It was almost three weeks later when the group next gathered to say goodbye to Thor and his adopted brother Loki. The group was in the middle of Central Park for some reason but Annie supposed they were gods. And gods always did like a stage. She watched on as they turned the strange contraption in their hands and with a bolt of blue energy were gone. 

The others very quickly afterwards departed leaving the three SHIELD agents in the park alone. Annie walked on ahead not sure whether they would both follow but heading towards a more secluded part of the park where she could see a very nice looking tree. One she could happily sit under. 

Annie lowered herself to the grassy floor beneath her watching as both Clint and Natasha sat down opposite her. She supposed it was finally time for them to talk everything out. As a group, like they always did. She didn't want to be the first one to say anything so she waited. 

"Annie, I really want to apologise. Those words I said were incorrect. I just wanted to protect you. But I went about that wrong." Natasha started.

"Thats an understatement." Annie bit back, she didn't want to come off as aggressive this early on but she couldn't stop herself. After all this time this was all she was going to get it would seem.

"I can accept that. I was so focused on thinking about how I had failed to protect Clint and I didn't want to have the same thing happen to you. I was so wrong in my words that I hurt you in the process of trying to keep you safe." Natasha kept her voice as calm as it had been when the conversation started. 

"I don't know why you were so focused on keeping me safe. Out of all of us, I'm probably the one most likely to get out of such a situation okay. We all saw it." Annie knew she should have accepted the apology but she needed them to remember that she wasn't the same 20 year old they met five years ago. 

"But I couldn't remember that. Annie I've not seen you use your powers like that in so long. I forgot most of what you could do."

"And who's fault is that?"

"What do you mean Annie?" Clint this time butted into the conversation.

"Don't you guys remember how harsh you were to me for that first year for using them for anything? I wasn't allowed to fight with them, I couldn't even use them to open doors without you chastising me for it. So I stopped to make you guys happy." Annie explained feeling her eyes water like they did every time she realised just how much she had changed about herself to make her partners happy. 

"Annie you know you didn't have to do that for us."

"But I did. I hid away such a big part of me to make you guys feel safe around me. I'd do it again. But I don't know anymore."

"Annie don't tell me what I think you're trying to say." Clint looked ready to beg Annie to stay.

"I'm not ending us. I wouldn't you both make me so happy. But I need some time. I need to go somewhere just for a little while on my own. I'll come back I promise." Annie went to stand she knew exactly where she was heading but they didn't need to know where. 

"This isn't it." Clint quickly followed her up to wrap her into a hug. One which pulled her much closer to him just incase this was the last time. 

"This is because of me right?"

"No Talia, we will have to rebuild the trust when I'm back between us both. But I've been thinking about this for a while. I need to head home for some peace of mind. Go see my parents." Annie gave a small hug to Natasha as well taking her time to sign 'I love you' at both of them before turning and walking away. 

"Her parents are dead." Clint turned to Natasha in confusion.

Author's note:

This is part one of this book finished. Yes I wrote most of this book in a day. #noregrets. 

This book will officially cover up until the end of Age of Ultron. After that I have plans for a second book to go into the AU aspect of this series. And maybe if I get both finished I'll look into a prologue into how Annie joined SHIELD and the three meet. Who knows. 

God I can't believe I took such a long break from writing Marvel based fic's and now I'm back to write about twenty more.