mentioned people.

"Oh, Clint, I don't know when he's coming back, but he didn't leave on purpose, and I'm sure he's trying his hardest to come back." Natasha says. Everyone just looks on, so disturbed that one of the world's best SHIELD agents and most deadly assassin is huddled in a corner crying because his friend is gone. Everyone knew Clint was far gone, but they were so surprised by that. Then Tony came out holding a big bundle in his arms. Everyone immediately stood up, Natasha helping Clint.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet, José Varya Stark." Tony says proudly. They all went into Pepper's room to see her. And you know what, every single person their left happier. Clint and Natasha were asked to be god parents. Everyone got to hold her. When Clint was holding her Tony worried about what Natasha had said about him dropping things, but he seemed ok. "You doing okay buddy?" Tony asked Clint noticing how closely Natasha was watching him while he held her.

"You know what Tony, I really am." He said in a louder voice sounding more like himself than he had in over nine months. "Hey José, how are you doing?" he said speaking to the baby. No one could miss how happy Natasha looked when she saw her husband. However everyone but Pepper, Tony and Clint missed how she then looked down at her stomach and put her hand on it protectively.

"Wait your joking right?" Tony says looking giddy.

"Bruce take the baby." Clint says urgently. Bruce takes the baby off of him having no idea what's going on. Clint goes over and picks Natasha up spinning her around and smiling like an iddiot.

"Congratulations," Pepper said though she looked exhausted, it was a happy day for everyone.

"What's happening?" Helena asked.

"I'm Pregnant." Natasha says.

/

2027

Twelve years later

José Varya Stark and Melinda Barton are running around the beach playing with each other. Proving that even in their family happiness is possible, you just have to look hard enough to see it.

Three years after Varya died Cap's body was found in central park, the whole world mourned the loss of Captain America though no one more than his girlfriend Helena did. Two years after that Director Fury stepped Down, as did Commander hill, they now live in Australia with their three kids Jesse, Kelley and Kyle. Natasha, Clint and Melinda all lived in the Barton family farm with an old Pony named Penny. José, Pepper, Tony and Helena live in Tony's Malibu mansion.

José loves hearing the story of the girl she was named after as does Melinda the story of her older sister. Bruce unfortunately never got rid of the Hulk but he's not actually to upset about that because without the other guy he couldn't help people the way he does now as a consultant to SHIELD. Helena was offered Stark industries but refused and instead became Director Stark of SHIELD having changed her last name to Stark after José was born.

Loki was eventually released from prison and once again became an accepted part of society as the prince of Asgard, he helped strengthen defences with magic and taught young asgardians to use it. Thor eventually did become King of Asgard and Jane foster his Queen, along with their delightful little boy whom they named Nicholas Phillip Thorson.

José followed in her fathers footsteps and eventually when she was 22 became CEO of Stark Industries. Melinda became a self-defence teacher, Penny lived to a ridiculously old age for a pony, Natasha taking care of it the whole time, and Helena the dog died a month before Melinda was born.

And Liam, well he found a box that Varya had created for him when they were in the red room, he followed it's instructions to the letter and lived to see all the rooms fall. Before dying.

Clint's mental issues got a lot better after José was born though he still had his moments, Melinda being born is what really snapped him out of it, though he never fully recovered.

As for Varya, she was buried at the farm next to her grandparents, and twenty years later, her parents as well.

That is the story of Agent Varya Romanova,

The End

~ Alyxx