Of Master Assassins, a Couple
Rage. That was the only word for what glowed in the green eyes of the master assassin on the couch. She spoke sharply, or at least, more so than usual. She was quick to strike, to inflict pain in anyone who dared to come near. And to the horror of her teammates, this rage came a week out of every month.
Her team stood around the island in the kitchen, looking furtively at her as if she were a ticking time bomb. Clint sighed.
"Come on, guys. It's not that bad. She's just a little moody." His words were punctuated by a knife sticking out of the wall, barely an inch from his ear.
"I can hear you." They jumped at her words. They often forgot the master assassin's hearing ability.
"Ears like a hawk. And eyes for one, too," Tony muttered, earning glares from both Clint and Natasha. Romanov held up a knife, appreciating the razor sharp blade. Tony wouldn't let up. "Oh come on, don't tell me you two aren't together." Another knife appeared in the wall, taking a few strands of Tony's hair with it. Clint just walked away, ears reddening.
"Let up, Stark." Steve warned.
"Yeah, Tony, it's perfectly normal for women to have mood swings when their hormones are out of whack," Bruce offered, the doctor in him showing through.
"Perhaps we should remove Lady Natasha's weapons," Thor added. Natasha laughed lightly, dangerously. This was a laugh usually reserved for her victims. Clint knew this, and in an attempt to save his team, he sat down beside Natasha.
"What's up, Nat?" Clint said lightly.
"You know 'what's up'" she hissed.
"Anything I can do?" he asked, persistent.
"No. I'm going to bed." She stood, pivoted on a heel, and strutted to her room.
A knock resounded on the door. She didn't stir. Clint tried to open, and upon finding it locked, quickly picked the lock with a bobby pin. He came in, set the tea tray he was carrying on the table and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Go away." She counted on his stubbornness, and gave a small smile when he didn't move. Finding comfort in his presence, she quickly fell asleep. He stayed, admiring her beauty, listening to her even breathing. Then, her breathing came short and fast, her body tensed, her pulse quickened. She fought the blanket fitfully. He gently woke her, pulling her small body towards him.
"It's not real, Tasha, it's not real," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple. He rocked her slightly until she relaxed. This was one of their moments, when no one was around and they could act like the couple they were. They had been together for years but rarely acted on it in public for fear it would ruin their professional dynamic. They were both perfectly happy being together in secret. It made things simpler, more intimate.
The week wore on with little incident. A few death threats. A few sharp jabs. This was mild for Natasha. The team around her was pleasantly surprised. Some (Tony), however, feared it was a façade, and prepared for the next month's horror. It never came. The first couple days came and went, but instead of rage, she seemed more watchful. Another few days passed and Natasha asked Clint to speak with her in private.
"What's up, Nat?" Clint questioned. Her change in demeanor had not escaped his notice.
"I'm pregnant," she said bluntly. The words fell from her lips and crashed all around him. Natasha Romanov, master assassin, badass, and most importantly, his girlfriend, was pregnant. He was going to be a father, his face lighting up at this realization.
"That's great!" he exclaimed. Natasha bit her lip, and if he wasn't already so excited he would have noted how much that drove him wild.
"Are you sure we can do this?" she asked nervously.
"I'm ready if you are." He smiled and she relaxed a little. He continued, "When do we tell them?"
"Not until I'm showing," Natasha answered. Now it was Clint's turn to be nervous. He wasn't sure he could keep it a secret that long.
A few months passed and Natasha could no longer wear her skin tight field suit without her condition becoming apparent. She now wore sweatshirts and sweatpants when she was relaxing around Avengers Tower. It was Pepper who noticed it first. When all the boys were out, she confronted Natasha.
"So when are you due?" Pepper asked in the not-so-subtle way she had picked up from Tony. Natasha choked on the chocolate scone she had been eating, but quickly returned to her usual state of stoicism, and faced the truth.
"May 17th," She didn't elaborate.
"Boy or girl?" Pepper persisted.
"We don't want to know." Natasha said shortly.
"Names?" Pepper would not let up.
"Christopher Samuel Romanov Barton if it's a boy and Alexandra Nadya Romanov Barton if it's a girl." The names rolled off her tongue, the accent of her homeland shining through. It was apparent that she had been thinking over these names for a while.
"Those are nice names." Pepper commented.
"Tell no one if you value your life," Natasha said dangerously.
"You know I won't," Pepper ensured.
The next person to find out was Bruce. He didn't confront Natasha; he didn't need to. As a doctor, he was surprised he hadn't noticed earlier. He would be discreet until Natasha chose to reveal it.
The third person to discover it chose to reveal it to the entire group. Tony had been suspicious, noting her change demeanor and growing abdomen. It was the alcohol that proved it. Before, Romanov would rarely pass up a vodka cranberry. Now, she stuck to water. He held back, choosing to strike when all were present.
It was Friday. Movie night. The selected film was Die Another Day. It was one of the few films they could agree on. The espionage appealed to Clint and Natasha, the ego appealed to Tony, Q's gadgets interested Bruce, the action kept Thor's attention, and Bond's "pathetic love of country" was valued by Steve. Pepper would agree to anything that the rest could agree on. Tony was pouring drinks before the movie started.
"Vodka cranberry, Romanov?" Tony smirked.
"Sure, Tony," Natasha said, knowing his suspicions. She accepted the drink. Tony raised his eyebrows. Romanov took a sip, and Tony gave in. When he turned his attention to Pepper, she spit the drink into the sink and down the drain. This continued all night; Natasha went through three cocktails, gradually loosening up to display the effects of the alcohol she hadn't consumed. Tony eyed her. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him.
"I thought pregnant women weren't supposed to drink, Romanov." After the general noises of shock died down, Natasha opened her mouth to speak.
"That's why I've been pouring it down the drain."
"Can you confirm that?" Tony asked. She nodded. Tony looked up and addressed what might have seemed, to outsiders, the air. "JARVIS, has Romanov been pouring her drink down the drain?"
The robotic voice answered. "Yes, sir. Miss Romanov has disposed of approximately 18 ounces of vodka and cranberry mixture."
"So you are pregnant!" Tony exclaimed triumphantly.
"Yes. Now, can we resume the movie?" Natasha asked, her face void of expression.
"Not yet. Who's the father?" Tony inquired, with a devilish grin on his face.
"I think that should be obvious." Natasha said, glancing at her partner.
"Well let's just hope for the kid's sake that they get their mother's looks," Tony joked. In an uncharacteristically affectionate move, Natasha sat next to Clint saying, "Oh, I don't know. I think he looks pretty handsome," and laying her head on his chest.
"So, when's the wedding?" Steve asked.
"I got this one," Tony interrupted. "You see, Steve, just because she's pregnant doesn't mean they have to get married. It isn't the 40's anymore." Most nodded in agreement.
"The wedding is January 1st." Natasha stated. Clint nodded, and the tinkling of broken glass ensued when Pepper dropped her wine glass. Natasha looked up at her and continued, "Oh, which reminds me, Pepper, will you be my maid of honor?"
"Of course!" Pepper shrieked, pulling Natasha into a quick hug, which Natasha accepted but did not reciprocate. Pepper was now in a wedding buzz. "Have you got a dress?" she asked.
"Not yet. We can go shopping for it tomorrow." After another squeal of delight, they returned their attention to the screen. The team watched the rest of the movie in a comfortable silence, save for a few remarks about better spy approaches from Romanov and Barton.
The next day, Pepper and Natasha left early from the Tower, heading towards 5th avenue. They agreed a simple dress would work best, and Natasha insisted that her dress be cream or eggshell or any other word for not white.
"Why don't you want a white dress? Every little girl dreams of a white dress on her wedding day." Pepper said with a far off memory in her eye. Black Widow stared back at her cynically.
"Firstly, when I was little I dreamed of living another day, not of dresses and love and weddings. Secondly, white is a color of purity. I am many things, Pepper, but I am not pure." Pepper nodded thoughtfully at these words, feeling a little guilty for her ignorance.
They shopped for hours. Some dresses were nice, some were bad, and some were just plain ugly. Then they found it. The dress. It was a soft cream that flattered her pale skin and vivaciously scarlet hair. It was sleeveless, with a short train and a little beading at the waist. The cloth was satin, and glowed in the light of the small store. The top was fitted, accenting her curves and the bottom fell smoothly to the floor. Tears welled up in Pepper's eyes as she admired the simplicity of the beautiful dress. A few tears rolled down Natasha's face, and she wiped them away, shaking her head at herself. She rarely displayed emotion this way; she prided herself on her stoicism. They quickly bought the dress, and walked back to the Tower, chatting amicably.
"So who is walking you down the aisle?" Pepper asked.
"Agent Coulson." Natasha answered quickly. Pepper nodded in understanding. Natasha didn't have a father to give her away, and Coulson was the closest thing to a father figure Natasha ever had.
When they got back the Tower, Natasha quickly hid the dress in her closet. She didn't much care about traditions, but she didn't want Clint to see her dress until the wedding. There was very little planning to do. The ceremony would be held on the roof of the tower, Steve would officiate, and Tony was the best man. Phil would give her away, while Thor, Jane, Bruce and Fury would sit in attendance. They wanted it to be small and intimate. The ceremony would begin at 11:45 on December 31st and end as they rang in the New Year. They would write their own vows. There was so little to plan, nothing could possibly go wrong. The next few weeks went by quickly, but they didn't feel rushed. They were ready.
At 11 o'clock on December 31st, Natasha got dressed, with the help of Pepper and Jane. She wore her curls loose, and her makeup was simple. Instead of her usual blood-red lipstick, she wore a soft pink, with light eye makeup and mascara to accent her mile-long lashes. She sat in from of the mirror and clasped a necklace around her neck; the pendant was a silver hawk, and it fell gracefully between her collarbones.
In his own room, Clint was putting on his tuxedo with care. The mother of pearl buttons were carefully done up, his slacks ironed, and his jacket was brushed. He looked in the mirror and, in his mind, addressed what he saw. You lucky son of a bitch, he thought to his reflection, you're about to marry the most wonderful woman in the world. Then, promptly at 11:30, he took his place on the roof waiting for her. He nodded to Steve, who was dressed primly in his formal Army greens. The minutes that followed were the longest of Clint's life. Then, exactly at 11:45, his whole world came down the aisle, guided by Phil Coulson. The dress, the makeup, even her fiery red hair, went unnoticed to Clint. The only thing in the world that mattered was the smile on her lips. She wore no veil, symbolic of the honesty they shared. Clint almost didn't notice when Steve began the ceremony.
"Who gives this woman in marriage?"
"I do," Phil stated, kissing Natasha's hand before taking a seat. Steve continued.
"We gather here today to celebrate the union of Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton in Holy Matrimony. Today is the day that they become more than what they were. Yesterday they were partners. Today they become husband and wife. Soon, they will become parents. Natasha and Clint, we are here today because we will always be here for you. No matter where life may take you, you will always find a home with us. Now, Clint, you may profess your vows." Clint took a measured breath and began.
"Natasha, Nat, you are my everything. You are the reason I wake up in the morning, you are the reason I can go to sleep at night. You gave me purpose. I used to be simply a human, a body that moved and breathed, but I had no reason to do so. You gave me a reason to keep breathing, to keep being. Wipe me out of your ledger, Natasha, because you have saved me." Jane and Pepper cried silently into white lace handkerchiefs. Steve spoke.
"Natasha, you may now profess your vows." She smiled, took a beat and began.
"Clint, you gave me something no one else could. A chance. You were sent to kill me, but you saved me. I need you with everything that I am. I need you beside me, for the rest of my life. I can't live without you, and I wouldn't want to. I once said that love is for children. I still believe that. But you, Clint have made me want to be a child." Steve wiped a tear from his eye before continuing.
"Do you, Clint, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, from this day onward for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," said Clint, with baited breath.
"Do you, Natasha, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better and for worse, in sickness and in health, from this day onward for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," declared Natasha, with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.
"Then, by the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. Clint, you may kiss the bride."
The couple kissed more passionately, more purely, and more beautifully than they ever had before. Everyone present was teary-eyed. Even Nick Fury wiped away a tear from his eye. The couple turned to walk back down the aisle as Steve finished, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Romanov-Barton."
An hour later, Natasha had changed into a short emerald dress, with an emerald and silver choker around her neck. They sat around the common area, talking and laughing and reveling in the newlyweds' happiness. When it came time for the honeymoon, Bruce loaded the car with their luggage, while Tony decked it out in the incredibly cliché and incredibly loud tin cans, as well as a "Just Married" banner. They were off to Europe. They planned to see London, Dublin, Munich, Madrid, Paris, and Rome. Natasha even considered returning to Moscow. Truly, it mattered not where they went, for it was only their being together that mattered.
At home, the team continued the celebration. Thor and Jane flustered at the many inquiries as to when their wedding would be, while Tony got just drunk enough for Pepper to take away his glass and lock him in his bedroom. Phil looked on, glassy eyed, and sat with Steve talking about the good old' days. Steve's time may have been a little further back, but Coulson had a love for anything vintage. Bruce was preoccupied ensuring The Other Guy didn't show up. Fury was adamantly denying Pepper's accusations that he had shed a tear at the ceremony, but everyone knew it was true. All in all, it was a wonderful night.
On the other side of the world, Natasha and Clint were relaxing in their honeymoon suite. He wore a white linen bathrobe, monogramed with his initials, which he had gotten from Pepper and Tony as a wedding gift. She wore a complementary black silk robe, also monogrammed with her new initials N.R.B. Though they had insisted they did not want gifts, their friends had, unsurprisingly, ignored them. The robes from Pepper and Tony were, in the givers' eyes, perfect. Pepper felt they were useful, and Tony got to make a joke about how rarely they'd be wearing them. Fun for everyone, he'd said. Thor and Jane got them a coffee maker, for they shared in Thor's love of a strong cup of black coffee. Bruce got them a comprehensive medical kit, so they could patch each other up after missions. Steve had given Natasha a Ruger Vaquero revolver and Clint a set of Taser heads for his arrows, with a note attached that read 'You've saved each other's lives so many times. Here's to hoping these won't be necessary, and knowing they will.' Phil had given them a load of baby stuff, mostly green, because it was a pastel but unisex color. Fury had furnished their trip to Europe, using SHIELD's resources to pay for their flights and hotels.
"So Mrs. Barton," began Clint, "how would you like to cap off this night?" He eyed her from above his glass of scotch.
"I think you know the answer to that," she said huskily, loosening the belt on her robe. The rest of the night was spent in intimate bliss.
"So what do we do now?" asked Tony. The genius billionaire playboy philanthropist was bored.
"Aww, Stark, are you missing them?" joked Pepper. Stark lashed out, quickly, his pride was on the line.
"No! Do you think I miss knives in the wall? The death threats? Glares like that of an attacking panther? No, I don't miss it a bit. And as for Barton, I don't miss him at all. Not him crawling through the vents. I don't miss him shooting his alarm clock every morning and I definitely don't miss having to replace my coffee maker every time he can't figure out how to use it!" Stark drew a ragged breath, and brought a hand to the glowing Arc Reactor in his chest. Pepper smirked, knowing she had him beat.
"You may not miss all that, but I know what you do miss. You miss her ability to take and deal out verbal blows as quickly and cleverly as you can. You miss him following you around the lab, appreciating your genius and agreeing to whatever ridiculous experiments you can think up! And I know it scares the hell out of you that she's traveling when she's pregnant!" Pepper's tone rose as she went on. Tony grinned sheepishly as the truth of her accusations struck home. Then a flash of brilliance crossed his features. Pepper groaned. That was his idea face.
"She's pregnant! Yes! I nearly forgot!" Tony rubbed his hands together; the apprehension on his teammates didn't stop him. "Bruce, I'll need your help with blueprints. Pepper, I need a list of everything a baby needs. Steve, you help Pepper keep it unisex; we all know she's got her heart set on a girl. And Thor," he said, turning to the god, who looked up expectantly, "We're going to need your hammer." Thor grinned. Pepper and Steve looked nervous. Bruce simply stood there, waiting for Tony to finish. With a grand sweep of his hand Tony finished, saying, "We, lady and gentlemen, are building a nursery!"
There was a general murmur of approval, and a sigh of relief from Pepper, who had known Tony long enough that she had expected much worse. They set to work right away, first deciding which floor would belong to the little family. The tenth, they decided, would be best for the paranoid parents that Natasha and Clint would be. It gave them enough time to react should an attack start from either the bottom or the top. Starting at the elevator entrance, there would be an open living space, then a master bedroom that would stretch across the entire floor, behind which the nursery would be. The only way to reach it would require one of the Barton's to unlock the floor to all visitors, then unlock the door to their bedroom, then unlock the door to the nursery. All the locks would require retina scans, fingerprint scans and the input of a six digit code that was unique to each resident of the Tower. At any given time, they could take someone off the list of approved visitors, save for each other. This was for Clint's sake; Tony wouldn't put it past an angry Natasha to lock Clint out of his own floor. The living space, like the rest of the Tower, would be contemporary. It was designed in black and white and gray, with splashes of color to add warmth to their home. The master bedroom/bathroom would be done in scarlet and cream. The nursery would be done in soft green and white. The nursery would have windows to let in natural light at night, but at night a black overlay would block out the harsh lights of the city. The blueprints were finished quickly; the execution would take more time. That evening, they relaxed, proud of the work they had done.
"So, how are we going to explain all this?" Steve asked. "They didn't want gifts."
"They can just think of it as a baby shower gift from all of us." Pepper said, smiling at the thought of Natasha Romanov, or rather, Barton, at a baby shower.
The next two weeks blurred by, and as Tony was putting the finishing touches on the security system, the rest of the crew was on the couch on the communal 15th floor, awaiting the return of their friends. It's a funny thing, Steve thought, that I call two master assassins, one of them Russian, friends. The elevator dinged, and everyone jumped. The doors slid open to reveal…Tony.
"Oh it's just you," breathed Pepper. Tony furrowed his brow. She quickly continued, "Oh, I mean, we've been waiting for Clint and Natasha…" She faltered, and as he went to wave her off, the elevator dinged again. Everyone stopped breathing until a smiling Clint and a surprisingly happy Natasha stepped out of it. The silence pounded in the ears of everyone present. Who would be the first to break it? Pepper.
"It's so great to have you back!" Pepper exclaimed. She pulled Natasha into a light hug, not wanting to discomfort her, because she was now showing quite visibly. She then turned to hug Clint, who awkwardly patted her back when she did so. Stark shook Clint's hand and went to hug Natasha when her eyes flashed dangerously. He settled for a handshake. Steve and Banner followed suit, ending with Thor who either didn't see or ignored the subtle threat, and pulled both Barton's into a giant bear hug. Pepper laughed, and Thor grinned in his self-assured way.
"So, anything new?" Clint asked of his team. They exchanged looks.
"Why don't you follow us downstairs?" Tony proposed, smiling excitedly. Natasha and Clint shared a look, then nodded and followed. They all piled into the elevator, and Bruce punched the button to the 10th floor.
"I thought the tenth floor wasn't in use," stated Clint questioningly.
"It wasn't. Now it is." Tony refused to elaborate.
When the doors opened, Natasha and Clint's jaws dropped. They poured out into the previously bare floor.
"It's yours. All yours. This is the living area, beyond that is the master bedroom, then the nursery."
The newlywed's gazed in wonder at their new home. Stark taught them all the little tricks for the house. They especially appreciated the comprehensive security system. As they walked toward the kitchenette on the far left side of the living area, Stark showed them his favorite innovations.
"Oh, you guys are gonna love this. This coffeemaker doesn't require buttons. You can have any operator errors because you don't have to operate it," Tony noticed their confusion and continued, "You just tell JARVIS when you want coffee, or you can ask him to have it made at a certain time each morning."
"Excellent. I haven't had a good cup of coffee in weeks. The coffee in Paris is like mud." Clint said, breaking into a grin. Natasha rolled her eyes at her dreadfully uncultured husband. They thanked everyone for their help, and began to unpack their luggage. The rest of their belongings had already moved to their new floor. Natasha shuddered at the thought of her team going through her possessions. Well, she thought triumphantly, now they know how many knives I have, and they'll never try to mess with me again. She stopped short, and clutched her abdomen. Clint was immediately at her side.
"Is everything ok, Nat?" She nodded.
"I'm ok. I think the baby just kicked," she said, feeling surprisingly emotional. She held her abdomen for a few seconds longer, but having felt no more kicks, she let go. Clint relaxed; he knew it was normal for the baby to kick at this point in the pregnancy. Waves of realization washed over her. She was married. She had a husband; she was a wife. These facts she could handle. She was also pregnant. She was going to be a mother. She was going to be responsible for nurturing a human life, when she had taken so many. She would strive to do well by this child, for she refused to let this child be another stroke of red in her ledger. It will be happy, innocent, nurtured. In short, everything I was not, she thought, somewhat bitterly and somewhat forcefully. She was not exactly the face of maternity, but she would protect that kid with her last breath. Clint knew this as well, and smiled when, later that night, he saw her contemplating the small bump on her stomach. She was staring down at her torso, imagining what kind of person was growing inside her.
"I want to know if it's a boy or a girl," Clint said suddenly. He had been thinking about this a lot, and had decided he would be better prepared for parenthood if he knew if he was having a son or a daughter.
"I wanted to know as well, so after the last appointment I went back and asked the gender. We're having a daughter." Natasha stated. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Clint looked dumbfounded, and then broke into the ridiculous, overjoyed grin that Natasha loved so much.
"We're having a girl?" Clint clarified, to which Natasha nodded.
"What do you want her to be like?" Clint asked Natasha.
"I hope she's bright enough to deal with Tony and loves history enough to share in Phil's interests. I hope she's courageous enough that she doesn't fear Bruce and honorable enough to believe in Steve's values. I hope she respects authority enough to impress Fury and personable enough to get along with Pepper. Most of all, I hope she's understanding enough to love her parents, no matter how much red is in their ledgers," Natasha was surprised by the words that poured from her mouth, but knew they were true, and continued, "In short, I hope she has what it takes to reside in Avengers Tower." Clint sat silently, not knowing how to react. Then he pulled her close, kissed her gently, and put his hand on the little bump that was their baby.
"Alexandra Nadya Romanov Barton will be all that and more. She will be beautiful, and intelligent, and the toughest little girl in the world. Don't worry, Natasha, if she is anything like her mother, we'll be ok." He drifted off to sleep, his arms around her with his hands settled on her abdomen. She smiled to herself, thinking of the little family she found herself a part of. Yes, she viewed the Avengers as an extremely dysfunctional sort of family, but this was different. If it weren't for her past and her profession, they would be just like any other family. Normal. That was another thing she wanted for her daughter, for her life to be normal. That's a lost cause, she thought, as sleep overtook her.
February, March, and April passed. The frost that had once covered the top of the Tower was now long gone, replaced by flowers as requested by Pepper. April showers bring May flowers, she had exclaimed in a sing-song voice. The spring came forth in measured steps, and ushered May in gracefully. Natasha was surprisingly calm about the whole event that pregnancy was. She was, however, annoyed at the size of her stomach. She voiced her annoyance only once, and the team's replies were quite true to form.
"You're a normal size for this stage in your pregnancy," Bruce offered honestly.
"You'll get your body back soon after the baby is born, I'm sure," Pepper promised.
"You look fine. It's understandable to have a large stomach when you're…in a family way," Steve added, embarrassed. He didn't like the harsh word 'pregnancy' so he settled for a phrase from his time.
"It's ok that you're fat, Romanov. All pregnant chicks get fat," Tony said, before being dragged from the room and slapped sharply by a mortified Pepper. Romanov would have attacked him, but felt his punishment from Pepper would be more than fair.
"I think Lady Natasha looks radiant," Thor added. He was back on Midguard to visit Jane, who was teaching him some rules of conversation. Much to his surprise, not all that was thought was meant to be spoken. She also taught him what to say to remedy an insult, which he put to good use.
"Thank you, Thor," Natasha said. She had not expected any of these reactions; she had mentioned her trial so offhandedly. Then, when the rest of the teams' attentions had turned elsewhere, Clint leaned towards his wife.
"You know you look gorgeous, Natasha. What happened to my overly confident wife?" Clint asked, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.
"She got pregnant, no thanks to you," Natasha hissed, before walking gracefully to the couch. Clint looked sheepish, and sat down between his wife and Steve.
Later that night, Tony appeared in front of Clint and Natasha. Pepper stood next to him looking at him expectantly. He gave her a pleading look, but she shook her head adamantly. Finally, Tony spoke.
"Natasha, I would like to apologize for my behavior earlier. It has come to my attention that my remarks were inappropriate, given your condition. I am sorry for my actions and words, and I ask your forgiveness." Tony recited the well-rehearsed speech stiffly, and Natasha knew they were not Tony's words. She glanced at Pepper before shocking everyone.
"It's ok. Not a big deal." Pepper raised her eyebrow at Natasha, but Tony wasn't fooled.
"So that's it? No death threats? No knives? I get off scot free?" Tony said, in disbelief.
"No, I wouldn't quite say that," Natasha began, before tilting her head to, what seemed, the open air, "JARVIS, have you got video of Tony's little speech?"
"Yes, Mrs. Barton, I have video of Master Stark's apology." Tony looked confused, but fear gripped him as it dawned on him.
"Excellent. Send it to the Blackmail file on my personal computer." She smiled darkly as Tony's eyes narrowed.
"Right away, Mrs. Barton." The automated voice replied. Tony shot to the computer, attempting a manual override, but the damage was done. Once it was on her personal computer, it was gone, unless Stark could guess her password, which was unlikely, because it was Глаз ястреба, Russian for 'eye of the hawk'. Tony swore, knowing he would never guess the password for a woman so shrouded in mystery.
"Well, this was fun, but I think we're gonna head to bed," Clint said, breaking the tension and rising from his seat, before offering a hand to Natasha. She took it, and they headed for the elevator. When the door closed, Natasha hit the button for the tenth floor, and they descended toward their home in silence. Instead of going to bed, they went through the master bedroom, to the nursery. They had been doing this every night for a week, checking that the nursery was ready for their daughter. The nursery would be in use any day now, and the nervous parents checked again and again that they had everything they needed. They lacked for nothing, and they didn't really expect to find something missing. It was a comfort to see that they had all the necessary materials, when they felt so unprepared as people. They feared that they would be unable to raise the child, and that fear showed through when they were alone together.
"Are you sure we can do this?" Natasha asked; anxiety was bright in her eyes.
"We've been through much more trying times, Nat. Like when we were outnumbered four to one in Chile and you took them out with a steel pipe. Or when we ran out of ammo in Cairo and we escaped through the air ducts. We've faced mafia and murderers, terrorists and turncoats and we've always come out a little stronger. How hard can it be to raise a little girl?" Clint would come to regret these words, not so long from now. Natasha smiled, feeling reassured.
"Well, we ought to get to sleep," Natasha suggested, to which Clint nodded. They drifted off to sleep swiftly, but it was cut short when Natasha shot up at 4 in the morning. She turned to Clint and shook him, saying, "Clint wake up. We have to go." Clint was a light sleeper, which was a part of his training, so he sat bolt upright in a moment.
"Wait, you mean, like, now? To the hospital?" Clint asked, a knot of fear forming in his stomach.
"Yes, now. Get dressed, and then put the bag in the car." Natasha instructed. She got out of bed, dressed quickly and brushed out her curls carefully. Her pride would not allow her to go to the hospital when she wasn't presentable. Clint threw on jeans and a t-shirt before putting their bag in the back of the car, as well as the new car seat, which he installed carefully. Just as they were leaving their floor, Natasha stopped.
"JARVIS, when the team wakes up, tell them we've gone to the hospital." Natasha instructed; her voice was even and calm. Clint wasn't fooled; he had heard her falsely calm voice on many a mission. The robotic voice of JARVIS replied.
"When the residents awake, I shall notify them of your whereabouts, Mrs. Barton." In the midst of all her panic, she allowed for a small smile. Whenever she was referred to as 'Mrs. Barton' a little flutter arose in her chest. She stepped into the elevator, oddly drawing on the strength that JARVIS' words had given her. She was ready. Or, at least, as ready as she'd ever be.
Two hours later, Steve awoke. His military career still affected some parts of his life, so he rarely slept past 7 in the morning. He was startled by JARVIS' message, for he was still not used to the AI system's capabilities.
"Captain Rogers, Mr. and Mrs. Barton are at the hospital, awaiting the birth of their child. They left approximately three hours ago," the automated voice informed him. Steve stopped dead in his tracks. What do I do now?, Steve thought. I'll tell Pepper. He stood and left for her room. Upon arrival, he knocked cautiously on the door. If he had learned anything from living in the Tower, it was to always, always, knock. Pepper appeared at the door, still in pajamas. Steve informed her of the situation and she rushed to wake the rest of the team. They rose quickly and were soon on their way to the hospital. Bruce was hesitant, fearing the stress of a hospital would aggravate The Other Guy. Natasha had seen that once before, so he definitely didn't want to slip up again.
"How often are the contractions?" the nurse asked. Clint and Natasha were placed in a deluxe delivery room. It was a favor, from Tony.
"Six minutes." Natasha answered.
"How intense is the pain, on a scale of one to ten?" the nurse continued.
"1." Natasha stated honestly. She had an incredibly high pain tolerance, a product of her training, and found contractions to be a walk in the park compared to previous experiences. The nurse nodded, impressed. After a quick examination, the doctor told her that her cervix was dilated 2 centimeters. Clint took in the information, having no idea what any of it meant. He hurriedly flipped through a book about child delivery. He gave up after an hour of reading about everything that could possibly go wrong. He was freaking out. Pepper's arrival brought a wave of relief.
"How is she?" Pepper inquired.
"She's doing well. She's as tough as ever. She's dilating at a normal pace and the ultrasound shows the baby is in position for birth." He reeled off, reciting what he had heard from the nurses.
"Why aren't you in there with her?"
"The nurses suggested I step out, they didn't want my stress to concern Natasha." Pepper nodded. They waited until the rest of the team arrived, and then Clint went back in. Four hours later, she was 6 centimeters dilated and the contractions became increasingly painful. Natasha would admit to nothing above a 3 when asked about the pain intensity. Five hours more passed, and she was ready to push. Holding Clint's hand, she pushed, putting behind it the force of all her anxiety. Into the world was born a beautiful baby girl. After pushing out the afterbirth, Clint grimaced at the scene before him.
"It's like Budapest all over again." he said, leaning in to the tired but triumphant new mother.
"You and I remember Budapest very differently." she breathed, her chest rising and falling raggedly. The nurses cleaned everything up, then wrapped the baby in a soft pink blanket and handed her to Natasha. The baby cried out, opening its gray-blue eyes before falling asleep, trusting her mother to keep her safe.
"She has your eyes," Natasha marveled at the little miracle.
"And your hair," Clint noted, gesturing to the tuft of bright red peach fuzz on her head. Then Clint walked out into the waiting area.
"It's a girl! Alexandra Nadya Romanov Barton. 7 pounds, four ounces, 18 inches." he announced proudly to the group. "You can see her in a couple hours, after they both get checked out and cleaned up. Head on back to the house, we'll be there later." He glanced at his watch. It was five in the afternoon, on May 7th. The baby was born ten days early, but all signs pointed to a perfectly healthy baby and mother. Because Natasha kept her body in perfect form, she was allowed to go home with the baby that night at 8. Labor had lasted only 12 hours, which was unsurprising because Natasha hated long, drawn out events. Apparently, the baby agreed. They arrived at the Tower at 9. Natasha gave Clint the baby while she went and showered. Then she held Alexandra while he showered and changed. At 10, the new little family went upstairs to introduce their daughter to her incredibly dysfunctional, high maintenance, aggravating, and senseless, wonderful family. When the elevator opened, Pepper could barely contain her elation. She absolutely cherished the baby. Natasha allowed her to hold the newborn.
"Hi there Alexandra, I'm Pepper," she cooed. She held her as if she was a porcelain doll. Clint offered the baby to Bruce, who held her just long enough to declare her quite intelligent. Steve held her for a moment, but quickly handed the child to Tony. Uncharacteristically, Tony didn't speak. He simply looked into the eyes of the child before him, and wondered at her ability to be so trusting and happy in a world she had just entered. Then, he opened up.
"Hi there Alexandra, I'm Tony. You don't know it yet, but you're going to love it here, because in this horrible, corrupt, messed up world, there is beauty, in things like you." The room was silent, then, as it was getting quite late, Clint took Alexandra and the little family descended to their home. Alexandra was laid carefully in her crib, and the mobile of ballerinas were spinning gracefully above her head as she slept. Natasha and Clint laid in there bed, the realizations of their good fortune washing over them. Sleep came gracefully this night, dancing into their lives like the ballerinas that hung above their little miracle's head.
At two in the morning, Alexandra's crying broke her parents' peaceful sleep. The looked at each other, knowing this was their first true test. Together, they rose, and walked into the nursery. Clint picked up Alexandra and held her close, murmuring words of comfort, but she did not let up.
"She's hungry," he said, holding Alexandra out to her. Natasha accepted the child and sat on the rocking chair in the corner to feed her, rocking gently as she did so. Alexandra quickly quieted down, and Clint spoke up. "Alexandra Nadya is a pretty long name. Maybe she needs a nickname."
"What would we call her?" Natasha inquired thoughtfully.
"What about Alex or Nadya?" Clint offered.
"Alex." Natasha said firmly. Clint smiled.
"Alex is good." Clint said, smiling down on his daughter. "Yeah, Alex is good."
After feeding little Alex, Natasha walked around the apartment holding her, admiring the city lights and listening to the music softly playing in the corner. The words floated out into the ears of the mother and child.
"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance."
Natasha shed a tear at the truth of these words, staring down at the innocent little being in her arms. Clint, who was watching from the doorway, smiled and shook his head. I've seen her kill spies, attack terrorists, and jump out of a plane with a faulty parachute, he thought, and this is still the most insane thing I've ever seen her do. She would never be the stressed out stereotypical soccer mom, but she would be a wonderful mother.
A few weeks passed, and Alex grew by the day. She was a generally happy baby, and would allow anyone to hold her, as long as she returned to her parents soon. Though she woke often during the night, the sleep deprivation did not seem to affect Clint and Natasha. Pepper marveled at this, and finally voiced her awe at the energetic parents.
"Aren't you guys supposed to be super sleep deprived and exhausted?"
"As part of our training, we can both go up to three days without sleep and remain active. We catch sleep when we can, but either way we're ok." Clint replied.
"Wow. Maybe more parents should be required to pass SHIELD tests, if helps that much." Pepper said as she made breakfast. In the living room, Steve was holding Alex, who he saw as a niece. Her hair clung to her head in scarlet swirls. He tested her eye tracking, as Bruce had taught him, by moving his finger back and forth and watching how her eyes followed his finger. Because she could track well, it suggested that she had good eyesight and attention span. All the residents of Avengers Tower spent time with Alex, and her parents reluctantly allowed her to leave their sight. Overprotective was an understatement. The bond of marriage grew as the stress of parenthood rose.
When Alex was five months old, Clint and Natasha decided they needed to get back to work. SHIELD had been extremely understanding about the whole thing, perhaps in recompense for the control SHIELD maintained on their lives. Clint and Natasha had been feeling restless for a while now, and had taken it upon themselves to get Natasha back in shape. They laid out mats in their living room for sparring and set up targets on an unused floor to practice shooting and throwing knives. When they sparred they were very evenly matched. Clint had more muscle tone and brute strength, while Natasha had the advantage of speed and agility. He would go to strike and as soon as he was sure he'd got her, she'd be behind him, sweeping out his leg. He'd rise quickly and turn into a strike the abdomen, which she would barely avoid. He'd kick out and she'd soar over his outstretched leg, displaying her acrobatic prowess. After fifteen minutes of back and forth, she got the advantage. He had gone to elbow her in the stomach but hesitated. That was when she struck. She threw her elbow under his raised arm and used her foot to knock him off balance, driving her elbow into his ribcage causing him to topple over. She pinned him using her feet to restrain his legs and forced his arms to the mat. She relaxed her grip but didn't get off him.
"Ok, you won that one, Nat." Clint admitted. A scarlet curl blocked his view of her brilliant green eyes, and he reached up and tucked it behind her ear.
"I think it's time we report back to Fury." Natasha said, still not letting Clint off the mat.
Just as she said this, Bruce walked in. Embarrassed, he quickly left, but not before muttering, "How many kids are they trying to have?" Natasha laughed, Clint went red, laughing nervously, and then they went downstairs for target practice. Clint whipped out his collapsible bow, quickly taking out the various moving targets with his target arrows. Natasha stepped up and emptied a clip into the first ten dummies. She quickly switched to the knives strapped to her calf, hitting to kill on the next eight targets. Clint was impressed at her expertise, because she had not picked up a weapon for months. She's deadly with or without weapons, he thought to himself. I only hope Alex is as strong her mother. They stored the weaponry in a vault behind the painting above their bed before heading upstairs, Alex in tow.
"We're going out. Do you all mind watching Alex while we head to base?" Clint asked the team who were standing around the island in the kitchen. Pepper immediately took the infant from their arms.
"We'd love to. Why are you both going to the base?" Pepper queried, holding Alex as she sat on the kitchen stool.
"We've decided we need to get back to work." Natasha answered. Pepper nodded. Natasha showed her where the formula was and got in the car. They headed to the undisclosed location that was SHIELD's New York base. Upon arrival, they went through the many levels of security, retina, fingerprint, and DNA scans to name a few. They walked to Fury's office, the location of which not many were aware, including those who worked on base every day. Both Barton's were Clearance Level 9 so they had been to Fury's office enough to find it quickly. When they entered, he looked up apprehensively and then relaxed upon recognizing the agents in front of him.
"Agent Romanov, Agent Barton, what can I do for you?" Fury asked of his two best agents.
"Firstly, you know we're both Barton's now; you were at the wedding. Secondly, we'd like to be put back on active duty. Clint informed.
"Do you feel you are prepared to take on a mission?" Fury questioned.
"Do you have one for us?" Natasha asked, not bothering to hide her eagerness.
"Not yet. We should be getting one for you soon, once we've done some fact checking. All we'll need is for you to house an 0-8-4." "Who is pursuing the object?" Natasha probed.
"An investor named Ian Quinn. We had some trouble with him and some gravitonium a while back, and the object is another one of his projects."
"Any idea when we'll be needed?" Clint asked.
"Could be any day." Fury replied. They nodded and turned to leave, but Fury had one more request. "You had a child. Is it a boy or a girl?"
Clint pulled a photo from his wallet in the incredibly cliché way that every father did so. Pointing to the picture, he told Fury "A girl, Alexandra Nadya. Alex for short.
"Who is pursuing the object?" Natasha probed.
"An investor named Ian Quinn. We had some trouble with him and some gravitonium a while back, and the object is another one of his projects."
"Any idea when we'll be needed?" Clint asked.
"Could be any day." Fury replied. They nodded and turned to leave, but Fury had one more request. "You had a child. Is it a boy or a girl?"
Clint pulled a photo from his wallet in the incredibly cliché way that every father did so. Pointing to the picture, he told Fury "A girl, Alexandra Nadya. Alex, for short."
"She's beautiful. And she could be in grave danger at any given time; you understand that, don't you?" Fury became serious.
"We appreciate the concern, Director Fury. You can be sure we're doing everything we can to keep her safe. That, along with the security system Tony set up, ensures that she's as a safe as the President's daughters." Natasha stated, bristling a little at Fury's warning. Honestly, she thought, does he really think we haven't figured this out yet? On the ride home she thought about it more and more, becoming increasingly paranoid by the minute. As Avengers Tower came into view, her worst fears were realized. An unmarked chopper hovered above Tower, men in dark suits slid down the ladder that hung from it. Clint saw it too and slammed on the accelerator. Natasha pulled out her phone and opened up her remotely accessible JARVIS app.
"JARVIS, lock down the 10th floor." She said, the fear in her voice was prevalent.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Barton; my security systems have been overridden." The automated voice replied. As Clint threw the car into park, Natasha leapt out of the vehicle, running to the stairs. She shot up floor by floor, glancing around quickly for any sign of her team and her child. She found Pepper on the 8th floor, shaking uncontrollably and rocking Alex. Natasha was no longer Natasha; she was Black Widow.
"Where's the team?" she asked, pulling Pepper to her feet.
"They're on the roof fighting them off. There's too many of them. They aren't normal; they're stronger. They have these weird spine things on their arms that are full of orange liquid." The Black Widow swore.
"Centipede. Take Alex and go to the fifth floor. There's a bunker there. Once you get there, don't move until I come get you." The assassin instructed. Pepper nodded and left quickly. Black Widow returned to the stairs and quickly made it to the roof. Counting quickly, she analyzed the situation. 100 total. 11 dead. 18 disabled. 71 left to take out. The Hulk was taking them out one by one because the serum allowed them to survive a punch from the gamma radiation-made monster. He grunted as the attackers ganged up on him five to one. Iron Man was flying up and landing down on their necks, not caring if they were paralyzed or killed. Tony may have been a self-centered man, but when he fought it was for the people in his life. He fought for Pepper, his team, and little Alex.
"Thor, behind you!" Tony called. Thor turned quickly, heeding Tony's well timed 's hammer was enough to take out multiple targets, but they were too fast to get more than one at a time. The demigod roared angrily at the attackers, flinging Asguardian insults mixed with some Midguardian words he had learned from his teammates. Cap flung his shield, hitting them in the chest; the sickening crunch of collapsed ribcages rang out every time he did so. Hawkeye had stopped at the 10th floor to collect his bow and a few handguns.
"Nat! Here!" Black Widow took the weapons from him and swiftly took out a dozen targets. She found a shot to the eye was the most effective, and made the information known to all.
"Hit them in the eye, it's their only weak spot!" There were now 47 dead and 23 disabled. 30 more targets. Soaring across the roof, Thor took out three of them. Hawkeye pulled back the string of his bow, the whipping sound of a released arrow resounded, and one of the attackers that had been coming after Black Widow breathed his last. Iron Man threw three of the assailants off the Tower. Hulk, well, smashed two more. Cap dropped his shield and took on an enemy hand-to-hand, proving his serum's superior effects. One left. Black Widow locked her sights onto the target and down they went. She did a head count. 99. She swore again, and turned to see one of the attackers heading for the stairs.
"One of them made it past us; they're heading downstairs." Downstairs. Where Pepper and Alex were. If she weren't so full of adrenaline she would have balled up in a corner and rocked herself into insanity from fear. She soared from landing to landing following close behind the assailant, her team right behind her. Downstairs, Pepper heard someone coming down the stairs and stood up in the bunker, still holding Alex, expecting it to be part of the team. When the Centipede soldier opened the door, she screamed. She held Alex tight, knowing she was never going to see the light of day again. He dropped dead, revealing Black Widow holding a lead pipe. In a flash, Black Widow was gone. Picking up her daughter, Natasha returned.
After the battle, the team inspected the damage. JARVIS reported that there was no compromising structural damage. As most of the battle occurred on the roof, there was little to clean up save for the hundred bodies on the floor. Black Widow walked among the living, the unconscious and paralyzed, with a gruesome looking tool in hand. She stuck the machine into their right eyes, it whirred and pulled out their eyes from the disabled attackers. SHIELD showed up, took the living ones into custody and disposed of the dead quickly. When cleanup was done, Black Widow went to shower. As the blood and dirt and dust washed down the draim, so did the persona that was Black Widow. When the steam of the shower cleared, out stepped Natasha Barton. She threw on jeans and a gray SHIELD t-shirt, brushing out her wet hair and returned to the living room, taking Alex from Pepper's arm. She picked up a colorful book full of animals and insects and read to her infant. Though she didn't understand the story, Alex giggled and cooed at the pretty birds and furry animals. Natasha drew breath for the first time in what seemed like years, finally accepting that her daughter was safe and happy and still innocent. She was glad Alex's face had been toward Pepper's shoulder when the last attacker had been taken out. She never wanted her daughter to see the horrors Natasha had seen. The things she had seen and endured as a child had made her Black Widow, a seductress, a killer, a spy. This child was giving her the chance to be something else. Because every child is born to the belief that their parents are good, those parents are given the chance to be good. Alex was giving her mother a chance to be Natasha, the woman who loved her and cared for her. She was giving her father the chance to be Clint Barton, not Hawkeye, the first of many men to be wrapped around her finger. Clint absolutely adored his daughter. When everyone was gathered on the communal floor, they discussed the attack.
"Who were those guys?" Tony wanted to know.
"They're the product of an organization called Centipede. They've created something similar to Steve's super soldier serum. Those orange spiny things on their backs and arms pump the serum into them. Its uses low levels of gamma radiation to give them strength." Bruce soured at Clint's words, knowing full well the kind of strength gamma rays gave a man.
"What were you doing with that eye thing, Natasha?" Bruce asked.
"Centipede places a machine in their soldier's eye that gives them instructions. If they're captured, Centipede presses a button and the machine in their eye blows up, killing them instantly. I wanted some of them alive so we could interrogate them." Natasha answered.
"If their serum is like mine, why could I beat them in hand to hand combat?" Steve asked.
"They haven't gotten their serum quite right. They've had trouble in the past with an Extremis effect that made the subjects explode." Clint supplied.
"I think the real question here is why they were here." Pepper put in. She was still shaken from the day's happenings.
"I think I can answer that." Phil Coulson said from the elevator. Steve, Clint and Natasha stood at attention immediately; he waved them off after shaking their hands. Pepper greeted him with a warm smile. Thor stood and pulled Phil into a crushing hug. Bruce greeted Phil while Tony poured him a glass of scotch. Phil accepted it, took a sip and began a long winded explanation. "Earlier today Agents Barton went to Fury to request being put back on active duty. Fury told them of an upcoming mission wherein they would store and protect an 0-8-4, or a super powered object of unknown origin. Ian Quinn was in pursuit of the object. We've suspected him of backing Centipede financially for some time. In the past he invested in a highly volatile element called gravitonium, and more recently, he backed two cadets at SHIELD Academy in the Science department who were creating devices that could turn any water in the area into ice in a matter of seconds. It seems that Centipede was under the impression you already had the object in your possession. That's why they sent so many, in the hopes that if even one assailant got by that they could attain the 0-8-4. The one that did get past went for the bunker assuming that's where it would be hidden. They knew about the bunker soon after they arrived, because when they hacked JARVIS they pulled up the blueprints to the building. We have reason to believe the hacker was Miles Lyndon. We're currently working with a consulting hacker that defected from The Rising Tide to track his whereabouts."
"I'm surprised you were allowed to tell us that much." Bruce commented.
"Well with your collective resources, you would have found out anyway. I told Fury you wouldn't accept a simple 'That's classified.'" Phil responded.
"Should we expect any more attacks?" Steve asked.
"We don't think so, but as always, keep on alert." Everyone nodded in agreement at Phil's reply before he continued. "Now, I have more pressing matters to attend to."
"Which are?" Tony inquired expectantly.
"I haven't even met this little one." Phil said, gesturing to the baby in Clint's arms. Clint cautiously handed Alex to Phil, who stared in awe at the little one. Beyond the ruby red hair, Alex also had her mother's pixie-like pointed ears and chin. "She looks just like you, Natasha. But she has your eyes, Clint," The proud parents nodded. Phil left soon after, knowing the team needed their sleep. The exhaustion of the day came over them suddenly, and one by one they went to bed, leaving only Tony and Pepper.
"Tony, we need to talk." Pepper began.
"Uh, no. I make it a rule to never participate in conversations that start that way." Tony replied.
"You know how we've been together for a while now?" Pepper persisted.
"Yes. Speaking of which, do you have plans this Saturday?" Tony said, changing the subject.
"Well, no but-"Pepper started, but Tony cut her off.
"Good, we're going to Le Bernadin. Now, I'm tired. Goodnight." He kissed her briefly and then left abruptly, leaving Pepper puzzled. What am I going to do about him? Pepper asked herself. It was question she'd asked herself many times over the years and she hadn't come up with a good answer yet. She shook her head and went to bed, leaving her unanswered questions for the following day.
The next day was rather uneventful. Bruce spent the day in Tony's lab; he was the only one Tony allowed into his workshop. Steve spent the morning reading up on the 70's. It had taken him nearly half a year to get through the 60's because it was such a history filled time. He was confused by the anti-military attitude and amazed by the astronaut's feats. When he had read the story of the fateful day in Dallas when Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy, Steve shed a single tear, pondering the nation's loss. The 70's proved a much quicker read. Natasha was curled up on her crimson Egyptian cotton sheets, catching up on the sleep she so desperately needed. Being on maternity leave for so long had dulled her skills and the previous day's battle had drained her of all her energy. Clint was in the nursery with Alex, holding a stuffed monkey above her head and making silly faces that made her smile that smile that melted his heart. He heard someone step into the nursery, someone with much heavier footing than Natasha. He looked up to see Tony standing by the crib looking oddly unconfident.
"What's up, Stark?" Clint asked.
"How did you ask Romanov to marry you?" Tony asked nonchalantly. Clint saw right through him, but decided to humor him for a minute.
"I took her to the place I first saw her, just outside JFK airport; then the place I realized I loved her, in an alley where she saved my life. Then I took her to the roof and told her this was another one of our milestone places. I told her to look out at the city and when she did I got down on one knee and asked her if she would be my wife." Clint told the story fondly. "So, when are you popping the question?"
"Oh, no I'm not," Tony stopped when he saw the disbelieving look on Clint's face, "Ok yeah I'm asking Pepper tomorrow night. I'm taking her to Le Bernardin for dinner, and then we'll walk in Central Park. I'll have a GPS tracker that will notify JARVIS when we reach Columbus Circle, setting off a set of well-coordinated pyrotechnics that will write her name in the sky. Then I'll say 'Pepper Potts is a nice name. It'd be even better if it was Pepper Stark.' I'll get down on one knee and ask her to marry me."
"I'm impressed, Tony. Pepper will love it." Clint informed him.
"Good. I think she suspects I'm doing it soon. Last night she said the words 'we need to talk'" Tony said nervously. Clint had never seen Tony so self-conscious since he had known him.
"You'll be ok, I'm sure." Clint knew how it felt to ask the love of his life to marry him, how your heart stops until she says yes and how ecstatic you feel when she does because she's just agreed to never leave your side. "Ooh Tony's gonna pop the question?" Natasha teased from the door.
"Hey spider, don't you have somewhere else to be?"
"Considering this my floor, no."
"Well if Itsy Bitsy Spider over here is gonna keep talking, I'm leaving." In a sudden rage, she punched Stark in the chest, swearing when her knuckles crashed into the glowing arc reactor in his chest. Tony winced, and Clint set Alex down to restrain his wife, but she was too quick and soon had Tony in a double arm-bar hold. "Don't ever call me that again," she seethed. When she let go, Tony left, but not before sticking his tongue out at her childishly.
"Someone's a little on edge." Clint joked.
"Stark doesn't fear me as much as before I had Alex, so I decided to set some things straight." Natasha explained. Her pride would not allow her to seem soft to anyone except Clint and Alex.
"I can't believe Tony's proposing tonight." Clint said.
"I can. Pepper's been waiting for him to do this for a while now." Natasha explained.
"I just hope it all goes well." Clint replied.
The next night, Pepper put on a deep purple dress and amethyst and silver jewelry, picked up her silver purse and met Tony at the door. They hopped into the Corvette and sped off to the restaurant. They had a delicious meal at the restaurant and the cool October night held a hunter's moon above Central Park where they walked hand in hand. When they came upon Columbus Circle, the tracker on Tony's wrist flashed. Across the black velvet sky, rockets shot every which way until their message became clear. Pepper Potts. Pepper's face lit up with joy as she stared at her name in the sky. She turned to Tony and was shocked to see him down on one knee.
"Pepper Potts is a beautiful name, befitting of the beautiful woman to whom in belongs. But I'm asking you to change it, to Pepper Stark. Pepper, will you marry me?" Tony asked, his heart pounding, holding out a two carat diamond ring, laced with sapphires, set in white gold.
"Yes!" She exclaimed, kissing him deeply before allowing him to place the ring on her finger. Clapping and shouts of congratulations ensued; Pepper assumed they were random onlookers but looked up to see her team. She gave everyone huge hugs, while Steve clapped Tony on the back in congratulations. As the team gathered around a bench in the park, passersby looked cynically at their happiness, wondering if they even knew what kind of stuff was happening in the world. The onlookers could never know it, but the team knew better than most.
4 and a half years later, on May 7th, the whole team was gathered around the table to celebrate Alex's fifth birthday. Pepper had two year old Anthony, or Tony Jr., on her lap, while Tony Sr. was cutting the cake. Jane was holding her three year old, Tyr Loki Odinson, who was as boisterous as Thor and as smart as Jane. Alex was dancing around the room, displaying the ballet her mother had taught her. Natasha had trained in ballet for ten years; it gave her the grace, athleticism, and acrobatic expertise she had. Alex was now a spritely girl, a little short for her age with a petite frame, and extremely intelligent. When she blew out the candles, her wish was that she would someday be a princess. In the eyes of all present, she already was. She opened the presents wildly, tearing at the wrapping paper with no thought to the fragility of what might be inside. She squealed in delight at what she found. Thor and Jane had given her a new pink tutu, which she put on immediately. Phil gave her a set of fairy wings and a wand, with which she went around granting wishes. Tony and Pepper gave her a tablet, loaded with 365 books of increasingly difficult reading levels, one for each day. Alex was an avid reader, and was constantly bored for lack of challenges. She was in kindergarten at a prestigious school; she could have skipped a grade or two, but her parents wanted to ensure her social skills wouldn't suffer because she was younger than the rest of her class. Bruce had gotten her some dress up clothes: princess costumes and crowns and tiaras. Her favorite present by far was from Steve. It had come in an unwrapped brown box, covered in holes. From inside, Alex heard whimpering.
"Go on, open it." Steve instructed. She did so, her curiosity rising, and shrieked with joy when she saw the golden retriever puppy in the box.
"I'm naming her Princess!" she declared proudly. Steve laughed.
"Alex, sweetie, your puppy's a boy." he informed. She thought for a moment, and then came up with a solution.
"Fine, I'll call him Prince."
"That's a great name, Alex." Pepper told her.
"Have you had a happy birthday, Alex?" her father asked.
"Yes, daddy." Alex smiled at her father, who couldn't help but smile back. She held the puppy on her lap, petting it softly. "Can we have ice cream?" she asked suddenly.
Natasha shook her head saying, "No, you already had cake. You'll get sick if you eat too much."
"I'll get sick if I eat too much, but how do you know ice cream and cake is too much?" her precocious child reasoned.
"Looks like she's won that one," Bruce laughed. Alex's face lit up with the devilish grin she had adopted from Uncle Tony. The team and their progeny together ate about a gallon of ice cream, Thor putting away over half on his own. After the boys had their sugar crash, Pepper and Jane let Alex play mommy, covering up the boys on the couch in blankets and taking their empty ice cream bowls to the sink. An hour later, a tired but happy Alex climbed into bed. Clint and Natasha sat on each side of her, reading a bedtime story until she fell asleep against her father's shoulder. Natasha carefully shifted her into a more comfortable position and pulled the covers over her. As they went to leave, she turned back for one last look. Clint held his wife at the waist and she leaned her head on his shoulder, looking at Alex proudly.
"She's grown up so fast." Natasha whispered. Clint nodded.
"If she gets any more like you, I'm gonna need help." Clint joked, eyeing the only five year old he knew who rolled their eyes. 'Cause I don't think I should love anyone as much as I love these two girls, he finished in his mind.
Eleven years later, Alex was a beautiful 16 year old girl. She had a few close friends and was one of the smartest people in her grade. She was a unique beauty, having cherry red hair and pale skin that adorned her naturally petite figure. It wasn't the usual dyed blonde and tanning bed bronzed skin look her classmates had. She walked confidently and gracefully, in a decidedly Natasha styl. Fourteen year olds Tony Jr. and Tyr were freshman, but were both very popular. Tony had his mother's ambitious personality and his father's genius that put him in all advanced classes. Lacking his father's ego, Tony Jr. was a caring and understanding young man with wit quick enough to match his father. Thor was a football star, a cornerback who not only took the offense down ferociously but also ran it back for a touchdown at least once every game. Alex tried to ignore her 'cousins' at school but Tony and Thor often hung around to talk to her friends, Tony using the smooth moves he'd learned from his dad and Thor using his popularity and his confidence. He had the body of a senior, at 6'5" and 160 pounds of raw muscle in freshman year, and he carried himself in such a way that he seemed even bigger. They came into the Tower loudly, slinging their backpacks anywhere.
"I'm not driving you home ever again if you guys don't get a better taste in music." Alex warned.
"I have a good sense of music." Tony Jr. defended. Tyr agreed.
"Pop? Really?" Alex said rolling her eyes.
"At least we listen to music from this century!" Tyr retorted.
"My music rocks. ACDC, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Queen. Those are real bands." Alex said, pulling out her homework and sitting down at the kitchen table to start it. "JARVIS, play some of Uncle Tony's music." As the opening notes to Highway to Hell blared, Alex pulled out her phone and smiled inexplicably. Tony Jr. noticed right away and quickly took the phone from her hands. She threw out her leg to trip him and succeeded, but not before he tossed the phone to Tyr. Tyr climbed up on the table and read the most recent message on the screen.
"Can't wait to see you tonight babe." Tyr read. "From some guy named Chris."
"Who's Chris, Alex, your boyfriend?" Tony Jr. teased. The adults, who had previously been ignoring the spat decided to step in.
"Tyr, give Alex the phone back and get off the table. Tony, stop teasing. Alex, what is going on?" Steve asked as he oversaw the completion of his instructions.
"I'm going out tonight with Chris." Alex said nonchalantly.
"What, like a boy? For a date?" Clint asked, his voice a mixture of confusion, anger, and fear.
"Yeah, dad, a boy. It's a date. It's no big deal." Alex shrugged off her father's questions. He persisted.
"So what's this boy like? Tell me about him before I say whether or not you can go with him."
"His name is Chris Elliot, he's in my grade and he's on the football team." Alex informed shortly. Clint let up on his interrogation. He was a SHIELD trained operative; he had much more effective ways of gaining information without making his daughter think he was super overprotective. When Alex left to study in her room, he approached the boys.
"So what do you guys know this Chris kid?" Clint asked.
"He's ok. Gets mostly B's. Pretty cool guy. Girls seem to like him." Tony said, not bothering to look up from his homework.
"He's on the football team, offense, and he's a pretty tough guy. He's always got a girl waiting for him at the end of the game." Tyr added.
"Great. My daughter's going on a date with a ladies man." Clint sighed.
"Clint, you're being ridiculous. She's sixteen, let her have her fun." Natasha said soothingly.
"She can have fun, that's fine. I just don't want that kid to have fun, especially with our daughter." Clint said angrily. Suddenly Natasha saw it in a new light.
"Tony, Tyr, what kind of reputation does this kid have when it comes to girls?" Natasha inquired. Tony went red, but Tyr displayed his father's blunt honesty.
"He gets a lot of action." Clint spluttered for a moment before Natasha pulled him aside.
"We're tailing them tonight." she informed him.
"Obviously. You find out where they're going while I gear up." Clint replied. She stopped him as he turned to leave.
"Taser heads only, Clint." Natasha warned, smiling, as she headed towards her daughter's room. Alex was doing her hair up in curls, pinning them to the back of her head. She wore light makeup and a short red dress with a black band around the waist.
"So where are you two going tonight?" she queried as she took a seat by her daughter's vanity.
"Just dinner and a movie." Alex replied.
"Are you excited?" Natasha asked carefully.
"Yeah, I mean it's my first official date. I just hope dad doesn't get too overbearing when Chris picks me up." Alex said, spraying hairspray around her head as she did so.
"Your father is just watching out for you." Natasha defended.
"I can take care of myself." Alex said defiantly. Natasha smiled at the thought of all the times she'd told Clint those words, and how he always took care of her anyway. Alex caught this and asked curiously "What are you smiling about?"
"Your father has a habit of caring for people whether or not they ask for it, even if they tell him they don't need it." Natasha answered. Alex rolled her eyes at her mother's sentiment.
"Whatever. It's 7; Chris is gonna be here soon." Alex said, changing the subject subtly. Natasha followed her down to the first floor where Clint was waiting for both of them. He handed Natasha her purse, in which he had stored a sedative, a Taser, and a can of pepper spray. All three looked up when the doorbell rang. Clint opened the door, looking down expressionlessly at the young man at the door. Clint quickly took in the details of his appearance. He was 6" tall, 150 pounds, with a small but athletic frame. He shook his hand, using just enough force to instill fear.
"You must be Chris, I'm Clint Barton, Alex's dad."
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Barton." Chris returned.
"And I'm Natasha Barton, Alex's mom." Natasha introduced herself.
"Ok, well, bye." Alex said, trying to slip out as soon as possible.
"Not so fast," Clint stopped her and faced Chris, "You will have her home at 11 or I will find you. Make no mistakes; I will not bother to call the police. I can and will find you."
"Clint, stop, you're scaring the poor boy." Natasha laughed, secretly agreeing with him. Chris and Alex left in Chris's car and 15 minutes later, the protective parents set out. Quickly locating the restaurant, they went inside discreetly and when they weren't stealing glances at the pair, they had a nice meal together. They reminisced about all the ops they'd done where they had to pose as a couple on a date; that was before they'd started dating in real life. When Alex and Chris left to the theater, they followed them using their many covert tactics they'd learned at SHIELD. They bought tickets to the movie Alex and Chris were seeing, Saving Mr. Banks, and took a seat a few rows back. Clint found the film boring but Natasha actually enjoyed it. Clint spent the time carefully observing his daughter and her date. He had spent much longer doing much less so he wasn't too bored. When the film was over they were careful to slip out first and position themselves in an alley across from Avengers Tower. When they saw Chris's car pull up to the Tower, they were pleased to see him run around and open the car door for her before walking her to door. He leaned in for a goodnight kiss, which Alex returned. Natasha had prepared herself for this, but had to restrain Clint who had notched an arrow at the sight of it. Chris's hand roamed beyond its place on Alex's waist and just as Clint was about to let the arrow fly, he saw something that shocked him. Alex grabbed the offending hand and twisted it behind his back. When she let him go and he turned around, she kneed him in the groin for good measure. Angrily, Chris got in his car and drove off, ashamed that a girl had done that to him. Natasha was impressed. Clint was dumbfounded. When she entered the Tower, they quickly followed. Speeding up the stairs, they were waiting for her when the elevator opened on the 15th floor.
"How was your date?" Natasha asked.
"It was ok. I won't be going with him again though." Alex answered shortly, a touch of pride in her voice.
"Why not?" Natasha asked as if she didn't know.
"He's not really my type. Kind of an idiot." Alex said before sitting on the couch next to her cousins, who were watching Skyfall.
"She's just like her mother," Clint told his wife quietly.
"Thank God for that," she joked. Both parents looked with pride at their daughter, knowing she was just as strong as they were, just in a different way. Yeah, she can take care of herself, they thought simultaneously, before taking their place in the living room.
After that night, Alex had plenty of other dates. Her parents never followed her again. She graduated with honors, and went to college for a Communications degree. After she graduated college she got a job offer from many different companies, but with a little push from Phil, she went to work for SHIELD, directly under Maria Hill. She became everything her parents ever wanted her to be, and always had more black than red in her ledger.