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.

She hadn't known what to do now that the kids had their families back. It would've been imposing on happy reunions to try and visit them, but Natasha didn't need to fret.

They had come looking for them.

Jenevieve, one of the first workers of the home, had shown up at the Compound unannounced while it was still being worked on and explained that she along with the other workers had successfully reunited every child with their family.

"We know you must be busy, but," Jenevieve had clasped Natasha's hands in her own with a warm smile, "they really miss seeing their heroes."

"Ms. Nat!"

The assassin turned away from the curtain and almost fell over as a little streak of blonde hair jumped into her arms. She laughed and gave the girl a tight hug before gently placing her back on the ground. Jaz gave Natasha a big smile, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.

"How's my best student doing?"

The girl nodded furiously.

"I practiced really hard. Ms. Jenevieve said we'd have an ice cream party after the recital!"

"Hm. Sounds like my kind of stuff."

The others quickly began to gather behind Jaz, a flurry of pink tulle and blinding rhinestones. One dark haired girl reached up to tug on her jacket sleeve with a serious look on her face.

"Wren?"

"When's Nyla-Rose coming back?"

A lump grew in Natasha's throat at the mention of her daughter's name and the group of tiny faces that stared back at her with innocent curiosity. She crouched down to their level and cleared her throat.

"Nyla-Rose is...in a special place, sweetheart," Natasha said, trying her best to keep it together as the young girl nodded in what could only be a child's understanding.

"Special?"
"Mhm. Do you know where angels live?"
"Heaven?"

The assassin smiled.

"Exactly."

After the performance was over and everyone, from the dancers to the teenage tech crew to the home workers were honored, Natasha and the heroes circled around the auditorium, greeting the children of whom they'd spent some of their years with.

She watched with great joy as they interacted.

Rocket was proudly introducing a few teens to the Guardians, some of them marveling over Groot and his video game. Her ballet students had triumphed over Bucky, the man taking a knee and his face glowing with tentative happiness as one traced her little fingers over his vibranium arm innocently. Quill had easily won over a group of children with his voice impressions and stories so vividly spun that their parents couldn't help listening to him as well. Rhodes was holding Wren in his arms and Wanda was smiling hugely as she created a little bouquet of red roses for Jaz, swiping the mist away and twirling her powers around to form a little castle. The girl began to clap her hands in joy.

"Sorry I'm late."

Carol slowly walked in, her hands in her jacket pockets and a faded baseball cap over her head. She looked exactly as she has the last time Natasha had seen her. A little more weary, but they all had their flaws.

"The party's just getting started."

She merely grinned before joining the crowd of children, a deafening shriek rising into the air at the sight of Carol.

The woman had never been back to Earth after the fight of their lives so Nat was happy to see her doing well despite everything.

When the festivities of the recital came to a reluctant end with children having to be ripped away from their old friends and heroes they had just met accompanied by promises of frequent visits, Natasha and Tony endlessly thanked Jenevieve and the rest of the staff for everything they had done when the billionaire handed her a very thick folder.

"Job offers," Tony cleared his throat awkwardly, "for all of you...if you want."

The woman had burst into tears and Tony, not very good at comfort, left it up to Natasha to send her off with many "no problem"s and "thank you for everything"s.

It was a chapter of their life, a long five years dedicated to finding happiness in giving it, that had come to a conclusion.

—————

"Shit," Natasha muttered under her breath as the knife slipped from her hands and into the soapy water.

"Language."

Steve leaned against the doorway, his hands in his pockets with a sly grin on his face. The team had gathered at the Compound after the recital to catch up with each other once the Guardians and Carol left, but Natasha had found herself in the kitchen with the preference of being alone, scrubbing at the plates that Sam and Bucky constantly argued about washing.

The assassin rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her, turning up into a smile when she looked at him.

"Somehow, that never gets old," she said, moving to wrap her cut in a dish towel. Steve reached into a drawer near the fridge and pulled out a box of Band-Aids.

"You two always had that in common, you know."

He took her hand and carefully dabbed at the blood, taking notice of the way her body tensed at his words.

"Our potty mouths?"

"Your clumsiness."

She watched as he removed the towel. He managed to open the Band-Aid and smooth it over the cut on her palm in one easy move.

"The world's deadliest assassin isn't as graceful as people think she is," Steve said, not letting go of her hand.

"I've been living a lie, it's true."

Natasha gave him a casual shrug and they laughed, the noise drifting into a comfortable silence when she realized that the steady chatter from the living room had all but disappeared.

She knew, from the first second she registered the absence of conversation to the next when she peered at Steve who had a little tic in his jaw whenever he was nervous, that something was up.

"What's going on?" She asked warily as the super soldier stood, her hand still caught in his.

"If there was something going on and I was in charge of getting you there, and you be honest with me...would you trust me to do it?"

It was a memory, faded yet renewed from so long ago that Natasha was surprised he'd remembered. Steve had that smile on his face, genuine and rare. It made her feel good to see him so happy and despite her slightly downcast mood, she returned the gesture.

"I would now," she stood and lifted her chin to look him in the eye, "and I'm always honest."

Steve laughed, shaking his head before pushing the kitchen door open and walking into the living room. He lead her through the Compound that had, quite suddenly, grown dark and very much empty. Once they exited the building, she took in a deep breath, exhaling with a sort of relief. All of the lights on the grounds had been turned off and the crisp wind nipped at her cheeks, goosebumps running over her arms and causing her to shiver involuntarily.

It was dusk.

The world was falling asleep and in its stead, stars began to twinkle into existence. The sun kissed the horizon for only a few seconds more before disappearing and Natasha gazed in comfortable awe as the sky began to blend within itself like a watercoloring. A soft rose pink soon became a midnight blue with a dusting of lilac near the edge where the sky meets the sea and towards the center of that, a bright orange, glowing in ferocity before succumbing to the night. The moon had risen early, a pale pearl that hung low near the still trees, it's light a faded beam on all it fell upon. But, what made it better was watching as the towering pillars began to gleam brightly, shining like beacons in the night. She gazed at them as they walked past with shining eyes.

The outline of Nyla-Rose, as her constellation grew visible, always made the hole in her heart ache with a deep and utter longing. Most nights since they had been erected, she was out there sitting at the base, gazing and dreaming and hoping.

Tony would be with her sometimes on the days he visited. He came around much more often once they were put up. Other nights, Natasha would leave him alone. Sometimes, Pietro was out there. Or Steve. Wanda. Tobias was an earnest visitor as well and Tony accepted his presence most gracefully. An empty coffin buried in a seemingly useless grave was all they had for Nyla-Rose. Steve and Tony discussed different ways they could possibly get her back, but Natasha, with every bone in her resisting her final choice, didn't want them to. Not even when Steve went to put the stones in their rightful places. She had been a little worried when he left, knowing how much he struggled with his past, but it was for naught when the supersoldier returned as he had been with a big smile just for her.

"What are we doing out here, Rogers?"

"Well," he glanced at Natasha, "we're not alone."

She gave him a questioning look as he turned them both around and a triumphant feeling rose in his chest as a quiet gasp escaped her lips. Steve knew it was a very rare thing to surprise Natasha, especially given her occupation, but the look on her face was absolutely worth it.

Everyone was there, from little Morgan Stark to a curious Gamora to Tobias Kightley himself. The Guardians hadn't left and neither did Carol. They all stood between the pillars, grinning from ear to ear, with the soft yellow glow of cream white sky lanterns casting shadows across their faces.

"What is this?" Natasha whispered in amazement as Tony moved to hand her a flickering lantern. The others began helping those without light to set theirs ablaze, laughter and excitement growing thick in the night air.

"You know what this is," Tony said with a familiar smirk before raising his voice, "and count on it, I voted for fireworks, but the dramatic effect of lanterns seemed to be a team favorite. Alright!"

He turned to address everyone.

"I told myself I wasn't gonna cry and I'm not. I'm a man, thank you very much—"

"Could have fooled me."

"Pipe down there, Legolas, I'm talking here. Anyways," Tony paused to take in the sight of all of the faces in front of him before continuing, "it's been hard...for all of us. We saved the world and even though our jobs may never be done, the only reason every one of us is still here is because of them."

He gestured to the pillars.

"Everyone wants a happy ending, ya know? But, it doesn't always roll that way. Then again, that's the hero gig, always having this uncertainty that you might not make it out the next day. Let me just remind you weepers that we're not here to mourn. We're here to celebrate because part of the journey...is the end."

With that being said, he lifted his lantern into the air, holding onto it for just a few more seconds with a wish that could never be fulfilled, before letting it go. The others quickly followed suit and soon, a cluster of flames rose steadily into the sky, scattering across the black of the night like fireflies. Natasha didn't know how long she'd been out there after they'd released them, watching the lanterns until they were almost as distant as the stars. Her attention was caught by Carol placing a bouquet of lilies at the base of Nyla's pillar, the rest of the team laying their own little gifts at both of the bases.

"It was beautiful," she said, squeezing Steve's hand in thanks, a familiar feeling so easily accepted by the assassin and equally given by the super soldier.

Steve smiled at her and gently pulled her into his side.

"Come on, you two! Quit gazing into each other's eyes!" Tony called as the team followed him back into the building with light laughter and conversation. "We're all drinking tonight! Except you Morgan, you're going to bed."

They began to walk back towards the Compound in silence when Steve paused right between the pillars.

He gazed up at Nebula's constellation.

"I can't believe it's already been a year," he said softly.

Natasha smiled to herself as she traced her hand along the side of Nyla-Rose's pillar.

"Mommy?"
"I hate schooool."
"Can you read this to me?"
"Grilled cheese with extra cheese!"
"Well, well...how the turntables..."
"I'm quitting and becoming a stripper."
"It's just senior prom, Ma."
"Aw, you're the best!"
"Wh—why are you blonde?"

"I couldn't give you up."
"You'll always be my happy ending."

"I love you, mom."
"I love you too, Nyla-Rose. Forever."

She touched her lips and pressed them to the cool marble, her hand lingering there before she dropped it and looked at Steve who was waiting patiently for her. The corner of his mouth turned up at her content expression. It would take her much longer than a year to really come to terms with the events that had left her parentless, but this was a start. She had the memories, the love of a mother and those surrounding her to remind Natasha of everything she had. Her heart would never be truly healed and as she gazed at Steve, it didn't feel like an ending at all.

Not the closing chapter everyone thought it was.

In fact, it seemed their whole story was slowly closing in on them and a new one was blooming from the ashes.

The pair resumed their walk to the doors.

"What are you thinking about?" Steve asked her.

"A happy ending."

——————-

and, at last, this book has come to its end.
thank you all for your constant love and support! ♡
it means so much to me that you enjoy what i write and i
hope it was entertaining and attention-grabbing
to the very conclusion.

3000 words, a dedicatory chapter.