I don't own the Avengers or Harry Potter.

I do own my OC, please don't use her or copy her character.

Warning this fic will be AU and will be Fem Harry, there will also be Bad!Dumbledore and Dumbledore and most of the Weasley's bashing. I would also like to thank Aeroza for being the Beta Reader for this story.

But Fem Harry is not a horcrux in this fic.

Each chapter will be between 1500 and 2500 words long.

Previously

Taylor just nodded in agreement, "Be careful Mommy." She asked.

"I know you will Kins and yes Tay I will be very careful. See you later Clint." Natasha said before going out the door and heading for her car to drive to the nearest SHIELD base.

There is Always Hope - Chapter 8

24th December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Living Room, 11:56

Two weeks. That was how long it had been since Natasha had left for her mission, both Taylor and Kinsley had been getting more and more nervous that their Mom wouldn't be back for Christmas as more time passed. Their Aunts and Uncle had come round a few times to help keep them entertained, and go on a shopping trip to get presents for each other and their parents.

It was now Christmas Eve and Clint had got the girls set up with a Christmas movie in the living room, while he was talking to Maria Hill on the phone to see if she knew anything about Natasha's status.

"Maria, you have got to know something." Clint stated frustrated.

"I know many things Clint. But I'm not in the know about Natasha's current mission, I do however know Natasha and I know that she will do whatever it takes to get back to you and her girls." Maria told him calmly.

"Okay, you are still coming round tomorrow aren't you?" Clint asked.

"Of course I wouldn't miss Christmas with my favourite girls." Maria said, carefully making sure that nobody would know what she was talking about if they overheard her.

"Great, see you tomorrow Maria." Clint replied.

"Will do." Maria agreed before hanging up.

"Daddy? Is Mommy going to be home?" Kinsley asked uncertaintly.

"I hope so, Kins, but try not to worry your Mom is good at pulling off the impossible." Clint assured his younger daughter.

"Mom promised she would do everything she could to get back, so she will do everything to get back." Taylor added.

"Yes she will." Clint said, nodding.

24th December 2007, SHIELD Base, Director Fury's Office, 15:26

"Mission complete Agent Romanoff?" Nick Fury questioned.

Natasha had been on a short term undercover mission in Tibet, there was a science lab there that was doing illegal experiments and she had been sent in to confirm it and get evidence.

It had turned out that she had to blow up the lab to destroy all that they were working on, however they had got all the people out before that and the three head scientists had been taken into SHIELD custody. The other lab personnel had been debriefed and then released, on the condition that they didn't talk about what happened in the lab.

"Yes Sir, the three scientists in charge of the lab are in SHIELD custody and are being questioned as we speak. The other lab personnel are also being questioned before being cleared and released." Natasha reported.

"Very good Agent. I think this means that you can get home for Christmas." Fury dismissed.

"Thank you Nick." Natasha said gratefully, before turning and leaving the office and then the base to go home.

24th December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, 16:10

Natasha smiled as she opened the door to their apartment and heard the sounds of her daughters playing with Clint, she had texted him when she left the base to let him know that she would be home soon, but not to tell the girls as she wanted it to be a surprise.

"Hey guys! I'm home," Natasha called walking into the living room.

The reaction was instant, both Taylor and Kinsley jumped up from the game they were playing and ran over to greet her, with hugs and excited exclamations.

"Mommy you're home, and you got here before Christmas!" Kinsley shouted happily.

"I knew you would be back in time Mom." Taylor said, though inside she hadn't been sure until their Mom had walked into the room.

"Of course I am, I couldn't miss this! Christmas is the most exciting holiday of the year, right Clint?" Natasha stated glancing at her partner.

"That's right." Clint agreed.

"So what would you girls like to do now?" Natasha asked them.

"Can we make Christmas decorations together?" Taylor questioned.

"Of course we can Tay, you think you would like to make decorations as well, Kins?" Clint questioned, while Natasha nodded in agreement.

"Yes!" Kinsley agreed eagerly.

After an hour of making decorations, which Clint left early to start making dinner, then having dinner and finally Clint and Natasha decided to allow the girls to watch a film before going to bed. Persuading both girls to go to bed was harder than usual, but after forty five minutes, of wanting more stories or a glass of water. Kinsley had even pretended to need to go to the toilet as an attempt to get out of bed, but eventually they were both asleep in bed.

"We should be prepared for an early wake up call tomorrow." Clint muttered to Natasha as they went into their room for the night.

"Agreed, it will be a long day tomorrow." Natasha sighed.

They had already put the presents that were wrapped up and had been hidden around the house under the Christmas tree after Taylor and Kinsley had gone to sleep. Now all that was left to do was sleep and wait until the morning when Kinsley no doubt would wake them up before 07:00 in the morning.

25th December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Taylor's Room, 06:24

The door to the room burst open and Kinsley darted into her older sister's room and took a running leap onto her bed, Taylor shot up, surprised at being woken up so suddenly.

"Wake up Tay, wake up! It's Christmas!" Kinsley said, quickly and excitedly.

Blinking a couple of times and then rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them, Taylor slowly registered what her younger sister was going on about and why she had been shocked out of sleep so quickly.

"Merry Christmas Kins," Taylor said with a smile.

Kinsley nodded and then grabbed her sister's hand to start pulling her out of bed, "Come on, we need to go and wake Mommy and Daddy up."

"Okay, I'm coming." Taylor agreed with the excitement of the day starting to get to her.

The sisters left Taylor's room and headed for their parents room with Kinsley leading the way in and jumping onto their parents bed just like she had with Taylor.

"Mommy, Daddy wake up it's Christmas!" Kinsley told them.

"Merry Christmas Kinsley, and you to Taylor." Clint greeted, smiling at his daughters, spotting Taylor standing uncertaintly at the bottom of the bed.

"Merry Christmas," Natasha echoed her partner, "You know you can come up on the bed if you want to Taylor." Natasha offered, leaving it up to her if she wanted to come up with them.

Though most of the time Taylor was now a well adjusted 7 year old, it was seemingly small things like this that would give away what had happened to her. It still hurts to see her daughter so confused or surprised by somethings that were so simple and normal to them, like that she didn't just automatically come to them for comfort or help when she had a nightmare or hurt herself, she would just try to deal with it herself.

After they had found this out they had kept an even closer eye on her and had asked Bobbi, Maria, Melinda and Phil to do the same when they were with her. Their friends had agreed easily and now slowly Taylor started to come to them sometimes, but not all the time.

Taylor nodded and carefully got up on the bed next to her Mom, "Merry Christmas Mom, Dad." She said softly but happily.

"Yes it is, however exactly what time is it that you have woken us up on this Christmas morning?" Clint asked teasingly.

"I don't know Daddy… but it is morning and it's Christmas so it doesn't matter. It would be a good time to have presents, and breakfast." Kinsley added as an afterthought.

"Oh really, is it?" Natasha said, turning and reaching over Taylor as she did to get her phone to check just what the time was, "Well it is 06:35, at least you waited until after 06:00 Kinsley." Natasha told them with a smile.

"Well I guess that means it is time to get up for us to get and have some food and then I think that presents will be in order." Clint stated, getting up out of bed.

The morning progressed with breakfast first and then presents being opened, Taylor had been given books, a couple of games and a new set of clothes. While Kinsley got a new doll, a puzzle, a couple of films and a new set of clothes.

Natasha and Clint explained to Taylor that she would be getting her main present a bit later when their Aunts Bobbi, Maria and Melinda and Uncle Phil got here later.

25th December 2007, Barton-Romanoff Apartment, Living Room, 12:00

Maria Hill, Melinda May and Phil Coulson had just arrived at their friends house and were immediately pulled into a game with said friend's two daughters. They were just waiting for the last member of their extended family and Taylor's other godmother, one Bobbi Morse, then they would be opening more presents before having Christmas dinner.

"When is Aunty Bobbi going to get here? There are presents that need to be opened." Kinsley whined.

She had been waiting to open her presents from her aunts and uncle since they had got here twenty minutes ago, and this was an eternity for a four year old that was excited for presents.

"Kinsley, just be patient a little bit longer please." Clint said firmly for the third time since their friends had got here, said friends rolled their eyes and tried not to laugh.

Taylor had glanced up from where she was sitting with her Aunt Melinda showing her one of the books she had got for Christmas, when her sister started up her pleading again. She still couldn't help but think of what the Dursleys would have done to her if she had behaved like that, although she knew in her heart that her parents would never hurt her, her brain wouldn't let her behave like that.

Any further discussions were stopped when there was a knock on the door that Natasha got up to answer, Bobbi was on the other side of the door with Taylor's main Christmas present.

"Do you want me to take her?" Natasha asked, seeing as her friend had some much stuff in her arms.

"Please." Bobbi said, handing over the squirming bundle that had a red and green bow tied lightly around its neck.

"Come on, we should get in there before one either Kinsley or Taylor come looking for us, you know it's no secret that you are Taylor's favourite aunt despite her claiming she doesn't have favourites." Natasha commented with a laugh.

The two women walked back into the living room with Bobbi going first to pull the attention away from Natasha. Taylor was the first one up to greet her closely followed by her sister.

"Aunty Bobbi, Merry Christmas. We have been waiting for you." Taylor said, hugging her aunt after she had put her things down on the couch.

"Hey Tay, hi Kinsley, have you two had a good day so far?" Bobbi asked.

"Yes! We got really good presents, but Mommy and Daddy said that you were bringing Tay's main present with you." Kinsley informed her aunt.

"That I did, you want to get your present now Taylor?" Bobbi questioned.

"Yes please." Taylor requested.

Bobbi glanced back at Natasha who had put the puppy down on the floor and directed her towards her older daughter, Taylor's eyes widened when she saw the adorable black puppy making it's way toward her.

"Is it really mine?" Taylor asked uncertaintly, stroking the puppy.

"Wow! You got a puppy for Christmas Tay." Kinsley called, from where Clint was holding her on his lap so she didn't crowd the puppy.

"Yes she is really yours Taylor, she's a german shepherd. We thought that she would make a good companion for you as well as some extra protection for you when she is older." Clint explained.

"What are you going to call her Taylor?" Phil asked curiously, he knew that some children named things very interesting things sometimes and he was hoping that this puppy wouldn't end up with a name like Fluffy…

Taylor thought about it carefully, she had been reading one of her books on languages her Mom and Aunt May were teaching her Russian and Mandarin, and there was one name that stood out as a perfect name for this puppy.

"Alexis, it means protector of mankind, but is a bit of a mouthful so I'm going to call her Lexi. As she has been bought to protect me it only makes sense for her to have a name to suit that." Taylor decided, the newly named Lexi looked up at her curiously and licked her fingers.

"That's a very good name, I think she likes it." Maria agreed, grinning at her goddaughter. It had been her and Melinda that questioned whether or not it was the best idea to get her a puppy when she was only seven years old, but she could see that this would be good for Taylor and it was one of Clint's more successful seemingly insane ideas.

After the excitement of Lexi had died down and Kinsley and Taylor had opened their presents from their aunts and uncle, Taylor's were all to help with Lexi. Bowls for food and water, a bed, treats, a couple of dog toys, a lead and collar. It was time for Christmas dinner, it was a wonderful meal and more than anyone had hoped for at the beginning of the year their family was finally complete.

I hope this was okay and everyone enjoyed it, I know that some people will question the sense in giving a seven year old a puppy and in real life I wouldn't recommend it or do it. But in this I decided to do it because Taylor is mentally more mature than most seven year olds because of what she has been through.

And though her parents gave her the puppy as present she is going to be more of an emotional support dog to help Taylor adjust more and feel safe, I will find a way to make this clear in the story in a later chapter.

If you have any questions or comments then you can review or PM me, but no Flames please, constructive criticism only thank you. Until the next chapter.

Firefly