The group set up camp, after a full day of walking. They turned Ivan into the authorities, and they had to meet with Nick at the safe zone, there were a lot of people out there who would try and seek revenge on them, so shield had to keep their distance for now. When they finally reached the spot they set up camp. 

Natasha was in the tent that she had Steve set up for her, because not only did she not know how but she refused to sleep on the floor. So Steve used some supplies he had to build her a makeshift tent. Thank god for his military training. 

"Why is she the only one to got a tent?" Tony asked sitting down on his sleeping bag. 

"Tony," Steve warned. 

"What? I am just saying why does she get special treatment?" 

"She just lost everything she's ever known Stark," This was Clint speaking. 

"I don't care. Why are you here anyway?" Tony asked. 

"Why are you acting like this?" Steve asked. "Can't you show an ounce of compassion," he asked. 

"I could, but should I? No. Miss spoiled princess needs to learn that her life is about to change." He said. 

"Oh yeah, Stark? When are you going to stop acting like a spoiled princess?" Clint asked. 

"When I lose my multi-billion fortune." He said.

"Okay that's enough," Steve said. "We don't need to make this an even worse situation. Why don't we all get some sleep, I am going to go see how she's doing." 

"yeah yeah yeah go check on your girlfriend," Tony rolled his eyes. Steve shook his head and then walked off. He walked over to her tent and saw her sitting in the corner, starting off at the wall. 

"How are you doing?" He asked coming in and sitting beside her. 

"I don't know." She admitted. 

"Well looks like we are going to stay here for a bit. Sheild is coming to us now." He said. "He's locked up Nat, the Russian Government is looking to sentence him now." 

"Doesn't change the fact that people are still out there," She turned her head to look at him. "People want me dead. What's going to happen to me? I killed people, innocent people. Shouldn't I go to jail?" 

"I won't let that happen." 

"It's not your call to make," she said. "You should let them lock me up," 

"You're a good-" She interrupted him. 

"I want to go to sleep now." She began to lower herself into the sleeping bag. Steve watched and the nodded his head. 

"Good night Nat," He sighed before leaving the tent. 

"Good night Loverboy," Steve couldn't help but smile before going to his own sleeping bag to lay down for a while. 

The next day while the boys slept Natasha got hungry so she got up to go find some berries. Why didn't they bring food? Well her house did get blown up... supplies were limited. She caught the attention of Thor as she left camp. He decided he would follow her. As Natasha tried to pick one of the berries Thor spoke up. 

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," He said scaring Natasha. "It's got Poison Ivy around it, " 

"Oh," She sighed taking her hand away. "In my defense, I never learned about berry safety. I can kill a man with my finger but when it comes to this," She gestured toward the plant, "I am practically useless." 

"I wouldn't say that considering that the berries are healthy, just the poison Ivy grew a bit too close." He said. "Try those ones," he nodded toward the bush a couple of feet away. 

"Thanks," she muttered and walked over to the bush. As sour as they were, anything was good at that moment. 

"I like you," he smiled. 

"thank you?" she said. "Thor right?" 

"Yeah" he laughed, "you know, Steve has taken a real liking towards you," She only looked at him. "he is taking a big risk taking you with us." 

"I told him he should turn me in, but he seems to believe otherwise." 

"Hey I am not looking for an excuse." he laughed. "I agree with Steve. You don't deserve to go to jail." 

"Some people wouldn't agree. I don't think Stark wants to see me walking free." She said. 

"Tony is just upset that Cap is tending to all your needs while he has to 'ruff' it. Give him time, he doesn't actually hate you." He said. 

"Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked. "I am a murder." 

"Some would say we all are. Plus I know what it's like to have been lied to by your parents. Even if Ivan wasn't your father, he was the closest thing you got. It's okay to feel betrayed. I know the feeling." 

"Rough childhood?" She asked. 

"No actually, my childhood was great, it was my adult years were things started spinning out of control. My brother kinda went crazy, turns out I have a sister. My parents weren't all-mighty heroes, except my mom. but yeah." 

"Are you still close to them? Even after everything that happened." She really wanted to know. 

"My family is unfortunately gone," He sighed. "But I have a new family," He turned his head to look at the guys who were all sound asleep. "I hope we can be yours too. They can be loud, and annoying at times, and sometimes you're gonna wanna murder them, but they make life worth living. You can join our group of misfits." 

"Thank you, Thor," She smiled. 

"I should get the guys up. Remember don't eat those berries." He laughed before walking away. Natasha couldn't help but feel a little bit of happiness. While she didn't know these guys they had a way of making her feel like she was apart of their, strange and unique, family.

*
*

Shield finally found them and as they were walking up to the group Natasha felt a pang of worry fill her chest. Clint told her everything, and her memories, while fuzzy, showed her he wasn't lying. 

"you okay kid?" This was Clint. 

"You know we are the same age right?" She asked, avoiding his question. 

"Yeah, but when you grow past five feet we can talk." He joked, and Natasha playfully hit him on the arm. Clint was the only part of her life that she was thankful for, he was always there for her. "but seriously are you okay?" 

"I don't know. Apart of me wants to turn around and make a run for it." She admitted. "My shoes are not running shoes." She looked down at her once white outfit and sighed. "The thing I hate most is that my entire wardrobe was burnt to a crisp." 

"Your entire life just went upside down and that's what you care about?" he asked. 

"You didn't see the boots." She frowned. She may be a badass but everyone had their guilty pleasures. Clint could only shake his head before leaving her to great Fury. 

She watched as the group talked to Fury, his eyes occasionally shifting over to her as if he was afraid she would disappear. It was odd, she had no real memory of this man yet when she saw him it's like she was able to breathe again. The weight of the world had been lifted from her aching shoulders. She enjoyed the feeling, it was like nothing she had experienced in such a long time that she couldn't even remember it.  The feeling was still worth a million, she wanted it to last forever. It did. Until he walked away from her without even talking to her. 

Steve had started to make his way over to her at this point. Natasha didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to go home and she would make that known to Steve. 

"I want to go home." She spoke before Steve could even send her a charming smile he so often does. 

"You know that's not possible." He answered and took off his coat and handed it over to her. "You're shivering." 

"Well, if your entire life blew up along with your coats, your beautiful coats, you would be cold too." She only stared at him as he held out the jacket. 

"You don't wanna freeze to death now do you?" He asked and Natalia grudgingly took the jacket from his hands.

"My hero," She rolled her eyes. 

"I will always protect you, even when it seems impossible," he said with a charming smile on his face. "We are leaving now, you will ride with me." 

"Lucky me, lucky you. We can have some fun lover boy," She smirked but Steve wasn't sharing the same humor. 

"Why do you act like this? Why are you always putting yourself in a situation where someone can take advantage of you?" He asked, his voice proved that he was pissed off at her. 

"I can take care of myself, if I couldn't I wouldn't put myself in the situation, to begin with, Rogers." She was angry that he was lashing out at her. She didn't think she did anything wrong. 

"You are going to make someone angry and maybe this time I won't be able to help you," He said in a harsh tone. 

"Maybe I don't need your help. I am not some princess Rogers." It was odd, she really only called him lover boy, Steve felt a bit hurt that she was using his last name. But she had to learn to change her behavior or she could get herself in a lot of trouble, and when you are working to keep someone out of jail even the smallest slip out could really hurt them. 

"Oh yeah? You can't even pick a bear. You need me," he sighed. "You need us right now." Natasha was not going to sit here annoyed with him, no she would leave. She took off his jacket and tossed it back at him very roughly. 

"I don't need anyone." she said and then walked away to stand on a rock. "if you wanna arrest me, arrest me," she said getting the attention of all the agents, especially Nick. "Throw me in a cell because that's what I deserve." She looked at Steve. "I don't deserve to have a jacket to keep me warm," Now to Thor, "Or which berries won't kill." Then tony. "I don't deserve a tent." Then Fury. "I deserve what I have always believed. I deserve to rot in hell but first I should rot here on earth." 

"Agent Romanoff," Nick yelled walking up to the young girl. "Come down from there." b 

"Or what? You'll arrest me? Because guess what? That's what I want. You can't do anything to me that I haven't been asking for already." She said, then pulled out a gun that she swiped from Clint when he wasn't paying attention. As if on cue all agents pulled out their guns aiming them at Natasha. 

"Natalia," Steve warned. 

"Don't call me that!" she yelled. "I am so sick of everyone telling me what to do. I am not a remote, you don't control me." 

"We aren't trying to control you," Steve said carefully taking a step toward her but Steve held up the as if a warning, so he slowed his steps. 

" come down and we can talk. We can discuss what you want, and we can see what we can do." He said softly. "Just put the gun down. Don't do something you will regret." 

"I regret, not running when I had the chance," She turned the gun so it was facing herself, all the agents were on edge now, Steve was near panic. "I want it all to end." 

"Don't do this." 

"No one will care." She said. 

"I will," Steve told her with such truth in his eyes that she believed him, but it didn't change her mind. She wanted to be at rest. She couldn't do this anymore. 

"Thank you for saving me as best as you can," She said. "But this is the only way I can be free." Before anyone could do anything there was a click and a gunshot rang out.

Little did she know, Steve Rogers would always protect her.