Standing there watching Tony Stark's arc reactor float away into the lake was tough for a lot of people. Pepper was saying goodbye to her husband, Morgan lost her father, and Steve lost a best friend. Everyone was connected to Tony in their own special way. It was nice, they all had a chance to say goodbye. 

But what about those they didn't get to say goodbye to? What about Natasha Romanoff. 

It hit everyone really hard when Natasha didn't come back with Clint, it felt so unreal. They had pictured Natasha as a person who couldn't die, and when she did, it hurt and no one knew what to do with that fact, Particularly Lila Barton. 

She stood outside even when everyone else went inside. She couldn't move she could barely breathe. One minute she was doing archery with her father and the next she's being told it's been five years and she apparently dusted away. She was being told that her best friend, the world's best aunt, was gone. All so she could live. 

And it seemed like no one gave a damn. No one cared. 

She understood what Tony did. The sacrifice that he made. But what about the one that Natasha made? He wouldn't have been able to do what if he did had it not been for her aunt! 

This shouldn't be happening! This shouldn't be real. She was just talking to her, which felt like a week ago! How... none of this made any sense. In what world was Natasha Romanoff... dead? 

"Lila do you want some food? Happy bought Morgan way too many cheeseburgers." Her father's voice interrupted her train of thought. 

"I'm not hungry," She put it simply, her eyes still glued to the lake, the memorial floating in the distance, getting further and further with each passing second. 

"Are you sure? We have a lot of food, Pepper really went all out." 

"I said I wasn't hungry. I want to be alone." She mumbled. Clint watched his daughter carefully scratching his neck. He'd been walking on glass around them, afraid of what they'd say about his actions over the past five years. It seemed no one really cared. Laura of course was shocked and needed a moment to breathe, but she'd didn't hate him for it. She would never understand what he went through. The boys for some odd reason only focused on the fact that he had a cool new suit and tattoos. Lila's mind was cemented on other things. 

Clint looked behind him seeing everyone was beginning to walk out of the house to eat outside. It's brought tears to his eyes seeing everyone together. All except one person. One very important person. He felt like he knew for sure this team, the original team, had no chance of staying together without her and Tony. 

"Lila come on it's been a long day and it's better you have something to eat." 

"What part of no don't you understand?" She spits out. This little outburst caused the group walking outside to look at Clint and Lila. He takes a deep breath, his tempter was surely shortened over the years but he didn't want to yell at her. 

"I know you're upset." 

"Do you? Do any of you?" She asked. "You don't know why I am hurting so much." 

"Then please do explain," Clint said as Laura walked up to the pair. Lila laughed sadly. 

"You want me to explain? explain how messed up my life has been this last week? Being told I was dead... being told my aunt is dead!" She looked up at her parents with watery eyes. "Having to sit here and listen to people say goodbye to someone, getting closure all the while I sit here not evening knowing what happened to Natasha?" 

"Lila we talked about this-" 

"No, you talked dad! You talked about all of this while I sat here and listened. I don't even know what happened to her dad yet you want me to move on with my life, forget like she never even existed." 

"No one is asking you to forget her Lila, nor do we expect you to," This was her mother's words. 

"You all act like you don't even remember her! All of you!" she gestured to everyone behind her. She was growing a crowd of people listening. "She didn't even get a funeral! All she got was pushed in the back of everyone's mind. She did so much for all of you! She gave up everything FOR ALL OF YOU! And you can't even give her a proper goodbye?" 

"Lila, what your aunt did was so goddamn heroic, nothing can take away from that. She died so you can live-" 

"If she died so I can live than I'd rather be dead." She said looking straight at her parents. Laura and Clint were both at a loss for words. Watching as she fought back tears. "She fought for a family for so long, where was the family when she needed them most?" With that she walked away from the grouping, leaving all the adults with thoughts of guilt and regret. 

They regret it so much. They regret a lot when it came to the whole situation. Losing Natasha wasn't supposed to happen. But it did. They had to learn to deal with it. Clint was trying to find words to talk to Lila but he didn't know what to say. 

"Do you guys mind if I talk to her." This was Steve offering, Clint looked up and nodded. Steve was good at speeches. Whatever he said on the whim is better than anything he could come up within the span of ten years. 

Steve walked carefully over to the teenage girl, trying to think of what he could say to ease the pain of the young girl. He knew how close Natasha and Lila were. Whenever given the chance Natasha would brag over everything Lila had accomplished. Despite her words, Natasha did have a favorite out of the barton kids. Don't tell the boys. 

"Lila can I talk to you?" he asked once he reached where Lila was sitting, on the front porch swing. She looked up and slowly nodded her head. "I know you might not know me all that well." 

"I know more than you might think," She said slightly. "My aunt liked to talk about you," 

"I can say the same about you." He smiled. "She really loved you. Lila your aunt wasn't the most loving person in the world but when it came to you, she spoke only with love and appreciation." 

"She was the best. Too good for this world." 

"That she was." He sighed. "You know you do have a point. She deserves so much more than we had given her. When she didn't come back that day I felt lost and broken. She was my best friend practically my other half. I didn't know what to do. Losing her was hard on everyone. We all mourned." 

"Why didn't you hold a funeral?" She asked. 

"Because you know your aunt. She wouldn't want you to mourn over her when there is a bigger problem at hand. But I didn't forget. We may not have a body to barry but I am going to make sure she's honored. Wanna see what I'm working on?" Lila nodded shyly as Steve pulled out his phone. Opening up his camera roll, which was surprisingly filled with selfies of him and Natasha. "She liked stealing my phone," He laughed. 

"She was so photogenic I never understood that," Steve laughed at her words. Steve pulled up a picture of the sculpture. 

"The mayor is letting me have this made downtown." It was a statue of Natasha in her black widow suit. "After I explained her sacrifice. I want to celebrate the life Natasha was able to enjoy. We haven't forgotten Lila, and we will have a funeral for her. I am going to plan it. I have been planing it." 

"You seem to be the only one who cares." She said sadly. 

"I am not. It's just hard right now." 

"I know." She said. "I didn't even get to say goodbye." 

"She felt the same way when the snap happened. You know she spent five years working to reverse things even when everyone else moved on? She looked for your father, she never gave up."

"Was she happy?" 

"In the end. She was glad to have been apart of something big. She was happy to finally do something that made her proud, that would make you proud. The smile she gave me before she left was on out of pure hopefulness and joy. Without that belief, I don't think we would be standing here." 

"I miss her. So much." Steve looked at Lila and then down at his chest before pulling off the necklace that he wore. "I umm I found this when the battle was over, it was shinning amongst all the rubble. Her home may have been gone, but this still shines, I took it as a sign that she was standing among us during the fight." It was a gold necklace with a heart-shaped pendant. "I want you to have this. She would have wanted you to have this" 

Lila gently took the necklace, her fingers gently rubbing the back of the heart looking at the small indention in the metal. It had her birthday engraved on it. 
"I know this, she told me she only wore it when she was having bad days. Or if she was just missing me. I never knew it had this on it." 

"She liked keeping you close. Natasha was my family, but she was yours first and I think she would have loved for you to have this." 

"Do you believe in signs?" 

"No but I believe in your aunt." He laughed. "Maybe we can get her birthday on it too. You can keep her close." Lila smiled. "I promise you I will make it possible for you to say goodbye." 

"Thank you. I've been having a tough time, but this makes it better. You're really good at this whole making people feel better." 

"So everyone says." He laughed. "Come on let's go get something to eat." He smiles, Lila nodded and stood up, Steve did as well and before he could take a step Lila hugged him. 

"Thank you for being there for her when I couldn't," She mumbled. 

"It was an honor. I'd do the same for you. Just give me a call when you need it kid." She nodded her head and the two walked back to the tables. Clint gave Steve a thankful nod as they came back. 

"Careful," Bucky teased once Lila walked inside with her mother to get food. "Natasha didn't like you close to other women." 

"Haha very funny," He rolled his eyes. Bucky was always teasing Steve on how close Natasha and he were. They were best friends, although Bucky likes to point that Steve and he were best friends, Natasha was not a friend, she was on the verge of being something more if Steve, these are bucky words, not his, would just grow a pair. "Is Bruce ready for me?" Steve asked, referring to returning the stones. Bucky nodded his head. 

"Why do I feel like this is goodbye," Steve looked up to see Lila in the window, her face laced his obvious pain. Though it was slowly fading. 

"It's not. Hopefully. But I am going to do something that might get me killed." 

"You're going back for her?" Bucky asked Steve knew he was referring to Peggy. Steve shook his head. 

"I just came up with a new plan. These stones are above any power in the galaxy. I don't know what they do but I know that I can't go back and return the stones without trying to bring her back Buck. I don't know what will happen but if this does kill me-" 

"Don't say goodbye. You are going to go and get Natasha back, and bring a smile to that girls face. You are going to do this." 

"You seem so sure." 

"Well, you are the most stubborn man I've ever met so yeah. I have a feeling." 

"I didn't even get to say goodbye." Steve sighed. "I'm gonna bring her back. She deserves a life after everything she's been through." Steve looked up at Lila who came out of the house with a plate of food. She smiled kindly at him. "I have to do this." 

"Than what are we waiting for?" The friends nodded at each other and Steve took a deep breath and walked with bucky. 

"I'm coming for you, Natasha."  

I literally finished this today and I couldn't hold back posting this!
I hope you all enjoyed it! 
Please vote and comment. 
XO Sierrea.