Welcome back to the 495 Universe! In case you missed it, this is part of a larger series, so go check out my profile for the reading order. For those of you still here... come on in; the water's LOVELY.
Chapter 1: Hello, James
Just before Christmas, Scott and Jean had welcomed their twins into the world, so instead of going out to the cabin for as long as they usually did, Clint and his family had stuck around to meet little Nate and Lizzie Summers… and then gone to the cabin after Christmas.
They wanted to go before K was too close to her due date, because Hank knew for a fact that K was a flight risk the closer the time came for what was going to have to be a surgery… but on the other hand, K had to get out in the fresh air.
And it ended up being perfect anyway, because Katie's birthday was on New Year's Eve, so they kicked off their stay at the cabin with birthday cake for Katie instead of Clint (since Clint had his at Avengers Tower, which was almost as awesome as having it at the cabin) and then stuck around for a few weeks until it was pretty clear K had to go back if she wanted to have access to Hank and a dampener that would let her have painkillers and put her out for the whole thing.
Susie was totally fascinated by that part of things, too. She'd thought it was so cool how Hank had made Jean go all loopy when he had to perform a C-section to get the twins, and she was kinda looking forward to seeing if K got loopy too.
But unlike with Jean, Hank asked Susie to please wait outside and take care of her sister while he went to work — especially since K had gone into an honest panic when things really started to get rolling.
Which meant that the Barton boys and the Bishop girls were all waiting outside the room trying to figure out what to do with themselves… until, finally, Hank said that they could come in.
K was clearly exhausted as she held on to the little bundle, and she looked as if she was really only then catching her breath, which was a big switch from when Jean had the twins. Logan had sat down with her so she could lean on him, and K was absolutely taking advantage. "Hi, guys," she said quietly. "Come and meet James."
Susie was actually the fastest of all four of the kids — since Clint and Barney had suddenly turned a little uncertain, and Katie had shorter legs. But Katie made it there shortly after, and both girls climbed up with wide eyes.
"He looks like Nate and Lizzie," Susie says. "All babies look all pink and wrinkly — and they've got big heads."
"He's got a lot more hair than Nate or Lizzie," Hank said with a smirk.
"Yeah, and Lizzie's all red and Nate's all brown. But they all look like babies, not like Logan or Scott or Jean or K…" Susie shrugged. "I guess they're just still too little."
"I think he's still pretty cool," Clint said softly, inching around to the other side of the bed with Barney to peek over at the little guy.
"I think he's got his father's nose," K said, tipping James so the boys could see him better. "What say you, sweethearts?"
"I think…" Barney looked between James and Logan. "Yeah. It's kinda shaped the same."
"Can I hold him?" Clint asked, glancing up at K hesitantly. "Is… is that okay?"
"Of course it is," K said, moving over to make room for him to join her. "He is your little brother."
"Yeah, but he's so little," Clint said as he came to sit with her. And just like that, K started to hand James over to Clint, and Logan gave him a few easy pointers, and before Clint knew it, he was holding James all on his own.
Katie giggled when she saw Clint and James. "You're gonna break your face!" she called out. "That's what Jean says if you smile that big!"
"He's not going to break his face," K said, shaking her head.
"Yeah, he is! He's too happy!"
K let out a tired breath at that. "Barney, did you want to say hello, too?"
Barney nodded tentatively. "Yeah," he said. "Wow. I remember meeting Clint, but… he seems smaller…"
"Well … not sure if you noticed, but it's not like we're giants," K said.
"Yeah, I noticed that Clint's got you both beat now, and he's nine," Barney laughed.
"Don't think the world could handle it if I was taller," Logan said with a smirk.
"Yeah, then there'd be two super tall superheroes," Clint said with a grin. "You and me."
Logan smirked at that. "Guess we'll never know how that'd work out."
"Maybe James'll be taller," Susie offered. "My dad says that he's hoping Nate gets as tall as a tree so Scott has to look up at him."
K leaned back into Logan a little more. "It's possible … my father was taller."
"See?" Susie gestured between K and Logan. "Then they can be super tall together!"
"Little ways out to worry about it," Logan said, making room for Susie, too. "Come on, you too, troubles. I know you wanna."
Susie smiled and climbed up to be part of the snuggles. "Well, he's Katie's little brother. I've got my fuzzy blue dad. Can I still kiss him on the head like I do with Lizzie and Nate?"
"You sure can," Logan said, nodding.
Susie grinned at that and then leaned over to very gentle kiss James' head. "Hi, James. I'm your big sorta sister too. The not-weird one."
"My Clint says being weird is good because it's like being like our mom!" Katie countered, sticking her tongue out at Susie.
But before the two of them could get into much of an argument, there was a sound of pure joy from the doorway, and they looked up to see that Jean had her hands clasped underneath her chin and was almost bouncing in place — and clearly would have rushed over if she wasn't holding Lizzie.
Not that it was going to stop Rachel, who had escaped her dad (who was hampered by holding Nate) and rushed over to join the snuggles, giggling madly.
"You got your baby!" she sang out. "You got your baby!"
"Hey, little sweetpea; how'd you know to come down?" K asked, though she had glanced up at Jean and Scott.
Rachel giggled. "My mom knows everything!"
"Jean was worried," Scott said with a smirk.
"Sorry about that," K said Jean's way. "Really."
"It's alright," Jean promised. "Because now, you've got the cutest little guy — I mean, second only to mine, but that's no contest."
Logan snorted at that. "Nice save, Jeannie."
"She saw the nose," Scott deadpanned without missing a beat.
"It's Daddy's," Katie informed him with a bright smile.
Scott smirked and ruffled her hair as he came over. "Sure is."
"I love his nose," K said before she stole a kiss from Logan. "Clint … why don't you let Jean hold James before she steals him from you anyhow."
"Oh, I guess," Clint said with a smile as Jean handed Lizzie to K so she could pick up the little boy. "But only 'cause you're right and she's a baby thief."
"I am. I am not even a little bit sorry," Jean said, positively melting all over the little guy.
"You're transparent, Mrs. Summers," K said.
"I know," Jean said with a smile. "But, oh, see if you can get a smile — the twins are doing it sometimes, but not all the time."
"Nate did it first," Scott teased.
"Nate did it to you first," Jean shot back without missing a beat.
"Oh, no," K said, shaking her head. "That had to be gas. False start. Nice try, Scott."
Jean laughed out loud. "Ha! Told you!"
"Scott, you know we know when you're lying," K said, giving him a look that made it clear that he was being ridiculous. "This competitive thing with your wife is ugly."
Scott smirked. "Lies. Nothing I do is ugly. Especially not with a baby."
Logan shook his head at the two of them as K took it up a step: "Well … not when Jean made sure they'd be the pretty ones between you."
Scott paused and then burst into a laugh. "I can't even argue, because my kids are gorgeous."
"Like their mother," K agreed. "You got lucky."
"You know it."
"Well, now that that's established…" Jean smiled and made her way over to Scott. "Your turn. Trade me baby boys."
Scott grinned as they played a little bit of baby hot potato and then tucked in neatly with the tiny little guy, the grin somehow wider now. "I'm with Jean. Let's be baby thieves," he teased.
"Just remember: I can and will hunt you down and end you," K warned with a little growl she hadn't exactly meant to use.
"Oooh, I felt that in my tummy," Katie said, her eyes wide.
"Mom can make the lions at the circus go the other way when she growls," Clint said, leaning forward excitedly. "It's so cool."
"I wanna do that!" Katie said.
"You gotta have a mutant power first," Clint said.
"I want one'a those!"
"You're not big enough."
"Yes I am!"
"Nuh-uh! You have to be big enough to kiss boys!" Clint said.
"Yeah, you gotta be even bigger than me, Katie," Susie put in. "My dad told me all about the DNA stuff inside people! It's really cool!"
"You just like all the science stuff because your dad does science," Katie said, sticking her tongue out at her sister again.
"Yeah, because it's cool!" Susie insisted.
"You're weird."
"I thought you said that was a good thing!"
Katie stuck her tongue out again, and Susie rolled her eyes — until Rachel said, "No tongue sticking," and that got Susie snickering.
"You two are sure you want a couple dozen?" K teased as Scott handed James back; he'd finally woken up and started staring at Scott almost accusingly.
"We're already halfway to a half-dozen…" Scott said — and laughed when Jean smacked him with the back of her hand.
"So you'll be carrying the other half of the half-dozen?" K asked brightly. "I look forward to that secondary mutation."
Jean rolled her eyes. "Don't even joke. I told him I wanted more after you doubled your family — and I got twins. We're staying away from all jokes. Ever."
"But … not if he's gotta carry 'em," K said, looking disappointed.
Jean shook her head. "No, no. Somehow, this teasing will come back to me. And I'm still recovering from nine months of sibling fights in my own stomach. No."
"Spoilsport," K said, though she caught the look James was still giving Scott. "Oh look. Genetics."
Scott smirked. "Somehow, I'm not surprised."
"He's a silly baby," Rachel informed them all, grinning up at K and putting her whole hand over her mouth to blow K a kiss. "You made a silly baby!"
"Looks pretty serious to me," K said.
"Nope. He's bein' silly to Dad," Rachel said. "I love him!"
"I'm glad to hear it," K said as she finally put her legs over the edge of the bed and got to her feet. "But … if no one wants to fight me over it, I think I want to go to my own bed."
"Only if we can hug you and James there too!" Katie insisted. "I'm not done huggin' my brother!"
"No reason not to," Logan said. "She's all healed up now."
K turned to Jean and gave her a falsely wide grin. "Again: Sorry about that."
"Even more reason to be jealous," Jean sang her way.
"I'd tell you I can't fit into my jeans right," K said. "But … it's an overcorrection, and I need a belt."
"Oh. No." Jean shook her head. "No. No. That's unacceptable."
"Oops!" K laughed. "That's just how it is, I guess."
Scott started to laugh as he snagged Jean around the waist with his free hand. "Come on, Mrs. Summers. You can rage about dress sizes while we put the kids down for a nap."
"We can share the elevator — unless you have plans otherwise," K said as the kids started to swarm both of them.
Barney smirked up at K. "Yeah. To work off the baby weight."
"Hey now," she said, tipping his chin up with her free hand. "No. They don't need your circus primer of what not to do on the flying trapeze."
Barney turned a brilliant red. "I don't—"
"You turned him into a tomato," Clint giggled delightedly.
"Barney, can you give Katie a piggyback ride? I'm going to have Logan take James for me," K said, smirking as Barney gave Clint a little look and crouched down so Katie could reach better.
"You tired, Mom?" Clint asked, ignoring Barney's look entirely.
"Yeah," K said, nodding as she handed James off. "And a little dizzy."
In a heartbeat, Clint was right there like he'd been when she'd been drugged by Sinister. "Okay, Mom. I gotcha."
K couldn't help but smile and give him a kiss on the cheek. "Love you too."