Life really got in the way of this one. No excuses, just apologies. I'm so sorry for the wait, especially since we left off on something of a cliff hanger. Oops. Anyway, here is the epilogue for As If I Was Human. Thank you so much everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, favourited, and overall enjoyed this story. Here is your ending.

Jay X

As If I Was Human

Epilogue - Closure

"You know I hate funerals, right?" Natasha grumbled. Clint turned from the mirror to find her leaning in the doorway of his room, scowling.

"Be honest, Tash," he replied. "Nobody likes funerals."

"I don't even know why I have to go," Natasha continued, arms folded in front of her.

"Because I asked you to," Clint told her, turning back to the mirror to straighten his tie. "For Carter."

"Your girlfriend, not mine," Natasha said, stalking out of the room. "Hurry up; car leaves in five minutes."

"Yeah, yeah," Clint muttered, checking his hair. "Don't know why you didn't just say that."

"Hey." Clint glanced over his shoulder, smiling softly at Carter. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said. "Just annoyed at Tash."

"Yeah," Carter said, nodding. "I get that." She crossed the room to Clint, her smart black dress swishing at her shins. "I just asked her if I look okay, and she said 'who cares, it's a funeral, not dinner with the queen'."

"She doesn't like funerals," Clint explained. Carter only chuckled.

"Who does?" she replied with a shrug. She sat down on the edge of the bed, silently running her fingers over her skirts, continuously smoothing down the material.

"Hey," Clint said after a moment, approaching her and kneeling at her feet. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," Carter assured him. "I need this, you know, closure."

"I know," Clint said. "I just…wish I could make it easier somehow."

"You do that just by being here," Carter told him with a smile. "Thank you."

"I love you," Clint said earnestly, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"I love you, too."

Melody Thomas's funeral was a quiet affair, its only attendees Carter and her friends. Despite her complaints, Natasha kept quiet throughout the brief service, and even Tony was sombre as Carter stepped up to the podium.

"I wanted to thank you guys for coming," she said to the gathered group. "I know none of you knew her, and she was our enemy for a time, but it means a lot that you're all here for us today.

"I thought I had lost my mother years ago, and though our reunion after all that time was anything but happy, I'm glad to have had one final chance with her. In the end, we were able to say goodbye, and as painful as it was to lose her again, I wouldn't change it for anything.

"Now that Monroe is dead, both my parents can finally be at peace, together again, in whatever life comes next. On that note, today is about new beginnings, not endings, and though laying my mother to rest closes one chapter of my life, it also means a new one will open, and with my friends with me, I know we'll make it a good one. Thank you all."

As Carter returned to her seat, and the music began to play as the coffin was lowered, Clint grabbed onto her hands, squeezing them tightly in his. Resting her head on his shoulder, Carter let out a long sigh, and closed her eyes. Clint continued to play with her fingers as the brief instrumental ended, and Carter's eyes slowly opened at the feel of cold metal on one finger. Looking down at the ring, then up at Clint's questioning eyes, she could only whisper one word.

"Yes."

THE END