"Wow," Laura breathed, and Clint tried not to act too smug as his wife's eyes widened at the dangerously shiny interior of the room they'd entered. "When you said 'practically another world', I thought you were exaggerating."
"Nope," he admitted, and Cooper and Lila took off from their sides like cannon shots, and Tony was going to be so pissed when little fingerprints got everywhere. It's gonna be great.
"If it looks dangerous, do not touch!" he shouted after them as he hauled a suitcase over his shoulder and followed his wife into the main living room of Avengers Tower.
Bringing his family here had been… not a particularly fun or easy idea, in all honesty. But the farm's location had been compromised, and like hell he was leaving his family to fight the villain when they could be attacked at any time with no protection whatsoever.
"SHIELD monitors this place around the clock," he said, even though he's already gone through the information a hundred times now, "And at least two Avengers are here all the time. If anything happens while we're looking for him-"
"They'll protect us, I know. We'll be fine!" Laura interrupted brightly with a smile, hitching Nate a little higher on her hip, but he can tell she's worried by the way her hands clench slightly around their newest son. "Don't worry about us, honey."
"I can't help it," he whined, only half joking, and she sighed, reaching up to pull him into a kiss. He doesn't resist at all, and truthfully the only thing keeping them from a full on make-out session in the middle of the room is the presence of the kids.
"Dad, this place is awesome!" gasps Cooper, making his parents break apart as he appears beside them with an exhilarated grin. "You get to work here?!"
"Sure do, squirt," he grinned widely as his son practically squeals in delight. "But don't get any funny ideas; you're only here for a few days, and if I find any of Stark's tech in your pockets when I get back…"
"Aw, dad…!" he pleaded, but Clint's not having any of it; his work life and his home life are going to stay completely separate after this mission, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
"Are you sure I can't just-?" Cooper started, but a sharp cry from the other side of the room has Clint sprinting across the floor and vaulting over a couch to his daughter's side in seconds, knife in hand and seriously wishing his bow wasn't in his pack.
But it's not killer death bots or evil henchmen that startled Lila; it's Vision, just as tall and marvelous as ever, decked out in his cape and floating like the newly returned Messiah.
He's staring at Lila curiously when Clint arrives in a defensive crouch, and blinks innocently when the archer glares at him – half in exasperation, half in relief. "Dude!" Clint snapped, straightening up and hiding his blade before Lila could really get a look at it, "A little warning next time, please!"
The android tilts his head, clearly unperturbed. "I am sorry, Agent Barton. I was not aware you had allowed guests into the Tower," he said, eying Lila again as she ducked into her father's side. Cooper quickly ran up, looping an arm around his sister, and Laura wasn't far behind, and Clint winced; he'd hoped to talk to them about the weirdoes who would be keeping them safe before they showed up. Now all four of them – heck, even Nate, who doesn't focus on anything – are gaping in wide-eyed astonishment at the floating red man in front of them.
"Whatever, it's fine. Where's Sam?" he asked, not at all ashamed to admit he's trying to distract them, because this five-on-one stare-off is more than a little weird, and strained, and he would like it to be over now please.
Vision's eyes fix on him – and oh, he is never going to get used to that intense look, no matter what Nat and Rogers said to the contrary. "Sam Wilson has undertaken a mission in Moscow with Captain Rogers. They are not due back for at least four days."
"What?!" he shouted, making Laura wince and the kids jump and Nate let out a hearty wail, and he dials it back as quickly as he can.
Glancing apologetically at his wife, he detached himself from his family to grab the android by the arm and pull him down to the ground and away, not stopping until they are a good ten feet away from his family.
"This guy is after me specifically; if I stay here, they're in even bigger danger than before, but there were supposed to be two Avengers here to watch them!" he hissed darkly, and he's pissed, because Sam promised to look after them, he did, and what the hell man? You couldn't duck out of a promise like that.
"He said to give you his apologies, Agent Barton, but he had another oath to fulfill with Captain Rogers; however, I am not the only Avenger in this Tower. Aside from you," Vision added when Clint opened his mouth to protest again.
The archer blinked, thrown for a second, before the quiet shuffling of footsteps nearby makes him turn, and he sees her.
Wanda Maximoff.
Scarlet Witch now, apparently.
The girl who lost her brother because of him.
Clint's throat constricted, the now-familiar guilt and sorrow creeping into his lungs, and it only intensified abruptly as the girl's eyes, which had been wandering absently over his family, lock on him.
"Hawkeye," she said quietly, sounding not nearly as surprised as he felt.
He smiled at her, trying his best to banish the darker feelings in his heart though he knows it does no good; she probably sensed his lingering pain from a mile away. "Hey there, Wanda," he coughed awkwardly, giving the young woman a quick once-over.
For all that they'd barely spoken to each other over the four days they'd been on the helicarrier together after the monumental battle in Sokovia, the unspoken blame placed on his shoulders for her twin's death had been clear as crystal.
She was not pleased to see him here.
She pursed her lips, and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he desperately wished for a distraction, and got one in the form of his daughter trailing up to him excitedly.
"Daddy, are the red guy and the pretty lady part of your team?" she asked not at all subtly, staring at Wanda's red leather jacket and Vision's cape with plain, undisguised awe.
Clint bit the inside of his cheek, resisting the urge to laugh at Vision's befuddled expression and Wanda's wrinkling eyebrows. "Yes, Lila, they are," he managed after a second.
If anything, Lila only grew more star-struck. "I haven't seen you guys on the news before. Are you new? What are your powers? You can fly, right? Daddy says almost everyone in the Avengers can fly, especially the guys with capes. Yours is really shiny. What's it made of-?" the questions only grew in number as she inhaled only once before continuing, and he really should step in and stop her before she said something wrong, but the dual disoriented looks on his normally stoic teammates' faces was a bit too much to give up just yet.
Laura saw fit to rescue both Avengers, giving Clint an imperiously raised eyebrow as she patted Lila on the head, quieting her instantly. "It's not polite to ask questions like that, honey. I'm sorry," she added to the heroes, "She just gets really excited whenever we hear anything about Clint's team."
"It's no trouble," Vision assured after a brief pause, though he still seemed a bit nervous as Cooper joined the family and they are all suddenly much closer than they had been before.
Wanda wordlessly placed a hand on his wrist, and the living metal man calmed, seeming to draw comfort from the contact; Clint observed the action with a calculating expression. Nat had said they were training partners; surely not…?
His musing was cut off when the telekinetic girl's brown eyes met his once again. "Who are these people, Barton? I thought only authorized SHIELD or Avengers agents were allowed in the Tower." She glowers at him rather hard as she says it, and he has to fight the urge to cringe; shedoesn't like him any more than she had last time.
This could be a problem, sooner or later.
Most likely sooner, with his luck.
"Ah, guys, this is the Vision and Wanda Maximoff, the newest additions to the Avengers," he explained carefully, ignoring Wanda's slightly miffed look at not getting a direct answer to her question. Cooper went 'Oooh!' and Lila gasped 'Wow!' while Laura smiled politely, carefully eying Scarlet Witch and the way she stared balefully at her husband. However, after a moment, Laura's eyes widened in realization – Maximoff – and then flooded with sympathy, and Clint quickly shook his head when she shot him a glance. Not now.
"- and this," he continued, pulling his wife into a one-armed hug and smooshing a kiss onto Nathaniel's head, which earned him a delighted squeal, "Is my wife and kids. Laura, Cooper, Lila, and Nate." He gestured to each one in turn, and both elder children waved excitedly when Vision smiled faintly at them. This was probably the first time he'd encountered children; Clint made a mental note to inform Laura of this before he left. Pissing Stark off by getting grubby little fingers on everything was funny, but the thought of either of them accidentally hurting themselves when Vision didn't realize how fragile they were... He'd rather avoid that.
Wanda stared at them all in turn but said nothing, simply shifting closer to Vision as if seeking something familiar in this flood of new people.
Laura, never one to allow things to stretch into an awkward silence, took the initiative and stepped forward, offering her free hand. "Hi, I'm Laura Barton. I'm told you'll be keeping an eye on us for the time being?" she asked.
Vision looked startled at being offered a greeting like a normal person, shooting an silent, pleading look at Wanda; she quickly moved to the rescue and grabbed Laura's hand, firmly moving it up and down in a natural movement before releasing, staring significantly at the panicked android beside her. "Go on," she encouraged quietly, "Like I did. It's a hand shake."
He still seemed reluctant, but Laura smiled encouragingly; she didn't mind the humanoid's distinctly odd appearance, and she made sure he knew it.
With Laura's smile and Wanda's insistence, Vision slowly raised his hand slightly, shooting a look at Hawkeye as if prepared to leap backward if the archer took offense. Clint just hung back with a small smirk, hugging both son and daughter to him like the sappily proud parent he was.
Finally, the android managed to take the outstretched limb, clumsily moving her arm up and down in overly stiff movements before letting go and all but scurrying back, a victorious little smile on his face, and Clint decided he liked the guy all over again.
Wanda grinned delightedly at her partner/friend/whatever before refocusing on the Barton family, slightly more relaxed than she had been before.
"They're going to be staying here for a few days until that ba-… creep is caught," Clint amended when Laura froze him mid-curse with a glare.
"And we are to watch them?" Wanda asked, raising an eyebrow at him as if to ask 'are you kidding me?'
Clint shrugged. "It's not ideal, but it's the only option; our home was compromised and the guy seems to be fixated on me the most, so…" he waved his hands in a useless gesture.
Vision seemed to understand easily, and Wanda didn't protest aside from a slight thinning of her lips.
"Dad?" Cooper tugged lightly on his father's sleeve. "Tour?"
"Oh, right," he half-laughed, "Guess I should show you guys around. Vision, you wanna take the lead? This is your Tower. Sort of. I mean, you ran the place once upon a time, before-" he waved at the red-and-gold bedecked figure vaguely, "-this."
Aside from a slight quirk of the mouth, the android did a good job of hiding any amusement he felt. "Of course. I see no harm in it."
"Thanks, buddy. Laura?" he asked, turning to see his wife carefully maneuvering their lightly fussing youngest so she could reach into the over-packed diaper bag they'd brought along. "You coming?"
"In a minute. I think Nate's had an accident," she admitted with a shameless shrug.
Cooper and Lila both drew back from their younger sibling as one, both grimacing. Clint wasn't too afraid to admit he edged away too. Vision all but flew away, feet conspicuously several feet off the ground as he retreated from the tiny human.
Wanda huffed at the lot of them. "I should have known. Go on," she directed, waving them off with an exasperated flick of the wrist, "We shall catch up. I will keep the Mrs. Barton company while she handles the baby."
Clint raised a skeptical eyebrow, but then Lila was squealing excitedly and Cooper was asking about how Vision could fly, and more damage would likely be avoided if he kept a leash on them while they were around the clueless robot. So he was eventually dragged off after his kids, leaving his wife and youngest son to deal with the usual business.
Laura is not bothered much by Wanda's silence.
It's her unblinking gaze that makes the mother tense.
She resolutely ignored her unease, though; she might be odd, but her husband owed the girl's brother his life. The least she could do was be friendly.
"Is there a clean table nobody would mind me using for this?" she asked, meeting the girl's dark brown eyes evenly, carefully bouncing Nate in an attempt to keep him from crying, though she knew it was likely a hopeless battle. She knew it was highly unlikely that Avengers Tower, of all places, had an actual baby changing station, but she was used to making do with what she could get.
Wanda seemed to regard her and her son for a moment, as if contemplating what to do with them, then spun away and walked off, only the smallest hand twitch signaling for the older woman to follow.
Laura blinked at the movement, but didn't comment, merely sighing as Nate's fussing grew a bit louder. "Hold on a minute there, baby," she cooed, "I'll fix you up soon."
Luckily, they don't go far; Wanda paused in a rather spacious room, this one devoid of most of the personal items that had been scattered in the main room, and pointed to a wide table, "Will that suffice?"
"Oh, yes, perfect!" Laura sighed in relief, bustling forward to set her son down, and she slipped immediately into mother-mode as she mechanically changed the diaper, unbothered by the smell that rose from the thing.
Wanda appeared out of nowhere with a trash bag, and Laura thanked her for it before continuing with the one mission she could perform as efficiently as her husband could.
The Scarlet Witch did not stray far; Laura felt her eyes on every movement she made, and silently steeled herself against snapping at her out of nerves. It's more than a little unsettling to be stared at for so long, but Laura stayed adamant; she will not let it bother her. Not now.
Once finished, she cleaned her hands with an antibacterial wipe, smiling at her son. "There, all done. Better?"
Evidently not; his face screwed up, and she knew a tantrum was on the immediate horizon.
"Oh, no, no, no, Nathan, it's okay," she assured him, sweeping him into her arms and quickly rifling through the diaper bag, hoping for a pacifier or his blanket, but both seemed to have vanished into thin air.
"Ah!" she started as the first loud wail reached her ears, and she turned quickly to her escort. "I'm so sorry, but could you grab his blanket for me? It should be in my bag…"
The brunette disappeared before she could finish, and she continued her search for something to appease her upset son.
Ah-ha!
She plucked the pacifier out of the deeper reaches of the side pocket and plopped it right into Nate's mouth, and he made a muffled noise of surprise before quickly calming, staring droopily up at his mother with his father's blue eyes.
Laura grinned, pressing a kiss to his forehead and turning back. "It's okay, I think he's-"
She was alone.
Her brow wrinkled – hadn't Wanda returned faster last time? – before she packed everything back into the diaper bag one-handed, long since used to doing so, and, once finished, slowly walked back to the living room.
She half-expected no one to be there; Wanda didn't seem the type to up and leave anyone she was set to keep an eye on, but what did she know about her?
But no; Wanda was there, standing over the bags the kids had set down in their haste to explore, and she's-
shaking?
Laura tiptoed cautiously closer, hoping not to startle the girl, but it's a wasted effort.
The young woman – girl really, if they were being honest – spun toward her, clutching a bundle of blue fabric, and Laura's heart clenches when she realizes what it is.
"What is this?!" Wanda demanded shrilly, holding up Nate's blanket as if it's a time bomb, stretching the fabric so that the name embroidered on the side is clearly visible: Nathaniel Pietro Barton. "What is this?!"
"It's Nate's blanket," Laura answers slowly, because that's really all she can do aside from stare sadly at the distraught girl before her. She thought Clint had told her about the name…
Apparently not.
"W-why," Wanda gasped harshly, gripping the blanket so hard Laura seriously hoped it wouldn't rip, "Why is-? Pietro-?"
"That's his middle name," and Laura has never been so relieved to hear her husband's voice in her life, because the Scarlet Witch looks ready to either burst into tears or murder someone. Hopefully the first option.
Laura backpedaled quickly as Clint walked briskly forward from a glass hallway on the other side of the room. Looking over his shoulder briefly, she saw the robot-guy, Vision, gently ushering her other two children back away from the living room, and she felt a bolt of gratitude for the man. Robot. Thing.
Then Clint is facing Wanda directly, and the red threading through her eyes is clearly where she got her codename from. Laura wants to step forward, do something, but one look at her husband's face is enough to keep her back, clutching Nate close to her chest, ready to flee if things start flying. The girl was upset, and while she'd really like to comfort her, she knew that enhanced people were dangerous, especially when their emotions were high. This couldn't end well.
"Wanda," Clint said slowly, "It's just Nate's middle name. I know I didn't exactly discuss it with you-"
"You take his name," was hissed. Wanda was livid, eyes absolutely shimmering with deep red, crimson sparks coming from her hands. "You kill him, and you take his name; what right do you have?! You take my brother from me and you think I would be happy to give your child his name?!"
It's a miracle nothing explodes; as it is, the burst of power that sends everything in the room back a few feet is jarring and unpleasant, but Laura managed to stay on her feet, gasping. Was she going to attack? Clint didn't seem afraid, but if she didn't calm down-
"Wanda!" called a voice, and then Vision seemed to teleport to the girl's side, gently taking her trembling hands in his own. "It is alright dear, calm down. They didn't mean any offense."
"But-!" And all the rage is gone as quickly as it came as Wanda whimpered, shaking all over once again. "Pietro is-! They didn't-!"
"I know," he assured her, but she does not seem to hear him.
Instead she just stared straight at Clint, no malice in her gaze as she whispered brokenly, "You took him away."
"Yes I did," Clint acknowledged, and Laura's heart felt crushed at the utterly devastated note in his voice, "And I'm sorry, Wanda. I truly am. But I thought Nate deserved the name of a hero, and that's what he has; the name of his Aunt Natasha, who saves the world, and the name of your brother, who saved me. I didn't think it would upset you; that was pretty shitty of me. I'm sorry."
Wanda stared blankly at him, eyes once again dark brown; Vision hovered uncertainly beside her, gaze darting between both partner and archer; Clint kept his sorrowful gaze on the one he'd unintentionally wronged. A muffled 'ouch!' signaled Cooper and Lila's unsuccessful attempt to sneak closer into the room. Laura just held her son, thanking whatever deity there was that he hadn't started crying.
A long, drawn out silence settled between them, the only sound Wanda's rapid breaths and Cooper's sneakers squeaking on the floor as he continued his crusade to get in on the action.
The blanket slipped out of Wanda's grasp.
Her face crumpled for a moment, and if she started sobbing it really wouldn't be a surprise. But Vision pressed a hand to her back, and she rallied. She schooled her features, slowly drawing the misery back behind a mask, and inhaled sharply through her nose, nodding once to herself before staring at Clint again.
"It is a good name," she admitted, either not noticing or choosing to ignore the tear that slipped down her cheek as she said it.
Clint, his own mask firmly in place, nodded in acknowledgement.
Laura didn't know how these people could do it; if her brother had died as violently as she knew Pietro had… she shuddered. 'I'd die on the spot,' she thought darkly, knowing it was no exaggeration.
Thinning her lips into a line, Wanda stooped to pluck the cloth off of the glass flooring, holding it for a moment in her hands and trailing her fingers over her brother's name, before turning sharply and marching straight up to Laura, making the mother jump.
"I am sorry if I alarmed you," the girl said slowly, holding the bit of fabric out for her to take. "I did not intend for that to happen. I just- when I saw it…"
"It's alright," Laura whispered, and it wasn't really, but she knew that while she might be rattled, the Avenger in front of her must be fighting the memory harder than she could ever hope to. She's impressed with her hands' steadiness as she reaches out to take the offering, and clung to the soft material once Wanda releases it.
The girl stepped back, lip trembling, and Laura turned away to give her a moment, walking as calmly as she could to her husband to wrap her free arm around him and allow herself to be pulled into a tight hug.
"You didn't tell me she was violent like that," she reprimanded him lightly, voice wobbling, and he muffled an apology into her shoulder.
"She isn't, not normally. I should have told her about it. Just assuming she would be okay with it was stupid."
"Yes it was."
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
"Well this is awkward. Shall I come back when the hug fest is over?"
Laura jumped, and she's surprised that Clint does too; pulling away, she notices Wanda disentangling herself from Vision's embrace out of the corner of her eye as she focused on the redhead who had spoken.
"Nat!" Clint exclaimed, and like that all of the tension in the room seemed to evaporate; while Clint walked forward to envelope his partner in a hug, Laura tiredly circled around the couch and glared righteously at both of her sheepishly grinning children.
"If either of you ever tries to get in the middle of a fight like that again, you're grounded for life," she said with a pleasant smile, making both children blanch.
"Sorry mom!" Lila chirped immediately, Cooper echoing her as they both climbed to their feet.
It took a bit of effort, but she managed not to roll her eyes; they're both a bit too much like their father. Lord knows what Nate will get up to when he's older.
Somehow, they all gather in the middle of the room, Wanda half behind Vision as she darted nervous, guilty glances at Natasha. Nat, for her part, is focused on saying hello to her newest godson, lifting him up in the air and grinning at him; if there weren't any people around, Laura was half-tempted to say she would be cooing at him like a doting aunt.
"You did good, Laura. This one's just as much of a piece of work as these two," Nat said, grinning as she patted each older child on the head in turn, making Cooper squawk in protest and Lila giggle.
"Thanks. I don't think I'll be doing it again, though," she admitted, sending a significant look at Clint as she did so; he pouted at her immediately, but she didn't give an inch. He gave up pretty quickly though; apparently, he was of the same mind as her. Three was more than enough, thank you very much.
Despite the crowd of close-knit people, Vision seemed to be edging closer to Natasha every few seconds, observing Nate as if he were an interesting new specimen. Noticing his hesitation, Nat held him out a bit so the android could get a better look, smiling at the childlike wonder on his face.
"Do humans always start out so… small?" he asked disbelievingly, reaching out a hand but snatching it back just as quickly.
"You tell me; you're the super computer," Natasha reminded him with a smirk, moving closer once again in clear invitation.
"Well, yes, but knowing and seeing are two completely different things, Agent Romanoff," he felt the need to remind her, and he very, very slowly dropped a finger to touch the dark fluff on the baby's head.
Laura hid a grin as his eyes lit up, smiling wider than he had before.
"You wanna hold him?" Clint offered, smiling just as wide.
Vision's eyes widened, and he abruptly retreated as if stung, despite Wanda holding onto his arm. "Ah, no, Agent Barton, I'm alright without that. I do not yet trust myself with such… delicate things."
Laura would have insisted, but the poor guy looked so afraid all of sudden… she decided it was something for later, then.
"Well, how about you Wanda?" asked Natasha, and Laura froze up as the Scarlet Witch looked up at the sound of her name. "You wanna hold him instead?"
Wanda looked ready to bolt then and there, brown eyes wide and frightened; there was no way Natasha couldn't have heard her shouting earlier, and yet…
Laura bit her lip, contemplates protesting – after the outburst earlier, she was seriously doubting if she could leave any of her kids with the girl – but then she remembered a broken little voice. "You took him away."
And damn it all if that doesn't just punch her in the face.
And even as her apprehension dug deeper into her gut, Vision put a supportive hand on Wanda's shoulder, and Nat was smiling so encouragingly, like she knew exactly what had transpired before she arrived but didn't mind in the least.
She wasn't violent, Clint had said. Just distressed.
She gave her husband a cautious, skeptical look, but he didn't look away from Nat and Wanda, practically holding his breath.
This was a tipping point, Laura realized. This could either go really well or really poorly, but if there was even a chance of this working…
"Go ahead," she found herself saying without even thinking, "I'm sure he'd like someone new to wait on him hand and foot."
Clint whipped his head to look at her in shock; Vision practically gaped in astonishment. Both Lila and Cooper stare at their mother.
But Nat's smile widens, and Wanda starts blinking tears away again.
Very, very carefully, the girl held out her arms awkwardly, obviously unsure of what she was doing. Natasha patiently corrected her grip as she transferred the baby into the brunette's arms, directing her to support his head and bottom like she should.
"There you go," Natasha beamed, innocent little smile on her face as if it was her own son being cradled so tenderly, "Not so bad, huh?"
Wanda didn't answer, instead staring hard at the child in her arms, as if she couldn't quite believe he was there. Vision slid right up behind her, looking over her shoulder like an overjoyed father, and if it weren't already obvious how they felt about each other Laura was sure she would be grinning sappily like Clint was at that moment.
"Здраво малена," Wanda whispered, a beaming grin slowly lighting up her face, and Clint decided to ruin the moment with an excited fist-pump. Not that Wanda noticed. She was too busy being fixated by the tiny boy in her arms.
"It worked! Sort of," Clint hissed into Laura's ear, and she rolled her eyes and pecked her dork on the cheek.
"Looks like we might have to pry them apart, though," she observed, seeing the sleepily content look on Nate's face.
She was okay with that, she thought.
So long as the broken little voice of Red Riding Hood never made an appearance again… she was okay with that.
A/N: What the heck. This started as a cute little thing about Wanda meeting baby Nathaniel Pietro but then Vision appeared and it sort of evolved into this… whatever this is. Not my best writing; more than a few lines struck me as wrong, but nothing I do seems to fix them, so I think I'll leave them as is for the time being. So… like it, hate it, leave a review to tell me!
~Persephone
P.S. Serbian translation: Здраво малена = Hello little one. Might not be accurate; Google translate is my only option.