My friend, this is the end
So long and see you soon again
Bye bye, kissing you hi
Someday we will be back together

The smell of rain still lingered in the morning air, the clouds still covered the early morning rays of sunlight that tried to desperately break through. The meadow that last night had been packed with laughing children, exasperated parents, sideshows and activities lay empty and devoid of all life. The Big Top that everyone had been moving slowly towards last night, being enchanted by the music and promises of mystery and a spectacle for ticket holders eyes only, stood empty in one of the very few patches of sunlight that made their way through the thick cloud cover.

In the morning sunlight, while no one screamed in delight at the tricks, or the owners of the circus screaming at the carnies or performers, Clint was reminded why he had run away to join it all those years ago. The magic that seemed to come off the tent in pulses was still very much there, but hidden under the years of abuse he had suffered at the hands of the Ringleader. The whispers and promises of an exciting lifestyle wrapped around him once more, whispering sweet nothings in his ear about stardom and making people believe in magic for just a few hours during a performance, but then the shrill cry of the Ringleader waking everyone up broke through the spell, and the Big Top turned in to nothing more then a tent.

Suddenly the field came alive with people, the quiet morning air tainted with the sounds of chattering, laughter and stories of the previous night. Including reports on how the newest members of the group of mismatched souls had faired on their first night. No one mentioned the fact that one of the jugglers had not been seen since last nights performance when he had gotten in to a fight with the Ringleader, no doubt in a few days, once the circus was far away the police would find his body. But none of them would speak of it, in fear that they would be the next ones to end up in a ditch.

In his few years at the circus, Clint had seen twenty eight people fight with the Ringleader and then vanish, only for their bodies to wash up on river banks, turn up in farm paddocks or never be found again. He knew that it was the strongman who carried out these orders on behalf of the Ringleader, but he also knew that the Ringleader was always going on about how beautiful the strongman's daughter was growing, the only way to keep her safe was to get blood on his hands.

"Clint Barton, the man with the eyes of a hawk and the accuracy to go along with it, fancy finding you up a tree instead of helping."

A voice snapped Clint out of his thoughts as he shook his head and looked down at the young woman that had spoken to him. She had run away to the circus with him many years ago, after he found her huddled under one of the elephants to keep dry during one of the worst thunderstorms he had ever seen. They had soon been discovered and offered parts in the circus, afterwards the old animal trainer vanished (his body was found in a river bed) and Clint took over from the old acrobat (whose 'accident' was still debated to this very day).

"You know me, always looking out for new run aways before they starve themselves getting a lift to our next location." Clint replied, grinning at her and catching the half squished orange she threw up at him, before looking back over the meadow. In truth he was on the look out for any law enforcement, and if he saw one he would give the shrill call of a hawk and all illegal things would be hidden from sight and the circus would turn in to a normal everyday circus.

"Yes well, you better keep a good look out. Apparently one of the clowns got a little to happy last night after the show..." The girl said, leaning against the trunk of the tree with her arms across her chest. "Arnold stopped him before it got to far, but no doubt her daddy will want some sort of payment for the corruption of his little girl... Though from what Steve said, she was corrupted already when he found her."

Clint let out a low sigh and dropped the orange peel in to her hair, smirking when she flipped him off and moved a little to get out of the drop zone. "Sometimes I believe they are animals..." He mumbled, sliding lower on the branch a little and letting his foot drop off the side so that his leg hung down. "No decent man would ever do that..."

"Well there is your problem, Clint. They are not decent men."

"Well I hope you have not been corrupted, Alice..." Clint threw the rotten half of the orange away with a groan at the sour taste. Apparently they were all being punished after an accident that happened the night before, one of the fire dancers caught themselves on fire and ruined that part of the show.

"My darling, Hawk..." Alice said, looking up at him with a cheeky smile. "I was corrupted the day I was born." She gave him a smirk and a small wave before walking away to tend to her animals, her long blue hair blowing about her in the wind. He watched as she tied it up with a green piece of silk before giving him another wave and disappearing behind one of the caravans to go to the elephant pen.

At least the animals are well looked after... Clint thought, taking up his guard once more before he heard the tell tale roar from Percy that let him know Alice had just let him out of his night cage.

"Barton!" Tony snapped, clicking his fingers in front of his face. "Woah man, you vanished for a second there..." He added, once Clint had shaken his head to chase away the thoughts and come back to the present.

"Sorry, thinking about something. What were you talking about?" Clint asked, pinching the bridge of his nose for a few seconds to deter a headache from trying to take hold before looking around the table at the others. All wore looks of complete worry, except for Natasha, who looked bored and was cleaning her nails out with the end of one of his daggers.

"I said the circus is in town tomorrow for a week, thought we might take Capsical out and let him see the magic..." Tony said, smirking when Steve glared at him. "I remember reading in his file that he likes going to the circus, and you worked in one, so do you want to come along with us?"

"No thanks." Clint said, standing up and stretching. "Not my scene any more..."

"But it's the same circus you worked for..." Tony said, clearly forgetting about Pepper's talk on 'boundaries' once again. "I thought you might want to go back and see how it changed!"

"I saw it change..." Clint whispered, his eyes clouding over as another memory pressed itself forward in to his brain.

"CLINT!" Alice yelled, her voice filled with terror as she ran through the circus grounds. "CLINT WHERE ARE YOU?" She grabbed hold of one of the support poles for the Big Top and spun herself around, running back in another direction as she desperately tried to search for her friend.

The circus stood in ruins, animals lay dead and dying in their paddocks, tents had been torn down and the caravans set ablaze. The only thing that stood was the Big Top, it's sides picking up the shadows that the smoke made, turning them in to distorted shapes as people yelled and tried to get away.

The Ringleader had done this, after finding out that there was going to be a revolt against him, he had organised a raid on the circus. Everything was being destroyed, and he would claim insurance to get the money back and start again, with a new name and a new circus. A new crew would work under his iron fist and whip, to terrified to stand against him after what happened here.

"Please..." Clint said, staring up at the man that stood next to him, his face void of all expressions as he watched the circus burn. "Let me bring her with me, please... I beg you." He watched once again as Alice called his name, her hand going to her stomach as she stopped and looked around the collection of confused and injured people.

"You wanted a new start, you can not bring anything with you from this life!" The man said, glancing at a folder to make sure what he said was correct. "No matter what..."

"She is pregnant!" Clint said, rounding on him and grabbing his shirt. "Let me bring her, or else I swear I will destroy you!" It would be the first of two times that Clint would fight with his handler, Phil Coulsen, the second would be when he saved a young assassin's life to give her a second chance.

"Very well." Phil said, and Clint saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes. "But hurry, we need to leave now!"

Without a second word Clint ran down the hill, crashing in to Alice as she ran to try and save one of her animals. "Alice, you have to come with me now, please come with me! They'll kill you, the three of you!" He whispered, pressing his hand against her growing stomach. "Please, trust me, Alice!"

"Toby is alive!" Alice said, staring up at him with tears in her eyes. "Please, I need to go to him, Clint!" With a sigh Clint nodded and ran with her through the flames, ignoring the searing heat coming from the Big Top that had just caught on fire seconds ago. Entering the lion's pen Alice was quick to move around the dead bodies, before pulling out a mewing cub that had been hidden under its dead mothers body. Tucking it in to her shirt she quickly grabbed Clint's hand with her other hand and hurried after him, neither glanced back once they had reached Phil and were bundled in to a car.

"Freedom..." Alice whispered, smiling at Clint happily, the healing cut across her throat was weeping from where she had split the scab open whilst she ran around looking for him.

"Only for you, Alice." Clint said, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close. "I am going back in to service... It was the price of my freedom."

"Then what is the price for mine?"

"Clint!" Tony yelled, this time flicking his team mate when he zoned out, bringing the archer back with a startled jump and a glare. "Dear god, what is wrong with you today? That's the second time you've zoned out whilst I've been talking, it's starting to hurt my feelings, dude!"

"I... I have somewhere I have to be." Clint said, pulling away from Tony's grip before walking out of the room. He made his way to the nest that he had built in one of the rafters above the common room, snuggling himself down in some blankets he pulled out a silver photo frame, running his finger over it softly.

In the picture stood a set of twin boys, both identical versions of him at their age, the only difference was there eyes, they had their mothers eyes. If he pulled the worn photo out of the frame, he would see on the back of it, in scribbled handwriting;

Jefferson and Luke Barton, aged five.

His sons, hidden away in England with Alice after he went in to service with SHIELD, he got a photo each year, though they had stopped two years ago after this photo was sent. SHIELD had lost all contact with the handler that was keeping them safe, and everyday he asked Nick Fury the same question as soon as he saw them, and each day the answer was still a shake of the head.

That was the price of her freedom, to be sent to a new country to start over again, away from the dangerous life that Clint was about to enter in to. "JARVIS, play the song please..." He whispered, curling up and pulling a blanket over himself so that only his hair poked out from it.

"Yes Agent Barton." The AI replied, before the song filled his nest quietly. The song that Alice always sang as the circus finished and people were about to leave, her favourite song of all time.

Goodbye to the circus
We hope you enjoyed the show
Now it's nearly at the end
But it will be back, you know

Song lyrics from, Goodbye To The Circus by Aqua.

Don't know if this will stay a one shot or change in to a story, still deciding. Hope you enjoyed it,

Jabberwocky.