Disclaimer: Do not own anything except Talia and Alexei.

"Ours not to reason why...ours but to do and die"

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

I once thought my love would be strong enough to keep my family safe. I was sorely misguided. I learned the lesson hard. It happened to be the worst day of my life. All I can remember is bullets flying. Tony and Steve had gotten the civilians out of the way. They too had family to protect like I did. The thought of losing each other or losing Peter was too great. They knew their job as Avengers was to protect those that couldn't protect themselves. They had kept going. I had shared those views. Talia and Alexei were still young. Talia just turning ten and Alexei barely five. Tasha and I had done good. They had grown up well. I could not be any more proud of them. Them and Tasha were my life. My family that I had made for myself.

Tasha was the love of my life. Had been for years. Finally telling her had been a relief to my mind as she had loved me back. Every mission together. Every battle we fought side by side. Covering each other. Our steps perfectly in sync with each other. The same dance we had always danced. We were a deadly duo. Deadly seems such a loose term these days. Irony of it all. We were deadly yet someone was better. The day... the day I lost her. We all remember it well. The enemies caught us off guard. Nothing prepared me however for what happened. She turned to face me and gave that smirk of hers and said, "We got this love." Those were the last words I heard from her as she was riddled with bullets hitting her back. I rushed to her side and held her as she breathed her very last breath and she was gone.

That night I had to be the one to tell Talia and Alexei that their mommy was no longer coming home to see them. No more would she read them stories. She had gone up to heaven and would be watching them from up above. I couldn't tell them that their mommy had been killed. I couldn't face it myself. No longer would I see her smiling every day. No more late night talks together. No more cuddling on the couch. It was all a piece of the past now. Memories that would be kept guarded by my heart. Tasha was my world. The love of my life. Now I stand here today to watch her be buried. All I can say is if Tasha is looking down on me then I want her to know I love her and the kids as well as vow to make sure that our kids are safe. I will miss you Tasha. Farewell.

Clint wiped the tears from his eyes. He stepped down from the podium and gave Tasha one last kiss before the casket was closed. He along with the Avengers, Fury and Coulson lifted it off the table and made their way out of the door of the mansion. The ride to the cemetery seemed like such long time. Clint sat in the back seat of the car with his son and daughter on either side of him. They were quiet. Words were not needed. They all knew this was it. Their final farewell. Life would go on but their pain would live on. Rain poured down but the small family stood there watching the dirt fill the hole. The other Avengers looked on with Coulson and Fury. Their expressions varied. Each had taken things differently. Fury's no emotion, Coulson's sorrow filled gaze, Thor's pained expression, Bruce's eyes closed trying to not let the big guy out, Steve's tears and Tony's regretful look. They all knew the pain and for once they were all feeling the same pain. They had lost one of their own. They were the Avengers. They all had it on their minds. They could not save Tasha but they damn well would avenge her.

Author's Note: I may continue this with one-shots but not sure at this point. Hope you guys enjoy this fic and please review.