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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟓
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒

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What felt like an eternity passed before Charlie and Pietro's destination appeared in the distance. A million different thoughts and emotions ran through the Barton girl's body as the farmhouse got closer and closer. Because her eyes were glued to the windshield, Charlie failed to see Pietro glancing over at her with worry in his eyes. He was concerned for the archer's well-being, especially since she hadn't been in a sound state of mind since the Snap occurred. The Maximoff boy wanted to be positive. He wanted to think that they would find her family at the farmhouse. But there was a small part of them that was preparing for the worst. Pietro needed to be there to catch Charlie when she fell and protect her from the bad, just like he always had been since they met.

The time had come for them to land in the field surrounding the Barton farmhouse. Charlie was on edge as she turned off the Quinjet's engines and got to her feet. A long sigh passed over her lips in an attempt to calm her nerves before she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. When she looked over at the boy next to her, she found a somewhat forced smile on his lips and his hand held out to her. A matching smile soon appeared on Charlie's face as she took his hand into hers and allowed him to escort her off the Quinjet.

Neither of them said a word as they walked toward the farmhouse. The silence and dark windows did nothing to calm either of their nerves, making Charlie's grip around Pietro's hand tighten. It wasn't long before they finally reached the front door. The Barton girl just stared at it until gathering enough courage to grab the handle, only to find it locked. Her shaky hands soon moved toward the gnome on the ground. A million thoughts continued to bounce around in Charlie's head as she unscrewed the hat and grabbed the spare key. Pietro gave a reassuring squeeze to the archer's hand as he watched her unlock the front door. It wasn't long after that when the two of them walked inside.

The silence was enough to tell them that no one was home, but that didn't stop Charlie from calling out to her family. No matter how loud she said their names, there was no response. And even though she didn't expect one, her heart still shattered into a million pieces. Once again, Pietro was the only reason the Barton girl didn't crumble to the floor. His presence was enough to keep her on her feet, but they both knew that wasn't going to last for much longer. The time would come when Charlie would break, and Pietro would be there to pick up the pieces.

It wasn't long before the two of them found themselves sitting as close as they could on the couch in the living room, letting the silence surround them. Pietro's arm was wrapped around Charlie, who was resting her head on his shoulder. Their hands were interlocked and rested comfortably on the archer's lap. The Barton girl couldn't remember the last time the farmhouse was this quiet. With three young kids full of never ending energy and three adults who could socialize for hours, the house always had some kind of noise. And once again, the Barton girl found herself hating the silence.

"What do we do now?" Charlie questioned in a tone just above a whisper while keeping her eyes glued to their intertwined fingers.

"I take it you don't wanna go back to the Compound," Pietro responded without looking away from the girl sitting next to him.

The Barton girl couldn't help but laugh, even though both of them knew it held no humor behind it. It wasn't long after that when she looked up to meet the speedster's gaze. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment before Charlie responded. "I'm tired of fighting for a lost cause."

"Wanna run away to Sweden?" the Maximoff boy asked, causing a small smile to appear on Charlie's lips.

The Barton girl leaned closer to Pietro's side before she found herself looking around the farmhouse once again. Memories of growing up there bounced around in Charlie's head. She couldn't help but think back to the good times she shared with Clint and Laura when they first moved in. She remembered watching her siblings grow into the amazing people they were within those walls. The farmhouse meant so much to Charlie and she wasn't ready to let it go...and maybe she didn't have to.

What felt like an eternity passed before the Barton girl looked back up at Pietro, who was already staring back at her. The smile on Charlie's face returned as she opened her mouth to speak. "I think we already found Sweden."

Confusion covered every inch of the Maximoff boy's face as he continued to stare at the archer in silence. It wasn't long before realization raced through the speedster's veins. "You wanna stay here?"

"I don't see why not. And it'll be nice to start over after everything we just went through. What better way than to live on a farm with no one around for miles," Charlie responded before sitting up and turning to fully face the Maximoff boy, who still seemed skeptical about her idea, "think about it this way. Would you rather stay here? Or go back to the Compound and chase after a false god?"

The skepticism soon faded from the speedster's face before a smile formed on his lips. It wasn't long after that when he got to his feet and held his hand out toward the Barton girl. "Care to give me a tour of Sweden?"

Charlie let out the first genuine laugh in twenty-three days as she stared up at the Maximoff boy, taking in every inch of the grin on his face. Not even a second after that passed when she took the speedster's hand and let him help her to her feet. It wasn't long before the Barton girl showed Pietro around the farmhouse and told him about the memories each room held.

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Primrose didn't know what to think as she flew with Rocket and Thor to New Asgard. They had been flying for ours in silence that was only occasionally broken by the Asgardian giving them directions. The Quill woman still didn't know how to feel about her current situation. On one hand, she knew it was a smart decision to go to New Asgard. Not only could she find out information about her father, but she'd have a chance to unwind after everything that happened. On the other hand, it felt wrong to seek a sense of comfort at a time like this. She felt as though she should be spending all her time trying to figure out a way to get Peter back. But that was all she had been doing over the last twenty-three days, and she came up short each time. Deep down, she knew Rocket was right. She needed this break. And it wouldn't be forever.

After flying for what felt like an eternity, Primrose felt the Benatar beginning to descend. That caused her to look away from her necklace and out the front window. Shock coursed through her veins when she spotted a small town sitting on the edge of the ocean. It was one of the prettiest places Primrose had ever seen, and that was saying a lot. Because the Quill woman was so focused on the scene in front of her, she was completely unaware of Rocket looking over at her with a small smile on his face. If he were being honest, the raccoon didn't want Primrose to leave him. She was the last person in the galaxy that he truly trusted and he wasn't fully prepared to let her go. But he also knew that this was what was best for her. He could see her falling apart without Peter. If she stayed at the Compound any longer with nothing to do except research ways to save her brother, she would break. And Rocket knew he wouldn't be able to piece her back together on his own.

It wasn't long before Rocket landed the Benatar on a large grassy hill just outside of New Asgard. Primrose took another moment to examine the small town in front of her before her attention moved to her last remaining teammate. She sent the raccoon a small smile and pulled him in for a tight hug. "Thank you for this, Rocket. I didn't realize how much I needed a change of scenery."

"Don't mention it," the raccoon responded before letting out a long sigh, "I'm sure gonna miss you though."

"It won't be forever," Primrose told him as they ended their embrace, "I'll be back before you know it."

The two of them shared another smile, neither wanting to be the first to move a muscle. However, that soon ended when Thor called out to the Quill woman to join him. Primrose hesitated for a moment, taking in every inch of Rocket, before grabbing her back and exiting the Benatar. They barely made it a few yards away from the ship when she heard the ramp close and the engine start. When the brunette woman looked behind her, she saw the Benatar take off. A million thoughts bounced around in her head as she watched the ship she called home fly through the sky until it was out of sight.

A small sigh passed over her lips in an attempt to settle her nerves as she looked forward once again, only for her attention to land on a woman approaching them. Primrose couldn't help but stop in her tracks, unsure of what to make of the newcomer. But Thor kept walking without even glancing back at the Quill woman. Primrose observed as the two of them had a private conversation before the God of Thunder continued making his way into town, leaving her alone on the hill. It wasn't long after that when the woman's attention landed on Primrose before a small smile appeared on her lips. The brunette woman was on high alert as she watched the stranger approach her.

"Hello. I'm Valkyrie," the woman greeted while holding her hand out toward Primrose, who hesitantly returned the gesture, "Thor mentioned that you'll be staying with us for a while."

"I won't be here long," the Quill woman responded, earning another small smile from Valkyrie as they ended their handshake. They just stood there momentarily before a wave of realization washed over Primrose. "Did you say your name was Valkyrie? As in the shield-maidens who swore to defend the Asgardian throne? It's cool that you're named after them."

The raven-haired woman couldn't help but chuckle at Primrose's words before opening her mouth to speak. "I'm not named after them."

Confusion flowed through the Quill woman's veins until it soon transformed into shock. Primrose couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes as she stared at the woman in front of her, who simply let out another laugh. It wasn't long after that when Primrose broke out of her bewildered state, allowing Valkyrie to continue speaking. "Thor also told me that you're here to learn more about your father. If you tell me his name, I may be able to help you with that."

Primrose hesitated once again. She didn't know how she felt about revealing her father's name to his people. The Quill woman didn't know if the Asgardians resented him for leaving Asgard, and she was nervous to find out the truth. But what Primrose did know was that the only way she would get answers was to tell Valkyrie the truth. "His name was Jorvik Petrusson."

Now it was Valkyrie's turn to be shocked. All the joy faded from her face as she stared at Primrose with no emotion in her eyes. The raven-haired woman just studied her for a moment before finally opening her mouth to speak. "Jorvik Petrusson was your father?"

"You knew him?" the Quill woman asked with a hint of hope in her voice.

"I knew of him. Most of us here only know him from stories. From what I was told, he was a valiant warrior and a great protector," Valkyrie announced, making the small bit of hope Primrose felt fade, something that didn't go unnoticed by the raven-haired woman, "there is one person here who knew your father. It was a long time ago, but he knew him. After you're settled in, I can introduce you to him."

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About an hour passed since Valkyrie brought Primrose to the house she would be staying in during her time in New Asgard. It wasn't much, but it would do. The Quill woman wasn't planning on staying for long after all. She was in the middle of unpacking her things when she felt something underneath her clothes. Confusion flowed through her veins as she pulled out the object she didn't remember packing, only to freeze when she saw what it was. Tears filled her eyes as she stared down at the framed picture of her and Peter, something she kept on the shelf in her room on the Benatar. A small note was attached to the top with handwriting that could only belong to one person...or should she say animal.

Thought you'd want a little piece of home while you're away. I hope you find what you're looking for on your adventure. See you soon.

- Rocket

A sudden knock on her door caused Primrose to jump and almost drop the picture. After gathering her bearings, she set the frame down on the coffee table and made her way over toward the door. The Quill woman assumed it would be Valkyrie coming with whoever knew her father. What she didn't expect to find was an unfamiliar man with piercing brown eyes staring back at her. Silence surrounded them for what felt like an eternity as they studied each other until the stranger broke it. "You must be Primrose Jorviksdottir."

"You could say that," the Quill woman responded, slightly taken aback by the last name given to her, "and who are you?"

"Freyr. I knew your father a very long time ago," the brunette man announced before a small smile appeared on his lips after seeing the surprised look on Primrose's face, "may I come in?"

For the first time since she arrived in New Asgard, Primrose didn't hesitate as she stepped aside, allowing Freyr to come inside. Neither of them said a word as they walked further into the room and sat down on the couches.

"So your name is Freyr? As in the Norse God of Peace?" the Quill woman asked, earning a small nod in response, "from what I was told, my father wasn't any important Asgardian. How were you friends?"

"He was a friend of my father's and one of our best guards. He and my father would train my...my sister and me in every fighting form there is," the God of Peace hesitated for a moment as he stared off into space as if reliving an unwanted memory. It wasn't long after that when he shook his head and continued speaking. "Sorry. It's hard to talk about Freyja. Anyway, Jorvik had the best sense of humor and always found time to lighten the mood, even in the middle of a war. He was a great warrior and an even better person. He even saved my life in battle a few times."

A million thoughts swam through Primrose's head as she took the information given to her. But despite all the reasonable questions she could ask, there was one that stood out among the rest. And even though it might not be the best question, the Quill woman needed to know. "Were the Asgardians mad that he left?"

"You make it seem like he abandoned us."

"He didn't?"

"Not in the slightest. Jorvik was sent on a quest with my father by Odin one hundred years ago to figure out why off-world Asgardians were disappearing. Fifty years ago, they split up to cover more ground. The last letter I received from my father said they were meeting again at Nidavellir to resupply and exchange information. That was-"

"Almost thirty-eight years ago," Primrose finished for Freyr, earning a confused look from the God of Peace, "I met a friend of my father's. He practically raised me after my mother died. He told me he received a message from my father right before he vanished."

"My father vanished around that time as well," the Njördson man told her before letting out a long sigh as if to calm his nerves. It wasn't long after that when he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small picture that the Quill woman was unable to make out. Fryer just stared at it for a moment before he continued speaking. "When I went to look for them at Nidavellir, Eitri told me that they were long gone. The only sign of them actually being there was your sword and this picture. I assume the woman in it is your mother."

Not even a second after he finished speaking passed when he handed the picture to Primrose. She hesitated for a moment before carefully taking it from him. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked down at the image of her mother with a man she only knew from pictures. Meredith and Jorvik looked happier than people could be. The smiles on their faces were larger than humanly possible and it looked as though they just finished laughing. They looked more in love than Primrose thought possible, and it brought a small smile to her face.

"Thank you," the Quill woman said as she looked up at Freyr, "I really needed this right now."

"Of course," the God of Peace responded while his eyes studied the woman in front of him for a moment, "I'm glad you're here, Primrose."

"I won't be here for long."

"Well, then I'm glad you chose New Asgard to be your temporary home."

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