Disclaimer: I own nothing, but if anyone would like to give me Marvel Studios, or the BBC, that would be awesome.

Clint and Natasha were taking advantage of one of their rare days off. Being SHIELD agents meant that those days not spent hunting fugitives, or monitoring possible threats, were few and far between. It also meant that holidays were filled with awkward silences and blatant tension as neither Clint nor Natasha wanted to admit that they were 'compromised', yet still spent every available moment in each other's company. Today found them soaking up the intermittent sun on a sparsely populated beach. It was perfect; public enough that they could blend in, but not crowded enough that they were helpless if a threat might occur. Natasha glanced fleetingly from her heavy book to where Clint was laid eagle-spread on a black beach towel, his eyes closed, but his breathing just a fraction too shallow for him to be asleep.

"Don't you have something productive to be doing?" she asked sternly, earning a wicked smirk as Clint one eyelid flickered open.

"Tasha, if you want activity, ditch the book and talk to me, otherwise I'm going to waste my freedom in silence." He replied his eyes flicking down and back up her body before resting on hers; Natasha studiously ignored this, rolling her eyes and turning the page.

"Behave Barton."

"Oh come on," Clint retorted, hoisting himself up on his elbow and placing a hand over her wrist, moving the book from her line of vision, "What's the point in us even being here together if you won't have fun with me. It's your day off, let go of the reigns for a bit."

He held Natasha's gaze as she glared half-heartedly back at him. She couldn't keep it up; god only knew she wanted nothing more than to just let go and enjoy her time with Clint, but the dominant part of her brain just wouldn't let her. Natasha sighed heavily, flinging her book onto the sand which she had only detachedly been aware was warm beneath her exposed calves.

"If I agree to this, what are you expecting me to do?" she gritted out, again ignoring the victorious glint in Clint's eyes and choosing instead to drag a hand over her face and through her hair. Clint grinned, flopping back onto the towel and closing his eyes.

"You could be a lamb and go fetch us some ice-cream."

Natasha scoffed, but there was no heat behind it. With one last affectionate glance at her partner, Natasha rose to her feet, brushing the dry sand from her clothes, and headed towards the edge of the beach. As she waited in the queue for ice-cream, wondering to herself why she was even bothering, and pushing back the voice telling her exactly why, the sound of muffled shouts drifted from over her shoulder. Spy's instinct forever intact, Natasha immediately began scanning the area. She couldn't quite see Clint through the crowds that where slightly thicker near the shop, and she bit back the small rising trepidation that had started climbing up her windpipe. It was probably just holiday-goers having fun. Except that hadn't been what it sounded like. Abandoning her pseudo mission, Natasha strode across the sand, her stride lengthening into a sprint when she realised that she still couldn't see Clint, and the chilling fist tightened in her chest.

"Barton!" Natasha yelled ahead of her, growling when she received no answer, "Clint!"

Internal panic set in the moment her eyes fell upon the discarded beach towel and the toppled parasol, laid forlornly over the sand that appeared to have been kicked up in some kind of fray. Natasha tried to keep her expression blank, even as her chest heaved and she frantically scanned the area, seeing nothing but deep tyre tracks in the sand that led away from the scene. With hands that were shaking ever so slightly, Natasha whipped her phone from the bag that had been strewn open on the ground and held it tightly to her ear as she waited for the other end to pick up.

"SHIELD, this is Romanoff, I need Fury now!"

This may look a little slow moving, but it is building up to something. There will be Avengers, Doctor Who, and Sherlock, so don't worry. It's all AU, so that I can play as I like (there is a lot of suspension of disbelief) but I'll try to be as realistic as possible. Pairings...I shall leave as a surprise...