CHAPTER TWELVE —
( That man just ripped a log in half like a Kit-Kat bar. )

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"The news is loving you guys. Nobody else is," Maria's voice came in clipped and cold through the Quinjet's comms. "There's no official call for Banner's arrest, but it's in the air."

Evelyn sat near one of the jet's narrow windows, knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around them. Her cheek rested against the glass, watching clouds roll by like ghosts.

The others were scattered around the jet in silence. Everyone kept to themselves, lost in thoughts they didn't want to share. No jokes. No snark. Not even Tony. Whatever they saw back there had hit hard.

They were Avengers. But today, they weren't invincible.

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          The Quinjet touched down quietly in a clearing a hundred meters from a modest farmhouse.

No one said much. Evelyn stepped out first, wind tugging gently at her coat. She walked ahead, boots getting wet as the others followed her through the grass.

"What is this place?" Thor asked, scanning the unfamiliar farmland.

"Safe house?" Tony questioned.

"Let's hope," Clint mumbled.

Evelyn paused at the porch for half a second, then opened the door.

"Honey?" Clint called as they stepped inside, his voice lighter than it had been in days. "I'm home."

A beat later, Laura Barton appeared from the hallway. Her smile widened as she saw her husband, and she waddled forward—baby bump in full view—to hug him tight.

"Hi," he said, kissing her. "Company. Sorry you didn't call ahead."

Tony tilted his head. "This is an agent of some kind."

"Gentlemen—and Eliza—this is Laura," Clint introduced proudly.

Evelyn stepped beside Natasha, smiling warmly. Laura returned it, then glanced curiously at the unfamiliar face behind Tony.

"I know everyone here... except you?"

"Eliza," she said. "Friend of this chaotic lot. Off the record, probably the best-looking one here. And I'm happy to take Clint's place if he starts slacking."

Clint groaned. "And that's why I don't introduce you to people."

"Rude," Eliza huffed.

"So," Evelyn piped up with a grin, "how's my favourite baby-producing mumma?"

Laura laughed and pulled her in for a hug. "I don't have that many kids, Evelyn."

"Yet," Evelyn smirked.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs before anyone could reply.

"Ooh, incoming," Clint said, grinning. Lila bolted toward him, flinging herself into his arms. "Hi, sweetheart!" he said, spinning her around before ruffling Cooper's hair and pulling him close. "Hey, buddy!"

"These are smaller agents," Tony whispered to Thor, who was observing them.

"Did you bring Auntie Eve and Auntie Nat?" Lila asked.

"Come here, sweetheart!" Evelyn knelt down but then held up a hand. "Wait—stop. Before you proceed, who's your favourite Avenger?"

"Gemini!" the kids chorused.

"Correct answer." Evelyn scooped Lila up and twirled her. "My god, you've grown a mile!"

"I grew fifteen centimetres!" Lila beamed, proudly displaying her missing front tooth.

"That's basically a foot. I'm so proud of you." Evelyn hugged her tightly before letting her run off to Natasha.

Cooper stepped up next, smiling shyly. "Hey, Auntie Eve."

"Look at you!" Evelyn said, tugging him into a hug. "Did you get my Christmas present?"

"The Diary of a Wimpy Kid books? Yeah! Thanks!"

"Perfect. Full book report next time I visit." She ruffled his hair.

As the chaos settled, Steve walked over to Laura with a quiet apology. "Sorry for the intrusion."

"We would've called ahead, but we were too busy having no idea you existed," Tony added.

Clint rolled his eyes. "Fury helped me set this up when I joined. He kept it off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. It's not on the grid. I'd like to keep it that way."

Laura smiled warmly and turned to Natasha and Evelyn. "I missed you girls."

"We missed you," Natasha returned as she touched Laura's stomach. "How's little Natasha?"

"You mean little Evelyn?" Evelyn interjected with a raised brow.

"She's actually... Nathaniel Ethan," Laura said sheepishly.

Both women crouched down, resting their hands gently on her belly.

"Traitor," they muttered in unison.

"Now show me the ring!" Laura beamed.

Evelyn grinned and held out her hand.

"Oh my god—it's gorgeous! How did he ask?"

"Christmas. In front of everyone. Very dramatic."

"So cheesy."

"Right? That's what I said. Clint also cried like a baby."

Laura burst out laughing. "Of course he did. That man cried when I first said 'I love you' ten years ago."

They all shared a warm laugh—until Evelyn noticed Steve quietly slipping outside.

Her smile faded.

"I'll be right back," she told Laura, brushing her hand once before following.

He came to a stop, but didn't turn around.

"I just need a minute to myself," he said sharply, his voice tight with frustration.

Evelyn's tone softened. "Do you really want to be alone right now?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. He glanced back toward the house, his shoulders tense. Then, slowly, he shook his head.

Without another word, Evelyn closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. Steve pulled her in, holding her like a lifeline—not breaking down, not speaking, just breathing, holding on and letting her presence remind him that this moment was real. That he hadn't lost everything.

After a quiet beat, Evelyn murmured, "Do you want to tell me what she showed you?"

He exhaled slowly, the memory weighing heavily on his chest. "It was the end of the war. You were there. You told me it was over—that we could finally go home. You asked me for that dance." His voice faltered. "And when I turned around... you and Bucky were... lying there. Dead. Gone." His arms tightened around her. "I lost you again."

Evelyn's hand moved gently along his back, grounding him with every slow, reassuring motion. "You haven't lost me," she said softly. "And you won't. I'm here, Steve. I'm staying."

He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, then finally pulled back, his blue eyes meeting hers—grateful, vulnerable, and steadier than before.

Evelyn hesitated. The memory still lingered—ice-cold dread, the echoes of screaming, the feel of blood on her hands that wouldn't wash off no matter how hard she tried. Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"She showed me everything I'm afraid I still am. Every life I've taken. My parents. That version of me I try so hard to bury—she dragged it all to the surface."

Steve's expression tightened with concern, his gaze fixed on her face.

After a long pause, Evelyn added, her voice steadier, "But I came back. I fought through it. I found myself again. Found you. That has to mean something."

Steve looked at her with quiet intensity, the kind of look that didn't need words, but he gave them anyway.

"It means everything."

A faint smile curved her lips, weary but sincere. She nudged her shoulder against his.

"Come on," she said gently. "Pretty sure everyone's already cleared out the fridge by now."

With a shared glance, the two turned and headed back toward the house, side by side.

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Evelyn sat on one of the chairs at the front of the house, a mug of coffee on the table beside her, as the late afternoon sun bathed the land in gold. She was dressed in one of Laura's oversized sweaters and track pants, which were incredibly comfortable. The sweater smelled faintly of laundry detergent and baby powder, and Evelyn found the comfort of it grounding.

Out on the lawn, Steve and Tony were chopping wood for the fireplace—something about "earning their keep," though she was pretty sure Tony hadn't split a log since never. Still, they worked side by side; however, they were bickering, Steve grunting through the work while Tony offered sarcastic commentary between tired swings.

Evelyn sighed, relaxing for the first time in what felt like days. And if she was being totally honest? The view wasn't bad either.

"Damn," she murmured under her breath, watching as Steve's biceps tensed with every swing. "What a time to be alive."

A tap on her shoulder made her jolt slightly. She looked up and found Eliza standing beside her, her curls pulled back into a loose bun, a blanket draped around her shoulders like a shawl.

"Hey, Eliza," Evelyn said with a soft smile. "How're you doing?"

"Mind if I sit?" Eliza asked.

"Of course not."

Eliza sat on the chair beside Evelyn, tugging the blanket tighter as a cool breeze passed over them.

"I'm doing alright," she said after a pause. "Little rattled, but... I've survived worse."

Evelyn gave her a sideways glance. "What did she show you?"

Eliza looked down at her hands, fingers picking at a thread in her leggings. Her voice was quiet when she spoke.

"She showed me Amie."

Evelyn didn't speak, just waited.

"Amie Westling," Eliza continued. "She was a midwife. Gorgeous in this soft, earthy way. Blonde hair, brown eyes... but right around the pupil, there was this little gold ring. Like the sun had touched her just once."

A ghost of a smile tugged at her lips.

"She was the only person I ever really loved. We used to talk about everything. Life, work, what we'd name our kids someday. We were together for four years." Her voice cracked slightly. "Then the cancer came back. She died in 2005. I still can't believe it's been ten years."

Evelyn reached over and gently placed a hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, Eliza."

"It's okay," she said, though her voice betrayed otherwise. "Wanda didn't show me her dying. She showed me the moment after. That quiet second when I realised I was completely alone. Like the whole world had stopped spinning."

Evelyn nodded slowly. "That's the thing about grief—it's never just about losing someone. It's about everything they leave behind. The echo."

Eliza looked over. "Do you think we'll ever see them again? After this life?"

"I like to think we do," Evelyn said softly. "I like to think the people we love don't really leave. They're just... waiting somewhere. And when our time's up, they'll be there."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, the kind that didn't need to be filled. The kind that felt like healing.

Out on the lawn, Steve tossed another log toward Tony, who narrowly dodged it and muttered something like "grumpy old man." Evelyn let out a breath of laughter through her nose.

"So," Eliza said after a pause, gently bumping her shoulder against Evelyn's. "Your turn. Biggest fear?"

Evelyn let out a dry scoff. "You'd think I'd have that answer locked in by now."

Eliza gave her a look. "Don't dodge. Come on—out with it."

Evelyn went quiet for a long moment, her eyes fixed on the horizon. Then, finally, she spoke.

"I think... I'm afraid of losing control. Of slipping—just once—and letting the Annihilator back in. That some part of me still wants it. That if it ever gets out again, I won't be strong enough to stop it. And when that happens... I'll hurt the people I care about. Become that thing people used to fear. A shadow in their stories."

Eliza was quiet for a beat, then said gently, "But that's not who you are anymore."

Evelyn gave a slow nod. "No. But she's still there. Somewhere in me. And I feel her, sometimes—waiting." She paused. "That and, like... sharks. They're a definite no. I don't mess with things that can smell you bleeding from five miles away."

Eliza let out a startled laugh. "Honestly? Valid. That's fair."

"Right?" Evelyn grinned. "The ocean is nature's haunted house."

They both laughed—genuinely this time. The wind picked up again, rustling the trees, but it didn't feel so cold anymore.

Evelyn leaned her head against Eliza's shoulder.

"Thanks," she murmured.

"For what?"

"For reminding me I'm still human."

Evelyn was mid-sentence to Eliza when, out on the lawn, Steve brought an axe-less end to a log's life, splitting it clean in half with nothing but his bare hands.

The crack of splintering wood was sharp and sudden, and Evelyn visibly flinched. Her mug wobbled, her arms flew up like a cartoon character in distress, and she gasped dramatically. The chair tipped just enough to betray her balance, and with a winded oof, she tumbled onto the porch boards.

Flat on her back, she stared at the sky, palms pressed to her chest like she needed to hold her heart in place. "Dear Lord," she gasped, staring up at the sky as if it might offer her CPR. "That man just ripped a log in half like a Kit-Kat bar."

Eliza, entirely unshaken and taking a sip of Evelyn's tea with enviable calm, peered over the rim and down at Evelyn's sprawled form. She raised an eyebrow and sighed the sigh of someone deeply used to this.

"Oh, Evelyn," she said, amusement dancing in her voice.

Evelyn sat up slowly, brushing dust from the hem of Laura's borrowed sweater. "Don't you dare minimise what we just witnessed. We just saw a grown man assert dominance over timber."

Eliza hummed. "Oh, I'm not minimising it. That was downright biblical." She raised the mug slightly toward Steve. "Honestly, if he throws in a beard and some sandals, I'm ready to follow him across the desert."

"See?! Thank you!" Evelyn gestured like she'd just won a debate. "It was spiritual. I felt my ancestors stir."

"You felt Loki stir?" Eliza joked.

Evelyn snickered. "That man definitely stirred. He didn't just swing for one team, yknow."

Out on the lawn, Steve glanced toward the porch with a faint frown. He looked vaguely confused, like he knew he was being talked about but hadn't decided whether it was admiration or a cry for help.

"Everything alright up there?" he called.

Evelyn flailed a hand from where she sat half-upright. "Define alright," she muttered again.

"She's fine," Eliza said, raising her voice without missing a beat. "Just having a deeply spiritual reaction to your upper body strength."

Tony, who'd been stacking logs nearby, smirked. "Cap, I'm telling you—chop wood shirtless, and you might just inspire world peace."

Steve gave him a look that said he was this close to chucking the log at his head. "Duly noted."

Settling back into her seat with a huff, Evelyn went to take a long sip of her tea, only to find the cup empty. She gave Eliza a look who only shrugged in return. "I swear, I felt my ovaries panic."

Eliza barked a laugh. "You're such a menace."

"And yet," Evelyn said, raising a finger dramatically, "completely valid."

Eliza leaned closer with a grin. "Do you think if we ask nicely, he'll lift a tree next? I want to know what my actual emotional threshold is."

They both erupted into giggles, sitting together in stolen sweaters and borrowed peace.

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Nick Fury stood at the head of the Barton family's long wooden table, his posture rigid as he addressed the group.

"Ultron tore you folks out of play to buy himself time," Fury said, his voice steady but laced with urgency. "My contacts all say he's building something. Big. And fast. Whatever it is, we don't have much time to stop it."

The room was quiet except for the occasional squeak of a chair or the soft clinking of mugs against the table. The Avengers—minus Thor, who had flown off—were scattered around the dining room and kitchen area—some sitting, some standing, all bearing the lingering exhaustion of everything they'd seen and lost.

Evelyn sat at one end of the table, chin resting in her palm, eyes scanning Fury while her mind raced ahead. Her fingers twitched slightly, her nerves frayed from the vision Wanda had forced on her. She barely noticed the small figure creeping behind her until a tiny hand tapped her shoulder.

She blinked, startled from her thoughts, and turned around.

Lila Barton stood there with a paint-streaked shirt, holding up a piece of paper like it was a prized artifact.

"I made this," she said proudly.

Evelyn blinked again, slower this time, her expression softening as she took the drawing from Lila's outstretched hands.

The picture was simple but vibrant, done in chunky, childlike brush strokes. A tall woman with long black hair, a man with yellow hair and a bright red suit, and between them, a little girl with wild yellow and black curls and a smile stretching from ear to ear. A blue sky arched above their heads. A house in the background. A flower way too big with way too many petals.

Evelyn's brows lifted in surprise. "Wow, Lila. This is really good," she said sincerely, running her fingers lightly across the dried paint.

"That's you, Captain America and your daughter," she said.

Evelyn's breath caught in her throat. She looked at the painting. The woman had a glowing blue circle on her chest, not unlike the ice she summoned when she fought. "That's you," Lila said, bouncing slightly on her toes.

"That's me?" Evelyn asked with a small laugh, touched.

"Yep," Lila nodded confidently. She pointed next to her. "And that's Uncle Steve. Because he's your favourite."

Evelyn's eyebrows rose slightly, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Oh, is he now?"

Lila gave her a knowing look that no seven-year-old should be able to pull off so flawlessly. "It's obvious," she said matter-of-factly.

"And this?" Evelyn asked, pointing at the small child between them.

"That's your daughter," Lila said sweetly. "If you and Uncle Steve ever have a baby, I know it'll be a girl."

For a moment, everything around her faded—Fury's briefing, the murmuring of her teammates, the crackle of the fire. She stared down at the painted child with wild yellow and black curls and shining blue eyes. A daughter. Her and Steve's.

"I thought she should have a family," Lila added, voice softer now. "You looked really sad when you got here."

Evelyn swallowed hard. She pulled Lila gently into her arms, hugging her tightly. "Thank you," she whispered against the girl's hair. "This might be the nicest thing anyone's ever made for me."

Lila beamed and hugged her back before scampering off again, barefoot and giggling, toward her brother and Natasha.

Evelyn looked down at the drawing again, something blooming tight in her chest.

In front of her, Fury resumed talking strategy, but Evelyn's eyes lingered on the drawing—on the imagined life someone still innocent enough could believe she deserved.

"The amount of Vibranium he made off with, I don't think it's just one thing," Fury said, pacing slowly, his hands folded behind his back.

Evelyn reached for a donut from the plate in the centre of the table and took a casual bite, leaning back in her chair.

"What about Ultron himself?" Steve asked, arms crossed.

"Oh, he's easy to track," Fury replied. "He's everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit. Still doesn't help us get an angle on his plans, though."

"Is he still going after launch codes?" Evelyn asked, brushing powdered sugar from her lip.

"Yeah," Fury said, "but he's not making any headway."

Tony didn't even spare a glance as he threw darts at the dart board. "I cracked the Pentagon's firewall in high school on a dare."

"I did it some time in the nineties," Evelyn called, holding her hand for a high five. Tony leaned forward, and they smacked palms mid-air.

Eliza, sprawled sideways in a kitchen chair with her boots kicked up on another, grinned. "Pfft. Please. I did it when I was ten. Suck my anus."

"There are kids, Liza," Clint warned. Eliza rolled her eyes.

"I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that," Fury added, ignoring the comment.

"Nexus?" Steve asked.

"It's the world Internet hub in Oslo," Bruce explained. "Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on Earth."

Evelyn reached over to the kitchen bench, picking up a dart and twirling it between her fingers absentmindedly.

"So what did your contacts say?" Clint asked.

Fury exhaled. "Ultron's fixated on the missiles. But the codes are constantly changing."

Evelyn frowned. "Okay, but we've all cracked firewalls like that before. If we can do it, why can't a super-intelligent AI with global internet access created by us can't? Who's changing them?"

She smirked just as Tony was about to take his darts off the board. "Parties unknown." Clint threw a dart, and Evelyn, without looking, tossed hers, too, both hitting the bullseye. Tony stared at the board and then at the two assailants in disbelief.

"Okay, that's just rude," he muttered.

"Do we have an ally?" Natasha asked.

"Ultron's got an enemy. That's not the same thing," Fury shook his head. "Still, I'd pay folding money to know who it is."

"I might need to visit Oslo," Tony said. "Find our Unknown."

"I'm coming with," Eliza said, stretching her arms overhead with a yawn. "Always wanted to see what Norwegians have to be grumpy about. Perfect weather, clean streets, midnight sun. Must be exhausting."

Natasha shook her head with a faint smile. "You two are gonna get arrested."

"Wouldn't be the first time that's happened to us," Tony muttered.

"Well, this is good times, boss, but I was kind of hoping when I saw you, you'd have more than that," Natasha said.

"I do. I have you," he said.

Everyone glanced at one another.

"Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere. Ears everywhere else. You kids had all the tech your genius brains could dream up. Now we're back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing standing between him and his mission. And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All this laid in a grave. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard."

Evelyn smirked. "Careful, Nick. Steve doesn't like that kind of language."

"You know what, Parrish?" Steve said with a small smile on his face.

Evelyn gave him a cheeky wink.

"So what does Ultron want?" Fury asked the group.

"To become better than us," Steve said quickly. "He keeps building bodies."

"Person bodies," Tony added. "The human form is inefficient. Biologically, we're outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it."

"When you four programmed him to protect the human race," Natasha said coolly, "you amazingly failed."

Evelyn paused, her brow furrowing. "But what if Ultron doesn't want to protect us anymore? What if he just wants to evolve?"

The room fell quiet.

"She's right," Bruce said after a beat. "They don't need to be protected. They need to evolve. Ultron's going to evolve."

"How?" Fury asked.

"Has anyone been in contact with Dr. Helen Cho?" Bruce asked suddenly, standing straighter.

Within minutes, everyone scattered into motion.

Fury was set to return Bruce to the tower. Tony and Eliza were headed for Oslo to uncover who had been blocking Ultron from the launch codes. Steve took command of the recon mission.

"I'll take Eve, Nat, and Clint," Steve told Tony as they gathered near the front door.

"Strictly recon," Tony confirmed. "Jonesy and I will return as soon as we find our unknown."

"If Ultron's really building a body..." Clint started.

"He'll be more powerful than any of us," Evelyn finished. "Maybe all of us. An android built by an AI, made from the strongest metal on Earth and powered by a magical alien sceptre? Yeah, not terrifying at all."

"Maybe not more powerful than you," Tony said, pointing at her. "You're pretty badass."

Evelyn smirked. "Appreciate the flattery, Stark. Still not volunteering to fight him alone."

"You know," Steve muttered, "I miss the days when the weirdest thing science ever created was me."

Evelyn patted his shoulder with mock sympathy. "I do, too."

Fury stepped in. "I'll drop Banner off at the tower. You mind if I borrow Ms. Hill?"

"She's all yours," Tony said. "Apparently."

"And what are you going to do?" Steve asked Fury as the others headed out.

"I don't know," Fury said with a hint of a grin. "Something dramatic, I hope."

As they began exiting the house, Evelyn paused, looking back toward the kitchen. She spotted Laura leaning against the counter with her tea, watching them go with worry in her eyes.

Evelyn made her way back inside and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'll send you photos of the wedding," she whispered.

"You better," Laura said with a laugh, hugging her back. "Or I'll personally show up and knock some sense into you."

"I promise," Evelyn smiled. "Just make sure Nathaniel Ethan Barton comes into this world healthy and loved, alright? And send me pictures, too."

"I will. Be safe, Eve."

"I'll miss you, Laura."

"I'll miss you, too."

With one last look around the house, Evelyn followed Steve and the others into the cool morning air towards the Quinjet.

AUTHORS NOTE
The shark reference that I made was from a dream I had. I was with the Avengers and we had to get to this base in the middle of the ocean, so we were running on the water to get to it when sharks began to jump out to try to eat us and one suddenly jumped out in front of me but I punched it in its face and knocked it out.
I love my dreams 😂
Please like and comment.
Love Pheebs/-rosepetal